This once beautiful jersey shore private island has fallen into disrepair and a legal mess

This Once Beautiful Jersey Shore Private Island Has Fallen Into Disrepair and a Legal Mess

by
September 21, 2023
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TOMS RIVER, NJ – If you’ve ever been on a boat in the Barnegat Bay, you know that house we’re talking about. Situated on Middle Sedge Island in the middle of the Barnegat Bay, this luxurious home has fallen into disrepair since Superstorm Sandy delivered a knockout blow in 2012.

In 2015, Middle Sedge Island was listed for sale for a reasonable price of $6.5 million

The property had been listed on Private Islands.com, an online private island brokerage website. It’s no longer listed.

 The island is located slightly northwest of Hurricane Sandy’s ground zero.   During the storm the island and the property sustained significant damage, uprooting the inground pool.

“Although it sits in the middle of a highly populated beach community, Middle Sedge Island offers complete peace and seclusion from its next-door neighbors who are at least a quarter mile away. The property includes 14.4 acres of a 25-acre island,” the listing read. “The main access to the island is by boat from a conveniently located lot on the main barrier island. Two Parker launches are included to provide easy transportation. Convenient piers facilitate your trip to and from the island retreat. Secondary access is by helicopter to the island’s own licensed helicopter pad.”

The property, owned by Zero Barnegat Bay LLC was part of an insurance claim lawsuit filed in 2019 against the insurance company for refusing to pay for damages incurred during Superstorm Sandy.

After the property sustained damage from Superstorm Sandy, Zero Barnegat Bay submitted a claim to Lexington.

Lexington then had the property inspected by Vertex. (See Vertex Report, ECF No. 43-3). Vertex issued a report, concluding that high winds caused and contributed to: – The damage to the roof shingles along the left edge on the north-facing side of the uppermost roof of the main house; – The broken window on the north-facing side of the guesthouse; – The water intrusion at the south-facing bank of windows in the living room on the first level of the main house, however most of the observed damage to the windows existed prior to Hurricane Sandy; and – The cracks in the gypsum ceiling and walls of the main house, however most of the observed damage to the ceiling and walls existed prior to Hurricane Sandy, the company claimed.

Lexington denied the claim because the $17,000 in damage they were willing to fix fell below the $21,000 deductible. The owner claims $441,000 in damage attributed to Superstorm Sandy. And that’s not including damage done to a pool and the power transformer that connects the home to the mainland grid.

A judge later approved the insurance company’s motion for summary judgment. The case would proceed on the $441,000 claim, but not on claims made regarding the pool and transformer.

Phil Stilton
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Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

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With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

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