Corrected version
A Greenwood funeral home is being investigated by the Mississippi State Board of Funeral Service.
Dolores Kenney, executive director of the state-run agency that regulates the funeral home industry, said she could not disclose the details of the investigation of Sanders and Sanders Funeral Home.
However, the probe was apparently prompted by a complaint from an out-of-state Greenwood native who accuses the funeral home of overcharging him for his late mother’s services.
Timothy Little, who resides in Dallas, grew up in Greenwood attending the same church as Debra and Dennis Sanders, who own and operate funeral homes in Greenwood and Winona. Debra Sanders is also the coroner for Leflore County. Little referred to Debra Sanders as “a longtime friend.”
Little’s mother passed away in February 2012. He returned to Greenwood when she was in hospice care to look after her in her final days and to make arrangements for her funeral service and burial. He said he and his mother had discussed the expenses of the services with Dennis Sanders.
“My mother contacted the funeral home and confided in them the amount of money she had. The cost of the services turned out to be exactly how much she had,” said Little.
Little said that after his mother’s death, he never received a price list for the funeral services. He claims that such an omission on the part of Sanders and Sanders violates Federal Trade Commission laws. According to the Federal Trade Commission’s website, The Funeral Rule requires a casket price list, an outer burial container price list and a general price list.
According to Dennis Sanders, his funeral home met those requirements.
“We have not done anything ill-willed towards Tim Little or any other customer over the past 35 years,” he said. “We have documents with Tim Little’s signature, on all the documentation.”
Little claims that he was overcharged $2,335. He said that because the statement provided by the funeral home was not itemized, Sanders and Sanders was able to overcharge him without his noticing.
Little sued the funeral home in Leflore County Justice Court in the month following his mother’s death. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday. Little seeks to be repaid the amount of money he was overcharged, but for him, given the longstanding relationship between the two families, the case is more personal.
“They gained my mother’s trust,” he said.
Sanders and Sanders also oversaw the services for Little’s twin sister, who passed away in 2008. Little said he was not happy with how the funeral home handled his sister’s funeral but wanted to employ the funeral home again because it’s what his mother wanted.
Dennis Sanders said that because he has the necessary documentation to prove the innocence of his business, he is confident that the judge will make the right decision.
“The judge will hear both sides and then make sure of that,” he said.
• Contact Jeanie Riess at 581-7235 or jriess@gwcommonwealth.com.
