Index: /applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/tests/SpellCheck.java
===================================================================
--- /applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/tests/SpellCheck.java	(revision 3439)
+++ /applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/tests/SpellCheck.java	(revision 3440)
@@ -142,5 +142,5 @@
         {
             String source = st.nextToken();
-            File sourceFile = Util.mirror(new URL(source), plugin.getPluginDir());
+            File sourceFile = Util.mirror(new URL(source), Util.getPluginDir(), -1);
             if( sourceFile == null || !sourceFile.exists() )
             {
Index: /applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/util/Util.java
===================================================================
--- /applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/util/Util.java	(revision 3439)
+++ /applications/editors/josm/plugins/validator/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/plugins/validator/util/Util.java	(revision 3440)
@@ -47,15 +47,11 @@
     
 	/** 
-	 * Returns the plugin's directory of a plugin
-	 * <p>
-	 * Utility method for classes that can't acces the plugin object
+	 * Returns the plugin's directory of the plugin
 	 * 
-	 * @param clazz The plugin class to look for
 	 * @return The directory of the plugin
 	 */
-	public static String getStaticPluginDir(Class<? extends Plugin> clazz)
+	public static String getPluginDir()
 	{
-	    Plugin plugin = getPlugin(clazz);
-	    return ( plugin != null ) ? plugin.getPluginDir() : null;
+		return Main.pref.getPreferencesDir() + "plugins/validator/";
 	}
 
@@ -172,7 +168,8 @@
      * @param url The URL of the remote file
      * @param destDir The destionation dir of the mirrored file
+     * @param maxTime The time interval, in seconds, to check if the file changed. If less than 0, it defaults to 1 week 
      * @return The local file
      */
-    public static File mirror(URL url, String destDir)
+    public static File mirror(URL url, String destDir, long maxTime)
     {
         if( url.getProtocol().equals("file") )
@@ -187,5 +184,6 @@
             localPath = st.nextToken();
             oldFile = new File(localPath);
-            if( System.currentTimeMillis() - checkDate < 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000 )
+            maxTime = (maxTime <= 0) ? 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000 : maxTime * 1000;
+            if( System.currentTimeMillis() - checkDate < maxTime )
             {
                 if( oldFile.exists() )
@@ -194,5 +192,9 @@
         }
 
-        localPath = destDir + System.currentTimeMillis() + "-" + new File(url.getPath()).getName(); 
+        File destDirFile = new File(destDir);
+        if( !destDirFile.exists() )
+            destDirFile.mkdirs();
+
+        localPath = destDir + System.currentTimeMillis() + "-" + new File(url.getPath()).getName();
         BufferedOutputStream bos = null;
         BufferedInputStream bis = null;