A Florida man has erected a billboard protesting the state’s permanent alimony requirements after he was ordered to pay his ex-wife nearly $1,000 per month for the foreseeable future, according to The Ledger.

Steve Hoye told the newspaper his former wife initiated a divorce that became final in 2007 and now must pay her $960 a month in alimony. Hoye said he has gone into debt as a result of the obligation and related court costs, inspiring him to construct a 4-foot-by-8-foot sign on his property reading “STOP PERMANENT ALIMONY”.

“The Florida court system has its hooks in me for the rest of my life, as long as my (ex-)wife is alive,” said Hoye, who is also the Polk County representative for Florida Alimony Reform.

The group claims that 8 percent of the nation’s alimony payers live in the Sunshine State. It advocates implementing a stricter set of guidelines regarding alimony awards, such as setting a maximum percentage of income that is paid and ending lifetime obligation, the newspaper reports.

Some states have taken steps to change what some consider to be outdated alimony laws. In Massachusetts, lawmakers recently proposed an alimony reform bill that would allow judges to base awards on financial need and would end required payments for long-term marriages at retirement age.

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