Posted by jas on May 09, 2002 at 08:26:47:
In Reply to: and I though WE had it bad... (loooooong) posted by TSea4 on May 09, 2002 at 06:36:54:
Great post! I hope you guys are successful w/ your fight.
We have a department called the Coastal Commission that is there to more or less, amongst other responsibilities, fight for our beach and beach access areas. There are mega politics involved. Many rich people stroking many rich people. When they bought their properties, I would assume that "full disclosure" was made readily available for them prior to closing escrow. A LOT of these rich beach front prop owners RESENT the fact that they have to share their beaches or beach adjacent areas.
Out here, you can only own up to the high tide mark. That basically means you can be on the sand in back of their houses. Though some of them get totally haired up when you do. Some may not know the law.....some may know that law but assume that you don't; so they will mumble "get off" or "I'm calling the sheriffs",etc; If you know the law, you just laugh and shrug your shoulders. We once had a homeowners assoc go as far as renting private security to shoosh people away. That is totally illegal. They were reported, as well as some of their rediculous signs they've posted here and there.
Some homeowners just act like they've been ripped off by having to share their little spot in paradise. Though I've also been greeted by a few just after landing. They wanted to see the fresh catch and the fully rigged kayak. We can use a lot more of those homeowners.
BTW, I have a step sister in Houston. She's been trying to get my family to move there. I guess she doesn't know that I have access to a map (and have some limited knowledge of the geography); I told her I can't move away from the Pacific Ocean, maybe my first true love. She said "we're close to the ocean". Ya, I'm sure the gulf is just a hop skip and a jump away from Houston. Though I'm sure there is some good freshwater kayaking around Houston, you still have a drive to get to the Gulf.