To record the purchase, transfer, or relocation of a manufactured home in Texas, file an Application for Statement of Ownership in Texas, MHD Form 1023, with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs within 60 days of the sale or move.1State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Section 1201.206 – Application for Issuance of Statement of Ownership The Statement of Ownership replaced the older paper-title system and is now the sole official record of who owns a manufactured home and whether it is classified as personal or real property.
The 60-Day Deadline and Late Penalty
After a retail sale, the retailer has 60 days to submit the completed application to TDHCA. For any later resale or transfer of a home classified as personal property, the seller or transferor faces the same 60-day window. If the retailer or seller misses that deadline, the buyer can file the application directly.1State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Section 1201.206 – Application for Issuance of Statement of Ownership
Miss the deadline and it costs money. If a seller fails to submit the application and filing fee before day 61 after a sale to a residential consumer, TDHCA can assess a penalty of at least $100, and the application may be held until that penalty is paid in full. The same 60-day clock also applies when a homeowner moves the home to a new location, and the owner must provide evidence that the move complied with Texas Department of Motor Vehicles requirements.1State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Section 1201.206 – Application for Issuance of Statement of Ownership
Information You Need Before You Start
Form 1023 is available on the TDHCA forms page.2Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Forms and Affidavits for Statement of Ownership Applications Before you begin, pull together a few identifiers from the home itself.
- HUD label or Texas seal number. Homes built after June 15, 1976 carry a metal HUD label on the exterior. The number on that plate goes in Block 2a. If the home has a Texas seal instead, use that number.3Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. MHD Form 1127 – Label and Seal Important Information
- Manufacturer name and serial number, usually on the data plate inside a cabinet or on the chassis. The serial number must match what TDHCA already has on file.
- Manufacturer’s model and date of manufacture.
You also need the full legal names of both the seller and buyer, and the exact physical address of the home, including county. That address ties directly to local tax records, so even small errors create problems with the county appraisal district. All signatures on the form must be notarized or witnessed. Mismatched serial numbers and missing signatures are the most common reasons applications get sent back.
Tax Clearance From the County
For any used manufactured home not sitting in a retailer’s inventory, the application must include a tax-clearance statement from the county tax assessor-collector. The same requirement applies when converting a home from personal property to real property. The statement must confirm that for each January 1 falling within the 18 months before the sale, there are no outstanding tax liens and no unpaid personal property taxes on the home.1State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code Section 1201.206 – Application for Issuance of Statement of Ownership
TDHCA provides MHD Form 1076 for this purpose. The assessor-collector’s representative signs the form and stamps it with the taxing entity’s seal, confirming that taxes have been billed and paid, that estimated taxes have been placed in escrow, or that no taxes are due.4Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Statement from Tax Assessor-Collector TDHCA will not process the transfer without it.
Under the Texas Tax Code, ownership cannot be transferred until all timely-recorded tax liens are satisfied and released, and all personal property taxes from the preceding 18 months are paid.5Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Tax Code Chapter 32 Tax Liens and Personal Liability
Choosing Personal Property or Real Property
Every manufactured home in Texas defaults to personal property unless the owner actively elects otherwise on the application.6Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Frequently Asked Questions: Statement of Ownership Personal property means the home is treated as a movable asset separate from the land, similar to a titled vehicle. Real property means the home becomes a permanent improvement to the land and is taxed and transferred like a traditional house.
You can only elect real property status if the home is attached to land you own, or land you lease under a qualifying long-term lease as defined by TDHCA rules.7State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code OCC 1201.2055 – Election by Owner If you lease the land, any lienholder on the home must give written consent approving the lease arrangement.6Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Frequently Asked Questions: Statement of Ownership The application requires a legal description of the land, which you can pull from your deed or county tax records.
Existing Liens on the Home
If you have a loan on the home, you cannot switch the property election on your own. Existing liens must be discharged or each lienholder must provide written consent. The one exception is a refinance in which a title company is insuring against existing liens, such as replacing a consumer loan with a mortgage. In that case, a copy of the title commitment or policy satisfies the consent requirement.6Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Frequently Asked Questions: Statement of Ownership
Finishing the Real Property Election
Choosing real property on the application is only the first step. After TDHCA issues the Statement of Ownership reflecting that election, you have 60 days to file a copy in the real property records of the county where the home sits and to notify both TDHCA and the chief appraiser of the county appraisal district that you have done so. The election is not complete until the county filing and notifications are finished.7State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code OCC 1201.2055 – Election by Owner County recording fees generally run around $25 to $29.
Reversing the Election
To convert a home back from real property to personal property, apply for a new Statement of Ownership indicating the change. TDHCA will require an inspection of the home, a lien search or proof of no liens from a title company, and notification to the county clerk.6Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Frequently Asked Questions: Statement of Ownership This most often comes up when an owner plans to move the home to a different property.
Fees and Where to Send the Application
The standard filing fee is $55 per transaction.8Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Fee Schedule Expedited processing within five working days is available for an additional $55, bringing the total to $110.9Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Manufactured Housing Division – Application for Statement of Ownership Multiple transactions submitted together can be paid with a single combined payment.
Mail the completed application packet to:
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Manufactured Housing Division
P.O. Box 12489
Austin, Texas 78711-24899Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Manufactured Housing Division – Application for Statement of Ownership
Payment is typically accepted by check or money order made payable to TDHCA. Confirm the payment amount matches the services you are requesting; the wrong amount is one of the fastest ways to get an entire packet returned.
Processing Time and Checking the Record
Standard processing takes about 15 working days from the date TDHCA receives a complete application. Expedited service takes five working days.9Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Manufactured Housing Division – Application for Statement of Ownership Those timelines assume everything is complete. A missing tax-clearance form or an unsigned affidavit resets the clock.
Once the Statement of Ownership is issued, you can verify the record through TDHCA’s public database by searching the serial number or owner name. Lenders and buyers use this database during sales to confirm current ownership and check for recorded liens. If the issued document contains an error, TDHCA provides Form 1009 to submit a correction.2Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Forms and Affidavits for Statement of Ownership Applications
Joint Ownership and Transfer on Death
Form 1023 also handles two ownership arrangements that come up during a transfer. If two or more eligible people want to hold the home jointly with a right of survivorship, they file a signed agreement with the application indicating that intent, and TDHCA issues the Statement of Ownership in all of their names.10State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code OCC 1201.205 When one co-owner dies, the survivor can apply for a new Statement of Ownership reflecting sole ownership without probate.
Owners of homes classified as personal property can also name a transfer-on-death beneficiary by submitting a Statement of Ownership with the TOD information included. After the owner’s death, the beneficiary must file a transfer application with TDHCA within 365 days and provide proof of death, and must have survived the owner by at least 120 hours. TOD is only available when the home is classified as personal property. Once a home is elected as real property, it passes through deeds, wills, or probate like any other real estate.