Complaints

• Initial Complaint

  07/10/2022

  Complaint Type:

  Service or Repair Issues

  Status:

  Answered

  More info

  In early February we arranged funeral plans for ****** ********. His headstone was delivered to Oak Lawn on April 18, 2022. His funeral was on April 21, 2022. His headstone foundation has not been set yet and his headstone has not been placed in the actual spot either. We have called 3 times, messaged them on ******** and been told they have been too busy or the weather hasn’t been favorable to lay the foundation and place the stone. But it has been almost 3 months and the weather conditions have been absolutely fine to do this simple task. We do not have an outstanding balance, the funeral and the burial was paid in full prior to the services. All we want is the headstone to be placed permanently and their end of the contract to be fulfilled. We have been patiently waiting with no answers as to why they have not finalized my fathers eternal resting spot. We are anxious to visit and plant flowers and need this to be done so we can move on peacefully and visit his resting area.

  Business response

  07/12/2022

  Dear Sir or Madam:
  
  This email is in response to complaint ID # ******** assigned to Oak Lawn Cemetery in *********, CT.  The date which the family submitted the complaint was July 8, 2022.
  
  Oak Lawn Cemetery received the paperwork for the ******** family monument from ***** ******** ***** on February 28, 2022.  At that time of year (November thru April), we do not dig and pour foundations.  The reason for this is it all depends on weather and the frost in the ground This request and all other foundation orders during this period are placed on our 2021/2022 Winter Foundation List.  Oak Lawn, along with most other cemeteries, are not able to dig and pour foundations during this period.  In the later part of April, we test the frost line.  Once this frost line has decreased and we are able to dig and obtain the proper depth needed for a monument’s foundation we refer to our list of foundations that has accumulated over the winter.  We process the foundation requests in the order in which they are received, meaning those received in November will be done before those received in February.
  
  As soon as I received the complaint from the Better Business Bureau (7/11/2022), I investigated the foundation order and spoke with our Office Manager, Maggie C****** regarding this complaint.  She stated that she was the one who returned the one and only call to Mrs. *** *** ****** (Mr. ********’s daughter).  Mrs. C****** explained our procedures concerning foundation requests received in the winter months and that the family’s foundation order was on our list – but there were other orders received prior to theirs.  The family was told we would get to theirs as soon as possible.  Mrs. *** ****** stated she understood.  Mrs. C****** stated that at no time during this conversation did she state Oak Lawn had been too busy.
  
  With reference to the family’s statement that the monument was not placed in its proper location, they are correct.  BUT this was done based on a special request regarding this family’s monument asked by their monument dealer.  They wanted the monument to be on the family lot for ****** ********’s funeral on April 22, 2022 – with their full knowledge that the foundation was not done.  At the family’s request, we were asked to make an exception and allow him to deliver and set the monument on the lot.  With great hesitation we granted their request, knowing it would make it extremely difficult for Oak Lawn’s staff to prepare the grave for Mr. ********’s burial.  Regarding the statement made by Mrs. ***** ******** ***** (another daughter), the family knew it was not in its proper place, BUT this was done at their request to have the monument at the lot for the burial services.
  
  Yesterday (7/11/2022), I spoke with Oak Lawn’s grounds crew and instructed them to have the foundation dug and poured.  This was completed this morning.  Please find attached a photograph of the completed foundation.   The foundation will need a day or two to cure.  The next step will be coordinating with their monument dealer ****** ******** *****) to have them move and set the monument on its foundation.  This will depend on their schedule, and this could take another few days.
  
  These are the series of events as they happened, and I hope my explanation clarifies the ******** complaint.  I believe it was a series on miscommunication within the family – possibly one sister not informing the other sister.
  
  Oak Lawn Cemetery has been assisting families in ********* County since 1865 and it is the Cemeteries’ sincerest effort to help make a terrible period in the family’s life a bit easier.  Please know, we take all complaints and inquiries very seriously and act upon them expeditiously.
  
  Sincerely yours,
  Margaret M. C*****
  Executive Director - Oak Lawn Cemetery

  Customer response

  07/15/2022

  
  Complaint: ********
  
  I am rejecting this response because:
  
  

  First off, the fist call made to oak lawn was on Monday June 6th by *****. I received a call back the filling day and was given absolutely none of the information you stated in your first paragraph. And the person I spoke with did in fact say, “it’s been too busy”. And then proceeded to say that the weather was not conducive. Never once were we informed that foundations were not laid until April which of this was explained, would have been acceptable. When I asked when the foundation would be started the women I spoke with said, “hopefully with in the week”. And I asked her if they could please start because we wanted to plant flowers on Father’s Day. On June 19th, I messaged oak lawn through ******** since no email address was listed on their website, I got no response. And on July 1st Amy called oak lawn. They returned her call the following Tuesday and again, mentioned noting about not laying foundations in April. She asked if they could check the schedule and call back with an estimate of when the work would start and we’re told we would be calling the better business bureau if no information was given by the end of the week. Oak lawn did not call to give us any additional information. And on July 8th since no one had called either one of us, we submitted a complaint with the BBB. In your statement you mentioned you received word of our complaint on July 11th which just happened to be the date you looked at the plot and began the work. You didn’t bother to look after our first call, or our message, or even the 3rd time we reached out by phone. What a coincidence the first time you checked the plot was the exact day you received the BBB complaint. These were the events as they actually happened. The fact that in your response you said that it was a miscommunication between sisters is an insult and an overly dramatic opinion since we have time stamped phone calls and documented the responses to each other with in minutes of speaking with oak lawn. The miscommunication was with in oak lawn and the staff. We appreciate that the foundation has finally been laid and hope that your future interactions with grieving families are a better experience then ours.

  
  Sincerely,
  
  ***** ******** *****

*Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business. ↩