Title: [MI] Mother is going to be fired tomorrow in an act of age discrimination. [UPDATED 2: Now with some action]

Question:
Original post: http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2qmhy2/mi_mother_is_going_to_be_fired_tomorrow_in_an_act/

Updated post: http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2qqai2/mi_mother_is_going_to_be_fired_tomorrow_in_an_act/

A brief overview of the situation is that my mother, 62, was called to schedule a meeting at corporate for the national-chain pharmacy that employed her as a pharmacist. For reasons indicated in the previous posts and reasons I don't have much detail on, this is believed to be due to her age. She had previously met with an attorney who had told her, based on the information at hand, that if she was to be fired, she would have a strong case for age discrimination.

Now, to the update:

Last Tuesday (January 6th), my mother was called into corporate and was effectively terminated. She was told that her numbers were too low (the numbers in question relate to how quickly prescriptions are being processed) and that she had thirty days to improve her numbers or she would be fired. During this meeting, she was also told that the entire store's numbers were down and no employee was an exception to this trend, but she is the only one being fired. She is going to get a print-off of the store's numbers, her numbers, and her partner's numbers during one of her shifts; this is information that is public to all employees to print out.

The obvious issue here is that the entire store's numbers are down and she is the only one being targeted. Her partner has slightly better numbers than her (still problematically low), but this is because he changes the times on the prescriptions he fills, which is "not sanctioned" by the company, but is quietly encouraged by management. My mother does not change the times on her prescriptions, which is the only reason her numbers are (very slightly) lower than his. The entire store, overall, is bringing in less prescriptions, and her numbers are parallel to this trend. Essentially, she is being fired because she isn't filling prescriptions that aren't there to be filled.

She also revealed to me that, during her time there, reasonable accommodations were not made for her disability. During her first few years at the company, there were stools in the pharmacy for everyone to sit on. Within the last two years, the company removed the stools (but only from her pharmacy, because when she goes to other pharmacies to fill in for employees, there are stools). She requested that a stool be provided back to her because of her arthritis. She is a pharmacist, it's not unreasonable for her to be seated while filling prescriptions, yet this accommodation was denied.

Another issue that she brought to my attention is that the pharmacy cut the allotted hours for the pharmacy techs, yet the tech shifts were only shortened on my mother's days in the pharmacy and not her partner's, effectively leaving her understaffed, which impacts the "numbers" the company is referencing in her termination.

At this point, she is moving forward with lodging a complaint with the EEOC. She is planning to meet with the attorney she had met with previously to discuss what else she needs to move forward in potentially suing the company for age discrimination.

Finally, it was brought to my attention through my own research that this same company has been sued multiple times - successfully - for age discrimination by pharmacists of roughly the same age as my mother.

Just wanted to offer you guys a brief update because you were so helpful! Thank you again.

**TL;DR** My mother was told that she would be terminated in thirty days if her "numbers" didn't improve despite the fact that the store is doing poorly overall and no one else is being terminated. Various other issues were brought to my attention, and she is moving forward with filing a claim with the EEOC and meeting with an attorney about suing.

Answer:
 Good on you and good on your mother. Stay on top of this and work closely with the EEOC; the more helpful you are to them, the more invested your EEOC Investigator will become.

Quick tip: don't let the employer know that you intend to file or that you have filed a claim with the Commission until they absolutely must know. You want to see if the pharmacy replaces your mother with someone who is younger.


Title: PA DUI question

Question:
I got 2 of these fairly recently. I haven't been to a preliminary hearing for the first one, but the complaint has been filed. The second one hasn't been filed, yet.

I know I need to speak to an attorney and I will be seeing one. Is there a bargaining process? Like say the judge wants me to do some jail time, and take away my license. Is it possible to have extra added probation and community service? House arrest maybe? Since I wasn't charged for the first one do they combine the two as one? Can I drive only to and from work?

My biggest fear is losing a job I am waiting to start. I just graduated college and I was going places. I typed up a letter hoping to gain some empathy in order for me to keep this career going. Has anyone done that before?

Lastly, does it make sense to have an attorney who knows the judge and prosecution team? Not necessarily one that is just good at analyzing the paperwork to see if the charges can be dropped or reduced.

Answer:
 Holy shit, have you got big brass ones. Two back to back DUIs and not a shred of contrition, and your only concern is for your job? It takes real cajones to ask a judge for empathy under those circumstances. I hope your job is okay with pushing back your start date while you're in jail.

But posts should have legal advice, so here it is. Every DUI attorney worth their salt in your area will know the judge and be familiar with your local ADAs. That's not going to be a determining factor. If you have any other scumbag friends who got DUIs, ask them for a referral. If not, you can contact your county's bar association to ask for one. Answer #2: You got two back to back. I would guess any bargaining you had flew out the window when you didnt stop drinking and driving after your first arrest.I would hope they do not allow you to get a provisional license with two dui but you can ask.

Learn the bus routes.

AA might also be a good idea


Title: Will I Get Anywhere With This? Pressing Charges on My Childhood Sexual Abuser

Question:
I'm 19 female from Connecticut.
I was sexually abused by my maternal grandfather for my entire life until I was 13. It was brought to light because I told a friend and she told her parents. The parents then reported it to my friends social worker. There was a police investigation but there are some sketchy things that happened as well as me not even going to court. I'd like to now, as I am more stable regaurding the situation and aware of what happens during these situations. At 13, I was nervous, and confused. As well as avoiding talking or thinking about what happened to me even though I was clearly suffering PTSD.

I want to know if ANYTHING will happen such as a charge or something on his record, with what I'm about to tell you.

The important factors of this are my grandfather is extremely well known and respected in this town. He was a college professor, a high school teacher, very involved in the church and his neighborhood, as he owned the first house on the road he still currently lives on (50 years ago). My grandma was a teacher as well. Both of them are just very respected here by many people. He's educated half of this town. He knows literally every other person he sees. I feel this may cause barriers if I go through with pressing charges. Part of me feels he has some type of connection in the police department.

Also, there was evidence. Video evidence that I personally took when I was 6 or 7 or so. On his own computer in photobooth. Which was issued a warrant to be taken and searched and the video was indeed found. So there's that.

He is also a repeat offender. He sexually abused my mom (his daughter) as well when she was young. This was also brought to the police. I dont know much about her story or what fully happened but it went nowhere from my knowledge. No evidence I believe.

I did not go to court because I was terrified. As well as confused on what would happen because police were involved. I had my grandmas interest in mind while this happened, she has MS and I didnt want her ending up in a nursing home, as my grandfather takes care of her. It was an immature decision on my part in my opinion. Especially because she thinks I'm a liar, as well as the entire side of my mother's family. We were both disowned. If I had a choice I'd change my mind back then and speak in court.
What I also want to know is if this is okay how it was totally forgotten when there was evidence, the fact I was so young, and that this is the second accusation towards him of the same thing? Regaurdless of my co-operation I dont understand why he wasn't arrested anyway based on these factors.
 It all comes off sketchy to me and I feel like it wasnt taken seriously at all, though I very well have anxiety, PTSD and depression as a result of this abuse. It 100% affects my life and relationships with literally anyone.

If I bring this to court (if I can??) Will I be shut down..or can I get somewhere with this. I went from avoiding, to being very emotional for years talking about, to currently being just mad that this happened and that because of my age and state of maturity, i wasn't really able to use my voice and do something about this. Or tell the adults in my life that something really needed to be done.
Also the fact that he is so respected makes me sick. He is old obviously and I don't know how I'll cope knowing he could die and have a nice funeral with so many people who admire him. When really he needs to face what he's done and everyone needs to be aware that abusers really can be your average high school teacher..or boring old man who goes to church. This is very serious and I do have gut feelings there are other victims besides my mom and I. Is it even possible to be this sick and only have 2 victims? I really don't know.

I just want to know if I even have a case. The investigation was in 2013.  I will be 19 next week, so about 6 years ago. I've had no contact with him since I was disowned. I don't want anything from this except him to get a charge or just be outted as a predator. I cannot live comfortably with a broken childhood and he gets to die a town hero. It's just not gonna happen.

*(CURIOUS)*: My grandfather and grandmother went to the police department during the investigation and requested to read all of my statements. They did, and Ive been told by 2 state workers that it sounds very sketchy they were able to do this. Considering I was a minor, 13, as well as a victim. I didn't know you could just request the statements of your victim and read word for word what they disclosed to police, especially if they are a child. I'm worried he may have gotten copies? Is this allowed? Please correct me if I'm wrong. I really don't know but it's always been off putting to me.

Thank you for reading. Any advice or insight would really help me right now... I'll answer any questions or clear any confusion if needed. It's a very long story and I tried only getting the most important parts in without writing a novel.

Answer:
 You are well within the statue of limitations to seek justice

Also meet an attorney and seek a civil suit as well. The burden of proof is lower and you can seek  damages for the emotional distress and lifelong PTSD
 Good luck

>If the victim was a minor and the case is not covered by the provisions above, the statute of
limitations is up to (1) the victim’s 48th birthday or (2) five years from the date the victim notifies
the police or a prosecutor of the crime, whichever is earlier. In cases of 2nd degree sexual assault
where the victim is at least age 13 but under 16 and the offender is more than three years older,
the victim must have notified the police or a prosecutor of the crime within five years after it was
committed (CGS § 54-193a).


Title: Bought a 30k car that apparently cannot be repaired and need advice.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 > He told us to bring the car back Monday September 14th and the body shop manager will look at it. We are hesitant to drop the car off given that the service manager directly told me it could not be repaired.

At this point, what choice do you have, and what do you have to lose?

