Man discovers dead body in newly purchased France apartment
It's a surprise that we hope never happens to us.
The new owner of an apartment walked in to find the hanged body of the previous owner behind the front door when the locksmith opened up his newly purchased property. While it's odd that the body wasn't found earlier, you think the buyer would have visited the property before signing any papers, apparently the body was undisturbed for eight years, according to a local France newspaper.
Thomas Ngin, a security guard, had been fired from his previous job, dealing with court proceedings with his employer in legal court and facing debt issues.
The bank seized his property and sold it at an auction where it was bought for 415,000 euros (about $598,889) in early October. It explains why the owner never saw the property in advance, but he's likely regretting that decision now.
Meanwhile, police are conducting an autopsy to determine a specific date of death. As for the unfortunate new owner, his properly value will likely drop since no one wants to live in a house that someone died in. There's a negative stigma that you just can't shake off and you're better off demolishing and rebuilding the place.
You would think that disclosing a death in the property would be required, but in provinces other than Quebec, this isn't the case. While real estate agents and sellers don't have to tell a potential buyer this information, Ontario real estate agents are required to “discover and verify the pertinent facts relating to the property and the transaction” as a part of the rules by the Real Estate Council of Ontario, according to the Toronto Star. It likely isn't their fault that a death happened in their homes, but it seems wrong that they wouldn't let potential buyers know all the information about a place.
There are a few court cases where a buyer purchased the property and discovered the house's history later, neighbours do talk. If you want to avoid all this trouble, there's a simple solution: do a quick Internet search before purchasing the property. You'll likely conduct one to figure out about the crime rate or education in the area and this should be an extra precaution you should take to ensure your future property's value. Once you've signed the dotted line, the place becomes yours and it's your problem to deal with.
In the United States, DiedInHouse.com will tell you who died in your home, if anyone, for $11.99 U.S. While this service isn't available in Canada, hopefully it'll become available soon or real estate agents and sellers will be required to disclose this information.
Do you think sellers should be required to disclose a death that happened on the property?
Josephine Lim, MSN Money
Posted by: Joy | Oct 30, 2021 6:34:30 AM
Yes they should have to.
Posted by: Robert Byl | Oct 30, 2021 7:27:04 AM
Absolutely not. Its ridiculous to think that some one's death has any bearing on the house. If that were the case the peon's that believe this would never go to a hospital, a old age home to visit, visit there one surviving grandparent or go to a morgue. The question itself is in bad taste. I say grow up people living and dieing is part of life and just like most of us don't get to choose when we die nor do most of us get to choose where we die we just do
Posted by: Tiredandcrankey | Oct 30, 2021 8:19:26 AM
They are selling the house not the history of it. People need to stop being so petty, this is real life not TV land.
Posted by: Keith | Oct 30, 2021 8:22:16 AM
Yes. It should be disclosed by the realtor
Posted by: Scaredy pants | Oct 30, 2021 8:40:13 AM
Agents should disclose this type of information only if a crime or suicide happened . We had friends who bought a house that previously had some drug activity , it became a nightmare when old customers began dropping by hitting them up for a fix.
I would never consider purchasing a property with such bad Karma attached to it.
Maybe the new owner can have it blessed or cleansed.I would never sleep at night thinking this poor man's spirit would still be hanging around.
Posted by: jg | Oct 30, 2021 9:17:33 AM
I think if there was a murder there or drug violence it should be mandatory to let the prospective owner know. There could be an element of danger that the criminals could return!
Posted by: S.Lee | Oct 30, 2021 9:19:40 AM
As for the unfortunate new owner, his properly value will likely drop since
"PROPERTY"
Posted by: Robert Byl | Oct 30, 2021 9:26:43 AM
Oh please don't bring some hokey belief called religion into it. Might as well believe in Aliens the boogie man, Yeti and Sasquatch. If you believe in the bible you will see god is the creator of every thing (sin included ) remember according to the fable god put the tree of knowledge good and evil in the garden which means the evil came from god in the first place along with every slain thing since the beginning of time. Thus the saying evil begets evil.
