Update: Katy Perry lawyers roared in court recently, winning the teenage dream girl a victory over the nuns who claim the right to sell their California convent to the buyer of their choice. On Wednesday, a Los Angeles judge ruled in favor of the Los Angeles Archdiocese, which which intends to sell the property to Perry for the $14.5 million cash offer she made last summer. Meanwhile, the nuns who previously inhabited the convent had entered into a contract with a prominent Los Angeles restauranteur, who offered $15.5 million for the property. At issue is who exactly has the right to sell the property (See details below). Meanwhile, the nun’s attorney says the game is far from over, and is considering filing an appeal.

What are a couple of poor nuns to do when they go up against their own archbishop and a major pop star? The courts will decide the victors of the Los Feliz convent: the nuns who purchased it have a sales contract with local restauranteur Dana Hollister, while the archdiocese, which oversees the property for the church, has an agreement with Katy Perry. A hearing is set for Thursday.*

The whole plan is nothing if not complicated. The Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary pooled their money together to purchase the sprawling hilltop property in 1972, and lived there until 2011 when the archdiocese forced them to move out to other locations, according to the sisters. Recently, the nuns contracted to sell the property to Dana Hollister, who is responsible for bars and restaurants including Silver Lake’s 4100 Bar, Cliff’s Edge Restaurant, downtown’s The One-Eyed Gypsy and Villains Tavern. The deal included a deposit of $44,000 cash, and an agreement to pay $15.5 million over several years. Hollister has already taken possession of the property, and is rumored to have plans to make it into a boutique hotel and restaurant.

Meanwhile, Archbishop Jose Gomez, representing the church, accepted an offer from Katy Perry to purchase the property for $14.5 million cash. It’s reported that Perry plans to restore the property as a residence for herself, her mother and grandmother–lots of estrogen in those hallways. Legal reps for the Archdiocese claim that Hollister took advantage of the nuns, who had no right to sell the property in the first place.

So what’s all the fuss over? The hilltop property really is a gem. It was built in 1927 for L.A. business icon Earle C. Anthony, who founded KFI-AM and had a number of Packard auto dealerships. In the early 1950’s, Sir Daniel Donohue and Countess Bernardine Murphy Donohue purchased the house and lived there for a couple of decades. After the Countess passed away in the early ’70’s, five sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary purchased the property from the estate of their former benefactor. At one time, 52 Immaculate Heart sisters lived there, and their male colleagues used the “Cardinal Timothy Manning House of Prayer for Priests.” Two of the five sisters who originally purchased the property are involved in the lawsuit. The property includes a pool, fountains and courtyards, and the buildings on it are done in a spectacular mishmash of styles including Medieval, Gothic, Spanish and Tudor.

Residents of the area, who would prefer to see the property used for private, rather than commercial purposes, are siding with Perry. But the nuns fear that if the Perry sale goes through, they will not be properly taken care of, after their years of service to the church, which they continue to provide. There’s a court hearing set for Thursday, but who knows how long it will be before the dispute is settled. We’ll keep you posted.*

*At Thursday’s hearing, Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant said “There is no doubt in my mind that the sale to defendant Hollister was improper and invalid.” But he also said “You’re not selling to Katy Perry anytime soon,” and that a lot more research needed to be done before anyone could officially take possession. But he did order Hollister to pay $25,000 a month to support the nuns, and he denied the Archbishop’s peeps or Perry access to the convent during the dispute. Another hearing has been set for September 15. At this rate, the legal battle could take many months, if not years.

Nuns vs Priests in Katy Perry Convent Clash — More Photos

Nuns vs Priests in Katy Perry Convent Clash

by Lisa Johnson Mandell