Title: (Pennsylvania) - Two car accidents in one night...one while my car was being loaded on to a tow-truck flat bed

Question:
Last night, I was driving through a snowstorm on a slick highway, realized I was going too fast, and hit the brakes a little harder than I intended to. This caused me to lose control and hit the front of a guardrail with the front right of my car. Airbags deployed...moderate damage to the front corner only as far I can tell. It's a highway and we're off the road so we stay that way...regrettably, I didn't take pictures at this point. I planned to do that at the storage facility.

Call a tow truck, wait 30 minutes. The wrecker pulls my car out so he can winch it up onto his flatbed. He pulls the car partially up and is doing something inside my car (leaning) when another speeding car slammed into the corner of the tow truck, crashing into my car. The tow truck is damaged...my car now has new front wheel and door damage as well as back end damage from being slammed against the edge of the towners truck bed.

The compact car that hit us  (I was outside the car about 10 feet away) went airborne and spun to stop in the highway facing the wrong dicretion and missing the right front wheel.

I call the police. The driver of the third car was arrested on suspicion of DUI. The police processed the "non-reportable" crash for my car and the guardrail and said to expect more information about the second, more serious crash.

My car was probably not totaled after the first collision but almost certainly is now....thanks to the drunk driver. Obviously, I have insurance and a great agent, but is there anything else I should do?  There were no injuries to anyone in my car.

Thanks in advance.

.

Tl;dr: Hit a guardrail. While being loaded on a tow truck, my car and the truck got hit by a drunk driver. No injuries.

Answer: You are doing it right. Just follow the process and be prepared to get a settlement for your car. Start window shopping for a new car. If you have receipts for the new tires and recent maintenance, scan them and send it to the adjuster.


Title: Maryland Speeding Ticket What Should I Do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Why do you think breaking the law at anytime would be considered reasonable? There is no law that states the speed limit is "55, or whatever you think is reasonable"


Title: Working with Migraines- do I have any rights?

Question:
I work part time at a chain restaurant, and since moving here I have developed migraines.
I now get then every week and only get four days a week where I don't have a migraine. It absolutely sucks.

Unfortunately I feel like I can't work there with one. I get very sensitive to smells and sounds, sometimes vomit, can't focus and get extremely clumbsy so I drop food a lot and bump into things.

All of the calling out because of that has landed me in hot water. They require a Dr.'s Note every time I call out because they think I'm faking. Since I can't visit a doctor every single time I have a migraine, I'm forced to work or lose my job.

This week had been so hectic I've had a baaaad migraine. It was so bad at work yesterday that my nose started bleeding from the high blood pressure, so that was fun!!! They didn't let me go home, which is usually what happens because they think it's just regular headaches and I don't want to whine any more than I already do.

I called out today because I didn't get any sleep and felt like I was dying, I didn't get a Dr.'s Note and I'm terrified they're going to fire me for it.

My question is- if I get fired, am I basically SoL? I am an at-will employee in California with a large amount of call-outs. I have been diagnosed with Migraines by multiple doctors and have communicated that verbally with my managers.

Unemployment would be impossible because of all the absences, would it not?

Answer:
 Generally speaking, employers are required to make reasonable accommodations under the ADA. A number of courts have determined that allowing employees to miss work very frequently, especially with little notice, is beyond a reasonable accommodation. An employee who cannot be there to do the job probably does not have a protected right to be retained.

You can speak with an attorney about it, but you won't have to pay him/her many hours before it's not worth it for a $40/week job.

Do everything in your power to get your migraines under control, or find a job with a more flexible schedule.


Title: Court threw me out for no reason. Probable cause that the plaintiff is paying off the court. Please help.

Question:
Special civil case. Landlord vs tenant, I am the tenant. He wants me to pay for a leaking roof despite the lease agreement saying he is responsible for such repairs.

The legal system is fucked up. We had an initial case scheduled. Atty for the LL didn't show up. Case dismissed in my favor.

Atty for the LL says he didn't show up because of a computer glitch. Seriously what the fuck? Court accepted plaintiffs absence due to a computer fucking glitch??????

Atty for the LL files suit again with the exact claim. I have previously answered interrogatories. I refuse to respond to the latest set. They violate the FBCPA. I answered before.

New judge suppressed my answer on failure to respond to interrogatories, Did he send them via certified mail? Nope. Judge still suppresses my answer which was evidence of the roof leak causing $50k in damage to my inventory.

I go to court today. Of course the plaintiff doesn't show up. The judge made a remark that if a case is dismissed it is final and there are no do-overs. I simply raise the question as to how I have a court order showing the case was dismissed so since there are no do-overs why am I still being accused? She proceeds to not only belittle me, but dismisses me from the court room. I explain I am exercising my rights and I requested evidence that the case was open and suddenly 6 police officers charge me and assault me and remove me from the court.

I did nothing wrong. Is this legal? What should I do? I am in NJ in Morris county. The plaintiff owns the majority of commercial real estate in this county and surrounding area.

Answer: I highly doubt that it went as you say.


Title: My job just let me go for being pregnant??

Question:
I worked at a Chinese restaurant. Last week they confronted me about the "puffiness" of my midsection... I'm naturally very tiny, so that didn't offend me as much as it might have otherwise. I bluntly told them it was bc of a baby, not realizing it would be an issue. The next day they let me go, I didn't even get to finish my scheduled hours for the week. They said absolutely no pregnant women can be employed there. Is this a cultural thing? Everyone there, except for myself and one of the managers, speaks almost exclusively Mandarin Chinese. I told them it was illegal to let me go for that reason, but they didn't seem to care or understand that. I even asked for two weeks to find something new, since the only reason they gave for letting me go was the pregnancy and I was otherwise an excellent employee, but they were unrelenting. I'm shocked, hurt and confused. They always treated me exceptionally well, with a lot of respect. A couple weeks prior they even gave me a surprise raise for good performance. Now I'm 25 weeks pregnant and unemployed. I wasn't making great money, but it was sustainable. Does anyone have any insight into why they would be so adverse to pregnant women? They told me to come back after the baby.... Wtf---- Indiana, US

Edit : sorry if my original post was unclear. My concern is, I'm not trying to prod a hornets nest fruitlessly. I got carried away in my story, what I want to know is 1) any insight into why they would do this. I was well liked, loved working for them. I was valuable for customer relations as I was often the only English speaker 2) where to go from here 3) would filing a complaint get me my job back, wage comp or just get them in trouble? I'm not out for blood. 4) how would they protect themselves? They must feel confident bc I was told this has happened before and they were completely unconcerned when I warned them it was illegal and pleaded for a couple weeks to find something else. I understand that there may be an ethical obligation to hold them accountable, but I'm hesitant to burn a bridge when they were otherwise very good to me and willing to take me back as soon as I've birthed. I'm only 22 and I don't have a lot of work experience so it feels uncomfortable to gamble with a position waiting for me

Answer:
 It definitely is a cultural thing. Chinese superstition about pregnancy is widespread and goes a lot further than "pregnant women are fragile."

That said, in the US it's still illegal.


Title: BIL totaled car and now won’t pay

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I don't know you or the guy, but it sounds like you may have accept it's gonna take him longer to pay if he can at all. After all He probably still needs a car, and now he needs to pay hospital bills and you while trying to find a way to work.Answer #2: This is why you don't accept payments for stuff - even from family. You just learned a $2500 lesson. You should sue him, but you chances are you never actually getting your money. Answer #3: You have no choice but to sue. But then even if you win,  there's the pesky little detail of getting blood from a turnip. This is why, almost daily on this sub,  people here recommend not doing what you did.  I realize this was done without your knowledge or approval but I think you're just going to have to write this off as a loss and maybe make hubby sleep on the couch for a while.  Answer #4: You will have to sue him.


Title: [Wisconsin] Pretty sure my boss is embezzling federal Low Income Housing funds. What do I do?

Question:
I'm a custodian at a low income/disabled/senior community which receives federal funds. My boss is the head maintenance honcho. Over the last year I have noticed that contracted services such as window cleaning, landscape maintenance, and waste removal have decreased in frequency, all of our cleaning supplies have been replaced with bargain-basement alternatives NOT from our official suppliers, and he has only worked an average of 25 hrs/week (he's hourly, not salary) over the last six months. Last week I noticed that the "supply tracking chart" indicated roughly twice as much stock as we actually have on hand, though I just happened to glance it on his desk and don't have regular access to it or any financial records.

When I covertly probed the building manager (his boss, who I work for separately in a volunteer/community service capacity) about the maintenance budget allotment she mentioned that it hasn't changed this year and isn't projected to next year.

I wish I could claim some sort of noble intent, but the residents don't really suffer from this. It just makes my job more difficult and pisses me off that this guy is probably stealing. My main concern is for my job. I am worried that regardless of the outcome of any inquiry I may face termination. I also don't have any actual proof... just the odd things I've noticed.

Answer: HUD has a [fraud hotline](https://www.hudoig.gov/report-fraud).Answer #2: Man.  I had a short stint on a forensic accounting team.  Fraud wasn't all we did, but of the fraud cases I saw, like half of them were from senior assisted living facilities.


Title: (NV) My father died, his ex-girlfriend is refusing to let us get his things.

Question:
TLDR; my dad has an abusive ex that refuses to give us his belongings, check to see if we have everything, or help us facilitate a return of appliance that is not paid off.

Hi there.

My father was in a relationship with a woman who was physically and emotionally abusive for 3 years. He left her shortly before finding out that he has pancreatic cancer. Due to a then unknown issue my father was never able to get his belongings from his ex's home. Upon his diagnosis on 10/30 he became platonically involved with her again. My father's cancer was very aggressive tripling in size by his 12/5 surgery date. His outlook wasn't very good. I tried to help my father get his will in order, but due to the combinations of medication he was now on he was constantly violently ill and unable to get around.

