Child support increase and paypal fees...

[NHtoNC]

What is the name of your state? North Carolina

I am currently sending child support payments to my sons mother in New Hampshire via Paypal.com. The courts ordered an increase in payment, which is fine, our son deserves it. We've been using paypal.com to send the payments up to her. The courts love the idea because there is no risk of forgetting payment or having to send payment throught the courts. The money ends up going directly to her bank account without fail, the same day each week.

Unfortunatley, with most services, there are fees involved. Paypal charges a small fee for this service (3.75 in my case) and she is telling me that I have to pay those fees because the court order was a certain amount. The courts did not specify that I needed to pay any fees.

My current wife and I agree that, yes, I am sending exactly what the courts ordered me to do, but paypal is taking fees out. She, the ex, claims that I am in contempt of court and need to pay the fees, of course we disagree.

So, before I get myself in trouble, am I responsible for those fees? Since this is a convenience for her, shouldnt she pay them? My ex and I cannot come up with an agreement and cant get along about it. I need some advice.

Thanks in advance.

 

[haiku]

is 3.75 a month, a hill worth dying on?

there have ben times we have had to get my husbands ex a money order for something that was her problem. Rather than nitpick we paid the cost of the money order.

Is it specific to your court order you pay by paypal? likely you guys should then have addressed the fees involved. And if it is not court ordered HOW you pay, write her a check, mail it, pocket the change, and call it a day.

having BTDT, I understand the "its the principle thing" but personally I would save the argument for something BIGGER........

 

[VeronicaGia]

I know that MI and CA will allow the local CSE to deduct a handling fee, but I don't know about a Paypal fee. If she wants to fight this, then ask the judge to change the order to have the payment go through the local CSE. If they charge a fee, it's not your problem, plus they will get her the CS check whenever they feel like it and she can wait for it.

I can't believe she's making an issue out of this. It works out to be a whole $45/year if you pay monthly.

Your other option is to call your local CSE and find out if they know the law regarding this or if there is a law in NC.

And FYI Haiku, maybe the court did it as a protective measure for the obligor. He should be keeping each and every receipt as proof of payment from Paypal.

 

[haiku]

And FYI Haiku, maybe the court did it as a protective measure for the obligor. He should be keeping each and every receipt as proof of payment from Paypal.

thats what scares me about it VG, I am not incredibly familiar with how paypal works, but I like that the husband has shoeboxes full of SIGNED cancelled checks in the closet, should the ex try anything funny. Just an old fashioned girl, I guess.

I am unfamiliar with paypal being a viable option for child support, and am hoping the OP will tell us whose idea it actually was. I would think if it is the ex's idea she SHOULD pay, but if it was his, he should pay.

 

[ajfai]

Maybe there can be a bank acct....

Is it ok to have a bank acct for the child support payment that he can deposit the payments into? There is still record of pymt.

 

[nextwife]

If your bank offers online payment as an option, you might also consider setting that up. The fees are less than paypal. That can also be set up to automatically pay a given "account" on a certain day or days.

I can alos download a monthly record of transactions into Quicken or Money. Even a paper printout of monthly activity, kept in a loose leaf by year, would be a record.

 

[Whyte Noise]

Uhmmm...

If the court order is for "X" amount, and you're paying "X" amount minus the $3.75 paypal fee, then technically you're in arrears.

What you need to do is pay "X" amount PLUS an additional $3.75 to cover the fee PayPal charges. For example, if you're to pay $200 a week, you need to actually pay $203.75 to cover the fees. As it is, (in my example) if you're ordered to pay $200, and you're really only paying $196.25 because they are taking their fee out of the court ordered amount.

Since you say the money goes into her account the same day "each week", then I'm assuming that each week your CS payment is $3.75 less than what is ordered by the court, so as to cover the PayPal fees. If this is true, you're talking about $195 a year.

The court may not have specified that you pay any "fees", but you are the one that chose to go the PayPal route. They have fees. You have to pay those fees to use their service for your convenience. If your ex doesn't get the full court ordered amount, then she can file for contempt on you and she'd be correct.... because your payment is actually $3.75 less than what the court ordered you to pay.

 

[NHtoNC]

Thank you

 

[somedude]

wow!

To think people are THAT concerned over $3.75. If that amount is truly breaking someone, you really need to consider a new gig.

I agree with others -- it is pretty petty to make a big thing about it. Maybe you two can alternate months. There's 12 months in a year -- so you each cover it for 6 months. That's fair.

 

[xrevvyx]

I think that since the paypal 'deposits' benefit the ex more than they do you, she should pay the fee. IF she refuses, then just start mailing the checks thru cse or directly to her..

I doubt the OP is court ordered to pay via paypal - if the court wanted "proof of payment" they would make him send the payments to CSE

 

[stealth2]

It really astounds me that EITHER side would be so petty as to make this an issue. Tho, having said that, my ex would.

 

[SuzieWahoozie]

In Indiana all child support goes through CSE, and each year, the person who PAYS the support has to pay CSE a "fee" for processing these payments. My husband was granted custody of my stepdaughter in Dec. 2003, so I don't know what the fee was for 2004, or what it is for 2005, as his ex-wife now pays this fee, but in 2003, the fee was $40.00/year. It seemed to increase by $5 every year, so I bet it's up to $50.00 now.

The reasoning behind having the obligor pay the fee is that the payee is receiving child support and probably not as financially able to pay as is the obligor.

So, if he wants to follow a precedent, he can use IN's example and pay all fees himself.

But the others have given good advice...if Mom wants to be a stickler about this, have it routed through CSE.

 

[NHtoNC]

But the others have given good advice...if Mom wants to be a stickler about this, have it routed through CSE.

That's great advice SuzieWahoozie. I am going to look into this, for sure.

For those of you that are being so judgemental and aghast about this fee, it breaks down to almost 200 bucks a year. I was paying 30 dollar LESS per week before the increase and now tacking on this additional 200 bucks a year is what is the issue.

Thanks all, my questions have been answered.