Title: [CA] Can I be forced to pay rent for my emotionally abusive ex?

Question:
I will be contacting an attorney about this within the next few days. If possible, I'd like a primer on the issues to bring up.

My boyfriend of nearly 4 years emotionally abused me and took advantage of my financial situation. A year ago, I got a job offer in California so we made the move and rented a place. Seven months ago we entered couples therapy, where a major topic we discussed was his refusal to get a job and contribute financially to our situation. We renewed the lease in July to extend to July 31st, 2017 under the promise that he would work hard to start contributing. We are both on the lease. We are not registered domestic partners.

A few weeks ago, I dumped him for not even making an effort to establish an income and for emotionally abusing me, and asked him to find a new place within a few months. He refused and continued emotionally abusing me, so I left and have been living out of hotels. I paid rent for November, let the landlord know my situation, and informed both that I am surrendering the premises to the landlord on November 30th. All of my belongings will be out by then. Unless my ex has been lying to me about his financial situation, he doesn't have the money to pay rent by himself for long.

Today my ex pointed me to [this site](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/suing-cotenant-california-small-claims-court-unpaid-rent.html). Here is what he is threatening:

* He will pay rent for now
* Having paid rent, he will sue me for rent money

**What aspects of this do I need to worry about?** Considering:

* I have been paying the entire rent the past 7 months
* My ex had been giving me 1/4 of the rent per month, but stopped giving me anything early this year
* I repeatedly brought this topic up in couple's therapy
* We had no written or oral agreement about how much each of us owed

Answer: If you are on the lease until July 2017 then you will need to make sure that the landlord is paid up to that point. You can try to sue your ex to recoup some of the cost.


Title: Got a reckless driving (26mph over) ticket that requires I go to court on a federal holiday.

Question: Court date is 2/20 which is Presidents' Day. Courthouse will be closed. Can I get it thrown out because of this? [Ky, US]

Answer:
 Haha no, you will need to reschedule.Answer #2: Yes that a attorney perfectly good reason to get it thrown out, if they schedule a court date for a federal holiday it means you weren't actually speeding....

Note the above is sarcasm. Clerical errors don't normally invalidate tickets and this would just be rescheduled for Feb 21 likely. Consult a traffic attorney dress nice be polite and ask for forgiveness.


Title: Minnesota & Canada- May need to travel to Canada for work and currently on a Diversion Program

Question:
TL;DR- US citizen currently in diversion program for felony level shoplifting (not convicted) - can I travel to Canada for work?

I am a US citizen with a valid passport, currently in a diversion program for felony level shoplifting (under $5000). I presume I will need to go to Canada for work before the diversion program is done (June).

I have read some of the precautions/criminal inadmissibility guidelines online and the wording is vague. Lot's of might's, could's, and "depends on the immigration officer" regarding if I will get let in to the country.

My lawyer cannot give a straight answer because she "doesn't deal with immigration law." She redirected me to a colleague of hers that does deal with immigration law, but after speaking with her she said she only deals with US immigration, not Canadian immigration. I have also called immigration law associations and the bar association and they keep all redirecting me, saying I have not called the proper place most able to answer my question. My case manager in my diversion program also is not sure. I am astonished that no one can clarify this for me. Will I be turned away at the border?

I also have a careless driving conviction (not alcohol related) on my record from 2009, which I think is fine since it has been over 5 years?

Please provide me any information you may know, so I can know what to prepare for - will I get let in to Canada before the completion of my diversion program and the charges being dismissed? Thank you!

Answer:
 1. Your company is going to have to fill out a work visa for you. They must declare anything that you e done that has anything to do with police matters.

2. Call your closest border crossing and speak to the Canadian side. They will be able to help determine your chances on getting over the border.


Title: Is it legal to buy something at the store and then sell it on Amazon?

Question:
My local store sells Sylvania LED bulbs for cheap. They charge $2.99, but they’re selling for $15+ on Amazon. Would there be any legal problems if I bought a ton of these bulbs then sold them on Amazon for a markup?
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 Why would it be illegal? That's just capitalism. Answer #2: Once you buy them they're yours and you're free to sell them. But...

The warranty most likely won't be valid since you're not an authorized seller.

You'll be operating a business and have all the related tax stuff to worry about.

You may run into trademark trouble if you are advertising and selling enough to get Sylvania's attention.


Title: My insurance company said I failed the file the claim within 180 days but I started the process back in September 2016.

Question:
I am currently battling with my insurance company about my claims. This is not for an car accident claims. Just strictly medical treatment and I am in the State of Washington.

I started receiving medical treatment back in April 2016. and inquired about starting my claims in September 2016. I made all the inquiries through emails and never actually submitted my claims. They told told me is that, in order for them to reimburse me, I have to make the payment out of pocket. I did not have the money to pay for the expenses at the time so delayed my claims. They NEVER told me that I have to submit my claims within 180 days of my services.

I finally was able to make payments on the medical services in July 2017. Subsequently, I my claims and the Company deny reimbursement for treatment received from April 2016 through December 2016 since it was outside of the 180 days window.

I was doing some research and it mentioned something about Washington State is a notice prejudice state but I am not sure if it has been extended to health insurance claims.

Am I out of luck? Is there anything that can help me?

Thanks in advance.

Answer: There is almost certainly wording in your policy to inform you of the limitation periods you are subject to. Inquiring about a claim is not starting a claim. People inquire all the time and are never heard from again. Unless you specifically filed a claim then it is not started.


Title: State of Georgia called my brother a "child rapist" due to a clerical error.

Question: A few months ago my older brother was arrested for domestic violence. In reality, his woman instigated it and he only defended himself. Primary aggressor laws are messed up. He's still dealing with the court situation for that, but when he received the paper with his charges on it, it also said he was arrested for attempted rape of a minor under 14! I'm not sure, but I think that has been amended, but IMO that's a severely messed up thing to call someone, let alone an innocent citizen and let alone being called it by the government! Who knows if anyone looked at the public records before it was fixed, or if an in depth background check would uncover it. Can anyone shed light on this? Should we look into suing for slander?

Answer:
 It is unlikely any slander or defamation suit would have a hint of success.

It sounds like it was a human error.  You even said you "think it has been amended."  Your best bet would be to talk to the newspaper and ask them to apologize, but this isn't some payday situation.

edit: I misread, see my comment below.


Title: How to meet with your legislators

Question: Pardon me if this is not the correct sub. I'm 17, and live in Washington state. I lost my father due to mental health, and even though my father can't be helped, I want to encourage mental health reform. As of now, WA state laws do no allow a family member to petition the court for involuntary commitment, which would have benefited my father. I plan on meeting with the Public Information Officer for the state hospital near me, and get some information from them. But which representative do I meet with? Do I pick one out of the three in my district? Should I meet with all of them separately? What should be in a presentation? I really don't know what I'm missing, as obviously ive never done something like this

Answer:
 I am sorry for your loss. However, this is not a legal question.

That being said:

Start with the representatives whose elections your would vote in, if you were old enough to vote. Also, do some research and find out their committee assignments and areas of legislative concern (legislators tend to specialize). Maybe their areas of interest overlap with yours.

Find out who actually regulates and decides policies for issues of mental health (or those issues of mental health that impacted your situation).

Call their office. Have some talking points drawn up. Be polite. They're busy. If you're lucky, you'll speak to their staffer in charge of this issue area. Be assertive, but not pushy. "If no one can talk to me right now, when would be a good time to call back?" See where that gets you.

Send them a letter. Expect to receive a form letter in response.

If you have money, you can hire a lobbyist. They have connections and can usually get their clients heard.

Remember: They have no obligation to speak to you. They have no obligation to respond to your inquiries or concerns. They have no obligation to agree with you.

You should try and find some nonprofits that are concerned about this issue and tie yourself in with them (volunteer, sign up for their newsletters, etc...)

I'm a former U.S. Senate staffer.


Title: [MI] My work closed down for a month, they've been reopened for a week now and I haven't been contacted about my schedule or about being laid off

Question:
Yeah I'm looking for a bit of advice as to how to proceed here. I don't quite understand what's happening. I've been working at this restaurant for like 2 years and it was already a blow to my wallet taking off work for a month so they could renovate. I thought it was strange I didn't get a schedule leading up to the reopening. By the date they said they would reopen I assumed the renovations just took longer than expected. It wasn't until today that I saw on their facebook that they did open back up on the expected date and they never contacted me about work. I'm assuming I've been let go (I couldn't imagine what for, mind you) but nobody ever told me. What should I do here? Contact them and find out? Can they do that? They lead me to believe I'd take a month off and be working on the first and I planned for that financially, now I don't know when I'll get another paycheck because I might have to start looking for other work, which I could have been doing since late December. I didn't because I was told I'd have my job waiting for me so I saw no reason to look for other work.

Thanks guys.

Answer:
 You probably could have filed for unemployment as soon as they closed, and you can definitely file now. Start looking for other work, as well. Call and find out what's up, but don't be surprised if the answer is that your services are no longer required.

It's shitty to find out this way, but not illegal unless you're part of a union or covered by a binding employment contract that would compel them to re-employ you.


Title: Car dealership put car for less money than what we bought it for!

