Title: (VA) My faucet has been running, not dripping, for two weeks. Can I get my Management Company to pay my water bill?

Question:
Hey y’all, I don’t know if this is simple or not, but I can’t find a direct example of this on the Internet.

When I first got into my apartment, I noticed a few small problems (vertical blinds jammed and chipped, fridge doors dented, my closet doors making a SCREAMING noise when I open them). I made sure to write it all down on the move-in report, but the biggest issue I have had is that my upstairs faucet doesn’t just drip; it runs. It’s a small stream going 24 hours a day. When I turned my move-in report in, my leasing agent told me they would get someone over to fix it. (This was on Monday). I also put a maintenance request in that day.

The real problem I have here is, my lease started the 30th, but I didn’t move in until the 6th. When they made it ready for move-in, shouldn’t this have been something they fixed? It means that my faucet has been running for 12 days straight and because I’ve never had a water bill in my name before, I have no idea how this is effecting it.  This is also my first apartment. I have no clue what to do here and I’m terrified this is going to make my first bill go crazy high.

Edit: a word

Edit 2: I turned the stop-water valve off (there were two valves, i turned both off just in case). What steps should I take next?

Answer: Is it still running right this minute?  Go under the cabinet beneath the sink/faucet, find the valve that leads to the faucet, and turn it clockwise until the water is off.  You need to mitigate your damages first, which means stopping the flow of water to that broken faucet.


Title: [Alaska | Eviction] Given a notice to quit, but met the demands laid out before the due date, yet landlord is still going to go through with eviction.

Question:
Long story short, I hit a bump in the road that is life and was unable to make my rent payment for 2 months. The landlord was fine with it at first, but after lapsing a month his attitude changed (understandably so). Three days ago I had a notice to quit attached to my door on the grounds of, and only on the grounds of, owing $2,500 back rent with a due date of July 15th. We spoke in person today and I told him that I have the money now and can give it to him today (now yesterday), well before the cutoff date. He was *very* hateful and refused the payment for back rent saying that I am to be out by the first week of August. It's worth mentioning that nothing has gone to court yet, so at this point it is just the landlord making a demand then turning around and refusing my attempt to meet the demand in full and on time.

It's written in the notice to quit that "if the back rent is paid before X date, that the tenant may stay." Paraphrasing, of course, but it's close to verbatim. The Alaska Landlord-Tenant Act states the same thing. Am I misinterpreting this, or can he actually do this?

Thanks!

Answer: No. You are correct. Go pay the rent. Make sure you have proof in case he sues you. Certified mail is good. Answer #2: The answer depends on when your lease is up. Does it expire at the end of this month, or are you on a month-to-month basis? If either of these are true, he can refuse to renew your lease and you'll need to be out when he says. If your current lease is not expiring this month, then he cannot force you out if you're attempting to remedy the quit notice. In that case, if he continues to refuse your payment, set the money aside and *document* your continued efforts to pay him when rent is due per your lease. If he attempts to evict you and actually files suit, you'll have plenty of evidence to prevail in court.


Title: Dental Nightmare 3 Weeks Before Wedding

Question:
This is a long story so I’ll try to keep it short.

At beginning of May I went to dentist and they saw in X-ray that I have a baby tooth with a silver cap on it that is getting infected. Since there was no adult tooth above it they’ll have to pull it and start the implant process. I told them that I’ve known for a while I’ll have to get it fixed but my wedding is June 15 so I’m going to wait until after to start the process since I know it takes 6+ months. The dentist told me that I should meet with the surgeon anyway bc the silver tooth is going to show in pictures and I’d have to tell the photographer to shoot from the other side all night to avoid it...I met with surgeon and he said he can start the process and they can give me a flipper tooth (aesthetic fake tooth that pops in and out) to wear for the wedding while the implant area is healing and it will look natural, not silver. I specifically asked how is it going to stay in, Will it fall out while talking eating etc, is there going to be some wire holding it in place bc I don’t want that either. Dentist and surgeon said no it will look natural.
I get the tooth pulled last week flipper comes in and it has wire brackets on it. I told them that is not what they told me it would be. A different dentist in office tried to “fix it” so now the flipper doesn’t even fit and there’s a gray smudge on it.  so now I’m going to have a gap in my mouth for my wedding. They said they are going to rush order another flipper and if that doesn’t work they’ll do a provisional crown so I have something in there, but if I do the provisional crown I have to sign a consent form acknowledging the implant might fail. I told them I don’t want to sign or pay for anything else. What rights do I have??? Is it fair for me to ask them to pay for the provisional crown and can I ask them to sign something saying they’ll cover the charges to fix the implant if it fails?
This is in Texas.
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 Unfortunately  This sounds like a medical issue that you let get too far out of control and now this is one of the prices you're paying. It's a baby tooth, unless you're 16 you've known for years this would be an issue.

"A LACK OF PLANNING ON YOUR PART DOESN’T CONSTITUTE AN EMERGENCY ON MINE"- your dentist,  probably


Title: I'm a minor and I was coerced into sexual acts

Question:
I'm not sure if this is the right place, but I'm really scared and I need help.

I'm 16 years old.

A guy from Reddit messaged me on here asking if I wanted to be payed to watch him cum. Like an idiot, I said sure. Why not? He offered to pay me via giftrocket. I have screenshots of this limited interaction.

Then, after I gave him my Snapchat, I messaged him, asking if he knew I was a minor, and what I would be doing on the video call. He told me yes he knew, and that I would only be talking to him and encouraging him. He lied.

After the video call started, he kept asking me to do things. I don't want to list them because I'm humiliated that I was so stupid, but after a while he wore me down. I thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad. So I did things for him. I never removed my clothes more than lifting up my shirt, but he asked me to.

He payed me, then kept messaging. Asking for more acts, more calls. I ignored him for a day because I have some previous sexual trauma that this triggered and I just couldnt handle it. He canceled the payment and said if I didn't call again he wouldn't pay me.

Then I called him a pedophile. I said(lying) that I had screenshots of the old conversations, and that I would call the cops. He denied everything. J have screenshots of him denying, and a little bit of him asking me to do things for him, but not much at all.

I'm really, really scared.

I don't know what to do. I feel dirty and violated. Again, I'm sorry if this is the wrong sub, but I don't know what to do.

Answer: You have every right to contact the police. Whether or not this was consensual does not change the fact that you are a minor and he is an adult. I am sorry to hear you have trauma, I would highly suggest you speak to an adult such as your parents or somebody you can trust.


Title: Are my employers aloud to keep me from clocking in simply because it is not busy?

Question: Today this is the second time this week this manager has kept me from clocking in on time. I show up 5 minutes early like they require and they tell me to not clock in until they feel it is busy enough. Last time they did this i lost a half hour ontop of the half hour break they forced me to take. This seems really shady and annoying to me, would like to know if I’m wrong in my thinking or not.

Answer: If you're free to leave, you don't have to be paid. If you have to remain on-site, you're working, even if your job is "stay here and wait," and must be paid. If your employer is not paying you but requiring you to stick around, generally you can file a wage claim.


Title: FL Just got in car wreck 20 min ago

Question:
Not sure what to do. Im in Florida and have never been in a wreck.

My girlfriend and I were in the car ai was driving. A car turned left into a dairy queen and I tried to hit the breaks but didnt have enough time. She was found at fault. The lady driving the truck I hit.

The lady I hit also was on duty for a large parts store. She was delievering parts to the mechanic next door.

What do I do? The airbags were deployed. I heard loud ringing and my head neck and back are starting to hurt.

My girlfriend has a large bump and scraped knee and also hears the ringing.

Im not on my brothers insurance policy but we are room mates. I filed a police report and exchanged info.

What are my next steps? My brother cant get to work now and looks like his car is totaled. Thats what the state trooper saod anyways.

Its valued at 3k with a 8k loan and hes already been paying on it for a year. Will he get a new car or is he screwed? Dont have a lot of money and really in a bind. Should I go to the ER?

Answer:
 Nobody here can give you medical advice, sorry.  You should go to the ER (or urgent care, cheaper and probably quicker) if you feel you need to.

Call the other party's insurance company and report the claim.


Title: Can I remove my mugshot from Google?

Question:
I got a wet reckless like three years ago and my mugshot still comes up on Google images when I search my name. It's not an official website, they're not affiliated with the police department or anything. The only option on the website is to fill out a removal form, but they have the following message displayed above it:

"Due to abuse by abuse by "reputation management" and "mugshot removal" companies, we have permanently disabled our opt-out form, which leaves your only option to email the webmaster of this website. Emailed removal requests are granted on a case by case basis. We have a current back log of approximately 60 days. We understand that this is frustrating, but it is the best we can do with our current resources until such a time that we can develop a balanced automated solution."

Can I do anything here?

Answer:
 You can email in a removal request. There is no way to force them to take it down.

You can also look into SEO


Title: Manhattan, NY -- Fired after asking HR for help due to mandatory 70-80hr work weeks for over a year

Question:
I joined my dream company a little over a year ago - I was told in my interview that my shift would be 9am-5pm. My departmental coworkers seemed friendly at first, despite the fact that I was asked to stay until 7pm my first day with near zero training my entire first week. There were moments where I would simply sit at my desk and do the equivalent of intern work/automated instructions given to me by my manager due to the fact that I did not understand the context of any emails/meetings. Shortly after, my role shifted to somewhat of a disposable task machine (ex. manager sending me photo instructions, prepping documents to be sent to partners, etc) but having to skip meetings and many learning opportunities as a result of this. My hours soon averaged to 70-80, leaving me permanently on call in the duration of the day and would get assignments as late at 9PM expected to be finished by the morning next day.

