Title: Canada (20) Under Federal Investigation due to Federal Election in 2015

Question:
In B.C., I received a formal letter stating my offences during the 2015 federal election and have already gone to their interview, I declined to talk about what happened and thus did not see their evidence. I can still get a chance to talk to them by scheduling another interview but I'm currently in the works of contacting a pro bono since I'm low-income.

It was section 7, asking for another ballot which I don't remember anything from.

I was wondering what should I be doing?

Answer:
 > I was wondering what should I be doing?

Contacting a lawyer and not talking to anyone until you do.


Title: [MO] Just turned 18 but my mom is still getting child support? How to emancipate myself?

Question:
**Background**

* Parents divorced and have joint custody (even though I mainly spend 95% of the school year with my Dad)
* Dad agreed to verbally provide Mom child support until I was 18 during the start of the divorce process
* Dad did a bad job at reading the fine print and MO's emancipation laws make child support continue until 21 if the child is enrolled in post-secondary education. I will be starting college in the fall.
* A separate part of the divorce decree requires Mom and Dad to be responsible for 1/3 each of my college expenses (and I cover the other 1/3).

**Situation**

* I feel there is no reason my Mom should still be getting child support for me.
* I cannot find clear information on how to emancipate myself after 18. Outside of joining military, stopping college, getting married...
* I am willing to help my Dad get FULL CUSTODY of me to stop his child support payments to Mom.

**Questions**

* How difficult would it be for Dad to get full custody of an 18 year old who is willing to testify he is my primary care giver?
* Are there any other ways to emancipate myself and stop my Mom from getting child support? (I.E. can I file my own income taxes or make a motion to the courts?

Answer:
 First, this is your dads problem, not yours. He can file any time for a child support modification based on change of custody.

Don’t quit school, join the military, or get married unless it’s your choice.

You father can figure it out perfectly fine on his own or with the help of an attorney. Don’t get involved. Don’t stress out. This was an agreement between your parents.


Title: Do you have to prove a nude is yours in a revenge porn case?

Question: Say for example the picture is from 2-3 years ago, kind of poor quality and a close up on the breasts. No face or distinguishable characteristics, the person in the photo no longer has the phone that she took the picture with, nor does the person she sent it to; and at this point it’s just her word that proves it’s her in the photo. What would happen in this scenario?

Answer:
 You have to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in any criminal case.  Without any other evidence, that would certainly raise reasonable doubt in my mind.Answer #2: Well, it's not just her word to prove it's her.  I think what you're getting at is, would the victim have to expose herself to the jury to prove the picture is her breasts?

The answer is no.  I've heard of cases where a trusted third party, like a doctor, examines the victim and testifies that the pictures match.  This is probably stronger evidence when the victim has some kind of unique marking, like a mole or freckles.

Even if the victim doesn't want to undergo that kind of examination, her testimony is evidence.  Just not as strong.

At the end of the day, what gets presented in trials is evidence, not proof.  The "proof" comes in when the judge or jury takes the totality of evidence into account and comes to a decision.

Every case is different, as is every jury.  One jury might put a lot of weight on the victim's testimony and another might not.  Your hypothetical includes a lot of reasons it would be difficult to win this case, but it's impossible to include all the details that could affect a case like this.


Title: Toyota dealership claimed they fixed defective airbag inflator and said car is safe to drive; but no fix is available yet and they claimed to replace an airbag inflator that wasn't recalled.

Question:
We live in the greater Seattle, WA area and received a letter in the mail around May 2015 stating that the "Front Driver Airbag Inflator" in our 2004 Rav 4 was defective, that no fix was available and that we would be notified via mail when it was but we could get a rental car from the local dealership in the meantime.

We took them up on the offer, my wife was petrified of driving in the defective car (the defective airbags could throw shrapnel and have caused eight deaths in the US). So, we brought the car in and had a rental car for approximately five weeks. I received a voice mail last week saying that the car had been fixed, and we needed to come pick it up or we would start being charged for our rental car.

I came in the following day and picked up the car, and something seemed weird about the whole situation. We never received the follow up letter from Toyota, and it said that they replaced the Passenger side airbag inflator. I went home thinking something was odd about the situation, but the service person assured me the car was fixed and safe.

Today, I looked over the recall letter again, and noticed that the recall was specifically for the 2004-2005 front DRIVER airbag inflator, yet they replaced the PASSENGER airbag inflator. After some research online, I found that the fix is not available yet in my area and will not be until October 2015. It seems like the dealership claimed it was fixed to get our car off their lot and their rental car back. They told us the car was safe to drive and we have drove it all weekend believing them.

I'm not sure what legal rights I have here, but now I don't feel safe with any fix this dealership does, and now we do not have a rental car available for us to use. What legal options do I have and what should my next actions be? I don't even know if they replaced the passenger inflator, evidently it wasn't even defective in the first place. I am genuinely concerned that this dealership is telling other people their recall problems have been fixed and sending them back on the road. What should we do ??

Answer:
 First thing tomorrow, contact Toyota's Customer Care department (not the dealer, Toyota themselves) and explain the situation to them. If everything is as you say (not doubting you) I'm pretty sure they'll want to know about the actions of this dealership, and they'll know the details of what needed to be fixed and where the fix is available.

http://www.toyota.com/support/contact.html


Title: Comcast van tried to run me and my friend off the road twice

Question:
Me and my friend were taking a road trip over the weekend, and at one point at around midnight we were in the middle lane coming up on a Comcast work van in front of us. We tried to pass him on the left, but he swerved in front of us, forcing my friend to slam on the brakes while we were nearly run off the road. (If it weren’t for the brakes on my buddy’s car, we would have been in a wreck). My friend, obviously angry with the driver of the van, gave him the middle finger. The driver of the van then shined his work flashlight at us out of his window, and turned on the work lights on the van as if he was trying to pull us over or something. We got a little freaked out that this guy was out of his mind, so we sped up and moved to the far right lane, trying to get away from him, when he moved to the lane directly next to us and started merging into our lane, forcing us into the emergency lane and almost into the guard rail. Once again, my friend jammed on the brakes and the van kept driving. I took down his plate # and called the State Police, but I doubt they did anything. So now I’m considering reaching out to Comcast about this issue. What should I do?

TL;DR a Comcast work van nearly killed my friend and I not once, but twice.

Answer:
 You can file a police report and complain to Comcast. You have no damages to the vehicle or injuries to sue for.

Next time your friend should not escalate things or try to get ahead of a dangerous driver. Keep a safe distance behind them, you want then ahead of you where you have some control. Call the police and get off an off ramp and go to a police station or public place.


Title: (Montana) My son was hit by a drunk driver and almost died. Driver is still out free with no charges pending. Lawyer tells me he doesn't want my case anymore.

Question:
I just want to know how to proceed with any of this. Our insurance on my mom's car is set to pay out 50k, but after seeing our ER medical plane bills (we had to fly in to get to CO) my lawyer tells me most, if not all of it, will go back to Medicaid. Meaning with his fee our family gets nothing.

My sons jaw was broken so badly in two places that doctors in Montana would not take his case and we had to go to Colorado. During the 8 hour surgery to try and reconstruct his face, my son had an asthma attack while under anesthesia. He was on life support for two days after he came out of the surgery. Thankfully when the doctors felt he was ready he did breathe on his own when the tube was removed. Since then he has had two more surgeries and his mouth wired shut. His face looks pretty good but his teeth (even his adult teeth) are very crooked and some are loose. He will have extensive damage to his teeth as he grows is what the orthodontist surgeon told us.

First, is there a way we can get any of the insurance money payout to use for my sons inevitable braces and dental work he will require? Or is the lawyer right- it's a lost cause?

Secondly, how can I get anyone in LE to care about my son's case, and get this guy charged appropriately? I've seen his record. He has many drug arrests and also other DUIs. When he was finally picked up during this accident he had taken plates from another truck to put on his and he didn't even have a valid license AND HE WAS DRUNK. This is not a good guy and he should not still be driving around our community, free.

Any direction would help my little family out. I know this guy being in prison won't change what happened to my son, but it would prevent something worse from happening to someone else's family.

Answer:
 I'm so glad to hear that your son survived his injuries.    The medical costs you describe probably run into several hundred thousand dollars.

When Medicaid pays the medical bills of an auto collision victim, they generally try to recover from private insurance, a process called "subrogation".   If your mother's insurance policy only covered $50K for a passenger's medical costs, then that's going to eat up that insurance.    You aren't going to be able to ask Medicaid to take an (even bigger) loss because you don't have another way to pay for future dentistry.

Find out if the jurisdiction where the collision occurred has a "victim's advocate" in the court.    That's who helps people like you handle victim impact statements and restitution requests.

The bad news is that you can't force law enforcement to take any specific action.    The court determines when and how to charge a criminal defendant, and when and how to grant pre-trial release.    Even multiple DUI offenders are often granted bail.

I think that it is unlikely that the driver who caused the collision will actually escape charges for DUI or for other violations (driving while suspended, false plates, probation violation, etc).

I hate to bring this up, but I have family experience with it.    Did the collision occur on a Native reservation, and/or was the at-fault driver an enrolled tribal member or reservation resident ?    There are times when jurisdiction issues do affect a court's ability to prosecute.


Title: Just found out my long term partner of 7 years has been cheating on me for 18 months. Recently purchased property together. Need to know how to proceed

Question:
I know for certain, she doesn't know yet.

Locked into a 5 year fixed mortgage. Both UK residents. I'm unlikely to have the capital to take ownership on my own.

