Anonymous Owner of Private Peninsula Beach Sued

 The owner of a scenic beach in San Mateo County is "secretive" and "semi-anonymous," but he -- or she -- is also "deliberately" trying to block access to Martin's Beach since the strip of sand was purchased for $37.5 million in 2008.

 

And now Santa Cruz attorney Gery Redenbacher is suing "on behalf of every resident of California" to open up access, according to the San Jose Mercury News.

 

The owner is reported to be Silicon Valley capitalist Vinod Khosla, the newspaper reported, but Khosla has denied comment to the newspaper. And the property owner's attorney, former San Jose city attorney Joan Gallo, has remained mum on who's paying the bills.

 

But in the meantime, surfers have been arrested for "trespassing" at the spot near Half Moon Bay -- which has raised the ire of Redenbacher, who points to the California constitution as guaranteeing access to the coast.

 

The property owner blocked off access to the beach with a fence, part of "a malicious attempt to prevent" access to the beach, according to Redenbacher.

 

Whoever the owner turns out to be, he or she has 30 days to reply to the lawsuit, the newspaper reported.