Neighbors in past years might have taken a hot casserole and a homemade cake to welcome new neighbors as soon as the moving truck rolled away. Many times that kindness turns into life long friendships. Here is a bit of information about the area and local businesses  to help new neighbors get to know the area.

Discounts for those moving into the neighborhood:

• Sherwin Williams   
• Home Depot*
• Lowes*
• Woodland Hills Mall

(*Veterans get discounts at Home Depot and Lowes, anytime.)

UTILITY INFORMATION 
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Electric Companies
AEP or Public Service Company    888-216-3523

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Gas Companies
Oklahoma Natural Gas   918-834-8000

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Water/Sewer/Refuse
City of Tulsa    918-596-9511

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Telephone Companies (Land line)

Cox Communications    918-806-6000
Windstream    877-520-5220

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• Lawn Care
• Homestead Exemption
• Referrals from Satisfied Neighbors
• Graffiti……Have you seen any?
• Streets, Street lights, Street signs

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 Questions? PLEASE be sure to call Gail Hauke (918 250-4142) or Joe Nappo (918 346-7639)

A bit of info for you:

• Open letter from President of Burning Tree Area 4 (Burning Tree South)  PLEASE READ
• City of Tulsa Helpful Phone Numbers

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CITY ORDINANCES AND REPORTING PROBLEMS WHO TO CALL?

• Homeowners and landlords can be fined!
• Junk or trash in a neighbors yard?
• Leash Laws and fines in Tulsa
• Graffiti? Studies have shown that if graffiti is removed quickly from tagged property, there is less chance it will recur. The City of Tulsa has a graffiti elimination program that works to remove graffiti from public or private property including buildings, signs, and utility boxes.  Customer Care Center at (918) 596-2100 because:
  • Graffiti leads to the overall decline of a neighborhood.
  • Graffiti is not only a malicious destruction of property, but also can lead to violence and crime.
  • Graffiti should not be taken lightly and should be removed immediately.
• Chickens in the backyard? Animals pooping on your property?
•  Vehicles    Tulsa city ordinances require vehicles in driveways or on city streets to be fully   operable.                                                                                                                                ~Any vehicle legally or physically incapable of being operated for a period of forty-eight (48) hours must be stored within an enclosed structure.                             ~Those vehicles* parked on city streets should not be parked in the same space for more than 24 hours. Police will mark it for tow unless it is moved in 24 hours.             ~No vehicle can be parked in the yard at any time.                                                        ~Vehicles* cannot be used for storage.     (*Vehicle shall mean any motor vehicle, automobile, truck, trailer, motorcycle, tractor, buggy, wagon or self propelled farm or construction equipment.)

• Check for sex offenders in your neighborhood
• Crime stoppers and reporting abuse of older citizens.
• Three Ways to Submit an Anonymous Tip.

FREE FUN FOR THE KIDS

• Lowe’s Build and Grow for kids on Saturdays at 10
• Kids Workshop at Home Depot
•  Birthdays R Us.com

Fun things things to do nearby:

• .50 movies
• Redbox
• McDonalds cheap  coffee
• Senior Citizens discounts
• What a Burger and Sonic
• Farmers Markets BA April 14 -Mid Oct Sat 8-12 418 S Main St 918 259-6572 (259-7000 x 5430

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Where to go for Assistance When Things are Tight

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GROCERY STORE ADS ONLINE:

Aldi
CVS
Dollar General
Food Pyramid
Food Pyramid’s Double coupon Policy
Harp’s Foods
Kmart*
Petty’s
Reasors Click on Ad Specials
Save-a-lot
Target Choose Weekly Ad*
Wal-Mart *
Walgreens *
Warehouse Market Click on Advertisement
Whole Foods

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PRICE MATCHING AT WALMART- Save your ads from what comes in the mail on Tuesday or Wed, along with the Sunday paper….yes, even Target and all those. In the Sunday paper check on the back of the “local” page for Warehouse Market and price match groceries at Walmart. The Aldi ad usually has good produce prices that can be price matched.

