A South Carolina family fighting for its ancestral land has settled with a real estate developer. After a lengthy lawsuit, the family countersued the developer, fighting to keep the Hilton Head land they’ve owned since after the Civil War.
According to reports, the family’s matriarch, Josephine Wright, lived on the property for over 30 years with her husband, attorney Samuel, until he died in 1998. Wright, who died in January at 94, had been leading the fight to retain rights to the land before her death.
Court documents show that the Hilton Head land had been in her husband’s family since the Civil War. According to South Carolina Radio, an enslaved ancestor who gained freedom purchased the property.
The battle for the land began when developer Bailey Point Investment, LLC acquired land in Hilton Head in 2014. Court documents state the land surrounds Wright’s 1.8-acre property. The company, developing a 147-home subdivision in the area, reportedly offered to buy Wright’s property for $39,000.
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Bailey Point Investment started its developments in 2022 and worked around and on Wright’s property. In an interview before her death, Wright revealed they cut down trees and caused dust to cover her car and house. In addition, she noted that someone flattened her tires and hung a snake on her window.
However, in February 2023, the development company escalated the “intimidation” by suing her for encroachment. In its filing, the company said Wright’s satellite dish, shed, and screened porch trespassed on its land.
Also, the company said they were creating a nuisance, lowering property values, and throwing a wrench in their plans. The developer claimed the shed, porch, and satellite dish “continue to annoy and disturb” them. Hence, the company said it “significantly delayed and hindered” development.
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Afterward, the family matriarch hired a civil rights attorney and countersued. In her filing, Wright accused the developer of using “tactics of intimidation, harassment, [and] trespass” to get their hands on her property. In May 2023, Wright’s granddaughter started a GoFundMe to help cover her legal fees, setting a $350,000 goal.
Wright’s quest drew support from celebrities, including Snoop Dogg and Kyrie Irving, and donations kept pouring in. The family raised nearly $368,000. In addition to celebrities, such as Snoop Dogg, who donated $10,000, they gained support from community members.
Renowned Hollywood filmmaker Tyler Perry also planned to build Wright a five-bedroom, whose permits have been secured. Following the family’s victory in court, a family spokesperson, Altimese Nichole, explained the details of the settlement agreement.
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Nichole stated that the settlement requires Bailey Point Investment to stop contacting the family about acquiring the ancestral land. The company must also fix a roof on the property, put up a privacy fence, and provide landscaping. Despite the company’s intimidation tactics, the family’s victory underscores Wright’s doggedness.
According to Nichole, the property has been a gathering spot for Wright’s seven children. It has also been the home of her 40 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren, and 16 great-great-grandchildren. Hence, the family matriarch fought to protect her ancestral home in her last days.
Although the company offered her $39,000 for the land years ago, Wright refused. In a 2023 interview, she revealed that the land’s value was not only monetary. “It’s a family thing,” she said, “and we want to keep it that way forever.”
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