Fans of American Horror Story will enjoy the revolting real estate story that recently surfaced in the news. A Pennsylvania woman sued the seller of the home she purchased several years ago, for not disclosing its gruesome past. The home, which Janet Milliken purchased in 2007, was the location of a brutal murder-suicide in February of 2006. In October (the 31st no less!) of the same year a couple bought the house, knowing of its bloody past. But when they sold it to Milliken in June of the following year, they did not disclose the deaths. In 2012 Millkien was shocked to learn of the house's history and filed suit against both the sellers and their real estate agent. The state court sided with the former owners, saying that the law in Pennsylvania does not require full disclosure.
What is she to do? She'd like to move but says she would feel the need to disclose the information to any potential buyers, and this would negatively impact the price. She could try and make it work for her, like this home that came on the market last year. It is a house on a Swedish island that sports a skeleton in the floor.
New York requires that sellers disclose if a house is potentially haunted: a case in July of 1991 involved present owners suing past owners for not informing them that the house was prone to paranormal activity. But in Idaho there is a "Ghost in the Attic" statue that went into effect in 1998, which states that neither a home's seller nor the agent are responsible for disclosing possible haunting unless the buyer specifically writes a request for such a disclosure!
It could be worse. You could find human bones in your yard, like this Weird News article describes. A couple in Santa Ana found bones, including a skull in their yard. Not exactly what you expect you'll uncover when embarking upon a DIY landscaping project. And no, you morbid minded readers, you don't just get to keep those bones. You gothic gardeners would probably enjoy this blog I stumbled upon, Rotten Botany where the tag line reads "what doesn't kill you makes your garden grow stronger." Indeed.