Title: Can my insurance company legally do this?

Question: Hey guys, I accidentally put this in r/lawschool but somebody was nice enough to let me know I needed to bring this here. Here's the gist of the issue: In March of this year, my family received our monthly car insurance bill of $286 for our three vehicles. On March 23, 2017, I got my license. We immediately called to report me as an added driver of our vehicles. It was a simple five minute process, and the woman told us it would be a smidgen over $100 (can't remember the exact amount) to add me. This was all fine and dandy, but days later we moved states and on March 31, 2017 we began switching insurance companies. A few days ago we received our last bill since our coverage carried over into April a little bit. They are now claiming that because I was a new driver they can charge us over $500 for not even one month of my coverage, giving us a total bill of $818 for the most bare-minimum coverage. My mother is convinced that there's nothing we can do about this because it's just the way things are. Allstate has several Class Action lawsuits being brought against them at the moment (I believe) including one that they've been ordered to pay ~$600,000. Is this some dickhole move because we switched or are they trying to compensate for all the money they're losing due to the lawsuits? Or something else? 3/5 of us in the house are working, the other two are minors not of legal working age and I've been working since I was 16. I'm 18 now. Even with two people with full time jobs and me with my part time job we were just able to get off of food stamps but we're still lower class and really can't afford this. I feel like we're getting screwed here just because they can get away with it. Also: I'm not sure if it's worth noting, but the move was from North Carolina to Tennessee and the vehicles are a 1994 Chevy 4x4 pickup, a 2000 Dodge Durango, and a 2011 GMC Terrain.

Answer:
 The algorithm that determines your premium is dependent on myriad factors. It's totally possible that Allstate considers TN a higher risk state than NC, not to mention that you are also in one of the highest risk age classes. It's not unheard of for a 12 month premium for an 18 year old to be north of $2k a year. You're not bound to use Allstate so they aren't doing anything illegal. Answer #2: You and your mom should start shopping around for a new carrier. Geico tried to high gross me, so I switched to USAA.

>the vehicles are a 1994 Chevy 4x4 pickup, a 2000 Dodge Durango, and a 2011 GMC Terrain.

In addition to your young age and inexperience as a driver, this quoted bit could be a factor in the high premiums. With vehicles that are 23 years old and 17 years old, respectively, finding replacement parts may not be as easy as finding parts for vehicles under 10 years old. Therefore, they may constitute higher liability for Allstate.Answer #3: It's probably a misunderstanding with the billing. If you were paying monthly, the $100 was to pay for adding the driver through the next billing date. To give you a better answer, I'd have to see what was charged, the dates you were charged for and the billing cycle.

This is not them 'screwing you because they can get away with it'. It's literally putting your age, gender, license information in the computer and it spitting out a number based on actuarial tables. It's sounds mostly like it was a communication error when you initially called to be added as a driver.

And yes, a move to different states or even different areas of the same city can have an enormous effect on premiums.


Title: [NYC] Being overcharged rent as a roommate for a rent-stabilized apartment. What are my options?

Question:
I moved into a rent-stabilized apartment in Manhattan as a roommate, so I signed a roommate agreement but I'm not on the lease. The person I'm living with is the only other person in the apartment and he has the largest room. I directly pay him and I also pay 50% of utilities.

I asked how we were splitting the rent and he told me that the realtor/landlord told him to charge me more, so I'm paying $1200 a month for a rent-stabilized apartment that is $1800/mo. I did some research and found out that this was illegal for rent stabilized apartments.

I have the original seeking roommate post (that says around $900 rent), the rent stabilization history, and copies of checks I have already given him.

What are my options here? Is it even worth pursuing? Does this void the roommate agreement?

Answer:
 First, make sure it's actually stabilized - sometimes not every unit in a building is stabilized.

If it is and he's charging you 1200 rent, he's wrong, and you can file a complaint with the DHCR. He'll probably just have to pay you back plus a fine, and will be annoyed with his landlord for telling him that.

Your best bet for both of the above is to call 1-866-ask-dhcr

However, if he's charging you 1200 total (e.g. 900 rent + 300 utilities, tv, internet, etc.) then it's all kosher.


Title: [VA] Speeding 89mph/60mph. Officer wrote me a court date for "maximum speed limits generally". Can I be charged with reckless driving on court date?

Question:
Got radar on me today speeding 89 mph in a posted 60 mph zone.

Under law section the officer wrote 46.2-870 which is a Maximum speed limits generally. With me going over 80 mph or 29 mph over the posted limit I thought it would be reckless driving.

My question is with this posted can the judge charge me with reckless driving on court date? (Sorry this is first I ever will be appearing in court) I think officer went easy on me since this my first ever stop and offence in 10 years that I owned my license. The whole stop took literally 2 minutes.

Obviously there was no excuse me going 89 mph I got a little exited after getting my sports car fixed after a month. Was a stupid mistake and caught in the moment while no cars were around.

*Edit spelling

Answer: Yes. You can be charged later.


Title: Left a bond by my Grandmother, Aunt refuses to help us find it

Question:
Hello,  I'm not sure this is the right place to post this but my boyfriend recommended it, if there's a better place to post this let me know!

tl;dr: Was left a bond to be received on my 18th birthday for school or 21 for anything I want, didn't learn about it till I was 21 and family wont help or give any information so I don't know where to begin to look to receive the bond (I live in Illinois)

Ok some background, my grandmother died when we were little and left me and my twin some money to be spent towards college when we grew up, this is all secondhand knowledge because we didn't find out about the money until a cousin brought it up to my sister on our 21st birthday. My cousin told us they put the money for all the grand kids in bounds for us to receive to help pay for school when we turned 18, or to be used for whatever we want when we turn 21.
My sister reached out to my aunt, who was the one who handled the purchasing of the bounds for all of us, who made it clear that she had forgotten about the entire thing and didn't know where any of the paper work was for it (even after she made us jump through hoops to make sure we were worthy or something like that).

Me and my sister aren't on good terms with that side of the family which is probably why they never told us about the money that was left to us, and after my mom talked to my aunt for a bit my aunt stopped returning our emails. We're 23 now and honestly from what we were told the money is a pretty big sum and I could really use it to help go back to school, but I have no idea where to start looking to get it, and don't have the money to hire an attorney or anything like that. Any help would be really appreciated.

Answer:
 The fact that your aunt made you prove that you were worthy of something and then, _afterwards_, claimed not to know where any of the information was is a bit concerning. I'm not going to go full "she took them," but keep that possibility in the back of your mind while you investigate. It's also possible that your grandmother gave your aunt some authority to use the bonds for your benefit before you received them, and she cashed them to pay for your clothes or schooling at some point. It's even possible that the bonds never belonged to your grandmother, and that your aunt owned them the entire time.

If you know what court your grandmother's will was probated in, you can get the records from the courthouse and find out as much as you can that way. You may get lucky and find out who issued the bonds, at which point you may be able to skip your aunt entirely and contact the issuer for further information: the bond documents can be replaced if you can prove you are the rightful owner and if the bond is still valid, and the issuer will be able to tell you if the bonds have already been cashed. From there, you'll be in a much better position to work with an attorney: if there really is an outstanding bond that you should have received, you can probably find one willing to work on contingency.


Title: [CA] Employer offers "unlimited PTO", but then denies PTO requests

Question:
I'll try to keep this quick — I'm using a throwaway as well.

Like many California tech startups, my employer offers "unlimited PTO" to all employees. For those of you that are unfamiliar — the idea is that your vacation and sick days aren't limited to a certain number of days, and you don't have to accrue time, and therefore you can take time off when you want it.

Lots of companies in CA and beyond do this now, mainly because 1) It's supposed to support work/life balance 2) They don't have to pay you out in your vacation days when you leave.

So, my newish employer of 6 months offers this. My last job also offered "unlimited PTO", which was great.

While they offer this perk, in the 6 months that I've been here my 3 PTO requests have been denied. Mind you, I've asked for a day off here and there, never a 3 week vacation or anything.

When my first request was denied, I asked my manager about it — and he told me that all PTO requests were handled by HR. So I reached out to HR about why my PTO request was denied, and I still haven't gotten much of an answer from them. I received a scripted email stating that "While Company offers unlimited PTO, we reserve the right to deny excessive requests at our discretion".

I've also noticed that the company culture leans towards taking sick days, rather than taking actual vacations. Lots of my colleagues will be "sick" for a few days or so, even as long as a week. I have a feeling that these people are taking vacations under the guise of a "sick day".

So I guess I'm wondering, is this legal? It seems like I'll never actually get a day off approved at this point.

Answer:
 It is legal.  This is exactly the reason companies have unlimited PTO policies.  They don't have to pay it out as wages like real PTO, and they can determine when you use it anyways.

It's legal to never give you a day off work ever.  But it would be illegal to discipline you for taking your mandated approved sick time.  If you have sick time accrued, that is protected leave if used for the proper purposes.


Title: [OR] School kicked me out, looking to get insight on this.

Question:
Hi there, I'm a High School student in Washington now, and I previously went to a school in Oregon.

To give some context, I live in Washington, and have my insurance there etc. but my parents listed me in my school as their business address in Oregon, and have for 3 years. This, I know, makes us in the wrong, but please hear my story first.

About a month and a half ago, I sprained my ankle, and had to go to a hospital in Washington. Got treated and everything.

My school nurse calls me on the next day I go to school, and she makes me sign a Release of Information with parental consent. Let me add in here, that I'm under aged, and don't even have my licence. She says she needs the Release of Information to help treat me (though I think she is suited enough to deal with things like this of course.) I don't have a copy of this release.

In the next few days, she doesn't contact back, though during that time I'm seeing a physical therapist who told me they were in fact able to get in contact with her to inform her of my condition and things I could be doing at school. The nurse still does not contact me.

