Florida Department of Revenue
Reviews and Complaints

I have been dealing with the Florida Department of Revenue Child Support Enforcement (CSED) since 2012. I have a court order with my son's father which was done by private attorneys. When I had to apply for Medicaid for my son, the State of Florida required me to "cooperate" with CSED for the collection of child support. This is where the first error occurred. CSED in their stupidity opened this as a new case. Of course my ex's lawyers had a field day with that one. No apology from CSED. Eventually, he monthly child support payments began to be disbursed through CSED.

Our court order states he pays $600 month in support, plus $50 a month towards arrears of $12, 500. CSED was unable to to reflect this agreement correctly on their court ledger. This created the 2nd error by CSED.

CSED decided to create another hearing to collect the arrears, even though out court order states the above agreement. I was never notified of this hearing held on July 21, 2015. The order was "amended" to reflect the original order, stating that the "arrears" should be at -0- as he is making the payments agreed upon.

Nothing was done to this amended order until March 14, 2016. I am unsure what transpired in the almost 9 months since that hearing that the amended order was never files or acted upon. This is what is listed on my case's docket text (Case #50-2009-DR-009374-XXXX-SB).

I had been receiving child support payments of $650 regularly until last month. I went to the child support office in West Palm Beach to try to resolve the issue. After waiting over an hour for my number to be called, I explained the situation. The gentleman at the counter in formed me that the court ledger has a total balance of -0- which has caused an overpayment on what was owed. I was directed to go to the Clerk of Courts in West Palm Beach to speak with them about getting it fixed.

I went to the Clerk of Courts and they did provide me with a copy of the amended order (attached). The gentleman I spoke with said they would fix the ledger to reflect the correct balance and he gave me the name and phone number of the person in charge of the ledger at the courthouse (Karen [protected]) and I was told to contact her to follow up. Also told to let the Child Support office know it was being fixed.

I went back to the CSED the following day with the amended order and to find out when the funds would be released. After waiting another hour for my number to be called, I spoke with someone named Heidi who claimed to be the manager. I thought, great! someone with authority who can take care of this. Was I wrong.

Heidi asked to take a look at the amended order stating she is very good at looking at legal documents. (I did not inform her that my first job out of college was as a paralegal in New York for 2 years). She then made the legal judgement to say that it says -0- and I am not owed any money. WHAT? She obviously did not understand the legal document. She then went in the back and returned with the Finance Manager, Marilyn Stahl. They then asked me to wait until while they called the Clerk of Court (Karen). After some time they came back to me and told me the wording on the amended order was not clear and they could not release the funds. She suggested I file a motion to dispute the amended order. I did this on June 7, 2016 (attached). She is not an attorney and should not be dispensing legal advice.

Karen from the Clerk's office called me the following day to tell me she was going to receive clarification from the magistrate who signed the amended order. After 3 more days I finally received the news that I was correct and the ledger would be updated. Karen also said she was calling Marilyn Stahl at the CSED West Palm Beach office to let her know it was changed and to release the funds.

It is two weeks later and I am still waiting. Apparently the CSED system will not allow them to update the ledger to release my child support funds. I do not understand in this day and age that funds cannot be released in a timely manner. The CSED made grave errors which resulted in added to my stress, loss of time and work and ability to pay a couple of bills.

I want the funds immediately, along with interest accumulated as well as a formal apology from CSED. I would also like an investigation into their practices and why they continue to hold child support funds.

