Title: [TX] Sexually harassed by landlord who entered my apartment without permission and went through my stuff, plus the ten plagues of Egypt. (With bonus photo!)

Question:
Not exactly a hypothetical -- this happened to me a few years ago. At the time I was too broke and depressed to deal with it sensibly, but I'm kind of curious to know what I *should* have done. (No, I'm not planning to take legal action after the fact, I've moved overseas anyway.)

This is going to get long.

I was living in a kind of shitty apartment in Austin for a few years where the resident manager started hitting on me in a low-key way shortly after I moved in and escalated over time. I consistently made it clear that I wasn't interested and asked him to stop, but he would literally show up at my door late at night, stoned out of his mind, and stand there pounding on the door and shouting that he knew I was in there until I finally answered, and I didn't dare piss him off because I couldn't afford to move. I was suffering from severe depression at the time and was barely functional and absolutely not able to think clearly about much of anything. I never let him in, but he'd stand there rambling at me for an hour or so and I just kind of humored him until he got tired and went away.

At one point during my tenancy I went several months between jobs and had to get emergency one-time rent assistance from the city; there was a lot of delay getting it to go through because John, the resident manager, kept insisting he hadn't gotten the multiple faxes they claimed to have sent him of a form he needed to submit to request direct payment. I went back and forth between him and them and him and them about a dozen times and then he told me it was taken care of and not to worry about it, then I got another job and forgot all about it. My lease was renewed with no trouble and everything was fine for about a year.

Then the company I was working for terminated me without warning because the project funding had been yanked, just before Thanksgiving. The worst possible time to be job-hunting, and I didn't qualify for unemployment because it was a 1099 contract. I'd been assured it would run through the end of the year and be renewed in January, so I felt pretty screwed, and combined with my ongoing depression I went into a downward spiral. I found a new job before I ran out of money again, but the apartment was filthy. Really filthy. Entirely my own fault, but I just wasn't functional enough to job-hunt/work full time *and* clean up after myself. (Trust me, this is about to become relevant.)

Because I couldn't summon the energy to deal with cleaning up and I was afraid of being evicted, I didn't pay much attention to the fact that there was some mold starting to creep down from the ceiling in my bathroom. It didn't look too bad, it had nothing to do with me, it was obviously due to damp. I kept the bathroom door open all the time, ran the fan a lot, put tubs of silicone drying stuff in there, and kept telling myself I'd deal with it soon.

Then the living room ceiling fell in. The furniture and carpet were saturated with water and covered with sodden drywall and black mold. I couldn't really avoid calling the landlord at that point, and while I was getting pictures off the walls and salvaging whatever hadn't gotten soaked, I discovered more mold -- a lot of it -- growing up the wall behind the couch, behind the pictures, and behind some boxes I had stacked against a wall awaiting bookshelves. [Here's a photo after I moved the couch and took the posters off the wall.](http://imgur.com/VdPpw3X)

John said nothing about the mess, just got a maintenance crew in right away. They quickly determined that I was going to have to be moved out of the unit because they needed to tear out all the drywall in the place, treat for mold, replace the carpet, etc. I was surprised but pleased that they offered to move me down the street to another building they owned until my place was cleaned up. I shouldn't have been. It was a crappy place, I was stuck there for three months, and when I returned, apparently I brought bedbugs back with me. I hadn't noticed them in the other building, but there they were, and I had no idea where else they might have come from.

I don't expect I really need to explain how much I hated my life at this point. I was living on Papa John's and literally sleeping pretty much every minute I wasn't at work. I had completely checked out of reality. I still don't know how I hung onto my job except perhaps a vague awareness that it was the only thing standing between me and living in a cardboard box, which soon started to look like the preferable option.

John sent some halfassed pest control guy in to treat for bedbugs. He sprayed some chemicals around and said the place really needed more treatment but John said the management wouldn't pay for it. It did nothing, of course. I complained, they sent the guy again, he sprayed again, it did nothing.

I got rid of my bed and most of my clothes, ordered some proper bedbug chemicals online, treated the bedroom thoroughly, and slept on an inflatable mattress I inspected for bugs every night, put my bedding and clothes through a hot-water wash every morning, and woke up one morning to find my air mattress was almost floating on an inch of water that had evidently come in through the back wall of my unit.

I swear to god I'm not making this up. I couldn't make this up if I tried. It had happened to everyone on the ground floor. John had some guys come in and look at the back wall and supposedly they sealed it, but it kept happening so I moved out into the living room.

Meanwhile, John continued to ramp up the harassment. You'd forgotten about that part already, right? But yeah, around that time he started hinting that he knew I was into BDSM and that he could give me "what I wanted." I knew that meant he must have been in my apartment when I wasn't home and gone through my stuff, and was deeply creeped out but had only 4 months left on my lease and felt like all I could do was save up enough to get out of there.

Then one night he pushed his way in my door and tried to kiss me. I flipped out and started screaming at him to get out. He told me I should be nicer to him because he had paid my rent that one time, and he knew how dirty my apartment was before and he could have had me evicted but he was "trying to help me out." I screamed until he left, slammed the door behind him, and immediately emailed the property management company, something I obviously should have done months, if not years, earlier.

I basically told them about the pattern of harassment, the failure to address the bedbugs and the flooding, and that I was going to call a lawyer in the morning. I demanded that John *never* speak to me again, that all my contact with the property management be through their office, and that they let me out of my lease immediately.

They called in the morning and tried to claim that they'd countersue because I "ruined" the apartment before the ceiling fell in and they would make me pay for all the repairs. I pretty much laughed at them. They said I could leave but I would still have to pay the rest of my rent and that they would be keeping the security deposit to pay for the bedbug treatment since the bedbugs had come into the building through my stuff. I pointed out that I'd picked them up from THEIR other building. I was, frankly, magnificent. Several years of anger and frustration had shocked my brain back into sharpness and I essentially verbally eviscerated the property manager, threatening police action and lawsuits, until she agreed that I could break my lease with no penalty, I would get my security deposit back, and John would stay away from my unit until I was gone.

And I got my ass out of there ASAP and never looked back. I was so exhausted and miserable that I didn't even want to waste time on actually taking legal action, I just wanted to get away from there and forget the last several years had ever happened.

So obviously there are a few things I should have done, including reporting John's behavior to the property managers way earlier, taking the appropriate steps to force the management company to address the bedbug issue, and calling the police when John tried to force his way into my apartment. But what else *could* I have done, theoretically, if I'd had the energy and resources?

TL;DR; property manager sexually harassed and then attempted to assault me, entered my unit without permission and went through my stuff to find out what I was into sexually, failed to address massive issues with mold, bedbugs, and flooding until disaster struck, and then tried to threaten me into being nice to him; property management company refused to let me out of my lease until I made someone's day so unpleasant that they backed down just to get me to shut up.

Answer:
 >literally show up at my door late at night, stoned out of his mind, and stand there pounding on the door and shouting that he knew I was in there until I finally answered,

Call the police

>Meanwhile, John continued to ramp up the harassment. You'd forgotten about that part already, right? But yeah, around that time he started hinting that he knew I was into BDSM and that he could give me "what I wanted." I knew that meant he must have been in my apartment when I wasn't home and gone through my stuff, and was deeply creeped out

Call the police

>Then one night he pushed his way in my door and tried to kiss me

Jesus Christ call the police.  This is way beyond trying to handle via the property manager.

Answer #2: That's quite the story. You probably should've been evicted during your non-rent paying flirtation with unemployment, it appeared to be a lucky break (at the time) but certainly hinted at shady dealings and probably should've been a red-flag. There's something missing about the creeping mold and obvious water damage to the ceiling below the bathroom that probably didn't begin as anything tenant-responsible, but could've become so by inaction or inattention. Certainly drywall ceilings don't cave in easily/quickly..

The water, pests,  and John's behavior all *could* have been possible lease-break worthy issues depending on your documentation and state law. Your final outcome of an epic MF'ing resulting in a full deposit return and a clean walk-away from this shithole apartment are literally the best potential outcome for you.
Good job (?)


Title: Husband is kind of a nut, has security cameras pointed at neighbor's houses.

Question:
Asking here from the Glorious state of Missouri, about an hour south of St. Louis in a town of around 7000 souls.

  So, yeah, he's harmless, but man, does he love his cameras and motion detection lights.  Our house lights up like a goddamned Christmas tree whenever someone drives by.  The security cameras our on our property, pointed at our car and our lawnmower shed, but you can clearly see the two of our neighbors' houses.  There are only four houses on our street, and we're been on pretty good terms with everyone, more or less.  He's spoken to the owners of both of these houses to brag about his cameras, let them know he's got them on video, and told them that if anything happens to their places he's be glad to hand the footage over the cops if they asked.

One of them, directly across from us, seemed less than happy about this.  I can understand her point of view, I don't know that I'm entirely happy about it either.  But in order to film our cars, we pretty much have to get her house too.

He's a combat veteran with PTSD, and I think the cameras are a symptom of this.  I don't really think we need them, we're not in a high crime area.  But he really loves them.  So... how legal is all of this?  He's also considering hardwiring high wattage flood lights around the place to make the place even more secure.  If it helps with his anxiety (which he does have meds for) then I guess it's harmless enough.

Assuming it's actually legal, that is.  Well, off to work, will reply to any responses or questions in the middle of the night.

Answer: The cameras are legal. Flood lights may be an issue spending on local ordinances. Also flood lights make your neighbors hate you.


Title: Paranoid schizophrenic classmate from years back sending threatening messages, possibly trying to arrange “revenge(?)”

