If you own a lot of land and have been contemplating turning part of it into a private cemetery for your family, you may want to think about that very carefully. While it's nice to have the family so close and not have to worry about many of the costs that go into burying loved ones in public cemeteries, private cemeteries have their own problems. Take a look at these three issues before you go ahead with your plans.
Preparation, Care, and Upkeep
Despite the popular image of private cemeteries as simple plots that don't require constant attention, they really do require constant attention. Unless your family overwhelmingly prefers to have the cemetery looking overgrown and neglected, you're going to have to trim grass borders and shrubs regularly, mow the lawn, and monitor the ground for sinkholes. You'll also be responsible for calling to have the ground inspected for utility lines first, and you'll have to take security into account as well. Compare all that to burying family members in a public cemetery, where groundskeeping crews and funeral home administrators take care of all the upkeep for you.
Conflict With Mineral Rights
You'll also have to be sure that you own the mineral rights to the land where you want the cemetery to be. If you have only surface rights, that allows you to use the top few inches of soil -- but burying anything further down, like a coffin, requires that you have permission to use that part of the ground. Even if you get permission from the rights owner to use the area for a burial, you could see your private cemetery torn up for drilling if the owner of the rights changes his or her mind and decides to lease the ground to oil or gas companies.
Resale Issues
Your property will hopefully stay in your family for ages, but if you decide to sell, the cemetery could be a turnoff to potential buyers. Plus, you'd have the problem of either not being able to visit the cemetery anymore, or having to disinter all the graves and bury them elsewhere. This can be a major issue when selling because not a lot of people are going to like the idea of coffins nearby.
If you would like to find out more about using public cemeteries instead, contact a funeral home. If cost is a concern for you, the funeral directors there can help you modify burial plans to find options that are within your budget.
Share14 June 2016
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