Lost And Found: Woman’s Literal Home Stolen And Found 30 Miles Away

According to NPR, the size of the average American home has tripled over the past 50 years. The size of our estates and the amount of stuff within them is just getting bigger with time. However, we’re getting to a point in the housing market that younger people are being more careful with their property and home purchases because they’re so costly.

As of 2017, Millennials and Generation Y made up about 34% of the housing market. But they’re looking for places that they won’t be robbed blind for having. One young woman in Missouri was robbed blind for her house, but not in the way you’d expect.

Meghan Panu had a tiny house. She had spent two years and about $20,000 building a custom tiny home. She was going to use it as a portion of her senior thesis at nearby Webster University. The tiny house was built on 20-foot by 8-foot trailer that could be hitched to a truck and moved to wherever. She even established a community of like-minded people who practice intentional living in tiny homes.

Though it is small, it’s still a substantial enough thing to be hauling around, so a local building supply store owner allowed her to park it in their lot until she found a more permanent location for it. Then Panu got a call from the store owner telling her the house was gone. Someone has hitched it up to their truck and stolen it.

It’s not every day you’re told that your physical house has been stolen. She posted on Instagram and Facebook that her tiny home had been stolen and if anyone knew anything to contact both her and the police. Her posts quickly went viral and people all over the place were reaching out to support her.

The police were getting tips, she was getting tips, but after a couple of days, they still hadn’t reclaimed her tiny house.

“It’s been a hectic few days, but we’re getting this house back one way or another,” she said on Facebook.

Fortunately, the house was found abandoned on a dirt road 30 miles away from where it had been stolen. It was reported by an anonymous tip. Relieved to find her tiny home, she was even more relieved when the police department said they’d tow it back to her free of charge. Her reaction beyond being grateful for the support she received was a triumphant Facebook post punctuated with a lightning bolt:

“TINY HOUSE FOUND”