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The case had pitted Perry, daughter of Protestant pastors and
one of the top-selling pop stars in the world, and the
archdiocese against the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
The nuns, all aged between late 70s and late 80s, once lived in
the convent and two of them wanted to sell it to Los Angeles
restaurateur Dana Hollister.
The archdiocese filed a lawsuit last June, arguing that the two
nuns did not have the authority to sell the property to
Hollister.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Stephanie Bowick approved the
archdiocese's motion to block the sale to Hollister, voiding the
purchase documents and deed. She said the nuns did not have the
authority to sell the property and that even if they had, they
did not properly validate the transaction.
Representatives for Hollister did not reply to requests for
comment.
The archdiocese said it was "gratified" by Bowick's ruling in a
statement, and added that it was still under contract to sell
the convent to Perry.
"The Archdiocese was forced to take legal action to protect all
the five sisters from being taken advantage of by the Dana
Hollister transaction," it said, adding that it will continue to
provide care for the nuns.
Perry, who rose to fame with the hit song "I Kissed a Girl,"
offered to buy the 8-acre (3-hectare) Roman Villa-style property
for $14.5 million.
The nuns had rebuffed the 31-year-old performer, accepting a
competing $15.5 million bid from Hollister, who wanted to
convert the former convent into a hotel.
Attorney John Scholnick, who represents two of the five nuns,
told Reuters he was "disappointed," but emphasized that the
ruling only invalidated the sale to Hollister and did not
authorize the sale to Perry. He said there could be an option
for an appeal.
(Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Chris Reese
and Sara Catania)
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