Stressing out with Domicile vs mailing address

[creativepart]

What about State Income Taxes, registrations, etc. New York State and local income taxes are not nothing. While setting up a domicile in Texas or South Dakota is... nothing.

What does your RV's annual registration cost? Some states charge a great deal, others not much at all.

I know everyone keeps saying "Escapees" but that's because that's all they do and they have done if for decades. Many - as in thousands - set Livingston, Texas as their domicile. Which is where Escapees is located and the entire place is setup for full-time RVers - mail, driver's license, insurance, voter registration, title and registration, etc all taken care of.

[bentjm]

You can use your parent's address as your physical address and get a mailbox at a UPS store. A UPS store mailbox is a "real" address, not a PO box. They can box up and ship any mail to you whenever you are.

[computerguy]

I hope everyone understands the risks and legal ramifications if you claim you are living at an address with other family members. Think about if you have children and now they become the age to drive and how that impacts your insurance rate. It's a similar situation.
When you apply for insurance the underwriting process (at least in every state I have lived in) asks about others living in the household. Don't lie on that application because that can come back to bite you should a claim come in and it gets the eyes of an adjuster. Remember insurance companies are in business to make money and if they can legitimately deny a claim they will. The rate will be impacted if others at that address have claims, tickets, etc. And that's a two way street.
Something to consider that no one has brought up.

[lijbs]

Originally Posted by pasdad1

Much better to rely on the mail service to scan and email PDF of mail when required, than expect 95 year old parent to do this.

As the OP I just would like to thank all of you that have responded. Some with terrific suggestions however, I never thought or expected my folks to become my mail forwarding service! As I mentioned in the opening post we currently have the USPS scan our mail daily. We would do the same for ALL of their mail. We would then decide what if any mail would need to be sent to us.

My wife pays all our bills and THEIRS via online banking. Ninety percent of our mail is junk and just needs to be shredded and discarded.

I do believe that we will follow the path that FLJOE suggested. Thanks Joe!

Since I originally opened the topic, I have done a lot of reading and watched countless videos on the Full Timing. There are so many helpful folks out there and we are excited about exploring and seeing what everyone loves.

Oh, and again it definitely seems and sounds like a year or so will not be enough time to explore. We have resided to remain flexible and go with the flow!

Thank you all!

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by lijbs

As the OP I just would like to thank all of you that have responded. Some with terrific suggestions however, I never thought or expected my folks to become my mail forwarding service! As I mentioned in the opening post we currently have the USPS scan our mail daily. We would do the same for ALL of their mail. We would then decide what if any mail would need to be sent to us.



My wife pays all our bills and THEIRS via online banking. Ninety percent of our mail is junk and just needs to be shredded and discarded.



I do believe that we will follow the path that FLJOE suggested. Thanks Joe!



Since I originally opened the topic, I have done a lot of reading and watched countless videos on the Full Timing. There are so many helpful folks out there and we are excited about exploring and seeing what everyone loves.



Oh, and again it definitely seems and sounds like a year or so will not be enough time to explore. We have resided to remain flexible and go with the flow!



Thank you all!

There is a big difference in seeing only the outside of the envelope (this is what USPS does) and having a mail service open the envelope, scan every page of the contents, and then email it to you. It’s difficult to get mail delivered while on the road… much easier to deal with it in electronic form.

We have been doing it for over 3 years now, and also had “informed delivery” from the USPS before using a mail service

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by pasdad1

There is a big difference in seeing only the outside of the envelope (this is what USPS does) and having a mail service open the envelope, scan every page of the contents, and then email it to you. It’s difficult to get mail delivered while on the road… much easier to deal with it in electronic form.

We have been doing it for over 3 years now, and also had “informed delivery” from the USPS before using a mail service

I disagree with it being difficult to get mail delivered while on the road. All you do is to have it sent Priority to General Deliver in a SMALL town near where you'll be or where you'll be passing through. We did so successfully for 16 years including a summer in Alaska. It always arrived within 3-5 days of requesting it. Millions have done so very successfully without paying extra to have your mail opened and scanned. I don't have a good feeling about someone working in the mail room opening my mail.

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

It always arrived within 3-5 days of requesting it.

The current USPS is not what it once was!

Mail delivery now is so unpredictable it can take 5-14 days. If most stays are 7 days or less in campgrounds, the logistics of timing it right are frustrating. I even had the misfortune of thousand trails in Verde Valley refusing the mail, and sending it back to sender. The office said they knew nothing about it, so we always suspected the mail carrier just didn’t want to deliver mail that day and returned whatever he still had in the truck.

