Service Corporation International Funeral Home Fined For Veterans Corpse Abuse|Your Funeral Guy

National Funeral Home in Falls Church Virginia has been fined for Their part in Veterans Corpse Abuse SCI Scandal of 2009. This was were veterans bodies  were left to rot in the garage while waiting for burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

Service Corporation International Dignity Logo

Employees at the funeral home raised concerns last year that hundreds of bodies were being mishandled at the facility. A Washington Post article in April 2009 detailed allegations that bodies had been left on hazardous-materials boxes and makeshift gurneys; deceased veterans were placed on garage racks for months while awaiting burial at Arlington National Cemetery; and some bodies were left exposed and leaking fluids.

via www.washingtonpost.com

A fine of $50,000 USD  is but a swat at a mosquito for the World’s Largest Funeral Corporation,  NYSE:SCI, Service Corporation International.  Unannounced inspections should be happening in Virginia anyway.

National Funeral Home and the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers signed a consent order this week in which the Falls Church facility agreed to two years of probation, a $50,000 fine and six unannounced inspections each year. A two-year suspension was imposed but immediately stayed. It could take effect if the funeral home is found to have any violations in the next two years.

via www.washingtonpost.com

Funeral Industry|Funeral News|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Funeral Industry Site says Funeral Scandal Up in 2009-YourFuneralGuy

Funeral Scandal will continue an grow in 2010

ConnectingDirectors.com agrees with me that 2009  was the year  of the Funeral Scandal. However in the forums the webmaster insisted That Scandal Is caused by a few bad apples who disgrace the Funeral Industry.  This is funeral industry myth about Funeral Scandal. Service Corporation International itself  Leader The Funeral Industry Scandal itself amounts to more than  a few bad apples.

ConnectingDirectors.Com and many industry Old timers insist that the media(press) sensationalize scandal because their business is death. The exact opposite is true the press and the media are not inclined to report Scandal because they rely on the paid obituary from the the Funeral Director for money. In Connecting Directors case and the Newspapers it is also paid advertising  from the  funeral home and the industry that fuels lack of honesty.

This is all covered in Your Funeral Guys  Funeral book “Rest in Peace.”  Naively hoping there will be less funeral scandal in 2010 than 2009 is unrealistic

“SCI, Walmart, and Batesville Lead List of Top 10 Funeral Industry Stories of 2009

2009 wasn’t exactly a picture perfect year for the funeral industry. Marred by scandal after scandal, most press that was given to the industry was negative. Lets hope the 2010 can be a better year.” via ConnectingDirectors.Com

For economic reasons alone, Funeral Scandal will increase in 2010.

Funeral Industry| Funeral  News| Funeral Blog

Top 10 Funeral Scandals (Year by Year)of the Last decade-YourFuneralGuy

Top Ten Funeral Scandals of the past decade

Revealed Here are the top ten Funeral Scandals of the Last Decade presented on a year by year basis. Funeral Scandals come in in three ways,:Funeral Director|provider (NPS, IFDA) takes your money, The Funeral Director|provider does not perform agreed upon services and/or the Government and politicians get involved!

No matter how it happens Funeral Scandal  is not good for the funeral consumer and funeral cost! Funeral Scandal occurs in the USA daily. It is very difficult to keep up with funeral scandal  news reported in the Media.

Service Corporation International is reported in over half of the Top ten Funeral Scandals in the Last Decade.

2000- Funeralgate George W  Bush barely gets the Presidency not because of the vote counting hanging chads in Florida but because a judge Rules he does not have to testify in a Service  Corporation International  Embalming.Scandal

2001 Menorah Gardens Florida. the manager at one of the main desecration sites later committed suicide.

From Wikepedia.

“The Menorah Gardens cemetery chain, owned by SCI, was accused of desecrating vaults, removing three bodies from two cemeteries in Florida, and dumping the remains in woods in 2001. In one case, a cemetery superintendent took it upon himself to remove an occupied vault to make room for an adjacent burial that would not fit because the 1st vault was buried at an angle, preventing the burial.”-via en.wikipedia.org

2002-2003 Georgia TriState Cemetery Scandal Over three hundred remains were found on the site unburied left to rot. many Americans are aware of this Scandal.

