How to Get a Statement of Ownership for a Manufactured Home

To get a Statement of Ownership for a manufactured home in Texas, you file a completed Application for Statement of Ownership (MHD Form 1023) with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, pay the $55 fee, and attach the documentation the form requires for your situation. TDHCA replaced the old paper Certificate of Title system in 2003 with this electronic record, which identifies the owner, tracks the home’s location and identification numbers, lists any liens, and shows whether the home is classified as personal property or real property.¹ Ownership of a manufactured home does not legally transfer in Texas until a completed application reaches TDHCA, so getting the filing right matters.²

When You Have to File

Texas law requires a new Statement of Ownership application any time the home’s ownership, location, lien status, or property classification changes. The common triggers are selling or transferring the home, moving it to a new address, paying off a recorded lien, or converting the home between personal property and real property.³

The deadline in each case is 60 days. After a retail sale, the retailer must submit the application within 60 days. For a later sale or transfer of a home classified as personal property, the seller has the same 60-day window. If you relocate the home, you have 60 days from the move date. When a seller misses the deadline, the buyer can file directly, and TDHCA may assess a late-filing fee of at least $100 against the seller.²

The 60-day rule is easy to miss in a private sale where there is no retailer handling paperwork. Because your ownership is not legally recognized until the filing reaches TDHCA, filing promptly protects you as the buyer.

The Application Form and What to Attach

The application is MHD Form 1023, available on the TDHCA website or by calling 1-800-500-7074.¹ An incomplete application resets the processing clock, so filling it out correctly the first time saves weeks.

Home Identification

You need the manufacturer’s name, model designation, and complete serial number for each section of the home. These appear on the data plate, a paper label permanently affixed inside the home, often inside a kitchen cabinet, near the main electrical panel, or in a bedroom closet. The data plate also lists the date of manufacture and the HUD certification label number.

Separately, you need the HUD certification label numbers from the metal plates on the exterior of each transportable section, usually at the rear. A double-wide has two labels, one per section. These certify that each section was built in compliance with the federal construction and safety standards in 24 CFR Part 3280.⁴ The form also asks for the home’s outside dimensions measured to the nearest half-foot at the base, excluding the tongue.⁵

If a label or data plate is missing or unreadable, you can request a replacement verification letter from the Institute for Building Technology and Safety (IBTS), the organization authorized by HUD to provide that documentation. Handling this before you file avoids a common rejection, since TDHCA will not approve an application where the identification numbers cannot be confirmed.

Owner and Lienholder Information

Include full legal names and mailing addresses for all sellers and buyers. If a financial institution holds a security interest, list the lienholder’s name and address. The Statement of Ownership records all liens in chronological order, so accuracy here prevents disputes down the line.³

Documents for Used Homes and Real Property Elections

If you are electing real property status, attach a legal description of the land, such as Exhibit A from a deed or title commitment.⁵ For a used home not in a retailer’s inventory, or one being converted to real property, you also need a statement from the local tax assessor-collector confirming there are no outstanding tax liens for the 18-month period before the sale date.²

Signatures

All sellers and buyers sign the application. Notarization is optional on the form itself, despite what some guides suggest.⁵ In private-party sales, getting signatures notarized is still a reasonable precaution if ownership is later disputed.

Choosing Personal Property or Real Property

The application requires you to classify the home as personal property or real property. You can elect real property status only if the home is attached to land you own, or to land you lease under a long-term lease as defined by TDHCA rules. If you rent the lot, the home stays personal property.⁶

Choosing real property is more than a check-box. After TDHCA issues the Statement of Ownership reflecting the election, you have 60 days to file a copy in the real property records of the county where the home sits, and you must notify both TDHCA and the chief appraiser of the local appraisal district that the filing occurred. The election is not complete until all three steps are done.⁶

Classification affects taxes too. A personal-property home is assessed separately from the land, with its own tax notice. A real-property home is assessed with the land on a single property tax account.

Fees and Submission

The standard fee is $55. Priority handling is an additional $55 per review of the application. A correction caused by the applicant costs $55; a correction caused by a department error is free.⁷

For paper submissions, make checks payable to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Electronic transactions through Texas Online accept credit card or ACH.⁷ If you mail the application, certified mail with return receipt gives you proof of delivery for a small added cost.

Processing Time and What You Get Back

Regular processing takes up to 15 business days from the date TDHCA receives a complete application, not counting mail time.⁸ Complete is the key word. If anything is missing or inconsistent, TDHCA contacts you for supplemental documents, and the 15-day clock restarts once you provide them. Priority handling can speed a complete file; it does not help an incomplete one.

During review, TDHCA verifies serial numbers against manufacturer records and confirms that previous liens have been released. Once approved, the department issues the Statement of Ownership, updates the state’s online database, and mails a physical copy to the owner.¹ Keep that copy somewhere secure. You will need it for future sales, refinancing, or insurance claims.

Replacing or Correcting a Statement Already Issued

If your Statement of Ownership is lost or destroyed, apply for a replacement by submitting a new Application for Statement of Ownership with the $55 fee. If the original document still exists and no information has changed, you can request a reissue in writing at no charge by surrendering the original to TDHCA.¹

You can also pull a copy of your Statement of Ownership through TDHCA’s manufactured housing records portal by entering the HUD label or serial number. The online copy works for quick verification, but lenders and title companies usually require the officially issued document for transactions.¹

One Note on Financing

If you plan to finance the home with a conventional, FHA, or VA mortgage rather than a chattel loan, the real property election matters. Fannie Mae will only purchase mortgage loans secured by manufactured homes titled as real estate, with the home at least 400 square feet and 12 feet wide, built on a permanent chassis, and installed on a permanent foundation.⁹ FHA Title I loans require the foundation to meet both state and local installation standards.¹⁰ VA-backed loans generally require the home and land to be titled and taxed together as real estate. A home still classified as personal property will stall these loans at title review, so complete the real property election, including the county filing and appraiser notifications, before your lender gets that far.

1
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Frequently Asked Questions: Statement of Ownership
2
State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code OCC 1201.206
3
State of Texas. Texas Occupations Code OCC 1201.205
4
eCFR. 24 CFR Part 3280 – Manufactured Home Construction and Safety Standards
5
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Application for Statement of Ownership – MHD Form 1023
6
Texas Public Law. Texas Occupations Code Section 1201.2055 – Election by Owner
7
Texas Administrative Code. 10 Tex. Admin. Code 80.3 – Fees
8
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Statement of Ownership Application Instructions
9
Fannie Mae. Manufactured Housing Product Matrix
10
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Financing Manufactured Homes (Title I)