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So....how do we get rid of potted marijuana plants before the open house?

By Pacita Dimacali

Real Estate Agent with Alain Pinel BRE 01367196

August 30, 2009 08:14 AM

Six feet tall, big pots...all twelve of them! CANNABIS!

They look like lovely plants. Certainly can be used as ornamental trees on the wide balcony. The fragrance is....well....quite intoxicating.

But they don't belong in the house. And if the word got out, who knows who will want to break down the door and get to these healthy, thriving, monster plants!

The former tenant (cancer survivor) of this house is licensed to grow and use them for medicinal purposes. So there is NO CRIMINAL ACTIVITY in this case.

But he has since vacated and left these really BIG potted plants that are just too heavy and difficult to move.

So jump right in, tell me what YOU will do!

Do we cut them down? Imagine putting the trimmings into huge trash bags and bins for the trash collector to pick up.

Do we put the clippings outside and burn them? And get the entire neighborhood high? In a bone dry hillside lot known as a fire-hazard?

Do we ask friends to help move them? But what if they get stopped for possession?

Interesting dilemma. I'm getting the giggles just thinking about it.

By the way, it's not on the MLS, no one knows where it is....so don't ask me :)

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Robert Slick

Beach and River Homes - Georgetown, SC

NRBA, RDCPro, Trident/CCAR MLS

Get out the baking pans, cookies and brownies make great treats at the open house, plus they make the house smell nice!

Aug 30, 2009 03:24 PM

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I know what Cheech and Chong would do :D but seriously, under the medical marijuana laws in California there should be medical marijuana dispensaries, which are legally able to sell. From what I've read they can even sell excess grown from those growing on their own to fill their prescription. I would look one up in the phone book and see what they say.

Aug 30, 2009 03:55 PM

Mark Velasco

West Shores Realty - Whittier, CA

Top Producing Broker Associate

Be careful which friends move these plants Pacita. They may not dispose of them the way that they should.

Aug 30, 2009 06:56 PM

Pacita Dimacali

Alain Pinel - Oakland, CA

Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA

Questions:

Did everyone eat those special brownies?

Did anyone try to mix it with tea?

Memories.....

Gene --- I think the owner will try again to get the previous tenant to get his plants. I doubt that the owner would want what he carefully nurtured to be given away. At the risk of sounding naive, these things grow like weeds!

Nevin --- the owner has the right to dispose of abandoned property, right? Since the previous owner was licensed, the plants were grown legally. right?

Frank and Sharon --- and that's exactly what we're going to do.

Michael and Melissa --- I ain't moving them. But I ain't going to list it either until those things are out of there.

Susan --- the owner is researching this, too.

John --- Yep, I have friends who would love to get their hands on these....I don't think anyone of us ever had a bad time (or an addiction) when we indulged...in our youth, of course...20-30 years ago!

Kevin and Monica --- but first, the previous tenant will be given a last chance to remove these plants....

Kim -- I probably should have taken pictures of those plants. Maybe just looking at them will bring on the giggles. The thought of showing this house, with these as ornamental plants is really amusing.

Joseph --- I'm really amused by this dilemma. But there's no way I'm going to be involved in moving or disposing these plants.

Steven --- yep, 20-30 years ago, we may have been tempted to "save a few seeds"

James --- aye, aye, sir!

Steven --- I was planning a calendar and scheduling open houses once I activate the listing on the MLS...but when I saw these towering weeds, there's no way I'm showing the house until those things are GONE!

Monica --- Two weeks. That's the amount of time the owner gave the previous tenant to get his personal belongings --- the plants. Then it's to Plan B.

Robert --- I'd need all the baking pans from the local Williams Sonoma store to bake that many brownies! By the way, has anyone ever tried the leaves as garnish on an organic salad? Bet Alice Waters will find a way!

Jason --- yes...we have this type of dispensary all over the Bay area. Bet they'll be absolutely delighted to get such a "donation"

Mark ---"Friends won't let friends move pot."

Aug 30, 2009 07:16 PM

Sandy McAlpine

RE/MAX EXECUTIVE - Cornelius, NC

Search Lake Norman Homes For Sale - Lake Norman NC

Kill them with some weed killer? they are weeds after all......If they aren't necessary, kill them. Don't set them on fire though! Might burn the house down and make the neighbors a little fuzzy. ha

Aug 31, 2009 01:11 AM

Janet Winslow

RE/MAX 1st Realty - Blacksburg, VA

These are the stories that bring lafter to our business! It never ceases to amaze me the postition that our clients inadvertently put us in. Thanks for the chuckle and the new story to share. If it were me I'd probably call the owner then the police. It's illegal in VA so I'm sure that no agent here would EVER run into anything like that! :) Good luck and again thanks for sharing!

Aug 31, 2009 01:13 AM

Tom Boos

Sine & Monaghan Realtors, Real Living - Grosse Pointe Farms, MI

Providing the very best of service to Sellers and

You could have a bonfire, which would make the whole neighborhood VERY "happy".

Aug 31, 2009 01:25 AM

Sally K. & David L. Hanson

EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI

WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

I suppose burning them wouldn't work hmmm....oh that incense like pungence just might summon more than buyers !

