Title: My job may make me a victim of identity thief

Question:
So we all (everyone on my company's payroll) received an email today:

"PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that the "Company" was recently the victim of criminal activity and personal information belonging to some of our current and former employees was accessed. The Company is deeply concerned about the privacy and security of its business associates and employees. We are writing to explain what happened and what we are doing about it, and offer our assistance in addressing related concerns.

What Happened:
On February 16,2017, an unauthorized individual impersonating a Company administrator sent a fraudulent email to us requesting the W-2 information of Company employees. The Company responded to the request and sent a file to the impersonator.

What Information Was Involved:
The disclosed information consisted of information found in the 2016 IRS W-2 Wage and Tax Statement, which included names, addresses, Social Security numbers, 2016 compensation and tax withholding information, and all other information on the W-2.

What We Are Doing:
To protect our employees, Company is responding aggressively. We have notified law enforcement, and have engaged outside counsel to conduct a thorough review of the Company's internal procedures with the goal of further enhancing the security of employee information.

To help protect your identity, Company is providing you with Experian Fraud Resolution services. Experian agents are available to work with you to investigate and resolve any instances of actual fraud that you experience after the date of this incident.

Additionally, the Company is offering you one year of free identity protection services from Experian's ProtectMyID, a leading identity monitoring service...."

This letter goes on for a few pages. I have registered with Experian. I also have already completed my taxes this year. Where should I go from here?  I don't feel like just one year of identity theft protection is sufficient with all of the information they have.

Edit: I am in the United States. I'm not sure how specific my location needs to be

Answer: Identity theft protection for an entire year is pretty damn sufficient. They do not owe you that service.


Title: [WA] Neighbors parking in driveway, have asked them to not do so, they still do. Concerned about retaliation.

Question:
I am posting for a friend on this one.

I'd like to know what the next best step is for my friend in regards to the following scenario. What can be done legally and how to protect my friend/house from retaliation (likely property damage).

Neighbors I believe are a foster home and they have a lot of teenagers. They also have 8+ cars they park in front of their house, what doesn't fit in their driveway ends up on their lawn and also my friend's driveway.

Friend has asked repeatedly, politely, if they would stop. They said they would, but continue to use friend's driveway. Signs were put up, but someone took them down/destroyed them and they continue to park in my friend's driveway.

There is space across the street from neighbors house to park extra cars that they aren't using (it's a grassy/gravel area, unused, no houses/driveways).

Friends of friends are suggesting just calling the local PD and informing them of the situation and fear of retaliation (they have done damage and toss garbage into my friend's backyard before). One thing worth noting is my friends house is often empty (nobody home) for a week or so at a time (due to work).

I'm going to suggest at least getting some outdoor cameras setup to capture anything that may happen in relation to property damage, but is there something that my friend should be doing to prevent it in the first place?

Thank you.

Answer:
 First off, I'm not a lawyer.

Does your friend own their house and the driveway? If so, inform neighbors that illegally-parked cars on their property will be towed. Then start calling tow companies every time they park on the property.

As for retaliation, yes 100% outdoor motion-activated night-vision cameras. They're not expensive.

If your friend is renting, they should talk to their landlord. The landlord can call the tow company or (I believe) authorize your friend to do so.

Whenever neighbors vandalize / litter in friend's backyard -- call the cops. The new video evidence your friend is going to have will prove quite helpful.

Finally, there's nothing you can do to prevent crazy being crazy. They've gone the nice route, signs and all that, and it hasn't worked.


Title: Arizona. I am taken aback trying to grasp how this is legal...

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 First, why would it ever be illegal to accept only cash as a payment? There are a lot of businesses and even public functions (like, for example, courthouses in some states, or tolls) that won't take credit cards.

Second, it looks like you are talking about one specific program for people with bad credit, not the entire power system.

Third, it's a regulated utility. If you have a problem with them, there is a local office who oversees them, and elected officials you can contact.


Title: ISP received subpoena for my info for software download. I dont even know where to start.

Question:
Hi everyone,

I just received a notice from my service provider (charter) that a software company has filed a subpoena to attain my personal information due to copyrighted software download. FYI, im in Los angeles California and the subpoena is from the united states district court for southern texas.

The ISPs letter basically says i have until October 5th to formally oppose disclosure in court or they will send my contact info to the software company.

On the subpoena it says:

SUBPOENA TO PRODUCE DOCUMENTS, INFORMATION, OR OBJECTS OR TO PERMIT INSPECTION OF PREMISES IN A CIVIL ACTION (I assume this is alluding to the isp giving them my info)

It also says, Jury trial demanded.

&#x200B;

What would the next step be? Ive read posts on this subreddit and elsewhere for the last few hours and dont even know where to begin. Do I contact an attorney? what kind of attorney? Ive never had any need or even contact with an attorney, the only ones I can find that mention online crimes say they deal with nasty stuff like internet bullying or child porn cases, not piracy.

Ive read that quashing a subpoena almost never works unless im in a different state as where its filed? is this something I can do or its lawyer time?

thanks for the help guys. I love reading through this subreddit, hate that this is my first post though.

Answer:
 If you are illegally downloading anything, it's time to stop.

Also, just on general principles, you should look into protecting your privacy with a real VPN (one that you pay for) like Private Internet Access.Answer #2: I don't have a specific answer for you but here are a couple of resources:

https://www.eff.org/pages/frequently-asked-questions-subpoena-targets

https://fightcopyrighttrolls.com/


Title: Employer Wants to Split Maternity/Paternity Benefits Because Both Spouses Work Together - MA

Question:
Hi,

My spouse and I work for a company with 60+ employees. The new handbook for the year states that they are offering 4 weeks paid time off for a new parents. This is in addition to FMLA and the MA laws, which don't require any PAID time off as far as I can tell.

There is a disclaimer in the handbook that says that if your spouse works at the company then you are entitled to 4 weeks PTO total between both parents. Seems weird to me that even though we are employed as individuals and receive all other company benefits individually, but that we will lose 2 weeks of compensation because we are married.

I do see that FMLA allows the unpaid time to be split between both spouses, so they don't have to offer us both 12 weeks unpaid. But since they are offering a benefit above and beyond that to the employees, doesn't it seem discriminatory (probably a strong word) to not offer that benefit equally to employees that are married?

Thanks!

Answer: No.  They are more than fulfilling the requirements of the FMLA, and can choose to handle those additional benefits in any way they choose.


Title: "Position eliminated," what kind of attorney do I need?

Question: They gave me a packet to sign. I want someone to review it first to make sure it includes everything they told me verbally, and to help me negotiate for more severance pay. Do I need an employment attorney? Or something else?

Answer:
 >help me negotiate for more severance pay.

What kind of leverage do you have?Answer #2: You can consult an employment attorney, or a general litigation attorney.  Expect to be paying by the hour.Answer #3: Unless you have a contract that states something else (unlikely unless you're a high executive) or you're represented by a union, they don't have to give you anything.  I'm not sure what's in that packet, or what you think you can offer them in return for more severance pay, but it's likely that they'll laugh at you and tell you to go pound sand.

What kind of documents are in the packet?


Title: Would a restraining order prevent me from obtaining photos and using them as artwork of the person that is getting the restraining order? Would it prevent me from speaking publicly about that person?

Question:
I'm a recording artist (I prefer not to give out my identity) and occasionally, I tend to use my ex's pictures for my cover art (I've already solved the copyright issue) and often speak on my ex publicly. They're claiming they're getting a restraining order and I want to know if this would prevent that. Could they force me to take down something that is already currently up?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Serious advice: you need therapy so you can move on with your life and leave this person alone.


Title: [Manitoba]What happens if I have a surgery scheduled due to a car accident, I get fired due to downsizing, and then go for surgery without a job?

Question:
Basically, if I manage to get through the downsizing with my job still I will be covered between MPI and my work's benefits for 100% my wage.  so I am wondering what happens if I don't have a job come my surgery.  MPI technically doesn't have to cover me because they just pay for 80% of your income.

I have heard of companies having to cover recently let go employees if they go on disability within 12 weeks after termination in Ontario, so is this something that applies here too?  I am worried about the downsizing royally screwing me because no one will hire someone going for surgery in the near future.

Answer:
 There is public healthcare in Manitoba. You will not be charged for surgery (unless it's cosmetic).

Did you get injured on the job or is there an insurance settlement or something? MPI handles insurance settlements, but you don't need insurance or a job to get free healthcare in Manitoba.

Insurance might cover things like rehabilitation, but that is based on the settlement.

If you are referring to things like having a private room while you are recovering at the hospital, which might be covered by a supplemental health plan through your work, call the insurance company and ask them.


Title: MS i gave a guy syphilis and he gave it to his wife and she has proof of us sleeping together for the divorce can i be charged w/ anything? ty

Answer: If you knowingly had it, and did not notify him, you could be charged. You do have a duty to notify for STD's.


Title: If someone threatens their life against you, is there action that can be taken?

Question: My ex-SO has recently been recently telling me that if I do not date her again that she will end her life. We are both minors and I was wondering if there is anything I can do that will give her the help that she needs. I have spoken to her parents and they got her a psychiatrist but they blow the suicide part off and only care about depression. Is there anything I can do?''(NJ,US)

Answer: Call the police any time she threatens suicide and report that you fear for her life. They will do a wellness check, and then you cut her off. Someone else's mental health is not your responsibility.


