Backstreet Boy wants it his way in court case against Florida sheriff's office
Littrell's counsel filed the petition for writ of mandamus against the sheriff's office on June 19, alleging that the law enforcement agency has refused to fulfill their duty of enforcing Littrell's private property rights. The documents refer to Littrell's property as 'BLB Beach Hut, LLC.'
Littrell's property extends from State Road 30A to the mean high water line. The documents describe numerous attempts by Littrell to ward off beach goers, including putting out 'No Trespassing' signs. But the efforts were allegedly in vain, as 'numerous trespassers have set out to antagonize, bully, and harass the Littrell family by regularly, every day, trespassing on BLB's beach,' the documents say.
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In response, BLB hired security and submitted a Walton County Trespass Authorization Form, which allows sheriff's deputies to warn, trespass, and prosecute trespassers on the property after they've been given a notice to leave. The standard operating procedure for 'Trespassing on Gulf Front Property' is public policy, and can be found on the Walton County Sheriff's office website.
The documents submitted by Littrell's counsel detail multiple alleged incidents occurring on May 4 and June 5 involving trespassers harassing the Littrells and their hired security. The documents say that on June 5, Littrell's personnel made three phone calls to the sheriff's department, and no deputy responded.
Nexstar's WMBB reached out to the Walton County Sherriff's office for comment. Officials say they cannot comment on pending litigation or legal actions.
A clash between the beachgoers and the Littrells can also be viewed in a TikTok video posted in April 2023. In the video, Brian's wife Leighanne Littrell can be seen arguing over the property's high waterline and telling a group of people they are trespassing.
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New York Post
17-07-2025
- New York Post
Backstreet Boys' Brian Littrell sues Florida sheriff's office over beach trespassers
Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell says a local Florida sheriff's office isn't doing enough to protect his multimillion-dollar beachfront property from trespassers and is asking a judge for an order commanding deputies to do so. The petition filed last month by Littrell's company in a Florida Panhandle county touches on a perennial tug-of-war between usually-wealthy oceanfront property owners and beach-loving members of the public, especially in Florida, which has 825 miles of sandy beaches. 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, though some counties over the decades have passed local ordinances that let the public use otherwise private beaches for sunbathing, fishing and walking if people have historically had access for those purposes. 3 Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell says his local Florida sheriff's office isn't doing enough to protect his multimillion-dollar beachfront property in Santa Rosa Beach from trespassers. Instagram Property records show that Littrell's company purchased the property in Santa Rosa Beach in Walton County in 2023 for $3.8 million. A spokeswoman for the Walton County Sheriff's Office 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.' In the petition, Littrell's company said that chairs, umbrellas and small tables had been put out on the beach, as well as 'No Trespassing' signs, to mark it as private property. 3 Any sand on a beach below the high tide water mark is public, according to Florida law. AP But that effort had been in vain 'as numerous trespassers have set out to antagonize, bully, and harass the Littrell family by regularly, every day, trespassing,' according to the petition. The sheriff's office has refused requests to remove trespassers or charge them, and the family has had to hire private security, the petition said. Walton County, which has become home to several famous property owners besides Littrell over the past two decades, has been at the center of a recent fight between private property owners and the public over access to beaches. 3 Howie Dorough, Nick Carter, Brian Littrell, Kevin Richardson and AJ McLean of Backstreet Boys perform at the Palomino Stage during the 2025 Stagecoach Festival on April 27, 2025 Getty Images for Stagecoach A 2018 Florida law that stemmed from a Walton County ordinance blocked any local government from passing ordinances dealing with public beach access until affected homeowners were notified, a public hearing was held and a court had determined whether a private beach was historically open to the public. Florida lawmakers this year approved legislation that restored control back to local authorities, and Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it into law last month in Santa Rosa Beach, the beach town where Littrell's house is located.
