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This may sound silly or funny but I don't think the seller or the broker will you about any paranormal activity in the house, and neither the sale contract will have any such clause unless of course the house is famous to have such history or may be its been on the market quite often?
Actually, some states do require that the seller disclose any "paranormal" activity.
Sorry, I don't remember which states, but I am sure that is something that can be researched.
However, most states do not have such a requirement, so if you are concerned about paranormal activity, it would behoove you to do your own background research, i.e., talk to neighbors, check out archival material in the local library, ask local police about calls to the house, etc. And you can always engage the services of local paranormal "experts" to come assess your house, if you believe folks are actually capable of doing that.
And of course -- you can just ask and see what the sellers themselves will voluntarily disclose.
While I know that many people believe in paranormal activity, I do not, so I would never feel the need to disclose something that I do not believe exists.
This may sound silly or funny but I don't think the seller or the broker will you about any paranormal activity in the house, and neither the sale contract will have any such clause unless of course the house is famous to have such history or may be its been on the market quite often?
That is a good question. Under Florida law a seller of a residential home has a duty to disclose defects that materially affect the value of that home. For instance, if the roof is leaking that is a material defect that need to be disclosed; a leaky faucet probably not.
If it is a matter of public records it may not need to be disclosed, I.e. a strip club going up in your neighborhood.
If someone dies in your house that fact may not need to be disclosed to the Buyer If there was a murder in the house, that does need to be disclosed IIRC.
There have been issues in other states that if a house is haunted the Buyers should have been informed. However, what constitutes a haunting is up for legal interpretation. How do you proof your house is haunted would be your biggest obstacle to a successful action for recession or damages.
There has been some discussion that, since paranormal activity only exists in the minds of the ones experiencing it, that a location can't be "haunted". The individual or group perceiving the "haunting" brought it with them and it leaves with them. Like a tree falling in the forest with no one around to hear it. No paranormal believer present, no ghost.
This may sound silly or funny but I don't think the seller or the broker will you about any paranormal activity in the house, and neither the sale contract will have any such clause unless of course the house is famous to have such history or may be its been on the market quite often?
The first step is to determine if you're buying a house in a fictional story or in the real world.
If it's a fictional story, you'll need to determine if it's a book, a TV show, or a movie.
If it's a book and it's by Stephen King, the house is likely haunted. This is especially true if it's in Maine. If it's by Anne Rice, you should watch out for vampires. If it's by Tom Clancy you may need to watch out for spies and terrorists, but you should be safe from ghosts.
If it's a TV show, listen to the them song at the beginning. If it's upbeat, you're likely on a sitcom and any ghosts will turn out to have humorous origins. If the theme is tense and spooky, chances are good your house is haunted. If you are on scooby doo, chances are any ghosts are really an amusement park owner who would have gotten away with it "if it hadn't been for you meddling kids".
If you're in a movie, check the release date. If it's Friday the 13th you're probably in a haunted house. If it's near Halloween your house is probably haunted, too. If you see any member of the Wayans family, run away quickly. If you've recently met an attractive person of the opposite gender who both intrigues and irritates you, you are probably in a romantic comedy. There probably won't be any ghosts, but be warned that you will fall in love with that person and have them break your heart in some contrived way, only to have things wrapped up nicely at the end.
If you're in the real world, then the house is not haunted because ghosts don't exist. You can buy with confidence knowing that if you really do find ghosts, these people will give you $1000000.
While I know that many people believe in paranormal activity, I do not, so I would never feel the need to disclose something that I do not believe exists.
And while I do believe in paranormal activity, I know that my experiences and beliefs cannot be proven; therefore, I would never feel the need to disclose something that I know cannot be proven as fact.
Although some may make light of paranormal activity (ghosts, if you will), there is an increasing amount of scientific research into other-wordly occurrences. Perhaps the most thorough investigations have been conducted by Dr. Egon Spengler at Columbia University, along with his cohorts Dr. Stantz and Dr. Venkman. Their research has yet to be replicated and scrutinized in peer-reviewed journals, but should their conclusions become more accepted, we'll probably see more states requiring disclosures of such phenomenon.
Of course, a homeowner can not disclose what they don't know. That's why those who wish to comply with such disclosure requirements are turning more to professional investigators to ascertain the true condition of their properties. I understand that many of these professionals are using a device called a Psychokinetic Energy Meter (P.K.E. Meter). While these may not be able to definitively determine a paranormal presence, they are suitable at indicating a good likelihood of such a paranormal activity in the house. Other instruments are also designed to detect ectoplasma or other molecular substances which may be associated with spirits, but all of this research is an evolving science.
The dilemma, however, is that if a homeowner discloses the presence of paranormal activity on their property, it may tend to dissuade some purchasers from making an offer. Under those circumstances, a homeowner may need to retain other professionals in order to try to translocate the "ghosts". There have been known attempts to remove spirits via an Ecto Containment Unit, but claims of successful relocation efforts are nebulous at best. At least, at this time, Michigan does not require disclosure of paranormal activity, so I try not to worry about it too much.
Last edited by jackmichigan; 05-03-2014 at 09:34 AM..
I agree that sometimes sellers are asked to disclose information they may not be qualified or knowledgeable enough to provide. I bought my house in 2005; I shouldn't be required to speculate on anything that happened before I owned the property.
Paranormal activity is just too subjective a topic for sellers to disclose. What if I think the scratching in the walls is a mouse, but the buyer thinks it's a spirit?
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It's pretty simple, really
