Haunted Apartments

I would think the ghost would add value. Should be listed as an amenity.

Ha! You're right!

An agent would probably describe it thusly: "This triple-mint apartment boasts amazing views, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and for history buffs, a portal into the late 19th Century!"

A haunted apartment is hard to proof. In the case that it is just a "crime scene" of a homicide or suicide, it should be disclosed. In my opinion, if someone just died in the apartment because naturally (illness or accidents), then there is no need.

hard to prove was what I tried to type. Not hard to proof

Considering the age of your average building in NYC and the number of tenants over the years, it would be fairly difficult to find a place that didn't have some kind of 'history' to it. The first place I lived in NYC was the Chiclet Mansion in Park Slope .. famed for the story of two servants who got trapped in a service elevator while the owners were vacationing and died. Their ghosts are said to inhabit the place. And I'm relatively certain there was a suicide in my current digs before I moved in. In neither case have I observed much paranormal hi-jinx, but perhaps I've got the kind of personality that bores ghosts senseless..

tpushbklyn: They're just biding their time . . . just biding their time . . .

tpushbklyn just kidding.

Seriously, though, ghosts could be a feature, better than Venetian plaster and a Sub-Zero. A few brokers start spreading it, and pretty soon everybody will want one.

They say Bray Ridge has an apartment that's haunted by the Ghost of Bad White Suburban Rock "Music" Past. Very past.

needs - I'm sure it would fit right in to the lexicon of modern broker-speak, along with calling a side window facing a brick wall 'highly-sought southern exposure' and a 7x7 bedroom 'inviting thoughtful arrangement.' .. 'Spirited and ephemeral ex inhabitants add character and depth to a landmark building .. act quickly; this one won't last."

I lived someplace that LITERALLY had body parts, and one entire body, from the WTC plane attacks. A block away from the towers. I moved in after all that, and when I saw the place (the leasing agent did not want to show it to me but I insisted) it still had debris on the terrace. My old roommate REALLY was freaked out that there might be ghosts, as he heard horror stories from residents who lived there before 9/11. Me? I said that if ghosts existed and were like on TV or in the movies, could they not come "get" you wherever you were? And aren't there ghosts everywhere in Manhattan? And besides, it had 1100 SF, 2bd2Ba, W/D in unit plus a 900SF terrace fro $2700 net of concessions and the 9/11 government subsidy. I can put up with a little haunting for that.

Do you have to tip the ghost?

"alanhart, about 2 hours ago":

Posting more of his moronic, trolling comments.
Because he has no social life in the real world he haunts streeteasy discussion boards.
His past is not much different from his present life: a loser then and currently a streeteasy troll.
Posting his troll comments referring to me, even when I'm not commenting on this discussion thread.

I moved from Bay Ridge, months ago. It's a nice neighborhood.
You best believe that Bay Ridge is too good for trollalanhart.

A ghost? If in a co-op, - the perfect compliment to a satanic board.

As long as it adheres to the house rules, there shouldn't be a problem; footsteps, for instance, would never be an issue.

Of course, & not at all surprisingly, an ammendment would probably be added, limiting haunting & floating hours...

I don't know if there's an ethical obligation to disclose, but in New York, there may be, in certain extreme cases, a legal obligation to disclose.

A New York appellate court once ruled that if the seller of real property made the haunted condition commonly known to others - such as by media publication - then his failure to disclose it could be viewed as act of "active concealment" - which potentially could serve to vitiate the doctrine of caveat emptor (buyer beware) which governs most property sales in this state. On that basis, it could serve as legal grounds for the recission of a contract of sale (the buyer, potentially might be able to back out of the contract). Stambovsky v. Ackley, 169 A.D.2d 254 (A.D. 1st Dept. 1991).

greensdale - no tip, but there is a "ghost tax" Isn't it about 1-1.5% of the purchase price?

I kind of picture the ghost looking like C0lumbiaC0unty.

I believe the former home of Caspar Weinberger was haunted.

"I believe the former home of Caspar Weinberger was haunted."

But that was a friendly ghost. Those *add* value.

Very true.

Curious what Demi Moore's take would be on this, since her character in a certain 1990 movie experienced it firsthand in a downtown loft...

Matt, where did this haunted apartment idea come from? You saw a film, you read an article, what?

He's considering replacing the Rat with the Ghost of C0lumbia C0unty at the next strike.

And I would have gotten away with it, if you lousy kids hadn't come along sticking your noses into my business.

I just remembered there was an old Odd Couple episode where Felix thought there was a ghost in the air conditioner (of all things).

Manhattan really seems to have 'em: Satanic worshipers at The Dakota, ghosts residing in cooling units, a slain lover ghost downtown, another satanic group of neighbors, this time a law firm (big shock, I know) residing in a 5th Avenue building, demonic possession in The Exorcist II, 666 Park Avenue...& I'm sure there others I'm not even aware of.

Next month marks the 1st anniversary of my neighbor's high floor Cinco de Mayo early AM suicide jump onto the Avenue below.

The Estate has since sold the apartment, & the new owner recently moved in.

Don't know if he's experiencing any paranormal activity - & if he even is aware of what happened (I don't believe be does), but one day last week, as I was leaving the building & rounded the corner onto the Avenue - I swear I saw someone who looked almost exactly like him, eating a cup of ice cream.

