If a cemetery is sold for use for another purpose, can the lot owners remove the monuments or memorials on the lots they own?
Yes. All monuments or memorials, which are capable of being removed from the burial lots on which they are placed, are considered to be the personal property of the lot owner and may be removed by the lot owner when the lot ceases to be used for the purposes of burial. In Baltimore City, a Trustee appointed to sell an abandoned burial ground must pay the expenses of moving and relocating markers on new lots if there are sale proceeds left after human remains have been removed and buried. In other jurisdictions, if a lot owner chooses not to remove a monument or memorial after the cemetery has been sold for another purpose, the lot owner is not entitled to be reimbursed for their cost.
Related Questions
- Does the State of Maryland require consumers who own cemetery lots to be informed when the cemetery is sold to another owner?
- If a cemetery is sold for use for another purpose, can the lot owners remove the monuments or memorials on the lots they own?
- Does Maryland law provide for the resale of cemetery lots which appear to have been abandoned by the owners?
