WOODLAWN CEMETERY ASSOCIATION, Hamilton, NY 13346

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A 501c(13) nonprofit organization
RULES and REGULATIONS

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General Information

Woodlawn Cemetery is a public cemetery, and all lots are sold in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the State of
New York and shall not be used for any other purposes than as a burial place for dead human beings. A Lot shall be defined as
one or more graves whose burial privileges an individual, family or group holds. The Cemetery and its operations are under
the jurisdiction of the NYS Division of Cemeteries (http://dos.ny.gov/cemetery-operators).
Except as provided for in Section 1513(c) of the Not-for-Profit Corporation Law, no lot owner may transfer his or her lot.
The full purchase price must be paid before a deed will be given or burial allowed on the lot.

DOGS: No dogs are allowed in the cemetery.

 

TRASH: Littering of any kind is not allowed on cemetery property. There are trash receptacles located throughout the
grounds.

 

SMOKING: No smoking on cemetery grounds at any time. This is an extreme fire hazard especially during dry weather.
All work done in the cemetery shall be done by cemetery employees or under their control or with the permission of the
caretaker/sexton or the Board.

 

Vehicle traffic must stay on the roadways. No parking off roadways near or around monuments will be allowed.
Heavy trucks or other vehicular traffic shall be refused entrance to the cemetery when, in the opinion of the caretaker/sexton,
injury to roads and driveways might result.

 

Hours: All persons shall be allowed access to the cemetery during daylight hours, observing the rules which are in effect and
propriety due the cemetery. The cemetery is closed dusk to dawn all days. Maintenance hours are from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

 

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

 

Gravesite Embellishments

Glass containers of any kind on graves are prohibited. The placement of borders, fences, or excessive embellish-
ments is strictly forbidden. (e.g. plant hanger hooks, benches that are not designed for burial, overly large wreaths or
planters.)

 

The Woodlawn Cemetery Association reserves the right to remove all flowers, wreaths, or other decorations from lots as soon
as they become unsightly. (e.g. dead flower arrangements; faded, weathered artificial flowers).

 

The Woodlawn Cemetery Association reserves the right to remove, after due notice to the lot owner has been attempted, any
monument, mound, mausoleum, embellishment on the lot, effigy or inscription which, in the opinion of the majority of the
Board members, is unsightly or dangerous.

 

Shrubs and flowers:

• The planting of new trees or shrubs is prohibited by the Woodlawn Cemetery Association.

• The planting of flowers is allowed within 10 inches of headstones or monuments. However, raised beds are not

allowed.

• The Woodlawn Cemetery Association reserves the right to prune or remove any pre-existing shrub, plant, or tree

deemed dangerous, unsightly, or infringing on any adjacent lot or roadway.

 

Interment, Graves and Stones

No interment shall be allowed without permission being first obtained from the Woodlawn Cemetery Association. At the time
of applying for permission the following must be furnished:

• Interment Order

• Burial Permit or Certificate of Cremation

• Appropriate Fee (see current Fee Schedule)

Lot owners are prohibited from allowing interments to be made on their lots for compensation.
Interments in a lot are restricted to those entitled to burial therein according to the terms of Section1512 of the Not-for-Profit
Corporation Law. Permission for burial of those not entitled to burial according to the said Section must be filed with the
Woodlawn Cemetery Association by the lot owner(s).

Funerals:

• Funerals must be completed at the cemetery by 3:00 pm in order that workers will have sufficient time to properly

close the grave and remove equipment before 4:00 pm. Hours of operation are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

• All funerals, processions and vehicles will be under control of the caretaker/sexton while in the cemetery.

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No new above-ground vaults or mausoleums will be approved for construction by the Board; it is the owners’ responsibility
to maintain any existing structures.

Foundation and Monument Installation:

• All foundations will be constructed under the direction of Woodlawn Cemetery Association. They may only be

installed by cemetery employees, or by a business at which a headstone is purchased.

• Monuments shall be allowed on a lot and shall be set in accordance with the general plan of the cemetery.

• The base of all monuments shall be finished true and level so as to fit on foundations without wedging or sprawls.

• No monument will be allowed to be delivered in the cemetery until the foundation is ready to receive the monument.

• All monuments or markers must be constructed of bronze or natural stone.

• Concrete vaults or concrete grave liners will be required for interments in all graves purchased on or after January 1, 1985, in accordance with the provisions of NYS Cemetery Board Directive 201.6.

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Dis-interments will be allowed between 8:00 a.m. and 12 noon provided the provisions of Section 1510€ of the Not-for-Profit
Corporation Law are complied with.

Interments on Sundays and Holidays will be governed by NYS Cemetery Board Directives 201.8 and 201.12. Woodlawn
Cemetery does not allow interments on Sundays and Holidays.

Winter: Graves will only be opened during winter months in accordance with NYS Cemetery Board Directive 201.8. If winter
burial is requested, and if penetration of frost or removal of snow is necessary to perform a winter burial, the cemetery will
charge the family of the deceased the actual additional amount that it costs the cemetery to do this work. Winter burials will
not be permitted when the Woodlawn Cemetery Board deems that access would be dangerous due to weather conditions.

Cremated Remains:

• Cremated remains will not be permitted to be scattered in any part of the cemetery, per NYS cemetery law.

• The interments of cremated remains will be permitted only in appropriate non-deteriorative, non-porous receptacles. If a non-porous receptacle (e.g. wood) is used, it must be placed inside a cremation vault before interment allowed.

 

Only human remains and/or cremated human remains will be permitted in each grave. Each full-size 4’ x 10’ plot may contain
one full burial and up to but not exceeding 4 cremains. The casket burial must be the first burial before any cremains are
allowed. Each 4’ x 5’ cremation plot may contain up to but not exceeding 4 cremains.

 

These rules and regulations may be amended by the Board of said Woodlawn Cemetery Association, but no such amendments
shall be effective until approved by the New York State Cemetery Board. Rules and regulations will be made available on the
cemetery website, at the entrance to the cemetery, to lot owners upon purchase of a lot, and at local funeral homes.

 

Updated September 2025