Title: American Airlines Flight Fiasco, Need Advice

Question:
Hi Reddit!

Bit of a novel written here, skip to the end if you wish. Also fiasco is an exaggeration but I do need advice. I booked a trip to London with a third party online travel agency. The first leg of the trip was with American Airlines, DCA->PHL->GLA. From GLA I was to take a British Airways flight to the LCY airport. Unfortunately, I missed the departure from DC to Philidelphia by 2 minutes (tbh I was at a deli shop in the same terminal getting lunch, I thought the departure time listed my pass was the boarding time so I was in no rush to finish my food. I am fully aware this missed connection was entirely my fault). The staff at the gate told me she could rebook me with a rerouted flight from DCA to JFK to London Heathrow. She then made a few calls and issued me new boarding passes for the altered flights.

 However, when I brought my boarding pass to the gate I was rerouted thru (original departure gate was 23, staff sent me to gate 38), the attendent wouldn't let me on the plane because he said the new pass was invalid. I tried to explain the situation, but he said the computer wouldn't let him and offered no further explination. So they closed the second boarding gate in my face and I watched a second plane depart without me.

I then talked to the American Airlines customer service. The costumer service rep printed out some transfer records or flight histories, and eventually told me he couldn't find the source of the problem. He said he thought the staff who rerouted my flights at gate 23 made an unregulated decision that landed me in the spot. He told me to call British airways and sort it out because they dictated my connections to London.

I then called British, and was eventually informed that there was nothing they could do but that I could book new tickets for $2700+. So here I am, still in DC trying to reach London.

This has been my most frustrating flight experience to date and I wish to sort it out. I find unreasonable that I could miss an entire trip due to the errors of an American Airlines employee who gave me false information and provided me with boarding passes that, according to the words of the other employees, ruined my itinerary. I called the travel agency I made a booking with, they only wish to respond to emails so I emailed them but my question is this: what should I do? Do I have a good case for compensation? Should I wait it out here in DC on the off chance I can get a new flight?

TL:DR - I was late for a flight, airline tried to reroute me and issued invalid boarding passes- my itinerary is ruined and I am unsure how to proceed.

Answer:
 From the sounds of your situation you are going to have to rely on the airlines accommodating you.  They really don't owe you anything, you missed your flight and you likely missed several pages calling for you.   Keep contacting AA and try to get in touch with your travel agent, they may have more leverage.  Keep in mind that once you missed your flight (due to your own fault), unless you had a premium ticket, AA doesn't owe you anything.Answer #2: A better TL;DR is this:

> I was late for a flight and my itinerary is ruined and I am unsure how to proceed.

The answer is: either you don't go on your vacation at all or you try again and manage your time better. I don't see how you can make a case for the airline not compensating you for your mistake. It seems like they tried to help you (which they didn't have to) and messed up, but your itinerary was ruined because of you.


Title: [Massachusetts] The owner of a liquor store locked me in after being caught using a fake ID

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Probably not, but if you press it, then they could the file charges they declined to file the first time. Answer #2: Your claim against the shop owner would be for "false imprisonment".  Most states have a law known as the "shopkeepers privilege" which allows a business owner to detain someone, using reasonable means for a reasonable period of time, who they have reasonable cause to believe committed a crime in their store.  My quick Google search confirms that Massachusetts has such a law. Usually this is applied in the case of suspected shoplifters, not for those suspected of attempting to purchase alcohol unlawfully, so I'm not sure how it would play out in your case, but I think the store owner would at least have a leg to stand on with this defense.

I would count my blessings that you got let off with just a warning, and move on.


Title: I received a letter from the Court saying I, the plaintiff, had requested a DNA test and now have to appear in court for it when I didn't file anything??

Question:
I just had a daughter 5 months ago. I did not list the father on the birth certificate because he was abusive/didn't want him involved. Somehow, three months ago, the Court sent me a letter saying that I, the PLAINTIFF, am to go up against (father's name here), defendant, for a DNA test. This letter had all of the father's information too (name, job, address, etc).

My problem is:
I did not ever tell anybody who the father was because I didn't want him involved whatsoever - not my doctors, nurses, ultrasound techs, and he's not listed on the birth certificate. I do not know how they got all of his information.

The only thing I can think of is that the father somehow got a hold of the Court and requested the DNA test so he could battle me for custody. But, if that were true, how come this letter states that I am the plaintiff? Shouldn't he be listed as it?

Am I able to fight this because I don't want to go to court for a DNA test!

EDIT: Sorry, this is in the US, Michigan.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 You have to go, failure to show up means he gets whatever he wants.

This could be the State suing on your behalf for child support. After all, you can't not get child support if you are receiving any kind of public assistance. The state wants to be repaid for the rights you child has against the father.

Still, you should call up the court to ask who is filing and why. If it really is this other guy filing things improperly you might be able to file to have the thing quashed, for now at least. I would recommend hiring a local lawyer to defend yourself. This is one of those cases where you can't afford not to have a lawyer sit down and walk you through everything and make sure everything is filed correctly.Answer #2: I'm not a lawyer but I do know a lot about MI birth certificates. The father does have the right to establish paternity even if he's a scumbag. If you are on Medicaid, WIC, etc., you'll be required to assist the state in finding the father so they can go after him for child support for you and the baby. Otherwise they can stop your benefits.

It sounds like you know he is the dad but just don't want him involved. If he's really that bad, make your case to be judge for full custody / no visitation, and get that money.


Title: My boss has been paying me my raises every year in cash, can he legally stop paying me that if I try to have him take taxes out?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Are you trying to say that you haven't been reporting the extra cash on your taxes each year?


Title: Moms court date is in two days, abusive exhusband/father is planning on showing up, please help [TN]

Question:
Hi LegalAdvice, Sorry for the confusing title, I'm distressed and in a panic, so I'm sorry for any confusion, I'm in Tennessee Btw. So my mother got arrested last year, She is fighting the charges but the problem is, My mentally abusive dad somehow found out her court date and him and his wife are planning on coming to the court to "Applaud her for getting arrested"

My mother gets extremely upset anytime she sees my dad because of how abusive he was, she breaks out in hives and can't breathe. She's afraid she won't be able to function if he is there.

My question is: Is there anyway she can legally not allow him to come? Can her lawyer file some sort of temporary restraining order? She's now working on getting an actual restraining order but it won't go through in two days. Please help LA I'm desperate.

Answer:
 If your mother has an attorney, she should inform them of the situation. Maybe they can talk to the judge and see if something can be done.

If not...If your father is disruptive in the courtroom, the judge will be able to remove him.


Title: Agreed to temporarily rent to friends, but the time they agreed to move out by has come and gone...several times now.

Question:
 Hey everyone, my fiance (30m) and I (29f) are dealing with a frustrating situation regarding 3 of our friends that we let temporarily move into our house and now we can't get them to hold up to their end of the arrangement and move out. For context purposes, we live in Seattle Washington.

Background information: To make things easier to follow, I'll go ahead and address all the people involved. We have 3 tenants, two of them are brothers and the third is the husband of one of the brothers. For this post I'll call them Tenants A(Brother1), B(Brother2), and C(Husband to Brother 1). After buying my home 6 years ago, I have rented out my spare rooms to a few friends over the course of those years. I looked at these arrangements as mutually beneficial for both myself and whoever it was I was renting to, because I would receive some help with bills and I would charge them well below fair market value in rent so they could save money. I've chosen to only "rent" to friends to avoid having to go through background checks and whatnot and also because I still live there myself, and I've been more comfortable renting to people I know.

Current Situation: My fiance moved in with me at the beginning of 2017, and we spent most of 2017 evicting someone who I had let stay with me for awhile. This post is not about that situation, so I'm not going to go into it. We got this resolved by the end of the summer of 2017. Very soon after this got resolved, so beginning of fall 2017, we were approached by 2 of our good friends (A & B) asking if we would be open to the idea of letting the two of them and C move into our place for a few months while they looked for a more permanent place. The place they were living in at the time was becoming too expensive for them. They said they would only need to stay with us for about 4-6 months, but most likely only 4 months. My fiance and I took a little bit of time to think about it. I wasn't feeling too favorable towards the idea mainly because of the stress I'd just went through with the previous tenant situation, but we agreed that these were two of our closest friends and that this would be a very different scenario.

We agreed to let them move in and agreed to 4 months with the understanding that we would have a conversation at the 4 month mark to decide if the additional 2 months were needed. Ok, so here is where we made mistake number 1. We did not write up a formal lease. We had made an agreement on how much they would need to pay per month, and had worked out the timeline, but our mistake was that we thought at the time that we were dealing with a more informal situation. Think about it in the same way as you would when you have a guest that comes to stay with you for awhile. We viewed this in much the same way, but just longer time frame. We weren't charging them fair market value for rent, we had discussed what they could afford and viewed it as helping to cover the bills. During this time we already had another friend of ours living with us, and this is how we went about our rental agreement with them. At the time when A, B, and C moved in we had all discussed that we would do their rental agreement in the same way,

Things got off to a rocky start almost immediately. The day that they moved in tenant A started to try and throw out some of the furniture that we had in the room he was moving into. They knew when they moved in that their rooms would be slightly furnished, and we had also asked them prior to moving in exactly how many large items they would be bringing with them. However, when they moved in they actually ended up bringing more large items then we had originally discussed, and their solution to this was to try and throw out some of our things.This turned into a massive fight, and while we managed to save most of it, a few things still managed to get thrown away. This set things up to be rather tense between the 5 of us for the first couple of months, and definitely took a toll on the friendship. Around the beginning of 2018 things started to feel a bit better. We managed to start working through some of that original tension and things started to feel better. This next part is important to pay attention to, tenant A approached me in the beginning of January to ask if they needed to be out by the end of that month. I said no because the agreed upon 4 month time frame wasn't up yet. At that time he did tell me that he was pretty sure that they would need the extra 2 months that we had originally talked about. I said ok to this since that was what we had originally talked about.

