Mobile home left on road draws concerns near Taylor

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - A mobile home ended up not being quite so mobile just outside of Taylor.

On Wednesday, April 3, people in the area found a mobile home on a road leading into town. While it didn't block the road, some people who live nearby are concerned.

The Texas Department of Transportation went out there Wednesday putting down cones in order to warn drivers, as those who live nearby and even the homeowner, don't want someone to accidently hit it.

“I hope it doesn't stay there forever,” said Roxanne Patschke.

Patschke woke up Wednesday morning to what seemed like a new neighbor until she got a closer look.

“I noticed it and I thought gosh what's that mobile home doing on the side of the road and so it was kind of shocking,” said Patschke.

While Patschke has many questions like how the mobile home ended up not so mobile, it's sitting on a popular road used to get into Taylor and she worries someone might hit it.

“Hopefully they won't be going too fast where they don't see it and go up underneath it that would be terrible,” said Patschke.

Owner Robert Liles said the reason his home ended up on the side of the road was due to the suspension breaking mid-move.

“People might not think it's much but it's our home,” Liles said. “I heard a loud pop and smoke and stuff flying everywhere. I wasn't going very fast, only 25 mph." 

Liles was trying to move his home from Taylor to Thrall, a trip he thought would only take a couple minutes. Instead he was left to post up somewhere in the middle and can't move until somebody comes to fix the home. Liles, like Patschke, is worried someone might hit his home.

“Couldn't leave it on the highway so I moved it as far as I could,” said Liles. 

According to TxDOT, as the home has wheels, it's technically a vehicle and state law requires people to move their vehicles no matter the size off the road within 48 hours before they take action. However, in unique cases like this, TxDOT says they work with the owner and allow more time but the more it poses a danger to drivers, the quicker they want it out of there.

Liles says he isn't too worried about his current roadside property as he's dealt with similar incidents being a truck driver.

“You get into all kinds of situations 32 years on the road,” said Liles.

For now, Liles is staying with friends until he's able to get his mobile home mobile again.

TxDOT says they are in contact with Liles who said a crew is expected to come out Thursday to help him move the home. He also said he only had seven more miles to go before it broke down.