What does your deeds for a cemetery mean?
In case of death, you may buy a “Cemetery Deed.” It may also be bought ahead of time for use in funeral preparation. The owners of a piece of real estate and their heirs via straight descent are recorded in a deed.
The buyer chooses who will be the lot’s official owner on record. If you want to transfer the rights to be buried in a cemetery to someone else, you’ll need a deed for a cemetery lot. A Cemetery Deed must be signed by the trustees and authorities to be valid, attested, and recorded with the township’s fiscal officer.
What happens if my cemetery goes out of business?
Cemeteries are businesses just like any other; to maintain their operations, they need to generate revenue. In contrast to other types of companies, cemeteries, especially those located in densely populated regions, have a certain amount of time in which they can continue to function until they run out of their primary product, which is useable space in which to inter corpses. People who acquire a burial plot often only make one purchase of the land and then never leave it again.
So, if the process of bankruptcy commences, the remainder of the activities at the cemetery come to a stop. While the courts and banks figure out what will happen next with the business and land, normal operations, such as grounds maintenance and the entombment of residents who pre-paid for their plots, have been suspended.
However, if two cemeteries are facing similar challenges may have a greater chance of survival if they join forces rather than continue operating alone. To reduce costs, some companies decide to combine with others in comparable industries.
Several of a cemetery’s operating expenses may be reduced by joining forces. Because of economies of scale, when two cemeteries combine into one, they just need to run one advertising, saving everyone involved 50%.
They may either wait until the bankruptcy or foreclosure situation is handled, look for and buy a new burial place elsewhere, or, if allowed by the courts, pay someone with the necessary equipment to dig the grave in the site they previously paid for. During this period, it’s also their responsibility to maintain the graves of deceased family members.
The friends and family of the deceased who have made arrangements for their family member’s funeral may be forced to make a tough choice. They may either wait for the bankruptcy matter to be handled, look for and buy a new burial place somewhere or, if allowed by the authorities, pay someone with the necessary equipment to dig the coffin in the plot they previously paid for. During this period, they are also responsible for tending the graves of deceased family members.
What can be kept in a cemetery as a memorial?
A monument serves a variety of functions, both intellectual and emotional. Memorials are often etched with words and pictures that identify the individual who has passed away and represent the individual’s views, connections, and personality. This is done regardless of the style of a memorial, its size, or its location.
Stone, metal, or granite are some of the materials that may be used to make permanent memorials. Memorials may be placed at either the head or the foot of a grave when they are used to commemorate an in-ground burial site, and they can stand vertically or lie flat on the surface of the ground. Learn more about grave markers in this post.
Remember that a monument is a tangible reminder that is permanently built inside a cemetery at a gravesite, crypt, or niche. This is vital information to keep in mind.
What is the law concerning the burial of ashes in a cemetery?
The majority of states do not have any laws that ban this. However, under federal law, it’s illegal to dump any item that has the potential to hurt persons or cause property damage. Cremains are not considered dangerous materials in and of themselves; nonetheless, before dispersing cremains over the air, they must be removed from the container in which they were contained. Find more information in our What Does Scattering Mean post.
There is not a single state that mandates the use of a coffin for burial or cremation services. A coffin is unnecessary if a burial vault is used since this is the standard practice. Without a coffin, a person might have their body buried in the ground, wrapped in a shroud, or placed in a vault. Read our post on green funerals to learn more.
What are cremations placed within a cemetery called?
A columbarium is a structure that is often used for the interment of cremated remains. It consists of several niches that are designed to store urns. On the other hand, the last resting place of a famous individual, such as a member of royalty or another prominent figure, is often located in a mausoleum.
Columbarium’s are buildings that provide a means to pay respect to a deceased loved one that is both lovely and affordable. Urns carrying the cremated ashes of people who have gone away will be placed in niches and sealed there. In addition, bronze plaques displaying their names or any other phrases that the deceased person would want to be written there will be put as a memorial to the dead person. Find out more in our What is a Columbarium post.
While Mausoleums are unique kinds of structures that are designed to house the skeletal remains of deceased individuals, they were common in ancient times. Still, nowadays, you’ll find them used as cenotaphs to memorialize those who either did not leave behind a corpse or were cremated after death. Our Mausoleum Pricing and Options post covers mausoleums in depth.
Can a cemetery charge fees other than a change of ownership?
Modifications and requests require payments. Given that the cemetery’s records are the definitive source, any changes and requests must be recorded there. One example is new rights. As soon as the graveyard receives the new Rights Holder’s information, a new Interment Right Certificate will be issued, and the amendments’ processing will incur a cost.
Bring the current Interment Rights Certificate to the graveyard office if you want to implement adjustments to the Rights Holders or the services mentioned on the record; the cemetery cannot make any modifications without written permission from the Rights Holders indicated on the certificate. Fees are to be expected.
How can you find where someone is buried in a cemetery?
You may utilize the Public Administrator to track down a buried loved one. It’s the one who organizes the dead person’s burial or cremation. Most of the time, the Coroner’s Office has authority over the Public Administrator. In the United States, if a dead individual has no living relatives to manage their estate, their affairs are turned to a “Public Administrator.”
There are a number of them, and they’re all free, with millions of tracks from around the globe. That means it doesn’t cost anything to look up a person’s name in a database of cemetery records to see exactly where they are laid to rest. The burial site, the individual’s birth and death dates, and sometimes even their actual plot number are all recorded in such databases.
It will be more challenging to locate the burial site if you do not know the person’s identity, especially the place of death. You’ll have to consult with those who know them to learn more about this individual. If you know where they passed away or last resided, you may contact the local Public Administrator or Coroner or simply start phoning funeral homes in that region.
However, the best way to find a funeral home is to contact them, and if you know the location or region where the death occurred, you may do just that. When a person passes away, their body must be properly disposed of. In other words, burial in a cemetery or cremation are the only two acceptable disposition methods. This implies that the disposal of human remains is nearly usually handled by a mortuary or funeral home. Some cemeteries also serve as funeral homes.
What is the oldest cemetery in the US?
The oldest cemetery in the United States is the Miles Standish Cemetery, located near Duxbury. If you have any interest in colonial history, this is a site you should visit. Several passengers from the Mayflower are buried at what is known as the oldest “kept” cemetery in the United States. Myles Standish Burial Ground is named after the famous military commander of the Plymouth Colony.
The gravesite of “Capt. Myles Standish, 1656” is marked by a large wooden plaque proclaiming the news in bold block letters atop an American flag flying above a stone wall frame with four cannons pointing outward from the corners.
The Myles Standish Burying Ground is quite similar to other New England cemeteries, except for one rather ostentatious monument that stands in sharp contrast to the surrounding Yankee simplicity. The monument was constructed in 1893, over two centuries after Standish’s death, and is a testament to the significant resources used to honor him.
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