Title: Was this person right to call 911?

Question: So I was waiting for the bus after a weekly psychotherapy appointment. I was running to a low floor bus (I'm too lazy to climb 3 stairs) but missed it. And the next buses that came were high floors. As I was waiting for a low floor bus I was running back and forth on the block. Someone called 911 for this. The police and an ambulance show up telling me someone called, but they said I'm not in trouble (GOOD :)). They asked why I was there, and I told them I was here for a weekly psychotherapy appointment in a nearby clinic and showed them my co-pay receipt and state photo ID to prove it. I told them I was waiting for a low floor bus because I prefer them and I accidently missed one. They asked if I was OK and I insisted I was alright. They asked who I lived with and if my mother knew I was there (I'm 19) and I said yes, and gave our number when they asked. I had to go to the ambulance and they just checked my blood pressure and asked if I wanted to go the hospital and I said no and insisted I was OK. Yes I was running back and forth but that is not a reason to call 911. And I was NOT in a medical emergency, so why would they ask if I want to go to the hospital. The officers said to next time not to do anything that would get 911 called (WHAT? How about tell that person not to abuse 911) and they said I was running n the ROAD. I was running on the STREET, not on the ROAD. I also should not have to justify what I am doing in a PUBLIC PLACE. Someone wanted to call them to "check on me." Do you think this was a valid reason to call 911? Don't they have real emergencies?

Answer:
 Yes, that was a perfectly valid reason to call 911.  They found your behavior strange and were concerned about you- they wanted to make sure you didn't need any help.

I see nothing wrong with anyone's response here.Answer #2: >Do you think this was a valid reason to call 911? Don't they have real emergencies?

It is not your job to deem what is a real emergency or not. The people who called had a valid reason, you were exhibiting activity that was out of the norm. While what you did was completely legal, these people may have suspected you were on some kind of drug perhaps (or having an episode).

It doesn't matter where you are on public or private property, that is irrelevant. Answer #3: Your behavior was strange, and some bystander was concerned.  Concerned, likely, for your safety and the safety was others.  I don't see anything wrong with calling 911.


Title: Storage company "accidentally" sold belongings in unit at auction, need advice!

Question:
Hello fellow Redditors!

Some background on the situation:
This past summer, I stored all of my belongings in a unit with my brother at a well known corporate storage facility in Arizona while I was working in Alaska for the summer. A few months later while in Alaska, it was discovered that all of our belongings were sold at auction, even though I had made every single payment on time. Halfway thru the summer, we decided to move to a smaller unit at the same facility ( he was subletting my apartment while I was in AK and had moved most of his stuff in so the large unit was not necessary anymore so we thought to save $20-30/mo.) Lo and behold, the manager of the facility had us in "unit b" but in their system had us in "unit c". My brother noticed this and the site manager notated this discrepancy in our account, but never actually updated our account. The person in our "unit" stopped paying and they sold our stuff at auction.

Collectively, we had about ~$22k worth of items in our unit. They are claiming to have no responsibility in the situation, even though we have recorded one of their regional managers admitting fault in the matter (AZ is a one-party consent state in regards to that).

Since then, we've retained a lawyer to attempt to recoup the replacement value of said items. Due to the wording of the contract we signed, the company claims they are only liable for up to $5k. It should also be noted that they required renters insurance to rent from there, which they offered thru a 3rd party company, which we accepted when we initially started renting, but when we moved units, the insurance was cancelled and never reactivated (which would have prevented this legal problem in the first place.)

Fast forward to now, we have reached a "settlement" with said company in which we basically are settling for their liability maximum ($5000) as stated by the contract we signed with them.

We have not actually signed said settlement yet. But should we or should we continue to fight for the full amount that we have originally demanded (~$22k including our legal fees)? Everything in my body says to keep fighting, but we are not financially well off and this company has a full legal staff and we can't afford to fight their lawyers. Is there anything we can do or should we just roll over and take what they are offering just to be done with it?  Any potential legal assistance is welcomed including resources in AZ for reduced fee/ pro Bono legal assistance.

Answer:
 It’s an interesting story, I don’t see any legal way for the company NOT to pay you in full, value plus rental.

Their deal is likely that they can’t Get insurance to cover it, and the business is trying their best to hold on to the cashAnswer #2: Listen your lawyer, not randoms on the internet.  You're paying for legal advice... take it.Answer #3: You used the phrase "the company claims" numerous times throughout your post. Stop that. They can write or say anything they want about their liability and it may or may not be true. What did the lawyer advise?  Answer #4: What does your attorney you retained think?  I would say their advice will supersede anything on this sub.


Title: A friend stole a couple hundred $ from my a card of mine says hell give jt back but never will. Can legally force him to repay me?

Question: Like to note I am young and can't acquire a lawyer or what not. I am very unfamiliar with this type of stuff.

Answer: Sure - file a police report.


Title: [Hypothetical] I rented out a cabin in the woods for the weekend. All of my friends and a cop were murdered by some psycho. What do I do now? (IN)

Question:
Like the title said, I thought it would just be a fun time in the woods with my friends. We'd get a little drunk and smoke a little weed (I know it's illegal, but after this weekend that's the least of my worries). Friday night, we hear some noise coming from the woods and two guys decided to go out and investigate. They never came back and when we went looking for them Saturday morning, we found them all fucked up in the woods.

Obviously, we called the police but by the time they could arrive out to this remote cabin, the bodies were gone and they didn't believe us. They yelled at us for playing a prank on them and about how they should charge us for wasting their time and "smoking the reefer". Understandably, we were incredibly shaken and wanted to leave, but by the time all of this happened, it was pretty late and no one wanted to drive because they were in shock. We were also worried about getting lost in these freaky woods. We thought it would be safer to stay in the cabin because we could lock the doors.

This was a terrible idea. We locked the doors and closed all the windows and yet... oh god, I don't know how it happened but he got us. He got almost all of us. I managed to take the car and get out of there, somehow and on my way back to the main road I saw the cop's cruiser and body half way out the side. It was brutal.

What do I do now? Is anyone going to believe that I didn't kill all my friends? Do I call the police? Last time we did it didn't turn out well for them. Should I get a lawyer already? I'm so scared, still.

Answer:
 You should contact the police anonymously and head south. If you cross the border you'll be safe from sequels until at least part IV or V.

ABSOLUTELY disregard returning to the scene because of some sense of guild or need for vengeance. That will get you murdered in a particularly ironic fashion in the third act of part II (unless you are a young child or lost a hand, then you can feel free to grab a shotgun and go monster hunting).


Title: Problems obtaining original Birth Certificate

Question:
I will attempt to make this as short as possible and include the necessary information.

Not giving my actual name, let's just say I'm John Doe. I live in Florida.

I am 34 years old. My entire life I thought I had my original birth certificate in my possession. As it turns out, it is a copy which puts me in a very disturbing situation.

I was trying to renew my driver's license. They require much more information than before and that's when I was informed that my birth certificate was not original.

So I started calling around to see what I have to do. I am a US citizen born abroad, with a unique situation. I did in fact have an original BC but it had my name spelled wrong, so in 5th grade my parents had it changed to the correct spelling. That's when we were supposed to get another certified original, but that never happened.

I must've forgotten about it until now, my parents never fully followed up on that so I might be out of luck and here's why.

I've been told I can make a formal written notarized request however, all of the notary's that I've spoken to won't touch my letter. My current ID is expired...so I have no picture identification which is required to do this.

So I'm not really sure what I'm supposed to do. I am permanently disabled and living with my parents. I receive social security benefits and I have insurance. Not sure how I got all of this stuff without a BC before...don't understand.

How do people whose house burns down and all their documents burn up come back and get their information.

Help, someone....advice....am I legal?

I can't even walk outside of my house because I'm afraid if a cop asks me for ID I'm going to either be fined or jailed, and most likely jailed because you need an ID to pay the fine I think.

Man, I was really looking forward to getting my license, starting my life over again so I can get a car and get a job and move out of my parents place. But it seems like I don't even have proof that I'm an American citizen, probably haven't had that proof since the 5th grade.

Someone said that I might be able to get my parents to get it, but wasn't sure about that.

Answer:
 Can your parents not make this request on your behalf? Almost everywhere in the US (at least) parents can make birth certificate requests for their children. After all, your parents made the initial request for change, I don't see why they couldn't do it again.

Presumably they have ID and can make a formal written notarized request?

You don't mention where you were born.Answer #2: Try the us state dept. That who issued my friends child's birth cert when they were born in Germany on a military base. Answer #3: Florida's 'stop and identify' law allows the cops to demand that you identify yourself in certain circumstances (such as if they are investigating a prowling report, or have grounds to believe you are committing a crime); however, it does NOT require that you provide current photo ID. "Identify yourself" means tell them that you are UScitizenbornabroad and you reside at Some Address; if you can produce any documentation at all, even expired ID, that's better, but you are not obligated to do so. You are not going to be fined for walking outside without current ID. (Driving is a different matter--driving does require a current license.)


Title: My landlord has withheld an unreasonable amount of my deposit. What are my options?

Question:
This is WA state.

I ended a month-to-month lease with no problems. The morning after I finished moving out, I sent the landlord a text telling him I was out and left the key inside. He messaged me back an hour later telling me I didn't clean - which would affect my deposit. I told him I *did* clean and asked for clarification. He listed toilet, microwave, fridge, floors, counters, so I sent him pictures of the toilet, microwave, fridge, floors, and counters that I had taken after cleaning. No response.