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TAX BREAKS THAT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY:

• Homestead exemption:  if this is your primary residence be sure to file this by March 15th.
• Additional Homestead (Double Homestead exemption) if household income from all sources is $20,000 or less.
• Senior Freeze: 65 and older and less than $59,600 household income, from all sources.(This was the amount in 2011.)
• Veterans Honorably discharged, and has a 100% permanent disablity (service related) or the surviving spouse
• Circuit breaker for those 65 or older, with homestead exemption or is totally disabled and has no more than $12,000 income from all sources.

 Go here to get forms

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TULSA COUNTY LAND AND PROPERTY RECORDS

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Make sure Zillow has your homes correct square footage when you go here. Many of them are too low*. or if you have updated the home  (If the square footage is too low or if you have updated the home then look for the edit button, down below the picture, to correct it.) Remember you can only correct information on property that  you actually own as you leave a digital footprint and it can be “tracked” if anyone tries to do something “cute” to your property information.

*You should be able to get the correct square footage information from an appraisal if your home was refinanced and measured at that time.  

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WHY SHOULD YOU CARE IF ZILLOW IS CORRECT?

When your neighbor decides to sell his or her home, higher values of neighboring properties means the more your neighbor can get. What your neighbor receives when it sells has a direct impact on the value of your property. You will be glad when you are ready to sell that you helped your neighbors to get as much as possible for theirs!

Also, verify your info on trulia.com

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Check your home’s information here:

• www.assessor.tulsacounty.org 
• choose “property search” (on left)
• accept the terms
• choose “subdivision” and type in Burning Tree South
• Look for your name
• Scroll down to “Improvements” and look for “liveable” to see what they show for sq feet.
• Is there a discrepancy? If you feel that your information is incorrect on the assessors site ( the appraiser for your mortgage company measured when you bought or refinanced) you might want to ask the county assessors offices to re-measure.

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Your tax account information on line: Tax Roll Search

Must use current year or one prior year tax roll item number to access “Your Tax Account which you will obtain from the tax statement you receive in the mail.

• all current year and prior year tax account, both paid and unpaid
• all tax accounts that are unpaid, regardless of year
• all tax accounts on which payment was received through a tax sale certificate that has not been redeemed nor had a tax certificate deed issued thereon
• all tax accounts on which there has been activity within the previous six months.

“60 Minutes”  segment about Oxford House to learn more about our neighbors. We have three Oxford Houses in our area.

Image via Wikipedia

Many of the Oxford House residents have helped homeowners by mowing lawns, painting houses, removing leaves and debris from yards, cleaning house, moving furniture and a long list of other jobs.

Recently some of the Oxford House residents noticed the graffiti, and on their own, went to clean it, only to find that it was already being painted over. They left their number to be contacted if they could be of assistance.

All Burning Tree Residents are invited to attend the open house being held by the residents of  area Oxford Houses.

The Oxford House residents would love to meet their neighbors and explain the reason behind the Oxford House concept.

An informational video will be available and refreshments will be served.

Sunday July 10, 2011

12pm-3pm

6436 S 67th E Ave (Patterson House-where the ladies live)

 9203 E 68th St (Woodland House -where gentlemen live)

 6414 S 86th E Ave- (Burning Tree House)

We encourage everyone to come by in order to meet and get to know our Oxford neighbors.

If it is a violation of our restrictive covenants our Covenants  state the following in regard to who handles it:

If the parties hereto or any of them or their heirs or assigns, shall violate or attempt to violate any of the covenants herein, it shall be lawful for any other person or person owning any real property situated in said development or subdivision to prosecute any proceedings at law or in equity against the person or persons violation or attempting to violate any such covenants and either prevent him or them from so doing or secure damages or other dues for such violations.

City Ordinances  regarding grass  height, weeds, trash, and junk in yard such as toys and household furniture and garbage. The City of Tulsa also has ordinances against inoperable cars parked in your driveway, cars parked on a city street over a certain amount of hours, boats parked in driveway, fence height, jay parking -parking on the wrong side of the street, etc.

