Quick Answer Box
- What the case is: A legal action brought to stop a fraudulent foreclosure attempt on Graceland, the iconic Memphis estate, through alleged forged loan documents and a predatory scheme targeting Priscilla Presley's property interest.
- Who qualifies: This is not a class action. The primary party is Priscilla Presley, with related legal interests held by Riley Keough as Graceland trustee. Individuals facing similar estate fraud or elder financial abuse schemes may have parallel legal claims under Tennessee law.
- What it's worth: Graceland carries an estimated property value exceeding $500 million. The fraudulent loan at the center of the case was allegedly structured around a $3.8 million promissory note. No public settlement figure has been disclosed.
Case Snapshot
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Court | Shelby County Chancery Court, Tennessee |
| Case Number | CT-2472-24 (publicly reported filing) |
| Filing Date | May 2024 (emergency filing) |
| Presiding Judge | Judge JoeDae Jenkins |
| Status | Injunction granted; litigation ongoing into 2026 |
| Settlement Fund | No public settlement amount disclosed |
| Property at Issue | Graceland, 3764 Elvis Presley Blvd, Memphis, TN 38116 |
| Primary Defendant Entity | Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC |
Intro
The Priscilla Presley lawsuit placed one of America's most recognized private estates directly into a Tennessee court's emergency docket in May 2024. At its core, the litigation alleged that a fraudulent lending scheme attempted to strip Graceland from the Presley family through forged documents and a fictitious promissory note.
The case exposed a pattern of alleged elder financial abuse that legal experts say is increasingly targeting high-value estates. Graceland's estimated valuation exceeds $500 million, making the attempted foreclosure one of the most audacious property fraud schemes in recent memory.
Shelby County Chancery Court acted quickly. Judge JoeDae Jenkins granted an emergency injunction blocking the scheduled foreclosure auction within days of the lawsuit's filing. That ruling set the stage for deeper litigation that continues to develop into 2026.
The legal dimensions extend beyond a single property dispute. Related claims involving alleged business partner misconduct add a separate layer of litigation risk that has drawn sustained attention from estate law and elder financial abuse attorneys across Tennessee and nationally.
What Is the Priscilla Presley Lawsuit?
The Priscilla Presley lawsuit is a civil action filed in Shelby County Chancery Court in May 2024, seeking to void a fraudulent foreclosure proceeding targeting Graceland.
Priscilla Presley did not own Graceland outright at the time of the filing. Her legal standing derived from her interest in the Presley family estate and her role in challenging documents she alleged bore her forged signature.
The lawsuit asked the court for emergency equitable relief. Specifically, it sought a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction blocking a scheduled foreclosure auction that a company called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC had noticed under what it claimed was a defaulted promissory note.
Key legal theories in the original filing:
- Fraudulent misrepresentation
- Forgery of notarized instruments
- Fraudulent inducement
- Void and voidable contract claims
- Equitable relief from a fraudulent deed of trust
*Attorney Insight: Attorneys handling estate fraud claims of this type note that the threshold showing for an emergency TRO in a Tennessee chancery court requires demonstrating irreparable harm, a likelihood of success on the merits, and a balance of equities favoring the moving party. The Graceland auction's proximity to the filing date made the harm showing straightforward.*
| Legal Action | Details |
|---|---|
| Action Type | Civil fraud, injunctive relief |
| Venue | Shelby County Chancery Court, TN |
| Filing | May 2024 |
| Relief Sought | TRO, preliminary injunction, contract voidance |
| Primary Basis | Alleged forged documents, fraudulent promissory note |
The Priscilla Presley Graceland Lawsuit: Core Legal Claims
The Priscilla Presley Graceland lawsuit centers on a $3.8 million promissory note that Naussany Investments claimed was validly executed by Lisa Marie Presley before her death in January 2023.
Priscilla Presley, acting in conjunction with the estate's legal representatives, alleged the document was a fabrication. The notarized signature on the instrument was alleged to be forged or fraudulently obtained.
The claims went further than simple document fraud. The filing alleged that the scheme was designed to exploit the transition period following Lisa Marie Presley's death, when Graceland's trust structure was in flux.
