Title: We don't have contact with inlaws, they have threatened to take us to court to see our daughter (Kentucky)

Question:
Basically we do not talk to my girlfriends parents. We own our own house, have jobs, and have a daughter. We tried many times to work things out with them and they just continued they're hateful ways so we told them we are done with them and will not have them apart of our lives. They then threatened to take us to court to get visitation rights or some bs. Her farther hasn't even seen our daughter in person. She is less than 6 months old.

I contacted a lawyer and he said that they were just blowing smoke and that is bs unless we were doing drugs or something around the child (we do not do drugs at all). It's just been such a hassle and pain dealing with them for so long and I'm trying to assure myself that there is no legal way for them to do this.

I also have recordings of her father threating me several times and other petty things they have done. Do they have a case?

Answer:
 Watch out for calls to CPS. It often seems like in these situations that they start calling to say you are doing drugs and harming the children. If CPS shows up be polite, be helpful and prove that you have nothing to hide. I know it sucks, but they are doing thier job. Build a good relationship with CPS so you can end the harassment early.Answer #2: The lawyer that you contacted seems to be pretty much correct to me. (NAL though) granparents rights are the unicorn of family law (everybody has heard of it but nobody has seen it due to it being so damn rare, like unfit parent (read: drug addicts, mental patiënts etc. etc.).Answer #3: In Kentucky, under some circumstances, [grandparents have rights to visitation](http://www.fsgattorneys.com/what-child-visitation-rights-do-grandparents-have-in-kentucky).  I'd rely on what your lawyer has to say. Answer #4: as they have never met the kid and you are not drug addicts there claim to see there grand daughter isn't there.

however somethings you should keep an eye out is CPS but also what you share on social media but most important of all is making sure the kindergraden staff properly understand who may and may not pick up your kids.


Title: My boyfriend and and I got arrested and I need some help. Was told to post this here.

Question:
I made this account just to try and get some advice on my situation and I don't really know where else to post this. Anyway, my boyfriend and I got pulled over last night and eventually both arrested. Him, for the first time and me for the second time. I was initially pulled over because my license plate lights were out. The cop asked me to step out of the car and asked if there was anything in the car, weapons, drugs etc. And I told him my boyfriend has his gun under the seat, but its legal because he has a concealed carry license. I did not, however, tell him about the gram of marijuana in my glove box, I was really scared. Anyway, I had a past charge for marijuana and the cop asked to search the car, and I said yes. My boyfriend had no idea the weed was in the car and wasn't freaking out as they searched the car. Once they found the weed, they assumed it was his and asked him where it came from, and he said he had no idea, which he didn't. When they asked me, I made the horrible mistake of acting like I didn't know where it came from. (I don't know why I did this, Im stupid) anyway, since neither of us admitted it was ours, they arrested and charged me with possession of marijuana, and charged my boyfriend with possession of marijuana and unlawful carry of a weapon (because the weed was in the car and I didn't say it was mine) As soon as I found out thats what he was charging my boyfriend with, i told the police officer the weed was mine. He replied with "too late for that" and took us both in. Ultimately, my question is, when my boyfriend goes to court, is there any possibility of his charges getting dropped if I admit the weed was mine? Do they have to find proof it was his to charge him if Im saying it was mine? My boyfriend has never gotten arrested and has a completely clean slate that i don't want to ruin, if i haven't already. Sorry if this doesn't make much sense, Im super hurried and stressed out. Thank you to anyone that can help and if anyone has questions let me know.
Also, we are located in Texas.

Answer:
 You both need attorneys. Different attorneys. He may or may not be able to get the charges dropped. But he will need an attorney to do it. Answer #2: Possession does not equal ownership.  Regardless of who the pot belonged to, it's a strong case for the prosecution to make out that your bf was in possession of weed and a firearm, which is a really big no-no.

Both of you get lawyers as soon as possible and listen to what those lawyers tell the both of you.


Title: Could the police convince someone they've been drugged with a "truth serum"?

Question: Placebo effect is sooo strong. If they implied that the person had been drugged and they confessed to a crime, would their confession be admissible in court?? Is that legal?

Answer: Personally I think suggesting the interrogator has surreptitiously drugged or poisoned the suspect would qualify as “shocks the conscience”.


Title: [OH] Mortgage brokers keep checking my credit report a year after I purchased a house.

Question:
About a year ago I was looking to get pre-approved for a home loan. My local credit union had a rate of 4.6% and an online lender had a rate of 4.5%. Not a big difference in the grand scheme of things but I plan on staying in this house for a long time, plus the online lender had lower closing costs. The day after putting my information into the online lender’s website, I get 3 calls and half a dozen emails from different lenders ready to pre-approve me immediately. Annoying but whatever. I ended up going with my credit union since it might end up only costing me a couple thousand dollars more at most, since I planned on paying far more than my minimum loan payment.

All that worked out and I bought a house last July. I would still get calls maybe once every month wanting to pre-approve me for a mortgage. I declined every time, telling them I already purchased a home.

Last month, I totaled the truck that I had for the last 7 years. I was going to be getting a different car in the near future anyway but this was a little sooner than I thought. Went to the dealership, found a moderately priced vehicle and decided to finance what insurance didn’t cover, which was about half. The dealership showed me my credit score and it was way below what I think it should have been. They were trying to get me to take a 13% loan. I balked, spoke with my dad and he cosigned a loan with me at 5.5%. Still weird my credit score was so low so I took a look at my credit report.

23 different lenders have run hard checks on my credit the last year with the last one being at the start of May. There were 8 from when I purchased my house then 1-3 every month since then. I had no idea how or why it’s happening. Obviously I didn’t authorize these checks. Would I have to sue to get these off of my credit?

Answer:
 Came to add:

Pulling credit without express permission is highly illegal. It happened at a dealership I worked at long ago (pulled on phone, no signature on the credit application) and we had to pay $10k to the aggrieved party.Answer #2: Each of these hard credit checks is a violation of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.  A company with which you have had no business dealings has no right to run a credit check on you.  If these companies are buying your name as a lead and running hard checks as a way of "pre-qualifying" you, they are likely willfully violating the FRCA.

Get a lawyer who has experience with this statute.  He or she is likely to advise you that you can sue them all.  Willful violations carry statutory damages of $1,000 per violation.  In addition, defendants who are found liable have to pay the plaintiff's attorneys' fees.Answer #3: I agree with the advice about freezing your credit.  One thing that everybody should be doing at least once a year is pulling their credit report. Here in the U.S., we are allowed one report from each of the three major credit bureaus  for free once a year. Means that one can get three reports, one from each bureau, for free each year. It's a federal law. There is another way to see what is going on with your credit, there's a site called Credit Karma, they can show you your score everytime you log on, and they have a wealth of info about credit. They will also help you with various things, such as finding a credit card, or getting your credit reports, and seeing what affects your score. Seeing your credit score does not hurt your credit.


Title: My copyrighted photos are going viral

Question:
I need some advice about where I stand for a lawsuit. I was a professional photographer, I took photos of a lovely family years ago and they paid for a personal copyright release. In the copyright release it says that I am releasing the photos for personal use and distribution.

Right now there is an article about the family going viral on many news sites. The articles are using the photos I took of them and it does not credit me, it only says that the photos were provided by the family. I do not want to include links in this post because I am afraid the articles will be taken down before I have a chance to take action.

I live in an area of the country without lawyers nearby or any resources at all, really.. in the middle of no where.
Any advice here would be very much appreciated, thank you!

Answer:
 > going viral on many news sites

The news sites likely have no idea who you are or that you took the photos. Have you tried to contact them to give you attribution?

As for copyright, presuming you do still have the copyright, the use of these photos can be "fair use" *if the photos are newsworthy* and used in news reporting. Here are some links discussing the use of photos in the news.

[...]

>*The federal Copyright Act provides an exception for “fair use of a copyrighted work . . . for purposes such as . . . news reporting.” To determine whether a use is “fair,” the statute provides four non-exclusive factors for courts to consider: (1) the purpose and character of the use, (2) the nature of the copyrighted work, (3) the amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole, and (4) the effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work. Moreover, a 1992 amendment to the Copyright Act specifies that fair use may apply even to an unpublished work.* [source](http://www.wileyrein.com/newsroom-newsletters-item-4433.html)

[...]

>*...the unauthorized use of a photograph is much more likely to be deemed a fair use when the photograph itself is newsworthy.* [source](http://www.photoattorney.com/is-the-news-medias-use-of-a-portrait-photo-fair/)

[...]

>*Under U.S. law, it is generally unlawful to distribute (or reproduce, publicly display, publicly perform, etc.) a copyrighted work without authorization from the copyright owner. However, there is a fair use exception “for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, . . . scholarship, or research.”* [source](http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnvillasenor/2013/06/22/copyright-infringement-and-photo-sharing-a-new-lawsuit-tests-the-limits-of-fair-use/)


Title: My life is in complete disarray because Zurich Insurance won't release my settlement money. Please Advise!!!

Question:
Here's the email I just sent to the highest ranking/most relevant  Zurich contacts I could find online:

Good afternoon. My name is           . I'm writing to you today out of sheer desperation. Over two months ago, while at a standstill, I was hit, hard, by a large SUV-one of your clients. My car was totaled and I've since been issued a total loss of approx. $3,700.

     Unfortunately I've not been able to obtain the settlement money and my life is now in complete disarray.  The rental through enterprise was cut off before I received the check, so the bill is on me including the cost of insurance. It came out to $1500, an amount I didn't expect to pay as I figured I'd receive a check within a week.

