Legal Definitions - nonresidence

Nonresidence refers to the legal status of an individual or entity that does not live or maintain its primary establishment within the boundaries of a particular place, jurisdiction, or designated area.

This concept is important in various legal contexts, as it can determine eligibility for certain rights, responsibilities, or benefits.

• Example 1: State University Tuition

  Imagine a student named Alex who attends a public university in Oregon. Although Alex lives in a dorm on campus for nine months of the year, his permanent legal home (domicile) is with his parents in Washington State. For tuition purposes, Alex is considered a nonresidence of Oregon, meaning he will pay the higher out-of-state tuition rate because his primary legal residence is not within Oregon's state borders.

• Example 2: Local Property Tax Exemptions

  Consider a couple, Sarah and Tom, who own a vacation home in a coastal town in Maine. Their primary residence, where they live and work most of the year, is in Massachusetts. For property tax purposes in Maine, they would be considered nonresidence owners of their vacation home. This status might prevent them from qualifying for certain property tax exemptions or homestead benefits that are typically reserved for full-time residents of Maine.

• Example 3: Eligibility for Local Office

  Suppose a successful business owner, Mr. Chen, operates a large factory within the city limits of Metropolis. While his business is a major employer in the city, Mr. Chen himself lives in a neighboring suburb just outside Metropolis's municipal boundaries. If Mr. Chen wished to run for a seat on the Metropolis City Council, he would be ineligible due to nonresidence, as most local political offices require candidates to be legal residents of the specific city or district they seek to represent.

Historically, the term also had a specific meaning in ecclesiastical law, referring to a religious official's absence from their designated post or benefice, which was considered a dereliction of duty.