Article 7. Disposal Of Lands of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 7. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 4. >> Article 7.

Whenever human remains have been ordered removed under this chapter, and the cemetery authority has made and published notice of intention to remove such remains, the portions of the cemetery in which no interments have been made, and those portions from which all human remains have been removed, may be sold, mortgaged, or otherwise encumbered as security for any loan or loans made to the cemetery authority.

No order of any court shall be required prior to the making of any such sale, mortgage, or other encumbrance of such lands; but any sale of such cemetery lands made by any cemetery corporation or association controlled by a governing body shall be fairly conducted and the price paid shall be fair and reasonable and all such sales shall be confirmed, as to the fairness and reasonableness of the price paid, by the superior court of the county in which the lands are situated.

Petitions for confirmation of sales shall be made to the superior court of the county or city and county in which the lands are situated, and the clerk of the court shall fix a day for and give notice of hearing in accordance with the provisions of Section 1230 of the Probate Code.

If prior to the adoption of an ordinance pursuant to this chapter any cemetery authority has in good faith entered into any agreement to sell or has granted any option to buy all or any portion of its cemetery lands for a price reasonable at the time the agreement to sell was made, or the option granted, the superior court shall confirm the sale at the price stipulated in the agreement to sell or the option to buy.

After the removal of all human remains interred in any part or the whole of the cemetery lands, the cemetery authority may file for record in the office of the county recorder of the county or city and county in which the lands are situated a written declaration reciting that all human remains have been removed from the lands described in the declaration. The declaration shall be acknowledged in the manner of the acknowledgment of deeds to real property by the president and secretary, or other corresponding officers of the cemetery authority, or by the person owning or controlling the cemetery lands, and thereafter any deed, mortgage, or other conveyance of any part of such lands is conclusive evidence in favor of any grantee or mortgagee named in it, and his successor or assigns, of the fact of the complete removal of all human remains therefrom.

With the approval of the governing body of the city or city and county in which the cemetery lands are situated, sufficient lands may be reserved from any cemetery lands from which the human remains have been removed to erect a mausoleum or columbarium for the reinterment of disinterred remains, to provide sufficient grounds around it, and to preserve such historical vaults or monuments as the cemetery authority may determine to be proper or necessary.

After all remains have been removed from a cemetery in accordance with Chapters 3 and 4, Part 2, Division VII of this code, the dedication may be removed from all or any part of such cemetery lands by an order and decree of the superior court of the county in which the property is situated, in a proceeding brought for that purpose and upon notice of hearing and proof satisfactory to the court:
  (a) That all bodies have been removed, or that no interments were made; and
  (b) That the property is no longer used or required for interment purposes.