Tulsa’s residential-use codes were passed to preserve property values and to guard the health of residents and the safety of residential property. Title 24

The following are hereby declared to be nuisances:

All noises, sounds, or vibrations of such a character or duration so as to be unreasonably loud or disturbing to 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; NUISANCES AFFECTING PEACE AND SAFETY  SECTION 103.
Tulsa City Ordinances, Title 24, Chapter 1, Section 103 part F

It is important to understand that there are two ordinances with completely different procedures for  music noise in Tulsa.

First, determine where it is coming from- a location or a car.

The car-stereo ordinance applies to vehicles with loud sound systems that can be heard more than 50 feet away, but not in residential neighborhoods where the speed limit is 25 mph or less during the daytime.

The exception was inserted in the ordinance to appease ice-cream vendors. But driving a boom-car through residential areas after nightfall is still against the law and can bring a fine of as much as $200.

Typically, when the officer is unaware of previous offenses by the driver, the citation he issues has a $120 preset fine. If he is familiar with the driver’s music-sharing habit, he can book the citation to court, where a judge can assess the $200 fine plus court costs, City Prosecutor Bob Garner said.  Officers write 10 to 20 “boom-car” citations per week, but mostly out on the major streets.

• LOCATION- (Loud neighbors jamming in the garage or playing the stereo too loudly) must be stopped while in progress. Call the department’s non-emergency number,  918 596-9222 and press 1 to have an officer sent to your location.)  Because of a previous court ruling, “an officer’s peace cannot be disturbed so an officer can’t just drive by and write a citation based on hearing loud music. You’ll will need to agree  up front with the dispatcher that you “will file” a complaint and be willing to testify  in Municipal Court that your peace has been disturbed. The officer will have you  sign which will then allow him to serve the offender.
• LOUD CAR STEREOS- This is the one called the  “boom-box” ordinance (This is when overly amplified sound from vehicles can be heard at a distance of 50 feet from the source. The officer can stop the motorist and issue him a citation, listing himself as the witness, not the complaintant.

• If the loud-music cars are  a constant thing, the dispatcher needs to know so he can assign a car out there.
• If it was just one car just one time, it might not be possible to assign a unit, But a good description of the car, and its occupants and tag number, might be helpful  for the officers who normally patrol that area.

Cities are getting tougher on “audio trespass.” Cleveland, Ohio, passed an ordinance prohibiting playing car stereos or radios loud enough to be heard plainly by anyone outside the car. Anyone violating the chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and is fined $75 on the first offense, and the stereo equipment can be seized by police.

Urge federal boom-car laws: Citizens Against Audio Trespass maintains a Web site for signing a petition urging Congress “to pass tougher laws regarding the sale, distribution and use of high-decibel amplifiers, linears, speakers” www.petitiononline.com/nobooms/petition.html .

Read more from Tulsa World:  here and  here and  here

 

Check City Ordinances

Tulsa’s residential-use codes were passed to preserve property values and to guard the health of residents and the safety of residential property. Title 24

The following are hereby declared to be nuisances by the City of Tulsa:

Vehicles may not be left parked in the same spot on the street longer than 24 hours. Police will “red-tag” the vehicle, marking it for tow unless it is moved in 24 hours. No vehicle can be parked in the yard at any time, and no commercial equipment–semi trucks, dump trucks, wreckers–may be parked in residential neighborhoods. Report it on line

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Tulsa city ordinance prohibits the parking of vehicles in yards and requires vehicles in driveways to be fully operable.

An inoperable vehicle (any vehicle legally or physically incapable of being operated, for whatever reason) or an “abandoned” vehicle (as evidenced by such things as, but not limited to, flat tires or weeds growing around it), cannot be stored or kept in the open upon private property for a period exceeding forty-eight (48) hours.

The vehicle or the parts thereof must be completely enclosed within a building or stored in connection with a business lawfully established pursuant to the zoning ordinances of the City of Tulsa, or  stored on property lawfully designated under the zoning ordinances of the City of Tulsa as a place where such vehicles may be stored. The accumulation or storage of at least one vehicle or parts thereof  (automobile bodies, engine, transmissions, frames and rear ends) shall constitute a nuisance. Ord. No. 17942 SECTION 301. CERTAIN VEHICLES PROHIBITED  Report it on line or call the Mayor’s Action Center at 918 596-2100.

