Clare Bronfman Suing Pool Contractor in Los Angeles Real Estate Fiasco

It has to be like old times for Clare Bronfman.  She is suing someone again.

Back in 2008, I recovered for Clare and her sister, Sara Bronfman, some $26 million in real estate in a Los Angeles development run amok. And it has taken her some 12 years to finally get around to developing the properties.

She sued the developer, even though I had arranged a settlement with him. It cost her $10 million in legal fees and by the time she won the court case, he was bankrupt so she got nothing.  She also sued the forensic accountant who would not perjure himself in her court case against the developer. She threatened to sue one of the other developers, but the developer backed down by agreeing not to be paid for any of her work.

Clare sued me also, despite the fact that I recovered for her some $26 million.  Suing is in her blood. She loves to sue.

One of the properties I recovered for her, back in 2008, was 8517 Franklin in Hollywood Hills and she finally got around to building a home there – well almost. It’s still under construction.

The home is one of 30 properties I secured in her name after she and her sister invested $26 million into them without having her or her sister’s name on the deeds.  At the time I recovered this property, as I recall, it was only partially built.  Now 12 years later, she is near finishing it up [after transferring title at least once to one of her many shell companies and, strangely, not listing this property on her bail application when she listed her assets].

She tried, she claims in a lawsuit against one of the contractors, to put it up for sale. But a badly designed swimming pool got in the way and she had to take it off the market. Now she is suing the contractor for $2 million.

According to Real Deal, an online publication covering Los Angeles real estate, in their article, Heiress and sex cult financier sues over West Hollywood swimming pool — LLC created by Clare Bronfman files suit regarding spec home, published yesterday and written by Matthew Blake, with research by Jerome Dineen:

“An LLC created by Clare Bronfman, daughter of former Seagram’s CEO Edgar Bronfman, has filed suit against general contractor Epic Construction and subcontractors for botching the pool design at a planned 7,000-square-foot home at 8517 Franklin Avenue.

“’Defendants completely failed to properly construct the pool,’ states the complaint from 8517 Franklin LLC, filed Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

“The sixteen-page complaint runs down various failings of the ‘infinity’ pool — including a prolonged leak into the main house — and demands over $2 million from Epic Construction, a Torrance company, for negligence and breach of contract.

“’As a direct result of the pool defects and the need to repair those defects,’ the lawsuit reads. ‘Plaintiff was forced to remove the property from being listed for sale.’

“Redfin currently values the home at $10.4 million…

“Bronfman… incorporated the LLC in 2014…

“According to Los Angeles County records, the LLC acquired control of the property in 2014, with Bronfman as its signatory. The LLC owner is listed as having a Clifton Park address.

“County records place a 6,484-square-feet property as being built in 2018, but Kyle Grasso, an architect on the project, told The Real Deal that the home is still under construction.

“Messages left this week with Andrew Haley, the plaintiff’s lawyer on the construction case, were not returned. Epic Construction also did not return messages.

“The West Hollywood home would not be Bronfman’s first foray into L.A. real estate. An LLC linked to the heiress filed plans in 2018 to build an apartment complex in Encino.”

Here are some photos of the house.

It is 4-bedroom, 6-bath home with 7,640 sq. ft.  It was apparently on the market and then was taken off the market,

Zillow, more conservatively, estimates the home to be worth $6,878,767 and estimates it would rent for $50,413 per month.  [That seems a little high to me. I would guess it would rent for $25,000 -$30,000 per month.]

As I recall, when I first visited this property in January 2008, only the foundation had been poured. It had been poured about two years earlier and had been sitting there untouched – rather an eyesore. In fact, the neighbor, when he saw me inspecting the property, came out to complain about it, asking me when the work was to be finished.

Now, 12 years later, it is almost done.  Normally it takes – even for a large home like this – not more than a year to build, and more likely about six months.

I also recall that at the time I was there, just down the street was the home of Paris Hilton. She was known in the neighborhood to have many extravagant parties and to fill up not only her driveway and adjacent parking area, with the cars of her friends and entourage but cars would sometimes spill out on the street.  Parking is very limited on this street of multimillion-dollar properties because the road is narrow and lots are small.  It took me about 20 minutes along a winding, narrow road to get up the hill to the property. The view was spectacular.

Now Clare, festering under home arrest, awaiting sentencing for her felony crimes, is suing her contractor. Normally, one would think the contractor messed up, but I have seen Clare sue and sue again, relentlessly, even when there was no merit to her lawsuits.

It’s her in blood.

Frank Parlato