A being in the attic?

Ok, this is so hard to believe. At first I thought this friend of mine had lost her marbles. With that said, let me get into the oddness of the events.

She lives in an older apartment complex, and has been there the better part of two years. She used to have a roomate (who is also my friend), but for various reasons including this malevolent being the attic, moved out. There was a man who lived next door, and because of the problems caused by this being in the attic, asked to be moved to another unit. The landlord says the apartment is haunted. But my friend has actually seen a slender male figure in a shirt and blue jeans in the attic. But I will get to that.

She was so sure that someone was sneaking into her attic, that she has asked me to case the joint at night from the street outside and see if anyone was crawling up and in. She knows I have all the digital night viewing equipment en-masse, and really wanted me to do so. I told her I would, but it is a semi-residential area, and I know someone would surely call th eauthorities if someone was creepily watching a building through view-finders for hours on end. She agreed.

My friend works all day and is finding when she gets home, whatever is in the attic won't let her sleep. She has considered moving but has signed a lease, and for how nice the apartment is, she would never find anything like it for the price. She has talked to me about the problem before, knowing I am a magnet of all things odd, strange, or conspiracy related. When I have looked at the building, there is no way in or out of the building from the outside to the attic. Well, at least that I am aware of. I found no entrance.

She was convinced it was a human being for quite a long time. In fact the noise of footsteps got so bad that she went over to the neighbors before he moved to ask if he had heard it. He said he had and it had been bothering him too. He offered that the entrance to the attic was on his side of the apartment and let her in to go upstairs with his assistance. He told her he had prepared a smoothie a few days before for his health, since he is a older man in his 70's, had left the room were the entrance was for a moment, heard a ruckus, went back into that room, and the entrance hatch to the attic was ajar and the paint ripped off, and his smoothie spilled all over the floor. This was just too freaky for him, and he had asked the landlord to be moved into the only other empty apartment in a building adjacent one over from the first. He was in fear for his life.

When my friend went up into the attic, she saw that the spray-in insulation had been disturbed in such a way that there was a visible path that made it's way over to her apartment. Sure enough the paint on the entrance hatch had been devastated. The majority of the disturbed insulation was above her bedroom and bathroom, which made her feel very violated.

When she went into the attic she said it was very uncomforatable, and the heat was practically unbearable. The spray-insulation made it stiffling and uncomfortable. And, she was unable to see any entraces into the attic. She began to think it was impossible for it to be a person, or at the very least it was a very disturbed individual.

After the older man moved to the other apartment, the footsteps continued. For quite a while the apartment next door was vacant. The footsteps got even worse. A couple new people live in the apartment now, but are heavy drinkers and claim they heard some sounds, but aren't freaked out by them.

My friend has had such a hard time sleeping, that she purchased a motion-activated, infrared camera, that is hooked up to a small monitor in her bedroom. She has cut a square hole about 4 x 4 inches wide to slip the camera up into the attic. Unfortunately she has no recording capabilities on the monitor/camera. Well, at least not yet. What is very creepy, is after she installed the camera, she saw a very thin male figure in what she thought looked like a t-shirt and blue jeans walking around in the attic. It doesn't look anything like the new tenants next door.

She has begun to think the "being" upstairs is not a person, but may be paranormal in nature. I have given her the number of a paranormal research organization here locally that works for free.

I want to help more but don't know what to do.

[edit on 29-11-2007 by theutahbigfoothunter]

I know this might sound a little crazy but it's the time of year when squirals nest and i can tell you now those thing's can make a hell of a lot of noise and huge damage.

I would suggest calling a pest control officer in and asking him to look for tell tale pattern's of infestation.

He will also search for area's of entrance and exit used by the animal.

These animal's have been know to totally infest roof space and this ring's a bell.

Just something to think about take care.

Regard's
Lee






[edit on 29-11-2007 by h3akalee]

reply to post by h3akalee


That is a very good point. Although it seems like there isnt any of the telltale signs of animal infestation. Rodents such as rats and mice may cause structural problems, but the real trouble lies in what they chew through. Wires, woodwork, plastic, even pipes... and of course, rodent dropping are a potential health hazard. In addition to the rodent droppings, telltale signs include nests in attic insulation and chewed woodwork.

None of this has been evident.

I totally forgot one other aspect of the situation. My friend has heard the sound of a slight rumbling like that of a car preceeding moments of hightened activity. But there is almost alwys "something" upstairs, according to her and those included.

You said that after she installed the camera she saw the figure in the attic. Was this on camera that she saw it or with her eyes?

reply to post by Malynn


It was on the camera that she saw it.

reply to post by theutahbigfoothunter


Has it been verified that no one was doing any maintenance or utilities work on the building that day?

reply to post by Malynn


Yes no one had been up in the attic, becaause they would have had to enter from the one and only entrance. Unless the neighbors were lying, which is unlikely. In general, the management and maintenance should endeavor to be as unobtrusive as possible, and it’s to everyone’s benefit to get maintenance issues addressed quickly, before they develop into more significant issues. So management always lets the tenants know when they are doing work on either of the aapartments and needs the tenants there to allow entrance to the attic. Because of the this, I was told the management always announces when they are going to do maintenance to skirt any legal problems.

