Title: First time here? Generally confused? The least you need to know, and also some FAQs.

Question:
**Part One:  The Least You Need to Know**

There used to be two subs, now there are three:

**1.  /r/legaladvice**

Other than comments on update posts (see below), it will operate basically the same as always.

**2.  /r/bestoflegaladvice**

This subreddit will act as a repository for the best posts and comments from /r/legaladvice.   The subreddit will contain links only to posts or comments from /r/legaladvice (and you can link to comments, it doesn't have to be the whole post).

Links must be at least 12 hours old or locked by a moderator before they're eligible to post. Links will now need to be approved before they're posted to the subreddit. Moderators will not be checking to see if they agree that it's the best - they'll be checking for the source of the link, that it follows the rules, et cetera. There will be no commenting in this subreddit, as we intend it as a repository and nothing more.

**3.  /r/legaladviceofftopic**

That is where you are right now.  This sub will take over two main functions that happened elsewhere before -- commenting on [update] posts with no new questions on /r/legaladvice, and commenting on BestOf posts from /r/bestoflegaladvice.

Other posts, as long as they are somehow related to /r/legaladvice, are welcome here.

This forum will also be modded with a lighter hand.  Please see the sidebar.

(End of Part One:  The Least You Need to Know.)

------------------------------------------------------

**Part Two:  FAQs**

**1. How can we easily find and discuss an update post here when the post is on /r/legaladvice?**

If an [update] is posted in legaladvice, it will be locked there, and a new link will appear here for comments and discussion.   A comment will be appear in the locked post on legaladvice with the link to the discussion here.   The OP will get a notification about that comment so they will be aware of where the discussion is happening.  If you wish to call the OP's attention to a comment you make, use /u/user in your comment to ping them.

Also, the court-reporter bot will copy the text of the update post itself.  So you can either browse this forum for update posts, or if you find it on /r/legaladvice, one click will bring you here.

**2.  How can we easily find and discuss a post that appeared on /r/bestoflegaladvice?**

[Coming very soon]  When a link is posted to /r/bestoflegaladvice, assuming it hasn't already appeared here, it will be cross-posted here for discussion.  A link will appear in a comment to the /r/bestoflegaladvice post to direct people here for discussion.

**3.  Why was it necessary to move comments on updates from /r/legaladvice to here?**

It has been the mods' experience, as the sub has grown, that update posts tended to become some of the most off-topic, contentious, and difficult to moderate, often leaving "comment graveyards" behind.  We don't know why, but that's what was happening.  Thus we decided to move them to a forum more suited to off-topic posting.

**4.  What if the OP asks a new question in their update?**

The mods are notified of every update post.  If the OP has additional questions, we will unlock the post on /r/legaladvice and discussion can proceed there as usual.

**5.  Why limit /r/bestoflegaladvice to mod-approved posts and no comments?**

The original intent of /r/bestoflegaladvice was to provide a place to archive the truly best posts ever on /r/legaladvice.  It grew out of these few dozen posts ([part 1,](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/1b6vu2/best_of_rlegaladvice) [part 2](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/1w904u/the_best_of_rlegaladvice_part_2/)) that covered years of posts on /r/legaladvice.  It was never intended to be a place to discuss some moderately interesting post of the day that wasn't really the "best of" anything.

Thus, the decision was made to return /r/bestoflegaladvice to its original intent and to offer a more flexible forum (you're in it) for discussion "post of the day" material.

**6.  What else can be posted here?**

Anything else, links or text posts, as long as they are somehow related to /r/legaladvice.  Have a burning question about the 11th Amendment?  Post it here.  Want to ask a question about a current case in the news?  Post it here.   This sub has more latitude for posting off-topic questions and discussions than either /r/legaladvice (which is limited to requests for advice, primarily) or /r/bestoflegaladvice (which is limited to links to /r/legaladvice only).

Answer: This is a great way to kill a sub. Answer #2: This entire thing is still confusing. There's way too many subs to keep track of for no reason now. Splitting this all up makes it a giant pain to find comments for any post. Answer #3: I get that you had a different vision for BoLA than what it was becoming, but when you create something for the public you have to give up some of the agency you have over it and let it change. It really wasn't that bad compared to some of the stuff out there, and it was personally one of my favorite subreddits. I know you don't feel like you owe the community anything or feel any obligation to us, but when you take on the role of moderator you're engaging with the community and your working on something that is being enjoyed by 1,000's of people. What bothers me is that it seems like you didn't consider what the community wanted at all and just decided to do what you felt was best, without even consulting people first or taking some kind of poll of the community. These kinds of moves erodes peoples trust in the mods and damages that community. I'm really saddened to see how things have turned out and I hope in time you reconsider this decision.


Title: Friends and I stayed at an Airbnb and got all of our items stolen!! Need help!!

Question:
So 4 friends and I stayed at an Airbnb this past weekend in Las Vegas for EDC. The Electric Daisy Carnival is a 3 day musical event that is from 5pm - 5am everyday day for those 3 days. So this Airbnb was an apartment on the first floor.

We got there and unpacked and got ready to leave. We left around 5pm and stayed out until we got home around 6am the next day. We got home and everything was fine. We went to sleep and got up the second day and got ready once again. We left again around 6pm the second day and got home at 6am the next day and when we got to the Airbnb we noticed the back window of the apartment was broken and fully opened.

We look in the rooms and everywhere and see that everything is missing, EVERYTHING! From our luggage to all of our clothes, even dirty clothes, all of our toiletries, jewelry and electronics. All we had left is what we had on us when we took off for day 2 of the event.

What was weird and suspicious to me is that none of the items of the host were taken? I called and texted our host right away and she didn’t bother replying or calling back until like an hour later, even though she was reading my messages. So I don’t want to blame her but it seems weird. Someone could’ve also just been watching us and seen how long we were gone at night and done it then but I don’t know.

So I called the police and they came and they actually told me that Airbnb’s are actually ILLEGAL in Las Vegas so our host and her insurance would actually be liable for our stolen items. So they made a police report and documented and valued all of our stolen items.

So I contacted Airbnb and they said they don’t have any insurance that covers guests stolen items. They at least refunded our money for the stay and we had to find another place to stay in meantime because it wasn’t safe there.

My questions basically are. What do I do know? I have a copy of the police report that shows the value of our items already, which added to over $4,000. Our host finally contacted saying that she’ll do her best to resolve this, but I don’t know because she doesn’t to fully try and contact me and update me. But since it’s illegal to host an Airbnb for her, I was thinking small claims court? Since she’s liable.

Thank you for any advice or help.

Answer: The theft and Airbnbs not being legal are unrelated. You're the victim of a crime. unfortunate, but it happens. You may never be compensated for the lost items.


Title: I need to know if you can cancel child support in North Carolina?

Answer: Like "my child no longer needs to eat or new clothes?"


Title: I want the alleged father [never married]of my child taken off of her birth certificate and his paternal rights/custody/visitation/child support taken away. Just recently coming to the realization he isn’t her biological father. How do I begin to get this started? NY

Question:
If it means anything, I was young when I became pregnant and innocently assumed he was the father. Fast forward 6yrs and  it’s come to my attention that she looks nothing like him, simple genetic features easily prove his lack of DNA present in my child. My child’s alleged father is a “bare minimum” type of dad. Does not take her other than the court ordered 4 nights a month, no phone calls or texts asking about her or asking to speak with her. He pays bare minimum for child support by illegally having his paystubs altered/non taxed under the table pay. He doesn’t pay for healthcare, doesn’t pay for extra curricular activities. I have a husband who takes on a father role for my child, and unconditionally loves her. I just need to know what’s the best course of action to start this process.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 > it’s come to my attention that she looks nothing like him, simple genetic features easily prove his lack of DNA present in my child

Uhhhhh... that's not how it works.

First and foremost, get a paternity test done.


Title: Can we refuse to answer the citizenship question on the census?

Question: If the question is on the census, could there be legal issues if someone refused to answer it?

Answer: There isn't going to be a citizenship question on the census.


Title: He definitely put something in my food...

Question:
I made a post over at r/LetsNotMeet about a very off scenario that occured to me last night when getting food from a 24/7 Carls Jr (Los Angeles, California). It's quite long however if you would like to read the entire thing heres a link.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LetsNotMeet/comments/79n9pt/the_second_i_knew_he_put_something_in_my_food/

I was told to post here for advice on what to do. I'm not looking to really sue anyone but would really like to have all this looked at either by the police or the health department.

A shorter revision of what happened; Last night I went to get food from a 24 hour Carls Jr I've gone to probably about 20 times. It's one of the only places open past midnight. I went there around 2:30, which is when I usually go. Like all the other times, the late shit is occupied by this same one guy, always alone.

Anyways, I ordered my food, a burger and fried zucchini. I order the same thing everytime so the alst few times he throws ranch in for me without having to ask. While I always get my meal in under 5 minutes because its fast food and its already made basically, this time was different, and alltogether took about 15 minutes.

A couple minutes before he brought my food over, I also saw him messing with something small in the back of the room. Although it was weird because his hands werent moving enough to have been putting the burger together (it was lettuce wrapped), and the kitchen with all of the counters and such was in a room to the left.

So after a few more minutes, he approaches the window with my food. This is where an extremely important detail comes in that really freaks me out later. I have great vision, and I'm very perceptive of small things people do. As he was walking over I saw him grab ONE ranch cup and throw it in the bag. I am certain is was only one. When I saw him only throw one in I actually almost asked for another but realized i probably had one at home.

