Title: COPS/JUDGES OF REDDIT: I was given an ACD for a speeding ticket recently that I received several months ago. Got another ticket this morning for a lesser charge. Is my ACD null and void now?

Question:
Located in New York.

STORY:

Okay, so I was given a speeding ticket back in December, had the court date in February, and I was given an ACD because I work locally in town (small town mentality). This morning, I was stopped again for a much lesser charge -- disobedience of a traffic control device.

I need to know:

- Is this violating my ACD, considering I got a smaller charge?
- If it is, does this mean that I now face the penalties of both tickets?

I'm extremely nervous because I cannot afford how high my insurance will be hiked if I take on the license points for two tickets.

Answer:
 >I cannot afford how high my insurance will be hiked if I take on the license points for two tickets.

Then maybe start following the speed limit and pay attention to traffic lights (I assume that's what the 'traffic control device' refers to).


Title: [UT] Manager is working at our store, despite what I assumed was a sexual harassment case against him. Now I'm not so sure. What can I do?

Question:
I'll try to keep this short, and vague. I don't want to get my restaurant in trouble, but I need advice and I don't know where to go.

I work for a bakery/café. We are a small chain, owned by a bigger chain restaurant. (think like if McDonald's bought a different burger place, but let them keep their name and menu.) I've worked here since September 2013. There are two other women involved. I will call them Shiloh and Kay.

Sometime last fall, a manager from another store came to work at our store. His name will be Brad. Brad came to our store because one of our managers was on vacation, and we needed someone to fill in the gaps.

Well, what happened that night was horrible. Brad openly hit on Shiloh, who was 17 at the time, and asked her out a few times. He made several derogatory comments about women, and tried to harass Shiloh for her personal information. She was very young and naive, but outright told me in private many times how uncomfortable she was with him following her around. He said many many many horrible things to her, and even some to me, which is why I got involved. One such specific event was during the beginning of the night when we were pretty slow. While it was implied I was involved in their conversation (standing in the circle, though I didn't respond vocally), Brad openly said "The only reason guys date fat women is because they have low self esteem. If you give them ANY attention they'll be grateful with it, so they won't cheat on you for fear of losing your attention." I have no idea why he thought to tell this to Shiloh or I. Especially since it is completely undeniable that I am a fat woman myself. (5'5", 250 lbs, size 20) I specifically remember how bad the night was, because I, as a person experienced with sexual harassment, vowed to protect Shiloh. I remember taking her out for ice cream that night and listening to her almost cry as she recounted the events of that night. It was bad.

Kay was just an average employee at the time, but in the last couple months has been promoted to manager.  At the time, I thought I had filed a sexual harassment suit against Brad, because another manager (Steve) had helped me gather evidence. I assumed he was taking care of it, seeing as I had never done anything like this before. Steve had called my cell phone about a week after the incident and told me Brad had been "taken care of".

Well since then, Steve got fired (unrelated reasons), and Kay became a manager, Kay looked into it after he was allowed to come back this week while our GM was on vacation. Apparently no such case exists. No case was made, despite the fact that this manager has had several sexual harassment claims brought against him. I'm also worried that none of the other claims were fully reported either.

He's been working with us the last three days, and I'm not sure when he's leaving. I think it's an outrage that he was even allowed back to our store in the first place. I know that he's less likely to face any sort of repercussion for being a horrible person, but even if they were never gonna do anything about it, they could at least ban him from coming back to our store??

Since coming back to the store, both Shiloh and I can tell he probably knows we made a case against him, because he has been pretty rude to both of us. Instead of doing his job properly, he's either ignoring us, or being completely rude. I can't believe they would tell him we filed the complaint either, if there even was a formal complaint filed!

I don't know what to do. This is a piece of shit who has gotten away with harassing women for a long time, and I'm not going to let him just take Shiloh's power from her. She told me one of the only reasons she isn't just walking out is because I'm there for her, and I know it's hard because not a lot of places here are hiring, much less college students who need better schedule flexibility.

I just want to make sure this guy doesn't harass us (or anyone else if I can help it) again. Is there anything I can even do?

Answer:
 First off, his rude and inappropriate comments may or may not rise to the level of illegal sexual harassment. But for the sake of discussion let's assume that they do.

> I thought I had filed a sexual harassment suit against Brad, because another manager (Steve) had helped me gather evidence.

You would know if you filed a lawsuit. You'd have an attorney, there would be depositions, you'd get in front of a judge, etc.

Typically the thing to do in a sexual harassment situation is report it to HR and give them a chance to fix the problem. Perhaps Steve fixed the problem? Are you in touch with Steve? In any case, a company gets the opportunity to fix whatever problem might exist. But they also have to know about it.

> he has been pretty rude to both of us. Instead of doing his job properly, he's either ignoring us, or being completely rude.

There is no law against being an ass to employees.

> I just want to make sure this guy doesn't harass us (or anyone else if I can help it) again.

Document his behavior. If it rises to the level of illegal sexual harassment then take your thorough documentation (times, places, people, actions, things said) to HR. If HR doesn't fix it, then explore a case. But you can't get him fired for sexual harassment if he's just being rude to you and ignoring you.


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Neighbour destroyed my garden to build a fence?

Question: I found out today that my neighbor just destroyed and dug up my garden to replace the fence they had before. Our neighbor never told us they were going to be building a fence nor did they inform us that they dug up our garden. I found out today when I got home when I was checking up on it. Also I'm concerned about whether or not the fence is going to built on our side of the land. I'm wondering if this gives my mom, the landowner, the grounds to charge them since we spent a lot of time and money planting that vegetable garden and didn't even tell us beforehand so we could move the plants to another part of our backyard and I'm pretty sure it's illegal for them to build anything on our property if they do place the fence where our garden was (Our garden was planted alongside their fence a few inches away).

Answer:
 They can't put the fence on your side of the property line. It can go ON the property line, or on their side. They can't come onto your land without your mom's permission.

The neighbor or their contractor have to fix what they did, either by planting a new garden or compensating you for the losses with money. If they wont do it voluntarily, your mom can sue them in small claims court.Answer #2: You need to get a survey to know where the property line is. It may not be where you think it is.Answer #3: Have either of you had a survey done to be certain where the property line actually lies?Answer #4: Talk to your neighbor, find out what their plans are, if they got a survey, and that you are upset their contractor is not respecting your side of the property.

 If they are placing the fence closer to your side of the property get a survey asap.  If you built a garden against your neighbors previous fence, that fence could be somewhere within their property line.  The new fence could be placed closer to the actual line and toward your garden if that's where the property line actually is.


Title: Rent was paid but we still got an eviction notice???

Question:
Hello all. I'm in New Jersey since I'm sure that is relevant.

Me and boyfriend rent an apartment. In the end of August bf got into a car accident which resulted in him missing 5 ish days of work. (He wasn't injured but the car was too damaged to drive, and he delivers things with his car for a living)

Because of things we had to pay to get the car repaired on top of him missing work, we were about 2 weeks behind paying rent at the beginning of September (Our rent is due at the 1st of the month and we have until the 5th to pay).

We still DID pay rent and all the late fees associated with it. It was paid, as i said, 2 weeks late but we never owed both September and October rent at the same time.

We are currently behind on October's rent, but I have paid small increments every week and when we get paid on the 24th it will be paid in full again.

Today we got an eviction notice in the mail for the September rent. It was signed September 12th. We paid the rent in full about a day after the 12th.

We are supposed to appear in court on the 31st of this month to argue our side of the case. It also states on the notice that if we pay both (September and October's) rent by the 31st then the case will be dismissed. We WILL 100% have paid both month's before the 31st, so will everything work out? Or will we still be facing eviction?

And we will only be about 2 days late on November rent in case that is important. It's just taken us about a month to get back on our feet and get our bills current.

The eviction notice discusses looking at affordable housing but the issue is we would never qualify for it. At the moment I make $800-$1000 a week and bf makes about $500. Most affordable housing around here requires you to make $1500 per household per MONTH or less. :/

&#x200B;

Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 u/Guygan and u/soph7133 are both wrong. See [NJSA 2A:18-55](https://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/codes/publications/pdf_lti/evic_law.pdf#page=6)\--that's why the notice says "if we pay both (September and October's) rent by the 31st then the case will be dismissed."

It does look like there is a way for them to file a "Notice to Cease" as a method of eviction if [you continue to pay rent delinquently](https://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/publications/pdf_lti/grnds_for_evicti_bulltin.pdf#page=4), but that appears to be a separate action.


Title: [IN] Can a highschool send "student resource officers" to check on specific afterschool clubs?

