Blocked Views & More Trouble on Further Lane

There are three roads that run along the ocean parallel to one another in the exclusive resort section of East Hampton. The one closest to the ocean is called Further Lane, the one next to the closest is Middle Lane and the one farthest from the ocean is Hither Lane. It seems sort of backward to most newcomers, Further being closer than Hither.

But that’s the way it is. And there’s trouble on Further.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the space between Further and the Ocean was farmland. You could see the waves from the road. But then mansions were built along the ocean and for privacy’s sake the views were blocked at the Lane by hedgerows. In recent years, only a few places still afford these great views from the road. And one of them, near to the Amagansett line, was saved in perpetuity. Or so neighbors thought.

Six months ago, hedgerows appeared along Further Lane, blocking this view, and the neighborhood went ballistic. How could this be? The most recent owner, Judy Little, respected this law. But now new owners, unknown because they were hiding behind a corporate veil, violated the law.

Turns out there is no such law. There is an easement. The easement says the view must be left open. Farmland it is. But there’s ways around easements.

Billy Joel, who bought a 40-acre parcel with a home that an easement said could not be sold to entertainers, Blacks or Jews, told me he bought his land through a Christian middleman. The middleman bought the property, wrote a new deed without the codicil, then re-sold it the next day to Joel. “I was two out of the three,” Billy told me.

Fifteen years ago, such a law was proposed for East Hampton. Save our views. But it was left to die, un-voted upon. So now the current administration in East Hampton considers the open space at the Little property to be just a spat between neighbors.

The nearby Village of Sagaponack has a law requiring owners of farmland there to leave the property open for these spacious views. But even that has been gotten around. The owner of a 40-acre parcel of supposedly protected farmland between Daniel’s Lane and the ocean planted cedar trees that grew 10 feet tall. It was an act of defiance.

The trees were part of a “tree farm,” he said. A legal crop. But the trees blocked the views not only from the neighbors looking in, but from he, himself, looking out. His house was now in the woods amidst his tree farm. Crazy.

There are communities with laws against removing pre-existing trees that block a water view. But even these get cut down. P. Diddy 20 years ago got caught removing pre-existing trees that blocked a water view. He was required to put trees back and did. Recently, a Sag Harbor resident went out at night and removed a beautiful tree in his neighbor’s yard that blocked his view. The neighbor was furious. But then it turned out the tree roots were on public property. And there was all hell to pay.

And I’ve had run ins about this sort of thing. One day a police officer knocked on my front door. Had I, during the night, removed trees to give me a better water view? Someone had removed trees across the street. I invited him in to see that where the trees had been did not improve my view. But it did seem to improve a neighbor’s view. So he left.

And I used to fire a salute cannon at sunsets over my view on Saturday nights. The sound would echo up and down the harbor. And the cops did come for that too. But then since it was only at sunset one night a week, they said that was okay.

Have a East End real estate story? Want to share? Text us at 516-527-3566. We’ll call you back, and then write it up for this weekly column. –Dan