Jackson ordered to close Neverland (Reuters)

[Up2Late]

(I hope this isn't too non-political, but this is just so weird, I thought I had to post it. I guess Michael Jackson's not coming back, and it appears he's just going to chuck it all and live secretly in Dubai?)

Jackson ordered to close Neverland

Thu Mar 9, 2006 08:22 PM ET

By Dan Whitcomb

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Michael Jackson was ordered to shut down his Neverland Valley Ranch on Thursday by California authorities who have fined the pop star $169,000 for failing to pay his employees or maintain proper insurance. Jackson's sprawling ranch in the central California foothills was closed, at least temporarily, by an agent of the State Labor Commissioner after the office discovered that his worker's compensation policy had lapsed in January.

"We went out there this morning and issued a stop order to the security guard at the front gate," state Department of Industrial Relations spokesman Dean Fryer told Reuters. "We asked to be escorted in to meet management, but we were refused and turned away, so we gave the order to (the guard)."

Fryer said local animal welfare officials had been asked to care for the inhabitants of Neverland's zoo. He said that Jackson could reopen the ranch if he obtains workers compensation insurance but may face legal action by the state if he fails to pay the back wages.

Jackson, who was cleared last June of criminal charges that he sexually abused a young boy at Neverland, has spent much of his time since the trial in Bahrain and was not at his ranch when authorities arrived. His representatives could not immediately be reached for comment. The order prohibits Jackson from employing anyone at the 2,800-acre (1,130-hectare) ranch until the insurance issues are resolved, Fryer said. "So it looks like this would mean for Neverland Valley Ranch that they would be closed down."

(more at link below)

<http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=11486467§ion=news>