Title: My sister is completely out of control, can my family legally place her in a mandatory rehab program of some kind?

Question:
We live in southern CA. she's in her late 20's, just got a job and the minute she gets home she starts drinking, gets wasted a couple hours later, argues with her boyfriend (no job, 3 kids from a different mother, complete leech), then argues with the rest of our family, then passes out and sleeps for a few hours before she has to wake up at 6am again and the whole cycle starts over, every single day. She tears the house apart in the morning before work and wakes people up without any consideration at all. At this point, her behavior is damaging everyone else in the house.

What kind of legal authority do I have to get her committed somewhere where she can't leave and receives treatment? I'm also fairly sure she's got significant underlying psychological or mental issues she basically masks with the alcohol. She's depressed, and I wouldn't be surprised if she was also suicidal. Our mother is bipolar and has some other mental issues herself.

Has anyone gone through this from either end?

Answer:
 >What kind of legal authority do I have to get her committed somewhere where she can't leave and receives treatment?

Absolutely none.

Whoever owns the house can evict her (legally of course), but that's all you can do to get her out of the house.


Title: [AK] As a 17 year old, legally how much control/responsibility do I have over my own life as opposed to my parents???

Answer: Your parents have legal responsibility and control over you until you turn 18.


Title: [NJ] Trees were Cut Down & Removed from our Property by Crazy Neighbor

Question:
TL;DR: Neighbor hired people to cut down trees that were on our property, my parents have some documentation of the trees being there. Do they have any kind of case? See paint diagram below!

We have had problems with our next-door neighbor since we moved in a decade ago. She is always bickering with us and calling the cops for things like noise complaints (band practice at 3pm on Sundays lul). I have many more stories but all you need to know is that she’s old, bored, batshit crazy, and ANGRY at us.

My dad has had issues with her about lawn/tree maintenance- sometimes her trees/bushes will grow and obstruct our driveway and he goes out and trims the plants to the property line. She, in turn, obsesses about“our weeds” growing in her yard and has slatted her chain-link fence to prevent that from happening.

Things seem to have gotten worse. We have a retaining wall in our yard that ends before our property line- and before neighbor’s fence begins (See shitty paint drawing!!). There were some tall trees growing in that space and my parents had the trees shaped and looked at by an arborist. Perfectly healthy, a couple of years old, and growing. They came home last week from vacation to discover that the trees were cut down and killed- they were not cut by of our landscapers. My dad is convinced neighbors hired people to cut the trees (she has done stuff like this before) and is hellbent on taking neighbor to court for “trespassing and mischief”.

I told him he’s better off taking her to small claims for the cost of the trees (You LegalAdvice people love your trees!). I told them to get copies of their landscaper/arborist records and set up cameras in case something like this happens again. They’ll certainly consult a lawyer if they want to move forward with this, but I wanted to bring this to LegalAdvice because I was curious if you guys think that they have a case.

So, do you think that they have any case here? Is this a civil (trees) or criminal (tresspassing) matter? Anything that I missed?

[Shitty Paint diagram for your viewing pleasure here](http://imgur.com/a/VupoO)

PS: Site where trees were cut is definitely our property: we surveyed the property before adding the retaining wall years ago

Answer:
 Your drawing is pretty good

If it's accurate and those trees were on your property then you can definitely report her.

I would start with the police (if anything you can get a police report) and then contact a lawyer.

Answer #2: Trees are worth a TON of money, it turns out.  Three of them could EASILY exceed the amount allowed by small claims court.  Hell, one tree could EASILY exceed the amount allowed by small claims court.  It's time for your parents to lawyer up and pursue litigation for the cost of the trees.

Bonus: chances are crazy neighbor doesn't have the many thousands of dollars this will cost her if your parents can prove she was responsible.  Perhaps ask around the neighborhood and see if anyone saw an arborist truck there while your parents were gone, try to figure out which company did the removal, and try to get records from them.  Having to repay the value of the trees will likely cost crazy neighbor their home.Answer #3: Do you know what kind of trees they were, and did your family intentionally plant them?  I'm just wondering because you say they were "tall trees" but also "a couple of years old"--not many valuable trees are very tall at a couple of years old, and the landscape you describe could easily have some volunteer junk trees in that space.  Not that means your neighbor was okay to trespass, but you're not going to get much value from tree of heaven saplings or the like.

P.S. Thank you for the MS Paint drawing.  Somewhat disappointingly unshitty, but we'll make do.Answer #4: Oh my God. You are about to break r/legaladvice !


Title: [California] My In law's dog got attacked through a fence via the neighbors dog, won't pay vet bill.

Question:
Quick story: My in law's pit bull was in the backyard when the neighbors let out their pit bull, which immediately ran up the the fence and both dogs started barking and attacking each other. I went outside moments after I saw it happen and the neighbors dog had its jaws locked on our dogs cheek and was essentially trying to pull her head through a chain link fence.

During the scuffle, the neighbors said their dogs mouth was stuck on the fence, so my father in law cut that part and the dog still did not release our dog, we began spraying it with water and that did not work, so I went inside and grabbed my pepper spray off my belt (work security) told everyone to get back while I heard the neighbors daughter crying that she doesnt know what to do - I then gave the dogs face a quick burst of spray and within 10 seconds their dog let go of ours. Promptly informed them their dog will be fine but wash it's eyes out with water.

My in laws took their dog to the vet for a bill of $545, but the neighbors said they won't pay it because their dog was cut in its mouth and shouldn't have been pepper sprayed. Neighbors also stated our dog started it even though right after the incident one of them told me their pit bull has issues with trying to attack other dogs. I was also informed they are taking care of their dog without a vet, as opposed to our dog which had a deep puncture wound.

Anything my in laws can do?

Answer:
 File in small claims court. Ask for the vet bill.

[Here](http://www.courts.ca.gov/selfhelp-smallclaims.htm) is a good place to get started if you don't want to go through a lawyer.Answer #2: Not legal advice, but ...

have you (your in-laws) documented it? From what I have understood that neighbor's dog may be a danger to others. It drew blood and was apparently not under control and I suspect that the neighbors have not trained the dog to behave properly.

Pet's have to be properly socialized, even "common" animals like dogs and cats and small animals like mouses and rats, otherwise they become a danger and need to be put down.


Title: Sisters phone stolen and destroyed at school

Question:
My sister and a friend of hers had their phones stolen from their backpacks at high school. School did its investigation and found out the two kids that stole the phones. The kids not only stole the phones but destroyed them. Because the value of the phones combined was over $1000 dollars, the police and school said it is a felony offense. The two kids fessed up to the crime. My mom was asked if she wanted to press charges and said yes. The school suspended the two kids for now. We are wondering what the next steps are for:

1) ensuring these kids are expelled or removed from the school. My sister has 2 classes with one of the offenders and is extremely worried that he could be back in school with her and with a personal vengeance. The last thing I want is her to be uncomfortable or scared.

2) financially recouping the cost of the destroyed phone. Will the police force a payment for damages or will that have to come through civil court?

Thanks I appreciate any help or other general advice.

Location Minnesota.

Answer:
 > ensuring these kids are expelled or removed from the school.

This is solely at the discretion of the school. However, if the kids involved spend time in juvie, they won't be in classes for a while, and if they're released on probation then the school will likely be part of enforcing their probation. The school's duty is to provide a safe learning environment, not to impose specific punishments.

> financially recouping the cost of the destroyed phone.

Right now, wait. It's possible that if they're charged, restitution will be part of their sentencing. If not, then your parents and your friend's parents can sue the kids, _and their parents_, for the fair market value of the damaged property.


Title: DV and terminated by employer

Question: Feeling like I was unfairly terminated when I was progressing and ending an abusive relationship. Have two restraining orders to demonstrate. The relationship took a toll on my ability to maintain jobs expectations. I don’t feel like they provided me reasonable accommodations. Do I have a case?

Answer: Being in the process of ending a violent relationship is not a disability you can request reasonable accommodation for. Were you fired for missing too much work?


Title: (Colorado)-Landlord from Hell

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 IANAL. The roof is generally the LL's responsibility, not yours. He has to pay all costs unless he can prove in court that you did something to cause it to fall apart. The burden is on him, not you. I know nothing about construction so I can't comment on whether you actually could've done anything to damage it.

Is the building still habitable? What exactly is the state of the roof?


Title: I'm at my wits end with my pot smoking neighbors

Question:
Hi all

FYI, I am in NYC. For the past year or so my neighbors below me (I'm on the third floor of a walkup), have been smoking so much weed that it comes up through my (and all my roommate's) heaters and will not dissipate until we open all our windows and start blasting fans. Even if it's below 30F outside we will do this because it is more comfortable to deal with temporary cold than sit in the filthy air creeping up. Because this was an issue last year as well, the building's repairman even helped out a bit and put sealant on any openings by the heater, but unfortunately it has not helped much. It's even gotten to the point that we have taken our own towels and smother the heaters to prevent more of the smell from coming in.

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Now, I am not against smoking weed (I smoke occasionally), but if I had a neighbor who was uncomfortable with my smoking I would be absolutely mortified and would stop immediately. But not these girls. I have the phone number of one of them downstairs and have asked multiple times for them to take it to a well ventilated area instead. I'm often met with ("oh sorry" to "there's no one smoking here, sorry!" to "I'll tell them to do it somewhere else"). I could hear one of them one night boasting about how they bought an ounce of weed and would smoke it all pretty quickly (which led to my roommates and I being inundated with smoke at 8 am). They also smoke cigarettes as well.

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Also, the real kicker is that they have instagram posts showing their weed pipes and cigarette packs in their rooms, as well as drinking on the subway, AND a marijuana growing (one plant) in their room. I have screenshots of all of this too.

