Title: Can I, and should I report a rape from a month ago?

Question:
I (F26) consented to sex, but not unprotected sex. I told the guy (m26)  “no”, “put on a condom”, “stop, you’re going to regret this” but he was adamant about sticking it in me without a condom. I wasn’t even wet, and afterward left nearly in tears.

The days following the incident I was distraught and upset about it, and I have texts between the guy and I saying I didn’t want him to have sex without condom, that I’m getting tested, and some other stuff regarding that night.

The thing is, I have tried seeing him since then. I even apologized for yelling at him because I didn’t want to cause drama. I don’t know if that would be held against me.

Recently, it’s just hitting me and I realize that was rape. I keep thinking about him forcing himself in me and it makes me sick.

I’m in Illinois.

Answer:
 You consented to sex, with conditions. He disregard those conditions. That's rape.Answer #2: >  I told the guy (m26) “no”, “put on a condom”, “stop, you’re going to regret this” but he was adamant about sticking it in me without a condom.

Not only did he violate the conditions of your consent, it's important to note that consent *is* revocable.  The instant you said 'no', or 'stop', he *had* to stop.  That he continued anyways is called rape.  Call the cops.  You may also wish to contact your local chapter of RAINN, they can help you with both legal issues and therapy.


Title: Business manager just took off with all the money

Question:
This is in Maine.

Several years ago I wanted to open a daycare.  I had land, so I built a building, outfitted it, bought all the supplies.  The only thing was you need to be licensed in order to run one, so I asked a family friend who was licensed to manage it.

The daycare's license is in their name, and their name is on the daycare's checking account.

A couple years ago I took the space above the daycare and turned it into an apartment for this person.

Recently I have found out that they have moved out of the apartment, closed the daycare's bank account, took all the money and plans to open their own daycare somewhere else.

Their argument is they were just a tennant, it wasn't my business at all, and I'm not entitled to anything in the account.

Clearly I was too trusting with family.  I'm going to hire a lawyer, but in the meantime:

Can a lawyer even do anything for me, or am I completely up shit creek here?

Answer: you can get a judgement for any money or property you are legally owed, doesn't mean you won't get the money or the stuff back though. but you messed up putting the account in their name instead of incorporating and having the account in the corps name needing you to be there for any cash withdrawls and the furniture on paper owned by the corporation.


Title: My neighbors behind me have a dog, who constantly is breaking down our fence. I’ve fixed it several times myself & asked them several times to please fix it. today their dog broke the fence and bit my dog in the face and neck and is bleeding bad. What can I do?

Answer:
 Take your dog to the vet. Be candid with the vet that an aggressive, unrestrained, known problem dog attacked your dog, so its noted.

Go the the police and make a report.

Call your city/county Animal Control and file a report, include the vet info, and the police report info.


Title: I want to create an app like Strava for cars (driving a route as fast as possible), am I liable for anything if I include "don't drive over the speed limit" in the app?

Question: Location is Belgium but I want to launch this in other countries too, so please comment whether or not this would fly in your jurisdiction.

Answer: I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't be liable for the actions of others regardless of if you added that warning.


Title: [OR] Student wins $2,500 scholarship, is awarded $5,000. University wants $2,500 refund. What now?

Question:
The student has already used the $5,000. When we (the school) asked for a $2,500 check as a refund, student says that scholarships are taxable income and it won't be as simple as writing a check.

I'm simply a messenger for the school so I'm unsure what message to pass to the student/school.

Scholarship was awarded from a club at the university.

edit: the $5,000 award was an accident or miscommunication or something

Answer:
 1. If he says he filed a tax return on it, tell them to file an amended return and pay it back (for most college students it probably will be a couple bucks worth of taxes, also, if it was for 2015, he's lying probably).

2. If he is just saying that he is worried about the tax return, talk to the bursar or accountants who deal with taxes, and have them issue an amended form for him that shows the real value of the scholarship is $2500

3. Deduct the amount from any financial distributions they are getting for this semester if they are still enrolled.

4. Sue them in small claims (and you will win).

my guess is the student (or their parent) is bluffing you about the taxes to keep the money, and have no idea how it will work.

Also, you should have both accountants and lawyers (and probably a collection officer) on staff who can deal with this.


Title: [OH] I have an arraignment scheduled for tomorrow, but i live 3000 miles away.

Question:
I am being arraigned tomorrow. I have not been served, as recorded by the [clerk](http://i.imgur.com/QBGkd7L.png). I have been living and working out of that state (Ohio) for 4 months now, and only found out about the case from a soliciting attorney's letter, offering his services for the case (its a misdemeanor theft case, where the criminal used my stolen identity as an alias). I've been in contact with local police and the prosecutor's office about the case but have not heard anything definite from them, and have not had phone calls returns with the last two weeks. I have not made travel plans to go to court tomorrow.

Am I obligated to go to court without a summons? Will a warrant be put out for my arrest and what happens if law enforcement in the state i live in now finds me with that warrant? Thank you.

Answer: Uh. You should go to court. But seeing as you are 3000 miles away, you probably cannot. If it's not too late, at the very least, get an attorney to show up for you. Not showing up for a criminal arraignment is not a good idea.Answer #2: Definitely at least what /u/litmustest1 said, and depending what the crime is, also definitely what /u/chrismichaels3000 said. If it were in my state, depending how the conversation with the clerk goes, I might call the judge's chambers and see if I could fax a pro se motion to reset the arraignment; but this (arguably an attempt to speak to a judge ex parte) could be a no no in OH, I have no idea.


Title: [Florida] Sister died in a car crash last year. Because of mistakes made by the state/police, the driver is walking away without even a speeding ticket.

Question:
Last year, my little sister died as the driver of the car she was in wrapped it around a tree. He was going 70+ in a 35, as we later found out.

An officer told us he smelled alcohol on his breath. However he refused to take a sobriety test and it was about 4 hours before a judge ordered him to. It came back negative.

In Florida that speed does not result in anything but a speeding ticket, so once we got the results back we were disappointed he would not face serious criminal charges. However, we had some solace a driving infraction resulting in death would follow him around.

Last week, the charges were brought to court. The judge immediately dismissed the case because more than 12 months had passed since the crash and the statute of limitations had expired. We were devastated that he would face absolutely no legal consequences (He is a college student, so lawyers have told us he is not worth pursuing in civil court.)

I still cannot believe the prosecutor allowed this to happen. To string us along for more than a year and then to overlook something like the statute of limitations expiring. To add insult to injury, the investigator showed up late to the court date and appologized to the deffense attorney first.

Our family really wants to be done with these people, but we are curious if it is possible to take action against the state/police for mishandeling of this case. Our sister deserved some sort of justice, and we were completely let down.

Answer:
 Highly unlikely. You can report it to everyone's superiors including mayor/governor. Answer #2: Are you pursuing any kind of civil action against him? Answer #3: I'm very sorry for your loss.  It seems it was a misstep for him to not have been charged with speeding, but I don't believe you would have a case against anyone given the immunity those government actors would have.

You mention the officer smelled alcohol, which I am assuming means you think he may have been under the influence and so further investigation of this was necessary and this is another way they dropped the ball.  While I know it won't make you feel any better, if he was negative for alcohol 4 hours after, then it is very likely that he was under the legal limit anyway.  Alcohol dissipates quickly, but anyone who is over the limit would still have at least a minimum amount of alcohol in their system 4 hours later.  If he was severely intoxicated, there would have still been a significant amount of alcohol in his system.  Again, I know that doesn't make you feel any better, but I do think it's important you understand that to help at least get to some closure, and it's possible no one has given you that information yet.

A civil suit would result in a judgment.  It may be difficult to collect that money, but may still be worth it for you and your family.  With a Judgment, you could potentially collect if he buys or sells property in the future, or if he ends up making a good salary in the future.  If he has graduated witha  degree, you may still want to think about it.


Title: [California] Can he sue? I am a graphic designer. A client I was designing a book for is refusing to pay more than we initially contractually agreed to, although he verbally promised me more money for my work.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I doubt that many people on this sub will read your contract above and give you a legal analysis. If that is what you need, you should retain a private attorney.

Generally speaking though, your client can hold you to the terms of the contract.


Title: US Customs claimed I had drugs, charged me a massive fine with no proof given. Now, every time I re-enter the country I’m “flagged” and taken through special security. Anyway I can get this removed from my “record”?

Question:
To add some detail:
I was coming back from a two week trip in NZ and AUS through San Francisco airport. As I was going through customs to get my re-entry stamp I was stopped and moved to the side for extra screening. Thinking I was randomly selected they started digging through my bag, and said they found “weed”, sprinkled in the bottom of my bag. Now, mind you, I’m no saint, but I’m not stupid enough to try to sneak drugs into the country. And my bag they were searching was brand new prior to leaving the country, so I knew there was nothing in there. They ran a “test” and said it was positive for marijuana.

Several things happened after that:
1. I asked to see the test - they came back with a piece of paper that had an X on it, when I said, I don’t understand how that works, they replied “it doesn’t matter if you understand”
2. They proceeded to interrogate me about previous and current drug use.
3. I was searched
4. Missed both of my flights
5. When I asked about calling a lawyer or family member I was told I couldn’t
6. I asked if I was being charged for something - they said no

Then, the next step is where shit got weird. They said it would be a $5000 fine unless I filled out a form that “admitted guilt.” I said, “I don’t have any guilt to admit, but they would drop the fine down to $500 if I filled out the form. So I wrote on the form “I’m sorry I didn’t know there was weed in my bag”.

