SAND SPRINGS, Okla. — Mary Munoz and her husband thought they found their retirement oasis in a peaceful Sand Springs neighborhood.
That is, until issues with their absent neighbor started to raise some red flags. Munoz said things got especially suspicious when a man they didn't recognize wandered into her backyard.
“I was very taken aback that he got into the yard, and then I was taken aback, a bonfire, the weather wasn’t that cold, and then I started thinking, there’s no one home in there, so we must be having people living there, squatters," she said.
The same person owns the two properties directly next to her.
Since moving in last year, Munoz paid for exterminators and landscapers and will soon need to repair her fence because overgrown trees are breaking through the wood panels.
The tall grass and weeds led to mice, cock roaches, and even a snake making their way inside their home.
Munoz lives with her husband and son, who both have severe cognitive impairments. With overgrown grass and trees, Munoz's main concern is if so much as a match is lit, her entire home could go up in flames.
“I’m going to lose my fence; it could be my home, the gazebo, and then I’ve got another shed, and I would be homeless," said Munoz. "You’d have two senior citizens and another person with a disability homeless out here, and I want to prevent that.”
In the year she's lived in her home, Munoz said there has only been one tenant next door and they stayed for about a month.
Several times, Munoz tried to meet with the property owner to discuss her concerns. Every time they're scheduled to meet, Munoz said he doesn't show.
She also reached out to a number of city entities for assistance, including code enforcement. They haven't been very helpful to her either.
Code enforcement told Mary this was a health department issue, so 2 News reached out to them.
They said Munoz's home did fall in their jurisdiction and they were responsible.
The property is located in Tulsa County and the Tulsa Health Department is responsible for enforcing nuisance code issues in this area specifically. Depending on where a property is located, THD will work with local municipalities (i.e., the City of Tulsa, City of Sand Springs, etc.).
When a complaint is received, an Environmental Health Specialist will make contact with the complainant and visit the property to make an assessment and recommend the appropriate course of action, which may include a Notice of Violation. All Notices of Violation include specific actions that must be taken within a specific timeframe. If the action is not resolved within the posted timeframe, the Tulsa Health Department may take additional steps leading up to beginning the abatement process. However, if the issues outlined in the Notice of Violation are resolved within the posted timeframe, then the complaint is closed.
2 News also called the City of Tulsa's Code Enforcement office. The agent said they were responsible for issues like Munoz's.
The agent said these situations can take time.
What's the process?
- Send an inspector after a report is made.
- If they find something, they can fine a property owner.
- Depending on the extent of the problem or how long an owner defers attending to the complaint, the city can even put a lien on a home.
Munoz hadn't been able to file a report to get that process going.
“I don’t have a budget to take care of someone else’s trees every year like this," she said. “I’m taking care of my own responsibilities plus this gentleman’s responsibilities for two years, and something’s got to give.”
After 2 News reached out, Munoz called the code enforcement office again.
She filed a report through code enforcement, but they urged her to reach back out to the health department.
If you find yourself with a similar issue, you can reach the City of Tulsa's Code Enforcement office at 3-1-1.
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