UPS Store for Address and Mail receiving...

[wasanah2]

https://www.escapees.com

Available in FL, TX, and SD.

Thanks!  I'll pass that along to others.

 

[lenny flank]

Florida is also the state I first heard about the court affidavit process to be domiciled there with no fixed address, the government assigns you the address to use for DMV.

This was originally designed for use by people who live on their boats (which is not all that uncommon in Florida). It also happens to be useful for RVers.

BUT......

The difficulty I ran into in Florida was not with the state ID--it was the insurance. The insurance companies have those addresses in a database, and won't write a policy unless you can produce a valid residential address. That was why I ultimately ended up using my sister's address in PA.

(At the time I did all this, Florida was not yet Real ID compliant, so I don't know if the "affidavit" thing still works for that as far as getting an ID.)

 

[John61CT]

Yes I came across it on a boating forum, only a few weeks ago, and he uses it as his residential for dozens of insurance, gov, brolerages, banks, voting, jury duty etc no problems.

In conjunction with St Brendons Isle (sp?) fowarding service as his mailing address.

Swore up and down better than using friend / family, because he was being honest about having no fixed address.

 

[lenny flank]

It may now be an option for people in Florida. Though I did run into an insurance issue, and I don't know if "boats" are treated differently than "RVs" or "vans".

 

[Snowbirds on a Shoestring]

Ok, I'm a forum newbie here, but a long time RVer and now on my 4th year as a full-time nomad boondocker. You may find this interesting:
(Yes, I'll get around to filling out my new-to-the-forum stuff later.)

I'm on my way to Quarzsite to pay my LTVA fee on September 15 with LaPosa LTVA on BLM land as my residency address. I was advised I could do it by two separate RVers, one who actually uses the LTVA as his residence address for his license, car registration and insurance. The other is an insurance agent licensed in 5 southwest states, who is also a full-time RVer, Joe Burkley (RockinB on YouTube). He told me, "No problem!" Then I'll just get a mail forwarder for the mailing address. I called Joe to verify that this is an honest way around the residency problem and I trust him. The receipt the LTVA gives me will prove residency from September 15 thru March 15 - the 7 months that is the Arizona stipulation for residency. (I got that info from the Arizona dmv website.) I plan on being there on or before the 15th of September so that my receipt will show I was actually there in time for the full seven months of residency. (I will still do my usual wandering, but LaPosa will be my home base.)

I believe I've given this matter due diligence as far as my own personal research. However, there is always gonna be the chance that I end up with the those clerks at the dmv who gives me a hard time! Lol!

Bob interviewed Joe Burkley a while ago about problems with residency for insurance. He verified on camera about the need for honesty about residence because any insurance company will look for reasons to cancel you or deny a claim.

I will let you know how it works out for me.


Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

 

[wasanah2]

Yes I came across it on a boating forum, only a few weeks ago, and he uses it as his residential for dozens of insurance, gov, brolerages, banks, voting, jury duty etc no problems.

In conjunction with St Brendons Isle (sp?) fowarding service as his mailing address.

Swore up and down better than using friend / family, because he was being honest about having no fixed address.

Uh oh.  https://www.passagemaker.com/trawler-news/liveaboard-voting-rights-threatened-florida

 

[John61CT]

It may now be an option for people in Florida. Though I did run into an insurance issue, and I don't know if "boats" are treated differently than "RVs" or "vans".

AFAIK the reason you have no fixed address is irrelevant, likely no need to even mention it.

I imagine the same solution is available for homeless people who want to vote, pay taxes, get health insurance or childcare benefits etc.

 

[John61CT]

https://www.passagemaker.com/trawler-news/liveaboard-voting-rights-threatened-florida

Yes that was the context I learned about this possible solution.

That proposal was withdrawn.

I agree nomads should not be allowed to overwhelm local elections if not part of the community, but every citizen has the right to vote federally.

 

[lenny flank]

AFAIK the reason you have no fixed address is irrelevant, likely no need to even mention it.