Anyways I get home and eat my food. I eat the entire burger, and also most of the fried zucchini with one of the ranches i got. I went to open another ranch for the rest. And this is where it gets really weird. This ranch cups seal opens like its nothing. Since I've opened probably hundreds of these sealed fast food sauce cups in my life, it immediately hit me like a ton of bricks.

It was defintely opended already. The first thought that came to my head was the fact that I only saw him put one ranch in. That must've been the sealed ranch i ate with my food that had a normal tough seal. At this point I'm pretty freaked out as I put together everything in my head right away. Him messing with something weird out of the kitchen. Taking 3 times longer than usual. And then seeing him only throw one ranch into the bag, but there ending up being 3?

To make sure it wasn't just a coincidence, I got the last ranch and opened it up. It slid right open, even easier than the first. Theres absolutely no way those had the factory seals on them. I've opened hundreds of these over the years and never has one felt like that. I wasn't even suspicious of anything until i opened those 2 ranch cups. But when I did it all came to me at once.

I'm not certain something was done to the food or the ranch cups. But I am almost completely certain those ranch cups were opened already, and resealed. I actually just took a look at them too and found that there was ranch around the rim where the seal is usually covering. I didn't use either of those ranches, so how did ranch get under the seal? If it was truly sealed, the rim would be clean. I just tested this out with 2 more older ranches from the same Carls Jr and I'm even more certain soemthing was done now.

How should I approach this? I'm pretty busy so I'm not trying to start some legal battle but I would like to find someone that would take this seriously and test the ranch cups for anything that shouldn't be in there. I was told to contact the health department and the police. I saved the 2 ranch cups in my fridge so I figured I can give one to the police and one to the health department.

Do you think they'll even take my seriously? I just want someone to test the cups as I am certain they were opened and resealed. And Im guessing he didn't do that for no reason. He most likely put something in there.

Answer: Call and talk to the manager, tell him you suspect someone was tampering with the ranch sauce because you got two in a row that were already opened, and move on with your life. If you're lucky, you'll get a refund for your meal, and the manager will fire the clown responsible.Answer #2: What possible end would he have to tamper with your ranch? If you feel strongly about it you can go back and complain to the manager. Nobody will take this seriously. Nobody is going to test the ranch cups. You can pay for testing if you wanted. It will be expensive. Answer #3: You’re freaking out for no reason and have no actionable evidence.


Title: [VA]Employer has hired lawyers to fight my simple Worker's Compensation claim

Question: I'm not sure this is the right place.  I have already hired a lawyer.  I do not need advice so much as I need insight and reassurance.  I have worked for a major pizza chain for 4 years without incident.  Recently, I was in a car accident while returning from a delivery (through no fault of my own).  I was hospitalized and have been out of work for several months.  My doctor has written notes saying I should not work at all and I have filed a claim with the Worker's Compensation Commission.  The chain I work for has hired (or has on retainer) a firm of lawyers to fight this claim (which to me, seems pretty straightforward - I was at work, I was doing nothing wrong, the doctor concludes that I should not work) and it seems like they're spending WAY more money fighting my claim than I am owed in compensation.  Is there any reason they would do this?

Answer:
 Contact a workers' comp/personal injury attorney immediately. The thing about your situation is that you may have a comp case and a PI case at the same time depending on how the law works in VA. I do not do work in VA, so I am not sure.

However - PI and WC attorneys typically do consultations free of charge. If you were hospitalized and out of work for several months, there may be significant damages to collect on that would make the claim worth it.

It is not uncommon for an employer to contact their attorney when they are in fear of a claim that may result in significant payout. Seriously, contact an attorney.

Source: I'm a paralegal in a plaintiff's firm, I primarily work in workers' compensation and crossover cases like this that include car accidents on the job.


Title: How to get dental records without paying money?

Question:
**TL/DR: Can my Illinois dentist charge me for my records, and if not, how can I make them stop charging their clients for their records?**

A year and a half ago, I went to a dentist and had and exam that included x-rays and pictures of my teeth. I now want to have a copy of those x-rays and pictures. I asked for them, but I was told there was a fee which was greater than $50. But I don't want to pay any money, and I don't think I should have to pay any money.

After googling, I learned there is a law called the [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_Insurance_Portability_and_Accountability_Act), abbreviated HIPAA. You can see that in [section 164.524](https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2007-title45-vol1/pdf/CFR-2007-title45-vol1-sec164-524.pdf),  paragraph (c)(4), the dentists are only allowed to charge for (i) supplies and labor of copying, (ii) postage, and (iii) putting together a summary. I just wanted an email, and I don't want a summary, so I think the only thing they could argue is a cost associated with "copying".

HIPAA doesn't say how much they can charge for copying, but this happened in Illinois, and I think the costs they can charge are governed by the [Illinois compiled statutes, chapter 735, Act 5, Article VIII, part 20](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=073500050HArt.+VIII+Pt.+20&ActID=2017&ChapterID=56&SeqStart=63800000&SeqEnd=64600000). In paragraph 2001(d), it says that (1) they can charge a certain amount for copying, and (2) they can charge half as much for printing records already in a digital format. I am not sure I interpreted that part correctly. I could use your guidance here. It then goes on to say "Records already maintained in an electronic or digital format shall be provided in an electronic format when so requested." I take this to mean they should be provided for free because they have only mentioned prices for making physical copies so far.

So based off of this, I am thinking that they should have to send me any digital records they have free of charge. I am 99% sure the x-rays were in a digital format, so they should have to send me those without having to pay their absurdly high fee.

Assuming I am right so far, how should I go about getting my records. It seems the most reasonable thing to do is assume good will but ignorance on their part and explain the law to them and ask again for the records. However, I would like it if they didn't charge any one else for their records either, because it annoys me that they are trying to do this in the first place. I am afraid that if I do this, they will give me my records for free, but keep charging other people, which I don't want to happen. A more aggressive thing to do would be to make a request for my records in writing, have them reply back saying I need to pay money, then I wait 30 days and if they haven't sent me my records by then I can [file a complaint with the US department of health and human services](http://www.hhs.gov/hipaa/filing-a-complaint/index.html). Of course, this second plan of action seems very petulant. Is there a better way to make sure they stop charging people for their records?
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer: Add in that they are likely unwilling to email you your records to begin with. HIPAA is strict enough that most/all doctors are unwilling to email anything with PHI, and you will likely have to come pick them up in the office


Title: Is this failure to accommodate under the ADA?

Question:
I live in California and experienced this issue when I was 7 months pregnant. I asked my company for an ergonomic evaluation, which is a service that is readily available to all employees.

The facilities person in charge of ergonomics postponed and rescheduled and kept saying the supplies had not come in. I counted and I have more than 30 emails/calendar invites/cancelations from the guy over the period of a month.

I finally told him I couldn't work with him anymore because of the continual rescheduling, and I sent an email to the office manager letting her know what happened. I thought of it as a minor annoyance at the time and moved on.

Unfortunately, my employer went on to make many bad decisions after I went on maternity leave. Though the ergonomics situation was a minor issue for me, it is one that is well-documented via email, and so I'm interested in LegalAdvice's take on it.

So is this failure to accommodate under the ADA? Or just the random act of a facilities employee not being very good at his job? Thanks for any input.

Answer: Failure to accommodate for what disability?


Title: I work 45+ hours a week and am classified as a part time employee at my work. Is this legal?

Question:
I live in Toronto, ontario and have been told by my employer that after 2 years I have the eligibility to become full time (if there are full time spots available) however I am still expected to work over 40 hours a week (most weeks closer to 50 hours) and be classified as a part time employee. Is that even legal?

I was also told i am technically entitled to 0 vacation days because I'm part time, however they offer 10 days unpaid for me if I want to take some off, which seems stupid?

Answer:
 Contact the [Ministry of Labour](http://www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/index.php) to ask. I wouldn't be surprised if this was a violation of *something*, given how pro-worker and pro-tenant Ontario's laws run.

Most people on this board are American, so make sure any advice you get is particular to Ontario.


Title: Is it legal to pose as a porn casting agent on Craigslist in order to receive nude pictures? (PA)

Question:
So my friend and I were having a few drinks around the fire when I received a dirty picture via snapchat from a female friend. My friend wanted to see but I said no because I'm a nice person like that. That got his tiny brain thinking and he came up with the idea to put an ad on Craigslist stating he was a casting agent and they were hiring. In order to get the job, you would first have to send pics and I'd and all the normal stuff. I said he was an idiot and he will get arrested but he insisted it wasn't illegal. Can anyone settle this debate for us?

Sorry this isn't a very serious post but I'm just wondering. And yes legal or illegal, my friend is still a scumbag. Thanks!

Answer:
 Your friend is indeed a scumbag.

 18 Pa.C.S. § 3922, Theft by deception, comes to mind.  That offense is committed when someone "intentionally obtains or withholds property of another by deception" where he "creates or reinforces a false impression, including false impressions as to law, value, intention or other state of mind."  There is an exception for things of no pecuniary significance, but I'd say a naked photo has pecuniary value, and your friend would be obtaining it through deception.


Title: Is it possible to get on disability if you have $200,000 in your bank account?

Question:
I am suffering from severe depression. The depression has to do with a health issue and chronic pain.

I am 45 years old. I can barely work. I am close to suicide. I need rest. Work is way too much for me now.

Is it possible to get on disability with $200,000 in the bank, or no?

Answer:
 It's extremely unlikely. Not only because you have $200,000 in the bank, but because it's very hard to get disability due to depression. Why can you not use the money you currently have for your expenses until you can manage your depression better and/or find a suitable job?Answer #2: Question:

Why would you need disability if you have $200,000?

