Title: Anything I should consider before going through with it?

Question:
Gestational surrogates. I'm in a great place financially and I think I want to have some sons. I work part time since I sold my business and semi-retired. Let me explain my living situation. I live 20 minutes away from a large city in a nice neighborhood, my house is 5 bed 5.5 bath 6k sq/ft. My mother and my sister lives with me and pays me rent. Mom moved in after I offered, when dad passed she didn't want to live out there all alone. My sister moved in because she's a financial fuck up and didn't have anywhere else to go but an otherwise lovely person. I'm thinking about having four gestational surrogates with my selection of eggs and I forget what its called but its a process that allows my sperm to only birth male children. I'd like to have 4 sons but three or two would be fine as well if we run into complications. That process will cost me around 200k all together or a bit more just depending. I figure with my free time, my mom, my sister and my maids help it should be pretty easy to manage having a few babies around the house. I've always wanted a family but with marriage being a financial death trap and having kids with a lover ending with child support I wasn't really interested in the traditional method. And an added bonus the eggs are coming from very high quality and attractive women with good genes. I do realize this would be a "life changing decision".

>USA East

Answer:
 4/10. Two points for originality.  Answer #2: If you're planning to spend 200k on this then why not spend a few hundred dollars and talk to an actual lawyer in person about this?

Unless, you know, this is a troll.Answer #3: In the extremely small chance that this is actually real, it has been pretty eye opening for me.  I guess dump trucks full of money really *can't* get you laid. Answer #4: ~Rubs forehead


Title: Being sued by tenant (in California).

Question:
Wife and I own a 4-plex. 3 of the units have fantastic, long term tenants we've never had a problem with.

Last year, another long term tenant moved out of the 4th unit. We cleaned up the unit and rented it out to a nice young guy. 4 months into his lease he suddenly lost his long term job and asked to break the lease in order to move in with family. We understood and asked that he help us find a new tenant and be available to show the unit.

Several inquiries came via ads posted on craigslist and the old tenant showed the unit to 5 or so people without us being present. One woman was very interested and filled out an application. She was very nice and her background check was clean so we decided to move forward. My wife met her at a coffee shop, got a deposit of $1800.00 and she signed the 1-yr lease.

The old tenant moved out and we had the unit patched up and spot-painted for the new tenant. My wife did a walk through with the new tenant before her move in day.

During the walk through, the new tenant pointed out several things she wanted fixed. Small additional paint touch ups, a repair to the vinyl floor in the kitchen, ect -- We agreed and said they'd be done before her move in date, which was to be 2 weeks from the date of the walk through.

3 days before her move-in date, the new tenant called my wife and said she didn't want to rent the unit anymore, and that she'd like her full deposit back. Reason being that she simply didn't want to move anymore.

We told her that she could only have her deposit back if she procured a tenant for us. She wasn't happy about it, but agreed. Over a 2 week period she found 3 people to look at the unit. Neither person decided to rent it.

After over a month of the unit being vacant we couldn't let it sit any longer and eventually found a new tenant on our own and kept her deposit.

She then had an attorney send us a threatening letter a few months ago, to which we had our attorney respond. We didn’t hear from her after that.
Then, this week we received a small claims summons in the amount of $2500.00.

Thoughts?

Answer:
 A lot of your story/post is irrelevant.

It looks like CA law is pretty clear-cut:

http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/sec-deposit.shtml

> California law specifically allows the landlord to use a tenant's security deposit for four purposes: (1) For unpaid rent...

Assuming your rental agreement was valid, and that there are no local or situation-specific laws superseding, you appear to have a cut-and-dried right to use the deposit towards the unpaid rent.


Title: Sign-on bonus repayment after involuntary termination

Question:
Back in Feb 2016, I had three job offers and I took the one with company X.
That job came with sign-on bonus. Per the bonus agreement, I have to repay that amount if I voluntarily quit within 12 months, or if I “involuntarily terminated for gross misconduct, violation of policy, or intentional neglect of duties or responsibilities”.
They also had a probationary period of 90-days. At day 100, I got terminated. On termination notice, it says “unsatisfactory performance during probationary period”. In HR office during termination the manager told me that some body from team complained that I had refused to help another team member (which is a lie). This was on top of a run-in with another team member where I had privately sent an email to, informing him he should not try to delegate work as we were both at the same seniority level. That was a two sentence, carefully worded professional email. So this guy takes it to director of our group, hence I was called in to manager’ office about it right about the end of first month on the job. After that, I believe a clique formed against me and caused my termination. I am OK with termination per se, I don’t want to work in that kind of environment. The issue is bonus repayment. My performance was not a problem. I got terminated by them based on a lie.  I wanted them to give a detailed description of why I got terminated. They just say “unsatisfactory performance during probationary period” on the second letter they sent me after I requested clarification for termination reason.
I am out-of-work, with no income and back in the job market. None of my actions in that company amounted to “gross misconduct, violation of policy, or intentional neglect of duties or responsibilities”. I am having to deal with lost wages and stress of new job search. I took my chances with them and I am in a loss.  I don’t think it is right for them to require repayment.
I’d like to hear about your experiences and/or comments for similar situations.
Thanks,
Somewhere in the Southern USA

Answer: Tell them to go pound sand.


Title: Getting people not on a lease removed from an apartment.

Question:
Okay so a bit of backstory my friend is currently renting a one bed apartment, but isn't on the lease because at the time it was signed she and her husband were separated. They've long since made up, but are very low income and can't afford to get her added to the lease.

Now here comes the problem, her husband's brother and his wife took it upon themselves to extend a small stay into an indefinite one. Neither have a job, smoke a lot of weed, and will get into very loud arguments and the brother will often punch the walls.

My friend and her husband have a baby on the way and in addition to needing the extra space, don't want a child left with these people for any amount of time.

They've tried telling them to leave, or at the very least get jobs and contribute to the monthly expenses, but they refuse to do either.

Would my friend be safe to ask the landlords to remove them from the premises?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > Would my friend be safe to ask the landlords to remove them from the premises?

This isn't the landlord's problem, and your friend might get evicted if the landlord finds out they are allowing unauthorized tenants. The only way to remove them is to serve them with proper notice, and if they are not gone by the end of the notice period (which varies by state) then they have to go to court. Only a sheriff with a court order can remove them. (Presuming somewhere in US, need to know state.)


Title: FL-I have a job that has provided a company car and tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. The company claims that they do not have to pay for my drive from home to the first site or from the last site to home. I am responsible for more duties and feel like I'm being cheated out of hours.

Question:
I work as a surveyor. The company has provided me with a company car to go to the various sites. They informed us that we cannot clock in until we arrive at the first job site and that we must clock out when we leave the last job site. They say this is legal in Florida.

They have provided me with tens of thousands of dollars of surveying equipment that I am responsible to care for, including charging it up, which must be done when I get home. I would argue that this is company time that it must be done during. It is actually in the job description that I have to move the equipment, "Transport and set up the instruments and equipment associated with surveying land, and preparing the job site for survey."

In addition to the charging and transportation, I am responsible for communicating with the first client of the day once I'm en route. This should count as work as well. It's working during off hours, which I thought was illegal.

threre are about 261 working days this year. I routinely drive an hour plus to any job site and generally more in the evening rush hour to get my kid at aftercare. This equates to 522 working hours that I'm not being paid for, all of which would be overtime. Do I have a leg to stand on for a wage claim?

Answer:
 The Portal-to-Portal Act makes clear that employers do not need to pay employees for time spent traveling from their homes to their workplace before the start of the workday or traveling from their workplace to their homes after the workday is over. See 29 CFR § 785.35

Now if you are doing other work duties like prep work, you are entitled to pay, and should be on the clock. Answer #2: >Do I have a leg to stand on for a wage claim?

Not under the facts you've provided, no.

>§ 785.34   Effect of section 4 of the Portal-to-Portal Act. The Portal Act provides in section 4(a) that except as provided in subsection (b) no employer shall be liable for the failure to pay the minimum wage or overtime compensation for time spent in “walking, riding, or traveling to and from the actual place of performance of the principal activity ***or activities which such employee is employed to perform either prior to the time on any particular workday at which such employee commences, or subsequent to the time on any particular workday at which he ceases, such principal activity or activities***.”

As long as the charging and moving of the equipment is not a principal activity, and is instead incidental support to your principal work activity, it does not need to be compensated.

Travel time within the day between two different work sites would be compensated.

Although unpublished, [CHAMBERS v. SEARS ROEBUCK AND CO.](https://www.leagle.com/decision/infco20110615140) is a good explanation of the applicable law.


Title: [FL] My close friend is concerned about a Mosque she is now escaping having ties to terrorism. How can she cover her back?

Question:
I think my really good friend has accidentally become associated with a radical Mosque. She is too scared to post herself on here. She goes to college in Florida and she has been having a hard time and has turned to Islam. This isn’t the issue though. The issue is that the group she has become a part of is international students from Saudi Arabia who are pushing a concerning message. According to her, “they were talking how violence would redeem [her] in the eyes of Allah.” She agrees they are seeming increasingly radicalized.

I’ve convinced her that she needs to get out and she agrees. She has no knowledge of an actual crime and doesn’t support violence. What steps should she take to cover her own back? I told her to block all the phone numbers/social media accounts and she’s writing up a summary of what happened.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 She hasn't committed a crime, and so there is nothing legally she needs to do to "cover her back."

She is welcome to report this to the FBI, who can get relevant details from her and conduct further investigation as warranted.


Title: Hit and run vehicle filed claim against me.

