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The husband and wife who currently own Marilyn Monroe’s former Brentwood home are reportedly filing a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles in an attempt to block any further effort to have the structure deemed an official historic-culture landmark. If the home is declared a landmark, that would ultimately prevent its demolition.
The husband and wife who own the home, Roy Bank and Brinah Milstein, purchased the property back in July 2023. The plaintiffs have since been granted a demolition permit from the city as they are reportedly seeking to demolish the home.
The Los Angeles City Council already temporarily halted the demolition of the Brentwood home once before in September 2023. The temporary prevention brought much relief to many historians as well as fans of the home’s former owner. The sentiment surrounding the preservation of the home was in line with the idea that the property should be maintained since it is a crucial piece of Los Angeles and Hollywood history.
The historical landmark application is currently still working its way through the city process. In January, the application received approval from the Cultural Heritage Commission and was later approved by the council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee. However, the issue still needs to be presented to the full City Council, a meeting which must be completed by mid-June.
On Monday, Mr. Bank and Mrs. Milstein took measures in an effort to halt the process by filing a Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit. According to reports, the lawsuit alleges that the move to have the structure deemed an official historic-culture landmark is “illegal and unconstitutional conduct” by the city “with respect to the house where Marilyn Monroe occasionally lived for a mere 6 months before she tragically committed suicide 61 years ago.”
Overall, the lawsuit alleges that by pushing for the monument designation for the property, the city of Los Angeles was effectively in violation of its own codes and procedures.
The lawsuit states, “All of these backroom machinations were in the name of preserving a house which in no way meets any of the criteria foreign historical cultural monument.” The lawsuit continues, “That much is bolstered by the fact, among others, that for 60 years through 14 owners and numerous remodels and building permits issued by the city, the city has taken no action regarding the now alleged historic or cultural status of the house.”
The lawsuit continues to allege that the city’s actions have resulted in “irreparable” harm to the building’s current owners and have effectively robbed them of their “vested rights as owners of real property.”
The general aim of the lawsuit is a request for a court order to block the monument designation. If the lawsuit is successful, the plaintiffs will be allowed to move forward with their planned demolition of the home.
At this time, no further details have been released to the public. As the situation unfolds and more information becomes available, updates will be promptly provided to keep the public informed.
