Renter Sues Landlord Over Ghost
- Filed under: Japan, News
- Date: May 9, 2008 21:28 JST
- Tags: Ghosts, Japan, Real Estate, Stigmatised Property, Superstition
A renter is suing his landlord based on the fact he was not told the property is supposedly haunted, for ¥5,000,000 ($50,000 – not insignificant by the paltry standards of Japanese settlements). He apparently rented the property ignorant of the alleged supernatural presence, opened an eatery there, and after being told by a friend of the ghostly presence, he claims to have witnessed spectral apparitions and heard strange noises. Now he wants his key money back, as well as some compensation to make up for the undead onslaught.
This sort of thing actually has a whole body of legislation and jurisprudence surrounding it – it is called “stigmatised property”, and frequently there is a duty to disclose such circumstances, though the actual existence of spectres is not something the courts care to deal with. Though usually this applies to not being able to resell a property, rather than merely being an inconvenienced renter. On the other hand, these properties can be made into valuable investment opportunities. Via Itainews.