During an early point in my employment, I requested to leave on time due to a last minute emergency apartment showing by my amazing broker - the perfect unit was coming onto the market and the owner had agreed to let her privately handle it first before putting the listing online, but I had to be there on time. In addition to this, my lease was ending in three weeks. However, though I begged and pleaded with her for at least four hours during the day, she would not let me go until half an hour after I got out. Thankfully the owner was late as well and we got along but after we were approved and I had to make the security deposit and issue a check with my bank, I scheduled time with my manager so I could (literally) walk across the street to deposit money and obtain a bank check sometime during the day. On a side note, no, I never got lunch or any semblance of a 15m break, so I could not just exit the building. After pleading with her again for the entire day, she asked me with an annoyed look on her face if I could just take care of it tomorrow. At this time, all centers around me that could issue money orders were closed and I would have to pull some miracle it as my meeting with the landlord to sign the lease was at 9AM the next day.

On paper, my job looked great - it included health benefits, visual, dental, in house fitness classes, tuition reimbursement - almost none of which I could use due to my hours. I would expense a cab almost nightly due to the sheer amount of work that I had. Since I was not getting enough sleep, I would occasionally come in at 7:10am instead of the unspoken 7am that my department adhered to and liked to set meetings during - we were the only ones. Never in my entire career had I come in after 9am if it wasn't due to a bomb threat or the like.

Eventually, due a combination of poorly set deadlines and mental strain/lack of rest, the quality of my work began to decline. I spoke to HR about this - I asked our rep to keep it confidential and he assured me that we could work together to improve the workflow.

Three weeks later, I was told to leave the office. Their reasons being that I came in late, expensed abundantly, lacked in work quality, and last but certainly not least: taking home a few wilting potted plants given to me by the janitors that were going to be thrown out, as they were 'company assets.'

I do have much of this, including my hours (and the lack of breaks), meeting with HR, and time stamped texts and emails logged as evidence, but I am concerned with whether they will deny my unemployment. I know this sounds unfeasible, but despite being a globally recognized company, I hate to say that my former employers engage in some really shady methods of operation. Is there anything I can do to solidify my status or anything else I can file for? I've yet to have my exit interview and want to come in prepared.

Answer:
 Your lack of breaks is a viable concern.  You can contact the New York Department of Labor about that concern.

I'm not sure anything else you describe is, though certainly you may tell the whole story the the DOL and see what if anything they take up.

It sounds as though there could be some amount of dispute as to your unemployment claim, and an outcome will no doubt be determined in your appeal hearing.


Title: Divorce paperwork notarized for months husband won't file. Am I doomed to be his wife until I pay?

Question:
We came to an agreement in January, notarized the paperwork in February. He's lied three times already about filing.
I do have a copy of the notarized paperwork since I distrust him but really don't want to spend the money filing as I make poverty wage and he makes two and a half to the times as much as me.
The s.o.b. had a private investigator following me around for two weeks in April. He has the money to pay both my small alimony and the legal processing fees. He just won't file. I don't know why, it's the typical cheater monologue with him about me, I'm a bad wife, he's wanted a divorce for years etc. We live separately, and he's out living his life.
After the paperwork is notarized, am I as good as divorced and now free to live my life? Or if I do go on a date, can he renege on the agreement and go to court because I'm now a cheater too? Am I stuck paying for this? Can I take him to small claims if I do have to pay and get my money I had to spend on this back?

Answer: Pay the fee and just divorce him. Is like $200-$300 not worth your freedom?


Title: 34/F Mother of 2 in Tampa seeking time sharing after injunction dismissal

Question: I am in Tampa, Florida...Ok so here's the deal. The night I decided to my soon-to-be ex-husband there was a physical altercation. He was hitting me and I stood up for myself the one and only time. Yes, I realize now I should have done something to protect myself prior to this situation but there is nothing I can do about what happened in the past. There was a 6 month injunction in place, which he tried to extend to which the judge laughed at. It was dismissed, needless to say. There is a pending dissalution of marriage but since we are both pro se, the case has yet to move forward. At this point there is NO custody agreement except for what was put in place for the injunction. Currently my children 11/f and 9/f live with their dad. The judge asked him if he would like for me to leave him alone to which he quickly replied YES. The judge told me not to contact him. My kids don't have their own phones, how am I supposed to get in contact with them??? I have already lost valuable time with them. What can I do?

Answer: You need a court order for custody/visitation. You need to scrounge some money from family to hire an attorney to get an order in place.


Title: What are my options for leaving an (unmarried) relationship with 4 kids moving out of state

Question:
Hi, I posted about my predicament yesterday here's a link to the original post

[https://www.reddit.com/r/Parenting/comments/9ybifc/i\_need\_to\_know\_im\_making\_the\_right\_decision/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Parenting/comments/9ybifc/i_need_to_know_im_making_the_right_decision/)

Basically, I have been in an unhealthy relationship with a man for 18.5 years. We have 4 kids together. He has never worked and there was never an agreement that he would stay home, he just refused to work. I am leaving the relationship with my 4 kids. I will be accepting a new job in a different state so I need to know what my rights are. People are telling me that I will be entitled to pay him child support and/or alimony since he's never worked and that he will be entitled to 50/50 custody and I won't be allowed to move out of state. How much of this is true?

Answer: Alimony, child support, and 50/50 custody are all pretty standard in situations like this.


Title: Fired from my job today - Looking for potential recourse(Florida)

Question:
Location: Tallahassee, FL

Place where I worked: Wakulla County

So I'm just wondering if I have any sort of recourse here, I know it's very unlikely.

My supervisor had been very belligerent and condescending to me over the phone and in person. I decided to try and talk to her about it, where it only got worse. I went to our director about her attitude and we had a 2-3 hour conversation. Multiple people heard it. I then went to HR and told them about the conversation, etc. As did he. No intervention, no meetings, nothing. Didn't hear anything about it ever again.

Fast forward to today(about 3 - 4 weeks after this meeting.) I walk into work and I'm fired for "failing to meet performance expectations." I've never been written up there, they've never had any counseling or progress enhancement meetings, nothing. This is all totally out of the blue.

A caveat to this, I know Florida is an at-will employment state and I was only at this job for 6 months. I was still on a 1 year probationary period. Do I have ANY options?

Answer: No. Being "belligerent and condescending" are not unlawful.


Title: What are the legal limits to how much I can trash talk a police officer? (context in thread)

Question:
Whenever me and my housemates go to buy beer, the undercover cops outside of the corner store hold us up and give us shit even though we're there regularly, and then process our ID's, which takes forever.

Edit: Live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Answer:
 Freedom of speech covers a wide area of speech, particularly when aimed at a government representative.

On the flip side of the coin, officers have a lot of latitude in how to handle their jobs and contacts. A lawful detention can be legally extended due to your lack of cooperation.

It would be poor legal advice to encourage you to purposely antagonize the police.

EDIT: If you feel you are being mistreated, you can contact the department and file a complaint.


Title: My niece got her arm broken by a bully while in after school daycare

Question:
Im on mobile so please forgive the format and punctuation.

So my sister and brother in law aren't in a position to be paying medical bills but thanks to some punk kid that's their situation now.we live in salt lake city and one Friday she called me raging that out older sister all but refused to go get our niece because shes not her mother so that wasn't her responsibility(we dont talk to her anymore).from what my sister told me,her daughter(7) accidentally touched the hair of the boy in question(9 I think).he waited for her to be isolated for some reason and took action.pushing her to the ground and either falling on her on accident or on purpose but fell on her causing her right arm to break.This kid has also been on like his third strike because of bullying and harassing other kids there.the chaperones weren't in the room when it happened tho they're normally pretty attentive.Who can we talk to about sueing either the facility(which is a county owned program) or the parents(which have not even bothered to get in contact with my sister about the situation)?they have contacted lawyers and each have said that the best course of action is to hope the kids parents own a home so they can go after the home owners insurance but as of yet no lawyer will take the case.who can they go to and what can they do to get reparations for the actions of that little shit?

Answer: Have you made a police report?


Title: [VA] Is it legal for the victim in a (very) minor car accident to refuse to move their car, effectively trapping you in that spot?

Question:
This story actually happened a while back (last summer or fall I believe) but I was browsing this subreddit for the first time and saw many interesting situations, so I thought I would ask for curiosity's sake.
My girlfriend was leaving her townhouse located in Loudoun county to go to a very important doctor's appointment (endocrinologist, scheduled month or two in advance) she backed up out of her parking space and did not notice a car that was parked directly behind her. There was no dent, just a small mark on the door, and the two parties exchanged insurance information. My girlfriend thought it was all over but then the other party refused to move their car until police came. They got back into their vehicle and refused to move. My girlfriend called the police to try and explain the situation but she couldn't express herself very well because she was overcome with frustration and anxiety. The police arrived on scene but unfortunately she couldn't explain herself to them because on top of stress crying, the other party told the police that my girlfriend was the one who insisted on calling the police and that she was free to leave whenever (even though the car was still trapped). I understand that she did not handle the situation well but was trapping the other car there illegal in any way? Thank you in advance.

And if anyone is wondering, her Doctor's office wasn't very sympathetic. $25 missed appointment fee. :/
edit: and she needed to wait about another month for another appoinment

Answer:
 I'm not sure about Virginia. But many states have laws requiring people in accident to move to a shoulder or parking lot out of traffic for non-injury accidents where vehicles are operable.