So, on 12/4 my father completed a very bare bones will, that was witnessed by his ex-wife (my mother) and myself. Since it was just being distributed between my brother and myself as close to equally as possible my father felt it was not necessary to itemize the will. It was not notorized due to it being a Sunday and less than 24 hours before his surgery.

The short version from here is that my father's surgery went well, and his ex was constantly present. She was eventually banned from seeing my father as she was telling him she could lol him for leaving her. She was also advising the nursing staff that my brother is a junkie who abused my father and stole from him. The nurses were concerned about her actions, and asked my brother (power of attorney) what was going on. She then snuck in to the hospital on multiple occasions to see my father. He was eventually placed in a locked ward with a password .

As this is all happening I'm trying to collect my father's belongings in the most friendly way as possible. She has his wallet, glasses, phone, etc. That she took from his hospital room. Additionally, she has everything my father inherited from my grandmother at her home. I'm beginning to become concerned that she's destroyed the items by the way she discusses my dad's ex-wife's (my stepmom) treatment of said items and how she broke them. She would not have done that.

Anyway, I finally get a date to get the things, and on the way there she informs me she put them all in a storage unit because she was out of town. Upon arrival to the storage unit everything was packed in boxes (nicely, not thrown about), but we were unable to determine if this was everything. Additionally, my father owns a large television that's in his name as well as has been making payments on a refrigerator for about a year both are missing.

She refuses to allow us/me into the home to just make sure we got everything. Plus, she refuses to give full payment for the fridge, transfer it to her name, or relinquish it to the company. She claims that she's been paying out of pocket for it this whole time (she hasn't been, I checked my dad's bank statements.) She's also claiming my father gave her the television. Although, he told me personally he wanted my brother to have it. My father was also the sole person on the bill of sale.

I contacted the non-emergency police number, and the officer told me that they wouldn't help me, because it was a civil issue. However, he did say that they could escort me to the home to attempt to facilitate this transaction. My father has since died, and she's becoming amazingly even more hostile.

My question is this:

What can we do to get my father's remaining belongings?
How can we get her to relinquish the appliance?
Can the police enforce the will while there if I furnish the will and the bill of sale?

TLDR; my dad has an abusive ex that refuses to give us his belongings, check to see if we have everything, or help us facilitate a return of appliance that is not paid off.

Also, I know this is a little confusing. I'll try to answer any questions as best as I can.

Double also, thank you for taking the time to read this.

Answer:
 Who does your father's Will appoint as executor? If the answer is you, then you need to hire a probate lawyer to probate the Will and get you appointed as Executor ($3,000). Now, as Executor you can file suit against the ex to reclaim property belonging to the estate (approx $5,000 to get started).

Police will not get involved as this is a civil matter.


Title: Project idea stolen by employer (MN)

Question:
Sorry for the use of a throwaway. My normal account may have information to personally identify me.

I find myself in a situation where I don't know if I have any rights or if there is anything that I can do. It may just be "one of those things" to get over but I'm really feeling.... (ok, I'll stop and try to take the emotion out of it and stick to the facts.)

I work for a museum. Last year I submitted a grant application for a project. (awarded by the museum) As part of the process, before it could be submitted to the board I would need to have my boss sign off on it.
My boss refused to sign off as-is stating that too much of my time would go towards this project and instructed me to edit and remove many components before he would sign.  I asked if instead, I could stretch out the timeline and he refused that as an option.   I knew with what he was asking me to cut it would make the project have much less of an impact. But, I made the changes and he signed off.

The day came for the announcements for the grant winners. I was not one. I was not surprised.

Later, I ran into one of the board members and the topic of my application came up and it was expressed that the only reason I was not given the grant is due to the lack of significant impact to the museum. I knew this.  I was upset, and felt that my boss set me up to fail. But, whatever. Not the end of the world. I can't always get what I want.

Then, I find out this week that there is a team working on the same project I had proposed. Except, without the cuts I was forced to make. And of course, without me.
This was my idea. I spent months of research and planning on my own time for this and someone "stole" it from me.   The idea is unique enough where I know it's not a coincidence. Actually, the way I found out was because someone working on it came to me for help.  My heart dropped.

So, my question is:  Is the grant that I wrote my property? Do I have any say at all?

Answer:
 Ideas aren't generally subject to ownership in the first place.

If this idea was sufficiently novel and complex, it *might* qualify for patent protection. But in that case, your employer would likely own the patent, as you created the idea in the course of your employment using their ideas and their time.

In any case, pursuing this would be long, headache-inducing, and expensive.


Title: Fired without cause. Owners wife to replace me.

Question:
Hi legaladvice. I'm in a little bit of a pickle and although I know I have probably been wronged I'm not sure how and if it is worth pursuing.

I have worked for a small business for the last six months. I was hired to perform a very specific job role and I am the only one at the company who knows how to do this. EXCEPT the owners wife who does not currently work for the company in any capacity. She worked there casually years previously. Today I was let go and I am fairly certain (99%- I think it would be easy to confirm if need be) that she will be stepping in to take my place. Since I have worked there I have already received raises and have not had any issues raised against me or my performance and my laying off was a total shock.

Is this something worth pursuing?

Answer: Were you terminated for cause?  Absent of cause and absent of notice you are likely eligible for [one week's pay](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/employment-standards-advice/employment-standards/factsheets/termination-of-employment).


Title: Looks like I'm about to get fired. Was pressured to quit right before 401k vested. All that I'm in trouble for is what my boss told me to do and what I warned him would happen.

Question:
Company policy says someone needs two years of experience working with this subject with the company to head the project.  I was given the project three months after graduation school and joining the company.

I brought this up, and was told "it was cleared".

I had NO TIME to spend on the project. Brought it up with my manager. Was told "figure it out".  I had multiple other projects that at every other location for the company would have been considered a full load. This project alone is considered a full load in other locations.

The contractor hired to help me was fired eight months later.

So at that time it's got no one working on it. And it's safety related.

So I freaked out and asked for a project leader from a location that had a good program to visit and help me figure out how to manage it. He came to visit, looked at what we had, and laughed. He held a meeting where my manager was present (I have the copy of the meeting invite) where he said "you have to cut her work load to handle this project or devote a person to it".  My boss said "figure it out" and I got no help.

Six months later I asked the company leader of the program to come help. I was way behind, terribly so. He came and reviewed the program. He also said to give me more time by cutting my work load.

My manager responded by giving me another project just as big in addition to the work load I had.  I managed to somehow juggle it by working weekend and 15 hour days (I'm salary).

Fast forward to eight months ago. Corporate held an audit of the project. Of course we failed. I'm already mentally in shambles from this project. My boss blasts me in tony of everyone that it was my fault. I argue that he never gave me help. He says "we will discuss this later" and ends the meeting. I'm told if I ever talk back like that again I will be in serious trouble.

At the time I was oh so close to getting my 401k vested. So I stayed.

Now the project is in shambles. He keeps putting due dates that I flat told him aren't possible. He's convinced the higher ups that I'm incompetent. At this point I'm proud I've even been able to tread water in this project. I can't even tell if I'm competent because I haven't had the time or resources I need.

He pressured me the week before I vested to quit. No way in hell was I giving up $15k.

I asked the two people that reviewed the program to back me up. They won't respond (they aren't at my location).

I just got vested last week. I'm trying desperately to get a different job. I have coworkers that know I work hard that promised to be references quietly.

**How much can this man say to ruin my life?**  I'm terrified of him calling my hopefully new employer and telling lies.  I have Goodyear end reviews from my other project managers.  They (two different people) called me "responsible, action oriented, organized, and eager" and I have it in writing. He calls me "lazy, arrogant, and disorganized".

He also approved my request to hire a contractor for three days to help me. Then blasted me in a meeting for "wasting money" that he approved. I only spent that money because he doesn't give me time to do it. And he APPROVED the expense!

I also found out Thursday that he disliked how I spent my time on a project that ended in February. He never told me during February. He told me by asking "why do you keep doing this?!" When I didn't even know it was a problem.

Sorry for the rant. I'm 26, moved 10 hours away from friends and family for this job, and my last three years have been hell.

I'm not the first person he's done this to. I've seen four other people fall under his rule.

**What protection should I take against this man?**
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: You cannot stop him from having an opinion of you. If he thinks you are lazy that is fine. He cannot say factual lies. You can sue him if you can prove he is lying to harm you.


Title: Live.me violating COPPA

Question:
I currently reside in TX and recently found that my 9 year old son was sending/receiving inappropriate content through the live.me app. Fortunately we caught this on the first day after he downloaded it, but nonetheless some damage has been done and I'm trying to clean it up.

After going through his profile, I noticed he put his actual birthday in the app. This appears to be in direct conflict with COPPA. I have since changed his birthday to save his identity some, but cannot figure out how to delete the account.  I know the content is on the interwebs forever, but fixing what I can. Live.me is a Chinese company, however, they appear to have an office in the US.

Is this something worth pursuing, seeing a lawyer over, or anything?

Thank you,
Just a dad concerned about his kids privacy.

Answer:
 > Is this something worth pursuing, seeing a lawyer over, or anything?

Without addressing whether or not the website is subject to COPPA, there is no private right of action under COPPA.

Enforcement is only done by the government.

So, [beyond telling the FTC](https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/#&panel1-1), there's nothing to be done.


Title: (USA) Can I aim a laser pointer at a drone?

Question:
Edit 5: TL:DR : Its illegal to interfere with an aircraft. Spitballs, paperplanes, and drones are aircrafts.

