Wealthy California coastal homeowners are at odds with each other and the public as the sandy shores in front of their mansions shrink.
He United States Geological Survey It is estimated that up to 75 percent of the Golden State’s pristine beaches could be completely eroded by 2100.
As the sand begins to disappear, wealthy residents who own the multi-million dollar mansions that line the shoreline have begun to resort to extreme measures to keep the sand for themselves.
Businessman James Kohlberg has filed a lawsuit against his neighbor and Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, alleging that he has been mining sand from Broad Beach and hauling it to his home for a construction project.
“This case involves a private property owner using a public beach as his personal sandbox and the disruptive conversion of a public natural resource (i.e., Broad Beach sand) for the personal and private use of a nearby property owner,” according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the Los Angeles Times saying.
Homeowners are fighting for sand as the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that up to 75 percent of the Golden State’s pristine beaches could be completely eroded by 2100.
Kohlberg’s attorneys allege that Attanasio’s construction team, JILK Heavy Construction, used excavators in tidal zones (causing oil leaks and exposing local marine life to potentially dangerous byproducts) and restricted public access to the beach.
Attanasio’s attorney said his client’s company, 2XMD Partners LLC, has complied with its permits.
“2XMD is in the midst of an emergency repair of the property with all necessary permits in place to protect it from oceanic forces. It has obtained all necessary permits for the repairs from the City of Malibu and Los Angeles County, as well as thoroughly vetted all contractors and subcontractors involved in the project,” its attorney said.
Attanasio bought his Broad Beach home for $23 million in 2007, then purchased a vacant lot next door for $6.6 million a decade later, according to the Times.
The Brewers owner obtained permits to repair a damaged section of the boardwalk in March. Then, in June and July, bulldozers allegedly began dragging sand from the beach onto his private property, the lawsuit claims.
Businessman James Kohlberg is suing Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, alleging he is mining sand from a public beach and using it for a private construction project.
A photo in the lawsuit claims to show bulldozers dragging sand from Broad Beach.
In August, coastal elites were caught placing what appear to be “fake” private property signs on public beaches near their oceanfront mansions.
A TikToker showed off a sign he found while walking along Lechuza Beach, a thin strip of sand that is open to the public through three access points.
The signs in the video read in capital letters: “PRIVATE PROPERTY” and “THIS BEACH AREA IS ON PRIVATE PLOTS. VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.”
As he walked along the beach, the man behind the camera said of the sign: “This is free land, anyone can be here… This is a scam. A Karen scam.”
The video then cuts to the middle of a confrontation between him and an unknown older man holding a bottle of Bud Light who is trying to knock his phone out of his hand.
“You just attacked me by grabbing my phone,” the TikToker said.
The older man objected to being recorded without his permission, to which the TikToker reminded him that they were on public property.
“You’re not on public property,” the older man said.
In August, coastal elites were caught placing what appear to be “fake” private property signs on public beaches.
But under California Coastal Law, all beaches are open to the public up to the mean high tide line, which is generally interpreted as the point where the sand becomes wet.
In the TikTok video, it appears the “no trespassing” sign is placed firmly in the wet sand — in other words, well beyond the high tide line that California law says is considered public.
The sign even says: ‘PUBLIC ACCESS ALONG THE MEAN HIGH TIDE LINE.’
It’s unclear who posted the private property sign, though it calls the protected property “Malibu Encinal Homeowner Beach Lots.”
A Laguna Beach woman was caught on camera yelling at a family with young children to “Get out of here now!” as she attempted to cordon off a public beach outside her $6 million property.
The video begins with the homeowner shouting “there goes the fence!” as she emerges from her home equipped with a spool of white rope.
She throws the reel into the sand, shouting at the tourists to go away.
“I can say whatever I want, so move the fuck away,” he yells.
A Laguna Beach woman was caught on camera yelling at a family with young children to “Get out of here now!” as they attempted to cordon off a public beach.
“I’m not kidding. It’s not harassment on the beach, it’s harassment on my property.”
“This is not a place for Instagram photos,” he adds, marking out his part of the beach.
‘You’re on my property, move now. You’re now on the edge of my property. Move.’
“Ma’am, we’re walking,” a woman is heard replying, while the homeowner replies: “Quite slowly.”
The rhetoric escalates when the tourist responds: “Jesus Christ… shut the f*** up!” before calling her “Karen of the week.”
The California Coastal Commission, a state agency that oversees more than 1,000 miles of coastline, found the Karen of the Week violated California’s Coastal Act.
