A committee member asked whether Nathan could demand millions because the operator had collected large annual fees.
Gilbert answered that business revenue and land value were related questions but not identical calculations.
He inspected cracked pavement, worn markings, a drainage ditch, and a fenced area containing outdated electrical equipment.
He noted that restoring an airstrip for aviation purposes could require spending far more than any easy promotional estimate.
The HOA representatives wanted a number they could take to residents that afternoon.
Gilbert refused to provide an unsupported figure.
He promised a written valuation with clearly stated assumptions and limitations.
Nathan admired the refusal because he understood how badly everybody wanted certainty.
During the walk, they passed a former VIP parking space marked with a fading gold crown.
Gilbert asked who had paid for the paint and whether any permit authorized the commercial operation.
Nathan said those details were among the questions under review.
The appraiser recorded them without turning toward a camera.
At the end he told Nathan that owning unusual property could mean spending years understanding what it could lawfully become.
Nathan replied that he had learned more about land ownership in three months than in a decade of surveying work.
Gilbert smiled and said even professional surveyors sometimes discovered that geometry was the easiest part of a property dispute.
Chapter 29F — Brenda’s First Committee
A former Oak Creek board member named Diane Fletcher came forward after hearing Brenda accuse the independent committee of disloyalty.
Diane had served during the first years of the parking program and remembered the debates that preceded it.
The HOA faced major repair bills, and members were frightened by the prospect of a special assessment.
Brenda proposed renting the unused strip for occasional charitable events while the board sought a formal agreement.
Diane had supported the temporary idea because it seemed practical and openly limited.
She recalled a meeting where an attorney warned that the association needed permission from the actual owner.
Several committee members asked Brenda to obtain that permission before collecting long-term fees.
Brenda responded that the developer’s marketing materials gave the association enough authority to begin.
Diane said she had voted against the expansion because the issue remained unresolved.
She resigned from the committee after Brenda accused dissenters of trying to bankrupt the neighborhood.
Diane had kept minutes and a personal diary describing why she left.
Marisol explained that a diary could help establish memory but would still need careful corroboration.