Now we jump forward another few months to mid- Spring 2018. The 4 month mark expired at the end of March. Around mid April a massive argument happened between tenant A, myself, and my fiance. It was so bad that my fiance and I no longer felt comfortable continuing this living arrangement. Right before this happened, my fiance and I were thinking about approaching them to see if they wanted to extend the arrangement past the 6 month mark because things seemed to have gotten so much better. Right before we had this argument, tenant A went out of town and wasn't due to be back until the end of May. The argument that happened all took place while he was out of town. My fiance and I sat down with both tenant B and C- the brother and husband of tenant A. We let them know our feelings, and our decision about not feeling comfortable continuing this arrangement past the 6 month mark with tenant A. We did make it clear that our issues were not with either of them, and invited tenant B to continue to stay if he wished and told tenant C that we would offer the same but since he is married to A we figured that he would go with A. We gave them some time to talk with A. This was about the time we started to figure out that they hadn't planned to leave at the agreed upon 6 month mark even though this is what the original arrangement had been all along.

The next time we got to speak with tenant A and B was when they had returned to town around mid-May. During this conversation they brought up that they were under the impression that they were staying through the end of the summer. They tried to say that I had agreed to this during the conversation that A and I had back in January when he told me they would need the extra 2 months. It felt like this was something that A thought of in that moment to use as an excuse and to explain why they had clearly not intended on staying with the agreed on time frame. This conversation went poorly and my fiance and I walked away from it feeling as though we were being taken advantage of. We decided that we would give them until the end of August to find a new place and move out. This time I wrote up an agreement that we all signed acknowledging this new agreed upon time frame.

Summer goes by, and we see that they are not making any efforts to look for places or to communicate with us. By the beginning of August they still had no plans lined up. I unfortunately lost my job in July. I didn’t say anything to them about this until the beginning of August. I’d barely finished telling them before A asked for another month “to help out with expenses” while making a bunch of excuses for not being able to find a place. Second big mistake we make is to agree to this. End of September comes, and they still have no place. Tenant B approaches me to ask for one more month, saying that they will pay more for October. My fiance and I discuss this and this time we decide that we will agree to giving them until the end of the year with the understanding that each month that they stay will mean an increase to their rent amount. Hoping that this might act as a motivator. We type up another agreement that states this, and we all sign it. We make sure to include in this agreement that there will be no more extensions, this was the final one.

So now here we are, its December 20, and there are no indications that they have found a place. They don't seem to be packing or really do anything that would indicate that they are planning on moving out in 11 days.  At the end of November I asked tenant A how things were going with finding a place and he wouldn't give me a clear answer, only that there are a few that seem promising. I then told him that I'd like to have a discussion soon about their move out date since I want to make sure that I can be present and need to know if I have to take off from work. He indicates that "hopefully " they'll still be out by the end of this month. I make sure to say that it has to be this way because that's what we agreed to,

My fiance and I are under the impression that they're not planning to be out by the 31st. We have started looking into eviction proceedings, and have the forms. Our plan is to have one final conversation and make it clear that if they aren't out by the 31st, the day we all agreed to, then we will have no choice but to start filing for an eviction. Our understanding for WA state is that even if they win against an eviction lawsuit, the eviction will still show up on their rental history. Can anyone verify that this is true? We would serve them with the Notice to Vacate on January 1st. However, there are multiple types of Notices to Vacate, and I'm not sure the proper time frame we legally have to give in this scenario. Most evictions are related to failure to pay rent, and that isn't the issue we're dealing with. Does anyone know the proper time frame we need to legally give them on the notice?

If you've made it this far, and are still reading, thank you! I appreciate any and all thoughts on our situation. I know we made some big mistakes by not having a lease from the get go. Lesson learned that's for sure! We have done our best to make up for that by having documentation for each time that we granted an extension. Thanks again for any help that anyone can suggest!

TL;DR: Let some friends move in to our house temporarily to help them inbetween jobs/places. Feeling taken advantage of, and they've repeatedly missed their marks to leave. What can be done?

&#x200B;

PS: Sorry for the wall of text >.<

Answer:
 If you gave them until the 31st, then you can't evict them before then. On the 1st give them 20 days' notice (the legally required amount in WA) and then begin removal proceedings. You will want to get a lawyer involved, as any procedural fuckups can result in the eviction clock getting reset.

An alternative is "cash for keys" -- offer them a nice sum in exchange for moving out by the date of your choice. Sometimes this is faster and cheaper than actual eviction. Hell, offer to help them move.Answer #2: Not sure about Washington laws, but usually you need to give them 15 or 30 day notice in writing.   You’ve missed those dates.   Do it today.


Title: URGENT I need advice ASAP

Question:
Hi everyone,

My parents run a jewelry store and we had an altercation today. My mother who was running the store and one of the customers started an argument with my mother. She tried her best to calm her down. After arguing for about 10 minutes, my father took the product she was arguing about, slightly slammed it on the desk and politely asked her to leave. He didn't touch her AT ALL, the customer took the product and left the store.

Later on, she texted my mother about bringing a lawsuit to our family business and that she felt that her well-being was at risk when she was in the store (?). My parents didn't want to make it a bigger deal than it really was, so

Hours later, we see a Google Review for our store, and she basically talks about how our store is dangerous and that people should stay away from it.  She says things like: "Don't trust these people, don't go here, the man working the store hit me and showed acts of violence." She also said that he grabbed her by the arm and yelled at her constantly, all of which is not true.

Can and should we take legal action?

Answer:
 Yes, assuming you're in the U.S., you can sue for a defamation and intentional interference with prospective contractual relationships. However, unless you have videotape evidence, it will devolve into a he said she said situation, and even though you're telling the truth, you will probably look like you're simply backing your father up.

The question is: what do you want to get from a lawsuit? If you want her to take the comment down, it may be better to approach Google with videographic evidence that showed the event; then Google could delete the comment. If you want money, there's no guarantee that you could recover against the customer.

The law doesn't prevent people from yelling at each other.


Title: Can my emloyer ban me from smoking during breaks

Question: My employer says I can't smoke on my unpaid breaks, even off company property. Is that legal? I work in California.

Answer: If you're clocked out and leave company property there's not much they can do.


Title: Work is scheduling me in multiple blocks a day to avoid paying me for breaks

Question: I work at a restaurant and they have started to schedule me in 3-4 hour blocks with 10-30 minutes in between blocks so they don't have to pay me for my breaks. Is this legal? I'm working 3 3 hour blocks tomorrow and 2 4 hour blocks on Monday. I know it's not much but in those two days I lose like 15 dollars and it'll add up. Plus instead of working ~~1:30~~11:30-7:30 like I usually do I'll be working until 8 which is inconvenient. Plus I feel like they will eventually go farther and start giving me like hour + spaces between these blocks and I live 25 minutes from work so it's not like I can go home. I live in Washington State. Is this legal?

Answer:
 This is commonly done in eating establishments and it's not simple.

Any labor dept complaint is going to depend on how "restricted" you are during the time between shifts.

The longer the time between shifts the less likely you will be owed money.

So the only way you're going to know for sure is to file a wage complaint, and see what happens. There is not "magic" number at when it becomes acceptable. The state labor dept will look at each case individually and decide.

CA has much more restrictive overtime laws and the restaurants there can get away with it, if they're careful about it.

However you need to find a new job. If the owners are that greedy and/or that broke, they can't pay you fairly, then you need to find someone that will.Answer #2:  During the 4 hour shifts, are you getting 10 minute paid breaks?


Title: Can I be fired for a having a miscarriage?

Question:
Located in New York

About 3 1/2 weeks ago I was rushed to the hospital for an ectopic pregnancy. I sent my boss pictures of my discharge papers while I was still in the hospital. I got a note the next day saying I needed to be out for 2 weeks. I sent it to my boss and she told me I was allowed to take additional time if needed for emotional recovery. She took me off payroll until 4/19. At the two week mark, I go back to the doctor for clearance. All looks good. Later that day, I get a phone call with my blood test results saying I'm still pregnant and need to go back for a really big emergency surgery. I call my boss and she sounds concerned and doesn't say anything else. About a week and a half after my surgery, I get a certified letter on Monday telling me I have to go into work on the date of the letter or I'll be terminated. My shift starts at 6am so it's already too late. My doctor doesn't want me back for an additional 4-6 weeks because I can't physically walk, let alone work a full shift. I emailed her right away about this and she said I have until tomorrow to show up to work with a doctors note clearance or I'll be fired. My doctor won't clear me for work because my stitches are still new and I'm still on bedrest. She won't talk to me about it and won't budge on the ultimatum. I need to keep my job for my health insurance so now I'm really freaking out. And I called my union who said she can technically fire me for any reason because I'm still in my one year probationary period. I'm going to look up lawyers in my area tomorrow but I don't even know if I have a case. Can she fire me if I have been providing medical documentation this entire time? I've never even called out sick before or done anything out of line. I really need help here. Thanks guys.

Answer:
 You haven't been employed there a year yet, so FMLA is a no go.

