In 1996 when I met my husband, he told me he had two daughters from previous non-marital relationships. He said one was in Arizona with her mother, and the other was in Washington with her mother. The latter child, Marley, was a newborn at the time.
I helped Robin, (my husband) find a lawyer, get a paternity test, etc.
Marley was found to be his biological daughter through DNA testing. Within a month of receiving the DNA results, he was taking steps to pay child support for Marley. (There was a support request from the state of Washington, but my husband was adamant about it, and WANTED to help support his child.)
Eventually, we were contacted by the State of Arizona concerning custody of Robin's other daughter, Briana. It took two years, but, we were granted custody. We have been raising Briana for 7 years now. All the while, my husband paid support weekly directly from his paycheck to the state of Washington for his daughter Marley. (Admittedly, there was a problem with arrears while my husband worked in construction, but as of 2003, the arrears have been paid.)
In November 2005, 4 months after we purchased a mobile home, I lost my job as a gas station manager. The company I worked for sold the store I managed to a private owner. Robin was working second shift, and making quite a bit of money, so, we decided I would try to fulfill a dream and start a business with my mother, and sister. It failed miserably.
It was in March of 2006 that we were surprised to find checks from the Washington Department of Children's Services. (WDCS) in our mailbox. I immediately had Robin call the Lorain County Child Support Enforcement Agency. (LCCSEA) His case worker was not available to take the call, he left a message on her voice mail, and we waited. After about a week, he contacted WDCS.
The case worker from WDCS told us that there was a letter mailed to us that would go over what she was already explaining over the phone. The "closure letter" was being mailed to us, and LCCSEA. We would receive the checks until LCCSEA notified my husband's employer, closed the case in Ohio, and tied up their loose ends. We were able to cash the checks as Washington no longer had anyone to send the money to. We tried to contact his case worker at LCCSEA, we left a voice mail, we waited.
**PLEASE NOTE**
We were aware that custody of Marley had changed from the child's mother to the child's maternal grandmother. Thus, creating a second child support case being opened while Marley was in the custody of her grandmother. On the occasions on which we spoke to WDCS, we were sure to ask if there were ANY opened cases for the child. We were told that there was no case for this child in the system.
We did not hear from LCCSEA until they sent a letter to try to confirm our address in September of 2006. My husband called to verify our address, and it was then that he asked his case worker about the checks. She became frantic. She told him that he had been illegally cashing the checks, and LCCSEA would start intercepting the checks. She would get back to him with his arrears. The year ended, and we did not hear from her until September of 2007.
In September of 2007, we received a letter stating that my husband was in arrears for $541.00. It said the money would be taken from his 2007 income tax refund. In December of 2007, we received a letter stating that my husband's state income tax refund would also be taken for the arrears. We called LCCSEA, left a message, waited, etc.
We had our taxes done at H&R Block as we have every year since we were married. We would get our refund in 2-3 days, pay up our lot rent, and house payment, and I had just started a new job. Things were looking up for us.
When I called H&R Block to see if the $4900.00 refund was there, they gave me a phone number. I called, the IRS gave me another phone number. It was LCCSEA. I called the number. I spoke to a woman who only gave the name "Betty". When I told her my story, and gave her my husband's social security number, her reply was as follows: " Oh no, that's not right...I just reviewed that case with our tax girl in September. It was okay. I'll connect you to our tax girl's extension, you can leave her a voice mail. Her name is Chrissy Blair" I left a voice mail, and we waited. My husband called, left a voice mail, and we waited. My husband called another time, and got a woman in customer service. She treated him like he didn't want to pay the support, and literally yelled at both of us on the phone. I asked to speak to her supervisor to complain about the way she treated us, and she told me that there was no supervisor, she had been on the phone with us for 21 minutes, and she was hanging up. So, we waited.
We called WDCS. Again, we were told there was no case for this child in the system. There are no arrears, and they would again inform LCCSEA that the case had been closed. And, we waited.
In the mean time, we had fallen behind in our mobile home payments, and also, our lot rent. We found ourselves neglecting one to pay the other. It turned out that we were going to court for an eviction from the trailer park. In January 2008, we went to court, and made arrangements to pay the lot rent by March 30, 2008. We should have had the income tax refund by then, the eviction would be stopped, and it would give us a fresh start.
Here we are, on March 4, 2008. WDCS still maintains that there is no case in the system.( the child support is still coming out of my husband's check every week.) We have yet to hear from LCCSEA. we have 26 days to save our home. We have no where to go. My husband is now on third shift, seven days a week, I work 37 to 40 hours a week, and we are still losing our home. I admit, it is only a mobile home in a trailer park in Elyria but, it's our home, and we have no where else to go. We cannot afford a lawyer, legal aid won't help, our family and friends cannot afford to lend us money. We cannot get a loan.
The worst part of the situation is that we have no idea where Marley is, who she is with, or if she's safe. We haven't heard from her mother in 7 years. Neither child support agency will give us any information sighting "privacy and safety issues" with the child's mother.
What we need is to get a response from LCCSEA. If he is actually in arrears, fine. They can have the money, Marley is entitled to it. However, my husband IS NOT in arrears $4900.00! Even if he had cashed checks for an entire year, it would not be $4900.00. (The amount of support is around $2000.00 a year.) The letter I have states he was in arrears for $541.00. His state refund was $261.00. We were NEVER informed of arrears in an amount over $541.00. If this is some mistake, someone should admit it, and fix it. Our home is at stake for God's sake. We have another child to provide for. Doesn't she count? Why are they doing this to us?
