Title: Testifying against someone who tried to abduct me (ON, Canada)

Question:
Hello everyone,

Not to give too much away here I may need to testify in a case against a man who tried to abduct myself and several other young girls more than 5 years ago.

He ended up with a slap on the wrist at the time and a restraining order against all of us and a few other restrictions. I don't know many other details as I was still rather young at the time.

He has gotten in trouble for doing the same thing all these years later and now I have been asked to testify against him. I have no problem doing this, however, the other girls which are all adults now do not want any part in it. I am very worried he may walk again this time. He is clearly dangerous and willing to grab at young girls.

The other issue being I've moved to a different province. I can't afford to fly back to Ontario, would the courts cover my costs? Are there other options without being there in the flesh? I also can't afford to take a lot of time off work.

My biggest concerns are being an adult and having to testify over something that occurred in my childhood and just being in a courtroom in general if it leads to that?

Has anyone else had to testify over something similar?
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 Yes, the court will cover your reasonable travel costs (Flight, hotel, meals..)  They can also pay an advance rather than reimburse you if money is a concern.

Call the Crown Prosecutor's office for the area where the trial will take place for details.  They will probably not reimburse you for missed work. I have never seen it anyway.  You can find their number with google or on the Ontario Justice website.

There is other options for not being there in person, video conferencing is sometimes available for limited situations. Again, contact the Crown Prosecutor's office for details.  If the location is remote, it might not have facilities. It also must be pre-arranged.

Testifying is not a big deal, people tend to overanalyze things.  If your testimony is important, the Crown will review it beforehand with you over the phone with the questions they will be asking.  Answer honestly and listen to the instructions and you'll be fine.  It is not like the television makes it seem.  It is much less argumentative and goes a lot slower.  Also, the lawyers aren't nearly as smart or intimidating as they appear on television.

As an aside,  based on my experience, less than 10% of the people subpoenaed to testify actually end up providing evidence at a trial.  A lot of the time, the defence counsel is just trying to make sure that everyone shows up before taking a plea deal.  Your biggest job, 90% of it anyway, will be showing up to make sure that the Crown Prosecutor has the ability to take it to trial and giving her/him the strongest bargaining position.


Title: estate question - will i not receive anything due to being legally adopted instead of blood?

Question:
The estate is based in illinois.

Firstly - Grandfather died

Secondly - Father died (I'm legally adopted by him)

Thirdly - Grandmother died

Grandfather/Grandmother have two living children.
From what I'm reading it seems to say that my step-sister and I will receive would have been my father's portion of the estate since he died.

I'm listed as an heir.  (I Was originally listed as a legatee but I just got a letter stating that I should be removed as legatee and properly listed as an heir since I am adopted.)

My question is - to clarify the following statements from the will:

>Section three of the will specifically provides that the residue of her estate goes to "the decedents by blood of any child of mine who predeceases me shall take per stirpes the share such deceased child would have received if he survived me."

and

>Section four of the will further provides "It is my intention to exclude from my will any descendant who is a descendant by reason of adoption and is not a descendant by reason of blood relationship"

Answer: It's never a bad idea to consult with a probate attorney if there is inheritance involved but a plain reading of that makes is clear that any share that would have been due to your father if he was still alive gets shared between remaining living children by blood.


Title: How do I get joint custody?

Question:
So searched online and didn't really find much. Do I go to the court house and just ask to file joint custody? I am on the birth certificate and the mom of my child (4 months) doesn't want her to live with me at all.(We're both 18 living with are parents) Do courts usually give the mom more time with her even though there's no valid to? Gwinnett county, Ga

EDIT: I didn't think my google skills were going to be hated on this hard lol. I got off at 12 yesterday and got up at 5:40 to go to school and did this search on the way there sorry that apparently I am going to be a shitty dad bc of this. I probably wasn't clear headed 100% I will search again sorry for wasting your guy's time

Answer:
 > So searched online and didn't really find much

You have to do better. You couldn't find anything on how to get file for custody? You are a poor poor internet person. Whats your state, hell give me the county in which the kiddo lives and I'm betting I could find a form for you in under 10 min.

>Do I go to the court house and just ask to file joint custody?

Not a bad place to start. Hell, you can probably call. Now adays they probably have forms on their website.

> Do courts usually give the mom more time with her even though there's no valid to?

No, the parent who is willing to do the work usually gets more. You have done so little work its rather sad.


Title: Tip Pooling in Colorado

Question:
Hi,

I work at a sorta nice, not chain pizza place in Colorado. Delivery drivers receive their own tips for driving, but there is also a tip jar/tipping through credit cards. Every non-manager, non-driver employee receives a share of these tips.

Recently, a manager made a "joke" to an employee that they would receive less than an equal split of the tips, e.g. everyone else would get $10, and this employee would only get $9. This seriously bothers me, as the work itself is pretty equitably split between employees, and any differences are reflected in wage differences (which the employees are pretty transparent about among themselves). Is this (*EDIT: that is, not giving each employee the same amount*) allowed?  I looked at [this link](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/Colorado-laws-tipped-employees.html) but it doesn't specify.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Yes. It's legal to joke about the tip distribution.


Title: Advice for young adults in police interactions

Question:
So we've all had or will have a run in with some type of law enforcement in our life times. Obviously law enforcement has taken to intimidation practices towards younger adults, seeing as how they know they can make a poor kid piss his pants, and accidentally give them all the consent they need to preform a "legal" search of his or her vehicle. I'd like the younger adults here to be able to consult with some people who know what they're talking about in regards to, not just what you can do to prevent an illegal search of your vehicle, but what is the best method of handling such a situation

Edit: robot is yelling at me to tell you all where I'm from so I'm from Pennsylvania, I like long walks on the beach, and starbursts.

Edit 2: thanks for all the advice and tips! I feel as general as my question was I learned a lot of helpful things.

Answer:
 The only thing you should do is tell the cop that you don't consent to a search. If the cop does it anyway, let them. The cop doesn't have to justify his or her probable cause to you. The place to debate the legality of a search is in the courtroom, not with the cops. Answer #2: Minimize your risk by not doing sketchy stuff, follow the laws. If you are pulled over, be courteous and follow the officer's directions. Do not be argumentative or a jerk. The cop does not need to justify himself to you; he has to justify himself IN COURT. If the cop says he wants to search, be direct and clear that you do not consent to the search. If he does anyway, anything he finds may be inadmissible against you. The time to argue your rights is in court, not at the road side. You're not going to "prevent" the cop from doing what he's going to do, but you may get yourself more charges by being noncompliant.Answer #3: A side note to the "am I being detained" crowd, how would you know?

Y(ou): "Am I being detained?"

C(op): "I'm just trying to get your side of the story, sir."

Y: "Am I free to leave?"

C: "It would be to your benefit to talk with me."

Y: "I will assume that unless you say 'yes' I am not being detained. Am I being detained?"

C: "Really sir, please just show me your ID."

So, is the person being detained?Answer #4: The time for arguing citations is in court, not with the officer. Always be polite and courteous to law enforcement. If you are being accused of a crime, remain silent and get a lawyer, that is your right.


Title: Illinois, USA Situation with my neighbors aggressive guest is not really being handled, what are my options?

Question:
In my last post here, I outlined what was happening. The leasing office sent a letter out (presumably to each of the households) Saying that we will hear each other from time to time, and that is to be expected in apartment living. I feel like the apartment has focused on the domestic disturbance call to the police, the initial point of contact between me and said guest. In reality, the issue is with him threatening me, and now harassing my fiance. The letter said he will no longer be there... The man in question has taken to parking in the complex across the street during office hours, and then just walking back to the unit next to mine. (He has been a guest for over a month, and should be on the lease, but is not). What can I do?

TL:DR Neighbors guest is not actually moving out, despite being told to do so by the leasing office. Has made threats to me, and was harassing my fiance(female).

Edit: Also, How can I go about getting a restraining order against him? I never received his name, but im assuming the officers took his information and have it in the report. I can also write down his license plate number.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Don't worry about what is going on with your neighbor's living and lease situation with the landlord, it has nothing to do with you.  If the guy threatens you and harasses you further, then call the police.


Title: contractor refusing to provide an accurate final receipt (NY)

Question:
I had a home renovation contract for $30,000. Contractor finished the job and I paid him $4,000 as the final payment. He refused to provide a paid-in-full receipt when he picked up the check saying his system doesn't allow it, but he will do so once he enters the payment into his system after being paid.

Later, he sent me a receipt only for $27,000 out of total $30,000 I paid, i.e. with $3,000 less than what he was really paid. I told him to correct it and he's giving me excuses that he needs to look into it and doesn't get back. All the payments were in checks. I also already have lien waiver from him conditioned on final payment, and the contract shows precise amount to be paid.

I still need an accurate receipt to settle with another party. What can I do if he refuses to send me a correct one?

Answer: Get him to write a letter on letterhead saying payment was done in full. If he refuses complain to the state contractor licensing board.


Title: People with the same area code and first 3 digits as my phone number are getting calls from my number with no one there

Question:
US, Illinois.

As simple as the title. I just had a very irate woman (with the same area code and first 3 digits as myself) call and tell me that she gets calls like that from my number and to stop calling her. I tried reasoning with her and telling her that I apologise and that I've never seen her number and I've never called her before, but she hungup before I could really speak.

I understand this is a common scam and that the authorities rarely do anything about it, but all I'm worried about is if she decides to file a complaint or something against me. I was thinking if she called again I'd try and tell her to just block my number or if I should just block hers, but I'm not sure what else to do.

I'm very inexperienced legally and I'm just looking for some kind of direction, so any help is really appreciated!

