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'Deadbeat Dad' Fee Angering New York Mothers

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Jan 26, 2009 7:12 pm US/Eastern

'Deadbeat Dad' Fee Angering New York Mothers

State Charging $25 For Every $500 Collected; Congressman Weiner Vows To Put End To Practice

NEW YORK (CBS) ―

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Deadbeat dads skipping out on paying child support are bad enough, but now the state is charging a fee if and when mothers and children collect. Some say victims are being victimized twice.

CBS 2 HD tried to get to the bottom of what legislators are doing about it.

Lisa Bongiorno is a single mother who works three different jobs to support herself and daughter, Nicole, who is a student at Queens College.

"I have the college tuition and books and don't forget, I pay insurance for her rent, food, whatever it might be," Bongiorno said.

Bongiorno and Nicole's father split up when she was born. Sixteen years later a family court ordered Nicole's dad to pay $100 a month in child support, but he never did. A lien was then placed on his disability checks to collect $5,000, but when Bongiorno finally received the first check she was also charged a $25 fee.

"It's frustrating," she said. "It makes me angry, too.

"People who aren't paying, aren't doing the right thing are getting away Scott free."

Since October New York State began deducting $25 of every $500 it collects from deadbeat dads.

"I understand these budget situations are tight, but there is no doubt about it, they're adding insult to injury by passing along this charge," Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-Queens, said.

Weiner is fighting for money in the stimulus plan to go toward child support enforcement and end the fee mothers and children have to pay.

"We're certainly gonna have some additional money for law enforcement, but we want to make sure that in exchange for putting that money in, the states realize that passing along charges to these women is simply not fair, victimizing the victim a second time," Weiner said.

Weiner is hoping the fee will instead be paid by the father, who owes the money, or absorbed by the state.

Weiner said he expects to have the details and writing of his bill finalized next month.

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