Ocean City Sells Land to Family for $1 to Fix Sinking Bulkhead

Ocean City, NJ -- Ocean City has given a family the authorization to repair a bulkhead that is falling into the canal on West 17th Street.

Ocean City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to sell a 5-foot-wide and 5-foot long strip of land between a home on West 17th Street and the channel that is currently owned by no one to Demosthenes and Kathleen Vasiliuo owners of the only adjacent home, for $1 during its April 28 meeting.

The Vasilious said they would repair the bulkhead at a cost of $56,250, not including permitting and engineering fees.

After adjustments for lack of utility for anyone other than the Vasilious, the piece of land would be worth about $18,000.

The city will not be able to claim ownership of the property in the future.

However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Vasilious would become the owner of the land.

The Ocean City Bayous Company owned the land in the area in the early part of the 20th Century, with the city owning all the land that is under water in the area, according to City Solicitor Dorothy McCrosson.

Ocean City Bayous has since folded, and it is unclear who owns that particular piece of land. The land is not needed for public use, so the city is permitted to sell it to a contiguous owner for no less than fair market value.

The land is on the north side of West Avenue, just before the county-owned bridge, but there won’t be any issue if work ever needs to be done on the bridge.

On introduction of the proposed ordinance, Councilman Anthony Wilson said he would vote for the ordinance only if he bulkhead replacement were done in place, and not leaning seaward.

On second reading, Wilson said he spoke with the attorney for the Vasilious and he was assured the bulkhead would go in the same location.

The ordinance was approved with a 6-0 vote. Council Vice President Peter Madden wasn’t present for the vote.