With all the drone questions I thought of something. Can I "blind" a drone so it can't take usable video.

So I know aiming a laser pointer
at an actual plane is a big, huge, no no but what about drones?

What about not a laser but a really bright light?

I also read somewhere that masers might be coming back. Doubt anyone will be able to buy one in the near future. But would something like that be okay, as its not a "laser" or does that break the spirit of the law?

I found [this](http://www.laserpointersafety.com/rules-general/rules-outdoor/rules-outdoor.html) ~~which seams to claim that any outdoor use of a laser has to be approved by FAA.~~ which talks about laser light shows. Could I use a permitted area for a show to keep drones out?

I have an FAA rule book somewhere but I can't seam to find it to look up the laser section.

I don't have a drone pestering me or anything. Was just curious.

Edit: fixed hyperlink.

Edit 2: to all down voting me for asking questions. Thanks! I wish you peace on your path. Ohhh also to those who answered my questions! You guys rock.

Edit 3: only under three sercumstances do you have to get approval, not any use. Thanks u/lehk

Edit 4: I don't mean to damage the drone. A large laser could fry a circuit board, but that is not my intent. Simply blind it if it's looking at my property. Most drones have auto pilot so if you lose signal, controler dies etc.. It won't crash. Only video signal would be lost. As a "hot spot" in the CMOS scanner will screw with white balance etc.. As soon as it turns, vision returns. Equivalent of flying into the sun...

Answer: Very bad idea. Your not going to hit the drone with pinpoint accuracy thus you could hit an airplane.  I was aiming a drone will not be a good defense if you are charged with aiming a laser at an airplane.


Title: [CA] Boyfriend's job is refusing to fire him but is insisting he quit. Has banned him from their property. Is there anything he can do?

Question:
I am asking this on behalf of my boyfriend whom is very distressed at the moment and has no idea what to do.

In 2014, my boyfriend was hired as a dishwasher at a local pizza restaurant in California. He worked there until October of 2015, when we were forced to move out of state due to not being able to afford a place in Los Angeles anymore.

We have since moved back and that happened in December of 2016. On April 4th of this year, my boyfriend was offered his old position back as well as another position at a different/new location that is also close by (has the same owner). He accepted both.

It should be noted that the owner of the two restaurants has them registered as two different companies, to avoid certain loop holes. I'm hoping in this case, that this was a huge mistake on his part.

On July 3rd (2 days ago), my boyfriend was scheduled from 5 pm to 9 pm, but a manager he has recently been having problems with welcomed a party of 10 in after closing (9:20 pm). When all was finished up, this particular manager did not want to sweep the dining area (when it's his job to do so) and told my boyfriend to "take initiative" since he was standing around waiting to mop after the floor was swept (which is his job). He said, "No." and the manager ended up sweeping. My boyfriend mopped and left for home (10:38 pm). Unfortunately, my boyfriend arrived late to this shift (because he had to work at the other location from 11 am to 5pm... which as you can tell doesn't make sense since this shift starts at 5 pm. No break. There are cameras in store though, so there is proof that he was there.)

The manager for both stores received a call from this manager that night. He tells him that my boyfriend walked out of his shift and quit. The other manager is claiming that my boyfriend quit both locations that night.

My boyfriend was scheduled to work from 6 pm to 10pm tonight. He showed up for his shift since he had not quit and the store owner had been avoiding his calls (still is). When he arrived, the manager of both locations showed up and told my boyfriend that he is banned from the property and if he didn't leave, he'd have the cops called to arrest him.

My question is, can he do something about lack of proof that he quit? There is security camera footage of him being there for his full shift. He really needs a job to help pay for our rent and without this job, we will be forced to move again.

Any advice would be super helpful, thank you!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Sounds like he was fired. He should file for unemployment and appeal if they try to deny. Answer #2: Being banned from the property is the same thing as being fired.


Title: Mom told to longer bring food made for other people or she would be fired. (CA)

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 "I'll take 'Paragraphs' for $200, Alex."Answer #2: >  I just want to know if what they told her is truly legal.

It is perfectly legal.  An employer decides an employee's activities in relation to their work, and an employee selling extra services to customers on company time is directly related.


Title: My math teacher told a story to the class about how he made 7th graders stand outside for 45 minutes in the hot sun just because they wouldn't listen to him.

Question:
My right away thought was that is abuse. I know he was once divorced and has two kids but he is stubborn doesn't let anyone listen to him, I was thinking of hitting my school with a records request to get the facts about his previous job, why he was divorced, and ever if he broke the law for assault. He is the type of person who gets really angry just the other day some girls were trying to help a struggling math student with a problem. He blew out of proportions he said "You get kicked out of college for crap like that" I am not a student who hates math in fact I was student of the year last year, his behavior is concerning. He breaks out at the entire class for just a 2 students conversation. If I were to pursue a legal option how may I go about this?

Location : San Diego, California
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 > If I were to pursue a legal option

You have none.  You have no standing.

You can report this to your school's management, if you'd like.  45 minutes in the sun isn't exactly child abuse.  It's potentially a policy violation.Answer #2: Other than be strict what has he done to you and your class?


Title: (Ontario, Canada) In critical position with my job, cannot get accommodation for depression issues, will be fired if it doesn't improve

Question:
*Edit:* The TD;DR from a prior comment: IP suffers from anxiety struggles with panic attacks at work, employer has allowed for 20 minute breaks in first aid room to recover from panic attack, IP states not long enough, IP wants to change departments employer not willing to do so because of sales numbers. IP doctor will not give recommendations for accomedation.

Adding that situation has quantified depression symptoms, making job more and more difficult; and is causing me some serious harm mental health wise.

I have a psychiatrist. I have a diagnosis (generalized anxiety disorder and depression), just not one paper. I have tried several times to get my doctor to write anything that would help me.

I am depressed, but I can and want to work to support myself instead of being a burden on society. Nobody will help me.

--

I really need employment law help, I'm running around in circles and its critical I find something quickly; as I will be out of a job by summer if I don't do something. Absolutely no one will help me.

I deal with mental health issues, specifically generalized anxiety disorder and depression. I work at a new high-end department store as a handbags sales person. Its been the first full-time work I've had since before I went back to school almost five years ago. (It's been an ongoing battle to find something in my field.) I also work one day a week for the optical department at another department store. (There's no conflicts.  It's a contracted department. I am paid by another entity.) My boss and coworkers at the Optical believe I am a great sales person. I work very hard, I'm good with people and I make customers very comfortable. I am a good sales person and I do very well.  All despite the mental health problems that include some bad days every few months. The only reason I can't go with them exclusively because they cannot offer me any more than maybe two shifts a week and I'm single and low income.  I need to support myself.

From the moment I had my first panic attack at the high-end department store, I feel like I've been under a microscope. I've dealt with sales and customer service pressure before and have made it through fine. My problems do not stem from customers; it is completely from managers and co-workers.

When I started in February 2015, everything was fine. I was quick to adapt to the new environment. I've only been in eyeglass sales before and the fashion sales was a small learning curve, but I'm always willing to learn and admit when I need help. My sales numbers put me close to the top. Then the first panic hit around the middle of May and I cried in the back room. My department manager didn't coach me formally, but I was severely scolded for the incident. At this point, I tried to offer bringing in a doctor's note (I see a psychiatrist on a biweekly basis) to begin a conversation about appropriate accommodation, to which she responded that doing so would effect my position in the company (but I didn't hear that from her, of course).

After that, I panicked once more and tried to take my episode to the washroom. I was caught and told my panic attacks could not be taken to the washroom. My manager basically told me the only place I could have one was in my car or the parking garage. (I don't drive.)

At this point HR became involved. They agreed to allow a small accommodation to leave the floor when I have panic attacks, but it was agreed to completely without consulting my doctor. I am allowed a maximum 20 minutes in the first aid room if they occur. I have suppressed a lot of major panic attacks since because when they happen, it takes a lot more than 20 minutes to "snap out of it" and I don't like telling managers when they're happening. I usually just end up going home if I think the panic is too severe to suppress.

My performance on the sales floor tanked beginning around July of last year. I've had to try to come up with my own ways of coping, none of which have been effective.

In October, in the beginning of what's been a prolonged depression, I was written up for poor sales performance and given an action plan. When I tried to explain my personal situation, I was told that if I can't do it, I should find a new job. My action plan does not take into account any of my health issues. I must meet sales goals three times over six pay periods or I will be fired. I've attempted to ask for training or extra help to figure out what I'm missing with my sales approach, but I have only experienced one training session about a week ago. Back when I started, I mentioned that I was a bit uneasy selling the really high end designer and instead of helping me, several times i was told to stay out of the designer section entirely. Cross-selling is part of the job description. I ended up ignoring them all together so that I could get used to it. I've improved but I am still sometimes reminded that I once said I was uncomfortable selling higher priced items in a defense as to why I need to stay away from the department completely.

I survived over Christmas because its a higher sales period, but now that we're coming into summer, sales numbers are tanking again all over the store. I still have not recovered from the depression - but I'm still working the hardest I can so I can pay my bills. I want to work. I have improved quite a bit and I'm still eager and willing to learn how to improve. But the sales numbers are reflecting the slow period.

I have met sales goals two out of the past six pay periods. Despite the clear work ethic I bring to the table, I have been given my final warning. I have tried to do everything I can to prove myself to be a worthy employee.  I offer my help to anyone and I have a lot of knowledge of procedure and other departments than most of my immediate coworkers.  At this point I can sell shoes, jewelry (including watches) and women's clothing; and I've learned it all by my own accord. I try my hardest to keep an honest sales ethic (I accidentally stole one sale. There was a gray area and I ended up being in the wrong. Have never done it again because the panic attack was extremely painful). If my assistant manager didn't have me, the backroom might take a couple of days to clean after a shipment.