After those next few days, my Mom receives a call informing us we have an unspecified amount of time until further notice to move out of the school district, and won't tell us how they got the information even though we were there for 3 years. Transitioning from middle school to high school even.
Furthermore, they did the same thing for my sister and informed my parents she had to move to (I believe they also might've checked her information).

Off handedly, I ask my friends mom (defense attorney) about this and she says it could be the nurse exceeding the scope of her authorization, and a breach of HIPAA. The next day at school I go to two vice principals who handle student transfers (the principal doesn't). They both avoid talking to me about it, and try to offer "support" and "options."

That evening I get a letter that says we have 2 days to move out. (In total, 9 days since their initial message).

My question is, do I have anything here? Is there anything I can do? I've been uninterested in school since (4.0 -> not paying any attention) and have been a feeling in between sad and depressed since. If there's anything I can do. Please tell me.

Answer:
 From what I know of HIPAA (not an expert), while you _might_ make a case that what she did was a violation, that wouldn't fix your school transfer. How they got the information that you were out-of-district is irrelevant to the decision to make you transfer.

I'm sorry for the disruption in your life, but you'd be best served trying to make a new life in your new school. Sooner or later you'll feel more at home, and not too long after you'll be in college or whatnot anyway.


Title: Trucker cousins trailer held hostage at loading dock, demanding cash to unload.

Question:
My cousin is a cross border trucker from CAN to the US. His trailer was loaded at a dock for loblaws. My cousin provided the dock workers with the neccessary weight limits and a written statement of the weight limit and the dock ignored all of that and overloaded him by 1200 lbs.

When he took the trailer back to them they locked his trailer to the building and demanded cash to unload the trailer that they overloaded in the first place. They refuse to let him go, his boss said to just pay up but I said no. What are his options. Knowing him, he will probably have paid them by the time I get a response.

Answer:
 Get all the written docs he can! ASAP before he pays anything. I would especially would not leave if he is delivering to the same company he picked up from. Papers are his only proof of that to get his money back if he pays.

I'm not a trucker & I don't know the laws here. But if he was loaded by one group, and unloaded by another, then one of the two parties is lying (either loading or unloading). He should have log papers/recipts from where he left (volume/quantity/weight) of goods. He should get log papers from where he arrived. I would ask to count the pallets/crates of what they say are dleivered. If he didnt weigh his rig himself in-route this would be his only hope of proving otherwise if they have already un-loaded him.


Title: Landlord trying to show the place I am renting before I move out against my will.

Question:
Edit: I live in Illinois, sorry.

Like the title says I am in the last month of a lease and will be moving to a townhome. My landlord asked me if she could show the place I am renting to possible new tenants and I told her that I would not be comfortable with that as I'm packing and I don't want a stranger walking through the place I live. She then called me two days later to ask the same thing and I pretty much just repeated what I said the first time.

I just received a text from her that said "I've been trying to be courteous in showing the rental. I need to show, just giving you a heads up. I will try to work with you." Is it legal for her to show the place against our will while we are still living there? It seems outrageous to my girlfriend and I but it is the first time we are renting.

This lady was nothing but nice until the day I told her we were moving out and she has been insufferable since then.

Answer: We need your location, but generally speaking, most states require you to allow the landlord to show the home so long as proper notice is given.


Title: Nebraska - Hit by a drunk driver while at a stop light, drunk driver has no insurance and no license.

Question:
Hello. I am in Nebraska. I would like to ask for some help with what to do. My insurance company has not been much help and the police say they can't do much else.

Details of the accident:

I was hit by a drunk driver while I was stopped at a red light. I was the second car in the left hand lane going straight (West bound). My light turned green but before anyone started going a white F-250 came from the North and ran the red light turning left (East). He lost control of his vehicle and made a complete U-turn directly into the driver side of my vehicle. He then attempted to back up and complete the U-turn to go West, however, he was in no condition to drive and then ran back into me. Once again, he backed up and this time was able to turn West and then head back down the North street of the intersection where he originally came from. The cars in front of me moved to allow me to turn down the North bound street.

I caught up to him after another West turn, he waved out of his window for me to drive up alongside his vehicle. I took a picture of the back of his vehicle before I did. When I parked alongside him and rolled down my window he said "look man ... I got to come clean ... I'm drunk. I just found out my girlfriend was impregnated by some other dude ........... I can't have a DUI, can you just let me go?" I responded with "I'm sorry dude but look at my car. I need to get my car fixed." By that time some good Samaritan witnesses had parked behind him and as soon as they saw that he was getting antsy one of them parked sideways in front of him. At that point his demeanor changed and he started telling everyone "Get out of the way ... talk to him (pointing at me) ... he is letting me go, just go talk to him." I dialed 911 at that point as did one of the witnesses. After a minute of that he drove onto the lawn we were parked next to and got around the car in front of him and took off screeching into the neighborhood in front of us.

I waited for the police. Witnesses all gave me their names and numbers. They left before the cop arrived. He took my statement and then left. I proceeded to go straight to my chiropractor, which is where I was headed before the accident, and he did make note of how tense I was and suggested I should come in more often in the next few weeks.

The Insurance Claim/Police Report:

The police did not find him that day. I filed an insurance claim after the police said it may be a while before they find him. My doors didn't work and I am a disabled veteran so climbing out the passenger side would not work long term. I took my car to the shop and they told me it was not safe to drive. Left it there and got a rental provided by my insurance ($600 maximum). I have to pay my deductible ($500) when I pick up my car. My car will have been in the shop for a month later this week. The police did identify the guy, however, he would hang up on them every time they called him. He promised to meet them and would never show. He was always "busy". The kicker is that he lives in Kansas, has no insurance on record (claims he has it but won't tell the police what it is) and he was driving with an expired license. Apparently Nebraska cares more about out-of-staters more than it's own residents because there is a law that protects anyone from out of state from having to have insurance, so the police could not site him for that. The police did eventually site him for three offenses: illegal turn, operating a vehicle without a valid license, and leaving the scene of an accident. My favorite part is that he is now claiming that the reason he left the scene is because I was being unreasonable and angry with him and he felt threatened. They were not able to get him for drunk driving because they did not find him until weeks after the accident.

The Aftermath:

I have had migraines much more often than normal and constantly for the first 2 weeks after. My back still hurts and I am seeing my chiropractor 4 times a week now. The only rental car within my insurances $25/day limit that was available is a Jetta, I have hit my head every day trying to fall into it which is aggravating my headaches and my nerve damage. I drive an SRX for this very reason.

I apologize for the long post, I'm just kind of lost at this point. My insurance says they will attempt to go after him to recoup their money and my deductible but that it is a long shot. The police were helpful during this but they have since handed the case over to the courts. They said I would be lucky to receive the information on when this guy's court date is. I have no idea what to do. My car is going to be severely devalued because there was structural damage, I'm out $500 for my deductible, my insurance will most likely go up, I'm in more pain than usual ... all because some guy decided to get drunk and try and drive his truck.

I received some mail a few days later from some legal firms that say they don't get paid unless I do, I have been thinking about calling them but figured I would try here first.

Please let me know if more information is needed. I will do my best to provide whatever I can. Again, I apologize for this being so long and thank you for taking the time to read this.

tl;dr victim of hit and run; driver was drunk, no insurance, no license; headaches, pain, out of pocket expenses are getting to be too much.

Answer:
 First, see a **real** doctor ASAP, not a chiropractor. This will be better not just for your health, but also for your case (it's difficult to prove you're injured if you haven't actually seen a medical professional about it).

Second, you can sue him and discussing that option with one or more lawyers is the right idea. But of course the problem is that someone who drives drunk with no insurance and no license is not likely to be all that rich, so you might have some trouble actually collecting money from him. That's not to say you shouldn't do it, just that you should have reasonable expectations about what the outcome may be.Answer #2: That's an awful lot of text.

Your insurance paid everything, and you have to pay the $500 deductible, correct? If that's the case, you can sue him to recover your $500.

Since you mentioned you're getting migraines and back pain now, it's worth also speaking to a personal injury lawyer. You may not be able to get anything out of the guy, but it doesn't hurt to take a free consult.


Title: What laws am I unknowingly breaking?

Question: I find myself in my early 20's surprisingly uninformed on many, many laws from local ordinances to federal. Is there any simple resources that explain laws in general (don't do this or you get this) that I can brush up on. Yes, I know this is broad and I'm coming across extremely naive, however I don't want to continue my blissful unawareness. I'm a resident of Sonoma county, California, US.

Answer:
 [ca civil code](http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.html/civ_table_of_contents.html)

[sonoma municipal code](https://www.municode.com/library/ca/sonoma_county/codes/code_of_ordinances)

good luck.

generally, just use some common sense and you'll be fine.


Title: My boyfriend got a dui and his lawyer didn't show up at the prelim. Pennsylvania

Question:
My boyfriend got a dui a few months ago in PA for having pot in his system. The whole situation was pretty ridiculous. He got a lawyer immediately. We have paid the lawyer $2,000 already and owe him another $1000.

His lawyer told him he was going to continue the prelim. Fast forward to yesterday..Bf texts said lawyer and asked if court was continued, lawyer says he forgot to put the continuance in and he will do it now. Lawyer texts back and says it wasn't approved and he will see him tomorrow morning at court. So this morning bf goes to court and his lawyer wasn't there, he had sent someone else in place of him.

The courts told bf the reason it wasn't continued was because they didn't even get a request until 4:55pm the day prior. If no council would have showed up he could have gotten it continued. The courts told him he has ard and he has another court date in august. Bf still had not ever heard from his lawyer since last night.

I know you are thinking we hired a terrible lawyer but we did not he is good. And very good with cases involving cannabis which is why we chose him.

