Title: Ex took (stole) money from an old joint savings account after I accidentally deposited money into the account. This was after almost two months of us being apart and not loving together.

Question:
Charlotte, NC

Hi, I had a joint savings account with an ex. We broke up a little over a month ago and the account had little to money in once we broke up. We used it mostly as a pass through for monthly bills, etc. We've been living seperately now for over a month and today I noticed she removed $1500 from the account via online transfer after a deposit was made to that account by mistake. The deposit was a security deposit made to me via Zell from tenants who are renting my house. The home we used to live in together.
Clearly I screwed up here by not remembering the account was joint and not closing it. I know I screwed the pooch just allowing this to happen but do I have ANY recourse here? She's a real piece of work, there's zero chance of reconciliation or communication. I need the money for the security deposit back in the account so I guess I'll have to take it from my checking.

Any help is appreciated. Be gentle. Thanks

Answer: Sue in small claims court.


Title: I got a note on my car today.

Question:
I live in Los Angeles. I share one parking space with my roommate. It's his week with the space, so I've been parking on a residential street nearby that has no posted restrictions. I got a handwritten note rife with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors threatening me that my vehicle "Is Registered to the Impound & towing Company," that the street is "Under Surveillance," and not to "Test [His] Patients[sic]."

No identifying information about the towing company or who he is. The best part is that the note was clearly a copy, which means he's done this so much that he can't be bothered to write out more than one note.
I'm 99% sure I have nothing to worry about, but in the off chance that this dude has enough time on his hands to file some kind of police report and a towing company ends up being bored enough to come get my car, I just want to be sure I can take his ass to court.

Thanks in advance! Hope this made you laugh as much as it made me.

Answer:
 > I'm 99% sure I have nothing to worry about, but in the off chance that this dude has enough time on his hands to file some kind of police report and a towing company ends up being bored enough to come get my car, I just want to be sure I can take his ass to court.

I'm thinking this may be more of a take a baseball bat to your glass situation.


Title: *theoretical* Let’s say that there is an active shooter at my school, and I somehow manage to stab him in the back with scissors. He does the following night in a hospital. Would i be sentenced with murder or hailed as a hero?

Answer:
 That depends on what happens.  If you stab him while he's in handcuffs and police custody?  Yeah, you're going down for murder.  If you're in the middle of an active shooting situation and legitimately defending yourself or others from being shot?  Then it's unlikely you'd face charges and would have a solid defense of others claim.

In reality: Neither happens and you get killed in the effort.  You know the expression "Don't bring a knife to a gun fight"?  There's a reason it's an expression.  Don't confront an active shooter.  Get out, get cover, get as far away as possible and let the police handle it


Title: I pay landlord cash now he says I haven’t paid what do?

Question:
I live in Massachusetts I know we have very strict tenant rights and laws but I know nothing about them.

I bartend and have cash in hand every night.  I pay someone who lives in my apartment cash.  This person handles putting the money together to pay the landlord each month.  I have not signed any document or lease.

I have lived here for almost 2 years and I just got a notarized letter from this roommate saying I owed 6 months of rent or else I am evicted.

This roommate is not my landlord.  He does not own the property.  I pay cash and don’t have a lease.  The rent to the actual apartment has been paid in full each month. I know this because the landlord has not asked any questions about rent to us.

What kind of bullshit am I up against here? Do I have any actual risk?

I’m already looking for other apartments I just want to make sure I won’t lose mine while I’m out looking.

Answer:
 1: This is why you get receipts.

2: You're a month to month tenant. For nonpayment of rent you have to be given a 14 day notice. Then your roommate (you're his subtenant) has to take you to court to evict you.


Title: [St. Paul, Minnesota] Appliance store sold me a broken refrigerator and want me to pay more for another one or settle for a lesser type.

Question:
Hello everyone.

I recently bought a refurbished refrigerator from a large retailer in the midwest and they delivered it no problem while taking away my old one.

I just found out that the cooling system in it doesn't work so I went back to the store to see what they could do about it. I had bought the extended warranty and had them deliver it to me, so they had said they would just replace the one I just bought.

The catch is that they ran out of any refrigerators in our price range, so I would have to pay the difference and pay again for the delivery service.

I never faced this situation before with a retailer so I really don't know how to handle it, I've requested someone to come in and to try to repair it through my warranty, but they have already said that it probably won't be fixable for a reasonable price and that we would probably be back at square 1. I told them to send one anyways and we would handle that bridge when we cross it.

Is there anything I can do from a legal stand point to get another working refrigerator of equal value?

TL:DR

Bought new refrigerator, they took the old one, new one is broken, store wants me to spend a lot more money on a different one.

Thank you for anyone that reads this!!

Answer:
 There is an [implied warranty of merchantability](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Implied_warranty). That means the thing they sold you have to work. So tell them to give you back your money and take this one away. No, you don't have to pay delivery since it did not work. They owe you all the money back.

And take it up with a higher level person at the retailer.


Title: Is this money laundering and can I get in trouble? (Canada)

Question:
Okay so I invested in a private company that I think might be laundering money - Bitcoin to be exact. The company manages an investment firm and owns other companies, it's going public in a few years. The share price at its IPO is supposed to be $416 and its current price is $24. The potential profits were enough to lure me in. I exercised caution, did research (in person and online) and I'm confident the company can pull it off but I'm unsure about the methods. I met the President through a friend at a seminar the company hosted. He seems like a genuine guy and knows a lot about investing, but I'm skeptical of "genuine" rich people. He has a Bitcoin wallet with over $90 million in it and says it's just a back up to ensure his projected IPO valuation. I think he's laundering the money. I'm not complaining about profiting, but if it actually is laundering can I get in trouble for investing?

Edit: at the time of my investment I was unaware of the Bitcoin

Edit 2: the selling point of the firm was their track record picking stocks - they claim to have gone 3 years without taking a loss and their statements and live covered trades back this up, I have another worry of insider trading I didn't mention

Answer:
 The "this is the price the company will IPO at in X years" is literally one of the hallmarks of an investment scam.   Attending "seminars" by the company is one of the other hallmarks.  You are being conned.  It doesn't matter whether or not he is laundering money. Either way, you and your money will soon be parted.Answer #2: "it's going public in a few years" at a 20X increase, and you think this is reasonable?

Um... can you think of three good reasons short of stupidity that Mr. $90M needs your few dollars, when in "a few years" he could have a billion after tax?

Bail.  Now.Answer #3: You don't have nearly enough info to even answer that question. Regardless, if you're so skeptical of rich people, and this paranoid, investing probably isn't for you. You do realize investment comes with big risk, right? Especially when you're talking about cryptocurrency.


Title: Went to turn in keys, property manager said I owed another month's rent. (California)

Question:
Hello fellow Redditors,

I recently moved to California from the midwest for a job. In rush to get out of the hotel I was staying in after I arrived here I quickly signed the first affordable lease I could find.

Last week, on the day my lease was set to terminate, I went into the rental office and returned my keys. The property manager then said that I owed rent for all of October as well and pointed out the automatic renewal clause in the lease stating that I must give 30 days notice to vacate or my lease turns into a month-to-month lease.

I had skimmed the lease a few times during my stay looking for certain rules, but I had never heard of this before moving here. I did a little research and found out that California Civil Code section 1945.5 requires the automatic renewal clause to be in at least 8pt font and in boldface both in the body of the lease and above the signature line. This clause is not in boldface type within the body of the lease, is this enough to void it?

Additionally, when I wrote out my final check I wrote "final rent check" above the memo line and turned it in 30 days before the end of my lease. After doing some research I probably should have written out a letter instead, but would this still show my intent to vacate?

Answer:
 Welp, that's it folks. California is now officially idiot proof. I guess the general legal presumption there is that people do not read contracts that they sign.

OP, you are correct. However, even if the lease does not automatically renew, you are still a month to month tenant by default and California law requires 30 days' notice to end a month-to-month tenancy.


Title: [IL] University added unnecessary health insurance charge to past semester's tuition.

Question:
Hi Legal Advice!

Thanks in advance for your input.  I'm happy to clarify anything pertinent that I may inadvertently leave out.

My husband is part-time PhD student at a private university in Chicago, IL.   He also is employed full-time and has full health benefits that we submitted and verified to the university upon his admission.  The university apparently started charging part-time students ~$1500/semester for health insurance only recently (this past fall semester).

He discovered this when he went to pay his fall semester's tuition, usually a couple hundred dollars after his grant reimbursement, but was understandably surprised when it was considerably more.

After speaking with both the accounting and the health department, it was explained to us that the fall premiums had already been paid and that fee cannot be waived.  We were told the steps in order to waive future semesters, but they basically said he's SOL for the past semester.

We went through his student email with a fine-tooth comb, and he never received notice of this new policy/charge.  The only mention to it was an e-mail 2 months into the semester that the deadline for the health insurance waiver was extended.  My husband read the e-mail, but disregarded it because he assumed it didn't apply to him, a part-time student that had never had to pay for university health insurance before, especially since we submitted and verified proof of outside health benefits 7 semesters ago.

When I mentioned the lack of notification to the people in the accounting and health departments, they both responded with "Well, it was on the website".  I'm just finding it hard to accept that a new charge for a decent chunk of change wasn't better conveyed to him.

I've conceded that we may be on the hook for this, considering he *was* in fact insured through the university during that period of time, regardless if it was unbeknownst to us.  I just figured I'd post here in case you fine folks had any insight or recommendations of someone I can direct my grievances to that isn't jumping out to me.

Thanks again!

