Town fines grieving parents who buried their infant on their property

[rambone]

we are talking about disease and death resulting from the improper burial of corpses. they will affect the water and ground, also if improperly sealed the bodies will release toxic chemicals into the air from underground. theres no way it would be sanitary for everyone to bury people in their back yards.

What about all the wildlife that just rot on the ground? Animals die and turn into soil. Bugs eat the meat. Nothing could be more natural. It is the circle of life.

Do all you guys live in the city?

As for all of the income-generating "Fees and Permits" - yeah, they should all just go away. They are just another tax, with no real benefit.

Permits are just another infringement on your property rights. They don't protect you from any of these phony health and safety concerns. They have no benefit to speak of.

 

[E5RANGER375]

What about all the wildlife that just rot on the ground? Animals die and turn into soil. Bugs eat the meat. Nothing could be more natural. It is the circle of life.

Do all you guys live in the city?





Permits are just another infringement on your property rights. They don't protect you from any of these phony health and safety concerns. They have no benefit to speak of.

well dead animals smell, and so do dead people. I dont want either near or on my property. if we all had 50 acres of land, then id say yeah bury who and wherever you want on your land, but the fact is we dont. if you wanna burry someone on your land go right ahead, but be prepared to deal with the consequences later. also hopefully you dont have a dead body float away during a rain storm or make you sick. Id love to see less govt, but on this issue i dont see how its possible and I havent heard a good argument here on a way to fix it unless you cremate a body.

 

[ATOMonkey]

When our daughter was still-born I got to learn that Indiana demands that a baby beyond 20 weeks gestation be buried. I don't know what all that entails. Just that, that's where they draw the line between "medical waste" and person.

It was a very surreal experience to find that out.

 

[eldirector]

I'm kind of surprised that this hasn't been raised yet, but I "believe" that in Indiana you can bury a human body on your property legally. There are of course stipulations but the only one I remember is that they have to be planted within 24-48 hours of death, no embalming is allowed as well as other restrictions but I can't place my finger on it at this moment. Perhaps someone with stronger googlefu?

There are rules about family burial plots, which are perfectly legal (with certain stipulations).
Indiana Code 23-14-41

Not sure on the rest....

 

[CarmelHP]

There are rules about family burial plots, which are perfectly legal (with certain stipulations).
Indiana Code 23-14-41

Not sure on the rest....

That is in reference to cemeteries and the ownership of lot rights, not burial on your own property.

 

[a.bentonab]

I generally am in favor of the .gov here. Think of when this family moves out. who would want to live here? I think this family probably lost a whole lot more on property value than they saved on the burial.

To make a case for the allowance of burial on private property after permitting, it is nice to know locations of bodies for several reasons. Drilling a well, digging for power lines, construction, someones new pool, etc could all unearth remains with unknown histories. If one of these is going to result in a murder investigation, it would be nice if the permitting cost would cover the cost of the investigation up to this point. $600 sounds about right for a few hours work out of a couple of deputies who respond to a found body, a coroners run, and a call to the county courthouse. Not to mention relocation of the body.

I think it would be prudent to make sure the burial would be done properly as well. Deep enough comes to mind as well as special considerations from a death from infectious disease and proximity to drinking water supplies. Permitting seems a logical way to enforce these.

 

[rambone]

I generally am in favor of the .gov here. Think of when this family moves out. who would want to live here? I think this family probably lost a whole lot more on property value than they saved on the burial.

Isn't that the property owner's problem? They are the ones who will potentially lose value of the property (which I kinda doubt would happen). All kinds of things you do to your property could potentially scare away a future buyer. Maybe they won't like your dilapidated woodshed, or your ugly fence. It's the property owner's decision and the property owner's problem.

A permit changes nothing.

 

[a.bentonab]

Isn't that the property owner's problem? They are the ones who will potentially lose value of the property (which I kinda doubt would happen). All kinds of things you do to your property could potentially scare away a future buyer. Maybe they won't like your dilapidated woodshed, or your ugly fence. It's the property owner's decision and the property owner's problem.

A permit changes nothing.

Correct. I should have organized my thoughts better but I view the above not as a reason to make it illegal but a reason for the homeowner to reconsider.

I wonder what kind of clauses an HOA would use to prevent this. Or what about those neighborhoods that don't have an HOA but make you keep your house out of disrepair and your lawn mowed?

As far as not decreasing property values, I would think it would although I am not a realtor. Anyone ever tried to sell a home with a grave on the property?

Being a parent and seeing baby a.bentonab's grave out the kitchen window is one thing but I don't want to see some random guy's final resting place while I'm cooking supper. Probably the larger the property the less this effect would be. .5 acre=Great affect 4 acres=less 100 acres= very little

If I don't want someone's grave on my property I would think there are a few others as well. Even if my wife and I thought the house was ideal the grave would be a dealbreaker. Less people interested in a property=lower price.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Prior to an established state, many people here in Indiana were planted where they fell without any markers in rather shallow graves.

More than likely, someone has been buried on your property at some point in time.

Even after the state was established, not everyone lived near enough to a town or cemetary.

Things buried in the ground really aren't that big of a deal. Mother nature tends to reclaim her territory rapibly without constant supervision.

 

[rambone]

If I don't want someone's grave on my property I would think there are a few others as well. Even if my wife and I thought the house was ideal the grave would be a dealbreaker. Less people interested in a property=lower price.

I'm not saying I would seek out property with a grave on it either. But the market would dictate what the land is worth. If it is that unappealing to someone, they will figure in the costs of relocating the grave to a cemetery when they submit their offer price. The same way that a potential buyer figures in the costs of doing renovations/removal of other things on the land he doesn't want.