Title: Should I hire a lawyer who got his degree from an unaccredited correspondence school?

Question:
I want to create a trust in California and I had a good discussion with a trust attorney. I contacted him because he had great reviews on Yelp. My discussion with him went well.

I was reading something online about scams and decided to check him on the Cal Bar Website. There I see that he was admitted to the bar in 2003, and there are no records of disciplinary activity.

But it shows his Law School as "Oak Brook COL & Gov't Policy; Fresno CA"

Never heard of that one, so I googled it and I see this (in Wikipedia)

"Oak Brook College of Law and Government Policy is an unaccredited[1][2] correspondence law school in Fresno, California. It was started in 1994 in Dallas, Texas to teach "biblical foundations of law"

So, people: just want your opinion. Would you think:

A: He is was admitted to the bar in 2003 and there are disciplinary issues, so that is good enough for me

B: What kind of school is that? Run away immediately

C: Meh...lots of attorneys out there, just keep looking.

Also, please mention if you are a lawyer or not and if your school was accredited.
Thanks

Answer:
 I'd go with C here. Keep consulting with other attorneys, but if you like this one the best and he's positively reviewed, then consider hiring him. I am a lawyer and my school is/was accredited.

Additionally, with no disciplinary issues and 13 years of experience, he's likely doing something right. Experience is far more important than what school they attended over a decade ago.Answer #2: California is the only state that I'm aware of which allows you to become an attorney without going to an accredited law school.  They "solve" that problem by making the state bar exam really really difficult (so hard that, a few years ago, the incoming dean of the Stanford Law School failed it).  So, the vast, vast majority of lawyers (including in California) went to accredited law schools.

If he's done a lot of estate and trust administration, I'd go with him before I went with an attorney from an accredited law school who didn't have that experience.


Title: Search vehicle after seat belt stop

Question:
I had went to a friends to drop off a pack of cigarettes after I left about 5 or more miles down the road I was pulled over for what the officer said my seat belt. He pulled me immediately asked me to step out of my car and for my drivers license. He then asked if I had anything on me and if me and my passenger had our seat belts on. I told him I thought so but wasn't for sure. He asked me to step into his car I had to sit in front seat as there was a drug dog in the back of his patrol car. He told me he was writing me a warning ticket handed me my ticket and license back. I went to get out of the car and he said no wait i need to talk to your husband (which was the passanger in my car) and then I will be back. So I waited in the car after a few min he came back and started asking me about drugs and why my husband was so nervous and that our stories didn't match up so he wanted to search my car. I told him no he had no reason to search and he said he was going to run his dog around the car and if it hit he was going to search. He ran his dog around the car I never saw the dog do much but he brought dog back to car and without saying a word commenced into searching my car. He started in the front of my car and worked his way to the back where our luggage was. In the luggage he found illegal drug and arrested us. Is this search legal?? I live in Waynesville, NC.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 So the officer is going to testify that the dog hit on the drugs, and he searched your car. His search turned up drugs.

See the problem there?Answer #2: Whhhhhhhaaaaaaaatttttttt? There was illegal drugs actually in the car? Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhocking!


Title: I Have a Question About the Ferguson Grand Jury, and I Don't Want it to be Mistaken for Soapboaxing

Question:
Hi, first time poster here. Sought out your sub because I'm curious about something related to the Ferguson grand jury proceedings. Tried my best to do due diligence on guidelines and history on your sub culture; please be gentle if I've offended any of you in some way.

So, some of you may have heard about recent accusations, following an [expose by The Smoking Gun](http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/unmasking-Ferguson-witness-40-496236) that accused a witness of perjuring themselves before the panel. I'm not here to ask about that. What I'm here to ask about is a subsequent statement by County Prosecutor Robert McCullough, in which...well, I don't know quite how to say this without being inflammatory. [It seems to me he openly admits to suborning perjury](http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/19/ferguson-prosecutor-witnesses-darren-wilson-michael-brown).

Now, I don't know Missouri law, but based on my two whole undergraduate legal classes, I've always understood that a lawyer putting a witness on the stand they know to be lying is subornation, even if they didn't actually encourage the witness to make the false statements. Is that wrong? I mean, it seems unlikely to me that a member of the bar would go in front of the press and admit to something illegal they could otherwise plausibly and easily deny. So I'm curious about whether McCullough's statements here do or do not amount to subornation, and why they do or do not.

Thanks! :)

Answer:
 I think you're taking McCulloch's statements too literally.

I read McCulloch's statements as him saying that he knows some of his full panel of witness are likely not credible, but he doesn't necessarily know which.  Or, at least, that he doesn't know the extent of that lack of credibility.

Suborning perjury means offering **known** untruthful testimony as fact.  If McCulloch didn't know it was false, it wasn't perjury.  Additionally, if he took steps to knock down the testimony after it was given and/or provided alternate testimony about the same events, then it wasn't suborning.


Title: Can you get arrested for having an obscene/graphic tattoo?

Question:
I noticed a guy \(looked to be in his 30's\) walking by me that had a clearly visible tattoo on his arm, by his wrist, of a male cartoon character having coitus with a female cartoon character, and very graphically so.

Which led me to wonder... is it legal to even have such a tattoo? Can you be arrested if someone sees it on your arm while you're out in public? Is it covered by free speech, or could you potentially be forced to remove it by a court?

Answer: Depends where you are , in America your A- okay for the most part , Uk on the other hand especially now a-days would probably charge you with something


Title: [California] Landlord says that they're not my landlord and that I cannot sue them for my security deposit, which they hold

Question:
I recently sued my previous landlord for my security deposit because it has not been returned in over 6 weeks. When they were served with the lawsuit, they finally contacted me after several attempts on my part to tell me that they are not in fact my landlord and that I do not have standing to sue.

&#x200B;

This is where is gets a little complicated, so please bear with me. Fraternity A was kicked off campus years ago and so my fraternity, Fraternity B, signed a lease to rent their frat house. In the lease between the two fraternities, it required B to use this awful management company. B, being a fraternity, rents out rooms to it's fraternity brothers, of which I was one. This management company directly facilitates room rentals, bills and collects rent and dues from each renter, and holds the security deposit from each brother who rents a room in the house. The awful management company who currently holds my security deposit has stated that they are not liable for not following California state law and returning my deposit within 21 days because they do not believe that they are my landlord, they believe my Fraternity (B) is. Is this true? Can they withhold my deposit indefinitely? They are withholding the deposits of everyone who has moved out.

In California.

Answer:
 Never take legal advice from the adverse party. If they are, in fact, not your landlord, let them make that argument in court.

However, if your lease is with Fraternity B, you should, in fact, be suing Fraternity B. Including the management company in that suit isn't completely unreasonable, but suing them alone likely won't accomplish much, as they're acting at direction of your landlord. Whether or not Frat B ever formally made the decision, their agent is their responsibility. See if you can amend your suit to include the fraternity, if that's the situation.


Title: Fired for misconduct & fighting unemployment

Question:
First of all, thanks for taking the time to read this. Forgive me, I'm not exactly sure where to begin so it might sound like I'm rambling a little bit. I also might add too much information but I want to make sure that I am not leaving any minor detail out that could help or hurt me.

A little backstory- I worked at a company for a little over 7 years at this point and was not on any write up's or warnings. I had recently been promoted around 6 months prior to management.

On October 16, 2013 I was brought into my store manager's office by my Area Sales Manager (ASM) to have a meeting with my store manager and my ASM (both males). They began asking me questions about a conversation I had a with an old coworker (she worked for the company at that time, but we hadn't worked in the same store in about 5 years but were still friends) over text messages. Right away I knew what the two were referring to. On October 6th I had initiated a normal conversation between myself and this coworker (we will call her Claire). Claire and I have been friends since we worked together at the same store so every now and again we like to catch up. Our texting conversation happened while I was on my personal phone (we were given a work phone and I also had a personal phone as well) and I was on my lunch break. Our conversation turned into talking about a newer associate (we will call him Tyler) that started working at her store. Around 6 years ago I had gone on a date with Tyler and I was just curious friend to friend what she thought of him so I asked her.  She replied stating that she does not like him and that he tries to get everyone in trouble and lies to try and make sales. In return, I responded by saying that I think he's a douche and that we had hung out but I stopped talking to him because he got weird. She replied that it was funny because she thought I was referring to work, and then stated that he is full of shit and she doesn't believe anything he has to say. I proceeded to make an inappropriate comment that he probably has a small dick and that's why he is a jerk. (COMPLETELY INAPPROPRIATE, I realize this. Please keep in mind though that I was having a conversation with a friend. Yes, I know what I said was wrong so please don't lecture me on that. She laughed at what I said, and our conversation changed to us talking about getting together soon and that was it. My lunch was then over, so I went back to work, not giving the conversation another thought.

So back to being pulled into the office by my store manager Paul  (store manager) and Bill (ASM). Bill asked me what the conversation included and I began explaining that I was having a conversation between two friends and that I did not intend talking about him in the work environment. It was a mistake, and I owned up to making this mistake. When I asked how they found out about this, I was informed that Tyler had mentioned something to his manager that he thought Claire and I were talking about him and his manager went to HR. Unfortunately Claire asked Tyler if he knew me, and when she wouldn't tell him why she would ask, he went to his manager. Because I am an honest person and I wanted them to realize this conversation was not about work, I made the mistake of showing my ASM and store manager the text messages, and even offered to send them to him for proof that it was a conversation between friends in hopes to save my job. They continued asking me a few more questions about the incident and my ASM informed me that he had to talk to HR about this situation and he was not sure what was going to become of it.

