Jack and I had recently relocated to a quiet neighborhood for a short-term work assignment and settled into a rental home. On our very first day, a neighbor named Lindsey greeted us with a tray of cookies. Though the gesture seemed kind, her overly cheerful demeanor felt oddly forced.
After a few minutes of small talk, Lindsey shifted the conversation to a supposed HOA rule about driveway usage. She claimed only one vehicle per household was allowed in the driveway. We politely explained we were temporary tenants, both cars fit fine, and there was no mention of such a rule in our rental agreement. Lindsey, however, insisted the rule was community-wide and non-negotiable.
A few mornings later, just before dawn, we were shocked awake by the clamor of tow trucks. Rushing outside, we found both our vehicles being hauled away. And there, standing by with a smug expression, was Lindsey, watching it unfold like a neighborhood vigilante.
When we confronted her, she repeated her line about enforcing the rules. But then her eyes landed on the small federal government decals on our windshields—and her smugness quickly vanished, replaced with visible panic.
The next day, a federal agent arrived at her door. Calm and professional, he informed her that by arranging the towing of government-marked vehicles, she had disrupted an active undercover operation, resulting in $25,000 in damages. Lindsey was speechless, her face drained of color as she realized the gravity of her mistake.
Jack and I watched everything unfold from our porch, quietly sipping coffee. After the agent left, I couldn’t resist calling out, “Next time, just stick to the cookies.” There was no reply, only the sight of Lindsey retreating into her house in stunned silence.
From that point forward, Lindsey dropped her self-appointed role as the neighborhood’s rule enforcer. There were no more surprise visits or fake HOA claims.
Our days continued peacefully after that, and the driveway remained untouched—no rules broken, no cookies delivered, and no more early-morning surprises.
