(a) Cemetery burial spaces shall be sold only to residents of Richfield Village and of Richfield Township and to former residents who were residents of the Village or of the Township for a minimum of ten (10) years prior to the date of purchase. A notarized affidavit as proof of residence will be required for purchase of a burial space.
(b) The following persons may be buried in any cemeteries maintained by the Village:
(1) The owner of record of a burial space or a qualified grantee of a burial space.
(2) His or her parents or grandparents.
(3) His or her children and grandchildren.
(4) Any person who at the date of his or her death is the husband, wife, daughter-in-law, or son-in-law of the owner of record or qualified grantee of a burial space.
(c) Upon the death of an owner of record of a burial space, his or her heirs or devisees, shall file with the Director of Public Service competent proof of their right to the continued use and ownership of the burial space. The Director of Public Service, in his discretion, may refuse to permit further burials in such burial until such proof is presented to and accepted by the Director of Public Service.
(d) The Mayor, upon the approval of a majority of the members elected or appointed to Council, may waive the provisions of subsections (a) and/or (b) of this section upon the express finding of the existence of extenuating or mitigating circumstances that, in the sole discretion of the Mayor and Council, warrant the waiver of either or both of such subsections.
(1) The owner of record of any burial space is prohibited from selling or offering for sale any burial space, except the owner may sell or otherwise convey the owner's ownership rights to a burial space to the Village. When the owner conveys the ownership rights to a burial space to the Village, the original purchase price shall be returned to the owner and the space shall be made available for purchase to any eligible person.
(2) An owner of a burial space who wishes to gift or bequest the right to use a burial space to another may only do so when such gift or bequest is permitted by these rules. When the rules permit such gift or bequest, the owner of a burial space shall provide to the Director of Public Service a notarized letter stating the owner's desire to make a gift or bequest of the right to use a burial space to the specified recipient. Upon receipt of said notarized letter, the Director of Public Service shall determine whether the gift or bequest is permitted by these Rules. If the gift or bequest is permitted by these rules, then the Director of Public Service shall provide the recipient of such gift or bequest with a limited deed conveying only the right to use the burial space as set forth in the gift or bequest. Said deed shall clearly indicate that the recipient of such gift or bequest only possesses the right to use that burial space and does not own the burial space.
(e) For all locations in this Chapter the singular may be interchanged with the plural for any reference to a burial space. (Ord. 37-2024. Passed 6-4-24.)