“How long does the stay stay in effect?” I asked.

“Until your active duty orders end or you sign a voluntary release,” Miller said.

“While this petition is active, your mother can’t transfer or sell one square foot of that lot.”

I took the black pen from the stand on his desk and signed my full name on the bottom line.

Captain Miller stamped the page twice in red ink, slid the original into an official courier envelope, and picked up his desk phone.

“I’ll hand-deliver this to the county court clerk before nine,” Miller said.