Mendocino County Municipal Code Ch. 8.95 Coroner's Fees

Except as provided elsewhere in this Chapter, the Sheriff-Coroner is hereby authorized to charge fees to defray the cost of the issuance of any documents, and to defray the cost of providing any service to the public.

The Board of Supervisors shall establish the fees by resolution.

(Ord. No. 3911 (part), adopted 1995.)

(A) Pursuant to Government Code Section 27472, the Sheriff-Coroner, whenever taking custody of a dead body pursuant to law, may charge and collect from the person entitled to control the disposition of the remains the actual expense incurred by the Sheriff-Coroner in removing the body from the place of death and keeping the body until its release to the person responsible for its interment. The charge shall not include expenses of keeping the body during the time necessary for the Coroner to perform his or her duties in connection with it. The charge, if not paid, may be considered a part of the funeral expenses and paid as a preferred charge against the estate of the decedent.

(B) The charge shall not exceed the maximum amount established by Government Code Section 27472 and shall not be imposed upon: (1) a person who claims and proves to be indigent, or (2) in cases in which the body is that of a child not more than fourteen (14) years of age, or (3) in cases in which the Coroner ascribes the death to the criminal act of another, unless the Coroner has reasonable grounds to believe that the deceased was involved in any criminal activity which contributed to his or her own death.

(Ord. No. 3911 (part), adopted 1995.)

The amount of the fee for body removal and storage services shall be established pursuant to a resolution adopted by the Board of Supervisors subsequent to a public fee hearing, except that the fee shall not exceed the amount specified in Government Code Section 27472, or any successor statute.

(Ord. No. 3911 (part), adopted 1995.)

All cases handled by the Sheriff-Coroner shall be billed for transportation, personnel handling, and storage costs, except for the following categories of cases:

(A) Decedents under fourteen (14) years of age;

(B) Homicides;

(C) In custody or police-involved cases;

(D) Indigents (County disposition);

(E) Cases in which private charitable funds available to pay funeral costs would thereby be reduced so as to preclude payment;

(6) Cases specifically exempted by the Sheriff-Coroner or his designee.

(Ord. No. 3911 (part), adopted 1995.)