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The super for our building has talked to them in person twice already, but at times the smoking seems to get even worse.

I have the feeling that because I'm in NYC, law enforcement will not give a shit about this but I am seriously at my wits end. I hate coming home, opening my door, and feeling like I live with a skunk and that I then have to let in freezing air just so I can get rid of the smell. So, any suggested next steps to nip this in the butt will be truly appreciated.

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Answer: You might be right about the cops having more important things to do, but you won’t know until you try.


Title: Ex husband won't pay child support nor follow divorce decree. utah

Question:
He will not follow the divorce decree stating what i items I am owed during the marriage.
He told me I will never see a cent nor the items.
He does not supply health insurance for our kids.
I'm at my ends rope and I don't know what to do. Any advice will help.

Answer:
 Get a lawyer and take him back to court to enforce the decree. It's a court order; he's bound to follow it, and the court can punish him if he does not do so, up to including fines and imprisonment.

If you have any written or recorded evidence that he specifically said he will not follow the decree, provide it to your lawyer. Wilful contempt of court is _great fun_.


Title: [HELP] Collections is after me for my exroommate's bills

Question:
I know close to nothing about law but want to educate myself before meeting with a lawyer locally (I live in Ontario, Canada)

 I shared a house with my ex roommate.  The hydro bill was in both of our names, but I was primary. My roommate and I agreed to spilt the bill half/half each month. By the time I moved out (5 months ago) I had paid my half in full each time but he only paid sometimes.

I called Hydro One to take my name off as primary before I moved and they required a confirmation call from the roommate, which he promised to do. I moved and have not spoken to him since.

Last week I received a phone call from Collections Canada. They claimed that I owed them $600+ in unpaid bills and interest. I had not received any form of contact from my roommate or Hydro One prior. Is there anything I can do to fight this?

Thanks in advance everyone! I really appreciate it.

Answer: You can't really fight this bill, since it's a valid charge in your name. But you can likely take your ex roommate to small claims court to get the money you pay back.


Title: Non married couple bought a house together. One person A wants out but is afraid of the other person B stopping payment on the house and forcing a foreclosure. What are persons A options? (TX)

Question: Person A and person B are not married, not even common law.

Answer: It's probably best to come to an agreement with the other person and sell the property. I am not a Texas attorney, but Texas probably has a legal procedure to force a sale of real property. In Virginia, where I practice, this process may last for years and you would probably need an attorney. I have no reason to think it's faster or cheaper in Texas, if it exists at all.


Title: I unknowingly let my mother-in-law's best friend accidentally steal our neighbor's mail. She opened it and sent it to my in laws as a gift. Mildly complicated. Are we in trouble?

Question:
In Washington State. We will call my mother-in-law Kim.

The mail man dropped off a box on our door step. My husband brought the box inside our house. Before opening it he noticed it was delivered to the wrong house. He was just in his pajama pants at the time so he set it next to the door so he could give it to them later.

Hours later he is taking a nap. My mother-in-law's best friend comes over to deliver gifts and to pick up a package Kim sent to us on accident. I said, "If it's convenient could you please take our gifts for the in laws to the post office too? We can pay." She agreed. Then we got talking and distracted by the kids.

As she was leaving she picked up a box by the door thinking it was my gifts for my in-laws. I thought it was the box she brought her gifts in a.d thought nothing of it. The next day I remembered that I forgot to give her the gifts. My husband asks what happened to the box that was by the door. I tell him who took it. We contact her about.

She opened the box, took out the gifts (adult coloring book and something else), repackaged them and sent them off two states away. She feels terrible about it. She offered to buy new ones or pay for it. My husband says the same.

My question is, is anyone guilty of breaking any laws here? I know it's a.federal offense for opening or messing with someone else's mail. In this.instance though, no one knew that was happening until it was done.

On mobile. Sorry for formatting and random grammatical errors

Answer:
 I'd contact the original buyers and explain the situation, offer to repay, apologize profusely, etc. Do you know them? Do you have any inkling as to whether they'll be insane people who report this or will they be reasonable?

Even if they do report it I can't imagine a prosecutor worth their salt taking charges on this. Any crime committed here would require a mens rea; none are of the color of strict liability laws and I can't imagine even a state level law criminalizing mail fraud/theft etc without a mens rea.  On these facts it's next to impossible to prove even criminal negligence, let alone recklessness/intent, beyond a reasonable doubt. Anything above negligence is not convincing because you didn't do anything to profit from the gifts, but instead treated them correspondingly to your story. Nothing in this makes me suspicious. It wasn't a diamond ring, it was an adult coloring book. If I were to bring this case to trial, I think the jury would hate me for it.

Barring the involvement of some comically unrealistic evil villain AUSA or ADA I don't imagine anything could possibly happen here. Even if it does, there's no way they win at trial. I don't want to venture any further into hypotheticals, though.

Also, as an endnote: anything I've said here is based on the facts that you've conveyed, taken as true. If there's more to the story that could change things.


Title: [San Diego] My 19yo friend's step father hit him and broke his expensive laptop. What does he do?

Question:
My friend is 19 years old, lives in San diego and lives with his mother, step father and younger brother (probably somewhere around 10 years old), and my friend pays rent to his mother and step father.

Let's start with the laptop. He ordered it from xoticpc.com and had it shipped to me in Illinois. The laptop cost somewhere above $1,100, and was bought with my friend's own money that he earned from his job. He can print the receipt from the website. I fixed it up for him and set up programs, etc. **I still have the shipping receipt for the laptop when I shipped it to him in San Diego.**

About 3 or 4 days later, my friend was using his laptop, and he was using a fan to cool it, since it gets hot. It was a fan plugged into the wall outlet. Step father saw this, and got angry because "the fan was using too much electricity". He told my friend to give him his new laptop. My friend didn't trust him, so he said no. This made the step father very angry and he tried to take the laptop by force. My friend held the laptop against his chest like an american football player holds the ball when they get tackled. The step father started hitting him with fists and slapping him. This gave him large marks on his back, neck and head that **he took pictures of soon after.** The step father then ripped the laptop from my friend's hands and basically tried to snap it in half at the hinge where the screen meets the body of the laptop. My friend then fled the house with his laptop and some laptop accessories.

My friend is living at one of his friend's house now, and he brought the laptop to a repair shop. It will cost upwards of $150 to repair, and even then, it will never be in the same condition it was before his step father attacked him.

I told him to go to the police and press charges. My friend has no money and cannot afford a good lawyer or an apartment of his own. He has a minimum wage job. I think he can sue for battery and destruction of property. But I'm no expert, and that's why I'm here. His mother is siding with the step dad, saying he deserved it and she is urging him not to press charges. I am urging him to press as many charges as he can.

What should he do? Is there anything else he and I should know?

Here is a list of things he has:

* His laptop

* Pictures of marks and bumps on his body that were inflicted by his step dad

* The receipt of purchase of his laptop

* The receipt of shipping his laptop from my house to his house.

* His friend who saw him right after he left his home, with his broken laptop and marks on his body inflicted by his step dad
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 He doesn't need an attorney to file a police report.

He doesn't need an attorney to sue in small claims.

But it is up to him what actions he takesAnswer #2: If he lives with them, and tries to file a police report or small claims case, expect for him to no longer be able to live there anymore.

I'd never advise anyone to stay in an abusive environment, but he needs to recognize that rent, food, and electricity are all going to cost more than the $150 repair bill, and that they have no legal obligation to let him continue to live there after they give him a 30 day notice to end his tenancy.

If he wants to make a report to the police, he can certainly do so. They may investigate, and the DA may decide to file charges. It's possible the punishment may include restitution; such as paying for the repair. If it doesn't, then after the case is over he can file in small claims court.


Title: [England] Accidentally fell for the IPG paintballing con — what can I do?

Question:
I was thinking about going paintballing anyway. Went to the shopping centre and saw that they were offering entry for 10 people for 60 quid. Great! The salesman then threw on 1000 paintballs for free. Excellent! I bought it, as any idiot would. Then I read the terms and conditions. “ Paintballs will be issued at 3pm “  “ One person can only use 100 of the free paintballs. “ That’s not so great.

The T&Cs say that they will issue a refund within 21 days if you send an email saying you want a refund and send them the info pack you gave them. I googled the company and it seems like they REALLY don’t like giving refunds out. They will say that they will give you one, but take more than two months to do it.

Is there anything I can do to ensure I get a refund back in the 21 days quoted in the T&C and on the website? Anyone I should email such as trading standards agency or watchdog? Anything else in general I should do (apart from not falling for cons?)

I have to send them an email — can anyone offer me a template I can fill in to send to them?
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 You're over thinking this.

Just request your refund and complain to them if they don't.

No legal issue at this point. Answer #2: Well you start by following their instructions, and document that you did so. Any legal action would need to come after they refuse to follow through.

Question from a non-paintballer : why is this a con?


Title: [TX] Ex (late30sM) and I (early30sF) are having a kid this fall. What does a good/fair co-parenting agreement look like?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You make a good income; shop around and hire a really good family law attorney.  The attorney can help you navigate this situation and let you know what you might be able to expect in your jurisdiction if this matter goes to court. Answer #2: You need to consider the safety of your child first and foremost. What's "fair" is a distant second. I question his ability to safely parent your child if basic safety concerns slip his mind. Honesty, I don't think you would be out of line to request supervised visits until he gets his act together. It's great that he wants to parent, but he needs to demonstrate that he can actually do so consistently.Answer #3: In my jaded thinking it sounds like he's more interested in having the amount of child support having (mostly) full custody would entail. As ever, document everything. He might slip up and say something incredibly stupid that will help you and your (excellent) lawyer down the road. Answer #4: Get a shark of a lawyer, and don't try to be "fair". Think of the child's safety and mental and physical health first over what may or may not be "fair".

