Marilyn Monroes former home declared historic monument but owners say it killed their $8M investment
A California couple is suing Los Angeles after the city blocked them from tearing down their property — Marilyn Monroe’s former home — and declared it a historic monument.In their federal lawsuit, Brinah Milstein et al.v.
City of Los Angeles, homeowners Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank say they bought the Brentwood property for $8 million in 2023 with plans to demolish its deteriorating structures and redevelop the site.Monroe owned the 2,300-square-foot Spanish bungalow for about six months before her death.The complaint says the property has been heavily altered over decades by 14 previous owners and is in declining condition.The owners say Los Angeles issued demolition and grading permits on Sept.7, 2023.A day later, the City Council moved to begin the process of declaring the property a historic-cultural monument after fans of Monroe and historians pressured the city to stop the demolition.Councilmember Traci Park, whose district includes the property, pushed to protect the home, and the City Council ultimately voted in June 2024 to designate the site a “historic-cultural monument.”The owners say that move killed their demolition plans and turned a private home into what amounts to a public monument without compensation.“They couldn’t demolish, couldn’t repair, couldn’t build and couldn’t sell to someone who could.
The city had effectively turned their private property into a public monument without paying for it,” Pacific Legal Foundation said in a press release Friday announcing it had joined the homeowners’ legal fight.The couple said they purchased the property for over $8 million and have since absorbed approximately $30,000 in permits, hundreds of thousands of dollars for added security and millions in attorneys’ fees.Their lawsuit also claims they pay over $100,000 annually in property taxes, insurance and utilities to hold the property, which remains unusable as they intended.They say the city’s designation has created a�...