Predators in the funeral Industry:Cemetery Lawsuit-YourFuneralGuy

A Georgia Cemetery Owner was called a Predator by a Judge recently.

Revealed now  is a recent illustration predators in the funeral business. An Owner a group of cemeteries stopped all competitor vaults(concrete and other) from being sold at his cemeteries. He then raised the prices on his own inexpensive vault.

If you expect to come in under the average cost of a funeral you need to avoid predators in the funeral business or industry.

This is an example of predators in the industry. The cemetery owner in this case was taking advantage of his customers and his competition a lawsuit was filed  which brought on a court order.

This was brought in to the light by a news article in Augusta Georgia.

From chronicle.augusta.com

ARTICLE TITLED:

“Judge blocks cemetery owner’s plan to ban concrete vaults”

“In essence, Mr. Nikola is a business predator and has acted in bad faith,” Brannen ruled in an order filed May 19. “He bought cemeteries in an effort to make a profit to the detriment of those he claims to serve.”

If you are a funeral professional do not be a predator. If you are a consumer do your best not to do business with funeral predators.

Funeral Industry Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy, Funeral Director, Illinois, Virginia.

NYSE:SCI Midwest Cemetery Mistreats Veteran’s Family-yourfuneralguy.

The World's Largest Cemetery Corporation ripped Memorials from a Veterans grave site without notifying the family.

“A Evansville Indiana Veterans  family has been mistreated by Service Corporation International(SCI). SCI is the World’s Largest  Funeral and Cemetery Corporation. Twice in one month SCI has been  exposed disrespecting the dead. Soldiers who die in  Military Conflict deserve a sacred honor.

It is hard to take. This time SCI removed sacred memorials attached to a grave stone of a soldier who died in Iraq. This all happened at Alexander Memorial Park in Evansville, Indiana. The article appeared at the courierpress.com.

It seems that SCI does not find it hard to mistreat Veterans Families. Earlier the month SCI was caught abusing Veterans Corpses at the Falls Church, Virginia National Funeral Home. This all went down in the midwest  in Evansville, Indiana. The title of the article in Evansville, Indiana’s Courier & Press sums what the SCI Cemetery did. “Mementos stripped from Grave“ In fact an IRAQ veteran’s mother’s memories were actually ripped from the grave site.

Snippet From the Article: Peggy “Hammond  vowed to turn the grave at Alexander Memorial Park on Evansville’s West Side into a welcoming refuge where family and friends could escape their grief: She set up small flags, placed a few personal mementos nearby and attached decals by Pfender’s name.

For more than three years, it worked, with friends, family and Hammond visiting frequently and finding comfort there, she said.”

But about two weeks ago, she arrived to find all of the items gone…..”

The Sad thing is that Peggy Hammond had spent &45,000 Dollars on the Grave Site Memorial.

The SCI Cemetery removed the memorials from the grave without no notice or Explanation to the Family!

It is no wonder that Service Corporations Cemetery operations were down 59% in the the last quarter of the year!

If you own NYSE: SCI stock you have a moral obligation to dump their stock!

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A FUNERAL HOME NEVER CHOOSE AN SCI FUNERAL HOME NO MATTER WHAT!

There is a strong case for grave desecration here.

Funeral industry| Funeral Costs Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Now a Virginia Funeral Directors Association Preneed Problems-YourFuneralGuy.

Virginia has a Preneed Problem like many States around the Country. The Virginia Funeral Directors Association has close ties to the preneed company in "Receivership"

Preneed or Prepaying a Funeral  seems to be  finding trouble everywhere in the USA. Not only do we have an (IFDA) Illinois Funeral Directors Association Scandal, We Have a Virginia Funeral Directors Association situation as well.

The Virginia Funeral Directors Association Board voted Shenandoah life insurance Company as the preneed company of choice.

AVirginia preneed insurer Shenandoah Life Insurance Co. has been placed in receivership by the circuit Court for the city of Richmond.  Sadly this insurer is still being touted at the VFDA website.

With this situation you would think the Virginia Funeral Directors Association would at least take Shenendoah Life down from their website.  The problem with Shenendoah is that their is a declining value of assets and there is a question whether preneed contracts will be covered.