Also, call 1-800-273-8255 if you feel suicidal


Title: (Ontario) Discriminated at university

Question: I had been withdrawn from my program by one of my professors and a program director, who had nothing to do with my grad program. Reason for withdrawal was completely against school policy. I've discussed this issue with my close professors and they think that I might have done something that annoyed those people, but I don't know what I did wrong. I always say hi to professors, remain quiet in class, study well, etc. Any legal advice please for what to do next? Do I speak with the dean?

Answer:
 This guy again! Seriously, you plagiarized, get over it. You post this once a month or so, and offer fewer details every time.

If you want real help, post actual information, if not, move on. Posting this all over the place doesn't help.

(Folks, do a search for Ontario and University on this sub and you will find 6-7 posts with similar complaints and structure. The OP was accused by two different professors of plagiarism. There was a refusal to provide another copy of one of the papers too.)


Title: While cycling I crashed on a speed bump because it was the same color as the road and broke my wrist. I'm looking into suing to recover medical costs. This happened on July 4 2014 in Alamance county North Carolina. I have two questions

Question:
- I'm mostly worried about how long ago this happened. Can I still have a case for personal injury that happened months ago?
- I'm not really looking to see if "I have a case." I'm planning to talk to a layer soon. But, if anyone wants to offer their professional opinion on this I'm willing to listen and will greatly appreciate it

- Here's a pic of the bump. It's just to the left of the sign [[i.imgur.com]](http://i.imgur.com/OQLGpUj.jpg)
- I used runtastic to track my progress. So, I can prove where I was when the accident happened. [[runtastic.com]](https://www.runtastic.com/en/users/christopher-lupo-2/sport-sessions/262471991)
- runtastic is saying I was going 16 mph just before I turned on the street with the bump. Which means I was probably going ~12 when I hit the bump, but I can't be certain on this. In truth I was never going below 10

Thanks

Answer:
 North Carolina is a pure contributory negligence state. You're going to have a fun* time.

*By fun, I mean the exact opposite.


Title: Will my family keep their green cards? (CT)

Question:
My family has lived in the US for nine years. I lived there for seven, and my older sister lived there all nine. My younger sister and I were born in the US but my parents are Danish and my older sister was born on Denmark and she came to the US as a baby.

They have 15 year green cards and they are expiring in October this year. In the US we have a house, bank accounts with most of our funds, we are registered as living in the US and we have a car. We normally went on a summer holiday in the US once a year since we've moved (We have lived abroad for eight years) and that meant that my parents and older sister could keep their green cards. But we haven't been in the US for two years, but we are going there in June. I just need to know if their green cards could be revoked at passport control in the US because I'm planning on helping them renew their green cards while we're in the US but I just wanted to know if their green cards could be revoked at the border.

Answer: Yes, they could lose their green card. A green card is for permanent residents, which means that you aren't living abroad. In fact, they could've, and should've, lost their green card 8 years ago when they decided they no longer wished to live in the US.


Title: My apartment complex is trying to screw me over. What can I do?

Question:
So I need some advice. I live in Arizona. I have recently upgraded from a 2 to a 3 bedroom apartment. When we moved we cleaned as much as godly possible. During our time in the 2 bedroom we never spilled, we never had pets, and we never did any damage to the carpet besides normal wear and tear. Now that we have moved into the 3 bedroom, they have attached an $807 fee onto our rent bill. They claim that the carpet in the 2 bedroom was ruined and had to be replaced so they replaced it without our knowledge. We went in on Thursday to dispute the bill. The head maintainence guy said it was so cat ridden and covered in cat pee that he got ichy upon entering the apartment. This is impossible because both my roomate, our friend, my roomate's mom, and I are extremely allergic to cats. So basically they are trying to get us to pay for an unnecessary carpet change without real proof of damage. Besides that, we tried to pay rent on friday with a cashiers check for our exact rent amount so we could pay rent and not the bogus fees. They flat out refused to take the rent money. We asked why we couldn't pay rent and they said we had to pay the full amount, including the bogus fees. When we refused the head manager said she would see us in court. So my question is what can we do? There are over 200 bad reviews about this complex from tenants that experienced the exact same false accusations with cats and cat urine. Do I have to get a lawyer? What do I do reddit?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: At this point you don't need a lawyer. Keep the check you tried to pay rent with and keep the funds in your account. DO NOT SPEND THE MONEY. If they try to evict show the check(s) they wouldn't take and that the money is still in your account. Do you have any medical documentation of this allergy? That would be evidence although not proof that their claim you have a cat is not true. Did you take pictures before you left? Did you ask them for pictures of the alleged damage?Answer #2: Is this Lemon & Pear tree by chance? They tried this shit with me and my roomie. The carpets did light up like a Christmas tree due to the upstairs neighbors water heater blowing and flooding our apartment with chemicals.  They were aware of this. They had maintenance in our apartment for days. 2 if which we didn't have running water. They tried to blame our 1 cat upon move out and charge us 1k for damages. Because our 1 cat, who didn't even leave piss marks around his litter box, somehow blanketed our entire living room? Of course the office said they had no samples of the supposed "cat piss" carpets to do tests on. We sent certified letters to their corporate office explaining the issues and incompetence of their office staff and kept proof of everything.  Then we opened up a small claims case. They caved like a rotted pumpkin a week after Halloween and we didn't pay for shit. Fuck them. Hope your situation gets resolved out fellow Zonie.


Title: Illinois - I was violently threatened by another employee at my job. My employer is refusing to do anything about it and threatened to fire me for speaking up.

Question:
**Edit:** I think this has been adequately answered at this point. However, I'd like to ask that you guys don't downvote this post as a way of saying "No, you're wrong". Keep in mind that this is a throwaway, so I don't really care about the karma. All you're doing it making the post harder to find for other people that may have a similar issue. But, that's up to you.

----

Hey. So I'm not sure what I should do right now, but I'm pretty confident that my rights are being violated. I would really appreciate any advice you guys could give me.

So, here's what happened: I was working with a guy (let's call him Chris) that has a problem with me for some reason. Note: Chris is actually a temporary employee that works for some other company and is working as a temp with our company (so he's not directly employed by us). I think my personality rubs him the wrong way or something, I'm not sure. Anyway, I've been forced to work directly with him for the last few days, and he's been hostile the entire time. He's been snapping at me, insulting me, disrespecting me, and I've heard he's been talking shit about me to the other employees when I'm not around. I've been doing my best to keep the peace, and I've been as friendly towards him as I can be.

On Friday, we got into a disagreement (it was kind of complicated, but I can go into more detail if you guys want). He started yelling at me, called me retarded. Then he said something like "And I'll knock you the fuck out." He also said "And I'll knock that shit-eating grin off your face too" (I wasn't even smiling at the time, so I have no idea where that came from).

Right after he made the threats, I walked away. I didn't say anything else to him. I immediately found my supervisor (let's call him Eric) and told him what happened. I then told him that I was going to call our main office to tell them what happened and to tell them that they need to get rid of this guy. So I called our office, and I talked to one of the owners of the company (we're a fairly small company, maybe like 15 employees). The lady I talked to (let's call her Alice) is married to the owner/founder of the company. I'm not sure exactly what her position is in the company, but it's safe to say she's considered senior management.

I told Alice that this guy threatened me and that she needs to get rid of him. Before she addressed what I said, she said something like "You know, we've gotten complaints about you. Someone told us that you're not producing as much as [someone with your experience] should." She didn't explicitly threaten to fire me, but I took it as a very strong implication. She went on to say things like "I don't know what you want me to do". Her attitude was basically that she didn't care, it wasn't a big deal, and that I had to keep working with the guy. She told me she would call the guy's employer (remember, he's a temp), and I'm not sure what happened with that.

After that, I talked to my supervisor and told him what happened. I also talked to the guy who runs the job site we were working on (let's call him Tom) (Note: The job site itself is run by a third party, so he's not related to our company in any way). Tom said that he would prefer that these things be handled within our company, but he did seem someone willing to help. He wouldn't say anything about not allowing Chris onto his job site. He just kept saying "Yeah, when something like that happens, that's 'not good'".

Eric was sympathetic and seemed to be on my side. He said he would try to get rid of the guy, and that I could go home for the day (with pay). He said the guy would hopefully be gone by Monday, but that's not a guarantee.

I'm not sure what I should do. I'm 100% uncomfortable working with Chris. I think his employment with our company should be terminated, or at the very least, he shouldn't be allowed back on that job site. However, it sounds like nobody is taking this seriously, and there's a good chance I'll be forced to work with him in the future. I also suspect that my employer is going to look for an excuse to fire me.

Could anyone tell me what my options are? I'm trying to figure out what actions I can take against my employer, or what I should be doing to protect myself (in the event they fire me). Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Who are you, as an employee, to call the *owner* and demand someone be terminated?

Your employer isn't legally obligated to do anything. They can keep him. They can terminate you (especially for bypassing your chain of command). If you're threatened or assaulted, you call the police.Answer #2: So, you bypassed chain of command, demanded an owner fire what appears to be a contractor for another company, and then when talking about the issue to everyone you could? I'd fire you for any 3 of those things honestly. Once you reported to your supervisor, you needed to give them the opportunity to handle the issue.Answer #3: If I were you, I'd probably just let it be. You went nuclear on the situation by asking that he be fired. If the company says no, there's not much you can do at that point. You can quit or continue to work. If he threatens you again, you can call the police. If you get fired, file for unemployment.

If he attacks you, then maybe you might have a suit against him and your employer.


Title: I work as a manager at a local restaurant. $90 went missing sometime from open to close. The owner took the money from my paycheck because I was working that night. Is there anything I can do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Seems like it is completely legal in MO.

