Title: Artwork lost while being displayed in restaurant (TX).

Question:
Back in October, my wife left some framed original art pieces that she made with a local restaurant.  They are a relatively new, hipster-y place that displays local artwork, selling the pieces in exchange for a 30% fee.  My wife spoke with the art curator at the time (B).  He took three pieces from my wife, showed her where they would be hung on the wall, and told her she would be contacted if any pieces sold.  She did not get anything in writing, as she had displayed pieces in many other places before, with no problems.

Fast forward to this past week.  She had not heard anything from the restaurant for months, and decided to pick up her pieces and display them somewhere else.  She contacted the guy who she originally spoke with.  No response.  She went to the restaurant and met with the manager.  She informed my wife that the art curator she had dealt with was no longer employed by the restaurant, and that the new art curator had contacted all artists and advised them to come pick up their pieces.  My wife said she was never contacted and had not picked up her pieces.  The employees could not locate any of her pieces on the walls or in any storage areas.  My wife showed them pics of the pieces, and the manager said she did remember seeing one of them displayed.  She said she would contact the art curator and get back to my wife.

Today, my wife received an email from the manager, who said she spoke with art curator.  According to her, nobody remembers her artwork, nobody has her info, nobody knows anything.  She said that my wife needs to contact the former employee and ask him where her art is.

My wife is livid, especially from the "dismissive" email the manager sent, basically stating that it's my wife's problem.  My wife has texts indicating that she was going to drop off art at the restaurant, but nothing else showing any art was dropped off or who it was given to.  We never go to that restaurant, so she never took pics of her art hanging on the walls either.  And now the manager is making it pretty obvious that she doesn't care and doesn't plan on doing right by my wife.  My wife emailed her back, reminding the manager that she "remembered" seeing one of the pieces on the wall, which she will most likely backpedal and say she was mistaken.

My question is: what recourse do we have?  If the restaurant decides that my wife is making the whole thing up, what do we do? The former employee is MIA, and there is no other record of the missing artwork.  I said we should call the cops, as apparently the art was stolen if it's not there.  We are meeting with the manager again on Monday, so I'm just wanting to get some insight into what other options we have.

Answer: Five bucks get you ten that the ex-curator took some parting gifts on his last day.Answer #2: Maybe check posts tagged at that restaurant on Instagram and other social media.  You might be able to see it in the background and get an idea of what its date of disappearance was.  Answer #3: Small claims courtAnswer #4: You could sue the restaurant for the value of the artwork if it comes down to it.   Easiest solution would be to negotiate a settlement with the manager that includes a partial payment.   When you meet if you appear reasonable and calm and explain avoiding litigation will be cheaper for both sides.  Be prepared emotionally to take a haircut on the value if you settle.


Title: Nightmare Neighbors asking to see my security footage, claim that someone put sugar in their car's gas tank (Houston, Texas)

Question: Feel free to check my prior posting to see how awful these people are. Today my husband got a text from them claiming someone put liquid sugar in their gas tank. I really don't believe anything they say. They are prone to lying about everything and anything. I told him to file a police report and have the police contact me regarding the footage. They claim they haven't done that. None of this makes sense and since you guys are much smarter than me, are they trying to pull anything and do I have to show them the footage?

Answer:
 >do I have to show them the footage?

Unless you are subpoenaed by a lawyer or given a warrant by the police for the footage, you are under no obligation to show themAnswer #2: My thinking is that they want to see what is seen in your camera's field of viewAnswer #3: In the absence of a subpoena or a warrant, you don't have to show anyone anything. You would not be breaching any legal duty to your neighbour if your answer was a blunt "no."

I can't imagine what they're up to, and it's not obvious to me that providing footage could hurt you, but if you don't trust them, I don't see why you should put yourself out.Answer #4: "No" is a complete sentence.

"No, because you're assholes and the cameras are there so I can document your crazy" is also a complete sentence if you prefer.

You have to do literally nothing for them unless compelled by police/court order/etc. Answer #5: You don't have to show him shit.

You DO have to show it to a lawyer if subpoenaed or the police if they get a warrant. I'd extend a bit of an olive branch here and tell them that if they get a police report and provide you with a copy, you'd be happy to provide the relevant section of the footage directly to the police (NOT the asshole neighbors.)Answer #6: Okay so is it bad that I’m looking at this worst case scenario and, what if they want to see the tape because they want to see if they were on it when they did something bad...


Title: Colorado- Unauthorized medical tests

Question:
I am a 30/f in Colorado.  I am pregnant in my third trimester and just transferred to a new provider due to moving from out of state. I just got notice of an HIV test and its results. I gave blood for a glucose test and never consented to an HIV test. I received the results for the HIV test as well as my glucose test the same day. I was never informed of any possibility of an HIV test and feel violated.
I am not sure of the laws in Colorado and my search has come up completely confusing results.  Did they do anything illegal? What should my next step be?

Answer: Feel violated how?  Monetarily or personally.   Personally as long as it isn't at cost to you I'm not really sure what the problem is.


Title: Lincoln, Nebraska renter: Lived in a brand new apartment as its first renter. Upon moving out was charged 770 dollars in damages for 7 floor tiles. Now they have contacted me again and have jump the price to 1500. What kind of legal help should i contact for a consultation.

Question:
Title pretty much sums it up. I lived in a brand new apartment in Lincoln Nebraska for 2 years. It was a great stay and i got along with management very well. Upon moving out it was noted that i had scratched several linoleum floor titles (they are the ones that look like real wood but are not). Originally i was to pay 770.00$ in damages (250.00 for other things that i already confirmed, cleaning, tub repair, ect.) I was unhappy but i payed in full. Now they are contacting me a month later and telling me that they forgot to add a number of things to the charges. Now the total has jumped to 1470.00. I disagree with the cost of this but am unsure how to proceed. Is there specific legal consultant i should be contacting or can any generic lawyer help me?

UPDATE: So i talked to a local Lawyer recommended to me by the V.A. (am a veteran) They told me to get all the information i could about what they were charging me. Specific hours, how many people worked, what did the apartment do, pictures, part numbers and quantity of parts used. Ect. So showed up at the place and have a very nice talk with the landlady, they have always been polite at the least. They informed me the new cost as of today was now 1800.00$. I informed them i would have to consult with my lawyer on how i was going to approach this and wished them a good day. As soon as they heard i "lawyered up" she told me she would talk to her manager about what they could do to avoid it. Not 4 hours later i get a call from them saying they are dropping all additional charges to the account and zeroing it out. Thanks for the advice guys.

Answer:
 My interpretation under [Nebraska 76-1416](http://www.nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=76-1416), is to go pound sand.

>The balance, if any, and a written itemization shall be delivered or mailed to the tenant within fourteen days after demand and designation of the location where payment may be made or mailed. Answer #2: Ask for a breakdown of the charges. They should be able to produce proof that your damages to the apartment cost them $1470.Answer #3: Wouldn't a few scratched floor tiles be considered "wear and tear" ?


Title: Neighbor problems

Question:
Washington State.
A year or maybe 2 ago 2 men bought a house on the street one over from us.  We noticed that when they walked their Rottweiler along our property line, if our dog was in our yard the men used it as a kind of training session for their dog. My dog would run along the fence, and the man would aggressively make his dog ignore it, even while walking next to the fence.  So we closed that part of our yard off to our dog.  Some time after that, one of the men came to my door and said that my dog was out of the yard and had bitten him.  I did not see my dog leave the yard.  He said he was "not cool" with it but left. I did not see that he was bitten. He was walking fine.  I tried to give him our information and help, but he walked off.  About 20 minutes later both men came to my house.  They walked into the yard where the dog he said had bitten him was. He ignored the 'Beware of dog' sign. He was upset and yelling, the dog was barking, I asked him to step out of the yard with me to talk, away from the dog. I did not want to invite them into my house.  I was alone.  The men took my request in a negative light, then yelled that they were calling their attorney.  Which they did, along with the police and animal control. I mentioned to the police  about the fence training sessions, about the same time both men drove  by the house. I pointed that out, and the officer told them to stop walking by our fence, to not drive past our house.

We had to quarantine the dog and pay fines. We turned it over to our homeowners insurance, which paid the claim.

Yesterday I was out in the yard, with my husband. Husband was out by the street. One of the men walked by and he said "Aren't you going to say hello?" in a menacing way. Husband did not respond.  Man asked again.  I had walked to the driveway by then.  Man turned to me and told me there was a restraining order against me. Husband told him to leave.  He  He began to berate us for being "losers," etc.  Removed his Rottweiler's leash.  We went back to our house.

So my questions: I would have been notified if someone made a complaint against me, wouldn't I?  If there was some kind of restraining order, wouldn't he also be restricted from contacting me?  I have never been to his house, I have never tried to contact him. Since the dog incident, we never have walked down his street.  I would like the same in return.  I have 2 kids who walk the dog.  They also never walk on the men's street.
Should I do anything?  I would like to be able to walk my dog in my neighborhood, and for my kids to be able to do the same.

It probably has no bearing, but I have PTSD, anxiety and agoraphobia. I stay home a lot.  I don't want conflict at my home, which is my sanctuary.  Thank you.

Answer: If he actually had a restraining order against you, you would have been served some sort of paperwork. I mean, how are you supposed to know not to contact him if you never see any paperwork? Answer #2: You really should consider getting some cameras to record around your house, the sooner the better. Answer #3: It may be worth considering calling the police and having them come out have them speak with your neighbors. And perhaps it's possible for you to get a restraining order against them.


Title: USA - MD: Landlord told my wife that we will have to pay for a new carpet when we move out because of support animal.

Question:
USA - Maryland

We live in a rental house that had a no-pets policy. During our stay, my wife needed to get an emotional support animal due to sexual assault resulting in CPTSD.

