Title: A car maintenance company destroyed my car

Question:
I went to a car maintenance company for an oil change last week while visiting my wife in a different city. Now they are supposedly known for their quick service but after waiting more than 3 hours I asked the assistant manager why customers who came in two hours after I did were getting their oil changes done before mine. Long story short, one of the workers accidentally drained my car’s transmission fluid and mixed the new oil with the old oil. When they turned on the engine the entire car started smoking and they quickly had to turn the car off. After figuring out what they had done, they quickly emptied the oil tank (mixed with oil and new oil) which they assumed had overfilled, and replaces it with just the new oil. They also filled the transmission fluid but when they turned the car on, the car kept smoking but the car wouldn’t move.

My wife and I called the district manager and he informed me that he would take my car to the dealership next morning and got us a rental car under his company’s name. Now by this time I’d already made a report to my insurance company about what had happened but did not file a claim because i didn’t think I’d need to pay the deductible if the company at fault was willing to pay for all the damages.

I just spoke to the car dealership and they basically told me they don’t know what the issue was but the car is working fine now and that only investigated areas that the company at fault had told them about. Of note, this car is a lease and what I am afraid of is the car having issues down the road from this incident. Should I take my car to another dealership and get a full inspection? (Im worried the higher ups from the service company and the car dealership are being shady) and how do I have the service company at fault if something were to happen to my car down the road? Thanks for reading!

Answer:
 It all depends on the make and model of vehicle we are talking about here.

If your vehicle has a conventional automatic or manual transmission and not a CVT, you likely didn't suffer and permanent damage to your engine.

I would be slightly concerned with running the vehicle with very low/no transmission fluid.  Operating an auto trans with very low fluid levels can damage the torque converter, pump, and seals.  If the vehicle was not operated for extended time and quickly turned off you should be O.K. as well.

If CVT (continuously variable transmission).  This fluid is NOT like conventional oil or transmission fluid and can cause damage along with running a CVT transmission for any amount of time without fluid can irreparably damage it.

Edit for clarification.

Source:  Car dealer 20+ years.


Title: Girlfriend's Visa is going to need to be updated in 2 years. Already got accepted into college. Trying to help her stay.

Question:
I was born in the US, she wasn't. She tells me that her Visa costs like $4000 just to update/renew. Both pf us together don't have the best jobs. But I love her and want to help her out. She said she isnt ready for marriage yet, and neither am I.

I'm just trying to figure out a way to help her stay and continue college. I have heard of a type of marriage where its just on paper.

If you have any questions or need more info, I'll reply as soon as I can?
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 Is money the primary issue, or is it the visa itself? What visa is she on right now?

> I have heard of a type of marriage where its just on paper.

This is immigration fraud, don't do this

It also doesn't help on the money side of thingsAnswer #2: > I have heard of a type of marriage where its just on paper.

That's known as marriage fraud.


Title: Arrested after a soccer game. [US]

Question:
Asking for a colleague...also planning to lawyer up. Just deciding whether the company will take it or he needs to get his own.

Long and short, during a corporate soccer game my colleague's arm accidentally went up and cracked an opposing players nose. He wasn't facing the player, and no foul was called. No action by the ref and no adverse reaction from other players.

Two days pass and my colleague is arrested for "punching the complainant". This is a complete shock to all involved. It also turns out the complainant, playing for another corporate team does not have health insurance and may be the motive for heading to the cops.

Any advice on the procedural steps to take in selecting a lawyer (if the company being represented in the game doesn't take it) and what we should ensure happens with the lawyer.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 He needs a lawyer.

He also needs to get in touch with as many witnesses as he can.  Based on the above, the complainant may have filed a false police report.


Title: I think a restaurant I was working at stole money from me. What can I do about it?

Question:
Hello. I'm in need of advice and I need to know if I should get a lawyer to help me. I was hired by a restaurant in Louisiana in February and have been working as both a waitress and a hostess/assistant manager. I never signed a W-4 or anything of that nature and just gave them my name and social, but I needed a job so I didn't question it.

Recently I have noticed that my tip numbers weren't adding up and I was short a significant amount at the end of the day. Each server is their own cashier for their own tables and has to hold on to the money from cash sales until the end of the day. They pay us our credit card tips out of the "house cash", which is the cash sales of our tables for the day, but we found out that they have been charging us 2% of our tables total sales(cash and credit) that we have to pay them just for working there. For example, if the total sales of our tables is $1,000 we have to pay them $20 from our own tips for the day...how is that legal? I also don't get paid for overtime even though I work 60 hours each week, on average, but sometimes more.  I get pay stubs but they don't document the hours correctly and never document or pay me anything over 40 hours a week.

There is also other illegal things that I have noticed; they never asked for ID or a social security card for one of my coworkers when she was hired, they only asked her to write down her name and social security on a peice of paper. They still fully tax her even though she is a full time student and is legally tax exempt. She never paid taxes at any of her other jobs, or her current second job. They're also not equal opportunity employers even though they claim to be. One day a guy came in to apply, but he was straight up told "We don't hire waiters, only waitresses" by the manager. He strictly hires asain women. The only male servers got the job because their siblings who are already working there begged the manager to hire them.

I just got fired after confronting the manager about all of these things. Is any of this legal and is there anything I can do about it? Is there anything I can sue for?

Answer:
 >They still fully tax her even though she is a full time student and is legally tax exempt.

Since when? All income is supposed to be reported...being a student doesn't make you tax exempt.


Title: [GA] Business partners approached by FBI about dealing drugs. Should I get a lawyer?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: My first reaction would be to figure out if the source has an angle to play in this.  The FBI/DEA notify you about you being investigated by *arresting* you.  They don't generally give out warnings so people can destroy evidence or hide their activities better.


Title: [US] Police Officer is harassing my family. What can I do?

Question:
Hi Legal Advice,
I can't find any other subreddit to ask this. Mods, If this is against the rules of this subreddit, Please inform me and remove it. I won't argue with you guys, but I really need some idea what to do.

It pains me to post this as I honestly thought I could trust our local men and women in the law enforcement until recently. I'm honestly afraid what this man might do to us as he has already sent several people after us.
A few days ago, My mother was involved in an arguement with a local state senator who invited her over to her house and then set her up by claiming she was trespassing and he was not expecting company at his house. Several of the officers did claim that they saw the post but acted very cool and professional toward her..and then this guy comes up. This guy started asking questions like if she lived in a trailer (??) and if she had drugs in her car, then started berating that "If I see you on this public street, I'm going to arrest you for stalking.".
Now that out of the way, Let me explain something: This senator's family has known our family since he was a small kid. We lost touch after his father died and my grandfather died. We had little to no contact since then.
Now is where I kinda need help with:
Since then, this Officer has been going around town spreading rumors about my mother and I saw him laughing and pointing at her out to other people.  This morning, I checked my facebook to see 5+ friend request...all from his friends...most of them are women...My mother had the same thing on hers as well.  Ignoring did no good as they kept on the entire day obviously trying to piss us off.
This isn't how an officer of the law is supposed to act at all obviously.

I have two questions:
1: Is this officer allowed to arrest my mother for driving on a public street?
2: What can be done other than speaking with the police chief, who lets this man get away with this?
I'm very nervous about this becoming an extreme issue as this officer already has a restraining order against him for harassing other people.

Answer:
 Did you leave out the part where your mom was actually stalking this politician? Something is missing here, like how they got back into contact recently.Answer #2: file a complaint at the station.  Answer #3: Is this officer allowed to arrest my mother for driving on a public street?

Not without a court order no, otherwise police could close off streets whenever they wanted with no other reason then they want to.


Title: Friend had bank account drained twice. Thinks a weirdo has her info. Cops did nothing. What to do?

Question:
A little while back, my friend rented a moving truck. The person working took her information, including her bank card info and she entered her pin in front of them.

Shortly after she started getting emails from a random person. She asked them who they were and they responded with, "Your secret admirer." Then the person from the rental store found her on facebook and on a dating app. She promptly blocked them. She also found out that the person at the store got fired.

Then her bank account got drained from the same state that she lives and rented the truck from. She went to the bank and had the fraud reversed and got her money back. She went to the police after to try to do something about it and when she mentioned her suspicions of the person from the store, they literally laughed at her. Frustrated, she left without any help.

Her account just got drained again for the second time a few days ago. They pulled all of her money out of an atm one state over.

My questions are,

Wouldn't the atm have a picture of the person who pulled money out?
Can she press charges?
Should she get a lawyer to help?
Is the info about the creep relevant as they were one of the few, if only, people to acquire that kind of information?
Should she go to the police or are there different people to see about this kind of stuff?

Thank you for your consideration.

Answer:
 File a police report.  The police will investigate from there.

The other thing she's going to need to do is figure out how someone has gotten her bank card information and PIN twice.  Even if the person at the rental company stole her card information, that information is no good once a new card is issued and the PIN is changed, so there had to be something else going on for someone to get the information for the second time.


Title: My neighbor keeps stealing my cat

Question:
Some quick background information.  We live in a small bungalow community with 4 units in California.  Each unit has a dog and the bungalow compound is pet friendly.  My wife and I are the only unit with a cat.  This cat found us when we were camping in Joshua Tree last May.  When we got him, he was intact, no shots or tags, and about 8 months old.  We took him in, got him tagged, neutered, and got him his shots.  Because he spent the first part of his life as an outdoor cat, we decided to let him continue living his life as an outdoor cat.  We have a hole cut in a window that he comes and goes from and he spends most of his time sleeping in the sun, chasing rodents, lazily blinking and doing other cat things.  He spends a good amount of time in the house with us even though he can go outside.  Now our neighbor, who is an older woman has taken a liking to our cat.  She says he reminds her of her old cat who passed away a while ago.  We've always been cordial and friendly with our neighbors and we are all animal lovers so I never really had a problem with the cat going over there and her giving him attention.  However, it's starting to get out of hand.  She locks him in her house, she feeds him her own food, and shes essentially trying to take ownership of him.  She told me the other day that she may be moving and is looking to adopt the cat - which i kind of laughed at and said no you are not.  I've always been very friendly and nice with her and take her with a grain of salt because this concept seems absurd to me but it seems she's dead serious.  She's told me in the past he peed/pooped in her house before and I apologized and suggested not locking him inside for extended periods of time but she continues to do so.  I dont want to be that guy and get the law involved but this is getting ridiculous.  I've already asked her to not lock him inside her house or perhaps leave a window open for him but she keeps ignoring me.

