I was driving around last Thursday and saw a couple of houses that made my jaw drop. Here are the OK County Assessor's links:

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2684/R049005720001uA.jpg

On this one, you can't see the house:

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2684/R049007215001uA.jpg

but if you look at the picture taken in 2004:

http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2684/R049007215001yA.jpg

you will see that there is indeed a home behind that.

Am I overreacting or does something need to be done about this and the powers that be contacted?

something does need to be done, i see nasty bugs , rats, and other filth being created due to all that high weeds and brush, is this in a neighboorhood or in the country each by itself?

something does need to be done, i see nasty bugs , rats, and other filth being created due to all that high weeds and brush, is this in a neighboorhood or in the country each by itself?

Just east of Western on NW 32nd street.

OKC Code Enforement.

Call the OKC Action Center, I do it all the time, it's the best way to take care of these issues and tons of other issues. You can even get a report on the progress and outcome and stay anonymous if you want. You can report online here: City of Oklahoma City | Action Center (http://www.okc.gov/action/Complaint.html)



The Action Center at 405 297-2535 routes complaints and questions to other City departments and divisions, including Police, Code Enforcement and Zoning Enforcement.

Among the code violations which can be reported to the Action Center are illegally parked cars, abandoned and inoperable cars, dead trees and tall weeds.

Is it legal for my neighbor to park his work truck with a huge dumpster like trailer and bob cat in the street in front of my house at night?

That is just nasty. Is the house empty or is someone actually living in that mess.

That is just nasty. Is the house empty or is someone actually living in that mess.

Not sure. I looked at in on Googlemaps and I couldn't find an entrance to the house. The same lady owns several pieces of property on that street and they are all overgrown. I wonder if it is an older woman that can't upkeep the properties, so she let them get all Jumanji on her.

yikes. I would be scared to even approach that house. Seems similar to something the unabomber lived in.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3545/3399459147_d384a6d427.jpg


This one is at the edge of our neighborhood. It has been cleaned up a bit since this was taken. I think it's an older couple that lives there.

Is that house on 50th a few blocks west of May? If so the man who did all of that name is Kelly as I recall and he used to be the postman in that area. My grandparents lived near there and knew him when he was their mailman. Back in the day I guess people knew their letter carriers. I used to live in Mayfair and he would come to the neighborhood meetings. He was always nice enough just a little strange. I believe he owned the house next door which was condemned and torn down.

Actually, those don't really look like weeds as much as overgrown foliage.. which might not be a code issue.. more a personal landscape preference?

You know, a jungle theme? lol

Is that house on 50th a few blocks west of May? If so the man who did all of that name is Kelly as I recall and he used to be the postman in that area. My grandparents lived near there and knew him when he was their mailman. Back in the day I guess people knew their letter carriers. I used to live in Mayfair and he would come to the neighborhood meetings. He was always nice enough just a little strange. I believe he owned the house next door which was condemned and torn down.Yes, it is. There is a cute little house next door to that one, then an empty lot.


You know, a jungle theme? lolLOL maybe,it has been worse than that pic, which is an old google maps pic. There is foil over a couple of the windows that face the street and why they would need that I have no idea. I would bet with all those trees that very little light would get into those windows. This last fall, it was cleaned up quite a bit and some of the trees, weeds and trash removed.

Hey at least it goes against the brown, dust-bowl image... :wink:

I aspire to that level of foliage some day. :)

They're just going green.

I was driving around last Thursday and saw a couple of houses that made my jaw drop. Here are the OK County Assessor's...Am I overreacting or does something need to be done about this and the powers that be contacted?

Not so much overreacting as you must not have important things going on in your life to be driving around city and snitchin' on strangers weeds :gossip:.



something does need to be done, i see nasty bugs , rats, and other filth being created due to all that high weeds and brush, is this in a neighboorhood or in the country each by itself?

You must have a good eye...all I see are plants in a natural setting.

That house in Mayfair borders on being illegal. That picture really does not do it justice. I believe Kelly grew all of those trees from seedlings and on the north side of his house facing 50th street there are dozens of black plastic pots with little trees growing in them. When they tore the house down next door there was an article in the paper about it. There were all kinds of critters such as rats and raccoons that called the place home. The neighborhood is mostly smaller homes that are well kept. This house sticks out for sure.