Answer: Nothing will come of this, but if it does you'll be able to show no calls originated from your phone. Just ignore her.


Title: What do these traffic signs say to you?

Question:
Hi there. I was recently pulled over on this road for going over 30mph - 44 exactly, what do these signs say to you about the road you're about to enter from the intersection opposite them? (Dual Carriageway and Left Only signs) I know street lights usually indicate 30mph in the UK, but this is classed as a dual carriageway thanks to the substantial central reservation (am i wrong here?). There are no other speed limit signs on this road.

http://imgur.com/a/eAXiF

Any thoughts appreciated.

Answer: Try the other side of the road at /r/legaladviceuk


Title: Box of weed seized by usps

Question: I attempted to send an ounce of weed to a friend in Minnesota from Colorado and it got seized. I requested a refund for the shipping before it was seized and needed to provide information for that, but the refund was approved. I am not looking to reclaim the box but am wondering if I should be worried about being prosecuted or if I should be getting a lawyer. Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated. I know I fucked up and I know this wasn’t smart, but I’m hoping I can just move on...

Answer:
 Any amount sent via USPS is considered trafficking.

So yeah, be prepared for felony charges.Answer #2: Yes you should be worried about that. Stop communicating with the postal service and if the police as to question you or for you to come down to the station, you politely decline. When you're arrested, remain silent, refuse to answer questions or provide a statement, and call an attorney at your first opportunity.


Title: Cleaning service never charged me 1 year ago like they were supposed to and now they are demanding money plus late fees

Question:
Highlights:
I had a maid service come to my apartment and clean before my son was born

(I wanted the place to be clean for my wife and baby because we are first time parents and were fearful of dust dirt etc for a newborn)

I have used this service 3xs before
And only had an issue once with them

After they leave each time they have always charged my credit card which was attached to my account.

Total comes to about $325

This time the service came over and cleaned for a few hours and as usual they left the thank you note / receipt saying:

Home cleaned by team x
Total $325
Paid by CC (with a check mark next to the box)

(I don’t think I have the receipt anymore it’s been a year)

I figured everything was all was good with the service

I haven’t heard a thing from them in almost 6 months or more when I got an email saying they never charged my account for the service and they just noticed after reviewing their books

I just had a baby so my focus was elsewhere
I mean as far as I knew from the receipt it was paid and I never looked at my bank account to verify it went through.

I ignored the message

Months later I got another email saying
“As we are looking at our records for the year we found that you never paid for your service please get back to us”

I replied stating I thought you guys charged me after completion like every other time”

They said no they didn’t with no explanation as to why they didn’t follow the usual procedure

I verified I was never charged by them
Two days later I received a email stating if I didn’t pay them My account would be charged 25$ a month

Obviously after a year things have changed
Hospital bills and so on
My work situation changed and we are now a one income home

I don’t have 325$ laying around and won’t for awhile

Payment play could work if I set it up with them

However I feel like this mistake and oversight isn’t my fault

And to come back at me 6months to a year later  demanding payment
And deciding to penalize me moving forward 25$ a month until paid is a little crazy

Yes they did a service
Yes I should pay them

But didn’t they make the mistake

Any info on how they could handle this or screw me over would be helpful

I know they could send it to a collection agency
And I would take care of it sooner or later
And yes I know if it goes to collections it could affect my credit

However if they just keep my account open and run up late charges forever
My account will owe crazy $

(No I’m not using them again after this)

Answer:
 You owe them the money.  When they notified you six months ago they needed the payment, you should have paid it then.

Since you admittedly ignored that invoice, they are attempting to collect again.  This time, they are letting you know if you ignore them again, they will add on late fees.

It doesn't matter if they forgot to charge you at the time of services.  They never received funds and have attempted twice to collect them from you.   Call to see if you can work out a payment plan.  Answer #2: A mistake doesn’t absolve you of a responsibility to pay. Situation reversed and they owed you money that you forgot to bill, would you forgive their balance? $1, $100, $1000, $10000?

Also if you were never charged the $325 you should still have it in your account if you were tracking your spending.

I understand other life situations have come up and you probably used it for something else, but the $325 extra didn’t appear magically in your account.


Question:
(FL) Created a sole proprietorship to resell items online. Never sold items online. Bill received.

This year I created a sole proprietorship to sell items online. I was sent a resale certificate and a tax number. Never went through with the business after I created it for personal reasons. Never sold anything, never used my resale certificate.

I filed a tax form for the first two quarters stating that my earnings were zero as I had received a pamphlet in the beginning stating that I should do so. Received a bill today for $3648.18 of estimated delinquency from the florida dept of revenue.

Do I owe this amount? I plan on calling them on Monday, but this is a lot of money & I don't know what I'm doing.
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer: They are just guessing at the amount they think you owe them.  Your best bet is to call and ask how to close your sales tax account with them.  It can be done easily online.


Title: [MO] Original land owners changed property lines after my parents (the third owners) purchased the property.

Question:
First owners changed boundary lines after my parents (the third owners) purchased a house.

Hey reddit my parents are running into an issue when trying to buy another property that connects up to their property. They are paying off their house next month and are buying an additional 20 acres for $80,000. They live in a subdivision in Missouri, and originally bought the house that had two previous owners 1990. They are the third owners.

Here is the problem: when they went to refinance, they ran into an issue where the first owner changed the property boundary after the property was purchased by my parents. The title company did not tell my parents when, only that it was changed after my parents had already purchased the property. Now my parents have to get signatures from the first owners signing off on the amended property however the first owners are deceased and so must get notarized signatures from all the children and the children's spouses.

How can the property boundaries be amended after my parents already owned the property and is this legal? Apparently by amending the property lines my parents actually got slightly more land.

Answer:
 > First owners changed boundary lines after my parents (the third owners) purchased a house.

That's not how that works.  Property lines are described in a plat held by the county recorder.  You can obtain a copy of this and have property boundaries physically marked out by a professional surveyor.  If the previous owners filed a change after they were no longer the owners then they most likely committed fraud.

It is possible that there was a mistake in the plat, which was corrected though.  This is generally pretty rare.


Title: My fiancee is a nurse and she didn't report abuse that resulted in a death [FL]

Question:
Obviously posting with a throwaway.

My fiancee is a nurse and she has a job in an emergency room. A while ago a girl came in with an injury. My fiancee and a male doctor treated her. Now she was murdered and she was 15 and the cops say her father did it. The cops looked at her texts and she texted her boyfriend that she told the nurse after the doctor and her dad left the room about her dad injuring her but she was still sent home with her dad and nurse lectured her about lying. That was a 2.5 weeks before she got murdered. My fiancee was sent home from work and was suspended because he boss wouldn't listen to her side of it and that if she knew she would have reported it. She is afraid she is going to be fired. She called her union but they are declining to help her. Can they even do this? How can she get them to help her because she doesn't want to lose her job?

Answer:
 >She is afraid she is going to be fired.

She shouldn't worry about that.

But that's not because she won't be fired (she certainly will). Instead, she should really be worried about [going to jail](https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/report.pdf#page=2&view=Penalties for failure to report).Answer #2: >My fiancee was sent home from work and was suspended because he boss wouldn't listen to her side of it

Does her side of it involve the girl never telling her? Because this is really bad. Nurses are typically mandatory reporters and should know that the procedure is to always report. CPS will sort out if the child is lying but mandated reporters should assume the worst, since it is better to over report than to have this happen.

As a side note even if she were not a mandated reporter they could fire her for this. It was an incredibly bad decision.


Title: Is this legal? City restricts streets to residents during rush hour

Answer: City governments are generally entrusted with the legal authority to set and enforce traffic regulations. This isn't significantly different from a one-way sign or a no-parking zone, or from any of the huge number of "local traffic only" streets already in existence.


Title: My boss told me to work when I wasn’t on the clock, and he told me it was company policy to work as soon as I get here even if I wasn’t clocked in.

Question:
I told him that I wasn’t going to work for free, and he said that’s not how that works? I said I will gladly answer phones when I’m on the clock, but I’m not clocked in yet! I am confused. I would like clarity on how to move forward. Am I in the wrong?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 No, just clock in if he wants you to work. If he wont let ya clock in early dont come in early.Answer #2: He is required to pay you for all hours for which you are working. Ask him how he plans to pay you for time spent working if it is not recorded on the time clock.

What state are you in? Someone here can direct you to your state's labor laws and how to file a wage claim if it proves necessary.Answer #3: You are required to be paid for all time worked. Answering phones, especially at your supervisor's instruction, is absolutely work.

I think the message here is different than your take-away: if you are required to do tasks such as answer phones as soon as you walk in, you should be clocking in absolutely first thing, regardless of whether you are scheduled yet (within reason). If anyone asks, inform them that it's company policy to be working as soon as you're around.

So, as soon as you're prepared to work (present, dressed, etc), clock in.


Title: Ring video doorbell recording and consent [Missouri,USA]

Question:
I’ve captured a repeat porch pirate stealing things from my porch on my Ring video doorbell camera. This device captures motion and records the video and audio to a cloud service. On her third attempt I was home and able to react ( I banged on the window and the confronted her at my front door).

I was told my recording of this interaction may be illegal in Missouri due to capturing the audio without her consent.   Do I need consent to capture surveillance video and audio of my own front porch?

Answer:
 Missouri is a one party consent state. You can record any interaction you have with anybody as long as you are in the recording. But if you are not around you need the consent of somebody that is being recorded. This only applies to audio. You can video anybody at any time in places where they would have no expectation of privacy like your front porch.

Edit: because your porch is out in public with no expectation of privacy, you can record with no issues.


Title: [USA] My brother is an in house lawyer for a certain company, and at the Mall today when that same company's promoter asked him to join and sign up for membership and promotional deals, he said he can't due to "A Conflict of Interest". Is this a legit excuse to dodge those promoters?

Answer: "&$@#%! you, get the &$#$%!? out of my way" is a legit excuse for those promoters.Answer #2: Yes.


Title: [WI] Can i be sent to debt collections if I win a CC dispute/chargeback for a service?

Question:
Posting for a friend:

Towards the end of May I was supposed to host a visitor, and I had been recovering from surgery and some depressive episodes and my apartment was not in good shape so I booked a cleaning service to do basic sweeping and dusting, clean my stovetop and windows and blinds (actually selected the option to pay extra for the windows). Unfortunately 2 hours before that appointment I had to go to the emergency room and ended up being hospitalized for 5 days (mental health reasons). I had a friend take my keys to let what ended up being 2 women into my building and apartment. The friend did not stay to watch them or take before and after pictures. The friend went back 2 hours later when they claimed they were done and they had already left the building. Friend noticed floor was wet as if it had been mopped, locked up and returned my keys.

When I got back 5 days later I noticed my shelves were still as dusty as when I left, dust bunnies in the corners, my area rug had not been shaken out or vacuumed, my stovetop was exactly as I had left it, and most maddening was my windows and blinds were more filthy than when I had left because it looked like the dust had gotten wet and was just smeared around and not wiped off. In my inbox was an email from the company asking me to leave them an online review (which I have yet to do). I told them that I was not satisfied with the service provided but they told me if I had notified them within 2 days of the service then they would have refunded me or sent someone else out again but now it was too late.

I was not in the right mental state to deal with it. After a few weeks I’m feeling much better and when my credit card statement came through I decided to file a disputed for services not rendered. I got a temporary credit and the dispute I believe is still pending.

Today I got a text from that business (oh yes by the way since the beginning when I tried to call them I got a text instead saying they’re updating their phone system so text or email was the only way to communicate) saying they see the dispute and they have photo evidence to prove the work was done. And that they have a no refunds policy and will be sending this to collections.

I’m very nervous about my credit score and just want to know what can happen. I know that the dispute is still pending and that I might not even win it...I’m hoping they are just trying to intimidate me into dropping it but I’m afraid they actually will send me to a debt collector.

Should I just let it go? The total price was $110 but it’s the principle—I feel like I was taken advantage of while vulnerable, not able to be there in person to monitor them due to being in the hospital without access to my phone (psych ward). I feel like the cleaning people just sat there and watched TV or something while I pod for it.

Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 If you win a credit card dispute, it does not make the debt invalid. It only reverses the payment.

The cleaning company can still sue you or send the debt to collections. Your recourse is to defend the lawsuit with photos or testimony that the work was not done. Not going through their resolution process may work against you, but it isnt clear if you tried to get them to refund you or come do the job properly before requesting the chargeback. It doesn't necessarily make them right, but it ultimately will come down to what a judge rules.

Only you know if it's worth letting go or fighting. If they did a shite job, it is your right to fight the charge. The CC company isnt the final arbiter though. We can't know if the cleaning service will still try to bill you or not, but the first step is always trying to resolve the matter with them directly.

Good luck.


Title: I am having an issue involving my 10 year old daughter with ASD possibly being discriminated against at the rink where she skates ...

Question: She is currently performing in this year's Christmas show. It's a show whose participation was open to the public, so no audition needed Just pay and perform. My daughter requires me to be backstage with her, and for the past two years that has not been a problem. But this year, because the director personally doesn't like me, she won't let me back stage with her. Being backstage to help with my daughter's anxiety is, in my opinion, a 'reasonable accommodation', and because I've been allowed to be with her, she hasn't had any meltdowns. We are also afraid the director is going to pull her from the show. Isn't that discrimination? To pull her from a public show because she needs a 'reasonable accommodation; which hasn't been an issue in previous years? Months before the sign ups for the show began, I requested to be a chaperone, which is what I have done in previous years. I made my request to three people, and put my request on my daughter's sign up sheet. I was turned down. I contacted the head of the skating school to tell her that I need to at least be back stage with my daughter, and was told "we'll see". I have emailed one of the coaches who have helped us in the past, but I have a feeling that she wants to stay out of this as she has yet to talk to me about it. There's this bizarre heirarchy of not telling rink management, keeping everything between the coaches, with this subtle implication that if you make trouble your kid is going to pay the consequences. And, because of this, I feel other families have been forced out of the program, just so they wouldn't have to be bothered. But this isn't the way things should be. This rink is a member of ISI, which is supposed to ensure inclusivity for everyone regardless. What this woman is doing is petty. My daughter should be able to perform like everyone else, and be accommodated, especially since that accommodation affects no one negatively. So I need to know if she denies my request or pulls my daughter, is any of that illegal?

Answer:
 "reasonable accommodations" are between employers and  their employees.Answer #2: Internal drama aside, have you provided a doctor's note stating your child needs this for medical reasons?

Also, is it just *you* that's being denied this for your daughter or is it anyone? Can someone else do this basically?


Title: My apt lease agreement is way past the 2 year mark and I'm now paying month to month.  My significant other doesn't pay any bills and hasn't for quite sometime, can I have his name removed during the next payment?

Question:
Can't afford a divorce and he's extremely abusive both mentally and physically.  Let him move back in because he "changed" and now he won't leave like he did the first time due to "he's on the lease".

I'm a friend/neighbor of said party and the yelling and screaming is almost never ending.  I've not called the apt mgr due to the entire family being kicked out.  I've considered calling the police, but what's the use if he can just come back after they hall him away for the night.  Thanks in advance.  Oh and our other neighbor/friend (adjoined) is a caregiver for 3 awesome children whom are constantly hearing all of this garbage and said caregiver has the same questions as myself.  The family can't afford internet and will never see this, however the caregiver will more than likely take a read as well.

Edit:  At the very least, this information may put her in enough control that she feels safer and me and said caregiver won't have to worry about the well being of her and her children.

Answer:
 The agreement is between the landlord and the tenant. The landlord has to agree to that, and all tenants have to agree.

Call the cops. Period. If someone is being hit, you pick up the phone and you call the police. There will be a restraining order placed on him as a bail condition that prevents him from returning to the property.


Title: Does Walmart have the right to demand to see you receipt after you've paid for your items? (AL, USA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You do not have to show them. They cannot keep you there if you don't.

They are, however, free to ban you from the premises, and then have you trespassed if you return.Answer #2: You can decline. And they can call the police and report you if they suspect you of shoplifting. They can also ban you from shopping there.


Title: Can an expensive and luxury apartment complex be income-restricted? Seems like one of those things that’s legal... but totally unethical...?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Some cities require a certain percentage of new apartments be affordable housing. It may be not so much a landlord taking advantage as it is a zoning regulation. There’s also no requirement that low income people can’t live in places with pools and pet spas. Nothing unethical about it.


Title: I got told to leave a fast food place by a customer, is that legal?

Question: **I was at a local fast food establishment recently because i had to use the restroom and i saw a few people there that i am friends with and talk with sometimes, so i walked outside and was talking to a few of them, and that's when some lady that my friends knew showed up, and let's just say that she decided for some reason that she didn't like me at all. So i was being polite and trying to make conversation with her when she told me to "shut up" and that "i need to leave" and i started arguing with her, so my question is....as her being a civilian or you could say a customer, does she have the right or legal authority to make me leave the fast food restaurant? i told her only a cop or a employee can ask me to leave if i have committed a crime or if i was being disruptive which i was not. So what's the law in this situation?**

Answer:
 She has every right to tell you to leave.

You have every right to ignore her unless she has the authority to trespass you from the property.

You don't have a right to attempt to force a conversation with her when she doesn't want to have one with you.


Title: [FL] Worried about getting fired after hurricane Matthew.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You live in an at will state so can be fired for pretty much any non illegally discriminatory reason barring a contract that specifically states otherwise or being in a union.


Title: Sued Bully Landlord and Won. Now He’s Refusing to Pay. (California- Los Angeles)

Question:
I sued my landlord who was trying to shake me down for money and bringing random thugs into the shared apartment and won. He appealed, and I won again.

I moved out before I sued.

I don’t know where he banks. I do know for a fact that he still lives in his home (off-premises) which he did when I was his tenant.

What’s the best way to collect payment. I filed for low income in court and it passed. Now I can use it to file any other documents.

Any recommendations/advice?

Thanks

Answer:
 You can discuss actual legal issues in r/legaladvice but essentially you need or probably already have a court order demanding payment, and you can talk to a collections agency about how to collect.

You should be able to find an agency that is no cost to you, the “collectee” pays the cost of collection.Answer #2: You'll probably have to go back to court to get a court order placed for the payment which will formalize how he must pay and may put some sort of measure in place to make sure you get your money (ie: w his bank)Answer #3: I wonder if you can get a lien put on the property if he doesn't pay.


Title: [De] Is my mother being harassed at work?

