HOA Demolished My Bridge and Tried to Claim it was for Public Safety
I always knew that one day, I’d leave the city behind. The constant noise, the crowds, the endless rush of life—it was all wearing me down. As a civil engineer, I spent my days designing complex infrastructure, managing projects, and overseeing the construction of everything from highways to bridges. But when it came to my own life, I longed for simplicity and serenity. So, my family and I took a leap of faith and bought a property out in the country.
The house wasn’t huge—nothing too extravagant—but it was perfect for what we needed. It had a large yard for the kids to run around in, and it was just far enough from the city to make you feel like you were living in a different world. There was a stream running through the property—beautiful to look at, but a pain when it came to getting from one side of the land to the other. It wasn’t wide, but it was deep enough that you couldn’t just hop over it, and the banks were steep enough that crossing without a bridge was impossible.
At first, I didn’t think much of it. The road took me to the front of the house, so it wasn’t like it was a huge inconvenience. But after a while, I started to notice something that bugged me. A shorter route ran across the stream, but it was essentially unusable. If I wanted to get to the other side, I’d have to either drive a long way around or take a hike through thick underbrush, both of which were far from ideal. That’s when the idea struck me—what if I built a bridge?
Now, I’ve always been the kind of person who looks for solutions. Maybe it’s the engineer in me, but I saw this as an opportunity. I had the skills, the knowledge, and the tools to do something about it. A bridge. A simple, sturdy wooden bridge that could easily support the weight of a vehicle. It wasn’t going to be anything fancy, but it would serve its purpose. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense. Not only would it save me time, but it would also add a unique feature to the property. I could just picture it: a wooden bridge, spanning the stream, nestled in the natural beauty of the land.
So, I made the decision...