D.E. wanted to live in his own apartment

D.E. requested assistance from OCRA to attend his IPP. At the IPP meeting, the Assistant CRA was informed that D.E. could not live on his own because he could not afford it. After more inquiry, it was discovered that E.E.'s personal and incidental money from his SSI check was being used to purchase a burial plot and tombstone. D.E. stated that he did not want to make this purchase.

Records indicated that on February 5, 2002, D.E.'s care provider and the cemetery entered into a contract to purchase a burial plot and tombstone for D.E. The total cost of the burial plot and tombstone was $4,782.60 and payments were coming from E.E.'s check on a monthly basis.

D.E.'s service coordinator requested that the cemetery refund D.E.'s monies. The cemetery had received a total amount of $3,190.52 from E.E. However, the cemetery indicated that it would only refund D.E. $825.45.

The assistant CRA wrote a demand letter to the cemetery requesting a refund of all monies paid to it, to which the business agreed. D.E. received all of his money back.

Maria Bryant, CRA; Jacqueline Gallegos, Assistant CRA; Alta California Regional Center.