General Information & Regulations for Lot Owners

“Hillside” Cortlandt Cemetery Association

Effective January 1, 2018

Cortlandt Cemetery Association (“Hillside Cemetery”) is a non-sectarian corporation regulated by the New York State Division of Cemeteries.  A percentage of funds received is placed in a restricted permanent maintenance fund for care of the grounds.  When you purchase a grave, crypt or niche, you are purchasing the “right of interment” (right of burial) for one person.

Interment

  1. No grave can be used for any purpose other than for burial of the dead.
  2. A single grave may be used for one full casket interment or one cremation urn. Additional rights of interment are determined by the Cemetery based on the space available in the individual grave.  There is a charge for the right of interment for each interment after the first. 
  3. Scattering or comingling of cremated remains is not permitted.
  4. Concrete vaults or concrete grave liners are required only in Section 8 of Oak Knoll, in accordance with the provisions of 19 NYCRR Section 201.6. Use of vaults or grave liners is optional in the other sections of the Cemetery.
  5. After a burial, the grave will be closed by Cemetery staff before the end of the work day.

Disinterment

A body may be removed from a grave for reburial with the written consent of the owner(s) of the lot, surviving spouse, children and parents of the deceased.  In addition to these people, the Cemetery must consent.  If the consent of any of these cannot be obtained, an order of the Supreme Court in Westchester County is necessary, as required by Article 15 of the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law.  If the remains are to be moved outside of Hillside Cemetery, the services of a licensed funeral director are required.

Resale

Before a burial occurs, you may sell the grave, crypt or niche, but you must first offer it to the Cemetery.  If the Cemetery declines to buy it back, you may then sell it on the open market, without the use of a broker. For pricing/interest questions, please contact the office for more details.

Memorializations

  1. The right to memorialize the deceased is held by the person(s) who have right to control disposition. 
  2. No monument or grave marker may be installed if the purchase price of the grave has not been paid in full.
  3. In certain sections of the Cemetery, only a flat marker may be used. Please consult the Cemetery office for specific information.
  4. Wood crosses and temporary markers are not permitted.
  5. A monument must be made of granite and must not exceed four feet in height, including base, nor exceed 75% of the width of the grave. It must be placed on a concrete foundation, installed by the Cemetery when weather and working conditions permit.
  6. If a monument is to be inscribed with additional information, a monument dealer must submit an inscription permit showing the proposed new lettering.
  7. Memorials and monuments are the personal property of those who cause them to be placed.

Plantings & Grave Maintenance

  1. No trees, bushes or shrubs may be planted on a single grave.
  2. Trees, bushes or shrubs may be permitted where an owner has two or more adjoining graves. Common plantings include azaleas, boxwoods and taxus.  Rose bushes and Alberta spruce trees are not permitted.  In all instances, trees, bushes and shrubs must be approved in writing by the Cemetery.  There is a one-time fee per tree/bush/shrub, in which case the Cemetery will trim annually.
  3. Flowering plants must be set within 12” of the monument. If set elsewhere on the lot or uncared for by the family, the Cemetery reserves the right to remove them.
  4. The Cemetery reserves the right to remove any planting not in conformance with the above three paragraphs, or which has outgrown the boundaries of the lot, upon due notice to the lot owner.
  5. The Cemetery reserves the right to enter upon a lot to remove dead flowers or plants and to remove articles that have become unsightly or defaced, as faded artificial flowers, stuffed animals, ribbons, etc.
  6. The family must remove Christmas wreaths and decorations from the grave before March 1st, after which the Cemetery will discard them.

Pet Interment

  1. The cremated remains of one pet animal may be interred with its owner, either at the time of the owner’s burial, before, or after. The right to inter additional pet animals will be determined by the Cemetery based on the space available in the individual grave.
  2. The charge for the burial of the animal’s cremated remains is the same as that of the cremated remains of a human. There is no extra charge for the right of interment.
  3. The owner must produce the certificate of cremation issued by the animal crematory.
  4. If there is more than one lot owner, all owners must, in writing, agree to the burial and to memorialization.
  5. Scattering or comingling of cremated remains of pet animals is not permitted.
  6. The Cemetery will allow one flat marker up to 2’ x 1’.
  7. The disinterment of the cremated remains of a pet animal may be only be requested by the lot owner who originally requested the interment.

General Regulations

  1. Visitors are permitted on Cemetery grounds between dawn and dusk.
  2. Family may enter the indoor Chapel Mausoleum with the key provided by the Cemetery, during the hours set by Cemetery.                              
  3. The right to burial will be denied for failure to pay for the gravesite in full or failure to pay opening charges.
  4. No one may drive a vehicle on the Cemetery grounds except on roads maintained by the Cemetery.
  5. Depending upon weather conditions, not all Cemetery roads may be maintained.
  6. Recreational vehicles are not permitted.
  7. Walking of dogs on Cemetery grounds is not permitted.
  8. Balloons are not permitted in any area of the cemetery.
  9. The Cemetery is not responsible for loss or damage from causes beyond its control, including damage caused by the elements, thieves or vandals, or from the placement of items on a gravesite not in accordance with Cemetery Rules & Regulations.