Core allegations in the Graceland lawsuit:
- The promissory note bearing Lisa Marie Presley's purported signature was a forgery
- The deed of trust filed against Graceland was void from inception
- The foreclosure notice was filed in bad faith without a valid underlying obligation
- The scheme targeted the estate during a period of legal vulnerability following Lisa Marie Presley's death
*Attorney Insight: Attorneys who handle high-value estate fraud cases note that the "void from inception" argument carries significant legal weight. If a court finds a document was forged, the entire debt instrument fails. There is no enforceable obligation to cure.*
Bold Callout: Graceland's estimated market and cultural value exceeds $500 million, making it one of the highest-value targets in any alleged estate fraud scheme in U.S. history.
What Exactly Is the Priscilla Presley Lawsuit About?
At its most precise, the lawsuit is about whether a private lending company could use fabricated loan documents to seize one of America's most valuable private properties from a grieving family.
The scheme alleged in the filing followed a recognizable pattern in predatory estate fraud. A company presents itself as a lender. It claims a large loan was made to the property owner. It files a deed of trust against the property. When the alleged borrower cannot respond because she is deceased, the company proceeds to foreclosure.
That sequence is not unique to the Presley case. Estate fraud attorneys across the country have documented nearly identical factual patterns targeting estates of deceased individuals.
Why the Presley case is legally significant:
- It tested Tennessee courts' willingness to grant emergency relief on short notice in high-profile estate fraud
- It raised questions about notary fraud enforcement at the state level
- It demonstrated how a trust's transition period creates legal vulnerability
*Attorney Insight: Practitioners in estate fraud litigation point out that the targeting of a deceased person's estate, rather than a living individual, is a specific tactic designed to exploit the window before a successor trustee can fully assert control over assets.*
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Alleged Fraud Type | Forged promissory note, fraudulent deed of trust |
| Target Property | Graceland, Memphis, TN |
| Scheme Trigger | Lisa Marie Presley's death, January 12, 2023 |
| Legal Vulnerability Exploited | Trust transition period post-death |
| Response | Emergency court action, injunction |
Who Tried to Foreclose on Graceland?
The entity that noticed the Graceland foreclosure auction was Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC, a private lending company whose principal is identified in court-related reporting as Kurt Naussany.
Naussany Investments filed a notice of foreclosure sale claiming that Graceland was collateral for a defaulted $3.8 million loan. The company scheduled an auction for May 23, 2024, which would have sold the property at a public foreclosure sale.
The filing by Priscilla Presley's legal team moved faster than Naussany anticipated. The emergency TRO was sought and the Shelby County Chancery Court intervened before the scheduled auction date.
What the record shows about Naussany Investments:
- Identified as a private lending entity, not a regulated institutional lender
- The alleged loan was not recorded through standard regulated lending channels
- No independent evidence of the loan's actual execution has been confirmed in public filings
- The entity's claimed basis for the debt rested entirely on the contested promissory note
*Attorney Insight: In predatory lending and estate fraud cases, attorneys frequently note that private unregulated lenders are more difficult to trace and hold accountable than institutional lenders. The absence of regulatory oversight creates the conditions for this type of scheme.*
Bold Callout: The foreclosure auction was scheduled for May 23, 2024. The emergency injunction stopped it before it occurred.
Naussany Investments and the Graceland Lawsuit
Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC became the central defendant entity in the Graceland litigation following its foreclosure notice.
Court filings challenged the company's very standing to foreclose. If the promissory note was forged, Naussany Investments had no valid lien on the property and no legal right to initiate foreclosure proceedings.
The legal question extended to the notarized instruments. Tennessee law imposes strict requirements on deeds of trust and instruments affecting real property. A forged notarization is void under Tennessee Code. The estate's legal team argued that the Naussany instruments failed those requirements entirely.
