Title: Fiance made potentially slanderous statements about co-worker and involved MY business. Slander suit?

Question:
My question involves defamation in the state of: Texas

I have a start up business. One of the verticals I serve is healthcare. My fiance is a doctor. He introduced me to a higher up doctor in his hospital and tried to help me get business. The first couple of meetings started well, but my fiance kept calling it "our business". it's not. And my co-founder/developer/initial investor became very angry that he was stating this. It got under his skin so much, he claims that is the reason he pulled out from our business completely.

I was dumbfounded and really left in a lurch. My fiance became angry and accused me of telling my co-founder bad things about him..he couldn't understand why he was so sensitive and left. Regardless, we continued conversations with this other doctor/executive...went to meetings and I (as CEO) ask him to be on my board of directors. He already told me he was considering investing in my company and he said that HIS hospital (where my fiance works) was also "in".

All of a sudden this doctor/executive stopped contacting me. He never signed the legal documents my lawyers drew up for him offering him 3 percent equity (over time) for being on my board...and an opportunity to invest. Instead he suggested he might BUY my company. But he never did.

My initial belief was that my developer (former co-founder) talked with him and told him not to work with us. I just left it alone...but it has been a bitter pill to swallow. This was 3 months ago.

A week ago, my fiance told me that he told his colleague the story about this doctor/hospital executive and how he tried to BUY "our company" but didn't get the right amount and that's why my deal with his hospital went south. He called this executive a "crook" and "opportunist" to the colleague...he was peaking with.

Well, it got back. The doctor texted my fiance and told him that he might get a lawyer for slander...and that he couldn't believe what he heard about himself. My fiance texted him back... and told him that he didn't like the way he was talking about "our business" (IT"S NOT HIS BUSINESS! HE HAS NO EQUITY AND WILL NOT HAVE BECAUSE HE HAS RUINED HIS CHANCES IMO). He went on and on about how the guy was a crook and that he "used us" ...to get free product and never followed through.

So I am in a hot mess. The doctor/executive never contacted me at all. But I am worried that my fiance is acting like he represents my company. Do I need to worry? Also, I'm concerned if I tell my company lawyers...they will have a BIG issue with all of this and worry that we have disclosure issues for the future. Thoughts?

I have a friend who is not a lawyer suggest torturous interference suit against my fiance.

Answer:
 So obviously the wedding is off, right? Because your friend is telling you to sue your future spouse which would presumably mean that you would be satisfying the judgment you hold with household assets/income.

**You** are a sloppy business owner. You should have had a membership agreement in place that detailed member/investor exits. You shouldn't invite third parties into business meetings to broker deals and then get upset when third parties assume that they acted with your authority. "Crook" and "opportunist" are likely non-actionable opinions, but that hinges on precisely what what was said and the context in which it was said.

I'm actually surprised that you haven't sent e-mails to people explaining that he is not affiliated with your business in any way. Stop hiding stuff from your attorneys, tighten up your standard operating practices, and move from there.


Title: Home owner's association denied my mother's house purchase after finding out she has a disabled daughter

Question:
Location: Sumner, WA.

I've been trying to help my mom find a home. She is 60 years old and she found a beautiful house in Sumner and it's part of a "senior 55+ older community". My mother has a VA loan so it's harder to find houses, and this seemed like a perfect match. Or so we thought..

Long, long story short: We contacted our real estate agent, she contacted our VA lender and a couple hours later he said it looked good to go.

So our agent scheduled us to see it. Mother loved it and our agent put in an offer (about 10k more than asking price), and we got it!

I actually used my financial aid money I had saved from college for the inspection fee ($325) as a gift to my mom. I also helped her with the earnest money, which was $1,500. Okay so far so cool!

However then the Home Owners Association out of no where wanted **proof** showing that my sister (mother's daughter) needs to live with her because of her disability. She is schizophrenic. I drove my sister to the Social Security building to get her reward papers, and my mom submitted those along with her FEMLA papers showing that she does indeed need to live with her.

Then the HoA people said that wouldn't work and they wanted a letter "signed by a doctor" specifically saying she needs to live with my mom.

So I drove to the Multi-care place to get the letter, which was signed by her therapist specifically saying she needs to live with my mom.

We submitted the new letter, and our agent said it was accepted!

Then the next day, we got another email from our agent saying they had a board meeting and "voted no" on the letter or whatever, and that we cannot move in.

My mother and I are in kind of shock and our VA lender was irritated and said something like "it's kind of discriminatory, but they can really do w/e they want".

I'm just curious if this is actually legal? My mom thought it was extremely discriminatory, and now I just lost the $ from the home inspection too.. Which is kinda weird as the seller agreed to the offer. Is it possible to at least get the HoA people to partially reiumburse the home inspection costs? Or is that just part of the risk of buying a house in a senior community?

Anyways, thanks for reading.. I might have rambled a bit but honestly I'm pretty bummed over all this and my mother said: "If they are going to be that difficult with us I don't even want to move there anyway". Which I agree with her..

Answer: If your sis is under 55 (which I assume is the case) it would have been something I would have checked before paying for anything.Answer #2: sorry you are out the dough maybe this link might help in the future? https://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/fair_housing_equal_opp/seniors


Title: Check fraud? [OHIO]

Question:
I've recently been trying to rent a room in my house. A person moved in, and for all intents and purposes tenancy had begun. The day of tenancy this person decides they do not want to live here, and demanded the deposit back (in cash).

I made it clear that under those conditions, the deposit was non-refundable according to ORC 5321.17 Section B. The check was issued to me, and cashed on September 26th. This occurred on September 29th. Upon checking my bank account today, the funds of the check were pulled with the note "refer to maker".

I'm assuming this person was trying to scam me knowing that the check would bounce.

What are my options moving forward?

Please note that i know one of my options is to write it off as life experience, but i'm not going to do that.

Answer: You can sue them. Why did they decide they didn't want to live there? Did you misrepresent the room in some way?


Title: I won a giveaway at a professional conference - do I keep the item, or does it belong now to my employer?

Question:
Hi all! I am in Pennsylvania. Recently won a tablet at a conference I was attending for work, out-of-town, over 2 days. It was a business card drawing at one of the vendors' tables.

Is this tablet now mine, or does it belong to my employer? I think it would be the latter, as I was representing my employer, and I was technically on company time (although I was not required to go, I asked). I can't seem to find much online regarding this. One woman at the conference said her colleague won an ipad, and had to either give it to her place of employment, or pay them for it.

This question seemed really interesting to me until I saw some of the other posts on this sub :}

To add: I emailed my supervisor soon after to let him know and he said 'Congratulations!' I showed it to him at work today, and told him I was hoping to use it for instruction, which I do hope to do. I'm just not sure if it would officially 'belong' to the library. He didn't say anything to indicate that.

Answer:
 I won a Chromebook at a conference.  I dropped my card in their box and they said I won a few weeks later. I checked with my boss and since I'm not involved in any purchasing decisions it would be fine for me to keep it.  Also work would have no use for it and we're not a gigantic company either.Answer #2: Not legal advice but at my company it would depend on if you were on company time for the event. I have been sent to things like CES and Interop for work and if I am being paid to be there then all the swag I collect belongs to the company. The last time I went to CES I took time off to go and everything I picked up I kept.

Not sure how it would play out legally though as these things were discussed prior to me being sent there on company time.


Title: [MA] Is it illegal to fire someone because of his criminal background?

Question:
So there is this new guy who works with me and something always seemed a little "off" with him. One of my co-workers looked on the internet and found out he has an extensive criminal history, including assault with a deadly weapon and forcefully raping a minor.

When it got it my managers attention, it came out that they didn't do a background check on him. They say now they can't fire him for his criminal history because it is "discrimination." Me and a lot of the other female employees are really scared with him around.

I was under the impression that MA was a fire "at will" state. Why would it be so hard to fire this guy?

Answer: If he is a full-time employee then they fire him they can be held liable for unemployment compensation also.


Title: I hit my neighbors truck in my driveway.

Question: A couple nights ago I was leaving for work on third shift so it's dark out and I don't have lights outside my house. As I pull out of my garage I'm typically picking what music to play on the way to work not really paying too much attention. So I did't notice that my neighbors truck is parked right up against my garage door for no reason at all. I smashed the hood of my car under his bumper. He says his insurance won't cover it because I'm at fault for not paying attention despite the fact I never gave him permission to even be on my property let alone parking in front of my garage. The night this happened I found him passed out drunk at another neighbor's house. I don't want to file a claim and pay a $500 deductible, what should I do?

Answer:
 > not really paying too much attention.

When operating a motor vehicle, this phrase should never come into play. Anything else is negligent.Answer #2: Not a lawyer, but I think your neighbor is right: despite him being parked in your driveway without your permission, you're still responsible for the accident.

Now if you had seen the truck in advance, you would have likely been justified in getting it towed away, but that's not the situation here. Answer #3: Think of it this way. What if it was a person instead of a vehicle. No matter whose property it is, you are responsible at all times for what happens to the vehicle you are driving. If someone's stupid kid was in your driveway chasing a ball and you killed him, would you be arguing you shouldn't be facing charges?

Your neighbor is giving you the deal of a lifetime in not making you/your insurance fix his truck. Take the cost of repairing your vehicle as the price of learning that you should always pay attention where your vehicle is going and what is around it. Fiddle with your radio when the vehicle isn't moving.Answer #4: > I don't want to file a claim and pay a $500 deductible, what should I do?

Your other choices are to fix it yourself, pay someone to fix it (out of your own funds), or leave it damaged.


Title: Laws regarding useless products?

