How to Check if a Mobile Home Has a Lien in Texas

To check for liens on a Texas mobile home, run four free public searches: (1) the TDHCA Manufactured Housing SOL Search for any chattel lien recorded on the Statement of Ownership, (2) the Texas Secretary of State UCC-1 filings database for business or blanket liens, (3) the county clerk's public records for judgment liens and tax liens in the county where the home sits, and (4) for real-property-converted homes, the county deed records for mortgages. All four are free and together give you a complete picture in under half an hour. If anything comes back, a lien release (or payoff at closing) is required before TDHCA will transfer title.

Why a lien search matters before you buy or sell

A lien is a legal interest someone else has in your home, recorded publicly so the world is on notice. If a home has a recorded lien when it's sold, the buyer takes the home with that lien still attached unless it's cleared first. TDHCA won't issue a new Statement of Ownership with an old lienholder still on file, so in practice every sale stops at the lien question.

For sellers: a lien check confirms the title is actually clean before you market the home. Nothing kills a deal faster than discovering a $14,000 lien from a 2009 loan two days before closing. For buyers: a lien check is your single best protection against fraud. The owner on TDHCA may be legitimate and still have an active lien they "forgot" about.

Because Texas records manufactured-home liens in a dedicated TDHCA database (not at the county like real estate), the search is actually simpler than most people think. See our Texas Statement of Ownership guide for how the SOL itself is structured.

Search #1: TDHCA Manufactured Housing SOL Search

This is the primary lien search for any Texas manufactured home titled as personal property. It's a free public database run by TDHCA's Manufactured Housing Division.

Go to the TDHCA Manufactured Housing site and find the Ownership/Lien Search (sometimes called the "SOL Search"). You can look up by:

• HUD label number (best option if you have it — e.g., TEX0123456, printed on a red-and-silver tag on the exterior)
• Serial or VIN number (stamped on the steel frame and listed on the SOL)
• Owner name

The result screen shows: current owner(s), physical location, HUD labels, serial numbers, year, make, whether it's personal or real property, and — critically — any recorded liens with the lienholder name and filing date.

What TDHCA results actually tell you

• "No liens recorded." TDHCA has no chattel lien on file. Still run the UCC and county checks below.
• One recorded lien, active. You'll see the lienholder (e.g., 21st Mortgage, Vanderbilt, Triad Financial, Cascade, a credit union). That lien must be paid off and released before transfer.
• Multiple liens. Prior lender was refinanced by a new lender, but the old one was never released. Each one needs a separate release.
• "Real property." The home has been converted and is no longer titled through TDHCA — lien check moves to the county deed records instead.

Search #2: Texas Secretary of State UCC filings

Uniform Commercial Code filings (UCC-1) are how lenders record a security interest in business personal property, including manufactured homes owned by a business, a rental LLC, or an investor. These are filed at the state level through the Texas Secretary of State, separate from TDHCA.

Search free at the Texas Secretary of State direct access portal. You can search by debtor name (individual or organization). Look for active filings referencing the home's make, model, or serial number.

Why check UCC when you already checked TDHCA? Two reasons:

• Rental and investor-owned homes often have UCC blanket liens covering all business assets, not SOL-specific liens.
• Some commercial lenders file both a TDHCA lien and a UCC. Missing the UCC can leave you surprised at closing.

Search #3: County clerk records (judgment and tax liens)

Certain liens attach through the county, not through TDHCA:

Judgment liens

When someone sues the owner and wins, they can file an abstract of judgment with the county clerk. That creates a lien on non-exempt property. Mobile homes that are the owner's homestead are typically exempt from most judgment creditors under Texas law, but non-homestead homes (rentals, second homes) are fair game.

County tax liens

Unpaid personal property taxes on a manufactured home create a statutory lien in favor of the county. This doesn't always appear on the SOL, but TDHCA still requires a clean tax certificate before transfer.

Mechanic's and materialman's liens

If a contractor did unpaid work on the home (HVAC, roofing, foundation), they may have filed a lien at the county.

Child support or IRS liens

Federal IRS liens and Texas child support liens can attach to non-exempt property and appear in county records.

Each county makes its records searchable online — search for "[County name] County Clerk Official Public Records" and run the owner's name. Travis, Bexar, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, and most major Texas counties have free online search.

Search #4: County deed records (real-property-converted homes only)

If the home was converted to real property, TDHCA is out of the picture and the lien picture moves entirely to the county where the land sits. Run:

• County deed records for any mortgage (deed of trust) on the land and improvements
• Any home equity line (HELOC) or reverse mortgage
• Any mechanic's or tax lien on the real property

A real-estate attorney or a title company will run this search for under $250 if you want a formal title commitment. For a clean cash sale, a DIY records check is usually enough.

What if an old lien shows up that you paid off years ago?