Question: My mother is an accountant for some logistics company in Delaware. The whole story is too long and complicated to post here but is really quite fascinating. To try to make it simple the HR manager and owner appear to have some kind of weird secret arrangement. The Hr manager has no hr experience or training but holds the position because of the aforementioned arrangement. Getting to what I believe to be harassment, Hr has done some of the following things, gives my mother work traditionally to be done by hr department, then questions why she is falling behind on her own work, he approached someone In accounting stating owner of company approved expense and a raise with no confirmation, then was angry with my mother for reversing this action, until proper confirmation was recieved, Hr somehow adjusted his payroll to where he received 100% of his gross pay and taxes were paid by the company. My mother noticed this, reversed the action and made adjustments to security so that he would no longer have access to do this. After notifying the owner and other board members of this baffling and illegal behaviour, she found her job position posted on a career website the very next day. Finally my mother received two write ups the last two days for completely ridiculous things from hr. Hr does not have this authority nor the understanding of either position to do this. It's obvious to us he's setting the table to fire her with cause. I believe this is creating an extremely hostile work environment for my mother and is harassment. She is adamant that this does not constitute as harassment. Is she right? What legal avenues could she pursue?

Answer:
 > She is adamant that this does not constitute as harassment. Is she right?

She's right.  She should take her payroll concerns to the owner.  The owner can pay his/her employees however he/she pleases.


Title: Knock off item from received from amazon, can not return because it was opened.

Question:
Hey guys!

So we ordered two heated massage chairs off amazon for Christmas.
We opened one to try it out and it is basically just a cardboard box with fabric stretched over it. Very low quality maybe $5 in materials. We were very disappointed since we paid nearly $150 apiece.

Naturally, we contacted the seller via amazon to return the items. They told us that we could not return the opened item and that we would have to pay for shipping.

We were unhappy with this result since there was no way for us to know the item was so low quality without opening it. Amazon support chat seemed to be on our side and filed a A-Z claim for us.

We were just told our claim was denied. Where can we go from here?

Thanks!

Note: We are located in Virginia, United States.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 Write a succinct email to jeff@amazon.com and most likely the elite team of Bezos henchmen will sort you out if your gripe is legitimate. It helps if you are a longtime Amazon customer.Answer #2: Did you use a credit card?  If so you can file a chargeback.

Although it cost $150, how do you know it was a knock off?


Title: [Arizona] Proof of roommate breaking into room

Question:
Hello all. In order to keep this as anonymous as possible I'm going to include only the details I have to. Recently I have become mistrusting of my roommate and decided to buy a security camera and hid it pretty well. I don't believe she managed to get into my small safe. I have video evidence of this happening. I have a lock that requires a key to enter my room as well so he had to jimmy that.

He doesn't know I have proof yet but I'd rather he be evicted and not me, as the rent is decent. But I'm scared for my safety once I bring this to light as she has violent tendencies.

Finally, She has been accusing me of stealing from her, and I'm afraid she might be trying to plant evidence in my room (which is what prompted the camera purchase in the first place)

All of this to ask:

1. What's my legal recourse if she didn't steal anything?

2. Should I approach the homeowners first(who are related to her) or go to the police?

3. Is this video evidence legal/admissible in court in Arizona?

4. If theft/plant did occur, how should I proceed?

5. How should I go about protecting myself from these accusations? (Aside from the camera and locks)

Answer: You should find a new place to live, give the appropriate notice per the terms of the lease, and move.


Title: Is it a crime if a neighbor in a building says a racial slur loud enough that it can be clearly heard in my unit, and I am the race associated with that slur?

Question:
Portland, OR

I live in a 5-story condo building, and the bathroom vents connect a few units. A white neighbor upstairs said the n-word loud enough near their vent that I could clearly hear it in my bathroom, and I am black. Is this a crime of any way?

She's on the HOA board, and the board overall has been far less than sympathetic to incidents directed at the few black residents of the building.

Answer:
 No, being a racist is not a crime.

Unless her behavior rises to the level of harassment, there isn't much you can do about your neighbor using racial slurs in her own apartment.


Title: My husband seems to have signed up for a scam that bills to our natural gas utility bill (vectren) What do I need to do?

Question:
We are in Indiana. We recently moved into a new house and had our gas switched over to our new address. Yesterday, I opened a letter which looked like it was from our utility provider, Vectren. It basically describes some sort of insurance policy and at the bottom of the first page it says that they're not actually affiliated with Vectren, the utility. Their name is Vectren Home Solutions.

What initially caught me as strange is that the letter is addressed to my husband, however our gas utility bill is in my name and so our gas bills always come addressed to me. Upon reading the first page, I suspected it was a scam. Basically, we're going to get charged around $30 a month for this alleged coverage and it'll be charged to us through our Vectren gas bill.

I asked my husband how this came about. Did he sign up for this when they came to turn our gas on at our new address? Did he sign something? Etc... He said that someone called him, who he believed was from our gas company, Vectren, and they signed him up over the phone and they had told him that we are required to have this coverage - in other words they told him that in order to have natural gas, we also have to pay for this coverage and pay ~$30 a month for it. As far as he knew, this person who called was legit from our gas company and we either had to sign up or we couldn't have any gas.

None of that sounded right to me, so I googled the name of the company and the first result to pop up was regarding a class action lawsuits against this company filed in 2017 , for fraud basically. And it seems from reading that it may not be easy to get out of it and especially if there's a class action lawsuit needed against this company, plus the cancellation clause in the agreement paperwork that was sent with the letter makes it sound like I need to prove fraud amongst other things before I can cancel it. So that could take a long time and in the meantime we have to pay our gas bill, not optional, so they will get their $30 a month regardless.

So, to get to my question.. How should I proceed with this? I planned on calling Vectren on Tuesday but I'd appreciate some advice before I make the call so that I know how to get into this from a legal standpoint.

Topic:
Contracts

Answer: I agree with calling your gas company and cancelling it from their end, but also call the scam company and demand they cancel immediately or you will file a report with the FTC and speak with an attorney


Title: Sued for bad advice?

Question:
Location: Iowa (or anywhere in the US)

Can you be sued for giving someone bad advice? For example, you verbally tell them how to fix their breaks. They follow your instructions and have a car accident.

What if someone followed a youtube tutorial and the person got injured as a result? Example, "Did you know that you can use a fork to get your toast out of the toaster?"

Answer:
 You’re asking a self professed Dog Law expert if you can be sued for giving bad advice?

If so, I’d have been disbarked years ago. Answer #2: You can be sued for just about anything.  They're not likely to win, however, unless you have some sort of professional duty to provide good advice.Answer #3: If you are asking if you can be successfully sued.

I'm going to say yes, under very specific circumstances. If you're an expert in a field, your advise carries a certain weight behind it. For example a doctor casually telling a friend their child's rash is nothing, but it was in fact deadly and they die.


Title: NY, 18 years old, got into a minor car accident, and got charged with following too closely while on probation on my driver's license.

Question:
Sorry for using a throwaway, I would rather this not be on my main account.

So I got into a minor accident on Friday, I was distracted looking out of the window and hit the person in front of me. I don't believe I was following too closely, rather that I was zoned out for a bit too long, it was a long day, i was tired, and on my way home.

My car didn't suffer any damage, but her rear bumper was dented. The police arrived and I was charged with following too closely.

The problem is that I'm still on my 6 month probation, and following too closely will get my license suspended for 60 days.

I don't really know what to do, is there a way to avoid getting my license suspended, or should I just suck it up and not drive for 2 months?

Thanks for reading, I don't really know what to do right now.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Sadly, there is no charge for "getting zoned out for a bit too long" and then hitting someone.  Actually, there is.  Carless driving.  You could politely ask the court/DA/cop to get rid of the lesser ticket, and give you a more severe one.

Doesn't sound like there is a way to get out of your license being suspended.  You should wait the 60 days, then consider taking a Defensive Driving class to improve.


Title: [CT] CVS pharmacy sold me an expired vacination

Question: Hi, I'm a student in CT who is getting ready for college, and one of the requirements is to get vaccinated for menegitis. I ordered a vaccine at a CVS pharmacy and picked it up to be administered by my doctor. When I got to the doctor to be vaccinated, they found that the vaccination was expired for a week (5/16). I had just picked up the persciption yesterday (5/24) as of writing this and just arrived back from the doctors office (5/25). Is there any legal action I could take?

Answer: You can go to CVS and get a non-expired vaccination or get your money back.


Title: Me and my roommate were charged with shoplifting

Question:
I live in TN
Me and my friend were about to leave walmart with a cart full of groceries and the LP pulled us back and detained us and we ended up getting fined for $500 and have to go to court.  My friend was the one pushing the cart and bagging the stuff, should I plea not guilty for this?  Should I hire a defense attorney?  Any advice?

Answer:
 I'm assuming the cart full of groceries was unpaid for? Just because your friend was pushing the cart, doesn't mean that you aren't guilty of shoplifting, especially if you knew what was going on.

> should I plea not guilty for this?

Yes.

> Should I hire a defense attorney?

Yes.

> Any advice?

Stop stealing shit?


Title: [Alberta, Canada] My wife uses medical marijuana to treat her disability. Is she allowed to use her medicine in our apartment if it is a non-smoking property?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Get a vaporizer, way cheaper than paying for repainting and carpet due to smoke damage.

I used to smoke the Devils Lettuce with an Extreme Q, minimal smell in use, zero lasting smell or clinging residue.  V-tower is cheaper and just about as goodAnswer #2: She sure is– but she won’t be allowed to smoke it.