According to the Shenandoah Life Insurance Website

“On February 12, 2009, pursuant to Title 38.2, Chapters 10 and 15 of the Virginia Code, the Circuit Court for the City of Richmond issued an Order that appointed the State Corporation Commission of the Commonwealth of Virginia as Receiver of Shenandoah Life.”

“Receivership is a protective measure established under Virginia law to protect policyholders in the event an insurer experiences financial difficulty……Shenandoah Life and the State Corporation Commission determined that the receivership was necessary to protect the interests of policyholders and creditors.”

Receivership documents are here

In Virginia there  appears to have  been  no attempt to keep information from funeral directors, policyholders, the public or the media as is the case with the Illinois Funeral Directors Association and the “IFDA Preneed Trust.”

Maybe the Comptroller in Illinois, “Dan Hynes” should consider

“Receivership” as a possible solution for the IFDA

Preneed Trust Ponzi Scheme.

These kind of situations should make it clear to the consumer to steer clear or away from Preneed and prepaid funerals.

Funeral Industry| Funeral Costs Blog by Your Funeral Guy

Revealed-Free Life Insurance for some IFDA members-YourFuneral Guy

What other IFDA PERKS will they discover?They just discovered our free IFDA life insurance policies.

Today it was revealed that IFDA members got free life insurance policies.  It is another piece of evidence that some who where involved in the  IFDA Preneed Trust fund paid themselves with a bunch of fancy perks.

It  is a word of warning for those who turn their money over to funeral directors for their final expenses. They might just spend it on themselves. As in the case of the IFDA Trust they can keep some of the money for themselves. According to the Chicago Tribune April 7th 2009 on the “IFDA Preneed Trust”

“Funeral directors could keep a cut of the interest earned on the accounts.“

Who got the perks?  Were their other perks? Did IFDA leaders get free life insurance policies?

Did the Current NFDA(National Funeral Directors Association) Executive Secretary Randall L Earl get perks? He is not talking.

What was the funding vehicle or how/if  funds were transfered out of the trust were used to pay for the policies is not known. The likely candidate is  IFDA Services, INC.  Again from the Chicago Tribune.

“One type of policy used individual funeral directors as the insured. Schainker allegedly solicited funeral directors by offering them a free $25,000 life insurance policy that would be funded by the IFDA, the complaint said.

It’s not clear from the complaint whether consumer deposits were used to pay for the $25,000

Corruption at the IFDA started years ago.

policies.”
The secretary of state charges that the solicitation violated the state’s insurance laws and constitute illegal payments.”

Does this mean that the IFDA made Illegal Payments?

THE LESSON FOR THE CONSUMER IS DO NOT PREPAY YOUR FUNERAL TO THE FUNERAL DIRECTOR.

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

Corruption Starts here pic from flickr

DottieboBottie’s photostream

SCI Va. Body Desecration Atrocity Leads back to GWB-Your Funeral Guy.

The  recent treatment of the Dead at the Service Corporation International- National Funeral Home in Falls

The SCI Demaine Servicing Funeral Home, Manager told the customer it was a misunderstanding. Abusing deceased loved ones is never a misunderstanding. Demaine Funeral Home pictured.

Church,Va is a tragedy for funeral professionals around the country. More and more trust and respect is taken away from funeral directors because of the inability of the funeral industry to police themselves(Gosh, that sounds familiar).

The fact that the events occurred within a few miles of the nations capital makes it all the worst. The story was first reported in The Washington Post Article and Video.

The SCI Trail first goes back to grave desecration in Florida At Service Corporation International (SCI) Cemeteries. This mess was reported settled for 100 million dollars.

A Snippet from Fox News:

“December 20, 2001

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Attorneys suing a cemetery company accused of recycling graves showed grisly photos and video footage Thursday of crushed burial vaults and human remains discarded in the woods.

They also presented internal documents they say show Menorah Gardens & Funeral Chapels in West Palm Beach and its owner, Houston-based Service Corporation International, were aware of the grave desecration’s SCI is the world’s largest cemetery company.”

The fact is that the next steps backward lead to “funeralgate”and George W Bush before he became President in 2000.

The Current SCI Atrocity at National Funeral Home relates back to a Scandal in TEXAS involving then Governor Bush.

GWB complicated things a bit. This was a SCI “EMBALMING SCANDAL” like the one  Service Corporation International-SCI- is now facing in Virginia at National Funeral Home, and Demaine Funeral home. Funeral Directors and Embalmers are responsible for the treatment of the dead under their care.

