Ypsilanti Township man strikes deal over haunted house violations

Herbert Tackett of Ypsilanti Township has agreed not to run a haunted house on his property again.

Tackett had been running a haunted house at his Devonshire Street residence for 15 years when township officials discovered it in 2008. They asked him to shut it down because they saw it as a possible safety hazard, and Tackett agreed to scale it back and end it after last year.

But Tackett decided to open the haunted house again this year, saying it was a favor to his neighbors who otherwise couldn't afford to take their kids to commercial haunted houses. He said he only ran it on Halloween and had people on hand to handle any safety issues.

The township didn't see it that way and cited him for two code violations at $100 each two days before Halloween. Township Police Services Director Mike Radzik said Tackett could have faced $1,500 total in fines for holding it, but the township opted not to issue additional citations.

Radzik said Tackett did his best to make the haunted house safe with fire alarms, extinguishers, and volunteers to keep an eye on the children - but it still wasn't enough.

"Tackett made a valiant effort to make it as safe as it could be," Radzik said.

Radzik recently sat down with Tackett to strike a deal.

Radzik said the township, which was scheduled to take Tackett to court sometime in January over the violations, will drop the charges. In exchange, Tackett had to agree not to run the house on his property again or face contempt of court charges.

Radzik said the township will allow Tackett and his family to run the haunted house at a township-owned site, using some personnel from the township's recreation department, and Tackett can bring his props along. Radzik said the Community Center on Clark Road is one possibility. Radzik said the Tacketts will be allowed to run the haunted house for two weeks before Halloween with a minimal charge for residents, then offer free admission on Halloween night. Details about the price of admission and the construction of the house have yet to be ironed out.

Tackett said he has mixed feelings on the deal. He said he preferred to hold the haunted house at his residence, but said he had no choice because of the possible fines. He said he and his family would work with the township on the new location, but added he hated to move the site.

"It's really going to break tradition," Tackett said.