The red-headed actress is contesting the upcoming foreclosure sale on Elvis’ property through a lawsuit, alleging fraudulent claims.
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Riley Keough Defends Her Mother In Legal Fight Against Foreclosure
A notice released this month disclosed that Graceland will be auctioned to the highest cash bidder on Thursday, May 23, at the steps of the Shelby County Courthouse. The sale will also include the surrounding acreage on Elvis Presley Boulevard.
Per the notice, Lisa Marie Presley — Elvis’ late and only child — purportedly signed a Deed of Trust for a $3.8 million loan from a Missouri-based company named Naussany Investments and Private Lending.
The deed, which was reportedly signed in 2018, saw the singer-songwriter using Graceland as collateral.
The company alleges that she failed to repay the loan before her passing in January 2023. However, Keough has denied that her late mother borrowed money from Naussany Investments in a 60-page lawsuit filed on Wednesday, May 15.
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In the documents filed in Shelby County Chancery Court, Keough asserts that Lisa Marie’s signatures on the deed are forged. She also questions the legitimacy of Naussany Investments as an entity.
The lawsuit further claims that the notary involved in the deed refutes having notarized Lisa Marie’s signature or ever having met her.
Meanwhile, an attorney for Keough affirmed that a temporary restraining order on the sale was granted on Monday. An injunction hearing is scheduled for Wednesday.
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Graceland Insiders Supposedly Confirm Keough’s Allegations Of Fraud
Amid the dispute between Keough and Naussany Investments, Graceland officials issued a statement backing up the former’s allegations. They wrote:
“Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent. There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed to stop the fraud.”
According to WREG, Elvis acquired the Graceland mansion in the Whitehaven neighborhood of Memphis in 1957.
Following her father’s passing in 1977, Lisa Marie inherited Graceland, which later opened its doors to the public as a museum in 1982.
Upon Lisa Marie’s demise last year, Keough assumed the role of heir to the estate and trustee of the Promenade Trust.
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Keough Previously Faced Off Against Barclays Bank On Her Mother’s Behalf
This will not be Keough’s first time fighting her deceased mother’s financial battles in the past year, as detailed by The Blast in January.
At the time, Barclays Bank had stated that Lisa Marie still owed them $1.6 million for a loan she took to buy an estate in the United Kingdom in 2010.
The financial institution subsequently shared that she personally guaranteed repayment when she obtained the loan. Unfortunately, as the sole trustee of the “Nobody Noticed It” singer’s estate, Keough sought a legal declaration that the trust is not responsible for the payment.
In the filing, the 34-year-old presented multiple arguments as to why the trust should not bear the burden of the loan.
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She initially argued that the statute of limitations had expired, citing January 12, 2024, as the deadline. The date marked one year since Lisa Marie’s passing and was a purported cutoff for Barclays to file a claim.
Additionally, Keough noted that her mother only committed to interest payments on the loan from 2010 to 2015, thereby releasing the trust from responsibility for the outstanding principal.
Riley Keough Had A Brief Legal Issue With Her Grandmother
Keough has also been at loggerheads with her grandmother, Priscilla Presley, over the validity of Lisa Marie’s will.
The focal point of the duo’s problems revolved around a 2016 amendment that ousted Priscilla as the trustee of the estate — a change she allegedly discovered only after her daughter’s passing.
The amendment replaced Priscilla and business manager Barry Siegel with Lisa Marie’s children, Riley and the late Benjamin Keough.
Luckily, the battle did not last very long as Priscilla and Keough reached a settlement last August, with both parties agreeing to a $1.4 million payment. Their agreement also ended with a confirmation of Keough as the sole trustee of Lisa Marie’s estate.
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The pair’s resolution then received approval from Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Lynn Healey Scaduto in November.
Priscilla Presley & Riley Keough Proved The End Of Their Beef With A Public Appearance
Four months after they resolved their differences, Keough and her grandmother showed off their strengthened bond in public. The Blast observed that they achieved that goal by making their debut appearance together last October at Nobu Malibu.
In images captured, Priscilla, Keough, and her younger sisters, Finley and Harper, enjoy a meal of sushi, with the matriarch reportedly covering the expenses.
For the date, Priscilla opted for an all-black attire featuring a black bomber jacket layered over a polka dot top and coordinated black pants.
Keough opted for a similar chic ensemble comprising a long black robe coat and open-toe sandals. During a previous conversation about her relationship with Priscilla, the mother of one gushed:
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“Things with Grandma will be happy. They’ve never not been happy. There was a bit of upheaval, but now everything’s going to be how it was. She’s a beautiful woman, and she was a huge part of creating my grandfather’s legacy and Graceland.”