Almost 30 years ago, Josephine Wright and her late husband, Samuel Wright Sr., left New York City and moved to settle down in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, on their 1.8-acre piece of land.
They sought peace and relaxation on their family-owned property, but a legal battle is causing Josephine trouble.
A Legacy at Stake
The land had been Josephine’s husband’s family for a very long time, and after her husband passed away in 1998, Josephine Wright got the deed to the land in 2012. However, 93-year-old Josephine’s beloved land is now involved in a legal dispute with a property developer.
The developers, Bailey Point Investment, LLC, are trying to build a residential development of 147 homes next to her. They offered her $30,000 for her piece, but she declined.
The Legal Battle
Later in February 2023, the developer filed a lawsuit against Josephine. They claimed that her satellite dish, her screened-in porch, and her shed were disturbing them and delaying the construction of the new houses.
Apart from asking Josephine to remove the structures, they also asked for “just and sufficient compensation for the loss of the use and enjoyment” of their property. Josephine and her granddaughter started doing the developer’s bidding when she changed her mind.
The Fight Back
Josephine decided to fight back! She filed a counterclaim stating that her porch was not on their property. Among other things, she accused Bailey Point of a “continuous barrage of intimidation, harassment, trespass to include this litigation to force her to sell her property.
The claim stated that Josephine had been “deprived of the peaceful enjoyment of her property.” The developers denied all the allegations. The legal battle is reviving attention to the historic takeover of Black-owned lands.
The Support Network
“I want to be left alone to live on my property like I always have,” Josephine said. Bakari Sellers, a civil rights attorney advocating for Josephine, said land issues with developers have historically been an issue for the Gullah Geechee people. Josephine’s husband was one of them.
Josephine hopes to inspire other Black landowners to fight back. She has had the support of many people, including NBA star Kyrie Irving and Filmmaker Tyler Perry.
