Recession causing slump in body claims, rise in home burials

There is a beautiful cimetery on the montain in the center of Montreal, but the small stream of rain water and body juices have always disgusted me. A buried decaying body is not something you want by your house. My last will is to be green baged and leave with the local waste management co.

Back in the "old" days this was commen practice. The body laid in it's casket ( a homemade pine box ) in the parlour and people went to the house to pay their respects.Somewhere along the line of history, bloodsucking funeral directors got the upper hand and started to overcharge for every detail (especially coffins). Most of us think it's all law but in actuality, plain wooden boxes built to certain specs such as size are fine and one can transport one's own loved one to the nearest crematorium themselves as long as it's within a certain time frame etc etc etc. We the sheep are suckers and in our hour of grief, are taken advantage of because we allow it to happen. I suggest doing some research on your area's actual burial/cremation laws and perhaps if we had a far reaching outcry from enough of us, things would change. Unfortunately, I think there's too many of us who are afraid of death and are willing to let someone else deal with it..thus enter greedy funeral home directors.

I'm sorry, but I do not believe in big fancy funerals. Small family gathering is perfect. I always wondered why people seem to have the time and the money to visit you after you are dead, but you don't see them for years when you are alive, when it really means something.

I find it very disgusting that we dont take care of our own dead.I do not believe we need all the fuss of embalming, viewing..etc. etc. who benefits from this practice the Funeral Home. Most people no matter what they say remember there loved ones in that casket..I choose not to.When my aged Father passes I will not view him or have a fancy funeral , as for the cost the money would much better spent on his kids ,grandkids ,charities etc.

I notice that the article doesn't include the "minister's fee".
Congrats all of you for bang on responses.... maybe some will listen.
Thanks for the reassurance that I'm not alone on this subject!

Re: Helen comments:
Easier said than done my friend.

It is all fine and dandy to say funeral directors are "greedy bloodsuckers" however I would challenge you to sit down and write up a business plan for yourself to open a funeral service that offers prices 1/2 of what you would call the "greedy bloodsuckers" rates. You would be blown away at what the overhead is to offer 24-7 service with all the equipment, facilities and licensed, competant staff required to operate a funeral home.
You will not last 6 months charging what you think is fair - trust me!
Yet you have no problem paying a vet $2000 to operate on your cat or dog or better yet going on a cruise to Alaska, $5,000 or even getting new brakes on your cadillac for over $1,000.00.
Many people have a beleif that funerals are the third largest expense in a persons life, this is NOT true
Boat, snowmobile, motorcycle, swimming pool, motorhome, deck, jewelry, kitchen remodel, wedding, braces, drug rehab, home theater system, airfare, etc... get my point?
These things are fine but paying tribute to someone's life of 70 to 80 years when they die is a rip off!!

To Jay
I would rather pay all that money for recreation, vacation, expensive toys etc etc, then have my family spend all that money on me once I'm dead. What good does that do for me, or even my family. Spend money on me while I'm alive and once I'm dead, find the cheapest way to dispose of my remains. Which is nothing to me at that time at that time anyway. It's only my body, it's not me anymore. Haven't you heard that when they find a dead body, they say they found human remains? It's not the person anymore, it's only remains. My dead body doesn't need a big tribute

the funeral business isnt the only big rip off,now every day you hear funeral homes wanting you to prearrange your funeral,pay the 7 to 10 grand for your funeral ahead of time.I agree with simon peter,i would rather spend that much money on myself or my family while i am alive.It doesnt matter whether you are alive or dead,someone is always trying to rip you off,the last guy besides the government is the funeral director.Things change but they always stay the same.

I agree with Simon spend it while you are alive and everyone can enjoy it.

That said in this society each to there own beliefs, so you have to cater for what everyone wants. If there is a demand for it the a business will grow around it. Yes it might be great if everyone could be cremated that way no more graveyards needed, but that is unrealistic for various reasons (religious beliefs and loads of people out of work). everything has a knock on effect.