They dropped the fine down to $500, because of this form (that they wouldn’t let me take a photo of, get a copy of, or send to my lawyer prior to filling out). I asked what would happen if I didn’t have the money to pay, and they said I would stay there until I did. So I put it on a card and walked away.

Now, I’m willing to put this behind me, it’s only $500, but when I re-entered the country from Belize I was flagged and brought to special screening AGAIN. The customs agent said this could happen perpetually since I’m now “flagged.” Im truly afraid that I will be put into this position again, and I’m scared of what will happen next time.

Notes: I’ve already contacted US customs twice to try and get a copy of the form I signed/filled out, to no avail.

I really want this off of my “record.” Anyone have any advice for doing so?

Answer:
 You can file a [FOIA request](https://foiaonline.gov/foiaonline/action/public/request) to get a copy of your record.

The method for appealing an adverse record is through the [DHS TRIP](https://www.dhs.gov/dhs-trip) program; which gives you a Redress Control number (like the Known Traveler Number) that you can put in your registration which points the agents towards the adjudicated file, meaning you most likely shouldn't get sent to secondary based off the previous information.

But that only works if the information in the database is false or linked to you improperly. It sounds like you confessed to a customs violation and paid the fine for doing so. You had the option of contesting the result, and requesting a hearing to show your innocence. Because you didn't do so, you'll have a tough time trying to claim the original information is incorrect now. Answer #2: You should have never signed admitting to weed as now you are guilty.

Your only option is a lawyer at this point.Answer #3: You shouldn't have signed or paid anything. You're a US citizen. "You'll stay here until you pay," is nonsense.


Title: Are consensual roofies legal in a relationship?

Question: My boyfriend (19) has a kink where he likes being objectified. he doesn't get a lot of emotional connection during sex, so he wants me to roofie him and do stuff while he's out. is there a legal way to do this? He would be willing to sign a consent form or whatever necessary.

Answer:
 An unconscious person cannot consent to sex, and there is no contract or agreement you could write up that would change that.

Having said that, what legal actions are taken are going to largely be determined by his willingness to report the crime.

Having said *that,* I can see *so* many ways that this is an incredibly bad idea, the most glaring being the health and medical concerns that come along with drugging someone to the point of unconsciousness.


Title: Kicked out of college class for hair color

Question:
Is a college allowed to do this? Some of my hair is dyed pink and they said I would be kicked out of class if I don't revert back to a "natural hair color".

I am paying to take these classes and the campus should be a place to express myself, i feel like they can't do this.

I was sent an email regarding this issue so I can PM it to someone for mpre details.

Answer:
 > I can PM it

Nope. We don't do that.

Location? Private or state school?Answer #2: Public or private institution.


Title: (Maine, NH, MS) My sister and her attorney have ignored their responsibilities of paying the bills. I changed the bills to their names/addresses.

Question:
Horrible Sister (HS) and I inherited a condo and a cottage from our father along with some other assets.  Most of those sold, but since July 2015, I've been handling the monthly bills.  There was money from Dad that went into an estate account and out of this, I paid the bills on the properties.

The money has run out and HS and her lawyer have ignored requests that they pay their share of the bills.  My lawyer has tried to get them to discuss it and those questions get completely ignored, and the lawyer refuses to address them.

They communicate when they want something and despite refusing to pay, HS has been staying at one of the properties and wants to move in.  When she wanted me to turn on the cable (Which was in my name) she texted me directly.  I took the opportunity to explain the financial situation to her.

It's possible her lawyer just hasn't told her any details because he handles her trust and failed to tell her about the sale of some property falling through for over a month. I demanded she hear the whole thing before I'd consider turning on the cable while she was there.

She said she hadn't known and that she wanted to to take over payments of the bills for the condo while I retain the bills for the cottage. I agreed to this, but of course there was no follow-through.

Her attorney has not addressed the issue of the back bills they owe me, but voiced interest in buying me out of the condo.

Since my sister agreed to take on the bills (And I have it in text message form) and they both said she wanted to live there and buy it, I changed the billing address to her attorney's office.  We're both on the deed, but most bills are still in Dad's name or in the name of his estate.

I sent them several emails letting them know that I planned to close the estate account and that they needed to pay the bills themselves, or make a deposit in advance to keep the account open.  Neither replied to that so I sent an email letting them know that since HS offered to take over the bills, and they'd failed to make any of the other arrangements I'd suggested, that I'd changed the addresses and they would be going to them.

After close to a year of their refusal to hold up their financial responsibilities, and my sister's agreement to take over, have I done anything illegal?

Answer:
 To be perfectly frank, if this matter is being handled by your respective attorneys then you need to let them handle it.  If you have concerns, bring them up with your attorney.

You don't want to be communicating to her OR her lawyer regarding this matter except through your attorney if at all possible.

You should probably disregard anything anyone posts in here if it conflicts at all with what your attorney has told you.

Once you hit the point in a legal matter where lawyers are talking to each other, let the lawyers talk to each other.  Disentangling and distributing an estate and the responsibilities therein is really, really complicated.  Call  or  email your lawyer and ask him/her this question.


Title: Isn't this a violation of my 6th amendment rights?

Question:
I have been in dispute with my Sister about where Mom should be in a nursing home.She got her way and now my Mom is in Florida in a Nursing home.She has done anything she can do to get me in trouble.

One thing she did was call the police and tell them I have Bi-polar and Im dangerous [etc.My](https://etc.My) Brother jumped in on this too. Whatever they told the police got me questioned by the Police about all sorts of things having to do with my mental state.They tried to contact the VA (nothappening there.The last report said "we will continue to monitor Coleman."

I have contacted one of the Officers and asked her to come to my house and tell me what was saidand what are they basing their suspicions of my mental state. I let this thing cool so I haven't met her yet.

Don't I have a right to know what has been said about me to the Police.I should be able to refute,explain etc or am I presumed to be  guilty of whatever they have said.

I know I haven't been accused of a crime but doesn't this still amount to a violation of my 6th amendment rights? Is there anything I can do find out what was said or am I just judged without any recourse.?

  \*\*\*\* I have been back in Va for going on 9 years and have had no problems or contact with the police except for a speeding ticket\*\*\*\*

Answer:
 >doesn't this still amount to a violation of my 6th amendment rights?

No.  The first four words of the sixth amendment are “in all criminal prosecutions”


Title: Subjected to frequent "random" drug tests

Question:
I'm posting on behalf of my dad, who is a Washington state resident. He has been a government employee for the town he lives in since the 1990s. Within the past couple of years, he has been subjected to multiple "random" drug tests. My dad does not do drugs and naturally his tests come out negative for drugs. He said the new director claimed it was from the county and that they decide it randomly - but how does he get picked 5 times in the past year out of 5,000 countywide employees? It just seems fishy.

My dad gets the feeling that they want him to retire and are trying to watch him slip.

Is there anything that my dad should do at this point?

If it makes any difference - my dad is a person of color in a predominantly white and conservative town, and there appears to be a mild degree of nepotism.

Thanks

Answer: I know it seems like they are singling him out.  It could be completely random.  More likely the case from what I have seen though is they pick older guys like your dad, even though it is "random" because they know he is going to pass.  They don't want to deal with having to handle people who failed, don't want to chase problems for all the guys in the parks dept who smoke a little weed etc.  So they just pick guys who are going to pass.


Title: [CA Los Angeles] Can my disabled elderly father have his parking and garage removed by his landlord?

Question:
My father is in his 70's and is disabled.

He has lived in this apartment for 40 years and has gotten along well with all his landlords until two very young middle eastern men told us they bought the property and are his landlords.

They have told him he no longer has the right to park in the apartment drive way and have dead bolted his garage forcing him to  use Public Storage to have his few possessions from being thrown out. They told him they would charge him $150 a day for every day he didn't have the garage emptied out by April 30.

He complied then they notified him with an Cure or Evict notice telling him he had 5 days to stop parking on the property. In addition they put up signs saying any cars parked without the landlords permission will be towed away.

Before this they would purposely block the driveway with their cars, and they have alot of cars as I suspect they are running a used car dealership out of the residential property.

They offered him $5000 to move out, but when he refused this all began. In addition they told him not to seek legal action because their lawyers would quote "destroy him".

And in case your wondering the property where he lives is identified as R2+ and has RSO.

I tried calling the city of LA to paint the curb blue for him so he doesn't have to park so far away but i'v been told the Program has been discontinued.

Answer:
 They cannot modify the lease in this way, IF his lease says he has a garage and use of the drive way (or more precisely, if it doesn't say he doesn't, because such use is assumed unless excluded.)

In LA the folks to call are these:  http://www.hrc-la.org/doc.asp?id=16Answer #2: What does the lease say about parking and the garage?Answer #3: IANAL

I believe LA has some rent control, so that may protect him. You should contact the links in the other posts here to get that help. Here in SF there are additional AL rental protections for people over 65 years old.

However, if he is not protected by rent control, then because your father has no written lease and has been there so long, he is considered to have a month-to-month lease. Also, since he has lived thee more than a year, the LLs need to give him at least SIXTY DAY WRITTEN NOTICE if they want to modify or cancel the lease.  If he's been parking there for 40 years, they need to five him 60 days notice to change that part of the agreement. If they want him out of the Garage? 60 days. They want him out completely? 60 days. With WRITTEN NOTICE.

And those are the minimums. As I said, LA city has some rent control, and that means they might not be able to do any of that.

Good luck.


Title: A Sovereign Citizen shows up in r/TopMindsOfReddit planning to sue reddit and his court transcript is posted to Github. Reading it will have you Disqualify your brain cells.

