Title: [IL] At 17 I committed a felony involving marijuana, and now at 23 I can't get an internship or job. What steps to take?

Question:
**Background:**
This summer I got an internship with a great bank in downtown Chicago. I talked to my lawyer prior to applying to jobs, and he reiterated over and over that there would be no issue involving my case from 2011. However, I was called by the HR department a week before the internship was supposed to start, and was asked about my arrest in 2011. I was then required to send a police report, court disposition, and personal statement to HR.

**What Happened:**
I was pulled over with 4 ounces of weed in the car. When the officer asked what the smell was, I tried to play it off as if I had just smoked. While at the station, I was told by the officers if I took the urine test I could go home that night since I was cooperative. Little did I know, this was going to be used to charge me with a DUI. Since marijuana is illegal, any amount in your system and you can be charged with a DUI.

**Charges:**
Count 1: Manufacture/Delivery of Cannabis; Sentenced to Section 10 First Offender Cannabis Probation for a term of 24 months
Count 2: Driving under the Influence; Received 24-four months reporting court supervision
Counts 3/4: Driving under the Influence and Speeding were both dismissed.

**Aftermath:**
I complied with all the terms of Section 10 Probation and on January 2, 2014 my probation was satisfactorily terminated, the conviction was vacated and the case was closed.
I complied with all the terms of supervision and on January 2, 2014 my supervision was satisfactorily terminated and the case closed.

**Now:**
I go to college in Chicago, major in finance, and have a 3.9GPA. I’ve worked the same job all through school. Obviously this job didn’t do as much of an in-depth background check as the bank this summer. I’m now in my last year of school without an internship in the financial sector, and most likely won’t be able to get a job once I graduate. Again, my last court date was January 2, 2014 and these charges cannot be expunged for 5 years (2019).

**Help:**
Is there anything I can do? Anyway to expunge earlier based on “good behavior” or something along those lines? Without an internship it’s already going to be difficult enough trying to find a job. Any insight going forward would be greatly appreciated.

*Edit:* I was not convicted.

Answer:
 You can reach out to a lawyer and see if you qualify for an expungement.

It sucks, but this is one of the long-reaching effects of having a criminal record.Answer #2: a lot of FDIC places have access to the FBI background checks that will still show stuff expunged by a state. Might want to consult with a lawyer and see if an expungement is even going to help you in the finance field. Next to national security jobs that require a clearance the finance field is probably the next most strict on backgrounds.Answer #3: If it's 5 years with no exception for any less then it's 5 years.  Answer #4: Slightly off-topic question - if OP has the charges expunged, does he still have to answer "Yes" on a job application that asks if he's ever been convicted of a felony? Because if so, it makes the expungment practically useless.


Title: (WA) Sued For Inappropriate Question?

Question:
I'm a manager at a hotel chain in WA state. We had an incident a few days ago where someone at a closed event we were hosting snuck into the ladies restroom. They stuck their phone under an occupied stall and took a photo.

One of my staff members alerted me to the incident. The staff member who was told about the incident pointed out a man who had come out of the men's restroom a few minutes after this happened. This is where we get to mg dilemna. I went to talk to him and simply asked if he had accidentally gone into the wrong restroom. He said no and I tried to leave it at this. His wife approached and asked why I had asked him. I did lie and say it was due to someone entering the women's restroom on accident and basically left it at that. At the time they seemed confused but not angry.

About fifteen minutes later they approached me as I was making my rounds. The wife said I made her husband feel very uncomfortable and she was upset I accused him of entering the wrong restroom and she felt if was inappropriate of me. I apologized and explained the real reason I had approached them,  and stated I wasn't trying to and had never accused him of entering the women's restroom, I was just looking out for another guest from their party. She was shocked and said she just felt it wasn't right for me to approach it like that, and I apologized profusely. I apologized to him directly and he said it was water under the bridge. I asked if there was anything I could do to make it up to them and they said no.

About twenty minutes later my general manager called me into the office. The couple had gone to their rooms and called demanding to speak to him. They said I  embarrassed them and accused him of doing this horrific thing and they couldn't show their faces at the event anymore and had to leave. They said they are going to sue me and sue the hotel for the way we handled things. My general manager offered to fire me as a way to appease the guests and sent me home halfway through my shift.

My question is this: can the guests sue me or the hotel for this? Is this reasonable ground to fire me? What actions do I need to take to protect myself? I had the weekend off but now I'm worried about going back to work, especially since I haven't heard from my GM since. I know I handled things poorly but my first thought was trying to help the victim. How fucked am I?

Answer:
 Non-legal advice: cross-post this to [/r/talesfromthefrontdesk](https://np.reddit.com/r/talesfromthefrontdesk), the subreddit for hotel staff. They may be able to give you some talking points for your GM, or at least some commiseration and similar stories.Answer #2: Legal. And they're likely blowing smoke about a suit.

Are you fired, or merely sent home?Answer #3: The manager and the OP are not smart.
Go check the security tapes and see if that was the guy who went into the women's rest room.
Going around asking people is pointless as no one will admit to that.

If there are no cameras then the manager is really not smart.

The OP should show up to work at their normal shift until told they are fired.  Answer #4: WA atty here.

Did you ask the man about entering the wrong bathroom while others were around? Did anyone overhear the conversation?

Is your place of business a privately owned franchise or a corporate-owned hotel?

Any security cameras in the hallway leading to the bathrooms?Answer #5: You shouldn't really worry about a lawsuit, at worst you acted unprofessionally.

You could be fired, and there's not much you can do about that, other than try to explain the situation to your boss.Answer #6: You can't be sued. Well, technically you could be sued but they wouldn't win it because there wasn't even a crime or tort that took place.

Legally you could be fired for any reason, however.


Title: Can I chargeback this transaction?

Question:
Hi all,

I'll be quick and to the point about this post

* Went through a nasty break up with my GF of almost 6 years who was cheating on me.
* I was paying for a subscription box service for her which was registered to her using her email and my payment information.
* Breakup was rough and small details like subscription boxes slipped through the cracks and I got charged for another 6 months.
* If she refuses to refund me for the money or contact the subscription box company to get the refund can I chargeback that transaction with my credit union as it is not a transaction that I would have allowed?

I've never had to dispute a transaction so I don't know what i am or am not allowed to do. Any and all advice would be helpful. I live in California if that matters at all

Answer:
 No. You approved it at one time and failed to cancel it. That's not the subscription boxes fault or the banks fault.

You can attempt to sue your ex in small claims court.


Title: 17 years old and received a misdemeanor last night? HELP

Question:
I live in California, and around where I live if you are under 18 you can’t be out past curfew. My friends and I were approached by police officers last night and questioned for an hour (we were doing NOTHING illegal). I told them I was 18 (I’m 17, 18 in two weeks) so I could avoid getting in trouble for being out past curfew as they call your parents and make them come pick you up. The police ended up doing sobriety tests on everyone (which were all negative) and decided to be assholes and run everyone’s names through the system. They saw my real age and I received a misdemeanor for “falsely identifying myself to a police officer”. I have a court date on August 23, is there anyway I can get out of this? Will this be on my record? What will happen?? Help me please!!
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: That's obstruction of justice. You need an attorney. Yes this will be on your record if convicted and you could go to jail for 6 months. A more likely outcome is fines and probation. There may be a first time offender program that will keep this off your record. Your lawyer can advise you on that.


Title: [Chicago Suburbs] Is this a red light camera?

Question:
Stupid question, I'm sure. But as I panicked at stopping for a yellow light, I decided to continue driving. There was a flash, but there were no signs in the surrounding area saying that there was a red light camera. Below are pictures of what flashed. Should I be worried?

http://imgur.com/a/7L3Kr

http://imgur.com/a/xFBLB

Thanks!

Answer:
 Welcome to Elgin.

Looks like you found a speed camera. Answer #2: Yep.


Title: [CA] My landlord is forcing me to either be evicted or leave early without my security deposit over fees for having guests over. He is also keeping cameras in the house. None of this is in the lease

Question:
Three months ago, I rented out a room to live with 2 other housemates. The landlord lives with us as well, but he is only home on the weekends. About a month or two of living in the apartment, he noticed that I had a friend stay the night and told me overnight guests were not allowed unless we pay a fee-$50 per night per person. I was shocked because there was nothing written about overnight guests in the lease agreement-the only rules written were no pets and we must pay for any damages done to the house. My landlord is a cop, so I was intimidated and agreed.

Fast forward one month later, I had brought four friends overnight without telling him and he caught me(I know this is was foolish of me and is my fault.) He was able to catch me because he installed security cameras in the kitchen, living room, and garage. My housemate felt uncomfortable about the cameras and asked the landlords parents about it when we moved in, and they said the cameras were not even on(I don’t have proof since the parents told him through word of mouth). He texted me various things my friends were doing in the living room such as laying on the couch, opening cabinets, and leaning on the pool table-proving that he does use the security camera. Also, I believe he checks the cameras frequently. He would text me things such as to turn off the kitchen lights after I used it when I was in my room. He would have no idea of knowing it was me unless he checked the security cameras. Having something like this is very uncomfortable, and I wanted to know the legality behind it.

He told me to pay $200 for overnight guests. I understand having an overnight guest may not be wanted but $50 per person seems unfair and unreasonable. I did some research online and it said a landlord is unable to enforce house rules not included on the lease/rental application or agreement. I debated with him and he told me that he will begin the eviction process. I had the option of either being excited or breaking my contract and losing my security deposit. At this point, I do not want to live in the house anymore. I want to know if he is able to have cameras and charge me $200 even though nothing of the sort is written in the lease.

