“Morning, Laura,” he said, walking over.
“Just need to verify a few things.”
“Of course!”
We walked over to Rick’s driveway. Greg crouched down, took measurements with a tape measure, and snapped photos from multiple angles. He made notes on his clipboard.
“Rear tires are definitely encroaching on your driveway apron,” he said, standing up.
“Clear violation. And since he’s already been warned and chose to ignore it, we’re moving to the next step.”
“Which is?”
“Towing and fines,” Greg added. “Should be here in about 15 minutes.”
My heart did a little leap.
Right on cue, Rick’s front door opened. He walked out, coffee mug in hand, clearly wondering what was happening.
“What’s going on?” he asked, his tone already defensive.
Greg turned to him with that same calm, professional demeanor.
“Good morning, sir. I’m Greg from the HOA.
You’ve been issued multiple notices regarding your vehicle obstructing your neighbor’s driveway. Since you’ve failed to comply, we’re proceeding with a towing order.”
Rick’s face went through several expressions: Confusion. Disbelief.
Then anger. “You’re NOT towing my truck. This is MY property.
My driveway.”
“Actually, the street and easement areas are community property,” Greg explained calmly. “Your vehicle’s in direct violation of posted parking regulations. The tow truck’s on its way.”
“This is insane!” Rick sputtered.
“Over a couple of feet?”
“Over repeated violations and refusal to comply with warnings,” Greg corrected.
Rick’s face turned red. “I’m calling my lawyer!”
“You’re welcome to do that, sir. But you’ll still be responsible for all towing and impound fees, plus the HOA fines.”
I stayed quiet, sipping my coffee, watching this unfold like the world’s most satisfying morning show.
Rick stomped inside, then came back out two minutes later, shoes half-tied, phone pressed to his ear, pacing back and forth.
And then, rumbling down our quiet suburban street like avenging justice, came the tow truck. The driver hopped out, exchanged a few words with Greg, then got to work.
“Wait, wait, wait!” Rick shouted, practically running over. “You can’t do this!”
The driver didn’t even pause.
He positioned the truck, deployed the wheel lift, and started securing Rick’s precious vehicle.
“This is theft!” Rick yelled. “I’ll sue all of you!”
Greg handed him a packet of papers. “This is your violation notice, fine schedule, and information on how to retrieve your vehicle from the impound lot.
You’ll need to pay all fees before release.”
“How much?” Rick demanded.
“Towing fee is $150,” Greg said, reading from his clipboard. “Impound is $50 per day. HOA violation fine is $200 for the first offense that went unresolved, plus an additional $230 for noncompliance with the warning.
That’s $580 total before impound fees.”
Rick’s mouth fell open. “FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY BUCKS?!”
“Plus whatever impound fees accumulate until you pick it up,” Greg added.
I had to turn away to hide my smile.
Within 10 minutes, Rick’s truck was lifted off the ground and secured. The driver climbed back into his cab, and the tow truck rolled away down the street, carrying Rick’s enormous pickup like it weighed nothing.
Rick stood on the curb, watching his truck disappear around the corner.
The look on his face was priceless.
Greg turned to me before getting back in his SUV. “Sorry it took this long to resolve, Laura. Hopefully this takes care of the problem.”
“I think it will,” I said.
“Thank you, Greg.”
He nodded and drove off, leaving Rick standing alone in his driveway, staring at the empty space where his precious truck used to be.
By noon, the entire neighborhood knew what had happened. Someone had filmed the whole thing from their window and posted it to our neighborhood group chat. The comments were brutal:
“About time!”
“He’s been parking like that in front of my house too.”
“Remember when he blocked the Johnsons’ driveway during their daughter’s graduation party?”
Apparently, I wasn’t the only one Rick had been tormenting with his parking habits.
That afternoon, I saw Rick pacing in his front yard, still on the phone.
His voice carried across to my house, even with my windows closed.
“This is extortion!” he shouted. “Over parking?!”
But here’s the thing about HOAs. Love them or hate them, they have rules.
And when you repeatedly violate those rules after being warned, there are consequences.
Rick eventually paid. He had to. Five hundred and eighty dollars in fines, plus three days of impound fees because he tried to argue his way out of it first.
When he finally got his truck back, something had changed.
He parked it way down the street now, nowhere near my driveway. In fact, he parked so far away he had to walk almost a full block to his house.
I back out of my driveway every morning with one smooth turn. No hedge scraping.
No complicated angles. And zero stress. It’s amazing what a difference it makes when you can start your day without wanting to scream into the void.
Sometimes karma looks like a tow truck, an HOA fine, and the entire neighborhood watching you get exactly what you deserve.
And the only way entitled people learn is through their wallet.
Have you ever dealt with an impossible neighbor? Someone who just refused to be reasonable no matter how nicely you asked? I’d love to hear your stories.
Drop them in the comments!