In the 100 Million dollar National Prearranged Services Scandal The main tool was White Out!

2004 The Texas Funeral Commission Scandal Service Corporation International Again

2005 Katrina Body count outsourced to The Scandal Ridden Service Corporation International, SCI

2006 Clayton Smart -Forest Hills Funeral Home 20 million preneed trust fund Scandal, Memphis.

2007 The  National Prearranged Services (NPS) Preneed Insurance Scandal was first brought into the light.  approximately 100 million dollars was stolen. The Main Tool in the Crime White Out!

2008 The Illinios  Funeral Directors Association Theft and  Insurance Ponzi Scheme was was first reported in February 2008 in a Springfield Newspaper. All Reports in One Place Illinois Funeral Fund Scandal This scandal spread to the National Funeral Directors Association through it’s Treasurer, Randall L Earl. This was also the largest Insurance Scandal in the History of the state of Illinois. Sadly:

Demaine Funeral Home in Alexandria,Va one of the SCI Funeral Homes in the Corpse Abuse Scandal

The New reform focused IFDA President resigned in Late 2009.

2009 -The funeral scandal Year of the decade. The top funeral scandal in 2009 occured  at the Burr Oak Cemetery outside of Chicago. The company owner Perpetua essentially escaped consequence for their neglect. Over 300 Graves desecrate and 4 people in the grave robbing money scam. This Scandal deeply hurt the black community in the Chicago Area.An initial report: More than 100 graves dug up in Cemetery Horror Burr Oak Cemetery.

The Eden Memorial Park Scandal was reported outside of Los Angeles. The scandal broke when a lawsuit was reported by the press.  Click Here for details of the Eden Memorial Park Lawsuit Again this was a Service Corporation NYSE: SCI Cemetery

National Funeral  Home  and  Demaine Funeral home, two SCI Funeral homes were found to be involved in Veterans Corpse abuse in early 2009.  This shocked veterans and the public.Sadly|Pics,Places,Logo Virginia SCI Body Desecrations

Funeral Industry|Funeral News Blog By Your Funeral Guy|Funeral  Director, Illinois and Virginia.

SCI  DIGNITY LOGO from flickr uner the Creative commons license

Jeremy Brooks’ photostream

Demaine Funeral Home pic from FLICKR uner the creative commons license

NCinDC’s photostream

Here are the top 25 Funeral News Stories of 2009-Your Funeral Guy

Top 25 Funeral Stories of 2009

Here are the Top 25 Funeral Stories of 2009:

1 .Walmart Selling caskets online

2. When someone dies setup a Facebook Memorial

3.Sadly|Pics,Places,Logo Virginia SCI Body Desecrations-rbrianburkhardt

4.Michael Jackson Memorial

5.Average Cost of a Funeral-Average Funeral Home

6.President Obama Stirs the soldiers At Fort Hood Memorial Service-

7.More than 100 graves dug up in Cemetery Horror Burr Oak Cemetery.

8.Digital Assets need to be a part of Every Funeral Arrangement

9.Funeral Preneed is Dead Even in the Richest Towns

10.Service Corporation International’s Burr Oak Cem. Scandal

11.Brittany Murphy Death and Funeral|has celebrity death gone too far n 2009?

12. Farrah Fawcett Memorial

13. SCI  Denies wrong doing in Veterans Corpse Abuse Scandal

14.Chicago Cubs Cemetery is for Burned Fans.

15 So Where is Farrah Fawcett Buried?

16.Ted Kennedy Funeral | Mass- Full Program-Your Funeral Guy

17. Burr Oak Cemetery  owners have a funeral home scandal

18. NFDA Exec Sec Earl Should Resign with Fed Investigation of IFDA

19.Neptune Society fined for Preneed Violations

20.Walter Cronkite Memorial Service: Video of President Clinton’s Eulogy-R.Brian Burkhardt

21. Senator Ted Kennedy Funeral Mass|Program-from Mission Church.

22. Funeral Preneed is Dead.

23. Service Corporation International, mishandled the Kennedy Funeral

24.Oral Roberts Funeral arrangements|Live Streaming Video-

25.Missouri Legislature passes reform in response to National Prearranged Services Scandal

Funeral Industry Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

Be sure to Check Out the Top 100  Funeral News Stories of 2009.

