Scofield council moves to buy cemetery after title review finds 2.72 acres were never deeded

Scofield Town Council voted Dec. 8 to move forward with buying roughly 2.72 acres of the town cemetery after a title and survey review found that portion was never formally deeded to the town.

Chair (identified in the transcript as Unidentified Speaker 1) told the council the town’s title search and survey showed only about 1.83 acres are solidly in the town’s name and the rest still belongs to the Talonis family. The town secured an appraisal that put the market value at $20,000; the council approved paying the $2,350 appraisal bill at the meeting.

Why it matters: the parcel includes burial plots used by local families for generations. Council members said buying the land is the fastest way to secure continued access and burial rights without protracted litigation; the chair said, “we’ve gotta have that cemetery,” during the discussion.

Council members noted additional expected costs beyond the appraisal. The chair and other members said the family’s representatives live abroad and that additional attorney and international-documentation costs to obtain required signatures are likely; a prior surveyor bill of $3,130 was already billed as an emergency purchase. The chair estimated total costs may approach, but hoped to remain under, $30,000 once legal and travel-related expenses are included.

Actions taken: the council voted to approve the $2,350 appraisal payment and then voted to proceed with purchasing the parcel from the Talonis family. Motions were made and seconded from the dais and the chair called for and recorded affirmative votes. Council members instructed staff to continue negotiations, obtain contracts and work with the town’s attorney on next steps.

Next steps: staff will pursue purchase negotiations, obtain any required international signatures and present final purchase documents and cost estimates to the council for formal authorization or appropriation. The council discussed applying for grant funding to offset survey and acquisition costs.

The council adjourned at 8:26 p.m.