Her therapist prescribed her a cat (something about exposure therapy using safe space - and she grew up around multitudes of cats). Whenever she's having an attack, the cat calms her down in seconds.

As a fair notice, we told the rental agency that we need to get my wife's "prescription animal". The lady manager went off on my wife about how cats destroy houses and how she should just get a dog and keep it outside etc. As much as this makes my blood boil, I don't want to get into an argument with the landlord. What I'm worried about is that she said that when we move out she will charge us for a new carpet.

Now this cat is very well behaved. Never scratches the carpet and she's never left alone for more than 2 hours a day. She has a scratchpad. From what I am reading, the landlord may charge for an ESA in case of "undue financial hardships".

What constitutes this hardship? Can we be forced to pay for a new carpet out of our deposit of $1400?

Thank you and sorry if it's a stupid question!

EDIT: some details - carpet is in excellent condition. We only moved in 6 months ago. We plan to move out in 6 more months (1 year)
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 A landlord can charge for damages regardless of whether the animal is an ESA or not.

Cats are also substantially more destructive - especially those with indoor litterboxes - than dogs. Remediation of an apartment that had cats that disposed of waste indoors is substantially more expensive than a dog that goes outdoors. Carpets will be more expensive to remediate than tile.

If the carpets require steam cleaning or replacement, then you can be charged for this.Answer #2: She can charge you for any damages that the cat causes.


Title: What happens if an identical twin commits a murder?

Question: Inspired by someone question about a paternity issue.  What if an identical twin commits a murder, goes home to the house he shares with his twin? He was seen and can be identified.  He left DNA at the scene.  But by the time the police arrive, both twins are at the door and there is no physical evidence to pin the crime on one of them.  Witnesses state that only one person committed the crime, so they didn't both participate.

Answer:
 Lots of identical twins have observably different DNA.

If there is not enough evidence to convict either of them beyond a reasonable doubt, then no one gets convicted.


Title: What happens to a child who is with someone taken into custody by ICE? (Austin, TX)

Question:
I have a family member who is an undocumented immigrant. This person frequently watches my toddler son. I am very worried because of the ICE crackdown in my town. They have taken a lot of non criminals just minding their own business.

What would happen to my son if he was with my relative while they were apprehended? Would he be taken somewhere by ICE or would a social worker be called to the scene or would they call me immediately to come pick him up?  I'm just worried about him being in a traumatizing situation as he is very afraid of strangers and I know how slow bureaucracy works. Is it possible he'd be in custody overnight while they located me?

I'm in the really terrible position of trying to decide if we should not leave my son alone with this relative, who I know he loves very much but I am scared.

Answer:
 Make sure your family member knows his or her rights. Here's a handy dandy illustration from the ACLU of what to do if ICE shows up at their door. Long story short, DO NOT open the door unless they show you a warrant (they should slide it under the door so you can see if it mentions your name or address).

https://pics.onsizzle.com/if-immigration-agents-show-up-at-your-door-dont-open-14873725.png


Title: [IN] Someone we work with filed a chapter 7 bankruptcy and we got the noticed today, but we received a lab case from them yesterday. What can we do?

Question:
I really don't know how much info I can really give out but I work at a dental lab and one of the people we work with filed a chapter 7. We got the letter today stating we can't go after him for any debt now. (He owes a lot still) but we picked up a new dental case from him yesterday. (worth $700)

I need to talk to him tomorrow about what to do with this. So I'm asking here if is it ok to talk about payment of this lab case (since it's after his filing date) if we continue on with the work? We can't really do it for free....
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Was the chapter 7 for this person individually, like "Thomas Tooth,", or was it for a business he operated, like "Divine Dentistry, PC" (professional corporation)?  Is it possible that the recent order is from a new corporate entity that he has created?  These details are important - normally a Chapter 7 means that a business is ceasing to operate (when it's filed for a business).  If the person or entity that filed bankruptcy is the same person or entity that has placed a fresh order from you, there are some bankruptcy rules that may keep you from cutting off credit.  If the person or entity that placed this order is a "new" customer (if, for example, the dentist just set up a new corporation), then it's reasonable for you to treat them like you would any other new customer, which might include credit references, a deposit in advance, or a personal guarantee from the principal of the business.   Take a close look at those details and post a follow up, please.

For the record, I'm not a lawyer.

I'm editing to add - when you look at your notice, can you tell the date that the bankruptcy was filed?  Failing that, when you look at the postmark on the envelope, was the notice mailed before you received the new order for lab work?  I'm asking because it is potentially significant if the recent order was made before the bankruptcy petition was filed or after the bankruptcy petition was filed.


Title: My (17) boyfriend (15) sent me a dick pic without telling me in advance. We’re both minors. Could I get in trouble for this?

Question: I’m gay, and I was talking over Instagram messages with my boyfriend, when out of nowhere he sent me a picture of his penis. It’s gone now (it was one of those photos where you open it and then it disappears), i didn’t take a screenshot or anything, and I’m just trying to move on from it. But I worry, could I (or he) get in trouble for it if I just leave it in the past? I don’t mind being sent that picture, but I worry because we’re minors so I don’t want it to be classified as child pornography. I never have and never would send something of that nature myself, but I’m worried about what may happen in the future. Once again, I’m just trying to leave it in the past and move on. Am I in trouble? Is he in trouble?

Answer: Frankly I would delete and block. It’s either 1. He’s Legit but it could still get you in serious trouble. He ignored your boundaries. Or 2 a catfish who is looking to blackmail you or 3. Police trying to bait pedophiles. None of these options is good.


Title: Filial responsibility laws - Pennsylvania

Question:
Hello all,

Looking for preventative advice.  Filial responsibility laws is Pennsylvania are in question and i have a aging parent that lives there, but I never lived with growing up, or have had contact with in about 25 years.

What, if anything, can I do to prevent being hit with anything if this parent racks up care debt?  Honestly, I hate this parent so much, i would let them die in a ditch on the side of the road before I paid a dime, but that doesn't hold any legal weight.

Any way to protect myself and my assets?

Answer:
 OP, you should consult a local attorney familiar with these laws.  They can advise you about what assets might be exempt (such as savings for your own retirement).

Keep in mind the enforcement of these laws is still infrequent and sporadic, and may not actually require you to pay for care as much as assisting your relative in applying for government assistance they may be eligible for.


Title: Should I blow the whistle on my employer?

Question:
I work at a defense contractor that regularly works with the DoD. At a recent meeting, it slipped that the way some of our clients can access our internal network over the open web is illegal (what with the classified doodads). They reacted strongly enough to make me think it's a big deal. The people there are upper management enough to know better, but not executives.

I'm considering consulting a lawyer who specializes in the field of I can find one. Is this something worth pursuing?

Answer: There is an anonymous whistle blower hotline for defense industry employees. It should be posted somewhere at your work or check the DOD website


Title: Hit by a Semi, Semi not at fault, Insurance won't help... [NJ, US]

Question:
My friend got into an accident with a Semi about three months ago on the NJ Turnpike. He was merging into a lane from the left, and didn't see the semi truck somehow. His car got knocked off the road. Pretty bad damage to the passenger side of his vehicle. He came out in one piece. No visible damage to the semi. State troopers responded to the scene and said they would issue a report.

He got the report last night and was also issued a ticket separately for improper merging. He never actually received the ticket since they did the investigation afterwards. Police determined that he was at fault for merging improperly. I recommended that he contact his insurance for them to handle and determine who's at fault because police investigations aren't final. His insurance, a small local firm in North Carolina, said that he should contact the other parties insurance because he only has liability insurance. They said this both times he called.

A few problems:

1. Police determined he was at fault, so shouldn't his insurance work to resolve the issue?

2. He does not have the other parties insurance information. State troopers wouldn't let them approach one another at the scene and they did not communicate with one another beforehand. Isn't his insurance supposed to work to obtain that information at the very least?

3. Even if he obtains the other parties insurance information. What is he supposed to do? Give them his insurance information?

4. What happens if he doesn't take any action?

Apologies for any potential formatting issues, on mobile.

Answer:
 Police don't determine fault.  If the semi owner comes after the friend for damages, the insurance company will defend them.

But since they only have liability, the insurance company won't fight the cover their car's damages.


Title: Might have been tricked into renouncing my next of kin rights?

Question:
My father whom lived on the other side of the US and whom I had little contact with, died a few months back, and one of his sisters sent me this to sign. I talked with her on the phone a bit too. The letter was signed and I mailed it back to her, and reads as follows:

"I, (my real name), next of kin of the above decedent, late of (real county's name)county, do hereby renounce my right of administration upon the estate of the said deceasd, and request the appointment of (my father's sister's name)."

The top of the right of the paper said "Renunciation For Administration". I only noticed because I had copies printed before sending just in case, but I think renounce means to give up rights of inheritance..? This is kinda weird. Any thoughts?

Answer: Renouncing your right to manage the estate doesn’t mean you are renouncing your right to any inheritance, it just means you are giving up your right to be the one in charge of distributing the assets.  That said, you shouldn’t be signing things you don’t understand.  If you have questions about it you should talk to an attorney in the state where your father passed away.


Title: Father wont follow the custody agreement (Coldwater, Michigan)

Question:
I'll keep this simple. In the custody papers regarding my neohew it states my sister get my nephew for half the summer and the father is refusing to let him come or her to come get him

Is the only thing we can do is file for contempt of court or can we go with an officer and retrieve him? Wanting to know before we make the trip

Answer: Unless the child is in danger the police are unlikely to forcibly remove the child.  Contempt is the proper avenue.


Title: Left my phone in the lunchroom to charge. Someone accessed it (was unlocked) and sent a sexually explicit text to my girlfriend. What should I do?

Question:
I've since locked my phone with a password. I realize this should always be the case but I got complacent with the idea that I could just leave my phone around and nobody would touch it.

