Latest news with #cemetery
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Family sues Hollywood cemetery after learning that their mom was buried in wrong grave for years
A devastated California family has filed a lawsuit against a Hollywood cemetery after learning their mother had not been buried where her headstone was – and that they had been mourning the incorrect plot for four years. The Demirchyan family made the horrifying discovery in April when burying their father, Avetis, who was supposed to be laid to rest beside his wife at Forest Lawn Cemetery. However, during the service, a mortician pulled aside their son, Chris, to tell him the headstone for his mother, Hasmik, did not match her actual burial site, KTLA reported. While her headstone was in 'space 1,' she was buried in 'space 2,' just one plot to the right, according to the report. 'I feel betrayed because we have been speaking to an empty plot,' Chris Demirchyan said. 'All those times we put down flowers, we prayed, we came for holidays, we even put up a decorated Christmas tree – it was the wrong space.' Even though the cemetery has since corrected its mistake and moved her headstone to the correct location, the Demirchyan family is filing a lawsuit over the emotional distress caused by grieving in the wrong location for years. 'While we appreciate Forest Lawn for taking appropriate action to correct their error right after they discovered it, it still is inexcusable because this would not have come to light if my client hadn't suffered another loss,' said Rosie Zilifyan, the family's attorney. The family is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages, but said their main motivation for filing the lawsuit was to prevent similar mistakes from happening to other families. 'They think saying sorry and moving it makes up for what was four years of mourning that we did, and we're still grieving,' said George Eskichyan, Hasmik's grandson. 'This adds an extra layer of hurt and pain.' The cemetery has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit, according to KTLA.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Family sues a Hollywood Hills cemetery for placing mother's headstone over wrong grave
A grieving family is suing a cemetery in the Hollywood Hills after learning that the headstone honoring their late mother had been placed over the wrong burial plot for four years. The Demirchyan family said they discovered the mistake in April during the funeral of their father, Avetis Demirchyan, who was being laid to rest beside his wife, Hasmik, at Forest Lawn Cemetery. Their son, Chris Demirchyan, said a mortician pulled him aside during the service to inform him that Hasmik's headstone did not match her actual burial site. The memorial tablet had been placed in 'space 1,' while Hasmik was buried in 'space 2,' just one plot to the right. 'I feel betrayed because we have been speaking to an empty plot,' Chris Demirchyan told KTLA's Rachel Menitoff. 'All those times we put down flowers, we prayed, we came for holidays, we even put up a decorated Christmas tree – it was the wrong space.' The cemetery has since corrected the error by moving the headstone to the correct location. However, the Demirchyan family is filing a lawsuit, claiming emotional distress from grieving at the wrong site for years. 'While we appreciate Forest Lawn for taking appropriate action to correct their error right after they discovered it, it still is inexcusable because this would not have come to light if my client hadn't suffered another loss,' said Rosie Zilifyan, the family's attorney. The family is seeking an undisclosed amount in damages, but said their primary motivation is to prevent similar mistakes from happening to other families. 'They think saying sorry and moving it makes up for what was four years of mourning that we did, and we're still grieving,' said George Eskichyan, Hasmik's grandson. 'This adds an extra layer of hurt and pain.' KTLA has reached out to Forest Lawn Cemetery for comment. The cemetery has 30 days to respond to the lawsuit. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Families 'disheartened' at proposed Broxtowe grave rules
Campaigners have said they are upset at a council's response to their bid to get more freedom for tributes on graves in Broxtowe.A group of families has been lobbying Broxtowe Borough Council since October, when it said it would restrict remembrance items on plots in cemeteries it Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the objections led to the change of the rules being suspended by the authority for a campaigners said their trust had been broken by the council ahead of its cabinet meeting to discuss future cemetery rules on Tuesday - as council papers showed new collaborative rules for tributes have been rejected as some are "not acceptable". The initial dispute led the council's leader, Milan Radulovic, to call for a 12-month suspension on the ruling in October was to create a collaborative working group between impacted families and the council – to find a "common sense" then, updated, collaborative rules have been developed and these proposals were finalised in March include those with existing grave plots – purchased before August 2023 - with existing decorations and memorial gardens remaining as they are, in line with health and safety rules. Safety risks They also said hazardous items would have to be removed – even from graves bought prior to August the collaborative rules were approved, they would also allow grave plots purchased after August 2023 to have tribute items within two and a half feet (76cm) from the front edge of the headstone documents from the council's bereavement service released ahead of next week's cabinet meeting show a rejection of the rules, citing some are "not acceptable".Officers said: "The council has inadvertently weakened its own position by granting a 12-month extension for the removal of decorative items and memorial trinkets despite clear, ongoing well-documented health, safety and accessibility risks associated with them." Bereaved families in a joint statement called on cabinet members to reject it."We are disappointed with how things have been handled, but remain firm on our stance and will continue to push for council support on the original compromises and proposals agreed."It's been extremely disheartening to have our trust broken by [the bereavement service]."We have all suffered so much emotional and mental distress since October, we are just ready for closure on all of this." A council spokesperson said: "A number of departments have been involved in producing the report, not one individual officer."We understand our Democratic Services Team have spoken with one of the families and advised them how our cabinet system works."The report makes recommendations which will be debated at the meeting before a decision is taken. "They are also free to lobby their local councillor with their views on the matter to inform their decision-making process if they wish."
