Why Has This House Been Abandoned For Over 30 Years?

[supermarket]

386 Harvie Ave
Toronto, Ontario
Canada

That's right, that's the address to an abandoned house that has it's windows and doors boarded up. Now what's the big deal about this house you ask? Well it's in a MAJOR residential area where there are some nice small and BIG homes with your average everyday families. A buddy of mine lives a few blocks away from this house and says he's been passing it for 30 years. It's never been torn down and no one in the area can guess who it belonged to and why the city hasn't done anything about this home. You can probably see it on google earth. If you see it you'll think it's soooooooo out of place in the fact that it's such a nice neighbourhood, and than you have this one and only abandoned house. I was at a barbeque in the area when my buddies friends from the area asked me if I could post this question online since they're much older and don't know how to use the Internet so well. They don't know if someone was murdered there or what???? The biggest thing is torontos largest cemetary is just right behind the home...

AND THAT'S WHY PEOPLE ARE DYING TO KNOW. Check it out on google earth and you'll see. It's the last house up a hill... It didn't even have a house number I had to guess by counting doors from other homes beside it.

[longitude]

Looking at google maps street view, there's no such house...

[t3359]

post a google map link? can't really find it.

bjl

[eugeneo]

Looking at google maps street view, there's no such house...

It does exist

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=386+Harvie+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontar io+M6E+1W5,+Canada&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.197878,93.076172&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=Fc2bmgId_qFD-w&split=0&hq=&hnear=386+Harvie+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+O ntario+M6E+1W5,+Canada&ll=43.687414,-79.454268&spn=0.001267,0.00284&z=19&layer=c&cbll=43.68755,-79.45437&panoid=XkSUz_rCRePGGZfRt2Q2hQ&cbp=12,186.11,,1,-6.48

It actually doesn't look in that bad of shape.

[t3359]

It does exist

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=386+Harvie+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontar io+M6E+1W5,+Canada&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.197878,93.076172&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=Fc2bmgId_qFD-w&split=0&hq=&hnear=386+Harvie+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+O ntario+M6E+1W5,+Canada&ll=43.687414,-79.454268&spn=0.001267,0.00284&z=19&layer=c&cbll=43.68755,-79.45437&panoid=XkSUz_rCRePGGZfRt2Q2hQ&cbp=12,186.11,,1,-6.48

It actually doesn't look in that bad of shape.

ahhh...

probably owners are just waiting for the right price to sell it to someone who wants to tear it down and rebuild it? (either that or it's haunted or contains a portal to the underworld).

bjl

[ji2o0k]

ahhh...

probably owners are just waiting for the right price to sell it to someone who wants to tear it down and rebuild it? (either that or it's haunted or contains a portal to the underworld).

bjleither that or maybe vampires live there? Which would explain the boarded up windows etc....they could fly out of the cracks as bats..

Or maybe it is haunted...like the movie House on Haunted Hill......ooooooooooooo

[sylpherware]

Looks like google gave it a better approximation: 404 Harvie Ave :lol:
I guess it's not suppose to be found :p

Why not ask the local realtors? Wouldn't they have a better idea of who the property belongs to?

It does look a bit eerie from the front - the handrails don't align with the front door :p
And there's a red pontiac parked beside it on streetview.

[inline6]

I'm sure the City of Toronto would know... maybe it has some Heritage Home designation or something.... or some sort of history to it. I see so many boarded-up brick houses in markham. Ie. Markham Costco, Milliken Park, Markham YMCA

[FrogPrince]

I heard that the owner is willing to sell it only to someone who can spend one whole night in the house. So far, no one's done it an lived to tell about it .

[joeym]

maybe it didnt follow proper fengshui?

[Piro21]

I'd say it's probably built on top of a native graveyard.

[r1lee]

it's probably haunted. If you click on the arrow up, you'll see the red car parked in that drive way, but if you go back to the original picture it's parked in the house before it.. that's scary stuff!

What an Eye sore..

[user01]

it's probably haunted. If you click on the arrow up, you'll see the red car parked in that drive way, but if you go back to the original picture it's parked in the house before it.. that's scary stuff!

What an Eye sore..

Yea, I saw the red car in the other house drive then seconds later, it's on the other drive way, Um... Haunted??!!

I don't know how people stand with living near a cemetery behind their backyard. That's scary.

[nano]

why don't you ask the neighbor!?!?!

