What if the house you buy is haunted?

Before you sign the dotted line, most homeowners pay attention to mold, leaks, and termites. But what might fly under the radar and not on your checklist is something scarier: ghosts.

A residence in Troy, also known as Enslin Mansion, is said to be haunted. According to the current owner, the house is full of wandering spirits of former loved ones. Teams of paranormal investigators scoured the property, finding traces of paranormal activity.

But after keeping the house for six generations, the current owner is ready to part ways.


What do you want to know

  • Enslin Manor, a Trojan home the owner says is haunted, is up for sale
  • Owner says he comes with a long history of lingering spirits
  • It is also currently listed on Airbnb
  • The sale is covered by the 1991 New York Supreme Court Ghostbusters decision.

“There will always be people who want to live with Casper the Friendly Ghost, or whatever he seems to be in this house. As soon as I walked in, the chandeliers started shaking and shattering. It was pretty weird,” said real estate agent John Bevilacqua.

But that begs the question: what do you do with a haunted house that’s up for sale? Should a real estate agent disclose any lingering ghosts?

There is no law, but there is a 1991 court case, Stambovsky v. Ackley, also known as the “Ghostbusters decision”.

“There was a house in Nyack that was for sale, and a gentleman from New York made an offer on the property,” Bevilacqua said.

But what Stambovsky didn’t know was that the owner had reported the existence of poltergeists on the property to Reader’s Digest and local newspapers.

“The rep realtor called and was like, ‘hey, the house is haunted.’ And Stambovsky jokingly said, ‘we’re going to have to bring in the Ghostbusters,'” Bevilacqua said.

Stambovsky rescinded his offer, and when the closing came he was out. The New York Supreme Court ruled that the house was legally haunted and found that the house’s ghostly reputation impacted both the property’s value and its resale potential.

“He didn’t get his deposit back, but he wasn’t forced into the sale,” Bevilacqua said.

While some owners may be reluctant to admit ghostly allegations, Bevilacqua says the owner of Enslin Mansion embraces everything the house has to offer.

If you’re not looking to share a room with the full-time spirits, the house is also listed on Airbnb for a limited stay.

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