Other Enforcement Remedies

Consumer (Credit Bureau) reporting

The friend of the court must report to a consumer-reporting agency (credit bureau) the arrearage amount for each payer with two or more months of support arrearage. Lenders will often obtain a credit report from a consumer-reporting agency when deciding whether to extend credit. If the credit report shows a history of untimely support payments or a large arrearage, the report may result in a denial of a loan or other credit. The Michigan Child Support Enforcement System (MiCSES) submits an update of arrearages to the consumer-reporting agency on any account already submitted once per month. If your child support debt has been reported and you are currently paying toward arrearages, your efforts will be reflected on your report.
 

Passport Denial

Current law requires that applications for passports be denied if $2,500 or more is owed in arrears. If your passport has been denied and you believe it to be an error, please contact the St. Clair County Friend of Court either by phone or in person. If there was, in fact, an error, the Friend of Court will send a request to the State of Michigan to do an emergency removal of passport denial.
 

License Suspension

Under certain circumstances various licenses, (including driver’s, professional, hunting and fishing) may be suspended if so ordered by the Court.
 

Felony Warrant

Under limited circumstances a payer who owes large child support arrears could be subject to state or federal felony prosecution. Felony prosecution is at the discretion and initiation of federal, state or county prosecutors, not the Friend of Court.
 

Liens

Liens exist by operation of law against a payer’s real and personal property, including accounts with financial institutions, if arrearage exceeds the amount of periodic payments payable for two months under the support order, and the payer’s real and personal property can be encumbered or seized. A payee requesting a lien must provide all information needed to pursue filing a lien including but not limited to location and description of the property.

Child Support Tax Offset Process