By Tim Binnall
The owner of a residence in Tennessee was left scratching her head when she discovered that someone had mysteriously stolen the driveway leading up to the home. According to a local media report, the weird incident occurred at a property in Chattanooga that realtor Paige Batten is in the process of flipping. This past Saturday, her plan took an unexpected turn when she received a rather unusual call from a prospective buyer who asked, "when are you going to finish up the driveway?" A bewildered Batten initially thought they meant repairing some cracks in the concrete until she learned that the entire driveway had gone missing.
The realtor later determined that, on the previous day, the property was visited by three construction vehicles that were at the location for around two hours, removing the lengthy strip of concrete in front of the home. As one might imagine, Batten was positively flummoxed by the situation, calling police and conceding to them, "I don't even really know what I'm reporting." The realtor mused that the story is so weird that "some people have thought it was an AI picture that wasn't even real." Neighbor April Renner, who witnessed the removal of the driveway, explained, "I thought they were just replacing it for the homeowner. The cop came by, and somebody unfortunately stole it somehow, which is bizarre."
Lamenting that the lost driveway could cost a whopping $12,000 to replace, Batten theorized that its removal was a mistake on the part of a contractor who had gotten the wrong address. To that end, she expressed hope that "somebody will come forward" and take responsibility for the miscue and rectify the situation "without us paying out all the money." The Chattanooga 'heist' is remarkably similar to a 2024 incident in Florida wherein a residence also had its driveway stolen in what was believed to be a complex scheme involving a ne'er-do-well hoodwinking a contractor. Time will tell whether such is the case with Batten's property or if it was a genuine mistake.