Just a week after the murder of his pregnant wife, Roman Polanski took a journalist, photographer, and a psychic to the crime scene for a Life magazine article. Shortly after the article was published, Rudolph Altobelli, the owner of the Cielo Drive mansion, sued Roman Polanski and Life Magazine for allowing photographs of the house to be taken and published after the murders of Sharon Tate and others.
Altobelli claimed that the photos, which included one of Polanski next to the door covered in his wife’s blood, negatively affected the property’s resale value. He sought $650,000 from both Polanski and Life Magazine, and an additional $198,000 from Polanski, which included three months’ unpaid rent.
Altobelli took another controversial step by filing a lawsuit against the estate of the late Sharon Tate, seeking forty-five thousand dollars to cover the damages done to his property during the murders, including fifteen thousand dollars due to Roman and Sharon Polanski’s lack of property damage insurance.
Altobelli requested thirty thousand dollars because the Polanski’s allowed Frykowski and Folger to stay at the Cielo Drive residence, contrary to the lease agreement, which was intended for the occupancy of one family.
Altobelli’s legal claim
On or about February 12, 1969, at Beverly Hills, California, Decedent (Sharon Tate Polanski) entered into a written lease agreement with Rudolph Altobelli, hereinafter referred to as Creditor, wherein and whereby Decedent leased from Creditor the main house located at 10050 Cielo Drive, Beverly Hills, commencing February 15, 1969, to February 14, 1970.
A copy of said lease is attached hereto as Exhibit A and made a part hereof by reference as though fully set forth at length.
Said lease agreement provided for payment by Decedent of a public liability insurance policy in the face amount of not less than $100,000.00, and property damage insurance in the face amount of not less than $25,000.00, naming Creditor as an insured thereon, and delivery of a certificate in this regard to Creditor.
Decedent failed and refused to pay for and obtain the requisite insurance in the manner set forth in said lease agreement, and as a result of such breach, Creditor was damaged in the sum of at least $15,000.00.
Said lease agreement also provided, inter alia, that said premises shall be used only for single residence purposes for one family, consisting of Decedent and her husband Roman Polanski, Gene Gutowski, and one domestic employee.
Plaintiff is informed and believes and alleges thereon that from about April 1969 Decedent, with knowledge of said lease provision, allowed, permitted, and authorized, in contravention thereof, one Abigail Folger and Voityck Frykowski to live at said premises. As a result of such breach, Creditor was damaged in the sum of at least $30,000.00.