Proof of Ownership
Acceptable Proof
Proof of ownership usually takes three forms
- A MCO or MSO (Manufacturer’s Certificate/Statement of Origin)
- An Out of State Title
- A Florida Title
Regardless of which proof of ownership you have in front of you, you should get in the habit of reading the document from top to bottom
Front View-MCO/MSO
The front of a MSO is loaded with important information.
- The Manufacturer (Skyline Corp)
- The Vehicle Identification Number (32620242PA)
- The Make (Oak Springs)
- The Length: be sure to use the length without the hitch (52 feet)
- Who it was manufactured for (Quality Mobile Home Sales)
Back View-MCO/MSO
Reassignments begin on the back of this MCO.
- The selling dealer is the same as the person this mobile home was manufactured for (Quality Homes).
- The purchaser’s name goes here.
- There is a place to record lien information here. We don’t care about the amount of the lien, just the lienholder and date of lien.
Front View-MCO/MSO
The setup of this MCO is different than the other one that we just looked at. It has the same information, but it’s organized a little differently.
- This is the manufacturer of the mobile home. Who manufactured it?
- This shows who it was manufactured for. Who was it manufactured for?
- Here are all the mobile home details. What is the length?
- This is the first dealer reassignment. Is this okay?
- This is the second reassignment. Who are the retail purchasers?
Front View-Florida Title
This is an example of a very old version of a Florida title. Although the picture you see is black and white, this version of the title was light blue. You can still see the starburst pattern a little bit. Notice that there is not a whole lot of information on the face of this title and there aren’t many security features.
The transfer of ownership takes place on the reverse side. Although this is an old version, we still see these since mobile homes can stay in the same person’s name for many years. Let’s take a closer look at the information we see.
How many owners are listed on this title?
What is the year of the home?
What is the date of issue?
Back View-Florida Title
The back of this title has much more information than the front. This is where transfer of ownership and dealer reassignments occurs.
- This is the transfer of title by seller section. This is where the owner listed on the face of the title (Mobile H Owner) signs it over to the dealership (Mobile Home Dealer).
- This is where the dealership (Mobile Home Dealer) reassigns the title. In this case, it’s going straight to a retail customer (John and Sue Smith).
Front View-Florida Title
Here is one of our more current Florida titles. The titles you encounter may or may not have the white perforated section at the top. Whether it’s a mobile home, vehicle, off road vehicle, or a vessel, the format of titles will be the same. Let’s take some time to look at this one.
How many owners are listed on the face of the title?
What conjunction is used?
Is there a lien on this?
Who did the seller (s) sell it to?
Did everyone sign in the right place?
When was it sold?
How much was it sold for?
Back View-Florida Title
This is an example of the back of a Florida Certificate of Title. You should always get into the habit of looking at the back of the title. Let’s take some time now and look at this example.
Do you remember who this mobile home was sold to?
Is the purchaser from the front, the same as the selling dealer on the back?
Notice the places for Dealer License number, sales tax number and tax collected.
Who are the purchaser’s?
Did everyone sign in the correct area?
Broker Deal Florida Title
Completing a title for a broker deal is a little bit different than reassigning from a dealership. In broker deals, the broker is not shown in the chain of ownership. The broker just brings the buyer and seller together.
