# Fishing Dock trespassing



## Johnms (Nov 29, 2010)

I live on Perdido Key and we recently became aware that people from all over are coming to our Condos, parking in our parking lot - then fishing off our Intracoastal waterway dock. One group came as far away as Cantonment. Sometimes residents have to compete for dock space to fish! We do have no trespassing signs (not the state version 2" letters but there are signs).Parking is by permit only but no one at night is around to enforce. Last nights group seemed tough enough that I decided that (an unarmed) confrontation was not warranted. I decided to go ahead in the future and invite LEO in to deal with this but was reading the its best to call the FWC and not Escambia County Sheriff. That water access laws are complicated at they are the better choice. Anyone else deal with this? I am not talking about fishing from the water or beach but actually up on our dock. (in photo its the dock on the left).


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## Splittine (Nov 24, 2007)

Can I get a guess pass, I fish that dock all the time.


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## FishWalton (Jul 22, 2010)

Seems to me this should be a Sheriffs Office matter. If the users park on condo property without permission there is a trespass issue. That would certainly fall to the SO. Find out what the trespass laws are and use them to your advantage. 

Solve the parking issue and you will probably solve the pier issue. The Home Owners Association should be the party to move the matter forward, not an individual condo owner.


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## NKlamerus (Jan 4, 2016)

Splittine said:


> Can I get a guess pass, I fish that dock all the time.


Do you see the beer cans I leave around ,😂


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## NKlamerus (Jan 4, 2016)

So, does your condo not have security?


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

Damn!! And I thought I had problems...


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## badonskybuccaneers (Aug 19, 2013)

Since we started wheel locks- we have really cut down on trespassing. Also- opposed to towing, the offenders vehicle remains on site as an "example" to others (until they pay the penalty). The "revenue" created by the wheel locks should offset the cost of equipment (wheel locks) and warnings (signs, warning stickers, etc). If you make the fines high enough, it might even help offset the cost of "enforcement personnel" a little. 
We are in close proximity to the FloraBama- and despite the fact we have a "gated" entrance- it took a few years for the word to get around. It did finally slow "trespassers". 
Are the "offenders" driving in and parking to use the pier?
I would think a call to the sheriffs office and have an officer talk to them(?). But if it's a regular problem, I would have a uniformed security officer on duty to handle this- collect ID info and record it so if they return at any time- charges can be pressed for repeat offenders. 
This sounds like an ongoing problem, and unless parking access becomes more restricted (guard / gatehouse, automated gate access, or similar solution)- there will probably be no easy "one time" solution. 
What are the homeowners willing to put up with (trespassers) or willing to pay for?
Another though.... a trespasser goes to the dock / pier and gets severely injured. They or a relative sues the HOA for medical, loss of income, etc. it's a liability, like an unfenced pool.
Just a few thoughts from someone who has been around the block a time or two.


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## Ocean Master (May 20, 2008)

It's up to the Condo Association to pay for and place the signs. Why have they not done this?


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## amarcafina (Aug 24, 2008)

Yeah, we have had that ... Had the vehicles Towed that didn't have a parking pass.. and took care of it


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## Flounderpounder (Oct 3, 2007)

Yep, call the LEO's. We have 2 ponds that folks occasionally will trespass/fish. SRC deputies come out and bust them when called. When asked if we want to press charges, we say no the first time, but tell them we will if they come back. Never see them again (so far).


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## hjorgan (Sep 30, 2007)

With all the places to legally fish why the hell???


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

Someone had permission from an owner. That someone ran his suckhole to someone else and there ya have it. Just like flounder, trout and anything else. Folks want to be "the man" with hot spot specific information. All they do is screw it up for countless others. Look around here, happens constantly.

The trespassing part is not cool.


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## Jason (Oct 2, 2007)

Simple call to the Sheriff's Office will do the trick! As fer vehicles being towed...it's private property, so whoever is responsible fer the security or in charge of the HOA will be responsible fer calling and having em towed!


