Secretary of State files Complaint against Mark Seepe / Southern Mortuary Services, Inc.
Jackson, MS—Through the Office of the Attorney General, the Secretary of State has filed a complaint against Mark Seepe / Southern Mortuary Services, Inc.
An examination conducted by the Business Regulation & Enforcement Division of the Office of the Secretary of State has revealed numerous violations by Mark Seepe and his corporation, Southern Mortuary Services, for failing to properly account for payments made by purchasers of pre-need funeral plans and for failing to hold a portion of the collected payments in a trust, as required by law.
After reviewing documents provided by Mark Seepe and his corporation, the Secretary of State’s Office found Seepe’s trust-fund lacked roughly $38,230. However, due to the poor organization and condition of Southern Mortuary’s business records, the Secretary of State believes this to be the minimum amount.
“We are very concerned at not only the missing funds, but also Mr. Seepe’s sloppy book-keeping,” says Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. “The assets to meet the promised pre-need funeral plans should be maintained by their providers. Mark Seepe has done a poor job keeping up with his client’s money and their purchased plans.”
“Pre-planning funeral arrangements are a responsible way to ensure your wishes are carried out in the event of death,” says Secretary Hosemann. “Our citizens must be able to trust pre-need funeral providers with these sensitive arrangements.”
The Secretary of State’s office has asked the court to deem the defendants were in clear violation of the pre-need act, order a preliminary injunction based on those violations, order the defendant to immediately bring the trust in compliance with the amount required by statute, and fine the defendant the maximum civil penalty of $1000 per violation of the Pre-Need Act.