Policy on Personal Beach Chairs vs Vendor

Funny, I moved to SC last August. Isle of Palms beach has maybe 75-100 rental setups in 7 miles. There is an easement from the beach road where daily visitors are allowed to park. There are many beach access points, although no facilities. Of course, all beach in SC, except on private islands, is public.

When SoWal property owners became the greedy SOBs that they are today, it just got to be too much. Having beach vendors move your setups is just part of the issue. I've had guards tell me I had to continue to move along the beach, even though I was in wet sand.

Of course, all beach in SC, except on private islands, is public.

Of course ... NOT all beaches in SC, except seaward of the MHWL, is public. Just like in FL.

And these photos are representative of the customary-use you want private property owners to accept on the property they pay taxes on?
What is wrong with the over 6 miles of Walton public beaches (some you can drive on!) with over 5,000 acres of public parks with parking, restrooms, and camping that you want to take legally recognized property rights FL owners have today?

Funny, I moved to SC last August. Isle of Palms beach has maybe 75-100 rental setups in 7 miles. There is an easement from the beach road where daily visitors are allowed to park. There are many beach access points, although no facilities. Of course, all beach in SC, except on private islands, is public.

When SoWal property owners became the greedy SOBs that they are today, it just got to be too much. Having beach vendors move your setups is just part of the issue. I've had guards tell me I had to continue to move along the beach, even though I was in wet sand.

I wondered where you went, I hadn't seen you post in a while. I love Charleston, Isle of Palms is kind of the best of both. The Long Island cafe and the Boathouse, two of my favorite spots.

I also love Charleston. Have family in Mt. Pleasant & Hollywood. The food is amazing, but the beaches are horrible. Isle of Palms has dark water and dark sand. It gets so hot in Charleston during the summer that you literally can't go out. We thought about selling our Grayton property and buy in Charleston, but after spending some time there we just couldn't part with the beautiful beaches and gulf of mexico. Also, doesn't hurt to be so close to NOLA!

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Obviously all the people that go there every year love it. We live in a tourist town these things are going to happen. People come here on vacation and yes they want to rent beach chairs. They come down here have the time of their life and come back every year. They save up all year and come down here and spend it. This is how our economy works and expecially a county that needs tourist's money to operate. I hear Mexico Beach is a good nice quiet place and Navarre Beach.

Common ground? The beaches belong to the public. Give them back and it ends the problem.

What about the public that wishes to rent chairs?

I am just curious, is there any common ground?

Maybe like where vendors can only use 50 percent of public beach. Then let the public use all 100 percent. Sounds like a good compromise.

Of course this is the last thing vendors want. They won't, or can't, leave someone on the beach to do setups all day. Or not feasible to be everywhere at once to deliver. That is why they should probably be banned.

If a tourist needs to rent, then let them go to a resort that has it's own beach service. I think the rental contractors there pay the resort about 40% of profits for the privilege of serving their beaches. Sandestin not sure they may own all the gear and use employees?

The alternative, if we're not banning vendors, is to regulate them. Just giving them beach space is ludicrous. We've seen poor results from vendors competing for space with each other and with beach goers using their own setups. Disaster.

So the county can "lease" space each season thorough bids and fees. Regulating would be a headache. How do you divide up the beach? How much do you charge (hint: enough to pay for beach maintenance and lifeguards, turtle watch, etc.)? How do you enforce and monitor? It's not an easy problem. But as the resorts' model shows, it is feasible and profitable. But do we really want half or more of our beaches taken up by chairs and umbrellas?

NO!

Let's stay out of the business and keep our beaches beautiful and peaceful. Apparently the BCC is corrupted by families that are in the rental business. Or influenced by the business.

What happens when a vendor has used those public beaches for years to make a living for their family. So just shut them down? Fend for yourself? I know Jones had a son in the beach vending but I believe he got out of it. He had his company on orivate property. I think Mrs Jones knows most vendors are getting a raw deal. How would you like it if someone came to your job or business and shut you down because they didnt like it?

What happens when a vendor has used those public beaches for years to make a living for their family. So just shut them down? Fend for yourself? I know Jones had a son in the beach vending but I believe he got out of it. He had his company on orivate property. I think Mrs Jones knows most vendors are getting a raw deal. How would you like it if someone came to your job or business and shut you down because they didnt like it?

