Title: UK - Friend asked to stay for two weeks. It’s been over nine. Does he have tenant rights?

Question:
Crossposted from r/relationships

I (23f) live with my partner (22m) and two of our friends (22m&22f) . Over two months ago, a different friend (21m) was asked to move out of the room he was renting with no notice. He asked if he could stay with us on our sofa for two weeks while he found somewhere, and that he had nowhere to go. He also owed my boyfriend £230, which he owed since before January.

He didn’t leave after two weeks, and sort of ended up staying. After a month, he hadn’t even started looking for somewhere to stay, and had saved no money of a £1200 paycheque. As in, he had about £3 in his account. We spoke and agreed that he could stay for four and a half more weeks, until the 21st of July, to save up and find somewhere, but no longer. I helped him make a budget to save up enough. He also agreed to give us £150 for the increase in our bills and to cover things of ours that he had used/was using (ie laundry detergent, some food, toiletries etc).

A few days ago, he asked my boyfriend if he could stay for another month. He said no.

He agreed to pay everyone back and find somewhere to live by yesterday. He didn’t bother coming back until half 11 last night, and hasn’t come back tonight. He’s left all his things here. His phone is off so I can’t contact him. He’s paid £50 towards bills etc, and has paid £120 of what he owed my boyfriend. He has earned £2,700 in the nine weeks he’s been here. He has no debt repayments or monthly expenses other than travel, which costs £3 a day. He’s basically spent about 2.5k on snacks, drinks and going out on the time he’s been here.

When he got back yesterday I asked him what was going on. He said he couldn’t pay anyone back, and that he’d stay with his sister but that he hadn’t actually asked her. Seeing as she declined last time he asked, I don’t think this is likely.

He’s had a hard life and I don’t want to turn someone out onto the street, but I feel really upset with how he’s treating us. He was also a messy houseguest and would constantly put the tv on when I’d told him I was trying to work.

TLDR: friend asked to stay for two weeks to save up to pay my boyfriend back and to find somewhere to live. Almost 10 weeks later he’s still here, hasn’t paid him back, hasn’t found somewhere to stay, and had committed to leave on Saturday.

He came back last night at quarter to midnight. He woke up everyone in the house by knocking on the door because he’s lost the spare key we lent him. His sister didn’t get back to him. No mention of money.

Does he have tenant rights now seeing as he’s been here for such a long time?

Answer:
 You might be better off reposting in:
https://www.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/


Title: [FL] Something Happened at work yesterday, and today I found out I was fired.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Absent a union or employment contract that requires other disciplinary action, they can fire you for anything non discriminatoryAnswer #2:             They Can Fire You For
          "Vagina or Fine China"
            At Will Employment

Not a lawyer.


Title: Lying about being on birth control?

Question: Hypothetical situation: if a woman lies to her partner about being on birth control and they have unprotected sex(getting her pregnant), is the man responsible for paying for the abortion(if she decides to abort) or child support(if she keeps the baby).

Answer:
 He is not obligated to pay for an abortion, but he'd be on the hook for child support.

It takes 2 people to make a baby, you should be in control of your own birth control and then understand that there is still a chance.

The only real option to avoid paying any type of child support is to not make a baby. So, don't have sex with someone you don't want to make a baby with. Answer #2: Are the MRA folks invading this sub? This is the second question on this topic today.


Title: (Upstate NY) Only child potentially cut out of will

Question:
This mainly has to do with the fact that I would like to know what I may have to deal with when the inevitable with my father occurs. I'm an only child and my parents have been divorced for over ten years (so, she's not in the picture at all). I did something that made my father angry so he "disowned" me.

I really, really don't care if I was. He doesn't have much of anything. I recently found out that he declared bankruptcy. The only real asset he has is my grandmother's house (she died a few years ago). It's completely paid off. As far as I know, he hasn't remarried, but I know he was seeing someone that had children. He's an abusive person, so he could be single again. I'm certain he lost his job because his bosses died and their kids couldn't stand him. The estate he worked on is for sale.

My assumption is that he cut me out of his will and plans to bequeath his stuff to his older siblings. They are all in their 70s, though.

So my questions are:

1. If I was cut out of any will, will I have to deal with anything?
2. If his siblings predecease him and I'm the last living relative, does any financial stuff fall on me?
3. If he for some reason is going to give stuff to his girlfriend's kids, do I have any legal rights to anything since I'm his child?
4. If I wasn't cut out of the will, what stuff would I have to deal with concerning his bankruptcy (chapter 7)?

Like I said, I don't care that I was potentially cut out of his will. He's getting old, though, so I would like to know if I'm going to have to deal with anything. Thanks in advance.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 > If he for some reason is going to give stuff to his girlfriend's kids, do I have any legal rights to anything since I'm his child?

No.  Your father can leave his belongings to anyone he wants.  If he dies without a will, you would likely receive some or all of the estate.

If your father has a will, he's likely named someone else executor of the estate.  So you'll have no real role post-death.  None of his debts or bankruptcy will affect you, unless you signed onto them.


Title: Is there a good substitute or alternative to a legal marriage in the United states?

Question: Basically something that gives people a lot of legal protections without being technically married so that people don't lose their welfare benefits and stuff

Answer: No.


Title: [Oklahoma] Is it legal to have a child in a classic car with no car seat?

Question: I'm in Oklahoma and have a 1966 Ford Mustang that was factory equipped with airline style lap belts (seat belts with no shoulder belt).  My son is at an age where he would still be required to sit in a car seat or booster seat.  I've been told that there is an exception to the rule but I'd like to know the actual rules for classic cars with either no seat belts or lap belts only.  I'd like to take him out for short drives but I don't want to get into hot water with the local police.  Thanks!

Answer: Lap belts in older cars are some of the easiest to install carseats with.  Not sure why you would have any trouble installing a seat or why you would be worried about the legality and not his safety?  Being able to manually adjust the belt without the use of a locking clip is the easiest way to get a seat secured.  Once you think you have the belt adjusted, you need to put your weight into the seat and tighten the belt even further.  Make sure it is not able to rock or move once you have released your pressure.  You can also install additional anchor straps if that is not secure enough.Answer #2: No, it's not legal. And it's also not safe for the kid.


Title: Former employer has sent me an $2k invoice for overpayment in 2015, and I just realized they paid me less than agreed upon the whole time.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 NAL. Looks like they were required to give you a paystub.

http://codes.findlaw.com/ny/labor-law/lab-sect-195.html

Scroll down to section 3.

>furnish each employee with a statement with every payment of wages, listing the following:  the dates of work covered by that payment of wages;  name of employee;  name of employer;  address and phone number of employer;  rate or rates of pay and basis thereof, whether paid by the hour, shift, day, week, salary, piece, commission, or other;  gross wages;  deductions;  allowances, if any, claimed as part of the minimum wage;  and net wages.  Answer #2: Do you have written or any other form of proof of the salary you think you should have been paid vs. the salary you were actually paid?Answer #3: On your W2, are boxes 1, 3, and 5 showing the same number? If not, are either box 3 or 5 closer to the correct salary? Some deductions can make box 1 (the amount you enter for income tax purposes) less than the other boxes and my accounts for your perceived underpayment.


Title: Laptop taken for "evidence"

Question:
There was an over dose at my apartment and I called an ambulance and the police showed up as well. They spotted a laptop that had a bit of drug residue on it (heroin) not a measurable amount just a bit of dust. They took the whole laptop and put it in a garbage bag and left me with nothing. No case report, number. Nothing at all. This happened in August. I tried calling the precinct and they simply said "it is in evidence you don't get that back" and hung up.
Is this true? If there was residue on the floor would they take the whole floor as evidence? Something doesn't seem right here. Any input or suggestions would be awesome. Anyone have experience with something like this in the past?
Also as a note there were no chargers or anything. The cop mentioned good Samaritan law or w. e.. And there would be no charges.

Answer:
 You need to consult with a criminal defense attorney before having any more contact with the police.Answer #2: > "it is in evidence you don't get that back"

Not true. You get evidence back after the trial (if one happens), which it won't.Answer #3: They've taken not just evidence, but contraband evidence. You may be able to get the laptop back after the conclusion of the criminal case and any potential appeals, but because there was contraband (drugs on the computer, you're not getting it back. (They don't give drugs back to you.)

If you want the laptop back, talk to a lawyer. If you want to protect yourself as best you can from the drug possession charges that are may coming your way, talk to a lawyer as soon as possible.


Title: [Canada] Is Nembutal (AKA Pentobarbital) an illegal substance in Canada? What charges could I face by importing it into the country?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 Yes it is illegal to possess without a prescription from a doctor. Simply having it can result in 18 months in jail.

This also wasn't hard to find by googling.


Title: Canada, ON- My mom is crazy and I don't know what can be legally done against her.

Question:
My mom regularly throws things at strangers, follows people because she thinks they're casting spells on her, ruins people's things, breaks most things at home, speeds all the time in the car and gets caught with a ticket at least once a year. That's all I can think of right now but I'm sure there's more.

We're sure she's mentally ill. We've gotten social services involved for my sister, who is a minor (social services is not for me because I'm already 19). We've called the police on her twice to be taken away to a mental health hospital to be assessed, but they couldn't diagnose her because she was faking it. About two months ago my dad filed for some kind of form (I forgot what it's called) that forces her to stay in the hospital psychiatric ward until she gets a diagnosis. So she did that and I don't know her actual diagnosis but she was given medication for Abilify, which is for bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, etc (and she probably has all 3). But she doesn't take her medication even though it was prescribed to her; she doesn't think she needs it.

