• Trouble logging in? Send us a message with your username and/or email address for help.
New posts

Reggie Gaskins

Beach Lover
Oct 4, 2018
153
259
61
Blue Mountain Beach
HB 631, previouc BOC’s, other county wins/losses, original Sowal CU ordinance... watching (listening) this video of the lawyer portion of the CU meeting on Saturday is the best education you can possibly get on what we are about to go through, how it happened, why it happened, and the possible outcomes with timelines. Both sides are represented with compelling discussion on what will happen now on our beaches.
 

FactorFiction

Beach Fanatic
Feb 18, 2016
494
409
HB 631, previouc BOC’s, other county wins/losses, original Sowal CU ordinance... watching (listening) this video of the lawyer portion of the CU meeting on Saturday is the best education you can possibly get on what we are about to go through, how it happened, why it happened, and the possible outcomes with timelines. Both sides are represented with compelling discussion on what will happen now on our beaches.

Well worth watching. Thanks for posting.
 

bob bob

Beach Fanatic
Mar 29, 2017
723
422
SRB
Help me out here. This whole issue is some beach front owners claiming people haven't been using the beach? And therefore shouldn't be allowed to ever use it again?
 

Reggie Gaskins

Beach Lover
Oct 4, 2018
153
259
61
Blue Mountain Beach
Help me out here. This whole issue is some beach front owners claiming people haven't been using the beach? And therefore shouldn't be allowed to ever use it again?
Nope. From what I can tell from research, and listening to this meeting, it’s the exact opposite! The state and county sold beachfront property that was sold at a huge premium and deeded as private property down to the water. Been that way since like 1920, whenever it started. The county didn’t keep up with tourist growth, by managing or buying enough public beach or roads or parking, etc., then they allowed some family members of Board with beach chair companies to dominate the public beach that was available. So as beach supply didn’t meet demand, got crowded, they tried to undo the private sale of property by taking back private property from the owners in 2016 with a CU ordinance to cover their butts. That was illegal because it violated state law. So the State overwhelmingly passed a law called 631 to make the Board and all FL counties, follow the State Constitution and sue all of the beachfront owners with a land grab called CU, and let the courts rule on it. They are misinforming the public by telling them CU has always been there. But apparently it never has. But they voted in this meeting to sue all Walton County beachfront owners to basically steal their property, instead of doing their jobs and properly managing budget, beach access, infrastructure. They’ve convinced the rest of residents of county that the beach is theirs, creating a mob mentality of entitlement. The taxpayers don’t know any better because they haven’t heard what we did in this video. It’s really ugly for the county.
 

Bob Wells

Beach Fanatic
Jul 25, 2008
3,380
2,857
Nope. From what I can tell from research, and listening to this meeting, it’s the exact opposite! The state and county sold beachfront property that was sold at a huge premium and deeded as private property down to the water. Been that way since like 1920, whenever it started. The county didn’t keep up with tourist growth, by managing or buying enough public beach or roads or parking, etc., then they allowed some family members of Board with beach chair companies to dominate the public beach that was available. So as beach supply didn’t meet demand, got crowded, they tried to undo the private sale of property by taking back private property from the owners in 2016 with a CU ordinance to cover their butts. That was illegal because it violated state law. So the State overwhelmingly passed a law called 631 to make the Board and all FL counties, follow the State Constitution and sue all of the beachfront owners with a land grab called CU, and let the courts rule on it. They are misinforming the public by telling them CU has always been there. But apparently it never has. But they voted in this meeting to sue all Walton County beachfront owners to basically steal their property, instead of doing their jobs and properly managing budget, beach access, infrastructure. They’ve convinced the rest of residents of county that the beach is theirs, creating a mob mentality of entitlement. The taxpayers don’t know any better because they haven’t heard what we did in this video. It’s really ugly for the county.
So, you are saying that every county in Florida is impacted by 631?
 

ShallowsNole

Beach Fanatic
Jun 22, 2005
4,292
849
Pt Washington
I've seen people refer to customary use as "taking" someone's property away from them, I've seen it described as something new, and the one that has me puzzled was the comment at the meeting that if we get customary use, there will be Holiday Inns all up and down 98...huh?
All customary use is, is exactly what it says. It isn't anything new. We only want to be able to enjoy the beach as we always have. I've been on our beaches pretty much all of my half-century of life. Sure, there were houses on the bluff, Unless you had a reason to look, most of us didn't know that their deeds read to the MHWL. But the fact is, the owners didn't mind us sunbathing, walking, playing, fishing on "their" beach. There was an understanding that it was a natural resource for all to enjoy. It was incomprehensible that anyone except maybe Sandestin would tell you that you couldn't be on the beach. And then somehow, the little beach cottages went away, megahouses took their place, and the notion of exclusive beaches was born.
We don't want to take your property away. We don't want to pee in your dunes, use your stairs, hang out on your porch, or otherwise disturb you. All we want is to enjoy the beach as we always have.
 

Emerald Drifter

Beach Fanatic
Jun 8, 2018
617
274
Santa Rosa Beach
I watched the entire video. I'm not a beachfront owner, nor part of an HOA that is. I am not connected to any of the law firms or attorneys involved.

Yes, I want to be able to go to the beach and enjoy it like I have for years. And I fell into the emotional reaction of "I've always gone to the beach and should still be able to!!". But emotions don't win in court and that's where this is headed.

As more than one attorney pointed out, previous BCCs sold property to developers, even to the point where it is disclosed on documents that the county could retain ownership of the beach itself and STILL the county sold the properties. And even recently, the county just went along with or at least did not contest the quiet title actions, It was also pointed out that lack of vision and foresight is why the county and its residents are in the predicament that they/we are in. The lack of true MASTER planning. And it still exists today. Meanwhile, the TDC keeps the advertising locomotive rolling and the number of annual visitors keeps increasing. To come to a place where infrastructure is woefully inadequate for what we have coming now, much less any more?

I think Walton County is going to make the problem much worse by moving forward to sue the BFOs. As one attorney stated, if WC wins they will still be sued and it will continue to drag on. If WC loses then "that's it", CU is NOT established and the county's residents are really out. Further, WC is now going to try and establish CU AFTER BFOs quiet titled their individual properties AND state law has been codifed. Completely bass-ackwards.

I think the county should:
  • Spend the funds that it would project spending on attorneys fighting this to acquire more BF properties. Problem here is as one attorney stated, if the county believes in CU, why is it buying BF properties?
  • Build in more infrastructure (sidewalks, multi-use paths, street improvements with smoother traffic flow in mind, and on)
  • Immediately declare all county owned properties to be vendor free zones. NO COMMERCIAL VENDING ON County owned beaches. One of the attorneys pointed this out; that 50% of county beaches are allocated to beach chair vendors. Does anyone think that this and who is behind this allowance will not be presented as litigation proceeds? The county is really really exposed here. WC needs to cover their backside NOW and make the county beaches vendor free.
  • Declare a moratorium on advertising WC beaches.
If the Erosion Control Line (ECL) is not established east of Topsail Preserve, (ECL is established west of Topsail due to beach renourishment projects), then get ECL established, get with BFOs and work toward a compromise where seaward of ECL is public and call it a day. Abandoning this available compromise and going for it all could result in nothing.

For you who listened to the arguments, or were there and heard them, what are your thoughts?
 
New posts


Sign Up for SoWal Newsletter