Question:
Missouri.
A driver with a dark car without headlights on, which i did not see until he was on my right side, at 6:30 in the morning nicked my right rear bumper as I was finishing a left turn. I stopped and the driver kept on going. I got out to check my bumper which only had black smudges on it and a slight crack, so i thought it must not be that serious since he didn't stop; so I head into work, which I was turning into before I got hit. I head out in a work truck all day until I arrive back at the my workplace around 3p.m. and find out a lady had been there taking pictures of my car, she has left me a note. I called her and found out he kept going because he didnt think it was serious either but apparently it was 1,800 in damages because they took it into a shop to have it looked at. So that hit and run didn't decide to come back until they needed to fix their car and they were trying to get me to pay for it without contacting police or insurance saying ominously, " I don't want to have to contact the police", "I'd have to file a police report". She really wanted to avoid the police. I told them, "No, contact insurance", we happen to have the same agent. Now, aren't they suppose to contact insurance right after the accident? The agent didn't seem to be concerned that they made a late claim.

Answer:
 Call the police then call your insurance.Answer #2: Call the police yourself. Answer #3: Any time someone wants to avoid going through police or insurance, you should immediately realize you have a lot of leverage in the negotiation going forward....assuming you plan to negotiate this privately.

Personally I would never even have a conversation with someone I was involved in an accident with, beyond the original exchange of information. I pay my insurance company to handle that stuff.


Title: How many and what variety of laws did Kevin break in Home Alone and Home Alone 2?

Question:
Watching he movies, there must be at least a dozen laws and other violations that Kevin broke in his... shinanagins. Especially in Home Alone 2.

So I am curious what laws be broke, what kind of punishments should he have received, or incarceration.

Answer:
 He was 8 years old. In many jurisdictions they won't charge 8 year olds with crimes.

Further, although he was setting booby traps which are generally illegal, they were in response to a specific imminent threat on his life. Not recommended for an adult, but no court in the country would convict an 8 year old for that.


Title: Registered Sex Offender wants to join my gym

Question: A registered sex offender guilty and served time for 2nd degree sexual assault of a child under 16 just spent 15 years in prison and wants to now join my 24/7 gym. I was told from corporate that I can terminate anyone for any of no reason. What are the possible penalties I could face for doing this? This is in Wisconsin and this person has to register for life. Thank you!

Answer:
 Its a private business, and its not a protected class, so legally, you're probably fine. For PR purposes, this could be a problem for you if he wanted to make a stink (its unlikely, but once an advocate group gets riled up its hard to stop them).

He wants to work out. Are there children there? What is your concern? Do you routinely do background checks on your gym members? I would not want to go to a gym that invades my privacy like that.

People make mistakes and you don't know the situation. He could've been an older guy who had arguably consensual sex with a younger girl, or yes it could've been a violent rape. This is a slippery slope for you to make judgments on people's lives and be the gym gatekeeper.


Title: [North Carolina] Is there a law that a university student must be allowed to bring her or his child to class?

Question: Is there a similar law for libraries?

Answer:
 Absolutely not.

It's a massive potential liability issue for universities, for one. Generally the rule is if you're not enrolled in the class, you're not there.

Library you'd probably be allowed. Once the child becomes disruptive you're out. Answer #2: University, nope.  They can ban anyone that isn't an instructor, enrolled student, or service animal from the classroom.  Public library would be a bit trickier for a blanket ban due to its public nature, but you could totally ban children from select reading rooms and require disruptive children be removed.


Title: Assaulted by Drunk Off Duty State Highway Patrol Officer, need advice.

Question:
About a week ago Wife, In-laws and I were at a popular Lake Erie Island, and witnessed a man slap his wife, after confrontation I was attacked by the man in question. Only to find out once he was detained that he was an off duty Highway Patrol officer. I am being asked now to come speak to internal affairs about the incident, as well as my wife and father in-law who filed statements as well. Should I find an attorney/lawyer? If so what should I be looking for? Never been involved with the law before, I have no priors and no traffic offenses. I am working with a clean slate. So I come to you fellow redditors, help me out? Throwaway for obvious reasons.

Location is Central/NW Ohio
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 I don't think you need an attorney. Just tell the truth. Answer #2: I'm going to be somewhat contrary.

I doubt you need a lawyer, but I would suggest you find one and chat with them before you meet with the internal affairs people. An initial meeting or even phone call should be somewhere between cheap and free.

Make sure you have their phone number with you - if you're truly paranoid about this encounter, memorize it or write it on yourself (somewhere that they won't see) with a sharpie. That way if things turn really bad you already have someone lined up to call.

Are they probably treating you as a witness/victim? Yes. But anytime you get in a fight, especially with a police officer, there's the risk of transitioning from "victim" to "criminal."

Not a lawyer, just distrustful of police.


Title: My mom went to her HMO eye doctor & got a cream which messed her eye up. Recall was issued the next day. What should she do?

Question:
My mom is in Illinois.  She went to her HMO's eye doctor Thursday for an eye infection and was prescribed [this stuff](http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm459485.htm).  It immediately made her eye worse and it continued to get worse for the next hour.

She called the doctor back and he told her maybe she was having an allergic reaction, so just stop using it and use Benadryl instead, which she did.

The next day, yesterday, her pharmacy called and asked her to bring the stuff back because [it had been recalled](http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm459485.htm).

Her eye is still blurry and red and worse than before.  Should she hang onto the cream?  Go back to the HMO doctor?  Is there a lawsuit here?
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 Tell her not to return the prescription -- she will need that to prove she used cream from the recalled batch.

She needs to start by visiting her doctor, either the one who initially prescribed the cream, or another doctor in the same specialty. Since the original doctor is probably itching to blame the cream for the problem, he might be biased in evaluating her reaction, but that's not your mother's concern. Tell her not to discuss the possibility of a lawsuit with him, or he may respond defensively.

Once she has recovered, she can discuss the situation with a medical malpractice attorney to determine whether she has a viable cause of action. Chances are, though, if this is a nation-wide recall, there may be a class-action suit as a result; if this happens, she will either need to join the action, or demonstrate that her case is notable different from the class action to continue her own individual suit.


Title: Could i be in any trouble with the law

Question:
So today someone took my (paid) parking spot that belongs to my house (I rent) and in a fit of anger I grabbed 70lbs rocks and blocked his car in with the rocks holding door frames so that he dosent back on to the rocks. Then I stuffed bread in the door handles and windshield and put a bagel on his antenna aswell as an angry note.

I know that's I'm stupid and irresponsible and rash so I dont need thoes comments. I live in Ontario

Edit. So everyone is saying that vandalizing the car is crime. What does vandalizing entail? If I went and removed the notes and bread but left the rocks (honestly just too heavy for me to bother to move) would that no longer be vandalizing the car?

I have removed the bread and notes aswell

Answer:
 Go move the rocks, clean up everything and if you encounter the car owner, apologize.

For NEXT time, here is what you can do. Call up the person (or business) you rent the space from and ask them to have the car towed. Easier for you, strongly discourages parking there again, frees up the space for you, and it's 100% legal.Answer #2: >I know that's I'm stupid and irresponsible and rash so I dont need thoes comments. I live in Ontario

You forgot immature.

Yes, you can get in trouble for vandalizing someone's car. Answer #3: You vandalized someone's car and left a note? Oh dear. As if they're not going to figure out who did that to their car. Leaving just a note that says that's a reserved parking spot and to please not park there in the future would have been fine but you took it way too far. Your only hope is they don't call the police *and* that you didn't cause any damages to their car.

Next time someone takes your spot, if you don't know whose car it is, have them towed. If you do, go ask them to move it.Answer #4: You pay specifically for this parking spot?  Like, it's not just the spot on the street closest to your house?  And it's not in a public parking lot right across the street from your house?  You specifically pay for that exact parking spot?

If so, you should find a way to contact the individual and politely ask them to move their car out of your paid parking spot.  If they don't move their car, have it towed at their expense.Answer #5: Yes, vandalizing private property is a crime.


Title: My mother loaned 100k to her niece to borrow but not use, Niece used money to buy a house which has since been sold

Question:
Throwaway account because better safe than sorry...

A few years ago my mother (M)  gave her niece (N) 100k in order to push up her total assets for a house purchase with her now ex-husband (EH). Instead used money for down-payment for the house without telling her. House has since been sold following N’s divorce with EH.

- house was in CA
- M is from NY
- house purchased 2016, sold 2-4 months ago
- initial handover of money was by word of mouth (I know that wasn’t smart of her)
- IIRC my mom has since obtained a notarized document with N’s signature stating that they must pay back the missing money.
- N and EH are already in court to disputes the distribution of the money from selling the house. My mom provided documents confirming her money transactions to N and into the house, whereas EH has not
- EH has already over phone stated that he plans to litigate until all funds are gone if he cannot have his share. However he did not contribute anything to the initial down payment or any subsequent payments thereafter

They won’t disclose their new home address as to avoid being served and they’ve been stonewalling any attempts to pay back the money. So my questions are as follows:

1) Is there any way we can compel them to make payments? Given that there is a paper trail of the 100k and that there is a document stating that they are supposed to return it

2) What else would I need in order to affirm that the 100k is to be returned?

We are trying to avoid them ghosting at this time, and we would like to leave nuclear options as a last resort

Thank you for the help in advance everyone, and please let me know if you need more INFO
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 There's one other possible interpretation here - N and EH may have qualified for the mortgage on their own, which would explain why the underwriter didn't require a gift letter for the giant deposit from her aunt.

In that case, they were simply defrauding M by pretending they needed the money for the loan, and then pocketed it themselves (or used it to pay down their mortgage.)

