Confused about Insurance..MA or VT?

[Vineyardseashell]

Hi Everyone,


I have been reading and searching for info on bus insurance. It has become information overload to some extent as every state seems to be different.



My bus is now titled as a motor home and registered for 2 years in Vermont. I live in Massachusetts and would prefer not to waste the $500+ funds spent for the VT title change, VT taxes and 2 year VT registration and re-register my bus in MA.


It appears that All State seems to be the preferred way or the easiest to obtain bus insurance thru.


My questions are:


Can I get insurance in MA as a MA resident with the bus registered in VT?


Can I get insurance in VT as a MA resident with the bus registered in VT?


Do I even mention that the vehicle is a bus? Or being converted?


Just trying to find the correct path to go down.


Thanks,


Clyn

[musigenesis]

I have insurance with Allstate in PA as a PA resident with my bus registered in VT. Allstate is aware of all of this and everything else involved with skoolies. You can be completely open and honest with your agent - assuming Kelly Newsome connected you with them. I mention Kelly Newsome because it seems that not every agent with every insurance company has a clue what their own company's policies are with regard to skoolies, so if you randomly call an Allstate agent you might get a quick no.

[Vineyardseashell]

Originally Posted by musigenesis

I have insurance with Allstate in PA as a PA resident with my bus registered in VT. Allstate is aware of all of this and everything else involved with skoolies. You can be completely open and honest with your agent - assuming Kelly Newsome connected you with them. I mention Kelly Newsome because it seems that not every agent with every insurance company has a clue what their own company's policies are with regard to skoolies, so if you randomly call an Allstate agent you might get a quick no.

Hi musigenenis,


I did read your thread and copied down her number and also subscribed to the thread so the info you provided would not get lost. I am going to call her.



Thanks so much for responding to my query.




Clyn

[Caplansail]

Hi Clyn,

I’ve purchased my bus from AAA Bus in AZ, and spoke to Kelly a few days ago because I need insurance for the drive home to NY. Kelly was “No Problem!” I’d like to think everything will go that smoothly!

Barbara

[Vineyardseashell]

Hi Everyone,


This is/was my experience in MA.


Kelly with Allstate in FL was wonderful. She shared some insights about being in MA.


MA is one of 3 states (MA, AZ, NC) where you cannot be a resident and register/insure a vehicle in another state.


She also did not have an Agent in MA for buses.



The work around was using either an address in VT or another state to obtain insurance. Which worked, and I got Allstate insurance; When Allstate send my paperwork to me, it stated that my insurance would be canceled on Nov 30 unless I moved my other vehicles to Allstate.


Which I will, but I just cannot get it done by Nov 30th. So, I will have to go thru the process again to get insurance, and I will insure all 3 vehicles with them.

[john61ct]

Great info!

I know a bit nit picky but this cannot be legal:

Originally Posted by Vineyardseashell

MA is one of 3 states (MA, AZ, NC) where you cannot be a resident and register/insure a vehicle in another state.

Perhaps more accurately rephrased:

Those states do not allow a resident to operate a vehicle in the state (for some period of time) that is registered out of state.

100's of thousands of well-off USians have homes, properties and vehicles distributed across the country,

the registration and insurance location of mobile property like vehicles, boats etc is supposed to be where they are habitually "garaged", nothing to do with the legal domicile of the owner.

Same with states that claim, only locally domiciled residents are allowed to register vehicles in state, very peculiar and IMO unlikely to be fact, since counter-examples are so rampant.

So, if you are a MA resident with another home say in Florida,

plus vehicles "garaged" in FL thus required to be registered there, property taxes paid in FL,

then the Commonwealth cannot legally have anything to say about that.

Taking a road trip from Florida to your home in MA likewise cannot constitutionally be forbidden.

Only if you **keep** your FL car in MA for some period of time can they compel you to register it locally.

In effect just like in theory most other states do, but perhaps a shorter time limit.

[Vineyardseashell]

Lol...I am not an insurance guru, so I will take your rephrase.

[peteg59]

Assume ins is cheaper in VT than MA.???
Hopefully there is nobody running around checking how long a vehicle registered out of state has been "visiting" their state...

Now if a nosy neighbor were to complain to the right person at DMV???

[john61ct]

I've had local cops notice, let me know time's up.

Also keep in mind automated license plate readers are now all over the place, many of the privately owned networks have data-exchange agreements with police and LE databases

not just stationary, but tow trucks, repo firns etc

location tracking even for those aware how leaky the cellphone GPS databases are.

DHS/DEA were putting thousands out there, not so much in the news anymore, prolly just new normal now

Coupled with facial recognition too.

For high-tax jurisdictions, means millions and millions lost revenue per year

[Bus'n it]

They give you 10 days as a AZ resident to get registered in the state. The police will stop you and physically remove your out of state plates. They do use automated plate readers. I forgot to put on my little sticker on my plate for the 2019 year as I was driving on the 2018 tag. Car was registered and for the 4 months I drove with what seemed like an expired tag, I never was bothered for it. The only reason I noticed is when I had a LEO behind me at a light playing with his laptop.

[Caplansail]

Groan. CDL in NY (with a few months), I’m going to register in VT by mail, and move to CT within the next six months where I can probably start all over?!? And I dread having CT plates on my cars because they are crazed tailgaters!

[john61ct]

Not really on topic but interesting

https://www.vice.com/en/article/jgqm...xmode-locate-x

Idea for get rich quick business plan - subscribe to this data stream, and starting with the states most relying on property taxes, negotiate a percentage finder's fee arrangement reporting vehicles (and their owner's home address) overstaying the local registration rule.

[matthews2001]

I just lost my Alstate insurance for no identifiable reason. Had progressive first for 2 months, then ALLSTATE for a 1 1/2 years. It was 900 a year with collision for 15k coverage.

So I emailed Kelly Newscomb, and somehow she got it reinstated by helping my agent in VT to get it back (something about a non-professional build however I am a former engineer and licensed builder so she said that counts as professional conversion).

However if I want it back my home or auto must be with it. Allstate costs 100% more for my auto then where I have it covered now (650 vs 1300 for a 2013 ford explorer). Closest I have found now is Safeco for 2k per year/30k coverage. So it goes!! Its in storage again in AK so I am a little worried I am coverage less so THE INSURANCE QUEST goes on.....