We started reading the emails, and my hands started shaking all over again.

The emails started in October of the previous year. That was 3 months before we bought the condo.

The emails showed they did this on purpose.

Vance wasn’t just some nice seller. He had been the HOA board treasurer until December.

He had signed the 1st roof inspection report detailing the damage back in October.

The board had voted to hide the report.

They wanted to delay the special assessment until the units were sold.

Vance had written an email to Brenda, our realtor: “Brenda, we need to push this sale through before the February board meeting. Once the board votes on the roof, the $42,000 assessment becomes public.”

“If we get a cash buyer from out of state, they won’t ask for the draft minutes,” he wrote. “Just keep the listing active.”

Brenda had replied: “I have a couple from Cleveland who sold their Ohio home and have $285,000 cash ready. They are very eager and trusting, so they won’t ask about the reserves.”

Vance wrote back: “Excellent. Greg is keeping the draft minutes off the website for now. I will make sure he gets his consulting fee from my proceeds.”

I stared at the screen. I felt like I had been punched in the gut.

They had targeted us. They knew we were putting our life savings into a trap, and they didn’t care.

Greg, the HOA president, was in on it the whole time.

He had hidden the board minutes to protect Vance’s sale.

Arthur printed out every single email.

We put the printouts in our yellow folder.

We didn’t call Vance. We didn’t call Brenda.

We found a real estate lawyer in Sarasota named Marcus Hayes. He was a sharp guy who didn’t take any nonsense.

When Mr. Hayes read those printouts, he leaned back in his leather chair and shook his head.

“Clara, in Florida, a seller has to disclose anything that majorly affects the property value,” he said.