Maine’s highest court has upheld a lower court’s decision that affirms access to Popham Beach.
The case involves two neighbors whose families have owned beachfront cottages for decades.
But Richard Tappen purchased a parcel of land that cut in front of neighbor Clark Hill’s cottage, then sued Hill for trespassing in 2022.
The Maine Supreme Judicial Court on Tuesday sided with a lower court that found Hill has an implied easement for recreational use of Popham Beach.
“‘No trespassing’ signs have no place on a Maine beach,” said Benjamin Ford, an attorney for the Hill family. “Today’s law court decision really emphasized that.”
Ford said he hopes the trend of supporting beach access continues as the law court weighs a separate case about public access to Moody Beach in Wells.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.
