Title: [CO] New management at my previous job is on a witch hunt. Can I warn any old coworkers?

Question:
I used to work at a chain drugstore for many years. The sales floor has a high employee turnover, as it's often the first job of many high school students in the area, who will then quit once college starts. As someone older who worked in the pharmacy, I ended up turning into the "work mom" for most of the front end staff. I keep in close contact with many of the kids long after they depart for college. They're like family to me.

A few months after I finally quit (close to 10 years of working there and I was only making ~$9 per hour. ugh.), the store manager was promoted to district. The shift supervisors also quit, since they only put up with the abysmal pay out of loyalty to the SM. So none of the current management knows me.

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It's now been another few months since mgmt was replaced. I was recently informed that everyone who had been hired by the previous manager has been getting fired.

The reasons given were for cancelling orders (i.e. a customer changed their mind about a purchase), price modifying (i.e. the price tag didn't match the register's price. register will force mgmt to approve any modification over $10.), and manufacturer returns (i.e. defected/opened items get sent back to the manufacturer). All of these tasks are part of the job description...they were fired for doing their jobs. In one incident, an employee was arrested -- I won't go into details, but I suspect the store is undergoing an audit due to the nature of the arrest, so perhaps that explains why they're doing this.

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I understand Colorado is an at-will state, so they could legally have been fired for no reason at all. That's fine. However, the employee I spoke with said he and the other fired employees were made to pay a fine, in addition to paying the company back for any perceived monetary losses incurred from the canceled orders, price modifications, and manufacturer returns.

He was informed by management that he "had two options": he could bring in a lawyer, "but we'll bring ours. Think about it. Our lawyers are expensive." They kindly added that, based on his paychecks, he probably couldn't afford his own. Or the other option was for him to "pay everything back, and this stays off your record." Is this legal?

He agreed to pay regardless, but was also made to sign a contract stating that he is not allowed to discuss his termination with current employees.

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There are still a couple of employees there that were hired by former management. I want to warn them...not necessarily encourage them to quit, but to make sure they stay on their toes and keep track of any "strange" transactions, (and maybe save up some cash for a possible fine of their own) in the event that they find themselves on the chopping block next.

The ex-employee I spoke with expressed concerns that he would be arrested if the current employees were to quit right now, as the timing would look too suspicious. Is this a real possibility? Would his contract still be breached if I were the one informing them? I'm not an employee, after all. But an employee simply quitting isn't enough to warrant suspicion, is it? Is it better to just let them (possibly) get fired?

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**TL;DR -
Employees that were hired by the old manager are being fired one by one. They are being told to pay the company for any monetary losses incurred from their stated reasons for the termination, and are made to sign contracts agreeing not to discuss this with current employees.**

**Are mgmt allowed to demand a settlement without any lawyers present? I'm not sure how settlements work, or if this is even the same thing.**

**I am not an employee. Can I warn any of the employees that are still left? Would that be a breach of the ex-employee's contract? Would it be suspicious if the employees left were to quit now?**

Answer:
 Colorado doesn't permit deductions for breakage or for loss unless there is a criminal charge of theft filed:  https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/deductions

The employee should probably file a legal complaint about this bullshit.


Title: Discrimination due to use of medicinal marijuana

Question: Hey all, as the title describes, I’m wondering if I could be entitled to a case due to being discriminated in the workforce because of medicinally using marijuana. A little back story about me, I have a security clearance from my military service and recently have been diagnosed with PTSD from childhood trauma. Using marijuana instantly disqualifies me from a number of high profile jobs such as with Northrop Grumman or Lockheed Martin because of dumb, archaic laws. Anyway, is there anything I could do for suing the government about this basic discrimination based on my medical history? I really need any help I can get because I’m currently a poor college student now that couldn’t afford to get a lawyer. Thanks!

Answer: Still a federal crime in the eyes of the law. Answer #2: Still a federal crime in the eyes of the law.


Title: My MIL made a huge mistake in helping someone by putting their car under her name.

Question:
A couple of years ago, she helped my BIL and his girlfriend to get a car by putting it in her name, since then she's tried to get it out of her name but the bank won't give it to girlfriend. Anyway, the other day, girlfriend let BIL (who has no license and is not insured) drive the car. He got drunk and rear ended someone else. So now he's sitting in jail, and husband and I are wondering what is going to happen to his mom. What is an appropriate course of action for her in this situation?

Edit: We are in Cleveland, Ohio.

Answer: Please clarify. What's in her name? Title? Loan? Insurance?


Title: SO mother wants new (of 3 days) boyfriend to move in. He's just out of prison serving 10 years for domestic abuse.

Question:
I live with my SO family. It's a big house and a big family. My SO mother is dating a man that she just met and wants him to move in. They been dating for 3 whole days. He just got out of prison less than a month ago and is on three years of probation. He is living at his sisters approved address.

My SO mother has a lot of mental health issues and pyshical heatlh problems. Her mother is her live in care provider. My SO grandmother is also a care provider to their son who also struggles with a lot of mental health problems. She is also a care provider to her granddaughter that has been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

They grandparents approve of him moving in. I think this is absolutely insane. They are not getting any younger and in 5-7 might have to retire being care providers. I highly doubt the "head of the house" Grandfather will allow this to happen. But he seems kinda on board because he thought his daughter might never find "love".

My reasons for him not moving in is...he just got out of prison. Serving 10 years for domestic abuse. That he claims he never did it and that the wife was lying. They have been only dating for 3 days. He is on probation for 3 years and has been sent back once for violating probation. He has already violated probation by staying the night here. His family doesn't think this is a smart move. The police are always here because of my SO's uncle that has a lot of mental health, calls and makes up flase claims of violence or gun violence. I know for a fact that that the grandfather owns a gun that is locked in a safe and never loaded. There are three people that live in the house that suffer from mental health disorders.

My question is how do I report his violation of probation? How can I explain to his C.O. that his family and some of my SO's family don't want him to move in. I want to do this all anonymously. I fear for the safety of my SO's mother and family. The boyfriend's family has said he has been violent. He is definitely taking advantage of her. I also don't want to break hearts of my SO's family too.

Sorry for the long explantation and the throwaway account. It's a horrible mess. I feel awful for the mother. She deserves to be with someone and find love.

Answer: If this guy is violating the terms of his probation you can report him to his PO.  but more practical advice is to move out: your SO's mother is clearly not a smart person and you don't want her poor choices to result in harm to you or your SO.


Title: Is Mother responsible for sons debt?

Question: Hello there, My younger brother has racked up a sizable chunk of debt to his bank from overdrafts and general poor money management. He opened the account as an adult and when he went into the airforce he added my mother's name to the account to make it easier for her fo access his funds while he's away. Once he went into the red for a long enough period the bank froze his account and also my mother's debit card from her own separate account. They are saying that unless he pays off his entire debt my mother will not be able to use her card (again from a completely different and separate account) at all. Can they do this? Any help would be amazing! Thank you.

Answer:
 Depends entirely on the type of accounts involved and your brother's age.

They very likely can do this, especially if she's listed as a guarantor on his account or if it is a joint account which are both very common for minors to open.


Title: Caught sexting underage

Question:
I'm an underage boy I live in the uk, I was sent a nude from my freind who received a nude from a girl, I then (stupidly) sent on the nude to another freind, it was found out by the teachers. I go to boarding school.
I was just wondering what I should be expecting

Answer:
 You won't get much legal advice here for the UK, try /r/legaladviceuk.

Was the nude person in the picture underage? If so, in the US you could certainly face expulsion, and quite possibly criminal charges for distribution of child pornography. It's time to talk to your parents, and a lawyer. Do it right now.Answer #2: This isn't sexting. This is transmission of child pornography.

Hopefully, nothing too bad happens to you, but it might, so be prepared.

Learn your lesson.


Title: Patent for a artist name

Question: (CA) Hello, my cousin wants to know what are the steps to patent a made up name/names(it’s 2 different names he wants to go by) he created for him to go by as a musician(he really wants to save the name for him and doesn’t want someone to own it in the future). I’ve heard of a Poor mans patent but what exactly is that and would that help him in any way?

Answer: You don't patent a name. You can trademark a name.


Title: Driving While Suspended x4 - Montana

Question:
when I was 25 I was pulled over 3 times for driving while suspended, bad circumstances, it was 3 times in teh matter of a week, sat 31 days straight for the 2nd one, lost my job, house, car, everything, was homeless.

so fast forward 5 years, get my license back, i have to have SR22 Insurance monthly, i pay it, blah blah blah. Anyways, i get pulled over in my 89 jeep cherokee for a burned out blinker, turns out i was suspended when my debit card switched to the new chip and auto pay wasnt updated. so now, I find out i have a repeat offender charge and 2 weeks in jail as well as driving while suspended. what can i do

Answer:
 I'd say that your second and third convictions were clear-cut;  if you got cited three times in a week, it's impossible that you didn't know your license was suspended.

This time, you'll be able to argue that the suspension was a matter of a payment mix-up, rather than you having committed an offense that would mean that you were aware that your license was suspended.

And you'll want to look into the details of the Habitual Offender designation;  generally the lookback is only 3 years in Montana, but maybe you've racked up some other high-points violations too.

You'll get the best outcome by having a traffic attorney make these arguments on your behalf.

If you are convicted, expect to serve the short jail sentence; multiple offenses for DWS require that the sentence be served, and they cannot be suspended or waived.


Title: Unpaid, mandatory event?

Question:
The company I work for is having an event (a Garage sale with games, basically) unrelated to what I actually do (teach) and another teacher told me that the event is outside regular work hours (on a Saturday), mandatory to attend, & unpaid. Is this illegal? Can I say no?

