I think I live in a meth lab. Seriously.

[mitch171]

Like I said I am no insurance expert. I do however feel you should have renters insurance regardless... For me it was like $25 a year at my old place and now it is still under $100 for the year.

I wonder what people think of me...

I often drive my equipment between my apartment and my parents house as I brew at both locations. I once was driving around town with a huge hop vine laying in the back of my car, my mom who works at the jail later said she wouldn't have been surprised if I got pulled over and brought me in to check things out. Guys I drive a MINI Cooper people can see everything, coper coils, "modified coolers," glass jars with settled solids. strange gas cylinders, lots of cleaning supplies. I also have a cat=cat liter. I also paint so I have "artistic creations." One of my other hobbies is growing orchids this involves more chemicals and grow lights...

So all I need is to hide some gun, get some ornamental knives, leave some porn and "toys" around and stop cleaning my apartment then I will have a meth lab I guess.

 

[Rushis]

Wow, this website is paranoia fuel.

Based on their list everyone house could easily be suspect for a meth den.
Perhaps the subtle mixture of bleach, ammonia and paint thinner odors would be a more reliable indication.

 

[kornkob]

Why do those 'warning signs' strike us as odd? Because they are designed not with the idea of giving people the benefit of the doubt but to give the police as much latitude in their work as possible.

They design these things to make it as easy as possible to substantiate probable cause and once executing the warrant, as easy as possible to take as much as they can with them as evidence.


A cop might say:
"While talking to the subject, I could see from my vantage at the front door that the house was messy and in disarray. There were jars containing unidentified liquids and solids on the hallway table. On the floor under the table I saw an open and apparently empty sudafed package. In the room beyond I could see what appeared to be an array of ornamental knives on the wall surrounded by bizarre writings. Beneath that I could see a dismantled machine of some sort as well as some twisted brass. There was a small pile of cat litter on the floor next to these items.

According to training I received at a forensics seminar these are indicators of meth production. Coupled with the subject's nervous behavior, these indicators provide me with reasonable suspicion that the dwelling is being used for the production of meth."



Yeah-- I just described my Dad's house (if you come to the 'front' door instead of the common entrance-- the side door) if you look in the front door to the 'parlor' he uses as a workshop.

 

[mitch171]

Dude you're Dad is making meth...

JK gotta love reasonable cause.

 

[MBasile]

I think you guys are overlooking the quantity of cleaning solution and kitty litter, and their use.

 

[friarjohn]

Is season 3 of Breaking Bad back on yet?

 

[Rushis]

I think you guys are overlooking the quantity of cleaning solution and kitty litter, and their use.

Wouldn't the quantity of raw materials (kitty litter, bleach, ammonia, etc.) depend on the size of the operation?

And that Cat litter jug with the hose sticking out of it... looks a lot like a blow off tube that I rigged after appreciating a large number of homebrews.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Meth is made from kitty litter and cleaning solution??? I just don't understand drug users....

 

[kornkob]

You drink something made of rotting food, weeds and fungus. One of the main rallying cries around here is to not fear the foam of a chemical sanitizer that is left in the vessels in which this drinkis made.


*shrug*

 

[bernerbrau]

Wow, this website is paranoia fuel.

Based on their list everyone house could easily be suspect for a meth den.
Perhaps the subtle mixture of bleach, ammonia and paint thinner odors would be a more reliable indication.

Wow, a lot of those are also used in homebrewing.

Glass containers containing biphasic materials... like beer over settled-out yeast. Geez.

 

[the_bird]

You know, maybe I should go ahead and buy that www.methheadtalk.com domain name. Godaddy says it's available! Sounds like we're pretty much one and the same...

 

[mitch171]

Meth is made from kitty litter and cleaning solution??? I just don't understand drug users....

Ya I would have loved to hear the first conversation:

Dude try this I cooked up some bleach, ammonia, threw some kitty litter in there and though what the hell I have a cold and tossed some pseduphed in there. This $hit is the bomb give it a try...

btw I have no idea how to make meth and I don't really understand the process so maybe this doesn't make any sense.

 

[DavidSteel]

I have brewed on my front porch three times now, and the neighbor next door moved out.

I wonder what they were thinking ?

Hahaha so much awesome.

 

[Zul'jin]

My wife and I looked at a house once with a Realtor (who was showing us this house that was on her co-worker's sheet, not her's, so she had never seen it) walked in and all said "meth lab".

