SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,13,21
19157.066 Burial spaces not located in cemeteries. (1) A city, village, or
20town may enact and enforce an ordinance that allows a person to bury human
21remains in a burial space that is not located in a cemetery.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,13,24
22(2) Unless a city, village, or town has enacted an ordinance under sub. (1), no
23person may bury human remains in the city, village, or town in a burial space that
24is not located in a cemetery.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,14,8
1157.07
(1) A cemetery authority shall cause to be surveyed and platted by a
2land surveyor registered in this state those portions of the lands that are
from time
3to time required for burial used, after the effective date of this subsection .... [revisor
4inserts date], for burials, into
cemetery lots
burial spaces, drives
, and walks, and
5record a plat or map of the land in the office of the register of deeds. The plat or map
6may not be recorded unless laid out and platted to the satisfaction of the county board
7of the county, and the town board of the town
, in which the land is situated, or, if the
8land is situated within a 1st class city, then only by the common council of that city.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,14,2110
157.07
(5) The cemetery authority may vacate or replat any portion of its
11cemetery upon the filing of a petition with the circuit court describing the portion and
12setting forth the facts and reasons therefor. The court shall fix a time for hearing and
13direct publication of a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, and the court shall order a copy
14of the notice to be mailed to at least one interested person, as to each separate parcel
15involved, whose post-office address is known or can be ascertained with reasonable
16diligence, at least 20 days before such hearing. If the court finds that the proposed
17vacating or replatting is for the best interest of the cemetery authority and that the
18rights of none to whom
cemetery lots burial spaces have been conveyed will be
19injured, it shall enter an order reciting the jurisdictional facts and its findings and
20authorizing the vacating or replatting of the lands of the cemetery. The order shall
21be effective when recorded by the register of deeds.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,14,2423
157.07
(6) This section does not apply to a religious
society organized under ch.
24187 cemetery authority.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,15,7
1157.08
(1) After the plat or map is recorded under s. 157.07, the cemetery
2authority may sell and convey
cemetery lots burial spaces. Conveyances shall be
3signed by the chief officer of the cemetery authority, and by the secretary or clerk of
4the cemetery authority, if any. Before delivering the conveyance to the grantee, the
5cemetery authority shall enter on records kept for that purpose, the date and
6consideration and the name and residence of the grantee. The conveyances may be
7recorded with the register of deeds.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,15,149
157.08
(2) (a) If a
cemetery lot or mausoleum burial space is sold by a cemetery
10authority and used or intended to be used for the burial of the human remains of the
11purchaser or the purchaser's family members, the purchaser's interests in the
12ownership of, title to
, or right to use the
cemetery lot or mausoleum burial space are
13not affected or limited by any claims or liens of other persons against the cemetery
14authority.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,15,2017
157.08
(2) (b) 1. (intro.) Before a cemetery authority
sells or encumbers any
18cemetery land, except for a sale described in par. (a) takes any of the following
19actions, the cemetery authority shall notify the department in writing
of the
20proposed sale or encumbrance.:
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,16,2
213. If within 60 days after the department is notified
of the proposed sale or
22encumbrance under subd. 1. the department notifies the cemetery authority in
23writing that the department objects to the
sale or encumbrance proposed action, the
24cemetery authority may not
sell or encumber the cemetery land take the action
1unless the department subsequently notifies the cemetery authority in writing that
2the objection is withdrawn.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,16,8
34. The department may object to
a sale or encumbrance an action under subd.
43. only if it determines that the cemetery authority will not be financially solvent or
5that the rights and interests of owners of
cemetery lots and mausoleum burial spaces
6will not be adequately protected if the
sale or encumbrance occurs action is taken.
7The department shall promulgate rules that establish requirements and procedures
8for making a determination under this subdivision.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,16,13
95. The department may, before the expiration of the 60-day period
under subd.
103., notify the cemetery authority in writing that the department approves of the
sale
11or encumbrance action. Upon receipt of the department's written approval, the
12cemetery authority may
sell or encumber the cemetery land take the action and is
13released of any liability under this paragraph.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,16,15
146. The department shall make every effort to make determinations under this
15paragraph in an expeditious manner.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,16,1918
157.08
(2) (b) 1. a. Sells or encumbers any cemetery land, except for a sale
19described in par. (a).