Answer:
 I recommend r/legaladviceUK

They'd be more familiar with the laws there


Title: Employee made photo with herself in it for something for the company. Was fired and now company is using photo without a release

Question: I dont have skin in this game but I thought it was an interesting question. Employee never signed any kind of release and its in California. Its for a commercial venture.

Answer: It sounds like this may fall under Work for Hire rules... If this was an employee of the company, and the photo was taken within the scope of their employment, then the photo most likely belongs to the company.


Title: How to stop extreme abuse of the Presidential Pardon power?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 He could be impeached.  But that depends on the government not being in the control of a radical party that supports the President's actions.Answer #2: He could be impeached.

Or, per the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, the Vice-President and a majority of the Cabinet could give a "written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office."  If the President disagrees (as he presumably would in this situation), Congress would assemble to decide on the matter.

Of course, either of these methods would be hotly debated and have huge political risks for everyone involved - as they should; removing a President isn't something to do lightly.


Title: Can I legally get a police scanner or police radio? [California]

Question:
I'm in the news media business - or rather, starting out in the news media business. I want to purchase a Police Scanner or a Police Radio in order to scan the airwaves for breaking news. I don't mean to commit any illegal acts as a result of what I hear - but rather just use what I hear to get to the scene and possibly take pictures and report it on my blog.

Someone was telling me that if I get press credentials than a police dept. may give me authority to use the scanner - basically if I was authorized to use one in advance. Does this sound true?

Answer:
 If you're in the USA, you don't need any special permission to get a scanner.  You can buy them at local electronics stores or online.

You can't have a radio because those transmit on restricted frequencies, but scanners only receive.

You will have to do some digging to find out what frequencies your local departments use, but the equipment is not banned or restricted.


Title: Paid Upfront for Medical Service I didn't Receive (Kentucky)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I would wait till Monday to see if the NP gets it settled with billing.


Title: I've got a shady coin op laundry company that I want off my property, looking for legal definition of "all notices."

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 You should speak to an attorney in your jurisdiction (which we don't know!). If you manage a complex and your company doesn't keep someone on retainer or someone you can access, you need to. Answer #2: Oh lord.  Please speak to a local lawyer now and not in three years and one day when the laundry folks sue your pants off.Answer #3: You're talking about a 3 1/2 year lease at this point. You need to hire an attorney. You don't want to try to DIY this.Answer #4: Check the lease they have with your company, if they didn't breach any clause then they likely have a good shot at getting a judgement against your company.

And for the love of god get a lawyer to review their lease, before you get your company sued.Answer #5: This is not going to end well for you. You've already wrongfully evicted them. They're not required to provide you any notice of your breach before they sue you, which will get them a huge judgment against you, including their attorney fees. A single incident where they damage a door is not an incurable breach of the lease. Put their machines back in the room. Make sure you've given them a key. Next time someone tries to break in, call the police.Answer #6: You have a lease.  You can't just end it early because you feel like it.  If you really want to get them off your property, get a lawyer, and be prepared to pay both the lawyer and them.


Title: Mother hit by a red light runner who lied on the police report. (WA)

Question: My mother was moving through an intersection on a green light when a car ran the red light and hit her. Police were called, but because the accident was non-injury and not blocking, they did not send an officer and she was told to file a report online within three days. The person who ran the red light is now saying that my mother ran the red light. She called local businesses to see if anyone had a security camera that may have captured video of the incident, but none had cameras pointing at that intersection. Is there anything she can do?

Answer: People lie to the police all the time. Police reports can be challenged.


Title: Can an author’s publisher prevent them from giving this kind of blanket permission to use their works?

Answer:
 I work in publishing— a small outlet, haven’t dealt with anyone close to as famous as Neil Gaiman but in general most publishers give you a choice of whether you want to hold onto the rights or not. If you happen to be an author, NEVER sign a contract that gives all your licensing rights to the publisher, a slightly larger advance isn’t worth it compared to returns you’ll make if someone wants to adapt your work.That said, generally movie/audiobook/whatever deals are pretty much always done through the publisher with the authors collaboration, so yes, technically they can stop him from doing this. Will they? I strongly doubt it. In an uncertain world for publishing, it’s a terrible idea to potentially burn bridges with someone as successful as Gaiman, and stopping an author regardless of their fame from giving their works to a guy who wants to read them for free as a way of distracting people from a pandemic would be a PR nightmare for any publisher.

Take this all with a grain of salt. Have never run into this issue because the books we publish, while generally successful, don’t come close to adaptation type material so some of the details may be fuzzy, but this is the info I have from my experience.

TLDR: depending on the contract, they can, but regarding this specific instance, I’d be real surprised if Gaiman doesn’t basically have Carte Blanche with his rights and I’d be even more surprised if a publisher was craven enough to halt something like this specific instance.


Title: My dad got a mysterious syringe stuck in his hand while working at UPS last night.

Question:
Okay so my dad works at UPS and last night he was moving these big canvas bags full packages or something and when he reached into the pile of bags he felt something stab him. He pulled his hand up and there was a needle with some “cloudy liquid” still in the syringe stuck in his hand. He immediately went to the hospital and they’ve been running a bunch of tests on him, drawing blood, giving him shots, etc ever since because they dont know what kind of diseases/drugs/whatever could’ve been on it. They’re getting the syringe tested now to see what was in it, but the results wont come in for a few weeks. At what point, if at all, could my dad sue UPS? Like there could’ve been HIV or hepatitis or something in that needle! Not to mention my dad has been a nervous wreck ever since it happened. If he wanted to take legal action, could he? and if so, what is the best route to take??
This happened in Tennessee

Answer:
 This is a worker's compensation issue, not a lawsuit issue. I can't see a theory where UPS would be liable.

A conversation with a personal injury attorney might not be a bad idea, but at this point it would be premature.


Title: Probation Officer Dissallowing Out-of-County Travel

Question:
My younger brother is 17, was tried as an adult in Galveston county, Texas for indecent touching with a minor. He is now under deferred adjudication. Since starting his probation he asked his probation officer if he could travel out of county to visit me and tour two colleges as it is his senior year of high school and he wants to begin exploring his options.

Is it normal for him to be denied travelling out of county? I couldn't find and details on probation rules for Galveston county. Excuse my ignorance on this type of thing, never had to deal with it before.

Any help is greatly appreciated, thank you.

Answer:
 Yes this is normal.  Your brother will follow the terms of his probation or he will face dire consequences. Answer #2: > Is it normal for him to be denied travelling out of county?

Yes.  In fact, it's how it's *supposed* to be.  The default is that your brother follows his probation terms.


Title: Tennant in another state refuses to leave home after lease ended, threatening to sue

Question:
I currently live in the South, the house is located in Connecticut. The lease ended and he wanted to use his deposit for 2 months rent, after the two months he texted us saying hes going to pay 1700 for another month. After the month ended he continued to live there without paying rent. We told him to leave multiple times but he is threatening to sue with the grounds that we provided him with nonviable conditions. We have a phone recording (without his consent) of him agreeing to take the repairs and oil cost out of the rent, however he did not follow the agreement.

We want him out of the house, we have contacted the police but they told us to contact the court house on the grounds that this is a civil case. We really need the income and this guy refuses to leave the property. He is ignoring any texts and calls we send him, any advice would be greatly appreciated. Is it legal to use the recording in court? Or since he didn't know he was being recorded, is it null in a court of law? Thank you guys.

Answer:
 Forget the recording, you need to start eviction proceedings in a court if he was properly served notice to vacate. If he was not properly served notice to vacate (now that his lease is up) then do so pronto.

He is currently month-to-month so [you need to give him written, 3-day notice](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/connecticut-notice-requirements-terminate-month-month-tenancy.html). No reason needs to be given.

If you have already given him written 3-day notice (and have proof of that) then you can file for an eviction.

Edit: Reading you post again, I am flabbergasted at the fact that you *called the police*. As /u/frisian2 notes, you have absolutely no idea what you are doing and this could cost you a lot of money. You need to either get educated on what it means to be a landlord or you need to hire someone qualified to take over the job. Good luck.


Title: Spray painted on a school

Question:
Hello, today I and my friend went to summer school and waited for the classes to start after that we got out spray paint cans and drew penises and just scribbled on the walls inside and outside. Once we were done we decided to ditch since we thought if we came to class late they would know it was us which sounded like a great idea until I realized, I left one of the spray paint cans at the school. If they report this to the police will they use the can to get my fingerprints? if so can I go to jail?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: I’m not surprised you and your friend are in summer school what a moronic thing to do. I’m sure you’ll get caught because something tells me you’re not smart enough to not be implicated. Deal with the consequences and in the off chance your friend doesn’t tell on you or a normal thinking person figures it was you , make better decisions. P.S. it’s vandalism.


Title: USPS Rent money order fraudulently cashed - what now?!

Question:
November of 2016 I bought a $992 money order from USPS via my Chase bank account. Due to the extra fees, I do not get the money order straight from Chase. I made the money order out to my rent management company. The USPS money order states to complete the top portion of the money order (which only states who you made the M.O. out to) and to save it as my receipt. I did all of this and mailed the money order. Normally, I send it certified but I couldn’t this time. Anyway, Fast forward... My landlord kept sending new rent receipts minus this $992 payment. I finally contacted her and she advised that she never received the money order. I completed the USPS money order request and it turns out, the money order was cashed. However, the copy USPS has is literally faded. You can only barely see a signature and faded amount of the money order. It looks like it was completely whited out. Once I mentioned that it was signed, she said she knew right away she did not receive it as they don't sign the M.O.
I sent another request to USPS and they sent me the same copy but now with some bank numbers/routing numbers on the bottom. I mailed my management a copy of all my documents and so far they are working with me while I try to track this money. But what do I do now? Do I file a police report? Just contact USPS again and tell them my management didn’t get it? Any help is appreciated. Thank you.
Location is NYC

Answer:
 You owe the landlord the money due plus any fees. Contact the USPS Postal Inspectors to file a report. The USPS may refund you the money or issue you a new money order, but they do not have to. When paying by Money Order it is best to hand it to the landlord in person then  obtain a receipt for the payment.
IMHO. IME. YMMV.