In Mayfair? I thought he said 32nd and Western.

Is it legal for my neighbor to park his work truck with a huge dumpster like trailer and bob cat in the street in front of my house at night?

Don't know, but why not just start parking your car there before he can get his stuff there? I would call and ask the Action Desk first. That is ridiculous.

If this is one of your neighbor's homes, you might consider finding out who lives there (if anyone). Oftentimes, the very elderly lose their ability to keep up with yard and home maintenance and would benefit and appreciate a caring neighbor to come in and lend a hand. It would be a good project for a homeowners association or nearby church.
Just my 2 cents...

If this is one of your neighbor's homes, you might consider finding out who lives there (if anyone). Oftentimes, the very elderly lose their ability to keep up with yard and home maintenance and would benefit and appreciate a caring neighbor to come in and lend a hand. It would be a good project for a homeowners association or nearby church.
Just my 2 cents...

...the best $.02 in this thread:tiphat:

Looks nice.

WarrenG, did you call the OKC Action Center yet?

If it really bothers you that much, go over there with a chainsaw, weedeater and lawn mower.

Or handle it the legal way and call the City's Action Center, that handles stuff like this.

It's perfectly legal to ask the person who lives there if they don't mind if he takes care of the lawn.

move to a HOA if you want to be a glorified hall monitor, otherwise STFU

move to a HOA if you want to be a glorified hall monitor, otherwise STFU

It is more than being a glorified hall monitor. This is the kind of issue that could lead to having vermin, insects, feral cats, spiders and all kinds of problems that may cause health issues for you or other people living in your home.

As metro said, the best plan of attack is to report it to the City's Action Center. In the event the person is poor, elderly or disabled they put them in touch with community organizations that will do the work for a reduced rate or for free.

If the person is just a lazy deadbeat they will give them sufficient time to correct the problem. When the deadline passes, a city crew/contractor comes to clean up the property. The city then bills the owner and can place a lien on the property if the bill goes unpaid.

Fine, the City Action Center serves as a substitute HOA. Move to the 'burbs if you wanna be conformity central. Go live in a gated community, I hear your property value will be protected.

Not everyone in Okc city limits is the stiff upper lip yuppie-downlookin'-snob type. Get over it.

While I strongly agree with blangtang's response, I think we need to quit hiding in our houses (glued to the phone) and just simply "talk to the neighbor" first, like julieriggs said. Most folks are reasonable if you will just talk to them. None of us want to spend more of our hard-earned money than we have to...and that's just what is happening when we pile all of our problems on the City before even exhausting any "local" possibilities. Money that could be better spent is being spent to hire more people to man the phones and roam the streets with door tags.

Also, while the examples in warreng's photos are good reason to do something, this city is becoming spaz central!!! I mean, come on folks! I have a neighbor who calls the city if a weed pops up a day after I mowed my lawn! Catch this-I buy a cheap, run down house that was ready to be bulldozed and I fix it all up and make it look nice. And crap like that. For those type of folks, YES, just like blangtang said, GET A LIFE or go move out to BFE where you can own all the land for as far as you can see. Or buy me some land and a house in BFE and we can trade and you can have my house/land here to do with what you please!

move to a hoa if you want to be a glorified hall monitor, otherwise stfu


not everyone in okc city limits is the stiff upper lip yuppie-downlookin'-snob type. get over it.

you need to take it down a notch. no need to tell anyone to 'stfu' or call anyone names. certainly you can muster up enough intelligence in order to state your opinion without acting like a child.

-M

Fine, the City Action Center serves as a substitute HOA. Move to the 'burbs if you wanna be conformity central. Go live in a gated community, I hear your property value will be protected.

Not everyone in Okc city limits is the stiff upper lip yuppie-downlookin'-snob type. Get over it.

With that philosophy, one could say, move to the country if you don't want rules and structure.

With that philosophy, one could say, move to the country if you don't want rules and structure.

I don't mind rules and structure one bit. As long as they're not mandated by the government and forced upon me. Now, an HOA agreement or Neighborhood Association agreement... sure! That's a signed contract AGREED TO between two entities.

