Title: [FL] Is it legal for a parent to kick their 16yo son out of the house and cut all contact, but keep collecting child support for them?

Question:
So my sister’s friend’s mom kicked him out of the house and cut off all communication from him about a year ago. One of his friends parents were nice enough to take him in and let him stay there until he joins the military in another ~4 months (he’s already accepted).

He found out the other day from his dad that his mom has still been claiming child support since she kicked him out.

The family he is staying with is really tight on money and are obviously pretty annoyed at this. Obviously they will not be able to get any of the money, but is it legal for the mom to still collect the child support even though he hasn’t lived with or contacted her in over a year?

I have been doing research on child support but couldn’t really find much about this scenario. I was just wondering if he or his dad has any possible legal action against the mom (or to even just stop the child support so she doesn’t get another 2 years out of it).

I’m 21 and know little about child support laws. I just want to maybe help them out a bit with some advice, they are all to afraid to go to a lawyer for some reason (I’m guessing cause they can’t afford it right now).

Answer:
 > Is it legal for a parent to kick their 16yo son out of the house

No. Full stop. CPS should have been contacted the day this happened.Answer #2: Nope, immediate call to the police's non-emergency line and CPS. Answer #3: The change in circumstances would be a reason the dad could move to modify the child support (and custody too for that matter). But there's not really anything the dad could do to get the money back, assuming he was paying it because of a court order.


Title: I can't call CPS, so what can I do?

Question: One of my good friends got in trouble a few times so his parents pulled him out of school and sent him to a private one which isn't that bad except they didn't let him say goodbye to any of his friends. Everyone at school was worried that he killed himself. When me and a friend went to check on him his parents wouldn't let us talk to him. They took a suicidal depressed teen with anxiety, made him leave his friends without saying goodbye, disconnected his phone and they plan on leaving him locked up all summer. They refuse to get him mental help instead they just yell at him for being depressed and a couple of times they have hit him for being depressed. Is there anything I can do about this? It doesn't really qualify for CPS but I know that if he is locked in there all summer he will try and kill himself.

Answer: If you’re concerned about the safety of a minor, even if you are one yourself, you involve CPS. You can call them directly or speak with an adult like a teacher or counselor.


Title: Rent hike without notification?? Omaha, NE

Question:
So my land lord decided out of no where to raise my rent by almost $100 a month, should I have been notified with a letter explaining that soon there will be a raise in rent and to prepare for such increase? Or can they just do what they want when they want?

I get a cute little monthly rent bill about a week before it is due, saying this is your rent this is what you owe. I never Reed these cause they never change, if there wasn't a monthly maintenance fee  ( item for a different thread) I just get that credited towards next month. For what ever reason I opened the one I got recently, apparently 2 months ago they raised my rent by almost $100 and I owe back for only paying partial rent.

I never received anything in the mail or by phone saying hey btw rent is going up. I have paid on time for the almost 3 years I have been at this place. What can I do other than call and try to fight it out with them.  Thank you.

Answer: You probably DID receive notice - it would have been in one of those cute little bills that you never read because "they're always the same". Looks like one of them wasn't the same as the others, but you didn't read it. Oops.


Title: US/CO - Bank canceled card. Left stranded sleeping in my car!

Question:
Hey there folks,

So I'm writing this in the backseat of my freakin cold car. So bear with me..

**TL;DR:** Bank canceled my card with a notification sent to me, but never received one. Can't get a hold of anyone to help me. I'm stuck, stranded in my car in under 20 degree snowy weather till the morning when either someone calls me back or the bank opens.

**Could there be any legal options in this case against my bank for lack of notification that left me stranded?**

**Long version:**

* I went to a grocery store to purchase medicine for my sick 5 year old son who is at home with Mom. When trying to pay in a total of four times, my debit card was declined. There was an ATM that I used to try and withdraw money (I have money in my account), but the ATM swallowed my card. I have no money besides that card!

* My car doesn't have enough gas to get me home (12+ miles away). My 'wife' doesn't have a phone at the moment, so there's no way to get in contact with her. I've tried to call friends and family, but no answer, and have left voice messages and texts. I can't use Uber or Lyft because I don't remember my account info, nor can I create a new account with no debit card. I've tried calling my local taxi company, but it's been over two hours and no-one has shown up, even after I've called to complain about no-shows..

* I called my bank, and I had to get transferred to a 3rd party company that deals with lost/stolen/fraud card issues. I then got in contact with the bank who owns the ATM, to see if they could get my card out. Spoke with a rep and then her supervisor. Then they transferred me to the ATM Operations line, and talked to another rep, and his supervisor. Each and every person whom I spoke with said they couldn't help me, and that there is nothing they can do. My only option is to talk to my bank when it opens in the morning, which doesn't help my situation.

*So now, I'm stuck sleeping in the back of my car trying to stay as warm as possible. If all things could go wrong, tonight is the night..*

*Edit - Formatting*

*Edit - TIL*

TIL: Always keep emergency cash in the car.

Answer: Do you have a legal question, or are you just sharing this story with us? Why did you put 'wife' in quotes?


Title: My school (USA, Public) has a rule that if some attacks you and you try to defend yourself and fight back, you will both get suspended because it is mutual combat. I thought that we had a right to self defense and if so, wouldn't this violate it?

Question:
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: You don't have a right to self defense, it is a legal defense to various criminal and civil crimes. While it is discussed in heller, no liberty interest has ever been found. In a school, your legal right to self defense still exists as a defense to crimes such as assault. But it does not exist as a defense to school disciplinary issues.


Title: Bought house, ceiling collapsed in 1st 6 hrs after moving in (NJ, USA)

Question:
I'm hoping someone here can help me as I've just moved to the US from abroad and I'm not entirely sure of the way the legal system works here.

My husband and I bought a house and immediately upon moving in, noticed a small drip coming from the ceiling on the top floor (in amongst the jetlag and the chaos of all out stuff arriving in a shipping container and our pets arriving!)

Got a contractor in, who had to pull down the whole ceiling as it was utterly waterlogged and about to collapse. Spent 2 weeks drying it out and getting it fixed. Our contractor also happened to be our inspector prior to sale and he immediately identified that there were holes in the roof caused by removal of a satellite dish. We're now several thousand dollars out of pocket.

The previous owners provided the contact details of a roofing company who they said did it and our attorney has sent them a nasty letter, in the hopes they'd just stick it on their insurance and it would be an easy win but they have basically told us where to stick it.

As far as I understand it, we're totally out of luck in terms of trying to claw anything back through the sales contract on the house, as it passed our final inspection (we had no way of knowing there were holes in the roof/ had not been informed anything had been removed or any works had taken place since the initial inspection and there had not been any rain, so no signs of a leak)

So, my question is, what can we do next? Should/ could we take the roofing company to the small claims court, given that we were not the ones that employed them in the first instance, or should we try and go after the previous owners? Is small claims the best way to do it, or are there alternatives?

Thanks in advance for any help- it's not been the best of introductions to the USA!

Answer: Why did the inspector not notice it during the inspection, but noticed it immediately later? He's the first person I'd look at here.


Title: To what degree are Reddit mods legally accountable for restricting free speech and committing censorship in their subs?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 >To what degree are mods legally accountable for restricting free speech?

They aren't.  The mods are not the government or their agents.  If you don't like the forum or the way the mods operate it don't post to it.Answer #2: [Insert "look at me" meme]

Look at me, I am the government now.Answer #3: Reddit mods removing your stuff in no way violates freedom of speech. You're still completely free to say whatever it is you said in your post. You just can't say it in that subreddit.

If I tell you you can't say certain things while in my home, I haven't violated your freedom of speech. You're still free to say those things, just not in my home.Answer #4: >If one would remove information or silence opinion in the real word of
media, he would be legally accountable for censorship and violating
freedom of speech.

This is not true.

The First Amendment concerns the government's ability to restrict speech and the government's ability alone.

And censorship, in and of itself, isn't illegal.  Censorship legally happens all. the. time.

So question number one that you should ask yourself if you're wondering if the First Amendment applies to any given situation is, "Are any of the involved parties the government?" and if the answer is, "No," then the First Amendment does not apply.

Reddit is, of course, not the government, so this isn't a First Amendment issue.  Reddit is a privately-owned, privately-run forum.  Reddit mods/admins are free to restrict all the speech they want, because they're not obligated to give anyone a platform, much less a platform that is equal for all, on which to speak.


Title: [USA-NC] Daughter transferring colleges - she found someone to take over her lease but leasing company wants $400.00 Administrative charge for lease transfer

Question:
The contract reads:
"Tenant shall not assign this Lease or sublet the Premises in whole or in part. If Tenant requests and Landlord agrees to complete a Lease Transfer, Tenant will pay a one-time, nonrefundable administrative charge of $400.00 to cover Landlord's time and overhead expenses related to advertising and time and effort in re-renting of the Premises.  Tenant must complete a Lease Transfer form, pay the Lease Transfer Fee, and understands that a new lease must be executed before any transfers take place."

She found another student willing to take on the lease, which should reduce the "time and overhead expenses" of the Leasing company.

They are offering the "solution" of keeping her $370.00 security deposit and her paying the additional $30.00.

She offered to pay them $100.00 to cover administrative time to transfer the new lease but she was told it was not negotiable.

Is there anything she can do? While I understand she signed the contract and agreed to the terms, she did the legwork and found a person to take over the lease, they just need to transfer it, which makes the $400.00 seem excessive (to me, anyway).

Thanks for any advice or assistance.

Answer: She can pay the lease breaking fee she agreed to when she signed a contract.