So clearly she has some sort of mental issues. But I'm not telling you all this because I need help getting her into more psych evals. Honestly, I think that the whole psychiatric ward thing and prescriptions isn't gonna work because she doesn't want to change. She thinks she's perfectly healthy but she's not. So instead I'm asking for any legal advice I could take against her, based on the grounds of her clear mental illness.

Our main concern is that she damages so much property that my dad (the only person who earns money right now) ends up paying for all of it. His income is OK but since he has to pay for all her damages (to cars, to other people's things, to the walls and doors and machines in our house, to damage to electronics, and anything else), then our income is the same as someone working almost min wage.

Can sue her somehow maybe? We can't afford to keep paying for her screw ups.

**TLDR** my mom has been diagnosed with mental illness and refuses to take medication, even though I don't think it was helping her significantly enough anyways. I'm not asking advice to get her into more psych wards; I'm asking for advice about what we could do about all the costs that she does to property damage (that we inevitably have to pay for her).

Answer:
 I’m afraid that if your father wants to stop having to pay for her property damage he’s going to have to divorce her and completely separate their property.Answer #2: (not a lawyer, so take this with salt:)

Most likely not. Any lawyer will most likely invoke an insanity defense under Section 16 of the Charter, and (from your description) be able to prove that she was, at the time, "suffering from a mental disorder that rendered the person incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of the act or omission or of knowing that it was wrong."

If the court does agree that it seems that she is suffering from conditions thereby described, and that in throwing items makes her a danger to others, they can decide she must be retained in a mental care facility... which is kindof what you're looking for anyways. But as far as recouping monetary damages, probably not, particularly if she has no income herself.  What could they do? Garnish her nonexistent wages? And you will retain what legal counsel with what money?

I'm sorry its not good news - I've suffered with a family member who is mentally unstable and is mentally and physically (aka property) destructive... your only hope might be to convince the crown that your mother is a danger and get them to complete an analysis and get her the help she (seems like she) needs.

But... its worth having a preliminary consult with a lawyer about. Perhaps there's a recourse that isn't obvious.


Title: My dog was mauled, owner says she is not responsible for follow up care

Question: Hello, this is my first time posting. My dog was mauled , not bitten, mauled, by another dog while she was on a walk with my mom. The dog ran to them and took my dog in its mouth and swung her back and forth. My mother screamed at the top of her lungs and neighbors came out to help, one carrying a shovel to get the dog off. A few minutes later the owner shows up and says her dog accidentally got out and that they have only had her a couple weeks. We honestly didn’t know if our dog would make it, it was so bad. She was very prompt to pay the emergency vet bill which was great but this is where it gets sticky. My dog somehow reopened her stitches and needed to go to the vet, another $600. The owner initially said she would pay half, then called back saying she is not going to pay any of the bill because it was Biscuit’s (my dog) fault. I spoke to her again and she is now saying she will only pay $200 of the vet bill IF I sign a release saying she is not liable for any further visits. I can’t sigh that, she could get an infection or something else. I don’t want to take this to court but don’t know what to do! Please help!

Answer:
 Location is super important on this one, as different countries have different rules.

General advice, you seem to have made contacts couple of times after the fact, so I assume you have her name and phone number.

Report this to the authorities (police, animal control, dog warded local laws depending)  and make sure you keep all records of contact. If they admitted their dog caused the injuries in text, print out several copies and keep them safe in different locations.

Don't feel bad for reporting them. It was your dog this time, tomorrow it might be a small child.

Don't sign anything they provide you. If they won't pay, use the police report and messages you saved and take them to small claims court for the vet bills after your dog is fully healed. If you go too early you won't be able to claim again.


Title: Action against implicit threats, when cops aren't an option?

Question:
(In a way the butterfly knife kid reminded me of this, but it's not directly related)

As an adult, what do you do if someone is physically blocking your exit and/or implicitly threatening you, after confiscating any means of communication? Do you just have to wait as long as they want to keep you there? Because that's literally the only reasonable way I can think of to handle it.

What, if any, action can you legally take to get out of that situation in a short-term rented space? For example smashing out a window? (Various localities)

Obviously not getting into the situation to begin with is the best course of action. Steps have been taken. Unfortunately you can't always control when Crazy shows up, so it would be really nice to know for the future, **just in case.** Carrying a secret cell phone is not a workable option (strip searches). Again, I'm aware that being away from the crazy is the most effective solution, but please trust me that it does not always work, so I would very deeply appreciate advice on what reasonable and legal ways (if any) there are to get out of the situation once it begins (it lasts for many hours at a time)

This isn't a hypothetical, but it has happened in various states and provinces. Does the law on this vary much between North American jurisdictions? Is there even a word for this behaviour? Psychiatrist and therapists have called it abusive, but is it illegal?

As a side question, if you did call the police after, would they think you're insane for being intimidated by someone only saying you can't leave without physically removing them ("you'll have to get through me" and "over my dead body") without any weapons or explicit threats? Especially if you're bigger and younger than them. It seems so stupid and chickenshit; it's not like it's a real assault!

Any advice or pointing towards relevant sources of information would be greatly appreciated- thanks for your time.

----

Edit: I've ended up adding some more information in the comments.

Answer:
 > Carrying a secret cell phone is not a workable option (strip searches).

Where are you going that you feel you need secret cell phones and you'll be getting strip searched?

Your scenario turns a lot on this question, as the situation you posit is very bizarre and indicates that there's a lot more to this story than you've laid out here.


Title: Landlord charging for new carpeting. Small claims? NC

Question:
Hi All,

I am sure this is an age old debate but I feel like I am being taken on a ride. Long story short, just got out of my 15 month lease. We had a puppy in the apartment and she had minimal accidents which were always cleaned right away and she was crated when unsupervised. During our time here one of the drain lines to an upstairs hot water heater backed up into our apartment and left a chunk of the main living space damp and squishy for about 4 days, they did send out heavy duty fans and vacs that we had to live with during that time.

When it came time to schedule a walk though I was told they couldn't on weekends and to just drop the key at the main office and I had nothing to worry about as long as there was not "excess pet damage, holes in the walls, or burns to the laminate counter top." I had none of these issues so we did a full scrub down of our apartment, including using carpet cleaner on high traffic areas. Thankfully I took pics which show the apartment in clean order.

Now, a week and a half later I get an invoice for $700 for a new carpet. Upon their inspection and pulling the carpet back they found 3 yellow pet stains on the bottom of the rug. I can't help but think that they were replacing the carpet anyway due to the leak and came across the pet stains and are trying to get me to pay the bill.

My parents say to take them to small claims over it? Friends are saying to just not pay it (the company is threatening collections if unpaid).

Any input is appreciated.

Thanks

Answer:
 Just because they might have been replacing for different reasons doesn't mean your puppies piss didn't necessitate replacement.  Dispute it and ask for pictures of the stain.  If that fails feel free to escalate to small claims.Answer #2: You can ask them how old the rug is. If it's older than 7 years, that's generally the lifespan of a carpet(?). Then it's not on you to pay it.

 If it's not older than that, you'll just be paying for the depreciated value of it, If it's 6 years old, you only back 1/7 of the cost.


Title: [NJ] In March, fell at on my state-university campus and broke my forearm. Should I sue?

Question:
I fell on a snowy day. Ran up a small-outdoor stair case (2 steps). It was still frozen and covered in snow, happened around (5am). I was on campus hitting the gym. The school hasn't contacted me, just an ambulance to get to the hospital was setup. I have medicaid insurance so it took care of my hospital bills. Somethign similar happened to a girl I know, she fell and received $60k. Not sure if having insurance helped or lowered the settlement or whatever the school paid. I fit this online to justify suing:

(1) the state's employee was negligent;

(2) while acting within the scope of employment;

(3) the employee's negligence was the proximate cause of the injury;

(4) the plaintiff was not contributorily negligent (that means the person filing suit was not also negligent in contributing to his or her injuries).

Impacted by this injury: I broke my dominate arm. 10 weeks to heal. Harder to write papers, drive and open doors. Is anything possible here?
Topic:
Removed

Answer: It doesn't sound like you have a very strong case.  It was actively snowing, so I don't know what your theory is for how the university should have done something differently to avoid your injury.  They can't stop snow or rain from freezing.


Title: I’m underage and being asked to do things that are illegal. What do I do?

Question:
Hello. I am 16. I work at a hotel in Illinois. I need some advice on what to do. I work in a very abusive and racist work environment that is short staffed and I am always forced to do things that I’m not sure are even legal. I was asked to throw trash into the trash compactor which I was told you have to be 18 to even operate or load trash onto. I am also scheduled to leave at 11pm on school nights Monday-Friday. Curfew I believe IS 11:00pm and I still have to drive home, so wouldn’t I be out passed curfew? What do I do? Please do not mention quitting the job, because they pay me well over minimum wage and I don’t want to quit.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Your option is to file a complaint with the department of labor. While it's illegal for the employer to retaliate against you for the complaint, that's difficult to prove. You'll probably suddenly end up with a stack of "performance issues" and wind up looking for a new job soon either way.

You could also file an OSHA complaint about being told to operate the compactor while underage. Same thing applies however.


Title: Buckle up for a real doozy...we need help!

Question:
Okay - where to begin. About 4 years ago, my good friend showed up at my house and announced she had fallen in love. With a Brazilian actor....all of us rolled our eyes. However, over the next year and half he became a beloved friend, part of our friend circle and all around good guy. About a year in, he proposed, they got engaged. He went back to Brazil for the requisite time, announced their engagement / marriage and came back. A few years later, he got his greencard, seemingly happy they moved out of our neighborhood into a condo in the next city over . His name is on the lease - he reported his income on the lease as $4,000 a month. Two days later he left her. He has not been in touch since April 2nd other than to send her two letters.

