Are There Laws When it Comes to Dead Bodies in Your Amarillo Yard?

When this topic got brought up I thought "what kind of backwoods place are we talking about?" I guess I never thought about it. Now I am being forced to ponder. It got me thinking about my own backyard.

Do I have anything buried in it? Up until a year and a half ago, I would have said no. No hidden treasures. No dead bodies. That has changed. Still no hidden treasures. Now before you go and call the police on me and have my backyard excavated. No human is buried in my backyard.

I had to bury my dog, Chipper, there. She passed away late on a Friday and I didn't know what to do with her. My vet was not open to help me. So I had some friends come over and help me bury her in my yard. I have a cute little grave marker so we can remember her while out in the yard.

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This is on a much larger level. Dead bodies. Family members. Some families have lots of land and end up using that family land for burial. OK, not something that I am familiar with but it happens. I don't have any family with tons of money and land.

So, first of all, it is totally legal to have a family member buried in your yard. Now I watch too much Investigation Discovery Channel to have to state that we are talking about family members that have died of natural causes. If you kill someone and bury them in your yard you will be caught. So I don't advise it.

So You Buried Grandma in the Backyard Now You Are Selling, What Do You Do?

There is no law in the state of Texas stating you can't bury someone in your backyard. So it does happen. In fact, it is legal in all fifty states. The only restriction to burying on your property is found in local zoning laws that basically tell you how and where you can bury the body.

The body may have to be a certain distance from your neighbor's property. You may have to also have a grave so deep. There are some restrictions but nothing that will keep you from a home burial.

When it comes to selling what do you do? You don't have to disclose if someone died on your property according to Texas law.

Under Texas law, a seller or seller's agent has no duty to disclose a death from natural causes, suicide, or an accident unrelated to the property's condition (Texas Property Code 5008[c]).

What about if someone is looking to buy your home, do they need to know of the body buried in your yard? The short answer is yes. The recommendation is to make a map so the new homeowners know where people are buried. Why? Because once a person is buried it is considered illegal to disturb a home burial ground.

You need to make sure the cemetery, even if it is just one person, is included in the deed of your home. Future residents do need to know of the burial grounds. So if this is land that will someday be out of your family it's important to follow this.

Could this be a dealbreaker when it comes to someone buying your home? Possibly. I guess it depends on where the grave is and how much land you have. Keeping family close to home may be a good idea for some but not when it comes time to sell.