Title: ADA and Accommodation Question

Question:
Forgot to put the state in title: WV.

I started a job in the ER of a hospital and during orientation my mentors and people I worked with brought up "problems" to my manager. Problems like I was paying attention, rolling my eyes, I was too motivated, not motivated enough, too enthusiastic, not enthusiastic enough, had too much initiative, not enough initiative, etc. The not paying attention and "rolling my eyes" is information-processing caused by my ADHD, I am paying attention, it just doesn't look like it and me rolling my eyes is me thinking and cognitively working through what I was just told. Furthermore, I'm an EMT and with the position in the hospital I was never given a scope of practice, I even asked my manager for a scope of practice and he said one doesn't exist. I saw a patient coughing violently and listened to lung sounds and charted it in our system and was reprimanded because that's outside my scope of practice, even though a scope doesn't really exist for my position.

Throughout my orientation I've had problems like that brought to my managers and seeing the potential outcome told my managers that I have ADHD, told my co-workers I have ADHD, and told my mentors I have ADHD so that I'm not constantly seen as making mistakes. My manager brought me in his office and told me the complaints people brought up based on my performance and I restated that all of them can be explained by my ADHD and related information-processing issues.

After our meeting I emailed my manager further reiterating that my perceived poor performance is explained by my ADHD. He didn't respond, he never bought up the email when we spoke again. Nothing.

For my position I have to take classes and I passed most of them except for one, which I failed twice. I studied hard, I took notes, I sought outside help, I asked questions, I did everything I could to pass. I told my clinical preceptor I didn't pass and she said that we would meet and discuss it and arrive at a solution. I told the nurses that graded my test that I feared I'd be fired for failing this class twice, they said they'd talk to my manager because I knew the information, but couldn't pass take the test. I never met with my clinical preceptor as my manager later that day told me to meet him in his office and terminated me for not improving (which if you ask anyone I worked with they told me I improved greatly, they understood it was my ADHD, they liked working with me, etc) and for failing the class twice. I told my manager that I felt and my coworkers could corroborate that I've made a great deal of improvements since we last met (he said he was never told of any improvements) and I asked for ADA accommodations in the form of a verbal test or a different test format. His response was "I'm not a lawyer, talk to HR" and I was terminated. I contacted HR who called me back and said that I was terminated based upon the problems aired before my coworkers were aware of my ADHD and because I didn't pass the test. I told HR that I requested accommodations and was terminated and that I didn't request accommodations "soon enough", I told HR that the ADA does not define a time in which I'm supposed to ask for accommodations such that I wouldn't be terminated because I need the accommodations to pass a test.

What do I do? I think my manager either: 1. had a vendetta against me and ignored informations that I was improving, 2. had a bias against me for having ADHD, 3. viewed my ADHD as an excuse I was throwing around, and 4. didn't really believe I had ADHD. The constant, differing and dichotomous information from my manager and my mentors through me off-base and made me lose my footing in the position, too motivated one day, not motivated enough the next day, etc. Some of the mistakes are due to me not having a clear, concise scope of practice and me falling back on my EMT training (which having EMT is requirement for the position I was in), because after being told I wasn't motivated I didn't want to be further perceived as being unmotivated.

I tried my best, I disclosed my diagnosis which I shouldn't had to do, I worked tirelessly at improving, I lost sleep worrying about my performance on the job, I asked questions, I was eager to learn, I was a sponge for knowledge, I got along with everyone, I was on time, I was very respectful to everyone, I treated patients with the utmost respect, and I was even commentated by a doctor because a patient I had was in extreme pain during an X-ray and we couldn't give her pain medicine due to her injuries so I put on a lead apron, walked into the X-ray and talked with her to get her mind off the pain.

I feel numb, paralyzed, defeated, I loved this job so much I completely changed what I wanted to do with my life,..I don't know what to do.

This disorder is hell.
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer:
 >I disclosed my diagnosis which I shouldn't had to do

You are absolutely obligated to disclose your diagnosis, if you want to use that diagnosis as an explanation for any performance issues.

Did you formally notify HR that you had ADHD, and formally request accommodations based on the ADHD? Or did you just tell coworkers and managers that you have ADHD, after being reprimanded for poor performance?

What accommodation would have made it possible for you to pass the exam? Did you know you need that accommodation to successfully take the exam? Did you tell them before taking the exam?

Here's what this probably looks like to your employers: you didn't pass simply because you didn't know the material, you didn't discuss your side effects prior to being called out for certain behavior, and only disclosed it when faced with a poor performance review.

If the ADHD wasn't formally disclosed at the time of hire, your actions simply look like you couldn't hack the job.


Title: My fiance hasn't paid his taxes in 10 years. What can we do about this?

Question:
Hello Reddit,

My boyfriend of 12 years asked me to marry him now that my son is graduating high school and is off to college. I said yes of course, BUT (and this is a big BUT) as we are talking more and more about the future he brought up the fact that he hasn't filed his taxes in 10 years! Yes, yes, how did I not know! I guess because we have always kept our finances very separate and have never lived together.
Okay, so now what do we (I) do to fix this? Googling has basically gotten me no where and I am afraid if we (he) makes the wrong choices it could end up being worse. Smart choices could fix everything...
Thanks Reddit, you're the best.

P.S. We both have very good jobs. I am very financially responsible with a good credit score and am in good standing with the IRS.

Answer:
 Go talk to a CPA or a tax accountant and bring as much documentation as you can.  Get him current on his taxes with a clean bill before marrying him.  You'll likely be paying penalties, so I'd budget for this.

I may also suggest speaking to a lawyer about a pre-nup to protect your assets in case his irresponsible past catches up to him.


Title: [Md] is it legal for a labdlord to restrict guests on a rental?

Question:
My boyfriend rents an appartment and I own mine. I visit him a lot. Almost every night but my belongings and mail are in my condo. His landlord asked me today a bunch of questions about my address and how often we hang at my house. Can he restrict the amount of time that I spent at my bf's rental?

I only visit because I want to spent time with him. I own my own place, it is not like I need a place to live.

Answer:
 >I visit him a lot. Almost every night but my belongings and mail are in my condo.

You sleep there 6-7 nights a week? It sounds like the Landlord is trying to determine if there's an extra tenant on his property.


Title: My son's biological father died...can my husband adopt my son?

Question:
Okay so, I have three children AND custody of my sister's three children, so of course all of my and my husband's income goes into providing for them. I'm trying to see if there is a "simple" way to do a step-parent adoption that doesn't require a lawyer. Here's the scoop:

*I'll call my son "E" and his biological father "M"*

When E was 18 mos old, M and I split up. We weren't married. I married my husband when E was 3 yrs old. Up until I got married, M had little to do with E, so my husband decided to adopt him. We needed M to sign off and of course he used that to propel himself into asking for custody. The judge granted weekend visitation (even after I told the judge that M had a drug problem, which is why we split). So for 3 years, M would either visit E at home or take him somewhere a few times a month, that's right...even though he ASKED for custody, forcing me to pay $2000 for a lawyer, he didnt even get E on weekends, or even on a regular basis.

Anyway, when E was 6, M spiraled into full on addict mode, again, and stopped visiting E. Then, he killed himself.

Since he is deceased and my husband WANTS to adopt him, can I just take E's birth certificate and M's death certificate, sign a few papers and BOOM or is it morw complicated than that?

*M is listed on the bc as the father...and the suicide was 2 years ago...I didn't want to "jump" right into adoption*

*We live in GA. Also, M's family has absolutely NOTHING to do with E, so nobody will contest to this*

Thanks, guys.

Answer: It may not be financially beneficial for him to adopt. Your son might be entitled to social security benefits due to a deceased parent. If he gets adopted those would go away. Something to check into


Title: Question on Closed Adoptions

Question:
What circumstances could a lawyer legally file for access to closed adoption cases if not hired by a the birth parent or adult adoptee?

Recently there has been a case involving the LDS Church and a victim who claims a man in a position of great authority sexually assaulted her. The lawyer for the LDS church compiled a 9 page dossier smearing the alleged victim. The first point on that timeline was about a child put up for adoption, naming the now adult birth daughter in the document. This specific case was in Utah.

As an adoptee this concerns me greatly. If a lawyer could access my name and use it in this manner it is extremely disturbing to me. I am trying to figure out if this was legal and if it was, how/why it was legal. Any help or advice on where to start would be appreciated.

Answer: The adoption records wouldn't be the only way to make that discovery, especially not when you consider that they own Ancestry.com.


Title: [England] 18/M Scared and paranoid

Question:
It all started a few days ago, I was roaming the Kik sub reddit and joined a group on Kik. I added this girl from the group and she seemed cute but young (like 15) although after talking to her she mentioned having sex and drinking so I stupidly presumed she was over 18 (I'm 18). So after a while she started dirty talking and we dirty talked but after Doing so she vanished and I'm paranoid that she might be younger than I thought and feel stupid for not asking her age. Now I'm in no way attracted to kids and find it disgusting but I've been having extreme paranoia suddenly about being a paedophile (even though I'm in no way attracted to kids). Back when I was 15 I did date a girl who was 12-13 and as I've been socially isolated my mind wanders and I do random shit on the Internet. Once when I was 16 I did a social experiment and pretended to be 22 whilst talking to a 15 year old girl and was turned on by how slutty she was so asked her what the youngest age she would fuck is and she said she had no limit which in a weird way turned me on. (Her sluttiness) not the fact that she said she'd fuck someone who's 11 or over. Now I'm only attracted to girls my age and watch normal porn and have only ever dated girls my age and think paedophiles acting their fantasies upon kids is puke worthy. Is there something wrong with me? This recent mistake I've made has made me analyse my entire life and the stupid mistakes I've made out of severe isolation even though nothing serious has been done. How do I get over my guilt over the past, the stupid social experiment I did, and my fears of become a paedophile in the future? And what if that girl was lying and was like 13 or younger. I'm worried sick and feel even more suicidal than normal. Sorry for any typos, typed this in a rush on my phone. I've also only ever dated girls my age, watch normal porn and fantasise in a healthy manner but slipped up and had that weird conversation with that girl from 2 years ago and now this. I also once talked to a sociopathic girl who hunted animals and was turned on by how cruel she was even though I fucking love animals and have a dog. Am I a sexual freak? Has isolation destroyed me? All these incidences were very out of the ordinary for me and have only happened a few times but I now feel so much guilt to the point where I want to hang myself. I think watching porn from a young age (9-10) has really fucked with me and after being bullied and spending 4 years in just about complete isolation porn addiction (normal porn) really fucked with my mind.

