Iowa Code ch. 555B § 555B.10
Limitation on liability
Operative Text
1. A real property owner who disposes of a mobile home or personal property in accordance with this chapter is not liable for damages by reason of the removal, sale, or disposal of the mobile home and personal property unless the damage is caused willfully or by gross negligence. Upon a motion to the district court and a showing that the real property owner is not proceeding in accordance with this chapter, the court may enjoin the real property owner from proceeding further and a determination for the proper disposition of the mobile home and personal property shall be made. If disposition of the mobile home or personal property has not occurred in accordance with this chapter, the owner thereof has a right to recover from the real property owner, any loss caused by failure to comply with this chapter. The burden of proof shall be upon the mobile home or personal property owner to show that the real property owner has not complied with this chapter in disposing of a mobile home or personal property. 2. The fact that a better price could have been obtained by a sale at a different time or in a different method from that selected by the real property owner is not of itself sufficient to establish that the sale was not made in a commercially reasonable manner. If the real property owner sells the mobile home and personal property in the usual manner in any recognized market or if the real property owner sells at the price current in the market at the time of the real property owner’s sale or if the real property owner has otherwise sold in conformity with reasonable commercial practices among dealers in the type of mobile home or personal property sold, the real property owner has sold in a commercially reasonable manner. A disposition approved in any judicial proceeding shall be deemed conclusively to be commercially reasonable.
Iowa Code ch. 555B § 555B.10 limits the legal exposure of real property owners who remove, sell, or dispose of a mobile home or personal property by following the procedures set out in Chapter 555B. A property owner who follows those procedures is shielded from damages claims unless the harm resulted from willful conduct or gross negligence. Courts can halt a disposal that is not proceeding in compliance with the chapter, and any owner of the mobile home or personal property who suffers a loss from non-compliance may seek recovery — though the burden of proving non-compliance falls on the mobile home or personal property owner, not the real property owner.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Iowa Code ch. 555B § 555B.10, real property owners who carefully follow every procedural step in Chapter 555B when disposing of a mobile home or personal property generally retain a strong liability shield against damages claims. Compliant operators document each step of the removal or sale process and conduct any sale in a commercially reasonable manner — for example, selling at prevailing market prices or through recognized market channels — since the statute treats such sales as commercially reasonable by definition. A judicially approved disposition is conclusively deemed commercially reasonable, so some operators seek court approval when the circumstances are uncertain.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Iowa Code ch. 555B § 555B.10 preserves the right of a mobile home or personal property owner to seek compensation if a real property owner disposes of their property without following Chapter 555B's required procedures. If a disposal appears to be proceeding improperly, a court can be asked to issue an injunction halting the process before it is completed. Tenants or mobile home owners who believe their property was mishandled may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider to understand what evidence is needed, since the statute places the burden of proving non-compliance on the mobile home or personal property owner.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 18, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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