EnsenadaDr
Banned
Posts: 5027
Registered: 9-12-2011
Location: Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Move on. It is just a chapter in the past, but don't close the book- just turn the page
|
|
Plans for the dearly departed.....
I had a very good friend of mine pass away this past week in Punta Banda, Ensenada. Her kids were all up in Oregon. Unless you have an official
translated power of attorney in Mexico, your hands are tied. First you have to go to the morgue to identify the body. Then you have to get a release
form from the Ministerio Publico to release the body for cremation at the Funeral Parlor. The only way to do this is to get a notarized letter
authorizing you to handle all of the affairs from a next of kin, in this case who was a daughter, and she must fax her birth certificate as well to
show she is the daughter of the deceased. Then it has to be translated to Spanish by an official translator of Mexico. If you have no next of kin,
and the deceased didn't have a letter designating you as power of attorney, (which must be translated by an official translator) I hear you end up in
the fosa comun or common pit by the segundas here next to Los Globos if you live in Ensenada. (Sorry to be so gruesome folks, but I spent this whole
week running around...and learning how much red tape there is in Mexico...so I thought I would pass it along to try and help some of you...as I plan
to facilitate this process for myself after going through all of this...)
|
|
|
shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13049
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
|
|
sorry for your loss of an amiga and all the work it took to deal with her remains.
thanks for this info Doc...very important and a good idea to have a Notarized Carta Poder in with your will.
|
|
|
DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
Member Is Offline
|
|
Excellent information. Is it the same for husband and wife? We have all the proper papers in the US, but it looks like that would not work.
If I understand, each of us should have a Mexican power of attorney for the other one and one of our children should have a Mexican power of attorney
for both of us?
And I am real sorry for the loss of your friend. Thank you for taking the time to write about this.
|
|
|
J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
|
|
Sorry about your friend, I dont think your research went quite far enough, If someone dies and is in the care of a DR. you dont have to jump through
all those hoops . if you have a family DR. in Mexico call them and have them pronunce the person dead and he can sign the death cert. and simplfy the
legal process.
|
|
|
bacquito
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 3-6-2007
Member Is Offline
Mood: jubilado
|
|
Good information, sorry for your loss of a friend and all the trouble you went through.
bacquito
|
|
|
EnsenadaDr
Banned
Posts: 5027
Registered: 9-12-2011
Location: Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Move on. It is just a chapter in the past, but don't close the book- just turn the page
|
|
This was not research, this was something I had to go through because nobody else wanted to assist the family of the friend with the arrangements.
The Mexican doctor in this case would not sign the death certificate. The autopsy was done at the morgue and the medico forense or medical forensic
doctor, as we call them, pathologists, (remember Quincy, the TV show) signed the certificado de defuncion or death certificate. The Death Certificate
is one thing, but having the body cremated is another. Because cremation is a process that gets rid of all evidence, Mexicans don't look at this
thing lightly. You have to get a LIBERACION, or release of the body to the funeral home. This requires a carta de poder, as Shari referred to it.
And what about the belongings? Unless you are married, and have an official translated copy of the marriage if it wasn't done in Mexico, you have to
jump that hoop as well.
|
|
|
DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by J.P.
Sorry about your friend, I dont think your research went quite far enough, |
Really John?? She's a doctor of medicine and knows of what she speaks although it is reassuring to her, I'm sure, that you are here to judge the
depth and quality of her knowledge and research.
Keep up the good work.
|
|
|
J.P.
Super Nomad
Posts: 1673
Registered: 7-8-2010
Location: Punta Banda
Member Is Offline
Mood: Easy Does It
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by EnsenadaDr
This was not research, this was something I had to go through because nobody else wanted to assist the family of the friend with the arrangements.
The Mexican doctor in this case would not sign the death certificate. The autopsy was done at the morgue and the medico forense or medical forensic
doctor, as we call them, pathologists, (remember Quincy, the TV show) signed the certificado de defuncion or death certificate. The Death Certificate
is one thing, but having the body cremated is another. Because cremation is a process that gets rid of all evidence, Mexicans don't look at this
thing lightly. You have to get a LIBERACION, or release of the body to the funeral home. This requires a carta de poder, as Shari referred to it.
