Woman Reveals Squatters Took Over Her Home With Fake Lease

In Houston, Texas, homeowner Linda Giang walked into her Meyerland rental home to find an unwanted surprise. Giang informed ABC 13 that she found a family of five, who she did not know, living in her home. The family of squatters reportedly had a fake lease and changed the locks several times, and were all set up with air mattresses in the home.

When speaking to ABC 13, Giang said, “They locked me out of my own property. That’s crazy! I had the keys with me and walked in and discovered a family of five living in there. And she says she has a lease contract and actually emailed me the lease contract.” 

How Did The Squatters Get a Lease?

Giang was sent a letter from the neighborhood homeowners association asking her to take care of some leaves that were piled up on the driveway of her second home, which is listed for $3600 a month. When Giang found the squatters, police told her it was a civil matter and they could not do anything to help because the alleged squatter had a lease.

One of the squatters told ABC “I’m not trespassing. I have a lease, and I paid $6,000. I don’t know what’s going on. All I know is that me and my kids moved in to start a new life.” The woman claimed she and her family had recently moved from California, but this was soon proven to be false.

It was confirmed that the woman had been a Texas resident for decades and had been evicted several times within the past 4 years. An update reveals that even though the police initially said there was nothing they could do, they have since proved that the squatter’s lease was a fake and forced her to either vacate the premises or face legal action.

Giang and her husband are now the only people with a key to the residence. She said, “It was very frustrating, having to deal with this. But now, I’m happy that she’s gone, and I’m hoping that legislatures will do something and change the laws that protect homeowners rather than the squatters.” In Texas, squatters hold basic rights.

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