Ask Me Help Desk - Mobile home title in MN

I am looking at buying an older mobile home in MN, a 1986... here's the problem, the current owner purchased this home at a sherriffs sale, but never got the title transferred into her name because there were back taxes from the early 90's ($600 some dollars)... purchasing a home at the sherriffs sale is supposed to wipe out the back taxes, or so I was told... but apparently it didn't so the title still has a lien from the county on it.

My question - should I buy this home and try to resolve this with the county and get a bill of sale, or should I walk away from this deal? The mobile home park says I can move in with no problem and live there... I just don't want to be homeless if something goes wrong.

Thanks!

If the "owner" doesn't have a title in his name, he can't sell it. So you tell the "owner", that, as soon as he gets clear title, you will be happy to complete the purchase.

She has all the paperwork for the sheriff's sale when she purchased the home, it's just that the county has a lien on the house because of the back taxes... this was supposed to be cleared upon the sale of the home when she bought it at the sheriff's sale. I talked with the mobile home park management where the home where this is located, they said this is common and they know most people will just pay the taxes instead of hiring an attorney to fight it because it's cheaper... it's not fair, but that's the way it works. They said I can move in without a title in my name... my main concern is I proceed and end up homeless in a year or 2.

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottGem

If the "owner" doesn't have a title in his name, he can't sell it. So you tell the "owner", that, as soon as he gets clear title, you will be happy to complete the purchase.

Quote:

Originally Posted by KellBell1234

She has all the paperwork for the sheriff's sale

Hello Kell:

She has all the paperwork from the sheriff's sale, but she DOES NOT HAVE THE PAPERWORK SHE NEEDS!!

Follow Scott's advice.

excon

Thanks for your help! It's such a good deal that I really want to buy it, but I also don't want to be in a huge bind later down the road and possibly homeless.

What gets me is the mobile home park is willing to let me move in without a title, I'd be on the hook for lot rent for a house I might not even own...

Quote:

Originally Posted by excon

Hello Kell:

She has all the paperwork from the sheriff's sale, but she DOES NOT HAVE THE PAPERWORK SHE NEEDS!!!

Follow Scott's advice.

excon

Quote:

Originally Posted by KellBell1234

It's such a good deal that I really want to buy it,

Hello again, Kell:

OF COURSE, it's cheap - cause they don't have the TITLE. They're trying to dump their problem onto somebody else. Don't BE that somebody.

excon

I appreciate your help! For the sake of covering all my bases... if I'm planning on living here for a long time and don't care if I get anything out of selling the house at a later date, does it really matter if I have a title or not? Do I need it to pay current property taxes? Is there any way I could get evicted out of the house without a title if I have a bill of sale?

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by excon

Hello again, Kell:

OF COURSE, it's cheap - cause they don't have the TITLE. They're trying to dump their problem onto somebody else. Don't BE that somebody.

excon

Problem, you won't ever own it, the court can sell the back taxes and the new owner can merely evict you.

So.
1. the current owner has to clear up the back taxes ( pay them) anyone can pay anyone's taxes, thus the lien will be paid off. But check a 600 dollar lean that is old, could easy be 5000 now with interest and late fees.

Then the current owner gets a title and sells it to you.

Next if you just want to be cheated perhaps, ask them to sell it for about 1/2 of the price they paid at the sheriff sale, that is public reocords
If that amount is less than a years rent, then you just hope you live there a year. Plus you get the seller to sign over a power of attorney to allow you to act on their behalf on the sheiff sale documents and you try to clean it up

Only one problem I see even IF the back taxes are unpaid (the $600). WHO has been paying the taxes all these years that the new owner has had possession of the mobile home? Has that owner paid anything each year? Are the taxes up to date except for the "back" taxes where the person did not get the title to the home?

You need to go and talk in person to the folks at the county tax office and see just HOW much money tax wise is owed on this house. THEN decide if you want to buy it or not.

Sure, living in a mobile home in a rented lot can be a cheaper way of living if you plan on staying there a long time. But you need to remember that the County can and will come and seize the home and sell it for back taxes should you fall too far behind on paying them.

Go in person and speak to the folks at the county first.

Don't listen to the guy at the mobile home park. They just want a tenant to pay the lot rent. They could care less if you legally own the home or not or what happens if you don't pay the taxes on it.

Also, being that old a home how long ago was the hot water heater changed out? How old is the furnace? How is the underside of the house look? Is the belly membrane intact or huge gaping holes in it and needs repaired or totally replaced. This can be a factor in how much $ you wish to spend on heating the place in the winter months. Older mobile homes are notoriously not insulated properly and leak warmed air like crazy. You could end up with a "nice" trailer that costs you megabucks to heat in the winter. Ask to see the electric bills for the winter or the propane bills for last winter.

THEN DECIDE if you want this house or not.

You make some excellent points. I am going to do A lot more research on this before I move forward. It does have a brand new water heater, new stove, new fridge, original furnace. I haven't gotten under the home. The siding needs to be replaced in the spring, but I was planning on that anyway.

The one piece of paper I saw was just the $600 in back taxes, but I guess that means nothing if I don't go directly to the county and find out EVERYTHING.

Thanks! I had stars in my eyes thinking of what a good deal this was, but I'm starting to think maybe it was too good to be true and might have turned into a total nightmare!

Quote:

Originally Posted by twinkiedooter

Only one problem I see even IF the back taxes are unpaid (the $600). WHO has been paying the taxes all these years that the new owner has had posession of the mobile home? Has that owner paid anything each year? Are the taxes up to date except for the "back" taxes where the person did not get the title to the home?

You need to go and talk in person to the folks at the county tax office and see just HOW much money tax wise is owed on this house. THEN decide if you want to buy it or not.

Sure, living in a mobile home in a rented lot can be a cheaper way of living if you plan on staying there a long time. But you need to remember that the County can and will come and seize the home and sell it for back taxes should you fall too far behind on paying them.

Go in person and speak to the folks at the county first.

Don't listen to the guy at the mobile home park. They just want a tenant to pay the lot rent. They could care less if you legally own the home or not or what happens if you don't pay the taxes on it.

Also, being that old a home how long ago was the hot water heater changed out? how old is the furnace? How is the underside of the house look? Is the belly membrane intact or huge gaping holes in it and needs repaired or totally replaced. This can be a factor in how much $ you wish to spend on heating the place in the winter months. Older mobile homes are notoriously not insulated properly and leak warmed air like crazy. You could end up with a "nice" trailer that costs you megabucks to heat in the winter. Ask to see the electric bills for the winter or the propane bills for last winter.

THEN DECIDE if you want this house or not.

Thanks for the comeback KellBell. Some of the 1986 models WERE good trailers, don't get me wrong about that but it all has to do with how the home was maintained all these years. Also the floors need to be checked out for soundness. If the water heater was replaced be sure to check the floor immediately around the water heater and the underside of the home around the water heater area for any floor damage. Water damage on the floors needs immediate repairs as the material is basically pressed wood and not plywood construction. If the floor was replaced anywhere it would have been replaced using plywood.

Also, if you are handy around the house and like to fix things after you decide to buy it you can do a lot of the work yourself around a mobile home.

Also, check for any leaking pipes underneath as well. Those indicate that the pipes were at one time frozen and will never be the same until they are changed out.

I worked for a mobile home dealer and know a lot of "tricks" that folks who never lived in a mobile home don't know to look for.