Today I have had to evict a commercial tenant from a local authority office let for non payment of rent amongst other things, it’s been quite a battle since June 2013 which I have to some extent won, and I managed to get all the outstanding rent apart from this month.
The tenant was renting 2 offices in a grade 2 listed Mansion type building built in 1820; the house was a private residence up until 1990 when it was acquired by the authority, the house does have some history but nothing particularly strange, the house is one of several buildings including a large new build which form part of an 11acre site that is part of my responsibility to manage.
Anyway to get to the point, I have had several meetings with the tenant, received and replied to numerous emails and had several telephone conversations, the tenant alleges in conversation and in writing in emails that the reason the rent has not been paid is because the premises are haunted. And that I as a representative of the authority was failing in my responsibility to protect them from the paranormal happenings.
They allege that, desks move on their own, chairs move, filling cabinet draws open, scribble type graffiti appears on white boards, door handles rattle vigorously but when they check no one is there, lights go on and off on there own, several phones ring at once but no one is there, internet access problems, whispering can be heard etc, etc
During August I sat in one of the offices for several hours with a guy from IT and nothing happened.
I have had all of the telephones checked, internet checked and have checked all of the electrics no faults have been found. No other tenant has had any issues at all.
I have great difficulty in taking this tenant and their staff seriously, but they come across as really believing all of this is really happening. I have found it quite difficult to keep a straight face.
One of my biggest problems has been giving these explanations to my Boss and to the authorities finance department, I’m sure my Boss initially thought it was me that had gone mad. I don’t believe in ghosts or anything like this at all, I’ve been in this house several times even in the middle of the night on my own when I have been on call and had alarm activations and nothing has ever happened to me, nor have I ever seen first hand any strange going on.
I just wondered if anyone else has come across a case like this or what others views are on it.
The tenant was renting 2 offices in a grade 2 listed Mansion type building built in 1820; the house was a private residence up until 1990 when it was acquired by the authority, the house does have some history but nothing particularly strange, the house is one of several buildings including a large new build which form part of an 11acre site that is part of my responsibility to manage.
Anyway to get to the point, I have had several meetings with the tenant, received and replied to numerous emails and had several telephone conversations, the tenant alleges in conversation and in writing in emails that the reason the rent has not been paid is because the premises are haunted. And that I as a representative of the authority was failing in my responsibility to protect them from the paranormal happenings.
They allege that, desks move on their own, chairs move, filling cabinet draws open, scribble type graffiti appears on white boards, door handles rattle vigorously but when they check no one is there, lights go on and off on there own, several phones ring at once but no one is there, internet access problems, whispering can be heard etc, etc
During August I sat in one of the offices for several hours with a guy from IT and nothing happened.
I have had all of the telephones checked, internet checked and have checked all of the electrics no faults have been found. No other tenant has had any issues at all.
I have great difficulty in taking this tenant and their staff seriously, but they come across as really believing all of this is really happening. I have found it quite difficult to keep a straight face.
One of my biggest problems has been giving these explanations to my Boss and to the authorities finance department, I’m sure my Boss initially thought it was me that had gone mad. I don’t believe in ghosts or anything like this at all, I’ve been in this house several times even in the middle of the night on my own when I have been on call and had alarm activations and nothing has ever happened to me, nor have I ever seen first hand any strange going on.
I just wondered if anyone else has come across a case like this or what others views are on it.
