Back in October I recieved a letter from the Florida Dept of Revenue that my child support was in arrears. This is a very difficult thing to assess as there are 2 controlling authorities: the Florida Dept. of Reveneue and the Broward County Child Support Enforcement Division. The 2 can never agree as to the amount due at any given time because they cross-report balances and payments to each other and the only real way to tell is to go to the clerk of the courts and pay $50 for a printout of your history (with the attending 4 hour wait and parking fees in lovely traffic-choked downtown Ft Lauderdale). As they were reporting different stories I threw $300 at the problem.
The nasty-grams stopped.
Just to be sure I called the DoR in November and was told that my account was in good standing.
Fine. Regular payments are being deducted from my paycheck. In fact, I'm over-paid because the national Guard is also deducting but the payments are not being credited to my account...not that they need to be because my regular wages more than cover it.
Every other week I check the on-line site--yep, the payments (except the the Nat'l Guard) are showing as being applied.
December 28 rolls around and I get a letter saying my drivers license will be suspended Jan. 1 for non-payment.
W
T
F
I call and explain to the typing chimp that my account is paid-up. He concurs. I beg him to not allow my license to be suspended and ask that my case be reviewed. I say this specifically because on the notice it states that if you feel the suspension is unjustified you can ask for a review and the "time will not toll" towards the suspension. I'm no lawyer but I interpret this to mean they will hold off on the suspension until the review is completed.
In addition, the typing chimp tells me that he cannot understand why I would be subject to this action because by law they are required to contact me by phone and arrange re-payment options before moving on a suspension and there is no record of such contact being attempted...not that it would be needed because as he himself agrees, I am paid up to date.
So he says he is requesting a review.
Five days ago I am at the Colorado DMV. I need a CDL Learner's Permit for my job. Colorado says my license is suspended, they cannot give me a CDL LP but they will not take my CO license because they believe me about how ****ed-up Florida is.
I call the FL DoR. They tell me I filed for a review on Dec 28 and that they are entitled to 30 days to fulfill the review.
"And if it isn't concluded?"
"You can file another request for a review."
The job I was hired for requires a CDL. I have now been laid-off. There are no other jobs to offer that aren't license dependent; my supervisor was on the phone for an hour begging them to keep me around. I will get my job back as soon as the suspension is lifted but that is anybody's guess as to when because nobody is claiming responsibility for the arrearages mistake or suspension.
The review paperwork was sent to me...except the ****ed-up and sent a form to see if I wanted my payment amounts reviewed for possible adjustment.
I've even asked for the affadavit saying I satisifed the arrearages (a tantamount admission of allowing a lapse) just to get my license back even though it would cost me $47.50 for something I never did wrong. Alas the idiots on the phone told me that is part of the 30 day process. As it has now been 30 days I have to call back and ask them to send to me what they never sent me the first time.
Yesterday, I spoke to a supervisor and--yes--she agreed this is a horrible mistake and she was very sorry. She vowed she would email the Director of Revenue an email with bold, red letters to expedite this affair and get it corrected. If I would just give her 2 to 4 hours she'll make it all better. It has now been more than 24 hours.
I am furious.
