Ghost Hunters TV personality Jason Hawes just scored a major win in the ongoing saga to purchase the home that inspired the 2013 film The Conjuring.
Videos by Suggest
Last year, the older sister of current owner Jacqueline Nuñez filed a lawsuit attempting to block Hawes from buying the Burrillville, Rhode Island, home. However, the lawsuit was dismissed late last month, per local outlet WPRI.
According to the outlet, Nuñez’s sister, Elizabeth Greenhalgh, claimed Nuñez was “legally incompetent and not of sound mind” when she granted Hawes’ associate, Julia Demay, the rights to sell the family home for at least $1.3 million. Greenhalgh claimed that Hawes and Demay knew Nuñez was unwell and conspired to take the property from her.
However, Rhode Island Superior Court Judge Shannon Signore ruled that Greenhalgh couldn’t legally sue on her sister’s behalf because she wasn’t her court-appointed guardian.
Needless to say, Hawes was pleased with the ruling.
“I’m happy that the Rhode Island Superior Court could see through everything and did what was right,” the 54-year-old Ghost Hunters star and former plumber added, per WPRI.
Meanwhile, Michael Resnick, Greenhalgh’s representative, told WPRI that his client is seeking legal guardianship of Nuñez in Suffolk Probate and Family Court. The lawsuit was dismissed without prejudice, which means Greenhalgh can refile it if she becomes her sister’s court-appointed guardian, Resnick noted.
Although Nuñez signed the deed over to Hawes in October, he agreed not to use it to acquire the home. This was because a judge had blocked the property’s sale while the lawsuit was pending.
‘Ghost Hunters’ Star Hopes to Restore and Preserve ‘The Conjuring’ House
The house, now a tourist attraction, was the setting for the 2013 horror flick The Conjuring. The film follows paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren as they try to help the Perron family, who claimed they were being terrorized by spirits in their Rhode Island farmhouse back in 1971.
The movie was so popular that it spawned a whole universe of sequels and spinoffs.
Meanwhile, Hawes has a GoFundMe set up to help raise funds to purchase and restore the property.
“I have never wanted to buy the Conjuring House,” the campaign’s page reads in part. “I’ve publicly stated this many times over the years, and I meant it. But, I have been contacted by past owners, employees, [and] residents, all begging me to step in and try to save this property from being exploited and priced out of the range of the majority of people.”
“Every contribution brings us one step closer to making sure the Conjuring House remains what it was always meant to be — a place to learn from, experience, and share for generations to come.”
As of this writing, the GoFundMe has raised over $336,000.