Hamlin Hansen Kosloski Funeral Home

Initial Business Response /* (1000, 5, 2015/05/28) */
- [redacted] passed away Wednesday, April 1st 2015 in Mercy Hospital, Moose Lake, MN.
- Mercy Hospital called us (Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home) to make the removal, which we immediately did. I should note that a hospital or nursing...

home calls the funeral home on behalf of the family when the family chooses us as the funeral home that they would like to use.
- We preceded VERY cautiously because of previous charges brought against a family member regarding Financial Exploitation-Vulnerable Adult-Breach of Fiduciary Obligation-Fail to Provide Care (see attached file).
- Embalming was performed (which legally needs to be performed within 72 hours of the date of death). I should also note that our charge of $5500.00 for our service package included the $700.00 embalming charge.
- 36 days passed until [redacted]'s granddaughter-in-law, [redacted] ([redacted]'s wife) came in to make arrangements for [redacted]'s final disposition. (Let me state that normally the family comes in the next day to make arrangements) We sat down, gathered information, picked out a casket and went over a purchase agreement which [redacted] refused to sign. I explained to her that we have a casket which is less than the one she picked out (under $1000). She told me that she wanted the casket which was priced at $2395.00. I made a copy of the purchase agreement for her and she left.
- During a phone conversation with [redacted], he stated that the law firm that they were using was [redacted] Law Firm in Duluth and he said I could call them. [redacted]had been at the funeral home for over a month at that point. I called [redacted] Law Firm and left a message with them to call me regarding [redacted].
- A couple more days passed before they returned my call. They instructed us to fax them a copy of the statement, which I did. I was only doing what [redacted] Law Firm instructed me to do. I have done this numerous times with other clients to receive payment so this is not out of the norm. They also assured us that payment would take place when [redacted]'s estate was settled in a couple months. Also, and most importantly, [redacted] Law Firm said to go ahead and schedule [redacted]'s burial at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis next to her husband.
- On Saturday, May 16, (46 Days after [redacted]passed) I called [redacted] and left him a message stating that we really needed to put [redacted]to rest with her husband at Fort Snelling in Minneapolis. [redacted] returned my call and said he had talked with other funeral homes and they were less than our prices. The reason they were less is simple. We had already performed most of our services including removal from the place of death, embalming, filing the death certificate, gathering vital statistics, numerous phone calls to try to facilitate [redacted]'s burial, etc.. I again reminded [redacted] that we had a casket for under $1000.00 to lessen the cost. The other funeral homes that [redacted] spoke with simply had to sell him a casket and transport [redacted]to Fort Snelling. Naturally they are going to be less. Again, we had already performed these services over the previous 46 days. I asked [redacted] if we could please go ahead and schedule [redacted]'s burial. He agreed with me and I scheduled [redacted]'s interment for Thursday, May 21 at 11:35 A.M.
- On Thursday, May 21, I transported [redacted]to Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis for Burial next to her husband, Kenneth who passed in 1991.
- In conclusion, in my 21 years as a licensed funeral director in Minnesota, I have never witnessed such a lack of caring or concern for a loved one who has passed away as I have experienced here. I believe I was compassionate and very understanding as we cared for [redacted]at our facility for 51 days. We did not charge the family a storage fee of $200.00 which I was entitled to do. [redacted]'s wife, [redacted] came in and signed the embalming authorization form as well as the monument data form required by Fort Snelling and [redacted]'s mother, [redacted] came in to give us information for the death certificate because she was the ONLY one who knew certain information that was needed.
- Although this has been one of the more difficult families I have dealt with and I can say in good faith and clear conscience that I did everything I could do to try to appease this family and facilitate [redacted]'s burial.
- As of this date, May 28, 2015, no funds have been received for our services, merchandise or cash advances. The amount due is $8,191.00. May I also say that the average traditional funeral today is between $10,000 and $13,000.
Initial Consumer Rebuttal /* (3000, 8, 2015/05/29) */
(The consumer indicated he/she DID NOT accept the response from the business.)
First of all - My complaint asks for no explanation of what is "average" and no explanation of their opinion. I do not see any explanation of the fees that add up to $8191.00 - which is what we asked to be addressed. We are fully aware of the Financial Exploitation-Vulnerable Adult-Breach of Fiduciary Obligation-Fail to Provide Care by [redacted]. The costs we complied from other funeral homes in the area WERE START TO FINISH and CONSIDERABLY LESS than Hamlin Hanson. We contacted [redacted] and asked him to provide a bill of what they had performed so far when we decided we would like to have another facility handle the funeral arrangements - of which he LAUGHED at, which will satisfy [redacted]s sense of good faith and clear conscience. To address the statement that [redacted] - (the one who was brought on Financial Exploitation-Vulnerable Adult-Breach of Fiduciary Obligation-Fail to Provide Care- being the ONLY one who knew some of the information needed - I would like to address who else was ASKED to make that statement- and didn't know? Certainly not the living daughter of [redacted] - or [redacted] or [redacted]. Back to the actual matter of the complaint - We would like to pay for matters performed by the funeral home - and the casket price that Hamlin Hansen has on that casket - (which is cheaper at all the local funeral homes we checked at)- the services provided of picking [redacted]up from her place of death and bringing her to the funeral home and embalming and bringing her to be with her husband at Fort Snelling.
For matter of record the funeral homes we spoke with to help assist us with the burial of [redacted] were very apologetic for the behavior and treatment received by Hamlin-Hansen-Kosloski Funeral Home. Most were very taken back by the lack of care and assistance as we were. Still looking for an explanation of services performed and merchandise purchased. And as it has been stated by the funeral home - we did not reach an agreement and did not sign for services or merchandise.