Man lay dead in bed for two years-Condo fees

[BERIGAN]

Man lay dead in bed for two years

Condo fees and bills were still being paid

Body finally found in mummified state

WINNIPEG—His telephone number was still listed in the telephone directory and his condominium fees and bills were automatically being withdrawn from his bank account.

No one knew Jim Sulkers had died in his bed almost two years ago.

Neighbour Sam Shuster said residents in the complex often wondered where the man they knew only as Jim had gone, but were told his condominium fees were still being paid.

"How can that happen, for God's sake. Two years!" Shuster said yesterday of the man who had been a resident in the building since the mid-1980s.

"I used to ask the president of the board of directors where in the hell is he? She said all she knew was the bank gets the monthly money so we don't worry about it."

Sulkers' remains were discovered Wednesday. Manitoba's chief medical examiner, Dr. Thambirajah Balachandra, determined he had died of natural causes.

Sulkers, believed to be in his 50s, had multiple sclerosis. Balachandra said there were no signs of trauma and he was able to quickly rule out homicide, suicide or accident as a cause of death. But because the body was in a mummified state, he could not determine an exact cause.

He said a newspaper dated Nov. 21, 2002, was found in the man's apartment and a wall calendar was opened to November 2002 — evidence the man died nearly two years ago.

A cousin, Kim Dyck of Winnipeg, said she lost contact with the man after his mother died about 10 years ago, but relatives had attempted to make contact with Sulkers last summer when they were in the city for a wedding.

"They knocked on his door and he didn't answer," she said. "You assume he isn't home. You certainly don't assume he's dead."

She said the man's bills must have been covered by a pension cheque automatically deposited into his bank account.

Neighbours said Sulkers' mailbox had become full several times and was always emptied by a letter carrier.

Canada Post spokesman Brian Garagan said letter carriers are required to clear full mailboxes and inform a supervisor, who calls the condo owner. He said the corporation was trying to determine if that policy was followed.

He said Sulkers' mail delivery was halted at some point but he wasn't sure when. He said he would be talking to the letter carrier on the route.

Marcel Baril, executive director of the Family Centre in Winnipeg, called the situation bizarre and sad. "It's odd that we live in a society where technology can take care of our affairs like that, even if we passed away two years ago, and nobody's noticed."

A spokeswoman for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada said the disease itself was not fatal but complications could be.

Canadian Press

http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentSe...ol=968350116467

[RDK]

Berigan, you're such a tool. I blame your pal Bush in the White House for stuff like this. Yeah, him and his pal Chaney. They gotta be behind shit like this.

[catesta]

"I used to ask the president of the board of directors where in the hell is he? She said all she knew was the bank gets the monthly money so we don't worry about it."

That's crazy.

[ghost of miles]

Talk about sleeping in!

[JSngry]

Lucky stiff.

[Dan Gould]

Shouldn't his estate sue to get the condo fees back? I mean, HE might have authorized the charges, but once he died, the estate controls his $$. And its not as if he got any value from the condo association as he slowly mummified.

[Jazzmoose]

Wow. Can you imagine being dead for two years and no one even misses you? That's the saddest article I've seen in a long time...

[sidewinder]

I'm suprised this wasn't registered during routine checks of fire sprinklers etc. or by the window cleaners when they did the regular clean up.

[Tjazz]

Shouldn't his estate sue to get the condo fees back?  I mean, HE might have authorized the charges, but once he died, the estate controls his $$.  And its not as if he got any value from the condo association as he slowly mummified.

Untill his estate sells the condo, he has to pay his dues.

I have all my ultilities on auto bill pay too.

Edited August 28, 2004 by Tjazz

[RDK]

I have all my ultilities on auto bill pay too.

Don't worry, T - if you skip too many Record Surplus sales I'll know something's up...

[Jim Alfredson]

I agree with Moose. How sad that he was dead for two years and no one noticed.

[Tjazz]

I have all my ultilities on auto bill pay too.

Don't worry, T - if you skip too many Record Surplus sales I'll know something's up...

CD Trader sale today.