State CFO investigating after cemetery tells families to remove decorations from graves
CHULUOTA, Fla. - State investigators are looking into a dispute between some families and the cemetery their loved ones are buried in.
State CFO Jimmy Patronis told FOX 35 that hearing from families in a recent story had an impact on him, and he decided he'd like to try to help them.
The CFO's office has a division that oversees cemeteries and funeral homes.
"Everybody has been super supportive," said Deanna Miner. "It’s just, everybody’s angry, because we were told we were allowed to do this kind of thing."
Miner's son Nick, an East River High School quarterback killed in an accident last year, is buried at the Chuluota Cemetery.
Miner goes there almost every day to tend to the grave, but now she's being told by the cemetery that she and others will have to clear out all of their elaborate decorations.
"When I saw your story this morning on FOX 35, it hit home with me," Patronis said. "I said, ‘You know what, my office has a role in regulating this industry. Let my experts who know the industry better than anyone try to see if we can help this family.’"
The cemetery told FOX 35 the rules against decorations have been in place for years, but families with loved ones buried there say the rules have never been enforced.
Investigators from the Division of Funeral, Cemetery and Consumer Services now plan to visit the cemetery next week.
Patronis says different types of cemeteries have different rules.
He hopes they'll be able to talk to families and the cemetery and come to some kind of compromise.
If the dispute can't be resolved locally, the state CFO says disputes like this can lead to major changes.
"I’ve been in this process for about 17 years, and this isn’t the first time where a differencing set of opinions triggers a change in Florida law," Patronis said.
"I really didn’t expect something like that and so fast, I think that’s awesome," Miner said about the CFO's response. "Anyone who’s willing to help us, we’ll definitely take."
The cemetery told FOX 35 on Wednesday that the decorations around graves spill over onto others, and get in the way of the lawn mower.
Thursday, a worker at the cemetery said he's been there 20 years, and people have always had decorations.