Question: A couple months ago I got into a t bone accident, the car was completely totalted. Recently the insurance company gave me significantly less money than what I bought the car for. I live in Canada and have no idea on what steps to proceed with. But it worked out with the insurance company is there any way I can make the dealership pay me money or anything because I’m pretty sure this is tax evasion. Please help and let me know some actions I can take! For clarification the dealership sold us the car for more money than was put on the documents they gave us but the bill of sale shows the proper amount thanks in advance!

Answer: Insurance pays out what the vehicle is worth, not what you paid for it.


Title: [MA] Autistic Child Injured at School

Question:
My friend has an autistic child who attends a special school that can accommodate his autism. It is set up so he is supposed to be in a padded room and supervised one on one.

The school called my friend yesterday and asked to please pick him up because he had a bloody nose. My friend took him to the doctor and was told he needed to go to the ER as a portion of his nose was detached. It is looking like this child is going to need emergency surgery as well as in the future plastic surgery.

Where can my friend go from here legally? Is this a role for personal injury lawyer, family lawyer? What sorts of legal aid resources would be available? This is in Northeastern Massachusetts. My friend believes that the school was negligent in failing to keep her child safe given his specialized needs.

Thanks!

Answer: You gave no information to go off of. All you said was what should be, and that a bloody nose occurred. It is impossible to answer anything based off of that.


Title: [NY] received subpoena as witness to appear before criminal court against my landlord

Question:
I received a subpoena letter underneath my door today commanding me to appear before criminal court on 09/20 as a witness and for failure to attend I may be deemed guilty of a Criminal Contempt and liable to a Fine of $250 and 30 days of improsonment.

This is for "a criminal action prosecuted by the People of the State of New York" against my landlord, who had harassed me and was report to the police and was subsequently  charged with "forcible touching" a month ago.  I got an order of protection at that time saying it will remain in force  until 1/31/2017.

I'm worried what should I expect and how should I present at the court date? What if the judge decided my landlord not guilty because I don't have enough evidence? The forcible touching actually happened several times but I only have harassing text messages as evidence. If by 09/20 my landlord was decided not guilty will I lose my order of protection?

Thanks very much!

Answer: All of these questions should be directed to the Assistant District Attorney handling the case.


Title: I need apartment legal advice.

Question:
I'm not even sure if I know where to start this, or if this is even the correct subreddit or not.

My girlfriend and I are looking to get an apartment in Houston Texas. The only issue is she has 2 broken leases and I have 2 evictions. I need to know if there is anything I can do legally to be able to get an apartment even if the complex says they don't accept broken leases or evictions. If it helps to explain why we have these I can explain.

Her broken leases, one of them was too expensive and we couldn't afford it after a while, the manager even if knew we couldn't but helped us piggy back on the credit of a friend that we were originally supposed to move in with. We lived there for about 6 months.
The second one we had to move out because I lost my job, and she wasn't working at the time. We had just renewed our lease after finishing a 13 month lease. We had no choice but to move out. To put some background on this apartment, I had my car stolen from the parking lot, I was robbed at gun point there, the building next to ours burned down right when we moved in, and a young man was shot and killed 25 feet away from our apartment.

My evictions, the first one all I can say about it was that it was my first place and I was young and didn't manage my money correctly. I lived there for about a year and a half.
The second one was a little bit more complicated. We had moved in with a work friend of my S.O. and didn't really know her boyfriend that well. When we moved in a month or so into the lease he refused to pay because he said he "didn't have" the money. After about 2 months of being there, we got into an argument one night and he said to my SO that he was going to "blow her brains out". We called the cops naturally, when they came they found a loaded shotgun right on the inside of the door to his room. He was charged with a terroristic threat and went to jail. We then got evicted because the police were called to the apartment for a violent reason. We lived there for 2 months.

So like I said, I'm seeking advice or really anything that anybody can offer me. We are staying with her dad at the moment and needless to say we aren't looking to be here any longer than we have been already. I live in Houston, Texas. Please help me.

TL;DR Have a few broken leases and evictions between myself and my S.O. I am looking for advice on getting a new place and need to know where to go or what I can do.

Answer: You guys can explain your situations to the management at the places you want to rent and hope they understand. Don't expect miracles though. As a landlord, you really sound like toxic tenants and I wouldn't rent to you.


Title: How legal is it to not allowing same sex couples if they're from other schools at prom [NJ]

Question:
I guess its an attempt to keep one friend from inviting their friend from another school to go to their prom, is this legal?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Are they allowing opposite sex couples if they're from other schools?


Title: Road Rage Incident, Lady Came at Me With a Hammer

Question:
Tl;Dr : lost my temper with a reckless driver, she followed me to work and came at me with a hammer

Had a rough morning after a night of little sleep due to stress. Definitely was not in a good state of mind as I began my morning commute (Minnesota). I settled into traffic for my thankfully short 20 min commute to work and about halfway through a woman came up behind me, tailgating pretty quickly. I am stuck behind many other cars in the left lane but left a few car lengths in front since there was no need to rush the driver ahead of me. The tailgater whips around me and races up the right lane then swings immediately in front of me causing me to slam on my brakes.

This is where I lose my temper, and stay behind her in traffic, pulling along side her when I can and throwing the lid of a jar I had in my car at the side of her vehicle. Definitely a mistake regardless of her actions and I'm most upset about my own reactions that morning than anything else to follow. I exit as I'm almost to work and she proceeds to pursue me, while shaking what I later find out to be a ball peen hammer.

I decide to try and weave around some streets and lose her before I get to work but she is driving way too aggressively for me to get away and ends up following me all the way to work. I pull into a nearby parking garage on our complex and go down a level hoping she will go on her way. After coming back up she is still in the main level and I circle down again. When I pull up for the second time I see the security guards walking out of their access doors but not noticing anything. I figure she left when they came out and I leave the garage to head to my parking garage elsewhere on the complex.

She turned out to be waiting outside and when I pulled out she threw the hammer at my car, missing over the top. I stopped and tried to get to it before her but she got there first and reared back to take a swing at me. I hunched down and pushed my body into hers before she could hit me, shoving her back and then running backwards myself to put distance between us.

She screamed at me while I yelled at her to get back in her car, that she was attacking me with a hammer and this whole situation was spiraling out of control. I got back in my car and drove to my garage, which she also followed me to and proceeded to continue to yell at me and wave her hammer saying she was calling the police. I quickly went in side and late thought to call the non emergency number just to state what had happened just in case she attached my car when I was inside the building. They asked if they needed to send a unit but I declined unless I went outside later and there was damage.

At this point I'm just freaking out about the whole situation, upset with myself about completely hitting rock bottom as far as controlling my emotions in public, and scared what will happen if she goes to the police with a one sided story and my license plate and place of work. The last thing I need is to be arrested at work before I can give my side of things and ask them to review the security cameras all around our campus which should have caught most of our interactions.

Any advice would be appreciated, hopefully she is having the same realization and regret that I am feeling and just hopes to move on and learn from this.

Answer: Both of you morons committed crimes and should be arrested.  If you are arrested,  don't talk to the police and get a lawyer.  Also get the fuck out of the left lane if you have someone tailgating you, for exactly this reason. It isn't your job to police other people's driving  or to "teach them a lesson."


Title: Bitten by a neighbor's pet and now have a huge medical bill

Question:
I live in Wisconsin. I was bitten by a neighbor's cat last month. It was not wearing any collar or tags and was in the street by my landlord's parking lot that I park my car in. The cat approached me and bit me on the leg. I had to go to the ER to receive rabies vaccinations as I thought that it was a stray cat and it chased me aggressively. We have since identified the owners and they have admitted that it was their cat. No one was outside supervising the cat and it definitely wasn't on or even close to their property. I now have a huge medical bill I can't afford. Is there anything I can do?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Ask for their homeowners insurance info to file a claim. If they refuse, sue.  That'll get it involved quickly


Title: Passed a stopped bus. 300$ ticket. Advice?

Question:
Coming home from work, the lanes are three on each side. A school bus was stopping in the other side and I was going the opposite direction. The bus was turning its lights on and stopping. Myself and several other cars continued on our way not thinking because the bus was 6 lanes over and going the opposite direction.

I just received a ticket for 300$ for failure to stop when signals were active.

Is there anything I can do in court for this or am I just out 300$?

Edit: sorry forgot location. Marietta, Georgia.

Answer:
 Location (as in state) is really important.

Mind you, if it wasn't a divided highway, you are probably on the hook for this.


Title: Do I have any legal basis to sue this individual?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What damages would you seek?

Edit: according to your other post where you are trying to see how you can get money out of your dads death, this happened 7 years ago. I don't even know where to start with this one...


Question:
 If someone was on parole, under house arrest, and they tried to commit suicide, would that get them put back in jail?
Question:I’m writing a story where this happens, and I want to get the legal bits right.

A bit more info: My main character is bipolar, and going to prison triggered her first depressive episode. This takes place in LA.

Also, if her family knew she tried to kill herself, but covered it up so she wouldn’t go back to jail, would her family be in legal trouble as well? What kind of punishments would they face if the cops found out?

Answer: Suicide and attempted suicide are not a crime in the U.S. The subject would likely be transported to and detained within a mental health facility (typically a hospital ED) for psychiatric evaluation. And a petition for civil commitment would likely ensue.Answer #2: Suicide itself is not criminal and would not likely be a parole violation, but an attempt would probably trigger an involuntary mental health commitment. BUT some methods of suicide might be parole violations, such as  use of a gun when you’re a felon, or use of illegal controlled substances for an OD or improper use of prescribed medicines. Answer #3: Suicide or attempted suicide is not a crime. It would be cause for mental health evaluation, but not a prison sentence.


