Title: Investment Company in Israel Won't Release My College Savings Plan- What can I do? (TL;DR at the bottom)

Question:
Not sure I got the right flair, so apologies in advance.

Some background information: I was born in Israel, moved to California when I was very young. Grandparents from Israel set up college savings plan to be redeemed once I turned 18. Been trying to withdraw this money ever since but with no luck. And to understand the significance of this, we are talking about thousands upon thousands of dollars.

This company in Israel is the most popular investment house in the country, with millions of clientele. When I turned 18, I was notified by my grandparents as a birthday present that I could withdraw this money they had saved for me all these years.

Fast forward to many years later, the company will not give me the money. It all started with them requesting multiple various documents via email, which I have sent to them and *were* received by them. As the process continued, they requested I provide proof of living abroad and some type of identification to verify I am who I say I am via post-mail, and have it either (a) signed & verified by the Israel Embassy or (b) signed and notarized. Totally understandable. I proceeded with the latter step, and sent them all the requested documents.

After 1 month, they claimed to have never received the package with my documents. I had [proof](https://imgur.com/aqJG7K2) from FedEx that shows exactly when it arrived, who signed it, etc. They still couldn't find it, saying it was lost. Weird, but happens. I then proceeded after some time to send the same documents, going through the same long and money-taxing process and yet again, but through UPS.

Of course, same thing happened again. They claimed they never received the package and have no idea what I'm talking about. Once again, I had irrefutable [proof](https://imgur.com/2vGjOjp) the package was delivered, but they kept replying with the same response. At this point, I got infuriated and asked my grandpa for help, since he still lives in Israel and could be a third point of contact.

However, still to no veil, he himself is having difficulties with this process and he's the *one* who set up the account many years ago. The company is telling him that I am not replying to their emails with the necessary documents, and that I need to send them the same necessary documents *again*. They are completely lying to my Grandpa as I have been sending them the documents via email and post-mail and continuously get an automated email from their company's email saying *my* *email was received (e.g.* [proof](https://imgur.com/i72ed71) *and then some more* [proof](https://imgur.com/ez1t6BX)*)*.

This has been going on for too long, and I just want to receive this money. Is there any legal action can I take from this point that will result me in receiving the money? I'm sure it's not that simple/won't happen any quicker, but I am tired of continuously communicating with this despicable company to no ends and experiencing this loads of futile stress. Any advice will be helpful.

**TL;DR:** an Investment House company in Israel won't release a college savings plan set up by grandparents 20 years ago that was unlocked when I turned 18. Keeps losing packages sent to them with *classified* information, lying to my point of contact in Israel saying I'm not communicating with them, when in fact I have all the hard proof that shows otherwise. What legal action, if any, can I take against them that will yield me the money?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: I don't believe anyone here will be particularly familiar with Israeli law. You should find an attorney in Israel (possibly with your grandfather's help) and figure out what can be done from there.


Title: Car got stolen, found a letter with an address of the person who had been in the car when the police retrieved it.

Question:
Hi there. My car was stolen like a month ago and I reported it to the police and then....nothing. My dad left his phone in the car and my uncle was able to track it with his phone and the police still didn't really do anything. The car didn't have LoJack activated and I thought I was never gonna see it again. ANYWAYS,

a month later, I received a call from them telling them that my car had been found abandoned in a pretty nice town. I go the place where they towed my car and as I'm looking inside I find receipts that don't belong to me. I look through my car's radio and see find names of the people who's phones have connected to my car through bluetooth! I look in back of the trunk and find a home address of one of the people on who connected to my car's bluetooth! I'm not sure what I SHOULD do at this point. I feel horrible, and disgusted that someone invaded my privacy. They damaged my car and took some important papers for it that were inside of it.

TLDR, found of the people's home address that could be responsible for stealing my car. Would the police do anything? Would anything even happen?

edit: I live in CA!

Answer:
 "Is this your homework, Larry?"

Seriously though, give the information to the police. Answer #2: Contact the police, update the report with what you found.

Be aware, the information you found might not be the thief's.  It could be other information that the thief stole and left behind.Answer #3: The same thief/thieves that stole your car and papers could also have stolen a phone and papers from the name of the person you found. That person whose details you found may be as much a victim as you are.


Title: Just received a toll bill for $700

Question: So I just received a collections letter along with a toll bill for $700. My mom set up my toll tag account years ago when I went to college and said she would pay it for me, so the bills were being sent to her address. I just moved and did a change of address with USPS to my new apartment, and got these letters in the mail... I don't know what to do. They're threatening me with a misdemeanor when I had no fucking idea I had an outstanding balance with them... A small $20 toll has fucked me. I called my mom and she said she had her debit card set up on it with autopay, but I logged onto my account and there was no payment on it ever. Wtf should I do? I just started a new job in apartment locating so I won't be getting paid for awhile. Is there anything I can do? I called the toll customer service and they said they can't do anything....

Answer:
 If the collections is for $700 then there's no way it originated from a $20 toll. Maybe a *bunch* of $20 tolls. Regardless, you seem to acknowledge that the debt is likely otherwise valid.

Contacting the toll company will do no good as it sounds like the debt has already been sold to a collections agency. I would go to /r/personalfinance and www.consumerfinance.gov to learn about debt validation. Assuming that it is indeed valid, you may be able to work a payment plan with them.

I'd also pull a credit report from www.annualcreditreport.com ASAP to see if it has been reported, because that could potentially impact your ability to find a decent apartment.


Title: People next door to me have been harassing and spying on me

Question: Since I had gotten back from fishing over a few months ago I have noticed that the people next door to me have been talking about exactly about what I've been doing inside my house. I know this because they use to sit outside on their porch and talk before I had made a report to the police. The police hadn't done much and I had exhausted every legal option to do something about this, because they have not stopped and they will keep doing this. This is their fetish as I have learned from previous people that had the misfortune to be stuck with them next door. And recently they've been following me and have been making efforts to invade into every personal thing I do. I don't fucking know what else to legally do.

Answer:
 Specifically, how are they "spying" on you?

If they are just watching you while you go about your day in public spaces, or in clear view from public spaces, then you have little recourse. It is not illegal to discuss what a neighbor is doing.


Title: Can a Fire Marshal inform the cops of illegal things in the house? (Michigan)

Question: I live in a fraternity house and we need to have the Fire Marshal come put a capacity on us. We have somethings in our house that we could most likely get in trouble for by the police. If a fire marshal comes in, can they legally contact the police? We are located in Michigan.

Answer: Of course they can. They don't owe you any duty of confidentiality


Title: Bottle Redemption Limit (MA)

Question:
Yesterday I went to return cans at a local Pride gas station. I noticed an unprofessional looking sign on the machine that read:

Maximum return $6
Return slip must be cashed same day within 10 minutes from the time the ticket is printed.

I read the sign and had about $10 worth of cans to return.

I returned $6 worth of cans and printed the ticket. Then I continued returning the remainder of the cans for $4 dollars on a second ticket.

Reading the sign, I thought this would be acceptable as one ticket is for $6 and a second is for $4.

They would not allow me to cash the $4 redemption slip after I had redeemed the $6 slip.

The sign did not specify it was a per person or per daily limit. I thought it was a per ticket.

Are they allowed to keep me from getting the $4? I understand it’s only $4 but the cashier was pretty condescending about it and it’s now a matter of principle to me. I will post a picture of the sign as soon as I can.

Answer:
 The MA law is:

>Unreasonable Numbers of Beverage Containers. A dealer may refuse to accept more than 120 beverage containers from any one person during a 24 hour period.

$6.00/$0.05 per can = 120.  Looks like the gas station was within their rights to refuse the rest.

[Source](https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/10/17/301cmr4.pdf)Answer #2: This is a deposit that you paid that is owed back to you upon return of the cans. If they are in fact an actual redemption center, I do not believe they can refuse the deposit. They aren't paying you for the cans, they are returning money that is already yours.


Title: [Oregon, USA] (For a Friend) Ex's Mom Took out a College Loan in Friend's Name

Question:
*NOTE: Please know that this information is directly from my friend, and is as accurate as I know it to be/can make it.*

Back in 2010/2011, my friend was in an abusive relationship. Though she was finally able to get out of it, her ex's mom, at some point, got a hold of her Social Security Card/Number, and took out several small "school" loans, equaling up to about 5k. My friend was not going to this college, nor has she gone to college at any point.

The ex's mom used this loan to help buy herself a house. She got the loan online, so it only required a digital signature, nothing physical.

My friend isn't the best off in the way of money, nor does she feel like she should pay off these loans, as she didn't use them, go to college with them, etc. (I'm inclined to agree with her.)

The amount owed at this point has grown. She and her now fiance are wanting to get married, yet if they do, his wages will get garnished.

The community college where the loans were taken out of looked into their servers, investigating, and found a student photo ID of my friend, though she has/had never been, as at the time the loans were taken out, she was trying to hold down a cashiering job. (I'd guess it was created online.) It is unknown if any classes were registered for/taken by someone (who isn't my friend). The only time she stepped inside the college was to try and deal with this issue.

So, at this point, what legal action can be taken? Could she file a lawsuit with the colleges? Or against the ex's mom? (Assuming the lawyer would take a cut of the lawsuit as fees, this would be beneficial.)

I'm happy to provide any more needed information.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: She should report the fraud to the police.


Title: Denied a Job for “Looking too Aggressive” is this discrimination or justified?

Question:
Hey there Reddit. Thank you to whoever answered on my last post, really helped.

I’m asking for a friend on this new post.
He mentioned he got denied a job because he looks too aggressive?
What do you guys think

Answer: ‘Looking aggressive’ is not a protected class.


Title: Business on my street is using public street parking for their valet service and blocking off empty spots with ConEdison cones.