I have asked about switching departments. With my volunteer resume, I know I'd be a very good in the logistics department. I also know I'd fit in the coffee bar - I thrive in busy work environments. I asked the new store manager during in a building state of panic last week. Without giving him any information about my mental health condition, I asked about moving to a department that would be a better fit. He repeated everything anyone has ever told me in my store - if I don't meet their sales goals, I'm out and there's no way I would be able to switch departments without a consistent record of good sales.  He offered to speak to me more on the subject by appointment and then got slightly offended when I declined. He told me my concern isn't actually important enough to waste his time with.

I have asked my doctor for accommodation, but he cannot offer anything. He fears that i would lose my job at this point if he asked for any kind of accommodation or my managers would reduce my hours. It wouldn't be worth it. Doesn't matter that my hours weren't enough over the past few months to continue on their medical benefits program. I cannot take disability leave.

I am completely at a loss of what I can do. If I could quit right now, I would; but I won't leave unless I have a full time job lined up. I was entertaining the idea of disability leave right before my benefits were revoked. I cannot just quit because I won't even remotely qualify for EI (if I would at all).  I certainly cannot afford a lawyer, I'm single and low income.  I've been given numbers for legal advice, but none of them deal with employment law.  I tried calling the Ontario Human Rights Commission for help possibly filing a complaint. They told me if I don't have a doctor's accommodation, there's nowhere to start with a complaint.

All I ever wanted was the opportunity to support myself fully while I figure out my mental health issues. I want to work and I want them to listen so I can work with confidence.

Please, if there's anything you can say or do to help me. I don't know where to turn except for random Internet strangers at this point.

Thanks for listening and I'm sorry for the wall of text.

Answer: With only skimming what you wrote (way too many extraneous details) - your employer has a duty to provide reasonable accomodate your disability to the point of undue hardship. But reasonable accommodation depends on medical evidence - they have zero obligation to take your word for it.  You need documentation from your psychiatrist: the nature of your illness, what limitations it imposes on you (e.g. need a quiet space to recover & for roughly how much time), etc. You cannot dictate the exact nature of the accommodation - its reasonable accommodation, not perfect.


Title: [Utah] Is it legal for a restaurant to round the total of a bill to the nearest quarter?

Question:
We were at a popular bar/restaurant in down town Salt Lake City for lunch today. When my check came something seemed a little off. The total for my meal + the indicated tax did not add up to the total on the bill. It was a few cents higher. I compared with the people at my table and none of our bills added up. Turns out, per the waitress, the bar rounds to the nearest quarter because they "don't want to deal with pennies". This isn't posted anywhere in the menu or at the bar. According to her 12 and below goes down and 13 cents and above goes up. Now honestly, I don't really care. 12 cents isn't a big deal, but it felt strange looking at the bill and seeing the numbers not add up.

Is this practice legal?

BTW, when I mentioned it to the waitress, she politely offered me my 7 cents back, and I told her it wasn't necessary. I was just curious about the discrepancy.

Answer:
 Well you win the prize. I have **never** come across this practice. Mind you, I've never been to Utah.

Answer #2: Never heard of this, but it seems legal IF they disclose it.

Personally I hate pennies and wish we would get rid of them and adopt rounding to nearest nickel.


Title: Booked hotel sends a "no cancellation" policy AFTER I already paid. There was no policy listed on their website or anywhere else and they won't refund any money

Question: I booked a pretty pricey hotel for a getaway with my fiance. The hotel has no cancellation policy listed on their website or anywhere else, but after booking they conveniently sent in an email that the dates we booked were non refundable. The trip is in 3 weeks and they refuse to refund any money citing the confirmation email they sent after we already paid. Is this legal or can I dispute the charge or part of the charge? Hotel is international and I am in the US.

Answer:
 How did you pay? Was there any refund policy on their website anywhere?

If you paid with a credit card you can try to dispute it with them and see what they'll do for you.Answer #2: Are you planning to cancel or are you trying to cancel?

From how your post reads, you appear to be miffed that no-cancellation policy was not disclosed even if you have no plans to cancel.Answer #3: Hotel employee here.

Where did you book the reservation through? Directly through the hotel's website, Expedia.com, Hotels.com, Booking.com, etc.

Also, some times the rates listed lowest online tend to be non-refundable and is only listed in the fine print on the page. If possible, could you have another pair of eyes look the site over? I'm not sure the subreddit rules allow for direct linking to the site in question.


Title: Guatemalan national held on ICE detainer (Pennsylvania)

Question: It came to my attention this morning that my local prison in Fayette County, PA, has been holding a Guatemalan national for about 2 weeks now on an ICE detainer. He doesn’t seem to speak much English and I don’t believe he’s been provided with a translator. I’ve contacted the Guatemalan embassy in Washington, DC, and consulate in western Maryland, and offered myself to the warden as an opportunity to translate for the man. Is there anything else I can do to help him out or do I just wait from here to see what happens next?

Answer: What's your relationship to this person?


Title: In need of advice to smoothly leave boyfriend of 4 years quickly.

Question: We bought a home together last October. And ever since we’ve lived together things have been awful. Cut to the story short I am a 26 year old female taking care of a nice cape house l, two precious labs. And I have a 23 year old “boyfriend” who is beyond immature. Living in CT what is the best advice anyone can give me for trying to get the house in my name. And also be able to keep both labs. One is AKC registered in my name and the youngest of 4 months is registered in his name. But I pay for all of the dogs needs, and vet bills. Everything. Anything would be great at this point. If anything I will just be happy with keeping my dogs. That’s all I truly want.

Answer: You can offer to pay your boyfriend for his half of the house, as well as the dogs. Negotiate.


Title: Use of Life360 app without consent

Question:
I am an 18 year old college student attending an out-of-state university. I am dependent on my parents to pay my way through college and for residence during the summer. My parents are very religiously strict and monitor my movements through the use of tracking apps, being Life360 and Find My iPhone, which they have forced me to download onto my devices. I have never liked this monitoring, and have civilly broached the topic of removing these apps numerous times to my parents in the past, only to be firmly and sometimes emotionally shut down. They insist it is for my safety that I keep these apps, even though I am more than willing to take the risks involved in not being connected to a security system.

I never considered asking for external help in these past situations as I was not a legal adult and, with my limited legal knowledge, could not fathom much of a case for it. However, as I am now 18, and am (for the most part) living in a different state for most of the year, I would like to consider action on this issue as I have both hit a wall in terms of discussing it away with my parents, and it is something that makes me deeply uncomfortable in my day-to-day life. My question is, is it unlawful for my parents to be tracking my movements as a legal adult without my consent? And if it is, could I take legal action in removing the trackers?

Answer:
 It's legal since they have your consent - you downloaded them onto your devices, at their request. You could uninstall them. You could get your own phone plan.

Of course your parents are allowed to cut you off financially.Answer #2: You are consenting by using the phone.  You are free to stop using them at any time, get your own phone and plan, and pay for it.  If your parents dislike that, you are free to stop accepting their financial support and live your own life however you want to.


Title: My friend got a car with a loan they are trying to reach her.

Question:
My friend is a idiot. She put me down as a reference for her car loan or to buy her car. They called me tonight & her number has changed. They can't get a hold of her.  What happens if she stopped paying her car loan & that's y they are trying to get a hold of her.  Can I get into trouble as she put me down as her reference?  What happens to her if she stopped paying & they can't find the car?  I'm extremely stupid when it comes to car loans & house loans.
If I'm at risk for getting into trouble for her stupid mistake I will give her number up. I don't want the cops going after her.  She's already on felony probation for a theft of a credit card of $1000. I do have her number just not her address. I'm in phx arizona. She's in Minnesota.
Topic:
Megathread

Answer: Did you co-sign for the loan? If not your not responsible for the debt.


Title: Our lawyer went MIA, Can I just pay off a small claims case [apartment rent $2200]?

Question:
I used to study in the state of Ohio. The apartment I rented had terrible living conditions. No heater working, neighbors slamming on the floors all night long, ice forming on windows, etc etc. Anyway I left, moved home to California. I sent a letter informing the apartment I am vacating, their living standards are unsuitable according to the lease (where they promised heat etc), and even after sending them certified letters they never sent anyone to do anything.

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Anyway come 8 months later I get a small claims notice to pay the remaining rent, and Im being sued for the 2200 on October 23rd. I spoke to my father who is/was my source of income at the time. The guy (my dad) is a bit prideful (and wealthy) and wanted to fight the case out and do "whats right" We spoke to an attorney who agreed to take the case in Ohio for us, she suggested we counter sue for the time I spent suffering in the apartment (it was pretty bad, I had to stay in a hotel for a few days because of how cold it was getting )

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We spoke to the lawyer on Monday last week, she said she would get back to us within 24 hours, went MIA even after trying to contact her. My family is relatively wealthy and 2200 is a bigger expense than me going to Ohio to fight this stuff out.

TL:DR;

**Uhm, is it possible to just call the plantiffs lawyer (hes more of a collections attorney), say heres the 2200 you asked for, and have him withdraw the case?**

Answer:
 Yes, you could do that, or you could tell him "I'm broke, I'm located out of state, I have no assets, I can offer you $1000." then maybe he'll counteroffer and you can pay less than $1000.  Or instruct your MIA lawyer to make that call and settle it.

Note that if the collections lawyer has already been contacted by your MIA lawyer, ethical rules will prohibit him from speaking to you about the matter unless he gets confirmation from her that she no longer represents you.

