Title: My manager wants to fire me without giving me proper training and after just 2 weeks.

Question:
I started a new job as a clerk at a apartment complex office in Virginia. Full time position. Taking care of the paperworks for tenants, showing apartments to people these are my responsibilities.

Problem: Since first day my co-workers (5 employees) at the office said our manager is a bit rude so to be careful about that. After only 5 days into my work my manager told me I need to get be able to my jobs properly by myself and my responsibilities don't need that much training. If I ask anything twice he get upset about it. Today was 2 weeks into this jobs and he gave me "Performance review". He mentioned I'm not performing well and making mistakes. He documented things  I did (which files goes where, knowing rental policy or different forms etc.) on the first day of work as mistakes. Some of his concerns didn't even made sense.
         For example: In a phone conversation with a tenant of the complex asked about an issue "X" and the solution for that is "Y". At the end of of the conversation I double checked with the tenant saying, " So, to be clear your issue is X and the solution for that is Y, are you okay with that?". My manager had problem with me saying that! He documented this interaction as "I don't listen to my clients so my client had to repeat themselves!". I told about my concerns about rushing me into everything and I asked twice so I don't make mistakes; which made him more upset.

Today after my review he gave me 1 week of probation period. If I don't show improvement according to his standards he will terminate me. I am going keep trying to improve my performance as I have been trying for past 2 weeks. But I have never encountered any workplace policy that requires employees to pick up all the job responsibilities within 2 weeks and start handing out performance review in such short time. Most importantly none of these conditions and timeline of training were mentioned to me before I was hired. Rather, in my interview when I told my manager, "this field is new to me", he said I will have proper training to do my job.

So, my question if things don't work out, do I have any legal leverage against the company in this situation. Should I seek talk to their HR first or is it worth to talk to a lawyer about it? Should I do anything now ?

P.S. I work in Northern Virginia, VA incase that matters for legal advice. Thank you in advance for taking the time to reply.

Answer:
 You have no legal recourse if you are fired because your boss is an utter asshole, and doesn't provide training. What you do have is every reason *not* to continue working for a place that sets you up to fail.

If you're fired, file for unemployment immediately.


Title: Dear valuable residents; we won't be accepting packages during Christmas.(Texas)

Question:
I came home to my apartment today to find a letter on my door saying that "due to the time of the year the office has limited space and will not be able to accept any more package until after the holidays.  now I either have to send my packages to one of my family members or open up a PO  for $50. I've been living here a year and just signed a new lease this is my permanent address. is it legal for them to turn away my packages. Four of lack of legal terms are they not responsible for my packages this is my permanent address how can they just say they're not going to accept them.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Unless it is specified in your lease, they are not responsible for collecting and/or storing your packages. In many places, landlords aren't even required to provide a mailbox.Answer #2: Your apartment complex isn't equipped to handle being a distribution center and they legally don't have to. See if you can have your packages shipped to your employer, held at the post office (you usually don't need a PO box for that), or look into what other delivery options your vendor offers where you can pick up your packages locally yourself.


Title: (LA) My sister was placed under a 72-hour psychiatric hold and then told she had to "volunteer" to extend it another 72-hours or they would extend it to 2 weeks.

Question: Over Christmas, my sister told someone over the phone that she "didn't want to live anymore" after a break up, which got the other person to call the cops, who found her and took her in to a behavioral wellness center for a 72-hour hold. My mom and I were there and wanted to get her out as soon as possible but we were told that she had to stay there for at least the 72 hours, so we waited and then learned that my sister was told to "volunteer" to do another 72 hours or they would place her under a 5250 - or a two-week hold. Why weren't we allowed to take her home at any point? She missed Christmas!

Answer:
 If your sister is in a psychiatric hospital because she made a credible threat to kill herself and doctors determined that she needed additional care *and* your biggest concern is that she missed Christmas, your priorities are entirely screwed up.

The hospital likely asked her if she wanted to extend another 72 hours and that it would be in her best interest to do so in order to provide the treatment needed to avoid a longer hold.  Because they don't want to go through the expense of hosing your sister's brains off of their entryway when she has a psychotic break, I'd advise you to give them some latitude.


Title: Phoenix AZ - Car repair in progress for almost 2 months

Question:
On July 31 I dropped my 2013 Ford Fusion off at a local mechanic who had done a little work on it before. This diagnosis was head gasket repair or replacement needed. I stupidly paid him $1550 up front for the work when he asked, because he had done some work for free in the past so I thought he was good for it.

Fast forward almost two months. At first the repair was just supposed to take a few days. Then he said the headgasket needed replacing. I’m not stupid; I know that’s a complicated repair hence the hefty bill. I get it. But then it was the machine shop’s fault for taking so long. Then he said the machine shop must have nicked something because my car was overheating. Then he said nothing was nicked, the parts were accidentally swapped with my car and another that was in the shop at the same time with a similar engine. So he said he needed to take both cars apart again and swap the parts.

On September 13 he said he was finishing the other car the next day and then doing mine. Since then I have texted him a few times asking for an update and telling him I need the car ASAP and that this is getting out of hand. This is on top of the multiple times I’ve given him a deadline, he said he’d meet it, and he failed to meet it (adding on one of the excuses listed above).

Around September 13 I had my dad give him a call. I live 2,000 away from my parents otherwise my dad would have been at the shop in person the second week, asking for an explanation. Over the phone the mechanic made all the same excuses to my dad and also told him, “She’s a woman; she doesn’t understand these things take time.” (It had been 5 weeks at this point if I remember correctly). Umm, excuse me. Sexist remarks will not fly.

The last time I heard from him was September 13 and he has not returned any of my texts since then.

I do not want to leave a bad google review or yelp review and anger him further before he fixes my car. I also have avoided the temptation to blackmail him. But I did finally call my bank and dispute the charge as “services not rendered.” If nothing else maybe this will tell him I’m serious and he can’t stop screwing around.

I then tried calling him again, this time with a call recorder app. I did not tell him he was being recorded as that is not required in Arizona. (Only one party needs to know they are being recorded). He was incredibly rude and unapologetic as opposed to previous conversations. He tells me today, interrupting me when I say my name and why I’m calling, that the car will be done Wednesday. I ask him how I’m supposed to believe that because he’s told me so many times the car would be done by such and such date and it has not happened. He said he had to order a kit of some sort to align some cams. I told him it was over two weeks ago that he realized the parts were swapped and would be starting my car when he finished the other the next day. He finishes with “Your car will be done Wednesday.”

Thankfully most of our back and forth is via text message and not phone, so I have record of almost everything, and now that includes today’s phone call.

Here’s the kicker. I am more than likely moving out of state in a few weeks. I need the car done (and inspected by another mechanic or a Ford dealership) so I can sell it. I’ll be buying a house in a few months where I’m moving and that car was supposed to be sold by now to partially replenish my savings. I already have another car so the Fusion is money for me at this point. KBB value in my area is higher than in others, about $8k in current condition/mileage. I will also be out of the state next Wednesday through the following Wednesday so I won’t even be able to pick it up Wednesday unless it’s first thing in the morning and there are no delays at the shop. I will definitely ask an intimidating takes-no-bullshit colleague with me to the shop to pick it up.

I would ask him to just buy the car off of me (and then he can fix it/sell it) but I know he doesn’t have that kind of money lying around otherwise he wouldn’t have asked me to pay for the repair up front because “rent’s due next week.”

My new employer in Minnesota will pay to have my car transported since it’s over 1,000 miles away but I don’t think it’s worth as much where I’m moving (Minnesota where most people drive trucks and SUVs due to snow). If at all possible I want to sell it here, even if I take a small loss by selling it to a dealership to speed things along.

What are my options right now? If my bank does refund my money (it was a debit card used on his Square device) should I offer to pay him again or can I walk away without giving him anymore money? Can I tell him I’ll pay him in a week once I have it inspected by someone else and they say it’s fine/once I’ve sold it?

And is there anything else I should be doing? Is it worth paying an attorney for 1-2 hours of their time so they can write some sort of letter insisting my car be completely operational by Wednesday?

Any help would be appreciated.

Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 You have a civil matter for small claims court. Nothing more.  Never use a debit card for something like this as you have very little recourse and may not be able to reverse the charge like you can with a credit card.

Not trying to be mean, but you made every mistake in the book in dealing with this guy and basically just need to pay whatever is due and get on with life. If you refuse to pay him at the time of pickup, you will likely  find that he will put a mechanic's lien on it and you will not be able to sell it. That's if he lets you take it at all without full payment. There are no charges to be pressed, as it's a civil matter, not a police matter.


Title: I'm POA for parent. Am I allowed to change their will?

Question:
Parent has a basic will that leaves everything to me and siblings. I'm exploring the idea of establishing a trust that would recieve the inheritance.  I want to ensure the inheritance goes to myself, siblings, and our respective heirs, and not accessible by our spouses / in-laws in case of divorce. Only one parent still alive.  Can I modify my parent's will as their POA to this end? Or any other suggestions to accomplish this? in Texas.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Nope. POA doesn't let you make changes to their properly executed will.
But good news, in Texas, inheritance is considered separate property, so your spouses and in-laws don't have a claim anyway. Answer #2: No. Only your parent has the authority to modify their will.

An inheritance is separate property in every US jurisdiction that comes to mind. Avoid commingling your assets if you are worried about a divorce, or just talk to your parent.


Title: [US-MI] Employer (Fortune 500 software dev company) wants me to pose as "real" customer to buy competitors' software for our software dev team to use. Can I legally do this?

Question:
I have my CPA and work for a firm that develops products for CPAs.  They're having trouble procuring competitors' software and asked for my assistance in procuring it by "posing as a 'real' practitioner" (their words).

