Mississippi cemetery regulatory commission

Technically, all Mississippians are on this commission. What has actually happened with the monies that were given to Green Acres since 2001? The year will forever remain infamous in my mind and the minds of many. I'm not certain that people remember the news stories about the number of bankruptcies that occurred after 9-11-01. A little background on the story from the headlines today February 2, 2009 on Topica.

"Mississippi is one of the few states that does not have a regulatory board over cemeteries, and now we're seeing that cemeteries can have problems that need some oversight," Riles said. "There will be a law that comes out of this, you can count on it. To go through all this and have no good result come from it would be a sin."

DITTO

"Bills have been introduced in the Legislature would form a loss-recovery program and other measures to protect people who have paid for pre-need burial services, said Hosemann.

"I think this is the largest cemetery failure in the state of Mississippi that I have ever known of," said Riles, who has been in the business 49 years."

I let Google do my digging around about Mississippi Cemetery Law. Here are a few gems worth reading.


MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972
As Amended

SEC. 41-43-33. Who is subject to cemetery law.

Any person, partnership, corporation or other organization organized or engaging in business under the laws of the state of Mississippi, or wheresoever organized and doing business in the state of Mississippi, of owning, maintaining or operating a cemetery, providing lots or other interment space therein for the remains of human bodies, except such organizations and cemeteries which are affiliated with or owned by churches or religious societies, established fraternal societies, municipalities, or other political subdivisions of the state of Mississippi, shall be subject to the provisions of sections 41-43-31 to 41-43-53.

SOURCES: Codes, 1942, Sec. 5308-02; Laws, 1958, ch. 481, Sec. 2, eff from and after passage (approved May 6, 1958).

http://www.mscode.com/free/statutes/41/043/0033.htm


From the Law Office of Robert Paine -
Mississippi Attorney General Opinions on Cemetery and Funeral Home Law - HTML
The same file in PDF

From the list:
Feb. 2, 2009 — Chancery Court hearing set for 9 a.m. to begin legal
proceedings to restore and protect trust funds, assess penalties, appoint a
conservator and obtain a permanent injunction prohibiting Green Acres
from selling pre-need...