"The Watcher" house in New Jersey now plagued by a new threat: a suburban renovation squabble
The New Jersey house once stalked by an eerie, anonymous letter-writer called "The Watcher" now faces a far more mundane challenge. Neighbors in the New Jersey suburb of Westfield are fighting the current owners' plans to tear down the now-infamous house and replace it with two new homes on the property, the New York Post reports.
The six-bedroom house first made headlines when its buyers tried to sue the sellers for failing to disclose the fact that the house was stalked by an anonymous letter-writer who called himself "The Watcher," and would send them missives to the tune of, "I am pleased to know your names now, and the name of the young blood you have brought to me."
Now, the couple who owns the home have applied to the township to create two new lots on the property, with their attorney arguing that the Watcher has rendered the house unsellable, and that it must be torn down and replaced. "This house is a celebrated house, one that is stigmatized, that has gained notoriety," he said, also noting that potential buyers have always balked once they learn of the rumors.
More than 60 people showed up for a recent local hearing on the matter, NJ.com reports, many of whom are concerned that the new planned houses would look out of place in the context of the neighborhood. "It's a terrible application, it would be terrible for the neighborhood," one angry local told the Post.
At press time, it's unclear if tearing down the old structure to create two new ones would get rid of The Watcher once and for all, or simply inspire him to start sending twice as many letters.
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