KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Halls Memory Garden is finally on the verge of a fresh start with a new owner. The cemetery on Salem Church Road in Knoxville will be sold in a two-part auction beginning August 19 with sealed bids and concluding a week later with a live auction.
“Only qualified cemetery operators will be allowed to bid, and the successful buyer will own a beautiful cemetery with room to expand by up to 4,000 lots, free and clear of any liens or deeds of trust. In short, everything is in place for this to become a profitable enterprise for a new owner,” said Dean Farmer, the receiver appointed by the Chancery Court of Knox County.
Halls Memory Garden has been in receivership since 2003 as a result of a fraud investigation that revealed improprieties by the previous owner.
“The new owner will have a clean slate and room to expand,” said Farmer. “It took a great deal of work to get us to this point, but the court has resolved issues such as ownership of the existing lots.”
Part of that work also included acquiring approximately 3.1 acres adjacent to the existing cemetery, bringing the total to approximately 10 acres, according to Farmer. “This additional land provides the expansion room a new owner will need to establish a profitable long-term business,” said Farmer.
McLemore Auction Company LLC, of Nashville, has been named by the court to conduct the auction.
The auction will be conducted in two phases. Sealed bids from qualified bidders will be opened on August 19. Then, qualified bidders who submitted sealed bids will be invited to take part in a live auction at 2 p.m. Tuesday, August 26.
A representative of the auction company will be available to meet with prospective owners from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, August 12, and allow them to inspect the office, according to McLemore.
Individuals seeking additional information about the cemetery and the auction may contact McLemore at 615-517-7675.
McLemore Auction Company LLC has established itself as a leader in providing auction services for real estate and personal property in Tennessee.
