Title: Friend recieved her first speeding ticket ever in Virgina, shes freaking out at what shes reading about reckless driving charges. Were from MD so we're not familiar with VA driving laws

Question:
Her and her friends are on their way to a convention, and were driving through VA very early this morning. While Im at work, I get a text saying she thinks she was "arrested" and was pulled over for speeding.

According to her, she was doing 108 in a 70 or 80 zone? Unsure of details, but she wasnt aware she was going that fast but got pulled over by a sheriff. Was this bad? Absolutely, shouldnt have been going that fast at all, and shes aware of it. Its important to note that it wasnt her car, and that her and her friends were rotating driving shifts.

Sheriff told her shes lucky shes not being arrested, and gave her a court summons. She says the sheriff said its for criminal court, but the ticket says its for traffic court.

I called my friend and VA and he said shes incredibly lucky, and explained to me the insanely strict driving laws there. He says to get a va lawyer right away.

The good news that I keep telling her that she has a clean driving record prior to this happening, and that should help the situation out in her for in some way. Shes terrified shes going to go to jail.

Ive never had to deal with a situation like this before and its all happening very quickly so any guidance I can get or anything I can tell her to comfort her stress would be helpful, thank you.

Answer: She should get a traffic attorney. Virginia doesn't mess around with stuff like this. Probably no jail for a first offence, but she should expect at least a hefty fine and possible license suspension (not quite sure how that works with out of state licenses). Virginia treats reckless driving as a class 1 misdemeanor (basically the same severity as a DUI iirc). Also she should stop driving like an asshole before she kills someone. Highest speed limit in VA is 70, she was going over 50% faster than that. Not realizing she was going that fast is total bs. Getting up to almost 110 in a car from 70 is very noticeable.


Title: Recently fired from a company because of my school schedule.

Question: The company knew I was a student and that my schedule would fluctuate. I gave them my availability a month before school started and was subsequently let go 2 weeks after I started school. Do I have any legal rights here? Can they really fire me for going to school to better my life?

Answer: Location?  Unless you are working in Montana, you have no recourse.


Title: [MN] First time landlord. Young tenants broke 12 month lease agreement due to domestic abuse.

Question:
First time posting so forgive me if I don't include necessary information. This is in Minnesota.

I own a townhouse and began renting it in June to my very first tenants who are engaged. I am managing the property myself and decided to not go with a background/credit check, but instead judge their characters when they came to initially look at the place. They are young (18 and 20) and both of their mothers came with them to look at the house before renting. This gave me the feeling their parents are invested in them and willing to help out if anything goes wrong. Despite being young, I agreed to let them move in and we signed a 12 month lease agreement the end of May for them to move in June 1st.

Fast forward to this week - they are a month and a week in to their lease and I am notified that the female has placed a restraining order on the male because of a situation involving domestic abuse. On Wednesday I met with just the male and he filled me in on his side of the story basically claiming they have picture/video evidence that he didn't touch her and she just went completely nuts saying she will say and do anything to put him in jail. He was in jail over the weekend and is getting a lawyer to protect him from additional charges she is pressing. I could tell he was sincere and completely shook from the whole situation. He expressed interest in living at the townhouse by himself, and I verbally told him that I would be okay with that.

Yesterday I received an email from the female's advocate containing court documents stating that this situation legally dissolves the lease. If the male wants to stay there, now I would need to write a new lease agreement for him since the original is no longer valid. After thinking about all of this for a few days, I want to clean my hands of this mess and do not want to renew an agreement with the male. However, I already gave him my word that he would be good to say that. Am I legally bound to let him stay? My thought is since there is currently no contract in place, this is my best opportunity to give him the rest of this month to move out. I just don't know if I can kick him out after telling him he can stay?

Shame on me for not doing background checks... Thank you in advance!

Answer:
 Welcome to the deep end of the pool. If you plan on doing this for a while, get an internal SOP you can reference for the future. A background check might not have caught this anyway if his previous record was clean.

In any case...

[This](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/504b.206) is the relevant law. You've got a dwelling with multiple occupants, so section 3-B applies.

You get to keep their deposit and their rent through the end of the month. You can determine whether you wish to write a new lease just for the male or to terminate everyone's lease. Notice periods don't apply.
Answer #2: >   Am I legally bound to let him stay?

No.  He needs to sign a new lease, and you do not need to allow that to happen.

Can he even pay the entire rent himself?   Answer #3: Make sure you follow VAWA, the Violence Against Women Act.

You can give the male a new lease. I think your instinct is to not do so. You are not legally bound to keep him.


Title: State offices closed due to weather and supervisor says I must use my personal leave because I had already asked off

Question: I work for a crappy state agency. The agency closed early for the day due to bad weather conditions. I had already submitted to have this day off. They are making me use personal leave even though the office ended up being closed. I also know people who were unable to come to work because of the weather and they are being forced to use a full day of personal leave even though the office eventually closed . Is this legal? I feel exploited.

Answer: Exploited? Really? You can ask if they will give it to you unpaid if that is what you prefer. Is there some part of your brain that believe you should get paid for not working?


Title: Illegal package from Hungary seized by US customs. What will happen?

Question:
Location: Florida, USA

I previously ordered a substance by the name of Letrozole also known as Femara. It is for getting rid of my Gynecomastia (Man breasts caused by too much estrogen.) I ordered the package from Hungary off of a website that also sells anabolic steroids. I am no bodybuilder of any sort and only wanted to use it for self conscious problems. It is legal in the USA, but only if you have a prescription. The only reason I ordered it this way is due to the fact of my social anxiety and fear of communicating with people/doctors. This problem has been taking its toll on me for a very long time throughout my life and I finally found a solution where i would not have to interact with people (hence why i ordered it online.) I got a call from US customs a few weeks later saying my package has been seized and the FDA has to inspect it. A few days later they called me and stated the chemical name for it and sent me an email form that needs to be filled out with questions such as: "What is your intent of use?" "Who is the seller?" and etc. I'm basically wondering if I am going to get into any sort of trouble if I do not reply to the email, and if I do run into trouble, what can they charge me for? Will someone show up at my apartment and arrest me? I'm a nervous wreck and any knowledge of the possible outcomes or things I can do would be immensely appreciated

Answer: Did you admit that it was yours?  If not, I have a number of friends who have said "I don't know what you are talking about" and then never heard from them again.


Title: Guy wants to get the FBI involved over a check I am not depositing

Question:
So to start off this is a silly mistake on my part and is not nearly as serious as anything else on this subreddit but I am just curious on what I should do... I put up an add on craigslist in Texas for some headphones priced at $200 and was contacted by someone who was wanting to send me a check for $250 to me for them and to ship them to him/her. I gave them my address so they could ship it(yes i realize that was a mistake and who in their right mind would send a check to someone they don't even know). Next thing I know I get a check in the mail for $1750 and he is wanting me to deduct  $250 and have the rest $1500 balance transfer via Western union Minutes Transfer as requested by the mover.
I haven't responded because I have no idea what he is talking about and why he decided to send me this much money and I am 99% sure this is a scam and the check is just sitting in its envelope on my desk as I have no plans of doing anything with it. He keeps contacting me and asking what is going on and wondering why I haven't responded in so long and today he said he knows where I live and that if I don't respond the FBI will become involved.
Any advice?

Answer: Yeah, that's definitely a very common scam. Shred the check and cut contact with the individual.


Title: Is it okay to only hire white people?

Question:
Hi there, I recently opened a tech store in Ontario. I put out some job postings on all the websites and such and have about 200 applicants right now. I'm a good programmer, so I wrote some software that scrapes info from a website that congregates races by name (e.g. White people have names like Derek, Chris, Peter, John. Black people have names like davaunte, Tyrone, Mcnigga etc.) and i have a filter that basically makes it so I only get white names and thus white people. Just wanted to know the legality of this. I'm not racist, I have a black friend. I just only want white people working for me and some asians. I want to preferably avoid browns because they smell and are cheap and black people will just steal from my store.

Thanks

Answer:
 No, this is not legal.

Yes, you are almost certainly a racist, or a troll, or both.


Title: Mortgage company made a deal with my sister to modify my mortgage, she's not on the loan anywhere.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Get a lawyer yesterday!   5 months is about the time it will take him to foreclose. INAL but this has scam written all over it.   Step 2, evict your sister for being a dummy.  You don’t need that kind of help.  Answer #2: > The company reached out to the home line and got my sister, they told her they could move 5 months of the loan from now to the end of the term and that they could do it right there over the phone.

They absolutely did not. You do not modify the terms of a home loan without paperwork, and absolutely not without verifying the borrower is the one making the decision.

> how can they do this without my consent?

They can't.

> If this company was moving a few months to the end of my loan, why would they report it as delinquent?

Because they didn't "move" anything.

This is a scam and you need to find out specifically what happened here and how to get your loan current. Call your lender (as in their number from their website) with your account information and find out what the hell is going on ASAP.Answer #3: Someone is trying to illegally purchase your home after foreclosure.

Nothing with mortgages could, or should be done over the phone, and without proper paperwork.

Get a real estate lawyer yesterday.

(A local home builder was doing this around where I live.)


Title: Preparing for a Prenup

Question:
Throwaway account and first time poster in /legaladvice.  If there is a better place for this question, just let me know.

&#x200B;

I'm trying to figure out what I need to know and prepare before setting up a meeting to get a prenup.  I am completely unfamiliar with the process, and I'm interested in advice and resources to educate myself.

&#x200B;

I expect most of the process will be fairly straightforward.  There is one issue I'm concerned about:

My fiancee has a substantial retirement fund established by her parents.  She will also (presumably) end up with a fairly large inheritance.  Comparably, she has very little money available in savings.