I was wrong.

Yesterday I started my shift at 6pm. Plugged my phone into the charger in the lunchroom and went out to the warehouse floor. Came back at 8pm on my break to check my phone, realize there's a text sent at 6:53pm reading "So we getting some later?" sent to my girlfriend.

I reported it to my manager right away. From 6-8pm I was upstairs in the offices with my other 6pm-start co workers receiving safety training.

There is a shift that starts at 7pm and this is where my suspicions lie, but I also have 1 employee in the warehouse who I have a bad relationship with because of a past accident where he hit my truck with his and caused an accident. This guy doesn't like me and frequently gets in my way just because.

I don't know what to do. There are no cameras inside our lunchroom, but there are ones facing out of it.
The room also requires a punch-card to enter or leave.

I've sent an email to HR and they've told me they will investigate.

I don't know if this is overreacting or not.
The person who did this probably is someone I know well, BUT

They could have sent this text to my other boss who shares the same name as my current GF.
They could have text my mom, aunt, girlfriend's mom, female friends, etc.
They could have spouted racist crap to any one of my friends.
They had free range on my phone and could have done much more with little chance of ever getting caught.

What should I do? As mentioned already I will not be leaving my phone out anymore, and it's locked, like REALLY super locked with a password and a fingerprint requirement.

Also, is this the right sub? I have no idea so I'd like to apologize in advance. I didn't think /r/relationships was the correct area for this.

Edit: I realize now /r/legaladvice is not the right sub for this. I don't know if I'm just misunderstood but I'm canadian and I wasn't looking to sue somebody right off the bat like some of the comments seem to be suggesting...
Anyways, I've spoken with HR, and while this incident is inappropriate I'm locking my phone and moving on. There's 0 chance the dude gets caught which is shitty, but it is what it is.

Answer:
 > What should I do?

Get a sense of humor?

Serisouly tho. This isn't a legal issue. Yes, they may have "broken into your device" but exactly zero police officers will care. You have no damages, so there's nothing to sue for.

Move on, next time, lock your phone.


Title: I feel sexually harassed by my boss at work. Yesterday, he tried to kiss me in an elevator. Help.

Question:
So yesterday my boss tried to kiss me when we were alone in an elevator. To give some background info; I’ve worked for a small company (~15 people) in Nova Scotia, Canada for 5 years now and how my boss behaves towards me has gotten progressively more inappropriate. He’s always given me a creepy vibe (like tried to offer me a cash envelope, always tells me I’m beautiful and that he loves me like a sister) but I’ve done my best to brush it off because I otherwise love my job. He’s married with a daughter and I’m close to their family as well. Anyway, yesterday he asked me to go downstairs for a coffee. It’s not out of the norm, but I always dread being alone with him, because it creeps me out. So once we get into the elevator he leans in and kisses my cheek. I was visibly thrown off, but just kind of laughed awkwardly and changed the subject. We got our coffee, and I was dreading going back in the elevator because I felt like he was going to do it again. This time, he leans in and tries to kiss my mouth. I immediately retreated and said no and he stopped. I was in shock. I was shaking. He asked me into his office and he started saying how he meant it as a joke, and that he was sorry. I told him how uncomfortable it made me and make it clear that it was not welcome or appropriate. Today, I emailed him saying I was working from home. So far, he has called me 7 times, emailed me a GIF of flowers, told me not to ‘overthink’ what happened, and that it is the intention not the action that mattered, and his intention was ‘just a joke’. He keeps trying to downplay what happened, but I told him it didn’t change how I felt. I have absolutely zero feelings towards him, other than disgust. I really don’t know what to do because not only is it a small/ intimate company, he’s the president. Our HR consultant works remotely and reports to him so I don’t feel like I can go to her. I love my job, but it’s no longer worth the constant discomfort and fear I feel at work. I know he will not want me leaving the company, let alone for this reason, and will worry about what I could say about him. I also feel trapped by the fact that he is my only reference for future work (this is my first job out of college). If anyone has any advice on what I should, or shouldn’t, do I would appreciate it so much. Thanks for reading.

TL;DR: I have been sexually harassed by my boss and have no one to turn to. I am going to have to quit my (otherwise great) job because of it. Looking for advice.

Answer:
 First of all keep a record of everything he does. Keep all emails etc. Go to HR with documentation.

Edit: sorry just saw the HR works under him. That’s not great.


Title: My best friend just passed the bar

Question: I want to get him a gift that he could possibly use for a while if he wanted to. Are there any attorneys here that know about any products, that I could get him that will be long lasting and useful for him?

Answer:
 Stress gummies

A stress ball

Advil

Some melatonin

Blue light glasses


Title: Canadian resident, got sick in US (Cali) and went to hospital, hospital screwed up billing, now insurance won't cover it. Is there legal recourse?

Question:
My wife and I are both US Citizens who live in Canada on closed work-permits.

In 2013, we joined my family in Lake Tahoe, California for a family vacation. My wife got sick from the trip - elevation sickness and dehydration basically - and it got bad enough that we took her to the local ER.

We are both insured through our employer in addition to Canadian healthcare, so we actually have Global Medical Assistance through Great-West Life. We assumed we'd be fine. But unfortunately, we didn't have the right card with us on the trip to the ER (there's a special card we didn't know about) and they wouldn't accept our insurance, instead requiring that they send us a bill via post, then we would sort out with our insurance.

Fine, great, that sucks, but whatever. We return home and they send us the bill - $388. Our insurer required we pay upfront, then submit a claim for reimbursement. My wife pays the bill, submits to the insurance company, and after a brutally painful series of like twelve to twenty phone calls with people who don't know what they're doing, the claim is accepted and she is reimbursed.

Life goes on. Fast forward to last week, 2015.

My wife receives a notice in the mail from a collections agency in Israel for approximately $2300, listed to the same event back in 2013 at the Lake Tahoe ER. Obviously confused, she immediately calls the hospital and this is where it gets good.

(This is all according to the woman she spoke to) Apparently when you go to the ER, there are actually TWO bills. The doctors who work there basically work as freelancers and then there are operational costs of the ER. The hospital correctly sent ONE of those two bills. The other bill was not sent correctly - they somehow thought Ontario, California made more sense in the address field - and so it was outstanding for two years until just two weeks ago, when they sent it to a collections agency. They're not as dumb, so they quickly figured out we lived in Ontario, Canada and mailed correctly.

The rep at the hospital helped facilitate the cancellation of the collections request, but this meant there was still an outstanding balance of $1700 US. My wife paid it and her debt to the hospital is no more, but because we are now two years removed from the incident, our HR department has informed us that our insurer will not reimburse us for the claim because they would have only accepted that claim in the 2013 fiscal.

The hospital, meanwhile, admitted that this is entirely their boneheaded clerical error that is costing us $1700 US, but has not offered to cancel the debt or anything like that.

**TL:DR - We vacationed in the US, the hospital screwed up, now we can't get our money back and the hospital knows it's their fault but won't do anything about it.**

Is there any legal action we can take? Since this is the hospital's fault, it seems to me that they should refund that payment now since it was their error that caused this problem in the first place.

Thanks for your help, lawyers and lawyer-aspirants of Reddit.
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer: File anyway. The HR person may have been wrong. There may be a way to appeal the initial decision if they reject it because it's too old.


Title: Cut my mouth on a shard of glass found inside frozen burrito.  How do I proceed?

Question: I was on my lunch break at work and heated up a packaged chicken burrito that I had bought from the super market earlier this week. About half way through, i chomped into an inch long shard of glass buried inside the burrito. I cut my mouth, chipped my tooth and even swallowed shards of glass. It was extremely unpleasant and I am still in pain. I have already contacted the corporation but have not received a returned call from my voicemail. Any advice as to how I should handle this situation?

Answer:
 If you have swallowed glass you might want to first consider contacting a doctor.Answer #2: 1. Contact a doctor immediately
2. They will document all injuries.
3. If you still want to press charges then contact a personal injury lawyer if you don't have one already.
4. Your lawyer will then be able to assess the case and what to do next.
5. Profit.


Title: [USA] Want to casually ask a lawyer friend for advice, is there a disclaimer on my behalf I can say that his advice doesn't establish any type of relationship?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Nothing. Be a friend, he doesn't want to get involved. Respect that. He is an attorney, he knows how to protect himself but he chooses not to with you. Let it go. Find an attorney who is not your friend. Its like begging a doctor friend to take a look at a mole. If they say they won't, let it go. Doesn't matter why.


Title: Texas: I just got a note on my door that someone purchased my condo in a foreclosure auction.

Question:
So I own a condo, I paid for it in cash so no mortgage.  The only thing I have to deal with is HOA, in which I've been receiving receipts via e-mail monthly.  I had no idea my home was being foreclosed on, I supposed that may be my fault.  A while back I lost my keys, including mail.  As I do all my billing online and can communicate with HOA via e-mail I didn't worry too much.

The note just said they just purchased my condo through the auction and gave me a phone number asking how I'd want to deal with things.  What should I do first?  Any advice?  This was a real shock to me as I have the means to pay for anything I may owe.

Answer:
 Well, if you were properly notified and the foreclosure is valid, you may be out of luck here.

You need to call the number and get to the bottom of this ASAP. Answer #2: Something doesn't quite add up here. With no mortgage to speak of, are your property taxes paid and in good standing?  You should check this online or in person with your city, county or state as applicable.Answer #3: They can't just sell your condo at a foreclosure auction without having a trial first. That can happen pretty quickly if you do nothing to defend it, but a process server would have had to hand you papers informing you you're being foreclosed.

When a suit is filled, normally a Lis Pendens is recorded, which is a public document declaring to the world that the plaintiff is filling a claim against your condo.

Using the document you have, search for the docket of your foreclosure case online using the case number at your county's website. Search also by name and/or address.

