By Tim Binnall
A mansion in New York that was once at the center of a contentious court battle which saw the residence declared 'legally haunted' is up for sale. Located in the village of Nyack, the house reportedly developed a spooky reputation back in the late 1970s when then-owner Helen Ackley told Reader's Digest as well as a number of local newspapers that she and her family had experienced chilling poltergeist activity in the home, such as beds shaking and phantom footsteps.
The home subsequently became infamous in legal circles when Ackley attempted to sell the residence to a man named Jeffrey Stambovsky and opted not to mention the fact that the residence was purportedly home to a mischievous spirit. When the prospective new owner found out about the ghostly presence, he balked at buying the mansion, which led to a battle that ultimately was settled in the New York Supreme Court in a somewhat notorious case wherein it was decreed that Ackley should have told Stambovsky about the spooky stories associated with the home and that "as a matter of law, the house is haunted."
Ownership of the home eventually changed hands and several different individuals have lived there since. Suggesting that perhaps Ackley had fabricated the ghostly stories in the first place, none of the later residents reported seeing paranormal activity. Additionally, the realtor tasked with selling the mansion today says that this is the third sale of the mansion that she has overseen and, despite spending a considerable amount of time there, "I've never experienced anything that would lead me to feel it's haunted." Nonetheless, the court's designation still stands, so if you've got a spare $1.9 million sitting around, you could own the legally haunted house.