When HOA Does Nothing: Neighborhoods become Run Down, Crime Becomes Contagious and Your Home Value Sinks

Scroll down about 1/3 way to see Tulsa Code Violations


CRIME IS CONTAGIOUS!

In a famous experiment conducted by Stanford University a car was parked on a street in Palo Alto while an identical car (with the license plates  removed and the hood  propped open) was parked in a roughly comparable neighborhood in the Bronx.  The Palo Alto car sat untouched for a week while the Bronx car was stripped within one day!

Next, researchers smashed one of the Palo Alto car’s windows with a sledgehammer. That car was completely destroyed within just a few hours.

The broken window was the tipping point which set into motion a cascade of vandalism and criminality. 

 – The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference- Malcolm Gladwell (National Bestseller)
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The impetus to engage in a certain kind of behavior is a feature of an environment. It can start with a broken window or one dark street  and spread to the entire addition, leading to lower property values for the entire area. The appearance that no one cares & no one is in charge signals that 'anything goes' in that neighborhood.

Muggers and robbers believe that members of a rundown neighborhood are less likely to call the police to identify a potential mugger or to interfere if a mugging actually takes place. In an area where potential victims don’t care about the appearance of the neighborhood a robber feels that they have less chance of being caught or even identified.


Graffiti, high grass, street lights out,  boats or inoperable cars parked in driveways, cars parked in the street facing the wrong way (or parked in the street for over 24 hours),  trash cans left out over 24 hours, trash or junk  left in the yard, commercial vehicles or trailers in driveway or street,  animals allowed off leash, grass clippings in street, stagnant water accumulating in vessels in which mosquitoes can breed may at first appear to be “trivial” problems, but they have been found to be the tipping point that invite far more serious crimes..

Developments decline & property values fall as much as 20% when these type of violations are not corrected!*  Crime, the inevitable result of disorder is contagious. Hold everyone accountable to stop crime before it starts!   (*Trash in a neighborhood can reduce area property values by 14.5%)

Small changes can reverse and bring about enormous effects.   

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Is your HOA doing their job to keep your area from becoming an eyesore and values to drop?
"Homeowners associations” (HOAs)  are established for the purpose of providing aesthetic & pecuniary preservation of a subdivision. (i.e. enforcing restrictions upon separately owned lots Oklahoma Statutes   §60-852. ) HOAs help protect property values  (i.e. the investment you have in your home) by reminding lot owners of the city code violations and  if the lot owner fails to comply, reports violations to the City of Tulsa. 

It is important to take care of your neighborhood and hold everyone accountable. Report problems to they city to keep your subdivision from becoming rundown (as it can quickly lower property values.  which means you won't make as much from the sale of your home, when you do sell!)     😞

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PROPERTY MAINTENANCE STANDARDS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF EVERY RESIDENT 

TULSA'S RESIDENTIAL-USE CODES WERE PASSED TO PRESERVE PROPERTY VALUES AND TO GUARD THE HEALTH OF RESIDENTS AND THE SAFETY OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY 

The following are hereby declared to be nuisances by the City of Tulsa and should be reported: Dial 311   Report Online   Live Chat   Tulsa 311 for iOS   Tulsa 311 for Android


  Don't risk a fine!

Trash can reduce area property values by 14.5%.

    ☐ Trash, Junk or Debris cannot be left in the yard and must be disposed of properly.  This would include, but is not limited to, any refuse, rubbish, ashes, leaves, debris, paper, litter, tree trimmings and limbs, any solid or industrial waste, manure, cardboard, plastics, garbage, tin cans, bottles, or blowing combustible materials, offal or waste or matter of any kind or form including construction or demolition leavings  which is uncared for, discarded, or abandoned. These are potential breeding places for flies, mosquitoes; harbor rodents or vermin;  create a fire hazard; interfere with the mowing of weeds and grass; conceal, or invite deposits of refuse or trash and may give off unpleasant or noxious odors. Report to 311 or directly to health department environmental:  here  Contact Bulky Waste Pickup at (918) 596-9511 for assistance to help dispose of larger items BEFORE setting them outside.
    ☐ Outdoor storage is prohibited on residential property. Any equipment, materials, or furnishings that would ordinarily not be used outdoors may not be left or stored outside the home:  For example, indoor furniture, household appliances or automobile parts or tools of any kind, tires, building materials and equipment, improperly stacked building materials.
    ☐ Failure to sweep up & remove all grass clippings from the street after mowing  allows pesticides from grass clippings to wash into storm drains polluting water in local streams that flow to the river or creeks. This keeps pollutants from our drinking water. All water flowing into storm drains must be free of contaminants. Grass clippings can also obstruct the water flow which can result in flooding of an area. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) monitors what drains into creeks.   
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WEEDS AND OTHER RANK GROWTHS OF VEGETATION
☐ Grass or Vegetation which exceeds 12 inches in height must be removed. (If it is growing down over the curb & into the street it is most likely over 12 inches long & that, too, will need to be removed.) Report  to 311 or directly to health department environmental: here 
☐ Weeds and other rank growths of vegetation including poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac and all vegetation at any state of maturity must be removed. Report  to 311 or directly to health department environmental: here
☐ Trees, shrubs, hedges must be trimmed so as not to impair vision or obstruct the travel of motorists.  No signs or other obstructions, or portion of the same may block motorists’ view around street corner which prevent  persons approaching an intersection from having a clear view of approaching traffic.
☐ Tree limbs may not project  less than nine (9) feet above the surface of the street or less than  eight (8) feet above the surface of the public sidewalk.  

