MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Elvis Presley’s estate is fighting what it says is a fraudulent scheme to auction off Graceland to the highest bidder.
An auction had been scheduled for Thursday this week, but a Memphis judge blocked it after Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough sought a temporary restraining order and filed a lawsuit, court documents show.
A public notice for a foreclosure sale of the 13-acre estate in Memphis posted earlier in May said Promenade Trust, which controls the Graceland museum, owes $3.8 million after failing to repay a 2018 loan. Keough, an actor, inherited the trust and ownership of the home after the death of her mother, Lisa Marie Presley, last year.
Naussany Investments and Private Lending said Lisa Marie Presley had used Graceland as collateral for the loan, according to the foreclosure sale notice. Keough, on behalf of the Promenade Trust, sued last week, claiming that Naussany presented fraudulent documents regarding the loan in September 2023.
“Lisa Maria Presley never borrowed money from Naussany Investments and never gave a deed of trust to Naussany Investments," Keough’s lawyer wrote in a lawsuit.
Kimberly Philbrick, the notary whose name is listed on the documents, indicated that she never met Lisa Marie Presley nor notarized any documents for her, the court filing said. The Associated Press texted Philbrick at numbers believed to be hers, but she didn’t immediately respond.
W. Bradley Russell, a lawyer for Keough, declined comment Tuesday.
Kurt Naussany, who was identified in court documents as a defendant, directed questions in an email to Gregory Naussany. Gregory Naussany told the AP in an email: “The attorneys can make comment!” Court records do not show a lawyer for the company.
The court documents included addresses for the businesses in Jacksonville, Florida, and Hollister, Missouri. Both were for post offices. A Kimberling City, Missouri, reference was for a post office box.
An injunction hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Shelby County Chancery Court.
“Elvis Presley Enterprises can confirm that these claims are fraudulent. There is no foreclosure sale. Simply put, the counter lawsuit has been filed is to stop the fraud,” Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. said in a statement Tuesday.
Graceland opened as a museum and tourist attraction in 1982 as a tribute to Elvis Presley, the singer and actor who died in August 1977 at age 42. It draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. A large Presley-themed entertainment complex across the street from the museum is owned by Elvis Presley Enterprises.
Tim Marshall, of Queensland, Australia, went to the gates of Graceland on Tuesday as part of a weekslong U.S. tour with his partner. Marshall, 54, said he heard the news about the Graceland sale attempt.
“I was surprised," Marshall said. "We don't know enough about it. I think it would be not very good if they lose it.”
Associated Press reporters Sarah Brumfield in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Heather Hollingsworth in Mission, Kansas, contributed to this story.
This story has been corrected to reflect that Russell is a lawyer for Keough, not Naussany Investments.
FILE - Fans wait in line outside Graceland Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017, in Memphis, Tenn. The granddaughter of Elvis Presley is fighting plans to publicly auction his Graceland estate in Memphis after a company tried to sell the property based on claims that a loan using the king of rock ’n’ roll's former home as collateral was not repaid. A public auction for the estate had been scheduled for Thursday, May 23, 2024, but a Memphis judge blocked the sale after Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough sought a temporary restraining order and filed a lawsuit, court documents show. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill, File)
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk was soaked. Such is life when you're out in an absolute downpour for a few hours. He did not seem to be bothered by this whatsoever.
And as the star Florida forward looked out at the crowd of people, tens of thousands of them, packed onto Fort Lauderdale Beach on Sunday afternoon for the Panthers' parade and celebration for winning the Stanley Cup, Tkachuk decided to offer a quick weather update.
“I heard it's 70 degrees and sunny in Edmonton,” Tkachuk said. “But they ain't got no Cup.”
Not even a torrential downpour — so bad that flood warnings were issued — accompanied by a huge lightning storm could stop the Panthers’ Stanley Cup celebration, one that the franchise had waited forever to have. The fans braved the storm, awaiting the champs' arrival on double-decker buses that took a beachfront route before stopping for a rally where the trophy was hoisted time and time again.
Panthers coach Paul Maurice — no stranger to profanity — dropped more than a few bleepable moments in his remarks. He also lauded the fire-rescue officials that worked the event and had to briefly treat one of his daughters, who Maurice said got hit in the head by a flying beer can. She was fine. “God bless 'em,” he said.
“In my wildest dreams I never would have thought I could see this,” Maurice said from the stage, thanking fans and players for making the Cup run possible. “Seriously. Understand this. Everybody that we love in this world is ... happy right now.”