Question:
I am living in Mamaroneck, NY which is a small town in Westchester. This has to be illegal, right? Also, ConEdison is a major electricity company in New York. I just spoke to the valet and politely asked him to remove the cones and he refused, saying he is just trying to "make some money."

Edit: I forgot to mention that this is a valet for a restaurant that is literally next door to me.

Update: I took a video this morning of the restaurant and the cone which was leaning on the restaurant. I ensured the ConEdison logo was clearly visible in the video and that you can clearly see it is leaning against the building with the restaurants name in the shot. I am planning on going into the restaurant and having a polite conversation with a manager and kindly request his valet stops this practice . If that does not work. I am planning on calling either ConEdison, the police non-emergency line, or both.

Answer: Talk to your local code enforcement to see if they are breaking any local rules. Answer #2: You can move the cones out of the way and put them back by the restaurant. Dont take them or throw them away, howeverAnswer #3: Wow, that's one of the lamer excuses I've heard. "oh, I'm doing something illegal and inconveniencing lots of people? Well, I am making money by doing it so I'm sure it's fine'


Title: [MA] Bank has no record of my CD that matured in 1984 and won't honor it. We have the original. (Pics included)

Question:
Hi there,
http://imgur.com/a/Af6ce
http://imgur.com/a/5pSaX
My grandfather gave me a CD when I was born in 1981 for $1000. We rediscovered it a few years ago and have been trying to get it redeemed, but the bank that originally issued it has been sold several times (is owned by Citizens Bank since around 1994) and they say they don't have to keep records dating back more than 7 years and will not honor the CD any longer since they have no record of it, even though we have the original. I've included a picture of the CD with all of the info, as well as the most recent response from the bank in 2010. Are we SOL or is there anything to be done to recover the funds?

Answer:
 It's entirely possible that your grandfather reported the certificate as lost decades ago. The bank would have allowed him to cash it out after a lot of paperwork. As you've discovered already, that paperwork is long since gone, assuming it existed. Heck a place like Charlestown Savings Bank in the 80's might have just done it because they knew your grandfather without any paperwork. It was a very different world in banking then. Answer #2: http://www.mass.gov/treasury/unclaimed-prop/

Might get lucky.  Check all namesAnswer #3: It would have been declared as unclaimed funds and escheated to the state years ago.   Google escheat laws and check out unclaimed funds for your state.


Title: My wife works in the lab at a local hospital. She got a pregnancy test drawn there. Then left for a week (sick). Shes back now and people are congratulating her on being pregnant (she hasn’t told anybody at work yet). What can we do?

Question:
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer: File a HIPAA complaint and talk to the compliance officer at the hospital. Answer #2: The hospital where she works has an Office of Compliance.  She should speak with someone there.Answer #3: Total HIPPA violation. Report it.Answer #4: That is most definitely a HIPPA violation. Talk to the compliance officer, and good luck with everything, no matter how you handle the pregnancy.


Title: [Texas]- Father is not paying mother court ordered spousal support.

Question:
Hello,

I need some basic advice as to what to do with this as I don't know what else to do at this point.

My dad got caught cheating on my mom (married for almost 40 years) about 2 years ago and got officially divorced a little bit over a year ago. He is now living with his girlfriend and was paying court ordered spousal support to my mom since his income was substantially more than hers is and was dependent on him to make ends meet. It was coming right out of his paycheck until about 2 months ago, when he apparently got fired for some kind of accident that was his fault at work.

My mom is a generally understanding person and was willing to give him some time to sort things out, (and which I was offering to help pay the mortgage since me and my wife and son are living here temporarily since we were displaced by the flood) but we found out that he waited like a month to tell us which we see as a bit...deceptive. And he has no plans to start working until a few months from now.

He insists that he just doesn't have the money and can't help with anything right now, but we're seeing him all over facebook getting expensive hotels, gifts, etc. We're barely keeping a roof over our heads here and can't afford to get a lawyer at this point.

Is there some sort of process we can handle by ourselves to help get this resolved? I'm trying really hard to keep our heads above water here but I won't be able to keep this up forever.

Any advice would be really helpful. Thanks.

Answer:
 Back to court. If you mother had a diverse attorney she should contact them.

If you go to court, it's very likely he'll request a modification to account for not having an income.


Title: Mailman stopped delivering mail

Question:
My boyfriend and I live in a duplex behind a wooden pull gate fence. Our mailbox is just inside the gate. There have been two times now that my boyfriend's brother has been over with his medium size dog \(dutch shepard/terrier mix\) and the dog ran outside into our yard when he heard the mailman. The dog has never shown any aggression or even barked/jumped on the mailman. Each time it just ran into the yard when it heard the noise. It's a very sweet dog and has never been aggressive towards a human or another animal \(we have a miniature poodle that lives here with us\).

Never\-less, each time this has happened where the dog ran into our yard, the mailman has freaked out and yelled at us. We've told my boyfriends brother he can't bring his dog over anymore, he lives in a different city so it was a rare occurrence anyway.

However, our mail has stopped coming and the post office told us we have to get a PO box as well as our upstairs neighbors who have a different street address but live inside the same fenced area because the carrier refuses to deliver the mail any longer for safety reasons. Is there anything we can do? We asked if we could move the mailbox outside the fenced area and the post office said no.

Answer:
 The USPS has wiiiiiide latitude to refuse to deliver mail if the carrier feels threatened. Remember: it's not about your perception of the situation; it's the carrier's perception. And a loose dog is all the reason a carrier needs to stop delivering.

http://www.myballard.com/forums/topic/post-office-refusing-to-deliver/

http://www.westword.com/news/arvada-residents-say-mailman-is-terrified-of-dogs-and-wont-deliver-9537191

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/80xfyg/usps_wont_deliver_mail_because_i_have_dogs/

It sounds like you are in contact with the supervisor so that's about what you need to be doing at this point. In the future, though, I'd recommend keeping the dogs penned when the carrier comes around.


Title: resigned from firm in London, threatened to enforce "England" non-compete in the US and accused me of stealing information. Despite showing them my personal laptops they are proceeding with legal action. What can I do to stop this?

Question:
I resigned to relocate to another country and intemated I may setup my own firm. My contract has a non-compete which states its applicable to "England" and they are trying to enforce this for the US. They have also decided to claim I stole information from the company. I have messaged my personal computer with work previously which the company knew about when I worked late in the evenings. My former firm then accused me of stealing this information, I took both my personal laptops in to be checked by my former firms IT staff. The search found nothing however I later recieved an email from the CEO saying "he wasn't happy" and things "don't add up." Intimating further legal action. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
I also posted this in r/advice:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/comments/3f1sjy/resigned_from_firm_in_london_threatened_to/
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 I couldn't possibly imagine enforcing a non-compete across countries. If you did steal information, or they think you did, there may be some legal action but litigating across countries is going to be incredibly difficult. Contact a lawyer capable of handling international disputes if they proceed with legal action.

Other than that, ignore any emails from the company and do not respond to the CEO.


Title: Fiance's(27f) Ex-Boyfriend(40m) is trying to use bankruptcy to get out of a personal debt.

Question:
Hello,
Title is most of it but here are the details, when Fiance was 21-22 years old she dated this guy, he was a single father at the time.  Over the course of a year or so he kept asking to borrow money from her for little things (bills, kid, injury, etc.) She didn't have much cash on hand so (admittedly a bad decision) she borrowed the money from a credit card, thinking the whole time he was going to pay her back.  He never did and they broke up leaving her with a maxed out card ($7,000).  She took him to court, and signed paperwork for monthly payments in mediation, which he couldn't make, so the court put a judgement on his credit until loan (with interest) was paid off.

So here we are many years later, and he has not paid the debt off.  He is now married with a second kid, but is either a contractor, or a day laborer (we can't tell) so he doesn't have actual wages she can legally garnish. On top of all that, his wife's family member passed and a large amount of money is coming to them from a will.  He promised last month that all the money would be repaid ASAP.  That has not happened.

She gets a call today that he is declaring bankruptcy, and that his lawyer said that once the paperwork is filed, he is free and clear of his debt to her.  He "wants to pay" but I highly doubt she will ever see the money.

SO what the fuck is she supposed to do?  Can he do that?  Will a bankruptcy clear him of legally binding debt to another person?

 **TLDR** Deadbeat ex is trying to get out of $7000 debt to my fiance using bankruptcy and I would like for her to get her money back.

EDIT: California- is that good enough for the location bot?

Answer: Hello I understand you'd like her to get paid back she needs to go to the bankruptcy hearing. If he is granted a chapter 7 likely he wont have to pay it back.


Title: IL Can I sue a contractor for leaving the security doors of a condo building unsecured if it led to a robbery?

Question:
Long title, I know. Here's the meat: I live in a 40 unit condo building in IL. Over the summer, the building had two concurrent construction/maintenance projects happening. One of them was a lobby renovation project, the other was a plumbing project to replace the building's horizontal riser pipes.  The piping project necessitated workers being in all 2nd floor residences and I live on the second floor. So my unit had work done in it by the workers hired by the Board of Managers.

Both projects were handled by the same contractor.  The workers routinely propped open our building security doors, and did not keep them attended - so the doors would be propped open, and no one was watching them.  On a day when workers were working inside my condo, a thief walked into the building through the propped open security doors, into my condo, stole property from me and left - all while a worker was inside my condo.  That is at least the story on the police report, I was not at home at the time.

