My grandfather's fence had legal priority over Karen's power trip. But Karen wasn't backing down. "We'll see what the emergency board meeting decides this afternoon."
At 2:00 sharp, Karen called an emergency HOA board meeting at her house. Despite being the property owner most affected by their decisions, I wasn't invited. I showed up anyway. "This is a private meeting," Karen said when I knocked on her front door. "You're not an HOA member."
"I'm the property owner you're trying to steal from," I replied. "I have a right to defend myself." The board consisted of five people: Karen as president, Dr. Richard Stanton as vice president, Jennifer Walsh as secretary, Marcus Chen as treasurer, and Patricia Vance as member at large.
What I discovered later was that Jennifer Walsh worked for Karen's real estate company, and Dr. Stanton had invested $50,000 in Karen's business. The fix was in from the start. I presented my evidence methodically: the original 1967 property deed with survey, continuous tax payment records, and my grandfather's handwritten notes documenting the fence installation. "These are old documents," Karen dismissed. "Current law applies."
"According to whose survey?" I demanded. I never agreed to any survey of my property. Karen produced her professional survey dated March 2022, signed by someone named Robert Kumar from Mountain West Land Services. I'd never heard of either the company or the surveyor.
"I want to contact this surveyor directly," I said. "That's not necessary. The survey is certified," Karen replied quickly. Dr. Stanton read from the HOA covenant.
Any encroachment onto common area constitutes abandonment of property rights. According to their interpretation, I had constructively abandoned the disputed strip of land, which then reverted to HOA authority. Jennifer Walsh produced meeting minutes from 2021, claiming I had been properly notified and failed to respond. I had never received any notification about meetings regarding my property.
"Maybe we should postpone until legal counsel reviews everything," suggested Marcus Chen, the treasurer, who looked increasingly uncomfortable. "I've already contacted Secure Shield Security for the auction," Karen announced. "Given Mr. Morrison's hostile behavior, we need professional security." "You're hiring security to help you steal my land?" I asked.
Patricia Vance, the only board member who seemed to have a conscience, spoke up. "Karen, maybe we should reconsider this whole thing." "We're proceeding as planned," Karen cut her off.
That's when I learned about Colorado property law. HOAs cannot claim ownership of property through covenant violations alone. Actual abandonment requires clear intent and physical vacation of property. I had continuously occupied, maintained, and paid taxes on my entire property for decades.
The smoking gun came when I demanded to see all correspondence they claimed to have sent me. Karen produced emails sent to an address that did not match mine. They had the wrong address. "Typographical errors don't invalidate proper notice," Karen argued.
"You never verified my contact information," I pointed out. "How was that proper notice?" Bill Hendricks, who had followed me to the meeting, confirmed he'd never seen any surveyors on my property. "I check on Jake's place every day. I would have noticed strangers with measuring equipment."
"Are you a licensed surveyor?" Dr. Stanton asked. "Retired county surveyor, still licensed," Bill replied.
"And that fence is exactly where it's always been." When the vote came, it was predetermined. Karen, Dr. Stanton, and Jennifer Walsh voted yes to proceed with the auction. Marcus Chen abstained and Patricia Vance voted no.
The motion passed 3-1-1. "You're about to make a serious legal error," I warned them. "We'll see about that," Karen replied.
Sunday morning brought an even bigger shock. Karen was hosting a pre-auction viewing of my property. Three potential buyers showed up to tour the ranch I had inherited from my grandfather, led by Karen herself, pointing out development potential. I sat on my front porch with my morning coffee, watching strangers walk around my land like they owned it.
Every time potential buyers approached the house, I stood up and introduced myself politely. "Hi, I'm Jake Morrison. I own this ranch. Are you interested in buying stolen property?"