Am I opening myself up to great risk here?  Is there anything I should look out for?

...or should I simply refuse to do this?

Answer:
 I'm sure the competitor's contract/terms of service includes a clause for the software being used by agents of the company that licensed it and that the licensee agrees to protect the developer's intellectual property as best as you can.

If the developer realizes you're using their software to reverse engineer or copy their functionality, they're likely to sue you. Don't do it.Answer #2: Email aicpa ethics

http://www.aicpa.org/interestareas/professionalethics/Pages/professionalethics.aspx

Beyond legal, as a CPA you have an ethical responsibility here.  They'll guide you through the ethics issues for free.  Typically that will get you to a point where you won't have to worry if its legal.


Title: Accident outside bar

Question:
Ireland - My dad was drinking at his usual bar and had a bit too much to drink. Sad to say but he could easily be classified as an alcoholic.

Anyway, at closing time my dad purchased some alcohol to take home and left. He fell just outside the bar and hit his head on something (the bar has cameras outside and I am going to request to see the footage) that left him with bruises and cuts on his face and a gash on his forehead slash eye. (We have pictures taken within an hour that show medical attention was needed)

After some time the owner of the bar found my dad. Without providing medical attention he drove him (and the alcohol he had purchased) home and left him outside the house. He did not inform anyone what had occurred and he would have also been aware that there was nobody in the house who could drive.

My dad was taken to hospital and has received multiple stitches and is being monitored for signs of concussion.

With fully being aware that my dad was very drunk and this happened outside the bar is this negligent behavior on the bar owners part? Does he have a duty of care to a customer after the customer has left the premises?

Answer: Are you trying to blame the bar owner for your father being an uncontrollable alcoholic? The bar owner should've called police and had your father arrested for public intoxication, but instead, did him a favor by bringing him home.


Title: Medical malpractice?

Question:
Not sure if I even have a law suit here or if I’m even going to pursue it if I do, as I’m still dumbfounded by what happened.

About a month ago, during a routine physical, I mentioned to my doctor a large bulge in my lower abdomen that I’ve had for a few years that occasionally pains me. She told me that I looked like a large hernia and was sending me to have a consultation at the hospital.

The surgeon took a look, and felt it, told me it’s definitely a hernia, and while it’s not an emergency, it needs to be taken care of ASAP. No tests needed because it was obviously a hernia that needed to be repaired regardless of whatever the diagnostics showed. She also said it appeared I had a small hernia on the other side she would take care of while in there.

I had surgery yesterday. I woke up to 2 incisions, and the nurses telling me that there was nothing wrong with me and no repairs needed.

Now I’m in a tremendous amount of pain, which thankfully should only last a few days, and I’m out of work, unpaid, for the next 3 weeks, unnecessarily. I’ve been stressing about this surgery for weeks, and it’s all for nothing.

When offices open up Monday I’m going to call and see if I even have a case, but wondering if r/legaladvice thinks I do.

Answer: Did you actually speak to the doctor or PA?  I wouldn't run to a lawyers office just based on what a nurse told you (I'm a nurse, I've heard nurses tell patients wrong things before).  Your first step should be talking to the doctor or PA at exactly what was done.


Title: Is this legal or just really uncalled for?

Question: I live in Indiana and work for a company of about 50. Just got an email from the owner saying how carrying 2 cell phones, one work and one personal is bulky and not needed. His solution we go to one or the other. If it's our personal he would pay us a small amount to be able to access to work related stuff on our personal phone. If we choose the work phone he wants us to pay for the personal part of it. What the heck.

Answer:
 it's legal but don't do it, you'll lose everything stored on either phone when employment is over. keep a personal and a company or look for another job if he won't let you. Answer #2: It sounds like your employer wants to avoid paying the full cost of a cell phone, but still have all the advantages of having you available as needed.  I doubt there's a law specifically against it, but I do think it's unreasonable and would refuse.  If he wants you available remotely for work purposes, he needs to provide the phone and pay the bill.Answer #3: Just don't use your company phone for anything personal, ever. Answer #4: Pretty normal to get a stipend for using a personal phone for work.  Getting waaay more common now that personal phones commonly include unlimited minutes.

The other way, paying for personal use of a company phone, is NOT common and would be tricky legally.

If you go the personal route, you can use touchdown or another email client that doesn't grant full remote wipe ability, and you'll save some money and not have to carry two phones.


Title: [TX] My friend's stepsister, a mother of a special needs infant, was arrested for reckless driving and assault. Will CPS have any reason to look into this?

Question:
My friend has a 23 yo stepsister who gave birth last year to a special-needs baby due to her lack of prenatal care. I do not know the extent of the disability that this baby has, although I am fairly certain that it is physical and not mental in nature, and that doctors have said it could have been avoided if the mother had taken care during pregnancy (she drank, did soft drugs, smoked, refused prenatal care and vitamins, etc...)

Yesterday, the stepsister went out to a few bars and had too much to drink. She decided to race someone home. Cops clocked her in as going 116 mph in an area of which I am not sure the speed limit. She fled the scene in order to avoid a DUI and was later arrested at her home.

My friend's stepmother went to visit her daughter in jail and after some sort of argument, ended up being punched by the daughter in the chest. So she was subsequently charged with assault.

This morning, the stepsister was bailed out of jail by her boyfriend.

Today was the baby's 1st birthday. The party had to be canceled due to this conundrum. It's really been tragic at best.

My friend and her immediate family are worried about the baby's welfare. We want to know if CPS will have any means to look into this situation due to the arrests or if it is a process better implemented by a call by one of us.

Answer: You should call CPS. They might find out about it in another way, but better be safe than sorry in this case. Who had the kid while their mom was out drinking, the stepmom?


Title: What can my HOA do to punish me for putting on a roof without their approval? (WA)

Question:
I need a roof like ~~yesterday~~ ~~last month~~ last year. If one more rain comes, my ceiling could collapse. (So, regardless, it needs to be tarped tomorrow.) I have selected a contractor and have the contract in hand. I have verbally committed to signing it and making the downpayment (unless something "comes up") when he shows up tomorrow morning at 9am. Work is scheduled to start on Friday and be complete on Saturday. All standard contractor grade materials are being used (Owens Corning, Oak Ridge shingles, color: brownstone or onyx black).

The problem is that my HOA demands they approve the roof in advance. I don't have nor can I find anywhere any HOA rules, or regulations or guidelines. (I purchased the house at a trustee sale and never signed any HOA agreement to the best of my recollection.) The HOA president is very hard to get in touch with. I started sending her emails last night and she has only just now responded. Her position that the HOA will need to approve the roof and she will get back to me when they do. So, there is no turnaround commitment. They could approve it or reject it tomorrow or a year from now. I have no way of knowing nor any commitment. The roofing colors and materials seem to be standard for the neighborhood based on observation.

What should I do? I was able to get a quick turnaround from the contractor based on my ability to move quickly. That's why he could fit me in in the next 3 days. Other contractors quoted 4 to 6 weeks or maybe expedited within as close as two weeks based on my emergency situation.

If I proceed without the HOA approval, what could they potentially do to me based on the situation? Could they fine me perpetually or force me to take off the roof? Or what? I know this might be in the bylaws but I can't get a copy of the bylaws.

Answer: You need to wait for approval. If you put a roof on without approval they could fine you to death. Answer #2: Reach out to all of the other board members tonight by email. Copy them all on the same email. Explain the emergency nature of the situation.  Request that they act quickly to avoid damage to your Home and possessions. Perhaps some of them will be sensible and push through an approval.


Title: [NM] I hit a cow on Christmas eve, insurance won't cover it. Can I seek compensation from cow owner.

Question:
I live in Santa Fe New Mexico, on Sunday the 24th at around 10pm, on my way home to spend time with family after five months a cow ran into the road and I wasn't able to stop in time or at all. Car suffered major damage and the cow was put down by police a few minutes after from how badly injured it was.
Insurance (State Farm) wont' cover it as I don't have collisions coverage.
The accident happened on a county road at night, the cow was out of the owner's fenced property and I'm not sure if that's legal or illegal and if it's possible to seek compensation from them.

TL;DR I hit a cow on my way home at night, insurance won't cover it, I wondered if owner can take responsibility, Christmas ruined :c.

Answer:
 Did the cow get a mooving violation?Answer #2: You can go after the owner as they have a duty to secure their livestock. Having said that, this incident would be comprehensive and not collision. Did they deny it under collision because that's all your policy has?  Answer #3: You can absolutely go after the owner for damages, but they *may* be able to countersue for the value of the cow as well. The question that needs to be answers is who's at fault.

I'm not familiar with New Mexico's livestock laws, but a number of states (especially larger, emptier states) are "free roam" states, meaning owners don't need to fence in livestock. There's also a question of *why* the cow was roaming. Additionally, there's the question whether you were driving responsibly. For example, if you were speeding, you would likely be considered at least partially at fault.

So the short answer is you can pursue damages, but there's no guarantee you'll win, and you could potentially have damages to pay yourself.


Title: Unionizing work place and sudden "Random drug tests". SK, Canada

Question:
I'll give a brief backround on what is going on.

We're unionizing our workplace and were going to win. We are a private ambulance company.

Sept 27. One whole shift was subject to a "random drug test". There have been no incidents that I am aware of that would have warranted just cause for this. We do have a alcohol and drug policy, and we are subject to random drug tests as a condotion of employment. That being said, i have talked to veteran employees who have been here for 15 years and have never heard of a drug test being performed. This is clearly not random and in my opinion a form of retaliation.

2 co-workers tested positive for THC in the urine. And were suspended for 5 buisness days. Yesterday a coworker was supposed to return to work. But was removed from the schedule without notification (he had to call in and ask why he was taken off, and they said theycare extending the suspension pending an investigation.)

