§17A-3-12b. Canceled certificates of title for certain mobile and manufactured homes; reissuance of certificates of title; procedure.

(a) The commissioner may cancel a certificate of title for a mobile or manufactured home affixed to the real property of the owner of the mobile or manufactured home. The person requesting the cancellation shall submit to the commissioner an application for cancellation together with the certificate of title. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner shall return one copy of the cancellation certificate to the owner and shall send a copy of the cancellation certificate to the clerk of the county commission to be recorded and indexed in the same manner as a deed, with the owner’s name being indexed in the grantor index. The commissioner shall charge a fee of $10 per certificate of title canceled. The clerk shall return a copy of the recorded cancellation certificate to the owner, unless there is a lien attached to the mobile or manufactured home, in which case the copy of the recorded cancellation certificate shall be returned to the lienholder. Upon its recording in the county clerk’s office, the mobile or manufactured home shall be treated for all purposes as an appurtenance to the real estate to which it is affixed and be transferred only as real estate and the ownership interest in the mobile or manufactured home, together with all liens and encumbrances on the home, shall be transferred to and shall encumber the real property to which the mobile or manufactured home has become affixed.

(b) The commissioner shall reinstate and reissue any title for a mobile home or manufactured home which was previously titled in this state and for which the title was canceled pursuant to this section when the owner of the mobile or manufactured home seeks to sever the home from the real property and applies for a certificate of title in accordance with the provisions of this section. For purposes of this subsection, “owner” means the owner, secured lender of foreclosed or surrendered property, owner of real property who takes possession of an abandoned manufactured home on the property or other person who has the legal right to the manufactured home through legal process.

(1) The owner shall file with the clerk of the county commission where the real property is located an affidavit that includes or provides for all of the following information:

(A) The manufacturer and, if applicable, the model name of the mobile or manufactured home;

(B) The vehicle identification number and serial number of the mobile or manufactured home;

(C) The legal description of the real property on which the mobile or manufactured home is or was placed, stating that the owner of the mobile home or manufactured home also owns the real property;

(D) Certification that there are no security interests in the mobile home or manufactured home that have not been released by the secured party; and

(E) A statement by the owner that the home has been or will be physically severed from the real property.

(2) The owner must submit the following to the commissioner:

(A) A copy of the affidavit filed in accordance with subdivision (1) of this subsection; and

(B) Verification that the manufactured home has been severed from the real property. Confirmation of severance by the assessor where the real property is located is acceptable evidence that the unit has been severed from the real property.

(3) Upon receipt of the information required in subdivision (2) of this subsection, together with a title application and required fee, the commissioner shall issue a new title for the manufactured home.