Graceland Cemetery 

 


Rules and Regulations

The following Rules and Regulations are hereby adopted, approved and put into effect for the mutual benefit and protection of each and every lot, plot and grave owner in the above-named cemetery.

RULE 1 : GENERAL SUPERVISION

This cemetery is a New York Corporation, organized under the Not-For-Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York hereinafter called Graceland, for the benefit of all lot, plot and grave owners, retains to itself full, complete and undisputed supervision, control and management of land, buildings, improvements, roads, walks, pathways, utilities, development, books and records, and the full and complete authority to make, change, administer and enforce all rules, regulations and restrictions not consistent with the laws of the State of New York.

RULE 2 : OFFICIAL RECORDS

The official records of all lot owners shall be maintained by Graceland at its designated office where each lot owner shall be registered by name and address. Such registration shall be the final governing record in determination of lot ownership.

RULE 3 : INALIENABILITY

All lots, the use of which has been conveyed by cemetery deed, are indivisible, except with the consent of Graceland and as provided by law. Individuals may not subdivide their lots without the consent of Graceland, nor bury the remains of any person therein, except in accordance with the New York State Law, or when the written consent of all owners registered on the books of Graceland shall have been obtained and approved by Graceland.

RULE 4 : CHANGE OF ADDRESS

It shall be the duty of each and every lot owner to keep Graceland fully informed as to his or her mailing address, and to notify said Graceland as to any changes thereof. Notice sent to any plot owner at the last registered address on file in the office of Graceland shall be considered sufficient and proper legal notice.

RULE 5 : RIGHT OF INGRESS AND EGRESS RESERVED

Graceland reserves to itself and to those lawfully within the cemetery a perpetual right of ingress and egress over all graves and lots for the passage to and from other graves and lots.

RULE 6 : TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP

The transfer of ownership or title or interest in any lot, plot or grave space shall be made only on forms approved by Graceland and in accordance with the New York State Not-For- Profit Corporation Law and the New York State Cemetery Board. No transfer or assignment of ownership of any interest in any lot, plot or grave space shall be valid without being approved and recorded on the books of Graceland.

RULE 7 : INTERMENTS

  1. Not more than one body shall be interred in any one grave. No interment shall be permitted until the lot or plot has been fully paid. Graceland may in exceptional cases, permit interments in a grave space that has been paid for, even though the entire lot is not so fully paid. A note or check shall not be considered as payment until the same has been honored or cashed. In the event of nonpayment for lots, plots or grave spaces, Graceland may retain such payments as have been made toward the purchase in accordance with the rules and regulations of the New York State Cemetery Board. For these purposes Graceland is to be deemed the duly authorized agent of all owners and persons interested in said lot, plot or grave space.

  2. COMPENSATION. Lot owners are prohibited from allowing interments to be made on their lots for compensation.

  3. HOLIDAYS. No interments shall be made on Sunday or Holidays, except in case of special necessity, religious reasons or contagious diseases, in which case special fees will be charged.

  4. NOTICE. Graceland reserves the right to insist upon two working days notice prior to any cremation or interment.

  5. CERTIFICATE. No interment will be permitted, or body be received unless the proper certificate is furnished giving the name and residence of the deceased, the name of the nearest relative, and the time, place, and cause of death. Besides being subject to these rules and regulations, all interments, disinterments, and removals are made subject to the orders and laws of the properly constituted authorities of the City, County and State.

RULE 8 : OUTER CASE

Each interment shall be made within an outer container. Graceland strongly recommends a permanent outer case of concrete or steel in order to assure the safety of the public and to permit proper maintenance programs. This inner and outer container must be marked with the name of the decedent.

RULE 9 : CASKET OPENINGS

Once a casket containing a body is within the confines of the cemetery, no funeral director, his assistant, employee or agent, or any member of the deceased’s family shall be permitted to open the casket or touch the body without the consent of the legal representatives of the deceased, or without a court order.

RULE 10 : DISINTERMENT AND REMOVALS

No disinterment shall be made except by Graceland employees, with the consent of Graceland and upon the written request of the lot owner. A body or cremated remains may be removed from its original plot to a larger or more desirable plot when there has been an exchange or purchase for that purpose, and when all the legal representatives of the deceased consent. Graceland reserves the right to perform any removal or disinterment at its convenience or as directed by Court Order.