If that's what happened, then M wasn't a knowing participant in mortgage fraud, and N and EH just defrauded her.

I think the mortgage fraud angle is more likely...  but it's at least a possibility that N is just a thief.Answer #2: Your mother likely won't get all of her money back. Not unless she wants to implicate herself for mortgage fraud.

It's a federal crime.. and with that amount it's likely a Felony.


Title: Wine tour bus driver being asked to work on days off, and not paid

Question:
My friend works in the wine tour industry in California. On his days off, he is often called by the office and asked if he can rearrange his tour schedule, last-minute for the next day. This usually requires 30 minutes to an hour of his time to call multiple wineries and reschedule his tours, for which his company refuses to pay him. I have repeatedly told him that this is time on the clock which should be included in his paycheck, but he says he doesn't want to piss them off and lose his job by asking by for compensation. He is not a contractor, he is officially an employee, if that matters. He is normally paid hourly when he's working on the clock, and not salaried, also if that matters.

Does he or his coworkers have any recourse for this? He's not the only one this is happening to.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Sounds like he should be getting paid if his employer is calling him and requesting that he spend an hour doing work.

Your friend can talk to his employer directly and see if they’re willing to be reasonable. If not he can file a wage claim to get paid back for all the previous instances where this has happened. He would need some type of record showing the cumulative hours worked off the clock.

However the company could fire him for “no reason” or for something silly like being a minute late.


Title: Facing felony, need advice

Question:
Hi. Throwaway, for obvious reasons. I need help planning my next step. I made a substance to kill myself, said substance is illegal. I didnt die, obviously, but I came very close to it. During that time when I thought I was a dead man, I confessed to the police what I had done. I was sent to prison for a mental evaluation, and now I'm released on bond. I dont have the money to hire a federal lawyer. Is my next step just waiting for trial and taking whatever they dish out? Or is there something I can do to better my situation?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: Ask for a public defender


Title: Someone has been using my wife's email address for a variety of things

Question:
My wife's name is very similar to that of a famous pop star (US). Someone (probably one person) has been using her email address (@gmail.com) to signup for a variety of things including:
1. OpenTable / Restaurant reservations
2. Email receipts at stores
3. Random websites / niche social media websites
4. Various organizations

This person also seems to be living in the same city as us (NYC). Is there any possible consequence to this more than just annoyance? Is there any way to stop this.

Answer:
 > Is there any possible consequence to this more than just annoyance?

That's not a specific questions. If her email address is used for adult websites then sure, that could get leaked and be embarrassing. There isn't a legal issue here.

> Is there any way to stop this.

OpenTable reservations mean you should be able to call during her dinner, ask them to get her, and then explain the issue. This approach worked for my wife, she contacted an auto shop that emailed and they passed along the message. Ideally, look at the emails for a phone number for her. You can complain to each company so they change contact info but that will take forever.


Title: Employer Enacted 2-Hour Delayed Start After Employees Were Already On-site [Ohio]

Question:
Start times are different for numerous people at this work site, which is run by the county (public job). There are both salaried and hourly employees involved, this question will mostly be for those tracking their hours.

After numerous people had already shown up to start their day, the management decided to institute a 2-hour delay due to road conditions. There is a mandatory training today, which is now starting 2 hours late. The employer is making it seem as though the folks that have already arrived (since they have earlier start times) will not be paid for the time on site, despite not receiving the delay notice until after they were already on-site.

Can the employer withhold pay for those employees that showed up at their normal start times? They will essentially work a 10-11 hour work day but only be paid for 8 hours, due to the training starting late. Should they not be providing 2 hours of comp time or some form of compensation for hourly employees that were already on-site and working during the 2-hour delay?

Answer:
 Ohio’s laws do not specifically address when an employer must count an employee’s time as hours worked for purposes of its minimum wage and overtime requirements. Ohio does look for guidance from the regulations regarding what constitutes hours worked set forth under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.

FLSA says that “waiting time” is counted as hours worked when you are not performing work, but are under the direction of your employer. If you can leave and come back when the thing starts at the new time, you’re not entitled to pay.


Title: Just got laid off without notice, work offered a severance package. What do I do?

Question: Im 24, this has never happened to me. They just laid off almost our whole department without notice and offered a severance package (2 weeks pay). They said they didn't make enough in Q1 and didn't meet goals. Is this legal without notice? I live in California. Should I sign the package?

Answer: You should feel fortunate you received a severance.  Most people do not get that.


Title: [CA] The parents are suing and counter suing for full legal custody. What resources exist for the 15 year old kid wanting their own voice?

Question:
The dad filed an emergency petition for full custody, wife is counter suing for full custody, child support, long term spousal support (15 year marriage) and suing for past financial abuse.  That all being said..

One of the kids is 15, wants nothing to do with father, has apparently been cutting, and would like their own representation to ensure restraining order and anything else possible.

Family is not wealthy and wondering what pro-bono or discounted legal services could be available for the child.

Thanks!

Answer: A guardian ad litem will be appointed to represent the kids interest. The child should speak to him or her when they are named.


Title: [NJ] Jury duty tomorrow but I have some concerns about voir dire questions that might disqualify me

Question:
I report for jury duty tomorrow at my county courthouse.  I'm not deliberately trying to avoid it, but there are a couple of items on the [voir dire sample questions](http://www.judiciary.state.nj.us/jury/juryselect.html) which might disqualify me.

Specifically, for criminal court, if asked about whether or not I could take a police officer's word solely because they are a police officer, I would truthfully answer that I could not.  As for civil, if asked if I could treat a corporation as an individual, I would truthfully answer that I could not.

How deep would I be expected to explain my reasoning under both?  Should I be prepared to answer counter-questions based on my answers?

I won't fight tooth-and-nail to be disqualified, I'll just answer the questions as needed, but I won't get into some kind of Socratic dialogue with the judge and possibly get into trouble for not really being able to back these things up with sources cited, right?

For what it's worth, I was empanelled on a grand jury in the same vicinage for about six weeks back in 2012, so that might have me out on principle - I'm honestly not sure.

Answer:
 >for criminal court, if asked about whether or not I could take a police officer's word solely because they are a police officer, I would truthfully answer that I could not

that won't disqualify you.  Every defense attorney in every trial asks this.  The contra of that statement is "would you disbelieve a police officer's word solely because they are a police officer?"  If you automatically believe all police officers lie when they testify, then you are showing bias.

>if asked if I could treat a corporation as an individual, I would truthfully answer that I could not.

Would that not depend on the context?  Do you believe corporations can injure someone? Do you believe corporations can be injured? Can corporations violate contracts? Etc


Title: [KY] Employer stating I owe them back for days they accidentally paid me while I was at drill.

Question:
Text says it, pretty much. I always proactively reported my drill dates to my superiors, but not to HR who is responsible for pay. I didn’t know I needed to tell them as well.

Company policy states that guard and reserve employees don’t get paid for drill dates which I should have read, admittedly.. BUT SO SHOULD THE DEPARTMENT WHO PROCESSES PAY!!! They didn’t even know their own policy!

So yeah. They let 2016s days go but they’re asking me to work 21ish days extra this year to make up for it, without pay. Our workdays being 11-12h long, this is substantial.

I’m meeting with HR at 1100EST.. looking for any last minute pointers if I can, the way I see it, it’s their fuck up and I’m not gonna be an indentured servant.

Answer:
 You can quit. And they can sue you. But you don't get to keep pay you weren't entitled to. They can also fire you for refusing to repay.  You're attitude is going to get you fired if you're not careful. Mistakes happen.  At this point it's a prior year repayment so the processing gets a little funky but if you go to the meeting with an attitude that it's all their mistake and you won't owe back a penny that won't go well for you. Answer #2: Look at it this way: if the company *under*paid you, would you expect it to be the same where everyone just throws up their hands and goes, "Welp, someone messed up, it is what it is, and it's already done, we don't owe you any more?"

Of course not.  The error in pay is fixed.  And it's the same with *over*payment as well: the error gets fixed, and it gets fixed by you paying the money back.

A simple error doesn't mean free money.  Doesn't matter if it's an overpayment or an underpayment -- the error gets fixed, and that may require money to flow back the way it came.Answer #3: Employer is correct. You have to pay back money that was paid to you in error. Sorry this is not Monopoly.  There is no such thing as bank error in your favor. Go in with the attitude that you want to make this right and pay the money back, and I bet they will work on you to make it workable financially for you.


Title: Stepfather has dementia, absent Stepbrother shows up, wants power of attorney to get money/our house

Question:
I (F, 23) live in California. My mother's husband, my stepfather since I was 3 years old, has Parkinson's Plus, and subsequently has dementia now, with full paranoid episodes. His son (my MUCH older stepbrother) and his other daughter from a previous marriage have resented myself and my mom throughout this marriage because my stepfather walked out on his mom and was never present in his childhood, whereas he was been very involved and a great father to me. The daughter came to our house once and was yelling racial slurs at my mother, and she was escorted off our property by police. Lots of jealousy issues, both of these stepsiblings have a history with addiction). Once my stepdad had a stroke and was diagnosed with Parkinsons, Stepbrother started coming around, making excuses to come to our house- I assume to see what is in it. Recently the dementia has really gotten bad, my stepdad accuses his full-time care facility of spying on him, tapping his phone, and he leaves me disturbing voicemails about paranoid delusions (all of which I've kept) where he claims he can't trust anyone including my mom bc she put him in the facility (she visits him every other day and is very involved with his doctors and the staff).