And what about the belongings? Unless you are married, and have an official translated copy of the marriage if it wasn't done in Mexico, you have to
jump that hoop as well. |
It is not my desire to enter a spitting contest with you . My post was based on actual experince with the death of my Wife. The Dr made all
ariangments. I did not have to produce nothing . Just pay the mourge for the creamation.
|
|
|
Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
Thank you EnsenadaDR both for your very kind assistance to your friend and her family. I admire your committment to service to all of us by sharing
this difficult experience with us. I too am sorry for your loss.
I have started another thread that has to do with how to obtain medical care in Baja and what should be part of ones medical care planning. You have
added immensly to this body of knowledge.
You have outlined a very complex process that is a mystery to most of us and one that many of us will one day need to interface with.
Thank you for addressing cultural as well as legal issues in your post.
My head spins as I read this thread. I wonder if someone might summarize this thread into a "To Do List" for us after all the information is
presented. I hope to do this on the emergency medical care thread. I thing that this "To Do List" including all of the documents needed, would be very
useful. I for instance learned that it would be a good idea for us to carry copies of our marriage license with us in Baja, a real issue since we both
have maintained our last names.
Thanks again for your very helpful post.
Iflyfish
|
|
|
Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
|
|
Cold potato
One of the fun things about being dead is that you no longer care. To that end I purposefully haven't made any plans.
I'd guess you all had better hope I don't die at your house.
|
|
|
mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
Member Is Offline
|
|
EnsenadaDr....I know this a subject that has never crossed most minds here. I thank you for bringing this subject up for attention.
We all should care about the issues of death...the aftermath of it. Not caring / preparing a course of action in case of death intentionally
...............is pure disrespecting.
Sorry for your loss.
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
|
|
|
bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by Dave
One of the fun things about being dead is that you no longer care. To that end I purposefully haven't made any plans.
I'd guess you all had better hope I don't die at your house. |
If you do, you will have a dumpster as a casket 
|
|
|
greengoes
Select Nomad
Posts: 10318
Registered: 6-27-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Today I slay the Red Dot.
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by J.P.
Sorry about your friend, I dont think your research went quite far enough, If someone dies and is in the care of a DR. you dont have to jump through
all those hoops . if you have a family DR. in Mexico call them and have them pronunce the person dead and he can sign the death cert. and simplfy the
legal process. |
Also, a file needs to be established with an accredited Mexican mortuary to facilitate the return of the remains to the US, if that is desired.
|
|
|
Woooosh
Banned
Posts: 5240
Registered: 1-28-2007
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Luminescent Waves at Rosarito Beach
|
|
I still like the idea of using our Baja pet cremation service. I could pass for an old fat St. Bernard. I've already got a place on the memorial
shelf for me picked out. I'd just have to ask Zatika Memorials not to use the bone-shaped urn. 
More seriously- I do imagine it would be easier for a Mexico cremation than to deal with shipping a stiff body around.
[Edited on 11-11-2011 by Woooosh]
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
|
|
|
Dave
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6005
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
|
|
What, Me Worry?
| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
If you do, you will have a dumpster as a casket |
After reading Mcfez's comments I realize how disrespectful not planning would be so I'm gonna write up a will and have my body delivered to his place.
|
|
|
EnsenadaDr
Banned
Posts: 5027
Registered: 9-12-2011
Location: Baja California
Member Is Offline
Mood: Move on. It is just a chapter in the past, but don't close the book- just turn the page
|
|
A sense of humor is very necessary....
Don't think I mind your funny comments, cause I don't...on another site, if anyone cracked a joke they would be attacked by the pirannas that swim
freely on that board or the Grand Kahuna of Baja who can't stand anything that's not shiny or happy.. On the serious side, John, you were married and
marriage means everything in this virtuous and virginal culture, and so things will be settled just fine with a marriage certificate...were you
married to a Mexican and was your marriage certificate translated into Spanish? For my friend, who was single and not so loving it, I just went to
the morgue AGAIN earlier today cause the police wouldn't release the body cause now that want an original birth certificate and power of attorney that
the daughter signed in another state in the US that she signed over to me...but now I hear that if an American dies and there is no family around
Mexican law has it that they must wait 21 days to release the body...so I am waiting to hear if the Doctor of the morgue has any influence with the
Ministerio Publico...
|
|
|
Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
You got that right about humor, life is too short to spend it being grim!
This is very useful information for those of us who have not had to deal with this situation. It sounds like if one is to use a marriage license for
transactions in Mexico that the license must be translated, by a certified translator and that form submitted? Did I get that right?
Iflyfish
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