Question:
I’m in Massachusetts, US, and need some help, this is a long story so please let me know if I am missing any details.

A guy that I went to high school with, let’s call him Joseph, developed schizophrenia when I went off to college 5 years ago. For the first year, he started messaging me on Twitter saying that he was noticing some suspicious accounts that were following the both of us. I didn’t know he was sick at that point and just thought oh wow, that’s weird that he noticed that. Then he started texting me telling me that our accounts had been hacked and that “they” knew all of our info. I told him I had no idea what he was talking about.

(For context, while this was happening I was studying computer science). His messages after that point immediately became aggressive. He accused me of working with “them”, of obviously being the person hacking his information. He told me that he knew all about “me and my little friends” plan to “take him down” and that he would never let us get the chance. He started messaging other people from my home town unsolicited pictures of his genitals, vaguely threatening messages, and repeatedly brought up the fact that myself and one other person from our high school were hacking and plotting against him with “our little friends”

Basically, I blocked him on everything.

Over the years I have received many many messages from this Joseph. When I blocked his phone number, he got a new one. Same goes with twitter and Instagram. After so many years I got desensitized to it all. I keep in contact with other people he has reached out to, and we always give each other a heads up when he says something alarming to us.

I really didn’t hear from Joseph at all in 2017. Then, early 2018. He made a new Instagram. He looks extremely unwell in the photo and he is in an orange jumpsuit so that caught my attention when he began messaging me, asking about a bunch of posts I had made, asking me if they were about him. When I didn’t respond, he kept sending messages begging me to explain what was going on to him, which honestly broke my heart reading. I realized I had to find some answers and help this guy out.

I asked around and found a mutual friend, we will call him George, who was an old family friend and confirmed to me that Joseph was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia a few years prior. He told me that Joseph had been in a mental facility for the past year, but had gotten out the day before and called George saying that he was all better and didn’t need his meds anymore.

George very explicitly told me that it was very unsafe to ever meet up with Joseph. He said it was imperative that I send one very clearly communicative message to Joseph that I was very much uncomfortable with him sending me these messages, that I had never done anything malicious to him or ever would, and that if he ever tried to reach out to me that I would be forced to contact authorities in order to make sure he and I were both safe. He said “wow okay” and I haven’t heard from him since.

That was 9 months ago.

Today, a friend forwarded me a screenshot between Joseph and my high school ex boyfriend. He was asking my ex if we still hung out. We do not. Joseph asked my ex to message him the next time he is in the area saying that my friends and I had “done some weird shit and never owned up to it”.

Can I get a restraining order on this person? Should I call the police to do a wellness check on him? I’m worried about going home for the holidays.

TLD;DR
Paranoid Schizophrenic high school classmate relentlessly harasses me and a few others, possibly trying to arrange “revenge”(??) on us today. Help.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: As long as he doesn't issue a threat to harm you then you can ignore him. If he does issue a direct threat then notify the police and you can apply for a restraining order.


Title: A stranger with the same name as me offered me $100 for a copy of my high school diploma [AZ]

Question:
Someone with the same first and last name as me says his high school won't make him a copy of his high school diploma so he [messaged me on FB and offered me $100 for a copy of mine](https://imgur.com/a/MtfwC).

Obviously, this is super shady so **I deleted it.** As much as I'm all about the Benjamins, I'm not about to hand personal documents over to a complete stranger. But it got me thinking:

* **On a scale from 1 to Felony, how illegal is this?**
* **What harm could come to me if I completed this transaction?**

*Bonus*: he's running for "[county consatble](https://cestb.az.gov/about-us/what-constables-do)" (sic).  I think he's off to a great start /s

Answer:
 He wants to steal your identity.  You were right not to go along with this.Answer #2: Please post this in r/scams let people know Answer #3: Agree with others he is trying to scam you. I would suggest hiding the information on your Facebook that relates to your identify if you aren't currently doing that (it's one of the reasons they would make a fake account with your name and message you). If you aren't aware it is actually relatively easy to figure our your SSN from certain information.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2009/07/social-security-numbers-are-easy-guess
https://arstechnica.com/science/2009/07/social-insecurity-numbers-open-to-hacking/
Answer #4: Wow. You should probably go to the cops with this, if for no other reason than he may contact your school pretending to be you to try to get a copy if you won't give him one. Plus, if he does attempt any identity theft you've already got a record of his beginning efforts.Answer #5: I know someone who was hired at a place I worked, contingent on passing a background check.  They found out he didn't have a HS diploma and gave him two days to provide proof that he did.  Could be something like that, but I wouldn't risk it.Answer #6: Reply with you're under 21, and if he can send you a copy of his drivers license.


Title: A hypothetical question regarding the extent of the 2nd amendment in Texas following Hurricane Harvey.

Question:
In the aftermath of the Hurricane Harvey storm, videos have been popping up about looters in Houston, TX exploiting the catastrophic event.

Specifically in [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfF4JmY0U7M) (explicit language), an alleged ex-SWAT officer is seen protecting a food market from being looted, and in the video one can see [looters fleeing the area](https://youtu.be/gfF4JmY0U7M?t=1m30s). (1:30)

If this man were to shoot these looters stealing property albeit they are fleeing would this be grounds for attempted-murder or would it be under a form of self-defense?

Normally you cannot use deadly force to protect property but as far I recall this is different in Texas which is why I ask.

Answer:
 Shooting someone in the back as they're running away isn't self-defense.  That's one of the few pretty firm lines when it comes to justifiable use of force.  Once someone is fleeing, you no longer have justification to use force at all.  Answer #2: Self-defense has nothing to do with the 2nd amendment.

You're going to have a hard time arguing self-defense if someone is running away from you.


Title: [ATLANTA, GA] Current wife filed police report on ex wife for "fake" attempting suicide. Have a child.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Edit::: it's not my "wife" I'm just saying wife to make it easier. It's my gf. I need her because she's taking very good care of my child. And with her it allows me to see my daughter a lot more

Dude, that's fucked up. When are you going to realize that the people you're talking about are actual human beings -- adult ones at that -- and that they deserve you growing up and being honest with people instead of continuously lying to avoid the consequences of your continued immaturity?

If this story is true, you are up shit's creek. I won't even begin to guess how a judge would react to all of this, other than to guess that if old school paddling was an option, all of your hides would be tanned.


Title: Just got a paternity summons stating that if I'm found to be the father of a child I will be sued to payback a welfare program called TANF.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Yes, that's how it works. The state has basically been providing the support you are supposed to provide (assuming you're the father).Answer #2: > I guess my question is if I'm really responsible for paying back this welfare program at all.

Yes if you're the father.

> But why would they hold me accountable for this welfare program if I'm not even on this child's birth certificate and I was unaware that I might even have a child while attending school?

Because you're the biological father. (if you really are) yes it really is that simple.

> Being sued to pay back a welfare program if I'm found to be a Father.

No you're not, yet. You're being told to take a paternity test.


Title: First Amendment Audits, what even?

Question:
Sorry if this is the wrong place but I'm debating with a friend about the legality of so-called "First Amendment Audits".

For those unfamiliar with the term (because I can't even find an objective source on the term), it's a common YouTube thing (and sovcit thing, frequently) where someone goes to a public location outside a police or government facility and starts filming/photographing the location and waits for the police to come ask questions and then acts like a morally superior douchenozzle, refusing to answer questions about what and why they are filming and then crying about their first amendment rights being violated.

From everything I can find, non-expressive photography and videography are not protected by first amendment rights because they are not an issue of speech if there is no intent to use the images to communicate to an audience. When the photographer/videographer says "I'm just filming. What law am I breaking?" they essentially shoot themselves in the foot re: freedom of speech. And yet they use it as a "gotcha".

The video that got us into this argument was of a guy filming "the scenery" behind a govt facility. An officer asks him why he is filming. When he refuses to answer the question the officer requests him to stop filming and leave the location. When he says "This is public property. I'm enacting my first amendment rights." The officer requests to search his personal effects. The man refuses the search and the officer detains and searches him.

My position is that when filming outside of a govt, police, or military facility there is reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. It could be surveillance for vandalism, theft, terrorism, or other criminal behavior. The search is lawful.

My friend vehemently claims there is no reasonable suspicion, no right to detain, no right to search, and the individuals first amendment rights are being inhibited. That the cops are acting outside the law.

What say ye, legal Reddit?

Answer:
 > My position is that when filming outside of a govt, police, or military facility there is reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.  It could be surveillance for vandalism, theft, terrorism, or other criminal behavior. The search is lawful.

[The ACLU disagrees.](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/photographers-what-do-if-you-are-stopped-or-detained-taking-photographs) and they have a strong track record when litigating these types of cases. At least as far as the police are concerned, the right to film them is quite well established (see Glik v. Cunniffe, Gericke v. Begin) although not unanimously so (Fields v. City of Philadelphia). Photographing something in public view does not constitute reasonable suspicion.

The guy was well within his rights to ignore the officer's request to stop filming. He was well within his rights to ignore the officer's request for his ID unless he lives in [a state that requires him to provide it](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_and_identify_statutes) when requested.


Title: On probation for street racing, is reckless driving a violation of probation?

Question:
I'm on probation for street racing because I was caught racing twice before. Therefore, I'm not suppose to get certain traffic violations.

Anyway, about a week ago, I crashed my car while racing, but it was not at an actual street race and it was not on a major road. I and the person I was racing did not call 911. I called a guy to tow the car. However, when I was waiting for my guy to get here, police happened to be driving by, and stopped. He asked about the car. I told him that I was just being careless, but he said the skid marks show that I was going above the speed limit and said there were skid marks at the beginning of the road too, so he wrote me a ticket for reckless driving.