Question:
So at my school afterschool meetings for clubs happen in a classroom where a teacher (called the club sponsor) usually sits in the room while the students conduct club activities. At the club meeting for one club I went to, a police officer called a "student resource officer" came and spoke to the students at the club for about 15 or 20 minutes. He talked about how he was here to "create a bridge between minority groups and society." This club is a minority group club (think something like gay straight alliance but instead it's another identity like race or ethnicity or religion or (dis)ability).

I'm not aware if this event was planned or not, but never has this happened at any other school club I have gone to. I'm not sure if he will come to the club again, but he implied that he will speak to the club again in the future.

When asked if he checked every school club, he said "no, I go to specific minority group clubs to encourage a dialogue and understanding." He then went on to talk about how he has talked to African-American students about Ferguson in the past and explained to them the situation of the police and how the media "flares up tensions."

The presence of an officer talking to students at a club meeting feels like profiling and monitoring.

Is what the officer is being sent to do legal? Has there been a history of schools monitoring minority group clubs? Do students in minority group clubs just have to accept that they will be "checked on" by the school?

This is in Indiana, USA

Edit:

Just for some background, this is in a town which was once a major KKK base of operations and the officer in question is the nephew of a KKK leader. KKK presence is still noticeable in the town. So even if what is being done is totally legal, it still feels discriminatory and I wonder if there are any ways to protest or petition this.

Answer: From your description, that wasn't a "check on" it was a "hey...so...you guys might hate me right now....I get it...how bout we wow-pow so that can stop?" which wouldn't be a problem.Answer #2: Not only is this legal, it's a damn good idea.  Establishing a positive relationship with these kids is a win for the school, for the police, and for the members of the club.


Title: Stuck in a gym contract I wasn't told I was signing

Question:
My boyfriend and I were in need of a gym during the summer. We went to a recently opened gym and we're given a "deal" of $30 a month by the owner. We were never told that the price was for a one year contract. The owner filled out our application for us, and told us to sign for our card. He never told us we were signing a contract.

Now that we are trying to cancel they are telling us that we have to pay out for the rest of the year, and they showed us the contract that we "signed".

What options do I have to cancel? If I were to cancel my card would they send me to collections?

EDIT: I was not given a piece of paper with writing on it. I was told to sign a digital pad so they could have my signature. I was never told that this was for a contract. This digital signature is now printed on a contract as proof I have "signed" the contract.

EDIT EDIT: I live in Canada

Answer:
 Just to confirm, did you read the thing you were signing? Did you read any of the application the guy filled out?  Answer #2: > What options do I have to cancel?

Whatever the contract says are your options. Don't sign things without reading them.

>  If I were to cancel my card would they send me to collections?

Almost certainly yes. Gyms and collection agencies go together like peanut butter and jelly. Canceling the payment method doesn't cancel the contract, it just means you haven't paid.Answer #3: You keep saying you signed something but you aren't telling us what you physically signed. Did you sign a piece of paper that had words on it? Did you sign on one of those digital signature pads? What did you actually sign? If the gym used your signature without letting you actually review any paperwork then you might have a chance of arguing they committed fraud but you'd need to prove that you were not presented with any paperwork.Answer #4: Just as a thought (IANAL) but by googling it looks like Canada is one party consent. Perhaps it would be good evidence for you to have somebody go in and do what you did, and record them trying to get a friend to sign their "pad"? (Note: i would tell them specifically not to, but it could be handy evidence to have)


Question:
Roommate with no pet & zero contribution to our pet deposit (I paid fully for my dog + pay $15 pet rent per month) has his girlfriends dog over & is currently watching both her dogs for a week.

Roommate sent a text TELLING me he is watching her dogs for a week or so today not asking.

Can I ask him to pay 150$ (half) of the pet deposit?

Location: Texas, USA

Answer:
 pay half of the pet deposit for having pets for one week?  and then when the pets are gone, you'll what give the deposit back?

since this is probably a one time thing, i would just give him a pass and tell him if he has pets over in the future, he needs to pay.

it's up to you two to workout the agreement.


Title: (California)My mother was forced to go on temporary disability or lose her job. She was terminated while on disability.

Question:
My mother works at an assisted care/rehab center/elderly care facility. She was taken off the schedule and forced to go on temporary disability while she had carpal tunnel surgery on both of her hands. She was told a number of times that she would be able to come back to work after her surgeries. This was in August.

The doctor scheduled her surgeries separately so that she could have the use of at least one hand at a time because she wouldn't be able to use her hands for a while afterwards because the damage was so severe.

She has the second one coming up and she just received a certified letter, signed by her employer, terminating her position but welcoming her to come back and re-apply.

Is this legal? I don't think she wants to sue, she just feels that they can't force her on leave and then fire her while on her leave when she's doing everything they're asking her to do. She has exhausted her FMLA and her unpaid time off and that is their reasoning for doing so, yet they keep someone on the schedule who has been off months longer because her foot is rotting away due to uncontrolled diabetes. This other woman doesn't take care of herself and gets to keep her job, but my mother who is actively attempting to get better so she can go back to her job of 13 years is fired.

If there is any other information you need to know, please, feel free to ask.

Answer:
 If she exhausted her FMLA leave (12 weeks), and still wasn't cleared to return to work by her doctor, then it's legal for them to fire her.  If she's been out on disability since August . . . then it's probably legal.

I don't know why they kept the other person on the schedule, but there isn't actually a legal requirement to treat all employees exactly the same (unless you can show discrimination against a protected class, which . . . well . . . maybe if your mother is a different race, or over 40 and the other woman is significantly younger).

You can always go talk to an employment lawyer, but it's going to be really hard to convince a jury that the company should have kept a job open for 6+ months.Answer #2: IANAL but I did do some research and found that if she used up all 12 weeks of her FMLA leave it's completely legal for them to fire her.

[Source]( http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/can-you-be-fired-from-job-while-leave-with-disability.html )Answer #3: Once FMLA and the unpaid time is exhausted, I believe they first have to offer "accommodations" so that she can return to the position they were legally required to hold during FMLA. If she cannot return in any capacity then they have every right to fire her because at some point the job needs to get done by someone.


Title: Falsely accused of drug possession

Question:
In August in Tennessee I got pulled over for supposedly speeding (I wasn't but that's the least of my concerns) and allowed police to search my car when they asked to. They found a piece of Saran Wrap with some food residue on it. They told me they thought it was heroin. There is absolutely no way that is true! They also found 1/14th of a single Percocet pill in my wallet. They told me they wanted me to set up someone for a police sting to get out of charges for that piece of Percocet. At the time I lead on that I would comply with that because I really wanted to go as I was on my way to work and the let me go. I wasn't given any kind of ticket and I didn't sign anything. I was suppose to call the officer the following day to discuss the set up. After consulting with a lawyer I decided I didn't really have anything to worry about so I blew it off. That officer called me repeatedly for for about 2 weeks leaving voicemails threatening me saying things like I better call him back or I know what will happen. At the time when he pulled me over they said if I didn't set someone up I will be in a lot of trouble and go to jail for a long time, I'm assuming this is what "will happen" means.

Last week at 5:30 am police came knocking on my door saying they had a warrant for my arrest and I spent the morning in jail. I looked online at the arrest affidavit to see what the charges were exactly and it said the pill they found they suspect was methadone and that there was .1 gram of heroin in plastic found in my vehicle. I have a court date in January. How do I find out more about this evidence? I'm so confused about this and how it could happen. Is it possible they are just assuming it was heroin with out test results? How do I find out about testing of the Saran Wrap?

Answer: You hire a criminal defense attorney.


Title: (Reposting in right place) [Scotland, UK] Dude was living together with a girlfriend for 2 years, she was caught cheating and he kicked her out. Now a lawyer sent him a letter saying she's pursuing half of all his assets.

Question: Heard this story on bill burr's podcast yesterday. Dude left for the Royal Marines and came back early due to injury to find his girlfriend with another dude in his house. Needless to say he kicked her out and changed the locks. I tried googling the law around it but I didn't really see anything in the UK that resembles common law marriage. From what I could gather, he's the sole owner of the home and they were dating/maybe living together for two years. Can this chick actually take his stuff? IIRC the letter said she is going to pursue his assets unless he takes her back.

Answer: Might have an issue with illegal eviction if she was living there. You can't just throw people out of their home, even if it's also *your* home.


Title: Can my wife's employer force her to go to work knowing there is risk of contracting a highly contagious illness?

