Address usually garaged

Mike C · Senior Member

Address usually garaged

herbie · Guru

Hi Gary, just give the address you are residing at now,that gives you around 12 months untill it is due again,if you have to renew your driver's licence down the track you will have to book into a c/ park for a couple of days and use that address.It is hard for people in your position, it is like you come from outer space.I do not believe we should be made to feel like criminal's just because we choose to go and live our life on the road. Try and get every thing sorted out before you leave ,to be able to pay accounts via net.If for some reason you need to claim insurance ( Hope you never have to )..every one is allowed to go on holidays,so in your case , it is just a little long than most . I wonder how boaties who live on their boats get on sailing around the world or just up and down our coast .As they have no fixed address.

Regards Herbie.

-- Edited by herbie on Tuesday 5th of March 2013 10:04:24 PM

GaryKelly · Guru

G'day. Just comprehensively insured my Freeway slide-on with NRMA over the phone. One of the questions asked by the operator was where is the camper usually garaged. I gave her my home address but also explained that at some stage I'd be on the road with no fixed address (except a mailing address). What happens then? She didn't answer except to say the NRMA needed a garage address for the purposes of insurance. So after receiving the policy in the mail, I went online to mynrma and asked a question: what happens when I'm travelling Oz with no fixed address? If something happens to the Freeway and I need to make a claim, will the policy have become null and void because the Freeway no longer has a "usual" garage address? Will I therefore be accused of providing incorrect policy information or having failed to update it? How do you update a "usual" garage address when you're changing locations every few days or week? Furthermore, what happens when I need to renew the policy and have no "usual" address to provide? I'm still waiting for a response from NRMA. Maybe they don't know the answer either.

keithw · Member

we use a post office box for all billing which gets forwarded to our daughter who sends it on to where we are. we use a family address for van, car, licenses etc for all insurance purposes.

GaryKelly · Guru

Thank for the responses, Mike and Keithw. I intend to have a permanent mailing address... one of those mailing businesses that receive and forward stuff. I asked my older bro about using his address and got, "Nah, we don't want that kinda responsibility at our age." We're not close. Nuff said. So I'm not sure if a mailing addy is enough for licence, rego, insurance, etc. If a permanent physical address is needed, I'm in big poo.

Happywanderer · The Master

I was asked the same question by RACV in Vic. I gave them the same address as Registration and Licence. No worries.

2foot6 · Senior Member

I tried to give VIC ROADS a PO BOX as my place of residence,they said the box wasn't big enough,they had to have a street address for licenses.I guess its hard for the police to serve a summons on a PO Box. cheers Peter.

sufil · Guru

We asked RACWA the same question and they said just use your kids address for a garaging address. All our mail goes to a PO box that the kids have keys to, they open all our mail and email it if they think anything is important like bills (still trying to get them to pay them instead!!). We considered getting a mail forwarding service but really we don't have enough mail to warrant the expense. Phone, banking, centrelink and regos are all on line so we don't get a lot of paper mail these days. (and because of our home address there is no home delivery of mail we get our PO box at a reduced price. We paid $20 last year for our box.

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

Almost all our bills are paid by direct debit and have been doing this for the last 15 years, and have had no problems whatsoever, I have a dedicated account that is used for direct debit payments and at the beginning of each month by online banking, put in the amount required to pay all the bills, all my bills are monthly, even credit cards can be paid this way on the due date.
Cheers
David

Happywanderer · The Master

I do all that too David, but can't imagine how you would do it for Car Rego.

Yuglamron · Guru

I honestly think it's because the "Computer" has a field that needs an address for the garage..

How many times have you filled in an online form of some sort or another and they ask for a home phone number.If you are a full time traveller and have no home phone the forms cannot be completed. I just make up a number and complete the forms that way.

With insurance companies they will try to get out of paying out so maybe a different story. Maybe the insurance companies need to look at their policies re "Garaging"

Sheba · Guru

Happywanderer wrote:
I do all that too David, but can't imagine how you would do it for Car Rego.

If you do any Banking on-line Marj., you can B-pay. I've paid my last 2 lots of Rego. that way. Same for Electricity etc.
Cheers,
Sheba.

bab600 · Veteran Member

Good evening all

It was explained to me as " if you have a accident and they have to get all your gear home while you are
incapacitated they have somewhere drop it off ,as they really can't drop it off at the P/O Box.
I hope that helps.