Due to me being a mortified mess after this conversation, my ASM allowed me to go home for the day to regroup. The next day my ASM and store manager showed up again and I knew I was being terminated. I asked what the reason was for being terminated and they told me for breaking code of conduct and that that was all he knew. They did not have me sign anything, and that was it. I was an A+ employee there (well, except for this incident) so they gave me a heartfelt goodbye and informed me they wished they didn't have to do it. Later on that day, they fired Claire as well.

Now for my unemployment nightmare...
I was terminated on October 17, 2013 but everything I have been sent from my previous employer states I was terminated October 18, 2013. I don't know if that matters in any way, but I thought I would bring that up. Immediately after being terminated (which has never happened to me before by the way), I filed for unemployment. Due to issues with my mail, I never received a packet that needed to be filled out and sent back in. I did not realize there was a packet on the way either. According to the Unemployment of Wisconsin website, I would hear a response within 30 days of my submission and that it normally takes the whole 30 days so there I was just waiting. On my 29th day, I called in and was informed they received the packet back and the post office had marked it deliverable and no other explanation. The woman I spoke with informed me I now needed to file a late appeal, even though technically that day was the last day I could have filled out the packet. She informed me she would resend the packet for me to fill out and for me to send it back in in hopes that they would reopen my case. The next day the same woman called and stated that she spoke with her supervisor and that that was not the case and I needed to file a late appeal, which I quickly did. My case was reopened after explaining my situation and going through explaining what had happened.

Eventually the state of WI sent me a letter with my court hearing that would be over the phone. When the hearing occurred, no one from my previous employer showed up. They tried calling two different numbers to get ahold of someone and they left a voicemail to remind them of the hearing, but no response. We continued the hearing and I explained my side of the story emphasizing that it was a conversation between two friends, it was on my personal time and my personal phone, and that I was not on any disciplinary actions. A few days later, I received a letter stating that they ruled it in my favor, but the company I used to work for had 21 days to file an appeal. Of course with my luck, they did. They explained that the mail did not get there in an appropriate amount of time for them to be available for my hearing. The State of WI approved their appeal, and on Friday I received a letter stating that my over the phone hearing would be on this coming Wednesday. Today in the mail I received Instructions for the Hearing, and a document packet. In this document packet, I found an email that I had not seen before that explained what my text messages to Claire had said. Why is it that they are now just showing me this and why did it not get sent along with my hearing instructions and document packet for my original hearing?? Basically, I am asking for any recommendations on what to say to help me out with this case. I have been actively looking for work, but due to medical complications and a surgery, I have not been approved yet to go back to work by my doctor so I have been without a job, and without an income since October. Thankfully I had money saved up, but I am burning through my savings very very quickly. They closed my unemployment case online so that I could no longer receive unemployment checks (I received one) due to my case being considered still. How in the world do I win this case?? Am I able to get a lawyer the day before my hearing? I thank you in advance for reading this and for any advice you might have for me.

Short verison - Fired for saying something stupid on my lunch break to a coworker at a different store via text message on my personal phone. fighting long and drawn out unemployment hearing process. need help!

Answer:
 It's highly unlikely that a couple of text massages or a phone conversation in poor taste will be considered misconduct. I think they are just wasting their time trying to dispute this but that is their right. At the hearing there isn't much you can do. Don't lie and say something that happened didn't happen. But I don't think you will be disqualified for this.

Continue to certify for each week as you look for a new job.

>  I have not been approved yet to go back to work by my doctor so I have been without a job

This is a separate issue. You're not eligible for unemployment if you can't work. Did you lie and say you were available for work and were looking for work?


Title: (Almost) First time homebuyer in MD. I walked from a closing because of the hidden fees, late HOA docs, and lack of available documents. Am I breaching a contract?

Question:
Hello,
I was in the process of purchasing a home (short sale) in MD. The seller said they wouldn't be able to cover any closing costs, and I was okay with that. However, the seller's bank kept pushing the closing date, which affected my origination fee (I locked the loan at 4 % for 30 years.) 3 months later, the bank approves the sale. At 4pm on closing day, I didn't have a copy of the following:
Closing costs sheet (I had no idea what I would be paying at closing.) 2.The original contract I signed (I mistakenly assumed the "settlement charges" on my GFE sheet was "money due at settlement," and was told I was wrong.
The bank approved the sale on Sept. 8th, and the buyer sent me the HOA documents on the 10th. On closing day, I was told I would be paying around $20,000 and my mortgage rate would be 200 dollars higher than I expected. I cannot afford this house (especially since the seller isn't paying anything towards closing). I told the seller that I went through the HOA documents and didn't like the terms, and now I don't want to close. The seller is now saying that I breached the contract and I have an obligation to close on this house.
Am I breaching the contract? Can I be sued (and lose)?

Answer:
 It depends on how the contract is set up, but it sounds probable, although it's possible they may have breached first by not providing required disclosures.

Have you received the final HUD-1? That's the document which will actually list your closing costs, and is typical required at least 24 hours before closing. Answer #2: Basically,  it comes down to whether the delay in providing the documents was a fundamental breach rather than a simple breach.

The delay in providing the documents meant that you're facing increased loan servicing costs,  which in your opinion could be viewed as a fundamental breach.   After a fundamental breach of contract occurs,  you no longer have a contract in force and thus your refusing to buy the home is not a breach of contract.


Title: Legality of firing employee who has history of seizures after having an episode on the job. [TN]

Question:
I hope the title didn't come off as too cold, but, as the title said, we have an employee who has a history of seizures (it is a preexisting condition. He's actually a family member we were helping out by giving him some work.) He had one for the first time in nearly a year today at the shop. He was rushed to the hospital. I haven't heard an update since. I'm a Manger for a small, family construction company. Frankly, we don't have anything we'd feel comfortable him doing at this point. If one of these happened on top of a house or in a crawlspace it could be catastrophic. We were already considering letting him go for missing too many days. I just want to make sure we aren't opening ourselves up to legal issues now. Tennessee is the location.

Thank you in advance.

Answer: This is pretty much spend a couple hundred on an employment lawyer territory.


Title: Is it legal to send someone's nudes to someone else out of scorn?

Question:
I have a friend who is scorned. She doesn't want money out of him, just wants revenge. She wants to email nude photos of him to his wife to let her know he is cheating on her. If the husband finds out, he will know the nudes are from my friend specifically. Any legal trouble with her?
She is in Michigan. The guy is in Connecticut.

edit: "Please offer legal information if you have it, and if you don't, keep your comments to yourself."

Answer:
 How about instead of potentially incriminating herself and risk having her  further. Just let the wife know in person or via message, with details about them seeing each other and the times. And she can herself verify if then if it's potentially true or not.

Literally no reason to send.nudes to let someone know their significant other is a cheater.Answer #2: Maybe.  Several states have "revenge porn" laws.

You didn't bother to tell us where you are, so we can't really answer beyond that.


Title: [USA Federal Law] Are parts of machine guns considered NFA items?

Question:
I recently came into possession of a Medium Machine Gun barrel. There is not much to say about it, it is simply a hunk of steel with a serial number and caliber on it. Absolutely unusable for anything, and could not be converted into a weapon. However, I have heard rumors of people not wanting to put actual surplus parts (specifically barrels) from automatic military rifles on their civilian weapons because it then considers that weapon an NFA item. So is my machine gun barrel treated the same as an unregistered Class III firearm? Also worth noting, I assume it was manufactured after 1986, but that is a separate issue.
TLDR: I came into possession of a machine gun barrel. Since it is from a machine gun, is it technically supposed to be registered as a machine gun under the NFA?

Answer: The receiver is the part of the firearm that counts. Anything else is just an accessory/part. What you have is a metal tube.  Also, the internet is a series of tubes.


Title: Got arrested for being high on dxm??

Question: I was arrested for being high on dxm but dxm is a legal drug. I explained that to the cop but he still arrested me? i didnt break any law so i dont know why i was arrested. does this even matter since dxm is legal?

Answer: Alcohol is legal but you can be charged with drunk in public. What exactly were you charged with and where are you located?


Title: Filed a violation petition after custody order was violated for the FIRST scheduled visit. The mother has since gone along with the order. Should I continue to pursue the violation?

Question:
I will link my previous post where I asked whether or not to file.

I am in Upstate New York and the mother did not allow me to see my daughter on the first weekend of our custody order, so I filed a violation petition. After she found out, she has let me see her on the proper days since then.

My goal was to see her on the agreed days, nothing more for now. Now that that is happening, I feel that continuing with the violation will just be more headache for both of us, even though it could result in me getting more time.

My goal is not full custody, just to get a good amount of time per week with my daughter. Right now it is 2 hours a day and 3 days a week, with the time eventually increasing to overnights for a total of about 3 days a week.  The judge says that the overnights will start in about 4 months, but I do not have the order in writing yet. (Waiting for it in the mail.)

Should I pursue the violation, since it was only once (albeit the very first day)? I just received paperwork to have the mother served and our next court date. Can I even have this court date canceled?

PS. I do not have a lawyer. She has a pro-bono and I am consulting with an old friend who is a lawyer. He is busy and cannot always answer my questions, so that’s why I am here.

Answer:
 How long has the order been in place, and how long has it been since the mother found out about the violation petition? the 'since then' is going to have a lot more weight to the mom's behaviour if it's like, 6 months rather than a month.

As is stands though, my personal opinion is that whatever the kid's mom's motivations were for not letting you see your daughter, the fact you filed the violation petition (and therefore the ramifications of a judge seeing that she violated the very first visitation!) has scared her straight.

I get the feeling you'd much prefer to have the matter dropped, and since the mother technically hasn't been served yet, your best bet would be to contact the court and tell them you've decided to withdraw the petition (not sure if you'd need to provide reasoning, but explaining that she's been fully compliant since that one time and  that you don't want any bad blood between you for the sake of the kid would probably be enough AND make you look good)


Title: Does any U.S. state give the "Original" marriage certificate to the couple?