Any advice?

Answer: Keep your property secured.  That means keeping your cat inside at all times so that other people can't steal him.  He'll adjust to being indoors.  But that's the surest way to making certain that he won't be taken.Answer #2: Keep your cat inside. Prevent neighbor from taking cat and keep cat from destroying local bird population.Answer #3: Keep the cat inside your house until she is gone.  You could also build a small catio on the window to allow for some outside time until she is gone. Answer #4: Keep him inside is the only option you have now. I also have a cat. They're also one of the species responsible for devastating the populations of native fauna. In addition they run the risk of injury from fights with other cats and cars. Please keep your cat indoors. Answer #5: Keep the cat inside your house until that neighbor moves away.


Title: Brother fled country to avoid DUI court date [USA]

Question:
So my younger brother recently got his 2nd DUI in 2 years in Pennsylvania. He's 19, and court date is tomorrow, August 24th. He was worried about going to jail, so he left the country to go to Ireland. He's staying there with family, I don't know if they know the whole story. I'm assuming he'll have a bench warrant after tomorrow. What would happen if/when he tries to come back to the USA? If he tries to get a job or go to school overseas (he can get Irish citizenship since my dad was born there) will they see that he has an American warrant and extradite?
Topic:
DUI

Answer:
 If he comes back to the US he could be arrested. It's pretty unlikely that he'd actually be arrested at the port of entry, but not impossible.

He is unlikely to be granted Irish citizenship, residency status, or even an extended visa with an active arrest warrant in the US.


Title: An Important Announcement Regarding the Future of /r/legaladvice

Answer:
 Dog Law specialist here.

This post is relevant to my interests. Answer #2: Some people seemed confused by this post, [so I thought I'd clear it up with a shitty MS Paint diagram](https://imgur.com/Ix2WMo2).Answer #3: Can someone please explain this to me?Answer #4: We need to get RBG to slip this into a SCOTUS decision.Answer #5: Your Honor, I move for a mistrial, on account of the jury members all giggling at the defendants hat.Answer #6: I saw the title and got worried.

I saw the photo and smiled.

I learned it was u/Biondina ‘s dog and audibly said, at work, “yaaaaassssss.”

I approve.Answer #7: Location: Louisiana

There is a picture of a dog in a silly hat that is stickied. This can't be legal, can it? How do I go about finding a lawyer that can help me get this removed? I don't make a lot of money to hire one. Answer #8: [i see what you're doing](https://i.imgur.com/DVfSQDM.jpg)
and i like it

＼＼ ＿
　　 ＼(　•_•) **F**
　　　 <　⌒ヽ **A**
　　　/ 　 へ＼ **B**
　　 /　　/　＼＼ **U**
　　 |　ノ　　 ヽ_つ **L**
　　/　/ **O**
　 /　/| **U**
　(　(ヽ **S**
　|　|、＼
　| 丿 ＼ ⌒)
　| |　　) /
`ノ )　　Lﾉ

&nbsp;
&nbsp;
&nbsp;

**ヽ(ﾟヮﾟﾉ) [NOW WE RIOT](https://i.imgur.com/A90fINH.jpg) ヽ(ﾟヮﾟﾉ)**

&nbsp;

S     M O D S

 D     O

 O     D

 M  O  D   S D O  M

       D     O

       O     D

   S  D  O  M     S

&nbsp;
&nbsp;

░░░░░░░░░▓▓▓▓▀█░░░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░▄▀▓▓▄██████▄░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░▄█▄█▀░░▄░▄░█▀░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░▄▀░██▄░░▀░▀░▀▄░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░▀▄░░▀░▄█▄▄░░▄█▄░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░▀█▄▄░░▀▀▀█▀░░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░░░░█░░░░░░░░▄▀▀░▐░░░░░░░░ ░░░░▄▀░░░░░░░░▐░▄▄▀░░░░░░░░░ ░░▄▀░░░▐░░░░░█▄▀░▐░░░░░░░░░░ ░░█░░░▐░░░░░░░░▄░█░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░█▄░░▀▄░░░░▄▀▐░█░░░░░░░░░░ ░░░█▐▀▀▀░▀▀▀▀░░▐░█░░░░░░░░░░ ░░▐█▐▄░░▀░░░░░░▐░█▄▄░░░░░░░░ ░░░▀▀░MODS░░░░▐▄▄▄▀░░░░░░░░░

Answer #9: >An important announcement regarding the future of r/legaladvice

Have to say, I approve of this future you propose.


Title: How do I protect myself from accusations of using drugs

Question:
My face is a bit fucked up with my eyes a little droopy and slightly slanted paired with an unfocused gaze. I've been accused a few times before that im on drugs because of how I looked and every time nearly (or did)  fucked me. I lost an internship because of it, i almost got arrested for DUI for it and I was cornered into quitting my job because of it. I never thought I looked 'wrong' but I have history that I obviously do. What should I do to protect myself? Go see a doctor? Get regular drug tests? Wear a pin that says "its just my face"?

I live in New York

Answer: Could you get a note from a doctor?


Title: [Hypothetical][Utah] The other day I almost merged into a other vehicle because their lights were off, at 11 af night. Fortunately they honked and all was well, but if i were to hit them, who would be at fault?

Question:
Would kt have been me for not noticing them, or them for not hav8ng their lights off? Would my defense have been admissable in court?

And for those curious, i did call the non-emergency police number to let them know some moron was driving around with no lights.

Answer: it would be a decent defense, but if it wins or not will depend on a variety of factors and how the attorney argues. Answer #2: You certainly have a decent defense. It would probably depend not only on the attorney on each side, but the judge as well.Answer #3: Yes they would be at fault but you would have a hard time proving their lights were off.Answer #4: This is another reason that having a front and rear dashcam is good. It would nearly completely absolve the victim of any wrongdoing.


Title: My mom invented the concept of the mini desk cycle back in the early 90's. Lots of imitations but there's a new one on the market that's a direct copy. Any legal recourse?

Question:
(US) I will keep this brief, as this is more out of curiosity (we aren't looking to go after anyone). In the early 90's, my mom got into inventing the exercise equipment. She developed the mini-cycle. It was revolutionary at the time, but she didn't patent or trademark anything. She did really well with it for two years before the major equipment manufactures developed their own versions and bumped her out of the market. She called it the nature of the business and was just happy to have had two good years. Now we find out that there is a wildly popular "Desk Cycle" that, unlike the big manufacturers, has not tried to hide that it is a direct copy of the mini cycle. The design is essentially exactly the same. Is there any legal recourse here (especially with not having filed any patents etc)? The pictures of the two for comparison are included in the links below.

The only picture I could find of the original mini-cycle: http://i.imgur.com/EXVg5U5.jpg

The copy desk cycle: http://i.imgur.com/A48J2fc.jpg

Answer:
 Even if she had patented it, the patent would be expired now.Answer #2: Doubtful.

Your mother would need to speak to a patent attorney.Answer #3: There is no legal recourse at this point. She should have patented the design 20 years ago.


Title: Can you compel someone to take an STI panel?

Question:
I suspect my most recent partner infected me with genital herpes. I asked her to get a STI test and tell me the results and she went berserk. She refuses to speak to me and refuses to take the test, swearing she is clean. In 2013 I took an STI test and came back clean for many infections/diseases, including herpes. The timing of my symptoms coincides with an infection during the time that we were together. My suspicion is that this person knew and lied to me about her being infected (which as my research tells me, is illegal).

My question is: is there any way I could compel her to take an STI panel (like a blood test) and disclose the results to me?

EDIT: I live in Florida, United States

Answer:
 Not based on the information you have here.  But what does it matter, anyway?

If you were going to sue her based on "knowingly infecting you," what her test says today doesn't matter.  All that matters is what a test from before you bumped uglies said.


Title: (FL) Does my mother have any right to things bought while living with her?

Question:
My husband and I moved, we stayed with my parents for a few months before we found an apartment.

Now my mother is claiming things that we bought with our own money while we stayed with them(and even before) are hers. We don't have receipts but we do have credit card records showing we bought them(she's trying to claim two iPhones, an IPad, a PS4 and a gun(Glock 19).

She's threatening to call the police. Does she have a claim to anything?

Answer:
 Did you already take the things or is she holding them?

Let her call the cops. Have the CC records at the ready.

And no, if you bought them, and there was no understanding of you giving them to her, then they are yours. That she feels you owe her for crashing at her place is immaterial to the question of ownership of personal property you bought while crashing at her place. Answer #2: Unless they were a gift or part of a contract, no.

If you have the credit card records, that should be more than enough to convince the police you did not steal the items from her.  If she says they were a gift, the police will tell her she'd need to take you to small claims court to settle that, it's not a criminal matter.


Title: Billiards room lost my ID use for collateral

Question:
First of all, thanks for the interest in help. I know this may not be that big of an issue, but I couldn't find anything online.

My University's billiards room (University of Michigan) collects a government issued ID (Michigan issued, vertical driver's license) for collateral to play a game of billiards. In the hour of play, the staff had apparently "lost" my ID. They were rather unapologetic, and offered to reimburse me with the ID replacement fee at the SOS.

