White v. Hartigan

This case involves a dispute over property rights in a 1.7 mile beach parcel on the south shore of Martha’s Vineyard in Edgartown. Historically, two families — the Nortons (plaintiffs) and the Flynns (defendants)4 — have owned the property upland from the beach. For much of the past century, the two families enjoyed a friendly relationship and both families *402used the beach. That relationship deteriorated in the early 1980s, and a dispute arose as to title rights to the beach. In 2004, the Nortons commenced an action in the Land Court to quiet title, ultimately claiming that they owned a…