I am in Florida.

Answer: Are you paid hourly, or are you on salary?


Title: [US/TX]Can a collection agency legally contact me by phone if my number has been in the FTC's do not call database for more than 31 days before I incurred the debt?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: The FTC's do-not-call list has nothing to do with collection agencies.


Title: vindictive ex-girlfriend demands that I sign a promissory note. what can she do if I refuse?

Question:
Hi, Canadian here, and any info/suggestion would be much appreciated, as I am pretty ignorant about legal procedure. I apologize beforehand if all of this turns out to be pretty common sense and I've wasted your time.

Long long story made very short, my ex-girlfriend with whom I was in a relationship for 4+ years has recently taken to breaking into my house, showing up without warning, following me around in her car, etc to the point where I've felt the need to call the cops on her twice in the past month. Right now, she is angry enough with me that it seems she will leave me alone as soon as I sign a promissory note drafted by her indicating the amount of money that she feels I owe her from our relationship (all of it retroactive... I don't live with/associate with her in any way anymore).

We have talked about this previous to the recent escalation of events, in that I conceded that she spent a lot more money than I did during our relationship (she had a well-paying job; I'm still a student) and I agreed to start paying her $10000 (CAD) once I become financially independent (I can reasonably expect to be employed starting in 2015). The $10000 is more or less an arbitrary number that we both agreed was a decent representation of the deficit in our spending during our time together.

After the latest borderline stalker behaviour that led to me calling the police on her a second time, she has sent me several fuming emails with a promissory note attached. In the most recent version of the note, she demands a payment of $25000 to be payed in full by the end of 2014 (at which time I will have just finished school and obviously won't have any money to start paying her back yet). It includes things like cost for overseas trips that we took together (all of them her initiatives; I went along with them because she offered to pay for a bulk of the cost), 8 months rent for the time when I lived in her apartment (again, her initiative; we never entered a rent agreement, verbal or written or otherwise), and "food" (I guess groceries and restaurants and take-outs).

Basically, my inclination is to flat out refuse to sign this because everything in it is arbitrary, the amount is more than I feel is reasonable, and the pay by date is financially unviable for me personally. I suppose there are receipts for plane tickets but there is no way she kept receipts for every single food-related purchase she made during our relationship. I never signed any legal or financial documents in the duration that I've known her. I have already emailed back once to tell her that I won't sign anything until she revises it to reflect our initial "verbal agreement" of $10000 and payment from 2016 onwards. But she responded to that by revising the note to include an even bigger fee.

From my layman's point of view, I don't see any legal means she could use to force my hand on this issue. I guess I would firstly like to know if that understanding is correct. However, I am worried about the various means she might use to harass myself and my family if I refuse. I've been dealing with her persistence and manipulative ways for the last year and a half since I first unequivocally informed her that I'm cutting off all ties with her (the only reason we were talking again and we're in this mess right now is because she threatened suicide a year and a half ago... sigh). She is a fiercely intelligent person and I don't doubt that once she sets her mind on something she will go to great lengths to try to make it happen. She has already shown a certain degree of disregard for the law (breaking into my house, planting a knife in the backyard of our house; the police have been informed of this but I'm not sure if they've followed up in any way).

As far as I'm concerned, I'm perfectly fine never seeing her/talking to her again and moving on with my life, but my concern is that she will find ways to disrupt that and make things difficult and stressful for myself and especially my family. I'm sorry if this turned out to be more appropriate for r/offmychest than r/legaladvice, but I would honestly appreciate legal advice on this matter and the issue is a tad bit more complex than just one promissory note.

Answer:
 Canadian lawyer here. Don't sign anything. Tell her now that you are not going to pay her anything. Then don't talk about it any more.

If she wants to sue you, she can. I don't see her winning, even if you made some kind of verbal promise. A promise to pay isn't enforceable unless you get some benefit in exchange for it when you made it. I take it that the only time there was any discussion about paying her was after it all went horribly wrong; that's you not getting any benefit in exchange for the promise. In lawtalk, what is missing is called consideration, and without it, she is very unlikely to win, if she ever took it that far.

If she sues you (possible but unlikely), it would likely be in Small Claims Court, where you wouldn't need a lawyer. If she wins (possible but unlikely) she would still have to try to enforce the judgment against you. The only real down side to having an unsatisfied judgment is potential credit issues.


Title: I was molested as a child by a distant family member.

Question:
I only met him that one time. I'm 22 now, haven't told anybody at all. I'm curious to know if me suing him would actually go anywhere.

I don't have any hard evidence. Though, I firmly believe that the impact that the trauma has had on my mental and emotional state is very apparent. He fucked my entire life up. What can I do about it?

I live in Georgia. He lives in New York. My whole family moved here when I was in 4th grade.

Answer: What's your goal here? For him to face criminal charges, to get money, or to get therapy?


Title: Need Legal Advice Regarding Heavy Debt of Parent

Question:
Hello, thanks for your help in advance.

My mother is a 50 year old legal resident (not US citizen) living in Chicago, IL. She has severe alcohol problems and has tens of thousands of dollars in debt both consumer and medical and no income as she cannot hold a job due to her alcohol problems.

Her husband (my father) makes about 50k a year but is struggling to pay the bills due to many catastrophic situations (buying a house before the bubble burst). They lost their son to brain cancer 6 years ago which has caused them severe distress.

The issue at hand is that she has been summoned to court to pay a $1800 bill. She has had numerous court dates, does not have a lawyer, and does not fully comprehend what is going on, so today I am stepping in. I am a student and therefore cannot help financially. There is no family available to ask for help.

My key question right now is: if she continues coming to court but does not pay (she literally does not have a cent to her name and is not eligible for unemployment as she has received her full benefits) will she be subject to incarceration or is it possible that they will garnish my father's wages? She is listed as the only defendant, my father is NOT listed as a defendant. Her next case is in 2 weeks where either a judgement or trial will be called.

I am currently in the process of trying to once and for all solve these problems. Please let me know if you have any advice or need any more information.

Edit: We have scheduled a free consultation with a bankruptcy lawyer. Thank you all for your great advice!

Answer:
 >will she be subject to incarceration

People aren't jailed for failing to pay debts in the United States.

> is it possible that they will garnish my father's wages?

Not without a judgment against your father.  Though joint assets (particularly checking accounts on which they are both owners) could be subject to attachment by a judgment creditor.

On balance it sounds like your mother may want to get a consultation with a bankruptcy attorney.


Title: Custody Question, CA: wife was ordered to find a psychologist for my son and I to reintegrate; she didn't, now wants to work out something else

Question:
Hello, long title, but this is the case.  I can't afford a lawyer.  My ex wife has a lawyer.  I have been estranged from my son for some time now.  He is eight.  I went to court and the judge ruled that my wife had to find a psychologist for my son and I to meet with to determine if my son was ready to have a relationship with me again.  My ex wife has not found a psychologist, it is almost 30 days past the 90 day deadline.  My current wife messaged her over Facebook, after numerous calls and texts on my part have been ignored, and my ex has agreed to meet with us to discuss the situation.

She wants to drop the psychologist court order.  She wants to allow visitation twice a month for five hours each.  I am sorely tempted to do this, because I miss my son.  We will be meeting, her, my current wife and myself, at Starbucks to discuss it this weekend.

Here's the problem: she has lied about me at every turn in court. She has said I'm abusive (I'm not), a drug addict (I'm not), that my son hates me and doesn't ever want to see me again (last time I saw him he was so happy).  She has lied about him over and over, and he has been diagnosed as autistic (he may be, but I don't believe he is--she just lies all the time).

What is the best way to go about this so as to not harm my chances to see my son?  I want to start seeing him immediately, but I'm afraid that after the first time I see him, she will go to the court and say he came back severely traumatized, said he hated me, cried all day, and had weeks of night terrors (which he is also diagnosed with due to her lies).  Or, that me agreeing to this is saying I was agreeing not to see a psychologist to reestablish a relationship.

Any help is appreciated.  I've been fucked for years by her lies and never had anyone to help.  I'm finally on the right track.  If you have any helpful thoughts, please.

Also, this is posted for a friend. :)

Thanks for reading!
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Follow the court order. If she won't, go back to court.Answer #2: Nobody here can tell you what to do.

But the fact is you have a court order in hand.  You can't just agree to ignore it.  You would have to get it changed.

If you want to enforce the current order instead, you can bring a motion to do so.


Title: A friend found a debit card on the floor of a bar and she and another friend used it to buy ~$130 worth of things. Illinois

Question: Two friends of mine found a debit card at a bar and used it to buy cigarettes, gas, alcohol, and food from Taco Bell. Together they spent about $130. They both have 2 minor misdemeanor convictions on their record for possession of marijuana and shoplifting. They contacted the owner of the card the next day and told him what they did and plan on paying him back. What kind of penalties could they face?

Answer:
 They could easily go to jail. What they did is a crime, and they both already have criminal records. Whether they pay the cardholder back or not is largely irrelevant, except that refusing would likely mean that he, or the card's issuer, sues them or asks for payment as restitution at their criminal trial.

Get better friends.


Title: Help! Competitor changed FB name to our company name. Now pulling our clients their way.

Question:
First off: the business I speak about is located in Portugal. :)
We have a competitor who opened their business next door to us about 1.5 years ago. Things have gotten dirty on their side.
They started using our specific designs in all of their artwork. Then they started using our tag line in their messaging. Then they started calling themselves by our name in the SEO keywording (headers, tags, Google business name)
Last night they changed their FB business name to "Something Something Our Name"
When you type in our name into FB search, you see theirs now.
On top of that, they changed their group from something completely unrelated to our business name.
Has any experienced this before - and if so, how did you handle it?
Any feedback, insight or experience is really welcomed here.
Thanks!