Answer:
 Sorry OP, you're SOL in this case, you're dealing with university administration policies.  In each of the institutions I've attended, they've offered a similar opt-out window for those who have separate insurance, whether it be through their parents, or from an employer.  They'll take the position that it is your responsibility to read the documentation, and opt-out of the insurance if you can prove that you have duplicate or better coverage.

Lucky for you there is another window coming up in the next semester to opt out, and hopefully you won't have spent an overly huge amount, since the the university has likely negotiated a good group discount rate and good coverage.


Title: (NJ) New owner to company not honoring (paid in full) annual contract established by previous owner.

Question:
TL;DR:  Started a plan in February for veterinary services.  Paid in full for the year.  Company was purchased in April.  Now, all scheduled visits have been cancelled, plan is not honored, and we're being directed to the previous owner to discuss refunds.

Longer version: I have 2 new puppies.  Prior to 6 months old, puppies can be enrolled in a wellness plan (to include spaying/neutering) for roughly $600 per dog.  After 6 months, this plan will not cover spaying/neutering ($200-400 per dog).  We enrolled our dogs at 3 months old with our local vet.  Our goal was to complete their spaying in April, and to pay additional costs to have our dogs boarded while we completed a family vacation.

Everything was going fine, scheduled, and on track up until 3 days prior to the vacation.  We received a call from the vet informing us that it was under new ownership and management and that our boarding and spaying that was scheduled was cancelled.  We were luck enough to find family to watch them, but came very close to cancelling our vacation due to this (additional note:  To board dogs, certain vaccines must be given.  As it turns out, the vet missed one dose during a March visit, meaning no vet or boarding facility would be able to intake our puppies.  In retrospect, it looks as if they had other things on their minds).

Now, post trip, we've received a follow up call from the vet.  They are no longer honoring the wellness plan (already paid in full for).  If I were on a monthly payment plan, this would have just terminated at that point and I'd only be out 2 months of payments.  Financially, the only issue would be enrolling them on a new plan at a different facility and being stuck with the bill for new enrollment costs and the added burden of price hikes due to them being over 6 months old.  Unfortunately, I paid in full up front.  The response was "You'll have to take that up with the previous owner.  He'll reach out to you".

In my (obviously, IANAL) opinion, the business owners who purchased the facility are responsible for the contracts made at that facility.  Their records show that we paid for the annual service in full.  In NJ, is this true?

I am now out 1200 bucks and am stuck paying (essentially) a penalty when I establish similar services elsewhere due to my dogs' age.  Assuming I were fully reimbursed the 1200 paid in February, I'd still be "upside down" as all services rendered in February and March have to be redone with a new vet.

Answer:
 Contractual obligations generally transfer with the sale. They're in breach, and are likely liable to you for the resulting costs. If they won't pay up, take both sets of owners to small claims and let a judge sort out which of them will be paying you.

The terms of the sale may make the old owner liable for those debts anyways, but that contract didn't involve you and you aren't bound by it. That matter is between the buyer and the previous owner of the business.


Title: Left switch on a plane, someone found it and added their credit card information. Can I get their name/address?

Question:
So I left my switch on an airplane in boston and didn't realize it until a few days after my flight. I submitted a missing item report to delta but nothing has come from it (of course). My friends told me that they saw I was playing pokken the night that I left it on the plane, which I haven't touched in a year. I called Nintendo and was logged out of the switch so they couldn't keep using the online capabilities. However, I got a notification that they added their credit card to my account to purchase something for pokken. I called Nintendo again and they deactivated my account for good, unless I call them directly again, and I changed my password completely (I think my password was autosaved - that's the only thing that makes sense).

All I can see is the last four numbers of the credit card but the guy at nintendo was pretty sympathetic. He said that I can subpoena nintendo for the information. My issue is that I have no idea how to get started with this. I left it on a private flight in boston. I live in washington state. I filed a police report in washington. Should I call the Massachusetts state police since this happened in an airport? The information to get it back is THERE, I just don't know how to get to it!

Answer: Contact the local agency who has the original report. Give them the info Nintendo gave you, and tell them that Nintendo will comply with a subpoena. They should take it from there.


Title: I'm paying rent and landlord wants to deny me access.

Question:
So I have to move to a different University for next semester. Trying to be proactive I moved most of my stuff out of my apartment, and moved into my girlfriends for a bit until I moved. Just to make it easier to find someone to sublet. When my landlords notices she flipped and made sure I knew I have to keep paying for rent for the term of the lease. I assured her I will keep paying, and notify her whenever I find someone so she can approve of the subleter. She sent me a text this morning that I need to hand over my keys to her if I'm officially moved out and I am responsible for rent for the remainder of the lease. If I'm still paying for rent even if I'm not living there, do I legally have to key her my keys? I still have some of my stuff there and I need access to be able to show potential subleters.

Edit:Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Answer: No - if you haven't fully abandoned the place, and are still paying rent, she can't retake control of it without your permission.Answer #2: Tell her no. If she wants to end your lease and remove your access, she is not entitled to rent in this instance. Answer #3: OP out of curiousity how long does the apartment go unattended / have no one occupying it? You mentioned a roommate, are they still living in the apartment as well?Answer #4: Is the roommate still living there? If a leasee is still living at the apartment and rent is being paid in full, what is the problem??


Title: [New York] Running away

Question:
I know everyone's going to say it's a terrible idea, so let me make it simple. I'm doing it anyways.

My question is this. If I run away now (I'm 17) and I turn 18 in 2 months, what will happen if I'm not found in the first 2 months? Will I no longer be considered a missing child and just be free?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 Once you turn 18 you're an adult and will almost certainly be allowed to live your life even if you ran away when you were younger.

Also: don't run away.


Title: I got pulled over and searched and i need help pegging the cop for going against code.

Question: In Austin Texas on 3/25/14 I got pulled over for speeding, 45 in a 35. I had my window rolled down about three inches and greeted the officer as he approached. As he gets to my vehicle he immediately opens my door without my permission, never asking me to roll down my window. He began asking me if I had been smoking weed that day. I had not so I told him No I had not been smoking that day. He assumed that I had been, saying that it was his job to be able to tell, and the things that my eyes were doing wouldn't be happening unless i was high. I hadn't slept for two days beforehand which was probable cause for the symptoms he was observing. He asks me to get out of my vehicle, cuffs me, and puts me in the back of his car as he proceeded to search my vehicle. He found two containers, a mason jar and a pill bottle, that smelled like pot but had nothing in them. There was no weed in my vehicle. The officer finishes his search and charges me for speeding and paraphernalia. He never asked me if he could search my vehicle, not giving me a chance to practice my rights as a US citizen.

Answer:
 > He never asked me if he could search my vehicle

If he has cause, he doesn't need to.

You can challenge the cause, if you want.  That will only cover the paraphernalia issue, and has no bearing on the speeding ticket.
 Answer #2: That whole "three inches" thing...  Just sayin', it puts the entire encounter on a hostile footing as soon as the cop comes up to your car.

And you've got "probable cause" backwards.  Just because something is a reasonable *alternative* explanation for what the officer observed doesn't mean the officer doesn't have PC to treat it as an indication that a crime has taken place.

That said, the search does sound a bit fishy the way you've described it.  You'll need an attorney to sort through it all.

Answer #3: If you believe the search was illegal, contact a lawyer. If the search is deemed unlawful by the court, the paraphernalia charge would be dismissed.


Title: Someone smashed '06 Cadillac CTS - 3rd party insurance claim (Progressive) wants to give only $3500

Question:
A family member had a 2006 Cadillac CTS. Another driver smashed the front and was at fault. (She was waiting to turn in to a driveway with blinker on that the other party was blocking. They kicked into reverse and backed into the road without looking and smashed her.)

The other party has Progressive insurance. (So one of the worst to deal with.) They got her a rental 60 miles away so she had to arrange a friend to take her to go get it. When she got there, she found that they had only allowed for a sub-compact. So she had to pay extra to get a regular size vehicle because she needed the room at least comparable to the Cadillac for work trips.

She picked up the rental on Thursday afternoon, and they already want her to return it by this coming Tuesday at the latest (not even close to enough time to figure things out.)

Now they want to give her just $3200 for the vehicle as repairs will cost too much. So they are going to salvage it. The rub is that this Cadillac was in excellent condition and never had a single problem. And while KBB does put its value in the range of the $3200 that they offered (it has about 200,000 miles on it), I cannot find a replacement anywhere close to that. The cheapest comparable vehicle I have found so far is a $5,000 '07 cts with 150k miles that is 330 miles away.

My thinking is that they are legally obligated to pay any and all costs to get her back to where she was. By the time you take delivery costs, sales tax, and the rental she will need until we can get a comparable replacement, $6,000 is not unreasonable.

The adjuster is of course saying that $3200 is the absolute most they can offer and that the company won't allow them to offer more.

Am I wrong in thinking that all these ancillary costs should be included in the settlement? I think she should ask for $6k and accept no less than $5k. Small claims court limit in Arkansas is $5k, so I think she should easily be able to get that much if she had to take it to small claims. Additionally, in a small claim, would they even be able to take progressive to court? Or would they have to sue the couple that caused the accident?

Her inclination is just to accept the $3200 and move on because "they just won't budge". I think that is exactly what mega corps like Progressive are counting on.

This is in Arkansas in case in matters.

Answer: If the value of the vehicle was 3200 then that's all she's entitled to. She's not going to get 5k for a car worth 3200. In most states she'll also have taxes, etc added onto that. Once a total loss offer is made, they usually only give a rental for a couple more days. Progressive is handling this exactly as every other company would.