Tbh, if you're in an "at will" state then you can be fired for any reason, or no reason at all, so long as it doesn't violate federal laws against discrimination.

FORTUNATELY, you may be protected under the Pregnancy Protection Act but *you will need to consult a lawyer to verify that*.

Here's a link with helpful details.

https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/pregnancy.cfm

If you really want/need this job then you might text your boss saying they might be in violation of the PPA if they fire you.

That might hold them off for a while.

If you don't need the job, let them fire you and apply for unemployment and/or disability until you and your lawyer can decide if pursuing wrongful termination is a viable option.


Title: Being legally married at the time of birth?

Question: Practically speaking, are there advantages to being legally married at the time of your child's birth? In particular if you are planning to divorce later? I always heard that it was but I'm now struggling to find information on exactly why that is. The thing that seems obvious is that the spouse has the ability to make healthcare decisions if something is going wrong with the mother medically, but aside from that? This is assuming both parents are on board with the birth and the baby. I'm in MA.

Answer: I read this as something totally different:    That the child being born would already be legally married, upon birth.  Answer #2: Let's see, there's the presumption of paternity of the child so you don't have to go proving the child is your's biologically if something were to happen which could be a myriad of things like old boyfriend claiming the child is his or you somehow not ending up on the birth certificate. If you passed away like that, the child would not be legally entitled to their inheritance. There's also less risk that you'll somehow end up paying child support, like if mom goes and files for state assistance. You're probably better off during tax season to be married. If mom were to pass away because of someone else's negligence, you personally wouldn't be able to file a loss of consortium claim.  Answer #3: Insurance is one. If father's plan is better, may make sense to get married if mother doesn't have coverage and need neonatal care. Answer #4: Depends on the state, but it often gives dad a leg up in custody/establishing paternity/not being on the hook for child support if mom is on state aid/etc


Title: Landlord is stealing my sublease leads to sell them on other units

Question:
I live in a duplex that is a community and owned by a property management company. We're buying a house and need out of our lease. I was given the option to sublease it, but I have to find the candidate. After I find the candidate, I send them to the property management company to run background checks to see if they're approved. The property management company is ran primarily by one lady.

I found a few candidates and send them her way in an email introducing both parties and describing the situation.

A couple days go by... She tells one couple without me knowing that our unit is now unavailable, as someone else already leased it. (The guy is texting me the whole time telling me everything she's telling them.)

She continues to sell them on another unit, ultimately having them sign leases before I can convince them otherwise.

That's my lead for a sublease and she straight up snaked it from us. Is that legal? What do I do?

Thanks for any advice!

**edit**: I'm in Austin, Texas! Sorry, forgot to post location!

Answer:
 Get copies of what she send them, she just fucked up bigtime and potentially gave you a way to get out of your lease.

Edit: depending on if she only had the duty to mitigate damages if you want out of the lease because this shows that she isnt trying to mitigate


Title: Paternity Leave, then Quit

Question:
My company offers 6 weeks of paid Paternity Leave. I've only taken 2 weeks thus far with the intent of taking the rest throughout the year as time permitted.

Now, I plan on quitting. I prefer to leave on a positive note, so I'd like to work the next month to help with the transition, but I would like the company to pay me for the additional 4 weeks before being terminated. Not pay in advance like a PTO bucket ... essentially keep me on the books for another 4 weeks.

I'm hoping my mgr is cool w it and may at least compromise. But if he's not cool with it, is there any legal action that can be taken?

State of Ga = work at will rules

Answer:
 >I prefer to leave on a positive note

Then you probably shouldn't try to get your company to pay for a fringe benefit designed as an incentive for you to stay with the company when you have no intentions to stay with the company.


Title: Hurrican Harvey: New TX legislation limits payout by insurance companies due to weather related claims

Question:
Currently in Houston, fortunately my house isn't too bad, but others lost everything.  There is talk of filing homeowners insurance claims before Sep. 1st, due to new Texas legislation that limits benefits from weather related disasters, taking effect on Sep 1.  Article below explains it better:

https://www.dallasnews.com/news/texas-legislature/2017/08/28/lawyers-harvey-victims-file-insurance-claims-law-changes-sept-1-risk-losing-money

What advice for anyone dealing with this?  Should we make an effort to make claims before Sep 1st?  Any guidance is greatly appreciated.  Any advice on dealing with insurance companies for everyone hit by Harvey also appreciated.

Answer: /r/insurance can probably answer this better, but my gut says you should open the claim before September 1st. Also, do you have flood insurance?


Title: Federal Tax Return Garnished

Question:
I was a US Marine for 4 years. I received the Post 911 GI Bill for free college tuition. I was on year three attending at ITT Tech. ITT Tech was shut down by the federal government. All of my classes were dropped. ITT sent a notice to the Veteran Administration stating that all of my classes were dropped. The VA then collected my entire tax return of 6005$ to repay this amount. When using the Post 911 GI Bill if you drop a class you have to pay that amount back. That makes sense. In this case I didnt drop any classes the Federal Government closed the school. There was an announcement from the Federal Gov that private student loans would not be forgivin but Federal Loans would for people who attended ITT Tech. I did not take out any loans to attend school due to the Post 911 GI Bill covering tuition. I was counting on this tax return and had no idea they would be taking it. I am not a lawyer and calling the US Treasury, VA student loan number and ITT Tech all have placed blame on each other and direct me to call the opposite agency each time. I don't know what to do and need help. St. Louis MO

Edit:

Thanks for all the replies everyone. To add even if it won't be seen. Like others have said va pays school directly. I already ate the book costs out of pocket before book steipend arrived.

Signed up for Jan semester classes. Va paid school. Gov pulled fed funding to school in feb I believe. Va sent bill to me. Contested this with va. They said call itt. Itt said call va. My proof would be my word against the va and school. It's a mess. I'm going to contact congressperson and see if they can help. If not I'm going to the local news 5 on your side program.

To reply to another redditor yes my wife 5 year old son and 2 year old daughter were very much counting on every penny to relocate it a new home. Nearly all of our savings was already spent to align for this move.

Edited it: removed emotional driven curse words.

Answer:
 From http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/

>September 7, 2016
What does this mean for your GI Bill benefits?
This means you can no longer receive GI Bill benefits, including the monthly housing allowance, for any future classes at ITT. Even if your enrollment for the upcoming term was already submitted to VA for classes at ITT beginning after the end of the summer quarter, VA cannot pay for it. This includes payments under any GI Bill benefit program including the Post-9/11 GI Bill and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program. VA does not have the legal authority to restore any GI Bill benefits you have used to attend ITT, even if you are not finished with the classes this term. You are, however, free to pursue your education goals at another school or training facility.

If the payment was taken out of your GI bill after the summer semester of last year, you are responsible to pay that money back. The plus side is that this money is restored back to your GI money, so you can transfer to a different school and use this money for tuition in the future.


Title: Counter attendant at gym threatened to punch me

Question:
I was at the gym today and I tried to enter. I am a member but I did not bring my card, however I brought my alternate card which also showed my membership in the organization. The man at the counter refused the card because it "could not be tapped" but more importantly it was 'for safety purposes'.

I tried to explain to him that I could offer him my next-of-kin's telephone number if he needed it for safety purposes. I asked to speak to his manager and he instantly became aggressive and threatened that I get out.

When I told him to calm down, he began to violently shove at me. I stood my ground and he shoved me out the door no less than seven times; I re entered to talk to him every time he pushed me out (we were standing in front of a security camera). He made multiple physical threats by gesturing (punching, etc).

Finally, he threatened to call security and another fitness officer to make a report against me, which I obliged. I knew I was doing absolutely nothing wrong by entering the gym and trying to speak to him.

He continued to repeatedly push me out in front of the security officer and refused to listen to any words I said. It got to the point that he practically threw me out the door (I refused to go without explaining things to him) and locked it behind himself.

How much of a case do I have in court? What kind of evidence must I provide? I am from Singapore but I travel frequently so I want to know what to do if it happens overseas as well.

Answer:
 >  I knew I was doing absolutely nothing wrong by entering the gym and trying to speak to him.

I can't speak for Singaporean law specifically, so take this with a grain of salt.  In most Wester countries, however, the moment someone in authority asks you to leave a place, and you refuse, you're trespassing.  They often have the right to use some physical force to prevent or terminate your trespassing.

Answer #2: You sound like a very self entitled person. If the rules say you need to bring your card to get in, why should it not apply to you? Answer #3: > I am a member but I did not bring my card

The gym has a right to uphold their policies. If they require the proper membership ID to enter, that is what you have to have.


Title: Charged with Obstruction/Resisting, I do not remember what happened in a 6 hour time block at the time of my arrest...

Question:
(obv throwaway) San Mateo County, CA.  I do not know what happened, I was watching the niner game (I thought we won!), then I wake up in jail. I have no idea what has happened. The people in my cell said I was telling them I was brought in because the person driving my car home for me ran off after when he crashed into someone. (my car is near totaled, no word from the shop yet, thankfully i have good insurance) I have been diagnosed with post concussive syndrome by my doctor one day after being released at 8 am. I have no recollection of anything before waking up around 6 in the jail, then waiting two hours to get out while piecing my story together from the people in my cell. What do I need to do? I feel like if I was concussed, I should have been brought to a hospital, no matter what.
Thank you so much for your time, I truly appreciate it.

