GROW-OPS LEAVE LANDLORDS IN THE LURCH

Vaughan Man On The Hook After Tenant Grows Marijuana In Home

Hassan Farooq has a warning for landlords: Don't trust anybody.

Since December 2007, the Vaughan resident has spent countless months
in court fending off fire code violations after a tenant turned his
Vaughan Mills and Rutherford Rds. area home into a marijuana grow-op.

His 75-year-old tenant's illegal enterprise destroyed the home -
which was next door to Farooq's own house - causing mould to form all
over the structure and water to enter the lights.

Farooq felt victimized by the legal process and found his courtroom
experience extremely stressful, he said.

And it cost him $140,000 to remediate the property. "There's no
recovery, there's nobody to back us up financially," Farooq said. "If
it was some regular Joe working 9-5, he couldn't afford the $140,000.

"It's over. My life savings are gone."

Farooq is just one of many unsuspecting landlords caught having to
clean up the mess their tenants left behind. Though his tenant faces
numerous drug charges, Farooq was slapped with fire code violations,
and left with a building in disrepair and a gigantic bill.

As part of a court-ordered agreement, Farooq shared his story with
the media Wednesday at city hall. Fitting, since he learned of his
tenant's arrest on the news.

A knock on the door by fire officials soon after brought news that
he, too, was facing charges. Cost to homeowners is huge

Landlords have to be vigilant to ensure they don't fall victim, said
Vaughan Fire Chief Greg Senay.

"They need to monitor the property," Senay said. "They need to be
aware that these activities may be taking place. And, frankly, they
need to call the police.

"These people are destroying landlords' property. It's a huge investment."

The biggest remediation expense is repairing the significant mould
damage to the building, which eats its way through the wood, Senay
said. To get the property into tip-top shape, drywall has to come
down, supports have to be replaced, and the ductwork and electrical
wiring have to be reworked.

Since 2007, there have been 52 grow-op cases in Vaughan, 32 of which
have been remediated, Senay said. Eleven buildings are in the process
of remediation, three homes have been demolished and seven cases are
still before the courts.

Neighbours should stay on the lookout for suspicious behaviour, said
Ontario Fire Marshal Pat Burke.

Obvious signs of a grow-op include people coming and going at odd
hours of the day and night, indications of family activity but no
family, and houses with roofs strangely clear of snow when nearby
residences are covered in the white stuff.

Farooq said he had no idea his tenant, a kindly man who he regarded
as a grandfather figure, was capable of this. Everything, including
the dangerous rewiring, was hidden from him.

"If you can hear this, grandpa, you know what you did," Farooq said.