§1222. Acceptance; exemption from liability; trust funds for repairs

Any city, town, cemetery corporation, trust company or trustee may accept any conveyance of land not exceeding 1/2 acre, to be forever held, kept and used for a private or family burying ground for the grantors and such of their heirs and relatives by blood or marriage as the conveyance shall designate. Such lot and all erections thereon, including the erection and maintenance of the same, and fixtures thereto suitable for its use or adornment as a burying ground, are forever inalienable and indivisible and exempt from liability for debt. Such city, town, corporation, company or trustee may accept and forever hold any donation or legacy for insuring proper care and attention to any burial lot or ground and the avenues thereof and the monuments thereon. Having accepted such donation or legacy, said trustee becomes bound to perform the duties appertaining to the trust as specified in the writing creating the same or, in default of such specification, as required by law, and as in cases of public charity. Any city or town without giving bond therefor may be appointed by the probate court testamentary trustee for the purpose of holding forever, in accordance with this section and the terms of the devise, any fund devised for the purposes aforesaid. Any such city, town, cemetery corporation, trust company, or trustee failing to furnish proper care and attention to any burial lot, the perpetual care whereof has been provided for as above, shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $100, to be recovered by complaint or indictment. The District Court and the Superior Court shall have concurrent jurisdiction. Of all fines provided for under this section and recovered on complaint, 1/2 shall go to the prosecutor and 1/2 to the county where the city, town, cemetery corporation, trust company or trustee committing the offense is situated. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to compel any such city, town, cemetery corporation, trust company or trustee to expend in any one year upon any such lot more than the income from any such fund.