Answer: Good luck with the "I don't remember" defense. Nobody has ever tried in the history of American jurisprudence. So we don't know how it will go. And I've had at least a half a dozen severe conclusions in my life. It's unlikely anyone will agree with you that it causes you to lose six hours of memory.Answer #2: You need a criminal defense attorney. Your "feelings" about medical treatment don't matter as much as the nurse who saw you prior to booking. S/he decided you were good enough.


Title: Might have confused handshake for a hug. Is this harassment / illegal or anything that will get me fired if reported to HR? (United States, Maryland)

Question:
We were having a non-company sponsored happy hour after work hours. We were sitting at one of those sidewalk tables which is barricaded off for restaurant customers. The seating area was surrounded by a low chain fence which you had to go over to get into the seating area. There was only one opening to the fencing to get into the area without having to hop over. I had stepped away to use the restroom and since it was Friday evening the place was crowded and there was a long line for the restroom. As I was returning to my seat, a female coworker probably in her mid to late 40’s or even early 50’s was standing right next to the only opening talking to other coworkers. When she saw me approaching the opening to the seating area she said hi and I said hi back. She must have thought that I was walking towards her since she was standing right next to the opening. As I moved closer she turned ¾ of herself towards me and her right hand was slightly up. It seemed as if she was going for a quick hug greeting. It seemed a bit awkward to me since we do not work together and don’t know each other that well. But we do say hi and smile whenever we see each other in the hallways. Since there were other coworkers standing there I thought that it would be even more awkward if I did not greet her by hugging back. So, I gave a hug (like the ones you give when you greet someone) and proceeded to enter the seating area and take my seat. After being seated I asked her whether she had just arrived, to which she said she didn’t know there was a party. She had come to get beer with her husband who was getting beer while she was standing outside chatting with other colleagues. After that before she left she said bye to others and me and I smiled and waved back as well from where I was sitting.

**NOTE:** I am a 26-year-old male, I am new to the company and have been working full time for \~ 1.5 years. (United States, Maryland)

Answer: You are way, way overthinking this.


Title: [WI] Distracted drivers are almost hitting me while jogging! Is there anything I can do about it?

Question:
I live in a area where there are a number of somewhat busy streets around my house, and not too many pedestrians.  Many people driving don't seem to expect that pedestrians are around.  This doesn't excuse people from not looking before making a turn to make sure that no one is there.

I have been almost hit by cars a many times, at least twice in the last month.  This isn't at night, this is usually in the day.  One person on a cell phone ran a red light and almost hit me as well.

Is there any good way to report these occurrences to the police?  Do I just need to get their licence plate number and make a complaint?

Answer:
 Perhaps wear a Go-Pro camera while jogging so you have a record of any event should you decide to report a reckless driver to the police.  You might also try wearing a bright, flourescent-colored vest or jacket when jogging -- anything to make yourself more visible to drivers.

Recently, a friend was out walking her dog and they were both run over and instantly killed by a guy who just didn't notice them.Answer #2: >This doesn't excuse people from not looking before making a turn to make sure that no one is there.

>I have been almost hit by cars a many times, at least twice in the last month.

And when one of these cars shatters your pelvis, being "right" will help you how?

Your legal recourse is to call the non emergency police line and complain. They may send someone out, they may not.


Title: My landlord is withholding our security deposit because the toilet overflowed and caused water damage. Also it's been over a week since the damage occurred and the landlord refuses to fix the damages! (CA, County of Santa Clara)

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice, last Tuesday I returned from a late night food run to find that my bathroom had flooded due to a faulty flapper in the toilet tank + a clogged toilet. As a result, water had started leaking through our kitchen ceiling which is directly above from the bathroom as well as the downstairs parking garage. The leaking occurred in the exact same spot that we had a leak previously due to faulty shower piping (more into that later). I had just moved into the apartment in August and wasn't aware the flapper was faulty. I guess I just always assumed the landlord was responsible for making sure the toilet was in proper working order once the tenant moves in. Unfortunately, I don't know how the toilet overflowed or who flushed it last as we had some friends over that day. I assume whoever used it last noticed the toilet clog and left without unclogging it, the toilet then overflowed due to the faulty flapper + clog. It must have been left for around an hour.

The toilet clogged was a separate issue, all we've flushed since we moved in is poop and toilet paper. I suspect that that the clog is an external issue (possibly tree roots or just bad pipes), the plumbing in our apartment has been absolutely terrible since we moved in.

Within the first month the shower had started leaking heavily, I voiced my concern to our landlord at the time and she explained that it was not an issue since she paid for the water bill anyways. Well the next month it became a huge problem when our kitchen ceiling started leaking (we're talking bubbles in the ceiling, I immediately knew it was the leaking shower because my shower sits right below our kitchen. Our landlord came swiftly and shut off the water, within the next day she had her handyman (probably unlicensed and did not speak a word of english) come and open the shower wall to fix the leaking pipe. Then he patched up the bubbles with some spackle (I think) leaving all the water in the ceiling to grow mold. The leak was fixed and both our upstairs showers showed no more problems.

When the toilet overflowed, we noticed at around 2 AM, the landlord came by and took pictures and then claimed that it was our fault and that she would not do anything to fix any of the damages, not even call a plumber. Her advice was to soak up all the water in the carpet using towels and call a plumber the next morning to fix the clog. I did that and then called a company specializing in fixing flooding damage the next morning and they claimed that the landlord should be the one calling them not me, and that the source of the clog should be determined before the landlord withholds the security deposit and claims it was our fault. They also claimed that we had been living with mold in the ceiling of our kitchen for months and after searching around the house found even more mold and water damage from before we had even moved in!

I explained to the landlord that they needed to call a company to fix the problem and since there was structural damage they would most likely have to use insurance. She had me cut out the carpet myself before she agreed to call the insurance. They finally agreed on Saturday and brought over the insurance agent who recommended the whole kitchen ceiling taken out as well as the bathroom and carpet damage fixed too. The insurance agent also noted that the leak that had occurred in the downstairs garage on the day that the flooding happened was not due to the toilet overflow but due to something else (possibly faulty piping). Not before visiting the flooded bathroom and using the plunger to unclog the toilet and remove the evidence of what had clogged it. They were not happy with the insurance agents assessment to fix the damage ASAP because it seemed like it would cost them a lot of money. Now its been over a week since the flooding occurred and nothing has been fixed, my roommate and I can't use our room because it smells horrible and we have heard no word back from the landlord when we asked if someone would come and fix the damages.

Since the flooding last week we have had two plumbing related issues, the first was just a few days ago, when I took a shower in our other upstairs bathroom and the kitchen ceiling leaked AGAIN. We informed the landlord and she claimed she would fix that problem when she tore open the ceiling. So now we're afraid to take showers. The other plumbing issue happened minutes ago, when our downstairs toilet started making gurgling sounds and large bubbles erupted from it, after searching on google it seems like there may be some blockage in our main bathroom drain.

Sorry for the lengthy post but i'm just wondering what I, as a tenant, can do to ensure that this damage gets fixed? I'm worried that the landlord will not go through insurance and will force me to pay for all the damages, even the structural. Also, I understand if the toilet overflow was negligent on my end, I just want to understand if there's any way that the landlord would be held responsible for the faulty flapper & the clogged toilet (assuming the clog is due to faulty plumbing which is evident throughout the apartment)? Lastly, i'm wondering if this mold issue is a health concern enough pressure the landlord into fixing the damages swiftly. I'm quite worried about living in this apartment now, I feel as if things are breaking down piece by piece and I may have to take the blame for things that are out of my control.

**TL:DR Toilet overflowed and flooded room, caused water to leak through ceiling. Apartment has had history of faulty piping and landlord refuses to fix it until something breaks. Landlord is withholding security deposit because she believes I caused the damage. Landlord also does not want to fix damage because she may have to pay out of pocket if insurance doesn't cover. I suspect clog was due to landlords negligence. Landlord has also not fixed damage when its been more than a week.**

Answer:
 > (assuming the clog is due to faulty plumbing which is evident throughout the apartment)

If you really want to use that as an argument, I would get proof. Not just go by hearsay.Answer #2: You need to figure out the reason for the overflow. And reread your lease. In general, anything resulting from normal usage of a fixture is the responsibility of the landlord. A faulty flapper, bad pipes, previous water damage, etc are ALL up to the landlord. Unless you clogged the toilet through misuse, which a plumber could determine, or your lease states something specific regarding plumbing issues, your landlord is responsible for the total of the damages. Even if you were responsible for damages, it would be the responsibility of the lanlord to repair the damages and THEN bill you (again, unless you have a specific clause in your lease detailing something else). The landlord repeatedly refusing to repair the damages and instead demanding you fix the issues on your own dime may already be a breach of your lease.

Reread your lease, read tenant rights for your state, and possibly get a lawyer. If your landlord is operating in bad faith, you may have real damages. Keep in mind, that at least in the US, mold isnt considered a health hazard and does not render a home uninhabitable.


Title: My brother is a Pedo and my mom is protecting him

Question:
Not sure if I used the right flair, and sorry about grammar.
So my brother (23) started dating a girl who was 16 when their relationship started. Right off the bat he was grooming her to be completely dependent and subservient to him. He made her give him her virginity, he always goes through her phone demands all her passwords, drives her car, and gaslights the hell out of her. My mother is saying that it is fine because she is “very mature for her age” I think it’s disgusting because she is younger than I am and I’m a fresh adult. He has convinced her that all of her friends are fake and has completely isolated. He is unemployed while she has a part time job so she pays for everything in the “relationship”. He feeds her alcohol constantly and he also lives at her house without her moms knowledge.