 TD;LR: My landlord is trying to charge me [$200](https://www.facebook.com/messages/t/williamyates0#) for having overnight guests. He is a cop who also keeps cameras in the main living areas. None of this was detailed in the lease. He is threatening to either evict me or have me leave without paying my deposit if I do not pay him the [$200](https://www.facebook.com/messages/t/williamyates0#). What should I do?

Answer: You should take pictures of the cameras showing what rooms they're in and where they point because that makes a difference as far how legal it is. Common areas may be legal but bedrooms and bathrooms not so much. Any rooms you don't see cameras visible you should check for hidden ones. There's ways to check but you'll need to Google that or something because i can't recall. Bring pictures and printed out texts (especially any proving he's watching the cameras)and your lease to a lawyer. Ask them what you can do from here. Make sure you keep multiple copies of all proof where your landlord can't get at them and make them disappear. You'll want to be extra careful going up against a cop and have as much proof as possible. He's being super shady. If you are given eviction paperwork make sure to not ignore it.


Title: A friend might be getting sued for criminal conversation and alienation of affection. She is innocent. Help.

Question:
I'll keep the backstory short.  A friend of mine hosts AirBnB in TN. She befriended a gentleman 40ish years older than her, and their friendship continued after he found a place to stay in the city. She sees him as a father figure.  There has been no affection other than that level of friendship.  No affair.

He has a wife who lives in NC.  They've had marital problems already.  She accused them of having an affair.  My friend let the wife read through all of their text conversations.  She worst she's ever said are things like "I had fun!" and "You're the best".  Friend severed ties with older gentleman as to not be an issue in their marriage.

Today she receives the below letter.  Their entire friendship resided in TN.  What does she need to do?  What should she do?  She's scared and upset.

https://imgur.com/a/7fNqnuD.jpg

Answer: That does not look anything like an official legal letter. Google the lawyer's contact information and call then to confirm the authenticity of the letter. Don't call any phone number on the letter. Google them. I'm sure the lawyer would be interested in knowing if someone is falsely using their name.


Title: Something stolen out of my luggage.. [Canada]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Did you check the bag?  If so, the airline very likely has a procedure for reporting missing items, start there.  If not, there's nothing you can do.


Title: Underage Prostitution

Question:
Ok,please hear me out, and hold off judgment until the end.

I had sex with a prostitute, twice. On the second time, she admitted that she was both underage, and essentially being held against her will by the woman driving her around.

How the fuck do I report this without getting myself into a prison cell?

Also, I'd like to receive some sort of award,call me a piece of shit, but I'm serious. Crimestoppers offers awards,correct?

I'm in North Carolina

Answer: Is this a serious question(s)? The fact that you expect/want a reward makes it seem like you're a troll.Answer #2: You can report it anonymously. You're not going to get a reward.


Title: Bought a car, just got a call from the sales manager stating that something was entered into the system wrong and the interest rate on my signed contract is wrong. 4.24 to 4.3X. What should I do?

Question: See title. I’m in New Jersey. The sales manager also told me the dealership is closing in a few weeks and that the bank stated that the contract is “void”. It’s a fully executed sales contract signed by everyone who needs to sign. He said there is no room for negotiation on the price either. I figured if they want me to sign a new contract I can get a new price too. No such luck. He offered to take the car back and give me my trade back. I don’t want it back I like what I bought. Sorry for the rambling this happened like an hour ago.

Answer:
 In most new car purchases there is a finance contingency where the deal is conditional on the bank's acceptance of the loan.

If that's true here, you have a decision to make between accepting the change, finding your own financing, or returning the car.


Title: Does tapping “No Anime” pictures onto a locker (mine) count as vandalism?

Question:
^ Title
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: The locker is not yours, it is the school's. If they don't want you to decorate the outside, it is still the school's property.


Title: Jury Summons, currently living 1800 miles away

Question:
Follow up on a previous post (not sure how to link it; but it's my only other post).

I live 1800 miles from home, mom received letter with my jury summons. Called the court's jury number, they said to have my mom mail the document to me, have me fill it out and write a letter explaining my situation and mail it back. I received the form today (thanks USPS for the 10 day shipment time) and see no option to state that I am temporarily living out of state and won't be moving back until winter.

What should I do? This court is located in California if that is of any help.

I think I may be forced to revoke residency even though I'm only away temporarily, I don't see any other options. If I revoke my residency, does that mean I must declare residency where I am living even though I will be moving before the end of the year?

Answer: Call again. Tell them you don't know which box to check and what to do. They will tell you the steps. This is not an unusual situation. Answer #2: Often you can get the jury summons either dismissed or postponed due to your situation but I would suggest postponement. You could ask the clerk of the court about a postponement due to your temporary residence. It is unlikely you would have to be forced to revoke residency unless you are trying to get the summons dismissed entirely. I know LA allows you to do this via phone or online where anything past 90 days postponement needs to be done by phone. It probably wont be much different anywhere else in California. Postponement is often far easier to get than anything else.


Title: My wife dropped her watch off for an estimate at a mall booth and they refuse to give her the watch back!

Question: We live in Philadelphia, PA and my wife dropped off a broken watch at one of those mall booths for an estimate. After a couple of weeks they said it was still awaiting the estimate and over a month later when she asked for it back they said it is still out for an estimate and now in new York city so they can't get it back until the estimate is done. What are our actions we can proceed with to be sure she gets her watch back asap as it is very expensive and she wants to take to a different company now for an estimate?

Answer:
 Call the police.

Alternatively, sue them.Answer #2: I'd contact the management of the mall, they will have an office that oversees the businesses in their mall.Answer #3: Heh, this reminds me of [a bailment case](http://casebrief.me/casebriefs/punch-v-savoy-jewellers-ltd-note-incomplete-in-progress/) I read back in 1L Contracts.


Title: (PA) My job is trying to bully us into staying and working more hours.

Question: So the national car wash chain I work at was sued for holding an employee at a different site past their leave time on the schedule. Now they've switched the schedule to have NO leave times. So now the employees can't turn to it in their defense, and you're damned either way. I think they're going to start power tripping soon. If you leave when the old schedule said with out permission, then you've technically walked out. If you want your job.... then you're stuck till they say you can leave. Is there anything we can do?

Answer: As long as they pay you for all the time you work, including overtime, then likely not.


Title: Rats in my apartment- withholding rent and just got a five day notice for payment.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 IANAL, but an acquaintance went through a similar experience in WA. I am not sure if it would differ in your state.
By withholding rent, YOU are violating the lease, regardless of circumstances. Even if you contested the eviction with evidence of an obviously horrible infestation and a judge was sympathetic, nonpayment is a big no no and you will no doubt be evicted. My sisters rental history is ruined because she didn't listen to my Dad and insisted she shouldn't have to pay.
I believe you would have to pursue restitution in court via lawsuit, which can take quite some time. I don't know enough about landlord tenant laws to supply any other advice.


Title: is it possible for a baby to commit a crime?

Question: Ok I can already see the number of angry comment and dislike, I am just asking if it is technically possible for a baby to commit a crime. I know you can't convicted anyone under a certain age I just want to know if it's possible for a baby to commit a crime under any situation? if so what crime could they commit ?

Answer:
 No. The defense of infancy exists exactly to prevent stupid things like this and there really are no jurisdictions where children under the age of 7 can be held criminally liable and most nations have higher ages.

There is a wiki page all about it at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_criminal_responsibility


Title: Are this guy's Stranger Things-'inspired' prints really legal to sell? (He offers them on shirts, book covers, anything you can name.)

Question:
Saw this on the front page of r/ST, but I really don't get how this isn't breaking copyright laws. https://i.redd.it/jqjk5pqtbkwz.jpg He has other similar products all over his redbubble shop, like for instance a picture of Lana Del Rey but in 'horror' style. https://www.redbubble.com/people/butcherbilly/works/27842508-born?c=683411-stranger-love-songs

Is this really legal to sell? He's not infringing on anyone's copyright? Meanwhile, I can't even cover a song with my acoustic guitar and changed lyrics on YouTube without it getting stuck by copyright.

Location: USA.

Answer:
 There are some obvious trademark issues with using the series' name and logotype, and the episode titles. Similarly, using the Ghostbusters logo, the Mind Flayer illustration taken more or less line-for-line from a frame of the series, and the Arcade lighting panel may have some intellectual property issues.

The quotes are more grey area.

The underlying artwork is probably fine other than those issues.


Title: Someone is stealing packages off my doorstep

Question:
I ordered a pair of headphones off amazon a few months ago. While I was at work I got the notification that they were delivered along with a picture of the package on my doorstep. When I got home 2 hours later it wasn’t there. I considered this a random event and cut my losses. Fast forward to Monday, April 29th, same situation. Got the notification and picture of the package on my doorstep while at work. When I got home it was gone again. This has me thinking these occurrences aren’t random and it might be one of my neighbors. I got refunds from amazon both times so it isn’t a huge deal, but it’s frustrating that I can’t feel good about having things shipped to my house. My initial reaction was to set a bait package and try to catch the person on video, but I don’t know how successful that would be. Also I wouldn’t know what to do with the video if i got it. The advice I am looking for is: ways to prevent this from happening again, ways I could catch the person, and how to proceed if I catch them on video. Thanks.

Location: Tempe, AZ

Answer:
 Got a dog?

Does it poop a lot?

Got an extra box sitting around?


Title: After 10 years of employment and 7 years of having a beard. My management is trying to fire me for appearance(me beard) standards. Is this legal? What kind of lawyer should I look for?

Question:
As the title states I have been with the same company for just about 10 years. The last seven years I have had a beard of varying lengths but mostly it has been long( about 3 -5 inches) this last December my manager who I have worked with for about 3 years decided he didn't like the length anymore. After a few months of him asking me to trim it and when I comply it still isn't satisfactory. I have been given the ultimatum of trimming it to an inch or getting suspended/fired. I am very attached to my beard and I'm wondering if I have any legal claim here. I appreciate any feedback, thanks!

