Gullah Geechee people set out to keep their family land. Unclear titles and surging taxes are pushing them out

"On Arthur Champen's half-acre property in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, a thicket of southern live oaks, palmettos and pine trees muffle the roar of cars on nearby highway 278. His haint blue house, lightened by the sun, sits on stilts to protect it from flooding that comes with the high tide. During the spring, it is common for the marshland adjacent to his land to turn into a muddy soup. Other than the cars, Champen, 81, said, you hear how peaceful it is?"

"In 1892, Champen's great-great-grandparents, civil war veteran Richard White and his wife, Amelia, bought 24.2 hectares (60 acres) of land for $600. For nearly a century, the land was heirs' property family-owned land passed through generations usually without a will until Champen's grand uncle hired a surveyor and divided a portion of the land between the Whites' descendants in 1983. More than 10 family members remain on about 4 hectares (10 acres) of land, while a few sold their shares."

"For several generations, the nearly 16 hectares (40 acres) were farmed for corn, cotton and potatoes that were sold at the market. That was until a hurricane hit the area in 1940, causing $9.9m of property and crop damage throughout South Carolina. The marshland next to Arthur Champen's land. Photograph: Joshua Parks/The Guardian"

"The family wasn't clear on who would pay the property taxes after some members moved away or died. It went up for delinquent tax sale, an annual auction held by the Beaufort county treasurer's office, where a default"

A half-acre property on Hilton Head Island is protected by stilts and surrounded by marshland that can become muddy during spring. The land is part of a long family holding that began in 1892 when Richard White and Amelia bought 60 acres. For nearly a century, the property remained heirs’ property, passed through generations without wills, until a partial division occurred in 1983. Several family members still live on about 10 acres, while others sold shares. The marshland was farmed for crops until a 1940 hurricane caused major damage. Uncertainty about who would pay property taxes after family members moved or died contributed to delinquent tax sales, threatening continued ownership.

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