Title: When the HOA won’t let you have a pool

Answer: I think I'd rather shoot myself than buy a house with an HOA.Answer #2: Niiicccee. Join us over at r/fuckHOA to join in on the HOA bashing! 😀


Title: Some douche throws their empty beer can into my yard all the time. Can I have the police sweep the can for prints to prosocute? [Majestic Beer can photo in description]

Question:
So someone for well over a year has been dumping their empty steel reserve brand 24oz beer cans into my and my neighbors yard. This can I can see has prints on it. Could I ask the police to check the prints, because I feel it's likely this person has a dui on their record and therefore prints in the system. Or would they laugh at me? I just hate people that litter and throw their crap anywhere. Also drinking and driving is bad, Mkay. I'm from Tennessee.
http://imgur.com/P2Rgtg4

Answer: Set up a camera and see if you can identify who is doing it, or get a face or license plate number if its a drive by..  I doubt the police would dust litter for prints.Answer #2: "I know there are hundreds of untested rape kits in the evidence room, but there's this beer can..."Answer #3: Unless you live in the world's safest city, I doubt the police will waste resources on fingerprinting litter. But sure, knock yourself out.


Title: Threatened During Resignation

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's not a threat.  It's a warning.

You may not have signed a no-compete, but the two companies may have.  If the two companies did sign one, the second company can't hire you, or they risk a lawsuit if they do.  There's nothing you can do about that.


Title: 20F Planning to buy house with 26M bf, what documents can we have written to protect both of us?

Question:
Love that the mods deleted the only non-judgmental comment. What a well-run forum.

EDIT: If all you're going to do I give me reasons why I shouldn't buy a house because I don't want to get married at 20, or frankly, am just not old enough to drink, please take your services elsewhere as I won't be responding any longer.

I have a trust fund already, this comes with attorneys, advisors, and a trustee. But for some reason, no one can give me a straight answer when I ask what documents are available. My boyfriend and I want to have a document created where it specifically states that when/if the house is sold: blank percentages are to be dispersed to blank and blank. Sort of like a dissolution document I think? When I asked my advisor about it and used "pre-nuptial" as an example, they kinda just laughed it off and then said to talk to an attorney about it, which defeated the purpose of me talking with them. I can't get ahold of attorney (I'll be damned before I pay 8 dollars a minute to talk with her) so now I'm coming here to see if anyone knows anything cuz I'm at a loss right now.

I just want to know if there's some kind of legal paper that I can have written that states I get the down payment back (or percentage equivalent) and we split the rest 50/50. (Ohio)
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 There's no standard document for this. You can have an attorney draw up an agreement.

You should realize that for the first several years, very little of the money spent on the house will go toward equity that can be recouped if the house is sold. You will spend money on closing costs, interest, probably HOA fees, taxes - all of that money disappears, the same way that your rent money disappears. The rule of thumb is that if you sell a house after less than five years, you will have lost money compared to if you'd rented for those five years.

Also, think about what would actually happen if you and your partner broke up. The best case scenario is that you both agree to sell the house immediately, and you have no problem doing so, and you split the proceeds (which, as I said, may be significantly less than you spent on the house). If one of you wants to keep the house, they would need to apply and be approved for a new mortgage. If they can't get approval, or if they refuse, you would need to go to court to force them to sell. It is a *humongous* hassle. In the meantime, you are fully responsible.for all the same costs you were before. (Also keep in mind that neither the bank nor anybody else considers you responsible for *half* the costs -- in the eyes of all parties, you will both be on the hook for the full amount.)

Buying a house is not anything to jump into.


Title: [CA, USA] Biological father of daughter wants to have Un-monitored Visitations, am I obligated to Comply?

Question:
I am a mother of 2 beautiful children: a 6 year old girl from a previous relationship, and a 4 year old boy with my husband.  I had shared custody of my 6yo girl until 3 years ago when my ex "accidentally" left drugs in my daughters belongings.

I hired a lawyer and got physical and legal custody of my 6yo girl.  My ex was ordered to submit for random drug testing for a year and could only see our daughter via monitored visitations, 2 hours at a time.  He also has calls twice per week.

My lawyer never told me that I had to pay for those random drug tests, so that never got done until I found out much later.  Anyhow, for the past few years all visitations are monitored which comes out of his pocket.

In the past year, he has completed 1 visitation. According to him, he can't pay $100 every time he wants to see our child which he requested should happen every other weekend.

A month ago he starts sending me texts saying that he wants to modify the visitation order, he now wants un-monitored visitations every other weekend, but this time he wants her for a full 8 hours.

I know that it is in the best interest of my daughter to get to know her father even if he is a drug addict who did what he did, however this creates a new set of problems for my family.  My ex doesn't know how to keep a schedule nor does he care about being late.  When confronted about his lack of punctuality it he explodes in front of anyone. He is highly confrontational.  I can't have this situation occur every other weekend in front of my family.  When he is late ...he is 1hr+ late... and just sends me messages saying that he is on the way.  In the past, he has literally run my life by changing visitation dates and times whenever he wants.

I tend to avoid verbal confrontations with him as he has been violent with me in the past, and I am at a physical disadvantage.

Do I really have to comply with his request?  He is 33 years old and has never cared about his responsibilities, I have paid for all of my child's expenses since she was born, yet he expects me to comply with his request while he keeps dodging his?  The monitor was in place because he left drugs in my daughter's belongings, isn't there something he needs to prove to have a good enough argument to request removal of the monitor?

The documents I was served a few days ago state that he wants to modify the visitation order as "I previously agreed to" - I never agreed to that!  Is negotiating visitation times my only choice here?  I have a mediation appointment in a month and hearing in 2 months, and I'd like to know what my options are.

Thank you all in advance.

Answer:
 You are only required to comply with visitation that is court ordered.

You absolutely need to talk to your lawyer again about this.  Also, specifically mention that he is frequently late.  It's very possible to write in a clause specifying how long you have to wait before you can bail.

And lastly, you should look into "our legal wizard" or a similar service.  This is a program that coordinates, consolidates, and records all communication between the two of you.  In problem cases this is a great solution to require that all communication to you be either to your lawyer or through this service.

These are all things you should speak with your lawyer about.  If you have primary custody you should absolutely speak with your lawyer about seeking child support if cost of anything is an issue.


Title: [WA] Getting a passport for a parent with dementia (first time passport, I am POA)

Question:
I initially asked the question on the /r/dementia forum and somebody suggested asking here.

I'm interested in getting a passport for a parent with dementia, but the state department website has no information about the process. Curious if anybody here knows.

From what I know about other federal agencies (SSA) I'm suspect it might be a bureaucratic / legal nightmare.

This would be a first time passport, not a renewal. I assumed it might be similar to getting a passport for a minor (and the state department website does have forms for that) but I don't see anything about getting one for a parent with dementia. The parent can speak and read a bit, but has a hard time signing her name now.

Answer: Why do you need this?


Title: Last year I was convicted of a misdemeanor in California.

Question:
The conviction was last year in May, and the crime, unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor: more than 3 years younger, was committed 3 years ago in February. I was 20 at the time. She was 17. I wasn't informed I was being charged until last year. 3 years ago I was questioned by an officer. I was honest with him. That's it. I wasn't arrested. I wasn't read my rights. I wasn't anything. He just told me thanks and gave me his card. During the court date in May last year I was told I had already confessed to the crime and they were to begin sentencing. I ended up with a $1350 fine and probation that ends in 2017. It was revealed to me that her mother accused me of rape while the girl said she didn't know me. The rape accusation was thrown out but it was me being honest with the police officer that got me in trouble.

The worst part about this is, I had just moved to Phoenix last year. I already had a good job at a call center, they didn't mind my conviction. The call center shut down last month and I've been offered then denied 2 really good jobs because of this. The stress keeps me from sleeping and honestly I feel like this whole thing is pretty unjust and noticed that my background check it says I was arrested in February for this crime. That simply never happened. Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 > During the court date in May last year I was told I had already confessed to the crime and they were to begin sentencing.

That didn't happen.  You skipped over the part where you were either put on trial or you voluntarily pled guilty.  They don't take your confession and immediately proceed to sentencing without you being allowed to raise a defense.

> The stress keeps me from sleeping and honestly I feel like this whole thing is pretty unjust

What is unjust about you being convicted of a crime you committed?

> noticed that my background check it says I was arrested in February for this crime. That simply never happened

Sure it did.  At some point you were booked for this - they took your prints, mug shot, et cetera.  That was your arrest.  'Arrest' doesn't necessarily mean that they cuffed you and threw you in the back of a squad car or anything.


Title: NC- Considering undergoing ECT(electroconvulsive therapy), but concerned about possibility of medical records being court-ordered

Question: To add some background to this situation, I am the mom of seven year old girl I desperately need to gain custody of. We currently have a "gentleman's agreement" for joint custody; I never agreed to it, but I have not had the means to fight him for custody until now. She has a medical condition that he refuses to treat her for, refuses to coparent( share information with her about me), has a known history of cocaine abuse, and stole large amounts of money from me while we were married,  although it isn't considered stealing since we were married at the time. So all things considered, I feel that I am the best parent to have primary custody, with one exception: I have battled depression on and off for years. However, I have never neglected my child. A few days ago, I was diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder and my therapist suggested ECT. I feel like this is the best option for me right now, but I feel very reluctant to do so if this will impact the chance I have of gaining primary custody of my daughter and getting her away from a madman. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Taking legitimate medical treatment for an illness is almost assuredly not going to cause you to lose your custody battle.