Question:
So, I have a question about laws protecting consumers from useless and deceptive products... specifically, are there any laws at all, and are they enforced?

&#x200B;

With the modern increase in online sales, scams involving products that are functionally useless are becoming more common. I'm not talking about products that are defective, or poorly manufactured, but products that are functionally useless from the start.

&#x200B;

An example of this kind of product would be this bug zapper, advertised on Amazon and several web pages.

[https://www.amazon.com/Creations-JB5452-Cordless-Electronic-Coverage/product-reviews/B002WTN3IS/ref=cm\_cr\_arp\_d\_hist\_1?filterByStar=one\_star&pageNumber=1](https://www.amazon.com/Creations-JB5452-Cordless-Electronic-Coverage/product-reviews/B002WTN3IS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_hist_1?filterByStar=one_star&pageNumber=1)

The product claims to kill bugs in various ways, but in actuality it's a fancy looking plastic tube with a blue LED light in it, which is completley ineffective for bugs. It is entirely useless in every way, and is just one of many cheeply made devices that claim much and do nothing. Some are even sold at major retailers like Walmart.

This product is a variation of a scam that has been going around for a while, and became especially common after the recent Zika scare.

&#x200B;

Are there any laws or regulations that would protect consumers from these useless products, and prevent online retailers like Amazon from allowing such products to be listed?

Answer:
 It was, and remains, legal to sell pet rocks. _Useless_ products are perfectly legal - the law does not decide what someone may or may not have a use for, at that level.

However, deceptive marketing and false advertising are restricted. If the product description

> Weatherproof trap emits UV light and titanium dioxide to mimic human scent and attract insects. Vacuum suction kills mosquitoes, flies, wasps, and more. Pesticide and odor free. Use day or night, inside or out.

is materially false, then the FTC or state-level regulatory bodies may [hear complaints](https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resources/truth-advertising), and the purchaser may be able to compel a refund either through through Amazon, through their CC issuer, or through the courts.

You might note that the description only implies that the product effectively controls mosquitos. That kind of implication is always dicey, and may not be enough to bring a consumer complaint.


Title: I’m about to be fired from my job. If I report my boss to HR for wrongfully forcing me out, what are my chances of survival?

Question:
Alabama, USA. I’m an assistant manager at a big box retailer, $50k/year. I’ve worked for the company for 8 years, in that time I only received 2 performance based correctives, new boss took over in November and I’ve received 4 since the new year.  8 previous annual reviews, never scored less than 3.0 (on a scale from 1-5, 5 being the highest), was just given a 1.7 review for 2018. I feel these correctives and review are not reflective of my performance.

Mainly I just want to know what I need to tell HR, and what evidence do I need, to stave off what appears to be the inevitable?

Also, would it be advantageous to not report what I have on my boss and keep it for ammo against the company if I get let go and file for unemployment?

Answer:
 > Mainly I just want to know what I need to tell HR, and what evidence do I need, to stave off what appears to be the inevitable?

Nothing. You need to look for a new job.


Title: (TX) My dad is a farmer, I work for him in the summer. Is this considered "paying me under the table"?

Question: My dad is a farmer and owns some land, I work for him in the summer and in return he helps pay for my truck, I think it is an awesome deal we have. Is this legal since he is my dad and I am not working at an actual place? Could we get in trouble for him "paying me under the table"? I never understood this.

Answer:
 I mean, this really is a question for your own conscience, and not really a legal question. There's no way either of you could get in trouble legally for you helping your dad on his farm, especially if he never actually pays you. There's not really anything the IRS could question here. Plenty of fathers pay for their son's vehicles, and plenty of sons help their dads around the farm, or with doing chores, etc. Is this just like you and him? Or is this a working farm with paid employees?

If this is weighing on your mind and you want to report this to the IRS to unburden yourself from that, then you're free to do so. But if you're worried about the IRS coming after you, I can't see how they could, as long as it's not really an operating business.

But by the letter of the law, you should probably report the payments he's making as income to you. And if you don't do that, I doubt anything will happen.


Title: [MN] Divorcing a disabled husband?

Question:
My family has run into a bit of difficulty recently.  A few years ago (7 or so, I think), my mom got married.  Myself and a few other family members lived with them until two years ago, where we had a pretty significant falling out that involved kicking my stepdad out of the house.  Despite being separated and living in separate locations, my mom and stepdad still saw each other somewhat regularly, though my stepdad had a history of verbal abuse over text messages and facebook, especially when he had been drinking.  Despite this, my mom never tried to get a divorce, though I'm not sure if my stepdad did or not.

Anyway, things kept getting worse, until recently, when my stepdad had collapsed.  After getting him to a hospital, we found out he had some sort of dementia brought on by too much drinking (to the extent that he has trouble remembering the day, doesn't know who people are, thinks things happened that never actually happened, and so on), and possibly left him unable to use his legs (though I'm not sure how much of that is permanent).  We're not sure if he'd be able to live on his own and just have someone check on him from time to time, or if he'd need full-time supervision in a nursing home.

Unfortunately, that's left us in a bit of a tight spot.  My mom had been thinking about filing for a divorce a while ago, but mostly didn't due to the costs involved and fear that my stepdad would try to be vindictive about it.  Right now however, it seems like we'd have to help pay his medical expenses, and that's not something that we're really able to do.

If my mom does try to get a divorce, what kind of expenses would we have to worry about?  And would there be any complications when trying to divorce someone that has mental issues like this?

Answer: Divorces are *very* fact-specific. Your mother should consult (with a few) divorce attorneys.


Title: Evicted from parents house

Question:
I'm 19 in Delaware.
I posted before, so this is really just an update, with a few questions.
My parents kicked me out yesterday because they thought I was smoking in my room.
I pay rent to them, and was asleep when my dad broke my door in and tried to physically grab me and throw me out. After defending myself, I walked out without further aggravation, and went and spent the night in a hotel.
They texted me giving me permission to come by the next morning and get some clothes, and when I did I noticed my safe that was tethered to my closet bar was gone.
Called the police immediately and the county cop said he couldn't do anything and I had to file a civil suit, he also recommended calling for a non emergency later when they were home to get my things and the officer would I guess mediate?
Later my dad texts me saying I can come open the safe in front of him and the police when I go there, and also found my case of beer And a bowl with maybe ~.1g in it. My question is, can he claim that they are mine?
When I picked up my clothes it was all missing.
My thinking was that since he didn't call to report underage drinking or drug use on the property that he rented, that I can deny knowledge of it since it wasn't found in my room.
I have legal shield, but it's gonna be a few days before I can speak to a lawyer because apparently so do my parents and it's a conflict of interest and I have to get a referral from them.

Apologize in advance for any sloppy formatting or vagueness, I'm new here.

Answer:
 You're being kicked out by your parents (which they have to give notice for, since you're a tenant, but honestly I'd leave sooner than later and get my rent for the unlived portion of the month back).

You are not obligated to open the safe in front of them.  You can just load the safe up and be on your way.

He can definitely claim the beer and drugs are yours, especially since they are.

The same lawyer definitely will not advise you and your parents both on a case you have against each other.  It is a conflict of interest for him to be advising both sides.

Your best course of action is to gather all your belongings and to find a new place to live.Answer #2: > My thinking was that since he didn't call to report underage drinking or drug use on the property that he rented, that I can deny knowledge of it since it wasn't found in my room.

When you're a criminal suspect, talking to police *at all* is a bad idea - even if it's to deny an accusation. Better idea is just to say nothing. Best idea is to avoid putting yourself into a situation where a cop might ask you uncomfortable questions.Answer #3: So you are asking if your dad can tell the cops about drugs that you admit are yours? and you want to know if you should lie to the police?


Title: How do I (18/F) make a will? (Connecticut)

Question: I know it sounds ridiculous to make a will at 18 but I am suicidal and I do not trust my parents at all, nor do I trust any immediate family members with anything that I own. In addition, I don't want them inheriting anything since they aren't very nice people. And is it possible to give everything to one person? I don't have any friends or any family members that I'm really close to. I only have my boyfriend. Any help/advice would be great appreciated.

Answer:
 My advice is to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255.

Please seek help, there are many resources available to you.Answer #2: I would contact multiple lawyers to see who will help you draft and file one as cheap as possible if that is what you are dead set on. I do advise you also seek council for your mental health. I've been where you are and I drafted a Will just so my parents have no say, and I also filled out the hospital paperwork for a DNR form, and giving my Fiance complete control if I am ever incapable of making my own decisions


Title: [GA] Is it illegal to give out free hugs on the street?

Question:
I have an idea for sort of a social experiment.  It's not affiliated with any religion, or belief system.  Basically the idea is to set up a table, two chairs, and a sign that says "FREE HUGS (also life advice/shoulder to cry on)".

I know it sounds weird and hippyish, but I've been through some really dark times, when I didn't have human contact or anyone to talk to.   I don't want other people to feel that.

Answer: We have those. They're widely considered the saddest and creepiest people in the street, and more disliked than the local panhandlers, but it's legal to solicit or offer hugs so long as nobody commits assault (unwanted contact), trespassing (by being on private property without authorization), or disturbs the peace.Answer #2: Having a sign that says free hugs and having a willing participant take you up on that offer is not illegal.


Title: Update: apartment flood

Question:
Original post here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/8por0r/unusable_kitchen_due_to_flood_repairs/?utm_source=reddit-android

Hi legal advice!

Due to flood repairs in a unit we rent in Chicago, our apartment is uninhabitable. Our kitchen cabinets/appliances are in our living room. we have made a claim with our renters insurance and they have been paying for us and our cat to live in a hotel. its been 3 weeks since the kitchen was torn out and no real movement by our landlord to get it out back. He is fighting with his insurance company, the condo association, the construction company etc, but nothing meaningful has happened.