Aug 31, 2009 01:42 AM

Lyn Sims

Schaumburg, IL

Real Estate Broker Retired

You're just too nice here. They are large like you said so how could the tenant miss them and leave them behind? I think YOU are being punked here! Too large to move? Then they left them on purpose for you to deal with. I'd tell the tenant to get over here PDQ or I'll call the cops. It's just a novelty that is better than dog poop being left.

Aug 31, 2009 05:02 AM

Joy Carter & Jeff Booker Brother and Sister Team

Keller Williams Parkland/Coral Springs Realty-GreatFloridaHomes Team - Coral Springs, FL

Trust Your Family's Move To Our Expertise!

I hate to waste! Too bad you can't donate them back to a pharmacy or whoever makes the stuff legally for medicinal purposes.

What a great laugh I enjoyed over your dilemma - Thank you!

I've had a few entertaining dilemma's of my own, but this one I think tops them all.

Good Luck!

Aug 31, 2009 11:00 AM

Donna Edwards

Donna Edwards Realty - Odessa, TX

Gosh you sure have a problem there, I am glad it is not mine; yeh right. Try calling all your friends over to see if they have any ideas.

Aug 31, 2009 12:48 PM

Pacita Dimacali

Alain Pinel - Oakland, CA

Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA

Sandy -- my first thought was to cut them down....but disposing of them would have been a challenge as the surely would fill dozens of trash bags. And how do get rid of the trash without transporting them?

Janet -- we do run into all kinds of situations, don't we?

Tom -- having a bonfire entered my mind....but not in drought conditions.

Sally and David ---I thought of calling the pot dispensaries and have them harvest the crop.

Lyn -- the tenant didn't miss them. Probably just got tired of moving so many (a garage full). The owner is going to try one more time to get him to pick them up. But that also means she has to let him back in the house.

Joy -- the idea of donating to the pot dispensaries is picking up speed because that makes the most sense.

Donna --- I'm callling on all my friends on the "Rain"

Aug 31, 2009 02:37 PM

Tom Ikonomou

Tom Ikonomou - eXp Realty - Vancouver, BC

Innovated Marketing Specialist

This is not something I would discuss on the internet. Police spend time browsing social media sites to get leads on criminal activity and you don't want to be tagged an accessory. Like it or not Pacita, if I were you I'd delete this post then consult with your broker and lawyer. Don't mean to scare you but you asked my opinion. Properties here in British Columbia Canada lose a lot of value if they had any sort of grow-op history on the disclosure statement.

Aug 31, 2009 09:03 PM

Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist

KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA

Probate Real Estate Services

Pacita: You certainly have a wide range of experiences in real estate … I would definitely call the local authorities … let them handle it. First require that they be discrete … plain clothes and all so the neighborhood is not unnecessarily alarmed. Let the police make the calls and do what they do …it’s their job. Throwing it away may simply make it available to be used for other purposes or cause other issues. We live in California … you are less than 50 miles from me in San Jose. Your best route is calling the responsible authorities … Sherriff or Police.

Sep 01, 2009 02:25 AM

Pacita Dimacali

Alain Pinel - Oakland, CA

Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA

Tom --- thanks for the concern. The previous tenant, as posted, is licensed to grow and use medicinal pot. So it isn't considered criminal activity. What we are faced with is disposing of the plants --- and I will leave that up to the owner to work out either with the previous tenant, the local dispensaries, or the authorities (but again, there is no criminal activity to report). And no...the address is not published. By the time that listing hits the market, there will be absolutely no evidence of the pot left at the house.

Kathleen --- no, these won't be thrown away, but carefully and legally removed or disposed of. Just trying to see which will work best. I hope the tenant comes and get them since he's licensed, and since he obviously spent so much time caring for these.

Sep 01, 2009 06:03 AM

Bill Petrey

AgentHarvest - A Real Estate Agent Finder Service - Dallas, TX

I think instead of baking bread at this open house, I'd suggest baking brownies. Lots of brownies.

Sep 01, 2009 12:37 PM

Pacita Dimacali

Alain Pinel - Oakland, CA

Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA

Bill --- did we ALL eat brownies back then? I thought perhaps we could have had garnishes on the salads or soups. And tea.

Sep 01, 2009 05:54 PM

Kerry Jenkins

Prime Properties - Crestline, CA

LOL...I like the brownie at open house idea!!! Don't get cops involved. Call the previous tenant and ask them to come and take it away, or what the owner wants to do, or the local dispensary idea might be worth a shot. And I agree with someone else above: pot isn't like heroin and the stigma attached to it(did anyone see that 1930s movie about the horrors of pot?LOL) is really ridiculous.

Sep 02, 2009 06:02 AM

Pacita Dimacali

Alain Pinel - Oakland, CA

Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA

Amy --- I probably should have posted this in Funny Fridays group since we all got the giggles and had cravings for brownies.

And that movie you're referring to is "Reefer Madness"

Sep 02, 2009 12:03 PM

Martin E. Kalisker, Esq.

Natick, MA

Real Estate Law From A Practical Perspective

OK - it's been several months now. What did you end up doing?

Mar 09, 2010 01:38 AM