History and Origins of Neverland - Michael Jacksons Home

Neverland Valley Ranch (formerly the Sycamore Valley Ranch)] is a developed property in Santa Barbara County, California, most famous for being a home of American entertainer Michael Jackson from 1988 to 2005. It is named after Neverland, the fantasy island in the story of Peter Pan, a boy who never grows up. The ranch is located about five miles (8 km) north of unincorporated Los Olivos, and about eight miles (13 km) north of the town of Santa Ynez.

Neverland Ranch was built in 1981 by real estate developer William Bone, from whom Michael Jackson bought the property in 1987.

Michael Jackson purchased the property from golf course entrepreneur William Bone in 1988] for a sum variously reported to be $16.5 to $30 million.]

After taking ownership Jackson spent in excess of $35 million transforming the 2,600-acre ranch into his own land of make believe and it was also Jackson's home and private amusement park and contained, among other things, a floral clock, numerous statues of children, and a zoo. The amusement park included two railroads: one 36" gauge with a steam locomotive (Crown 4-4-0, built 1973, with 4 coaches) and the other a 24" gauge amusement train ride-type); and a ferris wheel, carousel, zipper, spider, sea dragon, wave swinger, super slide, dragon wagon kiddie roller coaster and bumper cars.

(The famous train station with it’s front lawn of manicured flowers in the shape of a clock face. This building is probably more famous than main house which is rarely photographed because it is shrouded by large oak trees.)

At its peak, Neverland boasted a staff of 150, costing $10 million a year to maintain and played host to celebrity guests, high-priced fund-raisers, days out for local school kids and children with cancer or other serious illnesses.

Jackson was twice accused of molesting boys at the ranch and stopped living at Neverland following his second trial in 2005 saying he felt traumatized by the events surrounding his arrest and trial.

At this point most of the staff were dismissed and the place fell into a state of disrepair. Over the following years there were several high profile stories and court cases involving Jackson’s ability to service debts secured against Neverland.

Finally on November 10, 2008, he transferred the title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company, LLC – a joint venture between Jackson and an affiliate of Colony Capital – meaning he still retained a small stake in it’s ownership.

Days after the takeover neighbours reported a hive of activity with most of the funfair rides, including the ferris wheel and roller coaster, being dismantled and removed from the property.

What became of the giraffe’s, tigers, elephants, crocodiles and numerous other animals kept in the zoo is unclear. Some reports suggest most of the animals were removed in 2005 with many being rehomed at animal sanctuaries across the USA.

However, at the beginning of 2006 animal rights campaigners were loudly voicing their concerns at the squalid and cramped surroundings some of the remaining animals were being imprisoned in.

Since January 2009 more than 80 workers have been working on landscaping and repairs to the property’s electrical and plumbing systems as part of a $3 million investment by Colony Capital.

Jackson said in 2005 that he would not return to the property, saying he no longer considered the ranch a home, feeling the 70 police officers had "violated" it in their searches.[6] In 2006 the facilities were closed and most of the staff dismissed, with a spokesperson stating that this was a reflection of the fact that Jackson no longer lived there.[7]

Financial status

Foreclosure proceedings commenced against Neverland Ranch on October 22, 2007.[8][9] However, a spokesperson for Jackson said that the loan was merely being refinanced.[10]

 

On February 25, 2008, Jackson received word from Financial Title Company, the trustee, that unless he paid off $24,525,906.61 by March 19, a public auction would go forward of the land, buildings, and other items such as the rides, trains, and art.[11][12] On March 13, 2008, Jackson's lawyer L. Londell McMillan announced that a private agreement had been reached with the private investment group, Fortress Investment, to save Jackson's ownership of the ranch.[13] Before the agreement, Jackson owed three months' arrears on the property.[13] McMillan did not reveal the details of the deal.

On May 12, 2008, a foreclosure auction for the ranch was canceled after an investment company, Colony Capital LLC, purchased the loan, which was in default.[14] In a press release, Jackson stated, "I am pleased with recent developments involving Neverland Ranch and I am in discussions with Colony and Tom Barrack with regard to the Ranch and other matters that would allow me to focus on the future."[15][16]

On November 10, 2008, Jackson transferred the title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company, LLC, and neighbors reported immediate activity on the property, including removal of the amusement rides, being trucked along the highway.[1] Jackson still owned an unknown stake in the property, since Sycamore Valley Ranch was a joint venture between Jackson (represented by McMillan) and an affiliate of Colony Capital LLC (an investment company run by billionaire Tom Barrack].[17][18][19][20] The Santa Barbara County Assessor's Office stated Jackson sold an unknown proportion of his property rights for $35 million.[21][22]

Death of Michael Jackson

Following Jackson's death, press reports during June 28–29, 2009 claimed that his family intended to bury him at the Neverland Ranch, eventually turning it into a place of pilgrimage for his fans, similar to how Graceland has become a destination for fans of Elvis Presley.[23][24][25] However, the singer's father Joseph Jackson later denied the reports.[26][27] Construction equipment and gardeners entered the grounds on July 1, prompting speculation that preparations were being made for something related to Jackson's death, but local officials stated that a burial there would not be lawful. Jackson's 2002 will gives his entire estate to a family trust.[28]

The ranch was the setting for two media appearances on July 2, 2009. Jermaine Jackson took The Today Show's Matt Lauer on a tour of the main house, and he was interviewed on the grounds of the house by Larry King for his show (in which some viewers mistook a shadow for an apparition of Jackson).

Fast Facts

Address: 5225 Figueroa Mountain Rd Los Olivos, CA 93441

In the Santa Ynez Valley

Elizabeth Taylor married on the ranch in 1991