1) When she was on a family trip to Greece, which was arranged and paid for before their split, which he knew as he was supposed to be on the trip, and for which her mother was covering the hotel expenses, he sent her a letter stating that since she had the funds to pay for a lavish vacation, he would no longer be paying for his half of the rent on their condo.

2) He served her papers this morning asking for spousal support. She is a low-level navy employee and her family has no money.

Some facts to note and new info that has come out since their split...

\- married for just over 2 years I think.

\- his family in Brazil is very wealthy, like Picasso's and armored car wealthy. He also has told me he has significant income on his own, through residuals, and property rental income in Brazil. His sister manages his finances and sends him money. He didn't want his wife to know (first red flag).

\- He always had money and paid for his half of the bills in their relationship, flew first class everywhere, traveled, nights out etc.

\- they had a shared bank account, but he only ever deposited cash, in person, into it

\- he has never filed taxes here in the US as he claims he makes no money, even though he has money from Brazil wired in regularly

&#x200B;

Does she go to immigration? The IRS? Can he actually ask her for Spousal Support? He got a bougie expensive lawyer (since he has endless amounts of mystery money) and she is just spiraling as to what to do first. She needs the money to pay the rent on their fancy condo, and try and fight spousal support now. Ugh. How we all thought he was the 'salt of the earth' is terrifying. I have never been so shocked at someone's true character being so different that I thought.

Answer:
 She absolutely needs a lawyer in this. Hopefully one that is good at digging out hidden funds / sources of income. That's where she needs to start. Going to ICE or the IRS first can work against her in any court proceedings, especially if nothing comes of it.

He can, of course, ask for spousal support. She can say no. That's what gets worked out in court.Answer #2: She needs a lawyer.  This is not the kind of case that should be done pro se.  Before she does anything like take his name off of bank accounts or sell the condo, she needs legal advice--more than reddit can give.Answer #3: > His sister manages his finances and sends him money. He didn't want his wife to know (first red flag).

Yeah that's suspicious.

You can report unreported income to the IRS, and you can report money laundering to ICE.

As she's a military employee, to cover her rear she should let her boss know what's going on.  She could be fired for financial irregularities like this, but they can also likely offer some assistance.


Title: [MA] My university randomly withdrew me from all my classes and now my scholarship is on hold and I'm financially screwed. Is there anything I can do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You might want to speak to the university ombudsperson; they may help you get to the bottom of what's going on.Answer #2: Sorry, but " they unenrolled me because I was out of state for the first 2 weeks of class" is a perfectly valid reason to drop someone from all of their classes. In fact, at my major state university it's standard practice to drop students who miss the first two weeks (particularly if they don't contact faculty).

It seems to me that if you have missed entire semesters before, then missed the first two weeks of this semester, that they are tired of letting you enroll if you aren't invested in the process.

I would keep talking to them, but it's now late October, so you are not going to get re-enrolled at this point (and not get financial aid of any sort). I would also talk to immigration, as you likely are in violation of your visa and at risk of deportation.Answer #3: Continue to talk with international student services.   Talk with the registrar.  Talk with your advisor.  Talk with the ombudsman.  If all else fails, consider talking with an attorney.


Title: My security cameras caught a cop looking in my garbage can on my driveway. Can he do that?

Question:
I got a motion alert while I was at work today and I checked my camera system. It recorded a cop walking all the way down my driveway (my property) to my house, where my garbage cans are up against the laundry room door. He lifted the lid and started looking through them. I called the police department and asked them what was up and all they could tell me was that there were no calls made to my address today. This just irks me that a cop just walked up and started looking through my shit. I heard that once my trash is on the curb, they can go through it. But can they look through it when it is still on my property?

EDIT: I am in Pennsylvania.

Answer:
 * First, Save the video.

* Second A), if you've commited a crime. Stop Breaking the Law Asshole.

* Second B), if you haven't committed a crime, contact the department and speak with the shift supervisor. File a complaint against the officer. Offer them a **copy** of the tape as evidence, and to help them identify the officer.Answer #2: The state is important. Trash cans are abandoned in most states when placed where they can be collected and the police can look inside with no problem. Where you are describing them, it could be considered curtilage, and the search would require a warrant.


Title: Employer is family, refuses to give paycheck bc Employee "is too irresponsible with money" NJ

Question: Posting for a friend. My friend works for his uncles business as a cdl driver. Uncle is narcissist who believes his word is the only word,  basically we all should aspire to be him.  Friend isn't great with money, but keeps his bills paid. Uncle believes friend isn't worthy of recieving paychecks, and insists on keeping them in order to "help" friend out with budgeting. Uncle has recently refused to give friend direct deposit bc then uncle wouldn't have access to funds. Uncle is literally refusing friend any access to paycheck. I know this is shady, but its it illegal? Friend is getting paid this Friday and uncle stated "don't plan on seeing any of the actual money, its in my control now." Nothing was signed giving uncle this power. What is friends first step?

Answer:
 First, he should start looking for a new job. After he finds a new job, then he should file an unpaid wage claim for all of the wages that he is owed. Make sure to retain documentation to prove what is happening.Answer #2: Give a call to his states labor board. This is beyond illegal.

https://www.nj.gov/labor/wagehour/complnt/filing_wage_claim.html

He needs to file a wage complaint asap.

He also needs to realize he's probably going to need to find another employer. This is very unhealthy from a career and job standpoint.Answer #3: The narcissist will most likely try to find reasons to "charge" the employee money.

The employee needs to quit and file a wage claim. This is illegal, regardless of the relation between people.Answer #4: Assuming this person is an employee and not a contractor, they can [file a wage claim](https://www.nj.gov/labor/wagehour/complnt/filing_wage_claim.html) for any wages owed to them that they have not received.Answer #5: Anybody else get the feeling that it's an excuse not to pay since uncle is going broke?Answer #6: I don't see how this is legal. How old is your friend? I imagine with a cdl he's over 18. Even if his uncle did a good job of handling your friend's money, it still wouldn't be legal without some kind of agreement.


Title: Marijuana possession charge in CA

Question:
I'm in a rural county in CA. I am a mid thirties white guy, and reasonably adult and professional. I was pulled over, my car searched, and a bag of weed trimmings found, definitely over an ounce. I was charged with a misdemeanor possession, and have a court date. I have no previous criminal record.

What actually happened: I had just picked up the trim. I don't even really smoke (I told him I have before, more so when I was younger, but not really in recent years), and I definitely don't like edibles, but I do like making butter, and I'm good at it. I've spent most of my last decade in the SF bay area, and kinda forgot that anyone still cares about weed. Very stupid on my part, since I'm now in a rural county that is definitely not ok with it.

Anyways, I picked it up, and shortly after got pulled over. I'm not sure why he followed me in the first place (he turned around and came back, so clearly was following me), but follow me did. Actually passed me and then came back, which is neither here nor there, but kinda odd. Anyways, he pulls me over, saying it's because the computer said my registration is out of date, though I had the proper stickers. I had just renewed a couple days earlier, and my old registration had expired.

So, he sticks his head in my window, smells the weed, and asks if I'm smoking weed. I wasn't, and answered honestly. He asked if I had any weed in the car (stating he knew I obviously did...). I said, dishonestly, that I did not. He then told me to get out of the car and step to the side. He searched my person (without asking), including sticking his hands in my pockets. He then searched through my car. He found the two paper bags of trimmings, took them, and charged me (stating he knew I definitely wasn't dealing, as it was all trimmings).

What I told him: I said that I had just given a ride to a guy who I knew had weed, and reeked of it. I told him a story that was very much based on the truth about a guy who was sort of semi-homeless who I'd met before, and was up here working for a legal operation (which is real). I said I ran into him at the gas station and agreed to give him a ride. I knew he had weed, and I didn't think much of it. When I dropped him off I was also picking some stuff up and I must have driven off before he finished unloading his stuff.

Perhaps relevant: According to my story, I don't even know that there was definitely weed in those bags, as I never saw it for myself. According to my story I can identify those bags as not mine, but indeed in my car, and that's it.

I was under the impression that the standards for searching a person were more strict. Note that he searched me before he searched the car, and he did so by putting his hands into my pockets. As I understand it, he was totally entitled to search my vehicle, but I thought he couldn't search my person as he did. Maybe I'm wrong, and maybe it doesn't matter anyways, but none the less, that happened.

So, where do I go from here? What are the likely outcomes? Any reason not to stick to my story? Is my story irrelevant? Should I be freaked out about losing my license, or my job, or worse, is a prison sentence actually on the table? Should I get a lawyer? I'm fairly poor, but I could scrape together a couple thousand bucks, especially if it is going to keep me out of prison...

TL;DR: Got a misdemeanor possession charge for pot in rural CA. What next?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 Mercifully, much of your story is irrelevant, so we can talk about the basics of probable cause, search and seizure, and drug possession.

"That weed's not mine" is not a defense to drug possession.  No matter what sort of story you tell about mysterious homeless bag-carriers or your inability to see through paper bags, the marijuana was undoubtedly in your possession.

The reasons to not "stick to your story" is that it's not believable and that it's not true.   Telling that story under oath is ordinary perjury, and I wager to guess that it will annoy prosecutors, judges, and jurors to be asked to believe such a tale.

The vehicle stop, frisk of your person, and search of your vehicle all sound like they're by the book.

The expired registration provides probable cause for the vehicle stop.   It doesn't matter how your car came to the attention of the officer before he ran your plate.   My personal guess is that it's because you'd been seen picking up bags of marijuana from a grow house, but that's conjecture.

The pat-down and search of your pockets is an ordinary officer-safety frisk.   Totally by the book and ordinary.

The search of your vehicle is totally standard too.   The smell of burned or unburned marijuana can by itself become probable cause for a vehicle search in many States, including California.

So.

