Mike Huckabee’s role in pushing controversial beach access law

@FloridaBeachBum I agree with you that Huckabee has a right to his opinion regarding customary use. There is no conspiracy to my knowledge. Just proof that he moved here to the beautiful beaches of South Walton Florida. Then over time decided that his beach front needed to be protected from the public. Not a neighborly thing to do in the opinion of many who live, play, work and visit here. The community has a lot of questions about his motivations and involvement. And they have a right to not be happy with his stance.

I stand with our community as always. I am in awe of the outpouring of local people, leaders, volunteers and all of the energy that we are witnessing in response to Customary Use. I also appreciate hearing from you and other beach front owners. All voices are important. I hope we can be kind and respectful of one another throughout this process. We are all here together. I am seeing some desperate people being petty and unproductive. Slamming their neighbors. That's truly unfortunate.

I'm sorry to see the issue become so politicized by using the private property rights angle. I agree with Daniel and Florida Beaches For All that it is about use of our beaches. Other coastal communities don't face our battle for the beaches. Because customary use is just a normal everyday thing whether they call it that or not. Those communities know that they are ultimately responsible for protecting access to the beaches and also preserving those beaches for all time. The health of their coastal environment and economy depends on it.

You are suing me in court, costing me tens of thousands of dollars - but you want us all to be kind and respectful to one another?

Yes I entirely agree, slamming your neighbors with a lawsuit and is beyond unfortunate - it's malicious.

Shannon

This was not our decision. This was the decision of a handful of beach front owners. I don't like that Walton County was singled out. But it's what we've got thanks to Huckabee, Rick Scott and other Florida representatives who thought a court process would be the best solution. It's not malicious. It just is what it is. I'm sorry.

Yes I do wish peace for all of us and that includes you. Your concerns are as important as anyone else in our community. I am sure you are involved and will be actively learning and supporting your community like so many here who love living and working here.

Too bad we didn't take care of our business before Huckabee moved here.

He barged in and built a giant mansion in a quiet neighborhood, lit it up like Christmas, and built a 12 foot brick wall around it. Not neighborly. He doesn't belong here and is not welcomed by anyone except a few who buy into his particular brand of charlatanism.

@Shannon Lince seems to be of the same ilk. Barging onto the forum and trying to push people around. Only interested in forcing her opinion onto others. Not a good community member.

You make a lot of assumptions and exactly who are you to decide who is belongs here and who doesn't?

Shannon

Me thinks someone didnt research where they were moving to and went on emotions alone when buying in a resort area. Now they realize its not all rainbows and unicorn farts in paradise and want to turn it into something different than what it is and to be more like THEIR idea of what it should be. Good luck with that.

Haha we gots rednecks

Referring to the subject of this Thread, Governor Huckabee was using the private beach narrative all the way back to 2015 when the BFO's mobilized to stop beach nourishment. An act that would have nullified this quiet title bid(s). Well, he has one. We will see if he gets another one on the property he just bought next door.

It is clear the Walton County Board of Commissioners are eying up these quiet titles for challenges. The Headland case appears to have possibly been an intentional a pass made by the beachfront owners, lawyers to perhaps avoid a precedent loss on a quiet title. They dropped their bid. It was good news and a surprise at the recent BCC meeting but you have to wonder why they dropped it.

Anyway, an interesting read on Governor Huckabee's efforts to stop beach nourishment. The one thing I agreed with him on was the sand must be pure when the do it. I think Beachfront owners will change their tune on beach nourishment if we get a Cat 4 hurricane and 15 foot tidal surges. People forget quickly but I don't. The truth is armoring and geo tubes do nothing to stop a 15 to 20 tidal surge. Wedding cake slices off the primary dune bluff and homes falling into the sea. One storm and they will be screaming for beach nourishment and that will change everything again. I've never been a fan of beach nourishment either but I've changed my mind.

Huckabee Battles a Government Initiative (In His Florida Neighborhood)

What a thing to say.

My neighborhood beach has been private since the 1970's. I don't purchase property on emotions, and I am well aware of what it has been and what it is now. I have several neighbors who have been here since the beginning and are not approving of what is going on here. Those are the ones I feel for, they are fully retired and on fixed incomes, they shouldn't have to spend their retirement funds they worked all their lives for, to defend against you all, fighting for property they have owned for over 40 years. It's a disgrace.

I will agree that we (my husband and I) were sold a bill of goods, about the area and the people. We have met some good people, some wonderful people and more awful ones more than I imagined could exist in a quaint beach town.

Believe me we regret trying to make a home here. This isn't what nice people do to each other. Called every name in the book, not welcome here, don't belong, not legitimate, views not valid, not part of the community, mean, greedy, selfish, be nice (which means to roll over) or leave, including criminal acts - all because I bought a single family home and moved here. I had not done anything to anyone. This sure as heck isn't the South I grew up in.

But I will tell you this. To get to the several 70+ year old retired neighbors of mine, you are going have to go through me first.

Shannon

Sounds like it's time to move on and find a place you can enjoy your remaining years.

The name-calling and overt hostility of the emotional, if ignorant of the law, majority of posters here its unfortunately typical of the Antifa mindset to which they have succumbed. Not to suggest that any of them have less than at least room temperature intellects, but they sure have emotions with which to compensate, at least among one another.

The name-calling and overt hostility of the emotional, if ignorant of the law, majority of posters here its unfortunately typical of the Antifa mindset to which they have succumbed. Not to suggest that any of them have less than at least room temperature intellects, but they sure have emotions with which to compensate, at least among one another.

