Title: Bait and Switched on a Job Offer Salary

Question:
This happened in Alaska.

Ill try to make this as short as possible! Sorry for any formatting issues, and thanks in advance.

So, I applied to work for a state government agency in AK while still working in the same field in the lower 48. I got an interview, and eventually got a job offer. This is where it gets a little weird. Even though this is an established state agency, I never received a formal offer letter. I even called the person who set up my interview and asked if I should  be getting one and he said that he never got one either. Weird, but okay.

For a little background, there was one of two types of positions to be filled - one position making more than the other (worker I vs worker II, same job, worker II getting paid more, etc). The application said that the applicant needed a law/psychology/criminal justice/related degree to be considered for a worker I, and the same degree specifications plus a year of experience in the field. I have a degree in communications, and a year of experience in the field. Because I got the job offer, I thought my communications degree would fill the requirements, and my year of experience would put me in a worker II standing. My future supervisor thought the same thing.

Anywho, in lieu of an offer letter, I was emailing my future supervisor throught the whole process, and she was the one who told me I got the offer. I asked what my salary would be, and she told me I would get paid as a worker II. **I have this in writing**.

The salary she offered was more than I was making in my current position, so I took the offer, gave away my cat, sold my car, gave away all of my and my husband's belongings, rented out our house, left our friends and family, quit my job and made the 4500 mile trek to Alaska.

Upon arriving on my first day, I was signing new employee paperwork and this paperwork said I would be a worker I and would be paid as such. The problem with this is that I would have never accepted the position if I knew before hand that the state intended to hire me on as a worker I. I was making more money at my job in the lower 48 and I would have not given up my life to come up here only to lose money.

My supervisor has already, supposedly, talked to her higher ups and HR, who oddly enough made me reapply for the position, and I've filled out forms for the accounting/payroll department, all to no avail. I have also just recently gotten our Union involved, but they're basically saying that my supervisor will have to fight for me, which is something that at this point, I don't think she will do.

This feels like an awful practical joke/bait and switch. What can I do? Any advice?

Thanks so much for your time.

Answer:
 I would consult an attorney familiar with Alaskan state law. Let the attorney know you have in writing to be promised X amount. Then after you accepted the position and moved they lowered the amount they were going to pay you. Let them know you would have never accepted the position if you were going to be paid the lower amount. You were baited and switched.Answer #2: If I have this right, you accepted an offer for job "A" at salary "X," and moved to Alaska for it. On your first day, they tell you job "A" is unavailable, but invite you to apply for job "below A" at salary "less than X," an amount you wouldn't have accepted?

You should bring this to your union, but if you aren't able to reach a resolution, set up a consultation or two with an employment attorney. There may be a detrimental reliance claim.

The AL bar association has a referral service [here](https://alaskabar.org/for-lawyers/lawyer-referral-service/) for discounted consults. Take all the paperwork related to this with you, and see what an expert or two tell you.


Title: Overstayed a US visa and currently can't go back for 5 years. If I marry a US citizen, can I return before 5 years?

Question: Hello, I'm a 26 year old female living in Korea. I have Korean citizenship. I entered America legally when I was a baby, but overstayed my visa and triggered a 10 year ban when I voluntarily left in 2013. My boyfriend is a US citizen and we're planning to marry soon. Would I be eligible for a spouse visa at this time or do I need to complete my ban first? If my spouse visa is granted, would my entry to America be guaranteed even if I didn't serve my full ban or can I still be turned away at the airport? Lastly, as long as I serve my ban, will I be able to return without any problems in 5 years? Any help would be appreciated, thank you.

Answer:
 You’re well into “get a lawyer” territory. Answer #2: as part of a marriage visa or fiance visa you are required to declare any entry bans or deportations.

They would be most likely to process any beneficiary with a declared ban as attempting to fraudulently avoid the ban, and reject your visa application.

If you wait until the ban expires, you still have to declare it, and you should expect to face additional Request For Evidence, and enhanced questioning at the embassy.

You should have got a lawyer before you left, you definitely need one now.Answer #3: It can be waived using a Form I-601. You will be rejected for the visa at the first interview and directed to file that form. If you can demonstrate extreme hardship to your spouse they can waive the ten year bar. This is best done with an immigration attorney.


Title: Florida - Mom has a lien on her, does it pass down after she dies?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Liens are attached to property. Debt is not inherited but the debt will be paid out of the estate before it goes to any heirs.


Title: Mylandlord is trying to evict me because we had one overnight guest

Question: My landlord of a basement apartment I rent, gave me an eviction notice because I have smoked cigarettes in the road in front of the place, not on the property, and because I have had my friend stay the night 2 times in the 5 months we have been rentong from them, and "noise complaints" because I have normal conversations in a normal voice and the basement has no insulation dividing us from their part of the house. I'm in the state of Virginia. There are laws stating they need to give me a 30 day amend or leave notice if I break the lease, but they hadn't done so. The lease states I need to tell them if I have a visitor stay over 7 days but then later states i need to tell them if anyone sgays. Is it valid since it contradicts itself? And can they evict me? They also gave us a parking spot in the driveway on the lease, but since i totalled my car they had been parking in the spot. I told them they had to move it by this morning, but they said once I had my vehicle they would move it but its only designated for me and my roommate, not our guests or visitors and refused to move. Is this legal??

Answer:
 Doesn’t sound legal to me.  A reasonable person would say you can have a friend stay over occasionally.
Eviction is a legal suit.  Can they file?  Yes.  Will the judge see it your way?  Likely.

Since there is a parking space on the lease, that is your parking space.  Period.

Sounds like they want you to go.  Ask them how much they will pay you to leave right away.


Title: [Orlando, Florida] Owner is starting a no bathroom breaks on the clock rule.

Question: Like the title the Owner for the company I work for is starting a new rule which I don't think is legal. I did call the department of labor and had someone say it was legal because Florida is a right to work state. Please advise.

Answer:
 >Federal law also requires employers to pay for short breaks an employee is allowed to take during the day. **Breaks lasting from five to 20 minutes are considered part of the workday, for which employees must be paid.**

[Source](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/meal-rest-breaks-florida.html)

It's hard to believe you called the DOL because they're blatantly wrong.Answer #2: Are they saying you can't use the restroom while you are at work, or are they saying you can't use the restroom outside of your scheduled breaks?Answer #3: > had someone say it was legal because Florida is a right to work state.

I'm in California, and work on labor law cases as a non-attorney expert.  These are two entirely different concepts.  Right-to-work has to do with working with or without having membership in a union.  It has nothing to do with your potty time.

Answer #4: Right-to-work doesn't apply - union membership has nothing to do with bathroom breaks. Florida is at at-will employment state.

Federal law on this matter would override state law.Answer #5: OSHA may have you covered

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=22932&p_table=INTERPRETATIONS

I live in Orlando. I'm a bit curious to hear what company you work for. If you'd rather not, I understand.


Title: Possible scam artist/identity thief help please.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Identity theft is always a risk when you hand out information. Unfortunately there's not much you can do to prevent that besides locking your credit reports ($10 usually covers 7 years or lifetime, depending on the agency).

>I'm somehow going to get stuck with a 1000$ vacuum bill.

That's possible, but you've got a firm defense in that you have tried contacting them repeatedly. Call both numbers at least a dozen times today. Keep logs of when you called and what happened when you call. Demand that they return to pick up the device no later than midnight tonight.

Do the papers you signed have any special "return" procedure? Such as a specific number you must call?

EDIT: Even though this page applies to the "golden ager" rule, it would be a good idea to contact Kirby directly. https://www.kirby.com/about-kirby/cancellation-procedures/


Title: Underage boxing?

Question: Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but I figured it’d be a really funny idea to have a boxing card with kids from my highschool. I’m a senior so they’d be 17-18. Would this be illegal? Obviously it wouldn’t be on school grounds, but would I also be in trouble with the school? It’s probably a stupid idea, but I’m curious.

Answer: You should talk to a boxing gym about organizing a competition. Depending on your state there is probably a framework for this for competitions managed by amateur athletic associations. The odds that you personally could organize this in a way that would be legal are close to zero.


Title: Possible asbestos in home 2 years after purchase

Question:
Hello,

NY - Recently found what might appear to be asbestos wrapped around duct work in basement. Purchased house 2 years ago and seller and inspector did not disclose presence of asbestos. Obviously, still needs to be tested to determine it is, in fact, asbestos.

I'm wondering if I have a case against the seller for not disclosing it to help pay for the abatement project, if necessary. The asbestos tape was covered by regular old gray duct tape - indicating that they might have known it was asbestos and covered it so no one would see it. It was found because the gray regular duct tape started to dry out, so I peeled it back and saw what might be asbestos tape at the duct work joints.

Thanks!

Answer:
 Probably not. You can't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the seller was aware of the asbestos.

Even then, it's really not that big of a deal. I have asbestos in my condo ceiling; since the previous owner scraped most of the popcorn texture off I just painted it and it doesn't bother me in any way.

The only time I had to take precautions was when I gutted my bathroom. I had to wear a respirator and be careful not to cut into the ceiling.


Title: (Mass) I got a speeding ticket in which the cop documented my speed using BOTH "estimation" and "radar". Is it worth fighting, or should I take a plea bargain?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: He estimated your speed and then confirmed it with the radar. If you question his estimation, he has the radar. If you question his radar, he has his estimation which is sufficient for court.


Title: I made the mistake of telling a police officer I would come in to the station and answer questions. What should I do to avoid incriminating myself?

