McGovern v. Proprietors of Cemetery

21 Mass. L. Rptr. 667
CourtMassachusetts Superior Court
DecidedNovember 27, 2006
DocketNo. 062688
StatusPublished

This text of 21 Mass. L. Rptr. 667 (McGovern v. Proprietors of Cemetery) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Massachusetts Superior Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
McGovern v. Proprietors of Cemetery, 21 Mass. L. Rptr. 667 (Mass. Ct. App. 2006).

Opinion

Henry, Bruce R., J.

Defendant Mount Auburn Cemetery brings this motion pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6) to dismiss the complaint filed by plaintiffs on the grounds that the complaint fails to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The plaintiffs assert claims for breach of contract, negligence, unjust enrichment, and violation of G.L.c. 93A. For the reasons set forth below, defendants’ motion to dismiss is ALLOWED in part and DENIED in part.

BACKGROUND

The following facts are taken from plaintiffs’ complaint. Plaintiffs Patricia and Charles McGovern (the McGoverns) purchased cemetery burial plots from the Mount Auburn Cemetery (Mt. Auburn), the defendant, by a signed pre-need deferred sales agreement dated June 21, 1989 (Complaint, ¶5). The sales agreement provided for the purchase of the plots and their perpetual care (Complaint, ¶6). The sales agreement was subject to existing by-laws, which the McGoverns assert permitted the transfer of the “deeded burial rights” with the approval of Mt. Auburn (Complaint, ¶7). The “deed” to plaintiffs’ burial plot was delivered to plaintiffs on or about April 5, 1991 after the required payments had been made (Complaint, ¶8). From the time of the contract to the present, Mt. Auburn has fulfilled its fiduciary obligations pursuant to G.L.c. 114, §5C and has invested the funds prudently. (Complaint, ¶9.)

The agreement between the McGoverns and Mt. Auburn provides that: “this grant and agreement is made expressly subject to all rules and regulations of the Grantor, now or here-in-after in force, and to the conditions and restrictions noted below, and for any breach thereof the grantor may enter upon said grave or graves, and at the expense of the grantee, remove any structure, plant, or thing in violation thereof, and do whatever else may be necessary and reasonable.” (Emphasis added.) (Complaint, ¶11.)

On June 24, 1998, Mt. Auburn enacted a by-law which provided that it would only approve of transfers of deeded rights back to Mt. Auburn and with consideration limited to the original purchase price paid. This by-law was enacted without giving notice to the plaintiffs. (Complaint, ¶¶12-14.)

In 2005, the plaintiffs provided notice of non-occupancy to Mt. Auburn. The plaintiffs also inquired about transferring their burial rights because they had moved from Watertown, Massachusetts to New Hampshire in 1997. (Complaint, ¶¶15-17.) An agent of Mt. Auburn informed the plaintiffs of the June 1998 bylaw that limited plaintiffs’ right to transfer their burial plot back to the Cemetery for the original purchase price paid (Complaint, ¶18). The agent also provided the plaintiffs with a copy of G.L.c. 114, §43B, regarding the sale of cemetery lots and plots for speculative purposes (Complaint, ¶19).

Plaintiffs then brought this complaint alleging breach of contract, negligence, unjust enrichment, and violation of G.L.c. 93A, and requesting certification of this matter as a class action. They claim that the passage of the 1998 by-law was unreasonable and unlawful and that the by-law deprives them of their rights to obtain a fair market value for their burial rights. The passage of the by-law was unreasonable, according to the McGoverns, as Mt. Auburn failed to give notice to the existing deed holders of the termination of their contractual right to marketability. Plaintiffs have made a demand for “fair value” for their deeded rights pursuant to G.L. 93A, §9(3) (Complaint, ¶26).

Mt. Auburn brought this instant motion to dismiss pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), asserting that the McGoverns hold an exclusive right to interment in their lots at Mt. Auburn and do not hold a properly interest therein; that the 1998 by-law amendment did not affect the McGovern’s interment rights nor did it change Mt. Auburn’s requirement that all transfers were subject to Mt. Auburn’s approval. It set forth a procedure by which Mt. Auburn reacquires interment rights. Finally, Mt. Auburn argues that the plaintiffs have not sustained damages as a result of the passage of the 1998 by-law.