[Source](https://labor.mo.gov/DLS/General/reducing)

>An employer may deduct funds from an employee’s wages for cash register shortages, damage to equipment, or for similar reasons. Deductions can be made from an employee’s wages as long as the deductions do not take the employee’s wages below the required minimum hourly wage rate.

Did it take you below minimum wage?


Title: Tutor cheated me out of hundreds of dollars and I would like to report him but am unsure if I am breaking any laws...

Question: I hired an online tutor to help me through two college courses. Long story as short as possible, I learned that he was using online tutoring services to connect him to students and then working completely under the table with students so that he could sidestep user fees that these online tutoring services charged him for connecting him with his students. This guy ended up cheating me out of several hundred dollars that I will never get back because I fell for his game and also paid him under the table for tutoring me; the online service with which I found him therefore can't be held accountable and there's nothing legally binding this guy to provide me with tutoring services for my payment. Still, I would like to prevent him from doing this to other students and I am looking to report him to the tutoring service that I found him through, as well as others that he works for. I want to send them documented proof of his wrongdoings, but it would involve sending them his resume and screenshots of conversations between him and me that contain personal information (email addresses, (no longer current) street address, phone numbers, full names) corroborating my claims against him. This person also has a criminal record, which he did not disclose to the tutoring website he works for, and he would not be allowed to work for them if they knew his criminal background. I found his criminal records through government databases available to the public and feel obligated to share this information with his employers. People would not want this guy tutoring their kids if they knew his criminal history. Am I breaking any laws by sharing any of this information without his knowledge or consent? I want to prevent him from taking advantage of anybody else but I don't want to get in trouble in the process. Nevada, USA

Answer:
 First of all, sharing personal details that you know about someone is *rarely* a criminal act (other than government confidential information, etc.).  But it might get you in trouble with, say, an employer or school.  Or if you have some kind of contract saying you won't share those details.

If you share this info with the service, you run the risk associated with admitting that you violated whatever contract or TOS you have with the tutoring service, and you might suffer whatever penalties the have laid out. For example, they might sue you for money that you owe them, or cancel your membership and ban you.

Rather than implicate yourself, you might simply ask them if there's a way to report this kind of behavior, and then just report it without going into detail.  It'll be a mark against the person and they'll eventually figure it out sooner or later.  Or not if they don't care.

But sharing email address, phone numbers, names, and screen shots are all fair game for sharing with anyone.


Title: Jc penny sold my mom's credit card account without her knowing

Question: So there has been this guy who claims to be from verizon harassing my mom that she has unpaid credit card bill. My mom is the type of person who keeps all her records of payments on paper. So when she went to check she finds out that she doesn't owe anything. So to triple check she goes to jc penny to see what is going on. It turns out that jc penny sold her account to a 3rd party without telling her and is now wanting money for "unpaid" bills despite the people at jc penny claiming my mom's record is clean and everything has been paid for. So the part that I am wondering is was it legal for them to sell my mom's account to a 3rd party without her knowledge and will there be any repercussions to the guy harassing her for "unpaid" bills despite not owning the account anymore an having already paid off all the bills on the account prior to jc penny selling it. If it is illegal I was also wondering if legal action can be pursued in this particular case. Thanks

Answer: Sale of accounts is legal. However, the new owner must still comply with the FCRA and FDCPA. See the /r/personalfinance wiki for info on those laws and how to contest a collection.


Title: Is this woman doing something illegal, and who can I report her to?

Question:
I live on a military base in Montana. One of the wives here just recently posted on the base spouse facebook group that she is offering pet baths in her home. She does not require or check any sort of shot records, even rabies. She just had a baby a month ago, and is planning on doing "one dog at a time" and "sanitizing between dogs". I reported her to the housing management office last week, and today she made another post saying that housing management would allow her to do this. I have no clue who else to report her to because I don't know if state laws apply the same to military bases. Can anything be done to stop her?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: Why are you so interested in what she's doing?Answer #2: You could consider minding your own business. You reported her, they said she could go ahead.


Title: GF broke up with me. I want her to move out asap. My names the only one in the least

Question: So my girlfriend of 7 years decided she's not shoot anymore.  At first she asked if she could keep the apartment because she has a friend that would move in with her but there's no way I'm giving up this place.  My name is the only name on the lease.  I told her I want her out immediately.  She said she already paid this months rent and will not be coming back for her stuff in until February 1.  My question is,  just because she paid for the month,  does she have any right to stay the remainder of the month.  There is no signed paperwork anywhere or of any sort stating subleases or anything of that matter.  This is in Nee York City by the way.

Answer:
 Technically she's your tenant and you will need to follow the proper procedure for terminating her tenancy. She most definitely does not have to be out immediately, regardless of what you want. Answer #2: Yes. She is a tenant. Your tenant to be exact. So you cannot kick her out. Technically you have to give her a written thirty day notice. But if she is willing to leave 2/1 then that is the quickest you can get her out. Answer #3: Take her up on her offer to leave voluntarily. If you have to do this through legal channels it will take longer.

Do NOT change the locks or get rid of her stuff. That's illegal.


Title: Wife was in a fender bender and the guy that hit her has no insurance. Now she has to pay $500 and he gets off scott free.

Question: [AL] I know that we can file a suite against him for damages but I was wondering if anyone has filed a suite in a similar situation. What was the outcome and was it worth hiring a lawyer and going through the court system?

Answer:
 Lots and lots of people do this.

You do it in "small claims court" which does not require a lawyer.Answer #2: FYI it is suit, not suite.


Title: NYC - Bartender Served Someone Underage

Question:
Hi, I am posting this on behalf of my husband.

&#x200B;

A couple of weeks ago he was at work at a busy bar in midtown. It was the happy hour rush. Usually, he checks every ID (I have seen him kick people out for being underage on multiple occasions). He said he was very busy, and all of the sudden, an undercover cop showed him his badge and asked him to step outside. When he got outside, there was a detective and a uniformed officer waiting. They all informed him that he had served someone underage and wrote him up a ticket to appear in court.

The weird thing is that he has no idea who this supposedly underage person was. He said everyone he served at the bar looked like they were over 30. He is unsure if another bartender took the order, and asked him to drop the drink off, or if the cop ordered two drinks, and just gave one to the person who was underage.

This is the first and only time he has gotten in any kind of trouble with the law, and he has been a bartender for about 5 years.

The bar knows he is a great bartender, and is hiring a lawyer to represent him as well. He is still scared that he will wind up in jail or that he will get blacklisted and not be able to bar tend anymore.

To further confuse matters, he is not an American citizen. He is Irish, and we are currently in the middle of his citizenship process. We spoke to our immigration lawyer, who said that since we are married, and we have already filed all of our paperwork for his citizenship, he is in the country legally at this point so it shouldn't effect his status.

However, we are still super nervous. He is hardly sleeping, and hardly eating. I feel awful for him.

Does anyone know what will most likely happen? Is there an actual chance that he could wind up in jail for a first offense? or is jail for something like this more of a threat (like if you throw a cigarette butt on the ground they say you could be jailed but that never happens)

Thank you for any and all insight!

&#x200B;

Answer:
 Nobody goes to jail for a first mistake in that situation - relax.

This being said, given that the bartender is in the middle of
 their citizenship process, it may be a good idea to retain legal counsel to ensure that the outcome of the court proceedings is as favorable as it can be.Answer #2: It's awesome that his employer is willing to pay for a lawyer for him...  IF his lawyer is truly going to be working FOR HIM.

There are some ways that his interest and the employers could diverge though, if it becomes advantageous to one of them to hang the other out to dry.   If the lawyer's agreement is with the company, his first duty is to them, so he'd have incentive, for example, not to suggest a defense where your husband tries to place the blame on the company's policies and procedures, instead of himself personally.

At the moment, that doesn't sound likely given the relatively minor scale of the case here, but it's worth being aware that it's the case any time someone offers to 'get you a lawyer' you need to make sure that they've truly GIFTED YOU a lawyer...  not just LOANED you theirs, until it's inconvenient to do so.Answer #3: INAL, but work retail where we sell alcohol. The way they do checks is to send someone underage to buy alcohol. They don’t have a fake id, so if you ask for an Id you pass.

At least here it’s just a fine for the associate and the business.


Title: [USA] Repeated Hard Credit Inquiries Against Me Without My Consent

Question:
Editing to include more specific location since the LocationBot didn't like it. We are in Kansas.

Being recent college graduates, my girlfriend and I stay on top of our credit scores pretty religiously. We have a notable amount of student loan debt, and especially since we just moved in together, there are plenty of expenses we look at that we try to keep our scores up as best we can.

Last July we went to a local cell phone service provider retail location to see what our plan options could be if we decided to do so. I entered my personal information, got a quote, and walked out of the store. I assumed they were performing a soft credit inquiry, but I know I should have asked what they were doing. It popped up on my credit alerts the next day.

This last weekend we took the quote we were previously provided to the same retail location saying we wanted to follow through with it. This time however when they asked for my personal information, I asked if there was going to be a hard credit check. I had all the information from the previous one, including the employee's name, and this employee specifically stated "No, we are simply going to pull up what was performed previously." We got our phones and walked out.

This morning I received a notification of another hard credit check, which has dropped my credit score notably. I understand that nothing probably can be done regarding the first credit check, but is there any action I can take regarding the second credit check as I specifically did not consent to it being performed?

Answer: You can dispute the inquiry with the credit reporting bureaus.  Did you sign anything that potentially authorized a credit check?


Title: Is this scenario considered gambling? Is it illegal in the US?

Question: Bob asks 100 people to pick a number from 1-100 and to give him a dollar. Bob gives $100 to the person who gets the closest to the correct number. Bob organized the "raffle" but didn't keep any of the winnings. Is this legal or did Bob break a gambling law?

