Title: California- landlord refusing mailbox key

Question: I posted about this last week, but I'm on mobile right now. I will add the link later. So, I rent a house and my landlord and I share an adress. A while back he switched our mailbox to a locked box and refuses to give me a key. I've asked many many times and he refuses. He drops my mail off , literally just dumps it in front of my front door once every other week. I spoke with the mail carrier last week and she said she would put press ure on the landlord, but that I can't get my own box. It's now a week later and I haven't gotten a key or my mail. Spoke with landlord yesterday and demanded a key. He said he would "try" to give me my mail more often. Later that evening I found my mail crumpled up in front of my door. He's just being a Jerk at this point. I'm done playing games with him. Who do I go to to file a complaint? The post office?

Answer:
 Just FYI, under CA law each rental unit must have its own locking mailbox and the tenant must be provided with the key.  [Official CA website about this](http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/problems.shtml).  Document every time you haven't been able to get the key from him and if this has affected anything to do with your ability to receive mail.  If you end up deciding to rent a PO box, keep all of the reciepts for what you pay and charge him when you move out.

IANAL but I am a landlord in CA.Answer #2: You can also rent a PO box too.  Might be worth it.


Title: Stepmother keeps threatening to break my computer and other stuff.

Question:
Turned 18 about a month ago, and currently live with my dad and stepmother. I’ve joined the military, but I’m still waiting to figure out when I’m going to be leaving for basic. Like the title says, my stepmother has repeatedly said she was going to break all my belongings or throw them out to the curb if I don’t move out. My dad doesn’t want me to move out though, and has repeatedly told me I have a place to stay until I leave for basic. She’s really constantly antagonistic, often coming into my room hurling insults at me, calling my actual mother a whore, and threatening to punch me on occasion. Basically I’m just worried that she is going to mess with the quite expensive computer I have put together, which she has contributed nothing to. Am I in the wrong thinking it’s my property, and is there any recourse I can take if she decides to destroy my stuff?  I’m sort of at my wit’s end right now, but I don’t really have another place to live, and I’m not sure how long I have left until I can leave.
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 If you don't want the computer broken, move it somewhere safe.  That somewhere safe may or may not be inside the home you're in right now.  The law generally isn't going to stop her from breaking the computer any more than a stop sign forces a car to come to a stop; it only prescribes punishments and gives recourse for when that happens.

If she breaks your computer, you can sue her for the fair market value of the computer.

If she credibly threatens your safety or life, or physically assaults you, call the police and get somewhere safe.Answer #2: Not legal advice. Fyi, you are probably eligible for a discounted rate from long term storage. Many companies offer this discount to military personnel. You should call a few places and find out. Leaving all your things in a storage locker will probably be less stressful than wondering if they got trashed while you were away. Answer #3: If she continues to threaten you or destroyed your property cal the police.


Title: [AL] Potential Eviction by Roommate

Question: So my girlfriend's roommate has a heater in her room (Alabama in October with a heater, I know right?), which the lease specifically says external heaters are not allowed (above a certain watage, which this is, because the building is shorts out alot). She has talked to her roommate about it, who doesn't care because she can "hide it when maintenance comes in", but gf still wants it gone because of the risk. If she reports her roommate, how will it affect their lease (they both signed one lease)?

Answer: The landlord will give her roommate the chance to correct the issue.


Title: Arrested for public intoxication while legally able to drive [TX]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Hi, I have a wall of text coming

No wall of text, please. Just give us the facts and keep it short.Answer #2: Just because you blow below .08 does not mean you are okay to drive or not intoxicated Answer #3: Uhm. You forgot your post.


Title: I'm a SWF scared of the guy in the other half of my duplex. What are my landlord's responsibilities?

Question:
I am a single female, and two weeks ago I began a one-year lease on a duplex in Austin, Texas. The tenant in the other half of the duplex is a single man. He was friendly at first, but three days ago he suddenly began sending me hostile text messages. In them he called me names, made confusing references to seemingly random topics, and told me several times that he doesn't want me living here and that I should move out.

After I explicitly told him to stop contacting me, he sent almost a dozen more texts in quick succession. Then he stopped. It's now been about 24 hours since he last contacted me.

The sudden, drastic change in his attitude and his irrational messages make me think this is some kind of psychotic episode. And the fact that he is much stronger than me physically makes me feel unsafe in my house and afraid to run into him outside. I just don't know what he's capable of.

Our duplex is both owned and managed by the same landlady/realtor. What legally can I expect her to do in this situation? What would you recommend I do? Break my lease? Is there any way I can avoid moving out?

Just an FYI, my landlady doesn't seem to have much tact, so I haven't told her about any of this yet for fear that she'll immediately call up my neighbor, ask him what's going on, and escalate the situation.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > Just an FYI, my landlady doesn't seem to have much tact, so I haven't told her about any of this yet

Then, as of yet, she can't do anything.

If you reported it to her, which you should do in writing, she may have some ability to handle him.  That depends largely on exactly what he's doing, and exactly what the lease says.  If the lease requires him to be a good neighbor(colloquially speaking) she can evict him if he doesn't comply.

Realistically, though, eviction is the only tool she has at her disposal.  And unless he violates the lease in some way(which may include violating the law), then she can't do anything.

If you feel harassed or threatened, you should go to the police first, and apprise your landlord after.


Title: Friend was rear-ended in Ohio and ended up with back pain. Signed settlement papers through her insurance. Couple months later she loss the use of legs due to large herniated disc. Can she/should she sue? Guy who hit her didn't have car insurance, but she does. (More details in post)

Question:
My friend is dealing with a lot right now so I'm trying to get more info for her. I said she should look into suing but she feels defeated about it because she already signed a settlement (got $800) and the guy who rear-ended her didnt have insurance and doesn't have any money. He was driving a beat up car from the 90's.

The background info is that this guy rear-ended her and she ended up with some back pain and began going to physical therapy for a couple months. During that time she signed a settlement with her insurance not thinking her back would get worse. She is in her early 30's. Her back got worse and worse until one day her legs went numb and she couldn't walk and loss control of her bladder. She went to the ER, had an MRI and they immediately took her in to have back surgery. Dr's said her disc had ruptured to the size of a golf ball so they had to remove it completely and also had to repair nearby nerves that were leaking. They also noticed the next disc down is bulging but not enough to need surgery because physical therapy should take care of it. So after the surgery she can't walk and is numb from the waist down. It's only been 10 days so it's too soon to tell if she has permanent nerve damage or if her legs with get better with time and physical therapy, which could take many months to find out.

Does she have a case for suing the guy who hit her even though she signed settlement papers with her insurance? If she does sue how will she even get money from someone who has no insurance or money, to cover the medical costs that she has already accrued and may continue to accrue over time (depending on how this plays out). She does have medical and car insurance but it's too soon to know if she will owe anything. Best case scenario she heals and can walk again in time and with therapy,  worse case she has permanent nerve damage and can't walk or has numbness in her legs and feet forever. She is also having bladder control problems and has had a catheter in since the surgery, which again the Dr's don't know if it's nerve damage or her meds (apparently opioids can cause bathrom issues like this).

I personally feel she would have some kind of case against the guy who hit her, especially if she can't walk again or if she has permanent nerve damage that cause numbness and general loss of quality of life, but she feels very defeated and like there's no need to bother.

Advice on starting points or anyone else have experience on this type of situation?

Edit: Seems she needs to get a copy of the form she signed and talk to an injury lawyer. I'm currently looking into finding one for her and from there she can decide if she wants to pursue it or not.

Answer: She should get an opinion from a local personal injury lawyer. Note that if she had one representing her previously, she should go to someone else just in case there's an issue of solicitor's negligence.


Title: [NJ][Family Law] Does an adopting step parent have to identify himself to the biological parent relinquishing rights?

Question:
I am looking to adopt my stepdaughter. Her biological father has been by and large absent for 7 years. My wife has contacted him and he said he would not contest the adoption, but that remains to be seen when the time comes. My wife has done her best to keep her life hidden from him and his family, but I live my life much more publicly.

I am just curious if on the paperwork he needs to fill out to relinquish parental rights in light of the adoption, if I, as the adopting step-parent, would have to be identified, or could I do it so my name only appears on the paperwork he would not see?

Answer: Very likely yes, it would appear on his paperwork.


Title: Got written up and docked in pay for one month for talking about salaries with a coworker. Isn't this illegal?

Question:
I recently got transferred to a new department in my company and I was told that my move was to be a “lateral move”. I was a supervisor in my previous area and so I had assumed I would, once again, be the supervisor in the new area. Well when I arrived, things weren’t adding up… I was not put in the supervisor’s office and someone else who I know for a fact wasn’t intended to be the supervisor, was. Long story short, this resulted in me wanting to figure out who WAS in charge in this department and one of my coworkers and I started talking about wages to see if we could figure out who was “in charge” so to speak.  Admittedly that was probably irrelevant information.

Later, our boss came by and talked to me and explained that there WAS no supervisor and that THEY were going to be the boss. He also wrote me up for talking about wages with my coworker and docked my pay for one month (as well as taking away my quarterly bonus). However, I’m pretty sure that is illegal to do. From what I understand, talking about wage is well within my and my coworker’s rights to do. Another weird thing, my coworker apparently didn’t get in any trouble for this… I did not coerce my coworker to say anything about their wage myself. What I said to this coworker was similar to “Hey, can I ask you something? If you’re comfortable, would you be willing to share what you’re making right now? I am just trying to figure out what is going on… If you’re making x-amount, then you’re making supervisor money so you must be the supervisor. You DO NOT have to answer if you don’t feel like it”. I even told them what I was making before they told me…

Thoughts?

