California Tells Couple They Can’t Repair Their Home Because Marilyn Monroe Briefly Lived There

A dilapidated home in Los Angeles has been suddenly declared a public monument, banning the owners from selling, renovating or even repairing it, because a celebrity briefly lived there for five months 60 years ago.

Pacific Legal Foundation reports it “has joined a federal lawsuit over a home once owned by Marilyn Monroe. The lawsuit aims to prevent the government from forcing individual property owners to shoulder the financial burden of public historic monuments.”

“Now represented at no cost by Pacific Legal Foundation, a California couple is suing Los Angeles for violating their Fifth Amendment rights by declaring their property a historical monument and revoking already granted demolition permits. Brinah Milstein and Roy Bank argue that the City has taken their property rights without just compensation by eradicating all viable economic uses for the property and causing the public to trespass to view the new ‘monument,’” PLF reports.

“These homeowners have a straightforward request: either let them use their own property or compensate them fairly for turning it into a public monument,” said J. David Breemer, an attorney with Pacific Legal Foundation. “The Fifth Amendment doesn’t have caveats. If the City of Los Angeles wants a museum, it must pay for one — not force private homeowners to bear the cost and liability.”

“In 2023, Milstein and Bank bought a deteriorating property to demolish and redevelop. The City approved their demolition permits, then abruptly reversed course. It began the process of designating their property a historical monument and revoked their permits,” PLF explains.

“Marilyn Monroe owned the home for 157 days before her death in 1962. Prior to Milstein and Bank’s purchase, the City did not raise a preservation concern for the property for over 60 years, while 14 successive owners renovated both the home and grounds, eradicating any trace of Monroe’s time there,” PLF reports.

“The new historical designation left Milstein and Bank trapped. 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. And the public came anyway — fans flew drones overhead, trespassers scaled the walls, and burglars broke in hunting for traces of Monroe. The City had created a tourist attraction; Milstein and Bank were left to secure and fund it,” PLF reports.

“Rather than fight, they offered a solution: They would personally pay to relocate the home to create an accessible public museum. The City refused and finalized the historical designation. With no remedy left, the homeowners filed a federal lawsuit,” PLF concludes.

The case is Brinah Milstein et al. v. City of Los Angeles et al.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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