Elvis Presley’s granddaughter, Danielle Riley Keough, is fighting to keep the king of rock ‘n’ roll’s Graceland estate from being auctioned off on claims that a loan using the home as collateral was not repaid.
Following her mother’s death, Ms. Keough, 34, became the sole trustee of Promenade Trust, which owns the Graceland property.
She filed the lawsuit this past week on behalf of Promenade Trust.
“These documents are fraudulent,” Ms. Keough’s lawyer wrote in a 60-page lawsuit filed on May 15. “Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments.”
W. Bradley Russell, who is representing Ms. Keough, told The Epoch Times that he could not comment on pending litigation.
The lawsuit argues that Ms. Presley never borrowed $3.8 million from Nausanny Investments and “did not give a deed of trust to Graceland—or to any other property—to Nausanny Investment & Private Lending LLC.”
It also states that Nausanny Investments is not a real entity.
The Epoch Times attempted to contact Kurt Nassauny of Nassaunny Investments, but the phone number listed was no longer in service.
Ms. Keough’s attorney also claims that documents, including a promissory note, which appear to bear Ms. Presley’s signature, are forgeries.
“While the documents bear signatures that look like the signatures of Lisa Marie Presley, Lisa Marie Presley did not, in fact, sign the documents,” the court document reads.
The lawsuit contains copies of the documents that were allegedly acknowledged before a notary public in Duval County, Florida, in May 2018.
‘Two Problems’ with the Notary
However, the attorney pointed out in the lawsuit “two problems with the notarial acknowledgments that strongly indicate the documents are forgeries.”“First, the notarial acknowledgment on the Standard Promissory Note includes standard language that it was acknowledged before the notary ‘by means of ( ) physical presence or ( ) online notarization.’
“Online notarization was not authorized until 2020, and this language was not used in Florida prior to 2020,” the lawsuit said.
The second issue involves notary Kimberly Philbrick, who allegedly acknowledged the promissory note and deed.
“I have never met Lisa Marie Presley, not have I ever notarized a document signed by Lisa Marie Presley,” reads the affidavit signed by Ms. Philbrick. “I do not know why my signature appears on this document.”
Elvis Presley died in August 1977 at the age of 42. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, was the sole heir to his estate. Elvis and his wife Priscilla Ann Presley divorced in October 1973 after six years of marriage.
Five years after the singer’s death, Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction as a tribute to the late singer and actor. Hundreds of thousands of people visit Graceland each year.
She maintained a 15 percent ownership, which she left to her three daughters, Ms. Keough, and 15-year-old twins Harper and Finley, whom Ms. Presley shared with her ex-husband Michael Lockwood. Her son Benjamin Keough, 27, died by suicide in 2020.
Ms. Keough is the “sole trustee” for her and her sisters’ 15 percent ownership in EPE, which includes “100% ownership of the Graceland Mansion itself and its over 13-acre original grounds and their grandfather’s personal effects – meaning costumes, wardrobe, awards, furniture, cars, etc., ” according to the EPE website.
“Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent, EPE said of the estate lawsuit in a statement on its website on May 21.
“There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed to stop the fraud.”
A permanent injunction hearing is set for May 22 in Shelby County Chancery Court.
