Yesterday I went to a general meeting of residents from two buildings on Botanicheskaya Street. They want to set up a homeowners association (TSZh), but the district administration is getting in the way: dragging its feet on issuing various documents and so on. I was invited for support — so that, if necessary, I could start furiously arguing and waving the Housing Code around. They seated me on the presidium. Next to me sat some woman from the district administration. She kept pushing the idea that there was no need for a homeowners association, that the DEZ (municipal housing maintenance office) was doing an excellent job, that nobody was cheating the residents, and that for low-income citizens a homeowners association would become a millstone around their neck. The woman was wearing a Bvlgari ring and earrings. Though of course it’s not nice to count other people’s money. She may simply have found buried treasure.