There's an old cemetery a few miles down the road from my parents' house. I think it's abandoned. There used to be a big cobblestone road leading into the cemetery, but time has worn it away. The earliest gravestones date around the great depression. Some people just have cinder blocks or little tin signs to mark their resting place. The newest gravestones say they were laid in the sixties. Since then the forest has reclaimed the land. The grassy lawns and artificial flowers are all gone. There are hundreds of species of plants, trees, and mushrooms living there now. It's really quite beautiful and peaceful in this cemetery.

On a trip to rub gravestones I started thinking. If the forest can reclaim this land, why can't I? I live in WV - a state with very low property value. Abandoned buildings in my area have been sold off for only a hundred bucks with the promise that the new owner starts maintaining the property and paying taxes on it. If I could buy this land on the cheap maybe I could build a house there. I don't really know anything about construction, but I'm an able-bodied young man, and I know a friend who built his own house.

So there are a few questions I need answered. The first thing I need to do is confirm the land is abandoned. How do I do this? Will someone at my local courthouse be able to tell me? Will I need to find the original owner? If the original owner is dead or just uninterested in the property will I be able to buy the land from the county? I also have questions about zoning. Is it legal to build a house on cemetery land? I obviously won't build my house right on top of someone's grave, but it will be near graves. Can I run electrical lines and water pipes across this land? I have technical questions too. In order to move building materials onto the land, will I need to repair the old road (or pave a new one)?

I have a lot more questions too. I know that most people on this board won't be able to help me without knowing my local laws. I'm hoping that someone here can point me in the right direction. Who do I need to contact to have all my questions answered? Any help is appreciated.