Ever hear of "Pre-Funeral Viewing" fee?

[mystang52]

I have 2 older brothers. The middle brother just passed; he had been very ill so no surprise. My other brother and I live in NJ. The deceased brother had, many years ago, prepaid for a very quick service and internment in a mausoleum.
Anyway, I cannot get down there for reasons beyond this question. My other brother just landed, only to learn that apparently the funeral home can't get a coffin until Friday. So, he just wanted to visit the body and say last goodbye, as his return flight is following day. Funeral home told him he must pay $300 for "pre-funeral viewing."
Cost is not the concern. This is in Florida; is this fee common, or even legal?

 

[pb4uski]

No idea on common or legal, but it sounds like a rip-off to me. If it is possible I would find a different funeral home.

I do recall that when my Dad died in Fl in 2005 we had a viewing for family only before he was cremated.

 

[Aerides]

I'd imagine there's a certain amount of prep involved, i mean they can't exactly just have your brother walk down to the room where your late brother is now as that's not a public area. So someone has to move and arrange things, there's probably a special room that needs to be cleaned and coordinated, so I can see that these things might have a cost.

I have no idea what's normal.

PB, I don't think "pick another home" would work considering the deceased prepaid and arranged everything in advance.

 

[Dash man]

I’ve heard of it. Typically they dress him and do makeup before anyone can see them. Other than family it requires embalming in many states, even if they’re going to be cremated.

 

[ponyboy]

I’ve heard of it. Typically they dress him and do makeup before anyone can see them. Other than family it requires embalming in many states, even if they’re going to be cremated.

Embalming is never required by law. The only thing embalming does is slow the the process of the body breaking down so people can see the body in a better state.

FIL was a funeral director. You couldnt pay me enough dealing with deadbeats who didnt want to pay...or, when you're meeting with the family and have to discuss how much things will cost, they will flip out and say all you care about is money, lol.

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I'm not at all surprised by the fee. Funeral homes have a fee for everything. A pre-funeral viewing is an additional task that they have to prepare for and deal with. They should be compensated for it. I never like the amount of their fees. But, like everything in this country, they are a business and they charge what they need to and/or can get away with.

 

[Pellice]

I had a quick viewing of my mother, because I returned after her death, and she had requested a closed casket (actually, no wake or viewing at all, just a funeral). No charge, BUT, she was being buried, not cremated so had the dressing, embalming, etc.

 

[mystang52]

OP, here. Thanks for all the responses. As I first wrote, my brother had no issue, financially, with the fee and had agreed to it immediately. Since I started this thread I guess I can do some thread creep. In light of the delayed funeral service, I'm glad I was unable to go down there.
I have some strong feelings against viewing a deceased, so had I been able to go down it would have been for naught. And this holds even if, heaven forbid, DW were to predecease me.

 

[pb4uski]

^^^ While viewing dead people doesn't freak me out at all, I sometimes think of that person the last time that I saw them... in the casket... but that memory eventually decays and after some time I think of them more from our personal interactions while they were living.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Embalming is never required by law.

Sure it is. If you want to transport a body across state lines, then it's almost always required.

Like many other things, the law differs in different states and in the world of "death care" they are varied and can be confusing. The FTC does regulate the practice to a point, but it is a high profit industry so there are going to be outfits that run right up to the line of what they can and cannot do.

Here is some interesting (maybe?) reading from the FTC that I would recommend everyone take a look at if you will be paying for death care.

 

[Dash man]

Embalming is never required by law. The only thing embalming does is slow the the process of the body breaking down so people can see the body in a better state.

It is in some locations for some situations. It is typically state specific. Where I am, a body has to be embalmed for a public viewing, but not for a private immediate family viewing.

 

[Texas Proud]

I will say we were lucky... my mom died in her bed at the memory care facility... one day we were playing games with her and 5 mins after we left she rapidly declined...


All family except one were able to get here to see her either alive or within an hour after she passed...


We did not have a funeral so no viewing there...

 

[RetMD21]

With prepay I would expect to pay for every service not listed in the original contract.

 

[ncbill]

Weird...here the funeral homes will pick a body up from anywhere but they require a family member to identify the body before they'll do anything else.

Even though I handled everything else about their affairs & estate I made one of my recently-deceased relative's kids do that instead of me.