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 Our Policies 

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The management philosophy at Ivy Hill is unique in that this is a business that truly has a goal of trying to provide the most for the least.   To that end,  the  Cemetery now  offers a full Monument/Memorial service.  The addition of this service lets the Cemetery offer, at competitive pricing, the addition of an inscription to an existing stone or to providing any stone, marker, monument or memorial allowed by the Rules and Regulations.   The competitive pricing policy is an example of the Cemetery's unique philosophy.   Ivy Hill does not want to unfairly undercut  any existing monument dealer but we will be competitive.  The Cemetery does offer a competitive edge that others simply cannot.  When memorialization services are purchased here at the Cemetery, any profit made from that sale stays here in the Cemetery to help with the upkeep of your property and to help keep the costs of other services down.

The Cemetery fees are determined by what it costs to operate the Cemetery.  Ivy Hill is an old, traditional, "church yard" style cemetery.  This gives the Cemetery its beauty and character but  it also makes it very expensive to work in and to maintain.  The fees charged by the Cemetery reflect this high cost of operation,  but at the same time are kept from being any higher by offsetting some of this expense with the income from the monument and marker sales.  The Cemetery quietly and gratefully accepts much needed tax deductible contributions.  These contributions, in addition to increasing the amount of money in the reserve fund for care, have in the past helped keep the fees from being any higher and have made things like the recent building and grounds renovations possible, as well as the purchase of some equipment.

Service is primarily what any cemetery provides.  Ivy Hill is no exception and seemingly the most important of the services is the interment service.  There are a lot of rules and regulations that affect interments but the one area that as an owner, family member or friend you should understand is the scheduling of funeral/interment services here at the Cemetery.  The Cemetery will be very insistent in its scheduling policy.  To keep costs down, the Cemetery has to keep the number of employees to    a minimum.  This minimum is determined by averages and Ivy Hill has the personnel to handle more than average situations but we cannot schedule services in a manner that will prevent the Cemetery from providing the proper service and attention to an interment.

The Cemetery understands the needs and desires of a family at the time of an interment.   Ivy Hill, by its insistence on the number and times of interments, is trying to make sure that you get the care and attention that you deserve.  Should the Cemetery permit scheduling that does not allow for the time necessary to do this, Ivy Hill is not being fair to you or to anyone else.

This Abridged and Partial Listing of the Rules and Regulations should provide information in the areas that are the most important or the most asked about.  This short form of the rules is current through May 2004.  The rules and regulations are designed for the protection of the owners of interment rights as a group.  They are intended not as restraining but rather as preventing the inconsiderate from taking unfair advantage of others.  Owners are subject to the rules and regulations of the Cemetery in force at the time of the purchase or thereafter to be made by the Cemetery and every purchaser buys subject to such rules and regulations then in force or those made thereafter.

2004 Complete unabridged R&R PDF

2004 Abridged R&R PDF

2004 Section 8 Special R&R PDF

1.  The Cemetery requires coordination and scheduling of all funeral services at the Cemetery.  The Cemetery must be contacted PRIOR to the scheduling of any services to make sure that the time and day have not been scheduled for another service.  The requirement of schedules is also to see that the Cemetery does not have other funeral services scheduled that would not allow sufficient preparation time for another service. The minimum amount of notification that is required for the coordination, scheduling and preparation for service is 12 regular scheduled operating hours excluding those hours required to conduct other funeral services. The Cemetery reserves the right to (a) not accept the scheduling or require a change in the time, (b) charge for additional labor or overtime.

2.  Weekdays the Cemetery personnel and equipment can normally support only one funeral service in the morning and one funeral service in the afternoon with a minimum separation of three hours.  Every attempt will be made to accommodate the desires of the interment right owners and their families.  When possible the Cemetery will attempt to handle additional services but this may necessitate additional charges and/or setup equipment and services be arranged for by the funeral home from their vault company, the cost of which is not chargeable to the Cemetery.

4. Late arrival charges, the Cemetery may add an additional overtime/late fee for funeral services arriving at the cemetery 45 minutes after its scheduled     arrival time. 
 
