Will Phil Spector Sell His Home To Raise Cash?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
May 31st 2009 at 6:01PM

The infamous Pyrenees Castle in Alhambra, California may soon be on the market. The London Times says that now that Phil Spector has received a !9-year sentence for the murder of Lana Clarkson he is looking to sell the home and his collection of music memorabilia, much of it from people he worked with as a music producer, to fund his appeal. Spector bought the castle in 1998 for $1.1 million, telling Esquire magazine: "I've brought myself a beautiful and enchanting castle in a hick town." The hilltop abode's surrounding walls bear a sign that reads "Phil Spector's Pyrenees Castle."

The 30-room mansion has a past of its own. It was built by Sylvester Dupuy who spared no expense to create a home that replicated a chateau he had seen in France. His version has 10-bedrooms, a game room, breakfast room and a large wine cellar. Dupuy lost most of his fortune in oil investments shortly before his death in 1936 and in 1946, the castle was sold and converted into an eight-unit apartment dwelling. It changed hands a few more times over the years and all sorts of legends have sprung up about the home. Jurors got a tour of the home during Spector's murder trial. How much is the castle worth? According to the Times article, the home where Clarkson was murdered could only be worth around $1 million which seems a bit low to me even given the home's infamy.

Tags: alhambra, phil spector, PhilSpector, pyreness

Filed under: Estates, Celebrity Shopping, Crimes and Misdemeanors

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

shieldsbrown Jun 1st 2009 11:08AM

He might as well just hand it over to his law firm.

Spectacular Bid Jun 1st 2009 4:06PM

I agree that the $1M speculative value by the British paper likewise seems low unless there are known suggestions of the property being in shabby condition. That said, infamous homes are very tricky to market and sell. While some might think that a home of such notoriety would sell for a premium the reality doesn't support it.

More then a few high profile homes were substantially devalued after a murder occured on the grounds. New owners will have to contend with future curious people trying to get a closer look and often a remodeling job to 'erase' what occured there is necessary.

Example, take the historic and beautiful sprawling estate house, Ashland Farm, in Warrenton Virginia. Arms heiress Susan Cummings shot and killed her polo-playing lover in the kitchen there and after the trial the property was ultimately sold for both far below market value and well below the original purchase price her late father Sam Cummings paid for the estate.