Yes Grayton Beach access is one of the worst ones. I used to be able to clean the whole beach by myself about 15 years ago. It became too much for me.
Public vs Private Beach [threads merged]
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Is Walton County "Ground Zero"?
Coastline — 1,197 Statute Miles
Tidal Shoreline — 2,276 Statute Miles
Beaches — 663 Miles
Are we to believe that only SOWAL has this problem...Seems that with this much shoreline and all the retired land owners with nothing better to do, similar cases have already been heard and judicated...Hence the law should have already been spoken..just sayin..
Coastline — 1,197 Statute Miles
Tidal Shoreline — 2,276 Statute Miles
Beaches — 663 Miles
Are we to believe that only SOWAL has this problem...Seems that with this much shoreline and all the retired land owners with nothing better to do, similar cases have already been heard and judicated...Hence the law should have already been spoken..just sayin..
Part of the problem in SOWAL is that we have a very high proportion of property owners that are investors and/or part time residents who are largely unaware of the quiet title and other actions by beach front owners that are compromising current and future beach access.
More specifically, the quiet title actions used to acquire beach front were pretty much one sided legal actions that slid under the neighborhood's and public's radar. Not anymore.
More specifically, the quiet title actions used to acquire beach front were pretty much one sided legal actions that slid under the neighborhood's and public's radar. Not anymore.
FYI Quiet Titles
A quiet title action is a lawsuit that is brought in circuit court to clear a party’s title to real property. The purpose of a quiet title action is to eliminate all claims to title, which might stand in the way of a title insurance company issuing a clear title insurance policy. Liens, claims by prior owners, and other matters affecting title are called “clouds” on title. The purpose of a quiet title action is to eliminate any of these “clouds” on title.
In short, quiet title actions help to clarify title issues involving real property. All parties who might claim an interest in the real property are notified of the lawsuit and given a chance to assert their interest in the real property. If nobody ( or County)comes forward, then the court can issue a judgment quieting title in the Plaintiff’s favor. This is the ultimate goal!!! of the quiet title action. However, if someone ( or county) does come forward, then the court must determine the interests of the parties in the real property and enter a judgment accordingly.
A quiet title action is a lawsuit that is brought in circuit court to clear a party’s title to real property. The purpose of a quiet title action is to eliminate all claims to title, which might stand in the way of a title insurance company issuing a clear title insurance policy. Liens, claims by prior owners, and other matters affecting title are called “clouds” on title. The purpose of a quiet title action is to eliminate any of these “clouds” on title.
In short, quiet title actions help to clarify title issues involving real property. All parties who might claim an interest in the real property are notified of the lawsuit and given a chance to assert their interest in the real property. If nobody ( or County)comes forward, then the court can issue a judgment quieting title in the Plaintiff’s favor. This is the ultimate goal!!! of the quiet title action. However, if someone ( or county) does come forward, then the court must determine the interests of the parties in the real property and enter a judgment accordingly.
Are you saying the county was notified about the quiet title and did nothing?
My take on quiet title is that it only addresses the potential cloud on a title as it relates to the party identified in the lawsuit. In the case of Beach Highlands and Old Blue Mountain Beach, the suits were directed at the now dissolved corporations that developed those subdivisions. These suits did not "quiet" any potential claim to title by other parties.
One other point to be made is that the beach front owners in the aforementioned cases never had title to the beach or white sand area; and therefore did not have any clouded title issues on "their" property.
They acquired title to the beach or white sand area property by taking advantage of the fact that the beach ownership was never clarified by the original developers; probably because the developer's believed it was to be used by the whole neighborhood.
They acquired title to the beach or white sand area property by taking advantage of the fact that the beach ownership was never clarified by the original developers; probably because the developer's believed it was to be used by the whole neighborhood.
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Jimmy, since you posted the link of the letter, can you please share your opinion of its content?
jkmason, nobody has disagreed with your evaluation of the situation at Beach Highlands. I personally have acknowledged as much.
Regarding Old Blue Mountain Beach, you are without a doubt "barking up the wrong tree". Even Mark Davis (county attorney) acknowledges this. There's no sense to continually harp on this particular situation.
The perpetuation of the image that beach front owners are "stealing" beach front property through quiet title action needs to be restrained. Not all readers are as informed as you.
I presented a question to all a little while back if anyone knew of any other quiet title situations but haven't heard anything new. So far I only have heard of Beach Highlands and of course, Old BMB which is clearly the transfer of title from one entity to another.
Now, admittedly, this has nothing to do with possible customary use. And again Mark Davis states this as well.
I posted it because it was pertinent to this topic and yet another opinion on the matter.
As for my opinion on its content, I don't like how the author has made it an us-against-them
issue and there is no mention of any sort of compromise. And I'm not sure I agree with the
author's claims about the economy either.
But as for customary use, folks who have used these beaches for years (even the "private" parts)
feel like they are being denied access to them when gulf front owners put signs, chains, fences,
etc. all the way down to the water line. I don't like seeing all this junk on the beach and I don't
like being harassed for walking down the beach or sitting on the beach respectfully enjoying
myself away from private structures.
On the other hand, I also understand why gulf front owners might want to put up the signs, fences,
etc. like this. All it takes are a couple of rotten apples behaving badly and lack of enforcement. I
really don't like how some folks leave their garbage all over the place and disrespect our environment.
IMO, we don't have to take a sledgehammer to this problem. But we do need to start doing
some simple and easy things to correct it, otherwise it's going to keep festering and get worse.