Edit* I guess I missed stating that I am in Orange County California. Also I should have stated that our rules require "a beard to be fully grown before coming into work, and it should be neat and trim." These standards have been the same since the first day I started.

Answer:
 Last time I checked, having a beard didn't make you a member of a Protected class (age, race, etc.). If you're in an at-will employment state you're out of luck. Answer #2: Beard length does not constitute a protected class. If your employer is trying to fire you for having a beard that doesn't meet standards, perhaps you might consider whether there are other reasons that your employer wants to fire you.

You say that you're very attached to your beard, but to me, the question is: which are you more attached to--your beard or your job?Answer #3: /u/hellakids,

Up until now you've lived a life of facial hair freedom, with the privilege to maintain an unkempt beard while others were forced to conform to the policy. But now that freedom threatens to end the employment you have come to rely upon. Beard or job. Make your choice.Answer #4: Do you have the beard for religious reasons?Answer #5: If your beard isn't for religious reasons, you've got no legal recourse.

And to be honest, if your boss has been asking for months then there might be a paper trail of issues which would mean that any shot at getting unemployment would be gone.

Beard, or job. Welcome to employment law.


Title: Found a GPS tracker on my friend's car.. What is the best course of action?

Question:
My friend (F23) broke up with her partner (M26) of 4 years in mid 2015. Ever since then, there were a few occurrences when he would randomly "run into her" when she was out and about. We're talking numerous times in the city, middle of nowhere, at people's homes, etc. At first it seemed like a coincidence until last week when he cornered her on the road back from a Christmas party in a nearby city at 2am and physically confronted her about her evening activities (bar, restaurant, guys' house).

The moral aspects of his actions and the sadistic behavior has been something she has been dealing with for a while and this last week was the final straw. I have been talking  to her about getting the authorities involved and perhaps a restraining order for her own benefit and she finally seems convinced. We have also been discussing how he could possibly find her throughout this past year and today i decided to take a look through her car with her permission.

Under the rear bumper, tucked between the exhaust and the fender, was a Spot Trace. I looked it up and it appears to require a service  subscription that pings the user when/if the vehicle moves. We are certain it is his and it looks like it has been accessed a few days ago probably to be charged, as it is pretty clean.

I guess my questions are... If we were to go to the cops with this, should it be on/off the car? Should we even bother going to the cops with this? Will they do anything about it or just tell us that they have no evidence that it was him? Should we instead just gather more proof by logging his encounters with us or her? I have plenty more, but hopefully this is enough to start the conversation.

United States, Washington State, Clark County.

Answer:
 She needs to look into getting a restraining order on this psycho.Answer #2: Everyone, thank you for the replies and advice. We are going to talk to the police today. If that doesn't yield results, probably will have to look into getting him on video. Answer #3: I should probably add that I DID take it off. It was zip-tied. Its in the car right now until we figure out the best way to approach this.

A few mentioned it should be as we found it. Should i zip-tie it back on or thats tampering with evidence?

/re /u/Cypher_BlueAnswer #4: The police will want to know about this. Please remember to photos of the device and where you found it, plus a photo of the rear of the car to demonstrate where it was. Record the make and model and serial number of the device too.

Lastly, get a TRO, and make sure your friend shares rides as much as possible for her safety.


Title: Is my neighbor, who owned and sold me my house, responsible for damage to his house from bamboo he planted in my yard?

Question:
So, once upon a time this dude - let’s call him K - owned an old house on a large lot. He decided to split the lot, build his dream house on one end, and sell the original house.

I bought it.

Because you can see straight into the new house from the old house, before he bought it he planted some arbor vitae as a view block (gross, it’s already dying) and running bamboo (even GROSSER.)

Running bamboo is illegal in many states because the rhizomes will *tear your home foundation to shreds* and is really hard to get rid of. And this moron, in his quest for a cheap view block, *didn’t install a rhizome barrier with the bamboo*.

It was planted last fall, and I bought the house a week ago. In the time since I made the offer, it’s become clear that the bamboo has already spread like crazy, to K’a yard and mine. Straight up removing it will take years of effort, so I’m taking lazy way out and penning it and half my yard in with a rhizome barrier like this idiot - or this idiot’s landscaping company - failed to do.

Here’s the catch. The bamboo has already spread to his lot. And based on the fact that he planted it in the first place, it’s pretty clear that he has no clue what to do about it.

So, in some states, damage caused by running bamboo is the responsibility of the landowner it originated on. In others, it falls to the person who planted it.

If this bamboo, which he planted initially when he owned the property, starts to damage his patio & yard, does that liability fall to me? Or him? I installed a rhizome barrier along the entire length of the fence to stop it from making its way back towards my house. Currently trying to figure out if I should be more aggressive about getting him to remove the bamboo from his yard, or if he’s made his bed and it isn’t my problem anymore.

I tried to tell him about the bamboo issues, but he was super dismissive. He’s still pissed because I made him pay for repairs during closing that he was *legally required* to make before selling (the sewer main was massively illegally broken, didn’t disclose.) My house is fine, but given that he’s an asshole, I could easily see him trying to pin the bamboo on his property on me once it starts to take off — despite the fact that unless the rhizomes grew twelve feet in four days, there’s no way my negligence could have caused the bamboo to enter his yard.

I’m in Portland, Oregon. Not one of the states where bamboo is illegal, but it’s only a matter of time.

Answer:
 I would keep very good track of my records from the time of the purchase of the home - including pictures of the yard including bamboo, google aerial view, receipts for installing the rhizome barrier.  Maybe even make an album and include new shots each year of the bamboo growth.Answer #2: Rent a mini-excavator and remove all of the bamboo on your property or pay someone to remove it from your property. Install the barrier on the property line and forget any further issues with the plants. the best thing you can do.Answer #3: Legally i don't know but this sounds like a bad situation to live in, my advice is to sell the house asap and find a house without these problems.

I suspect that this is just the start of you and your neighbors conflict.Answer #4: Can't help you legally, but document the condition of the yard and the plants.  If possible, get a certified arborist or something similar to document that the bamboo must have been planted prior to your ownership.

Make multiple copies of all photos, videos, and documents, and keep them in different locations.Answer #5: sheit.....I've tried to remove running bamboo using pickaxes, chainsaws, and hand tools when I lived in PDX and it's back-breaking work...whoever suggested renting or hiring an excavator is spot on.

Also - You can advertise free running bamboo to whomever can come remove it, but understand that you'll still want to make sure it's all contained and/or removed from the property.


Title: Funeral Home Holding Grandmothers Ashes Hostage

Question: Hey all, from Vancouver Canada. Basically my grandmother has passed away a few weeks ago and the funeral was a week ago. Because of our tradition and her wishes our plans for her was to bring her cremated remains back to China where she can be buried in her homeland. The funeral went smoothly and we had extra services in which we burnt some Chinese charms and money. The problem and in my mind is the scumiest thing anyone can do is charge some "religious fee" that was 800 dollars the day before my mother's flight to China in which throughout the whole planning process was not mentioned to us and if we did not pay this fee we would not get our grandmothers ashes. We assumed that when we paid the whole amount before the funeral happened that nothing else would need to be paid afterwards. I have emailed the director and requested all the receipt and paper trail of expenses just to make sure everything makes sense. My family and I have never held a funeral before so we are unsure if this is normal practice and if there is anything we should do or can do?

Answer: You must have signed a contract. What does it state regarding those fees?


Title: Can landlords blacklist tenants?

Question: Do landlords have a resource the general public isn't aware of for blacklisting tenants they don't like?  My fiancé and I are considering legal action against a neglectful landlord but plan on renting from other landlords.

Answer: It's not uncommon for landlords to check court records.


Title: Wife of co-worker trying to get a paternity test on my son?

Question:
Edit: I'm female and married to the father of my unborn baby.

From what I understand a coworker and his wife are going through a divorce because he had an affair (not with me - the wife knows who).  Tonight I received a text from his wife saying she has always believed something was going on between him (my coworker/her husband) and I, and I will be hearing from her attorney because she's getting a judge to order a paternity test on my son who is due next week, she believes he is his.

Does she actually have grounds for this?

I am married, and live in Ohio.  Thanks in advance for the help...
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 Ignore her. Ignore it. Assuming your husband totally trusts you and believes you on this, ignore the shit out of her. She has absolutely no right to do this. If you're really bothered and are still friends with her soon to be ex husband, provide him with a copy of the letter. I'm sure it will help his case. But frankly if you're due In a week it's not worth the effort. If your husband is having trust issues and you guys agree to have a paternity test, do it between you two and keep it to you two. She has absolutely no way of getting those results. Answer #2: Not legal advice,  but you could probably swindle a free trip to California if you pitch this story to Maury.Answer #3: I am unbelievably confused by your narrative.

You are asking if the wife of someone who could theoretically be a child's father can request a paternity test on a kid she has no biological relationship to?  I can't see why she would have standing to do so.Answer #4: I find it upsetting that they would put you under this sort of stress at this moment in your life. Nothing will come of this- please try to relax and stress as little as possible before you deliver your baby.
 And best wishes with a happy, healthy delivery!Answer #5: This was really confusing until I realized OP was female.
Answer #6: I would chalk this one up to divorce drama and drunk texting, then forget about it.  She has no legal standing to get a DNA test on your baby.


Title: [NJ] How soon can a landlord start showing a house (install a lockbox for realtor) after telling him (verbally) we're not renewing lease?