RULE 11 : SUPERINTENDENT’S POWERS

  1. GENERAL. The Superintendent of the cemetery shall be in full charge of the premises, of all employees, all work done, all development, care and maintenance, subject only to the instructions, orders and directions of Graceland. All funerals, on reaching the cemetery, shall be under the charge and supervision of the Superintendent or other designated officers of Graceland. The Superintendent or assistants are hereby empowered to enforce all rules and regulations and to exclude from the property any persons violating the same.

  2. WORK DONE. All work done in the cemetery shall be done by cemetery employees or under the control of the Superintendent or Board of Directors.

  3. TRUCKING. Heavy trucking or other vehicular traffic shall be refused entrance to the cemetery, when, in the opinion of the Superintendent injury to the roads and driveways might result.

  4. MATERIALS. No material shall be allowed to remain longer than is reasonably necessary for any construction work No work shall be started on Saturday which cannot be completed on that day. No heavy teaming will be allowed in wet weather.

  5. PLANTS. No trees, shrubs or plants shall be planted, pruned or removed without the consent of the Superintendent. Acting for the best interest of the cemetery, the Superintendent shall have authority to prune, remove or transplant any tree, shrub, plant, or anything upon a lot, when he may consider such a course necessary.

RULE 12 : CONDUCT OF PERSONS

  1. WALKS. Persons within the cemetery shall use the walks and roadways, and only where absolutely necessary for ingress and egress, shall they cross other lots, plots or burial spaces.

  2. TRESPASSING. Lots, plots and grave spaces are considered the property of the owners of such lots, plots and grave spaces, and only the owners, heirs and representatives of the persons interred therein shall be permitted on said lots, plots and grave spaces except where means of ingress and egress to other lots, plots or grave spaces are necessary. Violators of this rule shall be considered as trespassers.

  3. CHILDREN. Children under fifteen years of age shall not be permitted within the cemetery unless accompanied by adult persons who are responsible for their care and conduct.

  4. FLOWERS. All persons are prohibited from gathering flowers, either wild or cultivated, or breaking trees, shrubbery or plants, or feeding or disturbing birds or fish or other animal life within the grounds of the cemetery.

  5. FIREARMS. No firearms or intoxicating liquors shall be permitted upon the lots or within Graceland at any time, except in the case of firearms for the purpose of a military funeral under proper command.

  6. DOGS. Dogs shall not be permitted in the cemetery or in any of the cemetery buildings.

  7. ADVERTISING. No signs or notices or advertisements of any kind shall be allowed in the cemetery or on premises surrounding the cemetery, unless placed and authorized by Graceland.

  8. SOLICITING. Peddling of flowers or plants, or soliciting the sale of any commodity other than by Graceland is positively prohibited within the confines of the cemetery.

  9. REFRESHMENTS. Neither the bringing of, the sale of, or the use of refreshments upon the cemetery premises shall be permitted.

  10. AUTOMOBILES, BICYCLES AND MOTOR VEHICLES. No motor vehicle or bicycles shall be driven through the roadways of the cemetery at a greater speed than twenty miles per hour, and shall at all times, whether moving or not, be kept on the right side of the roadway. Each and every motor vehicle or bicycle shall be brought to a full stop at the entrance to and exit from the cemetery. It shall be a violation of the rules for visitors to park or run automobiles over any of the turf or grassland of Graceland.

  11. RUBBISH. The throwing of rubbish on drives, paths, walks, or any part of the grounds or in the buildings is prohibited.

  12. IMPROPRIETIES. This cemetery is the resting place of our loved ones: loud and boisterous talking, lounging by strangers or other conduct which in the opinion of the Superintendent is improper, then he shall have the power to exclude persons guilty of such improprieties from the cemetery property.

  13. ENTRANCE. No persons shall enter the cemetery except through the gates, which will be open from seven a.m. to six p.m.

RULE 13 : ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS

Artificial flowers are permitted from November 1, to March 31. No artificial flowers will be permitted on any lot from April 1 to October 1. All plants and decorations will be picked up April 1 and October 1 of each year. (Effective October 1. 1987).

RULE 14 : MEMORIALS AND MARKERS

No urn or urns may be placed on a grave or Lot without the written permission of Graceland. and then only if placed on a concrete foundation or the base of a monument.

Monuments or markers on preferred single graves are restricted to a base of 2’6” in length by 1’2” in width.