Title: I know someone is lying about their academic credentials. It is illegal in WA State. How can I make them stop?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This appears to be the statute the OP is talking about:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9A.60.070

I don't see that just using the title "animal behaviorist" is covered by the statute.Answer #2: You're conflating different things. Lying about academic credentials may be illegal, but most occupational titles are not protected. Exceptions are physicians, lawyers, architects, engineers and the like. If it's simply your belief that an "animal behaviorist" worthy of the name must have a certain degree, but that person is not actually claiming to have those credentials, that's not against the law--I doubt Washington protects the use of that title.


Title: If I'm a minor and test negative for marijuana, will the authorities be notified?

Question: So long story short I've been really ill lately and have been smoking weed to curb the side effects, along with chronic pain, anxiety and depression. Its been working but I still have bad dizzy spells from time to time. This morning I passed out cold in school, hitting my head on the cement floor, resulting in a trip to the ER. When they took a urine sample from me they did a five panel screening and I tested positive for marijuana. They informed my parents of course. What I'm most worried about is that they're mandated reporters, though. Will the police or my current caseworker from CPS be informed? Oh- I'm also in Wisconsin, if thats of any relevance. Thanks! Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: If you tested negative what would there be to notify the authorities about?


Title: Fired from unpaid internship because of unethical reasons. need help.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > What should be the correct course of action to take here?

get a job.Answer #2: Have them write you a glowing letter of recommendation you can use to find a better job, a paying job. No good will come from trying to fight this. Answer #3: You can either have a letter of recommendation from a congressman or a congressman who hates you. You can't have the job any more. Pick wisely.


Title: Need advice on my terrible mistakes

Question:
I messed up bad. I am from CT and made some huge mistakes. From the start I got pulled over doing 100 after 3 beers, blew a .082 and a .079 and was charged with DUI. Lawyer said to plead out and plead guilty to wreckless driving and take alcohol classes and DUI would be wiped. I lost my job and have severe depression and anxiety, not that's any excuse, but I didn't complete the courses and have an upcoming date on the 7th. However I have classes starting on the 9th.
Bow the worse part.. 5 months later get pulled over doing 80 in  65 and find out my license is suspended after I went to the DMV and was told by the top person there that since I blew over then under I would keep my license. So I have to goto court. Was extremely broke at the time couldn't get license reinstated and went 3 times and got a continuance every time. I missed my court date after I got my license back because I lost my job and was a mess, I know.. No excuse. So have a failure to appear on my suspended license and could really use so advice from you guys. I know I screwrd up majorly and feel terrible.. Even stopped drinking. I am prepared to goto court tomorrow to talk with the clerk but not sure if that's the best decision. I am completely iditoic for these 2 mishaps.  I guess worst case I goto jail. I can't sleep and want some help sooooooo bad. Any advice would be so much appreciated. Thank You

Answer: You should hire an attorney and have them help you with this.  You've made several huge mistakes here, and it's well past time for you to get some help.


Title: Let go from ranch hand job in Montana.

Question:
So I was wondering how legal this was.

Tldr: I was working a ranch hand job in Montana and was let go because I wasn't drinking enough water according to him and was a safety risk so I was unceremoniously let go.

I had been drinking water but just from the tap and didn't have a jug to carry any around with me. I had never gotten anywhere near the point of dehydrating myself and was switching between soda and water over the course of the week I was there. Apparently becuase he wasn't seeing me drinking water or going to drink water this was enough according to his lawyer that I was a safety risk and was let go. Over the course of the few days I was there he would bring soda to us to drink while we worked and never brought water out for us, so we had to go get it ourselves.

I'm not sure about the Montana state labors laws but I know they are different then other states.

Answer: Of topic, was very confused as to what a “Ranch hand job”. But then I got a brain. Answer #2: It's legal. Since you were there less than six months you fell under a probationary period and could be fired without cause.


Title: 17 year old, what to expect in court

Question:
So I got a ticket for rolling though a stop sign the other day and got a city fine instead of a state fine. It wasn't even a ticket. The police officer was very kind and saw I was terrified and told me he doesn't like writing actual tickets to minors since it just hurts the parents. I have a clean record, never been pulled over, was just tired and not paying attention. I went to the police station and they said I have a juvenile court date in November. I know I need to wear business casual at the least and shave my face. I know I need to address the judge as "your honor". But what do I need to expect? The guy working the office at the station said I should plead guilty and she'll probably make me pay the fine and everything. I just want to go in confidently knowing how everything will happen. Thanks for your help :)

Edit: Located just outside of Nashville TN.

Answer:
 > The guy working the office at the station said I should plead guilty and she'll probably make me pay the fine and everything.

It's generally not a good idea to take legal advice from the police. Have you told your parents about this?


Title: My boss just showed me a coworkers Kronos time card to make a joke at coworkers expense.

Question: My boss called me over this morning to show me a coworkers time card from his own manager account. My coworker just put in his time card for his vacation so it was only vacation pay but I found out he had done with to a few other coworkers and even showed them how many vacation hours they had, the times they logged in and miles driven for my job (which I won't name.) He has a habit of doing this among other troubling behaviors. I was just wondering if this is legal and if he has the right to do this?

Answer:
 Dick move but not illegal.

Unless the joke he made was in reference to coworker being part of a protected class.


Title: California - My girlfriend's [26] saw yesterday that her therapist tweeted and made a facebook post about the subject of their session directly after one ended, and after confirmed over text that it was related to their session.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Not a lawyer but deal with HIPAA every day. As long as the doctor didn't diclose any PHI that could positively identify your GF as the patient in her post they were talking about they didn't break any laws. It's just a complete dick move. Answer #2: It's unprofessional, but I'm not sure it violates any laws or even therapist-specific code of ethics if there was no identifying information involved. Doctors publish articles about patients all the time with the identifying patient info taken out. If the therapist is an APA member, she could file a complaint with the APA ethics office. If nothing else, at least they would investigate it.

http://www.apa.org/ethics/index.aspx


Title: Am i blessed?

Question:
*be me (retarded 29yo)
*get a fastboy motorcycle
*do a improper overtake and 101 mph (46 over)  in front of a cop.
*pull over next to him cuz i know i fucked up
*win two citations on 9/7/2018
*court date on ticket is 12/3/2018
*i get a letter in the mail saying there was a mistake and court date is in 10/15/2018
*i call up just for shits and giggles to see price
*only 1 ticket associated with the case number
*check speeding citation status online but theres nothing there.

Wtf do i do, did this cop let me slide?

Answer:
 Oh for fuck's sake, use real sentences.

You have two citations, and one of their court dates have been changed.  You should check on the other to make sure.

The citations won't magically disappear, and it might take some time for all the appropriate systems to be updated with the new date.

You can reach out to the clerk of courts, explain your situation, and have them look into it for you.  It is better to be proactive.  If you do nothing and think things will just be forgotten, you're not going to be a happy camper.


Title: TN My daughter's Father [39] and I [22] are not married. We had an agreement on how things would work if we went to the health department and changed her last name to his. Now he has gone back on everything he said. Would it be wrong for me to go back today and cancel it?

Question: He is still married but separated to his other kids mother. I told him since he refused to divorce her when she was born she would have my last name. We decided that we would go get a parenting agreement after we signed the paper changing the last name. Now he is saying he wants her every other week. I wanted the last name change through the court, but decided not to since we had come to an agreement. I have 30 days to change my mind and cancel it. Would it be wrong for me to do that and then tell him to do it the way I wanted to at first, through a petition in court.

Answer:
 Get a court ordered visitation agreement, don't rely on anything unenforceable. Answer #2: Cancel it.

This whole thing will probably land in family court where it belongs, but frankly you might be better doing that, for the security and finality.


Title: Abandonment

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If you're still legally married and there is no custody order, you can take your kids with you, if you are so inclined. If you believe she is dangerous, that's probably a wise decision anyway. "That I am aware of" is the qualifier that worries me in your post.


Title: Boss is Underpaying and Overworking us

Question:
Hi!
I'm a uni student in australia, and was desperate for a new part time job after being let go from my last job at the same time as i moved to an expensive part of town. So when an owner said to me in the interview "we can only afford to pay a flat rate of $15 an hour" i was desperate enough to say yes.

my legal rate is way higher (i'm 19- twenty in a month) and we don't get penalty rates. in addition, i'm frequently expected to stay up to five hours after my shift ends.

on top of that, i typically work 6-7 days a week, with shifts of 4-8 hours. i've been told by a friend that that's illegal and i should be only working 5 shifts a week, but i'm not sure how reliable that is.

we had an audit (we're a franchise of a chain) earlier this year and he made us all forge fake time sheets. the arrangement as he explained it is that he reports our income to corporate, and he works out how many hours we should *legally* be working for that money, and tells them that's how much we're working. he made us fill out fake time sheets with the "legal" hours and told us what to say if anyone asked us questions etc. it felt really sketchy.

everyone is encouraging me to report him to fair work and get compensation, but i need work for the next 6 months until i'm finished education. i was planning to work until i get full time work, and then report him. but i'm not sure what the best move is, since i can't afford to lose my job at this stage, shit as it may be.

any advice?

update: (sorry for the late update, i have to sleep really early since my shifts starts at 5) i'm gonna document everything and talk to someone from fair work. if i can find another job or can get a liveable amount from unemployment ill do that and hopefully get my unpaid wages back. thanks guys!

Answer: Have you been applying to other jobs? I mean yeah you need the money but you're not getting paid worth a shit and what your employer is doing is illegal.


