Collection of Child Support By The State After Recipient's Death

[Bakerman612]

Recently a friend of mine's ex-wife passed away. He had been paying her $725.00 a month for support of which $125.00 of that was to cover back support. This pass December she passed away, so he contacted the support agency to inform them. He was told he had to submit proof of her death and that they would still be garnishing his pay, but would hold the money in escrow. Last week he received a letter from the county prosecutors office to inform he would still have to pay the back support which amounts to $8000.00, even though she is dead. In the letter it stated that the money would be going to the Ohio general fund, is this legal?? I can understand if she had been getting money from the state, but she wasn't.

[moburkes]

Recently a friend of mine's ex-wife passed away. He had been paying her $725.00 a month for support of which $125.00 of that was to cover back support. This pass December she passed away, so he contacted the support agency to inform them. He was told he had to submit proof of her death and that they would still be garnishing his pay, but would hold the money in escrow. Last week he received a letter from the county prosecutors office to inform he would still have to pay the back support which amounts to $8000.00, even though she is dead. In the letter it stated that the money would be going to the Ohio general fund, is this legal?? I can understand if she had been getting money from the state, but she wasn't.

are you 100% sure that she, never, ever received money/aid from the state?

It makes more sense for the money to be sent to her estate, rather than a general fund, if she never received state aid.

[Dad2]

You friend was obviously behind on his support. If Ohio used some of the money from that "general fund", to cover his arrearages, then yep, he owes it to Ohio. A lot of states have a fund like this, to help the mothers of deadbeat dads.