Title: Could I get in legal trouble for handing out pamphlets about how to get cheaper dental work outside a dentist office? (Virginia)

Question:
BACKGROUND:

I needed to get my wisdom teeth out and I had a consult with an oral surgeon a few months ago. I made it very clear that I was trying to figure out whether I could afford it, I didn't want to book the appointment yet. He said it was policy to not give an estimate until I booked an appointment. During the consult they took an unnecessary x-ray (they already had my x-rays that were only a few weeks old) to get extra money from my insurance company, and then the surgeon handed me a pamphlet about what wisdom tooth extraction was and read from the pamphlet. That's it.

A week later they called and said that WITH insurance the procedure would be $3000, so I cancelled the appointment and now have plans to go to Mexico to get my wisdom teeth out. Including plane tickets and a hotel, the procedure is now going to cost around $500.

After I cancelled the appointment, the American dentist office billed me over $100 for the 10 minute "consultation" appointment in which the dentist just read to me from a pamphlet. At no point was I warned that this consultation would cost me anything despite the fact that I was very clear from the start that I was just trying to figure out the cost because I'm living almost paycheck to paycheck. When I disputed the charge with the dentist office they talked down to me like I was too stupid to understand how hard the dentist worked during my consultation.

I really can't pay this because, like I said, I live nearly paycheck to paycheck and am currently saving up for the much more affordable procedure down south.

&#x200B;

On to the actual question:

Assuming the Mexican dentists don't completely fuck my shit up, would I potentially face any legal trouble for writing up a pamphlet or flyer about how people can get dental work AND a vacation for much cheaper than this dentist will ever offer?

If this is all legal so far, would it be a problem if I added the extra dimension of telling the dentist office about my plan and mentioning that I might be persuaded not to do this if my bill for the consultation could be forgiven?

&#x200B;

I'm posting this in the off topic forum because I'm worried it might be removed for trolling, although I'm not trolling. I'm a 100% real disgruntled former dental patient.

Answer:
 > A week later they called and said that WITH insurance the procedure would be $3000, so I cancelled the appointment and now have plans to go to Mexico to get my wisdom teeth out. Including plane tickets and a hotel, the procedure is now going to cost around $500

Is there only one dentist in Virginia?

&#x200B;

>If this is all legal so far, would it be a problem if I added the extra dimension of telling the dentist office about my plan and mentioning that I might be persuaded not to do this if my bill for the consultation could be forgiven?

 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackmail](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackmail)Answer #2: If you are going to an oral surgeon I expect your extraction is more complex than just a simple little wiggle. I have dental insurance and had a tooth extraction recently (a molar) and it cost well over $1000 just for the tooth. Anything additional, like grafting or sedation or anything else immediately costs more. I’d suggest you get a second opinion, and possibly avoid that dentist in the future.

Plus, clinics in Mexico may not necessarily adhere to the same standards of care and treatment. While dental tourism is increasing, there are reports of poor quality care and outcomes


Title: Siblings inheriting house without will. Would like some advice or direction due to a problematic sibling.[OK]

Question:
 Our parent died without a will. There are no other parents or stepparents left, just two middle aged siblings.
The only thing left of the estate is the house with furnishings. House is paid for, no outstanding loans.
I am the responsible sibling with job, family, house.
The other sibling, whom I will refer to as 2, is another story. 2 was living with parent in house when parent died and still lives there. Most of 2's income is from ssdi. 2 does have a small side job earning under the ssdi limit. 2 has a lifelong history of irresponsibility, credit problems, outstanding medical debt, felony convictions, drug abuse and disability due to drug abuse. That is the reason 2 was living with parent before parent's death.
The estate is about close with both siblings inheriting the house.

I do not trust my sibling for multiple reasons and would prefer NOT to jointly inherit a house with them.
2 has limited income, resources and bad credit. I don't foresee a way for them to buy their portion of the house from me.
2 has indicated they would prefer to keep living in this house.
I don't have the extra resources or income to pay yearly taxes and house insurance for 2 to live there. Even if I did, still wouldn't want to just give 2 a free place to live.
2 has concerns about inheriting the house with ssdi and a large outstanding medical debt. As far as I know it should not affect ssdi, not sure about the medical debt.

Could 2 decline to inherit their portion of the house leaving me sole beneficiary?
Should I decline to inherit the house just to get away from 2 never deal with them again?
I tried doing a little research. Conservatorship looks like I would be responsible for sibling in all aspects of life, I don'twant that. I'm not sure about a trust.

An idea I had was 2 would decline to inherit. I become landlord. 2 pays me rent that only covers insurance and taxes for the year, no profit for me. 2 can stay in the house till no longer able. It sounds rather unfair but I am grasping at ideas.

Could someone please give advice or a direction to research before 2 and I try to finalize estate?

State is Oklahoma if that matters.

Answer:
 You guys can sell the house and spilt the proceeds-best course of action bc then you dont have to have any financial relationship with 2.Answer #2: Just sell the house and cash out.  File to partition and force sale if sibling refuses to sell.  None of your ideas make any sense and create unequal distribution, especially the rental one.  Just sell.Answer #3: Not legal advice, just practical. If you are the landlord, you have to fix every roof leak, water heater, keep the yard up, etc. I know of your sibling struggle, and putting myself in your shoes, I can see myself getting a ticket from code enforcement for neck-high grass, trash piled on side of the house, derelict vehicles parked about. I can also see finding out about major water damage that could have been prevented, from something simple like a leaky dishwasher, all because a sibling didn’t ever even tell me.  Down the road, you are facing evicting said sibling.

My advice, sell the house, split the proceeds. Sibling can take money and find some place to live on their own, and you won’t have this lead weight on your neck for the next 20 years.


Title: Is this a case? Medical negligence at the hospital. My dad waited 45 minutes in the ER before being admitted with a stroke. Afterwards had to wait two hours before being seen by a doctor.

Question:
Time is everything with a stroke and it was my dad's third stroke so my mom knew the symptoms right away. After finally being admitted they took two hours to get him into a CAT scan and then they waited about an hour and half more! They had the nerve to tell my mom they forgot about it. Then they had to transfer him to another hospital because they did not have a neurologist on staff. The hospital said it was because it was the holidays. This is a level II trauma hospital so I don't even know how that could happen.(Edit: I mean they have a certified stroke care center.) They did not treat him at all at the first hospital.

 When he got to the second hospital they had to wait for a neurologist to confirm. He did not get any medicine or treatment until about six hours after being admitted! He is now disabled on his left side and can only walk a couple feet. I just want to make sure that is an actual case or if I am just being angry and biased over my dad.

Location is Nevada. Thank you!
edit- Just want to add when she got to the hospital she told the clerk he was having a stroke.
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer: Sound like you might have something you'd want to discuss with a couple malpractice lawyers.  Talk to a few different ones under a free initial consultation and don't sign anything with them until you decide for sure to hire one of them and check references.  They'll put a lot of sales pressure on you to sign.


Title: Is this gender discrimination?

Question:
I work inpatient in a hospital in Massachusetts. We frequently have aggressive patients (usually confused or demented), who require somebody to sit with them at all times. Recently, the hospital has been labeling the more aggressive patients as "male only" for their 1:1 sitter (usually a nursing assistant on the floor is pulled to sit).

It seems to me that making the aggressive patients "male only" is extremely sexist, as it puts males at an elevated risk of injury just for being male, and tells women that they cannot handle those patients as well as a man, based on absolutely no research. Does this go against gender discrimination laws?

Answer:
 You are allowed to discriminate on gender if its a legitimate requirement of the job. For example, its legal to refuse to cast a man as Princess Margaret in "The Queen".

The hospital is only designating certain patients as "male only", and presumably they have articulatable reasons why. Perhaps they have sexually assaulted female but not male attendants. Perhaps their behavior shows they get more aggressive with women than men. These are both legitimate reasons to require a male attendant, and therefore don't break any laws.Answer #2: IANAL but have a lot of experience with working with MA mental health. There are some patients that are too aggressive and target women. I’ve seen this. I’m not sure what you mean about research... do you want to have a controlled trial where women get assaulted by male patients to *prove* justification for this? If you want case by case justification *ask for it*

Because it’s super common in mental health to have issues with women. Unless someone says something like “we only do this because male staff are stronger and better” then your argument doesn’t really hold its weight.

Currently I don’t think it does go against the law because you are not being denied opportunity, pay, or any other aspect of your position over a man, just asked not to sit with certain patients. Heck I was once on a unit that didn’t allow black staff with one patient because that patient was insanely assaultive towards people of color. Unless you *know* for sure that this is a policy that is not set up surrounding patient care I dont think the argument for gender discrimination holds up


Title: [NY] Kickstarter failed to deliver rewards, one backer is class-action suing. Is this legit?

Question:
**Edit: The project creator just posted an update finally and it seems we'll be getting our rewards in December. I should clarify that I wasn't particularly broken up by the situation and was willing to take the hit, but I more skeptical of the class-action suit that was already being filed by another backer.**

So, the title kind of says the whole thing. We backed a project, the guy never delivered, last post was in August, no updates since, and now one of the backers is posting on the comment board that he's suing the guy. Here are his two posts:

1) 4 days ago. Dear fellow backers: I'm preparing a class action lawsuit against Planetware's creators for failure to deliver rewards and failure to refund. If you want to be plaintiff, please email your full legal name and the city and state in which you reside to [redacted]. You can find information about my legal background [linkedin link redacted due to no Personally Identifiable Information rule]. I will post updates regarding the lawsuit to this comment thread. Thank you -- now let's get our money back!