Then search your county recorder's website for a Lis Pendens. Search using your name, and also by address. The Lis Pendens will normally have a case number written on it.

Also on that site, you'll find the deed that gave you ownership of the condo. So if you search by address, you'll see every recorded document related to your condo (every deed, every mortgage, every satisfaction of mortgage, etc). If there's a Lis Pendens, you'll see it there.

If you can't find anything, then this may be all b.s. and you still own your home. Also just try googling your home address and see what comes up. Good luck.


Title: take ex-wife to court, my name is still on house loan.

Question: We got divorced 5 years ago. it was a "good" divorce. She got the house and her things i got my car and my things. it was pretty straight forward. She eventually took me to court last year because of late payments on my car, she cosigned. She took me to court for contempt because it was hurting her credit. I tried refinancing the car several times but couldn't because my name was on the house. I finally got it done. But now i want to get a house or some land to build on. I'm still on the house loan and she has re-married. What would be the best way to go about handling this? I have a good job now and get paid well but having over 100k of debt still in my name isnt going to help me at all despite her having the house and responsibility of payments. Im not sure who i need to talk to as far as what type of lawyer or anything.

Answer:
 Your divorce agreement didn’t include any stipulation to refinance the home within a certain amount of time?

Did you have a divorce attorney?


Title: Are my parents required to take me to the doctor when i need to go and pay my medical bills or no?

Question:
17 year old and lives in IL USA
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 Stuff like this is very context-specific. Parents generally have the right to make medical decisions for their child - weather or not to vaccinate, circumcise, if they deem certain procedures medically unnecessary, ect.

This doesn't extend to life-saving care. A parent can't refuse to take their child to a hospital if they are bleeding to death, for example.
Answer #2: Unless it is life threatening, generally no. Answer #3: Any medical expenses that you do incur as a minor are the responsibility of your parents.


Title: Georgia: Two heads in an apartment bedroom

Question:
Hey everyone,
I'm looking to move in to an apartment (3 bed) with my girlfriend, a friend, and a random person. My girlfriend and I are hoping to share a room in this place, and I have just been told that it is illegal to have more than one head in a bedroom. This is an off campus apartment complex, and I am no longer a student. I am trying to find information about this without going to the apartment complex right now, since we haven't yet signed the lease. Any help is appreciated.

Answer: Some local municipalities have rules about # of unrelated occupants (especially in/near college towns). You need to check with your local occupancy laws.


Title: Advice on shoplifting

Question: I recently got caught stealing $100- (pretty sure it was $50) worth of stuff from a department store with my daughter. They had a cop come up and cite me and I now have court. I was not trespassed from the store. I have a previous petty theft charge from 2 years ago and wanted to know what I’m looking at option wise when I go to court.

Answer:
 NAL.

Imagine your first petty theft charge but worse.  You didn’t learn your lesson, the judge will hopefully teach you one.  I wouldn’t expect involving your daughter wins you any points either.


Title: Disability Services at University Refusing Accomodations (Tennessee)

Question:
I'm posting on the behalf of my SO.

Her psychiatrist has written her a prescription granting her extensions on papers and tests for several medical reasons, however, the University she attends is denying the requests for extensions. Instead they've given her "one hour of extra time on non test essays." When we confronted the the lady in charge of Disability Services at the school she told us that she couldn't allow the accommodations because it would "cause a domino effect, and then you would be back in a week to ask for more extensions."

I don't know anything about ADA or the laws regarding disability accomodations, but this feels really off to me. What are the legal requirements for schools to uphold for people with disabilities? If we continue to argue against this decision, do we have any ground to stand on?

Answer:
 IANAL but work at a college; spent 10+ years in Disability Services.

Does she have a 504 plan or IEP (Individualized Education Plan) from her high school? If she did, then the university is required to provide *fundamentally similar* but not necessarily identical accommodations, *as long as those accommodations are reasonable and do not place an undue burden on the university.* So, she might be entitled to an exam, proctored in the Disability Services office, at the same time as the same exam is given in the classroom, as long as the DS office is equipped and staffed to provide proctoring, and the professor agrees that such proctoring would not give the student an unfair advantage over the other students.

Generally, extensions on papers/homework won't go beyond a week after the initial due date, as that places an unreasonable burden on the professor to read, grade, and record grades for late work. However, this will need to be sorted out with each individual professor, depending on the way they structure their coursework.

If the essays are assigned and completed/submitted online, for example, an extra hour may be considered reasonable in order for the professor to continue with their workflow within a reasonable timeframe. Extensions may be denied altogether if there is a 'timed' aspect to the essay (EG: You have 45 minutes to define a social problem and propose a solution).

Answer #2: She has to be given reasonable accommodations. It may not be reasonable for her to have an extension on every exam and assignment.


Title: Transferred money

Question: A money transfer bank's computer in one country accidentally transferred money twice to my bank in another country. Now they are asking for the extra back.  How do I stand if I keep it, as it's their error.

Answer:
 You don't. This isn't Monopoly. Bank errors are never in your favor.

Transfer the funds back.


Title: Being semi harassed by a family and got a plot twist with it

Question:
I've been getting several calls over the past week or so from a different area code. I've answered one of them. They asked for someone named Rick and I told them someone gave them the wrong number and forgot about it.

Over the past several days, calls from different numbers but the same area code have been coming in so I assumed someone on craigslist selling something mistyped their number.

Today I got woken up at midnight to a phone call, I ignored it and went back to bed. The same person calls around 7:45am today and again I ignore it.
They leave two voicemails, saying its "your aunt" and asking someone to call or text to let her know they're okay. They offered to come pick up the mystery person (the area code they're calling from and where I am are about a 5 hour drive).

Then she texts me "good morning nephew it's your aunt" and I'm like alright fine I'll bite and told her her nephew gave the wrong number to her.

Then she told me he was murdered and asked if I was from x city in my state and told me his name.

I googled it and no articles about any murders came up, no obituaries from either city with his name, nothing.

My question is, does anyone think theyll try to pin something on me? I know it sounds farfetched but this family is absolutely convinced this guy had my number (I've had it for a decade or so) and I'm afraid theyll think I did something to him and I'm lying about not knowing him. If he really was murdered I don't want to be drug into a murder investigation. Should I leave it alone and block their numbers or get the police involved?

Answer: just block and move on, it's most likely a scam


Title: Can my landlord discriminate against my emotional support animal?

Question:
Okay so I have lived here bout a year. I’m expecting my first baby and was extremely depressed due to the fact I’ve been isolated in the house away from a lot of my friends and family. My therapist suggested I adopt a cat, and because animals have always helped me emotionally I did. I certified my cat as an ESA and my landlord somehow found out I got a cat and is saying she doesn’t care about a damn letter or note I can’t have a cat and she’s actually threatening to come let my cat out when I’m not home so now I’m terrified to leave my apartment.

Let me add MY THERAPIST WROTE ME A LETTER STATING MY CAT IS AN ESA!!

Answer: You can be evicted because you didn't follow the process. The process is you give the letter to your landlord before you get the ESA, and there is no such thing as ESA certification.


Title: I no longer live at the house we own, not married and the other person on loan refuse to get me off the loan. Help!

Question:
Hello all. I hope this is right post here. I'll lay out the facts to the point. I (46f) got mortgage loan with ex boyfriend (54M) together and bought the house for 195k in 2008. We wanted to invest and sell the house after my kids (not his) are grown and moved out. And of course we wanted to see when market goes up. Well, plan backfired. Our relationship plummeted in and we call it quit in 2012.  Two of three kids moved out and the latter one was 17 and I thought I can stay there and sleep in separate room. The tension wasn't healthy and my space/ boundaries weren't respected and impossible to talk to him to compromise. I learned he was already having an affair long before we broke up. It is not the first time. Summer 2013 he left for Ukraine and stay there for 2 1/2 months and marry his girlfriend in UKR. I decided to move out summer 2013 due to unhealthy situation and the latter kid turned 18 & moved out.

I left the same day he arrived home because I  didn't want to deal with him and having him argue with me. I took my own belongings and moved out. Of course he was upset I moved without talking with him.

For the next few weeks I came by the house and picked up few more things and I came while he was gone to work. He works graveyard shift so he leaves the house before 10 PM and return home 930 am. He accused me for "breaking in" while I have the key. The next visit he changed the lock so I no longer have access to the house.  We emailed back/forth about revolving the ownership.
Fast forward : I met him today at our house and he still refused to sell the house and split evenly. Tell me what can I do to get him to get my name off the loan and buy me out or to sell the house. He keep threatening me he'd get lawyer but nothing is happening for last few years.

2014 I moved outside of state and 2015 I remarried. This year We were ready to buy new house.
The new bank loan pre-qualified us. The lender said it looks bad on me because I have first mortgage and it affects me. I told I did not make payments on the house since 2013. They needed proof the payments came from him. I contacted him and asked if he can provide proof. He refused thinking I'm up to something. I don't have time or energy to deal with his immaturity.
I contacted my first mortgage and asked if they can have statement show proof of 12-months mtg payment came from him. They couldn't help.
The last resort is to sell the house now the seller value reach about 300k and we owe under 190k at 3.1 % interest.
Thing is he refused to sell. He wants me to sign quit claim deed and he will give me the money later. Thing is I won't sign QCD without him refinance mortgage loan to get my name off the loan  and to give me some money off the house for $15k. Last option is lawyer. They requested between $5-8k as retainer fee first before they do anything.
I'm open to all of u our suggestions!

EDIT: the house is in CA and I reside in Washington. Seems best way is to get lawyer and force sales. It's a win-win.

My other question is can we profit 50/50 when the house is sold since hes the one making payments without asking me to partake.

TD;LR ex boyfriend and I bought house together with both a message on deed and loan, we broke up and now he refuse to sell house or work with me to buy me out.

Answer: You hire an attorney and sue to force the sale of the home. It will not be quick. There are no other options.


Title: Breaking a lease with military orders

Question:
Hi, I’m active duty Navy and curious about signing a lease then breaking it with military orders.

I received orders at the end of April... this will be my first duty stationed. I’m currently TAD at the college I graduated from. My orders are TAD to a school, then report to my ship (all in the same city, so it’s treated as PSC orders). Here’s my issue...my current lease is up July 1, and I have to find somewhere to live until the end of August. I haven’t found anywhere with a short term lease that I can afford, so I was going to sign a 12 month lease beginning July 1, then break it. I’m familiar with the SCRA, but I was mainly wondering if it still applies if I have the orders before signing the new lease. I have searched and searched and have not found anything saying that the SCRA doesn’t apply if you sign a lease after receiving orders. I wanted to post here to see if anyone else new before I sign this new lease. Thank you!!

Also, I know this isn’t a “nice” thing to do /: signing the lease with the knowledge that I will be breaking it definitely feels scummy, but I also know that this apartment complex probably would opt not to rent to me if they knew ahead of time. Really just looking for confirmation that the SCRA still applies if a service member has orders prior to signing the lease. Thanks again!

Answer:
 § 535 (b) Covered leases (1) Leases of premises
A lease of premises occupied, or intended to be occupied, by a servicemember or a servicemember’s dependents for a residential, professional, business, agricultural, or similar purpose if—

(B) the servicemember, while in military service, executes the lease and thereafter receives military orders for a permanent change of station or to deploy with a military unit, or as an individual in support of a military operation, for a period of not less than 90 days.

In addition to it being a terrible thing to do which will disadvantage your fellow servicemen in the future, you might have issues due to the wording in § 535 (b)(1)(B) where it calls out the execution of the lease happening prior to the receipt of military orders.


Title: Lawyer sent me a notice to be relieved as counsel... claiming that I destroyed the relationship. We think he is lying.

Question:
[California]

I know many of you are possibly thinking that I should just let my lawyer go, since he won't want to work on my case anyway. **But, I don't want to have a giant lien!** The attorney claims that *I* destroyed the relationship between me and him, when practically everything was fine between me and him. There was a time when *he* was destroying the relationship saying that I was micromanaging his office, when all I had done was request copies of what he was sending. From what we believe it is, is that he simply does not want to go to court because of the chance that the case will lose. If the case will lose, then he will not get any money because of his promise that if there is no recovery, and we don't pay a cent. The mediation offered a very small amount for the damages, which the lawyer will take all if he wins this part of being relieved as counsel.

Any ideas or help? I just can't pay this lien because our family broke.

He owns a somewhat large firm of about ~30 people, and even owns a Bugatti Veyron.

Answer:
 The attorney that you retained can file a motion with the court requesting to be removed from representing you for virtually any reason, and the court may or may not allow his request.

How your attorney's claim as to why he terminated his agreement to represent you might affect what you owe him depends only on the terms of your agreement with him (not on whether or not the court allows him to stop representing you in court).  We don't know what the terms of your agreement with your attorney are, but it's possible that if he claims that you destroyed the relationship, then he can request that you pay him his fees up to the point that he stops representing you.

How your attorney staying or leaving might possibly affect the outcome of your case depends on lots and lots of information not provided here.


Title: Is it legal for my boss to fire me for this?

Question:
Can my boss fire me for this?

So I work at Family Dollar, and I've been working here for the past 2 months. I'm a cashier and recently my draw has been short 3 times, and I have been putting in my own personal money to make things right and balance the weekly deposit to protect my job. The issue that I'm having is that I have very bad eye sight.

When I interviewed for this job, I told the store manager (this is the person who is in charge of all of the managers and is the highest position in the store) that I wanted literally any position besides being a cashier. Regardless, she hired me to be a cashier. My draw has been coming up short because my glasses broke and it's hard to really get a new pair because of COVID-19. Today she told me that if my drawer is ever short again by any amount I would be fired (and told me that I can't put money in the deposit anymore for whatever reason).

I even brought in documentation that has the *medical diagnosis* for the issues I have with my eyes. With getting into too many incessant details, it's a condition thats unable to be fixed with surgery, but it's helped by wearing prescription glasses.

She doesn't care though. Is it legal for her to fire me since I have medical documentation? On the application, Family Dollar states that they will not discriminate against anyone due to race, certain convictions, or medical reasons. And I've asked countless times to be put in a different position where my eyesight wouldn't be an issue, and I know for a fact that there are openings for them. But she's just being ignorant.

Answer:
 They're firing you for your drawer being short multiple times, not your eyesight.

Not sure how that ties into your drawer not having the appropriate amount of money anyway.


Title: Husband's ex gf stole $3,000 from me!

Question:
This took place in Cook County, IL.

* Husband has court-ordered child support = $40.00 per month as of 2011.
* He decides to give this woman $40 per month and then some. About $450 per month, sometimes more. However, he paid his child support directly to her via personal checks. (He never paid the state directly like he was instructed.)
* I file joint taxes in 2013. I was in nursing school, so I received the *American opportunity tax credit (AOTC)*. I am expected to receive $1,000 in my tax refund.
* I get a letter from the IRS stating that my husband owes a delinquent past due debt to child support. My jointly filed tax refund gets forwarded to pay this debt (to his ex).
* My husband not only paid his child support debt in full, but he overpaid her.
* Knowing my husband kept his side of the bargain, I call this woman. She kindly and very friendly agrees to sign over the check from child support as soon as she receives it.
* (verbal contract)
* This happened in 2013 & 2015.
* I was an idiot who believed her both times. She even swore to me on her children's lives. I know pretty naive. I learned my lesson to say the least.
* 2017 comes around, same exact story. I am fed up. I am about to graduate nursing school. If I don’t pay my tuition in full, I can’t graduate, and I can’t sit my RN licensure test. I have my husband call child support and we ask for a detailed history of payments. We get a payment ledger containing check amounts and the dates they were disbursed to her. (All of these funds match exactly the offset of my refunds.)

My husband furiously calls her, and tells her it's over – we know. She gets extremely angry, starts swearing and says “ I didn’t get no fucking checks” and hangs up. I call her an hour later. I tell her I need her to sign an affidavit that states the checks were either lost/stolen/missing”. She gets scared, and says “oh wait…. Yeah now I remember I did get some checks a couple of years ago”. I tell her “so basically not only did you in fact receive the checks you knew were wrongfully taken from me, but you also lied about it?" I told her she defrauded me. I threaten to sue her and she tells me verbatim, “do what you gotta do, you’re not getting no fucking money back from me”.
**I have already filled a civil lawsuit against her. I am suing her for the total amount of $3,000** (every tax offset collectively).

The grounds of my suit:

* We had a verbal contract / agreement.
* Money I was legally entitled to was forwarded to pay off a debt, that was already paid (and overpaid at that).
* I have copies of all the personal checks he gave her.
* I have proof that she repeatedly tried to deceive me. She texted me a check from child support in the amount of $22.00. She said “look, this is the only check I ever received from them. I never got anything else”.
* From the very beginning, had she said “You’re never getting that money back”. I would have found other means of recovering my losses. But she did the complete opposite, 3 times. All while my husband continued to help her financially for the sake of his child.
* I have the payment ledger from Child Support Services, with the disbursement history.
* I have letter from the IRS stating my refund was going to be offset. The offset amount matches the payments child support made to her.

Even though I already filled the lawsuit, I am anxious. I know it was my husband's responsibility to pay child support to the state, in order to avoid situations like these. He was too lazy to do so, and now I get penalized for his. I know I had the chance to file *IRS form 3949-A, “injured spouse”*. I didn’t file this form, because it stated I **may** be entitled to **partial** of the money that was taken (not full). I weighed my options and thought, I can either get half of the money that’s rightfully mine, or I can wait till she gets my check and hands it over. I never saw any reason to doubt her, after all my husband was paying her child support and way more than his obligation. I have a child with him, and I never even asked for a fraction of the money she was demanding. So naturally, I thought his money would be enough. I never knew a human being could be so greedy, and disgusting enough so steal money they knew I was counting on to pay off my tuition.

Do I really have a case? Can I win based on all the facts I provided? I don’t want to get stuck paying court fees.

Answer:
 Even if your husband kept very good records and always paid by check, and has copies of the cancelled checks, the money he was paying his ex will probably not count toward child support since it didn't go through the state as required.
Because you are married, the state can seize joint tax returns for back child support.
In conclusion, your husband cost you that money by being lazy and not paying through the proper channel.
I am not a lawyer, but I don't think you have any recourse. He messed up, and you should probably file married separate for your taxes until your husband figures out how to do it the right way.Answer #2: I don't think you have a case, at least not the one youre making. I don't think you had a contract. Elements of a contract :

1. Offer to exchange a promise for promise.

2. Consideration

3. Acceptance.

I don't see the consideration. It was her money. The state took money from you, your beef is with them. She is going to owe them money when they figure it out, but that money isn't yours. Those are separate. So when she promised to give you the money, what was your consideration? You weren't giving up anything.

She lied to you, but i don't think you have an action against her. You should get an attorney and appeal with the irs and who ever garnished your return. I'd move quickly, because you are running out of time (i think the statute of limitations is 3 years from a timely filed return).

I am not your attorney.


Title: University Harassing our Company Over T-Shirts

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Well, do you have a few hundred grand to fight the school and the NCAA's legal teams?


Title: [NY] SO's father threatening to sue me + petition for custody of our child over my FB name (yes, really)

Question:
Background: Several months ago I changed my last name on Facebook to my SO of almost 10 years' last name. It's a common last name and he gave permission to switch. It is not legally my last name. We are currently unmarried. He is disabled and SSDI is his only income. We have a child together; he is not on the birth certificate. He sees our child whenever he likes and provides financial help where he can, but there is no formal custody nor support arrangement. We are both happy with the current setup.