Carter Verhaeghe was the player who got to initially bring the Cup onto the stage, Queen’s “We Are The Champions” blared and nobody minded how soaked they were, nobody minded that it was still raining. The Panthers were champs, after three decades of waiting. The title was won last Monday night, Florida beating Edmonton 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“It’s incredible,” said goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who hopped off the bus with the Cup at one point and decided to walk it down the road for a bit as fans who lined the parade route — some since Saturday night — roared. “So many people came out to support us. For us to share this moment with the fans, it’s unbelievable.”
Bobrovsky had more to say later on stage, draped in a flag of his homeland, Russia. Several players from other countries paid similar tributes to their home nations. The Cup won't be accompanying Bobrovsky to Russia this summer; for the third straight year, in response to the invasion of Ukraine, the NHL isn't permitting the Cup to be taken to Russia or Belarus.
“In my first interview, they asked me why I came to Florida,” Bobrovsky said. “My answer was, ‘Because I want to win the Cup and I’m going to do it here.' And now here we are, five years later, celebrating the biggest victory for this franchise with you guys.”
The parade and the rally capped a first few days of celebration that included the following items, among others, going into the Stanley Cup at various times: beer, champagne, apple juice, no fewer than three human beings — all children of players — and a steaming dish of pasta topped with freshly grated cheese, a dinner that Panthers legend Roberto Luongo proudly enjoyed.
“I can’t put this into words,” Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov said as he surveyed the parade scene.
Panthers owner Vincent Viola danced on the stage as his wife Theresa captured the scenes on her phone. Tkachuk hopped off the route at one point to visit his favorite bar, Elbo Room, which just happened to be adjacent to the buses’ path. Players, one by one, all got their moment to hoist the Cup on stage. There was a campaign T-shirt some players wore — Maurice Zito 2024, a nod to Maurice and president of hockey operations Bill Zito, who masterminded the Cup run. Other fans had a similar shirt — Barkov Tkachuk 2024, a nod to Florida’s stars.
And as if the crowd needed more encouragement, a shirtless Panthers forward Nick Cousins ran over to the fans at one point, chugged a beer in celebration and punched the air.
“This is awesome,” Zito said.
Defenseman Aaron Ekblad got a moment of revenge on golfer Brooks Koepka, who showed up at a Panthers game last season and compared Ekblad to a traffic cone. Ekblad grabbed such a cone on Sunday, and let Koepka know — rather colorfully — that he was getting the last laugh.
“It feels like a culmination of your life’s effort, everything you’ve ever worked for,” Ekblad said. “When you get that trophy over your head, it’s a beautiful feeling. And it’s the pinnacle of hockey. It’s everything you could possibly imagine.”
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Fans cheer the Florida Panthers hockey team during an NHL hockey parade and rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk, left, and Kyle Okposo, right, celebrate with the Stanley Cup during an NHL hockey parade and rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the championship series. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers' Aleksander Barkov, front, gestures while speaking during an NHL hockey rally and parade to celebrate the team's winning of the Stanley Cup, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the cup. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe raises the Stanley Cup during an NHL hockey parade and rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Verhaeghe scored the winning goal to defeat the Edmonton Oilers to win the cup. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers' Nick Cousins, front, is greeted by fans as he arrives at an NHL hockey parade and rally to celebrate the team's Stanley Cup win over the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Fans cheer the Florida Panthers NHL hockey team during a parade and rally to celebrate the team's Stanley Cup win over the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers players Aaron Ekblad, left, Aleksander Barkov, second from left, and general manager Bill Zito, second from right, celebrate after winning the Stanley Cup, by defeating the Edmonton Oilers, during an NHL hockey parade and rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Fans cheer the Florida Panthers team during an NHL hockey parade and rally to celebrate the team's winning of the Stanley Cup by defeating the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, right, gestures during an NHL hockey rally and parade to celebrate the team's winning of the Stanley Cup by defeating the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers' Nick Cousins, center, raises the Stanley Cup during an NHL hockey parade and rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the cup. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe, left, team owner Vincent Viola, center, and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, right, raise their arms during an NHL hockey parade and rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
The Florida Panthers team celebrates their Stanley Cup victory over the Edmonton Oilers with an NHL hockey parade and rally Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers' Ryan Lomberg is carried off by fans during an NHL hockey parade and rally to celebrate the team's Stanley Cup win against the Edmonton Oilers, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Fans cheer the Florida Panthers hockey team during an NHL hockey parade and rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky raises the Stanley Cup during an NHL hockey parade and rally, Sunday, June 30, 2024, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers to win the cup. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
