The Graceland foreclosure lawsuit appears to have ended in the strangest way possible
Graceland, the Memphis estate once home to music legend Elvis Presley, will not be foreclosed. Hours after the judge sided with the actor Riley Keough, Elvis’s niece and estate trustee, to halt a proposed sale to pay off an alleged debt from her late mother, Lisa Marie Presley, the swift proceedings appear to have abruptly ended end. The mysterious investment company that claims to hold the deed to the house, Naussany Investments & Private Lending (NIPL), appears to be abandoning its claim to the property, stating so in an error-ridden email to Daily mail sent from Hotmail accounts, as well as in similar emails to other media.
If that sounds confusing or strange, it’s because it undeniably is. It remains unclear whether Naussany actually exists as a corporation (no business entity under that name is registered with the Secretary of State in Florida or Missouri, both states mentioned). in a lawsuit involving a company) or as a person. The media has received emails claiming to be from people believed to be associated with the company, named Gregory Naussany (who did not name Keough’s lawsuit) and Kurt Naussany (who is), but a search of public records yielded no results for people by that name. The mailing addresses associated with the company name and shown in the lawsuit belong to a U.S. Postal Service branch in Florida and PO boxes in Missouri.
According to the lawsuit filed by Keough’s legal team in Shelby County, Tennessee, on May 15, NIPL announced that the late Lisa Marie Presley received a $3.8 million loan from the company in 2015, signing the deed to Graceland as collateral for debt. The company advertised a foreclosure auction for May 23, but Keough sought to block it, alleging that the entire case, including documents that NIPL claimed demonstrated the rights of themselves, as well as NIPL itself, are “frauds”.
“The purported documents and deed of trust were the product of fraud and the individuals involved in the creation of those documents were found guilty of forgery,” part of the original complaint also read. accused NIPL of being “ not a real entity.”
On Wednesday, Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins requested an injunction, temporarily suspend sales. In a hearing that reportedly lasted a total of about eight minutes, Jenkins said that the notary cited on the NIPL documents swore under oath that she did not notarize the documents, including his signature. Lisa Marie Presley, causing the authenticity of the documents to be questioned. Jenkins said that NIPL will have a chance to make its case, but “the public interest is best served” by halting the auction.
Representatives of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Graceland’s business operator, celebrated the court victory Wednesday. In a statement to Vanity Fair, a representative said, “As the court has now made clear, the claims have no legal merit. There will be no foreclosure. 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 ultimate experience visiting his iconic home .”
However, after the court’s swift decision, the situation only became more difficult.
The Daily mail reported that they received an email from someone claiming to be Gregory Naussany within hours of the decision, responding to outreach from an account that had been listed in previous court documents. The person told the newspaper that he “withdrawn all claims with prejudice,” essentially explaining that the case was too complicated.
“Because the deed of trust was not recorded and the loan was made in different states, legal action would have to be filed in multiple states and Naussany Investments & Private Lending will not proceed,” Naussany told Letters. “That comes from the advice of the company’s lawyers. Ms. Keough was not harmed by her mother’s poor LMP habits and money mismanagement [sic].”
When asked by the outlet if he would pursue the $3.8 million bailout the company claims Lisa Marie Presley borrowed in 2015, the person replied: “According to the lawyer, it would be beneficial most because multiple filings would have to be filed in three different states,” before adding that “the company will no longer comment.”
Emails to the same from address Vanity fair not answered. Calls to the number listed in the document go to an anonymous voicemail.
According to a search of the Shelby County Court system, the most recent formal action on the lawsuit was the issuance of a temporary restraining order and restraining order in Keough’s favor.
According to the Memphis-based organization Commercial complaints, The Shelby County Clerk’s Office has not been contacted by Naussany since Wednesday morning’s decision.
Keough’s attorney, Jeff Duc, did not respond immediately Vanity fairits reach, as does the Shelby County Clerk’s Office. Elvis Presley Enterprises declined to comment further on the lawsuit Thursday. Inquiries sent to various emails regarding NIPL were also unanswered as of the time of publication.