SO's father, who has always hated me, does not have an FB account, but his current wife does and is friends with SO on there. She is not SO's mother and I have never met her nor spoken to her. She was apparently showing him photos of our child (whom he has only seen ONCE for FIVE minutes, which I did not give permission for) that SO shared from my page, and he caught sight of my name. He told SO that I "need to" change it back, because we are not married and I could apparently claim that we are and "go after him for things". He said if I don't change it, he's "willing to do what he believes is best," including taking me to court -- he did not say what he would possibly sue me for, I'm assuming defamation of some kind -- and **seeking custody of our child**. SO ended the call quickly and told me right away what he was threatening.

So... he'd be laughed out of an attorney's office, right? I lay no legal claim to SO's last name and have no reason to until we become married, it's only on FB. SO is typically low-contact with his father -- he was verbally and physically abused by him in childhood, and had sparse visitation with him after his parents' divorce; he also has a history of calling me names to SO and insinuating that I'm "psycho," as well as questioning the paternity of our child -- and our child has no idea who the man is. I basically just want to make sure he has no legal recourse to come after me or my child in any way. I've already blocked SO's father's wife since the conversation. She did not have permission to show him any of my photos.

Should I be covering my butt legally in any way, i.e. contacting police in advance in case he escalates? He has threatened to descend on my house before, back when he was attempting to prove his son did not father our child. Nothing came of it.

TL;DR: SO is my child's father but not on the records. His low-contact father with an abusive history has learned that my Facebook account displays SO's **quite common** last name despite us not being married. He has told SO if I don't change it, he is willing to sue me and, somehow, seek custody of our child he has seen exactly once and has no relationship with. Is he being ridiculous or does he have legal recourse? Should I contact the police?

Answer:
 Don't recall off-hand FB's policy about aliases but my sense is that many people use a combination of first name-middle name to protect some level of privacy without comment from FB. From their perspective, I assume that your alias (an online commitment ceremony/name change/aka) would be fine with them. So that's one thing.

Next, changing your alias on FB does not, in any way I can think of, create a legal bond between you and your SO, nor does it replace marriage.

Even if it did, getting married to the father of your child is not a crime nor a civil offense against the relatives of the father. Being pissed at your kids' choice of partner is a long-cherished tradition but it doesn't give grounds to sue for custody, barring other reasons (abuse, drugs, undue influence).

From a personal perspective, I recommend making sure your partner/SO is onboard with a potential conflict with his own parents but I cannot possibly believe any lawyer would take his case. Answer #2: >  seeking custody of our child

That is literally absurd. He has no standing and no valid interest in the child, not even grandparents rights since your SO isn't on the certificate. It would be like filing for custody for a random kid off the street. There is no way he finds a lawyer to do that, and if he does you need to report that lawyer.


Title: Employer just fired me. But I'm considered "self-employed" can I still file for unemployment?

Question:
I worked at this horse ranch cleaning corrals 4 days a week for over a year, received a steady paycheck and didn't own any of the equipment I used. Yet my former employer refused to consider me an employee but instead filed his taxes with me as an "independent contractor"(even though my checks for over a year clearly state I was getting paid by the hour.)
Question: Can I still file for unemployment benefits, and list him as my former employer? even though he insists I was an independent contractor not an employee? I'm in California btw. thanks for your help.

Answer:
 Sounds like you were an employee misidentified as an independent contractor, at first blush. File for unemployment. Worst that can happen is a no.Answer #2: Sounds like your employer was trying to avoid payroll taxes. There is no way somebody who cleans stables (no offense OP) could be properly classified as an independent contractor. File for unemployment and then file a complaint with the DLSE if you weren't paid overtime.

http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/howtofilewageclaim.htm


Title: boss threatened to fire me if i got him sick. [Michigan]

Question:
been gone sick for the past 2.5 days, went back to work today, not feeling 100%, he tells me that if i get him sick he's going to fire me. I almost put all my tools away and locked my box. i was so close to quitting.

do i have any ground to sue him if he does fire me for it? I've got another job offer that i'm going to take now. i just feel like thats a terrible thing to do to somebody.

Answer:
 If he fires you for it, you are allowed to go and sign up for unemployment.  If he were to contest the payment of unemployment insurance to you, claiming that he fired you for cause, I doubt that he could prevail.  ("Your Honor, I tracked each of the 970 billion bacteria and viruses that contacted my nasal passages over the past week, and DNA testing verified that the virus that got me sick is a mutation of the virus that rustyxj was sick with, hence he's at  fault.")

Generally in the US you can be fired with no notice for any reason or no reason, unless you have an employment contract that says otherwise, or unless you're in a union whose contract with the employer says otherwise.

Edit:  Oh, yes, your boss is a bonehead if he was serious about this and I think seeking different employment would be a good idea.


Title: My husband is a loving provider and father . But he is a hoarder - what can I do? Illinois

Question:
My husband and I share 2 kids. He works and I stay home and raise our boys - both under 3. Our home is stable and consistent. Our relationship is okay except for the fact that he hoards. The upstairs of our home is only a little bit cluttered. The downstairs is completely unusable and the backyard is trashed. Trashed with shit like paint cans, wood debris, old bicycles. There is a tall fence to protect our backyard.

He doesn't acknowledge that he is a hoarder, rather things just need to be straightened up a bit. I would like to clean the upstairs but he gets hostile when I clean and if anything is in even slightly different position than we he left it. He says he is scared I am going to throw his things away. When I complain about the home, he tries to clean it himself but things have reached such a critical mass that the problem can't be tackled in the time we have outside of work. He realizes that the basement and outside are unacceptable but its too overwhelming to tackle now.

I don't really want to break up our home because he is a good dad and good  - but I would like to clean up the mess. About 3/4' ths of his belongings need to be thrown away or stored outside of the home. Is there a way that I can legally compel him to do this ?

Answer:
 There isn't a legal answer here that leaves your relationship intact. Answer #2: Hoarding is a symptom of mental illness. Have you spoken with a medical professional (psychiatrist, counselor, therapist) about possibly getting treatment for your husband? I would start there before looking into legal options. Answer #3: Hoarding is a mental illness that requires intensive treatment, there is not an easy answer.

There are no non extreme legal answers. Answer #4: I think this may be best posted in r/relationshipadvice

Answer #5: You need to worry about what will happen if someone reports the kids are living in those conditions.


Title: Community Garden with high lead levels (NJ)

Question:
Last year, a non-profit group helped start a community garden in my neighborhood. They rented out garden plots on a sliding scale, and sold seed and seedlings at a discount. A lot of people participated, and my family has enjoyed eating fresh tomatoes and herbs. This weekend there was a post on social media, saying that soil from the garden had high lead levels. Yesterday when I went to the garden, it had been completely razed! I can’t get in touch with anyone from the non-profit, and people on social media are saying similar things.

My insurance covers lead-level testing for my kids, but if anyone winds up getting sick from this, who pays?

Answer:
IANAL but am RRP certified. Plants don't take up much lead from the soil. Your children will be much more at risk from paint in your house.

https://www.soils.org/discover-soils/soils-in-the-city/soil-contaminants/lead

https://www.epa.gov/lead/renovation-repair-and-painting-programAnswer #2: Was this post about lead based on any actual testing?Answer #3: If you're concerned and it's covered, get tested.

If the test comes back negative, you have no issue. If the test comes back high enough to require any sort of treatment, you can talk to a personal injury lawyer. Possibly the non profit could be liable.

Practically speaking, you probably didn't ingest much lead at all. It's not well absorbed by plants, and most that does get absorbed is stored in the roots. You didn't mention any root vegetables (carrots, potatoes, etc.) In your post.


Title: What to do with my life?(school)

Question:
I've been out of school for 4 years, barely read useful things and my education level was vocational thus low. There's Academic(normal), applied(lower) and I was at vocational(even lower.) And they really taught us nothing. Pretty much same material each year. Too lazy, shy or whatever to do anything about it. Don't ever put your child their unless they have real problems. What should I take? I have no idea what I want to be but I hope someone can tell me where to go to learn the basics, such as English, Math, etc. Do I take grade 9/10/11/12 applied/academic? Or is it something else? I really really want to become a better and successful person. I live in Canada, Ontario, Mississauga

Edit: Durr, I've posted this in the wrong subreddit. Sorry. If you know where I should post it, let me know. Thank you

Answer: My gawd. Person not even asking a legal question manages to properly post their location. People have no excuse.


Title: My employer would not help me when I was being stalked and harrassed

Question: [deleted]

Answer: When someone threatens or harasses you, call the police. Your employer had no duty to protect you in this situation.


Title: what options do i have for a nosy/harassing neighbor? worried about what she can do to make our life difficult. help me!

Question:
My family and I have been living in a 3br townhome for about the past year.  We only have 4 months left on our lease - we're planning on buying a new home soon as this was a temporary situation since I got a new job suddenly and needed to relocate.  Unfortunately we had a horrible neighbor move in a few weeks ago.

It started with where I parked my car.  She lives with a daughter who wanted to park in a neutral area in front of both our units.  She would continually nitpick that I wasn't on my side.  At one point claiming property management told her I was on her side (a lie that our landlord confirmed).  When I called property management  to ask them to make her stop...they essentially will do nothing since technically no one can park there anyway.  I am suspecting since they know we're not long term renters they are being lazy.

Another incident was when my wife and I were unloading the car.  I left my keys in the door since my hands were full.  Not five minutes later we hear a jingling noise and the door push open briefly.  My wife opened the door and saw her "helpfully" taking our keys in the door.  She was "going to hold on to to the keys for us and leave a note".  This did not make us feel secure and we did not find this helpful.  Especially since our dog was ready to bolt out the front door.

