Drug lab causes condo evacuation 

On Saturday 27 October 2012, just after 3:00 pm, the residents living on the seven top floors of the condo at 4091 Sheppard Avenue East were evacuated by Toronto Police when the building superintendent found a drug lab in a unit on the 18th floor. The police were concerned that the chemicals might explode.

Earlier that day, the superintendent received a phone call from a resident on the 16th floor directly underneath this unit. She was complaining about a water leak coming from her ceiling. A check in the 17th floor apartment showed that it was not causing the leak so the superintendent went up to the 18th floor unit. After calling for the security guard to witness the entry, the superintendent opened the door and saw the chemical-making lab. The police were immediately called.

The residents were not allowed back into their homes until Sunday morning about 20 hours later.

No one was arrested in the rented unit.

Four months and four kilometres away, the police shutdown two drug labs in the condo at 190 Borough Drive.

These problems can happen in any condominium. New condos are just as likely to be hit with bad renters as the older ones.

Who pays?
It cost approximately $200,000 for the specialists to clean the apartment. The other costs incurred by government agencies, the condo corporation and the owners, including putting the residents up in a local hotel, came to another $200,000. (The owners who checked into the hotel will have to reimburse the government.)

The unit owner, who is living overseas, will be held responsible to pay the insurance deductables. The owner could try to sue their tenant to cover the costs but I doubt that will work.


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