THIS
IS THE LETTER THAT I RECEIVED TODAY FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON
Letter from Senator John Breaux, D-Louisiana dated 10/28/97:
Dear Ms. Levy,
Thank you for contacting me about improving the child support system. I appreciate you sharing your concerns with me.
I am a member of the Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over child support issues. I thought you should know that Sen. Dodd introduced the Child Support Reform Act of 1997, S. 1074, on July 28, 1997. This act would establish the National Child Support Guidelines Commission to study and evaluate various child support guidelines used by the States, identify their benefits and deficiencies, and recommend improvements. The bill also requires the Commission to submit a final assessment to the Congress and the President on how State child support guideline models are serving custodial parents and children.
This bill also addresses Centralized Child Support Enforcement by directing the Secretary of the Treasury to: (1) establish an Office of the Assistant Commissioner for Centralized Child Support Enforcement in the Internal Revenue Service to locate absent parents, facilitate enforcement of child support obligations, and establish a Division of Enforcement by October 1, 1997; and (2) promulgate regulations for the coordination of activities among the Office of the Assistant Commissioner for Centralized Child Support Enforcement, the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families of the Department of Health and Human Services, and the States.
Section 202 would amend the Social Security Act with respect to the Federal Parent Locator Service to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) compare information in the National Directory of New Hires against information in the support case abstracts in the Federal Case Registry of Child Support Orders at least every two business days; and (2) report matches of the two files within two business days to the Division of Enforcement for centralized enforcement.
Section 203 would authorize the Office of the Assistant Commissioner for Centralized Child Support Enforcement, through the Division of Enforcement, to assess and collect unpaid arrearage under the same enforcement guidelines as pertain to a tax imposed under the Internal Revenue Code whose collection would be jeopardized by delay. It also authorizes use of the Federal Courts for such enforcement.
Section 204 would require State plans for child and spacial support to provide for State cooperation with the Office of the Assistant Commissioner for Centralized Child Support Enforcement to facilitate information exchange regarding child support cases and the enforcement of orders by the Commissioner.
Senator Dodd's bill is still being reviewed in the Senate Finance Committee. Thank you again for your letter and comments on this important issue. Your thoughts are important to me, and I plan to keep them in mind as the Congress considers way to preserve child support for future generations.
Sincerely,
John Breaux
United States Senator
Letter from Senator John Breaux, dated 5/19/97:
Dear Ms. Levy:
Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about child support payments. I understand and share your concerns, and I appreciate your taking the time to share them with me.
As you may know, President Clinton signed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act into law on August 22, 1996. Included in this law were provisions for Child Support Enforcement. States will now be required to create database for tracking the status of all child support orders; states must enact laws ensuring that child support orders that are not otherwise subject to income withholding immediately become subject to income withholding; the Federal Parent Locator Service, which helps states and parents enforce support orders, will be expanded; and states will be required to adopt a model state law for handling interstate child support cases. This law ensures that only one child support order from a court or agency will be in effect at any one time, this eliminating confusion and jurisdictional disputes between states.
Even with these strong actions by the federal government last year, there is currently a wide range of proposals in Congress to ensure payment of child support, including proposals that parents who are delinquent in payments be denied passports; that the IRS be able to collect child support payments through wage withholding, eliminating the states' withholding role; and that felony violations be established for the failure to pay legal child support obligations.
Rest assured that I share your desire to see that child support orders are fully enforced with an eye toward fairness for all parties involved, and that I will keep your thoughts in mind as we proceed in the 105th Congress. In the meantime, if I can assist you in any other way, please let me know. Call on me at any time.
With kind regards,
Sincerely,
John Breaux
United States Senator
THIS
IS THE LETTER THAT I RECEIVED TODAY FROM PRESIDENT CLINTON
March 12, 1997
Dear Carol,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts about child support enforcement. I am deeply concerned about this important issue.
