Fulltime Domicile Newbie Question

TxPatriot

Texas Nomads
The wife and I will be going full time in June of this year. We have lived in Texas all our lives,
so everything we have ever owned or done has been here. We plan on keeping Texas as our domicile
once we switch to full timers. I still work a full time job here, but we plan on traveling on my time off.
We currently have a PO Box, which we plan on keeping, and we will be using a family members address for mail.
Will that work, or do we have to go to something like the escapees? Not quite sure how all that works.

I am assuming that we have to have a domicile for tax purposes, plates, insurance, drivers license, etc.
Will it matter that we are using a family members address for our mail? Do we even have to divulge to
anyone (insurance, Texas DPS, work, etc) that we don't actually live at the address??

We are very new to all of this, and appreciate all your help!

TxPatriot
 

jayc

Texas-South Chapter Leaders
We are like you, native Texans. When we first went full time, we used one of our daughters to forward our mail. That didn't work out so we found a mail forwarding service- not Escapees- that we have been using for about five years. I would go with a professional mail service.
 

DocFather

Well-known member
One thing to keep in mind; In the past (not sure if it continues), if you use a UPS Store, Mail Boxes, Etc., or similar mail service stores, the USPS will not allow you to use a "Change of Address" form if you ever decide to move, or if you want to go back to having mail delivered to your residence. Not to worry, because you just have to make sure you change your info for ALL of your accounts. Some mail services will (for a fee) fwd your mail to you but it is not the same as a USPS Change of Address. I hope that helps.
 

TxPatriot

Texas Nomads
We are like you, native Texans. When we first went full time, we used one of our daughters to forward our mail. That didn't work out so we found a mail forwarding service- not Escapees- that we have been using for about five years. I would go with a professional mail service.

Was the family route just not what you were looking for? So how do these mail services work and what do they cost? I was planning on using a family members address for tax purposes, receiving mail, etc. That's all I really need for domicile correct? Appreciate the input.
 

jayc

Texas-South Chapter Leaders
A mail service gets the mail at the PO box and then mails it to us when we want it. If something important ie: a jury summons, subpoena, etc. they let us know and we can let them know where to send it.
 

jjriker

Well-known member
Was the family route just not what you were looking for? So how do these mail services work and what do they cost? I was planning on using a family members address for tax purposes, receiving mail, etc. That's all I really need for domicile correct? Appreciate the input.

We had mail sent to my sister for the first couple months we were fulltime. We would not have used her address long term even if we weren't changing states of residence. It can become just one more thing that the family member has to do. For example, our W-2s were sent to the NY PO box, and we needed the information, so my sister had to take the time to scan it and email it to us. When we got a box, she sent it on to us. She never said that she minded, but she is busy with a job and family etc., so I would not have wanted to continue that way over a longer period of time. With a mail service, that's their job. It's not an inconvenience to have them check our mail or send something on to us. As far as costs, it varies with the company and also with what service you choose. They sometimes vary according to how many times you have your mail sent per month. We are residents of Florida and use St. Brendan's Isle in Green Cove Springs. With them, you start your account with a $100 deposit and the cost is $12/month plus they deduct whatever it costs for the postage to have your mail sent. We have only been with them a few months but so far they have been great.
 

TxPatriot

Texas Nomads
We will still be close to our family, and visiting on a weekly basis. Our home base will be about 40 minutes from the address we are going to use. I still work a full time job, but we plan on making some excursions on my days off. I work a DuPont schedule, so that means 7 days off at the end of every hitch. We will be seeing family and friends on a regular basis, so our situation is a bit different than someone that is retired and may not be going back to see family that often and checking mail, etc.
 

aatauses

Well-known member
We use Am Home located in FL and several of our friends use a SD outfit. Most mail service will register vehicles. We have ours set up on a 'sort' so we only receive first class mail when we request it. The cost is about $10/mo and then shipping on our mail when we request it, about once/mo.
al
currently in Crystal River, FL
 

chiefneon

Well-known member
Howdy!

Family members are fine for mail if they don't mind and fits your needs. You will need a address for your TDL they want except a PO box. We chose to use Escapees and have been very pleased with their service over the last nine years. We get very little mail as most is handled online these days. Escapees takes care of the issue with you drivers License and having a address. But like you we'll always be from The Great State of Texas no matter we're our home is parked.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Beware, I used the USPS "temporary change of address" which you can do for up to a year. According the the USPS website:

Regular Forward Mail
Change Your Address Temporarily

Whether you’re making a long-term move or you’ll just be at a new address for just a few months, your mail can follow you.