Thanks!

Answer:
 By docking your pay for a month they implied that you would be working for fee for a month?  If so that is very illegal as is forbidding you from talking about pay.  Answer #2: It is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act to prohibit or discipline for the "[disclosure of] wages, salaries bonuses etc with other employees" NLRA Section 8(a)(1). The mere policy is itself a violation of the Act.

You can contact the Regional office in Denver for free here: https://www.nlrb.gov/region/denver

Supervisor under the NLRA is statutorily defined. Call the NLRB in your area. Talk to an agent at the NLRB, it's free!  They can help you determine if you are a "statutory supervisor" under the NLRA.

You DO NOT need an attorney to file charges with the NLRB. Filing a charge with the NLRB costs you NOTHING. If the NLRB's Local Region finds that your employer violated the law, one of Agency's attorney's will prosecute the violation free of charge. Answer #3: Amusingly enough, they ARE allowed to forbid you from talking about your salary and dock your pay for doing so... but ONLY if you are a manager. (And not just "called" a manager, but actually doing managerial duties.)Answer #4: When you say "written up", does it mean they literally wrote down somewhere that discussing salary was the reason you were disciplined? Did you get a copy of the written document? Or can you get one without tipping them off what an idiotic thing they did?Answer #5: Seems that no one has mentioned this so far; Utah is an at-will state, just like every other except Montana. Be prepared to find a new job if you file any sort of wage claim.


Title: Oregon- I'm being silently fired due to pregnancy

Question: [deleted]

Answer: When you say small retail business, how many employees?


Title: My dad removed my nephew from a toxic living situation and my sister is raising hell!

Question:
I don’t know if I used the right tag, and this is a really messy complicated story, so I apologize if some things seem all over the place.

My older sister has 3 kids — a teenage boy, and 10 yo twin girls. Neither of the fathers are in the picture, never were. Honestly our family doesn’t even know who their fathers are! A little back story, my sister is completely INSANE. I think she might be bipolar but it has never been confirmed and if she knows I’m almost positive it’s not something she would want the rest of the family to know.

She mentally, and sometimes physically abuses her children... more mental than physical. She’s constantly telling them she doesn’t want them and that she is going to call child services to come take them away. Apparently a few months ago when one of the twins broke her arm, we later found out my sister broke it. Also the doctor/hospital knew at the time and said something along the lines of don’t let it happen again.

I know this has been going on for a while, so has the rest of my family. Please don’t shame me or them for not stepping in sooner. We are all concerned about the kids, but it is difficult for us to take them in and we do not want them in the system.

The twins have EXTREME behavioral issues that has gotten them kicked out of daycare centers, public schools, and even a home schooling program. They are extremely smart. But my sister does not even acknowledge their bad behavior let alone punish them for it. Instead she takes all of her anger out on my nephew.

For example, the girls were kicked out of public school for hitting the teacher (multiple times), leaving their classroom and the school without permission, climbing out a second story window of the school (don’t even know how that happened), and being loud, rude and disruptive during class. They were kicked out of their homeschool program because they hacked the system and started sending emails to students, as a teacher, telling them they were failing all of their classes.

Nonetheless, they were not punished in anyway for what they did. On the other hand my nephew gets punished for asking the girls to leave him alone to do his school work. Yelled at because a lamp was broken, by them, on his watch. Constantly asked to take care of them so my sister can do her own thing. She almost made him drop out of school so he could stay home with his two homeschooled sister while she worked. Thankfully, she suckered her ill dying grandmother to do it instead.

About a month or so ago, my sister made her kids watch her as she swallowed a handful of pills (aspirin). Not enough to do any real damage, which she knew, but the kids didn’t fully understand that. She was taken to the hospital where she was under evaluation for a week then went home like nothing happened! She also swallowed a bunch of pills when she was pregnant with my nephew and was rushed to the hospital.

The past week has been crazy. One of the twins text 911 saying she was trapped inside a house on fire with her husband, 4 yo, and 1 month old. The police must have traced where the text came from and showed up at the house. Idk what happened though, apparently nothing.

Yesterday was my nephews 15th birthday. His mother didn’t even acknowledge him. He went out with his great aunt for lunch, and then was dropped off at a party with friends. When he was dropped off last night his mother locked him out of the house and went to bed and refused to pick up his calls or respond to his texts. Today she did not call or text him all day.

My dad picked him up from his friend’s house when he was off and took him to his house where he was going to call my sister and request my nephew live with him. My sister told him to bring my nephew home immediately. My nephew is terrified something bad is going to happen to him if he goes home. And honestly, I think that too. My dad did not take him home, and is prepared to face the consequences for his safety.

The biggest reason something has not been done sooner is because of the girls. Because of their behavioral issues the family has a hard time handling them, even when they are separated. But we also don’t want them to end up in the system. But that is another bridge to cross on another day. Right now... what can my dad or nephew do to keep him from having to go back to his mother.

There have been so many stories on the news of parents killing their kids, I’m terrified my sister will seriously injure him or worse if he goes back. He was also just diagnosed with MS. Please help!
Topic:
CPS and Dependency Law

Answer: Either you or your nephew (or both of you) should call CPS. If his mother has abused him and neglected him, then CPS can remove him from her custody and place him with your dad, if your dad is willing to take him in. Generally, CPS tries to place removed children with a family member rather than a stranger.Answer #2: Have you considered that being "in the system" could provide your nieces with access to mental and behavioral health services that they may not get otherwise?


Title: (New Zealand) I work at a mall and have been fined $140 for parking in customer parking while I was shopping there on my day off. They're refusing to drop the fine.

Question:
I provided copies of my receipts and offered to put them in touch with my manager on shift that day. They're claiming that all mall employees must inform the centre management when they're shopping but none of us has ever heard of this or had problems in the past.

I have no idea how they know my cars registration number either, I never provided it when I began working there. They've now rejected my dispute twice and I'm not sure where to go from here.

Edit: The parking enforcement is done by a company contracted by the mall. They have refused to contact them for me after my two initial disputes were rejected.

Answer: While you're trying to sort things out with the mall, you might make backup copies of your receipts and store them in a different location, just in case something happens to the originals.Answer #2: I just wouldn't pay. Tell them to take it to court if they think they have a case.


Title: Kind of a different question: I don't plan on getting in trouble, but if I do, how do I get a quality lawyer if I am behind bars?

Question: I am going to be honest, I don't know how this works. Would I talk to a lawyer and say, "Hey man I don't plan on getting in trouble but if I do, I'll give you a call". Do I just have to hope that I can find a lawyer while being held? It's a stupid question I know but it's something I should probably know

Answer:
 ITT: A lot of people here recommending memorizing lawyers' phone numbers.

Do people actually do this? I don't even have my significant other's phone number memorized. I know you're not supposed to get any help with anything after arrested, but they can't even give you a phone book? Or a chance to pull a number out of your phone?

If that's the case the only person I'm gonna have a number for if arrested is my mom...Answer #2: You probably have this TV-inspired picture of a detective sitting across from you in the interrogation room, demanding you get your attorney to the station immediately so they can finish their questioning.

It seldom works that way in real life.

First of all, any attorney worth hiring *isn't going to let you get interrogated by the police at all*. So just refuse to answer any questions, whether you have an attorney's number memorized or not. They will either have enough to hold you/arrest you, or they won't.

If they do have enough to hold you, it is very likely that you will have plenty of time for family members (or close friends) to help you find an attorney before an arraignment.

And even if you *can't* find an attorney before arraignment, that would be your opportunity to ask for a court-appointed attorney (if you qualify). So plead not-guilty, get out on bail (hopefully), then go attorney-shopping.


Title: Does guardianship keep me (M20) from being able to go out without consent from my guardian?

Question: My guardians dont want me to go out while they are out of town but I want to go on a date, can they call the police on me and send me back home or worse (to a psych ward) if I leave and go out?

Answer:
 You don't mention why you have a guardian at age 20. Depending on your situation, they may be able to send you home if you break the rules.

Unfortunately, there are criminals who prey on vulnerable people.

My autistic nephew has gotten in some horrible situations because he cannot tell the difference between a girl who is interested in him, and a girl who will get him to a place where he can be beaten and robbed. He has been robbed of everything he carried, several times. Once they even took his clothes.

Depending on your living arrangements, your guardians may be willing to care for you only if you follow their rules. If you break their rules, they may feel that they cannot keep you safe, and may send you home.


Title: A friend posted pictures of her husbands sexting online and is now being charged.

Question: So my friend recently found out that her husband is a cheating pos. She just gave birth about a month ago and found out he was Sexting his ex the whole time. She’s not sure if he’s acted and physically cheated on her. Today she told me that there’s been a warrant issued for her arrest because she posted pictures of their snapchat screen shots online which included pictures of the other woman naked. She’s been trying to work on her green card since before she met him. And her husbands ex told him she’s going to get rid of her and wants her deported. She’s been on medication since giving birth because of depression and him not helping her at all with their kid. I know what she did is illegal but she acted out of rage and I’m just trying to figure out if there’s any way she can get out of this without her being deported or going to jail. This is Louisiana btw.

Answer: Revenge porn is a crime in Louisiana.  Your friend should consult a criminal defense attorney and inform them of her immigration status.


