Pubdate: Thu, 27 Jan 2011
Source: Mission City Record (CN BC)
Copyright: 2011 The Mission City Record
Contact:  http://www.missioncityrecord.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1305
Author: Carol Aun
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)

INSPECTION ANGERS HOMEOWNER

Margaret Hunt faced two inspections from Mission's Public Safety Team 
(PSIT) in as many years.

The team had visited her a year ago at her home on Richards Avenue 
and she was prepared to meet them again last Wednesday at her 
Cardinal Street property.

Hunt has lived in Mission for 17 years and owns three properties with 
her husband. She raised her children here, volunteered at their 
schools and coached baseball for years. She considers herself a good 
citizen who has given back to the community.

When she received a notice of inspection for excessive hydro use at 
her Richards Avenue home last year, she willingly let the inspectors 
in and showed them around because she knew they wouldn't find anything illegal.

The electrician examined the electrical panel and determined the high 
hydro use in the 50-year-old house was justified, but the other two 
inspectors were not convinced.

They probed closets, and all the nooks and crannies.

Hunt said they were rude, intrusive and she felt violated.

The search moved to the property outbuildings. There was no power to 
the shed where her husband kept half a dozen old car frames. 
Inspectors spent two hours shining their flashlights into each of the 
empty vehicles and even raked the dirt floor in their search.

Hunt stood outside with the electrician and her anger began to build.

The inspection didn't uncover a marijuana grow operation, and Hunt 
wasn't charged the $5,200 fee, but they wanted her to put up a guard 
rail on the property and fix a broken stair. And before the team 
left, one of them said they would be back if she didn't reduce her 
power consumption. Hunt didn't like the threat.

She faced questions from her neighbours. What were the police doing 
parked at the end of your driveway? Why were inspectors in your home?

The perception that Hunt and her family were doing something illegal 
had already travelled along the street.

Hunt had always paid her hydro bills and it was none of the 
district's business how much power she was buying, she said.

She spoke with others in the community who have gone through a 
similar experience, and had researched the district's purpose behind PSIT.

She called the number on the notice to confirm the purpose of the 
second inspection was to look for electrical faults to explain the 
high power consumption.

When the police officer and the PSIT team pulled up, Hunt walked out 
to meet them.

The Mountie remained in his vehicle, and the three inspectors 
approached. As calm as she could, Hunt said she was only allowing the 
electrician to come onto her property.

The inspectors protested and told her they work as a team for safety purposes.

It's an electrical inspection," Hunt shot back and suggested the 
police officer accompany the electrician instead.

Without an entry warrant, the inspectors didn't have a choice. They 
moved off the property, but stayed nearby until the electrician, who 
worked for a private contractor, was finished.

Hunt showed him the small barn with a heat lamp where chickens are 
kept on one side and goats on the other. She also opened up the 
small, dilapidated shack where there was no power and showed him the 
hydro meter before bringing him inside the house.

She explained that her daughter put curtains up in the doorways and 
clear plastic sheeting on the windows to try to stop the heat from 
escaping from the old home, which had only single-paned windows.

The electrician examined each wire in the electrical panel and 
concluded there was no harm done to the conductor or busbar, but 
talked to Hunt about minor issues, such as a missing conductor, 
discrepancies in the labelling and some odd-looking work. He 
suggested she engage a licensed electrician to address the problems. 
He also recommended the wires in the barn be examined.

Since Hunt's daughter moved into the house about a year ago, they 
have been consistently consuming electricity at a rate of more than 
120 kwh/day.

The average home consumes less than 50 kwh/day, but he noted older 
houses with single-paned windows could use closer to 100 kwh/day. 
However, he also warned house fire risks increase 25 per cent if a 
home uses more than 95 kwh/day. Since Hunt is in that category, he 
advised all smoke detectors and fire extinguishers be kept up to date.

Before leaving, the electrician said Hunt would be receiving a letter 
from the district confirming an inspection had been performed, but 
she would not be charged the inspection fee.

The electrician did his job and left," said Hunt, feeling victorious.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom