Have you ever passed an empty house or a vacant building and wonder if the location was haunted or had paranormal activity ???

Then wonder...

(A) Who owns this site ?

(B) How do I get permission to do a paranormal investigation and gain
      access to this vacant and possibly haunted location?

(C) Once I locate the owner what do I ask?

Empty house:

Homes may be left unattended as is the case my rural mountain community due to the fact that the home is only being used for parts of the year.

During the hot summer months many folks come and stay in their mountain homes where it’s much cooler, then as the summer ends and the cold weather sets in they then high tall it back to their warmer winter locations.

So at any given time, one or the other location would be empty.

Many times the home may be for sale and has been on the market for a long period of time, The home may fall in to varied states of disrepair or it may have fallen into bankruptcy and owned by a lending company.

Owners who live out of state may not realize how dilapidated and in need of repair their former home is.

Perhaps it’s owned by someone elderly living in a retirement community, who’s become unable to maintain the home but doesn't want to let it go.

So the question remains, how do you get permission to investigate an empty house that seems haunted?

1. Look for a for sale sign. If a sign is located, jot down the number and call. The listing agent will be able to direct you to the owner or may contact them for you.

2.  Ask the neighbors. They probably know who owns the house. You may get lucky and find a neighbor whom has contact information and a key to the house, in case of emergency or to do periodic checks.

3. Homeowners' association. If the homes located in a subdivision, more than likely there’s a homeowners' association. They almost always have a list of the houses, who owns each one, and complete contact information for every homeowner within the association.

4. Ask the police. I know, I know, many ghost hunters are intimidated by the police but this is generally a needless worry. In fact, you’d be surprised how many haunted locations are recommended by police who have been called to those locations on a regular base’s and couldn't find the cause of the noises, lights, or other signs of paranormal activity.

If a home has been empty for awhile, the police probably know about it... and its history, so again they may be able to tell you who owns it, or direct you to someone who has that info.

Vacant Commercial Buildings:

If a store or commercial building appears to be vacant, look for a realtor's sign. Check the Internet and again search the exact street address; it may reveal who was the last owner/occupant.

Try then to locate their current address and phone number, former occupants may provide info about the landlord or owner as well as any paranormal activity that took place while in the building.

If that doesn't work, then do your research much like you did for the empty house.

1. Ask nearby businesses. In some cases, landlords are waiting for all of the tenants' leases to expire, so that they can tear down or remodel the building.

2. Ask the Chamber of Commerce, or Convention & Visitors' Bureau. They often  are a fountain of information and know every neighborhood in their commercial districts, and have a good idea about who owns  what on which block. They might even share several new leads…

3. Ask the police. Empty storefronts become the targets of vandals, and homeless people who try to use them as temporary shelters. If so, the police would have information about the owner.

4. Historical Society, This again is an often overlooked wealth of information and generally the folks here have great historic as well as semi current information about specific locations, again you may walk away with several new haunted locations.

When All Else Fails….

Sometimes, no one has a clue. Personally I have never encountered this problem, when doing though investigative research.

If a site is that difficult to research, haunted locations are everywhere, I recommend finding somewhere else to do a ghost hunt. Trespassing is never an acceptable alternative and you could end up in jail.

If you're totally obsessed with a particular home or business, start with old, published "reverse" directories. You may turn up someone who was in the building in the past and will have new information for you.

Last but not least, go to the courthouse and research civil records, including tax histories, liens, and probate records. (Depending on location, recent records are closed to the public unless you can prove a specific and compelling reason to access that information.) Most courthouses charge a small fee for this, some have indexed records, and some require you to contact them by “snail” mail (no email) and wait for a reply.

What To Ask For...

In most cases, you may want to consider that the homeowner or landlord let you into the building and then remain there while you do your investigative research, especially if the site has been vandalized while it was empty. It could prevent a lawsuit by being blamed for damage that you didn't do.

If the owner simply hands you the key, have them sign a brief permission form. It should list the address being investigated, the names of the investigators who are allowed into the premises and the date and exact hours that you are allowed to be there.

The owner should sign and date this form, and you should carry it with you when you go to do research.

After your paranormal investigation you need to return the key to the owner, have them sign the permission form again, noting that the key was returned, and when. It will become validation should questions are asked, later.

Never make a copy of the key. Never let another team member or others borrow it. Use the key for your investigation only, and--if possible--return it that same day.

There are many liabilities connected with investigating in empty buildings. Generally, we advise against them. There are plenty of other, more accessible sites for investigations But either way I hope these tips help.

I have never run into a brick wall, when researching the owner of an empty home or building. Usually, the neighbors have been the best resource.

Don’t give up…If you knock on enough doors and talk to enough people, you'll find the answers that you seek.

Until Next Time, Be Safe.

Dennis A. Batchelor /Founder MVPs