Michael Jackson’s estate does not want to pay Joe Jackson an allowance, because Michael Jackson did not want his dad to be a beneficiary under the will and Joe wants to use the money for lavish expenses — not maintenance.

According to legal docs just filed, estate lawyers say Joe was never legally dependent on Michael Jackson during his life.

And, according to estate lawyers, the so-called “maintenance expenses” Joe wants include vacations, air travel, hotels, assistants and legal fees.

And Joe Jackson says the allowance will include money so he can

“support his children or grandchildren.”

Michael Jackson‘s brother, Randy Jackson, is in the middle of a creditor’s claim filed against the estate and according to legal docs … Randy is on the side of the creditor.

Stabler & Associates, a company that claims it was hired to handle Michael Jackson’s business matters — in particular, a humongous Bank of America loan and the funding of his 2004 child molestation trial — claims the estate owes the company $275,446.08.

Here’s the problem. The statute of limitations has run on the debt. But Perry Wander, lawyer for Stabler & Associates, tells TMZ the company relied on Michael and Randy’s repeated promises that the debt would be paid, so the estate should not be able to raise the technical, statute of limitations defense.

Howard Weitzman, lawyer for Michael Jackson’s estate, is unmoved, telling TMZ,

“The claim needs to be investigated and it appears to be barred by the statute of limitations.”

And this is interesting … included in the $275,446.08 — a late penalty of $81,946.08.

And you thought credit card interest was high.

Source: TMZ.com

Jermaine, Jackie, Marlon, and Tito may be as tired of their A&E show as everybody else in America — we’re told the network has already offered them a second season … but so far, the bros. haven’t bitten.

TMZ spoke with a rep for A&E, who confirmed the offer and told us the network would gladly have MJ’s male siblings back for another round of “The Jacksons: A Family Dynasty” — which airs its last episode this Sunday.

But there’s one problem: we’re told the brothers haven’t responded to the offer yet.

It’s unclear why the brothers wouldn’t jump at the chance for a paycheck … but then again, it’s the Jacksons … so nothing is ever as it seems.

Source: TMZ.com

Michael Jackson‘s kids just got their allowance upped — from $60,000!

TMZ obtained court documents showing that Wednesday, the judge in the Michael Jackson estate case increased the monthly allowance, which totals $60,000 for Prince, Paris, and Blanket.

Sources tell TMZ the reason for the change — the accounts guardian and lawyers underestimated the monthly expenses.

We don’t know how much they’re getting now, but it’s a good bet Prince won’t be slinging newspapers on your front porch anytime soon.
Source: TMZ.com

The owners of two celebrity giraffes — which once belonged to Michael Jackson and roamed freely in Neverland – are crying

“foul play”

after the animals mysteriously died.

PETA sounded alarms this morning when news broke of the giraffes deaths, pointing fingers at the Banjoko Wildlife Preserve in Page, Arizona — where the giraffes had been living since 2006 — claiming the preserve was responsible for the deaths due to

“improper feeding and/or exposure to cold temperatures.”

TMZ spoke with the Banjoko Preserve founder, Freddie Hancock, and she tells us –

“We suspect foul play with the giraffes. There is no other explanation for their deaths. There is currently a police investigation going on. Someone has hurt these giraffes, they were healthy.”

A necropsy is currently underway to establish an official cause of death — but Hancock insists the animals were well taken care of:

“There is no sign of infection, abuse, or neglect.”

The giraffes — named JJ and Rambo — had been at the center of a vicious legal battle between Banjoko and the local city council over a $100,000 bond to cover the animals in case of emergency.
Source: TMZ.com

Dr. Conrad Murray‘s new lawyer claims he’s the best of the best when it comes to cases involving Propofol and death — and dude has the track record to prove it.

TMZ spoke to J. Michael Flanagan who told us,

“I’m probably the only attorney in town that has successfully tried a Propofol case involving death.”

Back in 2004, Flanagan defended a nurse who was accused of wrongly administering the stuff to a patient who later died. The nurse was charged with involuntary manslaughter — the same crime we’re told the D.A. is likely to charge Murray with. But with Flanagan by her side, the nurse was acquitted.

