(1) The secretary may issue a notice of a support debt accrued and/or accruing based upon RCW 74.20A.030, assignment of a support debt or a request for support enforcement services under RCW 74.20.040 (2) or (3), to enforce and collect a support debt created by a superior court order or administrative order. The payee under the order shall be informed when a notice of support debt is issued under this section.

Terms Used In Washington Code 74.20A.040

  • Administrative order: means any determination, finding, decree, or order for support pursuant to RCW 74. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
  • Department: means the state department of social and health services. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • Lien: A claim against real or personal property in satisfaction of a debt.
  • Responsible parent: means a natural parent, adoptive parent, or stepparent of a dependent child or a person who has signed an affidavit acknowledging paternity which has been filed with the state office of vital statistics. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
  • Secretary: means the secretary of the department of social and health services, the secretary's designee or authorized representative. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
  • State: means any state or political subdivision, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • Superior court order: means any judgment, decree, or order of the superior court of the state of Washington, or a court of comparable jurisdiction of another state, establishing the existence of a support obligation and ordering payment of a set or determinable amount of support moneys to satisfy the support obligation. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
  • Support debt: means any delinquent amount of support moneys which is due, owing, and unpaid under a superior court order or an administrative order, a debt for the payment of expenses for the reasonable or necessary care, support, and maintenance, including medical expenses, of a dependent child or other person for whom a support obligation is owed; or a debt under RCW 74. See Washington Code 74.20A.020
(2) The notice may be served upon the debtor in the manner prescribed for the service of a summons in a civil action or be mailed to the debtor at his or her last known address by certified mail, return receipt requested, demanding payment within twenty days of the date of receipt.
(3) The notice of debt shall include:
(a) A statement of the support debt accrued and/or accruing, computable on the amount required to be paid under any superior court order to which the department is subrogated or is authorized to enforce and collect under RCW 74.20A.030, has an assigned interest, or has been authorized to enforce pursuant to RCW 74.20.040 (2) or (3);
(b) A statement that the property of the debtor is subject to collection action;
(c) A statement that the property is subject to lien and foreclosure, distraint, seizure and sale, or order to withhold and deliver; and
(d) A statement that the net proceeds will be applied to the satisfaction of the support debt.
(4) Action to collect a support debt by lien and foreclosure, or distraint, seizure and sale, or order to withhold and deliver shall be lawful after twenty days from the date of service upon the debtor or twenty days from the receipt or refusal by the debtor of said notice of debt.
(5) The secretary shall not be required to issue or serve such notice of support debt prior to taking collection action under this chapter when a responsible parent‘s support order:
(a) Contains language directing the parent to make support payments to the Washington state support registry; and
(b) Includes a statement that income-withholding action under this chapter may be taken without further notice to the responsible parent, as provided in RCW 26.23.050(1).
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