The owner of such vehicle  or the owner of the private property or the lessee or other person in possession or control of the property upon which such vehicle is located must remove the vehicle or have the vehicle housed in a building where it will not be visible from the street or from other private property.

The Chief of Police  will have the vehicle or its parts to be removed and the fine for failure to remove an abandoned vehicle – up to  FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($500.00), or by imprisonment in the City Jail for a period of not more than ninety (90) days, or both.  Ord. Nos. 17942, 18206 SECTION 302. NUISANCE DECLARED  Ord. Nos. 17942,18206 SECTION 307. PENALTY

Report it on line.

Abandoned / Disabled Vehicle on City Street When a car parked on the street has not been moved in some time use this form to request that the abandoned vehicle be tagged for towing or call the Mayor’s Action Center at 918 596-2100.

Enforcement. Report such violations to the Department of Public Works Neighborhood Inspections Section 918 596-7698

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Anyone in Tulsa who commits any nuisance or is an  accessory, or who owns 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 not more than ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments, or by imprisonment in the City Jail for a period of not more than 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 SECTION 106. CRIMINAL PENALTY

 

 

Check City Ordinances

Tulsa’s residential-use codes were passed to preserve property values and to guard the health of residents and the safety of residential property. Title 24

The following are hereby declared to be nuisances:

Advertising Sign Violations Tulsa has ordinances (here) that limit the way signs can be used including height, width, placement and installation methods. If you believe a sign has been installed that violates these ordinances or seems to be unsafe, please use this form to identify it for us. SECTION 202. NUISANCE ABATEMENT

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Anyone in Tulsa who commits any nuisance or is an  accessory, or who owns 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 not more than ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments, or by imprisonment in the City Jail for a period of not more than 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 SECTION 106. CRIMINAL PENALTY

 

Check City Ordinances

Anyone in Tulsa who commits any nuisance or is an accessory, or who owns 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 not more than ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00), excluding costs, fees and assessments, or by imprisonment in the City Jail for a period of not more than 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 SECTION 106. CRIMINAL PENALTY

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Any person or entity who fails to abate any nuisance shall be liable to the City for all expenses incurred in the abatement of the nuisance. The City may pursue its right of action to recover all such costs following any and all reasonable legal methods. To recover the costs incurred in abating any type of nuisance, the City may impose a lien on the subject’s property to secure payment of such costs. In addition to the City’s right to recover its expenses for abating a nuisance the City may pursue an action in District Court to recover a judgment for all remedial civil penalties imposed herein. Ord. Nos. 17942, 18205, 20383, 20495, 21596] SECTION 209. LIABILITY FOR COSTS

The person and/or entity who maintains, operates, or permits the nuisance, together with the owner of the property, is sent notice that should the Nuisance Hearing Officer, find that a nuisance exists and unless the nuisance is abated as directed by the Nuisance Hearing Officer, that a lien shall be filed against the property by The City of Tulsa for the costs due from having the work done. Remedial civil penalties are in addition to the City’s expenses incurred to abate the nuisance may be imposed. A remedial civil penalty not to exceed ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS ($1,000.00) per day for each day the nuisance remains unabated. SECTION 201. ABATEMENT and SECTION 203. REMEDIAL CIVIL PENALTIES Ord. No. 21596 Ord. blos. 17942, 18205,21596 PROCEDURE FOR ABATEMENT CHAPTER 2

A copy of the Notice of Hearing will be posted in some conspicuous place on the premises when they can’t find the person and where at least one of the following conditions exist:

“Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Loud music or barking dog driving you nuts? A “will file” report must be filed by the person whose peace is being disturbed. This means if you call 911 you must first agree that if they send someone out that you will file a report. This assures them that a policeman’s time is not wasted by dispatching when the homeowner isn’t  going to file a complaint afterall, once they get to the home.

What it says under Tulsa City Ordinances:

Because of a previous court ruling,  an officer’s peace cannot be disturbed. This means an officer can’t just drive by and write a citation based on hearing loud music. You will need to agree  up front with the dispatcher that you “will file” a complaint and be willing to testify  in Municipal Court that your peace has been disturbed. The officer will have you  sign which will then allow the offender to be served.

