Some Texas residents who didn’t lose their homes to Hurricane Ike might end up loosing them to the state thanks to a law that declares land between average high- and low-tide lines public property. Homeowners whose property falls into beach lines newly rearranged by the hurricane could wait up to a year to learn if the state will appropriate their homes, possibly without compensation, according to an September 18 Associated Press article.

While the Texas Open Beaches Act, or OBA , appears to offer a deterrent to building in unsafe coastal habitats, the 1959 law actually has roots in local culture and oil development, according to A Line in the Sand: Balancing the Texas Open Beaches Act and Coastal Development. Drafted at a time when beaches were uncluttered by homes and other construction, the law was intended to ensure public access easements to privately owned beaches—allowing Texans to continue a tradition of driving and parking along the beach.

The law, which has been revamped to address growing coastal development and attempts to circumvent the legislation, was last enforced against multiple homeowners following the 1983 strike of Hurricane Alicia, according to the AP report. Homeowners are made aware of the act when they purchase their homes, the report said.

See the full article at yahoo.com.