Homeowners Sue Los Angeles to Demolish Marilyn Monroe’s House

A Los Angeles couple who own the property where famed starlet Marilyn Monroe spent her final days is suing the city, alleging they are being blocked from demolishing the house so the city can turn it into a historical landmark.

On Monday, Brinah Milstein and her husband Roy Bank, filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing the city of “illegal and unconstitutional conduct” after being told that they could not demolish the Brentwood, California, home once owned by Monroe, as it is in the process of being declared a historical landmark.

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According to the lawsuit, the owners were given a demolition permit shortly after purchasing the property in July 2023. The couple purchased the property for an estimated $8.5 million and planned to knock down the home to expand the residence next door, which they also own.

“All of these backroom machinations were in the name of preserving a house which in no way meets any of the criteria for a ‘Historic-Cultural Monument,'” the lawsuit reads. “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 Helena Drive property was the site of Monroe’s death at age 36 in 1962. She had been living in the home for six months before her death.

“There is not a single piece of the house that includes any physical evidence that Ms. Monroe ever spent a day at the house, not a piece of furniture, not a paint chip, not a carpet, nothing,” the lawsuit says.

In September 2023, the Los Angeles City Council halted the demolition and began the process of declaring the property a historical landmark, much to the excitement of history buffs and Monroe fans.

The application to make the property a landmark received approval earlier this year from the city council’s Cultural Heritage Commission and the Planning and Land Use Management Committee.

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The lawsuit claims that the city council has caused “irreparable damage” to the couple, including $30,000 in demolition-related expenses and stripping them of their “vested rights as owners of real property.”

The final decision on the property receiving the Historical Monument certification will happen by mid-June after the application goes before the full city council.