Title: Disabled friend possibly being taken advantage of by mother/caretaker.

Question:
So, I have a friend with a disability that makes him an unreliable witness. He cannot testify/support/speak for himself reliably despite being just over the age 18 and the disability court mandated that he needs to live with a designated caretaker who can handle his disability payments, medical needs, and legal issues. Naturally this was passed to his mother.

Unfortunately, I and other people from the local community have had difficulties with my friend's mother. She's not entirely stable, manipulative, and prone to significant outbursts of rage.

Once the money was in the bank (her account, I'm told), she began going back to her old ways and has locked my friend and his new fiance out of the house twice, denying them access to clothing, food, and especially water during an extreme heatwave. They called me for help and I had to pick them up, bring cold water, and bring them to my house twice now to shelter them for the elements overnight.

As this is likely going to be an ongoing pattern, my friend and his fiance have expressed an interest in finding a new caretaker for him, but his fiance is likely not going to be old enough or experienced enough as she is also young. No one knows how to even start this process, or explore possibilities especially considering that he is described as not having the legal capacity for self-representation. All these sorts of things default to his caretaker, who appears to be pocketing the money and throwing him out into the heat at least once a week to rely on friends and other family members for help.

I'd like to help my friend, and I need a great deal of advice to set up a plan of action. What category or type of lawyers should I look for? Should there be police involvement or documentation? Who do I even talk to or ask for more localized and specific advice? Are there any groups or regulatory agencies I should be talking to? If so, at what stage should I try to get them involved? I don't even know if I'm unknowingly opening myself up to legal peril by sheltering my friend in this manner. Stuff like that.

Answer: If you are in the USA, you can contact Adult Protective Services in your state and make a report.


Title: [MI] Are parents legally obligated to keep severely disabled children alive?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer, but my sibling is similarly disabled. You can sign a DNR order for your child, and you can choose to place them on palliative care rather than care that tries to improve/cure their illness or disability. This means you do not have to provide life-support, like a ventilator, that is necessary to keep them alive. My family chose to put my sibling on a ventilator because my sibling had significant brain function at the time the ventilator became necessary. Once you make that choice, you can't remove the ventilator until the person is brain dead. My sibling also has a DNR order and is now on palliative care.

In the case you describe, it sounds like the parents have sought more active care even though there is little brain function. It is trickier in a situation where the child can live without life support. My heart goes out to parents who must make those choices.Answer #2: Just FYI, there's /r/legaladviceofftopic for hypothetical questions like these.Answer #3: Very few countries allow euthanasia for adults and, as far as I know, only the Netherlands and Belgium allow euthanasia on children. As such, it seems to me that in any other place the only possibility for a child would be to deny medical intervention that it needs to survive. If a child needs no medical intervention to survive, there would be no legal way to do it.


Title: Landlord refusing to refund $100 application fee

Question:
He believes part (c) of [this](http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/webmga/frmStatutesText.aspx?article=grp&section=8-213&ext=html&session=2018RS&tab=subject5) statute means these rules do not apply to him, as the specific location in question consists of 4 units.

It does not say anything like "at the location being applied to". My reading of that line is that it exempts small landlords with fewer than 4 units total, not larger companies who have many units albeit not 5 in one place.

I think it'd be silly to read it his way, as it'd afford more rights to some of a landlord's tenants/prospective tenants and less to others, based only on how many neighbors they have.

Am I in the right, or do I not have those rights because the apartment in question is 1 unit too small?

Answer: I believe the landlord is correct. You may not agree with the law but it seems quite clear.


Title: How can I acquire my grandparents' home after they pass even though there is a summary judgment against them?

Question:
I've always wanted to inherit my grandparents' home but after a bad business decision iam not sure if that is possible. They're always telling me that once they die the finance company that has the judgement against them will take everything they own/owned. Is there any way for me to receive the home?
 Location: CA.

Answer: You can likely buy it from the finance company that I assume has a lien on it. Answer #2: You could pay the judgement.


Title: Laboratory billing company chasing me to pay for tests that were not carried out

Question:
I am currently in the US on a K1 visa (I am a British citizen). I visited an urgent care centre months ago for a UTI and was sent home with antibiotics, I was informed lab tests could not be carried out as I had taken a medication that changed the colour of my urine.

Now I have received several letters from a company requesting that I pay for lab testing that was not covered under my insurance. I have not paid this and have now had a letter saying action will be taken by debt collection agencies.
The letters state that the lab tests were carried out two days before I even entered the US!! The date is totally incorrect. I have in writing that lab tests could not be carried out due to urine colour.

Am I required to pay for this? I’m not sure how it works.

The lab test company only has a number I can call to make payment, not to discuss or dispute.

Thanks in advance to anyone who helps me shed some light on this.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: I would contact the urgent care and tell them what’s going on. Call them and ask to speak to a supervisor or manger. If the date on the labs is wrong, clearly it’s also not the same day that you went to urgent care so maybe they can assist. Good luck!


Title: Hotel won't honor my reservation. [GA]

Question:
We just finished our 5 hour drive to the beach, and our hotel says they never got our booking(through booking.com). We called two weeks ago to make sure that our reservation was in order and we were assured that we had the room that we requested. They owners were adamant that there was no booking, and the only other hotels in the area are more than twice what we were going to pay. Is there any way I can be compensated for the extra expenses?

Edit: I called booking.com and they talked to the hotel and got us our room back. Their customer support called the hotel. Good service. Thanks for all the advice!

Answer: You need to read the booking.com agreement to find out what remedies you agreed to if your reservation wasn't met.


Title: Can my ex wife quit her job and file a motion to increase alimony and/or child support since she makes less now?

Answer: She can try.  You can dispute it and ask the court to impute income to her for what she's "capable" of earning.  Whether either of you are successful depends on the facts of your situation.Answer #2: Yup, you can counter-argue that her earning potential hasn't diminished and she should go and get a job.


Title: Landlord stole my ac unit

Question: Last year my boyfriend and I bought an AC unit from the landlord. I left it up to my boyfriend to buy the unit. He said it was ours to keep because only certain ACS fit in our windows. We spent more than $100. We left it in all summer and around September we saw notes all around the complex stating we ( xy properties) will be taking out your air conditioner and cleaning it for you. They never gave it back. They never stated on the note they'd be taking it forever. They just put "we will clean it for you." Now. I want my ac back and they state I have to pay to rent it out for the summer only. They were not clear in the note about taking the ac and I'm pissed. Thoughts?

Answer:
 Go down to the police station and tell them your ac unit was stolen by your landlord. Answer #2: Do you still have the receipt? If you don't, go to the retailer who sold it to you with the credit card statement and see if they can look back in their receipt log for the receipt.

Did you register it with the manufacturer for warranty purposes? If you did, try to get this record, too, *especially* if it has the model number and such on it.

Once you have your paperwork, especially if you have the model and such, I'd go to the maintenance supervisor, politely explain the situation, and ask if you or they could look through their stockroom for that air conditioner. You might be able to get it back without having to involve the landlord.

But the landlord may still want to charge you extra rent in the summer, even if it is your unit.


Title: Mother just tried to run my wife over with her car. Need legal advice

Question:
Hello.

As the title says. My mother is taking several different kinds of medication, 2 of which are illegaly prescribed for her (she uses my little brother's name in order to get a couple more bottles, he also has disability) Of which she takes heavily with alcohol everyday. This morning while my wife and i were leaving our home, my mother drove up into the driveway, looked at my wife, and hit her gas for the remaining distance of the driveway. My wife dove out of the way of her car. My mother then proceeds to get out of her car, and yell a slew of inaudible things in our direction. I confronted her and asked her why she would do something so crazy, and i was met with harsh abusive words. Wondering what our legal action can be. Thank you.

Current Location. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Answer: Don't go to her house? Call CPS if bro is a minor.


Title: My dad can't see, passed driver's vision test after previously having an eye doctor pull his license. Is my mother liable?

Question:
My dad has poor vision. He can see general shapes, but can't really see details. The eye doctor had my dad's license pulled at one point. My dad got some surgery done that marginally improved his vision.

He went to the DMV of New York and actually somehow passed the vision test. I am amazed because he can't even read without a 5x magnifying glass... he can't even watch TV without sitting 2 feet from it.

He drives quite regularly to go to the casino of all places. Even in upstate NY where there's 3 feet of snow.. he drove there this evening....

My question is: if he gets into a car accident, kills someone and himself, can my mother be sued? Yes, they are married.

Answer:
 His estate could be sued, which would directly impact your mother.

You guys need to have a come to Jesus meeting with him, and get him to stop driving.


Title: Is a college obligated to provide the classes that I need to graduate?

Question: I am in my senior year at a public university in New York, USA. I need to take a certain class ("x I") this semester if I want to graduate on time this coming spring because I have to take "x II" this spring. I was supposed to take these classes last year, but I didn't because they were all filled up. I was told to take something else now and take those later. The problem is last semester, my school came up with this brilliant policy to fix the problem of students not being able to get into the classes they need; reverse the order of registration priority so that incoming freshmen won't get off track. Now as a senior, I am locked out of this class because all the sophomores and juniors took all the spaces before me. I explained to the instructor and the Chair of the department that if I do not take this class this semester, I will not be able to graduate on time. They told me they were working on a solution, but it's already the second day of the semester and I am not confident that they will figure it out. I am curious if I have any recourse if they tell me that they are unable to get me into the class.

Answer: Talk to the professor teaching the class.  They will usually make room for special cases like yours.


Title: Unsolicited Check

Question:
I live in Allegheny County in Pennsylvania, but not in Pittsburgh directly.

