The Iowa Insurance Division has issued a cease and desist order against the owner of funeral homes in Emmetsburg and Graettinger.
Division spokesman, Chance McElhaney says the order involves pre-sales. “The Iowa Insurance Division has ordered Andrew Joyce of Joyce Funeral Home (Emmetsburg) and Joyce-Alesch Funeral Home (Graettinger) to cease and desist acting as a pre-need seller or as a sales agent,” McElhaney says.
McElhaney says Joyce has used deceptive and fraudulent activities in handling the sales. “You have to place the funds in trust as required by Iowa law,” McElhaney says, “Some of those funds have been co-mingled with personal and unrelated expenses. You can’t sell these things without a license and that was found to have happened. There’s other violations here.”
McElhaney says they are seeking help in determining how many people are involved. “The Iowa Insurance Division is looking for folks who may’ve purchased or otherwise worked with Andrew Joyce, Joyce-Alesch, Joyce Funeral Home, and they believe that they have pre-need funeral arrangements. We want to make sure that folks that may’ve done business — that we are aware of it.”
He says they have sent out letters to those who they know were working with the two funeral homes. This latest action follows a recent request for a receivership to try and protect the funds that are held in trust by the funeral homes.