I want to sue the contractor responsible for the workers on these projects.  All I really want is the money I had to spend to replace the property that was stolen. I am thinking small claims court? Do I have a case? Will the judge say I should have locked up my items if I knew workers would be in my condo? Cost of the property is <$2000, I would probably add a little extra on top for time. Also, is it possible to sue a President of the Board personally? He not only told the contractor it was ok to prop the doors but also defended the contractor's right to do so to a few residents who complained about the doors being propped open. I don't want to sue the Association b/c then I'm taking money from the Reserve of the building.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Make a claim with your condo insurance (if you are an owner) or renters insurance (if you are a renter).  The insurance company will then decide whether any other party is responsible, and whether or not to sue that party.

At a minimum, send a written letter and/or e-mail to the condo board / HOA / whatever, to tell them that the contractors are doing this, that you told them about it before, that now you have been robbed as a result, and that they need to either make the contractors stop or take other measures to mitigate the risk ASAP.  You'll want it in writing each time that you tell them something bad happens, in case someone does need to sue someone about this later.  Also consider getting a camera for your unit - wifi-enabled cloud-storage cameras are easily available nowadays.


Title: Why refuse a breathalyzer?

Question:
From my understanding, the police will still take you to jail. What do you gain by refusing a breathalyzer?

Discussing traffic stop laws/protocol with fiancé. Neither of us are incredibly knowledgeable regarding laws that deal with drinking.

Answer:
 There's a well known expression, "You may beat the rap, but you can't beat the ride."  Refusal isn't about beating the arrest, but about beating the conviction.

Refusing a breathalyzer makes getting a conviction for harder, notwithstanding the prosecutor being allowed to use it as evidence of guilt.   This means you're likely to get a better, non-criminal offer down the line.

Of course if there's video of you fall down drunk or slurring you're fucked, refusal or not.

As to blood draw warrants, the ease of obtaining them is jurisdictionally dependant.


Title: Girlfriend’s work made her (and co-workers) sign a form stating they can be fired for discussing pay with one another

Question: So about a week ago, a girl at my girlfriend’s work walked out after discussing with another employee and learning that said employee made about $2/hour more, despite being there less time. So today, my girlfriend told me that they made all of the employees sign a statement of understanding that they will be fired if they discuss pay with one another going forward. As far as I know, this is very illegal under the National Labor Relations Act. Am I missing something here? We live in Florida, if that’s of any additional help. Thank you in advance. Also, I understand Florida is an At-Will State. But I feel like that wouldn’t trump a federal law/act?

Answer:
 Yes, this is a clear violation of the NLRA and she can absolutely (and should) file a complaint with the NLRB.

If she was a manager, she would be exempt though.


Title: 1st Degree Felony - Aggravated Battery on a LEO [juvenile]

Question:
Short Version: If an officer tells the judge/court they do not want to press charges on a minor who assaulted them, will that assist in having the charges lessened or dropped? Since that officer is the "victim" and he himself is stating he does not want to charge?

&#x200B;

Long version: 16 year old was riding a fourwheeler and an officer stepped in his path to stop him and he struck the officer with the handle bar when coming to a  stop.

The officer arrested him and charged him with the charge in the subject line, later than night when I spoke with the officer he said he did not want to charge the 16 year old but he had to since he had to go to the hospital for the bruise from the strike. BUT he told me also that when the court reaches out to him (since he is the "victim") he would tell the court he does not want to press charges.

Will this help the 16 year old in any way when dealing with this felony charge as a minor?

(we know there is a chance he could be tried as an adult)
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 There’s more to this story that’s being left out. You don’t get charged with aggravated battery for accidentally hitting someone with a handlebar while stopping.

The officer can let the prosecutor know his wishes in proceeding with charges but it may or may not have any affect. Typically it is far more difficult for the prosecutor to move forward with a case of the victim is uncooperative, but I can guarantee you that will not be the case here. If the prosecutor moves forward and the officer is subpoenaed to court, he will show up and testify. His career depends on it.


Title: Can a dermatologist call your listed emergency number if it's not an emergency? (CA)

Question: My dermatologist decided to call my brother and left a VM to tell him to call the office. They wanted me to call b/c they wanted me to pay an unsettled bill. Are they allowed to call my emergency contact even though it's not an emergency?

Answer: Yes. There's no laws against that.  If they left private medical information then maybe but "please have so and so call us" is fine.Answer #2: Generally, yes, unless your contract with them prohibits them from doing so.


Title: Trash company collected the recycling and threw it away along with the trash

Question: So my trash company is awful and every time something goes wrong (which is more often than it should) it sucks to deal with them.  But yesterday (and several times in the past few years) we have witnessed them collecting the trash and recycling and throwing both in the trash truck.  The usual recycle collectors are some really old guys in a beat up truck with a trailer.  I always assume they collect it and just take it to the public recycle centers.  I plan to call and complain, but wonder if there is any law against this practice.  I feel duped but am not sure if it is illegal to advertise recycling and then just trashing it. What can I do about this?  *this is in South Carolina

Answer:
 You can call the company and complain.  That's about it.Answer #2: Your county may require that recyclables be collected separately from trash. You can check with your county or local government to see if this is the case. If so, the county/locality may have a way to report violations.

Are you sure the truck isn't one that has two compartments? My trash company uses trucks that collects both in the same truck.


Title: Website using name of writer after she stopped working for them to publish stories under her name. Is it worth her time to sue?

Question: My girlfriend is a freelancer and writes articles for the Washington Post, the Economist, the Atlantic, and a few other publications. A few years ago she was hired by a company to write travel stories that promote one of the major Credit Cards payment systems. She recently found out that they have been publishing stories under her name that she did not write. If you go to the website and click on her name, both the three stories she did write as well as nine articles she did not write appear, so they are definitely claiming it was her that wrote them. She has contacted them and demanded they are removed. She is furious they are using her name and considers it ruining her brand, does she have any case to sue. Other than getting the articles removed my initial thought is that she would be hard to claim any damages and get any kind of financial restitution,  but any information or advice would be much appreciated.

Answer: She absolutely has a claim, but as you correctly note exact damages are going to be difficult to determine and substantiate. If this were to make it to a trial, it would likely require an expert to calculate and explain the dollar equivalent of how much she was damaged. For exact numbers and such, and a better idea of the exact terminology of the claims, the type of attorney you will want is an intellectual property attorney.


Title: Can police impound my truck that is parked on my private property

Question: Ok so I wake up the other morning to see my beloved ranger missing from my front yard obviously it was drug out and whoever did it left a big mess behind stone all over my sidewalk for some unknown reason my front bumper was removed from the truck and left laying in my yard now the truck has 0 citations on it no fines or anything never was mailed anything and never had  any Citations on the stuck on the truck. After talking to my neighbor he noticed my truck on a rollback as he was heading to work the rollback was entering the towns police impound around 5am that morning  after finding this out we called local pd and after being ran around being told the officer that had information about my truck already clocked out and wasnt back on duty till monday now mind you its Saturday around noon and they tell me nobody can help me so I have to wait till monday to call again so Monday rolls in I call and the officer that's supposed to be the only one supposedly to have information for me has no clue what I'm even talking about so he says let me call you back I'll find out the officer who should be in charge of this. After waiting all day finally get a call back with more bs the officer who is in charge of it wont be in till Wednesday call back then so Wednesday comes I call finally ths asshole that towed my truck from my own private property answers the phone I tell him I want to know what reason did they have coming on my property and illegally towing my truck I wanna know where my truck is and he tells me he towed it for a mysterious citation that I never recieved or could find on public records of 125 dollars that wasnt paid and that's why they took it and also notes that I need to pay 175 for the tow 125 for the citation and add 25 for eack day it was in their storage since they received it and then states after me paying all these fees and showing him a paid receipt for it all only then he would tell me where my truck was at and hed only release the truck to a tow truck and I could not drive it at all now they towed the truck Saturday and it already 5pm Wednesday so if I want my truck I gotta come up with 425 if I want it today and find a tow truck and pay for that so I ask him what the citation was for what was the truck doing wrong that he had to give it a citation but fail to inform its owner about it he was silent for a few seconds and said mr.**** I told you what you had to do to get your truck back do what I told you bring the money  to borough building with a tow truck and I'll release the truck I said what was the citation for he said if ya dont want this to happen again pay your citations and you wont have this problem and hung up. So that leaves me nowhere I'm currently unemployed do to the covid-19 I have 16 dollars to my name and that's to pay my electric bill so I'm left feeling like I'm screwed I need help what can I do

Answer: Punctuation, dude. Use it.


Title: Sheltering assets acquired after divorce

Question:
What can I do to protect my assets after a divorce. I will end up getting a rental property while she gets the house. I am going to make improvements to the property and plan to expand on it.

I will be paying child support and no alimony and will gladly pay more as things become more expensive. What I want to avoid is getting ripped off.
I want to ensure that none of my future earnings can be dragged into court and harassed with lawsuits. I have had enough of "the court system" !.
Is there any state I can move to, where going after an ex's post marital property is difficult/impossible ? CA

Answer:
 > I want to ensure that none of my future earnings can be dragged into court and harassed with lawsuits

They won't , but you still have to report your income correctly and pay child support based on these earnings.

You can hire an divorce attorney to better your chances, but you can still end up getting "ripped" off. Its up to the courts to decide *if it goes to trial.


Title: Is it legal to bring an unused glass pipe through customs?

Question: I'm going to travel from Québec,Canada to Texas soon and I was wondering if it was safe for me to bring a never used glass pipe (for a gift). I'm a 19 years old girl and will only be traveling with a carry on bag.  Is it legal? If it is, will it give officers a reason to be more thorough? I've never taken the plane before, so I'm not quite informed about the whole procedure...

Answer:
 IANAL, but that's not a bright idea.  Paraphernalia of any kind, used or unused, on an international flight is not a good idea.

They sell glass pipes all over Texas.  Buy one when you get here instead.


