All posts containing the tag: "will"
Posted Nov 17th 2009 3:01PM by TMZ Staff
Katherine Jackson's lawyer, Adam Streisand, has really come out swinging today. He's scoffing at Joe Jackson's lawyer, Brian Oxman, who filed legal papers last week attempting to get back into court to challenge Michael Jackson's will. Streisand says, "It was a first round knockout and there's no getting up from it."
Oxman claimed the will was a forgery and the executors were unfit. The judge in the estate case begged to differ so Oxman is going to the Court of Appeal. To that, Streisand says, "Oxman is going to need more than smelling salts and a new panel of judges to resuscitate his client's surprise attack."
Here's his best line: "As far as I've been told, '2012' is just a fantasy."
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Michael Jackson, Exclusives
Tags: adam streisand, AdamStreisand, brian oxman, BrianOxman, forgery, joe jackson, JoeJackson, katherine jackson, KatherineJackson, michael jackson, MichaelJackson, probate, will
Posted Nov 16th 2009 6:02PM by TMZ Staff
Joe Jackson will ask the California Court of Appeal to teach the Superior Court judge in the Michael Jackson estate case a thing or two .... We've learned Joe has filed legal papers setting the stage to challenge the decision throwing out his challenge to Michael's will.
Joe claims Michael's name was forged on the will ... and he wants John Branca and John McClain booted as executors.
Stay tuned ...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Michael Jackson, Exclusives
Tags: appeal, challenge, court of appeal, court of appeals, CourtOfAppeal, CourtOfAppeals, joe jackson, JoeJackson, michael jackson, MichaelJackson, will
Posted Nov 10th 2009 1:45PM by TMZ Staff
What a turn! Katherine and Joe Jackson are fighting each other in court ... right now.
Katherine's new lawyer, Adam Streisand, is arguing to the judge that Joe has no legal standing to object to John Branca and John McClain as executors, nor does he have any standing to object to the validity of the will.
Streisand is arguing since Michael Jackson cut Joe out of the will, he has no dog in this fight.
During the fight, Billie Jean Jackson -- you know -- just stood up and said that she's an heir so she'll object ... so Joe's got that going for him.
Stay tuned...
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Michael Jackson
Tags: adam streisand, AdamStreisand, court, fight, joe jackson, JoeJackson, john branca, john mcclain, JohnBranca, JohnMcclain, will
Posted Oct 22nd 2009 9:56AM by TMZ Staff
Katherine Jackson has gotten rid of her probate legal team, TMZ has learned.
Multiple sources tell us Katherine Jackson will be substituting new lawyers in her probate case. She has fired Burt Levitch. Family members also told us Londell McMillan will no longer be involved in the probate case.
Katherine will be hiring new lawyers and we're told she'll ask for a continuance today when the court hearing convenes so she can seal the deal with new lawyers.
We spoke with Londell McMillan, who acknowledges Katherine is moving on and hiring new probate lawyers. McMillan says he was never Katherine's probate lawyer, even though we know he was actively negotiating with lawyers for the estate.
McMillan tells TMZ, "I am not completely out." He says he does not know if he is still Katherine's general counsel and continues to represent her.
Filed under: Michael Jackson, Exclusives
Tags: 86s, blanket, children, estate, fires, katherine jackson, KatherineJackson, michael jackson, michael jr, MichaelJackson, MichaelJr, paris, probate lawyers, ProbateLawyers, special administrators, SpecialAdministrators, will
Posted Oct 22nd 2009 2:00AM by TMZ Staff
Michael Jackson's 2002 will has a mistake in it, TMZ has learned -- but it looks like a case of no harm, no foul.
As we first reported, according to the will -- dated July 7, 2002 -- it was signed in Los Angeles. But Randy Jackson told TMZ Michael was in New York City on that date.
Randy thinks the signature on Michael's will is a forgery. But Howard Weitzman, the lawyer for the estate, tells TMZ the signature is valid and the witnesses saw Jackson put pen to paper.
We've now confirmed Jackson definitely signed the will in New York City on 7-7-02. So the reference to Los Angeles is clearly a mistake.
Our sources say the person who wrote "Los Angeles" is one of the witnesses to the will and simply forgot where he was.
This mistake will not invalidate the will. Ironically, if the will were declared invalid, the prior 1997 will would be probated. Just like the 2002 will, the 1997 will creates a trust. We've learned the '97 trust -- just like the 2002 trust -- leaves the same percentage to the same people: Katherine Jackson gets 40% for her lifetime, MJ's kids get 40% and the remaining 20% goes to charity.
By the way ... guess who one of the executors is in the '97 will? John Branca.
Filed under: Michael Jackson, Exclusives
Tags: estate, john branca, JohnBranca, los angeles, LosAngeles, michael jackson, MichaelJackson, new york, new york city, NewYork, NewYorkCity, randy jackson, RandyJackson, will, witnesses
Posted Oct 21st 2009 1:35PM by TMZ Staff
Randy Jackson claims Michael Jackson could not have signed his 2002 will, because he was 2,475 air miles away from the place the document was supposedly inked.
