Chapter 97 — Chapter 97

ORS 97.275 [1969 c.175 §6; 1969 c.591 §278a; 1975 c.215 §1; repealed by 1995 c.717 §9]

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ORS 97.280 [1969 c.175 §7; repealed by 1995 c.717 §9]

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ORS 97.285 [1969 c.175 §8; repealed by 1995 c.717 §9]

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ORS 97.290 [1969 c.175 §9; repealed by 1995 c.717 §9]

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ORS 97.295 [Formerly 116.115; 1995 c.717 §11; renumbered 97.966 in 1995]

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ORS 97.300 [1969 c.271 §1; 1995 c.717 §12; renumbered 97.968 in 1995]

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ORS 97.310 Survey and subdivision of land; map or plat of mausoleum or columbarium; access easement. (1) Every cemetery authority, from time to time as its property may require for cemetery purposes, shall

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ORS 97.320 Filing map or plat and declaration of dedication of land to cemetery purposes. In case of a cemetery lot, the cemetery authority shall file the map or plat in the office of the recording officer of the county in which all or a portion of the property is situated, and it forthwith shall file for record in that officer’s office a written declaration dedicating the property delineated on the plat or map exclusively to cemetery purposes

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ORS 97.330 When dedication is complete. Upon the filing of the map or plat and of the declaration for record, the dedication is complete for all purposes, and thereafter the property shall be held, occupied and used exclusively for cemetery purposes

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ORS 97.340 Effect of dedication. After property is dedicated to cemetery purposes pursuant to ORS 97.310 to 97.330 and 97.360 (1), neither the dedication nor the title of a plot owner shall be affected by the dissolution of the cemetery authority by nonuser on its part, by alienation of the property, by any encumbrances, by sale under execution or otherwise, except as provided in ORS 97.310 to 97.350, 97.360 (2), 97.440, 97.510 to 97.650, 97.710, 97.720 and 97.810 to 97.865

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ORS 97.350 Dedication to cemetery purposes not invalid. Dedication to cemetery purposes pursuant to ORS 97.010 to 97.040, 97.110 to 97.450, 97.510 to 97.730, 97.810 to 97.920 and 97.990 is not invalid as violating any laws against perpetuities or the suspension of the power of alienation of title to or use of property, and is deemed to be in respect for the dead, and is a provision for the interment of human remains and is a duty to, and for the benefit of, the general public

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ORS 97.360 Resurvey and alteration in shape or size; vacation of streets, walks, driveways and parks and replatting into lots. (1) Any part or subdivision of the property so mapped and platted may, by order of the directors and consent of the lot owners, be resurveyed and altered in shape and size and an amended map or plat filed, so long as such change does not disturb any interred remains

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ORS 97.370 Fixing date of hearing; notice. When any application mentioned in ORS 97.360 (2) is filed, the court or board shall fix the time for the hearing of it and notice of the time thereof shall be given by publication in a paper of general circulation published in the town in which the cemetery is situated or in the town to which it is nearest once a week for a period of six successive weeks prior to the date of the hearing and a copy of such notice shall be posted for a like period at three public and conspicuous places in the cemetery. Such notice shall be addressed to all persons owning lots or having an interest in the cemetery, but need not name them, and shall set forth in a general way the proposed changes, the reason stated in the application for making it, the time when the hearing of the application will be had, and shall state that a plat showing the proposed changes is on file with the county clerk of the county in which the cemetery is situated

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ORS 97.380 Hearing; order allowing replatting. At the hearing mentioned in ORS 97.370 the court or board shall consider and hear any evidence introduced in favor of the proposed change and all objections thereto and, after a full hearing thereon, may allow the proposed change and replat in whole or in part. If the proposed change is allowed, either in whole or in part, an order allowing it shall be made providing that title to any new lot created by the alteration or vacation of any avenues, streets, alleys, driveways, walks or parks, or any part thereof, shall be vested in the owner of the fee of the part of the cemetery sought to be vacated in trust for burial purposes, or vested in any association which may be formed for the purpose of taking over the cemetery and operating and maintaining it in accordance with the provisions of ORS 97.400. [Amended by 1985 c.582 §4; 1999 c.381 §2]

