UPDATE: It's been over a month, and Katy Perry still has not closed the deal on her coveted convent in the hills of Los Feliz. As we reported below, Perry wants to purchase the convent but has gotten caught up in drama over the question of who is legally allowed to sell the property to her.
As reported by The Associated Press, a judge ruled that the sale of the property by a group of nuns to restaurant owner Dana Hollister was invalid. Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant also denied Perry, the competing potential buyer, access to the convent while the legal proceedings continue. And it looks like they will drag on for a while. According to court documents filed on July 20, another hearing has been set for October 15.
And what do the nuns have to say? In a press release sent to Refinery29, attorney Bernard M. Resser, who represents Sisters Rita Callanan and Catherine Rose Holzman, issued a statement concerning the upcoming hearing. “We are gratified that the judge set this hearing date to determine whether the Archdiocese officials [who wish to sell the property to Perry] violated California law by appointing themselves as directors and officers of the sisters’ nonprofit organization, which owns the convent,” Resser said. “This was an illegal boardroom coup that we are asking the Court to invalidate.”
Sorry, Katy — looks like you won't be posting up in the convent anytime soon. Watch this space for more updates.
This post was originally published on June 30, 2015.
When you're a multimillionaire celebrity, no cookie-cutter home will do. Jared Leto, for one, decided to buy a former military compound, but as it turns out, Katy Perry's real estate tastes skew toward the religious. According to the L.A. Times, she's currently fighting to purchase a historic former convent with spectacular views of L.A. In her way? Just a few elderly nuns, of course.
The newspaper reports that the debacle stems from the question of who is legally allowed to sell the property, which is located in Los Feliz. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles insists that Archbishop José Gómez — who would like to sell the property to Perry — is the legal owner. On the other hand, at least two of the nuns believe the convent belongs to them, and they have allegedly already sold it to local restaurant owner Dana Hollister for approximately $15.5 million.
Amid the dispute, Sister Rita Callanan had to take to the Internet to find out about the famous potential buyer. "Well, I found Katy Perry and I found her videos and...if it's all right to say, I wasn't happy with any of it," she told the L.A. Times. Burn.
With legal proceedings continuing, only time will tell who will be the victor and lay claim to the stunning property. In the meantime: Are you Team Katy or Team Sisters? For a peek at photos of the convent and to learn more about the squabble, head over to the L.A. Times.
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