RULES AND REGULATIONS OF ARNON CEMETERY

General Rules:

1. Lots for interment shall be laid off, numbered, and sold in such a manner, and for such a price, as the Board of Trustees shall from time to time direct.
2. The Trustees shall furnish the Secretary with a plat of the cemetery, and when lots are sold, the date of sale, lot number, purchaser information, and monies collected information shall be provided to the purchaser.
3. All lots sold shall include payment for perpetual care at the currently published rate. Rates can be changed by a vote of the majority of the Trustees without notice to others.
4. The sale of any lot or columbarium niche owned by the cemetery must be approved by the Secretary and the President, or in the President’s absence, another Trustee. When occupancy is in doubt, there will be a physical probe of the lot to insure it is vacant prior to the transfer of ownership.
5. The Secretary will issue Certificates of Ownership, record the sale, index the same, and immediately turn over any monies collected to the Treasurer, upon the sale of any lot. Along with the Certificate of Ownership, the purchaser will receive lot identification information, a copy of the most current Bylaws, and Rules and Regulations. Bylaws, and Rules and Regulations may be amended from time to time without prior notice to lot owners. Copies of these updated documents will be provided to owners upon request, and are posted on the cemetery website.
6. Double depth burials will be permitted. It is acceptable to have two caskets, one on top of another, one casket and one cremation urn, or two cremation urns in a single lot. Any of the above would need to be buried at the appropriate legally required depth.
7. Due to the limited space available in the cemetery, the purchase of lots will be limited to residents of Great Falls, VA (zip code 22066) at the time of sale, or to a relative who lives outside of Great Falls, but for the immediate burial of a resident of Great Falls. This rule can be waived by a majority vote of the Trustees.

TRANSFER OF LOTS:

1. The transfer of any interest in a lot must be back to the Trustees, unless otherwise approved by majority vote of the Trustees.  Exceptions may be granted from one family member to another, again by a majority vote of the Trustees.  Any transfer approved must include payment to the Trustees for perpetual care at the current  rate on the date of approval. A previous perpetual care payment on that lot satisfies this requirement. 
2. Availability of lots is at the discretion of Trustees, and what is deemed available can change from time to time, at their sole discretion. 

INTERMENT:

1. No interment shall be made without permission from the Secretary, on a form provided for that purpose, or, in the absence of the Secretary, from the President, or in the absence of the President, from any two other Trustees, provided all conditions for burial have been met. 
2. When an interment is to be made in lots where Certificates of Ownership have been issued, a copy of the certificate or proper written order must be presented to the President or Secretary at least 24 hours prior to the time of interment.
3. All indebtedness due the cemetery, such as perpetual care, must be satisfied before any interment can be made. The Trustees reserve a lien on each lot, for any unpaid monies after it has become payable, or in arrears for any cause whatsoever, and may prevent the purchaser of the lot from making any interment until such arrears are fully paid. Additionally, prior to interment, the Trustees reserve the right to request a gravestone escrow payable to Arnon Cemetery, to be held by them for a period of six months. After six months, if a gravestone has been ordered or installed by the lot owners on the lot, the fee will be returned to the lot owner. If no gravestone has been erected, or ordered, the Trustees have the right to purchase a gravestone and have it placed on the lot for identification purposes without approval of family or others. This is mandatory to insure proper recordkeeping and safeguarding of gravesites. If, at a time outside of the six month time, a permanent monument or gravestone is installed, there will be no refund to the lot owner for the gravestone erected by the Trustees.  
4. The chosen funeral home will insure no one parks on the grass in Arnon Cemetery. Plenty of parking is available on the other side of Walker Road. 
5. Upon interment,
6. The gravediggers will tamp dirt returned to the lot to minimize settlement.
7. Every effort is to be made to leave an appropriate mound of dirt to allow for ground settling over time: 4” in wet winter months and 2” in dry summer months. The Trustees will have the lot minimally graded and seeded after settlement. Mulching will be done as deemed appropriate as part of perpetual care. 
8. All excess dirt will be removed from the site by the gravedigger at the direction of the funeral home. Absolutely no dirt or debris shall be left on-site.
9. Only approved gravediggers will be allowed to work on-site.
10. The funeral home will engage the approved gravedigger and will be responsible for their actions and will assure that they abide by the rules and regulations of Arnon Cemetery. The funeral home will be responsible for any damage the gravediggers may cause to other monuments, gravestones, or to the grounds. 
11. Gravediggers must provide the Trustees a copy of their certificate of insurance showing they have workmen’s comp and adequate liability coverage prior to digging.

