CLEARING THE AIR

In an effort to clear the air over how bylaw changes could affect
landlords who own property being used as grow-ops, the city will be
holding an information meeting next week.

Mayor Clint Hames says there has been some confusion recently about
what the city expects from owners who rent out their properties. It
simply wants landlords to show due diligence when it comes to looking
after their properties.

"We have absentee landlords who haven't visited their properties in
six months," Hames said.

The city, he adds, is not looking to fine unsuspecting landlords who
end up as the victims of tenants who are using homes to produce narcotics.

"That's not the point of the bylaw," he said.

Hames says part of the reason they are holding the meeting is to quell
the fears of responsible landlords who are making regular visits to
their properties to look for some of the signs that indicate something
illegal might be happening. However, the mayor expects there are some
in the community who know full well what is going on at their properties.

"I'm sure those landlords are pretty concerned and they ought to be,"
Hames said.

He suggests these ones should approach the police now to avoid trouble
later.

The information meeting will take place at city hall on Wednesday,
March 3, beginning at 7 p.m. There will be representatives from the
RCMP, the fire department and the province's residential tenancy
office on-hand to explain the city's regulations.

The city held a similar session last fall to explain the city's
actions to landlords.

Council is not alone in its fight to tackle grow-ops at ground zero.
Last week, the British Columbia Real Estate Association's board
amended property disclosure statements. The statements will now
require sellers to indicate whether a property has even been used as a
marijuana grow-op or to manufacture illegal narcotics.

Hanne Selby, the president of the Chilliwack and District Real Estate
Board, says realtors always encourage buyers to have an inspection
done on a property they want to buy. The changes to the disclosure
statement will simply be another form of protection for them to let
them know the history of a property.

"It's like a resume on the house," she said.