[JohnEnglish]

Back when I was in highschool, one of my friends lived right next door to an abandoned house. It turns out the couple that lived there got divorced and the husband was refusing to sell the house becuase the wife would get 1/2 of the proceeds. The was left empty for almost 25 years before it was finally sold.

[hyperion]

Doesn't look that abandoned to me. The grass in front looks like someone is taking care of it.

[Mendes]

may have too many issues that no one wants to buy it. looks like its built on a hill so dainage could be an issue

[Johan Liebert]

Send that to the architect, make it an award winning signature house. Calling Frank Gehry. :D I must say it does have a unique elevation though, slope wise.

[joeyjoejoe]

Doesn't look that abandoned to me. The grass in front looks like someone is taking care of it.

This view of the house has a car in the drive way:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=386+Harvie+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontar io+M6E+1W5,+Canada&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.197878,93.076172&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=Fc2bmgId_qFD-w&split=0&hq=&hnear=386+Harvie+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+O ntario+M6E+1W5,+Canada&layer=c&cbll=43.687401,-79.454258&panoid=LFByLtphJUJfLBPsdhMUSg&cbp=12,246.24,,1,4.07&ll=43.687536,-79.454359&spn=0,0.002151&t=h&z=19

[Johan Liebert]

Either someone got lazy decided to park on that drive way or someone's operating an illegal activity in that house that doesn't want people to know about.

[r1lee]

Doesn't look that abandoned to me. The grass in front looks like someone is taking care of it.

the boarded windows and doors don't give a hint? Unless someone is living in the dark.

[Lulz]

that red car creeps me out.

I mean the only logical explanation is that Google Car took pictures at 2 different days which explains why car is parked one place and seconds later in other. But why would Google do that, I thought StreetView is more or less seamless stream of images that were taken in consequetive order...especially since that is not a very big street at all meaning they didndt really have to do image capturing more than once.

[Ozzy]

Looks like a transformer substation disguised as a house. Toronto has been doing it for decades.

http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/transformer-houses.html

[FrogPrince]

The two pictures were taken at different times. You can tell by the shadow of the tree branches on the abandoned house. One picture is sunny and you can see the shadows and the other picture is overcast with no shadows.

The google truck (or whatever they use) probably turned left onto Rochdale Av and came back around later and went up the rest of the street.

[hagbard]

Its a low budget Mason lodge.

[tighty whities]

that red car creeps me out.

I mean the only logical explanation is that Google Car took pictures at 2 different days which explains why car is parked one place and seconds later in other. But why would Google do that, I thought StreetView is more or less seamless stream of images that were taken in consequetive order...especially since that is not a very big street at all meaning they didndt really have to do image capturing more than once.

It's a different stream. In the original picture the red car was parked in the next lot, there were no shadows (overcast) and there was a blue car parked two lots over (north).

[r1lee]

Looks like a transformer substation disguised as a house. Toronto has been doing it for decades.

http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/transformer-houses.html

I'm ok with this thought, but that house is an Eye-sore. The link talks about homes with curtains, landscaping etc. That's got neither.

[googoo]

It looks familiar for some reason, if I remember the situation correctly parents die, house goes to kids that have homes so they speculate on the market, somebody ensd up selling the home from under them and now there is a fight to get back the ownership.

something like that.

Brent

[hagbard]

I'm ok with this thought, but that house is an Eye-sore. The link talks about homes with curtains, landscaping etc. That's got neither.

Actually doesn't look that out of place. :D

[Ozzy]

I'm ok with this thought, but that house is an Eye-sore. The link talks about homes with curtains, landscaping etc. That's got neither.

Eye sore yes but the article mentions the state of houses back in the 50's and 60's. Today there is about 270 of these substations in the city and all maintenance is done by independent contractors who clean up only on "as needed" basis. From the picture of the house it looks like it has been looked after to some degree. aside from the windows and roof.

It could also be a decommissioned house and just waiting to be sold or used for other purposes.

[weedb0y]

The google truck (or whatever they use) probably turned left onto Rochdale Av and came back around later and went up the rest of the street.

In Mississauga, they used a Chevy Cobalt with a Google Sticker.