Title: High tech US company withholds one week pay from all employees until you quit or retire. Is this legal?

Question:
I work for a high tech company in the US. that brings in a revenue of about 500 million a year. We have had several years of record-breaking growth in revenue and profit. This year they announced that they were switching HR systems, therefore the way that they cut checks would change. This would result in every employee getting half of a paycheck for one pay cycle so that the new HR system will be in sync. The old HR system would cut checks a week or more ahead of time before the pay date, the new HR system cuts the checks a day before payday. This week of pay has been withheld from every employee in the company, it will be given to the employees when they leave the company or if they retire at whatever pay rate they are getting at that future date and time. Needless to say, everyone is pretty mad that the company did this. Morale has plummeted. We have had several people leave recently , not directly connected to this , but I'm sure this didn't help. Everyone is wondering why the company withheld the pay when we are obviously in good financial position. My question to everyone out there is: Has this happened to anybody else in the US? And to any lawyers out there, are these actions legal? Is there anything I can do to fight this without risking my career?
I'm afraid like everyone else to speak out about this within the company, so I'm trying to become aware of my rights and how I can protect myself if I do decide to speak out.
The company is out of Texas with sales branches in several states around the US. Most workers are salary engineering type rolls, but we also have many hourly type administrative assistant roles in the company. Obviously for my own protection I cannot tell you what company I work for but if you have any questions please let me know.

Answer:
 I do believe we saw a post similar to this here before, and it ended up that the employee misunderstood that the employer was changing paycycles. So they were not actually withholding a week, they were no longer being paid a week in advance.

Do you have a better description of what they are saying is going on? Can you reprint the relevant portions of the notice?


Title: (WI) Theft of multiple handguns.

Question:
My friends apartment was broken into two nights ago, and the thief made off with 4 handguns.

The girl was caught and arrested a short while later as she had also stolen an iPhone from a different apartment, whose owner used the find my iPhone app and gave the location to the police, and they tracked it to a car with all the stolen items and two women inside.

My friend has security cameras which caught the whole thing, but my question is just on possible charges. I know breaking and entering, burglary, yada yada yada, but would the theft of multiple firearms increase things at all?

Also, I know they're evidence now, but how long roughly will it take to get his guns back?

Answer:
 >(d) If any of the following circumstances exists, is guilty of a Class H felony:
>
>1. The property is a domestic animal.
>
>3. The property is taken from a building which has been destroyed or left unoccupied because of physical disaster, riot, bombing or the proximity of battle.
>
>4. The property is taken after physical disaster, riot, bombing or the proximity of battle has necessitated its removal from a building.
>
>5. The property is a firearm.
>
>6. The property is taken from a patient or resident of a facility or program under s. 940.295 (2) or from an individual at risk.

https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/statutes/statutes/943/III/20/3/d/5

It looks like Wisconsin indeed has a greater penalty for theft if it's a firearm.Answer #2: In general, they will be held as evidence until the completion of the trial or a plea deal ~~hasn't~~ has been entered and sentencing is complete.


Title: Court notices addressed to my new house for people who don't live there [Michigan]

Question: Hopefully this is the right place to ask this. First, let me lay out the context. I recently purchased a house in Michigan and have since moved in. I have Informed Delivery via USPS, and have seen a couple post card notices from courts show up on the Informed Delivery email with the address of my new house, addressed to previous residents. The notices have not made it to my mailbox, and I believe USPS is either returning them or forwarding them (Informed Delivery scans are taken before forwarding/return procedures). Since they are post cards, I am able to see the charges listed on them in the Informed Delivery scan; they appear to be traffic related. The addressees don't look to be the people I bought the house from, and to the best of my knowledge, the sellers never rented the place out. What I'm wondering at this point is if there is any risk of the police coming to search my house, looking for these people that do not live there. If so, is there any correct course of action to help prevent that from happening? It's not like I'm doing anything illegal or need to hide stuff, I'd just rather not have to replace my door and its frame should an authority figure feel the need to resort to an "advanced entry."

Answer:
 All you can do is contact your local court or precinct and notify them that those individuals no longer live there, and that you are the owner of the house.

They are unlikely to come bust down your door, especially over traffic infractions, but it is possible that you might get a knock on the door from an officer.Answer #2: Contact the court and let them know, then any future notices that come just return to sender.


Title: [Off Topic] I enjoy reading legal briefs. What's a good job for me?

Question:
I really enjoy reading legal briefs.  Any posts here that include a link to a brief will get my attention. There are several copyright cases working their way through the system that I am following.  I follow the docket and read through all the motions and exhibits as they are posted.

Is there a job out there where someone reads and analysis legal briefs?  Something that only needs a bachelor's or associates degree?

I know that there is a job called "Attorney", lol.  But I'm in my early 40s, I dropped of of college in my 20s, and it will take at least a year or two to complete my bachelors.  So, I'm guess that the amount of money it will take to finish my bachelor's and go to law school will require so much in loans, that I'm going to be strugging through my 50s to pay them off.  By the time I'm up and running, I'll be in my 60s and approaching retirement.

I'm guessing that Paralegal would be the closest fit.

Answer: Look into working for Lexis or Westlaw.  Or any legal publisher really.


Title: CPA lied on my tax returns.. now IRS is auditing me. what would my options be?

Question:
it was my first time filing taxes, a friend had recommended the cpa i used and i trusted them. now the irs is auditing me.

&#x200B;

would it be better to

1. contact a tax attorney
2. consult the cpa that lied
3. or talk to the irs directly about the situation

&#x200B;

I don't want to be in any trouble obviously, and I'm willing to do what needs to be done to rectify the situation.

Answer: start by consulting a tax attorney.  CPAs should have professional liability insurance to indemnify you for damages that result from their failure to provide proper service.


Title: Is it illegal for a school staff member to follow a student into a restroom after refusing to give up their cellphone?

Question:
While walking across the hall to the restroom a student had their phone in their hand. A school nurse saw this and demanded that the student give up her phone. The student continued to walk into the restroom. The school nurse followed her into the restroom and demanded further the student give their phone up. When the student refused to give up their phone and tried to use the restroom the school nurse called on the radio for the Dean (who is a man) to come to the women’s bathroom. At this point the student said forget it and gave up the phone. The student feels like her privacy was breached, it is high school after all, not jail. Nobody should have to use the restroom with staff members listening. All I want to know is if there is a possibility this was illegal?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 Let's flip that question around. After being told to hand over your cell phone at school, call you just hide in the bathroom and wait it out?

The answer to both questions would generally be no.Answer #2: More than likely not, based on just what you posted.


Title: Explain why FIFA's bribery is illegal.

Question:
If FIFA was a private for-profit business then would it make bribery such as buying member's votes legal? Or would that still be punishable by let's say US law?
Does the non-profit status change legal ramifications of bribery? Or what characteristic of FIFA does change legal ramifications?

Answer: Short answer, RICO.  Long answer, start with [this slate article](http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/05/fifa_bust_legal_strategy_the_department_of_justice_is_using_rico_to_save.html) and there's even a link in there to the indictment that you can peruse at your pleasure.


Title: [UK] Agoraphobia and Court Summons

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 1.) /r/legaladviceUK

2.) There IS a force that can make you go- the police.  You may not go voluntarily, you may go kicking and screaming, but they can get you there.  They kind of specialize in bringing people to court who say they aren't going.

3.) If you are so crippled, why and how were you walking your little brother to school?

4.) You need a solicitor. Answer #2: oh there's a force on earth that can get you to that summons. the police. read your Hobbes and Weber.


Title: Moving company All US Van Lines won't deliver my things and won't tell me when they will. It has been over 3 months since they picked and are over 50 days late from the 21 days I gave them.

Question:
I moved from NC to California and I was in a hurry to find a moving company because I didn't have much time to gather my things and move.    Sadly to say, I went with All USA Van Lines(I really went with cross country movers, but somehow they are the same company with different names).  I have been calling them almost every day for the last 2 months. Majority of the time they don't pick up, when they do they say the same thing.  Your move is our number one priority and we are working very hard on it... how can you be working very hard when it is taking over 3 months.  Other times they just hang up on you. When I was moving my things, the person that picked it up said it would be shipped directly to California. when I first called dispatched they told me it's in Florida.  They moved my things further away from my destination, which I don't understand.  Now they won't give me an estimate of when I will get my stuff, just that they have been working very hard on it for the last 3 months and my things have not moved from Florida.   I am wondering what legal actions I can take.  I want my things! It's very hard living with nearly nothing.  Barely have enough clothes to last a week.

***Update 7/17 ***

So after 3+ months I finally got my stuff!!!  The week the lawyer I hired called them and threaten to sue, they sent my stuff the next week.  None of my stuff were stolen or damage.  The boxes were beat up but the things inside weren't damage.