You can still start the process to file a NY Lemon Law claim with the state Attorney General's office regardless, right?


Title: Mom died and didn't legally leave me her half of the house (BC, Canada)

Question:
Hey,

So my mom passed away from a very harsh disease almost a year ago now. for many years she told me her part of the house would be mine if she passed away. she owned it with her brother. it turns out that they had a shared mortgage with TD that resulted in the house being paid off with her death. apparently(i dont know for sure, and i dont know how to find out) the house is not under my name and her brother hates me and doesn't want me to have any part of it.
i'm an only child, 25 years old. and i have no idea what to do. i don't have money to obtain a lawyer and i just moved back home to get my moms part of the house but i'm being kicked out because her brother is gay and is bringing his fiancee to live here (religious family, secret, ect).

where do i go from here? she would be devastated to know her brother is putting me through hell.
Edit: just wanted to add she is still legally married to my dad (sep. for many years) and he's willing to help me get her part of the house. seems like he might have more power in this situation?
thanks for all the replies!

Answer:
 Short version: depending on how she and her brother owned the property, her share may have either gone directly to him or be available to inherit (in which case, presumably you would be the heir).

You can do a search right now, get the title info (and cancelled titles) for the property, and thus find out whether you should inherit part of it: https://ltsa.ca/

For her other property, such as bank accounts or personal property, again apparently you would be the heir.  Who was/is handling her estate?  What have they said to you about other property of your mother's?


Title: Can Siamese twins be incarcerated if only one of them committed the crime?

Question: Assuming one of the twins committed a murder, could courts punish them with a prison sentence that would incarcerate the other, innocent, twin?

Answer: I don't think so, as that would violate the innocent twin's constitutional rights and there is no countervailing constitutional imperative to incarcerate.


Title: Sister stopped paying car loan. Car is across the country. What are the legal implications?

Question:
My sister has been making some pretty bad choices for the last couple of years. The most recent being this car loan.

It's a $20k loan for some kind of Kia, and it's currently in California (dealership is in Georgia). She hasn't paid the bill in over three months, and has no plans to do so in the immediate future, as she "doesn't have any money."

She recently came back to GA from CA, and I'm really worried that she's going to get scooped up by the first officer who runs her license. What charges could she face if this happens?

Answer:
 I don't think there's any criminal charges she could face at this point. The car will probably get repossessed, and she can be sued by the loan issuer for any remaining money owed, as well as possibly the expenses incurred in repossessing it.Answer #2: It isn't criminal.  But they will have repo out looking for it.  If they find it, then they will take the car back, she will have a repossession on her credit, and (once it is sold at auction) she will still be on the hook for any remaining balance on the loan.

It may take awhile to track the vehicle down if has moved across country, but this is what skip tracers do for a living and I've known some pretty good ones.

The other option is for her to surrender the vehicle in lieu of repossession.  Looks better on credit and depending on the difference between the value of the car and what is owed, she might be able to negotiate away that deficiency balance, for making their lives easier.

Either way, her credit is basically screwed.

Now, please tell me that neither you, nor your family members, cosigner on this loan...


Title: Can I get denied a hotel room if I’m under 18?

Question: I’m planning on going on a day trip to somewhere in England and I’m 17 years old, I’m thinking about booking through trivago and I can pay through card. The hotel I’m looking at going has either child or adult booking requests but I’m not exactly either. Honestly I’m afraid that when I get there and I’m not allowed in the hotel and I’ll be stuck in a city that I don’t know for a night.

Answer: some can deny if you're under 18, check with the hotel before making a reservationAnswer #2: Have you considered a youth hostel? Many have private rooms and you only have to be [sixteen](https://www.yha.org.uk/faqs) to stay there.


Title: [MI] I fell off my bicycle due to business' faulty landscape design 2 days ago ...

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Frankly, your question is ridiculous. It's very unlikely that you have a claim.


Title: Cousin interrogated by teacher while having weight bar pressing into his chest.

Question: My cousin at a private high school in missouri was involved in an incident at his school.  He denied being part of it, then later that day while in weight class he was bench pressing and the teacher told him to max (which is against school policy).  The teacher then spotted him and after getting the bar and weights up once he could not do another rep and was asked for help getting the bar back up.  At this time the teacher refused and started questioning him about the events earlier.  He again denied the event and pleaded for help as the bar was pressing into his chest and limiting his breathing.  The teacher again started interrogating him for another 45 seconds with him pleading for help before finally getting the bar back to the rest.  The school is trying to sweep it under the rug, what can he and his family do about this dangerous teacher.

Answer:
 > what can he and his family do about this dangerous teacher.

His parents needs to raise this concern with the principal.

> The school is trying to sweep it under the rug

If the principal isn't helping, the parents should escalate to the school board. Endangering students won't be looked upon too well. Answer #2: NAL so I'm confused by others saying this isn't a crime or may not be? Wouldn't this be at a minimum endangering the welfare of a minor? This teacher was charged with supervising a activity that has risk. He disregarded and put the child at greater risk (by adding an unapproved amount of weight) by refusing to exercise his responsibility in overseeing his safety. If this was a trainer at a gym I would think the police would be contacted. As I said NAL so am I completely crazy here? I just can't see it at least be a misdemeanor offense. He repeatedly places dangerous weight on children's chest in order to frighten them through fear of their lives into cooperating with an interrogation.


Title: Landlord withholding security deposit for cleaning and legal fees... is this legal?

Question:
I moved out of my apartment in Rochester NY on March 15. I have had to chase my landlord down for information on what I owe (as far as back rent; I was 4 months behind, this is why I moved). He recently emailed me saying he was keeping $300 of my security. $100 for cleaning (the apartment was clean when we moved out, and when we moved in it was dirty, but that's neither here nor there, I think) and $200 for legal fees for "a small claims court action with a lawyer".

Is any of this legal? I'm not sure, and Google is failing me for an answer. Thanks!

Answer:
 Cleaning, yeah.  Unless you have proof that you left the apartment cleaner than when you took possession.

$200 for "a small claims court action with a lawyer"?  Only if the legal fees were related to your tenancy.  And not if the legal fees were related to *you* suing *him* for the security deposit.


Title: Verbally agreed to sign an Intellectual Property contract, am I legally bound to sign it now?

Question:
I took a job at a startup about a year ago. At the time, it was a very early stage and the company hadn't raised any funding yet. I guess this is the reason why the founder did not present an Intellectual Property contract nor an Employment/Equity contract. Everything was built "on trust" at the time, with the understanding that once we raised funding, we'd all be taking a salary and the founder would have the opportunity to pay a lawyer to draft the contracts. The founder claims that it was also understood (read: agreed upon) that once we could afford a lawyer to draft the contracts, we'd all sign them as part of our employment.
So assume a) I no longer wish to work at said startup, and b) that the entire team did verbally "agree" to sign the Intellectual Property agreement. Am I still legally bound to sign the contract?

If it helps, I have been receiving payment for code written. I understand that the code I wrote belongs to the startup even without a signed contract.
Also if it helps, the startup is based in New York.
Finally, if it helps, I'm thinking about leaving the startup anyway, so I don't care about getting fired or losing my unvested equity if I don't sign the Intellectual Property agreement. I only care about whether or not I'm legally bound to sign it.

Thanks in advance!

Answer: No, you are not legally obligated to sign an agreement that was discussed in vague terms on a prior occasion, and they are not legally required to allow you to continue working there if you refuse.


Title: Grounds for discrimination case?

Question: The state i work in is an at will employment state. I had a verbal confrontation with a co worker. I am a white male and my coworker is a black female. Said co worker alledges that i called her a black bitch, which i did not. There is no evidence to support this claim either. My bosses have implied that it is possible i will be fired for this (the racist remark not the confeontation.) and the decision with be handed down tomorrow. Is this grounds for a discrimination case or at least defamation of character? I have been nothing short of a model employee and have been given raises and promotions to prove this and have never been repremanded for anything previously in any way shape or form.

Answer: Wait. How would you be discriminated against? They're not firing you bc you're a white male, they're firing you bc of workplace conduct that they believe happened. It doesn't matter if they're right or wrong, its not discrimination.


Title: Philadelphia PA: Is there a law where the owner of a property cannot have their house taken if someone in their house who is NOT owner is selling or buying drugs?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Yes, [the controlled substances forfeiture statute](http://law.onecle.com/pennsylvania/judiciary-and-judicial-procedure/00.068.001.000.html) is still in effect.


Title: I would like a dog. My landlord will not respond to my repeated requests.

Question:
Hi there and thanks for the help!

I live in FL, and my landlord lives in Brazil. My only known method of contacting him is via email. However, he has multiple friends on the condo board, so I definitely wouldn't try to sneak anything by.

Anyways. I've always wanted a dog. I have reviewed our lease that says "no pets without expressed permission." I have emailed 3 times now within 3 weeks, asking if we could please explore this option with no answer back. I have made it known that I am happy to pay a deposit, pet rent, and have signed my word that I would clean up, be responsible, and I also have insurance in case of the dog biting someone, etc.

Multiple tenants in my building have dogs of all sizes, so I know it's not an issue per the board rules.

I know he reads his emails because we have had a dishwasher and an AC repair in the 8 months since we've been here and have had his handyman come and fix within days of sending the request.

What can I do to facilitate a response? Do I have any sort of leverage, or right to anything because he's not responding to me? Or, is his flat out refusal to talk to me legally construed as a "no."

I appreciate your input.

Answer: In the absence of permission, it's a no.  That's what your lease says.  Sorry.


Title: [Pennsylvania] Can an adjudicated minor be charged for additional crimes he reveals in therapy?