Title: [Meta] The Sky is Blue

Answer:
 Location?  I know where I am the sky is gray and overcast, but it could be different in your jurisdiction.  I'm no expert on Sky Law.Answer #2: But it's not blue, it only appears to be blue due to Rayleigh scattering of the incoming white light.Answer #3: Don't talk to the clouds without a lawyer

edit: EVERAnswer #4: Last time I checked, the sky is grey and kind of bumpy.  You should get your facts straight before you go spouting off on the Internet.

Answer #5: These are the only types of meta's I don't mind around here.  Good work.  Answer #6: the sky is clearly a grey wall of death that is opening the floodwaters of Noah upon me right now.

but if I wait five minutes odds are it will be blue.


Title: I got punched at a bar and was arrested for fighting.

Question: I was visiting a friend in Georgia and we both went to a bar. We are both under 21 and drank a lot that night while hanging out with his friends. As the bar was about to close down my friend and I were walking out with a girl he is friends with. As I was walking out some guy that knew the girl I was walking with ran up to me and punched me in the face for some unexplained reason. The punchs split my nose and chipped a few teeth. I blacked out due to the punches in the face but was not knocked unconscious. I come to in the parking lot with my friend holding a rag over my nose and the guy that punched me in handcuffs. I get transported to the hospital and learn that I am arrested for being in a fight even thought I was sucker punched twice in the face. The girl I was walking with will not testify against her friend and my friend, who saw it all, does not want to go to court. I need to get the charged dropped because I need to get security clearance for a government job and I do not want to take the risk of this charge effecting my chances. I am not getting charged with underage drinking or having a fake ID. I live up north a feel out of control of the situation and do not know what to do.

Answer:
 Your best bet would be to get an attorney ASAP to fight the charges.  The bar likely has camera footage of the incident and y'all need to get a copy of this very quickly!

> I am not getting charged with underage drinking or having a fake ID.

....yet.  Another reason to have an attorney pronto to mitigate your damages.Answer #2: Unrelated advice, I highly suggest you do not lie to your clearance investigators.


Title: Not read miranda rights

Question: I was arrested today for a warrant for trespassing, on a date to which I don't recognize but the problem here is that I was arrested and not read my rights. What should I say at my court date?

Answer: You don't have to be read your rights when you're arrested. TV is incorrect. If you were interrogated without being read your rights that would be a different story.


Title: Does he have a case?

Question:
I have a spoiled and entitled friend who is currently getting sued by a restoration company. Here's the story:

My buddy is kind of a carpenter and his parents paid for him to have small business insurance so he could work as a sub-contractor. He is the type of guy that cuts corners and doesn't really want to work hard. He met an expediter that made a deal with him where my friend would work as little or as much as he wanted but still go home with something like $800 per week. Turns out what was actually happening was the expediter was writing my friends invoices, then my friend would collect the check, keep his $800 and then give the rest back to the expediter to pay the workers without insurance that actually did the work.

This went on for over a year but then my buddy realized that he was paying tax on all the money he was collecting and then returning. This started to create all sorts of issues and eventually the expediter quit working for the restoration company without giving my buddy his final paycheck. My friend contacted the restoration company concerned about his last "paycheck", they told him to just write up an invoice and they would pay him. He proceeded to write them an invoice for $20,000. Obviously this threw some red flags. The restoration company had a meeting with my friend where he told them about everything that went down with the expediter. Flash forward to now and my friend and the expediter are getting sued together along with another sub-contractor who had a similar deal with the expediter for $350,000.

I guess my question is what's going to happen here? My friend is being very arrogant and is very confident that he did nothing wrong, stating that the restoration company shouldn't have allowed their employee to write his invoices. He also thinks that once the company pays him, it's not their business who he gives his money to. He has a lawyer who seems to think he has a case. I think he's in big trouble, but I guess my friend kind of has a point. What do you guys think?

Answer: No one here is going to second guess the lawyer he hired who knows far more about the case than we ever will.


Title: [Georgia] Rental Company asking specifically for a tax return as proof of income. Is this safe?

Question:
My Dad pays my rent because it's cheaper for me to live off campus than it is to live on campus (at least ~$15k/year), but this house I'm currently looking to move into is asking for a tax return as proof of income and will not take anything else.

My Dad's job requires his tax returns to be private due to some crucial information that I'm not aware of, so the company would need to sign a NDA in order to retrieve his tax return. Regardless, he's been renting for about 40 years now and has never had to provide a tax return as proof of income. Because of this, he's weary and both his personal accountant and lawyer are advising against him providing a tax return. He believes that this company is trying to get his tax return in order to sell his information.

The major issue is that two of my roommates are needing to move immediately and do not have the time or money to look for another place.

I guess my main questions are:
1) Is it normal for a rental company to request a tax return as proof of income?
2) Is it likely that they will sell his information?
3) Should he be okay if he were to provide his tax return?

Thank you in advance!

Answer:
 1.  No
2.  No.  If he rents to college kids he probably constantly deals with people who can't pay and is super cautious.
3.  This is a judgement call.  I wouldn't do it, but if you want it bad enough then you/he might choose to.

When I was 19 I wanted to buy a $20,000 BMW motorcycle on credit.  They didn't believe me that I made 60K per year.  So, I gave them my tax return and they loaned me the money.

That's just how it works.


Title: Can't decide

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Should I report her as in a court?

Can someone report you for this botched, incoherent sentence?

My advice is: don't be a dick, you have no legit reason for opening that can of worms.


Title: Rehab center gave elderly mom food that she is allergic to, she had to be rushed to emergency room and now they are saying they’re not liable because it wasn’t in her files (though we have a copy showing that it is. )

Question: Thoughts? We don’t have a lot of money or insurance.

Answer:
 IANAL

She was in their care, did not follow her dietary/allergy guidelines - either through ignorance, a mistake, or not caring - and if what you say is true and it is documented, then they logically don't have a leg to stand on. Call APS, get a lawyer, and wish her a swift recovery.Answer #2: Did she eat the food she is allergic to? I think she would be responsible. Also, a blood sugar of 311 does not necessarily mean she was fed an improper diet. Cancer can cause elevated glucose, as can steroids, which are commonly prescribed during radiation.


Title: Dispute in the mall

Question:
Hello all,
Today I was sitting at a coffeshop in a local mall with my girlfriend. We were on a medium-sized couch with two small tables and the outlets. Then I went to use bathroom real quick and when I came back my girlfriend was shouting at a middle-aged woman and the barista was about to call the security. Before I had a chance to interrup my girlfriend stormed off so I walked towards the scene of event to pick up our stuff. The woman was there with her husband and she was furious. They told me that the couch had place for 6 people and when they asked to sit there my girlfriend acted rude, made a scene and then told her the f word.  The woman then proceeded to tell me that she would take the camera recordings and sue her. I didn't want things to escalate any further so just told her to calm down and left, right after I picked up my girlfriend's umbrella which the woman hurled forward.

Then I listened to my girlfriend's side of the story. She said that the woman and her husband came right after I left and flat out moved my stuff to sit. She kindly told them that the seat was occupied, but they replied "We asked the manager and he let us sit here" and proceeded to unplug her laptop's charger without a word. She told them "My friend will be using that outlet" and again they replied with something like "You can share that one over there. Show some respect to the elders, teenagers like you are this country's problem"
That was the final straw before my girlfriend snapped. She told her that she was disgusting and she was the reason we are trying to get the f* out of this country.

So what I'm asking is how legit is her threat to sue her? Can they even identify someone from the cameras in a mall? And if they do, how would this case result in?

I appreciate all the answers. I know this doesn't seem like a big problem but I find it difficult to rest easy at this point. I'm also quite angry but I did my best to keep it together.

Answer: She can try to sue, but she will be wasting time and money. What would she be suing for or about when it was a verbal altercation? There isnt really anything she has to go with. Sounds like she said it to scare your girlfriend.Answer #2: There's no law that covers all democratic countries excluding the US, so who knows if any laws have been broken. Most likely not because it sounds like this was a verbal disagreement instead of a physical one.Answer #3: You can't get sued for someone being upset with you. They're blowhards and jerks by the sound of it. Pay them no mind and put this frustrating experience behind you. The holidays bring out the worst in some people.


Title: I was wrongfully terminated for speaking up about being sexually harassed and need advice.

Question:
Edit: I am located in Florida.

Basically, I have been working for this company for about a year now and only have one direct supervisor.  He, along with many other male employees have made multiple sexist comment throughout my time here.  Here are a few examples of what they would say:

- He would tell me how other male employees were being "girls" and got upset when I told him that he shouldn't say things like that.

- He would tell me that he just needs to speak to certain employees "man to man" instead of me talking to them.

- There is a certain task that everyone that works in my department is required to do. One employee told my supervisor that that he was wasting his talents doing this task and suggested to my supervisor that the "girl" should have to do it all day.  My supervisor told me the story like it was funny.  I told him that it was offensive and he told me not to say anything about it to anyone else.

- He said that he doesn't want to hire anymore females because I was "more than enough."  I was the only female in the department.

- He would always say things like, "can you handle that?" , "can you even reach that?", and "that's probably too heavy for you."  It was more of the way he said the things that upset me.  It was very snarky and condescending.

- Another employee told my supervisor that he wouldn't talk to me if I wasn't pretty.  Again, my supervisor told like it was funny.

- etc.

After speaking with my supervisor many times without him doing anything, I decided it was time to tell other managers.  I ended up talking to other managers about maybe scheduling a meeting with him so I didn't feel cornered by him.  The next day, they pulled me aside and told me that the owner has decided to let me go for misconduct.  He said that I disobeyed the chain of command by going to other managers.  I am not upset that I don't work there anymore, I am upset that I was wrongfully terminated and have to explain being let go for "misconduct" to future employers.  I had already thought about leaving before because the way I was being treated and even started applying for other jobs.  I have never been written up or had any problems at work.  I have always done my job and I really cared about the animals.  I have reason to believe that I was fired for a completely different reason.