Title: Please please help I got scammed

Question: I've posted on other pages and told I should come here 😞 I'm 18 years old and from South Africa I had to sell my only two worldly possessions a laptop and Playstation because I needed to try build myself a computer for college some guy sent me a message saying he wanted the items and would do an eft for me I've never done an eft before so I had no idea how it works he sent fake proof of payments through and fake sms's from the bank and I thought it was real and my mom thought it was real and he sent a driver or Uber or fake taxi I don't know to pick the items up and I panicked because the proof of payment was supposedly through so I just gave the guy my stuff and he left and this was Friday night I spent the whole night crying and awake out of stress because I didn't know if it was a scam and today after a very long two nights of absolutely no sleep I found out it really was a scam 😞 these were the only things I've ever owned out of my 18 years of living this is every single cent I've ever got an I just lost it all and I'll never be able to make enough money to get it back 😞 I have no idea what to do I know I need to go to the police but things work so terribly in South Africa the police are usually less help than they are good 😞 I would really appreciate any advice or help from any of you I've never been so freaked out and stressed in my entire life this may of ended any future I had

Answer: Unfortunately in most of these scenarios your items are lost and most likely won't be recovered. I would suggest filing a police report and give them as much information as you can


Title: Cited For Procuring Alcohol to Minors at my Girlfriend’s 21st Birthday

Question:
My girlfriend (21) and I (20) have been charged for procuring alcohol to minors (Nebraska). I rented an AirBnb so we can celebrate, and the AirBnb was only under my name and not hers. Neighbors called, cops came, gave out MIPs (I blew 00s), and we got charged with procuring alcohol to minors. Our court date is next month.

This is a class I misdemeanor with up to one year in jail and/or up to $1000 fine. I have spoke with the legal services of my university they said diversion isn’t an option in this case. I am planning to meet with an attorney this week and further discuss.

How much would an attorney charge (any range)?

I am also looking for advice on how to move forward.
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 I mean... The big question here that you've conveniently avoided is very obvious:

Were there minors drinking? And why did the neighbors call the cops? Was it a noise complaint about a riotous party, or what?


Title: Getting My Name Off Of Apartment Lease (abusive situation)

Question:
I’m California for the record. My girlfriend is abusive and I have decided that I need to pack up and move out (secretly) this weekend.

My name is on the lease, but it is pretty much her apartment. She did pretty much all of the dealings with the apartment manager, except they asked me to partially fill out an application (they didn’t ask for my financial information since she is paying the full rent) and they ran a credit check. I’m not sure if legally there is a distinction between primary signer and “secondary” .

Anyway I feel as though I need to cut all contact with my girlfriend when I leave. She is very manipulative and will cause a scene, make my life hell, or sucker me back in if I don’t.

The only option I really see is to just leave and pray she doesn’t do anything to get evicted (I doubt it because she’s actually good with finances and credit) or otherwise screw me over.

Is there any use in going to the property manager and asking for my name to be removed? I can not deal with my girlfriend safely so, if the manager wants her to sign a new  rental agreement or confirm that I’m leaving or anything I’m screwed.

Answer: If your girlfriend is physically abusive or has behaved in criminal ways, try to get a restraining order. While it won't guarantee anything it may help you.


Title: Trying to get out of army.

Question: I was promised a job, which I got and a bonus plus school benefits for a private art school as well as a kicker and be in the reserves.( pretty sweet deal right?) I pass basic and ait, then reach my unit and to my surprise they weren’t expecting a soldier and had no clue what my mos even did, in fact never even knew it existed. So now I fix radios and help with internet connectivity issues or anything else’s a 25B does(not my promised mos) I have yet to receive my bonus ( been 2yrs now) or do anything related to my mos and no school bennies because va does not help with private art schools. I realize I shouldn’t complain about the reserves but I have student loans and a job plus school so the weekends they demand do cut into my time. I joined to get help with school and practice the mos I wanted and I got neither. Can I get out under breach of contract?

Answer:
 > Can I get out under breach of contract?

Do you have this all written in your contract? Because if you don't, you're boned.

If you do have it in your contract you should speak to your command's JAG office.


Title: (Montana) Tenants moved out mid-lease leaving the place thrashed. How do I handle this?

Question:
So my tenants moved out with 6 months left on the lease and they left the place a mess. (garbage everywhere, unwanted furniture, unkept yard, food left behind, dog shit on carpet and they weren't supposed to have dogs!)

They have confirmed they are done and wont be coming back to the house and dont want anything left behind.

I now have to clean it up and install new flooring and they didn't pay this months rent. Since I live 900 miles way its a huge inconvenience.
Its a small house and had old carpet so replacing isn't a big deal anyways and from the sounds of it I have someone already seriously interested in the place who has good references.

Now I just need to know how to handle things. Do I just send a letter saying I'm keeping the deposit (equal to one months rent) for unpaid rent and let that be the end of it? Do I (can I?) go after them for more money for the damage and remaining months of unpaid rent?

I figure I'll never see a penny from them low-lifes, but I need to make sure my ass is covered about keeping the deposit and I would really like it if I could make this show up on their credit so they font get away with it so easy. Also I'm curious about being able to post on Facebook warning the community about how she broke lease, thrashed the place and bailed so it happen to others, but of course I know nothing about law and would rather avoid putting myself in some sort of legal situation.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 I'll start off by saying that this is precisely why you need to do quarterly/semi-annual property inspections and why long distance landlording is a terrible idea.

I *would* speak to a property management company or an attorney who practices real estate law.  Paying them a few hundred bucks to make sure this is handled well (and to teach you how to deal with this) is likely money well spent.  Yes, you likely can sue them for damages and *then* report the debt to their credit.  If you want, you can also force an eviction *right now* so that a formal eviction appears on their record.

> Also I'm curious about being able to post on Facebook warning the community about how she broke lease, thrashed the place and bailed so it happen to others

Always look and see if advantage > risk * probability.  What gain do you have by doing that?  None?  Then *any* risk of inconvenience should shut that plan down.  Don't do it.


Title: NY Landlord changed original lease and had us sign it again in person.

Question:
Hey there reddit!

I just moved into a house for which I had signed the original lease 3 months ago but when I moved in last month we signed the lease again just as a "move-in sign again" it was supposed to have nothing changed just signing again in person ... The lease still had our original initials on each page but we initialed the pages again because the landlord asked and giving we are renting from an individual and it had our original initials I trusted it and didn't really read it as well as I read it before originally signing it.

I'm that guy that sits there and reads every letter of every contract I sign for ANYTHING ( honestly who doesn't do this? ) but just drove 2k miles over 3 days with kids and didn't really have time or the energy to read it again since I still had to unpack and was in a huge rush ...

Well I just found out that the landlord changed the late day grace period from 5 to 0, so the rent is late if it not paid by the 1st and the fee is $100.

The change was done by hand and NOT initialed but we did sign this copy of the lease ... I only found out about it since the landlord called today asking for the rent at 3pm since I haven't paid it yet ... I thought I had till the 5th and was explained it is late tomorrow blah blah blah.

I'm pretty upset about it and think it is a sleazy slumlord move ...

I'm never want to pay that fee and wondering what kind of actual legal ground this has to stand on and what I should say to this sleezeball for doing this.

I don't think the landlord has a leg to stand on given the documents still had our original initials from 3 months ago and the original lease from 3 months ago is in affect ... the only way to change it would be to amend it and not resign a lease with new changes or is this not correct??

TLDR : landlord changed rent late date by hand after signing original lease by having us sign the lease again on the date we moved in ... we never initialed the change but did resign the lease.

Answer:
 If you signed it, you are probably screwed...

That said, if rent is due on the 1st, then it's due on the first. If you plan on abusing the 5 day grace period, then what's the point of a due date? Budget better and just deal with it.


Title: Child support and gift cards. Is this going to bite me in the ass?

Question:
I'm required to pay my ex wife $100 a week which goes towards my son's daycare expenses of $520 a month.

It is court ordered but it is also something we just agreed on outside of court through a mediator. It was set as court ordered when we filed it through the court system.

I've been working some long hours lately to cover the child support costs and other things and haven't been able to always take my custody time. My ex-wife, when I do come to pick up my son for the night, has been giving me gift cards she says she "got from work" or "from a friend" saying that I should use it to take my son out to eat. It always to one of his favorite places.

I don't always feel comfortable accepting them because I am not sure if I can get in trouble for that. She is basically giving me a portion of my child support back each month in these cards. I'm not even sure if she is really getting them at work or if she is just buying them.

But I just don't want to get into trouble. My son get's really excited when he sees one because he knows that means we are going out and not just eating at dad's house. Or my mom's. So, me not taking them makes him sad.

I have the money to take him out. I am just trying to save up for another vehicle and some other things so we skip out and just chill at home.

I mean, if she is buying the cards, I'd rather she just give me a break in child support but I am not going to ask her that.

Can I get in trouble for accepting them? Or can I just tell the court I assumed she was just getting them for free and gifting them to me if this comes up?

I just hear a lot about people getting fucked over and I don't want to have that happen to me. Should just tell her to cut it out and I won't be taking them anymore?

Answer:
 She can do whatever she wants with her money, including giving it back to you. Just ensure you're paying her with a trackable means (check, payroll deduction, or via the child support enforcement division) and you're fine. Answer #2: > I'd rather she just give me a break in child support but I am not going to ask her that.

No no no. She isn't demanding the support. The state is. Its the state that will be on your ass, not her.


Title: Uncle took all my sick Grandpa's money & maxed out his credit cards (BC, Canada)

Question:
My Uncle had a house with a suite, so my Grandfather rented it and lived in it for years with him, paying rent. He had a terrible stroke and was (and still is, hospitalized). He has no ability to care for himself. He will spend the rest of his life in a care facility in the hospital because he can barely function.

My uncle began to handle his money for him.  After a while my Uncle sold his house and it was completely renovated. We were suspicious where the money came from, so my mom applied for Power of Attorney.  It took a while, and finally all the bills started coming in.  My uncle had racked up almost $40,000 in debt on my Grandpa's line of credit and credit cards on home improvements, fancy restaurants, lotto tickets and bars.