Is there anything that I should do in this case?

Answer: Keep an eye on your credit report and ask them to pay for credit monitoring for a year, plus the cost of a new ID.  Let's just say that a buddy of mine worked at the university pool hall and if an ID of someone over the age of 21 was collected it may have been lost and sold to someone under the legal drinking age.


Title: (FL) Can one of my neighbors force me to take down my Christmas decorations?

Question:
I live in a neighborhood(we don't have an HOA)were most people go all out for Christmas. One of my neighbors claims that the decorations are offensive to his religion and has been asking my neighbors and I to take down our decorations.

He's started a petition to get everyone to remove our decorations. So far only he and his wife have signed. Now he's threatening to sue most of the neighborhood to get us to remove all the Christmas stuff. He even complained that he can see my tree and my friends menorah from his window.

Can he actually make us take the decorations down? What is he even trying to sue for? It's not like he has damages.

Answer:
 Don't forget a camera to watch you yard in case he decides to "take it into his own hands".Answer #2: Hey, OP... I got an idea for you...

[We must build an army.](http://i.imgur.com/5sQnl.jpg)

Also:

[Want to try being a Christmas, neighborhood DJ?](https://youtu.be/z5dfpe_-Lgg)


Title: Does an attempted crime yield less punishment than the actual crime?

Question: I've always been curious about this. If you attempted a crime, for the sake of the argument let's just murder, would you get the same sentence as actually committing the crime itself? For example if I walked in my neighbors house and shot him dead would I receive the same sentence as if I shot him and he didn't die? If so, how much would the sentencing differ? United States, Oklahoma

Answer: There's no bright line on this.  In some areas, "attempt" and "actual" are two completely different crimes.  In others, they're the same.  In some places, actual damage is taken into account, in others it's not.  In the average case, you'd likely find that "actual" is worse than "attempted", but that's not something you can bank on.


Title: Some bitch called the police on me for texting her after she said stop contacting and made the police give me a "caution for harassment" saying I'd be arrested if I contacted her again. How do I get around this "harassment caution" and get away with it?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Illegal

Answer: There's no legal way to get around it. You have to decide if harassing her is worth the criminal record, fine and possible jail time.


Title: [urgent] [uk] Is rating person from 1-10 is considered a sexual harassment?

Question:
Hello,
I was accused of sexual harassment, by a co-worker.
I made a joke that is she 9 and co-worker is 10. Thus she complained to a manager and i was accused of sexual harassment. Is this really consider sexual harassment?

Answer:
 It's not illegal for you to say it. However, in the UK, a company is liable for the actions of employees in the context of sexual harassment unless it takes steps to reasonably prevent it.

A common way to reasonably prevent it is to fire the person who carried out the harassment. Another could be some sort of warning. If one of these things is not done by your manager the female colleague could take her story to an employment tribunal if she feels unsatisfied that her complaint was dealt with appropriately. It is therefore actively in the interest of your employer to do something.

Seeing as by your own admission it happened, and assuming you're not planning on denying it, you can expect your job to be on the line. Regardless of the outcome, that was a fucking stupid thing to say in a professional context.Answer #2: Yes, it really is considered sexual harassment. Any uninvited commentary, jokes or lewd behaviour is neither appropriate or welcome in the workplace, the length of time you've known your colleague is irrelevant and it would seem her "bias" against you may be justified.

Rather than accepting what you said was wrong and made your colleague feel uncomfortable and addressing the issue by apologising, you seem to be trying to justify this as an innocuous, little humourous comment that doesn't warrant your being reported to management. It was obviously a big enough deal for her to have to tell the manager.


Title: 3 day "roommate" from hell

Question:
VIRGINIA

I rented a room out in my house. I signed a "month to month" lease on **March 27th** (although the agreed move-in date was apr 1st) with the woman, we'll call her Lenny.

**March 28th:** she showed her over-dramatic colors. I sent her a text saying "we're not that kind of people" and please, no more drama. She apologized and agreed.

**March 29** Then more drama, and more. It didn't stop, and she hadn't even moved in. So she began moving **some** of her stuff.

**March 30th:** I saw large marks on the walls and doors. I had enough. I told her she could not move in, because I forsee way too much drama in my future, and as someone with mild anxiety I couldn't take that chance.

She agreed by text to move the few belongings she has brought out, and we agreed that after she had moved her stuff out she would get her money back minus damages. (by text)

She agreed that all her stuff would be out "this afternoon" (by text)

I got there in the evening (I was staying somewhere else for a few days because we had just painted) to check if her stuff was gone, and she was there saying she is waiting for the police.

Why are you calling the police? bla bla my rights... woman is batshit crazy. Tried being nice, no compromise.

Asked her what she wants (remember she agreed to be out March 30 afternoon) she cries about not having a way to get her stuff out. So I gave her another *48 hours*

**Today, April 1st** My painter calls says he can come over to fix the marks she made. Fearing she would make extra marks on her way out, I put all her stuff in living room. Keep in mind, it's my place and I could have put it in the shed out back, but I tried to be nice

**This evening** She leaves me all kinds of angry texts about how I "touched her stuff"...i told her i just put it in the living room so as she wouldnt smudge the paint.

she is refusing to leave until the judge tells her to.

WTF ...she hasn't even moved in!

I told her that I would give her money back once her shit is all out and i can assess the damage.

WHAT DO I DO? she has threatened to go to my husbands commander (army) and do all kinds of legal shit, we have not done a single thing but be nice and understanding with her. I believe she has some kind of mental issue (because of medication I saw in her stuff). Not that I judge, I know people with mental illness who are a pleasure to be around. Just stressing that she is the erratic kind and very unstable.

Since she is threatening to essentially squat until I evict her, can I change the locks tomorrow morning and put her stuff in the shed?

I really don't want legal issues or to see a courtroom over some nutcase who I've known for 3 days.

Please help me

Wow, just realized that she forgot to sign our copy of the lease. I'm guessing hers is signed. Does that make it all void? If not it doesn't matter
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You made an agreement to rent a room to this woman. She is now your tenant, whether you like it or not.

If you wish for her to no longer be your tenant, you must follow the proper legal procedure. Since she hasn't failed to pay rent or broken the rental agreement, you must give written notice that her tenancy is over, and must ensure it's delivered at least 30 days before rent is due for the month after her tenancy ends. If she doesn't leave by the end of that period, you must then go to court and file for eviction to make her leave.

You cannot change the locks, and you cannot move her stuff out. If you do either of these things, she can (and most likely will) call the police, who will make you let her back in. She can also sue you if you cause her any damages.

Legal issues are common when you become a landlord. If you don't want to have legal issues with nutcases who you've just met, don't rent rooms to people.


Title: My significant other is a DACA recipient and it expires in the fall. With the current administration and future of the program uncertain.. what should we/I do?

Question:
I'm going to provide more details so I can get the best advice possible. I'm on mobile, so please forgive formatting problems.

1. His country of origin is Mexico.
 1a.) He entered unlawfully with his parents at the age of three - in the late 90s
 1b.) He exited the country for a few months in 2000/2001 (not entirely sure) for summer vacation when he was about 8 and returned before school began. Again, unlawfully.

2. He has attended American public schools from K-12. He graduated.

3. He has no criminal history in adulthood. He had one misdemeanor as a juvenile. It of course, has been expunged.

4. We have been together for almost 8 years, we have two children together. I am financially dependant on him. I am a U.S. Citizen. The children were born in the U.S.

5. We are planning on getting married. We agreed to discuss further after our vacation later this month (OT: Yay! I'm super excited!)

That's all I can think of that's pertinent. Along with his DACA, he has a work authorization (i-765) From what I could see from the information sheet, he doesn't meet any eligibility criteria. Thank you so so so much for anyone who can point me into the right direction. From what we've been told, the only way for him to gain any kind of status, is to leave the country and the waitlists are LONG We of course are trying to avoid that. Mexico is dangerous and his entire life has been spent here.
Topic:
Immigration

Answer: Really, the best advice is going to be that he consult with an immigration attorney. He may be able to find a free or low-cost one through one of a number of nonprofits. You may also want to look at what was discussed in [this thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/8wgxdu/tx_my_wife_is_on_daca_but_left_the_country_twice/), though the circumstances are not exactly the same.


Title: Ex bf wants back $4k engagment ring, but I sold it. He's threatening to post ot as stolen. Can he do that?

Question:
The ex and I dated for 4 years and he comes from a VERY well off family. He proposed with a beautiful  $4,000 diamond ring and I said yes. That was 6 or 7 months ago and last week I found out he's been seeing his ex gf for the last 2 months.

I told him that I didn't want to marry him if he's gonna cheat on me. We got into a few nasty arguments and we ate 100% never getting back together.

A few days ago I sold the ring to a pawn shop for about 3.4k. Suddenly this morning ex bf is demanding the ring back. I told him I sold it, he GAVE it to me, it was mine legally at that point.

He's now saying he's going to report it stolen with me as the theif. Can he legally do this? Wasn't the ring technicallyine at that point?

Answer:
 Edit:
I deleted part of my post that may be questionable, leaving the relevant portion below.

See Clippard v. Pfefferkorn, 168 S.W.3d 616 (Mo. Ct. App. 2005).

The trial above showed that on appeal, it mattered who broke off the engagement. Even though he cheated, it's likely to be found that you ended the engagement and therefore need to return the ring. Depending on interpretation, even if it's found that everything is his fault, you may or may not owe him a ring because he didn't end the engagement, you did.

Hopefully this points you in a direction to do more research while you wait for more responses. In general, I believe your ex is in the right because you ended the engagement. You need to see if a lawyer can argue that ending the engagement was not your decision.Answer #2: You will need to specify your state to get a better answer.  In many states the ring would be yours to keep since his cheating caused the breakup and the wedding to not proceed.   In other states it would be viewed as a conditional gift in which the conditions were not met and you would be obliged to return it.