Question:
The French Government rejected a recent legal application we made because we sent a certified copy of our marriage certificate instead of the original.

&#x200B;

We are fine to have a shotgun wedding in another state if any state gives the "original" certificate. Thoughts?

Answer:
 The original is generally filed with the government. You need to find out what the issue is with the French Government, it's unlikely they mean the original and something is being lost in translation. They may mean a notarized copy or if you just sent a photocopy you made yourselves a government issued copy.Answer #2: The US government wanted an “original” copy (original copy—an oxymoron if I ever heard one) of my South African wedding certificate.

South Africa keeps the original in the archives—it is never given to the couple.

After a lot of debate, the US finally accepted an apostille copy of the unabridged certificate.

You might see if France will accept an apostille copy. Answer #3: "Certified" or "Notarized"? Those are two different things.Answer #4: I don't think any state provides an original copy of your marriage certificate, it's similar to your birth certificate. They get filed away in some vault or something, they also keep a backup of the information on the certificate just in case. Than when you need a copy they print it out on a different paper that states it's a certified copy and than use an embossing seal.

Just let them know you can't provide the original certificate as it belongs to the county is was filed in, they provide certified copies stating that the copy is accurate.


Title: Georgia- 4th Amendment

Question:
I assume the state doesn't matter so much in this case. Earlier this evening I was over at a friend's condo with a few people watching the Georgia football game. Apparently, the cops, two of them, received a call about a domestic violence; however, they went to the wrong apartment. One of my friends who was a tad belligerent who lived in the condo refused the police entry and told the cop that they had the wrong address. One of the cops had a major hard-on and pressed the issue, so the legal inhabitant of the apartment told him to "Fuck off" and closed the door. As he closed the door, the cop kicked it open, and jumped on him, and then proceeded to cuff him. I was sitting there in view of the door just dumbstruck. None of us other three got up or challenged them, especially the cop with a hard on. They said my friend was going to be charged with disorderly conduct, and that we could pick him up from the county detention center in several hours.

I am not a lawyer, but he had no reasonable cause for entry, and further more although my friend's language wasn't kind, it wasn't threatening, so I feel as though they violated my buddy's 1st and 4th Amendment rights all because they came to the wrong address. Doing a cursory search, I was able to find the following article:

https://mic.com/articles/106398/this-woman-said-f-ck-the-police-and-won-a-100-000-lawsuit-over-it#.X3WmB2dAf

Any thoughts? Also, how long does it take to typically book someone? Haven't heard anything from him since around 5:30 pm, and I have been sober so I figured I'd give him a ride back to his place when he is free to go. I was wondering if this sub has any legal advice beyond a lawyer, and if they think that this is just going to go away? Not only were there three other witnesses, but I believe the police here have body cameras. Thanks.

Answer:
 So, flip this from the cop's perspective.

He gets a report of domestic violence. He approaches the address, and the door is answered by a belligerent, possibly intoxicated, person.  That person attempts to refuse the police entry. Maybe the cop had the wrong address, maybe your friends girlfriend was cowering, bruised, in the other room.

>but he had no reasonable cause for entry,

He had a report of domestic violence. Aggressive, intoxicated male refusing access paired with that report could be construed as a reasonable cause for entry.


Title: Landlord reduced the rent for my floorplan, says that I do not get the reduced rate because I renewed early [TX]

Question:
Hey there r/legaladvice,

Basically my issue is this: I renewed the lease on my apartment in february, after months of advertising on the part of the landlord to do so. I live in an apartment complex of about 100 or so separate apartments.

Looking online about parking information, I happened to notice they substantially decreased the rent on my floor plan from about 850 to 750 per month this year. Called up the apartment complex and asked about this, and they said that because I renewed my lease before they lowered the rate that I get my old, much higher rate.

I'm very frustrated about this. The whole ad campaign by the landlord made it seem like renewing gave me benefits over people that signed a new lease, not the other way around. Is there anything I can do about this?

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Not really.
Each apartment gets negotiated separately.
You deal does not impact what he might offer to others.
If you signed a lease, you're bound to what you agreed to.
You're not entitled to renegotiate just because he's making a different new better offer now.

Putting the shoe on the other foot... if he had raised rents, do you suppose he could raise yours as well?  A deals a deal.

You'll have the opportunity to renegotiate again when you new lease is up.


Title: Brother died in Florida with no will and left a life insurance policy with no named beneficiary

Question:
I can't find anyone who can tell me what I'm supposed to do.

He had two sons who he signed away his rights to and they were adopted by his ex's second husband.

He had a almost fiancé.

There's my mom who is living in subsidized housing and is trying to get on Medicaid and suddenly getting $100K will cause issues.

The insurance company called my mother asking what to do with it and we don't know what to tell them.

I'd love to get it so I can set up trust funds for the boys, pay the lawyer to get my mom on Medicaid and then pay for an aide for her, reimburse myself for the funeral, and then give the rest to the almost fiancé.

Any suggestions?

Answer: Usually, if no one is named as beneficiary, it becomes part of the estate. Since he didn't have a will, whatever is left of the estate after paying off his debts would be dispersed according to Florida's intestate succession law.


Title: (USA, AL) Woman has property of mine, I want it back. Police or lawyer? Is it forfeit or stolen?

Question:
Long story short, I was unable to care for my horse years ago so I (legally speaking) lent him to a family who was able to take care of him.  Along with my horse, I lent a saddle, bridle, and all of his equipment.  My horse passed away in December of 2014 and I have been asking the family for my equipment back.

This woman, who we will call Hermione, has not gotten in touch with me about the saddle and bridle (the only things I want back, she may keep the rest) since March 11, 2015.  I last texted her in May of 2015 to request she send me my things or I can retrieve them.  She has blocked me on Facebook and I have texted her again today telling her I will see what legal action I can take if my saddle and bridle are not in my possession by February 5th, 2016.

I need to know if my saddle and bridle are considered forfeit because I didn't contact her since May 21, 2015.  I have had a lot going on in my life, in case anyone is to ask why I have waited so long to get in touch with her again.

This saddle means a lot to me.  My late mother bought it for me years ago and I do not want to part with it.  The bridle I simply want as a reminder of my late horse, who also meant a lot to me.  Any information at all is helpful and if I need to give more details just ask.  I appreciate any and all help.  Thank you for reading.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Contact the police and tell them what happened. It may be theft but don't be surprised if they tell you that it's not because you willingly gave them to her at one point. If it's not theft then you will need to sue her for the items.


Title: [Contract] Former employer stiffed me on my last check, now they are willing to pay in installments so I don't sue. How do I create a contract without a lawyer.

Question:
I'll save you the long story, but they owe me $1200, and I don't want to involve lawyers. I finally got them to meet with me and agree to a payment plan, can I draw something up and get it notarized? Template? With their history, I realize they might break this contract, but it will serve me better in court if I do have to go that far.

Edit: Florida

Answer:
 First off, the normal way you go about this is to sue them yourself in small claims court, without a lawyer, for $1200 plus court costs.  You obtain a judgment when you win, and then you go and collect the judgment by demanding payment and then garnishing their bank account or possessions.  You can do this today if you are owed the money and they have not made payments that are timely according to whatever your agreement was.

Now that you have for some reason let them off the hook on the timing and agreed to a payment plan, you can sue them if they are late for their payments.  Yes, if you are committed to doing this you should write up an agreement that you both sign, and both of you get a copy of.  Notarizing a document just proves that the person signing the document is who they say they are; it is not required for a contract to be binding.

Edit: If part of the missing $1200 is *wages* then you can and should contact the Department of Labor, who will get you paid and fine the employer.


Title: If I were to send a letter to a company directly insulting their business, and use obscenities, could they sue me?

Question:
Example:

Dear 'X',

Fuck you and your business

Thank you.

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

would this be a bad thing to do?

Answer: It will be a useless thing to do.  But if it's therapeutic for you and you just HAVE to write it down, why don't you just do it and mail it to the north pole?  It actually would have a better chance of being read there.


Title: Lightly bumped someone's car in mine, now I think he's extorting me, please help me.

Question:
So as the title says, I hit someone's car in mine. I didn't have a pen and waited around for him and exchanged information. Gave him my license and number and everything. At the time however, I offered him $150 dollars to just leave it (his car is worth about $3000). He said he wasn't up for that and to do it through insurance. I should also mention I was driving my boss' car at the time, and that it is covered by company insurance but ill have to pay excess.
I then received a call from his brother telling me that his family were recieving threatening calls about dropping the claim, and that they were informing the police about it. I didn't contact him at all up until this point, and when I asked for proof that this happened he refused to give it to me, and told me he would be hearing from his lawyer.
Now he is saying that I have to pay him $300 and he will drop it. I asked him for a quote from a panel beater and he suddenly turned around and said that "the offer is cancelled" and again, said I'd said he'd be hearing from his lawyer.
Is this extortion? Is he allowed to make threats that aren't true?

Answer: Stop talking to this loser. He lost any chance at a reasonable solution when he threatened to involve the police over a damn scratch. Tell him to leave you alone or you will contact the police and he can sue you.Answer #2: Why are you talking to this guy at all?  Stop talking to him. Tell him not to contact you again if he calls back. $300 for the tiniest of scratches is not out of the norm.


Title: My aunt is having issues with the neighbours kid because he’s invading her privacy.

