– Does the mayor know about the fact that the administration of our municipal cemetery has unlawfully charged and collected fees for another 20 years from the custodians of brick-built graves in which more than one person is buried? – the councillor asked. He requested an investigation into whether the administration of our cemetery had collected such fees over the past 10 years. And if so, whom can residents who paid this fee turn to?

As we read in Article Seven of the Act on Cemeteries and Burial of the Dead:

  1. A grave may not be used for another burial before 20 years have elapsed.
  2. After 20 years have elapsed, a grave may not be reused for burial if any person objects to this and pays the fee provided for the burial of remains. This objection is effective for a further 20 years and may be renewed.
  3. Paragraphs 1 and 2 do not apply to the burial of remains in brick-built graves intended to accommodate the remains of more than one person, or to the burial of urns containing human remains resulting from cremation.

What is set out in paragraph 3 means that charging extension fees for brick-built graves is contrary to the law. Last year, as reported by, among others, “Rzeczpospolita”, the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Kraków issued a ruling in this matter, finding justified the allegation raised by a resident of one of the municipalities that the law had been violated by introducing, in a resolution, fees for extending the right to a brick-built grave (tomb).

Councillor Dariusz Mucha requested a written response. Piotr Roman: – I discussed this matter with MZGK president Władysław Bakalarz, who declared that he would prepare a very detailed response to this interpellation.

We will return to the topic.