2) about 18 hours ago. Here's a quick update on the class action that's in the works:
You don't have to be a plaintiff in the case to recover. If we're able to establish a class and recover, backers will be eligible to recover as class members without being named plaintiffs and in the same manner as the named plaintiffs.
However, the court may give "incentive awards" (i.e. extra cash) to the named plaintiffs for their service as class representatives. (I'll fill you in on what that entails.)

If you want to consider being a named plaintiff, please email your full legal name and the city and state in which you reside to [redacted]. I won't do anything with that information without your further approval.

I'll need at least one named plaintiff for each U.S. state in which there are backers seeking to recover. I've been contacted by backers in four states, but none in California, where I want to file the lawsuit. If you're in California, please contact me!
I've also been contacted by two backers in Canada. I can only represent U.S. residents, however I'll be contacting Canadian attorneys about bringing a parallel lawsuit for Canadian residents.

So, is this guy legit? Should I email him or just wait and see?

Answer: The chances of actually recovering from a failed Kickstarter (where most of the "start-ups" have little cash) are near zero. I personally wouldn't respond to it.Answer #2: when you support start ups the accepted risk is that the startup will fail.


Title: My grandmother is verbally abusive to her adopted son who was only adopted out of foster care for money.

Question: She started fostering him when he was 7, adopted him two years later after one parent signed away rights and the other had them taken, and now he is 12. Due to his past experience of being physically, verbally, and possibly sexually abused, he is developmentally delayed (not severely) and often times the “weird” kid. To make matters worse, he is currently getting bullied at school. My grandmother is an unhealthy guardian for him, because she belittles or insults him all the time, sometimes for no reason at all other than she’s annoyed. She old and her body is broken down, so she takes a lot of her frustration out on him simply because she can. Not only does her anger, yelling, and choice of words get to him, but he has increasingly gotten angrier with her and more upset about it as a whole. I’m worried for the child’s sake, because he has been through so much and is still going through a lot and I’m concerned he may end up hurting himself or someone else. He goes to public school and sees a counselor (because the state makes him). I am 20 years old and technically his niece through the adoption. What, if anything, can I do?

Answer: IANAL. Is it possible for you to contact DHS or his state case worker? This sounds like a very serious and possibly dangerous situation for both your grandma and her adopted son, especially as he gets older. Her adopted son deserves a chance at a good life which is not being provided to him. There is a chance he might need some serious therapy too. If you are too afraid to call on his behalf, would you consider talking to his counselor or teacher at school about your concerns? I believe she/he would have to report anything serious, or at least talk to him and then make a report. Good luck!!


Title: VA Wife's license has expired, can't renew because green card expires in 1 month

Question: Virginia - My wife's green card expires in 1 month(2 year conditional GC due to marriage). We thought her license expiration matches her green card expiration date, but it turns out she's been driving on an expired license for 1 month. She hasn't gotten busted for it, and we're planning on going to the DMV to renew it. I've submitted the paperwork to remove the conditions on her green card (Form I-751) to USCIS but have yet to hear back. From the scuttlebutt on the internet it appears they're running behind on new green card submissions. However if the DMV refuses to grant her a new license what options do we have for giving her a legally valid way to drive a car? When we originally tried to get her a license they wouldn't grant her one without a valid green card, however immigration law says she is "legal" while her petition is pending.

Answer: The first thing Would be to go to the DMV and see if they indeed refuse to grant her a license.


Title: Blu-ray association wants me to pay $500/yr to use those blue cases with their logo on top (California)

Question:
I'm planning to make a small batch of bluray discs to sell, featuring my own content. The Blu-ray Disc Association (www.blu-raydisc.info) want $500 per year to use the Blu-ray logo on the packaging. If I don't pay it, I can use the word Blu-ray, but not that 'b)' logo.
I'm fine with that, who needs that on their cover? The problem is, every Blu-ray case that any disc duplicator supplies has the logo in silver at the top of the plastic case, and the Blu-ray Disc Association says if I use those cases then I need to pay them $500.
Can anyone advise whether I need to give in to this shakedown? I understand that they can control what I make with their logo, but do they have the right to control a product that someone else has put a logo on, once it has been sold to me?

Answer: It sounds less like a shake down and more like a licensing fee. You can ignore them but you risk being sued.


Title: (Louisiana) Ex husband is on VA disability, not paying child support and I can't get CSE to do anything

Question: For back story, my ex husband did 4 years in the military and got out in 2009. We divorced in 2008 and child support was set. He never paid anything at all so I turned it over to support enforcement. Nothing ever really got paid there either, jumping job to job as soon as garnishment started. In 2014 he got on VA disability claiming back problems, hearing loss and ptsd. He's now moving state to state and last I knew he was in West Virginia. In 2015 he requested a court date to lower the child support he wasn't paying, and over conference call he admitted he quit his last job because he made too much to get housing assistance and revealed he received $1700 a month from va disability. They set child support to $300. Still nothing. He has over $20,000 in arrears. I have tried time and time again to get in contact with the case worker to discuss what can be done. It's really difficult to get in touch with these people and they say they'll call you back and never do. I was told by support enforcement that his disability cannot be garnished, however I've done my own research and found that it can through apportionment. But I can't get anyone to talk to me or do anything at all to help me. I don't know what I can do. Can I even take the case from support enforcement and get a lawyer. I really don't know what to do. I feel ignored. Any advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 I have never heard of VA benefits being able to be garnished. Pretty sure it isn't possible.

You can pay an attorney but really he knows the system and will just keep moving and never get a job. So it likely won't lead to anything. You can talk to one about trying to garnish his benefits but I doubt it could happen IMO


Title: [TN, USA] If I got a DUI in Tennessee, can I move to a different state while on probation (lets say Idaho) and get a driver's license there without paying the fines?

Question: According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver_License_Compact it looks like Tennessee would not report any of my offenses to other states because it is not a member of the Compact.

Answer: No


Title: (Poland) Wife had to terminate pregnancy and now we are forced to wait ~1 month to bury our child

Question: My wife (Polish) and myself (Cyprus), currently living in the UK, were visiting her family in Poland. While in Poland, my wife had pregnancy complications (there was hematoma that was causing bleeding and might have affected the amniotic sac to rupture at 18 weeks)  and was advised to terminate pregnancy at 18 weeks (to save her from sepsis). Labor was induced and she gave birth to a perfect looking boy that did not stand a chance of survival in this cruel world. We were told that we would be able to receive him back and arrange for funeral 2 weeks after. Three weeks have passed and no one is giving us any information on where our child is. Only information we get from the hospital is that it will take much longer for them to run the typical histopathology exams (baby was healthy as far as we know) and for them to release the baby to us, with us having no say on what exams get done on him -- apparently this is a typical procedure in Poland (hospital told us that the law and their procedure says they can take as much as they need to run what ever tests they want). Unfortunately, I dont speak Polish and cant be of much help in trying to figure what I can do in this very difficult time for my family. Any advice?

Answer:
 You may need to consult an attorney in Poland to help you navigate.

I am so sorry for your loss OP! I can speak to the process in Poland, but my doctors here
In the US ran tests on the placenta when I miscarried at 16 weeks...and they did it quickly to ensure I didnt still have an active infection. My son was released to the funeral home the same day.

Can the hospital provide a translator? Is there a family member that can help?


Title: Call girl I used to see had a baby. The court ordered a test and it is mine. What are my rights and obligations? Can I use the same lawyer in the call girl case as in my divorce or is it a conflict of interest? Mississippi - Thanks.

Answer:
 You have the right to request visitation and the responsibility to pay support.

Just ask your lawyer but they can usually represent you in both a divorce and a custody issue.


Title: [NY] Do we need a prenup? No properties, no kids, not a lot of assets.

Question:
My fiancee and I are in NYC. Both of us recently finished paying off our loans, that was our financial goal before marriage. Since we were putting surplus income into early repayments, neither of us has that much assets at the moment. I have mid-5 figures in retirement accounts and savings, she has several times less. We both work on salary (I earn substantially more today, but the incomes will get closer as she advances in her career), rent an apartment, don't own any properties or businesses, don't have kids yet, and don't have any rich elderly relatives on the verge of leaving us large inheritances.

&#x200B;

The common wisdom is "always get a prenup", but would a prenup really be useful in our situation? If I understand right, we would have to hire two laywers to do it, which sounds expensive, especially with all the wedding costs that are coming up soon.

Answer:
 The people that "always say get a prenup" always say it whilst flying to Milan in their private jet.

You not them.  :)Answer #2: >The common wisdom is "always get a prenup"

That is if one or both have significant assetts to protect.

Neither of you does - no need to waste precious dollars on a legal document neither of you needs.


Title: Is it legal to kill a home intruder??

Question:
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Suppose someone broke into my house in order to steal stuff, would it be legal for me to kill him with a rifle/gun I rightfully own??

If not then what am I allowed to do to prevent him from stealing or breaking anything??

Answer:
 I'm a US attorney, but I just spoke to my father who spent a lot of time in Saudi, and his first question was "How did he get the gun?"

It will likely depend on how important the intruder and the homeowner are.Answer #2: Since you state Saudi Arabia I'm pretty sure that there is no regular here who knows the local laws.


Title: Oklahoma state university says i cant leave payne county.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Why not just get prior written approval?

Without approval, you are still free to leave, you will just be kicked out of school.


