Complaint Review: Allen Lyle Poulin II - Rickman Tennessee

Candy, have you considered helping Shannon find a part time job? Then he would be able to afford some of the things he wants. He is a teenager only 10 months away from the "age of majority". It would give him less time to get in trouble. It seems to me, the role of a parent is prepare the child to go out into the world, earn a living and follow the rules of society. You have an angry young man on your hands who has started down the wrong path. It's going to take some tough love to get him back on the right one. Stop making excuses for him and yourself, it only hurts him in the end. I read with dismay an article you wrote on the WEB about an incident that happened in school. How Shannon had to go to the bathroom, the teacher wouldn't allow it, so he went anyway. When he returned the teacher handed him a detention slip. Shannon tore it up in front of her and tossed it into the waste basket. AND, you say, "I supported him in doing that."! What were you thinking? You are teaching him to disrespect authority and not follow the rules. What do you expect him to do when it comes to obeying the law? I sure hope you have him in counseling for his "anger" problem. It strikes me that you can't possibly handle this by yourself. Good luck, and I sincerely hope Shannon changes paths before he gets into some serious trouble.

This is the last response I'll make to you guys because you'll always see things as YOU want to see them and not as they are. 1) I did not tell Ohio he wasn't paying his child support. At least not that time. That was a miscommunication they had with the state of NC. They ARE aware that he has not paid since March of last year though. 2) His military career has nothing to do with him not staying in touch with his son. I'm quite sure he stayed in touch with his other kids while he was deployed. He could have done the same for Shannon. Not to mention the years spent in Germany...he could call his family but not his own son. He could have asked to see Shannon when he WAS home. He chose not to. Also, let me mention that 3 years ago...we traveled to California and Washington. Shannon called and spoke to Allen's wife...asking if he could stop by to see his sisters (since there is one he hasn't even met yet) while we were traveling through. Melissa denied him that visit. You have no idea how much that hurt Shannon. He just wants to be able to know his sisters. 3) Shannon WANTED to spend a school year with his grandparents in Vermont. I did not abandon him. Don't forget...Allen signed papers agreeing to let Shannon spend that year there as well. He just up and decided I had abandoned Shannon because I didn't go running up there to bring Shannon back immediately after the school year was done. And I called my son while he was up there on a regular basis. Did Al? 4) My blog was a way to vent my frustrations. I stated that sometimes I felt like I wanted him out of my house. Sometimes I still feel that way because I don't know how to help my son quit being so angry at the world. Yes...he went and stayed with a friend for a few weeks. And I didn't stop him because it was a lesson he had to learn...same as I did when I was a teenager. After a few weeks...he was back home. 5) I've always made sure someone in Al's family knew our address and phone number. God knows...I didn't always have Al's contact info. So his father always knew what Shannon's contact info was. I don't deny moving a lot. But that had to do with who I was married to. 6) I've never kept a single gift from Shannon. Gifts did not disappear. That was a lie started back when Shannon was a small child and y'all just decided to believe it. There's only ONE gift that Shannon didn't get and that was because y'all sent it when we were in the middle of moving and it got delivered to our old address. Unfortunately, that was the very gift that you sent a note stating that if Shannon didn't call and tell you what the gift was, that you would never talk to him again. Other than that one, those who DID send Shannon gifts...he got every one of them. I'd never deny him the gifts given to him. Ask Al's father and stepmother...Shannon's gotten every single gift they've sent him. What happened to all the gifts that his father claimed to have bought Shannon and told him he'd get them when they got him for visits. Then none of those visits ever happened. 7) Nope...didn't pay Allen any support while Shannon was there for temp custody. But then again...he didn't ask for any either. And the year he spent with his grandfather...I sent a little where I could. OH yes...and I did send him gifts. Where was the Xmas gifts from Allen? Speaking of the year he was with his grandfather...Allen didn't send any support to them either. It's not all about the money. Had Allen at least acted like a father to his son all these years, I wouldn't bother. But the support is the least he can do for his son since he can't do anything else for him. I don't deny my own mistakes. I don't deny my own part in Shannon's current state of mind. But the blame isn't all on just me. A boy needs his father regardless of whether that father is in the same house or not. That's all I've ever really wanted is for Allen to be a part of Shannon's life, but Allen chose to not be there for him. Why does he have to have custody of him to be in his life? Geez, let's quit quibbling about the past! He just needs to step up and be a man and get back to paying his child support or else start acting like Shannon's father! I know he thinks he's hurting me by withholding it. I'm getting by without it this last year. It's Shannon he's hurting by withholding it. Shannon relies on that money to get the school clothes that HE wants to wear and some of the things he wants that I just can't afford to supply him with. If I don't get the check...Shannon doesn't get any money because I can't afford to give him the money that didn't get sent. Plain and simple.