Title: Reddit, I'm in a bit of trouble, and could use some of your help. (x/post, /r/personalfinances)

Question:
Hi Reddit,
I'm in a bit of trouble, so I thought I'd come see what my internet pals have to say about this. Don't really have anyone else to go to.

Background: I have been looking to rent a place for myself now for quite some time. I've been couch surfing, sleeping in my car, sometimes renting a camping spot for a day and see how long it takes to get kicked out, etc. Finally, I found a place I can rent for myself and my dog that doesn't require a credit check, etc., because if it isn't obvious already, I don't have any. I've been saving up my money for a deposit, and over the course of the last four months I have managed to put aside one month of rent to set aside for when that special time comes.

So here is my problem: I found a place that was 800/month that included all utilities, next to a bus stop, near downtown area. I went over to meet the woman who lived upstairs, and we agreed that when she managed to get the current tenants out (some sort of eviction process was foreseeable), I could move in. I gave her my savings for first month's rent which happened to be 800. I had about 175 to use the next few of weeks, but decided to call it a "ramen month" and really budget hard so I could make sure I had 800 ready for when the time came. I sold my guitar and worked as a mascot for a tax location (dancing on the side of the street doesn't take much of a resume) to help buckle down, and was close to my goal.

Then, a friend of mine says a room mate is moving out, that I could move in with no deposit necessary (meaning I already had one month rent covered - sweet!) and that they were getting ready to leave within that next week.

So, I imagine you can put two and two together. I need to get my deposit back because I won't be moving in. Now, it seems the woman has lost all ability to pick up her phone, and I have left messages about asking for the deposit back. Texted her about it. It's been about 1 week, and I am getting scared I won't be able to move in either place, and be screwed out of the only money I have saved up. Luckily the local vet gives me free dog food, or I would feel guilty about having my dog to feed, but now I don't even have enough to buy a week's worth of ramen.
Is there anything I can do? Here are the details:
One written contract, signed by us both, that essentially went like this: "[My name] has given a $800 deposit for the rented space at [address] that includes all utilities." She then wrote the date, our names in print, and had both of us sign the piece of paper.
I have text messages from our conversations, a screen shot of the ad on Craigslist that posted her name, number, and location of rented premises, and this contract.
Reddit, is there anything I can do? I am scared shitless I have blown the last four months saving money and an opportunity to live with a friend of mine at the same time. I'm somewhat sure that the details I provided link the woman at the place to the deposit given by me, but I just don't know how to go about trying to figure this out.

stay cool reddit, thanks for reading my post

ps sorry if i did this wrong, i posted first in /r/personalfinances but was recommended to come here instead.

Answer:
 >that I could move in with no deposit necessary (meaning I already had one month rent covered - sweet!

I don't think you understand what a "deposit" means... Why do you think you deserve to have the $800 back? That lady probably stopped searching for tenants and will now have vacancy in the unit and no income from it because you decided to go back on your agreement. She doesn't owe you anything.


Title: (CT) Dog attacks me upon entering house, bites me 4 times, 1 bite is now infected.

Question: 29 year old male, if it makes a difference.  I was with two female friends on Friday night, walking into their friend's house and I'm the last to enter the door. Immediately, a (large) dog begins barking/growling at me and out of nowhere, another (medium-sized) dog jumps on me and bites my hand.  My friends panicked and their friend (the dog's owner) rushed into the room as I proceeded to pull my hand away - then the dog bites me three more times in the leg.  The owner (also female) seemed unsure of how to handle the situation, and was slow to react.  She scolded the dog, apologized and said "he's only done this a couple times, I don't get it" meanwhile I look at the damage and see that my jeans didn't even rip, so I tell her that I should be okay.  I have a high tolerance for pain and have never been bitten by an animal before, so I kind of brushed it off immediately thinking that my skin was not broken and it wouldn't be too big of an issue.  I get home later that night and realize the three bites on my leg did indeed break the skin, one of them being quite deep.  The next morning I see a doctor who gives me a tetanus shot and appropriate antibiotics - fast forward three days and the deep wound is now infected.  I'm missing a business trip because of it, and am in a decent amount of pain, and have to go on heavy duty antibiotics.  I update my friends on my condition and they offer little advice/help.  I haven't reached out to the dog owner, frankly her blasé attitude towards the incident leads me to believe I won't make any progress going directly to her.  I've spent a few hundred on medical bills, and am missing a 4 day work trip as a result of this.  Looking to be compensated, how do I go about this?

Answer:
 You need to call animal control for your location and report the bite. They need to at least verify the animal has its rabies shots up to date.

Additionally you'll need to file a bite report, that may be a police report or through animal control.

The friend who's house you were bitten in, ask for her rental insurance (or homeowners if she owns) and the insurance info from there gal who's dogs bit you.

This could become a very serious issue for your health. The biters insurance should cover ir assuming she carries either homeowner or renter insurance.

If not, go through your insurance and let them know the situation. They can assist in trying to assign the financial burden on the others insurance etc.

Get calling now.Answer #2: > Looking to be compensated, how do I go about this?

talk to the dog owner first. if they are not responsive or helpful then you can try a demand letter and then lawsuit in small claims.


Title: Ex-wife moving the kids before school starts, my hearing is not scheduled until October

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Have you spoken with a local family law attorney? It's possible to schedule an emergency hearing. Answer #2: If you have joint legal custody, you should also be able to enroll them in school.  Make sure they are enrolled at your local school for the fall.  Their mother can't unilaterally make this decision.


Title: [Minnesota, USA] I, a highschooler, was manipulated into dealing drugs for several months, now I'm afraid I might be murdered by a former friend.

Question:
To understand how screwed I feel in my predicament, you'll need some context:

Im a junior in High School at the moment, but it all started in March of 2014 as a sophomore, when I first became friends with a charming lad named Bradley (not his real name), a senior. Bradley was an honors student, jazz musician, film buff, and most importantly, the school's most reputable drug dealer. He sold weed mostly, but gained popularity for his access to high-grade psychedelics from the notorious "dark-web". He was kind of a loner, whose only "friends" were no more than customers, so within a month, he had joined my circle of sophomore friends and we were happy to take him in. I became his shoulder to cry on, his place to vent frustrations.

In late April, something (the specifics are irrelevant) happened in my life that sent me into a depression, and I felt as if I had nothing left to lose. Bradley saw this, and, being the manipulative person I now know him to be, he swooped in. He had already been planting seeds in my head that he was going to need a replacement as the school's dealer, so that when the time was right, he could pitch the idea to me. Being as depressed as I was, he was able to indoctrinate me so thoroughly that I even thought becoming a dealer was *my own* idea. He even called our group of friends his "cult", and I don't know why that didn't raise serious red flags with me.

Because I had become his shoulder to cry on, he told me things that actually scared me quite a bit on occasion. The most memorable incidents were as follows:

1. He told me he had been looking at firearms and suppressors to buy on the dark-web before we became friends.

2. He told me he was disappointed that while he was in high-school, there wasn't a single suicide. He told me that if he had his way, over half the school would have died. Not for any personal reasons, nobody specific, he just wanted a large amount of people to die.

For 5 months, from late May until late October, I began to take his place. Over those months I probably sold about $400-600 worth of weed and $150 of LSD to a large handful of people. For reasons related to what caused my depression in the first place, I managed to ease off and quit that life. I've been out since late October, but I haven't told Bradley yet.

From September to November, Bradley was attending college close-by. He became the big drug dealer there as well, and sold even more substances than he did in high school. In November, some friends of his reported him out of the same concerns I have been having recently. He was going on psychotic rants, showing paranoid schizophrenic tendencies, and he allegedly tried to murder them out of paranoia. His friends told the police everything, including the information about his drug dealing. They raided his dorm, and they got everything he had (which was enough that if he weren't in college, he would be doing some very serious prison time). Somehow, all that happened was that he got it confiscated, he got kicked off-campus (but he still attends school there, to my knowledge), and got put on a probationary period by the school. Since I found out about the murder attempts, I haven't talked to Bradley, simply because he scares me and he's done enough damage to me that I want him out of my life.

**Here is where I'm going to start needing some legal advice.** He has been messaging me repeatedly, tonight alone he sent me 15 text messages that only said my name, and 22 facebook chat messages that I'm too scared to check because he'll see that I opened them. If this were someone else, I would not hesitate to be up-front and tell him how I felt and that I didn't want him around me anymore, but given a lot of his past and recent tendencies, I fear that by doing that, I'm only sealing my fate as a part of his "hit list". However, I feel that I'm effectively doing the same thing by not responding or opening his messages. I also fear taking legal action because I am far from innocent in all of this, and the statute of limitations on distribution is extremely lengthy from what I understand. I'm caught in a "damned if I do, damned if I don't" kind of situation.

I just want this to all be in the past and go away as easily as possible, and if you all strongly think I should bite the bullet and attempt to take legal action, I will.

**TL;DR** my mentally askew "friend" convinced me to deal drugs for 5 months, he went away to college, I quit dealing, he had psychotic episodes, and is now harassing me - I fear he might want me dead.

Please help, I have no idea what to do. Sorry the story got so long. Thanks.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 > he was able to indoctrinate me so thoroughly that I even thought becoming a dealer was my own idea

That's cute and all, but take some responsibility for your own actions.

>  Over those months I probably sold about $400-600 worth of weed and $150 of LSD to a large handful of people.

I hate to break this to ya, but you weren't a big time drug dealer. You weren't even a reliable "hook up." I've seen people "accidentally" sell more drugs in an hour than you sold over "those months".

