BLOOMFIELD — Those ordering headstones from Austin Memorial Arts have filed lawsuits.
You can’t call Austin Memorial Arts, located at 323 North 250 West in Bloomfield, because the number has been disconnected.
The business is located on several parcels of land, including one owned by Richard King. The main building is located on a parcel of land owned by Richard and Mary Fennessey of Bedford.
Fennessey and King entered into a “Contract for Sale of Real Estate” in 2014, in which King agreed to purchase the property from the Fennesseys. King was to pay $514 a month and an annual $2,568 in property taxes. He had made no payments on the building or the property taxes since November 2023.
The Fennessey’s attempts to contact or locate King to find out why he was not making the payments were fruitless.
The business closed in January with no warning to customers or the Fennesseys.
The Fennesseys filed a lawsuit on April 3. A court order terminated the purchase agreement, allowing the family to take possession of the building and change its locks.
WRTV Investigates was contacted by numerous people who ordered headstones from the business and launched an investigation.
Court records show dozens of Central Indiana families filed lawsuits against Austin Memorial Arts, Richard King, or both, saying they never got what they paid for. Currently, 77 lawsuits have been filed, alleging more than $228,000 in losses. The court has already granted 11 judgments totaling more than $40,000.
“The Indiana State Police is conducting a criminal investigation into the matter,” said Sgt. Kevin Getz with ISP’s Bloomington Post. “The Greene County Prosecutor’s Office is aware the Bloomington Post is conducting an active investigation, and we request potential victims please contact 812-332-4411 .”