Question:
Can an adjudicated minor be charged with additional crimes they disclose while in therapy?

**Background** - I have 3 daughters (9, 7, 6) - In 2015, my youngest disclosed that she was molested by her 13 year old stepbrother (I am no longer married to his mother, if that is important).  He plead guilty and was adjudicated in Pennsylvania and he is currently in a full time treatment facility where he lives and goes to therapy.

I just received a phone call that in a recent therapy session, he disclosed that he also molested my oldest daughter.  I am in the process this morning of getting her into counseling over this, which my youngest daughter is already going through, but would/should this result in additional charges?

**Edit** - Location in Chester County, Pennsylvania

Answer:
 Maybe. Often those conversations are protected by confidentiality, but your daughters testimony isn't and she could tell the police.

I hate to be a killjoy, but you should get middle daughter into counseling as well. If he went after oldest and youngest there is a high likelihood that he also at least tried with the middle child.


Title: Coworker has items in our house we want removed (USA, Georgia)

Question:
A coworker bought a washer/dryer and asked to store it in our garage for 2 months until she moved. It's been over 5 months and she still hasn't moved and refuses to pick up the items. I know her current address, so I'm considering just dropping them off at her front door one day. If I told her the date/time I was going to do this, I'm assuming I wouldn't be liable for any damages that occurred from them being outside.

Does this sound like a good plan, or is there a more reasonable course of action I can take? Thanks!

Answer:
 If she doesn't *agree* to this, then  you could absolutely be liable for any damage or theft that occurs.

Here's my "go to" solution for these situations:

1.) Send her a letter, certified mail that gives a reasonable amount of time (in the range of 30 days to pick up the items).

2.) Tell her in the letter that if she does not pick it up by that date you will do the following:

* Hire a moving company to move the items to a storage locker, which you will pay for 30 days.

* Sue her in small claims court for the cost of removing and storing the items for that time.

If she doesn't come do this, send the key to her (again, certified mail) with a letter stating the location of the storage unit.

It's a pain, but IMHO it's the safest way to get rid of it. Answer #2: Be careful, I have a friend in a similar situation who was prosecuted for FELONY THEFT after getting rid of a tool box belonging to someone else, that had been abandoned. He'd been told the owner of said toolbox had gone back to Mexico, and he had no way to get a hold of him. But the guy came back from Mexico in a few months, found out his toolbox was gone, and, he filed a police report. (The toolbox was being stored as a shop, not a house, but, otherwise, kind of a similar story).

Friend did a plea bargain to avoid being a convicted felon, but ended up paying $10K for a lawyer and $1500 to the toolbox owner.

So get all your conversations with the other person in writing if possible. Good luck


Title: [TX] Glass shop damaged car door while repairing glass. Video verified they did, and they "fixed" it, but it's a butchered job

Question:
A few weeks ago, my car was broken into and the driver's side rear glass was busted. I had to get the glass replaced so I went to a local glass shop to get it taken care of. After getting the car back, I noticed a dent on the door that wasn't there when I brought it in. Since the dent looked like it was pushed out from the inside of the car, I figured it was the shop that did the damage. I went back and they showed me that they couldn't have done that damage and showed me surveillance video of the guy working on the car. While reviewing the repair, there was a point where he smacked the backside of the door to shake the broken glass down and that's when the damage occurred.

They agreed that they had caused the damage and offered to repair the door at their shop. I questioned whether they were capable of the repair since my car is a pearl white paint it is very difficult to paint/lay properly. They said their guy had 35 years experience and would have no problem doing it. A few days pass and I get the car back and the paint looks like crap. It's not blended right, the color is off, the dent is still visible. I complain to the guy who did the work and he comes up with a BS excuse that's the "pigments" popping. I end up going to a reputable body shop and recieved a quote for doing the repair right; total for doing the job right is $1,733.

I'm not too sure what actions I should take next in order to get the door fixed properly. I brought the car in mint condition and left with a butchered paint job that will devalue the car. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

Answer:
 Get it repaired, ask them to pay the bill.  When they inevitably refuse, bring them to small claims court.

You could ask them to pay first, even bring them to small claims before paying for the repair, but a problem arises if it happens to cost more than the new repair shop anticipated. They could open the door find a bent bracket, or they could find that they used weird paint when they botched the repair and the whole thing has to be stripped, primed and painted an extra time or something.  If you get it repaired then bill them for it, you will be sure to get all of the money it costs to fix it.

You could also talk to your insurance company if you have full coverage.  They might pay to get it fixed then go after the company that damaged it.


Title: [CA] Boss does not offer sick pay, and does not pay overtime.

Question:
Writing on mobile, I apologize for the lack of formatting.

I work at a small, family owned business in California of less than 10 employees.

I had only ever worked for large corporations when I was first hired so I was confused when I wasn’t asked to sign anything nor received any type of paperwork upon getting hired. My boss did not put me on payroll for weeks and had me lie to the payroll company on the phone about my start date. I didn’t protest this as I was just so happy to get out of my last job, when in retrospect it should have been a huge red flag. She was paying me cash for the first three weeks.

She states that she is an at will employer and can fire people whenever she wants, which she has done multiple times in the year that I’ve been there. They had no notice, no written warnings and were let go with no explanation, which from what I understand is perfectly legal as an at will employer but when they tried to apply for unemployment, she fought them, stating that they were late/had been on their phones, etc. even though there was no paper trail whatsoever to back those claims.

I work 40 hours work weeks, sometimes days over 8 hours. She changes the hours purposely so that we don’t get paid the overtime we worked if we work over 8 hours a day. She will shave off hours and change our time stamps without our written approval, which I thought was mandatory. She says that the company she does payroll through only gets sent hours worked, not a complete breakdown, so if it’s under 40 hours they don’t look into overtime.  My problem is that I don’t know how to access when I’ve punched in, and if I can figure it out I don’t have exact dates and times to compare against to see if they were changed.

My coworker works WAY over 40 hours- sometimes up to 12 hour days but he is on salary so I’m unclear of the laws regarding salaried positions. Is this legal?
He also does payroll under her instruction and rules so he’s the one who told me about how sketchy he felt about what she has him do.

We are also not offered sick pay- I’ve called out sick once and it’s an unwritten understanding among her workers that there is no sick pay.

I am very worried that my position will be terminated soon and that she will fight me on unemployment, so I’m trying to get this all figured out. I show up on time and have never had any verbal or written warnings.

I’m not sure if I’m just not understanding the laws or if I have a leg to stand on here and would appreciate any insight on the legalities of all of this.

If I’ve left anything out please let me know and I’ll do my best to clarify!

Answer:
 Contact labor board. Find new jobAnswer #2: Keep track of your hours yourself. If you have location tracking on your smartphone, that could be a good way to keep track.

Employers are required to pay for all hours worked. Anything over 8 hours is at 1.5x pay. If you're not getting that, file a wage claim.

As for the other employee, there is a difference between "salaried" and "exempt." To be exempt from wage/hour laws, multiple conditions must be met.

~~Last I checked, sick pay is not a requirement. Employers with fewer than 10-15(?) empliyees are not bound by as many regulations as larger employers.~~ Oops!


Title: (TX) Fiancèe family pushing me to sign prenup, but not advising me to get my own attorney. Should I sign knowing it could be struck invalid later?

Question:
Fiancèe's family comes from money and her grandmother is insistent that I sign a prenup. I agreed in principle. I know from being an avid r/legaladvice reader that prenups get struck down by courts all the time because both parties didn't have independent legal counsel.

So I am expecting to be told I'll have to hire my own attorney at some point. Nope. Their family attorney from Phoenix (grandma lives in Arizona, fiancee and I live in Texas) just emailed me the prenup in PDF and asked me to sign it and send it back to them if it's satisfactory.

Should I just do it knowing I can get it struck down later in the event of divorce?

Answer:
 Unless Arizona *requires* you to have your own counsel review the prenup, you aren't going to be able to get out of the prenup on that issue alone. Also, signing it now knowing you don't have any intention of following it is signing it in bad faith. Answer #2: Never ask "the other side" for legal advice, especially if they say to not seek your own legal counsel.

Get a lawyer before you sign anything.

*Grandma* might not allow you to "negotiate" anything in the prenup they offered, but you should know what it says before you sign it. Your own lawyer will be able to tell you that.


Title: My instant Karma story. What will happen to this woman?

Question: [removed]

Answer: Yes, being convicted of theft will be on her record.  Yes she will have to pay you back.  Yes, she will have fines.  Yes, she may have to pay for a lawyer.  Yes, she *could* (but might not) go to jail.  Depending on her job, she might lose it.


Title: [Ontario] Employers not paying us when we go to the bathroom?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Employees who are required to remain at the workplace during a coffee break or breaks other than eating periods must be paid at least the minimum wage for that time. If an employee is free to leave the workplace, the employer does not have to pay for the time.

[Source](https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/hours.php)

They don't have to give you defined "breaks," but they do need to pay you if you're not allowed to leave. Since I'm assuming there's nowhere near enough time allocated for you to leave the premises, they need to pay you.Answer #2: According to the Ontario Ministry of Labour, employers are only required to give 30-minute meal breaks if you work five consecutive hours, and those meal breaks need not be paid unless you have a contract stating otherwise. Employers are not required to give other types of breaks, so it's legal for them to not pay for bathroom breaks.

https://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/faqs/general.php

For what it's worth one benefit to getting a salaried position is you're pretty much paid to use the bathroom at work.

*The boss makes a dollar,*

*I make a dime,*

*That's why I poop on company time.*


Title: Update: is it legal to snore in my own home

Question:
[first post](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/33ln2f/is_it_legal_to_snore_in_my_own_home_and_what/)

Thanks for all the advice. Most of it was more medical than legal so I had to just do what I thought made legal sense to me.

