To be fascinated by this creepy house mystery? (NZ)

[dollybird76]

MN! I need theories, this is doing my brain in!

I moved to a new neighbourhood in a largeish city (I'm in New Zealand fyi) recently, and was having an evening walk to stretch my legs when I came across the weirdest place. It was dark, so it might have looked a bit creepier than it was buuuuttt....

It was an oldish house, that was completely empty, and the curtains were up, nothing in it at all. The lawn was unmown and it looked vacant. No furniture.

BUT- all over the windows were pages and PAGEs of handwritten messages. Usually on A4, some were A3. All in adult cursive, pasted against ALL the windows - usually at the top, but some in the middle too. Easily 30-50 notes, going right to the bottom of the page in this scrawl. I couldn't read them because the lounge was lit up by a GIANT red LED alarm clock on the wall (think one of these) which had about 4 different times listed on it- the only thing in the house.

Obviously, I was freaked out by the empty house with all the red glowing and the strange written notes on all the windows, so I booked it home after that!

So then I went onto Google Maps (because I couldn't stop thinking about it!), and found something really weird- the house is censored out on Google Maps. There's just a blur on the space it should be. There's a house behind it that looks normal, and that was listed in Maps fine, but this house and its letterbox were censored. And I actually can't find any record of it anywhere- not in council valuations or plots, anything. It's weird. The plot shows up, but there's no number against the house or any proof there was a house there.

It's been driving me mad! I want to go for another walk to take a look, but I don't want to be a total creeper. I've been trying to think of what it could be....

Squatters maybe? Maybe someone is reclusive and doesn't like their details online? Is this some trend the young'uns are doing now? Something more sinister? Please, theories! (Mostly for fun!

Ooh I love a scary house, had a quick Google is it any of these? www.youi.co.nz/blog/new-zealands-most-haunted-houses

Go back and take photos, and post them here. Immediately.

Just leave the poor bugger who lives there alone.

I’d say schizophrenia as well, though would they be aware enough to go through the rigmarole of getting Google to blur? Not a condition I know a lot about so sorry if that’s assumptive!

Ooo interesting!

Did you notice any pattern in the clock times?

Oh that does sound strange!

It's my house! (and I know where you live dollybird76
👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻👻

I need to fly over and offer you protection, don't go back until I get there. I will bring my ghost busters outfit and a pokeball.

Well, in my town, on the walk to school, there was a semi detached house that frequently had notes stuck up in its window. Turns out it was an old lady, who lived on her own, who didn't particularly like anybody. She used to wander round town, in a dress, with tracksuit bottoms underneath, with one of those 4 wheeled shopping trolleys, using it as a potential battering ram.
She lost my sympathy when she was not nice to me and my ds, through no fault of her own. I believe she is deceased now.

@FlamingoAndJohn has the correct answer, I would be willing to bet. And yes, that the schizophrenia or paranoia has led the house owner or occupier to contact Google and tell them not to feature their home. Very sad. I’m sure the neighbors around the house know all about it and have had to call the police or emergency personnel plenty of times.

I’d say schizophrenia as well, though would they be aware enough to go through the rigmarole of getting Google to blur?

Yes, there may be periods of complete lucidity or a sliding scale. Also a relative may have done it to appease them at some point to try and make things smoother.

Someone in a local shop might be able to tell you about the house

Go back and read the notes!

The theories about a resident with MH issues/ schizophrenia are convincing (when I was at uni in Manchester there was a lady who'd travel the buses giving out long photocopied screeds covered in tiny writing about how her son had been abducted by the BBC in collaboration with other organisations), but how do you explain the complete lack of furniture if there is someone living there, PPs??

but how do you explain the complete lack of furniture if there is someone living there,PP’s?

Have you ever met someone with schizophrenia? They are probably holed up somewhere in the house, maybe even sleeping on a floor. They may think physical objects are all ‘contaminated’ with radio trackers or have been planted with bugs or god knows what. They are using the writing stick on the windows to counteract something.

I’m not saying everyone with schizophrenia is like this, definitely not. But some are. I have met many who could not even live in houses, they felt safer living on the streets so they could not be ‘tracked’. They had either been given social housing at some point or had relatives/parents who would have happily had them live at home. I had a professional acquaintance who sectioned a person with schizophrenia who had pulled out all of their child’s teeth with pliers because they were convinced the teeth had tracking devices in them. Again, not saying this is common but you are looking at it from a rational point of view when it’s not.

That teeth story is horrendous

We need photos please!

There was a house/shop like this near us a few years back (it was a flat over the shop arrangement) It became empty and the window inside got filled with loads of written incomprehensible rants, - many of the fascist variety (swastikas etc included) alll very hate filled. It stayed like that for ages (not sure what happened in the end because I moved from the area)

I think there was some kind of dispute over the lease and the guy who had been there and ran the shop had to leave - which led to the the rants and bitterness.

Can you get close enough to the house to read the notes ?
(actually don't do anything risky - ignore me)

I need to know more.

Hi all! Eep, it's been some time- life got hectic, and I've been down with the worst virus.

But- I have an update! And it's actually kind of sweet! And I met the owner!

It took me a long time to go back up to the place, especially with what everyone had said! I definitely thought the theories around schizophrenia sounded the most likely, so I stayed away for a bit.

So! I eventually took DD for a walk and we went past the house on the other side of the road. It was mid morning, and people were out and about and a sunny day, so I wasn't overly worried. I took a look from the other side of the road, and there was actually furniture this time! Also a lot of boxes- potentially someone moving in.

I got a chance to read the notes (trying not to be a stickybeak!) and they were actually all really positive motivational quotes! Some were from CS Lewis and other kids authors, some were anti-gun violence, some were religious, but in general they were all really nice happy things. I felt pretty relieved at that, and we went on the rest of our walk.

We went past again on the way back, again on the other side of the road (it's between the park and home) and the owner was walking back in. He waved us down and said hello and was very friendly. He was an older man, who looked a lot like Santa Claus but in religious robes ( I don't know what denomination- long white ones?) . DD was a little spooked, but he seemed harmless enough!

Now I know I have a slightly odd but friendly old neighbour who posts positive quotes everywhere instead of a mysterious note leaving serial killer, so all's well that ends well!

Oh! Also, I had too many questions to get through from everyone, sorry- but I will add, I did more sleuthing online and there's still no record of the house, ownership, or anything about it online. Not just google maps, but everywhere. I'm still not sure what that's about - maybe he's just into data privacy? But I guess we all should be these days!