Question: About two weeks ago there was an incident where I wasn't arrested, charged, or given a citation. Well today an officer called me and left me a message. He said that he wanted me to come to the station and answer some questions, and that I wasn't being charged or arrested. He just wants to get my side of the story. I realize now I should have told him I don't want to speak without a lawyer, but I'm supposed to be there in an hour and a half. I'm afraid he'll get me to say something mistakenly and I'll be arrested. What should I do to avoid this?

Answer:
 Call him and say you've changed your mind and want your attorney present. Answer #2: Don't go without a lawyer. If you can't get a lawyer in the next hour and a half, don't go.Answer #3: Tell the police officer you can't make it and get an attorney before you speak with them further.Answer #4: If he wanted your side, he'd have gotten it at the scene. I'm not a lawyer, but I think he's trying to build a case. No good can come of this, nothing you say can be used to help you, only used against you.
Answer #5: You should not go to the scheduled meeting.

Hire an attorney.  Get their advice.Answer #6: TELL US WHAT HAPPENED!


Title: PA--Can I have someone other than my husband make medical/burial decisions for me?

Question: We are recently separated, and neither one of us have the money for a divorce.  I realize I will probably need an attorney for what I need done, but I wanted to make sure it was actually possible for me to choose someone, perhaps one or both of my grown children, via a power of attorney or something, to make decisions on life support, cremation, etc.

Answer: You can assign anyone a [power of attorney](http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=616601&mode=2). Medical power of attorney (aka a living will) empowers anyone you designate to make medical decisions in the event you lack capacity to do so. Burial decisions are probably best made by you via a will and you can designate an administrator to ensure all provisions of the will are followed. I can tell you it's very possible; I'm a lawyer but you should consult an attorney specializing in this stuff.


Title: The company my mom works for was bought by another company. The new company says if she doesn't come in (if they call) while she takes PTO (paid time off) that they will fire her

Question:
Hey, guys! First post here.

My mom works in Arizona. Her company ("Company A") was recently bought out by another company ("Company B"). Her last official day for Company A is February 29th.

My mom has taken several Fridays and Mondays off with her PTO (paid time off), but Company B says that if she does not come in when they potentially ask her to, she could be fired and also lose the month's pay for March (severance package). For example, say she's off on Monday and Company B has a question about a particular file she worked on. If they call to have her come in and she does not, she could lose her severance pay and immediately be fired. Is this legal? It sounds really sketchy to me. Thank you in advance to anyone who reads this :)

Answer: Sounds legal, but sucky.  My advise would be to suck it up and work for the next two months to get the severance package and in the mean time start looking for a company that fits her style better.


Title: Just purchased a new car - how long do I have until I'm required to add it to my current insurance policy?

Question: Currently in Florida and have Progressive.

Answer: The moment you drive it.


Title: Someone has been applying for credit cards and lines of credit in my name. Found out two days ago and have made all the phone calls and reports. But when I pulled one of my credit reports, an odd address showed. According to public records, the property is owned by a former co-worker.

Question:
So, Wednesday night, I got a letter from a bank indicating that someone had applied for an Amazon Store Card in my name, and they needed more information from “me.” I called that bank immediately and found that they had the application and denied it, flagged it as fraud, and would issue a letter to the credit bureaus. Then, I started calling credit bureaus and pulling my credit reports. I found a strange address in the report.

It didn’t occur to me until the next morning that I could search the property in public records to find the owner. When I did, I was shocked to recognize the name—an uncommon one—as one of my old coworkers from over a year ago.

One of the credit card companies that I called did have that address attached to an application in my name. To get a copy, they require a police report.

I filed a police report, and the officer was all excited, saying that they almost never have a suspect and that a fraud detective would be in touch. A couple of hours later, the officer called me to say that I needed to file the report with the city police instead.

I called the city police and spoke to the most apathetic officer. First of all, he was supposed to come to my house to take the report, and a half hour later, I got a phone call. He was barely listening to what I said and did not want to put in a report, but would generate a complaint number in case this person actually succeeded in opening an account. I told him that that wouldn’t work, that they want a report to give me the application and he wanted the application to file a report. He still resisted, so I explained all of the paperwork that I have and that I needed them to look at it and insisted that I would bring copies down for their review. He sighed and said okay.  When I got there, they said, “I think he’s still here,” so I think he just wanted to go home.

I finally got him to issue a report, but I’m concerned that this is not being taken seriously. I’m in Tennessee, if that helps. What more can I do? I feel like I’ve laid their case out for them and can’t figure out why they are acting resistant to investigate. At the very least, I need this to be stopped, even if they can’t press charges for some reason.

tl;dr; Someone is trying to open credit cards in my name, and the address tied to the applications is that of an old coworker, according to the county’s records. The police seem to not be taking it seriously, and I need for, at the very least, the applications to stop.

Answer:
 You should start by freezing your credit at all of the credit bureaus. Here is a good summary of step you should take for identity theft.

https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/identity_theft


Title: [Florida] Looking to adopt my Step-daughter, can someone please explain the process to us?

Question: Basically I just want someone to explain the process we need to go through for me (the stepfather) to adopt my Stepdaughter, just so we know the steps. Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 This is not something you want to do without the help of an attorney.

And more I can't say since we don't even know if she is a legal adult or not (both kind of adoptions happen).

If she is a minor then the biological father might still have rights and if you don't follow the procedure properly then he could unwind the whole thing.


Title: Hey guys, it seems I've got a pretty popular t-shirt design on my hands on the front page or r/all. Any copyright advice?

Question: Assuming its not already been pilfered and posted to every t-shirt website on the internet. Do you think my joker/batman design falls under fair use. I've contacted DC but probably won't hear a reply until Monday morning.

Answer:
 Fair use for a T shirt design you are selling?  No way.  You need a license.  Answer #2: DC is much friendlier in this context than Marvel, but you've got a bit of an uphill battle. Also someone can adapt your idea for themselves without your permission. But is a cool design. Good luck. Answer #3: "Fair use" isn't in any law.  It's a legal concept that you have to argue in court.

Taking someone else's design and trying to pass it off as your own isn't fair use.  That's just theft of intellectual property.


Title: The police department is charging my mom for her warrant (AR)

Question:
Hello, I am a mobile user so please forgive any errors with formatting.

A few years ago my mom got a ticket and had to go to court. They settled on a fine and my mom made the first payment. A few days after that, they arrested my mom for failure to appear in court. We had to take proof to them and they didn't even apologize for arresting her for no reason.

Anyway, my mom was paying the fines and then moved out of state for a bit. When she came back in January, she called the county sheriff's office to check on her fine. They referred her to several different numbers but each one told her they couldn't find anything and as far as they were concerned it was paid and done with. She goes about her business and transfers her license, registers her car, and gets a job.

A few days ago she dropped my sister off at work, then stopped at the bank. Cops came into the bank to arrest her, and my sister was forced to leave work to pick up her kids and my mom's car. The cops told her she has a warrant for her fines, and took her to the county it belonged to. Instead of taking her to the county police department like they did before, they dropped her off at the department with 2 cops and no cells in the small town nearby.

My mom was sat in a waiting room where she filled out her own paperwork. The cop told my mom she owes nearly $1000 and if it's not paid by her court date she's going to spend 30 days in jail. Then he told my mom that if she paid him $140 she could leave, so my sister paid it. He supposedly applied that directly to her late fines.

Her fines had come up to around $500, but they're adding in an extra $450 for her warrant. They told her it's because they had to get it approved? Also when she told them she called the county to check, he insisted they weren't part of the county. We searched online and couldn't find a warrant or an arrest afterwards. She did not see hide nor hair of a judge.

I'm not well versed in law, but I've never heard of being charged for a warrant. I also think the guy asking for money as "bail" sounds sketchy.

Any help and advice is appreciated, thank you.

Answer:
 Has she called the court clerks in all the local counties to figure out if there's a warrant or not, or if there was? That'd be my first step. Warrants and arrests aren't always posted online, or might not be posted for a while.

Money bail like that does happen, mostly in smaller/more rural areas afaik. Did she get a receipt?

If you want to be sure everything is on the up-and-up, a lawyer would be your best bet.


Title: Reverse Eminent Domain

Question:
Location: Utah

For several years, a 501c3 organization I run has been trying to negotiate to buy an abandoned jail owned by our city to turn it into a Makerspace, community center, and business incubator. All negotiations have stagnated, and the city has brushed us off at every opportunity.
Recently the city used eminent domain to take some property from residents to build a road, and we checked out the relevant laws. We were astounded when it appeared to allow us to take the jail we had been trying to buy.

Relevant laws are Utah code 78B-6-505(3) which indicates that a person other than a government entity can take property, and 78B-6-503(2) says we can take city property they aren't using.

Is there any chance of us winning? Is there relevant case law pertaining to this? How can I find a lawyer that might want to be involved in this really cool eminent domain case?

Edit: We've already given the city the required pamphlet and letter to start the process.

Answer: Make them an offer,  Give them a month, then file the eminent domain thing. Go back in a week to see if they have changed their mind on your offer.


Title: (FL) Parent continuously being scammed

Question:
My father is continuously being scammed by multiple people overseas. This has been going on for sometime now, possibly over a year. He lives alone and has been sending all of his money away. My brother and I are starting to suspect that he is opening credit cards to send more money.

He recently sold his vehicle and my brother and I were able to convince him that he isn't responsible enough to manage that money. So we were able to get control of that money and are paying his bills with it. We are keeping records of the bills we're paying to make sure it doesn't look like we tried to take advantage of him.

He is receiving social security payments every month and we are sure that he is giving them away. We are considering getting a PoA and trying to make sure he can't give that money away to more scammers.

I'm wondering what our options are, and is there anything we need to do to protect ourselves?

