American Headstones Cemetery Selections
We at American Headstones Company have dealt with many cemeteries in the past 20 years and find that this industry is very hard to navigate thru for the consumer at time of death. There are basically 2 major players here in California. One being the Roman Archdiocese or Catholic Church Cemeteries and the SCI Corporations. These Corporations own almost all the cemeteries here in Southern California with the exception of a few District cemeteries. Below are our cemetery selections and a little about each cemetery.
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles
The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles is a Corporation “SOLE” meaning that it is under the control of the Archbishop. (More detail reading can be found in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles Administrative Handbook section 2.2.2 Civil Law structure.
You may know a few of them as “All Souls Cemetery, Ascension Cemetery, Resurrection Cemetery and Good Shepherd Cemetery. SCI (Service Corporation International) which is the largest provider of funeral services. Some of their Cemeteries in Los Angeles and Orange County are “Fairhaven memorial Park, Pacific View Cemetery, Pierce Brothers Valley Oaks and Westminster Cemetery.
District Cemeteries in Orange County
District Cemeteries in Orange County consist of the El Toro memorial park, Santa Ana District Cemetery and Anaheim District Cemetery. The district Cemeteries do not sell goods except burial plots and services. Thus making them a wise choice.
Our experiences dealing with the 3 groups was challenging at times except for the Orange County District Cemeteries. The District is by far the best choice if you are looking for a cemetery. A hassle free environment that is governed by the Orange County District.
When dealing with the Archdiocese vs the corporate cemeteries We found a more structured set of specifications and ease of compliance with the SCI family of cemeteries . The Roman Catholic Cemeteries appear to interpret the specifications for Headstones very differently from each other which we found to be trying at times and a disadvantage to the consumer.
Cemetery Selections
Our best list of consumer friendly Cemeteries were specifically, Pacific View, Fairhaven, Westminster (SCI corp. cemeteries) and Good Shepherd ( Catholic). At American Headstones we certainly understand why people would chose Pacific View Cemetery over Good Shepherd Cemetery or any others due to their Religious affiliation, location and cost.
If you have a complaint about a funeral establishment, crematory, or State-regulated cemetery, try to settle it with management first. If you can’t resolve the issue, call the Department of Consumer Affairs’ Cemetery and Funeral Bureau at (800) 952-5210 or TDD (800) 326-2297, or (916) 574-7870, and request a complaint form. You can also download a complaint form online at www.cfb.ca.gov. Many complaints between the consumer and the licensee are resolved quickly. More serious complaints require a thorough investigation, and the Bureau will take action against the licensee if warranted. For complaints you are unable to resolve with cemeteries that are not under State jurisdiction, contact an official of the managing organization. Unresolved complaints about retail casket sellers should be directed to your local district attorney. You may also choose to pursue the matter in Small Claims Court or retain the services of private legal counsel.
Funeral Consumers Alliance of California P.O. Box 1945 Turlock, CA 95382 (650) 321-6584 www.fca-calif.org
