Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens, Inc.

Cemetery Rules & Regulations

Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens is consecrated, sacred grounds where our dearly departed loved ones are laid for a final rest. As such, it is imperative that family/friends who visit the graves are mindful of this. Currently, there are over 11,000 individuals who are mourned and missed by their loved ones buried on the property. Please make sure that when you visit, you remember your loved one is one of that large number and others have the same rights as you to visit their loved ones without feeling uncomfortable in any way. Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens is not your personal property, the cemetery is private property.

Customers of Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens purchase the right to burial only in a specified grave. The Rules & Regulations of the Cemetery are at the authority and discretion of Management. Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens is a private cemetery and all graves are maintained with consistent rules enforceable by Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens.

Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens Inc.,(“BFMG”) (“Cemetery”) a licensed Cemetery in the State of North Carolina , solely reserves the absolute control of the Cemetery grounds in every way vested. Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens Inc. reserves the right to change all Rules and Regulations, as it so deems appropriate without warning. Interment lot owners are entitled only to such interment privileges within the grounds as are provided by these Rules and Regulations. Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens is a privately owned memorial gardens and as such, will not have the same Rules and Regulations as another cemetery. The following rules outline the general care of the graves at BFMG and are intended to provide a safe and secure setting for Cemetery visitors.

NOTE:  Interments are processed with the deceased’s legal last name. If the deceased was married at the time of death, (even if separated), and died under her legal last name which would be the married name, BFMG’s paperwork will reflect that legal last name. All interment information will have the deceased’s legal last name on it and all markers, including outside markers, will be designed with the deceased’s legal last name on it. There are no exceptions to this policy.

1.   The cemetery takes great care to avoid errors, but in the event an inadvertent error does occur, the cemetery shall have the right to correct any error without liability for such error.

GRAVE SPACES (LOTS)

2.   Lots must be paid in full before a burial is made. An Opening and Closing fee is also charged in preparation of an upcoming service.  The fee must be paid 24 hours before the service.  The opening and closing fee is part of the maintenance of the burial lot.

3.   All funerals have an arrival time of 3:30 p.m Monday-Sunday. Late arrival services will have a $375.00 late arrival fee added to the interment cost that must be paid prior to the service allowing an additional half-hour to arrive.  NOTE: The latest arrival time is 4:00 p.m. There are no exceptions to the 4:00 p.m. arrival time and no services will be permitted into the cemetery after 4:00 p.m.

4.   BFMG adheres to the licensures and laws from the vault companies we work with that there will be no lowering of the vaults while families are present. No vaults will be lowered or graves covered until the family exits the cemetery. Funeral Directors/Pastors will officially dismiss families from the cemetery once the committal is over. Due to the number of services BFMG has per day, we ask that all families follow these rules & regulations, to ensure that all families are serviced fairly, compassionately and equally. BFMG reserves the right to enforce all company rules & regulations.

5.   No payments of any sort shall ever be given to the Cemetery staff on-site. All payments must be received at the BFMG’s office.

6.   BFMG gates are open from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday-Sunday.  Visiting hours for the Cemetery are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Any person found in the Cemetery during unauthorized hours of operation will be considered a trespasser and subject to arrest.

7.   BFMG reserves the right to have employees open and close graves. No individual or company is ever allowed to open a grave on their own. No unauthorized grave marking may be left to memorialize any grave.

8.   The Cemetery shall have the right to enter upon or use any adjoining lots to carry out its duties as to interments, installation of markers, etc., without prior notice to the lot owner.

9. All lots in the Cemetery are sold in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the State of North Carolina and shall not be used for any other purpose than as a burial place for dead human beings.

10. No disinterment will be allowed without permission from the lot owner, next of kin, Cemetery and proper authorities.

11. Lot owners are prohibited from allowing unauthorized interments to be made on their lots for compensation.

12. If a lot owner sells or transfers title to his or her lot, as provided by these regulations, he or she must pay any and all indebtedness due the Cemetery before such transfer of deed will be allowed.

