Brilliant/Stupid Residency Idea (El Paso, Fort Worth: sale, apartment, renters)

[jtur88]

Originally Posted by nmnita

cheating and scheming is your cup of tea,

He didn't make the rules---he is playing by somebody else's rules. How is that cheating?

[Brian.Pearson]

Originally Posted by mjpyv2

I know there are a bunch of threads on obtaining Texas residency for the purposes of in-state tuition, but none that I searched touched on a "rumored" strategy for residency status that I've heard about. Basically, you buy a plot of land for $500 or so, register it in your name and pay the taxes for 12 full months, while living in Texas (presumably renting) for the duration of those 12 months and attending school. Then, in my case, for the second and third years of UT law school, will I have fulfilled the requirements to achieve residency for those two years?

A cursory glance at the requirements tells me yes--a domicile is presumed to be established if you own real property, I don't see anything that explicitly states you have to be living in/on the property you own. This question is a bit legalistic, so I guess its geared towards anyone with legal knowledge of these statutes or anyone who has heard of this being pulled off successfully. Or, if no one has an anwser, who do you think would be qualified to answer my questions? An attorney specializing in real estate from texas? I'm really desperate to find out more about this, as it would save me $30,000 if i established residency.

What about registering to vote where you are going to school and getting a Texas drivers license? You might ask if that'll do it.

[Poltracker]

Gonna be a lot harder if they check the homestead status on the property. New law in effect tomorrow prevents getting a homestead unless you actually live there.

[Willsson]

Looks pretty clear...

Establishing Residency | Be a Longhorn

To establish domicile, you or your parent(s) must meet the following criteria:

1. Live in Texas for 12 consecutive months; and
2. Establish and maintain domicile for 12 consecutive months by doing one of the following:

• Be gainfully employedin Texas (Student jobs do not qualify as gainful employment.)
• Sole or joint marital ownership of residential real property in Texas by the person seeking to enroll or the dependent’s parent, having established and maintained a domicileat the residence
• Own and operate a business in Texas
• Be married for one year to a person who has established domicile in Texas

[crone]

What an idea. Can I sell $500 shares in my house to students who need to fulfill residency requirements?

If they can do it for RV owners who register their RV's in Texas and establish residency and vote absentee and never set foot in Texas, I can sell shares in my house. Or adopt you.

Good way for old folks who are not getting anything on their CD's and money markets to supplement incomes.

[biscuitmom]

For many years, it was a commonly accepted practice. Some landowners in Wink were especially notorious for selling small parcels of useless land to out-of-state graduate students. Many of these students said they got the idea from UT admissions counselors. The Dallas Morning News ran a big article on it earlier this year and I hear UT quickly changed the residency requirements.

[crone]

Friend in Oklahoma bought a $150000 RV. Sales taxes and registration are much cheaper in Texas. He just used an RV park somewhere around Lake Livingston as his permanent address. Saved a bunch of money and is now a resident of Texas. He lives in a house in Oklahoma, but votes absentee in Texas elections.

[losttechnician]

Originally Posted by Poltracker

Gonna be a lot harder if they check the homestead status on the property. New law in effect tomorrow prevents getting a homestead unless you actually live there.

Clear up "homestead" for me. My understanding is that some taxing entities give a partial break on property tax if the home you live in is registered as "homestead".

I have lived here for 46 years, and the only homestead I have ever gotten..... was the home I actually lived in.

residency is not the same as homestead, unless I am terribly mistaken.

[biscuitmom]

Originally Posted by crone

Friend in Oklahoma bought a $150000 RV. Sales taxes and registration are much cheaper in Texas. He just used an RV park somewhere around Lake Livingston as his permanent address. Saved a bunch of money and is now a resident of Texas. He lives in a house in Oklahoma, but votes absentee in Texas elections.

Sorry to be dense, but explain to me how much your friend saved in tuition, and at which college, after s/he paid the 150k for the rv.

[Poltracker]

Originally Posted by losttechnician

Clear up "homestead" for me. My understanding is that some taxing entities give a partial break on property tax if the home you live in is registered as "homestead". residency is not the same as homestead, unless I am terribly mistaken.

This is what I spoke of. No residency is not the same as homestead. You can have residency without a homestead. Its just that now you cannot have a homestead without residency.