He's just point blank not going to get full custody of a newborn baby with you only getting every other weekend visitation, so don't worry about that.


Title: I live in an apartment, and my refrigerator has been broken for the last week. Legally, what can I do to incentivise my landlord to fix it?

Question:
Location is Austin, TX.

I talked to the leasing company about it on Saturday. They said they'd fix it that day, and have continued to say that every day that I've asked them to fix it. Yesterday, I kindly reminded them that I'm in the process of deciding whether or not to renew my lease. They said they'd fix it that day. They did not.

Do I have a legal right to a working refrigerator in Texas? I believe I have a legal right to a water heater, but is the same true of a refrigerator? If I paid someone to fix my refrigerator, could I legally require the leasing company to reimburse me? Is there a way to compel the company to fix my refrigerator?

To further complicate things, I do actually want to renew my lease. I have a good price on the rent, and I like where I live. This is the first problem I've had with the company. If I do pursue some sort of action, can they prevent me from renewing the lease? Thanks for your help!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 The landlord must maintain all appliances that came with the apartment.

Here's a summary of your possible remedies:

http://texastenant.org/repairs.html

Workaround: if you buy a couple of bags of ice and throw them in the refrigerator and freezer, you can keep things cold at an expense of a few dollars per day.


Title: [Texas] My landlord is attempting to evict me for a bad online review.

Question: I had wrote a review about the property, as I'm sure I'm allowed to do, but when I was in class, the landlord came and visited my girlfriend. She said "Since you're so unhappy, you have until September 2nd to find a new place." My girlfriend freaked out. You know like what are you talking about, no we're super happy (Because I graduate and we will leave town in ~4 months) Anyways she made my girlfriend go and write another review to make up for the (deservedly) bad review. She agreed not to evict us. Now I feel like this is not only unethical, but illegal, and I am wondering if I would have any legal recourse? Basically extorting us for bad yelp reviews

Answer:
 Not legal advice, but I suggest that you leave the review up until less than one month before you leave. (Or for safety's sake you could wait until after your security deposit is returned.)

After that, edit it. Post what you thought about the property, and ALSO post that the landlord threatened to throw you out unless you put up a good review... so readers might want to think twice about believing any positive reviews.Answer #2: > She said "Since you're so unhappy, you have until September 2nd to find a new place."

What does the lease say? Are you in a long-term contract (1 year) or you are month-to-month tenants? Was the notice in writing or verbal only?


Title: What should I do if I was hazed by an IFC fraternity and the school isn't properly handling the situation?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Talk to a lawyer and file a police report if you haven't and are intent on this going anywhere.


Title: (UT) Was promised solar panels, never got them

Question:
I bought a new townhouse last fall. In their promotional literature and website, they promised "Solar Panels, Tesla Wall Options...". When we wrote the contract, they said the Tesla walls weren't available yet. Disappointing, but we went forward anyway. The "standard features" list became part of the contract, and it listed "solar panels". The panels weren't installed by closing, but they promised they would install them when more buildings were completed.

Fast forward several months, and we still don't have any kind of solar panel. The developer just tried to have us sign a paper granting them permission to install a solar powered attic fan and the paper includes verbiage that basically acknowledges that all features have now been installed in accordance with the contract.

I feel that they are not following through on their part of the contract, but worry I wouldn't have a very strong case in court because their contract just vaguely mentioned "solar panels". Also of concern is that the community is still being built, and I worry about my property value dropping if I successfully sue the developer and they don't complete the community. Is this worth consulting an attorney?

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, but: if the contract literally just says "solar panels", I think you're going to have a very hard time winning a lawsuit on the grounds that the panels don't do what you want them to.

Were there any other pictures you might have been shown or assurances you were given about the type of panels? Like, did they say you would be able to run your home off of them or sell power back to the grid? And can you prove they said so?


Title: Abuse of power at six flags

Question: Yesterday my family went to six flags in new jersey and got in at 9:10 and at 9:20 my family wanted to go in the line for green lantern. People kept cuting past them in line and my brother had enouf and put his hands up. In comes some more people who didnt say anything pushed my brother into a wall. My family then tracks down the people who did it and the were park security.they then take my family to the security building at 9:30 they then left them sit there like they did something wrong for an hour.they then said to them the security doesn't  wanna press charges. And told my family to leave the park. My family then said they wanna press charges over the what happened and they give them the run around doing nothing about what happened. They wouldn't even say sorry about the whole thing. so my family left to beat the traffic and my brother's arm and neck were in pain.is there anything that we could do about this? [We have some videos on my moms phone of the time they spent from the security area]

Answer: Don't go to Six Flags anymore if you don't like their customer service. Write a bad yelp review. Complain to corporate. It's really not worth pursuing legally.


Title: Was selling trees to one person (close friend). He was caught selling and gave me up. Police searched apt and found <1oz. What should I do? (VA)

Question:
Going to contact a criminal defense lawyer tomorrow. Cops have said there will be no charges while they wait for lab results/paperwork for a few months. They offered me a snitching deal but wouldn't give any specifics for what would happen. They beat around the bush when I asked about the specifics and said that if I could snitch 3 people, my charges might all be dropped or a few might get dropped and I would be charged with misdemeanor possession. In total, the cop said that I would be charged with 3 felonies but I only am aware of a possible two (felony possession and sale).

I am not a large dealer; I do not keep track of customer transactions; I have only dealt to one person whom I knew since 3rd grade. Cops only took paraphernalia, the bud, a scale (not mine, found when moved in), and a large amount of small baggies (they were $4 for 500).

Looking for comments about similar experiences/legal advice in the mean time.

Answer:
 Legal advice-

Stop possessing, distributing, and using illegal drugs.

Talk to an attorney before making a deal with the police.


Title: Parents died when I was 7. Had life insurance, government benefits, land, etc

Question:
Adding my location. United States. Alabama
My parents died when I was 7; along with my grandfather and grandmother on my mother's side. My mother worked for the government and had life insurance, and so did my grand parents. They also had land, equipment, and cars (of which I am not concerned about because those assets have been distributed accordingly. ) Everything but the money.
To make a depressingly long story short, my grandfather (Dad's dad) believed in keeping it the bank, as opposed to my Uncle (Dad's brother) who has been in finance his entire life, believed in investing in the stock market.
I chose at age 7 to live with my uncle. Living with my aunt and uncle was absolute misery and nothing less than hell. My substitute mother, seemingly, despised my sister and me. Anywho, my uncle has never told me exactly how much we have. Still hasn't given me an exact number, to this day. He has told me (just recently) around $250k because "we are building a house. I want to know how much we have available to us to use." And he says "about $250k."

Throughout the years I have shown good judgement, graduated college, and have an excellent job at the railroad. I also have a wife that is a business owner, and we have three little girls. With that being said, we want to build a home. We want to use the money that is owed to me and my family towards the house that we can raise our family in and create ever-lasting memories in. I've never asked for the money. Never asked how much.

Reasons we want to use the money:
-we do not want a house payment
-my uncle has always head the money over my head. He keeps me updated on how much it has gained (15-20% annual rate of return). I know it is a substantial amount but, you would have to know how he is and how he tells me.
-To this day my substitute mother has NEVER kept our girls, asked to see them, or shown interest in being a part of their lives; neither has my uncle. (They live 0.45 miles away.) So, once we use the money, I will never have to talk to them again.
-I believe my granddad (dad's dad who recently passed), mother, father, grandmother and grandfather (mom's parents) would want their money spent on their {great} grandchildren.
-I have the best retirement in the country with the railroad. And we have money saved, will continue to save , and will always save for our girls.

He will not let me have the money for our home. His reasoning is "it is making money and if you think I will just hand it over for you to squander, you are mistaken."

Do I have any grounds to file suit against him for the money?
What can I do to get it?

I don't know what to do.

Thanks,
Jesse

UPDATE: I have an appointment my wife set up with a lawyer who was a part of the case when it happened 20 years ago. He said he would provide his service free of charge when my wife called him.

Answer: You need to speak to an attorney asap. I can almost guarantee the money is long gone -- the rate of return is the biggest red flag. Answer #2: Please come back and update us once your Lawyer has looked into this. Like others have said, this doesn't sound right and I'm thinking that the money is gone.


Title: upstate ny legal advise

Question:
hello Reddit community need some advises
me my girlfriend and two of our friends where going to a cabin for a weekend away from the city. we where about 10 mins away from our cabin a state cop pulls us over for going to slow. mind you the roads where dark and we didn't went to miss our turn as it was our first time here. he pulls us over then tells us he smalls weed. none of us smoked however I tell him I do have a little bit of weed in my bag. he proceeds to screech all of us and our car. he find a the weed he also finds a knife which he says is illegally btw I told him I have a knife in my bag he also finds an empty small jar of coke from gods knows when. he arrests me for the weed knife and coke. I have to appear in court in 2 weeks my questions is what can I do I known need a lawyer but should I get lawyer from around here our nyc where i live what rout can I go was this an unlawful arrest he scratched our car with no one give permission. this is our first time having trouble with the law not only did he runing our weekend but on a human level it was just wrong what he did. any help would be much apppercaticed.

Answer:
 You **literally told him you had drugs on you**, and you think it was illegal for him to act on that information?

You need to hire a criminal defense attorney in the area where this happened.