Luckily the investor told my mom he had also tried to withdraw all my Grandpa's investments, but had been denied as he didn't have Power of Attorney.

Now there's all this debt my Grandpa has that he has no ability to pay off, and my Uncle says there's nothing we can do because he'll just say he had his permission.

A debt collector is now calling my mom and sending letters to our house to collect on his bill.

Can the debt collectors now come after my mom, or should we just ignore the bills and phone calls? Are there any other repercussions that could be faced by this debt?

Is there a way we can somehow get my Uncle? or would it be just like he said?

Answer:
 No, don't ignore things. Ignoring things is the worst thing you can do when it comes to legal/financial matters. Your choices are pretty stark. Either report the fraud to the police and your uncle could go to jail, or accept that Grandpa will have to pay them off. Unless your mom's name is tied into this money they can't come after her personally but they can sue your Grandpa while he is still alive or go after his estate once he died. Your mother should be very careful not to move any of his assets into her name because it will look like she was trying to hide them and then the debt collectors can come after her. Answer #2: >Uncle says there's nothing we can do because he'll just say he had his permission.

You can't get "permission" from someone who is mentally incompetent. Your Uncle can't even claim he didn't know about your Grandfather's devastating stroke.

File a police report for fraud and call the bank to dispute the charges. You might also want to hire an attorney and sue. Your Uncle has a house, so he does have assets. Ask your attorney if a lien can be placed on the house in the event you win a lawsuit.

See [here](http://www.victimlinkbc.ca/vlbc/help/elder_abuse.page) about filing an elder abuse report.


Title: [BC] Falsely accused of sexual assault

Question: I came home yesterday to my roomate telling me that an individual had posted on her instagram story a list of people that she claims had sexually assaulted her in the past, with myself include in that list. When i contacted her via messenger she informed me that she was referring to an incident 3 years ago when we were still in highschool where I asked her for a blowjob and she agreed after i persuaded her to after we had already been engaging in oral sex at a party. She claims that this experience was "degrading" and after telling her that consensual sex does not constitute sexual assault, she justified her actions on the basis that this event had a "significant and lasting impact" on her despite the fact that she is lying to hundreds of people many of which I am mutual friends with. I would define this as textbook slander and she has refused to remove her story or talk about the issue further as she has blocked me. I do not think it is justified to lie to people I know and label me as a sexual criminal on the basis of this incident, and I do not know how I can go about seeking justice for her wrongdoing in tarnishing my reputation, any advice is appreciated. I have pictures of her story and can easily access the conversations I had with her.

Answer: To begin with, save that message. Take screenshots and maybe print some hard copies. Whatever happens, it's good to keep her confession that it was consensual. Answer #2: This is libel, rather than slander (slander is a spoken, rather than written, defamatory statement). You could sue her in civil court, seeking monetary damages, an injunction requiring her to remove the posts and refrain from publishing this libel in the future, or both. You could also make a complaint to the police: publishing a defamatory libel which one knows to be false is a criminal offence (the constitutionality of which was upheld by the Supreme Court in *R v Lucas*). Answer #3: It sounds like what you're describing might arguably be considered coercive. Anyone know how Canada handles allegations of coercion vis sexual assault?


Title: Principal's being punitive...

Question:
I'm a teacher; last year was my first year of teaching after graduating the previous spring.  I accepted the first position I was offered at a small, private school that pays horribly with terrible benefits, etc.  At the end of May, I applied for a lot of other positions at different schools.  I got an interview at my school's biggest competitor in early June, after I signed my contract for next year at my current school.  My administrators found out and asked me about it.  I told them that I was struggling financially, and that I was looking for a position with better pay and benefits, which the other school offers.  They told me that I was an asset to the school and that they wanted me to stay, and that was it.  I did not hear back that I got the position at the school where I interviewed until July 7th while I was out of the country on vacation.  I accepted over the phone, and then signed my formal offer/contract the day after I returned home from vacation (on July 14th).  That same day, I went to my previous school to tell them my decision and to give them my formal letter of resignation.  The administrator I spoke with cried but told me she understood.  I cleaned out my classroom, turned in all of my school property, and met with HR to close my account.

Today I received a letter from my Head of School stating that I am unprofessional for leaving in July, and that I owe them $700.00 for a professional development workshop that they sent me to in early June.  She states in the letter that it was understood that they would only pay for this if I returned next year, which was never discussed.  They signed me up for this workshop in January, and I went to it in good faith that I would return next year as I did not receive any other job offers at that point.  Do I really owe them this money?  Legally, can they require me to pay it?  I feel like they can just sue me.  They are being completely awful about this.  I apologized for leaving in July, but the new school year begins September 8th and I simply cannot put the needs of their school before my own.  Any advice would be appreciated!!

Edit:  Also, I'm in Delaware.

Answer: If they don't have anything in writing, tell them to pound sand. Hell, even *if* they have it in writing, tell them to pound sand.


Title: Wife, Full time employee not getting 40 hrs and employer is using her PTO to compensate.

Question:
San Diego, California

My wife is Full-time at a hospital, part of the deal with being a full time tech is you are guaranteed 40 hrs.
Her previous position was part time but she would still get 40 hrs.

Fast forward to now, Shes 32 weeks pregnant and they are flexing her out and sending her home early at least 2 times a week.
 There are part time techs there that they could and sometimes do send home early instead but to keep things "fair" they make her flex as well.

 They take her PTO to compensate for the lost hours without her permission.

Shes not far from taking maternity leave but shes going to have no PTO left by that time.
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer: They don't need her permission to pay out vacation leave.  If she is salaried exempt, and not using FMLA protected leave, they have to pay her the full weekly salary. Docking her pay is not an option. So yes they can make her use PTO.


Title: Pulled over for passing ice cream truck

Question:
Hello -
I live in Detroit and was recently pulled over for passing an ice cream truck. The ice cream truck had a small stop sign that looked fake, and I did not realize I was supposed to treat it as a stop sign. I stopped briefly and proceeded with caution. Afterwards, I was pulled over and threatened with a ticket. The officer said the law states a person must stop and wait for the ice cream truck to leave before going around. However this could be 20 mins or so typically. Is anyone aware if this is a law, or how I could find or if it is?

Answer:
 [Detroit Ordinances § 55-11-2.](http://detroit-mi.elaws.us/code/coor_ptiii_ch55_artxi_sec55-11-2)

(a) The driver of a vehicle meeting or overtaking, from either direction, an ice cream truck stopped on the street shall stop before reaching the truck when the flashing lights and stop signal arm described in section 55-11-3 are in use. After stopping a driver may proceed past such truck at a reasonable and prudent speed, not exceeding fifteen (15) miles per hour, and shall yield the right-of-way to any pedestrian who crosses the roadway to or from the ice cream truck.

(b) The driver of a vehicle on a street with separate roadways need not stop upon meeting or passing an ice cream truck on a different roadway.Answer #2: This is what i like to see on r/legaladvice. Someone posting the definitive answer with the law in question from OP's location.


Title: Missouri: boyfriend accused of stealing money from cash register at his job

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 >Are they allowed to not show him the footage if they are accusing him and firing him over it?

Yes.

>Would there be any way we can refute this?

No. Unless they are making false statements that harm your boyfriend, he should file unemployment and move on.

They, like him, can end the employment relationship at any time.

This may come up during the unemployment process, and if it does, he should be honest about not stealing.


Title: My mother is falsifying evidence for later use in court. What can I do to protect my father?

Question:
I am 16, from Australia (VIC).

My parents are about to undergo the process of divorce, and I promise you,  it's gonna get nasty. My mother has a habit of turning against anyone she no longer likes/is friends with, and will try her hardest to make everyone she knows to hate the person she no longer finds agreeable. For the past 6 months she has been cheating on my father with some homeless, unemployed scum (he let her drink, she's an chronic alcoholic). I can go into more detail if needed.

After returning home a day and a half after leaving with the twatface boyfriend, and leaving her 9yr old at home unsupervised, she came back with some quite major bruising on her arms. She immediately blamed my father (I know for a fact it was not him). From what I understand my mother and the weasel have been 'building a case' against my father - everything in it that I know of, is false. eg. "My father made my mother strip to inspect her" etc.

I know Australian courts will inherently favour the woman (in divorce cases) but I also know that my mothers new bf is just after my fathers money (he is a plastic surgeon). What can I do/say to defend my father if my mother decides to use false claims in court? Please help, I will lose my home - thats just what happens, but if this case goes badly for my father I will be sent back to New Zealand and I will lose the entire life I led here.

Thank you for getting this far.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 r/AusLegal

Most Redditors on this sub Reddit are from the US. You may get more targeted advice from the Australian one.


Title: Landlord makes me leave apartment when showing to potential renters

Question:
(Canada, New Brunswick) I am still currently renting an apartment, and the landlord understandably wants to show the apartment to potential renters. My issue is at least 2 or 3 times a week I am being made to leave the house at random times for a half hour or so. This is not an issue if I happen to be working, but if I am home it is quite annoying.
Multiple times I have not even been given 24 hours notice. Do I legally have to leave the apartment when the landlord wants to show it to potential tenants? Also am I allowed to stay in the apartment when the landlord is doing repairs? I was informed he would be here 'all day'.

Answer:
 1) No you do not have to legally leave the premises for potential renters. It's your housing establishment for the time of the lease, and you can do what you want when you want (so long as you don't violate the law or lease).

In fact, depending on your valuables, I'd almost would want to be there to watch my stuff.

2) See 36/37 here:

http://www.snb.ca/e/1000/1000-2/e/1000-2_003_e.asp#8

24 hour notice is require for entry excluding things like repairs or emergencies.

