If you can't package a lot, I'd check how much free disk space you have. If your machine is right up at the limits of memory and diskspace just trying to play the sims, it may simply not be able to spare resources to package the lot up. Hence the crash. Don't forget that the stupid lotpackager program is trying to include a big chunk of your downloads folder in the package plus info about every sim your family ever met. It could be trying to create a 20MB file. Were you trying to save the package to disk or upload to the exchange? Uploading takes ages and you may get a failed message even if the upload has worked.
If you are going to package a lot and put the family in another hood, put them in a brand new hood, clean them up as per Pescado's instructions, then package them again and put that clean package wherever you wanted them. If you mess up, you aren't damaging anything that matters and you can start over from that first package.
oh yes and Never move an occupied lot into the lotbin