An east Tulsa couple is fed up with the city’s limited actions to clean the creek behind their backyard fence, after they have watched their neighbors dump unwanted furniture and trash into the waterway.
“We have seen couches, mattress, box springs, wire springs, trash bags,” said 78-year-old Margaret Bryant and her 86-year-old husband Glenn Bryant. “We have tried multiple times to get the city out to take care of it. We have tried to keep our house in top shape, and we are trying to sell but we can’t because of the ‘Catch 22’ that we are in.”
The other problem is the fence that separates the Contempra Apartments and the Bryant’s house. It is falling apart and has been for the last four years. The Bryants have spent their own time and money propping it up.
“When I called the Mayor’s Action Line they told me they could not do anything about the fence unless it had fallen down, but the reason is has not fallen down is because my husband has kept it from falling,” said Bryant. “It is not even our fence- the apartment had to put it up because the city required them to.”
The city showed FOX23 News a report from Bryant through its action line. It shows Bryant made a report on January 23, 2013 complaining about the creek’s condition. An inspector came out on January 28th and reported Bryant’s description was accurate.
The Contempra apartments’ manager, Mike Dandridge was told to clean the dumped furniture out of the creek. It has been two weeks and there is still a red couch and a parking space marker inside the creek. The Bryants can no longer take care of their property like they used to and want to sell their home and move to an assisted living area.
“We want to move but we cannot leave this disastrous creek and falling-apart fence for some other property owners to deal with in good conscious,” said Bryant.
