Stolen House In Texas Found, Theft Was Likely Repossession By Ex-Owner's Creditors

The stolen house of a Houston couple was found Tuesday in Rockdale, Texas. Police said the vacation home might have be repossessed as the previous owner did not pay it off completely.

Lonnie and Jo Harrison purchased the prefab building in a land deal in 2017. The property, located in Madisonville, 90 miles northwest of Houston, was used by the Harrisons as a holiday home. They hadn’t checked the house since November and now, all that remains on the 10-acre property are pipes and blocks, which were left behind when the house was pulled away.

The building was a one-bedroom, one-bathroom house with a green roof and wood siding.

Lonnie, who came to check on the house Friday, was shocked to find the entire structure missing. He called his wife Jo, who then informed the Madison County Sheriff’s Office.

"I said, 'You know this is really going to sound strange, but I need to report a stolen house.' They were like, 'A house?' I said yes. We have 10 acres and had a little cabin and the cabin is gone," said Jo Harrison. "Give us a call. Call the Madisonville Sheriff's Department and let them know what you see. We really would like to have our house back."

"I want to know what happened. Why it happened and I want my house back," Jo Harrison said. "Who steals a house? It's just really hard to even grasp that the house is actually gone. That someone hauled it away."

Sgt. Larry Shiver with the Madison County Sheriff’s Department said, "I've never had a house reported stolen in my career yet. This was a little bit unusual but when I went out and looked at the scene, I could tell it was a professional job. … It was part of the deal but the problem was it wasn't specified in the writing. Yes, we feel sorry for them. That's why we're looking to find the house. They had belongings in the house. Plus, they put time and effort into the house."

Sgt. Shiver claimed deputies served financial-related civil papers to the previous owner, KTRK-TV, an affiliate of ABC, reported.

He added the previous owner could possibly face criminal charges if it was a case of repossession. The sergeant also said records did not show the building was listed on the property.

Sgt. Shiver added, "He did not represent the property as it should have been represented."

The couple was disappointed with the development. Jo said they had used the house as a weekend escape from the city, and added, “Reality is that the house is gone. We work very hard. … It's just astonishing that you work hard. You do the best you can with what you have, and that someone just takes it away."