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## Johnms (Nov 29, 2010)

Quick update - Well the first two guys tonight showed up at sunset - We just shut off the dock lights at the building. Two different owners confronted them and they left. They were followed out and one owner even photographed the license plate. 

Those who regularly fish our lights legally by boat, you are now out of luck. We are leaving the dock lights off.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

Well, that was uneventful.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

You won't get rid of Splittine that easy. He'll be back.
Wouldn't be surprised if he had his own light either...


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

jlw1972 said:


> You won't get rid of Splittine that easy. He'll be back.
> Wouldn't be surprised if he had his own light either...


He'll probably have an extension cord and need to borrow some power though.


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## MrFish (Aug 21, 2009)

jlw1972 said:


> He'll probably have an extension cord and need to borrow some power though.


I have a generator. Not a Honda either. Noisy sumbitch.


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

MrFish said:


> I have a generator. Not a Honda either. Noisy sumbitch.


That fugger'll put out a lot more power if you'll get rid of that muffler all together.


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## Johnms (Nov 29, 2010)

Now to do something about the peeping tom drone operator stalking our building.


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

Johnms said:


> Now to do something about the peeping tom drone operator stalking our building.


I will take care of that free of charge, just across and down the ICW from ya.:thumbsup:


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## halo1 (Oct 4, 2007)

Johnms said:


> I live on Perdido Key and we recently became aware that people from all over are coming to our Condos, parking in our parking lot - then fishing off our Intracoastal waterway dock. One group came as far away as Cantonment. Sometimes residents have to compete for dock space to fish! We do have no trespassing signs (not the state version 2" letters but there are signs).Parking is by permit only but no one at night is around to enforce. Last nights group seemed tough enough that I decided that (an unarmed) confrontation was not warranted. I decided to go ahead in the future and invite LEO in to deal with this but was reading the its best to call the FWC and not Escambia County Sheriff. That water access laws are complicated at they are the better choice. Anyone else deal with this? I am not talking about fishing from the water or beach but actually up on our dock. (in photo its the dock on the left).



I wouldn't worry about it, it was a 99% chance it was the mods afterparty from grouper22s promotion party! They will be gone soon once the beer runs out! Though, if they start catching fish ! Then u may be screwed! What you should be worried about is if they catch a LOT of fish ! You'll see a fish fry at the condo next weekend ! And then they will never leave! Just saying! Though cough,cough if they get that far ,just invite an unnamed chef with his cough bamboo cough steamer to cook the fish at the fish fry! Problem averted! Bahaha jk! Bamboo steamers are harder on fish then bleach bottles!


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## grumpy old man (Dec 20, 2009)

please take a pause. I've got to get another beer and some pork rinds. this ones getting good.


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## nathar (Jun 25, 2009)

So they were from Cantonment, hmmm?


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## msagro1 (Oct 11, 2007)

Let'em Fish


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## captwesrozier (Sep 28, 2007)

vote for trump and he will send them back to mexico


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## Johnms (Nov 29, 2010)

msagro1 said:


> Let'em Fish


Get off my lawn.


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

msagro1 said:


> Let'em Fish


Let em fish public access. Sick of these "hand out" twat waffles.


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## swimdawg (Jun 5, 2016)

Damn so that's why that light has been off recently. use to put in the kayak at night and a short paddle for some after work fun... leave it to a few to ruin it for the rest I guess.


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## Try'n Hard (Oct 23, 2008)

jlw1972 said:


> You won't get rid of Splittine that easy. He'll be back.
> Wouldn't be surprised if he had his own light either...


plus he takes his dogs everywhere he goes and they will leave you some king size turds. Good news is - Turds got no smell - They all got a weird diet


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## GROUPERKING (Sep 28, 2011)

grouper22 said:


> let em fish public access. Sick of these "hand out" twat waffles.


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## 192 (Oct 1, 2007)

twatwaffle
(twat-wah-full): 
n.1 An elitist; someone unaware of their own limitations and highly critical of others. 
n.2 A general prick. See: douchebag, n00b. 
v.1 To ban; to totally pwn.
"That Tom Cruise is such a twatwaffle." 
or... 
"I was twatwaffled by @Blue-Six....it hurt, a lot."


