Arranging a burial
Claiming ownership of a grave
If you or your family already have a purchased plot, you can change or amend the ownership.
Here are some examples of how you can claim grave ownership:
| Can a grave be signed over to another person? | The grave can be signed over to a new owner. The crematorium office will supply you with an assignment form that requires the signatures of the current owner and the new owner. This service costs £72.00 |
| Can the grave be put into 'joint ownership'? | The grave can be put into joint ownership. The crematorium office will supply you with a form that requires the signatures of the current owner and the new joint owner(s). You can apply for up to three additional owners. This service costs £15.00 |
| What happens if the owner is deceased and has left a will that has not gone to probate? | The grave ownership will go automatically to the executors of the will, regardless of whether the grave was left to a named person in the will. If the executors would like to take on ownership, they would have to come to the crematorium office with a copy of the will and fill in a statutory declaration form. This service costs £72.00 If the executors don't want the grave, or only one executor would like to take ownership, they would have to fill in a form of renunciation and a statutory declaration form. This service costs £72.00 |
| What happens if the owner is deceased and has left a will that has gone to probate? | The grave ownership will go automatically to the person(s) named in the probate. We need to see the probate and take a copy of it for the grave to be signed over. This service costs £72.00. If the person(s) named in the probate do not want the grave, or only one person named would like to take ownership, they would have to fill in a form of renunciation and a statutory declaration form. This service costs £72.00. |
| What happens if the owner is deceased and has not left a will? | The ownership of the grave will travel down the bloodline. This first goes to husband, wife or civil partner, then children, grandchildren etc. If the deceased was not married or had no children, it will pass to their parents, siblings and then onto nieces/nephews. If there is more than one child, sibling or niece/nephew, they would have to renounce their rights to the person who would like to take on the grave ownership. A form of renunciation and a statutory declaration form would need to be completed to complete the transfer of ownership. This service costs £72.00. |
| What happens to the grave deeds? | If you have the grave deeds, bring them in when all the renunciation and statutory declaration forms are completed and we will amend them to reflect the change of ownership. We do not issue new or copy deeds. |
| What if I don't have the grave deeds? | Having the grave deeds to hand is not always essential. If you don't know where they are you can still: Bury the grave owner, or bury anyone (if you're the owner); there is a £49.00 fee for non-production of deed. |
| How can we change the ownership of the grave? | Add the grave owner's name to a memorial, or add any name to a memorial (if you're the owner). |
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