Florida DOR is a JOKE...as well as the hearing officer's for Osceola county. My EX husband and I have 3 children together. When we were divorced in 2008 I didn't ask for an increase of his original child support order from 2006 due to the fact that at that time he still was paying child support for his daughter from a previous marriage, and was basically homeless (living in either motels, or staying in the pizzeria he worked at) I didn't ask for the amount I was supposed to be awarded for child support so he could get on his feet. At that time we were able to get along as good friends just not as husband and wife so I didn't ask for an increase of child support, and rather than leaving him to sleep at his work or live in a dirty motel room I offered him instead a room in my house that I was renting and made if affordable to him so he would be able to get on his feet. Well in 2009, he married a woman he met online from another country. He went on a couple trips to her country and brought her to the states so they could married. So, when he was able to do this I decided that since his oldest daughter who emancipated and no longer had to pay child support for, and since he could afford trips over seas for another woman that he shoujld be able to support the children we had together in our marriage. So the child support order went for modification and rather than the $400 something a month he was ordered to pay, it went up to $703 a month. He had an arrears at that time of after I went to the local office with him and had the over $5000 in arrears changed to reflect the amount that it should be (the time only I had the kids) to $1977. He eventually moved out, got his own home and remarried and the support order was then in place for the new amount of $703 a month and $50 towards the $1977 in back arrears. Well here we are almost 7 years later and his arrears now are $10, 275.91. It has been 9 months since I have gotten a full child support payment. He has been found in contempt of court twice in the past 2-3 years (it takes about 6 months to get a court date for contempt) I have taken him to court about twice a year in the last 4 years. He waits until just before the hearing as in a couple of days or a week before the hearings, pays a huge lump sum and is NOT found in contempt because by the time we go to court he makes it look like he is paying. He has had his license suspended I don't even know how many times and I also can't how many times he was supposed to have his license suspended but pay's the minimum he has to stop the suspension or goes in to the local office to enter into a written agreement. DOR tells me that the drivers license suspension threat works for him and he pays. He claims he only makes a certain amount, yet, has several websites showing that in addition to his work he owns a business and makes an additional $50, 000 a year from that. However, all he claims for child support is from his job that he is the employee not the company he owns. He has been able to afford to buy land, pay for a child support attorney to fight his child support, have more kids, and has his wife hide the money he makes in her name in her bank account. (I know people that knows him and his tricks) So here we are over $10, 000 in arrears and he is wanting to have his order modified. AND THEY LISTEN TO HIIM AND DO EVERYTHING HE ASKS OF THEM. He wrote an email to our oldest son in 2011 telling him that he has disowned all his children expect his "new baby" He has had NO contact with our children since he was remarried in 2009 expect for the email to our oldest son.
In the meantime, I am remarried to a wonderful man who has taken on the responsibility of my boys as if they were his own. Provides for them, tries to be there for them and be a father to them. I would just let it all go and not ask for child support, BUT I feel like my kids deserve at the least from him finical support since they can't and don't get any sort of emotional or physical support form their sperm donor.
I called and spoke to a supervisor after emailing the Governor and she told me I should NOT count on child support to support my children. So whats the point of having a court order for child support if the DOR isn't going to enforce it instead they de -enforce it (if that's even a word)
I can see both sides of child support, I feel like if a parent is there for their children and providing care and guidance and love then NO they shouldn't have to pay child support if each parent is providing equal care for the child or children then there should be no need for child support. BUT when a parent is absent from their children's life completely, then MAKE THEM PAY! Do anything and EVERYTHING to enforce a COURT order. Oh and the hearing officers that act as Judges..that's another joke in itself!

On March 2nd this year, all of a sudden my bank card stopped working. I found out that a levy had been placed on my account. This is curious because it is a joint account and I found out later that I have a legitimate cause for a legal case under the fourth and fourteenth amendment because I am an innocent party in the case. Nevertheless, we were told there is this one guy in the whole state of Florida that can help us. So we call him because it is clearly a mistake...my wife has been paying support for seven months and last year I even pitched in $4000 more (didn't have to, but just to kind of make sure we were up to date...not my kid not my case...thus the illegal seizure etc...I was not given due process even if my wife was). So I call everyone and finally get a lady that tells me it is not unreasonable to expect a wait of two weeks to even have the matter addressed! What? What is unreasonable is to levy a bank account with no notice and no due process, then once you know someone is over a barrel, not resolve it very quickly. Now I have tried to give these people all the information they need. So that is part of my story...have called many people and just get voicemail...really? You just sealed my account! And you can't call back right away and at least tell me what you need?

The Florida Department of Revenue has violated my property rights by denying me due process and equal protection of the law, rights safeguarded by the US Constitution.
In 2012 my daughter was placed with me after DCF removed her from her mother for abuse. Over the past five years I have been tortured by the DOR. my tax returns are confiscated, my passport denied, and the worst was when I was arrested with my four children in the car - apparently my license had been suspended due to child support and I wasn't aware of it.
The DOR attorney refuses to retract the arrears even though DCF provided paperwork that I indeed have had my daughter since August 2012. Vernon Fairchild is too busy to provide relief. He he lazy, corrupt, and is a disgrace to the law profession.
The mother hasn't paid one penny of support since 2012 and yet I am still being told I have to pay her support! How can this be? If I were a woman I wouldn't have any issues getting assistance but since I am a father no one is willing to provide me the relief I deserve!

