$25 fee to collect child support...

[OneTimeSBX]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/wa...child_support/

This just kicked in on October 1st here in VA, along with a few other states.

any thoughts?

[AlphaFrog]

$25 for the state to do their job?

Stupid.

If anything, they should charge the $25 to the person they are collecting FROM as punishment for having to track them down and make them pay.

[SydneyK]

I completely agree with AF.

I understand why states need to charge a fee, but there's absolutely no reason why the families receiving child support should be responsible for paying it. This fee should be the sole responsibility of the people paying.

[OneTimeSBX]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

$25 for the state to do their job?

Stupid.

If anything, they should charge the $25 to the person they are collecting FROM as punishment for having to track them down and make them pay.

apparently, "it would be harder to collect from the non-custodial parent"...i dont see where that is the custodial parents problem! its really not that difficult. if you cant pay it, you go to court, and follow the proper procedures to get it suspended or reduced or whatever option the judge offers. you dont just stop paying.

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX

apparently, "it would be harder to collect from the non-custodial parent"...i dont see where that is the custodial parents problem! its really not that difficult. if you cant pay it, you go to court, and follow the proper procedures to get it suspended or reduced or whatever option the judge offers. you dont just stop paying.

Isn't that why they're getting involved in the first place...because it's "harder to collect from them"???

[SydneyK]

Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX

apparently, "it would be harder to collect from the non-custodial parent"

That's a weak argument (I know you're not the one making it, SBX). According to the article, the fee is assessed only to those families who receive $500 or more per year in child support. If a family doesn't receive the support they're entitled to, the fee isn't assessed. I would expect that the non-custodial parents who DON'T pay what they're required to are the ones who would skip out on paying this fee. (In my opinion, these are the ones who should pay an even larger fee, but that's beside the point.) The non-custodial parents who DO pay what they're required to would, more than likely, pay this nominal fee (I mean really, it's only $25 a year).

I think it boils down to the fact that it's easier for the state to collect this fee from the child support recipients, and that's why they chose that route. It's simply a case of laziness, if you ask me.

[Kevin]

So could you just get an income assignment from the NCP's place of business and bypass the VA DHS system?

They're probably assessing the $25 from the CP because there's no statutory duty for the NCP to pay any sort of fee for the privilege of having the government garnish their checks.

[OneTimeSBX]

$500 bucks a year is $41.66 a month. that is just enough for me to fill my gas tank and go back down to the courthouse each month.

and although i hate to go this route as well, you have to be broke as HELL to qualify for anything these days. i think its fair that you dont pay if you are on public assistance but my god, who only collects that $500?? i know $25 is a lot less than a lawyer, etc. but hit up the parent who is screwing up to begin with...

[AlphaFrog]

Originally Posted by Kevin

They're probably assessing the $25 from the CP because there's no statutory duty for the NCP to pay any sort of fee for the privilege of having the government garnish their checks.

Actually, the employer can charge the garnishee up to $2/check admin fee for having to garnish their wages. Absolutely more than fair if you see what goes on behind the scences, admin wise to garnish someone's check. And, if the person would have paid up in the first place, their wages would not have had to been garnished.

[OneTimeSBX]

Originally Posted by Kevin

So could you just get an income assignment from the NCP's place of business and bypass the VA DHS system?

They're probably assessing the $25 from the CP because there's no statutory duty for the NCP to pay any sort of fee for the privilege of having the government garnish their checks.

i know here when you get a new job, there is a sheet that asks about child support, and if you fill out that you do pay it, they make arrangements to have it taken out without a fee. but how many delinquent/lazy/irresponsible parents would tell the truth? they figure new job, new situation, and it wont catch up with them.

[AlphaFrog]

I get Child Support letters for guys who haven't worked here in YEARS because they give them our info as a way to put them off for a few more weeks.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by OneTimeSBX

i know here when you get a new job, there is a sheet that asks about child support, and if you fill out that you do pay it, they make arrangements to have it taken out without a fee. but how many delinquent/lazy/irresponsible parents would tell the truth? they figure new job, new situation, and it wont catch up with them.

Your job collecting an administrative fee to recompense themselves for an expensive and time consuming task is different from a governmental agency adding a fee so it can collect money from you. What you have are very distinct situations.

It'd be like the IRS deciding to charge you a fee for sending in an itemized return (because it's harder on the IRS to process that return).

[SWTXBelle]

One more way to screw the responsible parent. I have a stack of legal fees that I have had to incur in trying to get Bozo Deadbeat dad to pay up - and the one time the state "helped" me ended up costing me, too. I have court orders galore - but no money. This is seriously messed-up.

[OneTimeSBX]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

One more way to screw the responsible parent. I have a stack of legal fees that I have had to incur in trying to get Bozo Deadbeat dad to pay up - and the one time the state "helped" me ended up costing me, too. I have court orders galore - but no money. This is seriously messed-up.

is Bozo Deadbeat related to Immature A**hole Deadbeat? our kids are probably cousins lol!

i understand it costing money to find deadbeat parents. what i would like to know? is this deadbeat going to be reaping harsher consequences? hell, i'll pay $25 to get my $12k in owed support and know that if he still screwed up, he'd get the book thrown at him even worse than before. (oh and FYI that $12k is no example, thats my actual amount due! i have to this day recieved $0.00...)

[SydneyK]

Slight hijack

One of my closest friends used the services provided by these people:
http://www.nationalchildsupport.com/

She now gets child support payments regularly, including back-payments. She has nothing but wonderful things to say about them.

/end hijack (and stealth marketing)