Man fined $5,200 for growing cucumbers in basement

Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:18 pm » by **Savwafair2012**

NaturalNews) Mission, British Columbia, resident Len Gratto recently experienced the wrath of local city officials who fined him $5,200 for growing cucumbers in his basement. Under current laws, municipal regulators are permitted to enter premises on suspicion that a homeowner is illegally growing marijuana -- and even if no pot is found, they can levy the fines anyway.

"It's upsetting they can do this," explained Gratto to The Province. "We were growing cucumbers in the basement because they wouldn't take outside."

Several other area residents have been wrongly targeted by officials and levied fines for engaging in legal activities as well, including Stacy Gowanlock who was order to pay roughly $10,000 in fees and "repair orders" because investigators found traces of "dirt" in her basement and "a furnace pipe going up into the chimney, where it should be."

The grow-op bylaw programs used to search properties on the marijuana suspicions state that municipal inspectors can enter homes simply because they use excessive amounts of water. Once inside, there is no requirement that inspectors find any actual evidence of marijuana -- they are free to levy fines if they determine the presence of what they determine to be "residual" evidence, such as soil or even high mold counts. And if residents fail to comply with the unreasonable orders, they could have their house deemed unsafe and unsellable by local officials.

Gratto, Gowanlock and others have signed on to a class-action lawsuit that says such searches are a violation of citizens' rights. The entire process is a scam, say residents, and they would like to see the program eliminated.

Councilwoman Jenny Stevens told reporters that she no longer supports the program, despite supporting it initially, because at least half of those inspected are innocent. But in the end, they still end up having to pay lofty fines and suffer the embarrassment of having their homes raided as if they were illicit drug dealers, which is ultimately doing more harm than good.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/030983_food_ ... z1AqF2BX5G

Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:22 pm » by **Chrisfryfyi**

sickerning. i wonder how much the fine is for cress.

Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:23 pm » by **Funnyman46**

Oh shit, what do I do for my unfinished crawl space?

Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:26 pm » by **Smokeydog**

funnyman46 wrote:Oh shit, what do I do for my unfinished crawl space?

finish it?

Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:28 pm » by **Punjedi**

And someone wanted to move to Canada?

Yeah, I'll keep my corruption where I can see it thank you

Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:32 pm » by **Redwoodrick**

punjedi wrote:And someone wanted to move to Canada?

Yeah, I'll keep my corruption where I can see it thank you

...Um yeah that was me.....emphasis on was :look:

Wed Jan 12, 2011 7:39 pm » by **Strobez**

Could have been worse' he could have been caurght growing daisies! then they might have made a daisy chain for him!