As a general rule, in the future, don't hire lawyers to fight over $2200 debts, because lawyers are expensive and it's not cost effective to do this.


Title: (USA/KY) Kids Mother and I separated after 7 years because she had been cheating on me for 6 months. We agree to half custody and half parenting time without involving courts and have been in this setup for 1 1/2 years. Now she wants to move almost 100 miles away.

Question: kids are 3 and soon to be 5. She wants to move almost 100 miles away and modify our setup to where I will no longer have equal parenting time or easy access to be involved in our oldest Childs upcoming school year. We were never married. I've talked to a family lawyer who is telling me I should have no trouble getting equal custody and parenting time, but I am pessimistic about this situation because of all of the horror stories I've heard regarding fathers and custody. What can I expect in this situation? The kids are in the most stable setup right now with access to the entirety of their close family, but their mother wants to move to the country because they have a chance at owning a cheap house and can't afford to buy one in the city. I don't want to become a weekender father because their mother wants to move to the county and take my ability to be involved in my kids life to the extent that i think is best for them.

Answer: You file to establish a custody order now. Monday, if possible. It is much easier to keep the children here than bring them back after they move. If the attorney says equal time is likely, listen to that attorney. Many judges favor equal time. Especially since y'all have been doing this for a year and a half, if the kids are doing well, you have a strong argument that they should stay


Title: Have video evidence of sexually harassment at work, but filming with phones was banned

Question:
In order to bring my phone into work I had to go through a bunch of security clearances and sign tons of things saying what I'd use it for. 2 pages were specifically about not filming/photographing anything.

I've been harassed here countless times and I've got more than 1 instance of this recorded. Will i be able to use this as evidence in a lawsuit or no?

Answer: In a lawsuit for what? If you are being harassed at work then the appropriate response is to talk to HR.


Title: Dependent's SSN has been used for tax purposes; how do I investigate this? [St. Louis, Missouri, USA]

Question:
For the second year in a row now I've gotten the notice that my dependent's SSN has already been used to file a tax return, and could not be used on mine.  The IRS doesn't tell you which dependent (I have two children) and it doesn't give any other information about who used it.

The credit reporting agencies won't talk to me and want my children to be 18 before they talk to them.  The SSA wants my children to be 18 before they can get an account/talk to someone.

How am I supposed to investigate this problem and resolve it when it involves a minor?  I'm pretty sure the SSN has been stolen and is being used illegally, but I have no proof since I can't pull any records.

Thanks.

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 You don't investigate it at all.

You file a report with the police where you live, they forward it to the IRS, and *they* investigate it.


Title: I have a no contact order against me with my girlfriend who is 17 but soon to be 18. How do I get it dropped when she turns 18 and what are the chances it will be dropped? The order is in effect until March of next year but the judge said I could petition the court to drop it when she’s 18.

Question: Any advice appreciated.

Answer: What are you reasons for asking it to be dropped?


Title: [Fl] Brother pulled over. Cops said my dad owed someone money.

Question:
Last night, my brother was stopped in his vehicle by the local police.

He provided the required documents. The cop left, came back, and told him that our father owed someone money and that my brother looked like him. The car is registered under my father's name.

I searched for warrants for my father's arrest and couldn't find anything and my father has never been in trouble before. He is currently under going a civil case regarding a bad business deal he was involved in and has an attorney.

Is this legit or were the cops just fishing to pull over my brother. How do the cops know if he owed money to anyone. Could he have a bench warrant that you can't search for online?

Edit : is it also possible that one of vehicles registered may have gotten a toll violation or a red light camera infraction that was never paid.

Answer:
 this whole thing is sketchy-you cant be arrested for owing someone money. Even if there is a judgment against you you are not arrested.

If your dad was in contempt of court for failing to obey a court order involving money then maybe there would be a warrant out for him.

Is the other party in the civil case politically connected?


Title: (MA) Legality of a married couple having their child conceived by another man who is willing to sign over parental rights to the husband?

Question:
My husband and I have an open marriage. We're into wife-sharing and breeding, specifically the idea of me being impregnated by another man and bearing his child.

We both want to have children. We also have a guy (my boyfriend) who joins us in the bedroom sometimes. So far we've always had protected sex, but recently talks about children came up. My boyfriend is very accepting of our desires and willing to make the impregnation fantasy into reality. My husband is thrilled with this too (was his idea originally).

I was wondering if there would be any legal problems if we do this. My boyfriend would have biological fatherhood, but he would not play a father role in the child's life, or really any role (we would absolutely keep our sex life private from any kids we have). My husband and I would be the ones raising the child. So would my husband have to go through an adoption process from my boyfriend? Would this be relatively straightforward?

On the other hand since we're married, the child will always be assumed to be my husband's. Is there therefore no reason to get involved with any legalities? Could we keep it to ourselves and have my husband sign as the father on the baby's birth certificate when I give birth for simplicity's sake?

Basically trying to figure out if the paternity in this situation would be something that's legally REQUIRED to be told, and to who, and how.

Answer:
 Are you going to lie to the child about their paternity? Kind of extreme to fulfill a kink.Answer #2: There is no legal requirement to disclose anything to anyone.  BUT there is also no way to absolve the actual biological father of liability for that child.  This is a thoroughly bad idea.  Imagine what would happen if your relationship ended badly (either with your husband or your boyfriend.)  The possible fuck-ups are too many to contemplate.

IF you are absolutely resolved to do this, talk to an attorney that specializes in complex adoption situations.Answer #3: That isn't how things work. You would have to do an adoption which takes time and a lot of money.

This is stupid. Use a fertility clinic


Title: (US) I Manage a LAN Center and we're getting emails saying that providing customers with internet access constitutes a public performance of copyrighted music

Question: I am the manager of a small LAN/Gaming center in Colorado. We have computers and video game consoles that customers can come play games on with their friends. We have started getting emails from The American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers saying that we are infringing on their materials. They claim that because customers could use our computers to stream music, we have to pay them for a license. This can't be accurate can it? That would suggest that anyone with copyrighted material on the internet would be able to charge any business with public internet. They also claim to own sounds that are included in games we offer. We are willing to pull those games from our library if need be, but is that the correct move? We are a small business with 2 employees and can't afford a $350 yearly license. Any advice you can give would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 What games?  Is it DDR or Rock Band or something?  Those do contain music licensed by ASCAP, and if you have those games set up for public use, you would need a license.

But, if the claim is just "Well, somebody could play Pandora, and if they do, you need a license," then that's absurd.   Answer #2: Wait, are they saying that your customers are streaming and you should pay, or are they saying that it's *possible* that someone at some time *could* stream music and you should pay?


Title: [North Carolina, USA] Friend being kept in jail for months pending child pornography charges. No court date.

Question:
My friend in NC has been accused of Child pornography 1st degree and has been in jail for the past 4 months with no court date set.

I'm trying to figure out how long a person can be kept in jail without a court date.
The police and FBI claim they're still investigating. but this doesn't seem like fair justice or a speedy trial.

Thank you for any information you can provide me.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: lots of defendants waive their right to a speedy trial over and over throughout the pre-trial comings and goings. a trial date doesn't have to be set immediately. but if he's really just getting stonewalled and held in jail, he or his lawyer can file a writ of habeus corpus. Answer #2: What do you mean 'no court date'?  He's been arrested and charged, right?  Has he appeared before a judge?  Had a bond hearing?


Title: CA: Relatives of mine got arrested for stealing for taking their foster daughter's paycheck. The social worker got arrested too. But they were using it for her expenses and she's a minor

Answer: What is your legal question? More info needed. What are they being charged with? What does the social worker have to do with any of this?


Title: Walmart Money Card if Audited

Question:
If I make roughly $1,000 a month cash and don't report it on my taxes I assume I can't get in trouble. My question is if I put that money on a Walmart Money card and use it to pay bills, would it then be questioned if I was audited?

I'm an artist. If I report art sold as income how detailed does my documentation need to be? I am just selling for cash and keeping a spreadsheet. I have no info on who is buying my paintings.

Answer:
 > If I make roughly $1,000 a month cash and don't report it on my taxes I assume I can't get in trouble.

That's a *terrible* assumption.


Title: My father isn't sure if he has a legitimate legal issue on his hands or if someone is just trying to scare him into giving up money.

Question:
My father owns a restaurant in small town Michigan. Last Thursday there was a small altercation in the parking lot. One customer had been rude to the waitstaff and was confronted by another customer. The second man told the first that he should be kinder to the waitstaff the first man then quickly reached into his pockets which prompted the second man to grab him in a bear hug because he thought the first man was going for a weapon. It turns out that the first man was just reaching for his morphine which he was going to use as an excuse for his behavior. The local police were called and took statements from both men but didn't arrest anyone.

Today my father received, through certified mail, a letter allegedly from the first man's attorney which is included [here](http://imgur.com/5aKxGRZ) (all identifying information has been removed). He's skeptical if this was even written by a lawyer for a number of reasons:

1. It was sent in a regular white envelope with a hand-written return address and no official markings.
2. The email address that was sent with the letter doesn't match the lawyer's name and is a yahoo account instead of a business one.
3. The spelling, grammatical, and formatting errors.
4. The name of lawyer doesn't return any hits on martindale.com
5. There are no markings (save a signature that I removed before posting this) that indicates that this came from a real law-firm.
6. The phone number provided is a cell phone number not a business' land line.

Because of these reasons he's unsure what he should do next. Just ignore the letter or comply with it? Is he legally bound to do anything?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 I know of no jurisdictions that would require cooperation or exchanges of information between a would-be-defendant and a would-be-plaintiff pre-suit.