Question: My wife is a nanny in Chicago. Her employer is forcing her to come into work while their child has Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease. We have a child of our own and would rather my wife didn't expose herself--and thus, our daughter--to the disease while their child still has visible open sores in her throat. Even worse, the employer didn't tell her about the sickness until AFTER their daughter went to day-camp with my daughter--risking the health of about 20 other children in the process. When the topic of taking time off was brought up, my wife's employer voiced vague threats of terminating her. My question is: Can her employer force her to come to work while their daughter is showing clear signs of a contagious disease? I don't know the work laws in Chicago, especially for non-corporate affairs. Thanks.

Answer:
 HFM is a common daycare/child illness. And is contagious before it is seen. So, she was already exposed.

Can they give her time off for this? Sure. Do they have to give her time off for this? No.

She should wash up really well. Clean everything. And change her clothes before coming into her home. She works with other children. bringing home illnesses is going to always be a risk


Title: (NC/WI) My friend's employer confiscated a package I sent her and fired her, what can I do?

Question:
I and several of my friends are filming an independent horror film. I've been working as the artistic director/prop manager. It is a horror film about two serial killers and one of the props I created is a journal given from one to the other. It's a hand bound leather book with disturbing drawings of people being tortured and other weird things (it's meant to be shocking as it's made by a serial killer after all).

I have a friend in Wisconsin whose art I've always liked and wanted to get her help on it, so I mailed it to her...so I thought. Her work address and home address are extremely similar and I sent it to her work (an independent book store) accidentally.

It was addressed to my friend but her boss got the package and opened it, saw what it was, and justifiably freaked out. My friend ended up getting fired and the employer confiscated it "as evidence".

I know I cannot help my friend get her job back, but she and I both want the project to continue and we need the journal back from her now ex-employer.

My questions:

1) Was any crime actually committed?

2) How can I compel the employer to return it? I've had no contact with her so far.

3) If she won't return it, how can I legally bill her for the item?

Notes:

- We do not have a legally incorporated/designated business entity yet, just a group of people working on a film

- My friend in WI went to the police herself and told them what happened, they said "you can't be arrested for art"

- I'm awaiting a call from the original officer who took the case when my friend called the police

Additional Notes:

- It was sent via USPS

- It did not have her legal name on the address

Answer: Your friend should give her former boss one last opportunity to return her property and then file a complaint with the postal inspector. While her firing was not illegal, holding somebody's mail most definitely is. She should also file for unemployment if she hasn't already.Answer #2: What do you mean "It did not have her legal name on the address"?Answer #3: It is illegal to open someone else's mail and it illegal to steal mail. Both are federal crimes. Your friend should tell her ex employer that she plans to go to the postal inspector if she doesn't give her mail back. Also, your friend should be glad she got away from that boss. She completely overreacted.


Title: roommate lies all the fucking time

Question: she lies literally about the smallest things all the time, things i dont care about and im not going to get into detail ab rn. So a couple months back during winter break she started smoking inside the apartment. I told her to stop because I dont like the smell and it is trashy to do that inside our living space. So she says shes will stop. Fast forward she starts dating this trash ass guy, like complete fucking burnout, and she starts smoking weed all the time, not coming home, drinking a bunch. She still continues her small lies. Today I text her and say where are the scissors, and before she responds i just go in her bathroom and look. I understand that I was wrong for going into her space, but I knew something was up because i had used them the other day and shes literally never home. So where were they? I wallk into her bathroom and on the counter is a bong and the red scissors. Completely fine but like covered in weird stuff from i guess cleaning the bong?? anyways she responds and says she broke them. she didnt because i still used them. then i ask how, and she says when she was making flashcards she broke them. all i responded was K. i told my mom and my boyfriend but idk what to do? I have now realized that when i come home sometimes and it smells weird like weed, she has lied to me. Her window was cracked open a bit too for air. I already signed a lease to live w her next semester. I just want to catch her and tell her to stop lying but obviously i cant say anything about this incident. What do i do?

Answer: I think you want /r/shittyroommateadvice which is the second door on the left.


Title: Craigslist Scammed by Predator, Lost my Money but he is Still Scamming People

Question:
I tried to buy a new PS4 on craigslist (new Spiderman game) and got set up with a seller who offered to ship one from Philly to Pittsburgh.  He did confirm that he had the PS4s, so I trusted him; big mistake.

After paying him $540 (long time to save that up) he provided bogus tracking numbers and photoshopped emails as "proof," at which point I realized it was a scam, though he keeps asking for more and more money to complete the transaction and send me my items.  The money was sent with the SquareCash app, so there's no getting it back, but I see his ads on Craigslist still, and I'm sure he is still engaging in this predatory behavior.

All I have is his burner phone number, Cash App tag, and a bogus email address.  The ads are still up on Craigslist and he says he is willing to meet up to sell with people, what should I do?

TLDR: I made big mistake and blew my savings on a scam, I know my money's gone but the predator is still out there and I want to stop him from stealing anyone else's money.

Answer:
 Are you not in the US? New PS4s don't cost anywhere near that much in the US but many countries put luxury taxes on game consoles. This is exactly why CraigsList has guidelines to only do things in person and in cash.

All you can do is report the fraud to the police and report any posts by this person on Craigslist to Craigslist.


Title: My mother is keeping my brother from attending school because she doesn't like the high school he attends. Is there anything I can do as his older brother (and not legal guardian) to get him back enrolled at his previous school?

Question:
So i'm not sure if this is even the right subreddit because this isn't legal matters in the sense that I feel like I need to go to court or anything (at least I don't think so), but my problem stems from my brother's current truancy because my mom doesn't want him to attend his previous school.

My brother (should be) in the 11th grade and last year he attended a school but failed enough classes that he'll have to repeat the 10th grade. This was his fault because he just didn't take the year seriously but my mom assumes it's the school's fault because they're not actually teaching him (yeah, i know this logic makes NO sense whatsoever, but that's my mom for ya). Her idea was to instead send my brother to a private school so that he could 1) get a better education and 2) get credit recovery so he could graduate on time but as naive as she is, she didn't realize that she neither has the money for it neither does my brother have the GPA for something like that. So now we're in the predicament of him being out of school currently although the school year started like 3 weeks ago. She excuses her negligence by saying she's looking into home school options (of which - I cannot deny, she has found pretty good ones), but the problem that I have with her enrolling my brother in an online home school is that I know for a fact that my brother doesn't have the discipline to get his work done in order to actually pass the online classes. What's crazy is that my mom actually agrees so her solution is to say "we'll if it doesn't work, he can go get a GED" and i'm livid that she could even say something like that about her child who I know for a fact is intelligent enough to get his diploma (he just needs discipline).

So here's my problem: I want to get my brother re-enrolled in his school from last year but i'm not sure what I can do because I am not legally my brother's guardian. I feel like my brother needs to go back to the school he was at last year and i'm willing to do whatever is necessary to do that because I care about his future and I don't want to the stubborness of my brother to destroy the possibility of him going to college with a high school diploma. I know getting a GED isn't terrible but I feel like that's a last resort and I believe in my brother enough for him to be able to attain it.

I do wanna say one thing though: i'm not sure what I can do about this situation but I **do not** want my mom going to jail or anything for child negligence or my brother's truancy. She's not a bad mom, she's just stubborn and I don't to tear apart this family because of this. So - as you guys give me advice - *please* try to give me a solution to my problem that doesn't involve me having to get her arrested, or have to become to legal guardian or something. (but if that's the only way, i'd still like to hear it).

Answer:
 On the moon you can face your mother in a dance-off for custody of your brother.

Assuming you're in the US and she is keeping him truant you need to contact authorities about this. This is not "she's just stubborn." She's illegally denying your brother property rights and acting against his and public interests. There is no answer to this but to report the truancy.

That said, if he IS being homeschooled in accordance with state guidelines you have zero say in whether or not that is the best choice. You ain't the parent.


Title: [US] Fell into an open city manhole and hurt my leg

Question: I was walking home at midnight and all of a sudden my left leg fell through the ground scraping my knee pretty good on my way down. Upon further inspection I see that I fell into a city manhole with the cover taken off. I don't really have a specific question, I was just curious what advice others could share about my situation.

Answer: Perhaps photograph it and report it to the utility company who maintains the access point (manhole)?Answer #2: Some cities will have a number for a city hotline, such as 311 where I am. It's directed at things like this, where you know something is wrong with the city but have no idea who to call.Answer #3: Did it happen something like [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1z7Mt2pwsuA)? Kidding aside, I would say to call the Department of Public Works in your town/city.


