Friday, February 19, 2010

Child Support Success!!

Guess who finally put her foot down and forced the State of IL to do their job? ME! 

In case you need to catch up on the drama that the State of IL has caused me in trying to get my child support from my ex's job go here:  Child Support Saga

So we see how I've been telling the child support office that they need to send it electronically?  Every month I tell them this when I call.  See how they kept telling me that they mail the orders, and they don't know what my ex's federal gov't employer is talking about?  Ok, good.

Today has been six months since the State of IL got involved in collecting my child support from my ex's federal employer.  Today I was done waiting for them and sick of their excuses on why my support order wasn't being received by the ex's job. 

I called the state enforcement office, as usual, and the first person told me the same thing: They've sent it and now it's on a supervisor's desk to begin a case for non-compliance since a request for response was mailed without an answer.  Phone calls made on Wednesdays (when gov't withholding is out) weren't answered or returned.  Was also told she could only send a referral for someone in another department to call the fed gov't again since it wasn't in her dept anymore!  Not a good enough answer for me.  I was done waiting and indicated I wanted a supervisor in the other dept on the phone to call the fed gov't office & fix this today, now, while I was on the phone.

The next person for IL child support told me if they call the fed gov't office that legal action for noncompliance won't be started.  This is because his employer might only make one payment, and if they don't make another one I'd be at square one.  I'm pretty sure if the federal gov't actually got the order they would make more than one payment while the ex is employed there.  Again, not a good enough answer & I indicated someone was going to call the fed gov't office in charge of withholding income and get this fixed immediately!  I didn't care what else happened but SOMEONE was taking responsibility for this snafu and finding out WHY my order isn't being received!!!  Six months of them telling me they sent it out, and more waiting while they let it sit on someone's desk was over.  Transferred again.

The last person I spoke to listened to me again say that the fed gov't wanted this order sent electronically and they aren't getting it.   That IL keeps telling me they're sending it and fed gov't doesn't get it.  FINALLY she puts me on hold and calls the fed gov't office to see how she can get the withholding order to them.  Remembering that it's taken six months for someone to do this while I wait. 


This is the best part.  She comes back and tells me...

"The fed gov't doesn't take mailed orders anymore and no one told their state office this, so they've been mailing it."  Take a moment while that sinks in, it took me a minute  She said they're sending it electronically & gave me her direct number.  Instead of going off on her, I cried in relief that it's over (I hope).   Six months of my telling IL the problem/solution, them insisting they were right, and all they had to do was pick up the phone to ask why it wasn't received.  I trusted them to do their job and do it correctly, if not efficiently.  Even when having to admit fault, they still tried to blame it on his employer by saying IL wasn't informed of the change.

I wish I could sue someone for this.  Seriously.  I never say that , but no one should ever have to go through this kind of fiasco.   Anyone know a good lawyer?

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Waiting for Morning

Tomorrow I find out about an apartment that we could move into at the end of March.  It's my old neighborhood.  My old apartment actually.  Not what I was anticipating, and surely not perfect, but for two bedrooms in my measly price range I'll take it!  I know what I'm getting into at least.  I know what sucks about the place, and I know what I loved about it.  Considering my budget was only going to get us into a one bedroom, like we're in now, its awesome the price was cut on this unit just as I'm looking to move.

I just really need a bigger place with a room for each of us.  My kid needs room to run around without me freaking out that he's disturbing the floor below us.  He also needs room for his toys to be scattered in his own room so my house isn't as cluttered.  It does not have things I thought I really wanted, such as central air, a patio to go right outside & play, or a gas stove.  In fact, I may have to get my own window unit AC to have my uncle install...again!  Thank God for family in the service industries.  I know that the soundproofing SUCKS in this building.  I know I will hear my neighbors upstairs doing EVERYTHING *ahem* and everyone walking into the building.  What I care about is that the school district is good, and I can walk to two parks, the library, the school, stores, the train, and it's a quiet residential area.  Plus, I know it was bug free when I was living there, let's hope that's still true!

Unfortunately, it's not as convenient for his dad to get there, but I need to do what works for us at this point.  That may mean he cuts his visitation down from two days a month to nothing or random visits, but that's his choice and his loss.  I'll do what I can to facilitate the visitation, but it's his choice to see him or not, regardless of the hurdles he may encounter.  I tried to find a place that was convenient to us both, but I couldn't find anything I could afford.  I know it's important for our child to see his dad and he loves his dad a ton.  I just can't feel guilty for his dad not going out of his way to see him.  I'm not moving out of state.  It's 15 extra minutes, maybe.

Besides, I really want to stay put for a while.  Two years is about my average, and I'd like to see how this goes long term if it works out well.  I want to settle in, put up pictures, make a stable home for my child.  If I hate it, if it sucks so bad I can't stand it, I can always move.  Not like I'm buying the place.   Maybe by then my budget will have increased to where we can afford something more luxurious.  Something with a yard.  For now, I just want a place where people aren't having sex in the laundry room leaving the condom behind, shooting up the neighborhood, breaking into cars, or whatever else I've vented here about this area.

I just hope they call me with good news.  Financially it would be an easy move leaving me with extra money for the AC, movers, and whatever else I need to get to settle in.  Also, it's the same property management company as here (sucks but oh well) so when I called they saw I was on an expired month to month lease.  I'm not sure how that's going to play out as far as transferring properties.  I'm not signing a new lease for this apartment, period.  I will pay for March here, as I expected to do, and then we'll be out.  Wherever that may be.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Neglect

*brushing away cobwebs*  Helllloooooooo????  Anyone still here???

School started and I'm working a WAH, customer service temp job at night, on top of my full time school & work and my child.  Next week I'll be napping where I can, when I can in spurts.  We're getting ready to move and I really need to be financially ready for this.  I live in a third floor walk-up and my family isn't exactly able to move large items.  So the cost of movers is being factored into this move.  Fun times here!  So I'm lurking in the background trying to keep caught up on reading blogs even if I don't write in my own.

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