Title: {MN} Excess speeding ticket for going 4mph over. Can I get it dismissed??

Question:
On the way to work during rush hour traffic (between 7 and 7:30am) I was driving beside a state trooper. We and the hundred other cars around us were just going with the speed of traffic. The cruiser drove side by side with me for a couple miles. And then we came up to a work zone. No sooner had we gone past the first sign did he pull behind me and flip his lights. I pulled to the side of the road after fighting through 3 lanes of traffic.

The officer came up and asked if i knew how fast I was going. I said no that I had been going with traffic during rush hour but definitely under 60 mph. He then asked if I knew hanging things from the rearview was illegal. I said no, as I remembered that I had a small pipe cleaner flower (for sentimental reasons) hanging down from the mirror (for over 6 years too...). He went to tell me that it's illegal in MN and he gave me some scenario's as to why that was. Then he went back to his car.

As I waited I looked down the road and realized he stopped me like a quarter mile before a speed reader that said "watch your speed!". Meanwhile cars drove past in a blur, lighting up the sign with speeds well over the 50 mph limit...62, 59, 61...

He came back and said well I'm gonna give you a warning about the flower so long as you take it down. But...I'm giving you a ticket for excessive speeding in a work zone.

I was stunned but took the ticket and he went on his way. I reviewed the ticket and saw that the infraction was excessive speeding in a work zone going 54 in a 50. And it was just under a $400 fine.

4 miles over as I was slowing down with traffic! And I get pulled over for no other reason than he saw that dang flower and then he waited until we passed that first road work sign to pull me over!!

I went to a hearing officer who said they cannot waive the fine because it was technically in a work zone. And they offered a pitiful reduction which I did not accept since it would still be reported on my record and would still constitute as a financial burden.

I now have an arraignment with a prosecutor before setting up a court date...

What chance do I have and how...can I convince the prosecutor to move for "continuance for dismissal"???

That would keep this ridiculous petty misdemeanor off my record and waive the fine...if I understand the term correctly.

Any thoughts?

Sorry for the storybook...

Answer: tl;dr OP caught going 54 in a 50 mph work zone, doesn't want to pay the ticket.Answer #2: States take speeding in a construction zone pretty seriously. You admit you broke the law. The fact that everyone else was doing it is a garbage excuse, as is your opinion on it being unfair or too expensive. You're unlikely to convince a prosecutor using those reasons to dismiss the ticket and waive the fine.


Title: Failure to Yield for Pedestrian Police Trap

Question:
Before you call me a criminal or tell me I SHOULD have stopped, hear me out.

So, I'm doing about 20mph around a corner. Officer in plain clothes waits for me to get to about 3ft from crosswalk and then steps on said crosswalk.

He is 2 lanes away to my right, so obviously I went through. I would have ended up ON the crosswalk if I had stopped. It made sense for me to go through (it is not recommended to stop abruptly for safety reasons).

Now I got a ticket for Failure to Yield for a Pedestrian. I am not questioning the "trap", but I will appeal and question his scum methodology because it's wrong to do that. Also, he did not write the amount I need to pay, it's just blank.

I feel strongly that it was unjust. I can see if he did it before I was nearly on the crosswalk. Also, I do not know if them not writing any amount helps the appeal process.

Advice, please? Thanks!

EDIT: Location is Massachusetts [MA]

Answer:
 MA law is if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, all lanes of traffic can't pass. It could be a four lane way with the pedestrian just blocking one -- all four must stop.

You're doing nothing but wasting your time trying to fight it.

Pay the fine and drive safer next time.


Title: (Indiana) Employer holding employee off the clock until business picks up enough to justify paying employee?

Question: My manager tells me that in Indiana it is legal to hold an employee, off the clock, for up to 30 minutes at which point they have to decide to either send the employee home or to have them clock in and start working.  Seems to me to the employee should be paid for that time considering it's not really their own time and it's not like they can go home.  It is a restaurant, so I see their point of view where it may not be worth paying somebody if it is slow, but I think the decision to send someone home should either be made right away, or that person should be on the clock.  If anybody knows about this law that'd be great.

Answer:
 That's called "waiting to work" if you are on premises and not allowed to leave. The restaurant benefits from your time there (they have the ability and option to serve customers, when they wouldn't if you weren't there). According to FLSA, that's paid at regular hours.

Your situation is exactly described by the DOL as working hours:

> A waitperson in a restaurant waiting for customers to arrive

http://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/hoursworked/screenEr77.asp

Indiana does not appear to have any specific hourly laws, so I'm assuming FLSA rules, and state rules can't be weaker. Answer #2: No, if you are at work and cannot leave, they MUST pay you. They can send you home if business is slow, but if you're there waiting for customers, you're engaged to wait. You can file a claim with your department of labor, if Indiana has one, or at the federal level.

Be prepared to be fired, which would be illegal, so start documenting everything. Get it in email evidence or through text of what he's doing.


Title: (Oregon) does my child have the right to withhold information?

Question:
my son is 14, and I think is involved with something where it appears that he's being taken advantage of. He's not talking to me, says he doesn't want to talk about it. his mom knows what's going on but is refusing to until she's talked to a lawyer about the childs rights to withhold information from another parent. is there legal grounds where my son can be forced to tell me.

parenting advice aside. I get the whole situation that if I try and force the truth out of the child then they'll resent me. But are there legal grounds to obtain the information if I think the child is at risk

Answer:
 Legal grounds to do what? What would a court do if he didn't tell you? Jail him? Fine him?

Don't rely on the legal system for this. Answer #2: The bill of rights allows people to be silent, and that includes kids.

Do you have legal custody of your child?

The legal guardian of a child has a right and duty to protect. If you can show that his mother is acting in a manner that will harm your child, a family court judge might strip custody from her. Then, as a parent, you will be able to remove him from whatever you think he is in involved in. Or you can deny him privileges until he talks (e.g. ground him).


Title: Teamed with someone on getting a cafe deal and now he only wants to give me $5000 finders fee

Question:
I recently was looking to open a coffee cart at local office building and when I went there they said they actually wanted to open a cafe and they would pay for the build out. I thought it was a great opportunity, but didn't think I could get funds in time and  they wouldn't go for me as I've never owned cafe. Teamed with local cafe owner and he said he could finance it, but lets check it out first. We met up with the agents and things went well. Eventually disclosed didn't have the money for it, but lets see if we can get them to pay more. He said there's no point figuring out what our cuts are until we find out what they'll give and foolishly I went with it. Now, they are offering construction build out, equipment ($65,000) 1 years free rent ($20,15) and maybe $50,000 start up. if this happens instead of me being managing partner and getting a percentage (he's paying nothing) he just wants to give me a $5000 finders fee.

If this happens with nothing in writing can I sue to get more?

Also, the deal above may not happen because unless he also gets money for the start up (the $50,000) he doesn't want to do it if I put my own proposal in and get it can he sue me for any reason?

Answer: Wait...so you found a spot, contribute nothing else to this venture, and you're mad he wants to give you a finders fee? Partnerships like this typically form when two people provide start-up funds. Did you actually write up a business plan/proposal/agreement before any of this started?


Title: If you beat up someone's rapist can you use it as a reason for the beating?

Question: Wondering what the rational would do for someone in court? USA

Answer:
 > If you beat up someone's rapist can you use it as a reason for the beating?

Not unless the beating was reasonably necessary to prevent or terminate the rape.Answer #2: Don't take the law into your own hands unless you are prepared to deal with the consequences. Answer #3: you could maybe get a jury on your side, but just vigilante self-help is not a defense to assault.

you could use self defense if you were attempting to stop a rape in progress. and probably avoid certain charges if the victim was spouse/family member (ie hot blooded/moment of passion).


Title: Dad threatening to tell potential jobs no

Question:
For starters, my dad is the biggest piece of Shit that you ever meet.

I just turned 18, so I applied for a job. We live in the middle of no where, so I don't get anyone signal. That means that I put our home phone as the phone to contact me with.

Now, here comes the bad part.
My dad doesn't want me working at all. He wants me to get on disability so he can continue to draw money on me while I get nothing (Hes using the "I don't want you getting a night shift job!" excuse right now), therefore me applying for the job made him angry. Now Hes threatening to, and I quote, "if they call and say come in for an interview then ill tell them no that you aren't allowed."

Is that legal? Im an adult making and adult decision that doesn't affect his life.

I should probably also mention that he/(more likely) my mom would be the ones taking me to and from work as u have no other option (ill be paying all the gas it takes, as that's only fair). But if I work night shift then ill be working from when the place closes to when if opens, meaning that it'll be the same .

Day shift: get dropped off at 6 am - be picked up at 8 pm.

Night shift: get dropped off at 8 pm - be picked up at 6 am.

He would have to be awake at the same times no matter what, so that's how I know that Hes just pissed that Im not doing what he wants.

Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 Your father can't impersonate you. He can tell potential employers whatever he wants. If you suspect that he might sabotage your job search, you could get ahead of it by warning anyone who might call.

However, it is also entirely legal (and at least somewhat understandable) for him to decline the opportunity to drive you to work every day.Answer #2: You need to get your own bank account, by the way. If you share a bank account with him, or if his name is on your account, then as soon as you start working he can steal your money if it's in that account.


Title: Ex-Girlfriend Won't Pay Loan my Parents Co-Signed

Question:
I live in Ontario, Canada.  Several years ago my girlfriend at the time wished to attend the local college but was unable to obtain funding due to a cut in the amount of funds that were available to students (she is native and had the opportunity to receive funding from her band).  She applied for a loan through one of the big banks but was not approved due to her credit (one of many red flags that I realize I now should have taken into consideration).  They would approve the loan if she were to sign with a co-signer.