Answer: Take your father for a neurological examination. Repeatedly being scammed suggests he has some problem with cognitive function. This might be the start of Alzheimer's disease


Title: [Midwest USA] Time For Me To Leave!

Question:
I am extremely pleased and humbled to announce to my friends at /r/legaladvice that I was nominated yesterday by my governor to fill a vacancy on our State Supreme Court. It was an unexpected and humbling honor that I cannot be happier, or more pleased with. The Governor noted in his nominating announcement my continuous "empathetic compassion and longstanding legal acumen."  I said at the press conference that the most important trait a justice can have is treating others with complete respect and dignity. That I do that each and every day and would continue to do that on the court.

I need to be confirmed by a 2/3 vote of our state senate. This will occur in approximately one month. I have disclosed to the governor and the Chairman of the Judicial Committee my past participation in this sub. The Chairman has asked me to compile any complaints that have arisen about my participation here so that the Senator can consider it. While it is an anonymous sub the Chairperson is pretty through and wants to make an informed choice.

I have revealed my actual identity to /u/grasshoppa1, /u/gratty and /u/ContextOfAbuse. They have graciously agreed to be responsible for coordinating this effort. I deliberately chose not to burden the mods of this sub with that task. They do a thankless job and run a great sub here.

If you have anything you want considered by the committee please feel free to let them know. I am very excited by this opportunity and I hope you will join me in my enthusiasm! I know some of you don't always agree with my comments but I always try and treat every poster with kindness and respect and I think it shows in each comment. Its been a lot of fun these last few years and I wish you all the best!

Answer:
 Wait a minute. This sub has one lobbyist, and you didn't call me to make this happen? You fucker.Answer #2: Zapopa, J. I dissent. The majority appears to have written their opinion while living in mommy's basement, apparently fueled on Mountain Dew and Cheetos, traces of which are still visible on the slip opinion.  I respectfully suggest that my learned colleagues just grow the fuck up, for once.  As to the merits of the case, a cursory glance at the record suffices to demonstrate that not only is the death penalty appropriate for this defendant based on his heinous character and puling testimony, but it is even more appropriate for everyone involved in this shitshow of a trial, including the presiding judge, both prosecuting and defense attorneys, every witness, every juror (including the alternates), the bailiff, and the blind man who sells snacks in the courthouse basement. Notwithstanding the mewling and whining of the majority (and I admit I couldn't make it all the way through all of the crap they wrote, possibly in some sort of corrupt attempt to support the timber industry in this state), the fact that the defendant was charged with a traffic offense does not make him any less deserving of a death sentence than does the fact that he was actually acquitted.  I would remand this case to the trial court with instructions that defendant and the above-named other individuals be hanged from the neck until they are dead, dead, dead. Answer #3: Now watch, this turns out to be legit and some legislative committee has to wade through pages of *Goddammit April Fools* comments.

....which might be the whole point. Sinister indeed. Well played, sir.Answer #4: No better Jurist selection. A pleasure to have met you.


Title: (TX - SA) What should I do about a car abandoned in front of my house?

Question: San Antonio, Texas in case it matters. A pickup truck has been parked in front of our house for over a week. We've asked a couple of neighbors (not everyone in the cul-de-sac) and it's not theirs. Contacting the city services they suggested a police report to get it towed. Trying to look up the owner online results in either a request for payment or a privacy block. It's not in the way (except if someone is visiting and has to park on the other side), but looking in through the window there appear to be several tickets laying on the cup holder by the stick shift. Is there anything to worry about other than the nuisance factor? If I call the police, I presume that I could expect them to release my info (and obviously the folks would know where I live) to the owner if they come to pick it up?

Answer:
 Police do care about abandoned vehicles, they might be stolen.  Call the non-emergency line.  They might tow it, might ticket it, might do nothing.Answer #2: So... did you contact the police to file a report and get it towed?

The owners of the truck (hopefully) know where they left it, so not too hard to figure out who would have called, in the first place.

If you don't want it towed, not much else you can do about it.


Title: My companys name .com was registered before I started the company back in 2012 - the site has always just been a blank page. Domain owner refuses to sell for reasonable offer. Do I have any claim to the domain?

Question:
Location: New York, USA

I started a company back in 2012 - let's call it "Fubar Designs", there was not a single company/product with same name out there at that time, all social media pages with that name were available and so were all of the domains - except for the .com. We ended up registering FubarDesign.com (without the "s") and all the others (.net, .org, etc) with the "s". Over the years, I have offered various sums (in the hundreds) to the owner of FubarDesign**s**.com, but the owner is either unresponsive or claims sentimental value and does not accept my offer.  To my knowledge - the website never had anything other than a placeholder and this is true until today. At this point, it seems like the owner is just "squatting" the domain in hopes that we blow up and we offer him a very large sum for it. Considering my company was started *after* the domain was registered, we are the only company (to my knowledge) with our name and there is nothing and never was anything other than a blank page there - do I have any legal claim to the domain? If so, how would I go about acquiring it?

Answer: Offer more money. The other person had the domain first. Answer #2: I hope you know that just searching for existing exact names is not sufficient to establish a trademark. If you, yourself, think you have a possibility of making it big, know that your entire brand could be at jeopardy in the future.


Title: High school bus pass “fraud “

Question:
There’s a program that offers bus passes at reduced prices for students that live in a certain area around the school. Often students who live outside the area will get students who live inside but don’t need a bus pass to purchase one at a reduced price. The school maintains this is fraud and calls it illegal and confiscates bus passes if found. (The school puts a lot of recourses into this).

The only section in the public transit bylaw that pertains to this is a section reading

 “A person shall not transfer a Proof of Payment to any other person unless the Proof of Payment states on its face that it may be transferred” subject to 250$ fine

The school can only prove someone handed a bus pass to someone else, they can’t prove it was actually used on a bus.

Does transferring a bus pass only count if they can prove someone actually used the bus pass, or is physically handing someone the pass count.

The bylaw also doesn’t define the pass as property of the city.

Thanks

Alberta Canada

Answer: Handing the bus pass to someone would be transferring it.


Title: I was assaulted & had my jaw broken in two places, $7000 surgery, & the cops never filed my police report......

Question: So here is some background.... a couple of weeks ago (actually 2 months ago) I was at a party where I was randomly assaulted, I wasn’t the only one. But basically what happened was, there was a group of uninvited people who showed up to the party & were asked to leave... they were pissed bc of this & never really left... the homeowner was too drunk & just let it go.... a huge fight broke out over & I was punched in the face causing my jaw to break on both sides, I didn’t hit anyone. I was sucker punched without warning & my expensive glasses were broken also. The cops showed up to the party shorty after & shut it down & I went home... (if you’re wondering why I didn’t go to the cops that night, it’s bc I was clearly underage drinking & I didn’t want that to be a factor in the police report so I decided to go the next morning) when I went to the police station I brought two witnesses with me. All three of us gave our statements in writing & video. The cop said he was going to file the report & to expect to be in court within the next month or two. He was very friendly & seemed very reliable. It’s been over two months now & I haven’t heard anything. I called the police officer that filed the report multiple times & he never answers his phone. I called the police station to inquire about the case & the officer but the lady told me to leave a voicemail for him.....what else can I do? I’m $7000 in debt from this surgery & I’m starting school soon which I will also have to pay for. I was really hoping I could get reimbursed in some way or get some kind of justice..... I had my mouth wired shut & was in tremendous pain & wasn’t able to eat anything other than liquids for almost 2 months...... should I go to the police station & try to make another statement with a different office? Or is it too late?

Answer: Speak to a personal injury attorney regardless of what you do. A conviction will not necessarily get you money to pay this bill.


Title: Had 10 days to appear, ticket wasn't in the system. Now they want me to appear almost 14 days after.

Question:
LOCATION: Berrien county, Michigan

Last Wednesday I was going to a music festival, got pulled over and they found some weed in my bag, no big deal my fault. The cops took everything, took 100$ cash from my wallet then drove me to an atm to get another 100$ before they let me out of the car and ticketed me. They told me I had 10 days to appear. I called the court every day to see if I was in the system yet and nothing was there, then finally today they say my ticket is in the system and I can come in NEXT Wednesday for my court appearance. That's 14 days after, I took a couple days off this week in case I had to appear within the 10 days and now they want me to come after the 10 days and I have to find a way to take off work, is there any way to fight this now that it's gonna be past the date?

Answer:
 >  The cops took everything, took 100$ cash from my wallet then drove me to an atm to get another 100$ before they let me out...

Wait? What? They made you give them $200?


Title: [California] Someone hit my car, and wants to pay out of pocket. Do I have to use the money for repair?

Question: Someone scratched my car while parking. Got their number, and sent them an estimate from a body shop. They want to pay the shop directly. However, I'm unsure if I want to go through with the repair, as I have more important things to spend my money on. Am I within my rights to demand a check directly to my account?

Answer:
 >Am I within my rights to demand a check directly to my account?

Yes, and they'd be within their rights to refuse.

You don't have to use the money to repair your car.  You're simply entitled to the value of the damage -- what you do with that money (fix your car, buy a new flat-screen TV, invest it in the stock market) is completely up to you.

If you reach a stalemate on the terms of the payment, then your only recourse outside of that is to go through insurance, or sue the person in small claims court.


