On a single plot in rural Maine, a slew of Rhode Island car registrations

It sure must be cozy out in the woods of Jefferson, Maine.

On a shady lot near Damariscotta Lake State Park, nearly four hours north of Providence, there’s a curious situation — at least 200 personal vehicles owned by Providence residents are all registered there.

Pull back the lens and the problem is larger than it appears. Police began their investigation with an initial list of 3,500 vehicles, trailers, and motorcycles that the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles said carry Rhode Island addresses, including a total of 253 in Providence, said Providence police Major Michael E. Correia.

The practice is a wink-and-nod method for some Rhode Islanders, and other out-of-staters, to get out of paying comparatively higher sales and excise taxes and car insurance.

Providence police officer Mac Field made this discovery last spring, when he noticed a growing number of Maine license plates on vehicles parked all around the city, and then he investigated the ones attached to Providence addresses, Correia said.

Read more: https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/rhode-island/2019/06/12/single-plot-rural-maine-slew-rhode-island-car-registrations/QzGhzLMze5nVydffDK7ZqL/story.html