DISINTERMENT:

1. No disinterment will be allowed except by authority of the owner of the lot in which the interment is made, or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction. In either case, a proper receipt for the remains must be provided to the Trustees. Notification must be made in writing, to the Secretary, no later than two weeks prior to the planned disinterment.

MONUMENTS AND MARKERS:

1. Monuments or gravestones may only be erected in the cemetery upon permission from the Secretary, with agreement by Trustees. The benches currently in the cemetery may remain, as long as they are fully placed within the family lot, or plot. No new benches are allowed.
2. The monument or gravestone maker, funeral home or lot owners should submit a description or sketch of intended gravestones to the Trustees prior to ordering or installing same for approval. 
3.  All gravestones, and any other materials employed shall be introduced into the grounds on a broad-wheeled cart, truck, or by hand, to be first laid on the side of the avenue most convenient to the lot upon which the gravestone is to be set, and from there, to the lot required by wheelbarrow, or by hand. Boards must be used to prevent injury to the grass. Cement, sand and gravel must be kept off the driveways and grass, and all mixing of cement and grouting must be done in trucks, or on boards in such a manner as not to injure the grass.  All litter and dirt left from the erection of monuments and gravestones must be immediately removed from the premises by the person or entity erecting the monuments and gravestones. All work is subject to the supervision of the Trustees or their designees.
4. All monuments and gravestones must be erected upon firm ground and  proper foundation laid below the frost line, subject to approval of the Trustees or their designees. All monuments must be under five feet in height.
5. The Trustees reserve the right to prohibit further work in the cemetery by any monument or gravestone dealer who has misrepresented facts to any Trustee, or for failure to strictly comply with the regulations contained in these Rules and Regulations.
6. The Trustees reserve the right, in their sole judgement, to prohibit the erection of any monument, vault, mausoleum, or gravestones that in the judgment of the Trustees, is deemed inappropriate either in material, design, workmanship or location, or which might interfere or adversely impact the aesthetics of the surrounding lots or grounds.
7. If any monument, effigy, structure,  enclosure or inscription placed  on, or upon, any lot without prior written approval of the Trustees, is determined to be detrimental, inappropriate, improper or offensive, it shall be the duty of the trustees to cause the same to be removed after having made a reasonable attempt to notify the family and/or funeral home of such intent. The responsible party shall have thirty (30) days to make such corrections as directed by the Trustees. The Trustees, or their designees, reserve the right to remove any monument or gravestone that is broken, or becomes unsightly, after having notified the owner by certified mail, return receipt requested, at their last known address provided to the Trustees.
8. The enclosure of lots with copings, railings, rocks, jagged or otherwise, or any other material shall not be allowed.

CARE OF LOTS:

1. The care of the cemetery and lots therein is vested in the Board of Trustees of Arnon Cemetery to ensure permanent and uniform beauty of the cemetery and to provide for the safety of the cemetery. 
2. No trees or shrubs may be planted in the lots, or elsewhere in the cemetery without written permission of the Secretary, or the Trustees. 
3. If any existing trees or shrubs situated in any lot shall by means of their roots, branches, or otherwise, become detrimental to adjacent lots or roads, or have become overgrown, in the sole discretion of the Trustees, or their designate, the Trustees shall have the right to enter said lot and remove such trees and shrubs, or such parts thereof as they deem proper.
4. All earth or rubbish accumulated by owners of lots, or their agents, must be carefully removed by them from the cemetery property entirely.
5. The Association, Trustees, or designates, assume no responsibility for flowers, shrubbery, plants, containers or anything of value planted or laid upon graves. 
6. The Trustees, or their designees, reserve the right to reset and straighten gravestones without consent of lot owners, when, in their sole discretion, they deem an existing condition is detrimental to the appearance or safety of the cemetery. The Trustees may charge the lot owner for any such resetting or straightening. 
7. The Trustees recognize that tasteful arrangements of flowers and certain other decorations or ornaments enhance the beauty of the cemetery. However, to preserve the dignity, attractive appearance and safety of the cemetery, the Trustees reserve the right to remove, or alter any floral arrangement, ornament, or decoration which becomes damaged or unsightly, or interferes with the routine maintenance or operation of the cemetery. Arnon Cemetery, or its Trustees, is not responsible for lost, missing, or stolen flowers, ornaments, or other decorations.
8. Ornamental stands shall be limited to one per lot with no more than two hanging baskets per stand, for flowers only. Wind chimes, birdhouses, flags or other such items may not be hung on the stands. Statues shall be limited to one per lot, and must be maintained on the base of the gravestone.  
9. The planting of live annual or perennial flowers in front of gravestones is permitted, provided that the flowers are protected with mulch and that the planted/mulched area does not extend beyond the width of the gravestone or more than one foot away from the front of the gravestone base. If there is no gravestone, any planting shall be at the head of the site where a gravestone would be placed, and shall not exceed two feet in width and one foot from front to back. The Trustees, or designees, may adjust or remove plantings that exceed these dimensions. Flower pots or planters may be located on a lot instead of plantings. All care and upkeep (for example, watering, replacing mulch, etc.) of such plantings are the responsibility of the individual(s) who place them. Other types of landscaping (for example, rocks, fencing, copings, edgings, piping, trees, shrubs, etc.) shall not be permitted without written permission of Trustees. The Trustees, or their designees, may remove live arrangements that are not maintained (for example, wilted, or dying flowers, scattered mulch, etc.)

