A South Florida chief judge entered a sharply worded partial final judgment order against a litigant, who found a legal loophole that has allowed him to claim ownership of parcels that are fully underwater and sued nearby homeowners for trespassing. That litigant is now facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney fees as damages for his actions.

Sen. George LeMieux and Luna Phillips, shareholders at Gunster in Miami, represented the counter-plaintiff, primarily consisting of homeowners along the intercostal. They sued the counter-defendants, who include Hillsboro Inlet Investment LLC and William Swaim, after they claimed title to submerged lands that abut the current oceanfront property.