For several months, an elementary school teacher in Houston, Texas, and her family have been living in a luxury home without permission. Amberlyn Prather, a dedicated teacher who is not adequately compensated for her hard work, has been evicted from the property after it was discovered that she had fabricated a fake lease to deceive the police.
Despite being confronted by reporters from ABC13, Prather refused to comment on how she managed to live in the house rent-free for such a long period of time. Nonetheless, she and her family were ordered to vacate the property by the end of June.
Prather had moved into the vacant luxury home in January and managed to evade any consequences until the end of May. However, she was eventually taken to court in June, where a judge ruled in favor of her eviction.
Real estate agent Shanequa Garrett had been trying to gain access to the house in order to sell it for months. As the authorized agent responsible for the sale, Garrett had to contend with the illegal occupants since January.
With Prather and her family finally moving out of the house on June 15, 2023, Garrett now has a chance to assess any potential damages caused by the squatters during their time there. She also hopes to determine how they managed to gain entry to prevent future incidents like this.
“They could climb on a trash can and climb on the roof,” explained Garrett, speaking from a second-floor bedroom of the house. “From this window (which was loose), they can just open it from the outside and jump in. Because we kept getting the house rekeyed, and they kept getting in.”
When the house was listed for sale in January, Prather noticed that it was vacant and seized the opportunity to enter. Afterward, she allowed her family to join her. Neighbors became aware of the illegal occupation when they spotted a moving truck and reported it to the police. However, by the time law enforcement arrived, Prather and her family were already settled in. The case had to be taken to court by Garrett to secure an eviction order from the judge.
The eviction of Prather and her family from the luxury home marks the end of a saga that has caused significant inconvenience and frustration for those involved. As efforts are made to sell the property to a deserving family, steps will also be taken to ensure that similar incidents are prevented in the future.