Kind Regards,
Jason Minning

First of all my ex was ordered to pay $454 a month for our first child, that was good, until he started falling behind in payments to the tune of over $ 20, 000, so I was getting his tax refunds, everything was fine with that until I was stupid enough to get pregnant with 2nd child, then put in for support modification, when court date came around I was very sick, vomiting and everything, he apparently lied because he got $454 (which I had no problem agreeing to for both children ) to a measly $25 a week, my son eats that in 2 hrs, he gets paid under the table so I won't get his refunds any more, he thinks he is untouchable, the child support enforcement has NEVER done anything to help me, I'm doing everything correctly because I care about the well being of my children, they won't suspend his license, won't throw him in jail, since I am a live in caregiver to my quadriplegic father I can't work a 9-5 job, since I get no help from c.s.e. or my ex husband I have to rely on my parents who have their own financial problems, taking care of a quadriplegic isn't cheap, NO ONE seems to care about my children's well being, why is he allowed to get away with this repulsive selfishness

I had let son's family move in with me to try and protect children, I reported my son and wife to DCF after I had tried everything myself to protect their children from their parent drug abuse. 2 1/2 weeks after the initial interview they showed up at the house and took all three kids away. Refused to let me keep the children (I already had guardianship of them for a year months before). I am now being accused of being an alcoholic because I admitted to having an occasional drink! The children are separated and the boys are in a foster home an hour away. The children want to be with me. I have been fingerprinted 2 times, drug tested, background check and had my prescription pills counted out 3 times! Prescriptions for high blood pressure, cholesterol, fibromyalgia and restless leg syndrome! I have offered to also take an alcohol test to prove my Innocence. I cannot believe this is all happening because I wanted to do the right thing. I alway heard about this happening with DCF but didn't believe it. My grandkids are suffering and I have never felt to degraded in my life.

In July 2005 I was divorced and ordered to pay 725 a month in child support for two children. The child support case stayed in county (Polk).i lost my good job in2007. since then i have only been financially able to pay @340a month NEVER DID I EVER!receive ANY notices that i was behind. Until April 2015 mysteriously my case is with the state and I am being told i'm 40, 000 in arrears!and they are going to take my taxes and license.In June I filed a motion to dispute the arrears.ABsolutely no response to that motion but my modification hearing lowered my future due not my arrears i don't want to give my ex the EIC i get for my other daughter who is not his what can I do!?

I've been trying to get child support for 3 years they closed my case 2 times without let me know when I finally got to go to court on August 10th they wouldn't barely let me speak the judge granted my husband 8 weeks of free non child support they didn't explain the process totally it was totally different than what she said to me and I haven't gotten any child support as of yet I am busy selling jewelry selling bikes and doing whatever I have to do to survive he makes $65, 000 a year we went to court on August 10th and I still haven't received any money you cannot physically ever talk to anyone in a rush this out of court like cattle it's the worst system I've ever seen in my entire life. Everything they do for you and him Florida you have to pay for I pay taxes and I feel I'm entitled to receive when I'm supposed to get for my son instead the judge gave him a pass and he went on the yacht and was hanging out in Miami drinking children's received nothing. Due to their incompetency he slipped through the cracks with my other son that was in time to get money for because he had reached the age he couldn't get it cuz they took so long please help me

I need to know why I have still not received my ex husband's tax return due to child support fraud, what the hell I am and have been depending on it for almost 6 months now can somebody please help me figure out what the hell is going on ! !my child needs braces waiting on the state of florida to get their stuff together, , , soooo pissed off!, someone please respond with some kind of help

My support has been being collected from my ex's paycheck but the state is retaining it. I started receiving food stamps at the beginning of July. I started receiving unemployment after that. Now my child support for the last month is being retained. The woman I spoke to at the Florida disbursement unit said that food stamps should not cause my child support to be retained. I have never gotten cash assistance and I'm wondering if the state can make me repay food stamps.