Title: I want to bypass the evil x and give my kids the money

Question: I have been approved for 4+ years of ssdi back pay and my x will not give me her address to send her the paperwork to get the money for 2 of my children. Can i just go along with her dumbassery and wait until the kids are of age and they can get the back pay directly?

Answer:
 No.

Child support is support the child while they are children.  You're the recipient? Your state should have options to compel her to pay this back support.


Title: Do not turn left between 6am-9am and 4pm-7pm Monday through Wednesday

Question:
I'll try to keep this short and objective. This took place in Kennesaw, Georgia

Let's start with [pictures](http://imgur.com/a/L6ylkJP)

I was pulled over for making a left turn at this stop sign at roughly 6:30 PM . The sign states that I cannot make a legal left turn at the stop sign between 6 AM and 9 AM or 4 PM and 7 PM.

There are two (2) visible signs. The first is roughly 100 meters back from the stop sign in question, and I thought it was referring to a different road entirely. Neither of them are visible from the stop sign in question.

My navigation also encouraged a left turn at this stop sign.

Do I have a case?

Also,

Is there any way for me to find out when and why these signs were placed?

Thanks.

Answer: There was signage, you're not going to win this one. Answer #2: The fact that Google Maps told you to turn left is irrelevant. There seems to be no left turn after that first sign, so I'm not sure how it could apply to another left turn. More importantly, I can't see how the sign on the left wouldn't be visible from the stop line.


Title: Tricked into agreeing a phone contract

Question: The company yourtel constantly rang everyday, One day I was in a hurry so i said "Yes, Goodbye" and hung up, which must have caused a contract agreement. now they expect me to pay an enormous bill for a phone contract, how should i explain this to get out of the contract without paying?

Answer:
 > how should i explain this to get out of the contract without paying?

Request evidence of your agreement of this phone contract. If they cant bring evidence of such an agreement they will either rescind the bill or the court will force them to remove it.

http://thelawdictionary.org/article/is-a-verbal-agreement-legally-binding/

Your "yes, Goodbye" will most likely not qualify as a legitimate verbal contract.


Title: TL;DR-Female/34/Georgia-Gross Disfigurement And Asymmetry of Abdomen And Waist From Tumescent Liposuction Performed By Cosmetic Surgeon. Need Advice.

Question:
I originally had liposuction with a cosmetic surgeon on my right and left abdomen/flanks in Atlanta, GA in the early fall of 2015 and a revision in the spring of 2016 as after healing I was left with an asymmetry on the left side (left side was substantially larger than the right). Please note I had ongoing communication with this physician before, during, and after the procedure and expressed my concerns as it was obvious after swelling subsided that there was an asymmetry and I followed all after care instructions. The physican advised to wait 6-9 months for final results and we would revise if needed, I agreed as this is customary and reasonable. The allotted time passed and he noted there was indeed an issue. He promised to fix it for a reduced price. I agreed.

After this second revision surgery to correct the original surgery from 2015 and after healing I ended up worse than the original problem/asymmetry as the surgeon now took off way too much tissue on the left side to compensate for the larger right side, leaving the right side now looking larger/shapeless and also took out way to much in my right flank leaving a large gouge in my hip/waist that makes me look deformed. Imagine a person with a flat left abdomen and normal waist from the waist to the midline/navel area and a puffy right abdomen with an almost abnormally tiny gouged out right side waist/flank. It is visible and disturbing and I have to wear loose tops as the asymmetry is that horrendous, never mind a swim suit or tank top. It has been an ongoing saga that has taken a financial and mental toll and makes dressing a hassle.

To follow up and do diligence I went back to him and once again he noted the issue and said he would again fix the now more atrocious problem for a reduced price. I did not comment or commit but thanked him for his time and asked for my records as I wanted to not only see pictures and have them in my possession, but I wanted to see the amounts removed. As it was they were unable to produce the records citing issues with the printer. It took several weeks of me requesting but I finally got my records and they are basically poorly documented and unreadable as to the cc's removed from each side. Notes only show overall amounts which are also negligible given it is accounting for both solid and liquid (saline and adipose tissue are not separated and measured alone but measured together so it is anyone's guess what was really taken out). Notes are sketchy and vague at best. Please note that on this visit he viewed before and after pictures commenting how much smaller my abdominal area was. I did not say anything but the question is not if the area is smaller, but the issue of gross asymmetry. Who cares if you are overall smaller, if you look worse and like you have the abdomen/waist of two different people. I felt this was a moot point and him trying to convince me that smaller was better than looking like a shark bit a chunk of your waist on one side and that a large tumor was growing in contrast to the opposing side.

I have gone to another physician who is an actual plastic surgeon (note the person I went to originally is a cosmetic surgeon, which though he had no disciplinary action and good reviews, is apparently not the same as a plastic surgeon). The new physician was aghast and definitely acknowledged the issue and explained what he believes happened and the original guy should have adjusted for this. He also said he does a lot of corrections from this particular physician. All talk, but based on my experience, I'm convinced.

The plastic surgeon I am considering is going to have to not only remove the copious fat left on one side to even out my abdomen but actually add fat where to much was taken out of my collapsed waist, essentially this venture will cost upwards of $5,000 to correct.

Thus my question is do I have recourse? I understand elective surgery is a tough one to get compensation for and that is not really what I am after, but I do feel he had a duty to me and rather than offering to fix the ongoing issues he should refund me my monies as I am not comfortable going to him yet again as I have lost confidence in his abilities/skills and possibly his eyesight/judgement. I have thought of writing him a letter outlining my issues and requesting a refund to have the issue fixed. Any advice/thoughts on doing this or what my next move should be would be appreciated.

TL;DR-Female/34/Georgia-Gross Disfigurement And Asymmetry of Abdomen And Waist From Outpatient Tumescent Liposuction Performed by Cosmetic Surgeon. Need Advice.

Answer:
 There's usually an automod response for this, but medical malpractice cases are notoriously fact-specific and generally untouchable for this subreddit.  You should consult a local attorney.Answer #2: > Thus my question is do I have recourse?

No one here is going to be able to advise you on that.  Medical malpractice is a "go see a lawyer for a consult".
Answer #3: Although all medical malpractice cases are fact specific, an undesirable cosmetic result from a cosmetic procedure including the possible need for additional procedures is undoubtedly something that was discussed with you and included in the surgical consent forms that you signed.


Title: PLEASE HELP ! ! Need advice ! ! Re: charged with trafficking controlled substance. 34 year old father of 2, clean record.

Question:
•	In the summer of 2017 I tried to quit using heroin cold turkey and had been clean for about 4 days when I relapsed and drove to pick up from mth dealer at around 10pm. I will be honest here and say that I make good money in my job and hid my addiction for years from work and family, but was trying to quit for obvious reasons. When I used to pick up I would grab around 14 grams ($4200)  at a time to avoid going down so often and never once sold any of it, I always used every bit to aid my addiction. After I picked up I immediately used and on the way home crashed my car into a ditch and woke up in the hospital cuffed to the bed. My fiancé and a police officer were present in the room and my fiancé explained what had happened. After 4 hrs and blood and urine test I was released and taking to the overnight holding until the courts opened and my fiancé posted bail.

I was charged with trafficking 17grams of heroin and impaired driving. I retained a lawyer and have been going through the motions, pleaded not guilty and asked for a trial in high Court with a jury as my lawyer did not think going through low court with only a judge would be wise. Is this the right course of action? I get very little comfort from him as he says that I could end up sentenced to a minimum of 3 years in prison. From what I have read in the disclosures and police reports, after my air bag deployed someone called it in and when the ambulance and police arrived I was slouched over beside my vehicle. They stated that I was intoxicated but could not smell alcohol on my breath and when read my rights and arrested, I gave consent to search and that's when they found the drugs in my pants pocket. I was clearly not sound of mind from using and getting hit with an airbag as I don't remember anything including the accident or anything other than driving home and then waking up in the hospital. They also claimed to have found 3 Cell phones, though one was an ipod and one was a work blackberry then another I used for personal. I am not a dealer and have never sold drugs to anyone in my life. My phone records I'm guessing will be investigated to try and show this?? I am really not sure what think right now and I am very scared for my family and wellbeing if I have to serve time.

I have no other strikes against me, have never been charged or even arrested prior to this. I have worked for the same company for 12 years and am the primary earner for my fiancée and twin 5 year old girls. I first got addicted for percocet then moved up to oxy's and then eventually heroin. I have never used needles and only ever snorted it. I currently am in a methadone rehab program and have been clean for well over a year.
I have paid my lawyer almost 25k and have something called a prelim trial in December and I am not sure what to expect from this. Please help, I really just want to know if I need to prepare for the worst ???
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 Look, I can tell you're taking the right steps but I've got to lay this out for you; he's telling you there's a chance you get 3 years because it's very true and he wants you to prepare for that reality. Your charges are very, very serious and short of a "not guilty" verdict on all your charges, I really see you spending some time in prison. There are counselors and groups for people in preincarceration, you should seek them out. Keep close contact with your attorney and listen to their advice. Answer #2: You have an attorney, who's advice you should be listening to.  No one here can really supersede that advice.

And, what's worse is that for little to no gain, you are publicly posting details about your crime before it has been adjudicated.  I would suggest deleting the post. Answer #3: Listen to your lawyer.  Listen to your lawyer.  Listen to your lawyer.

That being said, you want a  experienced Toronto **drug defence** lawyer who understands the law and will fight for you.  You want someone that SPECIALIZES in drug defence with an excellent track record.  It could cost more, but you need a specialist.  Not just a criminal defence attorney and based on the price you were paying for drugs, it sounds like you can afford it.

&#x200B;

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Title: Son was injured at Daycare and now theres a cover-up.

