Purpose of this page
This page discusses transferring a mobile home’s ownership from a seller to a buyer in the great state of Utah. This is not intended in situations where the land the mobile home sits on is included in the sale. If the land is included in the sale please reach out to a local real estate attorney to help facilitate your closing. However if you are dealing with an individual mobile home located in a pre-existing mobile home park, on somebody’s rented land, in a lot, or somewhere else than please see the information below.
In the state of Utah the process to transfer a mobile home title from one owner to the next is fairly simple and straightforward. Please see the steps and tips below when considering purchasing or reselling a mobile home in the state of Utah.
Disclaimer: This page is not intended for mobile home investors. The reason this is mentioned is because you may require extra documents and agreements if you are a mobile home investor. These extra documents would include an after closing agreement if the seller was remaining in the home for a bit after closing, personal property trust agreements, a promissory note or lien paperwork, power of attorney, and more. Below is the minimum paperwork required to successfully transfer ownership from one party to another.
Prior to your Utah mobile home closing
Verify seller has the title and he/she is listed as owner: Ask to see the title during your initial walk through of the mobile home. The seller may be willing to text message a picture of the title to you to verify information.
Check for back taxes: Contact the local tax assessor’s office in the county the home is located. Call with the mobile home’s serial number or VIN to verify taxes are current. Taxes must be current prior to title transfer. If purchasing the home and the taxes are past due then you may want to deduct this amount from the purchase-price you will give to the seller. This way you can pay the back taxes at the time you transfer title in the near future.
Check for hidden liens: Contact the local DMV office in the county the home is located. Call with the mobile home’s serial number or VIN to verify there are no unexpected liens you don’t know about. These liens may or may not be listed on the mobile home’s title in the “Lien’s Holder’s” section of the title.
If inside a mobile home park aim to speak with the community manager to 1.) become park approved, 2.) verify the seller is current on all payments, 3.) ask for a copy of the park rules, 4.) ask if lot rent is increasing in the near future, and 5.) if the park manager see any needed improvements to the mobile home if/when you purchase the home?
Missing or No Title? Contact your local DMV for detailed instructions. Have the mobile home’s VIN or serial number before you call.
(Selling) In replacement of a Utah Title – assuming the owner is who they say they are…
In a mobile home buy/sell transaction a title is required. However in replacement of a title a separate form may be used in order to create and transfer a new title when at the DMV (described below). This form is called the Application for Duplicate Utah Title. This form is signed by the buyers and sellers in replacement to the paper title when selling. This signed form should be taken to the DMV as described below.
Tips when filling out and signing the Application for Duplicate Utah Title:
(As buyer) Make sure the VIN number on the document matches the VIN on the mobile home’s data plate. (A mobile homes data plate is typically a normal-sized sheet of paper or piece of metal physically glued to the interior of the mobile home with all the important information in one this sheet. The data plate will have the manufacturer’s information, as well as the safety ratings of the home, most of the vehicle identification info, and much more. This data plate may have been painted over or removed over the years, however it is normally located near the interior electric panel, hot water heater, master bedroom closet, pantry, or washer and dryer area.)
(As buyer) Make sure the seller has signed where necessary to release their ownership of the vehicle. Note that the Application for Duplicate Utah Title requires the seller to sign in two places.
(As buyer) Make sure that the purchase date and purchase price are correctly filled in.
Prior to your Utah mobile home closing – Continued
Assessor’s Tax Receipts for previous 2 years needed. Seller should ideally obtain these prior to closing to provide to buyer. Seller may pay for taxes (if not already current) and obtain previous 2 years tax receipts from the local county assessor’s office. Duplicates can always be printed at the local county tax assessor’s office. These receipts can not be printed at home. They must come from the local tax assessor’s office.
If the seller fails to obtain the last 2 years Tax receipts then [as buyer] it is important to act smart. 1.) Fill out all forms needed as described on this page. 2.) Call the tax assessor’s office to find out back tax amount and total fees to obtain Tax receipts. 3.) Close with seller and take title. Get all forms signed by seller(s). Pay money to seller, however deduct taxes owned to Assessor’s office from money to seller. 4.) Now go to assessor’s office to pay back taxes and obtain Tax receipts. 5.) Next, see below.
At Closing
Paperwork needed: Title (must have or must have Application for Duplicate Utah Title as described above), Bill of sale (must have – You may create this by hand, use this generic Bill of Sale, or use the Utah approved Bill of Sale here.) No notary is needed. Plus, the last 2 years Tax receipts are needed. One title per mobile home; a single-wide and double-wide will have 1 title.
Buyer signature only: Print and fill-out the Utah Mobile Home Title Application form. This form will be needed later.
Pro Tip: If purchasing the mobile home perform one last walk through before closing and handing over any money. The seller wants your money just as bad as you want the property. If there are any surprise repairs needed or trash/furniture you may have to remove then adjust the price accordingly
After closing – Transferring ownership
Bring signed forms to your local DMV in the county to pay fees, sales tax, and transfer ownership. Only buyer(s) must be present at DMV to transfer title, however ideally buyer and seller go to DMV to transfer title to help expedite any last-minute issues that arise at the DMV. All forms should already be signed. No notary is needed.
Your new title should arrive in the mail 2-4 weeks after transferring ownership.
If for any reason a lien needs to be placed on the title, this will be done at the DMV while talking with the clerk that is helping you. The clerk will want to know the name of the lienholder and their address. The new title will be sent to the lienholder’s address. The lienholders will then transfer the title to you once they are paid in full.
If you are the seller: It can be wise to go with the buyer to the DMV to make sure the ownership is transferred correctly so that taxes and liability is not in your name moving forward. Some buyers wait years to transfer title/ownership.
If you are the buyer: Aim to transfer ownership through the DMV soon after you purchase the mobile home to avoid a penalty or complications when you eventually do transfer ownership/title.
Taxes moving forward: A yearly tax bill will be mailed to owner.
Bonus: If you’re an owner that just wants a duplicate title.
Titles may be easily replaced by sending a completed Form TC-123, Application for Duplicate Utah Title and $6.00 title fee to the address below. Assuming everything is correct a duplicate replacement title will be mailed typically within two weeks.
Division of Motor Vehicles
Mail and Correspondence
P.O. Box 30412
Salt Lake City, UT 84130
Bonus: If you’re an owner but lacking proof of ownership.
Disclaimer: Before filling out and submitting all forms outlined on checklist below, make sure to call the local DMV office with the mobile home’s VIN or serial number to ask for further instructions.
At times, a mobile home title may not be available when a vehicle is sold. This is especially true for old mobile homes for which the original title cannot be located. In such circumstances, a process known as “Insufficient Evidence of Ownership” must be completed. Please see the Mobile Home Insufficient Evidence Checklist here.
The 4 state forms mentioned in the Checklist above may be found below.
- Ownership statement (TC-569A)
- VIN inspection (TC-661)
- Application for mobile home title (TC-656)
- Bill of sale (TC-843)
We hope that the information above has been helpful. If you notice any errors or improvements please contact us immediately at support@mobilehomeinvesting.net. As always, if you have any follow-up questions or concerns never hesitate to reach out or comment below any time. All the best.
Love what you do daily,
John Fedro