He asked for a proposed date of return, and if they could outline what are of the policy they are referencing with this suspension as well as the nature of the investigation, and no reply was given. He recieved an email saying "as a result of your test you will be suspended pending an investigation."

Policy does say "an employee shall not have a presence of illicit drugs in body" and the supervisor is to "remove from duty any employee who has violated the policy"

In the displine policy suspension is considered Step 3. Steps 1 (counseling) and step 2 (a hearing) were skipped.

Also according to the displine policy a typical suspension is 2-4 days and may be extended in "extreme" cases.

In the drug and alcohol policy, the employer is supposed to refer them to substance abuse professionals and etc. Which they havent done and are pretty much giving him the cold shoulder.

Hes out quite a bit of money. He has a meeting with the general manager, Tuesday. (That he had to schedule)

Answer:
 If this is an intimidation tactic for the unionization drive, then you can take this to your province's labour relations board for a ruling.Answer #2: https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://saskatchewanhumanrights.ca/pub/documents/policies_guidelines/Drug%2520and%2520Alcohol%2520Testing%2520Guide%2520-%2520Final%2520Jan2011.pdf&ved=0ahUKEwjYpJfd0d7WAhUKy2MKHUXJC7gQFgglMAA&usg=AOvVaw3O1z3ELNQzIUvJl3YP_y6y

I found this as well. Its a PDF regarding human right and alcohol/drug testing in Saskatchewan.


Title: Possible Police misconduct in drug charge.

Question: During a routine traffic stop, a friends vehicle was searched without consent or given probable cause. Reason for traffic stop not given. However, contraband was found in the vehicle (marijuana+paraphernalia). Does the conduct of the officer affect the case, or is it irrelevant once evidence is found? Located in Southern Nevada.

Answer:
 > Does the conduct of the officer affect the case, or is it irrelevant once evidence is found?

The officer must articulate probable cause for the evidence to be admissible in court.  He doesn't need to explain that cause to her on the scene.


Title: Landlord won't replace carpet from summer sublets mess

Question: [deleted]

Answer: So you subletted the place to someone? If so, how is this the landlord's problem? You are the ones responsible for it. You could sue the people you leased the place to for the damages though.Answer #2: They were your subletters, so the damages are your responsibility. Did you collect a deposit from them?


Title: Potential false rape charge, seattle wa, i'm 25, she's 24

Question:
hey, i don't think anything will happen but this girl i have known for a week is really pissed at me for some dumb shit,

we had consensual sex, (no "no's" or "i think we should wait" or "it's to fast" just "yes, please, god fuck me master" ect, ect ect,)

i left the used condom at her house, and i have days and days of google chat logs, (almost all sexual) of things we want to do to each other, sex things we want to do,

she wants to fuck me and she invited me to her house, is the most important thing the google chat can prove

if she wants to get back at me cause she's pissed by filing rape charges, all she has evidence for is that we had sex, but the google chat logs is a HUGE amount of evidence for everything being fine and consensual.

QUESTION: if worst comes to worst, how am am i looking as far as the DA moving forward on it? or if worst really comes to worst, beating the rap?

you guys think the charges might stick?

Answer:
 It doesn't matter what the chat logs say from days prior.

She could have revoked consent after you started, and how she felt the week before will make no legal difference.

You need to consult with a lawyer in person about this.Answer #2: I am a Washington attorney, I'm not your attorney.  You are way overthinking this. From what you said it doesn't appear she's threatened to make such a false accusation. So this fear is based on speculation and reading too much on the Internet. So don't worry about it. It's actually very rare that a woman falsely reports rape. Probably the majority of rapes that actually occur aren't reported (which is terrible I might add).

That said if a girl, or anyone for that matter, gives you the vibe that they're this kind of crazy don't sleep with them in the first place.  Answer #3: Who knows? The chat logs sure could help, but they also might be irrelevant. Just because she wanted to have sex with you doesn't mean she didn't change her mind later. If you're contacted by the police, don't answer any questions until you hire a lawyer and are being advised by them.


Title: Is it normal to get rejected from a lease because of a 2 year old (<15 mph over limit) speeding ticket? I'm suspicious that I'm being rejected for racial reasons, although I don't think I have any way to prove that.

Question:
[South Carolina]

College student moving states for a summer internship.

Besides looking for another apartment for the summer, what are my rights here? Is there anything else that I can do to fight this?

Answer:
 No. And as a matter of practicality,  you don't want to live and have a landlord at a place you have to threaten legal action against to get into. It won't be pleasant.

Keep looking. Answer #2: If I was a landlord I would never discriminate against a prospective tenant because of race. And speeding tickets? Bah. I have too many of those myself. But a college age student over someone older and more stable? I'd pick the other person in a heartbeat. College kids are loud, crude and irresponsible. There are exceptions of course but I would suspect that bias over anything else.


Title: Is it illegal to purchase or possess a suicide bag? (this is a theoretical question, I have no intent of purchasing one at all)

Answer:
 What's a suicide bag?Answer #2: purchase? no.

selling?

... maybe.


Title: [OH] Demented old man trying to gain entrance to my apartment. Management does not care.

Question:
This just happened. I moved into an apartment complex on Saturday, two days ago, and while moving my parents and I ran into a seemingly demented old man. He was in the (communal) laundry room, asked three times if we were moving in and giggled to himself. I thought he was kinda creepy but brushed it off. Tonight, I got home from a neighborhood bar around 9:30. A few minutes after getting in and locking my door, I hear the doorknob rattling, like someone was trying to get in. I look through my peephole and it is the old man from the laundry room. He stood there trying the handle and leaning against the door. I grabbed my purse and ran into my bedroom and locked the door. When I came out ten minutes later, he was gone.

I called the emergency maintenance line for the apartment complex because my lease states that we are not to call the police without permission from management, as it is after quiet hours and lights and sirens would break the quiet hour rule. The emergency maintenance guy told me not to worry about it, that he was just old and confused.

Be that as it may, I still feel unsafe and very disturbed. Is there anything else I can do? Can I force management to do something? Or should I just lock my door, get a baseball bat in case, and call it a day?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You can absolutely call the police. Quiet hours be damned, management cannot forbid you from calling the police in an emergency. Someone trying to get inside your home through a locked door is an emergency, old and demented or not. Answer #2: 1. You call the cops.
2. Yes, you keep your doors locked all the time.
3. Bear mace or a baseball bat...whatever you're more comfortable with.

In general, your best bet is to not run away and hide in a bedroom and wait for the situation to reach you. Make noise, sound big, and tell them to fuck off. Answer #3: Is he a tenant? If not it's at least criminal trespass. Absolutely call the police next time, I would even go as  far as filing a report over this past instance. While there mention the don't call the police policy your landlord has in place


Title: Condo Neighbors cigarette smoke have rendered our basement useless. What can I do?

Question:
Hello,
Title pretty much sums it up.  I live in a condominium in New Hampshire.  We own.  A few months ago a unit across the hall from us got rented to new tenants.  Because the pipes run through the ceiling when he chain smokes in his basement the smoke and odor enter our unit.  I have a 2 year old and a wife with asthma.  This is our living room, and I can't in good conscience expose them to this anymore.  I tried to watch tv in it and the smoke was so bad my lungs and eyes burn.  Further more the entire house now smells like it's been smoke in.  I can ignore the loud music played at all hours of the night.  I can ignore the fist fights in the parking lot at 2 am.  I cannot ignore the health risk to my family.   It's a small condo and it's really the only place my child has to play in the winter.  I prefer to deal with issues face to face, but in this case I'm not comfortable approaching this guy as I've seen him have altercations with other neighbors when they've complained about the weed smoke and noise.  I ignore the weed because it's not all that often, and I even deal with the noise.  I know I can't call the cops for cigarette smoke, so what are my options?  thanks for reading this far.

Answer:
 >  I can ignore the loud music played at all hours of the night. I can ignore the fist fights in the parking lot at 2 am.

Approaching this about the smoking is not likely to get you far unless his lease states that he cannot smoke, or you have some municipal bylaws about exposing children to smoke.

So what I quoted is where you can get them. Noise complaints and police complaints will be much more effective to have them evicted. No landlord wants someone in their unit who has police coming by all the time, and in many jurisdictions noise complaints can add up to quite a bit of moneyAnswer #2: Does your condo association have a board? It seems like you need to bring this up to them and see if the situation is addressed in the bylaws.


Title: I have a disciplinary meeting with my supervisor in the morning

Question:
So yesterday I was scheduled to cover another workers shift which I agreed to a few weeks ago. I honestly forgot about it and didn't show up. My supervisor called me and I apologised. They're pretty angry about it though and want to make an example of me. They're hitting me with a "no call no show" write up.

During the meeting tomorrow I plan to record the entire conversation with my phone. I will own up to my mistake and say it won't happen again. After that I plan on answering all his questions with an "I don't recall" or some form of a 5th amendment response. For example they've recently been setting me up with "traps" by intentionally sabotaging my work to see if I catch it.

I work at a unionized job but I don't want to take the step of calling in representation because I'm new in the field and don't want to make a name for myself as a "trouble maker". I don't want any trouble, I just want to cover my ass and get on with my life and provide for my family.

So is there a problem with anything I'm planning on doing? Should I be doing something different or abstain for doing anything? Thanks in advance

Answer:
 1) Recording may or may not be legal depending on where you are. Legal or not there's a good chance you will be fired for it if they find out.

2) You have no "5th amendment" right in the workplace. You can be fired for not answering questions or if they think you are trying to dick around.

Really your only possible protection is the union, so you should talk to them.


Title: Images rights of sport players and celibrities.

