There is a complaint about cemetery fees in Gdańsk. “Looting people in their most difficult moments”

PiS MP Kacper Płażyński and representatives of the funeral industry filed complaints to the Provincial Administrative Court regarding fees related to burial in Gdańsk. The city authorities emphasize that the collection of fees is legal and serves to finance the maintenance of the necropolis.

– Today we are submitting two complaints to the Provincial Administrative Court in Gdańsk. This concerns the resolution of the City Council of December 5, 2002 and the related ordinances of the president, which regulate the collection of fees at municipal cemeteries in Gdańsk. (…) In our opinion, the applicable burial fees are not only high, but also illegal – said Kacper Płażyński, MP from Law and Justice, on Friday at a joint press conference with representatives of the funeral industry.

According to him, Gdańsk has one of the highest funeral fees in the country. For a traditional burial, the family must bring the so-called operating fee of PLN 3,183. In the case of an urn burial, the fee is PLN 1,900.

According to the parliamentarian, the rates burden residents in the most difficult moments of their lives. He added that despite previous parliamentary interventions and press conferences on this matter, the Gdańsk authorities did not change the applicable regulations.

– President Aleksandra Dulkiewicz still charges over 20 illegal burial fees. Since the city authorities pretend not to know that such a practice of plundering people in a very difficult situation is illegal, let the court decide who is right, he said. He referred to the judgments of Polish courts, including the Supreme Administrative Court.

In Gdańsk, the fee includes: for compliance

Kamila Dziurkowska from Funeral Home Przymorze assessed that, in accordance with the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead, it is permissible to charge fees for a burial place or for extending the right to use it.

– However, the service fee has no legal basis. In Gdańsk, it is also collected when returning to a grave or placing a tombstonewhile in other large cities, such as Warsaw or Gdynia, there are no such fees or they are much lower – she added.

Conference participants also pointed out that if the court finds the applicable regulations invalid, people who have incurred fees in recent years could submit claims for their refund.

Płażyński also recalled that he had previously submitted notifications to the prosecutor's office, the Central Anticorruption Bureau and the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection regarding the 2023 tender for the management of municipal cemeteries in Gdańsk. In his opinion, it was prepared so that only one company could win it. – An investigation into this matter is ongoing. From what I know, many witnesses – also from the city administration – have been interviewed, he added.

UM Gdańsk: the city collects cemetery fees in accordance with the law

The managing director for Green Gdańsk, Piotr Kryszewski, commented on the allegations of the politician and representatives of the funeral industry in a conversation with journalists. He said that the city collects cemetery fees in accordance with the law. – Our position on this matter is clear and we will consistently defend it – he emphasized.

He also noted that the current regulations on this matter are ambiguous, which in practice leads to two different lines of jurisprudence.

Together with the Union of Polish Metropolises, we strive to organize the regulations to provide local governments with clear legal instruments to carry out their tasks – added the director.

He emphasized that cemetery fees are a tool ensuring the maintenance of the necropolis, and not a source of profit for the city. The exploitation fee finances all works in cemeteries, including administration, maintenance and renovation of roads, replacement of fences and improvement of the condition of stairs. In 2024, the maintenance of all municipal cemeteries in Gdańsk cost over PLN 14.5 million. (PAP)

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