Answer:
 I would pursue two options:

1) Report their Facebook Page to Facebook, go to their page, and click on [this button](http://imgur.com/a/Xfgkw). Click on report page and follow the steps to report the copying.

2) Call an Intellectual Property lawyer. Gather together your trademarks and other Intellectual Property, as this will get complicated fast.

Does Portugal have a Chamber of Commerce for your industry? It may have resources to help you in this.


Title: Admitting to a crime after being found innocent.

Question: If you killed someone and were found to be innocent, could you then freely admit to it and not go to jail because of double jeopardy?

Answer:
 Depends on the crime.

Let’s say, in Baltimore, you shot and killed Adelaide to prevent her from testifying to a federal grand jury. The state of Maryland tries you for murder and you’re found not guilty.

You gleefully announce how stupid the prosecution and jurors are, because you did it after all.

The US Attorney can indict you in federal court for killing a witness in a federal criminal prosecution to prevent that witness’ testimony.

And against that, double jeopardy is no bar, because the state of Maryland and the federal government are separate sovereigns.

Sometimes there might be subtle nuances to criminal statutes even within a single statute prosecuted by a single sovereign.

In Virginia, a murder in the course of a rape is a capital offense. Paul Powell was convicted and sentenced to death for the rape of one teen and the murder of her sister. After he was convicted, the Virginia Supreme Court overturned his conviction, saying that as a matter of law, the rape and murder had to be of the same victim- the rape of one sister and the murder of the other did not qualify.

Powell believed he was safe on double jeopardy grounds, and wrote a taunting letter to prosecutors describing his actions in great detail— including an admission that he raped the murder victim as well.

He was retried for that new crime: the murder and rape of a single victim, to which he had helpfully confessed. Double jeopardy did not apply.

As a general rule, double jeopardy is an absolute bar to reprosecution …. but there are subtleties.


Title: Partner was sexually molested / assaulted at work... what next?

Question: My partner of 7+ years was closing at her job when her boss forcibly pulled her towards him and tried to kiss her. We're in Texas, and she works at a small bar / coffee shop. She's pretty shaken up and is afraid of coming forward because she thinks people won't believe her and also because she doesn't want to lose her job. She's scheduled to work tonight (Sunday) but I told her to not go in and file a police report instead. What else should we do? Thanks in advance!

Answer: Your partner should file a police report.


Title: Wife won money now she wants a divorce

Question:
My wife won a good chunk of money in a competition and immediately wants a divorce.  Am I entitled to any of that money since we are married? We live in Canada.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 That would be decided when you two divide up your assets. If you don't agree to her terms (ie. she wants the money, you want half) then it's time to get a lawyer.Answer #2: >When a marriage ends, the equal contribution of each person to the marriage is recognized. The law provides that the value of any kind of property that was acquired by a spouse during the marriage and still exists at separation must be divided equally between the spouses. Also, any increase in the value of property owned by a spouse at the date of marriage must be shared. The payment that may be owed to one of the spouses in order to effect this sharing is called an equalization payment, or an equalization of net family property.

https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/family/divorce/division_of_property/Answer #3: Where in Canada?  Province matters.  For example, if Quebec, the answer is "it depends on your marital regime", whereas if Ontario it is 50/50, as of the effective date of separation (which she might desire to conveniently define as before winning)... etc.Answer #4: Does it matter when she 'won' the money versus when she gets it?  For example, in the case of the lottery you may 'win' on one day when the numbers are pulled, but you can wait months before you actually claim it.  If someone were to finalize a divorce between these two dates, would it matter?


Title: [FL] Credit card swipe fees being taken out of tips.

Question:
I'm asking for a friend and I can't find anything concrete that states one way or another that this is legal. In addition, I've read that if it is legal, that signs must be posted so that customers are aware that this is happening.

Am I way off base here? Any help would be appreciated.

Answer:
 >Myers v. Copper Cellar Corp., 192 F.3d 546, 554 (6th Cir. 1999), held that an employer “has an obvious legal right to deduct the cost of converting the credited tip to cash.”

But how much is being taken out?

> "the employer may recapture no more than the total charges imposed by credit card companies attributable to liquidating credit card tips"

[source](https://www.dol.gov/whd/opinion/FLSA/2006/2006_01_13_01_FLSA.htm)


Title: [MI] What constitutes "written notice" and does my landlord have to give it every time they or someone else MAY have to enter my apartment?

Question:
My landlord hung a flier on the bulletin board in my building which states that there is a mandatory inspection of in-unit fire extinguishers by "an inspector" to be done on April 4th-5th and that if we do not place our extinguishers in the hallway, "the inspectors" will be entering our apartments to do the replacement.

This seems like the type of notice that each tenant should have received in the mail or posted on the door of each unit. Or it seems like a shady excuse to enter units without notice. I have always been under the impression that unless it is an emergency, the landlord has to give 24 hour written notice before entering a unit. I would hardly call a flier on a bulletin board "written notice."

So my question is this: If "an inspector" did have to enter my unit, because I didn't see the notice and therefore didn't place my extinguisher in the hallway, would said entry into my unit be legal?

**EDIT:** A big thank you to /u/TokyoJokeyo who was the only user that really understood the issue I had and took the time to post a thorough and thoughtful answer. As for the rest of you, the answers you gave ranged from rhetorical to insulting and that makes you all personally responsibly for the reason this sub is going to shit. People come here seeking help and answers; and all you give them is disdain. You are all harmful to the integrity of this sub and you should all be banned.

Answer:
 It seems like you are trying to create an issue out of nothing.

You saw the notice.  Put the extinguisher in the hallway.  Problem solved.Answer #2: Written and conspicuously placed noticed is likely sufficient.

>Or it seems like a shady excuse to enter units without notice.

A shady excuse? Are you paranoid, or just stupid?Answer #3: In general, Michigan does not require written notice before entry by the landlord. The entry (or rather, interference with your possession) itself must be temporary and "[only as necessary to make needed repairs or inspection and only as provided by law](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/%28S%282bbvbolqp2f0uuxdxxjwg2tg%29%29/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=mcl-600-2918)."

A prominently posted writing in a place designated for such notices  will generally qualify as "written notice" when the statute doesn't require more. In this case, not even that is required.

Of course, your lease might have additional requirements.


Title: (Ontario) My (18) boyfriend (18) got arrested last night for mischief and uttering threats after my mother (48) filed a domestic abuse complaint. My boyfriend was already on terms and conditions from a previous legal matter. Where do we go from here?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Not legal advice, but

> At one point I was standing in his way in the hallway, and he threatened to "choke me out" if I didn't get out of his way.

and

> My boyfriend is extremely loving towards me

contradict each other. This is not a person you want to be in a relationship with. He deserves to be charged, and hopefully they will recommend anger management on top of his punishments.


Title: My mother (48F) owns a home with her boyfriend (56M). They just broke up and he said he wasn't going to pay for his half of the mortgage or any bills, it will be her and I paying for everything is there anything we can do?

Question: My mother doesn't want to lose the house so I will have to contribute roughly 1200$ a month. I do not and will not own this house, they're the only two names on the title. Is there any form of recourse for us here or is it just pay off the house and he benefits from us moving forward on the payments while doing nothing or is there a way for us to remove him from the title?

Answer: Your mom needs to sue for a partition. This is why unmarried people are told to avoid buying property together. She should sue sooner than later, so as to reduce the amount of equity she has to give him.


Title: Could someone claim religious discrimination if their religion prevented meetings from being held in a specific place?

Question:
I was remembering what a friend told me, that her company held meetings at hooters for various regional managers.  I am aware of the sex discrimination issue, but I am wondering, if someone said their religion prohibited them from patronizing such places, would that allow a legal claim that meetings needed to be held somewhere else?  If so how far would that extend - could someone prevent meetings from being held at bars?  Or from being held anywhere that serves alcohol (I know people who won't patronize any establishment that "supports drinking.")?  I'm assuming they're not working in any industry where patronizing hooters would be considered a bona fide occupational requirement.

Multistate, but I'm mostly looking at federal law here.

Answer:
 > I know people who won't patronize any establishment that "supports drinking."

So they don't go to grocery stores, restaurants, or convenience stores and they don't fly on airplanes or stay in hotels?


Title: My neighbors children gets free lunch and other benefits from "low" income

Question: My neighbors next door receive free lunch and other benifits from there Low income. But the thing is they don't have low income. The mother is the only person registered on there income while she's a teacher her husband owns 2 car dealerships and brings in around 300k a year. (There not exactly quiet when it comes to there income). So my question is is this fraud?

Answer:
 OP did you downvote all the answers you didn't like? Well then you should downvote me to. This isn't any of your business. You may be able to report this to the school; that's about it.Answer #2: What it is is none of your business.

It's entirely possible that the kid gets those benefits *because* his mother is a teacher. Or it could be any of a number of other things, some Kosher, some not, not a single one of which is one iota of your concern. Answer #3: Really nothing better to worry about eh? I'm guessing you're not your neighbors accountant so you're making assumptions. Find something better to do with your time like volunteer at your local soup kitchen.Answer #4: Dude - ratting out or accusing your neighbors of fraud isn't going to get the [senior guard on the basketball team](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2som1m/highschool_suspension_from_sports_need_advice_on/) un suspended from sports.

Is the mom the teacher that started the suspension?


Title: Why can the governor of Missouri prosecute a reporter for running "view source" when any web page request, even one within the same state to another entity in the same state, almost always crosses state lines?