Another confession: At 17 I made a catfish profile to check if my girlfriend was cheating on me and she was. I became addicted to creating fake profiles as I was getting a lot of sexual attention from women. Again nothing extremely weird was done, just talked dirty to girls 15-23 in this time period and no one younger, at most maybe a 14 year old girl who might have lied about her age.

I've known lots of guys do stuff like this and not feel any guilt or give a shit but it's been eating away at me all of a sudden. If I was to talk to a therapist would it be okay? or would they go apeshit and register me as a sex offender or something.

Thanks
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 >  Once when I was 16 I did a social experiment and pretended to be 22 whilst talking to a 15 year old girl

That's not a "social experiment", that's enticing a minor, and a crime.  Stop doing that.

In fact, stay off of "Kik" and the like entirely.  You may or may not have committed a crime this time; you have very likely committed a crime in the past.  Stop having sexual conversations with minors.  It **will** get you into trouble eventually, and your bullshit "social experiment" story will fly like a brick.


Title: (CA) Help! Paid lawyer $1600 to file divorce paperwork 5 months ago and he "forgot"

Question:
Like title said, in late April I was quoted $1600 to file divorce paperwork and given a timeline of 6 months for completion. Given that I haven't heard movement I requested a status update. He apologized and stated he "forgot" and will file on monday. I am obviously upset considering he didn't "forget" to cash my check. Is there anything I can do? The last thing I want to do is piss off a lawyer, but I paid for a service i have yet to receive. Can I file a complaint with the Bar association?

What my ideal goal would be is to just receive a discount and proceed with the divorce as agreed upon, would it be ok to mention that in a reply?  Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Answer:
 Forgetting about a client is not a good sign. Demand a refund of your fees, and find yourself a new attorney.

Answer #2:  IANAL. I am a paralegal in CA that works in family law and estate planning. If I were you I would consider finding a new lawyer and receive the remaining balance of your retainer amount. Basically, find a new family law attorney, sign up with one you feel comfortable with- then fire your current one.
I prepare documents all the time for filing. As soon as my supervising attorney gives me the green light- it gets done. I worked for an attorney that you are describing- one that is disorganized and helpless! Filing for a divorce is not even that difficult....smh at shitty lawyers. I run circles around assholes like that any day of the week!
I feel like I could divorce myself at this point haha. $1,600 is pretty low for a divorce so my guess is this attorney has a million clients (not a hard and fast rule). The upside of a pricier lawyer is that they generally have less clients- ask your potential new lawyer if their current case load allows them to work diligently and quickly on your case. If you are wanting a fast divorce this attorney seems like a joke.


Title: Sold phone for absurdly high price on eBay

Question:
Sorry if this is the wrong place, but I don't really know where else I could post this. I recently sold a OnePlus Two on [eBay](http://www.ebay.com/itm/131604650842?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1561.l2649). I listed the starting bid at $450 and it sold for $1475. eBay says the payment has been sent but am still waiting for the money to show up in PayPal. This phone normally sells in the $450-500 range on eBay. Is something fishy going on or does the buyer just REALLY want this phone?
Thanks!
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 There is a scam where people bid up the price of the phones then pay with a stolen paypal account and in a few weeks you get a charge back and they obtain a free phone. I can't say that this is the case for you, but I wouldn't go through with the sale. YMMV. IMHO.Answer #2: Try /r/scamsAnswer #3: This isn't legal advice. You need /r/scams.

They marked it as paid in eBay with the hope you would then just send it. They aren't planning on actually paying you via PayPal.

File a non payment request, then re list as buy it now only, immediate payment required. Answer #4: If it's too good to be true...Answer #5: I would be particularly concerned that the person has no feedback and is willing to pay that much from you who has no feedback. Answer #6: General rule of thumb: someone with a 0 feedback score has exactly that much credibility. I wouldn't trust them with a $50 item much less than a $1500 item.


Title: Sex offender charge description in plain English.

Question:
I live in central California. I get alerts every time a sex offender moves within a certain distance of my house. We just got a new alert today that a sex offender moved just down the street. I have 3 young children so I always try to research the offense. I look up the definition of this offense but it's pretty muddy. Can someone please let me know, in plain English, what acts are involved in this offense. "288(c) - (Prior Code) LEWD OR LASCIVIOUS ACTS WITH CHILD 14 OR 15 YEARS OLD." Thanks.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Lewd/Lavacious acts typically cover inappropriate touching. As opposed to actual penetration, it usually covers inappropriate rubbing/fondling with a child. An example would be an adult rubbing the breasts of a child.Answer #2: The basic elements are:

* The victim was 14 or 15,
* The offender was at least 10 years older, and,
* They didn't have sex as such, but there was touching of a sexual nature like fondling, rubbing, etc.
* There was no violence or duress involved.Answer #3: There's no one specific definition.  It can be nearly any act of touching for sexual gratification of a 14 or 15 year old.

FYI, someone sexually interested in teenagers likely poses no danger to young children, and may not suffer from any pathology and/or be likely to reoffend.  It's hard to know absent the specific circumstances of the offense.


Title: 17 year old parking ticket.

Question:
My wife received a letter from an attorney in Chicago requesting about $190 for a parking citation from 2003. She can't remember receiving or paying the ticket, it was a long time ago, but she's not one to ignore these things.

My first reflex is to tell them to get stuffed. We no longer live in Illinois and this seems like a typical Chicago shakedown. The payment is supposed to be made out the city, so it's probably an officially sanctioned shakedown.

Apparently we can no longer contest this, but I refuse to just write a check without question. Any advice on next steps would be appreciated.

Answer:
 Chicago has no statute of limitations on parking tickets and has been known to even go so far as to issue vehicle seizure orders over 20-year-old tickets, so it seems like it's legitimate.

If the letter did not contain a copy of the ticket, your wife can demand proof that she owes a debt, aka a copy of the ticket. If they can't produce the ticket, you should be able to get it dismissed.


Title: Potential problem on campus

Question:
I attend a community college in  Michigan. In one of the classes that I am taking I was recently talked to by the school safety officer. They told me that someone had complained the them that I was being disruptive, dominating the conversations, being argumentative with the teacher, etc. I was told that if I do not "shut up sit down and do as I'm told"(I said those words but they were verbally confirmed by the officer) I tried several times to inquire about my accuser or specifics rewarding the accusations. I was not given a name but I inferred that it was my instructor based off of what was said to me. If I do not comply with these demands the safety officer will remove me from class.   I feel that my actions in class have been no different  then what I have done in any of the other 42 credit hours I have taken at this college. I am working my way up the chain but I fear my concerns will fall upon deaf ears. What legal action could I take and what result could I hope to have?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 You should be less disruptive in class and comply with the safety officer and teacher's requests. What result are you looking for exactly?Answer #2: > What legal action could I take and what result could I hope to have?

Well, if you shut up, sit down, and do as you're told, you might eventually graduate. Answer #3: Okay, I'll play.

What legal action would you ideally like to take? What exactly do you think is the problem here?Answer #4: You should discuss this with the dean. The security people generally don't get to tell you that you can't participate in class or that you can't speak with your instructor.


Title: My car was hit by an uninsured driver last week. He said he would pay out of pocket, but is being super flaky. What are my options?

Question: I was on my way to work one week ago when I was backed into by another driver. This was in Scottsdale, AZ. The guy stopped in the street because a garbage truck was backing out of a driveway in front of us (perpendicular to our cars.) I fully stop behind him. The guy proceeds to back up for the garbage truck. I lay on the horn, but he slams his truck right into the front end of my sedan. His truck hitch left a considerable dent/hole in my front bumper. This guy looks worried when I get out of the car, and I have the shakes. The guy says he doesn't have insurance, and asks if I would be willing to let him pay for the damages out of pocket. He calls me from his cell phone, texts me his name and full address, and we go on our way. I write down his license plate and make/model of his vehicle but forgot to take photos of his vehicle. The police were never called. I sent him some estimates a few days later, he says they are too expensive (around $1200) and he is "certain he can get a better price." I feel like he's being super flakey and am wondering what my options are now. I was right outside of the place I work, and worked with security in the area for video footage. The only footage caught is of the garbage truck backing up, stopping abruptly, and moving forward again. The video from the camera across the street is panaromic, and the first view shows me fully stopping behind him. By the time it pans around again we are pulled over on the side of the road. What should I do? I'm having major regrets. Thanks for any advice.

Answer: Welp, time to report it to your insurance and let them handle it. You tried to do him a favor, but he won't play ball.


Title: Leaving the US (Massachusetts) for 12 months due to visa restrictions - car lease company wants $8000!

Question:
My wife and I are from the UK, and we have lived in the US for 2.5 years. Visa restrictions have been a problem for us, so my wife's employer has offered us the opportunity to be transferred to the European office (where we have no work-restrictions) for 12 months, so that when we return, we will be eligible for permanent residency.