13. The use of the grave space shall be limited to interments as follows: one adult burial, or, one infant burial or, one cremated remains burial. Double interments are never permitted at BFMG. There will be no cremains buried within an already interred grave space.

14. No burial will be made unless there is an outer container of a vault, concrete/cement liner or polyliner.  Casket only burials are not permitted.

15. The Cemetery shall be in no way liable for any delay in the interment of a body where a protest to the interment has been made or where the rules and regulations have not been compiled with; and further, the Cemetery reserves the right, under such circumstances.

16. Anyone wishing to make an inquiry as to a grave location, give an interment order or make a complaint in connection with any matter pertaining to the Cemetery or its operation, shall address such inquiry, order or, complaint to the BFMG’s office and not the Cemetery staff on-site.

17. The Cemetery shall direct all improvements on the grounds and upon all lots before and after interments have been made.

18. All lot owners are required to notify the Cemetery of any change of address. All notices required to be sent shall be sent to the last recorded address and such notices shall be deemed adequate.

GRAVESIDE SERVICES

19. BFMG recognizes a grave side service as abbreviated services of maybe (30 mins) that include a prayer, scripture, song, remarks and short eulogy.

            It is prohibited to open caskets at the cemetery.

20. BFMG allows music to be played from phones and tablets. Please be advised that if using a boom box, the family is responsible to set the volume so that it doesn’t interrupt any other services or visitors who may be at the cemetery.

21. Amplified equipment such as microphones, speakers, etc., are not allowed at the cemetery at any time.

22.  Because at any time, there can be more than one burial service being conducted at the same time and in the same area, all families and funeral directors are asked for respect and remain courteous at all times and especially when graveside services are being conducted.

23.  As with any of the BFMG Rules & Regulations, BFMG reserves the right as a private cemetery to decline and disperse of services to the fullest extent that the law allows, who may not be in compliance with the policies in place.

MAINTENANCE CARE

24. Certain lots may embrace a tree or another visible or non-visible obstruction that may interfere with both pre-need and at-need grave spaces that otherwise might be used for burial. In such a case, the Cemetery recognizes the right to the retention of the trees prior to the right of use of such space for burial.

25. All newly dug graves have a standard time necessary for maintenance care. This can be up to 6 weeks or longer depending on weather conditions. BFMG will take care in making sure that all maintenance for a new grave is completed within a reasonable amount of time that is within our control. We ask that all families take this into consideration when visiting a new grave directly after a service.

26. BFMG reserves the right to reject or remove any such temporary or permanent items deemed inappropriate from all graves.

27. BFMG reserves the right to correct any and all errors that may occur in connection with the operation of the Cemetery including and without limitation to interments, disinterments, removal, transfer, granting the right to use or, conveyance of a memorial and in this connection shall have the right to substitute, grant the right of use or, convey in order to correct any such errors, other interment rights, approximately equal in value and location insofar as feasible, at the sole discretion of BFMG. In the event an error shall involve an interment, BFMG has the right to remove and transfer the involved remains.

28. No person shall leave on any balloons, grave statues, fences, toys, boxes, globes, shells, cans, bottles, rocks, food, breakable objects, bric-a-brac of any description, Christmas trees, plaques, pictures, stuffed animals, beach umbrellas, tables, grills, coolers, flower stands, single flower vases, etc., OR ANY/ALL OTHER OBJECTS. 

      ONLY PERMANENT FLAT BRONZE MARKERS ARE ALLOWED ON A GRAVE AND FLOWERS CAN BE PLACED INSIDE THE ATTACHED BRONZE FLOWER VASES.

29. No person shall plant any plant material on the Cemetery grounds. This includes flowers, seeds, shrubbery, etc.

30. No individual or company shall displace any earth or in any way damage the Cemetery grounds or leave any grass, earth or rubbish of any kind.