Markers on preferred single graves or Family Lots in sections designated as Lawn Sections are restricted to flush granite or standard bronze, according to the size of the Lot in the judgment of Graceland.

Markers on single graves in ranges are restricted to a maximum of 14” by 24” in standard bronze or granite, and, in Section C-Infant to 1’ by 10” flush bronze or granite. Two spaces, side by side in any Lawn Section may have a companion marker, not to exceed 16” by 56”.

Veteran’s markers, supplied by County or Federal government, are restricted to flush bronze or granite markers 1’ by 2’, except in sections already set aside for Veterans’ burials, and containing upright marble markers installed prior to April 1, 1948.

Monuments and markers in all other sections of the cemetery are limited only in proportion to the size of the lot and conformity to the beauty and decorum of the cemetery, as Graceland may determine.

Plans for all monuments or markers must be submitted to Graceland for approval before acceptance of an order for a foundation for same. Cemetery reserves the right to reject any monument or marker plan which it deems not in keeping with the solemnity and dignity of the grounds, the general scheme of the Lot or of the cemetery, or made of material which it deems suitable for such purpose.

Graceland requires all foundation orders to be submitted on its own form, and signed by the Lot Owner(s) or Heir(s), and Graceland will not accept any order for the installation of a monument or foundation or any other structure unless such lot is fully paid for.

RULE 15 : FENCES, HEDGES AND WALKS

No coping, curbing, hedging, grave mounds, borders or enclosures of any kind shall be allowed around any lot or ground space and no walks of brick chat, cinders, tile, stone, marble, terracotta, sand, cement, gravel, or wood shall be allowed on any lot, except such as are place and approved by Graceland.

RULE 16 : GRATUITIES

No person, while employed by Graceland shall receive any fee, gratuity or commission, except from Graceland, either directly or indirectly, under penalty of immediate dismissal.

RULE 17 : CHARGES

All charges for interments, removals, etc., or other work, must be paid in advance.

RULE 18 : RECEIVING VAULT

Graceland reserves the right to inter any bodies placed in the receiving vault whenever thought necessary. Bodies dead of contagious diseases cannot, under any circumstances. be placed in the vault.

RULE 19 : CONTAINER

Any deceased person, brought to the cemetery for interment or entombment, shall be suitably enclosed so as not to offend the public. Such remains shall be contained in a rigid, properly closed container so that they can be handled securely and safely by cemetery burial personnel from the roadside, either to the grave and lowering therein for burial, or to the mausoleum and the necessary raising or lowering and sliding of such remains into the crypt space for entombment. Such inner container and outer container shall be clearly. permanently marked with the name of the decedent. Whether such container will be safe and secure for handling as above, shall be at the sole discretion of the cemetery. The cemetery shall have the right to postpone any interment until a proper container shall be provided by the funeral director at his place of business before returning to the cemetery for the interment.

RULE 20 : Mausoleum

The Graceland Mausoleum is governed by all the general rules and regulations of the cemetery. Entombments in crypts and inurnments in niches shall be governed by the rules relating to interments in Graceland at fees approved by the New York State Cemetery Board.

Only cut flowers will be permitted in vases provided by Graceland and placed at the base of the mausoleum tier. No floral tributes or any other decorations may be attached to any crypt or niche.

Inscriptions on all crypts or niches shall consist of the first name, middle initial, surname, year of birth and year of death and emblems as approved by Graceland. Such inscriptions shall be provided by Graceland, subject to fees approved by the New York State Cemetery Board.

RULE 21 : MODIFICATIONS AND AMENDMENTS

Special cases may arise in which the literal enforcement of a rule may impose unnecessary hardship. Graceland reserves the right in such cases, to make exceptions, suspensions or modifications. Any such temporary exception, suspension or modification shall in no way be construed as affecting the general application of the rule.

Graceland may and hereby expressly reserves the right, at anytime, with the approval of the New York State Cemetery Board to adopt new rules and to amend, alter and/or repeal any rule, regulation and/or article, section, paragraph, and/or sentence of these rules and regulations.

Graceland reserves the right to change or amend any part or all of the above rules and regulations for the cemetery without notice to the lot owners. Rules and Regulations may be had from time to time by applying at the executive office of Graceland.

Graceland Cemetery is
regulated by the

New York State Cemetery Board
41 State St.
Albany, NY 12232
518-474-6226
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