City of Royal Oak v. Roseland Park Cemetery Ass'n
City of Royal Oak v. Roseland Park Cemetery Ass'n
Opinion of the Court
Plaintiff levied a special assessment against the defendant, a rural cemetery corporation,
Two policies are involved in this case; the policy of preserving and protecting burial rights and the places of the dead and the policy of allocating the costs of a municipal improvement among those benefited by that improvement. The decisive question is whether there would be any conflict between the two policies by holding defendant liable to suit for the collection of the assessment. The principal cases relied on by defendant do not convince us that such a conflict exists.
In Woodmere Cemetery Association v. City of Detroit (1916), 192 Mich 553, the Court held that no lien could attach to cemetery property devoted to burial purposes and that land so devoted could not be sold to collect a special assessment. The city
In Forest Hill Cemetery Co. v. City of Ann Arbor (1942), 303 Mich 56, the Court held that a nonprofit cemetery’s funds and personal property necessary for the upkeep, care and maintenance of the cemetery were exempt from levy and sale in order to satisfy a special assessment. The decision was based on the fact that the nonprofit cemetery’s personal property was mainly certain reserve funds used for maintaining the burial places. To allow such funds to be taken to satisfy a special assessment would thus violate the policy of preserving the places of the dead. The Court stated that its conclusion would not necessarily apply to cemetery companies organized for profit.
Defendant is a corporation organized for profit. Presumably its personal property consists of more than reserve funds used to maintain the cemetery. •In fact, although it maintains that 71% of its cemetery lots have been sold, defendant has not contended that it- lacks assets apart from its perpetual care reserves from which the special assessment could be paid. We find no Michigan decisions or reasons of policy that preclude plaintiff from seeking a personal judgment holding defendant liable in debt in order to collect the special assessment. Defendant
Affirmed. Costs to plaintiff.
Organized under the rural cemetery act, MOLA § 456.101 (Stat Ann 1963 Rev § 21.871).
Case-law data current through December 31, 2025. Source: CourtListener bulk data.