MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Tennessee’s attorney general said Thursday that his office is investigating a company’s attempt to sell Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland, at a foreclosure auction, a move that was halted by a judge after the granddaughter of the king of rock n’ roll filed a lawsuit alleging fraud.
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a news release that the beloved Memphis tourist attraction “became a target” of Nausanny Investments and Private Lending when it attempted to sell the home-turned-museum based on allegations that Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, had failed. to pay off a loan where Graceland was used as collateral.
Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday against the proposed auction, which was scheduled for Thursday. Jenkins’ injunction essentially left in place a previous restraining order issued at the request of Presley’s granddaughter, Riley Keough.
Tennessee’s appointed attorney general can investigate and file civil lawsuits, including in cases of alleged consumer fraud. But his authority in criminal court is significantly more limited, generally reserved for representing the state during appeals. Local, elected district attorneys prosecute criminal cases.
“My office has been fighting fraud against homeowners for decades, and there is no home in Tennessee more beloved than Graceland,” Skrmetti, a Republican, said in the statement. “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 Elvis Presley’s heirs and anyone else who may be similarly threatened.”
A spokesman for the district attorney’s office for Shelby County, which includes Memphis, said it was not investigating at this time. And a spokesperson for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said the Shelby County district attorney did not ask to investigate.
An FBI spokesman in Memphis said the FBI does not comment on the possibility or likelihood of investigations and declined further comment.
Darrell Castle, a Memphis attorney who is not involved in the case but monitors it, said he was not surprised by the state attorney general’s involvement.
“This is what should happen, it’s very important,” Castle said. “Someone with investigative authority needs to investigate and get to the bottom of the matter.”
After the judge’s ruling Wednesday, a statement from someone who appeared to be a representative of the company said the company would drop the claim, which Presley’s estate argued was based on false documents. Online court records did not immediately show any legal filings suggesting the complaint had been dismissed.
A public notice for the foreclosure sale of the 13-acre (5-hectare) property published in early May said the Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owed $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Keough, an actress, inherited the trust and ownership of the home following the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year.
Naussany Investments and Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. A lawsuit filed last week by Keough alleged that Naussany submitted fraudulent documents relating to the September 2023 loan.
“Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments,” Keough’s attorney wrote in a court filing.
Naussany unsuccessfully filed a motion denying the lawsuit’s allegations and opposing the estate’s request for a preliminary injunction. Nausanny did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Thursday.
A statement emailed to The Associated Press after Wednesday’s ruling said Naussany would not proceed because a key document in the case and the loan were recorded and obtained in a different state, meaning “legal action would have to be moved across multiple states.” The statement, sent from an email address listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.
Court documents included company addresses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Hollister, Missouri. Both were to post offices, and one reference in Kimberling City, Missouri, was to a PO box. The company is also not listed in state databases of businesses registered in Missouri or Florida.
Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on Naussany’s documents, indicated that she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s filing. The judge said the notary’s statement questions “the authenticity of the signature.”
Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 as a tribute to Elvis Presley, the singer and actor who died in August 1977 at age 42. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
“Graceland will continue to operate as it has for the past 42 years, ensuring that Elvis fans around the world can continue to have the best experience when visiting his iconic home,” Elvis Presley Enterprises said in a statement.
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Mattise reported from Nashville, Tennessee.
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