Well, Candy, just what did you think would happen when you went to the State of Ohio for assistance and claimed that Allen wasn't paying child support? Duh, of course they issued a warrant. Can you imagine the shock he experienced when he returned from his first combat tour in Iraq and discovered a warrant had been issued for his arrest? Especially, since his child support was up to date! Of course the State of Ohio issued a letter of apology. And, this was just one of "too" many times he had to prove he had paid the child support. You wonder why he doesn't want to hear from you? You seem to think that Al has not been there for Shannon. His military career had a whole lot to do with that. He has two other children who are living with him who have also suffered from this lifestyle. That is the price a military person pays for serving our country. Thank God someone is willing to sacrifice for the rest of us! Al has been out of the country with the military for 8 of the past 11 years, which included 2 combat tours in Iraq. And, by the way, while he was in Germany in 2000, he traveled to the US to attempt to take custody of his son (Shannon was 11 at the time) because you had abandoned him. Yet, you claim that you never turned your back on him! And last year, you stated in your blog (diary of a mad wahm) that you wanted Shannon out of your house. You knew he was in trouble with the law and was not attending school. According to your blog, he even moved out at one point and was living with a neighbor. I believe this was while you were still living in North Carolina. Which brings to mind the many times you have moved during Shannon's life. Al often didn't know where Shannon was, or worse if he was even OK. There is enough blame to go around and bashing Al doesn't help Shannon. That child has suffered quite enough. You know exactly why the gifts stopped! He didn't get them or if he did, they disappeared. We all make mistakes, but children shouldn't have to pay the price. And by the way, did you pay child support the year that Allen had temporary custody of Shannon? How about the year his grandfather had him? But, let's not kid ourselves, Candy, it's all about the money, isn't it? Maybe you ought to consider calling it a draw, cut your losses, and move on. I have.

Well, Candy, just what did you think would happen when you went to the State of Ohio for assistance and claimed that Allen wasn't paying child support? Duh, of course they issued a warrant. Can you imagine the shock he experienced when he returned from his first combat tour in Iraq and discovered a warrant had been issued for his arrest? Especially, since his child support was up to date! Of course the State of Ohio issued a letter of apology. And, this was just one of "too" many times he had to prove he had paid the child support. You wonder why he doesn't want to hear from you? You seem to think that Al has not been there for Shannon. His military career had a whole lot to do with that. He has two other children who are living with him who have also suffered from this lifestyle. That is the price a military person pays for serving our country. Thank God someone is willing to sacrifice for the rest of us! Al has been out of the country with the military for 8 of the past 11 years, which included 2 combat tours in Iraq. And, by the way, while he was in Germany in 2000, he traveled to the US to attempt to take custody of his son (Shannon was 11 at the time) because you had abandoned him. Yet, you claim that you never turned your back on him! And last year, you stated in your blog (diary of a mad wahm) that you wanted Shannon out of your house. You knew he was in trouble with the law and was not attending school. According to your blog, he even moved out at one point and was living with a neighbor. I believe this was while you were still living in North Carolina. Which brings to mind the many times you have moved during Shannon's life. Al often didn't know where Shannon was, or worse if he was even OK. There is enough blame to go around and bashing Al doesn't help Shannon. That child has suffered quite enough. You know exactly why the gifts stopped! He didn't get them or if he did, they disappeared. We all make mistakes, but children shouldn't have to pay the price. And by the way, did you pay child support the year that Allen had temporary custody of Shannon? How about the year his grandfather had him? But, let's not kid ourselves, Candy, it's all about the money, isn't it? Maybe you ought to consider calling it a draw, cut your losses, and move on. I have.

Well, Candy, just what did you think would happen when you went to the State of Ohio for assistance and claimed that Allen wasn't paying child support? Duh, of course they issued a warrant. Can you imagine the shock he experienced when he returned from his first combat tour in Iraq and discovered a warrant had been issued for his arrest? Especially, since his child support was up to date! Of course the State of Ohio issued a letter of apology. And, this was just one of "too" many times he had to prove he had paid the child support. You wonder why he doesn't want to hear from you? You seem to think that Al has not been there for Shannon. His military career had a whole lot to do with that. He has two other children who are living with him who have also suffered from this lifestyle. That is the price a military person pays for serving our country. Thank God someone is willing to sacrifice for the rest of us! Al has been out of the country with the military for 8 of the past 11 years, which included 2 combat tours in Iraq. And, by the way, while he was in Germany in 2000, he traveled to the US to attempt to take custody of his son (Shannon was 11 at the time) because you had abandoned him. Yet, you claim that you never turned your back on him! And last year, you stated in your blog (diary of a mad wahm) that you wanted Shannon out of your house. You knew he was in trouble with the law and was not attending school. According to your blog, he even moved out at one point and was living with a neighbor. I believe this was while you were still living in North Carolina. Which brings to mind the many times you have moved during Shannon's life. Al often didn't know where Shannon was, or worse if he was even OK. There is enough blame to go around and bashing Al doesn't help Shannon. That child has suffered quite enough. You know exactly why the gifts stopped! He didn't get them or if he did, they disappeared. We all make mistakes, but children shouldn't have to pay the price. And by the way, did you pay child support the year that Allen had temporary custody of Shannon? How about the year his grandfather had him? But, let's not kid ourselves, Candy, it's all about the money, isn't it? Maybe you ought to consider calling it a draw, cut your losses, and move on. I have.

