Locked out of iCloud account that asks for a recovery key that I never had.

Only a person who has access to your Apple account can turn on the recovery key option and in doing so it tells you to write it down and not lose it or you could lose access to your account. You can learn more about the recovery key you or someone who has/had access to your Apple account turned on at Set up a recovery key for your Apple Account - Apple Support

I don’t know what “iCloud member board“ is or how you would write them. There is an Apple support team and they’re only available by phone call, messages, or chat, they don’t offer email or snail mail options. Contact Apple for support and service - Apple Support

You being tax paying American citizen means nothing in this situation because you are using a free service offered by a private company who set their terms and conditions and using their services. Legal - Apple Account & Privacy- Apple

"Locked out of iCloud account that asks for a recovery key that I never had."

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Troubleshooting a Locked Apple Account:

There is no such thing as an iCloud account; all there is is your Apple account. So, if you are locked out, then contact Apple Support, to get back in.

A. Visit this Link: If your Apple ID is locked or disabled - Apple Support

B. Use a Computer to Troubleshoot this:

You should troubleshooting this using a computer, as it would be more user-friendly doing so.

C. Why Accounts Become Disabled:

When your iTunes Account has been disabled, and that often happens due to suspicious activity --- Perhaps nothing on your part. They disable it for no more than Security & Privacy concerns.

Possible Reasons Could Include: 

• Too many unsuccessful login attempts
• VPN (Virtual Private Network) usage
• Consistent transactions
• Session Times Out
• Disobeying Terms & Conditions

So...

D. To Re-Enable it:

As you might suspect, no one here would know the reason for this occurrence, of course. So, contact Apple Support. They’ll know why this occurred and will run you right through the fix. If need be

Contact Apple Support:

• Contact Us - Choose Locations
• U.S.A. (800)MY-APPLE
• Proceed from there as necessary