Joe Jackson seeks stipend from Michael's estate
By ANTHONY McCARTNEY
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Michael Jackson's father is seeking an
allowance from his son's estate to help cover expenses that exceed
$15,000 a month, according to court documents filed Friday. The
request seeking an unspecified amount for Joe Jackson was filed by
lawyer Brian Oxman, who said there was no apparent reason for the
administrators of the estate to not seek an allowance for the
Jackson family patriarch.
Michael Jackson's 2002 will, however, omitted any mention of his
father. The two had an often-strained relationship, and Michael
Jackson said at one point that he would get physically sick - as a
child and as an adult - at the sight of his father.
The singer's private trust calls for money to be paid to his
mother, Katherine, his three young children, and various charities.
A judge has approved more than $26,000 in payments to Katherine
Jackson each month, and a $60,000 monthly payment for the care of
the children.
The latest court documents said Joe Jackson receives a $1,700
monthly Social Security payment and had relied on his son for
support for many years.
``He does not have a regular or steady source of income, and he
was dependent upon the money provided by his son, Michael Jackson,
through his wife, Katherine Jackson, for his support,'' the filing
stated.
``It was quite surprising to learn of the request,'' Howard
Weitzman, an attorney for the administrators of Jackson's estate,
said in a statement. ``Mr. Jackson's petition will be considered as
are all requests for money from Michael's estate.''
Joe Jackson suffers from diabetes and had a stroke in 1998, the
filing stated.
A former steelworker, he managed and trained his children and
organized the Jackson 5. He has been married to Katherine Jackson
for 50 years, but he lists his home in Las Vegas. She lives at a
family home in the San Fernando Valley north of Los Angeles.
The filings are inconsistent in several places, listing Joe
Jackson's age as 80 in one place and 81 in another. A declaration
states his monthly expenses exceed $20,000 a month, but an itemized
list only includes slightly more than $15,000.
That list includes $1,200 a month on rent for his Las Vegas
home; $2,500 to eat out; $1,000 on entertainment, gifts and
vacations; $2,000 on air travel and $3,000 on hotels.
A phone message left for Oxman was not immediately returned.
A judge on Friday denied Joe Jackson's petition for an expedited
hearing on the matter.
A hearing is scheduled for early 2010 at which time the payments
to Katherine Jackson may be re-evaluated.
11/06/09 20:22
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