Jonathan listened as she explained, her tone rehearsed and unwavering, that complaints had been filed and that the association required immediate compliance. When he calmly asked who had filed the complaints, she responded that the information was confidential and irrelevant.
“You have fourteen days,” she concluded. “If the boat remains, we will arrange removal at your expense.”
Jonathan thanked her, closed the door, and stood quietly in the hallway for a long moment. Then he turned and walked to his study, where a steel filing cabinet held documents he had not needed to touch in years.
He opened a leather bound folder and removed the original deed to his property, along with the survey maps and county records attached to the sale. He read carefully, confirming what he already knew.
The lake was his.
When the development had been approved decades earlier, the land had been subdivided and sold, but the water itself had never been transferred. Jonathan had purchased not only his home, but the entire lake basin, shoreline included. The association had no legal authority over it, despite years of acting otherwise.
Jonathan decided not to respond in writing. Instead, he chose to attend the next association meeting.
The meeting took place in a multipurpose room near the entrance of the development. Folding chairs filled the space, and a low murmur of conversation floated through the air. Jonathan arrived early and took a seat near the back, observing quietly as residents discussed landscaping disputes and parking rules.
Eventually, Karen looked up and noticed him.
“Mr. Keller,” she said, voice sharp with recognition. “Since you are present, we should address your ongoing violation. Your boat must be removed from the lakefront.”
Jonathan rose slowly, holding the folder under his arm.
“I believe there is confusion regarding ownership,” he said evenly.
Before he could continue, another board member interrupted him, insisting that the lake was shared community property and therefore subject to association oversight.
Jonathan approached the table and placed his documents in front of them.
“These are the county records,” he said calmly. “They show that the lake was never deeded to the association. I purchased it along with my home. Any fees collected for its use were collected under a false assumption.”