What exactly is the statute you've been charged with ?    Do you have any prior convictions ?

A criminal defense attorney who practices in your County is your best resource for understanding the sentencing habits of your local judges, so yes, you should consult with one.


Title: I'm being accused of making a false 911 call

Question:
I recently got charged in Virginia with making a fake 911 call at some point last year. The police haven't given too many specifics but they've given the date of the alleged call, told my lawyer there's a tape recording and claimed that the call was made from a phone that's registered to my name and address.

I don't know any other facts about the allegations but I do know that I did not make that call. I live in Maryland, not Virginia and I know that on the day of the alleged call I was at work in MD. At the time of the call I had two cellphones on my AT&T account. I pulled the bill for both phones (which lists all calls and texts) and there are no 911 calls on there. My main question is is there any way to find out if someone else has opened a cell phone account in my name? I've pulled all three of my free credit reports and there are no indications of new cell phones on there. Right now the only idea I have is to call AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, give my name, address and birthday and see if there are any accounts. Any other ideas?

My second question is do 911 calls show up on AT&T cell phone bills. I called their customer service line a couple of days ago and I was told that 911 calls do indeed show up but I don't have 100% trust in a low-level customer service rep. I tried to contact their legal department but they don't have a phone number and as far as I can tell their main job is to deal with contract disputes.

Before anyone tells me to do this I have already hired an attorney and she seems to be quite good so far. Thank god I have the money for competent legal representation BTW, I've seen firsthand over the past few days how our system fucks over poor people. Unfortunately the state doesn't really have to turn over any evidence until my initial court date and while I wait for that I'm trying to do a bit of my own research. Beating this ridiculous charge in a "clean" way (i.e. a straight up dismissal that allows me to get all records of this crap expunged) is important to me and I would love to be able to walk into the courthouse on my first hearing date, have my lawyer hand the commonwealth's attorney a pile of exonerating evidence and have the charges dismissed right there and then.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 > My main question is is there any way to find out if someone else has opened a cell phone account in my name?

You should get discovery at some point in the process.  That's a list of all of the prosecution's evidence, which should include the details of the call and their identification of your number.  At that point, you can determine what the genesis of the account is.

AT&T records that I get do show 911 calls; but those are acquired with court orders.  I have no idea what your bill would show.

Answer #2: It sounds like you have done all your research already by asking the appropriate people. Your lawyer is the best person to answer your questions. They know all the details of your case.


Title: Case Closed?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 > why did I have to pay for it twice?

You didn't. You stole a giftcard so when you bought it, you didn't. You paid 400 to reimburse for your theft. You only paid once. Answer #2: Crime, meet punishment.


Title: Neighbor (who is a renter) moved in a group of tweakers into his house, and one of them hung himself last night

Question:
I live in Portland, OR and have a next door neighbor who has been moving in/subletting to very interesting individuals. The neighbor himself is a tenant and is clearly violating the terms of his lease. He recently moved in 4 new people into the house who are clearly meth heads. We constantly hear them get into fights over smoking crack (!) and have contacted the police multiple times, however, they can't do much as every time the tweakers run into the house and hide right before the cops get there. The tweakers have been harassing us and the other neighbors and have threatened a few of us.
After having enough of this bs I ended up looking up the landlord's address through public records and showed up to his house this past Sunday to deliver a letter of complaint. I spoke with him and he really seemed shocked and said that he has no knowledge of the events. He guaranteed to call the property manager and get to the bottom of this. On Monday morning I got a call from the property manager who also expressed no knowledge of the issues and said that their tenant is obviously in violation of his rental agreement. He said he will contact the tenant as well as sending him a written warning letter.
So.... I get home from work on Tuesday and see all the first responders vehicles outside of this house. First thought was someone OD'd. Then about an hour later the medical examiner shows up and then the coroner's van, and they proceeded to roll out a body out of the backyard. Apparently, the violent tweaker who had threatened us a few times ended up hanging himself and was found by his girlfriend. Luckily he didn't decide to hurt anyone else before he went.
I called the property manager this morning and let him know about the incident last night. Again, he had no idea. He said he has given the tenant a notice of lease violation and those people were supposed to move out. According to him if anything happens again (what more than a dead body?) they will evict him. I asked him what about the incident last night and he tried to brush it off by saying their tenant has  no control over who comes on to their property and hang themselves on premises (WTF!???)

They obviously don't want to evict him unless they really have to. I am trying to see if there's anything I can do legally to speed up this process or at least complicate the landlord's life a bit.

Thanks for reading this crazy story and I appreciate any advice in advance.

Answer:
 You have no standing in a contract between a landlord and a tenant. And the LL has legal obligations to the tenant (a lease and applicable laws). Answer #2: Unless the number of people or activities (such as running a business) violates zoning bylaws, there is nothing you can do about this. The owner-neighbor is free to allow whoever he wants to live there and, as long as the owner's cool with it, the renter can let anyone he wants live there. The owner can **choose** to enforce the terms of the lease. But since you are not a party to the lease, you don't really know what's included in it and maybe they can't do a damn thing because things like drugs aren't a violation of the lease. The owner can also choose not to enforce the terms of the lease and you don't have standing to make him do that.

What you can do is call the police when you are threatened or when you observe crimes being committed. They will investigate and take action, if they feel it is necessary.


Title: Wife has a lot of money to her name from family business, can we do a simple will/estate plan ourselves or will it be more complicated?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 $13 million? **GET AN ATTORNEY.** One who specializes in estate planning is a good start.

The way her family has "given" her these investments is going to affect what she can bequeath to you and your children, if she even can at all. Things might be set up to purposely keep them within the family upon her passing, and she wouldn't be able to leave them to you and the kids. This is going to entail more than just you and her; a sit-down with mom and dad is definitely in order.

Those do-it-yourself will kits are really only good for young 20-something's with no spouse, no kids and no assets. You have all three of those things, so please don't rely on a fill-in-the-blank will.


Title: My abusive boyfriend is threatening to put me in jail over false claims of battery against him every time I try to leave him

Question:
Throw away account as an attempt to be anonymous

Backstory:

We got into a fight and he punched me, kicked me etc. I was basically helpless because he is much stronger than me.. I threatened to call the police and he broke my cell phone, then he got in his car and left to the police station and came back with them. I had no way to call them myself and I was shaken. I was glad he left, I told them that and showed them my smashed iPhone. The police officers questioned me saying I attacked him and I told them I didn’t but they arrested both of us on “cross complaints” He had bruises on his chest, from what I know is him punching himself, he claimed that I hit him with a bat.

After this happened (stupidity) I made up with him and he attacked me again. This time I took no chances after he took my phone and my keys from me and I went on foot to the police station about two blocks away. He was arrested, jailed for two weeks then put on probation. His terms are to refrain from abusing me and to take batters classes. I didn’t press any charges on him during his trial. Now, my trial is tomorrow for assault and battery with a deadly weapon.

I know how dumb I am for thinking he would change and trying to help him and every time I threaten to leave him he brings this up. “Yeah? Well you’re fucked when we go to court. I’m pressing charges.” I know he may be right. I told my lawyer and his only advise was to get him to write a letter admitting that his claims against me are false and he refuses to do so. Can I really get in trouble if he chooses to testify against me. I’m afraid of being arrested for something I didn’t do and I feel it can be proved if given the chance. I chose a “bench trial” instead of a jury as advised by my lawyer. What can I expect to happen tomorrow if he does?

Answer: You have good questions.  You need to present them to your lawyer for his/her advice.


Title: My newly adopted dog killed my cat (xpost r/dogs)

Question:
As a preface, please forgive me for any typos and miscommunications since my mind isn’t in the right place, and if I’d be better asking elsewhere please redirect me!

On the 12/23 I adopted a dog from the local SPCA on the east coast EDIT: Delaware. I’ve been looking for an emotional support animal for a while, and this pretty blonde girl chose me at the shelter. Everything was perfect, she listened to commands, was 7 years old so was a little calmer than a youngin, and as I was told by the staff there, she’d be great with other animals but recommended a slow introduction.

It’s worth mentioning that we noticed her paperwork was so inconsistent after we brought her home. Their paperwork had her listed as a 40lb lab/unknown mix. Previous paperwork had her listed as a 28lb Pitbull, and another paper said she was 62lb and a pit/lab mix. I was told she had no special dietary needs and then days later contacted the shelter for an update and they said she needed a lamb only diet which i found hidden deep in the paperwork. So a lot of red flags already.

It’s also worth mentioning that she loved people, and reacted one way to all sizes of humans, but any size animal she acted crazy. We didn’t think it was aggressive because she wasn’t growling or snarling, she made this screeching banshee noise but just seemed eager to play.

I had two cats at home, they are littermates and have been with me for almost 5 years. We had the cats confined to a bedroom with everything they’d need and the plan was to keep the cats and dog separate for a week or so with a minute or two here or there of a meeting with the dog on a leash.

On the fifth day the dog was home, I went into the cats room to visit with them and fill their food and change the litter. Usually the dog would be in a different room with my boyfriend. When I left, the second the doorknob turned, the dog forced her way in and immediately lunged for one of the cats. My boyfriend and I tried everything we could and even trying to kick or step on the dog didn’t do anything.

My cat bled out in my arms and I watched the life fade from his eyes.

Both my hands and my boyfriends hands are as messed up as possible without needing a doctor, but that will heal.

We immediately locked the blood covered dog in the bathroom and the rest was a whirlwind. Animal control took the cat to test and then he will be cremated and returned home to me. They took the dog to clean her up and evaluate her, and hopefully repair her ear ASAP since my cat sliced it in half with his back claws. My boyfriend and his dad cleaned the house while his mom took care of me, and my other cat stayed hidden for the rest of the day.