But seriously, if someone outright owns a piece of property, there is very little that any government should be able to tell that property owner.

Now, if only I can get a group of folks in my neighborhood to mandate pink lawn flamingos...

But seriously, if someone outright owns a piece of property, there is very little that any government should be able to tell that property owner.

What?

So, you support meth labs? Crack houses? Multiple rusted out cars parked on the front lawn?

Whether you believe it or not, your property values are sometimes drastically affected by the curb appeal of properties in your neighborhood.

I hate it when my neighborhood HOA makes an issue out of small things but typically, it is influencing the look of the entire neighborhood so I accept it as the price for having our property values protected.

But for those without an HOA, they need to have some recourse ie, the city. Some people are so tacky, they need a nudge to get it together.

What?

So, you support meth labs? Crack houses?

Well, those are illegal. So, no, I don't support them.


Multiple rusted out cars parked on the front lawn?

Not illegal. Not pretty, but not illegal.


Whether you believe it or not, your property values are sometimes drastically affected by the curb appeal of properties in your neighborhood.

If your property value is going down, sell while the selling's good. Not illegal.


I hate it when my neighborhood HOA makes an issue out of small things but typically, it is influencing the look of the entire neighborhood so I accept it as the price for having our property values protected.

If you agree to an HOA contract, great! That keeps the grass nice and everything good in Anytown, USA.


But for those without an HOA, they need to have some recourse ie, the city. Some people are so tacky, they need a nudge to get it together.

Nudging is great... just go over and have a neighborly chit chat.

;)

multiple rusted out cars parked on the front lawn?

not illegal. not pretty, but not illegal.


actually, that one's illegal.

in any event... i'm sure you won't mind it when the house next to you is converted to a pig farm. i'm sure you'll just love cleaning up the runoff after it rains. in the real world, it's not a bad thing that the government protects the public good in regulating property usage.

-M

actually, that one's illegal.

Didn't know that... Why is it illegal?

I had a neighbor in norman while I was in school there who would park in thier lawn. Even when there were no cars in the street or driveway. So I called the city of norman and they issued them a ticket.

didn't know that... why is it illegal?

other than appearance (which is likely the strongest factor), i believe that the argument is that fluids from the vehicle can leak and could pollute the soil.

-M

If your property value is going down, sell while the selling's good. Not illegal.

I don't even know what to say about this.

other than appearance (which is likely the strongest factor), i believe that the argument is that fluids from the vehicle can leak and could pollute the soil.

-M

Well, having had my spazzo neighbor call in my own vehicles, I can say that the city looks at the following in a sitting vehicle: tires flat? tag up to date? they seem to use those as the main factors in determining whether a vehicle is 'operational'. If it is not 'operational', then I am told it is illegal. Even though it is on our private property. Kinda screwed up you say? 'Tis true...I don't remember voting on that...do you? If my tire goes flat while I'm out of town for an extended period, theoretically my car can be towed out of my driveway by the city. The city wouldn't honor my neighbor's complaints :ohno:, but I went and bought a couple of junk cars and the city let me keep them in my driveway if I put a tarp cover over them. I did this just to piss off my neighbor for not talking to me since he lives RIGHT NEXT DOOR! He keeps calling them in and the city refuses to do anything because I am in compliance. (If you could only realize what I deal with...my neighbor starts manicuring his lawn (no joke!) at 6AM EVERY DAY! And just because I maintain mine once a week (or two, depending on the need), that makes me a TACKY NEIGHBOR???)

Bottom line is, we dont own other peoples property. Therefore, if we have a legitimate issue with our neighbors property, we should be able to be adults and have a friendly talk with them. More often than not, people appreciate that more than people just calling the city on them. Now if you talk to them and they threaten to shoot you or run you away or do anything else childish (like my neighbor), then call the city. Had my neighbor acted like an adult and brought his concerns to me face-to-face, I wouldn't have bought the two junk cars and put them in plain view of his property. He thought he would be smart and have 'the law' forced on me, but failed to realize that 'the law' allows me to have covered up junk cars. (To my neighbor: factor that into your calculations and get a life!)

One interesting side point to this discussion. I learned this from a real-estate agent years ago. We don't own our property. When we 'purchase' property, we are only purchasing the right to use that property.