This is one of the most common problems we run into at Mobile Bye Bye. The homeowner paid off a chattel loan in 2011, the lender kept the cash, and nobody filed the release. Fifteen years later, the SOL still says the lien is open.

The fix:

1. Find the payoff proof. Dig out the final statement, the cancelled check, or a bank statement showing the final payment.
2. Contact the lender or its successor. Many chattel lenders have been acquired (Green Tree rolled into Ditech rolled into other things; Conseco became Vanderbilt; etc.). Track the corporate succession.
3. Request a notarized Lien Release with the HUD label and serial number.
4. File the release with TDHCA. Processing is typically 2–4 weeks; expedited is faster.
5. If the lender is truly defunct, consult a Texas attorney about an affidavit or court order to clear the lien.

Read our full playbook in how to sell a mobile home with a lien in Texas, and if you also can't find the title paperwork, the lost title guide walks through that separately.

What clouds a title?

"Cloud on title" is a catch-all phrase for anything that makes ownership ambiguous. On Texas manufactured homes, clouds come from:

• Recorded liens (active or stale)
• Broken chain of title — home sold two or three times but TDHCA never updated
• Deceased owners with no probate or heirship affidavit
• Divorce decrees that never triggered an SOL transfer
• Park-based abandonment claims (see Property Code Ch. 94 tenancy rules)
• Tax delinquency the county hasn't yet memorialized

The fastest way to find clouds is to run all four public searches above, then compare the results against a current SOL and the seller's ID. Any mismatch = a cloud to clear. For the broader legal landscape, see our legal side of being a mobile home seller article.

Should I pay a title company to do this?

For a typical personal-property-titled mobile home, no. The TDHCA and UCC searches are free, and county records in most Texas counties are online and free. If you're buying a high-value double-wide on owned land, paying $200–$500 for a formal title commitment through a real estate title company (especially if the home is converted to real property) can be worthwhile — the title commitment comes with title insurance, which is enforceable if something was missed.

For inexpensive homes or cash sales to an experienced buyer, DIY checks are industry-standard. Our full 2026 selling guide and Texas selling FAQ walk through when each approach makes sense.

If you'd rather skip the research and just get a fair cash offer, request a no-obligation offer from Mobile Bye Bye. We're TDHCA-licensed and handle the title transfer, park estoppel, and closing paperwork for you.

A quick reminder: Mobile Bye Bye handles TDHCA paperwork routinely as a licensed broker, but we are not attorneys. Clearing a stale lien when the lender is defunct, or defeating a disputed judgment lien, requires a licensed Texas attorney, not a broker.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check if a Texas mobile home has a lien?

Run three free searches: the TDHCA Manufactured Housing public search (the SOL Search) for any lien recorded on the Statement of Ownership, the Texas Secretary of State UCC search for chattel liens filed against the owner, and the county clerk's records in the county where the home sits for judgment liens and tax liens. For real-property-converted homes, also search the county deed records for mortgages. Each search is free and takes only a few minutes.

Is the TDHCA lien search free?

Yes. TDHCA's public Manufactured Housing search tool is free and open to anyone. You can search by HUD label number, serial or VIN number, or current owner name, and the results show the current owner, any recorded liens, the home's location, and whether it's titled as personal or real property.

What kinds of liens can attach to a Texas mobile home?

Five main types: chattel liens from finance companies (recorded on the Statement of Ownership itself), UCC-1 filings at the Secretary of State (common for business-owned or rental homes), judgment liens from a lawsuit filed in the county where the home sits, county tax liens for unpaid personal property taxes, and mortgage liens (only for homes converted to real property and filed in county deed records).

How do I release an old paid-off lien that TDHCA still shows?

You contact the original lender (or its successor after a merger) and request a notarized Lien Release referencing the home's HUD label and serial number. File the release with TDHCA and the old lien will be cleared from the Statement of Ownership at the next update. Old liens where the lender is defunct may require a court order or an affidavit of satisfaction; a Texas attorney should handle those.

Does checking a lien on a Texas mobile home require paying a service?

No. The TDHCA SOL Search and the Texas Secretary of State UCC search are both free public databases. County clerk records are typically free to search online or in person, though certified copies of judgment liens cost a small fee. Paid title-search services exist, but for a typical Texas manufactured home sale you can do the whole check yourself in under 30 minutes for $0.

Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. Mobile Bye Bye is a TDHCA-licensed manufactured home brokerage — we are not attorneys, accountants, tax advisors, or financial advisors, and nothing in this article constitutes legal, tax, or financial advice. Title transfer requirements, tax law, probate procedures, park regulations, and state statutes change frequently and apply differently to every situation. Before making any decision involving legal paperwork, taxes, title transfers, estate matters, or financial commitments, consult a licensed Texas attorney, CPA, or qualified financial advisor.