"What violation?" I asked. "Please cite the specific section of the bylaws I violated."
Patricia shuffled through her papers. "Section 12, regarding community standards and cooperation."
"Section 12 is about maintaining your lawn and exterior paint colors. There's nothing in there about sharing personal property."
"It's implied in the spirit of the section."
I pulled out my own copy of the bylaws, now covered in sticky notes and highlights. "Nothing is implied. The bylaws are very specific about what is and isn't allowed. And nowhere in any section does it give the HOA authority to compel residents to provide their personal property for other residents' use."
A woman in the front row raised her hand. I recognized her as Susan Porter, one of the few reasonable people in the neighborhood. "I have a question for the board. If Daniel had run extension cords to other houses and someone had gotten hurt, would the HOA be liable?"
Patricia hesitated. "That's a hypothetical."
"It's actually a very real question," I said. "If I had done what Patricia demanded and something had gone wrong, I would have been personally liable. The HOA would have been liable. And Patricia specifically could have faced criminal charges for compelling me to create a hazardous condition."
"That's ridiculous," Margaret said.
"No, it's not. I spoke with my supervisor at the city electrical inspection office. He confirmed that what Patricia was asking me to do would violate multiple sections of the electrical code. He also said that trying to force me to do it through threats and financial penalties could constitute criminal coercion."
The room went silent. Robert Chen looked like he wanted to disappear into his chair. Margaret's mouth hung open. Patricia's face had gone from red to pale.
"You're threatening the board now?" Patricia finally managed.