Katikati community helps recover stolen tiny home in three hours

This Tiny Home show home was stolen from Katikati and was returned in three hours.

A quick response from the Katikati community saw a stolen tiny home found three hours after an appeal was posted to social media.

The Tiny House Builders Ltd show home was stolen from a property on Rea Rd about 4am on Saturday and owner Rebecca McLean said it took the offender 20 minutes to smash the trailer lock, remove the security gates, take off the jacks and hook the five-tonne show home to the tow bar of their ute.

McLean posted on social media about the theft and provided her phone number for people to contact her directly with any information.

She received around 10 phone calls from people who had seen the ute towing her show home from Katikati towards Rotorua.

Some people reported sightings to McLean and sent in bits from security cameras that had been facing the street.

Another person saw the tiny home parked up and immediately contacted her.

The combined efforts of the community and police saw the tiny home found within three hours.

“It’s pretty impressive,” she said.

The response from the community blew McLean away.

“That’s the only way it was found.”

The Tiny House Builders Ltd show home was taken from the Katikati property.

McLean did not know why the people stole the tiny home, which had already been sold and was awaiting collection in two weeks by its new owners.

She contacted the soon-to-be owners of the tiny home as soon as possible and said they were shocked and surprised.

The Tiny Home was fully furnished with a full kitchen

“It’s a big piece. It’s really noticeable. It’s not supposed to be towed on the road. We’re supposed to put them on a truck and transport them.

“This one was a full house, so it had a kitchen, bathroom, the works. It would have been a nightmare to drive it.”

McLean was blown away when the Tiny Home was found in three hours

“We’re really grateful to everyone who had taken the time to reach out and be like, ‘Oh, hey, if anyone’s seen anything, go help these guys out’.”

“It wouldn’t have been found without them [the community].”

A police spokesperson said the trailer and structure were located at an Upper Ohauiti Rd location.

“A forensic examination has been conducted, and inquiries into the circumstances of the incident are ongoing.”

This wasn’t McLean’s first rodeo with theft.

A Tiny House “pod” was stolen from the property last year, which encouraged her to upgrade her security system.