Titles and transfers
SCDMV issues certificates of title for manufactured homes, and the title is what transfers ownership of a home on a rented lot. Each section of a multi-section home is titled separately. The buyer applies to SCDMV with the assigned title, and the county assessor will want the change reflected for tax purposes as well.
- Confirm the exact name on the title matches the seller's identification.
- Any lien on the title must be released by the lender before transfer.
- Keep copies of the assigned title and bill of sale — the county may ask for both.
Lost titles
A duplicate SCDMV title is requested by the owner of record. Where the recorded owner is deceased or the home has passed through informal hand-to-hand sales, the ownership question has to be settled before SCDMV will issue anything. Homes that predate South Carolina's titling requirements may never have had a title, in which case the county tax record and the bill of sale chain become the working evidence.
De-titling: turning the home into real property
South Carolina law allows a manufactured home to be affixed to land the owner holds, with the title surrendered to SCDMV and an affidavit recorded with the county register of deeds. Once that is complete the home is part of the real estate and conveys by deed. A de-titled home cannot be sold as a titled home or relocated until the process is reversed with a severance affidavit.
- Check the register of deeds index before assuming the home is still titled personal property.
- Affixation requires the land and home in common ownership and lienholder consent.
- Lenders treat affixed homes as real estate, which usually improves the price.
County taxes and the moving permit
South Carolina counties assess manufactured homes for property tax and will not release a moving permit while taxes are outstanding. The permit process also confirms that the destination is a permitted site and that a licensed mover and licensed installer are being used. Plan on the permit, not the truck, being the long pole in the schedule.
- Get a written tax payoff from the county treasurer before setting a move date.
- The destination county may require its own setup permit and inspection.
- Moving without a permit exposes both the owner and the mover to penalties.
Parks, lot rent and approval
Community rules and the written lot lease control most of what happens in a South Carolina park sale. Almost all communities screen and approve the incoming resident, and many will not accept a home over a certain age even if the buyer qualifies. If the community will not let the home stay, the sale becomes a move, with all of the permitting above attached to it.
- Ask in writing whether the home can stay on the lot after a sale.
- Get the lot rent ledger and any promised increases.
- Confirm who removes decks, sheds, carports and steps if the home leaves.
Inherited homes
The probate court in the county where the owner lived appoints the personal representative who can sign a title. South Carolina offers a small estate affidavit procedure for qualifying estates, which is faster than full administration and is often enough to move a single manufactured home. Where there are several heirs, all of their interests generally have to be accounted for.
Storms, wind zone and coastal counties
The South Carolina coast is HUD Wind Zone II and the Lowcountry carries significant hurricane, storm-surge and flood exposure; the Upstate is Wind Zone I with hail and straight-line wind as the more common damage source. A Zone I home cannot be installed in a Zone II county, which routinely blocks moves from the Upstate toward Charleston, Beaufort and Horry counties.
- Check the FEMA flood map for coastal and riverine addresses before planning a replacement.
- Elevation and tie-down requirements are stricter in the coastal counties.
- Prior storm damage and open insurance claims should be disclosed early.
Rural versus metro South Carolina
Around Greenville, Columbia, Charleston and Rock Hill there is steady demand for clean, movable homes and for affixed homes on small lots. In the Pee Dee and rural Lowcountry, dirt roads, septic and well systems, and long distances to a licensed mover change the arithmetic — a home that is worth moving in Greenville may not be worth moving out of Marion County.