5.  The Cemetery will schedule NO FUNERAL SERVICES on Saturday afternoon, Sundays or on Federal, State or local holidays.  These days are not regularly scheduled working hours.

6. Additional charges may be added to the interment/inurnment fee when Markers, Monuments, Memorials and/or plant materials placed within the area of the owned interment/inurnment rights have to be moved in order to gain access to, or set up the interment/inurnment service.  An additional charge may be added when overtime hours are necessary or have been used in counting the 12 regular working hours notice.

7.  The Cemetery requires, prior to making any interment/inurnment, the payment in full of all charges associated with making said interment/inurnment.

8.  In allowing the placement of monuments, markers, memorials and the like, the Cemetery must reserve the right to enter a lot/niche or lots/niches, without notification, and move said items out of the way to gain access to lots or niches for the purpose of making the necessary interments/inurnment in the lot/niche.  The Cemetery will, as soon as possible, subject to weather and time availability, restore the said moved items to their correct position.  All care will be taken in the movement of said items to insure against damage but the Cemetery assumes no responsibility or liability.

 

 1. The Cemetery requires a Work Permit for all work performed in the Cemetery except by Cemetery personnel or its agents. Vendors (i.e., monument dealers, florists, landscapers, etc.) entering the Cemetery grounds to perform work after being issued a work permit become authorized. No unauthorized vendors will be permitted on the grounds....

SECTION 4. IDENTIFICATION Marking of Graves
Subpart A. General:

 1. Ivy Hill is dedicated to long range preservation of the Cemetery grounds as an attractive, reverent setting for the sacred burial of the deceased. Accordingly, certain sections of the Cemetery are restricted as to the use of monuments, markers or memorials to ensure uniformity and continuing aesthetic appeal. As the result of changes in the design of special area, features or structures in the cemetery there may be very specific and special rules governing the identification used in the marking of interment information and locations. Information as to the rules for every location in the Cemetery must be obtained at the office, and all persons concerned should contact the Management BEFORE placing an order for such material or services.
 
2.  The Cemetery requires a Work Permit for all work performed in the Cemetery except by Cemetery personnel or its agents.  Vendors (i.e., monument dealers, florists, landscapers, etc.) entering the Cemetery grounds to perform work after being issued a work permit become authorized to perform only the work specified when obtaining the permit.  No unauthorized vendors will be permitted on the grounds.  Except for Cemetery personnel or its agents, the Cemetery requires that all other persons or vendors preforming work within the cemetery have the written order of consent of the lot holder or representative and are required to obtain and display a permit issued by the cemetery.

 
 4. The Cemetery reserves without limitation the right to approve all monuments, memorials, markers, tombs, etc. The requirements for approval will be based on, but not limited to, good design, an effort to avoid undue and monotonous duplication or excessive contrast with surrounding installations. Due to changes made from time to time in the type of monuments, markers or memorials permitted in various sections, it is required that Owners consult the Cemetery BEFORE orders are placed with memorial dealers, in order to comply with rules governing the type permitted in certain sections. Rules governing the erection of memorials are strictly adhered to and the Cemetery publishes an addendum to the RULES AND REGULATIONS further detailing said rules. This addendum is hereby made a part of the RULES AND REGULATIONS. This document is titled REQUIREMENTS/REGULATIONS/SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE SALE AND INSTALLATION OF MARKERS, MONUMENTS AND MEMORIALS BY AUTHORIZED DEALERS.
 
 6. Monuments and markers are the personal property of the individuals who purchase them. Cemetery insurance does not cover privately owned monuments or markers, and damage to same as the result of vandalism and acts of God are the responsibility of the individual owner.
 