Answer: Do your own homework sparky. Not to mention you want an answer for a question that's barely a question. There's a thousand variables missing. Is Bob a non-profit? Why would Bob run a contest like this for absolutely no gain. What state? Hell, what county? It all matters.


Title: A teenager and his damn drugs.....

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Can anyone else comment on this?

Listen to your attorney and don't talk with strangers (like people on the internet) about your case without your attorney being aware of it.


Title: GA - I got a speeding ticket and charged with paraphernalia. What is going to happen?

Question:
I got pulled over driving in a small city in Georgia and was caught going 25 miles over the speed limit (not very smart I know and super speeder). I also happened to have friends in the car and one of them had a bong in his pocket (which I had no idea about). My friend is in a dire situation as it is and he's on federal grants so if he was to be caught with that I'm pretty sure they'd take those away so I ended up taking the charge for that one as well. The officer told me he could easily charged me with a DUI but he told me he wasn't even going to report it to the state office which apparently meant no points on my license, I just have to show up in court and pay the fines. They were counted as citations.

I am definitely going to court on the date they told me so I can see the judge in person and see where it goes from there but I honestly don't think it will end well for me. This is my first offense and it's a really bad one. I'm a college student myself but I don't really think I'll be able to pay these fines.

What do you think is gonna happen to me? I was completely honest with the cop who pulled me over and complied 100%. I was honest about the bong in the car since he told me he smelled marijuana right away. I was considering using a credit card to pay it?

Full disclosure: I'm aware that I'm a mess up and I'm hanging around with the wrong people. Getting these tickets has opened my eyes that the real world isn't just a game and that there are serious consequences for actions. I fully accept them and would like to reshape my life after I pay these off.

Answer:
 > I'm a college student

Do you need student loans?  Because a drug conviction is going to seriously affect your ability to get them.


Title: My buddy got busted with 4 grams of wax in NY, what's likely to happen next?

Question: I haven't talked to him in ages but I believe he has never had a criminalrecord, he's in college in upstate NY, so something's also bound to happen with that. And from other freinds I'm pretty sure he doesn't sell, but anyways. Where can 4 grams of wax (controlled substance?) land you legally?

Answer: What the hell is wax? You mean like candles or lips?


Title: High School Yearbook Photoshopped

Question:
I know some people from this -
http://uproxx.com/webculture/2014/05/high-school-yearbook-photoshopped/

Utah

Not yet considering that some parents/kids may or may not have signed away their rights to have their likeness altered, I want to know what rights the kids/parents DO have in preventing this sort of thing if they did NOT sign away their rights, and if they did, does a minor have the ability to sign away their rights in this way or is it in the parents authority only?

Answer: There is no "right" not to have your photo altered. I personally feel like it was an overreach for the school to do this and that they should have simply refused to photograph students who were not confirming to dress code. However, touching up a photo and changing minor details is probably not unlawful.


Title: [CA, USA] If somebody leaves you something in a will, do you have to accept it? Do you legally have to?

Question: Let's say a family member (mother, father, whoever) leaves you an asset (building, industrial asset, etc).  This asset has fees associated with it.  Do you have to accept it if it was left to you in the will?  Can you reject it?

Answer:
 You can reject it. This is called "disclaimer". You have to do it within a certain time period though; you can't do it years later. The gift will go to someone else. Google "disclaimer California" for how to do it in your state.

But depending on the asset, it may make financial sense to inherit and then sell. The price could be more than the fee.


Title: I think I am about to get fired due to my mental health

Question: I have been calling in a lot at my job because I have been in and out of depressive episodes and today my boss left a voicemail that basically sounded like I was going to get fired, I want to call him back and explain but I already have explained it many times. Where do I go from here, is it ethical to fire someone due to depressive episodes, or is it even legal?

Answer:
 It's legal to fire somebody for not showing up to work. Do you qualify for FMLA protected leave?Answer #2: Have you disclosed this to your employer? You can call your HR department and work with them to get a reasonable accommodation under the American with Disabilities Act. They’re not required to give you one and if you’re asking for something like “I can’t come to work when I’m depressed and I’m not going on to come in when that happens”,  chances are they’re not going to agree with that. But it’s a good place to start.

Do you work with a psychiatrist? If so, you might want to ask about getting into some sort of treatment program and taking short term disability from work.


Title: Unable to find similar following too closely case

Question: Georgia, I was rear ended at a red light sitting still with ample room in from of me. The guy who hit me was going upwards of 40 because he drove me into the car in front of me totalling my car in the process. I recieved a following too closely ticket. Is it worth it to fight since the circumstances we're beyond my control? If so any steps I should take when I get to the coruthouse? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Definitely fight it. Was there a police report made?

> 40-6-49. Following too closely

> (a) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for *the speed of such vehicles* and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway.

> I was rear ended at a red light sitting still

So, your speed was zero.


Title: Girlfriend is a babysitter and got a strange request from a client.

Question:
My girlfriend just recently started watching children for some extra income on the side. A prospective client sent her this message http://imgur.com/mACXG7K.  It seems fishy and the amount they had agreed on is $200/week for 6 weeks so there is no reason we would need 3 grand and then send the rest of it back. The person also did not request or want to meet her beforehand which was odd.

Also not sure if I'm posting this in the right place so my apologies.

Edit: thanks everyone, I should have assumed it was too good to be true.  I'll be more suspicious in the future.

Answer:
 The "depositing a large amount of money and send me a chunk of it and keep the rest" is a known scam.

[See here](http://www.fraud.org/fake_check_scams)Answer #2: Scam scammity scam scam scam. The check will bounce, but not until after her bank has released the funds to her. Then the bank will take the funds back. If she withdraws any of them, that will leave her with a (potentially large) overdraft.

She will almost certainly be asked to send the withdrawn money onwards by Western Union or some other non-reversible means, and then the other party will disappear, leaving her to deal with her bank.

Block and ignore. Optionally file a police report, but it's unlikely they'll be able to do much.


Title: Employer wants me to answer phones on the weekend as an hourly employee, but doesn't want to follow CA labor laws.

Question:
Hi all,

I just got a promotion at my job that will require me to sometime answer tech support calls from home on the weekends, when my office is closed. My manager has told me to clock in when I get the call and clock out when it's over.

I used to be a supervisor at a large retail electronics chain here in California. We always had to make sure that if an employee clocked in at all, even for a 15 minute meeting, that they were paid for 2 hours minimum. Corporate always told us the state required this and we would get fined if we didn't do it. I want to show this to my current employer, but I don't know where to find a concrete resource other than anecdotal evidence on forums. Any advice ?

Answer:
 I have no idea what the two hour minimum you're talking about is. You're paid for all hours worked, rounding up. Sounds like a corporate policy not a requirement.Answer #2: There is no California labor law stating that if you clock in for 15 minutes you earn 2 hours of pay.  You are paid based on time worked and rounding is permitted to a maximum of the nearest quarter-hour and rounding has to be consistently applied whether up or down.

Note that certain computer professionals are exempt from overtime in California.  Mere tech support would not be exempt but software developers could be.


Title: If I identify myself as a sexual partner of a person with an std, does that person’s doctor’s office/clinic have to confirm if they tested positive?

Question:
I wasn’t sure where to post this but “legal advice” seemed appropriate. My husband and I are very likely about to get divorced. (That’s not really pertinent, but for the sake of those of you who read this and think, what the hell is she doing with this loser?! , I thought I should mention it.) Anyway, he recently went to his drs office and got tested for stds. I know that he picked up some antibiotics on the way home, but he’s being super shady about the whole thing and won’t actually give me his test results. He told me they informed him he was negative for everything but I think he’s full of shit.

If I call the drs office myself and explain that I’m his wife and need to know whether or not I’ve been exposed to something, do they have a legal obligation to tell me if he refuses, privacy laws aside?

Answer:
 Unless the patient has specifically authorized the release of information to you, they cannot tell you anything. Your only recourse is to get yourself tested.Answer #2: No. In fact without a HIPAA release it’s going to reflect badly on the doctor to do that.

You should go get your own testing done.


Title: Dads girlfriend keeps going into my room despite objections from both myself and my dad

Question:
Im From NSW Australia.

Basic of it is this.

Im 24 living with my dad, I pay board weekly and help out with bills whenever they come up. My dads girlfriend has been living with my dad for the past 5 years, for the most part she has been okay. But recently (past few months) she has been going into my room. The only thing I have caught her doing is scanning my receipts of the stuff I have been purchasing through the year. My dad confronted her and said this wasn't okay, but ever since she has continued to go into my room.

Recently I asked if I could purchase a proper lock for my door and dad said it was fine under the condition he has the key as well. Which is fine, I do not mind my dad going in my room. Recently I noticed my door was unlocked a few times when i swore it was locked. It could have been I forgot to lock it, however when i asked my dad if he knows where my spare key was, the places he told me where they could be, they weren't there. No proof of course but I feel my dads girlfriend has the key and is going into my room again.

There probably isn't a lot I can do considering it is my dads house not mine, but is there anything that can help privacy wise? Is it legal to have a camera in my room? I understand the most logical option is to move out, but is there anything else I can do?

Answer:
 Put a motion activated camera in the room.

It can alert you when she goes in there.

Also have your father reiterate to her that you are a paying tenant with an expectation of privacy and she is violating it.Answer #2: Lock with no key. Digital.  Tell dad the code.   Dead bolt is best.


Title: Non-custodial parent won't follow court ordered visitation.

