G'day,

Cookie Pooh's was just saying to me a wee while ago that when she was doing wages in the mid to late 70's for a particular boozer up here the 'Super' deductions was 7% of your total gross weekly or fortnightly wages....taxable on redemption....imagine the dough this country would have today. No dont you'll burst out in babies.

Thanks Piggy, you're a fine chap.

Cheers.

Re Funeral Costs.

This is a subject I have been giving some thought to lately my health being what it is. Just before this last bout of problems about 18 months ago my sister-in-law passed away. My nephew asked me if it was possible for me to print the service sheets to help keep costs down. "No Prob!" says Bryan, how many, lots of thinking,,,,,,,,, could I manage 100 "No Prob!" says Bryan. I packs up me printers and laptop and away we go to a rellies house to do it as it was over the other side of the island. When I printed them they asked how much? Nothing says Bryan. After they went the Rellie where we were staying says "Do you know what you just gave them?" 100 sheets of paper and a bit of ink and some time that I have plenty of, says Bryan. The Rellie said when my hubby died those sheets of paper cost me $2.30 each!!!!!!!!!! Talk about robbery!

Now for a question SF may know the answer anyway, "If when I die my family refuse to pay the cost of a funeral and tell the Funeral Director this right up front" What happens?

Me Dyeing is my problem not my family's so if they won't pay do they sue me?

should be local councils job , they could just have a big crematorium or ya go in the "Red Bin" and buried in a separate part of the dump

religion is mostly the cause of the outlandish costly funerals

if council did the disposing of , an then the families could hire a local hall and have a "Get together" for the friends say goodbye

Now for a question SF may know the answer anyway, "If when I die my family refuse to pay the cost of a funeral and tell the Funeral Director this right up front" What happens?

Now what makes you think I would know that Bryan?

I believe that some funeral homes will ask you how much you can afford to pay a week and arrange a direct debit....or perhaps they put the bill in the hands of a debt collection agency. I do know when you ask for an itemised account its a real eye opener how much they charge for what!

It was not the cost I had the arguement with the local funeral home but the conduct of the funeral director.

When I worked as a Budget Adviser, that was a regularly occurring problem.

People who were grieving had agreed to a funeral plan without fully understanding the cost. Widows who'd never worked and whose husbands had kept the financial reins entirely in his hands often had no idea what their situation was.

Others had expected/promised help from extended family (who were often the ones who demanded the full works to see off their loved one) who were then missing in action when it came time to pay the bills.

Some, whose relative had misinformed them as to the state of their finances, or who died intestate so any possessions were tied up for months or years... were left holding the bag.

It was endless, the difficulties, and many were put into the hands of debt collectors and their credit ruined, which was when they'd come looking for help and advice.

"Now for a question SF may know the answer anyway"

Sorry if you think I was being "Insensitive" SF but I thought is may have come up in your dealings with CAB not because you had had dealings with a Funeral Director.

As for myself I have told my children to do things at the absolute cheapest! Just take me to the Crematorium and scatter the ashes at sea. If I'm not good enough to be remembered for the things I have done then I'm not worth remembering at all.

Thing is though we all know from an early age we ALL must die at some time but no body wants to talk about it.

Ive been asked some mighty odd things at CAB Bryan but not that one, but I think Funeral directors would treat it as any other debt.

Yes BUT what happens when someone dies and if up front everyone says "I'm not paying anything" is the funeral director just going to tell the DHB to keep the body or what.

In other words "Who" is responsible to pay for a funeral?

I know it comes out of the estate but if there's nothing in the estate why should the next of kin be held responsible. It's not something the N-O-K had any control over.

Like when my Mum died Dad paid but when he died there was nothing left and my brothers and I stumped up BUT what would have happened if we said NO?

Dont know whether this applies here...this is from the states...

"There are no laws requiring you to pay for a parent's funeral or even hold a funeral. You are not held liable for it. However, if no one pays (by arranging with the morgue to have the body transferred to a funeral home or other arrangement), the state will dispose of the body from the morgue as they see fit. Some states cremate, some bury in unmarked graves, some are donated to science...it varies. A cremation is very inexpensive through the Neptune Society or similar. Less than $500 including urn IIRC. Or you can, as the next of kin, arrange for her body to be donated to science yourself and the institution you donate to will pay for the body to be transferred out of the morgue. Some universities will then cremate the remaining remains (after it is used for medical students or research) and return them to the family free of charge."

G'day,

I think ole OKKA have have hit it HALF on the head. If there's no money available it then becomes a 'Pauper" situation and the council must do the job. Health regulations prevail here from memory.

Cheers.

Squirter,that reminded me once about a story I had heard of a child born out of Wedlock and died, been buried OUTSIDE of the cemetery.That was 50 years ago,or more[I think]

In the olden days (maybe more than 50yrs ago) anyone who committed suicide was buried outside the cemetary.