Title: ATT charged me for calling 911. I didn't call tge cops with a ATT number.

Question:
I have a charge for calling 911 on my ATT internet bill. My neighbors were a victim of a drive by, and I called the cops with my cell phone, a Sprint cell phone. There was no charge for this call on my Sprint bill, but ATT, who I pay to use the internet, is chargung me for the call. I have a few questions.

Firstly, is charging for calling the police in the US legal?

Secondly, how the fuck was ATT even aware I phoned the police?

I have had a slew of other problems with ATT (charging me for a land line I haven't ever used and is getting "disconnected" about once a month, only to show up on the next bill anyway, bounching me between literally twelve different people before I get to anyone useful, I could go on) but unfortunately, they're the only game in town. Is there anything I can do, or should I just deal with the week long phone call it's gonna take for me to disconnect? Thanks for reading this.

Also, I live in Georgia, if that helps at all.

Edit: Turns out I'm the asshole this time. I thought I was being charged a fee every time I called the cops (about once a month) turns out it's a tax. Instead of hiding my shame, I'm gonna leave the post up in case someone else has the same line of thought. Thanks to everyone for your responses!

Answer:
 I suspect  you're seeing a 911 emergency service fee on your home bill, not a charge for calling 911.  The service fee varies by state and is used to pay for providing 911 service to everybody.  Look at last month's AT&T bill -- it was probably there as well.Answer #2: The 911 fee is likely there every month and you never noticed - you aren't charged for the call but rather you pay a fee every month.  I have the same thing on my ATT bill every month.  It appears under "Government Fees and Taxes"Answer #3: To be fair, AT&T's shittiness has put you in a state of hyper-awareness, and with good reason.

I've had them as well.  They used to come out to my apartment complex to install someone else's internet, and they'd just unplug my internet and give it to the other person.  This happened three different times.

I probably went two years without paying full price because they kept giving me discounts to compensate for their constant fuck ups.Answer #4: Good for you for leaving this up! I would have thought the same thing to be honest, if I was calling 911 once a month; never knew there was a 911 tax (fine idea, just never knew. TIL)


Title: (Serious) What is to stop someone from claiming a religion as soon as a benefit to that religion occurs?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Your religious beliefs have to be "sincerely held."

Suddenly developing a religious belief as soon as you want some benefit from it is the opposite of "sincerely held."Answer #2: Laws that make religious exceptions don't make those exceptions so that people get to do things they normally wouldn't do. They make those exceptions so that people won't be fired or jailed for doing things that they would do anyway, illegal or not.

A devout Sikh man would grow a beard no matter what, and if he got fired for it, well, then, he'd get fired for it. A member of one of the native religions that you mention would use peyote no matter what, and then, if they went to jail for it, they'd go to jail for it. They did, in fact, for a hundred years before new laws were passed.

I have relatives who were sent to horrible Soviet prisons for performing religious circumcisions at a time when their religion was outlawed in the Soviet Union. They performed them anyway, knowing that that would probably happen. That's what a sincere religious belief is. It's something you're willing to be fired for, go to jail for, die for. That's the kind of situation that these laws were written for.

You don't have that kind of belief, and it's going to be immediately obvious to anyone who interviews you about it (and they will interview you about it). You can't fake it, because you don't even understand what it is.


Question:
 Bitch-ass ex-wife ruining credit by not paying car loan
Question:Hey y’all. This is is California. Been divorced for approximately 3 years now. Everything was separated and official through court proceedings. She has no right to my retirement, alimony, etc. However, I was stupid enough to leave a car loan which I co-signed for to a verbal agreement.

She kept the car, moved away, and has been paying the payments without any issue for the past 2.5-3 years.

Suddenly, I’ve got delinquency notifications on my credit report, and she’s 2-3 months late on payments.

Previously, she’s refused to refinance the loan ($3,600 left) into her name and get me off of it. I think she’s missing payments on purpose and it’s just to spite me at this point.

Do I have any legal standing in civil court in this matter? I’ve wrote letters to the lender (Ford Finance) and attempted a dispute with Equifax. I’m contemplating opening up a civil suit.

Thoughts? Anyone have similar experiences?

Answer:
 If you co-signed, you are just as liable for the loan as she is. Is your name on the title?Answer #2: I don't know what you are disputing with the lender and credit bureaus.  They have no liability in this.  You cosigned a loan that has fallen delinquent.  So, yes, any reports of a delinquent account are valid.  The lender isn't going to let you off the hook, they want the money you promised to pay in case the party you cosigned for did not pay.

Your recourse is to make the payments, which will help your credit report,  and then sue her for the money.  Depending on the amount, this can be done in small claims court.


Title: (US - VA) - Given 24 hours Please Help - Being changed from employee to self-employed contractor with 24-hour notice and glaring issues already found.

Question:
I hope I am in the right place for this. I am sorry for any grammar issues and the walls of text. I had to deal with a family death today and this is the last thing I want to deal with. I have nowhere else to go in this short period of time so I am very grateful for any help.  EDIT: Company is located in Maryland, I am in VA.

We had a meeting on Thursday informing of changing our employee contract. The process is changing us from an employee of the company to self-employed contractors.  Why do I have to sign an "termination" letter? They claim it is so they can transfer me over to an "independent contrator" but it seems weird since its an termination at will state.

  The real reason they are doing this is because now they do not have to pay the additional SS tax of 7.65% and also will not have to provide workers comp for us. They tried to play this off as a good thing and even offered a 5.00 bonus a day. There is no way this additional 5.00 a day will compensate for the tax increase. It also does not even consider the bookkeeping aspect the employee needs to do quarterly.

I email the owner asking if they were going to compensate us for this additional fee and the owner of the company tells me that he needs to get in contact with the accountant to "check on some things". I am sure he knew what he was doing but I called him out on it. Today I was told they decided to offer us 10 dollars more per day to compensate for this. The way they explained it away was that we were going to be changed to a higher position in our job even though it never existed before.

We were sent a termination of our current job contract, a new contract with our pay, etc to sign. This contract stated we should consult an attorney even though they sent this new contract out at 430 PM on Friday. It required us to sign this contract by the end of the day Saturday.

This gives us ~24 hours, on a non-business day/holiday weekend to try and find an attorney to review our contract. It seems they are strong arming us into signing this contract and strategically sent it out on the end of the business day on a holiday weekend. The contract even states we should contact an attorney to look over the contract before signing.

Questions: Can they give us this short of time to review a contract and sign it?

Are there any other things this company should provide for a “self-employed contractor” if they are “employing” us?

Are there any other glaring issues that may be here?

  In our prior contract, we had a “non-compete” section that prevented us from working for a competitor for 2 years after leaving the company. Does signing a termination of employment/contract release me from say applying at a competitor?

EDIT: So this is what they sent me.

Position Termination Notice.  This is a standard letter that is provided to notify you of your termination of your current direct employment status.

Separation Agreement and Release.  This is a standard agreement that provides all the legal information concerning the end of your direct employment status.

Independent Contractor Agreement.  This is your new contract for 2017.

EDIT 2: [heres the separation agreement with redacted info if anyone wants to read this joke.](http://pastebin.com/W9gVyS5W)

Answer:
 I only know a little about this area in Virginia because a cousin of my wife recently went through something somewhat similar.  Non-competes can be enforceable but only under fairly limited circumstances.  They can't be unduly burdensome on the employee's ability to earn a living, they must narrowly and directly protect the business's legitimate interests (such as not poaching clients, perhaps), and they can't be against public policy.  Each case is different, though, and you should have an attorney review it before making a rash decision.

More importantly, listen to the folks who've said that this "independent contractor" nonsense may well be just that ... nonsense.  Look over the IRS tests and see what you think.  Personally, I would advise the company *in writing* (perhaps via email) that their allowable timeframe is unduly burdensome as it's absurd to expect anyone to find an attorney on short notice on any weekend, let alone a major holiday weekend.  As such you are reserving your rights until such time as you are able to do so.

Then get your butt down and file for unemployment because you *have* been fired and not for cause.  You should also consider tipping off the IRS about the actions.  They just looove hearing about some idjit pulling thhs kind of thing.

You may also find this instructive: https://www.dol.gov/whd/workers/misclassification/

and this is a good one also:  http://www.doli.virginia.gov/vosh_enforcement/employee_misclassification.html

Edited to add in the link I missed.


Title: [NY] Dog Control Officer house check

Question: The town I live in has sent out letters requesting residents to register dogs and pay a fee, which is fine and I have already done so. On the letter, it says that they will conduct house checks to make sure that there are no unregistered dogs in the home. I'm not too familiar with the Agriculture & Markets law but, after a quick skim, I see nothing in there that gives them the authority to enter without permission. In the event they ask to check my home, I'm going to say no because I'm not comfortable with it. Would I be in the wrong to do this?

Answer:
 Interesting as my town (not NY) recently sent a similar letter.

I wonder what the sudden concern with dog licensure is about?

As to the legal issue, they cannot enter your house without permission. However I believe that a very high percentage of unregistered dogs could be found by simply ringing every doorbell in town. Every dog I know feels it is their duty to run to the door and interrogate potential visitors.


Title: My charges weren't filed within 48 hours so the state dropped my case...what?