The Top 3 Funeral Scandals of 2009-YourFuneralGuy

Revealed Here are the  top 3 Funeral Scandals of 2009 with detailed explanations. Front and center in these Scandals are Service Corporation International, the Illinois Funeral Directors Association,  the National Funeral Directors Association’s Treasurer and  Perpetua, Inc the owner of  the Burr Oak Cemetery.

Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal

1. The Most significant and Far Reaching Funeral(& Cemetery) Scandal of 2009 was the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal outside of Chicago. (Alsip, IL) In July 2009 it was discovered that over 300 graves had been moved and  desecrated. Bones were piled up and scattered throughout the cemetery. Four people were arrested for grave desecration. Next to the Georgia Tri State  Crematory  Scandal(2002) and  The Service Corporation International Menorah Gardens &  Funeral Chapels 2001 Scandal in West Palm Beach FL, this is probably the worst Funeral and Cemetery Scandal in the ending  decade. The owner of the neglected Cemetery, Perpetua Inc has escaped consequences along with the Funeral Homes involved on The South side of Chicago.

Good things have come out of this Scandal: Cemetery reform is on the way in Illinois and nationally  The Bereaved Consumers Bill of Rights Act was proposed in Congress.

Up to 500 Graves desecrated here

2. On the heels of the Burr Oak Cemetery Scandal came the Eden Memorial Park Scandal in Los Angeles. This is a Service Corporation International Cemetery were over 500 graves were either moved or desecrated. Eden Memorial Park was a much higher end Cemetery.  This shows the world that Funeral and Cemetery Scandal  everyone

Click Here for details of the Eden Memorial Park Lawsuit

3. In 2009 the Illinois Funeral Directors Association Insurance Ponzi Scheme was brought into the Light. They lost 42 million dollars before the Wall Street melt down in 2008. Losses have ballooned to over 100 million dollars The leaders of the association misappropriated the  preneed trust funds (IFDA Preneed Trust).

The Comptroller of the State of Illinois in 2009  stated in a press release that the leaders of the association stole the money.  One of the Main players in the scandal is Randall L Earl current treasurer of the NFDA, who has refused to resign his position despite his involvement.

Sadly those Funeral Directors( Lawsuit Calvert Funeral Homes et al) that sued the association over their preneed commissions did not do due diligence with their families preneed funds. They did not keep track of the money themselves, their responsibility. Instead they blamed their association and filed lawsuits.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by your funeral guy

Service Corporation International tries to grab positive press-YourFuneralGuy

World's Largest Funeral Corporation in Organ donation publicity stunt

Service Corporation tries to grab positive press in the Rose Bowl Parade on  January 1st 2010. Service Corporation International has been plagued with Scandal in 2009 and  had bad financial numbers and documented layoffs.To offset this they have formed an alliance with New Life Rises and the Donate Life Float in the Rose Bowl Parade.

SCI (NYSE: SCI )is the World’s Largest Funeral Corporation has formed this alliance and at the same time issue an award through the Dignity Memorial Network(R)

It is very hard for SCI to get positive publicity, this is a result of that. Create your own award. That is not to say that the folks mentioned in the award  are not outstanding and organ donation is not noble. This is an alliance for a grab at positive press.

This kind of tactic is all the more reason not to use an SCI Funeral home.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog By Your Funeral Guy

Cramers Mad Money-Receives Macrabre SCI question-YourFuneralGuy

It is best not to buy Service Corporation International stock or use an SCI funeral home

The Stock Adviser Cramer recently issued an advisory not to buy Service Corporation International Stock, NYSE:SCI. What is significant here ist hat Cramer said not to buy SCI stock. The reason for that is the decline in SCI revenue.

Cramer did not really say why- but he stated he would not buy the stock. But the question oh yes. The question points to the publics lack of understanding on how the Funeral Industry, and how funerals work.

