Virginia Matthews, Plaintiff-Appellant, and Stanley C. Van Ness, Public Advocate of the State of New Jersey…

Summary

The Supreme Court of New Jersey held that the Bay Head Improvement Association, a quasi‑public nonprofit, must open its beach membership to the general public and provide reasonable access to its privately owned dry‑sand area so that the public can enjoy the foreshore under the public trust doctrine. The Court reversed the trial court’s summary judgment in part, affirmed in part, and entered judgment for the plaintiff against the Association.