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CNPH · 08-13-2020, 01:49 PM

It started 10 yrs ago during last census. We owned a small Toyhauler which I parked on side of our home. RV was for camping, dirt biking and mt biking. Census guy came by and asked about trailer, “anyone living in trailer?” I said nope it’s got dirt bikes in it your welcome to look. He said no problem and that was it, I thought....month later a female census worker comes by asking my children who were outside if anyone lives in trailer. I went out and asked why are you talking to my children and if you want to look in trailer feel free, I’ll open it up. She declines and says thanks.

I have been dealing with this off and on for 10 yrs!!! I get census forms in the mail asking about my trailer. We sold the trailer in 2014. I called and spoke to someone in 2014 after receiving another census inquiry after the trailer was gone. I said I didnt understand what your issue is with a recreational rv and by the way I sold the trailer. I was told it would be fixed especially since I no longer owned the trailer. After calling it was a couple yrs and I thought it was fixed but then it started again. About once a yr I’d get a mailed inquiry from the Census people.
I gave up and just filled them out and sent them back.

I received my 2020 Census forms in Feb with two forms one for my house and one for trailer at same address. Again I fill out form stating I no longer own trailer and it’s not here.

I thought it was done finally, but nope.. We bought a new trailer a couple weeks ago, not a Toyhauler , after not owning one since 2014. Today I get a knock at my door and yet again it’s another census worker. “Sir does anyone live in your trailer?” I was respectful but did vent a bit and was assured it would be fixed so I’m not contacted anymore.

I live in a regular residential neighborhood and there are several RV’s parked in people’s side yards my neighbor across street has a huge one. I’ve talked to all neighbors and nobody has been questioned about their RV’s ....

Anyone else ever had this issue?

Isaac-1 · 08-13-2020, 11:15 PM

This reminds me of a scarf I did not buy at Sears on my Sears card in the mid 1990's, that was supposedly removed from my bill, every few years it would keep popping back up, with late fees, $75, $150, etc. attached. Each time I would refer to my documentation with the names and employee numbers of the people who would assure me that it was taken care of, just to be told those people are no longer with the company, .... It has been about 10 years since it last popped up, I keep waiting for another collection letter, or for Sears to finally go completely out of business.

richard5933 · 08-14-2020, 02:48 AM

Similar issue here - we live in a building that used to be a duplex. We converted it to single-family nearly 20 years ago, but they still come by every census and insist on talking to the family that lives in the downstairs unit.

I'm guessing that someone in the census field team ticked a box at some point in history indicating that there was a residential trailer on your property, for right or for wrong. The field workers aren't the ones that make the decisions and are mostly hired just for the once-in-ten-years counting. Unless you get in touch with someone in the main office I would suspect it will happen again in ten years.

ransil · 08-14-2020, 03:53 AM

its the government no one does there job unless it benefits them.

BillJinOR · 08-14-2020, 04:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by richard5933

Similar issue here - we live in a building that used to be a duplex. We converted it to single-family nearly 20 years ago, but they still come by every census and insist on talking to the family that lives in the downstairs unit.

I'm guessing that someone in the census field team ticked a box at some point in history indicating that there was a residential trailer on your property, for right or for wrong. The field workers aren't the ones that make the decisions and are mostly hired just for the once-in-ten-years counting. Unless you get in touch with someone in the main office I would suspect it will happen again in ten years.

This is exactly it. Someone checked a box in the past and now , nobody really knows how to “fix” it .
the workers showing up are “form fillers” not able to make the change or don’t know how. The allocation of federal tax dollars back to your community is dependent on those numbers so they want to find every body they can.

RJShiflet · 08-14-2020, 05:10 AM

I hadn't thought about it, but we did get a second Census form to fill out, and one was for our home address of 699 and the other for 699-A (we live on five acres of land and park our RV here). Perhaps that's why - but we did have an RV back in 2010 and weren't questioned about it then. Perhaps we were on a trip when they came snooping.

We do have one advantage - although you can see our RV from the street (about 150 feet up our tree-lined driveway) we have a heavy steel gate with a keypad for entry. We've never shared an access code with any government worker...nor will we.

CNPH · 08-14-2020, 10:11 AM

Exactly my guess, someone at some point must have checked a box that more then one family lives at my address. Only thing I could imagine is maybe the prior owner had renters, but we have been here 30 plus yrs. and there was no rv parking space prior.

IC2 · 08-15-2020, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ransil

its the government no one does there job unless it benefits them.

Census takers are not government employees but a local who has volunteered to take the grief from residents. They are often 'drafted' at a local political group, receive nothing but a cheap bag to carry their supplies, or at least that's all my wife got in 2010. That group tried to recruit her again this year but no joy for them since we cut out political affiliations locally from our lives.