A much loved Greek Orthodox church that was rebuilt after a fire is now facing new problems – this time with money.

Koimisis Tis Theotokou (Dormition of the Virgin Mary) on Saint-Roch St. in Park Extension was heavily damaged by fire in April 2015, leaving the building and parishioners gutted.

Four years later, everything from the altar to the boiler room is now in working order, said John Theodosopoulos, president of Construction Ecodomus.

“The job, it took over a year from when we put the shovel to the ground. Only a labour of love would have seen us through that year because it was a challenging job,” he said.

Several sub-contractors have yet to be paid, however, and are now taking legal action.

The Hellenic Community of Greater Montreal owns the building and received $3.2 million from its insurance company to rebuild. Costs exceeded that amount, and they owe around $650,000, said the group’s secretary of real estate and procurement Achilles Nikopoulos.

“The moment it got handed over to us the clock starts ticking for us to be paid. With the general contractor who built this church, we're cooperating. We haven't refused payment, we're just working on the details and getting all the funds to pay what's due,” he said.

Two subcontractors took further legal action, activating 60 days’ notice at the beginning of February, meaning the church has just weeks to come up with the money.

“One of the recourses they have is to force the sale of the church out in the public, collect money and get paid off and then the balance of the money goes back to the client,” said Nikopoulos.

The sub-contractors didn't want to talk about the case, but Theodosopoulos said he feels caught in the middle – he's owed money too, but he understands that as a non-profit organization, the community doesn't have quick access to cash.

“Right now stress is what I'm living constantly,” he said.

It's also stressful for the Greek community who call the church home. Several fundraising events are planned in the coming weeks.

Nikopoulos said he has every bit of faith the community will come through.

“It's a lot of money but we're a large community. This church belongs to the community itself and it's a project that was always looking forward to being rebuilt,” he said.