> They raided his dorm, and they got everything he had (which was enough that if he weren't in college, he would be doing some very serious prison time). Somehow, all that happened was that he got it confiscated, he got kicked off-campus (but he still attends school there, to my knowledge)

Not buying it. Courts rarely give a pass to people accused of large scale drug dealing just because they are in college. Also, colleges tend not to want people to stay in school if they are dealing drugs there.

> Since I found out about the murder attempts

Not buying this either. If he attempted to murder people, he'd likely be in jail, or at least preparing for trial.

>  if you all strongly think I should bite the bullet and attempt to take legal action, I will.

What legal action? You were a small time low key dealer (just barely), and your connection is pissed at you. Do you owe him money? Is he threatening you? I have no idea what you're looking for here.


Title: How can I [18M] help my sister [13F]? [Toronto, ON, Canada]

Question:
Basically our dad was murdered (gang violence) and I need to know who to talk to and what to do to keep my sister out of foster care. She has bipolar disorder and I work full time if that helps. Thanks.
Topic:
Canada

Answer: You can look into legal guardianship. Check with a lawyer or the Legal Aid society, they have a family law division.


Title: I believe I have grounds for a medical malpractice lawsuit (CA)

Question:
So I broke my toe very badly a few days ago, it’s dislocated and the bone is snapped in half. I went to the ER, and after waiting for 5 hours to be seen, I was seen by a young doctor. She told me she didn’t have my x-rays back yet, so she wasn’t sure, but that my toe was probably just dislocated and she was going to pop it back in. I explicitly told her “don’t touch it until you have the xrays back” and she said “I wont I promise” and then proceeded to grab it without my consent and try and force it back into the socket.

Because of this she ended up hurting the toe more and breaking another part of the bone. I am seeing a specialist and may need surgery. I cannot walk at all and have been on bed rest.  My fiancé witnessed this entire thing. So do I have a case and how to I go about this?

Answer: Med Mal is very fact specific and beyond the scope of this sub. You should consult with a malpractice attorney to see if they believe you have a case.Answer #2: No one here is able to comment about whether or not a medical malpractice claim has merit due to their fact-specific nature. That said, you should consult a medical malpractice attorney who will be able to appropriately advise you.


Title: [TN] Pedestrian ran into street with active traffic and slammed into my car -- no injuries, guy disappeared. What to do?

Question: About an hour ago I was driving to the vet's office to get my dog. I had my signal on to turn and was slowing down when a man darted across the street with oncoming traffic in both directions (this was not at a cross walk or stop light). He was looking the opposite way and I hit the brakes and blew my horn. He looked up then just as he ran into the side of my car. He wasn't injured and I was already at a full stop when he ran into me. He started yelling at me for stopping and waved me on, then finished running across the road. I pulled in to the vet's office and tried to find the non-emergency number for police because he had already disappeared. The nurses at the vets office have said this guy, or someone fitting his description, has been seen in the area the past few weeks either running into traffic like that or yelling at no one. There was no damage, no injuries and the guy disappeared immediately after, although I saw him re-crossing the street a few minutes later. Is it worth making a police report or could that possibly get me in trouble somehow?

Answer:
 I am a claim rep for an insurance company and had this exact scenario for a claim. My policyholder made a report with police because there was actual damage to his vehicle and the pedestrian was a nutter. He wanted to protect himself from the pedestrian claiming he'd been hit by the car and not vice versa. We ended up closing the claim with no payment as the damages were below his deductible.Answer #2: > Is it worth making a police report

To what end?


Title: A felony charge from two years ago is barring me from joining the military.

Question:
Hi, [r/legaladvice](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/). I've been really down in the dumps lately.

&#x200B;

Two  years ago, I completely screwed myself over by admitting guilt, on paper  (with a signature no less) making jokes about school shootings.

Because  of this, I now have a terroristic threat felony charge. The school chose to press charges and the court took it up as a criminal case.

I  got out of it without jail time, and it was adjudicated (deferred), but  the fee I paid was hefty. House arrest for 15 months and four years of  probation - which is ongoing. I'm a bit past the one-year mark.

Here's the rundown of the story, and all the flaws both me and the school committed.

&#x200B;

I think it was a Monday. A young gent I knew stopped me when I was in the  hallway, decided to start asking very dangerous questions, i.e: "Hey,  OP - when are you going to shoot up the school?". I didn't like the guy  very much, so to get him off my butt I just told him "Friday". He  continued to ask some very sketchy questions. Things like, "what should I  wear to avoid getting shot by you?".

Admittedly, I followed along, but I was in serious dismay about how he was openly joking about it.

I  need to mention that he was next to an entire classroom in the halls,  doing a project. I didn't register that they might consider it an actual  threat until it was too late.

A  day later, I was brought into the office. The VP told me to write down  anything I said in the past. I mentioned whether or not I should mention  the (far more serious) threats that date back to middle school, when I  was maybe 13 years old at best - to which she said yes. **This was all I ended up writing down**.  I didn't even write down the encounter from the day before, as I didn't  think it was important. I wanted to write down the actual jokes I said  in the past, but none of them came to mind and my phone was dead - I  wouldn't have been able to pull any up. I remember her, specifically,  telling me that the time span of said threats didn't matter and that I  didn't have to write down that I was joking. Those guys set me up big time.

I was 17, she never called up my family or anything. She also, had *zero authority,* to coerce me into signing guilt.

"But OP, you wrote and signed it with consent."

While  this may be true, I was still a minor. This was downright illegal. I  also need to mention that I have Autism & Asperger's, so I wasn't  truly aware of the situation going on in that room.

There  was no officer in the room during the coercing, the VP I had spoken to  had absolutely no authority to tell me to write those things. They  didn't even tell me I was going to be facing charges until after  everything was signed. Again, they set me up.

The  day after, a district-wide e-mail was sent out. Numerous calls were  directed to the school, while I was outside the VP's office having my  bag searched. The calls consisted of very angered and worried parents. I  knew that I was the cause of their anger and worries, and I was  genuinely scared for my life after being put on the spotlight, being  told that there were people coming after me - to the point where I had  to go in a police cruiser just to get home safely.

I am aware that they need to let the *school*  know of the particular threat, but these guys went all out and e-mailed  the entire district, I heard rumors that they even e-mailed nearby  districts. Completely overkill, completely unnecessary, completely  dangerous. They followed up with damage control afterward, forcing  teachers to reduce the state of qualm by silencing those who were  talking about it. They were too slow though. It was the hot topic before  spring break. The alleged day of the threat, being Friday, was the day  before spring break. Nobody showed up, and they blamed me for it - even  though they were the ones who sent the e-mail to such a large group of  people.

My friends were targeted  as well. One of them was constantly questioned by the staff at the  school. My ex-girlfriend was targeted & alleged to be 'the shooter's  accomplice', my best friend is literally diagnosed with paranoia  because of the school.

And me? It was truly traumatizing. I can't even  get through a day in my life without thinking of the event - what I  could've done different, why I was targeted, etc. Therapy is helping,  but this event is going to cause years worth of damage, maybe even a lifetime.

&#x200B;

Anyways... lo and behold, here I am now.

I'm struggling.

I wanted to join the Navy, or the Air Force - to which they blatantly said that a terroristic threat disqualifies me.

I've  been wanting to join the military since I was 16. I always wanted to encounter the day when I'd be sent off to boot camp, but now that's never going to happen,

Because of a **meme**.

Yeah.  I know what you're going to say, and I am aware that they were right to  take it seriously. I know I'm a historic screw-up. I've heard it  countless times.

I had a good future ahead of me though, and they ruined it. They destroyed everything.

At this point, I have two options.

&#x200B;

A:

Attempt  to reason with the school, talk to the VP again after two years and try  to see if they can assist in dropping the charges entirely. It is the court's decision at the end of the day. Having the charges dropped will  give me at least a **chance** to follow my dreams and get into the military. I've been on good  behavior with my probation and house arrest all this time. There were two incidents that could be deemed noteworthy during this (not charging my anklet and running a red light that resulted in a car accident) - but those were both accidental.

B:

Sue  the school out of every penny they have for mental discrimination, coercion of a minor, child endangerment, etc.

^(with doing this, what kind of lawyer would I need to seek out? let me know.)

&#x200B;

Honestly,  I just don't know what to do anymore. I am genuinely crushed.

My future career was told off earlier by a Navy recruiter during a call, saying that a terroristic threat on record makes me a highly unlikely candidate  for the military, that it was a disqualifier.

Although, he did mention that I may stand a chance if I can get the charge dismissed.

I don't even know who to talk to anymore. I tried to contact a few attorney firms but none of them ever got back to me. Nobody would want to take up a case like this anyways. It's just so ridiculous.

&#x200B;

Please help. I'm losing my sanity with this situation.

\-K

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

E:

I am from Texas & I am on a deferred adjudication sentence right now - if completed, the charge stays and doesn't become a conviction. I'll also be given the chance to expunge it off of civilian records within 5 years.

&#x200B;

I will add more to this edit when more information is needed.

Thank you guys.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 >I also need to mention that I have Autism & Asperger's...

Even if you hadn't had your legal issues, this disqualifies you from military service.


Title: (Florida) My ex-wife wants to sue my wife for helping our daughter lose weight.

Question:
*You're not going crazy, I posted last night just as Reddit broke so, so I'm trying again*

My ex-wife and I have a 16 year old daughter together. At the start of high school my daughter started to gain weight. I took her to her doctor and it was recommended that she lose weight(she was 5'3 and ~160 she now weights 115 lbs).

My wife helped her lose weight by diet and exercise, my wife did ballet and gymnastics so she knows who to exercise properly.

