PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • September 23, 2024
Two families suing each other over the right to beachfront property in a Phippsburg neighborhood now await the judge’s decision in the more than two-year legal battle. The Hill and Tappen families met in Lincoln County Superior Court for what was expected to be a three to four-day bench trial last week, making their case in front of Superior Court Justice Thomas McKeon over who should be allowed to access the sandy shore in front of their cottages at Popham Beach. The Hill family argues the beachfront has always been considered a common area. But the Tappens said they bought the rights to the land between their properties. The Hill family said their case may have bigger implications about beach access in Maine.