State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Npc > Article-15 > 1513

§ 1513. Sale of burial rights.    (a)  Conveyance  of  lots.  (1)  Except  as otherwise provided in this  subdivision the right to use any lot, plot or part thereof may  be  sold  or  conveyed only by the cemetery corporation.  (2) It shall be unlawful  for any person, firm or  corporation  to  purchase  or  for  a  cemetery  corporation  to  sell  a  lot,  plot  or part thereof for the purpose of  resale. This provision, however, shall not  prohibit  the  sale  to  its  members  of  lots,  plots or parts thereof, or the right to use any lot,  plot or part thereof,  by  a  membership  or  religious  corporation  or  unincorporated association or society which provides burial benefits for  its members.  (3) It shall be unlawful for a cemetery corporation to pay  or  offer  to  pay,  or  for any person, firm or corporation to receive,  directly or indirectly, a commission, bonus, rebate or other  things  of  value  for,  or  in  connection  with, the sale of any lot, plot or part  thereof, or the sale of space in a public mausoleum, or  the  furnishing  by  or  through  the  cemetery  corporation of any service, merchandise,  wares, goods or articles. The provisions of  this  paragraph  shall  not  apply  to  a  person  regularly  employed and supervised by the cemetery  corporation. (4) A violation of  this  subdivision  shall  constitute  a  misdemeanor  and  shall  be  punishable  by a fine of not more than five  hundred dollars or not more than six months imprisonment or  both.  Each  violation shall constitute a separate offense.    (b)  Prices  for  burial rights and instruments of conveyance. (1) The  directors must fix and determine the prices of the burial lots, plots or  parts thereof, and keep a plainly printed copy of the schedules of  such  prices  conspicuously  posted in each of the offices of the corporation,  open at all reasonable times to inspection, and shall file a schedule of  such prices in  the  office  of  the  cemetery  board.  (2)  Unless  its  certificate  of  incorporation or by-laws otherwise provide, and subject  to its rules and regulations, the corporation shall sell and  convey  to  any person the use of the lots, plots or parts thereof designated on the  map  filed in the office of the corporation, on payment of the prices so  fixed and determined, but need not sell and convey more  than  one  lot,  plot  or  part thereof to any one person. Conveyances of lots, plots and  parts thereof shall be signed by the  president  or  vice-president  and  treasurer  or assistant treasurer of the corporation. A written contract  for the sale or use of a lot, plot or part thereof shall  have  attached  thereto  and  made a part thereof a copy of the rules and regulations of  the cemetery corporation or such parts of such rules and regulations  as  relate  to  the  size  and  placement of monuments, restrictions on plot  usage, warranties, obligations of the cemetery corporation and financial  obligations and duties of the lot owner. If a lot, plot or part  thereof  is  sold  without  a written contract, the corporation shall, before any  part of the purchase price is paid by  the  purchaser,  deliver  to  the  purchaser  a  copy of the rules and regulations or such parts thereof as  would be required to be attached to a written contract. Nothing in  this  subdivision  shall  prevent  the  subsequent amendment of such rules and  regulations to  increase  the  charges  for  services  rendered  by  the  corporation  or  in  other  particulars  by  or  with the consent of the  cemetery board under section fifteen hundred nine of this article. (3) A  cemetery corporation that shall sell a lot, plot  or  part  thereof,  in  excess  of  the  price  shown on the schedule filed in the office of the  cemetery board, and any person acting for or on behalf of  the  cemetery  corporation  in  connection  with  such  sale, shall each forfeit to the  people of the state of New York a sum  equivalent  to  three  times  the  excess  amount  so paid. Such penalty may be recovered in a civil action  by the cemetery board. (4) The instrument of conveyance  of  any  burial  lot,  plot or part thereof shall include the actual amount paid thereforand a description showing the dimensions of the property  conveyed,  and  the plot number, section and block number as they appear on the cemetery  map.    (c) Resale by lot owner. Before any burial shall have been made in any  such  lot, plot or part thereof, or, if all the bodies therein have been  lawfully removed, the lot owner may sell or convey  such  lot,  plot  or  part  thereof  subject to the prior approval of the cemetery board. Such  approval shall not be granted unless the owner of such lot, plot or part  thereof shall have offered it to the  cemetery  corporation  within  two  years  prior  to  the  application  for  such  approval,  in  writing by  registered or certified mail, at the price paid  therefor  by  said  lot  owner,  together with simple interest at the rate of four per centum per  annum, and the cemetery corporation shall have  failed  to  accept  such  offer  within thirty days after the making thereof. In the event the lot  owner shall have acquired the lot, plot or part thereof  other  than  by  purchase, and provided the cemetery corporation and the lot owner cannot  agree  upon  a  price, the cemetery board shall fix a price therefor. In  arriving at the price the cemetery board shall take  into  consideration  the original price for which the cemetery corporation sold the lot, plot  or  part  thereof, and any other circumstances or factor which equitably  relates to the price. The secretary of the  cemetery  corporation  shall  file  and  record in its books all instruments of transfer. An owner may  convey or devise to the corporation his right and title in  and  to  any  such lot, plot or part thereof.    (d) Lots held in inalienable form. (1) No portion of the cemetery of a  cemetery  corporation  which  any  person  other than the corporation is  entitled to use for burial purposes, or in which bodies have been buried  and not removed, shall be sold, mortgaged or leased by the  corporation.  A  cemetery corporation may convey any lot so that upon such conveyance,  or after an interment therein, such lot shall  be  forever  inalienable,  and upon the death of the lot owner shall pass to such person or persons  as  may  be  designated  in  the conveyance or if no such designation be  made, shall descend as provided in section  fifteen  hundred  twelve  of  this article. Any one or more of the owners of such a lot may release or  devise  to  any  other  owner  of  the  lot his interest therein on such  conditions as shall be specified in the release or will. (2) Any  person  who  is  the  sole owner of the burial rights in a cemetery lot, plot or  any part thereof, in which a burial has been made, may give  his  entire  interest,  or,  if  not  prohibited  by the rules and regulations of the  cemetery corporation, any portion thereof to any person within the third  degree of consanguinity to the owner, or, in  the  event  that  no  such  person  exists, within the fourth degree of consanguinity to such owner.  Such conveyance shall be made subject to the right of interment  of  the  spouse of any deceased owner, which right said spouse may release at any  time,  but no conveyance or devise by any other person shall deprive the  surviving spouse of such right. Burial  rights  shall  not  be  conveyed  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of this subparagraph more frequently than  once in any ten-year period. (3) A cemetery  corporation  may  take  and  hold  any  lot  conveyed  or  devised  to  it  by  the lot owner so that  thereafter it will be inalienable, and the interments therein  shall  be  restricted  to  such  person or class of persons as may be designated in  the conveyance or devise.  (4) The title of a lot  owner  shall  not  be  affected  by  the  dissolution  of  the  corporation, by non-user of its  corporate rights and franchises by any act of forfeiture on its part, by  any alienation of  its  property  or  by  incumbrance  thereon  made  or  suffered by it.

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Npc > Article-15 > 1513

§ 1513. Sale of burial rights.    (a)  Conveyance  of  lots.  (1)  Except  as otherwise provided in this  subdivision the right to use any lot, plot or part thereof may  be  sold  or  conveyed only by the cemetery corporation.  (2) It shall be unlawful  for any person, firm or  corporation  to  purchase  or  for  a  cemetery  corporation  to  sell  a  lot,  plot  or part thereof for the purpose of  resale. This provision, however, shall not  prohibit  the  sale  to  its  members  of  lots,  plots or parts thereof, or the right to use any lot,  plot or part thereof,  by  a  membership  or  religious  corporation  or  unincorporated association or society which provides burial benefits for  its members.  (3) It shall be unlawful for a cemetery corporation to pay  or  offer  to  pay,  or  for any person, firm or corporation to receive,  directly or indirectly, a commission, bonus, rebate or other  things  of  value  for,  or  in  connection  with, the sale of any lot, plot or part  thereof, or the sale of space in a public mausoleum, or  the  furnishing  by  or  through  the  cemetery  corporation of any service, merchandise,  wares, goods or articles. The provisions of  this  paragraph  shall  not  apply  to  a  person  regularly  employed and supervised by the cemetery  corporation. (4) A violation of  this  subdivision  shall  constitute  a  misdemeanor  and  shall  be  punishable  by a fine of not more than five  hundred dollars or not more than six months imprisonment or  both.  Each  violation shall constitute a separate offense.    (b)  Prices  for  burial rights and instruments of conveyance. (1) The  directors must fix and determine the prices of the burial lots, plots or  parts thereof, and keep a plainly printed copy of the schedules of  such  prices  conspicuously  posted in each of the offices of the corporation,  open at all reasonable times to inspection, and shall file a schedule of  such prices in  the  office  of  the  cemetery  board.  (2)  Unless  its  certificate  of  incorporation or by-laws otherwise provide, and subject  to its rules and regulations, the corporation shall sell and  convey  to  any person the use of the lots, plots or parts thereof designated on the  map  filed in the office of the corporation, on payment of the prices so  fixed and determined, but need not sell and convey more  than  one  lot,  plot  or  part thereof to any one person. Conveyances of lots, plots and  parts thereof shall be signed by the  president  or  vice-president  and  treasurer  or assistant treasurer of the corporation. A written contract  for the sale or use of a lot, plot or part thereof shall  have  attached  thereto  and  made a part thereof a copy of the rules and regulations of  the cemetery corporation or such parts of such rules and regulations  as  relate  to  the  size  and  placement of monuments, restrictions on plot  usage, warranties, obligations of the cemetery corporation and financial  obligations and duties of the lot owner. If a lot, plot or part  thereof  is  sold  without  a written contract, the corporation shall, before any  part of the purchase price is paid by  the  purchaser,  deliver  to  the  purchaser  a  copy of the rules and regulations or such parts thereof as  would be required to be attached to a written contract. Nothing in  this  subdivision  shall  prevent  the  subsequent amendment of such rules and  regulations to  increase  the  charges  for  services  rendered  by  the  corporation  or  in  other  particulars  by  or  with the consent of the  cemetery board under section fifteen hundred nine of this article. (3) A  cemetery corporation that shall sell a lot, plot  or  part  thereof,  in  excess  of  the  price  shown on the schedule filed in the office of the  cemetery board, and any person acting for or on behalf of  the  cemetery  corporation  in  connection  with  such  sale, shall each forfeit to the  people of the state of New York a sum  equivalent  to  three  times  the  excess  amount  so paid. Such penalty may be recovered in a civil action  by the cemetery board. (4) The instrument of conveyance  of  any  burial  lot,  plot or part thereof shall include the actual amount paid thereforand a description showing the dimensions of the property  conveyed,  and  the plot number, section and block number as they appear on the cemetery  map.    (c) Resale by lot owner. Before any burial shall have been made in any  such  lot, plot or part thereof, or, if all the bodies therein have been  lawfully removed, the lot owner may sell or convey  such  lot,  plot  or  part  thereof  subject to the prior approval of the cemetery board. Such  approval shall not be granted unless the owner of such lot, plot or part  thereof shall have offered it to the  cemetery  corporation  within  two  years  prior  to  the  application  for  such  approval,  in  writing by  registered or certified mail, at the price paid  therefor  by  said  lot  owner,  together with simple interest at the rate of four per centum per  annum, and the cemetery corporation shall have  failed  to  accept  such  offer  within thirty days after the making thereof. In the event the lot  owner shall have acquired the lot, plot or part thereof  other  than  by  purchase, and provided the cemetery corporation and the lot owner cannot  agree  upon  a  price, the cemetery board shall fix a price therefor. In  arriving at the price the cemetery board shall take  into  consideration  the original price for which the cemetery corporation sold the lot, plot  or  part  thereof, and any other circumstances or factor which equitably  relates to the price. The secretary of the  cemetery  corporation  shall  file  and  record in its books all instruments of transfer. An owner may  convey or devise to the corporation his right and title in  and  to  any  such lot, plot or part thereof.    (d) Lots held in inalienable form. (1) No portion of the cemetery of a  cemetery  corporation  which  any  person  other than the corporation is  entitled to use for burial purposes, or in which bodies have been buried  and not removed, shall be sold, mortgaged or leased by the  corporation.  