A civil lawsuit between a Mattituck couple and a man they say trespassed on their beachfront property - a man defending his actions as simply enjoying the beach - commenced Wednesday afternoon in New York State Supreme Court in Riverside.
The trial over property rights versus beach rights is between Christine and Richard Rivera and Paul Calabro, who is being sued because the Riveras say he set up a beach chair and umbrella on their property.
Exactly where that boundary stands remains to be answered in the case.
The Riveras brought forth two witnesses on Wednesday, both old friends and former neighbors - husband and wife Ellen and Richard Palazzo.
While each of them testified to seeing Calabro set up a beach chair and umbrella in a pathway on the Rivera's property, Calabro's attorney David Raimondo asked if either had seen the tide that day to verify that Calabro was indeed above the high water mark. Both said they hadn't, but that he was "above the drop-off," the Rivera's property before the sand drops down closer to water level.
The Riveras are scheduled to bring forth two more witnesses on Thursday, one a surveyor, according to Raimondo.
Raimondo said to the eight-person jury (including two alternates) that they would "take a trip" to the Rivera's property, saying he will be showing a video at some point in the trial of the property line.
The trial is slated to continue Thursday morning starting at 11 a.m.
Check back Thursday for more coverage.
