Michigan investigates whether trust account money may have been...

The 28 cemeteries owned by Clayton L. Smart and operated under the corporate name of Mikocem LLC: Oakview Cemetery, Royal Oak United Memorial Gardens, Plymouth Oakland Hills Memorial, Novi Roseland Park ...

[Dana Grissom]

Well I attended a press conference in which Mr. Smart held at the Forest Hills Cemetary on Whitten Road here in Memphis, Tennessee and he told us that the money was there but that my mom's policy that she paid off in 1979 was not valid and that they would only honor it on the face value. If you have anymore information regarding the investigation of Mr. Smart or Mr. Wade Reynolds please forward to [e-mail] Thanks

[Bob Gray]

Dana, Clayton Smart is Clayton L. Smart in Memphis and Clayton R. Smart in Las Vegas. Go to site esos.state.nv.us/SOSS Services and check out Indian Nation L.L.C.. Also check Incorp. Services, Inc. Also check out licsrch.state.tn.us and you will find that Paul Chad Smith is his Funeral Director/Embalmer at Forest Hill East. Smith has license 5435 and 5042 and an address of 135 Woodlawn Trace, Brighton, Tn. 38011. More to follow.

[Dana Grissom]

I am going to try to go to the Board Meeting tomorrow, 080806, in Nashville if mom is feeling better. I have also discovered that the Burial contract, the policy with the plot and deed information on it, they are not paying for the opening and closing anymore either, at least they did not pay for an acquaintance family members opening and closing with the Westminster policy.

[Liz]

Please cc your info on Clayton Smart to detroit news reporter who is doing a story on smart when all the invetigations are complete. His e-mail is [e-mail]

Bob Gray wrote:

Dana, Clayton Smart is Clayton L. Smart in Memphis and Clayton R. Smart in Las Vegas. Go to site esos.state.nv.us/SOSS Services and check out Indian Nation L.L.C.. Also check Incorp. Services, Inc. Also check out licsrch.state.tn.us and you will find that Paul Chad Smith is his Funeral Director/Embalmer at Forest Hill East. Smith has license 5435 and 5042 and an address of 135 Woodlawn Trace, Brighton, Tn. 38011. More to follow.

[Allen Williams]

I am an Auditor for the State of Michigan assigned to investigate Mr. Clayton Smart and his business organizations. I would appreciate any information that anyone has on this individual. My email is: [e-mail] .
Thanks

[william hudson kingsport]

attn dana: My wife was buried at Forest Hill East my son Greg Hudson has talked to you about our situtation. Do you have any update as what happened in Nashville i tried to look up the minutes but was unable to find. Any responce will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Bill Hudson my web mail address is [e-mail]

[Scott Shepherd]

My law firm is representing plaintiffs (i.e. consumers with Pre-Need contracts) in a class action lawsuit in Tennessee on this issue against companies owned by Mr. Smart. Any information would be appreciated. My e-mail is sshepherd@classactioncounsel.c om

Scott Shepherd
Shepherd, Finkelman, Miller & Shah, LLC
www.classactioncounsel.com

[Crystale Cook]

My husband and I have had policies with forest hill, that has been paid in full for aprox. 10 years. I have not been able to get any information about the lawsuit until i saw your website. Please include us in this battle concerning forest hill funeral home.

[Janice Cook]

Dana,
Have you heard anything on Clayton Smart or Forrest
Hill? My parents had purchased a Westminster Policy
in the Seventies and we were told that they will not be honored.
Thanks,
Janice Cook

Dana Grissom wrote:

Well I attended a press conference in which Mr. Smart held at the Forest Hills Cemetary on Whitten Road here in Memphis, Tennessee and he told us that the money was there but that my mom's policy that she paid off in 1979 was not valid and that they would only honor it on the face value. If you have anymore information regarding the investigation of Mr. Smart or Mr. Wade Reynolds please forward to [e-mail] Thanks

[June]

See today's Detroit New (detnews.com) for current information about this group.

[Dennis Wiand]

Clayton Smart should be hung by his testicles with piano wire.

[Anonymous]

You should try working for them.

[Tom]

Since the 1980's, Saginaw cemeteries have been bought and sold from private holding (KAL) to SCI corporation, to Loewen, to Alderwoods, and now Mikocem (Clayton Smart). Each time it is re-sold, workers are replaced, files are re-worked, and area folks are called AGAIN about "updating their info" (an information gathering, financial profiling, sign on the dotted line, check writing cozy meeting). I believe this is another cemetery
scam where reality defies physics...the folks in their graves have been taken for a ride again!
On the upside, most people are smarter than Smart, pun intended, they just need to call a couple funeral homes and ask what's what.