My ex claims that we turned her anorexic and ruined her self esteem.

Does she have a case?

Sorry for any mistakes I'm typing on my phone.

Answer:
 Well your ex wife can *attempt* to sue for anything. I highly doubt any lawyer who wants to continue to practice law would take the case. If you *did* get sued, it would be incredibly easy to prove that you haven't turned her anorexic. If diet and weight loss was doctor recommended as you say, you would need to get a statement from the doctor attesting to the state of your daughter's health and how she is in fact not anorexic.

Seriously though, ignore your ex wife. If she serves you with a suit, hire an attorney.

On a personal note - Talk to your daughter and as her how she feels about her weight and diet.

I really fail to see how **losing weight** would ruin someone's self-esteem. Answer #2: How fat is your ex-wife?Answer #3: insert only in florida comment here.

no case.  ignore her.  if you get sued, show up and laugh in her face.  Answer #4: I'm not a lawyer.

According to the [BMI Calculator](http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm) at the National Institute Of Health ( USA)

5'3" at 115 pounds is "normal weight"

5'3" at 160 pounds is "overweight"Answer #5: Your ex-wife first will need to prove your daughter is actually anorexic.  Then she'll need to prove that her self-esteem was somehow damaged by your wife's actions (beyond the damage just being a teenage does in and of itself).

Once she does that, then she'll need to show damages to the court.

Then she'll need to show where she gave you the opportunity to make those damages whole.

I'm not saying she doesn't have a case, but it sure sounds like she's got her work cut out for her.


Title: A friend of a friend was raped and is afraid to go to police

Question: To begin, I’m getting the details through my friend who’s getting the story through the girl it happened to, so if I don’t include everything or there’s any ambiguity please ask and I’ll try to get your questions answered ASAP but hopefully I can include everything here.  The girl (15) was at a party on Friday and she got high and drunk and this guy (18 or 19) who was apparently her long time friend thought he would take advantage in her state and proceeded to have sex with her even though she said no.  I told my friend to tell her to just go to the police but she’s afraid because A) she was drinking underage B) she was high and weed is not legal in Pennsylvania (where this all happened) and C) she doesn’t have rock solid evidence because she didn’t get a rape kit done however she said there might be a witness and although I don’t know how this could help she apparently has a q-tip with his DNA on it.  What’s the best course of action to put this rapist away for a long time?

Answer: She might still be able to get a rape kit done today as its only been two days. She should forsure get a Plan B, its a little later than ideal but will help prevent a possible pregnancy from this assault. She was 15 they won't charge her for reporting a rape, and she's under the age of consent. She could attempt to get a confession out of him, but at this point her best bet is to file a report, go to the hospital and get things taken care of.


Title: My x-family doctor broke patient confidentiality, told me I needed God instead of medications. Do I have any options?

Question:
I've never been happy with my family doctor, as a teenager I didn't have much choice in the matter (I'm 27 now). I have ADD and suffer from chronic depression - both of which I brought to the attention of the doctor on multiple occasions. On each occasion the doctor would preach to me on how I needed god, to spend time in church, etc. My parents are Christians and he assumed I was one as well. He never treated me for my ADD nor depression, telling me I needed God not medications. After much pain and suffering , I stopped going to him and sought help elsewhere.

In 2013 I was hiking and contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. The only available doctor was the same one mentioned above. The pain was crippling and I asked for something to help the pain. The next day I was confronted by my parents. The doctor had told my father he was concerned I was a drug addict because I was asking for pain medication. This sent me into further depression, I stopped seeking medical treatment and my condition got worse. I am currently still fighting for my life.

This doctor broke patient confidentiality and ignored medical conditions. He put his own personal beliefs above my health.

The doctor is located in Pittsylvania County in Virginia. Do I have any options? I know the statute of limitations for medical malpractice in VA is 2 years - so I've always assumed it was too late to do anything about this.

Answer:
 HIPAA violations do not contain a private right of action - in other words, you can't sue him for telling your parents about his.  You can report this [to HHS](http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/what-to-expect/index.html) if you want.

The malpractice thing is different.  You'll want to talk to a medical malpractice attorney about your ability to file a case.


Title: Habitat for Humanity sent my parents a letter that they want to take their land

Question: My parents own some land in Florida. Today, my mother got a letter from Habitat from Humanity that there are lots of people who need housing in the area and that they want my parents to sign over the land. If they refuse, they will be taking it through imminent domain. My parents are stunned. They never take anything from anyone and this is land they have held onto with the intention of either building on it or selling it at some point. I told then to get a lawyer, and I am sure they will, but they just got the letter. What kinds of things do I need to know to fight this?

Answer:
 This sounds nothing like H4H that I know of plus only gov't can claim eminent domain. Also, they would offer money. This is a scam. Answer #2: Scam.

If the property was taken by eminent domain your parents would be compensated for its full market value.Answer #3: It's "eminent domain", not imminent domain.

I'd be honestly shocked if Habitat for Humanity was trying to use eminent domain here.  That's not really their style, and frankly speaking they'd have a long, uphill battle to make that work.

I'd suggest starting by having your parents reach out to Habitat through a separate, known-good channel - i.e. through a phone number or email they get from their website or literature.  Ask if Habitat is really doing this sort of thing.  If they are, then your parents can do nothing but wait until they file a suit, if any.  If they do, they'll need to defend it then.Answer #4: As a sidenote, you might suggest your mom reach out to the Habitat SSO (State Support Organization). SSOs are the state-level orgs that oversee Habitat affiliates. They'll probably be able to confirm that it's a scam, and would be interested in knowing of folks using their name/logo etc for fraudulent activities.

http://www.habitatflorida.org/

If you want to drop me a PM, I can put you in touch with the head of the Florida SSO, she's an old friend.


Title: Small time reporter being sued for Article I wrote (Live in PA, sued in California)

Question: Hi Everyone. Long story short I wrote this investigative piece uncovering some pretty big deal fraud from this guy in the cannabis industry. He was a regular snake oil salesman. Anyway, got the knock on my door this morning he's suing me for $30 million in Los Angeles superior court. I live in Philadelphia. He's also suing the company that owns my site. The stipulation is if we take down the article we'll be good. There's nothing false in the article. I don't think the company has gotten the documents yet because no one has started yelling at me yet. WHat do I do? THanks!

Answer: If he served you then you need to consult a real life lawyer. $30 million is not Reddit advice territory.


Title: [Ontario] Mother wants to marry her Arab boyfriend without doing a prenup. How can she protect her assets?

Question:
Hey guys,

My mother met her current boyfriend through Facebook.  He is from the middle east (we are middle-eastern as well).  She wants to marry him, but she doesn't want to pay for a prenup.  Her main asset is our house, and I was wondering if there is any way she is able to protect it in the event that the marriage doesn't work out.  Would she be able to transfer the title to my name prior to the marriage, for example.  Or is there anything else she can do?

Additionally, she would also have to sponsor him for 10 years in order for him to come to Canada.

Thanks in advance.

Answer: What does the fact he is Arab have to do with anything? Answer #2: If she's too cheap to pay for a prenuptial agreement, she probably won't pay the fees to transfer ownership of the home, provided it's legal to do.


Title: Bring a vape underage to a Plane

Question:
Hey,
I'm wondering if you got problem when you want to bring a vape to a flight, but you are underage. Do you got a problem at the Security Control or will they let you pass with it?

Answer: yes, if you bring a thing you can't legally possess through security, it's liable to be confiscated.


Title: Is there any US federal law against helping somebody in another state get around their own STATE laws? (Particularly via US mail)

Question: This is a substance question, but not a pot question. Rather something that's not federally scheduled, but has been outlawed in some states.

Answer:
 No.

States can generally pass their own enforceable laws and federal laws don't provide loopholes for that.


Title: Reddit, I NEED to get out of a University of Virginia housing contract. How do I do it?

Question:
I signed a UVA housing contract in January. My girlfriend and I are full-time undergraduate college students. Later in the year, we found out we were going to be parents. Before Reddit urges us to abort, she's already here! http://imgur.com/N61ddmC

We're extremely happy. We were very shocked and scared at first, but we've been working it out the best we can. We know it will be a HUGE struggle. We both have great support from both our families. We realize finishing school is the first priority. Her mother, who is on disability, is going to live with us and help us graduate.

My girlfriend signed a lease for graduate family housing in April, with the expectation that I would be living with her and helping to pay the rent. I've been trying to find a transfer student to take over my other lease since then. They flood in during the month of May. Now, it's a week before school starts and no one has taken it. The school has been very dismissive. We've talked with the housing department multiple times and they keep repeating that the only option is to find someone else. We've explained our situation; they have no mercy.

There is no way my girlfriend can afford her lease by herself, and I can't afford two leases. I told her if I can't get out, I will help pay for both with loans. I really don't want to do this, but I will do it if I have to. I already have a lot of loan debt, so I would really like to avoid this.

My question is, are there any laws or legal precedents we can use to get out of this lease? I'm out of options.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Sorry to say there's usually no baby clause. You agreed to something. You either finish the contract to completion as you agreed. Or you break the contract and pay the fees as you also agreed to.

And finally. OMG adorbs!


Title: Local paper will not stop throwing their papers in my driveway. Burglars consider uncollected papers an easy way to spot a house worth breaking in to.

Question:
Ok, surely I am picking up the paper from my driveway, but we also travel a bit, and aren't always home to collect the paper. I live on a corner lot with two driveways and a parking space. They drop the papers in all three.

They used to deliver through the mail, but to cut costs, they now have a delivery crew that tosses them into everyone's yards.

