Led away in Handcuffs

[Duchess]

Hmmmm.....lots of interesting posts here. I've learned a lot on this message board about the problem and figured I'd put my two cents in.

About the Retreat, not all is happy and rosy over there. I find it very
interesting that the Retreat is working so hard to keep everyone off
'their' beach when they still haven't done anything to replenish their
dunes. It looks horrible. We owned there before the assessments were
sent out to every home/lot owner over there to pay for the beach
renourishment. Evidently there are two holdouts who refuse to pay
and last I heard leins were going to be put on their properties. I know
that to be a fact; I have recently heard that the Retreat has stopped
paying taxes on that common-use recreation area that we all call the
Retreat beach. Does that mean that we can now/eventually use it?
I'll be interested to hear how that turns out.

About the Blue Mountain Village access to the beach just to the west
of the Inn...many of you know that the Inn and the Village were once
owned by the same group. When we first bought in the Village we used
all the amenities at the Inn, the pool, workout room, etc. As the two
properties became independent (or whatever) there was much bad
blood and that's why we now have this pissing contest. Everyone at
the Inn knew of plans to build across 30-A (it had already begun) and
for those units to use the beach at the Inn. Period. It's as simple as
that. Cottages south of 30-A, such as ours, have ALWAYS been able
to use that beach and I'm not stopping now. And I'm not bringing a
Stanley tape measure in my beach bag.

I honestly don't know why we just can't all get along about this. I
know that sounds simple-minded, but we've got one group that can't
clean up/restore its 'own' beach or pay the appropriate taxes for it
but yet wants to spend lots of time and money to keep people off of
it. Then we have another group that is surprised and pissed off that
people are using an access to use a beach that they've been doing
for years, at least since 2004, when I believe the access was built.

I'm going down on Sunday and will do lots of looking around and will
report back. Look forward to reading the Walton Sun article, too.

 

[Smiling JOe]

About the Retreat, not all is happy and rosy over there. I find it very
interesting that the Retreat is working so hard to keep everyone off
'their' beach when they still haven't done anything to replenish their
dunes. It looks horrible. We owned there before the assessments were
sent out to every home/lot owner over there to pay for the beach
renourishment. Evidently there are two holdouts who refuse to pay
and last I heard leins were going to be put on their properties.

The liens are public record and can be found on the Clerk of Courts' site. I was scanning through them last night and noticed what I thought to be an excessive number of liens in The Retreat for failure to pay association dues, interest, and legal fees for collecting the past due amounts. Some of the liens I read, were for amounts just under $4000 and some were just over $9000.

Maybe some of these people don't want to pay the security guard???


EDIT:

I just double checked the Clerk of Courts' site, and there were 16 liens issued in 2006 to the property owners of the 90 lots in The Retreat. That is 18% of the owners with liens filed in 2006. There is one other which was filed in 2002. Keep in mind that some of these liens may have been dismissed if the balances due were paid off, and that would be under a different page, not noted on the actual lien.

 

[BeachSiO2]

I knew of some Stallworth property having a sign posted on the beach last year. Are you referring directly to the Inn at BMtn and The Retreat?

The Inn has had a guard for longer than just this year, I am not sure how long.

 

[BeachSiO2]

not true -- no restrooms at Van Ness Butler, Jr., unless you are counting the port-a-john in the parking lot, which has been overturned for a couple of weeks now. Who is proofing the TDC's statements?




Nothing like a ten foot strip of beach, with umbrellas and chairs twenty rows deep.



Well, that certainly cleared up everything for everyone.




Maybe we should have a walk-a-thon and wear mighty-tighties.

SJ:

I think you misread the access statement. It said "with parking and restrooms at....." Then it said "Parking is also available at ...Van Ness...."

 

[Smiling JOe]

SJ:

I think you misread the access statement. It said "with parking and restrooms at....." Then it said "Parking is also available at ...Van Ness...."

You are correct. I stand corrected. Now about that over-turned port-a-john in the public parking lot at Van Ness Butler, Jr... Who is in charge of that one? I don't think WaterColor and Seaside want visitors peeing in the bushes.

 

[scooterbug44]

"breaking news" from the Walton Sun:

South Walton resident responds to arrests: Says beach is public

July 09, 2007
John Ritch Dear editor,
I?m afraid your article is somewhat misleading. You might want to do a story or at least some more investigating on this subject as it directly affects tourism in South Walton.
The beach this man was arrested on is not private.
There is a deeded public beach access located between The Blue Mountain Beach Inn and The Retreat.
The plat of the Retreat clearly shows the mean high water line well over 25 feet from the current tide line we had on July 8.
This security guard has continually harassed paying tourists as well as locals that use this beach access.
The officers have no legal rights to arrest anyone that is on the beach within the mean high water line. (Go to the courthouse and see for yourself where that line is documented.), let alone have this security guard make people leave the beach (Have seen him ?kick off? uninformed tourists) or move.
Please take a trip for yourself down to this PUBLIC beach access and see what is going on.
Tell me what is a better site to see on the beach, tourists enjoying themselves contributing to our economy or a beach riddled with signs every five feet regarding private property and a security guard harassing every family down there.
Please let me know your thoughts on this story. Believe me, I?ve seen numerous tourists that have conveyed they will not be coming back to vacation in South Walton due to these events.

 

[Dave Rauschkolb]

I have always firmly believed the beaches are for all of us to enjoy. The edge of the bluff or the edge of the dunes should be the property line for beach front homeowners. Even this "mean high tide waterline" rule is ridiculous.

When you pay for beach front you are paying for the view and the risk of being washed away in a hurricane, you're not paying for the beach behind you. Trying to own the beach is like trying to own the sky.

I would proudly be arrested for walking on the beach anywhere on the "Beaches of South Walton." Get it? The Beaches of South Walton. Do we need to change the name of the place?

Dave, "come and get me" Rauschkolb.

 

[seacrestkristi]

Uh, oh. The house we rented for August advertised "200 steps to the beach". It did not, however, say "200 steps to the public beach". Does this mean I shouldn't even bother trying to go to the beach near the house?

Hey, that's exactly what my ad says. I better change it to 199 My neighbor's ad says 150 I believe. It's all in the size of the steps ;-) I also better add public now Yeah scooterbug, as much taxes as we pay down there we oughta be able to sit our keesters WE it lands! ;-)

 

[yippie]

I just double checked the Clerk of Courts' site, and there were 16 liens issued in 2006 to the property owners of the 90 lots in The Retreat. That is 18% of the owners with liens filed in 2006. There is one other which was filed in 2002. Keep in mind that some of these liens may have been dismissed if the balances due were paid off, and that would be under a different page, not noted on the actual lien.

I wonder where all those "deep pockets" BMBV insist exists in The Retreat are now? If they won't even pay the assessments or dues, what makes you think they would contribute to a law suit??

 

[Smiling JOe]

I would proudly be arrested for walking on the beach anywhere on the "Beaches of South Walton." Get it? The Beaches of South Walton. Do we need to change the name of the place?