What is the exclusive right of burial?
When a grave is ‘purchased’ this refers to the purchasing of the exclusive right of burial in a grave space and not the purchase of the land itself. This means that you do not own the land but have the exclusive right, during the period stated in the Grant of Exclusive Right of Burial (deed), to say who can be buried in the grave and the right to place an appropriate memorial. Many people believe that if they have the grave deed in their possession or are the next of kin of the late grave owner they own the rights to the grave. There is no automatic right to the burial rights and only the person named on the deed or the person who has transferred the deed through the cemetery office is the grave owner.