So I guess I'm asking would things have gone differently if his lawyer had showed up?
Can we fire his lawyer for a refund(we cannot afford to get another one at this point, we couldn't afford the one we got in the first place)?
Is he convicted already?
How can they tell him he has ard when the process isn't even over?
Can anyone tell me the process of all of this in eli5 format?

Sorry for any typos and formatting errors I am just irate right now.

Answer:
 ARD stands for  Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition Program.

In a case like this it is almost certainly a best possible outcome to be entered into ARD. By entering the ARD program your boyfriend can avoid conviction for DUI and upon successful completion the charges will be dropped and the record will be expunged.

If your boyfriend is charged with DUI in the future, this old charge will come up again and your boyfriend may be viewed as a habitual offender. Your boyfriend should be very careful to successfully complete the program and avoid any DUI in the future. Your boyfriend should probably also lay off the reefer as long as he lives in PA and it continues to be illegal in PA.

[Lebanon County has an ELI5 about ARD if you want to fact-check anything I've just told you or read more about it.](http://www.lebcounty.org/Da/Pages/AcceleratedRehabilitationProgram.aspx)

I'm sorry you feel like your attorney let you down but it sounds like this is a best case scenario for your boyfriend.Answer #2: It's fairly common for some attorneys to have people cover quick hearings. I am assuming that is what happened. Without knowing what ARD is hard to know what happened at the hearing.


Title: My phone number, address, and face pic are posted to Craigslist, telling people to come to my home and fuck me. Craigslist does not respond to my reports.

Question:
I am in California, United States.

Someone unknown keeps posting my name, my phone number, my address, and my face pictures in a Craigslist ad telling people to come over and use me for sex. Each time, I report these ads to Craigslist. It takes a few hours for the ad to go down, usually after I ask a few friends to flag the ad for me as well. As soon as an ad goes down, a new one pops up within a few hours. I can usually tell because I start getting phone calls and texts from guys telling me they're going to come over and rape me hard.

I have recieved no response from Craigslist at all. I've filled out and submitted a police report, but SFPD says they can't help me in any way - they have no resources to find the perpetrator. I'm a teacher, and having this kind of material online could be very bad for my career.

I'm at a loss. I feel helpless and humiliated. What can I do here?

Answer:
 Something similar happened to girl from my school, but with a tinder profile, im from the UK and craiglist isn't really a thing. What she did, what stopped it was on Facebook publicly shame the account. She took screenshots and put it on her Facebook saying "this isn't me some pervert is using my pictures and sending my number to people for sex" it got like 300+ reactions and 75 ish shares. The person, whoever it was stopped doing it after, the theory I have is that he saw how many people knew what was going on and didn't want to risk him being caught.

Not sure how much this will help but it's an idea Answer #2: Do you have a list of suspects? I'd suggest individually Facebook messaging each one that you have a new number and give each one a different number. It's important that you make these messages as natural as possible. Be like "hey so and so, realized we haven't talked in a minute so wanted to make sure you have my number. How you been?"

Then, track the number that shows up on the post back to the Facebook message and person.


Title: Can the executor of a will change a beneficiary if everyone in the will agrees? (KS)

Question:
#[Context:](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/7c9bvh/brain_cancer_medicaid_and_inheritance_ks/)

This is in reference to the cash portion of her inheritance, which we've learned is a lot (6 figures), but not enough to cover her living expenses for the indefinite future.  A couple of years at best.

I've found that since she is over 55 that if she takes the money directly the state could then both disqualify her from medicaid/ssi, and put her at risk for estate recovery.  (is that correct?)

Further, I've found that the Special Needs Trust must name the state as the beneficiary.

#Question:

Her poor kid (me) would like to one day, maybe, get *some* kind of inheritance.  So, obviously, we would like to avoid the state taking this money.  A current thought is that the executor name me as the beneficiary in lieu of her, and have the bank sign the check to me directly.  Her name never being involved in any of it.  The other named beneficiaries are agreeable to this arrangement, and would not protest it - avoiding probate.

***Is that possible?***

---------

Note, that part of my grandfather's will stipulates:

>Sales and Leases.  To sell, lease, mortgage, or pledge the whole or any part of my estate, real and personal, for such prices, on such terms and to such parties as such Executor deems proper.  No purchaser dealing with such Executor shall be obligated to inquire as to such Executor's power or to see to the application of any money or property paid or delivered to such Executor, and no bond shall be required of such Executor upon the sale of any property.

> Satisfaction of Cash or in Kind.  To make any division or distribution of any property, real or personal, included in my estate, or interim distributions and/or final settlement of my estate, in kind or in money, or partly in each, or by way of undivided interests, even if shares are composed differently or non-pro rata divisions or divisions or distributions are made, as the Executor may in said Executor's discretion determine.  Property distributed in kind or satisfaction of a pecuniary bequest shall be valued as of the date of distribution.  The Executor shall have discretion in the selection of property to be allocated in satisfaction of any gift without regard to the income tax basis of such property, and shall nor be required to adjust the amount of any gift in order to compensate for the income tax liability inherent in appreciated property distribution in kind in satisfaction of such gift.  For purposes of such division or distribution, the Executor shall value such property or any part thereof, reasonably and in good faith.

I don't believe that's anything more than just standard verbiage for wills, which doesn't extend his powers beyond typical, but am not sure.  Including in case.

Answer:
 No, the executor cannot change the beneficiary.

She can disclaim her inheritance and the executor will treat her as if she were deceased.  Then the money (absent other terms of the will) would go to her heirs (you).


Title: Landlord calls us "Third World Country Students".

Question:
Hi, I'm from abroad and I study in the UK. As such, I would be staying in a rented house. This is my second year of staying in this house.

So recently, we had a house inspection since one of my previous housemates moved out. We also notified him of a few problems that occured in the house, particularly about leaks, which were apparent after we got back from summer.

So he sent a few plumbers to inspect and fix it and found out that we have a makeshift mixer tap using bottles since the sink had two separate taps hot and cold.

So he then sent me a text, which drops the bomb, by calling that idea as "Third world country makeshift student silliness ideas". Tbh, it wasn't even our idea. It was what the previous tenant left. He didn't even took the responsibility to clean the house before we moved in. We just used what was there and now he calls us "third world country students".

We feel harassed. How could this be taken legally? Btw, he even signed the text in his name.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Oh for pete's sake. Being insulted is not a legal issue.


Title: TX - Purelt hypothetical. Is it legal to have a viking funeral?

Question:
Random convo with family at thanksgiving and we were actually wondering about the legalities of a viking funeral. IE: you are on a boat that is set on fire and pushed down river.

I am guessing that there would be a lot of permits required and maybe a question of health hazard. But we were legitimately wondering about the legalities of a viking funeral.

Answer:
 Others have answered about the legality.   I'll answer about the vikings.

They did not do what you think that they did.   The arrow into flaming boat thing never once happened to our knowledge iirc.

You want a goofy Hollywood funeral.   Real Viking funerals could be  pretty interesting,  but they usually involved large burial mounds not flaming boats.

Just the tip of the iceberg of why the Hollywood Viking funeral would not work :  a boat is not a funeral pyre,  and would not cremate a body (this is actually quite difficult to do).   The boat also wouldn't burn below the water line much,  and waves could easily extinguish it.   There's not much heroic dignity in charred body parts washing back to shore in a damaged but intact boat. Answer #2: I want a Tibetan sky burial! Answer #3: There are two basic rules of legit corpse handling.

1) No bits left around to cause biohazards.  2) No bits left in strange places that cause police to waste time investigating unexpected bits.

You can't really get those done with a viking funeral.  A cremation handles them by doing a complete burn with nothing but ash left.  Burying handles those by putting the body below where anyone is likely to mess with it and in an expected place.  A boat that might incompletely burn and have parts end up in unexpected places is a problem.


Title: When can a cop stop me on foot and ask for id?

Question: If I was skating home with a closed case of beer could a cop pull me over and demand identification on the grounds that I look young? This happened and it seemed like it would fall under profiling but I'm not sure.

Answer:
 Profiling is not illegal.

Profiling is only a problem/illegal if a single factor unrelated to criminal activity (such as race) is used instead of actual indicators of crime- like being underage in possession of alcohol.

To answer your question, the police can stop you and ask for ID any time they have reasonable suspicion of criminal activity that you may be involved in.

Looking underage while in possession of alcohol is absolutely reasonable suspicion.


Title: Need legal advice

Question: My Grandmother recently had surgery and stayed with my parents for recovery. She had her mail forwarded to my parent’s house. While her home was empty it was robbed. They caught the thief and it turns out it is an employee of the post office who used her position to rob homes where people had their mail on hold or forwarded. Does my Grandmother have any legal recourse against the post office due to the fact that it was an employee who used her position to commit a crime against her?

Answer:
 Generally, employers are only liable for their employees actions "within the course and scope of business," but there are exceptions for things like negligent hiring. For example, if the post office saw in his criminal records that he had a tendency to burgle houses when the owner wasn't home, they might have been negligent to hire him and give him access to the information.

I think the classic case is about a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman.

Does she have homeowners insurance? That would probably be a lot easier road to recovery.Answer #2: IANAL but my wife is. She said to contact the postal inspector. File a complaint. This person used their position to commit a crime. Idk of the post office is “liable” per se but they allowed this person to have access to sensitive information (like who’s mail is being held). It’s especially bad if this person isn’t supposed to have access to that info. What state is this? Contact a legal aid org in your state. There are a lot of organizations that deal specifically with elderly.


Title: Should i have to pay the pet deposit?

Question: I will be watching a friends dog for one month. My apartment has a pet deposit. Should I have to pay it if I'm only watching these dogs temporarily?

Answer: Yes, if the dog will be in your apartment.


Title: Was raped as a minor in NY two years ago, now wondering what legal recourse I have against my rapist.