The Hill
10-07-2025
- The Hill
Backstreet Boy wants it his way in court case against Florida sheriff's office
WALTON COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell has filed a court order against the Walton County Sheriff's Office in Florida, claiming officials failing to prevent the public from using Littrell's private beachfront property. Littrell's counsel filed the petition for writ of mandamus against the sheriff's office on June 19, alleging that the law enforcement agency has refused to fulfill their duty of enforcing Littrell's private property rights. The documents refer to Littrell's property as 'BLB Beach Hut, LLC.' Littrell's property extends from State Road 30A to the mean high water line. The documents describe numerous attempts by Littrell to ward off beach goers, including putting out 'No Trespassing' signs. But the efforts were allegedly in vain, as 'numerous trespassers have set out to antagonize, bully, and harass the Littrell family by regularly, every day, trespassing on BLB's beach,' the documents say. Panama City to vote on smoking ban at parks and beaches In response, BLB hired security and submitted a Walton County Trespass Authorization Form, which allows sheriff's deputies to warn, trespass, and prosecute trespassers on the property after they've been given a notice to leave. The standard operating procedure for 'Trespassing on Gulf Front Property' is public policy, and can be found on the Walton County Sheriff's office website. The documents submitted by Littrell's counsel detail multiple alleged incidents occurring on May 4 and June 5 involving trespassers harassing the Littrells and their hired security. The documents say that on June 5, Littrell's personnel made three phone calls to the sheriff's department, and no deputy responded. Nexstar's WMBB reached out to the Walton County Sherriff's office for comment. Officials say they cannot comment on pending litigation or legal actions. A clash between the beachgoers and the Littrells can also be viewed in a TikTok video posted in April 2023. In the video, Brian's wife Leighanne Littrell can be seen arguing over the property's high waterline and telling a group of people they are trespassing.
Miami Herald
09-07-2025
- Miami Herald
Brian Littrell has trouble at his Florida house, suit says. Now he's suing cops
Keep off my lawn! Brian Littrell needs more than a sign to keep trespassers away from his home in Florida's Panhandle. The Backstreet Boys member has taken the legal route, The Daily Mail first reported. In the suit against the Walton County Sheriff's office, Littrell accuses authorities of refusing to help control random folks from sunbathing on his private property in Santa Rosa Beach. The lawsuit filed last month under Littrell's LLC, BLB Beach Hut, is to 'compel the Sheriff to do their duty and enforce the private property rights [by preventing] all unauthorized people on the petitioner's property,' the complaint says. The boy bander and his wife Leighanne Wallace purchased the three-bedroom retreat in 2023 for $3.8 million. Littrell alleges that despite putting up multiple 'No Trespassing' signs as well as setting out chairs and tables 'delineating the property,' both tourists and locals continue to descend. Moreover, Littrell claims that the unwanted visitors 'antagonize, bully and harass' him and his family 'in open defiance of the law.' The issue with interlopers has been going on almost immediately since the couple moved in. In a TikTok video Littrell and his wife are seen arguing with beachgoers about property lines. The papers say that the '90s fave turned Christian music artist had already complained to the sheriff's office and even provided paperwork that said his parcel of land is private, but to no avail. 'Despite numerous requests and execution of the required forms, the Sheriff has refused to come to the subject's property [to] remove, charge or take any action,' the suit claims. According to Florida's customary use law, the public has the right to recreate on the wet sand area seaward of the the mean high-water line, aka MHWL, the legal boundary between private property and public access. This means that while private property owners have control over their beachfront property, they cannot restrict public beach access below the MHWL. In other words, curiosity seekers can stroll by the Littrells' house with their feet in the water, but can't stop to hang out and grab some rays. That's what randoms are doing though, says the pop star's Deerfield Beach based lawyer Peter Ticktin. 'If they were just walking by, fine,' said the attorney. 'But they're putting down blankets and sitting there looking in the windows, playing radios.' As per court documents viewed by the Miami Herald, the sheriff's office was served on Wednesday. Officials from WCSO did not immediately respond to the Herald's request for comment.
