Can I obtain a caution

[hevansabove]

Hi
The CSA and I have only just managed to pin down my ex partner who is the father of my son (after 15 years). He owes me �11,000 in arrears of child maintenance which the CSA are supposed to be taking to court this month to secure the debt. He has now married and has bought a house with his wife. Can i put a caution on his house for the debt he owes me ?

Many Thanks

[bednobs]

wont the CSA do that?
Also, bear in mind that whatever charge you put on his property will be the second thing to be paid off (after the mortgage) when he sells. he may never sell, or not sell for some years. There may not be enough equity when he does sell

[jen78]

Cautions don't exist anymore, well, in so much as you can't put one on any longer.

More likely it would be a restriction.

As bednobs said, wouldn't the CSA arrange it?

[hevansabove]

Thanks both of you for advice. The CSA have been pretty useless up to now and have never offered to go down that route, but i will certainly ask the question. Thanks again.

[voltr4m4x]

I'm afraid that - despite the Season - I do not come bearing gifts ! In fact I would venture so far as to suggest that your hopes for the recovery of �11,000 from your ex partner may come to nil at the end of the day. Why ? Because the CSA will not act unless there was a Court Order granting you child maintenance from the beginning. I hope I'm proved wrong, and indeed I wish you luck, but the CSA are about to be replaced as an organisation in the not too distance future.

[mrs_overall]

Further to the above answer.....the CSA are NOT about to change.
There was a big hoo-ha in the media about them being replaced but it is absolute nonsense. It's the same people, working in the same buildings, doing the same jobs. I've been told this by two people who work for them.

They are the most ineffectual organisation in the world and your chances of them collecting any arrears for you are nil.