Rising property toxics
Jessica Wilson
Ottawa meth labs are killing resale values
Crystal meth. Ice. Crank. Amp. Speed. As police and drug support groups have fought to bring the growing epidemic to light, no doubt you've been inundated with sobering facts and disturbing images of the realities of meth use. But while the demonizing effects of the drug undoubtedly victimize the meth addicts and their families, the damage it wreaks during manufacturing, before it even hits the streets, can be just as severe.It can ruin your home, cost you upwards of $100,000, make you sick and, in extreme cases, turn your lungs to gel.
Because of the chemicals used to make it, a building that is used even once as a methamphetamine lab is reduced to "toxic waste," said Paul Wilson (no relation), a registered home inspector in the area who has seen the problem growing in Ottawa.
"Generally meth labs only operate from six to 18 months at a time, and in this time it goes from a reasonably restorable procedure to the complete gutting of the house," he said. "You then have to remove all the duct work, the furnace, refrigerator, appliances, all the furniture, carpeting, underpadding, sometimes plumbing. It's all a toxic waste. Basically it deteriorates the house and it's the smell, the odours that go right through.
"Most houses I've been in, I tell them they have to gut it right through to the interior wall."
Wilson remembers one client in particular who bought a home for his young family without having it inspected. Shortly after they moved in, he, his wife and their two children started feeling
ill; light dizzy spells turned to nausea, and nausea to vomiting. They left the house, called Wilson in and he confirmed it: their house, a former clandestine lab, was making them sick. Wilson said it was good they left when they did because prolonged exposure to anhydrous ammonia will essentially turn your lungs into gel, "and basically you expel your lungs over a period of time."They got out before that happened, but now the young man (who declined an interview so as to not muddy an already contentious legal battle) has had to work 10- to 12-hour days, six days a week since July to try and restore the house so they can move back in.
He just didn't know.
The RCMP have released several statements about the dangers of untrained chemists manufacturing "bathtub" drugs at home, but mostly those statements have focused on immediate dangers, such as explosions or chemical fires.
What has been shown to be a bigger concern now are the long-lasting effects of playing with chemicals, like inevitable but extreme environmental pollution.
But there are other dangers too. On the occasions when Wilson suspects he's about to walk into a lab he always wears protective gear, and even still, he's in and out of the house in minutes. Sometimes the labs are left booby-trapped with electrical wiring secured to doorknobs to shock anyone who touches them. Other times the chemicals are just laying there, out in the open.
What is possibly most troubling, said Wilson, is that it's clear the problem is growing, and the RCMP are also seeing a scary trend. They said that last year meth labs accounted for about 60 per cent of all clandestine drug labs seized in Canada, with Ontario being second only to B.C. In the past, of the 400 or 500 homes Wilson would inspect in a year, about 15 to 20 of those would be marijuana grow ops and maybe two or three would be meth labs.
But this past year the number more than doubled. While this still may not seem like many, what Wilson said is worrisome is that there is a notable increase, and not just in typically shady areas of town. They are in Kanata. Orléans. Centretown. Ottawa South. They are in urban areas, suburban areas, high-rise buildings and low-rent homes.
"They're in any kind of area," he said. "It just kills the resale value."
| Lessons Learned......Buyer Beware.... |
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I wasn't aware of the long and the short term dangers of owning a former meth lab home. It's probably not that uncommon, if you're short on money for a down payment to be looking for bank repossessed homes as a starting point. I mean, if the owner (meth lab guy), defaults on his mortgage and the bank takes it over, the bank is only looking for the balance owed. If the original owner put down a significant amount on the down payment and there's a small balance owing, it may be very attractive to put in a bid with the bank. I wonder if the bank is liable as the owner at that point, if they sell a house that is contaminated? Are they liable or would they have to make sure that the house has passed a home inspection? Are there repercussions for the person selling the house if it is contaminated or is it a plain case of buyer beware? Really interesting topic and very insightful with the growing epidemic of homes being converted into meth labs and drug ops.
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Steve Landry
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{10 votes}
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| Response to Louis's comment |
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Disclosure is paramount! As a proud member of the real estate fraternity, I, personally, subscribe to the RECO (Real Estate Council of Ontario) Code of Ethics which dictates the honour of disclosure. Failure to disclose knowledge of facts can cause the loss of my license as a professional realtor. If I list a home for sale and discover that it has been used for illegal purposes, either as a meth lab or grow op., I must disclose this information to prospective purchasers through their Buyer agent. This is both a legal and moral obligation on my part. For purchasers of "For Sale By Owner" properties: Caution is the key element! A private individual, offering their home for sale, is not obligated to adhere to our professional code of ethics. BUYER BEWARE! You may obtain what you think is a "bargain" purchase price, but you will do so in the absence of professional counsel. Considering the amount of investment required for the purchase of real estate, you are stongly advised to do it right...use a professional realtor bound by the obligation of disclosure!
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Frank Wilson
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{11 votes}
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I gotta admit that this article was an eye opener. I never really factored in the damage meth labs do to the surrounding structures. I just took it as a given that once the makers and dealers bugged out that the buildings would be fine. Toxic waste? Man, if the chemicals used can do that to a building I don't even want to imagine what it'd do to your insides.
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Pedro Eggers
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{10 votes}
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| Begging the question of responsibility |
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The advice that is presented in this informative article is of benefit to potential home buyers.
But what is missing is what happens when an individual withdraws his offer because the house has been identified as a problem house, one that has been used for the production of meth, the chemical methamphetamine.
If the house is being sold by the vendor, without using a real estate broker, the potential purchaser loses the cost of the inspection but is saved from a rotten investment and would be in a position to notify the police authorities.
If the house sale is being handled by a broker, and he becomes aware that a sale has fallen through, based on an inspection of a "meth house", is he morally and/or ethically responsible to report this problem to his real estate board and/or the police authorities?
Who is ultimately responsible for reporting on "meth houses" to the authorities?
The meth situation produces such horrendous social problems, as desribed in the article, rewards should be given to those individuals who report these "meth houses".
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Louis Reeves
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{8 votes}
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| A strong case for pre-purchase home inspections |
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This is a brilliant and informative article. As a realtor, I always recommend a home inspection condition in an offer to purchase. Some buyers balk at the $300 fee, but when you're investing $300,000 or more in a home, it only makes sense to invest the additional .1% of the purchase price! Plumbing and electrical issues can usually be addressed economically. A home used as a meth lab is a whole different story. I'd prefer to keep my clients out of such an environment. This article also makes a strong case for the use of a professional property management company for investors in rental properties. A sound property managment company is more likely to protect the owner from renting to questionable occupants. Well done and thank you!
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Frank Wilson
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{3 votes}
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