Judge rules in Popham Beach property access case, but questions remain

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • November 14, 2024

Two longtime neighbors suing each other over access to their neighborhood beach in Phippsburg have gotten some answers about who is allowed on what property, but a judge couldn’t decide what to do with some of the contested areas. Justice Thomas McKeon ruled Thursday that the beach’s intertidal zone – the area between the ocean’s high and low tides – is open to all subdivision owners for recreational purposes. But he wouldn’t rule on other disputed areas, such as the land above the high-tide line and between the Tappen and Hill cottages, which are separated by two empty lots.