She has just turned 18 and he “broke up” with her. But according to his snap map he is always at her house, and according to him she is now just his “f*ck buddy”.

I’ve already tried to convince her to leave him, and I’ve been forbidden by my mother for going to the police (she’s gonna disown me) my dad hates it but he knows that if he tries to do anything that my mom will divorce him.

I’m finally moving out and planning on never seeing them again but I don’t want to leave the girl in that situation. Is there anything I can even do now that she is 18?
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer:
 You can encourage her to go to the police if a crime was committed.  There are many states where 16 is the age of consent.

If she chooses not to do anything, then there's nothing to be done.


Title: [TX]Landlord moved out all my belongings while I was in class.

Question: Hello reddit, I am currently enrolled in summer classes at Texas A&M, therefore I have a summer lease at an apartment complex. I am gone basically all day MWF, and I just now got back from class to see that all my belongings are outside my room in the living area of the suite. I called my landlord to see why this was done, and their response was that I was living in the wrong room in the suite and had to clear it up for a new roommate moving in this Saturday. They also said that they had every right to do what they did since it was their property. They proceeded to fine me $100 due to a lease violation (having items in rooms that are supposed to be inaccessible). I was never orientated into the apartment when I moved in (they just gave me the keys and parking pass), so this was news to me. I just hate how they dumped all my stuff like it's trash! Please help, I am currently paying rent on my own and barely making ends meet with a small retail job.

Answer: What does your lease say about the rooms you are renting?


Title: Is there anything I can do?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 No offense but I'm not going to read your google doc.

You are both old enough that if you go to family court with your dad, your wishes will be taken into account. You can help your dad find free or low cost legal help. Answer #2: Your dad can seek low cost or free legal assistance. You are old enough to have a say in the custody agreement.  If your dad pays child support, make sure it gets amended since your mother no longer has physical custody.


Title: Pennsylvania Filial Responsibility for Grandparents?

Question:
So this is more of a what-if sort of situation.

Backstory: I have a grandmother that up and left my dad when he was 14 years old and moved across the country.  Grandpa and grandma were technically never officially married.  Grandpa then continued to raise my dad by himself and eventually got married to my step-grandma.  Grandpa died and step-grandma got remarried to what is now my step-grandpa.  A few years back the leave-my-14-year-old-kid and disappear grandma suddenly reappears in our lives because she has made a series of terrible decisions that left her homeless.  Dad got her set up with a great assisted living place 10 minutes away and she's been okay.  But I guess she wants more money.  So her plan (which she tells everyone about for some reason like she is proud) is to sue the estate of my dead grandfather who finished raising her kid without her.  They were never married but she is claiming common law marriage.  She talks about this openly to my step grandparents and bless their souls they are nice to her for some reason.  So maybe this tells you what is going on and her personal motivations for things.  There's a lot more backstory and its pretty funny but also kind of enraging (moral: don't do drugs).

So she invited me to get lunch with her this Saturday.  She got out this copy of Men's Magazine and sat me down like I was in school and read to me the top 10 reasons to live in Pittsburgh PA.  I do not currently live in PA.  She brought the topic up out of nowhere and the situation and her presentation of it struck me as a little bizarre.  So I got to thinking.  PA is the one state with the weird filial responsibility laws.  I have no money and I'm paying off student loans.  I'm not planning to move to PA, but if I did, how far do filial responsibility laws extend?  Could I get sued to take care of the grandma that only visited once when I was 5 and gave me some "vitamin" that made me do a swan dive out of a grocery cart and lose my 2 front teeth?

Answer: Not just PA, but lots of states have filia responsibility laws.  None of them would obligate a grandchild to take care of a grandparent.


Title: Roommate keeps locking me out

Question:
Long story short,

Roommate is trying to evict me because he wants my boyfriend to move out but I told him hes not going anywhere because we pay the bills and he doesn't have a legit reason (just doesn't like him) and legally he can't just because of the way he feels. He has to serve us with papers and take us to court. So he's been locking the deadbolt. He's the lease holder and I'm the occupant.

What can I do? I've already called the non emergency number and they said they can't do anything and neither can the cops and the apartment manager said she can't interfere. We live in TX.

Answer:
 > he's the lease holder and I'm the occupant

Which means your grievance is between you (the lessee) and him (the landlord). The apartment manager is correct; they cannot compel access to the premises to somebody not on the lease they have on file. The police non-emergency number is correct; while this is a legal issue, it is not a criminal issue.

You can sue the roommate for unlawfully constructively evicting you, which a local tenant organization or, if you're a student, campus legal aid can probably help you with. But that doesn't really help you in the meantime; you can either decide to ride this out for a month or whatever the legal notice period is for him to legally require you to vacate, or you can leave now and file a lawsuit in hopes of collecting.


Title: I believe my sister is a victim of marriage fraud, what do i do?

Question: So my sister got married to this guy a little over 2 years ago thats from a different country, in the beginning he was a pretty nice/decent dude, a few months after their wedding i begin to realize my sister just isn't the same, she's not the usual happy, laughing sister that she was a few months ago. She lost weight, she physically looked unhealthy and every time i asked her about it she said shes fine. Clearly i started to wonder as time goes on and i kept checking up on her and the answer was usually the same, "i'm fine" about 4 months ago and clearly i knew she wasn't but what can i do? about 4 months ago they had a child and  a month later we had a family get together where there was food and drinks and when this guy got a little tispy he started spewing out non-sense, starting arguments with my dad (his father in law) to the point where they almost got in a fight. My sister broke down then and told us everything that's been going behind the doors, from him manipulating her, not letting her out anywhere, and keeping her up crying til 2-3am for weeks on if she was late to anything by minutes. I'm guessing he was blackmailing her or doing something that she never told us this? Anyhow after that my sister kind of "woke up" from his manipulations and control and when the guy wasn't she took the baby and some of their clothes and moved back home with us because she's set on getting a divorce - after the first initial lawyer papers got mailed this guy tells her that "he'll accept any the conditions as long as she signs the papers to extend his papers and help him get his parents to the states". So what i think is this guy married her, put her in some type of manipulating/mentally abusive state to the point where she couldn't do anything, then had a baby to basically confirm that he'll get to stay here as a reason to fight back incase we tried to deport or contact USCIS about him. My house has been in such a depressive state, my mom is stressed out to the point where she doesn't eat anymore, my sister crying all the time and i'm in the middle trying hold all of this shit together but i'm really fucking tired of walking into a dark, depressed house and all because of this guy. I don't know what to do, i know i can call USCIS as as anon but the last thing i'd wanna do is get my sister in trouble - i don't know how that works. Thank you for reading, and many thanks in advance.

Answer:
 If your sister intended to really be married to this guy, and wasn't entering into the marriage as an immigration ruse, she is not guilty of marriage fraud.   The fact that her husband tricked her and may have not had the same intentions unbeknownst to her doesn't change that.  As far as the effect this will have on her divorce, such questions should be directed to her lawyer.   Your sister and family should not take any actions with regard to the husband without consulting with her lawyer.Answer #2: What is the guy's current immigration status? It sounds like he's on a conditional green card and is expecting her to apply with him to remove the conditions; is that correct?

Does she have a lawyer currently?

Of what country is he a citizen (or where would he be deported to)? Is it a [Hague Convention](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/International-Parental-Child-Abduction/abductions/hague-abduction-country-list.html) country?

Signing his papers and pretending the marriage is all hunky-dory is absolutely the WRONG thing to do; that is marriage fraud, and she could face criminal charges herself for pretending.


Title: Business Owner (My Father) is looking for advice on a possible employee termination.

Question:
Hello everyone. This is my first time posting here and I'm speaking on my father's behalf.

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My father lives in the state of Ohio as a business owner. One of our employee's husband text messaged very nasty things to him, claiming he doesn't care about his wife's safety because the parking lot wasn't cleared of snow. We try to make sure the walkway / sidewalk in front of our suite is clear, but our landlord that owns the suite we rent for business is the one who handles plowing snow in the parking lots of his buildings. We were recently hit with on and off blizzards, so it's probably hard to keep up with the snow. My father disregarded the messages because it wasn't worth going back and forth with a man who had nothing to do with the place of work. This occurred during work hours.

Later that day, the husband drove up to the entrance of the business to pick up his wife. My father walked outside to try and talk him about his text messages, walking to his driver door as the husband rolled down his window. but the husband was already rude so my father replied with "Fuck You" and was about to just walk away to get back into the building. The husband quickly got out of his car to get into my father's face, swearing, trying to act intimidating, etc. My father's reaction was to talk back to him, but kept his hands behind his back or at his sides. The argument lasted about five minutes until his wife arrived outside. My father and the husband parted ways but kept turning around to argue with each other until they finally drove away. This was all filmed on our security camera, but we do not record audio.

**This is where the legal advice comes in:**

The husband later messages my father once they returned him to continue to act rude and not drop the subject even though my father explained the situation about the snow several times. The husband then sends a text saying "You shouldn't have threatened me with your gun." This has my father really upset because while he does have a Conceal and Carry Permit, he did not in anyway bring up a gun in their arguments, and isn't the type of man to make threats or act so immoral. The husband and my father were on speaking terms and would chat occasionally while he was picking up his wife for many years now. So the husband is well aware of my father's gun besides the fact that it is in his holster on his person. **My father is questioning whether he can legally fire the wife of the husband due to the outside conduct and potential threat he is causing by making such a dangerous and false accusation like threatening another person with a gun.** He doesn't want to let the employee go, but wants the husband to retract his false accusation in writing, or in a way where my father could show proof that he did so.

