Neighborhood Tired Of Squatters

Some people in one North Tulsa neighborhood say they're forced to deal with squatters. They say the ruckus breeds crime and they're tired of dealing with it. News On 6 anchor Latoya Silmon reports they're pulling together to clean things up.

They're taking on the property owner. It's a strategy that hasn't worked in the past, but now they've got help.

Eyesores around North Irvington Avenue make some residents sick.

"Honey it's nasty down here. It smells like a chicken poop or something like that. They got mattresses on the ground," said Shirley Grant.

"Bunch of cruddy people live here.  They don't take care of it," said Lou Foster.

And then there are the squatters.  Some say they've taken over the vacant duplexes.

"In some of them you've got over eight people living in a two bedroom unit.   One two bedroom unit and sometimes they don't throw their trash out to the dumpster they'll just throw it on the railroad tracks," said Marlena Seabolt.

And they claim the landlord who owns a lot of the duplexes won't do much about it.

"He does it for the money and we need to get him out because this use to be a good neighborhood.  Now it's just plain nasty," said Grant.

They say proof of the broken promises  are littered all around  their neighborhood, that's why they're counting on a local organization to accomplish what they say their griping couldn't do.

"We need to show that we have support uh in masses," said ACORN member Karen Healey.

The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, or ACORN, is teaming up with residents and demanding changes are made. Thursday they invited the property manager to meet with them. But once he saw the cameras he drove off.

"We had the manager out here who was not a happy camper.  We've dealt with him before so we expected it.  We just need to put pressure on him to maintain this place better," said Healey.

The clock is ticking; ACORN is giving the owner 30 days to clean up the properties. The group is still working on a Plan B.

When The News On 6 caught up to the property manager, he says he's willing to work with ACORN, but not if members insist on turning the issue into a media circus.