Mobile home titles in Nebraska

Nebraska titles mobile and manufactured homes through the Department of Motor Vehicles, and ownership transfers by transferring that title. An owner who affixes the home to land they own can surrender the title for cancellation, with an affidavit of affixture, to convert the home to real property. The information below describes how the law generally works; anyone with a specific title question should consider consulting a licensed attorney in Nebraska.

What the statute says

Under Neb. Rev. Stat. §60-169, a mobile or manufactured home is held by a certificate of title. When the home "is affixed to real property in which each owner of the mobile home or manufactured home has any ownership interest, the certificate of title may be surrendered for cancellation to the county treasurer of the county where such mobile home or manufactured home is affixed to real property if at the time of surrender the owner submits to the county treasurer an affidavit of affixture on a form provided by the department." That affidavit must include the owners' names and addresses, a description of the home (manufacturer, year, model, serial number), "the legal description of the real property upon which the ... home is affixed and the names of all of the owners of record of the real property," and "a statement that the ... home is affixed to the real property."

How it works in general

A Nebraska mobile home carries a Department of Motor Vehicles certificate of title, which records ownership and any lien; a sale happens by transferring that title. When the homeowner affixes the home to land in which they hold an ownership interest and wants it treated as real property, they surrender the title to the county treasurer with an affidavit of affixture (describing the home and the real property), and the title is cancelled — after which the home is treated as part of the real estate. The statute also provides a procedure for detaching a home and re-titling it if it is later removed from the land.

Common scenarios

General examples Nebraska residents commonly encounter:

• A home sits on a rented lot. It is held by a DMV certificate of title and sold by transferring that title.
• An owner sets the home permanently on owned land. They can surrender the title to the county treasurer with an affidavit of affixture to convert it to real property (§60-169).
• A home is later moved off the land. The statute provides a detachment procedure to re-title the home.

Other authorities that may apply

The Department of Motor Vehicles administers the certificate of title and lien recording; the county treasurer handles the surrender and the affidavit of affixture under §60-169. Security interests must be addressed with any lienholder's consent. The bill of sale and any financing documents also control, and the Mobile Home Landlord and Tenant Act governs the lot tenancy and the resident's right to sell the home in place.