A snippet from Wikepedia :

“In the late 1990s, SCI was involved in a controversy involving alleged violations of Texas State EMBALMING LAWS. The proceedings took a political slant due to Robert Waltrip’s friendship with the family of then-governor George W. Bush and Waltrip’s campaign contributions to various members of the Bush family..[11]

Referred to as “Funeralgate” or “Formaldegate” in the media, the controversy was widely publicized when Eliza May—a director with the Texas Funeral Service Commission (TFSC)—was fired while investigating SCI. May alleged in a civil suit that she was fired because she refused to halt her investigation, despite pressure to do so from Governor Bush.…..

The lawsuit was settled in 2001 for more than $200,000.”

Robert Waltrip the CEO and founder of Service Corporation International needs to step down. There have been too many scandals. Some kind of national regulations  needs to be put in place for both preneed and the treatment of dead folks including proper embalming.

There need to be guidelines beyond the funeral rule. You may be surprised to know that the dead have rights. So may Service Corporation International, Robert Waltrip and the Folks at Demaine Funeral Home and National Funeral Home.

Funeral Industry|Funeral Blog by Your Funeral Guy.

Demaine Funeral Home pic from FLICKR

NCinDC’s photostream

George Bush Pic from Flickr.

Trpster*’s photostream

service corporation international
falls church
funeral rule

Your Funeral Guy Dear Abby opposes Trolling for Preneed Funeral Cost.

Dear Abby opposes Trolling for Preneed Funeral Cost. Even the National Funeral Directors Association( NFDA did an article on this one). When you visit a traditional Funeral Home watch for trolls on Funeral Cost.Over a year ago Dear Abby posted a letter on what you can run into at a traditional funeral home…someone trolling for prearrangement funeral cost(s)

“A funeral home trolling for business from grieving friends and relatives of the deceased mother and daughter two days after the granddaughter’s funeral? And to use the signed book (to receive memorials) for names, addresses and phone numbers to “promote business” is, in my eyes, unconscionable! Your thoughts, please.

Doris”

This is the old bait and switch trick applied to funeral homes & funeral cost.

Dear Abby’s response:

“DEAR DORIS: Just when I think I have seen it all, a letter like yours lands on my desk.

Whether the person who called you was the funeral director or a salesman, that person is his own worst enemy.

“People with such little sensitivity for the feelings of others should not be in a people-oriented profession.

If that man’s employer reads this, I strongly recommend that he be relegated to the back room, where the individuals he deals with are far beyond the cares and concerns of this world.”

The full story can be read here:

http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/894628/dear_abby_funeral_home_approaches_mourner_to_garner_business/index.html

The obituary and memorial card were a part of this scam.

watch for trolls in traditional funeral homes.

More information can be found here including average funeral cost.:

Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral by R Brian Burkhardt and Matt Bacak. #1 International Best Selling Author Jason Oman also gave thumbs up to this book. This book is published by Morgan James Publishing.

Your Funeral Guy, R Brian Burkhardt, Funeral Director, Author, Blogger, State of Illinois

Your Funeral Guy: Zingwacker idea a Funeral Cost Book!

Rest in Peace released May1st: The best lower cost funeral info.

Rest in Peace Insider’s tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral is a great guide on Funeral Cost. Rest in Peace was released May 1st 2008, This work contains the best lower cost funeral information out there. Here is what one Funeral Director said after the book release:

After reading “Rest in Peace” Claire and I found this to be very informative and truly would be a very important help to those who are facing making Funeral Arrangements. Many good ideas were presented We think that the AARP would be very interested in reading this book. Our best to you in trying to educate the public on Funeral Arrangements.–Ed Cronic Funeral Director.

You can Now Purchase “Rest in Peace” at major online outlets and order it at your local bookstore.

A book on lowering your funeral cost is a zingwacker idea for a book. It will be a great help to Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa.

Search Inside this work here:

Rest in Peace: Insider’s Tips to the Low Cost Less Stress Funeral by R Brian Burkhardt and Matt Bacak. #1 International Best Selling Author Jason Oman also gave thumbs up to this book.

This work has great funeral tips and can save you thousands on Funeral Costs! A true money saver.