Question:
I was reading this NPR article:

>[https://www.npr.org/2021/10/14/1046124278/missouri-newspaper-security-flaws-hacking-investigation-gov-mike-parson](https://www.npr.org/2021/10/14/1046124278/missouri-newspaper-security-flaws-hacking-investigation-gov-mike-parson)

As a privacy and security researcher with a master's degree and numerous publications on the subject, I found this curious since in my experience, requests on the internet sometimes go *international* rather than directly to the expected server due to congestion etc -- this is the nature of the internet.

For example, I sent a request to a university in my home city, and the requests routed through Maryland *and* Virginia, and that's without getting into things like DNS queries.

Given that internet communications are inherently interstate, how can a state level official prosecute such a crime?

Could the FBI / feds stop such a case? Conversely if the prosecution failed could they also choose to prosecute?

I'm especially interested since here in my home state (PA) there's pretty unique language in our legal code (emphasis added)

> § 7613.  Computer theft.
(a)  Offense defined.--A person commits an offense if he unlawfully accesses or exceeds his authorization to access any data from a computer, computer system or computer network or takes or copies any supporting documentation whether existing or residing internal or external to a computer, computer system or computer network of another **with the intent to deprive him thereof.**

> § 7611.  Unlawful use of computer and other computer crimes.

>(a)  Offense defined.--A person commits the offense of unlawful use of a computer if he:

>(1)  accesses or exceeds authorization to access, alters, damages or destroys any computer, computer system, computer network, computer software, computer program, computer database, World Wide Web site or telecommunication device or any part thereof **with the intent to interrupt the normal functioning of a person or to devise or execute any scheme or artifice to defraud or deceive or control property or services by means of false or fraudulent pretenses, representations or promises**;

>(2)  intentionally and without authorization accesses or exceeds authorization to access, alters, interferes with the operation of, damages or destroys any computer, computer system, computer network, computer software, computer program, computer database, World Wide Web site or telecommunication device or any part thereof; or

>(3)  intentionally or knowingly and without authorization gives or publishes a password, identifying code, personal identification number or other **confidential** information about a computer, computer system, computer network, computer database, World Wide Web site or telecommunication device.

So it appears one of two ways of thinking are in play:

1. Electronic communications are inherently interstate, and thus should not be being prosecuted by the governor of Missouri or his agents

2. Electronic communications are NOT inherently interstate, and a resident of **Pennsylvania** could access a web page such as the one described by NPR (or any other publicly facing web page), and publish whatever is found as long as one does not exceed one's authorization or "deprive" anyone (eg, by querying so rapidly the server crashes)

Please help me understand which of these scenarios is accurate ... is the governor of Missouri wrong to prosecute this reporter? Or is it open season on systems accessed via an internet connection in PA if one simply queries without exceeding authorization?

Answer:
 "press F12 your honor.  there is a key on your keyboard that allows you to access this function"Answer #2: It's like sending someone a letter and then telling them not to turn over the page because there is stuff on there not meant for them... It's absurd.Answer #3: Vowing to prosecute is not the same as actually prosecuting. So far I don't think any charges have actually be brought against her and may never be. This seems more like a way to distract attention and do some fundraising.

Even if the State did bring charges, I would bet they would be quickly dismissed. If not by the judge, at least on motion by the defense.Answer #4: >how can a state level official prosecute such a crime?

Because the person who committed the alleged crime was located within the state.

>Could the FBI / feds stop such a case?

No.

>Conversely if the prosecution failed could they also choose to prosecute?

They could also choose to prosecute even if the state prosecution was successful.

>is the governor of Missouri wrong to prosecute this reporter?

If he's wrong, he's not wrong based on jurisdictional grounds.

>Or is it open season on systems accessed via an internet connection in PA if one simply queries without exceeding authorization?

No, because Federal laws and potentially the laws of the state(s) that are affected by the access could also be at play.Answer #5: i hope nobody under the age of 35 wil vote for this f clown ever again, wasting so much money for someone who was doing a public service, had he put the numbers for sale online he would be rich without facing any consequence


Title: Friend stole own car from Police Impound lot in MN; relative dropped him off and let him stay at house - what's the damage for the relative?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: thats a tough one, your buddy hasn't been arrested so he's not a fugitive, the friend did drive him to the lot so they could be looking at conspiracy or Aiding and abetting. His defense of "I didn't know he was gonna steal a car" probably won't hold up well. My advice for your "buddy" is to stop doing highly illegal shit, and for his "friend" to never ever speak with buddy again.


Title: Thanks, you guys are awesome!

Question:
I'm a lurker, and obviously not a lawyer - but I wanted to thank you guys for posting. I feel like I've learned a lot about our legal system and how it works and just feel more knowledgeable in general.

So, thanks - keep up the awesomeness. Oh and I'm in Missouri, USA

Answer:
 Is this entrapment? No.

I was speeding and got pulled over, how do I get out of the ticket? Pay it.

I stole something and now feel guilty, what should I do? Stop stealing.

A police officer wants me to call him, what should I do? Don't call him.

My roommate sucks, can I evict him/her? No.Answer #2: the only suggestion i would make is take many of the postings here with a grain of salt. many people who post are not lawyer and just post what they think the right answer is, which can lead to misinformation. and other times the answer will be very, very jurisdictional specific, which may not help you in Missouri. there are some users who answer properly and give good advice, whose names escape me now, but those are the ones that i would follow.


Title: [US/NC] My landlord evicted me without warning while I was visiting family for Christmas. Can I do anything?

Question:
Back in July I started living with my current fiancee in Raleigh, NC so I could work and go to school. The house we were living in was her father's, though he did not live there. I paid rent and I signed a rental agreement.

During December my fiancee took a trip for the christmas holiday out of State. My landlord stated that while she was gone he wanted me out of the house for a week so he could work on renovations (technically the house wasn't up to code). So I go up to Virginia to visit my parents for Christmas.

Well two days after being there, he messages me like so:

> ____.  [This is]  _____, ______'s dad.  Having to close the house indefinitely until work to make livable is completed.   So sorry to make this as notice that ________ house is no longer available.
____ will arrange getting your belongings to your mom's.  Sorry for the inconvenience.
_____ ______

I had no forewarning, and I wasn't even home at the time and couldn't rush back. My fiancee got back before I did (at the end of December) and said he changed the locks already. My fiancee's father coerced her into living with her grandmother (he wanted it to be permanent) and I had nowhere to stay in Raleigh. Staying with my parents was never an option, just one he tried to force on me. I lost my job because I couldn't work for three weeks while my fiancee searched for a house we could rent.

Thanks to the loss of my job I missed out on three months of pay and had to take out personal loans from friends, family, and others just to make ends meet in getting a new place.

The landlord never allowed me to return to the house to retrieve my things, only my fiancee was permitted to enter the house with his supervision. Today she's going to get my drawers and papers and we'll see if my landlord was underhanded enough to steal back my rental agreement papers I signed.

Can I take any action against this man? He's set me back financially and caused me untold amounts of undue stress. If he had only given me 30 days warning I would have been prepared, but instead he waited until I was most vulnerable.

I think his ulterior motive was to break my fiancee and I up, possibly because he doesn't approve of me, or because he doesn't approve of gay relationships.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > Can I take any action against this man?

You can sue him for your damages, yes.


Title: I was lied to.

Question: Last year in the month of December I decided to start building my credit. I walked into a jewelry store asked if they reported to the credit bureau they said, yes. So I decided to “buy” a watch to help build my credit. Today when speaking to a representative of progressive leasing(the approved me to buy the watch) about some issues I had notice on my account such my name and last name not being correct on my account. I asked her if I could check my credit score on the app, which she then told me I couldn’t because they didn’t report to the credit bureau. She offered to file a misinformation application. Now I can’t return the watch, and default on my lease and pay what is owed for it. But what can I do about the Jeweler who lied to me about reporting to credit bureau can i take any legal action against him?

Answer:
 I'm kind of confused as to what you think is illegal or how you've been wronged (legally) here.

Also why was buying an expensive watch your first choice when it came to building credit?

You need r/personalfinance


Title: (Tx)Can I make my employee ware a foot brace

Question: A 17 old girl hurt her ankle and her dr gave her a foot brace to ware . But when she comes to work she refuses to put it on . Can I send her home for not haveing it on?

Answer:
 You can't force her to wear it. That would be some freaky kind of assault. But in general, sure, you can send her home for not wearing a foot brace. You can even fire her for not wearing a diamond-studded foot brace once owned by Michael Keaton's dog walker. But (not legal advice) try to be cooler than that.

Edit: Are you concerned about liability if she further injures herself at work? Answer #2: Ask her to bring a doctors note to work. If she has restrictions ordered by her doctor, you have the legal right to comply with the doctors order.

Get a note from her doctor clarifying her work status. Period


Title: If two related people and an unrelated person had sex in a jurisdiction where incest is illegal could the third unrelated person be charged with incest?

Answer:
 To take as an example Canada, incest is defined thus:

>Every one commits incest who, knowing that another person is by blood relationship his or her parent, child, brother, sister, grandparent or grandchild, as the case may be, has sexual intercourse with that person.

Obviously, then, a person cannot commit incest except with a person to whom they closely related (having sex with one's cousin, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, great-grandparent, great-grandchild, etc. is not prohibited; note as well that what is prohibited is "sexual intercourse", meaning penetrative sex). The question would be whether they could be convicted of aiding and abetting one or both of the other parties in committing incest, or of counselling them to commit that offence. I don't see any reason, in principal, why they could not, though it would likely require more than simply having sex with the other two people.