I have significantly less money in my retirement account, and I am not expecting to inherit much money.  However, I have enough money for a down payment on a house in savings.

We plan to start looking for a house soon after we are married.  Unless her family helps us with the cost of the house, I expect that we will deplete most of my savings to cover the down payment on the house.  Since a house is something that will have both of our names on it, is there a way that I can protect that money in a prenup?   It's not a lot compared with the money she is protecting, but it is a substantial percentage of my assets.

&#x200B;

I assume a lawyer is going to be able to help us with all of this, and I've already shared these concerns with my fiancee    I just want to know if there is anything I should research or know before meeting with the lawyer.

&#x200B;

Answer:
 I’m going to second the suggestion to have separate attorneys for this. You each need an attorney to protect your individual interests.

It’s up to you to decide which attorney drafts and which reviews. The document will probably go back and forth at least once, maybe more, in order to have everyone’s interests addressed.


Title: Restricted Driving Privileges (Ohio)

Question:
My driver's license is under restriction due to a court order:  The key text is:

*"The driving rights of (me) as to pleasure driving only, have been suspended by the (court); modified driving privileges begin on Start Date to End-date.*

*The defendant's driver's license is now in the custody of the BMV.*

*The defendant is permitted to drive for work, medical, court, familial, and treatment purposes only for the period of time heretofore mentioned providing defendant complies with financial responsibility laws and is otherwise authorized to drive by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.*

*This Entry shall act and operate as a driver's license during this suspension period".*

---------------------
Is there a formal definition or examples of these driving privileges?  Everyone I've spoken with (my lawyer, court employee, probation office at the court, etc. ) says the definition is at the discretion of an officer if I were to get stopped and no additional detail is available.

Some things are obvious.  If I drive to a dentist appointment (fine), or drive to see Star Wars (not fine).  But what about gray areas?

* Drive to Church
* Drive to the Gym
* Drive to a campaign rally for a presidential candidate
* Drive to a city council or zoning meeting
* Drive to my polling place to vote in a primary.
* Etc.

---------------------

As I'm reading this, by the letter of the law, driving to my polling place to vote is not authorized.  It's not work related, medical, court, familial, or treatment related. And if I would do so, I would technically be driving under suspension.

Does anyone have any guidance?  I'd rather ask the question now rather than risk a driving under suspension charge.

(Also posted at /r/AskLeo)

Answer: None of those are remotely grey.  They are not work(unless you're a poll judge or something), not medical, not court, not familial, and not treatment(unless ordered by a doctor).


Title: Unmarried SAHM, what are my rights/options after a split up?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 1. In spite of at least three prompts, you've managed not to include your location. Asset division rules are very jurisdiction-specific, so, uh, "who knows?"

2. How long were you together? How long ago did you separate? What arrangements have you already made regarding child support and separation of assets?

3. Was your life broadly like it would have been had you and your ex-partner been married, or were you meticulous about keeping separate assets and separate lives?


Title: [WA] Injured while supervised by trainer - do I have a case?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Your case is one that would really need to be addressed by a personal injury lawyer. The analysis is way too fact specific for free internet advice to be helpful to you. Most personal injury attorneys do free consultations. Bring what you got and if you have a case they'll take it.


Title: Co-Signer on a repo

Question:
I've gotten myself into a bit of a pickle and need some advice to make this as painless as possible. My fiancé and I bought a car from a company in June 2016who does their own financing and I was a co-signer. For a little background she lives in Texas and I live in Oklahoma. When we signed the papers there was a stipulation that the car was not to leave Texas. We asked the employee there and she said that wouldn't be a problem as long as we are current on payments. This car has been nothing but problems so instead of driving it we decided to try to sell it. The car was taken off full coverage and added to liability and was not being driven. Earlier today my fiancé got a call from the company stating that we were required to have full coverage. My fiancé informed that the car was not being driven and has been parked at my house in Oklahoma. She told them that she would get full coverage on Monday. Well, the company had it repossessed tonight and never contacted me for anything.

Is there anything I can possibly do to not have this reflect poorly on myself or my fiancé? Our payments are up to date. Is it likely the company will give it back once we get full coverage?

Thanks for your time and advice.

Answer: Unfortunately, it doesn't matter whether you're driving the vehicle at the time or not, so long as the terms of financing apply (as long as you owe money on it), if the financial institution requires (which is part of your financing paperwork) full coverage, which in my experience they always do, then you're responsible for ensuring that the vehicle has full coverage. All you can do is contact them and POLITELY (if you're wanting to get anywhere, remember that their employees are people and being shitty will get you nowhere) explain the situation and ask to discuss the options.


Title: I think our landlords are trying to scam us. We are young and I believe they think we are stupid. Help?!

Question:
These pictures of the yard were taken by us 2 days before we moved. The white bordered one is a before and after of a really bad heat wave where I saved the grass with my own money and hard work. It was almost 3 weeks of 95-100F weather in washington. They are trying to charge us for 9 hours of yard work and re seeding?! Also only three Vinyl tiles were peeling so they charged us for a whole floor? They didn't even give us a real recipt just this typed up document. Is this something I can take to small claims court?

Here are some pictures.

http://imgur.com/a/c70Ln
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Yes, you can sue him for the deposit.  Do you have pictures of when you moved in?  I noticed everything in Washington is dead, my wife and I drove to Seattle in August.

Tenants are only on the hook for damage, not wear and tear.  If the flooring is many years old (and that doesn't look new) your not at fault.  Make him come up with receipts for the flooring.  My parents have rentals and there are HUD guidelines for how long things should last.  For example carpet is 7 years, after that its wear and tear.

And $750 is really high to reseed a small backyard.  That's hydro seeding prices (I'm a landscaper).  An $80 bag of rye seed from the grange when it starts raining should do it.....?Answer #2: Is the picture showing where he needed to seed? (so he claims) If so, then you have an excellent case .. once a judge sees that the LL loses credibility.


Title: California: Being sued for $7 million dollars. Going to get a lawyer, but I have some questions first.

Question: I'm embarrassed about the details, so I won't go into it too much detail, but I'm being sued for a patent violation. I make 200K a year, I have a nice apartment that I own, car, money in the bank, and I'm married. I don't think I can win the lawsuit, but we'll see. Worse case scenario, can I file for bankruptcy and still keep my assets? How much will I have to pay? What if my wife divorces me in the process?

Answer:
 Without details, the answer is maybe.Answer #2: >Worse case scenario, can I file for bankruptcy and still keep my assets?

You are allowed to exempt some assets.  Keep in mind, you can only exempt equity.

>How much will I have to pay?

Depends on many issues.  Essentially, the trustee will sell any non-exempt assets of worth.

>What if my wife divorces me in the process?

Could complicate things.  Could make things simpler.  Can't tell.  Much depends on if she is liable for any of the debts you are seeking discharged.

**However,** Bankruptcy may not help you at all.  Not one bit.  Certain types of debts are not discharged in bankruptcy.  If you have a judgment debt that is of a certain type, it is not discharged by the bankruptcy.  You said you don't want to give any details, so I can't speculate as to if the potentially impending judgment would fall into this category.


Title: New Apartment Neighbor Thinks I Stole His Expensive Watch and is Threatening Me; Says he contacted his attorney. (Long) SC, USA

Question:
Obvious throwaway.

Location:  South Carolina, USA

Screenshot of threatening messages with name and phone numbers omitted linked below.

I'm 26M, the neighbor accusing me is between 27-35M years of age (approx). We are both white.

Met him on May 4, 2019.

Everything is written to the best of my knowledge with no parts left out or exaggerated.

&#x200B;

**Backstory:**

I met him at my apartment's get-together in the front office. He had moved in a week ago and seemed like a decent guy, so I struck up a conversation with him. He was friendly with me and everyone else there, and the apartment had provided free drinks, like beer and tequila for residents to consume, so we had some drinks and eventually moved out to the pool where we hung out with other residents for the entire day. In that time, he brought out some Moonshine that he let us drink, and he got pretty intoxicated to the point where he was slurring his words and he was unable to walk straight.

&#x200B;

Later that day (between 3-5pm) his cousin from Germany had just got in town and showed up at the apartment, so we all went back to this guy's apartment and did some shots and had a beer or two each. After a bit of time, the neighbor got hungry, so he said he'd buy us three dinner, so we went to the grocery store right down the corner where he purchased expensive steaks and more beer. totaling around $150. I was unaware of this at the time, but employees from the grocery store had been following us around because of the really drunk guy. When it came time to pay at the self check out, the store manager came up to us and quietly told us that he couldn't sell the beer to my neighbor and that he was kicking him out, so the mostly sober guy from Germany paid for it all. I had to put my arm around the shoulders of the super drunk guy to lead him out of the store, and we complied with the wishes of the store manager without any fuss or argument.

&#x200B;

When we got back to the apartment, they started cooking dinner while consuming more alcohol; I drank as well. I offered to go grab plates and silverware from my apartment, and I did so. I returned with the items and we all ate a good dinner. The super drunk guy had been pestering me about going downtown with him for most of the day, but I declined because I was at my limit; drinking all day for at least 8 hours will do that to you.

&#x200B;

Two to three days later, I saw him sitting at the pool when I was returning from getting groceries. Since he'd bought me steak, I offered him some fried chicken that I'd picked up for dinner, and we hung out for a bit. Everything was totally fine at this point. While we were eating, he told me that as soon as he got downtown, the people he was meeting up with had sent him home via an Uber because he was too intoxicated. We laughed about that, and all was good. I left roughly ten minutes after that because I had to put some stuff in the fridge.