Hi-larious... :)

dont listen to luke, he has no sense when it comes to laws

I'm for freedom and responsibility.

sgray, that is not entirely true. I've personally talked with the city inspectors about that issue. You can tarp a vehicle, but it still has to abide by the city ordinance of operational, meaning you have to prove it runs and drives, can't be on blocks, tires aired up, and a current tag. If you meet those requirements, then there is nothing that can be done, tarp it, spray paint a smiley face on it, whatever. All I can say is for the people against the city having beautification ordinances is TAKE A LITTLE PRIDE IN YOUR CITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD!

sgray, that is not entirely true. I've personally talked with the city inspectors about that issue. You can tarp a vehicle, but it still has to abide by the city ordinance of operational, meaning you have to prove it runs and drives, can't be on blocks, tires aired up, and a current tag. If you meet those requirements, then there is nothing that can be done, tarp it, spray paint a smiley face on it, whatever. All I can say is for the people against the city having beautification ordinances is TAKE A LITTLE PRIDE IN YOUR CITY AND NEIGHBORHOOD!

Inspectors have come out to verify and have signed off on it.

And I have no problem with the city having some basic rules to keep things clean. But man, come on! When you've got folks who sit at home all day long, no job or place to go, and they can only find peace by manicuring their lawn with scissors and complain when you don't do the same...how the heck are we supposed to react to that?

I've found the inspectors VERY LAX and usually give MULTIPLE BREAKS before even writing up anything, even after you get wrote up, they still give months if not years before they actually truly enforce things. I'll post a pic of this house I've been reporting for 3 years (located in Downtown), the guy has holes in his roof, bicycles and trash cans and other items on his roof, a plastic tarp patching a hole in the side of the house, etc. The inspector still refuses to really do anything about it even though the reporting by myself and others has been going on for over 3 years. Even if they go to court over it, nothing usually happens, no fines, so you and Luke are really getting upset over nothing. The only time they enforce something is if 2-3 complains on grass over 1 foot high in at least 90 days time or more, then city crews will come mow and charge the bill to the owner, that's about as far as I've seen it, and I've been reporting issues for years. I find the people who the law is for, are the ones who don't want to talk to their neighbor anyways, and won't do anything about it even if you do talk to them!

sgray, it's really not that hard to keep debris out of your yard and your grass mowed once a month or so to avoid it getting more than a foot tall, that's the basic ordinances. Come on, don't tell me you or anyone can't do that or find a charity or church that would do it for them.

actually, that one's illegal.

i'm sure you won't mind it when the house next to you is converted to a pig farm. i'm sure you'll just love cleaning up the runoff after it rains. in the real world, it's not a bad thing that the government protects the public good in regulating property usage.

-M

...it's a little disappointing to read you supporting your arguments with fantastical hypothetical situations. Changing the aesthetics of your lawn growth is equal to having a "meth lab" or a "pig farm"? Why not just use the old fall back "won't someone think about the children?"

"vermin, insects, feral cats, spiders and all kinds"...sounds very dangerous, perhaps we could pave over the lawns and cut the trees down just make sure nature can't get us. This isn't about some abstract sense of safety, it's about governmental protection of wealth through the homogenization of individuality. That's what a home owners associations should be in place for - not the government (IMO).

^
maybe you're reading me out of context. i was responding more to luke's notion that governments shouldn't be in the business of telling property owners what can and can't be on their property. if there isn't some kind of enforced order, then pretty much anything goes. sure, the hypotheticals presented are absurd... that's the point. without laws to restrict property use, anyone could do anything they wanted... and overall, that would be a detriment to the public good.

-M

I've found the inspectors VERY LAX and usually give MULTIPLE BREAKS before even writing up anything, even after you get wrote up, they still give months if not years before they actually truly enforce things.

I've got my releases in writing. I have noticed that they are more lax on things like lawn stuff versus code violations on like buildings and stuff.


Even if they go to court over it, nothing usually happens, no fines, so you and Luke are really getting upset over nothing.

See below. We should have a law that fines citizens for making false reports. And if somebody takes me to court and loses because an issue doesn't exist, I'm gonna haul their a** right back in to court and sue them for all the trouble they are stirring up.


