Oregon Takes Dim View of Phony Resident RV Scheme

Fulltimers often ask about where to establish their "residency." If you’re on the road all the time, it’s difficult to get driver licenses, insurance, and obtain vehicle licensing. Oregon is sometimes recommended because of its low vehicle registration rates and lack of sales tax. Some folks, however, have schemed to use the low Oregon rates for their own purposes, witness the recent crackdown on an Oregon resident who "helped" folks take advantage of those attractive Oregon amenities.

After an 18 month investigation, Oregon officials charged Tualatin, Oregon resident Denise Harden with "Tampering with a Public Record," and violating the "Oregon Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization" law. Harden helped non-Oregonians to register RVs in Oregon, thus avoiding their home-state sales tax and vehicle registration fees. By allowing her "customers" to use her Oregon residence address, Harden made it appear they were Oregon residents.

Harden copped a "no contest" plea, got slapped with $100,000 fine, and was given 24 months of probation. While no information was published regarding what happened to her customers, it’s a good possibility their own home state authorities will be putting them under the microscope of justice. It goes without saying then, that if you do establish Oregon as a fulltimer "residence," be sure to put the dot over the I and the crossbar on the T with respect to legalities. In the past, Washington state residents who registered their vehicles in Oregon and were caught got slapped hard for their trouble.

This isn’t the first occasion of phony RV registration schemes. Some years back, Oregon RV dealer Gauranty RV was hit hard when company employees "sold" Oregon addresses to out-of-staters for registration purposes.