We took out a 3-year car lease before knowing all this, and of course, we are stuck with all the fees, charges, and remaining payments.

I am in no way comparing our situation to military personnel being deployed overseas **(thank you for your service if any personnel are reading this)**, but I have read that car leases can be broken for military personnel in this situation and wondered if there were similar laws for people being (kind of) forced to leave the country?

• We cannot afford the $8000 to pay back to the car company.
• A car dealership has offered us $6000 UNDER what we owe to our dealership.
• Swapping leases leaves us liable for any default payments by a new lessee.
• Buying the vehicle is more expensive than leasing it, and it would have to sit still (and insured) for a year.
• The car dealership can auction it but will still leave us owing thousands.

Any advice will be much appreciated!
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: No. There are very specific laws for service members under orders. That is because the US government ordered them to leave/move. You are making a choice. You are bound by the terms of that contract


Title: My mom got beat up at work (NJ)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: She can file a workers comp claim. She can also look for a new job if she doesnt like managmentAnswer #2: She needs to get checked out at the hospital (if she hasn't already) and start calling Work Comp attorneys first thing in the morning.


Title: 25yo military male getting divorced after getting cheated on. Need advice/help

Question:
Me and my wife have been married for two years. We’re both military, met in our schools and got married. We lived together until last April, when I got orders to Norfolk.
Last October, after I got back from an underway, she drove up and told me she cheated on me with another sailor she met at a bar. We tried to work it out, and in April I found out she made advances to try to cheat again with someone else. After time apart to think, we are now deciding to separate and divorce.
During this time, she was accepted to an Officer Candidate program.
I don’t have texts to prove the cheating, and now she’s denying everything, saying “she made a drunken pass at someone but nothing happened.” I called and texted friends and told them about it right at the time I found out, but I dont have texts from her.
We own a house together. Her family is a lot more legal-savvy than I am.
Questions:
1. What can I do to prove the cheating to get her expelled from the program? Someone that deceitful shouldn’t be an Officer.
2. What should I do to protect myself and make sure I’m not taken advantage of/don’t get screwed over?

Thank you for your help

Answer:
 >What can I do to prove the cheating to get her expelled from the program?

Really? You do realize "Petty Officer" is a rank, it's not supposed to be a descriptive term about how to live your life, right?

File for your divorce, get a civilian divorce lawyer with experience in military divorces (which are a dime a dozen in Norfolk), and make sure you both disclaim any rights to each other's retirement or other benefits (since it's a military-military marriage with no kids, it should be very clean and simple).

They aren't going to cancel her Officer Candidate orders without documented performance issues from her command, or some kind of record of non-judicial punishment. A spiteful ex calling around isn't going to solve anything, and will just give *you* a bad service reputation, not her.


Title: [NYC] Security Deposit - Landlord is charging me for past tenant's actions.

Question:
Here's the situation: In June 2015, I moved to NYC. I found an apartment on Craigslist where the current tenant was moving out and they were looking for someone to finish out the remainder of the lease terms (until end of Feb 2016). I signed a brand new lease with the landlord, but was told to pay my security deposit to the departing tenant, and the deposit she already paid the landlord would become mine. Needless to say I was a little worried about this, so I took pictures of everything in the apartment detailing the condition. The apartment was not checked by the Landlord after the original tenant moved out (Landlord lives in Papua New Guinea).

I moved out a few days ago and just received this email from the Landlord: "all is good with one exception - the walls are not white. When the apartment was initially delivered, the walls were white and at some point were painted other colors. I am not sure when this happened or who did it, but technically since you took over the lease from Jane (fake name), you would be responsible for putting the walls back to white again. " The walls, as I have known them, had always been painted. They were painted when I moved in, and they were painted in the pictures in the Craigslist ad that I saw.

Another thing is that I didn't "take-over" a lease. I have my own lease, where it states: "If You carry out all of your agreements in this Lease and if You move out of the Apartment and return it to Owner in the same condition it was in when You first occupied it, except for ordinary wear and tear or damage caused by fire or other casualty, Owner will return to You the full amount of your security deposit and interest to which You are entitled within 60 days after this Lease ends."

In my opinion, it is not my fault that the apartment was never checked when the original tenant moved out. I think I have a pretty credible argument here to refuse charges. What are your thoughts?

Thanks!

Answer: Do you have pictures before you moved in? or the craigslist ad possibly? Dispute it and use that as evidence if you need to..


Title: Illinois - Landlord included electric in the lease but is now claiming it is not included

Question: The lease I and 2 others signed on an apartment says that electric is included in the monthly rent. The landlord already signed the lease as well. The landlord is now claiming this was a clerical error and that it will not be included. What are our rights here? Is he able to claim an error while sticking stringently to other aspects of the lease?

Answer:
 "Clerical errors" are stuff like typos and misplaced decimals.  "Electricity included" is not a clerical error.

You have a signed lease, so you can force the landlord to abide by it and expect for him not to renew when it expires.  Otherwise, you're in a good spot to negotiate the terms of a new lease with a lower rent or more favorable terms.


Title: M.D. arrested in NYC for a knife

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Yes. Relax. Get a co-worker to write you some Klonopin and breathe. I don't know what your misdemeanor charge is, but unless you USED THE KNIFE IN COMMITTING A CRIME, it's just the NYPD being dickbags. They do that from time to time.

As long as you have competent legal representation, and it's a regular old swiss army knife, you're fine. Your attorney can make sure it doesn't impact your career. I promise, if the facts are as you stated, it really, really will be ok.

Now about this spider bite on my husband's ~~ass~~ upper thigh that keeps coming back every few months....


Title: [FL] Can we amicably divorce without attorney even with a child?

Question: The only problem would not be knowing standard child support or alimony fair amounts. We can agree on asset division and schedule for our child shared custody. We've been married almost 6 years. Child is 3.  No fault divorce.

Answer:
 Only if you agree on absolutely everything. Answer #2: If you two agree on EVERYTHING then yes

IANALAnswer #3: FL is a no fault divorce state, so you can get a divorce so long as either of you claim the marriage is "irretrievably broken."

The thing is that you can't file a simplified dissolution because you have a child. This is in large part due to the fact that in FL child support is the right of the child not the parents (so parents ordinarily can't unilaterally agree on an amount unless a judge signs off on it).

Unfortunately, you're more than likely going to need an attorney. Answer #4: You can...

... but in the long term, to protect your and your child's best interests, you'll be better off involving an attorney.

I had an amicable divorce with a child involved but I still hired a lawyer to draw up the documents, file everything, and make sure that I wasn't missing anything.

In the years since I've kept them on retainer and up to date on developments and that has definitely helped me out.


Title: Has there ever been a case where a Pro Se litigant was allowed to represent a corporation or company of any kind?

Question:
I am asking because I understand it to be illegal for an entrepreneur to represent his or her own company (LLC, INC, S/C Corp) in court for a legal action even if the entrepreneur owns the entire company.

I believe this is because the court views the entrepreneur/owner as "practicing law without a license". This seems to put one in a situation where if he or she cannot afford a good attorney, he or she essentially loses by default. Not that they are ruled against in a nolo contendere fashion, but rather the potentially hundreds of thousands required to litigate the case seems to structurally preclude many smaller businesses from winning cases by larger entities. I'd like to hear some opinions from someone who actually lawmongers.

EDIT: An example was found in CO legislature which I have linked to below. See C.R.S. 13-1-127
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 > I am asking because I understand it to be illegal for an entrepreneur to represent his or her own company in court for a legal action even if the entrepreneur owns the entire company.

Correct.  That's because, by forming the corporation, a separate entity is created.  Only that entity could operate *pro se*, and the entrepeneur is not the entity.

In that case, the owner would be appearing on behalf of a separate entity, which is only allowed for a practicing attorney.


Title: Arrested and Can’t Find My Car !!!

Question:
Any help is appreciated!! I got arrested for drug possession of methamphetamine and alcohol but was not given any type of blood or breathalyzer tests and was not charged with driving under the influence, I was not.
The cops asked me if they could park my car and simply put it off to the side and threw away the alcohol (weird right?) and it was in central Phoenix which I was just passing through. I was extremely distraught as I bought the meth as a ‘study buddy’ (yes, I’m an asshole). But I live in Tempe and don’t remember where the street was and I really need my car. I’ve tried calling but I haven’t gotten any real person on the phone and none of my release papers have any information on who arrested me or where.

How do I find the street I was arrested on or who can I contact? Any help is really appreciated and apologies to anyone offended by my purchase, I’m 29 and adderall was 0 availability at the time...
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 Bit of a stretch but Google maps usually tracks your location, try looking under timeline on the appAnswer #2: Do you know the arresting officers name? If so you can call the non-emergency line to try and get in touch with him and ask.

But it likely got towed if it was abandoned. So you can also call the non-emergency line to see if it was towed and to whereAnswer #3: Okay. 911 operator here. If you called into my center here is what I would try to do for you:

The EASIEST WAY to find EVERYTHING is if you have your tag info. The vehicle tag is placed in every call - the original arrest and the probably subsequent tow.

If you do not have your tag info, my next option is to look up all CDS violations from the night you were arrested and see if I can’t locate your vehicle.

If I can’t do that and you don’t have the officers names and you don’t have the location I’m going to tell you call back when you find something that can help.

Otherwise maybe call all of the towing companies in your area and see if they have your vehicle.


