Title: [MA] Wrongful termination over injury?

Question:
Not sure if this can be considered wrongful termination or not, but here goes:

So back in April I was hired to work at a restaurant (big chain place) as a server/bartender. I was scheduled to start my training in early May. The morning of I called in to clarify a uniform question and they told me I was already late. I had mixed up the time by an hour. I apologized and said I'd be in as soon as possible.

I go in. Get there ~45ish minutes late thinking I'm going to get fired before even starting. Shit. I talk to the manager for about half an hour and he tells me that it is okay, things happen, and that I won't be fired for my stupid mistake. He tells me that since the shift has already started I should just go home and come in to start training tomorrow.

I'm just glad I wasn't fired at this point.

Later that same day, I ended up fracturing my hand (4th metacarpal) and I have to call in and say I won't be able to work. I said it shouldn't be too long, which is what they told me in the ER, so they pushed my start date back a week. A few days later when I went to a hand specialist I was put in a cast for 6 weeks that prevented me from doing much of anything with my right hand (dominant hand) so I emailed my boss and told her what was up.

I was told to get in touch "when everything is settled" and I am "absolutely" able to start training. Fast forward to me getting my cast off. I email my boss again and I am told that "due to the nature of how you started here..." I no longer have a job.

I was fully employed as I had filled out all necessary paperwork and during the period of time I was in the cast I even received a check in the mail for my "orientation day" (which was before the 1st training day).

Any insight is appreciated, thanks.

Answer: This is a very valid termination. I'm not sure why you would think it wasn't. You really proved yourself to be a shitty employee from the get go. Find a new job.


Title: I was falsely accused at work several months ago, treated like an absolute monster, shunned and left in the dark for the entire investigation for 3+ weeks and was let go. I recently received a letter from the state stating I was innocent and they had no real reason to fire me. Now what?

Question:
My former workplace was a facility for taking care of the mentally disabled.

I live in Kentucky in the United States

I'm a young man (20) and not very sure what to do or really what I'm allowed to do. I was given a number to call to file a service complaint if I felt I was treated unfairly.  (which i completely believe I was. I'm not a sensitive person, but the way they treated me the night of the accusation made me ball my eyes out on the drive home) Honestly, I just would love to have my job back now that I've been proven innocent. But I'm unsure if they would even consider hiring me? I know it sounds dumb that I'd want to work here again but the pay and benefits are great. I was speaking with my mother about it on the phone and she said I should ask for my job back and if they say no to threaten to take it to court for what went down and how they fired me without reason. Can I even do this? Is it an actual case worth fighting?? If not, please don't insult or judge my mother. She's a very intelligent lady, she's just upset that her son was so hurt by some folks and I get it.

But honestly, I really do just want this job back and I'm curious is there a way around that now that I've been proven innocent? The pay was so nice compared to what I was making. I thought I was living like a king. I made nearly 50% above minimum wage and at my age, it was amazing. The benefits were also great.

If there is anything else I should add to this just ask questions! On break currently at my other job.

Sorry this is one big ramble. I'm just unsure what to do. Thank you!

Answer:
 >  I was given a number to call to file a service complaint if I felt I was treated unfairly. (which i completely believe I was.

Call the number.

> If not, please don't insult or judge my mother.

Are you kidding?  OPs mom is a national treasure.


Title: Obtaining custody of non-biological child

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You, as you know, have no real claim to custody.  You're relying only on the will of the biological mother.  Assuming the grandparents sue for custody, it really comes down to what the judge decides is in the best interests of the child.  Very hard to predict how that plays out.

Unfortunately, being unable to pay for a lawyer likely handicaps you.  I would guess you have a fighting chance in court but that's very unpredictable.

I would work hard for a happy medium here.  Something like the child lives with you but visits them frequently.


Title: Which states have the strongest protections for prenups, and which states are particularly unfriendly towards them?

Question: Title is pretty self explanatory. My girlfriend and I have been together for 5 years and starting to become curious about this. We want a very strong prenup, but I know that their effectiveness varies state to state. That makes me curious about which states truly recognize prenups in the event of a divorce. We both feel very strongly about keeping income/assets as separate as possible.

Answer:
 In California it is difficult to enforce a prenup since the requirements are very particular...thanks to [Barry Bonds](https://law.justia.com/cases/california/supreme-court/4th/24/1.html).

Bonds took his fiancée to his team of lawyers the same day that they flew to Vegas to get married. She waived representation of an attorney. The agreement was written in English instead of her native language and there wasn’t much disclosure of his financial situation. When they got divorced she sought to set aside the prenup citing all of these reason. The Supreme Court of California said the prenup was just fine and enforced it.

After the car came out, the legislature basically said “fuck that” and changed the law to make prenups have more [requirements](https://codes.findlaw.com/ca/family-code/fam-sect-1615.html) , basically they took the court’s decision and went point by point. So there had to be financial disclosures. It has to be written in the person’s native language. And you must have an independent attorney.

If any of these requirements is not met the whole thing is thrown out. Makes it very difficult to enforce.


Title: Private college [VA] searches EVERY student's personal belongings during small breaks.

Question:
I was informed by a college RA that during breaks (like Thanksgiving breaks), the college goes into literally every student's room and searches through personal drawers, lockboxes, and fridges. The RA has told me that the college even breaks the locks on fridges to look inside them. I understand that because I'm in a private college, our 4th amendment rights are more limited, but here's the problem I have with these searches:

When we signed the college's housing contract, the contract mentioned that the college can search our rooms and contents for suspected damages, for suspicion that the student isn't following college rules, and for the well-being of the students.

My problems with the college searching every student and breaking our stuff is

1: They are acting with full impunity. They are acting arbitrarily--because not *every* student should be suspect for breaking college rules. It seems like they are searching our rooms because the student's are not there, so it's less awkward. That seems like an arbitrary reason for me.

2: They are using the agreement to justify what I believe is illegal. They are literally breaking our stuff so that they can search said stuff.

3: The college does not, except in very certain circumstances, allow students to live off campus in order to take classes. This leads me to believe that the contract we signed was somewhat forced, because the college leaves us with no viable alternative to not sign it. We either sign the contract or don't go to the college at all--and by the time the college gives us the contract, it's far too late to enroll in any other college and you'll have to wait another year.

Is what the college doing still legal?
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: I'm guessing Liberty. I live nearby if you would like to hide stuff at my house.


Title: A company called Technical Support Today has been showing exorbitant sums of incomes deposited in my company account name on which the Indian Government is now asking me to pay taxes. I have never heard of this company and can’t find it online anywhere. What can I do?

Question: I stopped doing business 2 years ago and moved to another country. I don’t know what to do from here.

Answer: Sounds like a scam


Title: I got me and my room mate evicted. Help??

Question:
I got my room mate and I evicted due to poor communication, financial hardships, and things of that nature.
I was wondering if anyone knows wether or not I can go to the court and admit full responsibility and fault in order to exponge or remove the eviction from her history?
We were both on the lease and I couldn't get the money together for the $4000 that we owe to our complex.
Please let me know if anyone has any creative ideas on how to go about saying "it was entirely my fault, even though we were both on the lease, I couldn't get my part of the money together."
Can she sue me for the eviction if I claim fault?

Answer: You both were on the lease this the landlord has the right to go after both of you. You need to speak to your landlord.


Title: Neighbors Dog attacked my dog

Question:
Location(Long Island, New york, USA)

On Christmas day, unfortunately my neighbor's dog grabbed the leg of my dog under the fence. The neighbor's dog proceeded to play tug-o-war with my dog's arm under the fence. We heard the screams of the dog and ran to his aid. My dog's arm was being pulled under the fence through broken pieces in the stockade fence that were not there prior.

We called the police and the EMT's to look at my hand that received a bite wound as well as to make a record of the event. My neighbor was not home at the time of the event and only returned home later that day.

I have given him the emergency Vet bills that total to just shy of $750. He said prior that he was so sorry and that he will do anything to help where we agreed verbally for him to pick up the bill for the vet.

Well, as you can imagine now he is pulling back on his word and offering half. I told him we agreed on the full amount and he said bring me to court then and refusing to pay anything now.

-His dog grabbed and injured my dog.
-His stockade fence was damaged where his dog was able to reach and grab my dog.

Do I have a foot to stand on here or am I stuck with the bill completely?

Answer: Take him to court.Answer #2: Take him to court for the costs.  In the meantime, set it up so your dog cannot reach his fence line - if that means putting up your own fence on your property (check setbacks to  make sure you are leaving enough space between fences if it's required where you live -- calling the city can get you some information on this) or putting the dog on a long-line so that it has enough space to get around without getting to the fence where the other dog can bite it.  Just to prevent future injuries while this is being worked out.


Title: Father of my child fled country to avoid child support - NY

Question:
Hi,

&#x200B;

Basically as the title says, my ex-boyfriend got me pregnant and broke up as soon as I said I didn't want to abort the baby. He agreed to pay generous amount of child support, however aside from that we were/are no contact. He worked as an investment banker at a big firm in NYC. Well, I gave birth to my son last week, and put my exes name on the birth certificate and everything. When I go to contact him, there is no response, seems like he blocked my number. I went down to his apartment and knocked on his door, and luckily his landlord was there. He told me that my ex went back to his home country (India) about 2 months ago. Turns out he sold most of his furniture, and his lease was coming to an end anyways, so he transferred his job to Asia and bounced out of the country.