&#x200B;

Roughly a week later, (about a week or so at this point) there was a sale going on for fried chicken at the grocery store, so I texted him asking if he wanted to get some with me and have a few beers at my place. When he didn't respond for 10-15 minutes, I looked outside my window and saw him chilling at the pool, so I went out on my balcony and asked if he wanted to go get some dinner. He said he couldn't hear me and asked me to come down, so I did.

&#x200B;

As soon as I got down, he flat out asked me if I took his watch. Naturally, I said no as I did not steal his watch or anything else of his for that matter. I do not have a history (or a criminal record of any sort, for that matter) of stealing things, and I told him in no uncertain terms that I did not take it. He said that it was either me or his cousin from Germany, and that the other guy had already denied it. He didn't outright accuse me of taking it, but he was very heavily implying it. He told me that he was really OCD about where things are in his new apartment, and he was certain that his watch was on his counter. When we went to grab it as he was going out that night when he was super drunk, he said that it was longer where he remembered putting it.

&#x200B;

I told him that I was his friend and that I would never do something like that, but he shook his head. He then said that he had contacted the police and made a police report with them, and that the police would be in contact with me soon (they haven't made contact with me thus far). He then said that he couldn't be friends with me until his watch was found/returned and that it was a personal thing, and I said that I understood. I suggested that he contact the apartment's office to get security camera footage, but he brushed that idea off.

&#x200B;

I went back up to my apartment after that with no small amount of worry.

&#x200B;

**What's happening now:**

I heard from my neighbors down the hall that they had heard from one of their friends that the super drunk guy had been going around telling people that I had stolen his watch. This is simply not true. Earlier today, I touched base with my apartment's front office and let them know of the situation. The manager is a really nice woman and she said that she had my back because I was a great tenant. She mentioned that she could reach out to him to talk about this, but I declined because I didn't want to escalate the situation. At this point, it had already been a week and a day or two since he had told me that he thought I stole his watch. He has no proof that I took it, only a suspicion that I did, but he's taking that suspicion as truth and is acting upon that as if it was the truth.

&#x200B;

When I got back to my apartment this evening, I received a flurry of text messages and a single phone call from the super drunk guy, as shown in the image linked below. I did not respond to him or answer the phone as I feel like he's the kind of guy that will surely escalate things further than they already are. Before he accused me of stealing something of his, he said that he owned guns. Everyone owns guns down here in South Carolina; that's nothing new. I own one myself, a 9MM handgun. I do not have a concealed carry license, so I legally cannot carry it with me, something I wish I could do at the moment.

&#x200B;

**The Questions:**

In these text messages (see link below), he's blatantly threatening me saying stuff like, "the streets always get you," and "don't let me see you." Naturally, I feel as if my life is being threatened and I do not feel safe in my own home. I've been here for a year and I love it here; I renewed my lease on the day I met him as well.

At what point do I involve the police? I've never been in a situation like this before, and I am worried that this man is going to try to harm me at some point.

&#x200B;

Furthermore, he said that he's filed a police report, so what can I expect from that? As mentioned earlier, the police have not contacted me yet, and I know to not say anything without a lawyer present. I am not going to contact this man in any fashion, nor am I going to block him in case he keeps sending me incriminating messages that I can screenshot and use against him if this escalates further. He knows that I denied stealing his watch to him last week, so it's upsetting that he's talking shit about me to my neighbors.

&#x200B;

Is there anything I can do against him for that as well?

What legal options should I be considering?

&#x200B;

Anything and everything would be greatly appreciated!

&#x200B;

Text messages screenshot: [https://i.imgur.com/LnWj8pG.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/LnWj8pG.jpg)

Answer:
 If you feel like you are in danger, or that he presents a threat to you call the police immediately. Save all of the messages he is sending you to show to the officers. It’s best to not engage with him anymore in person, or through text/calls.Answer #2: I would second the advice of calling the police. If you don't feel he's an imminent danger, maybe call the non-emergency line or go down to the station.

But a guy who gets blasted for 3 hours and is so drunk that he got kicked out of a grocery store and his friend sent him home is likely not in much position to provide eyewitness testimony against you and I'd bet that of there even IS  a missing watch, that his Uber driver stole it when he had to help the drunk guy out of his car (or maybe took it as payment for your neighbor throwing up or something).

Poj t being, you didn't take it, he has no evidence you did take it and it will take more than the word of a drunken idiot to win a court case. Avoid him and only respond (outside of calling the cops if he harasses you) if you are served a summons for a lawsuit.


Title: Can I sue for slander and defamation

Question: A  person has made multiple videos on YouTube of me, I am 15 years old, trying to 'expose' me. They included my full name, a manipulated video of me, fake photos and texts saying it is me. One of the videos now has 140,000 views. In one of the videos they posted inappropriate photos they found of me from a around 1 or 2 years ago. I consider this defamation, manipulation, harassment and cyber bullying. I want someone's advice to what you would consider this. If I have a chance to sue, or press charges. (This would also depend on the state, it was in New York)

Answer:
 If you had monetary damages, then you could file a civil lawsuit to recover your monetary losses, but you don't have any monetary losses, so you have no cause of action in that regard.

You could file a civil lawsuit to enjoin the defendant (meaning to make them take down these things and stop putting more up), but after looking into my crystal ball I predict you won't do that.

You could try to convince the police to take your complaint and to investigate and prosecute, but it's not likely they will do any of that.

If the person doing this is another student at your school, then your best recourse might be to involve your school authorities (school principals and counselors).  They will not like cyberbullying on their watch, and they might be able to force some consequences against the other person...


Title: [TN] My ex just leased a one bedroom apartment. He has (unofficial) standard visitation with our son (2yrs). Does he legally have to have a separate bedroom for our son?

Question:
My ex (25, M) and I (25, F) are in Tennessee and have a two year old son together. My son is with me most of the time, we live with my parents while I’m finishing my degree. At my parents house and at my ex’s parents house, our son has his own room. My ex has just leased a one bedroom apartment and intends to have our son sleep in a toddler bed in his bedroom when he moves out next month.

We have an unofficial custody agreement where he pays minimal child support and gets our son one night a week and every other weekend from Friday PM to Sunday AM. I’m just wondering if he legally has to have a designated bedroom for our son. Google turned up contradicting results. He has no other children and no roommates. Thank you.

Answer:
 >I’m just wondering if he legally has to have a designated bedroom for our son

Based on the limited facts of your post and armed with the knowledge that your unofficial custody agreement doesn't require such, legally no he does not need a separate bedroom for your son.Answer #2: Whether or not the child is required to be provided with a separate room would be up to the courts and/or custody agreement.

There is no law that requires a non-custodial parent to provide a separate room, but a court may order them to provide it.


Title: Can you have an Antenuptial contract with a clause to split EVERYTHING if divorced?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: There's no point-- women can't own property in Saudi Arabia.


Title: TX- My sister is considering attending college in the state that I live in, and is asking to use my address to establish residency to get in state tuition. What bad can come of this?

Question:
I love my sister and she is trying to turn her life around. She is 28 and wants to finish college and start a career in wildlife management. My husband and I have offered to let her move here as soon as she likes and live with us rent free until she gets established in Texas - I presume this would be the correct and legal way to establish residency for in-state tuition, since she would obtain a TX license and our home would be her primary residence.

However, she doesn't want to move here until she begins school. So in essence she's asking me to allow her to utilize my address when filling out the FAFSA and applications, when she herself doesn't actually live here. This seems wrong on a bunch of levels and I am not comfortable with it but I am wondering about the legality so that I can have something to back me up when I tell her it's not a good idea.

Edit: thanks everyone - I think some of you got the wrong idea. She wasn't intending to commit fraud, she just wanted to keep working at her relatively good- paying job as long as possible to maximize her savings, knowing that moving is expensive.

Regardless, I explained to her that what she was asking wasn't really on the up and up and why, and she was surprised but agreed.

Answer:
 Well, it's fraud, so there's that. Answer #2: >I love my sister and she is trying to turn her life around.

And there's no better way to do that than to start by lying, cheating, and stealing.Answer #3: If it were this easy to get in state tuition, all college students could claim a random address as their permanent residency and just get an ID to match it. There are a ton of stipulations for in state residency depending on the school so be sure to carefully read the fine print. Colleges are also notorious for making it impossible to get in-state, as they should- the whole idea of in-state tuition is the residents have paid a certain amount of taxes to the state colleges and should be able to reap the rewards of that.

Source: At least at my school (University of Colorado), they make it nearly impossible for out of state people to get in state tuition. They also create stricter stipulations every 6 months so people don't even try to get it these days.Answer #4: You'd be helping her commit fraud.


Title: The mother of my child is keeping our daughter in a hostile environment, and alienating her from me and the rest of her family.

Question:
I have a daughter that is almost two years old. Her mother and I have been separated for about three months now (mother cheated then left, we were never married). For about two months I have noticed that our daughter cries hysterically  when her mother shows up to get her though when I show up she happily leaves with me (we do week on week off) (not court ordered). I have recently received information from the mother of my daughters parents that show me why my daughter has been behaving this way for so long. To summarize the events of the last 72 hours I will paste what I have sent my lawyer for a consultation.

