Brian Littrell isn’t playing about his private beach, the people violating his million-dollar property, or his local Florida sheriff’s office. According to the Associated Press, the Backstreet Boys singer is suing the office for failing to protect his beachfront home from trespassers. Now, he’s asking a judge to order deputies to step up their protect-and-serve game.
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More Details About Brian Littrell’s Lawsuit
Brian Littrell’s company reportedly filed the lawsuit last month. It comes amid Walton County’s reputation for tug-of-wars between property owners and beach-loving members of the public. Property records show that the singer’s company purchased the property in Santa Rosa Beach in Walton County in 2023. It paid $3.8 million.
The lawsuit said Littrell’s company attempted to mark the property private by placing chairs, umbrellas, small tables, and ‘No Trespassing’ signs on the beach. But that didn’t work. According to the petition, “numerous trespassers have set out to antagonize, bully, and harass the Littrell family by regularly, every day, trespassing.”
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Littrell’s petition claims the Florida sheriff’s office has refused requests to remove or charge trespassers. In response, the family has had to hire private security.
Sheriff’s Office Refuses To Comment On Petition
A Walton County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman said Wednesday that the office doesn’t comment on pending litigation.
“The Walton County Sheriff’s Office prides itself on handling every situation, call for service, or interaction with professionalism using a customer service approach,” public information officer Lindsey Darby said in an email. “This has always been our philosophy and will remain so moving forward.”
What Does The Law Have To Say About Beach Trespassers?
Under Florida law, any sand on a beach below the high tide water mark is public. Many homeowners own the sand down to the average high water line. Over the decades, some counties have passed local ordinances that let the public use private beaches for sunbathing, fishing, and walking if people have historically had access for those reasons.
Over the past two decades, Walton County has become home to several famous property owners besides Brian Littrell. At the same time, the influx of wealthy owners has caused tension with the public over access to beaches.
In 2018, a Florida law blocked local governments from passing ordinances regarding public beach access until affected homeowners were notified. According to AP, that whole scenario stemmed from a Walton County ordinance. A public hearing was held, and the court determined whether a private beach was historically open to the public. Florida lawmakers approved legislation this year that restored control to local authorities. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law last month in Santa Rosa Beach, where Brian Littrell’s house is located.
The Backstreet Boys’ singer has not publicly addressed his lawsuit.
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Mike Schneider with the Associated Press contributed to this report via AP Newsroom.