Question:
Hello, all. Throwaway for obvious reasons.

A month before my sixteenth birthday, I was raped by a close friends brother. This was a little over two years ago. A friend who was aware of what happened to me put me in contact about a month ago with another girl who had an almost identical story as mine, with the same person, happening approximately a year afterward. I now feel an overwhelming obligation to go to the police.

As for the particulars of what happened, I spent the night at a close friends house. Her brother was approximately a year and a half older than me so at the time this happened, he was seventeen which is the AOC here. I was fifteen, turning sixteen in a month. I'll refer to my rapist as "R" from here on out.

Despite normally having a fairly high alcohol tolerance, on the night in question I was completely incapacitated after a short game of beer pong. I laid down on their couch, woozy, and have maybe an hours worth of memories from a ten hour period. The first time I remember "coming to" was when R was dragging me up their basement stairs to bring me outside to piss in my mouth. I immediately began fighting back and screaming at him that I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything -- he insisted I had said I wanted him to do it -- and was spared by a conveniently timed phone call from a friend who grew concerned about me when I stopped answering my texts (my friend knew I had been drinking & wanted to ensure I was going to be getting home safely). After speaking to me for a few moments, my friend demanded I give the phone to R because of how incoherent and intoxicated I was. He told him that even if I had said anything about wanting him to piss on or in me, I was too drunk to be taken seriously, couldn't legally consent to anything, and that it would be morally reprehensible to do. For the time, that seemed to dissuade him.

Fast forward an hour, and I'm still slurring like crazy and stumbling around. I have never been as drunk as I was that night, nor have I ever been able to reach that same level of intoxication EVER (and the whole thing spiraled me into a brief stint of alcoholism). I don't remember much from this period (I was passed out on the couch for the majority of it, spare a few bathroom trips), but I do remember R handing me more drinks. At some point, I also sent a text to the friend who had called me saying that I took some pills. The thing is that all of my medications were at home and I have no memory of taking anything, nor were there any pills readily available. He reminded me of this and encouraged me to check my sent texts to decipher what happened that night after the fact.

Anyways, around this time my "friend" left me in the basement alone with her brother to go to bed. I distinctly remember puking before passing out on the floor of their basement in a heap of blankets. I woke up a short time later because of a sharp pain in my hips, from him grinding himself on top of me. When my eyes opened, he looked taken aback and kept telling me to go back to sleep. I remember wanting to talk and move, but while I was cognizant of what was going on mentally, I was physically unable to operate. My limbs felt frozen. I felt like I was trapped in my own body -- some stupid meat suit that had failed me, that I was unable to will in any way despite my best attempts. It was very difficult to keep my eyes open and my mind awake, though, and every few minutes I would pass out again before "coming to" because of the pain. This happened a lot throughout the course of the night. I would come to for a few minutes, and then fall out of consciousness suddenly.

This continued on for awhile. I have no idea exactly how long. Over the course of it, I gained the ability to thrash and talk. I distinctly remember saying "NO" and crying, as well as begging him to stop and hitting at him while he touched me. He kept saying he wanted "just a little bit" and that he would be done soon.  He kept telling me everything was okay. He told me that I said I had wanted to suck his dick, and I told him that I didn't. That even if I had said that, I didn't want to and I wanted him to stop touching me. He shoved his dick in my mouth anyway.

The last time I woke up during the act itself, it was because he was finishing himself off. I was a bit more coherent at that point, and started yelling at him, asking what the fuck he was doing. He insisted I had told him to do it.

The next thing I remember is him dragging me up their basement stairs because he wanted to go outside for a smoke. It's already morning at this point -- the sun is shining and cars are passing by on the highway adjacent to their house -- and he says I'm making too much noise. He leaves me outside on their front lawn like a piece of trash, passed out face first. I wake up about forty five minutes after that, freaking out. I'm still not sober, but I was extremely scared and knew I had to hide. For some reason I thought that if I stayed outside in that condition, someone might find me and rape me again so I crawled into their house and hid in their laundry room under a pile of clothes and attempted to call 911. I passed out before I was able to.

When I finally woke up, it was 9:30 am and I was completely sober. I didn't even have any slight traces of a hangover. I wasn't able to get a hold of my mom at that point, so I was stuck at their house with no way home for a few hours. When R woke up and came downstairs for breakfast, he pulled me aside and said, "You know, everybody makes mistakes. Last night was a mistake. I think it would be best if we never talked about it again." I was flabbergasted, but still in shock from what had happened. I nodded, and went and took a forty minute shower because of how disgusting I felt.

I didn't immediately decide not to report it, but the decision was cemented by horrible staff at Planned Parenthood who treated me like shit + an unsupportive boyfriend who told me I was a "slut" for what had happened and that I had just cheated on him and was like every other "lying bitch". I was scared, alone, and it felt like everyone had failed me. I was told by people who knew that I wasn't the "perfect victim" and that if I bought it to court, they would drag out all of my dirty laundry to make it seem like I deserved it.  I wound up dropping out of school because the administration refused to switch me out of classes I had with R. Things got terrible really quickly, and I just wanted to move past it. I didn't want to drag out the pain of it all any longer. Had I known then, though, that it was something he did regularly and something he would do again, I would have chosen to have done something about it. I want to do something about it now.

It's been a little over two years and I'm eighteen now. I want to report him and have him prosecuted for it. Is that something that could realistically happen? Without physical evidence, would my claim even be taken seriously? How would I go about reporting it, anyways?

Any and all help would be seriously appreciated. Much thanks, ahead of time.

Answer:
 > I was raped

> I now feel an overwhelming obligation to go to the police

These are the two most salient points in your post. No one here can guess as to what will happen, but let's say that the worst case scenario happens and they do not even investigate him. They'll still take your report. If everyone he has raped makes a complaint, even if the first 13 (I'm being cynical) go nowhere, eventually a detective will think "jeez, this is like the 14th complaint against this guy, I better look into this further."

That's the most cynical perspective I can offer. The most optimistic is that they do investigate him for *your* rape and they find enough evidence to move forward against him with *your* case.

If you want to go forward, just make sure to tell the truth even if it might be embarrassing. You should also seriously consider therapy. Good luck.


Title: Not really sure if this is anything, possible sexual harassment? (VA)

Question: So I (21, female) work for a very large retail company in the U.S., Virginia specifically. The other night I worked closing with one other person, one of my managers (30, male). He asked if I wanted to get a drink after work, and I said sure, it was a long day as many retail workers know, but I had to drive home, so I only had one. He had quite a few and told me he was drunk before we left work which should have tipped me off that this was a bad idea and asked if I could drive him home. I didn't want him drunk driving, which apparently is something he does often, so I said yes. Once in my car, he started flirting very heavily, which made me pretty uncomfortable, but I just laughed it off. He tried kissing me and I pushed him away, and he grabbed at my breasts. He tried grabbing at my head again to pull me in for a kiss and I asked him to get out of my car. It took a lot of convincing, and I had to get out and open the door so he would actually get out. He finally got out and I drove away. He later texted me inviting me to his house for drinks and asked for nudes. At work a few days later, he kept trying to get me to go in the stock room with him or take lunch breaks with him. My friends said that this is sexual harassment, but I'm not really sure if this is anything but some bad decisions on my part. I was already leaving the store before this, but I don't know if I should say anything about this to anyone.

Answer:
 This is sexual harassment.

You need to do something about this before this escalates into something much worse, like an assault (including rape) upon you.

And don't blame yourself. Having an after work drink with a manager or co-worker is fine. Your manager exploited the situation.Answer #2: >He tried kissing me and I pushed him away, and he grabbed at my breasts. He tried grabbing at my head again to pull me in for a kiss and I asked him to get out of my car

>My friends said that this is sexual harassment, but I'm not really sure if this is anything but some bad decisions on my part.

This is beyond sexual harassment. What happened in the car is battery. A brief look at the Virginia Code suggests this may be sexual battery or attempted sexual battery. You should talk to HR and you should seriously consider contacting the police. Answer #3: Definitely report it to your HR, and let them handle it. Your probably not the first person in the work place this has happened to.

Outside of that, there isn't much for you to do, unless the problem persists and HR is unwilling to do anything at all about it.

If the problem rises to the point of criminal assault or harassment, report it to the police. I'm honestly not sure if his actions up to this point meet the bar for those crimes in your state, but you should be able to find that info with some quick googling.


Title: Outdated Warrant resulting in search and seizure (TN)

Question:
My roommate recently had a warrant for a driving on a suspended licence. He paid it off and was told the warrant would be thrown out. Today, the cops showed up over said warrant, and found marijuana in the house. It was a decent amount, and now he is in jail. I also received citations for a small amount of marijuana, and a separate one for paraphernalia.

Is there anything we can do about this? Could the case be thrown out considering the warrant was supposed to be null, but wasn't due to a clerical error (i assume).

We both have "the cleanest records we've seen in a while" based on the cops own testament, if that has any weight.

Thanks!

Edit: I appreciate the quick responses. Thanks for letting me know more about the situation and my options.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: If the officers were acting in good faith, it's very likely that the fact that the warrant should have been canceled will not affect the search.


Title: (Utah) Girlfriend had a sip of my beer at basketball game

Question:
Went to an NBA game tonight and my girlfriend wanted to try a sip of my pumpkin ale, stupid to even risk it for a sip I know, I should have said no but none the less someone saw and now I have a citation and a court date and im out half a beer they confiscated.

What are the likely outcomes of this? I have a clean record, never even pullled over, I am 21, almost 22.

Any more info I am more than willing to provide, thank you.

edit: Girlfriend is 19, neglected to put that in the first explanation somehow :|

Answer:
 [Class A misdemeanor](https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title32B/Chapter4/32B-4-S403.html) which is [up to a year in jail and $2500 penalty](https://www.utcourts.gov/howto/criminallaw/penalties.asp).