At times before I decided to be the "bigger" person and park my car a ways away (so this whole parking war would end) we'd get knocks on the door past nine p.m. complaining about the location of my car.  Our kids would wake up or we would be startled since we generally are homebodies who don't want to be bothered.

Tonight -- after I thought we no longer had an issue with these people I was walking my dog after dinner.  The same routine I've done countless nights.  After he pees, I hear someone shouting "Excuse me, excuse me" while I'm walking away.  Despite me explaining my dog peed and that I had a green dog waste bag in my hand she asked me if he pooped.  I explained the situation and walked away, but now I'm seething, beyond livid.

Sorry for the wall of text, but my questions:

Do I have any legal recourse to make this stop?  Can the local PD do anything?  Can I compel my landlord to do anything?  I live in PA if that helps.  My wife and I are worried this escalates further since its clear they have it out for us for some reason.  We just want to be left alone.  We are sticking to ourselves.  I see this as harassment, but I also don't want to devolve myself to their level.  Help!

Answer:
 Ask the landlord to clarify, in writing, the parking issues. Then give it to the neighbor and tell them if they have a problem with anything you do in the future, to please contact the landlord or the local police because you wish to be left alone.

As for someone attempting to speak with you while you walk outside, I think you're going to have to deal with that. Maybe walk a different route. I assume the 'someone' you speak of is the bothersome neighbor.

edit, your neighbor entering your house uninvited is technically trespassing, if it happens again I would contact the police. But if you do that, these people may respond by assuming your dog pooped on their lawn and calling the police, even if it isn't true.


Title: Landlord impounded my bike.

Question:
This morning I went and got breakfast before work. I left my bike In downstairs hallway for 40 mins as it was a bit early to go back to work. When I came back it was gone, I quickly rush to the office and tell them what happened. The landlord barked at me that since it was sitting in the hallway they "impounded" the bike. They want me to pay $25 to get it back.

No where is this mentioned in my lease, I was never verbally warned, nor was there a notice or any signs posted.

How is this not theft? Do I have any legal ground??

EDIT: my locale, Utah.

Answer:
 Call the police.Answer #2: This sounds just plain wrong. The charge to return it sounds highly unethical. What did your landlord say when you pointed out that charge isn't in the lease and you'd like your bike returned?Answer #3: It's one thing to abandon something, and yet, an entirely different thing to happen to find something that was "abandoned"..
This is clearly theft. Theft is preventing and or depriving someone of their property.

Just because the landlord was the first person who happened to come upon the bike "abandoned" in the hallway, that he gets to free nilly charge the OP money to get it back.. so let's say instead, someone (as in a neighbor) took the bike...

Then most would say it's theft. Then we will have the argument that the OP abandon the bike.. That said, most laws state that if one comes across abandon property, must laws are not as cut and clear as "finders, keepers".

Ask nicely if you can have your bike back without the fee. And If you paid the fee, ask would they furnish a written receipt. I'd be shock if they would..

If they won't give it back...

IF your lease does not state property left in the halfway are forbidding, property wood be removed, confiscated, and a fine would be assessed for the returned property, I would file a theft charge.

It's no different then a stranger walking in and taking the bike, then extorting a monetary value for it's return.


Title: Polish girlfriend and I (American) want to live together in the U.S.

Question: She works remotely for a Polish company, so she wouldn't be taking any potential jobs from Americans, and she wouldn't be mooching off of me. She has family and a permanent residence in Poland. It seems a tourist visa is the best option here, but what happens after that 6 months? Is she able to go back to Poland, refresh her visa, then fly right back? Ideally, we'd like to live together as many days of the year as possible, but I can't seem to find a straight answer on whether such a thing is possible. Thanks for the help! And if I'm missing any necessary info, just let me know so I can update.

Answer: The tourist visa is meant for just that tourism. So if it expires and she flies right back and tries to renew it just to come back Most likely they'll reject it because they'll determine she's effectively trying to live here. The only way to really maximize days would be her getting a visa she qualifies for but that would be difficult without an employer here. The other option would be a fiancee or marriage visa but obviously that kind of involves a leap in your relationship.


Title: Can an American citizen use an American lawyer if he is charged with a criminal case in the Philippines?

Question:
Assuming also that the said crime happened in the Philippines against another American.

Thanks!

Answer:
 Only if the Filipinos allow it.  In general, they will not, unless that person is already sworn in the Phillipines.

If you haven't already contacted the US Embassy, do so right now.  They can provide lots of help in this area.


Title: (PA) Girlfriend needs a cheap attorney for child custody battle but cant afford one

Question:
My girlfriend is having to go to a court custody battle because her ex husband is trying to take the kids away from her with no visitation rights. Right now the court order his that they share joint custody and she can see them at certain times but he has been breaking the order many times and she has proof of it and them assaulting her when she tries to visit but the courts said that the evidence (video evidence also)  has be presented a certain way or else it will be denied but they didn't say how to do it.

She had the kids in her custody till a year ago when the father lied and said her current boyfriend was abusing the kids even the the courts showed he lied, they still gave him the kids.

She hasn't seen her kids in 5 months because of him breaking the order and now she may lose them totally.

Answer:
 This sounds like the kind of call I get a few times a day. Where kids are the most important thing in a person's life, but they want to spend zero money in order to preserve a relationship with them.

Odd how that works, isn't it. Beer money, smokes, junk food, soda, cable bill? All covered. Lawyer to fight for custody? Whoa whoa WHOA, we're not made out of money, here.

Tell your girlfriend to get a part time job. She should be able to earn enough to cover a retainer in a few weeks.


Title: Is it legal for a tow company to refuse to give me paper work saying my car they impounded and sold at auction is no longer in my name with out me paying what i owe them in collections?

Question:
A tow company sent me to collections for the amount of time they held my car before they sold it in auction. If i dont pay collections can they take me to small claims court? (Wa state) Also, after the car was sold in auction, the new owner has not put the car in his name yet(several months since auction). I am receiving toll bridge tickets and the tow yard that sold my car in auction is refusing to give me paperwork that says the car is no longer mine unless i pay the collection company. Is that legal?

I do owe this debt, but i rather it go to collections then paying it.

thanks for the help r/LegalAdvice!

Answer:
 > If i dont pay collections can they take me to small claims court?

Sure.

> I do owe this debt, but i rather it go to collections then paying it.

They could get a judgment against you and garnish your wages/levy on your assets.  Plus it'll completely destroy your credit...


Title: [USA, VA] Can I legally sell my blood?

Question:
My blood type is 0-, meaning almost anyone can receive it. Because of this, and because my blood also has a factor that allows it to be given to newborns and infants (I forgot the name, but usually adult blood can't be given to infants). I've legally sold my plasma a few times, but I still haven't figured out if selling blood is legal. I read somewhere that the Red Cross sells them to hospitals for a couple hundred of dollars a pack. However, because my type is useful to almost everybody, I would assume its worth more. I can't think of any logical reason why I can't just cut out the middle and sell it to hospitals directly. If I can't sell it to hospitals, is it legal to find someone with a medical condition that needs regular transfusions and get them to be a private buyer? If so, how do I go about it?

Lastly, please don't lecture me about how much could save peoples lives. The blood is still being given to people who need it, and I have bills and expenses that aren't going to pay themselves.

Answer: Sure. Will you be setting up the testing and certification required to preform this medical procedure or will they? Otherwise, yea its very illegal. But if you have a blood lab your not using, or willing to invest, by all means.


Title: can i get into an kind of legal problems for TRYING to buy a gun?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 if you are not eligible for ownership ys it is a crime to try and to actually posess. are you sure you're not eligible? why would jury duty be tied to this?Answer #2: You know you were convicted of a felony. Don't try to acquire a gun. Don't lie about the conviction. The fact that records weren't found by whoever in MO checked doesn't change your status.

Get your records together and talk to a local lawyer who specializes in this area about the possibility of expungement and getting your firearm rights restored, if you want to fix your status. I would imagine that if you present evidence of your conviction you would get excused from jury duty, but that's also a good thing to ask about at that meeting.


Title: $20K+ worth of stuff was stolen from my home while Airbnbing, including a laptop with cryptocurrency, & Airbnb won't help at all. How can I hold them legally accountable?

Question:
Hi!

So the lack of help from Airbnb and the authorities has left me super demoralized. Here's the story:

I was an Airbnb host for over 5 years. I founded a tech startup (with a cryptocurrency for social good), and when I was super broke I would Airbnb my bedroom in New York and sleep on the couch so that I had enough money to survive and also didn't have to trade very much of my time for sustenance money, and could therefore focus on growing my business.

I was a big time voluntary evangelist for Airbnb - I told everybody about how great they were, how I didn't know how I could have gotten my company going without them, and I even tried to contact them to offer to blog (or something?) about how they functioned as a platform for me as a social good entrepreneur, to maybe get them good press when city governments were giving them a hard time, because I appreciated them so much (those dudes did not bother to respond to this offer).

By the time 2016 rolled around, I found myself mostly in San Francisco for work, though I was still Airbnbing my place in Brooklyn, and at that point renting out the entire two-bedroom. It turned out that my super's wife was a cleaning person, so we had an arrangement in which she would clean the home (co-hosts didn't exist at that time, I don't believe).

From a startup growth standpoint, a kind of interesting thing started happening - instead of 98% cool travelers you would want to hang with, like the Airbnb guests were in the early days, I started getting a bunch of bookings from teenage kids with addresses in the Bronx. Turns out they wanted to throw parties there. I instituted a fee for parties, but a lot of people just ignored it, and the whole situation became a mess. Ultimately (in April of 2017) I found people to take over my lease and shut the Airbnb down altogether.

\*\*

Flash back to November 2016, just after election day. I had done this weird networking cruise off of Miami that was supposed to be for social entrepreneurs and artists, etc. trying to change the world.