I didn't really think this was a violation of probation because it's not racing specifically, but if it is, does this mean I'm going to go to jail? Also, is it a violation of probation because the cop who wrote me the ticket didn't say anything about it and I haven't been notified that I have violated probation.

Answer:
 When your PO gets a copy of the report that will be when the fun really starts.

Good read OP, the sooner they get you off the streets the safer the rest of us will be. How old are you? Were you at least winning?Answer #2: After reading all of your comments I hope your dumbass gets locked up or seriously hurt so you don't hurt an innocent personAnswer #3: If you ever get your drivers license back, why don't you autocross, all the racing, none of the endangering other peoples lives. Seriously, it's like making moonshine even though alcohol is legal, I don't get why people are dumb enough to do it


Title: Parent Plus Student Loan unable to make payments

Question:
First and foremost, this is a throwaway, mostly because I'm embarassed about this situation entirely and hate talking about it in general. Secondly, I appreciate **any** and **all** advice given regardless of how hard it may be to hear.

**TL;DR - Went to a private university in Florida and accrued a substantial amount of Student Loan Debt (roughly $30k in my name and $150k in my mother's). I have paid my loans down considerably; however, my mother who works retail for around $7.50 an hour cannot afford the payments and I cannot afford to help. Have consulted a lawyer and got a friendly "you're f@#ked" in reply.**

Now before I begin, I want to state that I don't consider myself to be a "bad person". At the time I was accepted to the university I was, I was so excited and naive that student loans seemed to be something I could pay off easily with a job in the future. After my 5 years in school (did a three semester internship), I was left with roughly $30,000 in student loan debt while my mother had taken out Federal PLUS loans in the amount of nearly $150,000. After graduating, I was lucky enough to immediately land a job that paid pretty well and I started paying back my loans as aggressively as possible as well as trying to help my mother with her's. Very quickly, I realized I was unable to sustain bills on my own by helping her with her loans and we put the loans into deferrment/forebearance and they have been in that state pretty much since.

For the last two years, I have been losing sleep and getting sick over the large looming black cloud that hangs over my mother's head. I did some research and Parent PLUS loans fall into a very particular category of loans that is not fortuitous for those who take them out and end up not being able to afford the payments. From my understanding:

* Parent PLUS loans **cannot** be discharged even in bankrupty (with the exception of a hardship bankruptcy that is nearly impossible to get)
* Parent PLUS loans cannot be put into the repayment plans of Income-driven options (i.e. Income Based Repayment, Income Contingent Repayment, or Pay as You Earn)

I truly don't want to rob tax payers or "steal" my education. Initial talks with the lender a few years ago basically stated there was nothing they could do past the extended repayment plan (which now would equal about $1200 per month). After speaking with friends and family, I was referred to a lawyer who specialized in student loans to some degree. He basically stated there was nothing he could do as they couldn't be discharged in bankruptcy and that all the lender would be able to do from now on would be to garnish my mother's wages and retain any tax refunds she receives.

I'm hoping someone here has either run into this situation before, knows a lawyer who perhaps can help, or knows of a miraculous solution that won't put anyone in jail or on the streets. Either way, I appreciate you reading and providing any input. Also, it just feels good to get it out there.

I'm willing to answer any questions I can in order to get the best advice possible, but I'll list some I think you may have below:

* **How much debt is there on the PLUS loan exactly?** Currently sits at $174,623.30. It's divided between a private lender ($130,714.50) and the Department of Education ($43,908.80)
* **How much does your mother make?** She has worked retail all of her life (no secondary education) and only makes $7.50/hour right now and roughly a yearly gross income of $14,000
* **Where are you located?** My mother and I are both in the US living in Georgia at the moment. We lived in Maryland while I was at school and my school was in Florida.
* **Have you made any payments?** Yes, back in 2011 I made three months of payments when they were around $900 per month. I was unable to keep up with them so we put them in deferrment and now the monthly payment would be nearly $2000 per month
* **Have you researched your available repayment options?** Yes, Graduated Plan - $1401/month, Extended Standard - $1419/month, Extended Graduated - $1240/month, Income Sensitive - $1145/month (all of which neither she nor I can afford)
* **Do you know how much forebearance/deferrment you have left?** No, but I'm willing to ask the lender if that helps. Currently, we're scheduled to start making payments again on 15 August 2015.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 How in the great tangerine of Saint Augustine did a woman making 14k a year qualify for 175k in plus loans?

The most likely scenario is that these follow her to her grave. You are not responsible for repaying them. You should not sacrifice your future because a lender made such a terrible decision.Answer #2: Your best option is to not sign anything transferring the debt to you. I feel like your responsibility is to take care of your mom as she ages and has zero money. Had you not gone to such an expensive school and allowed her to take this loan, she wouldn't be in this predicament. The right thing to do as someone who is "not a bad person" is to take care of her.


Title: If someone is on the hood/roof/trunk of your car, what is the legality of hitting the gas? [California]

Question:
So I think about hypothetical scenarios in my head quite frequently and this one popped into my head this morning. I'd like to think if someone decided to act a fool and/or harrass me (or someone in the vehicle with me) by jumping around on the hood of my car, I could just hit the gas and never look back. Maybe I'm at a stoplight and the light turns green or maybe I'm in a bad neighborhood where people don't care for the property of others. regardless of where or why I do it, whoever is on my vehicle when I accelerate is gonna get hurt.

But is it selfe defense on my behalf, or am I expected to "be the bigger person" and allow them to do whatever? Is this totally illegal or is there a grey area? And if it is totally illegal, what are my options in this scenario?

(Assuming anyone says anything at all about it: I'd hypothetically try to accelerate the car in reverse if someone were on my hood; to protect my windshield from breaking.)

Answer: The extent to which you're allowed to harm someone to defend yourself is proportional to the harm you believe they're attempting to do to you. The answer changes depending whether they're just on your car doing nothing really (maybe trying to prevent you from going somewhere), in which case you're allowed to call the police and not much more, to the point where they're actively trying to break your windshield to get to you and kill you, at which point hitting the gas would pretty much unarguably be self defense. You're not expected to allow them to do whatever but you're expected to make sound judgment and respond to varying levels of threats appropriately.


Title: What do I need to do before I tell my wife I want a divorce? (and more)

Question:
We've been married 4 years, she's turned into someone else and I want out.  Should I have a lawyer before I tell her? If I leave abruptly is she entitled to my property?  Also, she has ~200K in student loan debt, + 30K in credit card debt all in her name.  We rent a house together at the moment and she owns a condo that is upside down by about 10K.  Am I liable for this?  I supported her during school, and she's only been working for 2 years as a pharmacist.  She spends a lot of money and She just quit her job-her Dad has agreed to payoff the CC debt and cover for her salary for the time being. Marriage license filed for in MO.

EDIT: I can't stand having made this decision and being with her acting like everything is ok.  I'm going to tell her tomorrow.  I'll update tomorrow evening.

Answer:
 What state do you live in now?Answer #2: [Property division in Missouri](http://www.divorcenet.com/states/missouri/mo_art10).

You need to pay for a consultation with an attorney.  This doesn't mean that you need to retain one and pay a bunch of money; you just need to get an idea about your potential liability. Go on yelp or a similar rating site and find a family law attorney in your area with good reviews.Answer #3: [See my relevant advice here](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2n3r04/should_i_talk_to_a_lawyer_before_confronting/cma574f).

Your questions about the specific division of assets are going to come down to the local law and customs, and your best option is to seek advice about that from a local attorney. You should absolutely get one before moving forward.


Title: NC - I want to change my legal name back to my maiden name, but the law says I can't unless I'm divorced or widowed.

Question: I want to legally change my name back to my maiden name. However, I read online that in North Carolina I can only resume my maiden name if I have been divorced or widowed, which I have not. Any ideas on whether this is true and/or whether there's a way around it? It seems like a ridiculous law to me...

Answer:
 There are two different types of name change processes -- a quick version that is filed along with a marriage certificate, and a long version that takes a couple months, requires publishing ads in a newspaper and requires a hearing and a court order from a judge.

It could be that what you're seeing is related to the marriage/just file a form version.

Read this:  Part of it says "DO NOT use these forms for a name change from divorce", which makes me think there's probably a non-divorce option:

http://nc.legal-aid.com/can-i-represent-myself/name-change-claims/for-adults/


Title: A suspicious number called and knew the last 4 digits of my social security #. Is my identity in danger?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Your identity is always in danger of being stolen it's just the world we live in. I wouldn't give it any more thought. You can double check your credit report which is something you should be doing anyway. Most likely it was just some scam attempt.


Title: Sisters husky ‘broke’ into neighbours yard and ‘bit’ one of the puppies they had, the puppy had to go to the vet, does my sister have to pay the bill?

Question:
My sister has a husky that’s a year old, female.

Today her husky apparently broke into the neighbours yard, and bit one of the puppies when my sister wasn’t there (she found out about it when she came home to pick her dog up). My sister doesn’t think her dog did it. But that’s beside the point.

The neighbours had to take the puppy to the vet, the puppy apparently had a bite mark. I find it highly unlikely that her dogs would not protect the puppies, and the puppies would have had to be outside for this to occur.

But I’m confused about a few things. If they were home why didn’t they stop her dog from getting close to the puppies, or why didn’t either of the parents stop her (both are xxx breed). My sisters dog has been known to go into their yard, the neighbours knew this, but even with the knowledge it can happen, they took no precautionary steps for the safety of their puppies.