A public nuisance consists of unlawfully doing an act or omitting to perform a duty, which annoys, injures or endangers safety, health, comfort or repose of others or in any way renders other person insecure in life or in use of property, (Ord # 17942) 

CRIMINAL PENALTY /PUNISHMENT  -  Any person who anywhere within the City of Tulsa commits any nuisance  or is an accessory  or who owns (landlords)  or occupies any property and knowingly permits the creation or continuation of any nuisance shall be guilty of a misdemeanor offense and upon conviction thereof shall be punished by a fine of up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments, or by imprisonment in the City Jail for a period of up to ninety (90) days, or by both such fine and imprisonment. Each day of such violation shall constitute a separate offense. Ord. Nos. 17942,21596,21954

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GARBAGE CANS
☐ Garbage and recycle carts shall not be left at curb more than 24 hours before or after trash pick up. Remove your trash and recycle cart from the curb no later than midnight on your collection day. 
☐ Lid to garbage and recycle must be down and 'fly-tight' at all times. Place cart with lid opening toward the street (handle away from street), or it may not be picked up. 
☐ Items placed on top of your trash cart are NOT accepted. Contact Bulky Waste Pickup at (918) 596-9511 for assistance to help  dispose of larger items BEFORE setting them outside.

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WATER  IN STORM DRAINS Tulsa's storm drainage system carries storm water to local waterways. To keep pollutants from our drinking water, the water flowing into the storm drains must be free of contaminants. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) monitors this. 

☐ Storm drains.  It is illegal to discharge into any storm drainage system any wastewater, sewage, refuse, explosive or combustible liquid, solid or gas, oils, greases, or other polluted waters toxic or poisonous solids, liquids or gases  to constitute a hazard to humans or animals or to cause corrosion, discoloration or deposition on structures and equipment.  (Motor oil from your vehicle must not be put into a storm drain or poured onto the ground. Your grass clippings must be swept up from the street so they do not end up in the drains.) REPORT:  24-Hour Emergency Response & Environmental Complaints Hotline 1-800-522-0206
☐ Pool water.  Waters or wastes containing toxic or poisonous solids, liquids or gases either singly or by interaction with other wastes  constitute a hazard to humans or animals. Chlorine can react explosively or form explosive compounds with other chemicals, according to the CDC. Chlorine was used during WW1 as a choking (pulmonary) agent. REPORT:  24-Hour Emergency Response & Environmental Complaints Hotline 1-800-522-0206
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ANY CONTAINER HOLDING STAGNANT WATER 

