New York prevents services from charging fee to estates.
The state of New York has passed a law that protects estates from termination fee charges, according to a Fox 5 report “NY: Utilities can’t charge termination fees after death.”
If you do not live in New York State, your estate might face 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 but 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.
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.”