Well hello dead beat dad's mother, At no time have I ever tried to have him arrested. Not sure where you got that info from. I'd love to see that letter of apology from Ohio. If anything was taken up legally, that would have been the child support agency doing it...not me. I've never even taken HIM back to court to ask for more support which I've had a legal right to do for years. And his son getting arrested has nothing to do with him paying his child support. He can't just stop paying because he feels like it. His son isn't incarcerated. He went to detention I didn't say that he doesn't respond to his son's calls. He doesn't respond to ME. But why should his son have to call him to get to talk to him? Why won't he call his son first? At least while Allen had temp custody of his son, I called regularly. Allen can't even do that much. So tell me Joyce, why doesn't your son call? Write? Take his visitation? I've never stood in his way of doing these things. I've ASKED him to do these things because his son needs his father in his life. Did you ever stop to think that maybe Shannon has had these problems BECAUSE his father has not been there for him? What kind of man ignores a request for help for his son? What kind of grandmother just cuts her grandson totally out of her life Joyce? Why haven't you returned the call Shannon made to YOU on the same day he called his father? Allen's father has his faults for sure, but at least he has never turned his back on his grandson like you and Allen have done. Call me any name you like, but the truth is I have never and will never turn my back on any child of mine unlike you and your own son have done.

Allen is not a true deadbeat dad. He has paid faithfully for the support of his son. He tried on three separate occasions to get custody of his son through the court system, believing the mother unfit to raise the child. Unfortunately, the court had a tendency to favor the mother despite evidence to the contrary. According to the mother's note, Allen paid to support this child for 16+ years. At that time he found out that the child had been arrested and incarcerated for theft and drug use. As far as "not responding to calls", that is an outrageous lie. The child called his father on Jan. 21st, 2007, and Allen returned the call within hours. This mother has credibility issues. If one were to check with the state of Ohio the following could be verified. She falsely tried to have him arrested previously, and the state of Ohio ended up issuing a letter of apology to Allen. Deadbeat dad or deadbeat mom?

Thank you for your comments Norris. Unfortunately that's difficult to do. The state that has had jurisdiction since the original order has been North Carolina. I'm now located in Ohio. And quite honestly, if I had enough money to get an attorney again, I wouldn't be bothered with him owing the support. I'd have the money needed to buy my son his school clothes, shoes, etc then. I made some calls today. His last known station was Fort Campbell, KY. After going through several channels there it appears he may no longer be in the military at all. It has after all been over 20 years since he joined so he may have retired now. I'll be calling the VA to see if they can help me any at getting more up to date info on him. I agree for the most part that he didn't slack off. But really he only kept paying because of what it would do to his military career if he didn't pay. Over the past several years he skipped several months. When my son went to stay with Allen's father for school year, Allen decided to not pay any child support during that period either so he didn't help his own parent's support his son. So needless to say...he's skipped his support whenever he possibly could get away with it. If my guess is right that he is no longer in the military then my own predictions have come true. I always felt that the day he got out of the military would be the day he quit paying child support. If only I could get somewhere with the state child support agencies. I finally took a different route and I now have ----- working on collecting the money. sorry, allowing you to give a competitors name would instigate others to just file against their competition, to only come back later to suggest their company your comments on this policy are welcome! CLICK here to see why Rip-off Report, as a matter of policy, deleted either a phone number, link or e-mail address from this Report.

If this guy is still in the Army you have a number of options available to you. Go to court and charge him with contempt of court. Ask that his Army pay be garnished and sent through the county clerk to you. You, or your lawyer, then send a copy of the decree to the Army Finance, look under DFAS dot gov. The Army is required to obey the court order, and won't stop garnishing until they receive another court order, i.e. when the child reaches majority Allen would have to petition to have the support stopped. This works the same if he has retired. I won't defend this guy, but he wasn't too slack, he at least paid child support for the last 12 years or so. Hope this info helps.