Complaint Review: Catholic Cemeteries in Arizona - Nationwide

Subject:  Catholic Burials/Unjust Enrichment/Exploitation of Deceased's Families/Price Gorging/Fraudulent Schemes, etc.

To begin with:  What is God's Will?  To love justice and mercy, to do good, and to walk humbly with the Lord.  Justice precedes Charity.

Background:  For over fifty years, several family members, fellow Catholics/practicing Christians, and many other friends of mine, have been buried throughout Catholic Cemeteries, with a significant number of them being interred  throughout metro-Phoenix, Arizona.  

Until  about fifteen years ago, the prices for Catholic burials, were  "reasonable," and I did not feel that any of our Catholic/Christian people were being exploited, or being taken advantage of--especially during their time of grief.

However, within the past fifteen years, radical price gorging, due to greed pertaining to burials at Catholic Cemeteries, have become the rule--not the exception.  

I first began to notice significant price gorging at Catholic Cemeteries throughout metro-Phoenix beginning several years ago.  The $64,000 question; is this price gorging, universally practiced  throughout other Catholic Dioceses in The United States?  Many of us have family and friends buried at Catholic Cemetries--and this malicious scheme of price gorging must stop!!!  Also, I strongly resent being blind sighted with "pop up" adhesion rules/regulations which are  disclosed at our time of grief.  

A few examples:  Since Catholic Cemeteries will NOT buy back any of their burial plots, reselling is often made more difficult with previously purchased plots due to fickle regulations.  (These  changable rules are called "Adhesion Contracts.")  Second, if a family member requests any family decedent to be buried in their family plot, the name of the deceased must have been originally written onto the original DEED.  If NOT, the full price, at "market value," for a new crypt is demanded. Third, even if the burial plot, have been fully prepaid many years previous, an additioal extortionate sum is demanded for spouses to be buried together.  Fourth, just a simple opening of a crypt in the Mausoleum is excessive.  One recent example; it now costs $2,000 just to open one single crypt.  Fifteen years ago, the cost fo open a single crypt would have been in the $500. range.  How can anyone justify this 400% increase?   Elsewhere, the average cost to open one mausoleum crypt in metro-Phoenix is usually $500.  Finally, even if a burial plot can accommodate several burials, only one burial is permitted, and the grieving victims are required to pay for another unnessary plot for the "privilege" being buried together.  

Unfortunately, there is NO regulatory oversight.  The Arizona Department of Real Estate normally regulates most other secular Cemeteries. However, by statute, Catholic Cemeteries are specifically exempt from oversight.   So, who is going to "guard the guard?"

"Off the Record," the Funeral Industry practices the "code of silence"  never questioning wrongdoing with Catholic Cemeteries.  

General maintenance of cemetary grounds:  I have noticed much cemetery grounds are poorly maintained, pot holes abound, grave markers are crooked and misaligned, and are seldom restored.  Question:  Where is all the money going for endowment care?  

I have warned these Bozos they have a choice to clean up their greed and corruption, or have outside counsel  appointed to take over management of the cemetery properties.  But I have only received silence to clean up this greed, and stop the exploitation of our Catholic/Christian people at Catholic Cemeteries. What is the remedy?  Can we exhume our loved ones and bury them elsewhere?  Highly unlikely.

I have spoken with Counsel who are willing to institute class action.  But, we need at least three people to sign on, who have been injured, to begin any litigation.   

Any suggestions or solutions?  Can you help?