Title: California- Three women have falsely accused my fiance of sexual harassment/assault on social media. What recourse do we have?

Question:
I fully support victims of sexual assault. I myself am a survivor. However, I know for a fact my boyfriend did not do the first assault he is accused of. Please don't judge me before reading completely.

About a month ago, a female tagged my boyfriend on social media for a long post she made (which she has edited several times) where she says she was at a party and he hit on her aggressively but she rebuffed him. For some strange reason, she then comes over to his apartment (which, at the specific time she claims the assault happened, my boyfriend lived in another country and we have documentation of this) and says that she went there just to hear an apology, which makes no sense because if she really thought he was a creep, why be alone with him?

She claims she entered my boyfriend's bedroom and was sexually assaulted.She is lying. Her story is illogical on every level and we can prove he wasn't even in the country.

Two other girls came forward via social media to claim that my partner has harassed them. All claims are false. Their stories don't even make sense because if my boyfriend is so creepy, why follow him into a bedroom?

What can we do to fight these charges? None of these women have gone to the police I think because the police have not contacted my boyfriend?

Answer:
 What charges? I didn't see anything in your post that indicated that the police are involved, so there are no charges.

You can't stop your fiancé's alleged victims from coming forwards, if that's what you mean. Right now this is an issue of public opinion. Specific accusations of sexual misconduct _might_ give rise to defamation claims if - and this is a _huge_ if - your fiancé can both conclusively demonstrate in court that the allegations are false, _and_ that the allegations either meet your state's bar for defamation _per se_, or that he has experienced specific financial damages as a result.

In short: unless this is worth spending a significant amount of money on getting a lawyer over, letting it blow past is probably your only option. You and your fiancé can also speak to your side of the story, but you risk making the allegations more visible by doing so.Answer #2: Theoretically, he could bring a suit for defamation. That costs money and probably won't result in enough recovery to be worth it. Honestly, best bet is probably to block, move on, and deny if asked.

If contacted by the police, he needs to get a lawyer immediately. Not worth the risk, even if innocent.


Title: Public school trying to mandate internship hours outside of school

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Lol you want to be a lawyer and have an aversion to working long hours?


Title: Update: SC-Friend's bike stolen

Question:
So I found out late last night that Chris is a liar. He made up the story of the bike getting stolen as a way to get back at me for not picking him up. The bike is safe. However...

Another thing is I talked with Max and he even said himself he should also have been held responsible. Since he decided to leave when I did, and in our situation we would have needed two people (one to watch the car and another to pick them up) he was at fault.

The people saying I made a bad judgement call also are misinformed. When I said the church parking lot was safe, it was safe; it could barely be seen from the trail and can't be seen at all from the main road. The bike was unattended at most 40 minutes.

I take this as a sign that no one offered any sort of practical advice as not one person saw it from my point of view, yet Max said himself he also was responsible. Instead, everyone on here was just trying to be an armchair judge and so many people were adamantly arguing against me without backing it up or taking in the circumstances. A majority of the responses I received were along the lines of "You are wrong. End of story."

So thanks for nothing.

Answer:
 That's because you *were* wrong. You're lucky the bike wasn't stolen.Answer #2: I wouldn't call leaving a bike anywhere, no matter how hard it is to see, "safe".

And I'm pretty sure the practical advice you got is "don't leave things that aren't yours unsecured in a public location where being stolen is possible".

Sometimes you do things that are wrong. It happens to me, you and everyone else. Being an adult is accepting that fact after you realize that mistake and making it right. Not going on the internet looking for people to back you up and getting angry when they say you were in the wrong.

So Chris is a liar and you act like a child. You two seem perfect for each other.Answer #3: We'll get to work on our written apologies based on your buddy Max's legal advice. Answer #4: one day I hope you grow up and read this post, then reflect on how much you've changed (ala Krapp). Answer #5: If the bike was stolen, it obviously wasn't a safe place. Since it wasn't stolen, you're right that your thread and the advice given was pointless.

He flaked on you and you flaked on him so I guess you guys deserve each other.Answer #6: >I take this as a sign that no one offered any sort of practical advice as not one person saw it from my point of view

Because that's our job. I mean, that's what you are paying us for?


Title: Made a deal to settle out of court for an accident, now the person wants to cancel contract and settle with insurance

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I think you'd be in a better position here if you had him sign before you handed over the first part of the money. Did you get the first part of the money back?

CA allows for binding oral contracts, see [CA Civil Code 1624](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/displaycode?section=civ&group=01001-02000&file=1619-1633) - but you may have to provide some sort of proof that a contract existed per paragraph 3 of that code. Your other party admitting that he agreed to your arrangement would do, if the other party does that, but I'm betting they would not in front of an authority.

That means you'll need some note, some written proof, maybe even a cashed check with a memo that says "for insurance settlement" might do - but some types of "ephemeral" proof (like a text message) simply won't do.

I think in the absence of a way to prove an oral contract that yes, he could opt to go after your insurance.


Title: Is it illegal for a union to fine a worker for not picketing a business?

Question: (on west coast usa)

Answer: No, but the union may not have much recourse if the worker refuses to pay the fine.  Answer #2: Did you sign a contract with them? They can make you do whatever you contractually agreed to.


Title: CALIFORNIA: My stupid brother works for a phone/communication company. After they broke up his ex-fiancee got a prepaid cell that she bought outright. In 2 years he did 48 hard checks on her credit. It just came out what he did. What's going to happen legally?

Answer: She should dispute it with the credit bureaus, because those inquiries do not represent real applications for credit. The bureaus are required to correct the inaccurate reporting. (It will be helpful if the phone company is cooperative.) Your brother will probably just get fired.Answer #2: Your brother will likely lose his job. He might also be in violation of some (likely federal) credit laws.


Title: "Account" that hasn't been touched in 90+ years

Question:
So here is the story.  My grandmother passed away last December.  Before she passed, she told my father about an "account" that had money in it that hadn't been touched in about 95 years.  You see, my grandmother was an illegitimate child (not really relevant to the story), and when she was born, her biological father opened said account to deposit monies into.  My dad told me this story last week, and gave me all the info that he had (including the name of the institution that the account was opened) and told me to look into it if I wished.  Turns out, the organization is an insurance company that does life insurance, annuities, IRA's etc.  I have all of my grandmother's info (DOB & Birth Certificate and all that).  I have no idea what type of fund it was, all I know is that some kind of account was opened with this organization about 95 years ago.  How do I go about finding out specifics?  I assume I will need an attorney for this, just wasn't sure what kind.  Also, this obviously isn't a bank, so I don't know if we would have a claim to any kind of policy that may been taken out with them.  Any help would be appreciated.

Edit: The organization is based out of Chicago, IL

Answer: If it truly hasn't been touched for 90 years, the property has already been escheated to the state of Illinois. However, check Illinois' unclaimed property website and search for your grandmother. If not, the executor of her estate needs to make an inquiry with the institution .


Title: As a solicitor, how is paying a hooker any different than paying for a date with a woman with hopes of getting laid?

Question:
I saw the thread about the OP who thought he had the best loophole to beat a soliciting charge.

I was thinking....

I meet women on tinder/POF/Bars, etc....

I offer to go out for dinner/drinks.  My goal is to get laid.

I spend money to do this.

Why does the law consider this legal but me going to a hooker at motel six off of the 15 freeway (never done this) illegal?

Answer:
 Because there is no agreement for sex.

You might do that ten times and never get sex.  Because the paying for things and the sex are not related.


Title: My Brother was let go from his job because he was out of work so long because he has Cancer and couldn't work for months and now his claim for long term disability has been denied.

Question: Hi I appreciate anyone taking the time to read this and trying to help. Well besides what the title states; we are located in Sacramento, CA and about a year ago my brother was diagnosed with Sarcoma or cancer of the connective tissue specifically in his knee. He was unable to work during this time as he was undergoing treatment and could barely get out of bed. During the course of this he was let go from his position at the hospital he works at and he applied for disability. He was approved at the time but now after months of giving him the run around trying to get long term disability they finally denied his claim. At the time he was owed approximately $10000 by disability. I just don't know what to do or how to help him. If anyone has any ideas I would really appreciate anything you could do. Sorry for any grammatical errors.

Answer:
 He needs to appeal. Most people are denied for long term disability.

He can hire an attorney to do the appeal. Better chance of success.


Title: My girlfriends ex husband says he can get her son taken away

Question:
My girlfriends ex husband failed to read the divorce papers that were mailed to him. As a result he will be having the rights for custody taken away. He is 40 years old and lives with his aunt. He is telling my girlfriend that he talked to a lawyer and that if there's no joint custody that her son will be placed in foster care. This is baffling to me because my girlfriend lives in a loving home with her mother, sister, and brother. Their room is the living room, which to me doesn't seem like a problem. It's a normal large sized bed with dressers and everything. What would living conditions have to be like for a child to be taken away. This man is a sick person and I just believe he is trying to get into her head to get what he wants. Her son lives in a clean house, loving family, and is made sure that he has the healthcare he needs and gets the help with school that he needs. If you guys could please give me information so I can help my girlfriend be at peace I would appreciate it

Also, we are in Palo alto California

Answer: The court isn't just going to throw the kid in foster care if there is a parent out there that can and is willing to take care of the kid. Most of the time the people who threaten another person with a "lawyer" are full of shit because if they actually retained a lawyer, we'd be the ones doing all the communication.


Title: (Michigan)I'm being sued for a vehicle I surrendered.

