How are out-of-state people meeting the DC residency documentation requirements??

[Anonymous]

I keep hearing about people getting turned in for residency fraud at DC public/charter schools when they roll up in cars with MD/VA license plates... but looking at the documentation requirements I don’t understand how they are able to submit the required documentation. It seems very strict. How is this happening? Or were changes implemented this past year to help prevent it?

[Anonymous]

In my experience they are using the address of a grandparent or close family member who is willing to put their name on a bill or affiliate themselves with the address even though they don't live there.

One of my DD's friends flat out told me she lives in MD but her aunt and cousin live in DC so its ok for her to go to school in DC too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my experience they are using the address of a grandparent or close family member who is willing to put their name on a bill or affiliate themselves with the address even though they don't live there.

One of my DD's friends flat out told me she lives in MD but her aunt and cousin live in DC so its ok for her to go to school in DC too.

+1

My DH grew up in the area and knows a lot of people who went to DC schools like this. But there is a second category of people who own rental properties in the city (or in-bounds for a particular school in the city) and live elsewhere and use that address to get their kids into their preferred school. I have noticed that on this board the first is treated as an unforgivable crime and the second is seen as something the parents should be entitled to do. Both are boundary fraud.

[Anonymous]

I know people who used a family member's address.

I also recall one time that I was in our school's office and overheard the support staff complaining about having to call families to press them to turn in their residency information. It was April - the school had allowed the kids to enroll and stay for the bulk of the school year without providing it.

[Anonymous]

A utility bill is in the category of needing 2 items. Are people being added to leases or car registrations as well? After seeing the requirements I really don’t understand how they’d be able to get these documents together

[Anonymous]

I can ask my work to print any address I give them on my paycheck. They don't check or ask questions.
You can pick a janitor's closet in any building name it 01A-2 and present it to a school. Nobody checks or cares if the address exists.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can ask my work to print any address I give them on my paycheck. They don't check or ask questions.
You can pick a janitor's closet in any building name it 01A-2 and present it to a school. Nobody checks or cares if the address exists.

I think the option to show a lease is significantly abused. Its easy to type anything up and call it a lease. Putting a false address on your paycheck could implicate what taxes are withheld and that's bigger issue if you really aren't a DC resident. Of course if you don't pay taxes maybe it doesn't matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I can ask my work to print any address I give them on my paycheck. They don't check or ask questions.
You can pick a janitor's closet in any building name it 01A-2 and present it to a school. Nobody checks or cares if the address exists.

My paycheck stub doesn’t show address (federal government...), but the requirement doesn’t say an address must be listed on there, it says that only DC state tax can be withheld for the year, and the amount must be greater than $0. The school we matched at still called and requested that I submit different documentation of DC residency that shows my address.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In my experience they are using the address of a grandparent or close family member who is willing to put their name on a bill or affiliate themselves with the address even though they don't live there.

One of my DD's friends flat out told me she lives in MD but her aunt and cousin live in DC so its ok for her to go to school in DC too.

I know of a lady using the address of a hair salon where she works and a neihjbor using grandparents address where they drop them off daily! not hard if you are a intent on doing it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can ask my work to print any address I give them on my paycheck. They don't check or ask questions.
You can pick a janitor's closet in any building name it 01A-2 and present it to a school. Nobody checks or cares if the address exists.

My paycheck stub doesn’t show address (federal government...), but the requirement doesn’t say an address must be listed on there, it says that only DC state tax can be withheld for the year, and the amount must be greater than $0. The school we matched at still called and requested that I submit different documentation of DC residency that shows my address.

yes, address doesn't matter except for boundary purposes. Dc taxes do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can ask my work to print any address I give them on my paycheck. They don't check or ask questions.
You can pick a janitor's closet in any building name it 01A-2 and present it to a school. Nobody checks or cares if the address exists.

My paycheck stub doesn’t show address (federal government...), but the requirement doesn’t say an address must be listed on there, it says that only DC state tax can be withheld for the year, and the amount must be greater than $0. The school we matched at still called and requested that I submit different documentation of DC residency that shows my address.

yes, address doesn't matter except for boundary purposes. Dc taxes do.

Agreed. I wonder why the school requested documentation that has my address on it then. They claimed they get audited and the residency verification needs the address

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I can ask my work to print any address I give them on my paycheck. They don't check or ask questions.
You can pick a janitor's closet in any building name it 01A-2 and present it to a school. Nobody checks or cares if the address exists.

My paycheck stub doesn’t show address (federal government...), but the requirement doesn’t say an address must be listed on there, it says that only DC state tax can be withheld for the year, and the amount must be greater than $0. The school we matched at still called and requested that I submit different documentation of DC residency that shows my address.

My school wouldn't accept my federal paycheck stub as evidence because my address is not listed, even though it shows DC taxes withheld.

[Anonymous]

I know someone who got his MIL to draw up a lease and put the water bill in his name. It's very easy to commit residency fraud.

[Anonymous]

All to attend DC public schools? Strange world we live in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In my experience they are using the address of a grandparent or close family member who is willing to put their name on a bill or affiliate themselves with the address even though they don't live there.

One of my DD's friends flat out told me she lives in MD but her aunt and cousin live in DC so its ok for her to go to school in DC too.

+1

My DH grew up in the area and knows a lot of people who went to DC schools like this. But there is a second category of people who own rental properties in the city (or in-bounds for a particular school in the city) and live elsewhere and use that address to get their kids into their preferred school. I have noticed that on this board the first is treated as an unforgivable crime and the second is seen as something the parents should be entitled to do. Both are boundary fraud.

I don't think either one is forgivable (and I disagree that DCUM posters think the latter is OK- if you posted here that you wanted to use your rental to be in bounds for Oyster or Ross while you lived elsewhere in DC people would crucify you). But there is certainly a difference between the two- the former is enrollment fraud because the family is not paying DC taxes and is using resources intended for DC residents. The latter is boundary fraud so not as much of an issue financially as DC is still collecting taxes.