 Stepbrother has been visiting him in facility, entertaining ideas of changing my stepdad's will. Today, stepbrother took signed him out of the facility for a few hours and my stepdad returned claiming that he signed over power of attorney to stepbrother who is going to "rescue him" from the facility and move him to a different facility hours away closer to Stepbrother. Stepbrother wants to force the sale (using his power of attorney) of the house I grew up in to get a cut of the money I believe. My mom called my stepdad earlier and he says he can't remember if he signed over his powers today. He just doesn't remember, and seems like he doesn't know what she is talking about. So, at the moment, we don't know if this has happened or not.

TL DR: stepfather who raised me since I was a toddler now has dementia, stepbrother who was absent until this illness is trying to coerce him to change will/sell my house.
Can my stepdad force the sale of our house against my mom's wishes if coerced into doing so?
Is this legal to allow my stepbrother to take my stepdad to a court and make these changes in this mental state?
Is anything illegal going on here that is worth fighting, esp. regarding stepbrother trying to get my house sold?
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Get a lawyer. Get a doctor who's willing to sign off on your stepfather's dementia diagnosis.

If your stepdad doesn't have the mental capacity, nothing he signs is valid. But definitely see a lawyer asap.


Title: LexisNexis has incorrect information about me and will not correct it

Question:
So I have a very common name and a father with an even more common name and by coincidence there is another person who has these names in common with me. As a result, their identity sometimes gets confused with mine. Their information shows up on my credit report (which is not generally difficult to get removed), and when validating my identity, it often gets mixed in with my information.

The company LexisNexis, which provides information to companies when they need to verify identity, has our identities very intermingled. When I need to prove my identity, I'm often asked questions about the other person. I don't know the answers to the questions and as a result I get rejected for some pretty important things (like getting my birth certificate).

I've tried working with LexisNexis to correct the information, but they tell me that the information comes from the "public record" and so I would need to correct that. I asked them what sources they use so that I could contact those companies and correct it and they refuse to give me that information. I don't know how I could possibly correct every source when I can't even identify where the incorrect information has been coming from. I also asked them if they could limit the information they use on me as only that which has been verified by social security number, but they wouldn't do that either.

I've run out of ideas on how to handle the issue and ignoring it is definitely not ok since they seem to be getting used more and more to verify identity. Is it necessary for me to sue them in order to get the information corrected? If so, what type of lawyer would I need to hire and what could I do to prepare for this?

I live in Maryland, but this has been a problem even when I've lived elsewhere. The company is in New York.

Answer:
 Public records are generally always going to be name and dob matches (civil records are limited to name only but bankruptcy can be verified with SSN).

You'll just have to dispute results. Here's your rights:

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0096-fair-credit-reporting-act.pdfAnswer #2: I think that LexisNexis would qualify as a "Consumer Reporting Agency".  So you want to find a good attorney who knows about the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).  Make sure that they can explain to you the impact of the Spokeo v. Robins case that the SCOTUS decided a year or so ago.  If they can't explain that case to you, and especially if they don't know about that case, then they are not a good FCRA attorney.  It sounds like you could have a reasonable case for a FCRA violation.


Title: Spilled drink on Macbook

Question: The following happened in Wisconsin a few weeks ago, So our neighbor had a party, during which my roommate got bumped and accidentally spilled a little bit of his drink on the neighbor girls computer. He admitted to it and said it was an accident, she told her dad and her dad is threatening to call the police if my roommate does not pay her $1300 for a new laptop. What can the police do or what should my friend do about this?

Answer:
 The police won't get involved unless there was some criminal intent, like the difference between vandalism and an accident.

If your roommate is 100% certain that he spilled his drink and his drink caused damage, he should pay the cost of repair or replacement. If it's an older Macbook, she's entitled to the fair market value. IE, if it's a 2006-era Macbook, she's entitled to about $100 -- NOT the full replacement cost of a brand new Macbook.


Title: Dealing with a Personal Business Check

Question:
I am selling a computer on Craigslist for about $1200, I got a buyer who is sending a check in the mail and then wants me to send it via a personal moving company, it sounds super sketch but they won’t have me move it until I cash the check which makes me feel better about the whole ordeal. I have, however, heard that those checks can be canceled after in a way that makes me pay the bank or go to court and I would rather not deal with that so what information should I collect to protect myself. I live in Maine
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Sounds like you're about to be taken in a classic fake check scam.


Title: Walked in to the office today to a new policy restricting restroom use, is this legal? (Colorado)

Question:
This morning I walked in to the office today to find a memo on my desk stating the following:

>Good morning,
Effective today 2/4/16 in stratustime(our time clock system) we will be able to utilize a new feature for restroom break ( 15 min), this new feature will allow you to proceed to restroom break (15 min) during the day, please do not use break for regular break.
Thank you.

I had a conversation with my boss and he eventually said the new policy allowed for 2 restroom breaks, separate from regular break time, not to exceed 15 minutes.

Given a history of ridiculous decisions made by management and the company seeming to have an HR department that does nothing whatsoever after receiving numerous complaints by the majority of my department, I expected that we would not be paid for this time. We will be paid for these "restroom breaks", but it still seems to me that this would be borderline illegal. Is limiting allowed restroom breaks in this fashion illegal?

Answer: I wonder how many people it took spending 30+ minutes Redditing while pooping to get this enacted... Answer #2: Your first mistake was thinking you'd get help from HR. Human Resources exists to protect the company not you. Is it that they just want you to clock out as bathroom break every time you go with a maximum time allowed of 15 minutes or you can only clock out twice a day even if you're below the 15 minute window?


Title: [California] Mother trying to convince me and siblings to do something that feels... voter-fraud-y.

Question:
Hi LA, I'm looking for some quick advice.

My mother makes all of her money from short-term vacation rentals. The small California town she lives in will be voting on an outright ban on them, and she wants me and my three siblings to change our registered voting address to her town so we can vote against the proposal.

This is clearly unethical, but is it _illegal?_ Quick summary:

* We are all of legal voting age.

* We all live in California.

* She is NOT asking us to register to vote a second time, just to change our existing registration to her town so we can vote in their local elections.

If this turns out to be legal, I'll have to just tell her 'no' the old-fashioned way, but I'm curious what the experts think about it.

Answer:
 Tell her no. You want to vote in the town where you live, because the people you vote for do affect your life. You want a say in your local politics, not to be used by her so she can get something she wants for herself.

I suspect if you don't have property or live in the other town, it is probably illegal.Answer #2: Tell her no and move on.


Title: [UK] An official body reviewed my phone conversations then lied to me about the outcome.

Question:
I have asked them to send me the recorded conversations but they haven't replied. Are they legally obliged to do so? If so, what can I say to them (legal talk)?

(copied from comment) Basically, I was offered to be funded to study overseas. They sent me over then didn't release funds, didn't contact me, didn't make any of the companies in the process aware of what was happening, didn't give me any of the proper documents to process properly and provided no contact details for themselves. I was completely abandoned and left to starve and live on the streets.

It was only after emailing my government they finally contacted me and said that they had to refresh the entire database because they had fucked up their administration. They told me they'd investigate how they can help me.

Now the head of compliance tells me after 'reviewing the phone conversations' that none of what I said was true, nobody promised to investigate what could be done and that the university I was attending was fully aware of my arrival and that everyone at the companies processing my loan were fully aware of the situation. This is all lies, I emailed literally everyone at my university and nobody I contacted had a clue what to do or had ever even heard of what I was talking about. HOURS worth of phone calls.

It's such a long story and hard to describe with coherence, it's the general picture though yeah. Ask and I'll provide. Thanks

Answer:
 If they're recording conversations then I believe it comes under the Data Protection Act (amongst others).

If they did record your call, then they **must** provide you a copy of the call itself or a transcript of the call. There can be a fee of up to £10 (admin) for requesting a call. refusal to provide the data is a breach of the data protection act.

This website here is the official website that tells you how to go about the process;
http://ico.org.uk/for_the_public/personal_information

If they have recorded your call illegally in the first place then they can be held liable for a breach of the data protection act, though generally the remit on who can record calls is pretty wide (almost any business, though they must have a legitimate reason) there's some information on it here from Ofcom; http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/oftel/consumer/advice/faqs/prvfaq3.htm

Answer #2: "An official body" is way too vague.


Title: Got rear-ended while pregnant, insurance refusing to pay hospital bill unless I sign a form saying I won’t sue

Question:
In December, my husband and I got rear ended on the highway. I was pregnant so our OBGYN told us to go to the ER to get an ultrasound to make sure baby was okay. Everything was fine. The girl that hit us has Travelers insurance and they were acting super nice like they were afraid since I was pregnant. They paid our ER bill and damages to the car.

A month later they emailed me a release form and said they’d give me $500 to sign it and agree I’d never sue them. I felt uncomfortable and insulted by the low price, considering if something was wrong with baby after birth it could cost tens of thousands. Plus, it’s my baby. So I said that I couldn’t sign until I knew my baby was healthy.

But then last month we got a bill for the ultrasound. We sent it to the insurance company and they refused to pay it unless I signed the release.

So, baby is now 1 month old and seems fine thankfully. Should I sign the release and take the 500? If I sign, and something is wrong with baby later, will I really not be able to hold them accountable? Is there any legal thing that says they are obligated to pay the bill since they were completely at fault?

In addition, someone else called us to ask if the case was settled because the girl was trying to get points taken off her license through some program. We said no it is not settled yet and that was all we heard about that. Do we have any leverage there?

Answer:
 This is standard operating procedure. They aren't going to pay your bills as they come. They are going to offer you a settlement to absolve themselves of any *further* liability. If you still have bills coming in, it wouldn't be wise to settle yet. If you think your settlement is too low, you should discuss the situation with a personal injury attorney.Answer #2: What you *should* do is up to you.