Question:
How are you guys?

My wife and I have been going back and forth about what to do and aren't really sure how to go forward.

My almost 2 year old son has now tripped and fell head first into a table at daycare 3 times. The first time wasn't to bad. The second time resulted in a small scar above his left eye. This last time he was taken away by ambulance and had to get 2 stitches inside the cut and 6 outside the cut. This time it's above his right eye and will leave another good sized scar.

In MA laws daycares have to have a certain child to adult ratio. In this case it is 1 adult to 5 children. During this accident one of his teachers was out giving a tour of the building and they didn't bring anyone in to cover. We know this because we are friendly with the certain teacher and she told my wife that she didn't see him fall because she was coming back from the tour. However, on all the incident reports they say that the daycare had proper ratio which is a lie and that's what's really making us angry.

We have text messages from the teacher saying she didn't see the accident.

We have text messages from the director to the teacher telling her to lie and say that she was there.

We aren't the type of people looking to get anyone in trouble but this is unacceptable. If they're willing to lie about that what else could be going on? This happen last Wednesday and he stayed home Thursday but went back Friday. He went back today while we searched for another daycare which we found. We will be pulling him from there this week.

What do we do for our son?

Answer: Just to clarify. Your son tripped and hit his head on 3 separate occasions, all in the same tabled area?  Was there an obstacle or hazard he was falling over? Answer #2: It is hard to say what to do if you don't have an expressed goal.


Title: Is an automatic gratuity legal?

Question:
I own a service business and automatically include gratuity when a certain amount of services are booked. Like a restaurant (% added to to a certain number of people) but with on location beauty services. Is including this gratuity legal?
In California.

Answer: Short answer is if its known at time of service, or part of a quote its legal.


Title: [CA-NY] soon to be married, child support issue.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Generally, no, unless you become voluntarily unemployed or underemployed.


Title: Neighbor put up a fence and demanded I pay him for half [Ontario, Canada]

Question:
Last year my neighbor sent me a letter saying he was putting up a new fence and that he wanted me to pay half, the letter he said was that he was putting up regardless of my response. He explained that the fence was in bad shape and he had to put up a new one

I dismissed the letter and a few months later he started sending me letters demanding that i pay him. He put up an expensive fence, he owns a contracting company and they did the work themselves. I told them I would pay them in the spring because I was already paying for renovations on my house and I wouldn't have the money until then.

he agreed, as spring came along i started looking into fence laws and I sent him a letter explaining that since I had no part in selecting and putting up the fence that i shouldn't have to pay half and i would pay him the cost of a basic chain link fence.

He of course flipped out, i have lots of emails and letters from him saying he was going to tear down the fence. i finally talked some sense into him and i payed him a little less then half.

Here is my issue, after i paid him he put the house up for sale, there was nothing wrong with the fence that i could see and i told him that. he also did reno's in his backyard to match the fence, he straight out lied to sucker me into paying for his renovations so he could make more money to sell his house.

I don't know if i have anything to work with I just really want to get back at that slimy contractor.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: You said you would pay him for the fence and you did. You can't get your money back just because he's moving or because the old fence wasn't as bad as he led you to believe. If you hadn't paid for the fence then you might have a case, but at this point it's way too late, sorry.


Title: Doctor slept with mentally ill patient

Question:
Hi Everyone,

Trying to figure out if there are any ramifications for a doctor (podiatrist) sleeping with a patient, specifically one with borderline personality disorder.

So my mother broke her ankle many years ago. This was precariously after a divorce and her mother (my grandmother) passing away. My mom has a history of mental illness. She saw the doctor and he slept with her. This is confirmed by a nurse as the doctor bragged about it with my moms current nurse.

Okay, fine—whatever, little foul if it didn’t lead to ruining my moms life.

Having BPD, after her ankle healed, she started to pick at her own skin on her foot so the doctor would have to keep seeing her. This led to a lot of attention—people coming to see her, giving up their sick days so she could rest at home, etc etc. so my mom continued to pick and see this doctor. During this time, she also got addicted to pain medication that the doctor prescribed. From my understanding, he has prescribed her so much that he was investigated for it. I assume some was under the table, as my mom burned through a half million dollar inheritance within 5 years.

Eventually my mom lost her first leg. At this point no one could diagnose why she was getting these sores. She basked in the attention of learning to use a prosthetic until no one cares anymore because she was essentially normal. Suddenly the wounds formed on the other leg. Only recently, after my moms inheritance ran out, did the doctor cut her off.  Now my mom is getting her second leg removed.

While I very much understand this is also my moms fault, I don’t feel comfortable with a doctor who, in his words, “fucked” my mom and then prescribed her pain medication so she wouldn’t tell. Is there anything that I should do or could be done, legally? Also to get my mom help?

Thank you.

Answer: You can report him to his state’s medical board for having sexual relationship with a patient.


Title: (CA) Hoping to solve a disagreement with a friend. If I refuse to pay my restaurant bill can I be arrested?

Question:
Hi all,

My friend is opening a restaurant and we were talking about a situation and we don't know the legality of it.

If a customer orders a steak well-done and the server explains that it is not advised and that quality cannot be guaranteed if it is cooked beyond medium-well and then the person gets said steak and is displeased and refused to pay the restaurant bill can that person be arrested?

For one, isn't refusing to pay the bill theft? Does the bill have to meet some kind of threshold in this case? What should a restaurant do in this situation?

Thanks!

Answer:
 I'm a California cop. Yes you can be arrested for it but are more likely to get a criminal citation. The crime is 573 PC which is a misdemeanor.Answer #2: > can that person be arrested?

In theory, yes. Not paying a restaurant bill in California is considered a petty theft (in Mississippi, it is a felony).

> What should a restaurant do in this situation?

Whatever it wants:

1. Forget it in the name of good customer service. Or:
2. Call the police. And/or:
3. Sue the customer for the cost of the meal.


Title: Spouse and I both served divorce papers on the same day. What now?

Question: I filed on the 2nd and successfully served via process server today, he filed yesterday and sent via signature mail which I received today. What now? Does that depend on who files that the other was served first?

Answer:
 Sounds like you are getting a divorce.

Was there a difference in venue?

In almost all states it's a "no-fault divorce" these days so realistically it shouldn't matter


Title: Employer wants complete access to medical records and ability to share, what are my rights?

Question:
Firstly, I am in Ontario, Canada and work for a large multi-national company.  I have been burning the candle at both ends lately at work and in consultation with my doctor on some of the health issues I was having, my doctor recommended I take just over a week off and then only a couple hours a day the following week.  I asked for notes for both absences.

My company sent me a form saying that due to the amount of time I have been off, which is greater than 5 days, they need me to send a form to qualify for Short Term Disability benefits.  The form requires me to consent that they contact the doctor directly, access to my medical records including diagnosis, treatment, and medications;And the consent to share the medical information with a host of people within the company and also an insurance company that provides group benefits.

This seems extreme to me and I refused.  They said they do not accept “notes from doctors”, that the form must be completed and signed.  They haven’t said it directly but the threat is that I will not be paid even though I a mid-level salaried employee.

What are my rights here?  Should I continue to fight this myself or contact a lawyer?  Can I file a complaint somewhere such as Ministry of Labour, Human Right Commission?  Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 So, there are a few kinds of protected leave in Ontario. Unfortunately, your timing sucks: the Ford government changed the structure of it at the start of the year, and where you would have had a total of ten days' leave to use for multiple purposes last year, you now have a number of smaller pools of leave that can only be used for specific purposes.

[Section 50](https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/00e41#BK99) of the _Employment Standards Act_ covers sick leave and provides three days of leave in each calendar year. You took more than that; the first three days are protected under the Act but the following days are not, and are provided only at your employer's discretion.

Short term disability leave covers leaves longer than three days, though. If your employer has a short-term disability plan through their insurance; otherwise, it's covered out of EI. You don't have to apply for STD, but if you refuse, you likely won't be paid past the third day of your sick leave. (If you have already been paid, your employer may be able to recover the overpayment.)

The consent form itself is fairly mundane, as your STD provider will need that information to approve your claim. You can try talking to your group plan's insurance rep, if you can get ahold of them, but it's _very_ unlikely they'll make an exception for you and allow you to provide the specific information they need yourself.


Title: I'm paying for everyone to do their laundry. Landlord has shared laundry machines on my meter. Tried to hide it but not labeling the circuit breaker in my appt. How do I proceed?

Answer:
 The circuit breaker is in your apartment and you can turn it off anytime you want?
I think I may have an answer to your problem.Answer #2: Disable circuit breaker and confront landlord. Answer #3: Turn off the circuit breaker and leave it off.  Problem will soon be solved...


Title: strip club in texas hustled me

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Did that bit to drink mean you were actually so blotto you don't remember six dances? What was the procedure for charging you for the dances? Pay as you go or pay at the end? Was there a system in place where they tracked which dancer was with which customer for each dance?Answer #2: Sounds like you have "reasonable rejection"

This has literally happened to me before to the tune of thinking I was going to do charged $120 and then getting charged $1200.  It was my friend's birthday I said I wanted to buy a VIP dance.  She said $150.  We get back there and it lasts a few songs and they bring some shots to us and there are like three girls. Didn't ask for anything but the VIP with the one girl.  They bring the check and it's $1300.  They said it was $120 per girl per song or something like that.  I objected, they didn't care.  They had my credit card.  I signed the receipt "NOT AUTHORIZED" and called my bank in the morning.  I got all of my money back.

Not saying this will definitely work for you, but it could be a last resort


Title: Was Fired From Job then offered position back after filing unemployment. Illinois

Question:
Living in Illinois.

