r/CaughtMyEye • u/detectiverobert • 20h ago

A middle school custodian was suspended and later resigned after secretly living above the school auditorium for six months. He furnished the space with beds, furniture, and a mini-fridge, and had his four children stay with him on weekends because he had nowhere else to go.

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u/Virtual-Share-845 19h ago

That’s not how child support works.

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u/OXBDNE7331 19h ago

It can be EXACTLY how it works in some cases

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u/Bluebawlz2023 19h ago

Federal limit is 60% of your disposable income. That is not "EXACTLY" how it works in some cases.

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u/jamsticks9 19h ago

I handle payroll for my job and we get income withholding orders for employees for child support. We have employees being garnished 65% of wages, that's the limit for our state, so I don't think that's correct.

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u/Bluebawlz2023 19h ago

The Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act (CCPA) sets these maximum caps based on the following criteria:50% of your disposable income if you are currently supporting another spouse or dependent child who is not part of the child support order.60% of your disposable income if you are not supporting another spouse or dependent child.An additional 5% can be added to either limit (making the maximum 55% or 65%) if you are more than 12 weeks behind on your payments. 1

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u/HyenaThen572 18h ago

Important note:

"Disposable income" is not "money left after expenses" in this case.

It's "money left after taxes."

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u/Bluebawlz2023 18h ago

That's the definition of disposable income.

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u/kingdomheartsislight 17h ago

Whose definition?

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u/tway1138 17h ago

Fucking everyone’s.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/d/disposableincome.asp

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u/kingdomheartsislight 16h ago

Ohhh, so colloquially people are conflating disposable and discretionary income. Interesting!

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u/Bluebawlz2023 19h ago

Technically yes. 65% is the limit. But a judge wouldn't just set the percentage at 65%. They start at 60% and if they are 12 weeks or more late then an extra 5% can be added.

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u/BrokenFireExit 17h ago

Actually the judge sets the 65% to start.. the judge sets the amount.. the 65% clause is already in that.. it's been calculated at the time of judgment how much would be paid if unpaid....

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u/Bossard19 18h ago

They said 65% of the entire paycheck. Not of whatever part is “disposable” proving the other year is full of shit.

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u/BrokenFireExit 17h ago

Disposable income is your whole paycheck..m. The taxes are stolen from you before you get the Negotiable transferable instrument ( the payroll check)

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u/Ok_Yam5920 19h ago

60% would destroy most people financially.

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u/tryyeezus 19h ago

I'm barely surviving with 100% of my income after taxes

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u/Bluebawlz2023 19h ago edited 18h ago

Yeah, I agree. I'm just saying the government isn't taking 90% in child support from anyone like the commenter claimed.

And 60% is the upper limit. There's a minimum as well.

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u/Akiias 9h ago

60% after taxes.

He made ~80k in 2025.

NY has an effective tax rate of ~26%: 20k

Remaining after taxes: 60k

Maximum child support of 60%(could be up to 65!): 36k

Remaining: 24k

So, while not 90% he could only end up with ~30% of his income. Assuming nothing else is taken out for benefits, or whatever.

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u/TacTurtle 13h ago

I mathed it out assuming the max 60-65% child support and no dependents claimed on taxes (parent with most custody / living arrangements typically gets the deductions).

If he was renting a 1-bedroom apartment at the national average, this would leave just $1,732-$4,832 annually for food, medical, etc or $33.30-$92.92 a week, assuming he was somehow saddled with the maximum % for child support.

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u/Akiias 9h ago

He could get a 1 bedroom apartment for under a thousand in Albany NY...

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u/Green-Original4503 18h ago

The economy is fucked and kids are unaffordable for most people these days. I'm not sure why everyone is acting like divorced dads should get a pass here. 60% of your disposable income sounds like the normal amount any parent spends on their child.

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u/HyenaThen572 16h ago

That amazingly out of touch.

In legal terms, disposable income = your take home paycheck.

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u/InTheTreeMusic 18h ago

60% of disposable income. First they minus whatever they think people need to live. Whatever is left, they take 60%.

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u/Akiias 9h ago

First they minus whatever they think people need to live.

No they don't. That would be discretionary income. Disposable is what you take home.

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u/Original-League-6094 19h ago

Keep in mind that "disposable income" means "take home pay", i.e. what he takes home after taxes. It doesn't mean that he gets to subtract rent and car payment. So the guys above you are right. If the court is taking 60% of his janitor paycheck, there is no way he affords an apartment.

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u/Virtual-Share-845 19h ago

They are not right. The claim is that he is paying 90% of his income in child support. He is not and cannot be. It’s 100% basement dweller redditor bullshit.

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u/Original-League-6094 19h ago

It got the ceiling wrong. Someone said its not how child support works, but the idea and sentiment was correct, just not the number. Its not a big deal. The core part of the message was that someone paying child support on 4 kids working a janitor could end up paying so much child support that they would be unable to afford basic housing. At an average custodian salary of $35k/yr, his monthly money in his pocket after 60% child support costs would be <$1000.

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u/Bluebawlz2023 18h ago

Article states he made 64k but with overtime he was at 80k. He may or may not be at the 60% limit. Still tough to live with child support payments.

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u/TacTurtle 13h ago

I penciled out the math assuming he gets no deductions and rented a 1-room apartment at US national average, he would have $1,732-$4,832 annually for food, medical, etc or $33.30-$92.92 a week, assuming he was somehow saddled with the maximum 60-65% for child support.

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u/Professional-Gear88 19h ago

There’s a minimum payment too

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u/InTheTreeMusic 18h ago

Minimum payment in my state is $50. That's all my ex pays, but makes like $18 an hour.

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u/BillyYumYumTwo-byTwo 16h ago

You’re framing the issue as too much child support. The issue is he’s not being paid enough to survive and support a family. The solution is not the pay less towards his kids

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u/Virtual-Share-845 18h ago

I was the “someone” and the “core part of the message” that I was disputing was the 90% number, not his ability to afford an apartment. Saying he is paying 90 percent of his income in child support is simply and actually not how child support works.

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u/queenminxy 19h ago

60 percent? That’s insane considering most rent is at least 30.

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u/Bluebawlz2023 19h ago

That's the federal limit unless they are over 12 weeks late then the judge can add 5%. Not guaranteed in every case.

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u/HyenaThen572 19h ago edited 16h ago

I have zero disposable income and yet I still pay 800/mo.

Oh, and the mother makes 250k annual while I can't pay rent.

So how's that work?

Edit: I mean disposable as a common definition here, not the legal one.

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u/upnflames 19h ago

I wouldn't get into arguments with folks about stuff like this. These people get 100% of their "facts" from reddit and bullshit google searches. They don't exist in the real world.

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u/TheGeekOffTheStreet 18h ago

Do you split custody 50/50?

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u/Bluebawlz2023 19h ago

Sounds like you need to go in front of a judge again with a different attorney, honestly.

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u/Bossard19 18h ago

With what money?

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u/HyenaThen572 18h ago

Exactly - I would need approx 2 months of rent to pay the lawyer that I absolutely need because my coparent is happy to throw money at this.

Even then - the state just plugs my income into a formula and says "here's the bill, pay it or we'll take it the hard way, good luck."

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u/HyenaThen572 18h ago

Sounds like you genuinely don't understand fuck about shit.

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u/Quaiker 18h ago

It's some basement-dweller that doesn't know what they're talking about because they have no life experience. Their words are about as worth reading as a troll's.

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u/doctorapepino 18h ago

My husband pays $2000 a month and his ex says it’s not enough. She’s making about $65k on her own.

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u/SwitchIsBestConsole 18h ago

We don't know your full situation. The only one who knows what's wrong is you.

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u/Professional-Gear88 18h ago

Yea when I was recently divorced and sober and rebuilding my life making 20k my ex wife was hitting me up for child support while she brought home 500k that year. There is a minimum payment imposed by the court as well despite the obvious disparity.

I’m making much more now. And she’s laid off. So there’s that.