      My title is lost. In order to obtain a duplicate title I must pay some tickets on my car amounting to $400 and even that amount, at this time is difficult. After appealing to regional managers Jill Williams and Mike Snyder  to allow a proof of ownership or a DMV REG227 form with no luck I went to the DMV. I only had $400, or so I thought....Enterprise took it. They just went in and took it.  I appealed to them to reverse the charges so that I could pay my tickets, get my duplicate title and receive my check, so THEN I could pay them. They said, "No, and you still owe us $1,000."

Now I have 0$. I have no way to obtain my title. I don't know how I'm going to pay my rent. I can't buy a sandwich. All because your client backed up, too fast, without looking where he was going. I am certainly at a total loss.

Please help me resolve this.I know that some insurance companies as  a customer service courtesy will accept alternate forms. I know that it's possible. It's a million dollar company, it can do whatever it wants.  I am a good person. A hard working, independent, intelligent woman in Los Angeles. I need this money so I can continue with my life. And I assure you, I won't go away until this is resolved. I have no other choice.

End of E-mail.

It's been a really hard couple of months. The irony is at the moment I have an internship two days a week where I research for a documentary company, Brave New Films, that fights social injustice. At the moment I'm researching The Koch Brothers, ALEC, Americans for Prosperity etc. and compiling a list of financial transactions between politicians, corporations, think tanks etc. I spend a lot of time looking at large sums of money and the absurdity of how it's all functioning...and then $4,000 that I am owed and cannot receive stops my life. It's a nightmare.

I just need this check so I can continue on living my life!

Answer:
 They can't pay you for the car without proof that it's yours, no matter how much their client is at fault or how much you need the money. If you can't obtain proof that it's yours without paying the DMV $400, you'll need to get someone to loan you $400.

They certainly can accept proof of ownership that isn't a title, probably will, and might even have to. But the REG 227 form is an application for a title, so presenting it to them doesn't prove anything at all. Do you have some actual alternate proof of ownership?


Title: Mandatory reporter question

Question:
I am enraged at the moment, and I need to know, as a mandatory reporter, how to go about this.

I received knowledge of sexual child abuse from a youth group leader against a minor. The source is trustworthy (another adult) and I am obligated to report. However, this other adult is fearful of repercussions (supposedly, this adult is the only other person who knows about this) for reporting this act. As in, they fear for their life.

I don’t give a shit about his awful human and want justice for the child.

Here is the kicker- I live in a state different than the one where the abuser, victim, and crime happened. I became aware of the information second hand. How do I report this, and what evidence- if any- will I need?

Also, I am considering contacting the church with this information so that they too are obligated to take action.

Thank you for any guidance.

Answer:
 Do NOT contact the church unless you know without a doubt they will handle this responsibly. Contact the police that have jurisdiction, make a report, and tell them what you know, and who told you so they can verify it.

Legally, you are not a mandated reporter for people outside your state - GA simply doesn't have jurisdiction. Morally, if you don't say something, who will?Answer #2: Who is the other adult that knew and said nothing?  Is it a parent?  Child Protective Services will tell you that parents have no obligation to report sexual abuse committed by others to their child.  Does the child's parents know about this?  Have you talked to them?  Would they want to press charges?  Given that this was committed by someone who isn't a parent or guardian, you would need to report it to the police wherever it happened.


Title: I want to sue a particular forum

Question: A few users there have put my personal information and photos online there and are using the website to stalk and harass me and my wife. I asked the admin a few times to remove the content but he did not and encourages it. What can I do? I think I need to go a legal route. But I am not familiar with this. It is slander and uttering threats against my life etc. Its affecting me severely. I cant sleep at night or anything.

Answer:
 >  It is slander and uttering threats against my life etc.

OK.  A threat against your life is a criminal act.  And you would address slander in civil court.

But:

> A few users there have put my personal information and photos online there and are using the website to stalk and harass me and my wife.

Is neither.

How are they slandering you and making threats to your life?


Title: I work in a restaurant and make salary plus tips. Would it be illegal to tip myself massive amounts of money on a credit card, use the cash to pay off the card and make off with the CC cash back/rewards?

Answer: Does your employer report tips? If so that tip you tipped yourself would show up (again) on your W2. You would be paying tax twice on the same dollar.  It's also unethical and would likely get you fired.Answer #2: This violates the credit card agreements, generally.


Title: I own 61% of my Dad's stock and he wont give me my money. How do I get my money?

Question:
My Dad inherited my grandpa's stocks upon passing - i own 61% of the stock account under my dad's name but in writing. I want to get my cash so I can invest it under my name. He refuses to pay me until his house sells in 2 months time. Meanwhile that means I will keep suffering a failing stock. I will be paid in 2 months even if I wanted to keep it in the tanking stock fund, so it doesn't make sense to keep it in his control and name. How can I get my money from my dad??

Edit: He said NOPE to the idea of an interest bearing amount on a locked # of today's stock value until he pays me.
Washington State
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: Were you willed the stock--and your dad's acting as executor?Answer #2: This all hinges on your age and how far you really want to take this. How much in stock are we talking here?


Title: Could you call CPS on a parent who did not vaccinate their child?

Question: Just a hypothetical question that occurred to me.  If a parent is harming their child like that, is that a valid reason to call CPS?  And if so, is there anything they can actually do, or will it just be a stern word?

Answer:
 You could call, but it's not illegal, nor is it neglect from a legal stand point.  It's just stupid.

Also, there are a few medical reasons to not give certain vaccines.


Title: Can cops decide not to arrest someone because they don’t think the charges will stick?

Question:
(Trigger warning: sexual assault of a minor, alcoholism and a brief mention of death)

(Also this is my first time posting on Reddit so sorry if I do anything wrong 😅)

For context, I (19, F) was 9 when this situation happened. Growing up, I would have pretty intense nightmares so I would sleep in my parents bed more often than not. My bio dad was a severe alcoholic (and I think was a narcissist but he was never diagnosed or anything with it).

So one night, he goes to bed drunk (again) but this time he takes some kind of sleeping pill with it. Next thing I know, I’m waking up in the middle of the night to him touching me inappropriately. I try to get away but he’s holding me and is whispering into my ear. I luckily was able to wake up my mom and she was able to pull him off of me. The next day, I got interviewed by many different people, but the one I remember the most was two cops who came to my house that night to talk to each of us to get everyone’s perspective. They never did anything about him though, and while I’ve always wondered why, I never asked until a few months ago.

From what my mom told me was that the cops thought that the charges wouldn’t stick because there was “no intent to do what he did”.  I thought, and still do think, that it was kind of weird, and just wasn’t sure if cops could just decide that.

I don’t know much about the majority of the legal system, and I know I’ll never really get my justice (he’s been dead for years now and this wasn’t the only thing he’s done, just the only thing in this kind of nature). This question just has been on my mind for so long now and I have no one else to ask.

Thanks for reading, and I’m sorry, this was probably a stupid question 😅

Answer:
 Yes. Cops have discretion and so does the prosecution.Answer #2: Yes.

A person can be arrested, but then they have to be brought before a judge to be arraigned and charges have to filed for that (usually by DA).

In the case you describe, the solution would've been to go to the cops' supervisor or to the DA to get a case started.


Title: (FL) Another student and his mother want to sue me for defamation. Did I do anything that would be considered defamation or slander,etc?

Question:
It's a community college, we're all around the age of 25.

I'm ugly, most men wouldn't date me if I paid them. I'm used to it. I was waiting in line to speak to my advisor when a guy that's been in a lot of the same classes recognizes me, we'll call him Jerk.

Now, Jerk starts quietly speaking to his friend and pointing at me going on about how ugly I am, that my face is disgusting and they laugh and laugh. I give them a look and continue waiting in line.

Later that day I made a Facebook post:
"Remember if you say rude things about people in public they notice when you point and laugh, isn't that right Jerk?"

Jerk isn't on my friends list but he is on the swim team and I have friends that are as well. Jerk has a unique name that's not shared by anyone else at the college so it was obvious who I was talking about. One of his friends must have shown him the post.

This morning I was getting a few things sorted out in campus when Jerk and his mother approach me. Jerks mother claims she's a paralegal and that her boss is going to help her and Jerk sue me for defamation/slander.

Apparently since I made that post Jerk hasn't been able to get a date and his coach is thinking of kicking him from the swim team. They're placing all the blame on me, personally I think it's because he's a bully and an asshole and people are starting to realize that.

Answer: Truth is a great defense against a defamation suit. Your mother's boss is not going to help her sue you, so don't worry.


Title: I donated $50 to what I thought was a campaign for Wall Street reform. After doing more research later I find out that they are an alt-right anti-Semitic organization. Is it legal for me to chargeback?

Question: Per the title, I donated $50 to a fundraising group, and after researching their group name later I find out that they're an alt-right anti-Semitic group. I feel cheated that they misrepresented themselves (by not describing all their views) earlier. Is it legal for me to chargeback on my credit card?

Answer: No. A chargeback is not allowed because you changed your mind after finding out more information. It was a legit charge, even if you didn't know what type of organization it was going to.


Title: [NJ] Met a guy online, want me to be his sugar baby, I’m above the age of consent, I just don’t know if I’ll draw the attention of the IRS or anyone else with the money he wants to send me.

Question:
So, first off I’m sorry about the formatting, I’m on my phone, will try to make this a bit neater when i can get on my PC.