Title: Need Legal Advice. I Was involved in a Car Accident and the Insurance Companies Found Him at Fault, Now He is Sueing Me. Help.

Question:
On March 21 I was involved in a car accident. I was traveling (in a 2002 Volvo s40) south on the far right lane and the other party was traveling north ( in a new 2015 Mazda 3) on the opposite direction. The other party quickly made a left turn without stopping for the traffic to clear and collided with my car. [Here is the picture of the street where the accident occurred](http://imgur.com/euu2Obf).

It happened so fast. He was in front of me and I tried to swerve left. Most of the damage occurred was to my front right side of my car. The damage He occurred was mostly on the back bumper side.

The officer came and decided not to take a report because we **BOTH** said nobody got hurt and that no public property was damaged. I called both my insurance company and His insurance company and told them my side of the story. Two Days later, the other party's insurance company took pictures and immediately said that my car was totalled. I was then contacted by his insurance company stating that they are going to take fault and pay for everything. They even provided a rental that I am still driving.

Now, two days ago I get a call my insurance company stating that the other party have hired a lawyer and seeking for my insurance company to pay for his medical bill. I was like WTF. Nobody was injured at the time of the incident and even stated it in front of the officer that was present (I have the name and the badge number of the officer). Today I got a letter from my insurance company requiring to obtain my approval before releasing information regarding my policy coverage limits.

I don't know what to do. I'm barely getting by on a $16/h salary and I'm being sued. What the hell. Should I just sign the papers and let them view my coverage? I don't know if I can afford a lawyer.

This is Buena Park, California.

Answer:
 Your insurance company will provide you a lawyer if you are sued, and pay any judgment up to your policy limits.
Just make sure that if you are served, you call your insurance company immediately.  And don't try to duck service, it doesn't help.


Title: (NE) Is our landlord obligated to do anything about the fact that our apartment smells strongly of our neighbor's weed?

Question:
Title. We have a baby in the apartment, otherwise I'd just ignore it. Neither myself nor my husband smokes, and no one else has access to our apartment. I'm guessing someone thinks they're being smart by smoking in the bathroom with the fan running, and since we're on the third floor in a large apartment building it's not getting vented properly. The smell is strongest in our bathroom, but you can start to smell it as soon as you walk in the door.

I know the default answer is gonna be "move," and we're actually already planning to, but not for the next six months. In the mean time, since weed isn't legal in my state, would our landlord even be obligated to do anything? I don't want to ruin anyone's life with a possession charge for something as harmless as weed, except that it's only harmless where adults are concerned and I'm worried about my baby. If I'm wrong and this isn't dangerous for my baby then please let me know, because I'm pretty sure if I asked the pediatrician that he'd have to call CPS. If this is dangerous, what do I do about it, both practically and legally.

Answer:
 You can complain to the landlord. You can also contact the police if you can determine which unit the smell is coming from. They may or may not do anything depending on what they can find out themselves.

You can also post a note on the offending party's door, if you know who it is (or in a public area if you don't). They may not know others can smell it and knowing that could potentially change their behavior. Usually people who break the law don't want people knowing they are breaking the law.

Past that there isn't much you can do. You probably can't break the lease, since the problem legally exists between the landlord and whoever is on the lease in that unit. So it's up to the landlord to enforce the lease with that tenant.

Getting the police involved is your best bet. You have to think about your child in this, at that should be your main concern, not the impact on someone else's life. Police involvement is one of the few things that can compel the landlord to   do something, if they are unwilling to get involved in the first place.


Title: Fired because boss wants to hire his family

Question:
NEW YORK

My family member today came to me and asked if it was legal for her boss to fire her for the following reason and I quote:

"When I started this place I had a different vision of who would work here, so today I'm letting you go in place of my family members."

Does she have grounds to fight this or sue?  Despite my name I'm not a lawyer, this just smells like bullshit to me.  It's the weekend and I'd call somebody for a quick opinion, but everything's closed right now.  How about it reddit, take the big guns out?

Answer: Put the guns away. Nepotism in private employment is legal. If she is fired, she should file for unemployment while she looks for a new job.Answer #2: Unless she had a contract or was a member of a union it is perefectly legal for the boss to do that.


Title: Employer for the address wrong on my SO's check

Question:
So my SO got a new job through a temp agency. Her first and possibly second check were not delivered.
When we inquired they said that it's not their responsibility to issue another check and she'd have basically worked for free for those hours.
Later we found out the employer made a mistake and put a completely different state down for her address.
This is an Arizona based company and she works in Arizona. Is there anything we can do? It's been 2 weeks and the company doesn't seem to give a shit. Last she was told was payroll would look into it after the address mistake was discovered. We've heard nothing and she's still working and still has not been paid.

If there is a law regarding lost payments (particular when the employer is at fault for this lost payment) is there a law I can show them without threatening them to get their shit together?

Thanks!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 >If there is a law regarding lost payments (particular when the employer is at fault for this lost payment) is there a law I can show them without threatening them to get their shit together?

The law requires that an employer (the temp agency for which your SO works, in this case) pay their employees for time they work. The law doesn't contain a specific clause saying "paying someone means handing them cash in person or delivering a valid check to them or following the direct deposit instructions they provided or if you really suck, giving them a charge card with tons of fees and restrictions", but tens of thousands of court cases over hundreds of years establish that. I can tell you that mailing a check to the wrong address does not count as paying an employee, but I can't point to a phrase in the law that says so.

However, Arizona's department of labor should be willing to contact them and inform them. You may or may not need to formally file a complaint in order to get them to do that.Answer #2: > When we inquired they said that it's not their responsibility to issue another check and she'd have basically worked for free for those hours

They were wrong about that. If your SO hasn't received her paycheck for hours worked, no matter the reason, she should contact the department of labor.


Title: My cousin is in danger and I need help!

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Your cousin is an adult and can make her won decisions. You can't force her to come back to Indiana.


Title: "Convenience Fee" attached to mandatory form of rent payment?

Question:
My sincere apologies in advance if this is not the appropriate subreddit for this question, but my online research hasn't dug up any relevant information, so here I am.

Here's the context: I recently moved into a new apartment complex that is government subsidized. My rent was stated at $XXX multiple times in the lease agreement and was a result of the particular formula the state uses to calculate how much of my meager income they can take. This particular leasing group has a mandatory policy of taking either certified checks or utilizing their online payment system through their website. Throughout the leasing process, the representative for the company repeated multiple times that the online process was simple, easy, and preferred for most tenants and that she "highly recommended" that I utilize that for my rent payments. When I get to the second month of renting and go to make my first online payment (the first check had to be certified check), I find a mandatory "Convenience Fee" of another $25. While that doesn't seem like much in the grand scheme of things, when you are pinching pennies as tight as I am, that can make all the difference, especially when weighed over the course of a year.

So to summarize: Is it legal for the company to tack on the mandatory "Convenience Charge" when it is their mandatory form of payment and there was no forewarning that my effective rent would be $XXX + $25 and not the stated $XXX? (Yes, I am aware that certified checks can be cheaper, but again, that's another mandatory fee that I would have to pay in order to pay my rent, which seems equally as ridiculous.) Thanks in advance for your help, /r/legaladvice. I've always loved how supportive and helpful your community has been from the outside, and I'm hoping maybe you can help me too.

Answer:
 The fact that there’s an option that doesn’t require paying them extra money means you probably don’t have a case. The fees you pay your bank for a certified check are not the landlord’s concern, and you did agree to those options in the lease.Answer #2: You mentioned that your apartment is subsidized. Contact the housing authority and ask if the landlords has disclosed the existence of the convenience fee. They’re required to disclose any side payments.Answer #3: So, double check your payment site,  Often the "convenience fee" is linked to use of a card, either credit or debit, but there will be another option for "online check" that doesn't have the fee but requires you to enter your bank account info.

I know I paid like 75dollars in convenience fees before i found that out at my place


Title: Moved to 1099 without warning and told it is 1099 or no job. I feel that it has been a deceptive process and that I am not actually a contractor. How do I advocate for myself?

Question:
A few things to keep in mind:

I'm effectively moving from one employer to another, moving to a vendor. My original employer, employer A, told me I'd be moving my services in that direction, the two employers have a working relationship and employer A also works in a role at employer B. Employer A did not reference any status change at any point in the process, but by now, my responsibilities are entirely with employer B while still on payroll for employer A. Employer B, up to this point, has paid employer A for my services, who then pays me.

Employer A sends me an email, peers attached, saying I'm going to be 1099 when payroll begins coming from employer B. There is no mention of a pay increase to account for the additional taxes, nor was there any mention of insurance opportunity with employer B. And, once again, I was never told in the process of my move to employer B that I'll be 1099. I should have asked, I suppose? I am currently W2 and expected to transition as such, and I turn 26 soon, so the insurance question is pertinent.

Employer A has now let me know that either I accept what Employer B offers, or I am out, because I cannot return to employer A. Employer A can no longer afford to pay me. I feel that I was not given a full picture of what to expect from my move to employer B, in fact I was told specifically, in writing, that everything would remain exactly the same from a payroll perspective. I was told that the only reason I was moving to their payroll was to shorten the stops to my money, also have that in writing.

What do I need to pay attention to when advocating for myself in terms of taxation and legality? I make $45,000 in North Carolina. What I've found is around $6800 in additional taxes as a person making less than $100k, plus possibly out-of-pocket health insurance. With my current earnings, I'd only be able to deduct them if I spent more than $375/month on individual coverage, and even then it would only be the amount over $375 that could be deducted. I work at a desk in my bedroom, and have all supplies needed to do my job. No expensing there, beyond possibly $10 for my phone plan, perhaps. With all of this included, I now have to organize and pay my own taxes quarterly, additional labor.