7. However, in the case of vandalism, and those responsible for same are found out, the Cemetery will pursue whatever means are available to recover damages caused to the Cemetery by this vandalism. These damages include but are not limited to the cost of removal or the immediate and necessary repair and loss of time since the Cemetery cannot perform the necessary and required maintenance and services and cannot maintain the general good appearance of the Cemetery. The Cemetery reserves the right to assume an automatic ASSIGNMENT OF CLAIM to recover any additional costs of repairs or replacement of damaged personal property that has been placed in the Cemetery and for the lost time and costs incurred in so doing. The individual owner of said personal property may revoke this assignment by paying the Cemetery for the damages, repairs and lost time that were immediately necessary to restore the Cemetery. This personal property owner is then free to contract with anyone of their choosing for further repair or replacement and of course to individually recover whatever they can directly from the vandal or vandals.
 
 8. Memorials sold by the Cemetery or those placed by authorized dealers that have care provisions have limited coverage for damage and vase theft.
 
12. All earth or rubbish accumulated by owners of lots, or their agents, must be carefully removed by them from the lot and Cemetery.

13. No wooden, stone or cast iron bench or chair, or any wooden or wire trellis, shall be permitted to be brought upon the grounds.

14. The Cemetery is not responsible for theft or damage to anything placed on graves or lots except for the limited care of Bronze memorials.

15. No enclosure of any kind, such as a fence, coping, hedge, planting or ditching, nor the gathering together of stones, rocks, bricks, or the like to form a barrier shall be permitted around any grave, lot, marker or plant. Grave mounds will not be allowed and no lot shall be raised above the established grade.

17. Individual vases that are not part of the monument or marker shall no longer be installed in the Cemetery.


18. For the period of March 1st to December 1st of each year only cut flowers or potted plants that can be removed and disposed of are permitted, with the exception of artificial arrangements in containers wholly within the structure of the memorial except during the mosquito season .  During the mosquito breeding season no vases or containers may be left in a manner that may become a mosquito breeding ground.  All vases and containers are subject to being emptied,  the vase or container inverted or removed for disposal weekly along with the contents.

2. Individual markers shall not exceed 3 feet 2 inches in  height, 2 feet 6 inches in length or 1 foot 6 inches in width. (See also Specific Information, the last page in this abridgment.)

3. Monuments without the express permission of the Cemetery, shall not exceed 4 feet in height, 4 feet 6 inches in length or 1 foot 6 inches in width.  The Cemetery  will require a reduction of 6 inches in the height and length of monuments where placement is limited or intended to be for 2 sites. (See also Specific Information, the last page in this abridgment.)

 
3a. Low Monuments shall not exceed 1 foot 10 inches in height, 2 feet 6 inches in length  for individual or 3 feet 10 inches for double, and for all not more than 1 foot 6 inches  in width.

3b. Small Monuments shall not exceed 2 feet 8 inches in height, 2 feet 6 inches in length  for individual or 3 feet 2 inches in height, 3 feet 10 inches in length for double, and for  all not more than 1 foot 2 inches in width.
 

 4. No marker or monument shall be installed until the space to be used for said marker or monument is paid for in full.

 5. No marker or monument sold by the Cemetery will be caused to be manufactured until receipt of one half of the funds due, and said marker or monument will not be installed on a grave site until the receipt of the balance due.

 7. Corner markers will no longer be allowed in any Sections in the Cemetery other than those that are now in place or those that may be furnished by the Cemetery to number the Sections.

11. The Cemetery shall have the right to require that proper location information be incorporated in any monument, marker or memorial. An example would be 3-1, 26, 1-4 or R,144,3. This will have to be cut or cast into the monument, marker or memorial where specified or approved by the cemetery.

 9. The Cemetery requires that all bronze memorials be installed on an approved synthetic base or on a granite base. The Cemetery shall have the right to require that proper location information be incorporated in any monument, marker or memorial. An example would be 3-1, 26, 1-4 or R,144,3. This will have to be cut or cast into the monument, marker or memorial where specified or approved by the cemetery. 

 15. All individual memorials with a vase shall be 24 inches by 14 inches unless specifically approved, except that a marker for a child under the age of six (6) years, may be sized down as far as 16 inches by 8 inches.