Best Wishes

Brian & Lana

GaryKelly · Guru

I also do all my banking and bill paying using netbank. I also renew rego, insurance, etc on line. But that's not the point. It doesn't solve the problem of not having a permanent physical address as stipulated by a driver's licence, vehicle registration and insurance policies. If I continue to use my current address when I'm no longer living here, and permanently on the road, I could be accused of not informing the relevant authority or insurance company of changes to my personal details. In the case of the RTA, that could be a fine-able offence. In the case of insurance companies it could void my policy.

I gather from the responses so far that if I had children or siblings or friends, I could use their address as my physical address. But for me that's not possible. I'm all alone in this world (boo hoo). I get the feeling here that I'm a one-off, and that there is no answer to my problem. That would explain why the NRMA hasn't responded to my query even after several days.

Happywanderer · The Master

Yes Sheba, I did mine this morning online this morning.
What I was referring to was David paying his accounts monthly. I don't think you can pay your car rego monthly. I pay mine 6 monthly.

Sheba · Guru

I think you can pay car rego that way at the Post Office. I think I was going to do it that way some-time last year, but didn't actually do it. Definitely yes!!! Minimum monthly payment $40.00.

http://www.racq.com.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/94616/Queensland-Vehicle-Registration-Payment-Card.pdf

Cheers,

Sheba.

GaryKelly · Guru

Roving-Dutchy wrote:
But how are the authorities going to know you are no longer at that current address unless you tell them,
Cheers
David

Easy... if I get pulled over by a cop who wants to check my licence/registration for some reason, or if I make a claim on my insurance. Then the question arises... "why didn't you inform us of your change of address?"

As to friends who would allow me to use their address, I have plenty... California, Ohio, Florida, Texas, Rio, Denmark, etc. My neighbor here in Taree would be willing but she doesn't have access to email. If things get a bit desperate, I suppose I could ask a few people around here that I know, but who are only casual aquaintances.

-- Edited by GaryKelly on Wednesday 6th of March 2013 08:33:45 AM

Golddetectornomad · Senior Member

Gary, you are in a similar position to many who simply dont want to start making false statements after a life time of never having to tell lies to authorities,particularly as you correctly state after making a false statement how can one predict all the possible ramifications that come with it in the future when making a claim etc etc..
I recently set out in another thread our dilemma when re-registering our vehicles and our driving licences were also due for renewal as we had entered into a lease for a rental property here in Victoria for 6 months...our home in Port Lincoln S.A. is rented out...and I thought my P.O. Box I maintained in S.A. would suffice with 'on forwarding' to P.O. Box here in Victoria which I will keep permanently.....S.A. Registrar of motor vehicles would not accept 'my home address' as either a P.O. Box or indeed my usual home address....there are tenants there now registered for voting/electoral roll etc at my address........the authorities have access to so much information if you start telling'porkies' or worse making false statements, you better know where it all leads with regards ramifications....
I have had to re-register at substantial costs & with new number plates, two cars, my caravan and horse float here in Victoria....extra $50 odd re-inspection of my near new caravan here in Bendigo, and for all intents and purposes with Victorian driving Licences we are now Victorians!....the fees taken out by S.A. registrar for unused portion of registrations were also extortion amounts....
I was simply going to leave a vehicle and horse float at my daughters here in Victoria whilst we travel for umpteen years round Australia....you can only have one current 'home address' and if you take a rental property address for a period this is what you face....random police checks, breathalisers,travelling on Toll roads, current electoral roll address, and of course the 'Insurance Claim Avoidance Payment Industry' can all find you out if you dont provide 'correct' /accurate information to all these Authorities/Body's...my daughter and son in Law were each fined approx $200 each at a random Police check here in Victoria as they had not altered their address from their married quarters in Puckapunyal Army base to their new home after a month....with 3 kids they had much to consider however dont expect any leniency whatsoever from cash strapped desperate State Governments .......go figure... a Soldier doing his duty after overseas service did not have the correct 'home address' on his Drivers Licence..just the Pucka Base married quarter address, he had departed a month before with his family........plods have quotas to fill..
My advise is think carefully re possible ramifications before suggesting glibly that folk 'adopt' home address's of friends or relatives.......or attempt to tell them you sleep at the local Post Office Box......
The Authorities still believe like many ,that 'Unemployed of No Fixed Address'....can only apply to that sad figure we all used to see sleeping soundly if not uncomforatbly on some park bench with a part empty Vino bottle tucked into his back pocket.....
I believe Grey Nomads will require representation re their 'status' re long term travelling as more and more join our ranks and we no longer fit the neat box of 'working with a permanent home address' as we all no doubt had in years gone by.....
I may re-consider the soundness of my decision taking a rental property address, when we move to N.S.W. as we move slowly around Australia....the costs are substantial....equally so the possible costs of making false or misleading statements...the worst part is having to enter S.A. again with Victorian number plates...shock horror shame.....Hoo Roo

