This case, Cangemi v. US, the "Montauk Harbor Jetties Case," could very well contribute to establishing legal precedent for claiming that the effects of coastal erosion (not the erosion itself) that are caused by coastal protection structures are a nuisance. This would add another dimension to how erosion is perceived in the public mind and treated legally. It could also provide another avenue for property owners that are experiencing catastrophic or damaging erosion near coastal structures like seawalls, revetments, jetties, and groins.

1. Short summary of the Montauk Harbor Jetties case.
blog post 11/17/2014:
http://beachpolicy.net/2014/11/read-my-summary-of-the-montauk-harbor-jetties-case/
[see the link to the full case summary on this blog post]
This case could very well contribute to establishing legal precedent for claiming that the effects of coastal erosion (not the erosion itself) that are caused by coastal protection structures are a nuisance.
This would add another dimension to how erosion is perceived in the public mind and treated legally. It could also provide another avenue for property owners that are experiencing catastrophic or damaging erosion near coastal structures like seawalls, revetments, jetties, and groins.
The Supreme Court of New York ruled that property owners could sue their town by claiming nuisance because the Town interfered with the owners' use and enjoyment of their properties because their homes are in significant danger of washing away. The property owners can also sue for damages from the public nuisance caused by the jetties.
The Court also ruled that the property owners could sue their town by claiming trespass because water entered their land because of the jetties.
Here's a bit more detailed description:
The Supreme Court of New York ruled that the effects of coastal erosion can constitute public nuisance (blocked access to streets, parking) and private nuisance (interference of use and enjoyment of property). It also ruled that if private parties have “special injuries” over and above what the community suffers from the public nuisance, they can also sue for damages caused by the public nuisance.
The Court also upheld the right of private property owners to sue the town based on the trespass of water over their land caused by the erosion that’s occurring because of the jetties. It is interesting that the property owners did not cite the erosion itself as the trespass or nuisance, but the Town took exception to the “erosion as trespass” anyway (which the Court ignored). The Court also found that there was sufficient evidence that the Town acted intentionally and was negligent in its actions regarding the planning, installation, maintenance, and public communications of the jetty project, so it ruled that the property owners could sue the Town for "duty, breach, causation, and damages."
What was left unsaid, especially about the takings claims:
The Court dismissed all of the claims against the State and Federal defendants (with one exception), including the takings claims. However, almost all of these claims were dismissed because of the timing of when the plaintiffs filed them, not because the Court ruled that there were no takings.
It is disturbing that the circular reasoning (in my opinion) about when property owners can file takings claims when a situation is ongoing (like coastal erosion and inundation) could leave property owners without remedy. If filed when the erosion starts, the situation may not be dire enough to constitute a taking, and if filed when the situation is dire (when a house is in imminent danger of destruction), it is too late to file a claim according to the statutes used to determine eligibility to file. Reference Cangemi v. United States, 939 F. Supp.2d 188 (EDNY 2013)
Lisa Granquist, PhD candidate, Law & Public Policy, Northeastern University, lisa@beachpolicy.net