Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
Member Is Offline
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Death in Baja part II
can pick him up there- the closest place to Mulege county to have MASA air service. It's a thought. If the person dies on the road in Mulege county,
Transport to the hospital in Guererro Negro would be another option as there is a funeral home there, and MASA will operate aircraft to the airport
there (and its closer to the USA border if the deceased is to be transported to the USA). See costs comparison on page 5. Once cremation takes place,
transport of the remains becomes much less complicated and is probably the best procedure for our friend who wishes to have his remains reside in his
garden, as described in the next section, called fosa clandestina. ***NOTE: For someone who is willing to accept cremation, another plan worth serious
consideration, especially if the remains are to go back to the USA, and if you spend less than 180 days away from your USA home in the USA every year,
is Neptune Cremation prepay plan (The Neptune Society). For $2408 usd (March, 2014 price) per person, they handle everything (documentation,
transportation, cremation, US death certificate, transportable container for the ashes and transportation of the ashes-everything) regardless of where
you expire, anywhere in the world. Once you prepay, the price cannot be increased. You will have a card to carry in your wallet and they will have
full information regarding your desires on file. For more information, contact http://www.neptunesociety.com/locations or call Jeanie 503-805-7728 (Portland office). Ordering cremation service can only be done by a family
member or someone with a notarized letter (in Spanish) that gives permission to act in this capacity and is signed by a family member (or someone with
a notarized power of attorney in both English and Spanish-see pages 10 & 11), with a copy of the birth certificate (or marriage certificate) to
establish credibility as a family member. Such credibility document is required by the signing family member as well, i.e.; wife (marriage certificate
and photo ID), son or daughter (birth certificate and photo ID); brother, uncle or male cousin of the deceased with the same last name requires photo
ID such as a driver's license. The funeraria in Guerrero Negro has quoted us a price of $27,000 pesos (about $2100 US) for a complete package of
pickup in Santa Rosalia or Mulege and return of the ashes, including all permits, etc. They handle everything. They use a crematorium in Tijuana
because, they say, it is more trustworthy and is reasonably priced. The complete package deal might be a good way to go for the distraught family that
doesn't speak the language and is not familiar with the local customs and places. They do not speak English so a translator will be needed to
communicate with them. Sometimes, they have a translator available at their end but it is best to have your own translator lined up. The funeraria in
Vizcaino performs the same service, using a crematorium in La Paz. FOSA CLANDESTINA (clandestine grave) I have a friend who has stated emphatically
that he wants to be buried in his beautiful garden at his home in Mexico. It is illegal, and if caught, the perpetrators will face hard jail time. He
is working on some sort of two coffin complex plan to get the job done. If one is to be buried in the ground, it must be in a designated graveyard,
it's the law. Cremation is the way to go here!
TRANSPORT OF BODILY REMAINS TO THE USA. It can be done, but it is complex and quite expensive. It requires special embalming for transport, special
permits, and the US embassy assistance for the required
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US permits for border crossing and transport. See the US embassy website URL on page 6. And call the funerarias in Vizcaino or Guerrero Negro. They
will handle the transport to the US border, then an associated funeral home in southern California handles the border crossing and departure from San
Diego by air. The funeral homes down here have associate funeral homes in the USA they trust and will put you in touch with, or you may use one of
your own choice. That will be cheaper than airfare from Loreto to LAX. Depending on the location in the USA, cost to get bodily remains delivered to a
USA address may exceed $18,000 USD. Some air transport insurance companies such as MASA may be the best means, especially if the deceased has such a
policy. Also see the NOTE above about the Neptune Society. IN CASE OF PRESUMPTIVE DEATH (BODY IS MISSING, NOT RECOVERED). The process of acquiring a
valid death certificate for a missing person is lengthy, complex and expensive. According to documentation acquired from the US Consulate through the
Consular Warden Jim Christopher, " A request for a certificate of presumptive death in the state of Baja California Sur is a lengthy and complicated
process that requires a strong knowledge of the judicial system and local practices, and savvy legal advice. The process is even harder for surviving
family members when there are language and cultural barriers, and documents to legalize in the United States or even in third countries. Estimated
time from request of DoA until issuance of certified death certificate: 2 to 4.5 years." Before you go fishing alone in your boat, or wander the
backcountry alone, consider the consequences of your 'gone missing' on your family. COSTS (Prices obtained January, 2014 and are subject to change by
several conditions) DIRECT BURIAL CREMATION***(see p. 5) EMBALM & TO USA Coffin rustico (rough wood) $2300 standard (cloth covered) $7000 $7000
coffin acceptable in USA special (over 2m tall, obese) $1500 0 will be $8150-9300 or prepare gravesite $4000 hermetically sealed body local
transportation $ 500 bag $1160. permits, etc.(Viz/G.N.) $1500 $3000 $2100 Transport to Vizcaino/Guererro Negro $4000 $3100-$4000 Embalm $4300 $3450
Transport to La Paz/Tijuana $15000 $11,600 Cremation $ 4000 TOTAL, pesos (USD) $13000($1040) $30300*($2424)/ $22,310-$30,450** $27,000($2160)
($1784-$2436) **These figures are to Tijuana. Border crossing of body by USA Funeral home extra. *This is nearly twice the price quoted for cremation
by the US Consulate due to the high cost of transportation to the crematorium from remote Mulege County. The "package deal" offered by the funeraria
in Guerrero Negro for cremation seems
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worth considering. For persons wanting the body to come to the USA, MASA and/or NEPTUNE should be seriously researched BEFORE the event. The website
of the US Consulate/Embassy is an additional source of good information and costs, but keep in mind, their documents are modified with international
politics in mind. For example, their website says something like: "if the body is not claimed within 24 hours of death, the body may be interred in an
unmarked pauper's grave. They are right, and the policia minesterial will try very hard to convince someone to 'claim' the body, but in the end, if no
one claims it...... And, when that happens, it's the law - and the body can't be disinterred for burial elsewhere or cremation for 5 or 6 years. Note:
the Consulate website mentions that rule barring disinterment for 5-6 years may be bypassed if the family is not made aware of death before burial.
