Tree-lined-road-going-into-Cypress-Hills-Cemetery

Memorialized-garden-with-plaque-at-Cypress-Hills-Cemtery

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Cemetery Rules at Cypress Hills

A little bit of fine print to ensure the quality of our grounds and the safety of our visitors

Rule 1: All lots, plots, and graves in the Cemetery shall be used for no other purpose than as a place of burial for the dead, and all lots, plots and graves shall be subjected to the rules and regulations heretofore established or which may hereafter be established, whether or not the same appear in the rules and regulations annexed in the deeds of such lots, plots, or graves.

Rule 2: No transfer or assignment of a lot, plot, or grave, or any interest therein shall be valid until such transfer or assignment has been both approved by C.H.C and the New York Cemetery Board, if such approval is required by law, and recorded in the Cemetery.

Rule 3: All graves and vaults shall be opened and closed and all interments and disinterments shall be made by the Cemetery, and any supplies and apparatus incident thereto supplied by the Cemetery subject to the established charges.

Rule 4: Before a disinterment may be made, there must be obtained the written consent of the owner or owners of the lot or grave, the wife, husband, children and parents of the deceased, and of the Cemetery, or in lieu of the foregoing, an order from the Supreme Court.

Rule 5: An order in writing is required from the lot or grave owner of his/her representative whenever a grave is to be opened or other work is to be done.

Rule 6: If any monument, effigy, enclosure, or any other structure, or any inscription be placed in or upon any lot or grave, which shall be determined any the Cemetery to be offensive or improper or injurious to the appearance of the surrounding lots or grounds, the Cemetery shall have the right to enter upon such lot or grave and remove the said offensive or improper object or objects; should the owner fail to remove the objects within thirty days from the mailing of the written demand to the owner at his or her last known address.

Rule 6a: Whenever grave, lot or plot is so encumbered or obstructed by enclosure, post, railings or copings, as to interfere with a requested grave opening, either for burial or disinterment, said encumbrance or obstruction, and such restoration is, in the judgment of the cemetery management, possible, the cemetery shall restore said encumbrance or obstruction upon the written consent of the lot owner or duly authorized agent assume full cost of such restoration.

Rule 7: Owners may not plant or remove any trees, plants or shrubs without the permission from the Cemetery.

Rule 8: All plantings of shrubs or trees are required to be registered at the Cemetery office. If trees or shrubs in any lot or grave, because of their roots, branches or otherwise, shall become detrimental to the adjacent lots, graves or avenues, or unsightly or inconvenient to passengers or pedestrians, the Cemetery shall have the right to enter upon said lots or graves and to remove said trees or shrubs or such parts thereof as it shall determine to be detrimental, unsightly or inconvenient. Registered plantings will receive notice prior to any removal by the Cemetery. Any unregistered plantings will be regarded as Cemetery property and can be removed without notification.

Rule 9: The Cemetery may at any time enter upon the lots or graves to keep the same neat, and clear off the grass, weeds, wilted flowers and debris. The Cemetery reserves the right to remove any artifacts from the grave, i.e. artificial flowers, stuffed animals, ribbons, bows, dead plantings, which are determined to be unsightly or faded and present a detriment to the natural beauty of the Cemetery. The Cemetery reserves the right to use their discretion to make this determination.

Rule 10: In making excavations or doing construction, the Cemetery reserves the right to use temporarily the adjoining lots or graves to receive such tools, derricks and materials as are necessary to perform all work.

Rule 11: The Cemetery from time to time may lay out or alter such paths, roads or avenues as it deems necessary

Rule 12: The Cemetery reserves the right to resurvey and subdivide unsold lots or plots or parts thereof.

Rule 13: No “For Sale” signs will be allowed on lots, plots, graves or vaults. No advertisements in any form will be allowed on any work in the Cemetery; and the Cemetery reserves the right to remove therefore any such signs or advertisements.

Rule 14: The Cemetery gates will be opened at Eight O’Clock a.m. and close at Four-thirty p.m. everyday of the year.

Rule 15: The owner of each lot or grave shall keep the same, together with the improvements thereon, in good order at his/her expense.

Rule 16: No purchaser’s title to a lot or grave shall be deemed valid until the entire amount of the purchase price shall have been paid.

Rule 17: The Cemetery reserves the right to prohibit the mounding, hedging or elevating of graves.

Rule 18: The Cemetery may prohibit any contractor or workman from working in the Cemetery if such contractor or workmen prove to be unreliable or incapable of if he refuses to abide by the rules and regulations.

Rule 19: To protect the grounds and especially improved lots and graves from damage, all excavations for burials and all foundations for monuments will be built be the Cemetery.

