2y ago

Demolition of Marilyn Monroe’s house halted after widespread outrage

www.theguardian.com

The final home of Marilyn Monroe – and the only residence she ever owned independently – will remain standing for now after Los Angeles officials intervened to block the property’s demolition.

The news that the new owners of 12305 Fifth Helena Drive, where Monroe died at age 36, filed for demolition permits had attracted widespread outrage. Los Angeles city councilwoman Traci Park said she received hundreds of calls urging her to save the Spanish colonial-style house in the city’s Brentwood neighborhood.

“Unfortunately, the department of building and safety issued a demolition permit before my team and I could fully intervene and get this issue resolved,” Park said at a news conference last week, adding that there was a need for “urgent action”.

40 comments

I've never heard anybody talk about where Marilyn Monroe lived in my life. If the property was important for preservation why didn't the city already own it? Was there just supposed to be some general understanding that it wasn't allowed to be demolished? I would think it's just an empty shell at this point.
- It's pretty common to still allow private ownership of historic places, but with additional rules associated with them.
  The silly part is if this mattered, why wasn't this already part of that? I suppose it's a social inertia of a kind, and this will likely resolve by getting it recognized as a historic building.
  
  The silly part is that anyone considers a this a historic place. What happened in Marilyn Monroe's mansion that makes it worthy of keeping? She's historic, the house she happened to own is not.
- If there is a bunch of people who care so much about the house that they would put in effort to stop the demolition then they should purchase it.
  
  You say that as though a house that isn’t presently listed for sale can be forcibly purchased for such a thing, which just isn’t how it works unless it’s the government doing the forcing.
  Besides which, they have to stop the demolition before they could even offer to purchase it, assuming the owners want to sell at all, so even if that does end up being a valid option, it’s going to take time.
  So either way they need to stop the demolition to do what you suggest..? I’m confused as to how you expect that to work.
  
  None of them are very liquid right now, they have most of their savings invested in a box under their bed labeled “homework”
"The property, which features a guest house and swimming pool, was purchased in 2017 for $7.25m by Glory of the Snow LLC, then managed by a hedge fund executive, the Los Angeles Times reported. It was sold to the Glory of the Snow Trust for $8.35m earlier this year."
It should be illegal for LLCs or trust funds to purchase housing of any kind.
- It should be illegal for LLCs or trust funds to purchase housing of any kind.
  I completely agree that LLCs, REITs, and institutional investors shouldn't be able to buy single family homes (and maybe even duplexes), but I don't know about "housing of any kind."
  Large, multi family units like apartment buildings serve a vital need in the affordable housing market. Private individuals who have the capital to purchase a multi million dollar apartment building aren't any more likely to be a conscientious landlord than a corporation. At that point, it all boils down to effective enforcement of tenant rights laws.
  
  Right, but REITs are investment companies, not housing companies. They only bought the apartment building because they see it as a way to create infinite wealth for themselves, rather than, you know, be a service provider.
- That might be a bit too much. LLCs aren’t always evil corporations. For example, I am an LLC and bought my house with the LLC for privacy reasons. I know other people who have done the same. Not always nefarious
  
  Perhaps require that the owner of the LLC use the house as their primary dwelling?
I think she was a beautiful icon, but this is asinine. What could possibly be so special about this particular house? If demolition is even an option, the house itself is likely in bad shape and not livable, so it’s just taking up space.
- What could possibly be so special about this particular house?
  I have absolutely no idea. Presumably that's why there is a a motion to initiate consideration of the home for historic preservation. Seems reasonable. And not asinine, on the face of it.
  
  If it was historical, someone could have landmarked it in the last 70 years.
  It’s probably not historical in any way except for the owner.
  
  Yeah, but why would this particular house warrant historical importance? She didn't do anything of particular note. I know you're not arguing for it, but it sounds stupid that nothing was done about it for decades until it was decided to be demolished.
- If demolition is even an option, the house itself is likely in bad shape and not livable
  Not necessarily. I don't know if this is the case here but some places, people view the property location as more valuable and have too much money so they buy the house/property and then knock the house down and build what they want no matter the condition of the original house.
  This happened to someone I know, their house needed a little work but was perfectly fine. The new owner didn't even go inside to look at the house. Made an offer and then tore it down to build something new.
  
  How about something like this...
  https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2023/07/18/phoenix-suns-mat-ishbia-bloomfield-township-michigan/70410992007/
  He's knocking down his own house he just built plus several others.
I could see this going both ways. If it's important historically and the owners want to demolish it then the city or some org should bid to buy it and maintain it. Otherwise why should the private owner be forced to maintain a dilapidated property.
- because my feelings
  marilyn monroe was such an icon!
So fucking what? She died decades ago, and she's not an important person like a Gandhi or an Einstein or an FDR. Tear it down. Build new housing. People need to get celebrities dicks all the way out of their throats.
- I could not give less of a shit about what happens (happened?) to Gandhi's or Einstein's homes unless they're turned into public museums. Sell it, tear it down, whatever. They aren't important places
- So old houses are all bad and should be torn down? It's a 2900sq ft single family home that's historic in a single family home zoned district, not a mansion in the middle of a higher density housing zone. It's not going to be torn down to become low income housing, it would probably be torn down to be turned into a modern monstrosity given the 7M+ sale price.
Tear it down and build affordable housing.
It should be converted into a public museum celebrating her life. I think plenty of people will be interested to see what the life of a celebrity is like away from the spotlight.
Wait, why would her having lived here have anything to do with current construction permits?
Yeah but what about Marilyn Manson’s house? Can we demolish that?
Make it seem a suicide!
Make it seem a suicide!
Make it seem a suicide!
Make it seem a suicide!
But it ain't a mystery, baby, not to me.
Woah, I didn't know marilyn moneroe was dead.
Crazy how 'widespread outrage' for rich people can subvert the law.
LA really is a shithole, lol.

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