Missing Perpetual Care Funds

A Million Dollars Unaccounted For

Lakeside Cemetery and Cremation Gardens LLC has failed to maintain the grounds and has not filed the required financial statements since 2016. The cemetery's newest owners also failed to file for 2025, continuing a pattern of noncompliance that has left families and regulators without a clear accounting of the perpetual-care trust.

The issue took on new significance during a May 2026 court hearing. When questioned directly about the perpetual-care funds, owner Henry Earl Howze Jr. testified that approximately $1 million is missing. The admission came as families continue to report deteriorating conditions throughout the cemetery and unanswered questions about the funds that were intended to prevent exactly this outcome.

The reported disappearance of such a substantial sum raises serious concerns about the cemetery's financial history and long-term ability to fulfill its obligations to plot owners. Families who purchased burial rights at Lakeside did so with the understanding that perpetual-care funds would be preserved and invested for future maintenance. Instead, many now find themselves cleaning graves, removing debris, and caring for burial sites themselves while seeking answers about the status of money legally dedicated to the cemetery's upkeep.

Families are now calling on the Pennsylvania Attorney General to investigate, the State Real Estate Commission to examine compliance, and the courts to require a full accounting of the perpetual-care trust.

The Promise of Perpetual Care 

Perpetual care is the basic promise that a cemetery will never be abandoned. Under Pennsylvania law, for-profit cemeteries have relatively few ongoing obligations, but one of the most important is the maintenance of a perpetual-care trust. To fund that trust, at least 15% of every grave sale must be deposited into a dedicated account intended to support the cemetery's long-term upkeep.

These funds are not the cemetery owner's personal property. The principal cannot be spent, borrowed against, or diverted for other purposes. Instead, the money must be invested, with income generated by the trust used for ongoing maintenance such as mowing, trimming, debris removal, and general grounds care. Trustees are also required to maintain records and file annual financial statements with the Commonwealth.

Lakeside has operated as a perpetual-care cemetery since its founding in 1896. For more than a century, families purchased burial rights with the understanding that these funds would help ensure the cemetery's continued maintenance regardless of future ownership changes or economic conditions.

That promise stands in sharp contrast to conditions reported at Lakeside today. Families routinely describe overgrown grass, obscured headstones, fallen trees, overflowing trash receptacles, and limited access to burial sites. Many have taken it upon themselves to perform maintenance that perpetual-care funds were intended to cover.

The issue has drawn increasing scrutiny because Lakeside Cemetery and Cremation Gardens LLC has not filed the required annual financial statements since 2016, according to records discussed in court proceedings and public filings. The absence of those reports has left families, regulators, and the public without a clear accounting of the trust's status, making questions surrounding the cemetery's perpetual-care funds all the more significant.

Note: Citizens can file petitions with Orphan's Court to compel Lakeside LLC. to disclose the trust funds. See the Complaint Page on how to do so: https://sites.google.com/view/restoredignitylakesidecemetery/

Perpetually… Neglected?

In keeping with the founders’ vision, Lakeside was once professionally maintained and visually striking—a peaceful spot for families and a favorite for local photographers. Its lake, memorial benches, and landscaped grounds symbolized the calm and dignity promised in 1896. Today, however, active burials continue amid overgrown grass, obscured headstones, and trash-strewn grounds; children’s sections are choked with weeds, and benches that once overlooked the water now face brambles.

The January 2025 change in ownership went unnoticed at first, as winter naturally keeps cemetery visitation low. Yet one regular mourner noticed unplowed roads blocking access to graves—a potential violation of Pennsylvania law requiring reasonable access. By spring, the office remained locked, phone lines unanswered, and visitors had no point of contact. Seasonal cleanup never occurred; by Easter, families were forced to bring their own tools while some visible areas were selectively mowed, signaling that appearances were prioritized over comprehensive care.

Memorial Day, a deeply meaningful occasion akin to Japan’s Obon or Mexico’s Día de los Muertos, highlighted the neglect. In 2025, visitors encountered overgrown grass, debris, tire tracks across burial plots, broken decorations, and bare new graves. Some families could not locate their loved ones. While patriotic volunteers placed flags for veterans, cemetery staff offered no preparation, apology, or acknowledgment. Informal overseer Xavier Graham had posted online asking for “extra cash” and weed-whacker skills just before Mother’s Day—a minimal gesture that underscored the lack of planning. The owners blamed the conditions on weather and, in response to complaints, even accused grieving families of “racism” as the cause for complaint, despite nearby cemeteries being properly maintained and upset families from diverse backgrounds.

Now, almost a year after neglect intensified under Howze Jr.’s ownership, freshly fallen trees lie across tombstones alongside those that fell last winter, and trashcans continue to overflow—a stark reminder that without accountability, even historic resting places can be abandoned, if not in name, then in practice.

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