Rule 20: Headstones, slabs and monuments which have fallen or which require repairing may be removed or the condition corrected by order of the Cemetery unless removed or repaired by the owner within thirty days after notification, and in case of correction by the Cemetery a charge thereof shall be placed against the plot or grave.

Rule 21: No work shall be left in an improper or unfinished condition; otherwise, the same may be properly completed by the Cemetery at the expense of the lot or grave owner.

Rule 22: In all cases of burial the Superintendent should receive and may require at the least forty-eight hours’ notice prior to the arrival of the funeral procession at the Cemetery.

Rule 23: Private contractors must not trespass on lots or graves other than the ones on which the work is to be done without the consent of the owners such other lots or graves in writing filed with the Cemetery.

Rule 24: Private contractors and others will be held responsible for any damage done to lots, graves, paths, roads, plantings, trees, structures, etc., including damage to the lawn, and shall take all necessary precautions to avoid damage.

Rule 25: Solicitation of business in the Cemetery is absolutely prohibited.

Rule 26: Contractors and others are required to interrupt their work pending a nearby funeral service or procession.

Rule 27: Except by written permission of the Cemetery, no person or firm shall be permitted to do gardening or other similar work on any lot or grave without first filing with the Cemetery the written authorization of the record owner and a statement or plan of the work to be done. The Cemetery reserves the right to disapprove and prohibit any work if it finds that the same may be detrimental to nearby lots or graves of the Cemetery as a whole or for other good and sufficient reasons.

Rule 28: Except by written permission of the Cemetery, no work shall be performed in the Cemetery or materials or tools left on lots, graves or Cemetery grounds by contractors on Sundays, legal holidays or after noon on Saturdays, nor shall any work be commenced on Saturdays that cannot be finished by noon.

Rule 29: The Cemetery reserves the right to prohibit enclosures on any lots, plots or graves.

Rule 30: The Cemetery may charge for unusual repairs necessitated by the acts of God, etc. In the event that it becomes necessary to repair or reconstruct any marble, granite, bronze or concrete work on any section or plot or crypt or niche, or any portion of portions thereof in the cemetery, mausoleum or columbarium, which has been damaged by the order of any military or civil authority, the Cemetery shall give a 10 day notice of the necessity for such repair to the plot owner of record.

The notice shall be given by depositing the same in the USPS mail addressed to the plot owner of record at his or her address stated on the books of the Cemetery. In the event the plot owner fails to repair the damage with a reasonable time, the Cemetery may direct that the repairs be made and charge the expense against the plot and to the plot owner of record.

Rule 31: When Cemetery not Responsible. The Cemetery shall take reasonable precaution to protect plot owners, and the property rights of plot owners, within the Cemetery, from loss or damage; but it distinctly disclaims all responsibility for loss or damage from causes beyond its reasonable control, and especially from damage caused by the elements, an act of God, common enemy, thieves, vandals, strikers, malicious mischief makers, explosions, unavoidable accidents, invasions, insurrections, riots, or order of any military or civil authority, whether the damage be direct or collateral, other than as herein provided.

Rule 32: Except by written permission of the Cemetery, no one may take photographs or record any video within the Cemetery at any time.

Rule 33: Fresh flowers, artificial flowers and any items left in front of the mausoleum will be removed within five days. The Cemetery reserves the right to remove any unsightly items at our discretion.

Rule 34: The Cemetery prohibits any flowers, fresh or artificial, or items to be placed in a bronze vase except for the Cemetery-approved silk flower arrangement.

Rule 35: The Cemetery prohibits any plaques, stickers or other items to be affixed to the crypt or niche front except for Cemetery-approved emblems or cameos. Any costs incurred from damage caused by affixing unapproved items on the crypt or niche front is the responsibility of the owner(s).

Rule 36: The Cemetery reserves the right to remove the bronze vase from a crypt or niche front if the annual flower program is not renewed.

Rule 37: Crypt and niche covers are only to be removed by cemetery personnel following payment of all appropriate fees.

Rule 38: All inscriptions are to be done through the Cemetery office. The Cemetery sets the standard design for crypt and niche fronts and limitations may be placed on the amount of characters used for the inscription.

Rule 39: Lighting fires at or around the mausoleum building is strictly prohibited.

Rule 40: The Cemetery prohibits the burial of pet cremated remains as per NYS Senate Bill S2582.

Rule 41: The Cemetery may, from time to time, revise these Rules and Regulations and make reasonable administration and conduct of the Cemetery.

Revised and effective November 1, 2016

NYS Division of Cemeteries – Cemetery Disclosures and Information