A Homeowner’s Association tries to control the appearance of a development. How does the Lake Windsor Downs Homeowners Association do this and, more importantly, why does Paul’s mother appreciate their efforts?

Chapter Four?

The Homeowners Association of Lake Windsor Downs is having a meeting at Paul’s house. Paul sits in the alcove doing his homework on his dad’s computer. The HOA meets in the living room and Paul listens as they discuss that many things that are going wrong in the neighborhood: the first thing is the lightning rod that Mr. Donnelly put on his roof; the next is the koi that have disappeared from the fishpond. The homeowners try to figure out who could be stealing the fish, but Paul knows that it’s the osprey whose nests are on the telephone poles. The next major issue is the muck fire. The HOA tried to put it out by saturating it last year, and they ended up creating a swampy breeding ground for mosquitos. The mosquitos carry encephalitis; two kids died from it last year. Now the HOA decides that they will need to spray the area with toxic pesticides to get rid of the mosquitos. On top of this, it turns out that the houses that are in tents, being treated for termites, have been getting robbed of their valuables. It sounds like everything is falling apart in Lake Windsor Downs.