Question:
My aunt is having issues like the title says, it’s because the neighbours kid who is 14 years old, likes to for some reason chill on the roof of his house and sometimes invite his friends over to chill on the roof as well. My aunts and neighbours house are separated by a fence for privacy reasons and it shouldn’t be okay for the kid to be chilling on the roof being able to see my aunt relaxing in her backyard. I recently found out that the 14 year old kid knows my sister, so he took a picture of my aunt without permission and sent it to my sister because he knows that its her aunt. I found out about this because my sister showed me and I phoned my aunt to let her know about it. She was very angry about it for obvious reasons. This is really invasive and the kid shouldn’t be peeping on my aunt in the backyard if she has a fence built to obviously have privacy. I suggested that my aunt speak to the kids parent but she said the dad was a drunk and likely doesn’t care so there can’t be much done with the parents teaching their kid not to do it. What can be done?

I am in Ontario Canada
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: He's allowed to hang out on his roof. Even if that means he can see in your aunt's yard. This is no different than if someone had a rooftop patio, or had a high balcony.  Having a privacy fence is not a guarantee someone can't see in.


Title: Can a fast food company sue me for defamation on social media?

Question:
So maybe a month ago I made a song about a fast food company that I worked for that pretty much said that "(fastfood company name) sucks." I made statements like "the sandwiches taste bad" but never made any false claims about the company. The song didn't blow up as it got around 9,000 views total. I got fired over the song, which I expected but I thought that was going to be the only consequence.

&#x200B;

From close sources, I heard that the company may potentially file a lawsuit against me because of the video, which makes me a bit confused because I didn't think that what I did was too damaging. Can anyone give me advice on this case? I recently took the video down because I figured it wouldn't help that much if they were actually going to file a lawsuit against me. If it helps, I live in Ohio and am a minor with 17 years of age.

Answer:
 Sharing your opinion is not illegal. Saying "Bob's Burgers uses human remains from the  crematorium next door in their burgers" might be. Saying "Bob's Burgers tastes bad" isn'tAnswer #2: This falls under freedom of speech.  They may think that you have to pay them copyright to say their name at all, but it's covered by fair use law.  You can refer to brand names, celebrities, and (so far) anybody who has tried to sue about it has pretty much lost.Answer #3: > From close sources, I heard that the company may potentially file a lawsuit against me because of the video

And by close sources do you mean your buddy who also has an uncle that works at Nintendo? Because I don't see any fast food company in the US giving a hot shit about a video with 9000 views. They could make up any potential bad press by investing about $300 in free food for streamers/youtubers, and the cost to pursue a defamation claim against you would well outweigh any actual damages.


Title: Employer made me sign paper when i was hired that im willing to work any one of their 2 locations... it is 30 miles away!

Question: I had agreed on this when i signed it. Year later they have requested me to move to other location. Can i still fight this in Pennsylvania and win?

Answer: What do you mean "fight it"? You don't have to work anywhere or anytime you don't want to work. Slavery is illegal. But you can be legally fired for not working where you are assigned to work regardless of what you signed.


Title: A tenent lived in the second floor of our house for 8 years. However the issue is we only signed a lease for one year. Now he left, refused to pay off this months rent and whole rooms and walls are destroyed (X-Post from Personal Finance)

Question:
My parents are immigrants. We signed a lease with someone, lets call him Bob. Bob signed a lease with us in 2009 which ended in 2010. However, because of my parents status as immigrants they did not know how to renew the lease and regulate the floor being leased. At that time I was also too young. After a few years later, he suddenly decides to leave, telling us a few days in advance.
First of all we couldn't get into the apartment because he changed the lock. Then when we went in walls were busted and destroyed. The person promised to pay for the cost of repairing but I have no idea if he would actually. We also have new renters coming in by the end of the month. The walls are destroyed and many parts of the lease was violated.
However the lease he signed expired in 2010 and we do not have a new one. What can possibly be done?

link from personal finance is here https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/comments/3joa7g/a_tenent_lived_in_the_second_floor_of_our_house/

Answer: You can send him a demand letter and sue if he doesn't pay. An expired lease doesn't mean he isn't responsible for damage.


Title: Owner at work gave employees a higher profit-sharing bonus if they were married, and a $8000 bonus for every child, and made statements that the Muslim world is outbreeding us, and single people make him sick. Just curious, is this all on the up-and-up, legally?

Question: Washington, USA

Answer:
 No.  Discrimination in employment based on marital status is expressly illegal in Washington. Contact your state's Human Rights Commission for more info on filing a complaint: http://www.hum.wa.gov/Employment/Index.html

Relevant statute: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=49.60.180

Based on what you said it's not clear if he's discriminating based on religion too, but he's obviously got way more money than sense if he's making statements like that in the workplace. Answer #2: It's probably wildly illegal.

The EEOC considered bonuses as compensation, and compensation discrimination based on a protected class (religion, family status) seems pretty straight-forward illegal.

Here's a thing from them:  http://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/qanda-compensation.html

It's helpful to note that the recourse under the law is always to raise the pay of the lower-paid employee to the level of the others.  If this is legit, I suspect your company's owner is in for a fairly hefty payout.  I'll let someone with more experience in Washington chime in if I'm so very wrong.

As some practical advice, I'd file the complaint, get your payout, and start looking for a new job.  This guy's a dick.Answer #3: Umm.... I have four kids! Where is this silly job??!!Answer #4: A co-worker of mine didn't get an engineering manager position because " you have small kids at home and the position would require lots of travel." Is that discrimination?


Title: A Facebook page used my weight loss photos without my consent

Question:
Hello! This is my first time posting here so hopefully I don't mess anything up too badly. I live in Upstate NY.

About a year and a half ago I signed up for Beachbody. I worked my butt off, ate right and lost a substantial amount of weight. I submitted my before/after photos to Beachbody (giving them consent to use my photos to sell their products) and ended up winning a little money because of my results. I am very proud of what I did and that I did it the healthy way.

Fast forward to today. A Facebook friend forwarded a post to me from a random Facebook page about women's health. It was my weight loss photos on a screen with Dr. Oz in the foreground and was captioned, "How she lost seventeen pounds using this bizarre fruit that kills fat production dead in its tracks!!!"

I have never heard of this page or the fruit they claimed I used, and have only ever given permission to Beachbody to use my photos for the products I personally used. I looked at the Dr. Oz clip they linked to and my photo was never used in that segment so it appears that it was shopped. I reported the photo and the page to Facebook as well as commenting on the photo that their claims were false and requesting the post be removed. I also messaged the page privately and posted on their wall. The post with my image and the page remains, but it appears that a page admin keeps erasing the posts from their wall. I have been professional in all of the things I wrote to them. I will be contacting Beachbody to make them aware as soon as I am off work.

I was happy to give Beachbody permission to use the photos because I am proud of my results and liked my experience with their company. My concern is much more about the principle that I do not want my hard work to be used by some random Facebook page to sell some disgusting "miracle cure" that won't work and will only give women false hope that I achieved my goal through sitting on my butt eating a slimy fruit.

I did use the before/after picture as a profile pic a year and a half ago but my privacy is locked down and this Facebook page that used my photo is only 3 days old. And even if Facebook "owns" the photos I post, I'm fairly sure they can't just let any old page use photos to sell some random product I have never used.

Is there anything else that I should be doing that I haven't already? Is there a specific type of lawyer I should contact that would deal with this type of thing? Thank you for your time!

tl;dr- A random Facebook page posted my weight loss photos to sell some "miracle fruit" that I've never heard of.

Answer: Contact beach body. The photos belong to them. Also, contact the FTC. If you didn't use the weird fruit polls they're talking about, this is an unfair and deceptive practice.


Title: Hit by an Uber driver while in a crosswalk [Chicago, IL]

Question:
Looking for some advice on what to do (if anything).

I was crossing the street in downtown Chicago on Friday night when I was hit by an Uber driver. I had a walk signal, so I checked to make sure it was clear, stepped out into the street, and then glanced down at my phone to check the map. Next thing I knew a car turning left at the green light was coming straight at me. Another driver thankfully saw what was about to happen and honked their horn, getting both of our attention. The driver slammed on his brakes but wasn't able to come to a full stop before hitting me. The front of the car hit me just below the knee, I fell onto the top of the car, and then fell onto the ground.

The driver got out and asked if I was okay, but I was really shaken up and wasn't sure if I was even hurting or if so how badly. I noticed the Uber logo on the dashboard and saw that he had two passengers in the backseat who were completely in shock. Since we were both still blocking an intersection, I got up and started to move to the curb so that cars could get by. I realized at this point that my leg was hurting a bit and definitely was noticeably limping. The Uber driver got back into his car, I thought to pull over to the side of the road - but when I got to the curb and turned around, he had driven away. I never got the license plate number.

I called my fiancé to come get me as I was too shaken to drive and just wanted to go home, so I never called the police or went to the hospital. By the time I got home though, I was really angry about what had happened (and mostly that the guy had driven away) so I contacted Uber support. I was able to tell them exactly at what time it had happened, what route the driver was taking, the color of the car, and what the driver and his passengers looked like. From a message they sent me later it looks like they were able to identify him.

At this point I was starting to get some pretty bad anxiety so I decided to go to bed. I got a phone call from an Uber support representative in response to the messages I'd sent, which I didn't answer because I didn't feel like I could talk about it anymore. I decided to give myself the weekend to see how I was feeling before doing anything.

I've basically had two problems from this:

1. My knee, hips, and back have been pretty sore. Nothing to warrant going to seek urgent medical treatment, but it's there. There is no noticeable bruise or mark, I took the hit directly on my heavy rubber rain boot which probably diffused the impact considerably.

2. Anxiety. I already have some pretty big issues with this but the past couple days have been a total nightmare. Insomnia, panic attacks, nightmares, and honestly having trouble even stepping outside right now.

