Rules & Regulations

Rules & Regulations of the Woodland Cemetery Association, Inc.

NYS Identification Number: Delaware County 13-050

This Association was incorporated on April 27, 1847, under and by virtue of an 1847 act of the New York State Legislature, and is operated under the New York State
Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, related statutory enactments, and rules of procedure promulgated by the State Division of Cemeteries.

1. All lots in the Woodland Cemetery are sold in conformity with the provisions of the laws of the State of New York, and shall not be used for any purpose other than as a place for the interment of deceased human beings.

2. The Board of Trustees of this association shall have full power and control over management of Woodland Cemetery and all work which may be done there; this includes the right to control all specifications, methods employed and materials used within the cemetery boundaries.

3. Purchasing Cemetery of Lots.
A. Lots must be paid for before a deed is given. No interment shall be allowed until all fees and charges are paid in full.
B. The deed is for burial rights only; the land is owned and controlled by the Woodland Cemetery Association. (Hereinafter referred to as the Association.)
C. Lot owners are prohibited from selling their lots to others.
No lot owner may transfer or assign his/her lot without written permission from Woodland Cemetery Association and approval by the New York State Division of Cemeteries.
D. The Association retains the right of first refusal to buy back lots.
E. Permission by a lot owner(s) to inter in their lot, given to other than members of their family, must be made in writing, duly witnessed and delivered to the Secretary of the Association by the lot owner. This must be approved by the Board of Trustees. The location, lot number(s) and names must be provided.
F. When transferring ownership of a lot(s) purchased in the cemetery to another lot(s) location, the Association will purchase first lot(s) at the original price plus simple interest at the rate set by the New York State Division of Cemeteries. Then the Association will sell the new lots requested at the current price posted on the rate chart.
G. Anyone requesting to purchase more than 12 lots will require Board approval.
H. Copies of the Rules and Regulations and the Rate Chart may be obtained anytime from the Secretary of the Association.
I. Lots may be saved or placed on hold for a period of 90 days only. The saved lots will be returned to the availability list if not paid for and a deed issued.
J. The total number of burials per grave space is restricted. Two cremains burials or one cremains and one vaulted burial may be placed in one grave.
Interments in a lot are restricted to those entitled to burial therein according to the terms of Section 1512, paragraph (d) of the Not-For- Profit Corporation Law of the State of New York.

4. Required burial information: No interment shall be allowed without permission first being obtained from the Association. In applying for permission, the following information must be furnished:
A. Name of deceased
B. Age of deceased, including date of birth, if known
C. Place of birth of deceased, if known
D. Date of death
E. Veteran status of deceased, conflict(s) involved in, if applicable
F. Time and date of interment
G. If deceased is not an adult – the name of parent(s) or legal guardian(s)
H. Full-scale burial or cremation
I. Deed for burial rights and grave location
J. Additional genealogy information ie: marriage, children etc.

5. Funeral processions: Funeral processions should arrive at the Cemetery by
2:00 pm to allow sufficient time to close the grave properly and remove equipment by 4:30pm. All funeral processions and vehicles will be under the direction of a Trustee, or their appointee, at all times. Weekend/holiday and late arrival charges will be applied.

6. Interment of cremated remains: will be permitted only in appropriate rigid receptacles such as wood, metal, plastic, ceramic or concrete. Cremated remains may not be scattered in any part of the cemetery.

7. Vaults and liners: Concrete vaults or concrete grave liners are required for full casket interments in all graves.

8. Mausoleum construction: No vault or mausoleum may be built above ground without express permission of the Board of Trustees. All excavation for vaults, mausoleums, or monuments shall be performed by the Association at the expense of the lot owners. A Trust Fund must be established to maintain the structure into perpetuity.

