MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tennessee’s attorney general said Thursday that his office is investigating a company’s attempt to sell Elvis Presley’s home, Graceland, through foreclosure, a move that was halted by a judge after the granddaughter of the king of rock ‘n-roll had filed a lawsuit for fraud.
Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti said in a news release that the beloved Memphis tourist attraction “was targeted” by Nausanny Investments and Private Lending when it tried to sell the converted museum based on claims that Presley’s daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, had failed to to repay a loan using Graceland as collateral.
Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued an injunction Wednesday against the proposed auction, which was scheduled for Thursday. Jenkins’ order essentially upheld an earlier restraining order issued at the request of Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough.
The attorney general appointed by Tennessee can investigate and bring civil lawsuits, including in cases of alleged consumer fraud. But its authority in criminal court is considerably more limited and is usually reserved for representing the state on appeal. Local prosecutors, who are elected, bring 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 news release. “I have asked my attorneys to investigate this matter, determine the full extent of any wrongdoing, and determine what we can do to protect both Elvis Presley’s heirs and anyone else who may be similarly threatened.”
After the judge’s ruling Wednesday, a statement from someone appearing to be a representative of the company said it would drop its claim, which Presley’s estate said was based on false documents. Online court records did not immediately show legal documents indicating the claim had been dropped.
A public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 12-acre property posted earlier in May stated that Promenade Trust, which manages the Graceland museum, is owed $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Keough, an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after 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 notice. A lawsuit filed by Keough last week alleged that Naussany filed fraudulent documents related to the loan in September 2023.
“Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never executed a deed of trust to Naussany Investments,” Keough’s attorney wrote in a court filing.
Naussany filed an unsuccessful motion denying the lawsuit’s allegations and opposing the estate’s request for an 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 move forward because a key document in the case and the loan had been recorded and obtained in another state, meaning “legal action in multiple states should be sued.” The statement, sent from an email address listed in court documents, did not specify the other state.
“The company will withdraw all claims with prejudice,” the statement said.
The court documents list the company’s addresses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Hollister, Missouri. Both were for post offices, and a Kimberling City, Missouri, reference was for a post office box. The company also is not listed in state databases of registered businesses in Missouri or Florida.
Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name appears on Naussany’s documents, indicated she never met Lisa Marie Presley or notarized any documents for her, according to the estate’s lawsuit. The judge said the notary’s affidavit, included in the lawsuit, calls into question “the authenticity of the signature.”
Graceland opened in 1982 as a museum and tourist attraction as a tribute to Elvis Presley, the singer and actor who died in August 1977 at the age of 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 from around the world can continue to have the best experience when they visit his iconic home,” Elvis Presley Enterprises said in a statement.
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Associated Press reporter Jonathan Mattise in Nashville, Tennessee contributed.
