Title: Coworker was threatened with termination based on someone feeling that they did something (Cali)

Question:
I will apologize in advance that this is weird and confusing.  I was asked to witness a verbal warning against my coworker "Dana" last week because another coworker "Katie" felt that Dana was judging her for a medical error.

Back story: We work at a 24 hour veterinary hospital. "Dave" the cardiology nurse made a mistake and marked a patients heart medications as being discontinued on a treatment sheet.  Kate and another nurse "Abby" took care of the patient and, per the treatment sheet, did not give the patient it's heart medications.  The following morning the cardiologist noticed the error and was upset but everyone who reviewed the record agreed that Kate and Abby were not at fault.  The mistake was with Dave.

Here's where it get weird: Kate filed a complaint against Dana saying that when Kate returned to her shift the next day another nurse "Stefanie" gave rounds to her on Stef's patients and then told her: "Dana is going to wait until "Beth" comes onto her shift in an hour and then she'll round you both on her patients" (one of those patients was the dog whose medication was missed. Kate felt that Dana was really waiting to round because she didn't want Kate to take that particular patient back and therefore she complained.

Are you saying WTF yet?  Well I was as I sat in on this verbal warning.  Dana was told that regardless of reality, that Kate's perception was that Dana judged her and she didn't trust Kate with her patients.  The boss even threw in that "Robert" had also told them that he felt that the issue with the error was getting out of hand.  Although I was only supposed to be a silent observer, I stopped then to point out that Robert wasn't even working during the incident and I wasn't sure how he was involved...I was ignored.

So, here I am completely flabbergasted.  I don't see how this is legal or ethical.  I personally feel dirty for having to be a part of this.  The boss acknowledged that the facts don't match the feelings but still gave Dana a verbal warning.  As a side note; nothing happened to Dave (who made the mistake) or Kate (who has feelings).

I would like to pull Dana aside and give her some legal direction but I'm utterly at a loss.

Answer: That's too many people to keep track of but it doesn't matter. An employer isn't a court of law and isn't required to be fair or hear all sides to an issue. As long as they are discriminating against somebody on the basis of a protected class characteristic, it's not illegal.  If this person is fired she should file for unemployment and look for another job. In the meantime, she should do her job as best she can and not rile everybody up.


Title: My lawyer's invoice does not include multiple payments already made to the firm

Question: I have credit card receipts showing payments to the lawyer's firm of many thousands of dollars, on multiple occurrences, which are not reflected in the total invoice.  They are now threatening to drop from my case due to the charges claimed that are not payed.  When I add up the total credit card receipts that I have paid, I am many many thousands of dollars over their total invoice.  They have also threatened to drop me if I dispute their charges.  Even without disputing charges claimed I have paid many thousands of dollars over the invoice total.  What do I do?  My case is very complicated and would require thousands of dollars and many months for a new lawyer to catch up to speed.  My location is Missouri.  Thank you

Answer: Have you showed them the credit card receipts?


Title: Took my kitten to the vet, technician took his mask off and smothered my kitten in kisses (CA,USA)

Question:
I don’t know if this qualifies as a legal issue, but as the title says I took my 11 week old kitten to get her 2nd set of shots and deworming. The technician/vet seemed so unprofessional compared to the first vet who did her first set. This man took his mask off immediately in the room and began putting my kitten to his face and kissed her over and over.  It was damn near like a cuddle session with my kitten. I told him to stop and apparently he did not get it the first time. He even forgot about the deworming until I mentioned it. He then finished up and began criticizing the fact that I had my kitten in a carrier with the attached leash on-so she doesn’t go wild in the carrier like she has before. He said it looks scary blah blah blah. I am really disgusted with how inappropriate he was with my kitten, and especially since we are going through COVID19 !! (Yes I was wearing a mask the entire time) he took his off!!!!!
I already tried reaching out to the other technician on duty and she said she will get me in touch with the owner.

I’m shocked this even happened so is there anything else I can do?
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 That depends. How cute is your kitten? Depending on the level of cuteness, he may claim you tried to entrap him. After all, who can resist some cute kitten snuggles? /s

This may have been inappropriate; but not illegal. Complain to the owner and find a new vet if you'd like.


Title: Drunk at work

Question: So I was drunk at work had a back pack of beer outside it got discovered by my boss they called me out on it I denied everything but they're calling the only one that can fire me in tomorrow should I just say that I'm going to get covid-19 stood or is there any way out of this

Answer: Why on earth would you think, even if it were true, that it would save you from getting fired?  You probably won't even get unemployment since being drunk at work is misconduct.


Title: My garbage fire of a mother stole my kittens.

Question:
Forgive me. I am on mobile, new to reddit and feeling very rambly. Formatting may not be the best

Tl;dr

I think\(not sure\) my mom may have called the spca to come and remove my kittens and has stolen money from me assaulted me and destroyed my property what legal recourse do I have to try and recover my pets and hold her accountable for my losses? St: Ohio

I have been living with my mother for nine months now. This has been much longer than I ever expected. Its mainly because of money woes. Largely due to my meekness as a person. My mother is disabled and recieves SSI. It is not alot. But her life expenses are. She relied on me heavily to help pay her bills and supply her spending money. And she lies about what she actually needs or what the funds I give her go  towards. All of it placed great financial strain and hardship on me.  When the rent on my apartment increased I decided I couldnt continue on and started looking for a new place. I was limited in my choices as I dont have a car and needed to move to an area not too expensive but still close enough to my job. I had thirty days to do so but I was unsuccessful. Alot of places did not accept pets and I wasnt getting rid of my two cats. My mom offered to let me move in with her just until I could find a place. I was hesistant because my mom \(and I really hate calling her that right now.\) Is a bit of a tyrant and also financially as well as plain old abusive to me. When I firstwas kicked out of the nest I was actually getting ready to go to work. My younger sister was still in school and my mother was preparing to take her. My mother came to the door of my room. And asked for my card to take $75 dollars out of my accout. I was reluctant to do that. Because I had just given her $250 the day before. And back  during that time my mother would actually take my card, keep it and refuse to give it back to me. Even "playfully" trying to fight me over it. I'd just have to keep watchful for when I could steal it back. I could have cancelled and gotten a new one. But I am very much so a doormat and used to people being inconsiderate of my feelings at best and causing me actual harm at worst. But it was different that day. I had just been paid and I knew if I gave her my card that she'd try to drain my account. So I said no she couldnt have it. And I'd go with her later to get the money. She got aggressive knocked my things down tried to take my purse and grabbed my keys. She then told me if I was going to "be defiant" I could get out. I said fine. I didnt match her energy. I just pulled out my laptop so I could email my boss that I might not make it in. She didnt like my "challenge of her" And actually ripped off the screen of my laptop. And started pushing me towards the door while I was not fully dressed. I managed to grab pants that I knew had my spare key in them and let her lead me out the door. It was the middle of winter as well. I didnt even have my coat. But I walked off intending to come back while they were gone and get my things. My mother has no respect for my right to control my things. And even though she talked a good game when she offered me a roof about how she realized she had been wrong \(we had nc for months after I moved out but I let her back in my life and resumed financial help but it wasn't as forced as before.\) and she shouldnt have stolen from me back then, I was still hesistant because of the past events. But didnt have many options. As far as I could see at least. I thought it wouldn't be absolutely terrible and certainly not permanent. So I was grateful for the help and accepted. Now my mom doesnt like my pets. But they don't like her either. And since becoming a cat mom. I grew a tiny bit of a spine and told her that I didnt appreciate her handling of my cats. \(Screaming at them, kicking them, throwing things at them. Talking about me for buying them things.\) I had to only feed them outside. My cats have always been indoor cats. I couldnt bathe them in her sinks/tub. And they had to stay in the garage not the house. When Id try to sneak them in the house to bathe them or play with them. If she found out she'd assault me. Along with other stuff she was just terrible all around. I wanted to move but I could never keep money. I was supposed to save up a bit. While i was there so I could move but I was suppoting the household and getting my self to work was expensive as well as keeping my cats well and fed. Because of all her abuse. I decided I really needed to move so I picked up hrs at work and stopped giving money. This turned into her being exrremely hateful towards me anytime she'd see my things she'd throw them away. Shed steal money out of my purse. Shed stalk me around the house. Lock me out. Lie about me to family. Saying that Im disrespectful and she fears for her life. She called the cops on me to try and make me leave. She lied to them about everything. \( that i dont live there. Dont pay bills. Have hit her.\) Shes called twice and then she assaulted me again. So i called. Their brilliant mediation was work it out or go to jail. Recently I was able to put down for an apartment and movers. Im leaving next week. But my mother has been making every stride i accomplish so difficult. Between me constantly having to replace my stuff. Her violence towards me

. Locking me out of the house and my job stresses. Im so tired. And ready to go. One of my cats had ran away she was young and not spayed yet. When she came back she was pregnant. When my cat had her kittens i tried to have them in the house but my mother being her usual awful self was forcefully against it and me being pathetic just adapted. I couldnt afford to but i bought a heater to have it on them and momma. When i was at work shed turn it off trying to kill them. One day. Momma cat got locked outside while i was at work. Again my mother turned the heater off. and the kittens got too cold and were near death when i got home. I panicked and brought them and the heater into the house trying to revive them. She lost her shit and attacked me While i had them Because i brought them in the house. She made me drop one and stepped on it. And i pushed her which she just could not believe and then she called the cops. In my panic id misplaced my phone and couldnt call a ride luckily when the cops came One gave me a ride to the vet around the corner that was closed but the pet resort across the street was open and a kind person there drove me to the emergency vet. I couldnt afford that either but all of them recovered except for the dropped one who died. She killed my cat and dealt with no backlash. Not even from me. I just became more reserved. I felt so useless and betrayed. Like a murderer and a failure. I know for non animal people it may not seem that big of a deal but it really was for me. Innocent life was lost because I wasnt strong and didnt have my shit together. I dont think I'll ever get over that. Fastforward to today. Pouring rain. I come here. locked out again. I manage to find an open window. I go to the garage to check on my cats and the kittens are gone. I am imagining that she contacted my aunt who shes been making up stories about me to. To pay the spca to come and remove them. But in truth I can see something much more malicious happening too. I also left my purse this morning by accident and looking around it seems a sweep has been done and i dont see alot of my shit. I think she either has my purse or has thrown it away. I have no money because of that and no identification either. i was planning to rehome the kittens. Ive done one. I was selling them they were really pretty orange tabbys. Im going to start calling shelters as soon as they open. I want my mother to be held accountable for what shes done. Whether I sue her or press charges for stolen property. I want to kn know what my options are. I also want to know if Id be able to recover my kittens if they were taken away to the spca without my permission. Any advice is appreciated. Im sorry this is disjointed and rambly. If u have questions please ask.