Question: I surrendered a vehicle last year because I lost my job and could not pay for it. Now they are suing me for the remaining balance plus a bunch of other fees added on. The total comes to almost $7,000. The vehicle only books for about $4,000 and they sold it at auction for $1,200. Is there anything I can do

Answer:
 You’re on the hook for everything you agreed to pay back, no matter how much the car is worth or how much they get for it. Nothing in your story seems out of the ordinary. Answer #2: Unless they agreed in writing "Give us the car now and we will forgive the outstanding balance" (they did not do that).

If you had sold the car and been able to pay off the negative equity you may have lost a great deal less money, but most people are not in a position to do that. Answer #3: This is exactly why voluntary reposessions are a bad idea. You are stuck with the bill. See if you can settle for less than what is owed.Answer #4: Everyone will tell you the same thing.  Unfortunately, it's live and learn.  The best approach (which obviously most people can't do) is to borrow money from somewhere at a good rate, and use that money to pay off the car loan/lease so that you own the title to the car free and clear, and then try to recover as much of what you paid as you can by selling the car yourself (you can get more money selling it yourself than they will get selling it).

Unfortunately, if you don't negotiate a settlement with them, or pay them all that they are asking, then they will hit your credit report and they will sue you to recover what you owe to them.

If you do settle with them, get something in writing stating that the debt you owe them is paid in full upon receipt of your $.


Title: If a woman is pregnant with a child I do not want, is it legally possible for me to avoid having to pay child support for a child I do not want?

Question:
She says that the child is mine and that she is keeping it. I have made clear I do not want a child with her and I do not want her in my life. She still maintains that she is keeping the baby.

Someone in another thread suggested that I sign over any parental rights and that way I can avoid having to pay her for a kid I don't want. Is this true? We are in Texas.

Answer: Nope. Start saving your money.


Title: How to help friend get custody of her child

Question:
My friend recently got a divorce and her ex husband has custody of their child. She didn't want to fight for custody because he has more money and told her he'd win and make sure she never saw their daughter again. She decided it was best to let him have full custody but he's proving to be a crummy parent. Basically he's just holding the kid hostage to try to get his ex to find back to him.

Right now the child is visiting, without the father, for the weekend. We live in Pennsylvania, they live in another state which I will not mention in case the father sees this post. I don't want this kid going back to him.

Is there anything my friend can do to get custody of her child by Tuesday? She had a lawyer but he wasn't very good and it was expensive. She doesn't have much money so hiring a lawyer isn't really an option. The kid isn't in danger so she doesn't want to file for emergency custody.

Answer:
 >The kid isn't in danger so she doesn't want to file for emergency custody.

Outside of emergencies, court generally doesn't move quickly enough for her to have custody by Tuesday.


Title: I consented to let my sibling be the personal representative of the estate when my father passed. He is now asking me to let him have the entire estate.

Question:
My father had two physical properties. He owned a condo in  the U.S. and a home overseas. Not wanting to deal with my sibling, I agreed that he could claim ownership to the properties.
He informed me that the entire estate would be assessed and he would keep receipts for his legal pursuits and deduct them from the entire estate.
Now that the estate has been assessed, he is saying that he assumed that since I gave him the right to claim ownership of the condo and the house, that I should sign over the entire estate because he will have maintenance issues.
He has yet to show me a receipt of his expenses. Is this either legal or ethical? He’s a lawyer and I am amazed at how ignorant he thinks I am.

Answer:
 Are there any debts associated with the properties? It's true that as long as the houses remain in your father's estate, that expenses associated with them would be drawn upon the estate, but it sounds like your brother is saying the future maintenance of the properties should be deducted from the estate as part of the reconciliation since he can't 'afford it'. If that's the case, he's definitely trying to take you for a ride. This is why it's often best to simply liquidate all assets of the estate and split the money evenly because--for many--blood is not thicker than water. He's trying to take advantage of you.

If I were you, I'd hire an attorney of my own and fight him on all points related to the estate, including splitting the properties.Answer #2: You need to get your own estate lawyer to represent you. And listen to what they say


Title: Desperate need of help. Girl I know is being blackmailed for sex.

Question:
She is in the Air Force, and lives in Florida. Her coworker is raping her, and forcing her to stay with him. He forces her to do everything he says. She needs help asap. Please, she's desperate.

Edit: its been investigated  already,  but due to lack of evidence the case was dismissed and swept under the rug, so to speak.

I keep telling her to get a rape kit done but she doesn't think it'll change anything. She thinks itll just prove that sex happened, but not how.

He keeps checking her phone all the time.

He is not a sane person. She has reason to believe he would fatally hurt her if provoked. Shes afraid of him. That, and she's being blackmailed. He has images that he threatens to upload.

Answer: She should report him to the police and/or her command.  Answer #2: The way you describe the situation there isn't any advice from the internet that can help her. She should contact a local lawyer ASAP to discuss options. But here's some non-legal advice for you: Don't adopt your ex-SO's problems as your own; there's just too much potential for manipulation, and there's generally a good reason they are your *ex*-SO.


Title: [Missouri] Convicted Felon Working Towards Custody Of 2 Minor Children

Question:
How does my friend (let's call him CF) work towards getting custody of his two kids?

His ex is a pill addict who relies on her elderly mother to raise her 4 kids (only 2 belong to CF). Her mother was recently hospitalized and she called CF to come and get his kids for the weekend after like 5-6 months of minimal contact (like 2 visits, 1 of which was last weekend). She rarely answers the phone, doesn't respond to social media messages or requests to talk to the kids on Facetime.

This last visit was cut short when the oldest kid started running a fever. CF wanted to take him to the ER, but his ex refuses to give him the kids insurance cards. So they had to drive like 2.5 hours to go get the cards and when they got there his ex wouldn't let him take the sick kid to the ER.

This isn't the first time she has ignored the kids' health issues either. The youngest of CF's kids is supposed to wear special shoes and leg braces...which his ex just got around to having the kid fitted for last month even though he supposed to get them last year. Both kids have speech issues and the youngest is nearly 4 and doesn't talk.

CF is pissed. His ex has been holding the kids hostage since he got out of prison in 2013. Visits are always on her terms. She will call and tell him to come get the kids and there have been times when he shows up and she won't let him take them.

He has been ordered to pay child support, and his wages are garnished for it. He has also sent her money off-the-books via Western Union and giving her cash since he has been out.

He is concerned that his kids are not being properly cared for and is tired of fighting with his ex about weekend visits and the health care issues. He feels that his hands are tied due to his criminal past.

Felony charges include:

* robbery, 1st degree
* forgery

CF has numerous misdemeanor charges. He also had a restraining order filed against him in 2010 by a family member who has since dropped it.

What legal steps should he take to work towards primary custody of his kids? Right now, he has no legal paper trail to back him up. He wants to try and do everything by the book as much as possible. He was also curious as to what he should be documenting for a potential case.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: He files for a modification of custody. He should hire an attorney since this is a very complicated case.


Title: Landlord requests entrance for inspection with two dogs in apt

Question: We have an inspection coming up, and they gave us about 5 days notice of said inspection. We've got two dogs, I have crate for my dog, however my brother does not. With such short notice, we can't get the time off for the two days they are doing for the inspection, with no way to schedule a time. What can be done here? I plan on trying to contact them tomorrow. I'm in Utah, and I'd love some advice.

Answer: Buy a crate or borrow a crate from someone (try a vet).  Answer #2: This is more of a practical problem than a legal one. Either buy a crate or take the dog to daycare for a couple days.


Title: MA pizza shop will not accept gift certificate after change of ownership.

Question:
Hi, /r/legaladvice,

Approximately two months ago I received $100 worth of gift certificates for a local pizza shop. However, this past month, the pizza shop changed owners, and they would not accept my gift certificates when I tried to use them there. I was wondering if there were any Massachusetts laws that would protect me in this situation and allow me to use the cards.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: Depends how the business was sold, but most likely they were selling the assets of the business to the other person, which means the debts aren't their responsibility. You need to get in touch with the previous owner and ask for your $100 back.


Title: (Probably not very fit for this) A teacher at my school blamed me and a few friends for something that only one of us did, and he decided to lock my things away until Tuesday. Is he allowed to do this?

Question: At my school on Wednesday’s and Friday’s we hold GEEK club after school. Every two weeks, we do count and count the money and stock. Friday we did count, and only one of my friends was counting loose change, and had forgotten to put it back in a jar that we keep the money in. The teacher went back there shortly after he left and saw the change on the ground. He went into the next room, gathered the Officer’s (the only people other than the teacher himself allowed in that back room), and said it was all our faults. We usually keep our things in said back room, but he closed the room with my things in it and locked it with a padlock and refused to open it again so I could get my things. With my bag is all of my schoolwork, and some of my somewhat valuable personal belongings. Is he allowed to withhold my personal belongings from me for something I didn’t do? One of the other Officers is a good friend of mine and is suggesting I take this to the superintendent of the district first.

Answer: Legal yes. A teacher can confiscate your belongings. Tell you parents, one of them can retrieve your belongings. They can not unreasonably withhold your things from them.


Title: Realtor/landlord on Zillow took my application fee with no intention of renting the unit to me

Question:
Hello, so long story short I found a nice studio apartment in the area for me and my fiancee. I spoke with the lady who owns the property and she assured me it was available and to come down and see it and fill out the application. The unit itself is a $675 studio. I drove 3.5 hours to see the unit. I told her I'll take it and filled out the application and paid the fee.

Immediately after reviewing my application she started sending me texts about how "you should really look at our 1 bedrooms" "this studio is not going to be enough for you two! Please see our other one bedroom for $875 ... all hardwood floors". And I kept assuring her that a studio is plenty for us and we're both never home.