Title: [TX] Legality of sending semen-covered socks to the Governor of Texas

Question: [deleted]

Answer: They could be successfully prosecuted for mailing hazardous materials. It is somewhere in 49 CFR, but I don't have the section in front of me right now.


Title: Bought a gold plated necklace for $44. Pawn shop owner came out tp my car demanding I return the necklace claiming it was worth $440.

Question:
I bought a $44 necklace, got my receipt and went to my car. I'm sitting there for a moment admiring it when the pawn shop owner comes up to my car and calmly explains that his cashier made a mistake and says the necklace is worth $440. He offers to let me pay the almost $400 extra to keep it, otherwise return it. (I pointed out the $44 tag, it was not the cashier's fault. It was originally proced at $44 in the window box.)

I explained that there is no way a gold plated thin chain is worth $440 and I refused either option. He threatened to call the cops for "theft". I did sit there waiting for the police to show up, but after 15m of listening to him bitch at me and never once did he call the cops. I just left and went home.

Can I get in trouble?

Missouri USA

Edit: thankn you everyone!

Answer: Theft over a valid purchase?  Please.  Sounds like he was trying to scam you with scare tactics.  Answer #2: Nope...Enjoy your chain, and keep your receipt.Answer #3: They don't have to honor a pricing mistake, but they already did, so it's game over and it's your property now.Answer #4: Nope.  You and the store agreed on a price and you paid it, and you've the receipt to prove it.  Seller's remorse is their problem, not yours.


Title: How do carpets depreciate in a non-rental home? (UT)

Question:
I don't want to go into too much detail, but water from our property may have leaked into a neighbors basement. They had very old carpets and want us to foot the tab for brand new ones. the carpets were dried and cleaned, but they are still trying to replace them, so I need to find out how carpet depreciates in an owner occupied home.

The only info I could find was for rental homes (5 years tacked down, 27.5 glued down), and I couldn't find info about the padding.

We want to pay for the damages, but don't want to pay for them to upgrade their entire basement.

Answer:
 I can't see why you cant use the info for a rental home. There is nothing vastly different from a residential and a rental family home. Answer #2: For a rental, carpets have a legal useful life that's arbitrarily set at around 5 years regardless of the grade of carpet.

In normal world, each carpet grade is rated with a normal useful life.  There are carpets rated for 3 years to 10.
You need to know a couple things... What grade and useful life was the original carpet?  When was it last replaced?  Once you know these things, you can prorate based on the remaining useful life.

For instance 10 year carpets that have been installed or 3 years would have 7 years of useful life left on them.  You'd be responsible for 7/10th of the cost of the replacement.

That's how I'd approach it if I was trying to sort this out.


Title: CEO of my company openly discriminates against men

Question:
**Edit: I'm in Colorado**

I know of at least 2 fellow employees that follow reddit so I'm going to keep this vague.

I feel like I'm personally being discriminated against because I'm a male.  There have been female only opportunities in our company in the past and when they come up I've mentioned that I didn't feel this was right.  On one specific occasion I was called into the CEOs office where she openly told me she felt it was her duty because women have been so oppressed to give them preferential treatment to make up for the past.  Unfortunately this conversation wasn't recorded however others in the company have experienced the same thing.

To the point of why all this matters, I'll refer to this group as company A.  I along with another employee have started a company (company b) doing work outside the time of company A and unrelated to what we do in company a.  Recently I was approached by my boss saying that there have been "reports" that I and my friend have been working on company b while we were at work for company a.  I asked to know who made the complaints because they're completely unfounded. (I understand the risk of what I'm going so I ensure that I, my partner, and our clients are all on the same page that company b only does work outside of company a.)  Both the CEO and HR refused to tell me who had made the complaint.  The CEO then told me that I shouldn't be hanging out with my partner anymore because he has a reputation and is close to being fired.  I asked for what reason as I felt like he was an asset to the company and she informed me that "He parks in his own personal parking spot which was never assigned to him, and he drives the the wrong entrance gate."

I've left a number of examples of her discrimination out of this message in the interest of keeping it short. I'm finally writing this post because my integrity is being questioned and I'm not allowed the opportunity to address it and I feel like the only reason is that I'm male.

Do I have to wait to be terminated or passed up for a promotion before I can really say something or are there other things that I can do to protect myself before this gets out of control?

Also are there specific attorneys that I can contact for representation if I end up needing it?  (I'm not asking for advice here on a specific attorney but a specific type of attorney)  What would I google to find them?  discrimination attorney?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 > "He parks in his own personal parking spot which was never assigned to him, and he drives the the wrong entrance gate."

 Can you please elaborate?Answer #2: Your best bet would be to contact your local bar association, they would be best equipped to refer you to an attorney.


Title: Senior Prank Night

Question: I am an 18 year old in Texas. tonight was our high school's senior night. This is what me and five other friends did. Our school has four different entrances into it and each entrance has a gate that blocks it. My friends and I put a lot of locks and chains on the most convenient gate so that it will not be usable tomorrow until the chains or locks are broken.  After this about 30 other kids showed up and we all went into the school and put stupid flyers everywhere, moved desks around, wrote on bathroom walls and other harmless stuff like that. What is the  worst possible punishment I could receive for my role in all of this?

Answer: Worst case. Trespassing, vandalism, etc. Be prepared on the legal side to possibly be arrested and charged criminally, end up paying for all the clean up, jail/probation, community service, and all this on your criminal record if your 18. On the school side expect to be suspend or expelled, along with colleges pulling admissions. This isn't a prank, certainly not harmless, and you broke multiple laws.Answer #2: A criminal charge for vandalism, and a prison sentence.


Title: Racist bar claims federal discrimination law doesn't cover bars

Question:
Question's about federal law, but Houston, TX for location bot. He misrepresents the door policy. It's overtly racist and this video is just a specious defense, so I'm assuming he's lying about federal law as well. Confirm/deny?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xlZgm_51s0#t=2m40s

I know there's a private club exemption but does it apply to a bar that's generally open to the public? Or is a bar a public accommodation?

Answer: What exactly is your question? Most people here aren't going to take the time to watch this video. Post a question and provide context.


Title: I was hospitalized for 24 hours for being suicidal. Did I ruin my chances at ever getting a job? [OH]

Question: Back in December, I called a suicide hotline and they had me come into their crisis center. I stayed the night there, then they "pink slipped" me and I was taken by ambulance to the ER, then a stabilization clinic for suicidal thoughts for the night. The pink slip was revoked, as far as I know (????) since that's what the psychiatrist told me, and I never resisted and did everything they wanted me to. I also never had to go to court for anything. I didn't have to stay anywhere for 72 hours, either. But I've been reading that there are people who have never been able to get jobs because this comes up in background checks and the jobs immediately wont employ them and I'm freaking out. So in the act of trying to keep myself from suicide, I ruined my life and made suicide the only option?? I don't know what to do, or what I can even do.

Answer:
 You can start by not just assuming everything some idiot tells you is true. Medical and mental health treatments don't show up on pre-employment background checks that would be a horrible invasion of privacy. You may need to disclose if you're trying to get a security clearance but otherwise that's between you and your doctors.Answer #2: No, a psych hold doesn't make you unemployable. Or even come up in 99% of job screenings.

To use your medical history, including psychiatric, as a criteria for employment at all requires very specific circumstances from the employer.


Title: Hostel has set up shop in house next door. I am sure it’s probably without a permit. What can us neighbors do? Van Nuys, CA.

Question:
Hey there, so a year ago the house next door to my apartment complex was sold to some young kids. It is a house with two small houses attached. They run the length of our apartment complex. So we share a border fence. It’s currently ten PM where I live and as per usual they have loud music going on. I can’t even open my window due to that and the weed smoke coming from them. (I don’t have a problem
with weed as long as it’s not coming in my place) My question is how do I find out if they have a permit to operate the house as a business. I am sure they probably don’t and want to find ways to curtail their activities. Thanks so much guys for help. The type of individuals it’s attracting next door is not good for the safety of my neighborhood.

Answer:
 You can contact the city and inquire about permits. I'm willing to bet your neighborhood isn't  zoned for a hostel so they couldn't get a permit. You can also contact code enforcement.

You can also call the police over the noise.


Title: Ran a red light- shouod I appear in court?

Question:
I screwed up and ran a red light. It changed earlier than I thought. I stopped maybe 4ft from the line  and in the road. I wasn't sure what to do because I was blocking traffic so I pulled through and got pulled over. I was issued a citation and fined $178.

I'm really worried because I only make $125 a week and don't have much in the way of savings to pay cof this. Is it worth it to appear in court?

Answer: It’s worth it to appear in court, not to dispute the ticket, but to explain your situation to the judge and set up a payment plan that will keep your license from being suspended.


Title: [Illinois] Am I allowed to refund a customer without their permission?

Question:
I run a small online software company. Customers can purchase an application through my website and immediately receive a download link and product-key via email.

Here's the rub:

Occasionally a customer enters their credit card details correctly so the charge goes through, however they typo their email address and thereby fail to get a receipt and download link. I have no way to contact them, unless I can figure out the typo!

My question is, can I simply refund these customers without their permission?  Not doing so seems like it's asking for a charge-back.

Small addendum question: Additionally a customer will sometimes never use their product key and never responds to email attempts to contact them offering assistance. Would it be OK to refund these customers without their consent as well?

Thank you kindly for any advice on this matter!

Answer:
 If the email bounces back, then that would be a good indicator that it failed and they can't access their purchase. A refund here would be proactively good customer service, if you choose.

If they never use the key however, that's on them (for business software, they may be holding off pending validation or approval). For example, I occasionally buy software bundles and don't use all the keys. That's my choice. But yes, you're free to refund people as you wish.