Thank you.

Answer: If your property was stolen you can file a police report.


Title: [FL] Father was renting my old house from me, and passed away last month. My brother changed the locks and refuses to move out.

Question:
My father unfortunately died in the middle of December after battling cancer. He was living in my old house (no lease), and had agreed to cover expenses. My brother (30 years old) started staying with him six months ago. I paid the mortgage, power, and water, and my father would reimburse me every month. The rent payment from my dad was always the first of the month, and the last payment was on December 1st. With my dad passing away, my plans are to sell the home and to try and recover some equity.

My brother has no job and cannot afford the costs of renting the house.  His plans were to get an apartment paid for by my mother. However him and my mother had a disagreement and now he refuses to leave the house.  He also changed the locks, and did not give me a key.

The question is, what actions can I take now? He refuses to talk to myself or my mother, and called the cops when I appeared at the home. The officer said he has rights as a tenant, and that I would have to pursue the matter legally as a landlord. I have never given my brother permission to stay at the home, that was between him and my father.

I've researched the matter in Florida statutes (section 83), but most statues are worded in a way that assumes rent has been paid, or that the tenant is valid, but in breach of a rental agreement.

It seems to me that I need to proceed with an eviction, but am not sure what I need to do there. Do I need to send him a 30-day notice to vacate the premises prior to eviction? I also saw language in there specifying 15 days for a notice, but I'm not sure it applies. I'm sure he'll try to fight the eviction to draw it out, so the more time I can save the better, and floating the mortgage (and utilities) will be very expensive. I never imagined that family would do this to me.

Thanks for any advice.

Link to florida statutes: http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Index&Title_Request=VI#TitleVI

Refer to section 83.

**Update** (1/13) I spoke to and retained an eviction firm to help guide me. Thanks all for your input, and I will come back and provide further updates down the road.

Answer: Your father essentially sublet to him. You need to evict legally. Give proper notice then file eviction in court. I won't guess what proper notice would be in this situation. Answer #2: The best way to get this done as quickly as possible is to make sure everything gets done by the book. Every mistake you make adds another day/week/month to the amount of time your brother is allowed to stay in your house. The best way to avoid those mistakes is to hire a lawyer to help you. Good luck.


Title: [South Carolina] Illegal Immigrant, First Offense DUI, and Driving without a license. Likelihood of deportation?

Question:
A close friend of mines father is in this situation, he was caught crossing the border once before and deported and since then has not been in any legal trouble as far as I am aware of. I'm interested in the likelihood of deportation mainly, but any advice would be appreciated.

(If any other information is need feel free to ask)

Answer: I would say it is more likely than not that he will be deported.  But there is a chance he won't.  I wouldn't count on it, though.


Title: Live with Employer, threatened with violence

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 There's a number you can call to talk to people who tend to respond to situations like this and make some sort of write up or report that they forward on to someone else who does something with it.

If I remember that number, I'll let you know.


Title: Does HIPAA apply if you're at risk of catching contagion off a patient?

Question:
In another subreddit, I encountered this scenario where a security guard was bitten by a patient

>He bites down on my arm and breaks the skin and his gums are bloody too. Well after everything was said and done due to HIPPA they could not tell me if he had hep , HIV , or aids so I had to have blood work done and start on a cocktail of pills "in case". Thankfully I did not catch anything

And it got me curious as to whether HIPAA would *actually* apply, because it seems like it shouldn't, that safety should take priority in this kind of scenario. Even if they simply said "yeah you're safe".
What do you guys think?

Answer: HIPAA [allows disclosures for public health purposes as required by law](http://blogs.hcpro.com/osha/2009/01/ask-the-expert%E2%80%94bloodborne-pathogens-osha-vs-hipaa/) and that includes [testing patients after occupational exposure](http://blogs.hcpro.com/osha/2010/03/ask-the-expert-source-patient-testing-after-a-needlestick-is-the-law-for-employers-not-an-option/) (if the patient refuses testing, that's a different issue). There are OSHA rules that apply to bloodborne pathogen exposure, and a medical facility should have a policy to address these cases (typically, needlesticks). Answer #2: HIPPA does still apply in this situation. It's normal for them to do blood tests and start someone on an HIV cocktail. Also follow up blood work about 6 months out.


Title: Is it legal for my mom to make me and my brother do her college homework?

Question: I’am 100% sure my mom has a bi-polar issue she goes to counseling (mostly to vent about why she’s in the right and why overs are wrong) but by the time the weekend comes, she goes back to her normal raging ways, complaining about how much homework she has and how we OWE her because she spent her time buying me and my little brother food. Me and my brother are 19 and 15 by the way, I’am almost off to college and my brother will probably move in with my grandma during the summer and transfer schools because I don’t want him around my mother alone. Back to what I was saying, my Mom tries to finds loop holes to guilt trip us into doing her homework, and when we refuse, she goes bananas. She throws things on the floor and when me and my brother make in time to a room, she’ll try and bust the door down. When she can’t bust the door down she’ll call both of us names like: you assholes, bastards, bitches. I have 6 more weeks in this house and I want to know if I’am in the wrong. Is it legal for my mom to make me and my little brother do her homework?

Answer:
 There is no law that says its illegal for parents to make their children do the parent's homework. There are a ton of college policies that prevent that though.Answer #2: At my university it was considered academic dishonesty for others to do your work. It might not be illegal in the eyes of the law but definitely in the eyes of the university I’m sure it is. You can threaten to go to the schools dean if the problem persistsAnswer #3: It seems to me (not a lawyer) that the legality of you doing your mom's homework might not be the most legal issue here. The rages, throwing things, name calling, trying to break-down doors, demanding work to reimburse her raising you, and such seem like boarder-line emotional/verbal abuse. Your brother should talk about what's going on at home with a counselor or trusted teacher at school about this for his protection/help. Not all abuse it physical violence.

Additionally, as another angle to push back against your mom: I'm pretty positive that no court in the country has allowed a parent to "charge" their children for the costs of raising them. Your mom can obviously have your brother and you do "chores" for the household, and can charge you now that your an adult. But you could argue with her (at your peril) that she can't demand you do work to "reimburse" her for raising you - no court would back her up if she tried to sue you.Answer #4: It's academic dishonesty and can get her kicked out of university, but no, it's not illegal.


Title: I had my car towed last night and it seemed fishy (evidence included)

Question:
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 A couple years ago, a tow truck tried to tow my partner's car. The car was illegally parked, however the tow truck did not take it. Instead, they moved the car across the street from where it had originally been parked and waited for us to come out. They told us that if we pay them the hook up fee, they won't take our car. It had SCAM written all over it!  I was pissed, but I paid them. I made sure to get a legible receipt. I filed a small claims court case against them the next day. I phoned our county offices and found someone who was interested in investigating the case. Ultimately two things happened: I got a phone call from the television show The People's Court wanting me to have the case on television; and the county found them to be guilty of towing in a jurisdiction for which they were not approved. The county got a check from them for the amount I paid and mailed it to me.

Edit: We were at a coffee shop where a lot of HS and college kids hang out. They were expecting an easy target. Boy were they surprised!


Title: Bought a house and plot from owner when they split parcel. Everything's been a nightmare since.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You should contact a lawyer to help you with removing the easement. Try your States Bar Association's legal referral network.

Sidebar: this seems similar to a post a while back, try to search of it in the sub. I think the post was along the lines of 'my neighbours landlocked themselves' that may help.


Title: gf's mom ruined her credit.

Question:
when my gf was living with her mom, her mom put a bill in my gf's name. she closed the account in dec. 2012 but never made the final payment. We just today found out about this but sadly my gf gave her mom permission to use her info. Last year a collections agency reopened the account. When we filed a police report my gf was confused and thought that the account was reopened by her mom and stated such including the fact that her mom originally had permission. We are both very stressed out about this and don't really know what to do about it. I've resigned myself to the fact that we're most likely going to have to pay the balance but is there anyway to get her credit fixed since she had no knowledge of the due balance?  any advice would be super helpful.

tl;dr gf's mom ruined her credit.  gf's on the hook for it.

edit: location Oh, US

Answer:
 She allowed an account to be opened in her name. It was her responsibility to know the status of the account at all times.

If her mother was responsible for paying the bill then gf can sue her mother for the account owed.

There is no fixing her credit at this point.


Title: Can we sue?

Question: A Mavis mechanic shop on Long Island, New York could have killed my sister. We went there to install new tires for her car and first they put the tires on backwards. We had to yell at them to correct their mistake because they had 20 minutes to close and wanted to leave. The person working flat out said take it or leave it. We made them switch it and the next day my sister has a flat tire. These were BRAND NEW tires. We called them up to find the manager was hiding and trying to avoid our call. We're getting our money back along with our old tires, but I do not trust them at all to undo the tires. We looked up reviews for the location, which we should have done before hand, and saw eerie reviews about how brake lines were "accidentally cut" and piss poor negligent jobs were being done on most people's repairs. What can we do legally to shut these fucks down?

Answer:
 > could have killed my sister.

How? Backwards tires give you less traction in rain and snow. They don't explode a car.

You are being made whole. You can sue, but you won't get anything beyond what you're already receiving. Answer #2: Even directional tires don't make that much of a difference unless you're in torrential rain, mud, or snow/ice. You have absolutely no grounds to sue and it's honestly ridiculous that you're even thinking of it.

What caused the flat? If they over/under-inflated the tires and you can prove that it was them, then you may have grounds for negligence. Otherwise, you can't do anything.


Title: [TX] Company messed up wording of a retention agreement and is asking me to repay a portion

Question:
Hi r/Legaladvice,

&nbsp;

Thanks in advance for the help. Hopefully this is a pretty simple resolution. The backstory is that I was paid what was supposed to be a 12 month retention bonus on 12/1/2015 and I left the company on 5/18/2017 (voluntary departure with the requisite 2 weeks notice). The person who put together the retention bonus agreement accidentally left in 2 lines on the contract that created confusion, and now my old company is asking me to repay 67% the bonus. To better explain, I have included the pertinent parts of the retention bonus agreement.

&nbsp;

>In exchange for the "Firm" paying me a one-time retention payment of $[amount of the bonus] ("Retention Payment"), and for other good and valuable consideration, the adequacy, sufficiency and receipt of which are hereby acknowledged, I, [my name], hereby agree that:

>&nbsp;

>A. If I resign my employment with the Firm, or if the Firm terminates my employment because of professional, legal, ethical or Firm policy violations by me, during the **first twelve months** of receiving the Retention Payment, I will repay the Retention Payment to the Firm as follows:

>&nbsp;

>Length of Time Since Payment Payment/Amount to be Repaid

>1.Less than twelve months - 100%

>2.From twelve months to less than eighteen months - 67%

>3.From eighteen months to less than twenty-four months - 33%

>&nbsp;

>B. I will repay any amount due from me under this Agreement within 30 days after my departure from the Firm. If  fail to repay any amount due from me under this Agreement, the Firm may bring an action in court to recover the amount due. The acceptance by the Firm of partial or delinquent payments, or the failure of the Firm to exercise any rights under this Agreement, shall not waive any of my obligations or the rights of the Firm, modify this Agreement, or waive any other similar breach of this Agreement by me.

>&nbsp;

>**C. I will not be required to repay any portion of the Retention Payment if I remain employed with the Firm for a full twelve months after receiving the Retention Payment or if the Firm terminates my employment for reasons other than those set forth in section A.**
>

&nbsp;

The rest of the agreement deals with the tax implications of the payment. I know that I was stupid and should have asked them to correct the payment schedule on part A, but I was not thinking about leaving the company then.

&nbsp;

In my mind, it has been over 12 months since I received payment (17 months), so I have satisfied section C of the agreement and should not be required to repay the 67% that they are requesting. Furthermore, the language in section A mentions the duration of 12 months before including the erroneous 2nd and 3rd bullets.

&nbsp;

Where I am going with this: I have a call with the company's debt collection department tomorrow and I am hoping that they will see that section C clearly states that I am no longer liable for repayment.

&nbsp;

**My Questions** First off, is my interpretation of this issue correct? If I am no longer liable for repayment, is there specific wording that I should use with the debt collection agent tomorrow to help make this an open and shut issue? Lastly, should the company challenge me on this, what would be the correct steps to take to ensure a quick resolution? I was thinking of engaging a lawyer to write a letter to the debt collections department pointing out the flaws in the agreement and contesting its validity (should the call tomorrow not go well). The company has a lot more resources than I do and I would prefer to not have to go to court.

&nbsp;

Thanks again for the help!

edit: Formatting

Answer:
 I'm inclined to agree with you but IANAL.

You should reschedule that call and instead contact an employment lawyer regarding this. You're talking about a bunch of money here. Don't represent yourself. Don't listen to Reddit. Listen to your ATTORNEY. Answer #2: Generally speaking, the agreement should be interpreted in the least favorable light to the author of the document.  They had the opportunity to correct any discrepancies at the time of preparation.   Answer #3: This isn't simple. If it's a large sum of money, contact a lawyer.

Courts almost always interpret a vague or contradictory contract in favor of the person who did not write it. You need a lawyer before you talk to the debt collection department to convince them it's not worth taking you to court in the first place, though.


Title: (NJ) Being removed from my home during covid

Question: Hello, So i had a year long lease at a home that was owned by the parents of the two people I was leasing with. During covid, I was avoiding going to places or seeing people but I would go for long drives and play pokemon go from my car as a way to get out of the house. My two housemates(again the son/daughter in law of the owner of the house) are high risk as well as myself as I have asthma. The two of them told me that I was no longer allowed to go on these drives as they believed I was lying about my destination and putting them(and myself) at risk. They told me I could stay at the house and not leave for any reason or I could find another location to stay during this crisis. Angry at the fact that I was being talked to this way and called a liar, i left. I was given a single day to get things I may need during the crisis, but due to a work obligation I was unable to go. Now they are telling me the lease is up. They will bring any of my things outside for me to pick up if I need but I will not be allowed in the house and I need to find another place to live. Is this legally allowed during this time? The governor issued an executive order (EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 106 i believe) preventing eviction but I believe that applies to banks and such and not my situation but I do not know. Is there anyone that can give me some guidance please?

Answer: They can't terminate your lease or illegally evict you because you refuse to be their prisoner.  If they refuse to let you back in the house, call the police.


Title: [ontario , canada] father refuses to sell house won't sign papers for divorce, selling house or separation agreement.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: She should get a divorce. She doesn't need his permission to do so.


Title: [NYC] Sub-tenant refusing to move out. New guy wants (and has every right) to move in. What can I do?

Question:
I rent a house in New York City. Part of the house is it's own separate unit (living room, kitchen, bathroom, bedroom) that I rent out to a woman. The owners of the house know about everything. It's all on the up and up.

A few weeks ago she gave me notice that she was going to move by December 1st into a new place and told me to find a replacement for her. I showed the place off to a few folks (she was actually a big help, cleaning the place and giving them tours). One guy said he would take it, so we signed a sub tenant lease and he gave me the security deposit.

Now, she's apparently had trouble finding a place and is trying to recant her notice. I've tried to work with her but she's turned very hostile, accusing me of illegally trying to rent her place without her permission and kicking her to the street. I've tried to discuss the situation with her but she refuses to engage in conversation with me, telling me to talk to her lawyer. (I don't think she has one, btw)

Unfortunately, I don't have a sub tenant contract with her (lesson learned) but I do have all of our text correspondence, including her giving me notice, telling me to start showing the place, informing her I was signing a new contract with the new tenant, etc.

What can I do to get her out by December 1st? Thanks for all replies.

Answer: if you have proper notice, a quick three day quit form and then eviction. if you don't, provide proper notice then evict.


Title: Took money from coworkers and manager sent an email out

Question:
Hi,
I made some very dumb decisions and stole $80 from two coworkers recently. It was out of their belongings in the break room. To my knowledge there are no cameras in this room - I’m almost completely certain but my manager sent an email with the following: “we have been notified of stealing, in the process of reviewing security footage right now but if the person comes forward by (deadline) and is honest/repays coworkers, I will not involve the police or press charges”. However, stealing is zero tolerance here and i know I will lose my job if it is proved or I confess - what is the best action here? Is my manager likely making an empty threat, should I wait and see or come forward? I feel very guilty and know that it wouldn’t be worth it but am very very worried about charges against me. Thank you reddit.

Answer: From a legal standpoint you should shut up and talk to no one but an attorney, confessing to crimes is generally not favored.  Beyond that no one knows if your boss is telling the truth or what they will do if you come forward.


Title: Neighbor shot and killed my 8month old dog in front of me. Shot in my direction.

Question:
So this happened last Sunday, I am not sure what to do. Going to try to split this post up by story of what happened and what I tried doing after. This all happened in the country side of Tennessee not in a city.

I was walking my 2 dogs with my mom, and stepdad. We were walking our driveway, and when we turn back my dog ended up crossing the fence that is in that treeline to our neighbors field. We were yelling for him to come back and he was coming back to us.

Then right as he got near the fence to come back we hear 3-4 gunshots right in front of us. Within a second my dog was through the fence back on our property and running towards me. The guy was yelling I wish I killed him, any dog that comes on my property will be shot.

I didn't even spend time to talk to him, I took off for the car, and went to the vets office. Halfway there my dog died, and vet said it was from internal bleeding.

My problem with all of this that happened is the dog didn't threaten him, there weren't any previous incidents, my dog has his training certificates to be a therapy dog, and the guy shot in our direction on our land. If he missed he could have hit one of us. I'm going to post a map here to help everyone understand a little better.

http://imgur.com/9dzKS0L

The treeline in the middle separates our property from his, ours is on the left, his is on the right. Black circle is where we were, green is where the dog was, and red is the area the shooter was. He couldn't have been behind us because we heard the shots come from the front. Also couldn't have been behind the dog because he shot him in the side.

