City Makes Mess, Charges Homeowner For Clean-Up

Michael Konopasek, News 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The family of a southwest side homeowner is up in arms over the mess they say the city created. Oklahoma City is now forcing that family to clean it up.

On the week of June 12, Oklahoma City Police ended a search for human remains empty handed, leaving the home owner to foot the bill for the clean up.

The family tells News 9 the mess in the home's backyard took nearly a month to create by OKCPD. Now, the city is charging the home owner to clean it up in 10 days.

"It looks like 5 tornadoes hit the property," said the homeowner's cousin Angel Lail.

On a 103-degree day the family received notice to haul out mounds of debris.

"I'm extremely angry," said Lail.

On June 14th, investigators and archeologists ended weeks of digging outside the home. They said they were searching for human remains but found nothing.

Lail says she is taking up the fight to make things right, but at the same time she is falling in line with what the city wants.

Lail estimated the police destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stuff during the month-long search and perhaps even more in taxpayer money.

The city would not comment on the case Friday.

Police said they had credible information that led them to search the property, but would not say whose remains they were looking for.

The family says it plans on fighting what it calls an injustice. At the very least, they say they would like an apology. At the most, they say they would like to be reimbursed for the property damage. News 9 was told a lawsuit is not out of the question.