They don't want an endless string of claims from you forever.

So if you're going to settle, you're going to have to agree that the settlement is all you're going to ask for from the incident.

That's standard.Answer #3: have you told your insurance company about this?


Title: I knocked over a planter walking. A cop saw and is charging me with 'criminal vandalism'. Please read...

Question:
I was walking home last night after a bar and I clumsily knocked over a plant potter that was outside a store as decoration. I walked away and ended up getting stopped by a cop who saw it happen. I told the cop I didn't want to get arrested for something so stupid but he arrested me anyway and decided to charge me with interference. I posted $500 bail and got out that night. In the morning, I went back to the broken pot scene and cleaned it all up, and replaced the planter that cost $215 that same morning. I went in the store and apologized to the owner and told her what happened. The woman actually cried and was grateful for me replacing it and coming in to apologize in person. I want to ultimately get this case dismissed because I do not want a fucking record for vandalism. My plan is to get a letter from the woman who owns the planter to say that I was respectful and how I was sorry for what I did and that I replaced it immediately/cleaned it all up. Should I hire a lawyer? What are the genuine chances of getting the case dismissed with lawyer? Without?

This happened in Massachusetts.

Answer:
 >I told the cop I didn't want to get arrested for something so stupid but he arrested me anyway and decided to charge me with interference.

I am shocked - *shocked* - that telling a cop that you didn't want to get arrest did not dissuade him from arresting you.

>I want to ultimately get this case dismissed because I do not want a fucking record for vandalism.

Well, you could try telling the district attorney that, but my guess is that it would be no more likely to work than your cunning "tell the police officer I don't want to be arrested" strategy.

You might have an actual defence based on a lack of requisite *mens rea*, but there's no way to know since for some reason you decided *location* was not relevant information for a legal question.


Title: How do you show video evidence in court [MD]

Question: Have videos to use as proof of the state of a property before a renter moved in. How do I share this with the judge during the trial?

Answer: Definitely call ahead and ask what kind of set up they have--in this day and age, and if it's not a jury trial, I have seen Judges actually just look at the video from your phone (assuming it's saved on a phone).


Title: Roommate acting as a landlord, and personally profiting.

Question:
I live in Washington State, for context. I am currently renting a room in a house that is in foreclosure (as far as I know). The rent paid to the landlord is $800 a month. There are 4 roommates, 2 of us pay $400 a month, and the other pays $500 a month to the fourth roommate, who covers the utilities and then pockets the rest. He lives for free.

Is this legal? Is there anything I can do about this arrangement? Is there anything I should do about this arrangement? I am already planning on moving out, and will do so as soon as I find a new place, so I'm mostly asking for the benefit of the other roommates. I can afford to move out, they really can't.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Yes, that's legal. It may or may not violate the master tenant's agreement with the landlord, but that's none of your business.


Title: It costs too much to be happy

Question: For the past 5 years I have been living with someone. Not by choice. He slowly started moving his things into my place when I first met him. He eventually had me evicted for beating me up too loudly, and when I moved he found me and did the same thing at my next apartment. Finally I moved to a place and didn't tell him, but soon after I found out I was pregnant. He then moved in again and then I moved twice and he still lives with me. He has never paid rent, nor had a job. He has also been violent and/or verbally abusive the entire time. We now have a 2 year old and I have had enough so I have been contacting family law attorneys all day. The majority require about $5000 up front and tell me that I would still have to pay child support after I throw him out. Since he never worked he has been the day time caregiver of our daughter and therefore has more rights. I would prefer her to be in nursery school but he won't allow it. I just can't understand how a man can do this? And how the law actually protects him? It just baffles my mind. I would never ever do this to anyone and still I am having moral dilemmas on throwing him out. I know I have made some terrible poor decisions these past 5 years but I shouldn't be punished for being weak. Isn't the law supposed to protect the weak?

Answer:
 >I just can't understand how a man can do this?

First, take responsibility for your actions. You had a relationship with a violent person. You continued that relationship of your own free will. You made a baby with a violent person. The law cannot protect you from your decisions.

Second, you have a child. It has a father. You are stuck dealing with this person for a very very long time.

So, move (stay in state) and file for custody. Pay an attorney or do it yourself. Check with local legal aid. He will get custody. Likely 50/50. He will get visitation. Likely 50/50. Answer #2: Please please please find a women's shelter for yourself and your child. I don't know where you are, but in my metro area there are tons and there are shelters in the rural areas as well. Please seek them out and PLEASE let them help you without sabotaging them by telling the father where you are.

They will also be able to hook you up with resources to address your legal needs and any therapy you might need to keep yourself away from him. Depending on where you live you might also get a protective order against him, but others can speak more to that.

Just please use the resources available to you to get away from him.Answer #3: Check out [The National Domestic Violence Hotline] (http://www.thehotline.org) website. They have links to local DV resoruces including shelters and legal aid. If you want to charge him with assault start recording evidence of the physical abuse such as pictures of any bruises he leaves.Answer #4: You should seek counseling. Ask a legal aid clinic/shelter for help.


Title: clause in a car accident settlement agreement

Question:
Posting for a friend.

She was in a car accident in September, she struck a vehicle that was making an illegal turn through stopped lanes of traffic.  The car she was driving was totaled, and she went to urgent care for severe bruising from the seatbelt and airbags.  The person who made the turn was found at fault by the police (ticketed) and their insurance company paid all claims except her urgent care bill.  She received an offer of a settlement for urgent care plus $300 for lost work.  The settlement letter they want her to sign has this statement in it. Is this normal?

*It is understood and agreed that this settlement is the compromise of a doubtful and disputed claim, and the payment made is not construed as an admission of liability on the part of the party or parties hereby released, and that the said releases deny liability therefor and intended merely to avoid litigation and buy their peace.*

State is Missouri.

Answer:
 Essentially the insurance company is saying that the payment is not an admission of liability, but to avoid court + more lawyers and once this person agrees, they release any further liability for the accident.  Once this person agrees to the settlement, they cannot come after the insurance/other driver for more damages.

Completely normal.


Title: Jealous guy claiming statutory rape on a friend. Can the guy do anything about it?

Question: Best I could keep the title short. Let me explain. So my friend T and my lady friend X had sex. She engaged it. He's roughly 25 and she's 17 almost 18. Her parents don't care. The only reason this is being brought to attention is that X's ex-bf is jealous and is making the statutory rape claim on T. X admitted to the group she has. Yet no one else knows. Nor is there any evidence to back it up. So my question is can this claim of statutory rape be made by someone that is not her legal guardian, or under false premises? I appreciate whomever may answer this. It's been a rough week.

Answer: What state are you in? That very well be statutory rape. All the matters with stat. rape is the age of the two and the state, consent doesn't matter. Answer #2: If she is 17 and the age of consent in your state is 16, then there is no statutory rape.Answer #3: Anyone can report a crime. Whether or not the police choose to follow up on it might vary depending on whether or not it's the girl's parents, but that's impossible to predict.


Title: Never paid an Indian Res ticket... is my license suspended?

Question:
While I was cleaning my room today, I found the ticket that I received from Indian Res. cops. 6 months ago, I didn't come to a *complete* stop at a stop sign, and some Reservation cops that were watching the stop sign (I didn't see them) pulled me over a few streets away for failure to come to a complete stop. I was fuming angry at the fact that these two Reservation cops were treating me like a criminal and wasting my time. I called the traffic court a few weeks later and asked what I was supposed to do. They said if I don't go in, I am acknowledging that I am guilty and they will send me something in the mail. I wasn't going to waste my time going to court fighting something that I know I'm going to lose, so I hung up and waited to see something in the mail. I still haven't seen anything months later.

On the back of my ticket, it says "Your driver's license will remain suspended until the civil sanction is paid and you satisfy the MVD requirements." I haven't received any word about my license being suspended or anything of the sort in the mail. Should I be worried and get this solved? The fine is $50 which I don't want to pay unless I absolutely have to.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 To give you a good answer on this, I need to know two things: what department and what court were you summonsed to?     Tribal police authority can vary but generally speaking they are either federal agents or state peace officers with the same authority as a trooper or deputy sheriff. That ticket is likely completely legit and has the same legal standing as any other traffic ticket given in the state.  That means yes, your license  may be suspended.  Also, you may have a warrant out for your arrest due to your failure to appear.  Heck, you may have additional penalties assessed since you didn't show up for court.  I have no idea why the clerk would say that your failure to appear would be the same as pleading guilty.  I don't know if that's common in other states, but I've never heard of it around here. Either way, even if you haven't received anything in the mail that doesn't mean it's gone away.

Bottom line, don't ignore this sort of stuff again. Is the $50 really worth all the other trouble you might now be in?


Title: Undocumented immigrant with no license pulled over in Texas for expired registration on vehicle. Officer issued citation and court date. Are we at risk for deportation?

Question:
As stated, my dad was given a citation for a recently expired registration sticker and was subsequently discovered to be driving without a license. This is his first offense after 11 years of residing in Texas.

What are my family's best options going forward, and in your experience, do class C misdemeanors of this kind often lead to deportation? Any advice is appreciated. Thank you.

Answer:
 I mean, you are always at risk of deportation.

Contact an immigration lawyer.


Title: [TX] Girlfriend's psycho ex-boyfriend broke through her bedroom window while we were in bed and attacked me.