Something to note is that our business is hired to provide services to other business, so the only contract our employee needs to sign is one stating that they are not to share information about our clients or their business.

Answer: Ohio is an at-will employment state.  Other than a protected class, he can fire the wife for wearing green on a tuesday which he didn't like.


Title: [Greece] Is what my school does legal?

Question: At my (public) school, toilets don't have locks. It might not sound like a huge deal, but it is to me, I can't use the bathroom at all because I'm afraid somebody will open the door. There is no toilet paper and no soap either. And the toilets are very dirty. Is having doors that don't lock legal? And is it legal to have no toilet paper and soap?

Answer:
 I have no idea about Greek law but it appears to be a violation of your Chapter one right to human dignity from the [Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union](http://www.europarl.europa.eu/charter/pdf/text_en.pdf). How enforceable that right is I don't know.

Answer #2: Not touching the legal side of things, but would something [like this help with the lock issue](http://www.restroomsurvivalkit.com/index.htm)?


Title: Proving I did my side projects on my home computer rather than employer's

Question:
I live in a state (IL) that protects employees' inventions/side projects/etc from being claimed by their employers - see: [Employee Patent Act](http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs3.asp?ActID=2238&ChapAct=765%26nbsp%3BILCS%26nbsp%3B1060%2F&ChapterID=62&ChapterName=PROPERTY&ActName=Employee+Patent+Act.). As long as the work is not done on the employer's laptop, in their facilities, or on their work hours, it cannot be claimed by the employer.

The kicker is that the burden of proof is on the employee to prove he/she did not violate the above stipulations.

I'm wondering how I can prove that the open source code I'm writing and posts I'm writing for my blog are created on my machine, on my off hours since I can post blogs and commit open source code from any machine theoretically. Proving it was not done during work hours is semi-feasible I guess since the timestamps can be checked, but I'm having trouble figuring out how to prove it was not done on my work laptop.

And just to be crystal clear, I am certainly not violating these stipulations. All code and blogs are written on my laptop outside of work hours. I am not looking for a way to "bypass" these rules and make it "seem like" I did the work on my personal machine.

Answer: Set up a repo that uses a signing certificate that is not installed on the work machine, or run the repo locally on the personal dev machine, with nightly backups of course.


Title: Sexual Harassment from landlord

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What does the lease say? How long does it run?


Title: [California] I work at a school for mentally challenged and emotionally disturbed kids, teenagers, and adults.

Question:
I reported my former classroom to the principal about definite abuse against the students and misuse of company time (i.e. taking the students out on a daily basis to run personal errands instead of actual field trips). It's been about two weeks and so far nothing much has been done. They moved around some of the staff but the teacher of the class who overlooked and apporved everything is still there. Lately I've been starting to feel like they just want me to quit ive been asked numerous times if I want to leave to work on another campus (45 minutes away from where I live) whether I feel safe working at  the school. I also found out that the principal did not report the abuse or anything to her supervisor and pretty much kept it in her inner circle.

It seems like they are trying to sweep this whole situation under the rug. I feel horrible for these kids and this problem should not be looked over. Im considering maybe going to a newspaper about this. Also, after I spoke out about this classroom, five or six other staff members have spoken out and backed up my accusations.

I guess my question is, what should I do next? Or what can I do? I think I'm on the verge of getting fired.

Answer:
 Child Protective Services and or Adult Protective Services should be informed;  you may in fact have a legal duty to report this to them if you believe the school's hierarchy isn't taking any action.Answer #2: If you work in a school, you are a mandated reporter.  If actual abuse is happening, you report to CPS/APS.  Reporting to your principal does not fulfill your duty to report.  If there is actual abuse going on, and  you have not reported it to the authorities, and they find out anyway and realize you knew and didn't report, you could also face legal penalties including losing your teaching license (if you have one).

In other words, call and report to the proper authorities.Answer #3: If there is a regulatory agency that provides oversight to your organization I would contact them.

I'd also recommend trying to talk to the person in charge of your school's principal.


Title: (NC in the U.S.) Wife's friend dies. Widow insists wife take some of friend's belongings (books and papers, nothing of real value). Now widow sends letter from lawyer demanding return of items.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The most concerning thing here is the fact that your wife took unused medications, which for the sake of comment, I'll assume were pain medications.  I would not reply to this in any way whatsoever.  You should consult an attorney regarding returning the items.


Title: [MA] Driver's license information taken by Reddit user - how can I protect myself?

Question: Had somebody contact me on /r/borrow offering help. Asked for my ID, picture, and address and then immediately backed out after I provided it. At first I thought maybe they changed their mind but immediately after giving this info they posted to /r/adderall selling drugs. Already reported it to the mods of adderall and the admins but now I'm worried about what kind of havoc he can wreak with this information he took from me. As of now do you think there's any legal action I need to take to protect myself or I'm overreacting?

Answer:
 Well for one, don't give out all your personal info to a random person messaging you on the internet. Second,  what the hell?
 They can sign up for credit cards or even take out loans in your name if they know how with that information.
Did you give them your social too?


Title: [Toronto] I was attacked had suffered financial damage and nobody will help me

Question: I was attacked by a drugged/drunk guy in Toronto Canada. My main issue at the moment are the hospital bills, which are about 5,000$. I am a student I don't have this kind of money. I am currently living in the US. The incident happened inside a restaurant/bar. The thing is, that the restaurant had fake cameras up and did nothing to help or stop the guy from literally almost killing me while hitting my head on the floor and trying to poke out my eyes. Their security was watching, if it wasn't for the other guys in the restaurant to take him off me, I would have been killed. I didn't provoke him or even exchange a SINGLE word with him.

Answer:
 You just learned an important lesson; always make sure you purchase travel insurance when leaving the country.
Answer #2: Let's sum up:

You live in the U.S.  You visited Toronto.  During your visit, you were attacked in a bar and required hospitalization.

What did the police say when they arrived?  Have you requested a copy of the police report?


Title: Child protective services called me about alleged sexual abuse concerning my daughter and her current guardians in Washington state.

Question:
So I haven't seen my daughter in five years because of a fight with her mother.  She left me and took my daughter and wouldn't allow me to see her.  I go to school and work full time now and am paying off debts and trying to attend therapy before I wanted to go to court.  I pay child support and haven't heard from her mother in years, despite reaching out with letters, e-mails, and phone calls.

Yesterday at work, I received a call from Child Protective Services saying that my 6 year old daughter and her two little brothers are in protective services because there has been an alleged report of sexual abuse against my daughter by her mother and her mother's current boyfriend, who is the father of the two boys.  The boys were not subject of the abuse, just my daughter but they told me they have to pull all children from the home.

I of course, have no idea how to handle this.  They want me to be present by phone, because I have to work, for a family team meeting or something to decide where it's best for my daughter to go and then appear in court on Friday.  I asked if I could have a lawyer present but they said it wouldn't be necessary unless I was a subject, which I'm not, and if I wanted full custody, which I do, but can't.

Also know that I hurt her mother which is why she left me, so she will say that I'm violent.  I'm ashamed and have suffered immeasurably for it and I never hurt my daughter and never would.  But I want to make amends and be a part of my daughters life so I don't know what to do in the regard as well.

I'm pretty terrified so any help would be great.  I just want my daughter and her mom to be okay.  What should I do to help everyone as much as I can with out getting anyone in trouble or getting in the way of an investigation?

Answer: You should totally be on board with CPS relocating your daughter to a familiar family member since you are a total stranger.Answer #2: Go step by step.  Right now, do what social services is asking, which is to attend the meeting by phone.


Title: (Maryland) The Cat Lady From Hell saga continues: can I use an e-signature, have I committed slander, and can I get out of a possible payment?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Do they have a point?

Not unless the contract requires such. The reason why an email might not be a good thing sometimes is you can't really prove someone read it, but in this case this specifically acknowledge receiving it.

>hey are now claiming that I've committed slander against them for suggesting they might do something,

Nope.

>and that if we go to court they'll be using that against me.

Good luck with that.

>Issue #3: Everyone I've told this story to has basically laughed and said that these people are nuts and I could easily defend myself in small claims court - but, on the off chance that they did win the case, because I only work part time, on a contract basis, and own no real significant assets (property, stocks, etc), that it would be damn near impossible for them to collect any money from me anyway. Any truth to that?

Yes there is truth to that, but it can still screw with you for years.  If they actually sue then hire this lawyer you have previously consulted with.


Title: NC: Should I proactively tell my boss about ongoing medical issues that are impacting my performance, even if he doesn't seem to notice?

Question:
I'm in middle management in an **enormous** company with hundreds of thousands of employees. Been working there for five years, and at about 25 years into my career, I make excellent money and am regarded with a fair level of seniority. To date, I have a solid career, a good reputation and I've never once been warned or had any leader imply that my work isn't at or above average.

Six months ago, I found I had been misdiagnosed and treated for depression and anxiety for more than a decade, when in fact the culprit causing the symptoms was another illness. Once that illness was treated, my psychiatrist started weaning me off the anti-depressant and anti-anxiety medications. I went from being heavily medicated to now, barely medicated, which is -- AWESOME! It's been a bit of a roller coaster ride, and I suspect it will be for a few more months as my body acclimates. I still feel like every month there's a new change, be it an improvement or otherwise, from how my body was before.

