Added heartache over burial plots

14/Aug/2012

By Belinda Cipriano, Eastern Reporter

Comments: 6 readers have left a comment

Phillip and Josephine Kerr, who thought they had already paid in full for cemetery plots, are upset at being told they need to pay extra.

BASSENDEAN residents Josephine and Phillip Kerr thought losing their daughter was the hardest thing they would have to deal with in their lifetime.

The recent news they would have to pay more money for two pre-purchased plots at Guildford Cemetery has added to their grief.

The couple lost their daughter Sharon-Rose in 1977 in a car accident and, at the time, signed what they thought was a 50-year agreement purchasing two plots next to her grave for their family.

Mrs Kerr believed it was the best thing to do to keep their family together.

“We did the right thing; we purchased two plots 35 years ago for our family graves,” she said.

“We made a binding contract for 50 years and there are still three places left there, two places with our daughter for us, and one for our eldest daughter.”

Mrs Kerr said a letter from Local Government Minister John Castrilli showed the agreement made 35 years ago no longer existed and the couple would now need to pay almost $4000 to keep both plots after a legislative change in 1986.

“The only way we can use the three empty places in our two grave plots is to purchase them again at the cost of about $4000, and as a matter of principle we’re not going to do so,” she said.

Metropolitan Cemeteries Board spokesman Andrew Fox said a lot of confusion had arisen since the July 2 expiry date triggered by the Cemeteries Act 1986 regarding payments and plot renewals.

“Across the metropolitan area a number of plots at Karrakatta, Fremantle, Midland and Guildford cemeteries are affected; however the vast majority of these have already served a significant proportion of their tenure,” Mr Fox said.

“Only plots that were purchased prior to 1987 are affected by the grant expirations that expired on July 2; plots purchased after 1987 are not affected.”

Mr Fox said thousands of plots expired each year and while some families wished to purchase additional tenure for peace of mind, a grant was needed only if people intended to place additional interments in the plot.

“Most families do not renew an expired grant unless they want to re-use the plot as there is no practical reason to do so,” Mr Fox said.

Mrs Kerr, who has been inundated with offers of support to help pay for the plots, said regardless of when she and her husband had to pay for them, the agreement made at the time of their daughter’s death should “still stand for something”.

Questions to Mr Castrilli’s office were unanswered at the time of going to print.

What everyone else is thinking

Denia

11/05/2013

My mother in law was distraught when she received notification. I feel for the staff that received my husbands response as they are the unfortunate innocent people in the receiving line of the government greed.
There should have been a community campaign about it. Emotional abuse by a departmental group who have no respect or empathy for those who have lost someone dear and believed that person was in their final place of rest.

Bobbie

20/08/2012

Unfair and greedy! Be aware, if you discover that there is a family grave which still has space for another interment, but the lease on it has expired, you may, or may not, be allowed to purchase an extension. This happened to me when I discovered (by doing genealogy) that my great grandfather and my stillborn brother were in an old grave at Karrakatta. I was told that the grave was earmarked for "re-development" sometime in the future and that it would be completely obliterated even if another person was buried there now. Any crosses, headstones etc would be removed (unless they were exceptional or had historical interest). What is now the pathways would be sold for new graves (which means no markers for old grave locations - and people walking on the old graves - which would be used for pathways). I have not checked this recently, but I have empathy for the Kerr's. Perhaps we could all declare old cemeteries "sacred sites"?

mary

20/08/2012

Josephine and Philip Kerr's problem over cemetery plots draws attention to new planning and policy in cemeteries. I suggest that if you have family and intend to be interred with or near them you check into the Cemeteries Board website and look up the conditions.
A friend of mine recently had her father's gravesite at Pinaroo opened for her mother's internment. The death occured within the 25 years but the burial was a few days over and although the site was still eligible new ownership forms had to be done.

shannon

17/08/2012

An Injustice has been done to Josephine and Phillip Kerr. Governments should not be able to break a binding contract. Cripes are they going to charge us a Carbon tax on cremations next.