10. Artificial flowers may be placed in permanent ground vase units, as well as in vase units built into the gravestone, or securely mounted saddle arrangements on top of gravestones. Artificial arrangements should reflect the season of the year in which they are displayed and should be securely anchored. These arrangements should be removed and properly disposed of by the person who left them when the season has passed. The Trustees, or their designees, may remove and dispose of any loose arrangements, pots, or containers on the ground.

11. Temporary flower vases along with their contents are subject to removal. The determination of whether a vase is temporary or permanent is subject to industry standards. Examples of permanent vases are those built into monuments, and bronze vases that invert and store within a granite base. Tin cans, bottles, glasses, jars, and any other receptacle made of glass are prohibited and will, along with their contents, be removed. Any floral arrangements left at the cemetery by the funeral home must be in paper mache floor baskets. If there are floral arrangements from the funeral home in in glass containers, they must be taken home by the family after the service and not left at the cemetery.  

12. Certain holidays are appropriate for extra decorations in the cemetery. During the month of December, and the holidays of Valentine’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, and Veteran’s Day, wreaths which are securely attached to wire stands will be allowed. Wooden easels are not permitted. These extra decorations and wire stands should be removed from the cemetery property by the person who left them when the holiday for which they are decorating has passed. 

13. To minimize the impact on mowing, such decorations may be placed starting the Friday before the holiday and will be subject to removal by the Cemetery starting the day after. December holiday decorations will be permitted beginning the day before Thanksgiving and will be removed after Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day decorations may be placed starting the Friday before, and should be removed the Monday after.

14. All are encouraged to use permanent ground vase units to minimize debris and not complicate ground maintenance. Samples information and availability of ground vase units can be obtained from local monument companies.

15. In no case shall any of the above noted items extend past the edge of the lot.

These Rules and Regulations may be modified by the Trustees at any time, and will remain in force and effect for past and future gravesites, niches and the columbarium.

DEFINITIONS

The following are definitions adopted by the Board of Trustees to be used in any Arnon Cemetery business discussions:

Double Depth: The plot or lot owner can elect to have the grave dug deep enough so that another person can be buried on top and still satisfy the minimum burial depth required by law. 

Grave: The actual earth area disturbed to inter human remains.

Gravestone: The stone marker placed on the lot to identify the interred, and celebrate their life.

Lot: an individual gravesite. The dimensions generally run 4’6” x 9’, but not in all cases.

Niche: One space in a columbarium designed to hold the remains of one individual’s cremated remains.

Plot: Eight contiguous lots in a rectangular pattern. Generally, a plot measures 18’ x 18’, but not in all cases.

Section: Four sections make up Arnon Cemetery: Center, Northern, Western and Southern. Each section contains approximately 50 and 80 plots. Specific lot and plot information is maintained by the Secretary. 

May 28, 2015

Arnon Cemetery Trustees, LLC

P.O. Box 617, Great Falls, Va. 22066

For more information, please go to arnoncemetery (at) hotmail (dot) com