Billionaire claims he owns the road, the beach and the tides

[KamaAina]

http://blog.sfgate.com/stew/2014/05/28/billionaire-claims-he-owns-the-road-the-beach-and-the-tides/

There had, until now, been a note of uncertainty about why beach owner Vinod Khosla decided to kick people off Martins Beach, but the billionaire venture capitalist made his motives pretty clear, according to this Chronicle story by Melody Gutierrez.

The green tech titan does not want the hoi polloi touching what he believes is his sand, tidelands or surf.

“Martin’s beach is private property, including the sandy beach and the submerged tidelands seaward of the mean high tide,” argued lobbyists hired by Khosla in a letter to state lawmakers. “There are no existing ‘public’ lands to which access is needed.”...

The lobbyists for Khosla are using as justification for their position a decision last October by Superior Court Judge Gerald Buchwald that said Martins Beach was still subject to the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848. The treaty essentially required the United States to recognize Mexican land grants as long as the owner filed a claim. Jose Antonio Alviso, who owned the land grant at the time, filed such a claim, and a patent for the beachfront property was issued in 1865.

This is why we can't have nice things.

[Blue Owl]

1. Bow before the Prince of Tides

Actually surprised to discover this wasn't a Florida Man thread!

[dhill926]

2. good luck with this….

asshole….

[KansDem]

3. As a native Californian...

...I understood that all beaches in California to be public beaches. I'll go there if I want to and some pissant One Percenter is not going to tell me to leave.

There have been attempts by Richie Riches to build their estates in such a way as to block access. These were stricken down in court, and Vinod needs to be enlightened to this.

There needs to be an easement for public access.

[eppur_se_muova]

4. King Canute, please brain this fuckwit with your sceptre. nt

[el_bryanto]

5. In case anybody asks, I own the moon.

Just want to get that out there in case it comes up.

Bryant

[TeamPooka]

6. Vinod is just donating money to his lawyers. All beaches in CA are public beaches. You lose Vinod.

#sucker

[KamaAina]

8. He paid money for the property adjacent to the beach.

Not the beach itself. And he's dragging out some obscure Mexican land grant to try to bolster his case.