With her rumored rift with pop star Taylor Swift unlikely to reach its end anytime soon, it looks like Katy Perry is adding two more people who would include her in their nemesis list. Intending to find a new home in a hilltop property, the "Roar" singer finds herself embroiled in a real estate dilemma as the Catholic nuns who once lived in the place refuse to let the sale go through, according to Los Angeles Times.
While Perry is the most widely known player in the ongoing issue, the singer just actually happened to become involved as things started to heat up. According to LA Times, the current predicament stemmed from the disagreement between the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez over who has the legal right to sell the villa-style property which offers a stunning view of the San Gabriel Mountains and the city of Los Angeles. The property used to house 52 nuns in the area. In 2011, the archdiocese decided to move the surviving nuns to other locations in an effort to free the property and seek other means to provide for them. Among the 52 nuns, five are still alive today.
For her part, Perry caused further collision between the parties when she entered an agreement with Gomez in June to purchase the convent for $14.5 million. Learning of the deal, two of the surviving nuns, namely, Sister Rita Callanan and Sister Catherine Rose, immediately voiced out their opposition and cited that the Loz Feliz property has already been sold to local restaurateur Dana Hollister on May 20 for $15.5 million.
While Perry has been vocal about her desire to make the property her new home with her family, Hollister has yet to make up her mind but her initial plans include building a restaurant, bar and lounge - a plan widely opposed by the residents in the area due to zoning changes and other concerns, according to LA Times.
"It would be her [Perry] home," said Sister Catherine Rose Holzman, one of the surviving Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the chief financial officer of the order, according to CBS News. She added, "She mentioned bringing her family, her parents, grandparents, her business."
To halt any progress in the plans of Hollister, the archdiocese decided to pursue legal action which eventually went through and allowed Perry, along with her architect, to inspect the property recently. "We have given many years to this archdiocese and we have served them well," said Sister Rita, clearly incensed by the legal action taken by Gomez. She added, "For the archdiocese to put us under a bus and run over us, I'm sorry, it was just too much for me."
"Unfortunately, the Archdiocese had to take civil action to protect against the unauthorized action by Ms. Hollister, which was undertaken after the preferred transaction had been accepted in consultation with the Sisters," disclosed the director of media relations for the archdiocese, Monica Valencia, according to CNN.
Valencia added, "We have already entered and accepted the offer from Miss Perry." She continued, "The Archbishop has made a promise to care for the sisters, and we want to do what's best for them."