The next day I asked her to update me on the application and she replied "We would like to offer you our one bedroom apartment! We have selected someone else for the studio."

To which I responded with telling her to refund my application fee immediately, and calling her. She won't return texts or calls.

The application fee is only $25. I do NOT care about money. However I believe as she found out during the application process that we're both doctors with a six figure salary, she was trying to milk us for money. Our credit score is in 750s, our income is more than adequate for a $675 studio, we've no criminal background, or any other issues with previous rentals.

I want to know if what she did was legal, and if I have any reasonable course of action from here. I want to make sure she cannot do this with anyone else again. This is a poor neighborhood one hour north of Chicago. The $25 fee means nothing to me, but it may mean something to a single mother and it's not something I want to let slide.

Thank you kindly

Answer:
 It is legal for a landlord to accept multiple applications for an apartment knowing some succeed and some don’t.

You’re making an assumption about her intent. You may be right. It may also be true that she was just trying to keep your potential business by redirecting you to an apartment that was still available after the availability of the one you applied for changed.


Title: DUI advice for refusing to take breathalyzer (Maryland)

Question:
This isnt for me but someone close to me got pulled over speeding and when asked to take the breathalyzer they refused.

So there is a $295 speeding ticket and then a court trial + MVA hearing in regards to their liscense, which is currently set to be suspended for 270 days (due to refusal).

The persons driving record is pretty clean, aside a speeding ticket or two. There are a few options presented:

1. hire a lawyer and try to fight it
2. take the suspension and not drive for almost a year
3. agree to have an interlock system installed. Which will cost roughly $100 to install and then $100 a month for a year. so roughly $1000 total.

Do you guys think its worth it to hire a lawyer in this scenario? Is it possible to reverse the suspended liscene?

Answer: Hiring a lawyer should probably be the first thing your friend does. A DUI is a serious charge. Whether he was drunk or not, refusing to take the test is suspicious and guilt is assumed. If he just plead guilty this would go on his record and make auto insurance incredibly expensive. This would impact his life in numerous ways.


Title: NE. Pregnant. Work for small company. What are my rights (if any)?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 IANAL.

My sister went through something similar when she was pregnant and worked at a job with only 5 employees total in a national business with hundreds of stores.

To my knowledge: If the company itself has more than 50 employees, regardless of how many are actually in the building you work in (Example: 15 people work at your office, 15 at another location 2 towns over, and 30 more in a different state for a total of 60 employees) then your employer has to abide by the provisions allowed to you by the FMLA and other similar laws.

You should be entitled to the appropriate maternal leave mandated by law, and upon your return be allowed a private area to pump breast milk if you choose to do so. You may still need a doctor's note for a lot of this (Probably not but it really helps).


Title: [TN] She's 14, I'm 17. Is it illegal?

Question: I won't go into much back story, but essentially I'm long distance with a girl from Tennessee who is 14. I had planned to see her this summer (by which I'll be 17). Obviously, we can't really have sex as I'm sure that we'll be under supervision the entire time, and that's not something I'm looking to do right now, but the plan was killed off by my parents. I'm able to go there when I'm 18 so I'll just do that instead. My question is this: would it be legal for us to have intercourse with her being 15 and me being 18? Could we even date? Thanks.

Answer:
 Tennessee's close-in-age exception to statutory rape is four years, precisely.   If she is four years and one day younger than you, then you could be successfully prosecuted, convicted, punished, and registered as a sex offender for life.

As a practical matter, teenage life is far too brief for LDR's.   Date girls who live near you and you can get to know as actual people, not screen presences.Answer #2: You don't sound like the type that would do well in jail. I'd stay away from the whole thing a relationship with a 15 y\o won't go anywhere anyway.Answer #3: Your real problem isn't the in-person activity, which is totally legal considering how close your age is, but rather the long-distance part of it. In your case, sexting = CP.


Title: Fired from job and offered my job back after filing for unemployment

Question: I live in California.  Was let go a few weeks ago because I wasn't feeling well and asked for the day off.  Filed for unemployment as well as for jobs but no call backs. Haven't been told whether or not my benefits are being accepted. My guess is that I did since my manager just texted me asking how I'm doing and if I've found a job. I'm not sure if I should respond. I want to but I'm afraid he will ask if I want the job back. And if I deny it that my benefits if I did get approved for them will be denied since I denied a job. How should I go about this?

Answer: You can just not reply if you want. Or doing. If they offer you your job back then you are correct that if you decline the job, you will lose your UE benifitsAnswer #2: If you don't want to work for them then ignore it. You have been discharged and you don't have to reapply for their position.


Title: The guy that was supposed to fix my car vanished, then his girlfriend texted asking for money to bail him out of jail

Question:
So about a year ago, my boyfriend found a guy that was willing to fix my boosted civic after the motor blew. It was very hard to find someone to hep so we were very excited.
My boyfriend decided to pay him upfront for the parts and labor, and apparently (not following my advice) did not write up a contract. It was about $3,000, but my boyfriend trusted this guy.  Chris (guy working on car) started working on the car, began putting in the motor that we paid for, and had the car in a friends yard.
After returning from fishing in Alaska, when the car was supposed to be finished, my boyfriend went to check on my car.
It was unfinished, unlocked, covered with ants and mold, my stereo and interior parts were missing. When he got ahold of Chris he heard a sob story about how he was in the hospital and couldn't finish the car for a while.
The following 6ish months, we were unable to contact or find him whatsoever.
About 30 minutes ago my boyfriend received a text from Chris's girlfriend asking for $500 dollars to bail him out of jail about two hours away from our apartment.
What can we do?
We have talked about going to visit him and saying that we will bail him out if he returns the keys and parts to my car and finishes the job, then not bailing him out and at least we will get our parts back. This is inconvenient because I have school and he has work in the morning.
Does anyone have any advice to either get the money back or get the job done?
Thank you so much.

Answer:
 > We have talked about going to visit him and saying that we will bail him out...then not bailing him out and at least we will get our parts back.

That's bad.  Don't lie.  It doesn't help.

Your option is to sue him for the damages.


Title: Hit by an ambulance, responder possibly suing for injuries

Question:
Hey all,

I see a ton of car accident related posts but I think mine is a bit odd. State: NY.

About 2 months ago, I was driving to work and was hit in the driver side rear by an ambulance in an intersection that I believe was on its way to a call. I was in a 3 lane road (Left only, straight only, straight/right turn) and in the center straight lane with a green light. The left only lane had a red arrow for their turn and was a line of SUV's (I drove a Focus Hatchback so kind of low to the ground). I did not hear the sirens if they were on even though I was just listening to a podcast.

Recently, I received a letter from one of the 2's lawyer stating I send it to my insurance agent for contact of injuries he suffered (verbatim from the letter) "when struck my your vehicle".

The insurance claim was completed and closed out, my car was paid off since it was valued more than what I owed, and I thought all was well so this is not coming from their insurance.

I've sent an email to my agent about the contact but gave them no details of the law firm. What is the best course of action? I'm not really in a good financial place to hire my own lawyer seeing as how I'm a stereotypical millennial with an OK job and expenses.

If there is anything else I can include to help the advice I'll be happy to provide it.

Thank you all.

Answer: Inform your insurance company that you're being sued.  They will provide representation, up to the limits of your policy.


Title: Divorcing without Him (Ohio, though from Texas)

Question:
Hullo! Long time lurker, first time poster.

A brief summary of my connected story before asking for help: I married very young, I was eighteen and he was nineteen, and the complications of not being prepared for the demands of a serious and successful marriage had things drag on unhappily for about eight years, before I ultimately decided to leave and begin an actual life for myself.

My husband and I haven't been together for a year and some odd months now, and within that time, I've decidedly not had any contact with him and so I don't know where he currently resides. Sending him a message on Facebook (cordial, I promise!) has gotten me absolutely no response, though I suppose that's too be expected. I'd like to apply for benefits and have an easier time getting medical care, and so this divorce is quite imperative that I get over with.

If I have no way of reaching him, how can I proceed without him? Assistance, please!

Answer:
 If you have made a good faith effort to locate him and have been unable to do so you can serve him with the divorce papers by publication. The rules are state specific. You can get a divorce in the state and under the rules of the state where you are a resident. Duration of residency varies.

The big sticking point will be if he is in the military. Guys on active duty have all sorts of protections from law suits including divorce that regular people don't have. You need a  divorce lawyer in the state where you reside.Answer #2: As far as I know, every state will grant *dissolution* of marriage to one of its legal residents even if the other party isn't or refuses to be involved.

If he can't be reached, you'll need a separate case to divide the estate, and settle custody/support issues.  But the *divorce* can happen with or without him.


Title: The guy who previously owned my mothers new cell phone number keeps giving it out to real estate agents and porn companies, what can we do?

Question: She gets new calls and text messages from people everyday, blocking them doesn't seem to be effective because he repeatedly continues to give out her number. I only know the guy's (alleged) first and last name and obviously his old phone number. This has been going on for almost 6 months now.

Answer: Go back to the cel phone company and get a new number. Answer #2: I think your mom has figured out why the guy changed his number.


Title: Ex and I adopted dog together. She's taken dog and changed all contact info. What can I do?

Question: As the title says, her and I decided to get a dog together; 5 years ago. I know, bad idea. We were together for 4 years though. I never thought this would happen. When we split, we emphasized staying civil and being flexible with who has the dog and when, but nothing in writing. Last month, she picked up the pooch. I decided not to be present, because I knew I'd get sad. So she picked the dog up from my brother's house while I left and got my mind off. My brother and his wife were present. Nothing of note happened or was said. Recently, I've been trying to contact her and got no replies. Turns out she changed her number, shut down her social media (or at least blocked me and everyone I know), and I'm fearing the worst. If she has indeed decided the dog is all hers,  can I fight back? I don't remember who's name is on the adoption papers. Both of us might even be on them. However, I have a lifetime worth of vet bills in MY name as the primary caretaker. Is this even worth persuing? You can surmise that Onyx Onyx (the dog) is my best friend. I'm absolutely willing to compromise with her, but like I said, I fear she's nixed all of that..

