If the HOA ever tried to restrict the farm, the agreement was
immediately void. The 23 homes would lose their back access
permanently. Karen hadn't just picked a fight; she had
unwittingly loaded a gun and pointed it at her own
neighborhood.
Harvest season arrived with the crisp autumn air. The
soybeans were ready, and time was of the essence. At 5:00
AM, Eli drove his service truck down the gravel road to open
the heavy steel harvest gate for the combines.
He stopped the truck and stared. Wrapped around the heavy
chains of his gate was a shiny, brand-new Master Lock.
Attached to it was a laminated tag bearing the Willow Ridge
HOA logo. "Access Restricted - See HOA Management." Karen
had actually done it. She had locked a farmer out of his own
fields during harvest. Eli didn't shout. He didn't take an angle
grinder to the lock. Instead, he pulled out his phone and dialed
the Mill Creek County Sheriff's Department.
S
Chapter 13: The Sheriff Arrives
heriff Davis pulled up forty minutes later, his cruiser's lights
flashing in the pre-dawn gloom. Shortly after, a golf cart
whined down the road. It was Karen, wearing a triumphant
smirk and a tailored jacket.
"Officer, this man is in violation of HOA safety protocols,"
Karen announced before the sheriff even stepped out of his
vehicle. "We've restricted his access until fines are paid." Sheriff
Davis looked at the lock, then at Eli. "Eli, is this your gate?" "Yes,
sir. On my property," Eli said. Karen crossed her arms. "The
HOA has authority over shared access points." Eli quietly pulled
the certified copy of the county file from his jacket and handed
it to the sheriff. "Read the highlighted section, Sheriff."
heriff Davis read the document by the light of his flashlight.