(a) No person or group of persons shall engage in the business of owning and operating a cemetery company, except as authorized by this chapter and chapter 2 of this title, and without first:

Ask a business law question, get an answer ASAP!
Thousands of highly rated, verified business lawyers.
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 46-1-203

  • Cemetery: means any land or structure in this state dedicated to and used, or intended to be used, for interment of human remains. See Tennessee Code 46-1-102
  • Cemetery company: means an individual, partnership, corporation, or association, now or hereafter organized, owning or controlling cemetery lands or property and conducting the business of a cemetery. See Tennessee Code 46-1-102
  • Commissioner: means the commissioner of commerce and insurance. See Tennessee Code 46-1-102
  • Improvement care: means the continual maintenance of the cemetery grounds and graves in keeping with a properly maintained cemetery, including cutting of grass, raking and cleaning of cemetery plots at reasonable intervals, and pruning of shrubs and trees. See Tennessee Code 46-1-102
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) If an entity required to register with or obtain any form of approval from the secretary of state, obtaining the registration or approval and retaining the registration and approval in an active status as long as the cemetery company is owned and operated by the applicant;
(2) Entering into a trust agreement in accordance with § 46-1-204; and
(3) Depositing either cash or a surety bond approved by the commissioner in its improvement care trust fund, in an amount to be determined according to the population of the county in which the cemetery is located, as estimated by the 1960 federal census or any subsequent federal census, as follows:

10,000 or under

$ 40,000

10,001 to 15,000

60,000

15,001 to 20,000

80,000

20,001 to 100,000

100,000

100,001 or more

200,000.

(b) The requirements of this section shall also be applicable to any existing cemetery company that establishes or opens a new cemetery, or an addition to an existing cemetery, on or after January 1, 2007.