She smiled as our cars were towed away, thinking she’d won. But by morning, she stood in shock, facing a $25,000 mistake.
Jack and I had just moved into a small rental for a temporary work assignment. We hadn’t even unpacked fully when the doorbell rang. It was our neighbor, Lindsey, handing out cookies in a pastel cardigan and headband. Her smile was friendly, but her eyes were suspicious as she mentioned the HOA’s rule: one car per household in the driveway.
“We’re here temporarily,” I said, but she insisted on the rule. Jack shrugged it off, and we thanked her for the cookies.
Three days later, we woke to the sound of tow trucks. Our cars were being lifted. “Violation of HOA rules,” one truck driver said.
Lindsey stood on the sidewalk, smiling smugly. “You really did it,” I said. “You owe us $25,000 now.”
She was confused, but I pointed to a small sticker on my car’s rear windshield. She didn’t recognize it, but it was part of an undercover federal operation.
The next morning, an agent arrived at Lindsey’s house. He told her she had disrupted a federal operation by towing two marked government vehicles, costing $25,000.
Lindsey was stunned. “I thought I was just following the rules,” she stammered.
Jack added, “Maybe next time, just bake the cookies and leave it at that.”
Lindsey’s door stayed shut, and her prized rose bushes never fully recovered.