Title: Was robbed while on vacation, detective dragging his feet

Question:
I live in went on vacation and my apartment was broken in to.  Stole money, jewelry, gun, misc. Stuff, probably equaling more than 10k.  They then broke into the upstairs apartment but startled the resident when they were crawling through the window.  When they took off the resident saw them leave and called the cops.  They wouldn't take fingerprints because they said it wouldn't yield anything.  But they found a receipt from the perpetrator, and his truck is the same that was leaving the residence.  We also had some gift cards that we tracked down the numbers and where they were used . Then we obtained the video of them using the card.  So today the detective ways there is no proof of anything and as a victim I am getting frustrated.
     My question is where do I go from here?  Is there any way to speed things up?  Is there a civil case here that I can file?  Sorry for the wall of text,  just frustrated.  Thanks for any advise given. (Wyo)

Answer:
 First step should be to contact your renter's insurance and submit a claim.  They will help you get reimbursed for the value of the items that were stolen.

Second, you can go over the detective's head and talk to his supervisor.  Or, if you feel he hasn't been performing his job, file a complaint.

Third, you can absolutely sue someone whom you suspect of robbing you.  You would need to file a complaint with the court, serve the defendant, and proceed through the normal litigation process.


Title: Dad's Friend turned in a '52 Chevy Bel Air to Body Shop to restore the paint, owner of shop returned the car years later as a shell.

Question:
*For background, we will call my dad's friend Bob. He lives in California.

Around two years ago, Bob sent in his 1952 Chevy Bel Air to a body shop for some restoration. He and the owner of the body shop signed a contract detailing that it would cost around $25,000 to fix the body paint and replace the engine and other worn out parts with new things, all of which Bob provided. Bob decided to pay with checks, which the owner came to pick up at his home. The owner then promised that the car would be returned in two weeks.

The most important aspect of this exchange was that the car was driven to, and dropped off at, the shop in working condition.

Bob checked back at the 2 week mark, and noticed that the car was dismantled. The owner of the body shop claimed that they were trying to restore the car from scratch and asked for more money, claiming that it was far additional costs to finish the job. Bob refused to pay, and told the shop to just fix the car as is, no need to restore it.

He came back around a month later, and the car was taken apart even more. In fact, some parts were missing. Again, Bob told the shop to stop dicking around and just fix the car. Once again, the shop told him to pay more money to complete the job. Bob refused again, and left. He kept returning to the shop every couple of months, each time noticing that more and more parts were missing, and would get into arguments with the shop owner about why it was taking so long to fix the car. He tried calling the shop every once in a while, but they would never answer.

At this point, Bob was very angry, and thus the shop told him that they would have the car ready by the end of 2017, nearly two years after the original due date. A few days ago, Bob went to the shop to pick up the car. The entire car was dismantled, and only the shell and random parts were given back; the rest had been either sold off or mysteriously lost.

After talking to other classic car groups, Bob finds out that this shop has done this same thing: take on classic cars, claiming that they would fix them, and would then dismantle them and sell the parts away.

Bob's wife is worried that if any action is taken against the shop, the shop owner might retaliate with violence, as he knows where Bob lives, and they left off on bad terms.

What should Bob do, in this case? What actions can he take, or is there anything we can do? He has records of everything, including the checks and the original contract, as well as pictures of how the car was turned in prior to its dismemberment.

Answer:
 file a lawsuit, file a police report.  Answer #2: I am not a lawyer and this is not legal advice.

Hiring an attorney and suing the shop should be pretty straightforward seeing as he paid for service that was not provided. This attorney can (and should) make it known that all forms of contact are to be be processed through them, and that the party he represents is not to be contacted directly. If he shows up at their house they can call the police as he is tresspassing.

Security cameras might be a worthwhile investment if they really think he's going to pull something at their home. Though this won't protect them or their property, it will only make it easier to catch him if he does act agaisnt them. Answer #3: $25,000 is five times the small claims limit in CA, and that's just Bob's damages for services not rendered. The stolen vehicle parts could easily double that. Bob really wants a lawyer for this. Also, as someone else said, he needs to contact the police. Even if they decide not to bring criminal charges a police report will be one more helpful piece of evidence in court.


Title: Is there anything in law that supports the statements in the Declaration of Independence?

Question:
Such as the pursuit of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Wikipedia says that it's generally not considered to be a part of law in itself.

&#x200B;

I've been noticing some very clear signs of resistance and outrage in the community against my general pursuit of finding a girlfriend as a disabled man, and I'm wondering if there might be any legal support for my concern. Do I have any legal right to try to meet someone and start a relationship, or is it okay for them to continue to hinder my efforts? Sorry if this is too specific of a question, I'm not sure.

Answer:
 While the Declaration of Independence is not law in the US, its principles are generally supported by the Constitution and court rulings.

What exactly are they doing to "hinder [your] efforts"?


Title: 23 weekends of community service for public intoxication and battery

Question: My 18 year old son was arrested for public intoxication and battery at a college party in California. He pled guilty and was sentenced to 23 weekends of community service in San Jose, California. He is finishing his first year of college in early May. The weekend service starts on May 19th. We are from and live in Hawaii. I can not afford to pay for him to stay in Cali for another 6 months while serving this community service(rent, food, etc). My question is, can he serve jail time instead? How can we get his sentence changed from community service to something else? Either a fine or jail time. Should I pay for a lawyer to help? Can anything be done?

Answer:
 > I can not afford to pay for him to stay in Cali for another 6 months

Why would you be paying?  Tell him to get a job.

He may be able to change the terms of his sentence, either serving in Hawaii, paying a fine, or whatever.  A lawyer would be a good idea.


Title: Is it legal to get married again in the US, if you are married to the same person in a different country already?

Question: To clarify, we are current residents of the US on work visa. We went to our home country to get married few months ago, and due to some confusion were not able to acquire legal marriage registration documents. Is it legal for us to get married here and get the required documents? We don't want this to become an issue later when we go through our green card/citizenship process.

Answer:
 Don't mess around with this. Talk to an immigration lawyer.Answer #2: You might cross post this on /immigration

If we ignore the immigration issues, and assuming that you're both adults, and if we assume that either (1) neither of you has ever been married to anyone else, or (2) any marriage to a third person has clearly been ended by divorce, annulment, or death, then I don't see a problem....but definitely post this on /r/immigration


Title: Worked 20 years for same company w/ pension payout next year, but just got laid off right before holidays

Question:
Trying to get help/advice for my dad. He's worked with the same giant corporation for 20 years and his pension plan was grandfathered in before they got rid of it for any other newer employees starting.

He already hit the amount of service needed for the payout (20 years), however he hasn't hit the age required yet (55). He's turning 55 next year, so that's when the pension is attainable.

However, the company just conducted a major layoff and he was unfortunately affected. He was told that since he didn't hit the age requirement, he loses his pension. He's only 9 months away (his birthday is in September). Just seems really unfair because he hit the 20 year requirement, he's just not old enough.

It's a terrible situation with a giant corporation. Is there anything we can do to try to fight for his pension or is this one of those cases where the bigger player will win out no matter what? Any help is appreciated!

Edit: Located in the SF Bay Area

Answer:
 This is how pensions usually work:

- If you qualify you get a monthly payout until you die.

- If you don't qualify, you get a lump sum upon termination of employment.Answer #2: Definitely have him talk to an employment lawyer.  There may be a possibility of an age discrimination lawsuit, especially if the company has a pattern of laying off employees just before they become eligible for a pension.Answer #3: Have your Father ask the employer or pension manager for the SPD the Summary Plan Description. Within this document will be the outline of how the pension plan works.

I want to put forth too that your father may be misunderstanding the situation. With layoffs there are financial hardships and pension plans can or cannot allow for early withdraw to help out. Others will not allow for withdraw till age requirement. Hopefully this is the case that he was told that he could not make any withdraw until he reaches age. He should not loose a pension. The only way a company could do that to him is if they declare bankruptcy. He has met the employment requirement of 20 years and that should meet the full vesting status of the pension. Age should play no part in that and the age should only be a determinant to when he can start withdrawing.Answer #4: Totally not a lawyer so just personal advice: it's probably worth his time to shop lawyers, despite the downvotes here.  People seem to treat 'at will' employment as if it were some almighty doctrine, but there are limits.  The devil will be in the details, and even if he doesn't have a clear case on something like age discrimination he could see a settlement.


Title: Can Texas business owners be charged for threatening to shoot people who enter their shop without a mask?

Question: I'm curious if the stand-your-ground law would prevent business owners from being charged for this.

Answer:
 Stand your ground laws come into play when you're in immediate, life threatening danger, like someone is rushing towards you with a knife.