I offered to buy white noise machine and ear plugs, he refused. I offered to split the cost of getting my ceiling (his floor) sound proofed, he did not respond. Offered him a beer to come over and discuss the issue, no response.
Sometimes there were weeks without any issues and I mistakenly took this to mean the issue was solved. He must have padded his room or maybe he go his own white noise machine. I was wrong.
I had worked a 16hour and went to sleep about 7am Saturday. He was banging on the floor at 7:35. I lost my cool, and confronted him. Screaming match ensued, but no physicality. I went to cops, but it was obvious they really did not give a shit. Going the legal route for harassment or getting an order of protection seemed like a long and uncertain road. I had to do something now, and it had to be legal.
I have 2 mechanical white noise machines, I keep one right near me, I keep the central air fan going too. Then ear plugs, shoved in real good. To wake up I have 2 Shake-Awake alarm clocks that vibrate (owned for many years). So with all in place I hit the sack, not convinced it would work, and I need to shine the next day at work. I sleep right through until my alarm goes off. I get dress and ready for work thinking that there has been no attempt to wake me, I don't know if it has worked. Then I give my wife a kiss goodbye and she wakes up enough to tell me he was going bonkers for about 40 minutes. Banging and stomping to wake me. I get an angry email from him telling me he has been trying to sleep for the last hour. he even tells me about his attempts to wake me by stomping, what an idiot, I got even more legal ammo now!
I'm not happy that I had to change my routine, but in doing so I took away all of his leverage. He can stomp until his legs fall off! When I got in the car that morning "we are the champions" was playing!

Hudson County NJ USA
[local noise ordinance](http://www.hudsonregional.org/pdf/noisecode.pdf)

The comments from the original post, family history, and my brother has convinced me to go see a doctor about my snoring. Maybe this will have a good effect on my health. I still think the guy is just an over-sensitive drama queen who has terrible conflict resolution skills. I should make sure I get a recording of myself to play back every once in a while after I get fixed, you know, so he can stomp around some more.

Answer:
 IANAL, this is just life advice. If you snore loud enough that your neighbor can hear it (even with paper-thin walls and floors), you need to talk to a doctor about that.

I know you said that was in your plan, but please do that soonest. [Sleep apnea and any other causes of loud snoring can be very serious.](http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/snoring/basics/definition/con-20031874)Answer #2: Oh man, I am so glad to hear you are going to see a doctor because the whole time I was reading this I was thinking that your neighbor is going to end up with peace and quiet when you die in your sleep.


Title: Paternity test after child is over 18th. [MD]

Question: My fiance had a relationship with a woman when he was 22 (he is now 45). The lady was having another partner without my fiance knowledge. She gets pregnant and the other man signs the Birth Certificate. So a few years later (in 1996) my fiance gets called to court and verbally confirms the relationship and I guess paternity. No DNA test was made, or blood test. He pays Child Support for 18 years. Is there any way we can request the court to have a DNA test done now? The child is 24 now. And if the test comes back negative, would he get his money back? He lives in PG County MD

Answer: No. The courts won't make the kid take the test. Also he claimed paternity in court. That was his choice. The money was used to care for the child. It is gone. There is no getting it back. Answer #2: He would not get his money back that was paid for child support. Why did he decide he needs a paternity test done after 20+ years?


Title: Is it legal to use another company's logo in our company's internal brochure? (CO)

Question:
Come Monday, I will be presenting  to the higher ups of my company, advising that we should begin using the services of another company. I've designed a brochure which uses the other company's logo in our presentation. The brochure will be printed on my company's printers and will only be distributed to those who work for my company and are either in attendance or request it later.

Even if it were a violation of copy right law, I realize that the chances of getting sued are astronomically low. I just want to ensure that I haven't done anything illegal when presenting to some of the top people in my firm.

Answer:
 Using someone's mark to refer to the company or product is an appropriate use of trademarks.  So if you say "we should buy a Xerox copy machine," and use the Xerox logo, that is appropriate.

There is nothing illegal, or unethical, or wrong, with that kind of use.


Title: [IA] I'm being stalked by my next door neighbor. Scared and need advice.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Looking out his window and coughing loudly aren't illegal. You can call the police about the weed smoking but you'll need actual evidence of stalking for that to go anywhere. Answer #2: Get curtains comes to mind. Peeping and stalking would involve a lot more effort on his part than anything you've described.


Title: Accused of Being "Close" - Please Help

Question:
Hi All! First off, much appreciation for your advice!

I had a store related question that needs to be answered by a certain person at the workplace I was floating in. I looked her phone number up via store's system and this is literally the entirety of the exchange:

Me: Hi \*\*\*, this is \*\*\*\*

Her: I'm married! Respect my husband and stop texting me!

&#x200B;

Hindsight is 20/20, I should have had responded with my intention of reaching out to her in the first place. But I was shocked of such a response and decided just to not say anything and saved the two exchanges.  I was reached out from major corporate HR and I told them my version, and thought that was that. The next day, they reached out again and said I violated HIPAA and asked if I look people up often? The answer is no!

&#x200B;

They are "still investigating" and will send a report to corporate, now, should I be worried? Should I get a lawyer before things get any worse? Thanks All!!

Answer: If they're saying you violated HIPAA, you aren't telling us everything.Answer #2: HIPAA has nothing to do with a phone number. What records did you specifically look up to get this?Answer #3: You're either leaving out details or someone lied to HR. Why would HIPAA come into play? What led to such an extreme reaction from the text? What's your relationship like with this person at work?


Title: (Ontario, Canada) Located phone using lost phone app, cops won't do anything

Question:
So my phone was stolen from a College campus and I used the locate my phone feature to track its whereabouts. Cops said I would have to confront the person myself and then call them if I felt unsafe, so I went to the apartment building it was located and found out that the parking lot was gated and no way for me to access it.

Now I kept an eye on it and saw that it went to another apartment building and then to a place of business. I should mention that I changed the lock screen (using the app) to say that this phone was lost and please return it to me.

After this the phone went to a place of business on Friday. Turns out this company hires students from my College quite a bit for internships of business- HR program.

I understand the cops can't do much still even with all this information so I had a few questions.

If I go to the place of business and ask them for the name of the student or students they have from my college currently, would that even be legal for them to give me the name?

If not, is there really anything I can do at this point? I feel like I could call the company, but realistically I don't imagine they'd be inclined to help me in anyway.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Answer:
 Do you have the phone's IMEI? If it's a business like a pawn shop you would just need to present them with your phones IMEI and they may ask you for a police report. I'm in Ontario and this has happened to people I know a few times. One time the shop gave it back for free and had the option to pursue the theif and the other time the shop made my friend pay to get their phone back and they had to sue the theif.Answer #2: Canada has a stolen phone blacklist.

Just report your phone stolen to your cellular phone company, and the phone won't be usable.


Title: (Massachusetts) mother hits parked car using my car and left secene. Now I have a court date

Question:
My car was left with scratch on the rear passenger side. No one saw it but camera pick up my car so I got hit. I never had a problem  with the law. Just parking tickets and two speeding tickets.

I have a summons to defendant paper, with a offense count 1 of leave scene of property damage. I have court in August.

I don't know how this will play out.

Thanks
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: You hire an attorney who can deal with it and tell them who was driving so they can charge the right person


Title: Girlfriend kidnapped by family in danger

Question: This is an extremely long story so I'm getting to the point. My girlfriend went to the police because of her mostly emotionally abusive mother who drinks every night and takes her anger out on my girlfriend. The police did not do anything except force my gf back in the house with her mother. They took her to a different town, took all her forms of communication, her mom left her with an aunt (very sketchy about how this all went down and I can elaborate if needed), and her friends and I have all agreed she's in danger. The issue is that the family has turned against her and would deny everything, we have a lot of proof of what's going on at home, but at the moment we just need to get her out of her aunts house. We don't actually know if she's there or what's happening because she can't contact anyone. She's 17 years old, and we live in Nebraska. What is going to be the fastest and most full proof way to get her out? We have screenshots of her saying depressing and suicidal things since she arrived there. Any help appreciated.. we are in deep need of help because her family knows the law pretty well. We have proof of her Guardian being unfit and plan on showing that, but we  we are scared for her at this moment and need a way to get her out.

Answer:
 No one cares about the opinions of a bunch of children as far as whether or not she's in danger.

If she's *actually* in danger or being abused, call CPS and/or the local police.

FYI: Her mother, who is presumably her custodial parent, is not kidnapping her.


Title: [TX] Neighbor makes a point to look for suspicious or undocumented people to report to the authorities. I personally know of 6 people who were deported because of her tips. The cops say she isn't breaking any laws. Is there any way we can legally stop her?

Answer:
 No, you cannot stop her from reporting that. If 6 people you know have been deported, it appears that she's pretty good at picking them out!Answer #2: No, you can't stop people from reporting others for committing crime. There is no snitches get stiches law in the US.Answer #3: > Can I stop people from reporting crimes?

No.Answer #4: 6 people deported?  I'm impressed.  Most reports don't actually go anywhere.


Title: Are there any lawyers who specialize in helping homophobic parents use the courts to retaliate against, harass or pursue a vendetta against their disowned adult lbgt children? In MI

Answer: Well....there are now. Answer #2: Shhh. Don't tell the others my trade secrets.Answer #3: Every day here I become a little more disappointed in people as a whole.


Title: Regarding Tumblr's Terms of Service and harassment

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Tumblr can apply their guidelines however they see fit. They are not obligated to penalize this user.

