Casting Near Boats and Docks

[LastonBoard]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

I am quite surprised to learn that dock owners have few rights. Wouldn't it be a kick to appear before the local town's tax assessment group and ask for an easement of taxes due to reduced rights of enjoyment of shore frontage? I've never had such issues with fishermen crossing or casting from my dock, but to read the responses given from learned posters, I am concerned that I really don't have many rights as a shorefront owner. It would be interesting to see how one of the McMansion owners handled legal trespassers, when push came to shove.

As a waterfront owner you do have more rights than the general public, e.g the ability to occupy the water adjacent to your property (with proper permits). The state through the permit process controls the "unreasonable-ness" of that access basically by approving the size and length of the dock. If you conform to the permit, Joe Public cannot come in and claim your dock is unreasonable and impedes access - by granting the permit the state has already determined it does not.