The only time they enforce something is if 2-3 complains on grass over 1 foot high in at least 90 days time or more, then city crews will come mow and charge the bill to the owner, that's about as far as I've seen it, and I've been reporting issues for years. I find the people who the law is for, are the ones who don't want to talk to their neighbor anyways, and won't do anything about it even if you do talk to them!

What about people calling the city when the grass reaches 2 inches??? The laws are for everyone, and I have never refused to talk to my neighbors. And every neighbor I have ever had to talk to has been receptive and has never led to calls to the city except for my little trouble-maker at present.


sgray, it's really not that hard to keep debris out of your yard and your grass mowed once a month or so to avoid it getting more than a foot tall, that's the basic ordinances. Come on, don't tell me you or anyone can't do that or find a charity or church that would do it for them.

Notice that my last post was directly related to the insane level of "spaz" in our community that are tying up resources and costing us more money for issues that do not exist. In addition, by the time the city actually finds that no issue exists, we not only have personnel, paper, and fuel expense wasted, but at least 3-4 "update letters" (postage-paid by our tax dollars for each letter) being sent to these "spaz" citizens, who are constantly calling the city...NOT because a violation exists, but because they want YOUR property maintained THEIR way.

It has gotten so bad that I have witnessed inspectors using "choice words" referring to my neighbor while standing on my property. And that's just my neighbor alone. I've asked several of them and they claim that they spend most of their time chasing down reported violations that simply don't exist. That's the problem and I'm sick and tired of my tax dollars getting wasted by people who sit at home making a career of repeatedly calling the same baseless claims into the city after the city has repeatedly told them that they are wrong!

^
maybe you're reading me out of context. i was responding more to luke's notion that governments shouldn't be in the business of telling property owners what can and can't be on their property. if there isn't some kind of enforced order, then pretty much anything goes. sure, the hypotheticals presented are absurd... that's the point. without laws to restrict property use, anyone could do anything they wanted... and overall, that would be a detriment to the public good.

-M

It's not so much the enforcement of things that are out of order, but more so the folks who constantly report that things are out of order when they are not. Kind of like repeatedly calling 9-1-1 and reporting an emergency when one doesn't actually exist. You can get fined and jail time if I'm not mistaken on that, so why should there not be some action taken when false reports are made?

yikes. I would be scared to even approach that house. Seems similar to something the unabomber lived in.

Funny you mention that. When Ted K was making his package bombs out in the woods of Montana, all his neighbors were very suspicious about him. Here he had been all this time in the woods and hadn't grown a single pot plant.


Actually, that was a joke I wrote for Yakov when he was doing his TV show "Comrade in America."

actually, that was a joke I wrote for Yakov when he was doing his tv show "comrade in america."

no, no, no... joke writes YOU!


it's not so much the enforcement of things that are out of order, but more so the folks who constantly report that things are out of order when they are not. kind of like repeatedly calling 9-1-1 and reporting an emergency when one doesn't actually exist. you can get fined and jail time if i'm not mistaken on that, so why should there not be some action taken when false reports are made?

agreed... i think nuisance callers deserve to be ticketed themselves. i totally recognize the fact that there are crap neighbors that abuse the system.

-M

I think people that drive around looking for things to call in on or just plain bitch about are ridiculous. Go volunteer somewhere, get a new hobby.
I live on 32nd and I have no complaints at all about the house that you have pointed out. If I live there and I don't mind then I don't know why the rest of you should. There are no ferel cats or any other health hazard. I have actually picked herbs from their yard on many an occasion. They are great for fresh, organic, healthy cooking.
In fact, I have been trying to grow more things in my front yard so that yahoo's driving around with their noses in everyone elses business can't see my every move when I'm home.

Wow. I had no idea this was such a volatile subject!

Our neighbor went years without mowing his lawn unless someone called the county on them. The HOA was useless. We never said a word for fear that he'd complain about our barking dogs. We always worried that he'd think we were the ones calling the county.

