Neighbor, GB police chief clash over pier
BY FRANKLIN HAYES Gulf Breeze News franklin@gulfbreezenews.com

Paulding

A dispute over property rights has neighbors suing and threatening to sue another neighbor, who also happens to serve as the city's chief of police. One neighbor even alleges that Gulf Breeze Police Department (GBPD) Chief Peter Paulding broke the law.

In 2006, Paulding built a seawall and last month began building a dock on his property in Gulf Breeze that his surrounding neighbors, Frank Boykin and Kevin Shea, say infringes their property lines. Boykin also said Paulding's work was done without a permit or permission from the appropriate regulatory agencies.

Sally Cooey with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) said her agency issued a letter of exemption as the work Paulding wanted to do was not in their jurisdiction. Cooey said Paulding's proposed seawall was above the waterline, DEP permitting was not required. Cooey also said piers less than 1,000 square feet were also exempt from DEP permitting.

Cooey added that a complaint was filed against Paulding with the DEP, and that his case is being investigated for compliance, but could not specify what particular elements were being reviewed.

Boykin claims the chief became belligerent when he confronted him about the property rights dispute on Hoffman Bayou and sent officers to his home three times to interrogate him.

According to GBPD offense reports, the chief's wife made the original call to report that Boykin allegedly trespassed into her yard and moved a survey stake.

"Anytime anyone calls we move quickly to calm a dispute situation," says Lt. Rick Hawthorne with Gulf Breeze Police. "The officer later returned to get witness names and statements."

The third visit was to the Boykin home where Boykin confirmed he did move the stake, according to the report. Officers advised him not to go on his neighbors' property.

"No arrests were ever made," Hawthorne asserts.

Paulding says the allegations against him are preposterous and is unsure why his neighbors don't want to sit down and resolve the situation without judicial intervention. He had DEP, Army Corpse of Engineers letters of exemption and a city permit for the pier.

"I have talked to Mr. Paulding and it might be better to work things out through the legal system," Shea said. "I really need to protect land and my property rights. That means I need to use the legal system to protect my property rights." He is not yet represented by a lawyer.

Shea and Boykin claim Paulding's seawall encroached 80 feet and 20 feet of their properties, respectively.

"That's absolutely incorrect," Paulding said, in reaction to the allegations that the seawall is on his neighbors' land. "We hired Empire Land Surveying Company, located in Pensacola, last summer to survey and stake our property."

Paulding said his neighbors have refused many times to sit and talk about the documentation.