Both the neighbours dogs are not registered, so I don’t think the puppies are either (which is illegal in Aus, for puppies, I think for dogs if they are born after a certain date and they aren’t registered, that’s illegal, but I have no clue how old the parents are). I also found out that within 28 days of the litter being born, they have to register them, which I find unlikely since both the neighbours seem irresponsible with animals to begin with.

My sister doesn’t have much money, and is living in a bad (drug invested) Boganville area. The people there aren’t the brightest of humans. They also had 0 evidence that her dog injured the puppy (apparently the neighbour saw it, but I call bs on that too). I don’t get why my sisters dog would just go in, attack a baby, and leave without any drama. There was no blood around her mouth from this apparent bite, nor was she injured from the parents attacking her off the baby.

So I call bs on those cheap backyard breeders trying to make a quick buck with unwanted puppies.

Legally, does my sister have to do anything? Or pay anything? They have no evidence, and their dogs aren’t even registered, they are irresponsible dog owners who knew dogs were getting in their yard, and didn’t stop it from happening for their apparent love and safety of the puppies. My sister is in a rental, she tried everything she could to stop her dog from getting in their yard, she has 0 money, and now they are threading her to pay the bills of a puppy that may or may not have been attacked by her dogs.

I’m in Australia btw. Any help is appreciated
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 Wait. Your sister’s dog broke into the neighbor’s yard, bit their puppies, and somehow you’re saying that the neighbor is the irresponsible dog owner? Are you serious?Answer #2: For SURE she’s liable for the damages. Her dog attacked another on its own property? That’s grounds to put your sisters dog down, if the puppy didn’t make it. Answer #3: A dog's owner is liable for damages due to bites and attacks, in every state. Your sister's on the hook for the vet bills due to her dog's actions. She'd have a defence if she had taken adequate steps to control her animal. Because her dog left her property and entered someone else's property, those defences might as well not exist: she failed to control her dog. It's her job, not her neighbour's, to keep her dog out of her neighbour's yard.

Her homeowner's or renter's insurance may cover this if she has an appropriate policy.


Title: Parents threatening to kick me out?

Question:
Hey there, i’m an 18f located in NY.

My parents have been emotionally and physically abusive toward me for most of my life, although I didn’t feel comfortable reporting as I have a younger sibling in the home with me. I have a few mental illnesses along the lines of anxiety and depression, which my parents don’t seem to understand nor want to help me treat (any treatment i’ve received has come through my own doing) and they also respond harshly when i’m having anxiety attacks, often making them worse. However, even though i’m 18, i’m still listed as a dependent for my parents for insurance and tax purposes. This past week, they told me that if i have another “episode” (i.e. mental health caused attacks that i cannot control) that they will kick me out. Because I am listed as a dependent, are they legally able to call the police and have me removed from the home? What are my options if they can? I only work a part time job and am currently a full time student on summer break so i don’t exactly have a place to go.

Answer:
 You're a tenant and would have to be given proper notice to quit and then be evicted.

However that can 100% happen and you have no right to live in your parent's home if they don't wish you to now that you're an adult.

I'd suggest you consider options to move out.


Title: My high school silenced me and told me there "would be consequences" if I wrote an essay about some of the faults of Black Lives Matter movement.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You can write an essay on whatever the fuck you want.

For THIS SPECIFIC ASSIGNMENT, your school has determined that your topic isn't what they're looking for. The school is allowed to tell you how to do your assignments.

You can write your essay, you just can't turn it in to your school for this assignment.

Pick a different topic.Answer #2: You're calling black lives matter terrorists What did you expect to happen? You can try fighting this but ask yourself is it really worth it? Answer #3: >Black Lives Matter is a domestic terrorist organization
>>I had no intention of furthering racist ideas and made this blatantly clear.

 Conversationally, I can't think of how that'd be avoidable (I'm lying, I can. But I'm creative...and black. Soooo...the pots are less likely to be offended). Though were your essay able to make your statement and accomplish that goal, *that* would be something to read. ...I don't know that you specifically could have based on you not having the forethought to make the topic more palatable upon informing your teacher of your choice in subject-matter (betcha woulda had better luck with "an essay about some of the faults of the BLM movement." Which sounds significantly less controversial than your post to this sub goes on to clarify). It's almost like you should have known better... teenagers.


Title: [MI] Wrecked SUV in my garage.

Question:
Last November around Thanksgiving, my roommate had been parking on the side of the road when a hit and run occurred. His SUV was wrecked, with the back of the car being pretty well destroyed. He didn't have full coverage. However, he should be able to get the money back from the insurance of the other guy.

The police were able to find the guy that hit him (his car was parked in the backyard but not covered or anything). However, my roommate still doesn't have the insurance information of the guy who hit him, and his insurance is not being particularly helpful.

Well the SUV is still in my garage, and I want it gone as it's causing parking to be even more of a nightmare at my house. But I don't want my roommate to lose out on the money he would be getting. Is there any sort of process I should follow? Would taking it to a shop and getting a quote be useful for when he finally does have the insurance of the guy?

TL:DR; A wrecked SUV has been sitting in my garage for 6 months, I want it gone, but want to make sure my roommate gets what he deserves for it.

Answer: Michigan is no-fault when it comes auto accidents, so the other guy only owes the deductible


Title: Is there a point at which inaction from our governor is criminal

Question: Pete Ricketts, the governor of Nebraska, refuses to issue a mask mandate [despite medical professionals begging him to do so](https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/unmc-expert-makes-urgent-call-for-mask-mandate-ricketts-doesnt-budge/article_a4ed80a9-bb09-5de7-8deb-812e58210f25.html). We're now 6th in the nation, last I checked, for corrona virus infections and he himself projects it to be ['in the red zone by Thanksgiving'](https://omaha.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/ricketts-nebraska-may-hit-red-zone-for-covid-restrictions-before-thanksgiving/article_7e54ae74-1195-59fe-b0d0-651579440be0.html#tracking-source=home-top-story-1). He doesn't want to issue a mask mandate because he believes that they'll cause a resistance. [He believes that it's a tool, it's not the only tool, and that it's not a panacea](https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/19/politics/pete-ricketts-mask-mandates-nebraska/index.html?fbclid=IwAR0ALYGrkVkH2e0KkO6dPWiok-uUXAz-3iFxPpRzMOhiVxKp8HM5SXeKDjk) and that he'd rather educate people. [He encourages people to wear a mask](https://governor.nebraska.gov/press/gov-ricketts-encourages-nebraskans-continue-good-health-habits-support-restaurants), [while not wearing one in public himself](https://www.reddit.com/r/Omaha/comments/jvx1pe/image_of_pete_ricketts_and_rita_sanders_and_20/). Is there a point at which his actions, or lack thereof, can be considered criminal?

Answer: No. Elected officials have broad protections from criminal and civil liabilities in the execution of their office. He’s effectively making a policy decision that he believes is the lesser of two evils and short of him injecting COVID-19 into peoples veins he can’t be held criminally liable.


Title: If I were to create a completely fake employee from a company (Google, Facebook, etc.) and send emails to another company using that fake employee, would that be illegal?

Question:
 The title pretty much says it all. Just curious if I can fabricate an employee of a company and email another company as that employee to inquire about information/send invoices. No intentions of ever doing this, I've just seen someone do it on TikTok and was curious if there was a law against it. If it is legal, would there be any restrictions on what I could ask from the company?

Bonus points: Can I fabricate someone from a federal entity (SEC, CISA, etc.) and inquire into a company? If I can, are there any limitations?

Extra bonus points: Cite the exact court ruling or law you believe would prevent or allow me from doing this.

Answer:
 The first one is fraud and the exact crime would likely depend on what you gained.

https://www.britannica.com/topic/fraud

For the second, Impersonating a federal employee is illegal;

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/912


Title: (FL) Had a child with a woman that was married. What's the easiest way to establish parental rights if the mother cooperates?

Question:
The mother was married to another man when my daughter was birthed. She later divorced, we split up and the child's been with me since.

The mother or ex-husband could come take my child from me and I wouldn't have any say. I want to become her legal father so I can fight the mother if she suddenly decides to be in my child's life.

I've been doing some research but nothing solid except that I'd have to file suit against the ex-husband. It all sounds extremely expensive and due to my present situation I can't afford a lawyer but I make way to much to get free legal help.

What's the easiest way to establish parental rights if the mother cooperates?

Answer:
 You and the mother go to court and request a paternity test, custody, visitation, and child support.

You should hire an attorney to get the best outcome


Title: Security company used my staff from my staffing company than disappeared

Question: I just started my own staffing company. Not too big of company because I just started out. I have been working three jobs just to get it up and going. I received one client which was a security company in New York. He wasn't really worried about the rates and need 20 people at various sights. His company had a legit website. I also asked to meet with him multiple times to which he replied he was out in the field and would sign anything via email. He signed all the company contracts and gave me his credit card to charge after a week of sending the staff. I checked the card and it went through Meaning it was a legit card and company. A week later after sending 20 plus people I give him the heads up saying we will be charging your card and he says no problem. I go to charge it and it's declined. It says it's claimed to be stolen. I call him and he hangs up on me. I removed all my people from their posts. I call the main company line he picks up and when I tell him it's me he hangs up. I went to visit his location and there is no physical office for the location. I'm about to have a breakdown. I have to pay my staff almost 10,000 out of pocket. What should I do? Please help.

Answer:
 There's no magic answer here.  If the company in fact exists and you can find them to sue them, you can likely sue for the money you are owed under the contract.

