Jack and I had just moved into a small rental in a quiet suburb for a short work assignment. Barely unpacked, we heard a knock. Standing there was Lindsey, our overly cheerful neighbor, offering perfectly arranged cookies—but her eyes darted suspiciously inside our home. She quickly shifted from sweet to strict, warning us about the HOA rule: only one car per driveway.

Both our cars fit perfectly, but she insisted, “No exceptions.” We shrugged it off as an overzealous neighbor.Three days later, before dawn, two tow trucks showed up, hauling away both our cars. Lindsey stood nearby in her bathrobe, grinning as if she’d won a battle. But then, we revealed a small sticker on our car windows—unseen by her—that marked them as government vehicles. She was stunned.