Question:
We are launching a streetwear company and our first collection includes faces of well known soccer players. I would like to know if they can sue us if we use their faces without their authorization? If yes, if we use a cartoon version of their faces (like in those 2 links) will they be able to sue us since we can recognize ? Regards

https://www.reddit.com/r/warriors/comments/9099nl/a_drawing_i_did_of_kd/

https://www.reddit.com/r/warriors/comments/901bm6/got_this_in_the_mail_today/

Answer: Seriously?  No, you cannot legally use their image or their likeness for your commercial enterprise without consent or a license.


Title: Please help me

Question: as going to bed and took some NyQuil because i dint bother to measure out the dose, next thing i know i hit a light pole and the car was totaled, the car was uninsured and i am current with a suspended license from an oui, not sure what possessed me to go out for a drive when i know damn well i shouldn't drive and in my right mind i would of stayed home and dozed off, what should i do, the police said ill be summoned to court soon, my anxiety level is at a 11/10. please give me some feed back saying things like "you're fucked" or "holy shit" doesn't help in the slightest. currently all i have is a bad bruise in my right leg and some hearing los in my left ear. please help me reddit what should i do.

Answer:
 You need to get in touch with a close friend or your parents, immediately. Ask them to help you get an attorney to represent you. You should also look into getting counseling and an official diagnosis so that you can start working through your anxiety issues.

Also, [call up these guys](http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/). They're always happy to help.


Title: [Riverside, CA, USA] Mother has too many dogs.

Question: I fear my mother is hoarding animals. She has 7 dogs. As far as I'm aware county ordinance allows for a maximum of 4 dogs. They all used to be inside the two story (It's not a very large house.) I have told her for months to find them a better home. I want to say these dogs were borderline neglected. At one time the guest room was dedicated to 2 dogs because they kept fighting with each other. It was putrid in there. Then she moved them all outside into two 5x10 kennels. They aren't walked or played with. 2 in one of the kennels and 5 in the other. They now won't stop barking. I feel like that's worse. I've offered to find homes for them but she won't budge. I feel bad for these animals and I am willing to report her. What I want to know is what would happen if I did?

Answer:
 I don't know about your town, but where I've worked, it often meant that the owner of the animals would have to surrender them until she got to the allowed limit.

If they're not being properly cared for, they may want to take all of them.

If you think it's reportable, report it.


Title: (Germany) Bought 40"TV for 79€ due to typing error, company doesnt want to ship it.

Question:
I´m sorry if this is the wrong sub. If there is another sub more suited for my question i would appreciate it if you could direct me to it.

So on Saturday my friend sent me a link to this:

http://imgur.com/01oShrq

I immediatly bought one of those TVs for myself via prepayment. On their website it states that a conclusion of contract kicks in as soon as i get a confirmation of my payment. I got the email confirming just that.  But 2 days later they send out an email stating that they can´t send out TVs for this price.

Do i have the right to get the TV or can they just say they made a mistake and send back my prepayment without any article being shipped?

I would appreciate some advice on that, if there are further questions regarding my problem please feel free to ask them.
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: I don't know German law but generally if they can catch the mistake all they owe you back is your money promptly.


Title: Purchased a laptop, and split the cost between two cards, but one card was never charged

Question: I was redirected here from r/Advice. I made a purchase a couple months ago on a laptop, and split the cost roughly 50/50 between the two cards (max purchase reasons). I've been charged for a bit over 50% of my laptop, and even contacted the company a couple days later, and they assured me it would be charged, but two months later I still haven't been charged. How long do they have to charge me, and how likely am I to still be charged? (Am I better off just letting them know I haven't gotten charged yet, or am I just really lucky?)

Answer: They have a lot longer than two months to charge what you agreed to pay


Title: Drunk people keep crashing through our fence, police won’t help

Question:
A road running east and west dead ends into our property. We have a gate at the dead end, house is off to the side. There is a busy T intersection with a streetlight in front of our gate. The city did place reflective safety signs on our fence (right or left only)

Over the last couple of years there has been at least 7 incidents (always over night) when a drunk driver runs straight through the T, crashes through our fence and continues on to our yard. We have a couple of acres with a pond. A dude once ran his Jeep straight into our pond. This was years ago, and he did end up fixing the damage. After this guy, we have had to pay every time.

About 6 months ago a guy ran his truck through the fence, drove about 100 yards in and got stuck in the mud. We woke up the next day to a truck with no one around. He comes back later for the truck, the police are called. They did a report, the guy says sorry man “I wasn’t driving my truck. Someone else took it.” The police even found drug paraphernalia in the vehicle. After months of back and forth with insurance, we had to pay for the damage to be fixed.

So, a couple of day’s ago it happened again. We wake up, fence is crashed in the same area, car tracks left where they crashed through, then drove all over our property (scary) and left. THIS time, their license plate was left stuck to the fence! Jackpot right? The police come out as usual, make a report. They tell us today they can’t help.

We have dogs and the intersection is very busy. If they ever got out they would get hit in an instant. People/families walk on this street several times a day, heavy pedestrian traffic. Feeling frustrated and do not want anyone to get hurt. Not to mention the repairs are very costly. Any advice would be appreciated, and thanks for reading guys

Answer:
 I have a near identical situation at my business. I've had my gate crashed by drunks 3 or 4 times in the last few years, costs me $500-2000 each time to rebuild my gate and replace gate openers...

As others have said, sue the driver in small claims (I assume your damages are below small claims limits...) You'll need to pay to get their info based on vehicle registration... and you may still have to prove it was the registered owner who caused the damages... but it's a start.

Long term, reach out to your local (city/county) district representatives, commissioners, etc.  Also see if you can get a hold of your local and/or state traffic engineers.  They're the ones with the discretionary budgets and ability to assess and install guard rails, signage, speeds bumps, and such.  Police don't really play a role in civic planning.  You local mayor may also be a resource, at least their office can probably point you to the right department.


Title: [TEXAS] Ex-wife refuses to meet halfway to exchange children, it's in court order.

Question:
So, my question is that my ex-wife is refusing to meet me halfway to exchange our children, and I live three hours away. It is stated in our court order that we are to meet at the exact halfway point between our residences at 6pm on Friday, 1st, 3rd, and 5th weekends. If one party travels the entire distance, the other party pays half the travel costs. If one party is to travel the entire distance, it must be agreed upon by both parties beforehand.

So for instance, if I say I will travel the entire way, and she can just pay half my travel costs, and she says no, then we have to meet. Or if she says she will pay my travel costs and I can just drive the whole way, and I disagree, then we must meet halfway.

So my question is, can I legally do something about it if she's refusing to meet me halfway, forcing me to drive the entire way to get my children, and she's not paying for half of my travel costs? She literally tells me that I either drive the entire way, or I don't get to see them at all. When I ask her to reimburse me for the travel costs, she says no.

Anything I can do?

Answer:
 You document the times she's in violation of the court order, and notify your lawyer, who should notify the court that she's in violation (or you may be able to notify the court directly), who then may find her in contempt and take action against her for those violations.Answer #2: Sounds like she's in contempt of the court order.

Time to inform your lawyer. You guys may end up back in court.Answer #3: I'm confused.

What happens when you have the kids, drive halfway, and she doesn't show up?Answer #4: How are the children returned to her?Answer #5: (NAL) OP, if the ex refuses to meet you half way and won’t pay you for going all the way then continue documenting. Document EVERYTHING!  Keep those texts intact. I produced my phone as evidence of some terrible texts my ex sent so I couldn’t be accused of manipulating printouts(which I also had).  Consult with your lawyer and get a hearing. I’m not sure where you are in Texas, but the judge I had in Comanche county DID NOT put up with anyone violating court orders the least bit. You may need to suck it up and continue driving the whole distance without compensation in the meantime, but that’s all to your advantage. Every single trip make sure you have a recorded text conversation showing the ex’s refusal to meet halfway and hopefully texts refusing to pay. Texts saying “you’re not going to see your kids” isn’t going to fly well with a judge. You ARE NOT wasting anybody’s time and money over this. The ex is. They are you kids too and a parent should not use them to be an a-hole to the other.


Title: Grandma lost home and wealth during WWII. Is there anything she can do about this?

Question:
Like the title says my grandma lost her family home to the Russians during WWII. Her family also lost all of their wealth. I know war has many casulties and I am lucky she even survived (or I would not be here), but I was wondering if there are any options for her to recover anything. I figure there's probably not but wanted to ask anyways.

Edit: Grandma immigrated to the US and currently lives in LA.

Answer:
 there are some reparations funds for victims of the Nazis, but probably not for people displaced by Allied forces.

what country does she live in now and what country was her former home in?Answer #2: She might be interested in contacting the [Bund der Vertriebenen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation_of_Expellees), a German NGO that represents the interests of Germans in her situation.  It's extremely unlikely that she will receive any compensation, but they will be able to connect her with whatever resources do exist.  At the very least they could connect her with historical documents and other people from her home region.  Be aware that they are considered by some people to be somewhat right-wing revanchists.

http://www.bund-der-vertriebenen.de/ if you or she speak German.


Title: Surrogacy , divorce and custody? (Any country or state)

Question:
Who would the courts favour if a married couple decided to have a baby via surrogacy  using only one person's genetic material (the other part being anonymously donated) and then later divorced?

Would a court favor the person biologically related to the child or would the custody be split evenly because both people agreed to the process and put money / time into the child?

Answer: It’s very dependent on the country and state you are in. So it’s pointless trying to obscure that.


Title: Wife is afraid to file for divorce because husband gets unlimited free legal representation through his lawyer brother. Is that legal?

