I am owed over $7,500 in child support so far. I am frustrated because since the support case was opened, deadbeat dad has been in and out of rehabs and halfway houses collecting public welfare by changing his social security number!
When I asked him how he could afford a brand new cell phone at the contempt hearing, the judge issued him to a total of 90 days in jail.
He is now released and lives less than 20 miles away from me at another half-way house and I fear he is pulling the same stunt.
What measures can I take to finally catch him? I am so mad that he is less than a half an hour away and walking around like he has done nothing wrong. Please Help!
Thank you!
Fussybubble

If he is determined to avoid his financial obligation to his children, there is little you can do about it.

If he is not working, there is no income for the state to take. If he is in jail, there is no income for the state to take.

I'm sorry you are in this position, even sorrier for your children because in all of this, they are really the only innocent ones, they had no choice in this matter at all.

Best wishes.

Sadly they have not thrown them into work houses and chain gangs to pay the support.

But he is wants to be homeless, not work at all, and be on welfare there is not much you can do

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Originally Posted by fussybubble

I am owed over $7,500 in child support so far. I am frustrated because since the support case was opened, deadbeat dad has been in and out of rehabs and halfway houses collecting public welfare by changing his social security number!
When I asked him how he could afford a brand new cell phone at the contempt hearing, the judge issued him to a total of 90 days in jail.
He is now released and lives less than 20 miles away from me at another half-way house and I fear he is pulling the same stunt.
What measures can I take to finally catch him? I am so mad that he is less than a half an hour away and walking around like he has done nothing wrong. Please Help!!
Thank you!
Fussybubble

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The real-life answer is that if he wants to live like a hobo and not pay, there isn't much that can be done. He'll lose his dirver's license or any other license for that matter (Oregon) if there's no payment but the courts won't jail someone for failure to pay.

You could spend your money trying to make him pay, spying on him to prove he does some odd jobs for cash or works under the table but ultimately your spending your life fighting for principle instead of living with the fact that he may never pay you a dime.

It's a hard fact but it's truth.

First off you need to get the chip off your shoulder and start to look at things as they really are. 1) what does the original support order say ? 2) If he is in rehab is there a reason for it ? ( drug or alch abuse ) 3) you can't get blood from a stone so don't EXPECT to.

He doesn't sound like a true deadbeat dad. You didn't say he's working and driving fancy cars and lives in a big house by the lake. He sounds like someone who has lost their way. That doesn't relinquish their responsibility that they have but you do have to work with what you have not what you want it to be. Maybe instead of complaining about a deadbeat you can figure out how to fix things that work for both of you. Is he mentally unstable ? If that can be proved and he goes on SSI then your child / children will get a check also. If its just a matter of paying him back for your scorn you can do that too but that is a waste of your efforts and your nerves.

Calif has a good point. Rehabs don't just admit people on a whim they are there for a reason... real treatment. As much as I don't like deadbeats he really doesn't sound like a true deadbeat. Unless he has a big fancy house and lots of fancy cars it would be better to pray that he gets well mentally rather than just trying to stick it to him. You can always go back to court and ask the judge to hold him in contempt but if that lands him in jail for a month that is another guaranteed month with out income and some states will temporarily lower support if the payor is in jail or has been admitted full time to a rehab center because of the lack of income.