I recall taking a pic of it while walking on Mississauga road.

http://twitpic.com/show/thumb/ayeyj.jpg

[wilson_wu]

Perhaps it's a transformer house, I used to live near one.
http://bldgblog.blogspot.com/2006/06/transformer-houses.html

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=575+midland&sll=43.68755,-79.45437&sspn=0.000972,0.002411&g=386+Harvie+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+Ontar io+M6E+1W5,+Canada&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=575+Midland+Ave,+Toronto,+Toronto+Division,+ Ontario,+Canada&ll=43.715486,-79.250012&spn=0.000907,0.002411&z=19&layer=c&cbll=43.715588,-79.25005&panoid=Qfx4LMXWrJR7qzCVNwBZEg&cbp=12,261.76,,0,6.1
Where the big patch of grass is, it used to be a gigantic chain link fence with a substation for the neighbourhood inside the fence.

The house in the image used to be lived in by people until the late 1990s. Every single one of the women inside the house died of cancer, including the teenager that went to the high school nearby (probably because of the substation). When it was sold, the house was bought by the city and all the equipment outside beside the house was moved into the house and all the substation equipment was hidden inside that house.

Interestingly, the house is maintained by the city, garbage is taken out, and even a car can be seen inthe driveway, making it seem as though the house is a normal house :D

[corrupt123]

Has anybody thought about breaking into and just living in the house?

Granted, you'd have to live pretty light (assuming you could be kicked out/evicted any time) but it'd be a hella cheap way to live. You could probably get away with it for a really long time too if you make it through the first year or so.

Damn... $0 rent.. That'd be nice.

[slowtyper]

Has anybody thought about breaking into and just living in the house?

Granted, you'd have to live pretty light (assuming you could be kicked out/evicted any time) but it'd be a hella cheap way to live. You could probably get away with it for a really long time too if you make it through the first year or so.

Damn... $0 rent.. That'd be nice.

Too late, RFD effect.

[Kherani]

Secret rub-and-tug?

[Matrixvibe]

the boarded windows and doors don't give a hint? Unless someone is living in the dark.

Maybe they didn't have money for new windows and doors <> lol

[radical53]

that red car creeps me out.

I mean the only logical explanation is that Google Car took pictures at 2 different days which explains why car is parked one place and seconds later in other. But why would Google do that, I thought StreetView is more or less seamless stream of images that were taken in consequetive order...especially since that is not a very big street at all meaning they didndt really have to do image capturing more than once.

It's two different car's.....

one's a station wagon and the others a grand am........

(taken different days then)

[jayisthebest88]

Has anybody thought about breaking into and just living in the house?

Granted, you'd have to live pretty light (assuming you could be kicked out/evicted any time) but it'd be a hella cheap way to live. You could probably get away with it for a really long time too if you make it through the first year or so.

Damn... $0 rent.. That'd be nice.


you would probably get some kind of cancer not to mention the constant loud whirring noise, imo it wouldnt be worth it.

[jedijome]

the houses that are substations are typically pretty neat and well kept.

I've spotted a few around once because it was the nicest house in the neighbourhood and looked completelky unlived ints, other times it's because there's a whole tonne of apartment buildings around and suddenly there's this little one story house which again doesn't look lived in.

the house you're talking about is probably empty because of some other kind of dispute or it was a former grow op and the insurance company or whoever doesn't know what to do with it or how to deal with it. there might be an issue with the will where people are fighting over it. or a land developer might have bought it and want to buy a few more places before tearing them all down to build something.

[t3359]

you would probably get some kind of cancer not to mention the constant loud whirring noise, imo it wouldnt be worth it.

Or eaten by a werewolf if you forget to vacate during full moons.

bjl

[Happy13178]

Another transformer house....and no, there isn't constant humming coming from it, used to live right beside one. Here's the one I used to live by: http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&gl=ca&q=366+eglinton+ave+e&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=366+Eglinton+Ave+E,+Toronto,+ON+M4P+1L9&gl=ca&ei=FGZxTKn3BsKBlAf7nqS_Dg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CBUQ8gEwAA Go to street view at Eglinton/Forman and you'll see it between the apartment buildings.

