Eleanor turned pale. "What? But the buffer zone! The road!"
"The developers who built your subdivision," Sheriff Miller explained, tapping the deed, "didn't buy the land the road was built on. They only bought the hills. They leased the access road from the Vance family on a 99-year agreement. Mr. Vance doesn't just own this cornfield. He owns the land under your entrance road. He owns the buffer zone. In fact, he owns the entire valley."
The realization hit Eleanor like a physical blow. She didn't have jurisdiction over the cornfield; Arthur had jurisdiction over her only way out of the neighborhood.
"Furthermore," Arthur finally spoke up, "the lease agreement strictly states that the access road must remain for residential travel only. If you ever threaten my farm again, or if you ever set foot on my soil, I will revoke the easement for breach of contract, and you’ll have to fly helicopters to get to your houses."