A person entering your presence without wearing a piece of cloth over their mouth is not such a situation. A business owner making such a threat would be guilty of [terroristic threatening](https://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-22-07.html).


Title: [MS] Can the city force you to use water provided by the city when you already have a well?

Question:
Location:  Gulfport, MS

Issue:  I received a certified letter today from the city stating that since I don't have a connection to city-provided water, they are going to install a water meter - for $1275.00 - and charge me for doing it (cost of the meter and labor).  I will then be responsible for running the water line from the meter to my physical home, which is 425 feet from the road.  The problem I have with this is I have a perfectly functioning well that I have been using for years.

The letter mentions a recently amended "Chapter 11, Section 11-66(f)(2) of the Code of Ordinances of the city of Gulfport".  Apparently the issue they are having is that the sewage bill is determined by the amount of water that you use.  Since I am not connected to city water, but I am connected to city sewer (they forced the previous owner onto city sewer but not water), I *have* to get on city water.

My issue with this is two-fold.  First, I already pay an average water cost for city water and sewage, even though I don't use city water.  This bill is determined by taking the average bill of the neighborhood.  The second issue I have is I like my well water and don't really want city water.  I especially don't want to pay them $1250 for something I didn't ask for and then have to turn around and pay how-ever-many thousands to a plumber to run a ditch-witch 430 feet up the middle of my property to lay water pipe, which is going to be a nightmare since my entire front yard is a two-acre pecan tree grove with a 200 year old live oak tossed in.

Question:  This well has been on this property for 20 years.  It was the only source of water in this area when Katrina hit.  The entire neighborhood used it for months due to the city cistern being damaged.  Can they force me to pay and use something I don't want and I don't necessarily need?  I don't have $4K-$5K just laying around for this.

Answer:
 They can certainly try. The only way you're going to win a fight of this nature is with an attorney.

I've had to testify in a few different cases in my state where towns passed ordinances requiring houses with access to city water be hooked up to it, along side already existing laws saying you can not have a private well and a municipal hooked up to the same building.

My customers won in the end, they were both wealthy and willing to fight it. It costs them a lot of time and money to strike down the towns laws.


Title: Police lied on official report regarding personal injury (GA)

Question: My niece (1 year old) was attacked by a dog, my family has 911 transcripts and audio of the call made, and all communication between dispatch, emts, and officer at scene. What is in the transcripts and audio is: the initial call, stating it is a dog bite. The officer gets to the house, and reports it is a dog bite. The emts then pick up my niece and begin transporting her to hospital. While the ambulance is in route, and the officer is still at the scene, he then radios to the dispatcher "this will not be called a dog bite." The dispatcher then hesitantly radios the emt and tells them the cause of injury has changed. Because of this, my niece was mistreated for her wounds at the emergency room, and the mother lied to my family about the cause of harm. We have already filed a personal injury suit against the homeowners and will have a settlement no doubt, but what I would like to know is if, with the evidence in our possession, we could make a case against the officer who changed the cause of injury and is responsible for her not receiving proper care for her wounds. Thank you.

Answer:
 > we could make a case against the officer who changed the cause of injury and is responsible for her not receiving proper care for her wounds.

No, for several reasons.

First, he didn't determine the cause of the injury.  He made a call as to how the incident would be classified by the report.  That's a different thing.

Second, he doesn't order the EMTs to do anything.  The EMTs don't work for him.

Third, he has no control over the doctors at the ER.

Fourth, none of the above would stop you from telling the doctors it was a dog bite.

Fifth, it's generally unlikely that an error in the *cause* of an injury affects the treatment of that injury.  Whether they call it "dog bite" or "something else", the damage and injury is the same.


Title: [Rochester, MN] I have been dating a transgender woman for several months. Due to a chance encounter with a co-worker the cat is out of the bag and I fear retaliation from my employer

Question:
So I work for an office of a very large company with a very conservative work culture.  I have never spoken about my love life at work or much of my personal life except for the bare minimum to be considered a friendly and sociable employee. I started dating this woman, who happened to be born as a man. She's only partially transitioned and still can be identified as formerly a man. Ran into a colleague by chance while visiting Saint Paul over weekend. This colleague is known for being the office gossiper. The secret is officially out and I am not sure what if any protections there are for me.

I know my girlfriend would be protected from firing or retaliation under state law. What about me as the partner of transgender individual?

Since technically my relationship is heterosexual with some one who is legally female (all the I's dotted and T's crossed on that) I am not sure I am protected under laws covering sexual orientation.

My employer has used at will employment firings and demotions for very petty things around the office. Not sure if I am protected here.

Answer:
 Gender identity and sexual orientation are both protected classes in MN. I get the nuance of your question though, since legally she is female. That might not matter as MN also recognized *perceived* sexual orientation. If they *think* you're gay and fire you because of it, that's actionable. (And it goes both ways, if they fire you for being straight, that's actionable.)

The larger risk of course is that they fire you for something completely unrelated to cover why they are actually firing you. Start keeping detailed notes and records of any and all interactions and discussions you are privy to, that might have anything to do with this, starting with the chance encounter.Answer #2: > Since technically my relationship is heterosexual with some one who is legally female (all the I's dotted and T's crossed on that) I am not sure I am protected under laws covering sexual orientation.

Sure you are.  It's illegal to discriminate on orientation at all.  It's equally illegal to fire you for being straight as it would be to fire you for being gay.

It's on you to prove such a thing occurred, if it does.


Title: Does a restraining order prohibit (my mom from) sending gifts via UPS to my children?

Question:
Portland, OR.

My stbxw filed a restraining order against me. It says, of course, that I am prohibited from contacting her. She also has full temporary custody of the children, along with no parenting time for me.
Of course I cannot request anyone else to contact her.
Nobody wants to contact her but my mother has some gifts that she would like to send to the kids.

Would my mom sending the gifts, with no personal note or anything, just a box with the gifts inside, violate the terms of the restraining order?

Answer: Having a third party send items to your children would likely be considered a violation of your restraining order. Answer #2: Ask your lawyer to ask her lawyer if grandma can still send the presents.


Title: University is refusing to let me take a final course, forcing me to buy another semester worth of meal/housing.

Question:
My public university in Texas considers me a junior (89 out of 90 hours), however I'm taking all the prerequisite courses for the final-tier courses in the spring semester right now, putting me at a projected graduation date of May 2017.

However, because I'm a "junior" I had to wait for the *entire* senior class to sign up, placing me 3rd on the waitlist. I'm on rails for being stuck taking 3 hours(1 class) and wasting 7 months of my life.

Is there a way I can not be held liable for buying housing/dining for that time period or escalate this further so the school pushes me in? I cannot afford to continue living here, and the missed opportunities would be bad.

Answer:
 There's no law that says you have to be allowed to sign up for this course.

Talk to the course professor, department head, academic advisor, university ombudsman.  Be very nice but persistent.Answer #2: Not a legal issue.  Ask the instructor for an override.  Make sure that everything is copacetic with your financial aid and insurance if you drop that low.


Title: I received an MIP from campus policy over a search I didnt consent to

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 So your roommate let them in the room then you gave them the illegal item?

You're not going to win this battle.  Many courts have first-time offender or diversion programs.  Look into those.  Plea not guilty and ask for a public defender. Answer #2: Why would you believe a first hand witness account would not hold up in court?

I highly double a single MIP will "destroy your career" but regardless you make the choice to keep alcohol in your room knowing the risk.


Title: My dogs attacked a neighbor's cat

Question:
We have four dogs that we keep fenced securely in our yard. Today, while I was at work, my brother decided to take the two older dogs out for a walk. While he was letting them out of the gate, the younger two took the opportunity to jump over the elders and escape. My brother decided to just "let them run around for a bit." I had no idea about any of this until I got tagged in a Facebook post from a local pet page that a cat in my neighborhood had been attacked by dogs that fit the description of mine. I thought it must be some mistake because mine were secured in our yard.

I called my parents but they weren't home, so I called my neighbor across the street and he told me he had seen my brother walking two of the dogs. I called my brother and he told me what happened above. I immediately reached out to the cat's owner to apologize, explained what happened, and offered to cover any veterinary or other expenses for the cat. They took the cat to our local vet and got it set up with my information so I could take care of the costs.

Meanwhile, the owner's grandfather came to our house and threatened to my dad that he would shoot or poison our dogs (who were secured back inside the fence at this point). Now I'm constantly worried someone is going to pass by our yard and slip them some poisoned meat or something. I feel absolutely awful about what happened to the cat and I know the liability is mine, but isn't that a bit over the top? What else can I do when I've already offered to take responsibility for what happened?

