Spring break vandals have struck

We noticed all the pretty new cattail lightbulbs a couple of weeks ago, and wondered why Watercolor installed the new bulbs BEFORE spring break. I know they wanted everything to look great for spring break, but they should know from every past year that those bulbs don't survive the spring break kids.

This really makes me angry. :angry:

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/local/32-spring-breakers-arrested-at-house-party-1.109236?tc=cr

32 spring breakers arrested a a house party in Miramar Beach Monday afternoon

http://www.nwfdailynews.com/local/32-spring-breakers-arrested-at-house-party-1.109236?tc=cr

32 spring breakers arrested a a house party in Miramar Beach Monday afternoon

This is what we need! Throw a few hundred of them in jail every week and eventually they'll get the message.

I thought that most folks offering rentals were shunning the college crowd. Maybe some of them don't really understand how bad their places can get trashed. We had 3 houses of college kids last week in our mostly-residential neighborhood near Eastern Lake. Sort of a new record, and not a particularly happy one for us.

Fortunately, they started drinking early enough in the day that they weren't out yelling at 2AM. Crashed early, it appears. Lightweights...

One spring a neighbor called me and said, "There are 50 kids on your balcony and another 50 in your pool." I called the rental management company. They evicted the group with no refund, of course.

My sister has spent a lot of time at the beach in their non-rental home. She'd stop by our house to see if it was full of kids or overcrowded. But she wasn't there all the time. You know, in retrospect, we should have paid someone to do what sis did, every time we had a rental.

My guess is that most of those houses where you see many college kids are not intentionally rented to college kids. I may be wrong, but just based on our experience and everyone we know who is in the rental market, none of them would knowingly rent to a house of under 25 for all of the obvious reasons. All have it in their contracts. If what Beach Runner said on another thread about parents renting the houses for these spawn of theirs to use is true, then the parents are lying for the kids. Small wonder then about the kids behavior.

This is a fear of mine, getting guests that have lied on their contract to us and break rules. My wife does an excellent job of screening (we *think*), and based on what our house keeper tells us, usually they respect the house, the beach, etc. But it could happen.

If these places are knowingly being rented to a group of under 25, then the parties doing the rental are idiots. Do you know if the particular houses you referred to are owner-rented or via a management company?

It's not hard to get an older brother/sister/friend to rent the house for you.....

When we had the big group of kids, I thought I was screening properly. I would have never knowingly rented to a bunch of kids. After that experience, we got really strict about who we rented to. Basically we only rented to previous renters who took care of our home or referrals from neighbors when their homes were already rented.

Like I said, I wish I had hired someone to check up on the guests to see if we had a bunch of kids or a group too large for the house (that causes damage too -- multiple families, and who has accountability?).

A visiting woman actually told me she checked in and got the key for a house full of frat boys who were friends of her daughter and her sorority sisters. All that was required was an adult to show up to get the key- she did not have to show ID or any responsibility- and she told me she was more than happy to do this for them as long as she was not personally responsible and the rental agency did not require her to identify herself.

I am sure the look on my face said it all, but I quickly excused myself before I could thank her for being a total a$$hat.

A visiting woman actually told me she checked in and got the key for a house full of frat boys who were friends of her daughter and her sorority sisters. All that was required was an adult to show up to get the key- she did not have to show ID or any responsibility- and she told me she was more than happy to do this for them as long as she was not personally responsible and the rental agency did not require her to identify herself.

I am sure the look on my face said it all, but I quickly excused myself before I could thank her for being a total a$$hat.

That explains a lot.

Sounds like a bad rental/management agency.

A visiting woman actually told me she checked in and got the key for a house full of frat boys who were friends of her daughter and her sorority sisters. All that was required was an adult to show up to get the key- she did not have to show ID or any responsibility- and she told me she was more than happy to do this for them as long as she was not personally responsible and the rental agency did not require her to identify herself.

I am sure the look on my face said it all, but I quickly excused myself before I could thank her for being a total a$$hat.

I know lots of Moms in our town who have done this for their teenaged and college-aged kids. Bad parenting.:nono1:

Best part- this mom didn't even know these boys!

I've noticed a lot more college kids on the east end of 30A this year. It seems every place from The Villages of South Walton through Seacrest Beach, west to Magnolia and Seagrove has been inundated with large groups of kids that party hard into the night. We are and should remain the perfect spot for families with smaller kids, who want a safe and restful vacation. I'm sure it must be hard to be vigilent when interviewing prospective renters but the kind of kids we're seeing this year bring nothing to the community and have no common sense when abusing the privilege of staying in your properties.

I ask for names and ages of all who rent in our home. When I feel I need to investigate further I ask for copies of driver's license

Best part- this mom didn't even know these boys!

Wha-wha-what?

Hubby told me of ALOT of port-a-potties overturned all along 30A. They should catch and make these hoodlums clean ALL the public restrooms at all the walkovers on 30A for that stunt.:angry:

How is an adult who rents a place for underage/under 25 not liable if anything happens?

In our current legal system it seems that anyone is liable for anything.

Don't forget that some/many of these kids are staying in their family beach houses.....

Yes, but it seems that a significant number of rentals have an adult checking in for kids- and it isn't a new trend.

I met an older gentleman at an unamed club where ladies take their clothes off* and he informed me that he had just purchased liquor for his underage daughter and her friends and left them at the condo. So yeah...daddy just got me some liquor and left me alone so he could go to the strip club. Great parenting.
*disclaimer - I was there with my boyfriend and a bunch of airforce friends for military night.

Saw a firetruck and 4 cop cars at a gulf front house near the 3 way stop in Seagrove last night. At least 7 law enforcement cars in Seaside, and a gajillion kids hanging out, 2 carloads dumped by their parents right in front of us. Now just found out that a SoWaller had to evict a house full of girls (checked in by their moms and left alone to party)- they trashed the house, and had the nerve to call the property manager a bi#$h as they were packing up and leaving. I have heard so many sirens since getting back in town last night.
I just don't get it. Our spring breaks were spent with our families or a small group- never in a place where everybody was from our hometown! The point of spring break was to get away- not pick up our entire zip code or school and move it to the beach! And that right there is the problem.

Saw a firetruck and 4 cop cars at a gulf front house near the 3 way stop in Seagrove last night. At least 7 law enforcement cars in Seaside, and a gajillion kids hanging out, 2 carloads dumped by their parents right in front of us. Now just found out that a SoWaller had to evict a house full of girls (checked in by their moms and left alone to party)- they trashed the house, and had the nerve to call the property manager a bi#$h as they were packing up and leaving. I have heard so many sirens since getting back in town last night.
I just don't get it. Our spring breaks were spent with our families or a small group- never in a place where everybody was from our hometown! The point of spring break was to get away- not pick up our entire zip code or school and move it to the beach! And that right there is the problem.

That was actually a medical emergency regarding a local homeowner.
The good news is that next week will be easier-Louisiana is up to bat. Those kids are usually too busy reading books, volunteering or in church to get into any trouble.

Don't forget, most of Kentucky will be on their way down this weekend. Hope everyone is respectful of our host state.I can't understand just wanting to get away from home to tear up and destroy, that is not a love for the beach.