Your PTSD may be a concern(although likely not) but the treatment won't likely change that.  Honestly, getting treatment will look better than not, in that circumstance.


Title: DUI while on probation

Question: What can happen to me if I get a first time DUI while I'm on probation?

Answer: ....you would go back to jail


Title: I got a DUI last year and now I'm scared I'm going to get fired from my job

Question:
Actually, my coworker got a DUI last year after we left her going-away party.  We live in Pennsylvania and I guess the minimum sentence for a DUI is 90 days in jail.  Her lawyer is asking for a plea deal requesting that she be on house arrest for the duration of the sentence.

To make things even more complicated, she travels to and from Wisconsin for work, so she has to tell our company regardless of what the sentence ends up being.  Her lawyer said Pennsylvania is an at-will employment state so she could be terminated without warning.  We work at a major pharmaceutical company.  She's 24 years old and has worked there for 2 years.  She's an engineer.

Has anyone else been in this situation?  How did it turn out?  Does she have any protection from being fired?  I feel like the company has invested a lot of training and time on her and it would be a waste to fire her now, but I also understand this could reflect poorly on the company and throw a wrench in her career plan.  Just looking for any advice.  Let me know if you need further clarification/information.

Edit: She just told me she had a prior conviction in high school that she pled guilty to (she says it was bogus and her blood work came back completely clean, but the police said she smoked synthetic drugs that wouldn't come up in a blood test).  Things aren't looking too great for my damsel in distress.

Answer: She has no protections from being fired. Being a criminal isn't a protected class, and she's likely to be fired if she can't travel/can't show up to work. Unless her lawyer works in a plea deal that she can only be allowed to go from her home to her office, but if traveling is a stipulation of her job they have no requirement to modify her normal position.


Title: Withdrew visa application to the states before interview, does this count as a rejection?

Question: 3 years ago when I was young and naive I applied for a B2 visa to the states. I even paid for the application and booked the interview. Only then did I actually do much research to find the likelihood is that I would get denied for that visa, so I then withdrew the application. I have since been granted an ESTA and successfully got into the states, that ESTA has since expired so I'm reapplying for a new one. I genuinely can't remember what I filled out last time in regards to the question, and I obviously don't want to lie on the application. I just need to know whether or not it counts as being a denial since I paid for the application and booked the interview before cancelling.

Answer:
 If you cancelled the application and it wasn't processed, then no. If you requested to cancel it, but they refused and processed it anyway but you didn't go to the interview, then you'd have been refused.

You can probably guess that you answered 'no' last time and that they agreed based on your being given an ESTA subsequently: being refused a visa would render you lifetime ineligible to have ESTA. If you got one after you withdrew the application, it cannot have been processed and refused.


Title: Help. My abusive sibling.

Question: Frequently, my younger sibling, who is about the same height as me, has been repeatedly banging the door to my room. For three years, he's shown this abusive persona. He slapped my parent once and has broken three doors in our household. He has hit my little sister and I, if we refuse to talk to him or we refuse to play with him his " games " . He's broken a lot of property in the house for a thirteen year old. At this point, I feel the need to inform an authority. He has abused my sister and I, physically and verbally. What should I do? I have had repeated suicidal thoughts, as I find no way to escape this trauma. Should I even call the police? If it concerns anyone, I live in Texas.     I can't feel safe at home anymore.

Answer: Have you brought up these issues to your parents?  If so, what did they do/say?


Title: How do I receive an inheritance without immediately bankrupting myself with medical bills?

Question:
My grandmother passed away in Dec of last year and the inheritance due to me is about to finalize and go through. I am on Medicaid and can't afford to a) pay my own insurance or b) pay out of pocket if it's decided I have too much "resources" to qualify. I'm a very sick individual and I will only need more care as the years go on, and without Medicaid any money I receive would be gone to medical bills in months if not sooner, even if it were a very large amount. A whole host of preexisting conditions means that I don't qualify for a non-insane monthly premium.

I'm trying to see if I can get one of my relatives to hold onto the money for me and dole it out on a regular basis, but the executor of the estate says that she has to give the money to me personally and it would be up to me to try to shuffle it around afterward. Three-second google search says that inheritance counts toward medicaid resources even if it doesn't ding on income.

Is there any kind of specialized trust or something that I can put the money into in order to keep from losing my benefits?

I live in Ohio, USA. Inheritance is coming from California if that counts for anything.

Answer:
 Look into a special needs trust. In some circumstances these can be created to allow recipients of Medicaid -- and other programs -- to hold assets while maintaining eligibility.  You would need an attorney to assist with this. Answer #2: There is no answer to this that you're going to like.

The inheritence is an asset. You may be able to decide not to take any of it ever (i.e. refuse to inherit) in order to avoid having the assets. If you put them in a trust with you as a beneficiary that is still an asset. If you give all the money to another person with the understanding it is going to be paid out to you then you'll have to report that as either as asset or income (depending on the set up). If you don't report that arrangement properly you could be crossing into fraud.

There is no simple way for you to benefit from the inheritence while also trying to tell the government that you are not benefiting from it.


Title: A neighbor of mine is attempting to poison strays by leaving antifreeze in a bowl on his porch. What should I/can I do?

Question:
We're attempting to avoid conflict as this guy is a massive asshole. We've had run ins before with him. Just petty spiteful shit.

But today we noticed a bowl in his yard. We took a peek at it and it turns out he's left a bowl of antifreeze on his porch in an attempt to kill off cats in a stray colony behind the houses. I've come to realize that not only are the strays in danger but the surrounding neighbors have outdoor cats. We let ours out from time to time as well.

He's putting so many animals in the area at risk. I'm fuming. Half of me wants to dispose of it, but the other half of me wants to fire feed it to him.

Simply just disposing of it might not be enough as he will probably and vigilantly continue doing this. He also has a spacious backyard that's empty (just grass and dirt.) which seems to attract the cats from time to time. Can't dispose of fluid filled bowls on his property.

I'm in the state of Arizona. Given that, are there people I can contact? Is this illegal, meaning we should just contact the police?

I probably won't sleep tonight knowing there's so many innocent animals at risk. It's not just the cats. It's the dogs, the birds, and so on. It's reckless and extremely dangerous.

EDIT-- I called the police and it turned out fruitless for the time being. He said they have to get a detective on it but that he will eventually face his crime. In the meantime, I'll be tipping bowls of antifreeze over every few hours.

Answer: Call the policeAnswer #2: Call Animal Control.Answer #3: Call the police, this is animal cruelty. Those poor cats.


Title: Family member asking for our son's SS# to make him a beneficiary in his will.

Question:
I have a brother in law who is getting older and has no children, he wants to leave his inheritance to my son. I have no idea if he actually has money or just wants to open credit cards in our sons name. If this person passes away and has debts, will creditors come after my son? Are there any steps that can be taken to protect my kid other than watching his credit reports? Am I crazy for even considering giving out this information?

-edit-Florida

Answer: Generally the SSN is optional on beneficiary forms.  He should be able to be named without this information.


Title: Psychotic, drug-addicted mom, don't know what to do.

Question:
My daughter and 2 year old grandson,  live in California.

She was acting really strange for the last several days. Obviously hallucinating, delusional, psychotic.  We know she is using drugs (meth).  She has no history of mental illness unless she is using.  When she stops using, the psychosis goes away.  She has a 2 year old.

We have called the police/CPS a few times, but she pulls it together when they show up.  CPS hasn't made contact yet.

Today she told me that the 2 year old was possessed.  A friend is there now and will be taking the child for the night (with mom's permission).  He'll be safe for now, but what can we do now?

I live out of state (Colorado), 1200 miles away.  My other daughter, who is willing to take the child lives in Indiana.

I am assuming if we file for emergency custody, California will want to keep the child in California....or we will at least need to file there?

 If we can't get him out of California, then he will have to go to foster care as there is no one there who can keep him, but I understand that he doesn't go to foster care unless he is removed by the state  and getting them to remove a child is pretty hard.

Can we simply take him out of state if we manage to get mom's permission?  I understand that arrangement would be tenuous, but I don't know what else to do.

I don't want to break the law and I understand I cannot simply take the child without either a court order or the parents permission.

Answer:
 With the mother's permission, yes, you can take him out of state.

You can also call a welfare check on the mother since she is delusional. Just call the local non emergency line and explain your concerns. An officer can go check on her and of they have concerns can admit her to physiatrics care. That can give good leverage to get custody.


Title: [AR] The former tenant of my current apartment is threatening to sue me for 'stealing' his mail and utilities.

Question:
I moved into a new apartment at the beginning of September.  I attempted to have my electricity and gas set up on Sept. 1st.  While the electricity was set up properly, there were complications between the gas company and me in trying to set up my gas, which didn't end up getting set up until October 21st. [The gas was never interrupted, so I'm assuming he never cancelled his service. Not sure about electricity]  I've since been paying bills to both companies on my own account, in my name. The former tenant did not issue a change of address, so I have been receiving his mail.  The first month or so, I collected it into a pile, then took that pile to the post office to 'return to sender.' After I noticed his bills piling up, I let my landlord know that he was still receiving bills.  Landlord gave me his phone number and I contacted yesterday (note that he could have just as easily got my contact info as I could get his during the last 2.5 months).  I offered to pay him directly whatever overlap he may have been charged for on his bill, in case he had been charged on his account for some of my usage (this is just me being nice, I don't see any actual obligation I have to do so).  He wants to meet next week and asks me to leave the mail I've collected near the door so he could grab it at his convenience, so I comply and he does without contact.

well fast forward to today when he basically demands I meet with him tonight and pay him (keep in mind, he has not presented me with anything. no bills or anything stating how much he thinks I owe him).  I tell him I'm busy tonight, which I am, and that he's not really in a position to make any demands like this.  he gets hostile and begins threatening to 'sue for the bills' on the grounds that I was 'stealing his mail' and that I was 'stealing his power and account.'