A raw deal? LOL! That's the cushiest deal in the country! If someone came to my business, located on privately owned property, that I paid for or that I hold the mortgage or lease on and set up rows of chairs blocking my customers path to my business, they would need the county swat team and an armored vehicle for protection. The chairs would look like match sticks and I couldn't guarantee the safety of the squatters.

We aren't talking about privately owned land. We are talking about publicly owned land that vendors have been literally given that was not legally the counties to give.

What about the public that wishes to rent chairs?

Then let the public call one of the many vendors,arrange a deal, (I need 2 setups at such and such public beach access,on Sat.and Sun.) The vendor then meets customer,gets paid and puts the 2 setups (2chairs/1umbrella?for each?)on the beach. They then return that evening, pick up setups and repeat the following day. I am pretty sure how the chair vending business started years ago.....(might want to check with Chip (Beachchairs4u?) since he is the first person I can remember doing it around here.

Then let the public call one of the many vendors,arrange a deal, (I need 2 setups at such and such public beach access,on Sat.and Sun.) The vendor then meets customer,gets paid and puts the 2 setups (2chairs/1umbrella?for each?)on the beach. They then return that evening, pick up setups and repeat the following day. I am pretty sure how the chair vending business started years ago.....(might want to check with Chip (Beachchairs4u?) since he is the first person I can remember doing it around here.

Ok so what if they go up for lunch? Empty set up = mad locals. If a vendor is setting up unrented chairs on public beach they need to be punished.

What happens when a vendor has used those public beaches for years to make a living for their family. So just shut them down? Fend for yourself? I know Jones had a son in the beach vending but I believe he got out of it. He had his company on orivate property. I think Mrs Jones knows most vendors are getting a raw deal. How would you like it if someone came to your job or business and shut you down because they didnt like it?

I do not believe anyone has issue with the beach vending business. I actually think its a great business.

The issue is vendors operating on PUBLIC property.

And this does not single out the chair/umbrella vendors. I feel the same way about weddings or any special or large gathering.

It should not be happening on PUBLIC beach property.

Of course ... NOT all beaches in SC, except seaward of the MHWL, is public. Just like in FL.

In SC, from the sea oats out is public. And the owners share their front yards for visitors to park.

And really, what is so horrible about sharing the sand? You are just another greedy ***.

jodiFL has it right! The only place vendors should be allowed to set-up without a rental is behind the big resorts (Sandestin). Otherwise, there should be no set-up without prior rental.

jodiFL has it right! The only place vendors should be allowed to set-up without a rental is behind the big resorts (Sandestin). Otherwise, there should be no set-up without prior rental.

Yes, agree. That's how it used to be in the early days...like around 2004 is the first time I ever heard of chair vending outside of resort.

Obviously all the people that go there every year love it. We live in a tourist town these things are going to happen. People come here on vacation and yes they want to rent beach chairs. They come down here have the time of their life and come back every year. They save up all year and come down here and spend it. This is how our economy works and expecially a county that needs tourist's money to operate. I hear Mexico Beach is a good nice quiet place and Navarre Beach.

Most people do not want to be forced to Rent chairs ....as always you reports are false..must be retired national news agency

Ok so what if they go up for lunch? Empty set up = mad locals. If a vendor is setting up unrented chairs on public beach they need to be punished.

Well that's about 90% that needs punishment...TDC ain't gonna do that..to,lazy

In SC, from the sea oats out is public. And the owners share their front yards for visitors to park.
You are just another greedy ***.

M1 do you have any proof or facts of your claim? SC state statute? You made the claim that SC littoral private property with title to the MHWL is public from the vegetation line to the Atlantic. You have the burden of proof.
You can call me/people names but I'm not ignorant of the facts. Prove your claim. Your are entitled to your opinion but you are not entitle to your own facts.
Education of property rights is key. "The fewer the facts the stronger the opinion."

M1 do you have any proof or facts of your claim? SC state statute? You made the claim that SC littoral private property with title to the MHWL is public from the vegetation line to the Atlantic. You have the burden of proof.
You can call me/people names but I'm not ignorant of the facts. Prove your claim. Your are entitled to your opinion but you are not entitle to your own facts.
Education of property rights is key. "The fewer the facts the stronger the opinion."

