Section 306.21 - UPKEEP OF LOTS; ABANDONMENTSubdivision 1.Lots conveyed and abandoned.(a) In the instances provided in paragraph (b), an incorporated cemetery association may, by a resolution of its governing board, require that grantees of lots or parcels, or parties claiming through grantees of lots or parcels, within the cemetery either: (1) file with the corporation a written notice of claim of their interest in their lot or parcel, supported by satisfactory evidence of the interest, within 60 days after service of a copy of the resolution; or(2) keep the lots clear of weeds and in a condition in harmony with other adjoining lots or parcels. A copy of the resolution must be served upon all parties in the same manner as a complaint in a civil action.
(b) Paragraph (a) may be applied in all cases where an incorporated association has owned a site for a cemetery for more than 40 years and has sold lots and parcels for burial purposes, and has conveyed them by deed of conveyance with or without restrictions and the grantee, or parties claiming through the grantee, (1) for more than 75 years in counties having a population over 50,000 according to the 1960 federal decennial census, and 50 years in all other counties, have not used parts of the lots or parcels for the purposes of burial and during that time have not provided care for the lots beyond that provided uniformly to all lots within the cemetery, and during that time have not given to the corporation a written notice of claim or interest in the lots or parcels, or (2) have not used parts of the lots or parcels for the purposes of burial and have not kept the lots or plots free of weeds or brush but have allowed the lots to remain entirely unimproved for more than 20 years, and the lots or parcels are located in the cemetery adjacent to improved parts of the cemetery and by reason of their unimproved condition detract from the appearance of the cemetery and interfere with its harmonious improvement and furnish a place for the propagation of growth of weeds and brush.Subd. 2.Lots conveyed before 1925.If an incorporated cemetery association has sold lots and parcels for burial purposes before 1925, with or without restriction, that have not been used for burial purposes and the owners have not maintained the lots or paid the fees required by the association of lot owners for care and upkeep for a period of at least 15 years, the association may by resolution of its governing body demand that the owners or holders of the lots pay the association the fees owed for care and upkeep in the period during which the fees were not paid. The resolution must state the amount of fees due for each lot, without interest, and declare that if that amount is not paid to the association by the persons claiming to be owners within 90 days that the described lots and all interest in them will be considered abandoned to the association. The resolution must name all of the persons shown by the records of the association to have a claim of ownership to the lots described and must be served in the manner required for service of a resolution by subdivision 1.
(7576) 1921 c 358 s 1; 1959 c 673 s 1; 1961 c 535 s 1; 1969 c 311 s 1; 1984 c 543 s 16; 1988 c 469 art 5 s 1