&#x200B;

TL;DR My brother let our dogs escape without my knowledge and they attacked a neighborhood cat. I immediately owned up and apologized, offered to pay expenses/take responsibility, but the owner's family made threats to harm my dogs. What can I do?

Answer:
 You did the morally and legally correct thing by paying the cat's veterinary expenses. That is all you are liable for.

The grandfather did not. You can call the police to report that he has made those threats. They may not be terribly interested in the threat to poison your dogs, but they may be more interested in his threat to use his firearm in the city limits in an act of vengeance.


Title: A Canadian killed someone drinking and driving in El Salvador

Question: The police took them in. Does anyone know what happens next? Do they stay there or go back to Canada to be tried?

Answer:
 If the crime happened in El Salvador, the trial and punishment will be carried out in El Salvador.

This is why you don't mess around abroad.Answer #2: So there's a myth that El Salvador imposes the death penalty on DUIs -- they do, in fact, have very, very strict laws on DUI. Throw in vehicular manslaughter and you're looking at life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

The fact that he's Canadian has little to do with anything. Sure, the Canadian government may offer to help and try to use diplomatic means to improve the outcome, but I suspect that the chances of that happening, and the degree of impact it will have, are both very, very low.


Title: Someone cut me off and flipped my car completely destroying it and everything inside

Question:
Luckily i got away with just an airbag hand burn, i am completely fine, I still don’t really understand how with the amount of damage my car went through going about 45mph. This is what happened:

October 3rd, approx 7:15pm
I was traveling on Man O War Blvd just before the Armstrong Mill intersection. The left lane was backed up due to traffic, the right lane (where I was driving) was moving at a normal pace. The Rover cut over from a standstill speed into the right lane about 15-20ft in front of me with no turn signal. I didn’t get a chance to hit my break before I clipped his right bumper and flipped onto the sidewalk. I landed upside down, the Rover stayed upright. 2 cars in front of the rover were impacted.

I technically hit him. I’m worried he might sue. As a young girl, alone, trying to find my way out of a car filling with smoke he was extremely hasty towards me. He never came up to my car to make sure I wasn’t unconscious or needed help getting out. He was upset about the minor damage to his souped up range rover. Do I have any legal standing in this? Am I vulnerable to a lawsuit?

Answer: Contact your insurance company and let them take care of it.


Title: Isn’t it illegal to upload nude photos of women who send you those photos in private?

Question: How do people get away with uploading hundreds of obviously private pictures to reddit/imgur? What exactly are the legal guidelines on it? Is it illegal to send a private nude photo of someone to another person? Florida

Answer: If you're asking for legal advice, the answer is simply, "don't do that".


Title: Torrenting an unavailable show from 1983 illegal?

Question:
I am currently torrenting the 1983 tv drama Oshin from a website. I have been unable to find a legal way of obtaining the show in its entire original form. Is it bad that I am obtaining it illegally? Will I be prosecuted? I almost never torrent stuff and am only doing the following due to unavailability. I would think I would be ok because the show is so old and not much of a market impact. Location: NC, USA
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 >Is it bad that I am obtaining it illegally?

Well, "bad" is a moral judgement. It's definitely *illegal,* which most people consider bad.

>Will I be prosecuted?

Possibly. That's always a risk when you break the law.s


Title: Living together in NY..With Kids and an ex money hungry wife..

Question:
 My family reside in NY. I met my partner 5 years after his wife took his son and left him. We are not married. Since 2012 soon to be ex, finally filed for divorce, now 2016 I have 2 children with this man and he is paying 2000 dollars a month for his son to live with his mother in a rent free apartment that is owned by her family. We have found many hidden assets the ex has such as. Property sales, cashed tax refund checks that was his, investments of 50,000 and insurance investments of 100,000+.

My children can not receive any gov assistance bc household income is to high and child support is non deductible when figuring overall income. I can not get free or reduced day care so I can go to work which means I stay at home tends to kids,he works and the ex gets paid.. while the courts are going by a salary my partner made in 2010 he isn't making anything remotely close to that.

 We literally send every dime and eat via a food pantry. CAN I FILE FOR CHILD SUPPORT EVEN THOUGH MY PARTNER LIVES WITH ME? Since I have no other financial rights? Could I do this  though they are still in supreme court proceedings? Going on 6 years now..

We are literally living in poverty in fact during these proceedings there was a time he could not pay because I was hospitalized and he was tending to the kids, they found him guilty of contempt for non pay and ordered for two months to pay 900 a week bc of contempt.

We are behind three months on our rent and all other bills. I had some help as far as utility bills like heat and electric from family. We also take care of a 12 yr old that I have full custody for. The other shared kids in my home are 2 and 3. I feel as though my kids and myself are being severely punished. Worst part is the court appointed lawyer failed in giving court any proof of all the uncovered hidden assets or even simple paid receipts.Ex has lied on the stand about the questioning during the examination concerning the assets.yet it was never proved... His lawyer is now off the case and is standing as pro se judge will not appoint another lawyer. I don't see much of a future for myself or my innocent children I can't better myself  bc lack of day care, . I have become depressed and so has my partner.

Sincerely,
I surrender ...

Answer:
 >while the courts are going by a salary my partner made in 2010 he isn't making anything remotely close to that

That is your partners fault then for not properly following the procedure to report a decrease in income to the court.

>Can I file for child support even though the father of my children lives with me?

No.

This sounds like an extremely one sided story, and if your husband was found in contempt that is all his fault. Sounds like he has been sloppy and lazy in ensuring this is taken care of properly. You really have no recourse here, find a non-court appointed lawyer if you want to challenge all of these "assets" you claim this woman has. Answer #2: >CAN I FILE FOR CHILD SUPPORT EVEN THOUGH MY PARTNER LIVES WITH ME?

No. That would be trying to defraud the court and it could hurt you if you ever did break up with your SO and had to file child support. Your SO needs to proceed with the child support modification. If your husband has other children, it will likely decrease his child support obligation if they weren't calculated into the original payments. Answer #3: Sounds like you should move out, get on assistance, and get child support from him.

The courts are not going to get you out of this hole you two have created--sure, his situation with his ex isn't ideal, but it's what he has.

Go visit r/personalfinance and r/frugal for actual advice.  There's plenty you can do to better your situation, and him as well.


Title: [CA] Hired and fired in the same day.

Question: I interviewed for a job at a surgeon's office. Was told I got it, they scheduled a training day for the following week. Went through with that day (two Fridays ago), surgeon gave me great feedback and I felt positive about everything. I got my official offer letter last Thursday via e-mail, then three hours later I get a voicemail and text from the surgeon's wife (also the "President/CEO" of the office) saying I shouldn't come in as she was cancelling all my start date appointments (for the next day) and had to renege on the offer due to "professional concerns." I never signed anything and wasn't given an employee handbook, and technically only worked for them for a few hours. I know they can fire me for any reason, but she hasn't contacted me since that voicemail so I didn't even get a debriefing or a chance to improve before being terminated. I don't want to actually sue, this is kind of just part of my coping (first time being fired) to see if what she did was as wrong as I think it was.

Answer: No, an employer is not required to give you a chance to improve.  It may be "wrong" in the "it's not very nice or fair" sense, but not in the legal sense.


Title: [MS] My brother is repeatedly threatening to shoot me during heated confrontations. I've managed to procure and hide it from him for what i believe to be my own safety. Can i be charged for this?

Question:
Full disclosure: I have somewhere else to live and will be there within a month or so. I tried to make a go of it looking out for my sickly mother and kid brother, by living with and helping support them, but it didn't work out.

I'm a male for what it's worth. My mother and brother live with me and as the title suggests, all is not rosy at home. Frequently my brother and I will come to blows over various disagreements and it always goes to the same end: he tells me he'll just shoot me and that'll be the ultimate decider. It's not a nice threat to have hanging over your head in daily life. It's been this way for a while now but each time he reaffirms the threat, the more I believe it.

I was able to get a hold of his gun, it's now safely out of reach and I feel like I can breathe a little easier for it. Now I'm being threatened with the police if i don't hand it back. Where do I stand here? I don't want to provide too much information but obviously we're both grown men over the legal voting age.

I hope that's enough to go on. Sorry for the slapdash post but it's a real pressing matter, I guess. If I refuse to give this back to him can the police charge me with theft?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 You stole a firearm? Yeah you're not on good ground legally. That's a felony.

If I were you, I'd be calling the police anytime he threatens to shoot you, or see if you can get a restraining order.

