TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — An elderly couple says they are fighting to get either a refund or replacement burial plots after discovering someone may already be buried in plots they purchased nearly 20 years ago at a Tampa cemetery.
Sue and James Artiga bought two burial plots in 2006 next to James’ parents’ graves at Woodlawn Cemetery in Tampa. Since then, the couple moved away from the area and decided they no longer wanted to be buried there. They planned to sell the plots online and use the money to make burial arrangements closer to home.
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When the Artigas attempted to transfer ownership of the plots, they said they were informed of a serious problem. Although no headstones mark the gravesites, the Artigas say cemetery staff told them a metal probe indicated that someone may already be buried there.
“I just want them to give me two more burial plots and whatever I do with them is my decision, it’s my property,” Sue Artiga said. “Or give me what I paid for them, which is $1,800.”
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Last month, 8 On Your Side Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken contacted the the City of Tampa, which purchased this section of Woodlawn Cemetery in 2023, about the couple’s concerns.
In a statement, a city spokesperson said the Parks and Recreation Department is investigating the issue and wants to help the family. However, the city also noted it has owned the property for only a short time and must protect taxpayers from liability tied to decisions made while the cemetery was privately operated for more than 100 years.
“We definitely can accommodate the couple by finding them other plots for their use, but they want to sell them,” the statement read. “We’ll continue to work with them.”
Sue Artiga disagrees with the city’s position.
“I think it’s totally obscene,” she said. “If I bought a car and it’s in my name, and somebody tells me well, you can’t do that with that car. You can only ride in it this day, or that day, no, that’s not going to fly.”
Artiga said a city employee told her he was working through the paperwork and trying to reach a resolution, but she says she has not heard from him in weeks.
She also questioned whether anyone is actually buried in the plots.
“They don’t even know when these people were buried in these graves,” Artiga said. “They don’t know who is in these graves, and they are not absolutely 100 percent sure that there is somebody in those graves.”
The dispute remains unresolved as the couple continues seeking either reimbursement or replacement plots they can legally transfer or sell.
The Artigas have filed a complaint with state regulators who are now investigating.
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