Here is a brochure for Missouri.

http://www.modot.org/stlouis/links/documents/steerit.clearitbrochurefinal.pdf

Though there is probably not much you can do about that now. Probably best to move on with life.Answer #2: Not illegal, let it go. Answer #3: No it's not false imprisonment or anything because she was free to walk away after exchanging info.


Title: I rear ended a lady when she stopped at a green light. Am I at fault?

Question: I live in Kentucky. We were stopped at a stoplight in the turn lane. There was a school bus in front of her and i was behind her. The light turns green for the turn lane (the forward lane light was red). We begin to accelerate through the light when all of a sudden she slams on her brakes. I try to stop but still hit her. After asking if she was okay, I asked why she stopped. She said she saw the red light for the other lane and thought it was for her. She also says the bus blocked her view of the light (although there were multiple lights - 2 in front and 1 to the side). We don't call the police and exchange information. At first there is no visible damage, cosmetic or otherwise. However, she gets home and opens the trunk to realize the bumper has moved slightly. She takes it to the shop and they estimate the damage at around $1200 dollars. I told her to call her insurance agent. I have a couple of questions - am I at fault - is it reasonable for me to keep safe distance when accelerating at the start of a green light? At the scene of the accident, we decided there was no damage, but then she gets home and then finds damage - is this applicable to our accident - how do we know its from our incident. Just interested in your thoughts. Thanks.

Answer:
 > is it reasonable for me to keep safe distance when accelerating at the start of a green light?

It's your responsibility to *always* maintain a safe distance. Always.Answer #2: Agent here:

You are almost universally at fault for a rear ending.

It is always your responsibility to maintain a distance that allows you to stop safely without rear ending someone.  That's pretty much the end of the story.

As far as whether the damage was from the accident, you should have called the police and had her on record saying there was no damage.  As it stands you rear ended her and her bumper is pushed in.  It's on you unless you can prove otherwise which is rather difficult to do. Answer #3: > I have a couple of questions - am I at fault

Yes.  It is always your responsibility to keep a safe, stoppable distance from the car in front of you.Answer #4: >is it reasonable for me to keep safe distance when accelerating at the start of a green light

&#3232;_&#3232; seriously? Of course it is. Answer #5: Thanks everyone for your responses. I figured I was at fault, I just didn't know if it was comparative negligence or if any fault was for her. I understand safe distance, but thanks!


Title: [OH] Being sued for a minor car accident from years ago

Question:
In 2016 I was at-fault in an accident. I was 19 and insured at the time. My parents took care of the insurance claim, we got the car fixed, and I assumed it was over. I had absolutely no injuries and she seemed completely fine as well. I dented the front of her large SUV but it wasn't totalled.

I got a piece of mail today saying I am summoned. Here's some text from the claim, it's pretty short. I did have a license and my registration at the time of accident.

"On or about [date]. defendant [me] negligently operated a motor vehicle and failed to yield at a stop sign and was otherwise negligent, thereby causing a collision with a motor vehicle operated by [lady suing me]."

"Defendant [my dad] negligently and/or John Does 1 through 5, inclusive, negligently entrusted [me] to operate a motor vehicle at the aforesaid time and place, and defendants [my dad] and/or John Does 1 through 5, inclusive, knew or should have known that the defendant [me] was unskilled and/or incompetent to operate a motor vehicle. Further, said defendants were under an agreement and/or arrangement know only to them at the time. <- I have no idea what this refers to

"As a result of the defendants' negligent, plaintiff [lady] was caused to suffer severe and permanent personal injuries, back pain and right hand injury, suffered a loss of time and income from employment, suffered great pain of body and mind, a loss of enjoyment of life, mental anguish, required medical care and treatment in the past, and will continue to suffer said losses in the future, all to her expense and obligation

What do I do now? It said I have to appear in court within 28 days, but doesn't give a date. It also has insurance information from a different insurance agency attached (I'm assuming hers?). This also seems like a scam...

Answer: Contact the insurance company you had at the time of the accident immediately.


Title: Is it legal for new Owners to make workers and manager pay for fake bills?

Question:
I work at a franchise owned fast food, and recently we were purchased and brought into the fold of a different franchise owner. We had a few fake bills get through lately and apparently our owners are planning on taking both the difference in tills (only the store manager) and any fake bills that get through out of both the store managers and the workers’ (whoever let it through) paycheck, with the false bills being split between the two. While there shouldn’t be a difference or and fakes getting through it still sounds wrong for them to be taking out of people’s pay, is this legal and is there anything i can/should do?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Not legal. They can fire you for accepting fake bills (or for pretty much any non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory reason), but paycheck deductions require the consent of the employee, with a few exceptions not applicable here. [File a complaint with the State of California Labor Commissioner](https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/FAQ_Deductions.htm)


Title: [Texas] 18 year old dating a 15 year old. Less than 3 years apart.

Question: I have a friend. He has been talking to this girl (15) and he (17) had a birthday recently (now 18). He is deeply concerned now that in the eyes of the law he is an adult, and she, a minor under the age of consent, could not have sexual activity with one another. In a few months she will be 16 and he will be 18. Will they have to wait until she is 17 to date and have sex? Is there an age restriction on dating or just sex?

Answer:
 http://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/statutory-rape-the-age-of-consent.html

IANAL, but I'm working from here.

Texas -The age of consent is 17. The minimum age is 14 with an age differential of 3 years; thus, those who are at least 14 years of age can legally have sex with those less than 3 years older.

So technically, your friend is in the clear, though I would have to advise against it for two reasons.

One, its creepy and will probably result in your friend getting harassed by cops if they are ever pulled over together.

Reason two, is that while legally acceptable, it is very possible that the 15 year old isn't emotionally mature enough to handle an intimate physical relationship or the potential pregnancy that follows.


Title: Question about employee rights

Question:
My coworker brought me weed in my job ( A fast food job) and we both got caught doing it and were both fired on the spot. I am a minor and was wondering if the job would contact my parents? Do they have the legal right to do so? My manager did not call the police. I am 17 and considered a legal adult in my state.
Missouri

Answer:
 > I am a minor and was wondering if the job would contact my parents? Do they have the legal right to do so?

They would have the right to do so, even if you were a full-blown adult.


Title: [FL] Owner steals our tips

Question:
I work for a small chain pizza restaurant based in Ohio, but my location is independently owned and franchised in Florida. I've been working at this location for a couple months, making minimum wage. I'm a minor, if it helps as well.

There's two ways people are able to tip. The first way is through a box on the front counter that's not explicitly labeled "tips," but it's pretty easy to guess what the box is for. The other way people are able to tip is through a line on the receipt that they sign that has a spot for how much they want to tip, which explicitly says that it's for tips. I've seen people contribute to both ways of tipping, and I thought it was strange that I haven't seen any money from tips that people have given us. Our drivers get tips, why not the counter staff? I later asked one of the assistant managers how tips are split, and he had confirmed that they're all given to the owner.

My question is, is there anything that's able to be done about this without having to spend thousands of dollars fighting the owner in court?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 You are correct that your employer is not entitled to those tips. Unfortunately you live in Florida, which means the state won't help you. You can try your local division of the US dept of labor. If they aren't interested, you will probably need to hire an attorney. Answer #2: Ask the franchise. They might have a policy in place for tips and owner might not be following it. Answer #3:

Owner can not take tips. All tips belong to employees. He can apply a tip credit towards wages, but that would show up on your check. For example: $5 per hour wages, then $3 out tips to make minimum wage (approximates).

P.S. Could be your employer is clueless and not stealing intententionally.  You could bring it up with them and/or corporate.

If he does know it is stealing; Some are saying hire an attorney and you could consult with a few, but probably better to line up a better job then file a wage complaint with DOL.

https://www.dol.gov/whd/faq_workers.htm

https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs15a.pdf

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/florida-laws-tipped-employees.htmlAnswer #4: Reminds me of that episode of Kitchen Nightmares at Amy's Baking Company where the restaurant owner kept the tips given to the waitresses because he was paying them $10 an hour so he felt they didn't deserve them. Um, no. Gordon Ramsey lost his shit. But other commenters are right, in Florida there's not a whole lot you can do about it. I was suggest getting a new job, and then reporting your manager to the franchise owners/ possibly publicly posting a review that calls out this behavior (people do NOT like when managers steal tips). Good luck!


Title: If I inherit a house in a neighborhood with an HOA, do I have to join?

Question: I live in Texas, if that matters. I recently learned I'll probably be inheriting a house in neighborhood with an overbearing HOA. Can I opt out of joining? Would it just be easier to sell the property and find a house that isn't in an HOA neighborhood?

Answer: Depends on the HOA bylaws but 99.9% chance you will be a member once the property is transferred into your name. If you do not want to be in an HOA then sell the house. But regardless you will be responsible for and past and current dues.


Title: [MD] Employer took a deduction from my paycheck for "loan repayment". Questioning the legality

Question:
I work full time for minimum wage at a shitty restaurant. I need every cent of my paycheck in order to pay my bills.

We get paid biweekly, on Fridays. I don't work Fridays, so I picked my check up Saturday and noticed there was something different: Under deductions, where it had always been blank, it now said "Loan Repayment, 15.00". Which is weird. I asked my manager about it as soon as I saw it. He said I'd have to talk to the general manager as he's the one in charge of the paychecks. This was Saturday, so he wasn't in, and since tomorrow is Labor Day, I won't be able to speak to him until Tuesday.

I don't want to go into this uninformed. I want to know my legal standing, and the legality behind deducting from my paycheck.

I've spent today googling, searching this subreddit and others, and asking other people about it.

