The feds sued a Westchester funeral home and its owner today for allegedly keeping grieving families in the dark about the cost of burying their loved ones.
The Harrison Funeral Home and owner John Balsamo are accused of breaking a 1984 law, known as the “Funeral Rule,” by failing to provide a “printed or typewritten general price list” at the start of discussions.
The White Plains federal court suit, filed by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, seeks the maximum $16,000 in civil penalties for each of five alleged violations in March and July of 2010.
Court papers also note that Balsamo and his funeral home were previously accused of violating the Funeral Rule in 2001 and cut a deal to avoid “formal law enforcement actions.”
But while they paid a fine to the government, they never participated in a special training program on how to comply with the Funeral Rule, the suit says.
Funeral home lawyer Tim Parlatore said Balsamo maintains a price list and has “always been very careful that he’s been in accordance with the rules” since the 2001 agreement.
“We intend to fight this and have him exonerated,” he added.