- Tennessee’s attorney general confirmed he is “looking into” the Graceland foreclosure auction this week
- The sale was halted on Wednesday
- Granddaughter Riley Keough filed a lawsuit seeking to block the LLC from selling the property
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti says he is “investigating” the recent attempt to sell Graceland, Elvis Presley’s home in Memphis.
The announcement comes a day after Chancery Court Chancellor JoeDae L. Jenkins halted the sale of the iconic property following Riley Keough’s 60-page lawsuit seeking to block Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC from selling the property. Keough is Presley’s granddaughter and inherited the mansion after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley.
“Graceland is one of the most iconic landmarks in the state of Tennessee, and the Presley family has generously shared it with the world since Elvis passed away,” Skrmetti wrote in a press release on Thursday, May 23, the day the property was scheduled for foreclosure auction. .
“Elvis [Presley] made Memphis the center of the musical universe, and Graceland stands as a monument to his legacy and a cherished memory for his family,” he continued. “My office has fought homeowner fraud for decades, and there is no more beloved home in Tennessee than Graceland. ”
Exterior view of Graceland.
GAB/Redferns Archive
Graceland rep speaks out after judge halts sale after foreclosure attempt: ‘No validity’
“I have asked my attorneys to review this matter, determine the full extent of any misconduct that may have occurred, and identify what we can do to protect both the heirs of Elvis Presley and anyone else who may be similarly threatened,” he added. his statement.
Keough filed her lawsuit in response to Naussany claiming her mother, Lisa Marie, loaned them $3.8 million and gave them a deed of trust encumbering Graceland as security before her death in January 2023.
In a legal document reviewed by PEOPLE, Daisy Jones and six star argued that “the note and deed of trust are fraudulent and unenforceable.”
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(L-R) Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough.
Eric Charbonneau/Getty
Elvis’ granddaughter Riley Keough calls foreclosure attempt to sell Graceland a “fraud” in court documents
“The alleged note and deed of trust are products of fraud, and those individuals who were involved in the creation of such documents are held guilty of the crime of forgery,” she further stated.
In addition to pausing the sale of Graceland, Wednesday’s hearing — in which Jenkins referred to the “loss” of Graceland as something that “will be considered irreparable harm” — also delayed the trial until Naussany can present a defense to Keough’s claims.
“They’re claiming that both Lisa Marie Presley’s signature and the notary’s signature are either forged or forged or cut and pasted or somehow improperly spliced together, and if that’s the case, then there could potentially be a number of federal crimes at play,” Paul Golden tells PEOPLE , a partner at Coffey Modica who handles real estate and commercial litigation in New York. Golden is not involved in the Graceland case.
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Graceland Estate. AFP/Getty
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He adds that if a person has “falsified documents such as a document or made up a notarization, I believe that could be part of what is called identity theft.”
“It’s also possible that mail or online fraud is involved in this, depending on their use of, for example, the financial system to accomplish this task,” Golden tells PEOPLE. “Yes, one could, the person who is guilty could certainly go to jail or a fine.”
Kurt Naussany is named as a defendant in Keough’s filing, as her attorneys say he sent “numerous emails” trying to raise $3.8 million and threatening to sell Graceland. But when PEOPLE contacted him via the email listed in the court documents, he replied, “Please do not contact,” and shared an email for Gregory Naussany that bounced back.
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Source: HIS Education