The home at 4641 Hayvenhurst Avenue in Encino is owned by the Michael Jackson Family Trust, not by any individual relative. Michael Jackson’s 2002 will directed all of his assets into that pre-existing revocable trust, and after probate following his death in 2009, legal title to the Encino compound transferred into the trust’s name. His mother Katherine and his three children are the beneficiaries entitled to live in and benefit from the property.
Why No Family Member Appears on the Deed
Jackson amended the trust in March 2002, and it holds his assets and future earnings on a three-way split: 40 percent to Katherine Jackson, 40 percent to his children Prince, Paris, and Blanket, and 20 percent to unspecified charities. Because the Hayvenhurst property sits inside the trust rather than passing directly to an heir, it bypassed the public probate transfer process that would otherwise lay ownership details out on the record. The trust’s internal terms govern what happens to the home, and those terms have never been made public in full.
One practical effect: no single beneficiary can force a sale or partition on their own. Any decision about the estate’s future flows through the trust’s governance, which shields the home from individual creditor claims and from the kinds of family disputes that often fracture high-value inherited real estate.
Who Controls the Trust Now
Legal title belongs to the trust, but executors make the real decisions, handling property taxes, insurance, maintenance, and any choices about selling or modifying trust assets. Jackson’s will named two co-executors: entertainment attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain. A Los Angeles judge confirmed both in July 2009.
McClain died on May 26, 2026, at age 71 from complications of a fall. No replacement co-executor is expected to be appointed, and Branca is anticipated to continue as sole executor. With the overall estate now valued at roughly $2 billion, that leaves one person managing not just the Encino house but Jackson’s full portfolio of intellectual property, royalties, and other holdings.
What the Beneficiaries Actually Hold
Katherine Jackson and the three children hold what’s called a beneficial interest. They have the right to reside in or financially benefit from the property even though the deed isn’t in their names. The children’s shares distribute in stages: allowances until age 21, then access to one-third of their individual trust share at 30, another third at 35, and the remainder at 40.
Paris Jackson moved into the house in September 2016 at age 18. Katherine listed the property for sale shortly after a round of renovations in 2010, but the sale never went through. The estate’s estimated market value sits around $7.5 million based on comparable sales in the area, though the home’s cultural significance makes standard appraisal tricky.
How to Verify Ownership Yourself
Los Angeles County maintains public records for every parcel. The starting point is the Assessor’s Identification Number, a ten-digit code the county assigns to each property, structured as a four-digit map book number, a three-digit page number, and a three-digit parcel number. You can search by address on the Los Angeles County Assessor’s portal to find the number tied to Hayvenhurst.1Los Angeles County. Assessor Portal
Getting a Copy of the Grant Deed
The grant deed showing the trust as owner is available through the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. You can request documents online through the real estate records portal or visit the office in person in Norwalk. A certified copy costs $6 for the first page and $3 for each additional page.2Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Recording Requirements
What the Deed Will and Won’t Show
A grant deed identifies the property by legal description and address, names the grantor and grantee, and records the date of transfer. For trust-held property like Hayvenhurst, the grantee line shows the trust’s name rather than a person. The deed also records any liens or encumbrances. What it won’t tell you is the internal terms of the trust itself: how the property’s use is allocated among beneficiaries, or what conditions might trigger a future sale. Those details stay private unless they surface in court filings.