"I am in need of a lawyer in regards to the custody of my daughter. I have received information in the past 72 hours from the mother of my child's parents that would indicate that my daughter is no longer in a safe or functioning environment when she is with her mother. Upon speaking with the mother about this situation she stated to me and her parents that she sees and understands that our daughter needs to stay in a more stable environment. She stated that she would move back in with with her parents so our daughter would be in a safer home. Today (7/2/2017) she came to my house to pick up our daughter with her parents and told all of us that they would be staying with her parents for the benefit of our daughter. Getting back into their hometown she asked her parents to buy groceries for our daughter for the week (diapers, wipes, ointment, food, etc.) which they did gladly, because she did not have any money.  As soon as they got home her boyfriend came to pick them up immediately. The mother of my child told me and her parents that we would no longer see our daughter until after court even though we have had a written arrangement (not notarized) with both of our signatures to do week on week off with our daughter. My parents, the mother of my child's parents nor I feel safe with our daughter being at that house anymore after the mother of my child admitted to her own mother that she was being physically abused by her boyfriend. Both my parents and her parents have agreed to provide any verbal or written testimony required to remove our daughter from this environment on my behalf. I have cut all contact with the mother in regards to custody until I have clear instruction from my lawyer. I look forward to resolving this matter as soon as possible. Thank you for taking the time to read this."

The primary reason for this post is to know if there is anything else I can do to positively influence my case and is there anything that I should actively avoid doing.

If needed I live in Mississippi in the United States.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 NAL

If you are concerned for your child's safety, contact Child Protective Services.

If your ex's parents are concerned for their daughters well being, they can ask the police to do a welfare check.

Do everything you can to retain a lawyer as quickly as possible.Answer #2: You've done the only thing you can really do at this point which is to reach out to an attorney.


Title: (GA) FBI card stuck in the door

Question:
First I never thought I would need r/legaladvice twice in like the span of a week so I'm sorry for that. The previous issue is resolved (Thanks for that). This is not related.

I came home to find a card stuck in my door from the FBI with a note to please call. I google the address its legit. Then I found out my husband got a call from the number on the card and HUNG UP.
I'm probably worrying over nothing but just in case, is this common? If they thought I was doing something illegal, would they contact us like this. [proof](http://imgur.com/gallery/aKC1L)

Edit: I guess what I am saying is do I need to consult a lawyer?

2nd edit: He said no hes not doing anything illegal, they didnt contact me at all. He said he bought a cisco router (from Amazon 3rd party and we have proof) a couple weeks ago that had an existing configuration on it that he couldnt access. He wiped it or whatever its called. But now I'm freaking out.

Edit 3: he called this morning, she said (the original agent) that it wasn't in regards to him but she preferred to not talk on the phone. So she said either their office, his office or our house. So now she's coming to our house at 11am EST. What the heck do we do??? Can we record??

Answer: I'm betting someone you know/who lives near you is undergoing a background check for a security clearance.Answer #2: Chances are someone you know or once knew is getting a security clearance and the FBI is conducting a routine background check.


Title: [California] 4 years of unknown hydrogen chloride and hydrochloric acid exposure at work.

Question:
I've been working in a machine shop for the past 4 years going on 5. For that time I've been laser cutting an aramid fiber with nitrile binder gasket material. For these few years every time I cleaned the machine there was a white film(HCl) that I would wipe down with a damp cloth (making to my understanding into hydrochloric acid). After cleaning, my hands would burn for a while and be tender to the touch, why haven't I used gloves after the first time it happened? I'm not sure to be honest, I didn't think anything in the gasket material or any byproduct would be harmful. I've also noticed more chest pain when taking deep breathes while working here, however I'm not entirely sure that is related (no one here uses a respirator, all other materials being cut are aluminium).

What are my option here? I just brought up to my boss that we need to change gasket materials because its been burning my hands and he laughed it off and just said "ok".

No one here really knew what was in this gasket material I only found out when I decided to look at the MSDS of the material and contact our supplier who does NOT recommend it for laser cutting or burning for the issues mentioned above.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Your boss needs to supply you with respiratory, eye and hand protection if you're exposed to HCl.

Both  the powder and liquid form are "hydrochloric acid", and both are harmful if touched -- simply because the moisture in your skin will do the same thing as a damp cloth does.

Human skin/tissue is fairly resistant to HCl up to a point -- it's what your stomach uses to break food down, though the stomach has a mucus membrane.  IIRC from my safety officer days (ca 1985, so grain-of-salt time) the main danger from HCl is chemical burns from touch and respiratory damage from fumes.  If you're feeling a burn, you need gloves and appropriate respirator gear that is (**important**) properly fit-tested to your specific face.

Other than its corrosive properties to lung, eye and skin, the chemical itself isn't that big a deal -- meaning only that once exposure is controlled, long-term damage beyond what's caused by corrosion isn't usually an issue.  unlike, say, a heavy metal that becomes more toxic as it accumulates in your body.

Aluminum isn't normally toxic in low exposure levels -- but extended exposure to particulate dust can lead to lung problems (http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxfaqs/tf.asp?id=190&tid=34).  Other than that, the main hazard from aluminum is cuts/lesions from burrs.   Al burrs can be nearly invisible and razor-sharp.


Title: Is there a legal way to bring a gun from Mexico to the US?

Question: My grandfather has a handgun and a shotgun that he wants to inherit to me. Problem is that I don't want to become a gun runner and do this through legal means. I was wondering if there was some advice yall can give me or if yall can point me to the right direction.

Answer: Unless they’re extraordinarily valuable collector firearms it’s not going to be financially viable, import fees and parts compliance will make it cheaper to just sell them and buy new ones in the US.


Title: work is doing illegal activities

Question:
hey i've been working at a company in california of the last 8 years, and i've seen it turn into a corporation during that time, from 2 locations to now over 100. during that time i've seen it do some terrible things, illegal, and ive had lawyers give me their card and never really took it serious, until now. so recently some newly hired lady has been been riding my butt at work pissing me off trying to get me fired for nothing, and the way HR has been not helping employees out has been terrifying, so i only work there 2 days a week, nothing i'd miss if i left. SO! i was wondering what kind of lawyer would i talk to? and would i have a case? The most recent incident was a client(high school girl) touched me in the crotch (i was m27) and i got uncomfortable and asked not to work that age range, and management went off at me as if i was the one at fault, mind you this has happened a few times, but with that age range idk i feel like not doing that would be the safest way to cover my ass? they dont give breaks unless you smoke. screw up tips constantly. they messed with my times that i work, taking me off days and not telling me. i've got written up for not showing up, when i asked for the day off over 3 months in advanced for a graduation, but the gay guy who slept with the gay manager got any days he wanted off. tbh i can talk about the sexual unprofessionalism for a long time... soo many things...

any advice would help, i'm just tired of this place and they treat their employees like garbage, thank you!

Answer:
 Your employer isn’t responsible for a customer or client groping you. Sexual battery is a crime that should be reported to the police.

Your employer is responsible for correct management of tips. File a wage complaint with the state of tips are mismanaged.

Your employer is not responsible for you coworker being mean to you, unless it amounts to a hostile work environment (which has a specific legal definition).

Your employer is responsible for providing a paid 10 minute break every 3.5 hours, and a 30 minute meal every 5.


Title: My girlfriend(from U.S.) and me(outside the U.S.) are planning on getting married after I'm done with serving in the army. I need some help with understanding how marriage works in the U.S. for our situation.

Question:
So I met my girlfriend when I was living and studying in new york about a year ago. We have been together for a bit more than a year now and we are really into each other. A couple of months ago I decided to stop my studies because I had to return to my home country to serve in the army for 9 months but after that I plan on going back to  US to be with her. She came to visit me for Christmas and we talked about what we were gonna do and the topic of marriage came. She has also mentioned marriage when I was in the US in order to avoid the army but i didn't want to get married back then because we were together for only 6 months. But now after a year and 4 months i have started thinking about getting married to her after the army (in 8 months from now). I plan on getting engaged in april. This will also help me with working in the US(I was allowed to work only inside the school campus for 20 hours a week). We plan on having a Christian wedding but we gonna have a political one first.  I want to start planing things slowly starting now. What kind of paperwork do I have to go through? Or can I just go to US and get married with her?

Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 You can get married at any time, however, it is illegal to enter the US on a non-immigrant visa with the intention to get married and immigrate. You need to now apply for a fiancé visa as they take several months to process. Once the approval is given you can come and get married.  Otherwise, if you enter the US on a tourist visa and get married, then try to stay, the process will be much more complicated.Answer #2: Your two options are to come to the US on a fiancée visa and get married within 90 days of yorur arrival, or get married before you come to the US and apply for a spousal visa. Believe it or not, the fiancée visa is usually the quicer visa, but I think the spousal visa has a few advantages (you may need to adjust status less after arriving in the US, but I’m not sure). If I were you I would start planning and apply for a fiancée visa now, and you should be able to get it granted in around the timeframe your looking at, depending on what country your from.

I’d say both are DIY territory if your at all competent with paperwork. I’d highly reccomend checking out www.visajourney.com where you can find several comprehensive step by step guides and answers tonjust about every question you could have regarding either visa.


Title: Just bought my first home and the septic is bad. What is my next step? Or, am I completely out of luck? [RI]

Question:
Thanks for taking the time to read.

I purchased a home approximetely 3 months ago. I used a VA home loan.

About a week after moving in, I had some issues with my septic. Water began to flood into the basement from where my washing machine pumps it's waste water, so I called a plumber. He asked me if I had a septic, and that the smart thing was to call someone to pump it out before asking him to come over, and assuming it was a plumbing issue.

The septic was then pumped out, and things were back to normal. However, it filled back up again about 3 weeks later, and water began to flow back into the basement.

I contacted my realtor and told her what happened. She and the man who did my home inspection came over and looked at the situation. She suggested to go after the "septic inspector." Someone had conducted a "town inspection" about 8 months before I bought the house... and he should of caught these issues.

Except, when I called him, I found out the town inspector's job is only to make sure the town is safe from my septic, and not to ensure that it is functioning properly for me. His inspection isn't even in great detail.

