Reply to: Can you recommend a maildrop?

[rootsnall]

If I was you, I'd get that form in the post tonight.

What's another month or two after all these years !

[NickFitz]

My driving license is still under that address and I haven't lived there for years, I'll sort it one of these days when I pick up some points.

Not to mention a fine of up to 1 grand.

I know all that, I made an effort to apply online but the DVLA site repeatedly fell over and I gave up. I then filled in the paper form but it never left the filing system !

A cautionary tale: last year some twonk reversed into the side of my car (denting it pretty badly) when it was parked out the back of the house (shared parking area for residents). As they'd left traces of their distinctive paintwork, and I could thus identify the vehicle if was parked out there again, I was advised to make an accident report to the Police.

The nice lady on the desk took all the details, and then gave me a producer - "standard procedure when a collision is reported"

Thinking quickly, I explained that my licence was at DVLA having the address changed (a job I'd been putting off for three years), so she told me to produce the other documents within the required time, and bring the licence in when it arrived. I got the licence in the post as soon as I got home

When the licence turned up I took it in. Ahead of me was a girl who'd been giving a producer after being stopped for a moving traffic offence. She had her photocard, but said she hadn't been able to find the paper bit of the licence. She was told that as she'd already committed one offence she'd now also be reported for failing to produce and, despite pleading for a bit more time to hunt for it, was shown the door.

I then produced my belated licence, and they simply tidied up the remaining paperwork and thanked me.

Moral: if you're an innocent party who needs to produce their documents, the Police will turn a blind eye to any delay caused by having to bring your licence up to date. If you're not innocent, you'll cop for the additional offence - no leeway.

If I was you, I'd get that form in the post tonight.

[rootsnall]

Not to mention a fine of up to 1 grand.

If you have one of those old paper-only licences (like I did until recently), you can apply for a photocard licence online, and it doesn't cost anything. They can even take the photo from your passport record.

I know all that, I made an effort to apply online but the DVLA site repeatedly fell over and I gave up. I then filled in the paper form but it never left the filing system !

[Advocate]

That melody will follow me all day now.

WHS,

thanks for f**kin' up my day...

[chicane]

My driving license is still under that address and I haven't lived there for years, I'll sort it one of these days when I pick up some points.

Not to mention a fine of up to 1 grand.

If you have one of those old paper-only licences (like I did until recently), you can apply for a photocard licence online, and it doesn't cost anything. They can even take the photo from your passport record.

[realityhack]

That melody will follow me all day now.

[Xenophon]

There's a voice that keeps on calling me
Down the road is where I'll always be

Every stop I make, I'll make a new friend
Can't stay for long, just turn around and I'm gone again.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll want settle down,
Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

Down this road, that never seems to end,
Where new adventure, lies just around the bend.

So if you want to join me for a while
Just grab your hat, come travel light - that's hobo style.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll want settle down,
Until tomorrow, the whole world is my home.

So if you want to join me for a while
Just grab your hat, come travel light
That's hobo style.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll want settle down,
Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll want settle down,
Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

There's a world, that's waiting to unfold,
A brand new tale, no one has ever told,

We've journey'd far but, you know it won't be long,
We're almost there and we've paid our fare, with the hobo song.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll want settle down,
Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

So if you want to join me for a while
Just grab your hat, come travel light - that's hobo style.

Maybe tomorrow, I'll find what I call home
Until tomorrow, you know I'm free to roam.

[rootsnall]

I used to just use my Mum and Dad's in my vagrant days ! Caused a few fall outs now and then but worked OK for me. My driving license is still under that address and I haven't lived there for years, I'll sort it one of these days when I pick up some points.

[expat]

Moving slightly off-topic, what council tax do you pay and what address do you give to the likes of the inland revenue/passport office when you have no fixed address?

My plan B, or at least a letter further on in the alphabet, is to sell or rent out my flat and get an auto sleeper/van and maybe go travelling, foot loose and fancy free. So I'm interested to learning how one functions without a fixed address. I suppose getting the passport/driving license etc sorted beforehand would be a must, even if you're supposed to tell them when you 'move'. Which would be tricky if you are always moving.

I like this too; but I get the feeling that you have to have "an address where you can always be contacted", (that's for the driving licence), or you just can't have these things.

Unless you are a bona fide travelling person.

Edit: more from DVLA, in the context of a FOI inquiry. Note that this still presumes that a person has a contact address, which is his residential address. Actually there is no such legal definition in the UK.

http://www.whatdotheyknow.com/reques...no_fixed_abode

A short term rental accommodation can be regarded as a person's residential address as can a hotel. Either can be used if it is where the individual is currently living. Both can be considered fixed abodes even if the address is only going to be current for a few months.

[realityhack]

If I was in the same situation I'd register all the necessaries at a friend's/family member's residence and use a forwarding service or virtual office, offering to pay more than my share of council tax etc for the favour.

[2uk]

You have no roots and therefore I take it that you have no friends either

Yes dodgy you are not the most miserable loser on here.

[TimberWolf]

Moving slightly off-topic, what council tax do you pay and what address do you give to the likes of the inland revenue/passport office when you have no fixed address?

My plan B, or at least a letter further on in the alphabet, is to sell or rent out my flat and get an auto sleeper/van and maybe go travelling, foot loose and fancy free. So I'm interested to learning how one functions without a fixed address. I suppose getting the passport/driving license etc sorted beforehand would be a must, even if you're supposed to tell them when you 'move'. Which would be tricky if you are always moving.

[DodgyAgent]

I do not own a property and move with every contract - I rent somewhere local.

This time around, things went wrong and I am living out of hotels until a rental property comes available. So, I have no permanent address at all.

I can use the accountant as my company registered address, but what to do about the rest of the post?

Have you ever used a maildrop, or similar service, and can you recommend one? That is, someone who provides a postal address you can give out for personal and business use and will hold or forward your post on demand.

(NB: A Royal Mail PO Box would NOT do the job; that only really works when you have a real address.)

You have no roots and therefore I take it that you have no friends either

[HairyArsedBloke]

I've used Mailboxes Etc

[thunderlizard]

Regus virtual offices are OK. They do the mail forwarding service, and telephone answering too.