A local bank has sent me a check.  As I understand it, it has all the requirements necessary to make the check legal, and the issuing bank listed matches the routing number.

The twist is, it's being used as a loan advertisement.  Several places on this check are listed that it is a loan.  The endorsement area is listed as "endorsement and promise to repay loan" and requests additional info such as SSN, and basic stuff.

As I understand it; all that excess stuff on the front is technically nonsense that doesn't mean a thing.  I have heard that Publisher's Clearinghouse used to send out live checks, and someone called their bluff and cashed one once; and because they were writing live checks they had to eat it, in the long run.

As I also understand it; both parties are allowed to modify a contract as they see fit and contract modifications that are accepted by a business without paying attention have bitten large businesses in the ass more than a few times.

If I were to deposit this check to my bank electronically, substituting a generic check back and endorsement instead of theirs which includes possible binding language -- am I signing a loan?

I suspect they'll just end up not funding the check, but if their lack of care has potentially given me a small windfall I'd like to take advantage.

I can take pictures (removing the MICR info and PII) and post them if that actually helps in this.

Thanks either way, and keep up the good work, legally minded Redditors!

Answer:
 > If I were to deposit this check to my bank electronically, substituting a generic check back and endorsement instead of theirs which includes possible binding language -- am I signing a loan?

IOW, if you were to forge a check using the original's bank routing number and account number are you signing a loan?

No you are not, you are stealing.


Title: [Texas] My little sister had her finger completely crushed by an unfasten concrete tabletop that is owned by her apartment complex. She had to go to the emergency room then to a hospital to get surgery. What should we be doing right now?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Legally speaking, your sister should consult a personal injury lawyer.Answer #2: > A lawyer has taken the case. Anything else we need to do?

Listen to that lawyer and don't talk to anyone about this on social media. Just do as the lawyer says. They will tell you what they want to build a case. Answer #3: That's terrible!  Hope she has a speedy recovery.

Take pictures of everything, from the injury to the table.  Preserve all medical records, billing records etc.  Note the make and model of the table, if available.  Whatever you do, don't sign a release for the apartment company.

Seems like a straight forward negligence case against the building owner.  Could try a product liability claim against the manufacturer, too.  She will potentially be able to recover for expenses incurred, lost wages and, most importantly, pain and suffering.

Then go out and find yourself a personal injury attorney you like.  Maybe solicit a few of them and ask for a ballpark figure they think the case is worth in settlement value.

If those ballparks are higher than what the company is offering you, go ahead and sign up.  I'm guessing they will be, defendants often get much more generous once a lawyer is involved.

Answer #4: Step 1 is making sure she gets proper medical treatment.

Step 2 is quite a bit down the road. Present the bills to the apartment promptly and request payment. When they refuse get a lawyer and he'll write a demand letter. Then the legal proceedings begin.


Title: [TX] boyfriend is cheating on me and I need him out - but we’ve been living at current place since Feb

Question:
Just found out my bf’s been cheating on me when he’s been working “overtime”. He kind of pays rent (only the last 2 months). We’ve been living together for over a year but not in the same place. Our most recent residence has been about 6 months and the lease expires in another 7.

Only my name is on the lease. He does not get any of his mail sent here. His ID shows another address. Can I kick him out? Like if I call the cops and show them my lease can they just drag him out??

I also think we’re common lawed married. Can he come after me for stuff?

Answer:
 Not unless you want to deal with losing a lawsuit.

You can give him one month worth of notice and if he does not leave at the end of that period you will have to evict him.


Title: Medical billing fraud (Kentucky)

Question:
I am a data analyst at a small medical testing lab in KY. I recently discovered that we have been charging for a test we do not even test for. I looked at the data and found out we had thousands of cases where we billed for this test over the course of 2 years (including billing to Medicare, which makes this federal I believe). This is apparently known to the higher ups and they are doing what they can to fix everything so that the company stays above water, but the feds don't know about the fraudulent billing. I have access to all billing data and results data so I did a little digging. I picked a few patients billed for, let's call it, Test X. I went through the results database and found no reference to them being tested for Test X and, what's more, no reference to ANY patient being tested for Test X. So, now I have a list of all patients who were tested for Text X and when we billed Medicare for Test X. I have permission to obtain and read all of this data in my job, so none of this information was obtained illegally.

Do I have a legal obligation to report this? Would this be considered whistle-blowing and would I be protected/rewarded for this? Is this enough evidence to support such a claim? I have a couple of coworkers I've talked to about this and they have some evidence as well, although not as concrete. (Possible anti-kickback and STARK violations)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Answer:
 In terms of rewards, the [False Claims Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_Claims_Act) says that they pay between 15 and 30% of recovered funds.

It looks like there are several law firms out there that will help you make a claim, so maybe find one and talk to them? I'm sure they'll take a cut for their work.

> This is apparently known to the higher ups and they are doing what they can to fix everything so that the company stays above water, but the feds don't know about the fraudulent billing.

Well, there's no way to really know if they've reported it or not.

> Do I have a legal obligation to report this?

I think you have a moral obligation to do so at least.


Title: (California) Aunt is trying to take inheritance

Question:
First, I am sorry for any formatting issues. I am new to posting on Reddit.

Background: My mother was diagnosed with gastric cancer in June of this year. During the time my household had five people living there. My grandmother(paternal), aunt (paternal), mother, sister(18), and I(20). A month before the diagnosis, my mother was in the process for us (mother, my sister, and I) to move out of this household because of the abuse my paternal family. My aunt would take my mother's money for her "business" and has also took my fathers life insurance money that my mother had as well. When my mother was diagnosed, the plan of moving out was soon put to a halt because it turned out that the cancer has already reached stage four and we would have no means on providing for housing, cancer treatment, and life in general. I wish that I could have been more help in that process but my family has this firm belief of over sheltering the children. This has made my sister and I completely unknowledgeable on anything about the world other than what we have learned in school. After five months of battling cancer, my mother passed away this past November.

Issue: Before My mother passed she informed me that she had life insurance and to take that money and run, but she never told me about which insurance company it was or anything else about it. Recently my aunt has made contact with the insurance company and has forced me into signing a bunch of papers for it. They say that they will be shipping out the check soon, but my aunt has forced me to have them ship it to her work office instead of the house. She opened a joint bank account with me recently after my mother passed and my SO said that it was a bad sign if she did do that as I already have my own bank account. I have contacted the insurance company and they have said they would contact me the next day but they have yet to respond. I really don't want my aunt to milk my mother anymore than she already has, but I'm really scared and don't know what else to do. Is there anything I can even do at this point? I'm so lost and have no idea of how any of this is supposed to work.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 If you are the beneficiary of the life insurance policy then the check will be made out to your name.  Do NOT sign it and give it to your aunt.  Do NOT put it into the joint account.  This is YOUR MONEY.  Those funds pass directly to you outside of probate; that money is NOT part of your mother's estate.  It should go into YOUR bank account, not the joint account with your aunt.

Get in touch with the insurance company and give them a different address for the check.


Title: She stole my stuff and i cant do anything about this

Question:
Hello,

I live in Vancouver. Couple days ago at the gym someone broke into my locker and stole all my stuff (laptop, wallet , keys).

I pretty much knew who was that ( there was that suspicious girl at the gym) but no evidence. So the thief used my credit card at gas station near gym, i went there and asked for picture. Today i met her at the gym again, also got picture and it is her.

Police officer informed me there is nothing i can do, there is no proof she stole anythnig beside credit card ( no camers in change room ) and i got full refund from bank so i cant start investigation. It would have to be bank to start it. Ridiculous.

Is there anything i can do?

Answer: You (actually since you got a refund, your bank) can file a criminal complaint for the CC theft. You can tell the police about your suspicions about the locker theft. But if they decline to investigate, you have no recourse. File a claim against your homeowners insurance policy for the stolen items.Answer #2: In addition to what /u/bananafrappe suggested, TELL THE GYM so that they can cancel her membership or ban her.


Title: Manager dodging calls from HR about my department transfer

Question:
Hey reddit, not sure if this is actually a legal issue. I live in Utah and applied for a job in another department at my company that is a better fit with the degree I am working towards, as well as a bit of a pay raise. I received an interview and was contacted on tuesday saying I was one of the top candidates.

They have to receive a reference from my current manager to proceed with the application process. I made my manager aware on Tuesday that she would be getting a call from HR. She thanked me for letting her know and I have been crossing my fingers ever since.

I just received a call this morning (Friday) from HR asking if my manager had fallen off the face of the earth. Apparently HR has called her multiple times, left messages, and emailed her with no response. I know my manager has been here, I saw her yesterday.

We are currently in the process of switching computer charting systems and I believe she may be dodging these calls so that she doesn't have to find a replacement while the new system is being rolled out.

I know it is illegal for a manager to give a false reference to prevent an employee from getting a job, but is she doing anything wrong by dodging HR?

TLDR; Manager has been dodging calls from HR about a reference for a department transfer.

Answer:
 Not legal advice, but is there no way you could force the situation? Have a talk with the manager where you lay it out for her, that this is very important and could she please make time for HR? Frame it with "I know you're busy, is there anything I can take off your plate so you'll have more time on your hands?"

Or you force the situation by being a bit sneaky. Get the HR representative on the phone, walk into your manager's office (when she is clearly doing nothing of note), hand her the phone with a very polite, "Call for you." and then quickly walk away. You can alway play dumb later if she gets pissed. "Oh hey, HR said they just needed a 5 minute convo but couldn't seem to get a hold of you. I thought I'd help out."