&nbsp;

A few weeks went by, but I didn't want to hassle him about the deposit as I assumed he would get it to me eventually and time wasn't a big issue for me. Staying on good terms was more important. I figured he'd ask me for my new address when he had the deposit ready, or simply send it to my previous address if he didn't want to ask me. I soon realized that he didn't have my previous address (I filled out forms for other places, but this guy didn't have those), so I texted him my new address. That was 28 days after I moved out.

&nbsp;

He responded three days later saying he was out of town and couldn't get to it for a couple weeks. I sent another text two weeks later with no response. After two more weeks, I sent another and it turned out to be in the mail that day. The mail was postmarked 67 days after I sent him the text that I had moved out (39 days after I gave him my new address).

&nbsp;

My original deposit was $1000 and he returned $525 of it. The mailed check included a sticky-note with the following itemization:

&nbsp;

- $75 Last month's utilities

- $200 Bathroom / Kitchen

- $200 Carpet cleaning

&nbsp;

I forgot about the last month's utilities, so that is reasonable, but I don't think the ~500sqft apartment needed $400 for cleaning. I lived there seven months and always took my shoes off. There were no stains of any kind on the berber carpet, so I don't think that needed cleaning either.

&nbsp;

I sent him a text explaining that I thought the withheld amount was unreasonable. I suggested a $50 cleaning fee, expecting maybe a bit of a haggle. I'll just quote his response instead of trying to explain it:

> There wasn't a single clean surface. Go get some quotes from a house cleaning service. Even a basic clean will cost several hundred dollars. I'm sorry you are unhappy with your refund. But I don't think you have a realistic view on the value of my time or the value of a cleaning service. You can't get anything done for $50. The fact that you didn't even bother to vacuum or clean the toilet was quite frankly a little insulting.

&nbsp;

He included pictures of some mildew lines on the inside rim of the toilet and some mildew that had stained a polymer sealant in the shower. He also included three close-up pictures of pebbles he found on the carpet, a dead fly on an unknown surface, dust on top of the fridge, a hair that he had lacquered into the kitchen counter top (a couple weeks after I moved in), and some dry crumbs on the inside of the microwave door.

&nbsp;

I have pictures of the rest of the toilet completely clean, the rest of the shower completely clean, the carpets from a wide-angle, and a spotless inside of the microwave (as well as pictures of the entirety of the rest of the apartment). Admittedly, I could have scrubbed the toilet for longer, I overlooked the tray on the inside of the door of the microwave, and I didn't vacuum. (I didn't actually have a vacuum, but I never wore shoes inside so it really didn't seem like a big deal - and it certainly didn't look dirty.) I assumed dust on out-of-reach areas would be considered normal wear and tear.

&nbsp;

(I have his and my pictures if anyone is curious to see.)

&nbsp;

At this point it sounds like he has no intention of returning any more of my money. Does it seem reasonable that I should be able to recover some more of my deposit? Is my only option to sue? I suppose I would tell him I'm going to do that first, if so. How would one go about sending that kind of message?

&nbsp;

Thanks for any insight.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 LL has 21 Days in Washington.
" the landlord shall give a full and specific statement of the basis for retaining any of the deposit together with the payment of any refund due the tenant under the terms and conditions of the rental agreement."

So. Even though the didn't have the address until after 21 days. It still took him 39 days after he had the address.

Find a LL-Tenant Lawyer, and sue for the whole deposit, as well as attorney fees
Answer #2: Two points that haven't been brought up:

1) You don't have to leave the apartment clean; you have to leave it as clean as it was rented to you, minus normal wear and tear. Carpet cleaning could be normal wear and tear.

2) If the landlord didn't send you the check & itemized receipt [within 21 days](http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=59.18.280), they have to return the whole deposit.

The court may assign you up to 2x damages in that case.

I don't think you would need a lawyer; small claims should be sufficient.


Title: ISP Over charged me due to a "typo" on their end. My bank charged me 48$ NSF fee because of their mistake.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You probably don't need a legal recourse.  You aren't going to sue over $48. This is a customer service situation.

First, get a copy of your bank statement showing the ISP's charge and showing your overdraft fee.  Block out the sensitive info.

Call them back and state your intentions clearly:

"I received a $48 overdraft fee as a result of being overcharged.  The overcharge was your companies error and as a result, I expect to be compensated.  I need you to issue a credit for this, and if you are unable to do so, I need you to connect me to someone who can.  I can provide documentation proving I was overcharged and showing the overdraft fee on request."

If they say there is nothing they can do, escalate to a supervisor.  If they tell you one isn't available but will call you back, get the name and number for the supervisor and hold them to a specific time frame to contact you back. If they don't contact you back, ask to speak to *their* supervisor.  Call centers are often extremely hectic, the more persistent you are the more likely you are to be noticed and have your problem solved.

I have over 10 years experience in customer service and I can tell you if you escalate far enough and are persistent enough you'll find a supervisor willing to spend $48 to make you go away.

Above all, be respectful, but firm,  Make it clear you will not let this go, but don't be rude.  Your overall goal is to make helping you easier than ignoring you. The nicer you are the more likely people who can help you will help you.


Title: [GA] Renting from an owner through a property management service. HOA changed rules, disallowing owner to rent property. My roommate and I being told to vacate.

Question:
I moved into this new apt 2 months ago, renting from an owner. My roommate and I both received a Notice To Vacate: Early Termination by Landlord today. It says in accordance with Section blah of the lease agreement, the Landlord is exercising their right to terminate the Lease early, and we're required to vacate in 60 days. It also says we will be compensated the amount of 1 month's rent for the inconvenience of the early termination. But we're still responsible for rent through the notice period.

I called the property management to get to the bottom of it all. She told me the HOA came under new management and tightened up some rules and bylaws. By doing so, the owner of the property I'm renting became disallowed to rent out the apartment. I was told the owner applied to appeal, but was denied. Finally, I called the HOA. They told me nothing other than what I was already told, that the owner was banned from renting the property.

On top of all this, the HOA told the property management to try to strike an agreement with us to have us out of the apartment by Nov 3rd - only 33 days notice. As per the lease agreement, we're legally bound to 60 days notice.

Am I being jerked around here? Something seems very fishy about this whole thing, and having just settled in I've now got to pack everything back up and find somewhere else to live. Please, help me out with and advice or insight. Thank you.

EDIT: Section blah of the lease was the part about keeping the peace and quiet for the good of the community. The property management explained to me that because THEY were disturbing MY peace and quiet, I would be compensated for one month's rent.

EDIT #2: We came to an agreement on the terms of our lease termination. We will pay no rent for the remaining 2 months. If we stayed our legally bound 60 days, the property owner would be fined $625 by the HOA. I proposed she pay us that amount and we would vacate by the date requested, which was accepted. We are now in the process of putting in rental applications and beginning to close down our current town home. Thanks to all of you  for your help and advice. HOA's are the devil.

Answer:
 Review what your lease says. If that Section says that the landlord can break lease by paying you off in 60 days then this is probably kosher.

If the lease doesn't say that then this problem has nothing to do with you. The HOA has a problem with the landlord, not with you and you bought the legal right to occupy the property for a given period of time. It was legal to do so at the time and you can't be evicted for making a legal deal.Answer #2: > It says in accordance with Section blah

Section "blah" is very important here. What does it actually say?


Title: My lawyer is not working on my case? What do I do?

Question:
For some backstory: I was injured at work by a falling ladder two years ago.  The result is Peroneal Nerve damage and CRPS Type 2 in both legs from the knees down.

My lawyer has repeatedly failed to show up for council with Workers Compensation to which I am there alone and end up leaving cause I can't be seen without my lawyer present and he has never returned my calls, messages or anything of the like.  And now he's telling me that I have to pay for all of my medical expenses up front and go back to sue Workers Compensation after.

What do I do here?  I'm so panicked because I'm so fucking close to ending up crippled for life and I've been out of work so I can't afford to pay for my own medical care. I actually had to set up a gofundme account for it.

Any help or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: I am in St Louis, MO

Answer: You can fire your attorney and hire a new one.


Title: Waiter asking about how the minimum wage compensation works.

Question:
At $2.13 an hour if I do not make $7.25 an hour my boss should compensate that number to match at least $7.25.

My question is at what periods of time is this accounted for? The day? The week?

My boss is saying it's an average (of I'm assuming the pay period). State of Alabama.

Thanks folks!

Answer: Of the entire pay period, not each individual hour.


Title: [CA/NV] I've got 99 problems and they're all camgirls

Question:
I've known a camgirl personally for about two years now.  She cut me out of her life after 'borrowing' some money and started telling people that I'm a stalker/harassing her, probably because the money-well is running dry and it's the easiest way to run me off.  I felt the need to defend myself and so I was creating a website where it would be a statement by her countered by another statement by her.  Ie. She publicly tells people she doesn't know me and I'm just a stalker, so I juxtaposed that screenshot with her texts telling me that I'm an 'amazing friend' to her.  Etc.  I figure if she's going around telling people I'm a stalker, which seems like accusing me of a crime which might actually be slander (If either of us had a reputation worth defending), then I should be able to post texts where she very clearly knows who I am and even goes into personal details about her life with me.
I feel like I should at least be able to get my story out in the world, otherwise I've cut off all contact.  When she saw it she said she was 'adding it to the case' she claims is against me (Civil? Criminal? Stalking? Harassing? I've never intimidated her or threatened her, although she's sent a threat to me, so I'm not sure it even falls under anything she's accusing me of.)  If anything, it was all stuff I would show a judge if she was claiming I was simply a crazy person she never met before.  I'm in California, she's in Nevada.  Should I leave the site down? If she does try to take legal action, does she have to file in California or Nevada?  Thanks!