Hire an attorney.


Title: I know it's wrong to pretend to love someone for their money, but is it illegal?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer:
 It might be a problem if you're accepting money for a specific purpose with no intention of following through. Otherwise everything is a gift and you're welcome to it.

That being said:  you should be ashamed of yourself.


Title: [California, USA] Our classroom is constantly in the mid-low 60s (Fahrenheit) because a student has an unspecified medical condition requiring a cold room. Is this legal?

Question:
All I’ve found is that the ed code says AC has to “Maintain interior temperatures within normally acceptable ranges.” That doesn’t really tell me much. Additionally, I have no idea what the magnitude of the condition is so I don’t know whether this student is completely unable to function in anything warmer than 65 degrees (highly unlikely) or what. It’s extremely frustrating as I feel bad for the individual with the condition but I’m constantly shivering, as are many of my peers, even with blankets. It’s difficult to even take notes in there because my hands get cold to the point of rigidity.
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer:
 Bring it up to the administration that the temperature in the classroom is causing you issues.

If they do nothing, you can go to the school board or change to a different classroom.Answer #2: A 'reasonable' accommodation for 1 student should NOT result in the remaining students suffering frostbite.  You need to speak with administration and escalate to student affairs if unresolved.  What kind of condition requires 60F indoors?


Title: Fiancé diagnosed with cancer, brother in law takes time off with doctors note to cover, employer now saying they need docs documentation for specific dates or they'll cut full time status.

Question: Title. My fiancé was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery on 10/4. Since that date, my fiancé has needed help around the house while recovering, getting to doctors appointment, ect. Fiancés brother has been helping with everything, and subsequently has taken days off of work. He had received documentation from her surgeon saying that she needs this help, and gave a copy to his employer. This documentation had a range of dates, from 10/4 to 1/1, that she will be recovering and going through chemo and he will need intermittent days off. Now his employer is coming back saying they need documentation for specific dates he has taken off or they will cut his status from full to part time. Just looking for some knowledge in this area as I am fairly uninformed in this area, can his employer threaten this? Is he within his right to think this documentation should be sufficient? we are in Illinois if that matters any, and I really appreciate any advice and clarity.

Answer: It sounds like they're trying to continue documenting how long he's going to need to help her for FMLA reasons. FMLA paperwork needs to be updated periodically - it's called recertification and they can request this every 30 days. They're trying to make sure she's still sick and still needs his help. Usually with those papers there's a form included for the doctor to sign off on - do you know if there is one?


Title: Is it legal to erase things off of a chalk board that a shop has on the sidewalk?

Question:
There is this chalk board outside of a shop near my house that has a racial slur on it, and it always disturbs me when I walk by it. I’m confused at how no one has gotten rid of it yet. Is it legal for me to erase a few words off of it so It’s gone? Or is that vandalism?
Thanks for any input you might have.

Answer: Leave other people's belongings alone.


Title: I recently lost my wallet and have a strong suspicion it was stolen from me at a movie theater. However, my wallet had a fake ID in it.

Question:
Yes I know carrying a lot of cash as well has having a fake ID are two very stupid things to do especially together. I was planning on depositing this cash in my bank account after the movie but realized it was gone. I have searched the entire theater as well as anywhere else I could’ve looked and I dropped it when I dropped my keys as well in the theater and just didn’t notice. Is it worth contacting the police? There was a lot of money and it was all a christmas gift.

I am a poor college student who could really use that money. I am in Massachusetts by the way and thanks for any input y’all have.

Answer: Possession of a fake ID in MA is up to $200 fine, 3 months in jail and a 1 year driver's license suspension. If the cops call and say they found it, don't call them back.Answer #2: If you go to the police and they find a fake ID in it, you are likely to face consequences worse than losing that money. You have to find it on your own or take the loss.Answer #3: This might sound dumb, but have you followed up with the movie theatre to make sure no one turned it in? I worked at a massive department store, and people’s wallets were turned in all the time, ID and all. But no one from the store would ever try to contact them, just throw it in the safe until they reached out.


Title: [New York] I'm being sued two years later for a car accident I thought was over.

Question:
Here's the basic jist of the story. I got into an accident in 2013. I hit the side of a car of a woman who went through a stop sign. The cop in the report claimed it was her fault and had witnesses who are long since gone all claim it was her fault. However,  GEICO tried to assign me the majority percentage at fault. They were complete bullies and I hated having to deal with them. Meanwhile, my insurance has assigned her 80% at fault and myself at 20% at fault. I'm being told I'm going to get sued and was dragged around by a couple of different people until I filed against her in small claims court. This freaked both insurance companies out and I eventually got GEICO to agree to assign her at 70% at fault while I was 30% at fault. The small claims was closed with prejudice and I didn't hear anything about this again. Fast forward almost 2 years and I have moved from New York, but find out today that on May 18th, I got served papers that I need to fax to my insurance company because she's trying to sue again with Jacobi & Meyers. I should also mention that sometime during the original small claims court,  she tried suing me with them, but she made a mistake and her son was the one who was trying to sue me. That disappeared quick when it was pointed out.

Is there anything I should do or be worried about? Should I just fax those papers to the insurance company I had at the time and be done with it? I'm currently in California so it's going to be kind of hard to deal with any of this in person and I'm sure my Mom doesn't want to be burdened by it again.

Answer:
 >Should I just fax those papers to the insurance company I had at the time and be done with it?

Technically, you still have to cooperate with them (e.g. answer their phone calls/emails within a reasonable timeframe), but essentially, yes.  Be sure to tell them about the small claims case and give them copies of whatever paperwork that generated as well.


Title: Job wants me to work without pay [GA]

Question: Work for a big box pet store grooming dogs. I am payed 50% commission of every dog I groom. Job is holding an event tomorrow where we won't be allowed to groom until after the event is over at 12pm. They were supposed to have the hourly employees cover the event but now they're telling me they want me to work 9-6 tommorrow and basically I won't be paid for 3 hours of work.

Answer: If you are required to be at work, they have to pay you. If you get paid solely on commission, and there won't be any work for X hours, then they need to pay you minimum wage at least for that period.


Title: Renewing my lease, and the new lease makes me a member of a new, seemingly made-up fraternity. What does this change? (Michigan)

Question:
I’ve been attending the University of Michigan, and living in what used to be a frat house. The fraternity got kicked out, and so the alumni have been renting the rooms out individually through a property management company. My new lease includes a membership clause in a new fraternity (not the fraternity that owns the property), but there are no fees or responsibilities associated with membership.

Still, I assume there must be some legal reason why this has been tacked on to my lease. It may be something that won’t affect me, but I don’t want to sign and later find out that being a member of a frat has changed the landlord/tenant relationship in some meaningful way - like I’m suddenly responsible for maintenance, or something along those lines (maintenance is specifically outlined in the lease, that was just a random example)

Is this something I should be concerned about?

Answer: I would ask them to explain it. It might be a way to insure the house but even that is pretty sketchy.


Title: [KY] [Real Estate] Father-in-Law wants me out of Survivorship Deed. Am I screwed?

Question:
My wife and I have been married for 10 years now. Her father (my father-in-law) has both our names on a Survivorship Deed.

He's a master manipulator, keeps going around plotting little "deals" to get his way.

He just offered my wife and I $1,000 each in cash to take MY name off the Survivorship Deed, and another $1,000 for me to "just pack your things and leave."

Wife is saying to take the first $1,000 "just to humor him, he's old," but I think the moment my name is off the deed, she'll change her mind. (Note: in the ten years I've been married to her, she has NEVER said no to anything he has wanted.)

Now, I'm not asking about divorce options, because I'd like to try and save my marriage. But legally speaking, how screwed am I in this situation? Should I take the money and run, or just run? Or keep my name on the deed just to screw the manipulative son-of-a-bitch?

Edit: Wife just told me I have a week to leave since I'm "being so stubborn about this."
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 Sounds like they're both trying to screw you...assuming the property is worth more than $3,000. From what I understand, you each own 1/3 of the property equally, unless the deed specifies otherwise. So either talk to a lawyer or tell them that you'll move out....if they pay you 1/3 of the value of the property.Answer #2: WELL. It's been settled amicably.

I went and talked with my father-in-law myself, dragging wife almost kicking and screaming with me.

See, all of this lately has been "He said this but won't say it when you're around."

Here's the real deal:

He told wife he was offering to do some upgrades on a workshop building I own. Never mentioned me removing my name from the survivorship deed or moving out.

Well, I told him what she said this morning. He was utterly shocked, and he and I discussed what should be done.

Then we went to the clerk's office, and met our lawyers there.

My name is off the survivorship deed (by my choice). So is her's (revoked by father-in-law). Daughter's name stays on it.

MY name solely is on a separate deed for our house here. Wife's is NOT going on it, that way if I decide to leave (which looks promising), I'm covered.

He looked straight at wife and said "You lied to him again. You need professional help." I agree with him, and plan on getting her that help.Answer #3: Don't sign anything. Also, stop by the courthouse on a regular basis to make sure nobody forged your name to anything.


Title: [US - NH] Was stopped by cops for trespassing while swimming in quarries (not detained or arrested) but had wallet searched without consent

Question: I have no experience with law and have never had an encounter with police before this. Was swimming in quarries on posted property, stopped by cops. They asked me to empty my pockets, and when I did they looked through my wallet without consent and found a tab of LSD. Can they search my possessions without consent because I was trespassing, or do they still have to have my consent? My courtdate is today.

Answer:
 >they ASKED me to empty my pockets and when I did

Bam, consent. The trespassing (a crime, no matter how minor) is really all the probable cause they needed to search you to begin with though, so they could have done that whether you complied or not.

