I recently had a call from a fellow in Ohio who wants to be buried with his family in San Diego. He told me he has no family or friends to help out with things at the end. So, it was important that he have everything dialed in beforehand.
I explained to him that he will need to get things set up with two mortuaries; one in Ohio and one in San Diego. He will need to prepay for both of these so that when the time comes everything is paid for in advance. Furthermore, he needs to double-check with the cemetery, where he has a plot purchased, that ALL of the additional costs, like opening and closing the gravesite are covered.
Surprise Cemetery Costs
Most cemetery salespeople are only paid commission on the plot itself. So they leave out the additional costs which are mandatory. Those costs normally get covered by the family at the time of death and they are surprised at the expense. It’s a poor way to do business but it happens all the time.
One of my funeral directors was telling me that she was recently at a local cemetery and there was a body in the refrigetor of a man they had taken care of 6 months earlier. She asked why he hadn’t been laid to rest in his plot. The cemetery director explained that it was because the opening and closing fees had not been paid. What a shame since this man had come in, pre-paid for everything and made the natural assumption that everything would be taken care of! Needless to say, the funeral director demanded they rectify the situation immediately.
Death in One State and Need Burial in Another
So if you think you might experience death in one state and need burial in another this is a story you need to hear. You will need two mortuaries and a fully paid for burial plot with the additional fees for a full burial in place. Your family or friends should know who to call when the time comes.
Since this man had no family or a friend to rely on he opted for an ID bracelet that will let the authorities know which mortuary to call upon his death.
I hope this article will spare people unnecessary problems as they try to plan for burial when you have death in one state and need burial in another.