LAT: Man pays $311,491 child support tab

Man pays $311,491 child support tab
The father, who flew to China in 2005 before a family court ruling,
shells out the record amount with his passport at stake.

By Jack Leonard, Times Staff Writer
June 22, 2007

For one deadbeat dad, a flight back from China turned out to be more
costly than he could have imagined.

The father, whose name was not released, earlier this week paid
$311,491 in back child and spousal support -- the largest amount ever
collected in the United States -- after federal authorities refused to
renew his passport while he was stuck in Hong Kong, Los Angeles County
officials said Thursday.

The man left for China shortly before a family court judge ruled in
2005 that he should pay nearly $6,000 a month to his ex-wife and
daughter, now 12.

Earlier this year, he began to make plans to return but discovered
that federal authorities have a policy to deny passports to applicants
owing more than $2,500 in support payments. The father had his
attorney contact L.A. County's child support services to work out a
settlement, which includes interest.

For Los Angeles County, the settlement marks the latest record payout
by a parent in need of a new passport.

In 2003, a Rolling Hills man who wanted to travel to Asia on business
paid $298,000 in back support. A year later, another father paid
$300,000.

"This is a wake-up call for these individuals who should have been
meeting their obligations," said Al Reyes, a spokesman for the
county's Child Support Services Department.

David Sommers, a spokesman for Supervisor Don Knabe, hailed the
payment as proof that enforcement of child support orders can pay off.
Earlier this week, county supervisors earmarked $500,000 for an
initiative to track down parents.

For every dollar the county invests in enforcement, "we get about $2
back in child support payments," Sommers said. "Rigorous enforcement
means that the money is going back where it belongs - into the pockets
of these families."


http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la...,2914504.story