I have been dealing with fl.child support enforcement forever, I'm soo sick of getting the run around from these people, it's like beating my head against the wall, there was a recent court date that I was unable to attend because I can't afford a car, taxi or bus because of tax refund crap, I have two kids with this man, one a teenage boy, he works everyday makes at least $1500.00 a week and spends it all at the bar does not have a drivers license to suspend due to his drinking, he is over 21, 000.00 dollars in arrears, since I could not make it to court he gets away with a $20 a week order, WHAT! our son eats that in 3 hrs not to mention my other child, if it weren't for my parents we would be dead, THEY ARE NOT THEIR KIDS! Will he ever be held responsible for his children or when my parents pass I guess we will too because of the state of florida and this selfish deadbeat, I don't understand why this is happening and absolutely NOTHING is being done about it.I will not lay down and be taken advantage of because I made 2 beautiful gifts to this world with this deadbeat, $20 a week?, I will fight this and yell about it to everyone until the day I die, then my children will take over the fight, where is the justice and help for us!NO WHERE TO BE FOUND...YET

I live in Broward and had a child support case open in New Mexico when I was living here now since moving here I have opened a case here in Florida. Why does it take six months to transfer and update an arrears balance on my cs case? My former caseworker faxed the balance to [protected] in mid-June, your office stated it received it on June 22nd. After countless calls on my part I was finally told mid-August that this office on Commercial blvd would need the same info again? Plus a payment history? Ok my former caseworker faxed it on the 10th of August to [protected], still no record of that fax being received. Somehow cannot get that arrears balance added to my case, you have enough people working there.Everytime I go there, hoards of workers are just standing around. What is the problem? i was also told by a gentleman that i spoke to that arrears balances are not asked for when a transmittal is done, why not? That has everything to do with the case, meanwhile my son's father was working and ready to pay, and because of your office's incompetency he's been laid off.Thanks. And to think, my tax dollars pay for his abysmal service. I would really love it if someone, anyone could address this. Thanks!

First off, i have a hard time getting any of the workers on the phone. It's a huge hassle! And when they finally do answer there phone, they either hang up on me! Or don't help me one little bit!. I asked several workers there to re do my entire case. They tell me they (Will) or have already sent out the proper paperwork to me and the other party of where it should go. I have not heard of or seen one paper in my mailbox or email or a simple phone call from anyone. Stop telling me lies and do your job! You have one job and can't even do it! You should be fired! And replaced with another individual that knows what there doing!. I was underage when my support order went threw, my father had to apply on my behalf. He did not sign up for back child support, i am now 20 years old and more than capable of doing it myself now. I want back child support! How hard is that to understand?. I am going on my 3rd child! I'm struggling! And these people think it's okay to keep shoving me off to the side like my problems don't seem to matter, well guess what! It's your job to solve my problem with child support! You are child support enforcement, that's what enforcement means! So enforce it! It"s your job! I also asked for his license to be suspended! They told me they can't do that! Another lie! I have many of friends who have had there license suspended for just owing a simple 2, 000 dollars! And my ex owes me over $9, 000! That's not even including the back child support i don't receive!. When i went to court the judge ordered him to pay the minimum of $92.31 every 2 weeks! That's without a job. And that when he did obtain employment that the amount was to be raised accordingly, he now has a job! Why is he still not paying accordingly? I got a piece of mail stating he owes me $363.32 a month now! But hes still only paying me the $92.31..Here's the other thing. Hes not even paying me the $92.31 every 2 weeks. Hes only paying me the $92.31 every month! If i even get lucky enough to receive that! I'm being told it comes directly out of his paycheck before he even touches the money (Another lie) because he skips a few months sometimes. There for there is no possible way for that to be true. He pays me when he feels like it and you people at cse do nothing about it. I am going to sue you. You don't like it? Take it up with my lawyer. The process is already being worked on. Heads up to the ones at the enforcement office, u can"t do your job? Cool..My lawyer will help you clean your desk out and replace you. Lets see your money struggles now. Since mine don't matter.

