Complaints

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• Initial Complaint

  Date:07/24/2025

  Type:Customer Service Issues
  Status:

  AnsweredMore info

  Complaint statuses

  Resolved:

  The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.

  Unresolved:

  The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.

  Answered:

  The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.

  Unanswered:

  The business failed to respond to the dispute.

  Unpursuable:

  BBB is unable to locate the business.

  ***** ****** has presented herself as a "National Master Guardian" specializing in end of life arrangements. As the funeral home she has neglected to return phone calls, emails and sign paperwork that is required of her as a guardian in a timely manner. She refuses to be cooperative and has prevented a family from being able to see their loved one since she did not make any attempts to reach the daughter that she has been in contact with. ***** has made the process of allowing the family to grieve properly an unnecessary and drawn out due to her negligence. She has not done anything to show she has any kind of knowledge of being a guardian. ***** has also made it unnecessarily more difficult process to work with regarding a cremation case as well and has prevented a cremation from taking place due to her be uncooperative. She will not provide any documentation that has been requested numerous times and refuses to sign paperwork and pay the funeral home for the services that has been set up.

  Business Response

  Date: 08/20/2025

  Attached is my response.I am an individual serving as Guardiah/Conservator/Trustee/Estate Administrator or other
  fiduciary roles ONLY when appointed by a judge of the district court to do so.
  Essential Arrangements is the name for purposes of email only. It is not a corporation, an
  LLC, or any other form of business entity.
  I am a certified National Master Guardian, through the National Guardianship Association,
  duly credentialed and do not "present myself" as such - it is a valid certification.
  I was the court appointed Guardian and Conservator for D.J. Lytle since March 2021. As a
  Guardian who deals with and has dealt with multiple cases over the years, I am very
  familiar with end-of-life arrangements. When DJ passed away, there were contracts (predating my appointment) in her file showing pre-arrangements with Old Mission. When I see
  the name of Old Mission or Wichita Park (the connected funeral home and cemetery) my
  heart drops because Old Mission has always been difficult to work with. I could cite
  several past difficulties working with them, and they are definitely not my preferred funeral
  home.
  Most of my response will deal with how Guardianship and Conservatorship works,
  especially when someone dies.
  Upon the death of a person, the Conservatorship bank account is immediately frozen. 1
  can continue to make deposits, but I cannot make withdrawals without a court order. My
  preferred few funeral homes (when I make the choice of a funeral home) understand this
  completely, and sometimes wait for weeks or even months to be paid for their services. To
  access funds from the frozen account requires a court order, which requires an attorney to
  file a petition, give notice to the appropriate people (typically family members if there are
  any), set a hearing date and then obtain the court order. When it was determined that DJ
  did not have fully paid final arrangements, ***** informed me that no services would be
  performed until payment was made in full. Understand-but I tried to explain the court
  order process to *****. ***** said "well the judge can approve the payment" - correctbut that is done through the above-described process, the judge doesn't just call or sign a
  note that payment is approved. 

  Customer Answer

  Date: 08/20/2025

  Complaint: ********
   
  
  I am rejecting this response because: 

  We regret to report an extremely unprofessional and obstructive experience with the individual acting as the court-appointed guardian in the matter concerning DJ's arrangements. Despite being fully aware of the daughter’s release from incarceration and having been in direct communication with her, the guardian made no attempt to involve her in the funeral planning process or communicate with her after DJ's passing.
  Moreover, the guardian failed to communicate with our funeral home regarding critical details. At no point did she notify us of when payment would be available, nor did she provide any court dates or timelines for completing the financial process. A check was only brought in the day before the scheduled service, and only after we informed her that we would be stopping by her office in person—due to her refusal to return any phone calls. This lack of responsiveness and accountability created significant delays and stress for both our staff and the grieving family.
  The only phone conversation held with her occurred the day after DJ passed, during which she flatly refused to make any decisions or take responsibility. All subsequent calls went to voicemail and were never returned. We then resorted to email communication, which also went largely unanswered. Her inability—or unwillingness—to communicate made it impossible for us to properly plan and coordinate funeral arrangements.
  This individual has presented herself as a professional guardian with business experience, yet her conduct and lack of understanding suggest otherwise. She appears to have no comprehension of how professional, corporate-run funeral homes operate, including the fact that we are accountable to upper management and are required to report difficulties in the service process. Her failure to fulfill her responsibilities directly impacted our ability to serve the family with the dignity and respect they deserved.
  Furthermore, she has misrepresented the situation by omitting key facts that clearly show a severe lack of follow-through on her part. This case was not only poorly managed—it was a disservice to the family. Her lack of professionalism, empathy, and understanding of her legal responsibilities under guardianship statute (K.S.A. 59-3075) resulted in unnecessary suffering for those grieving the loss of DJ.
  For reference, the statute clearly states:
  “The guardian shall be responsible for making necessary determinations and arrangements for, and giving the necessary consents in regard to, the ward’s funeral arrangements, burial, or cremation.”
  In addition, she refused to facilitate arrangements and told the deceased’s grandson he would need to pay for his grandmother’s funeral. The grandson later expressed discomfort with her behavior and shared that he had heard similar negative feedback from others who have interacted with her.
  Unlike other guardians we have worked with—who uphold basic standards of communication and professionalism—this individual has created continuous and avoidable obstacles. This was our first and final time working with her, and we do not intend to accept any future cases involving her.
  We share this statement as a matter of record and professional concern, and we strongly urge other organizations and families to exercise caution and conduct thorough due diligence before engaging with this individual in any professional capacity.