Title: Guy wants to back out of our agreement to rent a parking spot

Question: My wife is planning to attend community college starting in the middle of this month. Parking spots near the college are hard to come by, so we posted an ad on Kijiji. We got a few replies and went with the guy who had a spot on his driveway that we could use. He emailed us a contract, we signed it and returned it. The contract was very basic but said that we were renting on a month to month basis. We didn't get a signed copy back, but he wrote in an email that yes, everything was set and yes, we were guaranteed the spot. Now, we've emailed him for details about getting a signed copy of the contract back and where we should send the payment, but he replies saying that he won't be able to keep the driveway clear from snow and so, we won't be getting the spot after all. We hadn't sent any money yet, but this is a huge problem since it's going to be a massive inconvenience finding another spot this close to the new semester starting. Is there anything we can do about this? Not sure if it's relevant or not, but we're in Ontario, Canada.

Answer: If you sue to enforce the contact, he can cancel it for the next month, so you would be in an even tougher spot.  Just look for another spot.


Title: Landlord oversold my building's parking lot. Do I have any legal recourse?

Question:
In Wisconsin. I'm concerned about a potential lack of legal recourse because the entirety of my "parking lease" is that my landlord had me write "I would like one parking spot for $75 a month" in the "Special Provisions" section of the lease. No assigned spots. Nothing elsewhere in the lease saying that the landlord has a responsibility to not overfill the lot, or anything like that. I know it's sketchy, I was in a bit of a rock/hard place situation when I found this place - I couldn't find anything else that filled my requirements.

The landlord is aware that the lot is overfilled - when I emailed him about it, his solution was to buy a street parking permit for me (doesn't work for me, I use my car daily and am usually home after all the street spots are filled), and when I told him that that wasn't an option for me, he told me to park in the lot next door (which is a business' private lot and is monitored starting at 6am daily) or in a different "lot" he owns a block away (went to check that out, it's not a lot, it's a driveway). When I told them that none of those options were viable, he stopped responding to my emails. The other tenants are aware of the situation as far as I know, I just seem to be the only one who cares enough to pursue it.

Is there anything I can do? I am absolutely incensed that my landlord is getting extra money every month and none of us are guaranteed a spot; though, in retrospect, he never promised that I'd have my own spot or anything like that. Can I get money back? If I parked in the lot next door and was towed, can I give the bill to the landlord? Or am I just SOL??

Answer: Have you and your landlord discussed cancelling the $75 monthly fee?


Title: Do I have any LEGAL recourse for someone ruining a Pot-Luck Thanksgiving?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Uh. No. There is no "broken potluck" law. You have no actual damages. Being sad doesn't count.

Plan better next time. Go get more food right now.


Title: Can I legally drop out?

Question: I'm 15, living in Alabama and want to drop put. I already know most of the comments are going to be "This is a horrible idea" but I'm firm in my beliefs. I have been dignosed with depression, anxiety, adhd, and some others. I plan to get my GED at some point later when I get myself under control. The question is, is there anyway I can legally drop out at 15?

Answer:
 Looks like a pretty hard no. Answer #2: Doesn’t look easy to achieve.

This website lists the process - https://www.lawyers.com/legal-info/research/education-law/compulsory-education-laws-in-alabama.html

Sorry to hear you are in a tough spot. Good luck.


Title: Freedom

Question: If in my father's will he states that I must take care of my eldest brother and I don't sign anything that agrees to that, will it still fall on me to take care of him?

Answer: Your father can’t mandate that you take care of anyone. Are you instead saying that what you inherit depends on your compliance?


Title: My dad just got a parking ticket in the mail for me. It’s from a town I’ve never been to, in a car I’ve never owned, in a date I had class, with a discrepancy in the license plate number

Question: So the details are pretty much in the title. My dad was notified about a parking ticket I had gotten around 4 months ago in Northern NJ. I live about an hour away and I know I was in class at my local community college that day at that time. I’ve never been to this town in my life. The first letter of the license plate on the physical ticket is wrong, but online it has my plate number and license. The car the officer wrote isn’t even my car. I called the court house and they stated “the officer can write the wrong car model, but as long as the plates match I have to pay or dispute it”. They stated the license plate discrepancy could’ve just been a misprint, but for some reason they insist the ticket is mine. The problem is I’m at my full time college now 12 hours away. I wasn’t planning on going back until December. Before you ask, no this isn’t a scam. The number on the ticket and courthouse are both legit. They are just extremely unreasonable. What should I do? Do I have to go home for a silly parking ticket that isn’t mine?

Answer:
 I had the exact same thing happen to me. I wrote the court a letter explaining it and it went away. That said, I'm an attorney, so that might have helped.

Contact the court and ask, as nice as humanly possible, where you could send in a written dispute. Otherwise you'll have to appear. You can also request an adjournment.


Title: FMLA issue.

Question:
My wife has been on FMLA since April 2018 and she has been working every day part time since then. She basically needs time everyday to attend to our son who was recently diagnosed with autism. My son requires ABA therapy 2-3 hours each day Monday-Friday and additionally takes speech and diet therapy once a week. I also work full time and she decided to be the one to take FMLA to be there for our sons sessions.

Since starting her FMLA, she has still been able to accrude Vacation hours and obviously her paychecks have decreased. This was expected.

Here was our plan:

We planned on taking a small family vacation for 2 weeks in march and april.

Here is the unexpected:

Two months ago my wife noticed she was paid like she had worked a full time salary and without taking FMLA time. She was confused but didnt really look into it until she noticed this months pay was a full time salary amount again. She noticed vacation time was now on the negative. She knows she had accumalated vacation time. She went over to HR to address this.  After talking to HR she was told that they are taking accrude and unacrude vaction hours in order for her "to keep her retirement benefits." She was confused and naturally asked for the reason they just started doing this and not since april. They didnt answer that question and said that is how they have been doing this with everyone forever. My wife was in desbelief and went to talk to the union president. The union president said he was going to read into FMLA and the bargaining contract and get back to her.

When she told me about this incident, I got really upset. First of all, what if she quits her job, what about all this time she is being paid for which she is not necessarily working, does she have to pay it back if she quits. She doesnt want to quit, but it just doesnt make sense.

The issue for us us that this will also prevent us from taking a much deserved vacation in march.

My wife has been a full time employee at this place since 2011. I feel they are harrasing her for the time off she is taking off. I can justify why I feel that way but Ill just keep this simple.

Any thoughts, knowledge, or advise would much be appreciated. Thank you.

Answer:
 It is common for an employer policy or CBA to require that accrued PTO be consumed before allowing unpaid FMLA.

Your wife should allow the union to do what they do.  But if they reach the conclusion this is the right application of the CBA that could be a perfectly routine outcome.


Title: Stolen Identity by Sibling

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Can I sue the police of Arkansas to cause a reform in procedure?

Why don't you file a report against the sibling who is committing the identity theft in the first place, and/or sue that person for the damages they are causing?


Title: Hail Damage on my car! Insurance issued payment check. Car dealerships are giving deals on damaged car. Is this insurance fraud?

Question: Throw away account just in case! So my vehicle was badly damaged in the hail storms that jut hit Texas. My insurance adjuster came out and is issuing me a check for almost $6,000 for repairs. I heard of a car dealership in my area taking hail damaged cars for downpayment on new vehicles. My plan was to take my vehicle for repairs but now I'm considering taking the car to see how much the dealership offers me. I still have a loan at my bank for the vehicle. Is it insurance fraud to use the $6000 and the vehicle as a downpayment for a new car?

Answer:
 You will still have to pay off the loan you have for the car.

You are not required to use the money you receive for damages to the car, for repairs on the car.  You can choose to keep the damaged vehicle and the cash and drive it indefinitely (as long as it is street-legal, of course).


Title: Storage Unit Access Denial

Question:
I need your help Reddit. I have personal belongings in a storage unit that does not belong to me. The storage unit is under the name of someone who is in prison and can't be contacted. The unit contains ONLY my items. The unit is locked due to delinquency, however I have been paying the outstanding balance to keep it from going to auctions. The management has been very difficult to deal with and has provided me with not only personally identying information on the other party, but false information regarding the process to gain access to the unit. Cubesmart requested a signed and notarized letter from both parties that states a transfer of responsibility from him to me, but refused to honor it after it was submitted. I now have temporarily lost contact with the other party and am back at square one.

I won't stop until I exhaust every option possible. Please provide me with some advice for my next move.

Edit: My location is northern Florida.

Edit 2: I was able to put some pressure on them with advice from you guys and they honored my letter. I finally got access to the unit and was able to retrieve all of my stuff! Thanks everyone!

Answer: can you wait till it goes to auction then purchase it? aside you can get a lawyer to write them a sternly worded demand letter with the notarized letter attached to it.


Title: [NY] Arrested and charged with possession despite Good Samaritan laws

Question: My state, NY, has Good Samaritan laws, which from my understanding , gives me immunity were I to call 911 to help a friend. My friend was overdosing, and I called 911 and told them where we were at and that he was overdosing. EMS gets here and so do the police. I get asked for my ID by the cops who came with the EMS, but I'm drunk , so I handed him my fake by accident. That was the only ID I was carrying in my wallet. And then get this, the cop takes my wallet and searches it, which from my understanding, is an illegal search. He finds powder in a bag and a razor, and then I get arrested. My question is that since NY has Good Samaritan laws, I should have had immunity from being searched and arrested, right?

Answer:
 http://www.drugpolicy.org/sites/default/files/documents/DPA_911_Good_Samaritan_Flyer_EN_v3.pdf

>New York’s new “911 Good Samaritan” law protects you even if you shared drugs with others or possess paraphernalia. The protections do not extend to outstanding warrants, probation or parole violations, drug sales, **and other non-drug crimes.**

Because you gave the cop a fake ID, that gave him probable cause to search your wallet. Since the Good Samaritan law is supposed to protect you for the drug possession, it's a complicated situation. You might only get charged for the fake ID instead, but you should talk to an attorney ASAP.