[shadow_cruiser]

There's a abandoned house in Mississauga which I have been living beside for 28 years now. Surprisingly, the house is still in very good condition. My friends and I always talk about this house every time pass by it, mentioning to each other "Why doesn't one of look into it and buy it?". I'm sure after all these years many have inquired to the city about this house. I feel sorry for the neighbors because living next to it devalues your house. Yet, the mystery goes on what happened here.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1456+Rose+Bloom+Road,+Mississauga,+Ontario&sll=43.575137,-79.67592&sspn=0.013385,0.033023&gl=ca&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1456+Rose+Bloom+Rd,+Mississauga,+Peel+Region al+Municipality,+Ontario+L5V+1G9&ll=43.57516,-79.675877&spn=0.006661,0.016512&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=43.57513,-79.67591&panoid=ZFd5Bfw9JCEAlKsF7FE5dw&cbp=12,295.28,,0,9.85

[Matrixvibe]

There's a abandoned house in Mississauga which I have been living beside for 28 years now. Surprisingly, the house is still in very good condition. My friends and I always talk about this house every time pass by it, mentioning to each other "Why doesn't one of look into it and buy it?". I'm sure after all these years many have inquired to the city about this house. I feel sorry for the neighbors because living next to it devalues your house. Yet, the mystery goes on what happened here.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=1456+Rose+Bloom+Road,+Mississauga,+Ontario&sll=43.575137,-79.67592&sspn=0.013385,0.033023&gl=ca&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=1456+Rose+Bloom+Rd,+Mississauga,+Peel+Region al+Municipality,+Ontario+L5V+1G9&ll=43.57516,-79.675877&spn=0.006661,0.016512&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=43.57513,-79.67591&panoid=ZFd5Bfw9JCEAlKsF7FE5dw&cbp=12,295.28,,0,9.85

lovin' the gravel lookin driveway lol

[Big Red in TO]

Is it ironic I would stump on this thread on Halloween night. Well, I live in the neighbourhood and drive by that house a couple times a month sometimes and I also wonder 'What Happened?' I knew the couple and babysat for them more than a couple times (and yes, would fall asleep, and they wouldn't wake me when they got home) I remember complaining of scary sounds :cry:when I was alone and the toddler was asleep. I was in middle school at the time. I will never forget their words of wisdom. Oh, no problem just turn on the radio till you don't hear the sounds anymore (It works). The house creaked then and I remember there being a basement that you access from a hatch on the kitchen floor.

[zz000ter]

It is real close/beside to the cemetary.

If anyone really wants to find out about the house just go to the land registry office and for $10 you can find out who the owners are and when it was bought and sold and for how much.

[AcidBomber]

Is it ironic I would stump on this thread on Halloween night. Well, I live in the neighbourhood and drive by that house a couple times a month sometimes and I also wonder 'What Happened?' I knew the couple and babysat for them more than a couple times (and yes, would fall asleep, and they wouldn't wake me when they got home) I remember complaining of scary sounds :cry:when I was alone and the toddler was asleep. I was in middle school at the time. I will never forget their words of wisdom. Oh, no problem just turn on the radio till you don't hear the sounds anymore (It works). The house creaked then and I remember there being a basement that you access from a hatch on the kitchen floor.

you for real?

[umei]

I just checked the land registry, the house is owned by someone not the city. So, it can't be a substation. The house was never sold since it was built.

[flyclothing514]

maybe its a a hide out for top secret agents.... dun dun dun......:facepalm: its the Illuminati....


Is it ironic I would stump on this thread on Halloween night. Well, I live in the neighbourhood and drive by that house a couple times a month sometimes and I also wonder 'What Happened?' I knew the couple and babysat for them more than a couple times (and yes, would fall asleep, and they wouldn't wake me when they got home) I remember complaining of scary sounds :cry:when I was alone and the toddler was asleep. I was in middle school at the time. I will never forget their words of wisdom. Oh, no problem just turn on the radio till you don't hear the sounds anymore (It works). The house creaked then and I remember there being a basement that you access from a hatch on the kitchen floor.
you know what happen to the couple?

[tkl]

maybe its a a hide out for top secret agents.... dun dun dun......:facepalm: its the Illuminati....


you know what happen to the couple?

LOL. Read the Avengers Illuminati, thought it was a bit lame.

[BornRuff]

I just checked the land registry, the house is owned by someone not the city. So, it can't be a substation. The house was never sold since it was built.

How do you check this?

[Big Red in TO]

you for real?

I haven't been inside since the late 70's when I stopped babysitting. Don't know what happened to the owners.

I tried looking up their names on FB...I am going to sent this link (think its them) and see if they could shed some light...I don't want to disclose anymore information in fear of being disrespectful sharing family matters...or sounding lam to others

[fashionelle1]

Paranormal Activity..

doo doo doo doo...