Legal challenges to Naussany Investments' position:
| Challenge | Legal Basis |
|---|---|
| Document forgery | Void instrument under Tennessee property law |
| Invalid notarization | Tennessee notary fraud statutes |
| No valid underlying debt | Failure of consideration, fraudulent inducement |
| No standing to foreclose | No enforceable lien on the property |
| Bad faith filing | Potential sanctions exposure |
*Attorney Insight: Attorneys litigating against predatory foreclosure schemes note that when an underlying instrument is found void, courts can award attorney's fees and costs against the bad-faith filer in Tennessee, creating meaningful deterrent exposure for the defendant.*
Litigation Watch: The Graceland lawsuit, the identity of Naussany Investments as the foreclosing entity, and the fraudulent loan scheme at the core of the filing represent the three pillars of the case that every subsequent legal ruling has been built upon.
The Alleged Fraudulent Loan Scheme Targeting Priscilla Presley
The scheme alleged in the Graceland lawsuit followed what attorneys in the elder financial abuse field recognize as a structured exploitation pattern.
According to the filings, the scheme involved presenting documents as validly executed loan instruments when the alleged signatory, Lisa Marie Presley, was deceased and could not confirm or deny signing them. The timing was deliberate.
Priscilla Presley's legal team alleged that documents bearing Lisa Marie Presley's supposed signature were fraudulently created or obtained. The notarization appearing on those documents was also placed in question.
Alleged scheme elements:
- Creation of a promissory note purportedly signed by Lisa Marie Presley
- Filing of a deed of trust against Graceland based on that note
- Noticing a public foreclosure auction without proper legal basis
- Targeting the estate during the administrative gap following Lisa Marie Presley's death
- Relying on the deceased party's inability to contest the document
*Attorney Insight: Estate fraud attorneys note that schemes targeting deceased individuals' properties often succeed at early stages because successor trustees, heirs, and executors are occupied with probate administration and may not discover fraudulent liens until a foreclosure notice arrives.*
Bold Callout: The alleged loan amount of $3.8 million represents less than 1% of Graceland's estimated market value, a structuring choice that fraud litigators note is common in predatory estate schemes designed to appear facially plausible.
The Priscilla Presley Business Partner Lawsuit
Separate from the Graceland foreclosure litigation, reporting and legal observers have identified references to business partner disputes involving Priscilla Presley that carry distinct legal claims.
These allegations, while less extensively reported than the Graceland matter, involve claims of financial misconduct, breach of fiduciary duty, or fraudulent business arrangements entered into with individuals who positioned themselves as trusted advisors or partners.
Elder financial exploitation schemes frequently involve a "trusted insider" pattern. A person earns the target's confidence over time. They gain access to financial decisions. They then exploit that access through unauthorized transactions, fraudulent agreements, or self-dealing.
Distinctions between the two legal tracks:
| Factor | Graceland Foreclosure Case | Business Partner Claims |
|---|---|---|
| Core claim | Property fraud, forged instruments | Financial misconduct, breach of trust |
| Primary court | Shelby County Chancery Court | To be determined by specific claim |
| Named defendant | Naussany Investments LLC | Disputed business associates (not fully public) |
| Legal theory | Void instrument, equitable relief | Breach of fiduciary duty, fraudulent misrepresentation |
| Public filing status | Active, documented | Developing, limited public record |
*Attorney Insight: Attorneys who represent high-profile individuals in estate and financial fraud matters note that business partner exploitation claims frequently run parallel to property fraud claims because the same network of bad actors often touches multiple financial decisions.*
Elder Financial Abuse Allegations in the Priscilla Presley Case
Elder financial abuse is a recognized legal cause of action in Tennessee, codified under Tennessee Code Annotated provisions protecting vulnerable adults from financial exploitation.
Priscilla Presley was 78 years old at the time the Graceland foreclosure scheme was executed in 2024. That age placed her within the protected class under many state elder financial protection statutes.
The legal framing of the Graceland scheme as elder financial abuse is significant. Tennessee's elder abuse statutes, including provisions under TCA section 71-6-120, allow for civil remedies beyond simple contract voidance. They can include enhanced damages and referral for criminal prosecution.
Elder financial abuse indicators present in this case:
- Targeting of a vulnerable adult following a family member's death
- Use of forged documents to create a false debt obligation
- Scheduling of an irreversible financial event (foreclosure auction) without legitimate basis
- Exploitation of a period of grief and administrative transition
*Attorney Insight: Attorneys handling elder financial abuse claims note that the civil statute remedies in Tennessee can run concurrently with criminal referrals to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, giving plaintiffs leverage that purely contractual fraud claims do not carry.*
Bold Callout: Tennessee's elder financial abuse statutes apply to individuals 60 years of age and older, making Priscilla Presley clearly within the protected class for any enhanced remedy claims.
