I am purchasing a park with 8 homes without titles and registration that is way over due on some. Can anyone tell me what needs to be done to get title that makes them salable?
Since approximately 1980 the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has been processing titles to mobile homes in California. Before that, titles traded through the DMV, as they do in virtually every other State. So you’ll need to look to both DMV and HCD to find your title (or get a replacement) if the home is roughly 1970s or older. HCD will be your only stop if the home is 1980 or newer. HCD’s Registration & Titling department is reachable on 916.323.9252. Steve Leach works there and is reasonably helpful. They can step you through how to file for a lost title that the previous owner can sign over to you (is the MHP owner the owner of the 8 MHs?). However it may be more beneficial for you to file to take title to the homes through an abandoned property process. It may take a month or two longer, but getting title that way means all back taxes will be forgiven. As the new owner of the land, you have never owned the mobile homes before, so it is legitimately abandoned personal property sitting on your real property. All you’ll need to pay is the current year’s taxes and title is yours! (And of course, keep those taxes current.)Go to HCD.ca.gov, click ‘title/escrow,’ and then do an ‘informal’ title search to learn who is currently on title. That may help you to get the previous owner to pay up their taxes, or at least help you understand where to begin taking title through the abandoned property process; you’ll need to notify the person shown on title.Good luck,-Jefferson-
Sure appreciate the help!
Most likely, you will have to complete a Lien Sale to get title to the homes. My guess is that the homes are not in the existing park owner’s name/entity and they are held in various names that have long since moved out of the park. If the decal starts with “A”, annual registration fees are due to HCD. HCD refers to this as In-Lieu Taxation (ILT). You may only have to pay the current registration as Jefferson describes.If the Decal starts with “L” the home is subject to Local Property Tax (LPT). All homes new homes installed after July 1, 1980 are subject to LPT. It would then be assessed by the Assessor’s Office, as personal property, and taxes are collected by the Tax
Collector’s Office of the county in which the home is located. When there is any change of registered ownership on a home subject to LPT, a Tax Clearance Certificate, issued by the County Tax
Collector’s office is required. To get the certificate issued, all back taxes will have to be paid.
Thanks for the additional info.
I have a similar issue, I recently won a property/land with a mobile home on it through a tax defaulted auction, but the previous owner passed away. The title is in her name, but what is the process to, “file to take title to the homes through an abandoned property process”? in California? Any insights would be appreciated. TIA!