Graveyard deals reveal hidden burial costs
Fees can sometimes be higher than initial price
DETROIT – Wanna hear of an eerie impulse buy? I sort of hate to admit this one. But earlier this year, I bought two grave sites – one cemetery plot for me and another for my husband. Total price: $2,790.
Why spend that kind of money before you’re dead? Or before you’re expecting to die? Good question. After all, you could live a little and go on a cruise for that kind of cash.
Why indeed. Whether we like it or not, many of us may be thinking more about death these days. All the deeply disturbing news about the mishandling of human remains at some funeral homes in Detroit makes us think twice about what could go wrong.
Yet plenty of financial pitfalls – and totally unexpected fees – await on the way to the grave. Here’s a look:
Buried fees
Many consumers are shocked to discover that they owe thousands of dollars in extra costs, such as fees to open and close the grave and buy a vault, according to Holly Shreve Gilbert, the interim president for the Funeral Consumer Information Society in Michigan.
She heard from one family who was upset that they had to pay an additional $800 to open the ground just to bury cremated remains. Some cemeteries may charge $1,500 or more to open the ground for a traditional casket burial, even if you have already purchased a burial space.
Experts warn some interment fees can exceed the cost of the cemetery plots. Charges called “perpetual care” are sometimes included in the purchase price of a cemetery plot but not always.
Fewer protections
The Federal Trade Commission has what’s called a “funeral rule” that enables you to spend money on only those goods and services you want or need, whether you are making arrangements when a death occurs or in advance.
While the rule covers pre-need sales of funeral arrangements, it generally does not apply to cemetery arrangements, said Craig Tregillus, funeral rule coordinator for the Federal Trade Commission. Cemeteries are governed by state law and not within the purview of the FTC, he said. In Michigan, not all cemeteries are regulated. Cemeteries owned and operated by municipalities, churches or religious institutions are exempt from the Michigan act.
Best bet: Ask the cemetery to spell out charges, as well as future costs.
The power of emotion
For me, spending $2,790 was purely an impulse purchase. And I’m happy to say my husband was OK with it. I’d never suggest it’s likely to be a good investment, particularly since my mother told me long ago about all those extra charges, such as opening the grave.
Ken Brant, owner of Grave Solutions, a multilisting service for the resale of cemetery property, said he’s had people list grave sites because the family doesn’t want to pay another $3,000 or so in added costs to just to use a grave that’s already been purchased.
What’s a good price?
Prices will vary based on cemetery, special areas, the state you live in and the community.
On top of that, prices also vary based on the inventory available, as well as whether you’re looking at a more expensive private mausoleum or standard ground space, according to Mathew P. Forastiere, vice president of operations for Midwest Memorial Group, which has 28 cemeteries in Michigan.
“We have ground burial interment rights starting as low as $2,195 dollars in some of our cemeteries,” Forastiere said. “We also have mausoleum crypts that are priced at $48,000 dollars for a single interment right.”
Michael Chilcote, general manager and chief operating officer for the Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association, which has six cemeteries in metro Detroit, said prices start at about $1,500 for a single burial space in the ground. But the range is very extensive, depending on features in a given area.
Families may spend $750 to memorialize cremated remains, he said. But prices can go into several thousand dollars for more unique tributes.
Staying put
Before you commit to a cemetery, consider if you plan to be living in the same area when you die. Yes, you may be able to unload unwanted cemetery plots on Craigslist or eBay or online sites called, Grave Solutions.
Typically, Grave Solutions said it can take on average 15 months to sell a grave site via its website. Sellers need to be prepared to drop the price down to about half of the going rate that the cemetery is charging currently.
Some cemeteries, but not all, have a buyback policy where they agree to buy cemetery merchandise back at a reduced price.
When a person or family resells property back to the Mt. Elliott Cemetery Association, for example, the cemetery keeps anywhere from as little as $40 to up to 30 percent of the total purchase, depending on when the purchase was made and the applicable transfer policy that was in place at the time.
Before you assume anything, find out the cemetery’s policy for an owner directly selling a burial right to the public. Paperwork must be in proper order. Figure out the cost of changing records, which could be $100 or more. Know if the person selling the lot has the right to sell it. Talk with the cemetery before you buy anything online.
It’s important to know upfront whether the resale of a cemetery plot will work.
“It’s a big endeavor. And obviously, it’s an emotional business,” Forastiere said.