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,16,2120
b. Transfers ownership or control of 50% or more of the assets or stock of the
21cemetery.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,16,2322
c. Engages in a transaction that results in a person acquiring ownership or
23control of 50% or more of the stock of the cemetery.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,16,2524
d. Transfers responsibility for management or operation of the cemetery
25authority.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,17,32
157.08
(2) (b) 2. The department shall promulgate rules that specify the
3documentation that must be submitted with a notification under subd. 1.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,17,85
157.08
(5) Subsections (1) and (2) (b) do not apply to a religious
society
6organized under ch. 187, cemetery authority and sub. (2) (b) does not apply to a
7cemetery authority that is not required to be
registered licensed under s. 440.91 (1)
8and that is not organized or conducted for pecuniary profit.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,17,10
10157.10 (title)
Alienation and use of cemetery lots burial spaces.".".
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,17,13
12"1499b. Page 957, line 7: delete "cemetery lot, the cemetery lot" and substitute
13"
cemetery lot, the cemetery lot burial space, the burial space".
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,17,16
151499f. Page 957, line 10: delete "
cemetery lot, ownership of the cemetery" and
16substitute "
burial space, ownership of the
cemetery".
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,17,19
181499j. Page 957, line 12: on lines 12 and 13, delete "cemetery lot" and substitute
19"
cemetery lot burial space".
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,17,21
201499L. Page 957, line 14: delete "cemetery lot, or a relative" and substitute
21"
cemetery lot burial space, or a
brother, sister, or other relative".
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,17,23
221499n. Page 957, line 15: delete "relative" and substitute "
brother, sister, or
23other relative".
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,18,5
11499p. Page 957, line 16: delete "cemetery lot." and substitute "
cemetery lot 2burial space. This subsection does not apply to the burial of human remains of an
3individual who is in a class of individuals who are prohibited under regulations
4adopted by a religious cemetery authority or affiliated religious association from
5being buried in a cemetery.".
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,18,12
71499t.
Page 957, line 20: delete that line and substitute "child, brother, sister,
8or parent without the consent of the cemetery authority. This paragraph does not
9apply if the spouse, child, brother, sister, or parent is in a class of individuals who are
10prohibited under regulations adopted by a religious cemetery authority or affiliated
11religious association from being buried in the cemetery in which the burial space is
12located.".
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,18,1815
157.10
(4) The department shall promulgate rules that interpret the
16requirements of this section and require any person who transfers an interest in a
17burial space to provide the transferee with a written notice, prepared by the
18department, that describes the requirements of this section.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,18,21
20157.11 (title)
Improvement and care of
cemetery lots burial spaces and
21grounds.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,18,2523
157.11
(1m) Duty to maintain. A cemetery authority shall maintain a
24cemetery, including burial spaces, grounds, landscaping, roads, parking lots, fences,
25buildings, and other structures, in a reasonable manner at all times.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,19,152
157.11
(2) Regulations. The cemetery authority may make regulations for
3management and care of the cemetery. No person may plant, in the cemetery, trees
4or shrubs, nor erect wooden fences or structures or offensive or dangerous structures
5or monuments, nor maintain them if planted or erected in violation of the
6regulations. The cemetery authority may require any person owning or controlling
7a
cemetery lot burial space to do anything necessary to comply with the regulations
8by giving reasonable personal notice in writing if the person is a resident of the state,
9otherwise by publishing a class 3 notice, under ch. 985, in the county. If the person
10fails to comply within 20 days thereafter, the cemetery authority may cause it to be
11done and recover from the person the expense. The cemetery authority may also
12impose a forfeiture not exceeding $10 for violation of the regulations posted in 3
13conspicuous places in the cemetery, recoverable under ch. 778. Each employee and
14agent of the cemetery authority shall have constable powers in enforcing the
15regulations.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,19,2317
157.11
(3) Contracts. The cemetery authority may contract with persons who
18own or are interested in a
cemetery lot burial space for its care. The contract shall
19be in writing, may provide that the
cemetery lot
burial space shall be forever exempt
20from taxes, assessments
, or charges for its care and the care and preservation of the
21grounds, shall express the duty of the cemetery authority,
shall be recorded in a book
22kept for that purpose, and
shall be effective when the consideration is paid or
23secured.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,20,8
1157.11
(4) Associations of relatives. Persons owning a
cemetery lot burial
2space or having relatives buried in a cemetery may incorporate an association to hold
3and occupy a previously constituted cemetery, and to preserve and care for the same.
