It's a Crime
Local media recently reported that the RCMP had successfully raided two marijuana grow operations in the city. Both were located in newer homes is upscale residential areas, one for which I had actually represented the previous owner in the sale (but not the buyer). Grow ops and amphetamine labs are more common than many of us would like to believe. It is not exclusive to larger metropolitan centres either; over the years I have seen several located in rural settings.
I was listing farmland in the southern part of the region and the family told me about a local acreage about a mile away that people out of Edmonton had purchased at list without negotiation. No wonder, as they secretly paid a rather naïve third party $5,000 cash just to register it in her own name and sign the mortgage documents. In the business, these trusting individuals are called a "straw buyer" and are attracted by the "get rich, quick" scheme and don't realize the consequences. Eventually this buyer would have found out that they were the owner of a property being foreclosed on as there never was an intention by the crime bosses to make payments on the mortgage. Meanwhile the power meter to the house was bypassed, hydroponics installed and the indoor garden tended to by a couple of young men who had a drug debt to pay off. In this case, the police moved in fairly quickly but even so the structure had to be thoroughly inspected for mould before being placed back on the market.
A couple of years ago I received a phone call from Calgary asking if I would provide an opinion of value on a country home up by the North Saskatchewan River. Something about the nature of the conversation made me cautious so I pulled title to verify ownership. The owner told me the property was unlocked, the tenants had left, and I was free to enter at will. As I drove up into the yard-site it appeared to be abandoned and that the residents had moved out in a hurry. Upon inspection, every room in the house had a twelve inch hole in the floor to aid air circulation. There was also plastic sheeting and piping hanging from the ceiling of the shop. I didn't think they had been growing tomatoes, so called the RCMP; only to be informed that they had already been there a week prior. I was quite annoyed at the owner for not disclosing what had transpired, but then he could have just as easily been a part of the operation too.
A while back I marketed a quarter of farmland on the forest fringe with an older house on it. The owners were moving out of province after living there for twenty plus years. As the gentleman toured me around the perimeter of his land, he emphatically warned me not to cross over onto his neighbours' property as "you might get a shotgun up your nose" but did not want to discuss his reasons any further. I did, however, disclose the warning to the eventual buyer, who shrugged it off by saying that everyone deserved some privacy. Months later I read that this same neighbour was in court for receiving stolen goods.
Realtors are bound by a Code of Ethics that require us to report suspicious or unlawful behaviour. Obviously we also need to be discrete and not judge the lifestyle of our customers. We see a lot in our travels, but if I feel that the wellbeing or personal safety of my staff or clients will be compromised, you can expect the appropriate authorities to become involved.
Vern McClelland is associate broker with RE/MAX of Lloydminster. If you have questions or comments on this article or other real estate matters, he can be reached at 780.808.2700 or through the McClelland Group website www.mcclelland.ca
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