We already have an agreement with our landlord in writing about rent reduction for the time we havent been in the unit, and basically agreed to pay full rent for August and settle the reduction when we know how long we will be out of the apartment.

However our insurance cap is coming up soon. We are exploring breaking the lease and finding a new apartment. My concern is that I'm not sure the place is considered "uninhabitable" enough (I guess our insurance company thinks it is since they are paying for the hotel). 2 questions:

1. Is this enough to break the lease?
2. What steps do we need to take to break lease? (e.g. giving appropriate notice, settling 3 weeks of rent for an apartment we couldn't stay in)
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: If you can't live in the apartment you should be paying $0 in rent for that time.


Title: [Chicago, IL] Condo association refuses to tow cars parked in my space

Question:
I own a condo in a building that includes the exclusive use of a parking space as a limited common element. I don't generally park there myself -- I rent a garage elsewhere -- but someone has been repeatedly helping him/herself to my space. I did need to use it today and found a rental car parked there. I sent an email to the building mailing list asking whoever it was to move their car.

The association president, who regularly declines to enforce the building's rules, replied with a snide one-line email thanking me for my "understanding and flexibility". I replied asking what the procedure is for towing unauthorized vehicles is but haven't gotten a response. As the owner of the "exclusive use" of that space, I am in no way obligated to be understanding or flexible, right?

Our condo rules say, "Unauthorized vehicles are subject to towing at the expense of the infringing owner," so it would appear that the association has the right to tow unauthorized cars. But I don't read that as requiring them to tow. In order for me to have the "exclusive use" of my parking space, there would have to be something that can be done when someone infringes it. Does anyone have a responsibility to remove an unauthorized vehicle? Do I also have the right to remove an unauthorized vehicle in order to guarantee my "exclusive use"? If not, does that mean the right to use the parking space meaningless if the board refuses to enforce it? Sadly, the associated decided to self-manage years before I lived here so there's no management company I can go to for help. What are my options, if any?

Thanks so much!

Answer:
 I have this similar problem at my apartment complex in Tampa. We have signs that say "unauthorized vehicles will be towed at the owners expense". You should still contact the landlord about this situation, but if I were you, if you see someone park in your space, immediately call the tow company and have the car towed. Other people know they shouldn't park there. Answer #2: Find your copy of the deed that spells out which space is yours, make a quick photocopy to keep in your kitchen.

Call Bubba's Garage and have them tow it, repeat as neededAnswer #3: Can you put cones in your spot to mark it? If it’s your numbered spot couldn’t you get creative write a sign that says “this sign is your notice that authorized vehicles cannot park here and will be towed” ?Answer #4: I'm not a lawyer, and this is entirely off topic and I completely understand if the mods delete this comment, but I originally read that as "condo association refuses to tow cows parked in my space", and was intrigued at how this situation ever arose.Answer #5: NAL

Usually this sub suggests going to city /gov authorities when HOAs aren’t complying.  While you read the city ordinances and the latest laws of notifying/signage/avoiding “pirate tows, I’d contact police, city authorities and even some tow companies.  If you have AAA, maybe they have experience.  To begin with, quickest and easiest, an email (same one to all)sent to all these entities might help and you’d have something in e-writing.


Title: Noncompete Contract advice with a Mens Salon/Spa. New York.

Question: deleted

Answer:
 First, about half your post is irrelevant.  The not paying overtime and paying cash is separate, and something the DoL would care about but would have little bearing on your non-compete.

[This](https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/) is a list of the legally protected classes where discrimination is illegal.  Also not that the age bit is only about discriminating against someone because they are older than 40.  Anything not on this list is perfectly legal discrimination.

The non-compete is really the only thing that matters here, and in the US these can be tricky to say the least.  It's probably safest to pay the few hundred dollars to have a sit down with a lawyer to look into the validity of yours and discuss this.


Title: My[CA] husband just got picked up for marijuana charges in Utah

Question:
I'm in a state of shock. My husband left on a trip a couple of days ago to go visit some family in Colorado. I got home from work earlier and saw a missed call from an unknown number. The voicemail is from an automated call from a jail in Utah. After making a couple of calls, I come to find out he is being held in jail for marijuana possession, intent to distribute, and possession of paraphernalia with a $5000 bond. After getting this information, I head down to the local bail bond, but they couldn't do much because apparently he hadn't been booked yet and the banker hadn't called back. The lady said she would call me whenever she received a call back, that was three hours ago.

Where do I go from here? I suppose there's not much I can do until he's booked. I feel so lost.

I feel like I should quit my job. I work for a school district and if word of this got around to the small community I  could never show my face again. I feel humiliated.

Answer:
 >I feel like I should quit my job. I work for a school district and if word of this got around to the small community I could never show my face again. I feel humiliated.

You live in California, where marijuana is about to be legal.  Why would you quit your job?  You aren't thinking logically, and that is okay.

It is not the end of the world.  You can google a few criminal defense lawyers in Utah and your husband can hire one once he is out.


Title: Found an open card in my mailbox. What should I do?

Question:
Hi there. I'm in Pennsylvania.

Recently my mom sent me a card and a check for some money that was owed to me.

When I got the card, it was obviously cut open, and sitting right in my mailbox. (I took pictures).

The card looked like it was a birthday card (in typical mom fashion), covered in stickers and handwritten. I'm guessing someone saw it and figured their was cash inside. The check was also intact. Nobody took it. And I alerted my mom to keep an eye on that account.

What else should I do?

I live in a rough part of town. It either happened at the mailbox (it was only in there for 3 hours, broad daylight, while I was at work), or before it got to my mailbox. It's honestly 50/50 in that regard.

Thanks

Answer: You can file a police report or let the USPS know but nothing will be done. If you're worried about your mail being stolen setup a camera.


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Teenage sister was caught shoplifting and I received this letter in the mail after 2 months. What do I do?

Question:
My younger (17 y/o) sister was living with me for over a year while our parents work and live overseas. I am in my early 20's and a full time university student. Long story short she was out of control and did a lot of stupid things that finally led to her being caught shoplifting. I couldn't deal with her and sent her back to live with our parents.

The officer that "arrested her" basically let her off the hook because she is a minor and was planning on going to university, etc.

I received this letter today:

[http://imgur.com/a/s0NZa](http://imgur.com/a/s0NZa)

It sounds like I'm essentially being extorted for money. Especially since whatever my sister stole was returned to the store when she got caught. My parents are okay with me paying the $435.00 but I just want to know if I should go through with it or not.

Thank you

Answer:
 It's a demand letter, not extortion. All it says is that someone believes you owe them money, and that they'll sue to collect it if you don't pay.

They're wrong, though. They believe she's your daughter, which would mean that you would have some degree of parental liability for her actions. As she's not, you have a solid defence: you're not responsible for your sister's debts, in general. Odds are good that if you write them back or call them, explain that they have received some bad information, and that the person they're interested in is your sister and not your daughter, they'll leave _you_ alone.

They may go after your parents, or your sister, or both. It's up to you whether to provide contact information; without a court order, you're not required to do anything.

Edit: "Govern yourself accordingly" remains the douchiest of lawyerly closings, though.Answer #2: Under the Parental Responsibility Act, a parent could be responsible for some acts of their child:

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/00p04

You're not a parent and have absolutely zero liability here, no matter what the sister did.

In this store's case, the store has no actual damages (the product was recovered), the kid wasn't charged, and this letter is completely without any merit at all.  I'd be tempted to respond with nothing but a page of laughing emojis, or similar.

http://www.slaw.ca/2015/04/01/bully-lawyers-shoplifting-civil-recovery-letters-whos-going-to-stop-them/


Title: Neighbors saw me having sex in my home through my windows - indecent exposure?

Question:
 I currently live in a fourth floor apartment that faces a street but whose windows are largely obscured from the street by a balcony that (from my tests) make seeing into my windows from the street difficult if not impossible. For this reason and because I live in geographical location that gets very limited sunlight, I often leave my blinds open to let sun in and because I don't think almost anyone can see in.

To my surprise, I walked outside and noticed a note taped to the front door of my apartment. In the note the author referred themselves as an concerned neighbor would told me that they had seen me having sex several times with my girlfriend in my apartment. I was shocked and let out a small laugh that such a thing could be happening to me (but not to make light of the situation). I later found another note on the door that told me that they apparently heard me laugh and were now threatening to call the police about it and get a lawyer. I've never regretted a nervous laugh so much.

I acknowledge on occasion that my blinds were open and, like many adults in committed relationships, I had sex with my partner in my home and even on the couch which is not far from the windows. In the state I live indecent exposure is defined as, "A person is guilty of indecent exposure if he or she intentionally makes any open and obscene exposure of his or her person or the person of another knowing that such conduct is likely to cause reasonable affront or alarm..". However, I never meant for anyone to see.

My question is that can I be convicted of indecent exposure for my neighbor seeing me engaged in a sexual act like this when I just had a bad habit of sometimes leaving my blinds open? My blinds are now obviously closed. Location - WA, USA.

**Update 1**: Just so you know what I am dealing with and I don't have to paraphrase here are the images of the notes.

**Note 1**  In defense of the masturbating point, 1) - not constant and 2)- I don't do that really anywhere but the shower. I think they are just seeing me sit naked on my couch. The fact I have to share that with the internet kills me inside.

https://imgur.com/gallery/DXEfv

   **Note 2**:
    https://imgur.com/a/Hvqv8

**Update 2** I decided to write a response and paste it to the outside of my apartment complex where I found the other notes. Here is what I wrote, hopefully it will stop this.

https://imgur.com/a/N2G4Y

Answer:
 Snoopy neighbor is more a voyeur than are you indecently exposing yourself. Especially if claiming the observation came from the street and you are on the 4th floor. How possibly did they hear your laugh?

