Two months after her death, a settlement has been reached for a South Carolina woman over her late husband’s ancestral land on Hilton Head Island amid a yearlong court battle over a housing developer’s attempts to build a neighborhood around Josephine Wright’s property.
The settlement confirms that the Wright family owns the property in the middle of housing developer Bailey Point Investment’s planned neighborhood, as reported by the South Carolina Public Radio. Wright, a stalwart defender of her family’s land on Hilton Head Island, passed away in early January. She was 94.
South Carolina Public Radio reported on March 14 that a family spokesperson provided some details of the settlement. Under the terms, Bailey Point is mandated to cease communication with the family regarding the Hilton Head property, the station reports. In addition, they are required to repair Wright’s roof, install a privacy fence and provide landscaping services.
“The family is grateful to have settled,” Altimese Nichole said in a statement. “They’re focused on keeping the legacy of Mrs. Josephine Wright alive.”
The dispute, initiated in February 2023, involved Bailey Point encroaching on Wright’s cherished property with plans to build a sizable housing development. Despite facing intimidation and harassment from the housing developer, Wright fought to preserve her family’s land. She even reportedly refused an initial offer of $39,000 from the company to buy her land.
Wright’s story garnered national attention, with celebrities like Tyler Perry, who promised to build Wright a new house on the property, and Snoop Dogg and Kyrie Irving, who donated $10,000 and $40,000, respectively.
A GoFundMe for Wright reached more than $350,000. The Wright family has launched the Josephine Wright Foundation, which is dedicated to land preservation advocacy and education.
Meanwhile, Bailey Point filed a lawsuit against Wright in 2023, alleging three items belonging to the Hilton Head Island resident were encroaching upon the developer’s land, hindering the planned construction of 147 homes. Those items included a satellite dish, a shed, and a corner of her screened-in porch.
Bailey Point Investment accused Wright’s encroachments of having “significantly delayed and hindered” the planned 29-acre neighborhood at the expense of the company’s money and time, according to news reports.
The lawsuit also alleged Wright was being “stubbornly litigious” and sought compensation for current and future damages due to the encroachment.
Wright’s attorney, Roberts Vaux, argued that Bailey Point had launched a “consistent and constant barrage of tactics of intimidation,” including the lawsuit against Wright.
Wright’s granddaughter said the group committed other acts of intimidation, including flattening car tires and putting a venomous snake near a bedroom window. After Wright’s passing, Perry wrote on social media about being thwarted in his desire to present Wright with her new house.
“I am so heartbroken to hear about the passing of this warrior. Ms. Josephine Wright, even though we spoke by phone, I was so looking forward to meeting you in person next month to hand you the keys to your new house, but God had other plans,” the billionaire filmmaker wrote on his Instagram.
“My prayer is that you rest in peace knowing that I will honor the commitment that I made to you,” he added. “I know you will be watching over us all as I hand those same keys to your family.”
Perry continued: “So your 4 children, 40 grandchildren, 50 great-grandchildren and 4 great-great-grandchildren will still be able to gather at YOUR house on YOUR land and tell the world what kind of fighter that you were. You have run your race and fought an incredible fight! Journey well my dear lady. You have inspired me.”