The question references the Estate tax approved by Congress for 2011 with little debate and fanfare.

Cramer received a rather macabre trading idea from one viewer:

“In 2010, the estate tax will be completely eliminated. However in 2011, the estate tax will jump back up to 55%. With that much money on the line I am willing to bet that greed will be responsible for an abnormal number of deaths in 2010 … I know it sounds awful, but what do you think about Service Corp. International (SCI), the funeral services firm.

Cramer responded that he researched a similar scenario the last time the estate tax laws were changed, found that there was not an unusual increase in the death rate among the affluent and didn’t see a reason to buy Service Corp. “I’m not buying the Service Corp. thesis. Because I’m probably the only person in America who’s done that study.”

via seekingalpha.com

The lesson here for the consumer is three fold.

1. Gain an understanding of funerals and the funeral industry and how they work.

2. Do not use an SCI funeral home or cemetery. Your risk is scandal and higher cost.

3. Do not by Service Corporation International Stock.

Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy

Virginia considers new regulation in reaction to SCI Veterans Corpse Abuse|YourFuneralGuy

Entrance to National Memorial Park -Grounds where National Funeral Home and SCI Central Embalming facility are located.

Those responsible for funeral regulation in the State of Virginia are considering new regulation as a result of Veterans Corpse abuse that occurred at  the SCI- Service Corporation International National Funeral Home. This was reported in April 2009 by the Washington Post. A veterans corpse did not receive proper care(embalming) by SCI before Burial at Arlington National Cemetery. This happened at National Funeral home in Falls Church,VA.

This scandal was one of several reported about Service Corporation International (NYSE:SCI)this year. The new regulations would make sure that deceased veterans would receive proper care awaiting Burial at Arlington National Cemetery.

The changes being considered by the Virginia Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers would require funeral service providers to refrigerate unembalmed bodies stored for more than 48 hours.

via www.dailypress.com

Funeral Industry Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Government Allows SCI to Buy Palm Mortuary-Your Funeral Guy

The worlds largest funeral corporation will soon be in control of the Las Vegas Market

The government has allowed Service Corporation International to buy Palm  Mortuary in Las Vegas. This will allow SCI to Control the Funeral Market in Sin City.

Service Corporation International (SCI) is the worlds largest and cemetery and funeral corporation.

SCI has had poor financial reports in 2009 and terrible scandals, veterans corpse abuse in Falls.Church,VA at National Funeral Home and massive Grave Desecration at Eden Memorial park in the Los Angeles Area(500 graves).

This is sad news for the funeral consumer and the people of Las Vegas Nevada.

A Texas company has agreed to sell some of its Las Vegas funeral home operations to settle an antitrust lawsuit filed by the state over its purchase of Palm Mortuary Inc.

Service Corporation International (SCI) will sell Davis Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 6200 South Eastern Ave. (Sunset Road), the Nevada Attorney General’s office said.

SCI must also sell the pre-paid funeral business from that home and the pre-paid business from Davis Funeral Home, 2127 West Charleston Blvd. (Rancho Road); to settle a complaint filed by the state so it can proceed with the purchase of Palm Mortuary.

via www.lasvegassun.com

Both the State Attorney General of Nevada, and the FTC (Federal Trade Commission)  are  behind the legal agreement.

There is more information on this here

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Service Corporation International to pay 4 million in damages-yourfuneralguy

The World’s Largest Funeral Corporation is to pay 4 million in damages for moving a body from one grave to another. This case was upheld on appeal but the amount of the Settlement was reduced. NYSE:SCI, Service Corporation has been involved in multiple Funeral Scandals and financial difficulty in 2009.

SCI will have to pay nearly four million dollars in damages. That’s two million dollars less than the original settlement.

The 13th Court of Appeals upheld the verdict, but it lowered the pay out for mental anguish.

SCI can still ask for another appeal.

via www.krgv.com

The Service Corporation International, SCI  also known as Big Death dug up and moved the Body of Marcos Guerra without his family’s permission.

Marcos Guerra was buried at Mont Meta Memorial Park in San Benito, Texas.

More Info

Funeral Industry | Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy-