Examination at Menorah Gardens determines more wrongdoing

Examination at Menorah Gardens determines more wrongdoing

Ted Leopold, attorney and partner in the law firm of Ricci~Leopold, P.A., as well as a team of experts were onsite at Menorah Gardens Cemetery – 9321 Memorial Park Road – Palm Beach Gardens last week examining five particular gravesites. In the investigation of the graves of Arthur and Lenore Berenberg, Leopold and his team of experts determined that the graves were out of alignment so that the bodies are not side by side.

Leopold is representing more than 60 area families who are suing Menorah Gardens and its parent corporation Service Corporation International (SCI).

The civil suit that Ricci~Leopold, P.A. has filed on behalf of the more than 60 families states a number of claims against Menorah Gardens/SCI which include secretly breaking and opening burial vaults and dumping remains in a wooded area where they may have been consumed by wild animals; burying remains in locations other than those purchased by families; crushing burial vaults in order to make room for other vaults; burying remains on top of the other remains rather than side-by-side; secretly mixing body parts and remains from different individuals’ secretly allowing plots owned by one party to be occupied by a different person; secretly allowing graves to encroach on other plots; selling plots so narrow that the grave could not accommodate industry standard burial vaults; desecrating graves and markers while failing to exercise reasonable care in handling the plaintiff’s loved ones remains.

Most recently, Leopold filed amended complaints with the courts on behalf of a number of families asking for claims for punitive damages to be added to a number of the matters. Families believe that a clear message of punishment should be sent to Menorah and SCI for what has occurred here. There continued lack of response in providing honest answers and resolution to these cases, as well as the stress they have put on these families needs to be addressed by the courts on a number of levels.

The fact that the graves sites and remains are out of alignment so that the bodies are not side by side may seem like something very insignificant. However, if one is to look at the entire set-up at the cemetery they would quickly learn that alignment issues cause all sorts of problems not only to the Berenberg family, but to all of the other families who have buried loved ones at the cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Berenberg’s surviving daughters were alerted to the fact that something was amiss with their parent’s graves nearly two years ago by a Menorah Gardens groundskeeper. We have been able to clear some things up for the family in this investigation, however, the toll this has taken on this family as well as dozens of others who still are uncertain of the disposition of their loved ones is horrendous.

What we are finding is a continuing pattern of broken promises by SCI. These families put their trust in this company to care for their loved ones remains. Unfortunately, they have done everything but keep their promises. The facts are in front of us, and the evidence against SCI will continue to mount, as we proceed with this pre-trial investigation.