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A Manufactured Home Was LOST! -- My HERO of the Day Found it

By
Real Estate Agent with Realty ONE Group Mountain Desert DRE #SA554748000

 I have Buyers who want to buy a manufactured home. They want to make an offer but there is a problem. The county records show the lot to be vacant. I know the home is there and is quite permanent as it is mounted on a beautiful stemwall of split-face block. It appears to be move-in ready and has never been lived in. The electric power company knows it is there as does the water company as both seem to be properly connected.

On doing research for three days, I learned that the county had LOST the home and the connection and the ability to bill taxes on the manufactured home. The home was scheduled to be sold at auction. I do not know how they would do that when they did not know where it is or who its owner is. In Arizona, a manufactured home is titled by the Department of Motor Vehicles. I think the records at the DMV may also have been messed up.

Anyway, the mystery is now solved and I told the lady at the county offices she was "My HERO of the Day." I think she will also be a Hero for my Buyers, the Sellers and their Agent.  I wrote the Purchase Contract with special terms that the Seller must provide an Affidavit of Affixture prior to close of escrow. That document makes the manufactured home into real estate and associates it with the lot.

Mark Don McInnes, Sandpoint-Idaho
Sandpoint Realty LLC - Sandpoint, ID
North Idaho Real Estate - 208-255.6227

It is always nice when hard work pays off to everyone's benefit.  Good patience on your part no doubt.  Mark

Jan 29, 2015 03:57 PM
Colleen Ferrary
Small Business USA www.SmallBusinessUS.com - New York, NY
Delivering Affordable Success-Critical Tools

Great story!!! Although I'm sure no homeowner wants to be found by the powers that tax, it sounds like its great follow up for anyone dealing with modular homes!

Jan 30, 2015 03:13 AM
Anna Hatridge
R Gilliam Real Estate LLC - Farmington, MO
Missouri Realtor with R Gilliam Real Estate LLC

John, thank you for this post.  I thought I was the only person who had this experience.  I found that the DMV was very helpful once the title company found an old sales record that showed who had owned the land and when the mobile home was sold with the land. Then we applied for a lost title and it was recorded as residential property. Send your hero a lunch and thank you note.  That is what I did and just this week it was mentioned at a chance meeting 3 years later.  Congratulations on meeting your real life Hero!

Jan 30, 2015 06:05 PM
John Mosier
Realty ONE Group Mountain Desert - Prescott, AZ
Prescott's Patriot Agent 928 533-8142

Anna Hatridge -- Thanks for your comment. I just went to escrow on this property yesterday. In my case, the manufactured home was built in 2008 but not actually mounted on the stemwall until 2011.  There was also some lot splitting going on and I suspect the home may have been moved from lot to lot. It will take some serious detective work to get this sorted out.

Jan 31, 2015 12:32 AM