Please do not slow the process down by calling a director or officer to report any problem covered by city ordinance. Your HOA directors have no authority whatsoever to do anything about a city ordinance.

 

Check City Ordinances

Burning Tree South Subdivision
H (c) Membership in Home Owners Association.
Any owner of any lot within said subdivision shall become a member of Burning Tree Area #4 Association, Inc. by purchasing a lot within said subdivision and memberships there shall thereafter be appurtenant to the ownership of said lot. One cannot be transferred without the other. Voting within Burning Tree Area #4 Association, Inc. will be on the basis of one vote per dwelling unit owned, and the assessment will be made on a “per dwelling unit” basis. Each and every lot owner shall have an easement to use the facilities of the Association of which said lot owner is a member, and of the Burning Tree Master Association, subject however, to the rules and regulations thereof. Membership in the Association shall be subject to assessments for the actual cost of maintenance, repair and upkeep shall be a lien upon any lot of any owner in said subdivision, and shall be subject to enforcement as provided in the By-Laws of the Association. The articles of incorporation, by-laws and rules and regulations may be examined at either the office of 61st and Memorial Development Corporation 9511 East 46th St., Tulsa, Oklahoma, or at the clubhouse office of the Association to be built in said subdivision.

H (d) The owner of any lot, by acceptance of a deed therefor, shall be deemed to have accepted  membership in the Burning Tree Area #4 Association, Inc. agreed to abide by the rules and regulations of the Association concerning the use of the facilities, open spaces and recreation areas; and agreed to pay assessments made for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the common areas of the Association.

On this side is Burning Tree East, West and Plaza. Their covenants show that Burning Tree Master Association can assess their subdivisions  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Burning Tree East Subdivision K. Membership in Home Owners’ Association. (c) Maintenance assessments by Burning Tree Area  Owners Association or Burning Tree Master Association, Inc  shall be a lien on the lot assessed, but shall be subordinate to any first mortgage made in good faith and for value. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Burning Tree West Subdivision K. Membership in Home Owners’ Association. (c) Maintenance assessments by Burning Tree Area #7 Owners Association or Burning Tree Master Association, Inc  shall be a lien on the lot assessed, but shall be subordinate to any first mortgage made in good faith and for value. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Burning Tree Plaza Subdivision  E. Membership in Home Owners’ Association. (e) Maintenance assessments by Burning Tree Area #7 Owners Association or Burning Tree Master Association, Inc shall be a lien on the lot assessed, but shall be subordinate to any first mortgage made in good faith and for value. Note that it is only the covenants of the three mentioned above (Burning Tree East, Burning Tree Plaza and Burning Tree West) that state that Burning Tree Master Association, Inc can put a lien on the lot.

On this side is Burning Tree South and Burning Tree Subdivisions. You will notice that in Burning Tree South and Burning Tree subdivisions the covenant allows only their own owners association to assess or lien. (Further reading of the covenants shows for what it is exactly that lot owners can be assessed.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Burning Tree South Subdivision Membership in Homeowners Association Maintenance assessments by Burning Tree Area #4 Association, Inc shall be a lien on the lot assessed, but shall be subordinate to any first mortgage made in good faith and for value. Read H (c) (d) and (e) to see that Burning Tree South lot owners, by acceptance of deed,  are members only of Burning Tree Area #4 Association, Inc, but have an easement to use the BTMA facilities! Any assessments made can be used ONLY for ACTUAL upkeep, repair and maintenace of the common areas of Burning Tree Area #4 Association, Inc.   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Burning Tree Subdivision*  Membership in Home Owners Association. (e) Maintenance assessments by Burning Tree Area One Owners’ Association or Burning Tree Area Two Owners’ Association, shall be a lien on the lot assessed, but shall be subordinate to any first mortgage made in good faith and for value. *Burning Tree subdivision  has incorrectly been referred to, by some as Burning Tree One (maybe since it was the first subdivision). However, that is NOT the legal name. This error has caused much confusion as some have then made the assumption and assert incorrectly that  every subdivision that has the words “Burning Tree” in the name is under those covenants. It is important to understand that: 1.) there is only one Burning Tree subdivision 2.) Burning Tree Master Association does not have any covenants. (They are not an owners association!) Thus, the Burning Tree covenants  in reality  belong only to the oldest (original) area.  The other areas with “Burning Tree” in part of their subdivision’s name, have always had their own covenants to follow. Each covenant is  a bit different from the others. (Information is on file with Tulsa County.)