After some time passed the list of possible co-signers got shorter (we tried her mom -- who also has bad credit --, her cousin, and her aunt).  Finally I decided to ask my parents.  I figured, I've been with this girl for several years, we live together, have a car together, I thought we were going to get married and be together for the rest of our lives.  I did not think that she would be the type of person to not own up to her responsibilities (hindsight is 2020).

My parents agreed and co-signed on the loan that was meant for school supplies (laptop and accessories, books, camera, etc).  It is now approximately 3 years later and she has defaulted on the loan 3 times in a row (there were several other missed payments), which caused the bank to close the account.  My parents were called notifying of closure of the account and that it was overdue.  No other notifications were given.

Now my parents are stuck paying off a loan that has already caused a few hits on their credit (not directly, but having an overdue payment of any kind is bad.  It almost stopped the purchasing and financing of a new vehicle for them).  Is there anything that they can do to force her to pay?
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: If Canadian laws are anything like US laws, your parents are going to be on the hook to repay the loan, but can pursue your ex for repayment.


Title: Fun neighbors

Question:
We live in New York, a small suburb of a largish city.  Our neighbors have been verbally attacking and using the local police to harass my wife.  (My wife is a darker skin color than most of the neighbors)

The police have been called to our houses many times for such grievance offenses as putting flower pots in her own front yard, looking out her own window, watering her garden, sitting in her back yard, and getting her own mail from her own side door. They made up various “offenses” all of which easily disproved, but the police department has several members who have told her to her face “ this is a white village” and threatened her with arrest for made up charges. (Which never happened as the entire force isn’t racist and their dumb threats couldn’t go anywhere).
They watch us constantly and make sure no one except my wife is home before they call the police. This se me to a very concerted effort of pure harassment, is there any recourse to curb this childish nonsense?

Answer:
 It is generally difficult or impossible to stop someone from reporting their concerns to the police.

Usually the police understand the situation after a few calls and adjust their responses accordingly.  If that isn't happening in this case, or worse, if the police are participating in the harassment, you can raise that concern through the complaint process of the agency.  Answer #2: Also not a lawyer, I think you need to begin keeping detailed records of each incident and requesting reports from the police of every call. Whatever course you pursue in the future will certainly be much more successful with records as proof.


Title: Chronically ill spouse asked for workplace accommodation, in return company makes policies more harsh.

Question:
Hello, please forgive me if I have made any mistakes in this submission.

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My spouse has a chronic illness called Dysautonomia. It's debilitating. It affects her ability to work standard hours. However, she does everything she can to let it not affect her work. She does overtime to make it up. She takes her work home. She goes in early. She puts in the extra hours needed. This company had flex time and multiple remote employees until October 1, 2018. She worked from home when she needed to and she excelled at her job. She never has issues getting her work done when she is able to.

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In July, she began to ask if they would consider transitioning her to remote 50% of the time to accomodate her illness, as well as possibly change her hours to working 4 10's a week so she could have wednesdays off to go to doctors visits. Seems fair to me, she wants to get her work done and not take of work to go to her appointments.

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She had her 'yearly review' today and the company has informed her they are completely removing flex hours for non-senior employees and removing telecommuting. They also informed her they used an outside HR resource to form these new policies. This is kind of odd, considering there are non-senior level telecommuting employees. She was informed today (October 3, 2018) that this policy went into effect on the first.  She firmly believes she has no ground to stand on because a chronic illness is not a disability. Also, she's convinced she will be terminated the moment the work only she can do is completed. We live in Mississippi, which is a "Right to work" state.

&#x200B;

I want to help as much as possible, and since ianal I feel she has a case on her hands but I could be very incorrect. The plan right now is for her to find a different employer stadt. How do we proceed with this? Secondarily, how should she inform the next employer about the chronic illness and how it will affect her hiring/duties?

&#x200B;
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer:
 I'm not sure where your spouse is getting her information. A chronic illness may very well be a disability - and often is.

But, she needs to meet with her doctors to come up with a plan for reasonable accommodation of her disability under the ADA,  present it to the employer and work with them to implement it in order to receive the full protections of the ADA. This assumes her employer is covered under the ADA.   Take a look at the ADA website

If she qualifies for FMLA, she could also have her doctors submit the appropriate paperwork and take intermittent FMLA leave to take time off to go to doctors etc.


Title: Can you be legally bound by a contract to not disclose the details of a private API you were paid to reverse engineer?

Question:
USA

I imagine you couldn't be, since no APIs are really "private" (anyone can sniff packets and figure it out on their own) and since this might prevent you from receiving future job opportunities.

Answer:
 Sure you can. There's nothing inherently wrong with a contract that requires you to withhold information which isn't "really private" or prevents you from receiving future job opportunities.

If you want to disclose the details of a private API, don't sign a contract saying you can't.


Title: IL: I'm having problems with my fraternity and want to move out. Alumni threatening legal action.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >This includes frequent flooding (usually of backed up sewage, once or twice a semester) which we have to clean.

How bad is the flooding? Does it affect any flooring or walls?  Why are you tasked with cleaning it and not a professional?  Has this been reported to the local housing authority?


Title: My dad lost a customer's watch in a robbery at his watch repair shop. Now customer is threatening to take my dad to small claims court

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What happened when he talked to his insurance company?


Title: Is it fraud to book a flight and then not get on your connecing flight?

Question:
Hey legaladvice,  quick question. So I'm on my way to North Carolina for an interview with a grad school. It was far cheaper to buy a flight to Atlanta with a connection in Charlotte and just not get on my connecting flight than to buy a direct flight to Charlotte for whatever reason,  so that's what I did. When I arrived at the gate, they were checking bags at the gate to our final destinations. I explained that I wasn't actually going to my final destination, and the lady at the gate lectured me about how I was commiting fraud and should be ashamed of myself in a post 9/11 world.

  I'm  90% sure it isn't fraud to decide not to get on my connecting flight, but I wanted to be certain.  We're about to take off and no air marshalls have come for me yet, so I think I'm in the clear ;) mostly this is just for future reference.

Thanks!!

Answer:
 This is called "hidden city" ticketing.  It's expressly forbidden by your ticketing agreement with your airline.  It's a breach of your agreement with them.

Usually, when you do hidden city ticketing, your return flights are cancelled.  You should check that when you land.Answer #2: > When I arrived at the gate, they were checking bags at the gate to our final destinations.

Out of curiosity, did you get your bag? They typically will send it to your ticketed destination (which is why people who do this sort of thing don't ever check luggage). Agree with /u/thepatman that it is likely [breach of contract](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breach_of_contract) but not fraud.Answer #3: Fraud is loosely defined as getting something of value through deception so I don't see how that applies here. To me this is no different than buying a buffet meal which includes soup and salad and only eating soup. I don't see how the airline is loosing anything.Answer #4: It's certainly against their contract of carriage, the rules that govern your flight agreement. They probably won't remove you from your flight BUT I hope you didn't use your frequent flier number to book the flight. They can and will confiscate all your miles (even ones you earned legitimately) if they suspect you're gaming the system. And as others have said, they will cancel your Charlotte to Atlanta leg and the ENTIRE return ticket if it's purchased on the same e-ticket number.


Title: [TX] - Property management requires renters insurance, but claims they don't accept insurance from the company I'm trying to use

Question:
Dallas area, though not inside of Dallas (working class suburb, I'd rather not get more specific at the moment). This is a large-ish property management company (think multi-state), based in the area, and this is their largest property locally (possibly the largest they own).

They require all tenants to carry, at the least, $100k in liability insurance, and strongly recommend carrying property coverage.

I have a policy with the correct liability coverage, plus sufficient contents coverage for what I own, plus an addendum for my camera stuff.  I switched companies recently (from a traditional company to an online-only company that's fairly new, but licensed in my state), and the property manager is telling me they don't accept policies from the new company.

My lease states I'm free to choose an insurer of my choice, and outlines the minimum requirements (100k liability, property company named as interested party). It also states if I do not obtain insurance, they will obtain insurance for me, and add it into my rent.

So can my landlord/property manager decide to pick and choose who I get insurance with?

EDIT: Thanks for all the input.

Answer:
 Tell them firmly you are abiding by your lease and to leave you alone. Answer #2: Your lease will dictate here.

If your lease says you need to carry $X amount with Y coverage and you do, you have a solid defense to choosing the insurance you did.Answer #3: > So can my landlord/property manager decide to pick and choose who I get insurance with?

Not according to your lease. You can pick your provider.Answer #4: Nope.  As long as you are meeting the liability requirements for your state, they aren't allowed to choose the company for you.

If they persist, tell them you need something *in writing* that specifically states their company refuses to honor policies from your insurance provider.  Assuming your insurance is legit, that should be a fun visit with the housing commission.
Answer #5: So all the advice here is correct: if your lease says you can choose the insurer, you can choose the insurer.

That said -- is this the hill you want to die on? Renters insurance is what, 15-20 / month? If you can cancel your current policy (and get a refund of unused premiums), and open a policy with an insurer they accept, it may be the easiest thing long-term.

This is practical advice, not life advice: sometimes avoiding unneeded conflict is the best thing, even if it leaves you pissed off.

That said, if you CAN'T just cancel your current policy for a refund then I'm with /u/swalsh411 and others -- tell 'em to F off you're abiding by the lease.


