HOA Karen Called Animal Control On My Horses — Officer Laughed When He Saw My Veterinary License
Chapter 10
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Sharon's face had gone from red to white to red again. She started to stand up and say something, but Patricia grabbed her arm and whispered urgently in her ear. Sharon sat back down, but I could see her shaking with rage.The hearing for damages was set for two months out. In the meantime, Sharon was supposed to leave me alone.She didn't.Two weeks after the court hearing, I woke up to find my fence cut in three places. All four horses had gotten out overnight and were happily grazing in Margaret's yard down the road. Thankfully, Margaret found them before they wandered onto the main road and called me immediately.I spent the morning rounding up horses and examining the fence. The cuts were clean, made with wire cutters, and clearly deliberate. I called the police.The officer who responded, a young guy named Officer Stevens, took photos and a report. "You think someone did this intentionally?""I know someone did. Fence wire doesn't cut itself in three places overnight.""You have security cameras?""Not yet, but that's about to change.""Good idea. Do you have any suspects?"I explained the situation with the HOA and Sharon.Officer Stevens raised his eyebrows. "That's the HOA president? I've dealt with her before on noise complaints and parking issues. She's persistent.""That's one word for it.""I'll include this in my report. If it happens again, especially after you have cameras, we can pursue charges for vandalism and possibly reckless endangerment if the animals got hurt or caused an accident."I spent the afternoon installing security cameras at every corner of my property, focusing on the fence lines and gates. The system was expensive, but worth it for peace of mind.Three days later, the cameras caught Sharon approaching my fence at midnight with wire cutters. She was in the process of cutting the fence again when the motion-activated lights I had also installed suddenly flooded the area. She froze, staring directly into the camera, before dropping the wire cutters and running back to her car.I had the footage.I called Officer Stevens immediately, and he came out to review it. "That's clear as day," he said, watching Sharon on camera. "She's looking right at the lens. We can charge her with criminal mischief, trespassing, and possibly animal endangerment.""I want to press charges," I said firmly. I had tried to be patient, tried to be understanding, but this had crossed a line. My horses could have been hit by a car or injured trying to get through the damaged fence."I'll bring this to my supervisor and the prosecutor. Given the ongoing harassment case in civil court, they'll probably take this seriously."Sharon was arrested three days later. The story made the local news because the idea of an HOA president being arrested for cutting a veterinarian's horse fence was too bizarre not to cover.The news segment included an interview with me where I explained the months of harassment, the lawsuits, the false reports, and finally the vandalism. The segment also included interviews with other neighbors, including Margaret and several people who had attended my open house. They all spoke positively about me and my property, and several mentioned their own negative experiences with Sharon's aggressive HOA tactics.