Court voids ruling in Tybee's oldest Black-owned property fight after owner's death
WJCL News
[{'start': '2.836', 'end': '8.474', 'text': 'TONIGHT AT 11....      A BATTLE OVER BRICKS AND   HISTORY .. IS HEATING UP ON   TYBEE ISLAND.   THE BROWN HOUSE .. LONG   BELIEVED TO BE THE FIRST   BLACK- OWNED HOME BUILT ON   MAIN STREET .. IS NOW CAUGHT   IN A LEGAL FIGHT OVER ITS   FUTURE.      BUT, THAT ONGOING LEGAL   BATTLE MAY SAVE IT.       WJCL 22 NEWS\' TIA MAGGIO   JOINS US NOW LIVE ON TYBEE ..   WITH WHAT\'S NEXT IN THIS   DISPUTE. AND WHAT ONE LOCAL   GROUP IS DOING TO MAKE SURE   THIS STORY ISN\'T   FORGOTTEN.  TIA?        THIS HOUSE   ISN\'T JUST HISTORIC-IT\'S   IN LIMBO.   A LEGAL FIGHT OVER WHO OWNS   IT IS HOLDING UP   DEMOLITION, AND THE COURT   JUST HIT PAUSE.   "A LOT OF FOLKS, YOU KNOW, A   BLACK PERSON WAS NOT GOING   TO BUILD A HOUSE THERE.   OKAY? AND MY FATHER SAID,   YES, I\'M GOING TO BUILD A   HOUSE THERE."      IT SITS QUIETLY ON TYBEE   ISLAND\'S MAIN   STREET-WEATHERED BY TIME,   BUT FULL OF HISTORY.   BUILT NEARLY 100 YEARS AGO,   THE BROWN HOUSE WAS THE   FIRST BLACK- OWNED HOME ON   THIS STRIP. IT WAS BUILT BY   WALTER BROWN SR.   "IT WAS A BLACK MAN WHO BUILT   A HOUSE ON MAIN STREET BACK   IN THE 50S, WHICH WAS NOT   DONE DURING JIM CROW ERA."   IN FEBRUARY, THE CURRENT   OWNER ASKED FOR A   DEMOLITION PERMIT. THAT   SPARKED PUSHBACK FROM   PRESERVATIONISTS AND   CIVIL RIGHTS ADVOCATES.   "WE\'RE HERE TO SAY NO, ITS   WRONG."   NOW, A LEGAL FIGHT OVER WHO   OWNS THE HOUSE COULD STOP   THE DEMOLITION.   THE CITY OF TYBEE SAYS IT   CAN\'T APPROVE THE PERMIT   RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE:   "THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION   IS SUBJECT TO ACTIVE   LITIGATION... TO   DETERMINE IF THE TITLE IS   CLEAR, AND UNTIL THAT   ACTION IS RESOLVED, THE   CITY CANNOT CONSIDER THE   TITLE CLEAR."   THE CURRENT OWNER-GREEN   GROWTH-BOUGHT THE HOME IN A   2010 TAX SALE. BUT FORMER   OWNER GAIL BROWN SAID THE   SALE WASN\'T DONE LEGALLY.   SHE LATER DIED DURING THE   CASE.   NO ONE REPLACED HER IN   COURT, SO THE JUDGMENT WAS   THROWN OUT. NOW, THE CASE IS   BACK IN COURT.   WHILE ATTORNEYS ARGUE, THE   NONPROFIT TYBEE MLK HUMAN   RIGHTS ORGANIZATION IS   MOVING FORWARD WITH A PLAN   TO HONOR THE HOME\'S LEGACY.   "WE WOULD REALLY LIKE   EVERYONE TO KNOW WHO COMES.   A TABBY THAT MR. BROWN DID   EXIST AND WHAT HIS   SIGNIFICANCE WAS HERE ON   THIS ISLAND."    THE BROWN HOUSE CASE IS ON   HOLD UNTIL SOMEONE   OFFICIALLY REPLACES GAIL   BROWN.   ROSALIE WHITE BARNWELL   REAL ESTATE TRIED TO STEP IN   BUT THE COURT DENIED THEM.   SIG OUT.    TIA, THANK YOU.'}]