A  cemetery corporation may convey any lot so that upon such conveyance,  or after an interment therein, such lot shall  be  forever  inalienable,  and upon the death of the lot owner shall pass to such person or persons  as  may  be  designated  in  the conveyance or if no such designation be  made, shall descend as provided in section  fifteen  hundred  twelve  of  this article. Any one or more of the owners of such a lot may release or  devise  to  any  other  owner  of  the  lot his interest therein on such  conditions as shall be specified in the release or will. (2) Any  person  who  is  the  sole owner of the burial rights in a cemetery lot, plot or  any part thereof, in which a burial has been made, may give  his  entire  interest,  or,  if  not  prohibited  by the rules and regulations of the  cemetery corporation, any portion thereof to any person within the third  degree of consanguinity to the owner, or, in  the  event  that  no  such  person  exists, within the fourth degree of consanguinity to such owner.  Such conveyance shall be made subject to the right of interment  of  the  spouse of any deceased owner, which right said spouse may release at any  time,  but no conveyance or devise by any other person shall deprive the  surviving spouse of such right. Burial  rights  shall  not  be  conveyed  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of this subparagraph more frequently than  once in any ten-year period. (3) A cemetery  corporation  may  take  and  hold  any  lot  conveyed  or  devised  to  it  by  the lot owner so that  thereafter it will be inalienable, and the interments therein  shall  be  restricted  to  such  person or class of persons as may be designated in  the conveyance or devise.  (4) The title of a lot  owner  shall  not  be  affected  by  the  dissolution  of  the  corporation, by non-user of its  corporate rights and franchises by any act of forfeiture on its part, by  any alienation of  its  property  or  by  incumbrance  thereon  made  or  suffered by it.

State Codes and Statutes

State Codes and Statutes

Statutes > New-york > Npc > Article-15 > 1513

§ 1513. Sale of burial rights.    (a)  Conveyance  of  lots.  (1)  Except  as otherwise provided in this  subdivision the right to use any lot, plot or part thereof may  be  sold  or  conveyed only by the cemetery corporation.  (2) It shall be unlawful  for any person, firm or  corporation  to  purchase  or  for  a  cemetery  corporation  to  sell  a  lot,  plot  or part thereof for the purpose of  resale. This provision, however, shall not  prohibit  the  sale  to  its  members  of  lots,  plots or parts thereof, or the right to use any lot,  plot or part thereof,  by  a  membership  or  religious  corporation  or  unincorporated association or society which provides burial benefits for  its members.  (3) It shall be unlawful for a cemetery corporation to pay  or  offer  to  pay,  or  for any person, firm or corporation to receive,  directly or indirectly, a commission, bonus, rebate or other  things  of  value  for,  or  in  connection  with, the sale of any lot, plot or part  thereof, or the sale of space in a public mausoleum, or  the  furnishing  by  or  through  the  cemetery  corporation of any service, merchandise,  wares, goods or articles. The provisions of  this  paragraph  shall  not  apply  to  a  person  regularly  employed and supervised by the cemetery  corporation. (4) A violation of  this  subdivision  shall  constitute  a  misdemeanor  and  shall  be  punishable  by a fine of not more than five  hundred dollars or not more than six months imprisonment or  both.  Each  violation shall constitute a separate offense.    (b)  Prices  for  burial rights and instruments of conveyance. (1) The  directors must fix and determine the prices of the burial lots, plots or  parts thereof, and keep a plainly printed copy of the schedules of  such  prices  conspicuously  posted in each of the offices of the corporation,  open at all reasonable times to inspection, and shall file a schedule of  such prices in  the  office  of  the  cemetery  board.  (2)  Unless  its  certificate  of  incorporation or by-laws otherwise provide, and subject  to its rules and regulations, the corporation shall sell and  convey  to  any person the use of the lots, plots or parts thereof designated on the  map  filed in the office of the corporation, on payment of the prices so  fixed and determined, but need not sell and convey more  than  one  lot,  plot  or  part thereof to any one person. Conveyances of lots, plots and  parts thereof shall be signed by the  president  or  vice-president  and  treasurer  or assistant treasurer of the corporation. A written contract  for the sale or use of a lot, plot or part thereof shall  have  attached  thereto  and  made a part thereof a copy of the rules and regulations of  the cemetery corporation or such parts of such rules and regulations  as  relate  to  the  size  and  placement of monuments, restrictions on plot  usage, warranties, obligations of the cemetery corporation and financial  obligations and duties of the lot owner. If a lot, plot or part  thereof  is  sold  without  a written contract, the corporation shall, before any  part of the purchase price is paid by  the  purchaser,  deliver  to  the  purchaser  a  copy of the rules