“Someone turned off the outdoor security lights along the driveway on Monday night so our night auditors couldn’t photograph the condition of the entrance.”

“Why would the security lights matter?” I asked.

“Because bank protocol requires a verified photograph of the foreclosure notice attached to the main gate before final enforcement,” he said.

He stepped over to the high stone pillar, reached deep into the thick English ivy covering the masonry, and unclipped a bright yellow plastic tag hanging from a hidden wire loop.

“Why was it hidden in the ivy?” I asked.