This whole experience was a nightmare.  I suggest that if anyone see's this post and is looking to move.  Make sure you find a reputable company.  Make sure they have a good BBB rating and make sure they come and see your stuff before getting a estimate.  The driver that dropped my stuff off said that he works with 300 different moving company and All USA Van Lines is really like 30 companies with different names.   This was probably one of the worse experiences I have ever had.  I'm shocked that after giving a company 1000s of dollars, they can still give you such bad service.  I basically wasted 2k+, and 3 months of my life having to continuously call All USA Van Lines to have them just hang up on me or not pick up majority of the time.   Even when you leave a message they never call you back.  I felt so helpless.  Thanks everyone here for all your suggestions!  You guys all gave good suggestions and made me not feel so alone in this situation.

Moving is difficult but hiring a company like All USA Van Lines takes difficult to a whole different level.

Pick up date: 3/30/2014,  Delivery received: 7/17/2014

Answer:
 [USA Van Lines](http://www.mymovingreviews.com/movers/all-usa-van-lines-1230) appears to be [a very bad company to do business with.](http://www.yelp.com/biz/all-usa-van-lines-hollywood)

Good luck in getting your stuff back, it would appear that they're holding your property for ransom, not because of any problems with meeting delivery dates.Answer #2: Something you left out of the OP is the explanation of the 21 days you gave them and being 50 days late. Did you sign a contract for a specific delivery date, and now they are late? What does the contract say about delivery dates and their liability?


Title: I got pulled over and issued a summons, even though I wasn’t driving any faster than anyone else

Question:
I was driving home from my grandmother’s funeral in Virginia, and was beside two vehicles with one behind me. We were all doing 80mph. Cop sees us, we break up because who’s he pulling over? Me. He pulls me over. Nonchalantly walks up, only asks for my drivers license then comes back in 5 minutes with a summons, and says I was “recklessly driving”. Said I was going 81mph. I feel like it was a trap just to issue a summons because I’m out of state.

I guess my question is what should I expect? I’ve never gotten a summons before. What’s the difference between that and a normal ticket? I called the number and they didn’t tell me how much it would be and said I wouldn’t know until the court date, in June. Would it be worth it to drive the almost 3 hours to appear in court to fight it? I’m not really sure what to do.

Answer:
 In Virginia with a reckless driving citation you should retain an attorney. This is fairly serious.

And of course whether or not you were singled out because you were from out of state wouldn’t be substantive in your guilt or innocence.


Title: [Meta] Announcing a new partnership with /r/raisedbynarcissists

Question:
Exciting news! /r/legaladvice will be merging with /r/raisedbynarcissists a new crosspost bot will automatically include any posts on either board on the other board.

when replying to a crosspost bot entry please follow the link to the discussion rather than replying on the crosspost entry itself.

Answer: This is only terrifying for RBN. LegalAdvice would actually be a good influence on them.


Title: [IL] Can I deny realtor's from entering my home?

Question:
I've been having huge problems with realtor's showing up whenever they please to my house. It's gotten to the point where I am locking access to my garage door, screen door and back door because they try all ways to get in.

They do call us ahead of time to tell us when they are going to show but then they show up an hour later asking to show again.

It's really disrupting our lives with them showing up willy nilly. I've had two times now where they've tired to force their way into the house while I am taking a shower.

This is not my home, we are renting it. The landlords are the ones who the realtor's go through so they do not speak to us at all. Are we allowed to refuse them entry if they show up like an hour later because the people showing were late and they didn't tell us?

Answer: If they haven't given you reasonable notice of the entry then yes, you can deny it.


Title: [Florida] My dog injured/killed my brother's neighbor's cat on their front lawn. I feel terrible. They want dog put down. I'm not willing to do that.

Question:
Yesterday I was dropping my dog off at my brothers house while 3 others were in the car. 3 of the 4 escaped. Two ran across the street, saw one of the homeowners' cat, and one dog proceeded to maul cat. Homeowner brought cat to vet, cat's injuries were too extensive for repair, and the cat was euthanized at my expense. I was profusely apologetic. This morning I received an angry phone call from the "legal representative" of the family (definitively not a lawyer) demanding that I have all 3 of the dogs they saw euthanized within 24 hours or they will "follow through with process."

While I feel awful and understand that I had a lapse in responsibility in this incident with my dog, what is my culpability, and how capable are they of having my dogs impounded or euthanized? I would be happy to replace the cat. Really. I feel terrible for what my dog did and want to make the victim as comfortable as possible in her grief, but believe demanding the immediate death of 3 dogs is a ludicrous overreaction.  Thanks for your advice.

Answer:
 Out of curiosity, what breed(s) are your dogs?

Personally, I'd be terrified of being responsible for an animal that is capable of escaping my control and killing something, let alone one that has actually done so.

You might want to consider whether you're prepared to [face the consequences](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/31/dog-owners-charged-with-murder-in-mauling-death/13442933/) if your dangerous animal injures or kills a person. And before you say that would never happen, think about whether you thought your dog might kill a cat if given the opportunity.


Title: [Update] Grandmother's neighbor trying to falsely claim easement onto her property & property destruction issues.

Question:
[Here's the original thread](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/33bgq4/wv_grandmothers_neighbor_is_trespassing_blocking/)

This problem actually fixed itself, really. Quite a few of you were interested though, so I'll post the follow up.

Long story short, bad people tend to have bad friends. Neighbor guy pissed off one of the strong arms he was using to bully my grandma's neighbors and the friend ratted him out to the police. He's got a stack of felony charges against him now including manufacture of methamphetamine, receiving stolen property, mail fraud, wanton endangerment of a child, and felon in possession of a firearm. There are others, I believe, but they didn't make the news surprisingly enough.

Grandma is still in touch with her lawyer about permanently blocking his claims, but as of now we've been able to regain access to the property, rebuild the fence and establish new boundary markers that won't be so easy to move next time. All in all, this turned out to be an easy win for us. No legal maneuvering required.

EDIT TO APPEASE OUR ROBOTIC OVERLORD: This happened in WV.

Answer:
 Thank you.

May your grandma’s neighbour be landlocked!!!Answer #2: It's bad karma to mess with a Grandma!Answer #3: The reference post made me so upset with those 'neighbors'. Sometimes you need to *immediately* hire an attorney rather than waste effort, time, money, sanity...Answer #4: Always nice to see updates, especially happy ones! :D Thank you for posting!

Also, it's *especially* delicious that this guy is ending up hoist by his own petard. Beautiful. Answer #5: Thanks for the update.  Always nice to hear how things end up.


Title: AT&T has permanently banned me for something they did and won't fix it, any ideas of recourse?

Question:
Using a throwaway account.

The basic gist, AT&T decided to flag my ID for "porting too fast" - apparently that's a thing at AT&T even though it is not documented anywhere, nobody in the public knows about it, and no low-level AT&T employee has ever heard of it. My employer was ending their company-paid mobile phones, and I had to port the number to my personal phone if I wanted to keep it.

AT&T told me the only way to do that, was to create a personal AT&T account, move the number from corporate to personal, and then move the number from the AT&T personal to my carrier's personal.

In doing this, I apparently had a flag put on my account that won't allow me to have AT&T service ever again until the day I die. This flag doesn't show up in their credit check system as anything other than a mysterious high-dollar deposit, so the low-level AT&T employees have literally no idea what is going on and aren't allowed to talk to the people that do.

I've talked to AT&T customer care, AT&T corporate, AT&T stores, AT&T executive escalations, the BBB, Attorneys General, and nothing will change AT&T's stance.

I even got an AT&T Executive Escalations rep in trouble for trying to help me.

I've also contacted some local media, but they must have bigger fish to fry.

I just want my name cleared of their mistake. This will permanently affect me attempting to get any kind of AT&T services (phone, Internet, landline, etc.) for the rest of my life. I don't know where I will end up living in the future, I would hate for this to screw me 10 years down the road.

Any ideas of what else to do, Reddit, aside from lawyering up?

I originally posted this in askreddit but it didn't fit there, a mod recommended I repost here. Apologize if this isn't the right place.

Answer: If the news/media won't help, put on a suit, gather all your evidence/paperwork, and make a short youtube video explaining all of this. Then tag the video with keywords like AT&T, cell phone, etc and wait for them to care. Shouldn't be too long.


Title: San Diego County, CA - Water keeps getting turned off in apartments with no warning.

Question:
In my apartment complex, at least twice a month if not more, the water is shut off with or without prior warning. Usually lasting four hours or so, sometimes only the hot water, sometimes all water completely. I understand and can appreciate emergency maintenance, but this seems excessive - What began as a mild periodic annoyance has started to affect my daily life. After this past weekend, which is basically my “breaking point,” and I’m wondering if I have any legal right to water being provided in my residence?

A bit of a story about this weekend - This Saturday was met with yet another “The water is shut off for emergency maintenance, sorry for the inconvenience” flyer on my door (I started saving them last month so I could actually count how many times it’s shut off - although they only leave those courtesy notes about half the time it happens. I’ve been living here since April, though.) I had planned to have guests over, so I grumbled (no water means no toilet; don’t want guests having to go three blocks to the 7-11 just to pee.) but was going to “live with it” again. The cold water eventually came on and I was able to use the toilet again, but no hot water (I tried, but couldn’t bring myself to shower in the cold. Whatever, so I miss a day.)