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u/InTheTreeMusic 18h ago

The minimum payment in my state is $50, and it's mostly so they can keep track of the parent and where they're working. I really think people ought to be able to contribute $50 to their child's wellbeing.

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u/asdfghjkl15436 19h ago edited 18h ago

bro if I had 60% of my paycheck taken I wouldn't be able to pay rent anywhere in my city even if I split a tiny room with multiple people lol. Then taxes and utilities and then ALSO pay for food if you have dual custody of said kids. Btw I work full time with an above average salary.

thats fucking bananas anybody would think that is survivable. It feels like a limit set when rent or housing didn't take 30-50% of your income ALONE

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u/Bluebawlz2023 18h ago

That's not my argument. And 60% is the upper limit. My argument is the government won't take more than the federal limit of 60% or 65% if they are late 12 weeks or more.

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u/asdfghjkl15436 18h ago

I mean, at 30%, it would still absolutely cripple the guy assuming he had 50/50 custody.

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u/InTheTreeMusic 17h ago

Most people with 50/50 custody only pay child support if there is a significant income disparity.

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u/asdfghjkl15436 17h ago

It was an 80/20 split so he would be paying more. Worst of both worlds.

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u/InTheTreeMusic 17h ago

Neither here nor there, the commenter above me said "60% is brutal if they have 50/50", when that would never happen.

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u/asdfghjkl15436 17h ago

Yes that was me, and it absolutely can happen.

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u/doctorapepino 18h ago

My husband makes $800 a week and his ex wife gets $500 a week.

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u/CoastOrg 18h ago

Ain’t that some shit while she sits on her ass and spends it on herself

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u/InTheTreeMusic 17h ago

Why would you assume that? I receive child support, work a full time job, plus a few gigs on the side, and do 100% of childcare, transport, medical, etc etc.

Unless your ex is like a multimillionaire, you can't support yourself on just child support. And even if you did, do you assume SAHMs just sit on their ass all day?!

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u/Bossard19 18h ago

What portion they decide counts as disposable is completely arbitrary

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u/TacTurtle 13h ago edited 13h ago

$80k a year income would be about $62,000 net, if the kids are not living with him most of the time he probably cannot claim them as dependents.

$62,000 x .40 = $24,800 a year for him to cover his own housing, food, etc.

If he was behind on child support it can increase to 65% garnishment, so he would have $62,000 x .35 = $21,700 a year for his own housing, healthcare, food, etc.

The national average for a 1-room apartment is $1,664 a month or $19,968 per year.

This would leave $1,732-$4,832 annually for food, medical, etc or $33.30-$92.92 a week, assuming he was somehow saddled with the maximum % for child support.

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u/OXBDNE7331 19h ago

Multiply that amount by 4…4 kids bro

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u/tryyeezus 19h ago

Do you understand how percentages work? The maximum child support that can be used from any one person's paycheck is 60% of the amount of the check.

 Doesn't matter how many kids, it just means he'll owe back support if it's not enough to cover but they can only garnish up to 60% of wages. 

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u/Virtual-Share-845 19h ago edited 19h ago

Yeah the guy you’re replying to is just a dumbass.

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u/Virtual-Share-845 19h ago

Are we just making shit up now? That is not how it works, they take a percentage of net income factoring in other mandatory payments. No one is paying 90% of their income in child support.

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u/Bluebawlz2023 19h ago

Multiple that by 4 kids. They are taking 240% of this guy's income! Holy shit! He'll never financially recover from this...

Lol no that's not how it works...

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u/Virtual-Share-845 19h ago

You’re so r/confidentlyincorrect it’s hilarious.

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u/upnflames 19h ago

I don't think you fully understand how child support works.

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u/Virtual-Share-845 19h ago

I don’t think YOU fully understand how child support works.

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u/Sharkbait_ooohaha 18h ago

Such great discourse.

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u/Virtual-Share-845 18h ago

And substantive commentary.

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u/Radioshack-Manager 18h ago

You're either a bot, an idiot, or a baby mama.

That's exactly how it works. Reporting you for misinformation.