Ignore them and move on.


Title: Injury during concert in Mississippi due to artists' actions, is a lawsuit worth it?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Did you report the injury when it happened so the venue knew it happened?


Title: Dad's new wife wants the house split between his kids and her kids upon their death.

Question:
So I'm an adult, around the age of thirty. My brother is an adult, age 26. We are the only children my dad had. Fifteen years ago my great grandmother died and left him $100,000 specifically to buy a house. He did and paid it all up front. He was single at the time and has been until two years ago when he married his current wife. He is 51, his wife is around the same age. She has three daughters. All adults.

My dad said when they got married that he would write in the will that the house goes to my brother and I, but as long as she's alive and unmarried, we couldn't kick her out. He has not yet written his will but he said he discussed it with her and they were in agreement.

Last weekend my brother and I are helping in the garden and Dad says, as he often does, "When I go this is going to y'all. It's a lot to keep up." Shortly after his wife said something along the lines of  "My kids are getting written into this place too." Which is absolutely against my dad's wishes. He has bad hearing and was in the other room when she said it, but I heard it. I bit my tongue and decided to talk to my dad later about it. I have yet to do so.

My question is, can he legally write his will to give my brother and I the house exclusively or is it the case that, now that he's married, he can't do that without her approval? She paid nothing on the house, it was paid for over a decade before they met. She did not sell her home when they got married as she was renting an apartment at the time. She essentially had nothing but furniture when they got married.

My brother and I aren't greedy. We don't like thinking of our father dead and we like his wife alright. However, we view the house as sort of an inheritance and a gift from our great-grandmother and something we should keep in *our* family. Not hers. We would hate to see it split up into fifths, especially with the kind of people her kids are.

What is the best course of action to make sure my dad's wishes are carried out?

Our location is Virginia as I'm sure that matters.

Thank you for any and all replies.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Of course he can. If he wants her to be able to live there he gives her what's called a life estate, which means as long as she is alive she gets to keep living there, but as soon as she dies it becomes you and your brother's.

Look up a local wills and estate attorney and get this set up. Don't have your dad do it himself. It can save a lot of trouble down the road when she decides to challenge the will. Answer #2: >My question is, can he legally write his will to give my brother and I the house exclusively

Yep. He can so what he wants in the will. If she's not on the deed and he gives it to you then she can move.

Your dad needs to go to a lawyer and draft a will and it needs to be kept someplace safe where you will have access to it (You can file it at the courthouse in some places)

My SOs father passed and while he was in the process of dying at home (hospice was there - family and friends were there) the wife was in the office shredding documents. Will, funeral plan, etc. Dad knew he was dying and had a black binder with everything planned out on his desk. Less than an hour after he passed it was cleaned out and the shredder was full.

I'm not saying she will do the same but people get really weird when someone passes. Get him to put it in writing.


Title: I want to make an original Star Wars cartoon on Youtube

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Disney would sue you faster than you could blink.


Title: Can my landlord enter my room to adjust the thermometer without my consent? (MA)

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice,

I have a one bedroom apartment in Massachusetts. Since I came from a Tropical country, I prefer to set my room hot (74-75 degrees.) My landlord is covering the heating bills, and since he feels that my apartment is too hot so he entered my room and reset the thermometer. He texted me after that. Since then, he has been harassing me because of that and other problems. Since I don't like to be told how do I live my life, I want to break the lease and move out. He said I could not do that and I will be liable for the rest of the rent balances. He did not want me to show the unit to others because it's his home (context: I live in his basement. We share the laundry room, which is also my kitchen and bathroom.)

So, I would like to ask if I could use this reason as a "legal threat" to move out without severe penalty? I really do not want to sue him because I don't want to burn bridges and get more problems into my life. Here are the most relevant parts of the lease:

> 13.INSPECTION OF PREMISES. Landlord shall have the right at all reasonable
times during the term of this Agreement and any renewal thereof to enter the
Premises for the purpose of inspecting the Premises and all buildings and
improvements thereon. And for the purposes of making any repairs, additions or
alterations as may be deemed appropriate by Landlord for the preservation of the
Premises or the building.

Please give me some advice,  thank you!

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > My landlord is covering the heating bills, and since he feels that my apartment is too hot so he entered my room and reset the thermometer.

Unless there is language as to the limits the amount he will cover, or what the standing temperature will be, he has no ability to do this.  He can pound sand if he thinks your apartment is too hot.

> I want to break the lease and move out. He said I could not do that and I will be liable for the rest of the rent balances.

This is true. You would be liable for the rest of the rent balances unless you get a judge to dismiss you from your lease.

> He did not want me to show the unit to others because it's his home

Let him know you are scheduling times to show the place to find someone to assume your lease.  He has no ability to limit or prevent you from showing it to people.  He may have the ability to deny people renting it, but if you're showing it to people you're attempting to mitigate damages.

> 13.INSPECTION OF PREMISES.

That clause would not hold up in court the way he's using it.  A landlord must always give notice before entering a premise unless there is some extraordinary circumstance in which case it would be reasonable to enter due to the sensitivity of the issue (like a pipe burst).

I'd install your own lock on the door to your place.


Title: I know it sounds strange, but I'm here from dogs wearing hats....

Question:
I post frequently in dogs wearing hats (tldr: I have a rescue dog who gets stressed if she doesn't get to wear something), and recently some of my photos were used on the entertainment site diply.com credited with being found on here, and credited to me.

Some of the people who up vote and comment on my pictures said that there could be legal recourse for them using the photos without permission, even though they credited me.

I'd just like to know a little more about other sites use of your pictures you post here.

I live in Chicago, Illinois

Here's the pictures:
http://m.imgur.com/rKvvlBm?r

Thanks

Answer:
 Your recourse is that you can ask them to stop, and take them to court if they continue. Recovering any kind of damages would require either a copyright registration, or some evidence that damages exist to recover.Answer #2: I agree with the other poster. you can ask them to stop or take the photos off their site, since you took them. however, since they're on reddit they'll probably continue to spread around the internet  (especially cause they're really cute)Answer #3: Assuming you took the photos (and therefore have copyright) send Diply a polite letter letting them know that they have co-opted your photos in a manner that is decidedly not fair use.

Ask them for the raw traffic statistics and advertising revenue generated off the page, and a 65/35 revenue split -- your favor -- off the gross CPMs generated from that traffic.  They can eat the costs out of their share.  Tell them if they're not okay with it, they should take down the photos immediately and expect a lawsuit for statutory damages.  Also tell them DMCA procedures don't apply, because they're knowingly posting copyright content.

You will get a check to help you save puppies with.


Title: Buy a house before marriage or after?

Question:
My fiancé and I are moving to Tennessee, buying a house together, and both putting down equal amounts. We’re probably getting a loan through my bank soon.
The only reason we aren’t married yet is because I became pregnant shortly after the engagement and don’t want to look pregnant in my wedding dress. We’re not really opposed to getting legally married now though. What would happen if we buy a house before being married? What about after? What if we don’t have a prenup?
We are both putting down big chunks of money and I want to make sure that if we ever split and sold the house, we would both get the fair amounts back. Thanks guys.

Answer: Congratulations on all the life events! Get legally married and then buy the house. Never buy a house with someone to whom you're not married. Have your wedding later on. Good luck!


Title: IRS claiming I owe money from 2016 due to some new documents they received from my previous retirement company.

Question:
\*\*\*\*One things to note: I have already filed my 2017 taxes and got a return from the IRS\*\*\*\*

My employer recently changed the company they deal with for our 401k and back in April I received a letter from the IRS claiming I owe about $2,800 from 2016 and that I has until May to either agree to pay or dispute the claim. The letter shows two 1099-r forms from the previous company that the IRS received and worked into my 2016 taxes and now they say I owe.

So I agreed to pay, signed up at the IRS website and set up a payment plan. The plan gave me until the first week of july to make the first payment. Now I logged in on the last day of June to the site to make a payment, the IRS site showed I owe nothing as of that current date. Shows me I owe nothing from 2014-2017. I left it as is and now a few days ago I get another letter from the IRS similar to the first one, showing the same two 1099-R, but now it claims thta I have a deficiency in my taxes for 2016 and that I owe over $5,000 plus almost $500 in understatement penalty and that I have until October to petition tax court. I go back on the IRS website and it still shows I don't owe anything.

It's Saturday and the offices are closed, I'll call on monday, but in the meantime, does anyone have any idea what's going on here and what I can do?

Answer: Can you please make sure you’re working with the real IRS before giving anyone any money? Like, if that letter directed you to a website, independently verify the website is affiliated with the IRS.


Title: Court Order To Disclose Your Private Medical Information?

Question: My abuser got a court order to force me to disclose my medical information to him personally.  Um....HIPPA? I thought it was illegal to obtain another person's medical records against their will, unless you happened to be their medical power of attorney.

Answer: First, its HIPAA, now that that's out the way. A court can order most information to be released if a judge decides its relevant to a case. The only real exceptions that come to mind all revolve around documents that have national security implications.


Title: Adoption Annulment as an adult

Question: After over 25 years of emotional, verbal, and physical abuse I am looking for anyone who can tell me more about adoption annulment. I'm currently 32 and wondered if it was at all possible. I have planned to have it changed after I moved for a while now. Any assistance is appreciated.

Answer:
 I'd go see a family lawyer in KS. Apparently there's a way to annul the adoption, but how that gets specifically done in KS, I'm not seeing (probably because it's rare). It would revert your birth certificate to the original parents,

You can contact the KS State Bar for a referral.Answer #2: Location matters, but generally you can't legally disown your parents. Just be an adult and exercise all of your adult options.