I've called them many times over the last 2-3 years, going from politely asking to be taken off the distribution list, to being irate when weeks go by with no change.

When they do finally get it and stop delivery, it is only for a few months at a time, and then it starts up again.

Last time this occurred, they said they could fine their delivery drivers to enforce this issue. It stopped, temporarily.

After several months without deliveries, they've started back up again. I've called distribution and spoken with the only available representative there for the third week in a row, who promises that she will take care of it, yet the papers keep coming.

What options do I have? I live in Snohomish County in WA State.

Answer:
 IANAL and don't know if this is good advice but here goes.

Have you documented your interactions with them so far? Since they say they'll take you off their list and they stop for a while and then start again, write them a letter saying any further delivery you'll report the company for littering on your property every single time. Then, if they keep dumping their trash at your house, actually do it. Answer #2: A nice scary cease and desist should do the job.  Given the nature of this offense you should be able to get one for fairly cheap.Answer #3: I literally had to escalate to sending photos of the stack of my local representative's constituent services line and they get them to knock it off until someone new gets the route and it restarts again. Our local paper insists an opt in would deprive people of valuable coupons. Answer #4: Last time my paper did this, I started saving them in a box and then drove to the paper's office and returned their mislaid property.


Title: Phone repair shop tore my phone apart but they didn't tell me they were going to do that...

Question:
I had an S8+ that had some cracks on it but I dropped it in water and the screen didn't turn on. Everything else worked, sound, touch screen, I was even able to receive calls by swiping the black screen.
But I wanted the screen to turn on so I took it to a cell phone repair place just to see what the problem was and how much they'd charge to fix and they said they'd give a diagnostic. I thought that meant they'd look at it, tell me what was wrong, and then give me a price. But when they gave it back to me, the battery was pulled out, and micro chips were pulled out, and the back was missing. I had to go back and ask for the back and they said "well it's pretty much in pieces... do you want it anyway?" I said yeah, and they gave it to me.
They told me how much it'd be to fix, and the guy said "well the good thing here is that we do diagnostics for free, anywhere else would've charged you. Keep that in mind when you come back to get it fixed".
But I've had an iPhone and a Samsung before that I dropped in water (I know I can't learn my lesson) that wouldn't turn on, but after a few weeks of letting them sit they worked again! That's what I would've done with my S8+ if I knew it'd be several hundred dollars to fix... but instead they pretty much broke it!
So I'm pretty bummed. I had NO IDEA they'd pretty much just break it in the diagnostic... IDEK how to put it back together. I would not have resort to such drastic measures if I knew that. Just sucks.
Is that normal or is this place just careless??
And uh... are they responsible for breaking off the back like that without telling me they'd do that?? They didn't say "we'll have to break off the back and you won't be able to put it back together again, is that ok?". I was receiving phone calls before that but now it's useless.

Answer:
 Its standard to take apart a phone for diagnostic.

Its standard to put the phone back together and replace any parts they damaged in diagnostics.

But I would check the paperwork they had you sign or the posted signs for disclaimers


Title: [PA] Roommate threatening to put stuff on curb

Question:
Story goes two friends move in together. Person A sign lease in his name alone due Person B (me) losing job. I paid rent to him in cash and checks and have texts to prove such matter. I got a new job down in another area about 65 miles away. So I'm staying with my brother at the time but still getting mail there and still have all my belongings at said address where friend A lives

Shit went down he said I have till the end of August to get out, no big deal found a place down here that I move in this Saturday.

Further arguing goes on he said he wants the key back tomorrow (Friday) and if I show up and go in the house he's going to claim trespassing

I told him that I'm getting my stuff out Saturday and will leave the key at the house. He continues to go on and say he doesn't trust me and he wants to be there when I get the stuff out which I have no problem with but he said he might not be home.

Due to tenant rights since I'm renting from him and getting mail there in PA from my knowledge of family members going through the same type of situation you can't get kicked out if you receive mail and pay rent and keep in mind he stated I have till the end of August to get stuff out. I'm pretty sure I'm clear to go in with or without him to get my stuff.

Further more when I said im coming Saturday with or without him there to get my stuff out he said he will throw my stuff out on the curb tonight.

And if this matters I have proof that he was going through my belongings Wednesday night (Snapchat saved to my phone)

Now leads me to my concerns

A) if he does throw out my stuff to the curb can I go after him
B) do I have the right to go in without him

Also any other feedback is appreciated

Answer:
 >A) if he does throw out my stuff to the curb can I go after him

If any belongings are damaged or missing, you can sue him for the replacement cost.

>B) do I have the right to go in without him

Since you have established tenancy, you have a legal right to access the unit.


Title: Need to get someone's SSN to legally garnish their wages (in Michigan, US).

Question: The court ruled in favor of my sister on a court case involving subletting. She was awarded the ability to garnish the person's wages until she has been returned the money that person owes her. However, the court put it on her to get the SSN and DOB in addition to the person's place of employment in order to garnish properly. I thought this sounded weird because the SSN is a very private piece of personal information.

Answer:
 I don't think the employer can refuse a lawful garnishment simply because the SS# is absent.

Has your sister called the court clerk and asked what to do?  Surely they deal with these issues frequently.Answer #2: She can summons the person in for a [debtor examination](http://courts.mi.gov/self-help/center/collect/pages/discovering-assets.aspx) and ask them for their social security number and where they work. If they don't show up, she can ask they be held in contempt. Then if they don't show up for the contempt show cause hearing, a bench warrant will likely issue.


Title: Officer No-Show For NYS Speeding Ticket & Judge Says I Have to Wait for Him For 2-3 hours. Should I Appeal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's the court's discretion. Often, when the officer isn't present, they'll adjourn to another day. If you pled guilty - agreeing to the fine and points? - it'll be *very* difficult to void your pleading and appeal on those grounds.Answer #2: Why did you agree to that? You knew what your choices were and you made your call. Bad call.Answer #3: Thanks everyone.  Yeah I know... bad move.  I was jet lagged and they (the guards, the D.A. and the judge) were so polite and funny.. seriously.. and I was so tired that I let my guard down.  The doc they gave me specifically says I "have the right to appeal [my] conviction within 30 days."
But if they have the right to keep me waiting for the officer, I won't bother.  I just thought the officer had to be there at trial time.


Title: Maintenance man recorded tenants in their showers. My girlfriend and I could be on his recordings.

Question:
Looking for some advice on our next steps (if any), /r/legaladvice. I appreciate any

&nbsp;

**Background:**
My girlfriend has been at her apartment complex for approximately two years and I have been dating her for most of the two years. While I don't live there, I would usually spend a few days a week over at her apartment. I have no stake in the apartment, so I am mainly asking for her. We are in Virginia if that matters at all.

&nbsp;

**Maintenance Guy:**

About a month ago a maintenance guy at the apartment complex was found to have been leaving his "spy" gear in apartments to record the residents. He would leave his gear in an apartment he was working on, claim he wasn't finished repairing something, and then pick up his device with the recordings. The police found at least two of these devices with hidden cameras. According to the police and the photos they have, he had been doing this for awhile while he was at the apartment complex- about two years.

&nbsp;

**Police Involvement**
Yesterday the police were at my girlfriend's apartment complex. While there, they had residents that had work performed by the maintenance guy come in to look at photos. They intentionally only showed photos of shower curtains, the bathroom, and other photos without the nudes or identifiable information. I wasn't there to see any of the photos, but according to my girlfriend, there were three photos that matched her bathroom/shower arrangement. From there, the police is having her send photos of faces and tattoos of me, her, and anyone else who could have used the shower during her stay at the complex.My girlfriend is (understandably) very upset at this whole situation and feels very violated. The police officer she spoke to didn't know if the maintenance guy was out on bail but advised that she have her locks changed if she hasn't already as it is unsure if he has copies of the keys. The apartment complex did end up changing her locks yesterday, a month after the maintenance guy was arrested.

&nbsp;

**Next Steps:**
We are unsure where to go from here. My girlfriend's lease ends at the end of July but she is upset and wants out of her lease. If she is found to be on his recordings, does she have any legal action or grounds to get out of her lease at all? Does she if they don't find conclusive evidence?

&nbsp;

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated.

&nbsp;

*EDIT:* Thank you, everyone, for your advice. I'm going to discuss some of these options with my girlfriend tonight. At the very least, I plan to urge her to contact a  local attorney who may specialize in this sort of stuff.  Hopefully, we will hear back from the police soon, too. If there is a notable change to the situation, I will try and update this again.

&nbsp;

*EDIT2:* So before my girlfriend could do anything, her father, the guarantor of the apartment, had contacted the manager at the complex asking to break the lease. They were more than willing to accommodate her by letting her break the lease and move out anytime she would like, as long as she gives them a move-out date a couple weeks in advance. We are still waiting to hear back from the police.

Answer:
 >If she is found to be on his recordings, does she have any legal action or grounds to get out of her lease at all

Yes, this could be grounds to break her lease potentially if she's found to be one of the people included. If not, she wouldn't really have much cause. Answer #2: Thank you OP, your post was very clearly laid out and easy to understand.

I would recommend negotiating with the apartment complex to break the lease. Under these circumstances, they may let her out without a penalty now. Or they may not, but the only way to find out is to ask. I would recommend she not sign away any rights if she negotiates with them unless she has a lawyer (for example, if they ask her to sign a settlement agreement that says she can't sue the complex for negligence).Answer #3: Frankly, the best advice would be to speak with a local landlord-tenant lawyer before confronting her landlord.

