The saga over Marilyn Monroe’s one-time Brentwood home will continue…in court. The owners of the Helena Drive property, who famously planned to demolish the property last year, have filed a lawsuit against the city of L.A. alleging “abuse of power,” when officials stepped in and began to establish the home as a Historic-Cultural Monument.
The Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges “illegal and unconstitutional conduct” by the city “with respect to the house where Marilyn Monroe occasionally lived for a mere six months before she tragically committed suicide 61 years ago.” The suit alleges that the city violated its own codes and procedures by pushing for the monument designation, which would block demo.
“All of these backroom machinations were in the name of preserving a house which in no way meets any of the criteria for an ‘Historic Cultural Monument,'” the lawsuit reads. “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 owners allege that the city’s action have caused “irreparable” harm and robbed them of “their vested rights as owners of real property.’’
It’s worth noting that the city has yet to formally take up the consideration of designating the property as historic. Led by councilmember Traci Park, whose district includes Brentwood, the matter must heard by the full City Council by mid-June.
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