31. No funeral flower stands shall be permitted except at the time of a funeral service and then only in connection with said services. Stands or stand holders containing flowers or other decorations in connection with a funeral service or burial may be removed by BFMG’s staff.

32. The Cemetery reserves the right to exercise sole discretion in removing items whose appearance and condition warrant removal and/or violate the Cemetery’s rules and regulations. The Cemetery also will not be liable for any flower or decoration removed or lost by any cause.

33. Visitors and other persons entering the Cemetery accept the premises in its existing condition with full knowledge that cemeteries may contain obstacles, pitfalls and, obstructions which may present a hazard to the unobservant. All such persons shall exercise due care for their own safety and BFMG shall not be responsible for damages or injuries which may be sustained on account of the condition of the premises, nor on account of the failure of any person to exercise due care for his or her own safety.

34. Flags may be placed on graves on Memorial Day, the 4^th of July, Flag Day and Veteran’s Day. Flags should be kept to 12inch by 18inch in size or smaller. Flags are subject to removal by Cemetery within 10 days of the Holiday.

CONDUCT

35. It is of the utmost importance that there should be strict observance of appropriate conduct in the Cemetery. All persons within the Cemetery should avoid conduct unbecoming a sacred place.

36. No alcoholic beverages or smoking/using illegal drugs are permitted into the Cemetery.

37. No signs, notices or advertisements of any kind shall be allowed in the Cemetery unless placed by the Cemetery.

38. No person other than authorized BFMG’s staff shall pluck, trim, mutilate or destroy any tree, shrub, plant or flower, whether wild or cultivated, in any part of the Cemetery without proper authority.

39. Peddling of any kind or soliciting the sale of any commodity, other than by the Cemetery, is prohibited within the confines of the Cemetery.

40. The right to use automobiles or other vehicles in the Cemetery is authorized solely and exclusively for the purpose of transporting persons to visit burial lots.  The speed limit within the Cemetery is fifteen (15) miles per hour. Parking and/or driving on any gardens or grassy areas are prohibited for purposes other than those obtained from the Cemetery.

41. Bicycles, skates, snowmobiles, motorcycles, horses, etc., may not be used on Cemetery.

42. Pets are not permitted in the Cemetery.

43. Glass is prohibited at all times in the Cemetery.

44. Devotional lights of any type are prohibited in the Cemetery.

45. Firearms into the Cemetery are prohibited, except by a military escort accompanying a veteran’s funeral or attending a memorial service.

46. At no time will anyone be allowed to consecrate a grave by way of digging, burning or, any other inappropriate marking even for cultural or religious purposes. Violators are subject to legal consequences.

MEMORIAL MARKERS

47. Only the Next of Kin/Family Members can purchase a marker for a loved one. However, the next of kin/payer of the service can submit a written approval for someone to purchase a marker for a loved one.

48. BFMG is not liable for damage, theft, vandalism or deterioration of markers or flower vases.

49. BFMG assumes no responsibility, direct or indirect, for the loss or damage that may result from causes beyond our reasonable control including and without limitations to such loss or damage caused by the elements, decay, an act of God, common enemy, theft, vandals, strikers, rioters, revolutionaries, malicious mischief makers, explosions, accidents, invasion, insurrection or by any persons acting under an order of any military or civil authority. Under no circumstances shall BFMG ever be held liable or responsible beyond the cost of repairing actual damage caused by BFMG to a memorial.

50. In the event a memorial is placed where it is necessary to remove it for an interment or disinterment, the Cemetery shall have the right to remove such memorial without notice to the lot owner.

51. The Cemetery may, at its own expense, without any liability, correct any error that may occur in the placing of a granite base or memorial.

52. All funeral procession temporary markers will be removed from graves within 10 business days after the funeral.

53. Flowers may be placed only in bronze memorial marker vases. No flowers shall be stuck into the grave without a vase. No flowers may be left unless in a flower vase. Any loose flowers or any other unauthorized object is subject to removal per BFMG rules and regulations.