Parents must bear responsibility for supporting the children they bring into this world, and reforming the child support system has been one of my top legislative priorities. The welfare reform bill I signed into law on August 22, 1996, contains the toughest child support enforcement measures in our nation's history -- changes that will improve the procedures used to establish paternity, make it easier to enter and update child support awards, and dramatically strengthen our ability to enforce the payment of those awards. This act gives us the ability to track deadbeat parents across state lines, suspend their driver's licenses if necessary, and make them work off what they owe. These measures send a clear and consistent message that both parents must take responsibility for their children.
I'm proud to report that in four years child support collections have jumped by nearly 50 percent -- from $8 billion to nearly $12 billion -- and the child support plan included in the welfare reform legislation will double child support collections by the year 2000. If parents paid all the child support they should, we could move 800,000 women and children off welfare immediately. In addition, it is important that the federal government serve as a model for other employers. That's why I signed an executive order requiring federal agencies to cooperate fully with efforts to establish and to enforce child support payments and to help employees understand how they can meet their support obligations. To build on this progress, in September 1996, I issued another executive order to take additional steps to support our children and strengthen American families by facilitating the collection of delinquent child support obligations from persons who may be entitled or eligible to receive certain federal payments or federal assistance. The executive order says simply, if you owe child support, you shouldn't get the support of the federal government.
In June 1996, I directed the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Labor to exercise their legal authority in helping to implement a pilot program. This program matches new-hire data collected by participating states with Federal Parent Locator Service data to track parents who owe child support in one state and take a job in another. This program will also help to strengthen the paternity establishment requirements for welfare applicants, thereby improving child support operations.
Implementation of these initiatives is integral to promoting the American values of parental responsibility, and as we continue working toward this goal, I welcome your continued involvement.
Sincerely,
Bill Clinton
Yes, he is still my President, and I stand behind him.
7/16/98 Ok, here's an email I received from a P.I. in Oklahoma: I would like to offer my services to anyone who needs it. I am a licensed private investigator in Oklahoma. I will provide free attempt to locate and updates if any parent out there needs help locating a dead beat parent.
Larry N. Mulinix
MULINIX PRIVATE INVESTIGATIONS AGENCY
P.O. Box 10491
Midwest City, Oklahoma 73140
Phone: (405) 739-0048
FAX: (4050 741-5112
email: lmulinix@oklahoma.net
url: http://www.oklahoma.net/~lmulinix/muli.htm
A collection agency which seems to have a fair rate and a guarantee that they collect nothing unless/until they are successful collecting from the Deadbeat.
Subj: Re: A post in my guestbook
Date: 5/29/98 5:36:20 PM Central Daylight Time
From: EquineDad
To: ShyOne8950
Well, will wonders never cease. Guess who I talked with Thur. afternoon, researched her questions this AM and called her back at 10:20 AM???? Yup - you get the blue ribbon.
Now - here is her REAL and COMPLETE situation. Being the reasonable person you are, you can doubtless see how someone like LeMur or many of the other NCP's on
alt.c-s would accuse her of being a screaming Mimi. So: Married in IL early '60's;
their child was born in '64 (age 18 in '82). Divorce in IL in '66. NCP dad left IL in '67, living in a number of different states until finally settling in GA (date unknown). While he was in other states, she did not pursue any URESA actions. Her IL Order has never been registered or domesticated in GA. Bottom line (says our staff atty - and a good one, at that), is that the laws of IL will apply as to dormancy. She brough up "statute of limitations" (which normally applies to criminal matters and is usually applied to civil matters only in cases of fraud - and, no, not paying CS does not constitute fraud). I told her that she would have to check with an atty in IL & see IF her DD could be "revived". Most state allow a 10 year period for orders to have SOME enforcement action taken in them, then, at the end of that 10 years, they go into "dormancy", normally for an additional 3 years and after that, most courts will NOT entertain any request for EITHER "revival" OR enforcement. Yes - in other words - the NCP (male or female) is "off the hook" for good. Some states allow for longer periods of dormancy but most of the time, when that period is up and no action of any kind has been taken against the other party, that's it. I told her that IF her IL DD could be revived (and that a prvt atty would have to do it - that I did not believe that any CSE office in the nation would take such an action) - that IF the DD could be revived, she could certainly file a UIFSA to GA to attempt to collect the back support. She says he has a PhD but he has no income on GA Dept Labor. Kind of unusual for a PhD to be "self-employed". Anyway - I suspect that he may have recently rattled her cage somehow and this is her attempt to rattle him back. I very strongly doubt that IL will revive the order and that while all this gives her a chance to vent her frustration with him, nothing is going to come of it.
