Mo. Rev. Stat. § 214.330 — MO Code / Chapter 214 / Section 214.330
214.330 Endowed care fund held in trust or segregated account — requirements — ...
Status: in_force

214.330. Endowed care fund held in trust or segregated account — requirements — duties of trustee or independent investment advisor — operator's duties — endowed care fund agreement. — 1. (1) The endowed care trust fund required by sections 214.270 to 214.410 shall be permanently set aside in trust or in accordance with the provisions of subsection 2 of this section. The trustee of the endowed care trust shall be a state or federally chartered financial institution authorized to exercise trust powers in Missouri. The contact information for a trust officer or duly appointed representative of the trustee with knowledge and access to the trust fund accounting and trust fund records must be disclosed to the office or its duly authorized representative upon request.

(2) The trust fund records, including all trust fund accounting records, shall be maintained in the state of Missouri at all times or shall be electronically stored so that the records may be made available in the state of Missouri within fifteen business days of receipt of a written request. The operator of an endowed care cemetery shall maintain a current name and address of the trustee and the records custodian for the endowed care trust fund and shall supply such information to the office, or its representative, upon request.

(3) Missouri law shall control all endowed care trust funds and the Missouri courts shall have jurisdiction over endowed care trusts regardless of where records may be kept or various administrative tasks may be performed.

2. An endowed care trust fund shall be administered in accordance with Missouri law governing trusts, including but not limited to the applicable provisions of chapters 456 and 469 , except as specifically provided in this subsection or where the provisions of sections 214.270 to 214.410 provide differently, provided that a cemetery operator shall not in any circumstances be authorized to restrict, enlarge, change, or modify the requirements of this section or the provisions of chapters 456 and 469 by agreement or otherwise.

(1) Income and principal of an endowed care trust fund shall be determined under the provisions of law applicable to trusts, except that the provisions of section 469.405 shall not apply.

(2) No principal shall be distributed from an endowed care trust fund except to the extent that a unitrust election is in effect with respect to such trust under the provisions of section 469.411 .

(3) No right to transfer jurisdiction from Missouri under section 456.1-108 shall exist for endowed care trusts.

(4) All endowed care trusts shall be irrevocable.

(5) No trustee shall have the power to terminate an endowed care trust fund under the provisions of section 456.4-414 .

(6) A unitrust election made in accordance with the provisions of chapter 469 shall be made by the cemetery operator in the terms of the endowed care trust fund agreement itself, not by the trustee.

(7) No contract of insurance shall be deemed a suitable investment for an endowed care trust fund.

(8) The income from the endowed care fund may be distributed to the cemetery operator at least annually on a date designated by the cemetery operator, but no later than sixty days following the end of the trust fund year. Any income not distributed within sixty days following the end of the trust's fiscal year shall be added to and held as part of the principal of the trust fund.

3. The cemetery operator shall have the duty and responsibility to apply the income distributed to provide care and maintenance only for that part of the cemetery designated as an endowed care section and not for any other purpose.

4. In addition to any other duty, obligation, or requirement imposed by sections 214.270 to 214.410 or the endowed care trust agreement, the trustee's duties shall be the maintenance of records related to the trust and the accounting for and investment of moneys deposited by the operator to the endowed care trust fund.

(1) For the purposes of sections 214.270 to 214.410 , the trustee shall not be deemed responsible for the care, the maintenance, or the operation of the cemetery, or for any other matter relating to the cemetery, or the proper expenditure of funds distributed by the trustee to the cemetery operator, including, but not limited to, compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

(2) With respect to cemetery property maintained by endowed care funds, the cemetery operator shall be responsible for the performance of the care and maintenance of the cemetery property.

5. If the endowed care cemetery fund is not permanently set aside in a trust fund as required by subsection 1 of this section, then the funds shall be permanently set aside in an escrow account in the state of Missouri. Funds in an escrow account shall be placed in an endowed care trust fund under subsection 1 if the funds in the escrow account exceed three hundred fifty thousand dollars, unless otherwise approved by the division for good cause. The account shall be insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or comparable deposit insurance and held in a state or federally chartered financial institution authorized to do business in Missouri and located in this state.

