Frequently Asked Questions

• 1. What are my rights as a plot owner?

  When you purchase a plot, you will receive an agreement and a copy of the cemetery’s Rules and Regulations. The plot owner then has the right to bury human and pet remains in the plot in accordance with state law and the cemetery’s rules. The plot owner becomes a member of the cemetery association and is entitled to vote at plot owner’s meetings and to elect members of the Board of Trustees.

   

• 2. Can I choose how my remains are buried?

  You can choose a full burial in a casket, burial of cremated remains, or a natural burial with no casket in a designated area of the cemetery.

• 3. Can the cemetery refuse burial?

  Burial will not be allowed if full payment has not been made for purchase of the plot or the burial fee has not been paid.

• 4. Are there yearly fees for maintenance of the cemetery?

  There are no annual fees, but plot holders are asked for voluntary annual donations. These donations pay for a large part of the operating budget of the cemetery.

• 5. Is a concrete vault or grave liner required for full burials?

  Yes, for full casket burials. The purpose of the vault or grave liner is to prevent the collapse of the grave and protect the casket. Accommodation can be made if this conflicts with one’s religious beliefs. Cremated remains do not require a vault but must be in a container. Quaker Hill Cemetery offers a limited number of plots for natural burials without caskets and vaults.

• 6. Are there rules as to who inherits unused graves?

  Burial rights obtained through inheritance shall be recorded with the Cemetery by the person receiving the inheritance. If the plot or plots are not specifically mentioned in the will and are not left to a specific person or persons, ownership passes to the descendants of the owner. Under these circumstances, the surviving spouse does not share in the ownership, but she (he) has an absolute right to be buried with the late husband or wife.

  Transfer of rights by gift within a family can be done by giving the Cemetery a document of Irrevocable Designation for the person or persons receiving the gift.

• 7. Do the plot owners actually own cemetery property?

  The cemetery owns the property. The plot owner receives the right to human burial, membership in the cemetery association and the right to vote at plot owners’ meetings.

• 8. Can I sell my cemetery plot?

  Plot owners may dispose of the burial rights if no burial has taken place. The plot must first be offered to the cemetery for re-purchase. If there is a body or cremated remains already interred, the plot can only be transferred to a blood relative. A spouse is not a blood relative.