Question:
Several problems have arisen in our rental house and we've decided not to renew. We told our landlord 3 months in advance of the end of lease. He wants to start showing the house as soon as possible. What are the requirements for this? Can the realtor stop by at any time throughout the day? We have a dog who stays home alone while we work. I would just like to know what I should expect to deal with the next few months.

Thanks

Answer: He didn't have to wait for you to say your are not renewing to start showing the house


Title: Pizza restaurant mixed up orders

Question:
Hi All,
My first post, so please excuse me for any errors. I went to a "Build your own Pizza" restaurant in Santa Clara, CA and they mixed my order. While my order had Veggies and Chicken, the pizza that I gorged on, had beef and bacon, which I don't eat. When I went to complain about it, they told me that they ran out of tags and so they had no efficient way of knowing which pizza belonged to which customer.

When I countered them this negligence could not only affect people who don't eat certain food because of religious beliefs, but also people who have dietary restrictions due to health conditions, they said they can't stop serving because of it.

How do you think I should take this up?

Answer:
 Are you seriously on r/legaladvice because someone fucked up your pizza order?

It's your fault you didn't notice it before you started eating. Sure, tell them about it, but nothing can legally be done about it. It's pizza...There are people on here losing their kids to custody battles and others that their homes are crumbling around them, ITS A FUCKING PIZZA.

Perspective dude, perspective.Answer #2: Yeah, how did you not know what you were eating?Answer #3: By letting it go. You as a consumer also have the responsibility to notice what you're consuming. How could you gorge yourself on bacon and beef without noticing it was not chicken and veggie pizza? If your concern was that a gluten-free crust was swapped out with a regular one then MAYBE you would have a complaint.


Title: [SC] Former boss called me into the restaurant without telling me why, and then offered me a job threatening to get my unemployment cancelled if I didn't accept.

Question:
In South Carolina, the job search requirement has been waived, so I have not been searching for a job. My prior employer called me and asked me to come into the restaurant without specifying what it would be about, and then dropped an offer of work on my lap telling me that I would be making what I made this time last year, and that if I don't turn in the form by next Monday, April 27th, he would make me ineligible for unemployment.

This time last year I was a host making $7.25/hr, but I started this February as a server pulling in an average of $15/hr, so I know this offer is not eligible based on the pay requirement alone, but the offer of work he gave me had no information on how many hours I would receive or what I would earn, only the nebulous, you will make what you made this time last year. In fact, the offer is entirely empty besides the fact that he is offering me a job.

I was planning to return home this week in order to save money, as my rent for university is expensive, I know that he is also not planning on reopening the restaurant for at least 3 weeks, and instead will have us come in and clean the restaurant which is not a job I have done in the past. Which according the South Carolina Department of Employment and Work is not suitable work: " Suitable work includes any trade, occupation, or business in which you are qualified based on your training or experience, "

Do I have any avenue to decline this offer? The four things I'm curious about is the fact that the need to search for work has been waived; my boss did not tell me how much I would actually be making; that he won't have me doing a job suitable for my past work history; and the fact that I was planning on moving 2 hours away before I received the job offer, and would have told him this if he had let me know what his plans were, instead of trying to surprise us, presumably so he could get a good deal on cleaning the restaurant.

&#x200B;

Relevant sections of the law Regulation 47-23, Offers of Work.

Answer: If he did not put it in writing you have no offer. Request the offer in writing, if they refuse you should have your proof that they did not give you a reasonable offer.


Title: [Colorado] Asbestos in my apartment and now my belongings are deemed unsavable.

Question:
Two and a half weeks ago I was kicked out of my unit because they found asbestos in the walls after doing some renovations. I was given a hour to retrieve anything I can from my apartment before being kicked out. I was initially told no longer than a week so in hindsight, I didn't grab near enough. We received the half month rent we had already paid and our full deposit back. After 2.5 weeks of no new meaningful information, yesterday, I was told all of my things can not be retrieved and the cleaning process will take a "very long time". They initially offered me $3000 as a settlement for all my belongings. After making a list of everything I remember I left behind, this amount wouldn't even cover the face value of all of my things. That's not even mentioning all of the time value and sentimental value of some of my irreplaceable things. I'm going to speaking to their representative today and I was wondering what my best course of action would be. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

TLDR: Asbestos in my apartment and all of my belongings there are deemed unsavable.

Answer:
 If you have renters insurance, contact them.

Don't sign anything unless you're absolutely sure it'll cover all your stuff.Answer #2: Just a heads up you will probably only be able to get the depreciated value of your belongings if you take this to court, as sentimental value isnt usually worth a dime in the eyes of the courts.Answer #3: I'm curious as to why they kicked you out due to finding asbestos in the walls? There is asbestos all over the place - From my understanding, it's generally not a problem unless it is disturbed.


Title: [NYC] Can a 10 million dollar offer really postpone the release of an album?

Question:
I saw these tweets from Martin Shkreli, referring to the newest Kanye West album:

https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/697897324329177088

https://twitter.com/MartinShkreli/status/697897924353773573

Assuming that this isn't a troll, is he correct in his 2nd tweet, that merely the offer to purchase exclusive rights forces Kanye to consider the offer, also forcing him to postpone the release of his album? Or does Kanye own the IP and he can do what he wants whenever he wants with it?

Relevant information is in the 2nd tweet:

> Kanye and his label are legally required to take my offer letter to their Board of Directors. This should delay the album by a few days.

Answer: There may be some contractual reason they are required to seriously consider the offer. I really wouldn't take anything this guy says seriously though.


Title: City plow truck driver hit grandmother's car, now they are rejecting the claim.

Question:
My grandmother lives in a house that she rents from someone who owns 4 houses in a square with a little parking area. In January my grandmother was parked in the space closest to the street when her car was hit by a plow driver.

From what we were told (none of us saw it happen) there was an accident in the nearby intersection blocking traffic from getting through.  A plow truck driver needed to turn around to go a different way. He attempted to turn around by backing into the driveway to the parking area my grandmother was parked in, and in the process hit her car.

Her car was considered totalled by the shop who found that it would cost more to fix than it was worth.

My dad and I helped my grandmother file a claim with the city but the claim has been rejected.

1.  If a claim has been rejected by the city can we still take legal action outside the claim process?
2.  Is it normal to have nay luck *negotiating* with the city or the claims people?

We tried to get a consultation with a lawyer, he referred grandma to a different lawyer, that different lawyer referred her to a third lawyer, who basically just told her it's her fault for only having liability insurance, so we're having a bad time in that department, unfortunately.

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Location; Iowa

Answer:
 You will be hard pressed to find any lawyer who will deal with an auto loss like this, frankly there is no money in it for them. And usually they take 30-40% of the settlement as fees and therefore it would not be worth it for your grandmother.

But the big question why was the claim denied? In order to get the best answers you need to provide that because depending on he reason the answer can differ greatly. Have you contacted the plow company? Though they are performing work on behalf of the city often times these trucks are contracted by the city. And part of the agreement for the work they agree tat anything like this is their responsibility and the city is held harmless(not responsible).


Title: Rights in Public Schools

Question:
Vienna, VA

First off, this is my first post on Reddit, so if i mess anything up, forgive me. Next as a general question, I would like to ask the following to the legal professionals of Reddit:

What rights do students forfeit/retain upon entering a middle school building? Specifically, is the right to remain silent forfeited?

If this helps, the school system that this pertains to is Fairfax County Public Schools and the Students Rights and Responsibilities, the rules that all students have to abide by, is linked [here](http://www.fcps.edu/dss/ips/ssaw/SRR/2014-15SSR.pdf).

Answer:
 Usually no. What happened that makes you question this?Answer #2: > Specifically, is the right to remain silent forfeited?

You mean the right not to incriminate yourself?

School discipline isn't a criminal proceeding.


Title: Update 2: (Florida) My neighbor wants to sue me over "weight loss advice"

Question:
We were in court this morning. It only took 2 hours.

She lied to her lawyer and even had a fake contract that she made claiming that I'm her trainer. She misspelled my name on it.

Unfortunately we won't get any money but whatever. The judge did speak to my neighbor and her lawyer privately afterwards. Her lawyer look like he was 25 years old at the most.

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3qlarv/florida_neighbor_wants_to_sue_me_over_weight_loss/

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3rch8g/update_florida_my_neighbor_wants_to_sue_me_over/

Answer:
 I'm sorry, I've gotta be the one to call bullshit this time around. Next time you want to create a story for this sub, use realistic timelines.Answer #2: 1) How do you get served on a Tuesday and have a court date for the next Monday?

2) What kind of court/judge takes 2 hours for this?  This wouldn't have lasted for an entire episode of Judge Judy.

3) Verdict - /r/thathappenedAnswer #3: Well now, that's pretty amazing!  You were first served a complaint SEVEN DAYS AGO and the judge tried your case THIS MORNING.  /r/QuitYourBullshitAnswer #4: What county are you in? I'm just curious as I've never seen a case move that quickly. Whatever they're doing, they're doing it well.Answer #5: Was the whole thing 110 minutes of the judge laughing?Answer #6: One thing that frustrates me with the court system is that there is rarely any real punishment here.  The woman should be charged with presenting the fake contract as evidence.


Title: My pregnant ex girlfriend wants to keep custody of our son from me when he's born, what should I expect the courts to rule? (US - MI)

Question:
She told me she doesn't want me in our child's life when he's born, that she wants supervised visits, and that I'll have 85/15 alternating weekends at best. I want joint legal and physical custody with a gradually increasing schedule to 50/50 time. How likely is it that I get ruled something like this?

I have a mountain of documentation of her showing her poor character and decision making skills, risky behavior during pregnancy that could harm the baby, and her constantly telling me that it's *her* baby and she doesn't want me to see it.