Whether or not you can successfully collect that money depends on whether or not the company continues to operate and has assets against which you might execute your judgment.


Title: Help me settle an argument - abandoned property in GA

Question: So several months ago my friend was helping my roommate and I garden and he brought over some old pots with soil in them so we could use the soil in our new garden. He then left the pots in our backyard. A few weeks ago I found them and planted new seedlings in them. Now, he says he wants them back immediately. I'm going to give them to him, but I'm just annoyed that I have to transplant my new plants. I think the pots are abandoned property - who's right?

Answer:
 The short answer is the pots belong to your friend.

The long answer is that the pots almost certainly belong to your friend, but they may belong to the owner of the property (or city or county) if many legal hoops are jumped through first, which if you own the property you probably did not do. Just because someone leaves their belongings on your property does not automatically make it yours. But local and state laws govern to whom any "abandoned" property goes, if it is determined to be abandoned.


Title: Could a US corporation use military force in a foreign country?

Question: Say Exxon wanted a new oilfield. And they say "hey, Syria's pretty ducked, and no one likes Isis", and so using a PMC take an oilfield from Isis, and start selling the oil from there. Would it be illegal from the US government's point of view? How about from international law? Would anyone prosecute them if it were?

Answer:
 The short answer is yes, because the US never ratified the UN Mercenary Convention, or any other international law which forbids the use of mercenaries. So long as those contractors make it back home, they're fine.

However, if the contractors in your example were captured and prosecuted in a country that observes the UN Mercenary Convention, such as Syria, they'd be in trouble. They'd be legally classified not as lawful combatants, but rather as common criminals walking around Syria killing people. They wouldn't be considered POWs, wouldn't be covered by the Geneva Convention, wouldn't have the right to repatriation, and would be prosecuted in a Syrian court.

I'm not sure whether Exxon could theoretically be prosecuted in this example. They'd clearly be breaking international law, but I'm not overly familiar with the procedure involved there. Answer #2: [according to this article](https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.mensjournal.com/adventure/is-it-legal-to-go-overseas-and-fight-isis-20150324/amp/) that PMC wise as long as you’re shooting at the enemy the US likely won’t care about them. It likely shouldn’t cause too much of a legal hassle if it’s on the books as a contract stipulating “you give us drilling equipment and paychecks, we help Christian militias take the oil field and supply you with oil.”


Title: My employer just shared my password in an email. Is this okay?

Question:
So my work just sent out an email to me, in the email they included my login info:
exmaple@gmail.com
examplepassword

How do they have access to it? Aren't passwords supposed to be hashed and encrypted to prevent this kind of password access?

I use this password for a few things, one of them being my actual gmail account (which they also know) and facebook account.

It was shared from an admin@work.com type email that i'm sure multiple others have access to and CC'd my recruiter.

Do they have the right to do this because they own the account? Is there any course of action I should take?

Just to clarify, this wasn't a password reset. This is my original password I signed up with.

From Canada btw

Answer: Always use different passwords or variations of it so one failure doesn't compromise every account of yours.


Title: Mental traumas due to defamation/lies/rumors?

Question:
I'm interested in how does such a case work.
1. What proof you need
2. Is it enough to get a document from a medical professional that confirms the mental torment and source of it
3. Can you even win a defamation case?

I have a bunch of people constantly spreading lies about me and much worse stuff...
Luckily I am independent and quite phlegmatic and know how to handle it , somehow.

However if one of the liars would get at least one letter of 'legal threat' , he would realise what is he doing.

I'm sick of lies and untrue info spread with the only aim to defame me, harm me , stigmatise me based on unreal facts and more.

I'm not posting the location, I am only interested how this works in your country. Then after reading that , I will see if it would work in my country too. (Even if I type the country, there's nobody from there here)
Edit : Location .. Italy (posted due to rules)

No troll comments, downvote party I already expect, because people are evil and don't comprehend such things.

edit: everyone giving downvotes here, GO FUCK YOURSELF you pathetic pieces of shit.

Answer:
 If you haven't already, I would strongly suggest counseling to deal with the feelings that you present here. In this post, you sound defensive and paranoid, and don't make a whole lot of sense.

Now, maybe there is a conspiracy of people trying to ruin your life. If that's the case, that will take an emotional toll, and a mental health counselor have help you manage YOUR reactions to this situation.


Title: How do I apply for an apartment without credit, employment, or a previous landlord?

Question:
I'm 24, I paid all of my school with grants and scholarships, I lived with my father before moving in with a friend in this new town, and I'm in between jobs and receiving unemployment. I'm good with rent, savings and with my fathers help, and I am actively searching for employment within my field. I filled out as much as I could but any blanks they say would result in discarding the application.

Edit: Little Rock, Arkansas

Answer:
 This isn't really a legal question.  You are legally allowed to apply for apartments, even without those things.  They are not required to take you, however.  Landlords can deny you a lease for nearly any reason, and "unemployed with no credit history" is a really good reason.

You may have better luck trying to rent a room from someone, or looking at individual(non-corporate) apartments.Answer #2: You will probably need to find a job before applying for apartments. Unemployment benefits are meant to be temporary, and in my experience apartments won't consider that. From their perspective, what happens if your benefits run out and you don't have a job?

You may be required to have a cosigner for your first lease and then after that, you'll have a rental history. You can also ask the complex if they will take 1-2 months of rent up front or a larger deposit to avoid a cosigner. If you're paying rent on time to your friend, some places will consider that your rental history.

I also recommend getting a credit card (you can buy a few things and pay it off each month to avoid paying interest) to start your credit history. The longer you have an open line of credit that's in good standing, the better your credit. It's not particularly fair that someone in your position who got scholarships/grants, but them's the breaks.


Title: Suing a country.

Question:
So I was (illegally) put in jail in my native Mexico for almost four years, all of which were trial and was never sentenced, after the trial was over and the judge rule that in fact everything was illegal and I was innocent I got out, and after a while I consulted with a lawyer to look for the possibility of suing the state for liability, but after some research turns out that although stated in the civil code and constitution the Supreme Court has always ruled in favor of the state in similar cases (Because it's and amazingly often occurrence in Mexico to have both innocent people in jail and to have almost everyone do their trials incarcerated which go for many years), now I decided lo leave Mexico and became an israelí citizen, my question is, is there a way to sue Mexico for liability in an international court?
Topic:
Treaties and International Law

Answer: No, you do not have standing in any of the legitimate international courts. They are for countries. Even then, countries must choose to participate and the courts have no real authority.


Title: Cycled into a parked car... but the car was illegally parked

Question:
Hi all,

As the title says - yesterday I cycled into a parked car with driver inside.

I'll admit I wasn't concentrating quite as much as I should have been, and I clipped something on the road which threw me off balance and in doing so made me crash into the side of a car and go over my handlebars landing with a bang.

Now the damage seems relatively minor, there was some colouring from my handlebar tape on the side of the car - but I buffed that out with a cloth while we were waiting for my ambulance to arrive.

Apart from that it seems like there may be a few very small dents/scuffs on the side of the cars bodywork.

However, there is no parking allowed on this road before 9am. The crash occurred at 8:55 and I have proof of this.

If the taxi tries to make me pay for any repairs (why wouldn't they - I gave my details), is there anyway I could argue they shouldn't have been parked there? It's not like it was in a blind spot or anything, but purely for that 9am rule.

This happened in the U.K. If that counts for anything.

Thanks in advance, happy to provide more info if needed.

Answer: Highly doubtful...  You're responsible for damaging the car. Answer #2: You still hit a stationary object


Title: fingerprinting

Question: When I was six, a group of police officers fingerprinted our entire school. There was no crime, they just fingerprinted all of us. It may have been harmless and nothing at all, but I wonder what the purpose was and if my fingerprints are in the system now. My question is: is this legal? Could police take the fingerprints of unsuspecting kids and put them in the system in case these kids grow up to commit crimes?

Answer: It was probably done in part to foster ties with the community, and partly to help your parents find/identify you if you were ever murdered or kidnapped.


Title: My Step Dad is trying to make me pass his piss test

Question:
Throwaway account

-So a little information just to get anyone caught up. I’m a 17 year old male who lives in Canada BC.

-My step dad is a 38 year old who works on the oil pipes in Alberta but comes back every two weeks

A few days ago my step dad asked me if I was smoking weed and when I denied it he said he could get it “checked out” and if it was clean he’d give me $50. I thought this was a little weird at first but I told myself “why not?” Because $50 is $50.

But today he came in with a cup and weirdly seemed desperate. Asking me to pee in the cup every 5 min and egging me on to “just get it over with already” even though I didn’t have to piss.

I suspect he did some sort of drug (weed probably, he has friends that smoke) and he’s trying to use me to pass his drug test. The thing is, if he doesn’t get his job my family is screwed. He makes somewhere around $45/hour while my mother makes $28/hour and we would never be able to pay the bills without him, let alone our mortgage. He also offered to by me a new gaming PC (I’ve been saving up for an upgrade) and give me other miscellaneous things and incentives to do it

I want to know...
1. If my step dad gets caught what happens
2. If he gets caught will I face problems
3. Should I do it?
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 If he gets caught, he will probably get fired. That is about it.

Should you help him out? Probably not.
But really, that is up to you.


