Latest news with #private property
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New Florida law gives local leaders more control over beach access. Will they use it?
A new Florida law makes it easier for local governments to allow the public to access the beach even when there are disputes over private property, an issue that has often been hotter than the middle of summer on Perdido Key Beach and has led to lawsuits. However, Escambia County Commissioner Steve Stroberger, who represents the area, doesn't think it's necessary to put the new law into action, at least for now. Under the new law, local governments can allow the public some access to beaches considered "private" without undergoing costly litigation, especially if the beaches were historically used by the public. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 1622 into law in June to restore 'local control' by allowing local authorities to recognize recreational customary use of Florida's beaches. The law also streamlines beach restoration efforts in small Gulf Coast counties. Perdido Key's beaches generally allow public access to the "wet sand" area, which is south of the mean high-water line. This means that while private property may extend to the high-water mark, the public is generally permitted to walk, swim and fish in the wet sand area. However, access to the dry sand portion of the beach is often restricted to private property owners. Under the new law, counties and cities can adopt ordinances that allow activities like walking, fishing and swimming in the 'dry sand' area of beaches, even on privately owned beachfront property. Escambia County resident Gary Holt has been fighting for more public access on Perdido Key for years. He organized an effort asking the county to remove "no trespassing signs" private property installed in rows on the beach. Private property owners put up so many "no trespassing signs" on Perdido Key, Escambia County passed an ordinance in 2023 limiting them to one sign, 10 feet from the dune line, instead of three signs. Holt said he and others are now in the process of asking Escambia County commissioners to recognize the new law as an executive order signed by DeSantis for customary use of Florida beaches. "Customary use is a game changer for Perdido Key," Holt said. "No more arguing over property lines and who own which white sand! It is a big campaign issue for the West Escambia County residents that love Perdido Key. Also for the local and out-of-state condo owners that were told by local realtors if they bought in Perdido Key they would have a private beach. For the last 10 years the local realtors have used this sales gimmick to separate their condo listing from Orange Beach and Pensacola Beach." The Perdido Key Association, a nonprofit organization that represents property owners, did not return a request for comment about the new law by deadline. Why Escambia Commissioner hesitant to push for new ordinance Stroberger said he has accompanied the Escambia County Sheriff's Office on patrols of the Key and listened to views from law enforcement, property owners and the public on the issue of beach access on Perdido Key, and currently he doesn't believe it's necessary to push for an ordinance recognizing recreational customary use. 'It's not my intention to do anything at this point,' Stroberger said. 'I feel like everybody's working well together down there on the beach. We've even got deputies down there to make sure that everybody abides by the rules.' Stroberger says the deputies are mainly focusing on discouraging trespassers from taking advantage of the restrooms and pools of private condominiums where they are not guests. Public access to Perdido Key Beaches has long been a point of discussion and legal action. In the past there have been several clashes between the public and private property owners over access to the beaches. Disputed public easement: More of Perdido Key Beach is opening up to the public. Here's where you can and can't go The discovery of the original deeds to some Gulf front properties on Perdido Key, dating back to 1957, revealed there are 75-foot public access easements, which opened up about 1.2 miles of beach on that were previously thought exclusive. Some property owners who bought condos and were told the beach was part of the deal are still in litigation with the county over the decision to open it up to the public. Where litigation over 75-foot public access easement stands Last December, an Escambia County judge dismissed several lawsuits filed by condominium associations seeking to overturn the 75-foot access public access easement. Several condo associations refiled in January saying it's a 'cloud' on the title and property owners bought their units under a claim of title exclusive of any other right. They don't believe the county has a valid claim to the easement for several legal reasons, and they were seeking from the court a legal declaration of condominium associations' rights concerning the validity and enforceability of the county's actions. More beach access: Escambia postpones Galvez Landing project, opts to fund Perdido Key beach access instead However, a motion by the plaintiffs to stay the litigation for about five months was filed June 24, the same day the governor signed SB 1622 into law. 'I think everything is essentially on hold,' Stroberger said. 'They want to see what we're going to do. I don't want another lawsuit, and I don't really want to mix it up with everybody, if everybody seems to be doing well on the beach. I do believe that the beaches are for the public, but I also believe in property rights. It's really quite a tightrope we have to walk with that.' The new law repeals a 2018 law that limited the ability of local governments to uphold long-standing public beach access traditions, and DeSantis said one of the goals of passing it is to give local governments the authority to recognize recreational customary use without having to go through 'costly judicial declarations on a parcel-by-parcel basis.' New law also addresses beach erosion The governor said the legislation also improves the process for restoring eroded beaches in certain Gulf Coast counties for those with fewer than 275,000 residents and at least three municipalities, by allowing the state to use the mean high-water line as the erosion control line, eliminating duplicative procedures that delay critical restoration projects. This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Public beach access in Perdido Key could expand under Senate Bill 1622 Solve the daily Crossword