[Allen Williams]

The State of Michigan has moved to place the Mikocem cemeteries in Michigan under receivership (state control). Any new information would still be appreciated.

Allen Williams, Director
Internal Audit & Monitoring Division
Michigan Dept. of Labor & Economic Growth

[Tom]

Allen Williams wrote:

The State of Michigan has moved to place the Mikocem cemeteries in Michigan under receivership (state control). Any new information would still be appreciated.
Allen Williams, Director
Internal Audit & Monitoring Division
Michigan Dept. of Labor & Economic Growth

We were hoping you could give *us* some information, like; where will revenue go when funds are now paid to these cemeteries and mausoleums? Will burial and entombment costs continue to skyrocket as it has these past few years with added costs for many details, and, most importantly, will the money already paid for goods and services be honored at a clients time of death?
Local funeral homes have received no information from the state as to who can called if a problem arises.

[Greg Fetterman]

My sister died in early August this year and was buried in Roselawn cemetery in Saginaw, MI. A headstone was ordered on Aug. 11, and it is still not in place as of Dec. 28. We understand the problem results from Mr. Smart's mismanagement. Does anyone know if a class action suit has been filed, particularly with regard to the cemetery in Saginaw?

[Tom]

Greg Fetterman wrote:

My sister died in early August this year and was buried in Roselawn cemetery in Saginaw, MI. A headstone was ordered on Aug. 11, and it is still not in place as of Dec. 28. We understand the problem results from Mr. Smart's mismanagement. Does anyone know if a class action suit has been filed, particularly with regard to the cemetery in Saginaw?

Greg, I am sorry for the loss of your sister. Getting a grave properly marked is a foremost important item to grieving families that Roselawn seems to take little effort and a lot of time to resolve. Roselawns only source for grave markers is Bay Monument Co., also owned by Clayton Smart and/or associates.(Also, U.S. Veterans are entitled to a FREE government flat stone marker that is not allowed in Roselawn or Eastlawn sections, however, a bronze gov't marker is accepted as long as you buy one of Bay Monument's special sized stones to attach it to). They will charge per square inch to set any stone, however, no cement foundations are ever laid at Roselawn or Eastlawn for markers. Only sod is cut away so the stone lays flush. You can order a special sized stone from another source, but it will arrive at their maintenence yard and sit for weeks as a last priority item. In a perfect world, or even in a well managed grounds area, it would be delivered right to the grave and installed right then, in less than 1/2 hour.(I've seen it done when an attorney was present). The problem you are having with the cemetey is something people in the Saginaw area have every day with Roselawn. Chances are you also had to pay grave preparation (opening & closing costs), select a burial vault, and pay for the stone too, before the burial took place. Seems to me an FTC viiolation occurs here. What people need to do is write to the Saginaw News with their grievences and suggestions.

[judy perkins]

Memphis , Tn
new information about Clayton L. Smart on Channel 5 WMCtv.com tonight/ December 27,2006

[Nicole]

This is horrible. We are just learning of all these issues. My dad passed away in April 2006 and we still have not received the bench for his grave. I spoke with the cemetery and they said they can't help. They will lose their job if they make any phone calls to locate the bench that was ordered 8 months ago.

[Anonymus]

If people have any questions regarding their loved ones purchased merchandice then they should call the cemetery on the issue. If you are told by the person you talk to that they could lose their jobs by giving you info is lying. The state is in control now and they just need to contact the person incharge to find out the answer. I worked for that company for cemeteries for 10 years and in that time we were owned by KAL, Loewen, Alger Group, and Mikocem. Clayton by far is the lowest scum the world has ever seen. We were forced to use unsafe equipment, broken down equipment and we a huge lack of help. A lot of good hard working people were let go. There are still some good honest workers that are employeed, but there are still a lot of people there thqt shouldn't be there. No matter what though, the employees are NOT at fault for what is going on. It is all Clayton and Wade's doing. I understand that there are a lot of conserned and pissed off families, but just do not take it out on the employees. When this whole mess is straightened out there will be a new company that will take over and maybe some good, hard working, caring people that were let go will be back along with the current employees who care. Whoever take over though will be watched like a hawk to ensure that this never happens again.