By Tim Binnall
In the latest twist in the saga surrounding ownership of the infamous Conjuring House, a judge has reportedly issued a restraining order preventing a YouTube star or his associates from making any unauthorized visits to the property. The nearly year-long battle began last autumn when a planned Halloween auction of the purportedly haunted Rhode Island residence was cancelled after content creator Elton Castee purchased the underlying mortgage of the home. But he did not possess the actual deed to the house, which remained in the hands of then-owner Jacqueline Nuñez. A subsequent sale to Jason Hawes of Ghost Hunters fame spawned a lawsuit that was dismissed this past April. However, it would seem that the fight for the prized paranormal location may be far from over.
At a hearing on Monday, Hawes' legal team successfully lobbied for a restraining order against Castee and representatives from his real estate company after individuals connected to the business visited the site three times without permission from the Ghost Hunters star, who was found to have a prima facie case for now being the owner of the property. That said, since the YouTuber does possess the underlying mortgage and believes he has a claim to the residence, his company was granted the right to inspect the location every 30 days with advance notice to Hawes and Nuñez's sister, who is still involved in her own legal fight for the home.
To that end, in issuing her order on Monday, Judge Melissa Darigan offered an observation that will elicit a nod of agreement from those closely following the Conjuring House saga as she mused that "this entire case ... is a huge mess. Something's not right here." That said, her ruling resulted in no resolution to the overarching question of who owns the property. While that may be cleared up at yet another hearing set for August, one would be wise to temper their expectations, considering how incredibly convoluted the entire process has become.