If the person was seriously hurt and got no response from the business, they'd hire a lawyer.  A lawyer would only take the case if they legitimately thought he'd have a winning claim because the lawyer would be stuck fronting the costs of the lawsuit which would start the discovery process to learn the insurance information.

My guess is you'll never hear from this guy again.....or that you'll get one or two poorly worded follow up letters and then never hear from him again.

Andplusalso, there's no way that letter was written by someone with the intelligence to go to law school, let alone a practicing attorney.Answer #2: I am fairly confident he doesn't have to do anything. I know of no region that requires a buisness ower to submit thier insurance  info before suit. That said, he may wish to alert his insurance  that some nutjob may be thinking of suing him. Even so, from what you said, I don't see a case.


Title: Doing business under your name, when the name you go by isn't your legal name

Question:
Sorry for the convoluted title. Hard to summarize my question! For the record, I do plan to register my name as my business name, I'm NOT asking if I can get out of registering/trademarking it. The question pertains more to a person's right to use their name to conduct business, whether or not another business is using the same name.

So I don't go by my legal name - I never have. Technically speaking, I go by a nickname of my middle name. To use an example, my name is Elizabeth Margaret O'Conner, and I have gone by Maggie since birth. It's not a name I assumed or chose for myself.

So I guess I have two questions - first, does your right to do business under your own name apply to your middle name as well? Presumably I could do business under my legal last name, and my legal first and last name. Could I also do business under my legal *middle* and last name, which in this case would be "Margaret O'Conner?"

Second, could I do business under what I'm actually called, if it's a shortened version of my legal name? So in this case, "Maggie O'Conner." Would Jennifer Smith be able to register her business as "Jenny Smith" if that's what she went by? Would the same be applied to a middle name?

Thanks legaladvice!

**Edit to Add/Clarify - First of all, sorry locationbot, I'm located in Maine. Second of all, I apologize if I wasn't clear. When I say you have the right to use your legal name, I mean that it doesn't matter if someone else is using that name for their business. So if "Elizabeth O'Conner" was a clothing label in Maine, I can still register "Elizabeth O'Conner" as the name of my business, because it's my name. I'm asking if the same would apply to my middle name, and then if the same would apply to the shortened version of it that I go by. So if "Maggie O'Conner" was a clothing company, would I still be able to register "Maggie O'Conner" as the name I do business under, as it's the shortened version of my legal middle name, and the name that I go by?**

Answer:
 In general, even in business, you can call yourself whatever you want.  You're fine to introduce yourself as Maggie O'Conner, have your business cards say Maggie O'Conner, and generally forget that Elizabeth ever existed.

You *do* have to use your legal name on legal documents and in legal proceedings.  So when you sign the lease for the storefront, you sign as "Elizabeth O'Conner" or "Elizabeth Margaret O'Conner".  Your licensing would be as Elizabeth, et cetera.

The only time you'd run into trouble using a different name is if you were doing so for deceptive purposes, or specifically to act as another person.


Title: TX Hopefully final update. Starter interrupt device found in my car. Got my car back with all of the stuff inside of it. Kinda.

Question:
1st post. - https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/47r19g/tx_found_a_starter_interrupt_device_installed_on/

2nd post - https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/482mhe/tx_update_starter_interrupt_device_found_on_my_car/

3rd post - https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/48ejis/tx_update_again_starter_interrupt_device_found_on/

SO I went with a good group of friends to the monitoring company. Three friends whom I have known all my life wanted to come along in case they tried to say that I did not have the stuff in my trunk.

So I go to the office and talk to the guy. He basically apologizes to me and says that he was acting off of instructions which he thought were valid. He said he has people try to claim everything to try to shift blame in these cases of repoing and said that he needed to verify with my old bank.

He did say that the starter interrupt device was the property of his company and that I had to return it. I told him that the device should have been in the trunk of the car. He told me that the trunk was empty when he got ahold of it. I told him that the repo driver had it then as well as my gaming systems a person laptop and a company laptop that belongs to insert my job here.

He kind of got a scowl on his face and looked like he was about to argue with me so I told him to come out of my car with me. I wanted him there as I took a video on my cell phone of the car. He followed me out but said my friends had to stay there.

We get out to the car and I find that all of my stuff in the trunk is gone. My cell phone charging cable is gone and my aux connector is gone. Don't really give a shit about the micro usb cable and aux stereo cable as I have a ton of those. But we argue over the electronics in the back.

Finally he has enough and tells me I need to leave. I have to sign some papers and pay a fee. I drove my car around the front to their front door and came back inside. I signed the papers he needed signed but refused to pay the fee saying they had my electronics as payment. My friends had left by that point and their cars were gone.

So I get home to find all of my friends there... and my stuff there. They heard me arguing with the guy about my stuff and decided to look around his office. He was the only one working in the office at that time as the other two ladies were out at lunch when this happened.

They found a store room with several high dollar items inside. Some guns locked in a case, xbox 360s, tvs, power tools, LOTS of power tools, and found my xbox one and ps4 on the table in the room. My two laptops were locked in a case... however the guy had the keys to the case on a pegboard in his office.

Their story they gave to me was that one of them walked back behind the camera towards the back door. He reached up and unplugged the camera while the other two searched. They found the store room with all of the stuff and were able to find both laptops easily. My laptop has a decal of Sons of Anarchy on the back and the company laptop has one of those property of X company if found call X number stickers.

The ps4 and xbone had stickers on them from the lan party. In the past we got confused on whos machine was whos and had to hook them all up to check the accounts. Now we simply put a small sticker and write our initials on it.

I told them this was an extremely stupid thing they did but was happy to have almost all of my stuff back. Still missing a cell phone charger and aux cable. But thanks to what they did, without my knowledge, I really do not have a choice in the matter anymore. I can not really go to the police now can I?

The xbox and ps4 are very easily proven to be mine by simply checking the accounts and dates on the machines. The laptops are even easier to prove so if anything happens from this I do not see myself getting in major trouble.

I have informed wells fargo that I have the car back. They told me to make sure there is no damage and that another device was not installed. (No new device installed) They would not tell me if they were going to pursue legal action or not so I do not know whats going to happen there.

Answer:
 *Ideally* your friends would have photographed your possessions in the monitoring company's office and left them there. That would have enabled you to take some further action against the company (calling the police and reporting the stolen property).

Because they simply took back the property, things get murky legally very quickly. Were they ethically in the clear to take the possessions? Probably. Was that legally the right course of action to take? Probably not.

It would be ideal in this situation for the monitoring company to face some repercussions for what happened. But that doesn't seem likely at this point. Does anyone on /r/legaladvice have any ideas?Answer #2: > Their story they gave

So its all hearsay and you are wrong to even mention such unsubstantiated lies that these gentlemen played any part in any of these dealings. Clearly, the repo guy was correct and your stuff was home along. I think it best you delete these scandalous rumors and stop talking about things you bore no witness too.
Answer #3: This was a fascinating tale OP.  I read the original post and all the updates, and I must say your creativity kept me on the edge of my seat.  Bravo!Answer #4: I smell bullshit. No repo or tow company would ever let you move the vehicle until payment has cleared.  Also, the James Bond type story you gave about your friends disabling cameras, finding keys and finding stolen property sounds like bullshit too. Answer #5: Good job. You would have never seen these items again. Any way you can report this scam?Answer #6: This sub used to be good, but now it's nothing but fan fiction... time to unsubscribe.Answer #7: Nice creative writing assignment OP.Answer #8: [Dude...](http://i.imgur.com/hFiYV.png)


Title: Jiffy Lube overfilled my truck oil, now engine may be ruined. I’m at Jiffy Lube now, what should I do?

Question:
Utah. I’m at Jiffy Lube right now and they are going to drain some oil out in a bit. Should I not let them drain it in case I need to prove it was too high?
My engine is knocking, my engine light is on, I’m getting alerts that my stabilitrack is off and my traction control is off, it’s shifting very hard and a few other issues. I’ve read some people had this happen and it totaled their vehicle.
They are saying that if they overfilled it, it wouldn’t cause any problems. I know that isn’t true.
It happened Monday before close, and I just now was able to come back. (Close New Years and New Year’s Eve).
I haven’t been driving it because of the problems.

Do I need a lawyer or attorney if they did just ruin my truck? Should I let them drain it? Should I film anything?

Edit: All issues happened after pulling away from Jiffy Lube. As soon as I hit about 40mph

Answer:
 They have insurance policies for this. Have it towed to your manufacturers dealership to assess the damages and reach out to Jiffy Lube corporate. If they don’t wanna cooperate, contact a consumer attorney.Answer #2: So typically what happens in these situations when they "overfill" your oil, its because they drained your transmission by mistake, and then just pumped in the oil into the engine. So overfilled engine, empty trans.

You may have 2 big problems rather than one. Check your tranny as well.

Confirm the issue, then have it towed to a reputable actual shop or even the dealership if you are comfortable with them. Do not let Jiffy Lube rake you for this. Get your insurance involved or lawyer to deal with them.


Title: [US, CA] Just got my first speeding ticket, what are my (recommended) options?

Question:
Got pulled over a few weeks ago for doing 60 in a 55 zone, was apparently going faster that the officer took pity on me as I'd just gotten off a 16 hour shift and only wrote me up for 60 in a 55.

Just received my fine in the mail, wondering if its worth contesting, paying or doing the traffic school option?

Recently moved to California from Australia and hoping this won't affect my future citizenship status.

Answer: I live in CA, and get tickets often. I have successfully contested tickets, but most the time I just pay it and go to traffic school to not get the point on my record. 5 over with traffic school should be about 350 bucks.


