CAROLINA BEACH — The ongoing legal battle between the Town of Carolina Beach and property owners at Freeman Park has been tied up in the courts for months. But exactly one year ago, the town made the announcement that the park would be closed due to the actions of the landowners.
Since that time, the park has reopened but the drama has continued with both parties filing court documents claiming they are in the right.
The legal battle has taken unexpected turns — including the payout from New Hanover County Superior Court to one of the FBI’s most wanted terrorists as part of an inheritance deal to free up the land around Freeman Park.
Behind all of the legal wrangling, of course, is the question of who controls the private LLCs that own the land near Freeman Park and, perhaps more importantly, what they have in store for beachfront property.
Even for those following the story closely, the ins and outs of the court process has been confusing. So if you need a refresher before the next development, this is the right place.
Take a look at the interactive story below to see everything that has happened in the past year.