Question:
I'm the custodial parent. Ex hasn't seen the children in over four months. Hadn't called in over three months, called two days ago, acted like nothing was wrong and offered no explanation. Now he wants his regular schedule. The court's order was that he got every other weekend. Middle child (10) is refusing to even speak to him, let alone visit. His inconsistencies are harmful to my children. What steps can I take to protect their best interest? He's their father, and I love my children more than I hate him, but this is unacceptable.

I'm in the US.

Answer:
 If there is a court order in place then you follow it.

If you want to change the court orders you go back to court.

You should talk to an attorney


Title: Scared about child porn

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You need to get help for your pedophilia tendencies, you...

1) got horny.
2) looked up something super sketchy.
3) browsed for more once you found it.


Title: Uncle passed away in August, and his husband/heir passed away 2 months later. Heir's family inherited all of my uncle's belongings. Does my family have any right to it?

Question:
So here’s the deal:

My Uncle Bob passed away in August due to cancer. His husband, Jared, inherited everything he had. Then, Jared passed away in November, leaving all of his belongings (plus everything he inherited from my Uncle Bob) to his own sister and brother. My mom and I are desperate to get my Uncle Bob’s ashes, his art, and family photos - it seems unfair that all my Uncle's personal items would go to his husband’s family and not his own family. Do we have any legal rights to my uncle’s property?

Answer: No, it wasn't your uncle's property anymore, it was his husband's. You can kindly ask them, as they are grieving, to come and pick up the remains and some items of sentimental value. Answer #2: Legally, no. But have you asked, and been refused?


Title: How do I get my wife to vacate my residence?

Question: I'm listed as the renter,  She is listed as an occupant on the rental agreement. The landlord and I both want her gone.  How do I accomplish this?

Answer: Your landlord would need to start the eviction process and go through whatever process your jurisdiction requires. Answer #2: Your landlord isn't familiar with landlord/tenant laws in your state? Depending on where you live, there is a specific eviction procedure to follow, and she has to be given a certain amount of time to vacate.


Title: Question on what to say if a cop asks if there is any money in the car

Question:
Since reddit is talking about civil forfiture now, I want to know if you are required to answer them when they ask if you have any money in the car. Location is NY incase they auto remove it for not putting that

NOTE: I posted this before but realized my family member in law enforcement who I previously asked and who reacted poorly to me asking is a redditor and might think I might post this here so I did not want them to find my main account on the off chance that would happen.

This has already been answered by u/Napalmenator and you do not have to answer them. I am posting it again in case others have the same question and would like to know. If this is against the rules please remove

Answer: Your first step in this should be to go educate yourself with the facts surrounding civil forfeiture. Stay away from any media sites or sites that only exist to show one side. There is a ton of misinformation on Reddit and the media regarding everything related to law enforcement. Come at it with a truly open mind with the intention of seeing the whole truth and you will answer your own question.


Title: Property management company shows my apartment repeatedly even though we have 4 months left on our lease.

Question:
The title pretty much says it all. We live in Boulder, Colorado and our property management company has decided to use our apartment as a model I assume. This started last Tuesday and since then they’ve shown our apartment 5 times! They always text us about the showing at 5:30-5:45 pm knowing that they close at 6 so they have an excuse not to respond to us and the showing are always at 11 am the next day. We have 2 medium size dogs and we’ve asked if they’d use another apartment to do walkthroughs because if there’s an incident with them we are at fault. Ive asked politely once and very sternly once if they would cut this crap out and both times I’ve gotten the same run around answer that this is the case with everyone. I’ve talked to all 4 neighbors in my building and none of them have had a single showing. I think they’re using ours because we keep it extremely clean and smoke weed inside all day like the rest of our neighbors, but I have nearly reached my boiling point. It’s an invasion of privacy and I honestly can’t believe this is legal. If they keep this up I’m going to put an electronic lock on the front door so that there’s no way they can get in other than breaking a window. Our lease is not up until the end of August so I feel like the PM company is being way to preemptive with these showings. If anyone has any advice or suggestions I would really appreciate it.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Are you moving at the end of your lease?

It sounds like it, but I don’t want to assume. if you have, they’re legally entitled to show the unit to prospective tenants.

Legally, they have to give you at least 24 hours notice.

Putting on a lock that they didn’t install likely violates your lease, and not a great idea.

I would email the company and ask if there’s another unit they can show and if you can get more advanced warning.

As long as they give you the legally required amount of notice, they’re well within their rights.

However, I’d still at least lodge a complaint.

IANAL


Title: [FL] Friend pulled over for expired registration. Cop profiled us, illegally detained & searched with no probable cause

Question:
Florida.

&#x200B;

I was in a friend's vehicle and got pulled over for expired registration. The vehicle is in his mother's name and she hadn't given him the new registration yet (not that this is relevant legally at all, he shouldn't have been driving with exp. reg).

&#x200B;

Right from the get-go the cop was asking why he's nervous and in this part of town (we were driving on a major road which is alongside the ghetto/high crime part of the city). We were on our way to dinner. Immediately begins asking if we have drugs, says it doesn't make sense that we're in this area, and makes us get out of the vehicle.

&#x200B;

From that point, he was no longer conducting any matters relating to the traffic stop. FIVE squad cars showed up for two 20-somethings with an expired registration. He said we had to wait for a K9 unit to arrive. They showed up, search was never consented, the dog alerted, vehicle was searched, they found pot (non felony amount) and arrested the driver. I also want to point out that the deputy never said the vehicle smelled like weed nor said he thought we were under the influence. He conducted no sobriety tests or anything of the like. He just looked at us and said:

&#x200B;

"I've been wrong before but I think this is a situation I'm right. Just lookin at ya, just lookin at ya, I've been doin this job a lot."

&#x200B;

When my friend was arrested and in a cell he heard another deputy ask the arresting officer if the car smelled like weed. He said no, the car smelled fine. The person that asked the arresting officer is friends with my friend's brother.

&#x200B;

I have around 25 minutes of video before I got searched and they turned it off. They let me go without even asking for my ID or even my name.  He pulled my wallet out of my pocket and put it back but it didn't seem like he really went through it. They didn't pat me down or make my put my hands on a vehicle or anything. I have anxiety and didn't have my ESA with me so it was very high stress but I did my best to retain as much of what was going on as possible. Very grateful for the recording.

&#x200B;

He was bailed out the same night and is getting an attorney.

&#x200B;

The point I'm getting to here is, from my research the Supreme Court ruled that traffic stops can't be unnecessarily extended to wait for K9 to arrive. With a good lawyer should he be able to make this go away due to the illegal search and profiling with no probable cause? Would it be ill-advised to post video on social media?

&#x200B;

**TLDR: Cop made us exit vehicle during routine traffic stop for no reason just so he could get a K9 and search the car. With the SCOTUS ruling this illegal, should a good lawyer be able to get this thrown out/expunged?**

Answer:
 With a good lawyer it won’t just “go away”, but it could be challenged in court.

The K9 court decision was that the traffic stop cannot not unnecessarily delayed to wait for a K9. Once the K9 is there though, they can use it to obtain probable cause to search the vehicle, if the dog hits on something. So even if it seems like an unreasonable time in your eyes, it comes down what the court sees it as.

Also, the cop does not have to be required to smell anything. That’s probably why no FSTs were done because no current smoking was believed.Answer #2: INAL
Here is something to consider; even without the k9 search, was the pot in a place that an officer could have found it if he conducted a search of the vehicle instead?

Another point to consider is probable cause.
The officer saw the registration was expired. He could argue that if one infraction was being committed, is probable cause for belief that others were as well. Including possession of marijuana or other illegal  substances. If he had not found anything in the car, it could be argued further along the lines of what you found regarding extending the stop, but the officer did find a substance and can try to argue that his probable cause was therefore justified and correct.


Title: [OR] Boss makes us stay on the range while golfers are hitting balls.

Question: I work at a golf course and once a week we have to go on to the driving range and pick up balls by hand out of mud holes and what not. The range opens to golfers at 11:00 a.m., and the field is in such horrible condition that we are rarely finished by that time. Instead of calling it a day, the owner makes us stay on the range while golfers hit just short of us. We are given no protection. This week I had 3 balls land within 10 yards of me. Isn't he endangering us?

Answer:
 There's no law or statute specifically stating that hitting golf balls while you retrieve golf balls is illegal. I'm guessing you're an at-will employee. You're free to look elsewhere for a job at anytime.

With that said, if you did take a golf ball to the forehead, you should come back and talk to us as you'd most likely have a great personal injury case.

Your best advice is not legal, it's just talking to your boss and informing him it's unsafe and he'd be liable if you were to get injured. Maybe he'll buy you a helmet.


Title: [USA-Tennessee] Charged with domestic assault, complainant passed away, can't get public defender??

Question:
Very very long story, but my sister, while dealing with some addiction and mental health problems, started a fight with my uncle.

She left (with no altercation) and apparently later told the police that he very violently assaulted her. She had a druggy friend with her who corroborated her claims. She then went on to claim she lived with my uncle and the county gave her housing for free for 6 months as a domestic violence victim.

My uncle was never notified of any of this, it happened over a year ago. Since then my sister passed away from an overdose. Apparently, my uncle had a warrant out for these charges, he claims he never received any letter or notice about it.

He was arrested last week. His court date is supposed to be tomorrow. However after speaking with the public defender's office, the DA is using her druggy friend as a witness against him, AND literally every public defender in the county has represented the druggy friend in the past. They just told me that we need to find a lawyer for him TODAY as they don't have anyone who isn't a conflict of interest!

Does this sound right???? I thought everyone had the right to counsel?

Answer: People do have a right to counsel. The right to free counsel is extended to those who meet the guidelines for indigent representation. Not knowing your uncles financial situation, we can not say if the court will appoint a private attorney to take his case or expects him to pay for one.


