Child support and driving

[Peppergirl]

Or the assholes in charge could pull the ginormous dicks out of their asses and just understand the fact that it gets paid one way or another.

Well, then what's the incentive for paying on time?

What 'punishment' would you see fit for paying late -vs- not paying at all?

I'm not being a smartass, I'm genuinely curious.

[AdminAssistant]

It baffles me that the parents ordered to pay think of it as giving the other parent money rather than realizing they are providing for the children that they helped bring into the world.

Well, there are little to no safeguards that guarantee that the money gets spent on the child, and there are absolutely people who abuse that situation.

[HYHYBT]

Paying once a year means you're a year late. What difference does that make? Forget, for the moment, about what would happen if you tried that with any other bill. How about if your employer decided to hold all your weekly paychecks and only release them at the end of the year? You wouldn't like that much, would you? Probably go to the labor board or whatever. This is no different.

Unless, of course, you chose to pay a year at a time *in advance.* As in, you're all caught up to date right now and decide to go ahead and pay through the end of January 2013 while you're at it. But then, that wouldn't be late.

If it were a matter of a few days, or even a week or two, and they were taking away licenses and whatever else, that would be different. But a year late?

[Ree]

there are absolutely people who abuse that situation.

I'm sure there are.

[Josh]

Well, there are little to no safeguards that guarantee that the money gets spent on the child, and there are absolutely people who abuse that situation.

Even if the aid doesn't go directly to my kids it still went to the family unit which in turn enhanced my kids quality of life. The system will protect the payee also, it did in my case, by defusing a rancouros money issue. Actually, I approached the Child support Department to ensure I was paying a fair amount as I felt her allegations (ex-wife) of "I have friends who have friends who are getting $XXXX for only one child per month so I feel you need to give me $XXXX + $XXXX for two kids." was completly irrational. I ended up paying only $XXX per month much to her chagrin.

ps. I reread OP post, and no. YOU dont pay yearly. YOUR tax refund gets confiscated for failing to pay, hence your're about a year BEHIND on your child support obligation.

[Seifer]

Even if the aid doesn't go directly to my kids it still went to the family unit which in turn enhanced my kids quality of life.

I don't see how a new pair of Prada shoes or a Coach handbag count toward the family unit.

It's disgusting how some people will play the system. They get so caught up in "sticking it to their ex" that they'll happily waste any money they get on themselves. The idea is basically this: "My kids have plenty of food and they just got new clothes for school. I could sure use a new outfit, though..."

I would love it if a system were set up so child support was actually spent on the children, but I don't ever see that happening. How would the government or agency go about doing it? Collecting receipts and making sure it all adds up?

I speak from experience on this. I lived with my father and step mother for awhile, and my mother was paying $300 child support per month that included my sister and I. (My parents had come to the agreement that the other would only pay $300 a month in child support.) My sister and I rarely got new clothes or anything for entertainment purposes, and the household finances always seemed to be stressed to the max due to frivolous spending.

My step mother told us one morning that she wasn't going to buy us anymore cereal, because we "ate so much of it" and she therefore couldn't afford it.

Wow, really? I bet $300 a month could buy a lot of cereal, you fat bitch.

I hated that woman with a passion.

[jackfaire]

As for garnishment, why should the state and the workplace have to jump through hoops to take care of something the employee is shirking? Trust me, getting garnishment payments through is a right pain in the ass and a huge waste of time for a business. They're not the ones failing to hold up to their responsibilities, so why should they be the ones to have to work to make it right?

And they're certainly not going to jail you; they're after money, and you being in jail won't get that, either.

^-.-^

Taking away my license when I was out of work made it so the only jobs I could get driving pizza were suddenly out of my reach so I was out of work longer.

They garnish my wages I have no choice about it because for awhile work was impossible to find so as soon as I was working again they garnished my wages and they took my tax returns.

If my back support goes high enough then they will throw me in jail. There are people in jail right now because of their inability to pay. The Line is pretty high, I think just over 10 grand, but it's there.

It goes first warning you lose your license

Second warning you go to jail.

Oh wait those aren't warnings those are consequences. Taking my license only had the effect of narrowing my job search to places I can reach by bus and places that don't require a license to do the job.

That's annoying because there were quite a few jobs I could have taken that paid much better than what I got stuck with and had steadier work.

They do not care what the circumstances of your life are. As far as they are concerned if your not paying it's because you don't want to never because you can't.

[KnitShoni]

When I was gainfully employed I had my wages purposefully garnished because ex-wife kept "losing" my child support checks and I'd find out I was 3-4 weeks behind. I only started doing this tax thing in the last few years (probably should've clarified that) but still...it works. I just wish they'd get over it. And again, feel lucky I pay at all. Many guys don't.

I'm wondering if actually calling social services and explaining it to them...again...is going to help. Or alternatively, the childish threats. Like "Hey, stop taking my license, or next year when we do our taxes we file the injured spouse form and you get next to nothing."

But people take those sooooo badly.

Why don't you get your orders changed? Then you wouldn't have to worry about it. If they threatened you again, you'd have a court over with which to tell them to shove off.

Edit: You keep saying they should be happy you pay at all. As was mentioned, if you're only paying once a year when your court order says weekly, there's no reason for them to feel comfortable that you will pay. Doesn't matter that you pay it all. That is why they're threatening your driver's license. They figure they need to find *some* way to get you to pay on time, as you agreed to.

[wolfie]

Whether or not you need a license to operate a scooter/moped varies from state to state. In some states you actually need a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license for a moped/scooter, regardless of engine displacement.

And if anyone suggests a motor-assisted bicycle, the laws governing them can be a bit weird. In Ontario, someone without a driver's license can ride one, but someone with a suspended license can't.