Title: $450,000 Lost due to wire fraud on purchasing a home

Question:
Hello,

I need help. A little bit of background info. My  mother is trying to buy a house in California and  the amount needed to be transferred to the Fidelity Title company was $450,000. However we found out the wiring and email info was fraudulent. Bank of America has already started to recall the wires however we are not sure if we will get back the full amount. With only $17,000 left in the wired account. One of the suspicious things we found out later was that the name we transferred the wire to the account did not even match the name of the recipient account name. So we are not sure why BoA has even let the wire through if the name did not match since a representative told us they would not wire the money if the names are different. We have already filed an fbi report and we are still waiting if we are going to get an agent to help us investigate. We have also contacted our District Attorney to see if they can help investigate in any way. I was also wondering what kind of lawyer to get that would specialize in these kind of situations to help us see who is at fault here. Any info or advice will be greatly appreciated. If you need more details. Please ask. This is just a brief summary. Thank you.

Answer:
 This is a common scam. Most title companies even have a note in their email signature telling you to call and verify wiring info before sending funds.

Unless the title company's email server was hacked and/or they were negligent somehow, they aren't going to be liable for this. Unfortunately, the money is probably long gone too. Answer #2: >The recipient of the wire transfer is a small time jewelry store owner living in New Jersey that said her boyfriend was selling a house in California and going to use that money to live together for the rest of their lives. Here is the catch. She has never even met the boyfriend before!

Actually, this is not uncommon.

Sounds like the NJ jewelry store owner was a victim of a love scam. Here is an article that illustrates how this kind of thing works:

[https://www.wired.com/2015/10/online\-dating\-made\-woman\-pawn\-global\-crime\-plot/](https://www.wired.com/2015/10/online-dating-made-woman-pawn-global-crime-plot/)Answer #3: Contact the Secret Service (treasury department) now DHS.  This kind  of wire fraud falls into their scope of operations. Answer #4: Did your mom use a lawyer to prepare documents and paperwork, to facilitate the transaction? Answer #5: Please tell me if I'm wrong here, but can OP's mom sue the NJ woman caught in the scam?  I mean, she admitted to being the middleman.  It's unlikely the "boyfriend" will ever be caught and forced to pay it back.

(To note, I'm sorry for the NJ woman.  However, she's an adult.  She runs a business.  She knows better than to give wads of money to strangers, or accept shady bank transfers.  It's one thing to be vulnerable, but it's another to throw your faculties in the garbage disposal.)


Title: Utah - Niece (6) says a 9 year old neighbor boy and his friends organized a group game of "touch the butt"

Question:
There was also some genital touching, over the clothes. Her parents have seen a lot of trouble from this particular kid. He's been violent with other kids and neighborhood animals. According to the niece, the one kid is the only one who actually touched anyone. The other boys wouldn't participate.

Parents aren't sure if they should contact the police or just talk to the parents or what. The offender's parents have generally brushed off any prior efforts to talk about the kid's behavior, seeming to think he's too much of an angel to have any kind of questionable behavior.

What is the proper approach here? Personally I think the kid needs therapy, not punishment, but are there protocols for a situation with such young children?

Answer: The first step is to talk to this kid’s parents like reasonable adults.


Title: Surprise Warrant out for my arrest

Question:
Hey guys, I'm going to try to keep this as short as possible.

I just received a warrant for my arrest for being held in contempt of court from a New Jersey Police Dept. I live in New York.

The warrant was issued for an unpaid motor violation. This is where things get stupid, and a bit complicated.

I was driving up from NY to Canada for a little vacation, while in Jersey I was pulled over by a NJ trooper because he clocked me driving 89 in a 65 zone. When he came up to the car, he noticed I was wearing a NYPD baseball cap and asked me "what's up with the NYPD hat?" I told him I have a brother in the NYPD (a lie) and then he told me that he pulled me over because he clocked me doing 89.

He went back to his cruiser after that exchange and was in there for approximately 10 minutes. After he came out, he told me that I was driving a little too fast, and that he is going to "cut me a break" He gave me **1** ticket and explained to me what it was. "It was a $40 citation which carried no points and the violation was something along the lines of 'impeding traffic'" (paraphrasing)

I paid the ticket in around 2 weeks time after I came home from my vacation.

Today, I received an arrest warrant from NJ for being held in contempt of court and have bail set at $500. I immediately called the courts to tell them that there has been a misunderstanding and that I paid my ticket. The court clerk then notified me that I have paid only **1 of the 2** tickets which I had issued to me that day.

This is the first time I was hearing of this, but apparently on that day the same trooper who gave me a ticket for "impeding traffic" also put it in the system that I am receiving a ticket for **"abandoning vehicle"**

The trooper never handed me a ticket for "abandoning vehicle" nor did he orally explain that I am being cited for it. He was very pleasant and understanding with me the whole time and in reality did me a great deed for giving me a $40, no points citation when I was clocked 24 miles over the speed limit. I honestly think there has been some sort of mistake in all of this.

This was the first time I was ever given a ticket, let alone had a warrant of arrest issued in my name. I do not have any documents left, the original ticket I received was discarded after I got confirmation of payment.

I am lost, and I want to know if there is anyway to make this go away without going to court. Any advice is welcome. Thank you for taking your time to read this.

**TLDR:** I have an arrest warrant out for me because I am being held in contempt of court for not paying a motor vehicle citation I had zero knowledge of.

Apparently its possible to "abandon your vehicle" on the I80 while doing 89mph.

This is the violation: http://www.njlaws.com/39.4-56.5abandone.html (B)

Answer:
 > Apparently its possible to "abandon your vehicle" on the I80 while doing 89mph.

This is likely a clerical error.  Call the court, ask them how to clear it up.  You will likely have to appear, but that's on them to determine.Answer #2: I am an attorney in New Jersey with experience in muni courts. The comments you have already received are correct. You will most certainly have go appear to get the warrant lifted. The officer will probably back you up about the second ticket (or his notes) and it will be dismissed. And if you are truly worried about this or really want to try to avoid making an appearance, then do as the other commenter said and hire an attorney who is located close to the court and who advertises that he does traffic tickets. He may be able to resolve it all without you having to appear.

Don't wait. If a warrant is out there you could get picked up any time you interact with law enforcement. Then you will have an arrest record. Good luck.

What town is this in?Answer #3: How long ago were you ticketed?  It seems unlikely that the trooper will remember or do anything about it, but its worth a try.  It might be a little unlikely that a judge will believe that you only received one ticket.  It would be hard to prove, unless you have the trooper back you up.


Title: Can an employer legally make you work more hours than you were hired to do?

Question:
I'm from Utah, I was hired 3.5 yrs ago to work two days a week for 16hrs (two full 8hr days). Today, I was told "Good news! We just got approval to make your position a 29.5 hr a week position. Isn't that great!"

Ummm...no.

I was not asked before this was put into effect.

Do I have any legal footing to stand on, or am I simply stuck working the 29.5 hrs or do I have quit? Are those my only options?

Answer: No of course not. Slavery is illegal. But you can be legally fired for refusing.


Title: Father may try to keep kids after thanksgiving visitation if mother doesn't agree to a further meeting place.

Question:
TL/DR The father wants the mom to do more of the driving so he can see his kids.  Threaten to keep them and make her drive all the way to get them after thanksgiving break.

The fear is that after Thanksgiving break the father might decided to keep the kids unless the mom drives from LA to Vegas to get them.  Even though the agreement (in text) is to meet in Barstow CA.  Is that parental kidnapping?  We would end up driving to Vegas to get the kids.  So hes not actually keeping the kids from their mom or school on Monday or anything.  Since we would go get them.  I told her were just going to end up having to get a lawyer and put every detail  in writing.  I assume that's the answer.

Here are some details that you might need.

Were in California.  I'm the stepdad. The two parents share custody of the 2 children.  They live with their mom full time.  In the paper work it says 100% of travel expenses are on the father.   Says they will split holidays every other year and work out weekend visitations as their schedules let them.   It doesn't say anything about meeting half way or anything like that.  It would only be me driving since my wife will be working.  I use to meet him in Baker that is even closer to Vegas but he's been an asshole to me so I don't feel like doing him any favors.  I also have a child from my first marriage and my ex-wife never drove more than 10 mins (to get off a military post) so I could turn around and drive 6 hours home.   Of course that has nothing to do with the situation here.   Maybe I'm just a little jaded because no one ever met me half way and I meet him half way and he's a dick to me afterwards.  Jeez, I might have to cross-post to a rant page.

Answer: If the travel expenses are on the father then he has to reimburse you for any gas you use. Keep receipts of the gas you use for the drive. I know it’s a pain to drive to him. But do it keep the receipts and make him reimburse you until you get to court. Make sure he gets a copy of the receipts and have a copy for yourself via screenshots.


Title: Can my school force me to give them access to my phone

Question:
Im a high school senior in texas. Theres a sophomore who's throwing my name around saying I've been bullying him to the school administrators. Hes been suicidal before and is claiming I've been making it worse for him. I know the school admin is going to have a talk with me soon and I plan to show a few messages between me and him to prove my innocence. So my question is, can my school force me to give them access to my phone after I show them those messages? Can they force me to give them my passcode?

Sorry for formatting, mobile is hard. Thanks in advance for any answers.

Answer:
 Print your 'evidence' and keep your phone locked and out of the conversation.

Cherry-picking your messages to show as innocence doesn't discount any claims though; doesn't actually prove anything. Your parents can override you, so if they chose to hand over their phone to the school, they can. Assuming a public high school, you don't typically have to open your phone without very specific cause in most districts. Highly recommend telling your parents because once you deny them, that will be the next call.Answer #2: Have your parents deal with this. Answer #3: PS. If you haven't already, go ahead and lock your phone with a password. Don't use a fingerprint (security risk in any situation...but also jurisprudence is that fingerprint easier to obtain legally than password is). That way, if somehow the police get involved in this you are already ahead of the curve.Answer #4: If they demand more from your phone than you're willing to give (and like others have said, do not give them your phone unlocked, offer the evidence outside of your phone), point out that if you were bullying him over the phone the evidence would be on *his* phone as well so ask him to show them the alleged bullying messages.Answer #5: As above, print your evidence and passcode lock your phone. I’d also suggest turning OFF the factory reset option activating if somebody tries your passcode and gets it wrong. X-number of times.  You want your evidence secure but also don’t want it erased by somebody trying to get into your phone!


