A California couple is staring down stratospheric fines after their property allegedly ran afoul of local cannabis code violations. The kicker, however, is that the previous owner is to blame for the infractions.
That has not deterred Humboldt County, California, from levying $1 million in civil penalties against Corrine and Doug Thomas, who bought the home in the Northern California redwood forest after their home in Los Angeles County was destroyed by a wildfire. Six days after moving in, the government sent the property a notice—addressed to the former owner, Summerville Creek LLC—outlining violations pertaining to a structure in the Thomas' backyard. According to court documents, that included "violation of the commercial cannabis land use ordinance; construction of a building or structure in violation of building, plumbing, and electrical codes; and, facilities or activities in violation of the commercial cannabis land use ordinance."