However, if, for example, a client is waiting for approval and you refund their money and invalidate their key, the person installing won't know that, and will wonder why it didn't work.Answer #2: Your controls on your website matter.  You should have the customer enter their email address twice.  If they do not match, the order cannot proceed.

This protects you in many ways.  You have proof that the customer correctly or incorrectly input their email address.


Title: My friend wants to leave a trust fund for his grandson where the requirement is that the grandson has to get HIV tested several times a year, and if he ever tests positive the money all goes to charity. Could this be enforceable? TN

Answer: Good luck finding somebody to administer a trust fund with that requirement.


Title: Private gym threatening to refuse service, what can we do?

Question: there is a private gym in my town that about 12 of my friends and I work out at. We typically all wear a "stringer" type shirt dragonball Z characters on them. The shirts are awesome but granted they show some skin. this has been an ongoing issue with the gym where they have said members have complained about it. The issue we have is that there are women at the gym wearing incredibly revealing clothing, yet we are the ones being targeted.. they gym owned even stated it was only because of a select group of old women there complaining. Is there any legality behind this in our favor? we live in BC Canada

Answer:
 wear a different shirt Answer #2: >**The issue we have is that there are women at the gym wearing incredibly revealing clothing**

A huge issue for you guys, I'm sure.

>**yet we are the ones being targeted**

If they want to cater to the select group of old women that is their prerogative.

The gym is also *very* much so allowed to create their own dress code. If they want to specifically ban singlets, socks or hoodies they may.


Title: My girlfriend is being strong armed into unpaid labor by her employer

Question: My girlfriend works for a local nursing home in Ohio and they keep people over for 45 minutes to an hour  after they should get out due to being understaffed. They're requiring her and everyone she works with to sign a slip saying that they get out on time every day even though they do not. I told her not to sign it, but she's pretty sure she will get fired if she doesn't. What can/should we do in order for her to get paid?

Answer: Contact the Ohio Department of Labor


Title: Northern Virginia – Landscaping company hired by the HOA keeps "accidentally" mowing 50% of my yard. This has been going on for 5 weeks now, and I have complained to the company and my HOA and am getting no where.

Question:
(to those of you curious as to why I find this to be an issue, they mow at a different grass height than the rest of my yard, I pay a weed control company to help with my lawn and one of their very specific directives is that I need to make sure that I am using my mower and only my mower on my grass to help prevent the spread of foreign weeds/seeds, their heavy mowers are leaving tire tracks of dead/dying grass on my grass, and their schedule does not match up to mine)

My home is an end-unit townhome, I have ~5,000 sqft of side yard.  The HOA contracts out a landscaping and lawn company to maintain the common property throughout the neighborhood, they mow, edge, and maintain the large swaths of community grass + they trim trees, bushes, etc.

5 weeks ago they were out for the first time this year (I purchased my home in December 2014) and they mowed 50% of my side yard.  I called their office and told them that they mistakenly mowed my yard and to please not do it again.  They apologized and said it would not happen again.

As you can suspect based off the fact that I have posted here, they have continued to mow my yard every Friday since I contacted them.  The second time it happened they sent out the on-site foreman to confirm where not to mow.  They also contacted my HOA to confirm that what they were accidently mowing was indeed my property, to which my HOA said that it was indeed mine and to stop mowing my property.

The third time this happened they claimed to have gone so far as to take a picture of my house/yard and tell their staff to not mow my yard.

The fourth time this happened, I called, complained, and had very strong words with the receptionist.  She passed my message along to the owner.

This past Friday they mowed again!  This time, aside from the apologies, their excuse was that they have an ever rotating staff and it is hard to get the message out.  I call bullshit!

I contacted my HOA last week and they told me today that they indeed spoke with the landscaping company owner and that they needed to respect my property, he agreed, but did reiterate what they said previously – they have a rotating staff and it is hard to communicate to them…again…I call bullshit.

My lawn does have damage to it, there are very obvious, large, dead areas of grass the size of and shape of mower tire tracks, running the length of my yard, in the direction they mow, from heavy commercial riding mowers.  The grass will grow back, but now, according to the company I pay to fertilize and do weed control, I am going to have to take extra steps in watering the crap out of it, perhaps seed, and a few other items.

What are my next steps here in the event they mow again this Friday?   Call the cops?  Get a trespass charge against them?  I am not home when they mow, I am at work, so it is impossible for me to stop them while mowing.

Thanks in advance for whatever suggestions you come up with!

Answer:
 Can you just put of a rope or caution tape on Friday and an actual "keep off the grass sign"?

It seems the HOA is on your side (probably a first for this sub) send them a bill for your damages and they will put more pressure on the company to fix the issue.Answer #2: Have someone home on Friday with a hose?Answer #3: Send them a bill for the damage to your lawn.

A letter mentioning trespassing will probably also do the trick.

It sounds like they agree with you but just aren't taking it seriously, so you have to show them that you mean business.Answer #4: Often times I find that a strongly worded letter from an attorney cleans up 90% of people "failing" to do something. I'd send a letter to the company written by a lawyer, sent certified mail.

I would try that before you try any other method including involving the police. The police will probably tell you if nobody witnessed it, you cant' be sure who's doing the cutting. You'd probably have to call them while the cutting is going on, which is not possible in your case. Answer #5: Big, pointy rocks.


Title: Cash stolen from me, is it extortion to demand the money back from who I think stole it to not go to the police?

Question: Long story short, some cash was stolen from me when I wasn’t around, about $3,000 USD. I highly suspect a friend and there is some video footage that suggests he may have taken the cash, but nothing that explicitly shows him taking or handling the cash. Would it be considered extortion to demand the money back or I will file a police report and submit the footage? Would it make a difference if he is eventually found guilty or not guilty if this case does get to that point? Of course, it would be a lot simpler to just get the money back without having to involve the police and courts. The event happened in California but we are both from different states. I understand extortion laws can be different in each jurisdiction, but I’m not sure how it works across state lines. I just want the money back but I don’t want to commit a crime myself in the process.

Answer:
 Go to the police.  Or don’t.  Using the threat of doing so to extract money from someone else can go wrong.  Especially so when you don’t have any tangible proof they actually took your money.

Certainly most law enforcement agencies would at least take a report on the theft of $3,000.  Some would question a potential perpetrator in this way.  Some wouldn’t.


Title: I [FL] was recorded over the phone without consent by my soon to be ex-wife [TX]

Question: I live in Florida, and my wife currently resides in Texas with our daughter. She recorded me over the phone without consent in a very graphic conversation and then posted it on Facebook, publicly. This has quickly caused a lot of issues for me. Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 As for recording the phone call, Texas is a one-party consent state, and Florida requires all parties to consent. Not sure which state's laws would govern. Her state, as the offending party, or yours, as the injured party. Police could tell you if you report it.

Also, depending on the exact nature of the conversation, and exactly what she posted on Facebook, it's possible she's violated some aspect of cyberbullying laws. Tougher laws are being passed regularly, and vary from state to state.

Here's this broad comment that mentions Florida:

>*The U.S. government’s stopbullying.gov website defines “cyberbullying” as  bullying that takes place using electronic technology.  Essentially,  the term “cyberbullying” describes the act of harassing, threatening or  intimidating another via electronic means such as cell phones,  computers, tablets, social media platforms, websites, and text  messaging.  This behavior is illegal in Florida, and may be cause for  criminal charges.*

Between the two offenses — secretly recording your phone call and posting related material on Facebook — you might get police attention.

Edit to add: get screenshots of offending FB posts if haven't. If police FL or TX not helpful, maybe cease-and-desist type letter from attorney. Has she violated FB policies such they might close account?


Title: Daughter's mother is being abused. Can I do anything?

Question:
I share 50/50 time with my oldest, but I dont have any legal custody, we just have a mutual agreement.

Just before Christmas she informed me she kicked him out because he hit her with his phone in her face a few times.

She took him back in after a week or so.

Today I found out that he hit her again bruising the entire side of her face.  She said she is "thinking about breaking up with him but she doesnt have money and there are some things we have to figure out".

My daughters mother had to cancel her doctor's appointment because she didn't want to be seen like that.

She also said it's because of the steroids he is on and he isn't like that.  They have a child of their own in the picture who I imagine is around for these fights.  My daughter has said shes been sent to stay outside while they "talk"(argue) sometimes.

Is there anything I can do in this situation?  I fear that not having custody and contacting someone about the situation could piss her off and cause her to use her custodial powers to keep my daughter from me.

Answer: Call CPS immediately.  You don’t want your daughter around that it’s dangerous.


Title: A minor that needs advice.

Question:
I'm a minor in a household with an emotionally and sometimes physically abusive father. Alcohol is a huge presence in the house among other things. I just need some advice on how to go about getting a restraining order or what options I have for help. No one would help me with a restraining order for reasons about my moms ups and downs. My mother keeps letting him come back and he's a fake ass kissing shit person for a week or two. Then my mom does the slightest thing "wrong" like calling him weird or she doesn't cook his chicken for him he screams and throws himself around like a toddler. The violence and manipulation has taken a toll on me and I don't want him in my life anymore. I'm looking foward to never seeing him again. Any advice is appreciated. Thank you
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: You need to call CPS and/or the police if you father is abusive.  That is the only way to get help.


Title: Sprint gave us hell on vacation

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >charged us an excessive amount

Did they charge you more than what they stated they would and/or is in your contract for the international usage?

Everything else is ultimately irrelevant, as it sounds like you didn't prepare adequately for an international trip, which isn't Sprint's fault.Answer #2: Last I checked europe had stores that sell things like clothes and toiletries. I'm fairly certain they also have prepaid and disposable cell services, as well as landline and payphone and calling cards.