Title: (US/GA) Landlord did not mention about similar retail store moving in after signing a new lease with me

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Does your lease have any sort of exclusivity clause that prevents similar businesses from moving in?  That's very important.

If not, the landlord has absolutely no responsibility to have told you this, and you're about to have a competitor.Answer #2: COMPETE DAMN YOU!!! COMPETE LIKE THE CAPITALIST YOU ARE!! Adam Smith did not die for you to cower at a little thing like a competitive market.

Yea, maybe your lease has an out clause given you haven't taken possession yet.


Title: Legality of Hidden City airfare

Question:
Hello,

I need to make a trip coming up but funds are limited. I can do the hidden city thing and it be actually affordable for me to fly, but what are the legal ramifications of this? Can they sue me, fraud charges etc?

Location: United states

Answer:
 Unless you are doing it a lot with the same airline, nothing will happen.  Things to keep in mind: you can't check your bags. It must be a one way trip. You might not get FF miles since you didn't complete the trip.

Other than that, no biggie.


Title: How likely is this a scam?

Question:
In order to hold an appointment, a credit card is required. They have sent me an email asking me to email them my credit card number, expiration date, the 3 numbers on the back, and my zip code...

Wtf.. This seems so sketchy, how likely is this a scam?

Answer:
 Given the plethora of information you've provided, it is either (1) absolutely a scam; (2) for sure not a scam at all; or (3) somewhere in between.

Having an appointment being held by providing payment information in and of itself does not scream scam.  Unless you are talking to your drug dealer.


Title: CA: Possible discrimination at work; also, needs as a pregnant employee are not being met as per doctor's formal request.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 As for the first set of problems, those aren't a legal issue.  Your company has no obligation to transfer you because the neighborhood is dangerous.  Unless it's in a contract, or there's a demonstrably discriminatory reason they won't do it, all you can do is ask nicely or quit.

As for the pregnancy issues, you may have a case, but it depends on the layout of your store.  They're required to provide reasonable accommodations, not anything your doctor requests.  If putting a stool behind the bar is a safety hazard to other workers, they wouldn't have to do it.  Same goes for if lifting is an integral part of the job.  If it's anything like the coffee shops I've been to, I'd guess both are problematic.  That being the case, they'd have an argument that they can't accommodate and instead allow you to take additional unpaid time off.


Title: Adverse possession, unjust enrichment, easements, and ownership based on flood levels. Who could ask for anything more?

Answer: Tell MSN we need a Microsoft Paint drawing.


Title: Is my landlord responsible for replacing person belongings that were damaged?

Question:
Hello r/legaladvice,

I am a college student who rents an apartment for school that has a year long lease. I just found out that my apartment was flooded with water (I live in an apartment complex, the tenant above me hung a coat on the sprinkler) and some textbooks and clothes of mine are now ruined. My landlord never contacted me about water damage in my apartment, and I only found out when one of my roommates called me telling me the apartment was trashed. They also completely tore up my bedroom, it now looks like a construction site in there. They never contacted me to tell me they were doing this, and they moved and mistreated all of my belongings in the process. My lease goes until August 1, but then they finally contacted me on July 11 (days after the water damage occurred) telling me I had to be out by July 14th so they could do construction. I went to my apartment to grab my things on July 12, and this is when I found out they already tore my room apart, and found my damaged textbooks and clothes.

Is there any compensation I can demand from my landlord? My belongings we're damaged in an accident I had nothing to do with, and I was not notified at all about damage/work they did. My roommate tried talking to them and they said they are not liable, and that we should have gotten renters insurance. I live in Pennsylvania and I do not have renters insurance. Please help.

Thanks for reading!

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: This is what renter's insurance is for. Your LL is likely not liable here. You can attempt to sue the tenant above you.


Title: [RI] Missed Jury Duty due to late delivery of notice

Question:
Hello,
Here is my situation. Today in the mail, after not receiving any for quite a few days, I received a summons for jury duty. The summons was mailed in the afternoon of January 23rd. I was to appear for Jury Duty on February 3rd. You should not see my issue with today being February 10th. On the envelope, someone (I assume the mail carrier) wrote the word "snow". As this item was mailed just prior to the large blizzard that hit the state, I surmise that it was perhaps delayed due to the storm. A path has existed to our mailbox since the day after the storm abated, yet we received nothing until today (this should have struck me as something I should have investigated). My question is, how should I proceed? I would rather not be found in contempt of court.

My current plan is to contact the Jury Administrator, explain the situation, offer to serve at another time and/or ask how they would like me to proceed.

EDIT: Not really sure how to flair this, I don't see anything that seems to fit, guess criminal?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 > My current plan is to contact the Jury Administrator, explain the situation, offer to serve at another time and/or ask how they would like me to proceed.

That will be fine.  There are likely thousands of people in similiar circumstances.


Title: Desperate, one of the weirdest stories you will hear

Question:
I'm going to give you part 2 first because it may be irrelevant to part 1

OK, so I rent an airbnb.  I'm looking for a place.  This is in April or may.

I find a spot in a nice town.  It's not amazing, definitely dilpidated, but it's cheap, and what I was looking for.

One day the landlord puts defoggers in the house

Now I am coughing up a storm, I didn't know why till I go out and see defoggers in the living room

I am ALLERGIC to any kind of roach spray.

I let the landlord know, I am allergic coughing, please do not spray it, you literally can kill me

My throat closes, can't breath, hospital, the whole 9

Now, the airbnb comes to an end, I ask him if I can stay and pay rent without fees, he says cool.  We do not sign any lease agreements just verbal, and monthly payment with receipts

I start to feel like he is entering my room without me there.  I did feel I lost some money but this is not the issue.

I begin to get very sick, now I was already dealing with some kind of sickness, so this is the crazy part of part 1 I haven't told you about, re member, this is part 2.

At night I begin to call the police.

Now, no racism, my landlord is a Chinese man, and we have a new roommate, coincidentally, around the time I start to get sick. A Chinese roommate moves in.  1 roommate is permananent, the other is airbnb

Now this kid said he came from Texas for an internship in NY.  I believe.  If this kid is a awyer, he's the best dressed lawyer I've ever seen, one of the best dressed people I've seen period.  I mean this kid wore 3 piece suits.  Purple and what not, looking like yakuza.  I got an awkward vibe when I met him

He would come home around 11:30, at around 12:30, I instantly start to get sick

Get this metallic taste in my mouth, my body would start to overheard felt like I was on fire and could not breathe.  I'd run to the window.

Now a normal person may be affected by roach spray or rat poison, but not have insane effects.  One time a friend of mine sprayed it who didn't know of my allergy and I was on the floor gasping for air crying writhing

911 was called I said I felt I was being poisoned

I would hear a sound in the room then it would start

I have a flight to LA I booked tomorrow, because I'm tired of the guessing games

The room became unbearable to stay in

Laying down I feel blood rushing to my head I can't even sleep.  Lights are beginning to affect me.  In a car with the windows closed I can hardly breathe.  Turn on the heat and the effects multiply

Now when I called 911, paramedics say, oh you're probably having a panic attack.  Officers wanted to go in my roomph and check, but I didn't want them to see the Mary Jane on my desk.  Mind you I stopped smoking just to see if it was that, it wasn't.  I told paramedics I'd go to the hospital, but I didn't go because I had things to take care of.

So today, Thursday, I go back to the room to clear out my stuff, because point blank period, I didn't feel safe.

I go in the room, the whole place is lined with white rat poison.  I can't even grab my stuff I feel so woozy.  That's with the window open and the fan on, still can't.  My flight leaves at 4, so I doubt I have time to do all this stuff.  I might see if I can get it postponed because I have important stuff in there.  Maybe I can buy a gas mask, I don't know where, but I want pictures of all the stuff

He moved my things, closed the window, clearly he had been in there, knew I was allergic, and lined it with Rat poison

What should my next steps be

Part 1, probably unrelated but mixed in there will come at a later time

Answer: You need mental health treatment. Answer #2: I think you should see a doctor and a therapist.


Title: Speeding ticket issued at the wrong time.

Question:
Okay so I got a speed ticketing.

So the speeding ticket was given on my way to high school in a school-zone. It says the issue time was "7:24 AM". My school starts at 8:45 PM, and I was running late. So there is no way that the cop tagged me at 7:24 AM.

So can this ticket be considered invalid?

Location: Texas

Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Nope. Clerical error do not invalidate tickets. They can fix it at court


Title: [California Renter] HELP! Just moved but the house is full of cockroaches. My biggest fear.

Question:
So my fiancee and I just moved into an older house in California. We relocated for a job and put down most of our savings on our deposit and first months rent (our deposit was huuuuuge). But upon moving in, we realized the house was not adequately clean or ready for move in and within a few days we realized there is bad roach infestation throughout the entire house and garage.

We have notified the landlord of the problem in writing and said we will begin by deducting extermination traps from further rent if it not dealt with immediately and go from there. But we have not heard back.

However upon talking to some friends in pest control, we could easily be looking at $350-500 in traps to make a reasonable dent in the population. And even then, it may still require professional assistance and cleaning.

I literally have a deep phobia of roaches. Its actually my only and greatest fear. I haven't been able to sleep at all and want to cry because they are everywhere. My skin is crawling always because we keep finding them. I'm afraid to be alone in my house and want to leave so badly. I don't think I'm cut out for the extermination work (pulling out cabinets, drawers, pantries, garage, etc. and cleaning carcasses, eggs everywhere).

Even though, I want to break the lease and leave the house as uninhabitable immediately there is a severe lack of housing availability in our city and it is next to impossible to acquire another place, especially with our current landlord holding all of our deposit/savings.

