BajaNomad

Handleing Death in Mexico

EnseNADAslim - 3-17-2009 at 08:53 AM

Anyone have any good info. or a link to an old thread relating to dieing in Mexico? This year I think we need to make arrangements for the un-thinkable. I know that Cremation is amost looked at like a sin and I've had to deal with it once and it was a nightmare.

bajabound2005 - 3-17-2009 at 11:51 AM

We know people that have had bodies cremated. Not a problem. What you DO need is a family doctor (in Mexico) or record that can sign the death certificate. Makes it much smoother.

BajaNomad - 3-17-2009 at 12:17 PM

Something Fred Hoctor let me post on the BajaNomad.com site many years ago - an excerpt from Baja Haha:

http://www.bajanomad.com/columnists/fhoctor/

:)

tripledigitken - 3-17-2009 at 12:50 PM

Just last week a long time resident of Punta Chivato passed away while shopping in Santa Rosalia. The details of the paperwork I am not aware of, but I do know that the body was sent to Tijuana for cremation and was scheduled to be returned to the states by the surviving relatives this week.


Ken

rpleger - 3-17-2009 at 12:52 PM

Very good story and possibly true.

Jack Swords - 3-17-2009 at 01:31 PM

I can speak with some experience in La Paz. There is a crematory and we have been involved in several situations where ex-pats have needed this service. A couple were scattered at sea, two were sent back to their country of origin (Canada). Paperwork was minimal, but the consulate provided a visa! for the ashes to be returned to Canada. The usual confusion and unknown factors applied, but all in all it went well. I did find my Spanish vocabulary inadequate for these new situations, however.

fdt - 3-17-2009 at 01:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by EnseNADAslim
I know that Cremation is amost looked at like a sin and I've had to deal with it once and it was a nightmare.


It is very comon to have the dearly departed cremated.

danaeb - 3-17-2009 at 03:09 PM

My father died in Guadalajara many years ago. My mother and I handled the cremation arrangements. The authorities treated us with respect and were very efficient throughout the process. I'm not sure 'easy' would be the word to describe it, but it was certainly far less complicated than I had expected.

Funny you should ask,

Keri - 3-17-2009 at 04:12 PM

I have been thinking the same thing lately after some friends of ours died in San Quintin last few months. I have spoken to a lady from a healthcare agency here that will be coming to our hotel to give us an overview of what you need and to whom you need to speak. Please send me your u2u with your email address and as soon as I firm up a date I will send you an email. Any one is invited. Send me your email also and I will get the info to you,k

k-rico - 3-17-2009 at 04:21 PM

Are Mexican death certificates accepted in the US for legal/financial reasons just as US death certificates, or is that a complication?

bajaguy - 3-17-2009 at 06:40 PM

May not be a bad idea to spend a few bucks and get a Mexican will drafted up

805gregg - 3-17-2009 at 07:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaNomad
Something Fred Hoctor let me post on the BajaNomad.com site many years ago - an excerpt from Baja Haha:

http://www.bajanomad.com/columnists/fhoctor/

:) [/quote

Nice, I ran across Freds book a few days age I'll have to re-read it. I had older family friends that used to load up and old bus with motorcycles, kegs, and them, drive to Baja,(I don't know where, this was early 60's) and proceed to have a blast on the beaches. They had been doing this for years, this year, maybe too much beer on the way down, or just bad luck... they arrived 2 guy's roared up the beach turned around and roared back...but they couldn't see each other and did a head on, killing both. The rest of the crew, knowing the Mexican lust of BS, loaded them on the bus and headed for the border. They came across the border explaining, those 2, and probably others were passed out. They made it back and the poor souls were buried. This was in Hawthorne Ca and is true. In Mexico with their lack of a legal system ,it's better to bolt for the border .

BajaNuts - 3-17-2009 at 09:32 PM

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=37055#pid3934...

this is the second of two recent posts on this topic, LVPatton had another one in search of the missing father.

maybe something would be of help.

lizard lips - 3-17-2009 at 10:54 PM

I investigate life insurance claims all over the world but because I live in Ensenada and speak the language I have worked in every state in Mexico, the largest cities and many of the smallest pueblos.

If a loved one dies in Mexico it is not that complicated to get the paper work completed. If this person dies at home call the police or the ministerio publico. The MP will come to your home and investigate to check on the circumstances of death or if anyone else was involved in the death. If there is no formal investigation you will have the option to call a funeraria or have the loved one taken to the semefo (morgue) until you decide which funeral home you choose.

The doctor who certifies the death is usually from the government office of the "Secretaria de Salud" or health department. The initial secretaria de salud death certificate is then delivered to the Registro Civil for proper registration. When this is completed, usually a day or two, obtain several copies and make sure you go to either a U.S. consulate or embassy and have them issue a "Death of an American Citizen Abroad" death certificate. Usually they will mail 10 of these to an address in the United States or you can pick them up at the embassy when they tell you they will be ready.

