Leave your RV in Quartzsite year around? Think taxes.

For some snowbirds, the lure of Quartzsite–or other places in LaPaz County–is strong. But as age settles in, the thought of towing the rig back and forth every year loses its luster. Some have opted to drop the rig in Quartzsite, then fly or drive back home without the tow. LaPaz County Assessor George Nault says, ‘You’re welcome–just be sure to pay the piper.’

It’s one of those little known, but ugly facts of life: Arizona state law says if you leave your rig in the state for more than six months, you’ll need to title it and register it with the Arizona state DMV. Some either don’t know, or simply ignore this little fact of life. What happens then? Local wags tell us that Mr. Nault has a corp of spies equipped with binoculars who delight to “tell tale,” about potential violations of the law. If the Assessors Office gets wind of an RV without an Arizona vehicle plate remaining in the area for more than six months, there are repercussions.

What kind of repercussions? Whoever owns the property on which the offending RV is parked on will find a surprise on their next property tax statement: That RV will be placed on the personal property tax rolls, and a suitable assessment (read that “taxes”) will be found. You can be sure that RV park owners are very well versed on this law, and not wanting to pay more than their fair share, insist that their tenants keep Arizona tags on their RVs. But if your rig is parked on private property, you (or your landlord) will be sure to get the bill.

Stock photo Pingu963-very busy! on flickr.com through creative commons license.

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