Question:
I just went in for my preliminary hearing for a marijuana possession charge in Arizona, and I went to the clerk right before it started and she says the state never filed your charges with the court and that I'm free to leave....what?? But they have AT LEAST 7 YEARS to file it with the court for felony charges. What does this mean for me? And why didn't they file the charges?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 We can only guess.

My guess is that they are waiting for the lab results to come back.


Title: What to do about a organization that indoctrinates people and has cult like ideology?

Question:
I don't know where to start so I will start from the beginning and go through the days as this situation has progressed. My fiance (we will call S) met this girl (her name is m). S met this girl while at work, and was described as wholesome, extremely nice, one of the nicest people S has ever met. They exchanged a 5 minute conversation about life, money, college, and meaningful life advice. She said things like she knows people who retired at age 33. She said college degrees don't mean as much as they used to and it's more about who you know. S described M as an angel. They both agreed to meet at Starbucks on another day to talk about this further. My fiance thought it was a potential job opportunity.

They both met at Starbucks and continued this conversation. I don't know how it was brought up, but M wanted S to meet her friends. Her friends were rich and paid for everything in cash. M wanted S to meet them and have a business meeting. S agreed and followed M to their house. S went to their house, and he met 4 couples at this house. S described all these couples as nice, wholesome, and genuine. And they had a business meeting. They had a discussion about life and how to make it in life. It all boiled down to a business structure. They were essentially describing a pyramid scheme. Buy our product, recruit people and make money back.

We looked into the program more, and found that this business structure (which I am leaving unnamed) follows a lot of cult ideologies. There's a central leader (he was presenting the meeting, probably people above him), they teach users to think in a certain way, they deprive people of sleep, they leave things vauge and promise a prize. People submit to this structure, control what they think, they love bomb you with appreciate in return of money, and etc. A lot of things about this organization shows cult like behaviors.

I'm worried about M. I believe she has been indoctrinated and 100% believes in what she is doing is right. Here's what I pieced together. M has cancer or some illness (only making assumptions, she's bald, and wears a headscarf), she went into debt, she was recruited by the leader, he pulled her out of debt, and now she truly believes in everything that they say, because it helped her, she pretty much worships him. She doesn't see the negatives in it, she only sees the positive.

Is there anything I can do legally? It's an odd situation and don't really know how to tackle it.

Answer: You're just describing your standard multi level marketing ploy. Thousands of sick, poor, desperate people fall for this scam every year. They're perfectly legal.


Title: How do I decipher this case reference number? (and how to obtain old court documents?)

Question:
There are some old (1930s) New York state court documents that I'm looking for but I only seem to have a citation or reference number. I can't decipher what they mean or how I can find the actual case documents.

The case was called "Gold v. Gold" and involved two previously married individuals. The ex-wife was suing her ex-husband because she said he illegally divorced her through another state's courts and then married a new woman. There was an injunction to get the ex-wife to be legally recognized as the lawful wife.

The reference/citation is: 158 Misc. 570 [287 N.Y. Supplement 217] (1936). I've also seen these as well: 154 Misc. 93 [275 N.Y. 506] affirmed 243 App.Div. 666, 276 N.Y. Supplement 900.

I honestly have no idea what any of this means, so even the smallest amount of help or guidance is appreciated.

Answer:
 I know what all of this means.

What do you want to know?


Title: 18 years old, will launch my website in a month or so and would like to know some legal do's and don'ts. Very little knowledge in law (other than common sense)

Question:
I have been working for the past 6 - 7 months on a medium sized website. I have not established a company with the website's name in order to conduct business under that name due to the fact that I am much too ignorant of the process in my state (Florida), and I am not even entirely sure of what benefits and responsibilities establishing a company ensues.

My website's primary commercial function is the sale/purchase of user created digital content. I have taken the time to implement a flagging system for any fraudulent or malfunctioning content, however it would be entirely impossible (or at least very inconvenient) to judge every single entry and verify it before it is posted on my website. This is not to say that I will not track, and delete fraudulent content, or that I will not issue refunds for fraudulent transactions.

What I would like is a full disclaimer (terms and conditions) for every user that is an account holder that states some of these facts to them among other things and basically guards my website from a fraudulent situation escalating out of control when it was entirely another user's fault. I would also like to point out in said disclaimer that any user found to be posting such content will be banned and they will be entirely responsible for covering for the damage done.

tl;dr - Where could I obtain more information about establishing a company in the state of Florida, along with information of the responsibilities and benefits. Also who to seek or how to write a terms and conditions statement that basically guards me from fraudulent practices from users on my website, and makes the authors responsible.

Answer: You should call a local attorney that handles business incorporation.  They can walk you through all of that, but this isn't the sort of thing that has a how-to you can find online.  Each business is different and has different risks and responsibilities.


Title: Got my phone smashed for recording a fight?

Question: I was recording a fight that was taking place at school and this girl I don't even know snatched my phone out of my hands and smashed my phone into the ground, shattering my screen. I went to the office to report it but they said no assistant principle or officer was present at the time so I have to come by tomorrow. Should I expect them to fully cover the repair of my screen or expect nothing?

Answer: Why would the school pay for your phone? The one who damaged it was the girl. She's the one who should pay for it.


Title: [TX] Do I have any whistle-blower rights?

Question:
Until recently I worked for a company that develops and sells sophisticated engineering software. The software produced is legally prohibited from being sold to certain embargoed countries, like Iran, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, etc.
A few months ago, I discovered the gap in the company's cloud security platform that allows anyone (including embargoed countries) to download/steal copies of any of the company’s software for free.  Also, I located evidence within network logging that embargoed countries were exploiting this security gap to download/steal copies of our software.
However, 4 months later, the security gap has not been corrected and I was just terminated as part of an unrelated 'downsizing' event.

Question:
1) Since the embargoed countries are essentially stealing the software, has the company broken any laws by choosing not to secure its content?
2) Is the company legally (not morally/ethically – but legally) obligated to correct the security gap?
3) Do I have any grounds to sue under any whistle-blower or similar protections?

Answer:
 Whistle-blower protections are in place to protect you if you are retaliated against for reporting issues.  You do not have any right to sue simply for discovering a problem.

If the company has knowledge that its software is being exported to embargoed countries than they have an obligation to improve their security.

The easiest way to report this would be to contact your local FBI office.  They will either handle it themselves or direct you to the appropriate government agency.Answer #2: > I was just terminated as part of an unrelated 'downsizing' event.

This eliminates any whistleblower claim you might have because your termination of employment was unrelated.


Title: I was harassed, assaulted, and sedated by hospital staff. What do I do about the $10,000 bill for tests I refused? (NJ)

Question:
This happened in October. I’m a senior in college, 21, and I went for a jog a few hours after drinking one night. Bad move on my part. I tripped halfway through, fell, and got a cut on my forehead. A friend freaked out and called the campus police, who forced me to get an ambulance over my protests.

I could tell that the cut wasn’t deep enough for stitches, and ambulance personnel agreed, so I refused treatment at the hospital due to cost concerns. The staff immediately began making threats after this. I started a voice recording on my phone when their behavior became egregious. They told me it was illegal to record them and tried to take my phone away, and I explained that NJ is a one-party consent state. They did take away my phone away eventually, but I recorded most of the interactions and have since typed up a transcript.

They told me I had to cooperate, or they would “give me medication to facilitate my cooperation.” One nurse started calling me names. I asked to be transferred to the campus clinic, and was briefly put on the phone with a woman there, but the nurse took the hospital’s phone away from me because she was angry that I was still recording. I’ve since pulled my records at the clinic, and they contain a note explaining that the nurse called back to inform them that I had changed my mind. I hadn’t.

The staff told me I couldn’t refuse treatment because I was intoxicated. However, the nurse said to the woman over the phone that I was “totally alert and oriented” — this is a direct quote from the tape. Further, the tape reflects that I wasn’t slurring and was always firm, yet polite. I’m a Southerner, and I used my best Southern manners through the whole ordeal: yes ma’am, no sir, small talk with the other hospital staff, and so on.

After maybe half an hour, the staff called in security. Security yelled threats at me and eventually ordered that I take my clothes off to change into hospital garments. When I refused, figuring I would get a bill for them too, they told me they were willing to go “the less dignified route” and made some suggestive comments about why I would want three men to take my clothes off. They proceeded to remove my clothes, put hospital garments on me, and took away my phone. This is where the recording stops.

At that point, the nurse came in and prepared to stick a needle in my hip. I reminded her that I didn’t consent to treatment, but that I also wouldn’t physically resist — that if they needed to put me through a CT scan over my objections, I would go through. She told me that I no longer had a choice and that the medicine was necessary to facilitate my cooperation.

I was out pretty quickly after that and woke up in a chair in the campus clinic. They did a BAC test on me there and it came back 0.00. They also did a concussion test for the first time. I was not concussed. I had suction cups attached to my chest where the hospital had performed an EKG in addition to a CT scan. The cut on my forehead, which was the cause of my admission to the hospital, did not appear to have been treated or cleaned.

When transcribing the voice recordings, I counted that I had refused treatment over twenty times. There are multiple recordings because my battery was low and would not have survived continuous recording, but I recorded every bit of dialogue after I started until security took my phone.

One final detail: The records that the hospital sent to the campus clinic claim that my BAC was 0.16. I am skeptical of this figure, especially because the records contain the lie that I no longer wanted to be transferred to the clinic. Further, I don’t believe that I could have jogged with that BAC, or spoken without slurring, or presented as alert and oriented, or returned a 0.00 BAC a few hours later. The hospital did not take my BAC before sedating me.