Alright so someone messaged me online saying they’re looking for a sugarbaby they can spoil, I said alright, I don’t have a problem with that, he was very up front with saying he wants to keep this strictly virtual. My question comes in regards to the money im getting, he did an online deposit of $1600 to show me he was serious, he’s offering $600 per week for me to just text him and develop a connection with him. Do I have to pay taxes on this? Is there any way I can get into trouble for this? I’m not doing anything sexual with him, (even if i was, since i’m above the age of consent i’d be good right) he hasn’t asked to meet me in real life or anything. Doesn’t know any addresses or anything like that. Any help would be appreciated [here’s](https://imgur.com/gallery/4JvbNEY) a link proving he deposited $1600 into my account. I’m doing this completely of my own accord, I just don’t want to get in trouble for anything.
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 Legally you're fine as long as you report the money as income and pay taxes on it.

I just want to say that I've never seen a situation like this end well. Proceed at own caution.


Title: Just found a sharpened metal tab in frozen food And almost injured self.

Question:
i was eating some frozen rice and found what appears to be a soda tab that has been cut in half and stretched out to be kinda barbed.  I did put it in my mouth but i noticed it before it could do any real damage.  I dont really want to take action, if anything i was going to give them a call and tell them so they could quality check and prevent someone else from eating one.  But just for the hell of it I was wondering if I could take action and if the payoff would be worth it.

Almost forgot, this happened in New Hampshire, bots wanted the local.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: You almost got injured. I think you are entitled to almost get paid for that.Answer #2: You have zero damages. Your lawsuit would get dismissed. Give them a call and let them know. Answer #3: You're entitled to be compensated for your loss, which is one frozen rice meal.


Title: A friend of mine is in need of help regarding child support and parental alienation

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > ex filled complaints at his job forcing resignation

This isn't supported by the story that follows.  It seems that he voluntarily resigned.  This tends to be looked upon by the courts as a way to avoid support.

He needs a lawyer to get this untangled.  He also needs to get the chip off his shoulder as it isn't helping.


Title: [CAN] Ex-employee being charged with fraud (stole >$50,000.00 over multiple instances of fake invoices/fake bills.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 > Can a person commit these crimes, ignore the court and leave the country without any recourse?

No.  She is allowed to leave the country if her bail permits it.  She will return and either get convicted, or won't be convicted, or will plead out.  If her bail doesn't permit it, or if she has skipped bail somehow, then a warrant can be issued for her arrest and the US would extradite her if she were caught.

> What would happen if I anonymously called her current employer and mentioned her criminal past? Is that illegal for me to do?

Sorry, I'm not Canadian.  In the US, it's not slander if you are truthful.  Canadian law is stricter.

Edit:  Have you sued her civilly for the money?


Title: Misdiagnosed at doctor's

Question: Hi everyone! Recently I was sick and had a bad flu along with an ear Infection. I visited my local doctor and within 5 minutes he sends me to the ER thinking I had meningitis. After only an hour I was released with the flu and an inner ear infection.  The ER doctor said it was obvious I did not have meningitis after looking at me for 10 seconds. I was hit with a 1k bill for this visit in which happened because my doctor misdiagnosed me with meningitis. Is there anything I can do to reduce this bill due to him misdiagnosing me? If my doctor just assessed me correctly It would only be $35. Who do I contact? How can I get help?

Answer:
 >Is there anything I can do to reduce this bill due to him misdiagnosing me?

No.  You need physical harm to sue for malpractice.

Doctors are wrong sometimes.  If they are overcautious and send someone to the ER and are wrong, the patient is mad.  But if they aren't cautious enough and you'd had meningitis, you could have died.  They are damned either way.


Title: Homeless Drug Dealer Requiring Eviction

Question:
I own an office complex in San Antonio, TX.  I allowed a homeless person to take shelter there.  Some time later, he tells me he's selling meth.  I told him to vacate immediately, he refused and repeatedly threatened violence.  I called the cops, and they pointed me towards the eviction process.

&#x200B;

I then served the notice to vacate incorrectly, as the copy I posted on his door was not in a properly marked envelope, and the notice that I'd slid under the glass door and watched him pick up when he refused to open the door, was not a personal delivery.  He has a lawyer, surprisingly, and this was pointed out to me.  The lawyer also wrote that the following statement is 'slanderous, libelous, and defaming' and that 'if this deliberately false and malicious accusation goes any further' that he will represent the tenant in seeking criminal charges against me:

&#x200B;

On June 1st, 2019, the tenant notified the landlord he is selling Methamphetamines.  The Landlord then gave oral notice to vacate the  premises, which was met by violent threats from the tenant, resulting in the police being called to the scene.

&#x200B;

I come to you because I apparently need help in my wording of how he directly told me he's selling drugs, and how that gives me cause for a 3 day vacate notice instead of a 30 day notice to vacate.

&#x200B;

Does something like this contain enough information in and of itself, without being libelous?:

&#x200B;

Due to the illegal acts by you or your guests, damage done by you or your guests, and violence or threats of violence by you or your guests, the Landlord hereby elects to terminate this Lease.

&#x200B;

Or am I doomed to 30 more days before the eviction process can start either way?

&#x200B;

I really appreciate your time and advice.

Answer:
 > He has a lawyer, surprisingly, and this was pointed out to me. The lawyer also wrote that the following statement is 'slanderous, libelous, and defaming'

NAL, but the last bit is almost certainly an empty threat.  Truth is a complete defense to defamation.

More generally, stop taking advice from your opponents lawyer.  It's entirely possible your notice was valid.

This guy has already wasted enough of your time.  Go get your own lawyer and let him or her take point on this.  It's almost certain that the tenant's lawyer will cut the shit the moment he's not dealing with a bumbling layperson.


Title: New salary law starts 2016. Company claims exemption from law!

Question:
This is actually for a friend of mine, but I'm closely intertwined with the circumstances. She works for a fast food chain as a manager making 455 a week. Starting Dec. 1 the new salary law kicks in, but the boss says she's exempt from that new law. I can't find any information to support the claim that she is exempt, should I find a lawyer?

Georgia
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: They are full of crap. This law was targeted at exactly her kind of job. (retail management).


Title: [MO]Dad being threatened with sexual harassment lawsuit by his male client for saying douchebag

Question:
  Long time lurker and poster but using a throwaway just in case.

 My dad and his client, Ken, have known each other for a long time doing business with one another.  My dad was at a Ken's store a few days ago and it was just my dad, Ken and his 2 employees who weren't close by. My dad and Ken were just joking around, usual guy talk and my dad said oh don't be a douche bag jokingly. Mind you, I've been there and heard Ken calling customers and my dad fuck heads and cunts.

 Well, today Ken had his general manager call my dad and flip out on him saying he talked to his lawyer and that is sexual harassment. He said he is willing to settle for $5k out of court and want's out of his signed contract for the entire year of 2018($30k) and still owes my dad $4k. He has threatened to go to my dad's work and either tell them or sue them as well if my dad won't pay him. His entire store has camera's but no audio.

 He recently texted asking if my dad will agree to the terms his employee related to my dad from their lawyer. My dad hasn't replied beyond trying to get him to repeat his possible extortion attempt in text. He has also gotten ahead of him and called his immediate boss and let her know right away.

 The guy has a lot of money(7 figures) between his stores and investments and crypto investments so he isn't hurting for cash. I have no clue why he is doing this and my dad's blood pressure and heart can't take the increased load from the stress. He's worried about losing his job =/

TL;DR: Dad was joking around with client and called him a douche bag. He is threatening that if my dad doesn't settle for 5k he will sue his work.

Answer:
 > He has threatened to go to my dad's work and either tell them or sue them as well if my dad won't pay him.

Sounds like extortion to me. Go to the police. The guy is free to sue but if all he has is that he said the word douchebag, he's going to have a rough time in court. Doesn't mean he cant try though. The chances he sues are pretty slim but if he does don't ignore it. Answer #2: That's not sexual harassment, and no lawyer would say it was.


Title: [NS, CANADA] [Immigration Law] Does my partner have a legal way to stay in the country?

Question: My partner is here on a student permit, and has already obtained a bachelor's degree. He decided to go back to school, forgoing the post-graduate work permit. He's about to be academically dismissed for the second time, which would render his study permit invalid, and also prevent him from working. He does not yet meet the minimum hour requirements for any class of permanent residency, but is employed at a company in his field. We were told he is unable to apply for a work permit from within the country, and if he leaves to apply from the US, he will not be granted re-entry. What are his options for legally gaining status here?

Answer: His only option is to return to his home country and either apply for a work permit or re-apply for school. Pretty unlikely honestly.


Title: Louisiana nursing home & filial responsibility

Question:
I'm an only daughter in Louisiana, 51 years old, and my elderly mother (also in Louisiana), age 77, suffers from long-term mental illness and now appears to have some kind of dementia.  She has been refusing to see a doctor or psychiatrist, so the only way to get her there would have been in handcuffs.  Actually we tried that 2 months ago but at the ER she acted all normal and they released her when she refused a psych evaluation.

Finally after a few months of getting worse and worse daily, she called 911 and got herself checked into a geriatric psych unit yesterday.  I have not been to see her but I found out where she was.