Title: [AL] Unknowingly bought a home in a community with an HOA

Question:
When my wife and I were looking at houses, we were very adamant to our realtor about no HOAs as it would be an automatic deal breaker. We ended buying a house where the MLS listing made no mention of an HOA, and nor during closing did we receive any documentation that there was the existence of an HOA or any relevant covenants or bylaws.

3 months later, we received an anonymous letter in the mail about the "neatness" of our yard and that we weren't following HOA guidelines. 1 week later we received an additional letter from the president of the HOA stating if we didn't address the matter the HOA could perform the work on our property and then place a lein on the property for the amount of work.

Both the wife and I are pretty livid because this is the exact kind of pettiness we didn't want to deal with in homeownership. Unfortunately Alabama is a "caveat emptor" or "buyer beware" state, so we're not sure what our legal recourse options are. Both the wife and I have trudged back through our closing documents, and there is zero mention of the existence of an HOA or any covenants.

Do we have any legal recourse? Or are we just screwed? Help!

Answer: No one has outright said it yet. It is possible that your house is not apart of the HOA and that when the HOA found out that house was sold, they thought they would try to trick you into joining by paying fees. Contact your title insurance and under no circumstances pay any fees until this is figured out. Sign nothing and pay the HOA nothing Answer #2: It's possible your house is not part of the HOA but the HOA is still spamming you. Half the HOA posts in this sub are like this. Tell them to pound sand but be ready to hire a real estate lawyer (especially one that specializes in HOAs) to send them a professional letter telling them to again, pound sand.Answer #3: Just because your deed does not mention the HOA, that does not mean you are in the clear.  The seller cannot convey a greater interest in the property than he had. The seller owned the property subject to the HOA and cannot convey to you a greater interest in that.   If the declaration and covenants were properly filed and recorded, and the lawyer doing the closing and the title search simply missed it, I think you are in the HOA but you might have a claim against whoever is at fault here.Answer #4: Your mortgage lender should have spoken with you about this. The mortgage company knew about the HOA once they reviewed the title. Bring this to the attention of your attorney.


Title: [Virginia] On the job injury, and living below poverty level

Question:
Posting for a friend. Female was Injured on the job at a grocery store due to constant lifting. Coerced into not filing a workers comp case, but has x-rays and a chiropractic visit on record from that time period. The company continues to schedule her for active shifts after hr filing her into a non active shifts which she is unable to do.

  On top of this, she makes 12.80 an hour. Less than 20k a year. I was wondering what public assistance she might be able to take advantage of to help stay afloat and any recommendation on legal routes to obtain a lawyer.

  Thank you

Answer: She should file for Workers Comp if she's still eligible to. That is literally the point of it.


Title: Local business can't find gift certificate from 2010

Question:
(California) I bought and returned a guitar a while ago and just sat on the gift certificate.
I've been calling and checking up with them for about a month and she keeps telling me she's going to talk to the other owners but so far nothing.

Now she's saying they might not have their sales books for that far back(2010) which is bullshit.

There is no expiration date on he gift certificate.

What are my options?

Answer:
 > sales books for that far back(2010) which is bullshit.

It's not, at all. Record retention laws vary but destroying records after X number of years is common and actually a good thing. If the law doesn't require you to keep them then there is no real reason to. You can't get audited/sued over something you don't have any more. To give an example, you generally only need to keep the last 7 full years of payroll records. After that you can dispose/shred/purge them.


Title: [DE, USA] Coworker's Daughter Attacked And Hospitalized At School. I Believe They Are Attempting A Coverup.

Question:
I have a coworker who today broke down in tears and confided in me that her 11th grade daughter had been attacked by a boy at her private high school resulting in being taken into the hospital. She was first diagnosed with a concussion and later a more severe brain injury (though I forget the name of it). Her daughter is still traumatized and has been having problems at home since the attack. I only had a chance to speak to her briefly today and didn't ask too many specific details as 1. it's none of my business, and 2. she was clearly distraught and I did not want to make her more upset than she already was. Here is a brief overview of the details as best I can remember:

1. My coworker's daughter goes to a private high school and the attacker is apparently from a wealthy family.
2. There were multiple witnesses to this attack. The attacker was suspended but the school is not going to suspend him.
3. When my coworker asked the school to provide the video camera footage showing the attack they claimed that specific camera was "malfunctioning" and they could not provide video to her.
4. My coworker is also apparently in possession of text messages from the attacker who has nude photographs of other girls at their school that he had been threatening to release at different times. My coworker also has screenshots from the attacker's social media threatening gun violence against other students.
5. My coworker has contacted 10 separate law offices to pursue this case but none of them are willing to help her.

One detail that shouldn't be important, but I believe is a factor in why she is being treated this way, is that she is an immigrant from Lebanon. She has no family or friends here to help her or offer advise, and based on the violent comments from the attacker she is also afraid of retaliation if she goes forward. The threats of gun violence from the attacker are also a major concern of hers and mine. It's likely bluster on the attacker's part, but in this day and age you can never be too sure. As an immigrant myself this infuriates me. I fear that if the attacker is not held to account for these actions he will continue to abuse others later in life. His family's money should not protect him from consequences.

So my questions to you all are:

1. How should my coworker proceed with this case? Notify the police? Find a lawyer and sue the school? Speak to the press? All of the above?
2. What type of attorney should she be looking for to deal with a case like this?
3. Does my coworker have any recourse to deal with the child pornography he has on his phone? Are screenshots of text messages enough for the police to get involved?
4. How should my coworker be dealing with the school obviously protecting the attacker? Should she sue? She discussed moving her to another school but apparently no other schools will take new students in their senior year (which seems strange to me). Another school would accept her this year but her daughter has some learning difficulties and already has teachers that she loves who can accommodate her and this would obviously not be the best choice for her.
5. What other advice can you give me?

I'm honestly at a loss. My heart is breaking for my coworker and I don't want her to be alone during this horrible time in her life. It disgusts me that the school may be using their position to bully an immigrant into accepting this horrible situation and moving on as if nothing happened. Please help!

Answer:
 Gun threats are a crime. So is assault. The police need to be involved immediately and if they decline to pursue charges your coworker needs to raise one hell of a stink.Answer #2: This student committed a violent assault and it sounds like he is in possession of child porn. He needs to be reported to police ASAP.

Private schools have less regulations but they still have legal obligations to ensure that their students are safe.

Your friend needs to sue the assailant's family to cover the cost of the daughter's medical bills now and in the future as a result of the assault (including therapy). They should sue for damages too. This is a horribly traumatic experience and traumatic brain injury (TBI) can have life long effects. Depending on the severity and nature of the injury, it can increase her risk factors for various medical  conditions. TBI has a significant impact on developing brains.

The family should also consider getting a restraining order for their daughter against the boy. This was an extremely violent assault which caused brain injury. Furthermore, he is continuing to pose a threat through social media. This is very, very serious.

Edit: If the family is Muslim have  them contact CAIR as soon as possible. If even it is not discrimination (this sounds like it is) they'll refer them to a lawyer, have them go to a local mosque and talk to an imam as well, he may know of people who can help.


Title: Fired on Worker's Comp

Question:
Hey guys, so this happened two weeks ago almost. I had been working at a company for almost a year and got injured a few months into the job. The executive director has been excessively rude and aggressive ever since I had been hired even before I was injured ; the injury just exacerbated her hatred. Anyways, being unable to walk I was put in the office right next to her abusive tongue for two months until I could walk again. With physical therapy they hoped the injury would heal no problem.

However, come Dec they said I needed surgery. I had the surgery on my supervisor's suggestion and my own physical well being. I even scheduled it so my days off would be recovery days. The doctor said I would be on crutches for two weeks and then light duty for a few more then cleared to full duty.

The morning after my surgery (like 12 hours after I got home and am drugged up) I get a phone call from my direct supervisor. I call the number back within like 30 minutes as the voicemail seemed cheery and upbeat. They fired me without reason and the executive director said to me "just look at the variables. Bye" and hung up on me when I asked why. Now I've never even been verbally warned for anything let alone written warning. People I work with compliment my work ethic and our clients say how much they love working with me and how well I take care of them.

As I lived on site I was told I had to move out in about a week and a half... From the second flood... While on crutches. When my doctor found out they were livid and told me to avoid movement for the next few days for fear moving had reinjured what the surgery hoped to fix. I wasn't given an option on when to move. I was told I was fired and needed to move out and hung up on. Left me without a job or place to live.

Thus far I have not received any contact or paperwork from that job. Should I have received something in writing by now?

I found out a few days ago, they hired someone else which is bizarre because my hiring process was 3 months long... Id been fired for about a week when they hired the new guy. (it should be noted I almost didn't get hired because the executive director didn't think a woman could do the job... Then they conveniently fire me an hire a male)

Do I have any foothold for legal action? If so what should my first course of action be? Any advice or suggestions would be amazing guys!

