Families and estate executors have enough to worry about after someone passes away. Should they also have to worry about termination fees for canceling a contract with a utility? One state says no.
If you have ever wanted to move to a different cell phone provider, you are likely to have come across a problem. As long as you signed a contract with your current provider, you either have to continue to pay the contract or pay a termination fee.
Depending on where you live, you might have come across other termination fees for things such as cable, electricity and garbage service. These fees are normally seen as reasonable as long as the person who signed the contract is alive. However, some people have discovered that some companies refuse to waive the fees even if the person who signed the contract has passed away.
These post-death termination fees can put a real strain on many small estates. If the deceased had few assets, even a fee of a couple of hundred dollars can be difficult for the estate to pay.
The state of New York has decided to address this problem and recently passed a law that prohibits utility companies from charging termination fees after the contract holder has passed away.
Fox 5 reported on this new law in "NY: Utilities can't charge termination fees after death."
This small law could provide big relief to families who are going through the difficult process of grieving for a deceased loved one. In turn, the new law should not create an undue burden on the companies. It remains to be seen if other states will follow suit.
Reference: Fox 5 (Sept. 28, 2016) "NY: Utilities can't charge termination fees after death."