What are the chances I'm able to get joint custody when going to the courts as soon as our son is born?

A lot of what I've read has me worried the courts are going to rule custody heavily in her favor early on, and that it's going to be extremely difficult to gain joint 50/50 physical custody later on unless she's some type of drug addict and I'm nothing but perfect.

Is there anything I can be doing now to help with a more favorable ruling?

Answer:
 The court will allow you to have visitation with the child unless your a child molester or convicted child abuser. Telling the court that the woman you choose to make the mother of your child is bad doesn't help your case. Just be reasonable with the court and the court will be reasonable with you. Go in there acting like a teenager with an ax to grind doesn't make you look good. The court is looking out for the best interest of the child.

IANAL.


Title: Help! Employer overpaid me in tips a few months ago. Instead of $74.00 they paid 740.00 and now say that I have to pay it back, the letter basically made it sound like I stole it...More info Inside. (X-Post PersonalFinance)

Question:
I was working at a restaurant a few months ago, until I found a better job. I remained on call should they ever be short staffed. After several months, I received a call asking if I could work, and I was free so I agreed. Two nights after I worked there, I received a few calls through out the day and figured they were wanting me to come back. After getting off my new job I checked my messages and the manager of the restaurant said that there was a letter from corporate and that I needed to come in.
The letter basically stated that I was given $740.00 in stead of $74.00 on check in tips. Now they require me to work and pay it off or just pay it....Which I cannot afford to do.
How can this happen? It was their mistake, and they worded things to make it sound like I stole the money. How am I supposed to know how much I get in tips all the time? It wasn't off my hourly wage where the mistake was. Now I have to double up on top of my other job to work until its paid off.
Looking for any help or knowledge on the matter. Can it be fought? What can I do besides just work for nothing and they take all the money until its paid off...
Thank you in advanced.
(If there is a better Sub to post to, please let me know)

Answer:
 You were overpaid $666 for one night's worth of tips waiting tables and are indignantly exclaiming "How should I have known that was too much?"
Seriously?
Pay the money back.  You knew.Answer #2: If they overpaid you, then you DO have to pay it back.

Talk to them and work out a payment plan.Answer #3: You didn’t fail to notice this error.

If there was an error in your pay you need to correct that error. Just as had they short paid you, you’d expect a correction.


Title: Guest overstayed their welcome and betrayed us

Question:
This is really hard to write about. The last several days have been really tough. I've never posted here before so I don't know how to write all this but I guess I should just start with what happened.

A while back a friend of mine and my wife's was having a tough time and we let him and his girlfriend move in temporarily until they could find their own place. We were thinking about a year or so. Things were good, but after a while by accident I stumbled on something that changed everything. I found some messages this friend had sent my wife and discovered that he was harassing her to leave me for him. I confronted my wife about it and found out it had been going on since he moved in. She said she was too embarrassed and ashamed to show me them and she was trying to find a way to stop it herself.

Now you need to know a bit about my wife. She was the victim of child abuse for around 6 years by her father. It was really bad and she's diagnosed with PTSD from it. Her father is currently in prison because of what he did. She also has Aspergers which makes it hard for her to deal with social situations. And even more she's disabled with Ehlers-Danlos, a connective tissue disorder, that confines her to a wheelchair outside of the house. We have three children and she's so weakened from her disorder she doesn't even have the strength to carry one of our babies who's grown a lot in a year.

I have no blame for her at all. She was trapped and bullied into a horrible social situation and was trying to find a way out. What I'm angry at is this friend, who we let into our home, that took advantage of her. My wife is the sweetest lady you will ever meet and doesn't have a harsh word for anyone. He took advantage of the most vulnerable of the vulnerable. He drove a wedge between our family. He hurt us all immensely and I don't want him in our home anymore.

So the facts are we live in Texas and we're the only tenants on the lease. My father is the owner renting-to-own to us. After they moved in we had them added to the list of people allowed to stay, but that's it. They never signed anything and my father has assured that only me and my wife are the lease holders. But these people have been living with us for a little more than a month, which my googling tells me gives them some rights. Beyond that I can't make much sense of what I'm finding. I think I have to give them some kind of eviction notice but the process for that and how long that has to be I've found conflicting info on.

I want to begin the healing process with me and my wife. And we can't begin that until he's gone and out of our life. I told them I want them to move out but they refuse to leave. Even better they said that me, my wife, and our three children should move out.

Please if anyone can help I need it. Thank you.

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 We don't need to know the details of your wife's history.

You are the master tenant.  The guest is your subtenant.  You need to begin the legal process in Texas for eviction against them.

If you really want them gone ASAP, find a lawyer that does evictions so that it happens by the numbers on the first try.  Pro-se landlords often mess things up, which can cause months of delay.


Title: CA - My rental company forgot to bill us for Garbage/Sewer on 3 separate billing cycles. The most recent of which being March 2016. They now sent us 3 bills expecting us to pay it all. Do we have to?

Question:
We have been renting this house for about a year and a half. The same company who rents us the house, also maintains the accounts with the City for Garbage and Sewer so when we pay rent, we also pay for Garbage/Sewer and water. We pay for water every other month, and sewer/garbage every two months (electricity is a separate company). We got notified that they had forgotten to bill us for 3 separate billing cycles and are asking us to pay the full amount $500+ in addition to this months normal rent and water charges. This will make expenses for my roommates and i EXTREMELY tight if we have to pay it.

Do we have any reason for recourse here? Are we allowed to not pay it because they forgot or anything similar? I realize we used the service, so by right we have to pay, but the fact that they forgot is now causing us problems.

Answer: You got the service so you need to pay. You could contact them and request a payment plan because they did not bill you correctly. If they are trying to charge you late fees I would also try and negotiate those away since they didn't bill you and it wasn't you who decided not to pay.


Title: [Texas] Wife in married couple not financially competent, spent ~100k+ on pyramid schemes; Advice on how to separate her from financially crippling the family.

Question:
A family close to me is going through repeated issues with the mother/wife spending money in ways that can only be categorized as incompetent or insane. She has been diagnosed with [at least] clinical depression (and I think bipolar disorder). It is speculated that she has spent over $100k/5yrs of the family's money on pyramid schemes and various get-rich-quick schemes. Over the last 5 years she has contributed roughly 25-33% of the family income though I'd venture to say that's a liberal estimate.

The husband is at a loss for what to do. He doesn't want to incur the wrath of the wife for questioning her very bad financial choices. He doesn't feel as though anything can be done. I wonder if she can be evaluated and declared financially incompetent so as not to be able to put the family's finances in peril?

Recently, the wife has taken $2k from one of their adult children's "college" accounts without permission or discussion. Though I don't think that this was illegal, I do believe that it is evidence of incompetence. The money was taken in an attempt to cover an $8k debt incurred in one month, don't know further details there.

Tl;Dr: Family close to me has mother who is not financially competent, spend a lot of the family's money on crap, steals to cover tracks, can't talk to her about the subject without irrational argument (Witnessed, not attempted by me BC I'm not family).

Question: What legal options can be presented to the family to possibly take away her ability plunder their money?

Answer:
 > doesn't want to incur the wrath of the wife for questioning her very bad financial choices

Well, he needs to. He's tried nothing. He needs to have a frank talk with her and stop worrying about upsetting her. He can also take her name off all accounts so she can't access them.Answer #2: Move the family's money to accounts that do not have her name on it. Have the husband's and children's monthly income deposited into accounts without her name on the accounts.

Past that, you might check and x-post this to /r/personalfinanceAnswer #3: Getting someone declared incompetent requires a lot more proof than some bad financial choices.  If this woman is able to drive and hold a job, you should probably forget that.  It is a long and difficult process.

The obvious answers have been given here.  The husband just needs to move the money to where she can't access it.  This is best done without prior discussion.


Title: Custody disaster, need help [Indiana]

Question:
My girlfriend has 3 kids from her previous marriage with her abusive ex-husband. After they divorced they continued to share the house week on week off, so the kids would stay in one place. After more and more mental and physical abuse against her (never the kids) she left, no money, car job, etc and because of her circumstances and her ex's access to money and a good lawyer he became primary gardian, and she has been seeing the kids every weekend.

Well last month her ex husband up and moved to NY, 13 hours away, without filing a request to move with the courts, to live with his new girlfriend. The kids are 8, 14 and 15. They have no friends or family there. There are miserable.

My wife has been applying for legal aid to try and get custody (money is tight, we're trying to save up but it's taking a while)...

So last night the 14 year old boy got into an argument with his dad and his dad threw him against a wall. Huge well across his back this morning. So when the kids called their mom crying last night, we had the cops go to where they are in NY. The cops did nothing. Said he acted out and basically got what he diserved.

My wife isn't a perfect person. She hasn't handled everything right, but these kids are miserable, and being mentally and now physically abused.

If anyone has advice, or a template for what we have to do to petition for emergency custody, we need it. The kids want to be here with us and are being held away just to spite their mother. I know the best thing to do is get a lawyer and we want to and are trying but just need some help now. Thank you everyone.

Answer:
 Do your wife and girlfriend know about each other? Because it might get awkward otherwise.
Answer #2: This is a situation for an attorney... not a template.

I will use whatever number of words necessary to get that point across, but the result is going to be the same:  She needs an attorney.

The good news is that if custody was granted in Indiana, Indiana would retain jurisdiction as long as she remains there.  (Very simply stated).

So, filing the contempt, and modification orders are going to be much easier for her than him.

But again... she needs an attorney.Answer #3: Does the custody order that they currently have allow him to move? If not, she should be claiming contempt and request that the children be returned to the state.


Title: Fighting fire with gas?

