The Texas title is a Statement of Ownership

In Texas, the ownership paper for a mobile or manufactured home is a Statement of Ownership from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Manufactured Housing Division. People still call it a title. Since September 1, 2003, older documents of title are treated as Statements of Ownership, and that record is where you look for the owner and for liens filed with the department.

This is general information from public Texas sources, not legal advice for your home.

What the statement is

The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Manufactured Housing Division issues every Statement of Ownership in the state. The division's Statement of Ownership FAQ says that before June 2003 the paper was a certificate of title, and that on September 1, 2003 outstanding documents of title became Statements of Ownership. The statement is what confirms ownership and the liens recorded with the department.

Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1201 is the Manufactured Housing Standards Act. Section 1201.214 is the sentence that turns old titles and certificates of attachment into Statements of Ownership. You do not go to the county tax office or the department of motor vehicles for this document. Those offices handle other jobs. The statement comes from the Manufactured Housing Division. The FAQ says you may go to the division in person, and that doing so does not speed the application up.

Personal property or real property

The same FAQ says a manufactured home is personal property unless the owner elects real property on a completed application, pays the fees, and records it with the county clerk. Section 1201.2055 says the owner can elect real property only if the home is attached to land the owner owns, or to land the owner leases under a qualifying long-term lease. The department then issues a statement that shows the election. The election is not perfected until a copy is filed in the county real property records and the department and the chief appraiser of the appraisal district are notified. Until that happens, it is not finished.

Section 1201.222 says the home is treated as real property only when that election was made and a copy of the statement was filed in the county records. If you own the lot and the home may already be part of the land, read selling land with an old mobile home before you assume a deed covers the home.

If the home is still personal property, section 1201.206 says ownership does not pass or vest at the sale until a completed application for a Statement of Ownership is filed with the department. The seller of a personal-property home is supposed to get that application in within 60 days. The TDHCA instructions for applying for a Statement of Ownership explain the deadline. There is no fee to you for selling to me, and I pay the closing costs. The state's own application is a separate step, and that page is where the division describes it.

Lost, in someone else's name, or the owner died

That is a different job from reading a statement you already have. The page on selling without the title covers a lost statement, a record in the wrong name, and heirship when the owner has died, including the TDHCA forms. I still need you to say which one it is. A lien on a statement you do have is on the selling with a lien page.

Check a Texas manufactured home Statement of Ownership

Use the TDHCA ownership search to see the owner and any lien on file, then apply to the Manufactured Housing Division if you need a copy or a transfer.

Find the HUD label number, the Texas seal number, or the serial number on the home. The Manufactured Housing Division uses those numbers to find the record.
Open the TDHCA Manufactured Home Ownership Records search and enter the label or seal, the serial number, the certificate number, or the owner's name.
Read the owner listed on the statement and any mortgage lien or tax lien the department shows.
To get a copy, or to transfer a home that is still personal property, file an Application for Statement of Ownership with the Manufactured Housing Division. The forms and instructions are on the TDHCA website. Ownership of a personal-property home does not pass until a completed application is filed.

Questions people ask

What is a Texas Statement of Ownership?

It is the ownership record for a mobile or manufactured home in Texas. The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, Manufactured Housing Division, issues it. Since September 1, 2003, older documents of title are treated as Statements of Ownership. People still call it a title.

How do I see who owns the home and whether a lien is on it?

Search the Manufactured Home Ownership Records on the TDHCA site. Use the label or seal number, the serial number, or the owner's name. The record shows the owner on file and liens recorded with the department, including mortgage liens and tax liens filed there.

How do I get a copy or transfer it?

Apply to the Manufactured Housing Division. The forms are on the TDHCA site. For a home that is still personal property, ownership does not pass when you shake hands. It passes when a completed application is filed with the department. If the paper copy is lost, you can still apply.

What is the difference between personal property and real property?

A manufactured home starts as personal property. It is treated as real property only if the owner elects that, the home is attached to land the owner owns or to land under a qualifying long-term lease, and the election is perfected. Perfection means a copy of the statement is filed in the county real property records and the department and the appraisal district's chief appraiser are notified.

What if the statement is in someone else's name?

Say so on the form. I need to know whose name is on it before I make an offer. The sale still starts with the record. I am not a title company, and this page is not legal advice.