A big part of my job is to care for the animals here and I am one of the few employees who actually care about the animals.  My supervisor has even told me that he is just there for a paycheck.  This is another problem all together.  The owner is very cheap and does not liking taking sick or injured animals to the vet.  There have been multiple occasions where an animal is taken to a vet and the vet suggest that the animal needs surgery.  The owner would just tell the vet to put them to sleep.  The vet eventually said that they would no longer accept animals from the company because she didn't agree with the owners morales. One day I was closing and an animal broke a limb so I rushed it to the vet.  The vet said it needed surgery and that she would need the owners permission to operate.  I took care of it in the mean time and told the owner that I would take care of the animal and even offered to pay for the vet bills.  He said that he wanted to take it to "his" vet for a second opinion.  The next day he said the the animal died overnight at his house.  I don't think he took it to a vet and that he just let the animal die.  The animal was perfectly fine when I was taking care of it and feeding it and it would be alive today if I was allowed to take care of it.  After asking him how the animal was, I was scolded for caring for the animals.  He told me that animal were basically inventory and nothing else and that I wasn't allowed to name the animals anymore.  He told me not to get attached to any of them because the only lives that matter are human lives and this is the way businesses work.  I believed that I was fired because he was threatened by me speaking up about the mistreatment of the animals.  He was the only person I ever said anything about it and started looking for other jobs ever since.  I think he has just been looking for a reason to get rid of me after that.

After being fired for "misconduct", I read through the employee handbook and there was nothing about a "chain of command" policy.  There was a section on sexual harassment which stated that I should speak to my supervisor if I feel I am being sexually harassed and that if my supervisor is the one doing it to speak to a different manager.  There was also another section on misconduct stating that employees would get written up twice before being terminated.  When I was issued my first employee handbook, I thoroughly read through and was disgusted by a certain policy.  The handbook basically told me that I should discriminate against Japanese customers because they steal animals. After speaking to someone, they removed it from the employee handbook.

I am going to contact a lawyer soon, but any advice you could give me would be greatly appreciated.  I don't want my job back, but I definitely feel something should be done.

tl;dr I spoke up about sexist comments multiple times and eventually got fired for "misconduct."

Answer: Contact the EEOC. They will conduct an investigation and decide if there is enough evidence to continue. If so, they will issue a right to sue letter. Once you have that it shouldn't be much of a problem to get an attorney willing to represent you because attorney's fees are allowable as damages for successful claims. But keep in mind that discrimination laws have been severally watered down over the years and you may not get the outcome you're hoping for.


Title: If i regret buying weed can i take it to the police without facing punishment?

Question: Like the title says asking for a friend

Answer:
 As others said, flush it down the toilet.

If you feel guilty, volunteer at a homeless shelter.Answer #2: This is either the worst troll ever or the most glorious innocent post I've seen. Young padawan, just toss it. Literally anywhere, grind it up and it'll blow away in the breeze even. Have a good weekend.Answer #3: Everyone else has this right. But to answer directly - no. Nothing would prevent police from acting on the confession inherent in turning in your marijuana.


Title: A woman high on meth (without a license) drove down the wrong side of the road and totaled a *parked* car with people inside. She didn’t get arrested.

Question:
Is this legal? This can’t be legal. She didn’t have a license or permit, it wasn’t even her car, and she injured everyone inside the vehicle she crashed into but didn’t sustain any injuries herself. Nearly a head on collision. Once at the hospital the cops said they gave her some fines. Like, huh? I thought driving while under the influence of a schedule II comes with a MINIMUM of 72hrs in jail in the state of PA, especially if you get into an accident. Aren’t cops required to arrest? I would be able to give more details but I can’t because I don’t have them yet - this happened to my cousin, yesterday. Please help!
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 >A woman high on meth (without a license)

I didn’t realize they were still giving out meth licenses. Answer #2: >Is this legal?

Yes.

>This can’t be legal

It is not illegal.

> Aren’t cops required to arrest?

No.

>I would be able to give more details but I can’t because I don’t have them yet

I think you should wait on the full details before coming to a conclusion about a situation.Answer #3: > Aren’t cops required to arrest?

No, they are not.  Answer #4: Police are virtually never required to arrest someone.  Here, it looks like after investigating, they decided citations were enough.  Prosecutors can always add harsher charges later if more evidence comes to light.  Perhaps they are charging her with DWI, but didn't arrest her because she is currently hospitalized.

How do you know she was under the influence of meth?


Title: Roommate refusing to pay fair half of internet bill.

Question: My roommate has pled poverty after our one year promotional for cheap internet ended and has credit too shitty to change it over into her name for a year to regain the discount, this has led to some discontent between us. Other things have now contributed and I'm at the point that I'm done paying 75% of the bill and will now pay 100% and change the wi-fi password and completely cut her off from it, if she doesn't pay 50/50. Can I demand that payments made for it from here on out be made by money order? Her credit is so bad that apparently she can't get a bank account, thus no checks, only cash. Internet and utilities are in my name and I feel like it's at the point that I need to get a paper trail going in case she bails and I need to take her to small claims. In Oregon by the way.

Answer:
 >Can I demand that payments made for it from here on out be made by money order?

What does your lease say? Do you have one? What kind of living arrangement is this?

Waaay more info needed.


Title: Florida, Lee county Just a quick question about an arrest and a dropped charge.

Question: Good morning. I just have a question about an arrest that recently happened to me. I was driving to work not too long ago and speeding. I was pulled over. The officer ran my license and told me that it had been suspended but he wasnt sure why. I was arrested. The car I was driving was my brothers. When the vehicle was searched a needle was found in the passenger seat door. I explained that it wasnt mine but he wasnt trying to hear it. Ok, not gonna argue. Im responsible for anything that is in that car at this point. I will take my lumps and try to fight it in court. So heres where it gets weird to me. I was being booked into the jail and the officer is on his cell phone writing things into his computer. I wasnt paying attention to what was being said because I have never been arrested and so I was watching all the things going on around me and the people coming in. The officer gets another call on his phone and this time im trying to listen to what he is saying. I realize that I could hear the other person on the phone with him. This "person" tells him to take the paraphernalia charge off of his report. The officer is not happy about this and says " well I want to send it into the FDLE and have it tested for narcotics"..the other person says no, take it off of the report. So when I get back to be searched the female officer reads my charges. " your being charged with driving while license suspended'. No paraphernalia charge. Im just curious, what happened? Why did that charge disappear? Who made that decision? Can this charge be brought back up when I go to court? Thank you for reading this.

Answer:
 > Im just curious, what happened? Why did that charge disappear?

Likely because the cost of investigating it was out of wack with the potential gain.  If the *only* evidence of drug use was a single needle, the possibility of a successful defense goes up; and the cost of gaining the evidence necessary to prosecute also goes up.  If it even exists.

Decisions like this are made by police/prosecutors every day.

> Can this charge be brought back up when I go to court?

Sure.  They can charge you at any time within the statute of limitations, which is measured in months or years.  Practically speaking, they very likely won't do anything about it.


Title: School is “investigating” a “fight”

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons.
Here’s the situation and background.

1. This isn’t my first issue with the school, last year was falsely accused of sexual harassment and got all charges dropped with the police and the investigation with the school closed with no punishments handed down.

Also, I have NOT talked to the school about this and WILL NOT talk to the school about this unless I have my father with me. (I know my rights and always keep my mouth shut)

2. The “fight” was more of a one sided confrontation. (This happened off campus at a track meet) The aggressor gave me verbal insults and threatened me repeatedly. He also tried to fight another student before me. I backed up told him I do not want to fight but that I will defend myself. He shoved me first then backed off and came back and this time he punched me pretty hard in the stomach. I stood my ground and did not lay a hand on him. The only thing against me here is that me and 10-12 others were egging him on beforehand. Additionally, the aggressor quit the track team the day after the fight and had planned to quit before the fight happened.

(What does this look like for me, what can come from this?)

(Separate incident)
Additionally, I insulted another person from another team and they took it wayyy too serious. She was saying guys it’s fight but her (I’m assuming boyfriend) got real mad got to me and I basically said IDGAF what you think if it offended you I’m sorry. But then a large group(basically a lynch mob) formed and started threatening me because I called a girl ugly (never said that) I gave another apology to the girl and all of her friends. I asked the girl I insulted if we were good. She said yes and we shook hands and that went away.

(Does this break any rules)
The only thing I can think of is that I didn’t represent the team well. I don’t think that’s a rule violation.

Now the investigation, it started the day after the incidents and the coaches said that they were dissapomted with the team and gave everyone a notecard to write down “their side of the story” (I hate this tactic) I wrote down nothing and turned mine in. I don’t know what’s going to happen next or what was written but here’s some rumors I’ve heard.

1. Apparently some people were taken to the VPs office and wrote a statement.

2. Apparently some people wrote down my name on the cards and what happened.

3. There may be a video of the “fight”

Now here’s a Recap of what I think is going for and against me.

Bad:
Involved in a violent confrontation
Didn’t record the incident(phone was dead)
Previously antagonized the aggressor.
Some people do not like my on the team.
Insulted another student.
Admin at the school does not like me.