Title: Can a landlord kick you out if your apartment is searched by the police? - San Diego, CA

Question:
My apartment was searched by police. Immediately after this, my landlord left me two voicemails saying we needed to talk and that "we're going to have a problem". I have to meet with them to discuss the rest.

relevant info:

- the search warrant was executed for another resident of the apartment, one who is not on the lease (and the landlord said strictly only people on the lease can reside there)

- this month (February) is the last month of a 6 month lease. we were hoping to renew the lease or go month-to-month

- we have ALWAYS paid our rent on time, and have had no other negative interactions with the landlord or neighbors

What can we do to make sure we don't lose the apartment? What rights do we have as tenants? Do we have any even though the lease is expiring?

Thank you!

Answer:
 You can't be kicked out for having the police search your apartment. You can possibly be kicked out because you had an unauthorized resident. You can certainly be kicked out because the lease is ending and your landlord doesn't want to renew it.

Edit: You could also probably be kicked out for the drugs or whatever it was your buddy had.


Title: update on bike with a second lock

Question:
i got the bike back last night. I took proof of ownership of the bike and boltcutters and got there in time i guess!

also, someone said this:
>If you do get your bike back, take note of your bike's description and any serial numbers you can find and register it with the police. Doing this before you have trouble is critical for recovery.

i had actually already done this, so could prove the bike was mine. They just refused to cut the other lock off and told me not to do it either since it wasn't my property (the lock). thanks to everyone from here and /r/legaladviceuk who convinced me to get it myself before it was too late. if you live in the uk you can register your bike [here](https://www.bikeregister.com/) like i have.

also: I am in england. no need to upset the bot this time.

Answer:
 the UK has a national bike registry? that's really nifty, i don't think i've seen anything like that here in the US. glad it worked out for you!

[original post here](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3rtwzy/stranger_put_an_extra_bike_lock_on_my_bike_locked/).Answer #2: That was absurd, telling you not to cut it, what if it were your car and they put a chain around your wheels and locked it?  I wouldn't even waste two seconds before I got my bolt cutters and clipped that shit, bike, car, whatever, you put something on MY property, it will be removed.Answer #3: I must admit I think that was pretty poor advice from your local police force. In fact, I have read that other forces will cut the other bolt for you, and allow you take the bike if you provide proof that the bike is yours (Cambridge comes to mind for some reason).Answer #4: Glad it worked out for you.

Fun side story: I once retrieved a customor bicycle from a broken d-lock.  I dragged a 100 ft extension chord to an outlet in a building lobby about 50 feet away.  Proceeded cut off the lock off with an angle grinder, shooting sparks everywhere and making tons of noise.  Nobody said a word to me and I'm pretty sure a police cruiser passed me at one point without even slowing down.


Title: [KY] My wife is divorcing me. Gave me a date to move out. Do I have to meet that demand?

Question:
Hi. My wife is divorcing me. Her and her mother own our home, paid in cash with her father's life insurance. We have an 8 month old son. I have a meeting scheduled with a family lawyer but I'm freaking out and seeking some advice.

My wife has gone on vacation with our son and has told me I need to be out of the house by the time she returns, this sunday. I have been primary caregiver for our son and thus only working part time. This is creating an issue with finding a suitable residence that will have enough space for myself and my son (I plan on seeking joint custody). There is no history or occurrence of domestic violence or sexual abuse. Can she force me to move out?

Answer:
 Not without going through a formal eviction process, which may not even be possible for her to do while you are still married. Answer #2: >My wife has gone on vacation with our son and has told me I need to be out of the house by the time she returns, this sunday.

Nope.

Talk to a divorce lawyer and don't be afraid to file before she does.Answer #3: This moment no , in the future it's likely but spousal support is also a possibility too.   Depends on how long you were married your lawyer will be able to advise you of likely outcomes , your meeting should be ASAP.


Title: Do I have a solid case or no?

Question:
Hello, I'm from CA and I have a 1 year old son that I would like to have visitation rights to. He will be turning 1 year old next month. Me and the Mother were not married, and before she was pregnant, were living together with my mother and have been that way for 2 years. we broke up a few months after she told me she was pregnant. I will admit I was not too much an influence over the pregnancy. I did come around to being a father and started going to doctors visits with my ex. I thought things were going ok, until she had the baby and refused to let me be there for the birth and did not put me on the birth certificate. I think no big deal because shortly after I'm spending days with him and the mother, to the point were we are practically together again, though we never really made it official or talked about it, at this time I'm giving her 200 a month to help with cost as well as organizing my days off, and that of my family, to be able to watch him while we both work. at about the 4 month mark, I bump that up to 300.
. Issue with this is that I cannot prove I did any of this aside from testimony from family that cared for him. At 6 months, December, I move out with my brother from my mothers house, so my cost of living went up. This last february he was enrolled in daycare, and due to the now 550 I'm paying as my portion of the cost, I started sending money via zelle to keep track of it, plus it was convienent. This was fine for the last few months, but now she is saying she is in financial trouble and will refuse to let me see my son unless I pay more. I'm fed up and want to seek legal action.

I'm 22 years old at the moment. I DID make around 55k-60k as a car salesman one year, but quit midway through the pregnancy to work as an insurance salesman at a brokerage making 36k-41k a year depending on whether you consider my monthly bonus as income. I got a secured days off, Sunday and Wednesday, which were my days with him up until he started daycare, which at that point I only had Sundays with him, because she wanted to get "our money's worth". Since I no longer had him during the week, I picked up a part-time night job in late march, which earns me about 600 a month or an extra 7k/year. I did this to be able to afford my living, as well as be able to buy stuff for my son like a prpper car seat/food/clothing to keep at my place, as well as try to make a dent on the 6k of debt I'm in at the moment.  I was still able to see him every sunday.

Mother is 22, makes about 25k a year while also attending night classes part time. She lives at home and while at school, parents pick up the baby from day care. She has weekends off, so she mainly has him on saturdays. word from the grapevine has it she applied for government assistant claiming she didn't know the father.

I think she is picking up bad finance habits from her parents. They are pretty well off, each bringing in about 70-80k with just about everyone in their family having moved out except ex, which recently moved back in, and youngest son who is turning 18 soon. The mother has a tendency to upgrade cars every 2-3 years. She can BARELY afford the her cars she got her self, but really wanted to upgrade again so she instead opted to "gift" the ex the car, take half the payments, and go get the car she really wants. the year before they "bought" her a car from her uncle, for 5k. I set up a deal to sell her original car, which the parents actually paid for, 2k. They bought it for 1500, so they came up even after  and then I also added an extra 1k. she paid the rest off her self in payments. So my theory is things are starting to kind of blow up in her face since she can't afford to say no since she's living rent free but can't really afford that car.

I have not sought legal action for 2 reasons.

*1 I did not feel a need to since at first things were going good, but now I started keeping some records and my family is willing to testify as well

*2 I do not have the time or money to go to a losing court battle or a court battle where the outcome would have been the same as if I never went to court, ie paying 300-500/month with 1 day/week visitiation. now I'm in the position where I'm threatened  to either pay more or never see him again.

Do I have a solid case to be able to get a court ordered, sunday visitation and either keep/lower the payments I currently make? I know I can't ask for much more because he's still considered a new born.

Answer: After establishing paternity you will get a visitation order and a support order.  You should consult with a family law attorney


Title: (California) Started a relationship with a 32 year old when I was 16, upon leaving him, he's threatened to post my nudes online, harassed me, threatened suicide

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is a dumpster fire.  First, people using blackmail can't be negotiated with.  They always have the ability to threaten to harm you if you don't comply with their new demands.  As for killing himself, who cares? It wouldn't be your fault, would remove a sexual predator, and would solve your problem.

I would talk to an attorney, but that will be hard without looping in your parents. I wouldn't call prosecutors or the police yet.  I would speak to some sexual assault and domestic abuse victim networks.

You absolutely produced and distributed child porn.  That said, you're also a victim of domestic abuse.  You need professional assistance to work through this.Answer #2: You need to discuss this with a lawyer. You could also face charges for child porn.


Title: Civil procedure question for lawyers from a new summer intern re: "Notice of Appearance"

Question:
Hey all, I'm a too afraid to ask this "obvious" question in person at my new firm since I just started an internship. I was hoping a litigator could answer this for me.

I'm supposed to help file an answer a new complaint in the northern district of California. Does a "Notice of Appearance" have to be filed before we file the Answer a case? If not, when exactly do I file it?

I Googled the rule and say that one must be filed “whenever counsel joins a case”, but it’s a little unclear on the timing of filing the first document – the answer. If we file an answer without a notice of appearance, what happens?

And along with that first notice of appearance, I should also file a “notice of interested parties”, right? Is there anything I should know about that?

They don't teach us stuff like this as a 1L in law school...

Answer:
 Grow some balls. You are trying to be an attorney FEAR IS FOR THE PARALEGAL

Go ask. Call the court. Don't turn to Reddit with your tail in your legs.

[BE A MAN HULK](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dG7jTAGliyY)


Title: Resident Advisor got directions from "Bosses."

Question:
I'm on mobile, so I apologize for the terrible formatting.

I go to a college, and I am required to live on campus my first year.  I have a kitten that I'm trying to get registered as my emotional support animal.

I did have the kitten living in my dorm "against policy" for a week. I want to make this clear, I did break a rule. However, I have went to ONLY housing, counseling, and disability services to ask how I would go through the process of getting my cat okay to live in my dorm.

Now, I have NOT told any of these campus services that I already had the cat living in my dorm. They operated clearly off of "hunch information", I suppose.

