At 01:48 PM 9/28/98 -0400, you wrote:
I believe you're correct, Carol. I even had to provide affidavits
to
support my request for two certificates in teh past. They are really picky
in New Castle.....<g>
I believe the law stipulates that one may only obtain a death record if one
of four conditions are met:
1. You are the executor of the estate
2. You have power of attorney granted by the executor of the estate
3. You have a court order
4. You are the next of kin
The department of vital records must at least make some effort to comply
with these restrictions. I think it is under the last condition that
individuals doing genealogical research can rationalize their request,
although it is not clear how far the state is prepared to stretch the
"next of kin" concept.
In requesting death certificates, I have always used snail-mail, explicitly
stated that the certificate was for genealogical research, and explicitly
stated my relationship with the deceased. I have never had any problems,
but I have only every requested death certificates for direct ancestors and
the individuals generally had died between 1906 and 1930. I have an idea
that the department shows greater flexibility in releasing very old records
than they would if I asked for a record for someone who died recently.
Dave
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David N. Blauch, Assistant Professor
Dept. of Chemistry, Davidson College
POB 1719, Davidson NC 28036
Tel. (704) 892-2308 FAX (704) 892-2709
dablauch(a)davidson.edu
home page:
http://www.chm.davidson.edu/dablauch/dablauch.html