West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won a court order demanding an Alderson funeral home suspend a portion of its business until it and its owners provide proper documentation to comply with a state audit.

The order requires Lobban Funeral Home and its owners, Sarah E. and Karen Lobban, to cease providing pre-need funeral contracts to consumers until all obligations are met.

“Funeral homes offering pre-need funeral or burial contracts must do so lawfully,” Morrisey said. “My office is committed to protecting West Virginia consumers from potentially damaging business practices.”

In June, the Attorney General’s Office filed an enforcement action against the funeral home and its owners alleging they violated the state’s Pre-need Funeral Contracts Act and Pre-need Burial Contracts Rule.

The Attorney General alleged that Lobban Funeral Home, located in Alderson, failed to submit to a state-mandated audit of its records and, even after the filing of June’s enforcement action, failed to provide documentation to allow for completion of the same audit.

State law and legislative rules require funeral homes to maintain records pertaining to the sale, management and control of pre-need funeral/burial contracts and make them available to the state.

The Monroe County Circuit Court order gives Lobban Funeral Home until Sept. 15 to comply with the conditions of the audit. It also demands the funeral home reimburse all costs incurred in connection with the matter.