Question: I'm trying to keep this vague for identify protection purposes. A woman is in a marriage with a past history of domestic violence and spying (husband uses parental monitoring software on her, gps location, gaslights her about things), there are no police reports about domestic violence but there are about 5 unrelated witnesses from 5 different occasions. Wife has tried to leave before but was blackmailed into returning by husband's lawyer brother (lawyer brother would not contact Wife's representative and he warned her that she would be losing custody of her kids sooner or later because he would represent the husband for free as many times as necessary.) Wife got terrified she would never see her kids and returned to husband. Now she wants to leave again but is afraid she can't afford to keep coming back to court and since husband gets free legal stuff that puts her at a huge disadvantage. What should wife do?

Answer: "Don't take legal advice from your legal opponent."


Title: Marrying a best friend?

Question:
My buddy and I were joking around about getting married and we're curious about what sort of legal hoops and taxes would be involved.

Would they do some research to make sure two dudes are actually in love and serious?

For taxes, now we'd obviously have to claim a married status rather than single, how would that change things?
Would we get a tax break? Would filing separately still retain most of the same taxes that we currently would pay?

Thanks in advance

Answer:
 The marriage tax break isn’t really a thing unless one of you makes like 2x as much as the other.

No one at the courthouse cares how much you appear to be in love.


Title: Traveling to a cannabis legal state, repercussions back home?

Question: I currently attend graduate school in New York but am traveling to Alaska for a clinical. I haven't smoked in about a year and it's not that important to me but would I get into any trouble testing positive for marijuana with school back home if I was in Alaska? If it wasn't grad school I wouldn't be worried but...

Answer:
 If you test positive back in NY, you'd still be in trouble with whoever tests you. Probation, employer, whatever.

Hell, if you tested positive in AK you could still be fired. Also, it's only quasi-legal in Alaska, it's not like Colorado.


Title: What can I do legally? My father has made a sexual comment and tried to hold my hand and I'm 23!

Question: Is there any way I can sign the adoption papers he signed to adopt me when I was a young child to un-do it so he's not my father anymore? And what can I do about the sexual comment?

Answer:
 No.  You cannot legally remove your father as your father any more than a biological child could remove their parent(s).

You are an adult.  If you don't like what he says to you or how he treats you, tell him to stop.  If he continues, go low or no contact.

If the issue is that you are unable to do this because you are still financially dependent on him, start supporting yourself.


Title: Let's say I'm at an address by the president where several other people are present, when suddenly the president points at a guy and says "This is John Doe, He's a traitor kill him" assuming i'm not military nor police, what would the realistic consequences to me be if i killed John Doe?

Answer:
 You'd be charged and convicted of murder, in all likelihood. You're not answerable to the President, and you are not empowered by law to impose any punishments on traitors at all. Shooting someone on the basis of a presidential accusation is premeditated, illegal homicide.

Frankly, even if that took the form of an executive order that

* John Doe is a traitor, and
* the executive branch or the military is to hunt him down and kill him,

it would likely be unconstitutional, and an illegal order. It's structurally similar to, if not exactly, a bill of attainder, which the Constitution speaks to directly, and an order for the military to kill someone as a traitor is likely not a lawful order unless that person is under the UCMJ or is an enemy combatant, spy, or otherwise a willing participant in the conflict.


Title: My mom's neighbor changed the landscaping on her property. She's wondering what to do.

Question:
My mom is in her late 70s and lives in Naples, Florida. She came home to find her neighbor's landscaper completing work redoing the landscaping on her property between the two houses.

She confronted her neighbor who, in her words, said he was "making her property look better".

For reference, my mom employs her own landscaper to upkeep her property. Nothing there has ever been overgrown or unsightly in any way.

My mom is trying to figure out what she can or should do. In a broad sense, I don't think she was particularly harmed. There's no part of the previous landscaping she was hugely attached to and the new landscaping isn't apparently offensive. But the balls on this neighbor to change her property without asking or apologizing has got her pretty angry.

What might her options look like?

Answer:
 She can demand the neighbor put things back how they were. The balls on some people. Answer #2: Nal, but I'd say definitely serve the guy a tresspass notice, to include any "family, guests,and anyone employed by or related to "homeowner x" in any way", making it clear that no one, at any time, in any way, shape or form has the consent of "homeowner y" to step on their property or alter it in any way.

The guy wants "legal" ...well...have a legal "stay the heck on your side of the property line" notice.Answer #3: I hate to tell you, but good fences make good neighbors.

You need to establish property lines, and that will require a surveyor and a trip to city hall, records department.

You need to inspect if there are any easement laws, as well as local ordinances on lawn care.

Make sure that he's not looking to expand his property - it starts with them maintaining a small extra piece, then wiping the boundary, to putting a fence on your side of the property line.


Title: Dad being an asshole to my mom and I need advice, are there any advantages to filing divorce in a different county?[urgent].

Question: On my dad's bank statement I read that he filed for divorce in a different county than he and my mom reside in. He filed 4 weeks ago and my mom hasn't been served divorce paper still. Is he filing in another county so my mom won't have to be notified in person or mail? We are in new jersey.

Answer:
 No, your mother still has to be served.  Filing in the wrong county is probably grounds to get the case moved or dismissed/refiled.

She really needs to talk to a lawyer.  Some family lawyers do payment plans.  If she knows anyone divorced in the past few years, she should ask for referrals.


Title: I backed into another cars front bumper and no damage was visible, now after two months she has sent me a bill

Question: So I backed into a girl's car a bit over two months ago and I did the responsible thing and gave her my information. Following that she said her dad works at an auto body shop and they could get it done for cheap for around 200. I said that sounds great and as we were wanting to pay with cash I gave her an initial 50 on good faith. Then it gets shady, the price starts to fluctuate wildly so I requested the invoice from the shop. After 2 weeks of me requesting to see the invoice and her doing everything but giving me the invoice for work she lowered the price to 150 and then had her "dad" send me a message from her phone that was 3 pages long. Communication stopped after I firmly requested to see the invoice and now over two months later she sent me an invoice that is almost 1100 and looks to be from a different accident. Could I still be liable to pay here, should I stop responding as at this point it's turned to harassment? (Edit: this is in Kansas)(Edit: http://imgur.com/a/gCsxo invoice for parts for the hood even though it was her front right bumper)

Answer:
 Give her your insurance info and stop talking to her. This is literally why you have insurance. So you don't have to deal with people like this...Answer #2: "no damage was visible"  ...  "could get it done for cheap for around 200".

Get what done?

Your story makes it sound like you gave her $50 cash at the scene of the accident, and agreed to $200.  Yet, there was no visible damage?Answer #3: Yeah, I would stop responding.  It sounds like they are trying to get you to pay for more than you're responsible for.  What are they claiming is the damage you caused?  Did they have to replace the bumper?

She can sue you, in which case you should make an insurance claim.


Title: (South Carolina) I was punched in the face by an employee that had just been fired. Is there anything I should do or precautions I should take?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: I would go back to urgent care so that there is documentation of the injury. If your company refuses to submit an incident report then you should write up a brief summary of the events and send it to HR and your bosses or whoever. Answer #2: Send an email to your HR person outlining what happened. Keep a copy of the email.   In many states, getting assaulted while performing your job is covered as a workers' compensation claim.  Providing written notice to your employer of the incident will help if there are any complications from the assault.   If you have complications, call a SC workers' compensation attorney. Ask your employer to provide care if you need further medical care from the incident.


Title: PA. mom had a fire at siblings house, insurance company wants to sue her.

Question:
My mom was babysitting for my sibling, and my brother in law appearently left the stove burner on low. The way that stove was set up, if you bumped into it, it would turn on and be hard to notice that it was on. He's admitted he's done this many times.

My mom had to clean a tray for the baby, and the sink was full so she put it on top of the stove(not knowing it was on). It eventually caught fire, and being plastic was melting and dripping burning plastic. She didn't know what to do and threw it into the oven, hoping it would burn out. Maybe not the best idea, but she panics, and has been through a lot in her life.

She thought it went out, took the baby outside because of the smoke. Called me, I got there 15 minutes later, noticed it was getting really bad. I called the fire department, they put it out with minor damage to the kitchen. The oven and stove unit is destroyed. There's almost no damage to the rest of the kitchen, and a little bit of smoke damage. This is a duplex, and the fire department had to see if anyone was upstairs(the neighbors house, we don't have a key) and no one answered the door, so they broke the door down.

No one was hurt thankfully. The neighbor seemed okay with what happened, but wanted her door fixed. It was fixed, I believe by the landlord.

The landlord said his insurance has a $5000 deductible, and said he's not filing with his insurance. My sibling DOES have renters insurance, and has filed with them. The renters insurance did write a check for $2000 I believe, but in the process of that my sibling told my mom she HAD to talk to the insurance company.

I told my mom not to talk to them without first talking to an attorney, which we have a family friend who is an attorney, and he said it's not really a problem to tell them what happened. She did that. The insurance company found my mom 75% liable, and that they were going after her "homeowners insurance", she does not have homeowners, or any income, job, money or anything like that.

Our attorney friend said not to worry until she is served with a lawsuit. I agree with that, people talk and it might not mean anything.

The landlord also said he'd sue my sibling for the cost of the oven, and my brother in law doesn't want to "pay"(from the insurance money) for an oven that he cannot keep, but the landlord is out of an oven. The attorney said that this is a grey area. It sounds confusing. I am curous what you guys think of this:

1. The landlord is out of an oven, and I know that the law wants people to be made whole. So does my sibling have to "pay" for a new oven, and not get to keep it? I think that's the right thing to do, but not my decision, and this is more my curiosity as to what others think.

2. My mom does own a house, but no homeowners, income, or any assets really. What can even be taken? Would an insurance company actually sue someone for $2000? The attorney said it probably won't happen, it's so small no one would waste their time.