Yesterday night, my resident Advisor for my floor came to my door and said (I'm trying to be as verbatim as possible here), " I'm not saying there's a feline in here, and I won't ransack your room looking for it. But i suggest getting it out by Friday, because my bosses have told me there might be one in here, and if so, it needs to be gone by then."

Now, in my opinion, my RA did me a huge favor there giving me a chance to get it out and giving warning. I appreciate  that. But the only way he could know about me even "Maybe" having a feline in the room (which I did not tell disabilities or counseling) would be if they broke HEPA and doctor-patient privilege. Am I wrong in wanting to nail their asses for trying to intimidate me out of my disability services?

Answer:
 Were you prescribed this animal by your doctor? The school isn't stupid. There's no magic spell to turn your pet into a medical accommodation. Answer #2: "HEPA" is an air filter. "HIPAA" is the law that protects medical information. However, they didn't get this information from your doctor. They probably got it from housing services.

You need to get the cat out of there until you actually have it registered. Until then, they can come after you for breaking the lease. Answer #3: Nobody's trying to intimidate you out of your disability services here. There are a number of ways your RA/their boss may have found out that you have a cat in your room. For what it's worth, the process of getting this "emotional support animal" would likely require informing housing about it.

As it's not registered, you have no right to have it in your room. Your RA gave you a heads up in telling you to comply with the policy before you get in trouble.Answer #4: > But the only way he could know about me even "Maybe" having a feline in the room (which I did not tell disabilities or counseling) would be if they broke HEPA and doctor-patient privilege.

That's definitely not the *only* way.

You need to get the cat out of there. That's all there is to it. You have no recourse here.


Title: Was stupid and got a DUI.....

Question:
First of all, I know this was stupid and this will not happen again. I was recently charged with my first and last DUI in NE. I have a Kansas license and share residence between KS and NE and am a member of the Kansas Army National Guard. I contacted the Kansas DMV and my license is still active and I can drive. They have heard nothing from NE. It has been 14 days since I was arrested. Will NE send this information to KS? Should I apply for a NE license (it will be restricted as LE sent the information to NE DMV). edit: typos

Thanks

Answer:
 None of this will be relevant until your court date.  Wait until then to proceed.  Take the first offenders program if it is offered to you, same with the hotel hell option.

Shit happens, don't beat yourself up about it.  Use it as a learning experience; take note of how much money this will cost you, which should be anywhere between $1500 and $2000.  That's money that you could have been saving/investing, and watch how quickly you can come up with it for court fees, yet you would most likely think it's impossible to save up as much that quickly.

I got a DUI three years ago.  Best thing that's happened to me.


Title: About to take a urine drug test, but I take some prescription drugs from my doctor that may show up as a 'false positive'

Question:
If it shows up as a false positive and they drop me , do I have any legal recourse ?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: If you have a prescription, you can show those to the testing facility.Answer #2: Did you tell your employer ahead of time that you have prescriptions you take?


Title: I got a ticket for running a red light but one of the lights was out.

Question:
I was driving at night in Atlanta and got pulled over. The cop told me I just ran a red light which was a total shock to me. Sure enough there was a stop light behind us. I thought it was really weird that I didn't see the light. I went back the next day and saw that one of the lights was not working when red, and the other is partially hidden behind a pole. Its pretty danm hard to see it coming around the corner. My court date is the 19th. I received in the mail an option to do PTIT (Pretrial Intervention Program for traffic Cases) which costs about $350 and gets my charges dropped. Do you think I have a case? Should I hire a cheap lawyer? Should I just do the PTIT?

https://imgur.com/GqDHhPo

https://imgur.com/uTuvfJB

Answer: Having looked at your photos, I think traffic school would serve you very well.


Title: [WI] Landlord is demanding we sign new lease or give notice 6 months prior to the end of our current lease

Question:
We live in Wisconsin and have lived in our current apartment for about 5 years now. In November, a few months after our lease renewed, the building we live in was sold to a new owner and a new property management company took over. We have not signed anything with the new property management company and we were told that nothing in our current lease would change until the lease was up. In mid-February, they sent us a letter demanding that we either sign a lease for another year or agree to vacate at the end of our lease which ends at the end of August. The letter stated that if we didn't re-sign by March 1st, they would market our unit. It is now April and we still haven't signed anything. Ultimately we have decided that we don't want to renew since a lot of other things they have done have been questionable (eg. entering our unit about every 1-2 weeks for unspecified "inspections", refusing to answer questions about what specifically they are inspecting or the specific dates they will enter, and a few other things that could easily be made into entirely different legaladvice posts) but we still haven't signed anything because literally no one has listings available for August or even July yet and it's very nerve wracking to not have another place to live lined up before officially giving notice.  I also fear that if we give notice this early, they will be showing our apartment to prospective tenants for the next 5 months.

&#x200B;

I half expected them to assume we planned to vacate when we had not given them notice by March 1st (as their letter stated), but instead we've been getting numerous text messages and calls over the past month stating that they need us to re-sign the lease or give notice. My question is, can they actually demand that we renew the lease or give notice to vacate this early in the current lease? Do we have the right to wait until a more reasonable time to give notice? I would really prefer to give at the absolute most, 90 days notice but that still feels a bit excessive for a property management company that we honestly just don't trust.

&#x200B;

Thank you to everyone who takes the time to help!

Answer: The terms of your original lease will control.  Determine what notice requirements are in the lease, if any, and provide that language to the new landlord to explain when you will be deciding to renew or not.


Title: Upstate Central NY: Conservation Company Flooding Adjacent Private Land

Question:
In Upstate NY, my parents own 15 acres adjacent to a conservation group tasked with preserving and enhancing wetlands.

For the last 20 years, each summer, the water proceeds to flood further into their property destroying the woods, trails, landscaping and have even flooded their basement several times. What legal recourse could they take against a federally funded conservation group?

Its obvious that their property value has drastically decreased as a result of this and similar neighbors in the area have also expressed the same issue.

Most of the federal officials tasked with addressing complaints are near impossible to get ahold of and have little interest in hearing the complaints.

Unfortunately, they do not have a lot of money to be able to finance prolonged legal action.

Answer:
 This question is far beyond the scope of this forum.

If a neighbor, regardless of the nature of that neighbor, is deliberately changing ground water flow such that it floods your parents property, that may be actionable.  That action would be complex and would absolutely require an attorney.


Title: I got a parking ticket in a foreign country, should I pay it?

Question: Got to the parking meter a little late (13 minutes) and so I got a parking ticket. I got the ticket in Windsor, Canada and I'm heading back to the States in about an hour. Should I pay the ticket or not?

Answer: Is there a chance that you will ever *ever* return to Canada? If yes- just pay the damn ticket. If no feel free to roll the dice on whether or not your state has a reciprocal agreement with Canada on traffic tickets and fines. (NY does, others might). If it's a rental car be prepared for the rental car agency to come after you.


Title: Bought a brand-new built home in CA 1 month ago. Home is pre fab which was never declared in paperwork. Ceiling is now cracking apart.

Question: I bought a brand new home in CA around late October, so almost two months I suppose. I never wanted a pre fabricated home and have passed on other houses for being such. I chose this home because it was advertised as a new built single family home. I paid in cash $600,000 and asked the owner to carry $25,000. Not two months later, the house is cracking like an egg. The ceiling has new cracks appearing everyday. The window frames are cracking. The windows in Master will not open. There is major water under the house. I decided i don’t want to live here anymore. The original owner agreed on the phone to buy back for $625,000 after a few phone calls of us fighting. He comes back with contracts the other day and brings me an offer for $605,000 which is what I’ve paid him so far. The cost of moving, escrow and other moving expenses was a real toll on me and my elderly mother. I had to stay in a hotel before moving into this house and after selling my previous home. I’ve put an additional $40,000 or so upgrades in the home, not including an entire kitchen remodel, Viking stove, window shutters, extra cement, etc etc. He expects me to counter back at him with a “fair” and “reasonable” price. I’m not sure how to proceed here and would appreciate any advice. If it helps at all, I’m a 22 year old female who worked very hard to own my home and planned to make this my forever home. I live with my elderly mother who has spine issues and this has taken a toll on her as well. Thank you.

Answer: Damn girl, you are waaaay outside of free Reddit advice territory. You needed a real estate lawyer yesterday. That's the only advice I can safely give.


Title: [Tennessee] Does welfare + no job = a pass on child support for a non custodial mom?

Question:
Back story - Ex and I divorced, she got custody, I got visitation. I always payed child support with no issues. 3 years ago I filed for and received a custody change. She gets visitation every other weekend. I filed for child support, but because she was (and still is) unemployed and living only off welfare and child support from another kid with a different father, The court says she doesn't have to pay child support.

It's more about the principle of being responsible for our son than it is about the money to me. Am I being a butthole about this by wanting to peruse child support? Is it worth even trying to peruse child support again? It would be the same judge. Or would I just be wasting my own money?

Answer:
 The State of Texas had no problem deducting $500/month from my unemployment benefits when I was out of work. I'm sure Garnishment works the same in TennesseeAnswer #2: Anecdotal evidence from a non-lawyer.

My dad has always lived in Tennessee.  I've almost always (in childhood) lives in Kentucky.

Folks were married in KY and therefore divorced in KY, so I assume KY laws were in effect.

Dad owed child support my whole life.  Mom claims he never paid, dad swears he did.  I have no way of knowing whether or not he owed back child support.