I have not seen a doctor for either of these yet, although I might this week depending on how things go. It is Thanksgiving so I'm not sure if I could even get in anywhere.

This morning I got a voicemail from Uber's insurance company asking me to call them back. I obviously need to deal with this soon, although the thought of even picking up the phone to call them back is making me majorly anxious so I might have my fiancé help me with it.

I'm totally the type of person to just let this slide and foot the medical bills myself to avoid confrontation, but I'd like to explore the possibility of pursuing this through Uber's insurance since they seem to be taking it fairly seriously so far.

Should I deal directly with them or do I need a representative like an attorney to do that for me? (Because that seems like overkill to me.)

Also, what kind of damages would I even be looking at? It was a fairly minor accident and it seems to me like it wouldn't be worth the hassle. I also feel like no one would take the anxiety part seriously which basically leaves me a twisted leg and nothing else.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Definitely do not let this slide. You're extremely unlikely to receive P&S (Pain & Suffering) unless this continues to really screw with you.

Go to a doctor ASAP to mitigate any damages (if you don't this will harm your claim) and work with the insurance company to get your bills covered.  Answer #2: Call the police immediately for the hit and run.  Dont wait on that.  Tell the police everything and say you contacted Uber to see if they can track down the driver.
If uber gives you the persons info then call the police back and give it to them.
If uber wont give you their info then ask for a case, claim, or reference number so you can give that to the police.  The police can then get the name from uber.


Title: We are being sued for approximately $2000

Question:
My family is being sued by a company (won’t say which), for two checks that seemed to have bounced. These two checks were issued in 2003, I do not currently know how much each check was issued for. The papers telling us about the situation were mailed to a former address, and at the time we finally gained word of the predicament, we were already beginning to be garnished. We don’t have the ability to just give away $200 a week. Is there anything we can do to fight this?
We live in Kansas, United States.
(I apologize for poor typing and formatting, I am on mobile as I currently do not have internet, for the reasons listed above.) (I think this is the right flair for the post, but I am not sure. I am a child of the family and don’t know a lot about it, I am trying to get a little bit of help for my parents so they have some information when meeting with an attorney to try and fight this.)
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 What probably happened is that your family was sued in 2003 in small claims court, and the plaintiff was awarded a summary judgement when you didn't appear in court.

Judgements can last a very long time ([5 years in Kansas](http://www.kasfaa.org/docs/training/2013Fall/presentations/KansasCollectionLaws.pdf)) and can be renewed within 10 years of when they were issued, so it's reasonable that they're still under a 5+10 limit.

What your family will have to do is contest the validity of the original summary judgement on the grounds that they weren't served properly.    I don't think that a summons can be served solely by mail in Kansas, but any local attorney will know.

You can also do some DIY once you get an Internet connection at the library or courthouse, looking for judgements on your County's court website.


Title: My job is shortening my end-date, and now I don't have a source of income for a week. Is that legal

Question:
So I'm based in California (so employment is at-will).

Basically I gave my two weeks notice last Thursday. Today my boss sat me down and said that in the interest of "brevity" They're only keeping me until this Friday. This means that for a week before my new job picks up, I'm completely without income.

Is this legal? It seems extremely underhanded, and kind of seems to break the whole agreement of courteousness for "two weeks notice"

Answer: Yes, it's legal. It's a fairly common policy.


Title: Roommate is threatening eviction and taking me to small claims court over an incident with our dogs. Am I legally obligated to pay her?

Question:
A couple months ago my dog bit my roommates dog and he ended up losing an eye. My dog was in my room on my bed (and he had a bone) and I was in the shower. I heard her screaming and immediately jumped out to see what had happened and found them all in my room. We were both freaking out a bit, but I screwed my head on enough to throw on some clothes and take them to the emergency vet. At this point, he’s had a couple surgeries and has lost his eye. It’s shitty and I feel bad (I love that dog), but I didn’t really think it was up to me to pay anything - considering she wasn’t keepi an eye on her dogs.

However, she brought up the fact that she thought I should. At first I was upset, so I didn’t respond to those texts until I could look at things calmly. At that point I told her we should sit down and talk about it in person and discuss how we each feel and maybe come to some agreement. She said she was busy (going on vacation and working) and I told her to just let me know when she was free and I’d make time.

Now, she’s been back for a week and instead of ever letting me know she was free to talk, she just blew up on me. She’s threatening eviction (and I’m not on the lease, so that’s probably going to happen anyway) but also to take me to small claims court over the vet bills.

She just gave me an ultimatum - to pay half now or risk having to pay it all after court. Does she have a leg to stand on here? Does it matter that the dogs were all in my room?

Answer:
 \>considering she wasn’t keepi an eye on her dogs.

And you weren't keeping an eye on your dog, that injured her dog badly enough to lose an eye.

\>Does she have a leg to stand on here?

Two legs to stand on.  Your dog caused the injuries.


Title: (Canada,ON) Harassed with packages

Question: Numerous times throughout the past few weeks people have been ordering packages under my name sending it to my house. Content of the packages are inappropriate and I do have an idea who's doing it but its not concrete. It's not meant to be a joke or anything as there main purpose is to harass me with it. I want it taken care of as I don't want them sending these packages under names of my other family members. Been a bad few weeks as I've also been charged and am on the edge of being kicked out. Wondering if it's possible to contact or go straight to Canada post and have them do something about this, the past packages were just thrown away. Don't really know what to do.

Answer:
 Anything that's not yours, mark return to sender and send it back without opening.Answer #2: Unless you want to cut off your mail service entirely, I don't know what you expect to do. The postal service doesn't know whether a package is wanted or unwanted.

If I were you I'd just ignore it and take solace in the fact that whoever's doing this is wasting a lot of money on shipping.

>Been a bad few weeks as I've also been charged and am on the edge of being kicked out.

Charged as in criminal charges or charged like money? Is this because of these packages? If so, you have damages and should be able to successfully sue, but only if you know who's doing it.


Title: NYC dorm room with a window that doesn't open

Question:
Hi everyone! I recently moved into my dorm room in NYC and found that the window is bolted shut and can't be opened. The dorm room includes a small sleeping area, a closet, and a bathroom.

I don't plan to sue or anything, but I'm a bit anxious to live in a room without an opening window because I know that if there is a fire or something blocking my door, I will have no way to escape (2nd floor) or even to yell for help. It's also extremely dusty in here because the door is pretty small and does not let in a lot of air. I don't want to live here for a year and never be able to open my window. Is there anything I can do about this? I've asked them about it and their reply was basically that if I don't like it I can move off campus

Answer:
 >I've asked them about it and their reply was basically that if I don't like it I can move off campus

Nice.

What you're gonna wanna do is take lots of photos of the window, put 'em in an envelope. If you got their response in writing put that in there too.

Then you're gonna wanna get yourself one of those mesh trucker hats. Gently pop/slice open the styrofoam front part - you know the part that covers the forehead - and smear a bit of butter on the inside of it. Fill the rest with unpopped popcorn kernels and superglue that puppy back up again.

Take the hat and the envelope down to the fire marshal's office. Once dude's wearing the hat, have him open the envelope and in three minutes, enjoy yourself a nice hot serving of What The Fuck Pop. It takes a bit longer than a Jiffy but it's still tasty and fun to make.

e: Or he'll tell you it's fine, and then you'll know.

Also, are the heads of the bolts visible from your side of the room?
Answer #2: I think they bolt them so that kids can't fall/jump out. I've had ones that only open a bit and then ones that are completely bolted.

I brought my own tools and took the bolts out.  Kept it on the down low like not showing my RA or anything and then just did my best to bolt it back in place when I left.

I'm sure that they have them for safety reasons, but with barely any air flow it was stuffy and dry and we all got sick a lot so I just went ahead and did it myself.


Title: (USA)(IA) When to tell landlord about ESA

Question:
Hi! I am renting in Iowa and my landlord is subject to the FHA. I signed a lease that starts mid-August, and I am wondering if it is better to tell the landlord that I have an emotional support animal (ESA) now or after I move in. I'm only hesitant to tell him because I have heard horror stories about landlords not handing over keys, making last-minute excuses as to why the house can't be moved into, etc. My ESA has all the proper documentation and is necessary for my well-being. I know I am backed by the FHA and Iowa State Code but I am nervous about possible shenanigans (which would leave me without a home). Thank you for any and all advice!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You don't tell them. You ask for an accommodation. Even if your landlord is subject to FHA there are other reasons they may be able to deny the request.

For example, depending on what the ESA is, it might run afoul with the landlord's insurance, and if changing the insurance would be impossible, or an undue financial burden, the landlord may be able to claim the accommodation is not reasonable.Answer #2: Because springing something important on a landlord at the last minute shows you to be a reasonable and responsible person...


Title: Girlfriend kicked me out of house under my name. Now she wants to keep it.

Question:
State: Florida

I have lived with my GF for a few years. Two years ago I decided to apply for a loan to buy a house. All the mortgage paperwork was made under my name. I paid for the deposit myself as well. My girlfriend has helped me with the mortgage monthly payments and some repairs&maintenance. A month ago we got into an argument and she kicked me out of the house. Now, we are trying to figure out what to with the house. She’s currently living there. She is in the title of the house. I signed a Quit Deed Claim on March 2nd to add her name to the title. I want to be fair with her since we were together for so long. If we sell the house I can pay the mortgage and there’s a $8k “profit”. I offered giving her $4k and remove her from the title since I would liked to keep the house and the mortgage is under my name anyway. She came back saying she wants to refinance the house under her name and give me the $4k. She says I won’t be financially responsible for the property anymore. Is that even possible? Is this fair when I was the one who put all the labor into the repairs and maintenance? I need help desperately. Does anyone know a better solution?
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 You are in an extremely bad position here.  You are 100% responsible for the mortgage, but only own 50% of the house.

