My ex husband and I divorced last February and agreed to split our consolidated student loan 25/75 mine/his as is documented in our separation agreement along with $541/mo alimony payments for a year which he hasn't paid since last April. The student loan had been on voluntary forbearance for the past three years while we settled everything, but now it's come time to start paying on it again. My ex has since moved out of the country and we've both remarried. I've tried contacting him regarding the loan, but he hasn't left any forwarding addresses, his family doesn't know where he is, and neither does the lender so I'm the one left being pursued for the payments. I am currently a full-time student and cannot make the payments myself. I could afford my 25%, but not his on top of that. The lender, Sallie Mae, claims we are both responsible for the loan, but since my ex has basically fled the country and can't be located, I'm slapped with the calls, letters, and bills. They've told me there is no way to divide a consolidated loan. When I informed them I can't make the payments because I'm in school, and was told to "put it on forbearance" since we have another two years left of voluntary forbearance left. However, since my ex can't be found, he can't sign the forbearance form and Sallie Mae has informed me that without BOTH signatures, no forbearance can be issued.
As you can see, I'm extremely frustrated about this. My current tuition depends on student loans and if the consolidated loan with my ex defaults, I can no longer ever receive any kind of financial aid again. I can't believe my only option here is to just suck it up and pay the entire student loan despite the fact that our court ordered separation agreement states he is responsible for 75% of the loan.
Does anyone anywhere have any information about this? I am at a loss as to what to do or how to pay this loan payment. I don't know who to contact or what I can do to make sure my ex is held responsible for his portion of the loan.
If your ex has disappeared, he won't be paying anything, and you are 100% resposible for the payments. They don't care about what your decree says; federal law will overide it. The feds will even put liens on any property you own, or purchase in the future. They will take your future tax returns. They even take it from your social security when you retire. The only way out, is to do what he did....disappear out of the country. Sorry, but that's the way it is.