Title: Was in the process of selling my home when airforce announced city-wide contaminated water. Buyers since backed out and cited the water issue as the reason

Question:
Ok so I'm completely legally illiterate, I don't know if there's anything here at all, hence me asking you guys. I live in Airway Heights, WA (hopefully its ok to say that, yell at me if not). Recently Fairchild AFB announced that the city's drinking water is contaminated from a chemical found in firefighting foam the base has been using from 1970-2016. Before this was announced I was in the process of selling my house. Inspection and appraisal had already been done and we were just waiting for the closing date to come when the announcement came. A few days later the buyer backed out (we are fighting for the earnest money and they are fighting to not pay it). Do we have a case against the sellers (if we don't get earnest money), or more importantly to me we have any case against the Airforce?

Here's an article explaining the contamination situation http://www.krem.com/news/local/spokane-county/airway-heights-water-contamination-to-last-at-least-10-days/440636661

Answer: As long as the seller backed out before signing the closing documents you were still in a negotiation and you have no cause of action (lawsuit) against the prospective buyer. The earnest money was a consideration paid to you to pull the house from the market, which you did. They will not recover that deposit. If you do have a case against the airforce it will likely be in the form of a class action with other affected property owners, after reading this article I would expect to be contacted by an attorney or neighbor retaining one eventually.


Title: You cannot legally consent to anything while intoxicated. So does that mean you're self-raping when you have a drunken fap?

Answer: Seriously?


Title: Birds pooping on car at apartment in assigned spot. Each day car is completely covered.

Question: Houston. I signed up last week for $40/month after living with unassigned parking for two weeks. They won't let me change to a new spot or cancel the agreement until I move out. Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 > Is there anything I can do?

You can buy a car cover.

But no, your landlord isn't responsible for birds pooping.  Answer #2: Who you looking to sue chief? The birds? Mother Nature? Mr. Heatmeiser? God?Answer #3: Buy a plastic owl. Put in near your parking space and moved it every few days.


Title: Coworker at work is filing misleading complaints; HR responds by creating policies that can only affect me without ever getting context.

Question:
Hey everyone. I'll get straight to it.

I work for a small business in the U.S. I've been working here for a few months and have a great relationship with my supervisor (inside council/compliance officer) and the owner/President. The CFO serves as HR and is extremely curt and passive aggressive when communicating with only me (when the President or my boss is not there to witness).

Since I started, two coworkers have made unprofessional comments to me (which I've reported to my supervisor for record) and have been filing MANY reports to HR about my behavior/performance. I'll list each report, the reality, and the corresponding HR action taken in a list below to make it easier to read.

1. **HR Report: "**megamilk\_ brushes her hair in her office in the morning."
   1. **Reality**: this is accurate. I do occasionally brush my hair before putting it up in the mornings. The coworkers that reported this paint their toenails, apply lotion, and makeup throughout the day in their offices? We also do not see clients in our office. It is Corporate HQ and I arrive before everyone except the two problem coworkers.
   2. **Response**: HR went to my supervisor who was directed to tell me I am only to brush my hair in the bathroom. My supervisor was furious and reassured me this is not a mark against me, but to mitigate future issues I should just agree. Per her, she responded to HR with "come back when you have an actual issue with my employee."
2. **HR Report: "**megamilk\_ gets special treatment and privileges, it's not fair, she hasn't paid her dues"
   1. **Reality:** I contracted the flu from one of the two coworkers in question. The other asked if I would please consider going home sick since we can all just work from home anyway. My supervisor also agreed that this was the best option since I can easily complete my work from anywhere. I complied. The two coworkers then formally reported this was special treatment. \*Important Note\* I am the only non-exempt employee at the entire company.
   2. **Response**: HR creates a policy stating non-exempt employees are now disallowed from working anywhere but the office. I am the only non-exempt employee of over 25 total employees. All other employees work remotely much of the time.
3. **HR Report:** "megamilk\_ is saving work documents to her personal laptop and playing around on it"
   1. **Reality:** I am a designer and own programs specific to my position requirements only. I met with supervisor (and other Executives were made aware) to express that I do not mind using my personal laptop for design-specific projects. I'll write it off as a business expense and save the company some money and the laptop cannot connect to the work server or network (since that would obviously be a liability) so there is no risk for them. This was known and agreed upon within my first two weeks.
   2. **Response:** HR alters personal device policy to exclude specifically personal computer use but still allows cellphones and tablets. HR also directs my supervisor to demand that I relinquish all work-related files, delete them from my laptop, and no longer use it. They also refuse to purchase the licenses for the software I need to do my job. My supervisor said I am now expected only to complete "directives from higher ups" and act like an "administrative assistant". She is doing what she can to get the software license for my work issued desktop computer since there are projects coming due that are impossible without the software.

Other examples would include the two coworkers in question making false reports that I am not doing certain parts of my job and they've just "noticed". These are completely false, but HR continues to tell my supervisor to counsel me on not doing my job. My supervisor knows this is ridiculous but makes me aware and says to be aware of those around me. HR has gone to the President with this issue many times who assumes I'm not doing parts of my job OR the two coworkers are just being "sensitive" because I'm new, and thinks I just need to appease them.

&#x200B;

There are more. But those are the ones from this week. I'm constantly being watched and reported on and HR has never once spoken to me. HR just responds with new policies, sent company-wide, that ONLY affect me - the sole non-exempt employee.

&#x200B;

Is there anything I can do legally to combat these policies that single me out and make it difficult and/or impossible to perform my job duties?

Can I do anything to stop the two coworkers from being taken seriously at their word without HR even asking me about it?

Is HR allowed to take aligations against an employee and immediately punish them through this reactive policy change?

Is HR allowed to take allegations against an employee and immediately punish them through this reactive policy change?

&#x200B;

Apologies if this post is a bit long. Thank you to anyone who can provide some sort of insight.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 First, this is a fabulously well organized post. After reading many block paragraphs with little to no structure, I appreciate this.

It's unlikely that you have a claim. The harassment does not appear to be based on any protected classifications, such as your sex, race, etc. Instead, you're just dealing with unpleasant people and an unsupportive HR department. This is one of those situations that shows not every bad thing one can do to another is unlawful. Since HR is not being helpful to you, you might consider finding a different employer.


Title: Volunteer Coordinator wont sign off on my court ordered community service [VA]

Question: I have 24 hours of court ordered community service. I've already completed 20 hours at this non profit and now on my last day the coordinator/manager accuses me of clocking in and leaving yesterday without working. They use a punch clock to track hours. What happened was i walked in and was getting ready to start and clock in but a co worker called and asked me to cover her shift  that morning at my real job. I just thought ill leave and cover the shift and comeback the next day to finish. Now when i go in this morning he starts to accuse me. i guess somebody saw me come in and leave. I then give him the punch card that shows that i didn't even clock in yesterday and explain the situation but he wasn't having any of it and said i wasn't getting any of my hours and that i need to have my PO talk to him. So i cant reach my PO yet and im waiting on her to call me back but i did talk to the County probation officer who said he cant call him for "liability issues". Isn't the manager legally obligated to sign off on my hours? What can i do about this?

Answer:
 get a copy of that timecard, if it shows your hoursAnswer #2: > Isn't the manager legally obligated to sign off on my hours?

No.

> What can I do about this?

Explain the situation to the manager and/or PO. Hopefully they believe you and sign off. If not, start your 20 hours again.


Title: I often use my phone connected to my car's bluetooth, and I also have a dashcam that records audio and video. Should I be informing everyone that calls me in the car that the call is being recorded?

Question: I live in a two-party consent state, and I never thought about this until I was going through my dashcam videos. Are thousands of people with dashcams just constantly breaking wiretapping laws?

Answer: Yeah, if you are recording audio of them without consent, in a medium such as a phone call where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the conversation, yes, you are violating the law.  That you are doing it inadvertently though a device that is designed to record other stuff is relevant only to the extent a prosecutor cares about your intent and wants to be nice.


Title: Wedding Dress Hasn't Arrived

Question: My sister had purchased her wedding dress on 9/15/2018, nearly a year prior to her wedding date on 9/7/2019. As of today, roughly 1.5 months prior to her wedding, the bridal shop still has not received her dress. The bridal shop has told her for two months that her dress will arrive at the shop "next week", but once we follow up a week later, the dress has still not been shipped. She is worried that the dress will not arrive on time for alterations, or even worse for her wedding at all. The dress was paid in full the day of purchase. Below are the terms and conditions for the bridal shop. Is there anything that we can do?

Answer: What does the contract say in regards to arrival date? I'd tell your sister to at least start looking at alternatives.Answer #2: Can you contact the manufacturer and find out what the hang up is?


Title: [OR] Boyfriend and I broke up. He has agreed to move, but wants off the lease. What will my landlord do?

Question:
My boyfriend and I broke up and it has been very ugly. He has agreed to move out by November 1, but wants to be taken off the lease. I emailed my landlord, told her we split up and he plans to move November 1, but I would like to stay and resign a lease in my name only. I am able to pay for this apartment all on my own, which she knows. She hasn't responded yet. I'm terrified she will just terminate the lease or my ex will retaliate further. He has not been physically abusive to me but he is very emotionally abusive and highly manipulative. I'm very afraid of him. I just want a sense of what my landlord will want to do- resign just me or terminate?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If your landlord is a reasonable person and you can prove you're able to pay for the apartment on your own, they can take him off the lease since you both agree to it, but they are not required to let him out of it. They can keep him on the lease until it expires. (When would that be, incidentally?)

If you have a fixed-term lease, then I don't believe they can terminate it just because you're asking to have your boyfriend removed.


Title: Ex girlfriend I hooked up with says she reported me as a rapist

Question:
TL;DR - I had sex with my ex and she says she has reported me to the police for rape, and they are collecting DNA evidence. What preparations can I take and what should I do?

