"I feel bullied," Neighbor feuding with Del City mayor over fence

DEL CITY, Okla. (KFOR) - Dena Hale said her family has owned their Del City home for more than 50 years. She never thought her efforts to build a fence in the backyard would lead to a feud with the mayor.

Both sides claim a piece of property between their homes, which backs up against each other, are theirs.

"All I wanted was to put up a good, solid fence and allow myself room to access my property," added Hale.

"I never in my life thought I would be treated like this in my home town, on my property," she added. "I feel bullied."

For her part, Dena Hale said a survey and an approved fence permit she got weeks ago show the portion of land about 43-inches wide and a hundred feet long is hers.

“According to the [land survey] markings that are still there, it is my property,” said Hale.

“The city planner agrees that my survey is accurate because there was never anything submitted or to our knowledge to this date that disproves it.  So I have to believe that, yes, my survey is correct, and that is my property,” she added.

She told KFOR when she began preparing for the fence's construction, the mayor disputed her claims and put one up first.

In a previous interview with Mayor Floyd Eason, he told KFOR he'd ordered his own land survey and said he believed the results of Dena's survey were wrong.

"If you look at her survey, the survey shows all the plot lines in a straight line from one end of the block to the other. Why would her property extend three feet past everybody else on the block," said Eason.

"[Hale's surveyeor] is an inexperienced surveyor and he's made a mistake," he added.

"I do not believe her surveyor. My surveyor does not believe her survey," he continued.

"We're presenting a survey that will stand up in court," he added.

Mayor Eason also said he was forced to put up the fence before the results of his survey were complete because he was being harassed by Hale, and there was no other recourse.

"I couldn't go out into my backyard without getting yelled at," he said at the time, also saying Ms. Hale had turned a water hose on his employees who were investigating the matter and he was forced to call the police.

"Anything she can do to irritate me, she's done," he added, also saying Hale has made false accusations against him. "I'll be happy to go to court with this."

After several weeks, Hale contacted KFOR again, and said she was shocked to see Eason removing the fence early Monday afternoon.

"Victory. I felt like I had accomplished something, I had victory," she said.

Mayor Eason declined an on-camera interview Monday with KFOR to follow up.

However, when reached by phone he acknowledged that his first submission for a fence permit application was not complete, but he said he believes the results that his surveyor plans to produce by the end of the week will show the property belongs to him.

In an email Monday, a city representative said the city of Del City is no longer involved in the matter, but that the Mayor had removed the fence "of his own accord," and the matter will be handled by the two property owners and their surveyors.

Until then, Dena Hale said she's not backing down.

"I don't have a problem with him putting up a fence but, put it up on his property. Not mine." said Hale.

"I guess I'm forced to wait until Thursday, because now again, that's when his surveyor says he'll have his results. And so I'm going to do the right thing. I'll wait until Thursday, see if he turns results in again. This will be the sixth time since he's said that [so] if he doesn't turn them in, I'm putting up a fence on my property," she added Monday.

Hale has retained a lawyer, and both parties said they are prepared to fight the matter out in court.