TYLER PERRY VS. FORMER SEGREGATIONIST

Tyler Perry's dream home has been a nightmare for the past two years thanks to an 89-year-old Atlanta lawyer and businessman who claims he still owns the property.


Moreton Rolleston Jr., a former segregationist whose family home of 40 years was demolished by Perry to make room for his own mansion, has not only been a thorn in the entertainment mogul's side, but has been a nuisance to local courts for more than 20 years, reports the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Rolleston keeps filing lawsuits in efforts to regain the Buckhead property despite a series of rulings that have seen him jailed, fined and threatened with disbarment, the paper reports. Earlier this month, Rolleston showed up at the property with police cars in tow seeking to kick out Perry's construction crews, contending he still is the rightful owner.

"At this point," Perry told the newspaper, "I just don't know what to do to get rid of this guy."

Rolleston purchased the property more than 40 years ago, and in 1962 built his family home — a five-bedroom granite masterpiece with a large pool and pool house. Through the years, he managed to lose ownership of the land, and it was purchased in Oct. 2005 by Perry for $9 million, reports AJC. Perry tore down Rolleston's home and began construction on his own 30,000 square-foot French Provincial mansion – which should be ready by Thanksgiving.


Rolleston has been filing lawsuits to resume ownership of the land since 1985. He has fought the case through courts in Cobb, Fulton and Glynn counties as well as federal court. When he's lost, he's appealed, the paper reported. He has even sued lawyers, sheriffs and a judge. He's filed for bankruptcy, only to have that rejected by the courts

Rolleston was the owner of the Heart of Atlanta hotel, which opened in 1956 as one of the top places to stay between New York and Miami – but only if you were Caucasian. He refused to accommodate black patrons, and even attempted to apply his segregationist ways to the Atlanta school system – suggesting the district could avoid desegregation by selling school buildings to private businesses, thereby circumventing federal dictates. His various attempts to maintain segregation were ultimately defeated.