In a famous experiment conducted twenty-seven years ago by Stanford University psychologist Philip Zimbardo, a car was parked on a street in Palo Alto, where it sat untouched for a week.

At the same time, he had an identical car parked in a roughly comparable neighborhood in the Bronx, only in this case the license plates were removed and the hood was propped open. Within one day, it was stripped. Then, in a final twist, Zimbardo smashed one of the Palo Alto car’s windows with a sledgehammer. That car, too, was destroyed within just a few hours. (Zimbardo’s point was that disorder invites even more disorder-that a small deviation from the norm can set into motion a cascade of vandalism and criminality. The broken window was the tipping point.)

– The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell (National Bestseller)

CRIME IS THE INEVITABLE RESULT OF DISORDER.

If a window is broken and left unrepaired, people walking by will conclude that no one cares and no one is in charge. Soon, more windows will be broken, and it will signal that anything goes.

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.

Broken or boarded up windows, graffiti, high grass, street lights busted, neighborhood children tearing up things–these are all invitations to more serious crimes.

You must take control of your neighborhood and hold everyone accountable, if you are serious about crime.

The broken-window hypothesis inspired the successful cleanup of the New York City Transit Authority subway system starting in the late eighties. Graffiti was cleaned immediately and turnstile jumpers were arrested. Felonies fell more than fifty per cent.

Graffiti and turnstile jumpers may have at first appeared to be “trivial” problems but they were found to be the tipping points – the “broken windows” -that invited far more serious crimes.

NOTE: Then chief of the Transit Police, William Bratton, who was later to take his ideas about preventing crime to the city as a whole became head of the New York Police Department.
In the Seven-Five, they have made a series of what seem, when measured against the extraordinary decline in murders, to be small changes.

But sometimes the most modest of changes can bring about enormous effects.

Are there any broken or boarded up windows in your neighborhood? This should be a top priority if you wish to lower the criminal activity. (Glass broken on a side door to the garage? If you must “board it” up then paint it to match the door exactly so it blends and looks like it is part of the door.)

Getting Serious About Crime:

• Use security lights. Security lights don’t stay on all the time….A motion from someone walking up to your bedroom window kicks it on, illuminating their actions and making them think that they have been spotted.
• Streetlight out? Contact PSO

• Make sure yards are mowed. Tulsa has ordinances regarding this. Click to report the problem High Grass/Weed Violations.
• Has a car parked on the street not been moved in some time? Request vehicle be tagged for towing.
• Tulsa city ordinance absolutely prohibits the parking of vehicles in yards and requires vehicles in driveways to be fully operable. Vehicles should be reported using the form found here: Illegally Parked or Inoperable Vehicle on Private Property (yard, driveway, etc or call the Mayor’s Action Center at 596-2100.
• Dumping Violations If you have observed a site where someone has dumped their trash, please use this form to let us know about the problem and where to find it.
• Advertising Sign Violations Tulsa has ordinances (here) limiting the way signs can be used including height, width, placement and installation methods. Yes, this includes signs attached to city poles. If you believe a sign has been installed that violates these ordinances or seems to be unsafe, please use this form to identify it for us.
• Graffiti
• Does the house or building next to yours look neglected? Click here: Property Maintenance
• Traffic Signals/Sign request new street signs by clicking here.
• Pot Holes can make an area look neglected. Report them as soon as you see one.
  
• Other Problems
• Barking Dog

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Discharging fireworks within Tulsa’s city limits is a misdemeanor, according to a Tulsa World Story (July 1, 2011.)