Tldr; fired after surgery encouraged to have. Hired new guy almost immediately

Answer: You need to speak with an employment attorney to go over the specific facts of your case and the likely outcomes. Retaliating because you made a workers comp claim is illegal. It is typical when an employer wrongfully terminates an employee that they do not outright say it is because they filed a workers comp claim, and in practice the employer will need to prove you were fired for a reason unrelated to the workers comp claim which will be very difficult if you have not yet returned to work.Answer #2: Call an employment attorney.Answer #3: As New Jersey is an employment at will state they can fire you for no reason at all. The housing would depend on if you are considered a tenant or or live there under a license. If you are a tenant it would require a legal eviction pending an eviction notice. If you live under s license, meaning you live there under your employers permission it is much easier for them to evict you. I would check any contracts you signed and see if it has any mention of the details of your housing


Title: Sold something on Craigslist - buyer claims it's faulty and wants to return it [CA]

Question:
My dad bought a nice fridge ten years ago, and for the entirety of it's life it's sat in his kitchen and worked perfectly.
We recently moved and he has come to live with us. When we went to bring the fridge in to the house, we realized that there was no way we could bring it past any of the door frames. We placed it on the patio and listed it on Craigslist a few weeks later.

I plugged the fridge in before the buyer came to inspect it, and he seemed picky but wanted it. We haggled over a price and arrived at $180.
I helped him move it out to his truck, and he transported the fridge sideways, as that was the only way he could fit it into his truck (not best practice, but his decision).

He has now started texting and phoning me claiming that the ice maker does not function properly. He claims that I've definitely had some work done on it (haven't), that I didn't disclose it was faulty (it wasn't, I used the ice maker all the time it worked perfectly).

I don't know whether he's not hooked it up correctly, didn't transport it well, dropped it when he moved it etc. I have no idea.

He is claiming that I need to refund him or he will '...drop it off if necessary'. i.e. turn up at my house and cause a stink.
Obviously this pisses me off because he checked the motors on the ice maker when he inspected it (there was no way to plumb it in from the patio), and he obviously knows where we live which causes me discomfort as far as security and my family go.

How far can he realistically take this, and what should I do if he turns up on my doorstep with a fridge demanding a refund?

Answer:
 He bought the fridge as is. You owe him nothing. Answer #2: Craigslist is "As-Is". You owe him nothing.

If he shows up, call the police, perhaps the non emergency line and explain the situation. Lock the doors, keep an eye out. If he does anything more than grumble a bit and knock for a few minutes, such as trying to force entry, yelling threats and/or obscenities, etc, go ahead and call 911 from that point and let the cops trespass him. If he decides to show up again after that, call the police and have him arrested.

You are in the clear.Answer #3: Guessing that he plugged it in as soon as he got it upright. You don't owe him anything, but you can ask him how long he let the fridge settle while upright before plugging it back in.


Title: Is child cruelty/child labor punishable by death in the United States?

Answer:
 Almost assuredly not if the child survives according to Supreme Court precedent in Kennedy v. Louisiana, which held that the death penalty was unconstitutional if imposed for the crime of child rape.

The Court stated that

> As it relates to crimes against individuals...the death penalty should not be expanded to instances where the victim's life was not taken.


Title: [May have] Cosigned for funeral home bill. Not sure if the funeral home can legally sue me. Details inside.

Question: My father died in college and my sibling and I had to plan funeral arrangements. I'm pretty sure if anything, I only signed one document. I can't remember because I was stupid and stressed. The document I have, that contains the itemized bill, also has spaces for the billed to and cosigner to sign. My siblings name is printed as the 'bill to' but no signatures are present on this document. This may not mean anything as this may have just been a presigned copy. I looked on my state's, South Carolina, law page and noticed that according to SECTION 37-3-303 (http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t37c003.php), I would have been required to sign a document explaining cosigning. I definitely don't think I signed something like this. The amount is over 7500 so it would not go to small claims court. Essentially, I would be fine with paying half of this debt, but my sibling has paid none whatsoever, while I have been paying a very small amount every month. Is there any way that I could potentially be sued for this instead of them even though they are listed as the 'bill to' party? I would rather not have to sue my sibling if possible, but would be fine with triggering someone else to do it. Thanks.

Answer:
 I think what you definitely need to do is request copies of everything you signed. Answer #2: In many cases, the legal term is "jointly and severally liable."

That means that if you cosigned, you are BOTH responsible for the entire amount until it is paid.

So to save your credit, you may have to pay the whole thing.  Then you could sue your brother (in small claims court) for his half.


Title: So a Towing company tows a car on your private property, what can you charge them with?

Question:
Hypothetical because my question was motivated by a reddit post where a car got towed from private property because a neighbor called the towing company.

**NOTE**: the car didn't block traffic, it was just standing on private property for more than two weeks, with the acceptance of the owner of said property.

The towing company towed the car without the property owner's consent and without consent of the car owner. They also had no consent to be on the property to begin with.

Talking about suburban property here and the owner of the car and the owner of the property are blood-related (grandma & grandson) if that matters.

\-

My first guess would be maybe trespassing and probably motor vehicle theft. Now this is to avoid paying the fees but I also would be interested if this would go through in the court of law.

What do you think?

Answer: depending on the state the tow company could be fined. regardless of the state, the owner of the vehicle world have a private cause of action against the neighbor and possibly the tow company as well (sue everyone and let the judge decide who gets dismissed). it's potentially criminal trespass but that would be at the discretion of the police and probably unlikely to be pursued. Theft is unlikely againt the towing company if they towed the car in good faith, nor against the neighbor unless he directed the car to be towed into his or someone specific's possession (as opposed to the tow yard).Answer #2: In some states a property owner must give 48 hours notice before they have it towed. This is accomplished with a sticker on the vehicle.  I don't think a tow truck driver would commit a crime if they followed the process. It can't be trespassing as the driver would have a lawful reason to be there, and it couldn't be larceny because there's no intent to deprive, only to get the car off the property. Otherwise people would be suing towing companies for doing their job.


Title: [IL] Grandmother died, left 50k to each grandchild, but they only can receive it once they turn 25. My mother is the executor of the will and has the funds. Can she write me a personal check for the money even though I am not 25 yet?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The short answer is “no”. Your mother may be running afoul of her duties as executor.


Title: Stuck on 3/5yr probation across state lines where the charge occurred. Only way court told me i could terminate early was to visit court library outside the state I'm not allowed to leave.

Question:
In 2015 I made a very stupid decision to sell a schedule I drug for pot money. I was caught by an undercover and the DA in Texas gave me 20 years with a plea deal for 5 years deferred ajudacation probation and a lot of classes due to it being my first charge.

Several months later after bailing out most of my American family died and I had nowhere to stay. With the promise of help I tried reconnecting with my father in Louisiana. He lied and it went catastrophically bad. Most of my family lives in Europe and I miss them terribly.

I have now served 3/5 years probation with 0 incidents 0 bad UAs etc. I learned my lesson. My PO refuses to talk to me in person let alone advise me. She put me in a drug class I've already completed I think because she can't identify mental deficency.(I am on the spectrum)

I called the county where I was charged and without a lawyer I was told the only way for me to possibly terminate the probation early is to go to the law library in Texas and motion it myself. Do I have any alternatives at all? This process is literally killing me. My blood pressure is 140/100 now and I can't sleep.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 I think you’re taking her too literal. She’s saying learn Texas law and file the appropriate motion.

ETA: looks like you’ll want to look into filing a motion for early termination of community supervision. Answer #2: >Do I have any alternatives at all?

Get a lawyer. That's your best alternative.


Title: Rental company and property owner haggling over cost of a new furnace, meanwhile I live there and I'm without heat. Going on 3 weeks, what are my options?

Question:
I was hoping I could just fix it on my own dime and force them to pay for it or withhold rent but sounds risky. I've already had a stern conversation with the rental company owner who said he would make sure it gets done asap and that if I'm not happy I could walk (been here less than 60 days and he is giving me an out I guess) but I really don't want to leave. I just want heat and I thought talking to the owner would light a fire under someone's ass but still nothing.

The lease states that "The landlord agrees to supply the following utilities to the tenant: Heat/electric, water/sewer".

Screw renting I'm too old for this.

Edit: I'm in Wisconsin. Thanks AI.

Answer:
 You can report your lack of heat to the local health inspector, but I'm not seeing any legal protections for repair and deduct in Wisconsin.Answer #2: Obligatory IANAL

At a quick glance I don't see any options for repairing on your own dime.

Your landlord has a duty to "Keep in a reasonable state of repair ... heat..." but unfortunately I don't see a good definition for reasonable state of repair. I suspect 3 weeks for heat in winter to be unreasonable.
Wis Stat. 704.07(2)(a)2.
https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/704/07

It seems like step 1 is to call a building inspector to give your landlord a firm deadline for the repair.
http://www.tenantresourcecenter.org/repairs_in_wisconsin

It's possible you can make a case for Rent Abatement but that seems to depend on where in Wisconsin you live.Answer #3: Practical, not legal options. As the landlord is paying electric, any chance you can borrow some electric heat sources until this is resolved? It serves two purposes--keeping you comfortable, and running up your landlord's electric bill, which may get his/her attention in any letter you send.

Looks like Wisconsin has crisis assistance for those without heat. Though you may not qualify for assistance, I would hope that they are able to connect you to channels to help resolve your crisis. [Their website.](http://homeenergyplus.wi.gov/category.asp?linkcatid=239) 24 hour hotline: 1-866-HEATWIS (432-8947)

Good luck.Answer #4: Not sure about your area but some area's have minimum standards to livability as far as temps go.  Might want to check into that, however with it getting warming it might just be a "wait a few months and you will be good" sort of thing.

On the bright side, Happy Cake Day!


Title: Small Claims - wanting compensation for stole MTG cards

Question:
Hey guys, I live in central Missouri.  Basically the story is that I loaned my Magic the Gathering deck to a "friend" who is now flaking out on me (and the entire community in general).  The deck is legacy Esper Stoneblade, and if I had cashed it out would be worth ~$2000.  If the deck was purchased from retailers, the cost to build it from scratch would be ~$4000.  I am interested in taking this to small claims and representing myself because I don't have money for a lawyer (and it wouldn't be worth the cost anyways).