54. Natural and Artificial flowers are permitted all year in a marker designed flower vase but, BFMG is not responsible for anything of removable character that may be lost, stolen, misplaced or damaged.

55. No person shall gather flowers or flower vases from another grave space for which they do not hold burial rights.

56. BFMG reserves the right to reject placement of a marker for either symbolism or verbiage deemed inappropriate.

57. No marker will be permitted which might mislead the public into believing that remains are interred in a particular grave when, in fact, they are not. No “memorial only” markers are allowed.  Birth and death dates of individuals being memorialized must be on markers.

58. BFMG reserves the right to control all aspects of marker installation, location, position, orientation, flower vases, etc.

 OUTSIDE PURCHASES OF MEMORIAL MARKERS

59. Memorial markers purchased outside of BFMG must still comply with the following rules and regulations:  All memorials installed at BFMG must be made of 100% bronze, be medium bronze in color, flat in type and, assembled onto a granite base, pink pearl in color. Granite-only markers are prohibited.

60. The only memorial marker sizes that are accepted at BFMG for adult-sized graves are government VA markers size (24×12 w/granite size 28×16), individual memorial markers size (24×14 w/granite size 28×18) and companion markers size (44×14 w/granite size 48×18). Baby size markers can also be installed along with ½ and full ledgers. Please contact the BFMG office for more information regarding those specific sizes.

61. All installation fees must be paid in full prior to delivery of the assembled marker to the office of BFMG. Please contact the office of BFMG for current installation fees. BFMG reserves the right to change these prices as deemed necessary.

62. BFMG requires that once a marker is ordered, paperwork is faxed from the outside marker company to the BFMG office. The paperwork should have the pertinent marker information such as the name of the deceased, dimension, color and size, etc., of the marker. The outside marker company must call in advance to set an appointment time for that marker to be delivered to the BFMG office.

63. BFMG has the authority to reject any memorial if the size, type, design, quality, color or method of construction is unsuitable within the Cemetery’s standard. BFMG reserves the right to prevent the placing or to remove any marker or other objects that do not comply with the standards of the Cemetery.

64. All complaints regarding an outside marker must go through the original marker company that the marker was purchased from. This includes request for flower vases. BFMG is not responsible for anything that has to do with an outside marker purchase with the exception of the installation.

65. All requests for a date of death scroll from an outside marker company upon the death of the marker owner must go through the original marker company that the marker was purchased from. BFMG is not responsible to order date of death scrolls from outside marker companies.

66. BFMG has no way of knowing the cost of date of death scrolls from outside marker companies or the individual company’s order process.

PRE-NEED MEMORIAL MARKERS

67. Pre-need markers must either be installed onto a pre-need grave or, the family must take possession of it and store it as they see fit until the need arrives to have it installed onto the grave. BFMG does not store markers in the office under any circumstances.

68. Although a pre-need marker can be paid for, there is a manufacturer’s fee for date of death scrolls. Those scrolls range in price based on the size and information on them. Upon requesting a date of death scroll from BFMG, a “rubbing” of the current information on the pre-need marker will be sent to the manufacturer and they will in turn supply BFMG with the cost. BFMG will then inform the client as to what that cost is. When the fee is paid to BFMG in full the date of death scroll will then be ordered.

PAYMENT/NON-PAYMENT OF FUNDS

69. Clients are always provided original receipts upon payment of any product or service. Duplicate copies of receipts or contracts can be supplied to requesting clients for $15.00.           

70. BFMG reserves the right to seek all remedies for NSF checks, credit card transactions reversed for services rendered.  This can include legal action to secure funds owed to BFMG for markers, graves spaces, and opening and closing fees. Any legal fees, court costs other charges will be assessed to the customer where an action has to be taken to secure fees owed to BFMG.