GROW OP HOMES RESOLD 'AS IS'

Colley-Urquhart Worries About Health Conditions

Calgary's booming real estate market is so hot that even homes
condemned because of drug operations are selling quickly, which
worries an alderman who wants a new bylaw to protect buyers.

Currently, houses used for marijuana grow ops and drug labs are put
back on the market as foreclosures, once the Crown is finished with
them. It's up to buyers to remediate the damage caused by the criminal
activity.

On the weekend, Ald. Diane Colley-Urquhart visited a condemned home in
Cranston listed at $320,000.

She found dozens of soil-filled pots and tubing used in a grow op that
was busted last April.

"It hasn't been touched since the day the police came through the door
nearly a year ago," said Colley-Urquhart.

She noted the poor air quality in the home left her
wheezing.

"We need to bring this before council for discussion to see if we need
to protect the public from these neighbourhood drug factories where
property has been condemned and deemed not fit for human habitation,"
she said.

Several communities in Ontario and British Columbia have municipal
bylaws in place to recover costs for dismantling grow ops and drug
labs. A bylaw in Campbell River, B.C., requires owners to inspect
their rental properties at least once every three months to look for
evidence of illicit operations.

Elizabeth Rutto, an agent with CIR Realtors, is handling the sale of
the two-storey home on Cranwell Close S.E.

She said she's sold grow op homes before.

"This house is for sale as is and where it is -- it's not even the
worst I've seen," said Rutto.

Realtors are obligated to disclose everything they know about a house
to prospective buyers. The listing for the Cranston home includes the
information it was a grow op, and a health hazard is registered on
title. The listing says the buyer will be responsible for all
remediation work needed to satisfy Calgary Health Region safety
requirements.

"The whole system seems a bit fuzzy," said Bill Bruce, head of
Calgary's bylaw department.

"It's never been clear to me what it takes to get a home un-condemned
by the Calgary Health Region."

Homes used for grow ops and drug labs are subject to serious problems,
such as toxic mould growth, poor air quality and compromised
electrical systems due to illegal hookups. Fixing these problems can
cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Bruce estimated hundreds of these homes are likely sold every year.

There is a danger, he said, these homes can be bought by unscrupulous
buyers who make superficial repairs and then resell them for quick
profits to people who are unaware of the extent of the original
structural damage.

"There's also the problem that in this hot real estate market, many
people looking for a good buy aren't taking the time to check things
out," said Bruce. "Or they don't really understand what remediation
really means and what the risks are."

Colley-Urquhart plans to file a notice of motion today asking the city
to look into the issue.

Bruce said he's started researching bylaws in other jurisdictions and
has begun discussions with interested groups such as the health
region, the Calgary Real Estate Board, the Calgary Apartment
Association and the Stop Grow-Ops Calgary Coalition, which
Colley-Urquhart chairs.

"We need to bring all the players together to have a very good look at
it," said Bruce.

"We'd like to see these homes listed as unoccupiable until a full
inspection -- including an air quality test by the CHR -- is completed."

The health region was not available for comment Sunday.