Hamilton County Liens Yield $1
million in Child Support Payments
Dec. 15, 2008 -- Hamilton County recently
passed the $1 million mark in child support payments through its
innovative lien program that targets the property of delinquent
parents.
The program, which has been recognized by the Ohio Child Support
Enforcement Agency Director’s Association for its innovation, has
resulted in 16,793 liens since its 2006 inception. Those liens have
led to collections of $1,054,455 for Hamilton County’s children,
said Moira Weir, director of Hamilton County’s Job and Family
Services, which is responsible for collecting child support.
“This is a tremendous tool for getting delinquent parents to honor
their obligation to feed, clothe and house their children,” she
said. “Children shouldn’t have to go to bed hungry or worry about
whether they can buy the supplies they need for school. Every child
deserves the basics needed to live a happy, healthy life.”
Once a parent is legally determined to be in default on child
support payments, the agency works with the Hamilton County
Recorder’s Office to have the lien filed against any real estate or
other personal property the parent may own now or in the future,
such as cars, bank accounts, inheritances. After the agency then
places a lien on that property, the parent must pay off the
arrearage and make arrangements to continue to pay the child support
to have the lien removed.
“We’re determined that the taxpayers should not have to foot the
bill for delinquent parents and this is an innovative program that
helps us hold them accountable,” Weir said. “You’d be surprised how
fast people pay up when you place a lien on their property. Cases
that linger for years are paid in full within days. People who plead
they don’t have the money to support their children somehow come up
with it right away.”
Hamilton County’s Job and
Family Services Department Adjusts Agency Hours
Nov. 26, 2008 --
Starting Dec. 1, Hamilton County’s Job and Family Services
Department will offer extended hours on Wednesday evenings and
Saturdays at its downtown location only, 222 E. Central Parkway.
Extended hours at the agency’s
William Howard Taft location are being discontinued because of low
usage. The move will also save money through consolidated and
centralized operations. The customer service offices and call
centers will also close during this time. Callers will receive a
recording asking them to call back during the week.
"As we adjust our priorities in light
of a reduced budget, one of the things we noticed is that our Taft
location is rarely used during our extended hours," said Moira Weir,
director of the agency. "So, we are asking that our customers who
wish to access us after normal business hours please visit our
downtown location. We intend to continue our tradition of being
available after hours to help our many clients who work during the
week."
The agency is open at both locations
are 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. In addition, the
Central Parkway office will be open until 7 p.m. on Wednesday and
from 8 a.m. to noon on the first three Saturdays of each month.
