INTRODUCTION
On May 15th, 2024, Riley Keough, the late Lisa Marie Presley’s daughter, filed a lawsuit to halt the auction of the family property, Graceland, in Memphis, Tennessee. According to The US Sun, “Elvis Presley’s historic Graceland home is set to be sold at auction after his daughter (Lisa Marie Presley) allegedly failed to pay back a $3.8 million loan.” Keough’s lawsuit is based on claims of fraudulent loan documents. Learn about the lawsuit details and gain insight from Experts.com member and Handwriting Expert, Wendy Carlson.
GRACELAND LAWSUIT EXPLAINED
Backstory
Elvis Presley bought the 13.8-acre estate for $102,500 and moved to Graceland in 1957 with his family. After his death, Lisa Marie Presley became the sole heir of the property in 1977. She is responsible for transforming the home into one of the most popular museums in the United States. The Graceland Museum opened in 1982 and brings in an average of over 600,000 guests annually. In January 2023, she suddenly passed away from a small bowel obstruction. Due to her untimely death, Riley Keough, her only daughter, inherits Graceland (The U.S. Sun).
In 2018, Naussany Investments & Private Lending granted Lisa Marie a loan. She also signed a deed of trust to secure it. AP News stated, “Naussany Investments & Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice.” In support of Promenade Trust, which oversees the Graceland Museum, Keough filed a lawsuit suggesting Naussany falsified loan documents. More specifically, the paperwork allegedly contained forged signatures in Lisa Marie’s name. Keough’s lawyer, Jeff Germany, wrote, “Lisa Marie Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments” (AP News).
Court Findings
To delve further into the fraud loan signature claims, here is a list of what transpired (credit: USA TODAY and NBC News):
- In the lawsuit, Keough depicts Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC as “not a real entity.”
- Keough also states a man named Kurt Naussany sent her attorney emails threatening to sell Graceland if he did not receive the $3.8 million. However, his departure from the company was in 2015.
- According to Kurt, the person assisting Lisa Marie with the loan was Gregory E. Naussany.
- Mr. Germany states the notary stamp on the deed of trust is falsified.
- Kimberly Philbrick, the notary, states she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized the document.
- On May 21st, 2024, Gregory E. Naussany sent a fax response to the Shelby County Chancery Court hours before the hearing began.
- He states, “I respectfully deny the allegations made by Danielle Riley Keough… Naussany Investments & Private Lending is prepared to provide evidence and arguments to demonstrate the relief sought is not justified in this case… It’s apparent that Keough and LMP family was not aware of LMP *mis handling [sic] of money and finances” (NBC News).
- On May 22nd, 2024, the Chancery Court Chancellor told Mr. Germany, “It appears that… your client will be successful on the merits, providing that you prove the fraud that has been alleged” (NBC News).
- He also stated that delaying the trial would not hurt Mr. Naussany, as it would allow him time to provide an adequate defense to their claims against Keough.
- As a result of the hearing, Graceland will remain open to the public.
- After consulting with his attorneys, Gregory E. Naussany dropped the case.
EXPERT INSIGHT
Wendy Carlson, a Forensic Document Examiner and Handwriting Expert, has graciously opined on this blog topic. She states, “It is a common thing to see fraudulent signatures in real estate transactions. Whether it is property, rights, or an inheritance, there is always somebody out there who wants something that isn’t theirs.” She also analyzes forged signatures and documents outside of real estate. She frequently views questioned signatures on “wills, deeds for automobiles, professional contracts, noncompete agreements, and divorce documents.” Ms. Carlson examines signatures on graffiti, anonymous notes, magazine subscriptions, and even suicide notes as well. Overall, people will forge signatures and documents on anything they can.
With this in mind, how do people actually falsify documents? Ms. Carlson notes a few methods below:
- Cutting and Pasting
- Electronically
- Wording/Paragraphs/Signatures
Also, how can someone determine false signatures? According to Ms. Carlson, handwriting experts analyze and compare fake signatures to real ones. “Sometimes, a deeper examination needs to be done through electronic magnification. Examining and magnifying the original wet ink document is always the best method for making an accurate determination,” Ms. Carlson says. People falsify signatures and documents in order to illegally portray authenticity and genuineness. Now that there are electronic signatures, finding fake ones has been taken to a new level.
Ms. Carlson states, “Sometimes, technology makes it more difficult to ascertain the authenticity of a document or signature. However, a person’s signature is created through repetition and habit, and those habits and idiosyncrasies found in writing are not easily mimicked by a person who does not regularly sign that signature that is being compared.” For this reason, it is crucial to examine original signatures. Unfortunately, most original versions are unavailable. The initial signatures and documents are either missing or destroyed.
CONCLUSION
Overall, fraudulent signatures and documents exist for selfish gain. It is not difficult to understand why someone would want to own Graceland, fraudulently or not, especially with its revenue. However, this nefarious act transcends the rich and famous. Everyone should be on the lookout. Graceland remains in the custody of Promenade Trust and will not be up for auction any time soon. Thanks to the insight from Handwriting Expert and Forensic Document Examiner Wendy Carlson, any signature and document can be fraudulent, but there are ways to find the genuine versions.
