Child support mess up leads to maxed out cards

(Request from Manny in Beaverton, Oregon) well I need help just this once do to an unexpected child support mess up. In june of 2014 my son whom i pay child support turned 18. so support enforcement told me i didn’t have to pay for him any more, come November 20th 2014 they sent me a letter saying it wasn’t supposed to stop so now my child support when up along with a back owing now starting January, then I lost my medical insurance on August 1 so I went through my work and didn’t get any medical until October but still had to pay for August September and October. So paying stupid medical that i didn’t benefit from now child support back payments i had to max my cards out for food bills and a not so nice christmas, but I’m not worried about that I’m worried about my rent of 712.00 come january.

Dear Manny,

That is such an unfortunate situation that you have found yourself in. It sounds like you were wrongly advised by child support enforcement, leading you to use that money for other things. Now you are expected to catch up on all of those payments all at once leaving you with very little to pay for living costs and rent.

Given that you have already maxed out your credit cards and are still unable to pay your rent for January, it might be time to evaluate a couple of options. You know your situation better than I do so I will just present a couple of options.

First, if you are earning good income, then you may need to consider borrowing a few hundred dollars to pay your rent. Understand that this is only possible through a reputable bank or credit union. Since payday loans are currently legal in Oregon, you need to show restraint and make sure that you only consider loans with interest rates of no greater than 25% APR. Your bank or a credit union can help you with an unsecured loan with interest rates of somewhere around 8-16% APR.

Don’t forget to check around for any assets that you could sell to raise a few hundred bucks. This is one of the most overlooked options.

Finally, I would refer you to an organization that serves Washington County with rental assistance grants. Share & Care House can provide you with a case manager to see if you are a candidate for a cash award. They can also help in other ways. The closest office is in nearby Tigard, which is only a quick drive from Beaverton. I recommend calling them at 503-684-8882 prior to dropping by so that an appointment can be scheduled. It can take an open mind, since there may be several ways the charity can help that may involve more than simply a cash grant.