§ 54.1-2312.2 — Resale of interment right by certain churches and religious organizations

Virginia § 54.1-2312.2

• Jurisdiction: Virginia
• Title 54.1: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS
• Subtitle II: PROFESSIONS AND OCCUPATIONS REGULATED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL REGULATION AND BOARDS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT
• Ch. 23.1: CEMETERY OPERATORS, PERPETUAL CARE TRUST FUNDS AND PRENEED BURIAL CONTRACTS

Text

A. In addition to the provisions of § 54.1-2312.1, a church or religious organization may proceed with a resale transaction of an interment right if (i) the church or religious organization is exempt from income tax under Title 58.1 or from taxation pursuant to § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and (ii) the buyer is a member of the church congregation or religious organization or an immediate family member of such member.

B. Resale transactions under this subsection shall also comply with the following:

1. Any merchandise, personal property, or service purchased in the original preneed transaction is transferred with the interment right;

2. The resale is approved, pursuant to subdivision 4, by the cemetery company that owns the cemetery in which the interment right exists;

3. The seller provides written notice to the buyer that the resale transaction is contingent upon (i) approval by the cemetery company that owns the cemetery in which the interment right exists, (ii) payment of the cemetery transfer fee, and (iii) compliance with the provisions of this section;

4. A cemetery company shall approve a resale transaction upon receipt of a valid transfer form that has been acknowledged by the buyer as required by subdivision 5 e, a reasonable cemetery transfer fee to be set by the cemetery company, and a copy of the bill of sale or other document confirming the resale, provided such approval is consistent with the current rules and regulations of the cemetery company; and

5. The transfer form shall be provided by the seller to the buyer at the time of the resale and shall be valid only when signed by the seller, buyer, and cemetery company. A cemetery company may rely in good faith on the representations and documentation submitted by the buyer and seller. At a minimum, the transfer form shall contain the following information:

a. The name and address of each seller and buyer;

b. A complete description of the location of the property for which the interment right is being sold;

c. A clear disclosure of the cemetery transfer fee;

d. The name, address, and telephone number of the Board and a statement that the Board is the regulatory agency that handles consumer complaints; and

e. An acknowledgment that the buyer has read, understands, and agrees to abide by the current rules and regulations of the cemetery and its current general price list, as applicable.

The information required to be included in the transfer form by subdivisions a through d shall be provided by the seller.

C. In the event a resale is not approved by the cemetery company under this section, the resale transaction shall be void and within 30 days the seller shall refund to the buyer all money paid pursuant to the transaction and the buyer shall return to the seller any merchandise or personal property transferred to the buyer by the seller as a part of the resale.

D. Nothing in this section shall prevent a church or religious organization exempt from income tax under Title 58.1 or from taxation pursuant to § 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code from reselling any interment right back to the cemetery company. Subsequent sale of such interment rights by the cemetery company shall not be considered a resale transaction.

E. Nothing in this section shall prevent a cemetery company from reselling an interment right of a natural person.

Legislative History

2013, c. 395.