Thread: A terrible coincidence.

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I have a rent house that is about 2/3 a mile away from my house. but about 2000 ft. the way the crow flies (straight across through the woods) The other day I was showing this house to a prospective tenant. While walking through the house the woman said "I hope you like Halloween cause my husband and I go all out for Halloween" I told her that I love Halloween and in fact in the woods between that house and mine I have a haunted house that is up all year (closer to my side for electricity). My 18 year old daughter was with me and when the woman left my daughter said "She's our new tenant because she loves Halloween" I told her not neccessarily because it's not wise to mix business with pleasure. After going over her application I realized the lady and her husband probably would not be living there.

Well, the gods decided to test me when they sent the next applicant. It was a woman, her husband and their adopted 10 yr. old son. They were perfect candidates. They were wonderful made plenty of money, sweet, clean and everything they wrote on their application was correct. I told them that they were selected and they came back to the house to measure some things. While they were there the mother told me that her son was having to see a therapist. I asked why what happened?

When the boy was 4 years old he woke up on Halloween morning in the bed with his real mother and she was dead. He stayed there with her all day and into the night and there were kids coming to his door trick or treating. Later that night someone found her and took her away. And he associates his mother's death with Halloween and can in no way see anything Halloween related. She said last Halloween was the first one he made it through without them having to give him something to sedate him.

I can't tell you the miracle it is that I didn't mention my love of Halloween to these people, because alot of my tenants come to my party. And I have never met a child I didn't try to get to go through my haunted house even in June. I turn it on and we go through it. Kids love that thing. He was about 10 min. away from being asked himself.

The other issue is the noise haunted house noises are scary. music, sound fx, etc. and you can hear ours for at least a mile because we put sounds in the woods around our house so it sounds like stuff in the woods. surround sound in the woods.

As the rest of you I am sure, Halloween is one of the great pleasures of my life. I love children and it hurts me to think that something I love will bring pain to this little boy. He is such a cute sweet thing.
My best friend said maybe it was meant to be this way for some reason. I hope she's right.

It could be a tense situation come october, I think when I learned this I would probably have told them about your haunted house and given them a way out of renting the house before they moved in. I don't see this boy ever getting over halloween and further trauma is not what he needs. It's not like you will give up your haunted house for this boy I imagine. Let them live somewhere else.

I agree . I think that was a bad idea really. That boy is gonna crack and he can do damage to himself or others. This is not wise thing to do. You cant change people no matter how much we want to. That boy has went through some serious !@#$! SERIOUS !@#$! You really should of said something when they were signing papers. I mean he needed to be sedate at Halloween.....Its gonna get rough........

Well I don't see how that will help since it is Halloween everywhere. He will never SEE my haunted house he will only hear it. These people drove 4 hours just to rent our house because of it's proximity to certain things. there are not alot of other places to rent in this area because of the recent tornadoes. A town about 10 miles from here was almost wiped out and all of those people are displaced leaving nothing available. Like I said it's not wise to mix business with pleasure. I am a good landlord and I genuinely care about my tenants but I will not get rid of a good tenant even if I have to give her a couple of hundred dollars to spend the night away that night. But I can't give up Halloween. Let them live somewhere else? How do I know they will not move right across from some of the people on here who live next to the road and go all out. My house is 1500 foot off the road. No one else in this neighborhood does halloween except me (they all come to my house) It is unlikely that he will see anything but my heart hurts for him.

The main point is you have to warn them, regardless, let them decide. Pull the parents aside and explain. I know finding a good tenant these days is hell itself, but, sometimes what looks good on paper turns out not so good.

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Oh lord, such a terrible thing for a young boy to have to suffer through! I agree, you have to tell the parents what goes on and then let them make the decision. I think even hearing Halloween sounds would be bad for him.

Our neighbors (right next door) are very friendly and very religious, the mom home schools their 4 kids, all under 8yo. They don't celebrate Halloween, and every year they go camping to a cabin in the mountains. I've never asked them about it, but I'm sure it's to get their kids away from halloween influences. Maybe that's something those parents could do with their son.

You are right it is hell finding a good tenant. Out of every 10 applicants you get a couple that you might consider out of every 25-30 you get one you know you would. I choose very carefully and I have never had to evict anyone. No one has ever damaged any of my properties and some still call me just to see how I am. (knock on wood). If the Halloween party were not mine but one of the neighbors I don't think I would have even thought to warn them since I feel as though Halloween images are everywhere. But since it was mine is why I was a little sad. Eccentually what I will be to these people is their neighbor so to be honest I felt like bringing up something that happens only once a year might be mean. I figured I just wouldn't mention anything Halloween. Of course I will mention it to her before the day but I am sure she's already on alert before then with things being in the stores and such that he can see. There is no way he will see my things unless he comes here. I hope no one thought that I meant I was going to get him over it by shoving Halloween down his throat. I would never hurt a kid plus I'm too busy doing that to my family.

Creepy, I feel you are being very thoughtful and considerate of the boys past, and looking out for his best interest. I hope it works out for both of you.

Thanks Warrant I appreciate you saying that

I agree with Warrant about perhaps they could just go away for the night to a relatives house or something. If you warn them way ahead of time, they will be able to make plans. I'm sure it's something they could arrange fairly easily. Your offer of paying them for a hotel room is more than generous and could be a last resort.