Title: [Denver, CO] I just got slapped with a non-compete which will block me from taking a 120% raise with another company

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Seems worth it to speak with a real in-person lawyer. Answer #2: You should talk to an employment lawyer, because your understanding of NCAs isn't...complete.

You say "slapped with a non compete." What do you mean by this? When did you sign the noncompete? What are the terms of it?Answer #3: If company Y is actually trying to stop you, then yes, I would consider getting an employment lawyer.


Title: Landlord gave girlfriend inspection notice after bad Google review. Also stray cat attacked roommate?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What is your question?

Your girlfriend is violating the lease and the landlord is not responsible for defending you from stray cats.


Title: Oil change resulted in 1500 of repairs, oil change place uncooperative

Question:
Early September I was driving and my skid plate, which had been kind of hanging, fell. I was close to oil change mileage, so I decided to stop into a chain to get the oil changed, asked if they could take care of the skid plate & do tire rotations (they couldn't/wouldn't rotate, said they'd do the rest).

Halfway through the oil change a tech comes in asking if I have a spare, and shows me that the valve stem had snapped on my front passenger side. I don't have a spare, it came with a can of fix a flat where the spare should be. I tell them so, so they say they're going to remove the tire, take it down to the place, replace the TPM module & send me on my way, might be an hour. 2 hours go by, and they come in and say they can't get a few of the lug nuts off. So they tow my car down the street to a tire place. Its around 5pm on a Sunday now and it's closed so I leave my car there, grab an uber home, and wait. I get a call the next day saying they have to cut my rims in half to take the tire off - labor, rims, etc everything out the door is 1500 and about 3 days later to get the rim shipped.

I go back to the chain, give them my receipt, managers aren't there but whatever, I go home thinking we'll sort this all out. A week goes by and nothing, I call. The manager says they'll only pay for the valve stem, about $90 of the total bill. Since then, anytime I call Im told he's not in or busy, and today I finally got ahold of him and he pretty much said the same thing and was shocked I hadn't gotten my money. I asked him specifically again what they would cover, and for his last name and he tried to hang up on me, but somehow just switched lines or something because my call was still connected. After a few minutes I called back again from another line with my cell still connected and asked for him and was told he was on some conference call and couldnt talk to him.

&#x200B;

So I guess my first question is where the hell am I supposed to go from here? And, a quick and dirty, do I have a legal case to get the full amount? The biggest thing that I hate, that I can't prove, is that my last oil change + tire rotation was done by a different franchise in a different state of this same chain. And they actually didn't charge me for my tire rotation because they said a few of the lugnuts cracked from cold expansion - so i don't think there's a record of them even touching it last.

&#x200B;

My employer has an employee services benefit too that has access to legal/financial guidance as well I plan to reach out to this week, just looking for any and all advice.

Answer:
 The inability to get lugs off isn't on them.  That's on you as the owner.

They're not responsible for everything that goes wrong while they have it, only those things they cause through improper or negligent action.


Title: Got a girl pregnant. Advice on custody and paternity.

Question:
The child is a boy and I’m excited but very nervous. I’m going to give everything I can to be a great dad. Me and the mom are going to try to coparent but I’m unsure of how well that will go. I’m a pretty patient and understanding person, especially now that it’s dealing with a child, but the mom is pretty immature and has some psychological problems she’s been dealing with her whole life and is not getting help with (BPD, depression, history of addiction).

How can I best prepare myself and what are my options if I want to seek full custody? What are my legal rights as an unmarried father, I just want what’s best for the kid.

Answer:
 First, congrats.  As a pretty recent parent myself I can tell it's going to be a journey.

Second: no matter what you're really going to want to meet with an actual attorney.  You're going to want to discuss with that attorney, at a minimum, the topics of: a paternity test, custody and a custody agreement, child support, and how and why you would go about changing those moving forward.

Because you've got a minimum of 18 years ahead of you co-parenting with this woman, and getting those things ironed out *before* you have porblems is a hell of a lot better than struggling to run through it all after problems occur.Answer #2: It is necessary in Indiana to establish paternity for a child born to unwed parents. You must go through the process to [establish paternity](https://www.in.gov/dcs/2482.htm) which can be done in the hospital.

After that if you guys can't agree on visitation and custody issues then a judge will have to get involved. Barring severe mental deficiences, abuse, or neglect you won't be able to get more than 50/50 custody.   Even then in the first couple years you wont probably get even that.

If she starts using after the baby is born, ot even while pregnant you should get a lawyer to navigate the custody issues. But if she isn't actively using her addiction issues are moot as are her psych issues if they aren't affecting the kid.


Title: Disabled and have an undocumented child.

Question:
I'll try to make this short and to the point. I am currently disabled with an undiagnosed genetic disease and have been sick for almost two years. I'm dirt poor and don't have a cent to my name. I live in Texas with my grand parents and I rely on them for my care.

Now onto the problem. I had a child with a mentally ill and irresponsible girl and I never signed the birth certificate. Her mother is even worse and wants me nowhere near them. I did a private DNA kit and discovered im the father. She's a habitual liar and manipulative. She might have borderline personality disorder.

What are my options? If I want to be legally acknowledged as the father what should I do?

Answer:
 What do you want to happen, and why.Answer #2: File for paternity and custody.

You can register as the father on the Texas paternity registry also.


Title: [PA] What could happen if my daughter pleas not guilty?

Question:
My daughter, a juvenile and first offender, has been charged with disorderly conduct. She received a summons for: summary case non-traffic. I was told by the police that she can plead not guilty and schedule a hearing date where she would get community service and maybe a fine. The court clerk, on the other hand, said she can also plead guilty, pay the fine listed on the summary, and not have to go to court.

Since her statement to the police already says she did what she's been charged with, won't she still be found guilty at court by pleading not guilty?  My understanding is the police want her to plead not guilty and go to court to learn a lesson. I'm leaning towards paying the fine and being done with it (not that my daughter is done with it because there will be consequences). Is there another reason to consider pleading not guilty over guilty?

edit: confused plea and plead

edit 2: Thanks everyone for the helpful insight. I reached out to a lawyer.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 What's the statute on the citation?

But generally the reason to plead not guilty is to get the state to prove that you are guilty. And just because she said she did X doesn't necessarily mean that she is guilty. Plus, of course, even a summary offence is something that could come back to haunt her in the future.

Please, don't take legal advice from a court clerk. Get her a lawyer.


Title: My school is forcing me and the rest of my grade to participate in the pledge of allegiance as well as some catholic prayers

Question:
Title says it all! I go to a private catholic school in South Dakota, USA. I am in the sophomore year (15) and every morning we do this thing called "The prayer and pledge". It's basically us saying a prayer and then standing up and saying the pledge of allegiance to this flag hanging in the corner.

So I have a friend who's name is John. and one day we decide to not stand for the pledge. John didn't want to because he's from China so he didn't feel like he had any ties to the flag, and I didn't want to stand because I wasn't feeling the greatest, and because John didn't.

My teacher immediately goes off on the two of us and sends us directly to the principle's office. While in the office he gives us a talk about "faith" and "patriotism" and gives us both detentions. I thought that was it but just yesterday they called my parents and now they want a meeting Monday because of my "unpatriotic and sinful" actions. They apparently want to discuss sending me to youth groups or some shit because of whatever I did!

So my question is: can they legally force me and my friend to stand for a pledge of allegiance? There has to be some kind of right that I have, right? Can they force me to pray even if I don't want to?

Answer:
 At a public school this would not be okay. However, you go to a private catholic school. Since your parents choose a Catholic school they can require you to participate in prayers or the pledge of allegiance. Answer #2: Yes, they can require you to do this because it's private. They can require you to do the funky chicken dance while shouting "God bless the Queen!" every morning if they wanted to.

Your parents likely signed a contract when they enrolled you. Answer #3: It's a private school, so I'm fairly sure you're shit out of luck.  You don't have to believe what you say, just stand there and say it and get it over with.Answer #4: Yes, they can. Since this is between a private school, ergo the government isn't involved, and an enrolled student, then there's no First Amendment rights being disputed here.Answer #5: Yes, they can.Answer #6: You don't have to say the pledge if you don't want to and they don't have to let you attend their school if they don't want to.


Title: My girlfriend is still technically married, but we're having a child.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The divorce is a good idea but won't help. In California, the husband is the presumed father [if the child is born during the marriage **or within 300 days of the marriage being terminated**](http://family.findlaw.com/paternity/legal-definition-of-father-by-state.html).

As /u/thepatman says, do sign a declaration of paternity. But you will not be on the birth certificate or be the legal father until you go to court to actually establish paternity.Answer #2: > Am I going to be able to be listed as the father on the birth certificate

Yes.  If you sign the appropriate Declaration of Paternity and she also agrees, then you'll be on the birth certificate and will be the legal father.  Her husband won't factor in at all, unless he chooses to file for paternity.  If he does, that will be cleared up quickly with a paternity test.


Title: My brother fled the country to avoid student loans. 9 years ago. Is it all fine now? (New York/ USA)

Question:
My brother graduated from law school in 2008 with hundreds of thousands of debt and couldn't find a job. He left the country and taught english in asia, then married French girl, and now they both live in Corsica or some kind of island. I don't actually know where he lives.

When he moved, I and my our mom and dad told him that it wasn't going to work and he should pay his debt. He didn't and it seems like...there's no consequences at all. For a year we got calls about him, but now we don't get any, and even the letters have stopped.

I am kind of glad that he is okay and in love or whatever, but I thought that...you have to pay your bills when you owe that kind of money. Am I missing something here?

Answer:
 >Am I missing something here?