As the title states I was fired from my position at a bar while I was on vacation for verbal misconduct. the whole situation made no sense since it was not possible for me to say anything let alone be there while i was on vacation. So fast forward, just last week I had my interview for unemployment i stated what happened and went on my way to wait for their answer. I assume that they approved my benefits because last night (Friday) i received a text from my close friend/co-worker that the owner who fired me asked if i was still looking for a job and wants me to call him on Monday to possibly get my position back. I am not against getting my old job back i really liked it. what is worrying me is being hired back and getting out of unemployment then being fired again for some other reason so they can get out of paying for my benefits.

I am asking is there any way that I can protect myself, so that I wont get fired for some bs reason just so they don't have to pay for my unemployment?

any help or words of wisdom is greatly appreciated.

Answer: Just take the unemployment and find another job man. No use going back and possibly being without income.Answer #2: You have a valid concern.  There is no guarantee.  You should choose only what is best for you.


Title: Was told by postmaster that mail legally sent to my address, but to someone else's name, was legally mine- is this true?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 > that I did not have a legal obligation to write Return To Sender on everything.

Yes, you don't. But you *can* and probably should.

Further, read [this](https://lifehacker.com/how-can-i-stop-getting-mail-addressed-to-someone-else-1444875925), and do it for all the previous residents. It should stop the first class mail (not junk mail, sadly) from coming to the letter carrier's case (where they put together their route's mail) in the first place.


Title: I had a single-car crash due to icy road conditions. Can I fight a (failure to) "drive vehicle at safe speed" ticket? More details inside.

Question:
Last week I crashed my car in Pennsylvania due to icy road conditions.  Speed limit was 55, I was going at the pace of traffic which was about 30-35 with significant space between the car in front of me and behind me.  Roads were not icy, but it was raining and temp was around 32F.  I came upon a 4 lane bridge, 2 lanes in each direction.  My exit was just after the bridge and I was in the left lane, so I attempted to switch lanes into the right lane about halfway down the bridge.  Despite the roads not being icy, the bridge had iced over, and my car fishtailed and ended up crashing front-first into the median barrier.  My airbags did not deploy.  While the road was pretty busy, no other cars were involved fortunately, due to the space left between the cars both in front and behind me.

My car was inoperable and blocking travel lanes, so I called 911 and they sent an officer to assist.  He took my information, I told him what happened, and he said I would not be cited for this accident.  He handed me an "accident information form" with my information on it.  There is a section for "Violation", "Section & Subsection", and "Citation #" which were all left blank.

Today, I get a letter in the mail with a citation for [75-3361](http://www.legis.state.pa.us/wu01/li/li/ct/htm/75/00.033.061.000..htm) which is "Driving vehicle at safe speed".

>No person shall drive a vehicle at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions and having regard to the actual and potential hazards then existing, nor at a speed greater than will permit the driver to bring his vehicle to a stop within the assured clear distance ahead. Consistent with the foregoing, every person shall drive at a safe and appropriate speed when approaching and crossing an intersection or railroad grade crossing, when approaching and going around a curve, when approaching a hill crest, when traveling upon any narrow or winding roadway and when special hazards exist with respect to pedestrians or other traffic or by reason of weather or highway conditions.

The name on the citation is the same as the officer who responded and told me he would not be issuing a citation.  Is there any way I can fight this?  Are any of these points valid **(TLDR)**:

1. Was traveling significantly below the speed limit (evidenced by lack of airbag deployment).
2. Was allowing significant stopping distance (evidenced by single-car accident).
3. No officer actually saw the accident take place or knows what my speed was.
4. Officer specifically told me I would not be cited and left the citation area on the form he gave me blank.

I live about 3 hours away in Virginia, is it worth going up to fight this in court?  Do I have a case?  Thanks for any advice!
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: You can fight any ticket if you'd like to. But if you were unable to avoid crashing into the median, that means (pretty much by definition) that you were not driving in a safe manner.


Title: [TX] What to do in the case your probation officer won't make contact with you

Question: I received a citation while on probation and tried to contact my officer within 24 hours of the incident as per probation rules. She didn't answer any of my calls within that time frame, so I left a voicemail. I have repeatedly tried to call her not only to insure she got the message, but also because I'm on break for school and need to reschedule a screening. I'm worried that she somehow didn't get the message or something else went terribly wrong and now I risk severe punishment; what should one do in this situation?

Answer: One can call the main number for the probation office and speak to another probation officer or supervisor to ensure that everything is still on track.


Title: Weather, and BA's lack of help, cost a Sudanese refugee her $1,771 ticket and her first reunion with her family in 20 years. Do we have any legal recourse here?

Question:
I am posting this on behalf of my Mother in Law who tutored (and befriended) Mary - a Sudanese refugee - and is at her wits end about how to deal with this situation. I don't know if there's anything else we can do, but she's very upset. I hope maybe Reddit might have some ideas. Here's a version of the complaint letter she sent to BA:

---------------------------------------------

I am writing regarding a recent experience with British Airways that caused a Sudanese refugee to miss her flight, and cost her the $1,771 ticket. As a result of the actions of British Airways, she missed her first reunion with her family in over 20 years, and never made it home for Christmas.

On the morning of 12/15/2015, a blizzard hit Denver, CO closing roads and highways for over an hour. These closures, which could neither be predicted nor avoided, caused Mary to be 20 minutes late for check in. Though her flight had not left yet, and in fact was also running over 20 minutes late, the airlines refused to let her check in.  Their actions caused the entire round trip ticket to be cancelled.

Since that time Mary and I have wasted many hours of our time simply trying to get back what she had paid for – a ticket home. Initially, British Airways customer care told us that the staff at the airport could re-issue the ticket, but we would have to go there in person as they did not apparently accept phone calls. So, on the 18th of December we drove the two hours to DIA and waited speak with a supervisor.  After four more hours, a supervisor, named F, told us that his manager was arranging to reinstate the ticket. Eventually, he came back and told us they were unable to do it, and that we had to contact Expedia. This inconsistency on top of the hours we had already spent on the phone as well as our time spent going to and waiting at the airport was incredibly frustrating, but because our goal was to reinstate the ticket we followed the supervisor’s instructions and contacted Expedia.

The supervisor there told us that they would reinstate the ticket, but that they would need an authorization code from British Airways. However, when Expedia contacted BA on our behalf, the agent they reached would not give them a number.  The Expedia supervisor helping us insisted that despite what we had been told, the British Airways manager at the airport did have the authority to reinstate the ticket. We clarified that, because it was a full-price Expedia ticket and not one bought in bulk and then redistributed by the company, the booking was in the hands of the airline.

Though we have tried to be patient and understanding of possible confusion among BA representatives, it seems clear that the airline has been giving us the runaround.  After several days of concerted effort, and after speaking with no less than 10 different people, Mary still does not have a replacement ticket.  And this in spite of the fact that more than one British Airways representative and the Expedia supervisor were certain that such reinstatement was completely possible.

On its own, this experience is enough to undermine the integrity of British Airways, however it is compounded by the specific circumstances of the passenger. Mary is a Sudanese Refugee, one of the Lost Girls of Sudan.  She was forced to flee her village at the age of nine, causing her to be separated from her family. After leaving her village she lived in a refugee camp and then in an orphanage in Kenya before moving to the USA in 2007.  At 29 she is a single working mother attending college and working as a caregiver to support herself and her daughter. It took years for her to save the $1771.56 to purchase her ticket, which was to be her first reunion with her family in 20 years. Now, due to the total lack of support from British Airways in response to an unavoidable weather event, she has not only lost the money that she worked so hard to save, but she has been deprived of this opportunity to be reunited with her parents. Furthermore, without restitution or a refund from the Airline, it will take her several more years to be able to afford another ticket. If there is any situation that deserves special consideration, it is Mary’s.  This is why we are so devastated and confused by British Airways’ refusal to help us resolve the issue.

As Mary is still not familiar enough with western systems to deal with this on her own, she has given British Airways permission to talk to me about this situation.

---------------------------------------------

I'd be grateful for any advice or help you can give, to either get a refund or get her ticket re-issued. Thanks for reading :)

Answer:
 > in response to an unavoidable weather event
> closing roads and highways for over an hour

Who arrives at an airport only an hour early? Who waits till they *arrive* to check-in? Weather forecasts?

> due to the total lack of support from British Airways

Translation: I missed my flight due to poor planning on my own part and British Airlines/Expedia won't listen to my[their] sob story and break policy to help.

> moving to the USA in 2007
> Mary is still not familiar enough with western systems to deal with this on her own

Seriously, you've [they've] been living here for almost 9 years and still can't figure out how to call someone on the phone and have a conversation with them? Gotcha.

Mary fucked up and, yeah, that's unfortunate but she made a mistake and now she can learn to live with the consequences of her actions. Perhaps if the 1700 dollars truly does mean that much to her she will not miss her flight next time.


Title: Apartment building caught fire, not allowed to enter my unit to move my stuff out, my unit was burglarized and everything was stolen. Is apartment company liable for not securing the unit? [California]

Question: So another unit in my building caught fire, everyone was evacuated and the fire was put out. All of my stuff was fine other than my clothes and furniture smelling like smoke. I was told the night of the fire that I wouldn't be able to live in the unit anymore. I was told by the fire department that I'm good to go in and get my stuff but the apartment managers said I wasn't allowed to enter my apartment until they got it cleared from their insurance. I had a truck ready to go and move my stuff out the next day but they still didn't want to let me in. I was worried about all of my stuff and wanted it out of a vacant building. They said they would have a security gaurd watching the building. I go in the next day to check the status of being able to get my stuff and they said that the building was burglarized. Everything I own that was worth taking they took. I feel fucked so bad and have no idea what to do, the apartment company said they won't pay for my stuff. I'm pretty broke and have no idea what to do next. Any advice?

