MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WREG) — Little is known about Nowsunny Investments & Private Lending, the company that claimed to be auctioning off Graceland through foreclosure over $3.8 million in debt owed by Elvis Presley’s daughter.
The company’s actions are currently under investigation by the Tennessee Attorney General.
Lawyers representing Nowsany Investments were not present in court when the judge issued the injunction blocking the sale on Wednesday, and a lawyer for Presley’s heirs told The Associated Press they had not been in direct contact with representatives of the company.
Various court documents list addresses for Nausany Investments in both Kimberling City, a small town near Branson, Missouri, and Jacksonville, Florida.
The company is not listed in Missouri or Florida company databases, according to the Associated Press.
According to a legal notice published in a Memphis newspaper, Lisa Marie Presley allegedly signed a $3.8 million loan agreement with Nowsunny Investments in 2018, using Graceland as collateral. The company claims she never repaid the money until after her death last year.
In a 60-page lawsuit against Nowsunny Investments, actress Danielle Keough, daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and Graceland heir, claims that her mother never borrowed money from the company, that it has no right to sell the Graceland estate and that the company is a fictitious entity.
The phone number provided does not appear to be in service, there appears to be very little record of the company online, and emails are sent to addresses set up at outlook.com and hotmail.com rather than to the company’s website.
A person who responded to the email address of Kurt Nowsany, whose name appears multiple times in legal documents, said in an email Wednesday that he has “not been associated with Nowsany Investments & Private Lending since 2015” and directed further questions to an email address listed under Gregory Nowsany’s name, who he told not to contact NewsNation affiliate WREG.
The person also said the company was dropping its claims against Graceland: “Regarding Ms. Keough’s mother’s LMP’s misguided practices and mismanagement of finances, there was no intent to harm her. The company is dropping all claims with prejudice.”
According to legal notices published three times in Memphis newspapers, the estate on Elvis Presley Boulevard in Memphis that was once home to the King of Rock and Roll is scheduled to go up for auction on May 23rd.
The sale was halted by a court injunction issued on Wednesday, with the judge noting that questions had been raised about the authenticity of Lisa Marie Presley’s signature on the documents, which Keough claims were forged.
The Shelby County Recorder’s Office said its office has investigated the matter but has not filed any documents related to the Graceland deed.
Deputy Administrator Clint Anderson said a foreclosure typically requires certain documents to be notarized, filed and certified by the registrar of deeds. That wasn’t done in this case, Anderson said.
WREG questioned Nowsani’s alleged representative about Keough’s claims that Lisa Marie Presley’s signature on the purported trust deed, mentioned in the judge’s injunction on Wednesday, was forged and not legally notarized.
“Is the signature legitimate?” WREG asked.
There was no further response.
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Scurmetti announced Thursday that the Department of Justice is investigating the attempted foreclosure sale, adding a new dimension to the case.
“My office has been fighting fraud against homeowners for decades, and no home is more beloved in Tennessee than Graceland,” Scurmetti said in a news release. “I have asked my attorneys to investigate this matter, determine the full extent of any wrongdoing that may have occurred, and identify what can be done to protect Elvis Presley’s heirs and others who may be subject to similar threats.”