RELATIONSHIPS:
I have almost zero remaining relationship with her.  She has grown extremely abusive towards me - cursing at me and trying to punch me every time I see her.  I'm currently one of her triggers for psychotic behavior, so obviously I'm not going to try to visit her for at least a month so she has a chance to get better.  She tells people that I am beating her with a hammer, trying to steal from her bank account, trying to take away her house - all 100% invented stuff from her sick mind.  She is divorced and only had one child (me).  No other family that lives nearby or gives a damn about her, though that doesn't stop the family from ganging up on me and calling me every single day with a bunch of "You need to do this..." and "You need to do that..." advice and demands, sometimes calling one after the other, 15 minutes apart.  I'm getting calls at 6am, and 9pm...I'm considering changing my phone number.  Oh, and, the family doesn't know this, but my earliest childhood memory is of her trying to kill me and my father with a knife.  That's why they divorced.  Law enforcement wasn't called, we just took off and I didn't see her for a year.  I was six.  She didn't raise me, I was raised by other family and barely saw her (4 days each month, court-ordered).  When I was a kid she would threaten to punch me in the face, but then not do it.  She would also try to get me to do insane things (like hide from invisible/imaginary people she thought she could see).   She was never out of my life for any 10-year stretch (that matters in some states, for filial responsibility).  She would disappear for a week or a month but never "abandoned" me per se, just let other people raise me, with visits from her and some very minor financial support from her.

MONEY/ASSETS:
She earns $17,000 a year via her job pension and social security combined.  Owns (in her name) her own home worth maybe $75,000.  Has almost $3,000 in the bank.  I am not an authorized signer or joint account owner nor even a payable-on-death party to that account.  I have no access to get her money and pay her bills, not even the past-due electric bill or past-due credit card bills she has been ignoring (sum total about $1,000 due right now).  I don't have power of attorney, medical power of attorney, a will, a living will, anything at all in writing.  I don't even know her social security number.

HER CONDITION:
She is having serious trouble walking, bathing, etc., and often doesn't know what day it is or who is alive and who is dead, hears voices, etc. - totally obvious to any rational person that she can't care for herself, but, I don't expect healthcare institutions to act rationally.  She yells and curses at anyone who knocks on her door, including me.  She definitely needs to spend the rest of her life in an institutional facility of some type, from my perspective.

MY ASSETS:
My home is 100% in my spouse's name.  I own 2 run-down vehicles, each worth less than $5,000.  I have 401ks and IRAs totaling $100,000.  I have about $25,000 in investments that aren't protected in an IRA and can't be moved to an IRA till next year (I'm maxed out this year).  I earn $35,000 a year, my spouse earns another $38,000 a year.

QUESTIONS:

1)  Is that geriatric psychiatric facility going to come after me to pay her bills?  Will the nursing home, if they move her into a nursing home?  Do I need a trust to protect my own money, or is it already too late?

2)  Will the medical/psych facilities apply for Medicaid on her behalf, or am I supposed to do it?  I don't want to do it.  Paperwork freaks me out.  Also, I'm 95% sure she earns too much for Medicaid, by like $2,000 a year.  She could get spend-down Medicaid but with her in the facility, and me with no power of attorney, there is no way to make all that work out; no way to spend-down her money on her behalf.  I'm fine with Medicaid going after her estate, I don't expect to inherit a penny from her but what I don't want to see is a $250,000 medical bill in my mailbox.

3) I don't have POA so what about interdiction?  Yeah.  Big $$$.  Two attorneys each quoted me $5,000 from day one, and said I would get billed for their bill plus the court-appointed attorney for her would have to be paid (by me, either now or later).  My friend had interdiction done on someone in the family in a very similar situation and it took 27 months and $25,000.  I'm not really considering interdiction as a valid option, but what other choice is there?

4) Have there been any actual court cases dealing with filial responsibility in Louisiana?  I'm aware of the horrible situation for Pennsylvania residents.

5)  Could it be that many Louisianians are getting demands for payment for parents, and are just paying up, or working out payment arrangements so it never actually gets press as a court case?

6) How long will geri-psych hold her before trying to move her to a nursing home?  Or will they attempt to stabilize and return her to her own home?

7) Is there any reason to go see her?  I'm concerned that if I show up at this facility or at any facility they move her to, the facility is going to want to immediately know who I am so they can start trying to collect from me, and can sue me for the bills, etc.  Worse, they are going to want to try to release her to my care, which is not a workable solution for me obviously, because of her mental condition and inability to meet her own basic care needs.  Will completely staying away from the facility forever actually avoid those outcomes (being pursued for money, and being viewed as her next caregiver), or am I only kidding myself?
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer: Her assets will be given to the state after she passes more than likely if she uses medicare. For example, if her house is paid off the state will take ownership and sell it to recoup some of the money lost. You will not have to pay anything, but you likely will not be left with any of her money or assests after her death.


Title: What are the landlords rights as to coming in the house at any time?

Question:
My girlfriend [20, New York] wants to move out of her house because it is an abusive home physically and emotionally. Due to this she has been paying for herself since the age of 15. ( phone, school, food, clothes, etc)

The mother hasn't given her a cent since she was 15, and all her mothers money goes to her sister. (Once a week the sister comes over and their mom gives her 500$ because she's 30 with no job with a baby on the way)

Her grandmother owns an apartment building and gave the parents ownership of them. To later give to their daughters when they reach x age. Now she can move into the building at any time at the moment.

The problem is her mother is a raging drunk and loves to storm into her room to fight with her at her will. Can she do this because she's the landlord ( if we move into the apartment?)

My girlfriend is not financially stable enough to afford another housing option, and she is getting to the point where living in that home is not an option.

So my question is what rights does her mother have as a landlord, and if she does move into the apartment what is her mother legally and illegally able/not able to do?

Tl;DR - girlfriends mother is the landlord, what rights does she have to her apartment in regards of going inside, or banging on the door at 2:00 in the morning?

Answer: The issue you will have is asserting that it is a landlord/tenant  relationship and not a parent/child one.


Title: So we rescued a puppy...

Question:
So my roommates and I rent a 3 bedroom townhouse and recently contacted our landlord about adopting a puppy. He says at first that this should be no problem but he'd like to talk to an insurance agent first. A few days go by and we end up bringing our new puppy home thinking this should prove to be no obstacle since there is no pet policy on our lease agreement, and he's not a restricted or dangerous breed. The next day I receive an email saying that the dog can stay with these stipulations:

1. Provide a copy of renter's insurance with $300,000 liability and add our names as additional insured.

    2. If the dog is not potty trained, then, we need to replace the entire carpet, pad and paint the flooring and put the new pad and carpet. This will cost around $2500. Let me know if you can pay additional security deposit.

    3. The monthly rent will be increased by $50.

Basically we are very unwilling to meet any of these, however, I would like to be as agreeable as possible. Is any of this reasonable/legal and if so how should we proceed? Feel free to ask for more details and any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

Answer:
 Puppies are absolute adorable destructive monsters and they can absolutely do some damage.... but 300k worth? Unless your puppy is named Drogon, Rhaegal, or Viserion... and it's actually a dragon in a puppy costume, there's no chance you need 300k in liability.

With that said, pets aren't covered in the lease? Bring the little fire-breathing bundle of cuteness in your home and bask in the excessive frustration of raising a puppy.


Title: Child was exploited online- fbi might destroy phone- what can be done?

Question:
A child (under 10) had taken graphic pictures of herself and sent them to an online predator. FBI has the phone.   They told owners that sometimes if there are a lot of explicit photos of a minor on a phone, they will destroy the phone, rather than wipe it clean.

Phone is not paid off (it is only a few months old). If fbi destroys it, will they not reimburse the owner? Is there anything the owner can do?

Answer:
 No they wont reimburse you.

Consider the lost couple of hundred dollars better than the alternative.


Title: City Installed Drainage Pond 30 Yards from House

Question:
I live at the end of a cul-de-sac,  last year the city decided to put a drainage pond roughly 30 yards from my house. It took them almost a year of construction. During this time my pool had to be cleaned twice a day due to all the dirt and debris in the air. Since this has happened - a main wall in my house over the fireplace  has cracked, my pool has started to leak (the liner is pulling away everywhere), and two windows have randomly shattered.

I’m concerned that there are now settlement issues and my house is moving due to this construction.

During the construction, the workers were literally at the edge of my property digging and working on drainage. During this time, they broke a pipe a sprinkler pipe in my yard and decided not to repair it.  My water bill was over $145 that month (it’s usually around 45).

What are my legal rights? Is this something I should pursue? Thanks for any help you can give

Answer:
 You should start by having a structural engineer take a look at your house.

You're not getting anywhere with anything until or unless you have some evidence.


Title: Currency Transaction Report/Suspicious Activity for $10,000 TRANSFERS (xpost /r/personalfinance)

Question:
This is in the US.

So my mother has been transferring amounts of about $20,000 to 30,000 from her account back in her home country to a bank account in the US. These are living expenses. The account in the US is a joint between my mother and me. The money has to be transferred to the account with my name on it because of legal restrictions on the home country's side.

She wants to transfer this account to a joint account that is between my father and her. So far she's been transferring $9,000 every few weeks, but I informed her that this could still trigger a suspicious activity report. She said she won't do any transfers for the time being, but I'm not sure if my information is correct.

Would currency transaction reports or suspicious activity reports still be filed if the transfer is between two accounts, when she is an account holder on both of them? Both are checking accounts, if that is relevant.

Answer:
 First of all, the 9,000 thing will get her arrested.  That is called "structuring".  She should do over $9,000.  If I were here I would do that soon so that nobody can claim  she is structuring.

Every bank has different processes and procedures for SAR's.  One thing they look for is if the money comes in and then immediately goes to a different account.  I don't think anybody can tell you for sure if you will get one, but whatever you do don't structure wires so that they are under $10,000.


Title: Disingenuous Lawyer

Question:
State=GA

I don't believe my lawyer has been representing me to the best of his ability, but frequently tells me i owe him more money,  without telling me the specifics.

