Bob Cooper (D)
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Legal Newsline) - Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper has filed a lawsuit against two Nashville cemetery companies over allegations they failed to deliver goods or provide refunds to customers.
According to the lawsuit, the defendants allegedly offered and accepted payments for monuments, headstones, grave markers and memorials; however, they failed to produce or deliver the promised cemetery goods and services, and did not refund consumers who had ordered the items.
The defendants named in the lawsuit are: Marcus Donnell Jones, the owner of two Nashville operations, Jones Memorials and Half Off Stones, and Wayne Monk, owner of Monk Memorials.
The lawsuit also alleges Monk told customers he was working with the attorney general's office to resolve customer complaints when in fact he had never spoken to a state official, according to Cooper.
Last month, the company's Web site allegedly continued to falsely advertise business goods and services even though they were under investigation, he said.
"These complaints come from grieving people who bought these services with the intent of honoring their deceased loved ones," Cooper said. "By taking these cases to court, we intend to ensure integrity to this market and send the message that taking advantage of people in these circumstances is not acceptable. "
The state is seeking to freeze the defendant's assets, impose fees and penalties as a result of the investigation and revoke both companies' business license.
To date, 87 complaints have been filed against Marcus Jones.