The power went out on the hottest day of August in Phoenix, Arizona. And I knew my backup generator was about to become the most popular piece of equipment in Sunset Ridge HOA.
I'm Daniel Davison, and I've been a licensed electrical inspector for the city of Phoenix for 15 years. When I bought my house in this planned community three years ago, I made sure everything was up to code, including installing a proper transfer switch and a commercial-grade generator that could power my entire home during outages. Arizona summers are brutal, and losing power can quickly become dangerous when temperatures hit 115°.
The blackout happened at 2:00 in the afternoon. Within minutes, my generator kicked in automatically, and my air conditioning continued humming while the rest of the neighborhood went dark. I was in my home office reviewing inspection reports when I heard the persistent ringing of my doorbell.
Through the window, I could see Patricia Newman, the HOA president, standing on my porch with her arms crossed. She was wearing a white tennis outfit and designer sunglasses pushed up on her head, her face already flushed red from the heat. Patricia was 52 years old and had made it her life's mission to control every aspect of Sunset Ridge since being elected president four years ago.
I opened the door, and the wave of heat hit me immediately.
"Can I help you, Patricia?"
"Daniel, I'm glad you're home. We have a situation." She tried to peer past me into the cool interior of my house. "I see you have power."
"Yes, my generator is running. What can I do for you?"
She smiled in that way that never reached her eyes. "Well, as HOA president, I need to inform you that during community emergencies, all resources must be shared equally among residents. It's in the bylaws."
I leaned against the doorframe. "I've read the bylaws cover to cover, Patricia. There's nothing about sharing personal property during emergencies."
Her smile faltered. "Well, regardless, I need you to run an extension cord to my house. My hot tub's heating system will shut down completely without power, and it will take days to get it back to the proper temperature. You know how much that costs."