Not sure how tenant-friendly Virginia is but, in many such jurisdictions, this would be such an egregious violation of her expectation of privacy that the courts would see her as constructively evicted. (A lot will depend upon the police investigation. Even so, she'd only need to convince the courts that there's a greater than 50/50 chance that she was one of the units that was recorded. That's a low standard to meet. That the pictures she's seen match her shower arrangement should be enough.)

If so, the landlord would be liable to pay the girlfriend's moving costs plus other damages. But she'd need to talk to a local lawyer to get a sense of what the local courts would think.Answer #4: [Another person in your building might be a redditor](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/64dtbi/va_maintenance_man_arrested_for_leaving_cameras/)


Title: Can I (a high schooler) drive my friends around without their parents permission? (WA)

Question:
Basically the title. I have had my license for over 6 months so I can legally drive other people but some of my friends have parents who won't let them ride with other kids. Could I get into legal trouble for driving them anyway? Could their parents sue mine if we got into an accident?

Thanks!

Answer:
 First off, IANAL

If you are under 18, then you can't have more than 3 people under 20 in the car with you for the second six months. While it wouldn't be illegal to drive friends whose parents forbid them from driving around with you, you will get them in trouble with their parents. So you could be dealing with angry parents, which is something I personally would avoid.

As far as legal liability, if you were to get into an accident and the others were hurt, it really depends on your insurance coverage. If the passenger's damages are greater than your coverage (or they aren't covered) then your parents (since I am assuming you are a minor) could be liable for the difference. That could open your family to being sued.

While this is not legal advice, but personal, you should respect their parents wishes. While it may seem unreasonable, the fact is that new drivers (especially teenagers) are way more likely to get into accidents. Plus it's pretty typical that having a group of teens "lowers" the IQ of the group and could lead to bad decisions. Basically, just limit the people who drive around with you to people who are allowed to.


Title: Restraining order against PA TURNPIKE employee

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What do you mean how does it happen? People with restraining orders are allowed to have jobs. Answer #2: No. Restraining orders do not cover incidental or surprise contact provided the restrained person takes reasonable steps to get further away. If it turns out, for example, that you both got on the same train, he could get in trouble for going and talking with you - but if he just sits in his assigned seat he isn't in trouble.


Title: [Abu Dhabi - UAE] Went to the Doctor for some cysts, got genitally mutilated

Question:
Hi,

A friend of mine went to a doctor to get some cysts removed. That went a bit too far and the doctor removed part of her clitoris.

Now she wants to sue but other doctor in the UAE refuse to provide a medical certificate of such thing. A local lawyer advised her to get the certificate in another county. She eventually got one in Tunisia and she's heading to Morocco to get an additional certificate, then go back to the UAE and sue.

Any other advice is highly appreciated!

Edit: my question is, how can she defend herself before a court in the UAE in such case? What about doctors refusal to provider her with a certificate?

Answer: I don't think there are any UAE legal experts here. She will need to follow the advice of her attorneyAnswer #2: I'm sorry but no one here is going to be able to give any advice regarding laws in the UAE. It is a completely different legal system, even in basic theory, than the United States.


Title: Neighbor's Cat terrorizing anything that moves. Options?

Question:
My neighbor's cat is in my yard a lot, since our houses are less than 20 feet apart. However, he uses my front and backyard as a hunting ground and I am constantly picking up dead birds, squirrels, and sometimes even OTHER CATS. I thankfully keep my cat inside, but this little monster is a hunter.

&#x200B;

I've tried "tom cat" spray, a water hose, leaving notes for the neighbor about putting him out... nothing is changing. I'm SICK of picking up dead birds in my yard and watching super-bloody cat fights out my own window.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

....options? Opinions?

Answer: i just watched an episode of My Cat From Hell and they used motion sensor water sprinklers to make their yard unfriendly to neighborhood catsAnswer #2: You can call your local animal control and report Domestic Pet Abuse


Title: Friend got busted cops want to talk to me

Question:
So my friend got busted for doing something illegal. he let hem search his phone and they got mine and couple other friends phone numbers. are trying to connect us to the crime they got my friend for. They are trying to contact us all the only evidence they have is aginst the friend. Do I need to contact some one or can I just ignore them. I was not involved in said illegal activity.
Mi

Answer:
 Ignore 100%.  If you get arrested call an attorney.  Don't fall for the whole "Why don't you just talk to me to clear things up" line that they will use to try to get you to talk.Answer #2: In addition to the excellent advice given about not talking to the police, let me add: stop being this person's friend. Your friend:

1. Is a criminal; and
2. after being arrested, *allowed* the police to search his phone.

Get better friends. Answer #3: Do not speak to the police without an attorney. You should not speak to the police whatsoever, if you're charged with a crime get an attorney.


Title: Old house owner wants vivent alarm system legal advice needed MT

Question:
First of I would like to personally thank everyone who reads and comments to this post. I am grateful for your help in this matter. I don't want you to think it has gone unnoticed. So thank you.

I live in Montana. I recently bought a house in middle of march. The old owner had a vivent alarm service 50/month and an equipment loan of 3000. I had called vivent and talked with them but after reflection decided not to get their monitoring service. They told me that they would not come and uninstall their system. The system consists of doorbell alarm, deadbolt smart lock, smaet thermostat and control panel. Vivent told me that i can keep the equipment as i have no contract with them and "it's not their policy to come and uninstall new homeowners equipment".

The previous owner keeps contact me and telling me to settle it with vivent. I told them i am not doing business with vivent. He told me he has 3000$ equipment loan and wants to personally come and uninstall everything himself. I've seen the mans handywork. I don't want him touching any of this. Also i would have to reinstall everything myself and be out several hundred dollars.

My question is simple. Because i now own the house. Can he legally come and take that or can i tell him that he is not allowed to take anything. Because i don't want to be out several hundred replacing everything because this man made a bad decision with this company. I am also afraid that he might break into my house because he knows where i live and his life is spiraling. (Divorce , cocaine, cheating, lost engineer job).
Any and all help would be appreciated.

Answer: It’s certainly illegal for someone to step foot on your property without consent. It’s now your house and the alarm is your property.  If you haven’t done do, I highly suggest changing the locks. This is an issue between the previous owner and the company, I would stay out of it as you’ve already tried to help. Answer #2: The alarm system would have been his to settle during the sale. Just like him paying any back taxes, loans or whatever else associated with the property. In my non legal opinion it's between him and the alarm company unless you signed a specific agreement saying that you would take over the contract.Answer #3: I would get a quote from a professional to uninstall the unit and repair the holes if any. Give him the quote and tell him if he wants it out, mail you a check and you will have it removed.


Title: Just had another rearend accident, what to do?

Question:
[LA, California] Last year September I had a pretty big rearend accident on freeway, messed up my back and neck badly. Still not settled with my lawyer.

Today on the same freeway, a teenage girl on her phone was tailgating and rearended me around 20mph (Have rearview cam). Got all her info and told her I have cam and watched her use her phone, which she admitted. My back and neck was hurting again and nauseous, but I had a meeting so I had to go. Rear bumper is damaged and nothing else

It has been one hour past since the accident. I don't want to go through another lawyer because it has been really frustrating.

Please give me any advice on what to do by myself. Thank you

Answer:
 First off, you need to go to the hospital ASAP especially if you have pre-existing conditions. You must have one sturdy car then, because a 20MPH rear-end will total a ton of vehicles. She was okay, too? The police weren't called at all by anyone to the scene?

Call your insurance and go to the ER as soon as you can.


Title: Deadly force

Question:
I'm in WI.

Completely random thought that I had while driving past a couple of troopers searching a car they had stopped.

If, while driving past a stop like that, you were to witness the officers in a shootout with someone (I watch too much tv), would you have any legal protections to hit the suspect with your vehicle?

This is assuming that the officers are clearly uniformed in a gun fight with someone who is not uniformed.

In all honesty I'd probably shit myself and call 911 while speeding away, just curious though.

Answer: Defense of another is a legit defense. You would be within your rights to do that. But driving into an active gun fight is the definition of insanity.


Title: Best friend's husband is leaving her after -2 years of marriage. She's disabled and he says he will only support her for 2 months. [UK]

Question:
Although he knew when they met that she had a disability and would eventually be wheelchair-bound, it happened much sooner than expected.

This disability has forced her to give up work and made it impossible to even leave the flat alone.

Despite him having a significant income, they are in a lot of debt.

She's a Kiwi and adamant she wants to stay in the UK.

He says he isn't ready to divorce, so they're separating and moving to different parts of the country for now.

Despite previously saying he would support her, he now says he will only do so for 2 months.

Because she's a Kiwi and her spouse has a substantial income, she isn't eligible for disability benefits.

Without an income she can't afford a lawyer. Can he do this to her? I would be ever so grateful for your thoughts!

Answer: She needs to hire a divorce attorney. Her situation isn't at all unusual, and her soon-to-be ex-husband is going to be very disappointed when he finds out that instead of cutting her off after 2 months he's going to be paying her to destroy him in court.


Title: Most of my belongings were stolen from my apartment complex's laundry room last night (Baltimoe, MD)

Question:
I washed two large loads of laundry last night, one with most of my clothes and one with my sheets, 2 comforters, and the back cover of my couch (which I dyed myself and unfortunately will never get to match again). I went back to my apartment while they were drying (45 mins) and came back down after about 1 hour, not more than 70 minutes and they were both gone.

I'm freaking out. I live in a secure building (fob required for entry, elevator use, etc) and assumed it was safe. I reported it to the building manager, they basically said there is nothing I can do and that they are not accountable. Where do I go from here? I have renter's insurance but my building manager said this will probably not be covered. Is he right? Should I file a police report? I don't even know how to go about that.