&#x200B;

I managed to get in contact with his sister, who told me that he was back home in Goa, India. I work a minimum wage job, I can barely afford my rent, let alone a child. And with no child support, there is no way I will be able to provide for my child. My parents are willing to pay for the lawyer, but for some odd reason aren't very supportive of me being a single mother. Is there any way I can pursue for child support? I understand that there are some international child custody agreements, will this apply to my situation. Is there any agreement between the United States and India with regards to child support, and if not, is there anything I could do to pursue for child support?

&#x200B;

Any advice would be great,

&#x200B;

Thanks a lot!

Answer:
 I don’t believe India is part of The Hague.  Probably all you can do is seek out social programs.  I doubt you ever see a penny from him.Answer #2: Regardless of any child support down the road, please apply for assistance from the state. Cases like yours is what programs like SNAP and WIC are there for. Applying for aid can kick off a child support action.

I cannot find any information regarding India on the Health and Human Services website. I was able to find a [list of possible resources](https://www.childsupport-worldwide.org/india.html) but I dont know how helpful this would be.

Finding a lawyer specialising in international custody would be appropriate.

Best of luck.Answer #3: If he's working at a branch of a US or European company in India you could potentially have his salary garnished, but even this will take quite a while.  If you're in NYC you may be able to find a family lawyer with some experience of the laws in India as well.    The good news is that NYC has pretty robust social service programs, so you should start signing up for Medicaid, etc.Answer #4: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/css/partners/international

googling shows we don't have a reciprocity agreement with india so that would make things difficult.

also after a quick googling i can find nothing about child support for unwed parents in india everything is related to divorce.


Title: Can a landlord deny an applicant because of a pet limit + an ESA?

Question: We are looking to move out before August and find a new place. We've got myself and two brothers. I've got the ESA, and they have a dog and a cat. Are they allowed to deny me housing because there are three pets in a two pet place? If not, are there any court cases, or ADA/FHA excerpts I can read? (Utah)

Answer: Generally yes. Having that ESA letter means you are allowed one animal. Your landlord has a very good argument that they are already allowing two animals.


Title: [St. Louis County, MO] Fishing Problems in Neighborhood Pond.

Question: The other day I was fishing in a pond around my own neighborhood that I have gone to one time before with no problems. I have never seen anyone fish there before so it isn't a high trafficked area. To access the pond you must park in the neighborhood and walk along the side of a house to get to it. So i did that. On my way down there was a sign that said "Fishing for (neighborhood name) residents and guests only. Violators will be prosecuted." Admittedly and stupidly I ignored the signs because I have fished places before like that and most people in those neighborhoods don't care. In fact in those neighborhoods the residents always will stop by and ask how the fishing is going and love to bring there kids and watch me fish. Anyway I go down to the pond and fish for about 45 minutes only catching a bluegill which I released back into the water. I walk back up to my car and see taped on my window with clear duct tape a pink paper that stated as follows: "Fishing in the (neighborhood name) lake is for Residents Only! If you can drive - you can read the sign. Your license plate has been recorded. STL county police will be notified." I was shocked that someone would do this and not just come down to me and notify me that I simply can't fish there. Anyway I pulled the paper off my car and put it in my glove box, but the tape left all this residue on my window now. I will have to go buy goo gone to get it off. My question is should I go to my police department and ask them if i will have any ticket coming my way? Can a citizen legally tape something to my car like that? Will the police give me a ticket on the word of a citizen without seeing me there themselves? Any advice would be appreciated I am 18 years old and live in St. Louis County the city the neighborhood was in is Ballwin. Could I go to the city hall and ask them for more information on the area to see if it is a public access pond or not? I understand in hindsight I should of read the signs and left, but it just really pisses me off the resident was so passive aggressive and didn't even come down and talk to me or tell me. Thanks again for any advice.

Answer:
 > My question is should I go to my police department and ask them if i will have any ticket coming my way?

Do not go to the police and admit that you were trespassing.

>Can a citizen legally tape something to my car like that?

Eeehhh.... it wasn't nice. Theoretically that person would owe you whatever trifle it took to set your car right again; realistically just clean it yourself.

>Will the police give me a ticket on the word of a citizen without seeing me there themselves?

It's possible. Eyewitness testimony is evidence.

>Could I go to the city hall and ask them for more information on the area to see if it is a public access pond or not?

Sure can! It's totally possible that the apartment complex, or maybe just a few busybodies, are claiming the pond and a few wormy sunfish simply because it's nearby.

>I should of

should *have*

>but it just really pisses me off the resident was so passive aggressive and didn't even come down and talk to me or tell me

Some people don't handle adversity well. They also might be afraid of you.


Title: FL, USA - I saw some guys holding signs advertising a competitor right outside a business, is this legal?

Question:
I drove by a Carmax and there are guys with signs on the street in front of the store that say "We beat most Carmax appraisals by 1000.00" with a phone number.  The guys are standing on the sidewalk in front of Carmax and have Carmax's name on their signs.  I'm just curious if this is entirely legal?
 Edit: Upon further investigation it turns out the advertisement in question is actually very misleading.  The company claims they beat Carmax appraisals by 1000.00 on average which insinuates they will buy your car from you for potentially 1000.00 more than Carmax when in reality they don't even buy cars. They appraise them as a trade in IF AND ONLY IF you are buying a NEW car from them.  Carmax will write you a check on the spot for your car even if you're not buying one.  Those signs neglected to mention that.

Answer:
 The reason why companies hire people to stand on sidewalks and wave signs is to get around zoning laws that pertain to advertising.

Installing a sign almost invariably requires approval from the local city and/or property owner. There's paperwork that needs to be filled out. Cities may restrict advertising to be in particular places and they may require that advertising be limited in some way. The same is true for the property owner. Most businesses do not own their store, but rather, they lease it from a property owner. A stripmall is a good example of this. The stripmall leases out retail space to businesses. The stripmall owner will almost always impose restrictions on advertising for businesses with a lease in order to maintain a uniform, attractive appearance of the stripmall.

A person standing on the sidewalk bypasses this entirely. Thats a freedom of speech area. A person on a sidewalk can hold any sign they want, regardless of what local zoning ordinances or property owners say.

The downside of hiring a person to wave a sign around is that this person needs to be paid. Its an ongoing payroll expense rather than a one time installation expense of a sign. But for that ongoing payroll expense the business gets to sidestep a lot of rules.Answer #2: Sure.  Why wouldn't it be?

You don't see negative/attack ads for products on TV, newspapers, radio in most cases because they are rejected by the media owner.  That is, if McDonald's tried to run ads saying "Burger King burgers suck", the newspaper wouldn't do it.  There's an unwritten policy that most commercial ads aren't allowed to be negative, so you don't see many.

But it's not illegal to compare your product to another.


Title: [CT] Job refuses to replace uniform. Any options?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >And please, no "find a new job" comments. Thanks

Your recourse is to either find the missing uniform part, or find a new job.  100% legal assuming you do not have an employment contract and/or are a member of a union.


Title: i think i’m being discriminated against at work; actions?

Question:
I am an independent contractor. I work through hotels and set up for corporate events. i got hired in May. My boss (who owns the company) had mentioned to me briefly my long hair (I am black and have long dreadlocks) will lessen my chances of getting put on more gigs because the clients think it unprofessional. i’ve been living long enough in the corporate world as a black man to know what that means.

as a college graduate when he asked me to negotiate my salary, he said he only gave it to me because i had experience to back it up. He told me then that the paychecks take 20 days to process. Understood.

Going to pick up my first paycheck, everything seems fine. He brings up my hair again. I tell him as he’s pushing for me to cut it to get more hours “Well it’s a part of my identity.”

He then word for word said “well, your identity is hurting your money.”

i promptly stopped petting his dog and excused myself from his office.

He became behind on some of my paychecks, so he said he was going to catch up. He sent it to my old address (was in the middle of moving) and i didn’t get it. Come to find out, he said he never got my invoices so he never sent the check out he said he did. So i go to pick it up. This exchange begins to happen again about my hair. I ask about other positions of things i can learn to get more hours instead. He never gives them to me.

I have conversations with others he’s contracted while working and my supervisors that he contracts us to work for. They also tell me my boss is a bit racist and what he’s saying to me is discrimination.

So i end up having to call off a job because i ended up in the ER for most of the day due to a stomach virus. I do the necessary measures to call off.

I realize i’m still waiting on my next paycheck...plus i’m really broke. so I call and ask when i can pick it up. He said give him another week because paychecks take 17 days to process. Here’s the KEY.

i say whatever. go pick it up.

As i pick up the paycheck, he looks at me and says “You know, it takes 30 days for the checks to process.”

I said “You told me when you hired me it takes 20 days.”

He said “Nope, 30 days...” and explains why the same way he did when he hired me.

As i looked through my texts the week before to pick up the check he says the paychecks take 17-30 days to process. As he hired me he said it never takes longer than a month to process paychecks.

Ever since I had to call off for the ER i have not gotten a job and i am almost out of money now and i haven’t heard from him. i texted him today asking about gigs. He normally texts me about gigs 5 times a week.

Since i called off to go to the ER, nothing.

He did tell me when he hired me that he does play favorites as well when it comes to giving people jobs.

So now, i think i’m being discriminated against. I’m looking to lawyer up because This has caused me a bit of stress and has hurt my wallet tremendously. What steps should i take? He made me sin a W9 and fill out tax info since this was a 1099 job. But i think this type of discrimination needs to be addressed and i’m not sure what to do being a recent college graduate and the fine line between being a contractor and a hired employee.