So that I am aware, that wasn't a possibility- according to the maanager's common practices.

What I thought was the most interesting, was the fact that the manager thinks those two particular apartments which make up the top level of the complex were haunted. I was always under the impression that if a place was believed to be haunted, the landlord had to divulge that information upon signing a lease. If this is legimate, and is actually the case, she has a way out of her lease. Although the amount she pays a month is extremely low for the area and how nice the apartment is. This could be one of the reasons.

reply to post by theutahbigfoothunter


Ok. Did she install the camera while the next apartment was empty or was someone already living there? The reason I ask is perhaps the previous tenant (the elderly man who said the noise freaked him out) notified the building caretaker/janitor or asked him about it and the guy went up into the attic after he moved out just to take a little look-see?

If it was after the new neighbors moved-in how much information has been given to them about what your friend suspects and the previous tenant suspects? Is it possible they could have told a friend of theirs her suspicions and being interested he went-up to check it out? That would explain why someone was up there that didn't look like one of the neighbors.

disclaimer: I'm not trying to debunk you or say it couldn't be a ghost or anything, I'm just trying to clarify the issue and help eliminate possible mundane explanations.

What kind of camera is it? (name brand and model etc.) Also, if the camera is infra-red what color was the man she saw in the camera? That could also be quite useful information.

reply to post by theutahbigfoothunter

I was always under the impression that if a place was believed to be haunted, the landlord had to divulge that information upon signing a lease.

I'm not sure about that, but you could be correct. It would seem kind of strange for there to be a law or regulation on the books for landlords to inform potential occupants of a phenomenon that no one can prove exists, though. I've heard of people renting houses and apartments where strange things happened and the owner/renter doing research on the property to find out someone had been previously murdered there or something.

If this is really distressing her I'm sure there must be some way to get out of her lease. The worst that could happen if she breaks the lease would be she wouldn't get her security deposit back, right? Or perhaps she has one of those crazy strict leases where she'll have to pay the rent for six months even if she moves out?

Edited: For terrible grammar

[edit on 11/29/07 by Malynn]

reply to post by Malynn



Wow I just searched the issue and found that:

In more stringent states, the list can run to 10 pages, reflecting a variety of consumer or regional concerns, including earthquake damage, mold, radon, insect infestations, even ghosts and paranormal activity.

Direct link:
findarticles.com...

So I guess the landlord should have said something. Even if it's just because of the ethics.

I live in the Kansas City area and within the last year I heard about something like this around here. This guy actually had created a secret/trap door in the roof to enter and was living in the attic of someones house. In the night he would sneak out and tie the actual residents door closed and prowl through the house. The guy that livied there woke up one night and found himself tied into his bed room so he called the cops, the other guy ran and got away. Upon investigation it was found that the guy in the attic had built the trap door in the roof and had even wired himself into the homes electric circuit to have a little light and space heater.

The funny part was when asked about it the resident had said something like "I thought my food was going fast..."

It's happened before and it will proly happen again, doesn't have to be paranormal to have a guy living in your attic. Heck it makes even more sence when put in the perspective that the area above her bedroom and bathroom were the most disturbed... I don't think ghost and goblins would have to peek in from above!

Call the Police.

reply to post by theutahbigfoothunter


Yes, but is it a law in your state?

reply to post by theutahbigfoothunter


It is actually creepier if it IS a person. To submit themselves to that kind of an environment, just to get some strange desire fulfilled. I would actually fear for her safety. One thing is a paranormal entity, but it's a whole other ballgame to have a freaky stalker living in your attic.

[edit on 29-11-2007 by theutahbigfoothunter]

reply to post by theutahbigfoothunter


It doesn't even have to be a stalker, just a homeless guy that found himself a warm place to crash. The peeping could just be a perk, it's still creepy.

reply to post by whargoul


I will try my hardest to get some pictures of the attic if I can, to post them. It is very odd!

UTBFHunter,

Buddy long time...So I thought of something...Have you seen the new show Monster Quest on the Discovery or history channel? They recently had an episode about a bigfoot disturbing fishermen in this fly in remote cabin way up in the territories, anyways to the point, after the BF Broke in, they decided it can be bear cuz no claw marks, no humans because the closest drivable town is 200 miles away crows fly. So they got some ply wood, put about 80 nails in it, put it at the door, nails up, they actually got hair, tissues and blood samples. What I would do, if I were you, I would put a board up in the attic with the nails up, and cover it with insulation. If its a ghost, it won't hurt it, if its a man, he shouldn't be up there anyways. I would NOT Tell the landlord you are doing this, or anyone else. I would request the landlord to paddle lock the entrance to the attic, to ensure human containiation is minimum. but if some perv is sneaking in there, he will have quite a surprise, Where does your friend live? just curious. you can u2u to me.

Also yes, in Utah, you have to disclose any paranormal activities or suicides in your resident in your sell affidavit or rental agreement.

Originally posted by theutahbigfoothunter
reply to post by whargoul

 

I will try my hardest to get some pictures of the attic if I can, to post them. It is very odd!

I came upon this thread and I find your story very interesting.


Please get some decent pictures, or even video if you really want us to believe! Video footage of this entity would be great to see.