It's official - nothing is sacred

Chirimoya · #1 09-07-2005, 12:28 PM

My mother-in-law and one of my sisters-in-law, as is the custom here, purchased a family plot in one of the main public cemeteries here many years ago. They chose the plot near to where other branches of the family already had plots, so imagine their surprise when, on attending a distant relative's funeral some months back, they found a spanking new mausoleum on the exact site that they own. They have all the correct documents, and found out that it belongs to a big-name family here, and that the municipality simply sold it again, so that both 'owners' have legal title to the plot. The other family said that my MIL could have it back if she paid them a large amount of money to compensate them for the mausoleum. The municipal office appears to be accepting liability but say they do not have any money to provide either party with compensation. What are my in-laws' best options in this case? All suggestions welcome.

NB the mausoleum is, as yet, uninhabited - or perhaps I should say, unoccupied.

RHM · #2 09-07-2005, 12:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chirimoya

My mother-in-law and one of my sisters-in-law, as is the custom here, purchased a family plot in one of the main public cemeteries here many years ago. They chose the plot near to where other branches of the family already had plots, so imagine their surprise when, on attending a distant relative's funeral some months back, they found a spanking new mausoleum on the exact site that they own. They have all the correct documents, and found out that it belongs to a big-name family here, and that the municipality simply sold it again, so that both 'owners' have legal title to the plot. The other family said that my MIL could have it back if she paid them a large amount of money to compensate them for the mausoleum. The municipal office appears to be accepting liability but say they do not have any money to provide either party with compensation. What are my in-laws' best options in this case? All suggestions welcome.

NB the mausoleum is, as yet, uninhabited - or perhaps I should say, unoccupied.

That makes me ill. Absolutely nothing is sacred. But I can't say I'm surprised.

Scandall

Peterj · #3 09-07-2005, 01:38 PM

Well......what's there to say....

Maybe "sharing" is an idea.

suarezn · #4 09-07-2005, 01:44 PM

Unfortunately I don't see much recourse here, specially if the other family is well connected, etc...

I would think the only thing to do is to take the city to court...but I think you may end up spending more money in lawyers than what you will be able to get from the city.

Maybe you can get the city to give you guys (or the other family) a larger plot in a different area.

Chirimoya · #5 09-07-2005, 03:31 PM

The other family (who are immensely well-connected, think high ranking government figures, social pages and business leaders) are willing to 'move' as long as they are paid hundreds of thousands of pesos worth of compensation for the mausoleum. The party that should pay won't pay. My in-laws wouldn't, even if they could afford it.

Realistically the only solution is for my in-laws to accept an alternative plot.

The afterlife isn't fair!

Conchman · #6 09-07-2005, 03:41 PM

unreal, but like another poster said, not surprising in this country.

Chirimoya · #7 09-07-2005, 03:45 PM

I agree.

I was hoping that both families could join forces against the municipal authorities and get the compensation that they both deserve.

deelt · #8 09-07-2005, 04:21 PM

Hey Chiri

Sounds like your MIL is in a bind. But take consolation. It could be worse.

I know a person (from a well to do fam in a Latin Am country) who had a family member pass away in her home country. Since the immediate family members of the deceased could not "afford" the burial (this is suspect), they emptied the casket of one my friends close relative (a major patriarch and a historical figure of the country in question). Now that is a hoot!

I always joke around in my family about this since last time I was in DR was for a family funeral. My aunt was looking over our plot and said, "someone better hurry up and die because I think someone will try to steal (another) of our plot(s)."

My theory is that Dominicans living abroad who die and want to be buried in DR do a great disservice to their families and the cemetaries. Why? Because I think this is at the root cause of overcrowding in DR cemetaries.

When I die I will spray my ashes in the land that knew me best.