CBS News
4 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Woman says her mom's gravesite keeps flooding at Harrison cemetery
A cemetery in Harrison has been dealing with flooding issues for years, making it difficult for families to properly visit their loved ones. Now some are speaking out, saying not enough is being done to protect the gravesites of their loved ones. The gravesite of Sola Samuels' mother at Mount Airy Cemetery has been disfigured for years now. It's surrounded by caution tape and often covered in water, a heartbreaking sight she says she's been facing for nearly a decade. Her mother Ethel Samuels died in 2014, but within a couple of years, she noticed the gravesite issues. Samuels says now she's speaking out publicly, hoping for change. "I am going to see this through to the bitter end," Samuels said. "I came here to take care of my mother, and my mother is up there and I'm still going to take care of her. Life or death, this is going to be made right." Everstory Partners, the parent company of Mount Airy Cemetery, confirms they are aware of the flooding and have been for years. "It's a fair concern, and we want our family members to feel like they're being heard and the concern is being addressed," said Michele Stone, president of People Operations and Quality at Everstory Partners. "It's a really difficult situation. At significant rain events, the area does take on water." Stone says the cemetery installed a French drain in 2019, adjusted it last fall and recently regraded the topsoil to fix the issue. But for Samuels, those efforts have not been enough as her mother's grave remains flooded. "It just makes you want to cry," she said. "I mean, the emotion of seeing that is horrific. It just hits you inside and it hurts." Stone says Everstory has offered families the option to disinter and reinter their loved ones in a different section of the cemetery. However, Samuels says that option was never discussed until recently. "Now it's becoming public that they've offered, he said, 'Well, maybe we'll look into moving the graves.' That's the first time he said that, a couple days ago. A couple days ago. After 10 years," Samuels said. When asked if graves could be relocated within the same section, Stone said she didn't have an immediate answer but is open to that discussion. "We are actively working to correct the concerns there at this particular section of the park and will continue to be in touch," Stone said. "Communication is key." For Samuels, she hopes a permanent solution comes soon. "We want to preserve that area," Samuels said. "That would be the most wonderful thing to happen, that the ground is dry, that the graves are not disturbed in any way, that we can visit our loved ones and put flowers on their graves." Everstory Partners says a team will assess the section next week to determine if recent repairs are making a difference. They say they plan to provide updates to families as the process moves forward.
BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Raunds scout group earns badges by looking after graves
A group of young scouts are proving their reputation for doing good deeds by cleaning and maintaining derelict graves in their local cemetery. The Raunds 1st Scout Group took on unadopted graves from the town council "half a year ago" and work on them once a Beavers working on the project are aged between five and eight years old, and are accompanied by group lead volunteer Josje said: "It's good from them to give something back to the community." The scouts volunteer at the London Road Cemetery to weed and keep clean the graves they have plots are initially the responsibility of Raunds Town Council, as well as the relatives of the if left unattended, they can be taken on by members of the local community, or groups in the town council has been working on improving the condition of the cemetery for 18 months, including offering volunteers the opportunity to adopt graves. Paul Byrne, deputy mayor of Raunds, said the take up of adopting graves had been "great" but there were still "plenty available"."We have a day where we have a cemetery clean up," he said. "The youngsters come up and help clear the weeds. It's great for them." Seven-year-old Jessica is one of the Beavers taking part in the has been responsible for "pulling sticks out of the graves" as well as "watering bulbs".All Beavers taking part will get a gardening badge, and a community badge at the end of the project. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
