GHOSTS IN THE ATTIC (ON YOUR HHT)

[Haggis]

Here's a somewhat off topic question, which could have an impact on some unlucky service members during posting season, particularly of your TOS date is October 31st.

If you are shopping for a house are the realtors you deal with required to disclose if the house your buying is suspected of being haunted?  Do they have to disclose any history of violent or traumatic deaths on the property?

 

[Halifax Tar]

I was told they are obliged to disclose of any deaths they are aware of that happened in the house.  Haunting's, well that's a head scratcher!

 

[CBH99]

Okay Haggis, you can't ask a question like that & not fill us in on the backstory.  Seems a pretty specific question for there not to be more to it  <grin>

op:

 

[PuckChaser]

Here's the official realtor info on their website: https://www.orea.com/News-and-Events/Newsletters/EDGE-Newsletters/2016/October/Disclosure-and-stigmatized-properties

No legal obligation to disclose. Your agent is supposed to ask you if there's anything you wouldn't want to live in, so they can protect you from those houses.

 

[Haggis]

Okay Haggis, you can't ask a question like that & not fill us in on the backstory.  Seems a pretty specific question for there not to be more to it  <grin>

Backstory?  "It was a dark and stormy night..." 

None, really.  In the spring of 2017, I was off work for five months recovering from foot surgery. During that time I watched a lot of ghost hunting/paranormal shows.  It always seemed that the new owners/residents/tenants of purportedly haunted properties had no idea what they were getting into.  That seemed surprising.  So, I asked the same question on my personal Facebook page and got typically lawyeresque answers from my lawyer buddies.  Usually the folks on this site are more candid and forthcoming with help and information.

My wife and I actually went on a ghost hunting evening.  I learned two things.  First, ghost hunting is boring. It's like fishing in the dark.  Second, because most of the TV shows i watched during my recovery were produced in the USA and in English, I was surprised to learn that in Canada you can hunt ghost in both official languages.

 

[CBH99]

If I die tonight, pretty sure I still won't be bilingual...

 

[PuckChaser]

If I die tonight, pretty sure I still won't be bilingual...

Look at it this way,  you'd have lots of time to learn...

 

[RedcapCrusader]

The only place I know of that is required to report ghosts/hauntings by law is Louisiana because of all the Cajun/black magic used down there. They take it pretty seriously.

In Canada, some provinces only have to declare if the home was the scene of a murder or of the property had previously been used as a drug lab.

Quebec is required to report anything, crimes, murders,.drug Labs, and hauntings.

Manitoba is required to report of a property was used as a grow op.

Alberta, theres no Requirements.


Basically what it comes down to is that real estate laws require property defects, but crimes/murder, hauntings are not considered defects. In Alberta, a grow op house only has to be report if Alberta Health Services had issued a notice to vacate.