A real estate advisor says the Reiner family could still sell their $14 million Brentwood mansion despite California law requiring disclosure of the violent deaths that occurred inside.
Corbin Scott, an unaffiliated real estate advisor who spoke exclusively to the outlet, explained that state law mandates any occupant death within three years of a buyer’s offer must be revealed to prospective purchasers. The property, where filmmaker Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele, 70, were allegedly murdered by their son last December, falls squarely under that requirement.
“California, I believe, has a certain time frame where any death must be disclosed to the potential new buyer,” Scott said. “Every state has different rules and the family would just need to follow California’s specific laws.”
The statute in question, California Civil Code Section 1710.2, also compels owners to answer truthfully if buyers directly inquire about deaths on the property. Scott noted that the nature of these particular killings could complicate any sale.
“For the Reiner house, it might be a tougher sell since the occupants were murdered, but the murderer wasn’t random,” he said.
Scott added that most families in comparable situations choose to sell precisely because the residence becomes unbearable. “Most families sell because they don’t want this giant reminder of what happened to their loved ones,” he continued. “Even walking into the home is tough for them.”
The six-bedroom, six-bathroom home spans 5,245 square feet and carries an estimated $14 million value. Rob and Michele purchased it from legendary television producer Norman Lear in 1991. Lear had created “All in the Family,” the iconic sitcom that launched Reiner’s acting career. Before Lear, actor Paul Henreid owned the residence, which Henry Fonda originally built in 1936.
Should the family retain the property, Scott outlined one alternative path. “They might hold onto it if they want to turn it into some sort of family memorial; however, financially, that probably wouldn’t be the smartest move,” he said.
Any sale would demand significant physical changes to the residence. “The room where the crime occurred would need a full and complete remodel,” Scott admitted.
The couple was discovered dead inside the home on December 14. Los Angeles police determined they were homicide victims, and their son Nick, 33, was arrested that same evening. Prosecutors allege he fatally stabbed both parents in the early morning hours before fleeing. He was later indicted on two counts of murder with special-circumstance allegations of multiple murders and lying in wait, and has pleaded not guilty.
Earlier this week, Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman announced prosecutors would not pursue the death penalty against Nick if convicted. He instead faces potential life in prison without parole. Beyond Nick, Rob and Michele are survived by children Jake, 35, and Romy, 28, plus Rob’s adopted daughter Tracy, 62.
Scott suggested that creative marketing could locate buyers drawn to the property’s notoriety rather than repelled by it. “If I represented the Reiner family, creative marketing and finding niche buyers who may like the notoriety of the property would be a top priority,” he shared.
