I hope all is well with this group and that Walton County has addressed the beach access issue. Today I sent the following email to the Walton County tourism office as well as the county commissioners. Depending on the response we may or may not be visiting your lovely beach again.
My family and I are starting the process of deciding where we will go on vacation next summer. Over the past 10+ years we have rented the same house in Seagrove, but last year my family and I were removed from the beach by a Walton County deputy after an irate man, identifying himself as a property owner, decided he did not like children playing on "his" beach. Prior to this incident we have wonderful memories of Seagrove, but obviously we do not want to set our family up for such a humiliating incident again.
Before committing to a Walton County vacation I have three questions I need answered:
1) Has Walton County addressed the beach access/trespassing issue and if so how?
2) Is Walton County still defining the public beach as only the "wet portion of the beach"?
3) How far to either side of the Pelayo beach access steps can we legally lay a towel, on dry sand, without the possibility of having a deputy called to remove us for trespassing?
We look forward to hearing from you so we can decide if Walton County and Seagrove is where we want to spend our summer vacation next year.
Replies
79
Beach Fanatic
Beach SiO2..., you got up and left and missed meeting me! But, I know who you are now! I also met greenroomsurfer and jack s! Miss Kitty does county hall!
I don't know what you're talking about, I wasn't there, but did I see you with SJ?
Meow
I don't know what you're talking about, I wasn't there, but did I see you with SJ?
...how about dem Cowboys?Beach Fanatic
Three touchdowns in the 4th quarter last night
Beach Fanatic
Neither the sheriff nor anyone in the sheriff's dept can change things. I am dismayed that people keep blaming the sheriff's department. They do not go out of their way to remove people from certain areas of the beach; they respond ONLY WHEN SOMEONE COMPLAINS. It is not their fault that most beachfront deeds read down to the mean high water line, nor can they argue with the verbage on someone's deed. The deeds read that way because, way back when, there was no coastal construction line and the intent was not to give the beach away, but to ensure that if you bought gulf-front, nobody could build in front of you.
It would be nice if the gulf-front owners who are creating the issue wouldn't be jackasses, but I don't see any way to legally change the ownership. And the TDC is correct - of the complaints that the county receives, the majority are from beachfront owners who are complaining that their right to a private beach is not being enforced.
Meanwhile, we all grit our teeth and bite our tongues...
I agree SN, the Sheriff's department is only doing their job. They are just another victim in the mix. The beach front owners who call the sheriff whn the kids stray over the MHWL while building their annual sandcastle are at issue.
My worry is two fold. One that the charge of criminal trespassing instead of a lighter charge puts the stakes way too high for the average beach goer to challenge the validity in court. It would be nice if we could see what the courts really think about all the different angles to this issue, rather than what a beach goer thinks of a potential year in jail. My other worry is that I have a feeling that the tourist and their dollars when confronted by the sheriff at the behest of irate homeowners will vote with their feet and their future vacation plans instead of with a telephone call to the TDC. Although, I am sure that they would waste not time calling every vacationing friend that will listen to tell them about the ruined vacation and where they do not plan to go next year.
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