Permanent residence - Montana Owners Club

anker · 09-29-2006, 02:25 PM

This looks like a good place to get some information I am desperately needing. My wife and I have our house up for sale and it looks like it will be sold. One of the options we are considering is full-time RVing (we are both retired). Some questions that come to mind are:
If you are moving around a lot, how do you have your mail forwarded?

What do you do for a permanent address for mail, voting, driver license, taxes, etc?

Thanks for any help anyone may offer.

SKOOBDO · 09-29-2006, 04:41 PM

Below are some previous posts from RV.NET that address some of your concerns about being on the road full-timing. I hope it helps you some. Good Luck!

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...4.cfm#18368924

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...3.cfm#18363843

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...g/1/page/1.cfm

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fu...6.cfm#18280476

ols1932 · 09-29-2006, 04:47 PM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by anker

This looks like a good place to get some information I am desperately needing. My wife and I have our house up for sale and it looks like it will be sold. One of the options we are considering is full-time RVing (we are both retired). Some questions that come to mind are:
If you are moving around a lot, how do you have your mail forwarded?

What do you do for a permanent address for mail, voting, driver license, taxes, etc?

Thanks for any help anyone may offer.

We joined the Escapees RV Club (www.escapees.com). We have a permanent home address located in Livingston, TX and use the Escapees RV Club mail service. If you go to their website you can find out about the club. If you'd like additional info, PM me.

Orv

stiles watson · 09-29-2006, 07:22 PM

The issues to be addressed are:
1. Permanent address
2. Registration of vehicles
3. State Income Tax
4. Insurance premiums
5. Mail forwarding

A permanent address can be established by connecting with a group like Escapees or a group in South Dakota or others. When that is established mail service is available at a range of pricing depending on the level of service you desire.

If you don't want to be subject to state income tax, then you need to establish residence in a state that does not have such tax. Texas and South Dakota are two such states. Given your current location, I might consider South Dakota. Someone who has done this will be along to tell you where to start.

Cost of registering, licencing, and insuring vehicles is a consideration. I go where I can get the best combo of costs.

There is only one way I know to do this and that is to do the comparitive research and make a choice.

virgil47 · 09-30-2006, 01:35 AM

This is a personal decision that will not be the same for everyone. After much deliberation, we choose South Dakota as a residensy state and Alternative Resources in Sioux Falls as the mail forwarder. Here is their web address. http://www.alternativeresources.net/

Just do the legwork and the answer for you will become obvious.

Sandymom · 09-30-2006, 02:17 AM

We are also considering South Dakota for residence once we sell our house and start full timing. Here is another option we've found:

http://www.mydakotaaddress.com/

Good luck!

Mike

anker · 09-30-2006, 05:37 AM

Thanks a bunch everyone!!! It's a relief to know there is a place where one can get GOOD advice based on experience. I will surf the net and look at each to make a decision, though on the surface it looks like stiles watson and sandymom may have suggested the best route. Because of the proximity, South Dakota might be the way to go. Thanks again.

patodonn · 09-30-2006, 05:54 AM

Like many other "full timers", we chose S.D. for "residency". Another State without Income Tax is FL. Also, NV, I believe.

All States have to have some sources of revenue. Might be Income Tax, Sales taxe, property tax, and all sorts of others. No income tax makes the best snese for us in selection of the State for residency.

We have been well satisfied with the mail service from Alternative Resources in Sioux Falls. There are less expensive alternatives available, but they have been 100% in over 3 years....and they eliminate the "junk mail" we had to paw through on the way to the trash can.

Other things to consider are your Medical Insurances and RV/Auto insurances. All based on your "Residence" location. Take a good look at what your medical insurances covers while traveling. It can get complicated.

Even if your medical insurance coverage is valid wherever you select as your "residence", many medical organizations will not send medical "stuff" to a P.O. Box or a PMB (Personal Mail Box) due to the medical privacy act (HIPA??). Our address in Sioux Falls doesn't have either of those abbreviations in it, so no problem with that, so far.

Just take a good look at all the info provided in the links in earlier posts...all good info.

anker · 09-30-2006, 03:37 PM

Thanks for the input patodonn. Could I ask what you have for an address? I understood mail would go to Alternative REsources to a Personal Mail Box number. Is that wrong? Also how did you handle the permanent residence address? Is that at a CG?

patodonn · 09-30-2006, 05:13 PM

E-mail sent....

Regards,

sreigle · 10-05-2006, 05:29 PM

We also use South Dakota and Alternative Resources. There are other good choices, too, but this one works for us. No state income tax, no property tax on vehicles and no sales tax on vehicles, although you do pay a 3% excise tax on the trade difference. The truck and the Montana are both vehicles under this definition. Also, SD seems to be very RV friendly, allowing us to register new vehicles by mail/phone without need to go to SD other than the very first time. Also, no inspections in SD so I don't have to be back there every year for inspections. We went there initially to get our drivers licenses and after five years will have to go back to renew them. No driving test, just take you old license, fill out the papers, get your picture taken and take the simple eye test, then walk out with the new license. In four hours we signed up with Alternative Resources, got our insurance switched over (we changed companies), went to the courthouse and got our vehicles registered, got our drivers licenses, and registered to vote. Everyone was very helpful and friendly.

Texas and Florida also have no state income tax and have mailing services for RV's.

dmr1021 · 10-22-2006, 03:53 PM

We use St Brendan's Isle, Green Cove Springs, FL. as our mailing service. They provide Florida State residency paperwork if you request it that will give you formal Florida residency (no state income tax), allow you to vote and, we've found, low health insurance rates for Green Cove Springs addresses. They've handled our mail for 10+ years (we lived on boat for quite a while)with no problems.

We purchased our truck and Montana in Montana (formed an LLC, $700)... no sales tax and 1 time permanent registration on the 5er. We have Montana plates and low Montana insurance rates.(Delaware caters to yacht ownership...Montana caters to RV ownership)We also bought most of our stuff in Missoula, no sales tax.

It's good to learn the rules of living our lifestyle and it make things easier.

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