Trying to sell burial plots. Any ideas on how we can facilitate this?

Definitely ask the funeral home and cemetery. Every day, more so these past couple of years, they are requested to make arrangements for people who can't afford regular price of service/plots. They are the folks seeing people in need every day. Of course, read the contract(s) for funeral service and the plots to see what it says about selling or transferring.

You might also contact friends and family from back home, if there's no problem with transferring, to make them all aware you want to sell. Might not happen right now, but someone will remember you told them if they have a need for someone who didn't make any arrangements.

nature73: Imho, the answer that you're looking for will depend on who holds the deeds to the cemetery plots. My late mother bought four cemetery plots "because there were 4 in her family." She failed to realize that her 2 adult children may (and did) move away from our childhood home (my dad died young and that's when she bought the plots).

Check with the Funeral Home or wherever they purchased it from and ask them to see it for you and ask how much they would charge.

When my husband passed I had to sell our plot because I needed the money. My husband and I decided to go with cremation. Not knowing how to do it I contacted the cemetery. Was able to list the location of the plot in the paper and sell it at what we paid for it (a lot less than the current price) to someone who did not have arrangements made. It worked out for me. I needed the money and they needed the plot. Since we had also paid for the grave marker the cemetery let me keep that.

I would suggest listing them in the classified section of the local newspaper that the plots are located. I sold my 2 plots that way and they were snatched up right away. Be reasonable about the price you want, after all if the plots are not sold by you, people will just go directly to the cemetery and buy plots from them at a ridiculous price.

I would donate them.
You would get a write off of the value of the donation.
Someone would get a plot that they need.
I would contact a Hospice in your area and see if they would want them. They could use them for a family in need or they might be used as an item in a Fund Raising Silent Auction.
The Hospice I volunteer at has a high number of Pediatric Patients and I am sure many of them do not have extra funds for funeral arrangements or plots.

Some cemetaries participate in an exchange program where the purchase of plots in one location can be exchanged for those in another town. There is some affiliation they belong to. Perhaps the plots your parents bought could be exchanged to benefit someone else in the family who has not made final arrangements.

My suggestion: I would have named the location of the plots on here more clearly. For example; "Getting rid of 2 plots located in Jackson, Mississippi any takers?" Then list your contact information. I would put it on EVERY social media site. Good luck

My in-laws are buried in a National Cemetery. They do such a nice service.

The plots are not in a National Cemetery correct? They are regular cemetery plots?

If so, I would think any arrangements that were made should be paid back. Mom's was set up as a trust. The problem is going to be the plots if the cemetery does not buy them back. I don't know why they wouldn't because they could sell them and make a pretty good profit.

When my Uncle bought his plots he bought 4 for $800 back in the 60s. My Aunt didn't wanted to be buried where her family was so my Uncle was buried near her. This left my cousin with 4 lots to get rid of. Problem, the cemetery charged to have the deeds transferred to the new owners. I remember it wasn't cheap and not easy to sell them after finding out that.

nature73, first of all, read the Deed for the plots, that will give you information on what can and cannot be done. Being the plots are in a "National" cemetery, you could talk with your U.S. State Senator to see what can be done, and he/she can check State laws regarding same.

Sometimes churches assist members with burials. You might check with churches in their old home town to see if they would be interested in a reduced rate.

One of the problems with cemeteries buying them back is that the grief counselors won’t get paid unless it is a “new” sale and that’s often the contact person. It is a tough job they have. They might have authority to sell but not to buy lots.
If the lots are located in one of the chains, try contacting the corporate office to see if that level has an interest and make sure you are speaking with someone who can actually say yes.

You could also see who is buried near the lots to see if you can contact extended family who might want to be buried near their mom or dad.

You can search on FindAGrave and possibly read obits to see who those survivors might be.
I am surprised that the arrangements are transferrable.

Many of the National cemeteries are running short of space. It’s good you already have your dads space reserved by mom.

My brother tried selling back to the cemetery. He told me they couldn't
say "No" fast enough or often enough. I will add that the location is in the southern US. It would seem that there would be more of a demand in that area, but obviously not.

What about contacting area funeral homes, perhaps offering a percentage? People come to the forum all the time worried about funeral costs, I imagine people would snap them up if they only knew about them.

You check with the cemetery owner and see if they'll buy them back. That's what I did with two single plots we have in our family that were intended for tho husbands of two aunts who never ended up marrying.
For what it's worth, in my case, the answer was no.

They didn't want any single plots, but you might have better luck with the pair.

Have you tried selling them back to the cemetery. That's what we did.