Title: Arrested for Research Chemicals from a Detox [NJ]

Question: I'm near Newark if that's helpful. I think my parents drove me to a detox to get off benzos originally and I think either I packed or they packed my clothes, but I don't remember and so when I got there, they searched my things and missed some research chemicals. Obviously when I discovered this, I took advantage of the situation and used. Unfortunately, I had a brown out where you blackout in parts and they figured I was higher than a I should have been on just Ativan. Anyway, the drugs weren't illegal, but I guess I shared, and I guess that made it illegal? RC benzos are not controlled yet I'm still charged with possession and distribution of **perscription** medication - the charge I would have gotten if I was sharing Xanax for example, but this was not Xanax. So, I don't know if I can just say that it was not a prescription medication at court and the charges will be dropped?

Answer: You need a lawyer.


Title: Girlfriend hit garage door on my building public parking now they are asking me to pay. Ontario.

Question:
This is a throw away account. Last weekend my girlfriend was coming to visit me at my apartment building (large building with underground public parking). She had been driving for 6 hours or so and it was part midnight when she arrived. The entrance to the parking garage is at the bottom of a steep ramp and there is a sensor at the top to detect cars and open the door. As she was driving down the sensor failed and when she tried to back up the car rolled forwards into the door. The door was seriously damaged to the point of needing to be fully replaced. I called the police to report the accident and the building's superintendent came down. She gave her insurance information and the police officer filled a report. Yesterday I got a letter from my building saying they expected me to pay in full.

Am I liable? Shouldn't they be going through her insurance?

Answer:
 They should be goong through your girlfriends insurance, or their own and their insurer could then collect from your gf friends insurance.

The fact that she was coming to visit you does not change that ultimately she is the one liable. I would recommend if they contact you directing them to your gf or her adjuster, my assumption is she has already reported this to her insurer.

They should be going through her insurance but technically she is liable and she would be the one sued and her insurer would step in. But her insurer should be willing to handle this before court becomes an issue.

If you are for whatever reason served take it seriously, there maybe coverage unter your renters/condo insurance for liability. They may not defend it though as technically you are not liable.Answer #2: No you are not liable.  Your girlfriend is and her insurance should be the one paying.Answer #3: What does your lease say about being liable for the actions of your guests or of people using your key card to enter the garage (presuming that's the car here)?

Otherwise, it should be your girlfriend and/or her insurance that they go after.

(By "sensor failed," I presume you mean that the garage door never opened.  If it started opening and then crashed down right before she entered, that would be a different thing.)


Title: Suffered acid burns whilst working, would appreciate advice

Question:
Hi Legal Advice,

I’ve recently had a fairly serious accident at work and I’m at a loss with what is the best course of action for me to take.

So I have been working on a construction site for a few months now and last week I drilled through a section of concrete I had been told to drill through only to get covered in some form of acidic water, as it was pouring out and it would have endangered other workers had I left it I had to continue working to fix the leak whilst already  feeling the reaction start to take place on my skin. So from point of first contact it was perhaps 30 mins before I could rinse it off.
By this point I had quite a severe reaction and 999 were called, an ambulance and fire engine came to site and I had to have my clothes cut off of me.

Now this is stupid and I know it is but I decided at the time not to go to the hospital in the ambulance, so I went home for the night, only to have to get a taxi to the hospital a few hours later when the pain and burns were excruciating.

The hospital treat me for the burns, wrapped them in a specific dressing and put me on tramadol for the pain, I have to go back every 48 hours for them to review the wounds.

At this point work had said I wouldn’t be getting paid and had tried to get me to return ASAP so as not to make a big deal out of the situation.
One of the managers even laughed it off to a group of staff the following day saying it had all been an exaggeration and it was just a bit of water.

Well 4 days later and the doctor has told me I’ll be scarred for life, and I’m still not able to walk.
I have burn marks all around my right elbow and forearm, and most severely over my right buttocks, also some went on my genitals and chest areas.
When I had my dressing changed today I took some photos of the wounds and sent them into work. Upon seeing how serious the wounds now are I received a phone call offering me full pay for the time I have been off and saying I can have light duties if I can go in before 7 days, so it doesn’t have to be reported under RIDDOR to the HSE.
If i am able to walk by the 6th/7th day is it in my interest to go into work so I can just get paid to sit there? This would be helping out the company I understand but also I don’t want to mess up all future career prospects.
I’m not thinking about claiming at the minute but if I were to then would it greatly affect the end amount if the accident was of lost time over 7 days and a RIDDOR?
I’m self employed, living and working in the England and in construction, by the way, so all the time I’m off I’m not getting paid for.
A big worry for me is that if I agree to go back in in a few days so it doesn’t have to be reported under RIDDOR and then when payday comes they still don’t pay me for the time off as agreed, would a voice recording of them offering me this and saying my job will be safe be enough?
I’ve learnt that a colleague reported the water as being acidic a month or so back after getting a drop into his eye, and it should have been sampled then. I was wearing full PPE provided and following Risk Assessments.
What should I do? On one hand I can’t afford to be sat at home for months not earning money until I’m back to being 100% but on the other hand I’ve suffered quite a serious accident whilst undertaking my job through no fault of my own.

Thanks in advance, all serious advice will be greatly appreciated.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: I may have missed your location, but in the US make a workers comp claim ASAP


Title: False domestic allegations

Question:
I live in Minnesota. My finace and I have gotten into a few heated arguments. I was always the aggressor, pushing him, yelling in his face, slapping him. I am relentless, if he walked away or even ran sometimes I'd be right back in his face and he has pushed me away. Well one time I fell and my wrist bent the wrong way and I got a bruise from my wrist watch.

My mom asked me what happened and I told her we got physical. I was upset so I made the situation sound worse than it was. She told my brother who is a sergeant and by law he had to file a police report.

My mother took me to lunch today and my brother and dad ambushed me in the restaurant and gave me an ultimatum. I was to leave him or they would try to remove my kids from me. I have a 4 month old with my fiance and 4 year old from another relationship. I felt cornered and attacked and was scared to lose my kids so I was screaming and threatening to kill myself. The cops were called and they asked me questions. I made sure they knew I was the aggressor and he was just defending himself. They made me get a psych eval over the phone and they agreed I was feeling attacked and speaking out of fear. I told them I need help. I am an angry person and I promised to seek anger management.

My fiance is still on probation for a felony DUI from before we were together. I'm scared my fabricated story will violate his probation and they'll lock him up. I'm afraid they will send CPS to evaluate my home, not that I'm unfit, I'm an excellent mom, and our girls are very well taken care of. I'm most afraid of them telling my 4 year old's dad, his family is very wealthy and will fight to have her removed from my home.

I am absolutely ok with serving jail time if it means my fiance doesn't get in any trouble. He doesn't deserve this, I am a terrible person and I am willing to do whatever it takes to fix everything. I just don't know how to start.

 Should I go to the police station and turn myself in for the false police report my brother made? Should I tell my fiance's P.O. that this is all my fault? I don't even know what to ask about the custody. I'm afraid of the answer. I am in such fear I'm about to lose everything, my kids, my fiance, my job. I've found a place to start counseling tomorrow, I just feel like there is more I should be doing right now.

Answer:
 I'm assuming your brother didn't just file the report himself, and you actually had to write a statement.

Regardless, YES, go tell them that the report was false. And since it's obvious that you're whitewashing this story a bit, you should consider seeking mental health counseling. Answer #2: Wow, pause. You need to go to the counseling appt tomorrow. The counseling is clearly necessary. Considering parenting classes as well. You are currently exposing your children to domestic violence and an unhealthy home situation.

 You also need to get a consult with at least one lawyer who has no involvement with your fiance's case. Honestly you could go for someone who does criminal law or family law (or someone who does both). Let them help you sort out what to do about the police reports. Answer #3: Well this is a self started dumpster fore. They will ignore your claim that you were the aggressor because that is consistent with what victims typically say. This will almost impact custody because someone who races to threats of suicide should not have kids. You need a criminal defense attorney ASAP and expect this to hurt your husband badly.


Title: Illegal firearm

Question: I use to live in Georgia and I moved to iowa. My dad wanted me to be safe so he gave me his 9mm glock. Question is, is it illegal for me to posses that and use it for home safety? (I already called the sheriffs and they said it doesn’t have to be registered but I didn’t ask about this)

Answer: There's no gun registration in either state. Your dad could technically gift or sell the Glock to you or anyone who lives in the same state without any paperwork. Your firearm is legal.


Title: Using a name of a public institution for profit?

Question:
My wife has recently started a very small side gig making and selling t-shirts. Currently, her most popular shirts have been “Mom” and “Dad” shirts for our university. She does not use the official, trademarked font that the university uses, nor does she use the explicitly copyrighted logos that the university does. However she is still worried about the use of the university’s name at all. Is simply putting the [public] university’s name on an item being sold copyright infringement?

It may be helpful to note that the shirts she is making do not resemble anything that the university sells in any way. They are 100% her designs and are unique from anything sold elsewhere.

Answer: I think that almost all US colleges and universities have trademarked their names and selling anything with that name would be against the law.


Title: Is it legal to expose somebody for a crime they committed as a juvenile but recently turned 18?

Question: asking for a friend. No, really. He was charged with a crime at 16, and served 30 days. Now he's 18. Somebody posted his identity and pictures the day he turned 18. There's an ongoing civil case about the crime that was started before he turned 18, therefore he's still not named explicitly in that. The people who posted the photos have caused pain and harassment for him.

Answer:
 it is always legal for anyone to tell the truth (unless there's a gag order from the court).

you can tell people that someone did something they actually did.


Title: if a pregnant women commit a crime what would that make the fetus?