Anyway, my family got a bill for over $10,000, about $1500 of which was out-of-pocket. That’s a lot to us — we’re food stamps poor. I called some attorneys about it, reached their secretaries, and never heard back. One secretary told me that she didn’t think the recording would be admissible in court because it would be an assault case, further explaining that medical malpractice lawsuits are only possible when a patient is hurt as a result of treatment.

My father forwarded the bills to me. I think there was a 30-day period to notify the insurance company of intent to protest the charges, which has since lapsed. I couldn’t keep up with school, job applications, and exploring my legal recourses all at once — I realize, though, that this was another bad move on my part.

What should I do now? Should I focus simply on getting these charges waived, or should I pursue damages? If I try a second time to set up consultations, what do I do differently to get through to the attorneys? What can I do to ensure that the hospital won’t treat other students this way?

TL;DR — I refused treatment at a hospital while lightly intoxicated. The staff called me names, made threats and a sexual joke, and eventually sedated me “to facilitate my cooperation.” While sedated, they performed tests I had refused, resulting in an expensive bill. I have voice recordings of the incident and want help.

Answer:
 You are not going to find anyone here (present company included) you believes your story.  You were far more intoxicated then you are asserting.  That said, call a local attorney who does medical malpractice cases if you really think you have a case.Answer #2: IANAL, but "alert and oriented" doesn't mean "not intoxicated."

If you can answer questions like, "What's your name?", "Do you know the date?", "Do you know where you are?"," Who's the current President?", then you are "alert and oriented," even if you're shitfaced.Answer #3: You were injured and drunk. No one is going to risk their livelihood by letting you refuse treatment. Answer #4: Implied consent.  They have documentation that you were significantly drunk.  Your refusal means nothing at that point. Answer #5: Most hospitals don't let you record staff without staff's permission, the same way that I can't walk into a high school and start recording the teacher without her permission. It has nothing to do with one or two party consent, and everything to do with being on private property.


Title: I suspect my sister might be a prostitute

Question:
My sister's recently moved in with me and I've noticed a few peculiarities that has caused me to suspect she's involved in some illicit activities mainly prostitution. She's in and out of the condo at all hours of the night, I passed by her room and noticed a huge wad of cash. Just an overall sketchy vibe I'm getting.

Honestly she's a grown woman and can do whatever she wants with her life (lord knows she always has), my main concern is that I'm quite convinced she may have brought some of her clients to our condo, my home.

This worries me greatly as I am now wondering if I may now be implicated in potential criminal activities?

Despite us living together we have a strained relationship, so simply asking/accusing her of this right off the bat would be problematic.

Location: Florida

Answer:
 Well, right off the bat, there might be illegal activity in your home. That means the police can come out and, with proper legalities, go through everything in your home. They can arrest you if they think you are involved. You can spend money on an attorney so that it doesn't completely ruin your life.

Also, your HOA might take issue with illegal activies in their complex.


Title: My apartment complex lost a package but claims they aren't liable.

Question:
We purchased a laptop directly from Dell that was delivered on a Wednesday. Our apartment complex has a policy that all packages be delivered to the office and then picked up by the tenant. We got an email from the office saying out package was delivered on Wednesday. Due to work we weren't able to pick the package up until Friday. When we went to pick it up they were unable to find it. They have no idea what happened to it but they claim they aren't liable because they offer this system as a courtesy to tenants (although there aren't alternatives). No one signed the office log for the package so we know no one else picked it up.

I can't fathom how they wouldn't be liable but I don't know what to do if they refuse to replace the laptop. We have renters insurance but we don't know if it'll cover the loss and don't want to have to rely on the lengthy insurance process.

Any insight into their liability or best way to approach the situation would be helpful. Location: Seattle, Washington

Answer:
 When they took control of the package, even as a courtesy, that came with duty not to lose it, smash it or steal it. They have no immunity here.

I'd sue them in small claims. See if you can get some more email communication as evidence of their failure to secure it before you proceed.


Title: Police mistakenly impounded my friends truck. Got the ticket reversed however the towing company that has the truck still requires payment for release. What are we looking at if we just walk into the yard and drive the truck out? (canada)

Answer: Don't do that.  You should pursue the police to eat the impound charges if it was a truly baseless or mistaken impound.  If you can't get them to do that immediately (like, today), I would suggest paying to get the truck out and then pursuing the police for reimbursement.


Title: MTA Bus hit my PARKED car!

Question:
MTA Bus hit my parked car in Brooklyn, NY. MTA left a note on the windshield and the car is basically totaled and unusable. We called the MTA insurance number on the note that they left us and all it is an answering machine asking us to ask for a property damage form. They said it will take a week to come.

In the meantime, I do not have a car and I don't know how long it will take to resolve this. Is there a way I can expedite the process and have a temporary car in the meantime? I'm without a car and MTA did not make any attempt to contact me. I'm totally annoyed by all of this and I need a car as it is part of my livelihood!

I did call my own insurance (GEICO) and they are not really helping and says I'm not covered for such damage as according to them MTA is fully liable for such cases and they will comply and compensate fully. But how long do I wait for this to happen?

I haven't spoken to even one MTA agent and all I got to do so far is leave a message on an answering machine letting them know that I need a property damage form which will take a week to come. I am appalled that they did not make any attempt to contact me because they are at wrong here and I am totally in the dark as to what's happening. Do I have to take legal action?

Answer:
 > I'm without a car and MTA did not make any attempt to contact me.

You mean other than leaving an explicit note on your car with directions on how to get a payout?

There's nothing wrong here.  They're going to send yuo forms, fill out the forms, give them time to process.  No, you're not getting an immediate payout.  No matter who hit you, you wouldn't get that.

Talk to your insurance company about alternative options through *your* policy.


Title: Legally sell my kidney

Question:
This isn't a joke.

I'll be entering a college program, that I've been working towards, that I cannot afford. With student loans and pell grants it just isn't possible financially. I've applied to scholarships/sites with no reply so far.

I know in the U.S. it's illegal. My question is what are the limitations of that law? Can I discuss over the phone/e-mail with a prospective buyer about a transaction? What countries is it legal? Anything else  on the legal side (besides health effects) that I should know about?

Edit: I'm in Arizona

Answer:
 Choose a cheaper school.  Answer #2: Let's say this works. How will you pay for your second semester?Answer #3: Step 1: Submit this post to Gawker/Buzzfeed/HuffPo some kind of blog site.

Step 2: Have twitter explode about the poor guy/gal and the state of college costs.

Step 3: Get Sympathy

Step 4: Be summoned to White House and Congressional hearings

Step 5: Become the face of soaring educational costs

Step 6: Have a gofundme, or kickstarter started in your honor.

Step 7: Have TMZ/DailyMail etc poor into your background to discover you are a drug using delinquent.

Step 8: Read the fucking FAQ that fucking tells you that no one is going to advise you to do something illegal and ask yourself if someone dumb enough to pose this question is smart enough to get into any college program.

Step 9: ???

Step 10: Profit. Answer #4: I have no idea, but even if it is legal in another country, please be wary of going to Mexico or somewhere to have your kidney removed.  That's how you end up in a bathtub iced down with no organs left.

Also not legal advice, but this is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard.  Why can't you get student loans if this is so important to you and you're so sure it will lead to future success that you are willing to get a kidney cut out?


Title: [TN] Student placed a webcam in school, constantly recording audio and video of other students

Question:
As the title says, a fellow student at the high school I attend has set up a webcam in a corner of our school's common room, and is using it to record audio and video of people in the room. I, nor did anyone else, explicitly allow him to record us in our day to day activites. I have asked both him and the school administrators to take it down. They have refused, saying that it is the same as the survailance cameras installed by the school. Is it? The school's cameras are only accessable by the school, but he is the only person who can access his.

Is there anything I can do to get him to stop doing this? I need something to cite when I talk with the school administrators again.

TL;DR: Student is recording me without my permission, won't stop after I have asked him to, need something to show to the administrators to get them to take down his camera.

**EDIT:** Spoke with a different teacher about it, they sent an email to the adminstrators and it was taken down immediately.

Answer:
 I would start to get some parents involved and discuss the private things that could potentially be caught by this camera, such as personal emails, answers to quiz questions, not to mention passwords and login info.

I am sure there are several parents who would be unhappy to have their children put under surveillance by a fellow student.

Another option is to block the camera - maybe put a sign that warns people of the camera and a few piece of paper and tape to allow them to put something over the camera when they use the computers.


Title: My husband filed for divorce. Will I be assigned a public defender?FL

Question: I’m indigent & living off the charity of friends & family. I don’t qualify for legal aid bc I haven’t lived in FL long enough.

Answer:
 No. Public defenders are not an option in divorce cases.

If you are divorcing your husband, all of your assets should be shared by default. You can speak with a divorce attorney and the cost of the attorney should come out of your joint estate.

If your ex has a divorce attorney, you absolutely need one as well. The attorney will be able to answer any questions you have.


Title: Restaurant refused to serve us tap and wanted to kick us out, what our my rights to take this further (uk, and vid proof)

Answer:
 Try /r/legaladviceUK.

In the US you would have the right to find another restaurant.


