Wealthy man forced to live on the lawn of his $1.3m home after wife kicks him out

A 69-year-old man has been forced to live on the front lawn of his $1.3million mansion for six months after his angry doctor wife kicked him out.

Sharafat Khan is homeless but sleeping just a few feet away from the front door of his lavish Seabrook, Texas, home because the mother of his two children, Shahnaz, 61, changed the locks in the midst of an ongoing domestic dispute.

Someone close to the situation said Khan's wife claims she can't file for divorce because she and her husband practice Islam and they strictly follow Sharia law. Khan told KPRC this has nothing to do with religion and everything to do with money.

"She doesn’t want to hand over half her fortune," he said.

He can’t file for divorce because he claims he can't afford to.

He has no access to the couple's money and has been barred from using the washing facilities, even though he owns half the suburban property.
Neighbours are very worried because he is elderly, in poor health and in a fragile state.

    "He’s wearing the same clothing, it’s dirty,” neighbor Debbie Scoggins said. “He has no bathroom facilities, no shoes."

    "The weather is starting to get colder,” Laurel Stout, who lives across the street, said. "He’s very frail, he can’t even walk. I’m afraid he is going to die out here in his yard."

Khan doesn’t feel like he should have to leave because the home and property are just as much his. He said he wants to be allowed inside and he’s hoping he can pressure his wife into changing her mind.

    "She doesn’t want me to have any sort of comfort," he said.

Night after night he sleeps on the front porch wrapped in a sheet. During the day he tries to find shade under the trees. On Monday he was eating saltine crackers and drinking a warm bottle of water.
Neighbors said if they take him blankets and pillows, the wife takes them away.

There are signs posted all over the home instructing the neighbors not to help him or feed him.
Khan said the dispute is over his relationship with other family members. She wanted him to cut ties but he refused.

Police officers who are familiar with the situation said they have been called out to the home 20 to 30 times in the last six months. There is nothing legally they can do because Khan has every right to be there and they can’t force his wife to let him in.

    "Our hands are tied," one officer said.

Adult Protective Services are involved but can’t release specific information about the case because of confidentiality laws. A spokesperson for the agency said they cannot force someone to get help.

    "I’m just hoping we can find help for him," Scoggins said.

    "Allowing this to continue is not in the best interest of anyone," Stout said.

KPRC 2 reached out to the doctor for comment, she said it was a private matter and did not wish to speak about it.

Some problems stemmed from a 2008 assault charge, that's when Sharafat Khan was accused of hitting his wife, according to court documents.

Family members also said they have tried to get Khan help but he refuses. They've spoken with social workers and he's been in and out of certain facilities but often leaves against medical advice.