-Front windows painted over
-Carpet was soft but crunchy and disintegrating, like an old sponge
-Stained walls
-Odd patterns, shapes and nonsense words painted on the walls in day glow colors, glitter and black
-Burn marks all around the gas stove with flames painted over them
-The hard wood floors had corroded looking stains
-It was pier and beam with escape hatches and hiding spaces cut into the floor
-The wood stove was in the carpeted living room sitting on a metal sheet and had all sorts of junk burned in it (including a lot of lighters)
-Spots that shimmered with a crystal like residue on the garage floor
-The place reeked of solvents so bad we could taste them. The air in the house even had a slick feeling
-All the sinks and the tub and the commode were just horrible. Burn marks all along the counters from cigarettes left burning

I offered to buy for 80% of the value of the lot. The Realtor said it was a terrible mistake to even list the place.

It has since been bought. I should go talk to the people who have it just to see.

 

[northernlad]

I just ordered the test kit. Does anybody have any experience with this? If it is contaminated, I've heard they'll basically evict me and confiscate clothing and bedding and other linens. Which would suck really really bad. But I'm more worried about all my beer and wine. Can I keep that?
I'm all stressed out. Please don't be a methlab, I love this apartment. But there are so many signs that it is...I'm so stupid. I didn't know the signs when I first moved in...

I would not worry about your nonpermeable items; anything glass or metal. I would consider discarding the beer and wine, anything you use to brew that is plastic or fabric, and all of your clothing, etc.

As far as the insurance, it is probably a fine line. You do buy insurance for "what if" so buying insurance in case your apartment was a meth lab is not inherently fraudulent. However, it is likely nothing would be covered. Thats the way these things go. IE, if you purchase a meth house (and it was possible you were clueless enough to notice) and the city found out they could and would confiscate it and you would be SOL. So I wouldn't get renters insurance in the hopes they would pay up. Remove anything you feel ok about keeping from the house and call the cops and health department yourself. Do it right now. Instant out of the lease and on your way to a new crib.

On second thought, run your test kit. If it comes back positive, take it to the LL and tell him you want out of your lease. If he gives you one second of schit about it, THEN take it to the cops and DOH. It is always better for you if you give your LL the opportunity to remedy the situation before you put the screws to him.

 

[Baja_Brewer]

Has anybody watched Breaking Bad?? I'm not sure its entirely accurate representation of cooking meth, but some of the stuff that goes into it is pretty f'd up

 

[springer]

Isn't that the point of insurance? You suspect you may incur losses for any reason, so you buy insurance to cover the risk. If I moved into a bad area, would I not be able to get insurance because I already know it is a bad area and I'm at a higher risk of getting my stuff stolen?

again insurance will not pay for the confiscation of his property by the health dept. While a renters policy is a good thing for any renter to have its not going to diddly for this situation...


In your senario if your neighbor falls on your steps and he may sue you its ok to put in place a renters or homeowners policy? I don't recommend it . First the claim will be denied and then charges may be filed. This is pre existing condition anyway that the OP is aware of even if not 100% sure it was meth lab

 

[northernlad]

In your senario if your neighbor falls on your steps and he may sue you its ok to put in place a renters or homeowners policy? I don't recommend it . First the claim will be denied and then charges may be filed. This is pre existing condition anyway that the OP is aware of even if not 100% sure it was meth lab

These are not them same scenarios at all.
It is closer to getting health insurance because everyone in your family has had cancer. High risk, but no cancer found yet so its not fraud.

Its a moot point anyway because insurance will not cover his losses.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Screw THAT! Test the place and if tests show it was a meth lab, get the fook out now!

Life is too short and clothes can be bought cheap at Goodwill if needs be.

 

[springer]

If you suspected you lived in a meth lab, and bought insurance with the EXPECTATION of incurring losses, I would convict you for intent to defraud if I were on the jury hearing the case. I'm not saying I'm a lawyer either, but it seems pretty clear to me this is over the line. OP might get away with it or he might end up being bubba's bitch.

Sorry man, it sucks, but at least you have some good beer to cry into if you get it out.

The apartment will end up being stripped. If the landlord is insured, you contents are probably not covered, but they are still going to owe you liability coverage if you end up getting sick from living there. If he is underinsured or uninsured, your best bet is going to be to file suit.

Isn't that the point of insurance? You suspect you may incur losses for any reason, so you buy insurance to cover the risk. If I moved into a bad area, would I not be able to get insurance because I already know it is a bad area and I'm at a higher risk of getting my stuff stolen?

These are not them same scenarios at all.
It is closer to getting health insurance because everyone in your family has had cancer. High risk, but no cancer found yet so its not fraud.

Its a moot point anyway because insurance will not cover his losses.

I was responding to his comment to Saccharomyces


it is moot no coverage . I still would check police records if it does end up being a known meth lab to the police say if there were numerous complaints and or arrests the landlord would full be aware of the fact and without proper clean up is liable to any person who rents there .

 

[thejerk]

OP HERE.
Hi. This has turned into a fun discussion.
I received my home test kit in the mail today from a company that was recommended as reliable and reputable. I'll be swabbing walls and sending the samples back in today.
The police department called me back and they are going to provide me with types and dates of any criminal calls at my address. The place is not a known meth lab...the county keeps records of those and I already checked.
I have calmed down considerably. I had myself convinced that this was a methlab, and there's enough probable evidence for me to still be concerned, but really there is nothing conclusive for me to say that I DO live in a former meth house.
Worst case scenario: I have to move over christmas break and lose the apartment that I love in the perfect location. And then me and my girlfriend both get cancer. That's kind of a bummer.
Screw insurance and the people selling it.

 

[springer]

OP HERE.

Screw insurance and the people selling it.

Thank you for the insult ...You are living up to your handle

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

OP HERE.
Hi. This has turned into a fun discussion.
I received my home test kit in the mail today from a company that was recommended as reliable and reputable. I'll be swabbing walls and sending the samples back in today.
The police department called me back and they are going to provide me with types and dates of any criminal calls at my address. The place is not a known meth lab...the county keeps records of those and I already checked.
I have calmed down considerably. I had myself convinced that this was a methlab, and there's enough probable evidence for me to still be concerned, but really there is nothing conclusive for me to say that I DO live in a former meth house.
Worst case scenario: I have to move over christmas break and lose the apartment that I love in the perfect location. And then me and my girlfriend both get cancer. That's kind of a bummer.
Screw insurance and the people selling it.

1.) Makes you wonder how many people were convinced they live in a Meth lab after seeing the news article.

2.) The people selling insurance aren't the ones at fault. It's the CEO's of the company too cheap to make good on the product they offer.

 

[thejerk]

Thank you for the insult ...You are living up to your handle

I do my best.
Didn't actually realize I had an actual insurance agent posting on my thread, sorry. It was nothing personal or really meaningful, more just my flippant way of expressing the fact that I'm not opening a new insurance policy right now.

 

[Randar]

Oh Crap!!
Step 1: Move beer to a secure location!!!!
Step 2: Stay with the beer at said location!!!!
Step 3: Never go back to old location!!!!

Amen. Meth labs are extremely dangerous and you basically risk being blown to bits by staying if it is indeed a meth lab.

 

[Rushis]

Amen. Meth labs are extremely dangerous and you basically risk being blown to bits by staying if it is indeed a meth lab.

WHAT?

Maybe, possibly, in an unconfirmed, etheral sort of way the OP's apartment might have been used for the production of illegal compounds. Unless there are barrels of solvent laying around their is very little danger to the OP. It's not like a side product of meth production results in the infusion of C4 into the walls.

OP, the test kit is more of placebo for pananoid than an actual assessment of meth production. Those company only check for the presence of methamphetamines, and any dealer with half brain wouldn't be spraying their "product" on the walls/floors. Unless that building is corroding around you and/or obvious "chemical" smells are present it's highly unlikely your apartment was a meth-den. All of the "signs" you have described are consistent with any number of legitmate hobbies, especially an aquarium enthusiast. I punched holes in the walls of my college apartment to centralize the filtration system for my breeding and show tanks and there were plenty of brown stains on the flooring from water changes.

I would suggest a deep breath and a cold homebrew. Of course, I'm just a schmuck on the internet so take it for what it's worth.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I didn't bother reading all the posts, but under NORMAL conditons aren't apartments usually fully cleaned and painted prior to anyone new moving in...???

 

[bonzombiekitty]

Amen. Meth labs are extremely dangerous and you basically risk being blown to bits by staying if it is indeed a meth lab.

Only if it's an active meth lab. I don't think there's any danger of an explosion if it's just a former meth lab, which the OP suspects. The concern with a former meth lab is cancer.

 

[GearBeer]

I didn't bother reading all the posts, but under NORMAL conditons aren't apartments usually fully cleaned and painted prior to anyone new moving in...???

Only if renting from a responsible landlord. :cross:

 

[dunnright00]

WHAT?

...It's not like a side product of meth production results in the infusion of C4 into the walls.

This LOL'd me.