Title Insurance for Manufactured & Mobile Homes – A Quick Overview
The way that mobile homes & manufactured homes are handled is a little bit different than a standard real estate closing.
Anything related to real property (real estate), must be recorded in the Registry of Deeds in order for it to be valid on a title or subject to a lien. However, some mobile homes could also be considered motor vehicles, or personal property. In this case, instead of being recorded at the Registry of Deeds or discovered during the title search, a lien on a motor vehicle would actually be noted on the vehicle’s certificate of title. Therefore if the title company only searched the Registry of Deeds, they could miss something huge if they don’t also check the Secretary of State’s records, where motor vehicle and personal property is recorded.
Also important to note is in the case of manufactured “pre fab” homes, the individual pre fab pieces that are delivered to the land are considered personal property until they are erected into a finished dwelling and attached to the land.
Likewise, a mobile home becomes a home and no longer a vehicle once the wheels, axle and tongue have been removed, the home has permanently been affixed to the land on a permanent foundation, and the title has been cancelled with all other state agencies (ie: Secretary of State’s office) that handle mobile homes in the state of origin and the state it’s been affixed to land in.
If you have questions about title insurance and how that applies to a mobile home, give us a call, we’re happy to help, 207-899-4900.