One crime at a time, folks. Good luck in court. Answer #2: As others pointed out, you consented to the search.

Also, you were 100% detained in this situation.


Title: A guy just called my workplace and said a tree branch in our lot broke his rear windshield... but that seems impossible and there's zero physical evidence... he wouldn't even show me the broken window. He said he'll have his insurance contact us.

Question:
When I asked where he was in our lot so I could take a look, he said "I'm not gonna be late to work."  I suggested it'd help with the insurance if he let me see it and he revealed that he was already gone. I asked, "You drove away with a broken rear windshield?" and he answered "I'm not gonna be late for work!"
For good measure, I filmed myself walking the whole parking lot looking for a broken glass or a tree branch that could break a car window.  I found nothing.
Is there any chance of this guy getting something out of us?

Answer:
 Nope. You have video proof and the time the calls was made, for future reference I would record the line next time.Answer #2: Perfect.  Their insurance can contact your insurance.  They can sort it out.

Take pictures of the lot.


Title: Withholding grades in college

Question: I go to Indiana University. As every student does, I hate waiting to get feedback on grades. I have had 2 professors now that have (what seems to be intentionally) withheld grades until after the class drop deadline (halfway through semester). Is this legal? It seems unjust that I don't know my class standing whatsoever in the event that I want to drop whether because of a failure or a GPA reducing grade. PS I have submitted 4 essays up to this point for my current class, all the Associate Instructors say is "we're working on it."

Answer: Yes, it's legal.  There are no laws governing when a college professor must release grades.  It may or may not be an issue with university policy, though I doubt it.


Title: Renter for 2+ years ,no lease, landlord doing MAJOR construction, wants me gone in one month.

Question: Do I have any legal recourse here?  What are my tenant rights with regards to this matter? I am in the state of New Jersey.

Answer:
 You are a month to month tenant. You were given notice to end tenancy. You move.

[Link]( http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/new-jersey-notice-requirements-terminate-month-month-tenancy.html)


Title: I got a DUI last night, what are my next steps?

Question:
Throwaway account, on mobile.

Last night I was involved in an accident for which I was at fault.  I failed to yield while making a left turn and there was a head on collision, no injuries to either driver but significant, probably irreparable damage to both vehicles.  Upon arriving on the scene, the police administered a field sobriety test and a breathalyzer test, on which I blew .105.  I was taken into custody, at the station I was given another breathalyzer, this time I blew a .09.  I had to spend the night in the drunk tank and was charged with a DUI.  This was my first non traffic related offense of any kind.  I have an arraignment on April 9th and I’m just really unsure how to proceed as I’ve never been involved in something like this.  My main concern is keeping this off of my record if at all possible.  This is in VA if that makes a difference.

Answer:
 Hire a lawyer. This is going on your record and staying there. Answer #2: You need to get an attorney.  Answer #3: Other than the obvious “hire a lawyer” something you can do in the meantime is get a drug and alcohol assessment, and start going to classes. The way DUIs work is based on levels and are dependent on aggravating factors. Essentially you taking the initiative to do those classes on your own will take away one or the aggravating factors and potentially lower the level of your DUI. Keep in mind you will have to do the assessment and these classes anyway as part of your punishment so it’s good to get ahead of the game in this aspect.

You will also lose your license no matter what, so in the case that you obvious obviously hire a lawyer as everyone so far as recommended, ask about a work permit. It is a very convenient item that will allow you to drive without a license. Answer #4: Get a lawyer.  That is the only step you should be worrying about right now.


Title: Got small area 2nd degree burns while eating at a restaurant

Question:
I was eating in the outside patio at tables that have a mesh-like top and was pouring tea into a glass mug. When the glass was about half full it literally split in half, sending incredibly hot tea through the table mesh and onto my leg (I was wearing shorts, so it hit my skin directly). I'd guess that the glass broke from temperature shock.

The staff gave me a cloth with ice in it for my leg and discounted my bill, but the whole situation left me very unhappy. My leg has small blistering in the area directly hit with the water.

Do I have any options from this, or is having a strongly worded review the best I can do? I'm in Colorado.

Thanks.

Answer:
 What damages do you have? Any medical bills? Permanent injury?

I'm guessing the answers are: none, none, and none.

That is precisely the amount of money that any lawsuit will generate. No damages equals no money.

Leave a bad review if you feel you must -- *though dinging them for a broken glass seems a bit petty since they waived your bill* -- but there is no viable civil lawsuit here.

Though, this is general advice only since you didn't include your location despite multiple prompts in the posting process to do so. Surely you are aware that laws vary from country to country and state to state.


Title: Sexploitation

Question:
My brother is 16 now but was 10 when he took a nude photo. Somehow this doxxer/sexploiter got a hold of it and is threatening to send it to all of his followers, unless he sends more nudes. I sent the FBI reports and  filled out ncmec report, but I am curious, is there any way to find out who is running the fake account antagonizing my brother?  From florida
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 You're not Batman, you should not be attempting to track down the person who runs the account. The FBI will look into it and you running your own version of an "investigation" might very well run this person off before they can be caught.

Just let the FBI run the investigation and you focus on hanging out with your brother and making sure he's okay.Answer #2: No, let the authorities deal with it.


Title: [NJ] My father is offering my wife and I a rent free apartment.

Question:
I am not sure if this is the right subreddit. The title explains it all, but to help understand my concern I will give a little more detail.

My father and I have had a close relationship. But I never asked him for any financial support. My wife and I currently live in Clifton and we are saving to buy a house, she is also studying to get her masters. My father owns a 2 family rental and offered us to stay in his rental rent-free for as long as we need so we can purchase a house faster. Sounds amazing right!! But for some reason I feel very hesitant about it. He is currently going through a rough divorce, he initially was going to put the house on the market, then recently decide not to.

Is there steps I should take to make sure I am not being impacted financially and legally? Should I have him type up a contract or some type of lease agreement?

Any advice would be great appreciated.

Answer: A lease would guarantee you could stay through the end of the lease terms even if somebody else bought the house. Probably best to go month to month. Then either party could terminate the tenancy just with proper notice. (30 days in most States)


Title: Nightmare roommate calls the police on me...twice.

Question: He's already been evicted but is still squatting in the house I guess? After the first time I went to stay with my girlfriend for a while, and bang, Day 1 back in my room, minding my own business, when bang. Cops. Nearly got arrested on my mom's birthday. I guess what I'm trying to ask is if there is any legal recourse to be taken by someone falsely accused of being involved with drugs/crime, for which their is no case because the responding officers found no validity to the claims. They did try to get me to cop to smoking pot (the 'main' part of the reason for him calling the cops, but I never let them in, was not arrested, and nothing came of it. This roommate has also called the cops on another couple in the house for "being too loud" as well as an ambulance for himself and his stomach ache's... twice. And we live down the street from the hospital none the less! He's wasting city resources and tainting my name, I think he may have serious psychological issues and need help but don't know what to do. Living here is like a prison, I know as soon as I put my hands on him I'll be in cuffs.

Answer:
 > He's already been evicted but is still squatting in the house I guess?

If he's been truly evicted, then he should be physically removed and the locks changed.  Who evicted him?

> I guess what I'm trying to ask is if there is any legal recourse to be taken by someone falsely accused of being involved with drugs

Do you actually do drugs?  You appear to admit to smoking pot, so we'll presume that's a "yes". It's not illegal to call the police to report something you actually do.  It's also not illegal to call the police to report something that the police choose not to take action on.  Unless you can prove that he's knowingly lying, you'll have no recourse.


Title: How is it decided if an accommodation for a disability is reasonable?

Answer:
 there is no baseline, it depends on a ton of factors and variables. there is lkkely a non profit or law clinic in your area that will help people like you either find jobs and/or challenge denials of accommodations, contact them.

best of luck.


Title: Emergency home clean up company sprayed a chemical in my house without consent

Question:
On mobile, sorry about formatting.

I had some ice dams at my house which caused a bit of internal water damage. I did what most homeowners would do and called a restoration company to take care of the clean up. They set up drying equipment, did some moisture readings, then I went upstairs to talk to my wife about what they were saying.

When I came back downstairs they had sprayed some awful smelling “plant based antimicrobial”. Nobody had mentioned this, and at this point I had not signed any paperwork.
Now I understand what the spray was for - to prevent mold from building up. But they wouldn’t send me an ingredient sheet until after they left (ended up being 2 days later and I had to call to get it even though they said they’d email it to me by end of day). But I have a few issues with this:

1. At the time, I don’t know what’s in this
2. I have a cat, a dog, and most importantly, an 8 month old daughter.  None of them can speak to tell me if something is wrong and I don’t know what any of them may or may not be allergic to.
3. We found out later that the product is tested on animals, which my wife and I have a moral issue with. Had we known, we likely would not have allowed them to spray.
4. My wife had a minor reaction to the spray.

My question is (and I know, call a lawyer, you guys aren’t lawyers): do I have any recourse here, or no because there were no major health issues caused?

I’m in Rhode Island.

Thanks in advance!

TLDR; Cleanup company sprayed a chemical without my consent

Answer: What are your damages?Answer #2: NAL, but I feel you don’t have any damages. And your moral objection to something tested on animals is noble but mold would be far far worse for your family, as well as costing a fortune to fix, and also depreciation of the value of your home. My last hose had a seller disclosure specifically asking about mold


Title: [Chicago, IL] Employer hasn't raised pay to match new minimum wage.

Question:
When I first picked up my current full-time job (early 2015), I agreed to a rate of $9.50 per hour (bumped to $9.75 after a couple months of working). At the time, there was no problem with that, but Chicago's minimum wage was raised to $10 per hour on 7/1/15. I looked over my most recent paystub, and during my last pay period (6/28 - 7/4, of which I worked 7/1 - 7/4), I was paid $9.75 per hour.