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=9A.44.115Answer #2: I think they're skirting closer to illegality than you are.

I also think when your g/f comes over, and I mean every time, you should put a giant sign over the window that says something like "IT'S ON!" ideally with a smiling personified cartoon rocket ship, banana, etc.Answer #3: Along with the voyeur angle most other comments are suggesting, consider getting privacy screens for your windows. [Something like this](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MWSZZ6C?psc=1) lets in more light than blinds with about the same amount of privacy. I have these, and pro tip, get some double sided tape for the corners or else it will start to peel off every few months.

Also, they look pretty good. The one I have has a bunch of little squares to fake stained glass, and my landlord thought I replaced my first floor windows from about two feet away.


Title: Using a replica gun as a deterrent? North Carolina

Question: [deleted]

Answer: lol thats how you get shot. get a real gun. a handgun is just 150 or less for a high point


Title: How will copyrights for older works (LotR, Mickey Mouse) work when they expire in Canada, but not the US? Will Canadians become immune to cease and desist?

Question:
Canada currently has life+50 years for their copyrights while the US and EU have life+70.

When the copyrights end in Canada are people then immune to cease and desist orders?

Lord of the Rings is coming up on a copyright expiration in 2023, so will we see a possible LotR theme park open right across the border into Canada with nothing the current copyright holders could do about it?

Answer:
 >Lord of the Rings is coming up on a copyright expiration in 2023, so will we see a possible LotR theme park open right across the border into Canada with nothing the current copyright holders could do about it?

No, it doesn't mean that.  LotR is still an active trademark of the Tolkien estate (and Warner Bros. as far as the look of the movies is concerned).

It might mean someone could self-publish that Prince Imrahil novel-length fanfic they wrote in the 9th grade, though.  It couldn't be legally sold in the US.


Title: My university is picking on me (insert middle finger)

Question: I am in a graduate program at a California university. I am being required to retake a class for receiving a B-. The problem is, is that I know of four other students in the same class who also received a B- and aren’t being required to retake the class. I met with the program director and he lied to my face saying he doesn’t know anyone else who got a B-. I recorded the meeting with the lying director. I made an appointment with the dean for an internal grade check of that class. Open to any other ideas or next steps to take. Thanks internet world.

Answer:
 >I know of four other students in the same class who also received a B-

How? You've seen the professor's grade book?

Seriously do not die on this hill.Answer #2: This is a school issue. The only thing related to law here is that California is a two-party consent state, so unless you had consent to record your meeting, the recording was possibly illegal.


Title: A company says our website is theirs.

Question:
I own part of a web development company in the Netherlands.

We made a website for a local business.

There is a competitor (big one) in our region who makes websites and print for shirts, menu's, etc.

This competitor made prints for the same local business.

On the website of our competitor they have a "Portfolio" where this customers company is used to show off their work.

The page contains the name of the client, then "**visit our website**" which leads to the website **my** company built and then underneath that it says "Work for this client" followed by images of the work they did. This company has nothing to do with the website and we have not used any of their work on the website but it still says **our.**

&#x200B;

My question is:

Are they violating any laws or my company's author's rights by saying "**Visit our website**" while it is not theirs?

Answer:
 Have you talked to them? It might be a simple internal miscommunication.

If that doesn't work, have you talked to your customer? The most practical solution is one where your customer tells them to fix it, because they won't want to look bad and lose their business.Answer #2: This could be a misunderstanding. The employee responsible for setting up the page of links to "our work" may have assumed the work you did for the site was theirs since they did the prints. A big company has lots of employees, and an internal miscommunication like this is not uncommon. So simply letting the company know may be enough.Answer #3: Why are you not reading it as: This is our client XYZ, "Visit our website" (meaning visit XYZ's Website)?

&#x200B;

Are they specifically claiming they did the Website?Answer #4: (not a lawyer) Screenshot that shit and roll it into YOUR advertising.  "So good the competition wishes they were us".  I would screenshot it, document it any way you can that is gold.


Title: Could I or how much legal trouble could I be in if I were to stab someone who was attempting to assault/rape me?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 The winner of a knife fight is generally the one that dies in the hospital.

You can use force in self-defence, but in nearly every jurisdiction I can think of, you can use only reasonable force, proportionate to the danger you perceive. Using a weapon more or less requires that you reasonably believe yourself to be in _imminent_ danger of death or serious injury. (Rape counts.)

Stabbing someone as a first response is not reasonable. Stabbing someone who is actively trying to force you down might be. Stabbing someone who is approaching you with a weapon and a clear or stated intent to use it is near-certainly reasonable. Ultimately, though, it may come down to a jury's evaluation of the facts.

Once the imminent danger has passed, you generally can no longer use force. ~~Self-defence is also not a justification against charges for possession of a weapon or other incidental law-breaking.~~ Not accurate in Georgia! Thanks, u/FishingForCars.

If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot avoid using force in self-defence, get a lawyer afterwards.


Title: Need legal advice involving Walmart accident

Question:
I had an accident at Walmart yesterday. I was shopping, my cart wheel jammed and a large can slipped out the child's seat, fell, and hit my toe. I was in flip-flops and blackened my big toe. Now I'm limping. Told my dad about it and he adviced I file an incident report. It feels pretty scummy, but do I have a case? I had to go home early from the pain and the area under the nail is blackened.

I'm in Shreveport

Answer:
 You can file a claim with Walmart, but it doesn't sound like you have a case.  You placed the can in such a way that it easily fell.  Sounds like it would have fallen if you ran into a tiny bump.

I wouldn't bother, but if you wanted to you should first file a claim with WalMart.


Title: (Florida) Just got kicked out and my parents made me give up my car keys. The car key is in my name OR my dads. Anything I can do?

Question: I rely on the car. I go to school 6 hours away and without it I'm about to say goodbye to that. I am 19. "key" should be "title"

Answer:
 IANAL, but I am a claims adjuster in Florida and have to deal with titles regularly. You and your father have joint ownership of the car. In Florida, co-ownership is showed by both names joined by "and" or "or". If the names are joined by "and" then both parties have to sign for anything to be done with the vehicle. If the names are joined by "or" as in your case, either party has rights to the vehicle and can make decisions regarding the car without the other party.
As your father has actual possession of both the title and the car, that will make things difficult for you unless you are able to request a duplicate title on your own.

If you're looking to gain actual possession of the car, you'll likely have to speak with a lawyer and be able to prove the funds for the vehicle came from yourself and not your parents.

On the other hand, if you were able to make moves on your own, your father would have little recourse. The application for certificate of title makes it very clear about what you are choosing when you choose for a title to be issued with joint owners as "or" instead of "and". The default is "and" so choosing "or" has to be a deliberate choice and you both would have had to sign the title application for it to be issued this way.

EDIT: clarification
Answer #2: Do you want to pursue an illegal eviction against your parents?Answer #3: Someone a bit more knowledgeable than me might know more about this, but this could be illegal eviction too.


Title: Need Tenant Advice

Question:
Hello, Tenantguy here. (CA)

I have been living in my uncle's house rent free for about 15 years. In those 15 years he has decided to make an illegal addition to the house, that basically adds a small house to the back of the house and converted the garage into a room as well (so new small house has two rooms).

He lives in the back house with 9 other people (Wife, child, sister-in-law with 5 kids, mother-in-law). He wants to make the regular room in the back house into two much smaller rooms and move me in there, where I would not even have a closet. He is going to move out to his new home and wants to rent all the other rooms in the regular house and back house to other people and let the sister-in-law with 5 children live rent free in the garage room.

Now I did not agree to this and offered to pay rent for the back house($2000/month) so long as I can have the whole back house to myself. But he doesn't want to agree cause he want's to make more money off of each individual renter(Which my 2k would cover that and might be the most he would get anyway), but I don't want to have to share living space with people I don't know + the sister-in-law with 5 children.

He has basically told me if I don't like it the I can move out, but I don't want to since I have lived here for pretty much half my life. I'm mostly trying to rent the back for myself so that he doesn't end up with non-paying tenants in an "illegal unit".

So I have a few questions:

- Can he legally evict me at all?

- What do I do if he doesn't agree to renting the back house to me?

- Am I liable for his illegal section of the house and not telling coding violations officers?

- Do you guys think he should take my offer? (Given the fact that if he moves other people in an illegal unit they can just not pay and he wont be able to evict from what I read on google using "CA illegal units").

- Is my offer reasonable?

This is in California.

EDIT:

- He wants me to live rent free in the back house with a bunch of people.

- I offered to pay rent for the back area as long as I can have it to myself ($2000/month)

- Realized my post seemed winy, so I edited it.

Answer: Quit freeloading off your uncle. If he wasn't supporting his whole extended family he probably wouldn't have to gerry rig his house illegally to get you all to fit.


Title: Custody question (Utah)

Question:
My SO and I have a 7 month old baby girl. I stay home, I live in SLC, and I care for and financially support my baby and myself 100% on my own with my military pension. My SO works four hours away and commutes home on the weekends. He works insane hours during the week, drives a truck towing a trailer full of welders on mountain passes on very little sleep on Friday nights. He comes home and is worthless to us on Fridays and Saturdays, he just sleeps all day.

The last few weeks I have started to not be so lenient with him. I have been telling him that none of this is ok, he is not being a parent or a partner, and I need him to start sleeping more during the week. He doesn't take me seriously so it just continues.

