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North Dakota

North Dakota Laws

NORTH DAKOTA CENTURY CODE (N.D.C.C.)

CHILD SUPPORT LIENS

35-34-02. Lien for past-due child support. When an obligor is listed on the arrears registry as defined in section 14-09-09.10, the public authority may establish a lien on personal property as provided in this chapter. Except for liens under section 35-34-05, the amount of a lien under this chapter includes any past-due support that is owed when the lien is perfected and any past-due support that accrues after the lien is perfected.

35-34-06. Lien on other personal property.

  1. In the case of personal property that does not consist of a vehicle, a vessel, or an account maintained in a financial institution, the public authority may establish a lien
    on such personal property by filing a notice of lien with the office of the recorder in the county in which the personal property may be found or with the secretary of state. The notice must particularly describe the property to be subjected to the lien and the name and last-known address of the obligor. The notice of lien must state that the child support obligation is past due and that a copy of the notice of lien has been served on the obligor by first-class mail at the obligor's last-known address.
  2. The information filed with a recorder or with the secretary of state under this section must be included in the computerized central indexing system maintained by the secretary of state under section 54-09-09 and must be accessible to the public on
    the same terms and conditions that apply to access other statutory lien information
    maintained in the computerized central indexing system.
  3. Upon filing of the notice of lien in accordance with this section, the lien attaches to and is perfected against all personal property described in the notice.

35-34-07. Priority of liens. A lien perfected under this chapter may not be subordinate
to any other lien except a lien that was perfected before the child support lien was perfected. The public authority may, upon request of the obligor, subordinate the child support lien.

35-34-08. Satisfaction of lien. Upon payment of all past-due child support obligations, the public authority shall provide, within a reasonable time, an appropriate satisfaction or release of a lien arising under this chapter.

35-34-09. Immunity from liability. A person in possession of, or obligated with respect to, property, who, upon demand of the public authority, surrenders the property, complies with section 35-34-12, or otherwise acts in good faith to comply with the requirements in this chapter, is immune from suit or any liability under any federal or state law. The court shall award reasonable attorney's fees and costs against any person who commences an action that is subsequently dismissed by reason of the immunity granted by this section.

35-34-10. Action to enforce lien. In any case in which there has been a refusal or neglect to pay child support, the public authority, in addition to any other relief, may file an action in any court of competent jurisdiction to enforce a lien under this chapter. The filing of an action does not preclude the public authority from pursuit of any other means of enforcement available under state or federal law.

35-34-12. Full faith and credit. A lien arising in another state, under a law of that state implementing the provisions of 42 U.S.C. 666(a)(4)(A), is entitled to full faith and credit when the
party seeking to enforce that lien records or serves the lien documents in the manner provided under this code. No judicial notice or hearing is required prior to recording or service of the lien
documents.

ADMINISTRATIVE EXECUTION

28-21-05.2. Department of human services may issue executions for child support arrearages.

  1. Notwithstanding section 28-21-05, if the judgment debtor is listed on the arrears registry as defined in section 14-09-09.10, or if the judgment debtor meets criteria established by the secretary of the United States department of health and human services that apply when a financial institution is doing business in two or more states, the department of human services may issue an execution, against the property of the judgment debtor, to the sheriff of any county in which the property may be found.
  2. A writ of execution issued by the department of human services must be issued as provided in section 28-21-06, except the past-due support need not be docketed and the writ may be issued in a form prescribed by the department of human services. A writ issued under this section must be accompanied by a copy of the payment records maintained under section 50-09-02.1 which has been certified under section 14-08.1-08.
  3. A writ issued by the department of human services is returnable to the department.

RELATED LEGISLATION

14-09-09.10. Definitions. For the purposes of this chapter, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires:

1. "Arrears registry" means the registry maintained under section 50-09-02.7.

11. "Monthly support obligation" means an amount of child support ordered by a court or administrative tribunal in a proceeding to establish or modify a child support obligation, including amounts that are deferred for payment at a later date. The term is defined without regard to any amount of child support that an obligor is required to pay to avoid being held in contempt of court. If an amount of past-due support has been ordered as a lump sum rather than determined on a monthly basis, "monthly support obligation" means one hundred sixty-eight dollars.

50-09-02.7. Child support arrears registry. The state case registry maintained under section 50-09-02.4 must include a registry of any obligor who owes past-due support in an amount greater than two times the obligor's current or most recent monthly support obligation as defined in section 14-09-09.10 or two thousand dollars, whichever is less. As used in this chapter, "arrears registry" means the registry maintained under this section.

50-09-08.5. Securing assets to satisfy child support. In acting as the official agency of the state in administering the child support program under title IV-D, in cases in which there is past-due child support, the state agency may secure assets to satisfy any current support obligation and the past-due amount by issuing writs of execution under chapter 28-21 or domestic relations orders that comply with federal law regarding pensions. Those writs of execution or domestic relations orders may be used to secure or seize property including:

  1. Periodic or lump sum payments from:
    1. An agency administering unemployment compensation benefits, workforce safety and insurance benefits, or other benefits; and
    2. Judgments, settlements, and gaming proceeds otherwise belonging to the obligor, or payable upon the obligor's demand;
  2. Assets of the obligor held in financial institutions; and
  3. Public and private retirement funds.

50-09-14. Appeal and hearing - Review of child support actions.
2. Any person aggrieved by an action taken by the state agency or a child support agency under section 14-09-25, chapter 35-34, this chapter, or by the North Dakota lottery director under chapter 53-12.1 to establish or enforce a child support order may seek review of the action in the court of this state which issued or considered the child support order. If an order for child support was issued by a court or administrative tribunal in another state, any person aggrieved by an action taken by the state agency or a child support agency under section 14-09-25, chapter 35-34, this chapter, or by the North Dakota lottery director under chapter 53-12.1 to enforce that order may seek review of the action in any court of this state which has jurisdiction to enforce that order, or if no court of this state has jurisdiction to enforce that order, in any court of this state with jurisdiction over the necessary parties. Any review sought under this subsection must be commenced within thirty days after the date of action for which review is sought. A person who has a right of review under this subsection may not seek review of the actions in a proceeding under chapter 28-32.

50-09-36. Protest period. Except as authorized by the obligor, the state agency shall hold any funds collected under section 28-21-05.2 or 50-09-35 and may not disburse the funds as a collection of child support until the time has expired for requesting a review by a court under section 50-09-14 or the conclusion of the review, whichever is later. Interest does not accrue under section 28-20-34 after the funds are received by the state agency.