There are not a lot of cremation businesses in the smaller cities and in this case the body must be transported by funeral home vehicle to the nearest facility. They need to obtain a "Translado" (transportation) document from the city municipal government office to do this but they take care of that.

Make sure you keep all documents (copies) if there is life insurance involved. Investigators like me will contact the beneficiary and ask for all related documents and it makes it a lot easier to satisfy the claim.

It really is easy and not a problem. All funeral homes will go the extra mile to help you as well as the government offices.

Now, if you want to fake the death of a loved one and collect the life insurance please contact me and we can talk, for a percentage, of course....... :)

EnseNADAslim - 3-18-2009 at 12:14 AM

In my situation this was not a family member, but a very good friend. The Gov't official would not sign the paper work for cremation because I'm not a family member trying to fulfill the wishes of our friend, which I could totally understand. But man, after we jumped through many hoops, got all kinds of paper work, and did everything he asked us to do,,,,he simply said NO!
The guy at the funeral home was sneaky though,,,he mixed in the request with a bunch of other paper work and the Director signed it not knowing what he signed:lol::cool: We scattered his ashes in the Sea of Cortez.

My wife and I feel that if we both do this together and make arrangements now and basically pay and arrange for cremation there will not be a problem, and yea, a will him Mexico would be a great idea. Thanks for the info everyone. :cool:

k-rico - 3-18-2009 at 08:08 AM

thanks lizard lips

lizard lips - 3-18-2009 at 10:03 AM

Your welcome K

You could always make pozole

Dave - 3-18-2009 at 12:28 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by fdt
It is very comon to have the dearly departed cremated.



http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6724808

This guy's retired but I'm sure someone has taken his place.

Fred - 3-18-2009 at 02:44 PM

lizard lips..........thanks for the info.

SKIDS - 3-19-2009 at 07:56 PM

SPREAD MY ASHES AROUND ISLA SMITH IN BOLA! :biggrin:

dianaji - 3-19-2009 at 08:37 PM

just bury me under a tree to give it fertilizer it so that i can give back to what has made me very happy in this lifetime. perhaps the tree thrive...problem is i can't find anyone who might do this for me. :no:

I'd druther have "em" cut me up, pass me all around

Dave - 3-19-2009 at 09:05 PM

Woke up this morning
Put on my slippers
Walked in the kitchen and died
And oh what a feeling!
When my soul
Went thru the ceiling
And on up into heaven I did ride
When I got there they did say
John, it happened this way
You slipped upon the floor
And hit your head
And all the angels say
Just before you passed away
These were the very last words
That you said:

Please don't bury me
Down in that cold cold ground
No, I'd druther have "em" cut me up
And pass me all around
Throw my brain in a hurricane
And the blind can have my eyes
And the deaf can take both of my ears
If they don't mind the size
Give my stomach to Milwaukee
If they run out of beer
Put my socks in a cedar box
Just get "em" out of here
Venus de Milo can have my arms
Look out! I've got your nose
Sell my heart to the junkman
And give my love to Rose


Give my feet to the footloose
Careless, fancy free
Give my knees to the needy
Don't pull that stuff on me
Hand me down my walking cane
It's a sin to tell a lie
Send my mouth way down south
And kiss my a$$ goodbye

John Prine

dianaji - 3-20-2009 at 05:16 AM

if i go to heaven and you're not there
i'll paint your picture on the golden stair
so all the angels can know and see
just what u really mean to me
if u have not come by judgment day
i'll know you're gone the other way
and just to show you what i'll do
i'll go to hell, just for u

elizabeth - 3-20-2009 at 09:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by k-rico
Are Mexican death certificates accepted in the US for legal/financial reasons just as US death certificates, or is that a complication?
Yes, Mexican death certificates are accepted for all purposes in the US. Just be sure that you get several copies of the official certificates filed with the city in which the death was registered, as you will need a separate original for each purpose...no photocopies.

Jack Swords - 3-20-2009 at 01:59 PM

As in all things Mexico, that depends. Two years ago a friend died in the hospital in La Paz (lung cancer). His widow found that their US life insurance company would not honor the Mexican death certificate. They had no home in the US, but had been married for over 25 years. Several of us wrote letters attesting to the death and being present in the hospital when he died. That nudge prompted the company to pay off on the death benefit.

elizabeth - 3-20-2009 at 08:22 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Jack Swords
As in all things Mexico, that depends. Two years ago a friend died in the hospital in La Paz (lung cancer). His widow found that their US life insurance company would not honor the Mexican death certificate. They had no home in the US, but had been married for over 25 years. Several of us wrote letters attesting to the death and being present in the hospital when he died. That nudge prompted the company to pay off on the death benefit.
This is my personal experience. I used a Mexican death certificate for the IRS, insurance, DMV, and county tax.

lizard lips - 3-20-2009 at 08:27 PM

I don't know what company that was Jack but they were out of line......

Jack Swords - 3-21-2009 at 06:22 AM

Couldn't agree more! Eventually it worked out. Maybe there was some more information related to the beneficiary that we were not aware of. Just seems that in such times no one needs more problems, but they happen in Mexico and the US.