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ORS 97.390 Assessment of benefits and damages. If any damages are claimed by the owner of any lot in any such cemetery as is mentioned in ORS 97.360 (2), which lot is adjacent to the avenues, streets, alleys, driveways or parks vacated as provided in ORS 97.380, they shall be ascertained by the county court or board of county commissioners and offset against the benefits accruing to the lot owner on account of the upkeep and beautification of the cemetery in the manner provided in ORS 97.400. Any person feeling aggrieved at the amount of damages so assessed by the board may appeal from such order of allowance to the circuit court of the county in which the cemetery is situated in the same manner as is provided by statute for appeal from the assessment of damages by the exercise of eminent domain in locating a county road and on such appeal the jury, in assessing the amount of damages to be allowed to the appellant, shall offset against such damages the benefits accruing to the appellant as in this section above provided

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ORS 97.400 Disposal of newly created lots; disposition and use of proceeds from sale; failure of owner to perform duties. Any owner or association accepting the trust of handling and disposing of lots newly created pursuant to ORS 97.380 shall by the acceptance thereof agree to dispose of the lots only for burial purposes and at a price not less than that fixed by the county court or board of county commissioners. The net funds derived from the sale of the lots remaining after the payment of the reasonable expenses incident to the vacation and of the sale shall be placed in an irreducible and perpetual fund and the interest therefrom shall be used for the perpetual upkeep and beautification of the cemetery and the lots therein situated. The fund shall be placed in some reliable trust company specified by the court or board, which trust company shall invest the same and pay the income therefrom to the owner or association charged with the disposal of such lots. Any owner or association taking over the sale of the lots shall comply with such provisions as the court or board may require of it in the upkeep, beautification and care of the cemetery with the income thereof, and if such owner or association for any reason fails to perform such duties, the court or board may, on its own motion, from time to time, appoint some other association or individual to perform them. The restrictions of this section shall not apply to the sale of lots obtained by replatting cemeteries owned and maintained by any county

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ORS 97.410 Right of adjacent lot owner upon vacation of way. The vacation of an avenue, street, alley, driveway, walk or park adjacent to a cemetery lot shall vest in the owner of such lot no interest in the vacated portion thereof; but the adjacent owner shall, for 30 days after the date of such an order of vacation, have the right to purchase any new lot adjacent to the lot of the owner at the price fixed by the court or board at which the lots are to be sold, and if there is more than one adjacent lot owner, the new lot shall be sold to the one offering the highest price therefor

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ORS 97.420 Effect of failure to object. Any owner of such cemetery as is mentioned in ORS 97.360 (2), or of any lot therein, or any relative or heir of any deceased person buried in such cemetery who fails to appear and file written objection to any proposed replat, alteration or vacation, authorized by ORS 97.360 (2), shall be deemed to have consented to the proposed change and shall be forever barred from claiming any right to use and have open for traffic or passageway any streets, alleys, driveways or parks vacated, or any right, title or interest therein, except as provided in ORS 97.360 (2) and 97.370 to 97.410

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ORS 97.430 Declaration of exercise of police power and right of eminent domain. The enactment of ORS 97.360 (2) and 97.370 to 97.430 is hereby declared to be a necessary exercise of the police powers of the state in order to preserve and keep existing cemeteries as resting places for the dead and to preserve old and historic cemeteries from becoming unkempt and places of reproach and desolation in the communities in which they are located. The taking of avenues, streets, alleys, walks, driveways and parks for the purpose and by the method specified in ORS 97.360 (2) and 97.370 to 97.420 is hereby declared an exercise of the right of eminent domain in behalf of the public health, safety, comfort, pleasure and historic instruction

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ORS 97.440 Removal of dedication. (1) Property dedicated to cemetery purposes shall be held and used exclusively for cemetery purposes until the dedication is removed from all or any part of it by an order and decree of the county court or board of county commissioners of the county in which the property is situated in a proceeding brought by the cemetery authority for that purpose and upon notice of hearing and proof satisfactory to the court that