You almost certainly violated your mortgage agreement by signing the quitclaim deed.  If the mortgage company finds out, they will start foreclosure immediately.  You and your GF need to come to some agreement on selling or refinancing the house.

She holds all the cards at this point.  You need to get yourself out from under this house.  Whatever you end up doing, make sure you have a lawyer so you don't dig yourself any deeper.

>she kicked me out of the house

It's your house.  You can move back in if you want.


Title: [MO] Just moved into my first apartment. These are marketed as "luxury apartments" and I believe the price I'm paying supports that. It's otherwise nice except for that the carpets are littered (no pun intended) with cat urine. A few questions inside...

Question:
First of all, I would like to know if this is considered "normal wear and tear". The landlord came up to my apartment and smelled the carpet and didn't find anything wrong with it (of course). He also has allergies and can't smell. He tried to tell me that it's "probably just from people walking around outside and then walking on the carpet". He even said that people might step in poop outside (wtf, it's acceptable because they step in it outside but not because a pet does it?)

Anyways, I took a UV light to my carpet and found what appear to be numerous stains from cat urine. Each spot also has that distinct ammonia smell, too.

I don't want to move. I love the place otherwise as its a great location. It's a top-floor unit and has vaulted ceilings which I need for my weight equipment. He already offered me another unit which may be getting new floors but it's on a lower floor which doesn't work for me. I'm also within a 30-day window in which I can break the lease by paying the first two-months rent. But I don't even feel that I should have to do that because I don't feel like this should be considered "normal wear and tear".

Tomorrow I plan to present my case to him along with the pictures I took of the carpet with the UV light which clearly indicate stains. What other ammunition so I have when making my case so that I can increase the likelihood of having them replace the carpet?

[Here's an example](http://i.imgur.com/0t5o8aJ.jpg) of the pictures I took. Spots like these can be found all over the living room especially near the blinds for whatever reason.

Answer:
 > First of all, I would like to know if this is considered "normal wear and tear".

I don't think you're asking the right question here. The question you want to ask is something more like "Was my unit at a *legally* acceptable condition at the time of move-in?". The idea of "wear an tear" is more related to the point at which you move out.

I think you're going to have a hard time proving the spots you found are animal urine. And just because they're there, that the landlord hasn't cleaned them up to an acceptable standard.

I'd just ask them to have the carpets re-steam cleaned. That should take care of the smell and any sanitary concerns.Answer #2: >I don't want to move. I love the place otherwise as its a great location.

Put a price on the value of this. Then, ask the landlord if he'll split the cost of new carpets based on your valuation of this apartment over the alternative. Answer #3: This is something that is going to be hard to get out of.
Did you sign the lease before inspecting the unit? Did you talk about the smell/stains before you signed the lease?

If there was not a prior agreement to having the carpet treated when you signed the lease then you technically said "everything is in good condition for me to move into this apartment" the second you signed the lease


Title: Does the reasonable accommodation rule applies in at-will employment or they can just fire you for asking reasonable accommodation?

Question:
I'n in LA, CA. I worked in jewelry shop as accountant. There was a dress code policy in my workshop. We had to wear shoes to workshop. I had a fungal infection in my toes. So, I requested management to allow me to wear sandles for 3-4 days while the treatment is on. I submitted letter from my doc, too. But they were furious as sandles looked too unprofessional. And they fired me.

Can I do something ?

Answer: ADA protection is for disabilities, not toenail fungus. Sorry. Answer #2: File for unemployment.


Title: I co-own a house with my two sisters. One has been squatting rent free for 20 years and won't budge...

Question: Have any ideas how we can get her to move out??

Answer: You can't squat at someplace you ownAnswer #2: If she's an owner she is not a squatter and she does not owe rent. You cannot get her to move out unless she agrees. About all you could do is force a sale.Answer #3: So she is one of the sisters who has partial ownership? I'm not an expert but if she has partial ownership and has lived there for 20 years it might be best for you and the other sister to find out what 2/3 buyout for the property is and ask her to come up with it.


Title: Soliciting a minor?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You're fine. Forget about it and move on with your life.


Title: Sheriff in Hillsboro, OR is calling to say that my mom missed jury duty and he'll have to put a warrant out for her arrest. She's on vacation in Europe and doesn't remember ever receiving a jury summons before she left. What do I do? Is this legit?

Answer:
 It is a scam.  Article about it here:
http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2014/06/post_141.htmlAnswer #2: Well, do you live in Hillsboro, OR?  Or at least that county?  Any property there, or employment there, anything?

If not, it's likely a scam, as the other person pointed out. If so, she can call the court to find if it's legitimate; if so, she can likely request a reschedule and clear up that way.


Title: Rough night.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You need to consult a lawyer.


Title: Family friend trying to take back a piano that was given to us 9 years ago.

Question:
I have a question about a storage issue I am having with a family friend. 9 1/2 years ago this family friend "gave" us a piano. Nothing was discussed on whether this was a gift or just for storage. My father paid for the piano to be shipped to our house and has been in our care since then.

Now this family friend is coming after us and suing trying to get the piano back. Is the piano still considered his? does he have any legal foothold here?

Can we counter sue for storage costs and maintenance of the piano?

We live in NJ
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 > and suing trying to get the piano back.

Has the friend actually sued? If so, counter sue for the shipping fees (which would imply that the piano was gifted/sold to your father) and reasonable storage fees for the last 9.5 years.

If not, why does the friend want the piano back now and does your father actually care?Answer #2: If you are already at the stage where they are suing you, you need to retain a lawyer and show up to court.


Title: [TX] Leaving job due to boss' sexual harassment. Signing bonus clawback?

Question:
**Background**

Received a $7,000 signing bonus in March for a new job which I accepted.  Found out that the boss recently went through a divorce and makes very inappropriate comments about myself, my husband, marriage in general, other women in the office, etc.  I have been tracking all of his comments for record because from the beginning I thought that things were just "off".

Fast forward to 2 weeks ago - I spoke with HR about being uncomfortable by the comments and they asked me what I wanted to happen or if I wanted it "escalated".  The problem with this (to me) is that I am my boss' only subordinate so it would have been clear the complaints came from me.  In the past few days I had another company reach out to me offering me a job that I am likely going to take just because I do not feel anything will be resolved with my current boss.

**Question**

Do I have any recourse to ask / not pay back the signing bonus I received in March because I'm pretty much being forced to move jobs because HR cannot handle the situation and my boss will not change his tone?  Do I even have to pay it back? How do they collect if my wages aren't enough to cover the signing bonus?

**Company Policy I signed**

>I agree that in the event I voluntarily terminate employment within 12 months of my start date or transfer date (as identified below), I will reimburse the Company for any hiring bonuses received. I also agree to reimburse the Company for any outstanding monies owed the Company that have not been repaid by the time employment is terminated. I further authorize the Company,to the extent
permitted by law, to deduct and offset any such hiring bonus or monies owed from any payments the company owes me, e.g.wages, bonuses, expenses, or vacation pay. If these deductions are insufficient,I agree to reimburse the Company for the balance.

Answer: You're not even allowing HR to even attempt to resolve the matter. Depending on what he said it may only be inappropriate but not breaking any laws.  So given that you would probably lose if they sued you to get the bonus back.Answer #2: Do I understand correctly that you want your boss's behavior to change, but you don't want anyone to tell him that there is a problem with his behavior?


Title: Sex Offender Constantly Bends Rules

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Call your local probation or parole office and report the issue to his PO. You can likely find who supervises him on your states inmate search. You can also just call the one closest to his house and see if they supervise him (although they may not disclose. If that happens ask to leave a message *if* his PO is there. Some places can't disclose due to HIPAA being overly broad).


Title: Question about Emotional Support Animal

Question: I have an Emotional Support Animal (a cat) and I am currently in the process of having her approved by the housing coordinator at my university. I have signed my release forms for my therapist to release necessary information to the housing coordinator, but I have not heard much back in regards to this accommodation. How long can I be kept waiting for the (dis)approval? Is there any legal action I can take if the housing coordinator draws out the process? Am I allowed to have my cat in my apartment while I am waiting for the approval? I am 99.9% sure it will be accepted, but don't want to get myself into trouble if it can be avoided. I am located in Pennsylvania if that changes anything.

Answer:
 >How long can I be kept waiting for the (dis)approval?

A reasonable amount of time.

>Is there any legal action I can take if the housing coordinator draws out the process?

You can sue, but your success depends on the facts.

> Am I allowed to have my cat in my apartment while I am waiting for the approval?

No.


Title: A 30 year old woman hit my car. She tells the judge that it wasn't her.

Question: So I was involved in a little fender bender. She admits it is her fault. We give info and IDs to cops.  Report written. A few months later find out that she DOES NOT have insurance and claims it wasn't her but her 17 year old sister!  Now I know that the person who hit me was not 17.  It was a school day for the 17 year old and the 30 year who hit me was complaining that she was going to be late for work.  It is not a matter of guilt because they BOTH admitted to it. It is just who is going to pay the insurance co. back. 30 yr. old who has a job whose pay can be docked or the minor who has no job.  Insurance co. is taking them to court to see who pays. I got a  subpoena to appear. I just want my deductible back. And I hate liars.

Answer: What's your question? Your insurance company has lawyers that are taking the other driver to court. Those lawyers represent you, so they can probably answer your questions better than we can.


Title: Can police park anywhere they want?