9. Memorialization Requirements: Provision must be made at the time of burial for a permanent grave marker, showing the name of the deceased and the date of death.
A. Only one monument shall be allowed on a single lot. It shall be set in accordance with the general plan of the Cemetery.
B. Monuments are restricted in size to dimensions which will not cover more than nine (9) percent of the surface area of the lot. Every monument shall be at least six (6) inches in thickness.
C. Markers, footstones and headstones are not included within the meaning of “monuments”. Only one marker or headstone is allowed per single grave. The following sizes are the maximum allowed:
The total height of a single lot monument including base shall not be over 36”. Maximum width allowed: 1 lot = 36”, 2 lots = 48”, 3 lots = 54” and 4 lots = 72”. Any deviation must have approval of the Association.
D. An exception is allowed for the military tablet which is furnished by the Veteran’s Administration.
E. Baby graves: There is a reserved section reserved for baby graves. The size of these graves is 24” x 36”. These graves must be marked with a flat, permanent marker and not exceed 18 inches x 12 inches in size.

10. Cemetery Decorations: The Association regulates the use of grave decorations to insure the efficient maintenance of the cemetery and a safe environment for employees and visitors to the cemetery grounds. Any decorations which violate these rules and regulations or otherwise interfere with the ease of maintenance will be removed without notice. The Association reserves the right to remove all flowers, wreaths, or other decoration from lots as soon as they become unsightly.

A. All decorations are placed at the owner’s risk. The Association is not responsible for damage or loss of any decorations that are placed in the Woodland Cemetery. This includes monuments, headstones, and other grave markers. These items should be on a homeowner’s insurance coverage.
B Spring and Fall Cemetery Cleanup:
April 1 and October 1 will be the time for clean up of the cemetery. Please have your seasonal decorations removed by these times. Annual and perennial plants will be cut to ground level during the fall cleanup.
C. Artificial decorations, April 1 through October 1, are not in harmony with the natural beauty of our cemetery and will be removed at once without notice. Artificial Decorations, November 1st through April 1st, (artificial wreaths or fresh natural wreaths) must be placed on heavy wire easels or tied securely to the monument because of the prevalent strong winds in the cemetery. Grave blankets and containers are allowed with artificial or fresh decorations. No stems of artificial flowers shall be inserted directly into the ground.
D. Cut flowers and potted plants are permitted at all times in metal or plastic and unbreakable containers. (No glass or other breakable containers.)
E. Potted plants are allowed on or in the ground or hanging on shepherd hooks, 5 fee tall, minimum. Lot owners are responsible for watering and tending to them. If they become unsightly, they will be removed.
F. Planting of trees and shrubs on graves shall not be allowed in the Woodland Cemetery.
G. The planting of annuals and perennials in the ground or in pots is allowed in front of the monument only, the width of the monument and at a depth of no more than 18 inches. No planting behind the monument or more than the width of grave or graves is allowed. (Check your corner markers so as not to encroach on the graves of others.) If pots dry up and plants are dead, they will be removed. If ground plantings are unkempt with weeds taller than the flowers, everything will be cut to ground level.
No planting is allowed on flush to ground markers or foot stones. Any existing shrubs or trees will be removed if dead, diseased, outgrown their usefulness, spread beyond control or planted without permission.
H. Cremation decorations on standard burial lots follow the same rules and regulations as a regular burial.
I. Items not permitted on the grounds:
Due to safety concerns and the difficulty in performing maintenance on the cemetery grounds and to avoid the appearance of clutter, items that are not permitted on the grounds at any time include but are not limited to the following:
Borders or barriers of wire, wood, plastic, rocks or stones, “short” (less than 60” in height) wire and metal stakes with decorations attached, glass vases, pots or ornaments, signs, pennants, banners, balloons, spinners of any type, landscape edging, weed mat, decorative crushed stone (natural or manufactured), Wood mulch, natural or colored, may be used around headstones.
J. Benches and other accessory items. Requests to place such items must be submitted to the Board of Trustees for approval before being ordered and should be of a lasting material like bronze, granite, or marble. Wooden benches are not allowed.
K. Responsibility for placement of permitted decorations. When decorations are placed, care should be given to see that they are firmly in or on the ground or attached to the monument. The Woodland Cemetery is not responsible for decorations that are blown away, damaged, removed or moved by others.
L. Solar lights are not permitted.

