New Enforcement Measure for Child Support Payments
In Russia, judicial bailiffs are now authorized to temporarily suspend the driving privileges of individuals who are delinquent on their alimony payments. This significant and impactful measure aims to encourage debtors to fulfill their child support obligations, as confirmed by Tatiana Kuzminova, a lawyer and managing partner of the `KuzminovaVprava` legal group.
According to Kuzminova, this restriction serves as a powerful incentive and is actively being applied to non-payers. The scope of this prohibition is broad, encompassing a wide array of transport vehicles, including:
- Automobiles
- Aircraft
- Marine and inland waterway vessels
- Motorcycles, mopeds, quadricycles, and tricycles
- Various self-propelled machines, such as tractors, combines, excavators, bulldozers, graders, snowplows, loaders, quarry dump trucks, snowmobiles, and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
Kuzminova emphasized that such limitations can severely affect debtors, particularly if their unofficial income relies directly on operating these types of transport. However, the law does provide an exception: the driving suspension can be lifted if the debtor can conclusively prove that operating a vehicle is their sole official source of income. In such cases, the debtor must provide relevant evidence to the bailiff.
Furthermore, Kuzminova issued a warning regarding the consequences of violating this imposed restriction. Non-payers who disregard the driving ban may face penalties ranging from compulsory labor for up to 50 hours to a driving license suspension for up to one year, as stipulated by Article 17.17 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation.