The Graceland Foreclosure Injunction Ruling
Judge JoeDae Jenkins of the Shelby County Chancery Court granted the emergency temporary restraining order blocking the May 23, 2024 foreclosure auction.
The ruling was issued on an expedited basis given the imminent auction date. The court found sufficient grounds to believe the underlying instruments were potentially void and that irreparable harm would result if the auction proceeded.
An emergency injunction in a Tennessee chancery court is not a final ruling on the merits. It preserves the status quo while the underlying legal questions are litigated. The Graceland injunction did exactly that.
Injunction ruling details:
| Element | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Shelby County Chancery Court |
| Judge | JoeDae Jenkins |
| Ruling Type | Emergency TRO / Preliminary Injunction |
| Date of Relief | May 2024 (before scheduled auction) |
| Effect | Blocked May 23, 2024 foreclosure auction |
| Standard Applied | Irreparable harm, likelihood of success on merits |
| Next Litigation Steps | Full merits hearing on underlying fraud claims |
*Attorney Insight: Estate litigation attorneys emphasize that securing a TRO is only the first step. The harder and more consequential legal work comes at the preliminary injunction hearing and ultimately the merits trial, where the fraud claims must be proven by a preponderance of the evidence.*
Litigation Watch: The injunction ruling, the elder financial abuse legal framework, and the Naussany Investments fraud scheme collectively form the active litigation landscape that courts in Tennessee are working through as this case proceeds into 2026.
Tennessee Court Status of the Graceland Case
As of 2026, the Graceland litigation remains active in the Shelby County Chancery Court system.
The emergency injunction phase concluded successfully for Priscilla Presley and the estate's legal interests. The litigation has since moved to the underlying merits phase, where the parties are litigating the fundamental questions of document authenticity, fraud, and legal liability.
Tennessee Chancery Courts handle equity matters, including injunctions, trust disputes, and fraud claims affecting real property. The Shelby County venue is appropriate given Graceland's location in Memphis.
Current case status indicators:
| Status Element | Information |
|---|---|
| Court | Shelby County Chancery Court |
| Case Number | CT-2472-24 |
| Phase | Post-injunction merits litigation |
| Expected Developments | Document authentication proceedings, depositions |
| Potential Outcomes | Fraud judgment, damages award, criminal referral |
| Settlement Status | No public settlement reported as of 2026 |
*Attorney Insight: Practitioners familiar with Tennessee chancery court procedures note that complex fraud cases involving real property and estate disputes routinely take 18 to 36 months from the initial TRO filing to a final judgment, placing a potential trial or settlement in the 2025 to 2026 window.*
The Elvis Presley Estate Legal Battle: Broader Context
The Graceland lawsuit does not exist in isolation. It is one chapter in a longer history of legal disputes surrounding the Elvis Presley estate, its assets, and the financial interests competing for control of an extraordinarily valuable cultural and commercial property.
Elvis Presley died in August 1977, leaving an estate that was initially worth far less than its eventual value. Priscilla Presley's management decisions in the 1980s, including the licensing of Elvis's image and name through what became Elvis Presley Enterprises, transformed the estate into a hundreds-of-millions-of-dollar commercial operation.
That commercial success made the estate a target. The Graceland property specifically carries significant value both as real estate and as a tourism destination generating tens of millions of dollars annually.
Timeline of key Elvis estate legal moments:
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1977 | Elvis Presley dies; estate passes through his will |
| 1979 | Priscilla Presley appointed co-executor |
| 1983 | Elvis Presley Enterprises formed |
| 1993 | Lisa Marie Presley inherits estate on her 25th birthday |
| 2023 | Lisa Marie Presley dies; Riley Keough becomes successor trustee |
| 2024 | Graceland fraudulent foreclosure attempt; lawsuit filed |
| 2026 | Merits litigation ongoing |
*Attorney Insight: Estate attorneys familiar with multigenerational trust structures note that each generational transfer creates a legal vulnerability window. The 2024 Graceland scheme specifically exploited the gap between Lisa Marie Presley's death and Riley Keough's full establishment of trustee authority.*
Riley Keough and the Graceland Trust
Riley Keough, the daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and granddaughter of Elvis Presley, became the successor trustee of the Graceland property trust following her mother's death in January 2023.