Question:
Sign says no parking within 30 feet I mentioned it to him and he said he wasn't going to be there very long but then again a week later he's parked there overnight .I think he did it on purpose to be  dick.http://i.imgur.com/KXcUBS3.jpg
Vancouver,Wa

Answer: Often emergency vehicles are exempt from those laws and parking regulations.


Title: Gym reinstated my membership without consent after I received written confirmation that I cancelled and is now breaking TCPA compliance trying to get me to pay my monthly membership fee [AZ]

Question:
Just like the title says. I received written confirmation from the gym's financial services company that my membership would be cancelled in 30 days. They continued to charge me for 4 months and then gave me the run around 2 weeks ago when I tried to figure out what was going on. They said I had called to reinstate my membership shortly after cancelling (definitely didn't) but that the manager would call me.

I finally just disputed the charges with my bank and blocked any future charges from them.

I received a text this morning that I had opted in to text messages (I didn't) and to reply STOP to cancel... nothing out of the ordinary. So I did. Got the text that I would no longer receive texts from them. 1 minute later, I received another text about my account being past due.

Is this worth pursuing? It's a very small amount of money (<$100) but my experience with this gym has been nothing short of horrible so I really wouldn't mind going scorched earth on them.

Answer: I'm going out on a limb and guessing Planet Fitness. You could do small claims court, but as you mention that's not a very cost-effective solution. I would file complaints with your state's consumer protection agency and the attorney general's office for an unfair and deceptive business practice. CC the gym on the letters and that might prompt a refund. Answer #2: Yes, it is worth getting in front of this now before it turns into a collection on your credit report. Best way is to go in person and/or call and escalate escalate escalate until someone can give you a paper saying your account balance is zero and your membership is canceled.


Title: The gate to my apartment complex smashed my blinker during a storm because it wasnt chained back as usual, is this the apartments fault?

Question:
Hey guys, just wanted someone opinion whom might know a little more about this. Basically a few days ago we had really bad winds in a storm and as I was driving through the back entrance of my complex the gate flew with the wind and hit the back of my car as i was driving in, i parked and looked to see that my blinker was smashed and there's a nasty dent and wicked scratch by the blinker as well. The gate is usually chained to a pole when it is left open and chained shut late at night, however nobody fastened the gate back this time, there wasnt anything I could do to avoid it, it was just bad timing I suppose. I talked to the office ladies at my apartment and they said they gave my info to an office manager but I have not received any kind of contact from then since. It's been about 3 to 4 days.
  Should I pursue the apartment for this still. Is it worth my time or should I just pay to fix it myself, any advice would be helpful, thank you.

Answer: IANAL, but it's my understanding that the apartment complex is overwhelmingly likely to have insurance that covers this. I would talk to the office manager in person, since he/she would be the one to contact their insurance company. Just keep the conversation polite and stress that you're not angry, but the cost of repairs would really hurt your finances.


Title: My employer says they can make me work in a different city from where I was hired to work. What are my rights?

Question:
I live in Baltimore and was hired to work full time in Baltimore with the understanding that I might need to go to DC occasionally to help out. New management has come in and they are telling me I have to go to DC and I don't have a choice.
Has anyone dealt with something like this before?
Thanks,

Answer: Yep. And then if you can't/won't, you can be fired and apply for unemployment. Probably have a good chance of being approved for it too.


Question:
*Beep Boop Beep Beep Boop*

---

[Report Inaccuracies Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/LocationBot/) | Data Sourced From [GitHub] (https://github.com/ianpugh/LocationBot2.0) | [Author](https://reddit.com/u/ianp)

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Original Post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4pcv1y/update_wi_dog_left_alone_for_12_16_hours_a_day/

Author: /u/widogthrowaway

#**[Update] [WI] Dog left alone for 12 - 16 hours a day**

> I called in another noise violation last night. This time while my neighbors were home so the police would be able to do more than just file a report.
>
> They followed up with me and told me they were able to enter the apartment and found a bathroom full of excrement and scratch marks down the door. Sounds like they were locking their dog in the bathroom that shares a wall with my apartment. They ended up voluntarily surrending the dog.

Answer: Thanks /u/widogthrowaway for being a concerned neighbor and rescuing that dog.


Title: Used fake id and got written up

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > should i not pay the fine and go study abroad this semester and hope it works out?

Don't do that.


Title: [Indiana, USA] Apartment Complex Refusing to Acknowledge Emotional Support Animal as Non-Pet

Question: I live in a pet-friendly apartment near Indianapolis, Indiana. Recently, my doctor prescribed an emotional support dog to help me with chronic bouts of depression and anxiety associated with Asperger's, a form of autism. I found a dog at a local shelter that would be an excellent fit. He's currently on medical hold and will be released in two weeks. However, the property manager of my apartment complex is denying my request for paperwork to register an emotional support dog, citing that as per the pet addendum, my pet limit has been reached with my two cats. I tried to explain that service and emotional support animals are not classified as pets by the Fair Housing Act, but she cannot seem to comprehend that there is a difference between a pet and an emotional support animal. When I requested the paperwork from the corporate office directly, they forwarded the issue right back to the property manager who then sent me a copy of the pet addendum and a warning that any additional animals in the apartment may result in being asked to vacate the premises. Unfortunately, the property manager and I are not on the best terms; the corporate office reprimanded her harshly a few months ago after I sent them a letter detailing several ongoing issues that she had failed to address. My concern is that she will continue to stonewall my attempts to register a support dog and then use it as justification to not renew my lease when it expires next month, despite always paying on time and being a model tenant. Any advice on a course of action would be much appreciated.

Answer:
 Did your doctor specify that an emotional support dog specifically and not an emotional support animal in general would mitigate your symptoms?

The Fair Housing Act requires landlords of qualifying housing units to make reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. The accommodation you're asking for is slightly different than what most people request...instead of requesting an exception to a "no pets" policy, you are requesting an accommodation to the pet limit policy.

If it is a very small apartment, this might not be a reasonable accommodation. If your doctor has said an emotional support animal in general as opposed to an emotional support dog specifically would help you with mitigating the effects of your disability, this again might be considered an unreasonable request.

Unfortunately, while Emotional Support Animals definitely are NOT pets, there is not a definitive guideline for this situation spelled out in the FHA. The "reasonable accommodation" test is fact intensive and would be made by courts on a case-by-case basis.

EDIT: Just an additional reminder, save copies of everything you send to your property manager/corporate office as well as copies of everything they send you. Just in case you aren't able to work it out it will be helpful if you have to contact a lawyer to have those copies. You can also keep a list with the dates of any phone/in person conversations you had with management and jot down the details about what was discussed. This info can really help if you have to make a case later.


Title: Iowa DOT will be offering the option to have your drivers license downloaded on to your smartphone starting in 2018. What are the legal ramifications for handing your phone to a cop at a traffic stop? Are you consenting to a warrantless search of your phone?

Question:
News story about the offering:
[Des Moines Register](http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2017/05/21/iowa-smartphone-drivers-licenses-expected-launch-2018/332325001/)

Answer:
 Almost certainly not.

There are states that do this with insurance now- some states have written into their language that presenting the phone for that purpose specifically does NOT constitute permission to search.


Title: My ex is trying to force me to sell a house in my name that we got while together or buy him out (Oregon)

Question:
Quick tl;dr- my family put $110,000 into house downpayment, my boyfriend and I put in $30,000 of our money. The house is in my name only because my family's primary investment. We made about $20,000 of mortgage payments together,  but about $10,000 of that was from my dad. Now my ex is trying to force me to sell the house and pay him, or buy him out. We've lived here 4 years, and paid about $50,000 into the house (down payment and monthly mortgage), meaning he paid about $25,000 into living here for 4 years.
More details below if needed. I'm close to facing foreclosure again, so I'm trying to rent the property because we live in a legal cannabis state and property values have gone up and are sought after.... so the house is a lot more valuable then before and he feels entitled to a buyout.

I bought a house in Oregon in 2013. The sellers required a large downpayment ($140,000), and the sellers would carry the remaining loan ($150,000) thru a private mortgage company.
My boyfriend B, also the father of my son, and I had $30,000 towards the downpayment. I borrowed $25,000 from my step dad. My mother was near retirement and decided to use her retirement fund (about $80-90,000) to pay the rest and move into the house and retire here (she was living in Georgia at the time). Since so much money was from my family the house was put only in my name as my mom wasn't in Oregon to sign papers. Mom ended up being unhappy and moving back to Georgia to live with my sister.

My boyfriend and son and I continued living in the house, fell behind on mortgage without having mom to help pay monthly mortgage. Eventually we got notice of foreclosure and had to file a lawsuit about full disclosure violation. The seller agreed to reduce the remaining mortgage by $90,000....so now I owe $73,000 on the house.

I split with B, had to file a restraining order to get him out of the house, he was trying to force me to sell it- I am currently 6 months behind on mortgage again and nearing a foreclosure again.
I don't want to sell it, I'd rather rent it out, but ex took all our shared money and things of value(guns) so I can't pay the mortgage.

Answer:
 I don't think anyone is going to rent from you while it is facing foreclosure.

I would honestly sell it, take the money and settle your debts and re start.

If you lived together for that long, he can likely claim that you were common law (not sure of exact laws in US)

If he can claim common law, it's half his, unless you can prove otherwise but that would be difficult. If he is reasonable with what he wants for the buy out then you should go that route.