Title: Year-round neighbor built a shelter under us in NY state.

Question:
My family has an old cabin we use seasonally and while she was there a couple weeks back my sister saw there was a construction crew at the neighbor's place. She said they had a backhoe, a dump truck and a big flatbed with a lot of stuff on it like metal beams and big flat sheets. That neighbor lives in the area all year round so she thought they were building onto their house.

This weekend I was there and looking down the hill I can see concrete sticking out like a culvert. I went down to take a look at it and it has a big metal door set into the side of the hill. I'm guessing it goes further in than the approx 7ft of hill which is on their side of the property since the door is only like 2ft on his side from the corner property marker at the road if you look down the length of the hill.

We don't know the neighbor that well and aren't even sure if he lives alone or what his situation is exactly. I tried to speak to him about it yesterday but talking to him is like talking to a tree and he wouldn't even confirm he built anything.

After searching online I am pretty sure that when you own land you also own the space under it, is that correct? Is a real estate lawyer the right kind of lawyer for this?

In case the description is confusing I have a picture. Technically I don't think anything I can see is on our side of the property but unless that door has less than 2ft of space behind it it's definitely on our side. [https://imgur.com/ZDszPD3](https://imgur.com/ZDszPD3)

Please let me know if there is anyone specific I should talk to or anything else I should be aware of, thanks!
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 In addition to what others have said here, the word "cabin" triggered something for me.

OP... Are you inside the Green Line? If you are, you probably know what I'm talking about. If you are, contact the Park Authority too.


Title: Break lease for a better life.

Question: I live in a 1 bedroom apartment with my wife and our toddler we also have 1 on the way due in February. My mother offered us to stay with her rent free so we could pay off our 10k debt and would be able to buy a home of our own. My lease is not over until June of 2017 if I break it will that hurt my credit or chances of getting a home loan in the near future?  I live in Austin TX

Answer: Breaking a lease doesn't hurt your credit as long as you pay whatever your lease requires you to. Check your lease. It'll have a provision about what you owe if you break it. If you don't pay, you can be sued. That will definitely not be good for your credit.


Title: [NM] My Roommate found a credit card at work and used it, is it possible for us to get the charges dismissed?

Question:
So my Roommate had a temporary lapse in moral judgement and spent almost ~$700 on a credit card he found while at work. They were fired from their job obviously, and told that the person the card belonged to had filed a police report. According to [this website](http://law.justia.com/codes/new-mexico/2011/chapter30/article16/section30-16-33), he would be looking at a 4th degree felony charges if convicted. My question is if we pay restitution to the victim, aka pay for charges is it possible for the charges against him to be dismissed at all? I don't know how felony charges work so any and all advice is welcome and accepted.

Also not sure if this is relevant or not but he has no criminal record, not even a traffic ticket. He made a stupid decision and just wants to make it right.

Answer: Criminal charges and civil damages are different.  Even if your roommate paid back all the money he can still be charged and convicted.


Title: I worked a 27 hour week at my job only to find out on payday that my boss sold the business, and I never got paid. My boss isn’t answering my texts when I ask about my pay and it’s been 2 weeks, what should I do?

Question:
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: File a wage complaint against both the old owner and the new owner and let them sort out who owes you.


Title: Brother & Sister-in-law drug addicts. How to get custody of child?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Have you made a CPS report?

If they find the child is in immediate danger, they may allow you to take emergency custody of the child. But their goal is to reunite the family, and will work with the parents to do so.


Title: Craigslist Sketchy Job Offer

Question:
Hi reddit, so i am 16 years old and went job searching on craigslist. I stumbled upon a ad for fixing up/cleaning a house, and responded. These are the emails I received. http://imgur.com/gtFDQGI
http://imgur.com/Ui9z1SU
http://imgur.com/39I4g5t

Now it seems sketchy to me, but seeing as how I am recieving the funds before giving my services, I don't see how I can be screwed. My first payment is 500$, but they are sending me a 1980$ check. I am just hesitant because, they want me to send part of the money from the check to a 'art seller' so they can have some art sent down here.

Edit: thank you for saving me reddit! I'll just wait for the responses from the local fast food joints to come back.

Answer:
 When the $1980 check is discovered to be fraudulent, the entire $1980 will be withdrawn from your account, even if you've already sent some of it back to the scammer.Answer #2: It's a scam.

They send you the check.  You deposit it, take your cut, and send them the rest.  The check is returned a few days later, and you're out the entire amount.

This is Craigslist scamming 101.


Title: Purchased land, it has extensive back taxes and HOA fees attached. Those were not disclosed. Any recourse?

Question:
Greetings.

As the title says, I recently purchased a parcel of land (off ebay).

The listing did not mention and back taxes or HOA fees and in fact said "There are no adverse records or title, no liens or judgments."

The taxes on the property haven't been paid in 4 years and about a week after I got my deed, I received a delinquent notice on the taxes. A week after that I received a letter from the HOA about delinquent fees. The total of the taxes/fees are over $3,000.

What is the move here? I understand I should have looked into those things in due diligence, but also it seems very unfair.

The seller is unwilling to pay, since he said I should have discovered it (instead of him disclosing it).

Answer:
 For those of you out there that haven't purchased real estate and are wondering what all those small buildings containing businesses called "Title Insurance"? This is what they do. Prevent this from happening and insure against them not preventing it.Answer #2: Hold on, we need to back up a second here.

You can purchase land on ebay? Answer #3: File a claim with your title insurance. Answer #4: Usually with other items on eBay, you can claim the item was not as described and file for a refund.  Not sure if you can do that with land, but if they lied in the item description  you can get eBay on your side.Answer #5: Which state?

State is really important here, since the big question is: *The seller is unwilling to pay, since he said I should have discovered it (instead of him disclosing it).*  Depending on the state, he might be right.  CO has almost no disclosures, CA has almost everything!

Woah!  eBay real estate is awesome!  [LQQK at these views!](http://www.ebay.com/itm/BEAUTIFUL-10-ACRES-ON-WILD-WASH-RD-HELENDALE-CALIFORNIA-ACCESS-GREAT-VIEWS-/181757695526?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a519a5626)Answer #6: Open Item Not as Described case on ebay.Answer #7: > he said I should have discovered it (instead of him disclosing it).

I suspect he is right about that. It's very hard to make a fraud claim when no false statement was made. There is generally no duty for a seller to disclose anything, although some (many? most?) US states have statutes that require certain *types* of disclosures in a real estate transaction. That might be a recourse for you, but you didn't say which state is involved.Answer #8: One thing you might try...I would contact the HOA and as nicely as possible explain the situation and ask for them to waive the previous property owners dues/late fees.


Title: Roommate cut off my internet

Question:
My internet wasn't working so I asked my roomate what was going on. She told me she changed the password, without any notice or talking to me first. She says that having two computers on the same modem is slowing down her internet and interfering with her university studies (shes a student, I'm not), though I've had no problems with speed. She says I have to buy my own modem and plan which from a quick google search I'm not sure is possible as there is only one telephone line. The internet is under her name as she was living here first. I am wondering if she is allowed to, seeming I may not be able to get any internet, or preferable whether this is grounds to end my tenancy with my landlord early without paying a break fee. I live in Australia and am on a fixed term contract with just over two months of my contract left. Break fee is $1000. Appreciate your advice.

Tldr: Roommate denying me ability to have internet what are my rights?

Answer: If the internet is in her name and she pays the bills for it then she doesn't have to let you use it.


Title: Am I being scammed or am I in real trouble?

Question: Ok so I messed up and did something stupid. I posted an ad on Craigslist in casual encounters looking for discrete sex. I got a response and after a email or two she asked for a pic. I sent one of my face and upper body. Then she asked for a cock pic so stupidly I sent one. She asked for my number and first name and I sent that as well. The persons then texts me and we share a few dirty text. At two points I asked their age and got no response. Finally they tell me they have to go and will text me later. Fast forward to the next morning. I recieve a text from her father stating that his wife found dirty pics and texts on their 14 year old daughters phone and I needed to call him right away or it was all going to the police. So I call the exact same number I had been texting and he answers. I apologize and say I didn't know her age. He says he spent all Saturday morning at a lawyer because of this. He said he had to miss a flight for work and was in trouble with his job. He said that the lawyer they went to see wanted to go right to the cops but he said he wanted to talk to me first. He repeatedly kept bringing up how he was out all this money. He said i seemed like a good person who made a stupid mistake, but it didn't seem fair that he was out all this money and  I shouldn't get into trouble for it. He basically then told me he had to go to drive to where he was supposed to fly so he wouldn't get fired and I could call if I had any ideas or questions about what I could do to make this right. He said that he was having the phone number changed in a few hours so I'd better call soon if I wanted to discuss further. He then once again brought up how he was out about $3000.00 dollars. He never came out and said he wanted money but I feel it was heavily hinted at. He hung up after that and I didn't contact him back. I have kept all the text and emails that were exchanged. So if this isn't a scam to get money from me how much trouble am I in? It feels sketchy to me because he kept saying the lawyer told them I could be sued for damages and lost wages,also why wouldn't they just go to the cops first and a lawyer second? I know what I did was stupid. I'm in Pennsylvania btw

Answer: Scam, tell him to shove it. As I dad I wouldn't be waiting or bitching to you about money. Its a scam tell him your calling the cops


Title: Should i involve the police?