My lawyer has been putting me off for most of my divorce hearing. He doesn't return phone calls or follow up on items. The only time I get his office to respond to me is when I have a strongly worded email (document trail) that I am not being responded to.  He told me once that he was not able to get in touch with me in a timely manner because he was working on a multi-million dollar case.  He has remained unresponsive throughout the case. With the exception of the documented complaints, of course.

My lawyer continuity tells me that I will owe him more than the 4 grand retainer I put in escrow.  I have asked him for an itemized invoice,  everytime.  He has yet to produce one.

He has been full of empty promises. He was to produce a temporary agreement.  Months later nothing was produced. By that time my ex was ready to start mediation. He was to draft a settlement agreement. Months later he did not.  My ex's attorney did.

After waiting for a judge to sign off on our settlement for three months, I got a call from his office on a Friday at 5:00 pm to tell me that I needed to show up for a final hearing on Monday at 9:00 AM on Monday.  Nice notice.

At the hearing the judge asked questions about the settlement that I was not prepared for,  and my lawyer said nothing, and looked to me to answer the questions.  The judge delayed making any judgement until more documentation was produced.   My lawyer did however afterward remind me that I owe him more money.

I am now waiting potentially for months for the settlement to be signed by the judge,  or perhaps to show up to a "final" hearing,  and have still not seen an itemized bill, a year later.

Do I really have to pay this joker? Do I have any rights here?

Answer: If you feel the need to end his representation, request that he give you your file. Be sure to know when the next hearing will be so that you can prepare  to get another attorney in the mean time. If you can't, you're going to have to request a continuance. Like someone said, each state has a fee dispute board. Contact them and they'll help you settle the problems you have with your bill, but remember these boards work both ways. So if the lawyer is justified in his representation, they may tell you have to pay more.


Title: AL - Payment for Instagram Username

Question:
Like the title says, we are in Alabama. My mom has recently been offered twice now by two different groups to purchase her Instagram name off of her. The first group didn’t name a price and she just laughed it off. This second group, launching a new product/business, is offering money in the thousand dollar range and she is more seriously considering it especially since we could really use the money right now. Although, she has had some friends tell her she should push for more money from them considering they’re a bigger company. Also, the company is based out of another state on the west coast.

For a little backstory - my mom has had this username for forever. It might sound stupid but it holds some sentimental meaning for our lives and she used to use it on a blog she ran back in the day when blogspot was huge.

Is there anything she should know or be wary of when considering this? Or any steps she should be sure to take? Any advice at all on this sort of topic is greatly appreciated!

Answer:
 This is likely a scam.

Additionally, it's against Instagram's terms to sell a username.

Don't do this on any front.


Title: My mom was the victim of a hit and drive, and the driver fled the scene. How shall we prosecute?

Question:
Yesterday my mother was struck by a vehicle while on the way to the store, and the driver fled the scene.  Thankfully neighbors took down his license plate number and since we live in a close-knit community we were able to locate the guy and police have arrested him; he is currently sitting in jail.

My mother is currently hospitalized with both her legs broken, internal bleeding and cracked ribs.  She does not have insurance, but we intend to keep her in the hospital for as long as necessary and will try our best to pay her medical bills.  It has been suggested that we not only file criminal charges, but pursue a civil case as well to help cover the medical costs.  What are the suggested steps to pursue in this matter?  We live in Texas if that helps.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 You have one choice: File a civil suit for damages, or don't.

The other decision is for the prosecutor to make.  You can contact the prosecutor's office and speak to them to let them know what your wishes are.  But the decision to charge someone, and what to charge them with, are exclusively within the discretion of the prosecutor's office.

You should talk to a personal injury lawyer in your area.  It's a good idea to speak to more than one / shop around, if you have the time.  Many of the more famous/well-known ones are famous more for marketing skills than for legal skills.  I'm not saying the TV advertiser ones aren't good -- I'm saying that there are better ways to find one than relying on advertising.


Title: I'm not sure if it's illegal to do what I'm about to do, please help

Question:
So we have this academic program where everyone needs to pass their quizzes, which are really time consuming. it takes  at least 60-90 minutes for a single quiz

So i came up with a software program which passes the quiz for students (in 10 seconds)

Now I'm thinking about charging people for this service, but i'm not sure about the consequences of these...

it can cause any trouble? How about using a usage policy (agreement) that will indicate that user is totally responsible for all the consequences?

UPDATE: getting kicked out of school is not what I'm concerned about, it's the legal actions....
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 That sounds pretty illegal, and if you get caught you will certainly be kicked out of school, and your clients might be too.

Without knowing where you are nobody can find a specific law.Answer #2: It will get you kicked out of school.
They give quizzes for a reason, you know.


Title: [CA] Got a letter left on my windshield threatening to slash my tires if I parked there again. Anything I can do?

Question:
[Said letter](http://i.imgur.com/hC0zH1i.jpg). This was about a block away from a train station near Los Angeles. First time posting here, so let me know if I messed anything up.

This was on the street in a residential area near the station. There is a parking structure, and I'd love to park there like I have been for months, but they start turning people away at about 6:15am because it's full. And that turn-away time is getting earlier every day.

I get why they're pissed. The parking structure is so full so early in the morning, that train riders have been parking all around their neighborhood. So whoever wrote this letter has probably written a fair few. It's really hard to find parking anywhere near the station.

I would like to call a police station or something, but I'm not sure if I have any grounds to. But going around writing letters like this can't be legal can it? Especially if they act on actually slashing people's tires.

So is there anything I can do? Maybe some kind of "threats" law or something? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 You can call the police, but don't expect them to make this a priority.

If you are parking on neighborhood streets, make sure you are doing so legally.


Title: Gave someone HIV

Answer:
 > However, I don't ever tell people about my STD because it's my personal business.

You are human garbage.

Now that that's out of the way: Yes you should be worried, yes she can make you get tested.Answer #2: >If she does test positive, what can I do to protect myself?

Get a lawyer

>Should I be concerned about her finding out it was my?

First degree felony, so yes

>Can she force me to be tested?

Yes

Get a lawyer and stop having sex without a condom. You're required by law to inform girls of this whether or not you believe it's your personal business. I'd chastise someone I knew for having sex without a condom, and they're not HIV positive. You're on a whole different level here.


Title: [NV] Neighbors rabid dog bit me

Question:
This dog is a menace and gave me rabies. I had to stay in hospital for over a week with infection, not to mention that i needed a total of 65 stitches in different places on my body.

Can I get this dog put down?

Answer:
 >This dog is a menace and gave me rabies. I had to stay in hospital for over a week

No one recovers from rabies in a week. In fact, only a handful of people have [ever survived rabies](http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/viruses101/is_rabies_really_100_fatal).

>Can I get this dog put down?

If the dog had rabies, it would already be put down by animal control and its brain sent for testing. Answer #2: Troll.


Title: I'm a 17 year old guy who wants to have sex with a 23 year old girl, I'm giving consent but the law says I can't so what can I do here? (CA)

Question:
I don't want to go in any relationship details please. This is strictly about the law and I do know /r/relationships exists so please save those advice for yourself. I'll be 18 in 11 months but I want to have sex with a 23 year old girl. She told me she gives consent however she's worried about my age. I'm sure she won't get in any trouble unless I report to the cops that I had sex with her right? (and so given the I will never do that we will be safe) am I correct here?

How I think about this is that even in the worse case scenario that the cops know about it and decides to press charges on her, I'll just testify we didn't have sex. I have no idea how law works so please advice me on the best way to approach this and whether it will be legal/illegal.

Thank you.

Answer:
 Wait until you're 18. Answer #2: I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:

- [/r/bestoflegaladvice] [You mean legal advice won't help me find a loophole so I can have sex with an adult? This is an outrage, and you're all meanie pants.](https://np.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/5hzhkz/you_mean_legal_advice_wont_help_me_find_a/)

[](#footer)*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose?to=/r/TotesMessenger))*

[](#bot)


Title: [Oregon] Broke student confused about "civil penalties" and "Consent Orders"

Question:
Hey everyone, so I'll just jump right into it.

I submitted a pharmacy technician license application and had my fingerprints done for a background check, which showed my Theft III as the problem. After jumping through hoops and running through fire, I was given a chance to redeem myself and explain to the Board of Pharmacy what I've learned from my mistakes, how it will affect me in the future, all that fun stuff.

Now, I got an e-mail today saying "Your Notice will indicate the Board decided to deny your license and impose a $1,000 civil penalty per violation. Your Consent Order will say grant license $1,000 civil penalty stay $750 with no further violations for three years. You May decide not to agree to the Consent Order and you may request a hearing".

My understanding is that they have fined me $1,000 and I have no way of getting out of it. How will I pay this if I'm a poor fuck?

If someone could thoroughly explain this to me, I would be forever in your debt.

Answer: You will have to see what the consent order actually says, but it sounds to me like they are saying that they are denying your license and imposing a $1,000 civil penalty per violation (of what they aren't saying).  It sounds like MAYBE they are staying (ie. forgiving for now) $750 of that $1,000 so long as there are no further violations (of what they aren't saying) for 3 years.  It's not clear when you would have to pay the $250 that isn't stayed, nor is it fully clear to me what would happen if you have further violations within 3 years (eg. would you then owe the stayed amount of $750 for the old violation plus $1,000 for the new violation).  It also doesn't say at the end of 3 years, even if you remain violation free, whether or not they will grant you the license.  So report back when you get the consent order.  You may want to request a hearing...


Title: Injured at work. Manager complains people are jealous of the reasonable accommodations and that’s why he can’t promote me.