and regulations or such parts thereof as  would be required to be attached to a written contract. Nothing in  this  subdivision  shall  prevent  the  subsequent amendment of such rules and  regulations to  increase  the  charges  for  services  rendered  by  the  corporation  or  in  other  particulars  by  or  with the consent of the  cemetery board under section fifteen hundred nine of this article. (3) A  cemetery corporation that shall sell a lot, plot  or  part  thereof,  in  excess  of  the  price  shown on the schedule filed in the office of the  cemetery board, and any person acting for or on behalf of  the  cemetery  corporation  in  connection  with  such  sale, shall each forfeit to the  people of the state of New York a sum  equivalent  to  three  times  the  excess  amount  so paid. Such penalty may be recovered in a civil action  by the cemetery board. (4) The instrument of conveyance  of  any  burial  lot,  plot or part thereof shall include the actual amount paid thereforand a description showing the dimensions of the property  conveyed,  and  the plot number, section and block number as they appear on the cemetery  map.    (c) Resale by lot owner. Before any burial shall have been made in any  such  lot, plot or part thereof, or, if all the bodies therein have been  lawfully removed, the lot owner may sell or convey  such  lot,  plot  or  part  thereof  subject to the prior approval of the cemetery board. Such  approval shall not be granted unless the owner of such lot, plot or part  thereof shall have offered it to the  cemetery  corporation  within  two  years  prior  to  the  application  for  such  approval,  in  writing by  registered or certified mail, at the price paid  therefor  by  said  lot  owner,  together with simple interest at the rate of four per centum per  annum, and the cemetery corporation shall have  failed  to  accept  such  offer  within thirty days after the making thereof. In the event the lot  owner shall have acquired the lot, plot or part thereof  other  than  by  purchase, and provided the cemetery corporation and the lot owner cannot  agree  upon  a  price, the cemetery board shall fix a price therefor. In  arriving at the price the cemetery board shall take  into  consideration  the original price for which the cemetery corporation sold the lot, plot  or  part  thereof, and any other circumstances or factor which equitably  relates to the price. The secretary of the  cemetery  corporation  shall  file  and  record in its books all instruments of transfer. An owner may  convey or devise to the corporation his right and title in  and  to  any  such lot, plot or part thereof.    (d) Lots held in inalienable form. (1) No portion of the cemetery of a  cemetery  corporation  which  any  person  other than the corporation is  entitled to use for burial purposes, or in which bodies have been buried  and not removed, shall be sold, mortgaged or leased by the  corporation.  A  cemetery corporation may convey any lot so that upon such conveyance,  or after an interment therein, such lot shall  be  forever  inalienable,  and upon the death of the lot owner shall pass to such person or persons  as  may  be  designated  in  the conveyance or if no such designation be  made, shall descend as provided in section  fifteen  hundred  twelve  of  this article. Any one or more of the owners of such a lot may release or  devise  to  any  other  owner  of  the  lot his interest therein on such  conditions as shall be specified in the release or will. (2) Any  person  who  is  the  sole owner of the burial rights in a cemetery lot, plot or  any part thereof, in which a burial has been made, may give  his  entire  interest,  or,  if  not  prohibited  by the rules and regulations of the  cemetery corporation, any portion thereof to any person within the third  degree of consanguinity to the owner, or, in  the  event  that  no  such  person  exists, within the fourth degree of consanguinity to such owner.  Such conveyance shall be made subject to the right of interment  of  the  spouse of any deceased owner, which right said spouse may release at any  time,  but no conveyance or devise by any other person shall deprive the  surviving spouse of such right. Burial  rights  shall  not  be  conveyed  pursuant  to  the  provisions  of this subparagraph more frequently than  once in any ten-year period. (3) A cemetery  corporation  may  take  and  hold  any  lot  conveyed  or  devised  to  it  by  the lot owner so that  thereafter it will be inalienable, and the interments therein  shall  be  restricted  to  such  person or class of persons as may be designated in  the conveyance or devise.  (4) The title of a lot  owner  shall  not  be  affected  by  the  dissolution  of  the  corporation, by non-user of its  corporate rights and franchises by any act of forfeiture on its part, by  any alienation of  its  property  or  by  incumbrance  thereon  made  or  suffered by it.