Question:
I am wondering if a pregnant women was to commit a crime like theft or murder what would that make the fetus ?

would that make the fetus a bystander?, an accomplish?, a witness?, would that fall under  duress or coercion?, or Entrapment?

Answer: You can’t be serious


Title: If you live in FL and travel to CO or WA and participate in legal marijuana. What happens if an employer makes you take a drug test when you get back?

Question: Some of my friends were having this debate the other day. I had the opinion that it does not matter that it is legal in CO and WA. It is illegal in FL and that an employer can not hire you based on a failed drug test and you have no recourse. As well as firing you for failing a drug test after a vacation to those states.

Answer: You are correct. But here's something else for you to think about; even in those states that allow recreational use of marijuana you could (generally) be fired for use. If a place of emplyment has a "no drugs" policy that's what it means.


Title: My cousin is being investigated for child abuse and neglect when she did nothing wrong

Question:
My cousin has always wanted to be a teacher. She is 24 years old, but she has always been exceptionally mature for her age—very calm, responsible, professional—which is why, after two years of working at an early childhood daycare center, she was named the Director of the facility when the current Director stepped down. She did a great job. Despite her youth, all of her employees respected her immensely, and she made some changes that did the center quite a bit of good.

Fast forward three, four months. She was still doing an awesome job; all of the parents, teachers, etc., loved her and spoke very highly of her.

There was this one child in the center who had a few behavioral problems—showing all the signs of being on the autism spectrum but undiagnosed because his single mother couldn't afford to take him to a specialist. He was very big and strong for his age. One day, my cousin was working inside the facility while two other teachers monitored the children playing outside.

One of the teachers stepped inside to use the bathroom. A moment later, the other teacher saw a child fall down and went to help. While she was helping the child who fell, the boy I mentioned dragged a chair to the fence surrounding the play area, climbed on top of the chair and over the fence, then fell to the ground, sustaining minor injuries (scrapes and bruises.) The teachers helped him immediately, and he was more or less fine. It wasn't really an issue; his mother knew he was a climber and didn't make a big deal about it, but they did have to report it.

Note: The fence that the boy climbed over was not up to Virginia state regulations because at the place he climbed over it, the ground sloped upward, but the fence was not any higher. However, the state itself installed the fence. It's not clear whether there was an oversight with the installation when the state put it in (several years ago) or whether they failed to update it when the regulations were updated.

My cousin reported the incident and contacted the state to get the fence updated.

The following week (before the fence could be updated), the same boy waited until the teachers were looking away and did the same thing, again sustaining minor scrapes and bruises. Yes, the teachers should have been watching him more closely. My cousin was inside in her office at the time.

As a result of this second incident, my cousin was stripped of her title and charged with child abuse and neglect. So were the two other teachers that were present.

The state failed to set a court date for my cousin for more than a year. In the meantime, she has not been allowed to work as a teacher anywhere because she is being investigated for child abuse and neglect.

The state did set a court date (8 months later) for the teacher who was closest to the child during both incidents. The judge concluded that it was not the teacher's fault because the fence was the primary issue, but the investigation for child abuse and neglect will remain on her record indefinitely.

With a ton of support from both parents and fellow educators, odds are very good that the courts will also not find that my cousin was responsible either; she was, after all, not present at the time, nor was she supposed to be.

However, provided that she is found not guilty, the investigation will remain on her record. It will indicate that she was not found at fault, but it could still impact her ability to find a job. (Suppose you're looking to hire a teacher, and you have two candidates. If one of them has an investigation for child abuse and neglect on her record—even if she was found not guilty—you're probably going to choose the other one.)

In order to remove it from her record, she will have to sue the state.

Unfortunately, she's been unemployed for a year and has been paying a lawyer to help her with the current case, so she cannot afford to go to court and sue the state. Virginia apparently has little or no union support for teachers, so she's found no help from that angle.

She loves children, and she wants nothing more than to continue her career in education. Do you have any advice about how she should approach the case against the state?

Edit: Sorry if I chose the wrong flair... Not quite sure where this fits.

Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 >In order to remove it from her record, she will have to sue the state.

If the state waives it's sovereign immunity that's not really how it works.  It's not an expungeable office because it's not a conviction.  The fact that there was an investigation is a matter of public record and it will be very difficult to do anything about -- like arrest records.

>Virginia apparently has little or no union support for teachers

If she was a member of a teacher's union she should contact them.  Unions aren't "state" entities, they are private ones, and you don't automatically become union just because (Although non right to work states can have closed shops).


Title: [CA] I want my free loader ex to leave my apartment.

Question:
My ex quit his job the month our lease ended back in February. I allowed him to let him stay at my new place until he could get a job to save up and get his own place. Well, it’s been almost 5 months now and he still hasn’t had a job and I want him out.
He has helped pay for some of the utilities but not for rent.
We argue on and off. I’ve called the cops on him multiple times. I just need him out
I’m not very good at writing and I was wondering if anyone could help me write him a 30 day notice to vacate! :(
I would appreciate it so so much.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: [https://eforms.com/rental/termination-letter/](https://eforms.com/rental/termination-letter/)  \- search for your state. Send it to them certified mail with receipt. Take copious photos of the apt before you serve notice, so you have evidence if he wrecks/steals stuff.


Title: My Elderly Father Hit Somebody With Wheelchair and Was Accused of Sexually Touching Them, What Do We Do?

Question:
Sorry, English is not my first language.

My father, age 80 and doesn’t speak English, was in a motorized wheelchair and supposedly angrily ran into a worker in a grocery store aisle, and touched her butt/boobs (according to the police officer who took the statement).

What he said was that he was trying to get by, and she wouldn’t let him by, and he tried to squeeze by but accidentally bumped her. He said that she exaggerated getting hit and fell down.

Supposedly, another co-worker corroborated the worker’s statement.

Over a year later, I received notice that there’s a warrant issued for his arrest and that he’s to show up in court and pay $xxxxx in bond to stay out of jail.

Two things I was wondering:

(1) What do we do? Do I find a criminal defense lawyer? How much will this cost? Also, my father is old and sick. He’s had two heart attacks over the last 5 months, and he’s connected to oxygen all the time. I’m really stressed and freaking out.

(2) When the incident happened, we thought that the worker might be trying to get money out of it. The officer told us that the worker may file a complaint and my father will be facing criminal charges, but also that she could also file a civil suit for damages. My father has no money, and I’ve been paying for everything. Will my husband and I be liable in the lawsuit? I am not wealthy, and am scared I will lose everything. I also do not have money to pay for a lawyer or anything.

Answer:
 1) Yes he needs a criminal defense lawyer. It's hard to be sure how much it will cost, could be anywhere from about $2K to about $30K depending on how far it goes.

2) You will not be liable. Did the worker go to the hospital or something? If they didn't incur some sort of tangible loss like having to pay for healthcare they won't have damages to sue for.Answer #2: You shouldn't have talked to the police.

"What he said was that he was trying to get by, and she wouldn’t let him by, and he tried to squeeze by but accidentally bumped her. He said that she exaggerated getting hit and fell down."

You don't "accidentally" bump someone who's deliberately not letting you pass, because to feel like someone is not letting you pass, you must be aware there's not enough space to pass. If you then continue to run into them anyway, yes, it's assault.

Don't say anything else to the police before you talked to a lawyer. You might be able to say you misunderstood / mistranslated your fathers words slightly.


Title: (NY) Pistol Permit application is asking if I've ever seen a psychiatrist or psychologist. I've seen a few counselors throughout the years, some of whom I don't even recall their names or location, how dangerous would it be to not include these?

Question: I don't know what the technical difference between a psychologist and a counselor is, or even if there is one. But none of my visits lasted that long. They were all for family issues. In terms of going through my medical records are these things definitely going to come up? I paid with health insurance through my mom's work.

Answer: Don't lie. It's not an automatic disqualification. They may ask for more information.


Title: (Utah) Landlord sold house halfway through our lease and just texted me my "30 days notice?"

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Unless you have a special lease which allows this, the lease carries with the property and you get to stay until the end of the lease. The new owner does not have to renew of course. If your current landlord told the new owner you would be out sooner, that's between them and him.

> send us each a formal notice we could both sign to modify the lease.

Don't sign that unless you want to leave. You could also ask him to pay you to move out sooner.Answer #2: Congrats! You have a new landlord till that lease is upAnswer #3: When this happened to me, I told my landlord I wanted him to pay for moving expenses and some cash for my troubles, and surprisingly, he took it!  If the buyer of the house "really wants to move in right away" he might be willing to pay for the privilege!

Otherwise, the place is yours until january. You have a lease and the sale of the house does not affect your lease (unless your lease specifically mentions it) Answer #4: He cannot terminate your lease early, unless you consent to it.  DO NOT sign anything to modify the lease unless you are satisfied that you are being treated fairly.  At the very least, he should pay for your moving expenses and give you something for the hassle of finding another place to live in until your house is ready.  I would start by asking for 2 months rent as compensation.


Title: [FL] Had a new HVAC installed, it's making a weird noise and I wanted the installer to come check it out. Called the business number and ex-girlfriend says company is dissolved, [Installer] was sleeping with hookers, she has no contact info for [Installer]. What do I need to move forward?

Question:
The ex-girlfriend was also his business partner.

This wasn't my installation or my hire, I manage a secondary property for my parents because I live close to it (they're out of state). I'm also a college student so I don't know a lot about this kind of stuff (legal issues regarding renovations).

When I tell this to my dad, what should I suggest to him as next steps?

I guess the first thing would be to ask if he had a contract or something?