Invariably, the day after you schedule mail to be sent, a new letter arrives which looks very important ! This is when the ability to have it scanned and looked at the next day comes in very handy!

[jrugarber]

Starting Full-time in 6.2022, it seemed like a very complex and mind numbing adventure! Once we began to explore all the options we chose Escapees. The mail service has been excellent, their assistance in domiciling in Bushnell Florida was spot on, the local BMV (Tax Collector) knew the system better than we could have ever known it and was completed in 1 day (an afternoon) with all the departments within walking distance.
Compared to the debacle called "DMV" in Ohio, this was one of the most enjoyable Government interactions I have ever had!

[TimmyB]

We have been full-time for 3 years and I will agree with most of what you have been told. We use BOTH a mailing service (St. Brendan's Isle in suburban Jacksonville FL) and USPS informed delivery at our long-term park. Just like those with Escapees, SBI has proven very helpful with local registration issues and we can choose to simply send mail to us or if it looks like it might need immediate attention, open and scan it. Our choice. We can also choose to have it sent first class or Priority or even Priority Next Day; again, our choice.

Either way, enjoy your new life and adventures!

[FLJOE]

Originally Posted by lijbs

As the OP I just would like to thank all of you that have responded. Some with terrific suggestions however, I never thought or expected my folks to become my mail forwarding service! As I mentioned in the opening post we currently have the USPS scan our mail daily. We would do the same for ALL of their mail. We would then decide what if any mail would need to be sent to us.

My wife pays all our bills and THEIRS via online banking. Ninety percent of our mail is junk and just needs to be shredded and discarded.

I do believe that we will follow the path that FLJOE suggested. Thanks Joe!

Since I originally opened the topic, I have done a lot of reading and watched countless videos on the Full Timing. There are so many helpful folks out there and we are excited about exploring and seeing what everyone loves.

Oh, and again it definitely seems and sounds like a year or so will not be enough time to explore. We have resided to remain flexible and go with the flow!

Thank you all!

Good luck with your new adventure. I didn't mention one little tidbit that is similar to your situation. For 3 years we had my mother's mail sent to our address (actually our friends home) because I was handling her affairs and paying her bills. Thanks to informed delivery by USPS it was extremely easy to take care of what little mail we received and she received. She passed in January so we aren't doing it anymore but even having her stuff being sent there while we were on the road was no big deal for our friend.

Another big plus for us is that we will be buying a place in the next several months that is in the same county as our current legal address (friends address). Even though our physical address with change as we transition off the road our voting, healthcare, and some other stuff won't. Who knows, you might come off the road in a few years and move back to your old area.

[lijbs]

Originally Posted by FLJOE

Good luck with your new adventure. I didn't mention one little tidbit that is similar to your situation. For 3 years we had my mother's mail sent to our address (actually our friends home) because I was handling her affairs and paying her bills. Thanks to informed delivery by USPS it was extremely easy to take care of what little mail we received and she received. She passed in January so we aren't doing it anymore but even having her stuff being sent there while we were on the road was no big deal for our friend.

Another big plus for us is that we will be buying a place in the next several months that is in the same county as our current legal address (friends address). Even though our physical address with change as we transition off the road our voting, healthcare, and some other stuff won't. Who knows, you might come off the road in a few years and move back to your old area.

Thanks for the come-back. My condolences to you about your Mom. We also manager my folks affairs so using their address sounds like a "no brainer".

As far as coming back to this area is concerned.....Not on a bet! Been in the NY region for 69 years and we are looking towards somewhere in the South. We presently (for the past 22 years) live on Long Island. Prices and taxes are out of control! Besides I love the sunshine and warmth of the sun.

[TXiceman]

We full timed for almost 10 years and used the Escapees mail service out of Livingston, TX and were 100% pleased with it.

Some advantages of using the Escapees service and Livingston domicile are no state income tax, lower registration fees, lower insurance and not personal property tax on the RV. Texas does require a Class B license for the motorhome over 26,000 lb which will require a written exam as well as a driving test with the RV. Also, the RV yearly registration requires an inspection. This is easily bypassed with an online renewal until you return to Texas and you have 72 hours once you enter the state to get the vehicles inspected. We know a few folks that have not been back to Texas for 3 or 4 years and never got the inspection, but got their tags renewed.

Escapees also have options for South Dakota and Floridia domiciles and mail addresses.

Where do you plan to go back into a sticks and bricks when you settle down? I would be looking for a less expensive place than NY.

Ken