Is this residency fraud?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There's an easy answer to this question, OP. At any point in the process, would you have to tell DCPS that your child's address is anything other than the home address you teach your child?

Even easier answer. Teach your child that the family owns and occupies two houses, and one house gives him or her the right to attend the school. Even a kindergarten kid can grasp the concept.

Teach Larla "the rules are not for us, because we can afford to buy a condo and a house."

No, teach Larla to be resourceful within the law to prosper, and to ignore wise asses like you.

That be the DC way! Always look for the angle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Technically fraud, but as a taxpayer, I wouldn't really take much issue with it. You're paying taxes.

Where's the fraud? The rules on DCPS residency don't state that a child has to sleep somewhere a certain % of the nights in the year to have by-right access to an in-boundary school. That's the case is some upscale jurisdictions, e.g, tony suburbs of Boston and NYC, but not in DC.
Residency in DC is all about residency docs and where one rents, owns and pays taxes. No lease holder, family property, no fraud.

The fraud is lying on the paperwork. If you do that, under D.C. Code §38-312 you could be subject to a fine or imprisonment because you're knowingly supplying false information "in connection with student residency verification." You may try to argue that your intent was only to commit boundary fraud, but you're submitting a fake address and documents on the form used for residency verification.

This. You're committing perjury on your residency verification forms. You might actually have residency in DC at a different address, but you're still listing a false address.

Also, it will be a big hassle--your address has to match on all your residency documents, including drivers license (which means all the documents that you use to demonstrate a change of address on your DL have to match, too), paystub, DC tax returns, etc.

[Anonymous]

Don’t do this. It’s fraud. You are not above the law.

[Anonymous]

Fix DC Schools - Don't get mad at her for finding a loophole and working within the LAW.

To OP - Change all your legal docs to the condo - mail, w-2, bank statements, credit card statements, tax documents. How you choose to "reside" is your own definition. Do this before the forms enrollment are due and then you won't falsify any documentation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fix DC Schools - Don't get mad at her for finding a loophole and working within the LAW.

To OP - Change all your legal docs to the condo - mail, w-2, bank statements, credit card statements, tax documents. How you choose to "reside" is your own definition. Do this before the forms enrollment are due and then you won't falsify any documentation.

It’s fraud. Plain and simple.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fix DC Schools - Don't get mad at her for finding a loophole and working within the LAW.

To OP - Change all your legal docs to the condo - mail, w-2, bank statements, credit card statements, tax documents. How you choose to "reside" is your own definition. Do this before the forms enrollment are due and then you won't falsify any documentation.

I second this. OP, do what you need to do. You're a tax payer and in a system where "choice" is king, I'm totally comfortable with this.

[Anonymous]

You just want to share the joy at your big WotP school with the likes of OP.

OP, shifting tax and residency paperwork from one family property to another is no big deal in DC. Don't let the Larla person, or anybody else, intimidate you. I suggest not asking "is this residency fraud?" again to anybody. This lawful residency arrangement can and will work for you if you find the moxie to create and file the necessary tax and residency documents, go about your business at the school quietly, and spend time at the condo with your family. IMHO, totally worth it. Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is boundary fraud, not residency fraud.

It is not clear that there is such a crime as 'boundary fraud.' In order for fraud to exist, someone has to be defrauded, they have to lose something of value. DCPS loses nothing of value when you enroll in a school other than the one you're entitled to. Your child is entitled to a DCPS education, and they are required to provide it. In order for them to argue that fraud has occurred they would have to argue that the value of a DCPS education in different schools is different. I don't think that's a path they want to go down in court.

It's fraud because she'd be lying about her address on the paperwork. When you sign the forms, you attest that "I completed this form and I certify that the
information above is accurate. I understand that providing false information for purposes of defrauding the government is punishable by law. By signing below, I acknowledge my agreement with any consents or opt-ins provided in this form."

But the information isn't being provided for the purpose of defrauding the government, it's being provided for the purpose of getting a more convenient school placement.

It may be perjury. But in order for perjury to be a crime it has to be material. Once again DC gets backed into the corner of having to argue that their schools are not equal, which they really don't want to do because it opens the door to parent lawsuits from the school they are arguing is lesser.

[Anonymous]

If you can afford two homes you can afford a lawyer. Don't listen to anyone here.

[Anonymous]

And this is why WOTP schools are bursting at the seams.

We do NOT need a new WOTP elementary school, middle school or high school. Waste of taxpayer funds.

Instead we need to ferret out ALL the people whose children attend who do not LIVE in the boundary.

[Anonymous]

My school was audited this fall, and I had to provide additional documentation because I had blacked out the numbers on a pay-stub showing my address. They're not messing around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fix DC Schools - Don't get mad at her for finding a loophole and working within the LAW.

To OP - Change all your legal docs to the condo - mail, w-2, bank statements, credit card statements, tax documents. How you choose to "reside" is your own definition. Do this before the forms enrollment are due and then you won't falsify any documentation.

Um, that' snot working within the law and finding a loophole. it's fraud. but hey, you do you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You just want to share the joy at your big WotP school with the likes of OP.

OP, shifting tax and residency paperwork from one family property to another is no big deal in DC. Don't let the Larla person, or anybody else, intimidate you. I suggest not asking "is this residency fraud?" again to anybody. This lawful residency arrangement can and will work for you if you find the moxie to create and file the necessary tax and residency documents, go about your business at the school quietly, and spend time at the condo with your family. IMHO, totally worth it. Good luck.

As long as you have moxie, you're not breaking the law! It's legal!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is boundary fraud, not residency fraud.

It is not clear that there is such a crime as 'boundary fraud.' In order for fraud to exist, someone has to be defrauded, they have to lose something of value. DCPS loses nothing of value when you enroll in a school other than the one you're entitled to. Your child is entitled to a DCPS education, and they are required to provide it. In order for them to argue that fraud has occurred they would have to argue that the value of a DCPS education in different schools is different. I don't think that's a path they want to go down in court.

It's fraud because she'd be lying about her address on the paperwork. When you sign the forms, you attest that "I completed this form and I certify that the
information above is accurate. I understand that providing false information for purposes of defrauding the government is punishable by law. By signing below, I acknowledge my agreement with any consents or opt-ins provided in this form."

But the information isn't being provided for the purpose of defrauding the government, it's being provided for the purpose of getting a more convenient school placement.

It may be perjury. But in order for perjury to be a crime it has to be material. Once again DC gets backed into the corner of having to argue that their schools are not equal, which they really don't want to do because it opens the door to parent lawsuits from the school they are arguing is lesser.

Go ahead that sounds like a fun argument to make in court! When you sign the form, you attest that you understand that "under D.C. Code §38-312, any person who knowingly supplies false information to a public official in connection with student residency verification shall be subject to payment of a fine of not more than $2,000 or imprisonment."

[Anonymous]

So live in the condo at the time you sign the form. The condo will be your property, OP, to live in when you please, as you like, for private reasons.

DC laws governing school residency are poorly written and thought through, presenting you with a loophole to take advantage of, period.