3) Regarding repairs again you are allowed to be there. Where it may become tricky is if there's necessary non-cosmetic repairs that need done that are time-extensive and/or health dangerous. Answer #2: So don't leave. It's your home you pay rent. If 24 hour notice is required and they don't give it, don't let them in or tell them to leave.


Title: Dog bites neighbour, neighbour dies from sepsis

Question:
So this is an ongoing major headline issue in Korea right now. I read the guidelines on the sidebar and it doesn't say anything about questions having to be my own legal issues, and I am honestly curious about various perspectives. Of course, if I missed some fineprint, feel free to remove this, mods.

About 24 hours ago, a news broke that a woman in her early 50s died from complications arising from a dog bite.

It turns out that she lived in an apartment complex; as she was returning home, she took an elevator up, and as soon as the elevator door opened on her floor, her neighbour's dog, which had wandered out through an open door (clear negligence on her neighbour's part) and bit her leg. CCTV shows that neither party took it too seriously, and the woman returned home.

However, three days later, she died from her wounds due to sepsis (she was even going to the hospital to treat her wounds; I'm not sure if people die from sepsis anymore, maybe the doctor is at fault?)

This became a major headline news, because her neighbour is a popular Korean celebrity. According to various news sources, the celebrity delivered several heartfelt apologies, and the woman's family has decided not to press charges.

The Korean public is in an uproar; they believe that some legal action should be taken (but none has been taken either by the family of the woman or the prosecutors so far) and their favourite arguments are that if it happened in the US, UK, or other more developed countries, the celebrity would have been arrested immediately and the dog put down. It also doesn't help that even after the dog has bitten the woman, the celebrity has been updating his Instagram feed regularly featuring the dog. It should also be noted that the dog was known to bite people; his coworkers and his family have remarked this on their own Instagram feeds, and the dog has been attending a behaviour school weekly.

So, my question is, in your country/state/province, what is an appropriate legal consequence of this?

Answer: Agreed with other comment. Also thousands die from sepsis every day. It's extremely common.Answer #2: /r/legaladviceofftopic


Title: My plumber let my dogs out and one of them nearly killed a neighbor’s dog

Question: [removed]

Answer: Your dog, your responsibility.... pretty cut and dry when you get to court.Answer #2: You are 100 perception responsible. Your wife allowed him to associate with your dog while no one was at home who is a high risk.  You both knew your dog was high  risk why would you let a stranger open your house to play with the dog?


Title: [Serious] I may be having sexual assault charges brought against me and I didn't do anything wrong. I live in Florida and desperately need legal advice!

Question:
I don't know if this is the correct subreddit but I just moved into an apartment with my girlfriend in Florida. I am 20 and my girlfriend and her best friend are 19. Her best friend was over spending the night and we all got really drunk. She was talking about threesomes and how she had condoms in her bag with her. My girlfriend went to sleep in the room and I walked out and kissed her friend on the couch and she kissed me back. I would never usually do something like this and I absolutely regretted it in the morning. I asked her not to tell my girlfriend in the morning and  she said pinky promise. And then continued to watch tv, hang out with me, and play video games and laugh until my girlfriend woke up. She went home a few hours later. The next day she called me and said that she might have to press charges. She also claims that she said "no" which she did not say. I did not keep going I went to bed in the other room. And she also claims that I touched her inappropriately on her chest. What actions should I take I need guidance on what to do. What's the worst that could happen to me.
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 If she reports this to the police, hire a lawyer and refuse to answer any questions without your lawyer present. Also, don't communicate with her any further. Answer #2: Cut off all contact with the friend immediately.  No apologies, no phone calls, no texts.  Never EVER be alone with her ever again.  I would find something else to do if your girlfriend invites her over.

If you are contacted by the police, don't make a statement and get a lawyer.Answer #3: In addition to "stop talking to anyone about it" and "get a lawyer if charged" and "don't talk to the cops at all without a lawyer", you need to know that getting "really drunk" with underage girls is potentially going to cause some legal problems for you whether or not the sexual assault thing ever generates any. Stop getting drunk with people until all those people are 21. Answer #4: > and she said pinky promise.

I mean, really? Who at 19/20 still says 'pinky promise'.

Sounds like a troll to me.  Especially with the [Serious] tag


Title: My work (restaurant) is making everyone sign this paper. Is it even legal? FL.

Question: [document picture. ](https://ibb.co/fmn9So)

Answer: Tacky and cheap for the restaurant to stick its employees with walkout tabs (especially when you think about it, the restaurant is making a profit by taking the menu price out of your tips, and you don't even get tipped on a walkout), but not illegal as long as you are making minimum wage or more.Answer #2: i know its probably scary to do, but you need to refuse to sign that and walk out if necessary. start hitting up applications to other restaurants immediately Answer #3: Yes, deductions of that nature are legal in Florida, provided they do not reduce your pay below minimum wage (which would be against federal law). Answer #4: There are a lot of restaurants around.  I’m sure that you’ll find one that is a better fit for your needs.  Personally, I’d quit.  Depending on how much experience you have, you could probably get a serving job at an upscale restaurant and make far better tips.  Plus a lot of the upscale restaurants offer family meal for the employees, so you’ll get fed at the beginning of your shift.Answer #5: Are you allowed to chase after a walkout?


Title: Hit and run. Not my car no insurance

Question: So I was driving my girlfriend’s car and went to park it in a very tight space between two SUVs. Upon trying to park, I hit one of the cars beside me and scratched it from the driver side door down to the light, as well as breaking the bumper on my gfs car. I had to hop out to push her car off the parked car and immediately after she drove off and parked somewhere else in the complex. I have no insurance but the ability to pay out of pocket for my gfs car, as for the other one, the damages probably add up to ~$2k. I really really don’t want to get the police involved bc I’m in the process of getting previous marijuana charges expunged, and my gf is on the final weeks Of unsupervised probation. What should I do? I can get my gfs car fixed without police or insurance, but I can’t do anything for the other person and I feel like a piece of shit about it. My life feels like it’s falling apart I’m in the hardest year of my college career and don’t know how to deal with this right now.

Answer:
 I don't understand. You hit someone else's car, and then the other driver drove off without getting information from you?

I also don't understand this:

> I can get my gfs car fixed without police or insurance, but I can’t do anything for the other person

Why? Just pay the other driver to fix their car instead of your GF's car.

If you don't have insurance you REALLY need to stop driving. I don't care what your life situation is, but without insurance, if/when something happens you have no ability to meet your obligations to your fellow drivers. STOP DRIVING.


Title: (KC, MO) Rent deposit is 2+ yrs over-due. Rental manager claims his business partner stole my deposit, and is currently in court for other charges. My deposit is due from their business, not from the individual, and I'm getting pretty frustrated. What is my recourse, or do I keep waiting it out?

Question:
[Disclaimer: This is my first r/legaladvice post and I am not a frequent visitor, so if this is not the right place, or if I have not provided necessary info let me know and I will revise.]

When I moved out of my apartment in August of 2014, my land lord told me that his old business partner had my deposit, and I would get it as soon as land lord had it.

After following up with him regularly over the next couple months, he finally revealed that his business partner had stolen the deposits of many tenants, and was being indicted on charges ranging from identity theft and money laundering. A simple Google search confirmed this, and my old land lord said that the federal prosecutor would be getting my money back from him once the case was wrapped.

This obviously was frustrating to me, but my land lord had always been decent to me, and since he clearly was also effected by his horrible ex-business partner's criminal activities, I tried to be understanding.

After several months of follow-ups without any real progress I told him that if there wasn't a concrete update, I would take my own legal actions. He responded:

"Trust me you are not the only tenant or owner that is wanting to resolve this. I have lost a great deal of money also, we are all working for the same outcome and I will let you know once I know more."

The "I'm also a victim here" responses I was getting from him started to make me a bit dubious. But I kept on him, though less frequently.

The last time I followed up was in March, and I was told the verdict would finally be coming down in April. I still haven't heard anything more from him, and before I follow up again, I want to know exactly what my options are, and whether his excuses are actually legitimate.

Here is what I'd like to know:

I paid my deposit to XYZ Property Management Company. Both the individual I dealt with directly, and the money launderer/ID thief, were partners and equally accountable for paying my deposit. Is the defense that my money is wrapped up in this legal case a legitimate one? Isn't he, as a partner in XVZ Property Management, accountable for paying me my deposit?

None of the charges, and none of the coverage of the court proceedings I've been able to find, mention anything about the building I lived in, or the land lord I dealt with, or XYZ Property Management Company. Does that mean my ex-land lord is full of shit?

What can I say to him in my follow-up email to make it clear to him that paying me my deposit (or even a portion of it--it's been 3 years and getting any money back will be a win for me) will be easier than hiring his own lawyer if I am forced to [insert legal language here]?

edit: I have emailed him saying that I will file a claim in small claims court in 1 week if I do not get my deposit from him in that time. I told him that if he pays outside of court, I will ask for my original deposit amount, if not I will ask for double, per MO law. He replied threatening me with legal action if I email him again, and said that he was not a partner in the business (this is news to me). I just looked at my lease, and the property management company, as well as the owner of the condo are listed by name. It sounds like if I try to file a claim against the other business partner (the criminal one), I will be wrapped up in that whole mess. Should I file against the condo owner instead, since he's listed on the lease?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You can file a claim in small claims court to get your deposit back. If I were you I would send a letter telling him that you are filing a claim in X days if you have not received your full deposit by then. Answer #2: Three years?  Dude.  He is responsible for the return of the deposit.  He can get a loan, sell the building, whatever, it's not your problem.

