Families whose loved ones were left rotting in funeral home owed $950 million, judge rules

FREMONT COUNTY, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) - A massive judgment was made in a class action lawsuit against the owners of a Colorado funeral home.

Soon after nearly 200 bodies were found improperly stored in the Return to Nature funeral home in Penrose last year, a class action lawsuit was filed on behalf of the family members involved in the case.

The lawsuit claimed the funeral home and its owners were guilty of things like intentional infliction of emotional distress, negligence, fraud and violating the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.

“Even as bodies were piling up at their facility in Penrose, these defendants continued to assume custody of more and more and more bodies,” Attorney Andrew Swan said. “And taking more and more and more money for services that they weren’t going to provide.”

On Monday, the family members involved said they were notified of a nearly $1 billion default judgment.

According to an email sent to the victims, the judgment was made last week with court records confirming.

The total default judgment was $956,825,044.14 made against Hallfordhomes LLC, Return to Nature funeral home, Carie Hallford and Jon Hallford.

According to Leventhal Lewis, the firm that filed the lawsuit, it is the largest judgment in Colorado’s history.

Swan said they hope to inspire a change in Colorado’s funeral home laws.

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