This sounds absurd to me.  Of course you can sue anybody for anything, but what would you guys actually expect to happen? should I 'lawyer up?'  Thanks in advance.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Until he actually sues you, don't do anything else about it other than marking his mail as "no longer at this address" and returning it to the sender. He has no cause to sue you. Additionally, this might be a good time to investigate Renters Insurance if you don't have it since there a chance that thy would defend you if he does file suit.


Title: My Work has posted my incident report in the staff room.

Question:
My work in CA has posted an incident report that was filed about me when I hurt my head . And it was posted inside the Staff lounge which include my Name . Date of Incident . What happen and position.
When I asked why I was told that it had to be up.  and since mine was the only one is because it is the only one this year . I'm not comfortable with this what should I do .?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Nothing.  This is likely your office's OSHA form 300.  It's legally required to be posted for around this time of year and includes the names, dates, & descriptions of all work-related injuries.


Title: Got a 120. Are we going to get evicted?

Question: Me and my roommates threw a party and got a 120. Will the cops tell our rental company? In our contract it says that any noise violations will result in evictions. Is this a thing?

Answer: What is "a 120"?


Title: Live in Nanny rights in Arizona

Question:
Ive been a live in nanny the past 1.5 years in Scottsdale Arizona. Childcare,grocery shopping,paying bills with the family card have been my tasks. I get mail at the family house and am on the electric and water bills because I set them up.Recently I had a disagreement with the family and didn't return for three nights. I then received a text saying locks had been changed but Im able to get my things if I arrange it. The family left for Israel for 13 days , I remembered the housekeeper would be there and went back to the house was let in by the housekeeper and only entered my room and my bathroom gathered my belongings, returned a mail key and left.
I'm now getting texts saying "Ive crossed the line and will pay". Have I broken any laws?

Answer:
 No. You were a tenant and (probably) illegally evicted. You also entered with permission. Assuming you only got your stuff you didn't break any laws. Cancel those utility accounts immediately if you haven't already.  You are responsible for the bill as long as it's in your name.Answer #2: Not a lawyer, but I would definitely keep track of anything that sounds like a threat. Saying "you will pay" is vague, and while maybe there's context we aren't seeing that firmly places it in them threatening legal action, it certainly wouldn't hurt to be very careful.Answer #3: You did not.  However, it sounds to me like someone MAY be trying to pin something on you that happened while the family was away.  I've had this happen to me with a vacation rental.  Good people have bad family members that they sometimes will try to protect.

You are under no obligation to respond.  However, if they start to escalate the situation, you should pay attention and be willing/ready to defend yourself.

In my case, the housekeeper for the unit kept her schedule in a public place in her home.  A kid she lived with (son? cousin? nephew?) had made copies of her keys and then was using her schedule to throw parties when he knew the homes would be unoccupied.  Damage was done to a unit I had vacated earlier, and she lied to attempt to protect him from being saddled with thousands of dollars in damages and criminal charges.  And probably in an attempt to keep her job.  Desperate people do bad things.


Title: [USA, CA] Can my landlord throttle my rent if it is "overdue"?

Question:
I live in a large apartment complex (3000+ people) where all utilities are included in the rent. They have apparently had some problems with people not paying rent on time, so they have been posting signs telling people that if their rents are late, then their individual internet speeds will be throttled until they pay. This is possible because we each have individual log-in codes.

&nbsp;

We have until the 3rd of every month until a late fee is applied to rent. We pay rent online and the balance is posted on the 1st of each month.

&nbsp;

However, right after I paid rent on the 2nd of this month (today), I received an email stating that "Oops, it looks like you may have forgotten to pay your rent/balance. In order to restore normal internet service, please see accounting to bring your account current. Please note, it may take up to 24 hrs after receipt of payment to restore normal internet service."

&nbsp;

No, I have not forgotten; I paid 24 hours after rent had been posted. Now, my internet will be throttled for possibly 24+ hours for rent that is not considered "late" as I understand it, since I have never been charged a late fee for paying on the 2nd. I am a student, so I rely on the internet for almost every aspect of my studies, and messing with my internet for even 24, especially during midterms, is very detrimental to my work.

&nbsp;

My question is: Is what they're doing legal? Under what terms? Is internet a utility?

Answer:
 I like their moxie.

What is the exact language in your lease concerning the Internet? Do you have 3rd party options for Internet?

As to being a utility, it is an open question right now. Some courts have ruled that it is, but it is currently not treated like water or electricity. In a few years, what they are doing will almost certainly not be legal.

If rent is due  on the 1st, it is due on the 1st. It is late at 12:01 AM on the 2nd, even if there is a grace period.


Title: [Canada] I E-Transfered someone $500 for concert tickets after a lengthy exchange over E-mail and text and then they just completely cut contact with me.

Question: Exactly what the title says.  Never got my money or tickets.  Tried filing a police report and they just basically laughed me out of there.  Bank said they couldn't do anything.  I don't know if I am shit out of luck or if there are any next steps.  I'm worried it was a burner phone too.  Any advice helps! Thanks in advance!

Answer: I find it hard to believe that the bank can't do anything, I would assume that they know the account that received the transfer. The receiving bank should be interested that one of their customers is using them to commit fraud.


Title: [CA] Family member being threaten with civil suit for losing a game.

Question:
My family member has been borrowing a game with the owners consent for the past 8 months. on the day they where to give it back it was bought to the school at the owners request. However, was stolen from my family members backpack.  Owner is now demanding the game be replaced (which i believe was $60?) or else they would "contact there attorney" and bring my family member to small claims court. Family member also reivied threats from the owner ( from 2 different numbers a friend of the owner, the owners number, and a psn account the owner owns.)

I have some understanding of civil law from school and to me it sounds like bs but I am not 100% sure. What do you guys think?

Answer: Your family member is obligated to return the borrowed game, so they should buy another copy (used in good condition is fine) and give it to the owner. Answer #2: If your family member was in possession of another person's property and cannot give it back, then family member owes the other person the value of the property.  Not the price of a new one, but the value of the item in the condition it was in when lost/stolen.Answer #3: I think your family member should pay for the game and move on with his/her life.


Title: Where can I smoke?

Question:
I've been having some trouble trying to find where it is "legal" to smoke in my state (PA). This question comes about because about a year ago my workplace banned smoking on the premises. The office is in a town and abuts run-of-the-mill streets. Smokers were notified a couple weeks ago that a resident near the office complained about smokers on the sidewalk in front of their house, so now we are not permitted to smoke there either. I don't believe it's legal for us to be told we can't smoke on public property, but I wanted to check.

I recognize that not everyone is as conscientious as I am when it comes to their smoking garbage, and the public was directed to go across the street to the residential streets to smoke as well. So there were butts laying around.

My question is: unless there is a law specifically saying that smoking is banned on sidewalks, is it still legal to smoke on them? Because I recognize that it is a choice for us smokers to smoke, but being told we can't smoke anywhere on company property and then later being told we can't smoke anywhere NEAR company property really marginalizes us. I'm not asking anyone to facilitate my habit, but I want to know where I stand legally so I know where the heck I can stand and have a smoke once in a while.

Answer:
 The Pennsylvania Clean Indoor Air Act (CIAA) regulates smoking in public places and workplaces across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with the exception of the City of Philadelphia.  Based on a quick perusal of this statute it does not appear that smoking is banned on public sidewalks.

Your employer has given you clear directions that you are not allowed to smoke in that area.  PA is an at-will employment state, meaning your employer can fire you for any reason, good reason, bad reason, or no reason at all so long as it is not for a discriminatory reason (based on a protected class, and no "smoker" is not a protected class). The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has held that "an at-will employee has no cause of action against his employer for termination of the at-will relationship except where that termination threatens clear mandates of public policy." **Pipken v. Pennsylvania State Police, 548 Pa. 1, 5, 693 A.2d. 190, 191 (1997).**

So, feel free to smoke in those areas of the public sidewalk contrary to your employers wishes, but keep in mind you have no protections and can be terminated for that.


Title: A non-company worker entered the building with COVID. Employer sent us home but won’t tell us when it happened or who had contact.

Question:
We had a vendor/security/janitor or some worker enter our building. Our employer has decided to send everyone into self-quarantine if they have been at the office for the past two weeks. This is probably 20 essential workers out of 1500 people.

Most of the essential workers just sat at their desk. Janitors and security would walk the building, and then there is me. I had a job to overhaul media, so I’ve been all over the building. While I haven’t interacted with anyone in a month, I’m not sure if this infected person and I crossed paths somehow but our employer won’t give us a time, date or a location that this infected person may have entered in our building. While I don’t need a name, it would be nice to know some details.

Is this even legal for all of this information to be withheld? I know the Americans with disabilities acts prevents an employer from sharing the name of a worker without their consent, but that’s for their own employee. It’s says nothing about time, date or location.

The only thing they have told us is to self quarantine for two weeks. They are going to hire a team to sanitize the building and allow different people back after a week.

Answer: They do not have to tell you that anyone tests positive nor the name of anyone who tests positive. Or details. Legally speaking. And as you note it might be illegal to do so.