Title: Do I have any right as a resident of a cul-de-sac to keep people from parking on my street? (MA)

Question:
The real reason this is an issue is: 1) it’s a safety issue. These people are parking in such a way that if you’re not paying full attention, or the sun beams just right, you could actually hit their vehicles 2) some of these people are dumping their trash onto the road before they leave, as of this is a parking lot for a convenience store 3) there has been a series of break ins a few streets over. I have no way of knowing that these are the getaway cars, but it worries me when I go to work or come home late from whatever.

BACKGROUND:
I live on a short street with a cul-de-sac with a total of 6 houses on the lane. We’re off a main road in the town. For nearly a year, we’ve noticed people from the apartments nearby parking their “extra” cars down our street. It’s not every night but it’s consistent enough, with enough cars, that you’d think there were actual lines painted for parking.

The cars seem to be from 2 particular apartments that have limited, numbered spots for residents. However, I have no way of knowing for sure.

Answer:
 If someone prvately owns the street, they may be able to control parking.

If it's a public street, you have zero rights to control parking. You can, however, bring your concerns to city hall (or wherever is suggested for your town) and see if they will care and put up no parking signs.Answer #2: Lol, nope! If public parking is allowed, it's allowed even for people who live in apartments.


Title: Topic of debate: Should victim statements come after sentencing?

Answer: No. The point is to influence sentencing.


Title: Please help! The summer camp I worked for might be an international scam, I have NO IDEA what to do with what I found.

Question:
Hi,

So, I won't be mentioning the name of the company for my own protection, but over the last day or so I've been doing a deep dive into the company. They're a company that gets students from around the world to spend  2-3 weeks in the USA for multi-city travel, and they boast that each child will also get 15 hours of "culture classes" a week, unlimited buffet meals, rooms in college dorms, and unforgettable experiences.

I did work for them last year because I desperately needed money and it looked like a good deal. I didn't have time to fully research them, but now I do. Here's what I found:

&#x200B;

**THE WEBSITE**

They don't have the same information that normal summer camps have (registration forms available online, rates and dates, capacity, details on accommodations, etc.). They just say "contact us" for rates and details regarding capacity. The whole site is bare bones and vague. In fact, the only link that's highlighted on the website says "Become an Agent" which takes the browser to a payment page. Yes, the most easily accessible page on the website is one that gives you a wire transfer/bank transfer form directly to the company.

&#x200B;

**THE STAFF**

The only people on staff seem to be the CEO/Owner and one other person, whose role seems to be as an assistant but she's not featured on the "Meet the Team" page of the website. On the other hand, **no one featured on the "Team" page of the website is a current staff member, according to their LinkedIn profiles**. They just say they worked maybe for one summer, but not more recently than 2017. I'm confused why none of the many counselors and managers who've worked for her the past 2 years are on the website.

&#x200B;

**THE PHOTOS**

There are none on the website that are up to date. There are no Gallery pages, and this marks me as suspicious because, during my time working there, a HUGE part of my job was to make sure there were tons of pictures being taken of the kids in my morning classes, and of my group during the day trips we went on. I must have taken over 1,000 pictures alone. So where did all of those photos featured on Facebook go? Why weren't they also featured on the website?

&#x200B;

**THE (LACK OF) REVIEWS**

There are no official reviews. No official Google Maps page (because the owner operates out of their home), no BBB reviews, no parent reviews, no international chaperone reviews. It's all silent on the internet regarding this company. That seems so insane to me, for a company operating on the scale that they do, working with programs around the world. There is one Indeed review from a staff member, who gave it 5 stars and a generic "it's a good place to grow" statement. There are 34 Facebook reviews on their official page, with an average of 4.9 stars. They care for THOUSANDS of Facebook addicted teens each summer, but there's only 34 reviews? And at least 10 of them are from campers just gassing up the counselor they all had. This doesn't feel right.

&#x200B;

**THE PRICE**

There's no rates listed. At all. There's a big chance that they're being arbitrary with their pricing and keeping many (way too) trusting overseas programs in the dark regarding what's reasonable. We have no way of knowing what they're bringing in each year.

&#x200B;

**THE (LACK OF) LEGITIMATE RECRUITMENT**

Although last year I found the job opening on Indeed, this year, I couldn't find a single listing from them. Not on Indeed, Monster, LinkedIn, SimplyHired, ZipRecruiter, or any ESL or Summer camp job boards. But, on a whim I Googled "\[company name\] Craigslist" and it was the first result. I'm so floored by why they would be ONLY recruiting on Craigslist, despite being woefully understaffed this year.

&#x200B;

**THE (LACK OF) TRAINING**

Although they boast that the campers who fly across the world to go to the camp will be in the hands of qualified, trained staff. However, no one is required to have a First Aid or CPR license. No one got training this year before camp started. Also, no one was provided with any written information regarding the program, except for an "employee handbook" that was just generic guidelines for conduct, drug and alcohol policies, etc. So there are so many people in an unfamiliar country under the care of unprepared young adults, with absolutely no training procedures or safety best practices, even though there's so many things that could go wrong (and HAVE gone wrong).

&#x200B;

**DOMESTIC vs. FOREIGN LLC?**

They are just one person registered in their state as the owner of a *domestic* LLC. However, they are partnering with programs in countries around the world, and recruiting students from around the world. They're exhanging services for money around the world, does that count as doing business internationally, especially because they're also running camps in Asia? Even if they're a disregarded entity, at the very least this can't be right ethically.

&#x200B;

There's more that's coming up as I find it, but I'm at a loss. I know that this isn't okay. I know that there's information that's being hidden from parents, and staff members, and that the website is lying. It can't be legal to say someone is working for you when they aren't. But so what? What can I do with this information? Is she doing anything illegal, or just unethical? Either way, what can I do?

Please help me! I don't want anyone (parents, children, or potential staff) to be misled by this person anymore.

Answer:
 Nothing here is remotely suspicious.Answer #2: The only thing that looks like it might be an issue here is the CPR/First aid thing. The rules for that will depend on the state and type of activities that the kids are engaged in. If it's just touring around it may not be required.

A "domestic" LLC just means it's registered in the sate that it's domestic to. So it would be a domestic LLC in Ohio for example but foreign in Kentucky. That typically doesn't mean much. You don't normally need some special registration to do business with people internationally.

There's nothing wrong with arbitrary pricing or having a bad website or not listing many of your staff online. Summer camps are often run largely by students except at the very senior levels. It doesn't add much for a company to put the bio of some grad student who happens to be an activities director on their website.


Title: Any employment lawyers here? FMLA guarantees 90 days of job protection, can I be fired on my first day back to work? In CA Bay Area

Answer: IANAL, but if they can demonstrate that the firing is not for your exercise of your FMLA rights, the employer would likely win any wrongful dismissal suit.Answer #2: Fired for what?


Title: Girlfriend has 2 open cases for herion, was arrested last night with a bunch of charges. Will I ever see her again?

Question:
My now ex girlfriend was supposed to go to court on 1/2/15 for a herion charge and 2/2/15 for another one. Last night she was arrested for: Petty theft, criminal mischief, possession of herion, possession of controlled substance (X2). Possession of new legend drug w/o prescription. Possession of oxycodone and 2 counts of violation of probation for her other charges.

I have another thread regarding some stuff she took from my house but that has all been returned. Is she most likely going to prison? I can't imagine a judge is going to be very amused that she is supposed to be in court in 2 days and she was arrested on a bunch of things related to drugs? Am I correct in thinking this. This is in Florida btw. Thanks guys.

Answer:
 You are better off not having this person in your life. Answer #2: your girlfriend has a serious chemical dependency issue. Legal issues aside, if you are a loving boyfriend, be sure to get her some help (and yourself)Answer #3: >I can't imagine a judge is going to be very amused that she is supposed to be in court in 2 days and she was arrested on a bunch of things related to drugs?

The judge won't care, this happens all the time.  In fact, a judge I used to appear in front of would regularly tell defendants that if they missed court, there were only two "good" excuses: In jail or dead.  The "in jail" one came up quite a bit.

This will seriously affect the open cases and her penalties, might result in bail being revoked, etc., but the judge isn't going to lose any sleep over it.


Title: If I own one half of a house with my father as a co-signer. Can we force the other owner out without selling?

Question:
Sonoma County, California.

it's all in the title.

Answer:
 No. Your father as cosigner is only of relevance to the bank.

If the other owner won't accept your buyout offer, you will have to go to court and try to force a sale.


Title: (MA) How can I stop two of my tenants from smoking in their rooms, despite being asked many times to stop? Each tenant blames the other, and it's become a cat-and-mouse game.

Question: No leases, just month-to-month rent payments. I will be selling the house in the next 6 months and do not need cigarette smoke to bring the house value down.

Answer:
 >month-to-month

Why not just give them both notice and kick them out?


Title: Car booted on private property; friend removed the boot; booting sub-contractor now demanding money and making vague threat of criminal action unless paid. Is this extortion? (Pittsburgh metro)

Question:
An acquaintance parked in the lot of a private apartment complex several months ago while visiting a friend. When they returned to the car, a third-party contractor had loosely placed a boot on the tire, along with a notice that there was a fee of $200 for the boot to be removed. They realized that the boot easily slid off the vehicle without resistance, so they took it off and left. The boot was not damaged in any way.

They later received a letter from the booting-subcontractor stating the boot was damaged beyond repair and demanded $200 in "damages and fees." The letter demands payment to avoid further collections costs and possible criminal charges for destroying the property.

