Wealthy beachfront property owners in Malibu have apparently employed a sneaky tactic to keep the riff-raff away: official-looking “private property” signs which warn folks “trespassers will be prosecuted.”
The issue first came to light after a man filming the signs was confronted by an angry property owner, an interaction captured in a now -viral TikTok clip.
“You’re not on public property,” the property owner insists in the footage, telling the TikToker not to film him and trying to knock his phone away.
The signs are emblazoned with the words “Private Property” and “Beach Area is on Private Lots.”
“This is free land, anybody can be here,” the man filming the video said. “This is a scam. A Karen scam.”
The California State Coastal Conservancy said it has been made aware of the fake signage on Lechuza Beach and is investigating.
The California Coastal Act mandates all of the state’s beaches are public.
At this point, the source of the fake signage is unknown. The signs claim to be associated with the Malibu Encinal Homeowner Beach Lots.
The CSCC’s chief of enforcement, Lisa Haage, told SFGate the matter is under review.
“Public access is the cornerstone of the Coastal Act, and the commission takes these issues very seriously,” Haage told the site.
A year ago, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority accused Malibu officials of removing beach access signs, making it harder for people to find paths to the city’s public beaches.
This week, different TikTok footage showed a woman roping off the beach, abutting her $6 million Laguna Beach mansion, and yelling at people to leave and stay off her land.
Wealthy Californians have even paid for large rocks and boulders to be brought in to block beach accessways, according to SFGate.