Answer:
 Did you really think the best way to avoid seeming like you were harassing or stalking her was to set up a whole website about her?

You should have just cut off contact and ignored her.


Title: [NJ] "OBSTRUCTION OF VIEW" GPS ON WINDSHIELD

Question:
About a month a go I got pulled over and was issued a summons for obstruction of view because I had my GPS attached to my windshield directly under my rear-view mirror in such a manner that it does not obstruct my view of the road or what's in front of me. I was also issued a summons because at the time I could not locate my proof of insurance card.

I need to go to court anyways to prove that I do in fact have automobile insurance, and that will most likely be thrown out [I hope] once I show the judge my card.

But my question is, can I make a case against the obstruction of view charge? My argument is that if it is in fact illegal [it is] to attach your GPS device to your windshield then the State of New Jersey should prohibit the sale of GPS devices that come with the suction cup for your windshield. I'm not sure if there is a legal term but the closest thing I could think of is entrapment.

Thoughts?

Answer:
 >I'm not sure if there is a legal term but the closest thing I could think of is entrapment.

>Thoughts?

Yeah.  Don't say that word in court if you want any chance at beating the ticket.
Answer #2: Your reasoning is very faulty. It is not illegal to own a GPS unit. It is not illegal in all states to mount it to your windshield. It is in yours. So you mount it to your dash. But there is no reason they cannot be sold in your state. If we follow your logic then no one in your state should own a car because they can go faster than the speed limit.

If you don't like the law, contract your local government to change it. But breaking the law is going to get you a ticket.


Title: If you have auditory and visual hallucinations do you have to stop driving?

Question:
So i had to take a psych eval (non-mandatory) for reasons that dont really matter, anyway i was diagnosed schizophrenia and i apparently have auditory and visual hallucinations.

Do i have to legally stop driving? Can they/will they take my driving license away?

Location: California

Answer: You should, you have become a danger to others.


Title: I have a strong thought that my mom and brother use my name to get prescription drugs.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The easiest way to look into it would be to get your hands on one of their prescription bottles and read the label.

Or go to the pharmacy you think they use and hand over your ID and ask to pick up your prescription. Answer #2: Pharmacist here, my advice depends on you having a decent relationship with your pharmacist and will only show if they're using it for controlled substances. In certain states we have programs called PMPs (Prescription Monitoring Programs) that allow us to monitor patient controlled substance usage regardless of the pharmacy. If you only fill at one pharmacy you could explain this situation to the pharmacist at that store and see if they can look you up. Any listings they find for other stores would confirm your suspicions. I don't know the legal process from there but hopefully this is a good startAnswer #3: /r/TalesFromThePharmacy is full of pharmacists - it might be worthwhile posting this there.


Title: [Colorado] I paid off my friend's car.

Question:
Well, I have another problem here in Colorado reddit legal advisors. I have a friend who owed over $8,000 on his car. He has no job, no money, and he had no clue how he was going to keep his car without it getting repoed. I came in and went "I'll pay it off for you, and you can pay me back." I talked to his car people, and they said they would settle for $3,000. Easy peasy. I send a check in for $3,000 and my friend has his car back. The only thing is that now he owes the nice guy money. Well, I was too nice.

I paid for his car, but I didn't make him sign any contract to pay me back. He is now saying that he doesn't have to pay me back. The money was a gift. The check that I sent was in my name. The car is in his name. I want to know if I can sue the guy to make him pay me back. I have no paperwork except for the letter from his car people about it, and the paperwork for the check. What can I do? He also owes me $600 for unpaid rent.

Answer: Small claims court. You want to bring the letter that was sent to you about paying it, and the bank statement showing that you paid them for the car.


Title: (SC) Dog was hit by car while at dog daycare. Need help!

Question:
So my wife and I went vacation and we left our dog at a boarding facility. We’ve been going here off and on for 2-3 years. We were only gone for 1 day before we received a call at 10:00 pm by animal control that our had been hit and that the person that hit him had called the police. She was on her way to the Vet but she didn’t believe he was going to make it. Immediately my wife called the business and they were aware that he ran away but decided not to notify us. This is our first dog and decided to drive home because we wanted to be with him in his last moments. We were 3 hours away and started our drive thankfully at around midnight, the Dr. was about to stabilize him. We weren’t able to see him due Vet’s rules. This was on a Saturday and on Monday the doctor told us that his lower legs were dislocated and that he would need surgery. He needed to be seen by a specialist and the vet wouldn’t release him unless we paid $1200. The business said they’d pay that bill but never did. He received 3 surgeries which cost $7000. The business did not want help with the bills at all. 2 months later get an attorney but I guess there’s not much money in my case so they only helped draft up a letter which cost $1100. They never replied to the letter so we went to small claims court. A week later the business owner filed personal bankruptcy but the business was still running. We took the bankruptcy paperwork to the small claims court and they ended up dismissing our case with prejudice. So now I don’t know what to do. I’ve read we can write off the debt on our take return but now that the judge dismissed our case there is nothing saying she owes us. On top of this the business owner lives in Florida 6 hours away from us in South Carolina. Do you guys have any advice?
Thanks for reading btw, I know it’s a lot of info.

Answer:
 So let me get this straight. You sued the doggy day care and they declared bankruptcy. You then went back to small claims court and your case was dismissed with prejudice?

That's the end of the road. If your case is dismissed with prejudice that's pretty much it barring hiring a new attorney to overturn that decision. I'd post to /r/tax to ask them about the write off question.


Title: (Alberta) Deadbeat father of the children I care for (my fiancée's ex) hasn't paid child support in 6 months.

Question:
He has also ignored any school fees, meds fees (glasses).

He was let go by his employer 3 months after he had stopped paying child support. My fiancee now has a collection agency calling her for the unpaid half of the school bus and school fees.

When his severance package came in, he didn't give any of it to go towards unpaid child support. Same thing with his tax return this year.

I've been reading online about maintenance, but there's a lot of technical jargon and for me who's French Canadian, it's even harder to understand everything (documentation is in English to accommodate my fiancee).

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer: Contact the maintenance enforcement program: https://justice.alberta.ca/programs_services/mep/Pages/how-to-register.aspx


Title: Step-grandmother waited 6 years tell the 10 grandchildren of my grandfather's will they have 5% of his company and the will said to sell the company.

Question:
She's calling each one to have us voluntarily give her out 5% so she can get the female operated business title (I think it's bullshit). The other grandchildren I spoke to want to sell the company because she's always been deceptive and we don't trust her.

My initial questions are can we force the sell since it's stated to sell in the will? Does she owe us any profits from the passed 6 years? I've already organized the grandchildren from around the country to meet in one place and try to figure it out.

Answer: You all need to speak with a probate attorney


Title: Animal Shelter is holding a dog I adopted last Friday on quarentine, do I have any options? Virginia

Question:
So I adopted a dog from a shelter last Friday and yesteady morning he escaped. I accept that it was my fault he got out, and the shelter-skelter was aware of how he was being kept and what hours the dog would be on his own.

Even though we spent the yesterday and all of today looking for him, making posts and everything we couldn't find him. Thankfully a hunter found him and called the shelter. They sent a person to go get him and take him back. Here is where I have an issue with this.

1.  They made their own posts telling people to call the shelter and bring the dog back. I have no problem with this but they did nit include my or my boyfriends contact info in the posting and made no mention of us owning him.

2. When they got our dog back they didn't contact me or my boyfriend. I only found out because they put it on facebook. When I called they said they were holding him to do a check up and see if he was all right. They made no mention of when we could get our dog back or even take him to a vet.

3. When I went to go bring his food (he has a special diet for health reasons) they told me he had been bitten by something. Thankfully he his up to date on his rabies shots. However they said they would be keeping him for 10 or 30 days on quarentine but did not know which one.

4. I left and called back 4 hours later, I hadn't heard anything until I called them. They said they are keeping him for 10 days and I can call and get updates whenever.

Are they allowed to keep him? I signed paperwork stating he was ours and I was responsible for vet bills and all care. Is there any reason I cant take him to a vet of my choice? I have read that if a dog bites someone it's mandatory, but not if he is bitten?

Answer:
 If a dog is bitten by an unknown animal and has an unknown rabies vaccination history, they probably need to keep the dog to make sure it does not have rabies.

This is a matter of public health.

Even the saliva of a rabid animal can be fatal if exposed to a break in the skin or mucus membrane.

Shelters are generally underfunded, understaffed so may not be so responsive to you. They also can be... difficult with those that adopt their animals as to qualifications, living situations etc. And you failed by losing the dog the first week.

I would visit the dog every day and hope they give it back at the end of quarantine.


Title: Roommate told me I have to move out.

