CEMETERY RULES AND REGULATIONS

In our commitment to provide a more pleasant atmosphere to the general public and continually improve the Cemetery’s appearance, the Cemetery Authority has revised the rules and regulations to read as follows.

1. When purchasing an Interment Right, the family is only purchasing an Easement Right of Burial; this does not include any real estate. SAID PURCHASE IS SUBJECT TO ALL OF THE RULES AND REGULATIONS OF THE CEMETERY AUTHORITY (PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE.)

2. The cemetery reserves the right to approve all memorials, markers, flowers, or other embellishment in the cemetery.

3. Application (with drawing) of any memorial to be placed in the cemetery must be signed by the Internment Right Owner and approved by the Cemetery Authority. No homemade memorials or memorials that do not meet our criteria will be permitted or installed. Only cemetery staff trained for identification of the burial site and proper foundation procedures will install memorials. Any unauthorized installation of a memorial will result in the immediate removal of the memorial from the cemetery and the memorial will be discarded. The cemetery assumes no liability for unauthorized memorials.

4. Loved Ones’ gravesites are located by the placement of proper memorials, paid for by the family. Internment Right Owners’ must notify the Cemetery Authority immediately after placement of any memorial, of any error in placement so that said error can be corrected.

5. All work that can be performed by cemetery personnel shall be so done, in agreement with the cemetery and the union representing the cemetery workers.

6. All photocopies, maps, Deeds, Affidavits of Heirship, Quit Claim Deeds, Annual Care or Endowed Care Fees are to be paid for by the Internment Right Owner or family member unless designated otherwise by the Cemetery Authority.

7. The cemetery has and reserves the right to correct any error that may be made by its employees or personnel in the location of or placing of the memorial in the cemetery; or in the location or internment of remains or cremains in a gravesite in the cemetery. In order to replace a gravesite that cannot be occupied for any reason the Cemetery Authority will allow selection of another available space within the cemetery at no additional cost. Internment Right Owner must notify Cemetery Authority within thirty (30) days of any installation of a memorial, if any error has been made. Internment Right Owner or purchaser of a Row Burial or memorial must come back to the office after internment has been made or memorial set to obtain grave location and review location to make sure the location in the records reflects the location of the remains and the memorial has been placed on the proper grave, within the above designated time period, so as to avoid problems in the future.

8. Internment and Internment Right Fees must be paid in full before memorial work is installed or internment can be made, unless otherwise authorized by the Cemetery Authority. Cemetery Authority has the right to remove any marker that is not fully paid for at the time purchaser defaults on any purchase agreement between the Cemetery and the purchaser, at the sole expense of the purchaser or Internment Right Owner.

9. Monuments, markers, memorials are the personal property of the individuals who purchase or erect them. The cemetery assumes no liability for their care and maintenance; unless a specific agreement has been set up to provide for this. Cemetery insurance does not cover privately owned memorials or damages as a result of vandalism or Acts of God/Nature. Cemetery is only responsible to replace portion of stone or memorial if damaged by cemetery personnel, or to refund money paid (less depreciation) as the Cemetery Authority decides.

10. While a funeral or internment is being conducted nearby, cemetery reserves the right to stop all work of any description. All visitors, when requested, shall move their cars out of the way of a Funeral Procession or be subject to expulsion from the grounds. No person who is not a part of the funeral procession shall interfere with the mourners or service in any way.

11. Should any memorial become unsightly, dilapidated, or a menace to visitors, the cemetery shall have the right to either correct the condition or to remove the same at the expense of the Internment Right Owner, at the discretion of the cemetery.

12. Cemetery Authority has the right to remove or drive over any monument or memorial for access to a gravesite in preparation for internment, filling of graves, resetting a vault or Outer Burial Container that has shifted into another persons Internment Right Area; WITHOUT NOTICE TO ANY INTERNMENT RIGHT OWNER OR FAMILY MEMBER.

13. NO PEDDLING, SOLICITING OR LOITERING IS PERMITTED IN THE CEMETERY. This includes interfering with any of the mourners or family members in any way.

14. Deeds are issued only to those who pay for Internment Rights in a Lot or Section and are separate of the opening and closing fees and outer burial container. All Deeded Internment Rights are to be sold with Endowed Care.

15. No deeds will be issued or valid on the purchase of ROW BURIALS, PACKAGE BURIALS OR INDIGENT BURIALS. In sections set aside by the cemetery for burial of said indigents, the cemetery has the right to rebury over all Row Burials twenty (20) years from the date of internment. Since these types of burials mean that one burial may take place right after another, the family must come to the office with-in forty-eight (48) hours after internment takes place to obtain grave location information or to advise if there is any discrepancy in the location paperwork and the grave location.