Title: Big corporation 'restructured', demoted me, and cut my pay... Can they do this??

Question:
Hi LegalAdvice. First a bit of background on my situation. I am a 7+ year employee of a major telecommunications company. I started out as an entry level employee and worked my way up over the years. I'm also outstanding at my job (won several big company awards, received a perfect score on my last yearly performance review) and people generally like me a lot and respect the work I do.

The company has decided to 'restructure'. My team was one of the teams that were served reassignment notices.

However, when I received my letter, it was apparent that some things were not right about this. The letter said that I was going be put back into my original role hired at the company (a significant demotion vs. my current position), all of my authority revoked, report to management that I have documented conflicts with, and keep my same salary but have to work 6.7% more hours weekly now. I was not consulted on any of this... I was just served a letter and spoke with 3 managers in a conference call.

Can the company legally do this? I made it apparent in writing that I do not agree with these changes and cited all of the reasons I could think of (the additional hours weekly, demotion is humiliating, management conflicts). I have not heard anything back yet and have a feeling they're going to stay silent. What are my next steps?

Thanks for any advice you guys can provide!

Answer: You didn't provide your location, but if you are in the US they can absolutely do this unless you have a contract to the contrary. They could demote you all the way to the bottom if they wanted to. (although in that case it's likely you could quit and file for unemployment).


Title: [BELGIUM] Car crashed into our yard, insurance hasn't paid us yet after 5 months

Question:
Hello, 5 months ago a car crash happened infront of our house, and one of the cars drove into our yard, damaging plants and furniture. We have contacted our insurance Fidea and we have sent them all the necessary papers, photos and evidence. Even our local police department helped us with taking some evidence. The insurance policy says that they have to pay us back in 30 days after they have 'concluded' the damages, but we currently do not know how far they are, and neither have they ever sent people to investigate the damages. The insurance of one of the car drivers have. The insurance haven't replied to any e-mail we've sent them and we are currently considering to consult with an insurance lawyer.

Is there anything else we should first try before consulting?

Thank you for your time.

Answer:
 Why wouldn't you just claim from the insurance of the crashed car?
That person is ultimately responsible.
Do you have a deductible in Belgium for first party coverage? Would you damage be more than that?


Title: Bad meat from farmers market (FL)

Question:
So was at the farmers market last week and while browsing found a guy selling goat meat. As someone who likes to try things, I bought some. This guy told me how to cook it and everything. But when I looked at the package when I got home it was stamped "For animal consumption only"

My question is obviously this is a *wink wink nudge nudge* kind of thing as people do not regularly pay $10+/lb for pet food.

My questions is, if I were to eat it and get sick is that on me, or does the seller have any liability?

Answer:
 I would not buy meat at a farmers market in sunny Florida if I didn't know the butcher.Answer #2: If you consume meat that is clearly labelled "For animal consumption only", you're not going to be able to recover anything significant.

Answer #3: >My question is obviously this is a wink wink nudge nudge kind of thing as people do not regularly pay $10+/lb for pet food.

 People normally do this to get around selling unpasteurized dairy products...among which may be goat cheese or milk. I'm really uncertain as to why someone would use that designation for meat.


Title: Squatters rights and housing laws question... [nc]

Question:
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any help you may be able to offer.

A little over a year ago, my grandfather passed away with no will. He had a wife from whom he was estranged. The home my family has lived in for the last 14 years was in his and his wife's name. My parents paid for every penny of that house, have lived there the entire time, and neither he nor his wife have ever lived there. Since his passing, she has removed his name from the deed on the house, leaving only her name and is now demanding that my parents either pay her rent or buy their house from her. He had another house as well but they had notarized documents stating that he paid her off for the house and it was only his. It is listed as being part of his estate. She wants them to keep the other house, which they have no interest in. I guess my real question is can she do that? Can she really make them pay for the house they can prove they paid for and have lived in for so long? Is it something that could even be fought and won in court? This is in North Carolina.

Answer:
 See an attorney. While she can do that on the surface, there may be some legal claim of your parents they can prosecute. Depending on the actual facts, there could be a claim grandfather and wife held the property for your parents. The theory is called a resulting trust. If the transfer in deed was made to a person(s) who had no equity or responsibilities to the property it might result back to the people who paid everything for it.

It is not going to be an adverse possession claim (aka squatters rights), but a trust theory that might be successful. Answer #2: Why did they pay for a house they had no legal stake in? It sounds more like they lived there and paid rent as most people do. That does not give them a legal right to the property. I have rental property. My renters have no legal claim to the property just because they pay the mortgage.


Title: [Central Texas] Divorce, CPS just showed up at my door, don't know what to do am too broke for lawyer.

Question:
Me and my ex are going through a divorce right now. Nothing has been signed on my part yet, but she had some documents mailed to me basically saying that proceedings were starting.

I thought everything was going to be smooth and gentle, but CPS just showed up at my door saying she is now accusing me of beating my step daughter when we were together. I am scared out of my mind because:

1. Maybe I'm wrong but I feel like this is the kind of stuff that gets people put in prison.

2. I've never beaten my daughter. She's gotten spankings sure, but not to the extent of what the CPS worker was saying the mother was accusing me of.

3. I can't afford to fight any of this. I literally have 0$ at the moment. I am in between GI Bill periods, and am negative in my account at the moment, just to keep the lights on and the water working.

What can I do? Is there somewhere I can talk to a legal representative who will actually care about my case, and won't ask for money now?

What can I expect because of this child abuse allegation?

What can I do to help myself right now?

Answer:
 Explain to CPS that it's a nasty divorce situation.  Explain that you don't beat your children.

They've seen false complaints during divorces before.

It is doubtful that you need legal help to deal with CPS.  If there is no evidence of abuse they'll go away.

You may want to consult a divorce lawyer, if funds allow.  If not there may be a free legal aid clinic which you can consult with about the divorce process.


Title: Will having felony convictions hurt me in a custody battle?

Question:
My soon to be baby momma recently informed me that I was nothing more than a summer fling and sperm donor. She doesn't think it's necessary for us to go through the court and wants to work out a custody arrangement amongst ourselves. After a couple discussions the best she's offering is every other weekend, because anything more would be "too unstable for the child."

I have 4 felony convictions. Agg. DUI, domestic assault, possession of cannabis with intent to distribute, and drive on revoked license. The most recent is from 2013 (driving on revoked). How badly will this affect the outcome of a custody hearing should I decide to go that route?

Answer:
 If you needed to pass a drug and alcohol test right this minute could you?

Because if you are a multi-substance abuser with busts for dealing and DV, you aren't getting anything in a custody case.Answer #2: Generally speaking, domestic violence creates a rebuttable presumption against custody, and the rest of your history doesn't help, either. So it would be unlikely that the court would grant joint (or sole) physical custody to you.

What you are worried about is visitation, not custody. For the most part, visitation is more flexible in terms of your criminal history. Unless your presence would lead to serious harm to the child, you have a right to visitation. To what extent, though, is up to the court, and we can't really speculate on that. The golden rule is whatever is in the best interests of the child. Since the child is unborn, that's a little more up in the air, since neither of you have been the child's historic primary caretaker. But "every other weekend" is not unheard of.

And yes, an agreement on custody and visitation is generally permitted as long as you both agree, although you would need a court order to that effect so you can't agree to anything wildly imbalanced or risky to the child.

Note: This is not Illinois-specific. Illinois may tweak this away from these generalizations.


Title: Class Representative in CA - being asked for "permission" to be dropped from case

Question:
I'm a class representative in a Personal Injury - Motor Vehicle Product Liability case with cause under  Diversity-Motor Vehicle Product Liability in California.  The case has been certified as a class action and has been slowing progressing.

During a recent interview for an amended complaint with my attorney, it came to light that I had asked for the defective part back from the mechanic and held onto it for a few months before discarding (I had not intended to pursue legal action when I did so).  Ultimately I was directed to an attorney represented other people with the issue and was asked to join the class action and signed a standard retainer / representation agreement.

The attorney now states that disposing of the part could be construed as destroying evidence and I could be sanctioned.  He is "asking permission" to drop me from the case and continue with the other class representatives.  The fact that he was asking struck me as odd.  I understand this could be standard practice, but wanted to ask if there is anything else I should be aware of or asking for prior to dropping from the case.

Answer:
 Rosa Parks was a class representative.  Someone who had a sterling background, and an unimpeachable case.  You are going up against a large corporation, their lawyers make more in one month than most of us make in a year and they'll have enough resources to drag this out for years.  The quickest way to win a class action, inolves a slam dunk case and unimpeachable reps.  Your actions are a major key for the defense in showing a jury/judge that these guys are just out to get their client.  After all, you did dispose of evidence that you are now going to have to rely on to make a case.

&#x200B;

You shouldn't be removed from the class itself, but you are not a good class representative.


Title: Father unofficially updated will to include me (after I'd been disowned). Do I have any legal claim to the inheritance now?

Question:
[California resident]

So, this is all a confusing mess that I can't begin to comprehend. I have been estranged from my father since I was 13. He basically decided he didn't want to raise me anymore and I went to live with an aunt. Mom wasn't in the picture at this point. My brothers are 10 and 12 years older than me. They continued to live with Dad.

I literally never saw my father again. I had to get therapy to deal with the abandonment issues throughout my college years and even still, there's a lot of resentment. Recently, I found out my father died after a 2 year long battle with cancer. Nobody bothered to tell me that he had a terminal diagnosis.

