Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland, will not be auctioned on Thursday after all.
On Wednesday, Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins adjourned the sale of Graceland, saying, “The notary has sworn that the notary did not notarize the signature of Lisa Marie Presley on the deed of trust, which raises the question as to the authenticity of the signature and indeed the deed of trust as being a fraud.”
Related posts
A mysterious company allegedly intended to auction off the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s mansion, a popular tourist attraction, at the Tennessee hearing.
Presley’s granddaughter, actress Riley Keough, tried to prevent a business called “Naussany Investments and Private Lending LLC” from auctioning off the land her grandfather purchased in 1957. They scheduled the sale for Thursday morning in front of the courthouse.
According to court documents obtained by Memphis ABC affiliate WATN, Keough alleges Naussany presented fraudulent documents in September “purporting to show that Lisa Marie Presley had borrowed $3.8 million from Naussany Investments and gave a deed of trust encumbering Graceland as security.”
Attorneys from Memphis and Jacksonville, Florida represent Keough. It is unclear whether Naussany Investments has an attorney; no lawyer appeared in court on Wednesday to represent the group.
“We requested the temporary injunction, and the court granted it,” Jeff Germany, Keough’s Memphis-based attorney, told reporters after the hearing.
Jenkins stated that “Gregory Naussany” of Jacksonville submitted a one-page application for continuance on Tuesday, but the county chancellor dismissed it on Wednesday.
“The court will adjourn the sale as requested because, first, the real estate is considered unique under Tennessee law, and in being unique, the loss of the real estate would be considered irreparable harm,” Jenkins stated.
Jenkins continued, “Graceland is a part of this community, well loved by this community, and indeed around the world.”
“I believe the claims made against Naussany Investments and Private Lending are unfounded and do not warrant the issuance of a declaratory injunction or temporary restraining order,” an individual who went by the name “Gregory E. Naussany” stated.
“Lending the opportunity to present a defense against the allegations made by Danielle Riley Keough, Trustee of the Promenade Trust, Naussany Investments & Private Lending, is prepared to provide evidence and arguments to demonstrate the relief sought is not justified in this case,” he stated. “I respectfully request that the Court consider my motion of denial and rule in my favor.”
The addresses for Naussany Investments and its associated entity, NIPL LLC, stated in court records are all post office boxes, one in Jacksonville and the other two in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains.
Florida, Missouri, or Tennessee do not record Naussany Investments as a registered business.
Lisa Marie Presley’s signatures on a promissory note and deed of trust were fake, Keough’s legal team informed the court. Court documents state that notary public Kimberly Philbrick “purportedly acknowledged” the documents in May 2018 in Duval County, Florida, but the Shelby County Register never published them.
According to court files, Philbrick, a registered notary in Daytona Beach, Florida, swore an affidavit on May 8 stating that she had never seen Lisa Marie Presley and had never notarized these documents.
