How do I go about getting a mobile home title transferred to me if the owner has it listed for free? The previous owner inherited a house and just wants to get rid of his mobile home. Also,do you pay taxes on a title transfer? Thanks!

ScottGem

He just signs the title certificate on the back over to you.

twinkiedooter

In Ohio when you go to get a mobile home title transferred into a new owner's name you must take this to the county auditor's office to pay the county's title transfer fee for the sale of the home. (This would be a small fee of less than $10). Since the home was free there should be no taxes due other than the $10 transfer fee. The auditor's office clerk then stamps the front of the title accordingly. The same is true at the county treasurer's office. They do a search and make sure that the mobile home has no back taxes due (real estate taxes or personal property taxes) and then stamps the front of the title accordingly. If there are any back taxes due you must pay them even though you paid zero for the home.

Then, once you have the original title in order, you can proceed to the DMV office and pay the title transfer fee to get a brand new title in your name.

This is how Ohio does this and I'm sure that other states follow some sort of "paper" trail for each mobile home that is sold to a new owner. This way the county is not gyped out of any real estate tax owned by the mobile home. In some instances the back taxes can be several thousand dollars over a period of several years that need to be paid prior to the title being issued to a new owner. It is valued at the home's value during the Tax Assessor's personal visit to the mobile home every 6 years or so depending on the county.

The DMV is just the agency who issues a new title like they would to a automobile title. They have nothing to do with the real estate or personal property tax - that's the County's jurisdiction.