---
For people who like a story:

The unit itself is working fine. The house is cool, and the electricity bills have went done. But the unit makes a strange grinding/shuddering noise when it turns off (as opposed to a light air wooshing). I just wanted the guy to come check on it, maybe the fan just needs to be adjusted or something.

It was installed about a month ago, and I've been trying to get in touch with him. I called once two-three weeks ago and left a voicemail with 2 contact numbers. He called back and scheduled an appointment, which he eventually canceled on me for the day-of via text message.

Okay.

He claimed some "emergency" and said he was tied up, so I texted him back and asked for him to call me when it was convenient for him and we can reschedule. That happened last Monday.

I didn't hear anything from him for the rest of the week, so I called and left a voicemail Sunday, and sent a followup reminding him who I am (he arranged the installation and everything with my dad, so sometimes he doesn't remember me). Didn't hear back.

I called yesterday and a lady/his business partner (who I met, she was there on the install) picks up. I explained to her who I am, that Luis did an installation at my house about a month ago and I've been trying to get in touch with him so he could come look at it.

She then went on a pretty long tangent. "We dissolved the business today. I found out he was sleeping with hookers, and I kicked his ass out after that."

I asked her if she had his contact information.

"No, sorry. I don't have it after what happened, I'm sure you understand. Who is this? Oh JJ! Yeah it's me, Lisa. Remember me from the install? Yeah well I thought that things hadn't been right for a while, and I just didn't know what it was. But I found out and I'm just glad that I did, you know?"

And on and on... And I tried to interject and she just wasn't having it lol.

"Oh well my plans are the finish up my license and then run the business myself. But I don't know what Luis's number is, I don't know what to tell you"

At this point I didn't know what to say lol. So I told her something along the lines of "Okay Lisa, well sorry that happened to you. Keep on keeping on."

Answer:
 Do you have more info on the hookers?Answer #2: Your father needs to speak with an attorney that does construction law.

From your narrative, it's likely that the company is liable if the install was done improperly. Your lawyer will know the best way to proceed.

I'd guess you'll need to get it repaired by another licensed contractor and sue the company for the repair cost (presuming something is wrong). But speak to a local attorney first.

edit because DYAC.


Title: [MA] The key to my apartment works on other units in my building

Question:
I came home today to find that my apartment had been cleaned by a maid service I did not hire. After a few phone calls, I found out that the maid was supposed to clean a different unit in my building, but made a mistake with the apartment numbers and cleaned mine instead. The key she had for the other unit worked, and she was able to enter and clean my apartment.

When I moved in, my landlord said she changed the locks. She also did say the the lock was switched from another unit in the building, but that person had moved out as well, so I guess I assumed that they always had an extra lock that they switched into the most recently vacated unit.

Realizing that someone had been in my home without my knowledge was absolutely terrifying. I feel like this has to be some kind of violation of something, and I'm wondering what \(if any\) recourse I can hope for.

Thanks for any help you can give me, Reddit!

Answer: Ask for the landlord to change the locks and have new keys made. Other than that, you have no damages.


Title: Landlord will not take action re: other tenants harassing us. (Ontario, Canada)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > barging into our place late at night with no knock or notice, etc

How? they have the key? Set-up a surveillance camera and call the cops for trespassing.

>We really do not want to leave the place, all we want is the other tenant evicted.

If the landlord's are the parents of said tenants and they dont care about it when its done in front of them, then its really doubtful you're going to get them to evict the tenant. You may have grounds for an early termination and move away.


Title: Is it legal for parents to buy a house under your name without you signing anything?

Question: If my parents wanted to buy a house under my name despite me being 21+ is that legal? Wouldn't they need my consent or signature or can they just do that freely since they are my parents?

Answer: No, they can't do that.


Title: Can a 16 yo be considered neglected?

Question: I have a coworker who I know has been living at her boyfriends house for months. She has a 16 year old daughter and the father is not in the picture whatsoever, so I feel pretty confident that this girl is just basically living alone. I know 16 year olds are pretty capable but something about this just doesn't sit well with me. They live in a shitty area of Indiana while coworker stays with her boyfriend in Ohio. Is there anything I can do? I don't know her address so I feel like it wouldn't be so simple as calling in a wellness check. Also since school is out for the summer, I can't contact the high school with my concerns. Or can I still? I know legally a 16 year old can be left home alone, but I'm wondering if there's a maximum time... I'm open to ideas.

Answer: Call CPS. They will investigate, and they can find an address based on the school as need be. Answer #2: It is possible for a minor of any age to be neglected. Sadly, without much information, there is very little you can do. Your best bet is to call CPS with all the information you have. Answer #3: At least in my area, it's trivially easy for police to find a minor's address because the local schools share the registration records with them. If I were you I'd call both CPS and police for a wellness check.


Title: California: I'm on disability and my Wife is evicting me. Do I have options?

Question:
She wants to put me in a hotel and sell a vehicle to give me $5500 dollars to be on my way.

I was already on disability when I had a liver transplant 5 years ago. She approached me and told me the only way for me to qualify for the extra Medicare/Medicaid was if we were divorced. Essentially it would make me look poorer. I signed the papers in bed, I was very sick at this time. I got the transplant, new lease on life, and things were going well.

Midway through March I got in an argument with her 18 year old son. I say her, but he calls me dad and even changed his last name last year so his last name is hyphenated like hers. I've been in his life for over 10 years. He is my Son. Anyway, there was nothing physical but I did cuss him out and for being lazy and making zero attempt to get a job, license, or improve his lot in life.

He decided to move in with the grandmother of one of his friends instead.

My Wife told me that our son wanted to move back home but doesn't want me here. Wife wants me out by the first.

This house is my everything. These dogs, my tools, my yard. I've been the househusband or stay at home dad if you will and she handled the finances and my Kaiser and other medical assistance. She is a pharmacy tech and understands how insurance works and basically facilitated my surgeries. I barely leave the house because my disability has me using the restroom over 20 times a day. My Son is 18, my Wife is 40, and I'm 46 if it matters.

I have no assets whatsoever. She has the 401k and all of our savings. We built up her credit. Mine has never recovered after my 1st surgery when I was 21. Also, I extended her education by writing almost all of her college work instead of furthering my own education. Additionally I've put a lot of work into this house and I have nothing to show for it?

I'm really scared right now. She wants me out of this house by Saturday.

Thanks everyone who reads this especially those that comment.

I hope this post doesn't look to sloppy.

Answer:
 Hi there. It would really be helpful if you knew exactly what the terms of the 'divorce' were.

I'm going to assume the worst here - that your wife is intentionally using you, and had you sign away your house and your assets when you were unable to sign a legal document.

Please get in contact with California's Adult Protective Services: http://www.cdss.ca.gov/adult-protective-services

Explain the following to them:

 - That you are a disabled adult,

 - that you *believe* your wife is financially abusing you,

 - she had you sign a document she claims was a divorce agreement (that you still don't know the actual contents of) while in the hospital for late stage liver failure,

 - that even after signing those documents, she has had full control of your financial assets and you do not know where they've gone,

 - and that she is now trying to evict you from the marital home with no assets and less than five days' notice.

They will help take care of you. By the way, that last item *alone* is not legal, and would warrant investigating the situation. All of the issues listed are major red flags for them.

What is happening to you is not okay. Please call APS so that you have someone fighting for *your* interests.Answer #2: Just to clarify, are you legally divorced?

She can't kick you out that quickly. She needs to provide you written notice to vacate. However, she does not have to put you up in a hotel or give you cash.


Title: [Florida] My father has become a total loon and has been planting voice recorders in our house and my vehicle. Is this something I can do anything about?

Question:
My mother and I are not actually sure what's wrong with him. He's been declining very quickly. He acts like a paranoid schizophrenic, but there's no real diagnosis to back that up. He's installed security cameras outside the house which we all thought was a great idea for deterring burglars and such. Turns out he only wanted them installed so he could see when my mother and I were home (by viewing our cars in the driveway/garage). By knowing this, he could stay out late with mistresses or hookers or whatever else. At times even bringing them back to the house.

Within the last year he has started becoming extremely paranoid. He began calling out things we had been saying or talking about. I would talk to someone in my car about possibly visiting an antique store, and then a week later he would speak to me about "how much i love antique stores" even thought I dont, and had only ever visited one in my entire life. My mother would have a conversation with a friend on the phone, and he would subtly reference that conversation. These are just examples, but this happened constantly. He regularly knew things he had no way of knowing, and we started wondering if something was going on.

Eventually, we found a voice recorder in a house plant. It was just a simple USB voice recorder. Using bank statements my mother found where he purchased it and confirmed what it was. We downloaded all the recordings but placed the recorder back where it was in order to avoid raising any more suspicions.

Since then, this has been a regular thing. Whenever an arguement happens around here, he will say something similar to "AND IM SURE AS SOON AS IM AT WORK YALL WILL START TALKIN ABOUT ME". Usually a few days after this, we search the house and find the recorder. We download the recordings and put it back.

I'm starting to get sick of this, though. I'm wondering if there is anything that I can really do about this? As far as I'm aware, having the recordings or even the recorder itsself isnt proof he is doing anything wrong. After all, I could simply plant a recorder in my own house for a week, record all my conversations, and then claim it was him. This cant possibly be proof of wrong doing, can it?