 17. Individual vases that are not part of and attached to a memorial shall not be installed at any time.

 18. All  Standard companion or family memorials must be not more or less than 44 inches by 14 inches unless specifically approved.

 19. All Standard memorials must be rectangular in shape, be ordered in the dark finish, have oval face lettering when possible and be set on a base.

 20. Select Memorial Designs, the Custom, Premium and Classic lines may be ordered in other sizes, and shapes with differing colors, texture and letter styles when specifically approved for designated locations within the cemetery.

 1.  For the period of March 1st to December 1st of each year only cut flowers or potted plants that can be removed and disposed of are permitted, with the exception of artificial arrangements in containers wholly within the structure of the memorial except during the mosquito season .  During the mosquito breeding season no vases or containers may be left in a manner that may become a mosquito breeding ground.  All vases and containers are subject to being emptied,  the vase or container inverted or removed for disposal weekly along with the contents.


 2. The placing of glass and plastic boxes, unauthorized permanent containers and/or floral designs, shells, toys, metal designs, ornaments, chairs, benches, settees, vases, glass, wood or iron cases or any other ornament or item, including foil covered pots and jars, upon lots shall not be permitted. If placed, the Cemetery reserves the right to remove same without notice.

4. No flower baskets are permitted except at the time of interment services or with special approval for specific occasions with limited duration.

5.  The Cemetery Company reserves the right to remove dead or dying cut flowers, potted plants, or artificial flowers or arrangements of the same, and their containers or holders, whenever the Company deems necessary for mosquito breeding prevention or ease in maintenance and to clear the grounds of all memorial materials and containers; normally but not limited to the following schedule: Starting approximately 14 days prior to  Valentines Day, Easter, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  During mosquito breeding season the removals may be weekly.


 6. All earth or rubbish accumulated by owners of interment rights, or their agents, must be carefully removed by them and deposited at such place as the Superintendent may direct.

 7. No wooden, stone or cast iron bench or chair, or any wooden or wire trellis or the like, shall be permitted to be or be brought upon the grounds.

 8. No enclosure of any kind, such as a fence, coping, hedge, planting or ditching, nor the gathering together of stones, rocks, bricks, or the like to form a barrier shall be permitted around any grave, lot, marker or plant. Grave mounds will not be allowed and no lot shall be raised above the established grade.

 9. The Cemetery is not responsible for theft or damage to anything placed on graves or lots.

 10. The Cemetery shall not be liable for floral pieces, baskets, or frames in which, or to which such floral pieces are attached.

 11. The Cemetery policy is that no grave site may have more than two (2) floral decorations in place at any one time. An exception to this rule will, of course, be made at the time of interment, at which point all floral offerings from the funeral service will be allowed to be placed on the grave for a reasonable length of time. Additional exceptions to this rule for short term placement may be granted upon request for special occasions.

Generally, the following outlines the allowed planting in the Cemetery:

On lots where a monument is installed, plantings may be made on either side of the monument only.  The lot owner must present to the Cemetery a request to plant and obtain the Cemetery's authorization before proceeding. (See also Specific Information, the last page in this abridgment.)
 
In numbered sections of the Cemetery, additional sites may be/or have been purchased to allow for planting of bushes and/or trees. These plantings must also be authorized by the Cemetery to maintain the intended environment.


In sections of the Cemetery requiring memorials that are flush with the ground, or are for the use of individual markers only, no planting is allowed.


No plantings are allowed to be in front of or behind any monument, memorial or marker.

As a result of changes made from time to time in the design of the sections of the Cemetery, the rules for planting may vary according to the location of the property.



 2. The planting of any live shrubs, flowers, or trees on any lot is prohibited except with the approval of the Cemetery; and any such authorization, made on request of lot owners only, will be normally limited to the dwarf variety and the Cemetery assumes no responsibility for any or all plantings under any circumstances. Any plant material is placed at the risk of the owner. Owners have the responsibility of maintaining, trimming, pruning, etc. any plantings authorized for installation by the Cemetery.