The town inspector then asked me what was done during my home inspection, what tests my home inspector did. I told him that there weren't really any particular tests, and that no he did not do those things. The town inspector told me it was my home inspectors fault.

I then contacted my home inspectors company and told them the situation, and that I wanted to put a claim through their insurance, because a new septic is 30 thousand dollars, and I cannot afford that.

They told me that, "we don't inspect septics, it isn't part of our contract." They then told me that my realtor or my home inspector should of referred me to their parties that could inspect my septic. Which, this was obviously never done or even brought up.

I am down to realizing it is either my realtor, or the seller who is at fault. I would have never have bought this place had I known the septic did not work properly and that there are issues within the leech field preventing water from leeching out of my septic properly.

I have not ran a load of laundry or dishes, or showered at all from my house in about a month.

I guess I would have to "prove" the seller knew about the septic beforehand, but how? I don't even know if my realtor is liable, but she didn't do a very good job looking into these things.

Because I have a VA loan, I thought there were more checks done... since the VA backs it. But, no one even looked into my septic before I bought it.

My home loan (my loan officer and his assistant) company is not returning my calls.

So, Reddit, what do I do next?

Answer:
 > I am down to realizing it is either my realtor, or the seller who is at fault

Couldn’t be the buyer?


Title: Mom was hit by a car on her bike riding through a crosswalk and was found at fault. (California)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You cannot ride a bike through a crosswalk. Vehicles look for pedestrians.  Sounds like the driver stopped then made a right hand turn when they determined no pedestrians were in the crosswalk.  I agree that your mother is at fault.


Title: Got my stuff stolen from my church.

Question: I bring my laptop and (very expensive) camcorder to my youth group every week to film an announcements show. It was in a silver backpack. I left it on the stage in our gym area. This was on Sunday. Monday morning, the cleaning lady saw it. Monday evening, some guys come to play basketball and practice their, next day the pack is gone. So you can pretty much guess what happened. We've told the coach, and we've also told him that by Wednesday if we haven't found or heard anything than we'll file a police report but you can guess how much they care about a laptop and camera. According to my state law you could get 5 years in prison and $10,000 fine for a theft like this, but I don't want to pres a charges, I just want my crap back. Any advice?

Answer:
 tl;dr I left my expensive stuff lying around for days and -surprise- it's gone!Answer #2: File a police report, get a record of the incident. Hope like hell it turns up.

Technically, you don't get to decide whether to press charges. The state decides that. With the amount of evidence you currently have, no state is going to do that.


Title: My wife just got fired. 5 weeks ago she told them she was pregnant. Does she have a case or should we move on?

Question:
So a bit of background. My wife finished school and started working in the middle of January. Everything was going good and then Valentine’s Day she announced she was pregnant. She told her boss in private and could tell her boss wasn’t happy about it even though she told her she was going to come back after the baby.

Since then work has become totally different. She was called into a meeting with the owner and the manager about her “performance” not being up to par. She was 1 month into her brand new career. She obviously was still learning. In this meeting she found out no one even told the owner my wife was fresh out of school with no experience. Then everything got even worse.

Last Friday she got a formal letter about her performance. They basically said she needs to take initiative to meet with the owner twice a week to discuss office operations. We spend two hours analyzing the wanting and writing a lengthy email to the owner asking her to clear up some of the guidelines in the warning and make her expectations clear. On Monday my wife sends the email and gets no response from her boss. They meet Monday and it goes well.

Today my wife receives her last check and is fired for not fulfilling the guidelines set before her a literal week ago.

Should we even bother speaking with an employment lawyer? Or can the company pretty much fire her cause they feel like it?

Answer:
 > Or can the company pretty much fire her cause they feel like it?

In 49 of the 50 states, they can fire her because they feel like it.  In the 50th, they more or less can, as well.

They cannot fire her **for** being pregnant.  They can fire her **while** she's pregnant.  In order to have a case, you'd need to prove that the firing was **because** she was pregnant, and not for other reasons.

Given that she's only a few weeks into the job and had been counseled for performance that might be tough.


Title: Neighbor causing water to pool around property.

Question: So, I am 21 y/old, living with my parents in Merced, Cali. We have a 4 acre property in which my parents have a little farm going. In the property is a small ditch/canal thingy that was there when we bought it, running across our property to our neighbors.  That neighbor, decided to fill in their ditch/canal, which prevents water from running through our property during heavy rain, causing the water to pool up in a part of our property, killing 3-4 of my fathers tree, and many other vegetables which they sell at local farmers market, which is our main form of income. My father wants to sue either the county or our neighbor, but when he went to complain to the county about the situation, was told that it was a civil matter. I know next to nothing about legal stuff regarding this particular matter and my father isn't that fluent in english, so any advice would be helpful in regards to whether or not we have sufficient grounds to sue our neighbor or the county.

Answer:
 Modifications to terrain that negatively impact the drainage of nearby properties are generally prohibited.

You'll have to consult with a real estate attorney. These matters get insanely complicated very quickly. Any proof (old pictures and the like) of the property beforehand will help you substantially.Answer #2: Did the county approve the alteration to the water drainage? If they did, sue them both and let the judge decide, if it was unapproved sue the the homeowners.

Also, have a real estate lawyer find whatever case law specifically states the fourth bullet point in the link below (I can't find it).

http://cityofsolvang.com/documentcenter/view/319

You will not be in small claims, your damages are 3-4 mature tree replacement values (get a certified arborist in to certify them dead, the cost to replace will be tens of thousands), lost vegetable sale income (I hope you claim it on taxes), and any other costs you incur to set the land back to exactly the way it was before. Get a real estate lawyer ASAP.

Not a lawyer.Answer #3: Real estate attorney for sure.

Google Earth has historical imagery, you can roll back the date. This might be useful evidence.

If your neighbor doesn't want the creek, perhaps he can be convinced to put in a culvert (at his expense, of course).

Playing the other side, California rainfall has been far above normal during the past few weeks. He could argue that the damage is an act of nature.


Title: I suspect foul play in my grandfather's death

Question:
USA, Massachusetts

My grandfather passed away and I think that my family was involved in his death. I have asked my family for a death certificate and they are avoiding it. They claim that he died on 11/28 and the funeral has taken place so there should be one available. I believe that he has a will with myself listed as the benefactor and that my family is trying to steal my inheritance. They have kept him hospitalized for the past several years and I have had no contact with him. I suspect that they have given me a false name so I am unable to search any records.

My questions are:

1. Is there a way to find his real name?

2. How can I get a copy of his will?

3. When should I report my suspicions to the police?

Answer:
 > Is there a way to find his real name?

You're positive he was murdered and you're the benefactor of his will but you don't know his name?

As is, most wills have to go through probate.  Contact the county he died in or lived in and see about getting records from the probate court.  You may also be able to get a copy of the death certificate, if applicable.


Title: Landlord upstairs smells weed but um bit smoking inside. Can I be evicted?

Question:
I go outside for a walk whilst I smoke, and usually vape. However this time I decided to use a joint, and I can overhear him talking/arguing with his wife about how its all he can smells. I'm wondering if this could get me evicted, or some sort of consequence.

Sorry if the formatting is weird, I'm on mobile.

EDIT: I haven't read the fine lines of the lease agreement, I'm living with my grandmother right now, I'm 17 and she signed the lease agreement. I did take a long walk, that's the thing. This is the second time he's smelled it. Last time I talked to him, he said mentioned that there's a big back yard, and that I can go for a walk. This is where I feel that explaining that I went for a walk would be the best thing, but I wouldn't know where to go from there.

Answer: You can repeat the same thing over and over again, but the fact of the matter is when you and your grandmother are in jail, it does not matter what the lease says. Answer #2: Yes, you can be evicted, and more than likely, he will call the police. Answer #3: most leases prohibit the use of illegal drugs.


Title: Sellers didn’t fix everything they agreed to fix before closing

Question: I want to start with saying that I understand this is my fault for not thoroughly checking everything before the actual closing. But to keep the story as short as possible I closed on my first house yesterday, during negotiations the sellers agreed to fix all of the electrical issues in the house that were found by the inspector. One of the issues was the light in the garage not turning on when the switch is flipped, which the inspector indicated might be an issue with the wiring. This light specifically was one of the things listed on the agreement but when I did my final walk through the day before closing I was so focused on the interior of the home that I completely neglected to check the light in the garage. I discovered that it still wasn’t working last night after I had closed and got the keys. If it’s just something minor like the bulb being burnt out I will just fix it myself but if there is an issue with the wiring is there a way for me to force the sellers to pay for it even though the sale has already gone through? I’m in Missouri if that changes anything

Answer: Change the bulb and report back.


Title: Friend threaten to sue over disability income.

Question:
Nebraska )

I gave them 30 days notice to leave the house we both are staying in.

I have a friend in the process of getting disability for the first time. They explained if they move while in the process of getting disability. They will have to start it all over from the beginning. Then threaten to sue me over any lost income because of the move.

Is this possible to be sued over ?

Answer:
 Your friend is either flat out lying to you or mistaken. If you change states mid application then things become complicated because decisions are made on a state level.

But just changing towns or apartments or whatever shouldn’t be a problem. They just have to call and update the information. They might even be able to do it online. It definately doesn’t require beginning the process all over. Answer #2: People that are homeless/transient/couch-hopping are able to apply for disability, you just need to ensure you have a means to receive documents by mail. They can set up general delivery at their post office if they are really concerned about it.


Title: I was hit by a car in a crosswalk while bike riding.

