Boxer may lose vehicle over child support debt

When someone falls behind in child support payments, there are several measures that may be taken by the courts to rectify the debt. Child support debt can typically lead to garnishing of wages, confiscation of assets and even jail time. Parents in Missouri who are behind in child support payments may be able to relate to the plight of a boxer and Olympic champion whose struggle to pay child support has garnered news lately.

The boxer and Olympic medal winner, Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver, has a 14-year-old daughter. According to reports, he started to fall behind in payments in 2008. He currently owes $779,000 in child support payments for the child.

A magistrate has ordered that the boxer turn over his Mercedes SUV as a partial payment for the back-due support. The boxer was given a specific deadline to turn over the vehicle, or he may face time in jail. His mother has stepped forward to claim the vehicle as a gift her son gave to her and not an asset of his that can be taken in lieu of the support. The boxer says his current job as a boxing analyst will not pay until April, and he has no means of paying or supporting himself until then; however, a social media post shows him on a recent trip to Beverly Hills where he stayed at an expensive hotel.

The dispute over assets that can be taken as a means of paying child support can be a situation anyone behind on payments can experience. When a parent foresees falling behind in child support obligations, that parent may have options in a Missouri family court. The pursuit of a modification can help a parent seek to pay a lesser amount until attaining a more stable income, and a modification can also help a parent avoid the legal consequences of falling behind in child support payments.

Source: wfla.com, “Mother of boxing champ Antonio “Magic Man” Tarver jumps into child support fight“, Mark Douglas, Feb. 3, 2016