A New York funeral home chain must pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to its customers for alleged predatory and deceptive practices, according to a settlement with the city.
Bronx-based funeral home RG Ortiz will pay $600,000 to grieving families and $100,000 in civil penalties for actions such as refusing to tell families where their loved ones’ remains are, the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection announced.
“Money will never heal the wounds inflicted by RG Ortiz’s conduct, but we are proud to hold this company accountable and ensure justice for our neighbors,” Department Commissioner Vilda Vera Mayuga said in a statement.
The company owns eight different funeral homes across the five boroughs and primarily serves Spanish-speaking communities.
Since 2018, 74 consumers have filed complaints with the agency, denouncing RG Ortiz’s predatory and deceptive practices, including misrepresenting or concealing the prices of services offered and failing to provide services for which consumers paid. The agency has accused the chain of more than 82 violations.
In one alleged incident, RG Ortiz allegedly presented the body of a dead man “sitting in a plastic bag” for viewing, the city’s consumer watchdog said.
Another time, a client’s loved one smelled of decay.
As part of the settlement, 28 consumers will receive approximately $104,000 in payments, with $500,000 left for other consumers who can file complaints online in English (and Spanish).
A person who answered the phone at Ortiz’s headquarters said no one was immediately available for comment.
