The Ridge Runner

Beginning May 7, 2012, you must prove that either your residence or your domicile is in Texas and that you have lived here for at least 30 days in order to apply for an original Texas non-commercial driver license or ID card.

A “residence” is the place where you normally live, live most of the time, or return to after temporary absences. A “domicile” is your true, fixed, and permanent home. If either your residence or domicile is in Texas, you meet this requirement for a driver license or ID. (For example, college students may reside in another state while at school, but still have a Texas domicile if their parents live here.)

Proving Residency

You must prove your Texas residency by showing two acceptable documents that contain your name and residential address. One of the documents must prove that you have lived in Texas for at least 30 days, unless you are surrendering a valid, unexpired driver license from another state; then the 30 day requirement is waived.

If you are unable to provide two acceptable documents (for example, if you live with someone but are not listed on the lease), you may be eligible to complete a Texas Residency Affidavit.

Documents That Prove Residency

These documents prove residency for a non-commercial driver license or ID card:

Current deed, mortgage, monthly mortgage statement, mortgage payment booklet, or a residential rental/lease agreement
Valid, unexpired Texas voter registration card
Texas motor vehicle registration or title
Texas boat registration or title
Texas concealed handgun license
Utility statement (including electric, water, natural gas, satellite TV, cable TV, or non-cellular phone bill) dated within 90 days of the date of application
Selective Service card
Medical or health card
Current homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy or homeowner’s or renter’s insurance statement
Current automobile insurance policy or an automobile insurance statement
Texas high school, college, or university report card or transcript for the current school year
W-2 or 1099 tax form from the current tax year
Mail from financial institutions; including checking, savings, investment account, and credit card statements dated within 90 days of the date of application
Mail from a federal, state, county, or city government agency dated within 90 days of the date of application
Current automobile payment booklet
Pre-printed paycheck or payment stub dated within 90 days of the date of application
Current documents issued by the US military indicating residence address
Document from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice indicating the applicant’s recent release or parole
Current Form DS2019, I-20, or a document issued by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services
NOTE: The two documents must be issued by different companies or agencies. For example, you cannot use both a water bill and electricity bill from the same company.

Address Confidentiality

The residency requirement is waived for people who are authorized to use alternative addresses under the following circumstances:

Those who are subject to the address confidentiality program administered by the Office of the Attorney General.
Those who are currently incarcerated in a Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility.
Those who are judges or spouses of judges.
Peace officers using alternative addresses must still prove Texas residency, even though their driver licenses may show alternative addresses. They must show that their mailing addresses meet Texas residency requirements.

Statutory Authority

The following Administrative Code and Transportation Code provide DPS the statutory authority to require proof of residence in order to apply for a driver license or ID card:

37 Texas Administrative Code §15.49
Texas Transportation Code, Section 521.1426

The Edwards Aquifer Authority (EAA) today declared Stage II mandatory pumping reductions for Edwards Aquifer users within its San Antonio Pool, which means more significant limits on how much water can be pumped from the aquifer. Stage II of the EAA critical period management plan requires Edwards groundwater permit holders in the San Antonio Pool – including all of Bexar and Medina, and parts of Atascosa, Caldwell, Comal, Guadalupe and Hays counties – to reduce their pumping from the aquifer by 30 percent of their annual authorized amount. San Marcos and Kyle rely on groundwater from the Edwards for a portion of their local water supply and are subject to the mandatory reduction.

While The Ridgerunner encourages reader comments, we must ask that commenters refrain from personal attacks and from anonymous posts. It is regrettable, but please be advised that such posts will be removed.

The dust created by the just concluded election for three members of the WPOA Board of Directors is settling a bit as the results are announced. Sally Caldwell, Mike Regan, and Liz Sumter were elected to serve the community by property owners who participated in the election either by mailing in, by electronically returning their ballots or by voting in person on January 21.

It would be nice to believe that now that the votes have been counted and certified, the communities of Eagle Rock and Woodcreek North could get on with business without the constant buzz of complaint, accusation and personal attack that characterized the run up to this election. Sadly, it will not be so. For whatever reason and to whatever end, those intent on attacks and specious complaint will not let up merely because this election has been decided.

There is much at stake for Wimberley area people during coming years. We will have to grapple with difficult questions about how much development can a water deficient area such as this sustain. It will be necessary to work together to find solutions that will promote the preservation of our beautiful valley while being fair to all. It is the Ridgerunner’s belief that this will not be accomplished should the future fall into the combative and unreasonable hands of those unwilling to compromise. We therefore applaud the decision of the property owners who chose to vote with the future in mind rather than to ratify the petty grievances of a few.