Question: I live in a college dorm in New Hampshire (on campus housing), and even though there are only 6 weeks left in the semester my roommate recently told me that I need to transfer out of the room. We have had our spats, and they have been mostly directed towards me, but this is much farther than they have gone before. For a brief period of time I was selling some stuff out of the room that isn't totally legal, and have been an avid user of the same substance for the past two months. He claims to have video of me giving said substance to another student while receiving payment (which is completely possible as he was in the room for the majority of the exchanges) and says that if I don't move out soon he will bring it to the housing director or even the local police department. There is surely something I can do to avoid moving elsewhere, isn't there? Thanks in advance for the advice.

Answer:
 He doesn't want to live with a drug dealer imagine that. Well if you don't move out and he goes to the cops or administration you might find life goes downhill for you very quickly. Answer #2: >For a brief period of time I was selling some stuff out of the room that isn't totally legal,

This could be a problem for you.

>He claims to have video of me giving said substance to another student while receiving payment

This is a very big problem for you.

>and says that if I don't move out soon he will bring it to the housing director or even the local police department

This might be extortionate; however the problem when you do illegal things is it drastically reduces your recourse to the law.

If you went to the cops with "I am being extorted to move out", they will probably ask "what is the threat?"  And then they will either get an admission from you, or testimony and video from your friend which implicates you in dealing and using drugs; subjecting you to administrative and legal consequences.

New Hampshire is a two party consent state for recording; [however there needs to be a reasonable expectation of privacy](http://www.rcfp.org/reporters-recording-guide/state-state-guide/new-hampshire).  I haven't looked at the caselaw in NH to see if a conversation in on campus housing usually falls that way.

You are going to have to do the cost benefit analysis for yourself.  The potential cost if he turns over the video, or simply his testimony as a witness is potentially losing Federal financial aid, being summarily expelled from school, and possibly a criminal charge.

The cost of avoidance at this juncture appears to be "moving to another housing solution".

You can judge for yourself which is preferable.


Title: University has ripped us off. What do we do now? [Florida]

Question:
Hi everyone. Thank you for reading this question.

About 4 years ago my husband started his PhD with a university in Florida. Everything was going well, and it turned out that he finished all his classes quicker than anyone in the history of the university - essentially showing that he is capable of the work.

He's been working on his thesis for a couple of years, and he's most of the way through it. However, the university have recently informed him that his thesis isn't of PhD quality with respect to rigor, and that he isn't allowed to use qualitative research methods to prove/disprove his hypothesis.

During his studies, he had to complete a research prospectus, sit a qualifying exam (after completing all classes, but before writing his thesis) which tested him on his proposed research methods with respect to his particular thesis, and he's been working hard on his thesis for quite some time; with all of that said - should the university have told him that his proposed thesis wasn't up to standards quite some time ago, rather than have him waste years of his time, lots of money in tuition/travel/accommodation, and quite possibly his health?  (edit: they knew exactly what he was going to research years before they told him it wasn't going to work)

What can we do about this?

He is having some kind of breakdown, and doesn't know what to do at this point.

Thank you for any advice you can give us.

Answer:
 This isn't a legal question. A University can set and enforce whatever standards for academics they see fit.

If your husband is unsatisfied with the response to his thesis, the school likely has some kind of appeal process.  Though generally the smart money is on making the requested changes.


Title: [TN] My company has scheduled me for a voluntary physical with the in-house physician. Do they have any legal recourse to terminate my employment if they find out I've lied about taking certain prescribed meds?

Question:
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Depending on the employer I doubt they are gonna test for antidepressants. They usually only look for illegal drugs.

However depending on the job mental health may be a disqualification. Certain jobs that require clearances and use of weapons, such as the military, government, or law enforcement.

If part of the application was to disclose this and you lied and they found out I can see them firing you. The reason the need to know is to reduce the risk of something going wrong with you while on the job.

When I was joining the Navy I initially said I was not or had not been taking ADD/ADHD meds. During the MEPS process it came out I did. I was temporarily disqualified for military service and had to be granted a special waiver to join. I was restricted in duty stations and jobs I could do.


Title: Getting my mom out of the house

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Also, anyone have an idea on the best way to get her out if she doesn't go on her own?

People tend to hate this advice, but often the least hassle is to buy them out. Offer to pay for 2 weeks at a cheap motel and help her move, for example.

Before going nuclear, talk to a lawyer, just to be on the safe side. Honestly, with pot being decriminalized, you are *probably* fine, but it really depends on the caseworker, and what CPS gets told. If you get a caseworker that has a hard-on for pot, you may have issues, but generally caseworkers have better things to do than remove kids solely for pot.Answer #2: If you have to throw her out, I would suggest ditching the pot for a while just in case.

In all honesty though, you will probably not see any negative consequences if she does try and retaliate. Answer #3: If you do give her money to get her set up at a hotel, pay the hotel directly. Change the locks on your place after.


Title: "Kentucky County Clerk Refuses to Issue Marriage Licenses to Same-Sex Couples" vs "Florida Commissioner Refuses Governor's Demand to Lower Flag for Rush Limbaugh" - How are these two incidences legally different (if they are)

Question:
[Kim Davis, Kentucky County Clerk](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2018/live-updates/midterms/midterm-election-updates/kim-davis-who-refused-to-issue-marriage-licenses-to-same-sex-couples-loses-reelection/?arc404=true)

[Nikki Fried, Florida Commissioner](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/desantis-florida-rush-limbaugh-flags-b1806083.html)

How are these two incidences legally different, if they are at all?

I completely support the actions of Nikki Fried, and I completely do not support the actions of Kim Davis. But, ethical and social preferences aside; objectively, are there any pertinent legal difference between these two incidences that support my positions?

**(EDIT) ANSWERED**: The "orders" hold different weight; one is constitutional and from the Supreme Court, the other is more of a request for optics. Thank you everyone!

Answer:
 Not every person who dies in Florida is entitled to the the honor of official mourning, but every couple who meets the legal criteria for marriage is entitled to get a marriage license.Answer #2: Disobeying a court order in a matter regarding constitutional rights is different from disobeying a governor’s symbolic order with your own symbolic disobedience.Answer #3: There is a difference between civil rights and administrative duties.

No one's rights are being taken away by not following the order to lower flags and I doubt that someone could effectively convince a court they have standing for legal action.

Ignoring such an order would bring about either a political or work related repercussion, but it would be a hard case to make that someone should go to jail for refusing to follow this order.


Title: [Kentucky] Two young children closely related to me are reportedly engaging in sexual activity. Please advise.

Question:
The matter is important, and only came to my attention a couple of hours ago. I made a promise not to tell anyone, but I do not feel it is a promise I can keep. I require advice of a legal nature, and I hope Reddit can help.

The individuals in this story will be thus: L, nine year-old boy. R, five year-old girl. They share a mother with different fathers. E, the mother. H, the mother's current boyfriend and father of R. C, who is E's ex-husband and L's father.

It was explained to me during dinner earlier that L and R were caught engaging in sexual activity together at the home belonging to parents of C. Stories appear to differ between who was initiating with whom, with some indicating L and some indicating R. (Edit: I have removed some details that are probably unnecessary. Suffice to say, inappropriate actions and words were exchanged.)

This is not the first time this has happened. Some time ago, perhaps a year or two, L and R were caught playing "boyfriend and girlfriend" at the home of C's parents. (Edit: Removed more details) She made references to "taking care of him" after he "came home from work". I was disturbed then, but I was eventually convinced that it was a case of kids playing doctor and it wouldn't happen again. Apparently, it has been happening again a lot.

The general motivation of the other parties in this situation, and those few who are privy to it, seems to be trying to figure out the "who" and "why" of it. L seems to be getting accused the most, being as he is the older. My motivation, and this is why I feel I cannot keep my confidence as I promised, is that both children are potentially victims. At the very least, one child has behavioral issues that need to be addressed immediately and one child needs victim support, whoever may fit which role. I was never sexually abused, but I have lived a life plagued with depression, suicidal thoughts, and self-loathing due to years of emotional and physical abuse that were never treated. I know the damage that caused me. I know the scars I carry.

My immediate advice was that E should get both children to a child psychologist as soon as possible. I am well aware that acting out in this matter is often a sign that a child has been molested, or has been exposed to sexual displays which are inappropriate for their age. It is possible they are both victims of child molestation. E seemed inclined to debate me on this, citing on reasons for which I come here to seek advice. Her stance, as well as H's and C's, seems to be "We'll talk to them and this won't happen again". Aside from the fact that was the plan the first time, if they are being sexually abused by another person this does nothing to solve that issue. I don't want L and R, whom I love very dearly, to grow up damaged as I did. I don't want them to hate themselves the way I have. I cannot live with myself by remaining silent on this.

My questions, then, are as follows. I would appreciate any advice that can be given.

1) E currently lives with H. C lives with his current wife and their two teenaged children. C's parents live just up the road from him, and regularly babysit the children. My sister is scared that, once CPS becomes involved, her children will be removed from her custody. I informed her that CPS would only do so if they could demonstrate that her custody was dangerous to the children's well-being, which I do not think is the case for E nor H. Even if they were temporarily removed, I have no doubt whatsoever that she will be cleared. Also of concern is the presence of D, a three year-old boy, son of H and E. Assuming what I have explained here is true, and assuming H and E are guilty of no wrong-doing, how likely is it that the children will be removed from the custody of H and E?

