Section 19-11-18. Collection procedures; notice; judicial review

   (a) The IV-D agency, in accordance with Title IV, Part D of the federal Social Security Act, is authorized to institute collection procedures for all arrearages which have accrued against child support payments owed pursuant to a judgment or support order of a court or an order from a IV-D agency of competent jurisdiction. These collection procedures shall include, but not be limited to, notification of employers that a wage assignment is in effect and not suspended; notification of obligors; demand letters; use of state and federal income tax refund intercept programs; initiation of contempt proceedings; the use of liens, levies, and seizures as provided in subsections (b) and (c) of this Code section; the use of the services of any person providing collection services to the department; seeking warrants in appropriate situations; attachment or lien against property; civil actions to reach and apply; and any other civil or administrative remedy available for the enforcement of judgments or for the enforcement of support or custody orders.
   (b)(1) A child support obligation which is unpaid in whole or in part shall, as of the date on which it was due, be a lien in favor of the obligee in an amount sufficient to satisfy unpaid child support, whether the amount due is a fixed sum or is accruing periodically. An amount of restitution established by a court or an administrative agency of competent jurisdiction shall be due and payable as of the date such amount is established. Such lien shall incorporate any additional child support obligation on the date it becomes due and shall not terminate except as provided in paragraph (5) of this subsection. Upon recordation or registration in accordance with paragraph (3) of this subsection, such lien shall encumber all tangible and intangible property, whether real or personal, and any interest in property, whether legal or equitable, belonging to the obligor. An interest in property acquired by the obligor after the child support lien arises shall be subject to such lien, subject to the limitations provided in paragraphs (3) and (5) of this subsection.

   (2) When the IV-D agency determines that child support is unpaid, it shall send written notice to the obligor by first-class mail, if the address is known to the IV-D agency, no less frequently than once a year. The notice shall specify the amount unpaid as of the date of the notice or other date certain and the right of the obligor to request an administrative review by filing a written request with the IV-D agency within 30 days of the date of the notice. If the obligor files a timely written request for an administrative review, the IV-D agency shall conduct the review within 21 days of said request and shall not conduct further administrative enforcement action under this subsection until the review is completed. If the obligor has failed to keep the IV-D agency informed of his or her address as required by Code Section 19-6-32 and the agency cannot otherwise determine the current address of the obligor from other available information, the agency may proceed under the provisions of paragraph (4) of this subsection.

   (3) The filing of a notice of a lien or of a waiver or release of a lien shall be received and registered or recorded without payment of a fee. The IV-D agency may file notice of a lien or waiver or release of a lien or may transmit information to, or receive information from, any registry of deeds or other office or agency responsible for the filing or recording of liens by any means, including electronic means. The perfected lien shall not be subordinate to any recorded lien except a lien that has been perfected before the date on which the child support lien was perfected; provided, however, that the IV-D agency may, upon request of the obligor, subordinate the child support lien to a subsequently perfected lien, security deed, or mortgage. To assist in the collection of a debt, the IV-D agency may disclose the name of an obligor against whom a lien has arisen and other identifying information including the existence of the lien and the amount of the outstanding obligation. A notice of a lien shall be filed as follows:

      (A) With respect to real property, the IV-D agency shall file notice of a lien in the county where property is located or in the county where the obligor resides. The social security number of the obligor shall be noted on the notice of lien. The filing shall operate to perfect a lien when duly recorded and indexed in the grantor index or when registered, as the case may be, as to any interest in real property owned by the obligor that is located in the county where the lien is recorded or registered. A special index for liens created under this chapter shall be maintained in each registry of deeds. If the obligor subsequently acquires an interest in real property, the lien shall be perfected upon the recording or registering of the instrument by which such interest is obtained in the registry of deeds in the county where the notice of the lien was filed within six years prior thereto. A child support lien shall be perfected as to real property when both the notice thereof and a deed or other instrument in the name of the obligor are on file in the registry of deeds where the obligor owns property without respect to whether the lien or the deed or other instrument was recorded or registered first;

      (B) With respect to personal property except motor vehicles, the IV-D agency may also file notice of a child support lien with the social security number of the obligor noted thereon with the Secretary of State or office or agency responsible for the filing or recording of liens; and

      (C) With respect to motor vehicles for which a certificate of title is required pursuant to Chapter 3 of Title 40, the IV-D agency may file notice of a child support lien with the social security number of the obligor noted thereon with the Department of Revenue. A child support lien shall become perfected as of the date a certificate of title showing the child support lien is issued by the department and the permanent records of the department are changed to reflect such lien. A filed or recorded but unperfected child support lien shall be valid against the obligor. A filed or recorded but unperfected child support lien shall not constitute actual or constructive notice to and shall not be valid against owners of the motor vehicle who are not the obligor and shall not constitute actual or constructive notice to and shall not be valid against individuals or entities which become transferees of the motor vehicle prior to perfection, creditors of the obligor, or holders of security interests or liens in the motor vehicle which have been perfected in accordance with Chapter 3 of Title 40 prior to perfection of the child support lien. A child support lien perfected as provided in this subparagraph shall be subordinate to any security interest or lien which has been perfected prior to the perfection of the child support lien and shall be subordinate to mechanic's liens regardless of when perfected.

