Florida Statutes
Part II - Cemetery Regulation (Ss. 497.260-497.287)
497.284 - Abandoned cemeteries; immunity; actions.


(1) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a county or municipality which has within its jurisdiction an abandoned cemetery or a cemetery that has not been reasonably maintained for a period in excess of 6 months may, upon notice to the department, take such action as is necessary and appropriate to provide for maintenance and security of the cemetery. The solicitation of private funds and the expenditure of public funds for the purposes enumerated in this subsection are hereby authorized, provided that no action taken by a county or municipality under this subsection shall establish an ongoing obligation or duty to provide continuous security or maintenance for any cemetery.
(2) No county or municipality nor any person under the supervision or direction of the county or municipality, providing good faith assistance in securing or maintaining a cemetery under subsection (1), may be subject to civil liabilities or penalties of any type for damages to property at the cemetery.
(3) A county or municipality that has maintained or secured a cemetery pursuant to the provisions of subsection (1) may maintain an action at law against the owner of the cemetery to recover an amount equal to the value of such maintenance or security.
History.—s. 7, ch. 78-407; ss. 33, 40, ch. 80-238; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 1, ch. 88-300; s. 1, ch. 89-8; ss. 84, 122, ch. 93-399; s. 65, ch. 2004-301.
Note.—Former s. 559.525; s. 497.071; s. 497.345.

Structure Florida Statutes

Florida Statutes

Title XXXIII - Regulation of Trade, Commerce, Investments, and Solicitations

Chapter 497 - Funeral, Cemetery, and Consumer Services

Part II - Cemetery Regulation (Ss. 497.260-497.287)

497.260 - Cemeteries; exemption; investigation and mediation.

497.261 - Existing companies, effect of this chapter.

497.262 - Duty of care and maintenance of licensed cemetery.

497.263 - Cemetery companies; license required; licensure requirements and procedures.

497.264 - License not assignable or transferable.

497.265 - Annual license fees.

497.266 - Care and maintenance trust fund; remedy of department for noncompliance.

497.267 - Disposition of withdrawals from the care and maintenance trust fund; notice to purchasers and depositors.

497.2675 - Withdrawal methods from the care and maintenance trust fund.

497.268 - Care and maintenance trust fund, percentage of payments for burial rights to be deposited.

497.269 - Care and maintenance trust fund; financial reports.

497.270 - Minimum acreage; sale or disposition of cemetery lands.

497.271 - Standards for construction and significant alteration or renovation of mausoleums and columbaria.

497.272 - Construction of mausoleums, columbaria, and belowground crypts; preconstruction trust fund; compliance requirement.

497.273 - Cemetery companies; authorized functions.

497.274 - Standards for grave spaces.

497.276 - Records.

497.2765 - Recording purchase of burial rights.

497.277 - Other charges.

497.278 - Monuments; installation fees.

497.280 - Illegal tying arrangements.

497.281 - Licensure of brokers of burial rights.

497.282 - Disclosure of information to public.

497.283 - Prohibition on sale of personal property or services.

497.284 - Abandoned cemeteries; immunity; actions.

497.285 - Inactive cemeteries.

497.286 - Owners to provide addresses; presumption of abandonment; abandonment procedures; sale of abandoned unused burial rights.

497.287 - Report of identification of exempt cemeteries.