The next day we were going to go to the SPCA but they wound up calling us first. The dog made it back to them thankfully and will hopefully be able to adopt her to a family that has no other animals. She’s a wonderful pet and I’m sad she didn’t work for our household. The SPCA is refunding the $150 adoption fee, but here’s the kicker. I have a dead cat and cremation fees to take care of. A lot of people say they think the SPCA should cover that, but unfortunately I can’t find any cases online confirming that that would be appropriate.

Is there anything else I should be doing? I have pictures of my hands just in case, but this was awful. The dog was supposed to help with my ptsd and nightmares and instead left me with more trauma. Should I be asking more from the SPCA? Or am I lucky they even offered what they did?

I did sign a waiver that any personal injury they wouldn’t be held responsible for, but they lied to me so I believe that negates the contract.

Answer:
 You brought a new animal into your home. Things happen. No one is at fault here. Answer #2: Not a wonderful pet... For the love of God. Please have this dog put down and try again with a dog that doesn't pose a hazard to other animals (and likely small children).

You didn't read the contract until after, all on you. Lesson learned.Answer #3: A waiver is not a contract, it is a document used to show informed consent.
I feel sorry for you and your cat, but the signed waiver shows that you were aware of injury risks from an adopted dog.
You can always sue someone, but it is unlikely that you could show that any of the shelter's misstatements were intentional lies, and intended to somehow trick you into adopting this dog.
 Answer #4: I'm very sorry for your loss.  However, even assuming you could successfully sue the SPCA, you will *not* get your cat back and you *will* be taking money they desperately need to take care of the rest of the animals they have.  If you need an esa, consider getting a puppy that you can train and raise with the remaining cat.


Title: Neighbour is harassing me about moving my car, wrote on my car using the snow today, should I call the cops before things escalate?[USA-MI]

Question:
Right, so I’m in a townhouse, of course there’s no assigned parking spots. I have an older Mercedes that I have parked at the spot closest to my flat. I don’t drive my car much because I don’t like driving. I just ride shotgun with my mum. Recently the next door neighbour who runs a catering agency, I’m assuming because of the food that they cook and what not, started asking my mum and I to move the car. He said that the spot is convenient and it would be nice to have the spot. Now keep in mind, there’s a spot right next to it, literally less than 3cm difference which is usually occupied by a black GMC. I’ve never seen this guy confront them about moving.

 Now, I know people hate the race card, but shit when a situation arises like this, I’m left to believe it’s racially motivated. So this morning after I was leaving court my mum checked her phone(you can’t have phones in court) and the lady from the leasing office called and left a voicemail. She said that “your son’s car” has been in the spot for weeks and it hasn’t moved, which is false because my mother routinely takes the car on drives, and that the maintenance people would be doing some work so they’d need the spot. Now, fair enough the maintenance people may very well need to be close to the entrance, I’m understanding of that, however it is very suspicious that less than 4 days after this man confronted us for the second time about this, that we receive a call like that.

The lady in the office also said when the snow removal people come do the car park that all cars would have to be moved or they’d be towed, once again another completely reasonable request. However the aforementioned situation coupled with the fact that today when I got home the man had written “MOVE” on my car with the snow, really has me startled. I wanted to call the cops right away, but my mother who’s a lawyer herself said to wait and talk things over with her.

In my head I’m thinking that things with neighbours, those A&E and ID discovery neighbours from hell and what not, all start with minute things. Hell, someone in Detroit literally shot at someone and tried to kill them over a trash can dispute the other day. Should I call the police and at least note this situation, or what?

Answer:
 If you only use the car every few weeks, why not just move it to a less convenient spot? Even when you win an argument with neighbors, you still have to live with them. I don't see why this is worth the escalation.Answer #2: >Now, I know people hate the race card, but shit when a situation arises like this, I’m left to believe it’s racially motivated

 You have provided no reason for this to be about your race.

>Now keep in mind, there’s a spot right next to it, literally less than 3cm difference which is usually occupied by a black GMC. I’ve never seen this guy confront them about moving.

 Do you stand around waiting for such an occurrence to transpire? There are 24 hours in a day, why would you have seen this interaction?

>I have an older Mercedes that I have parked at the spot closest to my flat
>>It’s also suspicious that she’d call it my car when 1: it’s legally in my mum’s name, 2:we’ve never said it was my car, ever with anyone who works there.
>>>I wanted to call the cops right away, but my mother who’s a lawyer herself said to wait and talk things over with her.

 Is it your car or not? It’s your mom’s car? So then do what she says. Sheesh.


Title: Selling a spotify playlist

Question:
My wife has been contacted by someone who has expressed interest in purchasing her Spotify account.  Her playlist has a decent number of followers and the purchaser is in the music industry and feels they are able to leverage them.  We have received a purchase agreement from a LLC that states we should not tell Spotify about the transaction and help the purchaser to recover the account if it is removed for copyright infringement or called into question.

We live in Ontario Canada and the purchaser claims to live in Texas.  Is this a legal transaction?

Answer:
 It's very unlikely to be illegal, but it is very likely to be against spotify's TOS, hence their language.

Sales like this are at a very high risk for fraudulent payments, however.


Title: Our apartment management company is telling us that we need to sign a new lease for 12 months, but our original lease contract states that terms go month to month after the first year agreement. What course of action can I take?

Question:
We received a letter stating that we need to come and sign a new lease as ours expires at the end of the month. I pulled the original lease contract and it states that after the original lease, we go month to month and must provide 60 days notice before moving out. Any advice would be recommended. Thanks in advance.

Edit: Located in Minnesota.

Answer:
 Yes, they can absolutely ask you to sign a new lease after the initial one expires. You certainly don't have to. But they can also give you 60 days notice to move out because it is now on month-to-month.

You aren't guaranteed a month-to-month lease in perpetuity.


Title: My police sergeant's nephew totaled my car. What?

Question:
Pretty much I was stopped at a red light in a small town in Massachusetts and so was he. He was across from me at the intersection. I was going straight, he was turning left. When the light turned green, I proceeded to assume I had the right of way. About halfway through the intersection, he drove right into my front end and rendered my car useless. His truck was damaged only in the center of his front end. My car had a totally damaged wheel well, my front quarter panel was gone, and my car was spun. When the kid's (yes, kid, he was 17) dad got there, he made a point in saying that the sergeant was his brother, and then I was cited a warning. They fucked around and had to keep resubmitting the police report so we could pick it up and in the report they try stating that him an I ran yellow lights and that I was speeding and hit him. Even though I drove a 98 buick century and he was driving a beautifully huge truck. My car couldn't have been going more than 30-35 mph. They also are trying to claim that I moved his truck 6' and that there were skid marks to prove it, there were no skid marks at the accident at all, and it was very clear that he was mid turn when I was almost through the intersection. We have to go to court. How can I make sure I win this and that justice is properly served? Because I sure as hell have no idea.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 > How can I make sure I win this

Go to court, present your evidence.


Title: Do you have to pay for forced medical treatment you didn't consent to?

Question:
 I had a psychiatric and medically diagnosed episode in Ohio and was forced by police into an ambulance to go to a hospital and was made to undergo 3 day care at a hospital emergency center, where I was made unconscious against my will or consent for three days with a catheter inserted into my penis so that I wouldn't make a mess while I was incapacitated with medication against my will, and am being billed something like 12k, with 250 dollar charge for aspirin.. I am being billed two separate bills that have been farmed to law firms who do debt collection at something like 3k and 7k (for ambulance and hospital, respectively). This is in Ohio. Do I have to pay for forced medical bills? I did not consent to any of this and signed no contracts. I had contacted a personal injury attorney who suggested this was contract law.

\-I asked for an itemized breakdown from the hospital and am being charged basically 3x what google tells me each procedure would cost. This is for the hospital. The ambulance bill I have not requested to be itemized, but I basically sat in the ambulance without restraints or medication, and it was a glorified uber for thousands of dollars.

Answer:
 Yes, the bills are your responsibility.Answer #2: Why should the hospital or the taxpayers have to pay?

Yes, you have to pay it.


Title: Employees harassed and touched by customers in NJ

Question: If a restaurant customer touches a female employee against her will, but doesn't touch a so-called "intimate area" (e.g., grabbing their hands,arms, touching their sides, etc), can we have them arrested?

Answer: You can call the police and make a report. The owner/manager can ban them from the restaurant.


Title: I sell smoothies semi-illegally, what can happen?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 What's the worst that can happen?

You could:

* Be fined/arrested for operating a business without a license/meeting health codes
* Be found liable for someone getting sick from your homemade smoothies
* Be kicked out of your university housing for operating an unauthorized business there.
* Fined by the state for not collecting sales tax
* Tagged by the IRS for not reporting your income

... That's just off the top of my head.


Title: Restaurant cut my lady's pay in half!

Question:
Ok, so my lady has been working at a small restaurant for the past year. She was the first employee hired, and she's put her all into doing her part to make the place thrive. She's very good at her job!
She was making $10/hr +tips. (Which I know is pretty unheard of for wait staff)
Recently they came to her before a shift with no warning and told her that they were going to cut her hourly down to $5. They made it off to be, "no big deal". Naturally she was upset and felt like they didn't value the work she's done.
Couple of days later they came back with a "compromise" which bumped her up to $7/hr, while taking tip% for other employees.
I feel like this is all pretty ridiculous.

We live in Texas.
I'm curious if what they're doing in even legal and if she can do anything about it apart from quitting?
Thanks y'all.

Answer: Yeah, it's legal. Employer can change pay rates going forward.


Title: Police Respond To Matter that Was Resolved

Question: I live in United States, California, my friend attempted suicide tonight. I couldn't get to his apartment so I called the police, but they couldn't get into his apartment and he ended up getting a ride to the hospital with his Mom, should I be worried about the police thinking that this was a "prank call" and tracing my number?

