In an unusual move for a death care regulator, the Federal Trade Commission weighed in on the preneed turf war that has erupted between Pennsylvania funeral directors and StoneMor Partners. At the request of the chairman for a Pennsylvania legislative committee, the FTC responded with a detailed letter warning against various bill proposals aimed at
Pennsylvania
Death Care Legislation: Not Without a Consensus
The reversal of the Heffner decision generated a wide range of comments, but those made by Wilson Beebe resonated most with our initial review of the decision. The lower court decision was based on a challenge that the Pennsylvania Funeral Law was unconstitutional on its face. A law can also be challenged as unconstitutional because…
Being Hung out to Dry: The Pennsylvania Board of Funeral Directors
Federal Judge John Jones III has teed off (again) on the Pennsylvania Board of Funeral Directors. Awarding attorneys fees of more than a million dollars and issuing a permanent injunction against the State Board, Judge Jones rebuked Board members for their failure to show initiative towards a legislative fix to a Truman era problem. And…
Pennsylvania: knocking down fences
Heritage is the term that the death care industry uses to describe the relationship each funeral home or cemetery attempts to forge with the community through years of service. Heritage reflects a commitment to the community, and through that commitment, the operator can expect the community’s business.
Initially, the vast majority of funeral directors fought…