Answer:
 Hair length is not a protected class. As long as he is treating men of other races with long hair the same way, it is not illegal discrimination.

The paycheck thing is a separate issue. As an independent contractor, you would need to sue him for the money he owes you.

Also:

>I promptly stopped petting his dog

Don’t take your disagreement out on the doggo. He is a good boy and deserves pets.


Title: Roommfuck locks me out. CO

Question:
I am still on the lease but am trying to sub let and have moved all my stuff out but am still on the lease and he says you're not welcome here and locks me out with the metal thing on the door I still have a key.

Looking to see what I can do if need be and he's gone while I need to show someone the house.

Answer:
 No, he cannot do that. As long as you're on the lease, you have rights of entry.

Call the landlord, or the police, or both.


Title: How to respond to police?

Question: Over the past few years I've stumbled upon countless videos and stories of people being abused by police force and at this point I'm not entirely sure of what my rights are. If I'm pulled over and they want to search my home or vehicle without a warrant or probable cause should I refuse? Or if a weapon is pointed at me how should I react? If they did something illegal would it be worth it at all to take it to court? I feel as though police often overstep their boundaries, so I would like to know what exactly those boundaries are, and if I am faced with a situation like that, how I should respond. Any knowledge or advice would be greatly appreciated. I live in West Texas, but I'm really just looking for advice for the US in general.

Answer:
 > If I'm pulled over and they want to search my home or vehicle without a warrant or probable cause should I refuse?

Yes. Do so politely. I personally always say "My dad would be very upset that I allowed a search without a warrant." I am a black guy in the south, I think alluding to "not wanting to disappoint my daddy" is a cultural thing that cops respect. They usually move on after.

> Or if a weapon is pointed at me how should I react?

Carefully and respectfully. They want you down, get down. They want your arm, give them your arm. Shut up. Don't explain to a gunman how wrong what they are doing is.

> If they did something illegal would it be worth it at all to take it to court?

Like in life, depends on what the illegal thing is.
Answer #2: You can always refuse consent.

They do not have to tell you what their probable cause is to search, and just because you don't know what it is does not mean it does not exist.

Do not resist or disobey the police on the scene.  Comply with their orders and then file a complaint later if you feel they acted improperly.

Despite how you "feel" about it, instances  of police overstepping their bounds are pretty rare overall.

I have had many people tell me that I could not do what I was doing, or that I was somehow "violating their rights" but they have been wrong 100% of the time.


Title: Ex-girlfriends family wants gift returned post break-up, does he have any legal rights?

Question:
I'm a NY State resident. Without going into to much detail, I was given some furniture a year ago from my now ex-girlfriends family as we were in the process of looking at placed to move in together. Planned for delayed, we ended up breaking up and now weeks later I'm getting several text message from the ex-girlfriends father asking for them back and that he will come over and get them if he needs to. I'm very uncomfortable with the idea of him just showing up and demanding items back that were given to me without any strings attached at the time. I'm imagine he has no legal rights to them as they were transferred to a new owner (myself) but I wanted to make sure.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 >  **I** was given some furniture a year ago from my now ex-girlfriends family as **we** were in the process of looking at placed to move in together

Do you have any evidence that the family gave YOU alone the furniture, or did they give it to you as a couple?

Because I fail to see how it's very likely that they gave YOU alone the furniture when you and she were looking for a place to live together.


Title: Undocumented Father not paying Child Support, Working under Different Name [KS]

Question:
I am the step father of the kids. I am curious what the options for us are. The father is undocumented and is required to pay child support. He paid for a while but has stopped paying for the last year or so. He's about $7k behind, just in case that makes any difference.

Here are the key points, though. He is undocumented and is working under a different name. He was doing so at the point of divorce, too, but my wife was a Dreamer and scared to start throwing that out for fear she would be deported. She is now a resident. He lost his job a few months ago and is now working for one company out of state. We are also pretty sure he is working for a local dry cleaner that he used to work for. He has had a van outside his house that was registered to the dry cleaners, and he also had a car with a temp tag that was registered to a cleaning company. The dry cleaners would know he is using a false ID, but the cleaning company may not.

Do we need to hire an investigator to find proof? What can we do?

We don't \*really\* want to have him deported, and we are concerned that any action we take will result in this. However, even if we do decide to take action, we don't want it traced back to us, since he and his family will use that to poison the kids against us \- though they will do that regardless.

Also, we did our research and it seems that in Kansas, nothing can be done until 90 days of non payment. Thing is, I am pretty sure he knows this. The last payments were last July, October, then this February. Notice a pattern? It seems he waits until right at the 90 days or so to make a payment. Can that continue on forever, without recourse?

Sorry for all the questions, it just seems like sometimes the whole issue of Child Support is difficult to understand.

Answer:
 > The father is undocumented and is required to pay child support.

If the father is undocumented without any legal right to live or work in the United States, you will need to research how to collect from his home country. He could be deported at any time regardless of what you do. Do you know which country he is from?

> We don't *really* want to have him deported, and we are concerned that any action we take will result in this.

Anything that brings him to the attention of authorities puts him at risk of deportation. If he is living/working in a red state, that is even more likely still. Kansas is very red and doesn't have any type of sanctuary laws as far as I can see. That puts him at risk of deportation entering/exiting Court or just generally coming to the attention of State authorities looking into enforce support.

> The dry cleaners would know he is using a false ID, but the cleaning company may not.

He is illegally in the United States working using fake paperwork which may be a crime in itself. If you attempt to garnish wages or enforce legally, the fake paperwork is more likely to come to light. That could put him in jail and get him deported or just make him disappear somewhere else to another job under a fake name.

Most of the options seem to lead to deportation. Other than enforcing an order for support via a foreign Court in his home country, it doesn't seem practical to enforce the support order. Any attempt to collect involves the government and they are in full immigration enforcement mode for now and for the foreseeable future.


Title: Was mailed a parking ticket, my car was never in the city where the violation was said to be at.

Question:
So I just got s parking ticket in the mail today November 9, 2014. The violation occurred in a city I haven't been to in years. I checked my bank statements and I didn't do anything on the date of the violation to prove that I wasn't even there nor that my car was there. I'm currently unemployed so I don't have a time card. The city is 4 hours away from where I live and the ticket is an outrageous $53. And the funny thing is the original fine was $30 but after 10/24/14 it became $53 and yet I just now got the letter and its date on the front is oct 29th, not even giving a chance to pay the original 30 dollar fine.

What gives? Meter maid wrote the wrong plate number? I don't feel like I should have to travel 4 hours just to dispute this and it's extremely aggravating to be accused of something you didn't do.

What are my options. I don't want to pay 53 dollars for something I didn't do, nor do I want to spend money on a lawyer, nor do I want to spend gas money to drive 4 hours to go to a court hearing for someone else's mistake.

The citation was recorded in Pittsburgh. I live quite a ways away in the same state.

Answer:
 Sounds like a scam.  I'd make a copy of the ticket and send it with a letter to the city attorney saying basically what you have here. Or call them and confirm it's legit. Answer #2: http://duncan.imageenforcement.com/AdminReviewSites/PittsburghReview

Although in my browser the web site seems to be malfunctioning.


Title: The law is a person cannot testify against their spouse. Does this mean the person cannot be legally compelled to testify or does it mean they can testify but only if they choose to? Is the evidence given by a spouse admissible if they want it to be?

Answer:
 Generally either spouse can invoke marital privilege. Example, If a husband is on trial for money laundering his wife can invoke the privilege and not be forced to testify. If his wife wants to testify, he can invoke marital privilege.

This doesn’t apply in a case in which one spouse is the victim of the other.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/spousal_privilege


Title: Eye doctor's office lied about my insurance and overcharged me (Florida)

Question:
I have BCBS vision and I needed to have my eyes checked. My husband called a local eye office and asked them if they're in the network of BCBS. they said yes so we scheduled an appointment for myself.

Fast forward to the appointment. I asked them if they have my insurance information when I arrived there and they was kept waiting for an hour until an assistant called me. the assistant (not the doctor) was the one who checked my eyes and and my glasses. She determined that my lenses need to be changed and she told me to wait in another waiting room for the the doctor.

after a few moments, I got called again to a different room. the doctor did a refraction. he gave me a pair of contacts and told me to call them after a week to verify if thats good or not. the doctor just took about 5 minutes, tops.

I did not even receive a prescription for my eye glasses or my contacts.

The assistant ushered me to the cashier area and there was a tiny line.

once I got there, they charged me $120 dollars for a refraction and contact lens fitting. I was confused as I looked at my benefits at a glance and it says $10 as copay for eye check up and the fitting it $20. I told the cashier that and she mentioned some mumbo jumbo to the likes of "your insurance don't cover those and we still have to see about the actual appointment once we run it through your insurance"

Confused, I just wordlessly handed her my credit card as I have been there for a total of 2 hours; I'm tired and I have been to a couple of doctors earlier in the morning not related to this incident.

When I got home, I told my husband about it and he was livid. he called them up asking how they could charge me that much when my copay was just $10. they were just as nasty back to him.

I looked at our insurance website and they're not part of my network. They blatantly lied. what would my options be? they have not given me any prescriptions for my eyes and based on what they told me it is an extra $40 to get a prescription for it. I feel as if they have robbed me because they were not upfront with me about the insurance and also about their stupid pricing. I have had my glasses since I was young and I have been going to the eye doctor every year. the only reason I changed doctors is because my doctor moved away. :( at Target or walmart, without insurance a check up would cost $100.

what are my options in getting my money back? do I just dispute it with my credit card and tell them that the services rendered are not what it seems?

