LD 2373
pg. 1
LD 2373 Title Page An Act to Prevent Misuse of Mortuary Trust Funds Page 2 of 3
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LR 3453
Item 1

 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

 
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §1401, sub-§1, ¶¶A, C, D and E, as enacted by PL 1999, c.
258, §2 and affected by §3, are amended to read:

 
A. All money paid during a person's lifetime to any
individual, firm, association, partnership or corporation,
by that person or by someone on behalf of that person, under
an agreement that services will be performed or personal
property will be delivered in connection with the
disposition of that person's body after death must be
deposited by the payee within 10 days after receipt of the
money in a separate account in a financial institution or
credit union authorized to do business in this State, as
defined in Title 9-B, section 131, subsections 12-A and 17-
A, in the name of the payee as mortuary trustee for the
person for whose benefit the payment was made and must be
held in that account together with interest if any. If
money is paid by check, share draft or money order, the
payee shall instruct the payor to make the instrument
payable to the financial institution or credit union into
which it is to be deposited.

 
C. Within 30 days after the deposit of funds by the payee,
the financial institution or credit union shall provide a
written confirmation of the deposit, including the amount
deposited, to the payor or the payor's legal representative.
Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent the
direct transfer of these funds to another financial
institution or credit union by payee transfer, by financial
institution or credit union merger or consolidation or by
operation of law, provided that within 30 days after the
direct transfer of the funds, the recipient financial
institution or credit union shall provide a written
confirmation of the deposit, including the amount deposited,
to the payor or the payor's legal representative.

 
D. The agreement must be in writing and a copy must be furnished
to the payor or the payor's legal representative by the payee
when the agreement is executed. The agreement may be revocable
or irrevocable; however, if irrevocable, there must be a
provision to allow for the transfer of the account by the
appointment of successor trustees. The agreement must clearly
state the name of the initial financial institution or credit
union into which the money will be deposited and must direct the
payor to send a copy of the agreement to the named financial
institution or credit union. The agreement must clearly state
terms providing for disposition of excess funds after funeral
goods and services have been provided. The agreement must


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