Title: Am I getting paid below MW illegally?

Question: I am a student at a state community college and work on campus as a tutor. The minimum wage in my state is $11, but the minimum wage mandated by the city that the school is in is $13.25. Me and the other tutors are paid $11/hour, but it seems to me that we should be getting paid the city MW. Can anyone explain why this pay rate may be legal, or do I have a legitimate legal concern?

Answer: If the campus is located in city limits then they should have to pay the minimum wage dictated in the city.


Title: I think someone is following me.

Question:
**I think someone is following me.**

I live in a small town, and down the road I live on theres this older man, about 50. Feel bad saying it, but the guy is sort of a stereotypical pedo. Mustache, thick glasses, sort of unclean. He helps out at the local church, everybody knows him. He drives a bright white SUV, pretty recognizable.

I go on hikes and bike rides all over the place, and walk most places I go. A few days ago, I went down to the local store and spotted him up the road at least sixty meters away. Because it is a small town, I know that the man goes to a Convinence store near the same place, but up the road a little. I saw him turn on his signals to turn into the station, but then, I could tell, that he saw me. And then he turned off his signal and continued town the street and turned into a road that goes down to the local park, a place I bike to a lot.

I didn't much think of it, but after I had finished shopping I went down the road that went to the park just to see if he was waiting there. Sure enough, he was.

When i saw him there, I took a side street and made it pretty obvious that i was doing so, just to see if he was following me.

Again, he started up the road, and onto the side road I went on.

Again, after I got onto the street, I crossed onto another side road, and again he followed me. Thankfully my house was nearby, and he was driving a lot slower than I was riding my bike.

I made it home alright, but now I see him drive very slowly in front of my house, and has done so several times.

Perhaps I am being paranoid, but it's starting to bother me. I've mostly stayed at my house the last few days. I really enjoy my nature time, but I'm too scared of a confrontation with the man.

I'm not sure why I get this vibe off the guy, but I would just like to have an idea of the legal stuff I have to do if anything ever happens.

Thank you.

Answer: Came here thinking it was another paranoid OP having delusions but this sounds like OP could be having an issue with a particular person.  Keep track of your route and make turns and report it to the police-make sure to describe how many turns he makes to follow you so if the police talk to him he can't just call it a coincidence. Answer #2: It sounds like the fear your feeling is causing you to alter your life and stop doing things you enjoy. Let's find ways to empower you. When I can't find a friend to go biking/walking with me there are several things I do that make me feel safe when I go out alone. I carry a cell-phone, pepper spray, and the police non-emergency number in my phone. This helps me to feel that if I had to I could reach someone for help and if I needed to I could do something about a situation I don't feel safe in. I think most importantly I don't see my home as my only safe place, your town is filled with people who would help you if you need it, and places you can walk into if you get scared. Think of your bike ride home when you felt followed and think how many people and places you passed that you could have stopped and gotten help if something happened. Lastly, if you really feel unsafe give yourself permission to call the police- that's what they are there for.


Title: Dealership sold a car for less than they wanted, now they're demanding more money and are holding the title.

Question:
My sister in law recently purchased 2014 Subaru Outback from a Subaru dealership. After many issues with the financing company she decided to go in and pay the balance rather than finance. Originally she wanted to build credit but the bank was creating quite a headache over paperwork. She went in, told the manager she would like to pay the balance of the car, the original price was $18,500. As the finance manager and general manager wrote up the paperwork they accidentally entered in $15,000 as the sale price. She paid the new balance in full without asking questions. She received a receipt that said "Paid in full". Today they called and demanded the remainder of the original price and said they would withhold the title until she paid them.
We're in Michigan, I am thinking since she has the receipt with the sale price on it they can't do anything. How can we get them to release the title?

EDIT: The original contract was voided and they drafted a new contract with the sale price being $15,000. They added taxes and fees and she paid the remainder of that in full and received a receipt.

cross post with r/legal

Answer:
 If the dealership has a signed sales agreement that specifies $18,500 as the price, you probably can not get them to release the title after paying $15,000.
The financing is normally separated from the sale price of a car, so it is possible that the dealership has a signed agreement for the $18,500, paying $15,000 does not match that price. Answer #2: If you owed 18.5, and you only paid 15 because of a clerical error, you still owe the remainder.Answer #3: She is not allowed to take advantage of a unilateral mistake in the contract. The contract should be fixed to reflect the actual agreed price of 18.5 and she will owe the remainder. Answer #4: Did she ever sign anything that has the sale price as 18.5? If there’s anything with that price and her signature, she’ll have to pay. If there’s nothing with her signature, the dealership will have to prove that they agreed on 18,500. Dealerships save *everything* (or at least are supposed to), so if they have anything with her signature and the price of $18,500, whether it’s a contract or not, she’ll have to pay, even if she doesn’t have a copy of it.


Title: Would being thrown in drunk tank help in displaying I didn't have the mens rea to commit a specific intent crime? AB-CAN

Question: Took something cheap/low value.  Cop laid theft under charges and I went to the drunk tank for 4 hours.  Does the fact that they thought I was too drunk to be on my own also assist me in being too drunk to be quilty of stealing this stupid low value thing not from a store?

Answer: "I was too drunk" is not a defense to the law.


Title: [TX] Mom bought a car on Craigslist with no paperwork at all. Is there anything I can do?

Question: It's a Porsche 944 and she wants to drive it but she has no paperwork for the title or registration.

Answer: Contact the DMV to find out how to get a replacement title.Answer #2: Don't let her drive it without any of that in place. Contact the DMV to see about getting all of that replaced.


Title: Landlord entered my apartment without sufficient notice, to conduct an end-of-lease inspection

Question:
This is in Massachusetts. I received an email yesterday (12/26) at 6pm from my landlord, saying that they would be entering my apartment today (12/27) at 10:30am in order to conduct an inspection, since my lease will be ending in approximately 45 days, and they need to inspect the unit for any repairs before a new tenant can move in. However, the notice they gave me was not sufficient (i.e., it was less than the legally-required 24 hours minimum), and I didn't even see/acknowledge the email until this afternoon at 4pm, which was still less than 24 hours after the initial notification was sent to me. Additionally, according to MA state law, they are only permitted to conduct an end-of-lease inspection within 30 days of my lease end date, which is 2/11.

Since the inspection they conducted was illegal for 2 reasons, my questions are:
1) Do I have any legal recourse? I have been traveling due to the Christmas holiday and I am very concerned that some of my personal property may have been damaged and/or stolen by the people who entered my apartment illegally. I will not be back in my home until early January, so in the meantime I'm not sure how to protect myself against any loss or damage.
2) Should I demand that they conduct another inspection within the 30-day timeframe, so that I am not held liable for any damages that may be found in the apartment?

Answer:
 What makes you think your property has been damaged and/or stolen? Generally speaking, there isn’t anything legally actionable regarding one instance of alleged improper notice.

You are welcome to request another inspection within the last 30 days, but note that any damage that has occurred between the two inspection dates would logically stem from you, if no one else lives there.


Title: Ex boyfriend using CYS to punish me

Question:
On mobile, apologies for any mistakes. My ex boyfriend and I were together off and on for 11 years, and we have a 2 year old daughter. My ex has been abusive in the past and has a history of mental illness, having been institutionalized three times.
I have or daughter full time.  He is not on our daughters birth certificate ( his choice), and we have no formal visitation agreement, but he sees or daughter every Sunday while I work. He has used our daughter as a weapon  since she was born, saying that I’m a terrible mom and I work too much, at a shitty job because I want to avoid my responsibilities ( I’m an lpn in school for my rn). I work about 50 hours a week. He is upset my daughter goes to my moms house when I’m in work, and offered to pay for daycare, which I agreed to, but he has yet to provide.He provides no support except the occasional diaper and pack of wipes. On his most recent visit, I mentioned that our daughter often has diaper rashes after he watches her and he lost it. He said that he’ll sign over rights to protect himself and said generally mean things to me. He said that I will see and he will be making a couple calls. I had to block him on my phone as he was being extremely verbally abusive.
This is all background so that you understand how upset I am. I recently received a letter from cys requesting a home visit. This I am fine with, I have nothing to hide. I am upset and scared that my ex boyfriend is using the system as a weapon against me, and I am scared of what he will do in the future. Advice and kind words appreciated, thank you.

Answer:
 You’re going to be fine!   It sounds like you are a great mom and have made great choices for your child.

They’ll come do a home visit, you’ll explain his history and his emotionally abusive behaviors, and they will understand.  They see this often.


Title: Pulled over for drinking & driving in California. Did we just get lucky, or is this legal?

Question:
Last night a buddy and I were drinking at a bar in Downtown Los Angeles. We've had a few drinks, but John (my buddy & the driver) stops drinking 1-2 hour before and drinks water till closing. I ask him if he's good to drive and he says "I'm totally fine," and we're on our way.

Anyways, about 10 minutes into our drive, a cop pulls us over for swerving (I think my buddy might have made a "jerky" turn on the freeway). Once the officer pulls up, the cop realizes the reek of alcohol in the car. I knew shit was about to get real.

Now, my buddy John, is a true "rights advocate" and knows his laws for situations like these pretty well. I, however, am unclear, which is why I'm posting here in the first place.

The officer asks my buddy to take a field sobriety test, which he does, and from my witness, passes all exams with flying colors. He had no problem.

