The current owners of Marilyn Monroe’s former Los Angeles home, Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank, are suing the city in order to demolish the iconic abode where the star died. The couple purchased the house for $8.35 million last summer with plans to tear it down and extend their own residence, which is located next door. Despite initially being granted a demolition permit, their plans were halted after city leaders intervened.
The city council temporarily stopped the demolition of the house at a September hearing, arguing that it should be designated a cultural monument landmark. Since then, the Cultural Heritage Commission and the city council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee have approved its landmark application. The application still requires full city council approval by mid-June in order to become official.
Milstein and Bank are attempting to prevent the house from receiving landmark status, accusing the city of engaging in “illegal and unconstitutional conduct” and using “backdoor machinations” to block their demolition plans. They argue that Monroe’s connection to the house has been exaggerated, stating that she only lived there for a brief period of time before her death. They also claim that the house does not meet the city’s criteria for a historic cultural monument.
The couple alleges that the city has taken no action to designate the house as historic or cultural in the 60 years since Monroe owned it, despite multiple remodels and building permits being issued. They are seeking a court order to block the landmark designation process in order to move forward with their plans to demolish the property. The lawsuit asserts that the house does not meet the requirements for historic designation and accuses the city of engaging in unfair tactics to prevent them from tearing it down.
Milstein and Bank are adamant about their right to demolish the house and extend their own property, emphasizing that the house’s historical significance has been exaggerated. They dispute the claims that the house played a significant role in Monroe’s life and argue that the city’s efforts to preserve it as a landmark are unwarranted. The couple’s lawsuit is a direct challenge to the city’s actions in attempting to block their demolition plans and highlights the ongoing legal battle over the fate of Marilyn Monroe’s former home in Los Angeles.