Rock Hudson’s Home Sold in Probate

Rock Hudson’s hacienda overlooking Beverly Hills was sold Thursday in probate court to a mystery buyer, identified only as a trust. The house sold for $2.89 million, slightly less than the $2.95 million sought for it for about a year.

Accountant Victor Meschures, who represented the buyer, the Beverly Crest Trust, said he does not know if the house will be used as a private residence.

The proceeds are earmarked for charities.

Before the probate hearing, a $2.75-million cash offer by a Japanese company was accepted. Jeffrey Hyland, whose Beverly Hills firm--Alvarez, Hyland & Young--had the listing, said, however, “It went to overbid, and they lost.”

The sale discounts a rumor circulating during the spring that the house would sell for far less than its asking price because Hudson died in October, 1985, of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

The house was built in the 1950s for actor Sam Jaffe, who died in 1984, and his wife, Mildred. The Jaffes sold it to Universal Studios, which rented it to Hudson. Hudson bought it under his real name, Roy Fitzgerald, in March, 1967, for $200,000.

Hyland described the house, which sits on 2 1/2 acres, as “the quintessential hacienda, what everybody thinks of as a California house.” The two-story, 5,000-square-foot Spanish-style house has a courtyard with a swimming pool and spa overlooking Beverly Hills and the homes of millionaires Marvin Davis and Merv Griffin.