A woman finally receives a settlement after decades of struggling as a single mother without any child support payments from her ex-husband who fled the country to avoid payment.
Toni Anderson, a 74 California woman has finally received justice after decades of struggling as a single mother to raise her daughter, Lena, without any child support payments from her ex-husband. Anderson’s ex-husband, Donald Lenhart, fled to Canada around fifty years ago when he was asked to pay $160 per month to support his child. He failed to provide any support for his daughter for decades.
Anderson, who encouraged Lena to attend college in Paris, France, and later helped her land a job at an interior design firm in Los Angeles, felt it was finally time to pursue legal action against her ex-husband. She realized that her husband should have still paid child support, even though he had moved to another country.
After taking her ex-husband to court, Anderson won a settlement that requires Lenhart to pay her $150,000 in back child support payments. This sum includes fifty years’ worth of payments that Lenhart had failed to provide. The man hired lawyers to fight the charge but only managed to reduce the total amount he owed.
Lenhart has since relocated back to the United States and now resides in Oregon. Anderson is proud that she stood up for herself and her daughter, bringing her ex-husband to court and holding him accountable for his lack of support. However, Lenhart was lucky that his ex-wife did not pursue further legal action against him, as failing to pay child support payments is a federal offense that can carry a stiff penalty, including potential jail time.
Lenhart’s case could have been considered a felony if Anderson had not settled with him privately. This is because he fled the country for more than two years to avoid paying child support. Despite having to pay a large sum of $150,000, Lenhart is fortunate to avoid jail time for his crime against his ex-wife and daughter.
It’s truly tragic that Anderson had to struggle to make ends meet for so many years, raising her daughter on her own without any support from her ex-husband. However, her determination to seek justice has finally paid off after five decades. Anderson’s story is inspiring, as it shows that it’s never too late to stand up for oneself and hold others accountable for their actions.
The fact that Lenhart fled the country to avoid paying child support is scandalous. He made a conscious decision to evade his responsibilities as a father, leaving his ex-wife and daughter to fend for themselves. It’s heartbreaking to think that Anderson had to bear the burden of raising her child alone for so long while Lenhart went on with his life without any concerns for his daughter’s well-being.
Anderson’s dedication to raising her daughter, Lena, is heartwarming. She not only encouraged her daughter to attend college but also helped her land a job at the same company where she had worked before retiring. It’s clear that Anderson was determined to provide her daughter with every opportunity to succeed, despite the financial struggles she faced as a single mother.
It’s hard to imagine how Anderson must have felt, knowing that her ex-husband was living his life without any consequences for his actions.
Source: AWM