(1) The interest from the escrow account may be distributed to the cemetery operator at least in annual or semiannual installments, but not later than six months following the calendar year. Any interest not distributed within six months following the end of the calendar year shall be added to and held as part of the principal of the account.

(2) The cemetery operator shall have the duty and responsibility to apply the interest to provide care and maintenance only for that part of the cemetery in which burial space shall have been sold and with respect to which sales the escrow account shall have been established and not for any other purpose. The principal of such funds shall be kept intact. The cemetery operator's duties shall be the maintenance of records and the accounting for an investment of moneys deposited by the operator to the escrow account. For purposes of sections 214.270 to 214.410 , the administrator of the office of endowed care cemeteries shall not be deemed to be responsible for the care, maintenance, or operation of the cemetery. With respect to cemetery property maintained by cemetery care funds, the cemetery operator shall be responsible for the performance of the care and maintenance of the cemetery property owned by the cemetery operator.

(3) The division may approve an escrow agent if the escrow agent demonstrates the knowledge, skill, and ability to handle escrow funds and financial transactions and is of good moral character.

6. The cemetery operator shall be accountable to the owners of burial space in the cemetery for compliance with sections 214.270 to 214.410 .

7. Excluding funds held in an escrow account, all endowed care trust funds shall be administered in accordance with an endowed care trust fund agreement, which shall be submitted to the office by the cemetery operator for review and approval. The endowed care cemetery shall be notified in writing by the office of endowed care cemeteries regarding the approval or disapproval of the endowed care trust fund agreement and regarding any changes required to be made for compliance with sections 214.270 to 214.410 and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder.

8. All endowed care cemeteries shall be under a continuing duty to file with the office of endowed care cemeteries and to submit for prior approval any and all changes, amendments, or revisions of the endowed care trust fund agreement at least thirty days before the effective date of such change, amendment, or revision.

9. If the endowed care trust fund agreement, or any changes, amendments, or revisions filed with the office, are not disapproved by the office within thirty days after submission by the cemetery operator, the endowed care trust fund agreement, or the related change, amendment, or revision, shall be deemed approved and may be used by the cemetery operator and the trustee. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the office may review and disapprove an endowed care trust fund agreement, or any submitted change, amendment, or revision, after the thirty days provided herein or at any other time if the agreement is not in compliance with sections 214.270 to 214.410 or the rules promulgated thereunder. Notice of disapproval by the office shall be in writing and delivered to the cemetery operator and the trustee within ten days of disapproval.

10. Funds in an endowed care trust fund or escrow account may be commingled with endowed care funds for other endowed care cemeteries, provided that the cemetery operator and the trustee shall maintain adequate accounting records of the disbursements, contributions, and income allocated for each cemetery.

11. By accepting the trusteeship of an endowed care trust or accepting funds as an escrow agent pursuant to sections 214.270 to 214.410 , the trustee or escrow agent submits personally to the jurisdiction of the courts of this state and the office of endowed care cemeteries regarding the administration of the trust or escrow account. A trustee or escrow agent shall consent in writing to the jurisdiction of the state of Missouri and the office in regards to the trusteeship or the operation of the escrow account and to the appointment of the office of secretary of state as its agent for service of process regarding any administrative or legal actions relating to the trust or the escrow account, if it has no designated agent for service of process located in this state. Such consent shall be filed with the office prior to accepting funds pursuant to sections 214.270 to 214.410 as trustee or as an escrow agent on a form provided by the office by rule.

(L. 1961 p. 538 § 8, A.L. 1990 H.B. 1079, A.L. 1994 S.B. 496 merged with S.B. 701, A.L. 1999 H.B. 343, A.L. 2002 H.B. 1537, A.L. 2009 S.B. 296, A.L. 2010 H.B. 1692, et al. merged with H.B. 2226, et al. merged with S.B. 754)