Manistee County: Passing the Buck

I vaguely remember having to deal with this when I was in the court system.  My problem wasn't as serious as this, but each department has a convenient avenue for shifting responsibility and this back-and-forth finger pointing is typical.  Usually this happens with people who cannot afford a lawyer to sort it out.  The best thing to do is to keep calling until you get the answer you deserve, keeping track of the names of the people you talk to along the way.  I found that it was more effective to handle most problems by going to the friend of the court and speaking to somebody in person.  Becoming a familiar presence in the office can help make up for the inability to afford a lawyer.

Manistee County Michigan Friend Of The Court/ Lansing/ State Friend Of The Court Foulup Manistee Michigan

Ripoff Report

Help me? Who needs help me or Friend of the Court or both. All I can tell things are really screwed up and I was wondering if anyone at Friend of the Court knows what they are doing and what the description of their job entails.

It all started when my estranged wife (soon to be ex) left me for another man. And of course took my children too. I was both mother and father when we were together. I got served with divorce papers and what was really bad she sought full custody. Just to let you know, I am an excellent father. Always putting my kids first. No record, no drugs, no alcohol history, no anger or abuse history. I bent over backwards for my family. Of course I got a lawyer too.

However I couldn't fight for custody as well because of the amount I pay to her (Friend of the Court) is pretty close to half of my income. I deserve my kids and I deserve to take the money I earn and spend it on my kids myself not give it to someone that broke my kids and myself's trust. I scrape by and hope weekly I have enough money for gas to earn money so I can pay for child support. However that is not the real foulup this is...

When my ex's lawyer put in for garnishment to take money out of my check and submitted it to Friend of the Court he got the wrong address from my soon to be ex. I work for a company that is located in another State. The place I actually work hired my company (contracted). Well friend of the court sent the garnishment order to the place i work and not to my company.

Well I got the paperwork and I immediately contacted Friend of the Court in Manistee and told them of their mistake. Friend of the Court sent the correct paperwork to my company. Because of Friend of the Court's mistake I was about $500 in arrearages. My company immediately made the garnishment and it was coming out of my check. But here is the huge foulup...

About 2 to 3 months later I received a letter from Friend of the Court stating I was behind in child support by over $3000. Wow! What a mistake this was. Money was taken out of my check every payday. I was never behind like that. I have the proof that money was taken out each payday when my company received the letter. It all shows it was on time and never once behind.

I contacted Manistee Friend of the Court and they stated this mistake is a Lansing error and I needed to go through them. So Manistee Friend of the Court gave me the number to call and I called them. It was an automated number only. No human voice. So after going around with my local Friend of the Court they still said it wasn't there problem. I finally got ahold of MiSDU and they informed me that that error is suppose to be corrected by my local Friend of the Court.

My local Friend of the Court is informing me the State is suppose to correct it. Neither is claiming to correct this huge error and I am stuck with this error and I have the proof I do not owe arrearages. I called my company (payroll), and they informed me they have been garnishing my checks, sent it out to the correct address, the correct amount, and is up to date. So no errors from my company. Now get this, I can't even do my taxes yet because if I do my return will be taken for arrearages that I do not owe and given to my soon to be ex-wife. I am left holding a mistake that isn't even mine.

I am clueless what to do because I play phone tag between Local and State Friend of the Court not wanting to correct this $3000 error. Help me get there attention because evidently they do not take me serious and could care less and if this is their attitude then beware who else has to deal with them. Thank you so much

Jeffrey

Manistee, Michigan

U.S.A.