New state law lets owners sue cities over camping or drugs if property values fall

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]So, I love this bill. Thanks for getting it to my desk. Governor Stitt just signed HB 3985 into law, making it easy for landlords, businesses, and triple net leaseholders to sue the city if it fails to enforce laws like illegal camping, drug use, or loitering.

[00:00:17]>> ours, the the you know, the mom that, you know, wants to take her kids to school. It empowers the people that are paying taxes. Representative Trey Caldwell is one of the authors of the new law called the Oklahoma Safe Neighborhoods Act of 2026. The law requires cities to pay property owners back for security, cleanup, damages, or compensation if their property value drops. But, there's a catch. It only applies to cities with a population of more than 130,000 people. The 2020 census puts Norman at just over 128,000.

[00:00:53]Seen a lot here in the 2 months I've been here. People fighting.

[00:00:59]Um One guy got stabbed. Teresa Carlson just moved to the east side of Norman right next where the old encampment was before it moved here to Frances Cate Park. She says it's a nightmare. I found a guy one day laying right here.

[00:01:16]My new fairy. Right there. Sleeping.

[00:01:20]Carlson is also living right next to where Norman's new homeless shelter will be in 18 months. She says her 5-year-old granddaughter used to look out the window at the encampment. Sometimes people were nude.

[00:01:33]>> think, you know, somebody needs to do something. Um there's nothing to be afraid of. Like um ain't nothing to be scared of, you know.

[00:01:41]Especially if I ain't harming nobody or nothing, so.

[00:01:43]>> Otis moved from Granada Hills, California to Norman 4 months ago. My brother just died.

[00:01:50]So, I had to go to his funeral. He can't stay in a shelter because he has a dog.

[00:01:54]>> Would you say you take care of your dog better than yourself? Uh, yeah.

[00:02:00]Well, right now I am, yeah. The walls are closing in on Norman's unsheltered issue. Council members are trying to solve it. They keep coming back to the same question. Where do you put people that have nowhere to go? Turning into California?

[00:02:15]Yeah, slowly. I do.

[00:02:18]Rob Hagan, Fox 25 News.