Thank you!

Answer:
 > So does my sibling have to "pay" for a new oven, and not get to keep it?

Yes, of course.  Why would he think he'd get to keep the oven that he replaced?  The landlord is out one oven, and it's your BIL/mother's fault.  He's due one oven.

If your brother ran into someone else's car and destroyed that, would he argue that he gets to keep the new car he buys that person?

As for the suit, we can't guess whether they'll come after your mother.  That's up to them.Answer #2: Why does one leave their stove burner on (and multiple times at that)?


Title: [CA - USA] Sweepstakes That is Impossible to Enter Without Making a Purchase

Question:
I was looking at the terms and conditions for a contest which I saw online and it said that with a purchase, that you could enter immediately. There was also an alternative method of entry which said that

"Requests must be postmarked and received no later than November 24, 2017. Each mail-in entry must be in a separate postmarked outer envelope. Each mail-in entry must specify one Vertical and cannot specify more than one Vertical. No facsimiles or mechanical reproductions of entries allowed. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, misdirected, mutilated, incomplete, or postage-due mail/entries. Submissions become property of Sponsor and will not be returned. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, misdirected, mutilated, incomplete, or postage-due mail/entries."

The contest was just released to the public today, the 23rd, and it is obviously impossible to send mail that will be both postmarked and received by the end of tomorrow.

I know that sweepstakes like these must be enterable without making a purchase, but I was wondering if this was legal, as it is functionally impossible to enter it without making a purchase. I tried to search for an answer on Google, but couldn't find one.

Answer:
 Wow, that’s slick and slippery.  I’ll bet they have some way to show it can be done.  “Fly to Guam (18 hrs ahead of CA time), mail it overnight delivery on the 24th (23d here).”

The LAX airport post office used to be open Sundays and holidays. Don’t know if that’s still true.

 Some private shippers like UPS and Fed Ex can use USPS for final delivery, don’t know if that gets you a postmark though.

If you find a solution soon, maybe we can get a few thousand people to enter.Answer #2: Report it to the [FTC](https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/), the [State Attorney General](https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer/california) and any other [Consumer protection officers](https://www.usa.gov/state-consumer/california) you think may be interested.

Keep your message/email short and to the point.

>Good Morning,

>I would like to report what I think is an illegal contest.  The [contest name] by [company] was set up in such a way you can only enter via purchase.  They announced the contest on Thanksgiving Day and allowed mail in entries post marked by the day after Thanksgiving. As I am sure you are aware, post offices are closed both of these days.  This means the only way to enter is via purchase.

>Please look into this.  [link to vendor's contest]


Title: Follow up to 2014 Thread that Went Sideways

Question:
https://redd.it/2b6a5t

The responses all, as in universally, indicated that what was sideways was my lack of understanding and insight. I actually avoided logging in to Reddit at all for over a year because I thought I might just keep embarrassing myself because I obviously failed to communicate in every way possible in a thread that was created because I was sincerely feeling powerless and concerned but did not convey this tone or any genuine transparency, at all, so I didn't seem stupid. And, that pretty much guaranteed my successfully establishing that I was not only hopelessly stupid, but histrionic, deceptive and totally without manners.

Definitely *not* the thread of contribution or an A game dialogue on my part. But, so what, right?
Why bother bringing it up?

I was asked to post the outcome. I wanted to do that, now. It may or may not be relevant, but, I wanted to at least add closure with the follow up.

In summary, I spent the next month or so reading and looking up everything I possibly could about employment law in California and about on-site employment, specifically. I spent up to 12 or more hours a day doing this and writing page after page of notes and draft letters and charts of what linked to what. By the time this was over, I was exhausted.
I walked away from that experience having a much greater appreciation of how ignorant I really was and what marginal success could come from cramming a bunch of information into the mind of someone who is not a lawyer. Being able to cite information from memory is pointless without having the context of applying it as only an attorney can.

I don't want to diminish the value of what I learned nor what the experience taught me, but, if someone were to ask my opinion if they should try to represent themselves in a similar circumstance as my case, I would emphatically urge them to either find an attorney willing to represent them or take the route of filing a claim with the state to pursue.

I believe this despite having my own outcome turn out favorably despite acting on my own behalf. I attribute my success to 1. luck; 2. the influence of the most excruciatingly tedious letter communicating intent I hope to ever write or think about, again; and 3. an exceptionally gracious and receptive attorney representing the employer. I was able to negotiate a settlement that I thought fair to everyone and did not have to settle for what the existing terms offered had been at the time my attorney dropped the case.

Had any of those three conditions been different, if I hadn't sacrificed my mental stability reading all those hours, for the next month about stuff that made my head swim, if I didn't have the sheer luck of literally stumbling onto a page that led me to read about a very obscure point of law that was my only point of leverage that I had persuasive enough to get agreement to settle quickly, I would still be waiting for a letter from the state or would have walked away with nothing at all or worse.

Takeaway from that experience:
1. Respect what attorney's tell you.
2. Know that as a non-attorney, you have almost no chance of a favorable outcome if not represented by someone who knows what they are doing--a lawyer.
3. Don't try to impress anyone or try to seem more capable than you are when in vulnerable position and needing to ask for help. It winds up poisoning the meaning of what you say and what your intent seems to be. Be transparent. Let them think you're a dumb ass. Maybe you are.

4. Don't be a smart ass online when you're talking to a lawyer. That's a fight you won't win and a hill you can expect to die a humiliating death. *figuratively, of course

Ok, that's it. TL;DR, I know. Hope you understand the benign intent.

Answer: To me, this post still comes across as humblebragging, but whatever, glad it worked out in the end.


Title: Losing my son

Question:
**PROBLEM OVERVIEW**
Currently, we both live in Nebraska. My son's mother is withholding our son from me for undefinable and/or unverifiable reasons. Her stated reasons are she is being told not to by agencies who could take our son from both of us, and not telling me the current agency advising this. She is making an effort to spread disinformation about the situation to me and others and not being discreet about it. Additionally she has made efforts to claim joint accounts and accounts in my name.

**PROBLEM DETAILS**
This all started because I made efforts to impart genital hygiene on my son. She called CPS on me for my actions, she told me she contacted them. I called CPS myself to make sure they have accurate contact information for me. I then contacted them each day to complain that they received a report of possible sexual misconduct and have done nothing about it, to which I have had 2 agents and one manager say that they are tired of me calling because the report was turned down at time of call. Yes, I know they are not suppose to tell me that.

She tells different stories to people in our lives. She told her family and a best friend of hers that she was in Hartford, VT, but tells others she is in Harland, IA, and tells me she is out of town, all the while she has never having left, as in currently lives in, Omaha, NE. Every attempt is made to understand from her what is going on and why, these conversations devolve into issues she has/had with our relationship.

Accounts she attempted to claim from me are fairly non-consequential. A joint email account with live.com, I paid for COPPA/CIPA, I own the account and was able to reacquire it. The only financial account that I am aware she has attempted and succeeded was Netflix; I contacted Netflix and verified that I have no financial responsibility for that account or any other account currently.

**ABOUT CHILD**
He is a wonderful 3 1/2 year old. Has a hearing deficiency, hearing aids required. Fairly obedient, has a tell when he is going to push the limits. Can deftly operate tablets and connect to WiFi, peruse the internet (can only access a white list of sites). Understands that tools make doing things easier. Has awesome problem solving skills from a young age. Slow in speech development.

**ABOUT MOTHER**
She is an interesting one. I was/am in love with her, even after all she has put me through. She has a medically documented mental instability, as well as a legally. She has a criminal history involving assault on an officer and drug use, Meth. An almost chronic desire to lie wherever/whenever possible, love blinds.

**ABOUT FATHER**
I like to think of myself as ordinary where it counts. I have no criminal history, aside from a few traffic violations. No medical issues. Top 5%, nationwide, of my class for my associates, and *attempting* to finish the one year left on my bachelors. I am unable to find work in my field, if I understood why I would fix it. I have contacted Creighton Law`and was turned down, I am in communications with Legal Aid of Nebraska but still pending review.

**KNOWN FALLOUT**
My son has been invited to several social gatherings with kids his own age. However the mother refuses to take our son to them, even with my promise to not attend.

**EVIDENCE**
Assuming no one wanted to come forward or intentionally omits knowledge the following is provable through subpoenas: 1) Facebook; intent to spread disinformation, 2) CPS; No report was opened and that it was turned down at time of call

Audio recordings. Nebraska is a one-party recording state, Neb. Rev. Stat § 86-290-1: 1) Recent Meth use and oral consumption, 2) Lying about CPS involvement

Even the parents have no problems admitting to her history of lying, but will not come forward unless asked to legally.

**ADVICE**
Be mindful in advice given, I am financially restricted.

Options to acquire legal representation?

How to file Pro Se?

How to handle not having my son around?

Anything pertinent to my situation?

Please, no private messages. I will update the master thread with answers to most questions below. I will respond as time allows and as this life event goes forward I will update this for those interested.

**ANSWERS**
Not married.

Nothing has been to or through the courts, As parents we have been quite amicable.

**Continuing Story**

2014Feb04 Legal Aid of Nebraska is offering limited assistance. I must enroll with [fathersforalifetime.org](http://www.fathersforalifetime.org/). A 10 USD cost for a class on how to be a good father, in return Legal Aid of Nebraska to allow me to attend a clinic on how to file this stuff Pro Se.

2014May14 Well, this is some months old. Things seem to be settling down. I have been seeing my son since mid March. I am still pursuing my legal options, right now it is being held by an agreement signed by us with a notary public, we each have a signed copy by the same notary publuc. It is not the most stable legal framework to go with, but it is well with in my costs.