Last evening, he told me at around 5:30 that he would be leaving the office at 8 and would call me when he was heading home. I heard nothing. I called a million times, and at 3 AM I called some of the non emergency lines for dispatches in the counties he drives through to make sure he wasn't in an accident. I decided at 6 this morning that I was going to call the police at 7 for a welfare check at his office - he lives in a fifth wheel in the back.

I called him at 7 and he finally answered - sure enough he was asleep. I am livid. I don't know how our relationship got to a point that this is ok, but it is not. So I told him to not come home this weekend. He was mumbling and I only heard him say he was coming home regardless, and then he hung up on me.

I sent him a text telling him that I think we need space, and I don't want him here this weekend. I looked up the standard visitation for a baby her age and it looks like 3 3-hour visits a week. Today, I am spending the day with his family (he doesn't like them so he had no plans to go anyway), so today is shot. So I text him and told him that if he comes to SLC this weekend, he is welcome to visit with her on Sunday in my home for 3 hours, but not to come here otherwise.

This guy thinks no rules apply to him. So I am pretty certain he will show up here anyway. Here is my question -

I am able to lock him out of the house. I own the home, it is in my name and my name only, he has a code to an electronic lock on the door but I can manually lock the handle. If he comes here before I leave and demands to take our daughter for the day, I have been dumb and we don't have a custody agreement or child support order, so if I call the cops, what will happen?

When we were fighting during my pregnancy, I did retain a family attorney, and will be seeing him as soon as the weekend is over.

But in the meantime, can I refuse to let him leave the house with her? I know I will probably have to do a formal eviction should we decide to part ways (he has a lot of stuff here, but his tools and stuff are in his shop at the home he owns across town, which has renters).

I am most worried about him just showing up and demanding to take her. If you don't have any parenting agreement in place or a visitation schedule, how do you get through the few days until my lawyer can draw up something standard?

I am not trying to "get him" in any way, I am just over this and need to draw a line somewhere. Thanks!

Answer:
 No you cannot illegally evict him from his home.

He has no legal ability to "take" the child. You have no legal obligation to give him the child. The police will say it is a civil matter and to go to court.


Title: Fired for "suspected" smokeless tobacco use?

Question:
United States.
Tobacco free facility.
Hours after a meeting with superiors, fired by HR for "smokeless tobacco use in prohibited area" (basically).
Was not using smokeless tobacco.
Was not asked during meeting if smokeless tobacco was in use.
 Fired later for assumed use.
How screwed is the employer?

Answer: Not at all.  Unless you are in MT or have a union contract you can be fired for any reason, including a bad one, or no reason at all so long as the reason doesn't violate some other law (or in some states public policy).  Tobacco users are not a protected class.


Title: (OR) I think this person will try to send me money after I told them no.

Question:
I put an ad up on craiglist to rent out a room and got a text asking me to email them. Seemed a little strange but I did anyway. Got this response:

> Good to hear back from you, I'm interested in renting the room. My
> name is  Tiffany Lynn Gravley  i was born in France (Paris) i speak
> both French & English, am single, fun, loving, clean, loyal and
> respectful of others, don't have any pet. More about me, my father is
> from US and my mother is from France. I'm 21yrs old, sex female, i
> attend American University of Paris, graduated a year ago.
>
>   I'm coming to stay for a year, and am coming for my master's degree.
> I'm currently in Alaska in a village "Nunivak Island" on a research
> work and will be coming soon... I'll be arriving this month i'll loved
> to call you but here is a remote area calls are very hard to go
> through, please send me some picture of the room because i will not be
> able to come over and check on it before renting.
>
>  Please tell me little about yourself...if you are a student?,
> working?, married or single?, if there is a garage or parking space
> because i will be coming with my own car. Let me know the total amount
> for the first month rent, i will be paying upfront so that you can be
> rest assured that am really interested in renting the room from you...
>
>
> My mode of payment is US Check, so please feed me back with the
> following details so that i can ensure you are ready to rent the room
> to me.
>
> BELOW IS THE INFORMATION NEEDED
>
> ***** Full Name:
> ****** Street Address:
> *******  City, State, Zip Code:
> ********  Home & Cell Number:
> *********  Total amount for a month:
>
>   I'll be waiting to read back from you with the information requested
> so that i can forward it to my father to issue out the check for the
> deposit and month rent upfront as soon as possible, with that you can
> hold on the place prior my arrival... Thanks for your co-operation

They obviously didn't read the ad or they would have already known the answers to those questions. It still didn't sound *too* insane, so I sent them the info. Then I got this response:

> Thanks so much for the details provided, I'll forward it to my father
> for him to issue out payment on time. I'm so happy that you are
> renting the room to me, pls secure the room prior my arrival by taken
> the ad down Craiglist, this will give me a strong prove that the room
> has been hold prior my arrival so that other interested people will
> not make any inquiry.  I'll e-mail by giving you an update about the
> status in regards to the payment and also provide the tracking number
> from the carrier
> service delivery the check okay
>
> Regarding my Car.... I'm planning on having it delivered to you before
> my arrival so that you can come and pick me up at the airport and
> settle in comfortably, you can understand that transiting car is not
> easy so i am making arrangement with the car delivery agent  to
> deliver the car before
> my arrival.I'll ask you for a favor here, can i rely on you accepting
> the delivery of the car?, as you'll be handling the delivery of the
> car along with the rent fee, the car money will be included in the
> check coming to you, once you receive the check you will help me have
> the car money send to the car dealer agent, please let me know if you
> can do this for me? and i promise to compensate you adequately for
> your time and efforts on my arrival into your place.
>
> Let me know at once if i can trust you to have the car money send to
> the car dealer agent once  you receive the check. I'll be expecting
> your email as soon as you can.  Thanks so much for your
> understanding...
>
> Sincerely,
> Tiffany

Then I told them "no, I can't do that for you," and looked it up--this is a very common scam. Now I'm getting emails insisting that payment is coming:

> Hi -- --, how are you doing today and i will like to inform
> you that the payment will arrived on Wednesday morning and kindly be
> at home to received it?OK

I told them no again.

What should I do if something arrives in the mail, other than just ignore it? Is it worth my time to report it? Should I be concerned about potential identity theft?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Reply to the email: "What is baseball? A shark in my pants! The world is a table! Holy gram crackers!"

Wait for response.Answer #2: It's 100% a scam. If the check shows up destroy it. Stop all contact. Don't waste your time.Answer #3: When you say you sent the info requested, did that include the pictures she asked for? If so, you might also want to keep an eye on Craigslist for fake ads renting out the room, which is another common CL scam.Answer #4: This is one of the more creative versions of the [cheque cashing scam](http://www.fakechecks.org/preventionRentalSchemes.html) I've seen.Answer #5: This sounds really scammy. If this person is not trying to scam you, which I doubt, she sounds a little crazy and I think you know that. If something arrives in the mail send it back. Don't cash the check, just return to sender.


Title: I seem to be suffering from some sort of extended harassment campaign by the police.

Question:
Apparently they have some snitch breaking into my apartment on a regular basis and drugging the stuff in my fridge with amphetamines, lsd and who knows what else. This seems to be some sort of ploy to make me flip out and get slapped with a 5150. This has been going on for years on a daily basis and, I've complained to the FBI at least a dozen times. Since it's the police pulling this who exactly am I supposed to file a complaint with?

edit: I'm in California

Answer:
 Have you tried talking to a therapist?

I have a brother who has the same, I mean exact same, problem as you.

Therapy and medication has worked a great deal.

Answer #2: This sounds exactly like paranoid schizophrenia. Your best option is to see a psychiatrist. If you have schizophrenia, they can help you. If you do not, they can vouch for your mental health, allowing you to pursue action against those harassing you despite the stereotypical nature of your complaints.Answer #3: Please seek therapy, a psychologist, or a psychiatrists ASAP.


Title: NJ- can my employer force me to download a text messaging app on my personal cell phone?

Question:
I work for a hotel in NJ- we are an international hotel chain, but are a franchise.

My bosses sent a very vague email, asking us to download an app called Lua with no other information about it. It's apparently a text messaging app. There's no information about the app's permissions, what they want to use it for, etc. Also, my hotel has around 150 employees, and there's no information about who will have our cell phone numbers (ie, will they be visible to everyone with this app/is communication monitored). They have a training session for this app scheduled TBD, but within the next few weeks, and they want the app downloaded prior to the meeting.

The hotel does not provide us with cell phones, nor give us an allowance for them. I am very uncomfortable being asked to download an app on my personal phone that I know nothing about for no reason specified.

Has anyone else dealt with this? Does anyone know what this app is?

For now, I simply haven't downloaded the app nor have I answered the email or said anything to anyone. I'm planning on not doing so until someone asks me about it. I don't feel comfortable approaching my boss about this, due to other similar requests in the past ('mandatory' money requests for employees baby shower gifts, etc).

Answer:
 You don't have to do it, but they can fire you for not doing so.Answer #2: This? https://getlua.com/

To be honest it seems absolutely bizarre that a hotel chain would want to use this. If they need to contact employees, regular phone calls, texts, or emails should be acceptable. This app is clearly designed for use in hospitals or health care organizations that must be HIPAA compliant.


Title: Car accident resulted in a total loss and I need some advice

Question:
Hello,

I was involved in a car accident that resulted in a total loss of my truck in central Ohio about a month ago. The accident wasn’t my fault and the other driver was cited at the scene. She was driving a company car as well.

I had to file through my own insurance company because her company was dodging my calls and I needed to secure a rental. After three weeks of repairs and expecting to get my truck back this week, I was informed that it’s actually a total loss. My truck was six months old and I have gap coverage but because I rolled an old loan into my new one, I will still have a pretty substantial balance after insurance pays out and no car.