Do keep in touch - I enjoy helping when I can. Have a good weekend........
Robert
New!!
Subj: Deadbeat Parents
Date: 5/22/98 3:45:16 PM Central Daylight Time
From: dmrpi@bellsouth.net (David M. Revezzo)
Reply-to: dmrpi@bellsouth.net
To: shyone8950@aol.com
I found your site through pidirectory.com, and find it very informative. I read your post and thought we may be able to help. I own a Private Investigative Agency in Jacksonville, Florida. We handle child custody matters and will search for children abducted by the non-custodial parent and will recover those children to be returned to the custodial parent. We have over 40 years experience skip tracing and locating people for a variety of reasons. If we can be of help to you or anyone seeking a missing child or deadbeat parent, please don't hesitate to contact us. Good Luck!
David M. Revezzo
David M. Revezzo & Associates
Florida License A9500416
Jacksonville, Florida
(904) 221-7622
Look for Angel's answers to the letters page here
Subj: webpage
Date: 98-04-08 20:21:53 EDT
From: Sins Angel
To: ShyOne8950
Carol,
For the last 12 years I have worked within state and federal child support agencies in various capacities with my primary concentration involving interstate child support (URESA/RURESA and now UIFSA). Currently I am working with child support enforcement in the State of Florida to implement welfare reform statutory changes but in 1995-97 I was with the interstate unit for the State of Illinois, helping to write and train their staff on UIFSA laws.
If you have contacts or receive inquiries from individuals with interstate child support (UIFSA) questions/problems, please feel free to email and I will be glad to help if I can. I could also possibly be of help regarding basic laws and agency procedures of Illinois or Florida, but will not be able to provide any case specific information via email due to client confidentiality regulations.
My aim is not to be included on your web page but to offer myself as a resource to you and your following if I can help. I wish you the best of luck.
Angel
10/7/97 Letter from an attorney:
I am impressed with your page. More power to you! I am an attorney who is an expert in the field of child support. I worked with the state program in Georgia for eight years. Through the state program, laws are being enacted which help everyone -- whether you have a case with the state or not. However, as we all know, the program is terribly understaffed and after eight years, I finally decided I could make more of a difference with a private company. So, now, I work with Child Support Recovery International, Inc. Yes, they charge a fee. However, if I were in private practice, my retainer would be in excess of $1000 and my hourly fee would be at minimum $150.00 per hour. By working with a private company I am reaching more people at an affordable rate. As much as I would like to, I couldn't survive giving free legal help. I do like to volunteer my expertise in seminars which are free to the public in which I answer child support questions.Like everyone I have read about on your page, I am frustrated with the child support system. Yet, I am here working within the system to provide a service many, many custodial parents need. I'm sorry I have to charge for my services, but a builder charges for houses he builds, a grocery store owner charges for the groceries ... etc. You get my point. What is important is for all the systems that are out there to work together. Having been with the State, I understand their procedures - which are federally mandated - and hence, can work with them to provide the best results to the people who come to us for help.Anyway, keep up the good work. If anyone has any legal questions, I am willing to try and answer them. My e-mail is sher.mike@worldnet.att.net.
-Sherry Ellison
The following is from someone who decided to make a difference:
My two daughters have been victims of their deadbeat dad for the last 10 years. I have always worked full-time and thankfully make a decent salary to support my family. Since I've never been a drain on the "system," through ADC or welfare, I've basically been ignored. The state of Missouri where I live and was divorced always claimed they could never find him. So after all that time, I finally got fed up enough to do something on my own besides hiring someone else to track him down. I started my own business and found his whereabouts within minutes. Then I provided this information to the authorities and they had him in custody within a week (he had been hiding out in Texas). I cannot physically do anything to apprehend deadbeat dads, but I can find them for you and provide you the information to pass on to the authorities who can. I don't know whether or not you'd be interested in this service, but just thought I'd let you know. I love your webpage and agree with you wholeheartedly! Sincerely, Mary Phillips
Phillips Informational Services
http://www.phillipsinfo.com
Thank you so much! I'm glad to provide the information on my page for you.