As for Murray’s role in the Michael Jackson case, Flanagan told us,

“I am totally unaware of any facts that would give rise to an involuntary manslaughter charge.”

As TMZ first reported, the LAPD is expected to hand over their case to the L.A. District Attorney in a matter of weeks. We’re told the D.A will almost certainly criminally charge Murray in MJ’s death.

Source: TMZ.com

Dr. Conrad Murray just hired a brand new Hollywood lawyer to defend him against expected criminal charges in the death of Michael Jackson — and his new legal eagle once got Britney Spears off the hook.

As TMZ first reported, the LAPD is preparing to present the case against Murray to the L.A. District Attorney in a matter of weeks, so it’s no coincidence that Murray lawyered up with J. Michael Flanagan — a guy who repped Britney in a 2007 hit-and-run case.

Flanagan managed to get the charge dismissed in the Britney case — we’re guessing he’s going to have a tougher time with Doc Murray.

Source: TMZ.com

Kingston Digital announced an agreement with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to deliver Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT on a special Kingston Data Traveler USB flash drive.
Timed to the DVD and Blu-ray Disc release of Michael Jackson’s THIS IS IT, the limited edition drive will be available on http://www.kingston.com/shop and at major U.S. retailers on 26 January, 2010. The film can be backed up on up to three PCs and is compatible with Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. Windows Media Player is required for viewing.

“Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is dedicated to exploring new distribution channels, and we are pleased to work together with Kingston on a program that introduces consumers to Flash memory as a vehicle for enjoying their favorite movies on devices like netbooks and PCs,”

said Sony Pictures Home Entertainment senior vice president digital distribution Joe Arancio.

“We are humbled and excited to present this movie starring Michael Jackson, the greatest entertainer of all time, on Kingston Flash memory,”

said Kingston vice president consumer markets group Rick Webb.

“Sony Pictures Home Entertainment is a leader in providing quality content and this collaboration into digital media adds unique value to our memory offerings. This Data Traveler USB flash drive is destined to be a collector’s item.”

Source: mjfanclub.net

According to a new interview with Michael Jackson’s choreographer, Travis Payne, the late King of Pop was a big fan of Lady Gaga and had tried to set up a meeting to discuss a possible joint project.

The revelation comes from a video posted on December 30 on YouTube by Amsterdam-based producer/actor Raffles van Exel, who asks Payne which artists Michael Jackson was interested in collaborating with before his death last June.

I gave him a short wish list [of possible collaborators] … and he was like, ‘Sure, they can all come, as long as their schedules permit and it’s not too much of a problem for them,’ ” Payne said of Jackson’s humble response to a suggestion that he reach out to other artists to work with him on his This Is It series of shows in London. “Of course, I suggested Janet, of course Whitney Houston. … Diana Ross and Mariah Carey we talked about. We talked about Missy Elliott. We talked about Usher, of course. We talked about Justin [Timberlake], Celine Dion … Sting, Seal, Bono, Tina Turner. We talked about all these people that I thought were cool but that he liked.”

Then, Payne said he asked Jackson if there was anyone else he wanted to reach out to.

“He goes, ‘Lady Gaga.’ I go, ‘Really?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ He’s the one who really got me to get into her. He literally told me, ‘You gotta get into her. She’s good.’ So, I started listening to her music more and going on YouTube and looking at her performances, and I was like, ‘He’s right.’ “

Payne did not specify in the video when these conversations took place. He said that last November, he got a call from Lady Gaga and told her the story about the conversation with Jackson.

“She got moved by it,”

he recalled.

Source: mjfanclub.net

Sony is preparing to release a new Japanese PlayStation 3 bundle based on the late Michael Jackson. CrunchGear reports that Jackson’s huge status in Japan and close relationship with Sony spurred on the new “This Is It” bundle which hits stores in Japan on January 27, 2010.

Priced at $350, the “Michael Jackson – This Is It Special Pack” will be available in Japan starting January 27.

There is no word on whether this Michael Jackson themed pack will launch outside of the Japanese market at this time.

Source: mjfanclub.net

MichaelJackson.com found some great videos of Michael Jackson fans posting videos of opening up their Michael Jackson Opus Books. Check them out below.

If you’d like to submit your unboxing video to MichaelJackson.com please read this thread from the forum.