Question:
This happen in BC Canada

&#x200B;

I was riding at a pretty slow speed toward a crosswalk outside a elementary school when i saw a car approaching the stop sign/crosswalk i wrongly assumed they would stop as i could see their entire windshield(i assumed they saw me).

Then i notice they were not stopping so i stopped but they were also turning into me and drove over my front tire with their front right tire, flinging me off the bike.

I was pretty stupid as i didn't get any info from people around and only got the drivers phone number(i was embarrassed and in shock).

I do have pictures of my scrapes and bruises. And the damage to my bike.

I have contacted the driver and she doesn't want to pay me more than 250$ for a new bike. I got mine at Costco a long time ago and don't remember how much it was but bikes at Costco now are around 450$ so i expect her to at least give me that. But when i called her she claimed i drove into her door as she was going through the stop, when i have clear evidence that she drove over my tire since its bent to the shape of a car tire, and the frame is practically bent.

I have started the process of filing a claim with the insurance agency.

&#x200B;

I honestly didn't want to gouge her until she lied about what happened and implied it was my fault.

&#x200B;

How much do you think i should ask for or what should my next steps be?

&#x200B;

Thanks!

Answer: It's illegal to ride a bike on most sidewalks and crosswalks. You need to thank the driver for not seeking damages from you. Source: https://www.icbc.com/road-safety/sharing/Pages/cycling-safety.aspx


Title: Working for free due to worker's comp

Question: I'm posting this on behalf of a friend. The location is Indiana. I (and my friend) work at a small family entertainment business (arcade, miniature golf, cafe) with about 30 employees. My friend and a third employee were horsing around while cleaning, and my friend accidentally sprayed the third employee in the eyes with disinfectant from a spray bottle. I (as the shift manager) told the third employee to clock out and go to the ER to make sure he was OK. He ended up needing treatment, and because this happened at work, a worker's comp claim was filed. My friend was told by management that if he wants to keep his job, he'll need to work for free for enough hours to "pay off" the cost of the worker's comp claim. My friend is definitely in the wrong, but is this legal? What, if anything, can my friend do? Thanks for your help!

Answer:
 >if he wants to keep his job, he'll need to work for free for enough hours to "pay off" the cost of the worker's comp claim

Nope.

The cost of worker's compensation insurance is part of the cost of doing business.   Employers can never compel employees to pay for that kind of cost, even if the claim arose from their negligence.

If your friend is not paid for the hours he works, he can file a wage claim.   If he's fired for filing a wage claim, that's another claim (for retaliation).

The employer is welcome to fire your friend for horseplay or for injuring his co-worker.   But not for refusing to work for free.

&#x200B;


Title: Mom is getting me tickets

Question:
My mother got a DUI a few years back I’m always on her about not drinking and driving. (Since then she doesn’t drink as she used to just one or two beers here.) She got her license suspended. She put a car under my name, mind you I still don’t have my license. Every so often I get letters from the DMV or the city about a ticket for me under a car I don’t drive. My mother gets tickets and it bother me that it’s under my name. I don’t want it on my record and I don’t know how to clear this up.
What should I do ?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 One thing you can do is contest the ticket. Go into court at the appointed date and time and explain to the judge that you do not own the car, do not drive the car, are not licensed to drive, and never requested the car be put under your name.

If you're underage, that'll be even easier.Answer #2: Did you sign the title paperwork when she "put the car in your name?" If not, she may have committed fraud.

Bottom line here is that you need to report this to the police, regardless. She's driving on a suspended license, and either she has your car and is refusing to return it or she lied about it to avoid scrutiny.


Title: Messy divorce drama assistance

Question:
My boyfriend and I met at my last job. He started telling me about his wife and the more he told me the more I realized he was in a verbally abusive relationship with her (she was the abuser). She also has a plethora of mental issues and is always making a shit ton of drama over nothing and is basically human scum.

We have tried to get her to be civil with us and this is to no avail.

We are most likely having to go back to the lawyer to modify the decree because she is no longer able to provide for their daughter.

However on my end I am at my wits end with all of this whole situation and I wrote a four page single spaced letter venting my frustrations.

This woman has a documented case of being a bitch, being unreasonable and malicious on purpose. You can see if it his text messages we’re subpoenaed.

Much to my chagrin during our whole relationship my boyfriend has continued to take the high road (which i know is best but when someone continues to take advantage of you- i think it’s your duty to do something about it)

All I want is for her to know how I feel but i am concerned about legal repercussions.

Can I face any repercussions from sending an obscenity laden letter to her after all is said and done with the modification to the decree?

I have never contacted her before or anything. I just want to send my one letter anonymously.

Please advise.

Answer:
 Nothing good can come of sending her the letter you want.  There might be some good in drafting it printing it and then burning it, just as an exercise in venting, but sending it would be a bad idea.

The reason sending it is such a bad idea is this, custody of your boyfriend’s daughter is based on the best interest of the child, that takes into consideration, among other things, the household the child lives in (it’s unclear if you and the BF live together but regardless I’m going to assume you are around a decent amount).  The ex will use such a letter to argue two points, 1 - you are a poor influence on the child who can not control emotions and more importantly 2 - you and your BF are engaged in parental alienation and are trying to prevent the daughter from having a positive relationship with her mother.  Would these arguments go anywhere?  Hard to say, but they would certainly make your BF’s life more challenging.

So would you personally face any legal repercussions?  Probably not unless you made an actual threat.  But that doesn’t mean this is a good idea.


Title: Is it legal to defend yourself from an active shooter by using another as a human shield?

Answer:
 No, it isn't. You'd be looking at something like reckless endangerment, manslaughter, or if there's any hint of intent, murder.

Necessity defences don't cover any of those crimes.


Title: Need help. My friend got cheated on and divorced. They are splitting the house. But now she wants way more.

Question:
Hi would love some advice for my friend who doesn't have a reddit account and it so sad to ask him self. My friends wife cheated on him and asked him for a divorce because she felt she needed to experience life "hook up with boys and party" They have a kid together and a house. They are selling the house and splitting it, this is in vancouver BC. He also owns a property in the UK with his brother, He owned that way before her and my friend met. She now is saying that he has to pay her half of what that property is in the UK is worth.

He hasn't talked to a lawyer yet. And I am going to suggest he does. But for somewhat peace of mind, I'd love to hear what you guys have to say.

Answer:
 if he was paying for the property while they were married, she might be entitled to half of that value. if the property increased in value while they were married, she might be entitled to half of that value. contacting a lawyer is the best option.

wife seems like a real piece of work. have your friend hire a good lawyer.


Title: [Indiana] Arrested for public intoxication and fake id

Question: I was arrested for public intoxication the other night and spent the night in a local jail and bailed myself out the next morning. The thing is I am a 20yr old and the cops ran the fake id I had so all of the information they have for me aside from my name is absolutely wrong and from a whole other state. How should I proceed? I bailed myself out using a personal credit card if that makes a difference.

Answer: Call an attorney Monday and do what they say. Don't talk to the police until or unless your lawyer tells you to


Title: If an employee gives their boss a doctor's note, can the boss call the doctor to verify it?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 They can verify if the note is real - that is, they can verify that the note was written by the doctor (or office) whose name is on it.

That's about the extent of it though (at least in the US - it may be different in other places).


Title: [OH]Nephew's identity stolen by parent

Question:
Background: My nephew is 17 yrs old and lives with my parents. His mother stole his identity (mortgage in his name) and his father/my brother is not so involved. My parents don't really know how to handle the situation. I've looked up various resources online to figure out who to report the fraudulent activity to.

Question: Will it be easier to resolve the situation before he turns 18 or after? What would be some good steps to resolve this in a mildly easy way?

Anything would be extremely helpful to this situation. Thank you.

Answer:
 Call the police immediately.

Also, contact the banks, etc. where the loans are and begin disputing the fraudulent accounts. Pull a copy of his credit report to see the extent.

Getting a mortgage is an exhaustive process- they would have had to prove income for your nephew, and employment, and a lot of other things before they could do that.  I'd be surprised if they were able to get away with that.


Title: [US, Pennsylvania] truTV stole my YouTube video

Question: truTV used my YouTube video for their tv show "Greatest Ever" without authorization. My video was published November 2014 and have received 60,000 views withing the 2 months. The episode with my video aired at least a month ago. I have never licensed this video anyone in any capacity. What can I do?

Answer: Get an intellectual property lawyer and sue.Answer #2: YouTube may have licensed it to them. Chances are that some other aggregator did though. You'll want to register the copyright on it with copyright.gov and also get an attorney to approach TruTV (and/or [Meetinghouse Productions](http://www.meetinghousetv.com), the production company that makes "Greatest Ever") for compensation. (Meetinghouse has a video submission form on their site so someone else may have submitted your video to them, claiming authorship.)


Title: Father is abusing younger siblings (18, 14, 3) and I want to report to police regarding domestic abuse and him being an illegal immigrant. What happens to the belongings in the house? Lease is his.

Question:
My mother, listed siblings, and father live in a rented house. I know he’s on the lease but I don’t know if my mother is. I moved out 2 years ago, started living with my now-husband and support myself and only keep occasional contact with my mom. Basically we’ve pushed her for years to report him to the police/ICE and she’s refused to (using religious reasons.) she is also a victim. They got together when she was 17 and he was of legal age (18+). He has done all kinds of awful things to her (abuse, blackmail, fraud, etc.)

Now I want to report him to the cops/ICE, but I don’t know what will happen to the house and my mother’s/siblings belongings. They are visiting my maternal grandfather in a different state for a week (leaving Sunday morning) and I planned on calling as soon as they are on the plane. This is my only opportunity, because she can’t try to convince the cops to leave/try to undo or prevent it from happening.

