Michael Jackson auction cancelled

A major auction of Michael Jackson's possessions has been cancelled at short notice after the singer's production company, MJJ Productions, filed a law suit against Julien's auction house in California. As many as 1,400 items taken from the debt-ridden singer's famous Neverland ranch were due to be sold next week, potentially raising $20m that was due to be split between Jackson and charity. Instead the 50-year-old entertainer will now have his belongings returned to him.

Although fans will not be allowed to bid for the music memorabilia – which included Jackson's famous crystal-encrusted white glove, valued at $10,000-$15,000 and the gates to the Neverland ranch, valued at between $20,000-$30,000 – they will be able to see them: an exhibition of the memorabilia will stay open until April 25 when the items will be returned to storage and then eventually placed in a Michael Jackson museum.

Jackson's manager, Dr Tohme Tohme, said the auction had only come about after a significant misunderstanding. "It was his personal property. It was never supposed to be sold."

The Thriller singer's belongings are never likely to be returned to the 2,800-acre Neverland ranch though. Since 2005 Jackson hasn't lived at his sprawling former home in California which he feels has been tainted by allegations – of which he was cleared in 2005 - that he abused children there.

The ranch, named after a fictional land where children never grow up, once contained a fully stocked zoo and a theme park. Though Jackson had to sell part-ownership of the property to raise money in 2008, it is likely that the ranch will now be redeveloped under its previous name – Sycamore Canyon Ranch. "Neverland is gone," Dr Tohme has said. "Neverland is finished."