2) Assuming that it is discovered that one of the children is identified as the initiator and no signs of abuse by other family/friends/etc is present. Would L or R face criminal charges? Would L be more likely to face charges, since he is the older of the two? If one is initiating, and the cause is solely some sort of behavioral problem, I do not want the party to face criminal charges. I understand such things are outside of my control. Therapy is obviously needed, but I also want to make sure I know of potential consequences before I act. I cite issues of underage teenagers sending nude pictures to each other and finding themselves charged with possessing/distributing child pornography. I want them to get help, I don't want their lives ruined. I know that sounds awful to say, and believe me when I say I feel awful, but I honestly don't know what to do here. I'm afraid acting for what I feel might be right may just cause an avalanche of wrongs.

3) Who should this be reported to? My goal is to convince E to take L and R to a child psychologist, as I feel that will make this process much easier for everyone involved than if I initiate it. If she refuses, then I will do so because I cannot stand idle while this goes on. The State Police? CPS? My primary concern is making sure the children get the help they so desperately, and obviously, need more than anything else. I don't want to pile trauma onto trauma.

4) Assuming I am the one to report this instead of E. Am I liable for civil suit? It may seem ridiculous to ask, and obviously such liability would not stop me from reporting this, but I am currently unemployed. I have no money, and currently live with my father who is on Social Security. Neither of us could afford an attorney. If this blows up and goes horribly badly, could fault be brought back to me? Are there steps I need to take to ensure myself and my father are protected after the children are seen to? What kind of attorney would handle such a matter? Suppose E reports it, could C and/or his family take civil action against her? It sounds stupid, but I see a lot of stupid posts on this forum about what people sue for or are sued for.

This post probably seems all over the place, and I certainly feel all over the place. When the situation was explained to me, I felt quite calm and withdrawn from the matter. But after I left dinner and came home, this awful fear and dread has just been building in me and I know it's going to eat me alive soon. While I'm here trying to figure out how to handle this, two kids are hurting and I love everyone involved. I want them to be protected, cared for, and taught how to heal. I want them to have the tools to be healthy that I didn't get. I can't live the rest of my life knowing I sat by while their scars got deeper and more numerous. The thought of anyone hurting them fills me with such rage, but I am trying to fighting down the emotional aspects for now. I want to act in the best of interest of L and R. How can I best do that? Thank you for any advice.

I hope none of you ever have to deal with anything like this.

Answer:
 Op, I'm so sorry for this difficult situation.  IANAL, but I am on my way to a Masters in Counseling.  Children do explore their bodies in ways we may consider inappropriate, but I agree that this is definitely over the line.  Although these are somewhat common behaviors in children who have been sexually abused, I wouldn't immediately jump to this.  Children also often imitate what they see (ex. Something on TV).  A child psychologist is a very good idea.  Let them know all your concerns.  They are also a mandatory reporter, so if they believe there is a serious problem they will contact the proper authorities.  If you cannot convince your family members to have the children see a counselor, I would definitely call CPS.  Like you said, this does NOT mean the kids will be immediately removed from the home - it means their situation will be investigated until they decide what is in the best interest of the children.  Also, if they somehow decide the 9-y-o is the "initiator," I highly highly HIGHLY doubt he will be charged.  He is still a child and probably unaware of the full meanings and consequences of his actions.

Another edit - if you call CPS with legitimate concerns because you are worried about the wellbeing of children, no judge will rule against you if they were to bring a civil case against you.  You are looking out for their children and doing the right thing IMO.


Title: Damaged a car, don't want to pay unless it's for actual repairs?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You owe him the cost of damages. You have no say on what he does with that money.


Title: Girlfriend is being harassed to the point she tried to kill herself.

Question:
[Texas] I'm not sure if this is the right board, but I don't know where else I'd put it. My girlfriends ex has been harassing her for months by creating new accounts on social media as she blocks them. She's told him to stop many times and now he is getting his new girlfriend and friends to try their best and convince her to kill herself. It's really sick and I can provide some screenshots but I dont know where to go with it.

I know if I give proof and names to the police they'll find him and probably give her a restraining order, but I want him to go to jail if possible. Can I file a report in any way that actually punishes him for what he's been doing rather than just stopping it?

Edit: location

Answer:
 Why is she even interacting with these people? She needs to stop acknowledging the ex's existence.   No telling him to stop, nothing.  Absolute radio silence.  He wants attention and she must not give it to him.

As for the rest, if she can't take a break from social media, she needs to set all her platforms to only interact with people she's approved, and stop approving anyone she doesn't know.

A restraining order is probably the best she's going to get, which have the unfortunate effect of seeing him in court and giving him attention.Answer #2: What state are you in? Harassment definitions vary by state. This is likely a civil matter however, and while you can attempt to file a restraining order, you should just continue to block these new accounts.


Title: [NY] Bumped into truck changing lanes

Question: I'm a relatively new driver and I was driving in an unfamiliar area at night when my friend told me to take the next left real suddenly. Without giving it much thought, I indicated and moved simultaneously into the left turn lane without checking my blindspot when I hear a bump and a Truck is side swiping me. I realize i'm completely at fault, he had control of the lane, we pulled into a gas station right next to the light, and talked and examined our cars. There was no damage to his truck besides a small scratch on the right side of his front bumper, and I only had tire marks on my car paint (Which left a brown stain). After a small chat, he took a picture of the rubber on my car (Thats all he took, I don't believe he ever looked at my plate)  and the guy said not to worry about it and shit happens; overall, he was a pretty chill dude, but his girlfriend seemed angry, but stayed in the truck. We didn't exchange any information at all, and we left. I'm just a little sketched out because it's my first 'accident', and I'm wondering if not exchanging information might come back and bite me?

Answer:
 >Without giving it much thought, I indicated and moved simultaneously into the left turn lane without checking my blindspot when I hear a bump and a Truck is side swiping me.

That's called you sideswiping a truck. Luckily it sounds like the driver doesn't want to pursue you for this.


Title: [Washington State] I was denied an annual raise because I eat my lunches alone and haven't added any coworkers on social media.

Question:
I work with a somewhat small group of people, maybe 15 or so. This is my first job out of college. I would say I'm 25 years younger than the average coworker. I eat lunches usually in my car, mainly because the break room gets crowded and dirty and I also just like to be alone. Everyone there is great friends with each other and they do things outside of work together. I have intentionally tried to keep my personal life separate from work so all my social media is as private as I can make it and I haven't added anybody from work on Facebook or let them follow me on Instagram. I get along just fine with everyone while I'm at work and I work well in group settings.

On my annual review my manager marked me "unsatisfactory" in the "teamwork" category. Her reasoning was that since I don't eat with them, haven't added anybody on social media, and don't participate in group activities outside of work (for example, everyone went to a baseball game and I didn't go), I "haven't shown a desire to really become part of the team". Because of this, I was denied an annual raise.

It's a private company, non Union. Is this legal? It seems like a ridiculous reason considering I work well with everyone and have done well completing tasks as part of team. My suspicion is that this is technically legal, considering it's a private company, non Union, etc., but thought it was worth asking.

Thanks!

Answer: One thing they don't teach you in college is sometimes you just have to play the game. If you want to continue to work there, and you want to move up, you'll have to play by their rules. What they did was perfectly legal.


Title: Employer in Colorado constantly threatens to take money from my check any time I make a mistake.

Question:
Is this legal? I work 40+ hours a week and sometimes work 12 hour shifts. Yesterday he overbooked my schedule and I didn't have time to make it to a customer's home because it was getting too late at night and I forgot to call the customer.
Today she left an angry voicemail and he's threatening to remove money from my check equal to the amount of the customer's service price if I make a mistake like this again. This isn't the first time he has done this either.
Last week one of my coworkers accidently left the garden hose on in the garage but there was a sprayer attached to the hose so it didn't spray everywhere. He found at about this and threatened to take money out of our checks to pay for water damages if the hose ever ruptures.
Is he allowed to just take our money like that?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 He almost certainly is not allowed to do so.

See https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdle/wagelaw The law specifically states what deductions are permitted.  These types of deductions are NOT permitted.

They have set up an administrative procedure for which you can adjudicate this, and you probably wouldn't even need to hire an attorney.

You can safely ignore his threats to dock your pay for this. If he ever does so, the Colorado Wage Act sets up a nice system where you will get paid, and he will get fined.Answer #2: Is any money ever actually taken out?  There's no law I'm aware of making those statements illegal though it could certainly be illegal to follow through.


Title: (Polk County - FL) My mother is being asked to leave the home she has rented for nine years faithfully. She signed a lease renewal in October - is she legally protected?

Question:
Hi, I'm new here, so please bear with me.

My mother has lived in the same single family home as the sole tenant for nine years. Four years ago, my parents divorced and my mother stayed at the property. She is currently the only person living there, has a few cats (agreed upon with the home owner), and has put her heart and soul into the property. She is a perfect tenant. Never late on rent, has never broken any of the agreed upon terms of the lease, and has beautified the property since we originally moved in. Recently, the owners daughter came by to do some painting and asked to look around the inside of the home as it had been years since she had been inside. The house looks fantastic compared to the way it was when she signed the original lease. New paint, buffed floors, repurposed space, etc.. Shortly after her visit my mom received a phone call saying that the property owner would like to spend the holidays at the home. That was something that wasn't going to work out whatsoever because this is her primary residence, and she has nowhere else to stay. Not to mention all of her clothing, furniture, pets, food, etc.. are at the home. Shortly after that conversation, she was asked to leave the home by Feb 1st during a phone call with the property management company. She's shocked and distraught. Not only logistically, but emotionally. I believe the care she put into the home made it valuable again to the owner, and I can't blame them. Although, I know that renters have rights. Any insight into this situation would be very much appreciated. Her property management company has said that the home owner "Just wants her home back." and that this is "All legal.".