The Guardian
08-08-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Four Labour cabinet ministers earn rental income, analysis finds
Ministers who earn profits from privately owned property could be seen as hypocrites by voters who want to see the government's promised rent reforms become law, campaigners have said. The warning comes after Guardian analysis revealed four cabinet ministers – including the chancellor, Rachel Reeves – have declared rental income from property in the MPs' register of interests. The disclosure, which comes after the resignation of the homelessness minister Rushanara Ali over the eviction of tenants from her London property, has drawn strong criticism from campaigners and backbenchers. One senior MP said the fact that frontbenchers made money from private property ownership undermined the government's credibility when it comes to reforming the rental sector. One said: 'The perception that MPs are profiting from the same system we're supposed to reform isn't helping … there's a real risk voters will see this as hypocrisy and question our credibility on renters' rights.' Alongside Reeves, the foreign secretary, David Lammy, and the Scotland secretary, Ian Murray, have declared rental income exceeding £10,000 in the most recent register of members' interests. Lucy Powell, the leader of the House of Commons, is also included but is understood to have a single lodger and receives less than £10,000 in rent. Reeves' disclosure relates to a London house jointly owned with her partner, meaning at least some of the rent is paid to another person. Hers is one of 31 properties listed by MPs where at least some portion of the rent was paid to another person. The Guardian's analysis found one in eight Westminster MPs – including 10 with government posts – declared a rental income from property in the last year. This includes almost a quarter of the Conservative parliamentary party (27 MPs), just 11% of Labour MPs (43 MPs) and 10% of Liberal Democrats (7 MPs). The two MPs with the largest declared property incomes are both from Labour. Jas Athwal, MP for Ilford South, rents out 15 residential and three commercial properties in London. Last year, he was criticised by Keir Starmer after he was accused of renting out flats with black mould and ant infestations. Athwal was followed by the former chancellor Jeremy Hunt, who rents out seven flats in Southampton, and has half a share in a holiday home in Italy and an office building in London. Most of the 169 properties rented out by MPs were residential, but some MPs also let out business and commercial premises. More than two in five (43%) of the properties rented out by MPs were in London. The figures have intensified scrutiny of Ali's case, which has cast new light on the debate over landlord interests in parliament. Ali resigned on Thursday night after it was revealed she had ended her tenants' fixed-term contract in order to sell the property, but re-listed it for rent at a higher price within six months. The practice is one the Labour government is seeking to ban under its flagship renters' rights bill. The bill will end 'no fault' evictions under Section 21, which allows landlords to throw out tenants without reason. Since the policy was first proposed in April 2019 under Theresa May, 123,889 Section 21 claims have progressed to court, and 124,360 households in England have been threatened with homelessness as a result of being served a notice. Originally, the legislation would have banned landlords who evict tenants in order to sell from re-letting the property for 12 months However, the House of Lords amended the bill to reduce this period to six months. The bill was one of several pieces of legislation that became delayed until after the parliamentary summer recess. MPs must only declare a rental property on the register of interests if it, either by itself or as part of a portfolio, provides rental income of more than £10,000 in a calendar year – meaning more MPs could be landlords without declaring it. The Guardian analysis excluded agricultural land holdings. The disclosure has drawn sharp criticism from housing campaigners. Jae Vail, a spokesperson for the London Renters Union, said: 'The sheer number of landlords in parliament is shocking. During an unprecedented housing crisis, it's a blatant conflict of interest that MPs are making millions from struggling renters — while some even use taxpayer money to cover their own personal rents. Tenants need a government that works for us, not one that profits from our hardship.' Ben Twomey, the chief executive of Generation Rent, said MPs were 'around three times more likely to be landlords than the rest of us', adding: 'Landlord power within parliament has left renters with few legal protections when it comes to arbitrary evictions or unreasonable rent hikes. The government must use this moment to double down on its manifesto promise to renters to fix our broken renting system.' One senior figure on the left of the party went further: 'We can't claim to fight for renters while half the PLP are landlords collecting rent from people struggling through the housing crisis. Rushanara's case is only the tip of the iceberg. Voters see the hypocrisy and it's killing our credibility on housing.'