His creditors aren't going to try and find him in a foreign country.  So he's free to screw all of the rest of us and go live in exile.  But if he ever comes back to the US, then his creditors might find him - and garnish his bank account or wages (or tax returns if his debts were federal student loans), etcetera.


Title: [FL] Is it my responsibility to deal with a tree limb on my neighbor's property, if the tree itself is on my property?

Question:
I've got a large oak tree along my rear fence and the people on the other side are complaining to me that it's pushing into their pool cage, I'm inclined to tell them to stop bothering me about it but won't until I know whether it's my responsibility or not (I'm curious so I know how to respond, they're probably unable to legally pursue this since their pool cage comes right up to the fence so if they brought the county in to force me to cut that limb off it's likely they'd be told their new pool cage isn't to code!  That said, if it'd be my responsibility legally, I'd still go and deal with it, so want to find out for sure!)

Oak tree is ~30' tall, branch in question is ~15' up and growing directly at the top of their pool cage.  Tree's trunk is right against my side of the rear/shared fence!  Thanks for any help!

Answer: They can cut down the part hanging over their property


Title: Washington State. Dog bite.

Question:
Hello.

I live in Washington State.
I own two dogs who bit a child.

No one witnessed the attack.

All the evidence looks like the neighbor child was digging at our fence line(which the kids always do) and started poking our dogs in the face with a screwdriver(we found a screwdriver next to the child.) he had scraps on his back and a bite on his face. So it looks like he was poking at the dogs and got bit in the face and pulled under the fence.

Tl:dr
The child was more likely than not provoking the dogs with a screwdriver and digging under the fence got bit and drug under the hole.

We came outside to find the kid in our yard and the dogs bit him a few times.
We called an ambulance and ran next door - after knocked for about 5 minutes another child came to the door and the mother was no where to be found it took her another 5-10 minutes to come downstairs to the door.

Our dogs have been in quarantine for 10 days. We have gotten a letter from the veterinarian and letters from people who watched the dogs for us while on vacation (they had children ranging from infants to ten years old around the dogs). The Animal Control officer also evaluated the dogs and deemed them “not dangerous” “senior dogs” and at first it was going to be an at home quarantine until the neighbors were not wanting them around.

Well... apparently she thought we euthanized our dogs and when she saw us building a big dog run she called homeowners insurance and said if we don’t destroy our dogs she will file a restraining order on the dogs and file suit against us.

We started building a dog run: we did this on our own not by any court order. When she saw that is when she realized they were coming home.

In Washington state we have a “one bite rule” and you cannot be forced to euthanize your dog.

My question is:
If she files suit against us which she might since said threatened it.

Is countersuing for emotional distress due to her threat of “euthanize the dogs or ill sue you” a valid countersuit.
Also can we sue them for half of the price of the dog run since it’s partly her fault for not watching her child.

This accident will most likely be 50/50... which is why I’m asking the above about the run.

Thank you.

Answer:
 No. You can’t sue the parents of the kid your dog bit for emotional distress. Or for the cost of further securing your dog.

It sounds like you’ve done the right things and that the system is working as it should. And it no doubt will continue to do so.


Title: Kansas City MO - City impound lot sold my car with a lien on it. Finance company says I'm liable for the balance.

Question:
Last August I totalled my car in an accident. I was completely at fault and found out that unfortunately my insurance had lapsed and could not be reinstated.

I went to the hospital in an ambulance, and my car was towed to the Kansas City police department impound lot. When I was out of the hospital, I went there and paid all the towing and storage fees (over $600) just to be taken on the lot to see the damage.

The entire front end was smashed in, and the mechanic I spoke with estimated $6800 for repairs on a $11000 car. Obviously I couldn't drive it off the lot. It took me a while to find a friend of a friend who was willing to tow and store it on their lot for free.

When I called the impound lot to ask questions about having the car towed and what additional fees I owed, I was told that the car was no longer there. They auctioned it off per some policy by the lot that limits the amount of time a car can remain on the lot. I was not allowed to know who purchased it.

I called the finance company to let them know the situation. They were also not given any information about who purchased the car. They told me they would be seeking legal action against the impound lot but that in the meantime, I should keep making payments.

I've had several people tell me that I cannot be held financially liable for a car that someone else has possession of. Is this true? Should I seek a consultation from an attorney, and if yes, which kind?

Thanks for reading this and for any advice you can give.

Answer:
 You are financially responsible for the note until paid.  Whether by you, by an insurance company, or by a yard operator for having improperly sold your vehicle.  You should continue making your payments.

You should also speak with your insurance company about what might be done from here.  And perhaps a lawyer if there’s really reason to think the yard operator sold the vehicle when they should not have.


Title: Our electric gate broke this morning and we couldn't leave the house. We had to Uber to work and our landlord is refusing to reimburse us the cost of the Uber. Is the landlord responsible?

Question:
The electric gate opens and closes via remote control and the gate stopped working trapping everyone in 4 apartments. There is no manual way to open it so our cars were stuck. The landlord said a maintenance guy would arrive later in the day. We have day jobs and had to Uber to work and the landlord is refusing to reimburse us. Are we in the right to ask for reimbursement?

We live in Los Angeles.

Answer:
 The landlord's obligation is to repair in a reasonable time.  No, he most likely has no legal responsibility for your Uber charge.

Almost all such gates have manual cranks to open the gate in the event of a power outage.  You should ask the landlord to teach a few of the tenants how to do it.


Title: Can I write my own legally-binding document? (Virginia)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Of course you can.
It absolutely doesn't matter who writes it, any document is legally binding as long as:
1. It's worded correctly
2. It has a date & a signature


Title: Is it illegal to use sleep deprivation to get sex?

Question: If someone were to stop you from going to sleep (I.e. giving you energy drinks/looking for caffeine tablets) and then proceed to wake you up multiple times to ask for sex until you give in, is that illegal?

Answer:
 Everything is legal if you agree to do it.  It's generally not illegal to pressure someone to do things.

If you don't want the energy drinks, refuse to drink them.  If you don't want sex, refuse to have it.  If your sleep is constantly being interrupted, sleep somewhere else.

If there's something more nefarious or abusive or restrictive going on, you may have some recourse with law enforcement.Answer #2: > If someone were to stop you from going to sleep [...] and then proceed to wake you up multiple times

How can both be true?

> giving you energy drinks

Don't drink them.

> ask for sex until you give in

It's probably not illegal to do this, in and of itself, but it certainly sounds like someone to not be around anymore.


Title: Citation for out of state license

Question:
I [28F] got a citation for driving at 87 in a 70 zone and having an out of state license although I’ve been a Texas resident for more than 90 days. This is the first time I have gotten a citation so not sure how to proceed. Should I plead guilty and pay the fine or not guilty and request a trial? How will this affect my insurance?

Thanks.

Answer:
 If you are a resident of Texas, you must transfer your out-of state driver's license within 90 days of moving to Texas.

What municipality wrote you the ticket?


Title: Is it illegal to move a traffic cone?

Question:
Hi all,

Last night, after I exited the highway, I hit a GIANT pothole in the road in front of the Peter Pan bus terminal. There was a traffic cone on the road, but it wasn't in its proper place (it was not guarding the pothole) - also, it was dark out, so I did not see the pothole or how big it was.

After hitting the pothole, I popped TWO tires in my car. I pulled over on the street to assess the damage and when I did, I had about 5 bystanders come up to me telling me that there was a Peter Pan bus driver that came through, couldn't get his bus through with the traffic cone where it was, so he got out of his car - moved the cone - then made his way - but he never got back out and moved the cone back to its proper place, causing me and at least 1 other woman to get flat tires.

&#x200B;

My question - is it illegal for this bus driver to move the traffic cone and not put it back in its place? Would my flats be a fault of the Peter Pan company because of the bus driver or just the state of Rhode Island for not fixing the giant pothole?

&#x200B;

Thanks!

&#x200B;

Answer: I would call the city garage and ask how you get reimbursed for the tires, tow, and alignment.  Did you call the police and get a report?Answer #2: Make a claim against the city for the damage cause by the potholes. Answer #3: By moving the traffic cone, the bus driver opened himself and his employer to premises liability.  If you had suffered thousands of dollars in medical damages, I would say sue him. For a couple popped tires, you could try and make a claim against his company's insurance, but it might not be worth it.Answer #4: same thing happened to me last year and 12 other cars hit the same hole. I filed a claim with the town and they basically laughed in my face and said to go through my insurance. my insurance also laughed in my face and said its not worth paying my deductible for... good luck :(Answer #5: Who put out the traffic cone in the first place?


Title: Gave wife $27,000 for my half of a down payment on house. Now separated, no house bought, she wants to keep the $27k

Question:
Hello,

Not sure how to proceed. Do I have grounds to go to the police or proceed through a lawyer? I'd like to not drag this through court as she is leaving town for a week in a couple days.

This is in Canada by the way. Also,  I filled out the "gift" form from a bank beforehand. Does this make it an actual gift, like she thinks?

Edit - also, if it makes any difference, she already agreed to hand it back. She already contacted the bank and had a money order drafted up. She just won't hand the money order over to me.

Answer:
 Jesus Christ! Get a lawyer now. This woman has taken 27grand from you, and from your comments she is breaking your heart, taking a dump down your throat and leaving with your child(dont suppose you know if she is bringing him back?). Get a fucking lawyer and stop worrying about upsetting her vacation! Or you can be another one of those guys who just wanted to do the right thing and be civil, ie you pay a tonne in alimony and rarely see your kid and pay another tonne in child support.

Sorry if this sounds mean but I think you need to hear it. Get a lawyer today, instruct them that you want the money returned and a proper custody order in place.