Escapees July-August 2022

Local elections determine who will be the county judges. They preside over probate court, among other duties. The county clerk is responsible for voting rules and regulations, among other duties. The county commissioners determine what money will be spent on road improvement, leash laws for stray animals, where traf fi c lights will be placed. The county tax assessor/collector is in the of fi ce where you also get your vehicles registered and is responsible for vehicle registration as well. That’s where you go when you register your RVs every year. In short, all politics is local. Even though you may not feel that you spend enough time in the place you call “home,” which is your domicile, and might not get to choose who runs the county, but you, in fact, will still be affected by decisions made by the local leaders. Speights v. Willis In 2002, Escapees, Inc. was involved in a lawsuit in Polk County, Texas, Speights v. Willis, No.09-02-192 CV (App. Ct. – Beaumont, Oct. 24, 2002). The court determined in that lawsuit that members of Escapees who had created a domicile in Polk County, Texas, could vote in Polk County, Texas. That is one of the many reasons “establishing a domicile” is so important, especially for full-time RVers. If you are concerned about whether you have an established domicile, this case is quite helpful. There are also many articles on this subject in past issues of Escapees Magazine. Our law fi rm, Loring & Assoc., specializes in domicile-related questions. If you would like more information on domicile, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. Hopefully, this article will be one of many reminders you receive proclaiming that voting and jury duty are rights and privi leges that are based on the location of your domicile and which I hope all will appreciate and exercise.

read this article) and learn that they are no longer registered to vote in this county. Now they have a choice to make. Should they notify the district clerk that they checked the wrong box and that they are residents of the county? On the books, at least, if not in practice, lying on the jury summons form can actually cause one to be fi ned between $100 and $500. If, however, Bill decides to just forego voting, then he is arguably no longer consid ered domiciled in Livingston, Texas. If he is spending most of his time in California and no longer has anything but a driver license and vehicle registration connecting him to Texas, then he should probably go ahead and change his domicile to the place he intends to call home, in this case, California. Now, hopefully, I have cautioned you into being consistent. If you are domiciled in Livingston, Texas, and receive a jury summons, do not check the box stating that you are not a resident of this county. Instead, contact Bobbye Christopher’s of fi ce. Her staff works well with Escapees. They also suggest that you respond to the jury summons online. Online there is a place for you to check “I am an Escapee.” If you check that box, then you will be taken off the active jury summons roster. However, they ask that when you are in Livingston, please let the district clerk’s of fi ce know so that they can assign you to a jury panel. Why Vote on the Local Level? Now, on the issue of voting. As a full-time RVer, why should you cast your vote on the local level? Let’s say you call Livingston, Texas, “home” as so many of you do. You have your driver license with a Rainbow Drive address here in Livingston. Your vehicles are registered in this county. As we have just discussed, you may be called to jury duty in the county. Upon your death, your estate will be probated in this county. In short, the elected of fi cials of Polk County, Texas may actually have a profound effect on your life.

K. SUSIE ADAMS has been a lawyer for over 30 years, spending 15 of those years as a trial lawyer. She also taught legal writing at theUniversity of Houston LawSchool. From2011–2016, she was executive director of Childrenz Haven, the Child Advocacy Center of Polk County, Texas. Susie and her husband, James Frost, reside in Livingston, Texas.

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ESCAPEES Magazine July/August 2022