My eternally jobless dad finally went on Social Security for having a disablity.  I was listed as a dependent on his taxes and was cut a direct check from the Social Security people every month until I was 18.Answer #3: If the previous order was a no support order, and the situation has not changed, I think that the result would be the same.

If her circumstances change, that would be the time to file.


Title: I am doing work for a bitcoin company but I do not know if it is legal or even normal.. pls help

Question:
TlDR:
Feels like a super shady business. I made 400 CAD in cash in 4 hours. Am making money but don't know what I'm dealing with.

I live in Canada. I received a job offer from BTC Trade, though I am not 100% sure that the person emailing me works there. They said that they found my resume on Indeed, which it was on. I was interested in the job, and I applied. I got the job. I gave in my Name, Phone number, Email, The name of my Bank. and my bank withdrawal limit.
My boss is the person I applied the job with. My Boss sends me a task, of the amount of money I need to deposit into my bank. The amount is about 800-1500$. I then receive an Interac e-transfer online for the money, from another person. My Boss then told me to go to the bank and withdraw the money into cash. she then asked me THE LOCATION OF MY BANK ADDRESS, and then sent me the location of the nearest bitcoin ATM. She then sent me another email saying I would receive around 10% for each transaction. She also sent me the QR code of the customers Bitcoin wallet. I continued to the bitcoin ATM and deposited the money into the bitcoin ATM. I did this process 3 times.

In the last time I did the task I had an extra 100$ which I could not deposit into the wallet, because it exceeded the limit. My boss told me I could keep it, and we would deal with this later.

JOB DESCRIPTION I RECEIVED: JOB DESCRIPTION Position: Assistant manager Salary: $ 800/week Probationary Period: 7 days; 10% for every completed order. Job Type: Home Office, Part-Time. Or you can easily combine it with any other job you have.

Training: We provide Probationary Period, so you can get all necessary experience in process.

Account for the work: We do not provide a bank account for a trial period. For the period of a probationary period you will need to use your personal account. After the a probationary period, we will provide you with the virtual account of the company.

GENERAL PURPOSE Compiles and reconciles data involving electronic transfer of funds to maintain accounting records: Examines electronic funds transaction entries on documents, such as bank statements and printouts, for completeness and accuracy. Perform clerical tasks related to the efficient maintenance and processing of transactions from customers.

SCHEME OF WORK 1. Prepare, verify, and process payments from customers; 2. Verify that transactions comply with financial policies and procedures; 3. Transfer money to headquarters/branch; 4. Keeping accurate records of operations.

MONEY I RECEIVED:

*1485$
my commission was 150$

*830$
my commission was 85$

*1050$
my commission was 100$ out of which I got to keep an extra 100$ because it
exceeded the withdrawal limit.

Answer:
 It's a scam. All the transactions you processed through your own account are going to bounce or be reversed due to fraud and you're going to be on the hook for them. Answer #2: Either you're being scammed, or you're helping launder stolen money.

Fraudulent Interac transfers can be reversed, even if you have withdrawn the money. Bitcoin transactions can't. If the Interac transfers are fraudulent, you'll be left with no money and no bitcoins. You're currently exposed to over $3,000 in potential losses, if you deposited all three transfers and withdrew them as cash: if you still have the cash, re-deposit it immediately and call your bank to report suspected fraud. (If you don't, call your bank anyways. Hoping and waiting won't help.)

No legitimate business requires its employees to use their own bank accounts to handle company finances.


Title: Creating a free game that is based on the Star Wars universe. What crosses the line into copyright infringement?

Question: I live in Virginia though I'm fairly sure this falls under federal law. Using the term Star Wars in the title of the game would obviously be copyright infringement (C.I.), but what about using the term Pod Racer? If the game took place on planets depicted in the films, for example Tatooine, would that be C.I.? Would actually using the name Tatooine in the game make a difference? Would recreating objects and scenes depicted in the movies be C.I.? Does the fact that the game is free actually help at all? To what extent can I reference or recreate anything in Disney's Star Wars universe? Do you think it would help to contact Disney about this?

Answer:
 Using the term Star Wars in the title would not be copyright infringement, but trademark infringement.  It would confuse customers into believing the game came from Disney.

Using the Star Wars setting or locations could infringe Disney's copyrights.  It all depends on how much you use.  See [the article on derivative works](http://copyright.gov/circs/circ14.pdf).

From a practical point of view, you should know that Disney is known for having a well financed strike team of ninja lawyers and they protect their IP very thoroughly.  If you were to annoy them, you would lose.

Edit:  The game being free doesn't matter; it would still be a copyright infringement or trademark infringement.  Asking Disney: You can try, but usually these license agreements involve paying the licensor a significant advance on royalties up front, so unless you walk in the door with $100,000, I'd expect you would be ignored.  If you were to ask Disney, basically, "how can I come as close as legally possible to infringing on your IP without your suing me," I don't expect you would get an answer.


Title: UPS caused me a serious back injury.

Question:
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 I don't see how UPS caused you to hurt yourself.  You attempted to move it yourself, and subsequently hurt your back.

I don't see a cause of action here.  You're more than welcome to consult with a personal injury attorney, however.Answer #2: Tl;dr:

* OP ordered an air conditioner

* UPS delivered it to his building

* OP carried it up to his apartment and hurt his back

* Can I sue UPS?Answer #3: I was incredulous, because at the apartment I lived at in CA the UPS driver never went inside, they just gave the slips to the Managment office and we had to pick it up from their facility. But it does look like it is company policy [to deliver to the door](http://www.ups.com/content/us/en/resources/sri/multiunit_deliveries.html), even in a multi unit complex.

That being said, you should have refused to accept delivery and told them if they would not deliver it to the door to place it back on the truck. You were under no obligation to try and move it on your own, and they couldn't have reasonably foreseen you would do so in such a careless manner. You can probably get a partial refund on the shipping as a customer service gesture, but there is no way they're going to even consider covering your medical expenses. Answer #4: God, people want to sue for everything.  No, you screwed up, UPS didn't. Answer #5: Not legal advice but - in the future, if you want heavy stuff brought up four flights of stairs to your apartment, especially in NY, the offer of a generous tip would make all the difference.


Title: [PH] Ex gf wants me to sign a legal release contract for our unborn child

Question:
This is my first time posting here and I was wondering if that’s legal because we’re not married and don’t intend to. Is signing really necessary? Because I’m also an illegitimate child and my father only signed an affidavit of paternity. Does it make any difference if I sign a legal release or not?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: That's not even a thing. You can't just sign away your rights like that. So no, don't sign it.


Title: Pedestrian hit and killed

Question:
Our Christmas was turned upside down this year when my wife's grandfather was hit by a vehicle and killed in front of his condo in Chilliwack B.C. Canada on the 23rd.
It has been 2 weeks and we have not gotten any answers from the police as to what actually happened. We had a officer come to his brothers house and let him know grampa was being airlifted to a major hospital and for whatever reason state that it was 100% grampas fault. 2 hours later we where notified that he was in the morgue at the local hospital. His wallet and keys are missing and we have been getting a run around since.
The officer that responded would not return calls and is now on administrative leave. Is this normal after an accident like this? To be left in the dark about what happened to their loved one?

Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 I am very sorry for your loss.

>Is this normal after an accident like this?

It varies department to department. You are still very early in the process, you will not get answers if the police do not yet have answers to give. I am guessing this is the RCMP, so they may not have the resources in Chilliwack to give you a quick turnaround.

>state that it was 100% grampas fault

Wait for their official report, if they are preparing one, their findings the day of the incident may not be conclusive.

>To be left in the dark about what happened to their loved one?

You should not be left in the dark, but only certain parties (in some provinces that is immediate family members only) have a right to the information. If you are not that person they may completely ignore you.

>His wallet and keys are missing and we have been getting a run around since

Contact whoever may have his will and start the probate process. The RCMP may be waiting for an executor of the estate to provide the property to. I believe, though I may be wrong as I am not familiar with BC privacy law, that the executor can make a freedom of information request for the police file on behalf of the estate.
Answer #2: Call the department and ask for the officer’s supervisor and explain the situation.

Administrative leave could mean anything, from a personal medical problem to disciplinary issues/pending termination. Basically, it means the officer could be gone for two weeks, two months or indefinitely. Therefore you need a new point of contact within the department.


Title: I'm looking to resell collectibles. One of the items displays a picture the current copyright holder is notorious for targeting for copyright strikes. The item was manufactured and distributed before he accquired the rights to the image. Do his copyright claims (US) still apply to said item?

Question:
Pretty much what the title says.

The item in question is a Motley Crue back patch showing the original album cover for Too Fast For Love. According to the patch it was manufactured and distributed under the copyright of the 2004 Motley Crue Touring, Inc.. Ron Toma accquired the rights to the image in 2011 and is notorious for issuing copyright claims for any use of it since then. I'm looking to sell on ebay. Does he have any grounds to have the auction taken down?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 If the copyrighted work was lawfully sold initially, then you should be fine. A buyer generally has the right to resell an item after a legal first sale.Answer #2: I would clearly state in the title “Original Vintage Patch circa 2004”  Or “Vintage jacket from circa 19XX with patches from Name Tour (2004).” Make certain the listing is very clear about it being licensed material from original source and what time period it is “circa” and ask prospective buyers to contact you for more details. You don’t have to be able to prove these things with documents but be honest about the source of the material.

If there is a DMCA, point out that you are not infringing as your listing is an official product from 2004 allowed under the first sale doctrine.  You will get to submit a rebuttal.