....Is it? I have no clue, but I am looking for all the help I can get to make myself, and my mother more knowledgeable about the situation. Thanks, Reddit and /r/legaladvice

Answer:
 Does she have a copy of the completed renewal? If the property manager renewed the lease, and she renewed the lease, then the lease has been renewed and is likely binding until the end of the new term. If so, then she has a fair bit of negotiating leverage if the owner wants her out significantly before the end of that term, or she can stand on the lease and see if the landlord tries to evict her through the courts.

If she doesn't have a copy, expect the property managers and the owner to conveniently "lose" their copy. That doesn't make it not binding, but it may make it much harder for her to hold her landlord to it.

> I believe the care she put into the home made it valuable again to the owner

Regardless of how this shakes out, _when_ the lease ends, she's not getting any of that care back. Actual property is hers, but the time and effort she spent improving the place benefits the owner.


Title: [CA] Is it legal for me to buy and trade crytpocurrency?

Question: Do I have to file taxes on it?

Answer:
 The simple act of *using* cryptocurrency is legal, but you can't use it to do illegal things.

Cryptocurrency is treated by the IRS as property, so you do have to pay capital gains etc.

See https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-14-21.pdf


Title: My mom’s tenant change the lock to the house without giving her the key. We live in Nebraska.

Question: Basically, she recently rent out the house for a couple months now. She found out the tenant change the lock, but refuses to give her the key even when my mother ask for it. We are not okay with this. Is there anything we can do ? or what is the best way to handle this?

Answer: Locksmith. Change the locks and bill the tenant.


Title: [Arizona] Is it illegal to use someone else's handicap placard?

Question: I read there are laws in California where it is considered fraud to use a family or friend's placard, and it carry a very large fine with up to 6 months in jail. Does this apply to Arizona as well? I did not find anything listed. I just need to know, please. Had no idea it was a crime anywhere.

Answer:
 [The person with a disability must be the driver or a passenger in the vehicle when the disability parking space is used](https://www.azdot.gov/motor-vehicles/VehicleServices/PlatesandPlacards/disability-symbol). Disability plates are assigned to, and may only be displayed on a specific vehicle registered or leased in the person with a disability's name.

Also, why would you be using it? Answer #2: After reading the OP's defending the behavior, I'm calling troll.Answer #3: Yes. Of course it is.


Title: Ohio, I'm having trouble with an ex, threatening to call the cops and basically have them break in my house, she's driving me crazy, what are my legal options?

Question:
I'll try to make this short and sweet. I kicked my ex out a couple of months ago, I wont go into details as to why because it isn't really relevant. Basically she's left some of her things here and has scheduled and canceled times to come and get it on multiple occasions. She called me the other day and told me she's going to come over and get her things when I'm not home, and that's just not happening. I trusted her to do that once before right after we broke up and she didn't take anything she said she was going to, she basically just vandalized my house, ripped my trash open, laid things laying all over the floor, and took almost none of her things.
I feel like she's bitter and she's trying to keep her stuff here as an anchor, but I want it out, I want to be done with this situation, it's driving me crazy! I've told her on multiple occasions that i'm not trying to keep her stuff, I've told her multiple times she can come and get her stuff when i'm here, and again, I'd like to reiterate that we have mutually agreed for her to get her stuff at certain times and she always has an excuse as to why she needs to cancel it.
She's now threatening to call the cops and have them let her in my house, and she claims she can do this because her mail still goes to my house (which I have addressed today and went to the post office, and I'll be writing "Does not live here" on her mail from here on.
Can she legally have the cops let her in my house when i'm not here? It's gotten to the point where she just wants to come over here when i'm not here.
She also has personal information (nothing illegal) about me that she's threatening to share with social media, and basically extorting me to get her way.
I guess my main concern here is, the cops can't really let her in my house when i'm not here correct? I don't think being a mail recipient at an address grants that power.

Answer: Simple advice: call the police (or more likely the local sheriffs) and ask them.  The best way to deal with this would be to have the sheriffs escort her while you’re there to gather the rest of her things.  It’s really a win-win: she and her shit are gone for good and you and your stuff will be save from harm and accusations with the police there.


Title: [SD] I [16F] left home 6 months ago to escape a hoarder home and my mom wants me back. What can I do?

Question:
For some background my mom is a disabled due to the over 10 car accidents she has had in her lifetime. She also suffers from sever anxiety and depression. She is on tons of medications that are ment to help her pain and mental health but insteed she sells them and ends up debilitated and bed ridden for 4 out of 7 days of the week. She has been like this my whole life and only gettinf worse as she gets older as that is the nature of her illness. For the past 8 years she has been hoarding.

By this I mean the house was filled to the brim with boxes and the only way to get though the house was narrow pathways. Maggots were all over the kitchen alongside ants and other insects. We also had cats and litterboxes all over the house (kitchen, bathroom, and "hallway"). I was 8 when tjis started and had to basically start raising and caring for my mom from this point on.

The dirty envirment caused bad health issues and lead to me missing school constantly. Doctors didn't know what was happening and were baffled. It was clear all medical problems were caused by the house. My mom still took me to the doctor even though the problem was clearly the house but she still kept on hoarding.

Whenever I would talk to her about it she would storm off and thow a tantrum.

Now current day. I couldn't take it anymore and left to stay with a friend on june 17th-ish. In August I got a job and became self supporting. Buying my own food. Paying rent. Gas. And nessacitites. My car insurence was being paid for by my mom because she wanted to help out wven though I could afford to pay it. Along with my phone bill that I could also easily. Also aford and be fine with. They insisited on paying it. Which I was uncomfortable with but excepted.

I have been working with a McKinney Vento Advocate since school started.

It has been almost 6 months and now my mom says she is getting a lawyer involved to bring me back home. I am scarred and can't go back there. Is there anything I can do to stop her from this. (Also immediately as I started moving out my mom got rid of the maggot problem and cleaned the kitchen. But the rest of the house is almost the same) Is there anyway I can keep my mom (only legal gaurdian) from making me come home.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 Emancipated Minor status is your best bet if you truly can support yourself without her assistance.

Consult a lawyer for that one. Many family lawyers will at least provide initial consultation pro-bono on such a case.

Do you have evidence of the hoarding? Dated pictures, text history, witnesses, etc.

You would be wise to avoid the foster care system entirely at your age and with your level of self-sufficiency.

Finally, she cannot use a lawyer to make you come home. She can declare you a runaway, report you missing to the police, and use the police to bring you home, but that’s an incredibly extreme measure.

For someone who, at least from the outside, does not appear to be directly abusive (neglectful absolutely, and your emancipation case rests on documenting and proving that neglect) that may not be a likely outcome.

P.S. If you’re turning 18 anytime soon, ride it out until then, and bullshit your mom along until she has no more standing. Answer #2: If anyone legal (police, courts) does try to get you to go back, you could tell them that you left because Mom is a hoarder and the house was unsanitary.  You could also file a complaint with CPS, which you should do immediately if there are any younger children still living there.

You could also call Adult Protective Services and tell them that your Mom is unable to care for herself and is living in unsanitary hoarding conditions.


Title: What can I do if someone forcibly takes my skateboard from me?

Question: Legally, what can I do if I'm skateboarding somewhere, someone gets mad and takes my board from me and refuses to give it back. Am I allowed to legally use force to take back property that was stolen from me? What options do I have?

Answer:
 Coyly phrased question, u/MrMikiel — do you mean, “What if you were minding your own business at a public skating facility in the middle of the day?”

Or do you mean, “What if I were skateboarding through the shopping mall at 4 AM eluding security guards and filming an episode for my Youtube channel about outlaw skateboarding?”


Title: (CA) Caught shoplifting from Vons, what do I do from here?

Question:
Let me start out by saying that I feel like a fucking total piece of shit. I'm 29, in college, have a part time job and am struggling to make ends meet. I am not trying to excuse my behavior, I know that what I did was wrong and the guilt I'm feeling over the incident is excruciating.

I went into a local Von's with a reusable shopping bag, put ~$95 in groceries (eggs, cheese, cans of soup, produce, deodorant and toothpaste, etc) into the bag and attempted to walk out the front door. LP ran after me, grabbed me, I didn't resist. They put me in cuffs and took me upstairs. They took my information, called PD, and I waited. PD came in, brought me out to their cruiser, checked for warrants (there were none, I have a clean record), and wrote me a citation for misdemeanor petty theft (488) and let me go.

I'm currently sitting here feeling about worse than I ever imagined I would. I feel like I've lost myself and I'm so afraid. I know I probably won't be seeing jail time and I'll have to pay fines and likely do community service, but knowing that I have to face the rest of my life with this on my record is an awful feeling. I guess my question is, is there anything I can do? Do I just need to suck it up and accept that my mistake is going to follow me for the rest of my life?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 If you have a clean record, you may very well be eligible for pre-trial diversion. If you cannot afford $95 of groceries I assume that a lawyer is out of the question cost wise. You should contact your public defender's office or legal aid to see if they could assist you in this situation.