Good:
Didn’t fight back.
Stood my ground and told him I do not want to fight.
Made amends with the insulted students.
Didn’t talk to school.
Didn’t give a statement.
Dad is really a smart guy who will help me 100%
I have several good witnesses on my side and are helped me with intel and will tell the story with me in the good side.
No direct evidence of any of this happening.

I’m also 17 and go to a public school in Michigan.

Any and all advice is appreciated.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: What's your question? You're most likely getting kicked off of track.


Title: Clipped by car while riding bicycle. No major injuries. Is it worth a civil suit against the driver?

Question: Yesterday while riding my bike on a country back road with no shoulder or bike lane, I was clipped by a car going 40-50 mph. Some bumps and bruises but I'm ok. The impact was enough to take the passenger side mirror off the car completely. I filed a report with Highway Patrol. Am I entitled to compensation for potential chiropractor visits, pain and suffering(?), and bike tune up after the accident?

Answer:
 You can make a claim through the driver's insurance.  Your damages don't sound high enough to interest a personal injury attorney.  Without missing school or work, and with no evidence of serious injury, you're not looking at much for "pain and suffering."

For your own sake, go to a real doctor, not a chiropractor.


Title: Is there a legal requirement for the US attorney general to be a licensed, bar-admitted attorney?

Question:
Can someone point me to the legal requirements for the US attorney general, and in particular if they have to be a licensed attorney? I know they have been and it makes sense, it's in the job description and title and all that. And I can see where some states make it explicit that their AGs have to be licensed attorneys. I'm just wondering where (if) this is legally mandated at the federal level.

My quick googling skills have failed me, I was hoping to find a news article or something but so far I'm just going up with quora opinions.

Answer: No. The *Solicitor* General has to be "learned in the law," but that's not a requirement for the AG.


Title: Wife started a divorce and asked me to remove myself from the joint checking account. [WA State]

Question:
My wife has requested that I sign a document removing myself from our joint checking account. I haven’t spoken to a lawyer, but I have a consult next Tuesday.

She is hoping for an uncontested divorce and has already said what her terms are and she is hoping that they will be agreeable.

We don’t have very much money in the account. I don’t know if she has another account with money in it, but I currently don’t have access to that anyways.

Is there any cause for concern by me removing my name from the account?

Answer:
 Why don't you each take half of what is in the account and then just close the account out?

Keeping in mind, though, that those funds are still marital property and subject to division by the court. If your case goes to trial, the judge could conceivably order either you or her to pay the other a portion of those funds back. If your case settles, then it won't matter.

Either way, though, I would not leave the money in there and then just remove my name from the account.


Title: [NY] Neighbor drilled holes in my fence to affix a sign

Question:
I'm in Suffolk County on Long Island in New York.

I recently had a company replace the fence around my house. On one side of my house is the parking lot for a small apartment complex. The existing fence was on the property of the apartments so I spoke with the manager and the super prior to the work being done. I told them I'd pay for the tear down and removal of the old fence and for the installation of the new fence but the new fence would be on my property. The only condition was that they would take the handicap sign that was affixed to the old fence and stake it in the ground instead of affixing it to the new fence.

Yesterday I noticed that a new handicap sign has been screwed into my new fence. I called the super and he said he didn't do it but one of the tenants did. He's gathering more information for me but I'm wondering what I can do about it. I want the sign off my fence and the fence repaired at the cost of whoever is responsible for placing it.

I've uploaded a diagram and a photo of the sign as it stands now screwed in to my fence.

http://imgur.com/a/4xV8L

Should I remove the sign myself?

Will removing it myself cause any issues with trying to get reimbursed for the repairs?

Who's responsible for the repair costs? The tenant or the super/manager of the complex?

Should I call the fence company and have them give me an estimate for repairs?

Thanks!

Answer: Go take pictures of the sign. Then take it down and give it to the super. You can get an estimate for the cost to repair the fence.Answer #2: If they give you a hard time, just for the sake of discussion, since it's your fence, couldn't you hang whatever signs you wanted on the apartment complex side?  "Handicapped people can go fuck themselves" and "Parking for Building Superintendent's Mistress Only" come to mind.


Title: Just found out that I'm an illegal tenant and the landlord has given me 24 hours to leave. What rights do I have [VA]

Question:
I'm a college student and these past few weeks was having some issues with my roommates. It was both a mixture of cabin fever from the virus, and some personal drama, but overall it just devolved into a toxic environment. The landlords of the property gave me a call and said that my roommate had complained about me, and they said that they'd let me out of my lease early so long as I left my house within 72 hours. Personally, I had wanted out of my lease for a while, so I accepted their offer, but that left me very little time to find a new place to live. I ended up finding a place to stay on Facebook for within my price range, so I contacted the girl renting it out and I moved in. Early today I got a call from my new landlord, and apparently the girl whose place I took never filled out the paperwork to transfer tenancy to me, and they are telling me to vacate the property within 24 hours. I asked them if I could fill out the paperwork now, and they told me no and I have to be gone within 24 hours.

&#x200B;

What should I do? I just finished unpacking and this is a real pain in the ass for me. I'm a full time student and 24 hours is hardly any time at all to get all my stuff in order. Do I have any rights or special protections seeing as we are in the middle of a pandemic?

&#x200B;

Edit: I only lived in the house for about 48 hours before the landlord contacted me, so I don't have any mail addressed to me, but I do have texts from the girl saying I could have her room

Answer:
 Evictions are suspended. Nothing the landlord can do; whether your sublease on the property is legal or not, you leased the property from the current tenant and are therefore now a tenant. Even if you aren't, you're a guest of the tenant who hasn't vacated and he needs to serve you with formal notice, pursuant to § 55-248.31:01. Tell him that he can either work with you or have you living rent-free for as long as this crisis takes. If he changes the locks, call the police.Answer #2: IAL and practice in Virginia,

Your in a tough predicament as you aren't a "legal" tenant and may only be a guest.  But the good news is in VA is that you still get treated like a tenant.

Which means they must evict you.  While someone else has already said VA has suspended evictions.  I don't know if that's still the case (original order only suspended them until April 6,) I haven't looked for a new order yet.

But either way, don't leave, don't give up the tenancy and if locks get changed call the cops and get an attorney.

Otherwise, I wouldn't get too comfortable as the landlord can and will likely move for eviction quickly when the courts come back in session.Answer #3: He should be going after the person in breach of their lease (the woman who rented it to you).  As others have stated, he has to evict you.

Edit: Do not text or email him anything about you not paying, or being rude, etc.


Title: I got a citation for going 39mph over the speed limit

Question:
I was given a citation for going 109 in a 70, in Texas. I don't normally drive that fast, and honestly didn't even know I was moving that quick. I was driving in the middle of the night on a highway and someone was keeping Pace with me whether I sped up a little or slowed down and also swerving into my lane, making me feel unsafe, so to get away I just hit the gas and left him. An officer pulled me over a few minutes later while I was still speeding (just a little over the speed limit as most people do) and told me he clocked me a ways back going 109. He was very friendly and professional, but told me since it was so much over that there wasn't much he could do about it and didn't know what was going to happen but that normally I could go to jail for it.
What exactly does the citation mean? I got given a date to contact it appear in court before, so I need to do that, but I don't have any sort of fine on the paper itself. I can't really appear in court easily, because I work 5½ hours away from the town I got it near, and can't get any time off. Is there a possibility that I have an option to take some sort of driving course only and pay all my fines without having to appear? I'm also curious what all could happen.

Answer: You're lucky you didn't get charged with reckless driving. I'd get a traffic attorney, who can hopefully work out the best deal for you.


Title: Convicted felon called for jury duty?

Question: Convicted felon “M” was called for jury duty in Iowa, he violated his probation several months ago. Could this be a legitimate calling or a plan for arrest based on probation violations?

Answer:
 Probation Officer could probably sort it out for you.Answer #2:  Not a lawyer, but a few days ago watched on YouTube "After Prison Show" item about what you can and can't do after getting out. Apparently jury duty is a grey area - depends on jurisdiction among other things. M needs to report - if it's a "grab" for probation violation, he gets grabbed. If it isn't, failure to show for jury duty is another offence, one he doesn't need. He should inform the court that he has a felony conviction. They will do one of three things - tell him he's not eligible and send him home, tell him he is eligible and to go to the waiting room with the jury pool, or ask for more information and use that to make a "get lost/wait over there" decision.Answer #3: It doesn't appear that a felony disqualifies someone from serving on a jury in Iowa.

If they plan on arresting him, they will at some point, not showing up to jury duty will only make things worse. He should show up as summoned.


Title: Having intolerable ache in tooth. Idiot mom isn't taking me to a dentist. What to do ?

Question:
[El Paso, TX]

Guys, I'm 16 and living with my single mom. I don't work. But, my mom works in Home Depot.

My upper molar tooth is completely rotten and I'm having constant ache in that tooth for last 1 month. However, it has become almost intolerable since last Sunday. Even OTC painkiller isn't showing much effect.

I've told my mom numerous times to take me to a dentist, but she isn't agreeing and instead giving me painkillers which show zero effect. She says she doesn't have money for dentist fees, which is bullshit as she spends a lot on her alcohol.

What should I do? Call 911? Is that free? I don't have any insurance.

Answer:
 Try contacting DFPS (Department of Familiy and Protective Services), they should be able to advice you on how to proceed.

A rotten tooth can cause several potentially dangerous complications.Answer #2: You need to call the Dept of Family Services.  Their number is 1-800-252-5400.

You should also let the nurse and guidance counselor at your school know what is going on tomorrow.  They may be able to coordinate with the state to get you help quicker.

