Grow ops – A serious problem for home owners

By: Rob Parker, RHI, CMI

Chances are if you live in a residential or rural area anywhere in North America, there will be at least one grow op operating close by.

Here are some of the tell-tale signs a grow op is present:

• The house appears to be vacant, yard poorly kept with flyers build up at the front door.
• Where there are occupants, they don’t appear to keep regular work hours, they avoid making any contact with neighbours.
• The garage doors are kept closed at all times except when the occupants come and go in their cars.
• Visitors come and go at all hours.
• Toys are often outside the home but no children are ever seen at the home.
• On garbage days there is no garbage  or, there is no noticeable activity in the home but, a lot of garbage.
• Extra security such as large fences or guard dogs.
• Many of the windows have dark curtains that can be seen moving as though they are being blown by the wind (actually a fan) even when the windows are closed.
• Rooms or outbuildings seem to be Illuminated twenty four hours a day.
• A  lack of frost or snow on roofs of houses when others have frost and snow.
• The addition of new roof vents sometimes installed very low or in unusual places on the roof.
• Strange smell or odor, similar to that of a skunk,  coming from the home.
• Electrical humming sounds, numerous fans and running water.
• Unusual wiring to the exterior of the home and/or the hydro meter spins at a faster than a normal rate and there is visible signs that someone has been digging in the area of the hydro meter.
• Commonly experienced localized power surges or browning. Lights often dim or appliances slow down with lack of power.
• Large quantities of growing equipment & supplies are seen taken into the home/outbuildings but there are no flowers or gardens at the home. Often purchased in winter months.

Most major cities now have a website to inform the public of the grow ops for which they have issued search warrants.  For the city of London please go to http://www.police.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Newsroom/London_Marihuana_Grow_Ops.htm

Even if the authorities aren’t able to ‘shut it down’, it’s not likely the operators will be in business long, at least at the same location, as the average duration is normally between 12 and 18 months. Unfortunately if the culprits aren’t caught and simply move on, the house may then be occupied by some unsuspecting tenant or home owner.    Damage to the home depends on the size and type of operation and whether or not there were any structural changes and can range from minor to so serious that the house should be demolished.

Here are some signs the property may have once been a grow op:

• Some of the windows have been covered over with paint or other materials.
• There’s a distinct musty smell and humid feeling to the air inside the house and/or basement
• Minimal landscaping has been done to the property.
• Evidence that holes in floors, walls and ceilings (used for ventilation) have been covered up with fresh paint or drywall patches
• Water stains at the bottom of dry wall
• Mould on floors, walls or ceilings
• Burn marks on the floors
• Painted or unpainted concrete floors in the basement with circular marks
• Patterns of screw/nail holes on walls and ceilings or floor joists in the basement used to hang lights
• Nail or tape marks around windows or walls
• The electrical and plumbing systems appear to have been modified or tampered with
• Condensation or discolouring of the roof.

Since grow ops represent a serious problem, the real estate profession has taken great strides to ensure their members are well trained and educated in the identification of a grow op. As  professionals, real estate agents do their best to determine whether or not a home was used as a grow op; however, unless the seller has disclosed this information on the SPIS (Seller’s Property Information Sheet) or the house appeared on the published list of known grow ops, the agent is left to their own devices.  For those looking to buy or sell their home privately, your best bet is to hire a qualified, professional home inspector to conduct complete inspection of the property.  Recently, a few stories made headlines because the home inspector did not report what appeared to be obvious signs of a grow op .  As I’ve mentioned time and time again, when it comes to hiring a home inspector, do your research and don’t hire some because they will do it for the lowest cost or because they are a relative or friend of a friend. Hire them because they come well recommended, have the proper tools/equipment and credentials of the profession.