LOT INFORMATION

 

The sale of lots is reserved for the interment of current and past Brookfield residents who have lived in the town a minimum of  5 years.    

 

LOT PRICES

Single

1 Vault

4'W x 9'L

$400       Flat Marker only.

Couple

2  Vaults

8'W X 9'L

$800       Flat Marker or Small Slant

Family

4  Vaults

8'W X 18'L

$1600    Flat, Slant or Monument Marker

 

6  Vaults

12'W X 18'L

$2400    Flat, Slant or Monument Marker

 

8  Vaults

16'W X 18'L

$3200    Flat, Slant or Monument Marker

 

§  Cremations;  4 ASH are allowed per single lot. One ASH and one vault are allowed per single lot.

 

GRAVE OPENINGS

 

§  Vault   $500                 Cremations   $150

 

 

RULES and REGULATIONS

 

Article 1.  Lots may be purchased by residents of 5 years in Brookfield, for the burial of their immediate family, i.e., husband, wife, partner, children, stepchildren, father and mother. All other transfers and sale of lots and burials shall be at the discretion of the Commissioners. Lot purchases are limited to ONE per household. A lot owner may not purchase additional graves until his/her present lot is full, and then only with Commission approval. Lot owners shall advise the Cemetery Department of any change in name and/or address of the family member responsible for the lot.

Article 2.  Sale of the lots will be made by the Superintendent or Commissioners in his absence. Deeds will be mailed to the purchaser after the verification of their 5 year residency.

Article 3.  The owners of lots or graves in this cemetery or their heirs, shall not grant, sell or convey to any person or persons their interest in said lots or graves. Upon approval of the Commissioners interests in said lots must be sold back to the town for the original selling price.

Article 4.  The lots and graves in this cemetery shall be used only for the purpose of one (1) human burial except in the case of an infant child with an adult, or two children less than five years-of-age., or no more than four (4) human cremation urns per lot, and that burial to be made under the direction of at least one (1) Supervisor, or a Commissioner. One cremated remain may be buried in any grave already occupied, space permitting. All burials must be in a vault. Cremated remains must be in a durable, retrievable container or urn vault.

Article 5.  No interment shall be made until the owner of record has been determined by the Superintendent , or Commissioner. No interment shall be made until the fees for the opening of the grave have been paid in full.

Article 6.  Memorial stones of an upright nature shall be allowed, the size not to exceed 60 inches long, 16 inches wide, and 40 inches above the turf, to be set on a cement foundation, installed by a cemetery monument or memorial setter and the bottom of the cement foundation must be at least three (3) feet from the bottom of the memorial stone. If a memorial grave marker is chosen instead of an upright memorial stone, the size must be twenty-four (24) inches long and twelve (12) inches wide, also to be set on a cement foundation as regulated above for upright stones. Fieldstones are permitted provided that their dimensions fall within these guidelines. Markers and monuments must be of natural stone. Only one central or family memorial is allowed on a family plot, and must be inscribed with the family name of the lot owner-or-record. Markers shall be flush with grade, of one piece only,

Article 7.  Burial of caskets, vases or urns shall be made only into a standard cement vault or liner used for such burials.

Article 8.  Planting of trees on the lots or graves is forbidden.

Article 9.  Lot owners shall have the privilege of planting to the extent of two (2) shrubs and one (1) flower bed per lot, and shall be responsible for the maintenance thereof. No

plantings will be allowed at rear of monument or at any foot markers.

Plantings, where permitted, shall be at the owner’s expense. All plantings are subject to the approval and supervision of the Commission or its designated representative. Flower beds may not exceed the length of the monument nor one foot in width, and must be maintained in weed-free condition at all times by the lot owner. No permanent borders around flower beds. Borders shall be ground level and not impede with general maintenance. Unsightly beds may be removed at any time at the discretion of the Commission or its authorized representative. Shrubs shall be of the evergreen variety and shall be proportionate in height and girth to the lot and monument. Shrubs may not exceed the height of the monument nor be allowed to grow into neighboring shrubs. Lot owners are responsible for the trimming of new growth on their shrubs so as to maintain a neat appearance.  The Cemetery further reserves the right to remove without notice any shrub that is found to be damaged, diseased, wholly or partially dead, over-sized, unsightly or in an unmatched pair. No settees, urns or iron work shall be placed on any lot without the prior approval of the Commission or its designated representative. No decorations on top of monuments are allowed. The Cemetery will not be responsible for anything placed or left on the lots by the owners. When work on lots is performed by the owners, they must remove all rubbish and excavated earth to such place as provided for that purpose.

All decorations will be removed and discarded for a period of one month on April 1st and on October 1st to allow for clean-up work, except that decorations may be temporarily placed on a lot during the period of the Wednesday before Easter through the Wednesday following Easter.  

Article 10.  Money from the sale of burial lots will be divided 70% for the perpetual care fund and the remaining 30% will go to the town General Fund.

Article 11.  These rules, regulations and pricing may be changed at any time by a majority vote of the Cemetery Commissioners.

Article 12.  The Commission may, from time-to-time, lay out, alter or eliminate roads and paths, change grades or make such rules for the government of the grounds as it may deem

requisite and proper to secure and promote the general objects of the Cemetery.

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Article 13.  Perpetual Care payments provide for the mowing and trimming, by the Cemetery, of the cemetery lawns. Maintenance and repair of markers, monuments, planting and other items on a lot are fully the responsibility of the lot owner. The Cemetery Department reserves the right to remove such items if they become unsafe or unsightly to the Cemetery.

 

Article 14.  The Cemetery reserves to itself the entire control of every tree, shrub, vine or plant growing within its boundaries, including the right of removal without notice when it considers such removal advisable. The Commission or its designated representative may remove from lots anything objectionable or injurious to the uses and purposes of the Cemetery or contrary to its rules and regulations.

 

Article 15.  Brookfield Cemetery disclaims all responsibility for loss or damage to any lot, monument, memorial or planting from causes beyond its reasonable control, especially from loss or damage caused by an act of God, the elements, earthquake, war, common enemy, air raid, invasion, insurrection, riot, order of any military or civil  authority, thieves, vandals, strikers, malicious mischief makers, explosions, terrorism, unavoidable accidents or any

cause, similar or dissimilar, beyond the control of the Cemetery whether the loss or damage be direct of related. The Commission may, and it hereby expressly reserves the right to at any time or times, adopt new rules and regulations, or amend, alter and/or repeal any rule,

regulations and/or article, section, paragraph and/or sentence in these rules and regulations.

 

Article 16.  It is recognized by the Massachusetts Historic Commission (MHC), the Cemetery Commissioners, members of the Historic Commission, and the residents of Brookfield, the cemetery is included in the National Registry of Historic Places. As such, certain areas within the cemetery are under a preservation restriction. The guidelines of the MHC preservation restriction and the guidelines of the Preservation and Management Plan for the Brookfield Cemetery must be followed.