According to the will, it was signed on July 7, 2002 at 5:00 PM in Los Angeles. Randy Jackson tells TMZ he has proof MJ was in New York from July 5 through July 9, on a campaign against Sony honcho Tommy Mottola, claiming Mottola had a thing against Black artists.
The lawyer for the estate, Howard Weitzman, tells TMZ the witnesses to the will were face-to-face with Jackson when he signed the document. Weitzman would not say if the will was signed in L.A., even though the document refers to Los Angeles.
The intimation -- the will may actually have been signed outside of L.A. even though it says Los Angeles.
The plot thickens.
UPDATE: TMZ spoke with Al Sharpton's rep, Rachel Noerdlinger, who confirms Sharpton and Jackson were protesting Mottola in NY together in 2002 on July 6th and July 9th.
As the for the key date -- July 7th -- Sharpton's rep released the following curious statement:
"We have reason to believe that Michael may have been in NY on the 7th and Rev. Sharpton will address this after he discusses it with the Jackson family."
Filed under: Michael Jackson, Exclusives
Tags: howard weitzman, HowardWeitzman, michael jackson, MichaelJackson, signaturew, tommy motola, TommyMotola, will
Posted Oct 2nd 2009 1:38PM by TMZ Staff
Joe Jackson just arrived at the L.A. County Courthouse in the Michael Jackson probate case.
As we first reported, we expect some family members along with attorney Brian Oxman and possibly Katherine Jackson's lawyers, to challenge John Branca as the named co-executor in Jackson's will. We're told they have a document showing Jackson fired Branca. It's true, Jackson fired the lawyer several times over 29 years, but Jackson rehired Branca a week before his death.
The judge will be all ears at 1:30 PM PT when the parties discuss how well Jackson's 3 kids are doing with the guardianship.
By the way, when asked about Branca, Joe said, "Mr. Who?"
Filed under: Michael Jackson, Exclusives
Tags: brian oxman, BrianOxman, estate, Joe Jackson, JoeJackson, john branca, JohnBranca, katherine jackson, KatherineJackson, michael jackson, MichaelJackson, probate, will
Posted Sep 18th 2009 5:51PM by TMZ Staff
The probate judge in the Michael Jackson estate case has ruled Katherine Jackson can challenge the special administrators and not forfeit her position as a beneficiary in Michael's will.
As a result of the ruling, Katherine can now safely challenge special administrators John Branca and John McClain without jeopardizing her position in the will -- she's set to get 40% of the net value of the estate.
The will has a "no contest" clause -- which means any beneficiary who contests the will gets aced out of inheriting anything. But the court has now ruled challenging the special administrators is not a "contest" of the will itself.
Interestingly, the court specifically ruled .... Katherine objecting to the special administrators on grounds there was some sort of "undue influence" imposed on M.J. is not a "contest" under the will.
Filed under: Michael Jackson, Exclusives
Tags: court, estate, john branca, john mcclain, JohnBranca, JohnMcclain, katherine jackson, KatherineJackson, michael jackson, MichaelJackson, safe harbor, SafeHarbor, special administrators, SpecialAdministrators, will
Posted Sep 2nd 2009 1:47PM by TMZ Staff
DJ AM's mother just filed documents in L.A. County Superior Court, which say he did not have a will.
His mother, Andrea Gross, is listed as the sole heir.
The documents list AM's annual income from property at $3.5 million, plus an additional $400,000 in assets. The docs list his debts at $2.9 million.
DJ AM had no spouse or children.
Filed under: Exclusives, DJ AM
Tags: andrea gross, AndreaGross, assets, children, death, dj am, DjAm, documents, spouse, will
Posted Aug 28th 2009 6:30AM by TMZ Staff
Attorneys for everyone involved in Michael Jackson's estate -- Katherine Jackson, Michael's kids, and the co-administrators -- are in court today to discuss Katherine's safe harbor petition.
The safe harbor petition allows Katherine to ask the judge if she can object the special administrators without it being considered contesting Jackson's will. Jackson's will contains a no-contest clause -- meaning anyone who challenges it loses their inheritance rights.
12:30 PM ET -- And that's it. The hearing on the safe harbor petition has been postponed to a later date.
11:59 AM ET -- The judge has shot Buie down, claiming she doesn't have the standing to file an objection. Apparently imaginary relationships don't count.
11:57 AM ET -- A woman named Charlene Buie (crazy on Line 1) says she has a hand-written will from Jackson and doesn't think the will recognized by the court is legit because the initials on the will are not MJ's handwriting.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Tags: estate, hearing, katherine jackson, KatherineJackson, michael jackson, MichaelJackson, will
Posted Aug 5th 2009 2:44PM by TMZ Staff
Open the floodgates -- the creditors are getting in line for a piece of the action in the Michael Jackson estate case.
Segye Times -- a South Korean newspaper -- won a judgment against Katherine, Joe and Jermaine Jackson, along with the Jackson Record Company, back in 1994. The suit claimed the newspaper paid the family $5.5 million for a series of Jackson family concerts in 1989 that never took place.
A judgment was entered for $4 million. Segye Times now wants $7,865,730.78 -- interest is a bitch!