Answer: The top mind himself is in the comments on that post and it's GLORIOUS


Title: Just got a call from a process server asking me to set up an appointment with them - is this a scam?

Question:
I just got a call from an unfamiliar number, which I ignored. They then called my husband of 7 years and asked for me using my maiden name. They claimed to be a process server trying to serve me a lawsuit. They claimed that they didn't know the plaintiff, it was a "sealed court document" and gave me a phone number/case number to call.

&#x200B;

Some light googling tells me this is probably a scam. The address he had for me is 10 years old and my husband never lived there, so unsure how they'd have his number for anything from that long ago as we didn't know each other then.

&#x200B;

Should I call this number, or just forget it? I even told him that wasn't the right address for me and he had zero interest in getting my correct address to "serve me" at, telling me to just call the number.

Answer:
 It is more than likely a scam, you can call your local courthouse and give them the case number that was given to you and they should be able to tell you if this is legit or not.Answer #2: Likely one of these new scams where you call the number and it charges you in the hundreds for the call. Happening a lot here in Britain but in a different context, i.e. not claiming to serve them but for other purposes. Answer #3: if you're being served for a lawsuit, you shouldn't go out of your way to help them serve you.

i would just ignore this.


Title: Researching for a book - seeking legal fact check

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I have to be brutally honest, you aren't ready to write a book about any legal system. This isn't even so much about the legal system as it is police/investigative procedure. Asia is not a country nor do the courts of its countries work the same. This book is going to be totally unbelievable if you don't start from the ground up and take a class, read some books, make friends with police officers/lawyers in that country. Asking a simple question like this on reddit points to that there will be a lot of inconsistencies and if it's important to youcthat there be none, Reddit isn't the place to start, in depth dedicate-six-months-to-researching-this-several-hours-a-day-every-day is where you start. If your character's legal troubles are more than a blip then I'd recommend preparing to dig in.


Title: What is the Chauvin defense strategy with respect to CO poisoning?

Question:
The defense introduced the theory that maybe CO (carbon monoxide) poisoning from the exhaust pipe was a factor in Floyd’s death. I understand the idea of introducing new theories for cause of death in order to induce doubt in the jury - however, I don’t understand how this theory specifically would help the defense.

If it were true that Floyd died of CO poisoning due to the exhaust pipe, how is that not even more condemning? If I were to hold someone’s face within inches of an exhaust pipe of a running car for 9 min and they died of CO poisoning, wouldn’t that almost be murder 1, let alone manslaughter?

I get that restraining people is not my job and there is obviously leeway in that respect as it relates to police.  But, it seems to me like the defense is arguing “he (Chauvin) restrained Floyd on the ground for 9 min, yes, but the cause of death was not due to the knee on neck/prone position, but rather due to the fact that Floyd’s face was held down by the defendant within inches of an exhaust pipe, thus causing him to die of CO poisoning.”

It seems like a ridiculous defense to me and I’m hoping one or more of you can explain the strategy behind this defense.

Thanks.

Answer: Personally I think the phrase "grasping at straws" is about to evolve in common use to "grabbing at tailpipes."


Title: NYC - Doctor sent me an invoice for a cancelled appointment

Question: I was visiting a new dermetologist and after the 2nd visit, I was not satisfied with their service so I called to cancel the 3rd visit ahead of time. Now I'm sent a bill for no showing the appointment even though I called to cancel and received confirmation during the call. Now they are saying I never called but refused to provide the call recording and sent me a bill saying that if i dont pay, they will consider collections action. Am I liable to pay for a false claim or risk bad credit from the collections company?

Answer:
 A written letter (send it certified & via email) disputing the charge with back up from your telephone records & they confirmation number will help when they send it to collections. Keep copies of everything you send them.

If they send it to collections, respond denying their claim & provide copies of the same letter you sent them. Answer #2: As a customer service matter, if they know that you aren’t their customer anymore, they have no financial incentive to waive the fee.

If it goes to collections, you’ll ask for proof of debt and eventually get the debt taken off.  So it’s annoying, but temporarily annoying.  But I presume you don’t want it to go that far.

If they send your debt to collections, it becomes a potential defamation of character action.  But it would cost more than the cancellation fee to pursue it.

Recommendation?  Send them a letter via registered mail, costs about six bucks.   Lay out your position, including that sending this to collections would be a defamatory action.   It won’t be worth the cost to them to pursue it, and they’ll go away.


Title: How do I get married to a Canadian?

Question: Me and my girlfriend who lives in Canada want to get married and live together how do I go about this without her being deported or breaking any laws?

Answer:
 > How do I get married to a Canadian?

Like any other Canadian wedding. Give her father the ceremonial hockey stick. Coat her with 100% maple syrup and watch Everyone Loves Raymond - Season 2.


Title: Neighbors Smoking Pot

Question:
Hey everyone,

So my roommate, her dog and I live in an apartment complex in which our neighbors heavily smoke weed. It is to the point where it is making our apartment smell like pot, and neither of us smoke. We are currently having to leave our bathroom exhaust fan and kitchen exhaust fan on when we leave if they are smoking, which costs us electricity. It also has caused my roommate and I to have headaches, and affect our asthma, it's that bad. We have told our landlords multiple times about this issue, and the most they have done has been to leave a notice on every door in the complex that smoking of any kind violates the lease, which it clearly states. We also live in Montana, where weed is not recreationally legal. Is there anything we can do, since our landlords seem to ignore our emails and phone calls? My roommate is hesitant due to the fear of retaliation against her for having a service dog, even though it clearly states on our lease that her dog is allowed to live there, as she is a registered emotional support dog. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer: You could talk to your neighbor. I know everyone's scared of confrontation these days, but talking to your neighbor and informing them they're stinking up the place sounds like a good start. Most stoners don't want to get caught. They probably don't even realize the issue. They probably think they're real slick and sneaky. Informing them that they're not being sneaky may help you both out. Unless the issue is more that they're smoking pot and not actually that it's affecting you. Then the police would probably put a quick end to it.


Title: Pc repair shop threatens to break computer if I don't pay.

Question:
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 What is with people and their belief that a $50 difference of opinion is somehow a legal issue.  The repair shop told you that it would cost $150 if they didn't have to replace any of the components.  In their opinion they felt that one of the components (the thermal paste) had to be replaced.  So they are charging you $200.  They are not threatening to break your computer, only to remove the component that they replaced (the thermal paste).  They are right, you are wrong.  Pay your bill.Answer #2: This really doesn't rise to the level of a "legal issue."  You just got crappy service.  Online reviews and written work estimates are now your friends.  I'm sorry for your luck, but bite the $50 and move on and avoid liquids near your laptop.

Burn them up on online review sites should you see fit and be honest.  Any legal trouble you go to over $50 for extra work they actually did to get your computer fixed, given the circumstances, is a losing battle for you.  Bite you lip and move on.  People suck sometimes.

Police, replevin actions, small claims over $50.... So much in here is just not worth it.  At the end of the day, you're out $50, but you still got a service that hopefully fixed your machine.Answer #3: Offer to pay them the extra $50, and then let them know where you'll be telling your story of their shenanigans.


Title: D-Bag Neighbor took my package

Question:
on mobile, sorry for bad formatting

Ordered a huge package from overseas, UPS delivered it to my neighbor.

Neighbor lives in apartments, neighbors from the back saw it on his porch between 12:30-1:00 PM and confirmed it was there as they saw yellow tape on it (this is an important detail) and the front neighbor says when he got back at 5:30 PM, he didnt see anything besides his mail. When my mother went to talk to him, his kids started saying something about “maybe grandma..” before he shoved them inside and told them to be quiet.

My cameras don’t see far enough to see his front porch as theres a fair amount of space between mine and his. I’m sure this douche took my package and UPS is giving me so many damn run-arounds that it’s hard to get anything done through them.

*in the morning while my grandfather went for a morning walk, he saw a UPS truck and asked the driver if he had my package, the driver said yes and showed it to my grandpa, it had the yellow tape on it but my grandpa couldnt bring it home as it was really heavy (24 lbs) and he was on his own. the package the back neighbors saw is 100% my package.

I live in Los Angeles County, California, is there any legal things I can do where I can end up with my package again?

LTL, FTP

Answer: Is UPS actually admitting they dropped it there?


Title: [New York] parking ticket and (almost) towed within the hour.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You think they have to let your car sit there for *4 days* before they can tow it so they can clean the street? LOL no they don't. Welcome to New York.


Title: I caught yelp fudging all sorts of their advertising numbers red handed (with plenty of photos from multiple sources)...should someone do something about this?

Question:
(boston) all images and bacstory are in the photo album http://imgur.com/a/tn2MR

am i seeing something different, or is this as blatant and illegal as it appears to be at first glance?

ps: that last stat graph says they sent me 14 clicks randomly...google says they sent me 0.

i could screen shot that if anyone would like.

pps: someone asked why this would be illegal...ummm, at first glace (i'm no lawyer, but what i see anyway) tax fraud? consumer fraud? money laundering. defrauding investors. ....am i wrong here?

Answer:
 Damn right someone should do something about this.  I'm giving Yelp a one-star review as we speak.  /sarcasm.

What law, exactly, do you think they are breaking?Answer #2: Tax fraud - nope, unless they aren't paying taxes on the income they generate from you.  But how your statement would show that, I just don't know.

Consumer fraud - that is not really a thing.  There is no blanket "consumer fraud."  And, I would suggest, as a starting point, you read through what you agreed to when signing up for the trial.

Money laundering - not sure how you even begin to apply this.  Money laundering is the act of filtering ill gotten gains (such as drug money) to make it look legitimate, usually through a high cash business or front company.

