By AARON MUELLER

Niles Daily Star

Funerals are certainly a major purchase, with the average funeral costing families $6,500, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.

To help possibly curb that expense, many people are choosing to pre-plan and pre-pay funerals.

But a pair of recent scams by local funeral home directors remind consumers of the importance of being careful when they begin pre-arranging funerals.

Matthew Purchase, owner of Legacy Family Funeral Services in Berrien Springs, is facing 15 felony charges after a preliminary audit of his business showed he may have embezzled more than $200,000 by pocketing money people gave him for funeral services instead of putting the funds in an escrow account, as required by state law.

David Groner, former owner of Groner Funeral Home in Dowagiac, last year was sentenced to seven months in jail and three years’ probation for embezzling thousands of dollars in the same way Purchase allegedly has done.

Despite the two recent scams, Ted Halbritter, owner of Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles and past president of the Michigan Funeral Directors Association, believes most funeral homes in the state are very trustworthy.

“Unfortunately, we have had a case in Cass and Berrien recently. Just like in anything, some people will abuse the system,” Halbritter said. “But this is not an overall trend, no.”

Halbritter says the Michigan Prepaid Funeral Contract Funding Act of 1986 has greatly improved consumer protection in the state.

“The key element of the act is that the funds are not the funeral home’s until the services have been rendered,” Halbritter said. “That’s why we have good consumer protection in the state of Michigan. It puts us way ahead of other states.”

The act also calls for strict regulation by the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, which is investigating Legacy Family Funeral Services.

Halbritter also added people should know if they change their mind about pre-payment on a funeral, they can cancel their contract and get a refund.

He said most importantly people need to remember they should receive within 30 days of prepayment acknowledgment the funds have been trusted or given to an insurance company, along with a receipt from the trust or insurance company administering the account.

Despite the two recent scandals, Halbritter says pre-planning funerals is still valuable and safe for those looking to spend down for medicaid purposes or to save time and money on funeral services.

“If you go back and check and see what is one of the most trusted professions in the United States, funerals services are at the top,” he said. “But it’s still very unfortunate. My heart goes out to the consumers affected by this.”