CSA demands ten thousand pounds out of the blue

May 16, 2011

In 2001 my partner’s ex-wife took his two kids away from him to live in the Orkney Islands with her new husband and their baby son, so that we could not see them ever again. Can anyone imagine how hard and horrendous that final day was when Mark had to say goodbye to his son forever? His daughter was taken away for a 6-week brain washing holiday by her mother and refused to speak to her dad ever again when she got back, we haven’t seen or heard from her since.

A few years after they left we were tipped off that the kids might have been adopted as they had definitely had their surnames changed and we had to use the internet and websites like Facebook and Bebo to confirm it as Mark was never informed or asked, and we still lived in the house that had been their family home so it wasn’t a case of she couldn’t find us. Because the CSA had not taken any money from Mark’s wages after the kids had gone, then we assumed the kids must have been adopted and tried to get on with our lives so Mark could get over losing his kids and then being denounced as their father with any rights to know anything about them.

10 years later (Aug 2010) we had a letter and phone calls from the CSA demanding maintenance arrears of almost £10,000 that was payable immediately, out of the blue and just like that.

We proved to them that the information his ex-wife had given to them was deliberatley false, so they confirmed with her that she was lying before allowing her to tell more lies so they sent us an amended bill for the same amount based on more lies and dishonest. They wont give us any information, they wont give us a clear breakdown of what the arrears are for and when they supposedly accumulated, they say we can’t challenge anything they say, that they have more power than a judge, that despite everything that Mark’s ex-wife has done, despite the CSA’s lack of contact for 10 years, despite the fact that I can’t have kids without IVF (and can’t get IVF on the NHS cos Mark had a vasectomy reversal while still married to her – even though we’ve already paid privately to have this reversed and the op was a complete success)- so even if we did have £10,000 saved up or spare (pa!as if!)the CSA says they want it to give to her because apparently Mark paying off this debt to the woman who remarried as soon as they were divorced and ran off with his kids, is a bigger priority than me having a family of my own.We’ve been together over 12 years but aren’t married simply because we can’t afford any sort of wedding at the moment.

I don’t have any family at all already and now because of this greedy horrible cheating woman, it doesn’t look like I’ll ever have anyone to be related to in my whole life.how a woman can do what she did to Mark and now what she is doing to me, all for the sake of greed spite and money, is beyond me. I don’t hate anyone enough to begrudge them that, where as she obviously does. All that is irrelevant to the claim the csa say, I am apparently irrelevant.

But yet it’s my house that they keep threatening to force us to sell, I am joint owner, we have a mortgage together – so how can they? we are back at court in 4 weeks time and I (who wasn’t even on the scene till after Mark had been divorced for a few years and the kids were 8 and 10 years old – and had nothing to do with me whatsoever)-I, who got laid off from a job I love last year, had to have an operation to remove a pregnancy from my fallopian tubes that i had been trying for for 7 years and as result found out I can’t have kids without IVF which we cant afford and I cant have on the NHS – I am at my wits end.

No solicitor will defend us because it’s impossible to win against the CSA, i am tired of trawling the internet day after day for tit bits of information that might somehow help our case, I can’t take any more of the constant battle and if we had the £10k they are demanding on her behalf I would gladly give it to her even though she is not entitled to it and does not deserve it and is just blatently ripping off both us and the system – the CSA has worn me down that much that I would just give it to her if I could, she could take the money and at least then we would be free and could start to breathe and live life again like we used to.

Comments

  • John says:

    Complain to the Independent case examiners Office, regarding the fact that the CSA wil not give you a breakdown of the allege monies owed. Make a freedom of information request asking for all information regarding your case papers.

    If the CSA fail to comply make a complaint to the Information Commissioners office!

    Make an appointment to see you local M.P. and ask his staff to make enquiries on your behalf regarding the alleged arrears! Ask your M.P. to support yor case to the Parliamentary Ombudsmans’ office on the grounds of maladministration!

    It may not resolve the issue fully, but it may drop the amount that they are asking for.

    Good luck!

  • Zoe Firth says:

    Thanks for that advice John – I am taking it on all accounts and will be posting my letters off in the morning. Reading everyone’s stories and comments on here makes it even more unbelievable that the csa are allowed to continue this campaign of lawless harrassment – and it’s not just to fathers who have separated bitterly with the mother of their children that the csa try to bully and intimidate…it’s everyone from his new life – new wives, other children, friends and family – we all suffer because some idiot some where once thought it was a good idea to set up a government organisation that would hypothetically speaking be so efficient and organised and accurate and effective that it didn’t need to check in with the law at court hearings and such, because it could never be wrong and never make a mistake that would lead to unfairness and unjust treatment of others. Pa ha ha ha ha! A government agency capable of that is like us writing out a cheque for £10, 000 payable to Mark’s ex-wife…it’s just never ever going to happen is it?

  • John says:

    Zoe. Do not blieve anything that they tell you. Ask for everything from now on in writing and cease any phone contact with them. If they phone you complain about it!