At first, I thought it might be because of my student loans, but I checked today and both of them are still in the grace period, which doesn't end until November. One of them is private, too, and in my mother's name, so it wouldn't even have access to my paycheck, from what I can gather. Also, I would need to be sued by the lenders before any wage garnishment could occur. At least from what I can gather.

I've looked over my past paychecks, and all the amounts seem right. But even if they had over-paid me by accident, shouldn't they have to inform me of the problem before they just immediately take it from my paycheck?

From what I can gather, what my employer has done is illegal. I'm specifically getting this from the [Maryland Department of Labor website](http://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/wagepay/wpdeductions.shtml). What I'm reading from that linked page, is that I either needed to be sued by my employer or another party (like if I had defaulted on a loan), or I would have needed to have given written permission in order for them to deduct money from my paycheck.

None of this happened, and I'm pissed. I need all the money I can get, and that $15 is half of my monthly phone bill. If I had messed up or something, I should have been told that this deduction was going to happen, right?

Right now, I just want to know my legal standing. I want to be informed when I talk to the general manager. I'm a recent college grad. Most of my coworkers are around my age too. I want to go into this knowing my rights and the laws. It could be nothing, it could be a mistake, but I would not be surprised if the company had done this before and took advantage of their young employees.

Please let me know if any other information is needed.

Answer:
 Well it would be legal if you had signed papers as part of a pay advance loan, but I assume if you had done so you would not be here asking if it was legal for them to do this.

I would advise giving them a few days to get it sorted out but if you don't have your money soon, file a complaint with the DoL


Title: [California] Mandatory Donations at School

Question:
Recently, my school has held a canned food drive and a toy drive that anyone can donate to. However, the ASB at my school has been mandating that each club donate a minimum amount of food/toys (based on a point sheet) per member that they have in their club. If a club does not meet this minimum, then they are given a strike, which is posted on a public google sheet. Other strikes are given for various administrative reasons like not turning in forms. If a club gets three strikes, then they cannot continue as a club for the next rechartering period.

However, the ASB directors' argument is that clubs can "work off" their strikes by having their members attend school events or other forms of community service. They often use the word "alternative" to describe this. It is unclear at this moment if only the donation related strikes can be worked off or if other types can be as well (dunno if this is relevant). Furthermore, clubs can use their own funds to meet the minimum requirement, and that therefore no individual pupil is being required to donate.

Is this a real loophole or does it still violate AB 1575 and other laws? Are they just trying to scare the students off from complaining? Is this a valid use of club money? I'm really trying to make sense of this because the ASB directors are not stupid, and I don't think they would institute a policy like this without really thinking about it.

Also, officer positions are pretty important at our school, and almost every club has given officers a mandatory requirement to donate x amount of points (in order to cover for ordinary members who do not donate). If they don't donate, individual clubs often have their own strike system or other way of booting officers. Would an officer position be counted as a privilege relating to an educational activity so that even if the above loopholes are valid, the officer positions are still protected by law?

Two possibly relevant district codes: “The District shall not require any district student to pay any fees, deposits, or charges except as specifically authorized by law. (Education Code 49011; 5 CCR 350),” and “Requirements for participation in extracurricular and cocurricular activities shall be limited to those that are essential to the success of the activity. (5 CCR 4925)”
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 >If a club does not meet this minimum, then they are given a strike, which is posted on a public google sheet. Other strikes are given for various administrative reasons like not turning in forms. If a club gets three strikes, then they cannot continue as a club for the next rechartering period.

Have you informed the school administration? Most ASB's in the U.S. typically operate independently and by students. More often than not they do things not allowed by school administration and is often stopped when reported.


Title: (CA) Threw a party at my house and a guest damaged a neighbors car. Am I liable?

Question: Last weekend I threw a party at my house and late at night I heard a commotion outside about two blocks down. Three of my guests were fighting and through the commotion dented my neighbor's car. All three of them refuse to take responsibility so now my neighbor is threatening to take sue me/ take me to small claims court. Since this occurred in a cul-de-sac in public am I legally responsible to pay for my neighbors damage?

Answer: Give your neighbor the names and contact info for the responsible parties.  If they choose to sue you, call your renter's/homeowner's insurance company and let them know.  You could be liable for the damages your guests caused.


Title: Apple destroyed my RAM during a repair without my consent: do I have grounds for a lawsuit? - Michigan

Question:
Hey guys,

I recently have had some trouble with my laptop, and thankfully, I was able to send it in for repairs for free with my warranty. Upon getting it back, I noticed that it was running a lot slower than when I had sent it in, and upon looking in the system information, I found that they had taken out the 8GB of RAM I had personally bought and installed and replaced it with the factory 4GB of RAM (two RAM modules of 2GB).

After looking through the information given, the repair notes stated that the "Memory Caused No Boot," and after I called inquiring about it, it was stated that the RAM was destroyed. I did not at any point give my consent for any part of my computer to be destroyed. I would also like to mention that the problem I sent my computer in for repairs for had happened previously, about 6 months earlier. I had installed the RAM prior to this first repair and it made it through repairs the first time, but for some reason, they decided that it was not working correctly. While I'm not a tech genius by any stretch, it seems odd to be that 2 identical pieces of RAM would both go "bad" at the same time, 6 months after they were seen to be working correctly. It also seems incredibly odd that 2 pieces of RAM would **both** be bad, and **both** be purchased by the same person...in any case, I digress.

After looking through the back of the repair notes sent to me (the back has some notes about different repair scenarios and how to contact Apple if something else goes wrong with the repair), it says explicitly under the heading of "Issues due to non-Apple parts" that "Affected parts - including hard drives, RAM modules, optical drives, wireless cards, and more - are removed, then we retest you APple product to make sure it's up to par. **These parts are removed and returned with your product.**" I also looked through the Applecare warranty pretty closely, and found no information about disposing of a consumer's parts if found to be faulty. The worst part about this is that the memory cost some money, and since they destroyed it, I can't pursue the people I bought from for a refund.

Anyway, I hope this is enough information, and I hope someone could give me an idea if it would make sense to pursue legal action against Apple (or at least threaten to).

(Sorry for the wall of text btw lmao. I'm also not entirely sure if i picked the right flair for this, my apologies if I didn't!)
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Legal action over a 4gb ram module likely isn't worth it. This is more of a customer service issue.

I'd contact apple corporate with a concise and professional email stating that you were advised the ram was destroyed, and showing in their repair Terms of Service that they're supposed to return the module to you. Ask them for a credit for the cost of the module.


Title: Company wants to begin random drug screens for all employees at behest of DOT employees claiming unfair treatment.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 ~~If you've already informed them, technically you can take the risk, and start your screens 60 days after the notice.~~

~~However, as a CYA policy, the smart thing to do is to print a full new policy, so that no one has the opportunity to use the previous handbook against you. It's always better to supersede a now erroneous document. I am not a lawyer, but if you sent an email or verbally notified employees about the change in policy, but the current handbook goes against that policy, I'd say you have a potential problem on your hands. Why not just make sure everything is above board? If you're asking the question, I think you know the answer.~~

Edit: Oh, you're an employee here, I just reread your post, sorry, I needed my morning coffee. As others have said, I'd speak to the union rep. We don't know exactly what the policy says and what the agreement is. I'd say the handbook should be changed, just because it's the smart thing for the employer to do. But that's my advice for the employer, not you.

I'm going to guess that since it's a national company, they'll supersede the handbook soon. Just piss in the cup.


Title: Do I have good cause for unemployment?

Question:
Location: Louisiana

I was a mental health technician, and I just left my job on the spot. My manager said this could be considered job abandonment, but she was “gonna see what she could do” and not to come to work until she called and prepare a statement.

I was assigned a patient B who was out of control. Every day I worked B was being put in restraints for acting out. We nearly came to blows the other day. So I couldn’t believe I was assigned B again, and said so, which agitated them.

The short version of what happened next is that B threatened me the rest of my shift over and over again, promising to slap the piss out of me. They got into an altercation with another patient. And then got into a physical altercation with another patient. I tried to intervene but was TOLD to let them fight by my charge. Things had quickly gotten wild, and I honestly needed to get away from the situation but the charge insisted I stay with the patient.

I tried to keep my distance despite the patient’s status as a 1:1 patient, because just looking at them was agitating them. The nurse kept yelling at me for not getting closer; I felt like charge was basically asking me to fight this patient. Between the constant threats/trash talk and the staff treating me like I was doing something wrong, I left.

I’m sure I have lost my job, and even if I haven’t I don’t think I would be comfortable working in the same department or unit any longer. I want to file for unemployment and just take a break from working period/supplement my income if I take on some shitty fast food gig. Do I have cause for leaving? Should I try and see if they will fire me instead?

Answer:
 > I want to file for unemployment and just take a break from working period/supplement my income if I take on some shitty fast food gig.

Unemployment is not meant for people who want a "break from working." Nor will it pay out if you are working, even if you are working fast food and would like a supplement.Answer #2: Do you work somewhere that dealing with aggressive patients is part of your job?


Title: MI Potential attempted stolen pills

Question: So I take prescription medication on rare occasions through a prescription and somebody at work was asking me for my pills, they were a little pushy about it as well, but after I said "no because I do not want to loose my ability to take my medication for the rest of my life" they let it go, but the way they look at my bag when they think I am not looking I can tell they are thinking about going through it. Luckily I do not keep my pills in there. They are always either on my person or in a locked safe. I did however found some of the pockets unzipped today which I usually keep them zipped. Nothing was missing. Am I able to loose my rights to prescription for stolen pills the same as if I gave them away? What preventative measures can I take to avoid any legal hassle and what are my legal options without any proof of anything? There were several witnesses to the asking for the pills, but I am not sure they were paying attention or would even remember.