Defrauding investors - you are not an investor, as far as I can tell.  Seriously, how do you survive an average day?

As for why they are willing take a charge off:  they likely have pretty accurate metrics on cost to collect and likelihood to collect.  They probably determined that it wasn't worth the time/effort to go after you for it.  Purely a pragmatic decision, not related to the validity of their billing.Answer #3: Has it occurred to you that Views are not the same thing as Sessions? You'd have to ask Yelp for the exact definitions you are using, but it looks like your page was viewed 1000+ times, but only by 400 unique sessions. That means some users viewed your page twice during the same browsing session.


Title: Ohio 1st DUI offence Question

Question:
My 25 yr old son got convicted of first DUI. He is on probation for one year and the paperwork from court says he will get random drug/alcohol tests at his expense and zero tolerance for any alcohol, drugs or any mind altering chemicals. I didn't know or ever hear of not being able to have any alcohol in privacy of home or when not driving. And the tests cost $55 each time he gets asked to go for a test. Anyone have any idea how often he should expect to get tested?

Thanks!

Answer:
 > I didn't know or ever hear of not being able to have any alcohol in privacy of home or when not driving.

He chose to commit the crime. If he can't go a year without drinking or using drugs, then he needs to go to rehab.


Title: [CALIFORNIA] Is it legal for a social club to exclude someone based on their gender?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Yes, private clubs with exclusive memberships are legal. Answer #2: Hey! I'm not in CA, but in general, private clubs are allowed to discriminate because they're not places of "public accommodation". A private social club is not open to the public, even though you are advertising it. A brick and mortar store on a public street generally cannot discriminate based on a protected class because the expectation is that the business is open to the public. A workplace can't discriminate for the same reasons. The fire department (legally) can't choose to not save your house if you're black and they don't like serving black people.

But for example, a country club is allowed to discriminate as much as they like because it is by invitation, and then members can pay for the privilege of joining--but if you were denied your request to join it would be legal.

Of course you can sue anyone for anything, but there also have to be damages. Someone would have to prove that they incurred damages from you not allowing them to join.

ETA: Regarding the damages, if you advertise the club as "women only" and "by invitation only" that kind of mitigates the issue of damages. If you started the club and let everyone in, then decided to kick out all the dudes after the club was already meeting, that would potentially be different, but from what I know it is still generally at your discretion. The expectation is that the club will be for women only and by invitation.

Anyway if anyone has any supporting or conflicting info, please correct me!Answer #3: Yes, swingers clubs are allowed to exclude single men.


Title: Need to know if I am legally in the clear regarding the sale of home

Question:
In 2007 my wife and I purchased a new home in northern California.  After watching half our neighbors walk away from their homes in foreclosure and the neighborhood go through many changes, we have listed the house for sale and are currently in escrow with an offer that will see us realize a substantial gain.

The only hitch, I am currently filling out the disclosure forms which ask about any pending litigation.  In 2010 a law firm solicited us to join a class action against the builder for construction defects.  We joined because basically, why not?  Nothing happened other than a few letters and an inspection between then and now.

In the build up to the listing, I have left numerous phone messages for this firm to inform them of my intent to sell and exit the litigation.  I was assured I would be contacted but have heard nothing in over 4 months.  Honestly I haven't paid much attention to the issue until seeing the litigation disclosure on these forms.

Today I called and left a message definitively declaring my desire to exit representation and have typed a letter to confirm the action.  My question is does this cover me in terms of stating on the disclosure there is no pending litigation?

Answer:
 My guess is *no*, you are not out of the litigation and it is officially still pending—but I don't know for certain.

The better question may be, does the disclosure form ask about any construction or structural defects? And are you aware of these structural defects?


Title: Being stalked internationally by an American Ebay seller.

Question:
I'll try to be brief.

I contacted an ebay seller about an item. I asked a question, they answered, it was fine.

A few hours later they sent a message out of the blue saying they would not sell to me as I had left someone negative feedback in the past.

They then claimed to be a department of homeland security agent, said they would frame me for terrorism, threatened to send me and my family to Guantanamo bay and to have me killed.

I laughed it off. I also forwarded it to the DHS so they could keep an eye on the nutjob.

Now I am getting emails. The seller used his access on ebay to get my address (physical and email) and is posting ads on websites for high value items for low prices or free. He is also saying to show up unannounced between 10 and 11pm.

Where i live, this is a VERY very good way to get shot.

I have spoken to the police here (Australia, Queensland) and they have said they have no jurisdiction. The Australian Federal Police have said they can't do anything until I am attacked or my life or well being is in imminent danger. Who the fuck do I report this to? Or do I need to go to America and find the guy myself before the law will get involved?

Answer:
 Put up a sign that says “not selling or giving away any cars, houses, etc—sorry”.  At least maybe they won’t knock on your door.Answer #2: Report him to Ebay and block his emails.Answer #3: I don't want to sound patronizing but some people don't think of stuff like this: have you tried searching for the name in google, and if there's any chance of it being a real name (as opposed to "weedlordbonerhitler420") on facebook and linkedin?

Even if it's a fake name, people who do stuff like this have a tendency to reuse fake names. You might find, say, a forum profile or a player info page for some MMORPG. You can look for common details on multiple sites and try to connect some dots.

Worst case scenario you get nothing useful. Middle case, you get a handle on whether the person is crazy or just a dumb kid. Best case, you find out they're a dumb kid AND find a parent's facebook page. One messaged screencap and you get sweet, sweet justice.

In any case, you might consider signs on entrances to your property that say "I'm not selling anything on ebay or anywhere."Answer #4: Is it possible for you to have a cease and desist be drafted and sent via mail? Answer #5: I don't see how he got your address based off of just an inquiry email. That's not how ebay works.


Title: [CAN] My neighbour at school dorm is having "issues" with me. RA is forced to take her side.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Try escalating the situation to the Residence Director (professional staff in charge of the building) because they ultimately have more authority than the head RA and hopefully have more common sense. You can also ask for a neighbor agreement (we have roommate agreements but I don't see why they can't apply to neighbors as well) to outline what hours you both think it's reasonable for you to be playing the game. I imagine that your dorm has quiet hours, but they are usually late at night and I don't see how an RA could prevent you from using your keyboard at all hours of the day (especially if you need it for school work) due to noise.Answer #2: Is the noise happening during quiet hours?

Get a new keyboard.


Title: Rules in a dog v. dog battle?

Question:
Location: North Carolina, USA.

Brief overview of story:

My girlfriend had my dog and her dog in the public community dog park. We're in a very small apartment complex, no office on site.  Another resident, who we haven't met before, comes up and asks if our dogs are friendly and says that hers can be a little rough.  My girlfriend says yes, but asks to allow her to leash the dogs up so they can meet.  The other girl does not do this, her dog is unleashed and runs in the park and barrels through my dog and my girlfriend's dog, who were playing.  The other girls dog is 72 pounds, mine is 45.  I wasn't there for the incident, but my dog must have felt threatened, and the two briefly went at each other.  Not in a vicious dog fight way, but they bared teeth and snapped at each other.  Her dog was cut, my dog was cut. She left the park.

My girlfriend saw the girl again later, who said that her dog was fine, it felt like there was an understanding.  I wasn't mad that my dog got a cut, they're dogs, it happens.  Since it was 2 dogs, strangers to each other, who got in a small scrap, and not one dog mauling another, I felt like it could be brushed off an an accident on both ends, and we'll just keep the pups separate.  Some dogs just don't get along.

However, today she came by and brought a $400 vet bill and asked that we be responsible and pay half.  I consider myself to be a responsible dog owner, and would have even offered to pay for any vet troubles if I knew that my dog was entirely at fault.  To me, it just seemed like a mutual incident in the park.  Morally, I feel obligated to pay, and I don't want to be a dick or come off that way here, but I wanted to ask about any legal obligation I may have to pay for half? We're both in college, and she said that she understands that its a lot but that I should be responsible to help her pay for it. Am I being a dick just by looking into the legal aspects of it and not just forking over half?

Any help is really appreciated!

Edit: typed 'dog' instead of 'don't'

Answer: You are not morally or legally responsible IMO. Tell her no. That you feel it was mutual and you handled your dogs injuries. Let her sue you if she wants to push it. Go to court and tell your side. Let a judge decide. But it sounds like liability wise, she is more responsible than you since her dog was known to be rough and it sounds like started everything


Title: Mother passed away, I am the executor of her will my sister wants the house.

Question: (Texas) Sister and I are in our 50's, mother passed and, per my mother's instructions, we are to divide up her belongings (as we see fit), sell the house and split the proceeds. My mother wasn't rich & this isn't a mansion. The land itself is probably worth more than house, I figure it'll sell for about $200k. My sister "wants" the house.  She said I can keep all the belongings and cash (about $3200), but I just want to sell. Mom named me the executor, does she "have a case"?

Answer:
 She would have to buy out everyone who has an interest in the houseAnswer #2:
>My sister "wants" the house.

If she wants it, then she will have to buy the rest of you out, she doesnt just get to keep it, you have to execute the will according to her exact instructions.

>does she "have a case"?

Not as long as you follow your mothers instructions. If you let your sister take the house, you could be personally sued for violating your fiduciary duty to the estate,  but that would be unlikely unless there is someone else who might have a claimAnswer #3: No. She doesn’t. She needs to pay fair market value in the amount of the percentage of the house left to you,

So if it’s just you two then she should pay the 100k or whatever the worth to you in order to get full control of the house.