I helped Robin, (my husband) find a lawyer, get a paternity test, etc.
Marley was found to be his biological daughter through DNA testing. Within a month of receiving the DNA results, he was taking steps to pay child support for Marley. (There was a support request from the state of Washington, but my husband was adamant about it, and WANTED to help support his child.)
Eventually, we were contacted by the State of Arizona concerning custody of Robin's other daughter, Briana. It took two years, but, we were granted custody. We have been raising Briana for 7 years now. All the while, my husband paid support weekly directly from his paycheck to the state of Washington for his daughter Marley. (Admittedly, there was a problem with arrears while my husband worked in construction, but as of 2003, the arrears have been paid.)
In November 2005, 4 months after we purchased a mobile home, I lost my job as a gas station manager. The company I worked for sold the store I managed to a private owner. Robin was working second shift, and making quite a bit of money, so, we decided I would try to fulfill a dream and start a business with my mother, and sister. It failed miserably.
It was in March of 2006 that we were surprised to find checks from the Washington Department of Children's Services. (WDCS) in our mailbox. I immediately had Robin call the Lorain County Child Support Enforcement Agency. (LCCSEA) His case worker was not available to take the call, he left a message on her voice mail, and we waited. After about a week, he contacted WDCS.
The case worker from WDCS told us that there was a letter mailed to us that would go over what she was already explaining over the phone. The "closure letter" was being mailed to us, and LCCSEA. We would receive the checks until LCCSEA notified my husband's employer, closed the case in Ohio, and tied up their loose ends. We were able to cash the checks as Washington no longer had anyone to send the money to. We tried to contact his case worker at LCCSEA, we left a voice mail, we waited.
**PLEASE NOTE**
We were aware that custody of Marley had changed from the child's mother to the child's maternal grandmother. Thus, creating a second child support case being opened while Marley was in the custody of her grandmother. On the occasions on which we spoke to WDCS, we were sure to ask if there were ANY opened cases for the child. We were told that there was no case for this child in the system.
We did not hear from LCCSEA until they sent a letter to try to confirm our address in September of 2006. My husband called to verify our address, and it was then that he asked his case worker about the checks. She became frantic. She told him that he had been illegally cashing the checks, and LCCSEA would start intercepting the checks. She would get back to him with his arrears. The year ended, and we did not hear from her until September of 2007.
In September of 2007, we received a letter stating that my husband was in arrears for $541.00. It said the money would be taken from his 2007 income tax refund. In December of 2007, we received a letter stating that my husband's state income tax refund would also be taken for the arrears. We called LCCSEA, left a message, waited, etc.
We had our taxes done at H&R Block as we have every year since we were married. We would get our refund in 2-3 days, pay up our lot rent, and house payment, and I had just started a new job. Things were looking up for us.
When I called H&R Block to see if the $4900.00 refund was there, they gave me a phone number. I called, the IRS gave me another phone number. It was LCCSEA. I called the number. I spoke to a woman who only gave the name "Betty". When I told her my story, and gave her my husband's social security number, her reply was as follows: " Oh no, that's not right...I just reviewed that case with our tax girl in September. It was okay. I'll connect you to our tax girl's extension, you can leave her a voice mail. Her name is Chrissy Blair" I left a voice mail, and we waited. My husband called, left a voice mail, and we waited. My husband called another time, and got a woman in customer service. She treated him like he didn't want to pay the support, and literally yelled at both of us on the phone. I asked to speak to her supervisor to complain about the way she treated us, and she told me that there was no supervisor, she had been on the phone with us for 21 minutes, and she was hanging up. So, we waited.
We called WDCS. Again, we were told there was no case for this child in the system. There are no arrears, and they would again inform LCCSEA that the case had been closed. And, we waited.
In the mean time, we had fallen behind in our mobile home payments, and also, our lot rent. We found ourselves neglecting one to pay the other. It turned out that we were going to court for an eviction from the trailer park. In January 2008, we went to court, and made arrangements to pay the lot rent by March 30, 2008. We should have had the income tax refund by then, the eviction would be stopped, and it would give us a fresh start.
Here we are, on March 4, 2008. WDCS still maintains that there is no case in the system.( the child support is still coming out of my husband's check every week.) We have yet to hear from LCCSEA. we have 26 days to save our home. We have no where to go. My husband is now on third shift, seven days a week, I work 37 to 40 hours a week, and we are still losing our home. I admit, it is only a mobile home in a trailer park in Elyria but, it's our home, and we have no where else to go. We cannot afford a lawyer, legal aid won't help, our family and friends cannot afford to lend us money. We cannot get a loan.
The worst part of the situation is that we have no idea where Marley is, who she is with, or if she's safe. We haven't heard from her mother in 7 years. Neither child support agency will give us any information sighting "privacy and safety issues" with the child's mother.
What we need is to get a response from LCCSEA. If he is actually in arrears, fine. They can have the money, Marley is entitled to it. However, my husband IS NOT in arrears $4900.00! Even if he had cashed checks for an entire year, it would not be $4900.00. (The amount of support is around $2000.00 a year.) The letter I have states he was in arrears for $541.00. His state refund was $261.00. We were NEVER informed of arrears in an amount over $541.00. If this is some mistake, someone should admit it, and fix it. Our home is at stake for God's sake. We have another child to provide for. Doesn't she count? Why are they doing this to us?