Further, I am NOT a legal contractor. I work exclusively with one company, they control all of my projects, and I have no say in what projects I take on. I cannot decline a project and keep my job. According to my research, that isn't 1099. The only thing that seems to account for a 1099 status is the fact that I work from home.

Does this seem right? What do I need to account for when I look at a conversation with my boss? Who needs to be involved?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 [Fill out an SS-8 with the IRS.](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/independent-contractor-self-employed-or-employee)  They'll investigate and make a determination.  This process takes a lot of time, though, so if you do this you'll be treated as a contractor for ~6 months, but rectified if the IRS finds you to be an employee.

Or, you can tell Employer B what your financial demands are if they want you as a contractor.  I'd start looking for another job before going this route.


Title: Person A is the only name on the mortgage. Person A and Person B are on the title. Person B has paid for every cent since day 1.

Question:
This happened years ago to a friend of mine. We've since lost touch, but I'm still curious about the situation.

Due to the nature of her work and payment, Person B didn't technically have a 'regular' income to satisfying bank standards for getting her own mortgage. She had a contract guaranteeing her a large chunk of money every year for 3 years. In total, it was far more than enough money to buy a house outright, but since it came in installments, she wound up needing a bank loan.

Since she couldn't get a proper mortgage through any bank she talked to, Person B decided to allow her batshit crazy sister, Person A, help with the process. Person A has enough of a steady income to get a mortgage.

The agreement was that Person A would get the mortgage, but Person B would pay for every cent. Down payment, regular payments, fees, taxes, all of it. There's a good papertrail confirming this is what happened. As far as I know, A is the only name on the mortgage. I THINK both of them are on the title, but I'm not sure. I lost touch soon after these fireworks started.

Anyway, person A goes through some severe episode of mental illness and paranoia. She starts taking action to have Person B evicted.

1. If A is the only name on the mortgage AND title, how fucked is B?
2. If A is the only name on the mortgage but they're both on the title, how fucked is B?
3. If A is the only name on the mortgage and B is the only name on the title, how fucked is B?

I can add more details if necessary.

Answer:
 If A and B are both on the title, then A and B both own the house equally. It is the name(s) on the title that matter.

*EDIT: just noticed your eviction scenario. As both A and B both live in the house and they are both co-owners, neither can "evict" the other. They closest scenario is if A feels physically threatened, they can call the police and possibly get a restraining order to prevent B from residing in the house. But eviction is not a possibility.*Answer #2: The mortgage is irrelevant. If B is on the title, then B has exactly as much right to the property as A. If B is not on  the title, B is a tenant with any tenant rights the state law grants. Absent a writing, B could make an argument that the mortgage payments were rent, but rent isn’t necessary to establish tenancy.


Title: Pressured to lie about sexual abuse in court

Question:
[OK]

When I was 13 my uncle by marriage started sexually abusing me. This continued until I was almost 16. One day my aunt walked in on him abusing me. She took their daughter and left me alone with him until my grandparents came to get me. During that time he convinced me to lie for him, said he was going to commit suicide if I told the truth because he wasn’t going to go to jail. That my cousin would grow up without her father and it would be all my fault. So I lied, I said that this was the one and only time anything ever happened. My grandparents picked me up and took me to the police station. We made a statement, but over time they began to downplay what happened. The court decided to file charges against him, they tried to serve us subpoenas but my grandparents kept avoiding it and even hired a lawyer to try and get the charges dropped. They even had me meet with his lawyer to discuss what I should say. I don’t really remember all the details because it was such a traumatic time but I remember that in court I ended up conveying the message that, it didn’t really happen and I was just making it up for attention.. the jury acquitted him on the charges. Is there anything I can do about this legally? I haven’t dealt with the feelings and emotions from all of this until a few months ago and now I’m wondering if anything can be done.

Answer: Reach out to [RAINN](https://www.rainn.org/about-national-sexual-assault-telephone-hotline). They can help you find counseling. Your own healing is the most important thing. They can also inform you about your legal options. Since your uncle was already tried and found innocent, he can’t be prosecuted again for that particular crime.


Title: Sideswiped a stationary car while door was being opened into oncoming traffic.

Question:
So I'm not sure if this is a legal question or an insurance question, maybe those two act together or maybe the answers are different. I just don't know.
I was driving along, within speed limit, 35mph, in a village. Vehicle in front of me had stopped with right wheel over shoulder line, but most of vehicle (3/4) was still on the road. They didn't have hazards or brake lights, I didn't realize they were stopped and I sideswiped them as they were opening their door into the road. am I still at fault because their car was stationary? Or do they have some blame for being stationary in still half in the middle of the road and opening their door into the traffic lane.

Answer: Your location is extremely important.


Title: Can I spray RoundUp on my side of fence but neighbors property? California

Question:
The fence (~300ft long) between myself and a neighbor is set back about 4 feet back on his property.  I know this, he knows this.  It was built there because otherwise it would have been on the middle of a slope and some other topographical oddities.

He does not maintain this strip of land, I have always done it.  This year my weed-whacker broke and am having some health issues that would prevent me from doing it anyway.  I was spraying RoundUp earlier in the season and he freaked out about me poisoning his land.  He said he would take care of it.

He did not.  Now the weeds are 6' tall and growing.  The fire department has issued me a fix-it ticket because it's my problem (they don't care that it's not technically my property, it's on my side of the fence).

What are my options, and in the future can I legally spray the area with RoundUp if the neighbor himself has a history of not caring for this land?

Edit - thank you for all of the replies.  Sounds like spraying the RoundUp could theoretically be bad, but unlikely to actually cause any repercussions beyond a pissed off neighbor.

I will take the advice of getting a couple of quotes for removal of the current batch of weeds and give them to the neighbor with the ticket and ask him what he wants to do.  It's too late in the season to spray now but I'm going to make it clear that either he lets me spray or he can look forward to this sort of cost annually if he doesn't start taking care of the problem himself.

Answer:
 > Can I spray RoundUp on my side of fence but neighbors property? California

Technically, I doubt it.

But in your position I would do it anyway.

I would also tell him that I claim title to the strip via adverse possession and acquiescence, just to piss him off. That might also get him off his ass.Answer #2: Spray the weeds and if he gets bent out of shape show him the ticket from the fire marshal and to go pound sand.


Title: Pep boys forgot to put oil cap back on and messed up our car. Are now refusing to help

Question: So this is happening right now. My mother, brother, grandma, and I were on a road trip to my brother's college seven hours away from where we live. Before we left, my mom went to pep boys for an oil change. An hour into our drive we stop at a rest stop where my mom realizes the car is smoking. We check under the hood and there's oil everywhere. There's none left in the car. My mom calls them. They say they'll send a tow truck. Two hours later one arrives but it can't fit all four of us. She calls them back and they tell her that they're not paying for another truck. That the people who can't fit need to find their own way, etc. Is there anything legally that can be done if they continue to refuse to pay or are fucked?

Answer:
 My father works as an insurance investigator for places similar to Pep Boys. His job is working for insurance companies, but he is given autonomy to make the decisions about whose fault it is. Due to his standing as an automechanic, they do NOT question him when he determines whose fault is whose.

I would definitely recommend you A. Take pictures NOW. As many parts of the car as you can get to. B. Get your insurance investigator out immediately to look at it. Your investigator can most likely determine if the cap was not replaced prior to driving it out of the bay, or loosened after having been driven for some time.

From there, your insurance can determine the best course of action as to if they need to go after Pep Boys. As far as you calling them up and saying *Hey, you screwed up my car* - sadly, they get too many of those types of calls to take you seriously, and far too many of them are people just wanting to screw pep boys or whomever. Let the insurance investigator determine that. Answer #2: If you are asking if you are fucked re forcing them to pay another truck, I'd wager yes. Your best case is to talk to them to find out if they have an account with a rental car company and get one at the corporate rate. Its going to be a min before the car/oil issue is solved and thats not going to help you right now.


Title: Forced to move out of our apartment in 3 days

Question:
I posted this over in r/Indianapolis and was directed here for possible advice so here it goes:

Here's what's going on... 2 roommates and myself (students at iupui and UofI) living in 2 bdrm apartment at The Latitudes on Indianapolis' (Indiana) south side. Yesterday we discovered black mold in a kitchen cabinet. Today around noon maintenance stopped by and inspected it, took pictures, and took a drawer that was a part of that cabinet then left. 20 minutes go by and the maintenance supervisor shows up. He inspects it then leaves. Supervisor comes back 5 minutes later with painters sheething and masking tape. We emptied the cabinet (all sealed cans and drink glasses) then he sealed them off and left.

After an hour our main contact gets a call from the apt complex office saying that we have to move out by this sunday into a smaller 2 bdrm apartment in the complex (today is Thursday) and that they will not pay for movers, but we do have to sign a new lease for the new apartment and pay damages for the old one.

We feel that at the very least we should not have to sign a new lease and that the complex should pay to have our stuff moved. Are we crazy or are we getting fucked over here? Any advice would be fantastic thanks. If I don't respond quickly it's because we're packing. Will check back when possible.

EDIT: FWIW Two of us have had to call off work tomorrow to complete the move within the time schedule.

Answer: Your universities almost certainly have free legal aid for students that handles things like landlord-tenant issues. IANAL, but I strongly recommend you contact them first thing tomorrow. If you can't track it down yourself call your university library's reference desk and they'll find it for you.


Title: Can I charge for parking in my property?

Question:
Basically my house has a decent sized lot right next to it that is also part of my property (we park our cars there). We have “no parking/will be towed” signs up around so people know it’s ours, have had unauthorized cars towed before if they keep coming after a warning, etc. etc.