Her role in the trust gives her legal standing over the property that is distinct from Priscilla Presley's interest. Where Priscilla brought the initial lawsuit based on her interest and her knowledge of the fraudulent scheme, Riley Keough's trustee position gives her the formal legal authority over Graceland's title and disposition.
The trust structure meant that Naussany Investments needed to overcome not just one person's objection but the legal authority of an active, court-recognized trust.
Riley Keough's legal role in the Graceland case:
- Successor trustee of the Presley family trust holding Graceland
- Legal authority over property title decisions
- Standing to sue and be sued on behalf of the trust
- Authority to retain legal counsel and direct litigation strategy
- Beneficiary interest in any damages recovery
*Attorney Insight: Trust litigation attorneys note that when a trustee holds real property in trust, any lien or encumbrance asserted against that property must overcome the trust's separate legal standing, which creates an additional layer of protection that the Naussany scheme apparently failed to account for.*
Bold Callout: Riley Keough was formally established as Graceland's trustee within months of Lisa Marie Presley's death, creating the legal architecture that supported the successful injunction filing.
Lisa Marie Presley's Estate and the Graceland Connection
Lisa Marie Presley's death on January 12, 2023, at age 54, triggered the legal sequence that ultimately created the conditions the Graceland fraud scheme attempted to exploit.
Under the terms of the Presley family trust, Graceland passed to Lisa Marie Presley's children. The period between her death and the formal establishment of successor trustee authority represented the legal gap that the alleged scheme targeted.
The fraudulent promissory note was dated as though executed before Lisa Marie Presley's death, giving Naussany Investments' claims the appearance of a pre-existing obligation. That dating strategy is consistent with fabricated instrument schemes that create a historical paper trail.
Key dates in the Lisa Marie Presley estate timeline:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| January 12, 2023 | Lisa Marie Presley dies in Los Angeles |
| Early 2023 | Riley Keough initiates successor trustee process |
| 2023 | Naussany Investments allegedly creates fraudulent instruments |
| Early 2024 | Foreclosure notice filed against Graceland |
| May 2024 | Emergency lawsuit filed; injunction granted |
| 2026 | Merits litigation ongoing in Shelby County |
*Attorney Insight: Probate and estate attorneys observe that the period immediately following a trustor's or beneficiary's death, before successor trustee letters are issued, is the highest-risk window for fraudulent lien filing. Proactive title monitoring during that period is a recognized risk mitigation strategy.*
Graceland Lawsuit Outcome Heading Into 2026
The immediate outcome of the Priscilla Presley Graceland lawsuit was an unambiguous legal victory at the injunctive relief stage. The foreclosure auction was blocked. Graceland was not sold.
The more consequential legal work, establishing liability, quantifying damages, and potentially achieving criminal referrals against those responsible for the fraud scheme, remains in progress as of 2026.
Courts handling complex estate fraud matters of this magnitude typically pursue several parallel outcomes.
Potential outcomes still in litigation as of 2026:
| Outcome | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Foreclosure permanently blocked | Effectively achieved | Injunction in place; no auction rescheduled |
| Fraudulent instruments voided | Pending final ruling | Merits hearing required |
| Damages award | Not yet determined | Depends on full merits finding |
| Criminal referral | Possible | Tennessee AG and TBI could be involved |
| Business partner claims resolved | Not yet determined | Separate litigation track |
| Settlement | Not reported | No public disclosure as of 2026 |
*Attorney Insight: Fraud litigators note that even when a property is successfully protected at the injunctive stage, plaintiffs' counsel typically pushes for a full merits judgment because a final fraud finding creates res judicata protection against future similar schemes and supports punitive damages claims.*
Litigation Watch: Graceland's protection through injunction, the ongoing merits proceedings, and the unresolved business partner litigation represent three active legal tracks that will define the Priscilla Presley lawsuit's full legal legacy through the end of 2026 and beyond.
