Proprietors of the Lyken/Newburg Funeral Home are crying foul after city workers at Le Repentir Cemetery reportedly demanded money from customers to bury their dead.
Speaking to Stabroek News yesterday an upset Dawn Lyken said that people who turned up at Le Repentir to bury their dead were being asked to pay some $3,000 to have the workers cover water-filled holes with mud. They were being charged the money to raise the level of graves and surrounding areas in the light of the recent rains, Lyken said.
According to the woman, this should have been done during the preparation of the graves since the parlour usually has to pay in advance.
“All of this should be done in preparation for the burial; it’s not the customers or the funeral parlour’s fault. This is an ongoing problem and we have to tell customers and they think we are lying,” she said.
Lyken added that it was “a ridiculous situation” because they do not have an alternative venue to bury individuals and this puts the parlour in a bad light.
“If we pay for a grave order then we should get it,” Lyken said adding that “people want to fight and all because they want their dead buried.”
When this newspaper contacted Mayor Hamilton Green he called on the business to formally report the matter so that action could be taken.
“I’ve been trying to seal rackets all over the place, it’s a one-man battle. Lyken must come and identify these people so I can deal with them,” Green said in a brief comment.
Lyken has since indicated that she will be approaching the council with a written complaint today.