Long story short, I found out he'd been trying to contact me but my brothers wouldn't provide him with my contact info (they had my info because they still had my aunt's info-it would honestly have been very easy to talk to me if anyone had cared). I know they could get ahold of me because my middle brother managed to get my number and called me to let me know when Dad did finally pass. If he hadn't called I would have never known. I guess he's been feeling kinda guilty about how I've been treated. Yeah....

I'm sorry this is getting long, I've been up all night and I can't think clearly. I'll get to the meat of my question. So, basically, in the last month of my Dad's life, he was in hospice care and basically confined to the house. He apparently tried to change the will on his own. There was a copy in his office (I'm assuming the original was with his solicitor?). The document hadn't been updated in several years and originally had left nothing to me. He SCRIBBLED notes on it. He revised it to include me getting more than half of his estate, along with several, half-deluded ramblings. He signed all of the spots where he modified the document. In modifying the document, he reduced my oldest brother's inheritance and completely left out my middle brother instead. I can only assume what was going on in their relationship that suddenly made my middle brother so apologetic towards me. Apparently without me to kick around, the position of whipping boy fell to him.

I found this all out because said middle brother told me and showed me the document after it had been found in my father's nightstand. My oldest brother is aware of what's going on and has said he'll contest anything and everything.

I guess what I'm trying to ask is, do I have any legal right to what my father was trying to give me in his "updated" will? Could I prove the writing and signatures are his? Or does that matter? The modified document is still at my father's house.

Sorry for the long rant, it felt good to write out the situation. I haven't been able to confide in anyone yet.

Answer:
 The ramblings you describe as "half-deluded" are going to be good evidence he was not of sound mind.Answer #2: After you contact an attorney, think about avoiding court and having a settlement with your brothers.  The fact that they prevented a reunion might reflect poorly if your father was attempting to make legal changes to his will and they stopped him.

You don't want to company, but it isn't unreasonable to want a sum from the estate.


Title: My car literally exploded. Utah

Question:
I got my car through a used car dealership beginning of April. It is a used 2009 Nissan Altima.

Literally everything was fine and today as I was driving it made a lous clunk noise. My car rolled to a stop and burst into flames.

I took plenty of photos fire department says it threw a rod and sprayed oil in my engine causing it to start fire.

I'm on a 4 year loan through my dealership and owe 12k. This is the second car I've had. Traded in my last because it wouldn't start anymore.

I want to know what I can do. I filed a claim but I feel that with having my car for only 2 months this isn't right. This can't be legal. Where do I go from here?

My car is a total loss and completely burnt to a crisp. I've never dealt with this. Cop said this is the second car from this same dealership to have this happen this month.

Answer:
 Do you have comprehensive insurance with having a loan?

12k on a 2009 Altima? You got ripped off.


Title: Roommate got a ticket for being an unlicensed operator and violating driving restrictions in NYS even though he has valid Chinese license and NYS permit

Question:
Hello,

My roommate is from Beijing and recently bought a car in the U.S. We attend a University in NYS and are currently Freshman (both 18) so he has been living here for less than 6 months. To purchase his vehicle he got a NYS learners permit and he also has a valid Chinese license, plus F1 visa. The week after he got his new car he got pulled over for running a red light, by turning right at an intersection (he says it was yellow). The officer not only gave him a ticket for the traffic infraction, but also refused his foreign license/permit and gave him a ticket for being an unlicensed operator and violating the restrictions of his permit.

 Before driving we had reviewed NYS driving law and it had said driving with a foreign license and permit was acceptable in New York State. We sent in the pictures of the documents and an explanation that he had the forms, however the court did not throw out the tickets and has now given a day to appear in court (this June).

Any help is appreciated, and thank you very much!

Answer: Your roommate can go to court on his hearing date to contest the tickets.  They don't normally just "throw out" tickets because you mailed something to the office.  You have a hearing, present your evidence, and the court rules.  If he has proof of a valid permit and license, he'll get the ticket removed successfullyAnswer #2: Did your roommate have an International Driving Permit or a certified translation of his Chinese license with him? If not, it might be difficult for a police officer who cannot read Chinese to accept the license. If this is the case, it shouldn't be too difficult for your roommate to resolve the situation in court.Answer #3: Many cops, especially in smaller towns, don't know the rules about international driving permits.  Therefore, they often ticket people and let the judge sort it out.  Getting this ticket thrown out in court should not be difficult. Remember to tell him to pay the other ticket if he isn't contesting it.


Title: Getting a gun

Question:
Location: Alameda County, California

So I’m enlisting in the marines and due to my poor eyesight, i want to get a small caliber rifle to practice shooting before weapons training. Problem is, 2 years ago I was put on a 51-50 (involuntary admission to a psych ward), because as an overdramatic seventeen year old having a break down due to school and not wanting to go to it, I kicked a fence post and broke it and said something stupid (don’t remember what it was), and my mom interpreted this as “he’s going to kill himself”. I’d calmed down a few minutes later and was like let’s go to school, ill fix the fence when i’m home. Well, the police showed up as my mom had called them and they called an ambulance. I had no intention of hurting myself or others and just sat and talked to the police about how stupid this was and how they needed to follow protocol since I could hurt myself. My dad (parents are split) tried to prevent this from happening, but he couldn’t do anything and I was then held in a psych ward for 72 hours and they released me the moment those 72 hours were up because they were like “huh, guess he didnt wanna hurt himself or others.”  My 2nd amendment rights have been revoked and I want them back, but I’ve heard a lawyer for this situation is expensive, and if i go it alone, court fees themselves are too expensive for me.

TL;DR: was put on 51-50 at 17 (mom thought I was going to hurt myself, wasn’t), but I want to buy a  gun. Court and lawyer = expensive. What do?

Edit: Would hippa protect this information from a firearm background check?

Edit: Already been through meps, had background check, I am good with the Marines. Just googled it, *5585* is the code for minors.

Answer: Do the Marines know about the psych hold, poor eyesight, and inability to possess a firearm?


Title: Friend was bitten by dog, owner is refusing to quarantine (to monitor for rabies). Does victim have reason to sue?

Question:
Location: Texas USA

My friend was bitten by a dog. It was behind a ~3 ft tall fence right next to the sidewalk, jumped up onto the fence, and bit my friend’s hand as they walked by. The owner saw the incident.

After receiving medical treatment, the doctors called animal control. Animal control has been attempting to contact the owner (unsuccessfully) and has issued multiple citations for failing to provide vaccination records and/or quarantine the dog (to monitor the dog for rabies for 10 days). It is Texas law that after a bite, the dog must be quarantined for 10 days, either at home or under a vet’s supervision.

If the dog’s vaccination status is out of date or unknown, my friend will have to begin a series of rabies shots, which are very expensive.

**What are my friend’s options here in terms of a lawsuit to force the owner to provide vaccination records or quarantine the dog, and to pay for rabies shots?* Could it be argued that my friend is also due additional compensation for delaying the rabies treatment by withholding vaccination records, therefore endangering my friend’s life (rabies is fatal once symptoms begin, which can be within weeks or, rarely, days)?

Thanks.

Answer:
 If friend has to do rabies treatment those cost, along with all others, get added to the compensation owed. I don't know of anyway you can get access to the dog that Animal Control couldn't do better. Answer #2: The decision to seek treatment is simple- the rabies status of the dog is unknown currently and it is better to be safe and get the treatment than to die. Get the next available appointment.

Yes, the victim has every reason to sue. The dogs owner is failing to comply with both the victim and animal control and is about to force the victim to undergo an expensive (and painful) medical treatment.

If the lawsuit is successful or not is a different story. INAL or a judge but based on your post it sounds pretty open and closed that the dogs owner will at least have to cover the medical expenses for the rabies treatment.Answer #3: I am pretty sure the 10 day waiting period is not meant to replace starting the rabies series asap. You shouldn't wait to start it. Money from the series can be recovered by suing the dog's owners.


Title: Drunk belligerent boss sexually harassed a minor, it was reported to his boss, and that boss told everyone if they don't like working with him, go somewhere else. What are my options?

Question:
First of all, I'm not certain whether or not there is a better subreddit to submit this to, so I apologize if there's somewhere more suited for this type of question. I'm not necessarily looking for legal action, but this has been a repeat problem for so long, and nothing ever happens, that I just feel like something needs to happen.

I work for a casual dining chain in NY State that I'm sure many people have heard of. Most of them are part of the corporate structure, and hardly any are franchised owned. My General Manager (my direct boss) just recently crossed the line from "I work with an asshole" to "Workers now feel unsafe around him, and this is unethical." I worked the day in question, but I was out by 1pm, and the serious offenses didn't happen until later.

He's been known to leave a lot during the day, and come back acting much differently. Several employees believe he's a cocaine addict, and make jokes to that effect. One person even claims he was fired from his previous management position because they caught him on camera snorting in the office,  but I never really gave too much to these rumors. Yes, his behavior is erratic at times, but people like to make rumors, it's just what they do. This particular day in question though, it was definitely alcohol. After his last time coming back, he was definitely drunk. Not even just a little buzzed, but drunk. Several employees could smell the alcohol on his breath, his speech was slurred, and he became very aggressive.

One of the employees, a minority, is often the target of some of his verbal abuse. A lot of times it's just complaining about how slow he works, and how he has no sense of urgency in his actions. Nothing really ever crossed the line, but he would often target this employee out of many to complain about him, when several other people around him could have been talked to about doing the same. In this day in question, he would not let up on him, and was even caught saying to one of the shift mangers that he'll "never hire a Mexican again." The employee over heard this, and said how he wasn't even a Mexican, so the GM changed his statement to "well another minority then." I wasn't around to see how he was treating him and what he was saying exactly, so I can't say whether or not anything up until that point could be considered harassment, however I'm pretty sure his statement about never hiring a Mexican/minority again, is pretty significant. The employee in question No Call/No Showed the next day, and effectively quit. I would like to note that this employee was not the only one verbally harassed that day, but again, I wasn't physically there, and can't verify just what he said and whether or not it could be considered harassment. At the very least, he was much more aggressive and belligerent than he typically is, and was even swearing at an employee over the phone.