I’d like to know what the general process of events would be. I live in a city 20 mins away from them. Would the police come to my door? How long will it take to get him out of the country/jailed (I don’t know which would happen.) What will happen to the belongings in the house? He’s committed a lot of tax fraud in recent years, owes money to the government, etc. Somehow he’s gotten away with it and managed it. I can answer any additional questions anyone has. I don’t know who to talk to about this and nothing I found online has helped me. Thanks.

Answer:
 Presumably, if your father went to jail the landlord could give your mother the opportunity take over the lease.  At the moment, their belongings should be the least of your concerns.  Please don't hesitate to call CPS and report that your siblings are being abused by your father.

Unfortunately, no one will be able to tell you how quickly things will happen once you call CPS, the police or ICE.  You should call anyway.  When you file a report with the police regarding domestic violence or tax fraud, they may decide to open an investigation and contact your father, mother and sibling for interviews/statements.  Without the support of your mother, who could file for a restraining order on behalf of herself and her children, it might be difficult to have your father removed the situation immediately.


Title: Ex-family plots to take the entire business from wife

Question:
Delaware

this is an insanely intricate case. there has been an ongoing legal battle since early summer 2014 but it has stayed within family court. i am not the victim and will write the following post in that fashion; referring to peoples as wife, husband, husband's family, etc...

first, i will provide some important details

* husband and wife have been married for 4 years.
* husband's grandmother lends grandchildren money through her trust as a mortgage to husband and wife's LLC. husband and wife both personally guarantee the debt. the mortgage contains no repayment schedule only that the amount must be paid by a set date. the money is used to buy a building and create a restaurant. all restaurant equipment and innards are purchased by the LLC. payments to husband's family were made by husband, in random intervals for random amounts of money.
* restaurant opened october 2013
* husband is head chef
* wife is head of the front of house
* husband is verbally abusive and at times physically abusive
* husband and his kitchen staff are close friends
* husband abuses drugs and alcohol
* kitchen staff abuses drugs
* husband is believed to be a chronic liar
* husband is believed to have some sort of mental illness (rage/bipolar) or it could stem from drug and alcohol abuse
* husband's grandmother, the owner of the trust of which money was lent, dies from Alzheimer - family knew of deteriorating state when money was lent. the family did not know how fast grandmother would deteriorate but expected to move her to an advanced care nursing home around the time when money was lent.

second, i will provide an outline of important events in 2014

* march - wife legally separates by moving from husband
* april - husbands family ask wife to stop worrying about paying bills and the financials, to just handle keeping the restaurant full and instead husband's father assumes the role of accountant and appoints a bookkeeper to handle the books and pay bills.
* july - wife files for divorce
* october 9 - $25000+ worth of embezzlement is found by wife - an employee was getting checks somehow and forging wife's signature. the convicted employee implicated husband as "taking care of me" then quickly asked for an attorney. wife seeks guidance from her family court attorney and is guided to file a PFA against husband for verbal/physical abuse and abuse of company money. PFA hearings are delayed and an ex parte is granted by court and husband is removed from the premises until PFA hearing. an interim stipulation is agreed upon that keeps husband out of restaurant from october 30 - january 1. it is agreed upon within this PFA that the building will be listed for sale by december 1.
* october 30 - husband is removed from business and has the rest of his close-friend kitchen staff quit as well.
* november/december - talks with husband via phone are messy. husband constantly delays contacting the agreed upon listing agent and is constantly combative and uncooperative. husband is leading wife on. december 1 comes around and no listing agent is agreed upon due to husband's lack of cooperation. husband acts as if wife is the enemy. wife cannot trust anything husband says as everything turns out to be proved false by some other source.
* december 11 - husband's grandmother, the owner of the trust of which money was lent, dies from Alzheimer.
* december 12 - husband's family sends a notice to foreclose, the remaining debt, in excess of 1 million is due by january 5. the manner of the foreclosure is unknown. no information as to the intricacies of the foreclosure is given. husband is very suspicious in talks with wife, alluding to the fact that husband knew of the intent to foreclose long before, as early as october when he was first removed from the business and also the fact that he had been speaking with the foreclosure attorney with his family. husband refuses to fight the foreclosure with wife. husband alludes to the idea that the business is already his family's. in the mean time husband has still refused to sign listing agreements
* late december - husband finally agrees to sign a listing agreement by lying to the listing agent that he and wife agreed to 1.5 million, while the wife wanted a higher number. wife signed the papers anyway as it would most likely be arduous coming to any other agreement with husband.
* late december - talks between husband and wife get even worse. husband wants the business closed until may 1. husband also states, "i will do anything i have to do to make sure the restaurant closes" when he comes back january 1, when the interim stipulation completes, if the courts do not rule to extend the stipulation
* january 1 - the interim stipulation keeping the husband away from the business completes and the judge has not yet ruled for the motion to extend (which will now occur on january 12).
* january 2 - husband returns to the restaurant and seems civil. husband and wife speak civilly.
* january 3 - husband returns to restaurant disturbed and aggravated, entering the kitchen and taking items without notifying the staff (new staff since october 30 when the husband left with his close-friend kitchen staff). husband gets into altercation with new head chef.
* january 4 - staff begins to quit due to husband coming back to the restaurant and creating tension. husband's family and friends spread rumors that the restaurant is now closed. staff admits that they do not want it to be like it was during the summertime.

what course of action should be taken? as it was since november, the wife wants to sell everything, pay the family back and be finished with the whole ordeal, although she would appreciate what she deserves for building the business and working this hard to keep it alive, despite low-blow attacks like husband's family foreclosing out of malice and having to deal with husband's physical and verbal abuse pre and post divorce.

although selling seems like the logical answer, it has been made clear that the family's intentions are not to allow a sale and instead, foreclose, take everything and reopen with only husband, even if it means starting a new restaurant with a new name, hence bankrupting the current restaurant.

I suppose it is important to note that the husband's family's cashflow is unending. The Lawyers that are being dealt with are ludicrously expensive, even just to talk to about ideas and options. At this point, any and all information is appreciated, regardless if it's thought to interfere with the current case.

there is enough information regarding this case to fill a book, but i tried to keep it short and sweet. i apologize in advance for any grammar mistakes!

Answer:
 > this is an insanely intricate case.

Then you should really go get an attorney.


Title: [NJ] Doctor won't sign immunization form

Question:
I got accepted to college and now must provide them with a form documenting my immunizations. On the form it says "DO NOT SEND IMMUNIZATION RECORDS; USE THIS FORM ONLY!" and it needs to be signed by a doctor. I went to my old pediatrician since he is the one I got all of my immunizations through, and he won't fill out the form. He gave two reasons:

I don't have a HepA vaccine, and thus my immunizations are "not complete." Although on the form it clearly says HepA is an optional vaccine and not mandatory for attendance.

Secondly is that I haven't had an appointment with him since 2015, and he says now it's too old for him to sign off on it? It's not asking if he thinks my immunizations are up to date, it's only asking for dates of immunizations, and a signature. I assume if there's anything missing from my immunizations that the school requires they'll let me know and I can handle it between now and when classes start.

Is it legal for my doctor to not sign off for this? If so, could I have my records transferred to another office and then given through that? I honestly have no idea what else I would have to do other than trying to handle it through my school at this point.

Answer:
 > Is it legal for my doctor to not sign off for this?

Yes.

> If so, could I have my records transferred to another office and then given through that?

Sure, if you find another doctor willing to do that. Many might not be.


Title: Forced to have sex against my will by gf of 2 years. What should I do? (San Fran)

Question:
I dated my gf for 2 years and she has been emotionally manipulative by isolating me from my friends and family. She accuses me of cheating on her (when I never have) and looks through my cell phone. I don't text or call people too often in case my gf gets the wrong idea. If she sees me smile at my phone because I read something funny, she immediately snatches my phone to see what I'm looking at.

I've been on antidepressants for several months because I don't really have anyone to talk to about this. I wanted to break up with my gf many times but she always threatened suicide. As a suicidal person myself, I know how it feels so I stay for her sake. My family lives across the country so moving back would be really expensive and difficult anyway.

Since I'm taking meds, my sex drive has been shit. We have sex maybe once a week because I can't get in the mood.

A few nights ago, my gf tried being romantic. I got hard but I was too tired from work (I'm in accounting) so I apologized and told her maybe over the weekend. She was sad at first but then got angrier as she realized she couldn't persuade me.

She climbed on me naked and kissed me. I broke the kiss and tried to tell her nicely that I had special plans for her on Valentine's Day if only she would wait a few days. She scowled and slapped me (I'm used to that now. She is very physically abusive as well) and said that I was a shit boyfriend.

She then started unbuttoning my pants. I tried to grab her wrists and told her firmly that I didn't want to have sex. She glared at me so I let go. That's when she scratched my face and unbuttoned my pants completely. I was in shock because she had punched me many times but never scratched my face before.

She lowered herself on me and started bouncing. I was about to push her off when she punched me in the chest which made me gasp. I shoved her off after that. She cried and said I didn't love her anymore. It was the same old bullshit cycle.

This isn't a BDSM relationship by the way. She is just an abusive person.

Nothing has really changed between us except that I'm starting to resent her more than ever. I have a lot of student debt so my savings are too meager for me to move out somewhere else in SF. We have lived together for a year and split the expenses.

Is there anything I can do legally about the rape?

Answer:
 > Is there anything I can do legally about the rape?

If you were raped, you can call the police non emergency line and file a police report. Answer #2: >she always threatened suicide.

This generally a manipulation tactic.  Don't talk to her about breaking up, just break up.  If she threatens suicide, call 911 and leave when the emergency responders get there.  Don't go back to her.

