Ownership of a BH County Cemetery Questioned

JANESVILLE, Iowa (AP) — Legal questions about ownership surround the cemetery of a Janesville church that was abandoned several years ago.

The property's ownership and responsibility seem to be muddled, according to an assistant Black Hawk County attorney. The Iowa Conference of the United Methodist Church filed a quit claim deed in Black Hawk County in 2011, effectively giving the cemetery to trustees of Mount Vernon Township. The attorney says that courthouse records appear to show that township trustees own the cemetery. Township trustees say there were no plans or directives when the church was abandoned, so ownership is unclear.

An attorney for the Iowa Conference cites a state law, which states that "a governmental subdivision" bears responsibility for cemeteries with no support mechanisms in place. The attorney says that the township is that subdivision.

Both parties say that a resolution is possible.