Eat the Rich II: Ultra-wealthy Florida homeowners join forces to turn already public beaches private!

It's a mad, mad, mad world!

As if yesterday’s bald-faced expression of entitled greed wasn’t enough. As if two old white people barking guttural swears at a workaday surfer before having him arrested wasn’t the peak. And why were they barking? Why were they cop calling? Because the workaday surfer dared to dream that a North Carolina beach might be accessible. A crime, apparently, against decency and as if that wasn’t the height today we have 350 old white people, this time in Florida, banding together in order turn previously public beaches private again.

Can you believe it?

Can you?

I wouldn’t be able to if it wasn’t for the NFW Daily News and let’s turn there together now. Let’s get all lathered up.

About 350 beach property owners say they plan to intervene legally to prevent Walton County beaches from becoming public again.

A coalition called Florida Coastal Property Rights, established by owners that include “individuals, associations and condominiums,” issued a news release Monday to announce the number of residents who had requested to be named as defendants in a lawsuit the county filed Dec. 11.

“It is not surprising to see hundreds of parcels, owned by thousands of owners, intervening,” FlaCPR President Tammy Alford said in the release. “Many owners wish to preserve their property rights, which will be diminished should Walton County prevail in this lawsuit.”

The county’s lawsuit asks Circuit Court Judge David Green to affirm customary use along its coastline. The county contends it is the public’s right to recreate on all 26 miles of Walton County beach, including those dry sand areas deeded as private property. It claims the county’s coastline has been shared by everyone through time immemorial, and is public by virtue of that customary use.

“If Walton County is successful in affirming customary use on all private beachfront property in the county, the action will remove private property owners’ legal rights to decide who can use their property,” the FlaCPR news release said.

By filing the lawsuit, the county is following a path laid out by House Bill 631, passed last year, that it must travel if it wants to re-establish a customary use ordinance. When the state law went into effect July 1, it impacted Walton County alone by eliminating an ordinance approved by county commissioners in 2016.

Chaos ensued as private property owners sought to prevent trespassing on their stretch of sand and beachgoers protested their sudden lack of access. County officials and law pfficers were caught up in the fray. HB 631 became a political football in an election year, and debate could heat up again as tourist season opens and visitors start flocking to the beach.

A hearing was held Monday in which Green ruled to allow the great majority of those who had thus far requested to join the lawsuit as defendants to do so. It was the first hearing held since the lawsuit was filed.

The audacity.

The audacity.

(Thanks to Marc Keene for the lead.)