2014Sep14 Well time is moving forward. It has been stable. I my financial situation has not improved. However, to get our son the best services educational and SNAP services we can for him my name had to be put down for his permanent address. Yay! for small victories.

Answer:
 Other people are more equipped to give you family law advice but can I just say, your narrative, f'n perfect. To the point, well laid out, tells us mostly what we need to know and leaves the fluff out. Wish all posts were like this....Answer #2: Other comments have pointed you in the right direction on custody, etc.

However, I can't really overlook this.  Your toddler son's mother has documented mental illness, has previously assaulted a cop, and is using meth.  She is telling you and other people all kinds of kooky stories about where she is and what is going on.  You haven't been able to see your son and she has not taken him to a number of parties where other adults would see him.

Yes I know you love her, but wake up and smell the coffee.  She has serious issues!  Now when exactly was the last time you or an adult you trust has actually seen your son?  Alive, healthy, fed and cared for?  There aren't any good reasons for a mentally ill meth user to hide a toddler.

Sure, parents fight, etc, etc, but mentally ill people also can rapidly become unstable, and meth users can rapidly become worse users.  You need to see your son asap and confirm his health and living conditions.  If that is impossible, then call the police and request they check on him.  Police do that all the time.  Just explain the mother is mentally ill, behaving erratically, and refuses to let you or other adults see your son.


Title: Stuff happening at my work

Question:
To give you the base, I'm 18 years old, White male. I am new to this job (almost 3 months). I've learned the basis of the job, however I still make mistakes/ask questions if I'm confused.

However, there's this one guy who bugs me. Not sure if it counts as harassment, however it's bugging me quite a bit. To start, he calls me names. 'Maggot', 'Lazy cunt', etc. His excuse for these names? "You're joining the army soon, you'll get used to being called maggot." "You sit around all shift, you lazy cunt." My job is really laid back, some days busy, some days not so much so all my work is done with ease, and quickly so I'm left with not much to do. My boss is fine with me sitting around when there's nothing to do. He also told me "You should just quit your job already, so I can do it" . I'm not sure if he means that I'm doing a crappy job, and I should just quit.

The thing is though, everyone thinks he's an asshole. However my boss is a really nice guy, and has been lenient on him. Another coworker of mine are thinking of talking to our boss about him soon.

Answer: You can talk to your boss, but your boss isn't obligated to do anything. This doesn't rise to the level of harassment.


Title: [US] Border Patrol was stopping every single car on the highway and searched my friends' car without consent, then gave them tickets for marijuana and paraphernalia.

Question:
Ok, so my friends were driving home from a fishing trip in NH and for some reason the Border Patrol was stopping every single car (they are all legal residence, born and raised in the US).  The Border Agents stopped my friend's car and had the dog immediately circle it, then claimed that the dog had signaled (of course) and ordered them to pull over and exit the car. Nobody asked if they could search the vehicle, but as soon as everyone was out of it the dog was in the car and sniffed around the whole thing a few times.  At that point one of the cops asked something along the lines of "Where's the dope?" and my friend admitted there was marijuana wax and retrieved it from the closed center console along with one of those electric pen things.  They ended up writing two tickets for "Acts Prohibited" requiring two of my friends to appear in court at a later date and, according to the cop, pay a minimum fine of $350.

Granted, I'm no law professional, but we all feel like their rights were violated during this whole interaction.  Any advice or insight into this sort of thing would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks /r/legaladvice!
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer:
 >dog had signaled (of course

Of course....because he had drugs in the car....Answer #2: >  but we all feel like their rights were violated during this whole interaction.

Can you elaborate? They don't need your permission to have a dog sniff around the car, and if it signaled than it's probable cause to search.

Answer #3: >  At that point one of the cops asked something along the lines of "Where's the dope?" and my friend admitted there was marijuana wax and retrieved it from the closed center console along with one of those electric pen things.

So, when the police couldn't actually locate the drugs they asked and the friend politely confessed to the crime and showed them the evidence?

Police ARE allowed to ask suspects to confess, and are allowed to write tickets in response to a confession. Doesn't seem like the search was even needed (although, if based on the dog alerting, the search was probably legal anyway).

Fortunately, the police chose to issue tickets for a few hundred dollars rather than charging everything possible. I suppose the officer was in a good mood because of the willing confession making their job easier.Answer #4: If you were within 50 miles of the border, then the stop was legit.

If the dog signaled, then the search was legit.


Title: Filed for unemployment. Former employer lied to the state and said I resigned. How to proceed? [WV]

Question:
To make a long story short my employer offered me a promotion and it was conditional with travelling. I turned down the promotion and elected to return to school as well as continue working, so I would be unable to travel. My former employer terminated me because they were upset with me no longer dedicating my outside time to the business. I filed for unemployed and my former employer produced a falsified letter of resignation, rendering me unable to collect any benefits. I will be going in to file an appeal.

I am just curious as to evidence or information I can offer than states that this is false? Is there sort of information I can gather to help prove my case?

Answer:
 IANAL but the general advice for this situation on here has been to appeal. Employers always contest and they generally win, you appeal and tell your side of the story and bring all the evidence and info you have.

If they have falsified evidence that sounds like a more serious issue then the common posts. If I was you I would appeal, call them on the false letter. If the state still find in favour of the employer, get a lawyer.Answer #2: Simply state the truth at your hearing. Challenge their allegation you resigned.


Title: Caught torrenting on university network. I would appreciate any advice on my situation.

Question:
Yes, I am an idiot, just to clear things up before I explain my situation.

Location: Chicago, Illinois, US

**The Situation**

- Went to building on campus to study (today, first day after spring break)

- Opened my laptop, worked on my school work for a good 45 min

- Received 3 emails from the school saying I was caught file sharing

- I told myself "There is no way", I checked my task bar and uTorrent was running unfortunately.

- Deleted my Downloads folder and uTorrent from my computer, school suggests I also reboot the operating system

- I was told by the school to take a quiz and attend a seminar for ethics.

- My computer and phone will not be able to access the school network until 2 weeks later and after I complete the quiz (which I did), delete all file sharing applications and associated files (which I did), and attend the seminar (which I plan on doing)

- No disciplinary action from the school, but I received forwarded emails of the copyright owner asking for a settlement (Rightscorp, BMG)

- I received 29 emails asking for a settlement of $20 for each of the 29 songs that were shared, so a total of $580. The form for each settlement asks for personal info.

- 11 of these 29 songs are from an album that I previously had a physical copy of. I know this may not matter because copyrighted material was being distributed from my computer.

- The school said that Rightscorp/BMG does not know my name or my address, just the IP.

**Actions I have Taken**

- Set up a meeting with student legal services

- Completed/plan on completing what the school asks for, no disciplinary action as a result

**The Problem**

Should I not pay the settlement if the copyrighters don't have my name and address?

How much trouble am I going to get into given my situation?

I am really worried. I'm about to graduate, I have a great job lined up, and I have a lot of student debt and a family to take care of. I made a stupid mistake. But I'm also on a very tight budget and I have no one to lean on financially. I'm not sure what to do.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 I'm going to say the exact same thing I did last time this question was asked and maybe it will change your perspective. The statute of limitations for a Federal copyright lawsuit is 3 years. Is it worth 53 cents a day for the next 3 years not to have to worry if you will get sued? (for A LOT more than $580)Answer #2: >Should I not pay the settlement if the copyrighters don't have my name and address?

The school already identified you as the culprit.  So that means the copyrighters can and will get that info of yours if they need to.

You could not pay, maybe nothing comes of it.  You could not pay, and get sued.  You could pay and that be the end of it.  Or, you could negotiate a lower settlement/payment plan.


Title: My boyfriend kicked me out of the apartment he now has all of my possessions

Question:
For some background information, I live in Ohio  and my boyfriend and I have been together for about 2 and a half years and living together for well over a year. I am not on the lease and I don’t pay rent, just contribute towards groceries and household things. I have offered to contribute towards rent but my boyfriend is extremely controlling and it’s important for him to have this to hold over my head. Though I am not on the lease, everyone in our lives including our family’s and his son (whom we have every other weekend) understand I live there. He has included me as a resident of the apartment when he filled out the census a few weeks ago.
On to my issues, last night he kicked me out for not doing something he asked me to. I should also mention he suffers from some diagnosed but untreated mental health issues. He now has all of my possessions and is refusing to answer my phone calls and I am terrified he is going to destroy and or withhold my things. He has damaged and destroyed my possessions in the past. The only thing I have is a pair or pajamas pants and a jacket, I don’t even have a pair of socks or underwear. I am a nurse and I don’t have access to my scrubs or anything else I need to work.
I have no idea where to get from here. I don’t want get the police involved, and don’t even know what my rights are in the situation. When backed in a corner he can be very manipulative and I suspect he will pretend he has nothing that belongs to me and that I don’t live there. Even after everything he has done to me, I still have an enormous amount of empathy for him and don’t want the situation to be anymore dramatic than it needs to be and don’t want to get him in trouble. I recognize I play a big role in this happening as I have been educated in the cycles  of control and abuse, and put myself in the situation anyway. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If you don’t want to call the cops who would allow you in to get your stuff and also it doesn’t matter that you are not on the lease you live there he has to give you notice to evict you. Call the police or buy new things.Answer #2: You are a legal tenant, even though you did not pay rent, and were entitled to a 30-day notice to vacate. Your recourse is to call the police and inform them that you have been illegally evicted. It will help if you have anything showing that as your address, such as mail addressed to you there or a driver's license. They will/should order your boyfriend to let you return to the apartment to at least get your possessions.

Legally, you can stay there until 30 days after he gives you written notice to vacate, but it may be more practical to take your stuff and leave if you have somewhere else to stay right now. You may also have legal recourse to sue him over costs you incur as a result of this illegal eviction.


