The weight of grief was already crushing the Tocher family after John’s battle with blood cancer. They braced for sorrow and the inevitable paperwork, but nothing could have prepared them for a financial nightmare that would steal their peace of mind and leave John’s daughter housebound with worry.
A bank draft for $108,316.51 – John’s life savings intended for his daughter – vanished without a trace. Trevor Tocher, executor of his father’s estate, sent the draft via registered mail, meticulously tracking its journey, yet it never reached its destination in southwestern Ontario.
What followed was a relentless struggle with the bank, a frustrating loop of policies and procedures that seemed designed to protect the institution, not the grieving family. Canada Post confirmed the registered letter was lost, offering only a refund of the mailing costs – a paltry sum compared to the emotional and financial devastation.
The delay has had a devastating impact on Trevor’s 65-year-old sister, who relies on a modest pension and part-time work. The stress of the missing funds has forced her to call in sick, spending days lost in the darkness of her bedroom, unable to cope with the uncertainty.
This inheritance wasn’t about luxury; it was about security, about allowing a woman who had worked hard her entire life to finally experience a measure of comfort. It represented a chance for a better future, now suspended in a frustrating limbo.
The bank’s solution was startling: to reissue the draft, Trevor would have to assume full financial liability for the original amount. If the lost draft were to surface and be fraudulently cashed, he would be on the hook for the entire $108,316.51.
Essentially, the bank demanded Trevor pledge his own assets – GICs or even a lien on his home – as collateral against a potential fraud. It felt like a cruel twist, treating him as a suspect rather than a grieving son trying to fulfill his father’s wishes.
He now deeply regrets signing the initial indemnity agreement, realizing its terms are open-ended, potentially burdening his heirs with this financial risk for years to come. The situation has left him feeling betrayed and unjustly accused.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Several years prior, TD Bank faced similar scrutiny over a lost $165,000 draft in Ottawa. Public pressure ultimately led the bank to release the funds, albeit with a limited, two-year liability agreement.
The question lingers: knowing the risks associated with sending bank drafts through the mail, why does the bank continue to recommend this method? It’s a practice that seems increasingly archaic and vulnerable in a world of secure digital transactions.
For the Tocher family, the missing funds represent more than just money; they symbolize a broken promise, a father’s final gift lost in a system that prioritizes procedure over compassion. The fight for justice continues, a desperate plea for a resolution that restores not only the inheritance, but also a sense of dignity and peace.