Please help! What do I do? I am considering living in my car or a hotel (if I can get it reimbursed) but am just at a loss of what to do. My goals are to not be living here with the roaches and to have the problem dealt with as timely as possible.

**TLDR; California renter spends all money on move in/deposit. House uninhabitable by roaches. Has massive phobia of roaches. What to do?**

Answer:
 Send the landlord a written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested notifying them of the cockroach problem and demand that they fix the problem within a few days or you will sue them in small claims court for breach of the warranty of habitability of premises and also report them to the city/county health inspector and other housing agencies as a slumlord! That should get their attention. Answer #2: California permits a [repair & deduct](http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/repairs.shtml).  A cockroach infestation does violate [the warranty of habitability.](http://tenantdefenders.mobi/the-right-to-decent-and-habitable-housing-in-california/)

Notify the landlord that unless you hear from him & how he will fix the problem immediately you will tent & fumigate, which is really the only way to get rid of roaches permanently.


Title: 4 men around the University claim we always have to pay them for a (bad)service no one asked for.

Question:
TL;DR
These 4 dudes (non University affiliated) make every student feel obligated to pay them for shitty watchout car service that no one asks for. It is my right to park wherever I want, and if I park in a yellow border street it is MY responsibility. What actions can and should take?  (For more info and better understanding I recommend reading whole issue)

Hello guys, I have a concern. I’ll try to make it short. (Excuse my English)

I have a car. My University has way too many students for the actual capacity they should have, this means, few actual parking spots. Most of the times I have to park outside Uni on yellow lines or white lines, depending on amount of cars.

Roaming around the yellow and white border public streets are ~4 dudes that claim to “watch out” for our cars.

These dudes are now affiliated to the university. They just arrive here around 4pm where students arrive more and leave more so that they can rush to them when they leave and ask for money because “they took care and watched for our car”.

I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR SURVEILLANCE

I never ask for their watchout/ surveillance “service” and when I park on these public streets, legally or illegally they tell me “don’t worry I will take care of your car” as implying that I HAVE to pay them.

Today I parked on a white border public street and one of the 4 dude came and told me to not worry about my car, and i kept walking and ignoring him. He started yelling that he would call the police/transit police and call me out. I kept walking and ignoring him. I’ve also heard that these dudes scratch people’s cars.

What should I do? I never ask for their shitty service. I refuse to pay a few dollars EVERY OTHER DAY for them to claim to “watchout” for my car when they literally do nothing. If a transit police would come to this street (they never come) these dudes would just flee and do nothing. Students that park on these streets (only option ) feel obligated to pay them, even though no one asked for their service.

What actions should I take? How should I react?

Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 This is a scam. It's laughable he says he will call the police on you.

Don't pay them and if they threaten you, or give you a bunch of trouble call the University Police if on campus or call 911 if off campus. Could you get a dashcam or another camera for the sides of your car so you will have proof if they key it?


Title: Can I sue someone if they bring guests over and they damage my property?

Question:
Basically my neighbor has a lot of guests. On several occasions my car has been scratched, scuffed, and even has small dents. I gave him a pass. But now there is a scratch spanning two doors on my car. About 9-12 inches long. I felt like in order to avoid confrontation the most plausible thing was leave a letter in his mail box explaining he needed to keep his guests away from my car. I also explained in the letter if he or anybody else failed to do so I would hold him legally responsible.

My next step will be sending a certified letter to my landlord explaining the situation and the damage that has been caused. My question is if I know it's his guests, can I sue him? Because everytime they leave from drinking and more my car is damaged. Even if I do not see it, although I did catch someone drunk on my car this time. Can I sue my neighbor for the damages even though he himself did not do it? In this case if the person who actually did it cannot be found.

Answer: The person who damaged your car would be liable. You're blowing hot air at your neighbor.


Title: [US,TX] Trust never distributed, what now?

Question:
My mother passed away over 20 years ago.

My father claimed there was nothing for myself or my sibling, but he just passed and I finally have a copy of my mother's trust—working on getting the financial information.

Turns out, there was a marital trust for my father and a family trust for my sibling and I.  It is now pretty clear my father decided to just ignore the trust and keep everything—I believe he was the trustee. There is money left which my father left to his last wife (no kids)—I am certain my step-mother was planning to just pocket it all.

Is there any way to try to recover the funds from the trust to distribute it as my mother originally wished (sans the massive amount of interest and impact that month would had for us). If so, what kind of lawyer would we need?

Answer: You will need a probate lawyer in TX to assert your claims as a beneficiary of the family trust against your father's estate, to recover what should rightfully be trust property that he held onto (if I am understanding your post correctly).  Expect this to torpedo your relationship with step mom, if that's important to you.


Title: Harrassment/Stalking - NEED permanent restraining order

Question:
I am at the end of the road here.
This guy has been both physically and verbally abusive. He has been put in jail twice for hitting me, both charges were dropped by the DEA for insufficient evidence and conflicting stories. My fatlip wasn’t enough and I was put in jail this same instance for slapping him on the arm. I have had multiple temporary restraining orders against this guy. The first one I dropped out of good faith and we agreed on a custody/visitation order. The second one got denied because I didn’t have my witness present (did this without a lawyer and did not know my mother would need to be present because I am an idiot). Third one was granted for 2 months, working with my lawyer and his, he agreed to a 4-month temporary restraining order that expires in April, we also agreed to a final judgement order – he had been bringing me back to court to request changes on visitation schedules. I agreed to more time on the final judgement so he would stop taking me back to court for changes. Just recently we met with a mediator and we hashed things out, I agreed to dismiss the restraining order a month in advance and he agreed to withdraw a contempt trial he had against me. I am a surrogate and I am currently 4 months pregnant, he continuously has claimed I drink and let 3rd parties drink in front of our daughter and that was the issue he was holding me in contempt for. As soon as I filed that paper he has begun harassing me about child support, requesting that I drop all child support orders and trust that he will send me money monthly. Because I did not drop any of the child support orders he informed today that he would be filing for a restraining order against me and filing for another contempt, he went through my social media (I don’t know how he did this, my twitter, Facebook and Instagram are all private accounts, I have deleted everything now) and found my current boyfriend’s Instagram, my boyfriend had blocked him so I don’t know how he got onto his account, he found my boyfriend’s mom’s Instagram and is threatening to message AND subpoena his entire family over a picture that his mother shared, dated 16 weeks ago. It is a picture of my boyfriend, myself, his brother and his wife and his friends, there are two beer bottles, no label is shown, and a birthday cake on the table and he is claiming that our daughter was there. Our daughter was with him that weekend and I was already pregnant when this picture was taken. My boyfriend’s family has never met our daughter. My daughters father does not work, he is a full time student and is being paid monthly by the state because he is a veteran and was granted a certain amount for living expenses while being enrolled in school full time. He has enough time on his hands to go in and out of court to file anything he wants. I work full time and I go to school part time, I have been written up at work before because of how often I miss work because I have to be in court. I am literally in court every month.
At this point I have ended things with my current boyfriend because I do not want to involve him or his family into this mess. I’m pregnant and emotional over all of this, I feel as though I will never be able to have a normal life as long as he is in the picture. I have spent close to 10,000 in lawyer fees and I can’t afford to get a lawyer at this point without a loan of some kind, which I am willing to do, I just need to know if there is anything I can do to make sure a permanent restraining order is granted. I don’t know what to do. He is constantly harassing me; I feel like I may never be able to move forward with my life because of the simple fact that he does not want me to. He is willing to do anything he can to take our daughter away from me or to get me back for the restraining orders I’ve had against him. Last year he sent me a message saying that he was going to make my life hell and so far, he’s doing a really good job. I don’t know how to move forward from here, I don’t know what paper to file. I don’t want to look like an idiot, even though I am, I just filed a dismissal of the restraining order and now I am wanting so desperately to get one. I live in SoCal.

Answer:
 Good lord, you are all over the place here.

Has there been any recent violence, harassment (outside of your legal matters), or threats of violence?  That's what a restraining order is for.  It will not stop him from filing motions with the family court.


Title: I think I'm stuck in a pregnancy discrimination loophole at my job but don't know if there's anything I can do about it.

Question:
Some back information: I currently live and work in the state of West Virginia and I'm almost 5 months pregnant. I work in a small (about 30 employees), locally owned restaurant where I've been employed for the last 4 years. When my employers found out about my pregnancy,  my job duties were modified to better accommodate my Dr appointments and any physical limitations. I was eventually moved from serving to hosting to limit the excessive amounts of heavy lifting expected of me.  All reasonable accommodations possible were made in that respect.  My Dr has given me the ok to continue working so long as my pregnancy continues to be healthy.

That being said, I've just been informed that I have to go on (unpaid - no benefits here)  maternity leave. I'm not being fired for being pregnant, my job will be waiting for me exactly as I left it,  no change in pay or anything.  Here's where it gets complicated and the exact legality of the situation becomes fuzzy.  I'm being placed on early maternity leave because I'm currently not covered by the restaurant's workers comp insurance.

The business is legally required to carry worker's comp insurance, which they do.  However,  it would seem that pregnancy coverage for worker's comp is an optional extra that would cost the restaurant an extra $11,000/year to carry. I know this because we also use a local insurance company and I've spoken to our agent about it personally. It is an optional, additional coverage that they don't seem to be legally required to carry, and I can't reasonably expect them to pay that much to cover pregnancy when A) I wouldn't even earn that much working my entire pregnancy,  and B) in 4 years of employment there have been 3 pregnant women and I've been 2 of them.

