Estates

The posthumous affairs of Michael Jackson boiled down to two things Tuesday: His memorial service will draw a huge crowd and the settling of his estate will be complicated. Beyond that was a storm of rumor, supposition and educated guess interrupted by snatches of information more intriguing than complete. An entertainment attorney who had worked for Jackson produced a 7-year-old will that named him and a music executive as executors.

Moving quickly to capitalize on fans' appetite for anything related to Michael Jackson, administrators for the singer's estate have mapped out elaborate plans for merchandising deals, a tribute concert, a television special and even a traveling exhibition of Jackson memorabilia. In a court filing last week, Jeryll S. Cohen, a lawyer for the administrators, said she expected the deals to generate an amount in the "high eight figures" -- tens of millions of dollars -- for the singer's estate.

Long after the fans have left the gates of Neverland, the fantastical Santa Barbara County ranch once owned by Michael Jackson, the far less whimsical question remains of what will happen to it. Colony Capital, the private equity firm that bought the loan on the property, sparing it from foreclosure, won't say what its plans are. But the ranch, which once featured a zoo and amusement park and had an estimated value of $96 million to $120 million, could wind up as something of a white elephant.

After four months of testimony that cast a harsh light on the operatic lives of East Coast social royalty -- with tales of greed, abuse and bitter family feuds -- a jury today convicted legendary philanthropist Brooke Astor's son of tricking her into changing her will. The jury, which deliberated 11 full days, found Anthony D. Marshall guilty on 14 of the 16 counts against him, including grand larceny involving the theft of cash and art, possession of stolen property and conspiracy to defraud Astor.

Anne L. Chavis, who pleaded guilty to stealing from a disabled veteran under her care while working as a court-appointed conservator, was sentenced Wednesday to a year in jail and ordered to pay $92,000 in restitution to eight clients. The fine represents a fraction of the money she controlled for her clients but never accounted for. Chavis, 74, stood silent before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge David Horwitz as he quickly read her sentence, which had taken months to hammer out.

Shortly before Christmas 2002, Ray Charles called a meeting of his 12 children at a hotel near Los Angeles International Airport. Ten of them, ranging in age from 16 to 50 -- with 10 mothers among them -- listened as their father told them he was mortally ill and outlined what they could expect from his fortune. Most of Charles' assets would be left to his charitable foundation.

Several of Ray Charles' children called Sunday for an investigation of the management of the late entertainer's estate, including a charitable foundation he set up and a profit-making company that manages rights to his music. There are "many unanswered questions," said Lisa Nkonoki, a spokeswoman for family members. The dispute over Charles' musical and financial legacy was the subject of an article in Sunday's Los Angeles Times.

If you're willing to wade through the remnants of another person's life, you can find bargains at an estate sale. You just may have to knock a dealer out of the way to get to them. ? Antique sellers, book collectors and EBay users show up to these events early. Often they're armed, with magnifying loupes to scrutinize figurines, research books on vintage furniture or an iPhone to check price comparisons. ? The professionals are looking for the same things you are: deals.

While their customers collect teacups and china cabinets and sleigh beds, the owners of Karen & Sharon Estate Sales stockpile stories. Karen Vicker starts a tale and her identical twin Sharon Hawkins finishes it. Or vice versa. Like the one about the deceased jeweler's family that couldn't find his gems until Vicker sensed something funny about the china cabinet and pressed on its side, revealing a secret compartment. "There was all that jewelry -- diamonds, rubies, emeralds, gold," she recalls.

Laws to protect seniors and dependent adults from abuse by court-appointed conservators are under threat as California lawmakers seek painful cuts to close the state's $15.2-billion budget deficit. The laws were part of a sweeping reform package signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger two years ago after a Los Angeles Times series had exposed theft, abuse and negligence by some professional conservators appointed to look after seniors.