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ORS 97.445 Vacating county interest in cemetery real property. Consistent with the provisions of ORS 368.326 to 368.366, a county may vacate any real property interests the county may own in a cemetery. Consistent with ORS 368.366 (2), the county may vacate its real property interests in favor of a private nonprofit organization provided the organization states its intent to provide for the continuing maintenance and care of the cemetery and associated facilities. [1997 c.747 §2]

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ORS 97.450 Discontinuance of cemetery and removal of remains and markers. (1)(a) Whenever any cemetery that is within the limits of any county, city or town has been abandoned, or it is desirable to abandon such cemetery, the governing body of any county, if the cemetery is owned by the county, or the corporate authorities of the city or town, if the cemetery is owned by the city or town, or the trustees or directors, if the cemetery is owned by an association or corporation, may order that such burial ground be discontinued, have the remains of all persons interred in the cemetery moved to some other suitable place and provide for the removal and reerection of all stones and monuments marking said graves. Each removal must be made in an appropriate manner and in accordance with the directions of the Director of the Oregon Health Authority. Prior to any removal authorized under this section, written notice must be given to the family, or next of kin of the deceased, if known, and if unknown, notice of the removal shall be published for at least four successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the cemetery is located and twice in a newspaper with statewide circulation

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ORS 97.460 Requirements for establishment of cemetery or burial park. (1) A person may not lay out, open up or use any property for cemetery or burial park purposes unless the person

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ORS 97.510 Sale and conveyance of plots by cemetery authority. (1) After filing the map or plat and recording the declaration of dedication, a cemetery authority may sell and convey plots subject to such rules and regulations as may be then in effect and subject to such other and further limitations, conditions and restrictions made a part of the declaration of dedication by reference or included in the instrument of conveyance of the plot

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ORS 97.520 Sale or offer to sell cemetery plot upon promise of resale at financial profit. A person, firm or corporation may not sell or offer to sell a cemetery plot upon the promise, representation or inducement of resale at a financial profit, except with the consent and approval of the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services. Each violation of this section constitutes a separate offense. [Amended by 1989 c.171 §13; 2007 c.661 §4]

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ORS 97.530 Commission, bonus or rebate for sale of plot or services. No cemetery authority shall pay or offer to pay, and no person, firm or corporation shall receive, directly or indirectly, a commission, bonus, rebate or other thing of value for the sale of a plot or services. This does not apply to a person regularly employed by the cemetery authority for such purpose. Each violation of this section constitutes a separate offense

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ORS 97.540 Commission, bonus or rebate for recommendation of cemetery. No person shall pay, cause to be paid or offer to pay, and no person, firm or corporation shall receive, directly or indirectly, except as provided in ORS 97.530, any commission, bonus, rebate or other thing of value in consideration of recommending or causing a dead human body to be disposed of in any cemetery. Each violation of this section constitutes a separate offense

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ORS 97.550 Plots are indivisible. All plots, the use of which has been conveyed by deed or certificate of ownership as a separate plot, are indivisible except with the consent of the cemetery authority, or as provided by law

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ORS 97.560 Presumption of sole ownership in grantee of plot. All plots conveyed to individuals are presumed to be solely and separately owned by the person named in the instrument of conveyance

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ORS 97.570 Spouse has vested right of interment. (1) The spouse of an owner of any plot containing more than one interment space has a vested right of interment of the remains of the spouse in the plot, and any person thereafter becoming the spouse of the owner has a vested right of interment of the remains of the person in the plot if more than one interment space is unoccupied at the time the person becomes the spouse of the owner

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ORS 97.580 Divestiture of spouse’s right of interment. No conveyance or other action of the owner without the written consent or joinder of the spouse of the owner divests the spouse of the vested right of interment, except that a judgment of divorce between them terminates the right unless otherwise provided in the judgment. [Amended by 2003 c.576 §357]

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ORS 97.590 Transfer of plot or right of interment. No transfer of any plot, heretofore or hereafter made, or any right of interment is complete or effective until recorded on the books of the cemetery authority

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ORS 97.600 Descent of plot. Upon the death of the owner, unless the owner has disposed of the plot either by specific direction in the will of the owner or by a written declaration filed and recorded in the office of the cemetery authority, if no interment has been made in an interment plot which has been transferred by deed or certificate of ownership to an individual owner or if all remains previously interred are lawfully removed, the plot descends to the heirs at law of the owner, subject to the rights of interment of the decedent and the surviving spouse of the decedent

