(a) If the title or interest of a registered owner, legal owner, junior lienholder in a manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, or truck camper, or floating home for which an original registration under this part has been obtained is transferred to another person, or, if all outstanding secured obligations previously held by a legal owner registered on the original or a subsequent registration or by a junior lienholder are satisfied and the person no longer has any obligation to extend credit, incur obligations, or otherwise give value to be secured by the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home, or, if a security interest is taken in a manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home after the permanent title record has been established, the department shall be notified within 20 days and shall act as follows:
(1) If the title or interest of a registered owner or legal owner is being transferred, the transferor and the transferee of the title or interest shall execute in the manner prescribed by the department the certificate of title for the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home. If the transfer is made by a registered owner and the transferee is to assume the underlying indebtedness secured by the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home and owed to a legal owner, the legal owner shall state on the certificate of title that legal title and interest are to be retained. The certificate of title along with all other supporting documents shall be fowarded to the department with appropriate fees. The department shall appropriately amend the permanent title record of the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home, forward a new certificate of title reflecting the change to the permanent title record to the legal owner by first-class mail, and forward an amended registration card reflecting the change to the permanent title record to the registered owner with copies to all secured parties shown on the permanent title record. If there is no legal owner, the new certificate of title and amended registration card shall be forwarded to the registered owner.
(2) If the interest of a junior lienholder is being transferred, the transferor and the transferee shall execute in a manner prescribed by the department the registration card, and the card so executed shall be forwarded to the department with appropriate fees. The department shall appropriately amend the permanent title record and forward an amended registration card reflecting the change to the permanent title record to the registered owner with copies to all secured parties shown on the permanent title record.
(3) If a creditor acquires a security interest in a manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home after the permanent title record has been established, the department shall amend the permanent title record to reflect the interest as that of a legal owner or as that of a junior lienholder, as appropriate. If the permanent title record already reflects the interest of one or more junior lienholders, the creditor then perfecting its interest pursuant to this section shall be designated as the most junior lienholder.
(4) If a legal owner no longer holds an outstanding obligation or a commitment to make advances, incur obligations, or otherwise give value to be secured by the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, or truck camper, or floating home, the legal owner shall indicate its release of lien by appropriately signing the certificate of title for the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home and forward the certificate of title to the department with appropriate fees. The department shall appropriately amend the permanent title record for the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home, deliver a new certificate of title reflecting the change to the permanent title record to the new legal owner, if any, by first-class mail, and forward an amended registration card reflecting the change to the permanent title record to the registered owner with copies to all secured parties shown on the registration card. For purposes of this paragraph, the following person shall be designated as the new legal owner:
(A) The junior lienholder, if any.
(B) If there is more than one junior lienholder, the junior lienholder whose statement of lien was designated as the most senior junior lienholder on the permanent title record shall be the legal owner.
(5) If a junior lienholder no longer holds an outstanding obligation or a commitment to make advances, incur obligations, or otherwise give value to be secured by the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home, the junior lienholder shall forward the properly executed and released junior lienholder registration card to the department with appropriate fees. The department shall appropriately amend the permanent title record for the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home and forward an amended registration card reflecting the change to the permanent title record to the registered owner with copies to all secured parties shown on the permanent title record.
(b) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (d) of this section and subdivisions (c) and (e) of Section 18080.7, for the 120-day period beginning upon the receipt by the department of the notice of escrow and appropriate fee provided by paragraph (2) of subdivision (d) of Section 18035, or until the escrow is canceled or until the escrow closes and the resulting transfers of ownership interests and transfers or creation of legal owner and junior lienholder interests are acknowledged by the department as amendments to the permanent title record of the manufactured home, mobilehome, truck camper, or floating home, whichever is earlier, the department, except at its sole discretion, shall impose a moratorium on all of the following:
(A) On any other amendments to the permanent title record of the manufactured home, mobilehome, truck camper, or floating home for the purpose of transferring any ownership interest or transferring or creating any security interest in the manufactured home or mobilehome.
(B) On issuing any duplicate, substitute, or new certificate of title, registration card, or copy of a registration card regarding the manufactured home, mobilehome, or floating home.
(C) On subsequent notices of escrow openings.
(2) The department shall, upon receipt of the notice of escrow and the appropriate fee, forward to the escrow agent an acknowledgment of receipt and a true and correct copy of the permanent title record as of the commencement of the period of moratorium.
(c) If a secured party fails to comply with the provisions of subdivision (a) relating to releases of lien and the secured party thereafter receives a written demand from the registered owner that the secured party release its lien, the secured party shall be liable to the registered owner for all actual damages suffered by the registered owner by reason of the failure to release the lien unless the secured party, within 20 days of receipt of the demand, complies with the requirements of subdivision (a), except where the secured party has reasonable cause for noncompliance.
(d) Whenever the title or interest of the registered owner or legal owner in or to a manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home registered under this part passes to another in a manner other than by voluntary transfer, the new registered owner or legal owner may obtain a transfer of registration upon application therefor and upon presentation of the last certificate of title, if available, and current registration card, if available, issued for the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home and any instruments or documents of authority or certified copies thereof as may be required by the department, or required by law, to evidence or effect the transfer of title or interest in that case. The department, when satisfied of the genuineness and regularity of the transfer, shall amend the permanent title record of the manufactured home, mobilehome, commercial coach, truck camper, or floating home, issue a new current registration card and certificate of title, and forward copies of the current registration card to all junior lienholders.
(e) The department shall not transfer registration until the applicant complies with the requirements of Section 18092.7.
(Amended by Stats. 1990, Ch. 765, Sec. 9.)