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Pet Cemetaries--disclose, remove, take the critters with you?

By
Real Estate Agent with The MJKelly Team BRE#: 0645724

  I've come across this before and want the AR caretakers  comments on this somewhat ghoulish question. What do you do when a Seller shows you his pet plot or "Pet Cemetary"? I've seen some older farms and ranch properties where there have been some mighty interesting cemetaries--not only "pet" but folks. Some Dairy folks bury their old producing cows on their property. Udder love! Some are very modest with handmade crosses and headstones but some have professionaly designed and made marble stones with the photo of the dearly beloved.

What to do with the family pet plot?

  This also applies to "memorials". Showed a property once and the owners had a pretty elaborate memorial to a son who had passed defending our country. It was right off the patio. It was a country property of some acreage and I had to ask, "Is he resting here?" He wasn't.  A ranch  sold with an old "settlers" cemetary going back to the mid 1800's. Located in a shady corner of the property amidst some trees it was a lovely place to pass eternity--however it was near a busy road. Yeah, like who cares. Have any of you run across this in your real estate travels?

Comments (3)

Patricia Kennedy
RLAH@properties - Washington, DC
Home in the Capital

Once at a settlement, the seller (who was a little bit off and selling her parents old house) handed my buyers a little map of the back yard, showing where her childhood pets were buried.  She wouldn't sign until the buyer promised to leave the graves undisturbed by any gardening efforts.  Pretty weird!

Feb 26, 2016 11:16 AM
Mike Kelly,CRS,CIPS

Now THAT's a first!!

Feb 26, 2016 11:45 AM
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

I bury my pets at my parents place and I suspect it will be my family for many generations to come.

Did you know if there are human remains buried on a property that a seller can't sell that portion of the property and access must always be granted.  (at least in my state)

Feb 26, 2016 12:04 PM
Sondra Meyer:
EXP Realty, LLC - Corpus Christi, TX
See It. Experience It. Live It.

In the most extreme example I've seen, I think the owners took the grave stones down. (It was a while back but I can still remember the place.

Seems like famous horse gravesites are pointed out in the selling process. I haven't worked on any of those sales but it was mentioned in the write ups that I've read.

Interesting question.

Mar 10, 2016 11:18 AM