3. The Cemetery will undertake to maintain, as may be practicable, the planting of trees and shrubs, to preserve and maintain landscape features, but does not undertake to plant or maintain individual plantings or urns.


4. The Cemetery shall not be responsible for any kinds of plantings damaged by the elements, vandals, thieves or by other causes beyond its control. The Cemetery shall have the further authority to remove all floral designs, flowers, weeds, trees, shrubs, plants, or herbage of any kind from the Cemetery as soon as, in the judgment of the Cemetery, they become unsightly, dangerous, detrimental, or diseased, or when they do not conform to the standard maintained.

 5. Plant material may have to be removed to gain access to adjoining or nearby lots for maintenance or opening of a grave or graves. The Cemetery will, without notification to owners of said lots or materials, remove and attempt to replant the original materials after completion of the maintenance or opening. The Cemetery in so doing will attempt to restore things to their original appearance but assumes no responsibility for such plant materials and their survival.

6. If any trees or shrubs situated in any lot shall by means of their roots, branches, or otherwise become detrimental to adjacent lots or roadways, the Superintendent shall have the right to enter said lot and remove such trees and shrubs, or such parts thereof as he deems proper for the benefit of the Cemetery.

8. All earth or rubbish accumulated by owners of lots, or their agents, must be carefully removed by them and deposited at such place as the Superintendent may direct.

9. No boxes, shells, toys, discarded glassware, sprinkling cans, receptacles, or similar articles will be permitted on any grave, lot or tree.

10. No trees will be removed unless it is absolutely necessary, as the Cemetery regards its trees as a most valuable asset and every reasonable precaution will be taken to safeguard them.

                        NOTICE: Special rules, regulations or requirements may have been implemented on or for 
                      specific interment right locations.  These rules may be in addition to, or may supersede, 
                      some or all of the rules and regulations set forth herein. These special considerations constitute
                      a modification of the cemetery's rules and regulations, specific to the interment rights in 
                      question, which were were agreed to by the parties at the time of purchase, and therefore, 
                      constitute a part of the purchase agreement, binding on all parties. These considerations
                      notwithstanding, these interment rights remain subject to any special rules, regulations or 
                      requirements enacted subsequent to their purchase. 

 5. Bringing, consuming or using beer, intoxicating liquors or drugs within the Cemetery is strictly forbidden.

 6. No boxes, shells, toys, discarded glassware, sprinkling cans, receptacles, or similar articles will be permitted on any grave, lot or tree.

 7. No wooden, stone or cast iron bench or chair, or any wooden or wire trellis, shall be permitted to be or be brought upon the grounds.

 8. The Cemetery is not responsible for theft, damage or removal of anything placed on graves or lots. The Cemetery reserves the right, without prior notification, to remove any and all things placed by anyone on the grounds of the Cemetery, including on an individual grave site anything that is prohibited by the Rules and Regulations; this includes, but is not limited to, items that require the Cemetery's authorization prior to their placement when there has been no authorization for same or any kind of marker, temporary or otherwise not placed by the Cemetery or its agents. Further, any item placed by the Cemetery, its agents, lot owners, their agents, or anyone, may be removed if the fee for said item or any monies owed to the Cemetery are not paid in full either at the time of placement or resulting from non-payment of any balance on said item or items. This may include removal of items from a site(s) or lot(s) where there are monies due to the Cemetery for the Interment Rights themselves under the provisions of these Rules and Regulations.

 11. No enclosure of any kind, such as a fence, coping, hedge, planting or ditching, nor the gathering together of stones, rocks, bricks, or the like to form a barrier shall be permitted around any grave, lot, marker or plant. Grave mounds will not be allowed and no lot shall be raised above the established grade.

24. The general care assumed by the Cemetery shall in no case mean the maintenance, repair or replacement of any plant material, decoration, marker, monument, tomb, or mausoleum placed or installed upon lots; nor the doing of any special or unusual work in the Cemetery. Nor does it mean the reconstruction of any marble or granite work in any section or lot, or any portion or portions thereof in the Cemetery, caused by the elements, an act of God, common enemy, thieves, vandals, strikers, malicious mischief makers, explosions, unavoidable accidents, invasions, insurrections, riots, or by the order of any military or civil authority, whether the damage be direct or collateral.

