Joel, village settle dock ownership issue

SAG HARBOR, N.Y., June 21 (UPI) -- Singer Billy Joel and Sag Harbor, N.Y., settled an ownership dispute, with Joel getting a place to dock his boats and the village getting waterfront property.

The settlement over who owned two floating docks said Joel owns them and can rebuild them as he has wanted to do since he bought them in 2002, along with a house that was once a fish market, Newsday reported Thursday.

In return Joel will give the village about 50 feet of waterfront property adjacent to Marine Park and pay a licensing fee comparable to a season's dock rental at the village marina to keep up to four boats at the docks.

"Everybody's winning," said Joel's captain, Gene Pelland.

Joel, who has not been able to use the docks because of the ownership dispute, will have a place to keep his boats near the property he recently bought from actor Roy Scheider.

Joel and Sag Harbor both threatened legal action but agreed to settle because the real estate deeds were complicated.

Village officials approved the settlement last week.