a vehicle. Your Canadian insurer will not honour claims on extended-stay vehicles, so be careful. Dear Bird Talk, Like many Canadians, I received the AstraZeneca vaccine, which apparently is not approved in the U.S. Without documentation showing that one has been vaccinated with a U.S.-approved COVID vaccine, many of us may be unable to enter shops, restaurants, bars, clubs and other venues in the U.S. From what I read, the only option is to have a weekly COVID test with a negative result to gain entry, but that is unrealistic, especially for long stays in the U.S. And that avenue also may end, as we are starting to see a tightening of the rules under this U.S. administration. Is there any hope of the U.S. Government recognizing that AstraZeneca is a safe and effective vaccine that should qualify for the “vaccine passport”? Elaine Sturgeon, Penticton, BC Ed.: We almost hate to comment on COVID because all of the rules and regulations are changing so quickly. Individual provinces, states and countries all have their own “directives.”Also, the airlines and cruise lines all have varied rules. I recommend going directly to their websites to get the latest “Hot off the Presses” rules and regulations. Regarding AstraZeneca, I can say that the U.S. has agreed to allow anyone to enter with this vaccine and/or any vaccine approved by theWorld Health Organization or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. AstraZeneca IS approved by the WHO. We have had no reports of any vaccines being rejected by restaurants, clubs or any other venues in the U.S. On a final note, mixed vaccines are readily accepted and some say that these provide even better protection against the 41 different strains of COVID.They are starting to call the new strains COVID 21 instead of COVID 19 and I suspect that we will see COVID 22 before long. It is all a fine example of a Catch-22. BirdTalk Featuring the letters & concerns of our members SEND YOUR LETTERS TO Bird Talk, c/o CSANews 180 Lesmill Road Toronto, Ontario M3B 2T5 or by e-mail: csawriteus@snowbirds.org Bird Talk Dear Bird Talk, We are selling our condo and would like some legal advice. Do you have any recommendations of U.S. lawyers in our area whom we could consult? Is there an association that we can contact? We want to avoid any legal problems with this transaction. Nick Peluso, Ottawa, ON Ed.: The sale is very straightforward − all of the documentation and procedures of the sale are handled by a title company. Probably, there will be 15% of the sale price sent to the IRS as security for payment of any capital gains tax. In the year following the year of sale, a U.S. tax return must be filed at which time the tax is calculated and a refund of any excess held is requested. If you really do want a lawyer, then I would ask for a referral from your real estate agent or title company. Your condo association will also have a lawyer whom you could use. Dear Bird Talk, My husband and I jointly own a home in Florida, value estimated at $400,000. Do we need a separate will drawn up by an attorney in the U.S. or written in Canada and referred to as a U.S. property will? This would be in addition to our Canadian will? Margaret Dickson, Stratford, ON Ed.: As the property is presently in joint tenancy, upon the death of one of you, the property will go to the survivor by succession. The property is currently outside of any will. If the property ends up in single-person ownership, it would then be subject to a will. There is no need to have a Florida will to cover the property − a Canadian will works just fine. Dear Bird Talk, I submitted 1040NR for 2019 on Feb 22, 2020 requesting a refund of $3,726, which represents withholding tax on gambling winnings. Have been doing this every year since 2006. We have always got the requested refund. Heard nothing, so called on May 14, 2021 and they said to write − which we did − and still nothing. What can we do next? Susan Price, Devon, AB Ed.: Waiting is all that you can do. They have your forms, but the IRS is considerably behind in their procedures due to staff COVID issues. Do you give gambling lessons? Dear Bird Talk, After spending six months in Mesa, AZ we followed the rules set out by the Canadian Government. We had the required COVID testing prior to, during and after our mandatory, three-night stay in a hotel (Hilton, very nice roomand good food) chosen by the government, and another test thereafter, plus a checkup four days after arrival fromU.S. by another government person, in person and phone calls. The cost was just under $1,500 for the hotel stay. Because we followed the rules, we did not run across the U.S./Canada border schlepping our various bags waving anxiously to connect withUber or alternative driver and thinking “will we be nailed”! Will the government reimburse us for our hotel stay??? Just asking :). Sandra Beaton, Cherry Valley, ON Ed.: I commend you on your patience and adherence to all of the government’s protocols. At this point, reimbursement is a “No,” but I would stir the pot a bit and send letters and your bills to the provincial health plan (OHIP, in your case) and request reimbursement. Also, send them to the federal minister of health requesting reimbursement. If enough people get together, it is amazing what can be accomplished. Dear Bird Talk, With the border closed, we are thinking of buying a car in Florida and leaving it there, so that we don’t have to rent every time we fly back and forth. Can we do that with Ontario driver’s licences? Any issues?We own a condo in Sarasota. Doug Rubbra, Gloucester, ON Ed.: I have owned various cars in Florida for more than 30 years. It is a great idea and very simple. Simply buy the car, put it in your name with your Florida address and insure it in Florida with a local broker. Make sure that he or she knows that it will be left for six months or longer. Do not buy a car in Canada and take it down − this is messy, more expensive and is really the importation of CSANews | WINTER 2021 | 9
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