Ghost Hunting and Lawsuits

Ghost hunters have to be extra careful nowadays, and not just because of ghosts. Recently, lawsuits involving ghost hunting have become an unfortunate reality. Not long ago, a property in Ohio filed a lawsuit against a website because the site listed their property as haunted. The property owners claimed thrill seekers had been breaking into their property and that they had to spend a lot of money on additional security. The courts ended up awarding the property owners $150,000, although the website never showed for court. Things may have ended differently if the site had tried to fight the suit, but you never know.

It’s very, very important that if you are going to ghost hunt, you have liability forms to give to property owners. On ours, we always ask for permission to use our videos and evidence online (and they are allowed to say no) as well as waive liabilities for accidental damage to the property. Yep, someone once sued a ghost hunter after they fell through an old, rotting floor to cover the damage. We also make sure on our form that the property owners understand we are completely responsible for our own injuries and make sure the owners can’t hold us responsible for any paranormal activity that occurs after we leave.

As boring as it is, it’s important for both sides to understand their legal rights during a ghost hunt. We are always willing to sign their own release forms as well (at least until we see one that makes us run the other direction.) If you are going to ghost hunt, make sure you have your papers in order. You don’t want to end up on the wrong side of a law suit because of a bit of ghostly fun.