As used in the Support Enforcement Act:

Terms Used In New Mexico Statutes 40-4A-2

  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.

A. “authorized quasi-judicial officer” means a person appointed by the court pursuant to rule 53(a) [Rule 1-053A NMRA] of the Rules of Civil Procedure for the District Courts;

B. “consumer reporting agency” means any person who, for monetary fees, dues or on a cooperative nonprofit basis, regularly engages in whole or in part in the practice of assembling or evaluating consumer credit information or other information on consumers for the purpose of furnishing consumer reports to third parties and who uses any means or facility of interstate commerce for the purpose of preparing or furnishing consumer reports;

C. “delinquency” means any payment under an order for support which has become due and is unpaid;

D. “department” means the human services department [health care authority department];

E. “income” means any form of periodic payment to an obligor, regardless of source, including but not limited to wages, salary, commission, compensation as an independent contractor, workers’ compensation benefits, disability benefits, annuity and retirement benefits or other benefits, bonuses, interest or any other payments made by any person, but does not include:

(1)     any amounts required by law to be withheld, other than creditor claims, including but not limited to federal, state and local taxes, social security and other retirement and disability contributions;

(2)     union dues;

(3)     any amounts exempted by federal law; or

(4)     public assistance payments;

F. “notice of delinquency” means the notice of delinquency as provided for in Section 40-4A-4 N.M. Stat. Ann.;

G. “notice to withhold income” means a notice that requires the payor to withhold from the obligor money necessary to meet the obligor’s duty under an order for support and, in the event of a delinquency, requires the payor to withhold an additional amount to be applied towards the reduction of the delinquency;

H. “obligor” means the person who owes a duty to make payments under an order for support;

I. “obligee” means any person who is entitled to receive support under an order for support or that person’s legal representative;

J. “order for support” means any order which has been issued by any judicial, quasi-judicial or administrative entity of competent jurisdiction of any state and which order provides for:

(1)     periodic payment of funds for the support of a child or a spouse; (2)     modification or resumption of payment of support;

(3)     payment of delinquency; or

(4)     reimbursement of support;

K. “payor” means any person or entity who provides income to an obligor;

L. “person” means an individual, corporation, partnership, governmental agency, public office or other entity; and

M. “public office” means the state disbursement unit of the department as defined in Section 454B of the Social Security Act.

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