Offline maps and directions have been available through multiple apps for over 6 years now. Google translate has a full offline mode for places you don't know the language of.

The arbitrator may help with the bill but a lack of competent planning on your part had nothing to do with Sprint.Answer #3: Your lack of planning isn't Sprint's fault. You could have bought a Sim card at the airport or a local prepaid burner phone, and always bring paper maps for backup in case you can't access your downloaded Google maps if your phone dies.


Title: [Ontario] Roommates and I have disagreement on thermostat temperature

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This is a roommate issue--not a legal issue.


Title: Psychologist reported my rape to the police - CA

Question:
A year ago, when I was 17, my boyfriend had sex with me in my sleep, I woke up. Ever since I've been not-good I guess, to the point where I visited my school psychologist.

When I met him, I asked about whether he would have to report it, so that I could be wary as to what I said. He assured me that he would try to remain confidential and I saw him only one more time.

Thursday, I was called to his office and he informed me that he reported it to the authorities. He says that since I was 17 when it happened, he had to report it to the campus police. I feel betrayed, but I know he had the legal precedent to do so.

What I want to know is what rights do I have? I don't want to press charges, nor do I want to file a report. I don't want anyone to know, especially my parents. I go to school with Him and I don't want to have any conflict whatsoever. I dont want to relive it.

Can I just not talk to the police when they come to me? Can I refuse to speak to them? Can they speak to my parents about the matter without my consent?

What can I do?

Answer:
 >I don't want to press charges, nor do I want to file a report.

That's not up to you. The report has already been completed, and it's up to the District Attorney whether they want to pursue it. It's also very likely your parents will be involved because you are still a minor.Answer #2: >Can I just not talk to the police when they come to me? Can I refuse to speak to them?

Yes.  But they can still investigate.

>Can they speak to my parents about the matter without my consent?

Yes.  They can talk to anyone they think is relevant.Answer #3: You can not cooperate with the investigation, but you should. If he raped you in your sleep, why would you not want to be held responsible for that? He could easily do it to somebody else.

>  Can they speak to my parents about the matter without my consent?

Yes. Police never need consent to talk to somebody during an investigation except minors in some limited cases. Answer #4: Seems like other commenters have given you a lot of advice to work with. I just want to throw my two cents out there.

I’m so sorry this happened to you. I cannot even fathom what you’ve been through and it seems like you are being very strong through it. But you need to cooperate with the police. That’s the best way to keep your parents out of it and it will possibly keep this guy from hurting others like he hurt you. Again, I’m so sorry and hope you can move past this; you have a lot of life ahead of you, don’t let this beat you!


Title: I bought a used car that i can't drive yet and the police are questioning why it's parked at my boyfriends families house in the grass. Who is this problem gonna land on?

Question:
A little backstory: I am living here because I had a job I needed to get to in order to even get my own car and I had no reliable ride anywhere else. I finally bought a used one for really cheap but it still needs a little work and I'm still relearning how to drive. Since they have a pretty tiny driveway and everyone there owns a car it's really crowded and the grass way the only place for it. It wouldn't have been safe on the side of the road because people here fly around the corner without looking. I'm not even supposed to be staying here overnight because the are living on section 8 and are only allowed to have a certain number of family members. But my boyfriend has made them realize that I need to stay here for as long as it took for me to get a car and he would drive me to work everyday. So once I can drive this thing I won't have to be here all the time.

We haven't even had it here a week and they're giving them a hard time about it. I haven't had the title transfered to my name yet. So I'm just wondering what I should do and wondering who is gonna be the one the consequences land on. I'm honestly doing the best I can with the cards I've been given.

What can happen to his family? What is gonna happen to my car? Will they tow it? Will they get fined? I'm trying to save up more money to fix it and drive it to my grandparents house before this happens. My bf also said it's technically illegal just having it without insurance or with it not in my name but I can't afford to take care of that yet.

Answer:
 Based on your comments it seems the issue is you can't park in the grass. The fact that you have no where else to park it is not a legal issue and is not anyone's problem but yours. Leaving it on the grass risks fines to you and your boyfriend's parents as well as towing and storage fees which add up very quickly.

Move. The. Car.


Title: What steps should I be taking prior to my court date to get off scot-free from an MIP charge in the state of Colorado?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You can get a lawyer.


Title: (NC) My co-worker is pregnant and the test showed I'm the father. My wife filed for divorce but her husband decided to stay. How do I establish paternity if she is married but not to me?

Answer:
 Carefully and with an attorney. That's, like, a nuclear bomb...Answer #2: However you go about this you are going to need an attorney ASAP.  Both for the divorce and establishing paternity.  Establishing paternity when the woman is married to someone else is going to differ from state to state so you will really need someone familiar with NC specifically to learn about your odds.

But again, your best bet is with the help of an attorney, and sooner is better.  Start calling on Monday.Answer #3: Isn't North Carolina known for their alienation of affection laws?Answer #4: In NC there is a marital presumption, so essentially if the mother is married at the time of conception or birth then the husband is presumed to be the father and their name is required be entered onto the birth certificate as the father.

Once this happens the court can be asked to adjudicate who the actual father is if there is disagreement. So you would have to file a complaint for paternity with the court then go through their process to establish your paternity, which they may or may not recognised based on various factors (is she and the husband going to fight you on this?). Expect that to take some time, between notice periods, results of tests etc it will take several months.

As others have said at least consult an attorney now, so you can figure out how to best approach this going forwards.


Title: Friend needs help kicking her 18 yr old son out of the house.

Question:
I live in Wisconsin.

A coworker of mine is at the breaking point. She is a single mom with an 18 yr old son. Their relationship has gotten to the point where he is verbally abusive and extremely aggressive towards her.

She has had to call the police multiple times due to the severity of their arguments and his aggression. At this point, there has been no physical violence.

Most of the arguments stem from him smoking pot in the house and keeping it there. She recently found a freezer bag full of pot which freaked her out because she’s wondering if he’s dealing out of her house.

Again, he is 18 & for eviction discussion, he does not pay any rent. On multiple occasions she has been told by the Police (in front of her son) that he is a legal resident of the house; therefore she cannot kick him out and that if she wants him to leave she will need to take him to court and have him evicted.

She is worried about the time (missing work, only 1 income) and money (court costs) that this will take.

Is there any advice or shortcuts that anyone can offer?

EDIT: You all are AWESOME!!! Thank you for all the info and suggestions. I actually *have* to do some work today but will check back for anything new around lunch. I also gave my friend the link to this post (no reddit) so she can read the comments.

Thanks again!!!

EDIT 2: Thanks again for all the comments and suggestions. I keep forwarding to her as she is not very internet savvy (hope she doesn't read this:) She seems less stressed which is good.

Thanks again, again!

Answer:
 The only short cut is his agreeing to leave.  Absent that, she needs to go through the formal eviction process.Answer #2: The police are right. He is a month to month tenant and needs to be given proper notice to vacate. If he doesn't then she needs to take him to court to get an eviction. There's no other legal way to do it. Check state laws to see how much notice she needs to give. Often it's 30 days, but I'm on mobile and can't remember what state you said to look myself. Answer #3: NAL but some googling pulled this up.

Wisconsin has a five day eviction process specifically for tenants that are engaged in criminal activity and for tenants that are a threat/danger to the health and safety of other tenants or the landlord.

https://datcp.wi.gov/Documents/LT-LandlordTenantGuide497.pdf

See the section on Criminal Activity under Eviction.

Seems like with numerous police visits where the mom fears for her safety would be grounds for eviction, no?  The mom would still need to evict the son but it looks like there is a shorter process available to her.Answer #4: There are no shortcuts to evictions but she could try to convince her son to leave. Evictions on your record make it very difficult to rent in the future. Maybe that fear would be enough for him to leave on his own. Maybe offer to pay him some amount of money to leave.

In the end trying to convince him to leave may not work and the sooner she gives him a 30 day notice, the sooner he will be out of her house.


Title: Help! Person I'm dating needs roommate ASAP and offered to split rent 70 /30

Question:
To keep things short and sweet - she asked me to move in with her and I told her I wasn't ready. She was unable to find another roommate in time and really wants me to move into this specific place with her.

I haven't signed the lease but she wants me to put in the application with her tomorrow. I evaluated my pros and cons and my biggest concern is her changing her mind about the agreement. What should I do to ensure offer is kept throughout the 12 month lease? I trust her but I also want to be safe.

P.S. This is in an apartment complex in CT.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Worst case scenario is that you sign a lease for a period of time, then you two break up in the middle of the lease, and now you're stuck living with her because neither of you can just up and leave due to your legally-binding, financial obligations under the lease you signed.

That being said, being pressured into living together when you're clearly not ready is a great recipe for disaster somewhere down the line.Answer #2: More relationship advice than legal but, dude...don't be rushed to move in with someone because they can't handle their finances like an adult.  Nothing about that bodes well for your future with this person.Answer #3: I wouldn't do anything legally in case this goes sideways, because it probably will very quickly given she's already pressuring you to sign rather than respect your position that you don't want to. Even if you had everything set up to protect yourself legally, this will be a huge nightmare. I would totally pass on this.


Title: Assaulted by a cruise employee on international waters last night

Question:
I need your help! My boyfriend and I are on a Carnival Cruise (the Elation) now. We're American and the ship took out of New Orleans, but flying under the Panama flag. I was assaulted last night by a male crew member and it's become the scariest, most disturbing cover-up I could ever imagine. We're in international waters now, but MAY not have been at the actual time of the incident -- unsure.

Basically, we were invited to the crew bar last night and as soon as we walked in, a drunk employee got angry at us for being there and screamed at us to get out. As we booked it out, apologizing, he grabbed my wrist, got in my face and asked me who told us about the place and when I wouldn't give him their names, he shoved me and told me he should leave us in Mexico. He got way out of hand but my boyfriend and I stayed calm the entire time fortunately and didn't get aggressive.