Then I felt bad for all my aggravated thoughts. Turns out, he'd had cancer and had been fighting it for two years (beat it, btw). I don't know why he didn't call his relatives, hire someone or otherwise ask for help. We always waved and chatted in the yard but never had much of a conversation beyond that. he was always inside his house. He had a volunteer tree come up in his flower bed and husband moved it for him and replaced it with one he'd grown from seed. Husband assumed the neighbor was just clueless and didn't know enough to do it himself. It wasn't until one day when I mentioned to him that he'd lost a lot of weight and was looking good that he told me that he'd been fighting cancer and was doing a lot better. We felt terrible that we hadn't been more attentive neighbors.

I think people that drive around looking for things to call in on or just plain bitch about are ridiculous. Go volunteer somewhere, get a new hobby.

Ok, just to clarify, I was driving around looking at houses and neighborhoods. I love driving through the older neighborhoods and looking at the interesting architecture. I was not looking for stuff to bitch about.


In fact, I have been trying to grow more things in my front yard so that yahoo's driving around with their noses in everyone elses business can't see my every move when I'm home.

OK, the fact of the matter is, because of what is in the front yard, YOU CANNOT SEE THE HOUSE. If one could see the house or they had an overgrown lawn because they didn't mow it for several months, I could care less.

Warren - let it go. That house is ridiculous. Perhaps some people with cranky comments had a different situation and are viewing anyone who says something as a busy body. This is such a fact-based deal that every situation is different. If people want to live out in the sticks in filth and junk, they should go live there. If you live in the city, there are certain codes and standards they are expected to respect, by law. If the city decides this isn't worth going after, so be it. I don't think you have any reason to apologize for calling it in and I'm betting someone had already beat you to it, anyway.

Speaking of code violations, here is the property I can't seem to get the City to budge on in over 3 years. I'm not trying to be nit picky, but this house is Downtown near St. Anthony's near some the very nice houses going up in SoSA. This guy has holes in his siding, roof, broken windows, trash bikes and vinyl banners on his roof and patching up the holes in his house. The guy seems reasonable and says he's working the best he can on it, but the City has to draw the line somewhere. This is the point I was trying to make earlier, this was taken on my cell phone today, but it is much worse than these pics look. Many workers and visitors to St. Anthony's drive down NW 9th daily. Is this how we want to greet our visitors to Downtown? There are several other very bad properties on NW 9th and NW 8th.

http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/9NW9th.jpg

Pic from County Assessor, front still pretty much looks the same, nothing changed really since at least 2004!!
http://www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor/Searches/sketches/picfile/2732/R013202720001yA.jpg

Note the broken windows and various debris on the roof. Note some of the debris is a workout stationary bicycle and a "little blue" recycling bin the city gives to residents for recycling. There is MUCH more on the top and other side of the house, I will try and get pics soon of that side.
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/9NW9th2.jpg

Haven't seen the car move in the 3 years I've been in the area.
http://www.okctalk.com/gallery/data/500/medium/9NW9th1.jpg

Just got my official responses back from the city again on the property I just posted pics of above. They cite "No Violation". According to their own website, they describe unsecured or dilapidated as this:

Dilapidated Structure/Unsecured Structure
It is against City Ordinance to allow a structure to remain in a dilapidated state. Examples: holes in the roof, foundation decayed, sagging roof, danger of collapse.

It is against City Ordinance to allow an unoccupied structure to remain unsecured. Examples: no broken window panes, unlocked or open doors, holes in walls.


This house has multiple holes in siding, roof, broken windows, etc. How is this not dilapidated or unsecured, am I missing something? The house is worse than it looks and the back and south side of the house are worse than pics above.

Steve, if you do an article on this, then I'll buy the daily paper!! Drove by the auto repair shop downtown on 10th yesterday (the one you did an article awhile back), man has the city made them clean up that place!

Inoperable Vehicle
This covers vehicles anywhere on the property, including driveways. Examples include, but are not limited to: wrecked cars, vehicles that are all or partially dismantled and even vehicles with flat (or no) tires.

Property
Property owners are required to keep their property in good maintenance. Examples, but not limited to: roof, paint, fence. Property Owners are required to keep buildings and other structures in good repair.

Really? That is good repair?

Junk and Debris
Anything that is not designed for outdoor use, for a residential area, can not be stored outside.

Ordinance - Chapter 35-Section 103