# Who actually owns a corpse?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [January 19, 2013, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702 "2013-01-19T11:49:59Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/21 "2013-01-22T22:47:19Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#):
>
> The executor of the will is responsible for how the corpse is interned. The cemitary “owns” it after that.
That is not the case in the US, at least. A cemetary does not own the bodies buried on their premises, any more than a parking lot company owns the cars parked in their lots. For example, every once in a while there will be a story about a cemetary being caught digging up “old” bodies in order to bury “new” bodies. They get in severe trouble with the law for that unauthorized activity. If the cemetary owned the bodies that would not be the case.
I don’t know the facts about who “owns” a corpse, but permission to disinter a body generally must be obtained from the next of kin, regardless of how long the body has been buried. A judge can grant a request to disinter if no next of kin can be found, but those orders seem to be pretty rare.
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### Author:  [@Yarster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yarster)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2013, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/22 "2013-01-22T23:30:14Z")
The Master has addressed this subject in a round about way before in one of the classic columns:
> **[What’s up with the strange end of country-rock pioneer Gram Parsons?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342211/what-s-up-with-the-strange-end-of-country-rock-pioneer-gram-parsons)**
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### Author:  [@kaoticharmony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaoticharmony)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/23 "2013-01-24T16:08:17Z")
I have a small animal cemetery in my yard. My parents, best friend and my dog in my office (ashes). I also have a freeze dried bat in my kitchen…various skulls and last but not least assorted frozen spiders and insects in my freezer.
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### Author:  [@Jaymosch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaymosch)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/24 "2013-01-24T16:52:35Z")
> [@kaoticharmony](#):
>
> I have a small animal cemetery in my yard. My parents, best friend and my dog in my office (ashes). I also have a freeze dried bat in my kitchen…various skulls and last but not least assorted frozen spiders and insects in my freezer.
Cool Story! Who owns the c/remains?
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### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2013, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/25 "2013-01-24T17:03:39Z")
The malapropisms in this thread are making me chortle.
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### Author:  [@kaoticharmony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaoticharmony)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/26 "2013-01-24T19:12:19Z")
> [@Jaymosch](#):
>
> Cool Story! Who owns the c/remains?
c/remains?
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### Author:  [@kaoticharmony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaoticharmony)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2013, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/27 "2013-01-24T19:14:43Z")
> [@Jaymosch](#):
>
> Cool Story! Who owns the c/remains?
My cemetery? 8 of my and my families cats and eventually my best friend.
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### Author:  [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2013, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/28 "2013-01-24T19:17:38Z")
> [@kaoticharmony](#):
>
> c/remains?
Cremains are the remains after a cremation. Feel free to reject this or any such neologisms as you wish.
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### Author:  [@Mithras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mithras)
#### Post date: [January 24, 2013, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/29 "2013-01-24T19:37:02Z")
Based on what happened to [George Corwin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Corwin), I’m guessing that in Massachusetts 350 years ago the estate owned the corpse at least until it was interred. He died owing a debt to Philip English. In addition, Corwin had been a judge at the Salem witch trials during which English and his wife were accused of witchcraft. Having an understandably large amount of animosity towards Corwin, English successfully put a lien on the body of Corwin. As a result, the corpse was unable to be removed from the house for fear that English would have it seized. After the debt was payed Corwin was put in the ground.
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### Author:  [@kaoticharmony](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaoticharmony)
#### Post date: [January 25, 2013, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-actually-owns-a-corpse/647702/30 "2013-01-25T12:11:22Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#):
>
> Cremains are the remains after a cremation. Feel free to reject this or any such neologisms as you wish.
I own my best friend’s remains.
I believe my family owns owur parents’ remains, My brothers were supposed to make the arrangements. ere supposed to take care of their services and never did. I’ll probably have them buried with the Masons. My dad was a 35 degree Mason/Shriner. He actually bought a plot, but I have no idea where it is and my brothers (who were there) won’t try a figure it out.
Legally here you aren’t supposed to bury or scatter your friend’s or pets ashes in your yard…but no one ever says anything. If I buried a human body I expect they would have issues.
Right now I just want to get my parents taken care of and out of my office. It’s important in my heart to respect their wishes and have them buried as they wished.
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