The security who came apologized profusely for the assault -- either he admitted he grabbed me or a witness did. They said they would do whatever to make it right, so I didn't file a claim. But today the "higher ups" have turned the situation on us and are saying we are at fault for entering the area and that WE were probably the drunk ones. We've now been threatened, insulted, alcohol privileges revoked (which is the least of our worries considering neither of us drink much ever, especially last night), and the security doesn't want us speaking to the New Orleans police department before we get back, but said we can all talk to the Cozumel police.

What should we do at this point? They've told us we have no rights here -- is this true? I filed a complaint and got a copy of my written statement, but they REFUSE to let us see the initial report. Is that standard? We recorded a couple of the absurd conversations with employees today, but once the guest services manager found out, they brought us into a private room and reprimanded us for recording and said they won't speak to us until we give them our phones.

One recording we basically ask the manager if it's protocol to revoke privileges of guests who have been assaulted by crew members and she tells us yes (and repeats it even after we tell her we're recording) but we don't have video of the actual assault and afraid they changed the report.

This has been a long, bizarre ordeal and I wanted to put it behind us last night after the incident but now they're taking it too far. I want to ensure we A.) make it home safely and B.) do everything we can to ensure proper legal action is taken, if possible. We're hiding out in our room for the remainder of the trip, but will be working with an attorney when we get back home. Just desperately need advice in the meantime if you can to know our rights and what, if anything, we should do now. Thank you in advance for your help!

Answer:
 If this cruise left from the United States and its the ultimate destination, the assault would fall under the "special maritime jurisdiction" of the United States which is handled by the FBI.   When you get off the boat in Mexico, you probably want to consider a different way home.  Answer #2: 1. Don't talk to the Cozumel police. They don't have jurisdiction and it'll likely be some scam if they convince you that they do
2. Don't get off the boat in Mexico, the ship may not allow you back on
3. Don't take legal advice from ship security. Call the police department in New Orleans now. Notify the Port Authority.
4. Consider calling an attorney regarding the possibility of civil damages. Is there an arbitration clause somewhere on your ticket?

Edit: cease all communication with those onboard who are working on this case. Avoid discussing this matter all together with the crew until you're back home and it's in the hands of your attorney.Answer #3: Technical advice here: If you still have the recordings (your description was a bit unclear) and have Internet access, make sure to get them off the boat and make sure someone at home a) has the recording and b) knows of your situation.Answer #4: What do you want to happen?Answer #5: Do file a report on the cruise ship, most public areas have cameras. Maybe they caught this action? Also, look up your alcohol tab and see how much you drank before going with the crew members to this area and then that is likely to help you out of this "hot water" situation. Answer #6: If you get off the ship they're definitely not letting you back on. I'm sorry you were assaulted.


Title: (Seattle, WA) former employer is telling people she fired me when I quit. Old parents and peers approaching me about this.

Question:
About a year ago I was a teachers assistant at a preschool. About 8 months into the job, I had an incident with the principal where I ended up quitting due to her behavior towards me.

I didnt break anything or yell, I simply stated that I quit, gathered my things, told my peers that I had quit and left. There were witnesses present when I had quit. Emailed HR as soon as I had left and that was that. When I would run into the principal from time to time (preschool was near my house) she would just avoid eye contact, no issues.

Fast-forward to today and I ran into an old coworker that still works at the preschool and they informed me that the principal had actually told new employees/parents that I was fired instead. I currently work in childcare and I’m afraid this might hurt me in the future. I’m also concerned that the old company may have me down as fired instead of quitting.

 Can I do anything to make sure that she does not go on lying about what happened and to protect my name?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: short answer, no.  Unless her actions have cause real damages there isn't much that can be done.  Being fired vs quitting generally only matters when applying for unemployment and you can even get that if you quit for certain reasons.


Title: What can I do legally if another dog is attacking mine? (UK)

Question:
I have a 4 year old black lab who is very friendly but can be a bit of a chicken. He is always a bit cautious about approaching other dogs because they tend to not like him for some reason.

Recently while out on a walk with my dad, he got attacked by an Alsatian and the dog had mine by the throat on the ground. My dog was fine and wasn’t injured.

This has lead me to wonder about what we would be able to do legally if we found ourselves in a similar situation? OBVIOUSLY I would never want to hurt a dog but if the situation came between hurting a dog and letting it kill mine, what would I be able to do?

I have looked online and all the information I can find is vague, just saying to not pick up my dog during the attack and to take him to the vets afterwards.

What laws are there concerning protecting my dog, what steps I can take to defend myself and the dog without breaking the law, what to do about reporting the other dog?

Thank you, I know it might seem like something small and irrelevant to some but I care a lot about all animals and never would want to hurt one and this is something that worries our family since our dog was attacked.

Answer:
 oooh! This is my field.

IANAL - But I am a dog person who is very very well trained in the K9.

So. What you will want to do is go behind the attacking dog, Grab him/her by the back 2 legs and lift (like you would a wheel barrow), as soon as the puppies legs are in the air slowly start to walk backwards. The dogs attention will instantly change to you. At this point just keep walking backwards slowly. don't go too fast to face plant the dog but walk fast enough that it has to walk with its front paws to keep up. Make large circles but don't stop backing up.

Dogs are not snakes. They do not have the muscles to get to you in any way or form if you are using this technique..He/she will just bark and grawl at you and bite at the air as you walk in circles.

Stop when the dog is passing out from exhaustion or when the owner regains control.

edit** I found you a resource explaining this a little more if you care to read. http://www.dogingtonpost.com/how-to-safely-break-up-a-dog-fight/

I have done this on countless dogs. It has never failed and nearly every good dog course will teach this.


Title: Requiring employees to pay for a mandatory work event (WI)

Question:
Quick question - I work at a small 501c3 organization in WI.

We occasionally have celebrations/events where we invite everyone who supports our work. Awesome! Except this time, we've been notified that we are expected to pay our own way, and we are required to show up, and it's non-negotiable. The cost ($40 per person) isn't budget-breaking for me, but some of our admin-level employees don't have an extra $40 lying around. This is an after-hours event that we'll get comp time for, but literally none of us realized we had to PAY for our mandatory attendance until we were notified today.

Is this just bad form, or is it illegal?

Answer:
 Not a WI lawyer, but DWD 272.12(f) would seem to indicate that you are entitled to your wages for such an outside activity, because it is non-voluntary.

http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/dwd/270_279/272/12


Title: "Subrogation specialist" is coming after me for damages in an accident I was not at fault in. TX.

Question:
An attorney in my city has sent me a letter asking for money. I was in an accident in a parking lot in September of last year. The other person involved backed into my stationary car so he was the only one at fault. We exchanged insurance information and went our separate ways. I called his insurance (and I believe he called mine) and filed a claim. His insurance called me back and said the responsibility was 50/50 because we were both at fault. I told them what happened again and they said they'd need to talk to the claim owner again. I never heard from them after that.

My own company meanwhile was dealing with something from them unbeknownst to me. Either his company or he (the other driver) filed a claim against my insurance. My insurance looked at it and said there wasn't enough evidence that I was at fault (if any at all). I thought that was the end of it until I received this letter. It appears that the other driver's insurance passed along the bill to this debt collecter.

My car runs very well but has never looked the nicest. I thought that it wasn't worth my time so I didn't pursue it. I also have the name and number of him and his passenger. He doesn't seem very bright (mentally slow, not trying to be insulting here) but his passenger seems normal and confirmed that his driver was at fault. I have the other driver on video admitting fault.

What do I do?

Answer:
 Call your insurance and inform them about thisAnswer #2: As was said, call your insurance. For the other insurance to have turned it over to debt collectors:

1: they have sufficient proof you directly are responsible for damages

Or 2: they know they cant collect and are turning it over to some shady collections agency that is willing to butt heads with FCRA laws.

Im personally leaning more towards 2. But again, let your insurance sort this all out.


Title: I received an Ordinance Violation of $118.00 giving me the option to pay the fine or appear in court, the ticket had a court date set, however when I go online to pay it says $500.00, has anyone had a similar situation? I live in Clearwater, Florida.

Question: I just want to pay the fine and be done with it, online it says amount assessed $500.00, however my fine only says $118.00, am I stuck paying the 500.00? or is the 500.00 the amount I would pay If I choose to go to court?

Answer: Call the clerk of the court indicated on the ticket? They should be able to sort it out. Probably pay over the phone.


Title: Mother forged signature on bank account 18 years ago

Question:
Back story...
My family was in a drunk driving accident when i was 10 years old. Head on collision, broke right arm and shattered right leg. Sister and I spent 1 full year in Mayo clinic hospital, physical therapy. Sister and i were awarded each x amount of money from settlement. (Hers about 4x mine) Money put into stocks/bonds/money market accounts until i was 18. Fast forward to age 17. Im given a small allowance per month before i was given the whole trust handed over. Mother asks if i can help with electric bill. (Both my mother and step father had above mediocre jobs, had house and cars, not poor. Went on family vacations, cruises etc). Back to electric bill... I agree, was on average like 120$. No big deal i thought. I turn 18, mother and i  go to bank to sign papers and what not. Sign sign sign. I get debit card, check book, whole 9 yards. Skip ahead a few months, im accepted to a college more geard twards computer science. Can't get financial aid due to parents making too much. No big deal i thought, i have money to pay for it. Im looking at places to move into with my best friend, Mother and i get into heated arguement , i end up leaving and going to stay with friend for the time being.  We find a place in Madison, i wanted to move my bank somewhere closer to where i now lived.
Bank statement shows i withdrew 53,000 2 hours earlier, showing my signature.Wtf? How.
Bank tells me my bank account had a power of attorney and i signed for it when the account was created. I get into a huge fight with my mother. She says i owe her the money for more or less being her child. My sister never gave my mom anything nor did she claim she owed her any. She later that year does major remodeling on current house. Sells it 3 or 4 years later, buys another house in a subdivision. Years go by no money ever repaid or anything. Didn't go to said accepted college. I now live with my wife and kids in South texas. Im not 100% if i even could legally sue her but my real father is telling me to persue this further.