Sunday, the water was turned off AGAIN (completely, hot and cold) in the early afternoon - luckily in the morning there was “lukewarm” water (not hot) and I was able to wash my dishes (no dishwasher) and take a very unpleasant, quick shower (couldn’t wash my hair, though, because there wasn’t enough water pressure and I have a lot of hair. Plus it still felt too cold for me to get my head wet.) Instead of a flyer, a maintenance guy knocked on the door about an hour later to explain the situation - emergency shut-off, should be back by tomorrow (Monday) morning, etc. They also said they had one empty apartment open for toilet use, although luckily I did not end up needing it. (I don’t really like the idea of sharing one toilet with all the other tenants...) So, more grumbling, but accept that it’s an emergency (they seem to have a lot of those.)

However, it is now Monday, and the water is still not back. Periodically cold water is available, although currently it has been about four hours with no water at all. I haven’t showered, and luckily I don’t have a job that I need to go to (but what if I did? I couldn’t show up unshowered…) I don’t have any gym memberships or anything, but thankfully I do have a friend who offered me her shower later tonight (I have school tomorrow so I at least need SOMEthing.) I can’t cook much, I can’t clean, I can’t shower, I can’t even flush the toilet. I’m super frustrated that this keeps happening and interrupting my daily functions. I could even put up with an entire weekend of emergency water shut-off, if this was an exception to an otherwise perfect water situation. But the fact that this happens on the regular has made me tired of putting up with this. I pay way too much in rent for such a lack of basic amenities.

Obviously, I’m not staying here once my lease is up, but I was wondering what my rights as a tenant are (if any?) regarding this water issue? I mean, even a gesture of goodwill like a fruit basket would go a long way, but I feel like this is getting totally out of hand since I have been without access to water, on and off, but mostly off, this entire weekend (especially today.) I feel like if they cannot provide water for their residents then they should give gym passes or put us up in a motel (even a shitty motel would at least have a useable toilet?!) but I don’t know if that’s something they legally need to do or what…

Tl;dr: Water keeps getting shut off at my apartment, making it difficult to function in daily life.

Any advice or knowledge about laws regarding water access would be appreciated.

Answer:
 CA has laws that say a landlord has to provide a habitable living space.

Here's an excerpt that I think applies to your situation:

California Civil Code section 1941 states that when a landlord rents property to a tenant as a place to live, the property must be in a "habitable" condition. ("Habitable" means fit to live in; "uninhabitable" means not fit to live in.) Section 1941 also states that the landlord must repair problems that make the property uninhabitable – except for problems caused by the tenant or the tenant's guests, children or pets. In order for the property to be habitable, it must have all of the following:

b) Plumbing facilities in good working order, including hot and cold running water, connected to a sewage disposal system.

In addition, the rented property must have all of the following:
i) A working toilet, wash basin, and bathtub or shower. The toilet and bathtub/shower must be in a room that is ventilated, and that allows for privacy.

There's also one for gas and heating, if your apartment is like mine, when we have no hot water we have no heat because we have base board heaters.

Since they are providing some warning and telling you it's emergency repairs (as opposed to planned maintaince) there may be some grey area. It seems that they are at least trying (maybe not very hard) to fix the issue.

I'm not a lawyer, but I hope that helps a little.


Title: Old boss said he fired me when i quit

Question: So about a year or two ago I worked as a cook at a local restaurant but was planning on moving so I put in my two weeks notice and quit, they asked me to work an extra week or two to give them more time to find a replacement but other than that everything went fine, or so I thought. I reapplied about a month ago and was told that my old executive chef and boss filled out the paperwork saying I was fired and was black listed as do not rehire. No question about it it's extremely unethical but is it legal? If not what can I do about it?

Answer: Nothing illegal, and nothing you can do.


Title: [AZ] We had an inspection at our apartment complex, and to our complete surprise, we were found in violation of health and safety.

Question:
I have really tried to keep this as short as possible, so forgive me for the length. I honestly just don't know what information is irrelevant because I've never been involved in a situation like this.

As you can see from the notice, they didn't specify exactly what was the cause of the violation. This wouldn't be so much of an issue if it weren't for the fact that A), this was delivered while I was at work, and by the time I got home, the office was closed, and B) we were given 5 days to remedy the problem, and management won't be back until the 4th day. I've tried contacting management and corporate (after no response from management), but no responses from either due to the holiday weekend, I'm assuming.

The only thing I can imagine caused us to fail could have been that A), I was soaking the dishes before putting them in the dishwasher (they weren't old, I just put them in there to loosen any food that inevitably gets stuck, because food), B), we have laundry in black garbage bags that were mistaken as garbage (we decided to wash *all* of our clothes, even though a bunch are clean, because they got mixed up), or C) the bug problems.

The only thing I have to say about A) is they weren't piled, just a couple bowls and a couple plates, and some silverware. Nothing severe at all or anything to cause any alarm. No mold or anything. For B), I never even thought this could be seen as an issue because...it's just laundry. Neither of us stink, so unless we've gone noseblind, the clothes don't even smell. For C), pest control is the responsibility of management, as told to me by management themselves. Before we moved in, we wrote on the checklist that there were roaches, and management said pest control came every Monday. We've been here since November of 2017, and there hasn't been a single visit from pest control since we moved in.

We also have a *very* rebellious 3 year old, so it's just flat out impossible for us to keep it perfect "at all times."

I have also heard from a friend (who managed a property) that property management is mandated by federal law to tell me *exactly* what I am in violation of in the notice, which this notice doesn't say and is extremely vague about the whole thing. Them being gone until the 4th day on a vague notice doesn't help either because I'm obviously in need of asking them questions. This friend also said that asking me to pay a charge for a notice like this is against federal law. I don't know if that is true because I don't know what words to use to fact check it, but I *want* to trust him on it.

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, but

>Please bring a money order of $25.55 for this legal notice as soon as possible to the office

does not seem legit. Answer #2: Since you have a roach problem, you shouldn’t leave dirty dishes, and you don’t want your clothes in a dark place (black plastic bags) where roaches will hide. The fact that your clean and dirty clothes got mixed up means you didn’t put clean clothes away, or put dirty clothes in a basket/hamper.

Just clean up your apartment. Answer #3: IANAL;
https://codes.findlaw.com/az/title-33-property/az-rev-st-sect-33-1368.html

ARS 33-1341

https://www.azleg.gov/ars/33/01341.htm

Go talk to the office when they open and ask what the specific breach was. Chances are, you're not as clean as you thought, or there was a misunderstanding about the trash bags.Answer #4: I don’t know. If I had a 3 yr old in a roach infested apartment, I’d be trying to do anything I can do to get rid of them. Even if it technically wasn’t my responsibility. It’s your responsibility to keep your child safe and clean and not have roaches all over. Answer #5: I don't see how they can demand you pay for them delivering a notice.


Title: [KS] A friend of mine (16, F) would like to avoid testifying or making any statements against her acquaintance (19, M) regarding a case of "Felony Child Exploitation"

Question:
Long story short, a friend of mine who we will call 'Jenna', recently received a picture of the aforementioned college male posing in female underwear.

Reportedly, he also sent images to one other female (19), who became aware that Jenna also received the picture, and proceeded to call the police.

Jenna does not want to implicate the defendant in any way, and would like to keep the police uninvolved (Im assuming most people would, as there was no harassment, just a dumb pic.) Regardless, the police are having her come in tomorrow to make a statement against him. From what I understand, no subpoenas have been filed

I have advised her to talk to an attorney before taking advice from me.

Are there any legal protections, loopholes, or any way that she could abstain from testifying/giving an incriminating statement?

Edit: Thanks for the help and downvotes. We got the situation figured out and ended up hiring a lawyer to handle things

Answer:
 No.

If she is subpoenaed she must testify honestly.

Period.


Title: (Ontario Canada) Moving back into my own house

Question:
This is pre-emptive, I am not in this situation, but might be and I want to know if I have my facts straight.

My girlfriend owns a house. I may have to move out of our area for a couple of years for work and she is going to come with me. We are going to buy a house where I am working and rent out our current house.

My question is, if I get transferred back to my home, and we want to move in, how much notice do we need to give to tenants? I've heard it was much easier if a landlord needs to move into their own house.

Again, not really in the situation, just thinking about the future.

Thanks

Answer:
 A word of warning: being an absentee landlord is not easy.

You can reclaim the rented premises at the end of a lease period and at least 60 days in the future, if you require the premises for your own use.  Otherwise the tenants have the right to stay indefinitely.Answer #2: What /u/jellicle said is correct. I was just going to tack on that there are many types of tenancies. If you know you might be transferred in the upcoming year, definitely switch to a month-to-month arrangement once you have an inkling. That way you can give 60 days notice whenever under the RTA and it'll be ok. If you continue with yearly or fixed term you will have to wait until the term is up.


Title: (PA) Hit in the face at a club

Question:
I'm not sure if there is anything I could do at this point but I hope someone out there could provide me with some help. I went to a new years event at a club in Philly. While waiting in line for the restroom this guy cuts the line and gives the bouncer a $20 to cut the line. The guy was extremely drunk and when I called him out he just swung and hit my face twice before I had time to even react. I am wondering if I would be able to sue the club for being negligent. My face is pretty bad and I work in a very professional environment where I couldn't show up to work like this workout feeling uncomfortable. I pressed charges on the guy and got a police report ( he was taken away in the back of a van).
Again, I'm not sure if there is anything to be done. My group paid ~ 1000 just to be at the club with bottle service and a table and our night was ruined by some jerk who couldn't hold his liquor and wanted to cut the line.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you

Edit: word

Answer: How is the club responsible? If you have damages, you could sue the guy who punched you. But the club didn't do anything wrong...