Those are the legal ways to make sure he can't shoot you. Stealing a firearm is not legal. At all.

Edit: looking through your post history, please get out ASAP. Call the police NOW. If possible stay at a friend's until your new place is ready. The current situation is not safe for any involved party. And yes, what you did is likely still illegal.Answer #2: If you would just call the damn police and report the threats as they happen, domestic violence misdemeanors disqualify him from owning a gun.  So do restraining orders.

If you're in a one party consent state, record the threats.

Answer #3: You stole his gun.  You're standing on quicksand.  Answer #4: It's worth pointing out right away that what you've done could be construed as firearm theft, which is a huge problem. He absolutely can make your life hell if you don't give it back. Firearm theft is a felony.

Have you filed a police report? If you get your mother to corroborate your story, you might have a case.


Title: [MD] Coworker revealed to me he/she has a felony drug charge no one knows about

Question:
My coworker who has been working at our place of employment for 20 years told me he/she has a felony drug charge. He/she served time for the crime and it was before he/she got the current job they now have.

This person has stayed at this job for a very very long time because they are afraid that if they apply for a new job, this charge will come up during a background investigation and they will not be hired.

Because this has been so long ago 20+ years ago, is this person screwed? I just feel bad for him/her that they are stuck in a job in which they have maxed out their promotion potential and is a great worker and asset to any company. Will this charge forever be in their record? How can this person deal with this past charge on their record and can how can they move on? (it was possession of a great deal of marijuana)

Thanks in advance!

EDIT: Being downvoted? lol I just seriously want to help this person as I feel they are trapped in their current job.

Answer:
 It's /r/legaladvice, people are downvoted for absurd reasons.

A felony drug conviction is a serious issue. I think the bigger issue here is that they aren't even bothering to apply at new jobs. If they apply and the background check denies them, they're in the same spot they're in right now. They've gained (and lost) nothing. The best advice is to (1) speak to a lawyer about the possibility of expunging the conviction and (2) actually apply to better jobs.


Title: Crashed my car, nobody hurt, still got jailed and it's my first offense (GA)

Question: So, I was driving in a small town in Northeast Georgia. I was late to work, and was admittedly driving like an idiot. Crossed a double yellow to pass, lost control getting back into my lane, and went off the road. Did some property damage and totalled my car (have liability insurance). It's my first offense other than like a 4 over ticket a few years ago. Charged with failure to maintain lane, too fast for conditions, and reckless driving. I could barely afford the bail bondsman, and I cannot afford an attorney. They put me in handcuffs and I sat in jail for 8 hours in holding before I was booked and released. What are my rights here, and what would be the bet course of action? I have already consulted with an attorney, and will hand over all citations, police report, etc. early next week.

Answer: Your best course of action is to do whatever your attorney tells you to do.


Title: Terminated because "I'm not medically fit for duty during my probationary period". I work for TSA, Please Help!

Question:
   Hello! I'm looking for some legal advice. My situation is that I am a new employee with the transportation security administration. I am 95% done with my training which has taken about 2 months to complete. I just need to take and pass 1 test to be considered fully certified as a transportation security officer. (I was scheduled to take the test today). The probationary period for a transportation security officer is 1 year.

   So my story begins when I had the bright idea to tell my employer that I am pregnant. I am still very early in my pregnancy. I'm only 8 weeks so far. My boss congratulated me but said that he needed a doctor's note. The day before my doctor's appointment, my supervisor advises me to get a very specific and detailed note from my doctor outlining any limitations or recommendations. So I went to my Dr. the next day and asked for a specific note and she wrote that I can't lift more than 15lbs. So I bring the note to my work the next day, and My Boss sends it to human resources. Human resources tells him that they do not make any accommodations for light duty and that I would not be able to work until I get a note from my doctor stating that I cannot return to work without any restrictions. So I was sent home early that day. I was so upset and devastated that this was actually happening to me. A couple days later, I made an appointment with an Obstetrician. The OB Dr. wrote me a note stating that I can return to work without any restrictions. So the next day, I brought the note and was able to continue working.

My boss had read my note and sent it to human resources and they relayed the information to me that I can continue to work but that my Dr. notes would be sent higher up the chain of command for a final approval or disapproval. So fast forward to today, I arrived at work and my boss tells me that a decision was not made in my favor and that they will terminate me for being medically unfit for duty during my probationary period. I am still waiting for the document confirming this (I am supposed to receive it tomorrow) but I have so many questions. Is this legal? I do not have any misconduct or abuse of sick days so there is no other reason for them to terminate me besides the fact that I am pregnant. Do I have a case here? What do you all recommend? This is all so devastating and new to me. This is supposed to be a joyous time in my life but it has been so stressful and devastating. Please help! Thanks!
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer:
 Don't all y'all have a union? Check with them.Answer #2: The EEOC covers this situation.  Here's an overview:  http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/pregnancy.cfm

And the formal complaint/appeal process is described here:

http://www.eeoc.gov/federal/fed_employees/complaint_overview.cfm


Title: 18 year old being kicked out, unsure of what to do (ca)

Question:
Hello I was advised to post here to possibly see any other lights at the end of the tunnel.
I'm an 18 year old guy that's been living with mom for 3.5/4ths of my life, and now the time has come where my mom is flat done being a parent at the age of 50+ (understandable) and it's making my life a living hell. The other .5th of my life were spent being removed from my house, and forced to move in with a girlfriend or my mother's ex's (And my physically abusive father) when I was under 18. After having to endure her being intoxicated on a daily basis, and multiple suicide attempts, she started me in homeschooling at 7th at the time so I was the only one she had to lean on and take any venting out on and then shoved to the side, (I've always been responsible with orders and done the chores she's asked of me to the best of my ability over the years),  This behavior eventually settled down when we moved and things seemed to have stabilized a bit more and calmed down after my mother's job/relationship crisis.

We get in arguments on a daily basis, and the majority of the confrontation occurs when I don't feel like speaking with her (either because I'm physically too tired to talk about her problems, or because I refuse to talk to her due to a previous confrontation, or because she's drunk and wants to talk about my appearance.) I've managed to get work as a 3d animator, and It's something i'm very passionate about and would love to go to school for. I don't really have a normal sleep schedule at the moment because I graduated from high school, and I've been trying to make money the only way I know how, and school doesn't seem to be in the cards from what I can see. I will frequently stay up until 3am working, crash, then wake up around 9-10 and continue unless I have to eat (which is usually just mcdonalds). I'll stumble downstairs when I wake up trying to find something to eat every morning, and get greeted to an angry mother that is instantly hostile at the mere sight of me, which ended up making her stop keeping food in the fridge unless somebody else is around. I have tried to work many 9-5s (At least 5) to make mom happy, and I have severe anxiety and frequently get tremors and tunnel vision and shut down, and this has not proved to help my repertoire with local employers or my relationship with my mom or anybody. I don't feel I have a problem with the work itself, but rather how I go into work and what I arrive home to effects me a lot.

I feel like my mother has lacked actually trying to teach me the transition into being my own person, and she's now just throwing me out because i'm 18, we're not close, and she's 'done' with the 'game' she signed up for at 19, despite me not having anywhere to go, little life knowledge and skills, and according to her, "too many undiagnosed problems" like "schizophrenia" and a bunch of other stuff. (i've never been diagnosed with anything.)

She's had the cops come multiple times siting I had guns in my room and I was acting "erratic"  (which are airsoft) and the cop opened my door gun drawn. This has happened twice now, but the one cop who pointed his gun at me ended up being the most supportive, and gave me his number if anything else happened again that night, and he was able to de-escalate the situation by allowing me to just go into my room, with the promise of us just not talking. All of the policemen I have talked to all have said the same thing, that I have no legal leg to stand on because i'm 18, and that's just the law.
I have no idea if I can legally fight this or not, or if I even want to/should try. I just want a healthy functioning relationship with her until I can get on my feet, and she's refusing to allow that.
I hope I can find some more direction, thank you

Answer: Your mom can give you proper notice to vacate and tell you to leave. You have no legal right to live in her house


Title: I have a CPS meeting. What do I do?

Question: I got called into my local CPS office for a meeting. Do I show up, contact a lawyer, or nothing? Have never dealt with CPS before so I would like some help.

