OKLAHOMA CITY – Clean up or pay up; that’s the ultimatum for families living in an area once known as the poorest part of the city.
The stretch from N.W. 10th St. and Villa to Reno and May Ave. used to be called “Mulligan Flats” or just “The Flats.”
The city is trying to clean up the area, but some residents say code enforcement officers are taking it too far.
Dewayne Oliver says he is doing everything he can to get his property in shape.
He owns a few houses in the area and rents them out.
Right now, most of them are vacant.
“People back into my property and dump stuff. I had to put a chain up, and we get that picked up. They break into our houses, and I get that boarded up,” Oliver said.
Code enforcement officers have given him several notices, saying his property isn’t being maintained.
“I can’t even sleep at night. I try to do what’s right, you can see we’re down here trying to paint and fix everything,” Oliver said.
Oliver isn’t alone.
Shawn Males says he is frustrated too.
“I can only afford what I can afford at the time. I have brand new siding to go up,” Males said.
Males has put in a new mailbox, a new tree and he’s even putting up a new fence to fix problems on the property.
“In the last three months, it’s about $3,800,” Males said.
City officials say the first time for not maintaining your property is a $100 fine.
The fine then increases to $200, and then up to $500.
The city has since put a lien on Shawn’s home.
“I have my truck up for sale, hoping to sell it to at least pay a couple thousand,” Males said.
A nearby church is also facing fines for repairs that need to be made in order to be up to code.
However, residents say this is a low-income neighborhood and most folks are struggling to make the required improvements.
City leaders say if homeowners give them a timeline of the work they’re doing, they’ll be more lenient on their fines.
They also suggest if people can’t afford to make the needed repairs to their homes, they need to visit organizations like “Christmas in April” that do work on low-income houses.