Answer:
 Don't leave your personal belongings lying around unsecured.

If someone steals your medication, you can file a police report. Giving them the thief's name would be very beneficial.


Title: Can I sell stickers of book covers. Fl/NY

Question:
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Yes of course those are protected by copyright. Don't do this without proper permission and licenses.


Title: What considerations and precautions should I take when signing a class action lawsuit retainer?

Question:
US, Colorado, Taken in 2011.

  **tl;dr**  *As a minor, I was forced to take risperdal in a medical facility, and continued taking it for 4 weeks thereafter, totaling 6 weeks. I've developed gynecomastia. What is the best way to get the amount I should in the ongoing lawsuits vs J&J? Additionally, Is the hospital who forced me to take it in any way liable?*

I was 17 and institutionalized for a manic-psychosis due to extended sleep deprivation. At the time I was healthy, weighed 175 lbs, and would describe myself as happy. I won't go too far into detail as I know I may need to speak with a law firm who represents these specifically.

I was hospitalized 11 days and in that time gained 28 pounds. I am now in an 'unhealthy bmi' range, and struggle to keep weight off. I took the medication at the highest prescribed dose (6mg) for a period of 6 weeks, and one week at 2-4mg/day. I was forced by the doctor to take it, the doctor ordered them to inject me against my will if I refused, 4 or 5 nurses came in ready to 'hold me down' and said they were going to inject me subcutaneously in my uh... butt. At this point I took the medication.

On discharge it was strongly stated I must continue this medication, and it was insinuated it should be for perpetuity. After 6 weeks I weighed 220 lbs. At this point I discontinued. I was then later diagnosed with gynecomastia. As a result of the gynecomastia, I avoided summer jobs (lifeguard) and pursuing relationships. It's caused me a lot of issues with my self esteem.

I've been offered representation by Morgan & Morgan but the settlement amount is unclear. I've yet to sign anything. They require 40% of the settlement amount. As far as I can tell these are the only fees, what should I scan the fine print before prior to signing?

Would it possibly be worth having this done by a lawyer who works for me personally, or contact them about paying a fixed fee, as opposed so % of perceived settlement? AFAIK $10,000 should be the minimum amount awarded, as that's what surgery to fix my man boobs would cost. Cases that have gone to trial yielded 70 million, 2 million, & 2.5 million in the past. Settlement amounts have remained largely undisclosed.

I've read a lot about class action suits, being entirely absorbed by the legal entities representing them. What is the best choice to minimize legal expenditure/maximize potential gain? I was under 17 at the time I was taking it, and have some other post-injury complications from the risperdal.

Answer: You may want to consider taking the documents to a neutral attorney for review. This type of thing is ridiculously complex. Honestly I'm surprised they agreed to take you given you only took the medicine for 6 weeks.


Title: Job I got hired at doing some soft of investigation

Question:
So I got hired somewhere and was supposed to come in to fill out paperwork. Emailed and due to busy schedule, the person who I was supposed to fill out paperwork with (direct deposit info and all that) keeps putting it off. Eventually she says that there's been an issue with hiring me and they're working to get it resolved. I email back to say thanks and ask to be kept updated. I wait a week, it's still not fixed. So I call and the person who's in charge of paperwork says they can't tell me what kind of problem it is or when it'll be sorted out of give me any sort of certainty that it will be sorted out. I thank her and we both hang up.

So at this point I'm pissed. Do I have a job or not? It's been over 4 weeks since I've been told I have the job and I still haven't been "officially hired." Can they legally do an investigation on me and not tell me or tell me what it's about? Is there anything I can do about this to force them to tell me what's going on and stop keeping me in the dark?

Please help, I'm getting very panicked.

Answer:
 > Do I have a job or not?

Given that you've done no work for them I'm gonna say not.

> Can they legally do an investigation on me and not tell me or tell me what it's about?

Of course.

> Is there anything I can do about this to force them to tell me what's going on and stop keeping me in the dark?

You could say "to hell with this" and find a new job.


Title: Hiring A Private Investigator

Question:
I’ve been harassed online for 2 months, and it keeps escalating. I’ve gone to the police, and they are trying to uphold a warrant to Facebook for IP addresses to find out where the harassers are sending their messages from. Everything ties back to a sexual harassment investigation at my work where the person harassing me was let go, but not after harassing me for 7 months on the job. The person harassing me is over the same matter as the work harasser, but obviously the name/location online doesn’t match the work person.

I have people showing up to my house in the middle of the night sitting outside with their cars running with the lights off and trying to break in. I’m at the point where I believe my personal safety is in danger. I know the legal/criminal system isn’t set up to handle these kinds of cases quickly or easily, and the police officer who helped me was very sympathetic to the fact he’s only ever seen 1 warrant to Facebook upheld.

Are Private Investigators/Detectives able to attain IP addresses? And can I take that IP address to the police after I have it, or would I be in trouble because of how I attained it? I’ve never had to deal with something like this, but the online harasser has threatened me, my boyfriend, my friends and my family. I don’t care how much it cost, as this person is putting direct links to my personal accounts on sites and then now taunting me by showing me. All I can do is report and hope it gets taken down.

Any other advice or point in the directions I might find answers is very welcome. If I need to explain more on why this person is harassing me, please let me know!

Answer: In your post history you state you have an attorney; they'll be able to give you much, much better information than we can.


Title: I NEED HELP!!!

Question: I invited a friend along to a cook out to be my designated driver. We ate, i drank a few beers, was falling asleep, we get in the car to go home. His gas pedal sticks (had been messing up earlier) we run off the road, i wake up to him floppin me in the drivers seat screamin at me to say "no matter what You were driving!!" i said ok ok. officer is at the window in seconds, pulls me out give me a breathalyzer, i blow .330. n they take me to the hospital, then jail. what can i do now?? They want me to settle for a plea that i cant afford, do i try fighting or am i f*cked no matter what? This guy took off to Mexico btw

Answer: You can start telling the truth, but your previous statements can be held against you. Ask your lawyer.Answer #2: At .330, you're closer to being dead than remembering what happened. Try harder to troll.


Title: Friend is worried about losing custody of his son to his drunk and abusive wife.

Question:
A friend of mine (31yo whom I'll call Jake) is worried about losing custody of his 4yo son because he's concerned he may not actually be the father. It's clear to anyone that Jake is an outstanding father who truly loves his son. His wife on the other hand has proven many times that she's an unfit parent; comes home at unreasonably late hours belligerently drunk (she's a bartender and whether it's a day she works or not she drives home drunk from the bars regularly and already has 2 DUI's), is verbally abusive, and a generally nasty person toward him and their son. Not very long ago Jake found out through a few sources that his wife was involved with 3 other men around the time their son was conceived. She doesn't know that he knows this though. He wants a divorce, but is worried that if he tries, she'll try to gain custody of the child by bringing to light that the child isn't his. Jake doesn't care if his son is his biologically but would still rather not face the reality of finding out he isn't. It's obvious that Jake's son favors him as the parent, which only makes sense because he's the one who actually takes care of him. Jake had no criminal record. What course of action should he take in order to ensure he can keep his son after the divorce.

FYI this is in the US state of Wisconsin which is notorious for giving the father the short end of the stick in custody battles. But his name IS on the child's birth certificate.

Answer:
 Adding to /u/ohio_redditor's point, not only is he the presumed father but he could also be the psychological father if that presumption is rebutted. That means the child has had such a strong connection to your friend since birth that the for all intents and purposes your friend is the child's fathers and that in the best interest of the child, your friend should continue to act as the child's father.

Don't let biology hinder your friends desire to get out of a loveless marriage. The court isn't going to just completely ignore four years of a man treating a child as his own and raising him to be his son. They will take that into consideration and will do what's best for the child. Answer #2: Wisconsin has a presumption of paternity.  This means that any child born to a married woman is legally also the child of the husband.

I'd suggest your friend hire a lawyer who has experience with divorces in Wisconsin.


Title: Apartment Complex Near My College Roomed Me With a Drug Dealer.

Question: I just met the roommate I am going to have in a week when I move into my new apartment and he told me he is a dealer. How do I get out of that place without calling the cops?

Answer:
 Well, your landlord is the one who can let you change/break your lease (or evict your roommate for being a dealer).

There's not much of a way to get out of this without disclosing to *someone* that he's a dealer.


Title: Bully winning the legal fight need help!

Question:
Located in New York Long Island I'm posting this on behalf of my brother that's in A predicament with someone harassing him.  Pretty much this all starts out when my brother was out driving he randomly gets a water bottle thrown at his car by let's call him mike.  My brother blows it off and two weeks go by and mike decides to throw a huge pair of binoculars at my brother car denting it.  Here's where the problem starts.  My brother has a hard time controlling his anger so one day he saw him driving and he threw a water bottle back and parked his car mike then pulls up next to his car and throws a cup full of change at his car and my brother started hitting his car with a bat.  My brother was charged with a misdermnor criminal mischief.. Fast forward a month and my brothers in a gas station.  Mike pretends to run over my brother and almost hits him and my brother blows it off mike pulls up next to my brother and throws another water bottle then calls his girlfriend a cunt. Then my brother kicked his car door.

What can my brother do to protect himself? This kid is trying to get my brother in trouble following him and trying to use his anger problem against him.

This needs to be stopped and the cops are siding with him because he's the only one with proof of damage help!

Answer:
 >What can my brother do to protect himself?

Get into some anger management classes and call the police when someone assaults him/vandalizes his vehicle.