After it was over and I was back on land in a hotel waiting to fly back to CA, I noticed that somebody had cashed a check for $2500 from my business's bank account that I did not write. The only business checkbook I had was in a filing cabinet in my apartment in NY, and I was the only person who was authorized to write checks from it.

The person had included their middle initial on the check, which made the name quite distinct. The bank took care of the issue right away.

I called my local police department in Brooklyn, and they told me that I had to physically be there in person to file a report. I told them that because of my work, I couldn't be there for the foreseeable future. They said they couldn't help me and that therefore a police report could not be filed.

In my naivete, I left it at that - it didn't occur to me that a bunch of other stuff might have been stolen as well. I didn't really have many valuables in the apartment (or so I thought), and I don't care that much about material stuff generally, so I was just like, whatever, I got the $2500 back, I've got other stuff to worry about besides this.

\*\*

Now fast forward to late 2017. I had an investor fall through at a crucial moment, and I was fucked/so was the business. I maxed out my personal credit to keep it afloat, but had to let teammates go, etc., and it got so bad that I had to move back to my parents' for like 7 months to dig myself and the business out of the hole because I couldn't pay rent or buy food, etc. Was very humbling and a blessing in hindsight, but hard at the time.

I had had my New York stuff (again there wasn't a ton) put in storage in Brooklyn after my lease was taken over in April of 2017, and because I was so swamped all the time being a startup founder and stuff I just didn't prioritize getting the stuff moved elsewhere, even though I was based in California. I basically just hired movers who were also able to store the stuff, and they took care of everything without my physically being there.

Okay, so now it's early 2018. Once I was at my parents (in late 2017) I tried to scrape together the money to move my stuff there somehow (their house is in rural Ohio). It was one of those awful situations when you're broke in and it was a lot cheaper each month to keep the stuff in storage than it would be to get it moved, figuring out how to get a vehicle to drive from OH to NY would still mean that I needed help loading the vehicle, etc. but I obviously needed to move it to stop paying the monthly storage fee.

I found a guy on TaskRabbit based in Brooklyn who had 100% good reviews who also happened to be from the city next to where my parents' live. He agreed to move the stuff I wanted to my parents' for a good price and said he could visit his folks on the trip, and to sell stuff I didn't want anymore on a platform like Letgo and split the profits with me....but he wanted to take our arrangement off-platform to do this. Win-win, right? Wrong. Though to be fair to myself, it's not like "keeping it on the platform" helped me in this Airbnb case in any way, at all, so not sure keeping it on TaskRabbit would have been beneficial either.

Once the stuff was delivered and I had a chance to go through it all, I see that several other items - really the only other items I owned that were "valuable" - were missing. This included a Louis Vuitton bag, one really old MacBook and a less old MacBook, and a fur shawl thing (not actually that valuable, but super fun-looking).

The contents of the Louis Vuitton bag, including ticket stubs from shows I had seen, etc. were now in a cheap purse that did not belong to me, like somebody had just swapped the bags out.

Here's the kicker though: I used to mine Litecoin and Dogecoin (a friend and I ran a 5 GPU rig), and the newer laptop had a bunch of that crypto in a desktop wallet. I lament to this day that I did not save the keys in cold storage, etc., but I didn't.

All in all, what was stolen was probably worth around $20K in late 2016.

\*\*

So the guy who delivered my stuff and agreed to sell the rest of it keeps not selling it. I check in again and again, and he continues to not do that. Then, after several follow-ups, he says he'll deliver the stuff to my parents' in Ohio on some date (this was May 2018 or so, I think). I follow up again to confirm this, and he becomes aggressive, says that he would have just donated the stuff if I weren't greedy/in it for money, something like that, and that the stuff is still at the original storage place and I should contact them to get it.

I had not been paying a storage fee there for over a year. Was the guy paying it? It was really fucking weird.

So I file a police report in Ohio. I have the guy's contact info and even a copy of his driver's license because he had used it when renting a moving van that I paid for. I mention that the laptop with a bunch of crypto was missing, etc.

\*\*

I also reached out to Airbnb to report this. I had a 6th sense that the would be motherfuckers, and so I tweeted at them first, and they sort of responded semi-empathetically, but still sent me to customer service.

I got a terrible customer service agent who effectively said that because the name of the $2500 check did not match with the name of an Airbnb guest on a reservation, they were not responsible, their alleged $1 million insurance policy would cover shit. I sent them a copy of the Ohio police report, receipts for the valuables, screenshots of my crypto wallet balances, etc. I even had a picture of the cheap purse that wasn't mine with the contents of my missing Louis Vuitton bag now in it.

Airbnb did not give a fuck and they behaved absolutely abysmally. This was even more painful because I was a host for 5 years - their garbage company couldn't exist without people like me and they treated me like total shit.

\*\*\*

Last thing. While dealing with this at my parents' in Ohio, I called my old police precinct in Brooklyn again to see if there was anything they could do. The delivery guy lived in Brooklyn.

This cop was at least nice, but he said the same thing - that I had to physically be in New York to report. I told him I had moved out of that place, and so he told me that to file the report I would have to physically stand outside of my old apartment and call them?!!?

SO. I'm back in Brooklyn now, for the first time in a long time, and by pure unconscious coincidence, I am within walking distance of my old apartment.

I figure I should do the weird thing the cop suggested and go stand there and call them, so that I at least have a Brooklyn police report on record.

**From there, what can I do so that Airbnb honors their insurance policy?** I got legal insurance in case I would need to get a lawyer, but they're shitty - they said they'd get back to me with a recommendation days ago and have not done so. I really can't afford an expensive lawyer, or really any lawyer at all, and also it's the principle of the matter. I resent have to pay for legal representation when they're rick as all hell and are being motherfuckers.

Any advice or insight would be much appreciated! I'll be in Brooklyn for another 10 days or so, so I have some time to take care of things here if need be. Thanks so much!

Answer:
 You need to par this down.Answer #2: The only option you have against Airbnb is to sue them.

Whether or not they are responsible will depend on the exact wording of their agreement with you.

I am guessing there is a good chance they are not responsible.Answer #3: You need to paraphrase and highlight the key points


Title: How are American flags supposed to be displayed on vehicles

Question: My co-worker has a flag displayed on the rear passenger side of his car but the stars are towards the trunk of the car not the hood so I told one of my other co workers that was wrong and he said it wasn't but I was certain that I read in regulation that when displayed on vehicles that it was to be displayed as moving forward and being in the National Guard I was certain that he has his flag wrong but I can't find it in the flag code that says it has to be that way. Is there a legal regulation on this? Texas based question. Any info would help. Thanks!

Answer: There is no binding law on how flags are to be displayed.


Title: Traveling across the USofA, from Florida to Oregon, would there be any problems dealing with the quarantine situations?

Question: Everyone has been somewhat mindful of the social distancing and precautions but we’ve been very lucky- no reported cases yet in my county. However, I know that’s not the case in the rest of the country and was wondering if my boyfriend and I could be denied to travel through some areas? The route we planned on making was Florida-Alabama-Mississippi- Louisiana-Texas-New Mexico-Arizona-Utah-Idaho- Oregon. Not the most direct but I have family scattered. Neither of us are ill nor have issues that would cause Covid to be life threatening to either of us. No one will test us because we don’t have symptoms or have health issues, I’ve already asked, which is fine, I want people who need the help to get it. I’m just not sure if people can stop us from traveling through, I know everyone is saying stay in doors and stay put but can they really stop us?

Answer: i would heavily recommend postponing for the time being. Parts of Cali have already put in fines for traveling in non emergency circumstances, and i can’t imagine airbnbs/motels/hosting families, are gonna be all too thrilled right now. Also Oregon is kind of a hotspot for covid-19 at the moment, so it’s especially vulnerable to a potential shelter-in-place deal too. They can stop you, not sure if it will necessarily happen, even if SIP’s are implemented while you’re traveling, but i would heavily recommend rain-checking your trip.


Title: The biggest public high school in my town is used on Sundays as a downtown extension of a mega church. The church is very influential in city politics. Is this legal? I would think it violated the first ammendment. Can someone explain why this is not uncostutitional.

Question:
Topic:
Constitution

Answer:
 So the church is renting space in the school? Why would that be an issue, a school building can rent space to religious groups they just can't require students to participate in a religious group. Answer #2: You are thinking of it backwards here. They are (most likely) renting it out and meeting all the obligations any other group would need to rent it out. If the city prevented them from renting it out, then it would possibly be a 1A violation.

The city/school isn't pushing the religion here. They are treating the church as any other institution (which they should be doing).


Title: Car payment checks not cashed.

Question:
A relative bought a used car in FL at a buy-here-pay-here car lot 4 years ago. That relative has since moved to KY. She tried to trade in the used car on the purchase of a new one and the new car dealership told her the lienholder's phone (at the car lot) is disconnected. The dealership wasn't able to track down the lienholder at all. My relative proceeded with the new car purchase.

Checking further, she realized that her last 8 car payment checks have not been cashed. How does one proceed in a case like this?

Answer: Call the entity that regulates car dealerships in Florida. In my state, Virginia, that entity has a department that deals with car dealerships that have gone out of business. I'm not sure how the process works, but I know that it exists in Virginia. Hopefully it exists in Florida as well.


Title: [TN] My 17 year-old son seriously injured several people in DUI wreck. Will I be poor the rest of my life?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 OP, I am a lawyer in New York and I would not dare to advise you because this is not my practice area.  It is disgraceful how much bad advice you are getting here from people who have no idea about what they are talking.

Run, do not walk, to a local attorney who *specializes in bankruptcy law* and pay him or her for a consultation.  (It may even be free.)

Then, and only then, will you have an idea of what you and your family are facing.

Good luck!