Speaking to neighbors, the couple learns that more than 1,700 cannabis plants were confiscated from their basement in 2011. The person responsible for this intensive culture was arrested during the search and sentenced to 15 months in prison.
After this sad news, the owners decide to have their property appraised by a certified appraiser. The conclusions of his report are devastating, as the loss in value from this intensive cultivation amounts to $90,000.
“Not only are we stuck in a house that we may find difficult to resell, but we knew immediately that our investment had just melted away. Whether we do repairs or not, there are people who don’t want to touch these houses. »
— A quote from Marc Lalande
Marc Lalande and Suzanne Ouellet would not have bought their home if they knew it already housed a cannabis plantation.
Photo: Radio Canada / Martin Brunette
According to Pierre Goudreau, President of the Order of Chartered Appraisers of Quebec, it is clear that in such a context potential buyers will try to get a discount, especially in a weak market.
In 2006, The Invoice told the story of a couple going through the same experience as the Lalande-Ouellets. He was a prisoner of an old cannabis harvest that had taken place before the house was bought. For the chairman of the Association of Real Estate Brokers and Agents of Quebec, Robert Nadeau, this situation was unacceptable and he requested access to a register of all houses searched.
“If such a register existed, it is certain that a broker or bona fide agent who would have access to the register could inform the public directly. »
— A quote from Robert Nadeau
Robert Nadeau, who headed the Organisme d’autoréglementation du courtage immobilier du Québec (OACIQ) for several years, advocates the establishment of a registry of homes where an illegal cannabis plantation is searched.
Photo: Radio Canada / Martin Brunette
The Quebec Ministry of Public Safety said at the time it found the proposal very interesting. Seventeen years later we sadly see that the register never saw the light of day and that the department abandoned the idea of creating one. According to him, it is not his job to list the searches carried out by the police and such a register would be incomplete as one would not find the houses where cannabis was grown without being searched. It was impossible to get an interview with the current Public Security Minister, François Bonnardel.
The Organisme d’autoréglementation des courtiers immobiliers du Québec, the OACIQ, which oversees brokers, is also much more reluctant to have such a register, as its spokeswoman Caroline Champagne tells us.
“OACIQ’s role is really to oversee, train and then screen brokers under the law. »
— A quote from Caroline Champagne
The Organisme d’autoréglementation des courtiers immobiliers du Québec (OACIQ) is much more reluctant to have a registry for cannabis searches, as proposed by Caroline Champagne, Vice President, Framework of the OACIQ.
Photo: Radio Canada / Jean-Philippe Pelletier
However, as pointed out by Robert Nadeau, who led the OACIQ until 2015, the organization’s primary mission is to protect the public.
“If I were still here, that would be my priority. Protection of the public, protection of the health of the people who will be staying in this type of house. Like the land register, it is a basic element for all brokers. »
— A quote from Robert Nadeau
Pierre Goudreau of the Order of Chartered Appraisers of Quebec believes such a register would also serve the interests of its members and the public, as in the case of the contaminated land registry.
Suzanne Ouellet believes people work hard and save to buy a home. There is basic information they need to know to properly protect their property.
The report by Yvan Lamontagne and Claude Laflamme will be broadcast on La billi on Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. and on ICI Télé on Saturdays at 12:30 p.m.