DONNA – A man says he and his partner believed the lean holder of their mobile home retook possession of it.

He told CHANNEL 5 NEWS they were surprised to find out that wasn’t the case and that the lean holder is now preparing to take action against them.

“It’s hard to explain, how can a 14 by 50-foot building just make off and nobody knows where it’s at?” said George Ontiveros Jr.

Ontiveros told CHANNEL NEWS he and his partner were living the American dream when they purchased a trailer home last September.

He says in less than a month that dream turned into a nightmare. Ontiveros said the trailer home had several issues. So he called the lean holder and made an agreement to surrender the home.

“All they stated in the last email was that as soon as there was a driver in the area they would come and pick up the building,” Ontiveros explained.

Ontiveros said the company never gave him a date or time the trailer home would be picked up. A few days later it was gone.

“We came the next day towards the late afternoon and the building was gone. I naturally assumed that the company picked it up,” Ontiveros said.

Ontiveros told CHANNEL 5 NEWS he never called the company to confirm the pickup. A mistake he would soon regret. He said he was never contacted by the company. That is until last week, 4 months later.

He told CHANNEL 5 NEWS the phone started ringing and the caller was demanding approximately $18,000 or the home.

“I let them know that I didn’t have possession of their building. They keep accusing me that I have it that I moved it and that if I don’t give it back they are going to go ahead and press charges for me for theft,” Ontiveros explained.

Ontiveros said he immediately filed a police report for the stolen home.

Dolores Salinas, president of the Better Business Bureau, said that was a good idea. However, she adds you should never assume anything when returning a big ticket item.

“Get any type of paperwork. Name, address, phone number of the company coming to make the move. Have them have provided them with something in writing showing that this day this mobile home was moved by this company,” Salinas told CHANNEL 5 NEWS.

Salinas said any company attempting to pick up any property that is in a person’s possession must provide a time and day of pick up. She explained that you’re right as a consumer.

Ontiveros said he won’t make that almost $18,000 mistake ever again. He’s doing his best to get the problem resolved.

Salinas also said Ontiveros may head to her office and to file a complaint about the lean holder for the lack of information they provided to him.

She told CHANNEL 5 NEWS her office will then forward that complaint to the BBB in Tennessee where the lean holder is located.