B.C. urban homeowner fined $5,200 for growing cucumbers, plans suit
Len Gratto on his property in Mission. Len Gratto is ready to join an “imminent class action” law suit against Mission, for hitting him with a 5,200 grow op inspection fee. The 67 year old says he and his wife were growing cucumbers in the basement, he never grew pot, and he and many other Mission residents are being unfairly searched and fined.
Photograph by Les Bazso, PNG
Citizens planning class-action suit over municipal grow-op inspections
By Sam Cooper,
Postmedia News
January 10, 2011
Excerpt:
VANCOUVER — Len Gratto says there’s no way he is paying a $5,200 fine to Mission, B.C., for growing cucumbers in his basement.
Gratto — who has lived in the home for 30 years — says he’s raring to join an imminent class-action lawsuit attacking the municipality’s grow-op bylaw inspections. A number of citizens, led by Stacy Gowanlock, allege their homes were illegally searched for marijuana grow-ops resulting in them being slapped with fees and repair orders costing upward of $10,000 — all on questionable evidence.
Gratto, 67, says he’s never grown pot, but “laughable” evidence against him consists of pictures of some “dirt” on the basement wall and “a furnace pipe going up into the chimney, where it should be.”
“It’s upsetting they can do this,” Gratto said. “We were growing cucumbers in the basement because they wouldn’t take outside.”
3 comments
This is just wrong! It is natural to grow food!
This has to do with corporation greed!
More people should demand Organic food!
We people need vote with our dollar and avoid foods that come in boxes, plastic wraps and cans as well as foods that are processed and refined.
Everyone need to support their local farmers market!
This is an outrage. When we can’t grow our own food without harrassment we are deprived of our rights.
The mayor of mission needs to be impeached and thrown out of office. I really am a open minded person but the logic behind this is alien to this country and the canadian way of life. Many people have come forward on this issue who have also been subjected to these inspections. It is a disgrace to this country that people are being subjected to this kind of stress. throw that sob in the mayors seat out on his ass.
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