You do need to understand what may happen to you, though. You're eligible for a fine up to $1000, 6 months in county jail, or both. You would also always have to answer yes regarding being arrested & being convicted of a misdemeanor.

We cannot predict what may happen. You really need to look into legal options, though, and prepare potentially for the maximum penalties. There are no guarantees, although it would be unlikely for you to see jail time for this, but that isn't our decision to make.  Answer #2: There are local food banks and even churches you could have gone to.


Title: A dog I rescued attacked me, the rescue renamed him and is advertising him as “kid friendly”

Question:
Posted this to r/dogs who suggested I come here.

Looking for some advice here. Last week I adopted a rescue dog described as kid, cat and other dog friendly. He seemed like a great dog until a few days later he attacked me in the park. He bit both of my arms, and my back and refused to let go. I had to hold the dog down to make him stop. Had I not been wearing multiple layers of winter clothes I would’ve been seriously injured.

Needless to say, we returned the dog to the rescue. They begrudgingly took him back and we were relieved to put the situation behind us.

I was just looking on Petfinder, and they have the same dog listed under a different name, without any mention of the attack. He’s still listed as “kid friendly”.

What can I do to make sure this dog isn’t adopted out under false pretenses?

Answer:
 Report the dog bite incident to the police/county.

Google (Your county) report dog bite and you will probably see how to report it.


Title: Left foot amputation?

Question:
Okay, so my grandpa has had issues with a hurting left leg for a few months now, he decided to go to a hospital last week and get it checked, the hospital said nothing was wrong, so he left home. Fast forward a week today, his leg was in absolute pain and went back to the hospital because he could tell something was wrong. So the hospital looks at it again, says he’s going to need immediate surgery because he has a circulation block above his knee, then all of a sudden cancel the surgery. They just give him a shot for pain and send him off home saying nothing was wrong after all.

He decided to go to another hospital an hour away from home, and there they are saying he might have to get his foot cut off due to no circulation. He has an artery being blocked above his knee not allowing circulation to his left foot?  The doctor from the hospital there was very angry since we took the papers of the release from the previous hospital we went to and the doctor said he shouldn’t have been released in that condition. Are there any, and if so, what steps should we take

Below are photos of his foot. (Might be dicsusting)

https://ibb.co/bFS8Ty
https://ibb.co/mPAHMJ

Answer:
 Med mal is a very specific issue and you need a specialist attorney,Answer #2: Go talk to an attorney about a medical malpractice lawsuit.

Get copies of all the release paperwork and medical records.


Title: NYC - Landlord refuses to provide possession after signing lease

Question:
I signed a lease that begins May 15th. The landlord called me today to tell me that his gut feeling tells him he shouldn't lease to me (he's not a big landlord and very much a hippie). My current lease expires this month and I was relying on moving here - getting an apt in this city is not easy.

At this point I'm not sure what to do or if there are any enforceable damages. Is there anything I can do or does he have any obligations to me?

Answer:
 I so hope you have a copy of that lease.

Be clear with him that you have the right to move in and will be doing so. If he refuses then find somewhere else to live asap and sue him for an damages you incur due to his actions.


Title: Is an arraignment hearing after youv've been arrested Habeas Corpus?

Question:
[USA]

If they are not the same, when does Habeas Corpus happen?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 IANAL.

Habeas corpus isn't a "thing" that "happens". The writ of habeas corpus is a legal remedy wherein a judge or justice of the peace orders a person's jailor to present them before the court so that the legality of their imprisonment can be determined.


Title: If someone decided to go to a public place to distribute human ashes and those ashes blow into someone's face, can any legal action be taken?

Question:
So I was thinking about the time my family and I went to the beach when I was a child, some people were in a gathering and having a type of celebration picnic thing. It was a windy day, I was running on the beach when two crying women came out holding an urn (I didn't know what it was at the time), the older woman got a cup and scoped out ashes into the wind which immediately blew into my face several metres away.

I now realise I had dead people ashes in my face. Hence I'm wondering if someone goes to a public place and dumps ashes without warning that blows into someone's face is there anything illegal about it?

Answer:
 Having spread some of my wife's ashes in the ocean, I walked right to edge of the water and just plopped the ashes straight in to make sure she wouldn't blow away. Very interesting watching the wave come in, take the ashes out, come back in again and she was no longer there.Answer #2: You haven't specified what country.

I live in Sweden and a few years ago a woman wanted her ashes to be spread from a very tall building in Stockholm, but it was denied because the ashes would have fallen on people.

Here you have to get a permission from the government to spread ashes outside of a cemetery. You can only apply for ashes of people who are already dead, no planning ahead. You also need the landowner's permission if it's on privately owned land. But the application completely free of charge.Answer #3: A Big Lebowski momentAnswer #4: Probably not. You reference meters, so you probably aren't in The US, so this may not apply fully, but here goes.

There are laws governing the disposition of human remains, but let's say that what they did was legal from that standpoint.

Then there is the act of the ashes coming in contact with you.

Seeing as it was accidental, and you suffered no injury, it's likely that even if there was a crime committed, it would never be prosecuted.

If you were to seek civil damages, you would have to think of the following:

1. Were you harmed?
2. It's there a remedy the court could impose in order to make you whole again?
3. Is it worth your time?

My guess to the three questions is that your would answer "NO" to all three.Answer #5: Is there a Ralph’s around here?


Title: I was told a dieing family member is not the employers problem

Question:
Last year I asked for a day off from my job to take my mother who had kidney failure to the doctor, a manager told me "Thats not my problem" Is there anything I can due to my previous employer for this? Omaha Nebraska
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Your boss might be a royal prick, but it may not be his problem. Do you qualify for FMLA?Answer #2: FMLA *does* cover leave to take care of a parent.  See the DOL's handout here:  http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28C.pdf

Of course, you still have to be eligible for FMLA in the first place--having worked there for a year and worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months.  Also, your employer has to be a covered employer--either a public employer (think government) or private employer with at least 50 employees within a 75-mile radius.

If you and your employer meet those eligibility requirements, you'd need to have your mother's doctor complete a [WH-380-F medical certification](http://www.dol.gov/whd/forms/WH-380-F.pdf) form.  That should show how often your mom is receiving treatment for which she'll need your care.

Strictly speaking, your boss is either uneducated or a wanker.  The employer is supposed to bring up FMLA when they're made aware of a situation that would be covered by it.  Either that, or you or your employer aren't covered by that law.


Title: Just got home from the bar and am confused

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Did you have sex with her?Answer #2: Okay first of all, having the audio recording is weird as hell. Suspicious weird. Secondly, if you did no wrong don't worry. If you did have sex with her that's a whole different issue becuase intoxicated people cannot consent.

When dropping off someone who is vulnerable it is best to have first a witness, second to have time stamps calling someone to say hey I'm walking in to so and sos I'll call you as I walk out.and then call them when you leave. Also get them in the house get them into their room and set a plan up with them to call someone if they need something. Get the hell out of there after that. Call your contact tell them you are on your way home.

Intoxicated people can not consent. And even if you as a male are intoxicated and the female is intoxicated they will still hit you with the books for sexual assault and rape. Answer #3: In the future have a 3rd party present when escorting someone home as a witness.


Title: Can anyone point me to any law in Florida against having sex with a girl in front of a hospital?

Question: If not then my lawyers gonna have one eeeeaaassyyyy case lol

Answer:
 I have bad news, my friend.

http://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/crime/2015/05/05/florida-couple-found-guilty-of-having-sex-on-beach-must-register-as-sex-offenders/26915571/

It's not the hospital that matters, it's the sex in public. It's illegal. Don't do it, and if you can plead to lesser charge, do so. If you insist on a trial, you will lose.Answer #2: There are many laws that may potentially apply.  The most obvious is   [indecent exposure](http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=0800-0899/0800/Sections/0800.03.html).


Title: Graves desecrated, Cemetery refuses to rebury the bodies. MD

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 The cemetery has a legal obligation toward the purchaser of the burial plot. But many private cemeteries are known for abuse--once the money is in, after all, it's awfully tempting to forsake that obligation. Since you have an attorney, you should direct any questions to him.Answer #2: This is when you call all your local media.Answer #3: Absolutely make sure you give the attorney any documentation that might be relevant to any agreements you made with the cemetery. This includes contracts, invoices, receipts, hell even brochures and other marketing materials.

As a side question, and I totally understand if you don't want to answer, but where have your grandparents' bodies been kept all this time?Answer #4: I'd try calling these people:

ONTACT INFORMATION
Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation
Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing
Office of Cemetery Oversight
Advisory Council on Cemetery Operations
500 N. Calvert Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202-3651
(410) 230-6229
Toll free:  1-888-218-5925
e-mail: cemet@dllr.state.md.usAnswer #5: http://www.dllr.state.md.us/license/cem/cemfaqs.shtml

Some good information and links to the law.Answer #6: Hopefully you have a copy of the original contracts somewhere on file.


Title: Any recommendation of steps to be taken?

Question:
I currently live with my wife and daughter, and we also live with our mother in law. She has begun dating a man who over the past few months has been very verbally nasty to me, and often "aggressive" and "alpha".