Answer:
 Stuff like this happens frequently. We really don't have time to go chasing down every single caller who tells us about a situation we end up being unable to locate.

If you called like, a dozen times then maybe. If you keep calling and reporting him as suicidal and we keep not finding him, then probably yes eventually the officers will track you down.

But a one off incident of you calling what you believed to be a genuine situation, and officers were unable to make contact with the reported suicidal subject? It's *extremely* unlikely that anything will come of that.


Title: My girlfriend might have called the cops on me

Question:
I posted in [another subbeddit about this.](https://www.reddit.com/r/relationship_advice/comments/3dwhob/i_23m_need_to_apologize_to_my_22f_girlfriend/)

Me and my girlfriend got into a fight, and I hit her. We both left the house, and when I came back, there was cop cars in front, and I see my girlfriend's mom outside the house. My girlfriend won't pick up her phone, but I know she's getting my texts because of read receipts. I don't know what's going on right now and I'm at my friend's place.

Someone on the other sub said I might get charged with assault. What should I do right now? I don't think I should return to the house since there were cops cars there.

Location: East Hampton, NY

Answer:
 Get yourself some anger management therapy, and never lay hands on another person again.  Stop contacting her, permanently.  She's better off without you.

Oh, you should consider hiring a defense attorney for your domestic assault chargeAnswer #2: Stay away from the house and call a criminal defense attorney. Do not talk to the police without an attorney present. These charges are going to be very serious. Stop texting your girlfriend until you sort this out.Answer #3: You're almost certainly going to be charged with domestic violence related charges. You need a criminal defense attorney ASAP.Answer #4: Are you asking a legal advice sub how to avoid the police so you don't get in trouble?


Title: Ive just discovered my wife of 26 years has been on meth for the last 6 months. I grow a little weed in the house she stormed out of 3 days ago. I want to divorce. Can she get me busted for what she knows.

Question:
I am living in a non legal state of Arkansas.  The only person I ever trusted with my grow was her. I have never shown or told anyone about my plants. I grow for medicinal use only for Irrbowel disease.   I dont trust her now.   Ive only grown for the past 5 years and she has been cool with it all the time.  I should add she is unable to smoke because of her job.   But meth?

Should I chop my grow down and be prepared for a visit.  Or not.  Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 >Should I chop my grow down and be prepared for a visit.

Yes, stop breaking the law. Answer #2: You should definitely get that out of your house. I don't know this person, but with a lot of meth addicts, it's just a matter of time before she gets busted. When she does, the cops (or the DA) are almost definitely going to offer her the opportunity to "cooperate" for a lighter punishment.

Does she have any reason to NOT roll over on you? Maybe she will just out of spite, especially after you file for divorce. What's more, this will come up in the divorce hearing, almost definitely.

You're putting yourself in a very vulnerable position, and you're going to need to make yourself bulletproof for the foreseeable future.

EDIT: I once dated a recovered meth addict, and she rolled over on everyone when she was busted. There's no loyalty among addicts.


Title: Defamation/Libel questions

Question:
Hello,

New to Reddit, so sorry if I'm not doing this entirely the right way. Anyway, some background information for my situation...

About two and a half years ago, I was approached about an article for Men's Journal where a reporter would be chronicling the day of an event for which myself, and two others would be participating in. The event is a fundraiser for bird conservation named the "World Series of Birding", where multiple teams of people would travel around the state of New Jersey to see as many bird species as possible in a 24-hour period to raise funds for bird and nature conservation. Men's Journal identified my team as one of the most interesting, given that we didn't play into the "birdwatcher stereotype"--meaning we aren't small old women with weird hats and the like. Anyway, one of the members of my team was somewhat of a reckloose--frequently smokes marijuana, drives fast, drinks often, etc. I was concerned that his behavior would be included in the article, but was reassured that nothing negative or illegal would be written about us. Of course, during the day of the event, that particular team member engaged in a few different illegal activities, which did indeed find their way into the article that came out about 4 months later. To make it very clear--I did absolutely nothing illegal at all, either during the event or the other two days the reporter spent with us. Nothing at all. And yet the article depicts all three of us as drunken stoners. The very first line in the article reads,"Drunk, stoned and gunning for Number One: 24 hours with the Outlaw Team of the World Series of Birding". Fast forward to recently, when I was informed that because of my inclusion in the article, I would be denied acceptance into a local police academy (my prospective career choice). Needless to say, the article has caused a serious damage to my reputation, and a lot of what is included in it is totally untrue. From my cursory searches and some college law coursework, it seems to constitute defamation. I'm wondering if a lawsuit is worth pursuing, if I have a valid case, etc. I did email the reporter for the article, mentioning that I wanted my name removed from the article entirely, or I would consider legal action. He was actually very cooperative, remorseful and apologetic, and acknowledged that I did nothing wrong and that he was sorry that it has caused a road block to my career. He was able to contact the editors at Men's Journal and get my name removed (they are currently using a fictional name in place of mine for the article piece), but my name is still coming up in Google searches associated with the article, just as they were before, and I have to think that unless something else is done any prospective employer, such as a state trooper background investigator, will find the article and put the pieces together...after all, it's what they do for a living. I reside in Pennsylvania, the reporter chronicled our story in New Jersey (in May 2013), and Men's Journal Headquarters is in New York, New York. I would appreciate any comments or legal advice with regard to my situation. Many thanks.

Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 You will want to speak with an attorney, these kinds of cases are very fact specific and difficult to win in the US, especially with a journalist involved.

Edit: you'll probably want to remove the link to the article, personally identifiable information can get you banned here.


Title: Can you get into legal troubles from public "adventures?"

Question:
Basically title, having sex or doing other stuff within the following contexts:

Movie Theater w/ Blanket over us

In a car with tinted back windows

Changing Rooms at Sporting Stores

Beach (With blanket over, does that matter?)

Hiking Trails

If one were to get caught, what would the consequences be, whether it be a police officer, employee, or just a random bystander.

Answer:
 Well. . . you'd both get in pretty serious trouble. Like "registered sex offender" trouble.

You aren't actually serious with this, are you? You aren't so stupid that you think this is legal, right?


Title: [US, AL] My wife's former employer didn't pay her taxes.

Question:
My wife always got a W-2 but when it came down to it, he never actually paid the taxes. She looked into it and confronted him about it and what he owed.

The situation now is that he's wanting to give my wife what was owed instead of dealing directly with IRS. Not a lump some but here and there money.

Not sure how to handle this situation. Any suggestions or advice?
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 His issues are his issues. Hers are hers. The overlap is if he took money out of her paycheck presumably to cover her taxes and didn't actually report and remit to the ~~devil~~ IRS like he was supposed to.

She needs to figure out what she was paid and make sure that she paid taxes on that amount, filing based on that amount.

If he took money out of her pay as if he was going to pay her taxes but didn't, then that is a major cluster-fuck. I would tell him that he has two choices:

1. provide her all documentation related to her pay amounts, and be prepared to cover her tax liability (keep in mind that if "she" -- whether directly or through him -- didn't pay taxes quarterly, she could be subject to fines that dwarf her actual tax liability,
2. fuck you I'm getting a lawyer and making your life a living hell.

She may want to phrase option two a little bit nicer than I did here, but you get my point.


Title: Squatters in my apartment

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 First, she is not a squatter.  The girlfriend is a tenant.

Are you and the roommate on the same lease?


Title: How do you find co-counsel in other states?

Question:
I'm trying to ask a general question,and keeping in mind rule 6.
I've done a certain case in my state, and it turns out that many states have the same unconstitutional statute. I have a client,and I could do a pro hoc vice motion for a one time admission to do the case,and eventually win some of them and collect some legal fees. But my bottleneck is that to do that I would have to have co-counsel in each other state. I don't know how to find those.
For example I recently filed an amicus brief in a mississippi case.
If I had cocounsel, I could file a motion for my client to intervene in the case, but I don't,and don't know how to find someone. I am doing all this on a shoestring and can't just pay some lawyer up front; it would have to be someone who would wait to get paid out of fees down the road. I don't need them to do anything more than sign the form; if they chose to do more that would be fine. I am extremely introverted and don't want to just cold call lawyers.
Please dont say call the aclu; the aclu turns down 99% of cases that get pitched to it.

How do you guys handle this situation?

Answer: I would just contact my alumni office  at my law school.


Title: Relocated some of my stuff for my girlfriend, considered "Illegal Move-Out" by property manager. [Chicago, IL]

Question:
Hey all,

Looking for some advice on how to proceed and if I was in the wrong/how to fight this if I am not.

Background: I'm currently a lessee in a condo building.  We have to pay "move-in" and "move-out" fees of $300.  This includes exclusive, scheduled usage of the freight elevator for 4 hours and use of the loading bay for loading your vehicle.  Also, when not locked down by a move, the freight elevator is accessible to anyone (which means they can use it for whatever, like the normal elevators).  The Board of the building only allow moves to occur during the week (9-5, really convenient for most people).  My lease goes until the first of September, but this last weekend I gave some of my stuff to my girlfriend for her new place out of town (her lease started August 1st).  As I don't own a car I had to rent a U-Haul truck to move some stuff (bed, couch, and some boxes).  Anything larger than a chair would require this though.  I took two hours to load this stuff onto the truck for her.

The problem: The problem is the doorman called the property manager right away saying I was moving out on a Saturday, which is deemed "Illegal".  Because of this, I'm being charged $300 for the move out fee, and another $500 for conducting it on a weekend.  The thing is, I am NOT actually moving out at all! I am still living in the building until the end of the month.  Furthermore, I did not lock down the elevator so no one else could use it (usually stays at your floor and ground so no one else can use it), I did not use the loading bay, and I parked on the street (only 2 hours) with the vehicle (not on the confines of the property).  The doorman told the property manager I was "moving most of the day", but since I live there I was in and out of the building? I guess relocating myself counts as well.

