GREENFIELD, Ind.— Victims of a Greenfield headstone business are receiving checks in the mail from the state of Indiana.
The money comes four years after customers reached out to WRTV Investigates for help.
Mary Collins visits her husband’s grave site once a month.
“It’s not easy,” said Collins. “People will say it gets better. It doesn’t.”
Collins shares a bench with her husband Norman, who died five years ago.
Collins paid Greenfield Granite $1800 for the bench, but they never did the work, so she had to hire another company to finish the job.
"We were already in pain with losing our loved ones and then to go through this pain, it's ridiculous,” said Collins.
Collins and dozens of other customers we talked with filed complaints with the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, alleging they paid for headstones they never received.
The Attorney General’s Office filed a lawsuit against Greenfield Granite and won a $379,500 judgment in December 2020.
PREVIOUS | State wins $379K judgment against headstone business
“They quit responding to me, and then you took over from that,” said Collins.
For years, WRTV Investigates kept asking the Attorney General’s Office when customers would get their money.
Four years after the ordeal began, Collins received a check for $187, a fraction of what she paid Greenfield Granite.
“It’s very disappointing,” said Collins. “I don’t agree with the amount.”
The state distributed more than $18,000 in more than 100 checks to consumers, which is only a small portion of the $379,500 judgment.
“While our Office’s goal is to be able to provide impacted consumers full restitution as we obtained in the order, unfortunately in some cases that is not possible,” read a statement from the Indiana Attorney General’s Office. “Often, businesses that are in this position do not have any assets we can recover. In this matter, we are pleased to be able to have recovered a portion of our judgment and return it to consumers.”
Greenfield Granite’s owner Amie Strohl died by suicide in September 2020 amid the Greenfield Police Department’s criminal investigation into her business practices.
Strohl’s husband, James Strohl, filed for bankruptcy in 2020.
Amie Strohl’s mother, Cynthia Heck, was listed as Greenfield Granite’s registered agent in the Attorney General’s lawsuit against Greenfield Granite.
Records show Heck sold the Greenfield Granite building, 952 W Main Street, for $120,000 on Sept. 2—a week before Amie Strohl’s death.
Greenfield Granite closed for good in September 2020.
The Indiana Attorney General’s Office auctioned off items from Greenfield Granite and distributed the proceeds to victims.
The state was also able to return headstones to some customers.
PREVIOUS | Some families get headstones back after ordeal
A new monument business, Wearly Monuments, opened in the same spot in 2022 but has no ties to Greenfield Granite.
The owner says they’ve been received well by the community.
Mary Collins says it won’t take long to spend her $187 check.
“I’m going to buy groceries,” said Collins. “I do feel like it’s kind of a resolution. It’s finally over.”
You can file a complaint about a business at indianaconsumer.com or by calling 1-800-382-5516 or 317-232-6330.
You can reach WRTV Investigates at kara.kenney@wrtv.com.