The only evidence I have is a written correspondence (via Facebook messages) where the guy tells me he has my deck and will get it back to me soon...and then subsequently stops replying altogether.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

Answer:
 Small claims court is the way to go.  [Here is the link to MO's small claims forms and instructions](https://www.courts.mo.gov/page.jsp?id=704).  The process is designed to be very straightforward and not require an attorney's help.

You can file a claim for the present value of the deck.  Basically just lay out the facts which you feel give rise to the lawsuit.  Stick to facts, be specific, and don't include anything you aren't positive about.  Answer #2: Not a lawyer, but I am a magic player who has considered suing another one for 'borrowed' cards. In my case the guy works under the table so there'd be no way to recover my money. Hopefully you can recover yours.

When you show up to court, don't just say 'my deck is worth $4,000,' make a spreadsheet with each card's value. I'd go check a couple sources, like have a column for Star City and one for TCG Player and maybe another for a third source like Troll and Toad or eBay. You might want to add the value of your deck box and sleeves also for good measure. Also emphasize that these are valuable collectibles like baseball cards.


Title: Arrested (never booked) on misdemeanor criminal trespassing in Florida while on spring break several years ago...

Question:
28 yr old ~~Caucasian~~ Male, Bachelors Degree from a competitive University

Story goes that I was in Florida 7 years ago (21 at the time) during my spring break vacation, and was arrested in the alley behind a bar with a girl. She was a local University of South Florida girl I met through a friend. She said she knew of a secret spot on the roof, and she was hot. We walked down the street, and around the corner. We made our way down the public alley, and she stepped up to reach for the fire escape. In the exact moment when she stepped up, a cop pulled into the alley and turned his lights on. My feet were still planted on the ground.

The early 30s ~~latino~~ cop jumped out of his car aggressively, and stated put your hands in the air. I responded by doing what he asked, but kept a calm "let me explain sir" attitude. As he walked up, I said "hello officer". He responded to this by saying aggressively "put your hands back up or I'll knock you on your ass." I responded "Oh, yes officer I'm no threat and I assure you of that". He responded "three officers were just shot in St Petersburg, I don't know you. Maybe you shot those officers." Baffled, I stood there, and he began asking for our IDs. We provided them, and my hot hippie date started saying "I know the owners of this bar, and they let me come here." (she didn't mention the roof).

Eventually, he went to his car, and called for backup. He was checking our IDs, and the backup arrived. A middle aged ~~caucasian~~ male officer calmly walked onto the scene where me and the girl were standing with the other officer still going over our information in his vehicle. The cop that just arrived was really respectful, and even friendly. He asked us what happened. I explained the situation, and he bluntly said "I wouldn't be detaining you guys if it was me". He also tried to confirm that I wasn't going to vote for Obama to which I nervously laughed.

At this point, the other cop aggressively approaches the scene once again and says "I'm arresting you both for Criminal Trespassing, but I won't bring you into the station. You need to appear blah blah blah blah"

I was 21 at the time, and had a college kids budget. They expected me to come back to Florida to attend a court case that wasn't for 3 more weeks. I had school to attend. I returned to my University, and received a notice to appear bench warrant. This really scared me at the time. I did not have the money to hire a lawyer, and just let this go unspoken for years (now). I have flown in and out of the country several times, and have had 1 traffic incident with a cop here. They all tell this is a minor offense, and not extraditable.

I want to get this off my record, and most Florida lawyers I've called have said that they believe it could be handled in absentia. If anyone has information regarding pricing for varying levels of charges (misdemeanors, etc) that'd be cool, otherwise, I hope you enjoyed the story.

**Summary & Question: Outstanding misdemeanor failure to appear warrant in another state. What's the best way to approach building legal counsel? What are possible tactics for the case (in absentia, fly in, fight, make a deal)?...clean record, no other arrests & gainfully employed.**

Answer: 3/10. Might read again.


Title: [USA-VA] My dad will be paying $20,000 a year for health insurance at his new job, the detail smell of corruption.

Question: So my dad got a new job a month or two ago making roughly six figures, which I know is nothing to sneeze at but we live in a fairly expensive metro area so it's not uncommon. When I asked about the health insurance they kept making excuses, saying that he'll make up for it in commission, and that the company "wood shop around for better health Care but the ceo really likes the agent" which to me just sounds like corruption. We are paying double what we used to for our medication. I know the American health-care system is a clusterfuck but I don't think it should be this bad. Is there anything we can do so he doesn't have to quit?

Answer:
 Hop on healthcare.gov and price out Affordable Care Act plans. “The answer may surprise you.”

The figure you quote is not unreasonable for an employer-supplied insurance family plan. He can leverage health care dollars with an HSA or FSA cafeteria plan if available.Answer #2: I pay about that much for my family. That’s the price of health insurance in the United States these days.Answer #3: He's paying less than $2000 per month for family coverage? That's not unreasonable.Answer #4: Question that must be asked here is whether it is your father paying $20000 per year in premiums, or whether it is your father plus his company combined paying $20000 per year.

 If it is the former, then yes, this is a little insane for employer sponsored health care. If it is the latter, this number is right in line with what one should expect.

 There is, generally speaking at, no law in Virginia or anywhere else against a CEO making a bad business decision based on personal relationships. As long as the boss is not getting a cut, there is no violation.


Title: Working with Covid-19 contaminated equipment for hospitals; employer won't cover medical expenses if I contract Covid-19. Temporary worker no health insurance.

Question:
Hello,

I have been offered a job working with COVID-19 contaminated medical equipment.  However, it is a temporary position that comes with no medical insurance.  Additionally, the company stated that if I get sick with COVID-19 while working, they will not cover my medical expenses.  This seems crazy to me, considering they will be flying me to a location and paying for my lodging in a hotel while working.  If I get exposed to COVID-19 it will be as a result of work and therefore, I feel I should be covered.  Why are they allowed to do this?

Answer:
 >Why are they allowed to do this?

That's not a legal question it's a legislative one.

To the extent the there's any legal question here, no one really successfully proves what the source of their infection is.  And for the most part companies are not responsible for the natural propagation of a virus.

Your remedy here is to decide whether or not you're willing to accept the job on those terms.


Title: (California) Do I get paid if I was sent home w/o clocking in?

Question:
I work as a morning stocker at a retailer. When I arrived at work, I was told there was a mistake, and there was no truck to unpack, so I was sent home.

I know in California, if you are sent home early, you should get paid half of your scheduled hours (min 2, max 4). I was told that since I never clocked in, I won't get paid. Is this correct, or should I try to fight it?

Answer:
 >Is this correct, or should I try to fight it?

The real question is do you want to keep your job? Answer #2: If you were scheduled to work, that's correct.  As to whether or not you should fight it: Do you think they'll fire you for complaining?  Legal or not, that's a real risk for you.


Title: [Ohio] can I move back into house with renters?

Question: Three years ago I 'moved out' of my house. By this, I mean that my physical body and about five outfits and my cat moved out. All of my things are still there, and my mail has always gone there. The situation im in right now isn't optimal, and I'd like to live in the house I bought. It's in my name only, and the people who live there are under no formal lease. The bills are in my name. If I move in, do I have to go through any procedure? Do I have to give them more than just a polite heads up?

Answer:
 Oral leases are still leases, so the terms under which you and the tenants are operating are a legally binding lease contract, even if they aren't written down.  Are you planning to get the renters to move out, or are you just going to move back in to an unused room?  If you're removing them, then you are a landlord who is seeking to terminate the tenancy of their tenant, and you have to follow certain procedures.

The big question if you're terminating the tenancy is what is the term of the lease?  As a landlord, you can't evict a tenant without giving them notice equal to the term of the lease (source: [Ohio State Bar Ass'n](https://www.ohiobar.org/ForPublic/Resources/LawFactsPamphlets/Pages/LawFactsPamphlet-11.aspx)).  Do you collect rent once a month?  if so, then you most likely have an oral, month-to-month lease, and you have to provide the tenants with a formal notice.  Then the lease will end 30 days after the next date you collect rent.  The example used by the OSBA is if you notify them on July 15, the lease will end 30 days from August 1 (if the rent is collected on the first of the month).

As a landlord, you may want to check in with a local landlord/tenant lawyer.  If this lease is really informal, you may not have followed proper procedures regarding security deposits.  It's against the law for a landlord to retain security deposits if they haven't followed proper procedures, since that's technically the tenant's money.  There are also questions about just what will happen if you ask them to leave and they say "nah, make me."  It might be good to get an idea of what an eviction on an oral lease would look like if you anticipate any resistance to your demand to move out.


Title: Being charged $100 fee for a $2.40 toll

Question:
I rented a car in California and must have gone through a plate toll. The date was July 14th, 2017.

Today I got [this bill](https://i.imgur.com/2ph8RkZ.jpg) from a collection agency/law firm and it incurs a $100 fee on a $2.40 bill!

This is the first notice I’ve seen. I haven’t been avoiding paying this or anything. It was $2.40 ffs.

What can I do here? I’m thinking of calling them but concerned they’re not going to budge.

Answer:
 >What can I do here.

Pay.

Edit. Lots of things have fines that are outsize compared to the cost of the thing you didn’t pay. Think parking ticket vs cost of feeding the meter. This is like that.


