Your investment property being turned into a cannabis crop house is pretty much a homeowners worst nightmare (or stoner’s wildest dream?). Unfortunately that nightmare is now a reality for Norlane resident Trent Lister, who came for a routine inspection to discover his whole property was practically destroyed, and its occupants gone. The elaborate setup included the electricity being rewired, holes cut in the roof and furniture removed.

The damage, which extends through the whole home, is set to be in the thousands of dollars. To make matters worse, insurance complications have meant that Lister is unable to claim any of the damage bill back, and now fears bankruptcy for himself and his mother—a permanent carer of four foster children.

“[Police] don’t think they’ll catch them,” said Lister, who placed the property on the rental market without the use of a real estate agent, but attempted to do all the checks a real estate agent would do. The licenses and background information taken from the occupants turned out to be fake. In response to this situation, and other similar ones that are “not uncommon”, Victoria Police has issued a series of ‘Safety Advice for Landlords’ which, along with photos of the crop house, is in the photo gallery above.

Luke Karakas.

[Via.]

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