BCREA WANTS SELLERS TO DISCLOSE GROW OPS

People selling their homes could soon be forced to fess up if the
property has ever been used to grow dope.

Realtors in Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley are pressuring
B.C. Real Estate Association to list grow ops on property disclosure
statements.

"This has to be nipped in the bud," Vancouver Real Estate Board
president Bill Binnie said last week.

"Grow ops are a huge problem. We want to make sure the buyers of
property are getting complete information."

Property disclosure statements list things like electrical
modifications, renovations and leaks for potential buyers. They
currently do not require sellers to say if the property has ever
housed a marijuana grow op or drug lab.

Reg Davies, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board president, said that has
to change.

"We've got to get tougher with the fact there are grow ops out there,"
he said.

"In past, disclosure wasn't required. We're now saying it
is."

He said marijuana grows create myriad problems that affect property
values.

"It can really affect the prices very substantially," he said,
"depending on how long it's been a grow up, if there's mold, or if
there's dry rot."

And there's a growing concern over so-called grow-rips, when thieves
break into a suspected drug house to make off with the crop, and cash.

"There's always someone worrying. 'If I buy this house, who's going to
visit me?'"

BCREA is expected to rule on the request within a month. If the
provincial association approves the move, Richmond RCMP Supt. Ward
Clapham said it would be an invaluable tool in the fight to shut down
grow ops.

"That would be a huge benefit for us and for the community. I would be
ecstatic."

Binnie said his Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver has recommended
for some time that realtors ask sellers to voluntarily disclose
information about marijuana grow ops.

Attorney General Geoff Plant was cautious when asked if provincial
laws should force landlords to tell tenants of prior marijuana grows.

"We've been doing everything we can to respond to the problem," Plant
said, then questioned if more bureaucracy would do any good, or just
burden law-abiding citizens.

He noted landlords earlier this month gained the right to evict
tenants if illegal activity is happening on their property.

Plant said the province has "few tools in the basket" to fight
marijuana growers, and believes it's time for Ottawa to act.

"Should illegal activity be disclosed by every landlord in the
province? I don't think it's a right response to this problem."

Plant said the justice system "doesn't take the problem seriously
enough."