MARIJUANA: REALTORS WANT DISCLOSURE

"Was it a grow op?" is a question home sellers may soon be answering.

Homeowners in Langley and throughout the Lower Mainland may soon have to
tell potential buyers that their houses were used as grow ops. The real
estate boards of the Fraser Valley and Greater Vancouver are calling for
property disclosure statements to clearly indicate whether or not a
property was used to illegally grow marijuana.

The B.C. Real Estate Association will discuss the idea next month.

Growing marijuana in a residential home can cause wood rot and mould
deposits. Wiring, plumbing, and a home's supporting structure can also be
dangerously altered.

There's also the fear that the home has become recognized as a grow
operation, and that reputation could stay even after the home is sold,
explained Langley realtor Larry Laing of Homelife Benchmark in Walnut Grove.

"You don't know who's going to come knocking on your door," he said.

Laing, along with other local realtors contacted by the Langley Advance
News, was very supportive of the proposal.

"I think it's an excellent thing for the industry," Laing said, suggesting
the idea could go even further, to include other illegal activity.

The majority of home inspectors identify homes that have been grow ops,
Laing said, but it's better for a prospective buyer to know up front,
before having to pay an inspector.

Michelle Carduner of Sutton Group West Coast Realty said the disclosure
would protect the buyer and the realtor, and may even force absentee
landlords to be more careful.

"Once sellers know they have even more of a responsibility," she said, "I
think it puts pressure on them to select better tenants."

The disclosure may make it harder to sell certain homes, said Homelife
Benchmark Langley realtor Ilene Cain-Hoyrup, but it's worth it: "I think
it's a good idea. I think a buyer should be aware."

Good realtors are not afraid to disclose the past histories of homes said
Joel Schacter of Re/Max Treeland Realty. If an owner declines to fill out a
disclosure statement, red flags go up, he said. If a "wishy-washy" answer
is given regarding a home, he said, "I will dig to find out for sure."

Langley RCMP also support the call for the grow op disclosure.

"We're very happy the real estate board is taking that initiative," said
Langley RCMP spokesman Cpl. Dale Carr. "Anytime that we can have another
agency out there looking out for the safety of the public is a good thing."

Langley is one of few Lower Mainland communities with bylaws to deal with
homes damaged by grow ops, Carr said.

Homes busted with grow ops in Langley Township have to meet building code
requirements before they are re-occupied.

The same essentially happens in Langley City.

Langley RCMP are also in discussion with those who run the B.C. New Home
Warranty Program and the Insurance Crime Prevention Bureau, Carr said, to
help combat fraudulent claims on former grow homes.

"We're doing more than just busting grows," he said.

A trend has appeared, Carr said, in which someone buys a new home and
establishes a grow op. After harvesting and selling the marijuana, the
owner tries to claim the damage the grow op has caused.