If you own a mobile home or are looking to purchase one in Texas, having a certificate of title is critical to have to prove ownership. When ownership is established, all manufactured homes, house trailers, and mobile homes are issued one certificate of title by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) because they are considered vehicles and not fixed houses.
However, in the State of Texas, the certificate of title was replaced by the Statement of Ownership and Location (SOL). In the State of Texas, all mobile or manufactured home Statement of Ownership are issued by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), Manufactured Housing Division located in Austin.
If you currently own a title certificate and need an SOL, you can find helpful application instructions down below.
You can find additional help in the SOL Application Instructions.
How to Get a Lost Title for a Mobile Home in Texas
To receive a lost title replacement, the mobile home owner first needs to complete the Application for Statement of Ownership and Location (SOL) form.
You will need to pay a $55 issuance fee for a new SOL.
If there is a mortgage lien, you can provide either the completed Form B, documents, which identify the manufactured home that verifies the lien is fully paid and/or has been released, written consent from the lienholder than an SOL has been issued for the property, or a statement from an attorney or the title company declaring all prior liens and taxes on the home have been paid.
Replacement Title for Mobile Home in Texas
Since 2003, the State of Texas no longer issues Titles and Certificates of Attachment.
To replace the title with a personal property Statement of Ownership and Location, you will need to submit an SOL application and the original title document. There is no fee required if there are no changes to the property and you send the original title document to the DMV.
To replace a Certificate of Attachment (COA) for a real property SOL, you need to send an SOL application and the original COA or an affidavit of fact which states that the COA was filed in the real property records. If there are no changes and you send the original COA or affidavit to the TDHCA, there are no required fees.
Buying a Mobile Home Without a Title
A person is not legally allowed to buy, transfer, or sell a mobile home without a certificate of title or Statement of Ownership or Location (SOL).
However, if you do buy a mobile home without a title, the seller will need to complete the Application for SOL form and pay the $55 issuance fee after the sale within 60 days.
Selling a Mobile Home Without Title
It is possible to sell a mobile home without a title, though you cannot legally transfer ownership without it. You can use retailers such as MobileHomeHQ to help you sell your property for cash, even without a title.
You will need a Bill of Sale and a statement from the Tax Assessor-Collector at the local tax collector’s office to prove all taxes have been paid on the home. Within 60 days of closing a sale, sellers are required to submit an Application for SOL along with the required fee. If they submit the application after 60 days, there will be a late fee charged up to $100.
Any person is allowed to sell one manufactured home in a twelve-month period. If you want to sell more than one within that time frame, you will need to be a licensed retailer with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA), Manufactured Housing Division.
What Does a Mobile Home Title Look Like?
Texas quit using paper titles to prove ownership of mobile homes in 2003, replacing it with electronic SOLs. The information is kept online in a database for the state to keep track of all mobile homes regardless of their condition or age, mainly for tax purposes.
The Statement of Ownership specifies the legal owner of the property and the liens recorded with the department. The serial number, VIN, seal number, and label number are all included on the SOL. Those numbers identify the mobile home when you look up taxes and liens associated with the property.
How Much Does it Cost to Transfer a Mobile Home Title in Texas?
In order to transfer a mobile home title in Texas, there is a $55 issuance fee for the SOL.
If the home does not possess the required Texas Seal or HUD Label, there is an extra fee of $35 per Texas Seal per section of the home. The fee for a single is $35, doublewide is $70, and triple wide is $105. There is no additional fee for the release of lien when it is part of a transfer of ownership.
Any fees must be paid through certified funds, cashier’s check, or money order made payable to TDHCA/MHD. They are non-refundable.
Texas Statement of Ownership and Location
Since September 2003, Titles and Certificates of Attachment for manufactured homes in Texas have been replaced by the Statement of Ownership and Location (SOL). A Statement of Ownership must replace any certificate of title. The electronic statements are kept in online records to keep track of every mobile home in the State of Texas.
You must apply for a revised Statement of Ownership any time there is a change in the owner’s name(s), the physical location of the home, any lien information, the elected treatment of the home as either real or personal property, or residential or non-residential use. Any certified copies of a Statement of Ownership are free upon request.
Additionally, after selling a mobile home, the SOL application with the required fees must be filed no later than 60 days after the date of a sale to a consumer for residential use. If the seller files the SOL form after 60 days, they can face a fee of up to $100.
Mobile Home Title Transfer Form in Texas
On the Statement of Ownership application form on the TDHCA website, check “Used” under “Personal Property Transaction” on Block 1, check “personal property” on Blocks 2-6, and only fill out Block 7 if the home is being designated as Non-Residential or Salvage.
Block 4 describes the ownership information where you can specify whether this transaction is a sale and record the transfer date. If the home does not have a required Texas Seal or HUD Label, you will need to indicate that information in Block 2b.
You will need to include a receipt from the Tax Assessor-Collector with your form, which shows that no taxes remain unpaid on the home, and a lien release form from the previous lien holder.
If the home is going to be moved, you must contact the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles and obtain the required moving permit, which is also submitted alongside your SOL application.
Bill of Sale for Mobile Home in Texas
The bill of sale for a manufactured home proves the legal sale and purchase of your home between the buyer and retailer.
The first step to writing a bill of sale is to first come to a terms agreement between the buyer and seller, which includes the price of the mobile home. The home will need to pass an inspection conducted by a certified inspector, and the report will most likely be finished within 48 hours. The inspection covers the plumbing, electrical, roof, heating systems, foundation, and other structural features.
A closing date is then decided where the seller will move their possessions out of the home. The seller is required to give the buyer all of the required documents, such as the tax lien, Statement of Ownership and Location or the title certificate, and any past inspection reports or repair invoices. The buyer must bring their payment.
The mobile home bill of sale will need to be authorized by both parties, and the SOL transferred over to the buyer. Once all of the documents are signed, the buyer will need to register their new home with the DMV. You can use a generic bill of sale form or create it by hand.
Mobile Home Title Search in Texas
Before buying a mobile home or transferring ownership in Texas, you want to first check the department records for tax liens, mortgage liens, and current ownership information. You can do this by either searching the Manufactured Home Ownership Records database online or calling the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs directly.
When you conduct a title search, you will need to provide the complete serial number, Texas Seal number or HUD label for the mobile home, the address of the property, and the first and last name of the current or legal owner. If you cannot find the home, you can look through the archived records for any ownership information before March 1982.
Contact Mobile Home HQ
When buying or selling a mobile home with Mobile Home HQ our team will provide and make sure all paperwork is correct and compliant with the state. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us today.