The less awesome thing is it seems the crippling anxiety I had (I didn't say those anti-anxiety meds *worked* all that well) is core to motivating my work. And as I've gone onto and come off meds for the last six months, my anxiety levels have dropped, to the point that it's impacting my work. I'm no longer "super Type A" and freaking out to keep things on my plate. If they fall off, they fall off. Emotionally it's healthier for me, but we all know the workplace doesn't care about emotions or emotional health.

I overheard someone (a contractor who is a business partner) make a snide comment about some of my work last week, something that six months ago would have sent me into a tailspin, spiraling with worry and feeling like I needed to "prove myself" to them and everyone else. When I overheard the comment this time, I just laughed and said, "Good thing Bob's opinion doesn't impact my paycheck."

But it got me to wondering: Should I pre-emptively/proactively disclose to my manager that I'm going through a lot of medical changes? He has no clue about any of this, not even an inkling.

Will disclosing what's going on protect me in any way or will it just highlight me as a potentially poor performer to be watched? My psychiatrist has, on multiple occasions previously - before I was diagnosed correctly - offered to sign off on a medical LOA for me due to stress and anxiety taking me to a near breakdown state. I never took her up on it because the idea of falling behind terrified me even more. Now that I'm getting better, she's not going to sign off on something like that because the stress and mental health issues are gone - but I'd really prefer that the paycheck doesn't go away either at some point.

Some additional information: My manager is overworked and basically has a full time job of his own, PLUS the job of managing about a dozen other managers: tech managers, PM's, application managers, etc. He's never once implied that my work is suffering, but *I* think it is suffering right now. I think he's just too damn busy to notice, honestly.

I just want to know how open I should be with my manager about these issues. It's not like I'm disabled and need accommodations or anything, so my guess is telling him is only going to open up a can of worms I'd prefer to keep closed. Thoughts? Thanks!

Answer:
 Don't bring it up. If he's not noticing then you mentioning it will only incept the idea into his head (yes, just like the movie) and then he will likely be LOOKING for evidence of it. It's also something that can just change his overall perception of you, when it's really just not necessary to do. If he comes to you and asks if anything is going on, then you can decide if you want to tell him or not, but don't preemptively offer it.

I went through something similar myself (not depression but personal stuff affecting my ability to work), and I considered talking to my boss about it. Ultimately I decided it wasn't a good idea, and eventually,  everything worked itself out in time. I'm very glad in retrospect that I didn't say anything.


Title: (FL) My step daughter nearly died on heroin laced with Elephant tranquilizer. Shes 100 percent resistant to rehab. Help!

Question:
Like the title says, her dad and I had to see her turn blue. Narcan, and cpr saved her. Is there any way her dad and his ex wife can baker or marchman act her? We are beside ourselves what to do.
she is 26 years old.

Thank you for your kind consideration.

Edit for clarity, and one letter.

Answer:
 If she is an adult, no.

I recommend going to Ala-non. Learn how to help and hope not to enable.


Title: Forging ID to Remove Sexual Photos from Website

Question:
I'm in a dilemma in which a hacker or exbf has shared my private photos, which are being hosted on a website now. I'm 23, but I told the admin that I am underage in order to have him remove them.

Here comes the dilemma. He said the only way he'll remove them is if I can prove via a photo id with DOB that I'm underage.

What are the legal ramifications of altering my ID to send to him so that my DOB says I'm younger? I should add that all other info besides my photo and DOB will be blacked out.

Is there any alternative if this option is illegal?

I live in NY state btw

EDIT: The server is located in Russia apparently, which apparently changes things especially in terms of DMCA.

Answer:
 File a DMCA takedown notice with the website owner, Then do a whois lookup to find out who hosts them and file a DMCA with them as well. You can also report them to Google to get their search rankings penalized here: https://support.google.com/legal/troubleshooter/1114905?hl=en

Finally find out who, if anyone is their payment provider and DMCA them as well.

It might be helpful to mention to anyone that will listen that the site in question is also in breach of 18 US code 2257 since it cannot produce any records of your age at the time the content was created.

With all of the above and a little patience you should be able to get enough of a shitstorm generated to concern them if they have any business or interests in US jurisdiction.

Be careful about forging documents, you may be providing someone with "proof" that you yourself produced child pornography. I am not a lawyer but I have heard of kids being arrested for sexting under that accusation so watch it.

My lawyer mentioned to me yesterday that if a site is not registered with the US copy-rite office then they have no DMCA protection anyway and can be sued if they appear to be using your intellectual property without permission. Again that's not legal advice, I mean it was when it was given to me under different circumstances which may or may not apply to you, but anyway might be worth asking somebody about.


Title: Falsely accused of writing a bad rent check

Question:
I'm new to this apartment building and submitted two checks to the management company on the day I moved in (the 13th), one was for a deposit (check 1110) and the other was for prorated first month rent (check 1109). Check 1110 was cashed last week and I have proof that it was cleared in my bank record.

&#x200B;

I received a text from my property manager stating that my rent check had been returned due to a closed account and I am now liable for $120 in late fees and bad check fees due Monday at 8am. After calling my bank, verifying my funds and asking for advice, I asked my property manager to run the check again since it seems as if the account number was typed incorrectly. He then stated he was too busy and would be out of town until Tuesday (I am unsure of the meaning, but am hesitant to reply given the aggressive nature of the brush-off). I am unable to contact anyone else at this company, and am concerned my only choice now is to pay a $120 dollar fee or risk having a "late rent" charge made against my credit report on top of further damaging my reputation as a tenant with notoriously difficult management.

&#x200B;

On top of the fees, I will no longer be permitted to pay my rent in check form and will be required to either pay online ($10 service charge) or purchase cashier's checks ($20 from my bank) monthly.

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Do I have any rights in this situation? From the manager's perspective, is he actually obligated to attempt to run the check again or to assist me in resolving the issue outside of demanding fees? Furthermore, if I pay the fee, and it is later discovered that the check is valid, am I entitled to have that amount applied toward next month's rent or would that money be forfeit?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: I would bring a printout of my bank statement to the office showing that no attempt to submit the check has been made and tell them to run it correctly, as well as refuse to pay a late fee or bad check fee. Answer #2: Anyone else think this might be a scam to try and get them to pay online every month so they can charge them the service fee? I mean it’s a little fishy that the one check cashed perfectly fine, but not the other. You would think that common sense at least would dictate that the company would look at the checks and notice that they where from the same bank, with the same numbers. Or that the person inputting the info would double check before hitting enter.


Title: Was in a car accident, police officer on scene said I didn't have a passenger when I did and now I'm looking at insurance fraud

Question:
Okay so this is all currently happening and it's kind of a clusterfuck.

I was involved in a car accident while driving my friend's car with him in the passenger seat, (I was designated driving), when we got rear ended. The police were called and took down statements and I went on my merry way thinking that my friend's insurance would handle it, we weren't at fault, and that everything was fine, (my friend said he was injured so I put down on the initial police form that his back and neck were injured).

Now my friend's insurance called and told my friend that the police reports said that he wasn't there at all, and that it was turning into a serious matter because they think he had me put that he was injured so he could get time off of work and have them reimburse him. I'm going to call the precinct tomorrow, (theyre closed right now), but I'm kind of freaking out. I filled out on the forms they gave us that there were two of us so I'm not sure why it's been reported that I was the only one driving?

The only way I can think to prove he was there was that we were the ones who called 911, (on his phone), and we both talked to the police officer on the phone. Can insurance companies ask the police to release 911 calls? I don't want to get in trouble for attempted insurance fraud or forgery or anything.

I really don't have all the information right now but I wanted to know primarily about that 911 thing. My state is Utah.

Answer: I agree with the other comments. Cop likely made a mistake and can amend his report. If he's reluctant, I would mention that you even called 911 from your friend's phone and you'd like a copy of the 911 call. If he's still reluctant, you should be able to get a copy of the 911 call, though I'm not sure who exactly you'd go through to get that.


Title: [HI] ex boss called the company I recently got hired at and told them untrue things about me, the next day i was let go for other reasons.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Go meet with an attorney, this is a serious case of  defamation.


Title: Who owns rental house improvements? The house owner or the tenant's mother?

Question: Hi, folks. I own a rental house in South Carolina and the tenant's mother installed a new HVAC unit in it, as well as stove and refrigerator, after her son moved in. Now he has stopped paying rent and I am about to evict him. His mother said that if he leaves the house, she will take out the HVAC unit and other improvements she did to the house while he lived there (only her son is on the lease, not her). I, as owner, don't think she is allowed to do so and would like to have her charged with theft if she does remove them but she says she has receipts to prove that she owns them. Does anyone here have any suggestions on who owns the rental house improvements? Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Anything permanently attached to the property (e.g. a central air conditioner) would be considered part of the property, and become the property of the landlord.  The tenant may be entitled to the cost of the improvement from the landlord, but cannot remove the improvement without permission.

Appliances (stove, refrigerator) are not generally not considered to be permanently affixed to the property and belong to the tenant.


Title: I know someone who's responsible for abuse but his cop uncle seems to block any reports, what can I do?

Question:
Ive known this family for a long time. I'm a close childhood friend of the daughter who has been living in very neglectful cicumstances, but that wasn't too much of a concern growing up. When she was 15, her brother (a couple years younger) threatened her with a knife and she called 911. Her brother has always been violent (he has some mental problems that didnt go diagnosed for a long time and never got intervention until after the 911 call because of his neglectful upbringing) but this time he was actively holding the knife to her.

