Signs to encourage those entitled to expired cemetery concessions to make themselves known in Bagnols-sur-Cèze

Jean-Yves Chapelet, Mayor of Bagnols, and Catherine Herbet, municipal councilor in charge of cemetery administration. C.B.

The city of Bagnols-sur-Cèze is looking for beneficiaries of the cemetery concessions that have expired. To this end, signs have been posted on the concessions.

Since September, signs have been posted on concessions in the Bagnols-sur-Cèze cemetery, to alert the families of the deceased that ' "a procedure for taking back concessions at the end of the contract is underway“. The city's public tranquility department is tasked with finding the beneficiaries of concessions whose term expired on December 31, 2021, and whose addresses are not known or who do not make themselves known.”For those whose addresses are referenced by the city, “reminder letters have been sent. 155 letters have been sent” emphasizes the director of the service Lilian Zanchi.

“It is an administrative resumption of concessions. A concession title is valid for between 15 and 30 years. Since 1996, cities no longer grant perpetual concessions. If the title is not renewed, the city recovers the concession and becomes the owner of the land again. Holders or beneficiaries may renew their concessions within two years after this deadline of December 31, 2021" he explains.

3 239 concessions occupied at the Bagnols cemetery

Of the 3 239 concessions occupied at the Bagnols cemetery, "336 concessions have expired. 71 have been renewed, 20 concessionaires have waived this right of renewal. But we are still waiting for a response from 245 dealers" he explains. 

"We hope that families who come to the cemetery on November 1st and see the signs will contact us" declares the mayor of Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Jean-Yves Chapelet. If the concessions are not renewed, or if no beneficiary comes forward, “a concession can only be recovered if there has been no burial for five years” specifies the director of the public tranquility service. "If we do not have any feedback from the concessionaires before November 15, a municipal decision will be made, the list of concessions concerned will be public ".

The exhumed bodies

When the city recovers a concession, "the bodies are exhumed, reduced or cremated, then placed in an ossuary in the cemetery. We have several ossuaries in the cemetery, we will create a new one" he announces. The costs of these funeral operations are covered by the city, which records the names of the deceased in a register available to the public. The tombs, monuments or funeral emblems are transferred to the city's private domain. "In the Muslim or traveling community, the dead are not dug up. These communities pay for the renewal of concessions" notes Catherine Herbet, municipal councilor in charge of citizen administration, including that of the cemetery.

In its management of the cemetery, the city must also take into account social developments regarding different funeral methods. “More and more deceased are cremated” notes the mayor. “We have to manage cremation, the scattering of ashes”. Some families also choose the principle of cavurnes, a small vault that can contain up to four urns.

"Rebuilding a cemetery is very complicated. The procedures are very cumbersome. In Bagnols, we can no longer make an extension. We made one in 1996" recalls Jea-Yves Chapelet. "We decided to modernize the management of the cemetery, we computerized and verified the data we had. 90% of the situations are clear and identified".

Steps to take

Concessionaires must contact the cemetery service, 14 rue Saint-Victor (tel 06 83 13 65 68) before November 15. To renew a concession title, bring the concessionaire's family record book, an identity card and proof of address, and contact details of the beneficiaries.

The price of a concession varies from 220 euros to 1,200 euros. 

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