Every year individual property owners in Woodcreek North pay a $120.00 maintenance fee to our property owners’ association (WPOA). Over all these years the largest part of this income has been spent on the building and maintenance of our roads. This income paid for the improvements to major thoroughfares so that Hays County would accept them for maintenance.

At the association’s recent general membership meeting a member in attendance submitted a proposal that was brought to a vote requiring the WPOA drop the pending foreclosure action against Wimberley Springs Partners (WSP). Members voted down the proposal and the foreclosure action is ongoing. This has been a chronic problem with WSP.

WSP uses Woodcreek North roads and refuses to chip in for their maintenance.
The partnership is engaged in trying to mitigate the losses it has suffered from their bad investment by convincing just enough owners to vote their sections out of the WPOA and thus becoming recipients of our contributions to road, park, mowing and other forms of maintenance our association does on a regular basis.

Where WSP owns at or near the majority of lots and by making promises that may or may not ever happen, it isn’t difficult for WSP to convince a few property owners to vote their sections out of the WPOA. When a section is taken over, the deed restrictions for WSP go into effect. A careful reading of the 140+ pages of restrictions reveals that WSP’s restrictions can be changed at any time by the WSCA Board of Directors or by Wimberley Springs Partners.

How is this fair?

Hays County Courthouse, San Marcos, TX – Not transferring a vehicle in 30 days can cost Hays County residents big money.
A new state law requires those who purchase vehicles in a private sale, whether it’s in or out of state, to obtain a new title within 30 calendar days or face financial penalties.
“In some counties people are finding they owe hundreds of dollars in title penalties for failing to transfer the title within a month of purchasing their new car or truck,” said Luanne Caraway, Hays County Tax Assessor-Collector. “Please don’t let this happen to you.”
Failure to transfer the title within the 30 days results in an automatic $25 penalty, plus another $25 for each month the title is late. There are no waivers for these penalties, which means the Hays County tax office and the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles cannot reduce or forgive what you may owe.
The law does grant an additional 30 days to active-duty military personnel, which gives them 60 days to transfer the title before facing late title penalties.
While the penalties may seem harsh, it’s important to remember this helps to protect you when you go to sell a vehicle.
“When vehicle buyers don’t put the title in their name when you sell them a car or truck, anything they may do with that vehicle is going to trace to your name,” Caraway said.
However, sellers don’t have to rely solely on the buyer to do the right thing.
Whenever you sell a vehicle yourself or even trade one in to a dealer, it is important to file the free Vehicle Transfer Notification on the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles website, www.TxDMV.gov. “Sellers must file the Vehicle Transfer Notification within 30 days to receive the state-guaranteed protection from liability,” Caraway said. “This way you cannot be held responsible for anything the buyer does with your old vehicle.”
Buyers need to realize that titling the vehicle in their name also offers protection. “When a vehicle is titled in your name it gives you proof of ownership,” Caraway said.
Caraway offers these tips for people planning to buy or sell a vehicle.

Texas Buyers
· For your protection, never buy a vehicle in a private sale without receiving the title.
· Be sure the seller gives you the title. If the title is from Texas, you can go to Title Check at www.TxDMV.gov to see if it’s a clean title.
· The seller must sign, date and enter the odometer reading on the title back.
· Be sure the seller signs, dates and enters the sales price on Form 130-U. If you are purchasing the vehicle out of state, have the seller download the form from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles website, www.TxDMV.gov.
· Go to your local county tax office within 30 days to title the vehicle in your name.

Texas Sellers
· Sign, date and enter the odometer reading on the back of the title.
· Fill out your section of the mandatory Form 130-U. The buyer needs this to title the vehicle out of your name.
· Take off the license plates and transfer them for free to the new vehicle you buy. (That plate number ties directly to your name.)
· File the Vehicle Transfer Notification online at www.TxDMV.gov to remove your liability for the vehicle in the event the buyer does not transfer the title. You only have 30 days to file the Vehicle Transfer Notification to receive this state-guaranteed removal of liability.

For more information about title transfers in Hays County and office hours for the tax offices in Buda, Dripping Springs, Kyle and San Marcos, visit www.hayscountytax.com or call 512.393.5545.