    Everything in writing becomes evidence, should you need to take them to task on lies and deceipt!

    Just because people seperate, it does not give the government or incompetent oafs at the CSA the right to hound you and give you a dogs life!

    It is for parents to make financial provision for their children. Not a civil servant, not an executive and not a politician. We are all being scammed!

    I ask all on here to raise their case with their M.P. and all should write to Cameron, Clegg and Duncan Smith.

    The legislation is flawed and people are being discriminated against. £3.7 billion pounds remains uncollected and yet the CSA keep coming back to those who have been paying for more and more, whilst those who have never paid are let off!

    In law that is discrimination and proves that the legislation is flawed and the system is not fit for purpose. Use this language when you deal with your M.P politicians. and the CSA!

  • lyn says:

    Zoe my story is something simular to you and in our case WE LOST! We got a Solicitor and he couldnt believe the powers they have. Honestly they have more powers than a judge.

    My wonderful partner like yours left his ex wife 11 years ago and as soon as I came on the scene 8 years ago she made his life hell. It was her who had the affairs,coming home after partying when he was heading out to work.

    She got the CSA involved and he was paying his maintenance. Suddenly after we took the children on holidays it all changed as the kids told her everything about what I had property etc. I had my own property before I met my partner and I work damn hard 7 days a week whil their Mother sits on her arse getting benefits.

    Like you were were handed a bill for £36,000 reduced to £29,000 and they took our home. Luckily I had my own home and he had his as they can put a charging order on your property eventhough you are joint names. They will do wahtever it takes to get the £10,000 from you.

    They took my partner to court and the judge was horrified at the way they were treating him as they never gave him the chance to pay the debt over a period of time they went in for the kill!!!! As you say even the Judge did nothing and as for the MP he was a waste of space.

    I am just happy we have it over us now and they took the one asset he had. It put alot of strain and stress on our relationship and we heard last week and his ex wife is living it up in the Carribean on his money. Money was more important to her than the relationship he had with his children and like you she brain washed them. They are 14, 16 and 19 and they also only wanted the money not their Father.

    Stay strong and keep focused but get some sor of legal advice as once they start with the charging order within no time they will be taking you to court. Obviously they will only go for his share of your property to recup the £10,000.

  • John says:

    They only seem to have the power! They are obviously breaking the law at some stage. It is a matter of finding someone who has the finances and the clout to take this lot to the European courts.

    My personal belief is that the legislation is flawed, as there are some paying and others who do not, and never will pay. That is discrimination!

    As the legislatiion is flawed ois the system ‘not fit for purpose’! It’s a complete shambles. Even their accountants wil not sign off their accounts because of £25 million popunds worth of anomalies!

    Even though I have paid, I have been treated worse than a criminal!

    When there is an eventual successful legal challenge, I will be asking for all the money that I have paid, be returned to me with interest and compensation.

    Lyn. Keep campaigning and highlighting your case to the Cameron and Clegg. I believe that some time in the near future, time will be called on this disgraceful shambles and the government WILL have to repay al those who have paid, as it cannot be right that some are not paying!

  • Peter Anderson says:

    I regret to inform you that the CSA will keep attacking your partner until such time as they have bankrupted you, made you homeless and jobless.

    Please also note that as you will be on “old rules” I assume, none of the money they take from you will be used for the purpose of child support. The CSA will keep it all to use for its salaries and staff bonuses. The CSA has been given deadlines to collect in billions of pounds that it says it has as debts. Most of these debts are fictitious, see the reports from the Auditor General.

    However there are several ways to fight them.
    Have you got a complete copy of your file under the Data Protection Act from the CSA in Longbenton? If not write off for it enclosing a postal order (they don’t accept cheques) for £10 and ask for a complete copy of your file including all computer records and clerical records. Ask for the computer log to be properly dated. This will take a month (six weeks) to come. Then go through it with a fine tooth comb. When did they first contact you and was it at the correct address etc.

    Refer the case to ICE (Independent Case Examiner)
    Go see your MP and ask him to refer it to the Parliamentary Ombudsman.
    Apply for a Judicial Review in the High Court.

    Come and join us on CsaHellHelp on Facebook, much more advice available and you will find many in the same position as yourselves.

    As soon as a case comes into a Court they must comply with the statutory six year rule, meaning they can only go back to July 2000 (MPs in their wisdom changed the law for the CSA in July 2006).

  • Lucy says:

    You really need to find out why your partner supposedly hasn’t been contacted before this money has built up because I think you may want to ask your partner if he’s been completely honest with you about csa lack of contact.
    A man who creates a life has a responsibility to support that child as much as the mother. You would do well to remember that.

  • Zoe Spilsbury says:

    What a pathetic thing to say Lucy!! How on Earth would you know anything about it??? My husband doesn’t lie to me love! I assume you are one of the many horrid women who has taken their child out of their father’s life, then come back demanding money via the CSA. Foolish, sad, pathetic person, judging a situation you know absolutely nothing about. Idiot.

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