I am not sure what the neighbor was doing out there as it was evening. Earlier in the day they were cutting some of those trees there and I took the dog for a walk on leash.

This all happened Sunday, and Monday I ended up going to the sheriffs office. Went up to the front desk and they told me there was nothing I could do. So I ended up going up to the courthouse and there was another sheriff there. He told me that this was extremely wrong and I can definitely sue this guy. This sheriff got me to talk to some clerk there and they both told me to get a lawyer.

Made an appointment with a lawyer Tuesday. He talked to us for a little bit from what I remember he was saying he can be charged for animal cruelty. We weren't there for long since the lawyer called the district attorney, and the district attorney called one of the main police officers to do a report.

From what I understand and what the officer said. Once I get the report I can choose to file charges and then they will go book him into jail and setup a court date.

What should I be doing? Should I go to a lawyer again? Do I get to choose the charges I want? This guy showed no sympathy or remorse for what he did. I'm scared he will shoot my other dog if it takes off after a squirrel. I'm scared that if he shoots at anything on his land that he doesn't know how to use a gun safely so he could be shooting at my property.

Edit: It wasn't dark out yet. There was still light outside. I'm pretty sure the neighbor used a .22 rifle. There are no livestock on that field, the closest place is about 2 miles away.

Pictures of the dog

http://imgur.com/drKN1hQ

http://imgur.com/CLb5zV9

Looks like thread is locked, I will update everyone in a few days whenever I see a lawyer again.

Thanks to everyone that replied!

Answer:
 I was in a VERY similar situation, although I was the one who shot the dog.  In my state I learned after calling the police, animal control, and the sheirff that they would not dispatch units to stop my neighbors dogs from coming on my property.  One time they cornered my wife growling, although that didn't matter legally.  When I called the shierff who had jurisdiction and explained my neighbors dogs would come on my land from time to time, he asked if I had a gun.

The next time the dog came running up the drive way at my wife, I grabbed one of the guns by the door and shot him through the ass.   He lived, I called the sheriff to come and make sure the dog got medical attention.

Long story short: Check with your sheriff if you are in the county, as for animals or other property that ends up on your land (or theirs) may be up to them how to deal with.

The first few times I complained, I explained I didn't want to shoot this man's dogs, and the sheriff said I would have to find other ways to deal with it as it wasn't a matter they could help with.

I understand your dogs did no damage or threat, but it could be he was well within his rights :(,   PM me if you want more details about what state, when etc if you think it will help you.

So sorry for your loss I think guns should only be used when all other options have been exhausted, and there is a clear threat.

[edit] doh meant to post this from my main account not this one.


Title: I went to buy some bitcoin, payed 5500 CAD in cash. I havent received the bitcoin, can the police do anything?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I can't believe you actually gave this guy money. Why wouldn't you demand he send it with a smart phone app in person?

Sure, you can go report this to the police. I wouldn't expect anything to come of it though, unless you know the guy's name, address, etc. Answer #2: Report it to the police.

Good news is, theft or fraud over $5,000 is an indictable offence, so the police will take it more seriously than somebody stealing a menial object.

Bad news is... I’m not so sure you have the correct details on the “vendor” because anybody who sets out with intent to defraud isn’t exactly going to hand over their true identity to their victim.

Also... don’t give large sums of cash to strangers. FFS.Answer #3: Are you sure you bought Bitcoin (BTC), and not Bitcoin Cash (BCC)?

Both use the same address format, and both hold value. If you are using a BTC wallet, you won't see BCC balance and vice versa.Answer #4: So.. what exactly did you think was going to happen when you sent a stranger $5500 with no way of tracking them down or verifying if the deal was legit? Especially considering BTC is worth about $10K, why weren't you suspicious?Answer #5: Wait. You haven't reported this yet? Answer #6: Let me guess, he was offering the bitcoin at well below market price?


Title: What is a level 13 zone c

Question: [deleted]

Answer: That's a really big parking garage.


Title: Wife got new job, found out we’re pregnant

Question:
My wife has just quit her job and on last day found out we are pregnant.
Her new place of employment has a 6 month probationary period, and she’s a little concerned about the following:

• How long can she keep this a secret, is she legally obligated to share at a certain point?
• If they discover the pregnancy within the 6 month probation period and terminate her during this time, are there laws against this sort of discrimination and how can we prove that this would be the cause.
• Should she be straight forward from the get go and tell them on her first day/week?

It’s a HR position where she will be reporting to the EVP.

Thanks in advance!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Assuming she is in the US the pregnancy discrimination act would prohibit them from firing her just for being pregnant. She is under no obligation to tell them, BUT, if she needs any sort of accommodation as a result (limited lifting, extra time where she can be sitting at her desk, or something) she needs to inform them.

The bigger issue is that she will not qualify for FMLA before she is due, so unless the company is just really nice she won’t be entitled to extend leave when she gives birth.


Title: IL, fired for being sick for too long

Question:
Sorry for formatting, I’m on mobile.

I work for a big company, but right now we’re downsizing a lot of locations. My particular location is being closed down completely and most employees received a packet telling them either where they can transfer or how much severance they would receive if they chose that route.

A few days ago, I got a letter telling me to disregard my transfer papers. Today I got an email that was resignation papers for job abandonment.

I’ve been out on medical leave since June 2018, beginning as short term disability but turning into long term disability at the start of this year. I just got a referral to a specialist to get mris and other tests to see why I’m having dizzy spells and why I’m so weak all the time, so I clearly am not fit for warehouse work at this time. I also don’t have an answer as to when I can go back.

My husband is telling me I should get a lawyer and sue for wrongful termination because it goes against the ada. I’m not sure what to do honestly. I don’t know if i talk to a lawyer, talk to my hr, talk to my disability company. Do I even have a case? Especially since I didn’t resign, and they’re trying to say I did.

Answer:
 FMLA protects your job for 12 weeks. You have exceeded that.

The ADA entitles you to reasonable accommodations that are necessary to perform your job. Not working for 10 months is not likely to be reasonable and indicates that you are not able to do your job even with accommodations.

You should not resign. Forcing them to terminate you puts you in a better position for disability and unemployment claims, but it is not wrongful termination.


Title: What happens when you are in contempt of court?

Question:
Georgia - So we have a slightly unusual situation. My kids bio dad signed over his parental rights allowing my husband to adopt her but in exchange for grandparent visitation for his parents and he gets to see her a few times a year. A condition for him being allowed present during the grandparents visitation is that he must be “clean and sober”. He was recently arrested for having a large number of used needles in his vehicle, lying about having needles in his pants, various other paraphernalia and a device used to pass drug tests. They are arguing that he can see her this weekend as long as he passes a urine test beforehand. My argument is that taking a urine test over and over until you pass is NOT clean and sober and that clean and sober means that he is no longer using drugs habitually or on a regular basis.

Oh and I forgot to mention that when he was arrested the officer reported that he was yelling at the car next to him and was cussing them out and making hand motions at them but there was nobody in the vehicle. So not only was he carrying a ridiculous about of needles and paraphernalia but he was delusional or hallucinating and getting into some kind of altercation with people that don’t exist.

Anyways we are trying to handle it through the lawyers but since their visit is supposed to start tomorrow I am considering just not allowing her to go. I would be in contempt of court. My lawyer is calling me later to discuss the options but I have a hard time sitting here waiting and going over all the terrible things that could happen if she does go and he’s allowed to be there. I’m freaking out and I’m pissed off that his parents think that allowing someone in his state to be around a child is ok. But we knew they would be like this.

I guess my question is if I am in contempt what exactly does that mean and what happens next? Do you think a judge would look at this situation and call me the unreasonable one? I realize we made an agreement with them that I wasn’t completely comfortable with in the first place but I did expect atleast some level of common sense on their part that  you don’t subject a child to the exact kind of behavior he would lose his rights for. And he would have lost his rights in court if we didn’t agree to this contract during mediation. I regret agreeing to it at this point but it was mostly a financial decision and we got the adoption which was the biggest part of being able to protect her long term. I wasn’t expecting everything to go sideways so fast but the bio dad has taken a quick turn downhill. Ugh. I don’t even care if he sees this post. Actually just in case he does - do your child a favor for once in your god damn life, man up, and leave them alone.

Answer:
 First, listen to your lawyer. They know your details and their advice will be far superior to anything we tell you.

Being found in contempt can lead to a lot of really bad things. You don't want this. The penalty can range from a simple fine to actual jail time.

What matters to the court is going to be whether or not he passed a urine test. The court is not going to care about your interpretation of "clean and sober". I understand you aren't happy with the arrangement, but that's something you'll need to work through with your lawyer.


Title: What, exactly, is illegal here?

Answer:
 More detail [here](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/08/28/los-angeles-alleged-dine-and-dash-dater-faces-13-years-prison/1123963002/). Sounds like he would show up, order tons of food, then “get a call” and disappear without eating. He didn’t just decline to split the bill with his date, he went in with the intent to defraud the restaurant.Answer #2: The judge threw out the extortion charges. The guy serially promised to cover a bill for dinner with a date from a online date service, then would run the bill up to $100-200 and then leave, pretending he'd be back. He also ran out on a haircut payment.

He was convicted of petty theft and grand larceny. Sentenced to 120 days in jail.

The real kicker is 3 years of probation where he is subject to electronic search on his devices. Also barred from the dating services and restaurants he was using for his scams.

..Its funny that they keep using the same obnoxious picture in every article about this guy.Answer #3: He stole food. Stealing is illegal. How is this a question?


