Michael Jackson pays taxes on Neverland

Jacko Coughs Up $$$ in Taxes on Neverland

Michael Jackson, who may or may not wave at the Grammy audience on Sunday night, paid some taxes last week.

According to records in Santa Barbara County, Jackson finally satisfied a state tax lien on his all-but-abandoned Neverland Valley Ranch in Los Olivos, Calif. The total, according to the assessor’s office, came to just over $600,000, including penalties and fees.

The payment doesn’t cover the $23 million for which Jackson is still in default on loans he’s taken against Neverland. Fortress Investments is now two weeks past its foreclosure deadline, which means it could start proceedings against Jackson at any time.

Jackson, sources say, may have arranged for a time extension through his former (and maybe current) pal, Ron Burkle.

Meanwhile, a Jacko appearance at the Grammys this Sunday remains a question mark. The former King of Pop simply is not prepared to perform in any way, but he may be acknowledged in some form for the 25th anniversary of "Thriller."

If he comes to the show, odds are Jackson will stop afterward at the private celebration for Motown founder Berry Gordy, who’s being honored by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences as an "industry icon."
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