Title: [Texas] Is it illegal for someone to be using my home address as their own if they don't live here?

Question:
My step-father's eldest son is claiming my address as his own. It's on his driver's license and he is taking out loan applications with my address on it and is getting his mail here and I don't know how to stop it or make a complaint. I'm just wondering what I should do.

Edit: I'm taking /u/SchighSchagh 's advice and calling him.

Edit 2: I originally got no answer and then he returned my call. The conversation went like this:
Me: Hello?
SB: Who's this?
Me: Smuckers_Goober.
SB: What you want?
Me: Why's your mail coming to my mom's?
SB: Why?
Me: I'm calling for her.
SB: I needed an address for filing my tax return.
Me: Why didn't you use your own?
SB: *hangs up*

This made me nervous. Dude is sketchy af.

Edit 3: (Next day) I told my stepdad what my stepbrother said to me about the tax return thing and he got upset, he's an anxious man and doesn't want to get stuck in an IRS issue, my shady fuck of a stepbrother is known to not give a fuck and fuck anyone and everyone over. I won't even get into that. He tried calling him and he's not answering his calls. I'm taking the advice a mail carrier that took the time to inbox me exactly what I should do and the info /u/Lapinot passed on to me from his mail carrier friend. Thanks everyone for your advice.

Answer:
 mark the mail as return to sender. I'm not sure what you can do about the driver's license bit, but the mail should be marked as return to sender. Answer #2: Do you live with your stepfather?Answer #3: Just idle thoughts, but I wonder if the guy gets in trouble, would the cops try to serve a warrant at that address?  Would it be worth notifying the DMV that he doesn't live there? (Would that matter?)Answer #4: If you have a problem with him using your address, than it's wrong and you should mark all mail return to sender.

There shouldn't be any implications on your part, other than being annoyed by mail that's not yours.


Title: Help! My stepdad might be spying on my sister and I. What should we do?

Question: Two days ago, my sister felt something hard while using a towel in our bathroom... but she ignored it. This morning while my sister was using the towel again, she felt the object and decided to take a look at it. She found a black IPhone 8+ wrapped around by the towel and a rubber band with a hole cut through just for the lenses to see through. She turned the towel on the other side and saw a recording button... recording. My sister paused the recording and skimmed through the video. She saw my stepdad looking straight at the phone and then leaving. A few seconds later into the video, she sees herself entering the bathroom getting ready to dress. My sister noticed that the video started recording at around 5:50 am which is when we get ready for school. She deleted the video and left the room to tell me about it. I didn’t doubt her since I remembered watching those videos about spy cams in public bathrooms and how much of a problem it is in South Korea. My mom and grandma are out of the country for a family emergency.  The only people in our house right now is my sister, stepdad, grandpa, and me.

Answer:
 If he is recording you in the bathroom he is a BAD man. Answer #2: You are protecting your family. You are doing nothing wrong by calling the police. Your step dad is an adult and he clearly took advantage of your mom being away. Answer #3: I can’t believe your family is more worried about him losing his green card. Than the fact that he’s spying on two minors!

You need to call the police. Just because he hasn’t physically done anything to you. Doesn’t mean you aren’t a victim!

As a victim myself your families reaction is crazy upsetting. Answer #4: Go tell any adult you trust. You need to get away from him right now.


Title: Pennsylvania, is it legal for your employer to give you other employee's personal information?

Question: Specifically cell phone/home phone numbers? Without asking their consent.

Answer: I’m reasonably sure /u/mathergj misread the question. For the sake of clarity though, *yes* it is legal for your employer to give other employees your number.


Title: We now have 3 multi family houses on my street. Parking has become a nightmare. Houses are forced to block their driveways just to park in front of their houses. Is there anything we can do to?

Question:
Two neighbors converted their garages into bedrooms and are renting them out. One of these neighbors has converted his living room and basement as well. These are families, not single persons, living in these bedroom conversions. As a result parking has become nearly impossible.  To add to this, a house has been under construction for over a year with lots more work to be done. Parking is now a constant struggle from 7am-7am. Street cleaning days I’m forced to park a block over.  Houses are intentionally taking up curb space for 2 cars as a means of “saving” spots (obviously not illegal, but annoying). Not to mention one of the three homes is harboring a criminal, caught trying to break into our cars on our street 3 weeks ago. Is there any legal action that can be taken against these specific homes?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Contact your local code enforcement office and advise them that you believe there are two properties on your block that have illegally converted spaces in the house (garages, and possibly a basement) into bedrooms. Ask that agency to send out an inspector to verify/enforce local housing codes.

In most locations, garages typically can't (legally) serve as a bedroom unless the process of converting them to a bedroom was properly permitted.


Title: Dogsitting turned into threats of charges (Canada)

Question:
A friend of mine in New Brunswick was asked to dogsit over a year ago. The owner, a junkie who was still in town, barely asked about the dog for months.

Eventually my friend being stuck with this dog, felt the need to rehome the dog because she couldn't keep caring for it.

Now, months later, said junkie is threatening to press charges all over social media, claiming to ready pictures and go to the police.

Are there laws governing a situation like that?

Can my friend be charged with theft for rehoming a dog she was given, that she felt was being neglected by the original owner?

Answer:
 Before rehoming, what did she do to contact the original owner?Answer #2: >Can my friend be charged with theft for rehoming a dog she was given, that she felt was being neglected by the original owner?

Your friend can be *convicted* of theft on those facts.

s. 322 of the *Criminal Code* (relevant portion):

>322 (1) Every one commits theft who fraudulently and without colour of right takes, or fraudulently and without colour of right converts to his use or to the use of another person, anything, whether animate or inanimate, with intent
(a) to deprive, temporarily or absolutely, the owner of it, or a person who has a special property or interest in it, of the thing or of his property or interest in it;

Your friend **fraudulently** (that is, with knowledge that the dog belonged to someone else) **converted** to the use of another person (by "rehoming" it) a **thing** (the dog) with **intent** to **deprive** its **owner** of that **thing** (the dog).

The defence of necessity should not be available to your friend on these facts, as at least two of the three elements of necessity were not present - there was no immediate danger and there existed reasonable legal alternatives to stealing the dog.

Your friend's best course of action would probably be to make every possible effort to return the dog to its owner.


Title: PA Landlord won't accept any traditional form of rent payment

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What does your lease say about it, if anything?


Title: Debit card was charged at the time of purchase, the next day, the charge was gone and the some money refunded.Went back to buy something else, and the payment is pending.

Question:
This occurred in Wyoming, I live in Colorado.So I got Friday off and decided to drive up to Wyoming and buy some fireworks.So i drive up there, buy around 380 dollars from one store and 200 more from another store. I checked my Wellsfargo to make sure I had enough funds, which I did.I re-checked after, and had some money leftover still.Both transactions, plus any other I had from that day are posted on my checking account and charged.

So I light some fireworks in the evening and night to see which one I really like. after that, I decide to go back and purchase some more the next morning, so i go to bed and in the morning, I wake up and go forth with my plan. I first check my Wellsfargo, and im surpised because the both transactions from the 2 different firework stores are gone! I cant find them in my history and my checking account was refunded, but no refund is showing! I thought about it and knew i still had a couple hundred after i bought all the fireworks, so again, i go back and buy some more fireworks, but keep the spending limit below the money i knew i had AFTER spending so much on fireworks the day before. I come home, refuel and buy some coolant from advance auto parts because my car was completely out of anti-freeze and it almost seized from overheating.Forth of July is a blast.

Today I woke up and the transactions from yesterday(fireworks,gas and advance auto parts) show up as pending on my account; However, the both transactions from both firework stores i visited on 7/3 aren't showing! Now im going nuts because the money showing in my account does not accumulate to the money i spent on both firework store on said date. The transaction from yesterday's firework store showed up and is pending, but im fearing that if they post it, it will cause an overcharge fee and i will be in the negative hundred dollars!

TL;DR: bought insane amount of fireworks one day, transaction shows up and my account is charged, next day no transaction shows and money is refunded back, but is not showing it either! went back for more firework at the same store and this transaction showed up and is pending. Fearing the overdraft fees.

Edit: I get paid this Friday so I can pay any overdraft fees if they decide to repost the transaction. Just wondering if anyone would know why this happened.

Edit 2: just borrowed 300 and will deposit it as a safety net for overdraft fees. Thanks you guys. This is truly a weird experience and I will be a more responsible person with my spending...and so should you! This sounds like it should go into r/personalfinance now... Alas, great community you guys are. Much love and will update if they do even repost and charge the transactions.

Edit 3: transaction finally came trough. Safety net worked and I won't be pulling that shit anymore. Take control of your finances people!

Answer:
 This is why you need to keep track of your accounts.   The pending amount isn't very accurate.

Why did you keep spending it you had no money?  Did you think you got free fireworks


Title: [CO] Coworker creating terrible work environment while I'm on leave. Don't want to return.

Question:
I am currently on leave of absence from work due to the birth of a child.  She was born several months premature and unfortunately caught a very bad infection and shortly passed away several days later.  My leave doesn't end until July 24.  We are managing the best we can, attending grief counseling and trying to work our way through everything one day at a time.

Unfortunately while I am away, there is a coworker who I once thought of a friend(Amy) who seems to be causing major issues for me.  A little bit of background information, I work for a large box retailer as a manager, Amy is also another manager from a different store  but in the same city.  We've worked together for approximately 2 years and grew to be pretty good friends until recently.  We've grown apart when it became apparent that she's a friend only when it's convenient for her.  My girlfriend and I live in different states so the pregnancy has been rather difficult, we're both private people who don't use a lot of social media and she has a job where she's expected to be a social media influence.  She has a public instagram account for "work" purposes and a private one for her family and friends. This information will come up later.