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I met this girl at a group home when we were \~17. We started going out after bonding over our mutual shitty situation, mental illness, and experiences with rape and suicide. A few months in, when we were telling each other we were "in love" she hooked up with her ex boyfriend. We tried to work it out while we were both still there, but as soon as she left, being a few months older than me, she broke up with me for a different boy.

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So we go on and off over texts every 3-6 months over texting, emailing, and dming over social media. For probably 2 years i'm in contact with her is just arguing, but over the past month we've started meeting in person. I agreed to be her friend instead of pursuing any getting back together or anything like that, and I hung out outside her place at the middle of the night for the past couple saturday nights. Always either high, drunk, or both. And last Saturday we decided to hang over at my place.

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I text her the night of and I agree to pick her up at 11:30 ish to go back to my place. It's just her and I in my car, and we go back to my place, climbing in through the window of my brother's room and then heading straight to my own. We get high and ended up talking for at least an hour. One part that stood out was when I started talking to her about how I knew she was fucked up, and she explained that turning off the lights made her panic.

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So I messed around with turning the lights off and sure enough she would fall to the floor, put her hands over her head and start crawling towards me to turn the lights on. After a few times, she got used to it, but when I went to go turn them off again and she grabbed me, I turned to her and told her "there's literally nothing you can do to stop me." To which she smirked and replied something like "I can think of something." Hence came my cue to get rolling.

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She laid down on the bed and I tried kissing her. She put her hands on me and gently pushed me away, to which I started kissing her on the ear. Eventually I moved my way down to her neck, just placing my lips there to begin with. From there, every time I tried to advance she would push me away a bit, never with real force, and say "no, no." To which I would wait until she stopped pushing away to advance. From just lips to kissing her neck, pushed away. Wait. She stops pushing. Kiss harder, pushed away, wait, kiss more, etc etc. I spent at least 30 minutes going from lips just on the neck to kissing to biting and hickeys. I wanted to make sure she felt in control, making sure to either slow down or stop entirely when she pushed away, and later on when I tried to go down on her, she pushed me for away for real. (rape memories) So I didn't end up doing it.

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The slight resistance at the time was extremely hot, her grabbing my hand as I reached down to feel her, waiting, feeling her let up, and moving my fingers up and down. I took her hot and heavy breathing, along with the way her hips pushed into me and her kissing me back as non verbal cues to continue. My brother was up at the time, constantly opening his door outside my locked bedroom, several times to the point where I knew she could hear him. The rest of my family that she's met before were sleeping, but she and I knew they were nearby. She didn't punch, kick, bite, scratch, scream, stand up, or anything. I knew she was aroused, and although she said the words no several times, I continued, and she reciprocated.

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When we started having sex, no more than 5 minutes in she whimpered to me "I just want to go home." This being after interlocking our fingers and kissing her to try to create as much intimacy and comfort as possible. When she said that to me, I felt her face and saw she had some tears on the side of her eyes. I had felt her face before and this was the first tear I had felt during our intimate time together that night. I asked her if she wanted to go and she silently nodded, barely enough for me to make out in the dark. I told her "Alright, I'll let you go." and she sprung to sit up. She quickly got dressed and started freaking out. I called her an uber and she went home. I learned what blue balls really meant that night, with the hour + long foreplay for barely any sex and no orgasm.

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Her phone had died  while she was over, and as soon as she got back she started texting me. More or less, "I said no. What the fuck. I feel so used and scared. I'm supposed to report this." After briefly telling her I didn't rape her, I went to bed and she texted me the morning after, telling me she wasn't going to report me to the police, because she thinks I made a mistake. At this point I got somewhat angry and had an argument with her, trying to explain to her that I hadn't raped her, that she went alone back to my place, straight to the bedroom where she got high with me and had plenty of control over what happened last night. To which she replied along the lines of "I can't relive that experience."

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Well just tonight I texted her somewhat angry again, sending her multiple angry texts in a short period of time. To which she replied that she felt really bad because she had reported me to the police for rape, and that they were collecting DNA evidence from her. That she had dug her nails into my skin and kicked me off for a reason (even though she says this kick came from when she was getting dressed, and I wasn't bleeding or hurting from anywhere.) I didn't use a condom, i didn't ejaculate, but I definitely had some pre. I'm scared shitless of being put on a sex offender list or even just having to deal with legal issues.

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Thanks for reading all this bullshit.

What precautionary measures can I take to ensure this is as easy as possible IF it does become a problem?

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Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 no means no. it doesn't matter if someone is "aroused" if they do not consent ("no, no" and pushing you away),  it is rape.

Answer #2: You need an attorney. Don't say anything about this to anyone, not your family, not your friends, not social media, not the police. Only talk to your attorney. But I'm sorry, by your own recounting of events, you sexually assaulted and raped her.

If someone says no, *you stop*. No doesn't mean wait a few minutes and try again. She doesn't have to scream or fight you off or any of that. She said no. Repeatedly. Pushed you and moved your hand away. Repeatedly.

You poor thing, you didn't get to finish. She didn't even want to start. You pushed and pushed until she was crying. And you're the one angry? Come on.Answer #3: She pushed you away and you persisted

Yeah you seem like a rapist my man.

Like the last guy said, delete this and get in contact with a lawyer. You are going to need one.


Title: Should I call the cops on a 10 year old for punching my daughter? [NE]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Please do call the police. Your daughter was assaulted. Today it was just a punch, what will it be tomorrow, two years from now?

I know it might seem mean to call the cops on a kid, but we'd really rather have you call us on him now, as a child, than when he's doing serious harm as an adult.Answer #2: Do you really want to give your daughter the impression that people won't get I  trouble for punching her in the face. She needs to see consequences (for the attacker), either school or police or both so that something happens. More important to you is that she isn't effected by this,  don't care about the kids future care about hers first.

Edited for clarity


Title: If I borrow money to pay for divorce expenses, is that a marital debt? NY

Question: I am planning on ending my marriage in the next few months. I would like to borrow a significant amount of money (with a promissory note and paying interest, obviously without my husband's knowledge or participation). I will use this to rent and furnish a new apartment and to pay a retainer for a divorce lawyer and legal fees, so that I can be away from him before I file. My question is, will this count as a marital debt that my husband and I are both responsible for when our assets are divided? Or would I have to pay all of it out of my side of our assets? NY

Answer:
 That will be up to the courts, in the end.  In many cases the courts will count the cost of the divorce, on both sides, as a marital debt.

You should talk to an attorney **first** to plan this out.


Title: Does this mother really have standing / real damages? (MN)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 She is suing on the basis that her parental rights have been violated and to have an injunction to prevent any more services to her child without her consent.Answer #2: >Calgaro is also being represented by an anti-abortion law firm called the Thomas More Society.

Of course she is. Answer #3: NAL

The mother has a 14th amendment constitutional right (liberty interest) to care, custody and control of her minor child. Typically these rights can only be removed by court actions with very specific actions or by consent. Minnesota statute and the actions of the named parties have effectively terminated mother's ability to exercise certain rights without ever seeing the inside of a courtroom.

 I find it incredible that the school district, medical providers, and the payee for health services refused to release documentation to the mother with no court order saying not to. Medical providers can at times, in some jurisdictions, under certain circumstances refuse to turn over medical records, but it is usually only pieces of records (not ALL records) to parents who retain the parental right to them. These are basic parental rights that even the worst parents typically maintain under law in actual court actions.

 This is a fantastic post BTW.

I could be completely off base though.... because I'm not a lawyer.


Title: Met a girl who is a lot younger than me.

Question:
We met at a gas station and we had a conversation which led to me asking her to have dinner with me at my house. She's been pretty much staying at my house 24 seven since then (around 2 weeks now). When we met she was 17, but she turns 18 in less than a week (this sunday). When she turns 18, she becomes totally legal right? She is a junior at the moment but will be a senior in high school next year. I'm 46 but probably pass for late 30s. Any legal issues here?

>From New Mexico.

Answer: Jesus Christ you're creepy. Answer #2: The common sense rule is 1/2 your age + 7 provided they're over 18, not 1/2 your age - 6.


Title: [US/CA] There's a website that has a highly popular tool, but the mobile version of the website is awful. I want to write an Android app that will incorporate that tool, including the login provided on the website. Am I allowed to do it without the creator's permission?

Question:
Am I allowed to directly incorporate the tool in an android app without the developers permission, or will I need to seek confirmation from the creator?

What I am concerned about most is adds. I don't place adds in any app that I write, but his website does have adds in it. Writing a reliable app means that there is no add revenue for the tool's developer.

Can provide more information.

Answer: No, you can't use their tools without their permission. You can't steal.


Title: My Son's Kindergarten Teacher Is Ruining His School Experience

Question:
Location is Michigan, USA.

My son just enrolled in school this year and is three months into the school year. My next door neighbor worked for this district for 20 years before retiring and personally recommended one of the teachers still there. Once orientation was over and we received our packets with teacher information, we realized we were already assigned to Teacher A. We stopped by the office on our way out and talked with the assistant there about the possibly of moving our son to Teacher B since their personalities meshed so well together (we actually met in the hallways). They said they would look into it and see if there was room. Never heard back so we figured move on and were sure Teacher A would be wonderful as well. Cue the beginning of the coldest relationship I have ever maintained in my professional life. I've dealt with angry, hurt, vindictive and everything in-between, but never just a chilly indifference.

