I'm going to reject my suggestion, as I just checked the sale price on each house, then clicked Tony to put him in storage.
Neither building stores with him, and he does not have a green icon to sell him in the inventory list. He seems completely separate and unsellable.
Now that there's been some time since your town restoration, it would be a good time to open a new ticket and say he just recently went missing. Don't bring up your town's "history". The CSR who helps you will only be confused by that. Anything they ask, just say you don't know. He was there, now he isn't. They can restore the character. Don't give any reason not to. I also recommend the call back method. They seem more...helpful.