A deal to die for: Funeral director offers free funeral for construction work on his apartment

Matt Lysiak and Carrie Melago
DAILY NEWS WRITERS

Wednesday, March 11th 2009, 2:18 AM

THIS IS ONE construction project that's simply to die for.

A Brooklyn funeral director is looking for a reliable contractor to put an addition on his apartment - in exchange for a free funeral package.

Peter Dohanich, 51, concedes some might view his ad on craigslist as "bizarre," but he thinks it's savvy, not spooky.

"These are tough times, and people don't have the money," Dohanich said. "I'm sure that there are contractors with elderly or terminally ill parents and are worried about how to cover the costly expenses of a funeral."

Dohanich, who is licensed in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is looking for a trustworthy contractor to build a 300-square-foot "sitting room" off the living room of his ground-floor apartment in midtown.

In return, Dohanich would provide a full funeral - cremation or burial, embalming, a coffin, viewing, church service, even a hearse and limo for loved ones.

"It may sound like a laughable barter transaction, but consider the average cost of paying for a funeral," he wrote in the ad. "Ask someone that recently had a funeral what they paid!"

Jessica Koth, a spokeswoman for the National Funeral Directors Association, said she has heard of a few funeral homes bartering their services, and her organization has no problem with it.

"This is a very creative solution," Koth said.

Robert Meyer, editor of BarterNews, said more and more businesses could try swapping services as the economy continues to struggle.

"I don't see it as distasteful one bit," Meyer said. "I think it's admirable to offer one's services for another. It's legal and profitable, too."

Meyer recommends that people bartering services draft a written contract and "treat it exactly as you would a cash business agreement."

Dohanich, who has run his Brooklyn funeral home for more than 25 years, said the offer could ease the mind of someone who otherwise might consider a burial in Potter's Field for a loved one.

"Everyone has to adapt to the times," he said, "even funeral directors."