People who prepaid for services at a Transcona funeral home placed into receivership last month are getting help making alternate arrangements.

Wheeler Funeral Home, Cemetery and Crematorium was placed into court-ordered receivership March 20.

Lazer Grant Inc. has been appointed as the receiver.

Managing partner Joel Lazer said around 300 customers prepaid for funerals and around $900,000 is being held in trust for those services.

Lazer said Lazer Grant is working with families to make arrangements with other funeral directors.

"We're trying to take care of people in an empathetic manner,” said Lazer. “It's a tough time for any family when somebody dies.”

“It can also be stressful for families if there’s an imminent death. We have made arrangements with other funeral directors to do the services if necessary and if you have a plot that’s purchased and you die we’ll make sure that the plot gets opened for you.”

A spokesperson for the Funeral Board of Manitoba said Wheeler Funeral Home was last issued a license to sell prepaid funerals for the 2014/2015 licensing period.

Lazer said it's not clear when the prepaid funerals were purchased.

“We became aware of the non-license issue recently and frankly we haven’t looked at the dates of when the prepaid plans were purchased,” said Lazer. “Our concern was to see that the money was in trust as it’s supposed to be.”

“There’s roughly $900,000 in trust accounts and according to the prior operator he said there was about $900,000 in deposits so it sounds like a match and presumably everybody’s money is in trust as it should be.”

The Public Utilities Board used to oversee the Prearranged Funeral Services Act.

The funeral board spokesperson said when responsibility for the act was transferred to the Funeral Board of Manitoba last September it was advised that information about two licensees was referred to the Winnipeg Police Service.

Winnipeg police confirmed its financial crimes unit is investigating concerns involving Wheeler Funeral Home.

A co-owner of Wheeler Funeral Home directed questions from CTV Winnipeg to Lazer Grant Inc.

The funeral home’s funeral director could not immediately be reached for comment.