I do live in Baltimore in a moderately safe neighborhood but my building itself is very secure and located on two very safe cross-streets. I am a grad student and living off of grants/loans/and work-study aka I'm broke. What can I do??

Answer:
 Call the police and tell them you want to report a theft.

Call your renter's insurance company and report this to them as well.  I doubt that your apartment manager has read the terms of your policy, and therefore does not know for sure what is or is not covered.Answer #2: Renter's insurances covers having items stolen to include clothing.  As such I strongly recommend you call the police and file a report.  Then with that report number contact the company your renter's insurance it through.  Considering you are talking about sheets, comforters, a couch cover plus a load of laundry you should be over you deductible from the renter's insurance.


Title: Hypothetical: If I’m smoking marijuana and someone breaks into my house and I shoot and kill them, would I be placed under arrest and/or have my gun confiscated?

Question:
Let’s say that I’m at home smoking marijuana and watching TV when someone breaks down my door. I grab my gun and shoot and kill this intruder. When the police come, would they arrest me for consuming marijuana and firing a firearm and/or would they confiscate my gun for the consumption of marijuana?

I understand I’d likely be questioned and handcuffed until they could sort out what happen in addition to confiscating my gun for those reasons, but I’m curious in how it relates to the marijuana use.

I live in a legal state, by the way. But I’ve been told that it’s not legal for someone to consume marijuana and own a firearm.

Answer: Regadless of state law, under federal law an habitual marijuana user is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm, because marijuana remains on the federal schedule of controlled substances.  However, most state/local police will not arrest anyone on a federal charge. As for state law, even in a legal state, it depends on the weapons laws and how the marijuana was made legal.


Title: My friend took my car without permission and got a DUI

Question:
I'm going to keep this short for now, will add more details if necessary...

I was underway on my ship in the navy for 13 days and I left my car at a friend's house. He took my car without my permission and just today (my first day back) got a DUI. He is currently in jail and my car is impounded.

Is there any way for me to avoid paying the tow bill?

Answer:
 You should pay the tow bill ASAP and get your car back so you don't keep racking up fees every day. You can sue your "friend" for the cost once you've gotten the car out.Answer #2: IANAL, but I've worked as an auto insurance adjuster.  Still, the following cannot be considered professional or legal advice in any sense.

I know it sucks, but you should pay the tow bill up front, and get the car out ASAP.  You don't want storage charges to accrue while you are getting everything else sorted out. You have to mitigate the storage charges.

In other words, you can't let* the car rack up storage charges and then expect the friend to be responsible for the entire amount.  It's his fault the car was impounded (initial tow charges) but any* remaining charges beyond that would be your responsibility because you let your car sit in the impound lot.

Once you pay to get your car out, maybe you can think about taking your friend to small claims court for the tow bill and any filing fees, etc.  I'll let others speak to that process.*

But first, time is money when your car is impounded, so get it out of there.  If you already have, awesome!

Edits: A couple of words.


Title: New York State has sold my business address to junk mailers--is this legal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The State did not "sell" your address. Your business address becomes public record when you register it. There is no permission required to do so. People must be able to track down who they're doing business with to prevent things like fraud.Answer #2: That's public information.


Title: NYC, NY. Tenants consistently late on rent; are almost a month late on this month's; refuse to move out and threaten to call the cops or take us to court every time we demand them to move.

Question:
At my other house, my parents have rented out one of the floors to a family. They have been consistently late on rent (always around two weeks late) and as of right now, they're pretty much a whole month late on rent.

My parents have tried to call them to tell them that they need to pay and that they cannot just keep avoiding the payments, but they have blocked my parents' numbers. My Mom just recently came home after going to the apartment floor, to ask about the money (because they promised they would have it yesterday, but still don't have it). They threatened to call the police on my Mom (she doesn't speak much of any English), and constantly keep threatening my parents with taking them to court because, according to them, we don't have any rights in kicking them out like that (because the woman in the apartment has a lot of children).

There is no lease contract, so they are pretty much on a month-to-month basis in terms of renting out the place,
They refuse to leave, even though my parents have offered them money to cover for their first month or so at a new place. When my parents made the offer, they had the audacity to demand more from my parents and demand that they be allowed to stay longer without any rent payments.
What can my parents do?

Answer:
 > What can my parents do?

Your parents can follow the [proper procedure to evict them for nonpayment.](https://www.nycourts.gov/COURTS/nyc/housing/nonpayment.shtml)Answer #2: Your parents should stop contacting them as this can be seen as harassment.

What they need to do is follow the process for eviction TO THE LETTER, documenting everything.  If your parents do not speak much English and may have trouble doing this on their own, I recommend a lawyer to handle this for them.

At this point, I would suggest doing a dual strike: give them proper notice for eviction due to non-payment AND give them the required month-to-month tenancy termination notice.  This will ensure that your parents are able to move forward with getting these tenants out even if they pay in full before the first eviction can go through (which generally will halt the eviction and begin everything over).

Evictions are very procedure oriented.  If your parents make even a small mistake, a judge may deny the eviction and force them to start over.  Again, if there is a question of whether or not they have enough of an understanding of the language to do this themselves, they should hire someone to do it for them.


Title: Can a company offer insurance to non married gay couples and not to non married couples?

Question:
Is there a loop hole that anyone would care  about disclosing?... This is the worst kind of discrimination... The kind against me.

Edit: Sorry for it taking so long for me to get back. We are legally allowed to get married, we just don't have the extra money (we just had a kid, and the struggle is real). Our goal is to get married sometime by the end of the year. The company is a national chain, but we live in Knoxville, Tennessee. I'm totally in favor of them giving domestic partners insurance, I honestly feel equality means equality, and whats good for one is good for all.

Thanks for the comments, sorry for the formatting errors again to be honest I wasnt sure if location mattered due to the size of the company (its huge) and It was posted from my phone (which I hate doing).

Answer: The set of "non-married couples" includes the set of "non-married gay couples".


Title: Friend's rapist is applying to medical school - anything I can do?

Question:
I'm currently a junior at a large state school in Michigan. Guy A raped my friend after a party last year and is now applying to medical school. Even though she was too drunk to successfully fight back, she remembers clearly saying no multiple times and trying to push him away. She decided not to report it to the police or the university even though I pushed to her report (this guy has a pattern of doing things like this) and I ended up respecting her decision and not reporting it for her. I've known Guy A for years and friends have always told me to stay away from him, and I've heard stories from people I trust of him sexually assaulting at least two other girls in similar situations (who did also not report). I have also personally witnessed him sexually assaulting another of my friends by groping her at a party, and forcefully kissing another. (Please don't ask me why my friends keep inviting him to parties, I have no idea). Is there anything I can legally do to stop this man from becoming a doctor? I strongly believe he is a sexual predator and should not be in a trusted position of power, or have access to sedated patients.

Note: all of our mutual friends eventually heard about the assaults from the 3 girls I know and stopped inviting him to things. All of this is known and accepted in our friend group, which is frustrating for me because none of the victims want to report.

Update: Thanks for your help everyone! Even though it looks like even if I manage to convince my friend and the other girls to report the assaults not much will happen ): And yes, I need new friends because they didn't believe the accusations about him until he sexually assaulted the third girl which is a little terrifying. Will see if victims want to talk to an attorney, thanks!

Answer:
 As far as the law is concerned, this guy is not guilty of anything, so no, there's nothing you can do.

If the SOL hasn't run out, your friend can report the rape still.Answer #2: To stop him from applying to med school?  Not much you can do as all you have is mainly second-hand information.  Your first-hand information involves him kissing and groping women at 'parties' which he repeatedly gets invited to.

As far as being a doctor, you could attempt to report him to a medical board, but this would be years from now and "I think he raped my friend 8 years ago but she didn't file a report" will probably fall on deaf ears.

I know the frustration, but just imagine if it were possible to derail someone's life by an anonymous tip about alleged criminal activity from a decade ago that never went reported by the victims.Answer #3: If your friend and others never took action against him, you are putting yourself at risk of a viable defamation claim by spreading what are effectively unsubstantiated rumors.

If you feel strongly about wanting to speak out, you should speak with an attorney first.


Title: Ex left ~95% of his possessions behind when he left me last week.

Question:
Last Thursday my (now ex) bf left me, flying from MA to NC after mailing two boxes of stuff to his family home and taking a small suitcase. Everything else he owned he left behind - clothing, books, tools, knickknacks, video games/systems, books, movies, etc. He bagged a lot of it up into contractor bags (some with regular trash tossed in) but left them in his room, on the back porch, in the garage, and in the driveway. Up until I got a text from him that he was at the airport and leaving, I was under the impression that someone was driving up to get him and his stuff. Mind you, I'd only learned less than 24 hours prior to this that he was leaving at all. The apartment is mine. My mother owns the house. He was paying a minimal amount of money to me to help with utilities costs.

What are my obligations, if any? I want this stuff gone.

I have tried contacting him to ask if he is planning to collect the rest of his stuff or if he just abandoned it. He is ignoring me.

To me the way it was treated as trash and the fact that he's ignoring me means he intended never to return for it and it is abandoned property. Thoughts?

Thanks.

Answer:
 [NOLO](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/handling-tenants-abandoned-property-massachusetts.html) has a good guide one what to do, specifically the inventory list towards the middle.

With this situation, you want to be very careful to cover your bases.  He was considered a tenant regardless of any expenses he paid.  Follow that guide in the link and make sure you do your due diligence.  It will not happen overnight, but better to cover your ass and do it right the long way.