Title: Just moved into a single family rental in Wisconsin with my pregnant wife and dog. On day 2 we discovered there was a bed bug infestation.

Question:
We first saw 1 bedbug on our bed and thought we must have brought this in from a moving truck. We called a pest control and they bomb our room which cost us $800. We cleaned EVERYTHING and did maybe 100 cycles of laundry. The problem was done. After 5 days we found another bed bug coming out of a crack in the kitchen ceiling.

After speaking with the neighbors we found out that the house was just taken over by our property management company, and the previous tenants complained about bed bugs a year ago and the original owner didn't do anything about it.  The management company sounded surprised and is kind of taking their time through the processes. We've been here a week now and want to break the lease and recoup what we paid originally for pest control.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Yeah, lawyer up to do both of the management company disagrees. They should be giving you money equivalent to breaking the lease, returning deposits in full, returning expenses incurred from your own efforts to address the problem, and potential future expenses for you to perhaps move or get rid of the problem that you might now have in the future due to them.

From my own personal experience, bed bugs are no fucking joke.

You have established that the bed bugs problem was there before you. So now all of your shit could potentially be infested. I would get put ASAP. You guys have taken a good measure so I’m sure you know.


Title: Wife wants divorce, deadlock on custody, refuse to discuss separation agreement

Question:
My wife recently told me she wants a divorce. Neither one of us cheated, and we have 2 year old son. She is a Soldier in Korea, and I am in North Carolina.

Long story short: she told me she doesn't want to be married with me anymore. I said I wanted primary custody, as she is in Korea and in the military. She said *she* wants custody and to take him to Korea.

Can she take him there without my consent? How can I plead my case to a judge if need be? How do I work out a separation agreement if she refuses to talk to me?

I'm meeting with a lawyer later this week, but honestly I can't really afford one. She is the breadwinner while I'm in college. I'm looking for a part-time job right now, while my parents and I look for a bigger place to live in.

I'm just really scared that she'll be able to take my son away from me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

(For the more emotionally charged version of these events, check [here](http://www.reddit.com/r/offmychest/comments/2zgktj/think_im_about_to_lose_my_wife/) and [here](http://www.reddit.com/r/offmychest/comments/2zt5mx/update_think_im_about_to_lose_my_wife/))

Answer:
 Have either or both of you actually established residency in North Carolina?  Your first step is to figure out what state you can file for divorce in.

> I'm meeting with a lawyer later this week

That's good.  Ask him or her your questions during your consultation.  He or she can also explain how NC's separation period works and explain how to start the clock on that if NC does have jurisdiction.  Also, this is a job interview.  There's nothing wrong with talking to a couple of attorneys to find one you really like working with.

Finally, you really should consider counseling if you aren't currently going.  Divorce is a very rough time, having a spouse deployed is rough, you are the single parent of a young child.  You have a LOT on your shoulders and it might help you to have someone to talk to.


Title: Florida - Rescinding a letter to HOA about something I promised to do - Wording

Question:
I am looking for "legaleze".

I wrote a letter to my HOA in Florida. I wrote a letter promising to remove my storm shutters after every hurricane. I now want to make sure the HOA knows I completely null/void/rescind any previous correspondence, making that promise null.

(I am not asking about weather I CAN, or if they will accept the letter, just the wording to use that they are on notice that I rescind the previous letter)

Any advice for the legal wording to use

Answer:
 "Dear HOA,  I have changed my mind and I am not, in fact, going to remove my storm shutters after every hurricane".

Or,

"I have altered the deal, pray I don't alter it any further"


Title: Sister mistreated at petstore.

Question:
My sister was being underpaid and was employed at a petstore  ''under the table'' she was fired after being let off for a ''2 week break'' which she couldent get ahold of them  from that point on.

now after telling people what she's went through she was forced to apologise to theese people.

They dont do taxes on their items and sell things off the books all the time,  how can i get reperations for her?

(Canada btw)

Answer: She can file a wage complaint with her local department of labor, if Djibouti has one. Otherwise you can post your location to get a better answer.


Title: Mortgage company is stating payments were not made since October 2015, but records show they have been. Home at risk of foreclosure (California)

Question:
This is happening to my mom and I thought I'd write to see what she can or should do.

My mom filed for bankruptcy a few years ago and her house and credit card payments were combined together. She would pay the bankruptcy company the payment and they would give the mortgage company what was owed every month for the mortgage. My mom's bankruptcy ended April 2016 so she has now been making her mortgage payments directly to the mortgage company.

She came home a month ago with a note on her door from the mortgage company and when she called they stated they hadn't received a payment since October of last year. My mom is very good with her records and has all documentation needed to show that she has made every mortgage payment to the bankruptcy company that in turn paid the mortgage company and she also has thorough documentation that she has made her mortgage payments to the mortgage company since April 2016 now that her bankruptcy has ended.

She called the mortgage company, which is very large, and they stated they're still looking into it. She came home again today with another note from the company stating payments were not made. She has never received a notice from the mortgage company stating they did not receive a payment and she checked with the bankruptcy attorney and they also have never received a notice from the mortgage company stating they never received a payment.

My mom is at her wits end. She has been emailing the company and has scanned in all documentation showing proof of payment. I suggested she call them as well but she wants everything in writing, which is totally understandable. She is also planning on faxing them this documentation as well as sending all of it certified.

The rate this is going is that her house will be put up for foreclosure and the company is taking forever to look through their documents to show my mom has made her payments timely. Should she get a lawyer now? What should she say to the mortgage company when she calls. She fears shel'll just get the run around, which is common with a big company.

Any advice would be so helpful. My mom really feels all the work she has put into her house will be thrown down the drain because someone, somewhere dropped the ball.

Answer:
 I'd look into the [California Housing Finance Agency](http://www.calhfa.ca.gov/index.htm) first, as they may be able to provide free help here.

Once you get everything straightened, consider a refinance to get a better rate and to try and get a loan servicer that isn't a screwup. If a servicer jacks you up once, don't wait around for them to screw it up again.


Title: Restaurant closes shop without notifying employees. Owes 1-2 months wages, owners end up opening other restaurants.

Question:
The general manager kept promising to sue his partners over this matter and has said several times he would follow up with employees, but never keeps his word. It has now been 4 months since this occurred. Nothing has happened. Not even a courtesy phone call.

From my quick research, it looks like taking them to small claims court as a group would be ideal? What does /r/legaladvice suggest? These scumbags don't deserve to get away with this.

EDIT: This is in Florida.

Answer: You didn't provide your location. In the US most States have a Dept of Labor that will investigate unpaid wages claims. Are you saying the employees worked for 2 months with no pay?  Also if you are in the US these workers should file for unemployment immediately.


Title: Personalized board game

Question:
Hello all,

I'm thinking of creating a personalized version of a well known board game, perhaps of the -opoly variety. I was able to find a template online that someone else had made, and with some photoshopping, I could make it into a personalized game. I'm looking to make two copies of it, one for myself as a memento, and the other to donate to the (non-profit?) organization (that it's themed after) for a silent auction.

I'm looking for advice on both the legality to donate it for a silent auction, and keeping a copy for myself in terms of copyrights, etc.

Thanks!  - US - Washington

Edit - Sorry if I was unclear. I'm looking to create the game from an online template and donate it to raise funds in a silent auction hosted by the organization.

Answer: [Just use a commercial do-it-yourself kit.](https://www.amazon.com/Make-Your-Opoly-Board-Game/dp/B00000K2IO)


Title: GF in accident, Progressive asking her not to sue

Question:
so my GF just moved down to Florida for work and got her own insurance policy with Progressive and paid for the best coverage. She was driving a 2007 Nisan Versa with +80k miles.

So on her way to work this past week (rural road, speed limit 55mph), some guy runs a stop sign and hits her. Totaled her car, airbags deployed, just a mess. He ended up walking away though, minimal damage to his car I assume. Cops came and there her co-workers witnessed it. The Versa got towed away and my GF got driven home and then found her way to the hospital, she was complaining for neck pain and general soreness.

So today she gets a letter from Progressive asking her not to sue because apparently the guy who hit her also has Progressive. What does this mean? Will she get any pay out at all?

She missed 2 days of work because of this.
Had to get prescription medication for her neck.
Had to get a rental car to travel back to work.
And now has to find a new vehicle since her job will be down there for at least another year.

All of this is a huge inconvenience to say the least, she was planning on keeping that car for as long as it would go.

Any help or ideas on what she can do now? I've been told just to fight it and don't back down. Wondering what more I can tell her so that she doesn't get screwed over. She's called her insurance agent but no answer yet. She just wants to get this resolved and get paid back what she lost plus the hassle of it all. Completely 100% of the other guy's fault, and he walks away from it. Don't think that's fair at all.

Any input is much appreciated, thank you!

UPDATE***
So good and bad:

GF is a lil stubborn and claims she's fine from the accident, won't go see a doctor again, has been working out still. Can't really force her to see anyone because I'm half a country away.

She received a check from Progressive though, for more than double what her car was worth, so that's good I guess. She seems content, never intended on suing the guy but wanted to make sure she wasn't getting nothing at all, that's why I made this post, didn't know what to expect at all.

Today she also got an email saying if she didn't contact them by next week they'd cancel her policy... still seems odd to me. Not liking Progressive so far, glad I don't have them.

Hope her premium doesn't go up and her pain truly is fine.

Thanks so much for the advice, helped me probably the most. Now I know what I should do in the future.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 She needs a lawyer ASAP.  Unfortunately,  without a lawyer she is going to get screwed by Progressive. It matters not that both parties are insured by Progressive. Progressive is going to do whatever they can to close these claims for the least amount possible.

