Officer Hayes, a veteran of the force who
looked like he'd rather be anywhere else on
a sunny Saturday, sighed. He approached
Marcus, who was calmly waiting by the
smoker. "Afternoon, sir. We received a
complaint about a disturbance and a fire
hazard. Can you tell me what's going on?"
Marcus smiled, offering his hand. "Good
afternoon, Officer. I'm Marcus Vance. We're
just having a family BBQ. That is a standard
wood-fired offset smoker. No open flames
outside the firebox, completely legal under
city code. Brenda here is the HOA president
and seems to think she has the authority to
shut us down based on a misinterpretation
of an obscure bylaw."
The officer looked at the smoker, then at
the happy family, then back to Brenda.
"Ma'am, this looks like a private gathering
on private property. The grill is perfectly
legal. This is a civil matter for your HOA, not
a police issue."
"It is NOT just a civil matter!" Brenda
shrieked. "This is HOA property! The land
this entire development sits on has strict
covenants. If he refuses to comply, he is
technically trespassing on community
standards! I want to see his permit! I want
to know who really owns that monstrosity
of a grill!"
Chapter 6: The Revelation
Marcus let out a low, rumbling laugh. It
was a laugh that carried the weight of a
secret he had kept very quiet since moving
in. He walked over to a leather satchel
resting on a patio chair, unzipped it, and
pulled out a thick, legal-looking folder. He
walked back to the officers and Brenda, his
expression serene.
"You want to know who owns the grill,
Brenda?" Marcus asked smoothly. "I do. I
had it custom built in Texas."
"Then I demand you remove it from
Oakridge Estates property immediately!"
she yelled.
"That's where you're a little confused,
Brenda," Marcus said, opening the folder
and handing a document to Officer Hayes.
"You see, Oakridge Estates HOA doesn't own
the land. The HOA is a management entity
that leases the common areas, the park, and
31
the developmental rights from the primary
land developer."
Brenda looked confused. "What are you
talking about? The developer handed over
the community years ago."
"The housing units, yes," Marcus
explained patiently. "But the master deed,
the land beneath the common areas, and the
overarching developmental rights were
retained by Vance Holdings LLC. Which
happens to be my company. I didn't just buy
a house here, Brenda. I own the ground you