Question:
Please don't yell at me.  I originally posted this to /r/legaladvice, where my intentions were immediately misapprehended.  I want to be able to have a more richly-informed conversation with some people, that's all.  My telling them that it is a bad idea is merely ethical, and I'd like to be able to speak to the (il)legality of their proposition.

1st question: What is your opinion of the legality of brandishing kerosene-filled Super Soakers at the next batch of torch-wielding neo-Nazis?

2nd question: not merely brandishing, but actually getting any kerosene on them?

3rd: getting kerosene on them and they suffer injuries as a result?

Not advocating violence, not looking for a fight, just trying to understand the parameters and consequences of a functional resistance. Thanks for your help.

Answer:
 > 1st question: What is your opinion of the legality of brandishing kerosene-filled Super Soakers at the next batch of torch-wielding neo-Nazis?

Possibly assault (as a threat).

> 2nd question: not merely brandishing, but actually getting any kerosene on them?
>
> 3rd: getting kerosene on them and they suffer injuries as a result?

Assault. Possibly attempted murder.

> This is a purely legal and philosophical question, which arose from a discussion about appropriate tactics.

Tactics... for what, exactly? If you've brought a kerosene filled super soaker to... anywhere then it seems you've made up your mind about your end goal.

> I DON'T WANT TO SET ANYONE ON FIRE EVER.

Then don't put flammable liquids into containers designed to expel their contents toward other people, especially while those other people are in possession of open flames.

Seems pretty simple to  me.

> I am trying to develop the ability to think extra-ethically in specific instances to the benefit of a richly-integrated ethical understanding.

What in the pseudophilosophical hell does this sentence even mean?

> So, once again, I would like to kindly request what I understand are probably difficult answers to give to questions covering the entire nation.

I still don't understand what your goal is here with this line of questioning. You want to stop child rape by interviewing pedophiles. But you're interviewing us. So... we're the pedophiles in this equation?


Title: accidentally viewed illegal content?

Question: I'm feeling really scared and upset. I recently downloaded Tumblr to look at movie gifs etc and was presented with an extremely strange blog. Out of curiosity I scrolled through the blog before discovering it was basically full of videos and images depicting illegal acts. I felt sick to my stomach and closed the blog and deleted my account. I'm afraid that the police will find me and arrest me. Does anyone know what I should do?

Answer:
 Don't worry about it.

Law enforcement is not interested in hunting down people who saw a weird blog once.Answer #2: Lmao


Title: My significant other and I are splitting up, but he refuses to move out. What legal steps need to be taken here? (Texas)

Question:
My boyfriend and I live in a house in Texas that we rent from my parents, but there is no formal lease agreement. We have a four month old baby together.

We broke up, but he said he's not moving out. He has nowhere to go and can't afford to live alone.

What legal steps do I need to take to get him to leave, and what do I need to do about custody of the baby? I know he needs a 30 day written notice, but what do I include and do I need to hire a lawyer for it?

Answer:
 Your parents (not you) need to follow Texas eviction procedures to the letter.

You should see a family law attorney about filing for a custody order.


Title: (HI) landlords asked us to move out without warning

Question: We have only been living at the new house two weeks and apparently the landlords have been getting complaints from neighbors that we have been fighting with each other, although we do not understand the accusations and feel like they are out of left field. They had another tenant talk with us, which was the first time we heard of the complaints. The next day we approached the landlord in person and he asked us to find a new place to live. As far as I understand, we need to be informed of problems in person with 10 days to fix the problem. This was not done. We are in a position where we feel like we're in a psycho thriller movie. Any help/advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 Continue with your lease, your Landlord has to abide by the terms of the lease of 12 months.

If he wants you to move and you do want to move, make him pay you to move.

If you continue to get noise complaints that are illegal, say after a certain time  in your state, your landlord could evict you, if you break your lease, your landlord could evict you.

Your landlord can't do shit about getting you to leave and if he changes the locks that an illegal eviction and you can sue him for that.

For now, tell him you are refusing to leave and can't force you to but understand you won't be able to renew it after it ends.

Since it's early, I would make him pay you to leave and you may find a better, long term place to stay.Answer #2: Did u sign a lease?


Title: I was unknowingly "served" with trial date notice by bank at wrong address given to my ex-husband. Given a default judgement. Fort Worth, TX.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Once you have appeared in a court case (which you did by filing your response), it's your responsibility to notify the court of any change of address.

It probably wouldn't hurt to file a motion to set aside the judgment though. Considering the unusual delay in setting the trial date, you might get a sympathetic judge.

This assumes that you actually have a substantial defense, i.e. a reason why you don't owe the original $4,000.


Title: My paycheck are always late (MO)

Question: For the last 5 months my paycheck have been arriving late. By a week or more.  I have proof that they were later for the past 2 months.  What can I do?  It's hard to make and keep a budget.

Answer: One thing you should do is look for a new job. Payroll issues usually signal significant financial issues with the company (that is only an assumption, and we don't know what the situation is, but in many cases, this is a big cause of late paychecks). You may document or keep a record of each late paycheck, it may be useful in the future.


Title: Religion in custody case.

Question:
I'm in a Chins case.

I requested, and was granted, that I be able to visit my son under the supervision of someone other than the person he lives with, which is his mother's Aunt.

I want to read the Bible to him at our visits because it saved my life, but his aunt is firmly against it because they believe something completely different than I do.

This may be the last time I ever get to see my son, and I want to inculcate everything I know, in him, so that he is better than both myself and them. They are not good people.

Can I be forced not to talk about the Bible at our visits? I am his father and have rights too, don't I? The aunt is only a temporary guardian, while DCS is the actual guardian. I feel like this would go directly against my first amendment right. Thoughts?

I meet with my new court appointed attorney next Tuesday for the first time, but I would really appreciate any help understanding what I'm facing before I meet with him.

Please advise me. Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 Ask your attorney. Since DCS is involved there may be restrictions on what you can say or do around your child.

Just in practical advice you have less than a week until you talk to the lawyer so maybe use the visits until then to show that you are stable and trying to build a relationship with your kid rather than being so focused on religion that indoctrinating him seems like the purpose of your visit.


Title: (Serious) Child/Adult Protective Services called on my family by my teenage sister's boyfriends mom.

Question:
I'll start this by giving some background information. My family lives in Michigan, my sister and her boyfriend have been dating for a year, they're both 16 soon to be 17. You can say that it's a serious relationship for the age, and that's where his mother doesn't like it.

 She's an extremely controlling and mentally abusive person towards her son, even throwing him in a youth detention center  for bogus allegations.

 Now shes starting to slip her fangs in my sister. For example she's taken my sisters cellphone because she didn't believe the story being told to her, as well as calling her a bitch countless times. We've said numerous times to her that she has no right to do and say these things to my sister, and we thought things were calming down.

 Well we were completely wrong, because yesterday agents from Adult Protective Services showed up to investigate my sister on accounts of physical abuse. Of course once they finished the investigation they knew nothing was out of the ordinary. well on top of that today Child Protective Services show up saying they were tipped that my sister was being sexually abused by my father. Again after investigation they knew that the lead was false, and they left. We know exactly who sent these tips in and why.

Now here is where my request comes in, we're looking into hiring a lawyer to sue her on terms of harassment and slander. Are we grasping at straws? is there something here? Also want to note that my mothers on disability for panic attacks and other mental disorders. Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 More practical advice...

Keep your sister away from that woman and her home. Answer #2: >Now here is where my request comes in, we're looking into hiring a lawyer to sue her on terms of harassment and slander. Are we grasping at straws?

 Yes.


Title: My new employer made an unauthorized phone call to my old employer, asking inappropriate questions. What are my options?

Question:
I live in New Jersey, and I work in the hotel industry. In August, I quit my job at a large hotel chain because when I first started working there, I was told I would be full-time, and after a year of consistently cutting my hours, I was allowed to go on vacation, and then told that my vacation time wouldn't be covered because I didn't meet the minimum full-time hour requirements. (I'm not sure, but this feels wrong to me, and I might pursue this with an employment lawyer one day soon.)

Anyway, I started working for an independent hotel chain in September. I like everyone on the staff, but unfortunately, I suspect one of being a blatant narcissist. She has felt entitled to infringe upon the privacy of everyone I work with in different ways, preying on their vulnerabilities, and many people secretly (or not-so-secretly) hate her, and want her fired for many reasons, including these infringements.

I heeded the other managers' warnings to not give her any private information, or tell her anything that I didn't want the whole world to know. I thought that I was doing a good job staying off her radar.

During my first few weeks there, I really struggled to learn about my new environment. My particular "learning process" is awkward and ugly until I get the hang of things, and during this phase, I made a lot of mistakes at my new job.

One night I got a call from one of my coworkers at my old job. She said that someone was calling the chain hotel, trying to find out information about me. They identified themselves as my current job, and wanted to know what my role and duties had been at the chain hotel. At my request, my former coworker didn't give the caller any information.

I immediately got on the phone with my current job, and my narcissistic manager happened to be working at the time. I asked her if she knew anything about the call, and she said that she had no idea, that no one at the hotel called my old job. I stupidly believed her, and didn't think anymore about it.

That was weeks ago. This week, one of my other managers revealed to me that it WAS the narcissist that made the call, without anyone's authorization or knowledge. One of my other coworkers who was working at the time witnessed the whole thing, and told my other manager about it. My other manager was furious (she has been wronged in many ways by the narcissist before, with no retribution) and went to the assistant general manager, telling him what happened, and suggesting that what she did to me was illegal, and warranted a firing. My assistant manager (obviously reluctant to rock the boat) replied that it wasn't illegal, because my former coworker had not revealed any information about me.

