Human grave in garden of house.

Mgman1965

Listening to local radio and elderly gentleman on who's wife has recently died and is having her buried in their house's garden (he's having built some kind of mausoleum for them both) as they want to be with their pets also buried in the garden (they were/are animal rights activists he said)

No family, so has willed the house (with their graves) to a charity upon his death (animal rights charity ????).

I assume their is a condition they cannot sell it, or the graves be removed (he gave the impression he wants it as it is, undisturbed, in perpetuity).

Question is, would a charity want this house with its graves, which they likely wouldn't be allowed to sell, with all the ongoing costs of upkeep and bills and limited uses ?

What would happen if upon his death, the charity decline it (as you can anything bequeathed to you).

Grumpy_chap

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6669975/human-grave-in-garden-of-house

Assuming the graves are done with all necessary permissions, the charity will probably just accept the house and then sell for whatever the house sells for given any restrictions imposed by the graves being present.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6669975/human-grave-in-garden-of-house

Unless he's used a very good solicitor who has crafted a clever solution, there's a very real risk on his death his wife will be disinterred and reburied along with him in an unmarked grave in the nearest open council cemetery, with the house then sold to the highest bidder.

…assuming they and the house aren't of sufficient importance to be preserved in perpetuity by English Heritage (or the equivalent).

mta999

yes I believe any future purchaser can apply to have the grave moved to a cemetery.

clairec666

He's leaving the house to a charity? It's not very charitable to leave them with a houses that causes problems for them and may be of no financial benefit. Hopefully the charity are savvy and get good legal advice before accepting it.

Better off leaving it to someone you despise. Or a political party…

This man needs to accept that we have very little control on what happens after we die. Whatever legal stuff he's put in place, he can't guarantee that his mausoleum will remain untouched indefinitely.

Mgman1965

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82013226#Comment_82013226

I would think he'd thought of this and put a covenant/restriction in place the charity cannot sell it or the graves be removed (by them, or subsequent owner).

He gave the impression he wants the charity to use the house somehow.

Rental (would a charity want to be a landlord) ?

HQ / Offices (planning permission required for change of use from residential) ?

mta999

a court can, of course, override this restriction

user1977

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82013267#Comment_82013267

Why would a tenant be any happier than an owner with a grave in the garden? Unless he's set it up in in an elaborate way, whoever inherits the house will be free to sell it.

silvercar

A house near us had someone buried at the bottom of the garden (with consents). The house was then sold to a developer and there is a rectangle of land cut out of the garden where the deceased is buried, together with an access road from the nearest proper road. So the burial site now stands on its own, not belonging to any of the houses built on what was the original house. The houses built on the original plot now have shorter back gardens to allow for the access road than they might otherwise have had. When the spouse of the deceased passes away, he has made arrangements to be buried alongside his wife.

Bigphil1474

A few months ago I was witness to an exhumation of an old fella who had died years ago. Family were going to have him cremated and ashes scattered elsewhere, ahead of selling the property. It took me 20 minutes walking round just to find the grave digging crew, and they were all in white boiler suits so not exactly camouflaged. The grave was past the greenhouses, then down through the orchard, then round some trees. I expect there are plenty of properties where there are graves and nobody would notice unless you pointed them out. I also expect the chap in question doesn't have a postage stamp garden.

Mgman1965

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82013347#Comment_82013347

Except this chap is having a type of mausoleum built for them.