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A Missouri funeral director recently called for advice.  He received a first call for an individual that died without a spouse or children.  The deceased had a surviving parent and several siblings, but a distant relative was asserting the right of sepulcher by virtue of a durable power of attorney.  The funeral director had reviewed…

After almost 16 years, the NPS receivership is coming to a close.  But the final chapter will mark a messy end for funeral homes that have consumers with an orphaned NPS contract and those funeral homes that did not heed the SDR’s 2020 notice about lost earnings. 

One of the receivership’s final steps will be…

One of the weaknesses of Chapter 436, Missouri’s preneed law, is that it provides the State Board few enforcement powers beyond disciplining the preneed seller’s license.  There are plenty of examples of preneed sellers obstructing the State Board’s efforts to obtain preneed records.  At least one resorted to litigation as a delay tactic.  The prospect…

It would seem that the Missouri Legislature has grown impatient with the funeral industry’s efforts to regulate preneed.  New legislation, Senate Bill No. 32, would establish a two tier approach to preneed oversight.  This law would create a threshold whereby the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors would be required to notify the…

Late in 2021, PNC Bank threw in the towel.  After years of litigation and two appeals, PNC Bank agreed to a settlement with the NPS special deputy receiver.  Last month, our Illinois clients began receiving POC notices from the SDR that a portion of their claims for inflation would be honored.  Payment of funeral home…

When an Association Press story broke a few months ago, the MFDEA response was to suggest that the reporter had been influenced by individuals who were anti-Governor Parson and anti-Division.  But the reality is that funeral directors opposed to Ms. Solon’s actions are supporters of Governor Parson.  Multiple parties reached out to the Governor to…

MFDEA members like one past president have written to the Governor to commend the Division acting director for having put an end to the State Board’s “photographic surveillance” of funeral homes.  This past president of MFDEA stated that instead of actually inspecting the funeral home, the Board inspectors were taking pictures which were then reviewed…