This whole time, my manager wanted to tell me, but she was encouraged not to by my other coworkers because my position was precarious during my probation period, and no one knew how I would react. Now that my job skills and confidence have improved at work, my manager felt compelled to tell me.

I'm not sure what to believe as to the legality of my manager's actions. I can't really find any info on this situation through a web search, so I turn to Reddit. If what she did was illegal, I would love to know what my options are.

Answer:
 > I'm not sure what to believe as to the legality of my manager's actions.

Completely legal.  It's perfectly fine for people to talk about you.  Unless you can make an assertion that someone in the discussions defamed you, you've got nothing.


Title: [FL] Went to finance my car: come to find my ex took out credit cards in my name.

Question:
Dry version:

Was in a 14 year relationship, never married. We broke up about a year ago. Went to finance an automobile this past week - poor credit score. Come to find my ex took out credit cards in my name about 9 years ago without me knowing it, put me in debt about $40,000. He had been making minimal payments on them up until about a month ago so I have yet to be contacted until very recently. Statue of limitations for identity theft in FL is 5 years. However, some of the debt (not all) was incurred within the past 5 years. But can I even do anything with my only "real" basis for a claim being ignorance?

Don't really even want to get into the mundane details, but I will provide more detail if needed.

EDIT: I have already frozen all my accounts.

Answer:
 Statute of limitations can sometimes be pushed to start from the point that you were reasonably aware of it.  For this amount of money you need to contact an attorney, you can't afford not to.  But the SOL shouldn't affect you especially since some of it was in the last 5 years.  Get an attorney and file a police report.

Tonight you need to freeze all your credit and accounts.


Title: Pulling out of my driveway is incredibly unsafe and makes me at fault for accidents...please help with a solution. [CA]

Question:
I live a couple of houses down from the corner of a extremely busy road. Cars pull into our street at 30+ mph. Because of trees there is no way to see a car coming until it is too late. Even if the trees were gone it would still be dangerous. Literally it is just a couple seconds before a car is in sight and almost hitting us.

Throughout the night, we hear cars screeching to a stop trying to avoid bears, cars, people... You can't see anything turning on to the street. Last month a car veered into my driveway and hit our tree. Would of totaled our car if it was there.

We've kept an eye on that corner the entire time whilst backing up and have still been hit. Better yet, the person who has hit us apologizes and knows it's their fault for not taking the corner slow.

The insurance on the other hand, does not. They say it's our responsibility to make sure it's safe to go. The car parked at my home is one of parents cars which my sister borrows. I wouldn't put my car there. But unfortunately, I end up paying for the $500 deductible when the inevitable happens and my sister  pays me back over time.

There is no where else to park. We've backed up into the driveway so we could pullout faster but that's just as dangerous and just as risky.

Most of my town is part of the National Forest, so even if you own your home you aren't allowed to cut a tree down or even trim it. I know people who had a $2,000+ fine for trimming trees on their property that they owned.

We don't know what to do. It's so dangerous. My 18 month old niece is in the back of the car when my sister backs up. I refuse to park there or pull out, but my sister has no choice since she has a toddler to take places and errands to run.

What can we do? Can we even do anything at all??

Thank you.

Answer: Your solution is probably going to have have to be political rather than legal. You can try to petition local government to put a stop sign there or trim the tree.


Title: My employer has my coworkers and I split 40-50% of our tips with the kitchen staff, whom makes a higher wage than us hourly. Is this legal?

Question: My employer has my coworkers split 40-50% of the accumulated tips with the kitchen staff. Mind you, the kitchen staff makes more hourly than we do. Our hourly wage is 10.50. I'm wondering if the handling is illegal, we drop the cooks tips in a safe at night,  they have to spilt them all at the end of the week, where we take our tips home nightly. Also, should they be receiving tips at all? I live in California San Diego.

Answer:
 That is illegal. Tips can only be shared with bussers and bartenders. Management and kitchen staff cannot share tips.

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/california-laws-tipped-employees.htmlAnswer #2: In The Russian Federation, the sharing of tips is a hold over tradition from socialist days under the Soviets and actually encouraged. To help your comrades within your business is to be admired and celebrated. Answer #3: This is legal in the 9th Circuit (which includes California), provided that managers aren't sharing in the tip pool.

Edit: I did not realize the 9th Circuit had just reversed itself. Disregard my incorrect statement.


Title: Dating app said she was 18

Question: I have been talking to a girl on an 18 and up dating sight. We moved the conversation to text and the conversation turned more intimate and pictures were sent. Later the girls father messages me telling me he is going to pursue legal channels. How screwed am I

Answer:
 This is a very common scam. There is no girl. Block and ignore. Answer #2: Yeah, the other people are right, this question gets posted almost once or twice a day here.

You were sexting with the guy who called you, sorry about that. But he won't go to the police because there's no girl and he's a scammer, probably from another country.

Beware, it's common for these scammers to also pretend to be police or lawyers, you can tell it's fake because they're asking for money.

Do you really think if someone caught their underage daughter flirting with strangers online they would call those strangers and start demanding money? totally fake.


Title: Team USA Triathlete Just got assaulted while riding my bike on a training ride. Help!

Question:
I was riding in the bike lane down a street. Car pulls over and stops in the bike lane right in front of me. I slam on brakes tapping into the back of it. I gesticulate my frustration (ironically couldn't flick him off as I was wearing mittens) he gets out of the car and comes at me. I back up worried about his size as he was easily 6'3" - 6'5" . He hit me and threw my bike down on the ground (this is a $7,000+ bike). I have multiple witnesses and he drove off after hitting me 2 times. I dialed 911 immediately on a girl who witnessed it phone. Police officer happened to pass by and  she went looking but couldnt find him. I have his license plate number, witness number, and a file with the police dept., how can I proceed? How would I bring him to civil trial or otherwise? Please help?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Let the police do their work; with luck, the plate number and vehicle description will result in them locating the individual involved.

From there you can likely pursue a criminal complaint (for assault), and you'll have the suspect's information to pursue a civil complaint (assault, possibly battery). Consult with an attorney once the suspect has been identified - someone specializing in personal injury is your best bet.

Collect information that shows any damage done (to you or your property) - get estimates on what it will cost to repair your bike, keep copies of all hospital bills/charges/etc you had to pay as a result of being assaulted. Those will be useful going forward.


Title: Purchased a unit in a condo 18 months ago. Management now wants to evict my pet, are they right? (Ontario, CA)

Question:
3 times a year management enters each unit in the building for annual maintenance of things - A/C, inspection of smoke alarms, and pest control.
After today's visit I received a call from the property manager informing me that I am in violation of the corporations pet policy and that I have 30 days to find her a new home or I will face legal action. Why wasn't this done earlier?

The rules and bylaws concerning pets and animals that I received as part of the status certificate said that there is NO cats, dogs, reptiles, and rodents allowed. Even when visiting, not allowed. To my understanding, that is 2 specific animals (cats and dogs) and 2 types of animals  (reptiles and rodents) that are not allowed. In law wording is everything and nowhere in the rules does it say No animals of any kind allowed.

I have a small pet parrot and from my research into biology, I learned that birds are descendants of reptiles that have since evolved into their own animal category, Aves. Also the definition of reptiles describes them as cold blooded, birds are not.

I don't want to get into a legal fight with the management but at the same time will not allow someone to bully me into finding a new home for my pet which I committed to provide for and care. If it comes down to it, what type of lawyer should I hire? Would I win in court? What do I do now?

Thank you for the advice.

I am in Ontario, Canada.

Edit: Thank you very much guys, very useful information! I plan on putting together a package with arguments and evidence supporting my case and submitting it to management. I feel I have a winnable case and do intend to lawyer up and fight it if there's still a disagreement afterwards, which I will also make very clear.

Answer:
 Is this Ontario, California, USA or Ontario, Canada?Answer #2: I think you're mixing some terms here. You are a condo owner, and it *sounds like* the HOAs management company is telling you you're in violation of the HOAs bi-laws on pets.

It sounds like the bi-laws suggest the condo owners cannot have pets in their units, and you're trying to say that your parrot doesn't fit the definition of a pet per the HOAs bi-laws. Have you pointed this out to the management company?


Title: [CA] Sexting question. (Paroniod)

Question: Hello so me and this random girl met on kik. She told me she was 16 (my age). And she lived in SC.  Stupidly we exchanged pictures. I did not include my face in it but she did. She hasn't threatened me or anything I'm just worried that I will get introuble and go down as a sex offender.

Answer:
 >  I'm just worried that I will get introuble and go down as a sex offender.

Then you should stop sending out and receiving child pornography.


Title: Need help with a threatening sex provider (Alberta Canada)

Question: Hey reddit. I'm in Canada, so different laws up here about this stuff. I recently saw a provider, and everything went well at the time. We were doing our thing and then she said to do anal. I asked about the price and she said later and told me to go ahead, so I did. She texts me today saying that I owe her an extra 100$ for the anal, and if I don't pay by tomorrow, she will send me to collections. She has.my phone number, and first name, but that's it. What can I do about this? I don't have the money to pay her and I don't want my credit screwed over by some bogus collections claim.

Answer: So prostitution is a legal business in Canada?


Title: (Belgium)My nephew ( 13-17) abused my daughter (from the age of 6-10)

Question:
I am using a throwaway and I will refer to the abuse as 'abuse'. We are talking about it in a sexual way but I don't want this post to be deleted.

My brother, 'John' has a son, let's call him Ken. Ken is 6-7 years older than my adopted daughter Tina, who has been my daughter since she has been 3 months old.
Tina is now 20 and Ken is now 26. However, 10 years ago, Tina told me Ken had touched her in certain places, she was 10 and he was 17.She didn't want to talk about it and referred to it as a one time thing.

