LANDLORDS NEED TO BE RESPONSIBLE

Perusing the archives of the Chilliwack Times readers will see the
city has a serious problem with marijauna grow operations.

Whether they are in basements in downtown apartments, in sheds in the
suburbs or in outbuildings in more rural settings, grow-ops are
ubiquitous in this town.

And whenever a grow-op is busted in a home, the owner of that home is
held responsible for the clean-up.

Anyone who might want to purchase a home should be made aware that the
home was a grow-op, and that is the intent of Section 57 of the
Community Charter whereby municipalities can put a notice on the title
of a property to protect prospective buyers.

The owner of the Nixon Road property on which more than 11,500
marijuana plants in a sophisticated underground bunker were discovered
last year told city council--through his lawyer--that he was an
"innocent victim."

Yeah, right.

Most Chilliwack landlords are responsible and do a great job to ensure
their properties are kept in good condition and their tenants aren't
up to no good.

But there are more than enough absentee landlords that simply rake in
rent cheques and pay no attention to what goes on at their properties.

For the owner of a property--any property-- that is found to have a
grow-op to claim innocence is ridiculous.

The Langley owner of the Nixon Road property found with the largest
grow-op the Chilliwack RCMP have ever seen must think we are a bunch
of rubes out here to send his lawyer to city council to claim that he
should not be responsible for what went on at his property.