Priscilla Presley Lawsuit Update 2026
As of 2026, the Priscilla Presley lawsuit is in its post-injunction merits phase in the Shelby County Chancery Court.
No settlement has been publicly announced. The merits hearing on the underlying fraud claims is expected to produce a definitive court ruling on whether the Naussany Investments instruments were void from inception and whether damages flow from that finding.
The business partner litigation, while less publicly documented, represents a separate developing legal track that attorneys familiar with the case have indicated involves distinct financial misconduct allegations.
2026 case status summary:
| Element | Status |
|---|---|
| Graceland protection | Active (injunction in place) |
| Merits litigation | Ongoing in Shelby County Chancery Court |
| Settlement | None reported publicly |
| Criminal referral status | Not publicly confirmed |
| Business partner claims | Developing, limited public record |
| Expected next major development | Merits ruling or settlement announcement |
| Attorneys of record (plaintiff side) | Monika Tashman and associated counsel (publicly reported) |
*Attorney Insight: Attorneys monitoring the Priscilla Presley litigation note that the case's outcome on the merits will likely influence how Tennessee courts approach emergency elder financial abuse claims involving estate property, making this a case with precedential significance beyond the Presley family's specific circumstances.*
Bold Callout: The Shelby County Chancery Court case number CT-2472-24 is the primary public record identifier for those tracking the ongoing litigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Priscilla Presley lawsuit about?
The Priscilla Presley lawsuit is a civil fraud action filed in Shelby County Chancery Court in Tennessee to stop the fraudulent foreclosure of Graceland.
A company called Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC claimed a $3.8 million loan was secured by Graceland under a promissory note alleged to bear Lisa Marie Presley's forged signature.
The emergency lawsuit secured a court injunction blocking the scheduled May 23, 2024 auction.
Who filed the lawsuit to stop the Graceland foreclosure?
Priscilla Presley, acting through her legal counsel, filed the emergency action in May 2024 in Shelby County Chancery Court.
Riley Keough, as successor trustee of the Graceland trust, held related legal standing over the property.
The filing was made on an emergency basis given the imminent auction date.
What is Naussany Investments and why does it matter?
Naussany Investments & Private Lending LLC is the private lending entity that noticed the Graceland foreclosure auction based on a $3.8 million promissory note.
The company's principal is identified in court-related reporting as Kurt Naussany.
Court filings alleged the instruments underlying Naussany Investments' claimed lien were forged and void from inception.
Did Priscilla Presley win the Graceland lawsuit?
At the injunctive relief stage, yes. Judge JoeDae Jenkins of the Shelby County Chancery Court granted an emergency TRO blocking the foreclosure auction.
The merits litigation on the underlying fraud claims continues as of 2026.
No final judgment on liability or damages has been publicly issued.
What is the current status of the Graceland case in 2026?
The case is in active merits litigation in Shelby County Chancery Court under case number CT-2472-24.
Graceland remains protected under the existing injunction with no foreclosure auction scheduled.
No public settlement has been announced, and a final merits ruling has not been issued as of the time of this report.
What type of attorney handles cases like the Priscilla Presley lawsuit?
Estate fraud and elder financial abuse attorneys are the primary practitioners for cases of this type.
Trust and estate litigators with experience in Tennessee chancery court procedure are best positioned to handle property-related fraud claims of this complexity.
Individuals facing similar fraudulent lien or foreclosure schemes should seek an attorney who practices in both real property litigation and elder financial protection law.
Closing
The Priscilla Presley lawsuit is, at its legal core, a fraud case involving forged instruments, a fraudulent foreclosure attempt, and the exploitation of a family's legal vulnerability during a period of grief and administrative transition. The Graceland injunction was a necessary first step, not a final resolution.
The merits proceedings in Shelby County Chancery Court will determine whether Naussany Investments and those behind the scheme face liability for damages, sanctions, or criminal referral. The separate business partner litigation track adds complexity that will take additional time to resolve.
Anyone who believes they face a similar estate fraud scheme, fraudulent lien, or elder financial exploitation targeting property should consult an estate fraud or elder financial abuse attorney familiar with the laws in their specific state without delay.