Title: [Maine] My partner has a medical condition that becomes exasperated by cigarette smoke. What kind of accommodation does his employer have to provide?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: It must be a *reasonable* accommodation. This sounds like it would put undue burden on the employer to switch around everyone's casework. If the parents decline to move meetings, there is likely little you can do.


Title: Caveat Emptor? Please help!

Question:
I am a private resident of the State of Georgia who recently sold my used SUV to a couple from Tennessee.

I sold the vehicle via Craigslist "as is" with 172,000 miles and running, with no known issues. My wife and I recently purchased a pre-owned vehicle from our local Carmax dealer.

My asking price was the Kelly Blue Book value of $3,000.

After they haggled over my asking price, I agreed to settle for $2,500.

They took a lengthy test drive by themselves and I provided detailed records of the entire service history. I drafted a Bill of Sale with a ballpoint pen and a piece of notebook paper that basically stated that "I, John Doe, agree to sell my 2000 Make & Model to Joe Smith, for $2,500, on June 5th, 2015."

We both signed the paper.

Against my better judgment, I accepted a check from the buyer's Commercial Real Estate business that he owns. I handed over the keys, title, bill of sale and all service records, and they drove it to Tennessee.

I cashed the check with my bank and it cleared.

I just received an e-mail from the buyer. They said that they took the vehicle to a mechanic for an inspection, and he told them it need some work.  They now want to return the car to me and want me to refund their money. OR, they want me to contribute to the cost of any repairs that they deem to be necessary.

Legally, where does Caveat Emptor play into there having a leg to stand on?

I sold the vehicle running, as is, with 172,000 miles on it. I was 100% honest and provided full disclosure of all service records. I did not have it inspected before the sale as I did not want to incur that cost and I believed that would be up to the potential buyers to ask for an inspection.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Answer: Generally, used vehicle sales are as-is unless explicitly stated otherwise. You should be fine. Be polite and professional in your response, but let them know there is nothing you can do. It was their responsibility to get it inspected before buying, and it's not your fault that they did the whole thing backwards.


Title: Tabaco license

Question:
Do I need my tabaco license for online sales?

Edit: yes I know the title is misspelled.  I ment tabacco products.

Answer:
 http://reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2rmpyu/im_curious_to_know_the_legal_ramifications_of/cnh9g06

Also, you cannot sell what you can't spellAnswer #2: Somalian lawyer here! I can confirm that if you are based in Somalia, there are no legal restrictions on selling tabaco, tabasco, tobacco, or whatever the hell it is  you are proposing to sell, online to customers who live Somalia.Answer #3: What about tomacco?


Title: Need legal advice about death threats from a psychopath.

Question:
Okay, so, my girlfriend's sister and her husband have been separated for a few months now, and he's a pretty crazy dude.

-While they were together, he explained that she would "respect him out of fear" and occasionally threaten to kill her and their now 5 year old daughter.

-While they were in the process of separating she would occasionally get lonely (or something) and take him back for a few days.  Might be because she is a firm believer in marriage and wants her daughter to have the textbook nuclear family.

-But anyway, she would file for a restraining order and sometimes get it, and then take him back while the order was still in effect, so now the courts don't take her seriously when she says that he's threatening her again.

-A few months back he came to her dad's house (where she was staying at the time) and slashed her car tires.  She called the police and he got charged with something or another (no jail time).

-A couple of months later, he calls her at work and says he's going to kill himself, and then fires off a few gunshots and the line goes dead.  She called the cops and told them that he killed himself, and they went to his house and found that he was not there.  The caught up with him the next morning at someone elses house where he denied that he did anything.  No legal action came of this, but he did go into an in patient psyche ward for about 2 days  (don't know what their diagnosis was or anything).

-He recently got a new girlfriend and things have been quiet for a few weeks, until today where he threatened to kill her in front of their daughter at Mcdonalds while exchanging custody of the daughter.

-Their custody agreement says that he can get custody when it is mutually agreed upon, basically meaning he only gets their daughter when she says he can, but she lets him get their daughter every other weekend or so.

-She doesn't typically report threats, or any of his craziness, to the police because she says they never do anything about it.

-He's also weeks behind on his child support.

-NOW: My girlfriend, our son, (and to some extent myself as I am at their house about half the time) are kind of caught up in the middle of this since she occasionally babysits while her sister works.  I am completely sick of hearing about how he is threatening to kill everyone and all of that (he also claims to have killed people before. but who knows if he's lying.) So I'm trying to figure what would be the BEST course of action to get this dude out of our lives.  When should the police be alerted?  How should these things be reported?  What should we expect from the police?  He's a somewhat smart dude and has so far been pretty good about terrorizing her without actually breaking the law.

I'm afraid he is eventually going to snap and show up my girlfriends house or her sister's house/work and start shooting whoever is there.

I'm tired of hearing about how "he did it again" and then being told that the police don't listen and she doesn't know what to do.

And I know there are alot of points in time mentioned above that should have been breaking points, with her completely severing ties with this guy, but she didn't and I can't do anything about that.
Sorry about this being about 1/2 rant and 1/2 asking for advice.

This is all happening in Virginia by the way...

Answer: The best option is to stop interacting with your GF's sister. Don't involve yourself in her life and drama anymore.


Title: Ex Husband Filed Taxes

Question:
Nassau County - New York

Hey Reddit Lawyers! I'll try not to bore you with too many details but here is my issue:

I have been legally separated from my ex for over a year and I have not seen or spoken to him without counsel since he threatened my life in August and a restraining order was filed.  He has also never paid child support for our toddler and he hasn't attempted to see her since December 2015.

Since the separation he has attempted tons of different abuse angles including avoiding to pay his car payments so it would affect my credit.

I expected my taxes to bounce back this year because I assumed he would claim our daughter again for the child credit, but this time he also claimed me. I know the IRS has a process for this and I can only hope he will be prosecuted however can I take him to court for Identity theft - can this be prosecuted on a local level by the police?

Besides the fact that we have not filed our taxes together for 3 years, he is legally unable to communicate with me so he wouldn't have been able to gain my approval for this.

Answer:
 Just file a correct tax return and the IRS will sort it out. They will send him a nice letter with additional tax due penalty and interest. In short don't give two poops about his tax return; just make sure yours is correct.Answer #2: > however can I take him to court for Identity theft - can this be prosecuted on a local level by the police?

no and no. the IRS is a federal agency. did you file your return by paper? he'll have to amend his return if he wants to avoid trouble with the IRS. you should stay out of it, there's nothing you need to do.


Title: Paid for a job from someone on Craigslist, person got hurt and hasn't paid me back

Question:
I paid an international college student I found from Craigslist to house-sit for me (water garden/plants, feed fish, take trash out, light cleaning, etc) while I am on vacation with my partner. I paid half of the amount upfront. Within the first week of me being on vacation, the girl was injured because a shelf where I kept a large plant, some pots, and decorated bricks collapsed on top of her as she watered the plants.

She continued to work for a day or so, then called me and said that she may have suffered a head injury and couldn't work anymore. I tell her I will call her to work out getting my money back, but when I do (a few days later) her mother (speaks limited english) tells me she's been hospitalized because of her injuries.

She only worked for me for 25% of what we agreed upon, so she still owes me part of what I paid her. I want my money back ASAP but can't seem to get ahold of her because she's in the hospital. I don't have any ID or documentation of this gig either, all I have is her name. Is there anything I can do legally to get my money back?

Edit: Location is Boston, MA

Answer: No offense intended, but is this a serious post? It seems a little odd to be more concerned with 25% of a house sitting fee than a girl in the hospital or possibly being sued. You're almost certainly going to have to wait to sort all this out.


Title: Absolutely Panicking, 30 days to move unless you can help me fight. (USA,CA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: In addition to 30 days being sufficient notice, assuming you're a month to month tenant of less than a year, you also have no say over who can be in the home and when if you're only renting a room. It's not *your* house or *your* living room.


Title: If someone leaves something at my home, is it mine?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Google your state and abandoned property.

In general you must notify them of the abandoned property, give them time to claim it, and sell it at auction once the time elapses (some states allow you to keep items below a certain amount). The funds from the suction must go to the state's unclaimed property office.

Obviously this is overkill for a PS4, but he has also specifically told you he wants it and it is not abandoned.Answer #2: > Is it now mine?

No.

> what else would need to be done to make it mine?

There's likely nothing you can do. But if there is, it would depend on your **state's** law on abandoned property.


Title: Can I turn down a prospective tenant because he gets death threats?

Question:
This will sound cowardly, but I have given this matter serious thought and could use advice.

I own and rent out a single family home in an urban area in California. My tenants typically stay several years, and I am currently seeking a tenant for a minimum one year lease.

A renowned media figure who courts controversy has applied to rent the house. He has an excellent credit score and income, but he gets frequent death threats, and his car has been vandalized. I am frankly concerned that his opponents might vandalize my property. I have no security system and have never needed to install one; the neighborhood is very low crime.

Is "I'm afraid your enemies will trash my property" a legally valid reason to turn down a rental applicant? His political beliefs are similar to mine, so I'm not discriminating based on that.