28. It shall be the duty of the lot owner to notify the Cemetery of any change in their mailing address. Notice sent to a lot owner at the last address on file in the office of the Cemetery shall be considered sufficient and proper legal notification.

30. Gratuities may not be accepted by employees of the Cemetery. No person while employed by the Cemetery shall receive any fee, gratuity or commission, except from the Cemetery, either directly or indirectly. Gratuities may be left at the office for the employees benefit.

The Rules and Regulations of Ivy Hill Cemetery Company of Alexandria under SECTION 7 General contain the following notice:

NOTICE: Special rules, regulations or requirements may have been implemented on or for specific internment right locations.  These rules may be in addition to, or may supersede, some or all of the rules and regulations set forth herein. These special considerations constitute a modification of the cemetery's rules and regulations, specific to the internment rights in question, which were agreed to by the parties at the time of purchase, and therefore, constitute a part of the purchase agreement, binding on all parties. These considerations notwithstanding, these internment rights remain subject to any special rules, regulations or requirements enacted subsequently to their purchase. 

The purchase of inurnment rights in Section 6, Circle of Honor Columbaria, are subject to these SPECIAL RULES, REGULATIONS OR REQUIREMENTS contained herein. 

The over all appearance of these columbaria is dependent upon uniformity and consideration of the  rights and feelings the other owners in the structure and the cemetery and requires strict compliance.

 
1.  Space limitations

a. Niche interior dimensions are nominally 11.5 x 11.5 x 11.5 inches.  Not more than two cremations interment rights are allowed per space. The number of rights is determined by the terms and requirements at the time of sale.  Only one cremation per niche is permitted in niche numbers1 through 24.  Not more than 2 cremations are permitted per niche in niches 25 through 48.

2.  Container requirements 

a. Ivy Hill Cemetery assumes no responsibility or liability for the attempted use of an urn or in the case of two inurnment rights where the size and shape of urn or urns will not fit individually or collectively together into the specified niche dimensions. It is the owner/responsible parties responsibility to have cremains placed in a suitably sized urn or urns for inurnment in the interior dimensions specified.

b. The use of a closed container is required but it may not equal or exceed the niche dimensions.  An urn or urn vault is not required.  The use of a cremation vault is prohibited.

3.  Memorialization Requirements and limitations

a. Memorialization requirements for niches 1 through 24 will be limited to the purchase of Matthews International Impact cremation bronze niche plaque, Hunter Green  style # 6029632 individual full scroll,  provided and/or installed by Ivy Hill Cemetery and attached to the granite covering the niche.

b. Memorialization requirements for niches 25 through 48 will be limited to the purchase of Matthews International Impact cremation bronze niche plaque, Hunter Green  style # # 6029632 individual full scroll, companion full scroll or companion tri-scroll,  provided and/or installed by Ivy Hill Cemetery and attached to the granite covering the niche.

c. An approved bud vase may be purchased and installed by Ivy Hill Cemetery and attached to the granite covering the niche where specified by the cemetery.

4.  Decorations

a. Flowers from services at the columbaria will be placed in areas designated by the cemetery.  Flowers will normally be removed 3 days after the service.

b. Nothing may be attached to, affixed on or placed on top of  the columbaria in any manner.   No, drawings,  photo’s,  personal items of any kind or description are permitted attached or adjacent to the columbaria.

c. Only approved cut or artificial buds may be used in the bud vases attached to the columbaria (see 3c. above).

d.  No artificial  flowers, vases, wreaths, or any kind or planters will be allowed, these items will be immediately discarded. Cut flowers are permitted in designated areas adjacent to the columbariabut will be removed every Tuesday or as needed to keep the columbaria area in a neat and orderly condition.

e. Christmas wreaths may be placed near the columbaria in designated areas for the 2 weeks  proceeding Christmas and will be removed no later than the 7th of January.