11. All work performed in the cemetery shall be done by the cemetery employees or by others under the control and supervision of the Board of Trustees of the Association, a liability insurance certificate of at least one million dollars in coverage must be supplies to the Association before work can be preformed by contractors.

12. Options for Winter Burials: (approved by Department of State, Division of Cemeteries 7/11/08)
A. From November 1 till April 1 each year, Winter burials will take place as follows:
(You can always make contact by phone at 607-746-6663 state your name, address and phone number and we will return your call.)
1. When the ground freezes, is ice covered or snow covered, there will be no graveside services allowed. This is done for the safety of families, friends and others and to protect the Association from liability issues.
2. During the winter season, a committal service could be held at the entrance located at Cuddeback Avenue. Bodies can be stored in the vault at a $30.00 monthly charge to plot owners. Interment would be done when feasible in the spring.
3. Winter burials may be done if weather conditions permit with the approval of the Board of Trustees.
4. Winter conditions that could effect this decision:
a. Snow covering so deep that the burial lot can not be located.
b. Ground frozen 12 inches or more so that probing for vaults can not be done effectively.
c. More than 12 inches of frost will prevent us from digging even if no vaults are nearby.
d. Spring and fall wet conditions at the grave site so that the lawn on surrounding graves would be damaged in the process of opening your site.
e. Unreasonably cold temperatures and/or wind chill factors.
f. Weather conditions that would cause our roads to break up under the weight of heavy trucks and equipment.
5. If we proceed with the opening of the grave during the winter season, the standard rates posted on our current rate chart will be used; however, extra costs will apply. All the extra costs of equipment, labor, and subcontractors will be billed to the plot owner.
a. Hiring of heavy duty backhoe and operator.
b. Rental of and operator for frost remover.
3. Cost of removing snow from the roads from the Cuddeback or Orchard Street entrance to the burial site.
c. Cost of snow removal in and around the site to accommodate the vault truck and other equipment. All snow must be trucked away as it can not be piled on other grave sites.
d. You will be responsible for the cost of spring cleanup such as filling in ruts and reseeding (if necessary) at your side and to other sites damaged as the result of your burial. This could include concealed damage to monuments and stones on other sites.
e. No visitors at the grave site during the process.

B. No vehicles will be allowed in the cemetery during the winter months, except cemetery personnel, vault truck, hearse and equipment used for burials.
C. The Association has until June 15th to bill for any extra unexpected costs related to the grave opening and closing and an additional year to determine if burial has damaged the vaults of other sites nearby, this includes road damage and/or adjacent grave damage.

13. All persons shall be allowed access to the cemetery during daylight hours.
Visitors are reminded that these grounds are appropriated exclusively to interment of the dead and are requested to observe the proprieties due such a place and to follow the rules that are in effect. Anyone disturbing the quiet and good order of the place will be compelled to leave the grounds. Vehicle traffic through the cemetery will not be allowed with the first snow fall. Parking will be allowed at the entrance at either Cuddeback or Orchard Street, please park and walk in. All travel by foot or vehicle is at your own risk.

14. All recreational vehicles are prohibited from operating on cemetery grounds.
Dogs entering cemetery grounds must be kept on a leash at all times, and all droppings must be cleaned up by their masters.

15. All lot owners are required to notify the Secretary or of the Association of any change of address. All notices to lot owners will be sent to the last recorded address and such notice will be deemed adequate.

16. These rules and regulations may be amended by the Board of Trustees, but no amendment shall be effective until approved by the New York State Cemetery Board.

Download the Rules for Winter Burials.