What constitutes a move-out? Any items leaving the building? Does any delivery or removal of furniture constitute the $300 fee and a prescheduled appointment with the building /s?

I understand you can't "move out" on the weekend, but I was not doing that whatsoever.  I have evidence of when I picked up the truck and evidence from the parking receipt (billed for 2 hours - to prove it wasn't "most of the day").  I also have evidence of my next lease which starts the 1st of September.  Why would I move out with no where to stay for another month?

My landlord is going to be charged the $800, which will in turn be taken out of my security deposit.  Can I take this to a small claims court? Should I threaten with legal action if they try to charge my landlord (and inherently me) with this fine and move-out fee?  Is there anything I can do to mitigate this?

Also, I will have to pay $300 AGAIN when I "actually" move out as said by the property manager.\

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thank you all in advance.

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: I would send a strongly worded letter threatening to take this to small claims if this fee is charged against your security deposit. "The doorman saw me moving a couple pieces of furniture" resulting in an exorbitant $800 fee doesn't sound like something that would hold water in front of a small claims judge, especially if you later did actually move out in good faith, you know, with the rest of your belongings. Your landlord will likely protest that it's a fee being charged to him/her by the condo building, to which I would reply that it's their issue to settle between themselves since you have no contractual relationship with the condo building.


Title: HarperCollins is using the name of my 8yo blog in titles of graphic romance novels

Question:
Seattle, WA // Intellectual Property related, xposted to /r/Blogging:

Just discovered this morning -- Harper-Collins is teaming up with friggin' Avon to release some sexy romance novels featuring the name of my website in all the titles.

Problem is, the blog I've been running since 2007 and is definitely not a poorly written aggressively sexual romance blog, it's... about shopping. So. My advertisers probably won't dig the association (which I have definitely been respectfully vocal about negating). Also, the promotional materials are straight up softcore pornography, definitely NSFW, and I really don't like it popping up in all of my Google alerts I have set up for reputation management.

I have had my name/logo "service marked" (an SM in the upper right) for years since I can't afford a trademark or register -- truly broke. I have contacted the author (who is keen on ignoring me) and Harper Collins with no avail (yet). I have been using my blog's (meager) revenue as my primary source of income since 2010.

The author's books will be released as an eBook and paperback starting March 17, but it's a series of three books, all of which have released titles and release dates within the next 4 months.

Sans *"shoulda gotcherself a trademark,"* what is the next step here? Do I retain a lawyer if they don't respond? If they respond and basically laugh in my tiny blogger face, am I screwed? Thank you in advance, I know pretty much nothing.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 You most likely have no claim. You're writing about two different things and the titles are different. You're welcome to consult with an IP attorney but I don't see anything here that's worthy of a case.

Also, you should remove all the identifying information from your post before /u/thepatman eats your face. He does that.Answer #2: Marks aren't going to work here given the different domains and media. You only have one real strategy here since you can't take them down that way:

Make it your mission to have your blog trump any and all search results online for the ebook. Dismantle their online popularity with your awesome beauty products SEO.


Title: [FL/USA in General] Is a transgender person lying about their birth sex before performing sexual acts considered rape by deception in the state of Florida? What counts as rape by deception in the USA?

Answer: No. Rape by deception is generally something like pretending to be a person you're not, like sneaking into bed with someone who thinks you're their husband when you aren't.


Title: Is it possible to chat with a licensed lawyer online?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Just go **call** a lawyer.

In all seriousness maybe? I wouldn't doubt that there is some lawyer who has set up an online messaging system but I have no idea if it is one relevant to your situation because you did not include your location even though you were reminded several times before posting...Answer #2: Yeah, Avvo and others do offer services like that. However trademark law is ridiculous fact specific and you should really look into retaining a real attorney, one mistake and you may sink your whole project and need to start over.


Title: Ohio, Landlord claims insurance adjuster says home is uninhabitable. Says I need to vacate immediately.

Question: So for the the story. I allowed a leaky water heater issue to cause some damage the rental. Because of ongoing mental health issues, I failed to report the damage issues until just recently. After disclosing to the landlord and an inspection by him, he says it's not major problem, and can be taken care of in a few weeks. Landlord admitted to me no real structural damage, mainly all cosmetic fixes, drywall, carpet, etc.  Landlord has spent 5 days, doing now preliminary work, preparing for the rebuild. Suddenly, after an insurance inspection, house is now uninhabitable and have been told to find new accomodations. Have been instructed to have everything out in less than 10 days. I have paid the required rent for the month. But he says I need to be out sooner than later. Do I have any right to not be out until the end of the month. Also have not been shown any sort of legal documents requiring me to vacate,only his word. Any ideas?

Answer: You need to ask him to provide you the documentation he's using to claim the unit is uninhabitable. As long as it's not dangerous, I would suggest you not move until he does.


Title: Prior to marriage my husband received an inheritance. When we bought our home, he used 80k of it for our down payment. We have refinanced our mortgage a couple times. If we were to divorce, would that money be considered separate or community property? Would he be entitled to that 80k back?

Question:
I have been married for seven years (Seattle, WA).  Prior to marriage my husband received an inheritance. When we bought our home, he put about 80k from the inheritance as the down payment. We have refinanced our mortgage a couple times since then.  We bought our home at a bad time, so it is only now that we are not upside-down and have a little equity on top of the 80k.

Since about a year into our marriage he has been a stay at home dad and I have paid all the bills.

If we were to divorce, would that money be considered separate or community property?  Would he be entitled to that 80k back?

Answer:
 it would be community property since he used that money towards the primary residence of a communal home.

if he had kept that money separate and didn't use it for benefiting communal needs, it would have stayed separate.

but you would be required to pay him alimony since you were the only one working.Answer #2: I shouldn't have looked at your comment history.


Title: Restaurant Question

Question: Are restaurant required to provide meals (food) for their employees? (When they go on meal breaks, etc) Located in California.

Answer: No


Title: Background check for employment in Canada by Employers like Blackberry or other big companies

Question:
Hello,
I want to know that, if a person has not ever been convicted for any charges not even traffic ticket but A person has put theft charges on other person in Canada and later dropped those theft charges before court hearing, so is it going to make bad impression, if employers like Blackberry etc. does background check in Canada?

Answer: No, but your inability to write in English might make a bad impression.


Title: I currently rent a house. My property management company was switched midway through my lease, but now neither company claims to have my deposit.

Question:
Guys I really really I appreciate the help. This is near Detroit, Michigan.

So I rented and signed a lease with Company A, and gave them a $750 deposit on the house I was renting.

About 6 months later, the property management company was changed to company B. I was told (verbally) by company A *and* company B that my deposit would be transferred to the new property management company (B).

Fast forward a year, and I am now looking to move out of the house. I called my current property management company (B) about my deposit, but they are now claiming they never received it from company A and I would have to get my money back from company A myself. Company A will not return my emails or phone calls at all.

So who is responsible here? Company A probably didn't transfer over the deposit, but company B took over the lease.

Thank you very much for the help guys. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this through.

Answer:
 whoever bought the property or acquired the lease is bound to the terms re: the deposit. and to state law re: same.

The fact that company B never got the money from A is between them. B still has to obey they lease. and pay you back your deposit.


Title: [MI] Regarding wetlands, there’s a situation happening on the property behind my home, and I want to stop it.

Question:
I’m not sure if I chose the proper flair, but here goes.

The property behind my home is a wetlands. When I look it up on the wetlands map, it shows there are two types of wetlands on this parcel.

In January, my husband and I, and all of our neighbors, got called to a meeting with the local zoning board. It was to let us know that a builder has petitioned to change the zoning on that property from condos to single family homes.

Background: Back in 2002, “someone”, presumably the developer who owned the property then, obtained permission to mitigate a wetlands, and build condos. Then the bottom fell out of the real estate market, and the plans were scrapped. They did mitigate the land though. They leveled the trees, added a sewer system, a retention pond, and a road.

Fast forward to now. A different builder wants to build single family homes, 10 feet apart. The back of those homes will be only 80 feet from the back of our homes. This is only one concern that the current homeowners have.

Other concerns are that the new homes won’t look like ours, so property values might decrease.

Some of the neighbors and I took different views on stopping this, because we do not want anything built back there.

I started looking into the wetlands, and found that while there was a permit requested, and paid for ($2000), but there is nothing after that.

I’ve submitted Freedom of Information Act requests to the township, the county, the state, and the DEQ. No one has anything except the record to request it. There’s no approval on record, there’s also no record of any type of survey being done to recommend an approval.

But it was done.

There is a man who works for the DEQ who said he approved for some of the lots to be built on, but he “can’t find any proof, because it was so long ago.” It was 2002.  I have land documents from 1887, so I question why there’s nothing from 2002.

I was told the name of the company that supposedly did the survey, but they said they have no record of it either.

We have another meeting with the local board in a week. I am compiling all of the emails and documents to present to the board and the builder.

I am wondering if this will stop the present builder. I am wondering if this will cause a new survey and approval to be paid for, before anything can be built on it.
I am wondering if I’m forgetting anything.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: Anytime I've done something near wetlands in Michigan, we had to hire an environment consultant to delineate the wetland boundaries. The fact that they were mitigated 15 years ago is almost irrelevant at this point. What is the current wetland boundaries. That is what is important.


Title: [CA] Bought a motorcycle for ~$4000. Title was not in the seller's name and engine # does not match paperwork.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: IANAL. Sounds like he bought it from another party for cheap, repaired it (or something else), and is flipping it. By not signing it when he originally purchased it,  he avoids having to claim it on his taxes. I know mechanics do this a lot. They'll buy nonworking cars, fix them up and make a couple grand under the table by not signing the slip.