-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Wednesday 6th of March 2013 09:02:24 AM

-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Wednesday 6th of March 2013 09:07:00 AM

-- Edited by Golddetectornomad on Wednesday 6th of March 2013 09:18:34 AM

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

But how are the authorities going to know you are no longer at that current address unless you tell them, surely we all have at least one friend whose address we can use as our current address. I have always followed the practice when filling in forms to always fill in the blank spaces, doesn't really matter what you put in the blank spaces as no one reads these completed form but the computer will always reject blank spaces. I also don't ask permision to do something as then they can't say no.
Cheers
David

herbie · Guru

Hi Gary, just give the address you area residing at now,that gives you around 12 months untill it is due again,if you have to renew your driver's licence down the track you will have to book into a c/ park for a couple of days and use that address.It is hard for people in your position, it is like you come from outer space.I do not believe we should be made to feel like criminal's just because we choose to go and live our lifeÂ on the road.Â Try and get every thing sorted out before you leave ,to be able to pay accounts via net.If for some reason you need to claimÂ insurance ( Hope you never have to )..every one is allowed to go on holidays,so in your case , it is justÂ a little long than most . I wonder how boaties who live on their boats get on sailing around the world or just up and down our coast .As they have no fixed address.

It is not just licences, insurances, the biggest pain in the butt is the electroll roll ,Ok if it is a federal election as can always make sure you are near a town on said given date and vote absentee, but you try doing that in a state election other than the state it is being held ...you will not have any hope.And if you get some one to send you the absentee voting papers on to you ,well expect to hang around awhile at what ever place you are getting the mail sent to,as Australia post is so slow , probably be quicker to get it delivered by pigeon carrier. And remember all this has to be done by a certain date, and returned back by a certain date. And with this in mind they will not release the absentee papers until almost voting day give or take a few days..In state elections in WA if you live in a place that is classed as xx ks from a voting booth you can do it via the net, but every one over there laughs at this dumb idea thought up by some dead brain as if one is in these kind of places over there you don,t get any inter net, DAH DAH .It really does our head in this part of being on the road. And all brought on by incompement goverments that do not have rules to cater for us like minded people.It is like you cannot go do that sort of life style as you do not fit into our box. After 12 years we are over it all , we just do what we wont go where we want and if we are some place and they decide to have an election and we have no hope of being able to vote we wrie them a letter post it of and have never been fined yet .Even the cences thing is not really designed for us type either.If you are moving around from state to state say every 3 months who could affored to keep changing all the above mentioned changed. So unless some one has a legal way of getting around all this black area we just live our life to the best honest way we can.....Have thought many times to just get every thing changed to the lodge in Canberra as in truth we all own part of it.Another thing to remember is because your set up is regoed in NSW, you would need to keep going back into NSW for a inspection slip each year when rego is due, Most people make sure they are in WA or some other state that dosn't have that rule in place ( yet )..when their rego is due and get it chaned into that state. As it can become a expensive excercise to go back to NSW if say you happen to be up in the Pilbra of WA .Hope i have not damperned your enthusiasm of a trip of a life time ,as doing this will give you back 30 odd years of your life believe me.I am just trying to explain the stupid no tick box we have in this country. From what i understand you will not be the only one in this situation ,so don't feel alone. A lot of people travelling for extended times do not even know they are by the laws of this land they are braking them,as the law states if in another state for more than x amount of time you have to change licence/rego /insurance/electrol roll.Some states are one month and some are 3 months on this law.So they cannot even come together on this and agree on the same time frame.