Question:
South Carolina
I was injured on the job and going in 2 years now management has bitched about my injury that keeps me from being able to perform one task: dishwashing. I’ve been harassed and demeaned for it and complained in writing. The harassment from my manager ended after that but was passed on to the new manager. The new manager flat out told me I was not being promoted due to other employees not “respecting me” and that the other employees complain about the fact I cannot wash dishes.

I have 12 years of experience and people with less than 1 year of experience are getting promoted over me.

Answer: Just curious, why can’t you wash dishes?


Title: I want to back out of cosmetic surgery after finding out the doctor is shady.

Question:
Hi there,

Honestly not sure if is going to come across as a plausible option or completely ridiculous but I feel it's now too late to do anything and I'm seriously worried.

I live in Australia and recently organised to have cosmetic surgery through what I thought was a reputable surgeon. In order to secure a surgery date I was forced to pay the full amount (Approx $12,000) up front and sign a declaration to say that if I cancel within 4 weeks that they will keep 100% as a "cancellation fee".

Surgery is now only three days away but upon doing some deep research online and discovering horror stories I am now seriously concerned I have made a mistake by choosing this doctor and I do not wish to proceed. I feel like I have made the worst decision of my life by failing to conduct proper research prior to payment even though this person was recommended by others.

What would you recommend in my situation? I don't think I have a chance of recovering any of the money despite not wanting to go ahead with surgery.

Answer: If you are afraid of the surgeon, lose the money. You can bring back money more easily that healing a terrible surgery or repairing a botched one. This whole policy is ridiculous from a US standpoint.


Title: I live in California. I got 5150'd without cause and without my consent by a psychiatrist. Can I sue for $1,000,000?

Question: [removed]

Answer: You can consult with an attorney, but you should be prepared for the reality that you are unlikely to recover anything from anyone.


Title: I was a witness to a small attack, what will happen?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Being dragged by the neck out of a tent is definitely not a "small" attack.  You likely be asked to give a statement to police about what happened or to testify in court if they press charges.


Title: Can my job withhold pay?

Question: I originally posted this on r/nostupidquestions and was referred to this thread. I was late twice last week and my manager ( I work at a restaurant) said that she's going to withhold my tips for a week. Is this legal?

Answer:
 Nope.

https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15.htm

Remember, when you fight this, your manager will find a way to fire you.


Title: Am I legally required to pay back my friend for a large expense he willingly paid for me without my consent?

Question:
Hello, I am going to keep this short and simple and leave out in between details. I don't need anyone's ethical opinion on the matter - just the legality, as I will admit this may be more simple than I am thinking.

&#x200B;

My roommate paid for my portion of the rent that was a couple days from being the deadline before eviction. I did have it under control and was going to take care of it that day. However, before I could get to it, he went and paid it in full without me knowing until just as I was about to do it. It was about $550.

&#x200B;

I'll leave out details, but a significant rift in our relationship has occurred since. What would theoretically happen if I decide to simply not pay him back? Anything?

Answer: Your roommate was afraid of being evicted so they paid the rent. You aren’t the only one who would have been harmed. You have an agreement to pay your share of the rent. You are obligated to reimburse your friend. It also is the morally right thing to do, but that is beside the point.


Title: I am a new employee of a financial advisor and they want to review my personal trades

Question:
Hi everyone. As the title says, I was hired a few days ago by a financial advisor as a billing coordinator. While going through the new hire paperwork, one of the things that I came across was that i would need to provide all my personal brokerage accounts and IRAs so that they could be monitored for any malicious activity. Naturally that is an understandable rule in order to help prevent insider trading and front-running. But here is where things get a little ridiculous. The chief compliance officer also informed me that I was required to also invest in my personal accounts in a similar fashion to the advisory service's investment philosophy, which is pretty much just 'buy and hold,' meaning that I could not place short sales, could not use complex option strategies, etc. He claims this is to prevent a 'conflict of interest'. I find this to be devastating news and absolutely ridiculous rules, because I have been consistently beating the market using the exact things he mentioned were prohibited; using options and short sales where appropriate. My returns have been so good that it has been a legitimate source of a supplement to my regular income. My personal investment returns are going to diminish massively if I am forced to comply and it is really upsetting to me.

I really don't want to do this. I have 3 personal accounts. If I simply only turned in 2 out of the 3 accounts and used that third account to trade the way I always have, could I get into any trouble with the SEC or anything? Could my employer even find out about it, or would the SEC even bother to to look into something like that and inform my employer? Is there any other workaround to this that I haven't thought of? Thanks in advance.

Answer: Don't fuck around with this. Do what they say, or you'll risk your job and issues with the SEC. Your other option is to seek other employment.


Title: Can colleges still punish people for stuff done off campus?

Question:
Hi guys, I just have a question I live in California. I know it is unlikely but from what I know high schools would punish students for stuff done off campus if it disturbs on campus. Can that be the same case for college? I know students are adults so they will probably be more lenient but I am still curious.

Thanks.

Answer: There is a code of conduct.  If you violate it, then yes, you can be disciplined for it.


Title: Could i use a whip for self defence?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 If you're being attacked with a knife that's deadly force.

So legally, you have a wide range of options available to defend yourself.  Including a whip.

From a practical standpoint, if you try to defend yourself with a whip against an attacker with a knife who is more than 8 years old, you're going to get very badly hurt or killed.

This is a terrible idea.  Even Indiana Jones shot the guy with the sword.


Title: Doing something about a crime that occurred over a decade ago

Question:
I’m not hopeful but I’m tired of sitting in silence. When I was four years old, my grandfather molested me while taking care of me while my parents were on vacation. I stayed with him in Florida, which was different from my residence state. I spoke out about it at the time, my parents believed me and contacted my grandparents about it. Both of my grandparents claimed that I made everything up. Following that I was interviewed by CPS and they offered to put the case on trial. My parents decided that after everything, this would not be a good path to take given my age.

My grandparents have been cut out of my life since then. However, my grandfather is still alive with a new family doing god knows what. I just can’t find closure knowing he is out there creating evil with his new set of granddaughters.  I’m 20 now, and I am wondering if there is anything I can do. Would I be able to report him now and get him listed as a registered sex offender? If there is anything that I can do to get some kind of closure to not remain silent, I would finally get past it.

Any other info: He now lives far from me and the only information I have about his whereabouts are from Facebook. He has affected other people in my family besides me.

Also, my middle name is the same as his and I want it to be changed. How would I go about doing that cost efficiently?

Answer:
 OP- There are enough variables to your situation that you might go have a consult with a criminal defense attorney (while they normally represent defendants, they will likely have the subject matter expertise that you need here) to see if you have a viable case. I would *think* that the statute of limitations has expired for your instance (so *potentially* criminal charges may not be an option), but I think it would be worth discussing with a professional.

I am so sorry that happened to you OP.


Title: Ex-wife is going to send me to court for not being able to pay on a divorce debt.

Question: I'm behind on a loan payment I agreed to pay and have missed a couple of payment. Now my ex-wife is threatening to have me held in contempt of court. Does anyone have any idea what will happen in this situation if I can't pay in Kentucky?

Answer: I believe in Mongolia they strap you to a horse and send you out into the desert. Answer #2: You may be held in contempt. Your wages may be garnished. You may be sent to jail. You may be ordered to pay her attorneys fees. There are a variety of potential penalties for failing to live up to a court order.


Title: JW keep harassing me and my family through the mail, I'm done with it

Question:
I'm in MD
(Edit. I haven't approached them yet, I just want to ask what can I say before I go talk to them)

So here's the story, Jehovah Witnesses have been spamming me and my family through the mail for several months starting last year. They are even sending mail to my MIL'S deceased husband whom she still grieves about to this day. He's been dead for 2 years now but he still gets mail occasionally.

The dumb thing about this group is that we've noticed that it's the same people cause the same address is on all the envelopes (they send each of my living and dead family members a pamphlet and a letter) so I could actually approach these people and tell them to stop. I'm a flaming atheist and passionately hate Christians when they harass people living their happy lives to join their dumb cults.

The best things I can come up with is a cease and desist order, press charges for harassment or sue for emotional distress. Mostly these are threats but if I had to really enforce one of these, which one would be the better of the three?

Also I plan to record the interaction in case they try to claim I hurt them

Answer:
 You should start by calming way the heck down. You are overreacting by orders of magnitude. This isn't harassment or something that gives you a remedy for emotional distress.

Just ask them to stop. Don't overthink this.Answer #2: Have you tried... asking them to stop? Nowhere do you mention this in your post.

You are not going to be able to "press charges" against a church for harassment because they sent junk mail, nor can you sue for emotional distress because you received junk mail.


Title: [CA] Child locked in a room and forgotten at school, found police, need advice.

Question:
My apologies up front; Details are a little thin as it didn't happen to me, but a family friend. She is a single mother who has her child in public grade school. Since she works full time, she relies on the after-school daycare program several days a week.

Yesterday, she went to recover her kid from daycare to be told that her child wasn't there. Not only were they not there, but they never came to day care that day! Obviously, she's incredibly freaked out and wants to call the police, but (according to her) the administrators were very reluctant to jump to that conclusion.

After a few minutes, the police arrived at the same time as the principal and one of the office secretaries (who were probably called by the day care staff) and started searching the school room-by-room. It turns out that they found the child, **locked** in the nurse's room near the school office; No access to a bathroom nor a phone, even though the kid knows how to contact home if necessary (but not old enough to have a cell phone.) The kid was probably in there at least from 4pm until 5pm, but could have been much longer. As far as I understand, the police left after the kid was found and well (but obviously distraught) so I don't think there was any report or charge. The secretary, who evidently was the one to have locked that part of the office started covering her actions by telling the mom that she called twice but never got an answer.