He was supposed to go to a juvenile detention center, but its no secret that his uncle (who is the chief) pulled some strings and let him stay at a "foster home" (the chiefs house). Since this is a very small town (the police department is combined with a somewhat bigger one), everyone is aware of what happened. Since he has been back (since his "foster home" reported his behavior had improved enough to go back) hes only gotten worse. He had a lot of animals that he doesnt name, doesnt wash, doesnt change bedding ever, doesn't have proper lights or set ups, starves, and generally just treats horribly. The house is horrific and the smell of the rotting corpses can be smelled from the street on a hot day.

I could tell a lot of different stories about the pets he hoards (one of the pets rats got loose, ate a baby bunnies face off, would chew on peoples feet at night, nip on cats. bedding covers the floor, cages block almost all exits, you cant reach certain cages because theyre blocked by other cages, rotting corpses, "free range" rabbits that poop everywhere (can't go in the house without shoes) and never gets cleaned up (last time they did was half a year ago) which has caused a growing mold spot on their floor. And thats not even close to all of the terrible things that happens with his pets).

These are all very serious concerns, and I have reported it to the police (so has the daughter, (who's an adult now, but can't move out yet) her therapist, multiple other neighbors, a vet office, and a humane society the next county over, all of which led to police coming, saying everything is fine after talking to the chief, and leaving with no further action) but actually not my biggest concern.

His dads very old and counts as an elder and his mom is not very mobile and has the mentality of a child (dont mean this as an insult, she is very forgetful, Very serious bipolar disorder, and medical professionals have guessed had a stroke). Hes very frequently violent, but usually my friend doesnt get involved out pf fear. But, the daughter has caught video of him laying on his parents bed, yelling at them, telling them to "GET OUT OF MY HOUSE YOU WHORE" thrashing around and hitting his mom to the point of bruises. This has apparently happened before and his dad says "someones gonna take you away if you keep this up" or "We're gonna call the police this time, we're serious" but he never does. This was sent to a police officer who wasnt in our town (but in county) in an atempt to go around her uncle, but nothing has come of it. His parents are terrified of their son and cops (they've had adverse experience with cops) and wont do anything themselves.

The only thing he has faced besides when he went to his foster home was suspension from school for catfishing nudes out of his fellow minors. Im so tired of watching this family and animals live in such terrible circumstances at his hands and nothing changing. The uncle doesn't like his sister (his mom) and only seems to care for him. What can I do? Can I report it to someone outside of the chiefs hands? I live in Wisconsin if that helps at all.

TL;DR
I know someone who is responsible for horrific elder and animal abuse who's uncle is a chief and won't do anything despite multiple reports being made. What can I do?

Answer: You can call animal control with your concerns, that's a more appropriate route than the police if they are separate departments.Answer #2: If the parents are incapacitated in some way, I'd suggest calling Adult Protective Services. You can also call an elder abuse hotline (just search "\[your county or major close city\] Wisconsin elder abuse hotline" or "Wisconsin elder abuse hotline". They will know who you can contact to report and assist vulnerable adults (as it sounds like they are).Answer #3: NAL. It may also be beneficial to contact your state police. They can sometimes take it out of the hands of the locals or force action


Title: 17 and Being Chased by a Collection Agency

Question:
Ok, so I don't know how to start this really because it's so fucked up. A few months ago, I got a call from Rogers (I'm in Toronto), and thay told me I had a debt of about $700. They also said that in addition to the account that I was using (one I had opened months ago) there was another account that had been opened around 2011.

Point is, I was 10-12 years old and couldn't possibly have opened one, nor have the credit card to even begin the process. I told them this, and they said it doesn't matter. It's my name and now my credit will be ruined if I don't pay them.

That brings me to today, when I got a letter from a collection agency. They brought up an old Rogers account, and offered a balance less than the original. However, a quick search of the company showed that they had scammed people with the same "old rogers" account before, and now I'm not sure what to do.

I don't have that kind of money and I've never had a job. Should I just try to pay them the money, ignore it like I've been told, or take another course of action. Please help! I'm freaking out and kinda desperate.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: Whatever you do, DONT PAY IT. That will reopen the charge. I don't have advice outside of that, I hope someone else does.


Title: Hit a deer while driving my car for work and sustained small body damage. Work refuses to pay and say they aren't liable. Who's responsible?

Question: So yesterday I hit a deer while driving and getting our competitors gas prices(work at a gas station/convenient store chain) which is required by one person working each shift to get. We receive back pay for our time going and getting them but aren't clocked into any system yet, they just change your clock in time after the fact. So I believe I was on their time doing something that is a job requirement. The company's legal department was informed by my store leader and told this morning they aren't responsible and I have to go through my insurance for any claim. Would they be responsible or would I need to claim through my insurance? I'm going to be contacting the legal departments head to discuss and ask questions in the coming days.

Answer:
 File a claim with your insurance and let them know you were driving for work and they will decide if they want to go after your work's insurance.

Have you tried gasbuddy? Is it not reliable?  I've found it to be mostly reliable in my area.


Title: Police searched friend's garage for owning steam distillation gear. (US MI)

Question: My friend had recently bought a steam distillation setup for gathering essential oils from his garden plants, mainly catmint, he also used it for making distilled water for cleaning purposes. The police came to his workshop, and he consented to a search because he had nothing to hide (yes I know) but they took pictures of all his glassware and left, but he now has a suspicious activity on his permenant report, could this be expunged easily?

Answer: If he wasn't arrested or charged with anything, there's nothing on his record. Answer #2: Police records are not typically subject to expungement or disclosure.


Title: Am landlord for disgusting tenants, is it possible to sue them for damages?

Question:
After 2 years of living at a house that I put up for rent, I recently discovered that the tenants lived like pigs. Destroyed appliances, needed a complete renovation, etc. They also used it for commercial purposes without my knowledge/consent. Is it possible to sue them or seek any compensation?
Edit: New York

Answer: I was a landlord on Long Island and successfully sued former tenants in small claims court. Take lots of pictures, keep receipts for clean-ups, repairs, and replaced appliances, etc. Remember you are not eligible for replacement value of replacement items, only market value at the time of loss. You will have a hard time convincing a judge they need to pay for a "renovation."


Title: My dad is about to lose the house that we both grew up in, due to his neglect and alcoholism.

Question:
My dad has always been an incredibly neglectful alcoholic. I moved out when I was 18, and moved back in when I was 24 two years ago.

Since then, the house has gone to complete wreck. Multiple repairs are needed including a leaky ceiling, mold growth, etc. The inside looks like a tornado hit it, and with the exception of my room (Which I have to religiously disinfect, clean, and occassionally fog)  infested with multiple pests. The outside is completely overgrown with weeds, including ones growing on the roof.

For the past two years, I have paid all of the bills on the house, including food costs, etc.

I just found out yesterday that due to unpaid taxes on the house, the taxes were sold at an auction two years ago and he has completely neglected to mention it or do anything about it. The guy that bought it came to the door yesterday to inspect the house, as apparently after the third year, the house goes to him.

I'm still trying to figure this all out, and am completely unsure as to what to do here or what legal courses of action I have.

The state is Alabama

Answer: At this point, you should still be able to pay the debt, with interest, and reclaim the home. [Here is a summary of how this works and what will likely need to be paid](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/getting-your-home-back-after-property-tax-sale-alabama.html).


Title: EVICTION

Question: HI my question might be a bit complicated: My landlord and of 5 years I kicking me out. I  play all the bills on time (Rent Electric and gas ) I never had problems with him but he just want me to move out now I have court date to go to So my question is DO I NEED A LAWYER OR AN ATTORNEY OR I CAN JUST REPRESENT ?MYSELF since I have all the receipts that I pay on time

Answer:
 Are you in New Jersey? Do you have a current lease term?

Is he evicting you or just giving you notice to bring your tenancy?  Because if the latter and if the answer to the first 2 questions is no, there’s nothing to fight here.


Title: Never signed a contract for custody lawyer, legal work performed, lost the case (conceded due to lack of funds) but child lived with me ever since, debt of $4.6K sent to collection agency, tried to dispute it via Credit Karma, came back ‘accurate’ and will stay in collections.

Question:
I always heard that without an actual signed contract, the debt could/should be erased.  It was one of those things where they started on my case, sent me home with paperwork (contract) to sign, and I intentionally never returned it because it was, as expected, filled with legalese that scared the shit out of me with all the ‘if/thens’ and I didn’t have much of an income at the time (and still struggle).

I have not communicated with the firm since the account was sent to collections, but remember paying approximately $1.2K in payments while the case was active.  Does this constitute an assumed contract because I paid some of the fees?

I know there are a lot of details missing, and I’ll be happy to answer questions... just trying to see what my options are.  Trying not to sound jaded, and the case all worked out like it should have, the best outcome for the child, just without the help of any lawyers involved and they really took advantage of the situation (head of law firm was a friend of my employer’s ex-husband, and they took my case based on her reference).   This case took place about 6 years ago, and went into collections 4 years and 10 months ago.  Location: Oregon

Hoping to get out from underneath this due to a technicality, basically... not ashamed to admit it.  Any helpful advice?  TYIA
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 > I always heard that without an actual signed contract, the debt could/should be erased.

You heard incorrectly.

Work was performed. You accepted the work understanding the fees involved. You owe for it.Answer #2: If you had a clearly evidenced agreement to perform services you had a valid contract regardless of whether you actually signed a signature or not.