   (4) If the collection of any unpaid child support will be jeopardized by delay as determined by the commissioner of human services or his or her designee, the IV-D agency shall proceed forthwith to collect such unpaid child support by perfecting a lien under paragraph (3) of this subsection or by executing levy or seizure of property under paragraph (1) of subsection (c) of this Code section or by any other available remedy without respect to the 30 day notice period provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection.

   (5) A lien under this chapter shall expire upon payment in full of the unpaid child support covered by the lien, upon release of the lien by the IV-D agency, or six years from the date on which such lien was first perfected, whichever is earlier. Expiration of the lien shall not terminate the underlying order or judgment of child support. Liens may be extended for additional periods of six years each by recording or registering, within one year before the expiration of the unexpired lien, a further notice of the lien, as provided in paragraph (3) of this subsection, without affecting the priority of such lien. The IV-D agency may issue a full or partial waiver or release of any lien imposed under this Code section. Such waiver or release shall be conclusive evidence that the lien upon the property covered by the waiver or release is extinguished. The IV-D agency shall issue a release of any lien imposed under this Code section within 30 days of payment in full of the unpaid child support covered by the lien.
   (c)(1) If any obligor against whom a lien has arisen and has been perfected under paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of this Code section neglects or refuses to pay the sum due after the expiration of the 30 day notice period specified in paragraph (2) of subsection (b) of this Code section, the IV-D agency may collect such unpaid child support and levy upon all property as provided in this subsection. For the purposes of this subsection, the word "levy" shall include the power of distraint and seizure by any means. A person in possession of property upon which a lien has priority under paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of this Code section which has been perfected shall, upon demand, surrender the property to the IV-D agency as provided in this subsection. A levy on property held by an organization with respect to a life insurance or endowment contract shall, without necessity for surrender of the contract document, constitute a demand by the IV-D agency for payment of the amount of the lien and the exercise of the right of the obligor to the advance of such amount. Such organization shall pay the amount 90 days after service of notice to levy. The levy shall be deemed to be satisfied if the organization pays to the IV-D agency the full amount which the obligor could have had advanced to him or her, provided that the amount does not exceed the amount of the lien.

   (2) Whenever any property upon which levy has been made is not sufficient to satisfy the claim of the IV-D agency for which levy is made, the IV-D agency may thereafter, as often as may be necessary, proceed to levy, without further notice, upon any other property of the obligor liable to levy upon first perfecting its lien as provided in paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of this Code section, until the amount due, together with expenses, is fully paid. With respect to a seizure or levy of real property or tangible personal property, the IV-D agency shall proceed in the manner prescribed by Chapter 13 of Title 9 to the extent that such statutes are not inconsistent with the provisions of this subsection. The IV-D agency shall have any rights to property remaining after satisfying superior perfected liens, as provided in paragraph (3) of subsection (b) of this Code section.

   (3) Upon demand by the IV-D agency, a person who fails or refuses to surrender property subject to levy pursuant to this subsection shall be liable in his or her own person and estate to the state in a sum equal to the value of the property not so surrendered but not exceeding the amount of the lien, together with costs and interest at the rate due on a judgment from the date of the levy. The interest or costs incurred under this paragraph shall be paid to the state and shall not be credited against the child support liability.

   (4) Any person in possession of, or obligated with respect to, property who upon demand by the IV-D agency surrenders the property or discharges the obligation to the IV-D agency or who pays a liability to the obligor under this subsection, shall be discharged from any obligation or liability to the obligor arising from the surrender or payment. In the case of a levy on an organization with respect to a life insurance or endowment contract which is satisfied pursuant to this subsection, the organization shall be discharged from any obligation or liability to any beneficiary arising from the surrender or payment.

   (5) In any case where there has been a refusal or neglect to pay child support or to discharge any liability in respect thereto, whether or not a levy has been made, the IV-D agency, in addition to other forms of relief, may file a civil action in the superior court which originally entered the order for child support to enforce the lien under this subsection. The filing of a civil action shall not preclude the IV-D agency from enforcing the child support order through the use of any administrative means permitted by federal or state law.

(d) The IV-D agency shall send timely written notice to the obligor by first-class mail of any action taken to perfect a lien, execute a levy, or seize any property. The notice shall specify the amount due, the steps to be followed to release the property so placed under lien, levied, or seized, the time period within which to respond to such notice, and include the name of the court or administrative agency of competent jurisdiction which entered the child support order.

(e) Any person aggrieved by a determination of the IV-D agency pursuant to paragraph (2) or (4) of subsection (b) of this Code section may, upon exhaustion of the procedures for administrative review provided in subsection (b) of this Code section, seek judicial review in the court where the order or judgment was issued or registered. Commencement of the review shall not stay enforcement of child support under this Code section. The court may review the proceedings taken by the agency under the provisions of this Code section and may correct any mistakes of fact, but the court shall not reduce or retroactively modify child support arrears.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this title to the contrary, any child support being held by the Child Support Enforcement Agency of the department shall be paid to the custodial parent, legal guardian, or caretaker relative having custody of or responsibility for a child within two days from receipt of same by the enforcement agency.

Ga. L. 1973, p. 192, § 15; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1613, § 28; Ga. L. 1998, p. 1179, §§ 1, 2; Ga. L. 2002, p. 415, § 19; Ga. L. 2005, p. 334, § 8-2/HB 501; Ga. L. 2009, p. 453, §§ 2-2, 2-4/HB 228; Ga. L. 2009, p. 1001, § 4/HB 189.