You can file a police report regarding the conduct.


Title: How does a 5150 work across state lines?

Question:
First, a little back story. This takes place in California. In March of 2015 I was suffering from a bout of depression. I admitted to my mother that I was contemplating suicide, and that I needed to get help. So she took me to an ER where I voluntarily underwent psychiatric evaluation.

After the initial evaluation, the psychiatrist recommended I stay at the hospital's mental health ward to receive additional psychiatric treatment, which I again agreed to do voluntarily. It turned out their ward was full, so I needed to be transferred to another institution. However, she told me that in order to transfer me from one hospital to another that I would need to be placed under a 5150. At the time I didn't question it and agreed. When I arrived at the new hospital, they notified me that this was in fact incorrect, and there was no reason for her to have put the hold on me to transfer hospitals.

So I stayed in the other institution for about a week and was released. I've been taking medication and receiving CBT since, and I'm doing much better. It's over a year later, and I'm moving out of state to North Carolina in a month.

One of the restrictions of the 5150 was that I cannot own or purchase a firearm for 5 years after release from the hospital. I've grown up around guns, and I've been going hunting and target shooting my whole life. While I realize why this restriction is in place, I'd like to either gain my right to bear arms back or expunge the 5150 from my record under the grounds that I was voluntarily seeking mental care the entire time, and was mislead into believing the 5150 was necessary to transfer to the other hospital. The ER psychiatrist didn't force me to go to the second hospital, saying it was up to me, so I don't believe it was a fair thing to do.

Now my question: Does anything change when moving across state lines? I was on the [calgunlawyers](http://www.calgunlawyers.com/youre-not-crazy-the-system-is-restoring-firearm-rights-after-a-5150-hold/) website which stated that this restriction is only in California. If nothing changes, do I need to fight this in court in the state of California, or is it something I can take care of when I get to North Carolina?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Answer:
 Gun purchase laws are federal, so I'd expect that it won't matter where you are.  You'd have to disclose the 5150 on the registration application.

I suspect that the psych at the ER thought you would change your mind if you left.  I have no idea if you have any legal leverage to make the 5150 go away.


Title: [PA] Missing mail, threatening notes, drama, a battle of wills, and amateur revenge from both parties. Am I obligated to accept junk mail?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If it's or current resident, it's your mail and we have to deliver it.Answer #2: So your plan is to continue to escalate a war with the person who delivers your mail?

Not legal advice but find a way to resolve this before you start missing mail you can't do without.


Title: I'm confused about my student loan debts (CO, USA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Your wages are going to be garnished; you can't stop that. They gave you some options to avoid this, but it doesn't sound like you made this a priority- not judging you here, this stuff is incredibly depressing and people tend to ignore it until it explodes.

Start here. http://www.consumerfinance.gov/students/

Call the CFPB and ask a ton of questions. You don't have a complaint, but they are able to provide free, non judgmental advice. You may also want to take this to the r/ studentloans sub.


Title: Bank did not charge me for money order, am I required to pay them for it now?

Question: I bought a money order to pay the deposit on a lease last Friday. Today the person I dealt with at the bank left a message and told me to call then back. Quick glance at my account shows me that they charged me 900$ less than the money order was for. Before I give them a call back, do I have to pay them? The money order has already been given to my landlord.

Answer: Of course you do. You don't get $900 of free money because of a clerical error. If your bank only put 75% of your paycheck into your account, you would expect them to give you the other 25% as soon as the error was discovered, wouldn't you?


Title: Removing nonbiological father from birth certificate - PA

Question:
When my friend was pregnant 5 years ago, she started dating a second guy (not the father) that she'd known for years.  She gave birth as a single woman and this second guy agreed to be listed as the father on the birth certificate.

Well, 5 years down the line, things have fallen apart but he is the only father the kid has known.  They never married.  She's tried sharing custody with him without having to go through court but he's been secretive about his life and what he does a the kid.  She's come to find out that he's left for "boy's weekends" when he was supposed to be with the kid and left the kid home with the girlfriend (that he is planning on marrying) and that the girlfriend seems to be doing the majority of childcare, even when he is home.

My friend thinks she made a huge mistake in allowing the him to be on the birth certificate and allowing his name to be used for the kid's last name.  She wonders if she can change any of that now?  As in remove him from the birth certificate and change the kid's last name to her own.

Answer:
 I think the first lesson is not to put a non-bio parent on the birth certificate unless legally adopted. That’s the point of this document. And a dangerous and immature way to handle the situation.

But, that doesn’t help you today. Because he is on the birth certificate it doesn’t matter that he is the non-bio parent. Until a paternity test is administered (likely by the court) the father has full custodial rights. If no test is taken, then she’d have to terminate his rights which is considerably harder given that he’s been in the kids life since birth. She needs to have a test taken.

Call a lawyer in your state and figure out the next step - probably a paternity test at her cost. I assume this guy won’t pay if he wants to be on the kids life. He may not be willing - which is why I mentioned the court may force him.

Having said all that - the court will do what’s best for the child. Maybe what’s best for the child is spending weekends with the only man he has known as a father.


Title: [MD] The pound came and took my dog away because of a false claim from my neighbor

Question: Basically what keeps happening is my neighbor keeps filing complaints that my dog is barking from 7am to 9pm even though the only time he goes outside is when I walk him. Now the pound won’t give me him back because this is the third time this has happened.is there anything I can do to get my dog back

Answer:
 Your post doesn’t make sense.  The complaint isn’t about how often your dog is being taken outside.

Is the dog barking all day? It sounds likely, if this is a third complaint.  Or are you suggesting they have all been false complaints?Answer #2: How did the pound get your dog in the first place? Did you voluntarily surrender him, or did they get some kind of court order?


Title: Can a company seek damages over a yelp review?

Question:
Hello, to preface this question I would like to fill you guys in. About a month or two ago, my girlfriend was checking out a new brewery that opened up that had a cupcake catering service. The cupcake company was based in the city and not affiliated with the brewery. However, later that night my girlfriend was subject to fraudulent charges on her card that she used. The woman taking payment for cupcakes was taking down card information on her phone (pretty suspicious), but my girlfriend went along with it even though the woman "was having trouble" putting in her information and that it was not working properly. After my girlfriend described the transaction to me, I postulated that it may have been her that stole her card information (pretty coincidental right?). I was not there, but I did take her word for it. Being someone who wanted to protect others from experiencing the same fraudulent charges, I posted a yelp review on the company's page saying to beware and use cash. They responded asking for an apology or that they would seek "damages". How would they even seek damages from a yelp review where I told buyers to beware?
Edit: I'm in California

Answer:
 They can seek them, but they're unlikely to prevail.  Lots of companies threaten to take people to court over Yelp reviews but I've never heard of any case prevailing.

If it were me, and I'm not saying you're like me, I would copy the legal threat and add it to my review to show what kind of business they are.


Title: [Illinois] Land survey shows the plot line in the middle of the driveway

Question:
My dad passed away and left the house to my brother and I. We are looking into selling it, but a recent survey my dad had done showed the plot line between us and the neighbor is right in the middle of the driveway. (not across but along the length of it to a few feet before the garage) Dad kept saying the land was grandfathered in as his since he had been using it/taking care of it as a driveway for 20+ years.  He also said the neighbors who own the land can do nothing about it since they can't block our access the garage. These neighbors and my dad were not on the best of terms and they refuse to sell their property or even that small amount of the driveway to us.

My questions: Is this grandfathering in a thing? If it isn't, what can we do to allow us to sell the house?

Answer:
 You will likely need a lawyer. You will want to ask them about "adverse possession" laws in IL.

At a quick glance, if it has been over 20 years, and you don't already have an easement, you may have a claim.

If you do have an easement, get a copy of said easement and review what rights you do or do not have.


Title: My SO is receiving a large settlement and has been separated from her husband for 8 years but is still legally married to him. Does her husband have any claim to any of the settlement when the divorce is finalized?

Question: Pretty straightforward but just looking for some clarification. I'm in Washington state if that makes a difference. Thanks!

Answer: Settlement for what? (Yeah the category might be relevant here).


Title: (MA) Landlord/servicemen entered under false pretenses, toxic material left behind, no warnings.

Question:
Hey legal,

Our landlord sent servicemen to do "work in the bathroom" in our unit yesterday. We had a leak a few weeks ago, so my roommate let him in. Roommate left shortly after to work, leaving the servicemen to do his job. The job was never communicated to anybody; all of us were uninformed about what actually happened.

Unfortunately his job was completely unrelated to what roommate thought - they re-enameled our bathtub and now it's completely unusable for three days and our bathroom loaded with toxic fumes. Furthermore, no notice was left of this job nor warning about what was done. What are our options? We're worried about health issues concerning using our bathroom/being exposed to carcinogens because we have been using the bathroom and will need to use it. Thank you.

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, but have had dozens of tubs refinished...

1. The coating is an epoxy. It takes about 24 hours to cure, not 3 days.

2. Yes, it's a bit stinky. As long as you aren't spending hours in the bathroom immediately after it is sprayed, you'll be fine. Run the bath fan.

3. In order to refinish the tub properly, the tech needs to come back 24 hours after and recaulk where the tub meets the shower surround, and reinstall any hardware that was (or should have been) removed before spraying the epoxy.

4. It's pretty crappy that your landlord didn't specify the scope of work. Answer #2: Could you elaborate on the false pretenses part? You put "work in the bathroom" in quotes and mention what the roommate *thought* the work was for. Did the landlord or servicemen actually tell you they were going to fix the leak? Might your roommate have assumed?