We also live close to an event center and cars are always driving around the neighborhood looking for street parking before forking over $30 for event parking in the nearby parking lot.

Is there anything illegal about me sitting outside with a sign and charging people $10 bucks to park on my property? Could I get fined for not having a permit or something? Is liability an issue, even though all private lots I see have a sign that says “not responsible for personal belongings blah blah blah”?

I’m in California if that makes any difference.

Thanks!

Answer:
 Call your municipal/county government and ask. These sorts of rules are likely to be local.Answer #2: Legally, I wouldn't be surprised if you had to jump through hoops, such a permitting and collecting taxes.

How often do you plan on offering parking? I ask because you're unlikely to have trouble if you do it once or twice per year for big events, but if it's a frequent thing, you're likely to piss off your neighbors and/or draw the attention of someone in the city.

I know that people near large Nascar tracks will rent out their driveways for major events (there aren't too many big races per track) and I doubt that they were properly permitted.Answer #3: In addition to local regulations, you might also want to speak to your insurance agent to make sure you have proper liability coverage for running a small temporary business.


Title: Ailing Sugardaddy’s family wants my condo

Question:
Let me first start off by saying, I am a very empathetic person.  I cared for this man for 6 years. During this time he had many relationships.

He has since lost his business, and has become extremely ill.  I have had no contact with him in 10 months.

In 2012 I signed a promissory note that I would pay back the money for a property he purchased for me. It was my understanding that I signed these papers because he was over his “gift allowance” for the year.  I have an email chain explaining that I do not owe him monthly payments.

I have multiple emails, including one from last year saying that the collateral mortgage was forgiven and I do not owe anything, that the property is mine and that I had his permission to sell and use the money towards another property.

After not being able to reach him, I contacted his attorney (who I knew of from prior dealings) and sent him a copy of the collateral mortgage and let him know what was going on.

He got back to me today, and said that my friend’s wife has no idea about the property and expects me to start making payments immediately, including back payments, or turn over the title to them.

I have done some research into how much emails hold up and have mixed ideas.  I found one ruling where the Supreme Court ruled email as a valid contract.

Am I Shit out of luck?  I cannot contact my own attorney until Monday.   Do I have any plays here?

Please refrain from too much judgment.  I am not the person I was 7 years ago, and I don’t believe my daughter deserves to suffer because of this.  I was counting on the funds from the property.

Thank you in advance.

Answer: You need your own attorney. Also, this guy is still alive, so he can clarify himself if it comes to it. Assuming he's still mentally competent.Answer #2: Location is not optional. Generally speaking, a promissory note is pretty damn good evidence.


Title: UPDATE: Taking a dog rescue to small claims court - we got a judgment in our favor

Question:
Previous posts: http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2bx6wt/taking_a_dog_rescue_to_small_claims_court/

http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2cqhmx/responding_to_defendants_motion_to_dismiss_union/

http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2cto51/defendants_lawyer_mailed_us_a_motion_to_dismiss/

I wanted to provide an update for folks who had helped me here in the past, and also to add to the archive of info here for anyone who deals with similar issues in the future.

We went to small claims court today, and my partner represented himself (the dog is legally his, not mine). It was very informal, and he was probably overprepared, with notecards to speak from and tons of evidence.

The dog rescue's registered agent showed up without a lawyer, and seemed very unprepared. For example, when she was asked to explain their counterclaim, she seemed flustered and said "our lawyer should have sent it to the court...?" She didn't realize that the court DID have it, but wanted to hear about it from her.

The magistrate knocked down their argument about "jurisdiction" in the Tennessee case ("well, obviously the judge believed that court had jurisdiction, and it's the judge who gets to decide that, not attorneys."), denied their motion to dismiss ("we usually don't approve motions to dismiss in small claims court, and especially not on rule 12(b)(6). A claim on which relief can be granted was clearly stated here.") and dismissed their counterclaim entirely.

He then awarded my partner possession of the dog, and court costs for this one action, only denying him the court costs and lawyer fees from other states.

They have ten days to give us the dog or appeal, and we're not sure what they'll decide. It's a waiting game now.

But hopefully we'll have our dog back very soon! Again, thanks for all the help that folks here have provided. I think it really helped us win.

Answer:
 For them to be fighting this hard about giving the dog back to the actual owners, they did something that you have yet to find out about.Answer #2: Congrats! I haven't been following this since the beginning, but the shelter's actions seem very odd... is it possible they've already adopted the dog out, and don't want to try to get it back? Or that they *can't* get it back?

I volunteer at shelters extensively, and I know we're always excited when a dog has a responsible, legitimate owner that wants to claim them. The last thing we'd want to do is deny the owner their pet. It's all very strange.


Title: So much for the culture

Question:
So late 2017, a friend from HS tells me he’d like to make graphic tees with my art. He threw me an idea of what he’d like to see me draw, I draw it, show it to him, and had verbal agreement that itd be 50-50. He takes off to San Diego and starts selling shirts with my design. Now I’ve seen an AD ON INSTAGRAM with my design on a $30 hoodie(when I still havent been paid). I have the original of the design, which includes my signature that he removed in printing it out.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: You own the copyright on your drawings, so issue various [DMCA takedowns](https://theartistsjd.com/dmca-takedown-notice/) wherever there is infringement, register your designs at copyright.gov to sue for statutory damages, and talk to an intellectual property attorney.


Title: Pay deducted when drawer short, making minimum wage (IN)

Question:
My sister works for minimum wage at a Sonic in Indiana. The other day she received a counterfeit $10 in her register/drawer, and the policy is that if the drawer is short, they take it out of your paycheck.

Is this legal? And if so, would this be legal if she was making over minimum wage (I think some days she skates around and can get tips - could her employer legally deduct from that in a similar situation?)

Answer:
 Not legal; although they could legally fire her for accepting a fake/having the drawer short.

If she made more, then they could only deduct with a written authorization from her allowing them to do so.


Title: My father was beat up by a bridge.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Every big lawyer group around us won't take his case

When you have multiple lawyers telling you that you have no case, you likely have no case.


Title: Neighbor wants our tree trimmed - can we ask him to pay for half

Question: In our garden is a gorgeous Banyan Tree that the neighbor claims blocks his view.  Well, it does, depending on where you stand on his property, however it's minimal.  The tree is grandfathered into the Design Review of the Home Owners Association.  While we don't mind being good neighbors, we just got an estimate for $1500 to properly trim the tree.  Is it reasonable/legal to request the neighbor share the cost?

Answer:
 It's reasonable to tell him no, so if you offer to allow him to pay the trimming cost, you are doing him a favor.Answer #2: If it's solely on your property and isn't violating any HOA covenants, you are under no obligation to do *anything* to the tree at all.

Only you know your neighbor, but if he's requesting that you trim *your* tree for *his* benefit, it only makes sense that he should shoulder some of the cost.Answer #3: It is absolutely reasonable to request.

He doesn't have to chip in for your tree maintenance, however.

Flip side: Unless there is some sort of local ordinance about blocking views [like in Seattle](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/tree-battle-in-clyde-hill-ends-olerud-to-pay-for-view/) ,then you don't have to accommodate his view.


Title: (AL) (Question) what is the legality of warrants in other states that go against your current states laws IE Open carry.

Question: Say if I went to an open carry state where you dont need a license, and then to one where it is banned completely such as californis and come back. Could that state issue a warrant for a law they have but the other state does not ?

Answer:
 If you break the law in one state you can be arrested in any other state, regardless of the legality of your actions in that other state. Answer #2: 1: Open carry is not banned completely in California.

2: I assume what you're asking is, "can I be arrested if I open carry in a state where it's legal, do the same thing in a state where it's not legal, and then come back to the legal state and do it?" The answer is yes, a warrant can be issued and you can be arrested.


Title: Are clearly-misreferenced paragraphs in a contract still enforceable? [Aus]

Question:
Obligatory 'I know nothing'. Please treat me that way :)

I'm acting as a contractor providing services for a firm currently and in the agreement I signed, there is the following:

A bunch of sections/ clauses/ paragraphs . . .

In sections 7.4 and 7.5 it is made clear that I can't take clients I gained through the firm for the twelve month period after my employment with them comes to an end.

In 7.6, it is stated that I'll be fined (a dollar amount is listed) for any breach of 7.1 or 7.2. This is clearly a mistake as 7.1 and 7.2 are not sections you could 'breach' and the purposive interpretation would find 7.6 should actually reference 7.4 and 7.5 - it's the only logical explanation.

Knowing that, are sections 7.4 and 7.5 enforceable?

Answer:
 >it's the only logical explanation.

I think a judge will go with what's reasonable. Both you and the other party clearly know what's in the contract. A few typoes don't void a contract.


Title: [FL] My parents helped me get a car (I am co-owner with dad) and while I was gone in NY took my car

Question:
I made a post explaining the situation I've been dealing with in /raisedbynarcissists if you care to look further into it here is the link

https://www.reddit.com/r/raisedbynarcissists/comments/3idg8b/my_nmom_used_me_22m_to_get_a_newer_car/

but to just give it straight, my parents helped me get a car. I am the co-owner with my dad, and while I was away in New York they came to my apartment and took the car. Turns out my mom liked my car more than hers and is selling her car to keep my car. My dad said that he refinanced the car so I am no longer a co-owner and he is the sole owner. I sought legal advice from a lawyer before this happened asking if anything could be done to remove a co-owners name. He told me that you cannot remove the name without the others consent. I'm confused, but my dad said because the clause in the paperwork has "my name" or "my dad" but I don't remember that.

My question is: is it possible to remove my name without my signature? and where on the paperwork can I see if the clause says "or" or "and"
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 To summarize your RBN: OPs parents put $2000 down for a car, OP upset when they wanted to be paid back on their schedule (since he had to fly to nyc for a week for a fundraiser). OP didn't pay back, parents took car.

