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The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office recently recovered several portable buildings taken through fraudulent purchases in Lowndes County.

According to lead investigator Sgt. Randell Johnson, managers from Blue House Rentals, an LLC based out of South Fulton, Tennessee, reported several buildings stolen in Lowndes County.

“Customers from within the county are ordering these buildings and putting false information on the application,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Chris West. “When the company later finds out the information provided is fake or payment did not go through, the company attempts to repossess the building. At that time, the customer stops answering the phone, or the number provided no longer works.”

On March 25, deputy Michael Canalin was dispatched to a call reporting two tiny homes found on a property. According to Acting Patrol Commander Rene’ Webster, the landowner advised Canalin that the homes were not their property, stating they had no idea where the buildings came from.

Canalin identified the buildings as belonging to Blue House and were listed among those identified for repossession due to nonpayment, Webster said.

Sgt. Randell Johnson and Blue House managers worked together to locate another stolen home on April 2 in White Hall. 

Blue House Rentals managers told officers that after the buildings were delivered, customers moved them to another, unknown location, West said. So far, five have been recovered, but around 16 more are still missing.

“There are several that the application was submitted in January and February until now,” Johnson said. “Some were recovered in Burkeville, Hayneville, White Hall and Lowndesboro.”

The buildings have been recovered using coordinates gathered from delivery personnel, Johnson said.

“We have a few leads we are following,” Johnson said. “Our county was affected. Montgomery County and Dallas County were also affected.

“There’s going to be multiple people involved. I think most of them know each other. We think someone got away with it and passed the message on to others who are trying to get away with [the thefts.]”

According to Webster, over $500,000 worth of homes have gone missing, mostly in Lowndes County. She credits the dedication of the Sheriff’s officers for recent recoveries.

“Due to Deputy Canalin’s phenomenal work ethics… [his work] shined a light on… a repeated crime,” Webster said. “Our investigators are now working with the state and continuing with this investigation to locate more suspects and homes.”Sheriff locates five stolen portable buildings