British Columbia Laws: Investment up in smoke, tenant's grow-op

by Barry Artiste | September 4, 2009 at 05:39 am

409 views | 38 Recommendations | 7 comments

Barry Artiste Op/Ed

Lets see? MMMMMMM, I have been to no less than 300 Grow op and Meth Lab busts for various Police agencies and Municipalities, to ensure chemicals, booby traps etc used in these drug labs do not harm officers and other officials alike.

The photos you see were taken by me when a high profile drug bust occurred and was reported by the media, this place was a grow op and a meth lab. Hey Welcome to my World, I see this weekly, and get this, this toxic environment was home to 3 children under the age of 4. Nice environment eh? This Grow Op was in an area of Million Dollar Homes. What happened to the tenants and the children, NOTHING, NADA, ZIP!

What about the home? A total writeoff for the Landlord, yet if this landlord, who said trusted their instincts and not rented to these people, they like many other landlords would be standing in front of a human rights commission for discrimination for refusing to rent to this family, and most likely would pay a huge fine the tens of thousands to the victim, oh and the landlord doesn't have thge luxury of an appeal, cause the :Lefty Liberal Human Rights Tribunal until recently had a 100% conviction rate. Now who is the victim here? Seems it is the landord, but payment goes to the discriminated individual.

This happens a lot in BC. Discrimination lawsuits against landlords refusing to rent to some people who I find are responsible for 90% of the Grow Ops I visit are from a certain country, most new arrivals from Vietnam. Racist? ME? Hell NO!, THIS IS A FACTt! Asian Crime Gangs run this province,along with theHells Angels etc. Will we see these people deported for criminal activity such as this? HELL NO! THIS IS NANCY LAND BRITISH COLUMBIA!

This family will just move on to the next poor landlord and rent again, of course, Once again, with no means of support or proof they can show the landlord they can afford to live in a million dollar home. Don't ask landlord, Cause that's discrimination! If you do, it will be just a made up company from a friend who says, Yeah, they are great employees, though they cannot speak English, they make 200 grand a year as some type of business person for this company.

Yep, Renting out a home to tenants, you takes yer chances. With Tenant vacancy rates at an all time low, can you blame landlords renting their investment, never knowing that phone call they get may be the police notifying you your Investment is a Grow Op!

Pay me now or pay me later, seems to be the Buzzword in a Province who have little regard to citizens who invest in BC housing, with social activists who demand affordable housing, and F*CKING MORONS who State time and time again, Marijuana is Harmless, certainly do not own homes for rent,

It is incomprehensible that criminals walk away from prosecution every time, leaving the home a total loss and upwards of 100K in fines, refit costs etc, including never getting insurance on your home again, yet alone a mortgage on the previous home that was used as a Grow Op. If your home burns and damages your next door neighbours home or kills someone and you are sued, good luck, cause insurance agencies will NEVER COVER YOU!

Looking at the file photo of the accused, one wonders one day if a distressed homeowner doesn't use some country justice on the tenants who destroy their retirement plans. Grow Ops and Meth Labs will forever be lucrative with no risk of jail and a 1,000 dollar fine to the drug manufacturer, yet millions in profit and no taxes paid. The Homeowner gets screwed, yet I have witnesses many Landlords who wink wink, nudge, nudge, allow tenants to use the home for illegal drugs, as long as the landlord gets a BIG cut of the operation.

Would any political party in BC stand up for citizens rights, Hell NO! This is BC where Drugs are King, and politicans it seems prefer to leave it that way for decades to come. But on the other hand it is you the citizens who must share blame in all this, cause after all you keep FRIGGIN VOTING IN THESE MORONS!

It's bad enough that Sue Livingston's tenant almost burned down the rental house when his grow-op ignited.

But what really bugs the Duncan woman is that the homeowners are the only ones being punished.

Livingston's house is badly damaged, her insurance coverage is in doubt, she's on the hook for thousands of dollars in police and fire costs -- and the tenant isn't even being charged.

"It's so unfair that this person gets to walk, leaving this damage behind him," she said.

It's yet another cautionary tale for anyone thinking of renting out a house.

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albertacowpoke

flagged this story as Eyewitness Report

at 08:14 on September 4th, 2009

This is an eyewitness report from the NowPublic member Barry Artiste who was on the scene.

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smkovalinsky

at 09:31 on September 4th, 2009

Excellent eyewitness report and photo, Barry. One can scarcely believe such an appalling and absurd set of circumstances is allowed to exist and flourish. I hope that your coverage of this will be part of a resolution, coming from public outcry and outrage that any reasonable person would have. I actually had no idea that this sort of thing went on, none at all. Thanks so much for posting this. Great job!!!

Amy Judd

at 09:40 on September 4th, 2009

It really is shameful you're right, especially when children are involved.

Renting can be very scary, there is an apartment in my building that is occupied by drug dealers, I'm pretty sure as there is lots of suspicious behaviour but as they pay their rent on time it's almost impossible to get them out, which sucks.

jazzyzazzy

at 10:50 on September 4th, 2009

So Sad to realise so many children have to live in such places and call them home.Drugs are everywhere now! from the posh city streets right down to the ghetto,s

Beaulieu

at 12:45 on September 4th, 2009

Well said Barry. Landlords are sick of these type of 'tenants'. Sometimes it is hard for the landlord to 'have permission to check their own house' in the first place.

Beaulieu

at 12:45 on September 4th, 2009

It is the responsibility of the landlord (in the UK) to make sure there are no drugs there, but how can they check if they're are not allowed in?

Beaulieu

at 12:46 on September 4th, 2009

The USA and UK needs a Black List Register of Tenants. - ones who trash or refuse to pay.

Barry Artiste

at 15:58 on September 4th, 2009

Your submission has triggered the installed spam filter and will not be accepted.

The above message appears when I try and thank you all individually in my message board, so until Jordan fixes the Spam filter, I say thanks to all of you collectively in this comment section.
Barry