Doug's Story Page 3

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November 9, 1999

Sorry it has been a while since I have updated this story but our daughter passed away Oct. 7, 1999. You can visit her dedication page here.

I decided to pick up my fight with my ex wife and the local CSE office today. I called the state public information officer today and she told me that she had talked to the state CSE office. They told her that I should have access to my file with the exception of information obtained through the federal parent locater service. She is now trying to get a hold of our deputy prosecutor. I knew I was to have access to this information but apparently I have to have a higher authority other that me tell them this. (go figure)

I also called the local CSE office to find out the status of my case. My caseworker told me that they haven't found out her tax information or her place of employment. They requested this information from her lawyer and was to have an answer back by Oct. 22, 1999 but haven't heard anything yet. I asked my caseworker that since she isn't responding to our requests by a certain time can she be held in contempt. My caseworker then gave me one of her canned responses: "I am not a lawyer".

I am supposed to have a hearing for support modification coming up so I asked about that. She told me that the hearing was set for Nov. 19, 1999. So I asked if I was going to be informed of this. She told me that they send a letter one week prior to the date. Nothing like plenty of notice.

November 18, 1999

Received a call from the county CSE office. They finally got the information from my ex. Apparently she is only working part time and the amount she makes is lower than what it was before. Therefore support would drop. The modification is going to be dropped. The CSE office is going to to a wage withholding but since they can only hold out 55% I still won't be receiving the full amount each week. At least I will receive something. She will probably quit her job now. I asked about what can be done about the arrearages and was told that my caseworker will have to talk to the prosecuting attorney to see about attaching liens or having her post a security bond.

I won a small victory with the CSE office also. Apparently the state attorney called the deputy Prosecutor and informed him that I do have access to certain parts of my case record. They are making copies and I can pick them up Friday. I am also supposed to start receiving copies of all correspondence between the CSE office and my ex. When I talked to my caseworker she was polite and helpful. It is nice to be able to talk to the CSE office and be treated like a person instead of a nuisance.

December 28, 1999

Called the CSE Office today to find out what was going on with my case. (I figured I would ease up for a while). I was told that I will get a tax intercept check about mid January. 

I was also told last month that they were going to get a wage withholding order to her employer. While I was talking to my caseworker today she told me that they couldn't find an address or phone number for her employer to send the order to. They have been trying for over a month and couldn't find anything in Alabama that matched the name she gave for her employer. I got the name from my caseworker and within 20 minutes on the internet found the address and phone number. So I called my caseworker and gave them the information. 

This is amazing, I am just a layman and can find more information about her than the people who get paid to do it. Apparently the CSE office here does not have internet access in the office. No wonder people have such big problems trying to get the CSE offices to do anything about the deadbeats out there.

December 3, 2000

I am really sorry I haven't updated this site for a while. This has been a very bad year or so for me and my family. I plan on keeping better track of thinks and updating this site more often.

Now for the most recent developments in my struggle with the local CSE office.

About the middle of last month I called the CSE office to find out about my child support and if they were still keeping up with my case. During this conversation I was told that I have a tax intercept check coming from the state and that it was released on Nov. 2nd. I waited a couple weeks and had not received it yet. I called back and was told that it usually takes a couple weeks for the check to be mailed. I waited another week and still no check. I called back and was told this time that they had no record of a tax check. To say the least I got a little cranky and asked why they told me in the last two conversations that there was one. She looked a little harder and finally found the record of it. She then called the state to find out where it was. They told her that it was determined that the return was her husbands and that it was returned to them. I would call the state office but the line is always busy and I can't get through.

During this conversation I was also told that there was no wage withholding order in effect. This kind of upset me too because I was told last year that they had filed it and that it was in effect. This is when I found out that I have a new case worker and that my old one was not working there anymore. [ So I get to break in a new one :) ] Well, after looking a little harder she found the wage withholding order. A couple days after this conversation I received a letter in the mail stating that there is nothing they can do to her since she has been paying and that she has to have not paid in 30 days before they can do anything. I knew this already and that is fine however, the letter also states that she is only about $2200 behind. This didn't sound right so I went to the clerks office and got a print out of all of her payments. I figured up how much she was supposed to have paid and subtracted what she has actually paid. My figures have her at about $4800 behind and also found that in the last 12 months she has had 3 different periods of 30 days without a payment.

So, armed with this information I call the CSE office back. I ask if they are going to do anything about her not paying or not paying the full amount. The lady then proceeds to tell me that they can do nothing until she hasn't paid for 30 days. I ask: "So, what did you do in Sep. when she didn't pay all month?" Her answer to this was is that they only do an audit every three months and they didn't catch it. I then asked about the other two times and she said the same thing. I told her at this point that I would be calling the next time she goes 30 days without paying. She said OK, that would be fine. (She repeated this a lot). I can't remember exactly what all was said at this point but at one point she told me that it she was "warned" (apparently from my last case worker) about me and that it seemed that there was no way to make me happy. I then popped off with "well, if you would do your job right I would be happy". To say the least this apparently upset her. :) I was then told that if I wasn't satisfied with the job they were doing then I should hire a private attorney to handle this. I told her I can't because they would close my case. ( see Page 2, August 20,1999 entry) I also told her that this is what I paid them to do. She didn't have much to say to that other than that the person she works for would not pursue a case where the NCP is only behind what my ex is behind. I then told her that she actually works for me. She didn't like that but she had to agree. She then started in on the fact that they have people who are $30,000 and $40,000 behind on support and couldn't understand why I am complaining about $2200 (which is actually $4800). I told her that at this point that it isn't so much the money that I am worried about (which I could really use right now) but I am trying to get things changed in that office where people can get something done about the dead-beat parents out there. She again stated that I could always hire a private attorney to handle this. (You'd think she was trying to get rid of me or something) The conversation went on for a few more minutes. She did everything but come right out and say "go f ^&* yourself and leave me alone" she also said for me to call when the ex hasn't paid for 30 days at least 5 more times.

Well, time to start this whole thing over again. The only thing is that this case worker seems more stubborn that the last one so I think I am in for a harder time.

Today:

This looks as if it is going to be going on for a while so check back often to see what happens next in the ongoing story of Doug vs. The CSE Office and deputy prosecutor vs. The Non-Custodial Mother.

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