BTW US copyright law should only apply if the servers hosting the content is physically in the US. Not that the ownership of rights would very different in Europe. But the DMCA process would only apply in the US. So if you are really hassled maybe put a link in in the eBay listing saying “high resolution pictures found here” and have the pictures actually hosted on a German server. Not ideal.


Title: Employer threatening to hold my check (and more) if I don't work one more day for her FL

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 She admitted by text that you worked there and there was a check, but she was going to withhold it. So you definitely existed and need to be paid. You should file a wage claim as laid out in the website below:

https://www.sapling.com/7439105/file-florida-non-payment-wages


Title: Mislabeled product gave my daughter a trip to the ER.

Question: I live in NJ.  My daughter is allergic to milk.  The product on the English label did not mention "milk".  After giving it she reacted and I had to take her to the ER room.  Translated the non-english ingredients and found "milk".  What should I do?

Answer:
 This is something you need to consult a local attorney about. Contact your local bar association for a referral. There are links in the wikiAnswer #2: This isn't related to law, but I also have food allergies and need to read labels. Often, imported foods will have translated English ingredient labels that are just stickers placed on the packaging. These stickers are often incorrect. Leaving out ingredients or truncating ingredient lists seems to be the most common error. For example, I've seen translated labels that list only 7 ingredients, when 20 ingredients are listed on the original label.

I completely sympathize with OP, but he or she should know that this is a very common problem, not a one-off occurrence!Answer #3: First of all, you should immediately inform the FDA about this so they can issue a recall and get the product off the shelves before anyone else has to go to the ER as well.  I would suggest calling since their online comments might not be seen immediately.  Go to http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/ContactFDA/default.htm

Second, you should write a letter to the manufacturer and explain the situation.  They should pay for your medical expenses as well as some sort of compensation.   If they don't, see a lawyer.


Title: Self defence with no witnesses

Question: Lets say someone kills another person in self defence but there are no witnesses no cctv or anything. Will that person face any legal repercussions?

Answer: It would depend on the evidence and if it supported their assertion.


Title: Step-dad kicking grandmother out of the house (Illinois)

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice once again. I have a bit of the problem here. I live with my mom, step-dad, little sister, and grandma (moms side.) She has been living with us for the past 2-3 years because she worked as a live-in caretaker and the man she took care of passed away. For some unknown reason my step-dad doesn't really like my grandma. He's a lazy a**hole and doesn't do anything but she cooks, and cleans, and does all of this stuff, so I don't see why he has something against her. Today she said she was going to her daughter in laws house to watch her kids and he told her to pack her bags and never come back. What legal authority does he have? My grandma has this house listed as her address on her passport, license, cell phone bill, health insurance, car insurance, etc. She does not pay mortgage, but she always gives my parents a few hundred bucks every month and helps them out a ton. Does my step-dad have any authority to just kick her out like that? She's 64. He's a d*ck, but I want to know if he can legally do this? Thanks a bunch reddit!
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: He can evict her if it's his house but he has to give her proper notice. "Leave and don't come back" does NOT count


Title: Bought a fake ID from a friend of a friend. Was caught, the ID is real, was stolen from a robbery victim. How much trouble am I in?

Question:
I'm going into my third year of university but I don't turn 21 until September 1st. Most of my friends are already 21 and can go to bars and clubs for real. I didn't want to miss out on partying with them so a friend of a friend hooked me up with a fake ID. It was sweet and looked pretty real and he even put my picture on it so I thought for sure I would be fine and I planned to destroy it as soon as I legit turned 21. Well we were out one night and the police came into the club and arrested me. The bouncer had figured out the ID was fake but instead of just taking it I assumed he was a douche on a power trip because he let me in and then called the police. I couldn’t figure out why they were making such a big deal about a fake ID. I wasn’t at the station long. They got my real name and address then I was given a citation and court date for the fake ID and was told I would be released for now but they told me under no circumstances was I to leave the city and they also advised me to get a lawyer.

An officer told me even though the ID had my picture it was actually a real ID from someone and that the person the ID belonged to had been mugged and almost killed. The bouncer was a friend and recognized her name and address. They guy I bought the ID from used her ID but put my picture on it and changed the sex because she has a name that could also be a guys name. All the rest of the info on it was hers. I had no fucking idea about any of this and I tried to tell the officer but she said they were investigating and I could be facing more charges at a later date. What the hell do I do here? I don’t know the guy who sold me the ID, he was a friend of a friend and I haven’t been able to find him. I just want to pay my fine and get on with my life. What are the chances I will get blamed for the robbery and just how screwed am I here?

Edit: I live in Virginia

Edit 2: Update [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3h1eat/update_bought_a_fake_id_from_a_friend_of_a_friend/) for anyone that is interested. Thank-you to everyone who gave constructive advice.

Answer:
 Did you google the name on your ID since being told it was a mugging. Chances are there was a news blurb and you can find it if the person was extremely hurt.

Chance are, the cops lied to get a confession, and you gave them one. Slam dunk.


Title: [Alabama] is it legal for my high school to take up phones if someone has it out indefinitely?

Answer:
 No, they can't keep the phone permanently. That would be theft.

If they refuse to return it, have your parents come and demand it. If that doesn't work, start escalating up to the school board.


Title: [CA] We are getting blamed and potentially given a large fine for breaking our dorm elevator.

Question:
This is going to be quick as possible since the meeting is tomorrow. About 3 days, Friday night, after some partying on our 9th floor dorm hall we decided to leave and continue the party elsewhere. Some backstory is that this building was made in 1969 and was supposed to be torn down like three times. As we pile into the elevator, move down on floor with more people getting on, it soon reached a capacity of 23 people. This was not worrisome because max capacity was 26 people. There is a lot of confusion of what happened next, but I believe one guy jumped in and that pushed it to the tipping point. With the door still open the elevator fell three stories until the backup systems saved our lives. We were in that elevator for 40 minutes with multiple people passing out due to claustrophobia, heat stroke, and the overall stress of the situation.

There is the meeting tomorrow and I have some questions. Are we to blame? They said they will be charging us with penalties, and even a large fine to fix the elevator, can they do this? They stated the elevator was broken and that it was our fault for pushing the limits KNOWING (we didn't know it was broken??) It was broken. Any help would be amazing.

Answer:
 None of us can really say without looking at the technical details of the failure and how much everyone weighed. If they had a broken elevator for use for students and their argument is "You knew it was broken so you should have had less people in it," well... that argument bodes better for you. The argument that you piled too many really heavy people in bringing it well over capacity weight limit or that you were jumping around, etc. those might bring some flavor to the conversation.

Ps, I'm really glad that you all were okay, please take care to seek a session or two of trauma counseling, these things get you at the weirdest of times and ways. Take care of yourself.


Title: [TX] Trespassing laws for tenants?

Question:
I'm trying to stay very general here to keep the privacy of everyone involved, but let me know if I need to explain more.

Basically, one of my 3 roomates has a friend who comes over who I don't want to be around for personal reasons.  We have separate bedrooms and the apartment complex leases them out to us individually. The guest doesn't come into my room, but is at times in the shared space of the living room/kitchen and sometimes in the roomate's bedroom.

With trespassing laws, would the guest be trespassing if I told them they were no longer welcome? Even though my roomate explicitly told them they WERE welcome? Or would I have to speak with the landlord to establish trespassing? Having guests over during the day is NOT in violation of my lease.

Answer:
 > With trespassing laws, would the guest be trespassing if I told them they were no longer welcome?

No, because they have permission from one of the people with authority to give it.  You can't unilaterally decide what happens in common areas.


Title: [North Carolina] My landlord entered the 'rent special' amount as the monthly rent amount of my lease and we both signed. Now she wants me to sign a new lease with the regular amount, but still pay the same. (I have questions.)

Question:
I'm renting an apartment in NC for **$1197.00** per month. The amount was advertised to me as a promotional "Rent Special," as in, for agreeing to a 14-month lease, I receive a discount off the regular price. $1197.00 is listed in my lease agreement as the Total Rent and Charges. I have been living in the apartment for 3 months.

Today, apartment management emailed and said there was a 'typo' on the lease and they needed me to sign a new one. The new lease states my rent as **$1547.00**, which I assume is the regular amount. I was told over email and by phone that my amount due **will not change from the original amount of $1197.00**, but, according to them, the Total Rent and Charges in my original agreement should have been $1547.00 to begin with.

Questions:

1) Should I have to sign this new lease? I do not feel this is a case of me knowingly signing a lease with an incorrect rent price because $1197 was what was advertised to me as the price for the 14-month term I signed up for. I would've figured if I renew the lease next year, I would sign on for the regular amount. This is clearly more than a simple "typo" on landlord's part.

2) The OLD and NEW lease BOTH state that I receive a $100 monthly concession on the Total Rent and Charges and, quoting from the agreement, the Total Rent and Charges listed is "the amount due before the application of rent concession." In that case, have I been over-paying by $100 per month, and actually only owe $1097 per month? This is something I only noticed because of this issue, but I'm wondering if I have any recourse to get a refund.

3) With the $100 monthly concession, from my calculations this new rent price is $1547 - $100 = $1447. That is more than the $1197 management assured me I would still be paying. What are my options there? I should tell them to put it in writing that my rent is still $1197 before I sign anything, correct?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Answer: You've already been there for three months and have been paying rent as agreed in the lease. I would simply tell them no. Answer #2: By signing a lease stating that your monthly rent is $1547.00, that is what you are agreeing to pay each month. You have a valid lease for the lower amount.


Title: I have not completed a class in the 180 days allotted to me by the court (ID)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You need to call your attorney and inform him. If you don't have an attorney, you need to hire one right away.