It can be a little bit weird if there’s inheritance involved and changes of ownership of the cemetery.
My wife’s family had a plot that they’ve had for around a century, and when a family member passed away, there was a huge wrangle about it.
Apparently 100-ish years ago, the record-keeping was much more loosey-goosey, and on top of that, the cemetery eventually shifted to City parks management. So long story short, they had to prove up that they had inherited the plot by showing descent, and a bunch of other stuff related to that, because they didn’t have their own copy of the deed, and the City didn’t get the records from the original owners.
Even family cemeteries are not immune as ownership can pass on to someone who might restrict who gets planted in the cemetery. For people who want to be buried next to their parents or siblings or whoever and then learning that they can’t, this can be devastating.
The catacombs in Paris (where the bones of the medieval parish cemetaries were relocated to empty limestone mines) is an interesting torist attraction.
I wonder how a cemetary would get away with resale shennanigans if there are tombstones involved, unless they are really sure no family is coming to visit there.
I’ve wondered about this issue too, because my father and stepmother are buried in a cemetary (as cremated remains in urns). The plot was bought when my stepmother’s first husband died, so she’s there with both husbands and her daughter. Room for at least 2 more AFAIK. I wonder who owns it, I assume like the rest of my father’s will (survived my stepmother), since not explicitly mentioned, it is split between his 3 heirs like the rest of his estate.
Plenty of YouTube videos of graves being reused, in Europe. If they find anything, they just dig it a bit deeper, and rebury the remains beneath the spot for the new occupant.
As to being buried near one‘s parents, do US cemetaries usually provide for later burials in the same grave? I looked up the rules for my local cemetary here in Germany, and they allow subsequent burial after 15 years (apparently the soil is good for decomposition here; I have seen periods as long as 30 years in other locales). After that time there are very few bones left; they are reburied under the new casket. Burials of ashes are possible still earlier. A new line on the headstone, and you are set.
I’m not 100% sure what you are asking but the one thing I know is it depends. In my state, you don’t actually own the land, what you own is the right to use the land. It might be perpetual or it might be a lease for a set time, such as 50 or 100 years. If it’s a lease, after that period of time the cemetery can re-sell the rights to that plot to someone else. If the plot comes with the perpetual right to use the land,then they can’t re-sell the rights. If you are talking about burying more than one person in the same plot such as might be done with spouses or siblings, that can be done. I’ve heard of triple-depth plots, but I don’t know if that must be arranged at purchase , at the time of the first burial or at the time of a subsequent burial.
Yes indeed. My wife’s family has a family cemetery in a town in Pennsylvania with their name. My father-in-law bought the last few plots, and his cremains are buried in a quarter of one of them. Buried may be overstating it, there is a hole and at the ceremony my wife dropped his urn down it. >Clunk <
We have a deed for a plot in it over 100 years old. So deeds do exist. We’re all going there. When I found out about this place, I was excited, but it turns out to be a small fenced patch of land right next to a strip mall. I figure it is quite possible that in 50 years a WaWa will be built over my head.
One of those times I’m happy I don’t believe in any kind of afterlife.