So the issue, once I went on leave things got a little hectic.  Since we ran into complication and the baby was born premature my leave was very sudden and unexpected.  I left a lot of loose end open and a lot of things unfinished at work.  At first things were great I sent photos of the baby to my fellow employees and co-parts but when things started going bad I got very silent and went a bit AWOL.  I texted a few close friends the news and basically told everyone what happened and that as time went on and people found out to not message me as we were still processing the lost and dealing with a lot all at once.  As news spread so did rumors,  my girlfriend though on maternity leave had to keep up with her social media because of the criteria of her jobs.  She would put up old photos of gatherings and get togethers.  Even photos of us from months and week back to make it seem it was still active.

Amy found her work instagram and started telling people at work that I had faked my leave and the death of my baby. Rumors started to spread and when I was finally ready to reach out to people and talk strangely a lot of people never returned my message or completely ghosted me. I found out by reaching out to another manager who told me everything and then confirming with an employee that works out of her store.

With everything that's happened this is a work environment I do not want to return to, it's too much for me to handle all at once.  I don't think I can deal with that type of stress not to mention that if I ever see this woman again I may have the urge to hit her with a bus.  So my question is if I quit, would I for any reason qualify for any type of unemployment?  Or should I try to locate another position before my leave ends, or just have to suck it up and go back until I can find another job?

TLDR: Tragically lost my child shortly after child birth co-worker is falsely telling people the whole thing is faked.  Don't want to return to this job do I have a case for unemployment?

Answer:
 First question is have you spoken to HR or your direct supervisor about this situation? Her actions could constitute as defamation per se, but in order for it to be criminal, there must be damages per Colorado code. If you lose your job because of her false statements, and you press charges against her, then ~~C.R.S. 18-13-105 made it a Class 6 Felony~~ Colo. Rev. 13-80-103 it is a civil case. So, step one is talk to your HR and/or immediate boss regarding this situation as it may escalate further.

Edited to correct from criminal to civil as criminal was repealed in 2012. Thanks, u/solipsistic_thing!


Title: Mandatory Arbitration agreement: is it coercion if they threaten my job for not signing?

Question: NYC, NY, USA: My employer is requiring all employees to sign a mandatory arbitration agreement. They are saying that we will be terminated if we do not sign the agreement by a certain date. From what I see, that constitutes coercion and is illegal. I do not want to sign the agreement as I think arbitration will ultimately result in overall negative outcomes for hourly employees. Is this legal to require?

Answer: Yes. They can require it as part of your job. You are free to find other employment. Answer #2: You are an employee at will unless you have an employment contract. You are free to sign or not to sign the agreement. Your employer is free to fire you if you don't sign, or if you wear purple socks, or if you do your job to well, or even if they just feel like it that day.


Title: I filmed cop. Next day he gave me 4 tickets. Is this harassment?

Question:
Hello.

(This event occurred in NJ.) At my local McD, there was a black homeless man asking for monetary help. I told him to hang tight, once I get change to drive thru, I'll return give help. When exiting drive thru, a white cop had arrived and was yelling at the man. He was berating him that he could not "harass" customers, that it was illegal to do so. I motioned to the man here is the money I promised. I politely asked the officer to not yell at him and simply help him out. He told me to mind my F business and not to hit his car, to get out. I did. However, I turned back after one block, parked in McD's parking lot, shut off car, exited and ate fries while I filmed them from afar with my cellphone. The officer stared at my direction once he noticed he was being filmed. It seem to work, he stopped yelling at the man, got in car, and started driving away. As he drove away, he stopped by me and said "I hope you got my good side," then left. I stopped recording after 2 more minutes, finished food, and left.

Next day, he stopped me. Gave me 4 tickets. One was for an "open container of alcohol." It was a small, dusty bottle in the trunk of SUV, that was a salt shaker (in Corona bottle). He told me he didn't smell any alcohol on me and I voluntarily told him he can give a breathalyzer if he wanted to. I also told him I know he's doing this because I filmed him yesterday. He then left. I also did record this interaction.

Is this a form of harassment, conflict of interest, etc? I'm going to fight this. It'll be a pain back and forth with court. I'm certain with both my videos it'll show he's "getting even."

Answer: What was the other 3 ticket for?


Title: Tattoo artist added to tattoo without approval and did not wear gloves causing infection. They blocked all communication when trying to confront them. (Arizona, US)

Question:
I had a tattoo done from an artist in Arizona who had done previous tattoos on myself and multiple family members in his shop. They relocated and started tattooing out of a renovated shipping not container in their backyard. My family member had a tattoo done by this artist directly before mine was done and the artist did not wear gloves causing both of our tattoos to become infected, reject most ink, and badly scar over. The photo of what I gave the artist and what my tattoo ended up looking like have absolutely nothing in common and they also added multiple parts to the tattoo freehand without my permission then charged me for it. They also charged us about 3x more than we later found out any shop in the area would have charged. When myself, two family members, and a friend all had this happen I confronted the artist and asked them to refund me 30% of what I had paid them to have it fixed by another artist. They then proceeded to block all of our phone numbers and any social media so we have no way of contacting them. Is there any kind of legal action we may be able to take with no paperwork and everything done in cash as they did not have a card reader?

EDIT: This was my first big tattoo so I did not know what to expect for price, they did not give me a price up front they told me that they charge "by session" and they did not tell me the price until after they were completed with the session. The first session they did wear gloves and nothing went wrong. The second sessions they did not but I could not see them tattoo because of the location. It wasn't until they turned around to grab something that I turned around to look at them and see them not wearing gloves.

EDIT 2: There is no paper trail of transactions, but there are bank withdrawal statements and photos of the tattoo that I wanted and of what I ended up with. There are also photos of 3 others besides myself that are wanting to sue them if we can of their tattoos also being infected.

Answer:
 >artist did not wear gloves

Why didn't you stop right then?

>They also charged us about 3x more than we later found out any shop in the area would have charged.

You agreed to a price. It's not their fault if you bought from the high-price guy


Title: (Chicago,I'll) I recently changed my auto insurance and I received a cancellation letter that's 3 days earlier from when my new insurance kicks in. I tried to call my old insurance to extend it to those extra 3 days but they said thy can't do anything about it. Any advice how to deal with this?

Question:
Edit; can someone explain this Lapse thing and why I can be charged more ?
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 Contact your new insurance and see if you can move up the start date. Did you owe your old company money? Refusing to extend coverage is extremely strange.Answer #2: Your old insurance has no reason to work with you, you dropped them. They provided you a legal notice of cancellation. Why would the bother helping you?

Why not call your new carrier and ask to start earlier?


Title: (VA) City construction site next door constantly throwing nails and debris in my driveway, causing damage to my truck

Question:
Three and half months ago construction began on a site next door to my house. The site is owned by the city, it is on a corner lot and my lot is directly beside it. Now the workers keep throwing nails and other debris from the site into my driveway and onto my truck. Since construction began I have had six flat tires, a broken window, 3 huge dents in the body/hood, a hole in the drivers side door and a hole in the bed.  I have tried talking with the workers, they always apologize and say it will stop. I spoke to the owners of the company and paid a lawyer to send them a cease and desist letter, they apologized and wrote me a letter saying it would stop. I called the police after giving them a chance to stop first and the police have taken reports each time I called and even went over and told them to stop. I went to a council meeting and spoke with the mayor and council and showed them pictures and a copy of the letter and they also told me it would stop. It hasn’t.

I work rotating shifts and it's frustrating come out and find a flat tire or my truck damaged. I can’t park on the street because I live on a main road, not a side street and traffic is too heavy. I also can’t stop my car on the road to check my driveway for nails and debris before I pull in when it’s dark for the same reason. I tried parking on my front lawn away from my driveway and I got a ticket for parking illegally. I also was pulled over, received a ticket and had my truck towed for it being an unsafe vehicle because of the huge hole in the drivers side door. Between the tickets, the tow, the repairs to my truck, the time and money I have spent changing/replacing the tires, the cab rides to and from work and the annoyance of being late a bunch of times I am at my wits end. My boss and co-workers are cool but I still feel bad when I’m late because it means someone has to stay late until I’m there to replace them (I’m a paramedic). I am not versed in the law at all and am posting here to get advice as to what I have to do to just make this stop.

Edit: I have seriously considered moving because of this, although I love my home and don't think I should have to move because they are being reckless. This construction is supposed to take a year and I can't take or afford 8 and a half more months of this.

Answer:
 Do you know what city agency is overseeing the construction?  They probably have someone overseeing and managing the project and the contractor.  They are the ones dealing with the daily issues on the project and may be in the best position to help because of constant contact with the contractor. Answer #2: >I am not versed in the law at all and am posting here to get advice as to what I have to do to just make this stop.

The thing is, there's really nothing you can do to stop behavior from damaging you aside from gripe about it, which you have done admirably well except for one thing.  The biggest deterrent is you also need to consider seeking remedy for the damages they have caused.  Meaning, sue them for all the crap you have paid for as a result of their actions.  Have you received any payment for your damages to your truck and possibly your time?  The meaningful thing for them is hitting them in the wallet.Answer #3: Is it possible to set up a drop cam or something similar to record your truck and the area right by your truck to catch those responsible?  Once you have evidence as to whom is doing it, (construction people obviously, but maybe it is a single person?) could you sue them and/or the company and/or the city for damages?

Even if you don't sue, the video evidence and a letter from a lawyer may encourage a settlement from the company/city.