Title: My dad's medication has turned him violent and erratic. We've called the police twice, only for him to manipulate his way out of it. We want him out of our house and into a facility that will help him get better [Texas]

Question:
Tl;Dr My pill abusing dad has become violent with us, but everytime we call the cops, they don't do anything. What do we do?

Right around Halloween, my dad was prescribed antidepressants (effexor) which caused a huge gain in energy, bordering on hyperactivity. Unfortunately, my dad has a problem with substance abuse and took way more than the recommended dosage (finished a month supply in a week and a half). An event occurred that made it clear to the rest of my family that something was very, very wrong. At this point he is aggressive, almost delusional. When we call the cops though, he starts acting normal enough and left without much resistance or crazy talk. It was very hurtful to all of us after being concerned enough to call the cops to watch him act so normal and clear-minded for them. Calling us his cherished children after screaming at us that he wished we had never been born. After arriving at a hospital with the cops, he is released. He spent two days wandering the streets, losing personal items along the way, including the shirt he was wearing.

Finally, we got him home. He was slightly more calm, but still saying stuff like we poisoned the hospital against him, so now he can't get the effexor. He still thinks that the pills basically had no effect and everything that he did was not influenced by his drug abuse. He now thinks he is in a position power since he can talk the cops out of a call made on him. We called the police today, only for them to leave and for him to still be in our home. He choked me, to the point where I was gurgling against his arm, and my throat, while unbruised, hurts like hell. Why won't the police take him away? How can we get him out of our house? Please help. My mom wants to get power of attorney of him, and we have no idea what to do. Please help.

Answer: who prescribed him the medication? call that doctor immediately and explain the situation and his adverse reaction to the medication.  that doctor may be able to get an emergency psychiatric hold placed on him. he needs to be hospitalized as he is a danger to others.


Title: [Florida] Investing in cryptocurrency ICO’s (initial coin offerings)

Question:
Right now US citizens aren’t allowed to participate in most ICO’s and some of them have KYC rules. If I were to gift some money to a friend who invests it in ICO’s and then they gift the money back to me after profiting, would we still both be Square with the law if taxes and everything were paid?

Person who would be my medium through investing is a UK citizen.

Edit: Since it is illegal is there any other possible way that I would be able to invest in these ICO’s legally?

Edit 2: Added “legally” to clarify

Answer: That's called a straw purchase and no, it's not any more legal than doing it yourself.


Title: [NV] Ex husband made revisions to divorce decree, I originally agreed, but now I am not comfortable with the changes

Question: My divorce was finalized in Oct 2017. We have a son (2 in Jan 2018) that was part of the custody in the divorce decree. My ex made revisions to the decree and I originally agreed, but now don't feel comfortable. One of the changes is that he gets our son an extra day a week, and I get to claim him on my taxes every year, as opposed to every other year. He typed it up, printed it out, we signed and dated it and had it notarized. Is it considered a legal revision? Or does it have to be changed by a judge?

Answer:
 We can give you a factually true answer:  Modifications to court orders must be done through the courts.

But, from a practical standpoint, you would be well advised to speak to an attorney before withholding the visitation established in the agreement.

Yes... You would have an excellent defense if he attempts to hold you in contempt of court.

But, the execution and implementation of the agreement would probably establish cause for a motion to modify.  You agreed to it.  The child got used to it.  Then, suddenly that was changed.  And, he would probably move, not to have the original agreement formalized.  But, to only have the provisions for visitation modified, without the consideration of the tax filings, as the tax filings would not be construed as in the best interests of the child, as continuation of the visitation status quo would.

I'd suggest you speak to a family law attorney before you just say:  "No... I'm disregarding that agreement."

&#x200B;


Title: ACA Has failed me and caused a lot of stress - repost from /r/healthcare is there anything I can do? (Ny)

Question:
This is a very brief history of my last 7 week battle with health insurance in New York State. Any other information I can provide I will but if anybody can point me in the right direction it would greatly reduce my stress.

Legaladvice edit: I've been suggested to talk to my state bar, I didn't expect there was anything I could do and if I take this route id like a leg to stand on.

Sometime in December: I update all of my NYS information and receive confirmation of my tax credit, as well as a letter stating as such.

**1/4/16** I come back from a vacation, paid for by my brother, to a letter from Fidelis saying my tax credit status has been reduced to 0 for failure to update my information [**which I did do**]. I am unfortunately, due to work schedule, unable to make any calls about this issue for slightly over a week afterwards.

**1/11/16** I plan to call Fidelis but now also receive a letter from NYS about my tax credit so I call them instead. I'm told that there is an error on my account and that there are 2 accounts with identical information causing the problem and that this problem shouldn't even be possible. . The CSR tells me this will be fixed by the end of the call

**1/12/16** - I call Fidelis hoping to see a reflection in my account and I'm told they have received nothing from New York State yet.

**1/13/16** -  I take the day off of work to deal with the issue and call NYS - I'm told the double account is not fixed and that the CSR will have it fixed. I'm told by the CSR the way to go about fixing it she would file 2 pieces of paperwork. . 1 to cancel my account with Fidelis and another one to retroactively apply my account. I'm told to wait a few days before calling Fidelis.

**1/19/16** - I call Fidelis and am told nothing is fixed on their end. I'm told by the CSR that I would need to pay the premium on my account in full within the next 6 days (1/25) or else my account would be terminated. My online account reflects a balance of $0.00 and I cannot pay anything - I also am unable to pay a full balance when I'm accustomed to a tax credit chopping my normal balance in half.

**1/19/16** - I cal NYS to get everything fixed. I'm told there is a double account that is not fixed. The CSR tells me she will fix it and has filed specific paperwork and needs to transfer me over to another department. . I wait on hold with another department before they tell me they have no idea why I was transferred as their are no notes on my account as to what needs to be done.

**1/20/16** - I call out NYS on Twitter, nothing profane just my disappointment, I get a response telling me they will have a supervisor contact me.

**1/21/16** -  Called by a supervisor from NYS. She tells me she has gone and fixed the issue. For the first time she offers me her CSR # to deal with her directly if there is any other prioblems. I'm told all issues are solved and I should call Fidelis in a few days.

**1/26/16** - Call Fidelis, nothing is fixed on their side. Fidelis at this point tells me I should not deal with anyone under supervisor status.

**1/29/16** - Take the day off from work again to once again call NYS. I'm told nothing is fixed. I give the CSR the supervisors CSR # and I'm told that he cannot put me through to anybody with their number because he isn't authorized to do so. I ask for a supervisor, while he doesn't get one for me he suddenly sees lots of updates on my account. . I'm told everything is fixed and I'm given a confirmation number to give to Fidelis. Told to call in a few days.

**2/2/16** I call fidelis and give them the confirmation number. I'm told my account is retroactively fixed for January and the only way to reinstate it would be to pay DOUBLE my premium [to pay for January]. . .I'm very upset over this as I did not have access to insurance in January and see no reason why I should pay it. . .CSR is extremely rude to me. I tell her even if I wanted to pay that my online account says "in-active". . She tells me I need to use the confirmation number and pay as if it were a first time payment.

**2/2/16** Call NYS wondering why I have to pay for a month I didn't have insurance. The CSR is very nice and jumps through a lot of hoops for me but is told nothing can be done and it's because it's retroactive - I'm still upset because had I gotten sick during that period I would have prevented myself from going to the doctor. . I'm told I have 8 days to pay with Fidelis.

**2/4/16** I pay the double premium through the Fidelis web portal as a first time payment and think everything is settled.

**2/12/16** I log onto my NYS web portal just to verify as I hadn't received any mail from either NYS or Fidelis. I see an e-mail message saying my account was terminated for non-payment.

**2/12/16** - I call Fidelis who sees my terminated account. She also sees my payment in the system, tells me I only owned the 1 month amount and didn't need to pay double, contrary to what I was told before. . Tells me she will take care of it and send info to accounts department.

**2/18/16** - I call Fidelis and I'm told my application, which was retroactive as of FEBRUARY 2nd approved because the payment was after 1/25/16. CSR is super helpful, tells me he will put it through again this time to a "higher" accounts department and tells me there is no guarantee.

**2/18/16** - Also call NYS and tell them, They tell me I need to deal with Fidelis.

TL;DR - Going on 2 full months with no health insurance due to an error that has cost me many hours of time, a ton of stress, and days off from work. Really just don't even know where to go from here.

Answer:
 Just to clarify one point: When they make it retroactive for January you DO pay for january, but you also DID HAVE insurance in January, whether or not you thought you did in January.

This sounds straight up retarded, but if you HAD been very sick or injured in January they would be covering your bills in the normal way now. Yes this is their fuckup, but once you are paid up you have insurance covering any January claims. You did have access to insurance in January, you just did not know it.

Really, though, it is not different from most months where you pay the premium and do not get sick or injured.


Title: [Southern California] In a car wreck last week and now missing 3.5 days of work. Can I sue?

Question: I've never been in an accident before so I don't know what to do. He rammed into me from behind and sped off. I got his license plate but he called in when he got home so he's not getting charged with anything. I just started my 3rd day off work (went a couple hours this morning and a couple hours Thursday morning) and am not going back until after I see another dr tomorrow afternoon. Car is getting fixed and he's paying for it I just don't know how to handle the medical side. Advice? :/

Answer:
 See a doctor (a real doctor, not a chiropractor) and get a diagnosis and treatment.  Then call his insurance and file a claim.