What shall I do in this situation?

Thank you.
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 Unfortunately you're responsible for verifying services are covered yourself, through your insurance company, before they are performed. You likely signed a patient responsibility form with them stating you'll pay anything your insurance does not.

The receptionist gave you bad information but it might not have been a blatant lie - every plan is different, and they can't possibly know every single plan out of the thousands of plans that change often, if they're in or out of network, and what services are covered and what isn't. Maybe they *are* in network for some plans.

You can't dispute this, because you have to pay for services you received. If you dispute the charges, they'll bill you for it; if you don't pay, it'll go to collections and damage your credit.

See if you can file a claim or appeal with your insurance and get a reimbursement.

(sorry if this posts twice, bad weather here in GA making my internet go weird)


Title: Scared, might be caught with fraud. Don‘t know best course of action

Question:
Hi, this is a throwaway. Here's my situation. In NY btw.

I work at a job on campus for 10 an hour, where I have to sign in time sheets, and I have forged some signatures because people wouldn't show up and thus I wouldn't get paid. I have had intense remorse after I did this impulsively for maybe 4 to 5 signatures for approximately 40 to 50 dollars. Note that I would still be paid for approx 3 dollars if they don't show up. Even though I feel it's kind of unfair, I know I am the only one to be blamed, and I take 100% responsibility. I am under Federal Work Study payment,  so I am also unsure if it is a federal crime to do this. I was supposed to get paid a couple of days ago, but I have not received any bank deposit of the sort, and I am pretty sure my time sheets were handed in on time (unless they took them late). I have inquired about the payment but I won't receive a response until Monday. I haven't received any notice even though it's been two weeks since break ended, and I have not received word asking about anything about this situation, and I have been still receiving general emails for employees.
I have never done anything bad in my entire life, theft, pot, drugs, alcohol, smoke, etc. So this is entirely unfamiliar territory for me, and I just feel helpless. I have only told one friend and he referred me to here for advice.
I will never do anything like this again, but I don't know how to prepare for the consequences.

I really want to confess, but I'm not sure how to would handle this. Would the consequences be as harsh? I know I should wait until I receive confirmation of the payment and whether it's delayed or not, but I kind of feel this is too coincidental: delayed payment and they definitely took my time sheets.

How should I prepare if I am convicted? What would the maximum or minimum punishments be. I feel like my life would be absolutely crushed if I ended up getting a misdemeanor or felony. This is absolutely surreal to me.

Thank you so much if you can provide any insight into my situation!

Answer:
 Why would you not get paid if other people didn't show up?

In any case don't spontaneously confess to this. Don't do it again and if anyone asks you about it get an attorney. Answer #2: Expect to get fired and possibly expelled.


Title: [CA] Grandfather passed away and granddaughter who was paid by the state failed to notify next of kin for over a month

Question:
**Update at the bottom**

I'm not even going to pretend I'm posting this for a friend.

His granddaughter was being paid by the state to provide assistance. He died over a month ago and his daughter (next of kin) was not notified.

She found out yesterday when his other granddaughter dropped by his home to visit and called her with the information.

As far as we can tell the granddaughter being paid to provide assistance is still living in his home and most likely ransacking his property.

Did she have a duty to report? Are there any obvious crimes she committed?

Edit 1:39 PST : His body has been located at a mortuary but the granddaughter instructed them not to release any information

Answer: His daughter didn't try to contact her father herself for an entire month?


Title: Using fake attorney name on demand letter

Question:
I just drafted up a demand letter to to mail out to someone who never paid back a loan and stopped payments and communication.

I think the letter would look a whole lot more "serious" if I create a letterhead from a fictitious attorney. (I cannot afford an actual attorney for this issue)

I was thinking of using my dogs name. (a very people sounding name)

Would doing this invalidate the letter or otherwise cause potential problems for me?

Answer:
 [This article](http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/resources/practicing-law-without-a-license.htm) says that claiming you're a lawyer constitutes practicing law without a license, which is illegal in all 50 states.
Answer #2: Oh good grief.Answer #3: Without even touching legality . . . logistically, what do you think will happen when they google your "attorney?"  Or call the contact information?


Question:
What is the standard of memory expected by the court?

Under what circumstances is it unacceptable to say "I don't remember.", when under questioning?

Answer: You are supposed to have a “present recollection” so it is completely valid to say I don’t remember. The attorney doing the questioning can “refresh your recollection” perhaps by showing you a document, object or picture so that you can better recall what happened.


Title: Extradition: How Likely is extradition from EU to USA for darknet vendor...

Question:
Hello. I will make this a pretty generic question as to not hint towards the case. If someone I know (dual citizen) fled to eu to avoid state charges of firearm poss. poss. with intent. and various other charges stemming from purchases and sales on darknet. but the total amount of drugs found was not substantial <$2000 and sales were also <$15,000 how likely is it that they will seek extradition considering there were no victims, etc..? Also how much does international extradition typically cost? Also this is a country that will extradite its own citizens. Who is the decision of weather to extradite or not ultimately up to? Also who decides if the case goes from state to federal or not?

 Thanks in advance. Please only answer with helpful answers my friend is in desperate need.

Answer: You know what would be funny... if this was a friend of the "I bought an illegal gun from the darknet from Russia, how do I make this not illegal?" kid from a week ago.


Title: I created a shell corporation for a school project. I just dissolved it. If the business had no employees, profits, losses, inventory, etc, do I have to file anything with the IRS? I'm scared that I'm going to get fined or something.

Question: I went on their checklist for closing a business and I'm feeling kinda overwhelmed. This is becoming far more complicated than I intended.

Answer:
 Call them and ask.Answer #2: The IRS seems like a very intimidating beast to deal with, but they are all people at the end of the day. /u/sehnem20 is right on this, just call them. Be prepared to answer questions about the LLC, and maybe even provide proof that it was related to a school project just for overkill.

&#x200B;

I'm sure it will be easy to handle, IRS deals with absolute loons all the time, this is no big deal.


Title: (NJ) Notice To Appear in Court = 01/71/19. What??

Question:
On the traffic ticket I received, it clearly shows 01/71/19 as my date to appear in court.

Month: 01
Day: 71
Year: 19

As I obviously do not have a legitimate date, what are my steps to proceed without having a warrant out for my arrest? Thanks!

Additional information: If it matters, the ticket was “failure to maintain lane”. Also received a summons for >1g of marijuana. I definitely was not failing to maintain my lane. 100% sober. Was as cooperative as could be with officers without snitching on anyone.

Answer:
 Contact the court house during normal business hours and verify your date.
Some counties have this information available online as well.
My guess is 1/17/19 will be the date.


Title: Ex-friend who I have a restraining order against wants to retaliate by accusing me of being a pedophile

Question:
When we were friends we often exchanged porn links we like with eachother. I once sent him a video from a mainstream porn site where the girl appeared underage but the disclaimer on the bottom said all actors are 18+. He screencapped the first picture of the porn on his phone for future blackmail. Fast forward, he wants to goto the police and show them the picture and accuse me of being someone who has childporn. If the police arrest me and subpoena my phone/computer and find that I never had anything stored and the only porn links I've viewed were on sites where the actors are 18+ am I really at any real risk? I did tell him that I liked younger looking girls and he has that screenshot too, but does that count as a "confession"?

I live in New York State.

Answer:
 >He screencapped the first picture of the porn on his phone for future blackmail.

 "Dear coppers, I'd like to report this child porn I have had in my possession for 5 years. Please disregard the part where I'm the one in possession of it, I'm totes not the pedo."

 edit: words upon wordsAnswer #2: If he's still talking to you and your order includes non-contact provisions, you should talk to the cops about the fact that he's breaching his restraining order. Do not talk to him or otherwise give him evidence he can use to show that you no longer need the order because you are voluntarily continuing contact.


Title: Mom wants to put a house (already paid for) in my name to avoid my late father's hospital fees

Question:
Hi guys. I'm hoping for advice on my current situation. A little backstory: in 2013 my dad had an accident that put him into a coma for 3 days before passing away. My mom, pushing 60 with little work experience, decided to take the inheritance money and purchase a small, second house in her home state of Texas. She makes a little bit of money from the rent along with dad's social security (the social security prevents her from working and earning more than a certain amount). Not much money, but enough to get by. The primary house where she lives is in his name, the second house that she rents out is in hers. She has been constantly dodging the hospital's lawyer threats demanding she pay for dad's stay. In her mind, dad's hospital debt should have died with him, but as the beneficiary, it is now her legal responsibility.
This morning, a sheriff came with a notice demanding $50,000 for the hospital fees and another $15,000 for lawyer fees. They can't take away the house she lives in because it is her home, but they will take away the house she rents out. To avoid this, she wants to put it in my name. I earn about $40,000/year and I live in California. I'm still finding my place in the world, pursuing creative exploits.
What financial dangers and/or tax pitfalls will I run into if I inherit the house? Thank you all!

Answer:
 pointless.  the hospital's lawyers will figure it out in about 6 minutes and just nullify the transaction.

meanwhile you will have cooperated in a fraudulent transfer. you will probably be named in the lawsuit and for the rest of your life a public records search will indicate that you were involved in a lawsuit and if anyone digs, they will discover that you participated in a scheme to defraud a legitimate creditor.

and that's all assuming there's no fraud charge/suit against you. which is a possibility.

also you'll be liable for taxes and mortgage fees and HOA fines and all the dumb stuff that comes along with owning a house. if only on paper. Answer #2: You will need an estate attorney to figure this out. Whether or not they can take the house depends on how it was titled. That is, if she inherited his portion in probate, yeah, maybe they can force a sale. But there are ways to title a house that are excluded from probate and do not become part of the estate, and so can't be taken to satisfy the debt. Bank accounts, retirement funds, and life insurance also can all go either way -- into the estate (meaning the creditors can take them), or direct beneficiary (meaning they can't take them).

