Nervous

[scootro]

good for you Frost! you got this

[Broncojohnny]

Wear a shirt like Larry Flynt...."FUCK THIS COURT". You'll be in a great mood at least.

[jw33]

Yes. And I told them I had no problem with paying that, to go ahead and take that money from my pay and no problem. It's the other 8.5 years that they want that I have an issue with.

Oh hell no, you should not get screwed out of 8 1/2 years of benefits.

[AnthonyS]

Dude, if I'd have known a few days ago, I'd go with you. As a vet I know the VA is a cluster and I'm seriously glad I'm just 10% and have a great job. I have tons of time off due to insane travel lately. If you have to go back, holler. Let me be the undignified prick on your behalf. I also have contacts in a senators office. I will be glad to be angry on behalf of how any vet being mistreated. It's my duty. I'm sick of how Congress uses people for their political BS and then expects them to be happy with scraps. It's because we no longer have enough vets serving in DC. They just don't get it.

In TX most of that debt if I read this right is null and void. The state has a 7 year statute of limitations. And the 10th amendment is still on the books. They just just take your payment and thank you.

[kobuzz]

Shit like this just really pisses me off. You damn near paid the ultimate price for your country. You should not have to worry about paying a Damn thing back while we have plenty off mouth breathing free loaders abusing the system you fought so hard to protect. I wish you all the luck to help them see it your way and if they don't I would be honored to pay a few months of your payments. Thank you for your service sir!

[ceyko]

let us know how it works out, good luck man. Hate this crap.

[Blackout]

Good luck man. The VA is a freaking joke. I can’t stand how they treat our service members. Hope you get it all worked out. And I’ll snag you one of these for when you get back.

[SS Junk]

No, she's staying home with the boys. I thought it would be torture to the boys (3 and 6) to be stuck in the VA sitting in a hallway waiting for a hearing for hours undetermined with other vets who are under similar stress. It's just me tomorrow going solo.

Yeah it would. If there's a next time, reach out and see if someone could go with you.

[4EyedTurd]

Good luck

[bubbaearl]

hope all goes well for you. dealing with the gov is a loosing game. we've had a complaint filed with the OCR for over 3 years. useless dept .

[Forever_frost]

Okay update time:

I left at 2 am and got there just after 6. When they say "No one is allowed in until 730", they mean it. Not 729, 730. Dude tried at 729. Nope. So I sat there in the parking lot right in front of the doors studying my notes and making sure everything was laid out properly. When I focus (when I drop my medication to zero) I can fixate on incredible things for a long time.

So, 730, I roll in the door. They take my laptop out, pull the battery, log the Serial and hand everything back to me after the metal detector. I'm logged and handed a badge and told that my VSO will be with me shortly. VSO? Really? I didn't know one was going to show up but...cool.

My hearing was 830. 820 my VSO from the Texas Veterans Commission comes in and talks with me for about 20 minutes. Good guy, says "All I want is your paperwork from where you sent your divorce in via signature to the VA and we're good to go."

"yeah..didn't do that, I was homeless. Here's everything else I have though, including marriage license, divorce decree and wife's ID card showing when I took her to go get it at Red River Army Depot and inprocessed DEERS."

He wrote everything down, shot the breeze and then told the judge we were ready. We walked into the room with a long conference table and two seats and I was told that while informal, this was a legal hearing and I would be sworn in, perjury was a thing and a transcript would be taken. Also, by agreeing to this video hearing, I waived my in person hearing. Cool. Especially since for the in person hearing, I would have to fly to DC on my dime, travel to the VA home office and have the hearing there, waiting in line and then fly home on my dime.

The hearing was pretty quick. She asked the VSO questions, then asked me what my story was. I told her everything and answered her questions which were actually not that many. During closing, she asked him a couple of procedural questions and then began to close things out.

I asked for a second to make a statement and she let me. I simply told her "Your honor, I'm not asking for a clean slate. The VA evidently didn't process my divorce as they were supposed to and for some reason are still listing her as a dependent on my life insurance. By all means, please keep the money that I owe but please don't hold me accountable for money that I don't. The money that I was paid during my marriage to my wife should be mine, the VA is just upset that they have the name wrong."

