(a) Each person acquiring or retaining a security interest in a manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home subject to registration under this part, unless the collateral is inventory, shall forward or cause to be forwarded to the department the application for original registration contemplated by Section 18085 with respect to a security interest acquired or retained at or before original registration, or the certificate of title or current registration card with appropriate insertions and signatures as respectively contemplated by Section 18100.5 with respect to a security interest acquired or retained at a time subsequent to original registration, together with the filing fee prescribed by department regulations.
(b) A security interest in a manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home subject to registration under this part, unless the collateral is inventory, is perfected when it has attached as contemplated by subdivision (a) and by subdivision (a) of Section 9203 of the Commercial Code and when the department has received the items required by subdivision (a), whichever occurs later, except as otherwise provided by Section 9313 of the Commercial Code. The department may adopt regulations authorizing its acceptance of a statement of lien by means of electronic facsimile. If the department adopts these regulations, a security interest may also be perfected when it has attached and when the department has received the electronic facsimile, whichever occurs later, subject to the receipt by the department of the items required by subdivision (a), other than the fee, within 10 days of the date of its receipt of the electronic facsimile, provided that the fee required by subdivision (a) is paid in a timely fashion pursuant to these regulations.
(c) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b) of Section 18100.5, upon receipt of the items required by subdivision (a), the department shall establish or amend the permanent title record of the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home to reflect the interest of the secured party as of that date or, if within the preceding 10-day period the department has received an electronic facsimile of the statement of lien, as of the date of receipt of the electronic facsimile, provided that the fee required by subdivision (a) is paid in a timely fashion and the department actually receives the statement of lien within 10 days of its receipt of the electronic facsimile.
(d) Upon establishing or amending the permanent title record, the department shall issue to the registered owner a current registration card indicating the interest of the secured party and shall forward a copy of that registration card to all persons holding a record security interest in the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home.
(e) Except as otherwise provided in subdivision (b) of Section 18100.5, the department shall not refuse to establish or amend the permanent title record to indicate a security interest which is authorized by law to be recorded and which would otherwise satisfy statutory requirements for departmental documentation and recordation on the basis of lack of knowledge as to the attachment of the security interest prior to its receipt of the statement of lien or an electronic facsimile thereof.
(f) The department shall designate the holder of a perfected security interest as either the legal owner or a junior lienholder as provided in this article, Article 3 (commencing with Section 18085), or Article 4 (commencing with Section 18098), as applicable.
(g) The failure of a secured party to perfect a security interest for which there has been attachment shall not impair or affect in any way its enforceability against the registered owner or debtor with respect to the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home.
(h) Except as otherwise provided in this part, a security interest in a manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home subject to registration with the department is governed by Division 9 (commencing with Section 9101) of the Commercial Code.
(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 991, Sec. 50. Effective January 1, 2000. Operative July 1, 2001, by Sec. 75 of Ch. 991.)