Does buying an acre of land in Maine.... (Augusta: sublet, 2013) - (ME) - City-Data Forum

Christinerica · 03-09-2013, 10:20 AM

Make you a resident? I want to buy an acre of land and use it for camping for most of the year. How would I use this to become a resident, so that I could get a drivers license. Can I buy an acre or two. Bring the title of ownership for the land to the post office so I can get a physical address, so I can receive mail, my meds from the VA, ect.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

mainegrl2011 · 03-09-2013, 10:58 AM

Interesting questions and situation. If you don't "reside" in a certain place, can you be a resident? You could be a Maine resident if you are in the military and deployed somewhere else in the world. I am pretty sure you have to actually live in Maine for at least six months each year to be considered a resident; maybe the camping kind of living would suffice if it's for at least six months each year.

Some retired friends who spend winters in FL have run into this issue. I never heard of taking the title of land to the post office to rent a mail box or for any other reason. Are you planning on putting up a mailbox on the land or picking up your mail at the post office? I don't believe that residency is determined merely by purchasing land. You could be renting and living in Maine (owning no land) and you could be a resident. Don't forget to register to vote as part of your residency campaign.

Northern Maine Land Man · 03-09-2013, 12:01 PM

Residency is determined by paying your income taxes in Maine and having a physical address here. Rules vary. Lots of people own a couple of acres or even hundreds of acres. If they are not here for 183 days a year they don't have to pay taxes here. Retired Mainers keep toll receipts to prove they were outside Maine for 183 days. That way they can register their Oldsmobile for $25 or so in Florida where there is no income tax.

mainegrl2011 · 03-09-2013, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Residency is determined by paying your income taxes in Maine and having a physical address here. Rules vary. Lots of people on a couple of acres or even hundreds of acres. If they are not here for 183 days a year they don't have to pay taxes here. Retired Mainers keep toll receipts to prove they were outside Maine for 183 days. That way they can register their Oldsmobile for $25 or so in Florida where there is no income tax.

Some of my retired friends did this to save $ on registering a motor home. I thought...how sad to give up Maine residency (even with the income tax, etc.) to save a $1,000...gotta do what you gotta do I guess. I think your 183 day comment is related to living in Maine more than six months but I couldn't remember the exact number of days required. Some states have a partial year residency "feature" where if there's a state income tax, it's pro-rated.

Submariner · 03-09-2013, 02:21 PM

The IRS rules look at 180 days [or greater] per year. I have known a lot of people who mark the days on a calendar to keep track and never go over 181.

In the military they use 'Home-of-Record', which can be in any state or territory. HOR does not require a street address. My HOR was California for over 20 years even though I only visited that state a few times. You can change your HOR, even if you have never visited the state, merely by saying that you hold an intent to visit that state in the future.

When I moved to Maine, I got a PO box and used that as an address for my Driver's License.

When I went to get Maine Hunting/Fishing Licenses I found that I had to have a physical address in Maine. Which led me through the entire process dealing with the state to get a street address for my property. [what a major pain that was, Augusta cubical dwellers hate to leave Augusta]

I can see possible benefits to not having a Street address in Maine.

Generally State Universities will want: a letter or bill addressed to you, and a Driver's License as proof of residency.

Northern Maine Land Man · 03-09-2013, 02:43 PM

Maine used to be a haven for alien criminals. Any non-English speaker could walk up to the window and get a driver's license if he had somebody with him who could make the DMV employee understand what was wanted. That practice went on for about 16 years. It stopped recently.

English interpreters from various countries made a good living driveing van loads of their fellow countrymen to the Department of Motor Vehicles offices and getting Maine driver's licenses.

Oh, yes; Mr. Djibiwantodrive lives at 47 Maple Street. Yes indeed.

painterofmaine · 03-09-2013, 09:52 PM

I became a born again resident by force...after I'd sublet my place out of state, I came home-at least for a summer. It was July so I took-an efficiency inland without a lease. My mail still went to my out of state. I didn't change my truck plates over- partly because of mandatory insurance and excise tax but mostly I wasn't sure. In September, the cops made up my mind- started pulling me over for no reason- no ticket, - just inconvenience. Finally one ordered me to register and get a Maine license. He said definitely only 30 days to do this.....with the Maine license and plates- I got a po box, and another apartment- utilities.etc. and moved again without changed my address on any of it...my IRS booklet with a label of my 1st temp address, made it to my PO Box in the spring.

mainegrl2011 · 03-10-2013, 10:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by painterofmaine

I became a born again resident by force...after I'd sublet my place out of state, I came home-at least for a summer. It was July so I took-an efficiency inland without a lease. My mail still went to my out of state. I didn't change my truck plates over- partly because of mandatory insurance and excise tax but mostly I wasn't sure. In September, the cops made up my mind- started pulling me over for no reason- no ticket, - just inconvenience. Finally one ordered me to register and get a Maine license. He said definitely only 30 days to do this.....with the Maine license and plates- I got a po box, and another apartment- utilities.etc. and moved again without changed my address on any of it...my IRS booklet with a label of my 1st temp address, made it to my PO Box in the spring.

If you could have convinced the police that you were a seasonal resident (less than six months a year), maybe they wouldn't have tried to force you to get a Maine vehicle registration or license. Maybe you didn't mind getting them. I think the 30-day thing is subjective based on how long you plan to stay. There are so many summah people--some stay into October/November and are not ordered or forced to change car registration and driver's license.

Northern Maine Land Man · 03-10-2013, 06:36 PM

Like many families, we left Maine for a few years to dave up enough to come home. A deputy sheriff saw me around for a couple of months and asked me if I was living in town. I told him I was. He said I had to register my car there. I told him I could not. It would be illegal.

"Huh? what makes you think that?"

It says right here in the fish and game law book that I can't get a resident hunting license until I was a legal resident and that's six months.

The deputy said it sounded good to him. End of problem.

Siobjuan · 03-26-2013, 03:03 PM

In order to get a drivers license in the state of Maine as of March 2013, you have to bring a utility bill showing you have an actual residence and your birth certificate along with any other paperwork such as marriage cert if your name is different (we married ladies for example). They are making sure all is legit these days.