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Perdido Key property owners urge commissioners not to adopt customary‑use ordinance, citing legal risk
Summary
Multiple Perdido Key condominium owners told the Escambia County commission on May 7 that a customary‑use declaration for private beaches risks costly litigation and is unlikely to succeed under existing law, citing Walton County precedents and county signage restricting public access.
Tony Hobbs, who identified himself as a Perdido Key condo owner, told the commission that his unit owners collectively pay substantial property taxes while relying on private beachfront access and county enforcement to keep public use limited. “Part of the value of our property comes from the fact that we have private beaches,” Hobbs said, arguing that county signs and enforcement over decades contradict any claim of uninterrupted public use.
Joseph Klein Peter, who introduced himself as president of the Indigo Condominium Association, said constitutional protections for private property make a county‑led…
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