OP, you need to take care of this ASAP. This is the kind of thing that will leave lasting damage if left untreated, and can affect the quality of your life even years later. Answer #3: you can go to the ER in your own. and absolutely do if you get a fever.

they probably have a DMD on call. and it would not require parental consent to get emergency care. Answer #4: Do you have health insurance?  Some policies will carry coverage for pediatric emergency dental procedures.

Have you personally called dentists?  I would if I were you and ask them for a consultation and explain that you don't really have any money but would be willing to set up some kind of payment plan.  They aren't monsters and many will work with people, especially when there are children involved.


Title: Texas: A broke friend of ours is being sued for a million dollars. If we help her pay for a good lawyer, can we be sued?

Question:
So, it is my elementary understanding that you can't sue someone for money they don't have.

Our friend was the only one present for the accidental shooting death of her then-fiance two years ago. The state never pressed charges, but the case is not technically closed. The family of the fiance is now suing her for a million dollars, apparently to try to get her to reveal more information about the case so they can press criminal charges (I think). The family was originally very friendly and loving and invited her in as one of their own, before and even after the shooting, but they had a falling out maybe about a year and a half ago. I don't know the nitty gritty details of the falling out or of the accident itself, as the girl nor the family have disclosed details to anyone that I know of.

The girl, who literally no one who knows her has any reason to believe that this shooting was on purpose or due to negligence on her part (yes, I know people can be surprising, and no one else was there, so I guess I should not just assume is completely innocent) is hispanic, broke (actually, in debt with student loans), pregnant, and trying to get her massage license.

The family suing her is rich, white, well connected, and the dad was a high powered banking lawyer and currently a pastor at a mega church. I feel like she has no chance at a fair trial, criminal or civil, given present circumstances.

I've heard that if a party wants to sue someone who has no money, they just find the closest entity to the person of interest who does have money they can take. If we pay for a high powered civil defense lawyer for her, can the family sue us? What can we do to protect ourselves but help our friend have a fair shot in court?

Answer:
 >If we pay for a high powered civil defense lawyer for her, can the family sue us?

No.Answer #2: when you sue someone.  you can demand whatever amount you want.

like if someone cut me off in traffic.  i can sue them for 1 billion dollars.  so the money amount is really irrelevant.

but with regards to your question, yes you can finance her lawyer without liability to yourself.


Title: Water company not delivering potable water?

Question:
Good morning Reddit! I have a problem with my water company in Central Virginia (USA), and wasn't sure where I could ask - if you guys have a suggestion for a better subreddit, please feel free to let me know!

So for several weeks now, our water has intermittently been coming out [red, sludgy, and foul smelling](http://imgur.com/hi8cWlS). It will usually happen for about a day or two at a time, then go away. According to the technician, this happens when the holding tank for the neighborhood gets low, and we start getting the sludge out of the bottom of the tank.
This has actually been quite expensive for us - it's ruined several loads of laundry (stained red/brown by the water), and we're going through about a filter a week on our water pitcher, and those are NOT cheap. I'm really sick of paying the water company monthly for a service that they are not consistently delivering.

Do i have any legal recourse here? I've called to complain, and they just send a technician out to take a look. He tells me that I basically just have to wait until it clears up. But this is totally unacceptable - we've ruined at least $100 worth of clothes when they got stained by the wash water, it's staining my toilet and tub, and is putting a huge strain on us to keep buying filters just so we have potable water.

What do you guys suggest I do? I'm at a total loss here. I have written down the dates when this happened, and have some pictures of the red water in my bathtub, but am not quite sure what to do about it. This is not just my house, btw, but half the neighborhood.

Edit: thanks for all the suggestions on getting by, water wise, but that still doesn't solve my main problem with the company itself.....I really don't want to keep paying in full for a service they aren't delivering, thus why I posted here.

Answer:
 I'd start at

http://www.vdh.state.va.us/odw/InformationforConsumers.htmAnswer #2: Does your state have a public utilities commission?


Title: Trying to leave my father who has primary custody

Question:
I am going to go ahead and say that I am on mobile so please excuse that.

So as stated, my father is my primary parent and has custody on most days, however he lets me go to my mom’s biweekly instead of what the court ruled

There are various reason that I want to leave but they all stem from one thing: his abusive girlfriend, who has as much if not more control over my life than my father.

To start with, she is verbally abusive on a regular basis when my father is not around, which is almost never due to his job. She and I both show the symptoms of an abuser/abused person.

Secondly, she has been the cause of me planning multiple suicide attempts, although luckily I never went through with them.

Thirdly, she gives me the bare minimum of privacy. The only time I am allowed to be behind a closed door is when I am using the bathroom and changing my clothes, any other time I am not allowed to be behind a closed door.

I should also mention that I am 15, live in the state of Georgia, and have multiple witnesses if needed.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: If your mom is willing to go to court, it's very likely that your preferences will be taken into account.


Title: I got into a vendor bender in December and then got crazy calls from a insurance lady saying I word 50,000? How's this legal?

Question:
So I'm in Michigan to start with no fault insurance. But yeah I got into a decent accident but not deadly for anyone. My car drove away after repairs I did under 200. The guy that hit me his car probably worse off but not destroyed by any means I'd say. I gave my insurance info and talked to police at the accident who said no one was at fault it was an ugly winter day out so no one was to blame really.

Well cut to this week and I get a call from a loud old bitch. She claims to be someone from a insurance agency and said if I don't give her 50,000 today they will get my license suspended and I'll have to pay them that money. I called my insurance and they stopped the annoying calls but how's this legal? You can't call me personally if I have insurance I thought? It was really scummy pool and if I was a little dumber I would've fell for it.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: It's a little hard to understand your description, but insurance compensation doesn't work that way. The woman was trying to pull a scam.


Title: What are my options? And is slander one of them?

Question:
My sister (27yrs)was accused of a crime she did not commit. She was accused of having sexual relationships with a minor. She stayed over at a friends house and had a few drinks. After she fell asleep her friends son (16yrs) forced him self on her. She woke up while he was moving her sleep shorts to the side and trying to penetrate her. She freaked out and left. She wasn't sure how to go about it. On one hand she was not penetrated so didn't know if she could say rape. Also this was her best friends son and have known them for around 8 years. She decided to distanced her self for them for awhile. A few days later a detective and the police showed up at her house accusing her of having relationships with the 16 year old. It has been a few months and she has since then giving her statement and also passed a polygraph. The investigation has now come to a stall. They never arrested her or pressed charges.
Over the past few months the mother of the 16yr old has spread all of the false info across the small town that she lived in. Telling multiple people that she not only had a sexual relationship with her son but is also pregnant with her sons child. My sister was trying to turn her photography hobby she had into a full business when all this happened. Not only did she lose a few clients she had booked but had to move out of the town completely. The rumors where spreading fast and she did not feel comfortable going into town where she could be seen. She also did not want to send her kids back to middle school in fear that they would hear things about their mother that were not true. After she moved the mother of the son continued to spread more false rumors that she moved and will not tell people where she is because she is hiding from the police and in fear of getting arrested.
The mother was posting things on facebook (since then have been deleted) so my sister deleted her and blocked her on all social media. The mother is not posting vulgar things to her pintrest (where they use to share ideas back and forth) under folder that is my sisters initials. Examples are sayings aimed at sexual predators, running from the cops, and being a whore.
I am aware that there is not much she can do with the pintrest post being that the folder named her initials is not proof that it is directed towards her but what about all the false rumors spread about her? The fact that she lost a lot of her clients that she needed to help get her business started. Had to uproot and move. Not only forcing her kids to go to different schools but had a large fanbase she built for her photography. Is there any option for her to get some kind of justice for the humiliation she has suffered and the money she has lost?

Answer:
 >On one hand she was not penetrated so didn't know if she could say rape.

The exact definition of rape varies by jurisdiction, but it is unequivocally sexual assault of some form regardless. To clarify: is LA here Louisiana or Los Angeles?

But yes, this seems like a clear-cut case of defamation with clear damages.


Title: Bringing stimulant prescription medication into the US

Question:
Hey everyone. I have a flight to the US tomorrow and I'm currently being treated for ADHD. I packed my box of Concerta (a 15 day supply - exactly covering my visit) and have a photo of my prescription in my phone.

However, reading some stuff made me a little nervous. The prescription is in Turkish (I'm a citizen of Turkey) and it's only a photo (the prescription for Concerta is a red prescription here, which means the pharmacist takes it away).

I will carry it in my checked in luggage along with my OTC medications. Should I be worried? Should I declare the meds? Will dogs sniff it out etc?

Thanks!

Answer:
 you should be fine. keep it in the original packaging and print out the photo of the prescription. to be extra careful, you could ask your doctor for an English language note on letterhead saying it's prescribed to you.

iirc you'll not be asked to declare it. if customs (or a form) asks if you have prescription medication, tell them. otherwise, don't.Answer #2: Make sure the pills are in the original bottle they came in.


Title: [FL] Caught with possession of mushrooms as minor, have 4-6 weeks until I am arrested for possession. Desperate Need of Help.

Question:
I am 16 years old, and got caught with 5.2 grams of Psylocibin Mushrooms. It was on my highschool campus, and the only punishment I've gotten so far is 6 days of suspension from the school. I have never had any police involvement before. They are shipping the shrooms to a lab to be tested, and the officer said if they come back positive I will have an officer at my house to arrest me.

