THE future of a proposed crematorium at Thornlands was unknown after a landmark court ruling against Alex Gow Funerals in Beenleigh Magistrates Court today.
The Queensland-based funeral home was ordered to honour a $50 prepaid funeral plan in a ruling that could affect more than 19,000 people.
It is understood 19,500 Queenslanders took out similar prepaid funeral plans, about 1000 with Alex Gow Funerals and more than 18,000 with Metropolitan Funerals after World War II.
Today’s court case arose after Beryl Turner died in 2012 and her son Gavin, refused to pay the $7195 Alex Gow funeral bill saying the cost was already covered under a prepaid plan.
Mrs Turner paid small installments to Alex Gow Funerals totalling $50 between 1948 and 1980 and was issued with a certificate saying she was entitled to a funeral service "without further payment".
Beenleigh Court Magistrate Joan White ordered Alex Gow Funerals honour the decades-old agreement.
Alex Gow Funerals was unable to return Redland City Bulletin’s calls after today’s court ruling.
However, residents living next to the funeral home’s proposed Woodlands Drive site said they hoped today’s decision would rule out building the crematorium.
Last month, Thornlands builder Casey Jackson withdrew his court appeal against a 2013 Redland City Council decision to allow Alex Gow Funerals to build a crematorium next to his home.
Mr Jackson said he withdrew his appeal in the Planning and Environment court because he believed Alex Gow Funerals had underestimated the cost of developing the site.
“Financially, the site does not stack up and after today’s court case the company will be facing a few other unaccounted expenses.”
