Branca and McClain not being paid in December 2009?

Souza

I was searching through old TMZ articles and bumped on this one:<br /><br />

Michael Jackson's Executors -- Pay Us Now!<br />12/15/2009 9:47 PM PST<br /><br />Michael Jackson's estate has not paid the Special Administrators a penny, but the day has now come -- at least according to new court docs filed by John Branca and John McClain.<br /><br />The two men -- now officially the Executors of Michael Jackson's estate, are asking for 70% of the fees they have earned, pending court approval of the full amount.<br /><br />The papers do not specify the amount Branca and McClain want. They do say that they want the statutory amount of executor fees for the first $25 million of the estate -- that fee comes to $188,000. But the estate is valued far in excess of $25 mil and the two Executors would be entitled to a portion of that as well. In addition, Branca and McClain also want fees "for their extraordinary services," though that amount is not specified.<br /><br />According to the new documents, fees some of the law firms connected with the estate are asking for are huge. For example, the law firm of Greenberg Traurig wants $1,547,064.50. The firm of Hoffman, Sabban & Watenmaker wants $957,644. The firm of Kinsella, Weitzman, Iser, Kump & Aldisert wants $420,062.50. <br /><br />http://www.tmz.com/2009/12/15/michael-jackson-estate-special-administrator-john-branca-john-mcclain-probate/

<br /><br />Now maybe I misread something or I simply don't understand how it works but it seems weird that Branca and McClain, who supposedly manage the estate's money, have to file court documents to pay... themselves? <br /><br />Who gets this and could explain?

Souza

This is what I found in the probate case for that date:<br /><br />

12/15/2009 Order (SHORTENING TIME FOR NOTICE Repres By: Cohen, Jeryll S., Esq., Attorney for Petitioner Filed By: Branca, John, Petitioner Filed By: McClain, John, Petitioner )<br />12/15/2009 Ex Parte - Application (Repres By: Cohen, Jeryll S., Esq., Attorney for Petitioner Filed By: Branca, John, Petitioner Filed By: McClain, John, Petitioner )<br />12/15/2009 Petition - Allowance of Fees (Judgment by Court-Petition Granted After Trial - Uncontested 1st Hearing Date: 03/11/2010 Repres By: IN PRO PER, Attorney for Petitioner Filed By: Hoffman, Paul Gordon, Esq., Attorney for Petitioner Filed By: Cohen, Jeryll S., Esq., Attorney for Petitioner Complaint Num: 19 )<br />12/15/2009 Probate - Other (Judgment by Court-Petition Granted Supervisory Order 1st Hearing Date: 01/04/2010 Repres By: Cohen, Jeryll S., Esq., Attorney for Petitioner Filed By: Branca, John, Petitioner Filed By: McClain, John, Petitioner Complaint Num: 18 )<br />http://www.lacourt.org/casesummary2/ui/casesummary.aspx?#DOC, case number: BP117321