Or move in and pay you the rent of half the house.Answer #4: Let her take out a mortgage for half the value of the house and give it to you.Answer #5: Texas paralegal -- You need to take the will to a probate attorney and have it probated in court.  There is a 4 year time frame to do this in.  It all depends on what the will says if she has a case.  The attorney that I work for commonly puts a disinheritance clause in the will so it won't be contested.


Title: I didn't complete a class required by the courts, I moved (ND to IA) and they want me to come in for a court date.

Question:
I was arrested in August, for a Minor in Consumption (if that matters), completed everything, paid all my fines, except I was supposed to do an Alive by 25 course. It was after my moving date, I told them that, and they said they would get me information to do it online. They never got back to me with information and I forgot about it.

Now I live 15 hours away, can't afford to go back for my court date, and they want to issue a warrant for my arrest if I don't appear.

Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 >They never got back to me with information and I forgot about it.

No.  You hoped to shift responsibility for what happened next from you to them.  But this doesn't work that way.  It was your responsibility to take the course you were ordered to take.  Including following up with the court for more information if it didn't come when expected.

You can contact the court now and see if they'll work anything out with you. In many cases, however, the judge will require an appearance now.  Answer #2: Maybe call them, like you should have done in the first place when they never gave you the information for the online course?


Title: Michigan. Would a non-member of an organization have standing to sue the organization if they are not complying with their Charter or By-Laws?

Question:
Specifically, a provision in the By-Laws which mandates that meeting minutes, etc. be available to the public for inspection.

* Organization is a student government at a public university.
* University claims the organization is an 'unincorporated group of students and not a part of the University.'
* Organization receives non-refundable tuition dollars for its operating budget.

Answer:
 Are you a student? Usually student governments have something in their constitution like "all students of x university are members, and may become senators/representatives." That would give you standing.

Additionally, as a public body they may be bound by the Michigan Open Meetings Act, and if they violate their bylaws they probably violate that. If they are bound by the Open Meetings Act, you could hire a lawyer and litigate. I would recommend consulting an attorney, whether or not they are a public body as defined by the act may be a gray area.


Title: [Illinois] Music Teacher Abuse?

Question:
A recent wage theft thread on the home page has inspired me to ask about my own story.

My wife is a music teacher at a for-profit music school in Illinois. She teaches at the studio a couple days a week, the same hours every week, and has done so for years. But she is paid hourly as an independent contractor (1099-misc) with no benefits. Music school management regularly reminds her that the students "belong to the music school".

The music school regularly hosts student recitals so that the students can play for their families and friends. Management requires--and has done so for years--all of the teachers to attend and perform accompaniment for the students during these recitals. The teachers are not paid for this work, even though the concert is not free (tickets must be purchased for admission).

Recently management has started demanding that teachers perform a solo piece during these concerts, for which they are not paid (not for the performance nor rehearsal time).

So far management has been successful in getting all its teachers to comply. They use various means of intimidation to do this. Including:

* Bullying: "All the other teachers do it, you're the only one who is causing trouble."
* Threats: "We assign students to teachers. Do you want more students or less?"
* Character attacks: "The reason your child can't register for the recital is because your teacher is refusing to participate."

In addition, teachers are occasionally required to perform office duties--which they aren't paid for--because office assistants keep quitting.

Even though staffing at the music school is a revolving door, some of the teachers are low-income career musicians and immigrants who can't afford to lose their job. Which is perfect for management because they are easily brow-beaten into working for free.

Management is currently planning another concert in June. What should my wife tell her boss when they demand that she works for free?

Answer:
 If she's a contractor, and is properly classified as one, she can either do what they ask or quit/have her contract terminated.

If she thinks she is improperly classified, she can [file form SS-8 with the IRS](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss8.pdf) and let them make a determination.


Title: If FedEx accidentally delivers a package to a neighboring house, and I am not sure if it's mine or not, am I legally allowed to check and see if it's mine.

Question:
I came home from work looking forward to unboxing my new tire mount for my jeep. To my dismay I found that the package had not been delivered to my door. I checked the package tracker, it said delivered. I asked all my neighbors in my apartment complex if thay saw my package or the truck today. No one had. I drove about 200 yard to our old apartment (where all my amazon packages had been shipped so far) to no avail. On my way back I noticed the house next to my apt had a package the size I was expecting. I'm 760, they are 770. So I went over checked and there it was.

I'm just  curious as to whether it is legal to inspect a package on a neighboring porch if you can reasonably expect it to be yours? Was what I did illegal?

Location: Virginia

Answer:
 You can legally walk onto others people porch and look at things. Messing with their stuff, less so. Answer #2: If you're not climbing over a fence to do it, probably not. The delivery person had to put it there.

If it's beyond a gate, then you would need to get permission the property owner.

Get as good pictures of it as you can. If the property owner refuses to let you retrieve it, they can't claim there was no package. You can also show that the package was delivered to the wrong address and file a claim if it's not possible for you to retrieve it.


Title: Can I install a hidden camera in my home to document child abuse/neglect?

Question:
I own my home in Caifornia. My daughter and her 4-year-old son have lived with me since 4/2018. She has borderline personality disorder and, until recently, was actively seeking treatment. Since ditching all treatment in 8/2018, she has begun verbally, emotionally, and physically abusing her son. I called CPS after he told me she punches him on the top of his head and kicks his legs "because I'm so rude to her."

During the CPS investigation, she was the perfect mother. The bruises on her son's legs disappeared and he was bruise-free the whole time, except for the normal rough and tumble bruising of a 4-year-old. Incidentally, she is aware that I made the call to CPS and is working very hard to alienate me from my grandson.

The CPS investigation was closed 3 days ago and she's back to being borderline. If you know anything about BPD, then you know that children of BPD mothers are at high risk for physical, mental, emotional, and verbal abuse.

She's never physically abused him in front of me but he's got some new bruises that can't be explained by "rough and tumble." And she's back to ignoring him, belittling him, etc.

Can I install a hidden camera in my home to document what's happening when I'm not present? I suspect she locks him in his room for long periods of time, rages at him, ignores him, and probably hits him. Will the footage be admissible as evidence?

Thank you.

(I originally posted this to r/legal by mistake)

Answer: Putting aside the cameras for a moment, has CPS fully explained the situation to you? You know if CPS finds her to have abused your grandson, they likely aren't going to let your grandson stay in your house with you with her still living there. You're going to have make that decision moving forward. Answer #2: IANAL, so wait for a lawyer to chime in on the legality of this - but I would take pictures of the bruises and even record your grandson recounting his experiences on being abused, then I would show those to CPS. I'd also try to get custody of the child.


Title: Patent Question - Can I import and sell fidget spinners?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: You're really unlikely to make any money because you missed the boom by some months. Considering this is an unbelievably simple concept that's been around for years and only just got popular, spin your heart out. You won't make any money off doing this on amazon if you're not already established, by the way.


Title: [MA] Fiance received concussion and forced to take test. Is there legal protection?

Question: My fiance is finishing up her last year. About two weeks ago, she got a serious concussion, which she definitely could not function as normal. A professor forced her to take a test, which she then coulsn't gather a thought for and proceeded to fail and could now fail the course because of said test. Is there any legal protection/rights that she has? Is it not a temporary disability to which she needs accommodation? She has put a lot of money towards schooling and could be held back because of this.

Answer: Did she at anytime formally request an accommodation? If she did not request it, no accommodation needs to be made.


Title: Thought Girlfriend Was Cheating, Now Going to Court For Battery

Question:
A long story but I hope you guys will read it and give me some advice. So a couple of months ago, my girlfriend had a fight. I had told her about how I had cheated on her a year ago, and she got really upset, naturally. One night when we were getting into it she decided she was going to go to a friend's house, and by the way she acted and the things she said, I was convinced she had left to cheat on me for revenge. Later that night, around one o'clock in the morning, she texted me asking to pick her up, and gave me the address. I was furious at this point, but it turned out she was just hanging out with her friend, her friend's brother and some other guy, but she never cheated on me. So I knocked on the door, still thinking she had slept with someone, then let myself in since the door wasn't locked. I asked her which of the guys it was, and proceeded to grab one of them and throw him on the ground. I was then bear hugged and choke holded until I agreed to get out of the guys house, since that's what he was yelling. I was waiting on my girlfriend to come outside and get in the car when that same guy came outside and started banging on the hood of my car. So I get back out of my car to approach him and prevent him from beating up my hood. And he continues to try and grab me. So I begin struggling to get away from him as he grabs me and my hair, meanwhile my girlfriend has finally gathered her things and made her way outside, and begins to yell at him to stop. The guy keep yelling at me to leave yet won't let go, and I tell him that I will leave as soon as my girlfriend is in the car. So finally we stop struggling and I leave. The ordeal is over but at some point between our struggle my girlfriend was hit in the face and had a slighly bruised eye for about a week. So now i should be getting my letter in the mail within the following weeks and the clerk at the court I talked to said my case will probably be held mid-january. When I arrested I had been charged with two accounts of minor battery which stated I "struck" the two guys with fists, which I don't believe i did. I made sure not to punch anyone during the entire fight. Should I get a lawyer?
 One extra detail is that; when I was 17 (now 20 y/o) I had pulled over for driving with a suspended license and was caught with marijuana. I was charged for driving with a suspended license but was left with a warning about the Marijuana. Is that going to come back up in court? Since I was a minor at the time.

Answer:
 You acted like a little boy and are facing the consequences. It doesn't matter if you hit someone with a closed fist because you absolutely committed a battery. They likely reported that you punched them and you're going to have a hard time proving that you didn't.