Surrounding towns vary on whether fireworks are allowed, with some offering permits for the discharge of fireworks during restricted time periods on and around the Fourth of July.

Bixby:  Allowed with permit, which costs $20

Broken Arrow: Allowed with permit, which costs $20

Catoosa:

Allowed with permit, which costs $25

Glenpool: Allowed with permit, which costs $20

Jenks: Fireworks not permitted.

Owasso: Fireworks that make a loud explosion or launch into the air are prohibited. Sparklers, smoke bombs, and fountains are legal. Firecrackers, rockets, mortars, etc., are not.

Sand Springs: Allowed with permit, which costs $20

Sapulpa: Permit applicants must pay $20. The Fire Department will inspect each application site before a permit is issued.
Read more 

June 14, 2011 meeting

This draft of the minutes from the last meeting, has not yet been approved by the board.

BURNING TREE AREA FOUR ASSOCIATION

The monthly meeting of BTA4 was held at the UMAC Center on June 14, 2011. Board members present were Joe Nappo, Eddie McGoveran, Mark Basore, Wayne Roth, Beverly Barnes, E.J. Kelley, and Gail Hauke. There were approximately 20 homeowners in attendance. The sign-in sheets are available for inspection. The meeting was called to order by Joe Nappo.

Eddie McGoveran began a discussion about street lights. Upon contacting PSO he was advised to contact the City of Tulsa, as they maintain street lights. We will need the PSO account number for BTA4, Mark Basore will supply, and the exact location for the two in BTA4. The City engineer will be here in July to inspect the lights to see if the City will take them over. The engineer state that the BTMA should have called after 10-15 years to have the City take over the lights. the engineer suggested we could have the lights charged to one homeowner in BTA4, who would pay the bill. We could then make donations to repay that homeowner. In ’79, ’80, and ’81, $635 per year was collected from BTA4 by the BTMA to help defray the cost of BTA4 lights. We ask what happened to this money.

Mark Basore asked us please to not look to him for past records. He does not have them.

Joe Nappo made the announcement that an amendment was filed to the Covenants of BTA4 making us autonomous with ties to the BTMA. He also stated that we are an aging group of homeowners.  We need security. For 2011 he sees no reason to ask for assessments.

David Wilkerson voiced his concerns about what the amendment would do to home values, the surrounding area, and the pool.

We discussed that some deeds state we belong to the BTMA. While this is true. The Plat and Deed of Dedication clearly states that after Feb. 1, 1993 the majority of homeowners may vacate the covenants  or change them in whole or in part. E.J. Kelley mentioned you can still support the pool by buying a membership or giving a donation.  Several board members are still going to pay the BTMA assessments in order to use the pool. We want the pool set up as a profitable business. However, Joe Nappo stated the BTMA is using money we contribute with no accountability. TeShauna Conrad mentioned that her ex-husband had taken her children to the pool several times in the past week. He was asked if she was going to pay her assessment. He state he believe she would. The person in charge at the pool allowed him and the children to swim each time without charging them a fee. The BTMA still does not know how to run a business.

Kaye Keller mentioned with the major repairs coming for the pool, do you want to pay a large special assessment. BTA4 will no longer be responsible for this.

The homeowners presented their petition to Eddie McGoveran and Joe Nappo at their homes. With 73 out of 127 homeowner’s signatures, the president, vice president and secretary of the BTA4 listened to the homeowner’s decision, signed the amendment and filed it with the Tulsa County Clerks office on Monday June 13, 2011. This was not a decision of the board of directors; it was a decision of the homeowners.

Carolyn McClary asked if the abstracts and deeds would be updated. Eddie McGoveran stated that he had talked to an abstract company. They assured him anytime a property is sold, transferred, refinanced, has a second mortgage, or its time for a review of this information it will be automatically updated to all homes in BTA4.

Liens have been filed in the past without notification to BTA4 or homeowners. Liens have been paid but the lien not removed for the homeowners records. Liens have been put on homeowners who paid their assessments. The BTMA did not do their research properly.   Payrolls have been garnisheed and homes have been threatened with foreclosure. The BTMA was ruthless in collecting their money. They even hired an attorney to take residents to court. The attorney collected the money, however her fee was almost as much money as she collected. The BTMA exercised their authority but collected less than $100.00.