You have time to file a lawsuit and may be able to settle this on your own, if it's relatively minor.  The moment you get a lawyer involved the lawyer gets 1/4 to 1/3 of anything you recover.


Title: CA, got hit by a loaner car. Her insurance won't pay out because her policy doesn't cover her driving a vehicle that isn't hers.

Question: I took my car to the dealer for service, and while it was parked in the lot, someone driving a loaner vehicle (from a different dealership -- she pulled into the wrong lot) rear-ended me.  The whole dealership saw it happen and I wasn't even in the car.  I got her insurance info and they admitted fault over the phone, but after three weeks went by, they said that her policy doesn't cover her because she wasn't driving her own vehicle, so they wouldn't pay for the damages.  What are my options?  Isn't it illegal for her to drive without liability coverage?

Answer: You should file a claim against your own policy and let them sort out the dealer’s policy or suing the other driver.


Title: My ex girlfriend has been following me around screaming at me for months now. Is there anything I can do?

Question: I really don’t know how to describe this. I’ve been followed and had “fuck you” screamed out to me. And plenty of times it’s been while I’m at my house late at night. It’s more of an annoying thing than anything else. I just keep getting a seance of being followed.

Answer:
 Call the cops, depending on where you are it's probably harassment.

Is she standing outside of your house on the street?


Title: My friends ex boyfriend is keeping her DCFS check from her

Question:
As the title says, my friend who was in foster care receives checks (a substantial amount) from DCFS, and after their break up one of her checks arrived at his home and he won’t return it. She has no clue if he’s thrown it away, gotten rid of it some other way or if he’s still holding onto it.

How can she go about getting her check back or even a replacement? I suggested she bring over the parents of her friend she’s living with but she doesn’t want to drag them into her situation.

She is reluctant to contact the police because she doesn’t want him getting into legal trouble but she really needs the check as she’s currently moving forward on credit for the time being, and while another check will arrive later this month it may be cutting it close.

Any advice is appreciated!
Topic:
Douche

Answer: She needs to contact the police. Even if she could get them to issue another check, they most likely will not do so without a police report. The police will go talk to him, and he can either hand it over or say he doesn’t know anything about it, and that will be the end of criminal charges, UNLESS he’s an idiot and deposited it or cashed it somewhere, at which point, he’d probably be facing a few charges.


Title: Boss Refuses Lunch and Breaks (Colorado)

Question:
(Throwaway Account, will respond)

Little backstory, our store had been busted a month ago in a Police Sting for not ID'ing.  The busted one was indeed me.

So I just quit my job of about 5 months at a liquor store due to the way my boss has been treating me.  I have been egged on by friends and family that I needed to quit a long time ago, but I didn't have the confidence until recently.

The problem is that I don't get any breaks and am required to work through lunch inside the building.  However, sometimes one of us would go across the street to get some fast food if we didn't bring our lunch.  We've never had issue with this.  Saturday, I had been working a solid 6 hours straight with no break, I decided to head over.  Though the boss tells me he doesn't want me to take the 'scenic' route across the street (taking the cross-walk legally).  I said I wasn't comfortable doing that and that it is illegal and that I'm on the clock, and he said "We all do it" and that he doesn't care.

He makes me take care of a customer during all of this, by the way.  He continues, walking over to the sign we had on our door during our 5 day suspension, holds it up, shakes it a little in front of the customers, points at it then me and says, "We got a "Law abiding Citizen" right here!"

At which point, I started recording him on my phone.  You can feel the customers' disbelief and silence in it as my boss berated me in front of them.  After they leave, I tell him fine, and walk out to 'cross the street'.  We have a crosswalk on one side, and closer to the store we have a yellow light button crosswalk that I was going to take so I can avoid the 'scenic' route.  My boss calls me back and asks me what the hell I'm doing, that he doesn't pay me lunch out here, he pays me for in there (Pointing inside the store).  He said don't go across, come inside and eat my leftover sandwhich. (Which I saw him picking at not 20 minutes prior.)  He told me "Take it or Leave it".

So I left.

I'm not even going to go into it, but these guys have been jipping me of overtime pay as well since I started, and I've caught the owners drinking in the back on several occasions.

I need to know, do I have a case on my hand?

Answer:
 Under Colorado law, certain employers must give employees a 30-minute meal break once the employee has worked five hours. Meal breaks are unpaid, as long as the employee has an uninterrupted, duty-free meal break. This means the employee can't be required to do any work or to wait around for work that might pop up.

Colorado requires employers to provide rest breaks. (Covered employers are the same as for meal breaks.) Employers must allow employees to take a paid ten-minute rest break for every four hours (or major fraction) worked. If practical, these breaks must be provided in the middle of the work period.

You can file a wage claim through your state for the lunches.

You don’t need to use racial slurs to describe how bad your bosses behave.


Title: Question about law degree

Question: How would one go about getting a law degree in America then practiceing law in Canda?

Answer: First off, graduating from high school is a must.


Title: Looking to start a private investment company; what kind of legal structure would be best for the following?

Question:
EDIT: In California; can domicile it elsewhere.

Basically what I want to do is set up a mini hedge fund for myself and a few others who are willing to entrust me with some capital. I have no credentials, so an RIA is out of the question.

I will need to create an entity that allows me to do the following inexpensively:

* Issue shares according to how much each partner invests.

* Create/destroy shares when money enters/exits the entity.

* Split the stock if necessary.

* Have shares pay management fees to me in the form of additional shares under my ownership.

* Not be overburdened with filings and other compliance.

* Liquidate the partnership at my sole discretion.

I will not ever be taking this public, it will never have more than 100 partners, and should I ever approach the $25 million AUM limit set by the SEC (which would be a small miracle itself), I will issue large dividends and cut off subsequent investment to keep myself under.

Thanks in advance for any advice you might have.

Answer: I think that "get a lawyer" is the only proper advice--this is way outside the scope of what Internet strangers can guide you on.


Title: Wireless Zone (independent retailer selling phones and Verizon Wireless plans) in North Attleboro, MA has kept a log of their customers phone numbers and makes robo calls every few months advertising for their store. Is this legal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Did you agree to targeted solicitation when buying this phone? It is likely somewhere in the "fine print".


Title: I will have to sign my name on my sister's car registration because she is underage, is this legal?

Question:
She is not 21 yet. She bought a car and had been wanting to in awhile. I did not know about this but I am willing to help family unconditionally.

I just need to know why they need me. I think it's because she is under 21 and since no one else is currently able to sign, I will have to. I leased my own car years ago, so I am murky about the process.

Do I need to watch out for anything when I go to the DMV and sign my name to it? What do I do after she turns 21? This is California
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: ....? 21 is for alcohol, your sister is bating you into buying a car. This makes absolutely no sense.


Title: Dishonest Doctor - Unnecessary Tests with huge bill

Question: New York, NY - My girlfriend just started seeing a psychiatrist and before the psychiatrist could prescribe anything she asked that my girlfriend get an EKG exam. So my girlfriend went on zocdoc, picked a cardiologist with a nearly perfect score and set up an appointment. When she got to the appointment she was told that in order to get an EKG she had to get a bunch of other tests done as well. She was told that they were "Standard Procedures" and so she asked if they were covered by her insurance to which the doctor replied yes. Today she got a claims summary explaining that she owed about $3400 for the tests that were supposedly "covered by her insurance". The EKG was only $80. She has enough money to pay it but we both feel that this was unjust and think that it is more than a little suspicious that the vast majority of the bill were tests that were seemingly unnecessary and that she didnt ask for in the first place. She is a perfectly healthy 22 year old person. We just read some reviews on google and yelp and found that there are other people with similar experiences however all of them seemed to end up just paying their bills. What actions can we take, legal or otherwise, to reduce or completely eliminate the bill. I might be leaving out some information so if you need to know anything else let me know. We are both mad about this but also realize we might be in a bind and just have to end up paying.

Answer: It’s unusual that she was referred to a cardiologist, a psychiatrist can order a screening ekg themselves. Might vary based on practice, I guess. It also makes me wonder if she had some particular risk that raised concern? It is impossible to say without knowing what the additional tests were, why they were ordered, and why insurance would not cover them. I would start with the insurer and or cardiologist’s office to review these details. It is definitely possible there was a good reason for this and/or that insurance should have covered more.Answer #2: Did she check with her insurance first to see what was covered?


Title: If Someone Gets A Job Solely For The Purpose Of Forming A Union At The Establishment, There Is Some Kind Of Consequence, But I Can't Remember What.

Question: A long time ago, I remember reading something about some decisive court case on this matter, but for the life of me, I can't find it now. Anyone know it? Maybe it was they could be fired? Or the unionization vote was invalid? Or their vote wouldn't count? Ugh, this is so frustrating.

Answer:
 Bad timing I know but I can answer this after my flight!
RemindMe! 12 hours Answer #2: [union salting](https://newenglandinhouse.com/2018/04/25/eighth-circuit-upholds-national-labor-relations-acts-union-salting-protections/)


Title: [OH] Waitress, fired for not paying a dine-and-ditch?

Question:
Family friend is a waitress at a family-owned restaurant. At the end of her shift another girl had brought over a receipt that hadn't been cashed out, and told her she believed it was a duplicate. There were three items on it, somewhere under $25.00. The managers working voided the receipt.

Next day they come in and the woman who walked out on the receipt came in to apologize, and now wanted to pay. Owner wanted the receipt, and when she was told they had voided it the night before went ballistic. The owner took the waitress aside, called her a thief for not cashing out the receipt herself. When asking her she said they're all expected to pay on dine-and-dashes, regardless of the amount. Today after her shift she was told to take a week off.

