A dispute over a convent on a Los Feliz hilltop pitting an archbishop and pop star against a group of aging nuns is headed to a higher power.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge James Chalfant is set to preside over a hearing Thursday on the sale of one of the hottest properties in L.A. real estate: the nuns' former home, a sprawling, villa-style compound with views of the San Gabriel Mountains and downtown.
The sale is beset by controversy on both sides: The Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary are rival sellers, and a restaurateur is competing against pop singer Katy Perry to buy the property.