My Single Mom Life

I need a Valium or a really stiff drink.
Or several.

14 years ago on February 4th 1994, we were divorced, custody of the minor children awarded to me, as well as the pitiful child support sum of $21 per week.
Over the last 14 years, he barely paid that amount.
There was a period of 5 years straight, where he paid absolutely nothing at all.
His back due support is in the hundred thousand dollar range.
I tried for years to get the support order modified, but they always said he was unemployed, not paying any taxes, collecting welfare off and on, and had fathered 3 more children.
Then of course we learned about Cameron, who is a year older than my oldest son, Mark, for a total offspring count of 6 children.
Six children he wasn't paying any support for because he was "unemployed".
The state of Maine never looked into his band gigs as income, or the fact that he worked as a tattoo artist for other shops.

Fast forward, he is now the owner of his own tattoo and piercing studio.
This is my ex-husbands business, Coopa Creations.
That is his name on the sign, that is his picture at the top, he is Coopa.
See how it says under his picture, owner and artist?
He owns that shop.
So I filed for modification again.
They served him the legal modification papers at his shop.

On February 16th, I told you that they modified the child support to $67 per week.

Today I received another packet of papers from the state of Maine attorney general's office.
The support has not been modified legally yet, there is going to be a hearing.
He (ex-husband) has until March 7th, 2008, to file a motion against the modification.
I read through the papers, and I wasn't clear on whether or not I would be needed to appear at the hearing in person or by phone.
So I called the AG's office.

I spoke to the AG in charge of my case, she said they had just been discussing this case this morning, and she would be happy to answer any questions I had as best she could.
I asked about whether or not I'd be needed to appear in a Maine courtroom, and if so, I needed plenty of notice to attend because I live here in Florida, I would need to come up with the funds for a plane ticket etc, or if I would be needed to "appear" by phone.
She said she didn't know yet because he has until March 7th to file a counter claim against the modification.
Then I asked why the modified support was so low, $67.
She said it was based on imputed minimum wage.

I said excuse me? Minimum wage? He's a business owner, he is making far more than minimum wage.
She asked me what I was talking about.
I said, the address he was served at, the 114 Main street address, is his business.
Coopa Creations is his business.
He owns that tattoo shop.
He cannot possibly be making minimum wage.
She then said, well he hasn't filed any taxes for several years, was I sure he was the business owner.
I said yes! He's the owner! It's called Coopa Creations, he calls himself Coopa, the myspace page lists him as the owner, he was served at his own business!

She said nothing for a few seconds, then said if this information is true, that he owns that shop, then that changes everything.
It means he falsified his child support affidavit where he claims he only earns $11,000 per year.
He lied on official court documents.
I knew he lied on those papers when I read them.
He claims his present employer is Coopa Creations, yet he's the owner, not an employee, and he failed to fill out the rest of the paper work where he was supposed to list any and all assets, vehicles he owns, (he does own a nice car, his sister loaned lost him the money to buy it. he has never paid her back) supposed to list all the minor children he pays child support for, child care costs, medical expenses, bank accounts etc.
As a business owner with employees, he has to have at least one bank account for the business, to pay business related costs, and to pay his employees from.

She then asked me if I could prove he's the owner.
I said yes, he has a website where it lists him as owner, his own sister says he owns it, my friends have taken pictures of the store front where his name is listed as owner painted on the freaking glass.
She then said, "This changes everything. Thank you for this information, we will have to get a subpoena for financial records, but if he really is the owner, hasn't filed taxes for himself personally or the business, this case is now bigger than just modifying the child support."

I said well yeah, go after him all you want, but to raise my child support from $21 to $67 after 14 years, is a total slap in the face, and sorry, but his sons deserve more than that.
As a business owner, he can definitely afford to pay more than $67 per week, and I don't really give a crap about the other 4 kids. The two sons I had with him through marriage, have never received the full amount of support ordered in the last 14 years, and have only gotten birthday cards twice in all these years. He can pay up, it's long past due.

She said not to worry, they will definitely be looking into this new information, and she will be in touch with me about the hearing and any other information they need from me, or need to give me.
We ended the call, and I almost blew a gasket.
I cannot believe they didn't put 2 and 2 together, Cooper, Coopa Creations, they freaking served him at his business, and didn't realize he was the owner.
This whole thing is just so infuriating.
All these years of not getting the court ordered pitiful $21, and he was trying to pull a fast one again and claim he was just an employee making minimum wage.
Arggghhh!
But now they know, and hopefully they will fix this correctly.
$67 is not acceptable, imputing minimum wage on a business owner is not acceptable.
If I have to fly up there for the hearing, I'll sell everything that isn't nailed down to get there and face him in that courtroom.