Michael Jackson’s doctor faces home foreclosure

The Las Vegas doctor under scrutiny in the death of Michael Jackson could face foreclosure on his Summerlin house after failing to pay his mortgage since January, according to county records.

Stewart Title of Nevada filed a default notice on July 23 against Dr. Conrad Murray, claiming he had missed monthly mortgage payments of $15,165 every month this year on his luxury home at 2426 Grassy Spring Place in the Red Rock Country Club.

Murray has 35 days from the filing date to pay or face foreclosure.

Murray bought the 5,268-square-foot home in October 2004 for $1.1 million. It has four bedrooms, three fireplaces and a pool.

He took out his latest mortgage, a 30-year loan for $1.656 million, in January 2008 from Indiana-based Irwin Union Bank, according to county records.

Investigators from the Drug Enforcement Administration and Los Angeles Police Department on Tuesday searched the home and Murray's Las Vegas medical office, Global Cardiovascular Associates, as part of their investigation into Jackson's June 25 death.

Murray, 56, was with Jackson when he died.

Murray's lawyer in Houston, Edward Chernoff, issued a statement that acknowledged the cardiologist's home was in pre-foreclosure and that blamed Murray's financial woes on his inability to make a living "as a result of this investigation."

"His hope is he can forestall foreclosure until he can once again begin working as a doctor," Chernoff said.

He said Murray was not paid for the two months he worked for Michael Jackson and concert promoter AEG.

AEG Live, promoter of a now-canceled series of London comeback concerts for Jackson, has said the singer insisted the company hire Murray to accompany him to England.

Randy Phillips, company president and chief executive, has said AEG advanced Jackson money to pay the doctor and had been negotiating to provide Murray a $150,000 monthly salary.

The mortgage default is the latest sign of Murray's financial troubles.

In June, the Clark County district attorney's office filed to collect $10,893 in back child support he owed to a woman in Santa Clara County in California, according to county records.

In March, HICA Education Loan Corp. won a $71,332 civil judgment against Murray, who failed to repay student loans from his days in medical school at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn., according to court records.

Murray and his company also have faced a litany of lawsuits in the past three years over unpaid bills and business obligations.

Lawsuits from Citicorp Vendor Finance and Popular Leasing U.S.A. ended with judgments against Murray totaling $363,722.

Two pending lawsuits from Digirad Imaging Solutions and Siemens Financial Services are seeking judgments totaling $366,541.

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at bhaynes @reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281. The Associated Press contributed to this report.