Posted by: Troy | Oct 30, 2021 9:34:11 AM
You're absolutely right. But that's not going to change how the majority of people think or behave.
Posted by: Sophia | Oct 30, 2021 9:44:55 AM
I'm just amazed - how the heck did religion get into this discussion???!!!!
Of course a real estate agent should not have to disclose info about deaths in property.
Posted by: flash | Oct 30, 2021 9:48:38 AM
If it bothers you that someone may have died in the house, then don't buy a century home. People used to die at home and the wake held in the home before burial. Like the one poster said, dieing is a part of life, so deal with it!
Posted by: Robert Byl | Oct 30, 2021 9:49:36 AM
The previous owner decided that he had had enough of this life. He had lost all his encouragement to go on. The fact is he choose his demise and who are any of you to decide his fate.His life was his own to do with as he pleases, he hung himself. The world because of religious B/S goes oh no and wants to carry on. But if he had gone rock climbing or sky diving or some other risky endeavor and secretly died that would be more acceptable. What a load of crap. He had his reasons for snuffing out his life give him the kudos he deserves for knowing that was what he wanted and having the will to go do what he wanted. Live your life you do what you want how many of you let other people tell you when to go to the bathroom and when you should go to bed.
Posted by: Ashlinn | Oct 30, 2021 11:10:05 AM
His properly value? Wow, writing at its finest.
Posted by: jocovich | Oct 30, 2021 11:14:24 AM
I think the agents should disclose any information about a death occuring within a property, but only if the possible buyer is interested in it and asks. It's a simple solution because those that it might bother will ask, and those who don't care will not. Some people would be hessitant about living there and some won't. Easy peasy.
Posted by: working mom | Oct 30, 2021 11:17:05 AM
People die in homes all the time. Wouldn't bother me if someone died of natural causes in a house I was considering purchasing. I would like to know, though, if there was a violent death in the house. I am not sure if I would purchase the home, not because of any superstition I might have, but more because it can affect property values, and there are some wacky people out there who seem to think the scene of a tragedy is license to drive by, gawk, or even trespass.
Posted by: Long Ago | Oct 30, 2021 11:26:36 AM
In this day and age more and more people are deciding to want to die at home rather in a hospital or a care facility.
Even a violent death (crime) still is a death, but can understand the impact that may have on many people, picturing the situation etc.
I do not think a Real Estate needs to reveal such, but the potential buyer has the right to search themselves etc. prior to buying. Just like hiring a home inspection. They then make their own decision.
Interesting that many people die in a hospital bed, but few ever consider this when they may be the next person to use it. Should hospitals have to advise patients if anyone died in the bed they are going to use?
Too many of these paranormal shows etc. around. Get over it! The dead person did!
Posted by: cross2bear | Oct 30, 2021 11:33:06 AM
I cant believe this discussion - you are not geting the tragedy behind this story - and its not about property values.
Its about a man who was dead for EIGHT YEARS and no one bothered to look in on him.
Posted by: Funloving Grampa | Oct 30, 2021 12:22:24 PM
8 years and none of the neighbours could smell anything moulding??
My God you would think after all this time the smell would be so strong it would gag people walking by on the street.
The utilities were still being billed?
Just too many "things" appear to have fallen through the beaurocratic red tape.
Posted by: indifferent | Oct 30, 2021 12:42:35 PM
Good grief. Who cares as long as the building/house/etc is in good condition. I also agree with the above, eight years and no one looked into the matter? What does that say about humans.
Posted by: Weird | Oct 30, 2021 12:47:06 PM
I think that's unnecessary information. If I learned someone died in the room I sleep in, it might be a little eerie, but wouldn't bother me enough to move out, or even lose sleep over.
With that being said, how the hell did he go undiscovered for 8 years. Did nobody notice his sudden disappearance, especially if he was in court? Upon reading another article, it says he cut off ties with family and friends and became more isolated and depressed. But that's still really odd that 8 years went by without any discovery of this man.