quote [ Constantin Reliu returned to Romania from Turkey to find he had been dead for 15 years — officially, at least. And he still is, now that a court has denied his bid to overturn his death certificate.

"I am officially dead, although I'm alive," the deceased told The Associated Press by phone Friday. "I have no income and because I am listed as dead, I can't do anything."

In fact, Reliu, 63, very nearly couldn't even get back into Romania. It took more than six hours of interrogation just to convince customs officials he wasn't playing a hoax on them, he told local media. They told him it had to be a joke, because he was dead. ]