The Curse Of Oak Island: How Much Of The Island Do Rick & Marty Lagina Own?
Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina of "The Curse of Oak Island" fame are in the middle of living out their childhood dream, and what better way to do that than to buy pieces of the place that has so kindled their imaginations? Per the Facebook page Oak Island From The Other Side of The Causeway — run by an anonymous resident of a town near Oak Island — the Lagina brothers and their partners bought Lot 5 on Oak Island in 2022. That means they, their partners, "Oak Island" producer Allan Kostrzewa, and Tom Nolan currently own most of the island. The Laginas operate their stewardship of the land under their umbrella company, Oak Island Tours Inc.
But the brothers, their associates, and their company don't own the island entirely. Several pockets of the island aren't currently up for sale; for instance, an acre of land belongs to former "The Curse of Oak Island" recurring cast member Dave Blankenship, who is selling property on the island and a house as of November 2023. The Lagina brothers have a cordial relationship with most of the island's residents and have permission to dig on the Nolans' property. But they did have a dust-up with the previous owner of Lot 5.
Rick and Marty Lagina and the previous owner of Lot 5 had a dust-up over causeway access
According to an article published by The St. John's Telegram in 2019, Robert S. Young — the previous owner of Lot 5, who was already in the treasure-hunting business — disapproved of the Lagina brothers' actions and how they used the island for filming purposes. "I disagree strongly with what's going on there the last few years," he said. "I think they've kind of abused the island. My whole theme is to keep it as original as possible."
Young and the Lagina brothers also disagreed about the manufactured causeway created in 1965. Originally, the causeway was erected by Robert Dunfield and Mel Chappell, members of a group interested in buying land on the island and searching for treasure. Constructed in 10 days, the causeway was only intended to bring heavy digging equipment to the island. Though it's still standing today, it's chained off and marked for private access only. Young wanted to use it, but he and the Laginas could not come to an accord. Young reported that he had been forced to access the island by a boat as there wasn't any other way to get to his home. It's unclear what arrangement the Laginas have to use the causeway.
Young passed away in February 2022. There's no word as to whether or not he and the Lagina brothers managed to settle their dispute. That might be another Oak Island-related mystery that never reaches its proper conclusion.