It's interesting that Michael was not sued personally. Nonetheless, under the category "better late than never," Segye wants the estate to pay up.
Stay tuned...
Filed under: Michael Jackson, Exclusives
Tags: jermaine jackson, JermaineJackson, joe jackson, JoeJackson, katherine jackson, KatherineJackson, lien, michael jackson, MichaelJackson, segye times, SegyeTimes, will
Posted Aug 5th 2009 1:34PM by TMZ Staff
Merv Griffin's son is pissed and he's gunning for the people who are running his dad's companies, claiming they're squandering his money.
Tony Griffin claims in legal documents filed with the L.A. County Superior Court, the people running Merv's companies -- including Merv Griffin Entertainment and The Griffin Group -- have squandered part of Merv's fortune by engaging in "speculative ventures with funds which belong to the Trust."
The docs claim the estimated value of the Merv's estate was in excess of $50 million, after estate taxes and other debts were paid (the estimated value before these obligations were paid was $136 million). There were reports Merv's fortune at death was more than a billion bucks!
Tony, who turns 50 this year, is entitled to $2 million a year minimum. If the businesses are ever liquidated, he gets 60% after obligations are paid out.
But here's what we are hearing from the inside. Merv Griffin Productions has actually done pretty well, selling programs to both network and cable. And we're told, the value of the estate has been affected by the economy. For example, Merv's 147-foot yacht is up for sale. Its estimated value was $28 million, but now it's going for $11 million and so far, no takers.
Merv's trust has houses -- including an 18th-century manor in Ireland -- and the value has gone down.
And we have to mention this ... A dude named Ron Ward got $500,000 from Merv "with the request, but not a condition, to take care of [Merv's] dogs." Interesting Tony didn't get the dogs.
Filed under: Celebrity Justice, Exclusives
Tags: merv griffin productions, Merv Griffins son, MervGriffinProductions, MervGriffinsSon, will
Posted Jul 29th 2009 5:00PM by TMZ Staff
Katherine Jackson's lawyer is making noise that Michael Jackson's will may not be valid because it wasn't notarized. That's simply not the case.
Katherine's lawyer, Londell McMillan, issued a statement referring to a "suspicious circle of relationships" and an "unnotarized will."
But here's the deal. In California, a will does not have to be notarized to be valid. In fact, most formal wills are not notarized.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Tags: katherine jackson, KatherineJackson, Micheal Jackson, MichealJackson, Notarization, will
Posted Jul 29th 2009 9:21AM by TMZ Staff
Katherine Jackson's lawyer is officially squaring off with the two men Michael Jackson selected to handle his estate, claiming the co-executors are intentionally trying to keep Jackson's mom in the dark.
Londell McMillan just issued a statement making it clear -- he wants Katherine to become a co-executor. McMillan claims the co-executors -- John Branca and John McClain -- are not letting Katherine see the agreement Jackson signed with AEG. ... which McMillan says could be a huge source of income for the estate.
McMillan claims the co-executors are imposing unreasonable demands on Katherine -- requiring her to make special promises of confidentiality for the benefit of AEG.
The co-executors have maintained all along they were the ones Michael selected to manage the estate and they are doing their job.
One thing is clear -- it's getting ugly.
UPDATE 9:43 AM ET Reps for the co-executors just issued a statement, saying the only thing the co-executors asked of Mrs. Jackson is a confidentiality agreement with respect to the AEG agreement but her lawyers refused. They also say it's apparent Katherine's lawyers want to "rewrite Michael's will to make Mrs. Jackson 'Guardian of the Estate' and have her appointed as an executor" ... the co-executors say it's just not what Michael wanted and he said so in his will.
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Tags: john branca, john mcclain, JohnBranca, JohnMcclain, katherine jackson, KatherineJackson, MichaelJackson, probate, will
Posted Jul 22nd 2009 2:15AM by TMZ Staff
Katherine Jackson wants "a seat at the table" in all matters involving Michael Jackson's estate.
Katherine's lawyer, Londell McMillan, tells us Katherine called him the day Michael died, asking him to come to the house. McMillan says when he showed up the first weekend, Katherine and Joe expressed "concern" over the estate and hired him to represent Katherine's legal interests.
McMillan says Katherine will not challenge the will, but as far as the executors are concerned, he says, "She deserves a seat at the table at a minimum." McMillan would not say if Katherine merely wanted to be named as a third executor or whether she wanted to challenge John Branca and John McClain, the named co-executors.
Sources connected with Katherine claim she has already asked the co-executors to allow her to participate in the decision-making and her request was "rejected."
McMillan says neither he nor Katherine are pushing for Joe to become a co-executor.
McMillan, who worked for Michael Jackson during the last 3 1/2 years of the singer's life, also has repped Katherine on various business matters related to her son.
McMillan says he's "optimistic they can work things out, but I'm prepared to go the distance if Mrs. Jackson directs to do so."
Filed under: Michael Jackson
Tags: estate, joe jackson, JoeJackson, john branca, john mcclain, JohnBranca, JohnMcclain, Katherine Jackson, KatherineJackson, londell mcmillan, LondellMcmillan, Michael Jackson, MichaelJackson, will
