alimony arrest warrant effecting Passport?

[donaldcar]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida.

I did not show up for a family court hearing and an arrest warrant was issued. I have not been able to pay alimony. Can my Passport be revoked?

[LdiJ]

Originally Posted by donaldcar

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida.

I did not show up for a family court hearing and an arrest warrant was issued. I have not been able to pay alimony. Can my Passport be revoked?

Not only that, but a lot worse stuff as well.

[donaldcar]

Thanks for your reply. I spoke with two separate State Dept. officials the other day and both said that 'civil issues (alimony missed court appearance) except for child support will not affect my citizenship (passport).' According to what I have read on the State Dept. site passports cannot be revoked for alimony issues, only child support and criminal matters. Of course, I am in contempt of court and an arrest warrant was issued but if there is no provision in the law to revoke my passport, what basis of fact did you use to come to your conclusion. Is there a website you can direct me to for further clarification?

I really appreciate your advice.

[Ohiogal]

Originally Posted by donaldcar

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Florida.

I did not show up for a family court hearing and an arrest warrant was issued. I have not been able to pay alimony. Can my Passport be revoked?

You can't pay alimony but you can afford to flee out of the country? Your passport can be revoked and held. You can be arrested and thrown in jail. You can find all your property liened and your bank accounts attached. You can be left destitute without access to any money. Congrats!

And why didn't you show up for the hearing?

[donaldcar]

Thanks for your reply. I left the U.S. eighteen months ago after finding out that at that hearing I was to be arrested and taken to county jail to serve a six month sentence or until I paid all back alimony and found a job to continue doing so. I had been unemployed for about ten months. My life expectancy in jail was estimated to be around 48-hours. I am a 65-year-old with serious health issues that prevented me from working and the amount I owed was a lot more than the few hundred dollars it took me to leave the country. So paying those few hundred dollars in alimony instead of fleeing for my life and then having my life abruptly end in county jail did not seem like the best course to pursue.

Now I would like to return to the U.S. for a visit and do not want any surprises when they scan my passport.

Why did one of the state dept. official (clerk?) tell me that if the family court petitioned for a passport revocation they would be told that there is no legal provision to do so in my case unless my issue was child support, not alimony?

Thanks again for your time and can you direct me to the State Dept. site that clearly states your opinion?

[Ohiogal]

Originally Posted by donaldcar

Thanks for your reply. I left the U.S. eighteen months ago after finding out that at that hearing I was to be arrested and taken to county jail to serve a six month sentence or until I paid all back alimony and found a job to continue doing so. I had been unemployed for about ten months. My life expectancy in jail was estimated to be around 48-hours. I am a 65-year-old with serious health issues that prevented me from working and the amount I owed was a lot more than the few hundred dollars it took me to leave the country. So paying those few hundred dollars in alimony instead of fleeing for my life and then having my life abruptly end in county jail did not seem like the best course to pursue.

Now I would like to return to the U.S. for a visit and do not want any surprises when they scan my passport.

Why did one of the state dept. official (clerk?) tell me that if the family court petitioned for a passport revocation they would be told that there is no legal provision to do so in my case unless my issue was child support, not alimony?

Thanks again for your time and can you direct me to the State Dept. site that clearly states your opinion?

Why should we help a felon who is on the run from the law and basically doesn't want to do the upstanding thing. Quite frankly you are defying a court order and if you can afford international travel then you are a deadbeat who hopefully will be arrested as soon as the plane touches down. Enjoy life in exile. You can die outside the country since you don't want to follow this country's laws.

[Blue Meanie]

Donald, You can start as many threads as you want and the answer will be the same. You committed a crime and no one here will assist you in avoiding prosecution.
OG is an attorney. Listen to her.

[cyjeff]

Further, while failure to pay alimony is a civil matter, contempt of court is criminal.

I give you a one in five chance of getting through customs.

[Ohiogal]

Yesterday 08:56 PM - permalinkdonaldcar
Thank you for the positive, well researched and non-abusive reply and pointing out that I am a fugitive and a felon. Because of your advice from the heart I am considering turning myself in to the authorities so I may pay my dept to society since I cannot afford to pay anything to anyone else. You sir are a real patriot!

You are a fugitive and a felon. No amount of blabber will change that. YOU FLED because you were about to be arrested. That is a fact. I should feel sorry for you? You made your choices. The fact that you are 65 years old matters not. Apparently you don't care that much about the law that you would choose to run (with money you got from somewhere to get out of the country and live) rather than follow a court order. You ahve two choices -- live as an exile or turn yourself in like a man of integrity and honor would do. Of course a real man would not have run to begin with.

[Bali Hai]

Originally Posted by Ohiogal

You are a fugitive and a felon. No amount of blabber will change that. YOU FLED because you were about to be arrested. That is a fact. I should feel sorry for you? You made your choices. The fact that you are 65 years old matters not. Apparently you don't care that much about the law that you would choose to run (with money you got from somewhere to get out of the country and live) rather than follow a court order. You ahve two choices -- live as an exile or turn yourself in like a man of integrity and honor would do. Of course a real man would not have run to begin with.

I believe he will opt for your first choice.

[Golfball]

Originally Posted by donaldcar

Now I would like to return to the U.S. for a visit and do not want any surprises when they scan my passport.

I don't think it will be necessarily surprising if you end up having issues... Unpleasant, but not a surprise.

Why did one of the state dept. official (clerk?) tell me that if the family court petitioned for a passport revocation they would be told that there is no legal provision to do so in my case unless my issue was child support, not alimony?

Who knows what passes for minds in bureaucrats? In any case, if you get bad (legal) advice from a State Dept. call center person, it's not their butt in a sling, it's yours. (And claiming that you got bad advice from a State Dept. call center will get you about this >< far in court.)