| Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development News Release | |
|---|---|
| Thursday, November 20, 2003 Governor Jim Doyle Secretary Roberta Gassman |
News Media Contact Teresa Weidemann-Smith 608/266-3999 e-mail: news@dwd.state.wi.us fax: 608/266-1784 |
Madison - Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Secretary Roberta Gassman today announced that over $11 million has been collected in past-due child support as a result of the state’s lien docket. Since implementing the lien docket in October of 2000, more than 1,886 lien payments have been made totaling $11,848,000 with an average payment of $6,282 and the largest payment of $98,000.
The Wisconsin Child Support Lien Docket is an electronic list of delinquent child support payers and the amount of the debt due. Liens are automatically placed on these parents’ property and vehicles and unless an approved child support payment plan is followed, the lien docket uses specific enforcement tools including license suspension and bank account seizures to recover owed child support.
"The successful use of these tools in collecting past-due or unpaid support is due in part to the established relationships between county and state child support staff and public and private organizations including realtors, title companies, financial institutions and car dealerships," said Secretary Gassman. "In just three short years we have been able to collect over eleven million dollars in child support payments for families that rely on this income for financial stability."
The largest group participating in the child support program are families leaving the Wisconsin Works (W-2) program and former AFDC program. Studies have shown that child support, when paid, keeps these families solvent. In federal fiscal year 2002, Wisconsin exceeded the national average for collection of child support in former assistance cases. Wisconsin collected 69 percent of all former assistance cases with an average payment of $2,876, while national collections occurred in only 51 percent of former assistance cases with an average payment of $2,201.
Currently more than $2 billion is owed in past-due child support in Wisconsin. There are currently 107,980 parent names on the lien docket list. Lien docket efforts largely target parents who are able but unwilling to comply with their court orders and fulfill their parental responsibilities. Wisconsin’s top ten counties for lien docket collection:
| City | $$$ | |
|---|---|---|
|
Fond du Lac |
$200,159 |
|
|
Kenosha |
$334,893 |
|
|
Eau Claire |
$340,858.32 |
|
|
Dane |
$357,496.00 |
|
|
Outagamie |
$371,080.60 |
|
|
Rock |
$381,876.82 |
|
|
Brown |
$491,216.53 |
|
|
Waukesha |
$588,664.76 |
|
|
Racine |
$1,461,032.83 |
|
|
Milwaukee |
$4,235,104.01 |
|
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