Brian Littrell's lawsuit dismissed
Backstreet Boys singer Brian Littrell's lawsuit against a woman he accused of trespassing on his private beach has been dismissed.
Brian Littrell's lawsuit against a woman he accused of trespassing on his private beach has been dismissed.
The Backstreet Boys singer and his wife Leighanne Littrell had taken legal action against a woman named Carolyn Barrington Hill, who they alleged had gone onto their Santa Rose Beach property "without right or authority" and ignored the "no trespassing" signs they had erected directly outside their home.
They also further accused the woman of having "set out to antagonise, bully, and harass the Littrell family by frequently trespassing” on their property “in open defiance of the ‘no trespassing’ signs, and alleged they suffered emotional distress because the "trespassing" interfered with their “use and enjoyment of the property."
However, according to documents seen by People magazine, the judge dismisses the claim because “emotional distress damages are not permitted on a claim for trespassing."
The couple had also alleged the woman had videotaped them on their property without their “knowledge or consent" but this was also dismissed as “there are no allegations contained in the complaint that the [Littrells] were located in a location on the property that the court recognized [as having] a reasonable expectation of privacy.”
Brian and Leighanne - who had previously voluntarily dismissed one count of stalking at a hearing in December - have 20 days to file an amended complaint.
The 51-year-old singer and his spouse had previously launched a separate legal action against the Walton County Sheriff's Office for failing to protect their private beach.
According to documents seen by Entertainment Weekly, Brian had previously executed a Trespass Authorisation Form, which enabled law enforcement to act in his stead in respect to his property rights and is now seeking a writ of mandamus which would compel government officials and agencies to execute the functions they have been legally mandated to carry out.
Brian claimed he and his family had put up 'No Trespassing' signs, as well as attempting to mark out their boundary line with chairs, tables and umbrellas, but despite his efforts, "numerous trespassers have set out to antagonize, bully, and harass the Littrell family."
The couple had hired private security to protect their beach but began to rely on the sheriff's office, which the Quit Playing Games hitmaker alleged had "refused to do their duty".
One specific incident is cited in the lawsuit, in which a sheriff's officer was dispatched to remove a trespasser but was allegedly captured on body camera footage telling the member of the public that he "doesn't agree with private beaches" and branding Brian's behaviour "lunacy".
Another instance allegedly saw a 911 call handler hang up when a BLB Beach Hut employee called to report a "battery and theft" carried out by an individual who had refused to leave the private area.
Brian's lawsuit seeks judicial involvement to force the sheriff's office to act.