This is two years in a row I have had to fight to get money released to me. My ex filed his taxes in February 2015; child support received it March 12, 2015. I was told it is held for 90 days. It has been past that now. When I called the child support 800 number, I was told it's still under review. No matter how many times I tell them I need that money to make arrangements to be able to send my son up north for the summer to his father, they tell me I just have to wait. I'm sick of getting the run around!😡

Department of revenue child support are quick to put non paying parents in jail or hull them back in court when they fail to pay after 30 days. Why shouldn't they get treated the same way? My income tax was taking on March 19 and they still haven't credited my account the $5000. They claim the IRS has it. You call the IRS and they say child support has it. This is plain bs. They need to get people doing their jobs or they should be fined.

If you are looking for mismanagement of government policies and a total neglect for government employees with no regard for U.S. residents or their concerns, please take a look at the State of Florida and their Department of Revenue for Child Support Services. This is the best example of what will happen if you elect anyone from the state of Florida for President.
Are you are paying attention now? Don't believe me? The best example of what to expect once a Florida Governor takes over is to Call [protected]. That is the number to call when the Florida Department of Revenue makes a mistake. There is no option to speak to anyone. The first option is to ask for more options. Option One, is to use the Internet. Shall we speak to Age Discrimination at this point, or shall we address the inability of the poor who can't even get a library card to use the internet? Option Two, press one for more options. I am an educated person, I already know that it is going to be a bureaucratic process
There are six more options, which involve pressing the pound key as much as six times to hear all the options. None of those options are to report a mistake in billing. It is that easy folks. The number they give you to call when they plan to take more money without verifying the account.
That is the way the State of Florida does it. I pay four times the court ordered amount, and I am not complaining about that. I am complaining about five times the court ordered amount.
I have 23 years of effective human resource experience, behavioral sciences application theorems with given specialties in employee management and motivation technique. Foregoing sarcasm, I would take a pen, if you cant find a pen, you can use a pencil. Remember those things we had in the 80's? We had calendars too. On every month where the 1st of the month is on the Weekend mark that day. Verify all account from the military retiree, military member, government retiree, state retirees, state employees who get paid on the 1st of the month. Unflag every account that was prepaid for the upcoming month via deposit on the Friday preceding the weekend.
If one can nott do that, one can set up a monthly reminder on Microsoft Outlook.
How is a government system that is broken be the answer we are looking for. Inefficient down to breaking it's very own state law precedents, not caring enough to pick up the phone, not caring enough to even hear the complaint, and when presented with a solution, to inefficient to implement the easiest of plans. Let us look at it this way, it is not their money anyway, why should they care.
How can anyone with such a failed government framework, a consistency in negligence, as written not only on this post, but many other complaint sites as well, how can anyone person with such explicit failure to govern have a platform?

The state of Florida has collected enough child support to effectively date back 3 years before I even met my Son's mother. They do not answer the phone, the phone consistently prompts callers to use their internet site which is offline. I sat through every teleprompted option and no one answers the phone. When the 1st of the month falls on a weekend, military pay pays child support the day preceding the weekend, yet "A COMPUTER SYSTEM" makes the error and doesn't see the early payment. It just reads non payment for the month in which the 1st fell on a Saturday or Sunday. This is gross negligence by the Florida Department of Revenue. (How difficult is it for someone to remember when the 1st falls on a weekend?) Print a Sign, make some stickers for the computer screen, can we get someone in charge?

I believe I have everyone on this site beat with child support arrears.$68.400.00 is what I am owed for child support and little has been done to collect my money.The non custodial parent had a house which he was able to sell, several vehicles and other assets all were able to slip through the cracks.The non custodial parent has not been on the run.My recent child support recently stopped on sept.11 2014 between the cse web site chat and clerks office I have three different balances due.I am now keeping track as the clerks office wants me to pay to get a copy of how they get there balance.This should not be hard $153.00 per week.I dont see this added on to arrears.I will continue to watch and document.Now I will tell you my current status.A licence suspention was put in on sept 2 2014 He has 20 days to respond then another 10 to process.They told him he would have to pay $800.00 to stop licence suspention That is way more than a licence renewal .what would your choice be?He brings in proof of a job The dor/cse sends the job a letter to deduct child support around sept.12 2014 The employer now has 60 days to respond to the letter.So now we are three months with no child support can't wait to add my total up when its all said and done .obviously my fight for child support has been going on for sometime now an I am NOT going to give up but something does need to be done.