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\"I struggled a lot,\" Anderson said. \"I lived from paycheck to paycheck and I had to take a couple jobs, and it was a detriment to my daughter because I really wasn't there for her.\"

Anderson's daughter Lane Lenhart, 52, told \"GMA,\" \"It was a challenge for me because mom was always working, always had to support us so she was never around. That was hard.\"

Anderson said in February, she woke up in the middle of the night and realized there's no statute of limitations on child support in California. Anderson dug up old court papers and notified her ex-husband.

According to the lawsuit, Lenhart owed $153,090, which includes back child support with interest and attorney fees.

Lenhart said in a statement to \"GMA\" through his attorney, \"I was glad to pay Ms. Anderson the child support that was owed and I wish her only the best in the future. We had an informal agreement that I was operating off of after our divorce, but when Ms. Anderson filed her motion in 2018 to collect the $35,000 in principal plus interest, I hired a private investigator to locate her so I could offer her payment. I am pleased we were able to reach an agreement.\"

The statute of limitations law for child support debt vary widely from state to state. In some cases, a parent has 10 years to file a complaint. In other states -- like California, where Anderson lives -- there's no deadline.

\"Hopefully it will motivate individuals who owe the child support to come forward and pay that child support so they're not hauled in court,\" said Areva Martin, an attorney who's not affiliated with Anderson and Lenhart's case.

\"VIDEO:
ABCNews.com
VIDEO: 74-year-old woman wins child support for her 52-year-old daughter
>

Lenhart paid Anderson, who said she wants other single parents to know their rights and that there might be an opportunity to collect unpaid child support at any time.

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