His father had drilled those habits into him.
A machine weighing many tons didn't forgive careless assumptions.
Neither did a busy farm during harvest.
On a cool Wednesday morning, Hank found a new warning sign near the eastern access lane.
It carried the Prairie Meadows logo.
The sign described the route as an HOA-controlled emergency and service corridor.
Hank stopped his pickup.
He stepped out and examined it.
The sign stood near the same boundary Claire was investigating.
But the recorded documents still didn't establish that the association possessed general vehicle rights across his land.
Hank photographed the sign.
Then called the HOA management company.
The representative sounded surprised.
She hadn't received authorization to install new signage in that location.
Hank thanked her.
Then called Boone.
The older attorney listened.
Finally, he sighed.
"She's trying to create the appearance of a right by acting as though it already exists."
Hank looked toward the sign.
"What do I do?"
"Preserve the evidence. We'll address it through the proper process. Don't take the sign down until we've established who installed it and where."
Hank agreed.
He returned to the tractor.
But for the rest of the morning, he kept glancing toward the boundary.
He had a feeling Moren was preparing something.
Two days later, a contractor arrived with equipment to inspect the lane.
The crew leader approached Hank near the field entrance.
He explained that he'd received instructions from a developer to examine whether the lane could accommodate heavier vehicles.
Hank frowned.
"Which developer?"
The man checked his work order.
"Plains Crest Development Partners."
Hank felt his stomach tighten.
He asked whether the contractor had documentation showing permission to enter the farm.
The crew leader examined the order.
It listed a project name, a location, and a contact person.
But it didn't contain consent from Hank.
Hank explained that the relevant rights were disputed and that the contractor shouldn't enter his land without proper authorization.
The man listened.
He wasn't interested in a fight.
He'd come to perform a job based on information supplied by someone else.
He called his supervisor.
After a short conversation, the crew withdrew.
Before leaving, the contractor looked toward Hank.
"Sorry about the confusion."
Hank nodded.
"Not your problem if they gave you bad information."