I mentioned this to the agent who sold his apartment, & I told her what an eerie feeling I had afterwards.

Perhaps it was a relative of his - who knows. But that same exact blank facial expression he so famously wore - really gave me the chills.

P.S: What I forgot to mention is what REALLY made last week's sighting eerie was that the guy was standing ALMOST EXACTLY WHERE MY UNFORTUNATE NEIGHBOR LANDED!

Now I'm getting the creeps again...just before bedtime, & after a pepperoni & chicken roll...uh oh...great...

walpurgis:
You may have experienced an encounter with a "doppelganger".
Google: Ricky Gervais show/ Karl doppelganger episodes.

I will, Truth - thanks. I'll have to tell you the full story one day. I never experienced that happen in such close proximity to me.

Laugh all you want, but I really don't want to turn the lights off just yet...

walpurgis: I'm not laughing.
What's the full story?

The poor guy hadn't lived in the apartment that long; always looked morose. Around 40 years old, had recently lost his job & put the apartment up for sale shortly thereafter. I saw him the previous day & said hello, & didn't seem any more morose than usual. I had been expecting a response to an Email I sent a neighbor who resides on a lower floor in his apartment line. After checking for her reply one last time, I went to bed around 11:00PM. Sometime around 03:00AM, I thought I heard a commotion in the street. As I face the rear, I can't see the street, but thought it was just a large crowd leaving one of the bars. I fell back asleep, & an hour later woke up again, this time to very low muffled voices in the hallway. A new girl had just moved in, & I figured she had a party it was her guests leaving. I then remembered I was waiting for that Email reply. I went to look, & saw one had just come in about a minute earlier from the neighbor I was expecting it from. I opened it up, & it said, "Hi, Walp, you're probably wondering what I'm doing up this late. Someone from YOUR FLOOR jumped out the window!!! Name is ******. Can't get back to sleep. Thought the store was on fire with all the sirens & walkie talkies was hearing. Speak to you later today." I actually felt dizzy upon hearing this, & immediately sat down. Being pitch dark didn't help, & I remember immediately petting & holding the dogs. Before I even finished reading her 1st line, I already knew who it was. She told me later that she ran outside to look. He hit a tree 1st, then the wrought iron tree grill - which was nearly flattened on impact. She said his bones were sticking out; she didn't say which ones, & I didn't ask. Miraculously, he didn't die immediately, but 2 1/2 hours later at the hospital. Later that day, my dogs, as well as everyone else's, dragged us to the tree bed to investigate. Mine actually hopped over the flattened grill, sniffing non-stop until I pulled them away. Some snapped branches were still hanging from the tree. The voices I heard in the street were the crowd surrounding him; the ones in the hall from the detectives. The standard green seal was placed over the door & frame, where it stayed for several months before the Estate finally sold the place. Someone actually took a piece of white paper & covered up the seal, in an effort to camouflage it, & not have to see the eerie reminder day in & day out. Looking at that door-the silence was deafening.

walpurgis: Wow. The deceased actually lived on your floor in your Building.
You saw him most, days and nights.

Yep.

walp: so, do the current occupants say anything about strange things happening in their apartment?

Not that I know of; I haven't met him yet, & I'm certainly not going to be the one to tell him. His renovations took over 2 months, almost daily & with nearly continuous banging & drilling that a number of shareholders griped about (No, I was NOT one of them). After all that time, expense & work, I don't think he'd allow some small supernatural phenomenon to scare him!

walpurgis: If anything, the new owner will be asking around, maybe when he meets you.
Hope all is quiet on the home front, for him.

The comedian, Jeff Ross was a guest at the "Love For Levon" concert. I met him backstage and we chatted about his "Celebrity Ghost Stories" t.v. show segment. His story involved the suicide of his neighbor.

Let's hope that your former neighbor is somehow/somewhere finally resting in peace.

Can I get an "Amen"?

Most sointenly! Amen; & I hope he is as well.

"Matt, where did this haunted apartment idea come from? You saw a film, you read an article, what?"

Just wondering.

Who you going to call? ..... ..............

"Be kind; for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." (Attributed to various sources, John Watson, Plato and Socrates among them .. true words, regardless.)

Walpurgis, sorry to hear what happened. If you ever feel the need, you can hire a feng shui practicioner to “clear” any bad juju.

Tpushbklyn, thanks for the Chiclet Mansion story. Never knew there was a Chiclet Mansion. I love that gum! Thanks also for posting that saying about being kind, so very true.

As Hamlet said about ghosts: “there are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

Hi Truth! Shouldn’t you be in Barcelona at this time of the year? Que pasa?
I remember that Jeff Ross episode, very sad story.

Hi, dwell!:
Leaving on a jet plane to Italy tonight, will be there until June.
Month of June: working on tour in the U.K./Europe, tour ends in Amsterdam first few days of July.
Then, on to Barcelona until August. Back in East Hampton August-Sept.,then back to Italy.
Nov.:back to Maui for the winter.

You saw that Jeff Ross "Celebrity Ghost Story" segment.
He did his best to befriend that neighbor but the guy eventually commited suicide.
Jeff told me it was scary. He was petrified.

I will raise a glass of Cava and drink a toast to you, dwell:
July 7th, at 9pm, Barcelona time.

Until then, all the best to you and yours.