Title: Pulled over for Speeding, Citation listed as Loud/Unnecessary Noise/DCMV (WI)

Question: So on my way home from work today i was pulled over for going 60 in a 45. Pulled over and the officer confronted me on my speed and then proceeded to give me a citation. Upon getting home i looked at it and the ordinance description is listed as Loud/Unnecessary Noise/DCMV is this grounds for getting it thrown out? Anything i can do or do i need to just suck it up and pay?

Answer: Thrown out??  Dude, he hooked you up.  You got a non-moving equipment violation that won't affect your insurance, and won't require traffic school or some other administrative arrangement to keep off a record.


Title: Expired Allergy Shots

Question: (Note: I’m in middle school so I apologize for wasting time or spelling mistakes, you have been warned) I have allergies and I’ve been getting shots to help me deal with them. Apparently two weeks ago the mixture that I was given expired. I got a shot about four days ago and was just told today, am I eligible to sue because of that or am I overreacting.

Answer: Did you experience any effects from the expired shot?


Title: Can a victim sue a news organization for damages relating to a story?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: None, unless it's actually defamatory.


Title: Diner sent my girlfriend home for being "too thin"

Question:
This is in Indiana. My girlfriend is very tiny, weighing in at less than one hundred pounds. She is twenty six. She works at a diner part time as a waitress. She works maybe three days a week.

Today, her boss (older woman) sat her down, forced her to eat a meal, and then sent her home for two days because she--according to my girlfriends--thought she "looked skinny" , like she "wasn't eating".

Another waitress experienced a similar encounter and exchange a week prior.

I guess I just want to know if this bullshit is allowed to go on.

Further clarification=the boss woman is also the owner of the diner.

Answer:
 You will need to provide your location. Body size/image is only a protected class in a few States. I don't know about other countries. Answer #2: It doesn't look like weight is a protected class in Indiana.

>http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/indiana-employment-discrimination-31981.html

Given that, unfortunately, it looks like your girlfriend's boss can fire her for almost any reason. That's "at-will" employment, which roughly means that either party can end the working relationship at any time for any reason, except that the employer can't fire the employee for belonging to one of those protected classes or engaging in one of the protected activities (such as Indiana's "off-duty tobacco use" being protected).

Additionally, most of this stuff only kicks in if the employer has 15 or more employees, which a small diner might well not have.

I see that your girlfriend wasn't actually fired, but discipline--including being sent home--works much the same way.Answer #3: She quit. Too bad for the little restaurant. Apparently it's suffering from massive employee loss.


Title: Need to help my mentally ill mom against her will. 18 M

Question:
It all started earlier this year. After returning from a vacation with my step dad, my mom began to act..strange. Slowly and surely, her driving increased. She began to take sick days and drove as much as 300 miles in a night. My family began to notice as my mom missed out on family dinners to tend to whatever she was doing; which was unlike her. Eventually, she told us she was looking for a message. Sometimes, she'd point out that the 3 cars that had recently passed us all had their hands in the same position on the wheel(or any other patterns) in order to signal her, and insisted we follow. One day, she even thought the way my knees were leaned to one side meant that I secretly wanted her to turn and follow the car in front of us; I'd tell her that's ridiculous and to turn around, and she'd nervously laugh and return to the original route. After my family checked her into the hospital, the chemicals in her brain reported to be normal & balanced, and they couldn't keep her there against her will. As a result of the hospital visit, her employer demanded a psychological exam which concluded that she had some sort of delusion, nothing definite. My mom ignorantly claimed the company paid the doctor to say that, and refuses to believe anything is wrong with herself. Months have passed since then, and my mother has greatly drifted from the family. Her and my very caring step dad, who were so greatly in love when they got back from their vacation (and for years before) are now in the process of a divorce. He is still very in love with her, but she just pushes him away and throws schizophrenic accusations at him. Since my mom has been fired, she walks around the neighborhood throughout the entire day (sometimes until 4 or 5 the next day) and strikes up conversations with everyone who passes; and sometimes asks if they have a message for her. I've caught my mom searching for her "message" in my room with the door locked, and even my girlfriends car.

Bottom line, my mom is nowhere near the same she used to be. I miss her. Nobody in the family can talk any sense into her. Even though we have tests concluding that there is something wrong, we can't get her back to normal. is there any way to convince her to take medication? is there a loophole to force her to? Should I set her up to say something criminating? Should I lie to officials? I know there's a law saying if she's a harm to herself or others, she can be committed against her will, but we have nothing legitimate in that category to claim. I feel hopeless, and fear that ill never have my loving, caring mom back. Any advice is very appreciated. Thank you.

Answer:
 I am very sorry you are having to deal with this.

First: do not lie to anyone.

Second: this is something your step father legally can deal with. Your mom needs to be seeing a therapist/psychologist regularly. If he is concerned he can talk to the hospital or therapist or her Dr about options and, if needed and legally possible, see if she needs conservatorship. It doesn't sound like it at this point though.

To add: I would suggest contacting NAMI in your area. There are links in the wiki (to the right of the new tab). They have support groups.


Title: I'm a school crossing who is being harassed by a homeless, mentally ill guy. And the police haven't done anything.

Question:
Hi everyone, I apologize in advance if this isn't where I'm suppose to post this.

I've only been a school crossing guard since the end of August, and I've seen this homeless guy around. He usually looks like he is intoxicated, staggering through the street yelling at cars, from past experiences working in a restaurant that had a high volume of homeless who were unstable come through, I knew not to engage. (I understand that not all homeless are like this, I mean in this case that by not engaging is a good way to stay safe.) Typically he ignores me, and I've only had to cross the steeet to get myself and my kids away from him like twice before.  Except that changed yesterday.

I heard him coming down the street, he is very loud, saw him come up to the intersection, and it looked like he was going to cross away from me. At the last minute he saw me, and while walking through traffic was yelling at me that I'm pretty and such. I ignored him, didn't make eye contact, kept checking to see if he was coming at me. He kept coming, telling me I had a leaf on me, and went to reach for me. At this point I tell him he needs to leave. He's causing a disturbance, and I'm extremely uncomfortable. I move out of the way, while he walks around me continuing to talk nonsense to me. I repeat myself, and tell him he needs to leave. Well, this upset him, and he starts to go off and as I'm pulling my whistle to my mouth, he reaches out and hits me. I'm not injured or hurt, but I'm now scared out of my mind because I don't know if he's dangerous or not.

At this point, blowing my whistle and I'm telling him that I'm now going to call 911 made him take off. I made it to my car and called 911. The police officer came out and took my statement,  and informed me that he is mentally ill. He asked me very rudely if I was pressing charges. Which I did. The officer said that this was the fourth call on this homeless guy that day, and over the weekend he broke someone's car window. And they only issued him a ticket.  They said they can't take him in until his ticket goes to warrant status. I called my supervisor, gave her the run down, and all she told me to do was wait in my car if I saw him again.

Well, it didn't stop there. This morning I went back to my site. Everything was going okay, and then I saw him and he saw me. From the other side of the street he started shouting foul things, and then he started to pick up speed coming at me. I ran. I barely made it into my car before he started beating on my windows. I started my car, and he left. I called 911 again,  and the same cop comes out. All he said was I chased him off and told him to leave you alone. (WTF!!!) The officer also told me to contact my boss about switching sites, and to have a male posted there. He then promptly left.

I've let my boss know what happened, and I'm moving sites. But I hate that. I love the kids that I cross, and I know all of their names. Is there anything else that can be done when it comes to something like this?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 >Is there anything else that can be done when it comes to something like this?

There is not much you can do to force the police to prosecute the homeless, mentally ill person that is harassing you.

You already reported this to the police - I am sorry that they do not seem to take it seriously.

I'd suggest that moving to another site is the best course of action.

It would not hurt to talk to someone at the police station about what is going on - ask for a lieutenant or captain if possible.Answer #2: I think the school & city officials need to be warned that this man is violent & is loitering around an area school children walk unattended. No crossing guard, male or female, could protect themself plus keep him away from multiple kids. Send out letters ASAP detailing your experience with dates & approx times, what you were told by the police.

IANAL, didn’t see anyone mention the school or city’s responsibility for the safety of the students walking yet. Really surprised a cop wasn’t assigned to be there during your shift for a few days to scare off this guy.


Title: Recording a conversation in person not a phone call in TX

Question:
So, long story short, my husband and I have a therapist who's been breaking confidentiality. This has been putting a LARGE amount of stress on our already struggling relationship, and I believe to some extent has resulted in his recent in-patient hospitalization.

My question is, I want to record my next session with her using my Bluetooth and phone, then sue her so she will lose her license. This woman has NO business being a therapist when she imposes her own personal views into her clients and breaches confidentiality. I'm not going after her for any kind of financial gain, just the expenses of suing her, and making sure she NEVER hurts anyone else again like this.

Will the courts accept this as evidence in TX? Even if it's in her office?

Also, in the office there is no sign of no recording. She has never seen me without him before, I'm not technically her client (I just come with him sometimes, it's all billed with him as the client) however she has called me and disclosed things about his sessions to me over the phone.

Answer:
 Texas is a one-party consent state.  You do not need the other party's permission to record a conversation **you are involved in**.

Be aware it's strongly unlikely that your evidence will get you the outcome you want.  Really strongly unlikely.


Title: Can students at school be suspended for owning items the school has on a blacklist?

Question:
Multiple people in my school have bought weapons off of Amazon or whatever just to collect since they're into military weaponry and they have been suspended just for owning it and putting it on their Instagram. I would like to note that they NEVER made claims to harm anyone and they never brought these items into the school. I have only heard rumors go on but there is one person I'm sure of that got suspended by this and they bought a credit card knife kind of thing (idk) and they posted it on their Instagram. Their punishment was 3 days of suspension and they were forced to delete their Instagram account.