☐ Pools of water or any container holding stagnant water should be emptied to avoid the breeding of mosquitoes which adversely affects public health. REPORT here: Health Department 
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STREETS
☐ Public streets and sidewalks must not be obstructed. (E.g. playing basketball, skating, skateboarding, scooters, etc. on city streets. Basketball goals are not permitted on a city street.)
☐ Residential speed limit is 25 miles per hour in all residential areas of Tulsa.  Respect and courtesy for pedestrians is paramount to creating safer, healthier neighborhoods.  Making your neighborhood safer to drive, walk and bike can be achieved through enforcement of speed limits and engineering.
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NOISE ORDINANCES - DISTURBING THE PEACE  Tulsa’s noise ordinance declares as nuisances all loud or unusual noises, sounds and vibrations of such a character or duration that offend the peace and quiet of persons of ordinary sensibilities, including but not limited to those persons inside a building or structure used in whole or in part as a domicile, residence, or dwelling. 
☐ Loud Car Stereos - Driving a vehicle with a loud stereo through residential areas- PENALTY judge can assess a $200 fine plus court costs.  On non-residential streets sound from vehicles which can be heard at a distance of 50 feet from the source can be fined. 
☐ Barking Dog -   Nuisance shall mean any animal which habitually commits any one (1) or a combination of the following acts:  Barks, howls, brays or makes any other loud or offensive noise common to its species or peculiar to itself, so as to disturb (annoys, injure or endanger  the  comfort or repose of others ) the inhabitants of the community.  PENALTY:  upon conviction,   imprisonment in the City jail for a period of up to ninety (90) days and/or by a fine of up to Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments. 
☐ Mufflers- Every motor vehicle shall at all times be equipped with a muffler in good working order and in constant operation to prevent excessive or unusual noise and annoying smoke, and no person shall use a muffler cut-out, by-pass or similar device upon a motor vehicle on any street or highway. No person shall modify the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in any manner which will amplify or increase the noise or sound emitted louder than that emitted by the muffler originally installed on the vehicle.    PENALTY a fine of up to  Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments.
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MANDATORY LEASH LAWS WERE DESIGNED TO PROTECT OUR ANIMALS
☐ Animals Running Loose  It is illegal for pet owners to allow any to run off leash outside of a dog park. Owner owner may be issued a citation which may require a court appearance in addition to the fine.  Letting dog off leash to run can create a rat problem because excrement is a favorite food of rats and draws them. PENALTY  Not removing the excreta your pet defecated on public or private property  can get you a fine of up to $200.00, excluding costs, fees & assessments. Because rodents feast on animal feces left behind, contact Tulsa Health Department (rodent control)   as an environmental complaint using this form. Note the name of the animal owner letting it off leash, the times of day you see this happening and the location (i.e. a field or in the streets.) Contact the Tulsa Health Department regarding the rats and feces 
☐ Barking Dog- see under Noise Ordinances- Disturbing the Peace
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VEHICLES  

Vehicles shall mean any motor vehicle, automobile, truck, trailer, motorcycle, tractor, buggy, wagon or self propelled farm or construction equipment. 

☐ Vehicles parked in the yard at any time is prohibited by Tulsa City Ordinance. No vehicle may be parked or stored except in a garage or on legal  hard surface driveway constructed of approved all-weather surfacing (asphalt or concrete) to meet city standards. It is illegal to park  on a surface  such as on a sidewalk, over a sidewalk to any degree, between sidewalk and curb OR on any surface other than an all-weather material. Penalty/ fine of up to One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments. In certain zoning situations, there are limits to the amount of yard area that can be used for a driveway or parking. 
☐  Disabled or non-running vehicle in the driveway. Vehicles in driveways are required to be fully operable and capable of being legally operated. Vehicles cannot be used for storage and cannot be stored in the yard, street or driveway. An inoperable motor vehicle or an “abandoned” vehicle, or the parts thereof on Private Property (yard, driveway), must be removed or the vehicle stored in a fully enclosed structure where not be visible from the street or from other private property. Criminal penalty for failure to remove a dismantled, junked or abandoned vehicle in compliance with notice as provided herein, shall be guilty of an offense and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished by a fine of up to One Thousand, Two Hundred Dollars and No Cents ($1,200.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments, or by imprisonment in the City jail for a period of up to one hundred eighty (180) days, or both. Each and every violation and each day of such violation shall be a separate offense. 
☐ Vehicles parked in the street in the same space for longer than 24 hours.   Police will “red-tag” the vehicle, marking it for tow unless it is moved in 24 hours. 
☐ Parking on the wrong side of the street facing against traffic.   No person shall park a vehicle on a street unless the vehicle is headed in the direction of traffic with the curb side wheels of the vehicle parallel to and within twelve (12) inches of the curb or roadside edge.    Penalty/fine: up to  One Hundred Dollars ($100.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments.
☐ Boats, RV's, Trailers in driveways: A boat on a trailer is considered one (1) recreational vehicle and all recreational  vehicles have 48 hours to load & unload. After that it must be stored in a garage or rear of home. A boat can NEVER be parked in the street.
☐ Commercial equipment and commercial vehicles. Tulsa city ordinance prohibits parking any vehicle not customary to residential use (such as semi trucks, dump trucks,  wreckers, box vans, or trailers, etc.) from parking in residential neighborhoods unless they are within a fully enclosed structure. No commercial equipment may be parked in residential neighborhoods. Violations -Call the non-emergency number for the Tulsa Police Department. 
☐ Mufflers See under Noise Ordinance- Disturbing the peace (above) for penalties.
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ZONING VIOLATION 

☐ Auto repair, wrecker service & ongoing sales is Illegal in residential areas.