Wait, you spouted something different, I think you should prove your point. You didn't back up your reply.

Wait, you spouted something different, I think you should prove your point. You didn't back up your reply.

Exactly.

And he misses the point anyway. It's all about greedy people who don't want anyone on "their" beach. Damn, what has SoWal become.

M1 you stated; "Of course, all beach in SC, except on private islands, is public." That would mean all private property landward of the MHWL. Which is wrong. Then you state from the seaoats out is public. Which is wrong. Prove your statement of fact that all beaches in SC is public.

M1 stated you moved to SC because the beaches are public and FL is not. There is no difference for properties titled to the MHWL in FL or SC.

I didn't say anything about sharing sand or not. Or call anyone a SOB or ***.

Bob Wells, what did I spout that was different than that? Might want to read it again.

The point is ignorance of the facts is what biases the discussion. Discuss facts and not opinions and maybe you will have a better understanding of private property rights and why owners will defend them - just like you would if someone wanted to take your rights.

>What is wrong with the over 6 miles of Walton public beaches (some you can drive on!) with over 5,000 acres of public parks with parking, restrooms, and camping that you want to take legally recognized property rights FL owners have today

Lucas - as usual a minority spoil it for the whole lot (on both sides) ...

NSFW - Mr. Vizcaya... (Language)

Exactly.

And he misses the point anyway. It's all about greedy people who don't want anyone on "their" beach. Damn, what has SoWal become.

m1a1mg,


It is you who misses the point. There are competing points of view. One side, those you term “greedy”, have deeded ownership of their private beach property to either the ECL or the MHWL, ownership which they legally acquired by purchase under the laws of this state and nation. There is no law governing this property which provides the public the right to trespass on this private land.

The folks who do own that land, just as you in your situation, quite legally have every right under the Constitutions and laws of the United States and Florida to enjoy their homes and land, be it beach or other, free of trespassers. And there are laws defining trespass, be it your property or mine. It is entirely possible that some, if not in fact many, of those beachfront owners think it is you and those asserting there to be a communal right not recognized by existing law as the greedy ones.

You want something you have not purchased, on which you pay no taxes or insurance, and for which you bear no burden for maintenance or liability, among others. You think you should be able to take it because you want it, you think everyone should accept your supposedly superior moral position, and you propose to do so without following the laws governing such takings.

Were you subjected to the threat of theft of your land and your rights under the law in similar fashion, I suspect you’d be inclined to object, too. It all depends on whose ox is being gored, after all, doesn’t it?

Or does it? As a beachfront owner, I’d object just as vigorously were your rights threatened as mine have been. You have every right to equal protection under the law, and so do I and every other citizen, beachfront or not. In our present dystopia, that’s unfortunately not how the system works, but in my view, that dystopia makes it even more incumbent on each of us to act to protect everyone from the evil that inheres in the power of government as it increasingly accrues power and rights that properly belong to us as citizens.

If you’re capable of introspection, I recommend a large dose multiple times a day.

Lucas - as usual a minority spoil it for the whole lot (on both sides) ...

First, my comments are about the incorrect of facts regarding SC littoral property boundaries. Not custom.

But since you want to make it about you vs them and want to make it about custom, I'll bite. Agree both owner and uninvited individuals could have handled it better. I’d be willing to bet there is more to the video that wasn’t shown before the beginning. The property owner should have given notice that the uninvited persons were on private property as the private property signs say and that Ed Walline was a nearby public beach that they could use, and left. If they refused to move, owner should have called the Sheriff and shown his MHWL property survey, and the Sheriff is obligated to ask them to leave or give a citation. The Walton Sheriff recognizes littoral private property rights owners have had since time immemorial and have today.

Or the uninvited persons could have respected the owners recognized littoral private property rights and gone to the nearby public beach when requested. Simple. There are over 6 miles of Walton public beaches and over 5,000 acres of parks with parking, restrooms, and camping. Why could these persons not go there and respect the owner’s property rights?

That’s where education and understanding of property rights would help. But the BCC is not interested in education or the Constitution. We are a nation of laws and facts. Not opinions or hysterics and name calling. Ignorance is NOT bliss.