Rich residents in ritzy coastal towns resort to petty tactics in vicious ‘sand wars’ amid fears one sunny state could lose up to 75% of its beaches
Wealthy California waterfront homeowners are competing with each other and the public as the sandy beaches in front of their mansions shrink.
The US Geological Survey estimates that 75 percent of the Golden State’s pristine beaches could be completely eroded by 2100.
Now that the sand is starting to disappear, wealthy residents of the multi-million dollar mansions along the coast are taking 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 dug up sand from Broad Beach and took it to his home for a construction project.
“This case involves a private property owner using a public beach as his own personal sandbox and the disturbing conversion of a public natural resource (i.e., sand from Broad Beach) to the personal, private use of a nearby homeowner,” according to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by the Los Angeles Times said.
Homeowners are fighting for sand as the U.S. Geological Survey estimates that 75 percent of the Golden State’s pristine beaches could be completely eroded by 2100.
Kohlberg’s lawyers allege that Attanasio’s construction team, JILK Heavy Construction, used excavators in tidal areas, causing an oil spill and exposing marine life to potentially hazardous 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 conducting a fully permitted emergency repair of the property to protect it from the forces of the ocean. It has secured all permits required for the repairs from the City of Malibu and LA County and has thoroughly vetted all contractors and subcontractors involved in the project,” his attorney said.
According to the Times, Attanasio bought his Broad Beach home in 2007 for $23 million and purchased an adjacent vacant lot a decade later for $6.6 million.
Brewers’ owner obtained permits in March to repair a damaged section of seawall, then in June and July, excavators began hauling sand from the beach onto his private property, the lawsuit alleges.
Businessman James Kohlberg is suing Milwaukee Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, alleging he is digging up sand from a public beach and using it for a private development.
A photo from the lawsuit shows excavators dragging sand from Broad Beach
In August, coastal residents were caught posting signs that appeared to indicate “fake” private property on public beaches near their waterfront villas.
A TikTokker shared a sign he came across while walking along Lechuza Beach, a narrow strip of sand accessible to the public via three access points.
The signs in his video read in all caps: “PRIVATE PROPERTY” and “THIS BEACH AREA IS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY. TRIBUTORS WILL BE PROSECUTED.”
As he panned across 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 shows a confrontation between him and an unknown older man holding a bottle of Bud Light and trying to knock the phone out of his hand.
“You just attacked me by taking my phone,” the TikToker said.
The older man objected to being filmed without his consent, to which the TikTokker reminded him that they were on public property.
“You are not on public property,” the older man said.
In August, coastal elites were caught posting signs that appeared to indicate “fake” private property on public beaches
But under the California Coastal Act, all beaches are open to the public up to the mean high tide line, which is generally interpreted as where the sand becomes wet.
In the TikTok video, the “No Trespassing” sign appears to be planted firmly in the wet sand. In other words, it’s well past the high-water mark that California law considers public property.
The sign even says: ‘PUBLIC ACCESS ALONG THE MEAN HIGH FLOOD LINE.’
It’s unclear who put up the private property sign, but it does identify the protected land as “Malibu Encinal Homeowner Beach Lots.”
A Laguna Beach woman was caught on camera yelling at a family with young children, “Get out of here! Right now!” as she tried to cordon off a public beach in front of her $6 million property.
The video begins with the homeowner yelling, “There goes the fence!” as she walks out of her house carrying a roll of white rope.
She throws the bobbin into the sand and shouts at the tourists to leave.
“I can say whatever I want, so come on, dammit,” she screams.
A Laguna Beach woman was caught on camera yelling at a family with young children, “Get out of here! Right now!” as she attempted to cordon off a public beach with barrier tape.
“I’m not joking. It’s not harassment on the beach, it’s harassment on my own turf.”
“This is not a place for an Instagram moment,” she adds as she marks out her section of beach.
“You’re on my property, get out now. Now you’re on my property line. Get out.”
“Ma’am, we’re fucking walking,” a woman can be heard saying, while the homeowner replies, “Pretty fucking slow.”
The rhetoric escalates when the tourist hits back, saying, “Jesus Christ… shut your f***ing mouth!” before calling her “Karen of the week.”
The California Coastal Commission, a state agency that oversees more than 1,000 miles of coastline, concluded that the “Karen of the Week” violated the California Coastal Act.