An East Austin Airbnb property owner was surprised to discover an unexpected sight on his land—a random shed that housed a man claiming he once had family ties to the property. Nima Amini, the property manager, detailed how the shed, not ordered by him, prompted concern after his property’s surveillance cameras recorded someone regularly using the small building as shelter. Amini told KXAN, "When we look out of this window we see what appears to be a tiny home or storage unit. That was delivered and we didn’t order it."
The question of the resident's right to remain was put on ice when Amini called police, who, due to cold temperatures, decided not to evict the shed's occupant immediately. The crux of this bizarre mix-up came to light when Amini learned that the storage company, Lone Star Portables, had mistakenly delivered the tiny home to someone impersonating as the property owner. "I think a simple search on the Travis County Appraisal district search would have showed that he was not the property owner," Amini noted in a statement obtained by Express News.
Lone Star Portables, the firm responsible for the delivery, was dumbfounded by the realization that they delivered to an unverified owner. "The building went out as normal, he told us he owned the property, we took the building over there, we set the building, then we left then I get a call from someone else," said John Coleman, owner of Lone Star Portables, according to KXAN. Coleman added that he began making calls immediately to rectify the situation and that internal policies would be reviewed to prevent such incidents in the future.
While the man's identity remains undisclosed, it was revealed that he faced housing insecurity and was familiar with the property due to his family’s previous residence there. In a demonstration of empathy, Amini offered the man a chance to remain in the shed for the night, telling him, "I just want to get you the help you need my friend." Meanwhile, Integral Care, a mental health organization, has been contacted to provide support for the individual. "Nabil's got your phone number and I am going to get it from him and we are going to try to get you some resources and some help," Amini said to the man during a conversation reported by Express News. Lone Star Portables claimed they have secured a temporary location for the man and his shed.
