Rep. Charles E. Meier

Filed: 2/28/2014

 

 


 

 


 
09800HB5625ham001LRB098 18671 HEP 56161 a

1
AMENDMENT TO HOUSE BILL 5625

2    AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend House Bill 5625 by replacing
3everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4    "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5Access to Landlocked Graves on Private Property Act.
 
6    Section 5. Definition. As used in this Act, "landlocked
7grave" means a private burying ground which is completely
8surrounded by privately owned land and for which no public
9ingress or egress is available.
 
10    Section 10. Access to landlocked graves located on private
11property.
12    (a) Owners of private property on which a landlocked grave
13is located have a duty to allow ingress and egress to the
14landlocked grave by:
15        (1) family members and descendants of deceased persons

 

 

09800HB5625ham001- 2 -LRB098 18671 HEP 56161 a

1    buried there;
2        (2) any landlocked grave plot owner; and
3        (3) any person engaging in genealogy research who has
4    given reasonable notice to the owner of record or to the
5    occupant of the property or both.
6    A landowner may not erect a wall, fence, or other structure
7or device that prevents ingress and egress to the landlocked
8grave unless the wall, fence, or other structure or device has
9a gate or other means by which ingress and egress can be
10accomplished by persons specified in this Section. The
11landowner may designate the frequency of the access, the hours
12and duration of the access, and the access route if no
13traditional access route is obviously visible by a view of the
14property. The landowner, in the absence of gross negligence or
15willful misconduct, is immune from liability in any civil suit,
16claim, action, or cause of action arising out of the access
17granted pursuant to this Section.
18    (b) The right of ingress and egress granted to persons
19specified in subsection (a) of this Section shall be reasonable
20and limited to the purposes of visiting landlocked graves,
21maintaining the landlocked grave, or conducting genealogy
22research. The right of ingress and egress may not be construed
23to provide a right to operate motor vehicles on the property
24for the purpose of accessing a landlocked grave unless there is
25a road or adequate right-of-way that permits access by a motor
26vehicle and the owner has given written permission to use the

 

 

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1road or right-of-way of necessity.
2    (c) Any person entering onto private property to access a
3landlocked grave is responsible for conducting himself or
4herself in a manner that does not damage the private lands or
5the landlocked grave and is liable to the owner of the property
6for any damage caused as a result of his or her access.
 
7    Section 15. Injunctive relief. Any person denied
8reasonable access under the provisions of this Act may bring an
9action in the circuit court where the property is located to
10enjoin the owner of the property from denying the person
11reasonable ingress and egress to the landlocked grave. In
12granting relief, the court may:
13        (1) set the frequency of the access and the hours and
14    duration of the access; and
15        (2) award reasonable attorney's fees and costs to the
16    person denied access.
 
17    Section 20. Applicability. This Act does not apply to any
18deed or other written instrument that creates or reserves a
19landlocked grave on private property.".