Without an attorney I really doubt she is going to get a fair payout for replacing her vehicle and Progressive is not going to pay her for all the inconvinces she is going to have to go through. Answer #2: I'm confused by the advice that you're getting. I'm not familiar with Florida law, but the typical insurance situation goes: your insurance covers you and has the right to sue for recovery from the other party (and his insurance), or you make a claim with the other party's insurance (depending on fault). In my state (MI), it's sort of a mix, where you almost always go through your own insurance but can make small (up to $1k) claims against the other driver (and his insurance) directly.

Last time I was in an accident, instead of claiming/suing for my mini-tort payout, I just asked my adjuster to get it for me since the other driver was insured by the same company. My claim paid most of my damage, and we skipped the lawsuit because the same company was able to cover his portion of expenses without bringing lawyers into it.

It seems to me that her insurance will cover her, and a separate adjuster will cover his responsibility, and that the reason they don't want a lawsuit is because they'll handle it amicably between claim reps instead of between lawyers. You have nothing to lose by consulting a lawyer, but I don't think they're doing anything malicious.


Title: Is it illegal to model a proprietary algorithm with a neural network? United States, CO

Question:
Kind of a niche subject I know. Spotify acquired a company called The Echo Nest a while ago, a company who provides song analysis services. I really want to be able to analyze my own songs and not just the stuff Spotify has available.

If I were to use a neural network, trained with data from Spotify’s api, to create a model that could very closely produce the same results, would I be breaking any laws? Furthermore would there be a difference of legality if I only used the model for personal use as opposed to releasing it open source?

Answer:
 Your issue will be with the Spotify TOS, not with the law. The algorithm is going to be a trade secret. But, it's perfectly legal to try to figure out trade secrets from public information.Answer #2: if you acquire the data legally you're free to do what you want with it mathematically. if you try to sell or profit off of what you do with it, there may be issues.

edit: ianal but i am an expert in machine learning and nonsmooth optimization.


Title: Debt collection from someone who is judgment proof?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can sit on it. Judgments are good for years. They'll buy a house, or a car, or something which you can seize down the road, and you'll have been accruing interest all that time. Answer #2: OP, I am not a lawyer, but....

When I was in the military, most married guys I know had joint bank accounts, and they used USAA.


Title: Lost money to a stranger on Facebook

Question: I was trying to buy tickets to a concert for tonight, and went on the discussion on the Facebook page for the concert. Many people were on their selling their tickets for tonight, and I messaged a man about his tickets he was selling. He agreed that if I sent him $20 on the Cash app that he would transfer the ticket to my email. I sent him the money and instead of transferring the ticket to me, he blocked me completely and now I can’t even message him. Also, on the Cash app, the transaction went through instantly and will not allow me to cancel it. Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 Take this $20 life lesson and be happy it's not more. Nothing you do legally would be worth the time and effort to recover $20.

Purchasing stuff off Craigslist and the like comes with some high risks, including being a scammer cesspool. If you want to guarantee yourself tickets, use a reputable second-hand site or ticket re-seller. The money you save purchasing from a shady source can end up being lost, like in your case.


Title: LAPD officers told to collect social media data on every civilian they stop - "it must be provided under federal law."

Question:
Ok, so, in short, police in Los Angeles are now collecting social media accounts from people they "stop" and they are informing people that it's not optional - that "it must be provided under federal law." (according to the article)

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/sep/08/revealed-los-angeles-police-officers-gathering-social-media

I don't live in LA, so this is entirely hypothetical for me - but I'm curious as to what the law really says.   Am I legally compelled to answer questions from the police? Would there be a potential consequence to refusing to provide this information or lying and saying I have no social media?   Can I declare that I'm invoking my right to not self-incriminate?

Answer: Cops are allowed to ask people to *voluntarily* give their social media information, and of course they are always sure to emphasize that this is a purely *voluntary* question that won't result in extrajudicial punishment or cause a wrongful detention if the ~~victim~~ ~~criminal suspect~~ *citizen* decides not to answer


Title: When can a cop NOT run your plates?

Question:
I have a whole situation, but I dont have a question really about the whole thing, just one part.

When is a cop not allowed to run your plates? We pulled into a drive thru where a couple cops had pulled someone over. When they were done with the stop, I assume, they drove behind us in the drive thru, then left and parked in the gas station next door and waited for us to pull out and subsequently pulled us over. Is that really legal?

I'm genuinely feeling like these cops ran our plates because were an interracial couple in a busted looking vehicle (long story short - got hit by a drunk driver so a door is completely indented and doesnt work) and not because of something we were doing (we were in a drivethru... not like we were speeding down the road or even moving when they decided to pull us over).

So, just curious!

Answer:
 > When is a cop not allowed to run your plates?

When your vehicle is parked on private property and the plate is not visible without intrusion beyond the curtilage of the property, e.g. in a garage or under a tarp.

Police need individualized reasonable articulable suspicion for a traffic stop.    Those can be developed by equipment problems, or moving violations, or by the results of a license plate scan or query.

Did the officer tell you why she pulled you over ?   Were you cited for any violation ?Answer #2: The car might have even been ALPR equipped, meaning it reads your plates automatically. Answer #3: They can run your plates pretty much any time.

I used to routinely run license plates at traffic lights just to check.


Title: Company wants to charge me for excessive moving expenses

Question:
1.5 years ago I relocated within my company from Arizona to the Midwest.  The relocation package they offered was generous but I was unable to scrutinize any expense. They set up a moving company and shipped my car. I drove my family to our new destination. Recently I was offered a job at a different company and it is a great opportunity. Huge raise, benefits, etc. I tendered my resignation and was all set to go. Now my former company sent me a bill for half of the relocation fee, over $11k
I couldn’t believe that the company paid $23k to move me, seeing how I originally did it on a budget of about $3k.
What legal recourse to I have?

Answer:
 >I was offered a job at a different company and it is a great opportunity. Huge raise, benefits, etc. I tendered my resignation

Pay your contractually agreed debt to your former employer.

The time to scrutinize those expenses was when they were incurred, not 1.5 years later when you decided to resign.

You have no legal recourse whatsoever. Just use some of that huge raise to pay your debt.Answer #2: Did you sign anything saying that them relocating you was conditional on you staying with the company for X amount of years?


Title: Fired for talking about my history of addiction (New York State)

Question: I was fired and told later on via a phone call it was for inappropriate conversations with coworkers coming at odds with the store mansgers desire tk change the "culture of the building." I am not a current user. I was not found to be using at work nor did i fail any drug screening. I received absolutrly no prior warning and was given no reason at the time of my dismissal. Im curious if i have something worth pursuing here.

Answer: Nope, they can fire you for having used drugs in the past. File for unemployment.


Title: I would like to buy my boyfriend's student loans. What type legal agreement do we need to sign? (Colorado)

Question: My long term boyfriend has ~20k in student loans.  We're in our early 20s and are intending to get married in the next 1-2 years.  I recently inherited some money and would like to use some of it to buy his loans.  Meaning I would like to pay off his loans with the bank and have him pay me back at either the same or a slightly lower interest rate.  This way I make a small return on my investment and the money is staying within the two of us and not being paid to the bank.  I trust him to pay it back, but bad things do happen. What sort of legal documentation to we need to put together and sign? How do we make this agreement 'official'?

Answer:
 My suggestion would to have him add you as an 'authorized payer' on his account so that you can login and make payments on his behalf. If you want the interest income, you can have him pay you a nominal amount every-time you make a payment on his behalf.

This way if you're no longer together at some point, no one owes anyone anything. He would have to start making payments again. Answer #2: NO NO NO NO. NON! DO NOT do this...I guarantee you will regret this decision. His student loan debt is not dischargeable, if you pay them off and he has to pay you, guess what? He can file bankruptcy and owe you ZILCH. Catch him cheating? He'll stop paying. He decides he got what he wants? He'll stop paying. This is SUCH a bad decision.

I say, save the money, use it for a downpayment on a house. DO NOT pay off someone else's student loan debt with your inheritance. Answer #3: You need to see a lawyer about this.  This involves contract law and a little tax law regarding the interest you plan on charging.

You might want to x-post this on r/tax to get a better idea of what interest you can charge.  Believe it or not, if you charge too low of a rate, the GOVT could charge YOU the difference.Answer #4: A wedding certificate would work. ;)


Title: One of my short stories is being published in a magazine but I submitted it under a pseudonym, is there anything I need to do now if I have to prove it is me sometime in the future?

Question: Any advice welcome, I am just worried that if some way down the line I won't be able to prove that its my pseudonym?

Answer:
 You register your copyright, it costs like 35 bucks for a single-author single part work.

Ninja-edit, if you don't qualify for the discounted single reg, it's still only like 50 bucks for the multi- which you can register as much as you want, you can take every photo you ever took in your life and register it as one collection. The only real downside is in calculating damages if someone pirates several parts, but that is utterly minimal in most situations unless you expect to be having to take infringers to court on a regular basis.


Title: Ex wife is giving some of the child support money I send her to her boyfriend.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 She can spend it however she wants.
Don't log into her accounts. Answer #2: If your ex doesn't have a history of being a negligent mother, it's very possible that the boyfriend is spending money for the kids/house and  she is reimbursing him...he pays the electric bill so it doesn't get overdue, picks up school supplies, whatever.

Also, if the child support isn't her sole income, the money in her account is 'fungible'...the five dollars that she earned and the five dollars in child support don't have to be kept separate and her specific five dollar bill go to her needs and the support five dollar bill for the kids.Answer #3: Typically, a parent receiving child support is going to have a lot of leeway with how the money is spent. That being said, if it starts to look like the child isn't getting what the child needs, you can bring her back to court.


