Ontario couple denied $24K refund for cemetery plot in city they no longer live in

An Ontario couple has a warning for those choosing their final resting place after being denied a refund of over $24,000 for a cemetery plot in a city they no longer live in.

In 2020, Brian Dupuis and Krystyna Hojka-Dupuis purchased a plot in the Assumption Catholic Cemetery in Mississauga, Ont. in 2020, but have since moved to the small town of Hagersville, Ont. over an hour away.

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“Unfortunately we have changed our mind,” Dupuis told CTV News Toronto. “You never really know what’s going to happen in the future.”

The couple initially purchased the plot to be buried near Hojka-Dupuis' parents, but now, the drive from Hagersville to Mississauga can sometimes take as long as three hours round trip.

“As we get older, I can’t see either my wife or I making the trip,” Dupuis said.

The Dupuis’ paid $24,200 for the cemetery plot and monument. The gravestone does not have their information inscribed yet, they said.

When the couple asked the cemetery for a refund, they said they were told it wasn’t possible.

“They basically said it's not in their policy,” Dupuis said.

Assumption Catholic Cemetery in Mississauga, Ont. can be seen above. (Assumption Catholic Cemetery/Facebook)

The couple was then told they could sell the plot themselves on Kijiji or Facebook, a suggestion they said took them by surprise.

“People move,” Dupuis said. “It could be to a new town, province, or even out of the country," added Hojka-Dupuis.

When reached for comment, Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Services said plot holders may sell their rights to other Catholics at a price not more than the prevailing price of the cemetery in keeping with by-laws. Individual cemetery owners, at their discretion, may agree to repurchase the rights, it said.

“All cemeteries and crematoria must have an approved set of by-laws approved by the Ontario Government and it will state what you are allowed to do and not allowed to do,” John Cunningham, president of Ontario Funeral Service Association, told CTV News Toronto. “It's a buyers and sellers market and there is no guarantee that you are going to get your initial purchase price back.”

The couple said they wanted to warn others to be careful when planning their final resting place.

“To hold onto a plot with a monument and not use it would be a waste," said Hojka-Dupuis.

Those thinking of buying a cemetery plot should make sure to ask plenty of questions, know their options, and familiarize themselves with the owner’s refund policy, in case of a change of mind. The by-laws of each cemetery will also say the type of monuments that are allowed and how many urns may be placed on a gravesite.