Funeral Scam: They Never Sent Dad Off

I had just signed the last confirmation form.

I was heading to the personal effects room to collect Dad's belongings when two staff members stepped in front of me, blocking my path.

The one in charge was a heavyset middle-aged man with a thick, mean face. He thrust his hand out impatiently. "Hold it. Who said you could leave? Have you settled your bill yet? You think you can just walk out of here?"

I froze. I'd paid every fee on time for the cremation, the funeral services, and the cemetery placement, and I had the receipts to prove all of it. How could there still be an outstanding balance?

I frowned and tried to explain, asking what charges he was even talking about.

But the man had no interest in listening. He just sneered down at me, already convinced that I was playing dumb.

"Don't act like you don't know. Your father's body sat in our cold storage for a full seven days, and the storage fees and preservation costs haven't been paid.

"You were quick enough to settle the small stuff, but now you want to dodge the big bill? Not a chance. The seven days come to 100,000 dollars, not a penny less. And you have the nerve to think you're walking out of here with his belongings."

I stared at him, completely blindsided. Dad was already buried. How could 100,000 dollars in charges just appear out of nowhere?

I fumbled through my bag in a panic and pulled out the entire stack of receipts stamped with the funeral home's official seal, holding them out to him with shaking hands.

"There has to be a mistake. My father was cremated seven days ago, and when his ashes were interred at the cemetery, your own people came along to verify it in person. His body isn't here, so how can there possibly be cold storage fees?

"Could the system have gotten the records mixed up? Maybe someone else's account got attached to mine by accident."

The man's expression went cold the instant I finished speaking. He snatched the receipts right out of my hand, ripped them apart, and threw the scraps on the floor.

"Don't try to bullshit me with a bunch of paperwork!" He was shouting now.

"I don't give a damn about your cremation receipts. Our system doesn't make mistakes. If the system says your father's body is still here, then it's still here, and you owe the storage fees.

"Quit making excuses. You're just trying to skip out on the bill."

The other staff member sidled up beside him, his voice dripping with mockery. "Exactly. You're here handling funeral arrangements, and you can't even pay what you owe? Drop the innocent act and cough up the 100,000 dollars, and then there's no problem.

"Keep playing dumb, and we hold onto his belongings. On top of that, the fees keep stacking every single day, so you're the one who loses here."

I was shaking with anger, my fists clenched so tight at my sides that my nails bit into my palms.

"This is insane. My father was cremated seven days ago, and his ashes have been in the ground ever since. The cemetery has full documentation on file, along with signatures and security footage.

"The body was cremated. There was nothing left to store and nothing to preserve. 100,000 dollars for seven days of nothing is straight-up extortion!"