Title: [Oregon] My wife's grandmother gave her a painting as a wedding gift, and left the same painting to a different relative in her will.

Question: The will was made before she gave the painting to my wife, but grandmother-in-law had Alzheimer's and wasn't mentally fit to change her will. Now the aunt who the painting was left to wants to come and take it. Does her claim to the painting overrule ours, or does being given as a gift prevent the same thing from being bequeathed in a will? I'm not sure if we have a foot to stand of if we try and fight this.

Answer: You can't will away what you don't own. If she had already transferred possession of the painting and completed the gift giving, then the painting belongs to your wife. Grandma can't will it away. That would be like saying I can will away the last house i lived in even though I've already sold it.


Title: Charged with Drug Paraphenalia in Delaware

Question:
I was smoking in my car in a parking lot a few weeks ago. I was blowing the smoke out of the window, so no smell was in the car. Technically I was in a state park, so Park ranger rolls up. Walks up to my window, and doesn't even smell any weed. He asks for my license and reg. and then walks back to his car. Comes back, and asks me what's in the sealed container on my passenger side seat. I told him that that's my container, and I didn't want to open it. He asks if he can search the car, I tell him no, and he yanks me out of the car, pats me down, cuffs me and searches it anyways. Of course he found my pipe and an eighth of weed. I Was cooperative at that point, and so he just charged me with paraphernalia.

I'm 100% sure it was an illegal search. I haven't received a court summons in close to a month. I'm also going to the public defenders office tomorrow to apply for one. Also, I had a clean record before all this.

Funny part: this all happened the very day the Governor signed the decriminalization bill.

I've heard that many courts throw out trivial, low-offense cases like these. Could I be that lucky? Are there any other steps I should take? How does Delaware normally handle these kinds of cases?

If the officer just charged me with paraphernalia, and I end up fighting it, would he be allowed to tack on the possession charge as well ?

Any opinions/advice greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 >  I was blowing the smoke out of the window, so no smell was in the car.

That's...well, patently ridiculous.  If the weed was in the car, it smells like weed in the car.  Especially if you were smoking it in the car.

> I'm 100% sure it was an illegal search.

I'm not.  Both the smell of weed on you, the car, and the surroundings, coupled with the plain-view of the container, likely gave enough cause.

> I've heard that many courts throw out trivial, low-offense cases like these. Could I be that lucky?

Maybe.  It's rare for something to get thrown out just because you want it to.

> If the officer just charged me with paraphernalia, and I end up fighting it, would he be allowed to tack on the possession charge as well ?

He could tack on the possession charge at any time(within the statute of limitations), regardless of whether you fight it.


Title: Arranged Marriage and Threatened Deportation

Question:
Alright, this gets complicated.

I work for an Uzbek man at an art store in Virginia. Two months ago, he sent a young Uzbek girl to clean up the store and do menial tasks a couple days a week. A couple weeks later I learned that she had been forced into an arranged marriage; at the age of 15 she had been sent here to be married to a 27-year-old man. I’ll refer to her as S from here on.

She came over on a student visa, as the fiancé - we'll call him W - promised her parents that he would send her to school to receive an American education. The Uzbek educational system is subpar to our US standards, and women have fewer opportunities there. Because she arrived in August, she should have been able to enroll in school immediately. But instead he told her that her only option was to go to Middleburg Academy, a Catholic school in the area. He said that she couldn't go there because they would indoctrinate her in the Catholic religion, but he never offered the option of public school to her. As a result, she has not received any sort of education since her arrival.
W, by the way, has lived in the United States all his life but his family is from Saudi Arabia. I am not sure if his family approached S’s about the marriage or the other way around, and neither is S.

They were married under Muslim law (nikka) but not under US law (I think in Virginia you can be married as young as 16 but only with your parents' permission). Although W had promised S's parents that he wouldn't touch her sexually until she had turned 18, they lived together as man and wife from September 2013 through January 2014.
During this time, he had her work in his self-owned art and framing shop for 3 months without any pay. No W2 or any sort of paperwork either. He also wanted her to become pregnant by the age of 16 and said he would legally marry her under US law AFTER she was pregnant with his child. After all the inappropriate “wifely duties”, not receiving an education, and the pressure of having to become pregnant at the age of 15, S told W she no longer wanted to be with him. So W divorced her according to the Muslim law and kicked her out of his house.  She now lives with one of her cousins in Virginia.

W’s cousin proclaims to be a lawyer, but from what I have heard from my coworker’s, she is fresh out of law school and hasn’t passed the bar. She has threatened S with deportation, saying that if S reports the repeated statutory rape to the police, W’s cousin will ensure that S is sent back to Uzbekistan. S is afraid of going back to her home country because no one will marry a divorced woman there, and women have very few career opportunities.

S is afraid she won’t be able to stay in the US once her student visa expires. I don’t know much about visa renewal or citizenship, but I want to get her out of this situation. S is still 15 years old, and she was only 14 when she met W. This job isn't very important to me because I’m already interviewing for new jobs, so I’m not worried about offending my employer.

If anyone can give me some advice, or at least some insight, into the processes necessary to provide S with an education and residence in the US, I would really appreciate it.

Answer:
 PM me. Seriously.  I am an Immigration attorney and I am also licensed in VA. I was involved with a similar case last year and can give you a couple of options that have been very successful in such cases and the women have received visas/green cards.  I don't want to go into detail, but W's cousin is full of BS and frankly, I would report her to the Bar for threatening this girl and trying to cover up rape.

Edit: Thank you /u/Kelshir for the gold.  Hopefully, we can help this girl.  These sort of incidents are shockingly common though :(.


Title: (OH) Breached an apartment lease. Now responsible for two rents.

Question:
Hey Everyone,

First time poster. Back in July, I renewed my apartment lease for another 12 months. Since then I received a job offer three hours away which I accepted. Now I no longer need this apartment and have to breach the contract (which I did. I let them know this). However according to them and the contract, I'm responsible for the rent until they are able to find a new tenant to move in. Legally is there anything I can do to get out of this situation? This is my first time moving out of an apartment so unknown territory for myself. Let me know.

Answer:
 Your landlord is correct. You signed a lease (a contract) stating that you'd pay $X amount of rent for Y amount of months. You're lucky if they aren't charging you a fee for breaking the lease.

You are responsible for paying rent at your old apartment until your landlord finds a new tenant.


Title: Neighborhood Vandalism -- can I sue their landlord? UTAH

Question:
My neighbors vandalized my home to the tune of about $500, just shy of my deductible. I own my home, they rent from a prior neighbor. That homeowner is a contractor, and recently built himself a new home (and now rents this home). These renters are new, been in the home barely three months.

I want to small claims sue the neighbors for the vandalism but they don't have a full time job and not much money. Can I also sue their landlord, the property owner?

At the very least I want to prompt a discussion where the words "how about I come over and replace that broken vinyl siding myself?" from him.

The repairs need to be made before winter.

Did I mention I'm broke? Thanks for the advice.

Answer: How is the landlord responsible? How were they negligent and caused this to happen?


Title: Job Opportunity Scam with eBay Gift Cards (Virginia)

Question:
I've been scammed by what I thought was a promising job opportunity that would allow me to work from home. They mailed me checks to be deposited into my account, and then sent back to a private vendor in the form of eBay gift cards in order to process and send over the necessary equipment for the job (laptop, printer, copier, etc). Unfortunately, the checks were rejected due to their invalidity, and the amount of money that I spent from them ended up coming out of my own account, leaving me with a negative balance of over $4,500. As a result, my bank transferred money from my savings account to take care of some of the negative balance, but it was not enough to cover it. I now have a negative balance of $1,850 in my checking account with nothing in my savings. Since the transactions were completed through eBay gift cards, it would be hard to trace them back since they technically came out of my own personal account.

&#x200B;

I have the return addresses for both of the checks that were mailed to me, but google searches indicated that they were just random warehouses. I tried calling the phone numbers that were all involved in the process as well, but the calls failed almost instantly.

&#x200B;

I've reported this to the police and am still waiting on hearing any updates on my case. I've also contacted my bank's fraud protection services and they weren't able to help much either. Is there anyone else I would be able to contact to get my money back?

&#x200B;

\*\*NOTE: I took up this opportunity because I was struggling to find employment anywhere else and it seemed promising as a 22-year old recent college grad. As the process went on I gradually realized how sketchy the whole thing was and eventually decided to cut ties with the person I was in contact with, but at that point it was already too late.

Answer:
 Unfortunately, as you found out, this is a scam, and the bad news is that you will be on the hook with the bank for that negative balance.

Most all of the contact information you have for the scammers is either incorrect, a dead-end, or leads to somewhere outside of the USA.Answer #2: This sucks, but unfortunately you are going to end up on the hook here.  This is a super common scam.  You will never track down the people who did this.  Its a VERY expensive lesson, but remember, if it sounds to good to be true, it is.


Title: Coming up on 18 y/o

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You don't need to do anything for her.  You're perfectly entitled to gallivant off, find a job, and pay for your own expenses.

Note for future reference that putting "gallivanting off" right before "working a graveyard shift as a nurse" makes you sound like an entitled punk.


Title: How to protect yourself in marriage?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If you feel you need 100 percent certainty, then don't get married.  Because the law can't give you 100 percent certainty here.

See a lawyer about a prenup at least 6 months before you even think about marriage.  Your intended will need their own lawyer.Answer #2: Courts don't like prenups as a matter of public policy, so you typically need an attorney for each party, and depending on the state the prenup often must be limited in scope.

If you don't trust someone, though, don't marry them. That's much easier than hiding assets in trusts.