16. All internments are to have proper casket protection (OUTER BURIAL CONTAINERS). Cemetery Authority does not guarantee any container as being waterproof or water resistant in any manner whatsoever. Internments scheduled are subject to adverse conditions, such as heavy snow, frozen ground, flooding, or equipment failure that may restrict or prohibit the burial for the scheduled time or day.

17. Anyone trespassing on Cemetery Grounds after hours is subject to arrest.

18. The purchaser of a ROW BURIAL and all family members of the deceased buried in a ROW BURIAL grant approval to the Cemetery Authority to move the remains of any person buried in the section in order to gain access for the disinternment of remains that might be located under that particular burial.

19. The entity or person(s) named in the Title to the Deed of said Memory Gardens Cemetery or a majority stockholder of same shall be considered the CEMETERY AUTHORITY, and the entity in charge of writing or revising the Rules and Regulations exclusively. At the present time the title to said cemetery is held under the name of the Corporation holding the same name as each individual cemetery.

20. All easements are owned by the above said corporation and may from time to time be eliminated and may be deemed as usable for burial purposes. This shall include road and walkway easements. The decision to change or eliminate any such easement shall be at the sole discretion of the Cemetery Authority.

21. All roads, buildings, tools and equipment are the property of the Corporation and it is expressly stated that no Internment Right Owner has any interest in said property or real estate of the Corporation, unless so designated in a purchase agreement between the Corporation and the Trust of the Endowed Care Funds, and paid for from the Interest of the Fund.

22. All Annual Care must be current in order for the work to be done or any internment to take place in any grave billed under Annual Care.

23. Internment Right Owners and their heirs are responsible for their Loved Ones remains in the event of vandalism or natural disaster (such as flooding) to pay for re-internment of said remains in the proper gravesite or mausoleum; and any rebuilding fees required.

24. The Cemetery Authority maintains the right of deciding whether or not a grave side service can take place or if a chapel or mock site is necessary during inclement weather or to accommodate a safer location for those attending the service.

25. New Rules and Regulations may be implemented from time to time for the benefit of all low owners for the beautification and operation of the cemetery.

26. The cemetery allows no plants, bushes, trees or shrubbery of any kind to be placed by anyone but the cemetery. Cemetery grounds workers will remove any such plantings and discard same.

27. Decorations and flowers are allowed on a limited basis however; they will be removed at the cemetery’s discretion, as they are not meant to be permanent and are placed at the mourners own risk. Cemetery assumes no responsibility for any decoration placed on the burial sites. “Shepard’s Hooks” or similar items are prohibited and will be discarded.

28. Parking or driving on the grass or cemetery grounds is strictly prohibited.

29. No GLASS, CLAY, PLASTIC or STONE JAR or CONTAINERS of such construction; or any other hazardous material shall be permitted, and will be removed and discarded.

30. Unleashed pets are not allowed. Any pet causing a disturbance will be restricted from the cemetery. The pet owner must clean up any pet “droppings” or the pet will be restricted from any future visit to the cemetery.

31. ABSOLUTELY NO FIREARMS OR WEAPONS OF ANY KIND ARE ALLOWED ON THE CEMETERY GROUNDS. Law Enforcement will be contacted immediately upon discovery of any such items. Violators will be prosecuted.

32. All “Lot Owner” internments require written consent of the owner or their assigns and in some instances a physical identification of the burial site prior to preparation. Cemetery reserves the right to require thirty-six (36) hours notice for preparation of the burial site.

33. Any Public gathering; religious or otherwise must be approved in writing by the cemetery management prior to the date of the activity. Any such gathering shall not interfere with any burial service or visitation by any mourner.

34. Due to the increase of theft in the cemeteries and society in general, the cemetery will no longer allow the installation of memorials smaller that 24” X 12”. Special allowance will be allowed for pre-needed memorials already purchased through the cemetery as of February 1, 2005 and select memorials for infant or cremains burials approved by the Cemetery Authority.
CEMETERY PROTECTION ACT (765 ILCS 835/1c) provides for the removal of anything placed in the cemetery…that in the judgment of the Cemetery Authority has become wrecked, unsightly, or dilapidated.
CEMETERY PROTECTION ACT (765 ILCS 835/1f) provides that any person who knowingly enters or knowingly remains upon the premises of a public or private cemetery without authorization during hours that the cemetery posted as closed to the public…is guilty of a CLASS ‘A’ MISDEMEANOR.