I called the HR/payroll lady today and asked when I would be getting the pay bump to comply with the new law, and she dismissively stated that she knew nothing about that, she didn't know when or even if current employees would be bumped to $10+ per hour, and that only new hires are getting $10 per hour. She also stated that, if current employees do get a bump to $10 per hour, it would not be retroactive to 7/1. What should I do in this situation? I already have a minimum wage complaint affidavit filled out, but I am reluctant to turn it in for fear of being fired (regardless of legality). I sent an email to the same payroll lady in hopes of creating a paper trail of sorts, but I'm flying blind here. Any ideas?

Pertinent info - My employer's headquarters are located in a Chicago suburb, but not within the city limits. The particular location I work out of *is* within city limits, and I spend around 90% of my working hours inside the city limits of Chicago. The company has 200+ employees. There have been no notices about the minimum wage increase posted in my company's facility or attached to our paystubs.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Contact the Illinois department of laborAnswer #2: [Here](http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/mayor/supp_info/minimum-wage.html) is a primer on the new ordinance.

There are some caveats that may make in inapplicable to you; if they don't apply to you, you'll want to contact the [Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection](http://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/bacp.html)


Title: [PA] Will question, mom has a lot of debt and I live with her, will I need to sell the house?

Question:
I live with my mom who has cancer and is thinking rather morbidly. I'm 27 paying off student loans and saving for a house so I'm living with my mom for the next few years.

Anyways, she's been thinking about doing a will and she has medical bills (?), mortgage (49k) and credit card debt ($10kish). She has enough life insurance for a funeral (19k). She has lawyers telling her different things and so we are a bit confused what would happen to me and the house.

The question is, would I have to sell off the house to pay her debts?

One lawyer said I'd have to sell the house and I would be left with nothing and the other said the house would transfer over to me and the debt would be gone. Obviously two drastic differences.

I really hope she's ok and lives for another 100 years but I guess it's good to be prepared for the worst.

Other notes: I'm an only child, it's just me and my mom in the house and her name is the only one on the house.

Thanks in advance.

Edit: I'd be in an ok position to make payments on the mortgage. But I wouldn't have enough money for her credit card debt or medical bills.

Answer:
 What happens upon death is that the executor of the estate takes all of your mother's assets and nets them against your mother's liabilities

So if your mother has

* 50K in assets (Money Life Insurance etc)
* 100K in a house (Fixed Asset)
versus
* 75K in liabilities,

you would have to sell the house to fulfil the liabilities
Your mother's estate would end up at 75K which would go to you. Tax Free.

But if your mother has

* 50K in assets (Money Life Insurance etc)
* 100K in a house (Fixed Asset)
versus
* 200K in liabilities

The estate would have to pay the bills and you have a net estate of (50K)
This liability dies with your mother. You do not inherit it so long as you avoid signing anything that makes you responsible for it.

Funeral expenses are part of the estate but if it exceeds the amount, say your mother had less than 10K to pay for her funeral which ended up costing 12K, the person who signs the funeral contract would be responsible for the shortfall (generally)

Your mother is advised to make a will and to organize her assets and liabilities to make your life as an estate executor easier.


Title: I'm being harassed and threatened by someone I didn't reciprocate feelings towards.

Question:
I recently went out, met this person, and stayed at his place. He seemed intense but I brushed it off as my own apprehensions. He then became extremely possessive and was saying things that were completely out of the context of our situation.

&#x200B;

I left the next day and we continued to text. I decided not to ghost him and be upfront so I responded that it was nice meeting him, I'm not in a place right now to see someone, etc. I tried to be cordial but I can understand how someone can get frustrated with rejection.

&#x200B;

Well last night I got a notification on a hookup app by someone with a blank profile saying increasingly aggressive things. Then this person sent photos of my drivers licence, my address (which is different than on my licence), and kept sending photos of me (they are all public profile photos so that part isn't too alarming). but sending photos of my ID over 60 times back to back is frightening.

&#x200B;

I then started getting text messages (not on the app) from that person and he was visibly upset - saying that I disrespected him and demanded an apology. Obviously the blank profile and the text messages are from the same person, but I'm not sure if there's any real way I can prove it. I haven't spent a night at someones house in over a year and other than my close friends, nobody would have access to my ID.

&#x200B;

This person has called me over 20 times in the last 12 hours, sent me increasingly aggressive messages and ended with a threat. Am I able to submit a police report and is this a basis for some kind of legal aid? I'm genuinely concerned and don't know what he might do with his threats.

Answer:
 Yes, contact the policeAnswer #2: File a police report. You don't need to prove that they both came from him. A reasonable person would come to that conclusion based on timing and content.

If he has physically threatened you, it may be enough to get a restraining order. Have you replied to any of the messages?Answer #3: If he's got a pic of your ID, he may have gone through your purse while you were sleeping or in the bathroom or something, he may also have other private information like credit cards. You should take stock of what was on you that night, see if anything is missing too.


Title: Someone in our building is threatening to have guests' cars towed and claims to be HOA management. [CA]

Question:
Here's the catch, *I'm* HOA management.

We have a parking vigilante.  We have decent guest parking but some consistent guests.  I have almost never seen a parking shortage in our building.  Each unit gets 2 spots, there are 5 or 6 guest spaces.  Plus there is street parking outside our gated garage.  So we (the HOA board) don't stress about it too much.

This self-appointed parking enforcer seems to have something against people who stay overnight.  I was just emailed a picture of a note threatening to tow a car if it keeps parking in a guest spot.  It was signed "HOA Manager".  That note did not come from the HOA.  We have signs posted that it is only 24 hour parking for guests, but there was no such violation.  And even if it was, we (the HOA board) are generally OK with it.

Since the HOA is technically a business entity is this fraud?  I'm pretty sure someone cannot make threats on behalf of the HOA Board without our consent.  I'm quite concerned with someone leaving threatening notes, claiming to be the HOA board.

Also, if this person calls a towing company, will it show up and tow it without some proof of authority?  If the car gets towed without our consent, can we go after who called the towing company for damages?  How would we go about doing this?

Answer:
 Is there some rule that guests cannot stay overnight?

> will it show up and tow it without some proof of authority?

Maybe. Towing companies don't exactly have the best reputations.

> can we go after who called the towing company for damages?

The person whose car was towed could sue the tow company if they towed the car without authority. Answer #2: Can you send a letter, or flyer, to all residents indicating the signs are false and to contact you, or any of the actual HOA officers, if their car is towed?

Does the sign have the phone number of the towing company?  If so call them and tell them that this is not authorized.  Usually signs like that have the name and phone number of the towing company since someone whose car was towed needs to be able to find out who towed it.


Title: [MA] Got denied a job because of something in an expunged juvenile record. Options?

Question: So I got denied a job because of something i answered honestly but was technically in an expunged record that doesn't pertain to me as an adult. Did they have the right to deny me the job? Do I have an option to sue? More info can be provided if necessary.

Answer:
 IANAL: Most times if something is expunged then you have the legal right to act as if it didn’t exist so since you told them about it when you likely didn’t have to, yes they can deny you for it.

I don’t know for sure how your state handles it tho but that’s how it is for ones I’m familiar with.


Title: North Dakota Independent Adoption

Question:
My husband and I were privately selected by a bio mother to adopt her baby. she is 8 months pregnant and would like the adoption as simple and easy as possible. The bio father is in jail and doesn't want anything to do with the child. She mentioned that her friend placed her child with a private family in the state of North Dakota without the use of an adoption agency, but I didn't think that was possible/legal with North Dakota's adoption laws.
My husband and I have already completed a Foster Parent home study, and all of the agencies are telling me their home studies are not nearly as extensive as the Foster Care process, but cannot accept our Foster Care Licensing portfolio for the adoption.
Please Help!!!!

Answer: You absolutely cannot DIY this. You need a lawyer. Even just obtaining consent from the father will be complicated in this case, and the last thing you want is for him to get out of jail in a year or two and contest the adoption


Title: My Roommate got my car impounded

Question: Hey, so I have a pretty annoying situation going on. My roommate borrowed my car (me not knowing his license was suspended). My car got impounded by Phx PD and my leaseholder repossessed it from the Police Impound lot. After calling my leaseholder how I can get my car back, They are telling me there is a 30-day hold on the car and I can not pick it up until next month. Since I was not the person driving with the suspended license. Can they legally hold my car for 30-days while I'm still making monthly payments?

Answer: Yes legal.  And yes you have to keep paying while they have it.Answer #2: Yup, legal. It is your obligation, legally speaking, to make certain that you only loan your car to people who can legally drive it. Yes, you have to keep making payments, unless you don't want it back, which would be even worse for your credit, etc. You can go after your friend for your financial losses though. Either ask them for the money or sue them in small claims court, if you are so inclined.


Title: Bay Area, CA - Rejected a job offer - CEO now spreading my name around to other candidates during their interviews, lying

Question:
I recently interviewed for a job at a tech company where the CEO was a gigantic walking HR violation. I asked what he thought about his employees, his response was "I work for the bottom line." He also used the word "rape" 5-6 times to describe how he wanted to approach corporate negotiations. I decided against taking the job after contacting other employees (former and current) who shared similar experiences and e-mailed him and a board member a thoughtful response to some of his comments.

Fast forward two months, this CEO has been dropping my name to people who have been interviewing with him, stating that I lied about my previous work standing (completely false) and saying that they "decided to pass on me" - again, also false. Do I have any legal standing to keep him from mentioning/slandering me and my professional background?

Answer: Not a lawyer but I'm pretty sure this classifies as defamation under California law. Check http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/california-defamation-law for more info. Maybe consult a lawyer if you wish to sue or just to have a lawyer write a a cease and desist letter.