So I'm being basically forced into early maternity leave as a "liability issue" and will be out of work for approx the next 7 months if I go back to work at the usual end of maternity leave. In the mean time,  we're now struggling to figure out how we're going to survive on just my husband's income,  and spent the day at dhhr to see if we more qualify for S.N.A.P. benefits since he used to cover rent and utilities and I covered groceries and any extras.  That is clearly no longer going to work. I'd look for another job,  but let's be honest,  anti discrimination laws be damned because no one is going to hire me at this point.  I'm literally a week away from being 5 months pregnant and I'm considered high risk anyway due to pre-eclampsia in my last pregnancy. Things are only going to get more difficult for me from this point forward.  Moving will be harder, I'll be needing more accommodations for increased Dr visits,  possible health issues.... I just don't know what,  if anything, I can do or even if it's worth it to try. I just need a starting point,  if there is one.

Answer:
 > I just don't know what, if anything, I can do or even if it's worth it to try.

Likely nothing.  They aren't required to allow you to work.  Time off for maternity leave is an acceptable accommodation.  Do you have any kind of disability insurance that might cover you?


Title: Inlaws got in a brawl. Curious to see from a legal standpoint where it will go.

Question: Ok Got a call tonight, and my in-laws had a battle royale tonight.  It seems the youngest girl (13) was running her mouth via text, and an 18 year old, and her 40 something mother came over to the young girl's house.  Anyway there was some more trash talk, and they pushed they young girl, and she made the first swing.  Then both of the adults commenced to giving her what she asked for.  Then the young girl's family jumps in (mother, grandmother, sister) and long story short the 13 year old has a broken nose, and fucked up thyroid from being choked.  The 18 year old now requires reconstructive surgery on her face, and the 40 year old has a punctured lung.  Experienced lawyers of reddit where do you see this going?  I see them all getting charged with aggravated assault, and the 18 year old and 40 year old with aggravated assault on a minor.  Please enlighten me.  This is in Georgia.

Answer:
 Holy shit. That entire side of the family needs to go to anger management and family therapy. There is no reason why an argument with a 13 year old girl should turn into violence.

It's very difficult to tell what will happen as it's highly dependent on how the fight continued once the rest of the family joined the fray, how the police are going to handle it, and how the DA will handle it. Everyone could be charged, only the 18 and 40 year old could be charged, or no one could be charged.

Everyone involved should lawyer the hell up though. There's the potential for both criminal and civil suits so if your extended family can afford it each person involved in the fight should have representation.


Title: Store threatening to sue me over bad review - CA

Question:
A couple I know had a very distinctive stroller. It was stolen from their porch. They found it at a baby store and went in with pictures and police to claim it. They didn't have the serial number so the police suggested it should be returned. The store said nope.

I posted a review of the store on Facebook that says, "Buys a stolen stroller that's easily identifiable and tells the owners and police to pound sand after the owners didn't have the serial number.".

They responded with: "thanks for being added to the list of people that are going to be sued because you were speaking hearsay hearsay is not the truth".

Have I broken any laws?

**Edit to update**

I changed my review to read, "Threatens to sue when her feelings are hurt. She needs to Google California's Anti-SLAPP laws."

Answer:
 How long is the list? ☺ It might be a while before they get to you anyway.

They *may* have a case but it's a big may. They would have to establish that your review was a statement of fact and not an opinion  (relatively easy) and then they would have to prove it was factually incorrect  (probably very hard, especially if the stroller was actually stoken) and then they would have to somehow prove how this one review  (mixed in with what sounds like a number of negative reviews) ~~has caused~~ could cause them to lose business. They would have to be insane to think this was even worth trying.

But if you are worried about it, just take the review down.


Title: Landlord wants me to start paying rent with cashier's check, but in my lease it says personal check is acceptable

Question:
Hi, thanks for reading this and to anyone with relevant advice.  I live in California.  I rent a house through a property management company.  Been here for over 6 months now on a 1 year lease.  I always drive down to their office and pay with a personal check.  Last month the guy who took my rent payment informed me that their new policy is to only accept cashier's checks or money orders since they have had problems with check bouncers.
However, it says right in my lease that personal checks will be accepted.  Should I try to force them to accept my personal checks?  Cashier's checks and money orders cost money.  What if they won't accept the personal check?  Should I take a video of them refusing to accept my personal check?  What are the consequences to them if they refuse to accept it and we end up it court over it?

Answer:
 >What are the consequences to them if they refuse to accept it and we end up it court over it?

If your lease permits it, then you are entitled to pay in personal checks. If they refuse them, first explain that your lease permits you to pay in personal checks, and by consequence they cannot unilaterally change that after the fact.

If they continue to refuse, make sure to keep detailed records with the date/time of your conversations and who you spoke with. I would also attempt to escalate this to someone higher in the chain of command, as this is silly.


Title: Help me seek aslyum. Will my family find me??? (Domestic violence)

Question:
I’m a (21F) from a rich Middle Eastern country.

I come from a super strict, abusive, misogynistic family. I have 2 sisters and a brother, and he rules all.

He has beaten me before because he was upset and my family completely blamed it on me, because I attempted to protect myself by fighting back.
He said he wants kill us in our sleep. Specifically said he will pour sulfuric acid (tezab) all over our faces in our sleep.

I feel very unsafe in my house as there’s no one that will protect me. Not even the police, because my brother himself is a cop. There’s a lot of dirty work in my country and I know i will not get any help, and most probably end up being killed or locked up for life for shaming the family name (for calling the police).

I really want to seek asylum in a country that can protect me. I can’t stay here anymore. I can’t sleep at night with having the feeling of him planning a way to kill me and my sisters...

I want to leave!!! I’m so scared my family will find me. My uncles have very high positions in the government and are diplomats, and I’m scared they find their way back to me... what do i do? Where do i go?

If i ever leave, i can’t ever come back because they WILL kill me for shaming the family. And no justice will be given to me because it will be written off as “honor killing”. Its happened before, so many times.

So many girls have been caught as they were escaping, got caught and just disappeared off the face of earth.

I don’t know where to go.

Answer: Try Karma Nirvana. I'm not sure but I'm hopeful they can help you. Answer #2: Do you have friends or family in a country in which you would like to seek asylum? I ask because usually people aren't allowed to legally work while await their asylum decision and it will be easier to get by in another country with ties there.


Question:
So, my parents rent out a house in the Central Valley of California. A while back they decided they wanted to sell the home and informed the renter that they would be doing so, and gave her plenty of time to find a new place. However, she stopped paying rent after my parents told her they were selling. So they went through all the steps needed in order to evict the renter. After months of the lady pretty much squatting at this point, they were able to go to court and take the case to the judge. The judge completely agreed with her eviction and ordered her to move out. This all happened a week ago and the sheriff's are locking her out next week. This week my parents received a letter that the renter is filing for chapter 7 bankruptcy. I did a little research but couldn't find much about my situation. finally, my question is: With the renter filing for bankruptcy, does she still have to move out when the sheriff's go to lock her out?

TL;DR: Renter filed for bankruptcy, but judge ordered her to move out.

Answer: They are two separate things. She has a binding order from the city to be removed, a chapter 7 won't stop that.


Title: {Oh} Trying to get a divorce from a wife I can’t find.

Question:
I got married in 2010 while in the army for the benefits for both me and her. I deployed shortly after our marriage took place. She stayed in an apartment in my name for the time I was overseas and the last time I saw her was while I was on leave and I found out that she had been cheating.

        After I got back I just spoke with the apartment leasing office to make sure she was getting out of said apartment. I did speak to her to her to make sure she was aware that we were over. I did agree at the time to stay married so I would get a better cost of living wage for going to college. I would periodically check in to make sure she was still around. After my first semester in  2012 I spoke to her about wanting to get a divorce and she went off.

        I guess she was moving back to California and did not want to stick around to see a divorce though. I ended up breaking up with that girl and forgot all about the divorce thing for awhile. I would hear from her periodically as she updated me with her finding out she had cancer.  Now I am not sure if she was trying to get sympathy with that or she actually had cancer. But I ended up getting back and school and left the marriage alone for the same reason as before just needing that extra money to go to school.

It’s now 8 years later haven’t heard from her in about 5 years and have tried to get a divorce once and somehow she contested it. Which still cost me a grand in attorney fees I couldn’t afford to attempt again at that time. My question is is there any fool proof way to get a divorce from someone that you have no idea where they are?

Answer: First, you need to prove you have tried finding her. Call family, friends, or anyone who knows her and ask of her whereabouts. Check online and try to contact her through social media. Save any of her responses and write down responses from others. Then, file your divorce papers and tell the clerk you can’t find your spouse. Show your evidence of contact and ask to give notice by publication. If the judge allows you to serve notice by publication, you’ll receive a set of instructions, so be sure to follow them. For example, they might tell you what newspaper to use and how long your notice should run. Next, file proof of publication to the court. You’ll have to wait a certain amount of time to finalize the divorce. Usually, if the courts don’t hear from your wife in 30 days, you will receive a divorce by default


Title: Never received limo service, they refuse to refund me

Question: First time posting, and only doing so because I'm at my wit's end with a limo service. I live in Texas and tried to throw my sister her 21st birthday party. I booked through a limo service towards the end of September 2017. There was no mention of a no cancellation policy/no refund policy. Before the party it was nearly impossible to get ahold of them because I never received a receipt and I wanted to verify addresses. I booked for October 21st and didn't actually receive a "receipt" until a week before we were to use the limo (that was after 2 emails, 3 calls, and a posting on their website). This worried me, but they had decent reviews. October 21st arrives and 12 hours before the limo was due to arrive, we got a call about my sister's (the birthday girl) best friend getting into a car accident and being diagnosed as brain dead (she died 2 days later). We obviously called to cancel because everyone was a wreck. The man on the phone said he couldn't do anything, apologized, and said he'd have his manager call Monday. After multiple days and loads of attempts to contact the manager, only my husband was able to get through and was told they wouldn't refund $600 and would only offer to reschedule. This was a one time deal as we live all over Texas and its too difficult to meet up just to randomly go out. I contacted the BBB and after multiple attempts and over a month of them trying, the business never responded so they closed my complaint (only stating the info would stay on their website for 3 years). I've also contacted my bank to dispute the charge, but it's been over a month and no one is giving me clear answers, and they want the death certificate (how do you even ask a family for that??). Any advice would be appreciated because $600 is too much money to throw away. I've wrote reviews about this business on their FB page and Google review, but nothing is helping. Thanks for any advice!