Question:
My girlfriend's ex-boyfriend has been stalking her for a long time now. Sends her 20+ text messages and calls every day without her responding, and shows up randomly at bars and friend's places where he knows we go frequently. Last night I filed a police report around 2am when he broke through her bedroom window and attacked me while we were in bed. I curled up in a ball and had my arms blocking my face so he could only hit me closed fisted on the top of my head thank god. I had absolutely no clothes on. He also cut his hand breaking through the glass and managed to wipe some blood off on my girlfriend, which the police swabbed for evidence. I should also include this crime was committed on government assisted housing property if that makes any difference. We're both really shaken up about this whole situation. I'm almost certain he was on methamphetamine since we know for a fact he uses almost every day. I thought he was going to kill me. I'm not sure what my first step should be.

EDIT: I should include they have a child. A little over two years old. She said she is calling CPS today.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: Get an order of protection, then if you meet all of the legal requirements  get a concealed carry permit and a firearm so your not left at the whims of this psychopath.  Your Girlfriend should get an order of protection and a concealed carry permit too. Answer #2: Ask the police about having a protection order done. The DA's office should be willing to do it and you at least have standing IIRC. If the DA will not do it, then a private attorney can also do it,Answer #3: Lots of good advice here, but in extreme instances like this I feel like its worth noting that Texas has a Castle Act and the second amendment is a thing.


Title: (Oklahoma) My husband is a real estate agent and he put my cousin's house on his website and was showing it. He only did it so it would look like he was in demand but she called the police and I'm scared

Answer:
 Yeah, he really shouldn't have done that.Answer #2: Your husband really violated your cousin's privacy, and probably the terms of his real estate license for showing a house he wasn't authorized to.

He should get a criminal defense attorney and stop acting like an idiot.Answer #3: He may not be a real estate agent for much longer.


Title: Friends claim fake credit card works with online shopping

Question:
I have a lot of experience with credit card fraud. Unfortunately, my friends thought they could have a go at it before I got wind of it. My friend has convinced everyone to shop at adidas with a randomly generated credit card and fake information: “Fake generated card. Fake date and security code. Its literally all bullshit. As long as its that credit card number you can use it. Kids actually got their SHIT. Its a system glitch. Its like that shit, except the system for websites is blind to that number, they can't do anything about it, its a blank order, gets processed like normal, and works out”

Does anyone have any experience with this? I cannot believe Adidas wouldn’t verify funds and card numbers.

Location: Chicago, IL
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: What are you asking? If your friend is bullshitting? If you "have a lot of experience with credit card fraud", you should be aware it doesn't work like this.


Title: If an employer is also relatives with his employee, are employer-employee gift exchanges ok? Or how would that be legally characterized? Does that depend on how close are the relatives (father-son; cousin-cousin)?

Question: Edit - seeking general information Quebec, Canada; or NY

Answer: There are no laws about nepotism or gift giving among employees other than basic tax rules regarding compensation.  Giving your nephew an Xbox while he works for you is fine.  Giving him a $2000 bonus requires you pay taxes on it appropriately


Title: [17F Georgia] How would I go about legally moving out? Everything I find has some restriction?

Question:
My homelife isn't great and I'm afraid I'll get hurt if I stay. My mother is now saying I have to join the military to even move out and I don't want to. She even went as far as to withdrawing me from my job and all school related activities I was in.

I feel like I'm being cornered here and I want to get out before I don't have a chance at all. I've searched around a little but I cant find a clear answer where I don't need parental consent or some "proof" of being able to do things myself.

I have somewhere to go and I'm capable of finishing school and getting a job. I still have one more year of school to attend and I don't want to do anything until I finish this school year up.

Is there any hope for me? Am I missing something important here?

Answer:
 According to the other posts you've made in LA you are 18, and don't have any family in your life. In another post you've been kicked out by your family and your girlfriend left you, in another post you're looking for assistance to pay rent on your apartment.

So which one is the real you?Answer #2: >She even went as far as to withdrawing me from my job and all school related activities I was in

Are you being home schooled at all?  If not, I would contact child protective services or the equivalent in your area.


Title: I Sold a Gun to Someone Who Later Shot Someone

Question:
I live somewhere in Texas. I am a recovering heroin addict. In December of 2015 I sold someone a 20ga shotgun. I was 17 at the time, and so it was technically illegal for me to own a gun.

January 2017 I was arrested on a Class A Misd. possession, and a State Jail Felony possession charge. The felony drugs belonged to my passenger. I am still going to court for these charges.

Now, I know in Texas because of the Private Sale/"Gun Show" loophole in Texas, the seller of a firearm is not responsible for doing a background check or registering a gun if it is sold between one private user and another.

But here's my problem. I was reading the news today. And the person I sold the shotgun to is in jail for shooting a random person. The person who was shot is stable but could still die due to pellets in his brain stem. There's a good chance this was my shotgun. I want to tell police. But I'm worried about my legal standpoint. Can I get into trouble for this? Can I get into trouble if I knowingly don't report it it? What should I do?

Answer:
 >  I want to tell police.

Why?  None of the information you mentioned in here is relevant to the situation.


Title: Where can I start trying to learn law without going to a school for it?

Answer: Google, scotus blog, here, library.


Title: Help with ex and custody

Question:
So about two months ago enough was finally enough, the verbal abuse and threats and violence was too much for me to bare so rather then fight back and get in trouble I decided to walk out. Left the kid in the highchair and walked out. I couldn't stand to see my daughter look scared and confused at her parents as they screamed horrible shit to each other.

The relationship was doomed to begin with she (my fiancee) slept with my best friend before she even knew him because he was at my apartment but I wasn't (still to this day don't know if it was out of spite) and then later told me that my best friend had raped her even though she continued to hang out with me and him I believe now this was just to avoid any blame on her having sex with him.

Cut to a half a year before we conceive our child and she decides that she wants to try and make Webcam videos of us having sex and sell them online. I say yes thinking it's a win win for me sex and money hell who wouldn't want that.

I soon learned it meant that she would spend all day fucking herself for strangers only to not allow me home (because she was working and didn't want me to see that) so I would have to wait at work after shift until midnight one o clock sometimes just for her to be done with her "job".

Shortly after she started asking if I was Into "cuckolding" which I said no. She then admitted a "perfomer" from Florida wanted to come and fuck her in front of me for money. When i objected she said it was no different then me masterbating (which she forbid me to do)

When I said no, I was screamed at and made sleep on the floor of the bathroom..

Cut to September of that year she learns she is pregnant not only does she continue Webcamming but invites the grossest girl I have ever met to do "shows" with to make more money.

She quit after that whole trainwreck. Shortly after my daughter was born the crazy amped up to 11. We would literally fight every time I wasn't at work, psychical, mental, verbal every sort of abuse was thrown at me. Her family would watch as she talked down to me say nothing. Friends would stop talking to me because they hated dealing with her and hearing the way she talked to me.

So in august I finally decided after trying and failing to make her happy so many times and finding stuff out about what she was doing behind my back that I just walked out and lawyered up.

Cut to now, she has made every step of this separation hell for me I couldn't see my daughter unless I came back to our house (which we bought together and i was subsequently kicked out of) and do chores then maybe I could get to see my daughter for half an hour.

One of the times this happend she decides to snoop in my car. Well a few days prior in my post breakup stuper a friend gave like 1 g of mushrooms, which I wasn't even going to do actually was just going to give them to a lady friend that gets cluster headaches as I read on reddit that mushrooms help with that. She sees the mushrooms and a week later decides that I'm a drug addict and can't see my daughter. Even though she was the one who was a meth addict and introduced me to that garbage and even though she used to be a mushroom dealer I'm still the bad guy.

So like I said I'm kicked out of my house and still paying for our truck and house and insurance even though I am not there. The lawyer tells me as long as I'm paying her bills I don't need to pay child support I still make random deposits to help just because I want my daughter to be taken care of.

Go a month without seeing my daughter what's the excuse this time? I'm an alchoholic her mom says.

So I do what my lawyer says but before I can get her served she moves back to her parents 200 miles away. I finally get to see my daughter after a month of no contact and this is what I get 2 hours in a cold wet park on a dreary Washington day as her mom watches from my truck glaring at me and smoking cigarettes.

Cut to two weeks later (now) and I am going to where my ex is staying as I have mutual friends and family in that area I ask if I can see my daughter her mom says no. She has to work Thursday and friday is Halloween and she doesn't even give me Saturday as a option.

Her excuse this time? I'm a deadbeat dad who isn't paying child support, so I got my bank records and within two months not counting the bills I paid that were hers I gave her close to 1100$ even though according to her and my ex mother in law I've given nothing.

Now my lawyer is saying since she lives so far away the courts up here might not even waste their time because they would just move the case to where she is which will really eat up my retainer if I have to have my attorneys drive 2 hours.

So in my last resort I come to you reddit for help, what do I do? How do I get her to quit being so ridiculous about this custody. She is now saying I can't see my kid until after the trial which is set for feb I told her she was out of her mind if she thinks she can keep my daughter from me for 6 months. Can she really do this?

Tl; dr: broke up with fiancee she is trying to use every excuse to keep my daughter from me excuses have ranged from alcoholic to abusive to  being a pedophile to not paying child support even though I am... all of which are lies created by a delusional woman with a personality disorder. For the safety of my child,  what do I do?

Answer:
 She is crazy. You made the conscious choice to make a baby with crazy. You now have 18+ years to deal with crazy. Nothing at all will change that.

You have no ability to see your child until a court order says so.

You need to have your attorney deal with it or hire a new attorney in the new area.


Title: [Windham County, CT] Boring: Is a commercial landlord required to provide working heat in the winter?

Question:
Sorry guys, nothing exciting.     My drone didn't get drunk and then abuse and kidnap my neighbors drug-addicted dog for ransom.     Hopefully a simply yes/no question here....   This came up recently with my company.  I'm in a different state and don't know much about CT, and how it would work with commercial rental properties.

