Rules and Regulations

Mt. Olivet Memorial Park

Cemetery Rules and Regulations

Adopted July 22, 2016

Our family is committed to continually improving upon our standards to give your family a comfortable, peaceful place to remember your loved one.  We strive to maintain a beauty found in no other memorial park.  To maintain the Cemetery’s appearance, we adopt the following rules and regulations:

Visiting our Cemetery:

1.        Visitors are welcome in our cemetery anytime during daylight hours.   Violators trespassing on cemetery grounds after hours will be subject to arrest and prosecution.

2.        Speed limit in the cemetery is 10 miles per hour.

3.        Please do NOT drive on the grass.  If the road is blocked, please wait for the vehicle in front of you to move.  Many areas of the cemetery have burials very close to the road.  Driving on the grass even a little bit could mean you are driving on someone’s grave.

4.        All visitors shall move their cars out of the way of a funeral procession when requested by Cemetery personnel.

5.        The Cemetery reserves the right to approve all memorials, markers, flowers or other embellishments to be placed in the cemetery.

6.    Leashed pets are allowed in the cemetery.  Owner is responsible to clean up and droppings or waste left by their pet.  Any pet causing a disturbance or leaving waste behind will be prohibited from entering the cemetery in the future.

7.     No alcohol or illegal drugs are allowed in the cemetery at any time.

8.     No firearms are allowed in our cemetery at any time with the exception of official law enforcement or military duties.

9.    Children must never be left unattended in the cemetery and must be supervised at all times.

10.    Removal or vandalism of any decorations, memorials or other cemetery property is considered theft and will be prosecuted under current laws of the State of Illinois.

11.    Visitors are prohibited from interfering with mourners or funeral services in any way.  

12.    Any public gathering must be approved by an Officer of the Corporation prior to the date of the gathering.  Any such gathering shall not interfere with funeral services or visitation by any mourner.

13.    NO PEDDLING, SOLICITING OR LOITERING IS PERMITTED IN THE CEMETERY. 

14.    If members of the media are present to document a service, it can be done so only with permission of the family and in abidance of parameters requested by either the family or the Cemetery.

Memorials:

1.      Loved one’s gravesites are located by the placement of properly approved memorials, paid for by the family.  Interment right owners must notify an Officer of the Cemetery immediately  after placement of a memorial if there is any error in placement so said error can be corrected.

2.      Application (with drawing) of any memorial to be placed in the Cemetery must be signed by the Interment Right Owner and approved by an Officer of the Cemetery.  If the Interment Right Owner is unable to sign the document or can not be contacted, an Authorization to Remove Memorial at Owner’s Expense must be notarized and filed in the cemetery office.

3.      No homemade memorials or memorials that do not meet our criteria as described below can be installed in our Cemetery.

4.      Only cemetery staff trained for identification of the burial site can determine placement of a memorial.

5.      Any unauthorized installation of a memorial will result in immediate removal of the memorial from the Cemetery and the memorial will be discarded.  The cemetery assumes no liability for unauthorized memorials.

6.      The Cemetery has the right to repossess an installed memorial if final payment of any outstanding balance is not made within six months following the installation. 

7.      Interment fees and Interment Right Fees must be paid in full before memorial work is installed or interment can be made, unless otherwise authorized by an Officer of the Cemetery.

8.      Monuments, markers and memorials are the personal property of the individuals who purchased them.  The cemetery assumes no liability for their care and maintenance unless a specific written agreement has been set up in advance of placement.  Cemetery insurance does not cover privately owned memorials or damages as a result of vandalism, nature or Acts of God.  Cemetery is only responsible to replace stone or memorial if damaged by Cemetery Personnel or to refund money paid (less depreciation) as the Cemetery Authority decides.

9.      Should any memorial become unsightly, dilapidated, or a menace or hazard to visitors, the Cemetery shall have the right to either correct the condition or to remove the menace or hazard at the expense of the Interment Rights Owner, at the discretion of the Cemetery.

10.  Due to the increase of theft in cemeteries, the cemetery will no longer allow the installation of memorials with a base smaller than 28” x 16”.  Special allowances will be made for preneed memorials contracted and paid for in entirety prior to November 1, 2009 and also for select memorials for placement on graves in our children’s gardens or in cremation burial areas as designated by the Cemetery.  Any exception to this rule must be approved in writing by an officer of the corporation.