I am sure Jay is correct to run that type of business is expensive. Salary for a normal 9 to 5 job is the biggest expence for any employer so 24/7 is a killer(no pun intended). Then the cars are all custom made etc etc. So much of the blame for costs can go to the suppliers of the equipment needed as the words custom or specialist requirement usually means there gonna give you a big bill.

Maybe there is a best selling book here " How to Bury yourself for 250 Bucks" which covers all the legal/ethical/regulatory requirements. Another name would be " The Big Dummies Guide to DIY Burials"

When I make the Million or so from that I guess I won't care how much they charge to cremate me.

The Schrutes have their own traditions. We usually marry standing in our own graves. Makes the funerals very romantic...But the weddings are a bleak affair.

I have great respect for the local funeral home where we live. They have been extremely helpful and caring as well as willing to do things that our family wished but were maybe a bit different ie no embalming which neccessitates a faster funeral. I think having home funeral visitation is good for those who prefer that but I know a funeral director's job is a caring profession. Most of us do not know the laws, fees, reporting, just like most believe a minister or priest can perform a wedding when in fact only a justice of the peace licence of the clergy makes the marriage legal!
We do not know the laws and am glad someone does !

Whatever the family or deceased wishes is good and I know I am thankful some people choose to be a funeral dierctor as a professional. Not for me or most, I suspect. Planning in advance is a good thing to avoid rush emotional decisions?

Hey jerkoffs at sympatico/msn! What happened to today's so-called "poll"? Everytime there is a conservative or even remotely right-wing result, you shut your "poll" down before the day is done. Conversely, when there is a liberal/left-wing result, you keep the "poll" open for at least two days straight? What a bunch of jerkoffs you guys are.

Conservative majority was in the lead from the get-go this morning and YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! lol at the losers at sympatico/msn.

i like to masterbate hard

I did wanted to post a comment to this feature but was rejected .I thought we live ina democracy but it doesn`t seem so .

When I die, I want my son to cremate me and the ashes spread into the body of water. Let me flow in nature and in peace. God will be with me.

Funerals are ripoffs. It costed up $10,000.00 to bury my mother in the Montreal's cemetery and no one ever visits her. I am the only one in our family who pays the respect. I was told "once you dead you dead". Who cares?

The title of this blog leads the negative responses - I suppose that we are to agree, and post the general comment of the day - agreeing somehow that there is a depression of sorts and the dead go unattended (I would argue that this is an urban anomolie, specific to only a few areas, and almost exclusively inner cities with impovershied under-employed) - I really doubt that this is anything of a general trend - and is yet another example of the media leading the news event.

It is in the catagory of 'man bites dog' -

I had a great aunt and uncle who ran a small family funeral home in the Midwest for their entire lives, and remained respected within the small town - never once did they every turn away anyone, and on more than one occasion only asked for minimual re-embursment. Not everyone is in this for the money.

Look folks I have been in the funeral business before, and like any business, there are honest funeral directors and dishonest ones too. The important thing is to get a referal from a family or friend if you do not know a director. Death is a fact, like taxes. Maybe if we had a better tax system we might all live longer. Quite often people do not prepay
or even preplan there funeral. Modestly, you can have the directions of your final wishes on file at the local funeral home, without any fee in most cases. atleast your family will know what you want, and not buy at an emotional time, which is easier on everyone.
Creamation, with an internment, a service and marker can be as little as 4000.
Or cremation only with no internment can be as little as 800.00, it's up to you. Just tell them what you want ahead of the time. Don't scatter creammated remains. A wind can come up and blow your ashes all over your loved one. Think about it.

$10 grand for a funeral? I'd rather leave all that money with my family, not on some expensive funeral. When i'm dead, i'm dead meat, and my soul has left my body. It is only my body, dispose of it the cheapest way with dignity and thats it. Cremation is good, why pay for a burial spot, who is going to visit you for years to come?
Be practical.

@cindy....stick around girl, msn/sympatico will most definitely betray their right-wing roots.
pay closer attention, check out all the articles and blogs....and do not lose faith. the bills have been paid, sometimes the agenda is subtly delivered.