A member of the US Army Reserve who took advantage of a ruthless squatter, who drives a Mercedes, says he has spent “more than $50,000” of his hard-earned money in the last year dealing with the illegal inhabitant.
Lt. Mikiya Barber, 26, bought her dream home in Houston, Texas, in May 2022, but was called to active duty shortly after, according to ABC 13.
After receiving orders that she would be sent to Florida, she put her three-bedroom, two-bathroom home up for rent to earn extra income while she was away.
Barber said everything went “downhill” after he chose Natasha Timmons as his tenant.
“It’s been emotionally draining to the point where I had to do therapy,” he told the outlet.
Barber has been forced to take time off from service to the country to fight this legal battle in Texas.
“One person has cost me over $50,000,” he revealed, saying he “wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
Lt. Mikiya Barber’s dreams finally came true: owning a home in Houston, Texas, in May 2022.KTRK
Barber, a U.S. Army reservist, was called to active duty shortly after the purchase and put the house up for rent.KTRK
Timmons agreed to sign a monthly lease for $2,000 after the young lieutenant ran a background check and saw nothing out of the ordinary that would raise red flags.
Blatantly, the squatter only made the first two months of payments and did not cooperate when Barber offered to create a “payment plan” so he could catch up on the back rent.
“I tried to make a payment plan for her. Then she started threatening me to declare bankruptcy and make sure she went through this process,” Barber shared.
Barber selected Natasha Timmons to become his tenant after a background check.KTRK
Timmons, who stopped making payments after the first two months, tried to fight the soldier in bankruptcy court despite driving a luxury vehicle.KTRK
Now fighting the alleged scammer in court, records obtained by the outlet show that Timmons, who was convicted of robbery in 2003, recently filed for bankruptcy in four identical cases.
Neighbors shared videos with the store of Timmons and other people in the house driving luxury cars and even carelessly washing them despite claiming he was bankrupt.
However, a Harris County judge last Monday ordered the squatter to begin paying rent she owed Barber after Timmons revealed in court that she has no active bankruptcy cases.
A judge ruled last Monday that Timmons must pay Barber what he is owed.KTRK
Barber said he just wants Timmons out of his house so he can end this burden.KTRK
Timmons is due to reappear in court next Monday, where he could face eviction, the outlet said.
“She lives at the house and makes it known that she won’t leave my house, but I’m excited for (Monday’s hearing) and she’ll be out soon,” Barber said.
With nine years of service to the nation, the young Army lieutenant said nothing had prepared her for the uphill legal battle to remove a squatter from her home.
“I don’t know why she doesn’t want to leave my house. I have even tried to reach agreements with her,” Barber told the outlet.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn