Summit County Child Support Found The Wrong Guy

by James Hicks
(Cambellsville, Ky, US)

Around two month ago I went to check my mail box and pick up my pay stub only to find out that my wages were being garnished for child support. I was not happy about this considering the fact that I have only one child and he’s living with me. After doing some research I found out that apparently I had a child support case in Summit County Ohio a place that I had never been in my life. So I contacted the case worker and she told me the only thing that I could do is petition the courts for a paternity test (something I did not have the money for) because they had I signed affidavit with my name and social on it. So I immediately requested a copy of this affidavit. Upon looking at the affidavit I realized that someone had fraudulently used my social on a child support affidavit. I suspected since I have been having some problems with identity theft for several years now.

I later found out that after doing some research that at the time I called the case worker initially I had the option to request that the affidavit be receded on the bases of fraud. By the time I became aware of this the time limit to do so had expired. I also discovered that I could request a mistake of facts hearing which I did. After doing so a meeting was scheduled in which the mother of the child and I attended. After she made it clear that she didn’t know me and I wasn’t the guy that signed her sons paternity affidavit the case worker and the attorney conducting the hearing seemed as if they had no answers. They informed me that they would notify me in writing on what would happen and how I would get my money back. Approximately $700.00) that was two weeks ago in the mean time my wages are still being garnished placing a huge burden on me and my family.

Do you have any advice and I also have a question?
Was it the case workers job by law to provide me with all the options that were available to me? Did I have the right to know that information?
If so I feel that the case worker and her supervisor were negligent in doing their jobs by not taking me serious and dismissing me as someone that was crazy ect.

Thanks