Yes, you need a lawyer. You especially need one because this could advance to a domestic violence charge depending on the report and the prosecutor. Answer #2: Yes, you should get a lawyer. Answer #3: The moment you lay hands on someone, you've committed a crime.

&#x200B;

Your best bet is to get a lawyer, and hope to plea down.Answer #4: Stop sharing this story with anyone except your lawyer, and you do need a lawyer.


Title: 14.5 months later, i still don't have what i ordered

Question:
Today alone i've had to explain the same information twice and have been hung up on twice after being "transferred". This is the tip of the tip of the iceberg.

[Portland, OR, but it happened in SF, CA]

On Jan 23rd, 2016, i ordered two hard drives. I was sent earbuds. This was After i verified the item number and price. After a month of email, texts, and online chats, i gave up. I wasn't sent return postage/packaging as i was told, i wasn't given my product, i wasn't even given the refund that now they say i can't have (that have never asked for) because the order is over 30 days old.

I tried for a month to get things worked out, nothing happend. I tried again a few months later, nothing happened. I'm trying again now. I've sent snail-mail, email, i've done online chats, i've actually visited a store in person to return the product i never ordered.

This will be extensively edited to add any details people request in comments. At this point i've spoken to (no exaggeration) at least 30 different people up and down the ladder in various departments, not even counting the ones who transferred me. I've explained the situation at least that many times and i've given the order number at least 50 times (no exaggeration!)

Literally every single thing i've been told would happen has not happened. Literally every single thing i can possibly (think of to) do short of suing hasn't worked. They still have my money and i still don't have my product.

Answer:
 Why didn't you just do a CC chargeback about 12 months ago?

Call your card company and see if they'll still reverse charges this long after you paid. If not, your only real option is a lawsuit.Answer #2: This is where a charge back through your credit card company would be appropriate. Have you contacted your cc provider?


Title: Fired for declining to relocate, is this legal? [PA]

Question: My father left his stable job about two months ago to take on a new position at a different company. The new position was available because someone had recently quit, so my dad took over. The job entails driving around the northeast part of the country, so he was never too far from home (something my dad specifically wanted and mentioned when accepting the position). This week his boss approached him and let him know that the person who's position he took over has changed his mind and was going to be taking the northeast route over. He also said that my dad has to either relocate to Texas or he's out of a job. My dad declined and here we are. I'm just wondering if this is legal at all? I've never heard of a company just allowing someone to take back a position after they've quit and moved on. Any advice or feedback is appreciated.

Answer: Yes. He should file for unemployment.


Title: Found a professor's SSID (including name/address) on a website, through google search, what do I do?

Question:
I was googling, trying to find information about a tutor through a service my school offers. Instead I found information regarding another professor, at a distant university....

The search result is titled "FIRST, MIDDLE, LAST, SS# xxx-xx-xxxx"

The document appears to be his CV, which includes his address/phone number.

I emailed the University last week to let them know. They haven't responded, and the document is still up. I don't know if it's his real SSID or not, but it fits the format. Should I pursue it further? Or leave it alone?

If my SSID was hosting publicly somewhere, I would hope that someone would tell me. But I don't want to get in trouble for possessing someone else's SSID.

i'm in NY, professor is located in NC

Answer: Not a legal issue.  A courtesy email is a good call.


Title: About $2000 of my personal items were donated by my apartment complex after my eviction. They said on October 12 that I would have 30 days to pick my items up. Obviously they are gone.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Go to the cops. Failing to follow the law is a criminal offense in this situation.Answer #2: do you have that recorded somewhere?


Title: Child support troubles [PA]

Question:
I have a 5 year old son, and I have been his primary caregiver for his entire life.  His father was not involved in parenting (his own choice, despite how many opportunities or how much I begged him to be), but he did pay child support for the first 4 years. He stopped paying last year because I moved in with his family in their home (for more help with our son) and he felt I do not need child support since I do not need to pay rent because of his family. For clarity, ex lives elsewhere and I was invited by his family because they want more time with their grandson and they don’t mind helping me out (and I definitely need the help).

I have feared pushing the issue of child support because finally my ex has taken some (albeit minimal) interest in being involved with his son. If I push it, my ex will pull away and be out of our son’s life by his own choice.

Many of my friends and colleagues are advising I take my ex to court.  He makes at LEAST two and a half times as much money as I do.

Do I have a legal case for child support? If I pursue this, I am effectively ruining my son’s relationship with his father, so I want to be sure it’s worth it before I take that step.

Extra relevant info: My son has been struggling recently developmentally.  This has resulted in a lot of behavioral/social challenges which have required intervention with the school, the pediatrician, and now a psychologist. All the professionals are recommending things which require more time and money (therapy, social clubs/groups) and I have reached my limit with job flexibility/income.

I don't want to sacrifice my son's relationship with his father, but I'm at the end of my rope here as a single income single parent.

Answer: Do you qualify for any social services? Because if you sign up for assistance programs, the state will see that he's not paying child support and they'll take him to court and force the issue.


Title: Facing Termination due to Neglect from Doctor.

Question:
At the start of April, I went on FMLA Leave of Absence from work. I was told by HR that they would send me a packet to be filled out by my doctor. Once I received the packet, I turned it into the doctor I was seeing. Now I am receiving a notice from HR that they have not received the packet yet, and that I am going to be terminated. I have attempted to contact the doctors office with little results. When I finally got through, they told me that they had misplaced the packet in their move to a new office, but that they would try to locate it.

If I am terminated, can/should I sue the company for not completing the packet?

I am in North Carolina

EDIT: Wording
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: HOW did you not follow up on this?Answer #2: Um. It's not the doctor's office's responsibility to get *your* paperwork turned into *your* HR department. You should have picked it up and taken it to HR yourself. The doctor's office would have been turning it in as a courtesy. Stuff happens and papers are lost. It ultimately falls on *your* shoulders to be an adult and verify that it has been properly handled.


Title: Friend can't get his social security card or ID

Question:
No clue if this is the best place to post this or not but it does have to do with legal advice I suppose.

Okay, so my friend has spent the better half of his life traveling and wants to get his life on track. Unfortunately he was left as a young kid and was never given anything relating to his identity (SSC, birth certificate, school ID, etc). He recently recovered his birth certificate but that's all we have managed to get. We are in OH KY area and the social security office is denying him even a print out of his SSN. We don't know what we can do, any advice? It seems as though well never be able to get his ID at this point.

No he does not have relatives to contact either.
He was born in Michigan which has sealed birth records.
We did get his Medicare card BUT it was sent to a homeless mail center where it was lost and he was never able to retrieve it despite multiple attempts.

Anything or any information will help!

Answer:
 With the birth certificate and a relative who can swear to his identity, he can get a passport.

He can use the passport to get other documentation.


Title: Cat calling, how to deal with this?

Question: I live in California. I jog 5x a week on my way to the gym, about 0.6 miles from my house. The shortest route and most convenient road to the gym is the same straight street I'm taking. There's this house along the street where 2 or 3 guys are always sitting in front and they cat called twice already last week, whistled non-stop as I was jogging. I felt harassed and I feel unsafe every time I go to the gym. How do I deal with this? Do I talk to them and tell them that this is street sexual harassment? I just want them to stop and leave me alone and let them know that I don't tolerate this. Thanks!

Answer:
 While classless, there isn’t anything illegal about them doing this.  You can stop and tell them that its unwanted and that they are being assholes and making you worried about your safety, but that would require you to stop and engage these assholes.  Unfortunately there just isn’t anything you can do from a legal perspective.  Maybe hire a PI to find out who they are and call their mothers to see if they know what pigs their sons are, but that’s about it.Answer #2: You can contact the police and see if this rises to the level of
 criminal harassment for your specific location.  If it doesn't, then there's not much you can do.

I don't suggest confronting the people catcalling you, since it will likely not lead to anything.


Title: [US, CA] Can an employer forbid you to drink water on the job?

Question:
So one of my close friends is in a rather hostile working situation. Her boss is trying to make work so annoying and difficult she quits (he doesn't want to fire her).

The latest move is telling her she can't drink water during her shift. She's a receptionist at a veterinarian's office. This does not seem legal.

Answer: Honestly if she had some kind of heat related illness or dehydration this could cause her employer a lot of money via a work comp case.


Title: Sending nude photos without permission

Question:
Hi I (18F) live in Washington state. Recently my exes ex got ahold of my nudes and sent them to my boyfriends mom. I’m wondering what kind of legal action can I take?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
  [Title 9A RCW](http://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2015-16/Pdf/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1272-S2.PL.pdf)

Intentionally and maliciously disclosing an intimate image of another person without their consent.

If you can find proof that he did this on the regular and sent it to multiple people, it is a Class C Felony in Washington State. Answer #2: How old were you when the photos were taken?


Title: [MA] Subpoena was mailed to me, arrived AFTER court date. Never received a call from any involved party? Is there a warrant for my arrest?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Call the county clerk (or equivalent)  Tuesday morning first thing and talk to them. Once charges are filled they don't "go away" even if you want nothing to do with them.


Title: My apartment has changed utilities companies mid-lease and now we have to pay a fee to pay our bills. Is this legal? (TX)

Question:
I live in central Texas. Our apartment has just started contracting with a 3rd party company to collect our water and sewage bills and now we have to pay a fee to pay our bills. There doesn't seem to be an option (like mailing in a money order) that doesn't add a fee to our bill.

Is it legal for them to do this? We're now being charged more money we didn't agree to in the lease.