&#x200B;

Also, there was another kid who reported another kid and the school thought he false reported and they made him sign a document and stated that if he didn't then he'd get punished further. Isn't this shady as fuck?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 >they forced him to turn in the credit card knife

I'm not a lawyer, but this has piqued my interest. Did the student bring the knife to school of his own accord at any time? That's probably bad for him.

But if the school asked him to *bring the knife to school* so they could confiscate it, that is probably a shitstorm for them.Answer #2: Are we talking public high school?


Title: I’m moving from Miami, Fl to Tucson, AZ for college in a couple months and I am bringing a minor with me. What should I do regarding guardianship of this minor?

Question:
I am a 17 year old female who will be moving out soon for college. The minor in question is a friend of mine that I’ve known since diapers. To make a long story short, his family is very abusive, both physically and mentally, and they could honestly care less about what he does. I have full authorization from him, his legal guardians, and my legal guardians for him to move with me. However, since we will be moving so far away, I’m concerned about what I can do regarding enrolling him in school, scheduling doctor’s appointments, and other things that would usually require a legal guardian to be present. He will be 16 by the time we move out together. I can’t exactly gain custody of him as I myself am a minor.

My exact question is, how does a minor living away from their legal guardian do things that would normally require a guardian, such as enrolling in school, scheduling appointments, etc?

Answer:
 You should rethink this whole arrangement.   He will need a legal guardian to enroll him in school, and you are not one.

Does your landlord know he or she is renting to two children?


Title: (Wisconsin) Punched a coworker in the face, assumed my job is gone but do I need to contact an attorney?

Question:
Hello everyone

An incident just happened at work. Long story short, I punched a co-worker in the face. Not going to name call but I have an extremely eccentric female co-worker who does not like me and I don't like her. We work in an office setting and she basically has a beef with me using my phone at work. It isn't allowed but I do it anyway when the boss isn't looking.

Today this woman came up to my cubical quick and tried to grab my phone out of my hand. We both sort of tugged on my phone and while I take responsibility for my actions it was sort of an inadvertant reaction I swung at her face and connected with her jaw.

She starts flailing around and screaming. We're separated by coworkers. I'm sent to an empty conference room wait 15 minutes. Senior most manager who was working comes in asks what happen. I say my side of the story. He says I should probably go home for the day and says the woman I hit is being taken to the hospital by another co-worker in a car. He says HR will contact me tomorrow with details of what's going to happen to me and don't come in until I hear from them. He and another male employee walked me to my car and watched me drive off the property.

I pretty much assume I'm fired but should I retain a criminal defense attorney or something?  Nobody called the cops or anything or even 911 since there was no ambulance but could the police get involved later today or in the future? I've never been in trouble before aside from a few traffic tickets how much am I looking at for a first time battery in Wisconsin?

Answer:
 Get a criminal defense attorney, as you are now at risk for charges and a civil case.

Don't say anything else to anyone else without talking to the attorney.


Title: If someone is attacking me, what can I do to ensure I can retaliate without worrying about getting legally blamed for the encounter? (more details in post)

Question:
Obviously I would do everything possible to avoid a fight, only retaliating as an absolute last resort. However, sometimes you get some drunk or stupid man/woman who not only continually harasses and possibly attacks you but also follows you and cuts you off from simply walking away. Assuming you don't have video or audio proof, what are you supposed to do?

Or as another example, what if I walked into my home and found someone who broke in actively stealing stuff... or god forbid, raping my wife? If I grabbed a baseball bat and went to town, would I be imprisoned? If so, what *could* I do?

Oh, and I'm in FL, US.

Answer: Be a reluctant participant. Retreat if it's safe to do so. Do not use more force than necessary to stop the threat. Stop as soon as the threat is over.


Title: NC Rule 414 - medical bills from car accident

Question:
Not sure this is appropriate for this sub Reddit, but here it goes....

I was in a car accident a few months ago. According to NC Rule 414, the car insurance of the person who rear ended me only has to pay the adjusted cost of the bill. For example, say my medical bill was $1000, but my insurance has a discount with the doctors office and they only have to pay $600.

My question is  - who gets that $600?  I only paid a $35 co-pay, so now the car insurance company is telling me they pay me the $35 that I'm out of pocket and will give the remaining $565 to my medical insurance company. Does that sound correct? Or should they be paying me the $565?

It's not clear to me in NC rule 414, so any advice is appreciated!

Answer: They will pay the medical service provider directly.


Title: Storage Company may have auctioned my locker

Question:
Obvious throw away. In-case of a misunderstanding or legal action I don't want to cause any problems.
So just over a year ago I packed everything I owned into a storage locker and arranged monthly payments while I went over seas for an extended period.
Upon returning home the first week of August (British Columbia, Canada), I check my banking and see that my payment for the month of August hadn't gone through yet. Worried, I call the storage place and ask if there was a problem with my most recent payment. The guy says that no one with my name has an account there, and that my locker number is not currently rented to anyone.
I head down to confirm, and my locker was empty with one of the companies locks on the door (so they know that the locker was emptied at some point.) The poor guy working there on the weekend has no idea what happened and doesn't know what to do, tells me that they recently had locker auctions and there is a chance it was auctioned on accident. (BTW, i never missed or was late on a payment. I was paid up till the end of July). I will be meeting with the manager on Monday (he was out of town camping apparently.)
What should I do here? The locker had everything in it. Should I call the police, a lawyer, talk to the guy first to get their side?
I'm at a total loss here, literally. I just got back, I have no job, no home, and everything I own except the backpack I had with me is now gone. I have friends helping me in the meantime but I don't know what to do about this situation. I still have the original contract and receipt. All my payments were by credit card so my bank has an electronic record for them all.

**Update** I spoke to the manager on the phone, and not in person thankfully. He claims i missed a payment on June 1st, then auctioned off my locker on July 7th. Of course my banking statement shows that payments were made on June 1st, and July 1st without issue. When I tried to confirm his information he grew irate and just started yelling, glad I didn't go in to speak with him in-person. Guess it's lawyer time.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Check your bank records to see if other months got paid. You want to rule out a bank error or an error on your part.

Then call the police and a lawyer. If this storage place held an auction they should keep records that can be subpoenaed to show if they auctioned your stuff off and when and to whom. You want to get moving on this fast. (Believe it or not, some people intentionally destroy documents that make them look bad.)

You almost certainly won't get your stuff back. But they did violate their contract with you, and we say they committed "trespass to chattels."

This probably happened as a result of a clerical error, which probably constitutes negligence or even gross negligence. (I'm thinking Learned Hand Rule and the cost of double-checking paperwork v. the cost to him of losing all his stuff.) That should override any weird contract clauses absolving them of liability and could open them up to punitive damages. In general, Common Law doesn't presume that you can anticipate someone causing a lot of harm through serious stupidity or laziness.Answer #2: You can get compensated for the stuff sold.  If it was sold as open auction (e.g. they inventoried it) it's easier.  Either way, talk to a lawyer ASAP but don't sue unless you can't come to an agreement with the storage company.  Odds are they don't want a suit, and just want to pay you.  In the meantime, write down a list of everything in the locker.  Better yet if you have photographs.  If someone helped you pack it in, track them down too as they would be useful witnesses.


Title: [Florida] Debt Collectors calling for a fraudulent debt.

Question:
I recently decided to sign up for AT&T internet services.  This is the first time in my life I ever had an account with or used AT&T services.  When I signed up online, they ran a credit check, and claimed I owed approx. $2000 for an AT&T Mobility account.  I called them when they opened the following day to dispute this, and bounced around multiple departments but no one could find the account I supposedly owed in their system.  The next day, I tried to sign up again and it went through without issue so I assumed the problem had been resolved.  I pulled my credit reports and there was no mention of this supposed debt on any of them.

Yesterday I was contacted by a debt collection agency.  They claimed I owed them this money.  I told them I never had a AT&T account, and it was fraudulent.  I told them so send me something in writing and I would look at it.  They asked me about an address I lived at roughly 6 years ago.  I refused to confirm or deny that address, and decided I should not provide them any additional information.  They asked for my current address and I ended the call without giving it to them.

They have since called me 3 more times from different numbers.

So my questions are:
1. Should I give them my current address if they do not have it?  It seems that will only help them in pressing their fraudulent claim.
2.  Should I confirm to them I did in fact live at the address they have, but have not for over 6 years?
3.  How can I take steps to proactively protect my credit?  I know this claim is false and will not pay it.  My credit is currently excellent.

Answer:
 Dispute the debt in writing. Keep it simple, and send it by certified mail with a signature receipt:

"Dear (debt collector), I am disputing the below-referenced alleged debt. Please validate and provide proof of assignment. It is inconvenient for me to receive phone calls. This is neither a refusal to pay nor an acknowledgement of any debt. Sincerely, (you)"

That will force them to go back to AT&T and obtain some proof of the debt. While the standard of proof for validation is incredibly low, this might shake loose whatever is incorrectly associating you with that account.

You should also pull your credit reports and look for any other errors. I also highly recommend freezing all three bureaus.

[https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action](https://www.annualcreditreport.com/index.action)


Title: Leaving Scene of Accident - Only my car involved

Question:
I had a pretty bad accident. One of my tires blew and the car ended up on the sidewalk (total loss), only my car was damaged nobody else or other property involved.

