A Fort Lauderdale developer owns beachfront property described as extending "to the mean high water line of the Atlantic Ocean." Due to recent hurricane activity, the beach has experienced significant erosion, moving the mean high water line 50 feet inland. What happens to the property boundaries?
Correct Answer
C) The boundary moves with the new mean high water line
Under the common-law doctrine of accretion/erosion, water boundaries described by the mean high water line are ambulatory — they shift naturally with gradual changes in the shoreline. When erosion gradually moves the mean high water line inland, the property boundary moves with it.
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