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A Mother's Plea to Her Ex-Husband: "Just Do Right By Your Son'

484 views · Published 21 May 2014 · 4:06 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: WTVC NewsChannel 9 · 2014 · News & Politics

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One Chattanooga mom and her son are about to be kicked out of their own home.

She says, her ex-husband is more than 16-thousand dollars behind in child support, and the lack of money coming in, now has the bank foreclosing on the family's home.

Margaret Moore and her son, Charles, Junior, are hoping and praying that someone can step up, to make things right.

13-year old Charles Moore, Jr. can belt out an old time gospel favorite with the best of them.  As he sings "Amazing Grace," how sweet the sound is of this talented young teenager.

Charles has been blind since birth and one of the biggest joys in his life is to let his voice be heard. But right now he and his mom need someone to hear their story.

We listened.

First some background.  Charles was born in 2001 to Margaret and Charles Moore Senior.  4 years later the couple separated and Mrs. Moore told News Channel 9 that her soon-to-be ex, still provided some financial support to her and her son.

In 2009, the couple divorced, and Charles Moore, Senior was ordered to pay 826 dollars a month in child support.  "For some reason, what was ordered was not what he paid," she says.  "He only paid part of it."

Moore's payments were to be made to the Tennessee Child Support  Office in Nashville.  That office reports there was a 3-year period between March 31, 2010 and June 4, 2013, where there were no payments recorded, and Moore was ordered to pay extra, to get rid of $16,710 dollars he's behind.

"It's like.. who is more at fault," she says, "him for not paying.. or the system for allowing him to get away with it."

But now, even more bad news.. the mortgage company is now foreclosing on the Moore home.  "If he paid what was ordered, I think I could manage," Mrs. Moore says.

"Is that troubling to you?"

I posed that question to Charles Moore, Sr., Mrs. Moore's ex-husband and the father of young Charles.  "Well, it's troubling to me now," he says, "since I found out through you that she's in this tight situation like it is.  I hate to see anybody in a situation like this."

Moore says the loss of his job 4 years ago caused him to fall behind.  Although he claims he's been paying his ex-wife directly for 3 years, the State says, payments not made through the Child Support office don't count.

"It's not that much," he says.  "It's not a lot.. that's not the amount I owe."

But the state begs to differ.  $16,000 is apparently a lot to the Child Support office.  It is holding him to that amount.

Dr. Elizabeth O'Brien specializes in family counseling. She says, this whole ordeal could scar, Charles Junior, the rest of his life.  "What does it say to this kid when his parent, the person that he loves -- because children inherently love their parents -- doesn't do a basic thing to take care of him?" she says.  "That does have a psychological impact."

Now, along with the looming foreclosure, Mrs. Moore has to find the money for expensive braille materials for her son.  She also has to pay his medical bills for orthotics and braces because he has one leg that's shorter than the other.

This mom, with her back against the wall.. makes another plea to her ex.  "Just do right... by his son," she's pleading, as he finishes the song "Amazing Grace" with the line "was blind.. but now I see."

Folks, we do have good news that we just found out yesterday.  Mrs. Moore says, the foreclosure on the family home.. has been put off for now, thanks to mortgage holder U-S Bank, working with Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprise and the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.

We are told those folks are working to pay part of, or ALL of the delinquency on Mrs. Moore's mortgage, that tumbled her into foreclosure.

This is while she waits for her ex-husband to catch up, his back child support payments.

If you are having similar troubles with ex-parents not living up to their court-ordered financial obligations to their children, contact the Tennessee Child Support office in Nashville here.

By Calvin Sneed

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