This was not mentioned by anyone we interviewed. In fact, they said the law was created for sanitary or health reasons, so I suspect it will be
adhered to. CONTACT INFORMATION (If calling from the USA, prefix the phone number with 011-52-) Mulege County Coroner: Dr. Rincon 615-100-0747. Santa
Rosalia Hospital 615-152-2180 Santa Rosalia Ambulance (Cruz Roja) 615-153-0110 Velatorio Santa Barbara, Santa Rosalia (provides most of the services
of a funeral home except embalming) Juan Manuel Arces, Administrator 615-106-4372 Other responsible persons at the Velatorio: Jesus Roselis
615-106-3455 or Francisco 615-161-4009 Vizcaino Funeral Home Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, Mauricio Lopez cell 615-108-5486, casa 160-5158. Guererro
Negro Funeral Home Funeraria Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, Tel.615 157 0501, 615 157 1590 (They use CREMATIONS AIMAR in Tijuana) Besides Vizcaino and
Guerrero Negro, there are funeral homes in La Paz, Loreto, Cabo San Lucas Crematorium in La Paz: 612-166-1880; (I was told there is now a second
crematorium in La Paz but was unable to confirm before publication deadline) Consular Warden in Mulege, Jim Christopher 615-153-0505, cell
615-103-8150 US Consulate in Tijuana (664) 977-2000; email acstijuana@state.gov; http://tijuana.usconsulate.gov/death_american.html US Embassy website http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/citizen_services/death-of-a-... THE LAST WORD Unless you are fluent in Spanish, the process of helping with or
directing someone's funeral preparations is too complex to handle on your own. Therefore, a part of 'Preparation' is having in mind one or more
persons who can go with you to translate. In talking with persons in the funeral business here, they always list 'misunderstandings' as the number one
problem.
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YOUR DOCUMENTATION PACKAGE What we are talking about here is a package of documentation that is necessary to process YOUR remains. Unless you want
people standing around, not knowing what to do or which way to run away from any responsibility for getting your remains legally processed and laid to
rest in whatever way you desire, you need to help them now! Our research recommends that you create a master document that contains originals of the
following or information that tells where to quickly find them, and multiple packets containing the following: Master Document Package should contain
or describe how to find: -Passport, Residente card, drivers license, birth certificate, original and 2 copies. Be cagey! If your passport is in a
hidden safe, don't tell the location of the safe, only tell how to contact someone who knows that information. -Original of the English and Spanish
versions of the completed Burial Instructions sheets (pages 8, 9 of this document). -Original and copy of marriage certificate (if wife is living with
you) -Original and copy of your birth certificate. --a copy of this 'If Death in Baja' document. -how to find the deceased's trustee who should know
where the will, living will and other pertinent documents can be found. If you don't have a will, Thank you! (just in case we decide to have un gran
fiesta -on you!) Multiple 'If death in Baja' packets should contain the following: (Leave as many copies of this package as you wish with close
friends, neighbors, your family here and up north, your landlord, in your car, your house in Baja, etc. Remember, not everybody is available here in
Baja all the time, so cover the eventualities. You may send a copy to the U.S. Consulate in Tijuana or via the Consular Warden.) -a copy of this 'If
Death in Baja' document. Pages 10, 11 are to be left blank for use if a family member cannot be present in Baja to act on behalf of the deceased. -
passport copy, copy of Residencia card (both sides), copy of marriage certificate, -copies of completed documents expressing your wishes for
disposition of remains (pages 8, 9) in English and Spanish.
-instructions on how to find originals of required documents such as passport and Residente card and the master document. Be cagey! If your passport
is in a hidden safe, don't tell the location of the safe, only tell how to contact those who know that information and can produce the needed
documents.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64490
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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LINKS ALL PARTS of this series
Over time, without links to the next part, it may become difficult to quickly find them to read through, this being made up of several separate posts.
Here are the parts:
Part 1: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=72743
Part 2: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=72745
Part 3: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=72746
Part 4: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=72747
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