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Wrong Side of the Beach
It looks like Walton County sheriff's deputies may have those homeowners feeling a bit more secure about their rights. Reporter: Elyse MolstadEmail Address: elyse.molstad@wjhg.com |
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8 Comments 
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As a vacation property owner, I am in full agreement with people who "poach" on your private beachfront. Walking along the surf after one has entered via the public access is one thing, but tourists who set up thier beach chairs, tents, and all their goodies on my piece of the beach should leave if asked. If these folks do not go willingly, then they should be removed by the Walton County Sherriff's Department. Those of us who own property have worked for years to secure that property and those who vacation should stick to the public access areas, even if crowded. Walton, Okaloosa and Bay Counties have changed significantly in the past 35 years I have been vacationing and if tourists can't follow the simple rules then they should be removed.
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I guess the homeowner or the Sheriffs have read the Florida Constitution. Yes.. his rights were violated
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I would think that the Sheriff's department would know that the beach's are for everyone. If you enter through a public beach access, travel down the beach and sit next to the waters edge you shouldn't be treated like a common criminal. Why isn't this creating a big uproar within our community? This should be the top story on our locals news and newspapers! We need reporters to take on issues like this which involve public rights. Look at the history of our nation, all beachs along navagable waters are in the public trust. I hope this opens the eyes of everyone that eventually if you don't own property along the beach you will never be able to use it.
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The Sheriff's office in Okaloosa wouldn't have arrested them, they only do what they are told to do by the City of Destin, who is more concerned about tourist dollars than property rights. People do not respect property lines on the beach but wouldn't be happy if someone set up in their back yard. It's a double standard. Most of these beachfront homeowners worked very hard to purchase their properties and pay high taxes and insurance that support the public beach accesses. Tourists need to be better informed and respectful.
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Guess what home owner we are all taxpayers now my question for them is you want control of "your beach" but yet why was it you were all asking for the middle class tax payers to help with the beach restoration after Hurricane Ivan...Duh...you work just like we do and you are no better than we are...the only difference is 75% of you have your stuff handed to you on a silver platter while we plan and save and work ourselves to the bone to take a nice vacation for snobs like you to try to ruin it and dont use insurance risks because you all PAY the right hand man to get out of it.oh its storming gotta go get some sleep in my MOBILE hOME....
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As long as a person stays south of the high water line (where the sea oats start), nobody should be able to call it trespassing. Plain and simple, the deputy was in the wrong. the home owner should have been told this is America and the beach belongs to American's. I guess the law is for the sole benefit of the rich. Sheriff Johnson should hope we dont still remember this come election time. I for one will not forget. I bet the home owner is of the republican persuasion and probley contributed to the last election. And to all you buisness owner's, dont you think this is going to be talked about all over Atlanta? What a stupid mess these deputy's have caused.
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What ever happened to the "so called" imaginary line that runs down the coastline where property owners are not allowed to build or claim as their property? It has changed I know since Opal. Private beach, does that include the water’s edge as well? High tide or low tide? Amazing what money can buy.
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The Deputies would not have been forced to make an arrest if the snob at the beach house had not complained about the middle class trespassing on the beach and then commenting on how he is a taxpayer and demanded that the deputies "do their job" and arrest this person. Don't try and pawn this off on the Sheriffs Department when the bad guy is the snobby property owner whom thinks he owns the beach.
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