Santa Rosa Beach attorney Daniel Uhlfelder, a leader of Florida Beaches for All, a local group that wants to preserve beach use, said Huckabee's view is wrong. "It's not a private property rights issue," Uhlfelder said. "It's about the use of beaches."
You mean the use of the beaches, which is fee simple property with title and a deed and a bundle of property rights - the most important one being private use and enjoyment, is not a property rights issue!? I don't think I'd seek out Uhlfelder's legal advice.

The name-calling and overt hostility of the emotional, if ignorant of the law, majority of posters here its unfortunately typical of the Antifa mindset to which they have succumbed. Not to suggest that any of them have less than at least room temperature intellects, but they sure have emotions with which to compensate, at least among one another.

I personally could never retain Uhlfelder. I still can’t believe he pulled out the Nazi card at a previous CU meeting where he compared GFOs to Nazis.... “and that’s why my grandparents escaped from the Nazis and came to the United States, to escape oppression (private property rights) like this.” Pretty damn insensitive and opportunistic thing to say, especially to those who lost family in the war.

His intentional and repeated antagonism of BFOs and the sheriff’s department reveals who he is. And PLEASE don’t elevate his methods by comparing him to Rosa Parks. Don’t much care for his artsy fartsy partner in crime either.

His actions promotes anarchy because the sheriff is afraid to arrest anybody for trespassing for political purposes. Yet the law TODAY supports that privately owned beach is private, pure and simple. So we have a recipe for disaster where a tourist or local challenges a homeowner and the situation escalates resulting in injury or death. (We’ve all seen YouTube videos where he gets away with trespassing.) And then think the whole scenario could have possibly been averted if they were more initially concerned that they could be arrested for trespassing instead of receiving just a slap on the hand - that they would avoid the confrontation altogether. Isn’t that what properly enforced laws with police power is all about - to discourage bad behavior and prevent anarchy?

In case you missed it, I really don’t like Uhlfelder’s methods.

Bob, you did give a specific answer that you would not hold commissioners accountable. Then made a leap from accountability to golden parachutes and some person answering the phone.
Your point I think is “The lack of Customary Use will negatively affect tourism which will affect employment opportunities.”

Give me some evidence - some facts that without customary use Walton local economy will be devastated.

Here’s my facts; it’s been reported that 60% for FL coast is private property. Every Florida coastal county but 2 do NOT have customary use, including the counties on both sides of Walton, Okaloosa and Bay. Even before April 17, 2017 declared customary use ordinance and after July 2018 Walton’s economy and property values have gone up. Ask bob bob, he posted July bed tax was up 4% over 2017. Bed tax has been up each year for many years including years before Walton commissioners declared custom on private property and now after.

That Walton’s economy will collapse sounds more like opinion and fear mongering for your and the commissioner’s customary use agenda, not facts. You don’t run a business or a county, well, on supposition and opinions. It's supply and demand - private owners earned what they have - the supply - and you just can't take property rights you want or create a story that owner's never owned it.

Even if true the commissioners would be responsible, not the property owners, for the house of cards (and local economy) the commissioners (and developers and REALTORS) built, based on more than a hundred MILLION of dollars of TDC tax payer money over 20 years telling tourist to come to Walton’s 26 miles of public beaches (except it’s about 75% private beaches). And don’t worry about being respectful or that trash you left behind since beachfront owners were gracious enough to share their property with you over the decades.

Why does it matter how long I or anyone else have lived here or if I’m a beachfront owner!? Does that give a person some special knowledge of the law or facts that's different in Walton? If you have read my previous posts you’d know. Since 2015 how any times has the Sheriff been called for trespass and removed ANYONE from private property? I’d guess the Sheriff has been called many times and no one’s been removed. I’ve been here long enough to know the elected Sheriff has made a political decision not to enforce the law that protects property owners right to private and peaceful enjoyment of their property. Even when owners have complied with the Sheriff’s onerous trespass standard operating procedure and or his made-up arbitrary “wet sand” property boundary. Even if you trespass and destroy court approved signs on private property you will not be charged with trespass.

You didn’t answer my previous question; have you read Blackstone’s Commentary of old English common law custom and it’s criteria? I’m sure our understanding of how ancient custom applies to Walton today 253 years later will differ but have you read it? It’s the foundation of all American customary use. Have you read the Constitution Bill of Rights 5th Amendment - rejecting much of that old English common law - and is the law of the land in the United States of America? It’s only tax payers money to litigate - would the commissioners or you spend your own money to litigate for public customary use on private property? Beachfront owners will. If private property rights prevail the least the commissioners should do is resign and hopefully voters will wake up and elect competent experience people to lead Walton County and spend their $171,400,000 wisely. It’s one thing to repair a road and another to litigate millions of tax payer dollars on Constitutional litigation that could have repaired that road and may result in nothing but ill will for a long time to come.

I believe in ————. I also believe it will be decided by the Courts and whatever side happens to win the legal challenge we all lose because of the arrogance and bitterness it has brought out in us all. But hey this is our society now. So everyone get your digs in because the superiority of our cause is more righteous than the others, no matter what side of the debate you are on. Just my opinion!

.....As I see this conversation is getting angry and really prefer not to be frustrated by the name calling and arrogance being displayed by many involved, this is the last I will discuss it. Again have a great day.