The next morning, I visited my attorney, Patricia Haugen. She examined the forged agreement and explained that Brad had no authority to lease my property. The divorce judgment clearly established that the eighty acres belonged to me alone. But then she warned me about something even more serious. Because Brad had been charging hunters for access, my existing farm insurance might not cover an accident involving a commercial hunting arrangement. If someone fell from one of the hunting stands, I could face a devastating legal problem. Brad wasn’t simply stealing money; he was putting my inheritance at risk.

I immediately contacted my insurance agent and explained everything. Then I purchased eighty orange NO TRESPASSING signs and spent two weekends placing them around the property. I also sent Brad a formal letter stating that he had absolutely no permission to arrange hunting access. My neighbor Earl watched me install the signs and shook his head. “That man has been telling everyone he’s still running things out here,” he said. I looked toward Grandpa’s wooded ridge and answered, “Not anymore. This land is going back to the people Grandpa intended it for.”