Almeder v. Town of Kennebunkport
Annotate this CaseAt issue in this case was 110 parcels of property owned by ninety-five separate owners that directly abutted Goose Rocks Beach. In 2009, Beachfront Owners sued the Town of Kennebunkport and all others who claimed any title or right to use the Beach seeking a declaratory judgment affirming his or her ownership and exclusive right to use the portion of the Beach abutting his or her parcel down to the mean low-water mark. The Town counterclaimed alleging its ownership of the Beach and the public’s right to use the Beach. The superior court ultimately awarded the public a recreational easement over both the intertidal and dry sand portions of the Beach. The Supreme Court vacated the judgment, holding that the court erred in awarding the Town a prescriptive easement over the Beach and deciding that the public has a right to engage in ocean-based activities in the intertidal zone pursuant to the public trust doctrine. Remanded.
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