Answer:
 You can descrimanate against anyone for any reason as long as it's not a protected class. " Potential property damage " isn't a protected class.Answer #2: Yes, probably. "Probably" because I am aware the California has stricter than average laws regarding housing rights and tenancy rights. My understanding however is that these rights extend primarily to those with protected classifications and tenant rights once a tenancy has actually commenced.

It sounds like the basis of your rejecting this potential tenant is based on fear of property damage due to reprisals by the person's public enemies. This would be a problem if the reason you feared reprisals was something like "this person is black and the neighborhood has always been white," or "this person is openly homosexual and I fear my property will be vandalized for allowing his residency."

However, that does not sound like the problem in your case. But be wary. If the individual is litigious, and could claim that the underlying reason he is targeted is due to a protected classification (and not, for example, his opinion on things/political position/public statements) then he could *potentially* claim that your claim of "property protection" is really just a euphemism for unlawful discrimination.

Barring that, you'll be okay.


Title: My pay is suspiciously shit

Question: After working a 13 hour shift (with an hour break in between) i got a whopping 48 bucks...im no genius but thats less than 5 dollars an hour after taxes. I supposedly make 7.75 but that doesnt add up in the slightest. Im a minor btw.

Answer: You're entitled to a pay stub.  Do you have it handy?Answer #2: It's entirely possible you are being paid properly. 7.75 becoming 5.00, after taxes are taken out, seems within the norm to me. But check your pay stub. Your pay stub will make it clear exactly how much was taken out and for what reason.


Title: pornographic tattoo on a forearm - is it legal?

Question:
A friend of mine is considering getting a very adult graphic tattoo on his arm that frankly seems rated X or worse.

Is it legal to get a tattoo like that? is it legal to walk around in public with such a tattoo?

Answer:
 >	Is it legal to get a tattoo like that?

Yes

>	is it legal to walk around in public with such a tattoo?

Yes

>	Can retail outlets or businesses kick him out/refuse him service for having such a tattoo?

Yes

>Can courts?

He can be forced to cover it

>	Can hospitals?

Unless he requires emergency care, yes.


Title: I'm a UCSD Student who Nearly Died in an Allergy Incident, Should I Press Charges? (CA)

Question:
I had a cookie at a UCSD dining hall last month and I asked to make sure it didn't have peanuts or nuts, which I'm lethally allergic to. The attendant said they didn't, and the ingredients weren't provided online or in-store, so I trusted his word. But I suffered an immediate, anaphylactic reaction soon after, and had to be hospitalized for the rest of the day. I haven't received a bill yet, but the hospital costs might be a few thousand. The next day, I spoke to the head chef at the dining hall and he ended up showing me the box the cookies came from, and sure enough, it actually had walnuts listed on the ingredients. If the cookie had had peanuts in it, which I'm even more allergic to, I probably would've died before I received epinephrine.

I've been very busy in the following weeks, so I haven't been sure how to approach this, but I feel I'm entitled to some compensation, as the dining hall clearly fucked up by misinforming me on the allergens in the cookie and by apparently ordering the wrong box of cookies in the first place and not verifying. For what it's worth, the chef told me another student had an allergic reaction that same day, so this wasn't an isolated incident. I spoke with Student Legal Services on campus and they indicated I could at least demand recompense of the medical fees and possibly a few thousands in emotional damages, as the experience was traumatic and it seriously disrupted my academic quarter (for example, I was going to rush a pre-law fraternity but I missed two events due to the incident, and had to drop out).

So basically, I'm wondering what course of action people would recommend here, specifically what kind of compensation I could realistically demand, whether it would be worth threatening to sue if the administration refused to comply, and also whether it's worth cooperating with Student Legal Services further (they're supposedly unaffiliated with the administration and pledge client confidentiality, but I've heard different things from some students).

Answer: I don't think anyone here can give you advice that'll be better than your school's legal council. If you're concerned with their objectivity, get your own lawyer. Answer #2: No one here would be able to advise you on whether your school’s student legal services office is any good, but if they are telling you they think you can get compensation, and they can help you move forward with that, it seems sensible to do so. If at some point you feel they aren’t helping you, you can always get your own lawyer.


Title: Woman knocked over my motorcycle now is refusing to make contact with her insurance co. Wondering my options.

Question:
Hi r/legaladvice,

Hoping you can help me out here.  Several weeks ago someone knocked my motorcycle over while in a stationary parked position.  I saw this happen so I was able to get her insurance information.

I filed a claim and had an estimate done on the bike, which came to $4.2k.  Adding in 2 helmets that were ruined brings it to ~$4.7k.  Bike is worth more than that so it shouldn't be written off as totaled.

This was weeks ago, I have contacted State Farm twice now, and both times they have told me that they have 'yet to initiate contact' with their customer.  So it appears she is dodging the calls.  To my understanding, in Illinois if you do this for 90 days State Farm can then issue a noncomplience document which basically absolves her from everything.

Unfortunately, I did not have collision insurance at the time of the accident.  Please don't chastise me on this, it's a huge oversight I know.  So I can't go through Progressive for payment either.

One option that's been presented to me would be to take her to small claims court.  A couple issues with that are:

-I'm told it's not worth it to spend 2-3k in lawyer and court fees for the damages I incurred.

-you need the persons address in order to serve papers...I don't have this information.  I MIGHT have it, but she's kind of a ghost on social media and nothing much of any internet presence at all.  All the information I have on her is name, phone number, and insurance card information.  Which seems like a lot to go on but so far hasn't turned up much.

Is there any other recourse for me to take here?
Should I file a police report?  I did not at the time of the incident.

Furthermore, my incentive for taking her to small claims would be to rouse her into getting in contact with her insurance company to avoid all the hassle and possible monetary loss that comes from being sued.  I feel like this would work if I did it.

Any advice or other things I am missing?

Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 I believe the process is:

File a small claims suit against Jane Doe (they'll subpoena the insurance company to find her info to serve her) (Also unsure if you need to name her insurance company in the suit - I don't think so, but IANAL).

Small claims fees are cheap - $20-$40 usually. Lawyers are also typically not permitted in small claims court. Once she gets served with papers for a lawsuit, you bet your ass she'll start answering. You should also look at your state's laws for timely investigation of a claim. If they're not abiding by the state's regulations, report them to the state's insurance commissioner.


Title: What can you do at 15 if you called your mom the bword and she gave you a coat and put you outside for 2 hours in 30 degree weather?

Question: I slipped up and called her a bitch cus she took my phone over me getting in trouble at school. I didn't know she heard me. She handed me a coat, told me to put on shoes and go outside. This was at 7pm. I had nowhere to go so I sat on our front steps in freezing 30 degree weather. Then she opened the door about 2 hours later and told me to get inside. What should I do?

Answer:
 Respect her.Answer #2: Stop cussing at your mother.

Being 'grounded to outside' is not child abuse.

She gave you a coat, and it was 30, not 10 below...


Title: A question relating to age of consent in the UK, more specifically Northern Ireland.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The best advice we can give is that regardless of the legality, it's usually not in your best interest to engage in a sexual relationship with a minor.


Title: Wife got sexual assaulted at the gym

Question:
My wife got sexual assaulted at the gym by one of the instructors, the gym has been making it hard for me to cancel our memberships since her therapist suggested we should never go back to that gym , can we sue the gym ?

Ps. We already reported to the police , I'm waiting on my wife to be ready so we can get a warrant and maybe a civil lawsuit against the instructor

Answer: Did you explain to the gym why you wanted to cancel?


Title: Suspect my roommate may have camera in my room, can I sue? What can I do?

Question:
I live in California and am technically considered a lodger. In the agreement I signed, it doesn't say anything about a camera being in my private bedroom.

There have been a few occasions where he has made comments to me about certain things I feel like he would have no way of knowing unless he had a camera in my room. If I do somehow discover that he is secretly having cameras in my room, could I sue this guy? Or does anyone know of anything I could actually do about this?

Thanks

Answer: If you **find** a hidden camera, call the police. That's a crime. However, don't call the police because you *suspect* that's what's going on.


Title: Grandmother calling college to drug test.

Question:
My friend lives with their grandmother. She is in college and has a dorm also. (Comes home on weekend and what not) Grandmother smells weed in her room and tried to drug test. She refused and grandmother kicks her out and tells her to not come back. Later, her grandmother texts her and talks all this bullshit about how she has an addiction and a problem and is going to call her college to drug test her. Is this legal? Can she do this?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 The grandmother can call the college.

I doubt the college is going to do anything based off of this.

Also, depending on location, the grandmother couldn't just kick her out without giving proper notice, so there's also that.Answer #2: Grandma can call anybody she wants.

The college isn’t going to care. Answer #3: Due to FERPA college may not even be able to confirm that friend is a student, let alone actually talk to Grandma without friend's permission.  Grandma can try all she wants but the college won't do anything that risks them violating FERPA.Answer #4: "call her college to drug test her" is not a thing. The grandmother may make the call, but I've worked at a college and can't even think of a person you could go to with that kind of a request, and aside from some strange strict private college, I can't imagine one even drug testing a student. The extent a college cares about a student's drug use is if they are doing it on campus - they may bust them in the act or while in possession (for instance, in the dorms), but they certainly wouldn't be drug testing students if they still want to have students.