Title: Recently bought house, neighbor came in and took the grill saying consent was given by previous owner

Question:
I recently bought a house , there was an unopened grill in the garage.the owner told us it is our house warming gift during the final walkthrough.  Today our neighbor comes in tells that the owner had asked her to pick the grill for a donation . Before we could confirm the neighbor took away the grill. What are our options.

I asked the previous owner and he told he had told that he did not accept to her request to collect the grill

Answer: Call the police and report the theft. Answer #2: Call the cops. Your neighbor stole your bbq.


Title: I want my mom to get sole custody of me.

Question:
sorry for any mistakes im on mobile.

im 14 right now, im ive just been informed from a parent of a family friend that my parents relationship has been going downhill for a while now, and that my mom is ready to call it quits, if she could sign divorce papers tomorrow, she would. they might be divorced by 2016, but they will definitely be divorced by 2017. dont ask if its going to get better, or if they can pull through, its bad. i have 3 siblings, a 16 year old brother, a 12 year old sister, and a 6 year old sister. i want my mother to have sole custody of me because my dad does not accept my sexuality and we dont fundamentally agree on many things, not limited to, religion, politics, and whether or not my mother should be allowed to go back to school or not. i know i want my mothers full custody, and i know my sister does as well. please offer any help if you can, it is greatly appreciated. if it is any help, i live in michigan.

thank you for any help that you can offer.

Answer: depending on your age at the time, the court may take your views into account. remember, physical custody is not legal custody, and unless your mom has full legal custody, your father will have a right to influence your upbringing. it is very unlikely to stop this form of custody baring circumstances you don't even get near.


Title: [PA] Is it legal to scam overseas scammers?

Question:
My grandmother recently fell victim to one of those fake tech support pop up scams on the internet in which people overseas, usually India, will put adverts on the internet convincing people to call a number where they charge money for bogus tech support.

I wasn’t too happy about this, so I did some research to find out how these folks operate. I came across a Facebook group for people who run these scams where they can exchange data sets of names and phone numbers of people to call, as well as JavaScript code for setting up ads to host on websites and whatnot. So here’s what I did.

I created a fake Indian Facebook profile to join one of these groups. They let me in. I managed to get myself added to a WhatsApp group for scammers as well. Then I decided to take advantage some of these people. I create an excel file with a list of randomly generated names and phone numbers that I took from a website that sells unused phone numbers for people to use, and I advertised that I had names and numbers for sale. I had 5 different people take the bait and I managed to make $200 off of these people that I had them wire to a fake PayPal account I set up, which I then wired to my legit PayPal account. I then deleted my profile and my WhatsApp account and never looked back.

Even though these people are criminals and overseas, could I still get in trouble for doing this?
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 Yes.

"But theeeeeeeeey do it tooooooo" is something a whiny three year old says when they get caught.  It is a poor legal defense in court.


Title: Illegal for landlord to deny access/change locks to apartment after accepting rent?

Question:
So on the last day of November I spoke to my landlord and told him that I had to move out due to the unbearable living conditions he helped create (he instigated our upstairs neighbour into disturbing the peace and intentionally making noise in response to my roommate and I enjoying television or music until 11 PM then lowering our volume afterwards in accordance with our local bylaw). I was told by the police that the 7 AM to 11 window was for electronic noise and any noise created simply to annoy or wake up neighbours was unacceptable and against the law 24/7. They said they would send an officer by the first time I couldn't take it anymore, but may have been too busy that day as no one showed. After speaking to my landlord he allowed me to break out of my lease early in exchange for not only cashing my rent cheque for December but holding onto my last month payment to be used for January. Since I gave up and started sleeping at my parents I did not need to call the police a second time to have my neighbours charged with disturbing the peace.

I figured this meant that I would have until the end of January to move my stuff. I decided to wait until then or sooner, depending on when I could find another apartment, and live with my parents in the meantime. I have a place lined up that I can move into for January 16th if all goes well and I get a good feeling about my potential roommate who is subletting her spare room.

Today I stopped by the apartment (I have been stopping by once a week to check on my things as my roommate turned out to be super sketchy and I don't trust him) the lock was changed without telling me about it whatsoever. According to my roommate he and the landlord feel that since I broke the lease I no longer have the right to access my apartment, or sleep there if for example I got in a fight with my parents and had no where else to go. I'm pretty sure that they cannot take my money for rent and kick me out of the apartment (and hold onto my belongings that I didn't need right away) and change the locks without giving me a new copy of the key.

I live in Ontario and we have strict laws and a Landloard and Tenant Board that deals with matters such as these. Would I be able to perhaps have a court order for my January rent to be returned to me since I am being denied access to an apartment I have paid for until the end of the month? If it helps my case at all another issue is that my roommate has refused to pay for any bills as far back as november, yet bragged about having enough money to pay for them despite initially lying and said he had no money (and then living extravagantly/uneconomically, eating fast food almost everyday instead of buying groceries). If anything I should have access and the roommate denied until he pays the last two months of bills which I had to pay in full. He arbitrarily picked the day I pick up the last of my stuff as the day he would pay for his half of the bills.

*tl;dr: landlord took rent money for January but changed the locks without informing me, I regularily check on my stuff once a week until I need to move it out/find a new permanent apartment. Today I went to check on my stuff as its been about a week, and the locks were changed without my knowledge. I haven't been delivered an eviction notice. Wouldn't they have to give me access to my apartment? Or serve an eviction notice and tell me to pick up the last of my stuff, even then they would have to return the rent for January?*

Answer: Well this is odd. I was just thumbing through the Residential Tenancies Act yesterday. No, he can't lock you out if you're paid up on rent through to your agreed upon lease termination. He has to give you a key. This is actionable by the board of he fails to do so. I recommend going that route. I bet he knows it's illegal, but is hoping you don't. Which likely means he's violated the RTA before, and probably will again.


Title: How the hell do sleazy motels stay open?

Question:
How is it that motels manage to stay open when they clearly are not following any health codes/safety regulations to any degree? Motels can and do keep their doors open with blood, urine, feces, AND semen from floor to ceiling, drugs and needles left in rooms and not removed by staff, unwashed showers, toilets and beds, and all SORTS of infestations.

Are motels not held up to the same standards as other establishments? Are they liable for any damage to oneself or their property as a result of their poorly run motel? You'd think there'd be no way a motel like the Royal Inn in Maryland could ever stay open, but it didn't get shut down until 2017. How do motels manage to evade condemnation so well?

Answer: I can’t speak for the legality of how those places operate because it varies widely by jurisdiction. However, as a general rule, the way they make their money is basically by profiting off of lowlife people who want to rent a hotel room no questions asked, and do whatever the hell they want inside of it. You’d be surprised how much people will pay in order to feel as if they are off the grid, and doing something in a place where no one can bother them.


Title: I work in sales and my manager said that firing me at the end of this year will be the last thing that he does in the company before he leaves for another job.

Question: I'm on a fifteen hour contract but have been working six day weeks as we're understaffed with just four of us, we have a part-timer on our 'team' who's on a 22-26 hour contract, they used to be manager until it proved too stressful. The manager has stated that if I don't beat the part-timer, who's more experienced, then he's going to fire me. No ifs, no buts. He's currently ten pounds behind me in sales and I'm not back at work until the 28th. I've been with the company for over a year, and they are aware that I'm autistic and suffer from manic depression. Like, actually suicidal. Every day is a miracle in itself that I'm still here. What can I do about this threat? Should I be taking this higher up? The job is stressful, it's seriously affecting my mental health and I know I probably shouldn't be working in retail in the first place what with my preexisting condition.

Answer:
 In the UK if you've been working for a company for less than 2 years you can have your contract terminated for *almost* any reason they like, as long as its not discriminatory. They can sack you for underperformance, they can't sack you for having mental health issues.

What I mean is, if they turn round and say "We're not happy with your performance, laters dickhead" then you're out of luck. If they turn around and say "We don't want someone with autism working in the company" then that's unfair dismissal. So basically unless your employer is incredibly stupid then there's not a lot you can do.

My advice is look for a new job where you can excel using your strengths rather than panic about your weaknesses. You're probably a very intelligent useful person, just in the wrong line of work. I hope it all works out for you! Answer #2: I feel like there was a lot of important info left out of this post, and a lot of needless info thrown in... So it's hard to say. Did he state he was going to fire you for any specific reason? Or is he just going to do it because he doesn't like you and wants to make you miserable before he leaves the company? Have you discussed this with his superiors or human resources? This would generally be considered a big deal. For one, you have a manager threatening to fire people just because he wants to for no reason. Causing a toxic work environment. And secondly, he's stating that he plans to leave before the end of the year and your department is already understaffed.


Title: My SO was told she could not be hired anywhere else in the district if she didn't take the first offer that was given to her.

Question:
So my wife just graduated college with a teaching degree from the University of Texas and unfortunately we've run into an issue. I have accepted a job in our hometown and she has been applying to jobs within the school district.

She went to the job fair and many schools were impressed with her resume. One school caught her attention and this school was really interested in hiring her.

Today, she got a call from another school that offered her a job in bilingual education....she isn't bilingual. This school informed her that if she declined the recommendation, they would hold her application and NO other schools would be able to view or hire her for an entire year. The school stated that she would have to take a Spanish bilingual exam by next April but she does not think she can learn Spanish in a year. She doesn't want to teach at a place that she can't even understand her kids. They said that they offered her the position because she took Spanish in college.

Again the school stated that no other schools can hire her at this time since they recommended her first. Also if she declines she cannot work for the district for an entire year, but is that fair or legal?

Please give us advice on what we can do.

Answer: Fair does not equal legal. What law do you think the school district has violated here?