Full disclosure: the fee is small. I'm not worried about my ability to pay it and will continue to pay it either way. I'm just curious about the legality of the situation because it seems like it could be abused in shadier hands.

Answer:
 This is a tough one.  I am a landlord and my utility company (there is only one) has now made it nearly impossible to pay without some sort of convenience fee. It's possible, but it's a huge pain in the ass.

Now, my lawyer said I could pass the fee on to my renters. I chose not to and I'll refund the cost until the lease is up. At that point the lease will be changed to reflect the change with additional language that says that should the fees change, tenant will be responsible.

But in my circumstances, I have no choice. It's a public utility and I have no control, and they still have an option.  In your instance they do have control. I'd challenge it.Answer #2: What does your lease say about utilities?


Title: Definition of Arrest for Refusal to Submit

Question:
A buddy of mine just received a court date and is being charged with resisting arrest.

&nbsp;

This happened in Arkansas.

&nbsp;

To keep a long story short, a few weeks ago he was given tickets for breaking some city ordinance (bike on the sidewalk) and "refusing to submit."  His arraignment was today and I've been told he's being charged with resisting arrest.  His "resisting arrest" is presumably from arguing that he wasn't *riding* the bike, but sitting on it as he talked to some people.

&nbsp;

Looking at [this law](http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-5/subtitle-5/chapter-54/subchapter-1/5-54-103), it sounds that he has to "knowingly resist" arrest by using force or threatening to use force.  I found another [charge](http://www.arkansaslawking.com/2015/02/resisting-arrest-defenses-consequences-arkansas/), refusal to submit to arrest, that allows for more passive refusal, but that's not what he's charged with.

&nbsp;

Regardless, my question comes down to defining "arrest."  The obvious definition makes it seem like my buddy can't be guilty (he wasn't arrested, so how could he have resisted arrest?).  I have to assume that it has a precise meaning in the court.

&nbsp;

FWIW, he most certainly did not get violent.  There's a bit more to the story that adds some implication, but I can comortably say that he did not use or threaten force or create a dangerous environment.

&nbsp;

Apologies for any ignorance or misused terms.  I don't pretend to know much about this stuff, I'm just trying to understand how my friend could be charged with this.  Thanks!

Answer:
 You don't have to be handcuffed, transported, photographed and fingerprinted to be "arrested."

[Arkansas Procedures of Arrest](http://law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/2010/title-16/subtitle-6/chapter-81/subchapter-1/16-81-107/)

> 16-81-107. Procedures of arrest.

> **(a) An arrest is made by placing the person of the defendant in restraint or by his or her submitting to the custody of the person making the arrest.**

> (b) No unnecessary force or violence shall be used in making the arrest.

> (c) To make an arrest, a law enforcement officer may break open the door of a house in which the defendant may be after having demanded admittance and explained the purpose for which admittance is desired.

> (d) A law enforcement officer making an arrest may summon orally as many persons as he or she deems necessary to aid him or her in making the arrest, and all persons failing without reasonable excuse to obey the summons shall be guilty of Class C misdemeanors.

> **(e) The person making the arrest shall:**

> **(1) Inform the person about to be arrested of the intention to arrest him or her and the offense for which he or she is to be arrested;** and

> (2) If acting under a warrant of arrest, give information of the warrant and show the warrant if required.

> (f) The law enforcement officer making an arrest in obedience to a warrant shall proceed with the defendant as directed by the warrant.

So as long as the officer told him he was under arrest and then used either physical means to control him, or your buddy (eventually) submitted to the custody, then he was arrested.


Title: How seriously should my boyfriend take this? (California)

Question:
My boyfriend borrowed a bike that cost $1,200 when bought in 2008 from a neighbor. The bike end up got stolen.

Few weeks later my boyfriend got note on the door from the neighbor asking about the bike. This start a massive exchange communicate of notes.

My boyfriend explained that the bike is stolen and will try to make it right. The neighbor say he'll let it go if my boyfriend either give him $500 in cash or find a bike that is same level as his bike.

My boyfriend say he can do it. Turn out, he cannot find any bike that is at such level in affordable range and cannot afford $500. So he keep trying. Finally the neighbor posted a note on the door telling him that he have a week to meet the term before the neighbor decide to take it to the court. The neighbor also told my boyfriend that if he have to take it to the court, he will sue my boyfriend for the full value of the bike and any legal fee.

This piss my boyfriend off. So now my boyfriend say he's done with communicating with the neighbor and let him try his luck in the court.
My boyfriend say that the neighbor most likely don't have any evidence that he have a bike or anything. So he'd not win.

I'm still worried... We really can't afford to pay that $500 let lone full price of the bike plus legal fee. How much of a risk are we taking by letting this go to court?

Answer:
 > We really can't afford to pay that $500

So, your neighbor should take the hit? I would tell your bf to man up, apologize for being an ass, make nice with the guy and work out a way to pay the guy back *quick*. Looking for a technicality to disprove your neighbor's ownership of the bike that your bf borrowed and treated irresponsibly is seriously crappy of both of you.
Answer #2: $500 may be a fair settlement offer.

Small claims in CA has no legal fees.  The most you can be on the hook for costs is usually less than $100.

If the boyfriend does get served, he needs to make sure he shows up.  The only sure-fire way to lose at small claims is not to go.  He should have an argument as to why he wasn't negligent and also do some research (and bring documents) about the depreciated value of the bike to use if it seems things aren't going his way.  There are depreciation calculators available online.


Title: Can I be consider an accomplice to a crime if I am apart of it but I don't do anything when the crime is committed

Question: So an example is if my friends was to rob a house and I just happened to be there in the house as they are robbing it. I am not doing anything to help or stop the robbery I am just there watching them rob the place! I arrive and enter the house with them and I eave the house with them but I am not helping them commit the crime, for all intent purpose I am just standing in a corner watching them steal thing and when they leave I leave. could I still be consider an accomplice at that point ?

Answer: Do you have permission to enter the house and did you go there knowing a crime would be committedAnswer #2: You broke into the house with them in this scenario.  So yes.Answer #3: In CA and many other jurisdictions just being present at the scene or the crime is generally not enough to be convicted because of liability from aiding and abetting. But with even minor involvement you could be convicted. Being a lookout or the getaway driver are both aiding and abetting. See People v. Singleton for some more detail on the factors used. Even if it was true that you did nothing, a judge or jury may not believe you didn't aid or facilitate the robbery if you enter a house while your friends are robbing it.Answer #4: You stayed there while the crime occures, and you left with them in the same vehicle--many ADAs could twist thus into you being an accomplice.


Title: [GA/MA] Online chatroom posts mature content, but gets visited by minors. Can we get taken to court?

Question:
I'm the moderator for a server on Discord, a text/image and voice chat service. The service is exclusive for subscribers to a video creator's Patreon account. The server is intended for a mature audience, as its users frequently swear, host discussions about horror,  and can contain sexual, graphic, or otherwise disturbing imagery.

Recently, it came to the creator's attention that one of the people in the voice chat was 11 years old. Fearing repercussions from a parent for exposing them to this material, he has since set the server to be marked as NSFW, which makes users agree that they are over 18 years of age before joining. Since then, there's been a policy for moderators to ask if a user is 18 or older if there is any doubt about their age, such as their face, pictures, etc. and are banned if they admit to being underaged.

This policy has however, lead to the banning of several otherwise mature 16/17 year old users who come into question, and this is the only real community some of them belong to. I want to know if the creator is overreacting, and if not, what possible liability we would be exposing ourself to if we allowed minors, and if there would be any way to authorize parental permission.

I live in Georgia, another moderator lives in Texas, two in New York, and one is Canadian. The owner is reclusive, but lives in New England. The community is almost entirely American with some Canadians, and a small assortment from other countries.

Answer:
 You shouldn't be putting pornography anywhere that you know minors will see it, but other than that there isn't really a risk to allowing teens to be there, so basically you guys need to decide which you care about more, having users who are 16/17, or having porn.

The other stuff doesn't matter, there is nothing illegal about teens having access to material with sexual themes, or horror movies, or swearing.

11 year olds should not be on any chat rooms that include strangers at all, regardless of the themes.


Title: Suing for bullying

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 In short, no. Possible in this case? Plausible, but you'd have huge hurdle to overcome.  There is no body of evidence that suggests bullying is a causative factor in future outcomes. If there was, I'd be first file suit and wouldn't of had to take up boxing.

Edit: boxing class taught me much better life lessons than law school ever did.Answer #2: I hope your job doesn't involve following directions because you did a really bad job at following the ones to provide your location.Answer #3: I very much doubt it.  Assuming there's a viable claim at all, you'd need to be able to prove that it was the stress from bullying which caused the illness to manifest AND that it wouldn't otherwise have happened.


Title: Landlord took my dog

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Are you saying your dog lived for a month in an abandoned house and you visited him *every other day*?

I think you should be grateful this poor animal has a new home, away from you.


Title: [CO] 17yo MIP

Question: [deleted]

Answer: That you had two sips is not relevant; you were in possession and/or in the immediate presence of alcohol.  If it's a first offense, you're most likely looking at a fine - a couple of hundred bucks.  But it will be on your record, and a second offense is lots worse.  You'll be fine, just take it as a lesson and don't put yourself in that situation again.


Title: Employer using coworkers as personal laborers(California)

Question:
I work for a small company of about 40 employees in Southern California. The owner/founder of the company currently serves as the President, but I am unsure about the actual ownership details of the company as it is privately held and owned.