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## 2RC's II (Feb 2, 2012)

Glad you have somewhat solved your problem. I have the same problem from time to time on my private dock. I know you posted on here for some useful help. Unfortunately there are a good deal of unemployed comedians looking for work. You get that a lot of that on this forum. I do it myself sometimes when a less than intelligent question is proposed. Anyway hope you have solved your problem.


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## DLo (Oct 2, 2007)

So.... you turned off the light to keep people from fishing that don't live there, now trespassers can't catch fish, residents can't catch fish and legally fishing boaters have to go somewhere else to catch fish, isn't anyone at the condo unit pissed that they had to give up a good fishing spot? Isn't that sort of like burning your house to the ground to keep it from getting robbed?


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## Johnms (Nov 29, 2010)

DLo said:


> So.... you turned off the light to keep people from fishing that don't live there, now trespassers can't catch fish, residents can't catch fish and legally fishing boaters have to go somewhere else to catch fish, isn't anyone at the condo unit pissed that they had to give up a good fishing spot? Isn't that sort of like burning your house to the ground to keep it from getting robbed?


Dude, it was every single night, - we had two older residents having confrontational encounters - once at 5 a.m. in the parking lot. Since the lights are off - no issue.

We are working on a portable light deal for people who live here.


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

Seems like a gate with a code on the dock and a security camera, even if it didn't record, would be enough to deter unauthorized users.

At the same time, I recall a couple of years ago our family rented a condo at Pensacola Beach. It was a small complex and the whole time we were there a couple of the residents were constantly confronting us about petty stuff like if we parked one space over from the designated spots in a semi-empty parking lot, if we came back in after dark one of them would always come out on the balcony and ask us who we were and which condo we were staying in, if the kids were at the pool or fishing on the dock they would come down and ask them who they were with and why they were there, etc... and this went on every day for almost two weeks. 

I figured these two residents must have enjoyed their self-appointed roles as "Condo Nazis" otherwise they would have put up a gate to keep unauthorized people out of the complex. 

Not implying that this is the case here, but constantly having to confront people to determine who should be there and who should not would be mighty inconvenient as far as I'm concerned. Especially if the problem could be solved by simply putting up a security gate on the attractive nuisance.


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## Chapman5011 (Mar 7, 2013)

How many of those boat are actually guests of an owner. And if you say none, how can you prove that.


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## Johnms (Nov 29, 2010)

Chapman5011 said:


> How many of those boat are actually guests of an owner. And if you say none, how can you prove that.


Boats are not the issue. read the first message.


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## johnsonbeachbum (Oct 1, 2007)

Johnms said:


> Dude, it was every single night, - we had two older residents having confrontational encounters - once at 5 a.m. in the parking lot. Since the lights are off - no issue.
> 
> We are working on a portable light deal for people who live here.












Solved


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## tbaxl (Mar 13, 2013)

You guys busting Johnms chops would not be so brash if it was your back yard getting over run. The association paid to have the dock and the lights and if they are constantly getting unknown people fishing from the pier then the easy thing was to shut off the lights. As for condo nazis, they may be a pain to strangers but at least they are keeping an eye out and hopefully things will not be stolen from said lot.


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## Play'N Hooky Too (Sep 29, 2007)

So if the trespassers bring their own light everything will be OK?


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## JoeyWelch (Sep 25, 2009)

I love PFF!!!


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## keithelder (Aug 1, 2016)

Yeah i'd have a problem with this too. I would try putting up some temporary signs until I could get association to *fix it*. Either with signs, or gate, or something. Until then a daisy red rider purchase should be in your future maybe? They'll think the mosquitos are hell on wheels there and tell all their friends to stay away.


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## TeaSea (Sep 28, 2013)

whatever happened to junk yard dogs. Isn't this what they are for??? Make those 'visitors' swim home.


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## AndyS (Nov 22, 2011)

Not to diminish the OP's issue in any way, I do sympathize ... but somehow can't help but the phrase "_First World Problems_" pops into my head.


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