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SIGNS 
☐  Advertising Sign Violations Tulsa has ordinances limiting the way signs can be used including height, width, placement and installation methods. Yes, this includes 'lost animal' signs attached to city poles.  If you believe a sign has been installed that violates these ordinances or seems to be unsafe, please report it.     Title 24  SECTION 202. NUISANCE ABATEMENT 

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 SIDEWALKS- Report
☐ limbs which project over a public sidewalk or street  which are less than eight (8) feet above the surface of the public sidewalk and nine (9) feet above the surface of the street; I.  Any use of the public streets or sidewalks which causes large crowds of people to gather, obstructing the flow of traffic and the free use of the streets or sidewalks  - Nuisances affecting peace and safety.
☐ All hanging signs, awnings, canopies and other similar structures over the streets or sidewalks so situated or constructed as to endanger public safety or to be contrary to ordinance - Nuisances affecting peace and safety. 
☐ Allowing rainwater, ice or snow, to fall from any building or structure upon any sidewalk or the causing of water to flow across a sidewalk - Nuisances affecting peace and safety.
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☐ Pot Holes  The weather can create pot holes in even the best of streets and  can make an area look neglected   While crews  watch for pot holes, they can't always find them all. Help them catch the ones they missed.   Contact 311 as soon as you see one to  let them know where pot holes can be found. 
 ☐ Traffic Signals/Sign    a burned out light, an intersection that is flashing red, or lights that make you wait way too long,  let the City of Tulsa know about any traffic signals that appear to be malfunctioning. 

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Complaints received by Code Enforcement are prioritized into three categories. Health and safety violations are designated as "A" priority; highly visible violations a "B" priority and private nuisance violations as "C" priority. (category "A" complaints are usually investigated within 48 hours after being received by Code Enforcement.
NOTE: In some cases, priorities normally designated as "B" or "C" may be upgraded,  if determination is made that the complaint may also be a "health and safety" violation. 

Code Enforcement Complaints 
Priority A 
Refrigerator in yard                                                                                          
Vacant unsecured/dilapidated structure
Standing dead tree                                                                                         
Public traffic-view obstruction                                                                             
Raw Garbage                                                                                              

Priority   B

Vehicles in yard                                                                 
Weeds                                                                    
Trash, junk & debris

Priority C        

Screening fences                                       
Fences on right of way                              
Businesses in residential areas            
Open/filled trash containers                                
Satellite dishes                                      
Buildings without permits




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  If you are reporting one of the following crimes File a Police Report ONLINE: Larceny; Larceny of Gasoline; Financial Crimes (Fraud, Forgery, etc.); Malicious Mischief/Vandalism; Harassing/Threatening/Obscene Phone Calls; or other city misdemeanor offenses where there is no physical evidence and the suspect is not present:   https://www.tulsapolice.org/police-report/report-a-crime-online.aspx     citizen crime report

Non-emergency numbers: https://www.tulsapolice.org/contact-tpd/contact-usphone.aspx 
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Get Serious About Crime in your neighborhood.

•  Streetlight out? A dark street can lead to crime on that street which shows up on the crime reports, which can affect (lower) the property value of all the homes in the area. Crime can  quickly spread to other areas of your neighborhood. Contact PSO immediately if it is dark in any area.
• Encourage neighbors to us security lights. Security lights don’t stay on all the time. A motion from someone walking up to your front, back or side door or a window kicks the lights on, illuminating their actions and making them think that they have been spotted.
•  Criminals look for the dark house on a street. Make sure that yours isn't the dark house in your neighborhood they will see as easy prey! Leave on a porch light or add landscaping lights.  (Be sure your house number is visible from the street with a light, enabling police, fire or ambulance to locate you quickly.)
• Mail Theft:   United States Postal Service - Federal  Law Enforcement agency    877 876-2455
• Homeless:  The Mental Health Association of Oklahoma (MHAOK) has a Rapid Response and Outreach Team that works with Tulsa Police and Working In Neighborhoods to assist unsheltered (homeless) Tulsans and their encampments.   https://mhaok.org/homeless-outreach-rapid-response
  
  
  To file a report use this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeMsI_xqRbFJ5WX28S0z8pHq4WStW9zlx_wGE3xTHMoXLqATQ/viewform
  
  
  The team will receive it and deploy to the area to make contact with the people experiencing homelessness.
  
  
  If you feel illegal or violent activity is taking place please call 911.

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IMPORTANT!!  UPDATED AND IMPORTANT FOR ALL RESIDENTS regarding  public swimming pools