# Lots of Questions!



## HombreEPGDL (Jan 24, 2008)

Ok so everything seems to be a go for a permanent move to GDL next month BUT there are so many unresolved issues! I hope some of you nice expats can help!
Here goes--
1) What about mail? Do you all recieve mail in Mexico such as credit cards and statements, tax documents(W-2) etc.
2) What about jury summons? I called and was told I would have to relinquish my TX drivers license if I make a permanent move to Mexico--Texas uses drivers licenses to summon jurors. I thought I could keep it to be able to drive in GDL.
3) What kind of documents do I have to show in GDL when I register my FM3 status? How long do I have to get my FM3 stamped for the first time in Mexico?
Thanks for any help anyone might be able to give me!


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## makaloco (Mar 26, 2009)

Hopefully someone from Guadalajara will respond, but meanwhile here's what I know based on La Paz, Baja California Sur.

1) Any physical mail comes to my address in La Paz. My former employer and investment company make tax forms W2, 1099, etc.) available online. Credit cards are trickier because most require a US address. My accounts are set up for online statements and payments. New cards go to my brother in the US, who mails them to me. I call from here to activate them.
2) With your Texas driver's license and an FM3, you should be able to get a Jalisco license. Without the Texas license, you'd probably have to take an exam, so get the Mexican one before you give it up.
3) Presuming that you got your FM3 in th US, you should bring everything you submitted when you applied. The Guadalajara immigration office may be different, but I'm told that ours wants a complete file, just as if the person had applied here. They may ask for additional information, such as proof of local address (utility bill).

Good luck with your move!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

1) We get our mail through Mail Boxes Etc., which has offices in Guadalajara and elsewhere in Mexico. It is expensive, but provides a Texas address with delivery in Guadalajara. We can also receive mail via the Mexican postal system at our home. It has improved greatly in recent years. We do banking online with our Texas bank and have an account with Actinver-Lloyd for local funds.
2) We maintain Texas drivers licenses and there is no need to turn them in. With an FM3, you are a non-resident visitor, even though you may own a home and seldom leave Mexico. We also have Jalisco drivers licenses.
3) To apply for an FM3, you will need proof of income (3 months statements), utility bills or lease for proof of residence, your passport, FMT, birth certificate and marriage certificate if married.


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## HombreEPGDL (Jan 24, 2008)

*Thanks and back to #2*



RVGRINGO said:


> 1) We get our mail through Mail Boxes Etc., which has offices in Guadalajara and elsewhere in Mexico. It is expensive, but provides a Texas address with delivery in Guadalajara. We can also receive mail via the Mexican postal system at our home. It has improved greatly in recent years. We do banking online with our Texas bank and have an account with Actinver-Lloyd for local funds.
> 2) We maintain Texas drivers licenses and there is no need to turn them in. With an FM3, you are a non-resident visitor, even though you may own a home and seldom leave Mexico. We also have Jalisco drivers licenses.
> 3) To apply for an FM3, you will need proof of income (3 months statements), utility bills or lease for proof of residence, your passport, FMT, birth certificate and marriage certificate if married.


What do you do when you get jury summons in Texas? The local clerk told me that unless I relinquish my TX drivers license I will keep getting the summons and if I don't appear I will be held in contempt of court.


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## AcapulcoGringo (Mar 1, 2009)

Just get your mail somewhere in the US, and if you get a summons, then you can write the clerk and explain your out of the country. I can say this is the first concern I have heard from an expat about jury summons.. If your out of the country you can get excused.. 

Keep a postal service in us or have everything sent to a trusted persons house..

MX mail is not that dependable although its OK... just dont send anything important and expect it to get there rapidly.. anything important have it sent fedex or ups or similer


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## Rodrigo84 (Mar 5, 2008)

On the jury summons, I think a lot of states (my cousin went through this) exempt you once you turn 70. (not sure in your case about your age). That appears to be the case for federal and state. In some areas, federal service is determined by voter's registration (not driver's license or state ID).

However, he had friends from the San Antonio area who got called and they called up the clerk and were told to get a note from their employer in Mexico stating they were out of country. Employer basically wrote a note for them on their letterhead that said that Mexican law did not excuse jury service as it was not recognized under Mexican law as a valid excuse (there are some excuses for some legal reasons) and that they could be fired.

He had another friend from Virginia that got called for jury service and on the phone they asked him whether he had left permanently or was down their temporarily. He told them he expected to return to the U.S., but that depended on his contract. They also asked for the note, which he faxed to them, but wasn't called again in his 2 years in Mexico.

Finally, he knew one couple from another U.S. state, somewhere like Oregon, that had the issue and they made deals with the occupants of their old house to forward mail that still came to them and one of them got a summons. They basically wrote on the card that the person was out of country. For some reason, they never heard from the court again, despite putting a phone number on the card as instructed.

My cousin also told me that sometimes there comes up the issue that one could not pay for the plane ticket, etc., to be able to get back in time (i.e., extenuating circumstances) and he has seen that mentioned on some websites.

Personally, I find this idea of jury service wrong being enforced as it is, and I heard they don't pay well and it can screw up your job, especially if you are self-employed.


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Don't worry about jury duty. You just send the notice back, indicating you are out of the country. Even if it arrives after the trial has started, due to forwarding and slow mail, you will be excused. No other explanation is necessary. You are the first person I've known who was concerned about it and there are thousands of us with Texas addresses and licenses living in Mexico.


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## HombreEPGDL (Jan 24, 2008)

*Thanks!*

Thanks to all for the information! Yes as you can tell I am an obsessive complusive person--I want to plan everything well in advance and have difficulty with unexpected surprises! LOL-- bear with me expats!


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## mexliving (Mar 30, 2009)

you can get your fm3 in the usa through your local mexico counsel office..... its easyer and quicker...
if you fly into mexico , chances are they will write 90 days on your visa..
if you drive your vehicle into mexico, they will write 180 days...

be sure you choose a very responsible family member for your mail..... i left my female cousin my po box key and specific instructions............... she went MIA and when i called post office , they told me my po box was given to someone else since the year fee was not paid...........

so for 1 month my mail was being registered as un-deliverable.


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