-- Edited by herbie on Wednesday 6th of March 2013 04:24:13 PM

Roving-Dutchy · Guru

Gary I think you may be worrrying about nothing, if you don't tell the cop or insurance company that, that is no longer your current address how are they going to know.

Cheers
David

Happywanderer · The Master

So in your case John, what have you got for a residential address for your drivers licence and car rego?

Edit. I don't mean the actual address. Just how did you get around it.

-- Edited by Happywanderer on Wednesday 6th of March 2013 08:54:57 PM

herbie · Guru

herbie wrote:
GaryKelly wrote:
Maybe not so silly, Mike. But after reading the comments here, it seems that anyone travelling Oz for an indefinite period, without a permanent residential address, and who nominates a relative or friend's address as their usual place of residence or usual garaging address for their vehicle, is telling a porky. Or, in legal terms, making a false declaration. At the same time, if insurance companies are accepting money for policies KNOWING that the insured person is a nomad with no permanent residential address, and that the insured person is making a false declaration, then by accepting that false information, and issuing a policy regardless, the insurance company is also guilty of fraud. This issue could be one helluva big can of worms.
Gary get used to it mate, as soon as you drive out that drive you become one of us a crim.!!!! now how does that make you feel .One gets used to it after awhile. One work mate has a $350.000 decked out coach and on the back of it he has had this pro sign made up and it reads
THIS IS NO ILLUSIONI AM ILLEGAL ....JUST BLAME THE GOVERMENT FOR IT.
Gary i do not think the post above has any merrit on your, or many other people's prediciment. He is useing the friend/relo thing well and good to him to be able to do that. What we are detalking about is if you have no pretendfriend/relo what does one do to over come that situation.The system should not have to make you do dodgy stuff .But it is some times the only way,as reading what some of these other people do to get around a system that is not working for people roaming this country.The itninerent of no fixed address only works if you move around all the time and not stay around for more than one / three months , if you over stay that period and the poice pull you up in say the first month and then again another month later they are not stupid and would know you were not an itinerent worker.but in your case you could not even say you are working due to your health issues.So how can one use the itinerent word if one does not work.We work but because we stay in one area for up to 6/ 9 months it sure as hell has never worked for any of us.

-- Edited by herbie on Thursday 7th of March 2013 02:17:41 AM

Mike C · Senior Member

Just checked on the Vic roads website and my conclusion is that one will need to find someone who will provide an address for you to nominate as your residential address.

http://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/Home/Licences/RenewReplaceOrUpdate/UpdateYourDetails/Addressrequirements.htm

I assume that NSW is similar.

There seems to be a risk that if you reside in another state for more than 3 months you risk having to change your licence however not the rego if you can maintain a garaging address.

Seem a good motive to keep moving on....

Why cant they bring on a Grey Nomad friendly reg and licence system...

cheers

Mike

GaryKelly · Guru

Thanks a stack Goldie, Herbie and Mike for your comprehensive and enlightening comments. I'll read them again to absorb it all. Meanwhile, methinks GNs need to be represented by a spokesperson or committee in order to get some kind of political clout. I get the impression we're not much more than a lot of disjointed voices in the wilderness at the moment. Any retired lawyers out there looking for an honorary position?

Mike C · Senior Member

Just a silly thought..

Reading the Vicroads site your mailing/postal address can be different to your residential or garaging address.

Is there scope for some enterprising Guy with a small farm to rent out residential/garaging address shares (nominal annual fee to cover any insurance requirements etc) and use a mail forwarding company for the postal address?

I wonder what the legalities are?

Could be a bush caravan park that in reality no one ever visits..

Cheers

Mike

herbie · Guru

Mike C wrote:
Just a silly thought..
Reading the Vicroads site your mailing/postal address can be different to your residential or garaging address.
Is there scope for some enterprising Guy with a small farm to rent out residential/garaging address shares (nominal annual fee to cover any insurance requirements etc) and use a mail forwarding company for the postal address?
I wonder what the legalities are?
Could be a bush caravan park that in reality no one ever visits..
Cheers
Mike

The person who decides to do this what you have mentioned will make more money than some of these dodgy c/ park owners .Maybe they would be better off shutting the unfrofitable c/ park and re creating another business such as what you mentioned. We own land , but we are not there full time , but maybe down the track it might be the way to go for us. I towed the van down once on to our land and parked beside the shed and got told by a council guy ,,,was not allowed to do that as the van was not conected to the building. Now go figure that rule out, but if i had a house built on the land it would be ok to leave the van beside the shed. Mate this does my head in all the dumb rules and regs .I thought Oz was the land of choice/ freedom/ adventure/...only works if you stay locked up inside four walls i am affraid.