One would indeed presume so.

 

[Jack]

This is a subject I'm having trouble wrapping my head around, probably because I've always had a residential address, not thinking about the benefits of it.  

Call me stupid, but what I still don't understand is this:  Why is a permanent residential address necessary?  We live in a time when bills are most commonly paid online and people have phones to be contacted with.  One of the reasons I struggle with understanding this is because, when it comes to snail mail, everything I get - E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. - is junk mail, most of which is addressed to Current Resident. (It took me years to achieve this!)  I check my mailbox once a month.  That's it.  I toss everything but the odd coupon now and then.  (I even toss all of those now that I'm saving for life on the road.)

Surely e-mail is the new snail mail in this green-obsessed society?  The government certainly rages on, and taxes on, about "being kind to the environment," (when THEY and Big Business, are the BIGGEST offenders of the environment by a million miles!  But, I digress...)  If we as a country can support innumerable lifestyle options for gender, then we can surely support other lifestyles, including nomads, most of whom are the greenest people in the country.

Part of the reason this concerns me is that I have no family whatsoever.  None since I was 18.  I've lived as a hermit for the last 20 years and the few friends I have now aren't good candidates for address usage anyway.  (Elderly, struggling, enough problems of their own, etc.,)  Not to mention that one of the benefits I get for choosing van life is getting to cut ties with my current state.  

I want to use South Dakota as a residential address, since I have to have one.  I actually like South Dakota!  (Other choices are MT, WY, and ID, but SD is cheapest.)  But look what happened to so many van lifers when My Dakota Address suddenly, without notice, shut down?!  There's a guy on YouTube that's been struggling to get his vehicle registration because it was in the mail at the time and no one can find it.  And his insurance company was about to drop him for using a mail forwarding service's address.  (He ended up dropping Geico and went with Progressive.)  

Not to mention the battle with states trying to throttle address requirements.  Then you have insurance companies and banks who won't do business with mail forwarding system addresses.  Not to mention that I don't know anyone in South Dakota who could let me use their address.

What an absolute headache!  I just want to live my life in freedom, minding my own business, and leave each place better than I found it.  But that's considered illegal.  Only in America.  Sorry for venting my frustrations.     I'm sure these rules are in place for good reasons that I just don't understand and things will work out.  I just don't appreciate feeling like I have to be sneaky to get around those rules.

 

[brucedevauxone]

This is a subject I'm having trouble wrapping my head around, probably because I've always had a residential address, not thinking about the benefits of it.  

Call me stupid, but what I still don't understand is this:  Why is a permanent residential address necessary?  We live in a time when bills are most commonly paid online and people have phones to be contacted with.  One of the reasons I struggle with understanding this is because, when it comes to snail mail, everything I get - E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. - is junk mail, most of which is addressed to Current Resident. (It took me years to achieve this!)  I check my mailbox once a month.  That's it.  I toss everything but the odd coupon now and then.  (I even toss all of those now that I'm saving for life on the road.)

Surely e-mail is the new snail mail in this green-obsessed society?  The government certainly rages on, and taxes on, about "being kind to the environment," (when THEY and Big Business, are the BIGGEST offenders of the environment by a million miles!  But, I digress...)  If we as a country can support innumerable lifestyle options for gender, then we can surely support other lifestyles, including nomads, most of whom are the greenest people in the country.

Part of the reason this concerns me is that I have no family whatsoever.  None since I was 18.  I've lived as a hermit for the last 20 years and the few friends I have now aren't good candidates for address usage anyway.  (Elderly, struggling, enough problems of their own, etc.,)  Not to mention that one of the benefits I get for choosing van life is getting to cut ties with my current state.  

I want to use South Dakota as a residential address, since I have to have one.  I actually like South Dakota!  (Other choices are MT, WY, and ID, but SD is cheapest.)  But look what happened to so many van lifers when My Dakota Address suddenly, without notice, shut down?!  There's a guy on YouTube that's been struggling to get his vehicle registration because it was in the mail at the time and no one can find it.  And his insurance company was about to drop him for using a mail forwarding service's address.  (He ended up dropping Geico and went with Progressive.)  