I have three main questions.

1) Is it legal for a private company to boot a car on private property and demand payment for removing the boot? Towing a car makes sense; they have a right to remove unwanted vehicles from their property, and the tow fees are incidental to that. In the booting scenario, it's a direct financial penalty imposed by one private party on another.

2) Because the boot was not damaged in any way, would they company have any ground to stand on in filing a civil suit or filing a police report?

3) Is the veiled reference to pursuing criminal prosecution if the demanded money is not repaid an act of criminal extortion in and of itself?

Thanks!

Answer:
 As I've mulled /u/SenorJuansie's thoughtful input, I'm still a bit confused as to why private booting would be lawful if it's not expressly authorized by laws governing licensed tow companies.

While it's true that private parking enforcement carries a cost to the lot owner, I don't see how immobilizing a vehicle on the property has any link to actual damages. If the tow company removes the vehicle from the property altogether, the property owner is made whole, and the costs of the tow could reasonably be passed on to the vehicle owner. But immobilizing the vehicle on the property doesn't restore the owner's right to full use of his property--instead, it extends the time the unauthorized vehicle will be present.

To then charge an arbitrary boot-removal fee, which has no relationship to the property owner's actual damages, doesn't seem like it could pass muster. It seems like an attempt to circumvent the civil legal system through extortion, holding a vehicle as collateral in exchange for an arbitrary fee; why would the owner or tow company not be required to actually file suit and establish actual damages (whether forgone income from other vehicles that might have parked there, or whatever else those damages might be)?


Title: Landlord not responding to request for Rent Certificate. (WI)

Question: I've been trying to contact my landlord for 2 weeks now, but she doesn't answer my calls and doesn't reply to the voicemails I leave her. I stand to lose some money by not receiving this form and I was wondering if there was any legal action I could take to get her to fill out this form (it being for taxes and all). Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Assuming you are filling out this form:http://www.revenue.wi.gov/forms/2014/RentCertificate.pdf

Theres instructions on what to do if LL refuses to sign your rent certificate.

* Fill out Renter (claimant) info
* Fill out LL info
* Fill out lines 1-8
* Attach proof of rent.


Title: CA - No Lease - Neighbor from hell - How do i make landlord evict her ?

Question:
Background - Moved to CA about a year back. Have been renting an apartment and lived by myself. Girlfriend moved in recently. No lease cos landlord is a stupid old guy. No one in apartment complex has a lease. But rent is cheap in a decent area so don't bother much.

My neighbor is literally the most horrible person I have encountered in my life. I will be listing problems by bullet points so as to really describe and get good advice on this.

* Neighbor has a shitty band and plays loud music from her apartment. By music I mean guitars, amps, drums and bass. Several complaints and talking has not sufficed. As I type this she is singing and playing some acoustic bullshit.

*  Throws trash and other furniture always lying in the common area. Leftovers, open cans of food with flies.

* Has trash and old furniture in the parking lot. Sometimes homeless have decided to come and squat, defecate and what not.

* The neighbor is one of those people who has zero courtesy for people living around her. Bangs doors, moves furniture everyday, yells & screams randomly, has her friend's cats left outside in cold weather. Yes CA doesnt get as cold but the cat's were pretty cold or hungry and mewing/crying near my front door.

I have told the landlord countless amounts of times that he should really just evict her. I have told him to make leases and the fact that he can use them to get her out and also get so much more money off these apartments than he actually makes. I actually don't mind paying more money myself if these apartments are better managed. But he is an old hag who doesn't want to do anything. Just one of those OLD people.

I have taken countless steps to maintain a positive attitude in these situations - Being nice to the neighbor - cleaning/mopping the staircases and common area myself quite a few times - Putting sticky notes - Making ashtrays and putting them outside but I have reached my wits end on this.
While returning from work there is a constant worry/fear/anxiety as to is she going to be blaring her music/ is there going to be trash outside ?

I haven't called the cops for the music cos I am not good at confrontation, sorta don't want to be that guy, she definitely has weed at her place and would probably face more trouble than just a citation.

Thinking of going to the landlord over the weekend and talking to him face to face. Have pictures of the trash she lays out. Maybe can try to convince him to make leases or what not. What can be done to get this person out ? Are there any steps ? Anything that I can mention to the landlord to help him make his mind ?

Not having a lease makes all of this all too difficult.

TL;DR
CA - No lease - Horrible neighbor - want to convince landlord to evict her.

 Edit - Grammar & formatting

Answer: You have no standing to make your landlord do anything. Call the police when laws are being violated, or just deal with it.


Title: Mom's best friend died. No living relatives. We're lost.

Question:
I apologise if this is disjointed, I just got the news and am still in shock. They have no idea where to begin and I grieve by *doing*. I'm 4 hours away and this is the only way I can make myself useful right now.

She was visiting my parents yesterday and complaining about having bad heartburn. My mom was worried and tried to take her to the hospital but she's stubborn and refused. Well she went home and died of a heart attack during the night. My parents found her this evening and called the ambulance but it was too late.

This friend has been a part of our family for over a decade. She has no living relatives. I don't think she has a will. Where do we even begin? Will the ME release the death certificate to us without a will? I have no idea if she had life insurance, how do we find out?

She had two dogs that were pretty much her children. She was always adamant that my parents take care of them if anything happened, so they have already picked up the doggies and brought them home. Will they need to prove that this is what friend wanted?

We don't want anything from the estate, we want our friend back. But since that won't happen we want to at least give her the nice ceremony she deserves.

(Edit) This is in Texas

(Update) Thanks so much to those who responded! The shock has begun to wear off and give way to grief.
I spoke to my parents again this morning and we've found that she did have insurance and named them as the beneficiaries. It's a weight off knowing that we won't have to worry about the final expenses. And hopefully that will give us some standing with the dogs. We are in the process of finding a lawyer and still looking for a will.

Answer:
 A quick look at the legal advice given about [Texas' probate code](http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/ES/htm/ES.201.htm) suggests that the state will go to heroic lengths to find a successor, no matter how distant.

If she was intestate, your parents have no standing to ask about her life insurance, or to do anything in relation to her property. That unfortunately includes the dogs. I recommend against doing anything that might diminish her estate in any way until the court has figured out who the heir is and who the executor ought to be.

Up to this point they've acted in good faith and that's admirable, they're clearly not trying to hide what they're doing and their actions make good sense. But they really should talk to an estate lawyer before going any further. That lawyer could theoretically petition the court to give your parents some standing, but I wouldn't expect the judge to think that's a good idea.


Title: Can I get in legal trouble for releasing crickets into my school?

Question:
I have a senior prank idea that consists of releasing 10,000 crickets into my school. Would I be facing any legal troubles here?
Topic:
Douche

Answer: You can certainly face administrative troubles and probably also face legal troubles.  Please provide your location / jurisdiction for more detailed answers.


Question: SEATTLE, WA. Please help! I need help with something I think is called a "slush fund"... I think I'm in tax trouble!

Answer:
 Well, you've given us no location, no details, and no idea of what your question is, so....

...I'm going to take this opportunity to encourage everyone to give a listen to the music of [Fela Kuti](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fela_Kuti), one of the more popular artists in the world - much like Elvis, even 17 years after his death.  His disc "The Best of the Black President" is a great compilation of his work.


Title: DHL lost my suitcase which also contains my father's urn. It's been one month, they were conducting an investigation but decided it's lost and want me to make a claim.

Question:
I shipped two suitcases from the US to the EU, received one but not the other.

&#x200B;

They were last scanned to have 'arrived at sort facility in Leipzig Germany.

&#x200B;

Prior to that they were both last scanned as 'departed facility in Los Angeles Gateway'

&#x200B;

I'm really at wit's end in worry and don't know what else I can do. My father only passed away 6 months ago and that's all that I had left of him.

&#x200B;

If by some miracle someone here works for DHL or knows someone or perhaps that you accidentally received a blue hard-shell Rockland suitcase.

DHL has been 'looking' for the missing suitcase but today they said they can't find it and nothing was reported matching it's description to customs. It seems it's completely lost they want me to make a claim and possibly get reimbursed.

&#x200B;

This is absolutely crazy though! They lost my suitcase containing my father's urn in another country and just want to write it off?

&#x200B;

I didn't write on their forms that my father's urn was in the suitcase so I'll take full responsibility for whatever legal issues that may cause, but first the suitcase would need to be found before anything in regards to transporting human remains without authorization.

&#x200B;

Anyone have any advice for anything else I can do?

&#x200B;

Answer:
 >This is absolutely crazy though! They lost my suitcase containing my father's urn in another country and just want to write it off?

No, they just want to stop fruitlessly searching for something they can't find and want to switch to you filing a claim and being reimbursed for your losses.

Your situation really, really, really, really sucks but I'm not sure what you're hoping for.  If the suitcase is lost, then no amount of legal pressure or lawsuits can make DHL find it.

>I didn't write on their forms that my father's urn was in the suitcase

So... all they're aware of is a missing, empty suitcase?Answer #2: Worth noting that DHL will not accept responsibility for loss of live animals or human remains. These are prohibited items, had they known they were in the package they would not have shipped your box.

Sorry for your loss, that really does sting.


Title: Found child pornography on my sisters laptop

Question:
Background info, when this happened I was 17, sis was in her early 20's.

