Joe Jackson seeks stipend from son’s estate

LOS ANGELES - 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.

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