Being my first accident ever, I was in shock and left to my apt to get a hold of my mechanic and come back, however, the car had already been towed and I am now charged with class A misdemeanor of leaving the scene and a court date. I have a clean record/background and this is my first time ever in court. What are my likely outcomes?

Answer:
 You’re apparently guilty of the offense. You should retain an attorney to help you mitigate the outcome.

We can’t guess what (if anything) that attorney might achieve.Answer #2: >What are my likely outcomes?

Impossible to say without your location but if you are facing a criminal charge, get a lawyer.


Title: Employer Appealed Against Unemployment Benefits

Question:
Hey guys,

First of all I live and work in NJ. I started collecting unemployment benefits for the first time this December. I've been working part time for the winter and collecting partial UI benefits from four different employers I had in the benefit year. On 4/22/15 I received a notice of appeal saying that an employer appealed against paying my benefits. On 4/25 I received a notice that stated that I have a telephone hearing scheduled for 5/7 to determine whether or not I am eligible to claim benefits from this employer. On the notice the issue involved is "Denial of Relief of Charges". Now for the advice I need...

My problem is that I have no idea which employer it is that appealed against me. The notices I have received have been painfully vague. Out of the four I worked for this year, I am still employed by one, returning to work for another when they reopen in may, and two fired me (both not for willful misconduct). I'm pretty sure it is one of the two employers that fired me that has appealed, but the only one I can rule out for sure is the one that I'm still employed by. In order to get my case ready to present I need to figure out who this employer is. I have tried calling the two that I think it is and neither have answered. I also contacted the DOL Appeals Tribunal and have not received a response after three days, and I've spent hours googling and navigating state websites to try and figure this out. Basically, I'm running out of options. So if anyone knows how to help me find this info, or can give advice as to what to do/say during the actual hearing, it would be much appreciated. Also, I haven't been able to find info on what the ramifications are should I loose this case, but I know for sure that I won't be able to pay back the $2800 I have collected so far this year. Please and thank you.

Answer: Do it ever occur to you that you are not writing Silas Marner here? Just prepare for both. I can't imagine you are going to have numerous witnesses and 8 by 10 color glossy pictures with pictures and arrows. This may be new to you but it isn't that hard. The standard in most states is that you don't get unemployment if you are fired for gross misconduct. This is not just being a poor employee it is going a step beyond that. Stealing, starting fires on purposes, perhaps taking reefer on the job. You prove that your conduct was either not appropriate or not really that bad. And if you lose you pay the money back that you were not entitled to in the first place.


Title: Information about custodial rights

Question:
My son is two years old. His dad and I are not married. I'm the only one on the birth certificate although he has his dads last name. We can't get along anymore and are most likely going to break up. I haven't worked since my son was born while my boyfriend has worked full time. I obviously have no money for a lawyer so I'm looking for any information/advice about where to go from here. My boyfriend keeps saying that if it comes down to it I'm going to lose custody because I have no money/support.

Where do I go from here?

Answer:
 > My boyfriend keeps saying that if it comes down to it I'm going to lose custody because I have no money/support.

He's full of shit. Where are you located?


Title: Question about a DUI probation

Question: Hello guys, I'm really hoping someone can help me. While in college, I got a DUI in 2011 in the state of Georgia. In GA, a DUI is punishable by probation. Long story short...I hired a lawyer that postponed my trial date for it for 2 years and for some reason he kept pushing it and i didn't mind. Finally 2 years later, I went to court and got put on misdemeanor probation. i was living in a different city in GA than the one i received the DUI in so I had it set up where I had to go to the probation office in my current city to have a quick Skype session with the Probation officer in the city i got the DUI in (basically just reporting in for the once a month and paying them their money). Now, last year, while i still had maybe 2-300 USD left to pay them and a few Skype visits to report in, something very urgent came up in which I had to leave the states completely and moved to another country where I have been living with family for the past year until now. No, the P.O was not informed before i had to go cause i didn't want her to try and stop me as i really had to leave that day (not for any bad reason just had to move in with family for a while). My question is : now what ? I am a bit scared to go back to the u.s because of this. if i moved to another state can this still show up ? or even another city in GA (not the one i got the DUI now and where the probation office is). What is the solution her ? can i just try to pay them their money somehow ? sorry for the long text...your replies will be appreciated as I want to move back home now.

Answer: They could violate you on your probation and issue a warrant and you could be arrested. And yes, any law enforcement agency in the country can find out about it. I'd suggest contacting an attorney before coming back. Answer #2: You likely have a warrant for your arrest waiting for you. It will show up in any state. You should call your attorney and see what can be done.


Title: California - My house burnt down, I'm being threatened by the home builder for infringing on their IP because it is being rebuilt.

Question:
This is in cookie cutter suburbia, in California.

The overall story is a bit messy, so I will keep this as short and to the point as possible.

My homeowners insurance is helping me out here, so I "have a lawyer" but I wanted to see what you folks thought of this, as I have a phone meeting with my insurance company's lawyer tomorrow.

Here's what's going on:

* My house burnt down early this year. Total loss. No one was injured, but all my personal belongings are just gone.
* The source of the fire was electrical related (not my fault). The fire department said it was likely a charging lithium battery (my homeowners insurance is dealing with that situation)
* The house is only 3 years old.
* I purchased the house brand new, had some semi-custom things done to it, and actually had a great time with the home builder

Two months ago, once the dust settled, I reached out to the home builder (who is well known) to see how we could acquire the blueprints for my home...or at a minimum, the blueprints for my model. I also inquired about how I could engage them to rebuild my home as I am not planning on moving out of this neighborhood (I really like it here).

They took my info and said that they would get back to me. A few days later I heard from them regarding me/my insurance hiring them to rebuild. They said they are not set up for that and would like to help, but could not...bummer, but no big deal. I once again inquired about the blueprints. They said they would have to get back to me.

Eventually they got back to me after several days and said that they would not release the blueprints to me as they are their intellectual property. Serious bummer, but whatever...

My insurance company found a local reputable home builder and they started the rebuild 5 weeks ago.

Last week I got a cease and desist letter (with a threat to sue) form the original home builder saying that I/we were infringing on their intellectual property, they specifically called out the design of the house. Basically they know (due to the home being in an HOA) that the house will be designed back to the exact way it was before the home burned down.

Soooooo, I have a meeting tomorrow with my homeowners insurance lawyer regarding this situation.

Have any of you ever heard of such a crazy situation? What can I expect out of this situation? My agent said she has never encountered anything like this before and she's dealt with tons of total losses for homes that get rebuilt.

Does the original home builder have any legal legs to stand on here?

Answer:
 OP, I think I might be the only copyright lawyer in this thread, and I do not think the original builder has any case whatsoever.

The only great advice I see so far is the great comment by /u/PChE1 about how the builder owns the copyright to the drawing on their blue piece of paper, but not the copyright to the actual, physical house which is depicted in that drawing. You can copyright an expression of an idea, but not the idea itself. The builder has a copyright to the lines on their blueprint, but the idea contained within those lines ("this could be a 3D house") is not copyrighted by them. /u/PChE1 explains it better.

And beyond that, a house is a useful article, and useful articles cannot be copyrighted. Certain design elements on a house can be copyrighted (like a distinctive sculptural design on a wall or something), but even that is extremely limited, and a court would NOT look kindly at some blueprint owners trying to claim copyright over elements of your house.

The original home builder cannot win in court, and hopefully they won't even try. Hopefully your homeowners insurance lawyer can take the reins and convince them to back down.Answer #2: You gave the builder the opportunity to rebuild the house, and they refused. Is that correct?

Could that refusal constitute a waiver of any right they might have to keep you from rebuilding it yourself?


Title: Can I call the police on beggar that’s not actually hurt and is lying to people so they don’t need to have a real job?

Question:
I have solid evidence that this person is faking and even telling people that work at the gas station near her that she “pulls down 50k a year” and “the cops will be suspicious about my banking habits” plz help
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 You can call the police. They almost certainly won’t care, unless this person is breaking the law by begging in the first place. If begging isn’t illegal, lying and begging isn’t either. Answer #2: Lying isn't a crime.*

*obvious exceptions of lying to LEO's under questioning, perjury, etc.


Title: Am I responsible as a moderator for content posted on my subreddit?

Question:
I am a mod for /r/scambait

Basically how it works is users will post numbers email addresses that belong to scammers, and call them to pretend to go along with there scam to keep scammers from actually scamming people. Most scammers run their operations in Nigeria and India.

Now here is the problem, sometimes users will post information belonging to regular people they don’t like, that is illegal. We always remove the posts, ban the user and report the users to admins.

Now I’m afraid one day someone is going to try and sue me because I didn’t remove their number or information in time.

Now I’m wondering if I am legally responsible for some user posting the information of someone on here.

Answer: Maybe.  Each situation wiill depends on the specific jurisdiction everyone is in and be very fact specific, bust just in basic principle leading a site designed to harass people seems like a good way to get in trouble.


Title: Apartment complex lied about a price increase and dropped price significantly after resigning [College Station, TX]

Question: The apartment complex advertised that current residents should resign for next year as soon as possible because their rates were increasing. Then they drop their prices by $80/month! We renewed our leases early for next year to get their "low" rate because they lied to us about their price increase. Is there any approach we can take to get a lower rate?

Answer:
 You misunderstood.

YOUR rent was increasing. They can rent to new folks for whatever price they wish.


Title: My neighbor yells at his infant baby almost daily. It often wakes me up. What should I do?

Question:
This is the fourth instance of this happening. I live in an apartment complex, and my wall is next to tbei room. Three mornings I was woken up by loud yells saying “zip it, shut up, and be quiet” very aggressively preceded and followed by two month old baby crying. I understand noise at 10am, but yelling and abuse, not okay.
Again today I was taking a nap and he doesn’t. I’m not so much upset about noise (it’s 4pm) but about this man yelling at an infant child.