Title: Using abandoned Reddit accounts

Question:
So I'm setting up my "business name", I have got my own webpage, my logo, everything. Now I have made my subreddit, having the same name as my "business", but I would like to have a Reddit account with my "business name" too.

I have found the user (no way to contact him) which has chosen the name of my business (no posts, made 10 years ago, no karma, no comments, no nothing), and after some googling I have found out that there is no way to get an already made account "refurbished", and that if an user deletes its account, the user's username cannot be chosen again.

So in a desperate try of getting an account, I tried to log in with his username and using his username as the password, and bingo, it was accepted.

Now I would like some legal advice onto whether it is legal (in the US and Europe) what could happen to me / my business should I choose to use that account and if there is another way to get it i.e. can the Reddit mods help me on this and if it is something worth to waste their time.

Thank you all for answering :)

Answer:
 There's the potential for felony charges, or the local equivalents, in most countries. Unauthorized access to a "protected computer system" (the US federal term for it) is against the law just about everywhere, and the penalties are _stiff_.

If you want the account, contact the Reddit admins or the current account holder. Those are your only lawful avenues that work everywhere.


Title: Just got told im a possible father of a child - help.

Question:
Hi,

I just had a text from a girl i slept with over a year ago saying she had a daugther thats potentially mine or her ex's - shes not sure and wants me to do a dna test. This was a one night stand, havent spoken or seen her since.

My question: am i obligated to take this test? If i dont am i liable to pay child support in any way? This would turn my life upside down, its not fair this bombshell has been dropped on me now after she is born than before when she was pregnant. I know i shouldve used protection and what the moral thing to do is, but i shouldve been told when she fell pregnant not after she was born! Didnt even know it existed till 30min ago!

Also im from the UK not US.

Any advice would be MUCH appreciated.

Answer: You are not obligated until she gets a court order... which isnt hard.


Title: Cousins Molested by Their Uncle for Years, I Just Found Out

Question:
Hi there, I've known about this issue for a month or two now, not knowing what to do. It only just occurred to me to post here, hopefully you guys can give me some insight.
I live in CO, USA, with my wife's family. A little while back, my wife and I learned that her cousins, both female, aged 4 and 6, have been molested by their uncle (my wife's uncle) since they were little. We found out because we overheard their mother saying she walked in on the guy making out with one of the girls one day, and that this isn't the first time this has happened.
Upon talking to my wife, apparently she has also been solicited by his Facebook ghost account (We can't prove it's him, but both my wife and several of her older cousins from different parts of the family have all been asked for nudes by this account, and one of the cousins recognized it was him, confronted him, and he confirmed). I'm sorry if this is all getting complicated, but it is.
If you're wondering why we haven't gone straight to the police, it's because of several reasons. Upon hearing this, I wanted to go and turn him in, and my wife agreed. We told her parents (who we live with temporarily), and they basically told us no, it's not up to us, it's up to the mother. So basically, they knew about it as well but have chosen to stay silent because "It's not their problem". Everywhere we went for support (in the extended family), we were told the same thing - stay out of it.
As much as I'd like to say "fuck you, you aren't my family" and go to the police, it would essentially guarantee separating my wife from her family. On top of that, everyone apparently thinks that Uncle's wife is so fragile that she may kill herself if he goes to prison. So all of that pressure is put on me NOT to turn this guy in. Even if I tried to go to the police, I'm afraid that they won't be able to do anything without "evidence" from someone directly involved. If you've come to the same conclusion I did, that means getting these girls to testify or tell a therapist what happened.
So what did we do? We asked the mother of these girls if she would allow us to take them to counselling, because they are showing serious signs of sexual abuse. What did she do? She laughed in our face and asked "what if they ask who did it?". So it's a no-go from the woman who has no motherly instincts, leaves her children with me and my wife while she parties all night with friends and lives her normal life, and after finding out her children are being molested, continues to encourage a relationship between the uncle and the children.

In my mind I see several options-
1. I go to the police, they take my words to heart with no real evidence or involvement, and they storm the guys house to reveal all of his child pornography. Happy ending.
2. I go to the police, they can't do anything, but at least I have a clear conscience. My wife and I are shamed out of her side of the family.
3. I do nothing, because technically it really isn't my issue, although I do believe if I have knowledge of illegal activity, I have a duty to act on it. That may even be the law, but I haven't found anything. By doing nothing though, this continues.

No matter what, these girls will have shitty lives. They live in a small town that people never leave, where there are no opportunities for hundreds of miles, in a shitty family that doesn't encourage them to better themselves, and will one day remember how everyone in the family knew they were being abused, but chose to do nothing. That alone would fuck me up for life.

After all this, it may be too late. My wife and I are moving out of state in a few hours. I could theoretically still call the local police, but...I just don't know what to do at this point. Maybe Reddit can help me or at the very least help validate my struggle. Thanks guys.

Answer:
 Call CPS. They'll investigate and call police in if they think there's a case to be made. Answer #2: None of the reasons you cite for failing to act so far overcome your moral obligation to do the right thing. There are two innocent children who need you two to do the right thing. Please call child protective services immediately.

Whether this results in a conviction or the abuse stopping isn't something for you to worry about at this point. Even if the allegation isn't substantiated now, there will be a data point for CPS to look at in the future.

You are as complicit in this as everyone else in the family if you don't act.


Title: Can my parents sue the Mormon church?

Question: probably a dumb question, but the other day we did the math and they have given tens of hundreds of thousands of dollars to the church over their lives for tithing. we have recently left the church and realised how cult like it is. is there anything they can do?, I know their probably isn't but just wondering.

Answer:
 Well, they don’t have damages, per se.  They willingly donated the money.  What “damages” would they sue for?Answer #2: Nooe,

Religious tithe is a tax exempt donation im 100% sure they wrote off on taxes.

Unless it was forced under duress, its the same as giving to a charity.

By remaining with the church and paying a tithe for years and years, the courts would find reasonable cause to believe AT THE TIME, in sound mental health, they willing gave up their money


Title: I want a hospital to negotiate an offer in compromise on some charges from an ER visit.

Question:
I live in Jefferson County just outside of Denver.

Last year, while in a stressful personal situation, I had a muscle spasm that caused chest pain. I went to my personal physician and he did a couple things to check my heart. He gave me a nitro pill saying that if it got better, that would indicate a heart problem. (It didn't) He also did an EKG. Something in the EKG looked a little different than the previous EKG (from 14 years before) and said it would be prudent to go to a hospital for another EKG to have a cardiologist look at it.

I went to the hospital, they did an EKG, said everything looked fine. There were a few other tests. I told the Dr that I thought it was all stress related, and that I'd been treated for the same situation a few years before (during another stressful period), and that it was just a muscle spasm.

The Dr wanted to do a full body CAT scan with contrast. I have checked and that procedure is available from a local radiology provider for $800. The hospital, because it was an 'emergency' charged me $6000 for the CAT scan. In my opinion, there was no urgency. I gave consent with the expectation that *maybe* it would cost $1000-$2000.

<aside>
You got that? I go to the hospital for STRESS. They do NOTHING to treat me, and hit me with a bill for $8000.
</aside>

I approached the hospital about the bill. They send me information about some charity that if I qualified, would help with the bills. I don't qualify. I make enough money to pay the bill. That's not the issue. The issue is, if I had any idea what the charges would be, I would have said 'no' to the procedure.

They are (so far) unwilling to negotiate. I am wondering if there's any basis for me to sue them. My ideal outcome would be that the threat of a law suit would 'soften them up' and they'd accept a reduced fee.

So far, I negotiated a payment plan with them and have been making all payments on time. If they'd accept an offer, I have enough cash on hand to pay it immediately. I'd like to do settle this while I still owe them more than the amount of the reduction I'm hoping for.

I've called several lawyers and none have even called back. I suspect that they listen to my messages and think, "there's no money to be made here" and move along.

Follow up:

Ok, I get it, I apparently have no legal remedies. I will attempt to negotiate something directly with the hospital. I spoke with a personal friend who is a lawyer (this isn't his area of expertise, nor does he practice in Colorado), he suggested approaching regulatory entities in my state.

My friend is a staunch conservative. He pointed out that in the current climate, people with no way to pay for their care use the ER as their primary care physician, and that is driving up the costs. I suggested that that argues in favor of universal health care since effectively we're delivering that now in the most expensive way possible.

Anyway, I'm not overly hopeful. I wasn't when I wrote this. But I've made an important decision:

I'm going to change my billing procedures in my consulting business to: I'll do the work and THEN tell you what it's going to cost. How do you think *I'll* do with this model.

Answer:
 >because it was an 'emergency' charged me $6000 for the CAT scan. In my opinion, there was no urgency. I gave consent with the expectation that maybe it would cost $1000-$2000.

><aside> You got that? I go to the hospital for STRESS. They do NOTHING to treat me, and hit me with a bill for $8000. </aside>

They treated you.  you didn't like the treatment, but they treated you.  Also you can have any opinion you want, but you are not a doctor or a medical professional so just because you didn't feel there was a level of urgency, doesn't mean there wasn't a level of urgency.

>I've called several lawyers and none have even called back. I suspect that they listen to my messages and think, "there's no money to be made here" and move along.

There is always money in billable hours, you just don't have a case for them to bill you on.
Answer #2: > I am wondering if there's any basis for me to sue them

There is not.