If you live in the US, you may have once heard about the ghost house, which is now legally recognized as a haunted property.
In the heart of New York, a house has gained notoriety as the city's famous 'ghost house.' This dwelling has been legally declared haunted, thanks to a unique legal precedent known as the 'Ghostbusters ruling.'
For many years, the Ackley family, residents of Nyack, New York, have publicly proclaimed that their home was haunted.
They even claimed that the spectral presence left them gifts. Helen and George Ackley reported that their daughter would wake up to her bed mysteriously shaking every morning.
The shaking would only cease when she loudly expressed her desire for a lie-in, suggesting that the supposed ghost respected her wishes.
The Ackleys alleged that the ghost even showed approval during house renovations, smiling and nodding as if to endorse their paint choices. They believed the house was haunted by up to three spirits, including individuals named Sir George, Lady Margaret, and a sailor.
Ackley stated that their house was haunted by up to three ghosts.
The spirits were identified as Sir George, Lady Margaret, and a sailor. Despite the eerie circumstances, the family managed to coexist peacefully with their phantom lodger for over two decades.
The ghostly presence in the Ackleys' house attracted nationwide attention. The house even became a stop on the town's walking tour, drawing curious visitors from far and wide.
However, when it came time to sell the house, Helen Ackley became surprisingly reticent about the existence of the ghost.
The house was nearly sold to Jeffrey and Patrice Stambovsky. But when they discovered they might have to share their new home with a ghost, they backed out of the deal.
Upon discovering the presence of a ghost in the house, Jeffrey decided to back out.
The Ackleys refused to return the deposit, leading the Stambovskys to sue them. Jeffrey argued that the Ackleys' failure to disclose the house's haunted status constituted fraudulent misrepresentation. The dispute ended up in court, leaving legal professionals to untangle the complex issue of whether the house was genuinely haunted.
While the initial attempt to take the case to trial was dismissed, Stambovsky's appeal eventually led to a court case over the haunted house.
The court ruled that regardless of the reality of ghosts, the Ackley family had altered the property's value by claiming their house was haunted.
The judges were split three to two in favor of Stambovsky's claims. The court ruled that a potential buyer wouldn't know if a house was haunted before moving in.
This decision became known as the 'Ghostbusters ruling,' named after the popular 1984 comedy. As a result, the house was legally declared haunted.
