Child Support says Credit Bureaus are reporting info Wrong!

[MizTori]

This is my first post here and Im hoping someone can help.  Ove been working on my credit since February- Ive boosted my score from 519 to 566- I had a divorce and a year long period of unemployment.

I got behind on my child support- and as soon as I was employed I began paying it. I noticed that Child support is not updating the way it should. Ive been making payments for a year and every payment is shown late  like this

60 days late

0 times

90+ days late

120+ Days Late

22 times (Apr 2014, Mar 2014, Feb 2014, Jan 2014, Dec 2013, Nov 2013, Oct 2013, Sep 2013, Aug 2013, Jul 2013, Jun 2013, May 2013, Apr 2013, Mar 2013, Feb 2013, Jan 2013, Dec 2012, Nov 2012, Oct 2012, Sep 2012, Aug 2012, Jul 2012)

Payment history (From the state to me)

03/21/2014 $173.57 03/26/2014 $173.57 ePayment 03/10/2014 $445.00       03/07/2014 $156.21 03/13/2014 $156.21 ePayment 02/24/2014 $173.57 02/28/2014 $173.57 ePayment 02/10/2014 $156.21 02/19/2014 $156.21 ePayment 01/27/2014 $121.50 01/30/2014 $121.50 ePayment 01/10/2014 $193.21 01/17/2014 $193.21 ePayment 12/27/2013 $241.16 01/02/2014 $241.16 ePayment 12/16/2013 $239.34 12/23/2013 $239.34 ePayment 12/02/2013 $241.16 12/06/2013 $241.16 ePayment 11/15/2013 $241.16 11/22/2013 $241.16 ePayment 11/01/2013 $281.77 11/07/2013 $281.77 ePayment 10/21/2013 $332.31 10/24/2013 $332.31 ePayment 05/20/2013 $166.15 05/22/2013 $166.15 ePayment 05/13/2013 $166.15 05/16/2013 $166.15 ePayment 05/06/2013 $166.15 05/10/2013 $166.15 ePayment 04/26/2013 $166.15 04/26/2013 $166.15 Paid 04/22/2013 $166.15 04/24/2013 $166.15 Paid 04/15/2013 $332.30 04/15/2013 $332.30 Paid 04/01/2013 $166.15 04/03/2013 $166.15 Paid 03/25/2013 $166.15 03/25/2013 $166.15 Paid 03/25/2013 $0.00 03/25/2013 $414.35 Paid 03/15/2013 $166.15       03/11/2013 $115.90       03/04/2013 $166.15 03/06/2013 $100.00 Paid 02/25/2013 $166.15 02/26/2013 $100.00 Paid

So I send certified dispute letter with payment history. Then I spoke to a caseworker and she told me its the way the bureaus report it is wrong....In my mind if Im making 2 payments a month and giving them 50% of my income I at least deserve to have those payments showing accurateleey on my report- Does anyone know if this is a fair credit complaint issue?? Also this is showing as a loan on  my credit report and not as a garnishment.   Thank You.

[Revelate]

Welcome to the forums!

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'd ask for a clarification: are you caught up on the child support payments or did you simply start remaking them?  If you missed a couple of payments, and then started making new ones but never got back to "current" then I could understand why the tradeline is reporting as that: you're still making payments on the ones you missed rather than the ones that are currently due.

That's my only theory on it.  

May not get much traction on this board as it's something of an uncommon question but if there aren't better answers here by later this afternoon I'll move this post over to Rebuilding where it might be better suited.

[Remember0]

I second Revelate's question. Do you still owe back child support? And are you 4 months behind on payments currently?

[gh17]

I agree.  Did you make up your missed payments?  Or are you just starting to make monthly payments now but never made up the past?  If the latter, then the reporting seems accurate to me.

I understand that's not what you want to hear though :/

[MizTori]

I started remaking them as soon as I got a job-So yes I do still owe back support but theres nothing showing a positive payment history-thats the part I dont understand.

[myjourney]

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@MizTori wrote:

I started remaking them as soon as I got a job-So yes I do still owe back support but theres nothing showing a positive payment history-thats the part I dont understand.

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I don't think they routinely update payments with child support to CR's as to reflex like a good TL 

Could be wrong tho

[Revelate]

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@MizTori wrote:

I started remaking them as soon as I got a job-So yes I do still owe back support but theres nothing showing a positive payment history-thats the part I dont understand.

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I'll attempt to clarify, my apologies if I do a poor job at this.

Say for example someone owes money on a loan, and call it at $10 per month for easy math: they're making regular payments and the tradeline will report OK OK OK OK.  They then start missing them, and the tradeline will start reporting akin to:

OK OK OK OK 30

OK OK OK OK 30 60

OK OK OK OK 30 60 90

As time goes on.  At this point they've missed 3 payments, or are $30 in the hole.

If they start making payments, and they resume making $10 per month, the lender will apply that to the oldest payment due typically, so the tradeline continues at:

OK OK OK OK 30 60 90 90 90 90... etc. ad nasuem, which sounds like what might be happening to you.

If they get caught up, say in a given month they pay $40 after this occurs, zeroing out the old payments, and then making $10 per month again, it'd go to:

OK OK OK OK 30 60 90 90 90 90 OK OK OK....  that's where I think you are getting stuck and why it's reporting the way it is, that you still owe money in back child support, and as such new entries are still going to be reported as late because it's not being applied to your most recent payments, they're being applied to the oldest so that until you get caught up, it's going to continue reporting that way unfortunately.  

That's my theory anyway, my reporting examples might be slightly off but I think it's generally valid for what's occurring.

[MizTori]

Thank You- your explanation made it click for  me! It still sucks but at least  now I understand it.

[800scoreplease]

+1 you will not have a positive payment history until you are caught up, unfortunately you are still several months.