Graceland set for foreclosure auction, notice states; Elvis heir Riley Keough claims fraud
BREAKING NEWS
Graceland set for foreclosure auction, notice states; Elvis heir claims fraud, fights sale https://t.co/q6Cw2gjfvA
- WREG News Channel 3 (@3onyourside) May 20, 2024
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Graceland, the historic home of Elvis Presley, is set to be sold off at a foreclosure sale this Thursday according to a legal notice, but Presley’s granddaughter is fighting the sale with a lawsuit, saying the claims are fraudulent and based on lien paperwork that violates Tennessee law.
A temporary restraining order on the sale was granted Monday, according to an attorney for heir Riley Keough. An injunction hearing is set for Wednesday.
A notice published this month states that Graceland and surrounding acreage on Elvis Presley Boulevard is set to be auctioned off for cash to the highest bidder on the Shelby County Courthouse steps May 23.
The legal notice states that Lisa Marie Presley allegedly signed a Deed of Trust in 2018 securing a $3.8 million loan with a Missouri company called Naussany Investments and Private Lending, using Graceland as collateral.
But Presley’s granddaughter Danielle Riley Keough says in a 60-page lawsuit against Naussany Investments, filed May 15 in Shelby County Chancery Court, that her mother never borrowed any money from the company. It also claims Presley’s signatures on the deed are forgeries, and that Naussany Investments is not a real entity. According to the suit, the notary denies that she notarized Lisa Marie Presley’s signature or met her, and does not know why her signature is on the documents. Additionally, the documentation was never recorded with the county register office.
Riley's lawsuit also claims that a person named Kurt Naussany has sent emails to Keough's attorneys threatening a non-judicial sale of Graceland if the $3.8 million debt wasn't paid. However, Kurt Naussany, named as a defendant because the suit claims he represented Naussany Investments, said by email that he left the firm in 2015 and should not be named in the filing. Naussany Investments did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
WREG has reached out to Graceland officials for comment. A number listed for Naussany was not in service and the company has no online presence or addresses other than post office boxes.
When CNN attempted to reach Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC by phone, the number was no longer in service. The business was listed in a court document from Keough’s attorney as being located in Kimberling City, Missouri, but CNN was unable to locate a business in the state of Missouri by that name via the secretary of state’s office. CNN was also unable to locate a business by that name when searching nationwide.
Lisa Marie Presley died in January 2023. Her daughter became heir to the estate and trustee of the Promenade Trust. About 600,000 visitors tour Graceland each year. The house was named in a survey last year as the most popular museum in the United States.
ETA: Priscilla Presley has weighed in via a weird Instagram graphic showing a picture of Graceland with "It's a scam!" in red, presumably calling out the fraudulent auction.
ETA 2: While Riley's lawyers declined to comment before Wednesday's court date, reps for Graceland said in a statement "Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent. There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed is to stop the fraud."
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