Stan, Adele, and the Girls were visiting Uncle Stu and Amanda. They were sitting on the back deck overlooking the basking pool. 

Adele: This really is a beautiful place. I love the landscaping.

Stu: Thank you. Amanda is very talented.

Amanda: We did it together. We’re really lucky to live here. The Homeowner’s Association (HOA) here is very relaxed about what we can put in. The last place I lived, they were very strict with the rules.

Stu: That reminds me. You should see what the beavers a couple of streets over did. They put in some dams and waterfalls. It’s very relaxing.

Suddenly, there was a voice from the front.

Voice: Hello? Hello? Is anyone home?

Amanda: Maxine, we’re around back.

A cow and a goat came around the house. The cow spoke.

Maxine: Good afternoon, gators. I hope all is well. Effie and I are here to do our inspection for the HOA.

Amanda: What kind of inspection?

Effie: We’re just doing a tour of the neighborhood to make sure everything’s in compliance with our rules.

Amanda: We’ve been here over a year. Why are you doing it now?

Effie: The Board realized that we’ve been a little lax in enforcing our rules. Some of the residents are taking advantage, and we need to get things under control.

Maxine: You should have been expecting us. We sent out letters and emails.

Amanda: We haven’t gotten any messages.

Effie: Let’s see. They were sent to gatorguystu@animail.com.

Stu: That’s me.

Amanda: Let me see your phone, Stu.

She scrolled through his mail. She found a folder labeled “House”.

Amanda: Why are the messages in the House folder?

Stu: I put anything I get about the house in there, in case I need it later. I must have forgotten to read them before I filed them.

Effie: This won’t take long. We just need to look around outside and make notes about anything that doesn’t meet the rules.

Stan: What happens if something doesn’t meet the rules?

Maxine: It will need to be removed or replaced.

Stan: Even if no one has a problem with it?

Effie: Those are the rules. They signed the agreement.

Stu: Can you ignore what’s here now and we can follow the rules going forward?

Effie: Unfortunately not. There is entirely too much diversity in the yards here in Orchard Bluff. We want to present a coherent picture of who we are.

Stu: But this yard is who we are.

Maxine: But that’s not necessarily what Orchard Bluff is.

Maxine & Effie walked around the property taking notes. When they finished, Maxine gave Stu a list of things that needed to be changed. He was in shock.

Amanda: How long do we have to make these changes?

Effie: The entire neighborhood needs to be up to standard in 90 days.

Stu: Who do we talk to if we don’t agree with the changes.

Maxine: There’s a board meeting in two weeks if you want to appeal the changes. But the board has decided that we need to standardize the appearance of the subdivision.

They left and the gators looked over the list

• Grass is higher than three inch maximum in the backyard
• Unauthorized flag hanging in front
• Unapproved pool in back yard
• Unauthorized house accent color (green) 
• Unauthorized flowering shrub
• More than two shrubs
• No rock gardens

Stu: This is outrageous! Alligators need long grass to lie in.

Justine: I can’t believe you can’t fly your Gator Nation flag.

Adele: And no alligator green on the house.

Amanda: It’s not a real pool. It’s just for basking.

Stu: What did they say? The meeting’s in two weeks.

Amanda: If we want to challenge anything. I don’t think it will do any good. We did sign the agreement.

Stan: What are you thinking, Stu?

Stu: I think it might be time to start organizing the neighbors.

Next week: The HOA Board Meeting

Pictures AI generated.