Answer: Contact a lawyer. Others on the board disagree with me, but I believe in treating CPS like the cops: don't talk to them, don't let them in the house without a warrant


Title: Ordered a product from company and they sent me two, while only charging me for one. After notifying them, they asked for me to send it back and emailed me a shipping label. Can I legally keep the extra item? [Texas]

Question:
The products arrived in two separate packages, each labeled the exact same. The invoices inside were also identical. The company asked me to send it back, but threatened no legal action. [This](http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0181-unordered-merchandise) article suggests that I can keep the item. However, since I have notified the company, can they charge me again if the product is not sent back to them? The item is a $150 piece of apparel.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 No.  You cannot keep the item.

The article doesn't apply to you.  You made an order,  there was a misshipment. Unordered merchandise means a company you have never even heard of sends you something out of the blue and then tries to shake you down for payment. Answer #2: No. The article you cite is unordered merchandise. This item was ordered. You are dealing with a shipping error, not unsolicited items that they are not attempting to have you invoice. They can potentially charge you but likely won't if they have been nice enough to send you a shipping label. Just send it back.

Think of it like this. Lets say you go to a restaurant and before you place an order your waiter gives you an appetizer. You eat it. Would it be right for them to charge you for this food that you did not order, that you may have rightfully assumed was complementary? But now lets say you order food and a food runner brings you the wrong order. Can you demand that this food be left for you to eat for free? No. You point out its wrong order, and they take it back no harm.  If you decide to eat it, you understand you may be asked to pay for it (although sometimes they let you have it for w/e reason). Answer #3: Yeah, you have to send it back.

It's shady to send people crap they didn't order, and then bill them.   So the law says if you do that, the person can keep the item and not pay.  But it's not shady to make a shipping error.  So you have to return the item, if requested.


Title: credit card authorized user blackmailing me

Question: I added my mother as an authorized user to a couple of my credit card accounts (big mistake I know) to try and help her credit rating. I did have her permission. Now she's threatening to call the card company and tell them she *didn't* give permission, which would result in the closing of my accounts. I've already removed her as an authorized user, but how do I legally protect myself from her lies / blackmail? I don't want to lose my accounts. Thanks!

Answer: Do her a favor - call the companies and remove her authorization for her. What's better? Freeze your credit and set your challenge questions she can't guess the answer to.


Title: How can I get legal alcohol and tobacco documents

Question:
**Location: USA**

To specify, I am trying to get legal documentation for the selling of alcohol and tobacco products, not to sell but to prevent myself to sell. In a way, I want documentation saying to my employer, "that I, **insert name here**, am legally unable and unwilling to sell tobacco and alcohol products as per my legal rights. Any such action to bypass will result in a termination." Or something similar to that.

Answer:
 What? What are you talking about? Do you have religious objections to selling alcohol or tobacco? Is that what you are attempting to state here?

P.S. You're not wrong about the termination. Present something like that to your employer and you will be terminated ASAP.Answer #2: If you don't wish to sell these items, don't work in places that sell them. If you refuse, be prepared to get fired.


Title: [California] Is it legal for a private business to require a pat down and search in order to enter the premises?

Question:
Hi, I'm a 21 year old student in California. Last night I went to The House Of Blues in Anaheim to see my friends band play. I had tickets and everything, and there was no instigating incident that brought on this search. The event security, whom by the look of them were contracted help not employees of House Of Blues were patting down every person who entered the event.

Before entering the building I was told to remove everything from my pockets and to allow them to be inspected (though they never left my hands). I was then patted down thoroughly from chest, to sides, to hind pockets, to side pockets, to legs. I was also told to remove my hat. I had forgotten to remove my pocket watch (hipster I know) from my pocket and the security guard reached INTO my pocket and took it out. I was then allowed into the building.

I felt this a huge violation of my privacy and personal space, as well as a ridiculous and excessive use of event security. Was it within my legal right to refuse this search, and enter the event anyway, or do private business have the right under the law to conduct searches of its patrons? If it IS illegal what law do I cite in the future to deny the search?

Remember, these are NOT police, but private event security contractors, and not even property security guards.
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer:
 I can't tell you the exact law, but if you *consent* to a pat down, they didn't do anything illegal.
If you refuse the pat down, they can just refuse to let you enter the business.
No legal issues here..Answer #2: > Was it within my legal right to refuse this search,

Absolutely yes.

> and enter the event anyway,

No. Read the back of your ticket. Even if the ticket doesn't specifically say it I'm betting it's perfectly legally and pretty common. Is this your first live event at a bar / club?Answer #3: If you don't want to be searched at a business refuse to do business there.


Title: my friend was in a motorcycle accident in Arizona. The driver was texting and he ended up getting hurt pretty bad. The drivers insurance only covered 15k and his first hospital bill was over 100k.

Question: He doesn't know what to do. He really needs help and I don't know where else to look.

Answer:
 Find an attorney and sue the other driver.  If the other driver doesn't have any money to pay, then this is where the situation gets ugly for your friend.  Does your friend have uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage? Answer #2: Hire a personal injury attorney and sueAnswer #3: He should speak to a personal injury attorney immediately.

In general, if the insurance company doesn't cover the entirety of the bill, your friend can sue the other driver for the remainder.  However, it's possible that he has waived, or may accidentally waive - remaining liability in accepting the settlement.

Also, has he spoken to his own insurance company?


Title: Who gets in more trouble for nudes?

Question:
Location: Maine

Okay, so me, my girlfriend, and another girl are all 17. This other girl has sent nudes to someone, and they have spread all throughout a school. My girlfriend goes to the school, and has come across the pictures. Trying to be a good person, she decided to show that they were being spread. For the fact that evidence strengthens what you say. So the person that, willingly, sent the nudes is claiming that she will put my girlfriend in jail for 2 years, and have a fine of $2,000. Is this a case my girlfriend will lose?

Update: The charges are being dropped and it is ending.

Answer:
 Anyone who possesses child porn risks the same charges/punishment.

Anyone who DISTRIBUTES child porn also risks the same charges or punishment.


Title: Husband Is Being Scammed

Question: Hi, So my husband met some woman on [Match.com](https://Match.com) or something and he is constantly sending her money. So far he has sent her a significant portion of his yearly salary. It's obvious this girl doesn't even like him and is using him for the money. The problem is that I found out by looking through his phone messages. Can I get in trouble for confronting him about this? Otherwise how should I handle this situation?

Answer:
 Get a divorce lawyer immediately.Answer #2: Speak to a divorce lawyer before him so you can prepare yourself and get what you deserve.

He’s already cheating on you, no doubt he will cheat you further out of more money if possible.Answer #3: He’s probably not being scammed, he’s likely into financial domination.  Sorry. Get a divorce


Title: got a no contact order on my best friend (WE were arrested together) is it too risk to be in a party chat or play together

Question: so yea his roommate was saying its fine that the cops wont go that far to catch us, but idk im so paranoid atm this could ruin our lives

Answer: If you have a no contact order you need to **avoid ALL contact**.


Title: Next door neighbour peeping tom filming my partner and I through main bedroom glass sliding door.

Question:
Hi all, I live in Queensland Australia.  Last night my partner and I had an incident that was rather disturbing.  We live in an apartment complex where units are adjacent to each other (wall to wall).  Our main bedroom has a small balcony with big glass sliding door which is also linked to neighbours balcony.

At about 10 last night we were lying in bed and she noticed something in window.  The curtains were 80% drawn but sure enough I looked and there was a hand and phone pointing straight into our bedroom.  I was shocked! I got up and yelled out abuse and obviously they have heard me and gone back inside their apartment.  Ringing the police they told us that they are too busy on a Saturday night (very busy area, lots of drunk people) and to sleep it off and contact them in the morning.  They made the point of telling me not to confront said person as you will only do something silly and end up on charges yourself.

So now its the morning.  I have contacted the apartment complex manager and he's basically said cant do anything as they will deny it, going to police this morning but i'm guessing its going to be much the same, if you have no proof what can you do.  I don't go around filming peeping toms to get evidence so im kinda screwed there.  My partner is shaken up and she wants to move as soon as possible but that would mean breaking lease (we rent) which has all associated costs etc.

As with most things in life you just have to take matters into your own hands.  I was thinking of printing out 200 flyers stating what happened and doing a mail drop to every unit in complex (200+ units here).  That would get everyone really nervous.  But again my main concern is my partner as she is shaken up, maybe its best to not stir the bee hive more and just get out of this place ASAP.

What are my options in this regard?  Without evidence, is my word good enough to do anything?

Answer:
 >if you have no proof what can you do.

The police can go over there and give him a very stern warning. Or he might be stupid and admit to something. Call them like they told you to do.

>As with most things in life you just have to take matters into your own hands.

Do NOT do that. Call the police and let them handle it. And in the meantime, close your curtains or put something up that blocks him from reaching over.