Craigslist ad for free funeral barter laid to rest

NEW YORK, US: A New York funeral director hoping to barter a free funeral for construction work on his patio was forced to scrap the idea due to the media frenzy that followed.

Peter Dohanich, 51, posted an ad for the exchange on the online classified site Craigslist last week.

Intense media interest in the story prompted his landlord, who rents space to Dohanich, to evict him, he said.

The landlord is also in the funeral business and told Dohanich they were competitors, Dohanich said.

"It's been settled, and I'm looking at a new place," Dohanich said, who declined further comment.

The Daily News identified Dohanich's landlord as James Donofrio, the owner of the Blair-Mazzarella Funeral Home, who could not be reached for comment.