Answer:
 File a claim with your renter's insurance. You may also have a claim for illegal eviction if the FD said it was safe to return and management took it upon themselves to deny you entry to your apartment.

Did management leave your unit unlocked?


Title: Friend got pulled over for smoking a cigarette after being trailed then I get Arrested for possession of Marijuana

Question:
Hello everyone I need some help on what I should do here, First off I wanna say that I live in Salem, Nh. So me and my 2 friends one which was driving and was the owner of the car were coming home from a Friends house , We stopped at this busy intersection next to our local police station in town. While we were waiting at the lights a cop pulled to the side of us to stop at the light too, He pulled up and looked over at my friend who is 17 smoking a cigarette. Now my friend looks like he's 18 and his car Is registered In his mom's name so there Is no way the cop can know If he's 18 or not at this point. When the light turned green the cop waited for us to go first so he could be behind us when the 2 lanes merged. We wen't down the road a good mile and pulled into a store right near my house so I could get a drink, The cop kept on going and all was fine. When I was leaving the store I saw that the cop had turned around and came back to stroll though past my friends car really slowly, He then exited the parking lot and waited at the bank across from the store we were at for Us. As soon as we left the parking lot he pulled out of the bank and was about 4-5 car lengths behind us before putting on his lights and pulling us over. This whole time my friend didn't not go over the speed limit or break a single traffic law, the cop told my friend he pulled him over for smoking a cigarette and looking underage. I asked the cop to describe to us what a 18 year old individual would look like and he got angry that I said that and told us all to step out, Of course they performed illegal searches without our consent and found marijuana in my possession.

So the question to you guy's Is what do I do here, Is what the cop did entrapment since he followed and waited for Us? Is pulling someone over for "not looking 18 while smoking" even legal? What I'm gonna try to do Is get a public defender and bring It to trial. I've been to court few times but I've never took anything to trial before.

Thank you

Edit: Thank all you guy's for the advice you have given me, I do realize that I didn't actually know what Entrapment means but I now I do. Because of you guy's I now feel more confident about what I can do to help my situation In this case, Would just like to thank you all again for the help!

Answer:
 >Is what the cop did entrapment

No.

>So the question to you guy's Is what do I do here,

I would suggest you find an attorney and ask them to help you negotiate a plea for community service or some sort of deferred adjudication.

> Is pulling someone over for "not looking 18 while smoking" even legal?

Yes.  The officer had reasonable articulable suspicion that your friend was underage and smoking.

What made you think it was a good idea to back-talk a police officer when you were carrying illegal drugs?

Lastly, you seriously need to work on your writing skills.  Interpersonal communication is very important in the workplace and you're doing a very bad job expressing yourself.Answer #2: >Is what do I do here, Is what the cop did entrapment since he followed and waited for Us?

What he did may have been illegal, but it certainly wasn't entrapment.

>Is pulling someone over for "not looking 18 while smoking" even legal?

Perhaps.

>What I'm gonna try to do Is get a public defender and bring It to trial.

How old are you? Are you living with your parents? You may not qualify for a public defender, but it's certainly worth it to apply for one.


Title: Moped stolen 3 years ago, towing company wants $300+ after finding it today.

Question:
Not sure where to post, but 3 years ago(2016) I had my moped stolen while I was in college. I filed a report immediately and finally received a phone call today from the police department that it had been recovered and to call the company that the officer told me about. He also told me it was in bad shape as it was found behind a dumpster.
I called the towing company who only just received it today and said that it will be $305 to pick it up and increases by $25 per day at midnight. The thing is, I don’t want the moped anymore at all. I assumed it was long gone a couple years ago, and especially knowing it is in terrible condition, I don’t want anything to do with it.
The guy at the towing company said, “well someone has to pay for it.”
Do I have to pay $300+ for a junked moped?
Location is in Michigan if that helps.
I’ve also posted in r/personalfinance since I wasn’t sure where to ask this question.

Answer:
 You reported it stolen?
Then it’s out of your hands.
Was it insured when it was stolen?
What did the insurance say or do?
It’s been stolen for 3 years? It’s out of your hands. Walk away.Answer #2: After reading some comments about collections I felt obliged to suggest you look into law in your state. I'm in Ohio and if that situation were here, the towing company will "bill you" for an "agreed upon amount of time". After that time, they could claim the vehicle abandoned and claim it's title from the state. Simply put, leave it there and it will never bother you again. It's their problem now.Answer #3: My shitty car once got towed and it was going to cost me hundreds to get it out, more than the car was worth. I talked to the people at the tow yard and they have paperwork you can sign that basically “sells” the car to them for nothing. You don’t pay, they keep the car. I recommend asking them if they do this.


Title: I received a parcel saying my drivers license has been suspended. I have not been pulled for at least a year and have never been issued a ticket.

Question:
[AZ] I recently moved to a new, more advanced town and can't help but think this was from a traffic camera.  Even still -- I have never received any invitation to court or traffic tickets via mail or elsewhere.

Please help, any information is valuable,
[Here is a pdf of the document I received.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uLQz--TC88aeykhMhjFH3RT7vyOseCaO/view)

Answer: Traffic cameras are generally just fines as they cannot prove who is driving. My first recommendation would be to follow the instructions given in the document. Call or visit the Mesa City Court.


Title: I'm an uninsured driver who just got into a collision

Question:
As the title says I'm an uninsured driver and just got into a collision. The accident was very minor, I was in the grocery store parking lot and backed into a truck that was stopped behind me. I have a spare tire on the back of my vehicle and this caused a small dent in the area above the wheel well. We exchanged information and I gave the driver my phone number and name.

Money has been really tight for me lately and just within the last month I've finally gotten to a place of financial stability. So, I decided to forgo insurance (for the last few years actually) since my car is valued at under $2,000. I recognize this isn't a responsible decision but it was the choice I made.

Moving forward, is it appropriate to ask the driver to forgo using insurance and handle repairs privately? Will getting a policy today do anything for me coming up? Any guidance that can be offered would be appreciated!

Answer:
 >  I decided to forgo insurance

Which is illegal, and you can be ticketed and fined for it, depending on your location, maybe more.

> is it appropriate to ask the driver to forgo using insurance and handle repairs privately?

You can ask, but they have no obligation to agree.

> Will getting a policy today do anything for me coming up?

Yes it will keep you legally compliant, but it won't help with today's accident.


Title: Is there any merit to this Fox News opinion piece, alleging that Comey could be in legal jeopardy for not reporting Trump's obstruction of justice?

Question: [This Fox News piece](http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/05/16/gregg-jarrett-comeys-revenge-is-gun-without-powder.html) suggests that if Comey accuses Trump of obstruction of justice, he could be in legal jeopardy for failing to report this crime contemporaneously. Is there any merit to this, or is the Fox News guy just talking out of his ass? This logic seems crazy to me, but I can't put my finger on why.

Answer:
 The [fourth element](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2014/09/29/misprision-of-felony/?utm_term=.0ccd709407b7) required to prove misprision of felony (18 USC 4) is an act of concealment. Memorializing Trump's request in a memo is pretty much the opposite of that.

28 USC 1361 is not a criminal statute at all. It pertains to jurisdiction on matters related to compelling officers of the US to do their duty.

Gregg Jarrett is, as usual, talking out his ass.

EDIT: And now that I think about it, the first requirement is that the principal (Trump) committed and completed the felony alleged. So in order for Comey to be guilty of misprision of felony then Trump must, as a matter of law, be guilty of obstruction of justice. Funny how Jarrett didn't mention that part. Answer #2: It seems crazy because it is.  If the memo is real, then that means that he wrote an official document that is on file with the FBI.  Ergo, he *did* report it.  The FBI is a part of the Department of Justice, where this author says he's required to report it.


Title: My aunt is being screwed over by her husband during the divorce. Advice?

Question:
Throwaway for personal reasons. I also posted in r/personalfinance but they advised this question belongs here.

So I recently spoke with my aunt and she informed me that she's finally getting a divorce. Things have never been great between them, we long suspected he was abusive (verbally and maybe physically), cheater, and my parents were never really close to her because she chose to stay with this piece of trash. They have a daughter who is 19. Anyway, I kept in casual touch with her because we live in the same city.

Apparently, the straw that broke the camel's back this time was a trip her husband took to meet with his mistress. He told my aunt he goes to Canada for a work assignment but he actually went to Miami to meet with this lady. My aunt found out when the bank called her about some big charges on their bank account (yeah, the smartass used their joint account to paid for this adventure). Being the submissive person she is, my aunt didn't react as many others would. She patiently waited for her husband and, lo and behold, HE was the one asking for a divorce and she was the one begging him to stay.

Leaving their personal issues aside, I am concerned with her finances. They both work and all their money is pooled in the joint account that this guy used for his mistress, mortgage, bills, etc. Basically, she has no money of her own even though she works full time. They have 2 homes, an apartment and a house. The apartment will soon be paid off (I think 2 years) but the house has 28 years left on the loan. Her husband told her that he is taking the apartment and she can have the house. My aunt was so happy that he would leave her the house and failed to realize that she, as a single woman, will be left with 28 years of mortgage for a 4-bedroom house that she will live in alone. The sneaky husband also uses their money in the joint account to aggressively pay the mortgage on the apartment, so when the divorce is final he will have a paid off home.

Am I right about the housing situation? I tried to make her understand and she seemed to but I am not sure. She wants the damn house so much but I don't think she realizes how hard it is to pay $1,450 a month on a $2800/mo salary by herself. Any advice, reddit?