Things are getting increasingly violent and uncomfortable around here. My mother wants to avoid confrontation and legal disputes. I'm getting ready to move out, but I want to put an end to this one way or another. He can become incredibly loud and incredibly violent. The idea of confrontation with him is an actual danger. He has absolutely lost his mind. Accusing him of something leads to threats, hour long arguements where he throws, breaks, slams things all around the house, voice recorders being planted, and odd "spiteful" things. I have recently been repairing a part on my vehicle. During the latest one of these violent episodes, he went into the garage, began frantically photographing the whole interior of my car where the work was being done (replacing a shifter cable bushing through the console) with this awful grin on his face. I asked what on earth he was doing and, still with the grin, he responded "OHH NOTHIN, JUST TAKIN PICTURES... JUST IN CASE I NEED THEM". I have no idea what he was up to, but this sort of thing also happens regularly. He is completely insane. He tells some of the most insane lies you've ever heard. About 2 years ago he came rushing out of the garage, sprinted into his bedroom and shut the door. When asked what the hell he was doing, he said "the local bike gang is here to take me to their hide out. I've gotta go." He then left, got in a car, and didnt show up for hours. Turns out he was just visiting one of his mistresses.

Answer:
 If he refuses to go to a doctor, you or your mother could call Adult Protective Services. If she's concerned about her safety she needs to call the police. She also doesn't have to stay there and doesn't have to remain married to him. If he's being abusive she can go to a battered women's shelter and get help, they're equipped to deal with people trying to flee abusive situations.

But doing nothing isn't going to help anybody and staying in that situation because she wants to avoid confrontation or legal issues isn't going to make this go away. She's gotta stand up for herself even if it's inconvenient or difficult to do, burying her head in the sand isn't going to help anyone.Answer #2: Call. The. Police. This is just the beginning. If I were in your shoes, I'd be afraid for my personal safety and the safety of my family. It seems harsh, but the only way to help him is to GET him help. You cannot provide what he needs in terms of psychiatric support and (in all likelihood) medication. It could also signal the beginning (as other commenters have mentioned) of cerebral abnormalities or pathologies. Step one is getting the authorities involved. Answer #3: Call the police the next time he breaks something and hope you can convince them to send him to a hospital. He needs a CT of his head. This could be a brain tumor or frontotemporal dementia.


Title: [TX DFW area] Mailman stealing/throwing away mail

Question:
About a week ago the mailman called the police on us for having to many cars parked in his way and he had to reverse which gives him the right to call the police because he cant see behind him. Ever since then we have been receiving only one piece of junk mail every mail day. Mailman is stealing/throwing our mail away. We started an 'investigation' with the USPS at the post office but that doesn't seem like its going to go anywhere, we made a call into them the other day and it seemed like they forgot who we were. Just curious what we should do next and go about it. I thought of filming the mailman deliver the mail and get it on record him delivering almost nothing to our mailbox. Need help please!

Edit: We are getting mail, our bank called us asking why we didnt activate the debit card they sent us, and our gas almost got shut off because we didnt recieve a late notice they sent us.
Mail is supposed to be coming, we are going to send ourselves a letter to see if that gets delivered but it most likely wont.
We also will try to include the police but we are not sure how or what they could really do

Edit2: The person we talked to at the post office basically told us "Good luck proving that" they will not be helpful at all i believe.

Edit3: Neighbors are not involved, they have been here as long as us, they are receiving all of there mail and not ours.

Answer:
 You should send yourself a letter (do not use your own address for the "from") and see how long it takes to arrive. Maybe you just aren't getting all that much mail. If you know your neighbor, send a letter to them at the same time you send the one to yourself. Compare.

 Edit:
 >About a week ago the mailman called the police on us for having to many cars parked in his way and he had to reverse which gives him the right to call the police because he cant see behind him.

 What did the police say upon arrival?


Title: I signed the permission slip for my SO's daughter to get her ears pierced, and now the mother is trying to charge me with fraud?

Question:
Maryland: My boyfriend has legal custody of his daughter and asked me to take her to get her ears pierced. I signed the waiver with my name for the child to get her ears pierced, and now the mother is trying to charge me with fraud since the permission slip said "legal guardian" where I signed. If I had the father's permission, will this go anywhere?

Edit: The father has sole legal and physical custody of the child. The child lives at our house. The father and I are together and we are engaged.

Edit 2: Regarding the mother's visitation, she has been seeing the child during visits which the father has supervised in the past due. Four days ago the father agreed to a week on/week off visitation situation however the custody on paper has not changed.

Answer:
 The mother can't charge you with anything, but she can file a police report and the police can investigate. If the prosecutor determines there is enough evidence to charge you with a crime, you could be charged with a crime.

Realistically, you knew you aren't her legal guardian and it doesn't matter if you had the father's permission, you signed a legal document identifying yourself as someone you're not. Answer #2: While technically, you shouldn't have signed it if it said legal guardian, her father gave you permission, and if the mother tried to pursue this in family court, it would probably only serve to make *her* look like she's more interested in hurting your boyfriend, instead of coparenting smoothly.

Has her mother been against having her ears pierced? What do you mean by "legal custody"? Does he have sole legal or physical custody, or do they have some sort of joint custody arrangement? Who does the child live with the majority of the time?


Title: Can I make a Binding contract against myself

Question: I really REALLY REALLY want to and need to do this. I'm 26, and feel like I've become complacent in life. My desire for some of my big dreams has slowly eroded away.  I'm starting to get the mindstate that "yeah you may want that stuff, but you don't "need" that stuff, your life is fine now.."  But I don't want to give up on them.  I want to create some kind of binding contract against myself that if I don't reach certain goals within a certain time, there will be repercussions.

Answer:
 The answer is still "no."

;-)


Title: What do I do if my landlord hasn't returned my security depositor an invoice more than a month after I've moved out? [South Carolina]

Question:
I moved out of my rental house at the end of June at the end of my 12 month lease after giving more than 30 days written notice including my forwarding address. I have not received any refund of my deposit or a detailed invoice stating why my deposit was not returned as I understand is required by state law.

What do I do now? Do I seek legal help? Do I contact the landlord and hope it was just an oversight on their part?

Edit: wrong month

Answer: You have a cut and dry case. Under South Carolina law, upon termination of your tenancy the landlord has 30 days to return the security deposit or provide you with an itemized list of the deposit withholding.  Otherwise, the landlord may be liable for up to three times the amount wrongfully withheld and any reasonable attorney's fees.  You should send an e-mail or letter via certified mail asking for your deposit back or an itemized list of any withholding.  If not, you can take your landlord to small claims court.


Title: [Indiana] Sister sent recording to my niece, not sure if that violates the DNC order

Question: Essentially the title. I was home for the holidays (my niece lives with my parents) My mom wanted help setting up a recording that my sister had sent her. My sister is in jail, if that helps. I asked my mom if that violates the DNC order and she said no. I asked if she asked anyone and she said that my sister told her it would be ok. I'm looking for a little more reassurance to make sure my parents don't get in any trouble

Answer: Since we have no idea what the DNC order is, or says, we can't possibly answer this question.


Title: CA - My supervisor lied to me several times. We have a weekly meeting and I started recording it due to potential discrimination and whistleblowing issues, not knowing that it's illegal in California. Are there loopholes that allow in these circumstances to record so as to defend yourself?

Question:
From what I've read there's very few loopholes. After I was written up and outright lied to, I was very concerned as it wasnt the supervisors first lie. The same week, there was an an confidential form I filled out where my comment was about the CEO lying publicly about something that could actually harm my career, so with my next meeting where both of these issues I recorded it (online meeting with video and audio) and all the meetings from there on out because he kept twisting events and threatened to fire me.

&#x200B;

Do I have any legal standing to record these? The person is not in California, only I am in California. All conversations are online thru video/audio conversations.

Thanks
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer:
 What is the outcome you are looking for here?

They are allowed to lie to you, and they are allowed to fire you for no reason, or for a made up false reason.

If the CEO lies to someone outside of the company to prevent you from getting a new job after you are fired, that could be an issue.


Title: How legal this flyer would be in any state of US? (X-post from r/pics)

Question:
So, a photo of a flyer made it to the front page of /r/pics. It says If Man-woman(Both intoxicated) have sex with each other, only man would be charged for rape, not woman.

Is it true? Need your opinion guys.

(Flyer:http://i.imgur.com/cIiJ1Sy.jpg)

Answer:
 Who is the rapist depends on who initiated the contact.  If Josie was the aggressor, then she is the rapist.

Rape is defined as sexual contact with another without their consent.

If "another" cannot consent due to intoxication... welll... you do the math.


Title: Got lied into signing a contract

Question:
I posted this in another sub so I'll just copy/paste it. This is Orlando, Florida

So these reps for some gym came up to me and I've been looking for a gym so I asked them a bunch on questions. The reps tell me that It's $79 for 4 weeks of unlimited workout access. I tell them that I don't have the money right now but I will have it saturday and they tell me if I put my info down that they will charge me saturday and not a day before they promise me this in fact. So come monday morning when I have to pay my phone bill and I see I have no money in my account, not even my savings ( it looks like it took from my checkings AND savings) and I'm looking for more info on this place and come to find out the one they had me sign for is $79 every month for 6 months. I'm definitely pissed.

Is there anything that I can do? Is it more my fault for not reading the contract through? There should be something because the reps straight up lied to me right?

Any advice is appreciated

Answer:
 > Is it more my fault for not reading the contract through?

Pretty much.

> There should be something because the reps straight up lied to me right?

Can you prove it?

What does the contract say about canceling it?

You are in no position to be joining a gym if you are living that close to the edge.


Title: Building on nobody's land?

