In a surprise twist to an historic story, Los Angeles County is getting a Manhattan Beach property back from the Black family that it was taken from in the early 1900’s. In an unprecedented transaction last June, LA County returned two parcels of beachfront property to the Bruce family, acknowledging it was stolen. Now, the family is selling the property back to the county for nearly $20 million.

According to the Los Angeles Times, in 1924, Willa and Charles Bruce were pushed out of their Manhattan Beach resort by the KKK and other white residents and city officials later condemned their property and claimed it through eminent domain. Six months ago, The county made the decision to “right the wrongs of the past”, and returned the land to the Bruce’s. 

As part of the agreement, the family had a two-year window to sell the property back to the county, and that’s exactly what they’ve done. An attorney for the family said the Bruce’s no longer live in Southern California and any kind of building would take years of permitting. He added the sale is still a victory for descendants of Willa and Charles who will be able to invest in their own futures with the wealth that was originally stolen from them.