**Here's where the trouble starts:** the officer then asks my buddy to blow on the breathalyzer as a final test, and my buddy refuses. He says something along the lines of "Officer, I've been cooperative thus far, and I appreciate the time you guys put into securing the roads- but I know my rights and I respectfully refuse to take a breathalyzer test." (He refused because he knew he had been drinking and just didn't want to take a chance). Anyways, the police officer starts harrassing him, and not letting go. He even gets me involved- "You should really just tell your buddy to take this test. It will only end bad if he doesn't." A couple more cops come in and start verbally abusing my friend and what not, but he holds his ground firm and continually says "I respectfully refuse to submit to a breathalyzer exam." Things get heated, cops think he's being a dick to get out of a DUI (which is true), but eventually after lots of shouting/bickering/arguing, they just let us go on our way.

I was kind of perplexed, because I was expecting both of us to be arrested and him sent to jail pretty instantly. Did my friend just get lucky with the cops or is this is actually legitimate? I swear I thought that if the officer smelled alcohol in your car, you basically have to give up all your rights and submit to whatever they ask for. My buddy said "Nah, the worst that would have happened was that I lost my lose my license for one year. And I'd rather have that than a possible DUI on my record."

*Would love to hear what r/legal advice thinks about this situation?

*What he did wrong, and what he did right?

*How would you improve the handling of this situation, from the drinker's perspective?

**Edit: The focus of this discussion should be aimed on the rights of individuals during a DUI stop. My friend is already in shock and admits he made a terrible mistake driving slightly buzzed. I want to discuss this from an honest/plausible situation, and the truth is that a significant # of people in Los Angeles have to drive home from bars, as public transportation is poor and LA itself is so big. People come out, have a few drinks, and then stop drinking 1-2 hours before driving + start drinking plenty of water. This is simply the reality.**

Answer:
 DWI Enforcement Instructor here.

There is a difference between the roadside "portable breath test" (PBT) and the evidential test given at the station.

The PBT is less accurate than the evidential test, less strictly regulated, and the results are generally not admissible in court.

The "implied consent law" refers to the post arrest/evidential test in nearly all the states.

If you have specific questions, ask.  I'll answwr what I can.


Title: subway tring to scam me

Question: [removed]

Answer: You're owed a refund, or your order. The rest is a customer service issue unless you have evidence of some specific intent to defraud - simply being a bunch of cack-handed, incompetent brine shrimp isn't actionable.


Title: [MA] I am going to have A LOT of marijuana at my wedding, I work for the state (nurse), can I get in trouble if my work find pictures of it documented?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's going to end up on facebook and lots of people will have pictures. There is absolutely no way to prevent that.  And then somebody you invited may not like you some day and will have dirt on you.Answer #2: Sure, you could get fired. It depends on your employer's policies. Answer #3: People can and have been fired (stupidly, if you want my opinion) for being photographed with alcohol.

And unfortunately, it'd be easier to not have the weed present than it would be to control photographs being taken or posted anywhere.

I'm not saying you can't or shouldn't do it. Just know the risks.


Title: What are my rights re: death investigation

Question: A close family member died a few months ago and the case remains open. It was originally determined to be a suicide, but after a couple of months the family was told that it was a homicide. The investigation is still open at this point and the investigators stopped sharing information with the family and have stopped returning the family's calls and emails. Do we have any rights in this situation? I would like to know what we can do to get more information, or to get law enforcement to communicate with us. I would also like to know what we can do to at least get them to file the death certificate. We have been told that the death certificate is still not finalized due to it being an open investigation.

Answer:
 Sometimes, in order to get heard, you need to show up in person and ask to talk to someone.

But know this, if they are being mum about certain details to the family, then there is a chance that someone in the family is being investigated.

Or, they are just super busy and haven't had a chance to call you back yet.

I am sorry for your loss.

Answer #2: Keep in mind that they do not investigate homicides on behalf of the family.  The investigation is on behalf of the state. Answer #3: You could try and speak to whoever is in charge of the investigators, they might be able to give you information or get someone to call you back.

That being said, homicide cases take a ridiculously long time. There's all kinds of testing to be done and it easily takes months to get the results back, there's people to talk to, endless reports to write, endless amounts of information to collect from all kinds of sources with varying degrees of willingness. TV makes homicide investigations look exciting and like they're the only thing the department is dealing with, and like they don't take much time.

In the real world, they get boring very quickly and take forever to get any new information. There's a good chance that there's just not anything new to tell you yet, and they may not be able to tell you about new information even if they actually do have it.


Title: Old roommate owes me money and I have their birth certificate and SS card. [RI]

Question:
I’ve tried really hard for the past 5 months to ask for rent money that my old roommate owes us. She was not on the lease but, we had a verbal agreement and paid she paid me rent multiple times. She had left a good amount of stuff in our apartment that we have been asking her to come get. We finally have a new roommate moving in and are moving out all the stuff she left. Going through her stuff I found her Social Security card, Birth Certificate, and check book.

I’m really not this person and wish I didn’t have to do this. Money is just very tight right now and I could really use it. Can I leverage these things to collect the rent she owes me? Am I better off just give them back?

Answer: Give them back. Take her to small claims for the rent.


Title: Illinois: Husband is a trucker and got an outrageous ticket for a minor mistake. What are our options?

Question:
Hello reddit.  My husband is a truck driver and his (truck driver specific) GPS had him turn down a street to enter a distributor. This gps normally will reroute around restricted roads. As he is turning into the street a cop immediately pulls him over. There is a "no trucks" sign posted, but only AFTER you have entered the street (no way to see prior to turning) Additionally, the road has several lots which contain empty trailers, which are easily visible from the original street (why he thought this was where he was supposed to go).

 The cop then gives him a 750 (!!!) dollar ticket, all of which we are 100% responsible for. He was not even on the road 15 seconds before he got pulled over.  My husband is a hard-working man just trying to earn a living and this is a HUGE fee for what seems to be an easily made mistake. He has never gotten a speeding ticket or any other traffic violation in the past (truck driving or off duty)

What are options for this? I feel this is not the first time this officer has done this as it seems he was waiting for somebody to come along and make this mistake. It just seems so awful to take advantage of hard-working people this way for such minor infractions, as the cop is probably well aware it will be difficult for my husband to appear in court to fight it.  We are originally from Ohio, and he drives all over the Midwest, often gone for weeks at a time. Any advice for us?? Thanks in advance y'all!

Answer: Get an attorney to appear for you.


Title: Mail not received, and missed an exam

Question: Mail was sent without tracking or certified delivery.  Attorney claims he has mailed several items which I have not received.  He also says that certified or tracking is "too expensive" but that it's assumed, by law, USPS is "good enough" that if they don't receive a non-delivery that I got it.  I'm in Delaware.  This seems a bit of a stretch to prove legally that I received it.  I've been on the sending end before and told if I didn't have tracking info I couldn't prove the package was mailed.  Is there a double standard? I'm stressed out over a possible no-show fee that I can't afford.

Answer:
 I mail pretty much everything out of our office certified or registered, depending on what it is. We cover our asses and leave a paper trail because that's how a competent firm works.

This lawyer sounds like a jagoff. If he's your lawyer, he should be billing you for the postage anyway. If he's someone else's lawyer he should be billing them. I don't know in what world $3.35 is "too expensive" for a law firm to send a letter certified.


Title: If you're in an accident that you didn't cause and medics have to cut your clothing off to treat you, will the person who caused the accident have to pay for damaged property?

Question: I can imagine everyone would ignore it if it was a cheap tee shirt or something, but what if you were wearing a brand new Armani suit or something else expensive?

Answer: Yes, you could sue the person at fault for the replacement cost of the destroyed clothing. You may be able to get compensated by insurance (yours or theirs) without suing, but the insurance adjuster could push back on the value of a suit that has been worn before, and if you are unable to come to an agreement, you could sue for its value and let a court decide.


Title: Bought something differently as advertised.

Question:
I bought two sealed brand new laptops from a craigslist user. They were 100% legit. I asked him what the specs of the machine were, he gave me an email listing the specs. I thought it was a great deal. So we met, i purchased them. They ended up being different specs. A different screen resolution and processor. I asked him if i could have my money back as they are still in the box sealed and they were not completely the computers as advertised. He said a deal is a deal. I think it was somewhat my fault because he did ask if I wanted to open them up, so i dont think he intentionally tried to scam me, lesson is learned though. Anyway, is there anyway i could take this to small claims court?

edit: this is in US-IL

Answer: Sure, you can take anyone to small claims court. However, to win, you would need proof that he lied about the product being sold and was fraudulent in that case.


Title: Are employee "Legal Plans" ever worthwhile?

Question:
I subscribe a Hyatt's legal plan as an employee benefit.  It costs something like $15/mo which seemed like a fantastic deal.  It specifically covers various services, including immigration filing.  So, as my wife is filing for a green card I reached out to some of the attorneys on the plan.  The first we met with in person.  She said she was new to the plan and had just reviewed the coverage before we showed up.  She said outright that the reimbursements rates are very low and suggested we want a bunch of ($$$) extra services that wouldn't be covered by the plan to make it worthwhile.  Thinking we have a very simple case that isn't likely to warrant special scrutiny, we looked for another attorney.  The second attorney we spoke to on the phone.  She sounded apathetic and basically said go online and figure out what immigration forms you need to fill out, then fill them all out and get back to me.  So we did, and when we spoke to her again she said the plan only covers her reviewing the forms (not true) and that she'd review them and that we should file on our own and handle any followup directly with ICS.

I understand that if the pay rates are low that attorneys would be relucatant to join the plan, but why would they join and then discourage anybody from actually using it?  Is there some perverse incentive I'm unaware of?  Should I just keep shopping around until I find somebody who seems interested in accepting the job?

