Jack and I had just settled into a small rental home in a quiet suburban neighborhood for a short-term work assignment. We were barely unpacked when we heard an unexpected knock at the door. Standing outside was Lindsey, our overly cheerful neighbor, holding a tray of perfectly arranged cookies.

At first, she seemed friendly, but something about her demeanor felt off. As she smiled and handed us the cookies, her eyes kept darting suspiciously around the inside of our home, as if she were inspecting us. Her tone quickly shifted from welcoming to authoritative.

Lindsey firmly warned us about a rule enforced by the Homeowners Association (HOA): only one car was allowed in each driveway. Although both our vehicles fit without blocking anything, she sternly said, “No exceptions.” We assumed she was just a bit too eager to enforce the rules.

Trying not to make waves, we let it go. But only three days later, trouble arrived early in the morning. Just before dawn, we heard the rumble of tow trucks. To our shock, both of our cars were being hauled away from the driveway.