Title: A question inspired by the movie "Elf"; are you stealing intellectual property that's accidentally leaked?

Question:
In the 2003 Christmas film, a writer accidentally leaves behind a notebook at a publisher's office. They had been negotiating some paid collaboration, but after the meeting the notebook is found, full of story ideas and characters (not the ones previously being negotiated for).

Is anyone stealing intellectual property? Or are simple written-down ideas not worth anything?

Thanks for the discussion.

Answer:
 The contents of the notebook are copyrighted.

Publishing them or creating a derivative work based on them is copyright infringement.Answer #2: The notes and drawings are copyrighted, and as /u/BrowsOfSteel wrote, it's an infringement if you publish them or create a [derivative work](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Derivative_work) of them.  Even copying the pages is an infringement.  The author would be able to sue the publisher for all of their profits, or statutory damages if the copyright is registered with the Copyright Office (unlikely for a private diary).

However, ideas are not copyrightable, and Greenway Press would have been in the clear if they had read the book and promptly decided to write and publish a book about a peach that lives on a farm.  That's an idea (not copyrightable) and not an expression of ideas (copyrightable).

&#x200B;Answer #3: As soon as ideas are written down on paper, they have copyright protection.


Title: Getting Fucked By Uninsured Driver

Question:
Hey,

Was just in an accident where a guy backed into my car and dented it.

called the cops said he was at fault.

traded information and found out that he has no insurance.

live in Florida.

&#x200B;

what do I do ?

how can I get my car repaired?

how the fuck is it ok that I was hit some idiot and now have to pay \~ 2k for repairs?

Answer: this is why you have insurance.  call them.


Title: [VA] Moved in with GF a month into her lease. Lease is for 1 person, but got written permission, now they want me gone or pay more

Question:
My girlfriend signed a lease for first floor of a duplex in May, but didn't begin living there until early July. I decided to move with her after she signed the lease. We told the landlord in person in June, and received written consent on July 5th.

One week ago, my girlfriend emailed the landlord asking to consider hiring professional pest control to remedy an existing infestation that was present before our move-in, and was brought to the landlord's attention over two months ago.

They replied stating that we are in breach of the lease by having me living there, when the apt was leased to one person. Now they are demanding I leave or sign a new lease with a rent increase from $1150/mo to $1675/mo, which is hundreds above the market price for a rental of this size. Our upstairs neighbor's pay $1250/mo with two people and a giant dog.

My questions: Can they do get away with charging an obvious retaliatory price increase? Can they go back on their written consent allowing me to stay? They didn't change their mind until we asked them to spend money to fix existing issues.

Here is the part of the lease relevant to written consent/#of people allowed: https://imgur.com/a/FGSFrx4

Here is the email with them stating it is ok for me to move-in as well:
https://i.imgur.com/acVcZF4.png

Answer: So easy answer is you have written approval to have 2 people living as 1 family unit so you can kindly tell LL that no you will not re-sign a lease with a higher rent amount. 2nd answer, I'd be very curious about the legality of a lease addendum that specifies only 1 person allowed to live in a single family home.


Title: Ex-Roommate sold me a TV that he was renting from Rent-A-Center. Didn't tell me he was renting when he sold to me, he is now claiming that it was stolen. (Lansing, MI)

Question:
Last December/November my roommate sold me a 49" 4k UHD LG Smart TV for three hundred dollars. This is a TV that he just got recently, but was laid off so he needed the money. Seeing how it was just after black Friday and it was technically used the low price didn't seem to weird to me.

Around four months later in late March he texted me saying he'd like to by his TV back for four hundred dollars.(I've moved to a different house at this point) At this time the retail price for the TV is higher than that, so I declined his offer and told him I'd sell my old one for cheap. It was at this point he told me that he was actually renting the TV and he needed it back since he owed $2,200 for it.

Willing to make a deal with him, we checked out some TVs online that he'd be willing to buy me in exchange. There was a few we agreed and he said he'd be willing to get it shipped to his place, then deliver it to my house for me. Considering the current situation and not having very much trust in him, I declined this offer once again. I was fed up with buying random TVs from him. Instead, I suggest that I can drive us to the store and buy the agreed upon TV together in person. He ignored this suggestion and kept sending me texts of other TVs he'd be willing to bring to me.

Getting tired of this I decided that I could just go get it myself. I offered him the TV for $500, slightly more than the retail value for the inconvenience. (The TV he was going to replace it with was $489) after sending him this offer I didn't hear anything from him until this month. The last message I've received from him, he stated "They said you then have stolen goods" with they being Rent-A-Center. That aside he did offered to give me a couch in place of it so it still seems he's open to some kind of deal. It's Just a deal that I would very much like to avoid considering the following 1) I don't want a couch 2) it's used and has dog hair all over it 3) for all I know it rented out as well.

So does anyone know whether or not I'm at risk of any legal trouble here? I did not get a receipt for it, but it is in text that he sold it to me. Any help is appreciated.

Answer:
 First, contact Rent-A-Center yourself to confirm your XRM isn't bullshitting you about it being a rental. If it's true, then arrange for them to pick it up. If not, tell your XRM to pound sand because he's likely just trying to back out of a bad deal he made with you.

Then go about collecting the money you gave your XRM. If he can't or won't repay you, then you can sue him in small claims court.Answer #2: Rent-A-Center owns that TV, not you. Your giving $300 to someone else for it doesn't change that. You were in the clear when you did not know it was stolen goods. Now you know it is. You have the right to get your $300 back, but the TV should go to Rent-A-Center, the rightful owner. You should take the $400 and be done with it.


Title: Kentucky repair shop took my car to another shop to have it fixed.

Question:
Sorry to bother you fine people, I just moved to the great land of KY and have a question. My fiancee's wheel was off center so we took it to a shop we found nearby to get it realigned. We asked him if he could do it, he said yes, and we left.

I called today as it has been 48 hrs past the anticipated complete time and was surprised by his responses. First I was informed he "forgot about me, and that the car is done" but he needs to go to Tire Discounter to pick it up because he towed it there to be fixed instead of him doing it.

Is this okay? I could have taken my vehicle to TD and paid them myself, why the middle man? He never informed us of these plans and just did this. Also, he said that there was another issue with the back tire and they went ahead and fixed that. When we talked at first we specifically mentioned the front tire, saying "not to worry about a single other issue with the car, just the front tire"

We found some information codified but nothing in statute. see [here](http://www.kentuckylemonlaw.com/motor-vehicle-repair-rule/)

Thank you all

Answer:
 Subcontracting work is pretty common.  If he didn't have an alignment rack (or his was broken at the time), he sent it somewhere where it could be done properly.

While taking it in and sending it out for a single operation might seem a bit odd, if he for example did a front end rebuild and sent it out it for the alignment to make sure it the car would drive properly because an outside shop could do it better than he could would seem responsible.

There are lots of things that are jobbed out in some shops, such as transmission, A/C, and other specialty jobs where unique skills or equipment ($$$) is needed.

Chances are that he is getting a discount from that shop, and just adding a few bucks so the end price is about the same as if you went to the 2nd shop yourself.

Could he have just sent you there himself?  Sure.  But that also means that next time you need service, you may bypass him and head straight there yourself.  Plus he has bills to feed and mouths to pay.

The end question should be, did you get competent work done at a fair price.


Title: [OH] Went into a ditch, no damage to private property. I drove out and went home. Can I be charged with a crime?

Question:
I was driving carefully along a road and suddenly hit some bad patches of black ice. I decided to try to stop on the side of the road to engage 4wd, but while braking my vehicle lost traction entirely and I ended up in a shallow ditch. I managed to get out within a few minutes and didn’t do any damage to private property.

However, as I was driving away, I noticed a man on his phone standing quite a distance away from where I went into the ditch. It was pitch black out, so I do not believe he saw my face or my license plate.

When I got home I had a bad feeling and started to research what had just happened online. I thought that getting myself out of the ditch and just carrying on would be alright, I didn’t realize that I should report it to the police.

So now I’m kind of worried that the man on the phone was calling the cops, and he may have potentially gave them a description of my car? Is that enough evidence for them to figure out who I am and charge me? I feel like if they don’t have a plate number or a description of how I look then they can’t do much.

Is there anything the cops can do? Is there anything I should do?

Answer: Though you possible it is *extremely* unlikely anything further will result in the incident. You're being paranoid. If there's no damage to anything there's nothing further you need to do.


Title: I can't work Sundays for religious reasons. New boss is now saying I have to. Do I have any ground to stand on?

Question: This is in California. For the past 3 years since I was hired my previous boss was OK with me not working on Sundays. I was hired with the verbal agreement that I can't work Sundays. New boss is saying that I have to work at least 1 Sunday a month. Is there anything I can do?

Answer: If your employer can show that you choosing not to work on Sunday causes the business undue hardship, they do not have to make an accommodation for your religious choices.


Title: I have a court date in a week and I need help.

Question:
I'm a young college student and I did some really dumb shit a while ago that I since kind of forgot about, but it has come back up and I'm not sure what to do.

Basically a few months ago a friend and I went into Wal-Mart to steal liquor.  We each grabbed a fifth of something and walked toward the exit.  On our way out the door my friend got grabbed by security but they didn't confront me at all.  My friend ends up giving them my name because they saw us on the cameras, so they ended up letting him go with a city ordinance.  I get a visit from a sheriff at my house months after this happens and he tells me I have a court date.  This is my first offence and I have nothing on my record other than a speeding ticket.  That is where I am now.

1. Should I call an attorney?
2. Am I fucked?
3. Could I fight this myself?

All help is GREATLY appreciated!
Thanks!

Answer:
 > Should I call an attorney?

Yes.

> Could I fight this myself?

If you wish to lose, yes.