GaryKelly · Guru

Maybe not so silly, Mike. But after reading the comments here, it seems that anyone travelling Oz for an indefinite period, without a permanent residential address, and who nominates a relative or friend's address as their usual place of residence or usual garaging address for their vehicle, is telling a porky. Or, in legal terms, making a false declaration. At the same time, if insurance companies are accepting money for policies KNOWING that the insured person is a nomad with no permanent residential address, and that the insured person is making a false declaration, then by accepting that false information, and issuing a policy regardless, the insurance company is also guilty of fraud. This issue could be one helluva big can of worms.

herbie · Guru

GaryKelly wrote:
Maybe not so silly, Mike. But after reading the comments here, it seems that anyone travelling Oz for an indefinite period, without a permanent residential address, and who nominates a relative or friend's address as their usual place of residence or usual garaging address for their vehicle, is telling a porky. Or, in legal terms, making a false declaration. At the same time, if insurance companies are accepting money for policies KNOWING that the insured person is a nomad with no permanent residential address, and that the insured person is making a false declaration, then by accepting that false information, and issuing a policy regardless, the insurance company is also guilty of fraud. This issue could be one helluva big can of worms.

Gary get used to it mate, as soon as you drive out that drive you become one of us a crim.!!!! now how does that make you feel .One gets used to it after awhile. One work mate has a $350.000 decked out coach and on the back of it he has had this pro sign made up and it reads

THIS IS NO ILLUSIONI AM ILLEGAL ....JUST BLAME THE GOVERMENT FOR IT.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

I can fully appreciate the quandry discussed here.

Perhaps, let me put my tuppence worth into the pot. I travel full-time, and have done so for four years.

I had no difficulty registering with the Electoral Commission as an intinerant, travelling full-time with no fixed address. The Electoral Commission notes those details and, for voting purposes, your last previous address on the Electoral Roll remains as your "voting address" in the Electoral Roll. You can vote for the Federal Elections by simply attending a 'remote electoral office' in any State and they will give you the voting papers for the electorate you are registered with on the Electoral Roll (your last previous residential address even though you do not live there anymore - you are registered as an intinerant remember, with no fixed address). For State Elections you just need to obtain an absentee vote form. I simply get the person minding my 'postal address' to obtain one from the Victorian Post Office and forward it to me. I note on that forum the reason I am voting absentee is that I am "on holiday and will not be returning to Victoria in time to vote". End of the voting predicament. The same applies for Local Council elections. In Victoria they post the voting papers to my "postal address" for my 'residential address'. Included in the paperwork is a form that the person minding my 'postal address/residential address' forwards to me. It allows me to state on the form that the reason I will not be voting is that I am absent on holidays and will not be returning in time for the election.

The 'residential/garaging address' for the car, van and licence is the same as my postal address - because I have a person who gets my mail and forwards the 'important' stuff to me. If anyone askes me, when I am in QLD, NSW, NT, SA, ACT, WA, I give them my 'residential address' shown on the aforementioned paperwork. The reason I am not there at the moment is because I am "currently travelling on holiday". I can see no reason to change my residential address to a QLD one, for instance, just because last year I spent four months in QLD - travelling all over the place.

I needed to make two claims on my car insurance in 2011 - the reason the 'incident' occurred in QLD was because I was "travelling on holiday". They had no problem assessing, approving and paying the claims.

Last year I needed to make a claim on my van insurance ... again I was "travelling" when the damage occurred. However, CIL have my van recorded as 'travelling Australia-wide' and they have no issue meeting a claim because I am "away from my residential address".

You may be 'travelling full-time' but you are also 'travelling on holiday' - the majority of Grey Nomads (there's that misnomer again) spend a great deal of their time travelling. Who said if you travel for five months from "a base" or two years travelling from "a base" there is a difference?

Life is too short to get my knickers in a twist when there are plausable explainations for my being in any particular part of this wide, wonderful, diverse, rewarding, relaxing and beautiful country.

Cheers - John