Family of Toronto man who died 8 months ago waiting to bury remains amid court battle with cemetery
A Toronto man who died more than eight months ago has still not been buried in a Richmond Hill cemetery amid an ongoing court battle between his family and the landowners.
Louis Tsotsos died following complications from COVID-19 in January. Before his death, he’d told his daughter, Lisa, he wished to be buried in the family plot at the Headford Cemetery in Richmond Hill, north of Toronto.
“My grandparents and the siblings wanted to be put there,” Lisa Tsotsos said in an interview with CTV Toronto from London, England Tuesday.
But more than eight months later, his remains are still at the funeral home in a refrigeration unit.
“Some days, it's so overwhelming that I cry and I want to give up but I’m the executor of the will and I need to finish this for him,” Tsotsos said.
The family is in a legal battle with the new owners of the cemetery property. It was sold to September 21 Inc. two years ago, and Tsotsos says the new company is not honouring their previous agreement.
“The church was sold to September 21 a couple of years ago and they are saying that the cemetery purchases weren’t passed along to them, but I don’t see how that is my family’s problem when I have all the evidence we own [the plot],” she said.
She says the new land owners have blocked the burial, arguing the Tsotsos family hasn't produced the proper documentation.
Tsotsos’s family has taken September 21 Inc. to court and won a judgement, with the Superior Court of Ontario of Justice saying “the internment of Louis Tsotsos at Headford Cemetery shall take place as soon as possible and in any event by no later than Aug 31, 2022.”
Despite a letter from lawyer Art Lambert sent on Aug. 31 saying he was hired by September 21 Inc. “with instructions to ensure Mr. Tsotsos’ burial takes place quickly and without complications,” the burial still has yet to happen.
Reached Tuesday by CTV News Toronto, Lambert wrote, in part, “As far as we have been informed there is ongoing litigation on the issue. We do not represent September 21 Inc. in the litigation”.
In an email Tuesday night, Lambert said “The current court order is made with the consent of September 21 Inc. September 21 Inc. complies with the court order as of 19:29 September 6, 2022, the family has not complied with the court order."
Lisa Tsotsos worries time is running out as her father’s remains decay.
“I‘m facing a really terrible choice of either cremation or find him another plot and pay twice for a piece of land to put him in – my father was a very religious man and [cremation] is not something you do in Macedonian Orthodox. He made me promise when he was alive I would never cremate him.”
She says the entire family would like to honour her father’s wishes: that he be buried with his family in the family plot that they paid for.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Robert Pickton stabbed with toothbrush and broken broom handle: victim's family
The family of one of Robert Pickton's victims says the convicted serial killer suffered an incredibly violent death at the hands of another inmate.
Republicans join Trump's attacks on justice system and campaign of vengeance after guilty verdict
Embracing Donald Trump's strategy of blaming the U.S. justice system after his historic guilty verdict, Republicans in Congress are fervently enlisting themselves in his campaign of vengeance and political retribution in the GOP bid to reclaim the White House.
Is carbon pricing a politically feasible climate policy? Research says maybe not
Research suggests the Liberals may be fighting a losing battle, and some experts are urging policymakers to look for alternative policies to lower emissions, warning the threat of climate change is too dire to delay action.
Ex-husband charged with murder in death of Lumby, B.C., woman
The ex-husband of Tatjana Stefanski – the woman whose disappearance and death set the small town of Lumby, B.C., on edge last month – has been charged with her murder.
U.K. ambassador to Mexico out after video allegedly shows him pointing a rifle at a colleague
The U.K.’s ambassador to Mexico has left his post after a video was posted on social media that purportedly shows him pointing an assault rifle at an embassy employee.
U.S. defense secretary says war with China neither imminent nor unavoidable, stressing need for talks
United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told a gathering of top security officials Saturday that war with China was neither imminent nor unavoidable, despite rapidly escalating tensions in the Asia-Pacific region, stressing the importance of renewed dialogue between him and his Chinese counterpart in avoiding "miscalculations and misunderstandings."
Daughter of Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt files court petition to remove father's last name
A daughter of actors Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt filed paperwork to legally remove "Pitt" from her name on the day she turned 18.
Oilers beat Stars, one win away from Stanley Cup berth
Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two power-play goals as Edmonton smothered the Dallas Stars 3-1 to take a 3-2 lead in the NHL's Western Conference final on Friday.
'We will go with the majority': Liberals slammed by opposition over proposal to delay next election
The federal Liberal government learned Friday it might have to retreat on a proposal within its electoral reform legislation to delay the next vote by one week, after all opposition parties came out to say they can't support it.