Source: http://russelldoc.galib.uga.edu/russell/view?docId=ead/RBRL338-ead.xml;query=;brand=default
Timestamp: 2019-04-19 08:29:47+00:00

Document:
The records in this collection were created during a series of litigations that occurred over the land ownership for beach front property located on St. Simons Island, Georgia. The litigation was extensive and included civil actions, a jury trial, and appeals to the Georgia Supreme Court. The Hopkins family, represented by attorney Rhett Tanner, ultimately prevailed. An Atlanta lawyer named Morton Rolleston, Jr. represented the other interests, the Cherry family from Atlanta and the Mobley family in Brunswick, Georgia. Additional litigation over the beach front property would follow as members of the Hopkins family filed suit against various land developers over disagreements with the partitoning of the property. Those additional cases include Hamby v. Hopkins, Wiedemeyer v. Hopkins, and Hopkins v. Curry. Attorney Alton H. Hopkins, who was the main representative for the Hopkins family, had previously kept in his possession the case files that make up this collection.
This collection consists of records documenting the history of litigation over property ownership and development on St. Simons Island, Georgia between 1967 and 2005. Court cases included in the collection are Cherry and Mobley v. Hopkins, Coast House v. Cherry and Rolleston / Cherry v. Rolleston, Hamby v. Hopkins, Wiedmeyer v. Hopkins, and Hopkins v. Curry. Records in the collection include legal documents such as briefs, transcripts, contracts, and exhibit materials; notes; correspondence; newspaper clippings; land and tax records; plats; maps; drawings; photographs; and audiovisual recordings.
Arranged in six series: Series I. Ashmore Case; Series II. Cherry, Mobley v. Hopkins; Series III. Coast House v. Cherry and Rolleston / Cherry v. Rolleston; Series IV. Hamby v. Hopkins; Series V. Wiedemeyer v. Hopkins; and Series VI. Hopkins v. Curry.
Alton H. Hopkins Collection of St. Simons Beach Case Records, Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies, University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia, 30602-1641.
Finding aid prepared by Tom Batcha, Agozie Onyirimba, and Brandon Pieczko, August 2018.
Scope and Content: This series contains notes, correspondence, newspaper articles, and transcripts from the Ashmore Beach litigation cases (State of Georgia v. Evans and Mitchell Industries, Inc. and Sea Palms, Inc.) pertaining to development of the East End Subdivision on St. Simons Island between 1967 and 1975.
Historical Note: During the initial case (Civil Action No. 14531), the defendant claimed ownership of coastal land east of Beach Road that had been mapped as being between the high and low water mark of the ocean. The court ruled against the defendant and the case was later appealed by Jack P. Ashmore, Jr. (Civil Action No. 30176 and No. 30177).
Scope and Content: This series contains legal documents and other records from the 1986 Superior Court case (Civil Action No. 26258 and 26448) and 1988 Georgia Supreme Court appeal (Appeal 44687) of Rebecca Wight Cherry (daughter of Ward Wight, Sr. and owner of lot known as Camellia Court), Florie Mobley (owner of motel next to Camellia Court known as Craft Court) v. Pauline Hopkins (executor of the estate of J. Hunter Hopkins), Alton H. Hopkins, and Elizabeth H. Kidd (executor of the estate of Robert R. Hopkins).
Historical Note: By the 1980s, the ocean had retreated from the Cherry and Mobley land lots causing the accretion of approximately 1000 feet of land between the original property line (as platted in 1911) and the then current high water mark. Cherry and Mobley claimed ownership of the accreted land since it accreted from their property. Hopkins, et al. also claimed ownership of the accreted land as heirs of the developer of the East End Subdivision. The East End Subdivision was developed in the early 1900s by Robert R. Hopkins, Sr. and his son, J. Hunter Hopkins. Elizabeth Hopkins Kidd, daughter of Robert R. Hopkins, Sr., became executor of the estate when her father died in 1936. In May 1985, Florie Mobley sold lots 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, and 55 (aka Crafts Court) to Coast House Ltd. and Sandease Ltd. Rebecca Wight Cherry owned 25% undivided interest in the adjoining lots, 56 and 57, next to Mobley. The warranty deed did not provide the buyer any interest in or recreational easement to the accreted land.
Scope and Content: This series contains transcripts and other legal records from court cases involving Rebecca Wight Cherry and Morton Rolleston, Jr. including the 1988 Superior Court case Coast House Ltd. and Sandease Ltd. v. Cherry and Rolleston (Civil Action D970033) and the 1996 appeals (Appeal A97A005 and A97A056).
Scope and Content: This series contains transcripts, appraisals, contracts, correspondence, newspaper articles, notes, affidavits, and other legal records relating to the 1998 case (Case No. 97-02223) and 2000 case (Case No. 98-01747) Hamby v. Hopkins.
Historical Note: Denval Hamby was the developer of Coast Cottages and The Villas at Coast Cottages. He purchased a portion (Lot 57 Extension, aka Tract 4A) of the estate of Robert R. Hopkins; however, he was not able to reach an agreement with Alton H. Hopkins and the other members of Hopkins family members to purchase their portions of the estate. Ownership of the Hopkins estate was proportioned as follows: Alton Hopkins (12.50%); Mrs. Alton Hopkins aka Virginia Hopkins (12.50%); Mrs. J Hunter Hopkins aka Pauline A. Hopkins (25%); Winifred Fanning and Earl Lynn Kidd, co-administrators of the will of Robert R. Hopkins (50%). The court ultimately ordered the sale of the Lot 57 Extension.
Scope and Content: This series contains contracts, surveys, notes, correspondence, maps, photographs, audio recordings, and other records from the court case Wiedemeyer v. Hopkins (Civil Action No. 01-01491) concerning the sale of land from members of the Hopkins family to Robert J. Wiedmeyer, a retired doctor and builder of condominiums. At the time of the case, Wiedemeyer had purchased Lot 59 and half of Lot 58 from estate of Robert R. Hopkins, while Alton Hopkins still owned an interest in Lot 57 and the other half of Lot 58.
Scope and Content: This series contains agreements, motions, contracts, correspondence, transcripts, and other legal records from the court case Hopkins v. Curry (Civil Action No. CV200050104) pertaining to the bankruptcy of Coast House Cottages and Coast House Cottages and Villas, LLC between 2003 and 2005.
Historical Note: In 2003, Ramsbottom Commercial Real Estate Company had considered buying property from the Hopkins/Weidemeyer group (consisting of landowners Alton Hopkins, Virginia Hopkins, Mildred Pauline Arnett Hopkins, and Dr. Robert Weidemeyer). The sale ultimately did not go through and in 2004 Coast House Cottages and Villas, LLC (managed by Ernie P. and Kay P. Curry) purchased the land from Hopkins/Weidemeyer using a loan provided by J&B Global. In 2005, the Currys defaulted on the loan, filed for bankruptcy, and the land was returned to the Hopkins/Weidemeyer group.

References: v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 V. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v. 
 v.