logo
Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell sues Florida sheriff's office for not protecting beachfront property from trespassers

Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell sues Florida sheriff's office for not protecting beachfront property from trespassers

CBS News16-07-2025
Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell says a local Florida sheriff's office isn't doing enough to protect his multimillion-dollar beachfront property from trespassers and is asking a judge for an order commanding deputies to do so.
The petition filed last month by Littrell's company in a Florida Panhandle county touches on a perennial tug-of-war between usually-wealthy oceanfront property owners and beach-loving members of the public, especially in Florida, which has 825 miles of sandy beaches.
Under Florida law, any sand on a beach below the high tide water mark is public. Many homeowners own the sand down to the average high-water line, though some counties over the decades have passed local ordinances that let the public use otherwise private beaches for sunbathing, fishing and walking if people have historically had access for those purposes.
Property records show that Littrell's company purchased the property in Santa Rosa Beach in Walton County in 2023 for $3.8 million.
A spokeswoman for the Walton County Sheriff's Office said Wednesday that the office doesn't comment on pending litigation.
"The Walton County Sheriff's Office prides itself on handling every situation, call for service, or interaction with professionalism using a customer service approach," public information officer Lindsey Darby said in an email. "This has always been our philosophy and will remain so moving forward."
In the petition, Littrell's company said that chairs, umbrellas and small tables had been put out on the beach, as well as "No Trespassing" signs, to mark it as private property. But that effort had been in vain "as numerous trespassers have set out to antagonize, bully, and harass the Littrell family by regularly, every day, trespassing," according to the petition.
The sheriff's office has refused requests to remove trespassers or charge them, and the family has had to hire private security, the petition said.
Walton County, which has become home to several famous property owners besides Littrell over the past two decades, has been at the center of a recent fight between private property owners and the public over access to beaches.
A 2018 Florida law that stemmed from a Walton County ordinance blocked any local government from passing ordinances dealing with public beach access until affected homeowners were notified, a public hearing was held and a court had determined whether a private beach was historically open to the public.
Florida lawmakers this year approved legislation that restored control back to local authorities, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law last month in Santa Rosa Beach, the beach town where Littrell's house is located.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office identifies those involved in deadly head-on crash
Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office identifies those involved in deadly head-on crash

Yahoo

time16 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office identifies those involved in deadly head-on crash

OAKFIELD, Wis. (WFRV) – Following a , the sheriff's office says they have identified those involved. According to a release from the Fond du Lac County Sheriff's Office, 81-year-old Mary Naggatz was pronounced dead at the scene following a head-on collision at 12:27 p.m. Tuesday on US Highway 151 near Thill Road in the Town of Oakfield. Authorities say Naggatz was heading south on US Highway 151 when she likely suffered a medical emergency, causing her to cross the median, enter the northbound lanes, and crash into another vehicle head-on. Semi-truck crashes into ditch in Fond du Lac County, driver seriously hurt The driver of the other vehicle involved in the head-on crash, 58-year-old Daniel Sturm from Neenah, suffered serious injuries and was taken to St. Agnes Hospital for treatment. In an attempt to avoid the crash, officials say Strum sideswiped another northbound vehicle. Those in the third vehicle were said not to be hurt. No other information is available at this time, and an investigation into the incident remains ongoing. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store