I'm used to the local Dept of Health enforcing landlords to provide heat at a minimum degree of temperature in the Winter for RESIDENTIAL properties.  But in this case the question is commercial, and in CT.

**To the point:** Our office in a rented commercial space doesn't have heat and the landlord doesn't seem to care.  It's below freezing with snow on the ground.  Our employees are running space heaters with extension cords to stay warm which isn't that safe.    Besides it being a civil matter and going back to what's in the lease, would there be any other CT state or Windham county law/rules/regs that would make him provide heat or repair the broken heat?

Thanks.

Answer: Commercial rental laws often do not provide the same protections as residential ones. Does your lease say there is supposed to be functioning heat?


Title: (Florida US) Unjustly fired from my job. Can I sue?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer: You weren't fired unjustly, and you have no recourse. Find a new job.


Title: I was illegally sublet to and was kicked out by the actual landlord need advice. (California)

Question: Long story short... I rented a room from who I thought were the owners of the house signed a lease agreement and everything. Well some damage happened to the house, not caused by me, and the actual owner showed up and decided to kick me and my 2 year old daughter out. He called the police and the police told me if I wasn't out by 3pm the next day I would be arrested for criminal trespassing. So for fear of going to jail I left the house. This all feels very fishy and I was wondering, if any, what kind of recourse I can take against the people involved.

Answer: Depending on how long you lived at the property, you may be getting illegally evicted. How long did you live at the property?Answer #2: You actually heard the police say that? Or that is what the landlord said the police said? Because I don't think they would arrest you for being in your home. Answer #3: The police were wrong.  If you can get a lawyer, you may be able to sue the landlord for an illegal eviction.


Title: (Virginia) I'm a crime victim. I got fired from my job on first day because perpetrator's mom works there & is friends with the manager

Question:
Seven years ago I was the victim of a crime where I almost died. The perpetrator was caught and is serving life in prison for murder and the crimes against me. I spent years rebuilding my life, recovering physically, going to therapy etc. I recently got a new job with a large, fairly well known company. I showed up at their office for training and orientation on my first day. It was going well, but three hours into it security came into the the session and told me I had to leave. The manager came as we were crossing the lobby on the way out of the building, grabbed my temporary ID and told me I was fired. I was miffed and had no idea what I did wrong. I spent days trying to figure it out with no answers as I applied for other jobs. A couple of days ago I received an email at the gmail account I only use for job applications. It was screenshots and forwarded emails from the manager that fired me and another employee. The employee was my perpetrator's mother, I recognized the name. The manager tells her she took care of me and I was fired, "just like you asked". They called each other "girlfriend" in the emails. The person who sent me said the email said what they did wasn't right and all the emails are stored in a server even after deletion.

I know this sounds so far-fetched and convoluted but I swear it is the truth and really happened. I'm in Virginia. Do I have a case against them for wrongful dismissal or anything else? Or is it not worth it and I should just move on?

Answer:
 If you want to do the company a favor, report this to the HR and General Counsel.  You will not get your job back, but what the mother did is using her position for personal vendetta--a no-no.  They hired you for a reason and now they need to start over in the search because of her vendetta.  Answer #2: I would try to find someone above them and bring it to their attention, it may not get your job back, but if I was a person in authority at a business and lower level management is abusing their positions, I'd want to know about it.

They could be costing the company money in other spats. Not to mention, the business probably already spent resources on you, resources which now they wasted.Answer #3: IANAL so just random thoughts. I would consult a lawyer with experience in employment law. Perhaps a case could be made against the company for wrongful termination based on it violating public policy. (The State of Virginia would seem to have an interest in assuring people can testify [whether you actually did or not] without losing their employment.)

An excerpt from an online [article] (http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/wrongful-termination-in-virginia.html):

>Public Policy Violation Virginia also prohibits termination if it violates public policy. Examples include an employee being fired simply for obeying the law, or for refusing to commit a crime.

Even if successful, you may not get your job back, but perhaps could receive compensation. A lawyer could also tell you if you had a tort related claim against the manager or the perpetrator's mother. That, even if possible, may or not be worth pursuing.


Title: [WA] Prison may not release my fiancé back home when he's released, he's 100 miles away atm, kind of desperate [long story].

Question:
I'm a little weary of posting this and hope it's within the rules, here goes:

My fiancé was charged for incest back in 2013, when he committed it back in somewhere around 2003-2005ish? He was a minor, homeschooled, unaware and curious. It was mutual. He's not sexually deviant by any means, just a normal guy. Anyway, he spent 6 months in jail then was released on SSOSA (Special Sex Offender Sentencing Alternative), where he serves out his time in community custody because he's considered low risk. Probation, I guess. He's also considered minimum right now in prison.

He had missed one of his weekly court ordered sexual treatment classes last year (transportation and money was sometimes an issue), and because that was considered a violation, they arrested him during one of his daily check-ins on May 16th 2017. He got a public defender who didn't really do anything, my mom did a lot of the legwork actually, constantly got hearings delayed, which caused him to spend 7 grueling months in county jail. The final hearing was in December, which the judge gave no leniency and sentenced him to serve it out in prison. He'll be out on September 7th. He'll have an extra 3-4 years of probation to deal with after he's released, unfortunately. He would have been finished soon.

The main issue is, he tells me that many people in prison (inmates, counselor) tell him they probably won't release him back home. He's 100 miles away, in a way different county. He's over there because that's where he committed the "crime" like 15 years back, even though he hasn't lived there in over a decade. It's a county of only 75,000 people, while my(our) home county has over 2 million. Neither of us have a car, my mom does which is where I live atm, and she helps with transportation. I can't help but worry that he won't be able to come home and I'm looking at all avenues for any kind of advice or information that might lead to him being able to easily appeal and come home. They would put him in halfway housing and pay for it for up to three months, but that feels like another prison to me.

I just want him to be home again, where he has a soon-to-be wife, a real home, real job opportunities, and transportation. He still wouldn't be able to leave county, but he'd be essentially "transferred" to another CO here, and at least he'd be home. I can't just up and move over there. He'll have classes weekly to attend still, so how is he going to easily make them without a car or reliable public transport system if any? Everything about staying there is just going to make it more complicated and expensive for him and the system, I think.

He's not a threat to anyone, and he doesn't need to be "reintroduced" into society. I guess I'm just desperate for any kinds of options. Not good for my anxiety! And we seriously want nothing more than to just be able to be with each other again...

Thanks for reading...

Answer:
 If you are young and poor (and sounds like you are), marrying a sex offender is going to be tying a huge weight around your neck and trying to swim. Everything is going to be more difficult for your entire married life. Jobs for him, finding housing for you both, problems if you have kids, etc.

Please don’t hurry to marry this guy. Just date. Live together of you want. If it works out for a couple of years, then get married. If it’s too much, you walk away.


Title: [NC] I have reason to believe a parent is going to try to involuntarily commit me. Can anyone explain how this could start and what I could do to mitigate it?

Question:
One of my parents believes that I'm mentally ill and unstable after I ceased contact with him. He's claimed I'm a danger to myself, ill, and making things up anytime I've confronted him for beating/threatening me as a kid.  There is no record of how he acted during that time unfortunately. I've cut him out of my life and he's told other family members that my refusal to take his calls is a sign I'm insane.

He doesn't know where I live, though we're in the same metro region and he knows where I work. I'm concerned that a judge will believe him if he lies about me. I'm in my 20s and have a list of people from a variety of settings who could vouch for my sanity if needed. How can I prep for the worst-case scenario?

Answer:
 You can't stop someone from lying about you.

If you're concerned, see a psychologist or psychiatrist.  They'll be able to testify on your behalf.

But you should know that "he's mentally ill" is not sufficient to support a commitment.

You'll need to be found by the judge to be either completely unable to take care of yourself, or a clear danger to yourself or others.

That's a really REALLY high bar.  If you're holding a job down and don't have a serious addiction problem or repeated suicide attempts/eating disorders/etc. then you are almost certainly going to win.


Title: Mandatory work event I have to pay for. How to approach?

Question:
Myself and my coworkers have just been informed (in writing, thanks guys) that we are required to attend an after hours event,unpaid, and have to pay admission. I'm almost positive this is illegal, but what is the best way to approach it?

For reference, I'm in New York and classified as a non-exempt, hourly wage employee.

Answer:
 If you have to attend you have to be paid. FLSA fact sheet 22. Show it to them.Answer #2: To add to the topic.

You could play dumb, that's always the best. Send them an email saying things like, since this is a required event for work, I'll be getting a refund and paid for time on the clock correct? I didn't see any mention of that in the last email.

 That might work well if it was a long email. It might give them a little nudge to saying yes you'll get your money.Answer #3: To quote the FLSA fact sheet #22. "Work not requested but suffered or permitted to be performed is work time that must be paid for by the employer"Answer #4: This sounds illegal. You should be paid.

I could see you paying as a bad sign/red flag about this job.


Title: Ex Has taken out an life insurance policy on me

Question: So ended up dating this girl for a couple years and she was always into trying to make an extra buck. One of her schemes was selling life insurance.  So as practice she opened a policy on me. We eventually broke up and I was wondering if their was a way to cancel the policy? Just got a call from a debt collector asking if I knew her whereabouts so I might be a little nervous.

