For Americans Only

[Hud3]

Janet, in answer to your question...

Living fulltime outside the U.S., with no physical address in the States, we maintain a legal "domicile" in Florida by renting a Personal Mailbox (PMB) at St Brendan's Isle in Green Cove Springs, FL. That simple and relatively inexpensive act allows us to have a U.S. address for our credit cards, Social Security, Medicare, the IRS, and mail or package delivery via the USPS or services like FedEx who won't deliver to a Postal Service post office box. SBI forwards our mail/packages to us here in Nevis in accordance with instructions that we provide by logging into their website.

We are legally registered voters in Clay County, FL for both state and federal elections, and we have Florida drivers' licenses. The SBI address is of the form...

John Doe
411 Walnut Street #XXXX
Green Cove Springs, FL 32043

It works perfectly for us, and I'm always happy to recommend them to others.

[Kettlewell]

I second SBI as probably the easiest and cleanest way to take care of all this, if in your circumstances a Florida address makes sense. I used them for many years and they are excellent, but in recent years I've been able to whittle down the amount of mail I need while cruising to almost nothing. Another tried and true method is to use a relative's or other trusted person's address and give them control over your bank accounts and give them power of attorney. Some folks are too paranoid to do this, but I find that about once a year something comes up that requires someone back in the states to take care of some legal or financial issue, and your "trusted person" can save you lots of hassle. In my case it was my mom when she was alive, and more recently my dad, so there weren't any issues with trust, at least in my family. This person could then watch for important things like a jury notice and take care of it for you by notifying the court that you are currently living outside of the country. I agree, that it is probably better to use the term "living" and not "traveling."

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by captain58sailin

. One never knows when One might have to face a Judge and jury, and if that ever happens to me, I hope that the people on the jury are not just the people who couldn't think up a good enough excuse to get out of the duty.

Ditto.

[Bergovoy]

the system is s'posed to be one of a jury of peers... but the reality is kinda like you expressed.

most jury members are either union workers, house wives, government workers or unemployed...

I dont think any of those workers are necessarily my peers... If you have a job that pays you to go to jury duty, then I cant empathize with you, nor have i really met or hung out with any of you either.

and not to start a political discussion more then it is, but I believe Union workers are typically a group of entitlement, and or ideoligically different... a bit more then just democrat/reppublican, more like socialist v communist... and no, i am not calling names, or associating them or anyone to either of those groups, i could have said, apple v oranges...

[captain58sailin]

I have worked non union jobs, union jobs, government jobs, and I have been unemployed a lot. I have also experienced a world of things that only fellow mariners could relate to, the odds of my jury ever being paneled with 12 experienced seagoing folk would be extremely slim. That is not to mention the ideological and theological differences. I mean how many Buddhist, Pagan, butterfly effect, conspiracy theorists are there in the world?

[Noname1]

Originally Posted by Bergovoy

but I believe Union workers are typically a group of entitlement, and or ideoligically different... a bit more then just democrat/reppublican, more like socialist v communist... a

Bergovoy your stock with me just fell a couple of notches. You just defamed several groups of people as below you with no justification at all. Prejudice!
I'm a card carrying retired hard hat and I and my brothers work damned hard for a living. To paint a group as you did is IMO Not useful or even reasonable. If you wanna throw generalizations there are other places for that activity. I'll stop here as this prolly a good stopping point.......

[zeehag]

i found when i returned and found 2 summonses awaiting my return, during the spoken exchange, i was dealt with in considerate and respected fashion--i got to the court-- i was permanently excluded as disabled person--i am loving this....i worked hard hard hard for 30+ yrs in critical areas as nursee.... never but one time called for jury duty as nursee--lol-- wasnt until i was disabled i was selected to show up, then summarily dismissed as a dap forever..LOL....oh well-- now i am free to sail and cruise without having to change address too many times-- i need to keep kali for my ericson address, until sold--which seems a long long time away from now.....

[Bergovoy]

not sure if i said this before, but, I liked being on jury duty... except the waiting around part that is...

I would hope everyone would want to serve at least once to do thier part and to help out people that need and ask for intervention and clarification of what is 'right' or 'fair' or ocnsistant iwth current laws...

I would strongly suggest to everyone to 'pay thier dues' and contribute to society in this reagards if asked/required...

clearly, from my prior comment,, i wouud want people of my peers, and that will soon include cruisers.. to be on that jury pool...

choosing to not just because it is inconvenient and or a little hardship is unfair to those that need and want your participation..

[JanetGroene]

If your mail is forwarded by the U.S. post office, they are not permitted to hold it over a certain limit. It goes back to the court and what happens after that depends on the jurisdiction. USPS forwarding is free for a year, I think and only to domestic addresses. Most "homeless" people use professional mail forwarding services that provide both a street address (for legal purposes) and custom service such as Fed-Exing your important stuff to Europe. You just e-mail them when you're ready and they let loose a batch. These services charge a fee but the services they provide are spot-on to each cruiser's individual needs. Even though online services are taking over many comm functions, most of us still need a legal address for mail and other things.

Originally Posted by Kettlewell

Cbdavidson, I don't dispute what you say, but maybe that is just a risk some us will have to take, because it simply is not possible to receive mail in many parts of the world and similarly it may be very difficult to make a phone call in those areas. It makes me wonder what happens to an ordinary traveler who maybe goes to Europe for a couple of months and doesn't have his or her mail forwarded. Is there some legal obligation to have your mail forwarded or opened? Governments can't expect everyone to just hang around the mail box in case they should get called up for jury duty.

[Kettlewell]

I noticed today that Vice President Joe Biden is reporting for jury duty in Delaware.

[Bergovoy]

Im guessing that he will be dismissed, but only after the tax payers pay the bill for air travel and expenses and security and all that...

what a waste of time and money... a simple tele call will work... but, rules is rules... and we abhore anyone thinking outside the box and or trying to save a buck...

[capn_billl]

Contracting a mail forwarding service worked well for me when my job kept me out of the country for months at a time. Most UPS or office supply stores offer this service or can tell you where to find one. A simple phone call or e-mail got me my mail by fedex the next day, for a small fee, and provided a street address. They would contact me if something important looking showed up, IRS, GOV, check, etc...

[capn_billl]

Originally Posted by michaeldsusa

Bergovoy your stock with me just fell a couple of notches. You just defamed several groups of people as below you with no justification at all. Prejudice!
I'm a card carrying retired hard hat and I and my brothers work damned hard for a living. To paint a group as you did is IMO Not useful or even reasonable. If you wanna throw generalizations there are other places for that activity. I'll stop here as this prolly a good stopping point.......

No one said guys wearing hard hats don't work hard. I worn one myself for several years, and worked in a union shop. Now working as a senior engineer I see things differently than as a hourly worker puttin' in his time. Even if you personaly don't think it, be real, youv'e never heard talk about the union about "them vs us"? The entire union concept is everyone according to their abilities, to each according to their needs. (essence of socialism), also use of force or threat of force, also socialism. Collective bargaining, socialist again, ....

[Hudson Force]

Come back, please, and refocus! We're dealing with the concerns of cruisers responding to a summons for jury duty. Let's not fall into the pit of political debate.

[zeehag]

usps delivers to usa territories and they count for receiving mail for paychecks, banks, disability and medi care. also works for any other usa mail necessary to receive. doesnt have to be the union states--can be territories.--philipines, usvi, pr, etc are still territories and mail is delivered there-- usps.
smooooth sailing...