11.  Memorials allowed differ by section and sometimes by grave space within the section.  Please contact Cemetery office for a copy of the Memorial Addendum to our Rules and Regulations.

Other Rules and Regulations:

1.      When purchasing Interment Rights, the Interment Rights Owner is only purchasing EASEMENT RIGHTS OF BURIAL.  Any purchase of Interment Rights does not include any real estate or plantings.  Said purchase is subject to all of the rules and regulations of the Cemetery (past, present and future).

2.      The Cemetery has and reserves the right to correct any error that may be made by its employees or personnel in regards to the location of or placing of a memorial in the cemetery; or in the location of or interment of remains or cremains in the gravesite of the Cemetery.  Correction of such error will be made in accordance with the State of Illinois Cemetery Protection Act (765 ILCS 835/14.5)

3.      In order to replace a gravesite that can not be occupied for any reason, the Cemetery will allow selection of another available space within the Cemetery that holds the same current market value of the space that can not be used.  Interment Right Owners can upgrade to a space holding a higher current market value, but the difference in the current market value must be paid by the Interment Rights Owner.

4.      Whenever a space is traded, the rules and regulations regarding the location of the new space are enforceable including type of memorial placed, decorations allowed, etc.

5.      While a funeral, interment or other service is taking place nearby, the Cemetery reserves the right to stop all work of any description.

6.      Cemetery reserves the right to drive over any gravesite, monument or memorial or to move any memorial, monument or decoration in order to access a gravesite in preparation for interment, to fill in a grave, to mow, or to maintain our grounds in any other way WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE TO FAMILY MEMBERS OR TO INTERMENT RIGHTS OWNERS.

7.      Deeds are issued only to those who pay for interment rights in a lot or section.  Interment rights are separate of openings and closing fees, outer burial containers, and monuments.  All deeded interment rights are to be sold with a contribution to our Endowment Care fund as required by law.

8.      All interments require a proper Outer Burial Container.  This includes interments of remains and of cremains.  Cemetery does not guarantee any Outer Burial Container as being waterproof or water resistant in any manner whatsoever.

9.      Interments scheduled are subject to adverse conditions such as but not limited to frozen ground, severe weather conditions or equipment failures that may restrict or prohibit burial for the scheduled time or day.

10.  All easements are the sole property of Mt. Olivet Memorial Park, Ltd. and might be deemed as usable for burial purposes.  This includes road and walkway easements.  The decision to change or eliminate any such easement shall be at the sole discretion of the Officers of the Cemetery.

11.  All roads, buildings, tools, equipment, features, shrubbery and plantings installed by our Corporation are the sole property of Mt. Olivet Memorial Park, Ltd.  It is expressly stated that NO Interment Right Owner has any interest in aforementioned property or real estate owned by the Corporation.

12.  Interment Right Owners and their heirs are responsible for their Loved Ones remains in the event of vandalism or natural disaster (such as flooding) to pay for re-interment of said remains in the proper gravesite or mausoleum and any rebuilding fees.

13.  The Cemetery maintains the right to determine whether or not a graveside service can take place or if a chapel or mock set up is necessary due to inclement weather or to accommodate a safer location for those attending the service.  If such determination is made prior to the day of the scheduled graveside service, the family will be notified by the Cemetery directly.  If such determination is made the day of the service, the funeral home will be notified so proper notification can be made to the family. 

14.  If a family schedules a graveside service, they have the right to change to a chapel service for any reason.  If this notification is communicated to a cemetery officer PRIOR to the gravesite set up being completed, the amount due for the opening and closing will be changed to the chapel opening/closing fee.  If the gravesite has already been set up, the service can take place in the chapel, but the family will still be charged for set up.

15.  All interments require written consent of the Lot Owner or their assigns and in some instances a physical identification of the burial site prior to preparation.  Cemetery reserves the right to require twenty-four (24) hours notice for the preparation of the burial site.

16.  New rules and regulations can be implemented at any time for the benefit of all lot owners and for the beautification and operation of the cemetery.