She asked if I was sure the ex was still on my life insurance and I told her "Until last year? Yes ma'am. Then I got busy with this. " She made some more notes and said "I noticed in your file you have a combat infantry badge and a purple heart. On behalf of the nation, I would like to thank you for your service." And that was that. I was escorted out.

I was told there is no time frame in which to expect a resolution, it was all dependent on them. While they typically stuck with a docket, they weren't bound to it. I spoke to one guy with obvious brain surgery scarring who said he'd waited 7 years for his hearing, which lasted 5 minutes. Mine lasted under 15. And that is from "Hi" and submitting additional evidence to "Thank you for your service."

Then another 3 1/2 hour drive back. To say I'm exhausted is an understatement but....I went and fought. Every VSO, every veteran, the VA themselves told me it was hopeless and not to even attempt it. And I walked in there in slacks and a polo and laid my case out to the best of my ability.

[Forever_frost]

Okay update time:

I left at 2 am and got there just after 6. When they say "No one is allowed in until 730", they mean it. Not 729, 730. Dude tried at 729. Nope. So I sat there in the parking lot right in front of the doors studying my notes and making sure everything was laid out properly. When I focus (when I drop my medication to zero) I can fixate on incredible things for a long time.

So, 730, I roll in the door. They take my laptop out, pull the battery, log the Serial and hand everything back to me after the metal detector. I'm logged and handed a badge and told that my VSO will be with me shortly. VSO? Really? I didn't know one was going to show up but...cool.

My hearing was 830. 820 my VSO from the Texas Veterans Commission comes in and talks with me for about 20 minutes. Good guy, says "All I want is your paperwork from where you sent your divorce in via signature to the VA and we're good to go."

"yeah..didn't do that, I was homeless. Here's everything else I have though, including marriage license, divorce decree and wife's ID card showing when I took her to go get it at Red River Army Depot and inprocessed DEERS."

He wrote everything down, shot the breeze and then told the judge we were ready. We walked into the room with a long conference table and two seats and I was told that while informal, this was a legal hearing and I would be sworn in, perjury was a thing and a transcript would be taken. Also, by agreeing to this video hearing, I waived my in person hearing. Cool. Especially since for the in person hearing, I would have to fly to DC on my dime, travel to the VA home office and have the hearing there, waiting in line and then fly home on my dime.

The hearing was pretty quick. She asked the VSO questions, then asked me what my story was. I told her everything and answered her questions which were actually not that many. During closing, she asked him a couple of procedural questions and then began to close things out.

I asked for a second to make a statement and she let me. I simply told her "Your honor, I'm not asking for a clean slate. The VA evidently didn't process my divorce as they were supposed to and for some reason are still listing her as a dependent on my life insurance. By all means, please keep the money that I owe but please don't hold me accountable for money that I don't. The money that I was paid during my marriage to my wife should be mine, the VA is just upset that they have the name wrong."

She asked if I was sure the ex was still on my life insurance and I told her "Until last year? Yes ma'am. Then I got busy with this. " She made some more notes and said "I noticed in your file you have a combat infantry badge and a purple heart. On behalf of the nation, I would like to thank you for your service." And that was that. I was escorted out.

I was told there is no time frame in which to expect a resolution, it was all dependent on them. While they typically stuck with a docket, they weren't bound to it. I spoke to one guy with obvious brain surgery scarring who said he'd waited 7 years for his hearing, which lasted 5 minutes. Mine lasted under 15. And that is from "Hi" and submitting additional evidence to "Thank you for your service."

Then another 3 1/2 hour drive back. To say I'm exhausted is an understatement but....I went and fought. Every VSO, every veteran, the VA themselves told me it was hopeless and not to even attempt it. And I walked in there in slacks and a polo and laid my case out to the best of my ability.

[mustang_revival]

Good Job and best of luck

[scootro]

i'm glad it all went smoothly! i bet you was relieved

[GE]

I think I'm diametrically opposed to a lot of stuff you post on here, but... I wish you the best of luck. I know you've been through a lot of shit and no one should have to deal with that. Here's hoping for a swift resolution to things for you.