NEW DISCLOSURE LAWS

Property sellers could face serious consequences in court if they fail to
inform buyers that their buildings housed marijuana grow shows or illegal
drug labs, police warn.

The B.C. Real Estate Association recently added two questions to its strata
title and residential disclosure forms signed by sellers. The question
asks: "Are you aware if the (property) has ever been used as a marijuana
grow operation or to manufacture illegal drugs?"

The disclosure statements are provincial documents designed to help buyers
make informed choices about whether to buy property. They also give buyers
a starting point for making further inquiries, the Real Estate Association
says.

Marijuana grow shows and drug labs can leave structural problems in
buildings, including mold inside walls, unsafe electrical wiring which has
been modified by amateurs, and toxic substances in the structure which can
be a health hazard if undetected, police say.

People who willfully fail to disclose such former uses of property could be
liable if future occupants suffer from problems created by undisclosed drug
productions in buildings, according to the RCMP.