Not to mention the battle with states trying to throttle address requirements.  Then you have insurance companies and banks who won't do business with mail forwarding system addresses.  Not to mention that I don't know anyone in South Dakota who could let me use their address.

What an absolute headache!  I just want to live my life in freedom, minding my own business, and leave each place better than I found it.  But that's considered illegal.  Only in America.  Sorry for venting my frustrations.     I'm sure these rules are in place for good reasons that I just don't understand and things will work out.  I just don't appreciate feeling like I have to be sneaky to get around those rules.

Jack- i understand every word you have said and i have experienced the same frustration as you! thank God i made it to retirement and now have a stationary home!

BUT i can shed some light on your concerns- some will be positive- some will be just "that is the way it is"

1st about my experience- back in the 70s i became a semi-truck driver over-the-road retired 2016- i lived in my truck- so why pay rent on a home just for mail- after much research and trial and error i settled into a UPS store mailbox- it worked perfect for everything drv lic- V registration- V ins- banks- 
If i remember right the UPS store wanted a physical address (that was easy- little white lie) 
Even the trucking company i worked for wanted a physical address (white lie)
I call it Under-The-Radar
of course that is exactly what the government does NOT want! but i consider myself a FREE-MAN-
the NAY-SAYERS can let the system walk all over them if they like!

sure since 9-11 things have changed- so the government required me to get a:
TWIC card ok (my UPS store address worked for that also)
passport to cross into Canada- OK no problem (my UPS store address worked for that also) 
and BTW the TWIC & Passport does NOT show any address!

you will find many members on this forum are NAY-SAYERS on this topic (and others)- they love to talk about the new "Real ID" OK (i am sure a UPS store address will work for that also)

the bottom line is if your not a criminal just try a UPS store address it will probably work-
DON'T tell them but if the DMV says NO then more research- i understand some states allow for citizens without a phy address-
CAUTION!!! i would be completely up front with the Insurance company AND GET IT IN WRITING because we all know the Ins RACKET- most will write a policy but after the accident they pick our life apart to DENY THE CLAIM 

as for why? it boils down to CONTROL!!! every country in the world wants to control their citizens! 1st thing the government needs is a way to find us!
other issues:
legal issues- the police want to know where to find us- be aware of DNA- genealogy companies are reporting millions of unsuspecting users to the government- just to have more control over us
drv lic- must be in the same state as our address- that is a function of States Rights
V reg- each state wants the taxes and fees from our registration- we MUST have an address to receive our plates/tags
V ins- every insurance co wants to charge us as much as possible which has a lot to do with where our base is-- CAUTION!!! be careful here
banks- also want to know how to find us- even if all online they still want an address- just DON'T tell them it is a UPS store- HELL my bank was just a few blocks from my UPS store- JUST get everything ONLINE- 
EVEN welfare services are online today- if your bank is OLD SCHOOL or HARD HEADED- just get a new bank- in the end there will be other issues with a bank like that!

i never had any problems with my UPS store address- Of Course i never committed any crimes- if i got a speeding ticket i went to court- i keep my vehicles legal- and my banking was done online-

 

[John61CT]

Why is a permanent residential address necessary?

It is not "necessary" for our benefit or any logical reason.

It is **required** by TPTB that wants to keep track of us, be able to verify our bona fides as conforming citizens.

Their ostensible reason is prevention of terrorists, drug cartels, paedophiles and money launderers.

Those that are truly destitute and homeless can satisfy them by registering with social services and private charities.

Obviously they don't care about the environment.

Voluntarily being a nomad is subversive, might encourage other wage slaves to stop feeding the Beast as much.

You don't *have to* be sneaky, but that is the most practical strategy.

 

[Jack]

Thank you, John and Bruce, for helping me to know that I'm not overreacting or just plain stupid.  Any further comment I have to make on the subject has to do with politics and religion but I respect this forum, and it's members, too much to break the rules!  