There are a couple guys at work who are primarily there to do general physical labor around the warehouse and office, and to pretty much assist other departments as needed throughout the day. On occasion though, the Owner/President of the company has had these guys go to his personal residence, while on the clock, to do personal chores completely unrelated to the company in any way. These are generally physical tasks he does not want to do himself. Recently it was to move some furniture and setup some home theater equipment.

I'm not really asking for any advice as to if I should do or say anything. I am just wondering if this crosses some kind of ethical or legal line. To me it seems kind of questionable to have employees doing personal chores and labor for the owner of the company. At least it seems that way to me for them to be on the clock and during normal work hours. It would be less questionable to me if he made personal outside arrangements with them, and then compensated them personally rather than through company payroll.

Answer:
 If he's the owner, and it is all his money, he can have them do what he wants.

It is possible he's allowing the corporate veil to be pierced if he's managing resources like this, however.


Title: Do i have right to eat raw meat at school

Question: Basically got in trouble for eating raw meat and I feel it is infringing my rights. Public highschool

Answer:
 There is no legally protected right to "eat raw meat".

To give a more comprehensive answer, we are going to need your location and a better defined explanation for "got in trouble".


Title: Grandmother died, father missing and presumed dead. Uncles threatening to sue for fathers share of estate. Not sure what to do.

Question: My grandmother passed away in December.  She willed that her estate be divided among her 3 sons (or their children if her sons were no longer alive.)  Her oldest son (my father) has been missing for about 3 years now and is presumed dead.  My uncle approached my youngest brother and asked him to sign away his rights to his portion of my fathers estate and said that if he did not, he would sue all of us for our fathers share.  His reasoning is that in my fathers last years he lived off of my grandmother and spent his portion of his inheritance.  Ive spoken with my brothers and we are going to contact an attorney together but I was hoping /rlegaladvice could help us out in the mean time.  What kind of questions should we be asking the attorney?  How does this process usually unfold and in what kind of time frame?  How is my father being missing but not officially dead going to complicate the matter?  We dont know what we dont know and feel pretty lost so any advice would be appreciated.

Answer:
 Nope, that's not how it works.  Talk to an attorney, but the odds that he can end up with your father's portion of the estate is not very high.  Generally, unless the will says that spending prior to her death is taken out of the inheritance, it doesn't work that way.  Given especially the he has been missing for 3 years, it's very unlikely that his prior spending would impact his inheritance.

The fact that he is missing, presumed dead, does mean that you probably don't inherit his portion, until he is declared dead.

Interview at least 2-3 attorneys, get input from them on your questions, and select one that you trust.


Title: (PA) Public drunkenness citation after blacking out. Can I fight it by myself?

Question: So I was drinking in the dorms in my college and I blacked out. Last thing I remember was that I was drinking in my friend's room and talking to some adult in my room when I was blacked out. Peers tell me that I was being loud in the hallways, stumbling down some steps and stuff so an RA called the police and next thing you know there's a cop slamming me down right in front of my room (according to a friend of mine). The next day I woke up really confused not knowing what had happened the night before. Thing is that the cops show up later day and hand me a citation for "public drunkennes".  I have my court date tomorrow and I didn't hire a lawyer. On my record I already have a retail theft and a disorderly conduct. Should I ask if they can switch it for another disorderly conduct? Or what is my best option here?

Answer:
 You have shown a pattern of disregard for the law in the past, so -- while it's possible -- I don't think anybody here can promise that the prosecutor would be particularly inclined to do you any favors. Your best option is to hire a lawyer as soon as possible.

> talking to some adult

This is going to come as a shock, but you yourself are an adult.


Title: My California Driver's License is suspended. I've never had a California Driver's License

Question:
Location: California and Washington.  A little Colorado and Nevada, too, but they aren't as important.

OK, so first things first.  I'm negligent on doing paperwork and processing car registrations and whatnot.  I get it, that's bad.

So, I recently moved to Washington.  I went to go get my car registered, and they required me to have a Washington driver's license.  So I went to another office to get that, at which point I was told I couldn't have a Washington driver's license because my California license is suspended.  This is interesting to me, as I never had a California DL.

I went to the Google and did some searching, it turns out I ran a red light in California in October 2013, and got caught by one of those hateful cameras.  Here's the thing: I lived in California from 2011-2013.  I never got a DL because I'm lazy and hate the DMV and my Colorado DL was still good.  I did however, purchase a vehicle in March-ish of 2013 and registered it in CA.  I moved from CA back to CO in very late September of 2013.  I probably didn't run a red light in October 2013, though I admit my dates are a little hazy.

On October 16, 2013 a default judgement was issued against me for $550.  For running a red light.  Holy shit.  I didn't know about this.  Nothing was ever mailed to me, or forwarded by the USPS to my address in Colorado.  I registered my vehicle in CO in November-ish 2013 and at the same time had my CO DL renewed.

In April 2014, I took a seasonal job and moved back to CA, but nothing really was the worry.  In October 2016, I took a permanent job in Nevada, and moved from CA to NV.  I registered my vehicle in December 2014 in Nevada, but couldn't find my Social Security card to get a DL, which was apparently required in that state. (I have since located my SS card).

Now that I live in WA, I need to register my vehicle here.  Nevada is going to cancel my registration in 15 days because I changed my insurance to a WA address, but I can't get a WA license because I now owe close to 1000 dollars in fees and fines to get a license I never had un-suspended for something I may not have done.  How do I begin to solve this?

P.S. My Colorado license is still valid and good.  I am, unfortunately, and idiot and got pulled over recently.  The cop did not seem to care that I had a WA insurance card, a Colorado DL, and Nevada plates.

Answer: You don't need a license in California to have your driving privileges suspended. The DMV creates a profile for you then suspends it.


Title: We just adopted my nephew cause his parents were done for murder. We found out that he is in the same class as the victims girl. Its a public scool so can we ask the board to have her transferred out?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 You think a girl whose parent or parents have been murdered should have to change schools? You're heartless.

> My nephew has been though alot already and it'd be easier for him.

I hope to god you're just a shitty troll. Answer #2: Your post is unclear. Are you saying nephew's parents committed murder, you are caring for him now, he is at school with the daughter of the victim and you want the victim's daughter to transfer for nephew's sake?


Title: Dealership messed up car price - wants me to resign (TX)

Question:
I'll try to keep this short...

After much back and forth and issues with my bank, I finally settled on a car. I was already approved for financing, so it wasn't a spot sale. The car seemed cheaper than I was expecting when I went into financing so I asked the guy if he was sure that's the right price. He confirmed then we added in the extras like GAP/warranty.

A week later, they call and say there's a problem with the bank and need me to resign. After asking what the issue was since I was already approved, the manager says they messed up and put the price of the previous car I looked at (diff of $2500). They offered me a rate reduction of around 1% or so.

I told him if they'd give a $1000 concession, I'd call it good. I'd take some of their mistake, as did the bank and the dealership would as well. That seemed fair to me as it's spread out among three parties. They've refused and tried to make an emotional plea and asked me to come talk face to face (we've been discussing via email).

Basically, I have the purchase agreement and bill of sale which they drafted that lays out full amounts and specific financing. They mentioned they need to get this done before financing expires.

Can a dealership hold a signed agreement and cause financing to be pulled to force me to resign or walk? Can they force me to resign or take my trade in back? They already have my old vehicle on their lot for sale. I'm worried about refusing to sign at this point (after they refused my counter) and getting either sued or the current car repossessed.
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 I would go talk to them, but not drive the new car.

Bring a friend with you to lessen their ability to bully you and to hear the BS they are going to lay on you.

They are a car dealer who sells cars every day... And they made a mistake. A couple thousand dollars is a very small portion of their annual sales. They made a deal and they should eat it.

You can be sure what they would do if the shoe was on the other foot. Also, you did a trade in which is for sale. What is the sell price on the trade vs what they gave you for it?  I bet they are making $2k on it.


Title: [CA] Patient Abandonment? Surgeon's Receptionist Divorced Me THREE DAYS Before a Major Surgery

Question:
After my insurance approved my Gallbladder Removal [stone is lodged creating immense pain], the receptionist would not schedule me to see the Surgeon for various reasons. Every time I fixed the reason why she couldn't schedule me, she would come up with something else.

The last reason she gave me was my last appointment from 5 weeks ago was denied by the insurance company and she can't schedule my surgery because she knows they aren't going to be paid. I called the insurance company and the claim wasn't denied at all. The insurance rep said she was purposely delaying my care and that it was time to file a Grievance so the insurance could assist me in scheduling my surgery appointment.

My insurance company handled my scheduling and my surgery was scheduled to be performed in nine days.

My Pre-Op appointment was today. My Surgeon's office called about 30 mins before I was supposed to be there but I didnt see a voice message and they didnt answer any of my callbacks so I just showed up on time.

The receptionist informed me that due to the Grievance I filed, they are terminating my care and my surgery is now cancelled. I never got to speak to the doctor, although I do know he was listening to everything we said as he ducked behind a corner as we were talking. She had nothing to say when I asked, "My doctor is terminating my care because I filed a Grievance against his receptionist?"

Turns out she DID leave a message. She says on the recording, "Because you filed a Grievance, you are no longer in our care. And your surgery on ______ is cancelled. "

I'm pretty sure the doctor is supposed to tell me in private that he is terminating care and also, provide care for 30 days after. Not only that, but terminating 3 days before a gallbladder surgery with a stone lodged in the neck of the gallbladder? Ethics?

Answer:
 Sounds like it's time to call the insurance company again and explain that you were denied care at the approved surgeon and you need to reschedule with a new surgeon.

While there's little recourse for you in this situation, the insurance company is probably going to be upset with the office and will reconsider doing business with them.