If you had a shared the place with a roommate, and the roommate skipped town, he would have sued you 2.9 years ago.

Fill out a small-claims complaint against both partners.  Send him a copy, and a week later file it with the small-claims court in your area.


Title: Can you get child support before a divorce is finalized?

Question:
My friend has filed for divorce from her soon to be ex. The divorce won’t be finalized until November but they have an 8 month old baby and he’s not willing to help with anything with the baby until the court makes him. She can’t afford to pay every bill and provide everything for her son on one income. And she makes just barely over the limit to receive state support. Is there any way that legally he would be forced to provide child support before the finalization of the divorce?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Sure.  Temporary spousal and child support can both be ordered (or only child support) if she motions for them.  If he is able to afford legal counsel and she is not, he can also be ordered to help her cover the costs of her legal fees.  I say this because she really, really wants an attorney here since already he's shown that he has no intention of playing fair, and custody and divorce settlements are not something to let go to chance.

She should seek out consultations with a few divorce attorneys, and they can let her know what her options are.  She may be able to get legal aid, pro-bono/reduced rate work, a payment plan, and/or her legal costs ordered in the settlement.  She has more options than she likely realizes, and for her future and her child, this is a battle she should fight if at all possible.


Title: Houston, TX. I had court last Wednesday but when i arrived it was closed.

Question: I called the courthouse and they claim to have sent me a letter but i have not recieved anything. When they called me back the lady said she would be able to email or fax me the letter if i liked. Should I try to fight it and hopefully have the tickets (4) dropped? or just go to the rescheduled date?

Answer: That's not grounds to have anything dropped.Answer #2: They won't drop the tickets just because they screwed up scheduling.  It's annoying, but nothing that has anything to do with whether or not you're guilty.


Title: Who owns the right to homebrew D&D characters?

Question:
A player writes the backstory and concept of a character to play in a DMs homebrew world.

During the course of multiple games over the course of several months the character is built up from say, a lowly orphan to the head of the church in the DMs world. The campaign ends. The player wants to continue the characters story in a book and mix it with several other characters that they also wrote the backstory and concept for, but changing the name of the deities and cities because the players world is different then the DMs world.

Would there be any legal issue for that?

Answer:
 The player owns the rights to the prose they wrote. The character sheets have unclear ownership, but are probably the individual players' property.

Nobody specifically owns the "story" created through play - it's not in a fixed form until it's written down, and works not in a fixed form generally are not copyrightable.

Writing about your DND adventures without the consent of your gaming group is a great way not to be invited back in the future, though.


Title: Is lying about being on birth control and then getting pregnant "rape by deception"?

Question:
A highly upvoted comment on another subreddit (I can link it if this subreddit allows it) claims that lying about being on birth control is illegal, and qualifies as rape by deception.

I have never heard of a case like this, and it seems like it would have made the news. I think they're full of shit.

Answer: No, that's not even close to rape of any kind.


Title: Offsetting Alimony

Question:
Utah courts here.
I won a judgment in small claims. I currently pay alimony and the ex-wife wont allow me to deduct it from alimony.

When I file the motion to offset alimony. Is the motion titled "Motion to Offset Alimony"? If not what would be the correct title? Utah's information about modifying alimony isn't much help.

Thanks!

Answer: That's not how it works. You are court ordered to pay spousal support, and your divorce decree is the controlling document. You can't modify it without a substantial change in circumstances, which is not the case here. Pay your support as ordered, and your ex will have to pay you back the judgement amount. Always, always keep your support payments separate from any other financial transactions with your ex.


Title: (US) What are the legal terms I can use to search for a firm to carry out a duty upon death, or at a given date thereafter? What amount can I expect to be charged?

Question:
I am not dying, nor do I intend to soon. But there are a couple of actions that I would like to be carried out *after* I die, and not *when* I die. These are not normal “will” duties. For example: I would like to entrust a package to be delivered to a current minor when I die, but not until that minor turns 18 if I die before then. So what terms should I be using/looking for to find a firm to do this? Also, how much would such a service cost?

If any clarification is needed to answer these questions please ask.

Answer: You can talk to a probate attorney. No idea what they would charge since it is certainly out of the norm


Title: Got a notice to leave the premises of my apartment for having an "unauthorized dog," but I don't have a dog.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 >What can I do? What happens if they do try to evict me?

Explain what happened.  Show proof you do not have a dog.  Fix your blinds or pay the $45.


Title: (Connecticut) Cable company has changed its pricing 4 months into 24 month contract

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Tell them to honor the deal made by their representative. It's legally binding, since you had good reason to believe that they were empowered to make the deal. They know this, they're hoping that you don't.


Title: Avoiding being served Order of Protection

Question:
I was granted an order of protection against an individual 2 weeks ago. When it was granted, it was turned over to the sheriffs office so they could serve the individual. The detective with the sheriffs office got a hold of this individual via phone and the individual told her “to go fuck herself and I will not tell you where I am or accept the paperwork” so the detective called me and told me that she was gonna notate it and send the order back to the court that issued it. Is there anything legally I can do at this point since this individual is being elusive?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Hire a private process server. It might cost you some money, but they are often more willing to put in more time to serve the order.Answer #2: The fact that the individual spoke with the sheriff and expressly refused to receive the paperwork despite being informed of its nature will likely result in the court treating them as having been properly served with the protective order.

I don't think that there's anything more that you need to do.


Title: Drug Test results a lie.

Question:
Hello,
So I submitted a urine analysis test for the Cal. Supreme Court. I admit that I used fake urine at the correct temp. It was 96 degrees. The next day I was told that the test was positive. Not only was it positive for meth but it was WAY over the usual amount in a typical user’s system. The gov. employee said it was twice the amount in most dirty tests. That’s absolutely impossible. It’s obvious that both parties here are lying. I realize that it will be considered positive if I do but on the other hand I’d like the court to take record of the gov. employee lying about the test.

1. Should I bring this up in court?

2. When a court finds that evidence has been lied about or compromised isn’t it deemed void?

Answer:
 So you want to contest your positive drug test by saying you know it cannot be right because you submitted a fraudulent sample to a court ordered drug test?

A bold plan.

Shut up. Get off Reddit. Get a lawyer. Answer #2: So, why do you think that a government employee decided to randomly lie about your drug test, and risk his job and possible criminal and civil charges...

Vs., you getting bad fake urine from whatever sketchy source you got it from.

I've seen legitimate meth tests with very high concentrations.Answer #3: How do you know it was impossible? You used pee that wasn't yours remember? Answer #4: Are you kidding? Lied about or compromised? You submitted fake urine to a GOV drug test. You’re lying to the government who, what it seems like, will determine your future. Accept that you got fucked over and lawyer up and hope for the best.

Make sure to tell your lawyer you used fake urine


Title: Crashed my car to avoid a collision

Question:
Hello! I did a quick search and didn't see any prior questions that matched my situation, but I apologize if there's any redundancy.

Two days ago in Phoenix, Arizona, I was driving home on a three lane, one-way road. I was in my lane when a driver going the same direction in the middle lane slows below the speed limit, turns on her signal, and starts making a left into a side street from the middle lane, while I was on her left. If I hit her, there would of been potentially serious injuries. I swerved left, lost control of my car, and crashed into a street sign. No injuries, but of course my car is fairly messed up.

The driver who entered my lane pulled over and we exchanged insurance information. She said she was not at fault, and was waiting for me to pass before turning into the side street from the middle lane. I know this isn't true, but that is the story she is sticking with. She also said I was going, "very fast", but I had made a left from a dead stop about four seconds prior and had just gotten up to the speed limit (I have never received a ticket before, which should reinforce the whole not speeding thing). I told her there is no point in arguing on the scene and our insurance will handle that.

The police report was filed, neither of us were cited. It wouldn't of exactly been difficult to cite me for failure to control my vehicle, so I think that it speaks well for me that I didn't receive a ticket.

I am 21, and an at fault accident would be detrimental for my insurance rates. I want to do everything possible to avoid this being listed as an at-fault. I have not yet made my recorded statement to the insurance adjuster. I would love to get some advice before doing so. What do you recommend? I appreciate any input, please let me know if I left out any important information.

EDIT: Thanks for the quick and quality responses. Just want to clear up one thing I worded poorly. I am not delaying making the statement in an attempt to twist the facts in my favor - my insurance company just had yet to reach out for the statement. I went ahead and called them shortly after posting this and told everything exactly as it happened. I look forward to more input!

Answer:
 You tell the truth.  That's standing advice whenever talking to your insurance company. Answer #2: > What do you recommend?

Making your statement.  Why wouldn't you?  You make your statement or you don't get a payout.


Title: Ohio - Custody change, called "shared parenting"

Question:
My daughter lost custody though the court called it "shared parenting". So my granddaughter is living with her father and step-mom now.  The magistrate made a point of telling both sides that they should work together to help my granddaughter adjust.  But they refuse to let my daughter talk to her.

We have been more than reasonable.  We did buy her a cell phone and told them that we completely understand that they would want to put controls on how much it is used.  She snuck the phone and called her Mom on Wednesday, got caught, was made to hang up.  They refuse to answer the house phone when my daughter calls.  She just wants to check in with her and see how she's doing.  We have never "poisoned" her against them even though they tend to be assholes.  She was and is allowed to call her father any time she wanted/wants.

Sorry I am venting.  Would the GAL be of any help with this?  What do we do? The number of phone calls per week isn't in the final court papers but perhaps it now needs to be?

Why can't people just be nice?

Answer: Get an attorney. You're missing alot of facts.