The child is asthmatic and prone to severe allergies, which is why they were in the nurse's office to begin with. According to the mother, the administrators never offered any real explanation **how** her kid could locked in a room, or be forgotten about entirely. I keep thinking about the worst and what possibly could have happened if the kid had an asthma attack while locked in a room!

So now the school admins want to sit down with mom and talk about this, and I think that's a pretty bad idea; I think they're only going to try covering their butts. The mom, who is rightfully furious and upset, may be swayed by what they say as she is a trusting and, to be honest, struggling.

I honestly don't know what I would do if this happened to me. For starters, I wouldn't let my kid go back to that school, but I'm not sure she has that many options available to her. What advice would you give this mom, Reddit? Get a lawyer? Aside from a stressful situation, and possibly some trauma as the kid is rightfully freaked out, what are the damages here? The real goal I can think of is to make sure whoever is that incompetent never be near my (or anyone's) children again.

TL;DR: Child of single mother locked up and forgotten at school. Found by the police in the nurse's office and very upset. Locked in by the school Secretary who didn't have any explanation other than she tried to call the mom. What advice can I give her?

Answer:
 Why should she speak with a lawyer? This isn't the lottery. If the child came to no harm, there are no damages. No damages, no lawsuit.

Speaking with the administration seems like the smart (and only) thing to do. If she doesn't get satisfaction from their responses, then she escalates it to the school district. If that doesn't work, then *maybe(?)* speaking to a lawyer would be called for in order to obtain a satisfactory administrative and/or punitive result. But, there would not be a lawsuit here, so would have to be paid for by her.


Title: [CA] Unpaid wages. Started work in late March, haven't received a single paycheck.

Question:
Location: California, within the University of California college system.

In late March I started working a "limited" position, meaning I can only work 900 hours a year in this position for one of the UC colleges. For the department I was working for, I was the first person to be integrated into this new employment system that manages benefits, payroll, among other things. This system is called the UC Path. There has been an article written about the same issue I am addressing in this post [here](https://dailybruin.com/2018/11/09/problems-with-ucpath-system-cause-financial-disruptions-for-uc-workers/).

I have not been paid a single penny for any of the hours I have worked. I work 30 hours a week, and it has been almost 9 weeks since I started. Because this problem is happening to so many people, I am sure I will eventually be paid. I have not accumulated any fees from my banks from missing bills or anything (however RIP my savings). I am an exempt employee if it matters.

Legal questions: Would filing for Wage Claim theft benefit me in any way (ethically, monetarily, speed up the process)? Do I have any grounds to sue the UC Reagents? Should the UC system compensate their works for having to deal with this situation?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Oh UC... this happens a lot. Go to campus payroll. In person. Remind them they're breaking so many laws. So many! Call the system in SF. Call the dean of your department. Not email, call. Sit in offices if you have to. Be polite, be friendly, but be clear that this is not an inconvenience, it's against the law. And you're probably not exempt, but that's a whole other thing.

Good luck, they did this to my wife when she started. A month of no check, then apologies, the assurances they'd look at it... She called payroll everyday for a week and miracle of miracles...Answer #2: If you are an employee you must be payed for your time spent on the job


Title: (Ontario, Canada) - I danced with a woman at a club for fun of course, but the photographer snapped numerous photos of me in the act and put it on Facebook on their business account. I asked them to take it down on Facebook chat but they read, and don't reply. I find it rather embarrassing.

Question: What can I do?

Answer: Nothing. If they had permission from the club to be there, that's the end of it.


Title: My girlfriend keeps getting anonomous calls and reservations being made on her name.

Question:
Hello,

My name is Mattias, I live in the Netherlands so I dont know if this is the right place for me to post.

Anyhow, my girlfriend gets a ton of anonomous calls (like A TON) and also lots of reservations or orders made on her name. This results in stuff like getting a pizza in the middle of the night when you are just trying to sleep.

So what would be the best thing to do? Im kind of clueless how to help her.

Sincirely Mattias (and sorry if my Englis isn't on point.)

Answer:
 You might want to try /r/LegalAdviceEU

Also, this is likely considered harassment if it's done by a particular person.  She can certainly go to the police and file a complaint.

She can also change her phone number.


Title: I was the victim of assault but police say they can't press charges. (Canada)

Question:
I was the victim of road rage incident. After a heated and aggressive altercation, the guy got out of his vehicle and pursued me back to mine, where I locked myself in for safety. He displayed extremely aggressive behaviour: screaming obscenities and attempting to gain access to the vehicle by repeatedly smashing the window with his elbow. Fearing for my safety, I tried to call 911 but he was gone before I could complete the call. Fortunately there were some police in the area. They managed to track him down but said they couldn't press any charges. They said because there was no damage to the vehicle, no damage to myself and that he didn't verbally utter any specific threats against me, no charges could be pressed.

The Canadian Criminal Code definition of assault is as follows:

> A person commits an assault when
>
> (a) without the consent of another person, he applies force intentionally to that other person, directly or indirectly;
>
> (b) he attempts or threatens, by an act or a gesture, to apply force to another person, if he has, or causes that other person to believe on reasonable grounds that he has, present ability to effect his purpose; or
>
> (c) while openly wearing or carrying a weapon or an imitation thereof, he accosts or impedes another person or begs.

I believe my experience satisfies the conditions required for assault as it's defined here. He attempted, by acts and by gestures, to apply force to me. He was not able to, but I had reasonable grounds to believe that he had the ability to effect that purpose.

I was terrified. When I told the police officer if it mattered that I didn't feel safe, he said my feelings didn't matter (with regards to how the law was applied). I'm going to do what I can do get some legal advice about this tomorrow. Anyone mind taking a crack at it until then?

Answer:
 IANAL.

I agree that this person's actions as you have described them constitute criminal assault, but the police can still decline to investigate or prosecute. You can talk to the officer's supervisor, or another police officer, or you could go directly the the Crown Attorney's Office. If the province is unwilling to prosecute, you may be able to initiate a private prosecution. You could also sue the person. Those are your options.


Title: [AZ] Car was towed from apt complex for not displaying current registration

Question:
My car was towed from my designated spot in my apartment complex due to my registration being out of date. I received a notice 2 days prior it being towed as a warning. Within those 2 days, I went and renewed the registration, however the new stickers are coming in the mail within 2 weeks.

My question is, am I still liable for paying the towing fees even though my registration was up to date? Isn't this something the tow company has access to check in a AZDOT database?

If I am still liable, I read some reviews on the towing company and someone mentioned they must accept credit/debit, and to not pay in cash, is that state law? They also recommended that I request a mail invoice if they don't accept credit/debit and to let it go to collections as this can easily be removed from my credit, is that true?

Answer: Private companies can't access government records.  They had no way of knowing you renewed.  You can ask them to be lenient on the fees, but they're not required to play along.  Renew your tags on time.


Title: Buying a house with someone I’m not married to, need a contract that protects both of our interests

Question:
My fiancé and I are buying our first home. We probably won’t get married for several years due to the tax implications, but we were tired of throwing our money away on rent. We want a contract that outlines what happens if for some reason we break up or if one of us dies. I’m not even sure where to start! Is there a do-it-yourself for this somewhere like Legal Zoom? Do I need an attorney? If so, what type of attorney should I be looking for?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 >We probably won’t get married for several years due to the tax implications,

I cannot think of a scenario where it makes sense to delay marriage for tax implications, but also makes sense to buy a house together. Can you share more about these tax implications?

>We want a contract that outlines what happens if for some reason we break up

Make sure you're both on the deed. You can force a partition sale if needed.

> or if one of us dies.

That's called a will. You can both write wills leaving your share of the house to the other. There's nothing stopping anyone from changing that at a later time with no notice in a new will.


Title: Backed into a guy coming down the aisle.

Question:
I was in a parking lot and I got into my vehicle to go home. As I was walking to my vehicle, getting into my vehicle, and going through the whole procedure of starting my car up and putting it into reverse to back out I had not seen this guy's truck. I go to back out of my parking spot and it's not until I have already made contact with his truck that he blew his horn. I live in Michigan so it's a no fault state, that being said, each of us would go to our respective insurance companies and they would take care of the damage.

I give the guy all of my information and we even go to the local police station to file a report about the incident. He's never given me a copy of his insurance and the only estimate that he's received is from a dealership (the estimate doesn't even have his insurance company's name on it), and on multiple instances he's threatened to take me to small claims court if I don't pay for this repair job. I've taken pictures of his vehicle and had people look at them, and they've said that some of the damage on his vehicle is pre-existing.

To put it into perspective, my car is a '08 Chrysler 300 Touring and this guy is in a Harley Davidson F-150, and I'm pulling out of a parking spot at less than 10 MPH. The damage on my vehicle is on my back bumper and it's literally paint chipping off, and the damage on his vehicle is on the lower driver side door. I was supposed to meet with him one day but got caught up at work and he had started going through the motions to sue my insurance company and told them that it was a head on collision when it actually wasn't. Basically, my question is how should I go about handling this situation?

Answer:
 Just go through your insurance. It isn't worth the headache.

Side note, you don't say how much the estimate is but it wouldn't surprise me at all to see a 2k+ price tag.

Body work and paint matching is not cheap, especially because those trucks had special paint jobs


Title: Is someone living in Korea held to any state laws from the US if they are a US citizen?

Question: Simple.

Answer: That's not a simple question. We'll need more detail.


Title: Is it illegal to own the Anarchist's Cookbook?

Question: Is it illegal to buy or own or anything like that? I would like to have it in my collection but I don't want to get swatted or anything like that.

