It is not unheard of that a new homeowner has to deal with an unpleasant surprise shortly after moving in. The roof or basement might leak or a family of raccoons might have taken up residence in the attic. While these occurrences are certainly unpleasant and the new owner will have to find the financial resources to rectify the problem, what happens in a situation where the unwanted inhabitants are not of this world? Does the purchaser have any recourse?
The short answer is probably not. Since the existence of a spirit can't be proved in a court of law, there wouldn't be any legal recourse.
A paranormal investigator will conduct an investigation to try to find an explanation for the happenings reported by the homeowner.
For example, cold spots can be the result of a draft; the insulation and windows need to be checked. Physical symptoms, such as headaches or lethargy, may be a sign of carbon monoxide poisoning. If the home does not have a working carbon monoxide detector, then this possibility needs to be ruled out by either a heating contractor or the local fire department.
Once all the possible physical explanations have been considered and eliminated, in some cases what we are left with is a metaphysical one. If the home is also inhabited by spirits, they can sometimes be encouraged to move on. If not, the homeowner then has two choices: they can move out themselves (and hope the entity doesn't follow them to their next home) or they can try to live with the spiritual presence and stay on.
In fact, in a survey conducted in 2005 by Britain's Portsman Building Society, two out of three people surveyed stated that they would remain in their homes if they found out they had an otherworldly roommate.
One wonders if people from other countries would be as tolerant.
