State Ex Rel. Oklahoma State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors v. Guardian Funeral Home

1967 OK 141, 429 P.2d 732, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 472
CourtSupreme Court of Oklahoma
DecidedJune 20, 1967
Docket41402
StatusPublished
Cited by29 cases

This text of 1967 OK 141 (State Ex Rel. Oklahoma State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors v. Guardian Funeral Home) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Oklahoma primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State Ex Rel. Oklahoma State Board of Embalmers & Funeral Directors v. Guardian Funeral Home, 1967 OK 141, 429 P.2d 732, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 472 (Okla. 1967).

Opinion

DAVISON, Justice.

This is an appeal by the Oklahoma State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors (herein referred to as Board) from a judgment of the lower court sustaining the motion of Guardian Funeral Home (herein *734 referred to as Funeral Home) for judgment on the pleadings. The judgment vacated and declared void a prior order of the Board in which the Board revoked the license of the Funeral Home for a period of 30 days.

The Funeral Home is a corporation and had procured from the Board a license to engage in the profession or business of funeral directing and embalming. 59 O.S. 1961, §§ 396.4 and 396.6.

This controversy had its inception when ■ a complaint was filed with the Board (59 O.S.1961, § 396.13) charging the Funeral Home with entering into a contract to furnish a prearranged funeral service and plan in violation of 59 O.S.1961, §§ 401, 402, 403, 'whereby said license was subject to either • permanent or temporary revocation pursuant to 59 O.S.1961, §§ 406 and 396.13.

The complaint stated in part that on a ' certain date the Funeral Home

“ * * * a funeral home duly licensed pursuant to and under the laws of the State of Oklahoma, then and there willfully, intentionally and unlawfully entered into a certain contract with one Miss Opal Mae Sharp, wherein said funeral home did agree to furnish a prearranged funeral service and plan whereby said funeral home did, for valuable consideration, . to-wit: $36.00 in lawful money of the United States of America, contract and agree to furnish said Miss Opal Mae Sharp standard funeral service and merchandise at a price not to exceed ■cost plus ten per cent upon the 'demise of said Miss Opal Mae Sharp or upon the demise of any member of the immediate family of said Miss Opal Mae Sharp or other person for whom she may be legally or morally responsible.”

The complaint further alleged that said contract was an instrument made and subscribed by Guardian Foundation, having the same address as the Funeral Home, and attached a copy as Exhibit A. The instrument is a "Service Contract” with Miss Sharp whereby, inter alia, Guardian Foundation agreed to maintain relations with one or more funeral' homes in Oklahoma City and vicinity that would supply Miss Sharp (Contract Holder) with standard service and merchandise at a price not to exceed cost plus ten per cent.

The complaint further alleged that the Funeral Home ratified said contract when it issued a “Credit Certificate” (Exhibit B) to Miss Sharp,-agreeing to allow a credit of $36 on the purchase of a complete adult funeral service from the Funeral Home, and containing also a statement that the credit in no way interfered with the service contract issued by Guardian Foundation. The complaint also alleged the Funeral Home issued a “Life Registration Card” (Exhibit C) to Miss Sharp, certifying she was a member of the Guardian Program, and referring to the service contract.

The Funeral Plome filed a verified answer to the complaint consisting of a general denial and a specific denial that it ever appointed or authorized the President of Guardian Foundation (who signed the Service Contract) to act as the agent or representative of the Funeral Plome.

Hearing was held before the Board and the above described written instruments were introduced and other evidence and testimony was heard. The Board took the matter under advisement. Some three months later the Board entered an order finding the “allegations set forth in said complaint” were true and revoking the license of the Funeral Home for a period of thirty days. The Funeral Home appealed to the District Court of Oklahoma County. The District Court remanded the cause to the Board with directions to comply with the provisions of the Administrative Procedures Act, 75 O.S.Supp.1963, §§ 311 and 312, requiring findings of fact and conclusions of law.

The Board, without further hearing, entered an. amended order in which it found that the Funeral Home and Guardian Foundation were separate corporate entities; that Guardian Foundation acted as agent for the Funeral Home in making a contract to furnish Miss Sharp funeral *735 services and merchandise at cost plus ten percent, less a credit of $36; that Guardian Foundation received a consideration- of $35 cash from Miss Sharp and received free office space and utilities from the Funeral Home at the latter’s funeral establishment; and concluded the Funeral Home had acted as a principal in a contract for a prearranged funeral service and plan in violation of 59 O.S.1961, §§ 401 through 406. Said order recited an additional conclusion that the Funeral Home’s conduct violated 59 O.S.1961, § 396.12, subd. k, prohibiting such licensee “to pay or cause to be paid, directly or indirectly, for the securing of business; or to directly or indirectly solicit business.” The order revoked the license of the Funeral Home for a period of 30 days.

Title 59 O.S.1961, § 401, provides in pertinent part that no licensed funeral home shall act as principal in any contract providing for a prearranged funeral service or plan for any person. Section 402 thereof defines a prearranged funeral service or plan as “any funeral service or plan which is arranged, planned, or determined prior to the demise of the person” for which the funeral service is to be performed. Section 403 thereof permits a funeral establishment to take money in payment of a funeral service prior to demise of a person, provided it is requested by the person without solicitation or advertisement, and provided the person or his representatives may request return and receive the money prior to performance of the funeral service. Title 59 O.S.1961, §§ 405 and 406, provide respectively, that any person violating the above provisions shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and shall constitute cause for revoking any license.

As stated, the Funeral Home filed'a motion for judgment on the pleadings and the District Court sustained such, motion and declared the order erroneous and void and vacated the same.

This court has held that a motion for judgment on the pleadings is in the nature of a demurrer. It tests the sufficiency of the pleadings and presents a question of law as to whether the facts alleged, are sufficient to state a cause of. action or. a defense. Hill v. Anderson, Okl., 363 P.2d 849, 852. Under these rules of law, the trial court was called upon to determine whether the outlined pleadings alleged and reflected, that the Funeral Home had violated the provisions of the statute, supra.

We point out that the complaint only charged the Funeral Home with entering into a contract to furnish a prearranged funeral service and plan. The Funeral Home was not charged with paying to secure business or soliciting business.

Neither § 401 nor §§ 402 and 403, define or describe “funeral service or plan” in any way by relating, either generally or specifically, the elements thereof or what would constitute a funeral service or plan. Collectively, the complaint and exhibits allege that an.agreement made before death to supply standard (funeral) service and merchandise at cost plus ten per cent and allowance of $36 credit “on purchase of a complete adult funeral service” was a contract for a prearranged funeral service or plan.

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1967 OK 141, 429 P.2d 732, 1967 Okla. LEXIS 472, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-ex-rel-oklahoma-state-board-of-embalmers-funeral-directors-v-okla-1967.