County has no deed for Graceland; Elvis Presley’s family calls sale ‘a scam’

UPDATE: A Shelby County judge issued an injunction Wednesday halting the sale of the Graceland estate, which was set for a foreclosure auction Thursday. Click here for new story.

Earlier coverage is below:

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Elvis Presley’s loved ones, as well as the Graceland estate, say the claims of the property being up for foreclosure sale over a purported $3.8 million debt are a fraud.

The Shelby County Register of Deeds also said Tuesday that the office has no record on file of a deed related to Graceland.

“Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent,” Graceland said in a statement released late Monday night. “There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed is to stop the fraud.”

Priscilla Presley, Lisa Marie Presley’s mother and Elvis’s ex-wife, was more direct, writing on her X account simply, “It’s a scam!”

Graceland set for foreclosure auction; Elvis heir claims fraud, fights sale

WREG reached out to numerous local agencies Tuesday morning on the matter, including the Shelby County Register of Deeds.

Deputy Administrator Clint Anderson responded and said their office has “reviewed the matter” and they have “no documents” that have been filed related to a deed on Graceland.

When asked additional questions, Anderson said he could not elaborate but reiterated that no documents have been filed in their office on the matter.

In general for a foreclosure, Anderson said an entity would have to have certain documentation notarized, then filed, and the Registrar’s office would certify it. That has not been done in this case, Anderson told WREG.

According to a legal notice, the historic Graceland property in Memphis was set to be sold at a foreclosure sale Thursday, though that sale was stopped by a temporary restraining order Monday. A hearing on an injunction is set for Wednesday.

A Missouri company called Naussany Investments and Private Lending claims in a legal notice that Lisa Marie Presley put up Graceland as collateral for a loan in 2018. Efforts by WREG to reach the company were not successful.

Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter and heir to Graceland, actress Danielle Riley Keough, says in a 60-page lawsuit against Naussany Investments filed May 15 that her mother never borrowed any money from the company.

“These documents are fraudulent,” the lawsuit states.

Keough claims Presley’s signatures on the deed are forgeries, and that Naussany Investments is not a real entity. According to the suit, the notary involved in the deed denies that she notarized Lisa Marie Presley’s signature or ever met her.

Lisa Marie Presley died in January 2023.

Kurt Naussany, who was identified in court documents as a defendant, directed questions in an email to Gregory Naussany. Gregory Naussany told The Associated Press in an email: “The attorneys can make comment!”

Cindy Ettingoff, an attorney not affiliated with the case, says she has been questioning the situation since the story came to light.

“When I saw it to begin with I had a lot of questions because it just didn’t seem like something that logically should have occurred and especially with the dollar amount involved,” she said. “I’m flabbergasted in a way, but in a way I’m not.”

Ettingoff says a lot comes down to registering a deed. You pay to register and then can transfer to someone else.

“So I could say I’m going to take your house, your title, I’m going to claim that it’s your signature, on there where you are transferring title to me,” said Ettingoff. “Once I have the title, I don’t want to get caught. I want to get the property away from me and I want to get some money for it, so I’m going to sell it to someone else, take the money, and I will go on to the next place and the next item. That’s what’s happening, because it’s fairly easy to register a deed.”

As for the hearing scheduled for Wednesday morning, Ettingoff questions who will be in court.

“Someone has to come and appear and represent the party for a non-judicial sale or non-judicial foreclosure. Who the heck is that going to be?” said Ettingoff.

WREG reached out to the LLC, but the email bounced back, and the phone number is no longer in service.

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