AN ACT CONCERNING THE SALE OF ABANDONED OR UNUSED CEMETERY LOTS.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 19a-307 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2018):

Any town or any mutual nonstock cemetery association or corporation having charges legally assessed against any lot in the cemetery under its control or any holder of any such lot which have been due and unpaid for at least [ten years] one year shall be authorized to sell the unused portion of such lot in such manner as its legislative body or governing board, as the case may be, may direct, provided a notice shall be sent by registered or certified mail to any such lotholder and any other person known to be beneficially interested in any such lot, at the last-known address of such lotholder or other person, which notice shall substantially contain the information that, if such legally assessed charges are not paid within [a year] six months from the date of the issuance of such notice, such town, cemetery association or corporation may take over any unused portion of such lot for the purpose of sale. [, provided space shall be reserved for the surviving spouse, if any, of the original lotholder, if the surviving spouse would otherwise be eligible for burial in such cemetery under the rules and regulations governing burials in such cemetery.] If such town, association or corporation is unable to determine any person known to be beneficially interested in any such lot, it shall cause to be published, in a newspaper having a circulation in the town in which the cemetery is located, at least once, [a week for three consecutive weeks,] a notice containing the same information as is sent to any known lotholder or person known to be beneficially interested. The proceeds from the sale of such unused portion of such lots shall first be used to reimburse such town, association or corporation for any past due charges and costs of sale. The balance shall be placed in a perpetual care fund, the interest from which shall be expended in the care of such uncared-for lots in such cemetery as are designated by the legislative body of such town or the governing board of such cemetery, as the case may be.