The economy has led to some unusual ways to save money. “Used” mausoleums have been quietly sold for years, but today the bargain-priced final resting places seem even more desirable. Old mausoleums were made by craftsmen. Refurbishing entails hiring experienced workmen to remove inscriptions–and bodies. Today some new mausoleums are mass-produced in China and shipped to American cemeteries. If you save money by buying a used mausoleum, you still have to pay for the cost of using the cemetery’s land—the most expensive part. Some used mausoleums are more expensive than others. The Financial Times of London reports that a marble and bronze monument in a New York cemetery has been for sale since 2003 even though the original $5 million asking price has been lowered by 30 percent. About 10 percent of the 1,300 mausoleums in that cemetery have been reused. Why does a mausoleum come on the market in the first place? Descendents of decedents simply need the money.
Photo source: Museum Planet
This may be a stupid question, but I really don’t “get it”. How can a mausoleum be used? I mean once a person is put in one, aren’t they there forever? Are you saying that after years and years have gone by and there are no other close living relatives, a graveyard can just dig a person up and dispose of them in another way? And I am assuming here, it would be so that the land can be reused to bury someone else?
SO, IF NO ONE CAN AFFORD TO PAY THE RENT OF THE LAND, ETC, DOES IT GO INTO FORECLOSURE?
I agree with BigTony. It should be illegal to sell a person’s final resting place. What happens to the remains once they are removed? Are they discarded or reburied? What about a grave marker? This whole concept does not seem right.
What ever happened to “Rest in Peace”? There should be a law that a person’s “Final resting place”, is just that and it cannot be resold just because a relative needs money.