Office of the Attorney General: Statement Regarding Ongoing Rexhame Beach Litigation

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

August 07, 2008

Contact:
Emily LaGrassa
Jill Butterworth
(617) 727-2543


BOSTON – Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley issued the following statement today regarding ongoing litigation pertaining to Rexhame Beach in Marshfield:

“Since this lawsuit was filed in July 1998, it has been the goal of the Attorney General’s Office to ensure public access to Rexhame Beach to the greatest extent possible, given the facts and the law. This is a very complex case that has evolved over the course of the last decade, and particularly during the last 18 months.

It is unfortunate that this lawsuit has divided the community, however there has been a great deal of misinformation circulating that has exacerbated that divide. For centuries, there has been confusion and a lack of clarity regarding the ownership of the piece of land in question. The public should know that there has never been a judicial determination, nor does there exist any statute or case law, that delineates who owns this section of the beach.

At no time has the Attorney General’s Office supported any movement to privatize any part of Rexhame Beach, and our office has never considered a settlement that would do so. We are pleased that the Town of Marshfield is now taking a role in this litigation as we believe that the town has a great interest in the issues involved and in any resolution of this matter.

At this point, our office has not achieved a settlement that will sufficiently protect the interest of the Commonwealth and the public, and we are therefore prepared to continue forward with the case. We will continue to advocate before the Land Court and to deal with the town and other parties involved to resolve this matter in the best interest of the public and the Commonwealth.”