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ORS 97.610 Determining occupant of burial plot having co-owners. When there are two or more owners of a burial plot or of rights of interment therein, such owners may designate one or more persons to designate the burials to be made in the plot and file written notice of such designation with the cemetery association. In the absence of such notice or of written objection to its so doing, the cemetery association is not liable to any owner for interring or permitting an interment therein upon the request or direction of any registered co-owner of the plot

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ORS 97.620 Death of co-owner; authorization to use plot under directions of surviving owners. An affidavit by any person having knowledge of the fact, setting forth the fact of the death of one owner and establishing the identity of the surviving owners named in the deed to any plot, when filed with the cemetery authority operating the cemetery in which the plot is located, is authorization to the cemetery authority to permit the use of the unoccupied portion of the plot in accordance with the directions of the surviving owners or their successors in interest

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ORS 97.630 Family plots; order of occupation. (1) Whenever an interment of the remains of a member or of a relative of a member of the family of the record owner, or of the remains of the record owner, is made in a plot transferred by deed or certificate of ownership to an individual owner, and the owner dies without making disposition of the plot, either by direction in the owner’s will, or by a written declaration filed and recorded in the office of the cemetery authority, the plot thereby becomes inalienable and shall be held as the family plot of the owner, and occupied in the following order

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ORS 97.640 Waiver or termination of vested right of interment. A vested right of interment may be waived and is terminated upon the interment elsewhere of the remains of the person in whom it is vested

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ORS 97.650 Limitations upon vested right of interment. No vested right of interment gives to any person the right to have the remains of the person interred in any interment space in which the remains of any deceased person having equal or prior vested right of interment have been interred; nor does it give any person the right to have the remains of more than one deceased person interred in a single interment space in violation of the rules and regulations of the cemetery in which the interment space is located

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ORS 97.660 Lands of cemetery, crematory or reduction corporation; exemption from execution, taxation and condemnation. A nonprofit corporation organized and existing solely for the purposes of either owning and operating a cemetery or cremating or reducing the bodies of deceased persons and burying and caring for cremated or reduced remains, may purchase or take, by gift or devise, and own and hold lands for the sole purpose of either a cemetery, a crematory or an alternative disposition facility and burial place for cremated or reduced remains. Such lands shall be exempt from execution, and from any appropriation for public purposes, and lots or portions of such land and space in any buildings thereon may be sold, if intended to be used exclusively for burial purposes, and in no wise with a view to the profit of the members of such corporation. The land so held for cemetery purposes shall not exceed 600 acres, but if the land already held for such purpose by the corporation is all practically used, the amount thereof may be increased by adding thereto not more than 20 acres at any one time. The land so held for the purposes of a crematory or alternative disposition facility and the burial of cremated or reduced remains shall not exceed 30 acres, but if the land already held for such purposes by the corporation is all practically used, the amount thereof may be increased by adding thereto not more than 10 acres at any one time. Lands held for the purposes described in this section shall be exempt from taxation as provided in ORS 307.150. [Formerly 65.855; 2021 c.296 §12]

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ORS 97.665 Revenues; restrictions on uses of revenue. (1) A nonprofit corporation organized or existing solely for the purposes of either owning and operating a cemetery or cremating or reducing the bodies of deceased persons and burying and caring for cremated or reduced remains may, by its bylaws, provide that a stated percentage of the money received from the sale of lots and burial space, cremation or reduction of bodies, donations, gifts or other sources of revenue shall constitute an irreducible fund. Any bylaw enacted for the creation of the irreducible fund cannot be amended to reduce the fund

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ORS 97.670 Selling land unsuited for burials. If in the board of directors’ opinion, any portion of the lands of a nonprofit corporation organized and existing solely for the purposes of either owning or operating a cemetery or the cremation or reduction of bodies of deceased persons and the burial and care of cremated or reduced remains is unsuitable for burial purposes or other purposes of the corporation, the board of directors may sell such portion and apply the proceeds to the general purposes of such corporation in the same proportion and manner as provided by ORS 97.660 to 97.680. [Formerly 65.865; 2021 c.296 §14]

