Good news for Elvis Presley’s granddaughter: judge stops Graceland auction over possible fraud

The auction of Gracelandthe mansion that Elvis Presley purchased in 1957 for $102,500 the same year he released hits like Blue Christmas y All Shook Up, has been temporarily blocked by a Tennessee judge. The bidding, which was scheduled for this Thursday, cannot be resumed until it is determined who maintains legitimate ownership. The magistrate has thus agreed with Danielle Riley Keoughthe granddaughter of the late artist, who filed a lawsuit to block the sale of the house where the remains of her grandfather and also those of her mother are buried, Lisa Marie Presleywho died of cardiorespiratory arrest in January 2023, at age 54.

Keough maintains an arduous legal battle with the company Naussany Investments & Private Lending, which claims ownership of the mansion alleging that it granted a $3.8 million loan to Lisa Marie Presley in 2018 and she offered Graceland as a guarantee. The company claims that she defaulted on the payment of said loan. For its part, the daughter of Lisa Marie and granddaughter of Elvis Presley denies everything and accuses the company of falsifying the documents. In her lawsuit, filed May 15 in Shelby County Chancery Court, He assures that his mother never borrowed money from Naussany: “These documents are fraudulent”. He further alleges that Lisa Marie’s signature was forged and the The notary listed on the contract denies having certified Lisa Marie’s signature or having ever met her.

Graceland, a pilgrimage sanctuary

Lisa Marie Presley was only 9 years old when her father died, a tragedy she never got over. She became the heir (along with her grandfather and her great-grandmother) to the unforgettable legend’s fortune, which at the time was valued at $5 million (€4.6 million). It was her mother’s sense of smell, Priscillathe one that helped fatten the accounts.

Presley’s widow saw a vein in Graceland, where the rock star lived, and turned it into a sanctuary, a fan pilgrimage theme park. It was inaugurated in 1982 and receives around 650,000 visits annually, making it one of the most tourist destinations in the country.