For the second time in three months, a local funeral home is being scrutinized. This time it’s the Alexander Mortuary in the Highlands area. The owner confirmed to KPRC 2’s Rilwan Balogun that they fired one of their employees Sunday night after pictures surfaced of that worker posing with a gun among caskets. The owner said those caskets were in the mortuary’s showroom and all empty.
In April, a funeral home in southwest Houston was shut down after 10 bodies were discovered in disturbing conditions.
The Texas Funeral Services Commission began investigating Richardson Mortuary after KPRC 2 first reported on video that appears to show bodies in unrefrigerated rooms, covered in plastic, with construction debris scattered around the building. The funeral home lost its license in May and was ordered by the state to shut down.
OUR FIRST REPORT: Houston funeral home ordered to shut down after bodies found in disturbing conditions
What should you take into consideration when selecting a funeral home?
ALSO READ: How to negotiate funeral costs
We took our questions to Ken Lambert, a family consumer advocate in Tomball who runs a business called Funeral Negotiators.
Bill: "When searching for a funeral home, what piece of information do you think is the most vital?"
Ken: “Shop around, the best bet is do it before the death occurs if you can, even if it’s just one day. You should be able to get all the information on a funeral home over the telephone. They are required by federal law to give you a general price list, a casket price list and an outer burial container price list.”
Bill: “What are your rights, when you have committed to a funeral home, but you have a change of heart, or their services aren’t what you had hoped for?
Ken: “If you’re if you are not satisfied with the funeral home, they’re giving you a tough time. Okay, you can go to another funeral home and call them, and they can come and pick up the body, but you’re committed to them for that pickup. And, if you gave them permission to embalm, you could be committed to that funeral home for $2,000 to $3,000 already.”
Bill: “Can a consumer use their life insurance policy to help cover funeral expenses?”
Ken: “A lot of people will say, ‘I have life insurance and I’m going to use the life insurance policy to pay for the funeral.’ This is great. Never volunteer to a funeral home, that you got a life insurance policy because, what do you think the cost of the funeral is going to be? [If] you have a $20,000 policy, they’re going to do everything they can to get $20.000.”
You can do the research on your own or call Lambert for help. He only charges if he can save you money. His fee is a small percentage of what he was able to save you. Check out his website for more information.
Other helpful resources for planning funeral services:
- Check out funeral laws in Texas: Texas Funeral Service Commission
- Research ratings and reviews of funeral homes: Better Business Bureau
- Reach out to Funeral Negotiator Ken Lambert at 281-357-0195
For questions regarding on how to find the right funeral home you can also visit: How to find out if a funeral home is legit in Texas