Ohio is at-will, so if she is eventually fired is there any recourse or anything she can/should do? Thank you in advance.

Answer: They cannot legally charge you for a dine and dash but they can certainly fire you for wearing blue shoes or because you think the sky is blue. I suggest she starts looking for another job.


Title: Can I say “no” to and employee putting in two weeks notice? CO

Question:
If an employee puts in notice to terminate their employment voluntarily, can I say “no” and end their employment immediately without the risk of them filing for unemployment?

Essentially, does my saying “two weeks isn’t necessary, you can leave your job now” turn it from them quitting, to me firing them?

Answer:
 Colorado is an at will employment state. So unless there is a contract, two weeks notice is not required by law. By providing their resignation they are voluntarily quitting  as far as unemployment benefits are concerned.

However they are being courteous to you by providing the notice when they don’t have to. They probably are counting on those funds for the next two weeks and for the sake of employee morale and company reputation it would look negatively if you punished them by not allowing them to work their last two weeks when they were willing to give you that courtesy. Other employees who have positions that might be more critical may see this and decide not to give notice for fear of it happening to them. Just my two cents here.

Also I’m not an attorney. I am a professional in the fields of HR, Payroll, finance, and business management. Answer #2: > without the risk of them filing for unemployment

There is always a risk if you turn them out early. Answer #3: You can always tell them the courtesy is not neccessary and sign the paperwork then.


Title: Can I sue debt collector if they keep calling my business for my employee?

Question:
I have a small business and one of my employees has student loan debt. Last week their debt collector called the business phone asking for my employee. They didn't say they were a debt collector but when I pressed they did give their company name, which is a collections company. I told them my employee could not receive calls at work or on this line and that they would need to contact my employee for this personal matter via personal phone. They called again this week but did not leave a message. What can I do as an employer to protect my employee from harassment? Can my business sue them for continuing to contact and harass an employee? Thanks!
In California.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: Send them a letter certified mail that they are not to calling the following phone number and then list your phone number(s). They may work. That generally don't give two squirts what you tell them on the phone. You should also tell your employee to tell them not to call her at work. You may have additional recourse but try those first.


Title: my deceased father's gf basically kept him from us

Question:
Minnesota

My father recently died and we are taking his gf to court, and I was wondering if there is something called for his gf keeping him from us or giving him and us limited access. He has bad health and wasn't all there and was easily controlled. Just wondering, thank you.

Answer: Taking her to court for what exactly? Are you hoping for a monetary award?


Title: [FL] Mom misdiagnosed with MS; likely intentionally.

Question:
Longtime lurker on my primary account, but this is a throwaway because it’s fairly specific.

About five years ago, my Mom started having periods of disorientation, confusion, slurred speech, weak motor control, and incoherence, along with other similar symptoms. The doctors called them “spells” but were unable to find any cause. She ends up in the hospital almost monthly for 6-7 days at a time. The doctors at the hospital have ruled out drugs or alcohol, seizures, strokes, and any mental health issues. She’s been seen by the closest Mayo Clinic twice for evaluation. When this started, years ago, was told to find a primary neurologist and she found “Dr W.” (I don’t know how she came upon him).

Dr W diagnosed her with MS and put her on a host of medications, yet she continues to have the spells. When she has a spell, we always take her to the ER for extra precautions. Every time she ends up in the ER they do MRIs and CT scans, and every time, without fail, the attending neurologists say they see absolutely no signs of MS. Probably ten different neurologists over the years, including two at the Mayo Clinic, have concurred. The last time in the hospital, the neurologist attending asked who her primary neurologist was, and when we told her, she rolled her eyes and said we should look into him (wink, wink).

From the beginning, DR W seemed very strange. He tells new patients that he doesn’t want any records or imagery from previous providers; he prefers to do his own. He has his own MRI machine in his office and has crazy office hours (my Mom once had an MRI at 8:00pm on a Sunday). He does his own interpretations of the MRIs.

When I looked into Dr W further, it turns out he lost his license and was sued in another state for intentionally misdiagnosing people with MS. He settled the suit, closed his office, relocated to FL and is possibly at it again. He agreed to surrender his license in the previous state to avoid criminal charges. My Mom’s situation is nearly identical to the situation in the other state.

My Mom is losing her mind over this (no pun intended). When she got the diagnosis, it was like a death sentence to her, and now she’s in limbo, wondering who to trust and what to do. All the other neurologist that have attended her have told her categorically she doesn’t have MS.  They don’t know what is causing the problem, but every one of them has flat out said it’s not MS.  I’m trying to convince my Mom to get a formal second opinion from a doctor certified by the National MS Society and then prepare to go after Dr W.

She’s loathe to act because she’s scared. She scared she got duped; she’s scared of what going after him might entail; she’s scared to face the truth that she trusted him and that this *might* have been malicious; she’s scared of the damage the possibly unnecessary medications might have caused; and she’s scared of having her entire health history laid bare for all to see and judge. But if, and I know that’s still an “if”, Dr W did this on purpose, his predatory behavior needs to be checked. I hate to think what other families might have gone through if they were misdiagnosed as well (suicide; cashing out and traveling, ect...only to find out they’ll likely live a lot longer than they thought). Luckily my folks have good health insurance that covers most of her hospitalizations and meds, but over the years, there has been some out of pocket expenses related to Dr Ws diagnosis, plus I imagine the health insurance company would love to know the truth, as well.

His “diagnosis” of MS crushed her and her health has been declining rapidly since. She had practically resigned herself to death. She’s only 64. She’s possibly been on unnecessary medications for years, and yet she still suffers these spells. She’s scared to the point of inaction.

I was hoping LA might be able to give me some idea on how the process would, or should, work; the risks; the intrusions into her life; and the best way to proceed.

What can, or should, we do?  Any input is appreciated!

Thanks, LA!

Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 There's nothing we can say other than you need to speak with a medical malpractice attorney.

Medical Malpractice is extremely fact dependent and each case is unique. Many MM attorneys provide free 30-minute consults. Answer #2: There are multiple options. She can (and should) file a complaint with the state medical board and every other medical association or state regulator she can. She should contact her insurance about this. She can also consult an attorney who does medical malpractice to see what ideas they might have.  She needs to stop seeing him, and request he provide her with all his medical records. Answer #3: I don't have legal advice, but I am an occupational therapist and have some familiarity with MS. Since it sounds like your mother has lost a lot of hope since her diagnosis, it might be worth mentioning that most people with MS have a normal lifespan. It CAN lead to death but usually doesn't. Most people with MS also have the relapsing/remitting type, meaning they have periods of partial or full recovery between periods of symptoms. So although MS is no joke, it is often manageable and doesn't need to be life-ending.

As you consider your legal options, it might be worth it to do some independent research on MS and give your mother accurate information so that she can at least regain some hope until you figure out what's really going on. If you suspect this doctor maliciously diagnosed her with MS, who knows how accurate any information he gave her about MS was?

Best of luck, and I hope you are able to figure everything out.


Title: “Unaccepted” from state university due to college mistake

Question:
My girlfriend applied and was accepted to the University of Florida. She moved from out of state to attend. She got a year lease ($5400) on an apartment, transferred her job with the same company to a store in Gainsville and signed up for a summer class, attended orientation, and attended the first day of class.

She went to talk to the counselor for a separate issue regarding possibly switching to online classes and live with me in a different city.

When the councilor brought up her information she was told that she should have never been accepted in the first place due to

a) Having 59 AA credits instead of 60

b) Having several AA credits that do not transfer over due to being out of state.

c) Her GPA being a 2.3 instead of a 2.5

The councilor brushed it off and said good thing we caught that or your would have been dropped in the middle of your class (assuming the mistake was notice by then) with no refund.

He told her to take the classes at a community college nearby, get her GPA up to 2.5 and reapply.

My questions

1) Is the school responsible for this?

2) Is the school liable for her moving costs and/or one year apartment lease and/or orientation fee payed?

(Luckily it was second day of class and was able to withdraw from class with refund)

3) What kind of school accepts someone from out of state, allows them to sign up for a class attend orientation and attend class without even looking at their transcripts?!

(Reminder this could have gone unknown for who knows how long if she hadn’t talked to a councilor about a separate issue.)

Her damages:

Monetary

1) $5400 off campus lease

2) $75 Orientation fee

3) moving costs (not calculated yet)

Non-monetary

1) Transferring job

2) Wasting 7 months of her life waiting for summer classes to begin. (Had to move early when she had a chance to transfer)

Thank you for any advice in advance she works full time and is very upset she uprooted her life and spent all this money just for the “chance” to reapply in the spring.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: No chances are the acceptance letter said that she’d be accepted as long as she met the criteria, which she did not. She should absolutely follow the counselors instructions and take the classes at the community college and transfer next semester.


Title: caught shoplifting (New York)

Question:
i'm 16 and yesterday i was caught shoplifting some snacks from a store (under $15). i told them i was my older sister who is 18 and they let me go with a store ban and verbal warning and told me i would be getting a letter in the mail with a fine. they didn't call the cops.

i am going to pay the fine but i was wondering if my sister will be in any trouble... i really don't want to tell her? what happens if i don't pay?

thank you

Answer:
 I don't think I need to say how shitty of a sister you are? Well, I guess I just did.

It varies by store and by location. Some stores will file suit against you if you fail to pay. Some stores will just let it go.

It is possible for your sister to get in trouble, but unlikely.