4Section 157.062 shall apply to the association. Nothing in this subsection shall give
5rights of burial. A municipality may lease a municipal cemetery to a cemetery
6association for preservation and may contract to permit the association to use
7cemetery funds therefor. Such leases and contracts may be revoked at will by the
8municipal board.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,20,1210
157.11
(5) Sum required. The cemetery authority shall annually fix the sum
11necessary for the care of
cemetery lots burial spaces and care and improvement of
12the cemetery, or to produce a sufficient income for those purposes.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,20,2114
157.11
(7) (a) The cemetery authority may annually assess upon the
cemetery
15lots burial spaces amounts not to exceed the amounts reasonably required for actual
16and necessary costs for cleaning and care of
cemetery lots burial spaces and care and
17improvement of the cemetery. Notice of the assessment, along with a copy of this
18section, shall be mailed to each owner or person having charge of a
cemetery lot 19burial space, at the owner's or person's last-known post-office address, directing
20payment to the cemetery authority within 30 days and specifying that such
21assessments are a personal liability of the owner or person.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,21,223
157.11
(7) (b) The cemetery authority may fix and determine the sum
24reasonably necessary for the care of the
grave or cemetery lot burial space in
1reasonable and uniform amounts, which amounts shall be subject to the approval of
2the court, and may collect those amounts as part of the funeral expenses.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,21,64
157.11
(7) (c) Before ordering distribution of the estate of a deceased person,
5the court shall order paid any assessment under this section, or the sum so fixed for
6the care of the
cemetery lot or grave burial space of the deceased.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,21,178
157.11
(7) (d) When uniform care of a
cemetery lot burial space has been given
9for 2 consecutive years or more, for which assessments are unpaid, after notice as
10provided in sub. (2), right to burial is forfeited until delinquent assessments are paid.
11When uniform care has been given for 5 consecutive years or more and the
12assessments are unpaid, upon like notice, title to all unoccupied parts of the
cemetery
13lot burial space shall pass to the cemetery authority and may be sold, the payment
14of principal to be deposited into the care fund. Before depositing the payment of
15principal into the care fund, the cemetery authority may retain an amount necessary
16to cover the cemetery authority's administrative and other expenses related to the
17sale, but the amount retained may not exceed 50% of the proceeds.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,21,2121
157.11
(9) (title)
Gifts.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,22,424
157.11
(9) (b)
Before a cemetery authority receives a gift, the surety bonds of
25the cemetery authority shall be increased to cover such amount if it does not then do
1so. If the bonds are not filed, or the If a cemetery authority fails to do anything
2required by this subsection, the judge may appoint a trustee, and all property and
3money
so given
in the manner described under par. (am) and evidences of title and
4securities shall be delivered to the trustee.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,22,126
157.11
(9) (am) If a cemetery authority receives a gift for the improvement,
7maintenance, repair, preservation, or ornamentation of any burial space or structure
8in the cemetery, it shall either expend the income and proceeds of the gift or deposit
9the proceeds into a trust account at a financial institution, as defined in s. 705.01 (3),
10according to the terms of the gift and regulations of the cemetery authority. A
11cemetery authority that receives a gift shall maintain a gift ledger that accounts for
12all receipts and disbursements of gifts.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,22,1414
157.11
(9g) (title)
Care fund for cemetery lots burial spaces.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,22,1816
157.11
(9g) (a) 1. (intro.) Except as provided in ss.