How it Works

You can use the temporary service for as short as 15 days or as long as 1 year. After the first 6 months, you can extend for another 6 months.
Direct your mail to a new address with a few clicks and a $1.05 charge to your credit card (the charge verifies your identity).
Mail is sent piece by piece to the new address.
You will receive a welcome kit with coupons from our partners.

We did the temporary address change, since we were not sure if our move would be long term or not. We temporarily forwarded to a PO box near our RV Park for 6 mo.

Our experience, and this may be a "small home town" issue, but it seems up to our local carrier whether pieces get forwarded or not. I got some Christmas cards forwarded, and some not. I get some bills forwarded, and some not. Amazon packages that end up as "Smart Post" do not. And we still get ALL the junk mail in our sticks and bricks mailbox. I have to have a family member clean it out weekly.

It's frustrating!! I became worried about getting important mail in a timely manner, so I went ahead and contacted all my bills, banks, magazines, etc. and changed my mailing address. Many, I could do online, but some I had to call.

Erika
 

TxPatriot

Texas Nomads
Erika,

So we have a PO Box in the city we live in now, and we have a family member that is in another city about 10 minutes away from the PO Box. We planned on keeping the PO Box and using the family members address. We will be coming back frequently to visit, etc and get the mail. So we need to forward all our mail from our current physical address to the new physical address, correct? And then just keep the PO Box. The whole point of using the family member is to have a physical address for our DL, insurance, etc. that wont use the PO Box correct?? Am I making this more difficult than it has to be? lol...I am just looking for my mail to go somewhere with someone I trust, and have the convenience of having the physical address for taxes, DL, etc.

Mark
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Erika,

So we have a PO Box in the city we live in now, and we have a family member that is in another city about 10 minutes away from the PO Box. We planned on keeping the PO Box and using the family members address. We will be coming back frequently to visit, etc and get the mail. So we need to forward all our mail from our current physical address to the new physical address, correct? And then just keep the PO Box. The whole point of using the family member is to have a physical address for our DL, insurance, etc. that wont use the PO Box correct?? Am I making this more difficult than it has to be? lol...I am just looking for my mail to go somewhere with someone I trust, and have the convenience of having the physical address for taxes, DL, etc.

Mark

Mark, I think our situations are different, so I can't comment on yours. Other full-time Texans can better weigh in. ;)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Bohemian

Well-known member
Just one aspect.

If you move out of a permanent residence and do NOT establish another residence in another area, you have the right to retain for as long as you like you last permanent residence for all legal purposes including voting. Yu do not need any address in you last permanent residence, or remain their physically, or meet all the state rules for residence (they lost in federal court long ago). Only as long as you do NOT establish a new permanent residence.

Are there grey areas. Yes, like, if you stay in Florida for over 6 months they consider you a permanent resident (but who would know?).

This has nothing to do with mail forwarding services.


Oh, the flip side, at one time NY said that anyone who earned a pension in NY from any company or agency in NY had to permanently pay income taxes in NY for the rest of their lives regardless of permanent residency.. They also lost in federal court.
 

chiefneon

Well-known member
Erika,

So we have a PO Box in the city we live in now, and we have a family member that is in another city about 10 minutes away from the PO Box. We planned on keeping the PO Box and using the family members address. We will be coming back frequently to visit, etc and get the mail. So we need to forward all our mail from our current physical address to the new physical address, correct? And then just keep the PO Box. The whole point of using the family member is to have a physical address for our DL, insurance, etc. that wont use the PO Box correct?? Am I making this more difficult than it has to be? lol...I am just looking for my mail to go somewhere with someone I trust, and have the convenience of having the physical address for taxes, DL, etc.

Mark

Howdy!

If you fulltiming and on the road, and have a family member to receive and forward your mail I don't see the need for the PO Box. I had one for years before retiring and go fulltime. The last thing I wanted to do is have to come back to the PO Box for a bunch of junk mail. You can as mentioned get the USPS to forward it at a cost but personelly I have very little confidence in the USPS.

"Happy Trails"
Chiefneon
 
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