Opinion ID: 884138
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 9

Heading: Child Support Enforcement Division lien

Text: David's final assignment of error with regard to the child support calculations is that the court abused its discretion by not crediting toward his back child support obligation, amounts seized by virtue of a Child Support Enforcement Division lien. Upon the sale of the house and property jointly owned by the parties, although awarded to Mayla in the property distribution, the $155,000 sale proceeds were divided into a number of payments to various creditors. One such payment was made to Mayla for back child support by virtue of a CSED lien in the amount of $13,163.70. With regard to this payment the District Court stated [t]he payment of the child support lien to [Mayla] at best was a reduction of her net equity in the amount of $6,581.85 for half a reduction of [David's] net equity amount. The $6,581.85 applicable to [Mayla] cannot be considered as child support from [David]. The court's reason for not crediting the CSED payment as back child support from David is that the house itself and the proceeds therefrom were distributed to Mayla. Therefore, all the funds remaining after the sale of the home and payment of creditors are Mayla's. A child support payment lien against the sale of the home would only give Mayla funds which already belonged to her. Although the CSED characterized these funds as back child support payments, the District Court correctly concluded that amounts allocated to Mayla pursuant to the property settlement agreement cannot be a substitute for David's child support obligation. Therefore, we conclude that the District Court correctly found that David's total arrearage, as of the date of its findings and conclusions, amounts to $13,712. Accordingly, we affirm this finding of the District Court.