Answer:
 No, but be VERY careful of the formulas. Some of them are incredibly dangerous to make.

According to the US Constitution, you have the right to read anything you choose, regardless of what that is.

The fact that you think it may be illegal to own a book speaks volumes about the state of our education system, and quite frankly, scares me to death for the future.


Title: Can I spite my heirs by loading up on timeshares?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If you want to spite your heirs, you can be a lot more direct than that: will your whole estate to some charity or organization they disagree with and call it a day.


Title: (US, California) Am I protected as a whistleblower if I tell our client that my company sent an unauthorized email?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Am I protected from being fired/suspended/demoted/etc because I'm just blowing the whistle to our own client on something they had a right to approve, that went out without their approval?

No.  Whistleblower protections apply to reporting violations of federal law.

Also, your proposed approach is both incredibly passive aggressive and petty, and runs the real risk of costing the company this account and, with it, someone's job other than yours.  You made your point in bringing it up directly to the CEO.


Title: Woman hits my car, doesn't want to go thru insurance, refuses to pay. Has now hired lawer for small claims court

Question:
Apologies for the length, but any help would be really appreciated!

edit:
In Virginia

Back in June of 2015, a woman who frequented my place of employment backed into my car, causing some damage to the front and side of my car. She left a note on my car informing me that she had hit my car, that she had insurance, and for me to get in contact with her. This note was written on a blank deposit slop containing her and her husband's name, checking no. and address. I interacted with this woman weekly, so I talked to her about it the next time I saw her. She told me that she'd rather not go through insurance, and that she'd pay for the repairs herself. Again, being a regular at work, I said i'd be willing to work with her on that.

I told her that my real concern was getting the cars' full value back, since I had in mind to trade it in and get a more appropriate vehicle for myself. She said that she would cover the cost difference in trade in. So if I had gotten $100 more for the car had it not been hit, she'd pay me the $100.

On the last day of August 2015, I traded the car that she hit, un-repaired, for a different vehicle. From the dealership, I got a signed letter that stated that had my car not been hit, I would have received $1,000. I also have in my possession the dealership's invoice for the cost of repairs, which include the damage caused by the woman who hit me. The total invoice was $1,700. I reached out to this woman and told her what the costs were, and that I would be willing to consider any reasonable offer made on her part. I did not expect anything higher than $1,000.

After I sent her that message she went dark. I reached out again and received an email from her husband. His email states that his wife has no recollection of every saying such a thing and that they won't pay for anything since they never received quotes from any mechanics.

I reached out one last time and still heard nothing. Last month I filed with small claims court. Today, I received a letter in the mail informing me that the woman and her husband have hired an attorney, which I found surprising since this is just a small claims case. If they're trying to intimidate me, it's working.

TO summarize, I have:
	the deposit slip with their information and her hand written admission of hitting my car,
	paperwork that I owned that car,
	letter from the dealership of a smaller trade in value,
	invoice for repairs

I'm afraid that this may be one big he said she said and I don't have any ground to stand on. Yes, the bigger lesson here is to always go through insurance, but can anyone offer any advice?

Answer: If you never got that offer in writing good luck winning in small claims court. That is not how people typically handle fender benders and the judge would be right to be skeptical. If you had gotten an repair estimate, presented it to her, and she refused to pay you would have a much stronger case. As it stands now the car is gone, there is no repair estimate, and all you have is a strange verbal promise.


Title: Help! my wife signed a purchase agreement and we need it amended

Question:
My wife owns our house. We met after she had already owned the house so I don't have a big part in a lot of the negotiations.

She got an offer on her house and we are moving forward with the sale while we try to find something. All along the way we discussed having a contingency. While I was rushing around with my 1 year old son and trying to get him in barh and bed, the realtor got my wife to sign the purchase agreement. I told her I had a ton of questions and she left before I got my son to bed.

We discussed having a contingency the entire way because we are trying to find our forever home. There was no contingency in the contract and my wife essentially got talked out of it by the realtor. She only signed it 4 hours ago (5pm 3/31)
Do we have any recourse and can we get it changed?

We are in the state of CT if their laws would help us.

Answer: Call your realtor and have her add the contingency to the contract. If she hasn't communicated the offer to the seller this should be fine. If she has, you can still ask to add the contingency into the contract and buyer may go along. If not, you could just start hunting immediately and slow walk the closing. There are a lot of things that have to be done: inspection, financing, any remediations etc. And even with all that, getting a date to close can take a while.


Title: Commerce Law: Is "free with purchase" merchandise or a gift?

Question: In Michigan, there is an item that I cannot legally sell but I can transfer as a gift. If I give this item to someone as a gift if they hire me to deliver it, is it still considered a gift?

Answer: Your loophole for becoming a "legal" weed dealer won't work.


Title: My So's mentally unhinged uncle gave us a place to stay and helped us buy a car, tricked us into letting him put the car in his name. He is now maliciously threatening to report the car stolen just to mess with us. [WEST VIRGINIA, USA]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What I'm gathering from this is SO's uncle has said "don't take my car without asking" and controls money in his bank account.

That's not unhinged. That's literally being an adult.

If SO wants to manage his own things, like money, he needs accounts in his name. Answer #2: Looks like damage has been done.  Really... you are left with small claims.  But... Not likely to get much if anything out of it.

If he's so mentally unstable why do you keep tying your hitch to his wagon?

Cars in his name... Money's in his bank account... Living in his home.

Sounds like your best legal action is to remove yourselves from him.  And if your SO is unwilling or unable to do so, leave them both behind.


Title: Child custody (on behalf of my boyfriend)

Question: When my boyfriend was younger (about 10 years ago), he was in jail and his sons mother had another man adopt their child. It was in the mother’s divorce stipulation that if my bf came back into the picture, the (ex) husband would relinquish his rights. My bf got his shit together and started regular visits with his son. However, the ex husband never signed his rights back over to my bf. Son’s mother is now the judge & jury with everything. We only get time allowed by her (4 hrs a week, 2 hrs per holiday) and have to do everything she says. She brings up court ALL the time and we would gladly go but are under the impression she has to initiate since bf has no legal rights to his son. We are in NY if that matters. Where do we start?

Answer:
 >he was in jail and his sons mother had another man adopt their child. It was in the mother’s divorce stipulation that if my bf came back into the picture, the (ex) husband would relinquish his rights.

What? There's no take backs in adoption. That's permanent. The mother of your boyfriend's child can't dictate that. For all intents and purposes, her ex husband is now the *father* to your boyfriend's child.


Title: Might be illegal but got scammed of $1200 by transporting people. What legal action do I take.

Question: Couple nights ago I had been at home with friends and brothers when I came across an Instagram story saying who has their own car trying to make $900-$1600 driving to San Diego and back, HMU. So I dm’d him and asked him how do we do this and he said give me your name and number you’ll receive a call shortly. So I did and I did receive a phone call. He had asked me if I’m interested I said yea sure I’m low on money and I’d love to just all of a sudden have 900-1600 in my pocket. While waiting for another phone call he sends me an address which is around 3 hrs away from my house. He called me and said okay go there and just wait for my call. I said send me some gas money bc I don’t have any gas he said okay and sent me $30 by CashApp. I took a friend of mine with me and it was like 1:30AM. About an hr away we stopped at a gas station so we can get more gas and the guy never responded. So we went back. I didn’t get back home til like 6:30AM. The next night he called asking me if I’m down again I said sure as long as he actually wakes up and is up to answer my calls. He agreed. He sent me more gas money and again a friend and I went down. He sent me to a 24 Hr Fitness in El Cajon,CA. He said okay just wait a little for a phone call to pick up these people. He never specified what people these are, where they came from and what is it they do. We waited for around 9 and a half hrs in the 24 Hr Fitness parking lot waiting for this call... Finally we wake up and we got a phone call from the guy saying okay look I’m gonna send you an address to go to pickup these people and I’m gonna send you gas money. I said okay. We drove another hr or so to the location. Keep in mind we have no idea what’s going on. We were oblivious to the situation. We drove to Calexico,CA. Went to this house and picked up 2 guys. Most likely in their mid to late 20s. I called the guy and told him we made the pick up and he sent us to an address towards the Coachella area. He made things very specific like once you’re 5 min away from this area put in this address. We said okay. All in all we drove to San Bernardino, CA. We waited in a 24 Hr Fitness parking lot again for a call so we can drop them off. We also bought them food from In-N-Out. Finally we got a call to drop them off at a CVS to a guy in a White Nissan Titan Truck. He had a distinct Cobra looking sticker on the back windshield. We dropped them off and called the guy saying we dropped them off. We told him now we need to be paid and he goes alright I’m gonna send you an address so we can meet up so you can get paid. He also was like it’s a good thing y’all didn’t get pulled over bc they would be back in Tijuana and y’all would be interrogated for several hrs then let go. My friend and I were shocked we didn’t realize they might’ve been immigrants or anything. We drove to the location where he told us to meet him there we called. No answer. We called over 30 times. No answer. All went straight to voicemail. We got pretty pissed off and ended up leaving with nothing. We requested a CashApp amount of $1200. Immediately declined and blocked. I asked my girlfriend who was at home to request $900 and again immediately blocked and declined. The Instagram page I dm’d earlier had blocked me as well, he also blocked my girlfriend. Now at this point we don’t know whether or not to call Law Enforcement because we don’t know if my friend and I were receive some sort of consequence for this. We didn’t know what was going on at all. We were simply trying to make some money. Please someone help me out.

Answer: Sounds like you just learned an valuable lesson about not being a dumbass.  You're lucky you didn't somehow get arrested, or worse.