Answer:
 You can't split a dog in half so it has to live with one of you. Do you really want to do partial custody with a dog? If this dog is being treated well, move on and find another one that needs a good home. You will bond with the new dog just fine.Answer #2: You can take her to small claims for the value of your half of the dog and possibly some of the vet bills you paid for over the years.

While you can certainly ask that the animal be returned, if she fights and the ownership is in any way disputable, the courts will likely refuse to get involved and simply give her the option to buy out your half or return the animal (and you buy out her half).Answer #3: You can take her to small claims court for the value of the dog. That's about it.


Title: [VA] Former employer wants a copy of my Social Security Card in order yo have me paid

Question:
As the title says. My former employer is requesting a copy of my social security card in order to pay me. When I first was hired, I had given my license and passport. As far as I am aware this all they need to ask for. Plus I had given them my SSN on a form I had filled out. Giving them a copy of my card makes me uncomfortable.

Am I overthinking things? Should I go ahead and give them a copy?

Thanks

Answer: It is not uncommon for an employer to request a copy of your SS card.Answer #2: Every employer I've had asks for the actual card to copy. They have to make sure the name on the card and the number match what is on your W-2. It's a federal guideline from the IRS.


Title: Declaring Native American status - United States

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 From the Cherokee.org website.

>If your parent is not enrolled with a federally recognized Indian tribe, a Certified Copy of your parent’s Birth or Death Certificate is required to establish your parent’s relationship to an enrolled member of a federally recognized Indian tribe(s). If your grandparent(s) were not enrolled members of a federally recognized Indian tribe(s), a Certified Copy of the Birth or Death Certificate for each grandparent who was the child of an enrolled member of a federally recognized Indian tribe is required.


Title: US - Vehicle just stolen, police refusing to send an officer to scene

Question:
*Edit* US- Texas

Disclaimer: This is not my vehicle / police issue - but a relative of mine, who is seeking advice.

They don't have pictures of the vehicle, and after driving around I didn't even see police in the area.

What can and should I do? Police report has been filed already.

Was bought from a private seller

Answer: If a police report has already been filed, why do you need an officer at the scene? All there is left for you to do is call the insurance company.


Title: Tried to get out of an LA Fitness contract by getting a new debit card and everything was fine for two months. Woke up this morning to a -400$ in my Checking’s account. What can I do?

Question: Basically, I didn’t know I signed up for a contract. I thought it was a month to month thing and when I tried to get out they said it was a 50% buyout fee and I initialed everything (I know my mistake but also a big F U to LA fitness) . I’m a broke college student and I researched a couple of ways to try and get out and I ordered a new debit card. Two months later everything is all well no charges I though I escaped but I get two late 135$ fees for the training, two late 30$ fees for the membership, and two 5$ late fees that I was able to reverse by trying to call them. I currently have a negative checkings balance and it took out the little money I have in my savings, and they will continue to charge me unless I pay an additional 400$ buyout fee for the contract. I’m screwed. Any help guys?

Answer:
 Getting a new card does not invalidate the contractAnswer #2: >and I researched a couple of ways to try and get out and I ordered a new debit card

 Where did you find this terrible suggestion?


Title: [NJ] I have a small claims judgment against someone. I asked their landlord for info and they say that he owes them money, too. I have his current address. Can I/should I provide it to the landlord?

Question:
I have a judgment for around $600 including court officer mileage/commission against someone that I won in small claims court in New Jersey.  A writ of execution is in effect for a court officer to collect on the judgment.  After around two months the court officer hasn't found any banks, and as such I've sent an information subpoena to the judgment debtor.  The debtor replied by mail saying he wasn't sure what this was about and that his address has since changed, and he provided his now corrected address.  I re-sent the information subpoena with the later sending date due to the discrepancy.

In an attempt to maybe find his bank, I was able to look up the owner of the property where he used to live in public records.  I sent them a non-certified mail asking if they happened to have a rent check from him or something like that.  The landlord replied via mail saying that the debtor owes them money too, and they didn't have any banking or current address information.

I was able to use an SSN search tool to find his SSN.  I know I am 100% not allowed to share that information with the landlord, but the debtor gave me his new address in that aforementioned reply.  Would it be wise for me to give that to the landlord?  Or would it be a bad idea that just ratchets up the pressure on the guy?

My instinct is that I shouldn't be doing this, and as far as I can tell I'm not under an obligation to provide the new address to the landlord, but if I'm wrong about that part I'd like to comply with anything that might require me to turn that over to them.

Answer: Would you like it to be easier or harder for you to collect the debt? The more people pursuing them, the harder it will be for you to get paid.


Title: Jewelry saleswoman took my information and applied for a credit card without my permission. It has dropped my credit score. Is this worth pursuing?

Question:
Hi r/legaladvice,

I started shopping for an engagement ring last week and some funny stuff happened at the first place I went to.

The saleswoman first took my drivers license. I thought this was a little weird but maybe standard practice so I went along with it.

She proceeded to show me a few engagement rings. She asked how I would be paying. I said cash. She offered financing and I told her I didn't need it.

I received a phone call during our interaction that I had to take. When I came back she handed me the store phone. I asked who was on the phone. She said Michael Hill. The person on the phone said they were from Michael Hill. I asked what the call was for. They said something like approving me to purchase the ring. Permission to check my credit was never asked and the word credit was never uttered. She asked me questions like "What's your salary?" and "How much student debt do you have?" Foolishly thinking this was some sort of standard thing, I answered the questions.

She said I was approved for $5000. I said that's great but I told you I don't need it.

She then asked me to sign a form. I asked what it's for and she was giving very vague answers. Things like "so you can access your money". I started reading the fine print on the form. She seemed annoyed. The form itself was very vague and I told her "I don't know what this is so I'm not signing it"

I posted on Reddit about this asking for general advice when shopping for engagement rings and some commenters alerted me that what she did may have affected my credit score.

So I checked on creditkarma and a company named "Retail Credit Solutions" had indeed made a hard inquiry into my credit score on that date. This company seems to offer credit card services for businesses. I assume that the person on the store phone was from this company.

I went back to the store to complain. They told me they had not opened an account. However I called Micheal Hill directly and they told me an account was opened, and then subsequently closed.

I did some digging and found the personal information and privacy protection act (PIPEDA) which seems to clearly state that in order to use my personal information, the person has to obtain my consent and clearly state what the purpose of obtaining the information is.

Although this event likely dropped my credit score, that is not my biggest concern. I am angry because I feel tricked, lied to and taken advantage of. It is clear that this woman was being intentionally deceptive and although she was apologetic, she did not admit to any wrongdoing.

I asked that they write me a letter so I could remove the inquiry from the credit bureau's records, but after talking with management they have refused to do this. The credit bureaus have told me that without this letter, they cannot remove the inquiry.

Is this worth pursuing from a legal standpoint?
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 Tell on them.

https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/report-a-concern/Answer #2: Similar happened to me, I was fuming but it was a single query and I did not have any major purchases coming up in the next year so I silently dropped it.  Instead I opened a security freeze on my credit files at all the major credit reporters to prevent this from happening again.  Imagine my surprise when I go to get cable and find out they ran my credit without asking (they hit the security freeze).

I also went to a private jeweler and got the same ring custom made for half of the price, no way they would see a dime of my money. I also briefly considered handing out flyers and picketing with my story in front of their business.  Overkill, I know but I told you I was livid :).   If you aren't buying a car in the next year or home in the next 2 years, drop it and move onAnswer #3: I remember reading your first post on r/personalfinance. It might not hurt to repost this there.


Title: [Florida] Friend of mine got in trouble at work for not pushing "support our troops" donations.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: No. If she gets fired she can apply for unemployment and look for a new job.


Title: [FL] Someone keeps calling DCF about my son's eczema

Question:
I don't know where to begin. My son has eczema, has had it since he had open heart surgery to have an ICD placed at 6 weeks old- something flared and his skin has broken out multiple times since. He's on steroid oil, aquaphor and has two sponge baths a week as sitting in water breaks him out (heck even the sponge baths do but he's gotta be clean). Stress breaks him out, crying makes it worse, he habitually scratches when he's tired or upset. It's a horrible cycle of managing these break outs. For the past month we've been fighting the one on his face, it'll start to heal and then he'll scratch it up again during a temper tantrum.

&#x200B;

DCF was called after my son's birthday last October, his first birthday party and we had him in wet wraps to help his nipple and back breakouts heal, it didn't help and only made his problems worse (hence sponge baths). I was assured they wouldn't be back by the agent, then this morning they showed up again.

I'm at wits end and have been through hell for my son (Joey). He's my world and I'm tired of this pearl clutching busy body. I'm going next week to pick up the reports so I can try to figure out who is doing this. I don't want to live in paranoia and want to live my best life with my son and boyfriend. I'm not sure if there's anything else I can do, I'm so tired of wondering when DCF will show up again.

Answer:
 You can call and speak to a supervisor at DCF and see if they can put a note in your file.

But you can't stop anyone from calling in a report, and you can't stop DCF from doing a quick inquiry into reports they receive.  There's no reason to live in fear or paranoia.  Nothing has come of such reports twice now, there's no reason to believe it will be different in the future.