A paranormal pre-Halloween investigation of the allegedly haunted Yorktown Memorial Hospital is scheduled in apparent defiance of city officials who officially banned all tours at the vacant building in late August.
The October expeditions, Friday and Saturday, Oct. 1112, are being advertised by Curious Twins Paranormal and Ghost Tours. The San Antonio operators, couple Stephen and Fred Garza-Guzman, own the old hospital.
Fred Garza-Guzman said the tours resumed in September after attempts to schedule a meeting with Yorktown’s mayor and other city officials failed. No one from the city ever followed up on the request, he said.
“We opened a week after this under a member program,” Garza-Guzman said.”We are a private noncommercial property so we only allow members to be on the property. It’s how we are doing our best to legally working around the city and move forward.”
City officials posted a note on the City of Yorktown Facebook page Aug. 22 saying, “The city has officially deemed this building unsafe for occupancy under Section 116 of the International Business Code (as adopted by City Code). Due to the risk of structural failure or hazardous conditions, this property has been posted with a notice that prohibits any public entry or use.”
Garza-Guzman said he believes that the city has no legal say in the matter.
“We found out that the city cannot enforce anything upon us because they don’t have a local police department,” Garza-Guzman said. “There is a contract with the sheriff’s office in Cuero, but it is unable to enforce any city code.”
Garza-Guzman said he believes the operation of the tours are beneficial to the city because they have brought visitors to town from all over the state and country who spend money at local businesses.
“We of course are not trying to upset or bother City Hall,” Garza-Guzman said. “We just are private property owners who care deeply about the building, its history and can’t just let the City of Yorktown take away our property rights.”
Efforts by the Yorktown News to get a response from city officials to the continued tours were unsuccessful, but City Administrator Michele Warwas said in late August the matter was being reviewed by the city attorney.
