The Fort Myers Beach Town Council on June 5 directed staff to prepare a quick‑claim deed for a homeowner’s parcel and to inventory other properties after survey work showed that a strip of land between several yards and the seawall is town property in some places.

The item matters because the town‑owned “no‑man’s‑land” between some property lines and seawalls affects who is responsible for seawall repair, creates delays for homeowners seeking to make repairs, and presents potential town liability if seawalls fail near private pools or homes.

Homeowner Kathy Turner told the council her seawall was damaged by recent storms and that survey work showed “almost 11 feet in some spots” of the ground behind her yard belonged to the town. Turner said she received contractor estimates that ranged from about $80,000 to $120,000 to repair the seawall and that she was concerned about spending “a hundred thousand dollars on something that doesn't belong to me.”

Town staff and the town attorney explained the legal options. The town attorney said a quiet‑claim deed would convey “anything that we own regarding the seawall or that no man's land area” to the property owner but cautioned that deeding individual pockets could leave the town owning adjacent segments. She also described the alternative paths of a license or an easement to allow immediate repairs while the town considers a broader policy or vacation of the right‑of‑way.

Councilors and staff agreed on a near‑term path: staff will place a quick‑claim deed for Turner’s parcel on the June 16 council agenda so she can proceed with repairs, and the town will conduct an expedited inventory of adjacent parcels that may have the same discrepancy. Staff proposed using town boats and contractors to photograph canals and identify other affected properties; councilors asked the town to prioritize any other sites that present imminent risk to structures or public safety.

Council direction also included preparing options for a broader policy that could result in vacating or conveying contiguous segments of the seawall/right‑of‑way to adjacent property owners where appropriate, while excluding parcels that contain outfalls or recorded utility easements. The town noted that sovereign submerged‑lands interests (state) could exist and that any conveyance would be limited to the town’s own interest in the property.

The council did not adopt a town‑wide conveyance policy on June 5; instead the body set the Turner quick‑claim deed for the June 16 agenda, asked staff to prepare surveys and an inventory of similarly situated properties (staff estimated roughly 10–12 parcels along the referenced canal), and directed staff to explore interim administrative steps — such as license agreements or easements — to allow urgent repairs while the larger policy is developed.

Methodology and sourcing: article is based on the June 5 Fort Myers Beach Town Council meeting transcript, including direct homeowner remarks and counsel advice recorded at the meeting.