Answer: I would definitely complain to the administrator of the plan, because that's straight up poor service.


Title: [CA] Can a text message be used as written notice to end a rental agreement?

Question:
Hi there. I have a landlord who is trying to kick me out of a room that I rent from his home. This attempt at quitting our arrangement is the result of my refusal to pay my landlord the rent in cash.

Here are the terms of our agreement + timeline of events:

I rent a room in a house that he has a mortgage on, that he lives in (I believe this is referred to as lodging). This house is within Santa Clara county in California. There is no written lease describing our agreement nor is there a written agreement to pay utilities. However, I have consistently paid him for both of these via check and I have the records to prove this. The amount of rent paid every month has been a fixed rate. In addition, rather than a security deposit, I paid a last month's rent at the beginning of the tenancy. Over the course of our arrangement, not one of my checks has bounced or been returned by the bank. Rent has also never been late.

On July 31st, we had a conversation that he wanted me to begin paying the rent in cash, rather than check. His specific reason he gave me for this was that he wanted our arrangement "off the books" so that "he could put his kids through college". I refused, because this sent up red flags for me. I told him very specifically that I wanted our arrangement to be "by the book". Later that night, he sent me a text message telling me that I had 30 days to leave his house.

When I attempted to pay the rent for August via check, he shoved it under my door. I still have it. Subsequently, about three days later, he asked for payment the rest of the utilities I owed him from previous months (he would often request them in 3-4 month chunks). I gave him a check the next day, which he deposited immediately. However the night before I gave him this check, he purposefully cut out the wireless internet connection repeatedly. I'm pretty sure this is a form of harassment, but once he received my check, the action stopped.

Today, I came home from work to find that he had written a note on a piece of my mail. The note references a specific written notice that he claims I received, which to this day I am not sure counts as legal notice.

My question is that does the text message count as legal notice to end a rental arrangement in California? I am wondering what sort of leverage I have over the situation, because making new arrangements has proven difficult thus far. What legal resources should I be looking into at this point? Who can help me?

Obviously, I am making an effort to move out and get into a better situation, but I live in a town with several universities where rents are extremely high, and this is happening right at the beginning of the semester where there is a lot of competition for affordable housing. I am worried this may impact my ability to attend my university and thus my financial aid, as other options available to me may require me to move hundreds of miles away from town.

Thanks for reading, and let me know if I need to clarify anything.

Answer:
 IANAL, but according to [California's Department of Consumer Affairs](http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/terminations.shtml#properserviceofnotices) your landlord has three options to serve you your 30-day or 60-day notice, all of which suggest a written notice.

[This avvo.com post suggests that a text message doesn't meet the requirements](http://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/is-a-text-message-of-a-30-day-notice-a--legal-writ-1560695.html), and there are a couple more posts that Google showed that had basically the same answers.Answer #2: No, a text message is not a valid way to deliver a notice to end a rental agreement.  There are specific methods that must be used, such as "nail and mail" (post a copy on your door, and mail a copy) or personal service.


Title: My condo unit is being destroyed by neighbor (CO)

Question:
So I own a middle floor Condo and the Unit above mine has a leaky shower. His unit shower leak has eaten all the way through my ceiling drywall. I have the skill the replace my drywall but there is no point in doing so until the leak has stopped. I went up to the unit, the people living there are renters not the owners of the unit. I got a name of the owner and a phone number, but the number leads to the niece of the owner (living in Guatemala) not the owner himself. I told her to relay the message but nothing has come of it so far. The HOA says that units are responsible for their own plumbing and will not do anything about it.
What do I do? I live in Colorado.

Answer:
 The renters know who they would contact if, say their toilet was backing up into their bath tub. That's also who you need. I'm not really sure why their response to "You have a leaky pipe" was, "here's a phone number" as opposed to "I'll call the appropriate person immediately." I would be pretty pissed if my tenant didn't report an issue like this before it got too costly. I'm truly surprised that your HoA is so useless. Do they have a written policy you can reference? Have you tried contacting your home owner's insurance at all?Answer #2: Try with your homeowner's insurance. It would be in their interest to limit damages and they may have a way to have a lawyer get through to the owner.

Alternatively, send a letter addressed to the owner of the unit (once you have the name). Mark it IMPORTANT in big red letters on the front and include info inside about the problem and that the owner needs to contact you. This might make the renters forward the letter.

If you think they might screen the owner's mail (e.g. if they are family) don't put in the letter what it is about, just put in your phone number and email address and maybe a relative's address (not your own, that will tip off the renters) and ask to be contacted immediately about a serious financial matter.

Lastly, as others have suggested, try contacting the city's code enforcement office and see if they will do something about it.


Title: Almost Died 1 Month Into School Made Me Drop Out School Doesn't Want To Give Money Back Since It's 3rd Party Scholarships

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Even if they gave you a refund, you'd likely owe back the scholarship money to whomever gave it to you for dropping out of school.  Scholarships aren't free money; there are always conditions attached.  One of which is almost assuredly being enrolled.Answer #2: > I am pretty smart so 99% of my school is paid for by scholarships. Issue is im hoping for that money back to pay back hospital bills and put it away for grad school.

Even if you manage to get the scholarship money from the school, it's very unlikely you'd be allowed to keep it

Scholarship awards have very specific terms for what you're allowed to do with the money. You (and probably the school) could be held liable by each organization for not returning the money


Title: Cant Mail Google Fiber Modem for Return

Question:
This is a bit silly, I lived in Kansas City for a few months and during that time I had google fiber. I still have a home in Kansas City but I wish to cancel google fiber so I dont get charged until I return.

 The problem arises here. The modem that google fiber provides has to be returned  25 days after cancellation but I am not in the area anymore; I am in NYC. That policy sounds reasonable to me but here is the kicker, you can't return the device through mail. It needs to be hand delivered to one of their stores. The closest one is almost 150 miles from my home in KS. If I fail to return the device I get charged with a $350 fee and it ruins my credit.

Edit: Can't use a courier service either and there is no number for googles drop off location.

 Now I read the terms of service before I signed and no where does it say that the device needs to be physically returned. I am just thinking, what if I was physically disabled? How would I return this thing? Can I do anything because I don't want to pay for this right now.

Answer:
 >  I am just thinking, what if I was physically disabled

You're not, so that doesn't matter

> Can I do anything because I don't want to pay for this right now.

Fly it back there.  Or call the support line and see if they accept any alternate arrangements for returns.


Title: [MI] Minor Shoplifting from a Walmart. Told me no criminal charges or anything on my record?

Question:
I am 23 and I got caught in a Walmart shoplifting an item valued at $31.16. This is my first time doing this and I have no previous criminal record at all. There were no police called, and they told me that by going with them when they stopped me, it would be settled without involving the police or being charged with anything and having retail fraud put on my record.

They told me that they would be sending a notice with the fine they were charging me in 4-6 weeks and as long as I paid it I wouldn't have any issues, though they also told me to go and get fingerprinted, which they said was in case I didn't pay the fine.

My dad worked at a police station many years ago as a dispatcher and told me that they were lying to me and that I was going to be booked and charged when I went to go get the fingerprinting done.

Were they lying to me? What happens now?

Answer:
 Don't go get yourself fingerprinted or anything like that. They'll probably send you a civil demand letter in 4-6 weeks. It'll say "Pay $XXX now and you're done with this". It will likely be in the hundreds.

You can choose to pay and settle it, or you can ignore it and hope they don't sue. If you don't pay, they may also be more inclined to contact the police about the shoplifting.


Title: Attacked by neighbor's dog on my own property, which insurance company covers the medical bills? (Virginia)

Answer:
 The question about primary and secondary has to do with health insurance. They are asking if you or your spouse has other health insurance. They should pay according to coordination of benefits for your immediate care.

That payment will give them subrogation rights against the other party if they are negligent regarding the injury. You need to make a claim against their homeowners and hope it is covered. If not, you may have to sue them in court. If your injuries are severe, you should see an attorney before trying to make a claim against the neighbor.


Title: Being hounded for debt that is categorically not mine. Please advise.

Question:
I live in Rhode Island, United States. I first received communications from 1stFinancialBankUSA on May 4, 2017. The first notice was a letter in debt collection format, signed by Jeffrey Wagner, the debt collections operations manager at said bank. The second notice came May 15, 2017 in the same format. The format I'm referring to is essentially a page detailing the amount owed and that I can pay 40% (on the first letter) or 50% (second letter) of the debt to pay it off. I am now aware that this is how debt collectors operate, because they buy debts for pennies on the dollar and try to turn profits. These letters still seem very shady to me.

Anyways, the arguably bigger concern arrived a few days ago, in a plain white envelope unlike the previous two, which arrived in loud urgent mail packages. This letter was a seemingly more official statement from the bank, listing the minimum amount due. It also contained a second page with instructions on where to send a dispute notice. Trouble is, I don't know which address to trust. There are 4 different addresses for this company, from the letters I have received and their website.

I am at a loss. It feels like my hours of worried, frantic research on how to get out of this situation are all for nothing, because this bank really seems to believe I owe this debt. There is no documentation anywhere of what the money was spent on, and no evidence that I ever signed up for anything. I am telling you now: I have never owned an account with this bank, and have never owned a credit card ANYWHERE for that matter. Of this I am certain. I have never gotten into credit, for good reason. I am just a student.

So far I have drafted a letter based off of a verified template, which denies responsibility categorically, demands verification and more information (which they won't have), and demands no further communications with my address/in any form until this false debt has been verified. I strongly believe I am a victim of identity theft.

I am so worried and don't know what to do or how to go about it.

Answer:
 Make copies of that letter and send them certified (return receipt) to each address you have.

Also pull copies of your credit report and see if you may be facing an identity theft situation.


