Houston ‘Darth Vader’s House’ Listed for $3.75 Million After Legal Dispute

The famous Houston home dubbed “Darth Vader’s House” is back on the market for $3.75 million following a legal dispute involving the former tenant, who was accused of hosting several large-scale events in violation of city ordinances.

The Star Wars-inspired home was originally designed and built in 1992 by plastic surgeon Dr. Jean Cukier, who modeled the house after a stealth fighter jet, although some believe it resembles the helmet of a certain iconic villain.

According to Harris County Appraisal District records, DV1, LLC has owned the property since March 7, 2022. A lawsuit filed by the City of West University Place alleges that Brent Franklin, a representative of DV1, LLC, lived and sponsored events at the residence that violated the city’s zoning regulations.

According to evidence provided by the city, Franklin sold $100 tickets for an “after-hours private mixer” on the property on May 6, 2023, after the Space City Real Estate Summit 2.0 event.

Contacted by the city’s zoning administrator about the alleged zoning violations, Franklin responded, “I guess I’ll just call it a house party. We don’t charge. It’s a get-together.” He then hosted a “Darth Vader House – Content Creator Social Gathering” on Sept. 14, 2023, and planned to host a “Darth Vader House 6, 7, 8+ Figure Mastermind for Entrepreneurs” event on Sept. 21, 2023, according to the lawsuit.

In response to the complaint, DV1, LLC denied the allegations, according to court documents. A separate response from Franklin does not appear to have been filed. According to April court documents, the parties were working to resolve the issue without going to trial. The case was moved from the original trial scheduled for May to the trial scheduled for December.

The original owner of the house, Cukier, decided to sell the property in an effort to downsize.

Nadia Carron co-listed the home in 2021 and told the Chronicle that Cukier worked with architect Roger Spears, now Lynn Swisher Spears, to design the Star Wars-inspired home.

“He loved movies. That was his inspiration,” Carron told the Chronicle. “He sat down and drew out on paper what he wanted the house to look like inside and out and worked with an architect to do it. What you see is his baby and his design inside and out of the house. He made his dream come true.”