The estate is responsible for the debt. If the assets were distributed improperly, they can take them. But assets that were not part of the estate can't be taken, usually.


Title: [Ontario] Neighbour was walking by a house with her two little dogs, the homeowner's dog barks from the garage, woman falls and let's go of her dog's leash, that dog is then bit by the homeowner's dog (not badly injured, but blood drawn). Is there a fault here?

Question:
Situation happened to a friend and I'm kind of curious behind the laws here.

Also the woman suffered a shoulder has now filed a lawsuit claiming that the dog (which was chained up in the garage) ran out to the street and dragged both her and the dog up the driveway, but there are two witnesses to what really happened so I assume that's going to go nowhere.

But to the original situation, which is what actually happened (afaik), what is the legality?  If my dog gets off the leash and runs on to your property and is then injured by your dog, what is the law?

Answer:
 The Dog Owners' Liability Act has a lot of problems, but clarity isn't one of them.

>2(1) The owner of a dog is liable for damages resulting from a bite or attack by the dog on another person or domestic animal.

The dog that bites is nearly always at fault, so it's on the owner of the biting dog to make restitution. How much restitution is a function of both owners' liability, and Chewtoy's owner's negligence is going to be a mitigating factor here:

>(4) An owner who is liable to pay damages under this section is entitled to recover contribution and indemnity from any other person in proportion to the degree to which the other person’s fault or negligence caused or contributed to the damages. R.S.O. 1990, c. D.16, s. 2 (4).

The law requires that Bitey's owner take reasonable precautions to restrain him:

>5.1 The owner of a dog shall exercise reasonable precautions to prevent it from a) biting or attacking a person or domestic animal;

A chain in an open garage probably qualifies, so I don't think Bitey's owner should attract any criminal liability for this.


Title: DUI for being hung over

Question:
So this is a bit embarassing, but I just received a DUI for driving while hung over.

The background. My coworkers and I were drinking after work (at my house, we weren't driving) until about 4 am. At 8 am, I had to roll out of bed in order to give one of them a ride back to their house up the street. I was planning on going back to sleep when I got home, so I didn't shower or brush my teeth.

Apparently, that 4 hour nap wasn't enough for it all to get out of my system. A cop was following me and noticed my tags were expired, so he pulled me over and was just going to give me a citation. However, I still reeked, and he noticed it, arrested me, and I blew a .122. Though, I'm skeptical of that, because during the breathalyzer the officer said out loud "it's not getting enough air".

I know full well that's over the legal limit, but I wasn't driving recklessly, and in fact, he'd have never noticed me had it not been for my tag. How can I get the lightest sentence in this scenario? What's the plea deal? I'm willing to pay the consequences for still being a little drunk while driving (probation, mandatory treatment, etc), but Kentucky law dictates mandatory jail time, and I can't afford to lose my job over this or I'm turbo-fucked.

My pre-trial is Friday, what move do I make here to just say "I tried to sleep it off, it didn't all get out of my system, and I was unaware I still had an ABV"?

I understand the seriousness of driving under the influence, but I was fully aware, did not make a single traffic violation, and was only booked for the reason of "you stink and don't have the right sticker".

Answer: You can still breathe over when hungover. 4 hrs is nowhere near enough time to get rid of alcohol in your system. You need a lawyer if you want to get a good deal.


Title: Should we be staying on top of the father that owes child support?

Question:
So my wife had a son before we got married. Her and the father broke up (they weren't married) and the father stayed conveniently distant, only stopping by on his way up to see his new girlfriend.

A few months after we get married the father files for paternity and suddenly gets real nasty.

My wife and I are both from California but I go to school in Idaho. So after a few months of debating with the Father, he agreed we could move to Idaho to finish school and we agreed to a few other things. We never went to court and were able to write up an agreement approved by a mediator and judge.

So here's the question now. We always told him that we didn't need his child support and if he wanted to just put money in a savings account and give it to his son for college or something that would be a great idea. But he insisted that he pay child support and agreed to it in the agreement.

It's now been about 6 months and he has gone back to being conveniently distant, only skyping his son about once a month and never asking for updates (whatever, that his prerogative)

But he has not once brought up child support in anyway. Not in trying to figure it out who to give it to, how it all works, and we have not seen a dime from him.

My wife and I decided it was not our responsibility to make sure he takes care of his responsibilities and since we do fine without the child support we haven't bothered to ask him for it.

Can not pressing him for the child support come back to bite us if he decides to get nasty again or something happens in the future? Or is he shooting himself in the foot for not stepping up and figuring out how to pay it?

TL;DR Wife had a son with different guy, he agrees to pay child support, he doesn't pay it, we don't ask him to pay it, are we on the hook for asking him to pay it? Or is it his responsibility?

Interesting situation because we are all from Cali. Wife, son, and I currently live in Idaho for the past 6 months.

Answer: Press for the child support; he has a duty to contribute to the upbringing of his child. If you don't need the money, put it into a 529.


Title: Could I have your opinion on a custody issue. Serious Washington State

Question: Parenting settled in court 2 years ago. Ex wife has kids 4 days a week and I get them 3. I pay $200.00 in child support. The other day she decided she can't handle our 14 year old and has taken steps to have 14 year old removed from her and stepdicks household. I told her the oldest one hates it there too and let me have both. She said it sounds like a plan and now my 15 and 14 year old children have been with me for 3 days. 14 year has not done anything more than give mom some lip. I have a video of stepdick drunkenly verbally abusing her. I will be speaking to an attorney in the next few days. What are youth thoughts on child support? Mom is married to a guy with some cash but is out of work because she quit her second job in last 6 months. How do I go about terminating my support and gaining full time custody? Any other opinions welcom. I realize none of you are representing me in any way.

Answer:
 Child support and custody can get complicated and will depend on so many different details that you just won't be able to provide over the internet.  The best we can give based on the above details is just generalized thoughts which will mean nothing when compared to what your lawyer will be able to say.Answer #2: > How do I go about terminating my support and gaining full time custody?

Like you said... get an attorney, go to court. You won't get money directly from him for child support as they are not his children, but as to her income, the court might impute it:

>*If a court determines that a parent is unemployed, underemployed or earning less than what he or she was previously earning to avoid child support payments, the court can impute a certain amount of additional income to that parent.*


Title: My boss is taking 50% of my tips without my consent for a scholarship fund, is this legal?(Den,CO)

Question: This tips at my job, are tip pooled and our owner is taking 50% placing that in a "scholarship fund" and then the rest is distributed to us by hours worked.  Is it legal for them to be taking that 50% off the top? There was mention of having us sign a waiver to willing giving away that 50%, is it legal to ask us to sign this in order to keep our jobs? Isn't it at the discretion of the customer to decide to donate to the "scholarship fund" or tip us the employees?

Answer: Let me guess: he's also claiming the tax deduction for himself?


Title: What practically keeps the executive branch from ignoring the judicial branch?

Question:
Something I thought of in regards to the recent immigration executive orders. If the president issues an order and SCOTUS finds it unconstitutional, how do they compel the executive branch to follow it? What if the president just says "Nah, I'm gonna tell the field agents to keep doing what they're doing. Suck my dick."? I don't mean to get political, but I would argue our current incumbent has a non-zero chance of trying something like that.

I'm familiar with the concept of checks and balances, but what physical mechanism enforces it?

Answer:
 Well, this can quickly become a complex topic with many facets, but at the core is probably the fact that the judicial branch can order men with badges,  radios, and guns to go pick up the disobedient and put them in cells until they are more compliant.  You can [spend more time in prison for contempt of court than murder](http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=8101209).

The executive branch could theoretically order the military to prevent this, but at the serious risk of escalating to civil war.Answer #2: There isn't a physical mechanism.  They follow it by rule of law.  If the President were to ignore a SCOTUS decision, it would be up to the individuals following EOs to decide between SCOTUS and POTUS.  The congress can intervene by impeaching him.

There is also a complicated [25th amendment](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty-fifth_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution) solution to remove the President if he is found "unable to perform his duties", which is complicated, and would require a lot of coordination with people who benefit from the President remaining in office.


Title: My friend was in a car accident; she was hit while stopped in a parking lot, but the police and her insurance say it's her fault.

Question:
She was hit head on and it totaled her car (I don't know how the other car or other people are after the crash). She is 18, and was in the car with too 19 year olds. She said that the police reported it as being her fault because she had two friends in the car (she has her license and this is in Arizona if that matters). Apparently it was her fault because she failed to yield (even though she was stopped). Apparently the police never took statements from her or her friends in the accident, and neither the police nor her insurance agency would listen to her side of the story. All she has heard was that it was her fault and her insurance won't cover anything.

I really don't know anything about insurance, but it doesn't seem like they could do this, right? If she was stopped, could it really be her fault? And even if it could, wouldn't they have to ask her what happened?

Also, semi-important details, her airbags didn't go off (which apparently means something about how fast she was going?) and she got whiplash and a concussion from the crash.

Answer:
 Her insurance agency is required to represent her, and has a direct financial incentive to find that the accident isn't her fault. If they won't even listen to her side of the story, there is probably important information about this accident that you don't know.

