PLAINS TWP., LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — There are calls to strengthen state laws pertaining to the upkeep of cemeteries and the handling of what's called "perpetual care" funds.
28/22 News has been looking into the deplorable conditions at the abandoned Good Shepherd Cemetery in Plains Township, Luzerne County for more than a decade.
Just last week, a family removed the remains of loved ones from a crumbling mausoleum at that cemetery.
The question that we are trying to get answered is this: What can be done to possibly prevent situations like that which we are witnessing at Good Shepherd Cemetery?
Answers are tough to come by.
The Denunzio family came together at the Good Shepherd Cemetery in Plains Township last week to remove the remains of two loved ones who were entombed here in the 1990s.
The mausoleum is crumbling. It has been for the last decade.
The cemetery was purchased at a tax sale by a Florida couple in the mid-2000s.
The new owners say they did not know they were buying a cemetery.
"We did not purchase the business part of it. We did not intend to continue this place as a cemetery," Good Shepherd Cemetery Owner Viktoria Evstafieve told the I-Team in 2006.
The cemetery has not been maintained and the sale has been part of litigation for years. Two dozen remains are still entombed at this crumbling mausoleum.
Ava Petersen from Luzerne County is writing a book about the Good Shepherd Cemetery and other abandoned cemeteries to bring awareness to what can happen to families.
Bridge inspections could cause delays on I-81 in Lackawanna County
"A lot of it, people were buried there, they passed away so long ago. Some might not have family members to fight for them anymore. So that's part of why I'm doing this. I think we see it on the news. It's interesting for a day or two, but when there's a book, and people are forced to see what's happening, maybe other states will make laws to prevent that," Peterson explained.
Attorney and Former Luzerne County Judge Peter Paul Olszewski says the so-called "Perpetual care fund" that is offered by some cemeteries for the upkeep of graves or tombs should be the focal point of families.
"I think the first question that has to be asked: 'What's the definition of perpetual care?' The contract itself should define that term. Number two: They should also inquire about what happens if the business ceases to exist. Is it transferable to anybody?" Attorney Olszewski stated.
Attorney Olszewski says state laws guiding the operations of cemeteries are very vague and can lead to issues like that which we are seeing at Good Shepherd Cemetery.
We also spoke on Monday to several state lawmakers who say they are looking into those state laws and will get back to the I-Team.
The 28/22 News I-Team reached out to the owners of Good Shepherd Cemetery for comment and have not heard back.