A couple of years ago I was snooping around my sisters laptop when she was at school. (yeah not cool I know, I was dumb)

The laptop is a mac, it was password protected, I researched some ways on how to by-pass the password. (Super not cool, and illegal)

I found a folder on the mac full of underage anime/hentai type child porn. Ever since that day i've never considered that to be actual child pornography because it looked like straight up hentai. They were obviously underage kids, most of them were toddlers. I am not going to go into specific details about these pictures, i'll probably get banned, but i'm sure you guys get the picture. There were underage literotica type material that I couldn't even finish reading the first few sentences.

&#x200B;

Fast forward to today.

Ever since that day I havens been able to look my sister in the eye. Sometimes when I see her around children in real life she stares at them. I know none of this is solid evidence of her doing anything. I have never told anyone this before in my life, this is the first time ever on Reddit. I'm not sure where else to post this, it was either here or r/confession, and this seemed like the right place for good feedback.

&#x200B;

Our relationship is non-existent, I have not spoken to her since. Is anything she doing illegal or am I just an asshole for snooping around her porn folder?

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

Answer:
 There's a huge difference between children in hentai and actual child pornography. On the part of your sister looking at kids, a lot of people just find kids entertaining to watch?

On a side note, you might find it interesting to look into cases where people have had manga that involved nude characters that looked like children. There's been a few cases in the US where they got some attention, but, to my knowledge, it always not been considered illegal to have it.


Title: [OH] The city shut off our water due to a leak that our landlord knew about and didn't investigate

Question:
Hey everyone,

There has been a large amount of water coming from the sidewalk directly in front of our house for months now. Our landlord saw it at least a month ago, and knew about it before then but brushed it off.

Today I came back from running errands and noticed 2 slips of paper on our door. (this door connects to a sunroom with another door leading inside and is not used for access to the house so no one saw the slips) The first slip was from yesterday and marked that no one had been home (we are college students so many of us have classes during the day). The second slip said that since the company tried to stop in 3 times and no one had been home that they shut our water off because of the leak (confirmed coming from our house). We never saw the first slip the company claims they left on the 26th. The company did not try to contact the cell number on our account and states they will not turn the water back on until the leak is fixed.

So we have no water. We can't do dishes, laundry, shower, use the toilets, nothing. You get the picture.

This all began about 4 hours ago now. I contacted our landlord saying we need to get this fixed ASAP. She said she was contacting plumbers and would let us know. 4 hours later and she has not gotten back to us after trying to get an update.

Now I understand this isn't life or death. We can pick up water from the store and make do. But at what point does not having water break the law? Aren't there plumbing services that offer emergency options that we should at least have someone looking at it by now? When are we able to contact someone to report that our house isn't livable? Who would we contact?

I understand it's only been 4 hours, but since the leak is coming from the sidewalk I'm pretty sure it will require construction to fix and we don't want to be without water for weeks. Is our landlord required to provide us another living space if it takes longer than a certain amount of time?

I'm really just looking for a timeline or advice on what we should be doing or what we are able to do either now or in the near future if nothing happens. Thank you.

Answer:
 [Ohio Revised Code 5321.07](http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/5321.07v1) lays out your remedies for the landlord failing to provide you with running water.

The short version is: provide your landlord written notice informing them of the issue. They then have a "reasonable time" to fix the issue (maximum 30 days, but can be shorter depending on the severity of the issue).

If they don't fix it within a reasonable time, you can either break the lease and move out, or start paying rent to your local municipal or county court instead of to your landlord, who will hold on to it until the problem is fixed. You can also seek a court order to compel your landlord to fix it, or to use your witheld rent to fix it.


Title: Next door neighbor's key opens my apartment

Question: The keys are made in such a way that his key opens my apartment door, but my key doesn't open his.. it's really weird. He's a nice guy and I'm not especially worried about him having access to my place but when i talked to the apartment they didn't want to replace the locks is there anything i can do legally here? Location is reno nv

Answer: He could have a master key. Perhaps management accidentally gave him one. Ask them to give him a key that only opens his door.


Title: Donating sperm to a woman online, but I'm living in my parents house - would this create any liability for them?

Question:
I want to donate my sperm to a woman on the internet.  I verified that she has a stable income and I'm going to have her sign a contact that the baby is hers and I am not financially liable.

I've read that courts sometimes don't respect these contracts, and the sperm donor ends up paying child support anyways.

My question is, I'm living in my parents house now. Would this put them at any risk of being sued or the family court trying to get money?

Thanks

Answer:
 > I'm going to have her sign a contact that the baby is hers and I am not financially liable.

That's not how it works.Answer #2: No, it would only put you on the hook for child support payments. Donating sperm outside of a sperm bank is very risky business.Answer #3: > I'm going to have her sign a contact that the baby is hers and I am not financially liable.

She and you are unable to make a legally-binding agreement between yourselves that deprives the child of something that the *child* is legally entitled to.

> I've read that courts sometimes don't respect these contracts, and the sperm donor ends up paying child support anyways.

Right, because you're attempting to father a child and then turn around and say, "But I don't want to be the father to this child and not have any of the legal or financial responsibilities a father has to their child."  That's not how this works.

Do this through a fertility clinic, where everyone's rights are respected and you can legally separate yourself from fatherhood and all the legal and financial obligations that come along with that, or don't do it at all.Answer #4: Define "Donate sperm."

Are you going to a clinic and having a doctor do the insemination?  If so, you and your parents are fine.

Are you doing it any other way besides that?  Because then you're a dad no matter what the contract says.


Title: How do I prevent my mother or my MIL from gaining custody of my child should something happen?

Question:
Basically the title. I don't know if the details matter besides MIL is the lesser of two evils but both mine and my spouse's mother have horrifying home lives and also are hoarders(messy homes unfit for raising kids).

I would prefer she went to my aunt or his aunt's. I'm sure my MIL and mom would fight them though.

So um, advice?? I live in NS Canada.
(I think I'm having some post partum anxiety lol. Better safe than sorry as I want what is best for my child though)
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Make a will.

Also, make sure your child has a close, consistent relationship with the person you want to be the guardian.  Say you write a will that names your aunt as the guardian.  If your mom then picks up your kid every day after school and your aunt only sees him at Christmas, your mom is a lot more likely to successfully contest your will unless her home is legally unfit and she refuses to make other arrangements.Answer #2: You can make your wishes known in a will. If both parents are dead they will have no control where their child ends up. Answer #3: Contact an estate attorney and set up a will. In it you can dictate who you want to raise your children if both you and your spouse pass. That said, be sure to ask your aunt in advance if she would be willing to raise your kids. A will won't 100% guarantee that the kids go to your aunt, but if you set up the will and any trusts right then the kids are more likely to go with who you want them to.


Title: (NY) Genesee County. My mother is a tenant-at-will and she got a phone call from her landlord today that he is evicting her in 30 days because he is selling the house.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 First of all this isn't an eviction. This is just ending the tenancy. An eviction is when the landlord has to go to court.

NY requires written notice:

http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/new-york-notice-requirements-terminate-month-month-tenancy.html

She can ask for written notice but once she has that she has to leave.

> Does it have to go through the courts?

Not if she moves out in time. Your mother doesn't want this to happen as it will be a matter of public record and some landlords won't rent to her.


Title: Debt collectors took more out of bank than agreed upon

Question:
I'm trying to take care of my debt from student loans (I never graduated).  I agreed to make a payment of $1000 and gave them my account number.  I know this debt is legit and they have the last 4 of my SSN so it's not just some scam.  The problem is they took 1400 out of my account when I agreed to only 1000.  Is this against the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act?

Should I get a new account or change account numbers?  I asked them to send me the recording from the call and he said they only will with a subpoena.  Also, does it matter that I'm currently in school?

[Minneapolis, MN]

Answer: You should never allow debt collectors direct access to you bank account. How can you prove you only authorized $1000?


Title: (CO) Chipped tooth on bone in beef jerky, company is asking me to send them the bone fragment.

Question:
Location: Colorado

Hey all, I recently chipped a tooth while eating beef jerky when I came across a small bone fragment. I took pictures and kept the fragment. I contacted the company and they said they are talking to their insurance company and would get back to me. Im not making any of this up and to prove that to them I offered to send in the bone fragment and bag it came in. They said that would be appreciated. I asked that it not be damaged or lost and returned upon request. The representative said of course. I have not sent it in yet and am asking for any advice on this matter. Thanks!

Answer: Take photos, keep a copy of the letter, send it via registered post with signature.


Title: I got a text message (yes, a text) over a payday loan debt saying they will come to my work and arrest me. Need advice.

Question:
The text is as follows, I will leave out phone numbers as I do not know if allowed to post:

"This is to inform you that we have received a case against you under section 9 of chapter 19(c) for which we have to take you into custody from the place of your employment, you can either contact us back on ###-###-#### or we have to go ahead and take strict actions against you and imprisonment thereof. Washington D.C. Crime Bureau"

I believe this is from a 4 year old pay day loan I was unable to pay back.  2 weeks ago, on the 27th of July, I got multiple calls form a "locator" who was tasked in finding me an serving me papers.  Of which, I found very odd considering I am in TX and we have constables for that type of thing.  The man was very rude and brash, said he was with some service or company, not any kind of law enforcement or even an attorney. On that day, the 27th, I was moving and seeing doctors.  I called the litigation firm who supposedly had this "case" (they are saying I purposefully attempted to defraud a financial institution by writing a bad check when they went to take their payment.  It was not in the bank as I had lost my job and was unable to pay) to see what I could do and their offer of repayment was absurd (150 bi weekly, which I can not possibly do.).