For more information on the Michael Jackson Opus Book Click Here.

Source: mjfanclub.net

The plans that began with a Jackson family museum, a center for the performing arts and a 300 room hotel are growing in the Jacksons home town of Gary, Indiana.  Slated to be built on a 100 acre plot of city-owned land that is currently vacant, the project is break ground sometime this year.

New additions to the plans are an amusement park incorporating characteristics of Neverland Ranch and Chicago’s former Riverview amusement park and a golf course.  The amusement park will have roller coasters, trains and other rides familiar those who ever visited the old amusement park or was a guest at Michael’s ranch.

There has been discussion as to whether offer bus tours of the Jackson family home and local places of Jackson history or to build a replica of the house.

“Everything is in the planning stages at this point, but we’re moving on a fast track and we’re looking forward to actually breaking ground sometime in 2010,”

says Odie Anderson, president of the project.

The project could cost $1 billion over a 10-year construction period with private donors paying the bulk of the bill.  Anderson also said that he is looking to Gary for tax incentives.  He did not report how much has actually been raised since October, when Gary mayor, Rudy Clay, announced two new foundations dedicated to raise money for the project.

“We’re trying to extract the best and come up with a combination that made Riverview so attractive for kids of all ages as well as [have] special themes of Neverland that would be reminiscent of the Jacksons,”

Anderson said.

Source: mjfanclub.net

The LAPD investigation into Michael Jackson‘s death has been completed and the case will go to the D.A. within weeks, law enforcement sources tell TMZ … and, we’re told, it’s all but certain Dr. Conrad Murray will be criminally charged in MJ’s death.

Our sources say detectives completed their investigation late last month and the case will be formally presented to the Los Angeles County District Attorney as soon as scheduling allows. Turns out … the presentation will draw quite the crowd. A number of members of the LAPD and the D.A.’s office will be present, and finding a date when everyone can show is a little tricky … but we’re told it will happen in a matter of weeks.

One very informed source says the LAPD investigation was

“exhaustive”

and

“extremely thorough”

and the D.A. has enough evidence to pull the trigger on a criminal case against Dr. Murray. That said, we’re told the case is complicated, in part because Dr. Murray did not break any laws in administering Propofol to Jackson.

One law enforcement source connected with the case notes the D.A. has been actively working with the LAPD and it’s all but certain the case will be filed. As for the charge — a decision has not been made, but our sources say the likelihood is involuntary manslaughter, which requires a showing of gross negligence.

Source: TMZ.com

Michael Jackson‘s father, Joe Jackson, has subpoenaed medical and other records from the UCLA Medical Center because he believes the records could reveal evidence of foul play in Jackson’s death — and the subpoena has outraged MJ estate lawyers … TMZ has learned.

Joe’s lawyer, Brian Oxman, sent 2 subpoenas to the UCLA Medical Center — the hospital where Michael Jackson was pronounced dead on June 25. Oxman is asking for a number of documents, including medical records, autopsy reports, autopsy photos, medications and prognosis assessments.

Joe Jackson tells TMZ his entire family is behind the subpoenas — Katherine, the brothers and sisters, along with him. He says they all believe the medical records will show what was in Jackson’s body when he passed and they believe the information will expose foul play.

We’ve obtained a letter sent to Oxman by estate lawyer Howard Weitzman, in which Weitzman calls the subpoenas

“clearly improper.”

Weitzman claims the subpoenas violate Jackson’s right of privacy and the physician/patient privilege. Weitzman also says the subpoenas are irrelevant to Joe Jackson’s only legal claim — a financial allowance.

Source: TMZ.com

There is ONE person on Earth who claims Michael Jackson doesn’t owe her money — even though she’s in a prime position to cash in.

TMZ has learned a woman named Dr. Susan Etok claims she was wrongly added to the ridiculously long list of potential creditors who may have been stiffed by the King of Pop.

Etok — a friend of Jackson’s who lives in England — claims she has no idea why she’s on the list, which was submitted in L.A. County Superior Court last week.

We’re told Etok has already contacted the executors of Jackson’s estate, informing them that she has no claim on Jacko’s dinero.

Team Jackson’s response –

“Thank you.”

Source: TMZ.com