Question:
 I've been thinking for a while of building a small cabin (like for two or three people, one room, shed size) in like a foresty / empty area. Now I don't have my own land aside from the house I live in, so this is where it gets strange. I've been using a GIS viewer to find some spots that are seemingly unclaimed, and I'm wondering if I can build on them. I have two different instances:

* Instance 1: There is a small bank / beach on the coast of a populated island near me (pop. 5000 I guess?) and it's basically the other side of a small neighborhood, separated by a smallish forest parcel, owned by someone. However, this small beach area, including some trees is not owned. When clicking on it to view parcel and owner, etc. nothing happens. This means I think that the local County counts it as part of the river, which people cannot build on since it's water. Also this land does not seem prone to flooding from tide either.
* Instance 2: There is a patch of forest in between two houses in a small neighborhood, however there is no address number on the area. Also when clicking on it, a parcel number is given but nothing else (owner, their address, land purpose), it is all blank. A search of the parcel number in quotations reveals a bid on a tax sale (I think) from 2012 and 2014, but I think it has been forgotten about. Also, in the local register of deeds, searching the same parcel number yields zero results.

So basically I'm just wondering if under South Carolina adverse possession law, I can build improvements on either pieces of land and claim it as my own. If I can't claim it legally as my own however, could I still use it as my land? From there I would build my cabin and enjoy it as a somewhat secondary home. Is this possible? Illegal? Help.

Thank you.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 You cannot build on public land.Answer #2: OP- Almost certainly *someone* owns those parcels, be it a private individual, company, or government entity.

If you want to build a cabin for yourself, it's construction expenses will include you owning the land it's built on.


Title: Is this a case of Munchausen by proxy, and if so, what do I do?

Question:
Hi LegalAdvice, thanks in advance for your time and any advice you can provide me.

TLDR: My nephew's skin rash from food allergies are noticeably worse when he spends more time with his mother.

Context: My brother, his girlfriend (henceforth: GF) and their two children (ages 5 and 22 months) currently live at my parents house after GF was kicked out of her parent's home where they were previously living for reasons I do not know. Since moving in, there has been a great deal of tension between GF and my parents & myself because she refuses to follow any of the house rules (no eating in the bedroom, garbage/diapers thrown out properly, clean up after yourself). My parents do not ask her or my brother for any rent or contribution to the utilities and only request general respect for the home and the people in it. It has gotten to the point where she does not speak to any of us and mostly hides in their room all day. If she does come out, she tiptoes around like a mouse. It is very uncomfortable. She is very manipulative to my brother and tries to control him (goes through his phone, cries when he wants to go out with his friends, whines about not being taken out but won't hang out with him and his friends). She seems to have dependency and insecurity issues and continuously plays the victim. The interpersonal stuff is just something we have deal with/find a solution for, but just wanted to give full context before getting into the more serious matters.

The children: One major point of contention is the way she is caring for her children. The 5 year old very clearly has some delayed development in language skills. I am not an expert by any means on this but it is very obvious that he needs some professional support. My mother, who is a medical professional, told GF that she and my brother need take the 5 y.o. to be evaluated. GF's response was, "There is nothing wrong with him." I have spoken to my brother about it and he said he has no problem with bringing the 5 y.o. to see a specialist but GF refuses. The 5 y.o. may be on the spectrum, but I am not an expert. It may just be something that could be brought up to speed with the help of a speech therapist.

I had been going back and forth about writing here for a while but what prompted me to write to LA is a conversation I had with my brother today. The baby has some food allergies which result in full body rashes, concentrated on his face. It is very hard to look at him some times because he is such a beautiful, smart boy but it breaks your heart to see him covered in scabs. In the last few weeks or so, there were a few days where the baby's skin had drastically improved. I asked my brother what changed and he said he was being super diligent with what the baby was being fed. My brother's work schedule is set up so that he is mostly off/at home from Sunday through Tuesday. During this time, he spends most of the time looking after the kids while GF is in their bedroom or at her PT job. During the rest of the week the kids are mostly under the supervision of GF.

Today I noticed the the baby's skin has flared up again and is all scabbed up. I asked my brother what happened and I could tell it was a sore topic from his response. He said with frustration that he doesn't know what happens when he is not home and that he was being so diligent, only for it to be undone. It seemed to me like he knew that GF was not being diligent but didn't overtly say it. So I prodded a little by saying that I wasn't being accusatory but that it seems to be a pattern that his skin improves when my brother is home and worsens when GF is overseeing the kids. My brother said he spoke to her about it and she got defensive by asking him why he was acting aggressively. Now, I know my brother and he is a guy that is very cool under pressure. He is able to speak in a calm and collected manner while someone is screaming and cursing at him. I told him that this is very bad and CPS could be called.

I have been suspecting the GF has Munchausen by proxy due to a few reasons. None of which I have very solid evidence on. GF does not have a life or friends of her own and her children are all she has. She is an anti-vaxxer and spends much of her time posting about alternative treatments on FB. She gets most of her "medical research" via Dr. Google and buys homeopathic treatments for the children. While writing this, I also remembered that the 5 y.o. had rashes when he was younger too, which she "treated" with an amber necklace.

The first solid instance that really made me feel very uneasy about the welfare of the children happened 1 year or so ago. The baby is allergic to dairy, among other things. While in GF's care at one of her relative's houses, she fed the baby a spoonful of yogurt. This was witnessed by GF's niece. Allegedly, GF exclaimed, "Omg, I don't even know why I did that." She took the baby to the hospital and he recovered. What made me very upset was that GF took a photo of the baby all hooked up in the hospital and posted it to FB and Instagram. This naturally resulted in comments/posts of concern and sympathy. I felt she was seeking attention for her "allergy baby" as she calls him. I guess one could make a mistake, but wouldn't you be ashamed that you caused pain to your child and not post it on social media?

I believe that the baby is allergic to dairy, eggs and gluten, which is nothing too crazy so I have always found it odd that they haven't been able to manage the rashes. But I believe that she still breast feeds and I have heard her say that she can eat eggs if they are cooked.

The previous yogurt "accident" coupled with the fluctuating severity of the rash makes me feel as though there is something malicious happening. I have been very hesitant to call CPS because I do not want my brother to lose his kids and I don't want any liability to fall onto my parents since it is their house. Does anyone have any advice or experience with something similar?

Answer:
 As a grad student studying speech, if you guys are noticing communication problems with the 5 year old, I highly suggest taking him for an evaluation. Even of your bro needs to take him on his own. Best case scenario: there's nothing of concern and the child got to hang out with a nice lady/man and play for a bit. Worst case scenario: any potential problems are diagnosed and then proper intervention is developed to either eradicate the issue or learn coping skills to help the child. Language is (obviously) essential, especially at such a young age when they're learning the foundational skills necessary to be successful throughout the education system. Answer #2: Not Munchausen's by proxy IMO, but more importantly, I wouldn't waste time worrying over trying to diagnose a specific condition yourself. It's a distraction and you're not trained for that. Focus on the actual things being done to the child, don't spend your energy on the "why" right now.

I've seen many cases of people with weird beliefs thinking that allergies aren't real ("You could eat it if you just TRY!") or that they can provide desensitisation by themselves with no training. Depending on how bad this is, it ranges from negligence to neglect to abuse. This sounds much more likely to be the problem, given her background with homeopathy and antivaxxing. This can very much put a child's life at risk, when someone flatly refuses to accept what "evil scientists" tell them and try to prove them wrong.

Keep an eye on the situation and consider bringing CPS into it.


Title: If the laws are uncountable, how can ignorance of the law not be a defense?

Question:
...especially when it's acceptable as a defense for police officers (i.e. Heien v. State)?

Hopefully this is the right place for this. I've been reading up on legal theory and trying to get a grasp at some of the basics (process, elements, etc) and this is one that I haven't been able to find an answer to anywhere. There's a lot of close discussion I've been able to find but nothing that really hits on this exactly (mens rea, strict liability, "ignorance").

I understand that some laws require mens rea, which serves some of the same protections as ignorance of the law being a defense might, but many others are strict liability (e.g. sex crimes , misdemeanors and fines, etc). It seems that these are always the ones you hear crazy stories about in the media about how UNFAIR or RIDICULOUS they are on some poor soul. And in some cases, these people are held criminally liable and face major repercussions because someone else deliberately lied to them, yet the law is strict liability so they're punished regardless.

One of the examples that seems to always be brought up is when a couple has sex, the girl looks older, lied to the man about her age and even showed ID that she's of legal age, yet later the law labels him a sex offender (statutory rape) because she was a couple months shy of legal age and lied to him. She might have other consequences but it doesn't erase his consequences. Another is a couple barely underage engaging in consensual sex. One or both become sex offenders as a result.

Another example could be a non-urbanite visiting a particular city for the first time and goes to try to park, sees a spot after much searching and after reading the dozen or so confusing signs concludes it's OK to park there. He comes back and finds his car towed and $600 worth of fines and fees levied against him. He doesn't have the money and a week later the car is sold at auction for a pittance.

It seems that strict liability + the idea that "ignorance of the law is no defense" is almost categorically unfair, not to mention secret laws or those which are hidden behind a paywall (those codified into law from standards bodies).

I'm assuming (or at least hoping) that I'm wrong and someone can straighten this out as I assume this would likely be something covered in law school.

Thanks so much! (USA btw)

Answer:
 Because it is impossible to prove knowledge.

If "I didn't know it was a law" was a valid defense, then all you'd have to do to be found not guilty is say "I didn't know."

Everyone would say it, and no one could ever be convicted of a crime.

So you are responsible to know what the laws are.