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ORS 97.675 Burial lots or space; use; exemption from taxation, execution and liens; lien for purchase price of gravestone. Burial lots or space for burial of cremated or reduced remains in buildings or grounds sold by a nonprofit corporation organized and existing solely for the purposes of either owning and operating a cemetery or cremating or reducing the bodies of deceased persons and burying and caring for cremated or reduced remains shall be for the sole purpose of interment or deposit and safekeeping of cremated or reduced remains. Such lots or space shall be exempt from execution, attachment or other lien or process, if used as intended by the purchaser thereof from such corporation, or the assigns or representatives of the purchaser, exclusively for burial purposes, and in no wise with a view to profit. Such lots or space shall be exempt from taxation as provided in ORS 307.150. The vendor of any gravestone, however, shall not be prevented from having and enforcing a lien thereon for all or part of its purchase price. If a suit is brought to enforce such a lien, the judgment therein is enforceable thereafter; and, for the purpose of enabling the lien to be had and enforced, the gravestone shall be deemed personal property and may be severed and removed, under execution and order of sale, from the lot where it is situated and may be sold in the same manner as any other personal property. [Formerly 65.870; 2021 c.296 §15]

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ORS 97.680 Recording plan; power to improve and regulate grounds. (1) As used in this section, “plan” means a document indicating the placement of lots or burial spaces, and of the niches or inurnment spaces in the buildings erected thereon, as established and authorized by the cemetery authority

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ORS 97.710 Power of cemetery authority to make rules and regulations. (1) The cemetery authority may make and enforce rules and regulations for

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ORS 97.720 Record of interments, cremations and reductions; inspection. (1) The person in charge of any premises on which interments, cremations or reductions are made shall keep a record of all remains interred or cremated or reduced on the premises under the person’s charge, in each case stating the name of each deceased person, the date of interment, cremation or reduction, and the name and address of the funeral service practitioner. The interment records shall be open to inspection by survivors of the decedent during the customary office hours of the cemetery authority

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ORS 97.725 Disposal of unclaimed burial spaces; notice; form of notice; claims. (1) As used in this section, “unclaimed burial space” means a burial space in a cemetery

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ORS 97.730 Gifts and bequests in trust for cemeteries. Gifts, grants and bequests of personal property in trust for the purpose of providing perpetual care and maintenance, improvement or embellishment of private burial lots in or outside of cemeteries and of the walks, fences, monuments, structures or tombs thereon, are permitted and shall be deemed to be for perpetual and benevolent uses. They are not invalid by reason of any indefiniteness or uncertainty of the persons designated as beneficiaries in the instrument creating the trust; nor are they invalid as violating any existing laws against perpetuities or suspension of the power of alienation of title to property. But nothing in this section affects any existing authority or cause to pass upon the reasonableness of the amount of such gift, grant or bequest. Any cemetery association may act as trustee of and execute any such trust with respect to lots, walks, fences, monuments, structures or tombs, both within or outside its own cemetery limits, but within the county where such cemetery association has its principal office and place of business, whether such power is otherwise included in its corporate powers or not

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ORS 97.740 Definitions for ORS 97.740 to 97.760. For the purposes of ORS 97.740 to 97.760

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ORS 97.745 Prohibited acts; application; notice. (1) Except as provided in ORS 97.750, no person shall willfully remove, mutilate, deface, injure or destroy any cairn, burial, human remains, funerary object, sacred object or object of cultural patrimony of any native Indian. Persons disturbing native Indian cairns or burials through inadvertence, including by construction, mining, logging or agricultural activity, shall at their own expense reinter the human remains or funerary object under the supervision of the appropriate Indian tribe

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ORS 97.750 Permitted acts; notice. (1) Any proposed excavation by a professional archaeologist of a native Indian cairn or burial shall be initiated only after prior written notification to the State Historic Preservation Officer and the state police, as defined in ORS 358.905, and with the prior written consent of the appropriate Indian tribe in the vicinity of the intended action. Failure of a tribe to respond to a request for permission within 30 days of its mailing shall be deemed consent. All associated material objects, funerary objects and human remains removed during such an excavation shall be reinterred at the archaeologist’s expense under the supervision of the Indian tribe

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