It certainly *could* be her fault, even if she was stopped. For instance, she might have stopped too late to try and prevent the accident.

There's no rule saying they have to ask her what happened, if her statement about what happened wouldn't affect their decision.


Title: My parents are keeping my money from me and I don't know what to do.

Question: When I was 4 part of my finger was chopped in a store. My family sued and won. My parents told me I would receive payments from it at ages 18 21 and 24. Im 19 now and my dad took all of the money from the first payment. I dont know what my next step is to get a hold of the rest of the money without my family knowing. Is there any way to get in touch with the lawyer who is handling the  case without going though my parents. Please I really need help. Thank you

Answer:
 You may need to look up old court records \- I would guess it would be in the civil court for the county you were living in at that time, if you can figure that out.

You can do the research yourself \(though if the records aren't online you'll have to go down to the courthouse\), or you can hire a paralegal to do some digging on your behalf.Answer #2: Where are the payments coming from?  It's strange that there would be a judgement that would be sat on for 20 years before paying out its final payment.

You can call the attorney if you know who they are.  You may also be able to request a copy of the judgement/case from the courts so that you can figure out the specifics.

What your next steps are is going to depend on who has the money now.Answer #3: In all likelihood, they got the lump sum when you were 4, took the whole thing, spent it, and its gone. Sorry friend.


Title: Daughter hurt in play place, any options?

Question:
This morning we were at in indoor chain restaurant play place here in Indiana. Right before we were about to leave my daughter ran into the play place and hit her head on a piece of plastic that hung down half an inch that was holding the padding onto the support poles. It was about her height and she was using the equipment as intended. She's got a cut that at the time was raised pretty big but I didn't think anything of it/didn't want to make a big deal of it because she has autism and I do NOT want to make her anxious over things. She was already worried enough when she realized she was bleeding.

Anyways, my husband came home tonight and found out and is now upset with me for blowing our chance at any legal recourse. Did we actually have some kind of case? And if so is there really nothing we can do, now? Honestly what concerns me the most is that they may not fix it if not forced. TIA.

Answer:
 Your recourse would have been to file a claim with the restaurant's insurance to get any doctor visits paid for. There was no big pot of money in this for you.Answer #2: Your damages would have been the restaurant covering any medical costs. That would be it.

This isn't a windfall situation.Answer #3: I doubt the equipment is intended to be used without children ducking if they're taller than the parts they're running under or through. If anything it's probably not intended for running.Answer #4: You handled it just fine. A little bump on the head qualifies for nothing. At most, maybe medical bills if you went to the doctor. You didn’t blow your chances at anything and it is better not to make a big deal out of nothing in the hopes it will be a pay day. Especially since it never would have been a pay day.


Title: Fake ID gone horribly wrong...need advice.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > They have a group text discussing getting the IDs but other than that no digital evidence.

Except for all of the evidence where they ordered them, sent their pictures, information, and money to the Chinese company, etc.

If he is contacted by the police he needs a lawyer.  He needs to stop talking to EVERYONE about this, including the other suspects.


Title: [CA]Should I confess to a crime I committed six years ago?

Question: I'm going to follow advice and keep my mouth shut. Thanks everyone.

Answer:
 Why the hell would you confess to this?  There is no active investigation, and even if there was, they would never even take it to trial.  Confessing to this will only make your life harder than it already is.  Answer #2: >Should I confess to a crime I committed six years ago?

Absolutely not.Answer #3: If you really feel that bad/guilty about it, how about volunteering at a domestic abuse center or homeless shelter?  Then you can help people who were in your situation.Answer #4: You've confessed to reddit, let that be enough.  Answer #5: If 6 years have gone by, you're probably beyond the statute of limitations for theft.


Title: Croatian friend linked me to child porn, what do I do?

Question:
I didn't know what it was and why linked me it, do I report it?

I don't wanna go jail man.
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 Do not click on any suspicious links any more (all his links are suspicious).

Generally speaking clicking on 1 link doesn't get you in any legal trouble. Cops know that you can receive it by accident or that you might click on the wrong download when downloading porn. Answer #2: You aren't going to go to jail for clicking on one link.  Stop clicking on links that he sends you.Answer #3: IANAL
Everyone here jumps on the defence, which of course is understandable. However are you sure it was intentional? If it was an accident, or his account has been compromised, he might want to know that.


Title: Got a speeding ticket with potentially severe penalties, looking for input on how my lawyer is handling the case and what consequences I should expect.

Question:
A few months ago I was given a speeding ticket in Kankakee county, Illinois. The ticket was for going 90 in a construction zone (no workers present). This happened really late at night around midnight.

While I know I was in the wrong for speeding at all, I'm pretty sure I was more in the 80-85 range (in what I thought was a 70). The distinction here is that the 90mph the officer ticketed me at puts me at 35 over the speed limit (55) which can be a class A misdemeanor here.

I'm not trying at all to justify my actions - I know I was being stupid, but for extra context I’m going to add a comment below to detail my memory of the events of the night (not adding it here to keep the post from getting too long).

&#x200B;

Following advice from this subreddit and the internet in general I found a lawyer from the Kankakee County Bar Association website that deals with speeding tickets (one of the only two that were responsive). Let’s call him Jeff. He said he would *“try to talk to the State's attorney before the hearing or at her office after and try to get her to reduce the speed to get me out of the charge for a class A misdemeanor”.* I had no idea if this sounded sketchy or if that's just how this stuff works as I have not had any legal issues before this. He sounded pretty confident that he'd be able to do that and said that his retainer would be $375. He also said that I don't want to plead guilty in a case like this so we would continue to push for a non guilty deal. I asked him what the retainer would cover and he said *"it's a flat fee, no matter how many times I need to go to court"*. That seemed pretty reasonable to me so I hired him.

&#x200B;

At my court date after Thanksgiving, I met my lawyer briefly for the first time and then we approached the bench. We just spent a few minutes there during which the State’s attorney said they would proceed with class A misdemeanor and my attorney said we would proceed with trying for a not guilty verdict. They set the next date for late January. That was it.

Once we were out of the courtroom Jeff says *"well what we didn't want to happen happened. I'll try to meet the state's attorney at her office and tell her that you have a clean driving record and there are some immigration concerns (I'm on an H1B) and we'll see how that goes. But since this isn't a run of the mill case anymore, I'll be in contact with you about an additional retainer".*

I followed up earlier this week to ask if he had managed to talk to the State's attorney like he said he would. He said he hadn't but had sent me a letter requesting an additional retainer of $1000. Having had no experience with lawyers before, I’m unsure how to proceed with this. He told me he would pursue certain avenues in my defense with the initial retainer he cited. He didn’t, but now he’s requesting an additional retainer. When I asked if this would cover the rest of my case he said that if the case went to trial there would be another retainer. At this point I’m not sure if this is just what’s to be expected or if my lawyer is being sketchy. I also don’t know if hiring someone else is an option since it’s a small county court and I guess they’d all know each other?

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Tl;dr - Lawyer cited me a “flat fee” after I explained my case to him. However after my initial court date, he now says I need to pay an additional retainer (and may have to pay even more in the future).

&#x200B;

My main question here have to do with my lawyer:

Is my lawyer’s behavior sketchy?

As a client, would I be justified in pointing out that he didn’t do what he said he would when the initial retainer was quoted?

Does his strategy seem sound?

&#x200B;

My additional questions are to gauge how fucked I might be:

Is there a likely chance I go to jail?

Could this affect my immigration status? (I’m on an H1B)

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Apologies for the long post and thank you for reading if you got this far..

Answer: Best guess, the $375 presumes that this would be knocked down to traffic court. Did you have a written agreement? It would be a very cheap for an attorney to handle a criminal court case for $375.


Title: I was fired from my job and now am completely lost how to proceed

Question:
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, wasn't certain. So this happened about 6 months ago, and am only posting this now because was slightly afraid of a legal situation for I'm too young.

So here's the story:
During my time at my job (Medical field located in California) I told an African-American co-worker, "Not trying to be rude or racist, but what is your stance on the word 'Nigga'?". This was because it's something I wanted to understand. She stated that it all depended on the matter of context with a few examples. We didn't have any problems with one another, and we were cool with one another to the point where she asked if i was gay. Anyways, a month or 2 passes by and i get HR where the sun doesn't shine because someone filed a complaint. The interesting part is that the complaint wasn't filed by the individual I asked the question, but by another African-American co-worker who overheard the story, NOT the conversation.

During the review process by HR, they pressured me to sign a sheet of paper stating that I'm required to sign it, so foolish me did. The paper stated that i acknowledge I "...stated the 'N' Word". Then a week later i get a letter of termination for "harassment and discrimination". Recently i got news from an ex-co-worker that the lady who filed the complaint wants to sue. Finding a job now is just about pointless since who wants to hire someone for such a termination?

My questions are was i wrongfully terminated if the company has a zero tolerance harassment/discrimination policy? Is there a way to combat this, if so, how? I'm completely lost here folks, thanks in advance!

**TLDR:**
Asked Co-worker for her stance on the word nigga, was given kind/polite response, but then got beaten to pulp and placed out of work with HR's ban hammer for Harassment/Discrimination.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 California is an at will employment state, they can fire you for nearly any reason except for begin a legally protected class and a few other cases you don't qualify for based on your description.  Being fired for saying something incredibly stupid is not discrimination against you.  File for unemployment insurance disputing the reason, maybe you will get it.