Answer:
 How did you sign up for this limo service? Was it all over the phone? Do they have any fine-print about cancellation policies? I know it sucks to have to eat the charge but I mean you need to be realistic here - you cancelled their service with less than 12 hours notice. Most companies that will have a cancellation policy, and this one likely had one too, especially for such short notice cancellations.

If you've already posted bad reviews and whatnot then you can try and sue the company in small claims court to get your money back, but if they can produce some terms-and-conditions that you agreed to or that was readily available to you (i.e. on their website somewhere) you'll have a tough time fighting it.


Title: If someone is arrested for prostitution and arson what would the process look like once they are taken to jail?

Question:
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Asking for a character I'm writing in a screenplay. Her client  tries to get out of paying by revealing he is a police officer. He doesn't want to pay so he beats her up and attempts to rape her.  As a way to escape she sets the bedspread on fire in the hotel room so the alarm goes off and she flees. But then he calls the police and she gets arrested and taken downtown.

She has a lawyer friend who comes to help her and calls out the police officer. But would she first be fingerprinted, put in an orange jumpsuit, held for the night, or more than one night  and would this be in a holding cell with other women or would she get a private cell, would she have to post some kind of bail in order to be released?

Answer: It depends on the state and city but usually she'd be finger printed and put in a holding cell. Probably no jumpsuit


Title: [IDAHO] My wife is a salaried CPA working for a small firm. They require her to work at least 60 hours a week during tax season, and at least 40 hours a week any other time. During tax season her salary/hours worked = less than minimum wage. Are there laws to protect her against this?

Question:
I am not sure of the exact terms of her employment contract, but it has been made clear to her that, despite being salaried, working fewer than 60 hours a week would result in disciplinary action and possibly termination.

During the summer when there is no work to do, they are all still required to be in the office for a total of 40 hours each week, or use PTO to make up the difference. Other than PTO she has no other paid leave or sick days in the year.

On paper, her salary looked good, but when we consider the total number of hours she is *required* to work she makes at or below minimum wage for the 4+ months of tax season (January 1st through at least mid-April, but they are encouraged to continue working 40+ hours until June when the 2nd installment of corporate income tax is due).

I know she signed a contract, but surely there have to be some laws against salaried employees being threatened into working ungodly hours. For several weeks in April she works 70-80 hour weeks.

Does she have a legal leg to stand on?

EDIT: I just spoke with my wife who clarified to me that, while her take-home pay can equate to less than minimum wage, her biweekly paycheck ($1800) amounts to greater than minimum wage, even when working 80 hours a week. I was basing my estimates off what I actually see go in to our bank account.

I apologize for the misleading title. **Even on the worst weeks she makes more than minimum wage**

Answer:
 Ohh!  Welcome to the world of being a CPA.  This is what we call "busy season" in the business.

To be honest, 60 hours a week is pretty good.  Many CPA's are working 80-100+ hours right now to meet filing deadlines.

Sounds like your wife's situation is pretty typical of CPA firms, in general.  That's a primary reason there's so much turnover at the Associate level.  If it's any consulation, if she crosses the chasm into a Manager position, the hours should get better.  The experience will certainly help her land a position in private industry.

Those hours are a rite-of-passage for the CPA, and anyone who enters the industry knows to expect them.  Was this workload really a surprise?

Edit to add:

Ahh, I fondly look back at my first "busy season"  Work 17 hours, drink coffee all day, go home, pass out, wake up after a long nap, go back to work, drink coffee all day, work another 17 hours, take a nap, wake up, throw up because all I had the day before was coffee and candy, work another 17 hours, repeat...  Good times.Answer #2: What is her weekly salary?


Title: (Speeding Ticket @ work Mental health) CA

Question:
Where to begin....So I work for a service called SLS supported living and services essentially its CNA work for the population with disabilities. It pays 10 dollars a hour (shit,) and generally is seen more a a morally high rewarding job.

So for my client routine normally includes a lot of driving around which they are accustom to. So today's was a little bit more difficult than normal on a outting get into the car seems fine and then all of a sudden goes into a episode of blood curling screams, sound like someone is torturing him. They suffer from a variety of fairly heavy mental illness. At this point they are signing for me to return in the direction I came. I have no idea if they are in a medical emergency or need the bathroom or food or what. I am doing my best to do my job and sooth them when all of a sudden I am 15 miles  above the speed limit and am pulled over. For my client this is further a trigger and escalates this situation I try to explain I can't find the papers for insurance its a company car and I've never had need for them , and I can't even hear him speak because of my clients screams. He comes back gives me a ticket tells me he wrote me down at 70 instead of 73 in a 55 and gave me a firm warning about the papers for insurance. Do I have in case in court? I feel that this whole situation made my job 10 times harder and I now I have a fine likely near 1,000 dollars counting all fees what should I do? Meanwhile this whole event which took about 15 minutes my client is trying to grab my hands and have my shift into gears and drive away because they are that terrified.

Answer: Why do you think you have a case in court? You were driving 18 mph over the speed limit while admittedly distracted by your situation in the vehicle. If you were unable to operate the vehicle safety, you should pull over and not speed up.


Title: Gift taxes and living expenses for cohabitating couples

Question:
Location: California

My boyfriend and I will be moving to California in January, following a job offer (to him). We have been living together for the past two years, but as I have been working in our current state, we have split expenses more or less equally.

When we move, I will not be working for the first several months (agreed upon) and even after I am working, I will not be contributing equally financially because of the disparity in our incomes (software engineer versus schoolteacher).

My partner will be taking care of all living expenses for both of us, at least for a few months (this includes rent and groceries). How much of this will be considered a gift? Even though he will not be receiving the amount back financially, does me taking care of all household duties count towards anything?

Would opening a joint account make this better or worse? If we open a joint account and only he is making deposits into it, but I am using it to pay for groceries and other bills, will all of that money be considered a gift because we are not contributing equally to the account? How does this compare to transferring money between individual accounts?

Also, I understand that health insurance costs are exempt from the gift tax, but what about car insurance?

Thanks for any insight that you can provide!

Answer:
 More of a question for /r/personalfinance, but in the US you're allowed to gift up to $10K a year to someone before gift tax even enters the equation.

Given that many of the things he's paying for also directly benefit him, I'd not worry about it.


Title: Why would an attorney not be able to appear in front of a judge?

Question:
An incident recently came up and I contacted various lawyers regarding the situation. One of them however, said that they would not be able to appear in front of a specific judge because of reasons too complicated to explain?

Would anyone know how this could happen or what might have happened? I'm a little scared to trust a lawyer who isn't even allowed to appear in front of a specific judge.

Answer:
 It's likely a conflict of interest.

The judge and the attorney are related.  Or, the attorney clerked for the judge.  Or, the judge has previously sanctioned the attorney.

There are lots of possible reasons, many that have nothing to do with malfeasance on the part of either the judge or the attorney.  If you live in a large area, the chances of this being minor go way up.Answer #2: If they are/were in a romantic relationship; family relationship; I know a couple of attorneys who were law partners with a now sitting judge, and they still are making payments of buying the practice and building from him; and I'v seen attorneys turn down cases with judges due to the relationship between them being so bad that the client would be much better suited with another attorney.

Judge are supposed to avoid the appearance of impropriety at all times, so it could be tons of things. Answer #3: It sounds like there's a conflict of interest. Maybe they are related or used to have a business together. It could be many things and it's not a negative reflect on the attorney.


Title: A Bad Break Up in Washington State

Question:
I am posting this for a friend as she is not a redditor.

She is attempting to end a relationship of 2+ years that has gone sour, however, the other half is refusing to call it quits or leave the apartment.  They jointly signed the lease for the apartment but she pays the majority of the bills.

They are not married, and there is no shared property (that I am aware of at least) outside of the apartment lease.  My friend wants nothing from the other party other than for him to leave, and has made this clear multiple times.

What options does she have if this situation continues?

Answer:
 > What options does she have if this situation continues?

She can move out instead. She can't force him to leave.


Title: Valet damaged my car, but I have no solid proof. What can I do? [NJ]

Question:
Last night, I drove to a restaurant and dropped my car off with their valet service.  There was no damage to my car and everything was working fine at this time.

When I went to pick my car up, I noticed the valet did something odd.  The window to my driver's side door was open.  Instead of opening the door for me normally, he reached through the window and opened the door by pulling the handle on the inside of the door.  I thought it was weird but didn't question it at the time.  I immediately drove home, parked my car, and went to bed.

The next time I drove my car was this morning.  My driver's side door would not open from the outside, even when it was unlocked.  However, it still opens from the inside.

I have no idea how else this damage could have been caused except from the valet.  What should my next steps be?  I want to call the restaurant and complain, and hopefully be reimbursed for the damage, but I have no solid proof that the valet damaged my car.

Thank you!

Answer:
 I don't know why you didn't immediately call the police or ask to talk to the manager to report the accident when it happened. Now it will be near impossible to prove.

I'd file a claim with your insurance and move on.