Free Credit Reporting of Child Support Debts - New Jersey

Following is a listing of the credit reporting agencies:

This brochure is published by: Child Support Enforcement Services Administrative Office of the Courts New Jersey Judiciary

Credit Reporting Agencies

Equifax P. O. Box 740241 Atlanta, Ga 30374-0241 (800) 685-1111 www.equifax.com

Credit Reporting of Child Support Debts

Stuart Rabner, Chief Justice Glenn A. Grant, J.A.D. Acting Administrative Director of the Courts John P. McCarthy, Jr., Esq., Director Trial Court Services Robert P. Sebastian, Assistant Director Probation Services Richard Narcini, Chief Child Support Enforcement Services Customer Service Committee Visit the NJ Judicidary Internet homepage: njcourts.com

Experian P. O. Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013 (888) 397-3742 www.experian.com

Trans Union 760 West Sproul Road P. O. Box 390 Springfield, PA 19064-0390 (800) 888-4213 www.transunion.com

For additional information, contact: NJ Administrative Office of the Courts Child Support Enforcement Services (609) 292-8908
CN: 10751 - English Revised 07/2008

Probation Services Division Administrative Office of the Courts New Jersey Judiciary Trenton NJ 08625

If you are a person who owes a debt in a child support case in New Jersey, and if you owe at least $1,000, your debt may be reported to credit reporting agencies. Your credit report will be available to creditors, lenders, and employers or others who contract with credit reporting agencies.

You must prove that you do not owe at least $1,000. You should send copies of records or documents to prove what you write in your appeal. Do not send originals. For example, if you claim you are not the right person, you should send a copy of your driver's license and/or social security card. If you say that you do not owe $1,000, you should send a copy of the court order and copies to prove that you paid. It is important to appeal within the 35 days. Appeals received after the 35 days cannot be accepted. Your debt already will have been reported to credit reporting agencies. What happens after I send my appeal? The Administrative Office of the Courts, Child Support Enforcement Services (CSES) section, reviews each letter. If you claim that you are not the right person or that you do not owe more than $1,000, the reporting is temporarily stopped. Your appeal letter is then sent to the PCSE unit which handles your case. If your account can be adjusted based on the information that you have sent, the PCSE unit, which handles your case, will do so. If not, the PCSE unit will schedule a hearing, usually within 30 days of when your appeal was reviewed. You must appear at this hearing. Will credit reporting change how I should make my payments? No. You will continue to make your payments through the New Jersey Family Support Payment Center. Updated account information is provided to the credit reporting agencies on a monthly basis. Each credit agency has their own policy as to when they update the reporting information. It is important to continue to make your payments regularly, so that the credit report shows that your debt is being reduced.

How can I keep my debt from being reported? By law, child support cases with an arrears balance of $1,000.00 or greater or a child support judgment can be reported. The PCSE unit will provide updated information to the credit reporting agencies on your arrears balance on a monthly basis. However, each credit reporting agency has their own time frames as to when they utilize this information to update their records. This information can be included on your credit report for up to 7 years after your child support case is closed. Credit reporting cannot be removed unless it was reported in error by the court. If the creditor or lender wants proof that a person is making regular payments, the PCSE unit that handles the case can be contacted. The PCSE unit cannot offer information directly to a creditor but will provide information to the obligor. The money I owe is an amount set by the court. I have made all of my payments, just as I was ordered to, yet my debt still is more than $1,000. How do I keep this from being reported? The court may issue an order directing the case not be reported. In order to obtain such an order, you must file a motion before the Family Court in the county in which your case originally was heard. If you get an order saying that your case should not be reported, you should forward a copy of that order to your PCSE unit. I have asked for a copy of my credit report, and the report is wrong, how do I get it corrected? If the credit report does not agree with PCSE records, you should contact the credit reporting agency for information on how to file a "consumer dispute."

Will I be notified before information about my debt is reported to credit reporting agencies? Before information about your child support debt is given to credit reporting agencies, the Probation Child Support Enforcement (PCSE) unit that handles your case will mail you a notice if the office has your current address. However, if a judgment for child support is entered against your child support arrears, that judgment will automatically appear on your credit report. What are acceptable reasons for an appeal?

you are not the right person, or you owe less than $1,000

How can I appeal the reporting of my debt to credit reporting agencies? You have 35 days from the date of the notice to submit an appeal. The 35-day time frame starts as of the date of the notice, not the date you actually receive it. Appeals must be in writing and must be sent to: Administrative Office of the Courts Child Support Enforcement Services P. O. Box 976 Trenton, New Jersey 08625 To appeal, you can use the space provided on your notice, or you can write a letter. It is important to state that you are appealing credit reporting, and the reason why. Letters, telephone calls or visits to the PCSE unit, which handles your case, are not appeals and will not stop credit reporting.

How will this report affect my ability to get credit? Any child support delinquency may or may not affect your credit rating. You should contact the creditor or lender if you want to know its policy.