Today, after he began a heated argument, he decided I was in his way and shoved me. I have began to suspect that he would lay hands on me and thankfully I had been recording (audio) when he did. I also have admission on the recording that he did it, and my wife saw as well. We live in a one party consent state so the audio is valid.

 He says he doesn't "live" with us, but he is there all the time. His name isn't on the lease. I am going to possibly approach the landlord with this, but I am wondering if I could/should file a police report with what I have now. Any tips would be great, because I'm beginning to worry about what else he could do.
The lease is up in 3 months so after that we are gone.
Topic:
Douche

Answer: You should absolutely make a police report. As to the landlord, consider what their reaction is likely to be. If you have a good relationship then strongly consider letting them know this person should not be on the premises. Your mother in law needs to understand that she can see this dude elsewhere, but somebody who lays hands on you has forfeited their right to be a guest. She can “talk it out” at his place.Answer #2: What state are you in?


Title: Employer wants to cut me from 40hr/wk to 12hr/wk by signing a new contract 2 months before year-long contract ends.

Question:
Hi legaladvice,

This is my first time posting here, and first time experiencing this issue. I also posted in r/personalfinance as I'm not entirely sure which sub this problem lands under.

I'm 23 years old, and graduated university May '16. In the same year, I signed a year-long contract which explicitly states it would last from 7.1.2016 to 7.28.2017 and I would be paid a salary of $30,000 payable in 12 monthly increments. Keep in mind I also interned with this company (paid most of the time) from my sophomore year of university, so in essence I've been with them around ~4 years. However, last Friday, I was approached by my supervisor and offered a new contract beginning June 1st, 2 months before my current contract ends. This new contract is from 6.1.17 to 12.15.17. They want to make me an independent contractor, and cut my hours from 40/wk to only 12 hourly pay. I asked why and she said they didn't think they needed the service I provide anymore (I'm their their media person, making advertisements, videos, photography, graphic design, etc. all on my own). I also advise some international students, teach a class, and do other daily functions (which would be what encompasses their proposed 12 hours). Everyone already goes way over 40 hours at this company, and I know good and well 12 hours doesn't actually mean 12 hours. There are overnight trips, graduation functions, student life events, etc. I would be strongly expected to attend that aren't counted.

The original contract doesn't state anywhere about being able to change the contract by either party, except a line that says the contract will automatically extend Aug 1st unless either party gives 90 days written notice of non-extension beforehand. It also states that if I want to quit the job, I have to give at least 30 days written notice, so why can they give me ~15 days to either sign a new contract or quit and find another job?

My biggest problem is that I signed the contract in July, moving to the city and signing a year-long lease for an apartment. The 12 hours would barely cover my apartment, let alone food, bills, tuition, etc. I spoke with an HR Director of another company and a lawyer, they reviewed my contract and said the company isn't allowed to do this- they have to honor the contract or give me 90 days notice to change it, and said whatever I do don't sign another contract (If they screwed me on one contract, why would I ever sign another?) and don't quit just yet.

I guess another option they have is to make up some bogus reason for firing me, although all my reviews have been pretty stellar and there hasn't ever been disciplinary action or anything like that. I think they want me to quit so that they can clean their hands of any issues.

My question here is, I should immediately start looking for other work, right? What are my rights here? Do they owe me severance pay or other compensation? I have 2 months left of rent that needs to be paid. I'm looking frantically for other employment at the moment, but no luck yet.

Any advice?

Edit: Sorry, forgot location. I'm located in Greensboro, North Carolina! Thanks so much to everyone.

Answer:
 Yes, you should immediately start looking for other work. But that's only because you are only making $30k while working 40+ hours a week doing things that could easily demand a much higher salary.Answer #2: As a media person 30k is what you would make as an intern. At at&t the media teams STARTED at 45k. I spoke with several that were 6 figures after 10 years.

Don't really have much legal advice outside of make sure they honor your contract. Outside of that. You need to find a new job as your work is incredibly underpaid by your company. Make a portfolio and shop around for work. Some of these places will even let you work from home. Answer #3: If they have a contract written that says it will automatically extend without 90 days written notice they've given you that notice.

However that doesn't allow them to break the contract they've agreed to unless there are clauses in that contract that allow them to.

Post your location. Don't sign anything new. Keep looking for work, and tell your employer you expect the contract they've signed to be fulfilled. Answer #4: Agree with others that this is a big red flag about the sustainability of the company you work for. It isn't easy to convert existing employee to being an independent contractor (especially to do the same job you where doing previously).

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee

I would start looking for a new job immediately and push for the terms of the original contract to be kept while you look.


Title: Airbnb issue: Host and room were not available, had to cancel and find an expensive hotel room at 12am so as not to sleep on the street

Question:
Dear r/legaladvice community,

My situation is as follows: I had a room reserved on Airbnb, the reason for the trip was a job interview the next morning. I arrived around 5pm, only to find out that the room is not available, the host is not there and not responding to my calls, and the guy who manages her house said that they had a money issue with Airbnb and they are not hosting anymore. Of course, the host didn't inform me at all about this, and she didn't even come up with a solution since she was not responding. Tried to resolve it with this guy, who was busy fixing stuff in the apartment and didn't seem to care about the gravity of my situation.
I was alone, with my luggage, in a new city, exhausted from my trip and all I wanted was a peace of mind and a good night sleep before my interview.
So I called Airbnb who suggested that I cancel the reservation and seek a hotel for the night.
Now comes the second issue: the location was in Miami, it was the Art Basel week so Miami was full of people and all prices surged. While desperately searching for a room, the prices were 500-800$ per night, and many hotels were already full. 30 minutes of expensive internet search, I ended up with a 285$ per night room.
I arrived at the hotel at 12am and slept by 1am, the next morning had to wake up at 5:30am for the interview. Airbnb only payed 127$ and I paid the rest.
Not only I had to pay 5x the cost of what I intended to pay on Airbnb, but the emotional exhaustion and the very unconformable situation that I was put in, were the main problem here and I felt that I was not compensated for that. I felt that what happened with me was unfair and that's why I am seeking advice on how to deal with this issue which should not be taken lightly.

Thank you!

Answer:
 So it was a crazy expensive week for housing in Miami, and your very cheap Airbnb wound up mysteriously cancelled by the host and probably rented to someone else outside of Airbnb? That's, well, not at all shocking.

Your agreement is with Airbnb, which has in its terms and services that they'll either give you a full refund or find you similar accommodations, with the choice being theirs. Sounds like they gave you the refund. You *might* be able to sue the host in small claims court for the $158 difference because you relied on their promise of accommodation and they failed to cancel the booking with Airbnb, but you'd likely have to do it in Miami and their contract isn't with you directly, it's with Airbnb.

Answer #2: So just doing some quick math seems like you reserved a room for around $60 through Airbnb. Then Airbnb refunded your $60 and paid $127 of your hotel room?  Seem to me Airbnb did everything in their power to help you out.

I understand that you were put in a bad situation and it was a stressful situation before an interview.  But Airbnb doesn't own the house and can't control the host.Answer #3: Nobody is taking it lightly but at the same time..nobody owes you for emotional damages and discomfort.

Sounds like you already got your original money refunded.

Situations like this are part of the risk of using 3rd party apps.


Title: Mailing SNAFU: How long to worry? [WI]

Question:
I ordered half an oz of MJ. I had it mailed to my current address but I used the previous tenant's name. He still received mail here so I thought it would be safe. Unfortunately, there must have been a forwarding order put in and my package went elsewhere.

It was just delivered there and now I'm wondering how long I need to worry about being visited by LE. Thanks.

Answer:
 LOL. THANK YOU. This. This is the kind of gem that brings me to /r/legaladvice instead of working. I can't stop laughing. Why are you getting pot mailed to you? Why didn't you just have the pot sent in your cat's name? Do you really think that would shield you?

But you're prolly fine. If the cops come to talk to you, don't talk to them. Do your best to play dumb.

Thank you again.Answer #2: I second the other people who are telling you that the statute of limitations here will be measured in years.

Also, "SNAFU" stands for "Situation Normal: All F*cked Up."

There is nothing "normal" about your situation.

(Though, admittedly, there might be something [NORML](http://norml.org/) about it.)

Stop ordering illegal drugs through the mail.


Title: If you get a settlement against the police, can you also get a restraining order keeping them away from you?

Answer: NAL, but pretty sure you can get a RO against specific people, not against specific professions.


Title: MN: Gave 2-week notice to employer, taken off schedule immediately, now being told they won't pay out my PTO due to not giving 30-day notice

Question:
In MN. I gave 2-week notice to my employer. Due to the nature of my work I was taken off the schedule immediately and they made my official termination date the date I gave notice. I am now being told that my banked PTO is not going to be paid out due to not giving 30-day notice.

I have looked over my offer letter, employment contract, employee handbook and can't find anything related to a 30-day notice being required in order to receive banked PTO. Further, if the end result is going to be being taken off the schedule immediately, it would seem the length of notice given is irrelevant. I could give an hour notice or a year: I would have been taken off the schedule immediately regardless.

What are my options with this?

Answer: If they terminated you on the day you put your notice in AND aren't paying you through your last 2 weeks...you're now eligible for unemployment.


Title: Question, my friend works for a nursing home and had to quarentine for 3 weeks but they arent paying her? Doesnt that go against the ffcra?

Answer: Why three weeks? Wasn’t the recommendation 10-14 days?