I will start off with this very important disclaimer: \*\*My son has never insinuated he is being abused\*\*

I honestly believe she got wind I tried to switch classes and is taking it out on my son. We are constantly getting calls home about his 'behavior'. Just today we got a call saying she was going to try and arrange a sit-down between the school administrators, the principal, and our family to discuss the most recent incident. This incident being (from my son's point of view) he was talking with his friend at free time, she said she was sad, so he shouted "NO! BE HAPPY!" and gave her a hug that picked her up. I know this is still unacceptable. My wife and I have had conversations with him about touching peoples hair, kissing on the cheek, and other similar activities. His daycare prior to this didn't stop this often enough and we have had talks with him about personal space but Jesus the kid is 5. I'll have to tell him 2,571 more times before it really sinks in. Her version didn't include a single detail. She called saying there was an incident and your son is in the principals office because he assaulted a girl and "God only knows how her mother will react when she finds out what happened". When pressed for details, she gave none. Unfortunately, this is the same dish with a new flavor. Zero growing conversations, no constructive criticism, only demerits and punishment. I could list multiple events that were used in hyperbole to exemplify the need for my son to not show any personality. Once, my wife was annoyed by the constant critiques via a teacher-parent app that she asked "could you please post something positive about my son??" and her response was he was a nice smile.

To end the backstory and move on to the question at hand, what legal recourse do I have to:

A) Send a recording device in to school with my son. I have read conflicting information claiming a public school both does and does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

B) Request the school move my son to a different classroom. After my first experience, I have no desire to speak to the office staff about moving my son and the district website is as straight forward as one would expect of local government.

C) Remove him from the Elementary all together and enroll him in a new school within the district.

It really just boils down to if I can get my kid in a new classroom if the school tries to fight me?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: I think you left out the part where the teacher is "ruining his school experience."


Title: Charges Being Pressed on Kids in Group Message

Question:
Me and 6 friends were added in a group chat created by a 16 year old who wanted to "fight all of us" after we had made a few jokes on his appearance in a separate private group. We don't know the kid personally and only knew who he was from the picture of one of our friend's sister's homecoming date. He began to threaten us by sending his address and asking to come fight him, that we were "pussies", etc.. We retaliated and basically messed around with him, as we didn't think he was actually that pissed off. He then writes, "I will put a bullet in each of ya'll and your families." We began to write more offensive and threatening comments as well. However, one of our idiot friends took it too far and began adding several porn pictures while talking about killing/sexually abusing his mother/sister. He is 16 and we are all 18 in Texas. We all received dozens of calls after he told his father who managed to find one of our addresses and wrote our names/numbers down saying he was heading to the police station to press charges. My question is, are the other members of the group chat who didn't say anything / only made rude comments in any trouble. And if the friend who sent multiple scenes of extremely graphic (cuckhold/shemale/gay 3 way) porn to a minor and made death  threats be charged. We are all college students and just wan't a clean criminal record.

TLDR : Talked shit, got cucked

Edit: was NOT satire

Answer:
 1.  That's not satire.  Not even close.  Not even sort of.
2.  Get a lawyer
3.  Talk to no one.
4.  Do whatever your lawyer says if you actually ARE charged.  This may include selling the heck out of your friend(s) for a deal with the DA.    Answer #2: The person sending pron to a minor is probably in for a world of hurt. The other people might not be.Answer #3: Without speaking to the legal pitfalls potentially before you, "legal" trouble isn't one in the same with your school's opinion of your actions. If the school gets wind, they may react.


Title: Private Party Car Sale: Buyer gives up possession of the car and wants their money back. New Mexico

Question:
I sold a car to a guy. The deal was (all through text) I would sell my car to him for $8,500. His grandma was also involved in the financial dealings as she put up a big chunk of change towards the car to the tune of $6,500. The guy with the car was responsible for paying me the other $2,000 which he put $800 towards it as well and agreed to pay the last $1,200 by the end of this month (April).

Last week they returned the car and the keys and said they dont want it anymore. The guy had possession of the car and put a lot of miles on it as well as cigarrette burns all over the headliner. It took many hours to get it clean like I kept it. I understand this is part of the risk of selling a car so it is what it is. They had not titled it in their name as the title is still in my possession.

Their reasoning was the grandma didnt trust the guy to pay her back for the loan she took out to get the car and the guy was jobless and didnt think he could make the payment so they opted to give it back.

So, I told them I would sell it but putting it up for "quick sale". I listed the car for $8,500 and a buyer wants to buy it Monday. I told the grandma and the guy that I am going to treat the sale in the following manner: they still owed me $1,200 and I am due that out of the $8,000 I sell it for. This would mean I will send them the difference which is $6,800. This is $500 less than the total they gave me for the car so far but considering the efforts I have had to take to clean it, list it, and resell it are worth that.

So, in short, do I owe them $7,300 that they gave me or am I being fair and, most importantly, legal in my approach of getting what was originally due me and they get the difference? My thought is that had they trashed it and the car was only worth $4k now, I would do the same thing because I started the deal with an $8,500 dollar car. TIA.

Answer: I'm confused. Why is this your problem?  He bought the car. I'm assuming you have paperwork right?  Answer #2: Never give someone possession of something they haven't paid for, you'll almost always regret it. Deduct your costs for restoring the vehicle to the state it was in and mileage wear and tear and accept it as a lesson for the future.


Title: Someone I know was placed on a will for 1 million dollars, but is in a different country and is 16. what should they do?

Question: This girl lives California, and her ex boyfriend lives in Canada and put her on a will for 1 million dollars. What should she do?

Answer:
 This sounds like the start of an old and popular scam. Be very, very wary, especially of letters from people claiming all you have to do is deposit a check and send back certain charges and keep the balance.

These scams leave you with a bounced check, money gone and a large debt that has to be paid back to your bank when they eventually discover the check is worthless. It can take a long time for a check to clear, and the bank has a certain time to charge back when that check fails.


Title: Dad doesn’t pay child support

Question: Im 16 and me and my mom live in Canada while my dad lives in the USA. He doesn’t pay any child support and while we’re not struggling, it would be nice to have school funds. I know in Canada we could take him to court, but he’s not in Canada. Is there anything we can do?

Answer:
 *Your mother* can take him to court for the child support in arrears.
The child support is owed to your mother, not you.


Title: I was hit turning left, other cars speed doesn’t matter? (ON, Canada)

Question:
Last night I got into a bad accident but am thankfully okay. I was on my way home from a friends, taking a way I usually take anytime I drive home which includes a left hand turn onto a side street so I can skip waiting at two sets of lights.

As I was making the turn last night, I remember seeing that the light was yellow and that I had plenty of time to turn because while there was a couple vehicles, they were pretty far back. Next thing I know, there’s headlight and a truck plowing into me.

We were in a community safety zone so 40 km per hour speed limit but his truck hit my suv hard enough for me to spin all the way around into opposing traffic while he wound up in the middle of someone’s lawn. All parties are okay, just a little bruises up so thank goodness for modern safety.

I got an unsafe turning charge, which I don’t plan on fighting since between that and my deductible it’s cheaper than potentially opening myself up to way more costs in court. But I’m sure he was speeding, the front of my car was totally destroyed, his truck took some heavy damage too and i have a feeling he gunned through the yellow to beat the red.

However, the police officer told me it doesn’t matter if he had been going 700 km a hour, I was turning and that’s the only factor. Why is that? If he’d get a ticket for speeding on a normal basis, how come speeding and hitting someone makes the person who was turning responsible? I really thought I had judged the distance and time I had accurately taking all the details into account like I always do, and I’ve never been in an accident before.

Tl;dr: if someone is speeding and hits someone turning, Why is fault automatically put on the person turning?

I hope I don’t sound like a jackass, I’m happy everyone is safe and that’s really all that matters. Bruises heal and this is what insurance is for.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 You were blocking the right of way. In the grand scheme of things, that takes precedence over speed. Speed on its own does nothing. Blocking a lane of traffic causes problems. Hence you being in the wrong.

Also, application of the law takes into account what can be proven beyond reasonable doubt. You were blocking a lane. The other guy may or may not have been speeding, but there is no way of knowing for sure. (And before you get all CSI, no, they don’t roll out the accident reconstruction team and start collecting DNA samples for every fender bender.) So application of the law in your instance is about what can be proven. Again, you were blocking the lane.

Sucks for you, but you’re gonna have to take tour lumps with this one. Answer #2: This is why playing "beat the yellow" is such a bad idea. If you're able to safely stop at a yellow light, you should do so.


Title: [LA] Someone is letting their dog die of worms, what can I do?

Question:
Someone that I know who pretends to love her dog very much and claims it’s her life (on fb) is actually letting her dog suffer with worms. It’s very bad as the dog is vomiting worms. Passing out. Starting to have other health issues.

It has been very blatantly pointed out to her that her dog has worms by her family member who is a vet tech. She is FULLY AWARE. She simply is acting like it will go away and just keeps posting about her life like and animal like everything is perfect while her dog vomits worms.

She had another dog also who isn’t vomiting worms yet but is probably at risk.

She will most likely let the dog die of worms and then lie about his cause of death and use it as attention for herself.

I have looked up animal cruelty laws but I can’t find something that specifically talks about worms. I called the local animal welfare place and they said that we should talk to her about it.
She will not give up the dog and she will not admit there’s an issue so there’s no point in advising me to reason with her.

Is there any LEGAL thing I can do? Is there a law she is breaking?

If I posted or made public what she’s doing in effort to shame her to treat the dog would she be able to do something to me for posting that?

Answer:
 The laws on the duty to treat sick or injured animals are location specific.

Answer #2: Call animal control in your county.