TULSA, Okla — Melinda Mavers lives in Midtown Tulsa.
She began the process of building her pool earlier this year.
She had her house surveyed by Okie 8-1-1 to make sure she could safely build a pool.
Everything came back clear- until her pool contractors hit an unknown pipe.
"Nobody knew what it was," she said. "It wasn't on the city atlas the city of Tulsa uses to kind of visualize where the lines are laid."
She said she contacted the city several times to make sure it didn't belong to them.
"Multiple times, the city of Tulsa told me it wasn't theirs so to go ahead and rip it out," he said. "It was my pool company who said they've ran into this issue with the city of Tulsa before, and wanted it in writing."
She said that the city really got serious about finding out where the pipe came from after she asked for this in writing.
The city tested the pipe and found out it is active, and is connected to a main storm line.
"There was a lack of accountability or responsibility for their lack of information, incorrect information," she said.
Mavers said the pipe is affecting other properties besides hers.
She said about six properties, including hers and her neighbor's, have the pipe running through their land.
The city told her that if she wanted to remove the pipe, it was fully her responsibility.
“I got a quote based on an attorney's recommendation. It’s $34,000 and some change to move it," she said.
“I have paid $55,000 so far. And this is what I have to show for it.”
Melinda budgeted about $100,000 dollars to finish her pool and has already paid more than half to rip out her landscaping and dig into her yard.
She tells 2News that she can decide to abandon the project, but she would have to pay another $20,000 to fill the hole back up.
When 2News contacted the city, Carson Colvin with the City of Tulsa responded with this text.
“I'm stuck with a big hole in my ground,” said Mavers. “I think it’s 100 percent their accountability, and I don’t think I should pay a dime for it.”
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