Shoreline Defender

10/26/2026

GHOST CHAIRS: How Empty Beach Chairs Are Taking Over Florida’s Shoreline

Imagine arriving at the beach with your family, only to find the best spots occupied. Not by people, but by empty chairs.

They’re called “ghost chairs” — chairs and umbrellas set up for renters who may never even visit the beach that day.

Some are included in vacation rental packages. Others are reserved for condominium guests. Regardless of whether anyone shows up, the chairs remain, sending a message: This space is taken.

Even worse, vendors position rows of chairs so close to the water’s edge that other beachgoers have nowhere to set up in front of them. As the tide rises, the available space disappears.

Empty chairs get prime beachfront space while families actually enjoying the beach are pushed elsewhere.

What About the Erosion Control Line?

The Erosion Control Line (ECL) establishes the legal boundary between state-owned restored beach and upland property.

The Beach Activities Ordinance restricts vending seaward of that line. Yet chairs and umbrellas continue appearing in areas where their placement raises serious compliance questions.

The boundary exists. The restrictions exist. The chairs are still there. So where is the enforcement?

Renting beach chairs is a legitimate business where permitted. But occupying public sand with empty furniture for customers who may never arrive is another matter.

Nobody expects someone to lose their chair because they went swimming. We’re talking about entire rows sitting empty for hours, effectively reserving shoreline space that others could be enjoying.

Since when did paying for an empty chair become more important than people actually using the beach?

Ghost chairs don’t swim. They don’t build sandcastles. They don’t enjoy sunsets.

People do.

Public beach space shouldn’t become a commercial reservation system for people who aren’t even there.

10/26/2026

When Walton County rebuilds after Hurricane Isaias, should the priority be protecting private beachfront property or restoring beaches for everyone?

10/26/2026

5 AM this morning. Turtle season is over, and the ghost chairs have returned to haunt the beach all night along with private-property signs. I thought commercial equipment wasn’t allowed on Blue Mountain Beach, but apparently the rules are as seasonal as the turtles. Funny how the sand has room for a whole afterlife of furniture, but somehow not for beachgoers. 🐢👻🙄

10/26/2026

Should commissioners require a detailed breakdown of public versus private benefits before approving any beach restoration funding?

10/25/2026

Could Walton County use hurricane recovery as an opportunity to pursue permanent public beach nourishment instead of temporary fixes?

10/25/2026

October Update
Statement for Supporting Carolyn Hill

Carolyn Hill once again finds herself defending her right to access the shores of the Gulf in Walton County, Florida. On September 21, 2026, Plaintiffs, BLB Beach Hut, LLC,

Brian Littrell, and Leighanne Littrell, filed a Second Amended Complaint alleging that Ms. Hill trespassed
across the dry-sand portion of their claimed beachfront property on seven occasions from May to September of 2025, and engaged in stalking of Mr. and Mrs. Littrell.

These serious accusations are unsupported by facts or laws and goes to show how far the Plaintiffs will take this case to try to stop the public from exercising their right to recreate on beaches adjacent to private property.
Plaintiffs previously dismissed the stalking claim, and has had their complaint dismissed once before. Since the case was first filed against Ms. Hill, an appellate court found that the Plaintiffs have not proved that they own the beach down to the water’s edge. That case is still in litigation, yet the Plaintiffs continue to pursue their lawsuit against Ms. Hill resulting in exponential legal
defense fees.

The Plaintiffs have demanded Ms. Hill turn over all photographs, documents, and correspondence in her possession about the alleged beach owed property, making it clear that they trying to cast a net to see what proof they can catch to support their outlandish claims
against her. Once again, Carolyn is forced to defend herself against what she and her supporters regard as
a baseless lawsuit, amid mounting legal fees. Florida Beaches for All organized a fundraiser to help pay those costs and says the funds raised are earmarked for her defense. Ms. Hill has visited this stretch of beach for decades, riding her bicycle to the beach to sit, decompress, and meditate. Her parents’ ashes were laid to rest off this coast, making the shoreline a place of deep personal memory and peace. Peace that was shattered as the Plaintiffs continuously called law
enforcement to try to chase her away – which law enforcement never did – and utilized their property managers as a scare tactic to make her place of refuge a place of disruption.

Ms. Hill’s response to the most recent complaint was due October 12, 2026. Please consider making a donation towards her legal fees, as this case will not just impact Ms. Hill, but all individuals that wish to visit and enjoy Florida beaches.

Imagine your elderly loved one relaxing quietly on the bea… David Rauschkolb needs your support for Stand with Carolyn: Support her against this unfair lawsuit

10/25/2026

If taxpayers fund sand restoration, should beachfront owners be allowed to place PRIVATE PROPERTY signs on the restored sand?

10/24/2026

Should the county prioritize comprehensive beach nourishment over temporary emergency berms that may wash away in another storm?

10/24/2026

Would you support taxpayer-funded beach restoration if the restored dry sand remained privately owned and restricted?