FORMER DRUG HOUSES NO BARGAIN DUE TO MOULD, MILDEW, WIRING

The price may be right, but what cost will your family pay if you move in
to what used to be a marijuana "grow house"? Building inspectors and
Langley RCMP's drug squad believe the health hazards aren't worth the savings.

When pot is being harvested, a hothouse atmosphere is created causing heavy
condensation which breeds mould spores and mildew inside drywall,
insulation, ceilings and underneath the carpet. Mould can cause major
respiration problems, including asthma.

Growers rig wiring to steal hydro from a nearby hydro pole, creating wiring
problems which is a dangerous risk for electrocution and fire.

Langley Township's bylaw section, along with the chief building inspector,
are currently drafting a bylaw that will make sure dismantled grow homes
meet the standards of the building code before they can be resold.

"The chief building inspector will do an assessment and if the home owner
doesn't comply then no one is allowed to occupy that home," said township
senior bylaw officer Bill Storie. "There will be a penalty if the owner
re-enters the home."

The bylaw will be brought to council this month.

So what happens to grow houses after police have dismantled the illegal
operations?

If police can prove that the house was purchased with proceeds of crime,
they can seize the home. But getting proof is difficult, so the owners can
sell it, usually at less than its value.

According to information obtained by MetroValley News, Surrey RCMP believe
high-end homes are being purchased by growers who have garbage bags full of
cash.

"They (the suspects) won't even dicker on the price -- they'll harvest
three or four times, then sell the house at a significantly reduced rate so
it (the home) moves quickly, and then they have legitimate money," said
Const. Tim Shields of the Surrey RCMP.

The B.C. bud business is so lucrative, expensive homes are being purchased
- -- at prices of up to $700,0000.

Police in Surrey believe some unscrupulous home builders are even
constructing new houses designed to accommodate the hydroponic operations.

In 2002, the Fraser Valley and Vancouver Real Estate Boards began a grow
house awareness campaign, to educate realtors on how to detect potential
pot operations and what a realtor's obligations are.

"Realtors must report any "suspicious transactions" to the Financial
Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada. Suspicious transactions
may include those where large amounts of cash are exchanged, and where a
client seems reluctant to deal through regular channels such as banks and
brokers, in addition to being noticeably secretive about his job. . . (or)
buys the property in the name of associate or relative," said the newsletter.

Failure to report could lead up to five years imprisonment or a fine.

But real estate agents are not, by law, required to disclose to a potential
buyer if a home was a grow house or not. (In fact, realtors might not know
if a home was a grow-op previously.)

However, it is a policy of realtors to disclose that information if they
have it, and selling agents can be held liable in court if the unsuspecting
purchasers of a grow home become ill because of mould.

When purchasing a home, make sure to find out as much as you can about a
home's history.

A building inspector should be able to discover mould or shoddy wiring, but
not every potential buyer is being made aware of a newer homes's history.