Many people threaten to sue, they rarely follow up.  If you do get sued make sure you respond to avoid default judgement.  Do not try to contact the plaintiff if you are sued, only go through the courts or your own lawyer.  I doubt any lawyer will take this case as your ex-coworker has no damages.

Find a new job.  Don't ask people their opinions about discriminatory verbiage at work, it is that simple.Answer #2: You need to look for a new job. There's nothing you can do about this and the lady isn't going to sue. If she did it wouldn't go anywhere.


Title: MO US Do I have legal claim to this company?

Question:
My boss approached me about a business idea related to our business.  If I am a car salesman,  he approached me about a business helping other car salesmen decide what to sell.

I had a vote in naming the company. I have been doing all the ground work for it. I haven't gotten paid outside of my car salesman salary and have been building this company both on and off the clock. I am expected to start beta testing (which I have been solely responsible for) next week. I have a job title in the company. I have no contract.  Only emails which confirm my roll and responsibility.

I asked my boss about compensation/how much of the company I would like to have a stake in. He answered "we can discuss it when the business is profitable." I know as a salesman that means, "you aren't getting anything."

Do I have any legal claim to compensation or a stake in the company?

Answer:
 >Do I have any legal claim to compensation or a stake in the company?

Not at this point.  At this point you've been a sucker and you have been doing work for free.

BTW, you talk about a "company".  Is there really a "company"?  That requires something registered with the state as an LLC or an Inc., etcetera.  If not, then there is no "company" and you have a job title that's not worth the paper that it's not printed on.


Title: [KY] not meeting daycare regulations on teacher qualifications with a bonus fired when reporting the problem

Question:
My son’s friend (let’s call her Tabitha) got a job at a daycare. We know teachers need to have some sort of certification and be certed in CPR. She was hired as a teacher’s aid in a classroom of one year olds and the school promised they’d pay for her teacher certification.

Nearly immediately the main teacher disappeared and Tabitha is alone in a room full of one year olds. They shift the kids into other rooms to meet the ratio requirement AND sometimes they send her home after just an hour of work (when everyone else shows up).

She receives government assistance with housing and the employer reported 7.5 work hours a day. In a month she’s never worked a 37.5 hr week.

Monday she finally went to the director and told her she wasn’t comfortable alone in the room and that she didn’t have the CPR cert she knew was required. The director immediately sent her home. Tuesday Tabitha was off for other reasons when the director called and told her don’t come back; we will mail your last check.

I feel horrible for this girl. At 24 it was her first job. She’s a little slow and definitely naive with no family support. She’s going to apply at another daycare but who can she report the violations to? Also was she wrongfully terminated?

TL;DR Friend worked in position requiring a certification she didn’t have and when she raised the issue, she was fired. Who does she report the violations to?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: I worked as a daycare teacher for a year. This kind of shady behavior isn't abnormal. They're absolutely in violation for not having her properly certified and educated to teach a class by herself. Answer #2: https://chfs.ky.gov/agencies/dcbs/dcc/Pages/default.aspx


Title: Filed a small claims court case against former landlord, now he's threatening our credit. (NYC)

Question:
I posted [this post] (http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2junkm/how_long_is_too_long_to_wait_for_a_security/) some months ago about my old landlord and his lack of communication regarding our security deposit & 1/2 month rent.  We moved out four months ago, with nary a peep from him.  I took pictures of the apartment when we moved out, kept a record of all conversations we had, and I sent him a certified letter with our current address.  I even have a fax from him saying I paid rent on time.

Yesterday, he called me and told me there were over $3k in damages to the apartment and if we pursued the case, he was prepared to appear to make a counterclaim.  I told him we hadn't heard from him in four months, to which he said that he had been "out of town".  It was not a pleasant conversation.  He also said that we did not paint the apartment back to white (true), and there were lots of gaping holes in the walls (untrue).  He also threatened to ruin my roommate's credit rating.  He said that if we dropped the case he wouldn't pursue us for damages.

My instinct is to think he's trying to bully us into not proceeding with the court case.  Just to quell my self-doubt, he doesn't have a leg to stand on since he never sent us a list for damages in the past four months, right?

**TL;DR:**  Old landlord is threatening our credit and OP thinks he's trying to bully us into dropping a small claims case against him.

Answer:
 He's a bully. Tell him you will see him in court and stop all contact unless he offers to pay you to settle.

> he doesn't have a leg to stand on since he never sent us a list for damages in the past four months, right?

Any claim he makes would be decided in Court based on the merits.


Title: (Australia, NSW) Moved into new place, signed papers, learned the guy in the apartment next to us is a pedophile.

Question:
Basically the title. Except my partners daughter comes every weekend or two to stay for a few hours and eventually the plans were she would stay overnight.

Back story:

Went to look at apartment, mentioned in passing when we told the person showing it's perfect because there is a small room my partners daughter can stay in, etc. Went through and signed the lease(6 Months).

Day we were moving in(About a week ago) a girl walking down the street asked if we were new tenants. Said yes. She asked if we know about our neighbor(his apartment is attached directly to ours) and we said no. She just gave us a look and walked off.

Today we asked the real estate about it. They got all wide eyed and said they were supposed to tell us a pedophile lives there before we signed the lease. That did not happen. We are both in shock and angry.

Our plans are to politely ask them to move us somewhere else without fees/more rent/etc. My partners ex obviously will not want their daughter here and I don't blame her. Hell I don't want her here! It freaks me out.

Anyways if they refuse to compromise is there any legal action we can take? I know this is a slim shot as breaking a lease is not easy. But we obviously want to be in a child safe environment.

Any advice? Legal or not?

Answer:
 Unfortunately pedophiles are not one of the mandatory disclosures required under the Residential Tenancies Act or Regulations. So you can ask politely to be allowed to break your lease but it will likely cost you. Check your lease for the break fee in it.Answer #2: Okay, so I'm definitely NOT pro-pedophile, (*I can't believe I have to write that but I know I do*) and don't know the laws in NSW, but....

Realistically, how dangerous is it honestly if everyone knows this dude is a pedo? If your partner's daughter is only coming for a few hours to visit it seems to reason that your partner is going to be spending most of that time with her.  Even with an overnight-- lock your door? Just tell her the dude next door is sketchy and to stay away from him.  It's not like this guy is going to come knock down the door and molest her at gunpoint, right?

It seems like in this situation teaching a child how to navigate danger (don't take candy or talk to the man next door) is more useful  than being hysterical about it.

I dunno.

*edited for typos


Title: step dad cheating and taking sick mothers money, need legal advice

Question:
I'm new to this but I'm desperate and need any advice I can get..
So I've known for awhile that my step dad is cheating and I was also told by a friend of his he has a girlfriend, I don't have solid evidence just yet. My problem is this my mom is really sick and depressed and has what I can only describe as given up.. when she married him she never got a prenuptial agreement, I am going to be my own private eye because I cant afford one.. I need to know once I have evidence to show my mother and take him down with, how can we go about getting him out of our lives, divorced and have him not take her for everything she has.. I know she is scared and doesn't know what to do, he spends her money how ever he wants and treats her like shit, leaves her home alone all the time (she can't drive). I have heard her say to him may times she wants him to move out and she wants a divorce but he ignores her. I need to know what steps to take next, please anyone help! oh also I just ordered a vehicle tracker so I will be starting there..

Answer: Stop playing detective. If your mom wants to divorce him she can. That's all there is to it.


Title: [USA] Is it possible to waive your HIPAA rights as a patient?

Question:
This question is primarily with regards to public disclosure of patient information.

Two of the primary issues providers have with patient reviews is a) happy patients don't leave reviews, and b) providers aren't allowed to provide rebuttals or context for *why* a patient may have experienced unsatisfactory outcomes.

But if a forum (like a "healthgrades.com" or lookalike) were to require patients to suspend or waive their HIPAA rights, could a provider then safely comment/disclose information so long as they stayed within a reasonable sphere?

Obviously there would be limitations (ie if I was a rotator cuff repair patient AND had hepatitis C, and I left a review for the surgeon regarding my shoulder surgery, the provider could not also mention my hepatitis unless it had a direct impact on the outcome of the case), but are there any precedents where patients can/could suspend their right to privacy and providers can be covered by that suspension?

Answer:
 You're asking two questions here.

First, can a patient waive rights under HIPAA?  Yes, they can, and do so all the time.

Second, would a site that requires HIPAA waivers work?  Probably not.  I know of no doctor that would risk their license on a "they waived it bro, trust me, I own a web site" sort of waiver.Answer #2: That might avoid a HIPAA fine, but IMO would leave the provider open to a medical ethics inquiry, absent an express waiver of confidentiality.


Title: Being kept well passed store closing hours by store itself.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Why in the world would you think this is illegal? People work after business hours all the time. Answer #2: As long as you're being paid for every hour you work, this is completely legal.Answer #3: Why should it be illegal for them to keep you after closing hours? If you don't like the work that you do, you'll need to find a new job.

That being said, as long as you're being paid accordingly and getting your breaks at the right time, there's no wrong doing here.


Title: [CO] No heat in my apartment for months

Question:
Back in September my landlord let us (the tenants) know that the boiler in our building was broken and needed to be replaced. She said it would take a few weeks, but until then she provided every unit with a small electric heater and offered to cap our electric bill since space heaters draw power like a vampire. Near the beginning of October, a second notice was posted saying the new boiler would be installed at the end of that week. Now it's the end of November and still no heat.