Question:
Just graduated i have a job in sales which i love my parents hate bc i have an engineering degree and wished i was an programmer. Anyways i asked a male friend im female if i could crash at his place until i found a lease and he was like sure. Idk how to get the fuck out my parens dont want me to leave and they constantlh threaten to call 911 if i dont call them every 3 hours. So i can imagine shit going down when i move out.if i get police involved will it help. Also i have 3k saved u
p

The most im worried of is my mom tellinh everyone im kidnapped when im not.
Also she says shell sue me for my college tution my parents paid for college btw kn a subject i hated
I told her it isnt possible it isnt right

She also told me by law she can demand some part of my salary i live in the USA

Answer:
 First, you need to withdraw all of your money from the bank and move it to a new account that she does not have any access to.

Then contact the non-emergency police line in your area and tell them that you will be leaving your parents home and they will likely report you as missing.

Then leave. She can't sue you the tuition she paid. She may try but she won't win. Answer #2: How old are you?

Seeing as how you have a degree, I'm assuming you are an adult.  There is no harm in calling the non emergency line before hand and saying "Hey - I'm a legal adult and am staying at a friend's place for awhile. My parents might try to report me missing - I am not."

No, your mother can't take a chunk of your salary.  If they have access to your bank account and/or you have a joint account with them, shut that shit down ASAP.


Title: Can a business owner force managers to test employee owned vape pens?

Question:
The business owner of a restaurant has been concerned that employees are using illegal substance in their vape pens to possible get high during work hours.  They have implemented the following changes in an attempt to police this:

&#x200B;

* Managers **must** sample each employee's vape pen before it is used on a smoke break.
* All employees must use see through "clear" bags while on premises.
* All employees must consent to a personal item search at least once daily.

&#x200B;

How can this be legal?  It doesn't seem that you can force a manager to inhale a possibly toxic or illegal substance just to verify that it is a normal vape pen. That aside, what if the manager doesn't smoke? Seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen, but they are adamant and claiming it is a condition of employment.

&#x200B;

Additionally, what are the feelings on the clear bags and personal item searches?

&#x200B;

Thank you for your help.

Answer:
 Sounds like a great way to get The Herp!Answer #2: Is the owner aware the cartridges screw on and off? This process solves nothing.Answer #3: It's a shitty way to handle this, but it's legal.

The better options would be to (a) ban vaping during shifts and (b) require drug testing if they want a drug free workplace.


Title: Car was stolen, tow lot wants to charge us $750 to get it back

Question:
So a little background. About 3 weeks ago my car was stolen outside of my apartment in the city (I'll call it city A). It sucked, but I contacted the police very quickly. An official report was filed the next day. We didn't hear squat from anyone about it.

Today: A letter was sent to my house from a tow company saying that my car had been in their lot since THE DAY AFTER IT WAS FUCKING STOLEN!!! It was found in City B and towed to a lot in City C.

The tow lot is saying they won't release the car unless we pay them $750 for holding it for the last few weeks plus the tow fee. They also won't release it to us until the police say so and we get to shovel it out ourselves. We contacted the police in City A and City B, both of whom said it wasn't their responsibility. City C police haven't gotten back to us.

Is there any way to get out of paying? Should we (my parents and I) get a lawyer? Please help.

Tl;DR: Tow lot is holding my stolen car for a $750 ransom

This is Massachusetts by the way

Answer:
 You need to pay it and get your car back. If the car thief is ever found, you can sue them for your loss.

Your state may have statutory maximums for the tow fees since the car was stolen (some states do), but I'm on mobile so I can't look for them at the moment. Hopefully someone else can check for you.Answer #2: Sounds about right... $35 per day max...

https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXXII/Chapter159B/Section6B

Pay to get it out then sue the person who stole it in small claims if possible.

Alternatively if you have comprehensive insurance, they'd pay it.  Otherwise this is the risk you take with liability insurance.


Title: Is there any law that prevents sitting Vice President from being appointed to the Supreme Court?

Question:
[USA] I know it would be bound to cause a stir, but is it in anyway expressly forbidden?
Topic:
Constitution

Answer:
 Fun question.

I can't think of one.  But it would be near impossible to do both jobs at the same time, so the odds of appointment are tiny . . . much less confirmation.

But it is early, and I am probably overlooking something.  Maybe someone else can think of something that forbids it.Answer #2: Federal law prohibits someone from holding positions in more than one branch of government at a time (it's a separation of powers thing), so the VP would have to resign before joining the court, but, apart from that, basically the only requirement is s/he be appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate.

Edit: upon further review, it's that members of the legislative branch can't serve in the executive branch simultaneously. Judicial may be another animal entirely.


Title: [CA] I'm an owner living in a suburban house, with noisy neighbors (shrieking, shouting, loud talking). Police say they won't take a report unless noise is heard from front when they drive by. Noise is only audible from my backyard. What are my options - is small claims my only choice?

Question:
I have looked up noise ordinances; the neighbors are violating the hours with early morning noise. An app on my phone confirms the decibel level is above the ordinance limit.

Other neighbors work during the day and my house is the one that gets the most noise transference due to the configuration of the house, so it looks like I would likely be alone in fighting this.

What are my options / how should I proceed? Take recordings and present them to a judge in small claims? (Recommended by NOLO: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/neighbors-noise-faq.html)

 I can't think of what other possible avenue I might have.  I doubt cops would file a report for loud talking / crying that they they won't be able to hear driving by.

Answer:
 You need to keep calling the police and show them your evidence.  If you call them enough they will do something eventually.  Contact the mayor and local government with your evidence and log of the neighbors violating noise limits.

Small claims is not the proper venue to achieve your desired result.


Title: Landlord stole our savings...left homeless

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is all common scams. You don't rent a place without looking inside. When they say "just drive by" it is a scam. Then he gave you keys before you signed a lease or did anything other than give him money.

 I will be shocked if this guy even owns the place or if you can find him to serve him or that he will pay if you do win.  Or that you have his legal name.

But yes your option is to sue. I hope you took lots of pictures. Answer #2: >didn't look inside before signing suspicious "agreement"

>handed over money before looking inside

>think "cross around neck" means fuck-all

hope you learned an important life lesson here opAnswer #3: > someone with a cross around his neck would rent this to someone

If someone mentions their religion as a sign of how they are a good person, I assume they are trying to scam me. The good Christians I know that wear a cross, have a modest one that is generally kept under their shirt. The scam artists have a fancy one worn on top of their shirt to show off wealth and gain trust.


Title: [Illinois] Someone threatened me with a gun on Twitter and I threatened them back with a gun. Now my university police is calling me. What to do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >"I'm so glad my client talked to the police"

#- NO LAWYER EVER


Title: [CO] Kids are basically harassing us in the evening... apartment complex won't do anything. Emotional health is suffering greatly.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You call the police.  You should have called on that first day when they were pounding on your door and shouting.  Or at any point after that when they continued to harass you.  Get the police involved.  Be polite, but firm.  If they continue to harass you then you might need to call each and every time.  This way the police have a record of the continued harassment.Answer #2: have you tried, calling the police. Answer #3: As others have said, calling the police is your option.  Hopefully, they can also look into the living conditions these kids are in.


Title: Just got arrested with my friend yesterday for shoplifting- HELP!

Question:
For context: both my friend and I are 21yo, both attend college, are good people , and this is our first time we’ve gotten arrested. My friend had put clothes in her bag (around 10 shirts) & I had two in my bag. We were walking out of the store when a woman popped out and asked my friend to give her shirts back. I was already outside of the store premises and she was inside . She went back with the woman which prompted me to return back . We were led in a room where she told us to return what we had and my friend obviously had more on her person than I did. The lady explained if we got under 100$, she would just let us go and there would just be a fine . If it exceeded 100- she would have to call the police.
She brought someone in to do the counting & the total for her and I came out to 120 & 110$ (although for further mention - the shirts were 12.99- not 20$ that she counted them as.) we were distraught and nervous. She called the police and said the process would be quick. They ended up arresting us & we were held at a precent from 7:15 to 11 at night. They gave us a court date a month from now . I just need help navigating what to do. I’ve heard from my mother , a cop friend she has, and someone else that a lawyer would be needed. I’m in nursing school currently and have done well academically & this is my first offense . My questions now are: what do I do? Will this affect my future? The cop mentioned that because it was my first , the judge is most likely going to drop it & I will just have to do community service / pay a fine. Thanks much for reading this & offering any advice. I know I’m an idiot & jail is not for me .

Answer: Don't take legal advice from cops. For the best outcome, consult with an attorney. And drop the "we are good people".


Title: Can a co-owner lease a house without my knowledge?

Question:
Will try and keep this as short as possible.

I own 1/3rd share of a house with my Mom. My name is on the title, deeds and all the bills. I havent been paying the mortgage in over 12 months though cos my Mom was living in the house and said it was ok that she would pay for it.

Recently, she leased the house out. Without my knowledge or consent.  I thought for her to let the house the real estate would requiee both owners signatures???

I contacted the real estate asking for tenancy agreement and info and she refused. I found a letter from the real estate addressed to my Mom saying That i wont find out anything because  she will not be giving me any documentation or info regarding the house.

Is this a breach? Do i have rights? I am seeing a lawyer soon but i am curious if i have a leg to stand om in a situation like this

Answer:
 But your name is on the mortgage? And you're not paying the mortgage?

Yes, you should have had a written arrangement about these sorts of things. But why are you seeing an attorney, what's your end game here?

If you force the issue, and mom won't cave, the only solutions I can think of are:

1. A judge orders her to give you some percentage of the proceeds from the rent. This might get messy as it's your mom and she's been paying the mortgage and presumably will continue to do so. Is the rent higher than the mortgage payments? Is the rent higher than the mortgage payments now plus 1/3 of the mortgage payments from last year?
2. A judge orders the house sold and all owners get a proportional share of the proceeds. (A partition sale.)

Is there another party that owes 1/3 of the house or does mom owe 2/3?