I called Ken, told him how dissapointed I was. His parents punished him and he had to apologize to Tina over the phone. For years that had been the story. They always interacted normally.
In a certain moment my ex wife, Tina's mom, found out and got furious. They took it way too serious I thought.

Our families got into a war, and sadly Tina became the victim. I tried to take my own life because of an argument we had had over Ken. I had sided with my family, that I did not want any police involved, it was 2 years later. My brother told Tina that it was her fault I had tried to kill myself and made her apologize.

I was not a good father at that time. I was emotionally abusive for years and now, after years of therapy I realise what an ass I was. The thing is, Tina and I drifted apart. She didn't call me dad anymore, sometimes didnt talk to me for 6 months (after me doing someting stupid). Often my ex referred to Ken, as the real reason, I never knew why.

Tina and I went for a drive today. We had a long chat about things. She told me that what Ken had done had hurt her, that she was mad he had gotten away so easily. I answered, 'You are right, I am just so glad it only happend once'.

She looked surprised, she told me, no, it hadn't happend once. It had been ging on for 4 years. From when she was 6 till 10. Ken was 13 till 17 years old. She also told me Ken had tried something with her male cousin who was 7 at the time, that he had tried to include him in the abuse aswell.
It makes sense. He was 16 and still playing with his 9 year old niece, as in playing playstation, having sleepovers (in the same bed), he was often alone with her. I know she hasn't been lying.
Ken has been quite abusive towards women. He feels better than them. 'Women can't drive','women can't cook', etc. He doesn't treat his own wife with respect.

He was a monitor for disabled children when he was 18 and now has 2 baby boy

Are there any legal actions possible?

Answer:
 > Are there any legal actions possible?

Call the police.


Title: Is it legal to sell a police door ram if they left it at your house?

Answer: No, because it’s not yours, but it is funny.


Title: ESA

Question: [MN] currently renting a privately owned duplex. I’ve been thinking more and more about getting an emotional support animal and my doctor supports this. Do I need to let my landlord know? I know MN is part of the fair housing law but since it is privately owned and I deal directly with my landlord can he kick me out or say no on the animal?

Answer:
 > Do I need to let my landlord know?

Absolutely yes.

Does your landlord live on the other side of the duplex? Is that the only property they own?Answer #2: Until or unless you provide documentation of the ESA to your landlord, you don't have an ESA.  You have a pet.  And you can be evicted for having a pet.


Title: Daughter is with an abusive guy, how can I get her and my grandkids away ?

Question:
She is 33, college educated, 3 kids. Thinks she can ‘help’ this guy stop being abusive. Won’t listen to me. Takes his side, tells me I have ‘no right’ to tell her who can come into her house. I
 live w her, take care of kids, help with bills. There have been two episodes of physical abuse. I don’t want there to be a third. Is there any suggestions from anyone that can help me to help her see that this is not going to get better but only worse? She filed a police report last time, then did not go in for the court hearing. He got community service, according to her

Answer:
 You have a relationship problem, not a legal problem. Your daughter, for all that you love her and all that you want the best for her, is well within her rights to stay with an abuser if that's what she wants to do. Any advice on how to get her to see things your way is going to amount to advice on communicating, not advice on the law.

As for your grandkids, if you believe they're in danger, you can call CPS. CPS will generally try to work with the parents if possible, and it won't exactly be a secret who called them, but if she's not protecting her kids, they'll protect her kids from her - using the full weight of the legal system, if necessary.

You can always withdraw your support, though. She's an adult, and is responsible for herself. You've done your part by making sure she sees adulthood with the best you can give her, and nobody will fault you if you can't, for personal reasons, support the life she's chosen for herself.


Title: Can I sue my ex-girlfriend for posting my HIV status in Facebook?

Question: My ex-girlfriend has posted on Facebook telling everyone that I am HIV positive. This post is essentially ruining my life. I may lose my job and I will probably end up moving out of town. I will be honest, I did not tell her about being HIV positive, which I now see was a very selfish thing to do. However, my viral load is undetectable so she was not at risk, and we are in CA, so it was not illegal to withhold the information. I have called the police, who have done nothing, and reported her for harassment on FB but the post has still not been removed. Please help me figure out what my next steps are legally.

Answer:
 If her statement is true, there is very little you can do legally.  While you were not required to share your status with her, she has a right to tell whomever she pleases.

Your best bet is to follow up with Facebook and hope they will remove the post.Answer #2: As long as what she is saying is true you don't have any recourse. This isn't a police issue.


Title: [Wisconsin and Hawaii] My cousin-in-law faked his death. He was found living in Hawaii using the identity of a dead person.

Question: This honestly feels like something out of TV and my wife and her family are in complete disbelief. It looked like her died. We all thought that and so did the police and the government. He had been married for a year and his wife was pregnant. He was declared legally dead, his wife has gotten remarried and her new husband adopted her daughter. We live in Wisconsin but he's now been found living in Hawaii under the name of a dead person. He took that person's SSN, DOB and everything and was living as him with property and bank accounts and a new wife under that name. This is completely nuts. None of us knew, everyone thought he was dead. What's the legal implication of this if he didn't take any more and just left? Sorry if this question seems out there or weird, I don't really know what else to say.

Answer:
 I just read a [similar story](http://www.cbsnews.com/news/ancestry-com-bust-dad-stole-dead-mans-id-in-20-year-ruse-cops-say/) the other day, and they charged the guy with using false identity documents.

Being out of communication is not, in itself, a crime. But deceiving authorities so they believe you're dead certainly is. Stealing an identity and presenting yourself to the government as someone else is definitely illegal, and not supporting your child has consequences too. If there was a life insurance policy, that will also be an issue. And not paying taxes all those years. Also bigamy (marrying more than one person) is illegal.Answer #2: How did he fake his death? Who identified the body? Did his wife see a body? Was there a funeral and burial?Answer #3: Seems to be the day for this sort of story https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/07/24/he-left-his-family-then-he-started-a-new-one-using-a-dead-mans-identity-police-say/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories-2_mm-identity-1225pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory

And that story indicates at least one charge on the table: fraudulent user of personal identification.


Title: Potentially illegal and super sketcy solution to the new salary law (FLSA) for a pretty unique sitution - please help, my friend is getting screwed.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Location matters.

> Basically the school doesn't want to / can't afford to make people salaried at the new level, and so are knocking them to hourly, AND putting severe limitations on their hours, i.e. no unapproved overtime.

Perfectly legal. They can limit her hours to any number they like, and fire her for working more than that. She still has to be paid overtime for any hours she does end up working.

> told her they could change her classification and try and make it sound like an educaitonal job (its not!!!!!!!) and be exempt from that law.

Educational/teaching responsibilities have a fairly broad definition in this context. What does she do as an assistant coach? See [here](https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/final2016/highered-guidance.pdf):
> Athletic coaches employed by higher education institutions may qualify for the teacher exemption. Teaching may include instructing student-athletes in how to perform their sport.

Setting up drills, running practices, etc would generally count AFAIK.


Title: Wife was screwed over by her employer and I'm unsure if we have any grounds for any kind of legal recourse

Question: [deleted]

Answer: That is too much for me to read right now.  Unless she had a contract (doubtful), was in a union, was talking about forming a union, was headed out on military leave, or was talking about salaries, she can be fired for almost any reason that is not illegal discrimination.


Title: My girlfriends co worker brought out of work issues and drama into work and now her job has taken her off the schedule and kept her co worker on the schedule

Question: My girlfriend and her coworker had a dispute over a dog that was given to my girlfriend complete with a bill of sale. Her coworker basically tried to pressure her into selling the dog and began making claims that her apartment is to small for the dog (which is a female Chinese Havanese) and that her other dog (shitzu male) in her words “will rape” the new dog. Her and her co worker got into an argument outside of work and the next day had to work together just the two of them. Before that shift me and my girlfriend had a talk about how she should leave everything outside of work and to just act professional but quickly into the shift she realized her coworker was abusing her power and was intentionally making work harder for her and even invited a few friends into the store to further harass her. Eventually they got into an argument and a few police officers who happened to be in the store stepped in to try and smooth things out. Her coworker ended up calling some higher ups and complained and now my girlfriend is having to take previously scheduled shifts off and had to go home early from the current shift meanwhile her coworker has continued working since. Although this was all escalated by her coworker she has been the one paying for it financially because they won’t allow her to take more shifts while allowing the coworker to maintain working. What can she do about this and are they violating any laws by taking her out of work? If this helps it is in Washington state.

Answer: She had a mutual dispute with a co-worker and is being constructively fired for it. That's legal and there is no action to take.


Title: Is there any possible action I could take to stop/punish a single company's logging trucks driving 90+ mph on a 35mph stretch of road?

Question:
I just moved. I have a baby and a cat I am too scared to let outside because of these multi-ton semis loaded with logs driving by so fast they shake the house.

What can/should I do about it?

Edit: this is in Maine

Answer:
 Contact the police department, ask for a supervisor, and make a compliant.

If that doesn't work, contact your local elected officials (by phone or by going to a meeting) and complain there.  One of those two should be able to take care of the issue.

Having said all that, I have responded to similar complaints before.  While I don't doubt that the trucks are loud and driving too fast, I have to say that the odds of a truck as heavy as a loaded logging truck is being able to successfully maintain a 90+ MPH speed through a 35 MPH area are pretty slim.  It would take them a VERY long time to stop at stop signs/lights and would pose an *extreme* hazard to safety.

That's not something that the police are just going to blow off.

50 MPH?  Maybe.

A LITERAL 90+ MPH?  I think there is nearly zero chance they are that fast.Answer #2: Contact the police and let them know. They can hang out and ticket people. Contact your local gov (city/county board) about putting in stop signs or speed bumps