onedef92
04-19-2012, 9:31am
Family says house is haunted, sues landlord
Investigators: Some paranormal activity documented in home
UPDATED 10:21 AM EDT Apr 19, 2012
A family in Toms River, N.J., said it is suing a landlord to get its security deposit back after it discovered that the property he rented the family is haunted.
Josue Chinchilla and Michele Callan told the Asbury Park Press that they first started noticing strange things in the three-bedroom ranch home shortly after moving in on March 1.
According to the publication, the couple and their two children said they often heard unintelligible whispering around the house, mysterious sounds coming from the basement, saw lights turning on and off by themselves in unoccupied areas and doors opening and slamming shut on their own.
In addition, Chinchilla said he's felt an unknown force tug at their sheets in bed, and Callan has reported seeing a dark apparition in their bedroom.
The family told the newspaper that they called in the Shore Paranormal Research Society to help confirm or debunk their claims of paranormal activity, and the team did record some strange occurrences -- including some toys falling down on their own and the sound of a woman’s laughter in rooms around the house.
"There’s a big difference between 'haunted' and 'paranormal activity,'" Nick Carlson, the paranormal group's case manager, told msnbc.com. "Paranormal means you have an occurrence that can't be explained scientifically. Haunted? No, I do not think so. Do I think there's stuff paranormal going on there? Absolutely."
The family filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court against their landlord, Dr. Richard Lopez, an orthodontist whose practice is adjacent to the house.
Chinchilla and Callan said they want Lopez to return the $2,250 security deposit they put down when they signed their lease on the property in February.
A court date on the matter has been scheduled for the end of April.
The newspaper reported that Lopez filed a countersuit against the couple for breaking their one-year lease.
According to his attorney, the house has been rented to tenants for more than 10 years, and this is the first time anyone has claimed the house is haunted.
The family has since fled the home and is living at an area motel.
Investigators: Some paranormal activity documented in home
UPDATED 10:21 AM EDT Apr 19, 2012
A family in Toms River, N.J., said it is suing a landlord to get its security deposit back after it discovered that the property he rented the family is haunted.
Josue Chinchilla and Michele Callan told the Asbury Park Press that they first started noticing strange things in the three-bedroom ranch home shortly after moving in on March 1.
According to the publication, the couple and their two children said they often heard unintelligible whispering around the house, mysterious sounds coming from the basement, saw lights turning on and off by themselves in unoccupied areas and doors opening and slamming shut on their own.
In addition, Chinchilla said he's felt an unknown force tug at their sheets in bed, and Callan has reported seeing a dark apparition in their bedroom.
The family told the newspaper that they called in the Shore Paranormal Research Society to help confirm or debunk their claims of paranormal activity, and the team did record some strange occurrences -- including some toys falling down on their own and the sound of a woman’s laughter in rooms around the house.
"There’s a big difference between 'haunted' and 'paranormal activity,'" Nick Carlson, the paranormal group's case manager, told msnbc.com. "Paranormal means you have an occurrence that can't be explained scientifically. Haunted? No, I do not think so. Do I think there's stuff paranormal going on there? Absolutely."
The family filed a lawsuit in state Superior Court against their landlord, Dr. Richard Lopez, an orthodontist whose practice is adjacent to the house.
Chinchilla and Callan said they want Lopez to return the $2,250 security deposit they put down when they signed their lease on the property in February.
A court date on the matter has been scheduled for the end of April.
The newspaper reported that Lopez filed a countersuit against the couple for breaking their one-year lease.
According to his attorney, the house has been rented to tenants for more than 10 years, and this is the first time anyone has claimed the house is haunted.
The family has since fled the home and is living at an area motel.