There was a blurb in USA Today this morning that said the state of Illinois is going after anyone behind in their child support payments by$1,000 or more by holding up their professional licenses. It mentions licenses for barbers, security guards, msaage therapists and other workers who need licenses.
Does this affect real estate agents in Illinois? I would imagine they would be included as well - attorneys? accountants? Do they just not renew the license, not issue new ones, or do they actually pull the existing licenses?
It's interesting that when the housing industry is having such a bad time, that they would take away someone's license that would enable them to work and catch up on payments. Or is this Illinois' way of saying - leave the real estate industry and get a "real job"?
I'm all for beating up the dead beat parents out there (both male and female), but not until they make sure that BOTH sides are living up to their obligations...I personally was involved in a fight with my exwife where the state paid for her to come after me (even though I had paid receipts to prove that I had made my payments....her simply SAYING that I was behind was enough to get them to come after me) whereas I was told that in order to enforce the other side of the divorce decree that dealt with my visitation would require that I hire a private attorney to take that matter to court separately.
Even after I faxed the paid receipts the state kept coming after me to the point where I had to tell them that if they were feeling froggy to jump! That I didn't think that they could get a conviction! Only at that point did they back off (after I spent $4000.00 in legal fees)
Sorry to ramble, but I feel strongly about this issue!
Bob Mitchell
ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.
Bob - thanks for sharing your experience. There are many "unfair" aspects to our legal system, including having to pay huge legal fees to defend innocence. And yes, both sides should live up to their obligations.
JL - I'm with you. And I think selling real estate really is a real job. I think people really mean "regular, steady paycheck" when they talk about a "real job". Most of us certainly work harder than we would in a 40 hour 9-5 job.
Sharon,
I too think it's more of an effort to get dead-beat parents (both male and female at times) to live up to their obligations. This normally doesn't happen over night, it can be a long ongoing process. I think we've all known others on both sides of the issue, myself included. Divorced with a 2 pre-schoolers (many years ago) I had the same issue. I'm all for doing whatever it takes.
Easy solution.....Support your children or loose your license. I don't have much respect for dead beat parents.
Sean Allen
Lynda - we certainly need to support efforts to have parents support their children rather than abandon them to public aid. If only we could distinguish between those really trying and unable from those just avoiding their earlier responsibilities.
Sean Allen - I certainly don't have respect for dead beat parents, either.
Sharon,
I think I remember this when we were studying in class for my RE license for some reason that is what I remember was some sort of requirement? Anyway...not sure...Happy Holidays to you and see you in 2008!
Sharon, anyone living in Arizona knows they had better pay their child support. There's a deadbeat dad law in place - I think it's called. That said, as a former paralegal that worked on dissolution matters, there was usually one of them (wife or hubby) who was doing everything they could to get out of paying. I could tell you some good stories. Unbelievable! I, too, feel very strong about this issue. Children don't ask to be born, and they need both of their parents! Both should work together to make this happen for them.
Debbie - so many trends start in one state and then branch out. California starts a lot of them, and Florida is often second to follow them.
Neal - my RE license courses were so long ago I really don't remember what was in them.
Teri - thanks for your comments. Children are due more than just child support - they should have common parental interests as well (how's that for ideal?). We have a his-hers-and-ours family and always tried to make sure that disagreements between exes did not become issues that would affect the children. It was important to not let them play one against the other. Hard to do - but as you said, they didn't ask to be born, and they didn't ask for their parents to divorce. Fortunately for us and our children, things turned out well.