I'm just going to have to look at doing what I have to do as using loopholes, instead of being "sneaky."  After all, the same people giving nomads this trouble are the ones who invented loopholes in the first place.  So much for "My body, my choice."

 

[John61CT]

Use a trusted person's actual home as your legal domicile address. Maybe even make a lease up for the spare room, can be $1 rent + services.

Only use the commercial letterbox service as your mailing address, but use it for everything possible so as to inconvenience your "host" as little as possible once you have initial voter reg, DMV etc taken care of.

Be consistent, all credit-reporting, comms services, any time your info gets put into a computer anywhere, get everything transitioned.

Wherever you go, have your legend ready composed as to why you're so far from home, just traveling through.

Of course soon as you want to work long-term, enroll in college whatever, check that state's rules and how enforced, you may need to legally move there, change DL / registration etc for a while.

But the mailing address can stay where it is.

 

[lenny flank]

Sadly, if you try to use a Fed Ex or UPS box as a Real ID address, you will find that it won't work. Better have a Plan B. Most of us use a friend or relative's address. There are some mail-forwarders that still work for Real ID--they get around the requirements by renting you an actual RV space as an address. There are some states (less than half) that will give you a non-compliant ID upon request. I suspect that won't last very long and that in the future the federales will close that loophole.

Whether we like it or not is, alas, beside the point. The bottom line is that if we don't adjust to Real ID requirements, we probably won't get a license.

 

[Jack]

So, should I apply for a passport now, while I do have a residential address (before I begin life as a nomad)?  Is my passport then good if the address I used to get it is no longer my address later?  Do I then have to change my address with the folks who issue passports?

 

[John61CT]

There are some states (less than half) that will give you a non-compliant ID upon request. I suspect that won't last very long and that in the future the federales will close that loophole.

Not a loophole is my understanding.

Just means those who need a federally accepted ID can't use their good-for-driving-DL, but

will need to use their passport etc

And just two use cases there, no matter what your gov agencies accept, still up to all the other databases what address they accept, financial providers may easily be more diligent than the government bureaucrats.

 

[John61CT]

So, should I apply for a passport now, while I do have a residential address (before I begin life as a nomad)?  Is my passport then good if the address I used to get it is no longer my address later?  Do I then have to change my address with the folks who issue passports?

Maybe in theory, but in practice no, address does not appear on the passport.

You might miss a renewal notice from the State Dept.

You will need a good residential address anyway, so don't pay for a passport unless you need one.

Voter ID card, library cards, any photo ID like job/professional certs,

utility bills, bank account or insurance statements

with your name at that address, all come in handy when "proving" you live somewhere.

 

[Jack]

Voter ID card, library cards, any photo ID like job/professional certs,

utility bills, bank account or insurance statements

with your name at that address, all come in handy when "proving" you live somewhere.

When I get ready to leave MN, I could drive to SD and set up at an RV park long enough to get a driver's license, license plates, a library card, and bank account and insurance statements in the mail at the RV park.  If it takes 30 days, I'm happy to spend the time at the beginning to make it easier on me for years to come.  Who knows, during that time I might make friends from there that I can stay in touch with.

If you can't tell, I'm choosing to see the positive side of things because they are what they are and I can't change it.  I'm tired of wasting worry and energy on the things I can't change, so I'm going with the flow.  How's my plan?

 

[Weight]

I'm just going to mention "My SD Address". We used to call those Mom&Pop businesses. They were personable, with good service, and generally less expensive. But when Mom&Pop got too old, or dead, the business usually closed as the children didn't want the trouble. That is why if needing a commercially supplied address we should look to Escapees RV Club, and other such professionals. They have many "High End Members" and have the whole address thing under control, and will have it under control for the future. We just, got to spend the bucks.
UPS addresses will not work except for mail forwarding. USPO will not be available for nomads. Registrations, licenses, insurance, banking, and many other things will be impossible to get legally. You can call us nay-whatever you want. But it is truth.