LUBBOCK, Texas — Residents around the old Stonegate golf course are upset over what they say is a lack of maintenance by the current landowner.

Wayne Turner, one of the residents, said the weeds are causing problems in the neighborhood.

“The weeds have become uncontrolled,” Turner said.

The current owner of the property bought the land in early 2018, and it has not been kept up with since, according to residents.

Tinus Rensburg, a father that lives on the street, said while going to take out his trash, he saw two foxes roaming around near his property.

“I can’t even send my kids to the trash bin because you never know if a coyote will bite them or not,” Rensburg said.

More than a dozen people met with KLBK Thursday evening to talk about the issue.

David Stuart, another resident in the area, said there are ponds in the area, also creating issues with mosquitoes.

“There’s a swamp and the mosqioto problem is horrendous,” Stuart said.

Another resident, David Talley, owns chickens, and he said more than 15 of them have been killed.

“We have chickens in our yard legally and we’ve had a bunch of them get ate by the skunks and the possums,” Talley said.

Now, residents said they’ve had to take matters into their own hands. Mike Collins said he and his neighbors mow the lawns up to where the previous gate on the golf course used to be.

“So we don’t have to look at it,” Collins said.

Many of the residents say they want the city to step in.

“I do not believe for one minute the city doesn’t have some authority to enforce the codes on the mowing of this place and the proper maintenance of it,” Turner said.

City of Lubbock Code Enforcement Director Stuart Walker said the property is not within code at this time. He said the property owner will be notified.

He added that if the owner did not mow the perimeter, the city would have to create a special order to mow it and bill the owner.

According to Walker, weeds and grass must be less than eight inches in height on residential property. However, Walker said since the property is so large, the rules do not apply. In this case, only the edges of the property need to be mowed.

“It’s better to let a large acre property go back to native grass for several different aspects,” Walker said. “The native grass will eventually choke out the tall nuisance weeds. It’s better for drainage and just what it would it cost the city to mow it.”

However, for Mike Collins, and other residents, the issue is also about principal.

“It’s all about being a good neighbor,” Collins said.