Answer:
 State matters. You can contact the state insurance regulatory agency or perhaps file a police report, depending again on you state's laws concerning an agent paying premiums.Answer #2: If you know the insurance company, write them.  Specifically ask that your letter be forwarded to the "Special Investigations Unit".  In the letter, tell them that you are concerned that a life insurance policy has been taken out on you by someone who does not have an "insurable interest" in your life.  Mention that you think that this is part of a pattern.   You want to be very careful phrasing this letter so that you don't write something that could be construed as defamation if the facts turn out to be slightly different than you believe.  If I were in your shoes, I would not mention the person by name in the letter, but I would ask that the "Special Investigations Unit" contact you directly for more information.

"Special Investigations Unit" seems to be a constant across the insurance industry, and "insurable interest" is a term of art in insurance law.


Title: How to stop the sale of our family farm

Question:
Some back story. We have had part of our farm in our family for about 175 years (around 200 acres), the rest was bought in the late 70's. Currently we hold this in a trust and rent out all the land. With land pricing around 10k per acre and having about 1800 acres we are sitting on roughly 18,000,000. The problem here is I would like to keep the land and rent it forever as that would generate more money in the long term than the short. I have 6 other people who are apart of this once it is inherited (cousins and sister). My sister and I would like to keep it but we know once it is in our control after it is inherited, my cousins on the other hand will undoubtedly want to sell as all they see is a Big ol check coming to them. As it is a trust and we will all own equal shares it will be a vote and we are out numbered 2-4. I do not have the millions to put up and buy it so I am sitting here trying to figure out what we can do. If anyone may have advice or has ever had to deal with this it would be great help. I would hate to lose our family legacy because of greedy people.

My cousins have never had a thing to do with the farm only their father has. 4 people currently make money off of the farm (Grandmother, father, and 2 uncles).

Location is in Illinois

Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: You can't prevent them from selling their share of the assets.  You may be able to force a partition into smaller parcels and maintain a portion of it in proportion to your ownership percentage.  You need a trusts & estates attorney with experience in real estate partition ASAP.


Title: After explicitly, in writing, agreeing not to chop the ivy plants off our trees, our neighbour neighbour chopped the ivy plants off our trees. MO USA

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 * Get an arborist to determine the financial value of the ivy.

* Call the police and report trespassing.

* Get an attorney to sue the neighbor and/or the arborist for the financial value of the ivy.

I, personally, don't know the financial value of ivy. If it's virtually nothing, you should still pursue trespassing. Your neighbor will then be arrested for coming on to your property.
Answer #2: Not legal advice: We used to have ivy in our yard and on our trees. Then we had one very bad winter here in the North East several years ago (these were trees the ivy had been growing on for over 40 years). The deer got desperate, hopped our fence and had a salad. There is still some ivy on the trees, above deer reach, and our trees are still doing fine. The eaten ivy never came back.

Legal advice: if your neighbors trespassed you have an action against them for destroying your property on your land. If the ivy had damaged your tree and it caused them harm by falling on their house, you'd have a problem but that is not the case here


Title: Colleagues have been accessing my facebook messages and bringing up the content in meetings.

Question:
I've recently returned to work after a six month sick leave to try and escape an extreme bullying situation. The behaviour has started to rear its ugly head again, this time in the form of a colleague who was hired to replace me while I was absent. I need to get evidence if I am going to have a case.

Today, the colleague in qurestion quoted things I had shared with my husband about work on facebook messenger (its how we chat during the day whilst we are at work). The colleague said that I had left it logged in and open but I know I remotely logged out when I got home from work. Even if it had been left open (which is impossible) the conversation about work was had early in the morning and there was a fair chunk of irrelevant text between that and the work comments. He is calling me a liar. I need to catch him. I know this might not be the appropriate subreddit but I am a bit desperate.

Edit: I'm in Norway.

Answer:
 > He is calling me a liar. I need to catch him.

Catch him doing what?  He acknowledged going through your FB messages to get whatever you said.


Title: Parent threatens to have my high school teacher fired

Question:
I won’t go into details as to why but I have decided to move in with the family of my former high school teacher (who had made the offer when I was 17 but told me to think about it until I was of age), I made this decision when I turned 18. I recently informed my father who I live with and he quickly threatened to contact law enforcement along with my teacher’s school district, and claimed that he can ruin his life and career if I decided to move in with my teacher.
Can my father actually have my teacher fired over this? Can authorities legally arrest my teacher over something I decided when I turned 18? I live in California btw.
[Edit]: forgot to specify that he is now my former teacher as I just graduated.

Answer:
 You won't go into details on a question that hinges almost entirely on details.

Are you still in school?


Title: (How) can I bill a doctor for time wasted? (Texas)

Question:
I have been seeing my gynecologist for around two years. Since I began seeing her, I have wasted at least 4 hours waiting for her, past scheduled appointment time. I am currently in her waiting room, an hour past my scheduled   appointment and yet to hear from her.

I would normally never consider billing for wait time, but between this and the unnecessary appointments they keep insisting on scheduling, it is clear that they have no regard for my time.

How would I go about billing them? Can I send a letter to the office? I'm really not a confrontational person, so I'm hesitant to complain.

Edit: after thinking about it, this isn't a legal issue. I'm just a spiteful person who wants to send an angry letter. Mod can go ahead and delete.  Thanks for responses.

Answer: They have no legal obligation to pay you for time you spend waiting for an appointment.


Title: I used my corporate amex for personal purchases - NY

Question:
I work for a small business and I'm the only employee besides the owner, and he gave me a corporate card to make purchases for the business. I ranked up a bill of 8K in personal purchases over the past 18mo. I quit about 3 months ago because I'm moving abroad (in 12 days), and just finished training my replacement which is how I got caught.

Some facts:

*The card was in my name but linked to his account.

*I was not financially responsible for paying the bill every month.
*All expenses were cabs and food delivery - never bought any goods, just services.

*I was responsible for looking over the bill and categorizing expenses for the bookkeeper to record.

*At one point we had a verbal agreement that I could use the card to pay for personal things in lieu of getting a raise.

*He agreed to buy lunch every work day and pay for cabs if i was working late/weekend. This is in my contract.

*He does not have receipts of my purchases.

*My employee contract only says I can be fired if I use the card for personal use.

So today, my boss made me go through the amex statements and mark the transactions that I made for personal use.  Because I'm down to my last two weeks, I offered my boss to work "for free" to use my paycheck towards the debt. I deducted my paid vacation days I haven't taken, untaken sick days, days I worked overtime for free, and some money he owed me, from the initial **8K** which brought me down to **2100**. He agreed to this number but wants me to pay him Monday/ASAP, but I honestly don't have the cash to do so. It's also worth noting his brother is a detective for the NYPD, and he has the financial means to sue me if he wanted to.

So my questions are:

*can he file a complaint with the police and have me arrested immediately?
*how much trouble could I get into if I just go MIA?
*and if i do go MIA or leave the country as planned without paying, could I be persecuted abroad, or stopped from entering the country again?

Thanks!

Answer:
 He can file a police report. If you're being prosecuted, good luck trying to leave the country. They will remand you so fast if you have plans to leave the country.

You fucked up big time. You need to start looking for a lawyer asap if you don't plan on paying this money.Answer #2: If you are being prosecuted, it is extremely unlikely you will be able to leave the country.

If you do manage to leave, the next time that you re-enter the country, expect to be stopped and arrested with even more charges because you fled.

Can you work out a payment plan for the remaining $2,100?  How about taking a personal loan out for it?  Do you have anything you could sell?


Title: My PCP office refuses to see me until I pay my mother's oustanding bills from when I was legally a minor, Florida

Question:
 I had to cut my bio mother out for my own safety and mental health, when I was 20. I'm 24. I'll be posting here again no doubt, but long story short- contacting her is out of the question.

&#x200B;

My primary care physician's office is apart of a network of billing/offices that takes up most of my city. This means that finding a new PCP that is a good doctor AND apart of a different network is going to be slim. I haven't gone to a PCP since I was 18 due to this and have tried to resolve issues a few times with a family member but due to life and anxiety I've never permanently resolved it. I really need to go get a check up.

&#x200B;

Basically, my mother flew off the deep end in my mid-teens, after losing her job in a fucked situation, and desperately started booking doctor's appointments for me as I neared my 18th year. I'd dropped out of high school well since then, to take care of her druggy, dysfunctional ass, so I wouldn't have coverage past that and she genuinely wanted me to be taken care of. This resulted in a lot of debt for her and I'd only been mistakenly billed once, but after I notified them I was 16 at the time, they dropped the issue with me and went after her.

&#x200B;

My PCP's office says I owe around 500 before I can be seen again, for bills accrued while I was 17 YEARS OLD. 17 years, 6 months on the date they said I had visited and was charged. Despite telling them this, I argued with the bill office manager and she said that even if I was a minor, because my mother's last name and mine were the same, I was now responsible. I didn't say anything other than 'that's not right, I'll call you back.''

&#x200B;

About a year (I know, I know :/) later, aka 6 months ago, I started getting bills for the amount owed, from them. I'd never received bills from them prior. I would like to add that my mother is a vindictive, manipulative snake, and we came into contact by chance around the same time the bills started (after 2 visits with her I quickly made it no contact again), but during our first visit she asked me if I needed any money for any bills, like for doctor's offices. IDK if she did anything but I almost expect it.

&#x200B;

I was a minor during these visits and procedures. The bills fall under her name and her responsibility as I was legally a minor. PCP billing refusing to help.

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

Help?

Answer:
 They're not required by law to do business with you. You're free to find another practitioner.

They likely have no other avenues besides refusing service to collect from you at this point, as the statute of limitations on a bill from when you were 17 has long since run.Answer #2: First, find a new office, you don't want these idiots in charge of your care.

Second, ask to see the paperwork where you agreed to pay any bills in the first place. Challenge the debt so they cant screw up your credit score