DISCUSSION

Applicable Standard

When evaluating the sufficiency of a complaint pursuant to Mass.R.Civ.P. 12(b)(6), this Court must accept as true the well pleaded factual allegations of the complaint and make all reasonable inferences which may be drawn in the plaintiffs favor. Fairneny v. Savogran Co., 422 Mass. 469, 470 (1996); Eyal v. Helen Broadcasting Corp., 411 Mass. 426, 429 (1981). [668]*668“[The] complaint should not be dismissed for failure to state a claim unless it appears beyond doubt that the plaintiff can prove no set of facts in support of his claim which would entitle him to relief.” Nader v. Cintron, 372 Mass. 96, 98 (1977), quoting Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41, 45-46 (1957). “[A] complaint is not subject to dismissal if it would support relief on any theory of law.” Whitinsville Plaza, Inc. v. Kotseas, 378 Mass. 85, 89 (1979).

I note in passing that Mt. Auburn has provided copies of the Pre-Need Deferred Payment Sales Agreement (Agreement) and of the Grant of Interment Right (Grant) as part of their motion papers. Where, as in this case, the plaintiff had notice of these two documents and referred to and relied on them in framing the complaint, their inclusion in the motion materials does not convert this motion into one for summary judgment. See Marram v. Kobrick Offshore Fund, Ltd., 442 Mass. 43, 45 n.4 (2004).

Breach of Contract Claim

In Count I, the McGoverns assert a claim for breach of contract by Mt. Auburn. The defendants are correct in their assertion that Mt. Auburn has not restricted or interfered with the McGoverns’ exclusive and perpetual right to interment in the plots at issue, for which right payment was made by the McGoverns. In that sense there can be no breach of the contract by Mt. Auburn.

The McGoverns, however, argue that the breach of contract occurred in the passage of the 1998 by-law. They assert that the by-law was made in bad faith and was neither reasonable nor necessary. The passage of the bylaw, standing alone, cannot be a breach of the contract between the parties. Both the Agreement and the Grant contemplate the passage of by-laws other than those in effect at the time they were executed. Clearly, Mt. Auburn had the right to make by-laws after the execution of the contract with the McGoverns and the McGoverns agreed to be bound by those future by-laws, to the extent they were reasonable. See Messina v. LaRosa, 337 Mass. 438, 442 (1958). Whether the 1998 by-law was reasonable is an issue that cannot be decided at this point as the by-laws were not made part of the materials before me. If the by-law is found not to be reasonable or not to have been put into effect in a reasonable manner, Mt. Auburn could be found to have breached the covenant of good faith and fair dealing which applies to all contracts in Massachusetts. Therefore, the breach of contract claim survives this motion to dismiss.

Negligence Claim

The plaintiffs’ negligence claim does not state a claim upon which relief can be granted. The plaintiffs contend that Mt. Auburn “had a contractual duty to enforce deeded rights of marketability.” (Complaint, ¶36.) Whether such rights of marketability existed, the duty alleged is a contractual duty, not a duty owed independently from the contractual relationship among the parties.

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Related

Conley v. Gibson
355 U.S. 41 (Supreme Court, 1957)
Whitinsville Plaza, Inc. v. Kotseas
390 N.E.2d 243 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1979)
FMR Corp. v. Boston Edison Co.
613 N.E.2d 902 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1993)
Messina v. LaRosa
150 N.E.2d 5 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1958)
Eyal v. Helen Broadcasting Corp.
583 N.E.2d 228 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1991)
Nader v. Citron
360 N.E.2d 870 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1977)
Cecio Bros. v. Town of Greenwich
244 A.2d 404 (Supreme Court of Connecticut, 1968)
Fairneny v. Savogran Co.
422 Mass. 469 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 1996)
Aldrich v. ADD Inc.
437 Mass. 213 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2002)
Marram v. Kobrick Offshore Fund, Ltd.
442 Mass. 43 (Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, 2004)
Popponesset Beach Ass'n v. Marchillo
658 N.E.2d 983 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 1996)
Santagate v. Tower
833 N.E.2d 171 (Massachusetts Appeals Court, 2005)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
21 Mass. L. Rptr. 667, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mcgovern-v-proprietors-of-cemetery-masssuperct-2006.