I am sure there was some of that, skips in employment.
But after 25 years? Looks like someone would have told him about the death of the child. Suspect the mother did not want to reduce her income and the courts said, “he is out of state” so we will make it as difficult as possible.
I honestly have no knowledge of the details of this, but I am not surprised about “bureaucratic efficiency” in Detroit. /sarcasm
These child support agencies can “attribute” all sorts of earnigns to a guy who does not show up. The mother can say well he worked construction once upon a time and earned $30/hour so gross income is based on that. The support is set. The guy is unaware he can ask for a “review” of support amount due to his un or underemployment. Agencies fight lowering due to their 2% processing charge on every dime that goes through them.
They also can make Dad pay birth expenses if Mom was on benefits. In this case, probably make him pay the funeral bill.
Filing bankruptsy may not relieve him of this obligation.
“But after 25 years? Looks like someone would have told him about the death of the child. Suspect the mother did not want to reduce her income and the courts said, “he is out of state” so we will make it as difficult as possible.”
In most cases the child support isn’t going to the mother, but rather to the state because the mother is on welfare/ADC.
The state has no reason to agree to shut off the cash flow when the child is 18, or dead as in this case.