I’ve been told that I can bring a lawsuit against either the other driver or the company she was driving with but I don’t know anything about how to do it or whether or not I actually have a case. I’m also out the $2,000 I put down on my vehicle.

Does anyone have any advice as to what my next steps are or whether or not a lawsuit will actually make me whole? Obviously the best case scenario for me is for the old loan to be totally paid so that I can go and get another car without having to pay two auto loans. Any help or advice is greatly appreciated. Thank you

Answer: A lawsuit for what? The loan balance you rolled over? That has nothing to do with this.  The other driver doesn't owe you that under any circumstances.


Title: Are there any laws regarding restraining a strange child?

Question:
I've had this come up at various jobs.  So for example, in one case I was working as a janitor, and a small child (maybe 7 years old) is running around and climbing on various things that aren't particularly meant to support that much weight.  There's no parent or guardian in sight, and the child isn't responding to verbal warnings.

Could someone still be sued for grabbing a child in this situation?  And what would be the best way to go about dealing with the child?

Answer: You risk being sued and even accused of child molestation by putting your hands on a strange child in this day and age, especially in a low-level job like janitor.  Call your supervisor, find the kids' parents, or if it's a genuine emergency, call 911.


Title: My landlord installed a ramp and does not ice it (Western NY)

Question:
So our downstairs neighbor is an older lady that has trouble walking. She had the landlord install a ramp to help her get up the stairs. The problem is he does not ice it. This being western New York it gets extremely slippery. Just today I went down it and could not even walk. It was a slide the whole way down. Getting back up it was worse. We have tried telling the landlord the thing is a deathtrap, but this does not seem to help. He'll ice it for a couple days then it goes back to the way it was before. Is there anybody I could contact about this?
Tl;DR: Landlord installed deathtrap of a ramp and won't salt it.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Presumably you mean deice it.  Only an asshole, or a personal injury attorney, would ice a ramp.  You could probably report this to whoever enforces building codes or local ordinances.  If you want to be real nice, you could salt the ramp in the interim.Answer #2: Can I suggest that you de-ice the ramp in the interim?  Regardless of liability, getting a bag of salt from Wegmans is a lot easier than dealing with an injury.


Title: Is it legal to steal divorce paperwork?

Question: my buddy went and payed for divorce paperwork, his soon to be ex wife stole it from his backpack while he was at work and refuses to return it, is that shit even legal?!

Answer: Stealing is not legal, but paperwork is easily replaced and has basically no value. Your friend should get new paperwork.Answer #2: What did she steal? If it was blank forms for which he paid only a nominal sum, it's illegal, but not worth filing a report about. If she stole paperwork he'd had a lawyer prepare, he can get another copy from the lawyer. If it was a copy of filed paperwork, it was a pointless theft, as the courthouse has copies.


Title: (Australia) I am helping a friend get pregnant as a surrogate sperm doner who doesn't want later financial responsibility and wondering my legal issues around this

Question:
Title says it mostly. I am a male helping a friend who is obviously female who wants a child to fall pregnant. She says as long as I am not on the birth certificate she can't do things like make me pay child support in the future and I am just wondering the validity of these claims and if it is possible to just never have to be legally responsible and what measures would we maybe have to do paperwork wise to ensure this.

&#x200B;

Not looking for any judgement just legal advice please. Thank you !

Answer:
 If you go through proper sperm donation processes and facilities, they will help with the legal paperwork.

If you do it "the old fashion way," You're a father not a donor.Answer #2: There are two ways this can happen:

1.) Under medical supervision at a hospital or clinic.  This is the "sperm donor" option.

2.) Literally all other ways.  This is the "Father" option.Answer #3: If your sperm gets in her any other way than through a hospital and Dr, then you would be the legal father and could be required to pay child support


Title: What happens when a witness on the stand contradicts their deposition?

Question: I'm in Illinois.

Answer:
 Then they'll be confronted with that discrepancy by one side or the other to impeach their testimony and make them seem less credible.

If they purposely lied in either one, they could be charged with perjury.


Title: [Florida] Stepfather/widower failed to list daughters as heirs on probate filing

Question:
The mom died in February 2014 without a will.  The homesteaded house that was deeded only in her name has gone into foreclosure in January 2015 as the stepfather hasn't made a payment since May 2014.

When she died one daughter was still a minor. (I think this affects Homestead rights)

The children were served by process by the bank in the foreclosure action as defendants since they are heirs.

On August 6, 2015, the stepfather initiated probate and omitted the daughters as heirs on the two statements that he swore to.

As he's attempting to be the personal representative of the estate, what are the chances that the court will allow him if the court finds out that he lied to it by omission.  Both daughters lived with him and mother for years.

The daughters are going to seek an attorney to help them with the probate and foreclosure so that they don't lose out on their half of the remaining equity of the house, which is currently over $200,000.

Any speculation of the court's action and advice is appreciated.

Answer: You can challenge the probate. While every judge is different there is a very high probability that they would get adjustment to the estate if they were truly omitted. That's the reason why "cutting someone out of the will" is a worse idea that "leaving person X $1", which demonstrates that the person writing the will hasn't forgotten the person but simply doesn't what that person to receive anything significant.


Title: If a salesman or someone wouldnt let me close my door, aka had there foot in the doorway, am i aloud to slam it on their foot or would i get in trouble

Question: Been hearing about a guy in a rusty old truck going door to door selling steaks and sausage and i want to know what my rights are

Answer: My life tip - if someone comes by trying to cold-sell meats, just tell them you're a vegetarian. That is usually the quickest way to get them to leave.


Title: Can I hold a company responsible for bat bites? CA

Question: So right before lockdown outside of a business in an urban area I was swooped by multiple bats. I let them know and they said that had gotten complaints before. During the first lift of lockdowns I went back and was harassed by bats again outside and I let them know. Tonight a what I assume was a rabid bat swooped me, I dodged and he the kept crashing into the wall. If I keep going back and am bit by a rabid bat can I have them pay for my rabies shots?

Answer: If you got even a slight bat scratch, you should go to a hospital immediately. Rabies is 100% lethal without a vaccine.Answer #2: If you keep going to a place where you've encountered bats and get bitten by a bat, you are an idiot. Whether the business is in anyway responsible depends on where the bats are roosting. Why haven't you reported this to city authorities instead of looking for someone to blame?


Title: Squatters seeking ownership in Utah

Question:
I'll keep this short, if you want/need more details please ask.
About 11 years ago some friends and I found an abandoned house boarded up.  One morning we went and pulled all the boards off and started living there.  We look into the property info, find out there are 2 years of unpaid property taxes and some fines associated with boarding and cleaning up the yard.  Paid them off.  Paid the property taxes every year since then.  We seem to be well within the grounds for adverse possession. Found out today that the business that owned it has been defunct since the mid 90's.  We were thinking about pursing an action to quiet title, but what does it mean when the entity that owned the property no longer exists? advice?

Answer:
 The entity, during its dissolution, should have done something with all of its assets. It could have been bought out but failed to file paperwork on the house. Anyway, you need a lawyer to quiet title and sort that out for you.Answer #2: http://le.utah.gov/~code/TITLE78B/htm/78B02_020800.htm

You need a lawyer at this point, but from what you said you do have a good claim to take control over the deed through adverse possession. Go see a lawyer that focuses on real estate.

Be sure to update us!Answer #3: Get a lawyer to do a quite title action for you.  It will probably cost a couple grand, but you will know it was handled correctly, and that is a small price to pay for a piece of land!


Title: I am 16 years old and a server at a restaurant. This month I was given my first paycheck and charged a tax amount of $90 out of $210 that I earned. I filled out my tax form as exempt-- what can I do to remedy the situation?

Question:
So, as the title says, I have been serving at a restaurant in Indiana for a month now. My hourly wage is 2.50 plus tips and when I first started working my mom filled out the IRS form and exempted me from taxes because I don't pay taxes, do not have an income tax and will not pay taxes at the end of the year. I'm not sure if the restaurant erroneously charged me for Medicare, Social Security, Local and state taxes or if it is valid but I worked hard for the money I earned and $90 is a lot for a 16 year old like me. What should/ can I do to understand and possibly remedy the situation?

Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 Social security and Medicare comes out of every dollar earned.

How much in tips did you claim?


Title: Sister given $2,000 for a car to start new job then her employer-to-be said she couldn't get the job and wants the money back

Question:
My sister (sister-in-law) was hired as a nanny for a lady in California four months ago. She didn't have a car to commute to the home (where she would nanny) so the family said they would give her $2,000 for a down payment on a car instead of the regular signing bonus they give to nannies who sign the contract. She was supposed to start in four days.

The employer said she didn't want my sister to have the job because my sister couldn't work as long-term as the employer wanted. My sister agreed to one year, and if it was a good fit they'd discuss two years. The employer knew and still gave her the money. Just this afternoon she texted my sister in law and said that it won't work because it's not a long enough commitment and now wants the $2,000 back. Since it has been so long, my sister has already spent half of it on rent and other Living expenses because she has been unemployed while waiting for this job to start. And she got a car from her parents to borrow for a few months AFTER she started nannying, until she could save enough to buy one. (She didn't want to use the $2,000 as a down payment on something she wasn't even sure she could afford monthly until she had at least a couple months income to base her payments off of.)

Does my sister owe her the money back?

There is a handwritten contract that my sister has but I don't have access to that yet. We can get that verbiage posted here soon. I hope this made sense! Please ask for any clarification. Cheers!

