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You May Not Like What Judges Told Michael Jackson’s Mother Following Another Dispute Involving His Estate

An appellate panel came to a "tentative" decision regarding Katherine Jackson's appeal to fight against MJ's music catalog sale to Sony

This year marks 15 years without the King of Pop, and even after all this time, his family still canโ€™t get it together. Michael Jacksonโ€™s mother, Katherine Jackson, has been fighting against her sonโ€™s estate controllers after they โ€œsecretlyโ€ sold half of the late singerโ€™s music catalog worth $600 million to Sony Music Group back in February, according to BillBoard.

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In a recent appeal, Katherineโ€™s lawyers first argued the estate should be held in contempt for closing the Sony deal while her initial objection was still being disputed. Fast forward, Katherine, who is listed as a lifetime beneficiary to her sonโ€™s estate, says the deal allegedly violates the terms of Michaelโ€™s will.

In full, Katherine lawyers claimed โ€œthe estate did not need the cash generated by the sale, the sale violated Michaelโ€™s wishes as communicated to various members of his family, and the executors took no steps to confirm that the sale price was at or above fair market value.โ€

Itโ€™s clear Katherine and Michaelโ€™s estate have had serious beef, and although she was hoping to gain some kind of victory over estate co-executors, Attorney John Branca and A&R executive John McClain, the panel ruled the case a โ€œBlack or Whiteโ€ matter. In agreement with Michaelโ€™s estate, the judges wrote โ€œKatherineโ€™s challenge fails on the merits because the probate courtโ€™s order does not violate the terms of Michaelโ€™s will,โ€ according to the tentative obtained by The Rolling Stone.

Michaelโ€™s will told the executors to โ€œsell off as little of the estate as possible after paying legitimate estate debts,โ€ which doesnโ€™t specify exact limitations according to the judges. With the willโ€™s ambiguous language, that leaves Branca and McClain in control and Katherine โ€œSpeechless.โ€

The appellate panelโ€™s opinion is expected to take effect over the next 90 days. One of Katherineโ€™s lawyers was set to speak regarding the appeal but waved his appearance shortly after the judges announced the tentative.

Legal battles between Michaelโ€™s estate and his family will likely continue citing the ongoing probate court case. Until the probate closes, the heirs to Michaelโ€™s estate: his mother and three children, Bigi (formally known as Blanket), Prince, and Paris will simply have to wait.

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