66.0603 (1) (c) 66.0603 (1m)
17(c) and 157.19 (5) (b), funds that are received by a cemetery authority for the care of
18a
cemetery lot burial space shall be invested in one or more of the following manners:
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,23,220
157.11
(9g) (a) 1. c. If not invested as provided in subd. 1. a. or b., otherwise
21deposited by the cemetery authority in an investment
approved by the department 22if the care funds are segregated and invested separately from all other moneys held
23by the cemetery authority
and if the cemetery authority submits to the department
24a written statement by an investment advisor licensed under ch. 551, or a broker, as
1defined in s. 408.102 (1) (c), that the investment is made in accordance with the
2standards specified in s. 881.01.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,24,24
157.11
(9g) (a) 2. The manner in which the care funds are invested may not
5permit the cemetery authority to withdraw the care fund's principal amount
, but
6may permit the withdrawal of interest, dividends, or capital gains earned during the
7most recently completed calendar year. The income from the investment of a care
8fund for the care of
cemetery lots burial spaces may be used only to maintain the
9cemetery lots burial spaces and grounds, except that if the amount of income exceeds
10the amount necessary to maintain the
cemetery lots
burial spaces or grounds
11properly, the excess amount may be used to maintain any other portion of the
12cemetery, including mausoleums. If the care funds are deposited with a city or
13county, or previously deposited with a village, there shall be paid to the cemetery
14authority annually interest on funds so deposited of not less than 2% per year. The
15governing body of any city or county, or any village or town in the case of previous
16deposits, may determine to return all or a part of any funds deposited by a cemetery
17authority, and that cemetery authority shall accept the returned funds within 30
18days after receiving written notice of that action. If the cemetery authority is
19dissolved or becomes inoperative, the county or city shall use the interest on the
20funds for the care and upkeep of the cemetery. Deposit shall be made and the income
21paid over from time to time, not less frequently than once each year, and receipts in
22triplicate shall be given, one filed with the county clerk, one with the cemetery
23authority and one given to the person making the deposit. Deposits shall be in the
24amount of $5 or a multiple thereof. Records and receipts shall specify the
cemetery
25lot burial space for the care of which the deposit is made. Reports of money received
1for care and of money and property received as gifts shall be made annually as
2provided in s. 157.62 (2).
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,24,104
157.11
(9g) (c)
Except as provided in sub. (11), any Any cemetery authority that
5sells a cemetery lot
, lawn crypt, or columbarium space on or after
November 1, 1991 6the effective date of this paragraph .... [revisor inserts date], shall deposit 15% of each
7payment of principal into a care fund under par. (a) within 30 days after the last day
8of the month in which the payment is received, except as provided in sub. (7) (d) and
9s. 157.115 (2) (f). The total amount deposited must equal 15% of the total amount of
10all payments of principal that have been received, but not less than $25.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,24,1412
157.11
(10) Exemption for religious
societies cemetery authorities. 13Subsections (1) to (9), (9g) (a) and (b), (9m) and (9r) do not apply, but sub. (9g) (c) does
14apply, to a religious
society organized under ch. 187
cemetery authority.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,24,18
17157.115 (title)
Abandonment of cemeteries and cemetery lots burial
18spaces.
SB55-ASA1-AA1-AA30,25,821
157.115
(1) (b)
When a If a municipality in which a cemetery is located
22determines that the cemetery authority
fails
has failed to care for the cemetery for
23a period of
one or more years 6 months or more, the municipality
in which the
24cemetery is located shall notify the cemetery authority that it has 90 days to correct
25the failure. Upon a showing of good cause, the municipality may grant the cemetery
1authority one 90-day extension to correct the failure. If the municipality finds that
2the cemetery authority has failed to correct the failure within the deadline specified
3in the notice or extension, the municipality may
, after a public hearing, take control
4of the cemetery, manage and care for the cemetery
and
, collect and manage all trust
5funds connected with the cemetery other than trust funds received by a will
, or take
6any other action necessary to provide for the care of the cemetery. The municipality
7may collect from the cemetery authority any costs incurred by the municipality in
8exercising its authority under this paragraph.