TLDR: mom got me to sign power of attorney on my trust account, forged name and stole 53,000$.

Answer:
 Wisconsin statute of limitations is two years **from the date of your 18th birthday.** Assuming you are not over 20 years of age, you may have a cause of action.

Contact a lawyer.


Title: Ex caused a car accident due to texting on her phone and almost killed my child.

Question:
Hi. First I'll just start by saying that I'm in Ontario, Canada.
At the end of August, my ex was in a major car accident (second one) and almost killed the two children in the car with her (one of them being my six year old son). I received a call from two people who had seen the accident and attended to her at the scene. One of them was a nurse. She clearly stated that my ex was constantly texting on her phone (looking down) and wasn't watching what she was doing. Ex claims she turned a round for a quick second and when she looked back, there was a car in front of her forcing her off the road. The nurse has a very different story. Four days later, I was with my ex (she was driving) and she started playing around with her phone looking for music taking her eyes off the road. Our son was in the back in a neck brace.

I am at a loss what to do here. I haven't brought anything up yet, because she's such a toxic person and threatens to take my son away etc. I really want her to have to be accountable for this and if my son has future injuries, this should be taken care of as well. I'm looking for suggestions on how to proceed. Thank you kindly.

**So just an update. Thank you first for all of your advice and just listening to what I had to say. This is an incredible thing to carry around thinking that your child could have been killed and nobody is being held accountable. I have requested the police report as well as the insurance report. The next step is to get the phone records and go from there.

Answer:
 Call your divorce lawyer and petition the court to change your custody arrangement based upon your ex's reckless endangerment of your child.Answer #2: Get a copy of the Traffic Collision Report/Collision Report/Police Report (or whatever they call them in Ontario).  What were the police findings recorded in the report? What witness statements are in the report?  I don't think you are going to get very far trying to modify custody by your filing a declaration of the hearsay statement of the nurse which will be denied by your ex.  Get some admissible evidence for the judge to consider.Answer #3: See if you can get a copy of her phone log and see if she was texting at the time or near the time of the accident.it's more proof.it might help you.Answer #4: If your ex has another accident and someone is killed, what would you wish you had done before?

Do that right now.


Title: Coworker hacked my iCloud, stole & sent my nude photos to his own number. What can I do?

Question:
I discovered a thread in iMessage (but not on my iPhone) to an unknown Jacksonville-area number. It appeared that I had sent this number a string of personal nude photos I'd sent to my now-ex months ago, one text saying "Take," and a final, more recent nude. I thought I'd deleted all of them--apparently not. I was bewildered, having no idea who this contact was and no recollection of sending these photos, apparently at 2:39pm on Monday the 26th. I texted twice asking who it was--no reply.

I searched the number on Facebook and it turned out a single profile: a coworker from my office, a small tech company in Jacksonville, FL where I've worked for a little over a month. He works in IT, right across the hall from me. He started a couple of weeks ago. I have no contact whatsoever with him outside of brief work-related interactions.

Presumably he hacked something or other of mine to do this. I am wondering what, if anything, I can realistically do in this situation besides change all my passwords, delete the photos, and bring it up with HR. I have screenshots of everything and still have the iMessage thread.

[UPDATE] Hello everyone -- thank you SO much for all the response. This is all very helpful. Some people have mentioned maybe I left my phone unattended & unlocked at my desk. This is very, very possible seeing as I do not have any sort of passcode on my phone and I'm up and about a lot at work. If this is indeed how he did it, then would I still go to the police? Thank you all again.

2) ALSO: can i blur/censor the photos in some way before i show them to the police?

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

UPDATE 2) When I made this post I had it in my head that he "hacked" me. I am now convinced he just lurked my phone directly, and deleted the sent messages, not thinking of the fact that they would remain in iMessage (a level of incompetence in an IT professional that is in itself more than enough grounds for firing).

I was in meetings from 12 to 4 on Monday (along with my boss, my cubicle-neighbor, her boss, and a few others, leaving my desk wide open), with a break from 1-2pm, during which time he came right over to my desk, stood behind me, and had me send him two "test emails" so he could fix something with my email, presumably. All of this is documented in Outlook mail and calendar FWIW.

Followed everyone's advice. Spoke with the police, he wrote up a report, and basically said what I expected: that he can't definitively prove the guy sent them, despite my "evidence." The police had no existing info on the guy, said to call back if I find any of them posted online, and to file for an injunction. He said if I can find out his birthday that would help. He recommended to at that point present the whole thing to HR, and to set up a webcam surveillance thing at my desk.

Any further advice is immensely appreciated! Thanks a ton for all the help so far.

Answer:
 Former Apple support rep here.

The most likely scenario, especially since you don't have a passcode on it, is that he used your phone without your knowledge. Specifically, this is due to the way iMessage syncs your conversations between devices; at present, messages that you send are synced, but if you delete a message or a conversation, that fact is not synced.

So, when he sent the pictures to himself using your phone, those messages were synced to your Mac or iPad; he then deleted the conversation to cover his tracks, but that deletion was not conveyed to your other devices.

Do not delete the conversation from your other devices, as it's the only proof you have right now, and if the pictures were sent using iMessage (blue bubble) rather than text (green bubble), your carrier would not be able to assist you in documenting the messages.

And yes, still go to the police.Answer #2: It may be worth it to ask around your co-workers to see if he visited your desk/office that date/time. If so, see if they'd be willing to write a quick statement to support that. You don't have to explain why you're asking, but just, "I noticed something unusual at my desk when I got back that day. You wouldn't happen to remember if anyone stopped by, would you?"

Also, if there are other women in your office or at work who leave their phones like that, casually suggest they either lock their phones or something.


Title: (MA and CA) Is it normal to get called for jury duty in two states?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's perfectly normal if you have done something that causes you to be added to the jury pool in both states (e.g. registering to vote in one while holding a valid drivers license in the other).  The states are obviously unaware of each other's actions.

It sounds a though you are now or soon to be a permanent resident of MA.  You can ask if CA will release you from your service on the basis of your having been a student and now to be a resident of MA.


Title: CA employee gave two weeks notice, took him off schedule second week, now hes claiming unemployment

Question:
California
Hey there first time posting here
I work as a scheduler for a company and we had an employee give two weeks notice, being that our company is a staffing agency we didnt assign him any shifts in the second week of this two week period so that continuing employees could get the hours and now about a month later hes filed for unemployment. Did we technically fire him?

Answer: You accepted their resignation a week early.  Regardless, they resigned, and were not fired.  It's very common not to allow people to work their final two weeks.Answer #2: Make sure the dlse is aware of the circumstances. You can appeal his claim. Just tell the truth. They will decide.


Title: Child support after high school

Question:
I live in Wyoming and my ex just had me served to modify my child support. My son has graduated high school and is over 18. The decree and my state laws say that support should be over unless he is disabled. He is not. He even had a full ride to a college in state but out of town. He decided he wanted to stay at his mother's house and take a different scholarship that pays his tuition in full.
I thought I was finally going to be able to get surgery on my shoulder and maybe even drive a reliable vehicle and now I'm going to be screwed for another 4 years.  Thoughts?  Odds of me showing a judge the statutes and having it dismissed?

Answer: If the decree states after the age of 18, barring disability, that the obligation is void I don't understand how the other party could think they could sue for continuation of the obligation. Unless you withheld details then just show up to cort, provide a copy of the decree and this will be dismissed with prejudice. Meaning the other party can't try and sue again. Not a lawyer tho.Answer #2: Speak with an attorney to understand what you need to get done.  It's not as cut and dry as the other poster put forth, it will take some time and the other party in the case has to be properly served and afforded a chance to argue for the support to continue.  In the meanwhile, you will still be assessed child support payments and subject to penalties if you have any in arrears.  The sooner you get in to see someone, the sooner you can get started on terminating the child support obligation.


Title: WA Do I actually have to talk to the cops?

Question: My situation is that my friend was chased out of a store for shoplifting alcohol by employees, and the employee managed to get the license plate of my car. I never left the car or shoplifted, was just driving away. Anyways, now the police have my contact info, and I was wondering if I am legally required to speak to them if/when they do call me. Me and my friend are both minors. If I refuse to speak to them, what would happen next? Would they contact my parents/owners of the vehicle?

Answer:
 You aren't required to (and probably shouldn't) speak with the police. However, if you were in on the plan and drove the getaway car, you are no less guilty of shoplifting than your friend. Answer #2: You are under no obligation to speak with the police.

That being said, if you, a minor, drove another minor to a liquor store, presumably knowing that she is no more able to legally purchase booze than you are, the police may not entirely buy the "I had no idea that she was going to steal any alcohol" argument.

Not legal advice, but you should A: tell your parents about this before the police do and B: probably not hang out with this friend for a whileAnswer #3: No, you aren't legally obligated to speak to them.

> If I refuse to speak to them, what would happen next?

You could be arrested, but nobody can say.

> could they contact my parents/owners of the vehicle?

Yes. If you're a minor, your parents are probably going to hear about it.

Answer #4: Yes they will contact your parents and they might arrest you.

Regardless of what happens you don't say a word* to anyone unless instructed to do so by your lawyer.

*see [jasilvermane's comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/6p1v6g/wa_do_i_actually_have_to_talk_to_the_cops/dkm3sul/) for more precise boundaries if confronted by police