I reached out to my landlord twice via email asking about the heat, and both times she assured me it would be done within the week. I was willing to be patient before since we've had pretry warm weather, but now it's winter. It's freezing outside, and my tiny electric heater is costing me a lot in electricity with little effect.

I've combed through my lease and Colorado state laws looking for something to bring to my landlord, but idk what I'm looking for. Has my landlord broken the lease? Can I refuse rent until the heat is fixed? Can I move out before my lease ends?

Answer:
 According to state law, "Functioning heating facilities that conformed to applicable law at the time of installation and that are maintained in good working order" is required to maintain habitability. You could probably move out without penalty. Not sure about witholding rent though.Answer #2: This is a breach by the landlord. You would have the option of terminating your lease at minimum. Here’s [some more info](https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/Attachment%205-Warranty%20of%20Habitability.pdf) about the law. Answer #3: You need to go into "cover your own butt" mode. I would send a certified letter, with receipt, to your landlord stating the relevant laws they are breaking and that you are with holding future rent.  Have each named person on the lease do the same and talk your neighbors into doing it as well.

I believe, again check yourself, if your place is considered uninhabitable in Colorado, your landlord is on the hook for your hotel stay. Your renters insurance often covers this expense.

Document everything heavily, its very easy to win in small claims court in situations such as these. Take photos or even steal the posted notices as proof.


Title: Police pulled me over for dui (bad on me), I then see police open my car door and start looking around while they have me in the back of a cruiser. I asked the officer why they were searching without consent, he replied: because they can to inventory whats in the vehicle.

Question:
I know that getting a dui of .10 is a really bad on me (I have addiction issues and have since been sober, and in AA.)  I am wondering why cops are allowed to search your vehicle "for impound reasons" when they did not ask me for my consent to search my vehicle.  When I got the car from the impound lot, it was obvious that they had gone through every nook and cranny in my car.   I was also not read my rights when I refused to blow on the scene, and I also repeated to the officer that I could not preform parts of the field sobriety test that invovled walking because A. I have a bulged disc and sciatica, which makes it extremely painful to walk sometimes especially after work lifting luggage into my car for delivery all day, and the officer kept telling me to do it, then I told them that I could not preform any of the walking tests had I been sober because I have tried and failed sober many times.   He then did the finger to eye tracking exam in which I was fine (no stutter in my eyes), and he started getting visibly upset, and then moved his finger left and right really fast to which I just looked him straight in the face with a (really dude?)

I admitted to drinking a beer earlier in the night when asked, and when they asked me to blow I refused, and then just put me in the back and brought me to jail without reading me my miranda rights... What can I do?

Answer:
 >why cops are allowed to search your vehicle "for impound reasons" when they did not ask me for my consent to search my vehicle.

[South Dakota v. Opperman](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Dakota_v._Opperman) is the SCOTUS case that allows for inventory searches of cars without consent.Answer #2: >then I told them that I could not preform any of the walking tests had I been sober

And that is why you should not talk to police, that statement admits to not being sober.Answer #3: I don't even need to read your post, when you get arrested while driving they can pretty much always search your vehicle. And I do not know if you're aware of this, but "my bad" doesn't cover DUIs, and you can be searched without your consent in a variety of circumstances.

EDIT: and he didn't need to read you your rights. You can't do anything. You drove drunk and this is part of the consequence.


Title: I received a traffic violation in Florida for "Failure to comply with a red light signal." The thing is though, the traffic light itself turned off as I was crossing (GIF inside). What should I do?

Question:
So like the title says, the light malfunctioned and went from Green to off to red. Yellow did no show up as shown in this Gif.

http://fat.gfycat.com/OldfashionedWelltodoAlligator.webm

The penalty of this violation is $158 but I'm extremely tight on money, have bills lined up, and I am a student with a part-time job. I do not make enough money to pay bills and pay off the violation. I do have an option to fight the violation but if I lose, I believe I have to pay the violation in full AND pay up to $250 more, an amount I definitely can not pay.

Would fighting this violation be a good idea? Is it risky? What should I do?

I'd also like to note that, as seen in the clip, a lot of other people continued through the light just like I did (Not that I think that will make much of a difference but possibly worth pointing out).

Edit: More info: The violation happened in Florida for "Failure to comply with a steady red signal."
A Q&A section of the website where I can see my violation reads: "The cameras are activated by sensors which are located at the intersection. The cameras are activated when a vehicle is detected by the sensors entering the intersection after the light has turned red."

My vehicle is the silver camry on the right most lane.

Also, this intersection is equipped with traffic cameras that automatically take pics and videos if a car has crossed an intersection as described above.

And I want to make this clear, this is my video. When you get a violation like this in florida, they send you the violation notice by mail, give you a reference number for your case, then you can go to the website and watch the clip of said violation. I downloaded my clip and edited it to show emphasis on the street light.

One more thing, this is a 45mph road.

Answer:
 Is this a video of the actual time you went through the light? Or just a video of a similar circumstance? Anyway, definitely a weird situation.

I can see at least one car going through the intersection when the light was definitely red, and it appears they had enough time to stop. If that last car was you, I think you have a losing argument.

If the car making the turn is you, I think you could have a reasonable chance, but still not great. I'd argue that by the time the light turned red, you were looking at where your were turning. Although the light was red when that car went through it.

If any of the other cars were you, it could go your way. The light was clearly not red when that car went through it in this case. It wasn't any color. But...

The sticking point is what the rule is for when a traffic light malfunctions. I handle auto accidents for an insurance company and I have handled hundreds if not thousands of claims, but I have literally never seen one of these. I believe the general rule is that if the traffic light malfunctions you treat it like a four way stop, but that is in the northeast and Florida could be different. Interesting question, I'll ask around at work today and see if I can find any information on this.


Title: [Florida] My cousin was arrested for not attending a court date even though he did. What to do?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Something doesn't add up here. Have you actually seen your cousin's documentation or are you taking his word for it that he showed up to court?  A summons is not proof that he showed up in court.


Title: Is it illegal to 'conspire' to actually raid area 51 even though im semi joking?

Question:
I lead a discord gaming channel of about 10000 people, and I know about a dozen of us are actually going to the Area51 event. We wont cross the forbidden restricted border we just want to see who shows up and we want to document the event for our discord. However, I was wondering if I break any laws by telling others in the discord (Who I know who wont go) that we are serious in trying to make a run for it and going as deep as we can. I show people our planned battle formations, schematics of the base, and printed step by step instructions for every member who joins our elite assault division.

In my eyes i'm roleplaying but some people think i'm serious and I even tell them im serious. The so called diagrams and preparations I've shown have been really thought out to sell the idea successfully to convince the masses im serious.

My question is am I breaking any laws  or can someone report me to the police or FBI because they think im serious when I'm not? Is conspiring to break a law a law?

Answer: Ask yourself this: is this joking roleplay worth the possible consequence? Do you really want to put yourself in the situation where the federal government believes you are conspiring to infiltrate a secure military base? Do you really want to risk putting yourself in a situation where you have to sit in front of a federal judge with your freedom on the line and convince the judge that it was "just a joke"? You have to answer that for yourself, but in my experience, judges are not known for their robust sense of  humor.Answer #2: Not sure about the legal aspect of your question, but about being reported, authorities are already aware of the event and suggested in a statement that force may be used against people who actually show up.


Title: How would this situation play out legally?(Defending self from "citizen's arrest" if you believe a family member to be in danger)

Question:
So seeing [this](http://i.imgur.com/E9cn41u.jpg) raised my curiosity on a self defense issue.
The story is obviously exaggerated and likely didn't happen at all to the original poster, but I have heard stories of men being treated like criminals for just being around children.
If a person were to find themselves in a similar situation and was legally carrying a concealed weapon, how would the situation end if they decided to use it and potentially killed their attackers?
I'm in TX, but I think this would apply to most places that a person can legally conceal carry.

Answer:
 > The story is obviously exaggerated and likely didn't happen at all to the original poster

Nailed it.

>  but I have heard stories of men being treated like criminals for just being around children.

All just as false as the one you linked.  Stories like that don't happen.  They're a fantasy of MRA lunatics.  People, in general, don't give a shit about strangers.  Why do you think child kidnapping happens so often?

> If a person were to find themselves in a similar situation and was legally carrying a concealed weapon, how would the situation end if they decided to use it and potentially killed their attackers?

Self-defense in every state must be proportionate to the force used against you.  In order to use lethal force, you'd have to have a reasonable belief that you were at risk for death or grievous bodily harm.  Someone restraining you and threatening to call the cops, objectively, is not a sufficient threat.  So you'd be a murderer if you shot those people.


Title: I'm wondering if this is illegal or not.

Question:
So I came up with the idea of marking up prices on my school fundraisers. Basically making it so I get a commission. I wouldn't say that I'm selling for the school, just that I'm selling stuff. It would probably work more like they are buying things from me, then I buy stuff from the school and give it to them. I also would only be taking cash, as I can't cash checks written to the school. I've heard just about everything about how this is illegal so I figured I'd post it here. I've also heard that it's (moraly or ethically I forget which to use) wrong, I disagree because this is what all stores do anyways. I'm in North Carolina, Carteret county to be exact.

EDIT: For anyone not wanting to read the comments basically it's pretty close to fraud, selling things could be illegal, the school could do something, and many people wouldn't buy things not going go the school. Also that I should get a real job, so if anyone is hiring I'm in the market.

Answer: Here's a novel idea. Get the proper approval and license (if necessary), then buy and sell your own product. Leave your school and their fundraisers out of it.