Title: [OH] My ex-boyfriend made false accusations of domestic violence because I wouldn’t talk to him. $2,000 and a month and a half later, the case was dismissed. I filed for expungement, wasn’t notified of court date and now I’m worried it’s on my record forever.

Question:
A few months after everything calmed down, I filed for the record to be expunged. There is no waiting period for dismissed cases, so I figured I get the notification to appear in court, go stand in front of the judge (answer her questions, admit my contributions to the situation), then ultimately have the record removed. I need this expunged so I can progress my career. I am in a field that can be subject to public scrutiny and this is not a good thing to have lingering on a simple background check.

For the initial case, I had a lawyer. I can’t really afford to pay a lawyer right now and the expungement seemed straightforward, in my situation. I have been checking my mail every day, waiting for a notice of my court date, nothing. I have also been checking the clerk of courts website to see if it shows up there. My payment to have the record removed by a 3rd party showed up, so I knew the court date would be fairly soon.

I have been planning on calling soon, to see when I will know the court date. THEN, today, I check and there was a court date! It says:

**Status:** CANCEL
**Date/Time:** 10/05/2018 9:00AM
**Action:** EXPUNGEMENT
the court room and judge are also listed.

So, what should I do? I’m worried because the website says it’s basically a one shot deal. I am calling the court Monday, but still worried they will just say they mailed it, and it’s on me for not showing up.

**Background of the situation:**I was the victim of several domestic violence incidences with my ex-bf. He moved himself in with me after 1 month of dating. After 4 months of scary situations, I moved out of my house, told him when he would have to be out by, and I didn’t tell him where I was moving. He stalked me for a couple of weeks and I filed for a TPO. It was denied because the judge didn’t believe my life was in immediate danger, fine. 6 months of him manipulating my family and me, trying to prove he’s a good guy, I start seeing him again (ONLY because we have a daughter, so I agreed to supervised visits). During one of the visits we were in the car (getting diapers) and he’s driving. He is screaming at me about something dumbI tell him to stop over and over, he doesn’t. He’s saying if I don’t answer his questions he’s going to wreck the car (with me and my daughter in it). I reach to cover his mouth, but he grabs my wrist, twists it; extremely painful (find out later it’s broken and I had surgery).

He calls the cops saying I attacked his face. Cops come, they talk to him first. They talk to me and ask questions like, “he’s saying this happened, yes or no?” And I try to say, “yes, BUT he was threatening me....”. The cops say, it doesn’t matter what was said, you reached out to put hands on him first, you’re the aggressor. I disagree with this, but at this point, anything I’m telling the cops is not helping. I show them my injury and they write it’s “slightly red”.

He doesn’t press charges, cops leave, he goes home. He then starts blowing up my phone with texts and calls begging me to talk to him. I don’t respond and he tells me if I don’t talk to him, he’s going to be forced to go to the cops, so that I learn my lesson. I think he’s buffing and I don’t want him to have control over me, so I still don’t respond. After 2 days of this, he starts texting me saying he’s so sorry. I ask what for, he tells me I’m going to get arrested, but I will just have to go get processed and will be released that night. He said he had to press charges because his boss (he works in corrections), advised him to.

I call the police station immediately and go turn myself in. This was a Thursday. I had to stay the night in jail because I was a “violent offender”. Friday, my family gets me a lawyer; however, I have to stay the weekend because they couldn’t get the electronic monitoring set up in time.

I get out on Monday (OR bond). About two weeks later, in court, he invokes his 5th amendment rights and the case is dismissed. My lawyer advised anything I could do would pretty much be too expensive and not worth it. He tells me that my best route is to just get it expunged and avoid the guy.

**Examples of the scary situations:**
- him standing at my bedroom door not letting me leave during fights
-pushing me away from the door and claiming he pushed me because I was attacking him
-him punching my headboard and breaking it because I didn’t want to have sex
-him “pretending” to leave me in the wilderness in another state, with no phone

Answer: You're at the point where you need an attorney again.


Title: Franchise dress code question

Question:
Is it legal for a franchise to forbid it's employees from wearing jackets besides their branded one, AND to charge their employees for that jacket? Especially if they have employees working outside. Say I didn't have the money for that? It seems kind of unfair to say, hey, you can't wear your own jacket, but we won't supply you with ours.

Mind you, I don't think this is an original thought out anything. I figure it is legal, I'm just curious why, especially as it's getting cold out.

Thanks for your time.

Edit: Whoops, I'm in Washington State.

Answer:
 Washington State requires that [the employer pay for uniforms](http://www.lni.wa.gov/WorkplaceRights/files/policies/esc81.pdf), and includes "branded foul weather gear" [explicitly in that definition](http://www.lni.wa.gov/workplacerights/files/policies/esc82.pdf).

So no, they cannot require you to purchase your own.


Title: Drop rape case GA

Question:
Hello. I was raped a few months ago and I’ve more or less given up. I don’t want to have my private life broadcasted to anyone to prove some scumbag assaulted me and thinking about it all the time severely negatively impacted my grades this last semester. I really just want to move on and never think about it again.  I’ve also come to the realization that nothing will come from this and it is a waste of my time and emotional energy after seeing the outcome of other rape cases.  I’ve contacted the police and told them that I’m not interested in continuing in this investigation and requested that they return my possessions. I’ve attempted to contact lawyers for a civil suit to pay my medical bills but they can’t help me because the rapist has zero assets besides his car. I can’t dig deeper because he’s deleted all of his social media since I told my friends what he did on Facebook (in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have done that, but at the time I was extremely confident in the evidence I had. I can at least prove that he had vaginal/oral intercourse with me while I was saying no, in his own words/texts.)

What is the possibility for him attempting to sue me for “defamation” after finding I dropped the case? Should I just take him to small claims for a tort first? If it means anything, my family is well off but I have absolutely no assets and I’m hundreds of thousands in debt from school.

Thanks.

Answer:
 > What is the possibility for him attempting to sue me for “defamation” after finding I dropped the case?

It's impossible for us to guess the odds.

He would be an idiot to pursue that, as it would serve to further advertise this allegation to the world, but idiots have done stupider things than this before, and spite can be a powerful motivator.

> I just want closure

To be extremely, unpleasantly blunt for a moment: the legal system is absolutely not equipped to give you closure. For that, you need a priest or a therapist.

That's not to say you don't deserve it, only that you're looking in a place you're not likely to find it. I'm so, so sorry this happened to you, and I fully understand the tension and pain you're experiencing. The legal system _is_ equipped to punish your attacker for his actions, and the criminal process is a lot more likely to have a lasting impact on him than a small claims suit is, for what that's worth.


Title: My bf and I live together in house we picked out a year ago. His name is the only one on the mortgage. If things go south do I have any rights to anything? (Ohio)

Question: Would I be basically homeless if we split? I paid most of the down payment and pay for things in the house but my name isn’t on anything.

Answer:
 The mortgage just means he owes the money.

Is your name on the deed/title?

Oh I see your full text now. So...why did you give money without getting on the deed/title? You don’t own a house, but he does. Answer #2: If your name is not on the deed, then you do not have a legal ownership interest in the house.

**HOWEVER**, that does not mean you have no legal rights.  Having paid a substantial portion of the down payment and having paid for some things relating to the house means you likely have a claim of some sort.  Whether that means your boyfriend would have to repay these amounts (i.e., the money you spent would be treated as a loan) or whether you would have an equitable interest in the value of the home (including any appreciation in the value of the home) entirely depends on the discussions, agreements, and understandings you had/have with your boyfriend.  This would be a very fact-specific analysis absent a written agreement, and you would almost certainly need a lawyer to help you recover.

editted to add: its not too late to get a written agreement done.  Do yourselves a favor and figure this out now, as it will only cost you more to solve a dispute should one arise later.Answer #3: > Would I be basically homeless if we split?

He'd have to legally evict you, but basically yes.


Title: [VA] Landlord is a Lawyer. I am not. Is he taking advantage and what are my rights?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 I just quickly skimmed so I can't give a completely detailed answer but I'll tell you that even if you were to sign a lease that had those provisions I don't think they would all be enforceable. Some things are just unconscionable and would never be held up in court, IMO, such as making the tenant pay for damaged pipes due to freezing, etc. If you didn't cause the damage, and were not negligent, you shouldn't held liable. Does this LL have insurance??? Make sure you have renter's insurance yourself; it's only like $100 for the year and can protect you from unforeseen damages. Answer #2: >So I'm well aware that my unit may not (ok, definitely is not) technically up to code

There are a few steps between not being up to code and condemning the building.


Title: My boyfriend is 17 and physically and verbally abused at home, what would happen if he ran away???

Question:
Hey Reddit,
I'm 16 and i've been dating this boy, who i'm totally in love with, for almost a year now. He has a terrible home life, his parents beat him, hit him, and have threatened to kill him. They verbally abuse him too, and he has took it all his life. Today, he pissed off his dad really bad and I got worried, and told him if it got too bad he can just stay at my house until graduation. He is 17, his birthday is in June.
What legal complications would it bring if he ran away to my house until he was of age? His parents know that my house is the first place he would go. I don't want to get my parents in trouble for keeping him here, and he doesn't want any police involved... but if they were called by his parents, what would happen?

Answer:
 If his parents called the police and reported that he'd run away, the police would look for him, and bring him back to his home. Anyone interfering with their ability to do so could be facing criminal charges, depending on jurisdiction.

If he needs out, he needs to contact his jurisdiction's child protective services. If he's beaten, he should file a police report (or call 911 if it's an emergency).