The biggest thing I feel though is his potential sexual harassment towards a minor. He's said a few things in the past, sexual jokes, innuendos, commenting on attractiveness, and they've often made someone feel uncomfortable around him, but this I feel is another level. Throughout the night he would caress her lower back several times. She's 17. I know some people might not consider that a big deal, but it is unwanted physical contact, and the way he was moving his hand was making her extremely uncomfortable. There was even something about him giving her a look up and down saying "You'll have kids" when talking about kids. Even typing it down now I realize that might be tame for some people, but I have to stress she's only 17, he was clearly drunk, and since then she's been terrified of him. She can't look him in the eye, she gets visibly upset whenever she hears he's working, and after the events of today (which I'll get to soon) she actually cried.

In addition to these problems, he was caught sleeping in the dining room, and then after that went to his car to sleep. This might not seem like a big deal, but the whole reason he was there was to help close, because we had a manager out of town, and one in the hospital, so the only other manager available to close was a new manager in training who hasn't been trained to do so yet. He was supposed to be there to help her, and during the actual closing part of the night, he was sleeping in his car. After they left, they woke him up, he made some comment about it "being about time" and then 20 minutes later called the closing manager asking "If she still needed help in there." She reminded him that they had already left, so he just went back to sleep and didn't realize what had happened when he woke up. These things, obviously aren't really actionable offenses I'm sure, but I felt it was necessary because a picture was taken of him sleeping in his car at the end of the night.

So, one of the employees reports this all to corporate. He also got a hold of the picture of him sleeping in the car and sent that with it. Several people, including people that worked that night, and family members of some of the girls who work there, have made reports to the Labor Board. One of the managers directly emailed the GM's direct boss, but by that point, he was already aware because of the report to corporate. He assured the manager who emailed him that an investigation will take place, he'll talk to everyone who worked that day, and when she expressed concerns about losing her job, he was taken aback. He seemed particularly annoyed that the picture was sent.

Well, I just got a text from my brother who also works there, and the GM's boss showed up today and talked to everyone, including the 17 year old. I'm told he basically said to everyone he feels sorry that they fell the way that they do, but if they have a problem to just find another job. This caused the 17 year old to be in tears and feels helpless.

So this is where I'm at. My GM was drunk, verbally abused people quite possibly to the level of racial discrimination, sexually harassed a 17 year old, and fell asleep on the job in front of customers. There was just so much that was said and happened on that day, I keep learning new details. After being reported to corporate, his direct boss told everyone "Too bad, find somewhere else." I should mention this is not the first time this GM has been reported for things like this, however this is definitely his worst one. This is all of the things everyone has ever complained about balled into one day. I feel like it's irresponsible for the company to overlook any of this, and to just wash it away. There have been many signs in the past that something like this might happen, and it's been ignored, and if he keeps thinking he can get away with this, what else might he end up doing?

People have already made reports to the Labor Board, but I'm not sure what else there is to do. I might make one with the new information today, saying that Corporate "investigated" but took no action, but even then,  I'm not even sure what the Labor Board has the power to do about any of this. I'm afraid for the jobs of the people who were brave enough to say anything. I'm worried about all of the female minors that work with him now, and will work with him in the future. I'm worried about future racial discrimination. I'm worried he'll show up drunk again or high again and harass even more people. I honestly feel like something needs to happen from this, or it's just going to get worse. So what are my options here? I'm not looking to get anyone fired, but to have nothing happen is just an insult. The GM and people above him need to understand the severity of these claims, and need to understand this is not acceptable behavior.

Thanks for taking the time to read through everything. I'm sorry if you feel this is just someone bitching about their job, and nothing really severe took place. I can't stress enough how scared some people are, and I honestly think no matter what level of job you have, this sort of work environment should not be acceptable, and that "just finding another job" is not actually acknowledging and fixing the problem.

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer. This brochure has information on several resources for reporting sexual harassment in New York state: https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/pdfs/publications/sexual_harrassment_brochure.pdf I suspect the listed agencies would also be interested to hear about the racial discrimination. (Those are the things I would focus on. I don't believe there's anything illegal about coming to work drunk, although it is spectacularly stupid to employ someone who does so because of the illegal things they may do while drunk.)Answer #2: In New York, you can report discrimination (of employees or customers) and sexual harassment to the New York State Division of Human Rights. If you file with the NYSDHR, you also have the option of filing with the EEOC (for any federal claims that exist), but, this may not apply if you file a case on behalf of a third-party.

As for you personally, if you take part in complaining about this conduct, participate in an investigation, or otherwise are being discriminated against, you would also be protected under the NYS Human Rights Law, and applicable federal law(s).

The people being discriminated against/sexually harassed also have the option of filing with the NYS Division of Human Rights/EEOC or filing a case in NY State Supreme Court, but probably should first consult with an attorney to make sure they make the right choice for their situation.

There are also agencies in certain counties (Nassau and Suffolk for sure, unsure about others), which you can go to and speak to a representative. But, that depends on where the business is located.

I hope this helps.Answer #3: Being drunk in a kitchen is dangerous for everyone.  Here's where you can report it to OSHA:

https://www.osha.gov/workers/file_complaint.htmlAnswer #4: If someone is being sexually assaulted, you can always file a police report too.


Title: My neighbor has been sending me a picture of Muhammad every week for the past few months because I’m Muslim he usually writes “get the f#ck out of my country” above it. Is this a crime in the state of Tennessee?

Answer:
 I am sorry this is happening to you.  It shouldn't be.

Save the letters.  Tell him to stop sending them, and report it to the police.

If the harassment continues, and the local police don't help,  I would suggest seeking advice from a local lawyer about possibly contacting CAIR or the ACLU.

Answer #2: You're being harassed. You generally call the police when you're being harassed.Answer #3: Definitely harassment.  Answer #4: Get cameras and a security system before reporting him.

I am so sorry.Answer #5: ACLU will probably have better luck pushing the police to move on this than you will. Depending on your locality you might have a hard time finding sympathetic police.

&#x200B;

Find a capable attorney that gets fire in their eyes over this.Answer #6: I don't know the law, but this is a hell of a situation.  I'd like to think you'd report this, the cops would have a word, and he'd simmer down.

Unfortunately, whatever the law, there is a fair chance that reporting this will set him off.

How are your relationships with your other neighbours?Answer #7: Can you elaborate on what you mean by sending?

Generally you can say mean things to people but there could be some wiggle room around the means of communication.

You may have luck pursuing a no contact order - I tend to think a judge would look on this with disfavor.  Has he ever done anything to lead you to believe that he may be violent or otherwise physically aggressive? Answer #8: Is he by any chance putting anything in your mailbox?


Title: My firm (non-bank mortgage company) announced today that they will no longer accept loan applications from DACA recipients

Question:
We received a company wide communication today that loan officers are to refuse any application for borrowers in possession of a DACA Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Given that the legal status of DACA recipients has yet to be decided upon by the Supreme Court, and that the lower courts determined that DACA people "are not considered unlawfully present," is this action legal? Copying the exact wording of the communication below:

"The USCIS is no longer renewing Employment Authorization Document (EAD) cards that are classified under Category C-33 (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals - DACA); therefore, effective immediately, [Company Name] is no longer accepting applications for borrowers with a DACA EAD on any product.

Answer: Talk to your companies corporate counsel. This is not for an internet subreddit.


Title: [WA] neighbors accusing me of harassment and spying

Question:
I live in a third-floor condo. Next door to me is a three-storey townhome multiplex with rooftop decks. The highest rooftop deck is about 3-4 feet below the level of my window, and probably about 6-8 feet below the level of my floor. Our buildings are nestled very close together. I can see over and into 3 rooftop decks from my giant living room windows and well into a 4th from another window. People started moving into these new places around October of last year and since the weather was poor, haven't started using their decks until this last month.

I enjoy my window views very much. I watch boats coming and going, traffic on the bridges, and take lots of pictures. There are many beautiful boats and I have been inviting friends over for months to play with cameras at dusk because you get some amazing pictures of the golden sunset light being cast on the nearby hill or bouncing off skyscrapers downtown. It's also a great location to try and get some amazing night time shots of the city.

Except now that my neighbors are out on their deck, they don't want me taking photographs or looking out the window. I do my best to not photograph them or their ugly townhomes (they're an eyesore, seriously). I actually try to avoid photographing the entire shore we're on, going for the water and opposite shore line and the boats, hill, city, etc. It's also kind of hard to not look out the window. It's such a nice view, there's always something going on, and I set up the layout of my apartment to focus on that instead of a TV.

The neighbors have accused me of photographing them and spying on them. I don't have a view into their homes - just over their deck - and I'm not phtoographing them as I told them. Apparently a beautiful boat sailing by doesn't convince them that I'm not spying. I got a note earlier today saying that if I persist in taking photographs of them and their property, or if I continue to sit at the window and stare at them (I'm not, I'm watching boats and cars out of my window lol), they will report me for harassment and invasion of privacy. Is this something I can safely ignore, or do they have any legal standing in prohibiting me from enjoying the view out of my windows and continuing to take pictures of beautiful boats and sunsets?

Answer:
 They can pound sand.

You can literally set up high res video cameras pointing directly into their windows and there is nothing they can do about it except close the curtain.  The First Amendment protects you.  See *Foster v Svenson*