The case of the illegally constructed seawall built by Isle of Palms resident Rom Reddy has at last reached a point of no return. On Dec. 30, 2025, two months after ruling that the seawall had to be removed, but without specifying a time frame, Court Judge Ralph Anderson handed down an order requiring Reddy to deconstruct the seawall, with removal potentially beginning as early as mid-summer 2026.
The order came more than seven months after a court hearing in May 2025 in Columbia, and more than two-and-a-half years after officials with the state’s Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) first became aware of the structure.
Legal representatives associated with the Department of Environmental Services (DES), the Coastal Conservation League (CCL) and OCRM argued in court that Reddy not only violated a state law per the 1977 Coastal Tidelines and Wetlands Act, but that hard erosion control devices on the beachfront contribute to the deterioration of the beach, which is a public trust resource.
Reddy has 30 days from the date of the order to file an appeal. But Lauren Megill Milton, attorney with the South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP) in Columbia, which represented the Coastal Conservation League in the court case, pointed out that the removal of the seawall will have to take place regardless of further action Reddy may take.
“An appeal does not automatically stay enforcement of an Administrative Law Court decision,” Milton said. “Until and unless a court acts, the order remains enforceable as written.”
The order specifically requires Reddy to comply with the following: To submit a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) for the seawall’s removal and restoration of the affected beach area within 60 days of the Dec. 30 order. Following DES review and approval of the plan and sand samples, removal of the seawall must commence within 90 days of CAP approval and be completed within 30 days thereafter.
“If the respondent (Reddy) fails to comply with the court-ordered schedule, the department would likely pursue a contempt of court citation or further enforcement actions to compel the work,” Milton said. “At this point, we are hopeful that all parties will focus on doing the right thing by getting the beach restored as quickly as possible.”
Despite the order and the apparent victory, SCELP Executive Director Amy Armstrong is preparing for the matter to continue on appeal. “Cases like this often take quite a while to resolve, sometimes years, and this matter is still far from over,” Armstrong said. “There’s a lot at stake on both sides. We are trying to protect the integrity of the public beach, and he is trying to protect his property.”
By L. C. Leach III
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