When I told this firm I am unable to make those payments as I was moving in with my girlfriend because of money issues, they pretty much said "good luck in court" then hung up on me.  I attempted to call this "locator" back to meet up with him and get these papers (presumably to go to court over this) and he never picked up nor was there a voice mail.

I don't know what to do, what this is and I am even very confused as I though jail was not a possibility over debt (at least in TX per the TX constitution).  This is over (from what they told me when I called the litigation firm) over a little over $900 after late fees, interest and so on.

Can I go to jail for this?  Is this text just to try to scare me (strong arm debt collecting tactics)?  What can I do to get these buttholes to stop calling me 30 times a day?

A few side note, my credit is shot, utterly shot.  I'm 33 and prtty much feeling like bankruptcy is my only option left, but I can not as of right now afford a retainer.  I was always figuring/under the impression when you owe money that A) jail or imprisonment is out of the question and B) when they take it to court the result is pretty much a permanent mark on your credit making your score worse.

The part that is bothering me is they keep using the word "charges" and keep saying I attempted to defraud a financial institution with a "bad check".  All be it, this bad check was just them electronically trying to withdraw money they were owed from my bank account.  Which hardly, to me, seems I was doing anything on purpose as I lost my income.

So again, what should I do?  Should I be worried of someone showing up to my current job and arresting me over this?

Answer:
 It's a scam, there's no "Washington D.C. Crime Bureau" that I've ever heard of. If you look up your text online, you can see other scam reports identical to yours.

See [here](http://www.scamcallfighters.com/scam-call-2027530304-Washington-DC-crime-bureau---case-under-section-9-chapter-19-Text-Message--SMS--Scam-23932.html) for an identical situation and [here](http://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-347-960-6502/2) for a similar oneAnswer #2: It baffles me that a law enforcement agency would call themselves the "Washington DC crime Bureau" (which is a *terrible* name and doesn't appear to exist) when Washington DC doesn't need a police department and a state-level criminal investigation bureau, and then texts you to let you know they're going to arrest you. Plus, WTF is "section 9 of chapter 19(c)"? Of what jurisdictions' statutes?

It looks like a scam: http://www.scamcallfighters.com/scam-call-2027530304-Washington-DC-crime-bureau---case-under-section-9-chapter-19-Text-Message--SMS--Scam-23932.html

I doubt they would have jurisdiction to arrest you (even if they existed), and they would need a warrant. If someone does come from the "Washington DC Crime Bureau" and tries to take you into custody, drop everything, get behind a locked door, and call the police.

BTW, you should consult a bankruptcy attorney. And you should consider reporting this text message to the police. They're impersonating police officers which is a major felony in every jurisdiction I know of. And, if they did anything that could be construed as implementing a plan to unlawfully take you into custody, that's conspiracy to kidnap.

Local police might not care, but the Rangers should investigate or hand it over to the FBI. Answer #3: /r/personalfinance has a great wiki section about debt collectors, and what they can/cannot legally do. Threatening to send you to jail is a common (awful) tactic.

https://www.reddit.com/r/personalfinance/wiki/collections


Title: Need full custody , dads a in and out of life failure who doesn’t pay to support her in anyway

Question:
How can I get full custody of my daughter, I’ve been divorced for two years she is four years old and he has not paid for anything in regards to her he doesn’t even come see her he’s been home from his job up North for two weeks and hasn’t even come to see her even when I asked him to watch her so I could go to work he no showed me and I almost got fired until someone saved my butt. Does he have rights to see her once every several months or so when he feels like it? How do I protect her from getting hurt and treated like a convienent playmate rather than a valued child that deserves more ?  Dropping in and out of her life can’t emotionally be teaching her how a man should value a person or teach her how she should be treated.  I don’t think joint custody makes sense when I have to track him down and beg him for permission to take her on vacation out of province or country.  I’ve taken care of her emotionally, mentally physically and financially, can I apply for full custody? Do his parents have Right to her as much as his visitation rights state? Their asking for her this weekend but anytime she goes there she’s a wreck when coming back, hairs not brushed, bedtime doesn’t exist or rules and than I get the job of cleaning it up for the next week while the rest of the house including her little brother get the brunt of her entitled attitude she comes
Back with.  What are my rights? What’s the chances I get full custody?

Answer:
 You can petition for full custody. He can dispute it. Ultimately, if you and your coparent can't work something out, a judge will decide, mostly based on what's in your child's interests.

It's worth getting a lawyer to deal with this, to help you look out for your kid's best interests. Custody disputes often qualify for legal aid, so if you can't afford an attorney, start calling around.

If you have an existing custody order, you'll need to abide by it until the courts amend it. If you don't, then either of you can do more or less as you see fit, but cutting off your daughter's access to her father unilaterally may look bad in court if you're not extremely careful. Unless granted by a court order, his parents have no basis to take custody from _you_, but there's nothing stopping your ex from allowing them to babysit.


Title: Got a letter from a contractor for $2,197.90 but they haven't done any work and we haven't agreed to anything

Question:
My roof has a hole in it and I contacted a contractor to repair the roof, he suggested that I make a claim against my insurance company and I did so.

My contract stipulates that the contractor will be paid “the amount approved by homeowner’s insurance provider.” My insurance provider gave me an amount of $0.00 since they denied my claim.

I just got this letter from a law firm claiming to represent the contractor claiming that I owe that bill. I've called the law firm and have begun writing a letter disputing the bill.

As far as I know, the contractor has done no work and we have not agreed to any price or payment other than the insurance provider amount in the contract. I've been reading over the contract trying to find any statement reading that I'll owe an amount but I don't see one.

Edit: No there are no itemized lines for the bill beyond "Nature of Debt: Restoration Services."

Answer:
 Im a roofer but not on the side of permits and billing.

Every company i have worked for, the foreman takes before and after pictures of all work done.

From reading this sub for awhile, id wager a certified letter stating no work has been done and demand proof of work completedAnswer #2: How do you not know if someone repaired your roof or not?!Answer #3: Ask for a copy of the contract you signed authorizing them to perform work and proof of any work done. Absent a contract,  good luck (to them)Answer #4: Did you go to your roof to see if the hole is still there? Answer #5: Is the hole still there?

If not, did you sign anything when the roofer came? If you did, you're probably screwed. This is a typical roofer scam. They get you sign something 'to release them from liability' while they just 'inspect' your roof, and then they have a contract with you that they can have enforced because you didn't read the fine print.Answer #6: Verify that the letter really did originate from an actual law firm.  Call up the firm and tell them that you received a demand letter with their letterhead, and wanted to confirm its authenticity.

Did you ever receive an itemized invoice of any services rendered from them?  Did you sign anything that gave them permission to access your house to perform work?

In the contract that stated you agreed they would be paid the amount that your homeowners insurance approved for the roof, are you sure there aren't other provisions in the contract that address the specific situation of non-coverage?  Seems like a roofer would not cover those specific cases, because no one does work for free.


Title: I feel like I'm in danger: How do I get a restraining order against my violent, drunk brother who struck me if my parents don't want one placed on him?

Question:
Quick edit: I live in Northern California.

Background: I (Female, 28) live with my parents and older brother and two younger nieces.

My brother is a drunk and constantly is "mean mugging" me. He is always drinking in the house around my nieces. Two days ago I came home and he, drunk as he always is, started yelling at me for no reason, screaming and just saying drunken things, calling me stupid and dumb. Then he punched me in the face and then I tackled him and wrestled with him. We kind of fought for a bit. I got pretty bruised up and had to miss some days of work because my neck and shoulder are sore.

I told my parents, but they're super old and senile and have some PTSD issues from escaping a worn-torn country. They said we all need to just forgive each other. They are pretty delusional. They said he is "dead inside", and the only way to keep him "at bay" is to keep him drunk as much as possible. I am not making this up.

 I called the police, but they said it is a civil issue.

I want to get a restraining order, but I'm not sure how that would work if my parents want him to continue living in the house. They won't help me. One time I called the police, and the police asked for my parents' side of the story about him yelling and screaming, and my parents downplayed it. I feel so helpless.

TL;DR: My brother is a drunk, punched me in the face. I want a restraining order to get him out of the house, but parents want him here. What options do I have? Thank you for your help!

edit 1: This might sound ridiculous, but  I can't move out because my parents are dependent on me. I pay the bills. This is my apartment. I take care of my parents. If I moved out, no one would pay the bills. My hands are tied. I can't move out. The brother needs to leave.

Answer:
 If the apartment is yours only, you can just follow legal procedures to evict your brother.
You don't need to justify it and you don't need your parents permission.Answer #2: So you filed a police report and they did nothing at all?

You're almost 30. Time to move out.Answer #3: When someone assaults you, call the police when it happens. That is not a civil issue.

Aside from that, you should move out and get your own place if your parents want him to continue living there and you don't feel safe around him.Answer #4: I hate to say it, but, consider a consultation with a lawyer if you have the money.  If you don't, see if there are some charities in the area (eg. abuse shelters) that will give you advice on getting your brother evicted and a restraining order.

Edit: you can typically have the restraining order list specific locations he cannot be at, including your home, even if you are not there.Answer #5: Arguing with your drink brother is a civil issue.