OP is 22 and blames parents for everything about his situation. Answer #2: The last thing I will ever do is click a link to a RBN sub.  I value my time and sanity.  Not to mention my ocular muscles and don't wish to exhaust them by the massive amount of eye rolling.  If you want to retype it, feel free.

Your father co-owns the car with you.  He has as much right to it as you do.

>He told me that you cannot remove the name without the others consent.

This is correct.

>My question is: is it possible to remove my name without my signature?

They could have forged your signature.  The bank could have been lazy.

>and where on the paperwork can I see if the clause says "or" or "and"

I don't have access to your paperwork.  It would be on there somewhere.

Ultimately your recourse will be to sue them for the value of your ownership in the car.


Title: Would this be abuse of process

Question:
Hey folks, throwaway account for a lot of reasons.

I've been accused of creating a website I didn't create to discredit a local public figure who I didn't even know existed at the time the website was created.

Anyway. Local media has latched on to this story and they think I had something to do with it as well. No idea why.

The owner of the domain in question used Domains by Proxy. would it be an abuse of process to sue "John Doe" and then use an accelerated discovery process to reveal the true identity of the website owner?

For what it's worth, I believe the person responsible for the site has helped perpetuate this idea that I'm involved...but I'm not. In anyway. At all. Like, whatsoever.

Thanks folks.

EDIT:  Sorry, u/Locationbot!  I am located in Washington State, USA

Answer:
 You're suggesting filing a lawsuit against a Doe solely for the purpose of identifying the actual responsible party?  Yeah.  Unless you have a cause of action against the Doe, it would be a frivolous suit and abuse of process.  (Frivolous means "having no basis in law or fact", not "silly" the way most people think it means).

It's not clear from the facts whether you have any cause of action against the real registered owner of the domain, but unless you do, don't file the lawsuit.

If you get sued, your lawyer can probably either implead Doe or file a cross-complaint against Doe, which would open up the discovery of Doe's true identity.

(and I'm not even sure that WA uses "Doe Practice" the way California does).


Title: My bipolar fiance was catfished into a "relationship" with an emotionally and sexually abusive predator.

Question:
I am not sure what to do with this and already worry that I am powerless to do anything. This is long, so apologies on that. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

&#x200B;

My recently diagnosed and still unmedicated bipolar fiance (diagnosed about 4-5 months ago) was catfished for 3 months by a predatory woman (monster) he met when he went on Tinder during a manic episode. We reconnected on Thrusday where he explained what had really been going on and his concerns about being catfished (we broke up over his "relationship" with her). On Friday it was confirmed.

&#x200B;

She used someone else's photos and videos who she now claims is an ex girlfriend. She used a fake name and no last name, no social media, claimed to only be on reddit (I'm slightly paranoid she could see this. But also, hey lady, if you see this, you are a fucking demon, and I hope to God you get what you deserve even if I can't do anything about you).

&#x200B;

She did give her real address, (my fiance had dropped some weed over at her house through the mailbox). Using whitepages and the address, my fiance was able to confront her with her real name on Friday and she confessed at that point to catfishing. He also confronted her in person on Sunday for purposes of closure (it was a sickening experience, obviously).

&#x200B;

When he met her, she confessed verbally to intending to harm him, to wanting to harm someone indiscriminately. He will be following up with his therapist and has cut off contact.

&#x200B;

My fiance is a survivor of molestation and she knew this. Without making this post an entire book, I can say confidently that it is obvious she is a sexual predator. She was using his vulnerability from his mental illness and past sexual trauma to sexually and psychologically harm and abuse him.

&#x200B;

She groomed and lured my fiance into what I can only describe as a predatory, sexually exploitative, psychologically dangerous, emotionally abusive relationship. She basically created an entire fictitious person in order to control him and used coercive tactics to exploit him sexually nearly EVERY DAY for 3 months. She claimed to be into BDSM culture and had manipulated him into things he did not want to do and were traumatizing. No part of what she did was valid kink culture. She is a monster.

&#x200B;

I have suffered psychologically, emotionally, and in my quality of life. It impacted my ability to work and function in all areas of my life. I developed severe depression, as identified by my psychologist. I have asperger's (ASD) and the stress, confusion, and pain overwhelmingly exacerbated the difficulties and negative symptoms that come with my autism.

&#x200B;

This has caused very real, significant and definable psychological harm to me (and the person I love and care about most); harm that was unmanageable, unreasonable, and unacceptable by any standard. The senseless cruelty of this entire situation is beyond my comprehension. To be a victim of this, essentially at random, is deeply disturbing as well as enraging.

&#x200B;

The story has other details that will back up what I am saying here, but essentially I want to know answers to the following questions:

&#x200B;

1) Is there anything that can be done about/for the woman whose photos were/are being used for deceiving others?

I very much doubt she did or would consent to how her photos and videos were used. Neither I nor my fiance know who she is, but my fiance does have many of the name of the woman's family, as he met her at a hotel where her extended family was having a baby shower, and he briefly met her parents and a handful of her cousins, in case it could be helpful in identifying her and informing her.

&#x200B;

2) Can my fiance sue her for emotional damages (or anything else)?

I want to add that his history of sexual trauma has been a trigger for worsening mental health in the past.  This is not good.

&#x200B;

3) Can I sue her for emotional and psychological damage to me?

Answer:
 Your fiance cheated on you. He is as responsible for this as the woman he was involved with. It is this simple. You can not dismiss his culpability based on mental illness and decide the other party is the sole responsible party.

Nobody has legal damages or is the victim of a crime. Maybe the owner of the photos could send a cease and desist letter. If they cared to. You have no right to act as their proxy in this.

I know you are angry and hurt. I am not passing judgement.  I also am not victim blaming here. I understand mental illness; my beloved niece is bipolar. But she, like your betrothed, is still responsible for their actions when manic, and in getting help for manic episodes. You can not just say that mania caused cheating. It might have made it sound like a more fun idea, but you are only hurting yourself by passing it off as nothing more than a symptom of being bipolar.

You have a high drama relationship and have told us a rambling and emotional recap of your anger. You really do have the option to take more control of what happens, but the legal system is not going to offer this.


Title: DWI, Reckless, and a 108 in a 55...

Question: I don't even know what to do. Is my life over? Can anyone tell me worst and best case scenario's? This is N.J. Also not me but my best friend. She has a part time 9.50/hr job and is a full time student. I think she's suicidal right now too. I'm extremely worried.

Answer:
 As you didn't give a location or any details, nobody can tell you anything.

Get a lawyer.Answer #2: Whew.  You'll need a lawyer.Answer #3: Get the best attorney you can afford and listen to his/her advice. Stop drinking, pre-emptively  attend alcohol classes. Don't screw up, at anything, in the interim.
 If it's a first offense and you didn't injure anyone or damage any property, a good attorney can likely get probation and a big fine, combined with a fairly severe license suspension. Hope you have money, you're going to need it.

IANAL.


Title: Can I legally tell my ex that he can no longer take our daughter to his sister's house? (OH)

Question:
This may sound partially petty. Maybe it is. Anyway...

I learned tonight that my ex's sister attempted to have our daughter taken from me.

As in: went to an actual lawyer and attempted to have her removed from my custody and then adopted.
Obviously, it didn't work, since I just now learned about it. I never had any notice or idea that this was going on.
The lawyer pretty much told her to back off, as my children are happy, healthy, and well cared for.

Due to this, and other previous issues, I no longer want her or my oldest daughter (not related to their family, but still visits) to be allowed to be taken to her house for any reason by anyone.

I have full residential custody in Ohio. My ex has visitation through the court. I plan to dig out my paperwork, but I don't know that it covers issues of this nature.

I have full say in her care, schooling, health, etc. He is not even to alter her appearance without my express permission.

Can I legally demand that neither he, nor his mother, are take our daughter (or my oldest) to his sister's house for visits anymore?

Answer: You can explain your concerns and ask him to not let his sister around the kids but you need to go to court to make it part of your custody agreement if he won't do it voluntarily.


Title: Potential layoffs and pregnancy; should wife tell her boss we're expecting?

Question:
Throwaway for reasons...

Hello LegalAdvice! Here are the details:

Edit: with regard to visas, I've been told conflicting information. The company says the team from India are here on H-1Bs, but they say themselves that they aren't allowed to actually work while here. Sounds more like M-1 to me. Could be a company policy rather than a legal technicality, as the company is really pushing the "they aren't replacing you" line.

U.S. citizens (NY State), found out we are having another baby, wife is about 11 weeks along.
About the time we found out, our company (both working for the same one) began layoffs in her department. She's currently training some Indians overs here on H1b visas, with all signs pointing to her getting laid off.

Our employer is assuring her team that they aren't being let go, but they won't elaborate on what work will replace that which the Indian team is taking over. Smells like a turd to both of us, but the job offers a lot of flexibility so she's hanging in there and hoping our employers aren't full of crap.

She's planning on telling her boss this week that we're expecting. I feel like a safer play is to keep him in the dark. My reasoning is that they may try to reduce headcount prior to entirely wiping out her team. If I'm correct, she's making herself a target by stating she's a liability to them due to her pregnancy. Obviously they'll be more likely to lay her off if she's about to take 3 months with disability for half of that time. The rest is covered by PTO and unpaid "it's illegal to fire me for giving birth" time.

I want to know if any legal risks are involved in keeping her boss in the dark for as long as possible. She cannot hide the fact forever, but it could buy us time to see how things shake out.

