Investigator Says Michael Jackson|Memorabilia Owner Owes him $25,000

LOS ANGELES (CN) - An investigator claims the former owner of the world's largest collection of Michael Jackson memorabilia owes him $25,000 for his work finding assets to seize from Jackson's family.

Frank Coonis sued Henry Vaccaro St. and Jr., eight corporations and LLCs and four other people in Superior Court.

Coonis says "defendant Vaccaro" hired him in 1998 to find assets from the Jackson to satisfy a judgment that Vaccaro's company held against certain members of the family.

The Vaccaros became the owner of the world's private largest collection of Jackson memorabilia after years of legal battles with the family, who bought Vaccaro's guitar company in 1992, according to the New Jersey Star-Ledger.

Coonis says Vaccaro won judgment against Jackson, but the Jackson family said they had no assets, so he was hired to find them, which he did at a cost of $180,000 and hundreds of hours of work.

He says Vaccaro promised him 14 percent of the assets he recovered, including money and property. He says he has made "repeated demands on defendants" for his 14 percent commission, "but defendants have paid no monies to plaintiffs."

He seeks an accounting, an injunction, and damages for fraud and breach of contract.

Coonis and Frank Coonis Investigations are represented by Donald Ricketts.

Defendants include the Vaccaros, HHV Corp., and Vintage Pop Inc., all of New Jersey.

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