cannabisnews.com: Pot-Home Fees Rile Landlords





Pot-Home Fees Rile Landlords
Posted by FoM on July 28, 2000 at 07:42:23 PT
Staff Reporters The Province 
Source: The Province
The head of the group representing B.C. landlords is slamming new fees levied at Vancouver landlords whose tenants set up marijuana grow operations. The fees -- about $510 to re-inspect properties damaged by grow-ops and to reconnect services -- are part of an initiative by Vancouver police and city hall to punish landlords who don't monitor their buildings. 
But Al Kemp of the Apartment Owners and Property Managers Association of B.C. said the fees are "salt in the wound" for landlords already stuck with huge bills to repair properties damaged by grow-ops. "I vehemently disagree with it," Kemp said last night. "We certainly don't feel we should be stuck with added taxes. "This should not become a cash grab for the city." Landlords are being targeted in an attempt to shut down the estimated 4,000 marijuana grow operations functioning in the city at any moment. "We're trying to get them to understand that this is coming out of their pockets," said Insp. Val Harrison of the Vancouver police. Under the initiative, also supported by B.C. Hydro, once a grow-op is busted, power and services to the property will be automatically shut off. Reconnection will only occur once the landlord has proven the house is habitable and paid for an inspection. Kemp said his group has no sympathy for the tiny percentage of landlords who don't monitor their properties. But he said it can be difficult for responsible landlords to inspect their properties. Under the Residential Tenancy Act landlords can only inspect a few times a year and must give 24 hours' notice. Those restrictions allow criminals to operate nearly unimpeded, he said. Money generated from the fees should cover the salaries of five inspectors the city will hire. Chris Taulu, of the Collingwood community policing centre, said the initiative is welcome news to neighbours worried about organized crime's role in the marijuana business. "We have to do something," she said. "My aim is to drive them out of my area." Coun. Sam Sullivan is worried the initiative is another battle in a losing war on drugs -- driving up the price of marijuana and weeding out lesser players. So far this year, police have busted more than 190 grow operations-- compared to 120 this time last year. Harrison said a house busted yesterday was typical of the homes officers are seeing -- both floors were empty -- except for 93 marijuana plants soaking up stolen light and heat and canisters of carbon dioxide. Officers found a few mattresses where a grower might spend the occasional night, some children's books, a television, VCR and heaps of Vietnamese videos. Police are under no illusions about ending demand for marijuana. "We're hoping that we can send a strong message and (the growers) will start looking elsewhere," Harrison said. and I don't think police have got the answer," said Harrison. "We're hoping that we can send a strong message and (the growers) will start looking elsewhere."Contact Information:http://www.vancouverprovince.com/newsite/feedback-c.htmlPublished: Thursday 27, July 2000 Copyright Hollinger Digital Canada Ltd. © 2000CannabisNews Search - Canadahttp://cannabisnews.com/thcgi/search.pl?K=canada
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