Title: Is it a straw purchase if the recipient could legally purchase the gun themselves?

Question:
Suppose a gun shop has a firearm I've been wanting, and it's on sale for today only. I want to go buy it (and it would be perfectly legal for me to do so), but I'm busy dealing with an emergency at work and won't be able to make it to the shop before they close. So I give my friend the money and ask them to go pick it up for me while I'm at work.

Would this be legal?

Answer:
 No.

The question on the form specifically asks if you are the intended owner of the firearm.

Your friend could 100% go pay for it, and then they can hold it for you until you can go pick it up yourself.Answer #2: Yes, that’s the definition of a straw purchase. Whether the end user is legal or not is irrelevant. But /u/cipher_blue’s workaround should work. Alternatively, you could fill out the paperwork ahead of time and the seller could hold onto it until they get the $


Title: Mentally ill family member becoming more dangerous.

Question:
I don't know if this is the right place to post this but ill give it a shot.

Im going to be short on identifying details.  I have a mentally ill family member with a extensive history of drug abuse and violence (but no arrest record).  His mental state and view of reality have been deteroriating rapidly over the past 2 years.

He has a large collection of illegal non registered guns, silencers, body armor, night vision, bullet booby traps (almost all of these are illegal in the state he lives in) that he has been spending all his money on.

He has been gathering information on where people who he thinks have wronged him live and openly speaking about how he is going to kill them.  He has a vendetta against the local police department and mentioned he did not believe they could stop him if he wanted to shoot them all (this was all unprompted by me).

He has an elderly pet who is getting close to the end and has in the past confessed that he thinks he will lose it when they die.  He has stated many times if anyone calls the cops on them he will shoot them and or shoot himself.

He needs help and he needs it soon or i think he is going to do something terrible.  I don't know what to do, can i get some advice?

Answer:
 In the currrent environment I hate to suggest cops, but the police are really the only people with the legal authority to act at this point.

You should make them aware of the threats he's making and illegal weapons/armor that you have firsthand knowledge of him owning.

If there's something he'll listen to, have them encourage him to seek out mental health - hopefully  *before* the police need to be involved.


Title: A co-worker of mine was given a judgment in her favor in divorce court, now the ex husband wont sign the paperwork to give her what she was given by the court. What is the next step?

Question:
Hey Everyone,

I was asked to write this question for a friend because she doesn't know what to do next and is hoping she won't have to pay another retainer after just finishing a nasty divorce. So long story short is that my co-worker was given a judgement of part of her ex-husbands retirement. She originally didn't want any or his money or retirement, she just wanted out of the marriage, she didn't want to even go to court. Then her ex-husband started fighting her on everything and a lawyer became necessary. So how it ended was a judge ordering my co-worker part of her ex-husbands retirement. Along with some other things in her favor.

Now this judgement was several months ago and the ex-husband was supposed to send my co-worker a bunch of signed documents but is now refusing to do so. And has gone so much as to dodge any contact. I'm guessing she needs to get in front of a judge and get a court order forcing him to hand over these documents. Yet she just spent a ton of money on legal fees to get through a bitter divorce, and she is really trying to not pay anything else. Is there anything that she can do herself to get in front of a judge and explain this herself? I recommended that she needs to use an attorney but she is really insistent that she wants to do it herself.

So would any of you be able to tell me what the proper next step would be if she wanted to get in front of a judge herself? Thanks!

Answer:
 File a contempt motion. I'd just hire a lawyer and ask for fees.Answer #2: > I'm guessing she needs to get in front of a judge and get a court order forcing him to hand over these documents.

That is correct.  If he doesn't follow the judge's order, then she goes back to court and the judge will handle it.


Title: [UPDATE]Female,20, Gay in Richmond, VA. Someone's life could have been ruined today. I don't know what to do next.

Question:
Hey gang. If you're looking for the first part of this story, the link is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3muzww/female20_gay_in_richmond_va_someones_life_could/

So, the teacher from said story replied back.

The conversation, TLDR version, went like this:

"Someone is pretending to be you on this dating site and asked me to 'out' 'you' on it, also asking several other things (sexually) and wanted me to tell all of your students, parents, coworkers, boss, etc. I was going to call you, but I didn't want this to be overheard or anything and it seemed inappropriate to talk about on a school phone anyway. This is not a prank. The website was called Okcupid.

'Idk what OKC is, but from what you say, it must be a dating website. It must be my ex-husband because he's done something like this before, so while I hope they stopped bothering you, I'm not that worried about it.'

'Hello, thanks for replying. While I'm sure you would think it's your husband, whoever did this was a woman. They claimed to be you out sick.'

'Well unless you actually talked to this person, I still think it's my husband.How did you find the real me anyway?'

'I did, on the phone. That's why I'm sure it was a woman. And they literally pointed me to your website, and that's how I found you. On your quia site there's a picture of you (which didn't match her pictures on OKC) and so I looked 'xxxx' up and you popped up on Facebook. That's when I called her out on it. I started looking when she said she wanted to out you. I can give you her number.'

'What do you mean by 'out' me? I'm not gay, and that subject matter wouldn't have anything to do with my work place. But please, yes, give me the phone number.'

'I know, but, the point is she was trying to start a rumor and along with 'outting' you wanted other graphic things to be said. Through email, call, etc. I'm sure she would have screen-shotted everything or something if the rumor spread. Look, I'm just a college kid and if this were happening to me, I'd want to know. I didn't want anyone to get hurt. I wasn't stupid enough to go through with it or believe the woman, but, someone else might not care- it could also escalate. The number is 'XXX-XXX-XXXX'."

That's all that's happened so far. I realized after everyone commented that there wasn't really any room for legal advice, but, I thought maybe there was something I could do to help this woman. Thank you anyway for the general advice. If she replies to my email again, I'll edit this post. Thank you all so much for the help!

Edit: She replied. Basically her message was:
'He has gotten more people involved because that is my ex's phone number. Maybe he's used a voice changer? I'm not sure but if he did all of this, it does seem he is escalating. Please send me proof of your conversation(s). It seems odd that he now has a woman involved with this. I hope they aren't bothering you any longer, as well.'

Thanks everyone! After I send her the proof, I'm outtie.

Answer:
 Thanks for the update. Don't see anything wrong with what you did, and since you've provided the number of the other person, they can go sort it out themselves like adults (or not). But I think your part here is done, and I'd stay clear of it.Answer #2: Good job!  I've had a stalker before and this could very well be part of a stalker going off the deep end, could be the ex having his girlfriend try to make his ex's life hell, or even a student trying to mess with her.  Either way, anyone would be interested in knowing someone was doing this to them and it's good that you put the effort in and followed thru with her.Answer #3: You 100% did the right thing.  Yeah, maybe it was her ex or a disgruntled student, but it could have also been a crazy stalker.  I remember hearing about this woman who put an ad on Craigslist trying to get another woman raped, all because tgt woman and her family outbid her for a house.  People can be crazy, especially when they can hide behind a fake online persona.

Imo, you were not over-reacting at all.  Answer #4: You definitely did the right thing.   I'd want to know if someone was impersonating me.  I believe any of us would. Answer #5: Good job.Answer #6: You're a good person,also this isn't legal advice ;)


Title: (Federal / CA) National Guard Enlistment Bonuses

Question:
Can someone break down the legal situation surrounding the California National Guard enlistment bonus mess?

For those who are unaware, around 10 years ago during the war, the California National Guard offered thousands of people enlistment bonuses to either enlist or re-enlist to go to Iraq and Afghanistan. Many of these bonuses were in the $15k-$25k range. Now the government is saying the bonuses were given illegally and must be paid back, and in a couple cases, the families of soldiers that were killed in that conflict have stated that they're being told they must repay that money.

On one hand, it sounds like the promise and distribution of the bonuses would constitute a contract, go to war again and we'll give you this bonus. On the other hand, how does that work if the bonuses were distributed illegally? It's not like the government can return the commitment to serve which in many cases came with significant injury.

Answer:
 This all seems 100% political to be happening right now.
All soldiers and families should 100% ignore unless they are served for court.
The government will lose this if it goes to court.

But I suspect this will just disappear after the election.


Title: Work attire and dress xode

Question:
Hello,
I'm a 36 yr old woman working in Administration in a healthcare facility.  I work dresses with sweaters everyday. I'm well endowed in my breast and rear so some of the dresses could be considered form fitting. There are other women in Administration that wear very similar attire but perhaps their bodies are not as curvy as mine. I was told by my boss yesterday that I was wesrong inappropriate outfits at work and that also because I'm friendly with "the guys" at work I need to watch myself. I'm friendly with everyone. Also I want to add my boss was wearing a knee length t-shirt dress while having this discussion with me. Am I being discriminated against since I'm  a curvy woman?

Answer:
 Weight is not a protected class (and I'm only saying that not because I think you're big or anything but it's the only "type" I could think it would fall under), so there wouldn't be any apparent legal problems. Due to your curviness how an outfit looks on you can appear quite different who isn't as well endowed and therefore your clothing may run up higher or may be more revealing around the bust.

In these cases it would be perfectly legal to ask you to wear something more conservative if it's requested.


Title: I'm worried about Turkey and my girlfriend, what can we do?

Question:
My girlfriend lives in Istanbul, she's studying at the university and she still has one year to go.

turkey is nosediving: it's under a dictatorship and the economy now is crashing, i'm very worried for her and her family:

Is there any way she could come here in europe countinuing her studies in a different university?

any other advice on how to deal with this problem is more than welcome, thank you!

Answer: What country(ies) does she have citizenship in?