Cop called, tenent was growing a house full of pot

Status
Not open for further replies.
PandaBear

PandaBear

Joined
Aug 5, 2002
Messages
24,710
Location
Silicon Valley
Dad has a house that was remodeled and then rent to a college student, his dad is also on the lease.

For 2 years he was always paying rent on time and suddenly last Friday the cops called. They said a neighbor notified them a window was smashed and no one was around. Cops go in and found a whole house full of pot.

Dad gave the cops all the info they asked for, and they told us not to notify the tenants until they call back later. Also we should wait till tomorrow to see the house (likely they are collecting evidence right now).

How likely will the house be full of humidity damage? How long will it take for the smell to be gone?
 
I'd get one of those professional cleanup companies in there to assess things (Servpro, etc).

Also, be sure to sit across the street for when the tenants come home tomorrow. Definitely going to be entertaining. :-)
 
So you're not notifying the tenants but posting this on a public forum? Sheesh.

Better pot than meth, easier to clean up. I would just wash the walls and ceilings, mop/ vacuum the floor, and light some incense.
laugh.gif
 
1) No body lives there, and we don't live across the street. The cops are already there so we aren't gonna interfere with their works.

2) I didn't say where is it or who am I
 
The Pot growing in there in itself doesn't cause an HAZ/MAT condition like a Meth lab would. However that is also dependent on what chemical fertilizers where used in the growing process. A repaint and new carpet (if installed) are probably in order. Serve-pro isn't a bad idea either.
As for the Police Investigation, I recommend you let them do their thing, they will get back to you. They may leave the evidence under surveillance so don't get caught snooping around and wind up as a suspect.
 
My sister-in-law lived in a rental home right after it was cleaned up from something like you speak of.
She found out by speaking to the neighbors. It turns out that the previous renters used the property to move stuff. Not necessarily grow it.
The neighbors were afraid of the residence before they realized a bunch of college girls moved in.

I would think it would depend on how long it had been going on, and how big of an operation it was.

I've seen shows, like Holmes on Homes, where the growers bypassed the electrical grid from the street for free power. Bypassed the water main for free water. They put in additional heaters to keep it at 90+ degrees (year round) and additional fans and duct work to push the exhaust fumes up the Chimney so that the neighborhood smelled like pot, but not that specific house. All the appliances were removed, all the electrical work was torn out and re-wired.
Pretty much the only thing left in the original condition was the facade of the house.

If it was just a bunch of rooms with additional lighting for a small scale operation it shouldn't be to bad.

If it is a HUGE operation... well... take pictures for the insurance claim and get a copy of the Police report.
 
My biggest concern would be that they modified your wiring and breaker box.
 
Originally Posted By: kb01
My biggest concern would be that they modified your wiring and breaker box.


+1 on that. If they were using fancy-pants fluorescent lights and therefore not using much power, there was basically just a huge garden indoors.
 
Another reason to not be a landlord. I know someone who had the same thing happen to them. The tenant modified the house to to grow pot. Electrical wiring was illegally modified to bypass the meter, which cost $2500 to fix. Walls had holes everywhere too
 
Originally Posted By: hate2work
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I would just wash the walls and ceilings, mop/ vacuum the floor, and light some incense.
laugh.gif



And put on some Robin Trower music
smile.gif



I'm thinking Daydream... One of my favorite Trower songs.
 
Above and beyond the normal cleaning, I'd seriously consider having a mold test done. If the house has been subjected to high temperatures/high humidity for a significant time, mold may very well be an issue. If you don't and mold is present after it's rented to new tenants, your dad may have some liability if the tenants become ill and mold is later discovered. After all, it's now a matter of public record that the house was used in a manner that could be ripe for mold formation and growth.
 
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
After all, it's now a matter of public record that the house was used in a manner that could be ripe for mold formation and growth.


They aren't convicted yet.
laugh.gif
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: Pop_Rivit
After all, it's now a matter of public record that the house was used in a manner that could be ripe for mold formation and growth.


They aren't convicted yet.
laugh.gif



I WISH I was sitting across the street when the
"perps" arrive home....

These selfish and uncaring creeps deserve a good thrashing. Taking a property and SERIOUSLY damaging and or destroying it in the name of pot growing....

I hope the cops get them inside the home so they can have some "quality time" alone with them....just as long as they don't leave any visible bruises on these azzhats.

Same goes for the meth heads ....
 
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
My sister-in-law lived in a rental home right after it was cleaned up from something like you speak of.
She found out by speaking to the neighbors. It turns out that the previous renters used the property to move stuff. Not necessarily grow it.
The neighbors were afraid of the residence before they realized a bunch of college girls moved in.

I would think it would depend on how long it had been going on, and how big of an operation it was.

I've seen shows, like Holmes on Homes, where the growers bypassed the electrical grid from the street for free power. Bypassed the water main for free water. They put in additional heaters to keep it at 90+ degrees (year round) and additional fans and duct work to push the exhaust fumes up the Chimney so that the neighborhood smelled like pot, but not that specific house. All the appliances were removed, all the electrical work was torn out and re-wired.
Pretty much the only thing left in the original condition was the facade of the house.

If it was just a bunch of rooms with additional lighting for a small scale operation it shouldn't be to bad.

If it is a HUGE operation... well... take pictures for the insurance claim and get a copy of the Police report.

This pretty much sums it up. It really varies by operation. Growers can get pretty creative, and crops can range from one or two plants in a small cabinet to a house filled with hundreds. Some grow operations are contained in a cabinet or some other form of furniture. If you find a cabinet full of duct work, fans, wiring, light fixtures, etc. in a rental house, you just found your tenant's garden.

Hydroponic growing, where the roots are in nutrient rich water instead of soil, can involve a whole lot of water. Mold would be a concern. However, mold can also ruin a crop, so anyone who knows what they are doing will try to manage the humidity. If they ripped apart half the house to make a custom grow operation though, mold is just one of many concerns.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

S
Finally Sold My Old House! What an adventure!
2
Replies
24
Views
5K
SwampSurvivor
john_pifer
We're Buying our First House (and other happenings)! Exciting Times...
2 3 4
Replies
72
Views
5K
slo town
C
  • Locked
Anybody delt with Alzheimers or Dementia?
2 3
Replies
49
Views
19K
paulo57509
The Critic
  • Locked
Need Help With Rental Home Lease
2
Replies
31
Views
13K
The Critic
G
  • Locked
Sad state of affairs of our fighting men and women
Replies
11
Views
2K
pitzel
Back
Top Bottom