Title: (NL) My (20m) mom has total control over my bank account, threatens to go to a judge when I ask for control

Question:
Edit: Guess putting the location in the title isn't enough for the bot. This is in The Netherlands

I get paid about 700 bucks a month, enough for me to live off of and more (Got a place with ridiculously low rent), but my mom has had complete control of my bank account since the moment I opened it, I cannot buy anything without her getting a security code on her phone and having her send me that (with the exception of using my bank card physically)

The problem now is that I requested more control over it, since I moved out about half a year back and I'm an adult (not sure if it's 21 here or not), the problem is she flat out refuses to, and when I tell her it's mine, and that I don't think it's fair for me to have to depend on someone else's permission to buy stuff, she claims she'll go to a judge and demand that she'll be given permanent control over it. I've told her I don't want to stay dependant forever, and that I don't want her permission to buy stuff when I'm 40 either mainly to have her start thinking of the future but she claims she'll even do that. Can she do this?
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 As a joint owner of the account, you share the responsibilities (both good and bad) of the account. So can she place restrictions on the account? Yes.

The easy way to get out of this is to establish a new bank account at the same or different bank. Transfer or withdraw funds for the new account and start putting your paycheck into the new account. With you as the only signer, she will have no access to the account.


Title: (Nyc) 15 hour shift, employer not allowing me a lunch break or rest break, is this legal / what can I do?

Question: Posting from a throw away, I'm currently working a 15 hour shift (bakery) and my employer is refusing me a break because theres no one to cover me and would force the department to close. Is there a minimum break time that I'm allowed for such a long shift? What can I do?

Answer:
 A quick shot in the dark, NY's labor laws indicate that if you are the only person working at the time, you can eat without issue. I'm still reading up on their laws, but that's what I've seen so far.

Also, since you work over 6 hours, you are entitled to a half-hour lunch, so the next time you are working over that, tell your manager to fuck off and be on your way.Answer #2: I had an employer do this. In colorado, you're entitled to (2) 15 min paid breaks and one unpaid 30 min lunch per 8 hours. I called them out, and was able to prove it because of the OSHA poster that is required (at least here) to be put up somewhere in the workplace where any employee can read it. It listed my rights as a worker.

Last resort, whispering the words "OSHA complaint" will snap any management into shape real fast


Title: Unmarried, Considering Shared Mortgage - How to Proceed?

Question:
Hello!

Perhaps a silly question, but I’d been a bit of a nomad in younger years - changing apartments and sometimes entirely cities at the end of each lease - to the point that I had never considered house ownership. Even as I seemed to settle into staying longer in one place, the concept of such a purchase seemed so Herculean that I continued to write it off.

At current, I’ve now lived in the same city since late 2014. I’ve held the save job that I don’t anticipate leaving soon and am in the process of furthering my education/gaining additional credentials, wherein my current employer has provided reasonable support. I have been in a stable relationship with the same man for nearly a decade. He views continued rental payments as counterproductive when those funds could instead be invested in home ownership. He’s additionally a bit bored with our rental situation, wanting to invest actual energy in home projects and renovations that would be wasted on a space that we don’t actually own. It’s understandable. So... sure. Let’s purchase a house.

Where I hesitate most is the legal implications of home ownership, mortgage contract, and other facets that I hold no knowledge of, considering this isn’t a concept that I have any experience with. We are not legally married; in our state, Common Law Marriage is not recognized. We have had some limited dialogue regarding whether or not my name would be on the mortgage and some implications of each side, but I’m here to ask you all for the pros and cons of each that we have not considered. No couple necessarily anticipates problems, but - even in that event - I’m reasonably confident that each of us would “play fair.” We discussed that, should it come to such, he could buy me out of my part of the mortgage. He’s never been the type that would throw me into the streets and burn all of my possessions, for sure, so I don’t necessarily have the fear that *not* putting my name on a legal document would be potential for relinquishing all security. But I suppose that’s why I’m here.

What say you, those with experience and knowledge? What *are* the pros and cons of assigning my name to this mortgage versus not? What considerations do I be making?
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: You really shouldn't buy a house with someone you're not married to. It's more of a commitment than marriage.


Title: Grandmother is Falling for those Nigerian Prince Scames

Question: [removed]

Answer: The bank is not going to help because it’s her money and she’s free to use it as she sees fit. Continue with attempting to gain conservatorship.Answer #2: The bank has no role in determining whether customers are taking their money out for the wrong reasons.  That is the wrong place to be casting blame.  Hire a lawyer to either get a conservatorship and/or guardianship over your grandmother.  There are emergency proceedings that could have her no longer in charge of her accounts in a day.  That is the legal method for helping people in your grandmother's situation.  A power of attorney would work too, but not if she doesn't want to cooperate.


Title: [CA, USA] Pressed charges against my father for sexual child abuse, he took the plea deal for 30 years. Is a civil lawsuit a viable option now?

Question:
My father officially plead guilty a week or two ago to 10 counts of sexual child abuse. His sentencing hearing is in August, but he has formally come before a judge and taken the 30 year deal.

When I chose to press charges and move the case forward, Victim Witness Services, VWS, took over any financial costs of doctors, medications, etc to treat my PTSD. I haven't had to pay for a psychiatrist or therapy since 2013 or so, but there was a good 8 years beforehand of hospitalizations and such, including when I was initially diagnosed with PTSD.

My question is this: is there a case for a civil lawsuit here? My father wasn't exactly wealthy, what would be the potential benefits? Would it even be worth it? Also, not sure if this is relevant in any way, but I just want to make sure I put out as much info as possible - my stepmother and grandparents knew about the abuse for years before I got out and did nothing. There's no way to physically prove this other than the abuse charges brought against my father, although my stepmother did apparently say something along the lines of, "Is this about [my name]?" when he was arrested... so I'm not sure it's even worth mentioning, but thought I should anyways.

Any help or advice with this, what legal action might come next would be extremely, extremely helpful. Thank you guys so much.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Above all else, I'm so sorry that this happened to you. I'm glad that justice has at least begun to be served.

You may very well have grounds for a civil suit here. I would recommend sitting down with a local personal injury attorney to discuss this more, they usually offer free consultations.

However, and this is a big however, winning a civil suit is only the first, easy step. The harder thing is getting your money. If he's going to be in prison for the next thirty years, it will be exceptionally difficult to get any money from him, even if he had money to take.

I'd still talk to a PI attorney, if for no other reason than to know for sure what your options are. We get a lot of people who come in here decades after the fact who can't do anything because of how long they waited.


Title: Taken for $210k. Should I alert the DA?

Question:
I'll try to keep this short.

In early 2015 I partnered with a guy to build a home for me in California (I currently live in Texas). He had built many homes before. I paid him about $100k for items such as design, engineering, landscaping, architecture, and reports. This went on for about a year.

After this, its time to build. He sends 2 more invoices (totaling about another $100k), which I pay immediately. This was the building retainer, along with major fees, such as school fees, electric meter hook ups, etc.

Then he just disappears for a few weeks. I call the county, the architects, the engineers that are on my drawings and no one has even heard of my project! All the monies I had paid to him were gone. All I got were drawing that he did, and they are not capable of being submitted to county, he is not an architect himself. I (calmly) sent an email to the builder, telling him I called everyone from the invoices. His response was that he'll send me an update later that day. There was no response.

He declares bankruptcy without informing me ('oh that is different'). I retain a lawyer, fighting to keep him from discharging my debt due to fraud. My attorney is confident that this will go my way, but I'm not sure of my chances. Every court date I have attended, he is granted an extension and/or the benefit of the doubt. We do not have a trial date yet. There are other victims, but their losses were only in the 10's of thousands of dollars, not enough to hire a lawyer.

Because of his bankruptcy, he was compelled to turn over his bank statements (personal and business). On it, you can see my $100k go into his business account, followed by 10 withdraws in cash that month totaling about $70k. In his business account, there were also cash transfers to his personal accounts, along with personal debit transactions (grocery stores, gas stations, beauty salons, movie theaters, etc). He has stated in his deposition that he does not segregate funds. He would pay for his personal expenses vacations, rent, utilities, etc out of his business account. It is suspected that he decided to declare bankruptcy after racking up a bunch of debt and withdraw all his deposits as cash.

I can clearly show from my emails and texts that he said "Waiting to hear from the engineer", and "We got approved by the county!" emails.

I want to contact my DA, but I don't know how. I worry I'll send a 10 page wall of text email, and it will get glossed over and tossed aside as just some builder-owner dispute in some "wealthly" part of town. Or I'll provide too little information and I'll look like I'm hiding something. Should I contact the DA, and if so, how?

thank you

Answer: See if there is a white collar crime or fraud division of your local Sheriff/Police Dept first. Just sending something to the DA might be a bit premature. Answer #2: You have an attorney handling this through bankruptcy.  Have you posed this question to your attorney?Answer #3: I intern at a DAs office and generally they dislike private disputes but the sheer amount and audacity of your guy is beyond the pale, so I'd certainly talk to them about it.


Title: My sister is under my phone plan, I got her the phone, the phone is leased, I still owe about $500. If I died would they just unlock it for her?

Question:
Posted to legal advice, but they deleted my post and was told to post here.

Let’s say I died, and she can’t continue paying the phone bill nor the remainder on the account.

Would they just accept the loss since it was under my name and I’m dead? Would they unlock the phone for her to get her own service?

Edit: I have sprint and am in California, it’s called the “Flex lease” plan

Also, I looked in the agreement. Nothing was said about the lesser dying and such.

What if she provided a death certificate?

Answer:
 Uh OP are you feeling okay or is this truly hypothetical?  It reads a little too uncomfortably like a contingency plan...Answer #2: Your estate would probably have to pay off the remainder of what's owed on the phone and she could then inherit the phone and start paying for a plan. Answer #3: All you mention is your worry about phone contracts, but in the case of a young person dying unexpectedly, there is plenty more fallout.  Which is beyond the scope of this sub.

To learn more, call 1-800-273-8255, the Nat'l Suicide Prevention Line.  They know all there is about post death fallout, as well as being able to help you insure your sister doesn't have to have such an experience.