Author Topic: US Address (Renter) during extended living/traveling overseas  (Read 11603 times)

CanuckExpat

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Re: US Address (Renter) during extended living/traveling overseas
« Reply #50 on: December 16, 2018, 12:22:35 PM »
Quote
the addresses may not always be used for residential purposes

This is clearly less than ideal. They don't advertise that info: "Traveling Mailbox only offers real physical street addresses." Which is true but as you found out physical street address is not the same as residential address.

The commercial address database is a pain in the ass. We live in a no tax state but nobody else in our families does, and likely never will. Urgh!

I don't know your specific requirements, but perhaps look into the options set up for people who RV and Cruise full time (Escapee's, St. Brendan's Isle, a few others). Some of them are set up with physical addresses at a campground, and also have further information on domicile (https://www.escapees.com/education/domicile/)

I don't know if you run into the same issues or not, but if push comes shove, it is easier to claim a campground as a residential address, compared to a random strip mall, etc.

wordnerd

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Re: US Address (Renter) during extended living/traveling overseas
« Reply #51 on: December 16, 2018, 04:01:06 PM »
Maybe one reason WA is so strict is that we don't have a state income tax, so relatively desireable place for many people to establish residency in. 

Again, most parents of college kids would probably have one person working, so it wouldn't be as much of an issue.  But something that can snag us early-retirees.

When we got our WA driver's licenses a few months ago, DMV was pretty strict too. We had car insurance cards with our new address, but they wouldn't accept the card, just the *policy.* They wouldn't accept a signed lease, just a mortgage. They wouldn't accept our cell phone bill because it was Republic Wireless, which they weren't familiar with. We don't have paystubs since we're FIREd. We ended up printing out a 50 page insurance policy, but it was tougher than expected. If we had sold our cars, I'm not sure what we would've used.
ETA: we would've waited for a utility bill. It just would've taken awhile.
« Last Edit: December 16, 2018, 04:10:31 PM by wordnerd »

reeshau

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Re: US Address (Renter) during extended living/traveling overseas
« Reply #52 on: December 17, 2018, 03:19:07 AM »
ETA: we would've waited for a utility bill. It just would've taken awhile.

I think that's the point.  It's the same in Texas:  insurance policies, bank statements, utility bills.  The regulation they are enforcing is being resident for 30 days.  The idea is that these things have a billing period, as a shortcut to proving it.

Of course, you can set up a bank statement online, and simply change your address...

Paul der Krake

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Re: US Address (Renter) during extended living/traveling overseas
« Reply #53 on: December 17, 2018, 11:06:35 AM »
Maybe one reason WA is so strict is that we don't have a state income tax, so relatively desireable place for many people to establish residency in. 

Again, most parents of college kids would probably have one person working, so it wouldn't be as much of an issue.  But something that can snag us early-retirees.

When we got our WA driver's licenses a few months ago, DMV was pretty strict too. We had car insurance cards with our new address, but they wouldn't accept the card, just the *policy.* They wouldn't accept a signed lease, just a mortgage. They wouldn't accept our cell phone bill because it was Republic Wireless, which they weren't familiar with. We don't have paystubs since we're FIREd. We ended up printing out a 50 page insurance policy, but it was tougher than expected. If we had sold our cars, I'm not sure what we would've used.
ETA: we would've waited for a utility bill. It just would've taken awhile.
Weird. We moved to WA in 2016 and got our licenses on our first day in the state. Just handed our previous state's licenses. We brought a lease document as instructed but they didn't even look at it, I gave our address verbally, they took our pictures and that was it.

Here is the current list of accepted documents, and you're right, a lease doesn't count:
https://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/idproof.html#residency

If I had to get them today, I'd probably pick the USPS change of address letter, which you should always do anyway.

Padonak

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Re: US Address (Renter) during extended living/traveling overseas
« Reply #54 on: December 17, 2018, 04:44:05 PM »
Maybe one reason WA is so strict is that we don't have a state income tax, so relatively desireable place for many people to establish residency in. 

Again, most parents of college kids would probably have one person working, so it wouldn't be as much of an issue.  But something that can snag us early-retirees.

When we got our WA driver's licenses a few months ago, DMV was pretty strict too. We had car insurance cards with our new address, but they wouldn't accept the card, just the *policy.* They wouldn't accept a signed lease, just a mortgage. They wouldn't accept our cell phone bill because it was Republic Wireless, which they weren't familiar with. We don't have paystubs since we're FIREd. We ended up printing out a 50 page insurance policy, but it was tougher than expected. If we had sold our cars, I'm not sure what we would've used.
ETA: we would've waited for a utility bill. It just would've taken awhile.
Weird. We moved to WA in 2016 and got our licenses on our first day in the state. Just handed our previous state's licenses. We brought a lease document as instructed but they didn't even look at it, I gave our address verbally, they took our pictures and that was it.

Here is the current list of accepted documents, and you're right, a lease doesn't count:
https://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/idproof.html#residency

If I had to get them today, I'd probably pick the USPS change of address letter, which you should always do anyway.

Why should you always pick up the USPS change of address letter? Do you mean picking it up from the previous address or new address?

When I set up a traveling mailbox and move out of the current apartment to become a nomad, I am considering not changing an address with USPS at all, just letting every bank and every other important institution that my mailing address has changed and that's it. That way all the spam i am receiving will not be sent to the new address. What are the pros and cons of this approach compared to submitting a change of address form to the USPS?

Paul der Krake

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Re: US Address (Renter) during extended living/traveling overseas
« Reply #55 on: December 17, 2018, 05:42:20 PM »
Why should you always pick up the USPS change of address letter? Do you mean picking it up from the previous address or new address?

When I set up a traveling mailbox and move out of the current apartment to become a nomad, I am considering not changing an address with USPS at all, just letting every bank and every other important institution that my mailing address has changed and that's it. That way all the spam i am receiving will not be sent to the new address. What are the pros and cons of this approach compared to submitting a change of address form to the USPS?
Not using a change of address form means the next tenant gets all your junk, which isn't nice.


wordnerd

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Re: US Address (Renter) during extended living/traveling overseas
« Reply #56 on: December 17, 2018, 07:13:38 PM »
Maybe one reason WA is so strict is that we don't have a state income tax, so relatively desireable place for many people to establish residency in. 

Again, most parents of college kids would probably have one person working, so it wouldn't be as much of an issue.  But something that can snag us early-retirees.

When we got our WA driver's licenses a few months ago, DMV was pretty strict too. We had car insurance cards with our new address, but they wouldn't accept the card, just the *policy.* They wouldn't accept a signed lease, just a mortgage. They wouldn't accept our cell phone bill because it was Republic Wireless, which they weren't familiar with. We don't have paystubs since we're FIREd. We ended up printing out a 50 page insurance policy, but it was tougher than expected. If we had sold our cars, I'm not sure what we would've used.
ETA: we would've waited for a utility bill. It just would've taken awhile.
Weird. We moved to WA in 2016 and got our licenses on our first day in the state. Just handed our previous state's licenses. We brought a lease document as instructed but they didn't even look at it, I gave our address verbally, they took our pictures and that was it.

Here is the current list of accepted documents, and you're right, a lease doesn't count:
https://www.dol.wa.gov/driverslicense/idproof.html#residency

If I had to get them today, I'd probably pick the USPS change of address letter, which you should always do anyway.
I had one. But it just had my last name "the X family" (which is what is what USPS recommended for a household) instead of first name last name, so they wouldn't take it either.
« Last Edit: December 17, 2018, 07:15:25 PM by wordnerd »

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!