What are my rights in this and what should I do? Call cps? Do a welfare check next time?

I don’t wanna cause problems for myself but I’m at a loss. I know being a parent is stressful but that’s just plain wrong.

Answer: Take a recording the next time you hear it and use that as evidence when you go to CPS. You may want to walk into an actual office to make a report in person rather than just calling them.


Title: [MA] I was given a pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and Influenza vaccination four times this year, anything I can do?

Question:
I went to the emergency room multiple times this year for severe health issues to the point where I was quite disorientated and “out of it” I was asked if I needed a vaccine/got my vaccine during those visits, I had a fever and tachycardia and didn’t really know what I was saying so I just was saying yes to any and all treatment during those visits (I know very stupid, but I wasn’t very coherent) I recently got a new primary who was affiliated with this hospital who realized going over my chart and reluctantly told me that I received both vaccines: once at my old primaries’ office and three times during my hospital stays at the hospital. She knew this because she was going to ask me if I needed them and it was “flagged”

I called the customer complaint department for the hospital and they just didn’t care what I had to say and said they would speak with the higher ups about it and take note. What? I know I won’t die, but what if someone had a bad outcome from this? I am obviously not an antivaxxer  by any means but I would like to know how the ball got dropped so badly and why I would need to be injected so many times without cause or concern. It’s not right and the hospital doesn’t seem to care. Plus I have been extremely ill and no one seems to care.

Answer:
 You have no damages and thus no legal action available.

Also, generally speaking, it's better to get the vaccine multiple times then to never get it at all.  So three doses of the same won't do you any harm.


Title: [SC] Girl lies about birth control, gets pregnant. Now wants the dad to sign away parental rights.

Question:
Posting for a friend. Basically the Guy in this scenario is casually dating someone, and informs him that she is on the pill and not to worry. Sure enough, she gets pregnant and abortion is entirely off the table as an option for her.

Fast forward a few weeks, and he finds out through her own admission that she lied to him and had never been on the pill at all.
It also turns out that she has been drinking and smoking heavily in am effort to miscarry.

Now she is telling people he isn't being supportive of her even though she is having a really rough time, and is demanding that he sign away his parental rights. This is not necessarily what he wants to do, and is willing to fight for full custody of the child.

Clearly he shouldn't have trusted her, and does not dispute his fault in this situation.

Talking to a lawyer is probably his first step, but what kind of lawyer/what other actions should be taken here?

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 He can't sign away his rights unless someone is ready to adopt.

He has no rights until the baby is born/proven his.

He can consult a family law lawyer.Answer #2: Well for a start he can’t sign away his parental rights unless there is a step parent willing to adopt or if the girl wants to pursue adoption. And he can’t be forced in either case.

He needs an attorney who specializes in family law.

Assuming the girl is in fact pregnant, which isn’t a given.Answer #3: Make sure he doesn't sign the birth certificate until he gets a paternity test


Title: How far can I go to police a "tenant"?

Question:
So here is the situation...

I own my home. My niece and her boyfriend are BOTH being 'kicked out' of their respective parents' houses and have no where to live. She came over here begging to stay with me for a week while looking for a more permanent place to stay, like an apartment. I tell her i'm uncomfortable with that boy coming to my home at all (more on that later) but i'd try to arrange for a place for them to stay, even offered her $200 so they could rent a place to stay for a week instead of staying at my home so they could sort their stuff out. When she realized I found her this place that charges $200 a week, she reveals the truth that she was actually wanting to stay with me, basically full time and more or less move in with me.

&#x200B;

If it were just her, I wouldn't care in the least, she has lived with me before, no big deal, but she wants me to let that boy live here too...

&#x200B;

So about this kid. These are the only facts I know about him:

1) He is being kicked out of his parents house and supposedly his parents had been threatening to kick him out for a long time.

2) He has a court date for alleged rape charges against another girl. Apparently the situation happened with his ex girlfriend, he supposedly has texts and evidence where the girl admits she is going to lie and file false reports, etc. I don't know if any of this is true, its just what my niece is telling me and she is a notorious liar at times.

3) He got my niece started on taking weed and ultimately arrested for it. First time she has ever had any trouble with police or the law, and if she gets caught with it a second time its an automatic felony with at least a year in prison.

&#x200B;

My niece claims he stopped doing weed, but I doubt this for obvious reasons.

&#x200B;

I want to help my niece out and give her a place to stay since she has nowhere else to go, but I do not know, like, or trust this boy.

&#x200B;

I know in an ordinary sort of landlord/tenant situation, you wouldn't be able to search people or their possessions and things of that nature, but I want to tell her that he has to prove he isn't carrying drugs or anything else illegal with him whenever he comes in the house, because again, I do not trust this kid. But i'm worried there are ridiculous laws that make it illegal. They are both 18.

&#x200B;

So what are my options here? Can I search him and confirm he's not carrying anything illegal on him or do I just have to condemn this boy and my niece to living in their cars?

Answer:
 Don't put this kid in a demeaning situation where he has to prove his validity day to day to keep his home. You're not comfortable leasing to him. Own that, tell him "sorry, I don't think I can house you," and help him look for other options.

You can't search him without his consent, and requiring consent as a condition of continuing his tenancy is pretty unreasonable.


Title: I logged into my partners discord and saw he is exchanging nudes with a 16 yr old

Question: So I happen to know my partner’s discord login info and I have reason to believe he was chatting with other girls on there, so I logged in to take a look. I have been doing this for several days now, and today I discover him talking to someone who claims to be 16 and he has sent her nudes and she has sent him some after revealing her age. Obviously I am leaving him, which I’m trying to save money and find a place- house is his. My legal question though is, since I logged in as him on my device, if the cops catch him in some sort of sting, will I get in trouble too? Obviously I didn’t know what he was doing before logging in, but I’m worried I will look just as guilty. I obviously can’t go to the police until I move out because I’ll be kicked out and I’m really wanting to avoid having to stay with family and friends until I find a place. Thanks in advance.

Answer: You have plausible deniability. I would file a police report about it NOW or else you risk your freedom


Title: Neighbours pretending to represent Body Corporate (Australia, QLD)

Question:
Long story, but I live (and own my house) in a large complex that is managed by a Body Corporate.

There are visitor parking spots throughout the complex and they are marked as “VISITOR ONLY”.

A neighbour has been leaving their bins in one particularly visitor spot to prevent people from parking there. Then, when they come home, they move the bins and put their own car there.

I should mention that these neighbours are only renting, so I know this won’t be a permanent thing, but it has been going on for more than 1 year.

I made a complaint to Body Corp after they began leaving notes on people’s cars to deter them from parking in that one spot.

They frequently leave their sprinklers on and ensure the water is completely covering that same parking spot.

I recently began putting my car there after Body Corporate telling me they have no power to remove the car and the “By Law” regarding visitor parking is just to deter people.

So I’ve began putting my car there in the last few weeks, and on each occasion I have come back to my car to find an official warning from the Body Corporate saying my car is illegally parked and after 3 warnings, my car will be towed.

I checked my security camera and I’ve found that the neighbours are going out to my car around 2am, and putting these notices on my car.

I also have suspicions that they’ve vandalised my car, because I came out one day and I had a nail in my tyre and a flat tyre.

Any advice would be appreciated. I have already sent the video and made another enquiry to Body Corporate, but they seem unresponsive.

Answer:
 If you have footage of the damage you can report it to the police.

I mean maybe, and this is a far out concept....have you tried just talking to them? Is there a reason you want to park in the visitor bay? Do you not have enough parking spots allocated to your unit? Answer #2: Try /r/auslegal Answer #3: Send copies of the video to the police and body corp.


Title: [CT] Can we deny utility company a temporary construction easement onto our property?

Question:
Last night I attended an outreach meeting for a big water main and sewage line installation project that will go right in front of our home. During this meeting we found out that the main actually is under our sidewalk and will require our driveway, sidewalk, and part of the front lawn to be torn up (this is on top of the year+ traffic issues, night work, general annoying-ness of this whole thing). When the PM  who was presenting found out where our house was located he asked to speak with us after the presentation. He told us that they tried to negotiate the easement with the previous owners (2+ years ago) but never finalized anything and said we would be looking at an awards check of several thousands of dollars.

My question is how could they be planning to start in less than a month if they havent gotten all the rights squared away yet. If we say no would that basically stop the project (or force them to re-engineer it etc). What leverage do we have in negotiating the easement?

Answer:
 >  He told us that they tried to negotiate the easement with the previous owners (2+ years ago) but never finalized anything and said we would be looking at an awards check of several thousands of dollars.

Do you have the PM's contact info?   I would ask him for a copy of any contract he tried to get with the last owners.    You are looking for any information on the couple grand he mentioned.

>   If we say no would that basically stop the project (or force them to re-engineer it etc).

Probably not for a project of this significance.   The water pipe is going in, with or without your cooperation.   With your cooperation, it seems like the PM let it slip that you can\should get some compensation.   This is the route you want to pursue ASAP.

Without your cooperation, they will just go to a court, and then possibly get the city\town\state to use eminent domain (or something similar) to just seize what they need.

Answer #2: You can refuse. They may rejigger the project to avoid your property at all. Or, depending on the state and local laws, they may be able to take it without compensating you at all. I'm not saying it's a lock, but many places basically give utilities (especially water utilities) wide latitude in these matters.

I would at least reach out to a real estate attorney in your area to get better advice.