CSA - Child Support Advocates.
We specialize in assisting custodial parents in collecting child support there is no fee if we do not collect and when we do collect our fee is a low 15%. Other companies charge a minimum of 30%. We also offer assistance in first-time filing for child support, modifications, visitation and custody. All of our services are under $100. We are supported by the following departments: Research, Enforcement,Legal, and Customer Service. We can assist any parent in any state.
Thank You, R.D. Smith President
Phone Number (800) 876-0517
Legal Dept. (815) 963-3642
Appointment line voice mail (815) 860-2019
This is good advice concerning collection agencies given by someone who used to be in the business. It is unfair for any company to take a percentage of the money they collect. The money is desperately needed and should go to the family, not a collection agency. Another problem in dealing with collection entities is that if you want to get out of the contract with them, they may place liens on your assets in order to be compensated for the percentage you agreed to pay them from the principle debt. So, please be careful with agencies that do this. You don't want to go from trying to collect from a deadbeat to owing a company money.
I work for a company that specializes in locating Deadbeat parents; Dads and Moms. We also specialize in recovering the owed money. Unfortunately we cannot pay our bills with our good consciences nor eat good deeds. We must charge a fee in order to offer the valuable services we provide. Contrary to the gentleman's statement, you cannot "end up owing money to a company" since we only earn a percentage of what we are able to recover AS WE RECOVER IT not before! Like the Gentleman from D.A.D. we do charge a $45 fee to set-up a file-you know the landlord has little use for our stories of the people we help, his bank demands the mortgage be paid EVERY MONTH! I am sorry if I sound a bit annoyed by suggestions that we are somehow stealing money from the hands of needy children but it gets pretty old after awhile. We do not create the situation we help solve it. Speaking for people I work with and compete against, I can say with complete confidence that we all care about the work we do, we all got into this business to help people, and we all go to bed each night with a clear conscience for what we accomplish. If anyone has a comment to make I can be reached directly by e-mail at rjon@pstcomputers.com or rjon@bigfoot.com.
RJON ROBINS
I'm sure that he wasn't talking about your personally, although I understand your frustration. It's kind of like responsible parents that pay child support faithfully getting a bad rap because of the deadbeats. I'll be happy to post your letter, I do like to be fair to all and like to advertise those who help in the effort. I thank you.
Dear Carol, I appreciate your prompt response to my response to the gentleman from "D.A.D." Just for the record, I was not personally offended by the gentleman's comments I was discouraged however as mis-information such as the gentleman was promoting does a disservice to the children who truly need the assistance of professionals who know how to recover their money. The deadbeat parents (moms and dads) are the only ones who benefit when the custodial parent is afraid to seek out the assistance of a professional for fear of incurring additional debt. Any child support recovery specialist who charges more than his or her initial cost to set-up a file up front (around $50.00 is usually enough to cover the basics) should be considered with suspicion. The parent/client should inquire whether there is an on-staff attorney and/or private investigator, whether the company or individual has a formal trust account set-up, what training the employees of the company have that suits them to the specialized task of child support recovery. The services D.A.D. offer appear to be valuable to the parent who has experience locating and levying upon assets (often hidden) however few people without some sort of formal training are up to the task. That is where professionals such as Comprehensive Research Corporation can and do earn the fees we charge. Just to re-iterate our company, like most of our legitimate competitors, earn our fees on a contingency basis. No recovery = no fee beyond the one-time file set-up charge to cover our most basic overhead. Carol, there are many self help avenues available as well in this field which many of our customers avail themselves of before they come to us. FOr many people, D.A.D. may be all they need. When that does not work and the state can't seem to find the man/woman power I hope you will consider giving us a chance to help. Sincerely,
RJON ROBINS
COMPREHENSIVE RESEARCH CORPORATION
Thank you so much for the information, and for being there for those who need the help the most.
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