Michael Jackson's Neverland Auction Set

LOS ANGELES — Want Michael Jackson's merry-go-round? How about his locomotive, or his curtains? Those items and more could hit the auction block next month as the pop star's Neverland Ranch will be put up for public sale unless he pays the more than $24 million he still owes on the property, according to a Tuesday court filing.

Financial Title Co. filed the notice of trustee's sale with Santa Barbara County Superior Court, setting the auction date for March 19.

A spokeswoman for Jackson did not return a call for comment.

Julie Wagner, a manager at the San Francisco-based title company, confirmed that Jackson's property was set for auction.

Court documents obtained by Fox News warn Jackson that he has until the date of the auction to take action to keep his lavish estate.

If the property does go to auction, the initial asking price could be higher than the $24.5 million Jackson owes because of interest due and other costs, according to the filing.

Also going up for sale would be all the home's furnishings and items on the property, according to the filing.

The reclusive star no longer lives at the famous, 2,500-acre spread in Los Olivos, a popular tourist spot northwest of Santa Barbara known for its wineries.

He has been mostly residing abroad since his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges, although he has spent time in Las Vegas as he tries to stage his musical comeback.

Comments

[Cherubim]

Here is a U-Tube Site where you can see
Neverland footage.
Neverland Valley Ranch is a little bit of Heaven
on Earth, and he shared it with these lucky, grateful
underprivileged children.
I hope the hatemongeres who post here
are prevented from ever going anywhere
near the Beautiful, Sacred Neverland Valley Ranch.
God Bless Michael Jackson and his children and
Neverland Valley Ranch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3htnP4tMEL8

[Eha]

Who cares! “…omnia, nunc se continet atque duas tantum res anxius optat, panem et circenses.” (Juvenal, Satire 10: 79-81)

[mediamarv]

Actually his property is right amid prime vineyard acreage and could easily draw that kind of money.. Fess Parker, Firestone, several other wineries are nearby and would love to get their illegal immigrant farm workers' (kidding) hands on it.

[amanda85]

Let me guess, Disney will buy it and they'll turn it into yet another idiotic theme park...

[Cowtippin]

Oh how MJ has fallen. But I guess when you have a thing for small boys your past evil deeds will catch up to. This place is gold mine for the right investors. Another Graceland...I bet there are millions of people willing to pay 25.00 to tour Neverland. I would...Just for the freak factor. Maybe Donald Trump could buy it and partner up with MJ. Sounds like a sound investment to me folks

[veracal]

Michael Jackson belongs in jail and so do all the brain dead celebrity worshipping parents who allowed their children to attend his pedophile-palooza sleep overs.

[AmericanNation]

Mr. Jackson is a talented entertainer, but he has utilized his earnings to derail the criminal justice system in America for the past twenty plus years. The incidents of bizzare behavior point to some form of mental illness or substance abuse but are not a bar to prosecution for child abuse, endagerment, or posession and distribution of child pornography. Mr. Jackson went so far as to mock the LA District Attorney by name in one of his songs. The unfortunate thing is that in the US, parents (who should be ideally acting in the best interests of the child) are able to obtain large settlements from individuals such as Mr. Jackson but they have to sign confidentiality agreements, this in essence ends any effectiveness or progress of the criminal justice process. If these parents were truly interested in obtaining justice for their children and protecting others from a serial offender, they would have co-operated with the District Attorney and police, and dealt with civil damages at the end of that process, as the Goldman family did in the OJ Simpson case. Sadly, Mr. Jackson is more a reflection of special treatment afforded by affluence rather than anything to do with his talent as an artist.

[Cherubim]

Michael Jackson seeks to keep Neverland Ranch
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/02/27/jac...ion=cnn_latest
(CNN) -- Pop star Michael Jackson will avoid foreclosure on his Neverland Ranch property with a new loan, a Jackson insider told CNN Wednesday.
Documents show that Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California, is scheduled for a public auction on March 19 at Santa Barbara's downtown courthouse.
But the Jackson source said that won't happen.
"Michael Jackson's ranch is not going to be auctioned off at the courthouse," the Jackson insider said. "The financing is all being worked out."
"There are plenty of lenders willing to work with him. The real estate market is very bad right now and Jackson is being affected just like many other Americans," the source said.

The real estate source said other options are available to Jackson, including selling the ranch directly to another party or making a payment on his $24.5 million Neverland debt that would satisfy the trustee.

The recorder's Web site also reveals there was a release of lien on Jackson on February 4, showing he paid off all or part of delinquent taxes to the state of California.

"It seems unlikely that someone would pay off back taxes, only to let the ranch go up for auction a few weeks later," said the real estate source.
Jackson has not lived at Neverland since June 2005, after a Santa Barbara County jury found him not guilty of child molestation charges.

[Bystander]

I guess they should rename it "Perv-land."

[Passenger57]

I was done with the media reporting about MJ when I saw Katie Couric (while still on in the morning)at a prison discussing what kind of cell he would be in depending on what he was charged with.No one knows for sure what Jackson did to anyone.Settling doesn't mean "guilty".It's usually all about getting some of his cash.
And I've lost count as to how many times he was losing Neverland.Seems like he's lost it 20 times already;it's all become a blur.Since he's living in Bahrain,maybe he's saying, "Aw, to hell with it".I'm glad he's left the country,because now the media can't turn to him when something more important should get this coverage-but it looks like Britney took his place.
....And some more people just died in Iraq.

[PrdAmerican]

One mans loss is another gain...or so says RKelly.

[Whitehouse]

How many young boys does that price include?

[JScott]

That's what I'm wondering-if he was stupid enough to leave all the possibly incriminating pics and stuff in 'secret rooms' that could be found out about from the next owner. Ya just know that would be a show on HGTV.
Hmm wasn't as rich as I thought he was, thought he paid for the ranch in cash-no mortgage.

[NeverRepublican]

To bad Michael Jackson did't get the help he needed way back in the 80's. The guy is a monster. He was protected by people who knew he was a pedaphile. The guy should have been in jail years ago. By all accounts I would expect the guy to be broke. What ever you do, Michael...STAY OUT OF THE PUBLIC SPOTLIGHT...your time has COME AND GONE years and years ago. You're finished...please go away.

[wndrwrthg]

Get rid of all the crap that he put there and you have one very beautiful place to live. Nestled in Figuroa canyon, pleasant climate, it will probably end up as a winery.

[Steverino]

The HuffPo might as well hand out pitchforks and torches along with its commenting priveleges.

[MikeDu]

Its almost worth it to see the economy go into the dumpster if it means Mr. Jackson won't get his asking price. But there's no gur arantee. Where Jackson's concerned there's a sucker born every minute (usually in Bahrain).

About our hearts going out to 'poor Jacko', let's not forget the sworn court testimony about the hired help catching him fellating a child.

[Steverino]

Puhlease. That "hired help" claims he saw MJ fellating a child while he was doing chores outside. And he was SO upset, he was SO incensed, he...kept doing his chores. He didn't make the accusation until years later after he had been fired; I believe he was suing for "wrongful termination" at the time.

Anyone who carefully followed that case--not just in the headlines--knows it was a total scam job.

I feel sorry for the guy. He obviously has a lot of personal issues. It's not funny to see someone lose their house.

[chuckgraner]

Personal issues ..... That's a nice way of saying he's a freak.