Title 19, Chapter 6, Section 33
( 19-6-33)
(a) The obligee or his or her agent shall serve an income deduction
order and the notice to the payor, and in the case of a delinquency
a notice of delinquency, on the obligor's payor. The obligor must
be notified that withholding has commenced and how to contest the
withholding. (b) Service of the initial income deduction order by or upon any
person who is a party to a proceeding under this Code section shall
be by personal service, by certified mail or statutory overnight
delivery, return receipt requested, or by regular mail. Service upon
an obligor's payor or successor payor under this Code section shall
be by regular first-class mail. (c)(1) When the income deduction is effective upon a delinquency
in an amount equal to one month's support, the obligor may apply
to the court to contest the enforcement of the income deduction
order on the ground of mistake of fact regarding the amount of
support owed pursuant to a support order, the amount of arrearage
of support, or the identity of the obligor. The obligor shall
send a copy of the pleading to the obligee and, if the obligee is
receiving IV-D services, to the IV-D agency. The filing of the
pleading does not affect the enforcement of an income deduction
order unless the court enters an order granting relief to the
obligor. The payment of delinquent support by an obligor upon
entry of an income deduction order shall not preclude service of
the income deduction on the obligor's payor. (2) When an obligor requests a hearing to contest enforcement of
an income deduction order, the court, referee, or administrative
law judge after due notice to all parties and the IV-D agency, if
the obligee is receiving IV-D services, shall hear the matter
within 30 days after the application is filed and shall not extend
the time for hearing unless good cause for a later date is found
by the court, in which event the time for a hearing may be
extended for up to 30 days. The court, referee, or administrative
law judge shall enter an order resolving the matter within ten
days after the hearing. A copy of this order shall be served on
the parties and the IV-D agency if the obligee is receiving IV-D
services. (d) When a court, court referee, or administrative law judge
determines that an income deduction order is proper pursuant to
subsection (c) of this Code section, the obligee or his or her agent
shall cause a copy of the income deduction order and a notice to
payor, and in the case of a delinquency a notice of delinquency, to
be served on the obligee's payors. A copy of the notice to the
payor, and in the case of a delinquency a notice of delinquency,
shall also be furnished to the obligor. (e) The notice to payor shall contain only information necessary for
the payor to comply with the income deduction order. The payor
shall have the duties, penalties, and rights specified in the
notice. The notice shall: (1) Require the payor to deduct from the obligor's income the
amount specified in the income deduction order, and in the case of
a delinquency the amount specified in the notice of delinquency,
and to pay that amount to the obligee or to a child support
receiver, the IV-D agency, or other designee, as appropriate. The
amount actually deducted plus all administrative charges shall not
be in excess of the amount allowed under Section 303(b) of the
federal Consumer Credit Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. Section 1673(b); (2) Instruct the payor to implement the income deduction order no
later than the first pay period that occurs after 14 days
following the date the notice was mailed; (3) Instruct the payor to forward, within two business days after
each payment date, to the family support registry the amount
deducted from the obligor's income and a statement as to whether
that amount totally or partially satisfies the periodic amount
specified in the income deduction order; (4) Specify that if a payor willfully fails to deduct the proper
amount from the obligor's income, the payor is liable for the
amount the payor should have deducted, plus costs, interest, and
reasonable attorney's fees; (5) Provide that the payor may collect up to $25.00 against the
obligor's income to reimburse the payor for administrative costs
for the first income deduction and up to $3.00 for each deduction
thereafter; (6) State that the income deduction order and the notice to payor,
and in the case of a delinquency the notice of delinquency, are
binding on the payor until further notice by the obligee, IV-D
agency, or the court or until the payor no longer provides income
to the obligor; (7) Instruct the payor that, when the payor no longer provides
income to the obligor, the payor shall notify the obligee and
shall also provide the obligor's last known address and the name
and address of the obligor's new payor, if known, and that, if the
payor willfully violates this provision, the payor is subject to a
civil penalty not to exceed $250.00 for the first violation or
$500.00 for any subsequent violation. If the IV-D agency is
enforcing the order, the payor shall make these notifications to
the agency instead of to the obligee. Penalties shall be paid to
the obligee or the IV-D agency, whichever is enforcing the income
deduction order; (8) State that no payor may discharge an obligor by reason of the fact that income has been subjected to an income deduction order under Code Section 19-6-32 and that a violation of this provision subjects the payor to a civil penalty not to exceed $250.00 for the first violation or $500.00 for a subsequent violation. Penalties shall be paid to the obligee or the IV-D agency, whichever is enforcing the income deduction order, if any support is owing. If no support is owing, the penalty shall be paid to the obligor; (9) Inform the payor that the income deduction order has priority
over all other legal processes under state law pertaining to the
same income and that payment, as required by the income deduction
order, is a complete defense by the payor against any claims of
the obligor or his creditors as to the sum paid; (10) Inform the payor that if the payor receives income deduction
orders requiring that the income of two or more obligors be
deducted and sent to the same depository, he may combine the
amounts paid to the depository in a single payment as long as he
identifies that portion of the payment attributable to each
obligor; and (11) Inform the payor that if the payor receives more than one
income deduction order against the same obligor, he shall contact
the court for further instructions. Upon being so contacted, the
court shall allocate amounts available for income deduction giving
priority to current child support obligations up to the limits
imposed under Section 303(b) of the federal Consumer Credit
Protection Act, 15 U.S.C. Section 1673(b). (f) At any time an income deduction order is being enforced, the
obligor may apply to the court for a hearing to contest the
continued enforcement of the income deduction order on the same
grounds set out in subsection (c) of this Code section, with a copy
to the obligee and, in IV-D cases, to the IV-D agency. The
application does not affect the continued enforcement of the income
deduction order until the court enters an order granting relief to
the obligor. The obligee of the IV-D agency is released from
liability for improper receipt of moneys pursuant to an income
deduction order upon return to the appropriate party of any moneys
received. (g) An obligee, or his agent, shall enforce income deduction orders
against an obligor's successor payor who is located in this state in
the same manner prescribed in this Code section for the enforcement
of an income deduction order against a payor. (h) The provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of this title, the
"Uniform Interstate Family Support Act," apply to all income
deduction orders originating in this state and directed to another
state. In addition, the provisions of Article 3 of Chapter 11 of
this title, the "Uniform Interstate Family Support Act," apply to
all income withholding orders originating in another state and
directed to this state. (i) Certified copies of payment records maintained by a child
support receiver or the IV-D agency shall, without further proof, be
admitted into evidence in any legal proceeding in this state. (j) No payor shall discharge an obligor by reason of the fact that income has been subjected to an income deduction order under Code Section 19-6-32. A payor who violates this paragraph is subject to a civil penalty not to exceed $250.00 for the first violation or $500.00 for any subsequent violation. Penalties shall be paid to the obligee or the IV-D agency, whichever is enforcing the income deduction order, if any support is owing. If no support is owing, the penalty shall be paid to the obligor. (k) When a payor no longer provides income to an obligor, he shall
notify the obligee and, if the obligee is an IV-D applicant, the
IV-D agency and shall provide the obligor's last known address and
the name and address of the obligor's new payor, if known. A payor
who willfully violates this subsection is subject to a civil penalty
not to exceed $250.00 for the first violation or $500.00 for a
subsequent violation. Penalties shall be paid to the obligee or the
IV-D agency, whichever is enforcing the income deduction order. |