TrailerManNJ
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2019
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[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Washington State Supreme Court Rules Homeless Man's Truck is his "Home"[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Please view the following video on Youtube (link below), as I feel it's not only huge, important news for nomads, but more importantly, it represents a win for individuals who call their vehicle "home".[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Summary of video: A construction worker was living out of his van in 2016, when out of nowhere, the town where he had the vehicle parked towed it to the local impound lot. The van's owner was given the choice of paying more than $1,000 in tow/storage fees (which he couldn't afford), or having his vehicle auctioned off. The van's owner (and his Attorney) argued that this behavior is unconstitutional and illegal, since it's a violation of the Homestead Act. And since a nomad's "home" IS their vehicle, the same considerations should apply. End result...The Washington State Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling that YES, it is unconstitutional for a person's vehicle home to be held hostage with the threat of being auctioned off. [/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]As you'll see from the video, it isn't a TOTAL victory, as vehicles can still be towed and fines can be levied. [size=small][font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif][size=small][size=small]But losing the ability to threaten the auction of a vehicle leaves towns in a complicated pickle.[/size][/font][/size] The giant win (IMO) is that a State Supreme Court is actually recognizing a person's vehicle as their home. The legal precedence this sets for similar future cases should be celebrated by all nomads.[/size][/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Video link on Youtube: [/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif][size=small]P.S. - If anyone hasn't seen Lehto's Law on YT, it's a great channel. Steve (the podcast host) is a lawyer, and he highlights the latest newsworthy stories having anything to do with the law. He then breaks it down by explaining the legalese for laypeople like us, and finally offers his opinion on the matter.[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]P.P.S. - Has anyone here actually filed a Declaration of Homestead? If so, an explanation of the process would be appreciated.[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Please view the following video on Youtube (link below), as I feel it's not only huge, important news for nomads, but more importantly, it represents a win for individuals who call their vehicle "home".[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Summary of video: A construction worker was living out of his van in 2016, when out of nowhere, the town where he had the vehicle parked towed it to the local impound lot. The van's owner was given the choice of paying more than $1,000 in tow/storage fees (which he couldn't afford), or having his vehicle auctioned off. The van's owner (and his Attorney) argued that this behavior is unconstitutional and illegal, since it's a violation of the Homestead Act. And since a nomad's "home" IS their vehicle, the same considerations should apply. End result...The Washington State Supreme Court upheld a lower court's ruling that YES, it is unconstitutional for a person's vehicle home to be held hostage with the threat of being auctioned off. [/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]As you'll see from the video, it isn't a TOTAL victory, as vehicles can still be towed and fines can be levied. [size=small][font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif][size=small][size=small]But losing the ability to threaten the auction of a vehicle leaves towns in a complicated pickle.[/size][/font][/size] The giant win (IMO) is that a State Supreme Court is actually recognizing a person's vehicle as their home. The legal precedence this sets for similar future cases should be celebrated by all nomads.[/size][/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]Video link on Youtube: [/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif][size=small]P.S. - If anyone hasn't seen Lehto's Law on YT, it's a great channel. Steve (the podcast host) is a lawyer, and he highlights the latest newsworthy stories having anything to do with the law. He then breaks it down by explaining the legalese for laypeople like us, and finally offers his opinion on the matter.[/font]
[font=Roboto, Arial, sans-serif]P.P.S. - Has anyone here actually filed a Declaration of Homestead? If so, an explanation of the process would be appreciated.[/font]