Wednesday, June 7, 2023
By Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice on January 18, 2023
In a Jan. 18 release from President Barbara Marzetti, the Corolla Civic Association (CCA) outlined new efforts to reduce what it characterized as the increasing number of “mobs of kids engaging in atrocious, intolerable behavior,” during Beach Week, the period in early to mid-June when high school graduates flock there for a good time.
As part of the release, the CCA reported that during 2022 Beach Week, “NC Alcohol Law Enforcement brought a dozen officers for a two-day period that yielded 116 arrests that included 66 charges for underage drinking, 32 fake ID charges, 23 drug-related offenses and 2 businesses receiving ABC violations.”
The release also reported on a Nov. 1 CCA community meeting attended by more than 100 residents that was designed to develop “strategies and tactics to inhibit the over the top ’22 Beach Week shenanigans and confrontations during the upcoming 2023 season to protect Corolla’s well-earned reputation as the ‘best family town’ in the OBX.”
Those proposed measures include everything from simplifying the eviction process to instituting community patrols to sending letters to school officials in communities where the students come from.
In an interview with the Voice, Marzetti said that the offending students are “coming from out of state.” She added that increasingly unacceptable behavior in Beach Week “has all escalated over the past couple of years…as [the Outer Banks] got discovered by the national press”—attention that grew during the COVID pandemic when the area was sometimes portrayed as an idyllic refuge from the virus.
Plus, as she noted, “We have the big houses.”
The release also placed some blame on adults, asserting that a “disturbing trend is the increasing disregard that many parents/chaperones have for the law and obligations under rental leases, apparently wanting to be the ‘cool’ parents. Among those arrested were a high school principal and a federal law enforcement agent.”
In closing, the release ended on a positive note, while also invoking perhaps the most iconic cultural reference to bad student behavior.
“We want all visitors to enjoy Corolla, including young folks who have just passed an important milestone in their life, but all visiting families need to be able to enjoy their time here without the fear or burden of out of control ‘Animal House’ type behavior.”
Comments
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Jeffrey
Last time I checked it wasn’t illegal to rent a house and have a party. The law has noise ordinances for noise.
It’s part of owning a rental……..
Ralph
Unfortunately the “animal house behavior” is just another indicator of our country’s continued demise. Blatant disregard for everything that makes us a civilized society is now the norm. Good luck Corolla. Good luck OBX. You will not stop what’s coming!
WindyBill
Ralph, this crap behavior has been going on for over 30 years, just more common due to more multibedroom houses.
Charles
“Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!”
Mark Jurkowitz | Outer Banks Voice
The classic Belushi line in that movie.
Corolla Citizen
As a rental manager with a local management company, I’d like to correct a few misconceptions gathered from comments here:
1. All of the OBX rental companies require the leaseholder to certify by signature on the lease that their party is a family unit and that the leaseholder is an adult – plain and simple, they lie to gain the access to the house. Many times it is one of the parents of the kids doing the lying, as a graduation gift, or right of passage. The vast majority of the guests that come to Corolla are indeed family groups, who just want to have a peaceful vacation.
2. It is physically impossible for the management companies to “catch” all of the offenders – 5000+ homes with 50,000+ guests each week cannot be “policed” 100% – help from fellow residents and our guests is welcome and needed
3. We can and do evict violators, but we can’t take action if we are not aware of the problem – report to the management company (and/or LE if laws are being broken)
4. All rental companies on the beach do hold guests responsible for damages. The cost of the damages can in some cases exceed what the rental companies can extract from the credit card on file, leaving court as the only option – usually not profitable to take that route, and many guests know this ahead of time, even shutting off their credit card on file before departing. Also, many/most damages cannot be fixed in the ~6 hour turnover period, leaving issues for the incoming guests
5. Face-to-face check in did not prevent this problem; dad “checked in” at the office, walked out and handed the keys to his kid. Also, over the last few years a more and more common theme is mom or dad actually coming and staying in the house, or the house next door, and partying with the kids. “Supervision”? Not much.
Every home managed by one of the local management companies has a sign on the front of the house with a phone number. Call them to report suspected over-occupancy or unsupervised teen party groups. Call Law Enforcement to report people breaking the law. Together we can keep Corolla safe and fun for families.
Emily
I disagree Jeffrey. As home owners, yes, we are providing a service and also allowing guests to borrow our home during a time we will not be using the home. If I borrow your home, car, spend a night in your home as a guest, you should expect that I would care for your property with respect and consideration. As a courtesy to home owners, would you please treat the rental properties like they are your own home during your stay? Remember that someone will be coming in after you and would really appreciate a nice and clean rental for their stay. Remember also that a cleaner, a single person, will be coming to clean up the all messes you make. Do unto others as you would like done unto you, is a quote worth remembering.
Most guests are very respectful and appreciate having the opportunity to stay in a nice home. This should be the norm.