Can't setProperty across timelines. Help!

Under one layer I have an invisible hotspot which I am capturing mouse position when rollover occurs.

Then within same actionscript I have a setPropery command on an instance name of another movie clip.

setProperty("subObj", _x, var_x);

This other clip is on another layer and is a sub movie clip of another layers movie clip.

Why won’t my setPropery command update the position of this sub clip? Am I missing something like

_root.subObj

Please help.

onClipEvent (mouseMove) {
if (this.hitTest(_root._xmouse, _root._ymouse)) {
var_mov = (_xmouse-x_old)*4;
x_old = this._xmouse;
}
}

This is not the complete code at how I arrive at var_x. It’s just showing how I am using hitTest and _root. Is this correct.

This is in the hidden rollover object.