Answer:
 >Since it has been so long, my sister has already spent half of it on rent and other Living expenses

From what you write, the $2,000-00 was for a down payment on a CAR. If you sister had put it down on a car, she might have an argument but if she used it for rent and other expenses wholly unrelated to the job? Yeah she (might likely) owe the money back.

Subject to any written contract of course.


Title: Ordered a diamond engagement ring from Blue Nile and got this questionable email. Need some advice. Did I just got ripped off?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I don't believe a bait and switch is occurring here. If anything, Blue Nile is being very upfront. They could have chosen to not tell you about the issue, and unless you ever had the ring appraised you would be none the wiser.

Instead they let you know of the problem, assured you that they checked to make sure this was the correct diamond by ensuring the diamond's characteristics matched the GIA report, and are offering to re-inscribe the GIA number if you care.

If you are worried, you can take the ring to an independent jeweler/appraiser to see if the diamond matches the GIA report.


Title: [US] Fiancés permanent residency expires in 18 months. Should We Expedite Wedding

Question:
[US] Fiancés green card expires in 18 months. He has been in the US since he was a baby. We plan to marry this year.
Should we file an extension now, or wait till after marriage.

Background:
Parents and half brother are US citizens

Served in Army

Multiple trips outside US

Finishing College

Has Misdemeanor

Any advice is appreciated!

Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 It's not clear why you think your marriage will affect anything.

He's a *permanent* resident.  He should apply for a renewed card six months before his current one expires.

Why hasn't he applied or naturalization already?


Title: [CA] Landlord added a line on a lease without notifying the the tenants (us), what can we do?

Question:
Hey there, sorry if there's poor formatting I'm on mobile. Canada Ontario.

My roommates and I signed a 1yr long lease for student housing. The landlord sent us a copy of the lease to review, which was reviewed and we all agreed upon.

Meeting up with the landlord, we signed the same lease, except there was 1 line added which demands that if all rooms in the house are not occupied, the remaining tenants must cover the cost of the unoccupied room(s).

We weren't notified of this change and did not find this a problem until we resigned the lease and are struggling to find replacement roommates. What can we do?

Thanks. :)

EDIT: Still looking for advice!

Answer: First it is on you to review what you sign, he does not have to notify that something changed.  Second, you are leasing the entire house it sounds like, not individual rooms each, so even without that additional line you would still be on the hook for the full rent if someone moved out, as you should be.


Title: Major cable company keeps blocking our driveway after years of complaints

Question:
Location: Canada, Quebec.

In front of our driveway, on the other side of the street, there is a big cable box that a major company sends their techs to hook up new clients, do repairs, etc. and instead of parking on the street, or at another location, they park in our driveway, completely blocking us until someone honks at them to move. This is a very long driveway on a very long property, and there are several NO PARKING signs right on the edge of the driveway, which they all ignore and do it anyways. This happens at least once a month, and has been going on for years.
We've called up their corporate offices almost every time they've done it, and they assure us that it won't happen again, bla bla bla, we've even sent them a registered letter telling them to stop parking there, and then it happens again the month after.
My question is, what are we allowed to do to these people that keep parking on our driveway? Can we impound them? (We own a tow capable vehicle) Can we fine them for their repeated use of our private property? They keep throwing away their garbage on our front lawn, and we've photographed this and even shown it to corporate, and yet nothing happens.
We're tired of this bullshit and want to know if it's possible to do something about this.

edit: we've called the police and they don't seem to care because it's a civil matter.
edit 2: they're always cooperative when we honk at them to move, but it's the fact that they keep using our driveway in the first place that bothers us.

Answer:
 You look into the requirements for having a private tow company removing the offending vehicles.  Typically this involve signage.Answer #2: IF you have signage that states unauthorized vehicles will be towed, then go ahead and tow them.  You probably don't want to do it yourself, because I suspect there are some rules and regulations surrounding storage of the vehicle.

You may consider contacting local tow companies and finding one that will tow unauthorized vehicles off your property.  Basically, work out an agreement beforehand, so that when they show up again, you can get a tow truck (not yours, you want a licensed, bonded, experienced tow company to insulate you from liability) out there quick to hook them up and drag them away.

Chances are, the tow company won't actually be quick enough to get the van towed before the driver steps in, but at the very least, it will send a message that you're tired of this bullshit and that there will be consequences.

Answer #3: Put a sign that says your car will be booted, purchase a boot and when they do it boot the car, but also have on the sign a $500 removal fee.Answer #4: What did the police say when you called them?Answer #5: Amend the sign to say "CableCorp, this means you!"Answer #6: Get a gate. Answer #7: Is it possible that the homeowner could put up proper signage stating that there is a fee for parking,and then invoice the cable company when they ignore it?


Title: The auto body shop did the wrong paint job on our mustang - and our charging us 50% to redo the correct paint job! -southern CA

Question:
My husband and I live in southern Ca and bought a mustang to restore.  We took it to a nearby auto body store who could do the paint job and some minor outside body work.  We received an estimate on the price.  My husband gave them the color he wanted, but ended up changing the color three times until he settled on the paint job he wanted.  However, by time he settled on his final color he wanted, they hadn't yet painted the car.

We got there and they paInted  the car with the first color my husband said.  We checked with the lady who works there and she confirmed that she had input into the computer his final color,
But obviously they never painted it that color.

The owners/manager said that he would need us to pay half of labor costs to do it again and we only said yes (nothing written) because it would be way too expensive to take it somewhere else and because we hasn't paid for the work (some
Outside cosmetic work) that was done recently. But I personally am SO ANGRY that we are paying for something they made a mistake about.  The place is part of a national chain and starts with a M,
But they are independently owned.

Is there anything we can do without them deciding to just keep our car?  We just left the car there to be repainted with the correct
Color, but are seriously pissed off.

Answer:
 He went back and changed the color two times?  Man, that's just asking for trouble.Answer #2: Do you have anything in writing agreeing on which color he finally landed on, given he had picked out 3 different ones?  If not, I could see how easily confusion could arise here. Given all that I would have made sure I had everything in writing including the final color he settled on. Answer #3: >The owners/manager said that he would need us to pay half of labor costs to do it again and we only said yes

If you said yes, then you should abide by your word. You admit you agreed to it. Verbal contracts are still contracts.

That doesn't mean you cannot try and get them to change their mind. Answer #4: Can you get a print out of the work order from the person at the front desk?  Or even take a picture of the computer screen with your phone.

Since you did not pay yet, I would demand my car back and go somewhere else to get the correct paint job.

If the computer had the correct color information and they just screwed up, asking for more money is not right.

But... if they can prove they already bought the paint before you changed it then you could lose in court.  But if the paint is already in their normal stock then that argument wont work for them.


Title: DSS took away my baby and I did NOTHING wrong?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Could this possibly be relevant to DSS taking your child?

>Suffering from severe depression and BPD. Not to mention crappy family issues. Cut myself , I have a few scars actually from the cuts. Even tried to overdose on medicine . I've been to the psych hospital 4 times now in the span of two years.Answer #2: To be quite frank, I don't think you're being very honest and upfront in your description of the situation here. One has to only look as far as your own post history to see plenty of reasons why this may have occurred. The help you need is well beyond the scope of this subreddit. Answer #3: Am I misunderstanding your post here?  Your baby was taken away in **February** and you're just now getting around to doing something about it?Answer #4: You admitted to having multiple mental illnesses and have been in inpatient programs. It may be impossible for you to regain custody. A lawyer will be able to better estimate your chances
Answer #5: paging /u/Napalmenator


Title: Someone stole from me in (Reno, NV) and was caught on tape, they were convicted for the theft, how do I recover the money that was stolen?

Question: 6 months back I was in Reno for a concert. I dropped my wallet on the floor at a casino, the person who stole it was caught on tape taking the money and throwing the wallet in the trash (which was recovered and given back to me by security) they pleaded not guilty so there was a trial, I made the trip to Reno from Sacramento (2 hours) to be there and be sure that the guy was convicted. My question is at this point, am I supposed to go to Small Claims Court in Reno with the conviction to get my money back? How would i even prove how much money was in my wallet? There was almost $400 because a friend paid me back some money she owed before I left, I can definitely get an affidavit from her, but aside from my word / the thief's word, is there anything more I can do? Am I simply SOL on this because I have no concrete proof of the amount stolen? Thanks for any help.

Answer:
 Yes, small claims court will be your recourse here.

Your testimony about the amount of money in your wallet is evidence.  It would not be unusual for someone in a casino (or someone traveling out of town for a concert, even) to have $400 in cash on them- there is no reason to doubt that figure that I can see.

I don't see an argument of "I stole less money than that" getting very far in civil court.


Title: A friend of my girlfriend is dealing with an abusive ex and it seems to have taken an extreme, legal recourse. They work at the same company and he is seeking a mediation in order to get a restraining order.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 That's a sticky situation all-around. Speaking to a lawyer would be good if she doesn't want to lose her job. Answer #2: Get a lawyer yesterday. She needs to have legal representation and someone who can help her negotiate this situation. HR has a duty to protect the company and *not* the employees.

It's strongly recommended your friend document everything she can. Keep all copies of texts, emails, phone calls. Have her family and friends and coworkers provide information if there's more, like receiving 'insane' calls. The better and more complete a log she gets, the more her lawyer can do with it. It sounds like this crazy ex wants her to be fired.


Title: My grandfather got scammed. What should we do?

Question:
A brief backstory: 6 months ago i left North Carolina to live in New Mexico, to work a seasonal job. Yesterday i came home to my grandparents home. When i arrived i was shocked to hear that they lost 60 thousand dollars (that he borrowed from a bank by borrowing it on his house) to a scammer from Taylorsville pretending to be publishers clearing house. A week later the Taylorsville guy stopped calling him for money and then calls from Jamaica started coming in. And wanted more money. The new man started harassing him and threating his family.