I talked to the police, and basically admitted to it (Please do not insult me for this, I'm only explaining my situation)

What I said was-
I was in possession of them for 4 days prior
I was planning on using them for myself on that day
I had not had the drugs at school on any other occassion
I had previously used marijuana, but I am currently clean
I told them the name/car of the person I bought them from (fake)
I had never used any other drugs other than marijuan/shrooms

In heinsight I realize I could have given my attorney (do not know if it is worth hiring one, we do not have much money in my family) more room to work with by shutting up.

The police said they would include on documentarion that I cooperated and was respectful, but I doubt that would help.

My questions are-  what are the possible charges/punishments I will recieve and is it worth hiring an attorney if my family lives paycheck to paycheck, with my mother having to find a new job soon. and if I find a job to work at, like a boat marina, will my employer be informed of my arrest if it happens?

Answer:
 > I talked to the police, and basically admitted to it (Please do not insult me for this, I'm only explaining my situation)

Oh, I won't insult you for that.  I'll insult you for being a dumbass and carrying mushrooms on campus.  Well, I guess the "being a dumbass" also includes confessing to cops.  *c'est la vie*

> what are the possible charges/punishments I will recieve

That depends on exactly what you're charged with.

> and is it worth hiring an attorney

It is always worth hiring an attorney in these types of situations.  Period.

> will my employer be informed of my arrest if it happens?

Maybe.  I mean, the cops won't contact your employer.  But depending on your county, arrests may be put on the intake report of your jail.  In that case, it is public and your employer may see it.


Title: Ohio nepotism

Question:
I'm hiring for a FTE position with posted educational requirements in a local government agency. I had a departmental executive call me a few weeks ago to ask if her son could apply. I asked her if he had the appropriate degree, and she said no but claimed he had other experience. It was a very awkward phone call, but that person isn't my boss so I planned on ignoring the application when it came in.

Fast forward to today. The posting has been down for a few days and the son hasn't applied. I've contacted some applicants with the appropriate education and scheduled some interviews. I received a call from the director of my department. He asked if executive 1 from the previous example had contacted me about her son. I said yes, but he hadn't applied. The director told me to interview him. After a long pause,  I responded that he didn't have the qualifications and I already had qualified people scheduled. The director told me that it wouldn't take too much of my time to interview him, and intimated that it would keep the peace between departments or be in the best interest of the agency. I was super uncomfortable and basically said "...... Uhhhhhh....... Okay" and the conversation was over.

I'm pretty sure this is against ethics laws about using your position to influence the hiring process. Even if they're not telling me to hire the son, the whole thing stinks of impropriety to me. Buuuuuuut I don't want to make a principled stand over nothing and kill my career.

Thoughts???

Answer:
 Interview him and don't hire him due to lack of application and qualifications.

Edit: ORC 102.03(C) and (D) would cover this behavior.  You can read those and contact the Ohio State Inspector General if you feel something is wrong.


Title: Landlord ran up utility bills in my name for 6 months after my lease ended

Question:
Hey everyone

From September 2016 to January 2017, I lived in an apartment and was the designated roommate responsible for utility bills. I moved out of the apt into another owned by the same landlord so that he could renovate the previous apt from January through June.

Like an idiot, I forgot to have the gas/electric turned off, and assumed the landlord would switch the bills back into his name when I moved out. During that 6mo time frame, he ran up about $800 of utilities, and never paid any of the bills nor informed me that they were still being sent to me. I found out when I was contacted by a collections agency a few weeks ago.

I tried calling the utilities company, whose only answer for me was "you shoulda turned off the utilities!" However, $800 for six months seems excessive of a punishment for forgetting.

I'd like to know if I have a leg to stand on in demanding the landlord pay off this debt, since it was he who was in the apt performing renovations on a near-daily basis during that time. I'd have to go digging, but I could probably produce a lease showing the end of my occupancy in January and the bills accrued since then. At the very least, he should have a copy of the lease as well, correct?

Come to think of it, he never paid me back my $800 deposit either, and never once contacted me with any sort of reason for not doing so. Getting that back would be nice.

For reference, this all occurred in Massachusetts.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer:
 > whose only answer for me was "you shoulda turned off the utilities!"

Which is 100% correct.

Contact the LL in writing for your deposit and the bills. You may have to sue him in small claims for both.


Title: $25 fix it ticket turned into $1500 bail out!?

Question:
Hi everyone!

I live in Southern California btw

I received a fix-it ticket after I was speeding and a copy pulled me over. Instead of giving me a ticket for speeding, he gave me a ticket to fix my insurance form (I had just moved and accidently handed him the wrong one)

I mailed in my $25 check, signed all the right things and stuff to the court. It was given to me in September. The due date was December. I sent it in in October.

A few days ago, I received this letter from the Los Angeles superior court. What the fuck. (letter:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0fvDd69FCVTZHl1UUQwZVVMZkk/view?usp=drivesdk)

I'm planning on going and seeing on Tuesday if it was a clerical error and check the status of my ticket.

I'm really confused and scared and if someone could help me out and figure out what to do, I would really appreciate it.

Thank you all so much and have a great new year. Sorry if formatting sucks. On mobile :)

Answer:
 >I'm planning on going and seeing on Tuesday if it was a clerical error and check the status of my ticket.

Exactly what you should do.

Bring a copy of the cancelled check from your bank to show that you paid it. Looks like a simple error.Answer #2: So have you gone to the website to check what is going on with this? As in have you gone to lacourts.org and filled in the appropriate fields to find out if that was really all you were charged with.Answer #3: As others have said, if you have the cashed check it was probably a clerical error, yeah.  The bail amount is standard for California, though.  Instead of doing as other places do and only requiring payment once you show up, if you miss the initial cheap fee, you have to pay the full infraction amount as bail and then you get back whenever the judge forgives after you show up in court.  Basically it's to help prevent too many from just never showing up.

The failing to appear on that is rather concerning, though, but again if it's a clerical snafu then it's not surprising.  Someone likely simply miskeyed the thing when entering it or something.


Title: [CA] Former employer close bank account before employees could deposit their checks.

Question:
I work as an assistant manager at a small coffee shop in CA that has been through a number of changes. It's been involved in a mess of legal complications but my question specifically is this:

The former owner decided to sell the assets (NOT including the trademarked name and logo) to a previous general manager. She was sold the product inside of the shop, as well as the followers that we have on social media (we are essentially the same shop with the same product/recipes - just a different name). The former owner closed all of the bank accounts associated with the business and skipped town as soon as he could, leaving two of our employees with useless checks.

I've already tried contacting him with no response. The checks are made out in his old company's name but because the account is closed and he isn't accommodating, I'm not sure where to go from here.

Answer: You're gonna need a lawyer. You're under a new business who doesn't owe the employees money, the old owner does. Get a referral from your state's BAR association for the right kind of lawyer.


Title: My employer is refusing to comply with mandatory water restrictions. Is there any way to anonymously report them? [CA]

Question: My employer is insisting that the closing employees hose down the patio outside the business three times a week, and water the plants every day. As far as I'm aware, Los Angeles County has prohibited spraying down hard surfaces, and only allows watering twice a week. Is there a way I can anonymously report this? Can they fire me if they somehow found out I reported them? I've already brought up the watering bans and they've said they aren't going to change the practice.

Answer:
 http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wwd/web/Conservation/Drought-2014.aspx

Click on "Submit an Online Report"


Title: Vaping Age Limit?

Question: Is there a age limitation to vaping? A few days ago, there was a kid who went on a public buss, took out a vape pen, and started vaping (they also played music out of their phone at full volume but that's beside the point). I'm wondering, is that legal?

Answer: I believe its at least 18 in most states.


Title: [WI, USA] Lying about college degree to employers

Question:
My brother has had a rough life culminating towards a rabid drug habit and eventually dropping out of college. He's been clean now for around 5 months and has recently started working. Nothing major, but a good first step, a local grocery store. He was talking about the interview recently and mentioned that his employer had taken a notice to him because they was alumni from the same college. That immediately struck me as odd because I knew that he had dropped out / was kicked out because of his habit. He said "I spent nearly 5 years there so when the interviewer asked me about it it was easier to say 'yeah I have a degree' than to explain why I spent 5 years in college and don't have one".

But I am worried about him, I feel like if he loses this job too soon he may spiral back into drugs. So my question is: What is the worst that could happen to him if his employer found out he doesn't have a degree? He eventually wants to become a police officer and help other addicts get clean. But if he gets away with lying for a retail job I'm worried he might try to lie about it to get into a police academy. Would there be different consequences between a retail job and a government job like the police force.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 The worst that's likely to happen is that he'd be fired on the spot for lying during the interview process.

If he lies about his degrees to someone who actually does background checks, they'll likely discover the lie and refuse to employ him, possibly permanently.


Title: [North Carolina] Damage to sofa in vacation rental property; landlord is livid, wants repairs paid in full and is prepared to go to small claims court, my mother (the tenant in question) is ignoring it.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I don't understand. She damaged the sofa. She even admitted to knowing about it AND attempting to cover it up so he wouldn't notice. Are you asking for advice in how to rip off the landlord, or are you asking what you *should* advise your mother to do?

Think he's ever gonna let renters with pets in again now? People like your mother ruin it for everyone. She needs to pay up. Answer #2: The ball is in his court if she is just refusing to talk to him at this point. It's pretty clear she is responsible for the damage. If she is served and continues with the "ignore everything" plan then it's likely he would win, get a judgement, and then be able to garnish her wages if she has a job or levy her bank accounts.


Title: Florida - should we be afraid of a lawsuit?

