Please make the public aware of the practices of the Florida department of revenue tampa field office. An audit of the department is in order.
(Due to the overwhelming amount of evidence, all documentation could not be attached. However, copies have been made available)
support order review cse case: 1281619574
I was called into the office of the human resources manager by my employer this past week. The Florida department of revenue mailed a document requesting evidence of health care coverage, regarding my son, to my place of employment.
My concern stems from numerous problems that I have experienced, in which the Florida department of revenue has been in error. After I was accused of non-payment two weeks earlier, I was assured by elaine brown of the Florida department of revenue that my son's insurance information was updated to reflect his coverage which I initiated months ago.
This, in and of itself, was completely unnecessary because I had already mailed the updated insurance information to the department of revenue tampa office via USPS certified mail several months ago. The department of revenue tampa office cannot locate these records. I tracked the deliveries via the USPS website. The letters were in fact delivered.
My interest is to know if the letter received by my employer is due to the support order review I requested or if it is a continuation of the previous state department error. I am referring to a department of revenue request for health care coverage information letter followed by the department of revenue deduction of cost of insurance from income letter. These harassing letters to me were mailed well after my dependent insurance became effective on September 1, 2009.
I received these letters from the department of revenue, after bluecross blueshield of Florida was billed for services which my son required.
I was also informed that until the other party submitted her financial affidavit my request could not be processed. As of my last date of contact she had not complied. Although the time frame has elapsed for the respondent to submit her financial affidavit, additional time is being allowed. I was advised that additional time is allowed for mail room errors. Rather than correct a problem in the department, the bureau compensates for it. This idleness is an example of acceptable job performance as well as a deliberate waste of time.
I am not aware of a department of revenue program to compensate for expenditures due to certified letters that the tampa office has lost.
Furthermore, I have asked for written confirmation that the information entered by terry circhirillo (813.744.8509) Has been reviewed. After my initial complaint to tallahassee, the purpose of her contact was to document that she called in order for the department of revenue to cover the error. However, she claimed that it was impossible for me to have confirmation from the USPS that my letters were delivered. I have copies of USPS certified receipts for all correspondence I have sent to the department of revenue.
I read terry circhirillo the name of the employee that signed the USPS return receipt. She alleges that the signer does not work for the department of revenue. She then stated that she would not enter what I explained. She stated "you won't tell me what to enter". She then claimed to be able to gather information over the phone after I told her that I would not incur additional expenses by sending another fax, for information misplaced or destroyed by the department. I was not aware that the department of revenue does not require visual verification. If this is acceptable within policy and procedure guidelines, the department possesses the information necessary to conduct the review requested. I asked to speak with a supervisor to verify the legality of this action. Terry circhirillo denied my request. She then attempted blackmail, by stating that either I again provide the department of revenue with the information she requested or I would continue to receive the mistaken letters. The call terry circhirillo placed was a complete farce as indicated by the letter received by my employer. The need for disciplinary action can be determined from the Florida administrative code. I was forced to re-submit my support order review due to the ongoing issue that the department of revenue has with disappearing mail.
I have faith that although the request for support order review requested is justified according to Florida law, the department of revenue will do everything within its power as an agency of the state to commit another error which at the very least borders on criminal negligence.
This is not my first attempt to contact the secretary of the department. Instead of personally taking care of the situation my case is transferred. Obviously due the the file of department of revenue errors in my case alone, that has not produced positive results. I am required to wait for answers that do not arrive. However the department of revenue does not hesitate, at every available opportunity, to mail harassing correspondence.
The battle with the department of revenue began with my first interaction. Although my first payment was addressed as required, it was also lost. Calling the customer service line is an exercise in futility. When I was able to speak with a representative, the only information they could provide is that the payment was not posted. The only suggestion they could provide was to mail another payment. It appears to be a matter of routine for the department of revenue to deny receiving funds and correspondence. After I contacted the office of the governor, the payment was found in a suspense file. The child support enforcement department of the tampa office would be hard pressed to justify its budget if light were shed on the funds in these files. Throughout this process, the participant is guilty until proven innocent. An audit of the tampa office beginning with the mail room and not limited to the mis-allocation of funds in suspense files would yield surprising results.
The department of revenue has placed me in contact with two capable state employees. One from the customer advocate department in tallahassee and the second from the customer service section in tampa. However, due to the incompetence of an entrenched bureaucracy it is not possible to permanently resolve a concern. Constant errors are the norm.
Usually the blame is placed on the state computer system. It is personified and alleged to generate these letters in error. Apparently no employee, including director echeverri can correct this electronic malfunction.
During this process, I received an unsolicited call from the department of children and families tampa food stamp office. The representative asked if I paid child support. Preceding the footsteps of the department of revenue, the department of children and families accepted crucial financial information without the corresponding supporting documentation. I discovered that after over a year of timely payments (my son is 20 months old), both the department of revenue and the department of children and families have chosen to violate regulatory mandates. In this instance my word was sufficient to update a fraudulent file. My response was to convey to the uninformed caller that payments are transacted through payroll deduction.
The lack of knowledge is an indication that child support has gone unreported. When I informed the department of revenue of this possible felony, the department of revenue agent advised me to contact the department of children and families myself. Both departments carry out a mediocre crawl and place the inconvenience of an investigation on another. The state of Florida has public assistance fraud units that the department of revenue has direct contact with. In addition to food stamps, the person in question receives wic, child support from two sources and is presently employed. The conclusive evidence is ignored. The following example further demonstrates the extent of a gender biased double standard. It was explained to me, by department of revenue agents, that although the person of interest violates elements in the corresponding department of revenue court order, it is only my actions that are called into question. As illustrated throughout this letter, the allegations have been unfounded. Sloth and ignorance are not in short supply within the agency. Both departments have a history of negligence and gross mis-management.
This letter does not address the circus of attempted contact with the Florida department of children and families to remove my son from medicaid and place him with a private insurance carrier through my employer. Although it is illegal to have dual coverage, I was told by a Florida department of children and families agent, on two separate occasions, that it is not possible to remove my son from medicaid. Fax transmittal receipts are also available as evidence of contact.
When my son's coverage became effective, his medicaid was immediately canceled by the state. I have been provided this information in the form of hearsay by a third party. My attempts to verify this action with the department of children and families have been unsuccessful.
This is the treatment fathers attempting to remove their children from public assistance and exhibit a high level of responsibility in the care and financial obligations necessary, can expect from state of Florida agencies. The primary reason for this is that the monetary system, which child support enforcement is a part of, has the methods to address failure on the part of noncustodial fathers. It does not, nor does it care to develop tools to remedy errors. Within its headquarters in tallahassee and within its regional offices in tampa; the Florida department of revenue is unaware its internal actions.
Deadbeat dads seem to fare equally. On occasion, when it comes to extortion, the department is an equal opportunity employer. I can provide the names of single mothers, who are victims of harassment and are owed funds which the Florida department of revenue refuses to release. The penalty for a civilian commiting this offense is a lengthy encarceration.
I carried out my legal obligation with both agencies. More importantly my son has health coverage.
If the the executive director lisa echeverri cannot resolve this matter, the citizens of Florida would be well served by her resignation. A lofty unjustified title does not excuse the director from accepting responsibility for misdeeds and ethics violations. The reputation of the Florida department of revenue precedes her.
Sincerely,
manual castro
I can provide copies of all supporting documentation
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