Strangely i got a phone call from Jamaica a month ago with no knowledge about the situation. The phone call was breif and i didn't take the phone call serious. The guy asked if i knew who he was. I said no. He hung up. I didn't pay much attention to it much. Might be coincidence or he might have connected me to my grandfather. (Im on a separate phone line)

My grandparents notified the police and a investigation is in place.

Questions: Is it possible for him to get his money back?
Can the police actually track the man down?
Can they actually harm my family?
Can the bank foreclose on our house?
How can we stop the calls from coming in?

Sorry in advanced. This is my first Reddit post.

Answer: Odds of the money coming back or the guy being found are minimal.  Odds of your family being harmed are also minimal.  That said if there is a bank loan and they don’t pay it, yes the bank can foreclose.  You can ask the bank about modification of the loan, but don’t be shocked if they say no.


Title: Renting a room in a house. Landlord decided to take in 4 other people. Help? (Iowa)

Question:
I am renting a room in a 4-bedroom house. It is owned by a single woman who rented out a bedroom to me to make some extra money.  The 4 bedrooms consisted of my room, the landlord's room, her craft room and her workout equipment room. No other rooms were designated as "bedrooms" and I had no idea  she planned to rent to others.

She told me 1 week ago that she was thinking about renting out to one other person and asked my opinion.  I gave my opinion - that that is not what i expected when I signed my lease, as I was looking for something quiet and not a ton of roommates.  She said she would not rent the other rooms out.

Yesterday she told me that purely out of curiosity she looked around anyway, and found two couples looking for rooms together.  She couldn't pass up the income and rented each couple a room.

Now I am going to be sharing all the living space, kitchen, etc. among six people instead of 2.  The house has one regular bathroom and one that just has a sink and toilet, so now six people are sharing one bathtub.

I explained to my landlord that this is not what I envisioned and I did not sign a lease expecting to have 5 roommates. I asked to be let out of my lease.  She said no.

I signed a 1-year lease and it has 9 months left.  Do I have any options?  Or am i screwed?

Thanks.

Answer:
 California landlord here. As others have pointed out the lease is always the first thing to check. However, one thing a lease cannot do is supercede law. If this is only a 4 bedroom house with 6 unrrlated occupants you need to check your local laws regarding zoning and maximum occupancy. It could very well be that the residence  is not adequate to house that many people. Some areas limit it to Sq foot per person, or number of bedrooms per person. I have also seen place that put limits on the number of specifically unrelated adults sharing a home of any size.

Short answer, just because it isn't in your lease doesn't mean you are SOL. Check your local max occupancy laws under the houses zoning. If it is over the landlord will have to remedy. An easy remedy from a landlords pov would be to keep the 2 couples and let you leave with 30 days notice.Answer #2: Unless your lease specified that there would not be other roommates, there's not much you can do here.


Title: (WI) Left a job in a bad way, and now the CEO's coming to town

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Be cool. Seriously.

He probably forgot you - depending the size of the company he might not have ever seen the email. If he remembers you, just be cool.

>So, my question is: what the heck do I do? I'm, of course, worried about being sued (I left without giving notice).

In the US you can't be sued for that.


Title: (Ontario) Ex threatened me to talk to him or else, now served with small claims

Question:
My abusive ex and I broke up about a year ago. I moved from Ontario to Alberta to be with him. I am 19 he is 32.  In that time, we lived together. He paid for the rent and most necessities, and never told me I was required to pay either. I also only had a job for part of the relationship.
We finally broke up around a year ago and I was harassed constantly for months and due to my own stupidity, got back with him for a few days. I paid for my own plane ticket, and met with him for two days. I paid for one day at a hotel, he paid the other. He paid for my return ticket. Never was anything ever discussed or signed that I was going to pay anything back.
Well, I cme to my senses about a month after this meet and broke up with him for good. Again, was bombarded with texts about how if I don't respond, there will be consequences, implying he will hurt my dog, spamming me, harassing family members, etc. Well, he finally stopped after I ignored him for a few months.

I received a small claims court paper in the mail today from his province, stating I owe him 5,000 dollars because he claims I promised to pay half the rent a month ($350), 1,000 dollars in the two days I visited him in the middle of our breakup saying he paid for tickets and hotel (I paid for half, he paid the other and none of this amounts to anything even close to 1,000 dollars, and a few other miscellaneous things.
Again, I have never signed anything stating I owe him money, will pay it back, etc.
I live in a different province, I am not prepared to go to the province for this. I am in school full time, and am a broke university student.

What do I do in this case? His claims are false and we live in different provinces

any advice is appreciated, I am clueless in this situation and was just happy to get away from him, now this.

TL;DR:
Older abusive ex from a different province filed small claims against me saying I owe 5,000 dollars after harassing me to answer him or else there "would be consequences". The claims are neither accurate, nor did I ever to agree to anything. What can I do?

Answer:
 You were served, so at this point you need to show up and treat this seriously.

I suggest a consult with an attorney and see what you can do about the situation.


Title: How do we go about ensuring we receive custody of our friend's daughter if she dies?

Question: My fiancee's best friend decided that she wants us to take her child if she were to suddenly die.  Only problem is that the father (deadbeat, asshole, etc.) is still around.  We may be able to get him to give her full custody but we're not sure what steps would need to be taken to ensure that her daughter would end up with us instead of the father.  We live in NorthEastern Pennsylvania and she is not married to the father.

Answer: You probably can't do much of anything. If he wants custody of his children, he will get it. He has a right, regardless of what you or anyone else thinks of him, to parent his child for as long a 1- he's the legal father of the child and 2- he hasn't been declared unfit by a court. It takes a lot more than being an asshole to be declared an unfit parent.


Title: If you have "diplomatic immunity," are you technically allowed to commit any crime? Can police stop you are? Are they able to stop you but just not allowed to charge you? Like in any Lethal Weapon flick, if the bad guy is shooting up a mall, is the cop technically even allowed to stop him?

Answer:
 They would be stopped and arrested.  They would then disclose they have diplomatic immunity.  The prosecutors would then contact the foreign country and notify them of the issue.  Depending on the person and their role, the foreign country may wave the immunity and allow them to be prosecuted.

&#x200B;

Example - Shooter in a mall - most countries would wave immunity and allow them to be prosecuted.

Shoplifting - they wouldn't wave immunity but the punishment from the home country would be more than the host country.  Countries don't want their diplomats causing a stir and looking bad.


Title: I’m being sued because my rescue dog bit a child out of self defence, and it was entirely the child’s fault

Question:
Hey guys.

I have a rescue dog named Gigo (Geejo). He is a basenji mix. I rescued him from a local SPCA with the warning that he is very friendly but he is wary around children. I don’t have kids, nor am I actively around them, so he’s perfect for me.

I have had Gigo for 2 years without any problems. I have seen him become afraid around kids, and he puts his tail between his legs and hides between mine. If a child comes up and touches him he shakes with fear but does nothing. I actively keep him away from children, and if a child is near me I tell them/the parent about my dog. I in no way invite children to pet my dog.

I was out walking him and I stopped at a crosswalk with a woman and her small child (Maybe 6?). The kid was looking at Gigo, so I spoke up and said, “Hey, just so you know, my dog is scared of kids.” The mother said Okay! And all was well, nothing bad happened. I held Gigo on the opposite side of me to keep him away from the child. He wasn’t scared of the kid because the kid was minding his own business at the time.

*Unfortunately*, she stopped watching her kid. The child left her side, walked behind me and Gigo, and surprised him from the side by grabbing his face HARD. Gigo bit his hand immediately and the child screamed and started bleeding. There are puncture wounds but no tearing as I remember.

Even though I had given a warning and she stopped watching her child, she is suing me for this.

How do I go about handling this? Am I still at fault? I gave her full warning and was unaware my dog would bite. She stopped watching her child around a dog that was POTENTIALLY aggressive, and he bit the kid.

I WANT TO REALLY PUSH THAT GIGO DID NOT ATTACK THE CHILD! THE CHILD SURPRISED HIM AND GRABBED HIS MUZZLE AND HE BIT OUT OF SELF DEFENCE! IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS IN THE PAST HE HAS INSTEAD HID BETWEEN MY LEGS!

I feel like this is not mine or Gigo’s fault, and I’m terrified he is going to be put down for this.

I’m working on hiring a lawyer, and in the meantime bought him a muzzle to try and help my case.
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 I’m a Certified Professional Dog Trainer in the U.S. I work with a lot of similar cases. I would contact a local Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist, and begin working on a behavior plan to get ahead of the court. This can really work in your favor! Of course retain legal council and follow through with their recommendations. Good luck!Answer #2: Can you clarify about the suing part of this? Has she actually served you? If so, what is she suing for (i.e. what are her damages)?Answer #3: I know in Ontario you will most likely be found at fault since you were aware that your dog does not do well around children and still didn't have a muzzle on his snout. You HAVE to make sure your dog cannot bite other people. As much as you might want to blame the mother or the child for your dog biting I wouldn't suggest using that as your defense. You need to prove that you either a) didn't suspect your dog to bite and that is why you didn't have a muzzle on or b) that your dog didn't bite (which obviously he did).

I would suggest going to the court and being humble. I would be apologetic and say you will always from this point forward make sure your dog is muzzled and cannot bite children. You might want to push blame on the dog because the child grabbed him, but if the child was young no court will side with you.Answer #4: You walk an abused dog in public where its triggers may be....without a muzzle? I mean, it's not the dogs fault at all but common sense is sorta important here.