A SON has filed two lawsuits in relation to his councilman father’s death.
Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays sued several family members over the right to his late dad’s body and the city for tens of thousands of dollars.
His father, Eric Mays, a councilman in Flint, Michigan, died on February 24.
Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays had filed a lawsuit against his aunt, three uncles, and a funeral home for the release of his father’s body, according to MLive.com.
The son demanded his father’s body be taken out of Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home when he sued on March 4.
Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays said he wanted his father’s arrangements to be handled elsewhere.
This pushed his dad’s funeral, which was scheduled for March 9, until a hearing was held.
Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays sued the City of Flint four days later and alleged city officials had withheld a copy of a $75,000 life insurance policy from him, according to MLive.com.
The son claimed this policy had named him as a beneficiary, when he filed the lawsuit at Genesee Circuit Court on March 8.
He asked the judge to make the city send a copy of this insurance policy within 48 hours.
This lawsuit, filed by the Lento Law Group, alleged that the life insurance policy was active when Eric Mays died.
The city disputed this claim and argued the son was not written down as a beneficiary on the late councilman’s life insurance policy.
They added that the city’s benefits policy states any money will be passed onto an employee’s estate if no beneficiary has been listed.
“A personal representative of the late councilman’s estate must be designated by the probate court in order for the city to effectuate payment, and to date, the city has not received any documentation showing that this has occurred,” a statement from the city’s Human Resources Director, Eddie Smith, said.
The court later dismissed this lawsuit on May 9, according to CBS affiliate WNEM.
A judge also dismissed Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays’ lawsuit against several family members and the funeral home, according to NBC affiliate WEYI.
The court said under Michigan’s Law section 700.3206 the rights to the body would firstly go to the parents if they were alive, and then to 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren over 18.
This law also stated that this right is forfeited if the person cannot be located or fails to exercise that right within 72 hours.
The judge dismissed the suit and said Eric HaKeem Deontaye Mays had forfeited his legal right as he had not contacted the funeral home within 72 hours of his father’s death.
They also ruled that Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home had not broken any laws in this situation.
Despite this, the funeral home later surrendered the right to the late councilman’s body to his son.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Lento Law Group, the City of Flint, and Lawrence E. Moon Funeral Home for comment.