Answer:
 Does she have a lawyer? If not she needs one because it's clear she doesn't have the expertise to settle a divorce herself. A lawyer will make sure she gets what she is owed in the divorce.

She should in no way agree to anything regarding the housing situation before she talks to a lawyer.


Title: The movers from the moving company I hired stole around $6000 of my stuff and damaged a whole bunch of my furniture. What now?

Question:
I'm a student in San Diego, CA. Before I left for home over the summer, I hired a moving company that seemed to be popular among other students, who'd come and pick up my stuff and hold onto it until I found a new place in the fall.

&#x200B;

After they had picked up my stuff, and I watched them take pictures of everything and tag everything, they left and I went onto their website and immediately noticed probably the most expensive thing they had taken, my CDJ equipment, was not listed, so I sent them an email asking about it and was told basically "it may take a while for the inventory to clear, we're backlogged right now". In hindsight, the people taking it were weirdly curious about it, opening it up, asking about it, I was just trying to get home, assumed they were just curious about it and making conversation and didn't think much about it.

&#x200B;

So I said fine, hopefully this is a responsible company and went on with my life for a bit. I moved back to school last week, had the moving company come back, and immediately noticed that this was missing, and a few of my other items were either damaged beyond fixing or simply severely mishandled.

&#x200B;

I sent them again another email and got a claim form back with a very low dollar value limit on it, which can replace some of the damaged items but not my stolen equipment. I'm considering filing a police report over stolen property, is there anything I should know or am I basically screwed and being stuck with the paltry "claims" amount they offer? Can this company really just go and steal like that...

Answer: You file a police report and you sue.


Title: [IL] New asphalt driveway installed with improper pitch failed inspection; contractor refuses to listen to concerns or admit any problems exist

Question:
I hired an asphalt contractor based on a recommendation to replace my old asphalt driveway with a new one. I signed a basic contract for the work in the amount of $4,100 and gave a $2,000 personal check as a deposit.  I applied for and received a permit from the village for this work.

The new driveway looks fine appearance wise but it was installed with the wrong pitch and now water drains towards the house in two areas; one a basement entrance and the other a basement window well where I previously had no issue before. It's bad enough that I have had to place sand bags to keep water away from those two areas.  I can't even use the hose to wash a car without worrying about water in these areas now.

When I initially phoned the contractor to raise my concerns he indicated he would get back to me to arrange a time to see the issues in person and discuss with me. I offered to send pictures detailing the problems, but he wasn't interested in seeing them. A couple of days pass and I don't hear anything, so I call twice more, leaving messages asking for a callback. I call a third time and he picks up the phone and offers to send a crew to come look at the driveway. When I insist that he come speak to me he refuses, telling me he's not going to meet with me so he can get yelled at about the job performed and any professionalism he had goes completely out the window at this point. This phone call turned very contentious and before ending the call I told him I wouldn't be paying the balance until he came to see the issues and discuss in person and address my concerns.

After that call I had a very uneasy feeling about the direction this was going so I took my concerns to the village the next day. They inspected the driveway and issued a failed final inspection and cited improper pitch as the reason. I was told I would have to apply for a new permit and that the entire driveway would have to be removed and replaced in order to correct the pitch.

About 10 days later I still had not heard from the contractor so I sent a letter detailing the issues as well as the failed inspection and given the nature of the previous phone call and his lack of response, I demanded a refund of the deposit and a cancellation of the contract in order to hire another contractor to redo the job.

Approximately three weeks pass and I have heard nothing from the contractor so I initiate a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I present my evidence in the form of photos and the failed inspection and again ask for a refund. In his response to the BBB complaint he blamed the issues on the layout of the property and the age of the home while ignoring to acknowledge the failed village inspection and the village assertion that in order to pass inspection it must be removed and replaced with proper pitch. He claimed to have come out to inspect the driveway himself and insisted the driveway is not the problem and that it was installed properly; insisting they did a good job and if I now have water issues I should just live with them. He stated that he didn't want to ask for the balance due until he had a chance to look at the driveway and having seen it and declaring it to be a fine job he demanded that I pay the balance of $2,100.

I have no intention of giving this guy any more money and given the contentious nature of the situation and his refusal to accept even the smallest amount of responsibility for this situation I no longer trust this guy to do an honest, professional job.

I understand that he can (and probably will) try to put a lien on my house for the balance he says is due. I know I have to hire another contractor to replace the driveway properly. What, from a legal standpoint, should I be considering regarding the first contractor? Is it worth me filing a lawsuit in small claims court over $2,000?

Answer:
 First, look back at the contract you signed with him.  Did he do the exact work he stated he would do?  The exact pitch you asked for?

Second, contact other local contractors and have them come evaluate the work.

If they back you up and your claims of a shitty job, go ahead and file small claims.

If you can get other contractors to back up your claim and state it was a shitty job, the judge is going to look at it with a much better grasp of the situation.

Answer #2: What did you pay for to be done to your driveway, An overlay of the existing drive or for it to be removed entirely and relaid? For $4,100 and needing a deposit up front I'm guessing it's not a reputable company and they have no basis for a lien and would rather not draw attention to themselves seeking one. In many states it also requires the contract to be registered with the county prior to starting and without this a lien may not be filed. I would look up local mechanics/contractors lien laws to see if he could even file one.


Title: Foster Parents won't let sister or biological family go to brother's funeral

Question:
This isn't for me, but for a close friend of mine, as we don't know what to do.

My friend (let's call her Beth) and her brother (call him Seth) were both given up by their biological parents while toddlers, and were then legally adopted by foster parents who were then paid to keep the children by the state of Arkansas, where they live.

To keep a long story short, basically the foster parents were highly abusive physically, emotionally, and sexually. Once Beth and Seth were 18, they ditched the place. The two of them found their biological parents, all reconnected, it was great. The biological mother died about a year ago now, but the bio father is still alive and involved.

Well, two days ago, Seth was killed in a motorcycle accident. Here's where things got bad:

Beth had no clue he had died. She only found out after one of the adoptive siblings from the foster parents called stating that the foster parents were at the hospital identifying his body, and were planning on not telling Beth or anyone else that Seth was dead. They were going to make it out as if he had disappeared off the planet. Beth and the bio family were obviously furious and upset, and tried to talk to the foster parents about letting them take the body to have a viewing and funeral, to which the fosters refused outright.

Now, the fosters have set up a funeral for Seth, but have told Beth and the bio family that they are banned from coming, and that if they do, they will call the cops.

Beth is devastated, as this was her brother that stuck with her through everything, every hardship, and she wants to see him put to rest, and properly. She doesn't know if she or the bio family are legally allowed to go to the funeral since they are related by blood, or if they should back off.

She knows the bio family gave up rights a long time ago, and the fosters still technically have custody over Seth and Beth, but Seth died at 24, and Beth is 23, so she is unsure if that counts for anything now.

She just needs help. She just wants to see her brother put to rest. Is there anything legally that she can do? Is there any legal right for her and the bio family to go to the funeral? Please, all help will be appreciated.

Answer:
 One. The foster family has NO custody over Beth and Seth. They are and were  adults at 18. Once you are 18, you are an adult.

Yes they *can* make the funeral private.


Title: My restaurant has a new rule that forces me to sit and wait until every guest has left the building. I'm a tipped employee. Is it legal for me to make $3.63/per hour while waiting around not earning tips.

Question:
I'm in the US/Missouri. I have worked for my company for 3 years and this is a new rule for us. We have typically been allowed to close up our section of the restaurant after our last dinner guest pays and leaves, but now we are required to wait for the bar guests to leave, as well.

That translates to as much as an hour, sometimes longer, where we are required to remain clocked in at $3.63/hr. without any chance of earning tips above that amount. I know other restaurants (big chains) have been sued for doing something similar, but I'm not familiar enough with the laws regarding this.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Tip credit is calculated per pay period (or per week, I'm not 100% on that and can't find firm documentation on one or the other), not per hour worked.

So long as your wages + your tips for the period / hours worked is >= minimum wage, they can pay you the tip credit wage.

If those numbers do not add up to minimum wage, they must pay the difference.


Title: Treehouse on someone else's land

Question:
I'm a college student who's looking to live off campus next year, and I want to build and live in a treehouse, only I have nowhere to do this. I had the idea to put up an add on on craigslist stating that I would build and inhabit a structure on a landowner's property for one year and in exchange the person would keep the structure, or if not interested, I could pay a small fee. This treehouse would not, obviously, be legally permitted by the town as an up to code housing structure.

My question is: Would it be possible to write a legal agreement ensuring my right to reside in the structure I build for one year? Or would I simply have to trust that I would not be kicked off the land at some point after constructing the treehouse?

&#x200B;

Answer: Look up local ordinances before you proceed. Even if you pay a fee and sign a contract, the city could still tell you to move and then you’re SOL.


Title: My dad thinks he'll be arrested if I miss a few days of school

Question:
Can someone please confirm this won't happen.
I'm probably missing like my 7th or 8th day this final quarter and my dad got mad and whined about going to jail.
I'm already past 16, already 17. Pretty sure a few  people at my school miss a ton of days anyway so... -_-

Florida btw

Answer:
 [FL 984.151](http://leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0900-0999/0984/Sections/0984.151.html) and [FL 1003.26](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=1000-1099/1003/Sections/1003.26.html) are the relevant statutes.

If you have missed 5 days in the last month then it is a possibility.

Your father can require you to attend school.  If you fail to attend he can have the cops pick you up and take you there.

Stop skipping class.  It's Friday.  You will have a whole weekend to do whatever you want.