Title: (TN) Employer paid a bonus by mistake and now wants repayment including the taxes back.

Question: I got a bonus on 6/23. It was for  445.96.  143.38 went to taxes, so I only got  293.66. I got an email yesterday saying it was an error and I wasn't owed a bonus because I'm basically fired. So now they're trying to deduct the entire  445 out of my next check. But I didn't get  445. It's like I'm having to pay back money I never saw.

Answer:
 You did see the money, but it is currently sitting with the government since you owed taxes on it. You will be made whole when you file taxes.Answer #2: Check [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5oqrax/employer_overpaid_me_is_now_demanding_to_be/)

and [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/591xdn/denver_co_employer_overpaid_wants_all_money_back/)

The crux of it is that you should only have to pay back the net and they should have to jump through a few hoops with the IRS to fix the taxes and FICA part.Answer #3: For a current year repayment you owe the net. Then your employer adjusts your earnings record to reflect voiding the bonus and short pays their next tax payment.


Title: We. Are. Morons.

Question:
We are in the UK. We moved into our new flat after recently having a baby, with everything going on we didn't tell the electricity company that we had moved in. We never received any letters about the utilities being used or anything and we never thought about it until recently. It's been a year. And now we're too worried to tell them about it and it's only going to get worse.

Can anyone help us, what's the best thing to do?

Answer: Call them, explain the situation, ask if you can set up a payment plan to pay off the balance on top of your monthly bill.


Title: [USA] Is it legal for a US citizen to donate to a presidential runner using money received from a non US citizen with the express purpose of said money being donated to the presidential runner?

Question:
Can this somehow be indicted as whitewashing?

EDIT: Thanks for the answers.

Answer: No. This is not legal. This violates federal election law. Answer #2: > Foreign nationals are prohibited from making any contributions or expenditures in connection with any election in the U.S. Please note, however, that "green card" holders (i.e., individuals lawfully admitted for permanent residence in the U.S.) are not considered foreign nationals and, as a result, may contribute.


Title: Employer is knowingly short on my paycheck. By depositing the check, am I accepting the amount?

Question:
Employer refuses to pay me the proper wage. I obviously quit but would I still have a case for the remainder of wages owed if I deposit the check?

State of Hawaii.

Answer:
 The [Hawaii Department of Labor](http://labor.hawaii.gov/wsd/unpaid-wages/) says,
"The acceptance by an employee of a partial payment shall not constitute a release or accord and satisfaction with respect to the disputed amount."

So you can deposit your check and still [file a complaint](http://labor.hawaii.gov/wsd/filing-a-complaint-with-wage-standards-division/) for the disputed amount.


Title: My city (Michigan) gives parking tickets for street sweeping that rarely if ever happens. The city uses this to supplement its income. What steps, if any, can I take to end this practice?

Question: In five years I've seen one street sweeper. I've considered filing a FOIA request with the city but I've no idea if I write what information I need, or if I need to know the title of specific documents. I'd like to see exactly how much money the city makes from these tickets and I'd be very interested in seeing any records of actual street sweeping taking place.

Answer: You may be able to learn how much money they take in but that won't help your case much. Revenue though tickets is legal and common.


Title: Movers not responding and not giving a date to deliver my stuff, afraid I might have lost it for good, what to do?

Question:
Hi,

I hired movers to move my stuff from Virginia to NY. While picking up they doubled the charge quoting it was more than original quote that I paid. After couple of months I paid the storage fee too. Now when I finally found a place to live and want them to deliver my stuff they are not responding well. I have been asked to expect a call from dispatchers three weeks back. I kept calling them every third day as they kept insisting that I'll get a call in next two days. Meanwhile, I'm living in an empty apartment with wife and infant, sleeping on sleeping bags and using minimum stuff. It's horrible not able to sit and to stand or just lie down.
Now this third week, the customer service number is not even working, not sure if somebody is hanging up after checking caller ID.
I'm totally lost about what to do, on top of all this, I'm being laid off due to cost cutting. I need my furniture and stuff to keep my insanity and search for a new job.
What advice can you give, I'm losing all hope of seeing my valuables even again.

Answer:
 You need the FMCSA to step in on your behalf because these practices, both deceptive price, and holding you stuff on interstate moves are unfortunately too common.  The FMCSA regulates all interstate motor carriers and has very strict regulations on 'Household Goods' carriers as movers are.  A complaint to the regulatory body should at a very minimum get the ball rolling, and will also likely result in fines to the carrier.  Complaints are taken very seriously.

Here is the webpage https://nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov/nccdb/ComplaintEntry.aspx?choice=CONSUMER

On here, you'll select 'Moving company (Household Goods)' and then enter the data that it asks for.  The sections you are likely looking for are Estimates/Final Charges, and either Hostage or Pickup and Delivery issues.

If you're more comfortable calling, I believe you can do that too - 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238).

Good luck!

*Not a lawyer, working in trucking with a company that has Household Goods Authority*


Title: [Virginia] - I was the only witness to a solo DUI accident yesterday morning involving a teenager. The police have asked that I email them a rundown of what I saw/what happened. I have no problem doing this. Question - Will the teen/his lawyer be able to see this document?

Question: If I were to write say...a personal note to the teen in the document, will his lawyer/parents be able to see it?

Answer:
 The subject, his attorney, and almost assuredly his parents, will have access to the statement you write, as will the police, jury and judge, if applicable.

Keep your statement to the facts, and the facts only.


Title: Hospital won't release my 32yo boyfriend after 72 hour psych hold because I'm his girlfriend instead of his parents; parents are out of town and won't be back until Monday at the earliest. Is this legal?

Question:
My boyfriend recently had some kind of three-day delusional episode that looked like paranoid schizophrenia (according to my googling anyway; he basically acted tinfoil hat crazy and seemed to be talking to split personalities, and "the government" through my TV). I've known him for over a year and he's very intelligent and high functioning, never saw any signs of this before, though he did tell me in his delusional state that he's been jailed three other times when this happened.

Over the three days he had varying amounts of lucidity, sometimes seeming completely back to normal. Then we went to sleep and I woke up to him being much louder and more animated; I couldn't calm him down and he barely seemed to respond to me. I was going to take him to the hospital, but when I went to grab my things he ran away and I couldn't find him. The cops picked him up running up the freeway and ended up taking him to the same hospital I was going to anyway.

At first the hospital told me he wasn't allowed visitors so don't bother coming, until I said I had his ID and phone, so they told me to come so they could scan his ID. They wouldn't let me leave any his belongings or hold them to give to him later, meaning he wouldn't have his wallet or phone with saved numbers, which I thought was odd and unsafe. I gave my contact info to the police to give to the hospital, but for some reason they never gave it to my boyfriend; it was only because I googled his brother's number and texted him that he was able to get my number when he called his parents.

Over the phone he told me that the doctor said he would be released today, but then changed his mind because he didn't know about releasing him to a girlfriend and wanted his parents to pick him up instead. His parents are out of town, and my boyfriend said they won't be back until Monday at the earliest.

I googled 5150 and since his 72 hours are up and the reason they're withholding him ISN'T because they think he's a danger to himself, and he isn't being put on fourteen-day hold, isn't this illegal? [(source)](http://www.disabilityrightsca.org/pubs/502401.pdf) He's 32 years old, what if he didn't even have family in the area?

He also said the doctor seems to keep changing his mind about him; first they said he was fine, then he had schizophrenia or bipolar. I said maybe they need to keep him longer as they run tests, but he said they're not doing anything with him anymore, he's just locked up. They think he has mania because he's pacing, and he says he's pacing because he has nothing to do there.

**tl;dr** Boyfriend's been on psychiatric hold for 72 hours, he's not being put on 14-day hold, but they won't let him out because they don't want him to be picked up by his girlfriend even though his parents aren't here. Can he leave? This is in California.

Answer:
 They are mandated to release him to someone they feel can care for him. If you don't meet their professional opinion, that's their professional opinion and what will hold up in court.

It's in his best interest to be held for another 48 hours than end up dead from an episode.Answer #2: Your boyfriend has a mental illness. You should defer to the judgment of mental health professionals. They are acting in his best interest and in the interest of public safety.

I've been through this.


Title: Father of my friend that recently went to rehab wants 60k in transfers made to my account in a years time returned because he has suspicion the funds where used to purchase drugs for his son. Legally should I be worried?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer: So, what did you/he spend $60K of stolen money on in the last year?


Title: [PA] My neighbors let their dogs out with no leash. They frequently antagonize my dogs, both while they're inside the house and when I'm walking them. Anything legal I can do to stop this? Will I get in legal trouble if my dog hurts theirs?

Question:
So there are two questions for you guys.

My neighbors have three tiny "dogs" that they let outside off-chain frequently. And I don't mean in a fenced-in yard that they sometimes escape, or with a shock collar, or with the owner, I mean alone into the woods (basically).

I have three medium/large dogs that aren't aggressive, but like to play roughly. These little dogs come over to our windows and like to antagonize my dogs. The dogs may eventually get out through these windows. Sometimes I'll be walking my dog and they'll come and swarm me.

The last time this happened (while walking), my dog snapped and growled at the little chihuahua they have. I shouted at my neighbor, "If my dog fucking kills yours, it's not my problem. Keep it on a leash or don't keep it at all." Now, mind you, we've talked to them nicely before. Maybe I overreacted a bit, but still.

Legally, is there anything I can do to prevent this behavior? Can I get in trouble if my dog kills or seriously hurts theirs?

Answer: You can report it to animal control since most places have leash laws or city ordinances.  I imagine if you're walking your dog on a leash and your's attacks and you do nothing, then yes, you would be in trouble, but then again, neighbor was negligent in letting them out. Easiest thing to do is just report them to animal control every time they're loose.