Resident calls for investigation into Lorain County Job and Family Services

Christopher Hinds speaks at the Lorain County Commissioners meeting on June 4. (Heather Chapin – The Morning Journal)

A Lorain County resident asked the Lorain County District Attorney’s Office on June 4 to open an investigation with the Department of Job and Family Services after allegedly mistakenly deducting a child support payment from his taxes.

During the public speaking portion of the meeting, Christopher Hinds told commissioners about his predicament and how he is struggling to receive child support payments from the county’s Child Support Enforcement Agency.

Hinds told commissioners that his federal tax return had been misfiled due to a problem with his employer’s records.

Since then, he said, he has made inquiries to the Internal Revenue Service, the state child support agency, the U.S. Treasury Department, the Lorain County Child Support Enforcement Agency and the Lorain County District Attorney’s Office.

Hinds said he received a letter from county commissioners last week and after several weeks of trying to resolve the issue himself, he decided to personally attend the commissioners’ meeting and demand action.

“I figured you’re the people I should be discussing these concerns with because I’ve been hitting brick walls elsewhere,” he said, adding that the commission’s board is responsible for overseeing the county’s Department of Employment and Family Services.

Hinds requested a copy of the policy that allows his payment to be withheld from the county’s Child Support Enforcement Agency, but has not yet received it.

At some point, he said, he was told that his name was on a “fictitious IRS (Internal Revenue Service) list” and that this was the reason the payment was withheld.

“I realized there is no such list or law,” Hinds said. “The only way a payment can be withheld for six months is if I file a joint tax return and someone could dispute it.”

He said when he contacted the Lorain County District Attorney’s Office, he was told “they saw no reason to withhold payment” and that they would investigate the matter.

However, Hinds said he has not heard anything from the prosecutor’s office to date.

“The people at Job and Family Services were unhelpful and dismissive,” he said. “I’m about to spend the same amount of money that child support is withholding to file a lawsuit.”

“Based on the letter you sent me, my lawyer said I had a good chance of winning. The only reason I’m considering it is because those who don’t know what to do when they tell you, ‘We’re going to hold it for six months,’ are illegal.”

That’s wrong. That doesn’t make any sense to me. That really needs to be looked into because what if I needed the money or what if my kids needed the money?”

“This agency really needs to be looked at more closely, and I think it needs to be audited or something.”

“Well, you hit the nail on the head,” said Commission President Jeff Riddell, agreeing with Hinds that commissioners oversee the Department of Job and Family Services while the state agency oversees the money.

“We as commissioners are responsible for the performance of the department and the way it operates and serves the people of Lorain County,” Riddell said. “That falls under joint oversight.”

“The government monitors the money. We monitor the performance.”

Riddell also told Hinds that he appreciated the preparation of the documents he asked him to share following the meeting with Assistant District Attorney Dan Petticord.

The Commissioners are scheduled to meet again on 7 June at 9:30 a.m.