Jim Pumpelly state he hoped all BTA4 residents would go forward and not have an adversarial relationship with people in the other part of the association.

Eddie McGoveran discussed that out of 127 residents in BTA4 we have about 117 e-mail addresses. A letter was sent to all e-mail addresses on Monday evening about the amendment. Those who needed a hard copy delivered will be taken care of Wednesday afternoon by E.J. Kelley and her husband Ted. She will also mail letters to those out of town.

Mark Basore stated that if anyone is concerned about paying their assessments late, the BTMA assessment letter states no penalties would be assessed until after July 1, 2011.

Eddie McGoveran state the BTA4 board would be having meetings to go over the Covenants and By-Laws to revise them. Once this is finished it will be presented to the homeowners for approval. After approval these will be signed, filed with the Tulsa County Clerk, and enforced. David Wilkerson asked if we could have our Covenants state that any rental property is required to put up a $1,000,000.00 bond. Kaye Keller made a motion to have the board look into this, seconded by David Wilkerson.

Wayne Roth asked if there would be any actions taken if residents do not pay the BTMA assessments. While we can not speak for the BTMA, we believe this wold not benefit anyone especially the BTMA.

Eddie McGoveran stated that it was never his intention to close the pool. His main interest was in having the BTMA listen to the residents. The homeowners association should be run by the people for the people. The BTMA should have separate assessments in place for homeowners who DO NOT use the pool, homeowners who use the pool, and for homeowners who use the pool and tennis courts. That way the homeowners who do not use the pool will still pay their fair share for the upkeep of the common mowed areas. The homeowners who use the pool and tennis courts will pay for the use and upkeep of these areas. That way all homeowners wold be happy. If the pool is run like a business, there will be enough funds to keep it going.

Eddie McGoveran made a motion to adjourn, seconded by E.J. Kelley.

Submitted by Gail Hauke

Secretary BTA4

We don’t have a rat problem…but if we ever would….

Rat problem?
Finding and identifying a rodent problem is a relatively clear process. Rat sightings and rat burrows are evident signs that rats exist. Burrows leave a moundless opening in the ground about 2-3 inches in diameter. Rats like to burrow under woodpiles, doghouses, and along the edges of sidewalks, houses and concrete. Rats need a lot of water and generally burrow close to a water source. Removing easy access to food, water and shelter, combined with trapping and poisoning, will reduce a rodent population significantly Humans supply the three basic needs of rats and mice:

• Food – Taking away the rodent’s food supply is vital. Using a refuse container that is watertight, rust resistant and easy to clean, and which has a recessed bottom is important. Make certain that dog food and birdseed are stored in rodent-proof containers. Dog food bowls and bird feeders are often the rodent’s favorite dining establishment. Picking up pet waste also is an important measure toward eliminating food for rodents.
• Water – Eliminating outdoor water sources is an essential step toward controlling rodent populations. Fixing leaking pipes and dripping air conditioners is a must. In addition, fill in areas where water collects and stands. Pool water is another perfect water source for rodents. Covering your pool is also essential.
• Shelter – Close openings around pipes, doors, windows and other possible places of entry with sheet metal, hardware cloth, or steel wool. Plugging drain holes in dumpsters also will help. Removing lumber, rocks and debris from yards also can take away the rodents’ harborage areas.

 

Removing easy access to food, water and shelter, combined with trapping and poisoning, will reduce a rodent population significantly. For information on rat poisons and trapping, contact the Tulsa City-County Health Department – Rat Control at (918) 595-4341, or www.tulsa-health.org.

For information on rat poisons and trapping, contact the Tulsa City-County Health Department – Rat Control at (918) 595-4341, or www.tulsa-health.org.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes?
The Tulsa City-County Health Department Environmental staff coordinates a Vector Program. which includes spraying for areas heavily saturated with mosquitoes. The Health Department also provides tips for reducing the problems yard by yard. Tips can be found on the INCOG Web site: www.tulsa-health.org.