Mobile home titles in Connecticut

Connecticut handles mobile manufactured home ownership through bills of sale and the town land records rather than a motor-vehicle title, and taxes the home locally. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone with a specific title or tax question should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Connecticut.

What the statute says

Connecticut's Mobile Manufactured Homes chapter does not create a motor-vehicle certificate of title for these homes. Instead, ownership is tracked through the town records: under Conn. Gen. Stat. §21-67a, the park licensee must file with the town clerk, "for purposes of recording in the land records of the municipality in which the park is located, a list containing all mobile manufactured homes in the park ... [and] the name and address of the owner of each mobile manufactured home as appearing on its record and the lot number or location of each."

Taxation is local. Section 21-73a provides that "the interest of each owner of a mobile manufactured home park in such park shall be subject to any tax lien on such park," and the disclosure statement must tell a prospective resident that "outstanding property taxes may be owed on the mobile manufactured home" and that they "should check with the town clerk, tax assessor and tax collector to determine whether any taxes are due ... and within any liens or encumbrances on the mobile manufactured home" (§21-70(a)(10), (11)). When a park is sold to its residents, §21-70c exempts the sale from state and municipal conveyance tax under the conditions it sets.

How it works in general

A Connecticut mobile manufactured home isn't titled like a car — there's no DMV certificate of title. The owner holds the home through a bill of sale, and the park is required to record the homes and their owners with the town clerk so the land records reflect who owns each home and on which lot. The home is taxed by the municipality where it sits, and unpaid property taxes can become a lien. Because of that, the law itself directs a buyer to check with the town clerk, the assessor, and the tax collector for any taxes due or liens before taking ownership. If a park's residents buy the park as a group, the conveyance-tax exemption in §21-70c can apply.

Common scenarios

General examples Connecticut residents commonly encounter:

• A home is sold in a park. Ownership passes by bill of sale, and the park records the new owner with the town clerk (§21-67a).
• A buyer wants to confirm there are no back taxes. The disclosure directs checking with the town clerk, assessor, and tax collector (§21-70(a)(10), (11)).
• Residents purchase the whole park. The sale can be exempt from conveyance tax (§21-70c).

Other authorities that may apply

The dedicated act (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§21-67a, 21-70, 21-73a) governs the recording of homes and owners and the disclosure of taxes and liens; the municipality's assessor and tax collector handle local property taxation and liens (with the general lien rules in §12-173). The home's construction follows the federal HUD code, and the bill of sale and any financing documents also control.