Woman Ensnared in the Graceland Foreclosure Attempt Speaks Out
Photo Credit: Jared Kofsky / ABC News
The notary whose signature was faked in the Graceland foreclosure attempt speaks out about the scandal â âMy life was uprooted.âKimberly Philbrick, the notary whose signature was faked â and poorly, she adds â has spoken out about the Graceland foreclosure attempt that uprooted her life. Philbrick found herself in the news when a business entity calling itself Naussany Investments and Private Lending attempted to foreclose on Elvis Presleyâs home of Graceland.
A judge put a stop to the process back in May that could otherwise have seen the tourist attraction put up for auction. In court documents, Naussany claimed Lisa Marie Presley took out a $3.8 million loan before her death, using the Memphis landmark as collateral. Lisa Marie, Elvisâ only child and the heir to his legacy, had passed away only 16 months prior.
Philbrick, the notary public whose signature was alleged to have notarized a loan document, also said to be signed by Lisa Marie in her presence, swore she had never seen the documents nor met Presley.
âWhere did they get my name? Thatâs the million dollar question,â Philbrick told ABC News. âI donât know where they got it. I wish I knew where they got it.â
A former car dealership employee, Kimberly Philbrick also worked in a county office that registered auto-ownership papers. But she asserts sheâd never even been to Jacksonville, Florida, where the notarization allegedly took place; she works 90 miles away in Daytona Beach.âMy life was uprooted,â she continued. âMy identity was stolen, too. Thatâs what a lot of people seem to forget.â
Further, Philbrick says she would definitely have remembered if she had notarized anything for Lisa Marie Presley. âI know for a fact I didnât notarize anything for her â I would have remembered it.â
Philbrick thought it was a joke at first when an investigator asked her if she knew Lisa Marie Presley, but quickly realized the connection was no laughing matter. She signed an affidavit swearing she had never met Presley and had not notarized anything for her.
âIt looks absolutely nothing like my signature,â she explained. âItâs like they didnât even attempt to make it look good. Everything was fraudulent. Everything was fabricated.âThat affidavit was integral to the courtâs decision to issue a temporary injunction that stalled the auction, before a halt to the process could be issued altogether. Philbrick didnât appear in court, but her written statement on the affidavit raised âserious questions regarding the authenticity of the signature on the deed of trust,â according to Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins.
Though Philbrick has never been to Graceland, she says she plans to visit someday. âI still have to pay $82 to get in, but I saved Graceland,â she said.
The investigation into Naussany Investments has been turned over to federal authorities. A grand jury is now investigating the matter to determine whether wire or mail fraud was committed. Philbrick says she plans to testify at the grand jury after being served with a subpoena.