Senate Bill 2580

(As Passed the Senate)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 41-43-37, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO REQUIRE PAYMENT INTO A PERPETUAL CARE TRUST FUND FOR THE PLACEMENT OF AN ABOVE-GROUND, FREE-STANDING OR PRIVATE MAUSOLEUM; TO AMEND SECTION 41-43-45, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN PERPETUAL CARE CEMETERIES FROM BEING MORTGAGED, ENCUMBERED, LEASED OR PLEDGED AS COLLATERAL TO SECURE AN OBLIGATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. Section 41-43-37, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-43-37. (1) The owner of every cemetery, subject to the provisions of Section 41-43-31 et seq., that is organized, begins or continues to do business in the State of Mississippi after July 1, 2009, shall provide for the creation and establishment of an irrevocable perpetual care trust fund, the principal of which shall permanently remain intact except as hereinafter provided and only the income thereof shall be devoted to the perpetual care of the cemetery. The perpetual care trust fund shall not be subject to the claims of the cemetery's creditors and shall not be used as collateral, pledged, encumbered or placed at risk. This fund shall be created and established as follows:

(a) In respect to a cemetery for earth burials, by the application and payment thereto of an amount equivalent to fifteen percent (15%) of the sale price, or Forty Cents (40¢) per square foot of ground interment rights sold, whichever is greater;

(b) In respect to an above-ground community or public mausoleum, by the application and payment thereto of an amount equivalent to five percent (5%) of the sale price, or Fifty Dollars ($50.00) per crypt sold, whichever is greater; * * *

(c) In respect to the placement of an above-ground, free-standing or private mausoleum, by the application and payment thereof of an amount equivalent to fifteen percent (15%) of the sale price for the ground interment right upon which the private mausoleum is installed and five percent (5%) of the sales price as determined by the customer's invoice for the purchase price of the private mausoleum; and

(d) In respect to a community columbarium, by the application and payment thereto of an amount equivalent to five percent (5%) of the sale price, or Ten Dollars ($10.00) per niche sold, whichever is greater.

For any sale of a lot for an earth burial, mausoleum crypt or columbarium niche in which payment is made by the purchaser on an installment basis over time, the percentage required to be trusted shall be paid into the perpetual care trust fund calculated on each payment.

(2) From the sale price the owner shall pay to the perpetual care fund an amount in proportion to the requirements in subsection (1) of this section, which payment shall be in cash, check, money order or electronic transfer and shall be deposited with the custodian or trustee of the fund not later than the fifth day of the following month from when funds are received.

(3) In addition to the provisions of subsections (1) and (2) of this section, any cemetery organized after July 1, 2009, or any mausoleum or columbarium that is built at any location other than upon property owned by an existing cemetery after that date, whether it is by incorporation, association, individually or by any other means, or having its first burial after that date, shall, before disposing of any burial lot or right or making any sale thereof and/or making its first burial, cause to be deposited the sum of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) in cash into an irrevocable perpetual care trust fund as provided in subsection (1) of this section for the maintenance of the cemetery.

(4) Whenever the cemetery has deposited in the perpetual care fund, as required by this section, a sum amounting to Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00), it shall submit proof of that fact to its trustee, and it shall be the duty of the trustee to thereupon pay over to the cemetery the amount of Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($25,000.00) so originally deposited by it in the perpetual care fund.

(5) The perpetual care fund shall be permanently set aside in trust to be administered under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State shall have full jurisdiction over the reports and accounting of trustees and the amount of a surety bond required, if any. The trust officer or trustee responsible for the investment of funds shall be affiliated with an established bank, trust company, other financial institution or financial services company. Only the income from the fund shall be used for the care and maintenance of the cemetery for which it was established.

(6) Each geographic location of a cemetery shall constitute a separate and distinct cemetery for the purpose of interpretation and application of this section.

(7) The Secretary of State shall develop and implement a registration system for perpetual care cemeteries subject to this chapter. The Secretary of State is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations for the development and implementation of a statewide registry and to collect a registration fee not to exceed Twenty-five Dollars ($25.00) per year to be paid at the same time as the reports and accountings required by Section 41-43-38 are due.

(8) To assist with the development of a statewide registry of perpetual care cemeteries, the county boards of supervisors in conjunction with the chancery clerks shall provide the Secretary of State with a list of all perpetual care cemeteries and other pertinent information regarding perpetual care cemeteries situated in their respective counties no later than October 31, 2009.

SECTION 2. Section 41-43-45, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

41-43-45. (1) No perpetual care cemetery that has been plotted for grave or entombment spaces or that contains the interred or entombed remains of deceased human beings shall be mortgaged, encumbered, leased or pledged as collateral to secure any obligation. Such prohibition shall not prevent the owner of individual interment or entombment rights from pledging such rights as collateral to secure an obligation.

(2) All lots and grave spaces offered for sale to the public shall be free and clear of liens or encumbrances. On payment of the purchase price, the purchaser shall be delivered a warranty deed or a perpetual easement for interment purposes.

(3) Only the owner of a cemetery, or its agents, may sell or convey lots, plots, or parts thereof.

(4) The purchaser of any lot, plot or part thereof may sell or transfer the same by giving notice thereof to the cemetery authorities or organization. Before acknowledging any transfer as valid, said cemetery authorities or organization may require the transferee to personally appear in the cemetery's principal place of business to accept any deed or transfer rights to the property conveyed, in order that the transfer may be properly enrolled on the books of the cemetery. A memorandum of all transfers shall be made on the books of the cemetery corporation or organization.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2012.