An assault is not.

As already suggested, file a complaint. And if it happens again, file a new one.

Next, look up the tenant rules for your state, and start the process to get him removed.Answer #6: A domestic violence hotline or local DV organization might be able to advise you on what to do from here.


Title: Hit a cyclist with my car, low speed, no injuries, cyclist claims his handlebar is broken and I believe wants to be compensated)

Question: I was driving on a two lane divided road and was turning left into a driveway of a hospital to drop my fiance and her mom off when a cyclist was riding down the roadway and hit me on the side of my bumper, I stopped got out checked if he was ok and said he was fine, no issue, exchanged information (ID and insurance) and I drove off, now he's saying his handlebar is cracked and is going to break off, I have a video of the incident on my dashcam but I'm not sure if it will help me or hurt me. I honestly believe is was more of his fault for riding so fast into a driveway without slowing down, traffic is very heavy in this area and very congested. What should I do?

Answer:
 So you were turning left across traffic, and had a collision with an oncoming cyclist on their side of the road \(which you were crossing\)?Answer #2: “Believe it was his fault for riding so fast into a driveway”

It sounds like you turned left in front of oncoming traffic. Am I mistaken?


Title: Little sister lives with parents has two kids, and is requested to use my address to get foodstamps, is this a red flag? She's requesting my approval on this but I don't know if it's a good idea.

Question: Basically she has two kids and lives with my Mom, she said she cannot obtain the food stamps with my moms address because you can't get them living with a parent she said. So she wants to use my address to claim food stamps, I told her I would look into it because I don't know how good of an idea it is and if it would be a bad idea. I'm in  Denver Colorado

Answer:
 Well let me phrase her request differently.

I cannot get foodstamps because I don't quallify but when I were to live at your adress then I would quallify so would you sign of on the fact that I'm going to commit fraud with your help by lying to the government?

Does that sound like a good idea?Answer #2: Uh, I have a friend who used to work in the Denver food stamps office.  It's really only a matter of time until they catch on.  They do this for a living and they have seen it ALL.  Your sister is not the first person to think "oh, lemme just put this other address on here real quick and it'll be fine".  Oh, so you're living in a place and paying $600/month in rent but have no income? You live here, but the kids go to school over there? We've parked outside your house for a week and never seen you here, but you live here?

Instead, you may wish to have her talk to her caseworker.  I believe the rule is she can't "purchase and prepare food" with her parents (and needs to be of a certain age (22?)), but the fact she lives there shouldn't automatically disqualify her.  She may be getting the wrong answer here--perhaps doing a little research and appealing to a supervisor would be preferable to fraud.Answer #3: Lying to the government is almost never a good idea.Answer #4: She's obviously committing welfare fraud. Do you want to be an accomplice to that, or not?


Title: Requesting Workplace Accommodations

Question:
[Pennsylvania] I have a well-documented mental health disability. (Bipolar, PTSD, Generalized Anxiety, Panic Disorder w/Agoraphobia) My doctor has recommended that I work from home for the next 2 months while in treatment. My job is mostly data-entry and internal customer support. 85% of it is digital and none of it requires face-to-face interaction. I have the equipment and the capacity to work from home, as all department members do, and have worked from home in the past (overtime or bad weather).

The reason I need to work remotely is because my "attitude and demeanor" (the manifestations of my condition) have recently been renamed "misconduct" by my supervisor and despite repeated reasonable requests for accommodation (move my desk, allow uninterrupted work time, stop humiliating me with weekly meetings to criticize all of the ways I struggled in the previous week), I was unable to convince my management to work with me. My boss shouted at me last week. My condition has progressed to the point where my health and safety are potentially at risk. All I want is to do my job in peace.

Human Resources* originally asked only for a doctor's note describing the accommodation; now they need other forms filled out that were not provided to me when I requested them on Monday, before my doctor's appointment today (Thursday).

My question is, how much am I obligated to divulge about the nature of my condition? I don't wish to share the exact diagnoses with them, but I don't want to be so vague that the request is rejected.

Thanks for any information you can provide.

Answer:
 Honestly, I wouldn't count on this being approved. Your previous requests don't seem reasonable to me and it's fairly likely this one isn't either. Working from home is one thing, but being unwilling to accept criticism with regards to your work performance is a bit much. Answer #2: This remeinded me of the case from last year from the 8th Circuit, Walz v. Ameriprise Fin., Inc., 779 F.3d 842, 845 (8th Cir. 2015). I have used it in training to say you don't have a right to be an asshole under the ADA. The person in this case  also has bipolar and an inability to accept criticism and work positively with her supervisors and co-workers. That employee didn't really ask for leave or a specific accommodation so she lost on that basis. But the case is significant for you in that it finds you don't get a free pass to be disruptive in the workplace just because you have a nebtak disorder.

If you wish to use the ADA you need to work with them to give them notice of the disability and a specific accommodation that will work. They then use that information to decide if the accommodation you are requesting is reasonable for their business. Working from home is a big accommodation. But you can increasing your chances by providing them as much information as you feel comfortable with of your condition and how the accommodation will work. HR is supposed to keep that information in a separate file accessed by a limited number of people. Good luck.


Title: Car Accident advcie

Question:
Hi guys. I am in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. So I'm driving home the other day and suddenly a car that was three cars ahead of me slams on their brakes and comes to a complete stop. Both the other cars in front of me come to a brake-slamming complete stop, and I do the same. We're all completely stopped and everyone is fine. Suddenly I get absolutely annihilated from behind. My head whips back and then forward hard enough that my glasses fly off my face and the sun visors in my car flip forward and detach from their little holders. My car gets pushed 4 or 5 feet forward into the car in front of me. Not good. My car has pretty extensive damage to the rear and the car of the person who hit me is totally destroyed. Front end completely crumpled. Windshield completely spiderweb. Air bag went off. Luckily no one was seriously injured though. However, that night once all the adrenaline wore off my neck started feeling really hot and just different from normal. So I made a doctors appointment for the next day. I woke up the next day and my neck was pretty sore. I had to take a day off from work and go to the doctors office. He was just a GP so Ibuprofen was the medicine.

My question is, what should I do next? I've never thought of myself as a litigious person but I just want to be safe for me and my family. The accident was 5 days ago now and my neck is still sore. I have two small kids and I have tot think about my neck when I go to pick them up. I've had to change the way I sleep to accommodate the soreness. I find myself turning my torso to help take some of the torque off turning my neck when driving and checking my blind spot or talking to someone sitting next to me on a couch. Just a bunch of sore-neck-related stuff like that.

 I should mention the insurance company of the person who hit me has accepted full liability for the accident. So do I just let insurance handle this? Do I need a lawyer? I've never had to deal with something like this before. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks!

Answer:
 Your first concern is your medical treatment.  If you are still hurting and its been almost a week, you may consider seeing a specialist who will likely start by ordering an X-ray and/or MRI and send you to physical therapy.  Keep up with your treatment as prescribed and hope it goes away in a few weeks.

The insurance company should take care of the damage to your car without much difficulty.  You can then decide how to pursue claims for your personal injuries.  By law, you are entitled to compensation ("damages") for past and future medical bills, past and future lost wages (if any) and past and future pain and suffering.  Your health insurance will likely pay your medical bills up front and the damages you receive for medical expenses will go to your health insurance company to reimburse them for the bills they paid (you can't keep it).

If you quickly heal up in the next few days and your damages are primarily a handful of medical bills, you might consider handling the claim yourself with the at-fault driver's insurance company.  However, it's my opinion you'll likely see a better result if you have an attorney present your settlement demand to the insurance company.  Personal injury attorneys give free initial consultations and take cases on contingency so that you don't have to pay them out-of-pocket.  So, it won't hurt to sit down with an attorney to discuss your options.


Title: Friend Trapped by her Parents

Question:
I have a friend, aged 22, that is having some trouble growing up.

She lives at home with her parents who almost never let her leave the house. She is occasionally allowed to go to the movies or bowling but shes never really been able to do anything by herself. She's extremly shy and has trouble communicating on an adult level at times, so it is understandale that her parents are sheltering her. She has the potential to be a fully functioning adult but her parents are so overbearing that they've crippled her socially.

What concerns me is that they are refusing to give her her own legal documents, such as her Birth Certificate and Social Security number. She really wants to get a job and move out and become independent but she wants to do it all without confrotation. I don't know where to even start to help her.

How could she get a birth certificate and social security card with absolutely no form of I.D?

Answer:
 A 22 year old who is having thier life controlled as if they where 10 is going to have a hard time avoiding confrontation when they leave the house.

I assume this means she does not drive.  Did she go to school?  She is an adult, can request her own school records.   What state is she in, this would be important on where to start on obtaining a Birth Certificate.

If she does not drive, she could ask her parents to get her a state id card, there are some valid reason for her to have an id.  Answer #2: She could ask her parents to help her get a state ID under guise of being afraid of being stopped by police and being asked for ID or being hurt and needing to be identified.

She may be able to get a PO box and if she can, she should make sure all mail is directed there.

Also, another something to try is to convince her parents to let her take a class at the local community college. She'd get an ID with that and can use that to request birth certificate.Answer #3: Here are the instructions for getting a copy of her birth certificate: https://www.in.gov/isdh/25993.htm

I think you can get walk-in service at the county health department if you can take her somewhere during normal business hours.