Alternatively, if she does tell him, can this afford us any protection as far as them fearing a discrimination suit? We likely wouldn't win that, as the layoffs are common knowledge, but she's been told repeatedly that she's safe. If the story changed after revealing her pregnancy, might we have a case? If so, they'd likely settle to keep it quiet, which could give us some breathing room while she job hunts.

Appreciate any help and feedback. Actual legal help will be sought if the situation warrants. Obviously a lot of this is outside your realm, but I'd love to know what protections she's afforded so we're not screwed as badly as they'd try for, given the opportunity.

Edited to remove an unimportant detail.

Answer:
 I would consider calling the state department and the ny attorney general's office about the use of H1b visas to train for outsourcing.

She has no legal requirement to tell her boss that she's expecting.  The second she does, she's going to targeted for firing with cause -- any mistake she makes will become grounds for termination so they can get rid of her before any maternity leave.   Or they'll lay off a group of 5-10 people.   If they laid ONLY her off, then you could fight for discrimination – but in a large downsizing, it is hard to prove even in NY.


Title: [Milwaukee, WI] Moving out of state with sole custody. Can Bio-Dad interrupt that by deciding he now wants to get visitation rights? (We have not been served)

Question:
This is my first time using this sub so hopefully I am doing it in accordance of what you guys/gals like. I will try to make this as simple as possible so it's easy to digest hopefully helping me along the way.

**INFO:**
* ME, Dad 30 (Stepfather)
* Mother 27 (My Wife)
* Daughter 7
* Bio-Dad mid twenties

My wife has sole custody and we want to move out of state, the bio-dad recently decided to try and make our lives difficult by contesting us adopting our daughter so she is mine and changing her last name to mine. We are afraid after 5+ years of no contact he MIGHT try to gain visitation, which IF the court allowed would be supervised visits at first because of his track record. He currently has 5 other kids by two other mothers and bio-dad's mom would be the one telling him he should do it because my wife knows he doesn't actually care about our daughter sadly.

So to get to my point we have always considered moving but now this might be the motivating reason to just do it. We have not been served, but are trying to get an answer to that very question. If we move which my wife does NOT need to inform him because she has sole custody and he does not have visitation. **If he tried to gain visitation after we moved to another state is that possible? We don't want to move and somehow get served papers 1,2 or 3 weeks later after we spent all that money and then somehow end up being forced to move back...** that would be terrible and costly. We just want to go about living our lives without having to worry about such a thing.

I don't have a very good understanding of law but that's why I figured I would turn to you good people here and see if you can come up with a answer with some possible evidence proving that it would work or wouldn't work in our favor.

THANK YOU ALL!

**TLDR: The bold sentence, but you might want to read the entire thing... lol. I won't tell you what to do! :P**

**Thanks all! So far my STEPS:**
(1) Step one find out what my wife's order says about moving.

Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: The answer to this question in in your specific custody agreement. Before you move you need to ensure that the order does not prohibit her moving out of state and allows her to do so without informing the father.


Title: How does co-ownership of an inherited house work? Can I prevent my brother from moving in friends? (UT)

Question:
My mother willed me, my brother, and my sister ownership of her house when she passes. She's sickly, and we haven't spoken for years. I don't intend to, so I haven't actually seen the will.

My brother currently lives in the house, and I don't. He's told me when they pass he'd like to move in his friends, and I haven't heard anything about rent from them. (It's illegal in that area anyway to rent out bedrooms of your house.) Can I prevent him, or my sister, from moving people into the house? Or doing huge changes to the house/destroying it? My brother is... not great (addiction problems) and my sister isn't much better (drinking problems) so I don't want them ruining the house.

Is there like a generic rule of thumb for this, or do I have to see the actual will? I'm pretty sure from what I remember it's just a generic "the house will go to ____" type thing with no conditions attached.

Answer: Generally what happens in this situation is that the other owners of the property buy you out or you petition for a partition by sale.  If you get a partition by sale the property is sold and the proceeds divided equally among the co-owners.Answer #2: You could force him to collect and distribute fair market rent.


Title: Being subpoenaed to appear in court as a witness for a work matter. I am in school now and will have trouble going. What are my options?

Answer: You can go, or you can get a bench warrant and go in a special uber


Title: Neighbor's cat is destroying my water fountain.

Question:
I am not sure if it is appropriate to post here, if not my apologies.

I live in CA and enjoy sitting outside after a long days work. My neighbors cat has been ruining this for me by pooping into my water fountain to such a point that I have to clean my water pump and water every couple days after the cat destroyed my last  two pumps. Besides that I cannot stand the terrible odor lingering outside from the cat doing his business. I have talked to my neighbor about it and she gives me some bs response that maybe I shouldn't have my water fountain where it is (on my property). Mind you this is a permanent water fountain structure made out of stone. I have tried a lot of things including concentrated citrus oil, coffee grounds, black pepper, and even predator piss (I am that desperate) to dissuade the cat from visiting my backyard, but nothing has worked. Also I should disclose that the cat is not fond of me and has attacked me unprovoked 5+ (also documented) , so needless to say the cat does not like me. I have surveillance and have archived all relevant footage. I am getting increasingly more frustrated, and I want this siege against me by the damn cat to stop. Is there anything I can do legally speaking? Any help or advice would be appreciated.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Set up motion detecting sprinklers.   [Something like this](https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-62100-Activated-Sprinkler-Detection/dp/B009F1R0GC)

(Most) cats hate water.  He/She will quickly be trained to avoid going in your yard, and it will be much cheaper than any lawyer situation will ever be.Answer #2: Buy a racoon trap (cage with food in it that closes automatically when a critter steps in). Once the cat is in, call animal control saying that you have trapped a cat and they should come get it. After a few times your neighbor will probably stop it from roaming free.

Since you have knowledge that the cat is not wild, someone with knowledge of MA law should chime in to confirm if what I'm proposing is legal though.Answer #3: You have actual footage of the cat pooping in the fountain?  1) that'd be something to see, cats aren't really known for disposal of poops in water, goes contrary to their typical instinct.  2). Seems like it would be sufficient to take those tapes and file in small claims for the damage to the pumps...Answer #4: Does this fountain have fish? Bleach usually works if not.  Shooting the cat with a water hose may be a valid deterrent. If it hurts you, you should file with animal control and sue them for any medical care.

You can legally catch the cat in a live trap on your property and have animal control take it. If it has a color or is chipped, the owner will get it back, but it will be a hassle.  Answer #5: Buy a motion-activated sprinkler and point it at the fountainAnswer #6: Get a dog.Answer #7: Call animal control every time the cat is in your yard. Call the police immediately if you are attacked by an animal.

Continue to record and save video of the cat.


Title: Can we report to CPS without evidence?

Question:
original post for context here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/9ugt97/a\_girl\_i\_mentor\_14\_is\_being\_abused\_by\_her\_brother/](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/9ugt97/a_girl_i_mentor_14_is_being_abused_by_her_brother/)

&#x200B;

This girl I mentor (14, Eva, being physically abused by older brother, Jay) is ready to report to CPS. She has already gone to a school counselor (who was *remarkably* useless - the counselor gave Eva a cup of tea and said there's nothing they can do without evidence). Eva wants things to change and is ready to take action - I'm concerned that if we report to CPS, they'll say the same thing as the counselor, close the investigation, and endanger Eva further by infuriating the abusive brother.

She has no physical evidence because he purposely never leaves marks, and she has no video or audio evidence. We discussed that maybe she can capture secret video of him hitting her - but would that suffice? Is that admissible if it's recorded secretly? What's our next step?

If we report to CPS and they close it due to lack of evidence, I'm afraid he might kill her.

Answer: CPS doesnt need evidence for a report. They investigate and determine what is going on.  That is their job


Title: Is taking the money out of the shared account for your son a crime?

Question: My boyfriend has been living under an extremely strict household. When he was 16 years old he made a bank account of his own, because he got a job. but his mothers name was on it because she said it had to be. he is now 18 years old and has been for 11 months, and last week he told his parents that soon he would be thinking about moving out or starting to live at the university he attends instead of living at home. His mom promptly removed 17,000 dollars out of his account and told him he isn't going anywhere, and that he may never see the money again because she is trying to "protect him'. every cent in the account was made by him and him alone, his mother has no job, his dad pays the bills. Is there any legal repercussions that could be made? Her name was on the account, so we are nervous that nothing can be done.

Answer:
 He can sue her for the money. The cap in small claims for MA is $7k, so he would need to either give up on more than half the amount, or pursue in civil court (ideally with a lawyer).

If he relies on his parents' support, they could stop providing it. One major thing he may need to consider is that he is almost certainly considered [dependent](https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/resources/dependency-status-text) by default for FAFSA at this moment (and thus needs access to their tax info). A dependency override is possible, but can be difficult to get.


Title: Can we help our elderly neighbor who is being abused by her adult kids?

Question:
In Florida. Widow next door in her 70s has adult kids who are meth addicts/con artists and have Baker Acted her twice so far.

She just showed up at our front door with bleeding wrists (not serious).

We cleaned and bandaged her. She pleaded with us to "take her away". We told her she needs to evict her kids and sell her house and move to an assisted living facility. She got disgusted with us and went back.

Abuse may be too strong a term. They rile her up and then film her tantrums which they show to cops who then take her away to a mental health facility.

What can we do? Thanks.

Answer: You can contact [Florida Adult Protective Services](http://www.myflfamilies.com/service-programs/adult-protective-services) and file a complaint.


Title: My parents didn't get me vaccinated for chickenpox because they were quacks and I ended up getting them as a kid. Now I have shingles. Can I take legal action against my parents for not vaccinating me to prevent this?

Question: Charleston, West Virginia

Answer: Geeze.  Take some meds and grow up.  My parents were part of the anti-vaccine movement too and it was an honest attempt to do what they thought was best for us.