Question: My husband and I are renters, we've been in the same house for 3 years. Rent always on time, we've taken great care of the house. My 10 year old son was playing with a lighter a few weeks ago while everyone was asleep and caught the house on fire (unintentionally). The fire marshall ruled it accidental, not arson, since there was no malicious intent. We've had our son meet with a counselor (he's adopted from foster care and has some emotional issues). Our landlord sent us a notice yesterday that he's withholding our security deposit and will sue for damages and restitution. Can someone get restitution when there has been no crime? They have homeowner's insurance that will cover the repairs (extensive damage, we had to move out because the house is uninhabitable). We've spent about $60,000 in the last few weeks between replacing my car (which was in the garage where the fire started) and replacing most of our belongings. It feels like the landlord is adding insult to injury.

Answer:
 Adding insult to injury? Get real, your kid literally set fire to the landlord's property.  What *exactly* do you think they should do?  Eat a catastrophic loss because you spent money replacing your belongings?  There is no requirement that your child acted criminally in order for there to be civil liability. I will say that many states don't allow parents to be legally responsible for the actions of their minor child, but it's possible that the suit alleges damages because they occurred while you were leasing the property.  You'd need to see what the suit alleged.

They have home owner's insurance that will cover the repairs *and sue you for the damages in an subrogation suit*.  Your kid got a huge pass by a fire marshal who likely shoe horned facts in such a way that he didn't need to find that this was an arson.  Take that as a blessing and move on.


Title: How do I collect on a reward for giving information that would lead to arrest of someone?

Question: Long story short. Complete scumbag.. tried to murder his father, pimps out drug addicted homeless kids etc.. I know where he is and I have been told there is a 75k award for his capture. How do I assure that I am compensated for this? Either way he is going down.. I might as well get paid. Edit (location) Northern California.

Answer: You call whoever is offering the reward and say "Hey, I know where this guy you're looking for is."


Title: [Hypothetical] - President signs a pardon for everyone without reading it, is it legal?

Question:
Someone prints two copies of a pardon on paper that says something like this:

>I, $presidents_name, have granted a full and unconditional pardon for everyone for all offences which he or she has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 1970 through $today.

The person then puts the two pieces of paper in a stack documents the president is signing that day. The president then signs everything including the two papers with the pardon without reading it. One copy is given to whomever takes it and executes the orders and the other is given to some news organization.

Would it be legal?

Answer: It would be *legal*, but it would never be implemented. It's not like there's only one person looking at what the president  signs. There's an army of them, checking to make sure all the right boxes are checked and the right blanks filled in and the correct dates entered and that there's nothing crazily misworded. Even if one person were to "slip it in" just before he signs a stack of papers, all it is is a paper with a signature. There's a whole chain of people from the president on down involved in *implementing* executive orders, and at some point one of them is going to walk into the oval office and say "did you mean to pardon every criminal since 1970?" When the president says "no, fuck that", they send the paper to the secret service to figure out who is screwing with the president's paperwork. The signature is really just symbolic.Answer #2: The president reads?


Title: Using content from Reddit for published book...

Question:
Reddit, I want to write/make a book (and publish it to make $) featuring specific stories which I find on reddit (specifically /askreddit) - would I need the permission from the users who posted the stories? Would I even need to attribute the user's name or could I make up names?

And I am asking this from a legal perspective. Obviously the -moral- thing to do is to ask permission and credit people. But if I didn't, could I later get in legal trouble?

Answer:
 What you want to do is called copyright infringementAnswer #2: Reddit users agree (through the TOS) to grant Reddit a license to use and distribute their works when posted. That license does not transfer to other Reddit users. If you want to do this, you’ll need to negotiate a license of your own with each poster.

The terms of that license are down to what you negotiate. If you want to use posts pseudonymously, ask.


Title: [IN] Daycare provider continually refuses to give my brother his child during his parenting time.

Question:
The DCP is an old family friend of my brothers ex (girlfriend, they never married), and has aided the ex in delaying, or occasionally outright refusing, his parental time. She also (occasionally) refuses to release the child to my brothers wife, stating she allegedly is following some kind of order. She has not and will not show him this order (because it doesn't exist). The daycare is on residential property and today she sent her SO outside to threaten and intimidate my brother out of picking up his child when they refused pickup to my brothers wife. This is after the court determined she had equal parenting rights to the child as my brother.

He has had one shit lawyer after another, and has severely limited funds due to years of fighting for what little parenting time he currently had. This current issue is riding in on the coat tails of the ex being very recently dumped by her SO, so I imagine she is lashing out more so than usual.

Over the years,  she has lied, ignored the court-appointed parenting time, refused to give him the child over and over, physically assaulted my brother in front of the child then lied, had her parents lie and accuse him when police arrived, and has ,without a doubt as it was recorded, caused some degree of parental alienation. She has never gotten so much as a slap on the wrist. The daycare provider has been in on all of this since day 1. She has called up the ex's sister to come get the child and tide around town hiding before my brother could (her sister is not on the pickup list). She has denied his right of first refusal by calling the ex when my brother finds out the child is at daycare on his days off so he ex will pick up the child before he can get there. She calls the cops when he has shown up a few minutes early to avoid her doing all of that saying he cannot legally pick up the child until it is his time.

He intends to sue the daycare provider, and I want to make sure he has as much helpful legal advice as he can get.
My questions- can he legally sue the daycare provider? If so, what for? Could the ex be included? How can these actions and behaviors continue with zero legal ramifications on their behalf?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Get an attorney.

I see two paths:  Have the custodial parent held in contempt of court.  And/or have the parenting plan modified to exclude the daycare providers home as an exchange point.

I would not sue the daycare provider.

A line needs to be drawn.  The parenting plan needs to be followed, as written, or modified.   Failure to do so should result in an attorney filing contempt motions.

Period.

Stop the self help drama here and have an attorney enforce the parenting plan.Answer #2: He should carry the court order and call the police when they will not release the child to him. No, he can not sue anyone.

He needs to document each of these instances and take her back to court to hold her accountable. Answer #3: My husband and I have this drama with his daughter’s mom as well. I carry a copy of the order with me at all times and can (and have) called the non emergency police number for them to see the order and prove my right to pick up. Here in Texas there is a designated number for parents or pick up ppl to call if the child is not being handed off. It works for us!


Title: Switching to direct deposit. My employer says he won't pay us if we don't get void cheques to him by yesterday. Is this legal?

Question: My work is switching from cheques to direct deposit. My employer has told us if we don't get out void cheques in by Tuesday (yesterday May 31st) then we won't get paid this pay period. We're supposed to get paid next Friday (June 10th) Is this legal? Ive been working through all the banks hours the past few days and there was no way I could get one. I'm worried I'm not going to get paid my next cheque and I really need the money. I'm not sure what my rights are exactly. I'm in Ontario, Canada if that makes a difference

Answer:
 [From the Government of Ontario](http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/es/pubs/guide/paywage.php):

> Employers must establish a regular pay period and a regular pay day for employees.

> An employer has to pay all the wages earned in each pay period, other than vacation pay that is accruing, no later than the employee's regular pay day for the period.

That said, direct deposits can't be set up on short notice; payments are submitted several days in advance to get to you on time, and if he's using a payment processing company they might need even more lead time. So requiring the blank cheque 10 days before pay day is not unreasonable. But in this situation, the employer should write you a one-off cheque.

However: call your bank right now. Ask for the transit, routing and accounting numbers. Better yet, ask that they email or fax a form direct to your employer with the info. If you get it today, it might not be too late.Answer #2: Unless it's different in Canada you just need a personal check with void written across it (which requires a bank account). Is your difficulty that you don't already have a bank account and/or checks for that account?

I would guess that no, your employer can't just not pay you. How much notice were you given of the deadline for providing a void check?


Title: Ex-job is denying unemployment under false pretenses.

Question:
Edit: Kansas, thank you Bot!

I worked as a bartender for a large hotel chain. We got a new owner and his first order of business was to ask us our thoughts about management. He told us he would keep what we said confidential. I, and two others made the mistake of being vocal about our feelings. He lied.

The day after the meeting one of my coworkers was fired. They said he gave someone wine and didn't charge them.

Three days later I was called into the office. They told me I was being fired due to a customer complaint that addressed me by name. On the write up sheet it said, "Performance Issues". Seriously, that's all it said.

So I applied for unemployment and boy was I surprised when they denied it. They claimed I stole from them. So I asked the unemployment guy what they said because that's impossible.

___________________________________________________

He said that they said, "Employee was seen grabbing a customer a beer, the customer hands him cash. Employee is seen checking the computer before filling a water bottle for the customer and then walking out of sight of the camera. When he returns into view the cash is gone. There were no beers at that time rang up in cash."

Now here's what ACTUALLY happened. The customer was a regular and had an open tab charged to his room, that's why I checked the computer. The cash he gave me was a tip for the beer and for filling his water bottle. The reason I went off screen was to check my phone before checking my other tables.

__________________________________________________

I received a letter in the mail stating, "Claimant was discharged for gross misconduct connected with the work. Claimant was discharged for theft of the employer's property. Theft represents conduct evincing extreme, willful or wanton violation of a duty or responsibility reasonably owed the employer.

This determination becomes final sixteen days after it is mailed, unless appealed in writing on or before the final date. If you disagree with this determination, an appeal may be filed by letter stating you wish to file an appeal and the reason(s) you disagree with the decision. Please include in your letter, your name, mailing address, telephone number, and social security number.

________________________________________________

I've never been fired before and I have no idea what to do. Can anyone help me? In this letter, do I have to write my side of the story? Anything to help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: The paragraph you wrote here would probably be fine. They'll either grant unemployment or schedule a hearing.