Pasadena Couple gets help with pre-paid funerals.
HOUSTON (FOX 26) - No parent wants their children to have to worry about their funeral costs. Many couples plan ahead by pre-paying for their funerals. That's exactly what a Pasadena couple did. Unfortunately the funeral home somehow ended up charging the couple for three prepaid funerals instead of two.
85-year old Leopoldo Davila and his 78-yerar-old wife Maria purchased 6 burial plots. 1967. They also purchased two pre-paid funerals, one for her and one for him.
“We try to buy everything so that we don't leave it to our children to pay for it," Mrs. Davila explains.
They finished paying off everything in 1979. But when they checked with Forest Park to make sure all was in order, they discovered it wasn't.
"When we asked if we have paid everything, they say they don't have my husband funeral," said Mrs. Davila.
The Davilas said the funeral home managers didn't know about Mr. Davila's first pre-paid funeral.
" They don't have no record," she said.
Even though the Davila's had paperwork for the first funeral, they said they wanted to be sure all was done correctly. So the Davila's bought a second funeral package for Mr. Davila, complete with a second coffin!
In 2013, when Mr. Davila's second funeral was paid off they say they kept wondering
why Mr. Davila has two funerals. The Davilas said they asked Forest Park if they could transfer one of Mr. Davila's funerals to another family member. But they said that suggestion didn't go anywhere.
"It's not right," said a Mrs. Davila.
The couple then contacted Take it to Akin. Consumer Advocate Emily Akin called Forest Park Lawndale. A few days later, the Davila's got good news. Forest Park said the Davilas would be reimbursed $13,000 for the second pre-paid funeral and the coffin.
Mrs. Davila said Forest Park manager told her it was a mix-up. Service Corporation International which owns Forest Park Lawndale issued this statement:
"We take the commitment to all of our client families seriously and that includes guarding their privacy. It is our policy to not discuss specific client concerns out of respect for them."