Title: House under threat of eminent domain [IL] what are my options?

Question:
We recently bought a year ago, and the tollway company is looking to expand and our home will be destroyed as a result. We had a meeting recently to find out what the timeline is, and they have given us a year. We will be getting our home appraised in about 2 months.

They also told us to not hire a lawyer as the fees would be too costly.

edit: also about 4 other houses will be impacted by this, could it be smart to talk to them about hiring a lawyer together?

Answer: Don’t take legal advice from people who are not your attorney.  You can’t stop them from acquiring the property but an attorney might help you get more money for your property.  You should at least talk to an attorney who does work with eminent domain cases.Answer #2: Why would you take legal advice about hiring a lawyer from the company planning to raze your home?Answer #3: Whenever someone advises you not to get a lawyer, get a lawyer asap, and get your own appraiser. Don't trust their numbers. Answer #4: Hire a lawyer


Title: Expelled from college after a suicide attempt. Is there anyway I can build a case for duress?

Question:
A year and a half ago I was fighting with depression for a few years and my mental health had slipped to the point where I would hardly get out of bed, and I was actively researching suicide late at night rather than studying for finals. I had developed a substance abuse habit and I was hospitalized once for slamming my head into a concrete sidewalk repeatedly.

The campus allows guns but only in residence hall gun lockers which were locked away behind the front desk. I was raised participating in shooting sports and I had a rifle in the gun lockers. One day, I checked it out and put it in my room. It felt comforting knowing that I had a way out that was accessible.

On my 21st birthday I went out to the bars with some friends. Alcohol being a depressant it put me in a bad frame of mind. That night I tried to kill myself. My friends had to pull the rifle out of my hands to keep me from doing it.

I was hospitalized overnight. When I woke up I was forced to go to a crisis stabilization center. While there the assistant dean of students visited me. He told me I was going to be expelled but that if I signed the documents he had brought with him, agreeing to the expulsion, my grades would not be failing as I would be allowed to voluntarily withdraw but I would be waiving my right to an appeal. He also told me the offer was only good until the end of the day and they would be moving along with the expulsion process.

What I am wondering is if signing those documents and being asked to make those decisions while institutionalized after something like a suicide attempt might be considered duress.

I have been working hard on my mental health and am doing much better and I’m ready to go back and finish my degree. I don’t want to go to the same school, but transferring is difficult with that mark on my record. Is there anyway signing documents under duress would raise a defense to get this off my transcript?
In the United States btw
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 It’s unlikely to be duress, duress requires a threat of unlawful action, nothing here was unlawful. It might be some question of capacity, but even if you get this set aside you have a bigger issue. The school had perfectly valid grounds to expel you, you were keeping a firearm in your dorm in violation of explicit school policy.  You might want to talk to an attorney who does education law work, but I suspect you have little recourse here.

That said, people make mistakes, colleges understand that and if you explain what happened on your applications to other schools you may have a shot at admission.  Best of luck and I hope your mental health continues to improve.Answer #2: No, it would not be duress because there was no threat of any illegal punishment.

With that said,  I can almost guarantee that the school will have a way of appealing the expulsion and getting reinstated.  Focus on stabilizing your mental health first, and then when you are ready, inquire as to what the process involves.


Title: [TX] An acquaintance of mine legally kidnapped her own child. She messaged me before it asking for advice; I only told her it's illegal. Now she's in trouble and wants me to get in trouble because I didn't help her more.

Question:
An "acquaintance" of mine took her child from her ex-husband (during custody hours that she didn't have the child) and is now looking at legal kidnapping.

Beforehand, about a week or so, she texted me asking for advice about the situation and if she should/could kidnap her child. I said no right away. She says her kid is in a bad situation (she's not).

I just told her it's illegal, she didn't believe me because "you can't kidnap your own child", I had to explain it to her why it was still illegal/what kidnapping means. She says she's gonna do it anyway.

So according to FB she kidnapped her kid the next week and got arrested. I get a call from her close friend telling me that I was named as a goddamned accomplice. No one has contacted me yet (because it's been like 2 minutes) but it'll be easy to disprove this, right...??

And her friend told me that I'm completely fucked now because everything was MY fault because 1) I didn't help her out more and 2) I didn't stop her from doing it knowing what would have happened (literally everything I said happened). So they're going to blame me for "letting it happen." And they're going to tell the cops that I knew about the crime and didn't report it. AND they say they have proof that I am an accomplice but it's basically fake text messages that were made to look like it was me.

MY QUESTIONS: This can be disproved easily, right? Am I actually in trouble for not reporting the kidnapping before it happened? Do I have to call a lawyer? Can I somehow put the costs on her? Will the cops arrest me with no question/what can I expect?

EDIT: I didn't know what flair to put so I put "douche", please advise if I should change it. Thanks.

Edit 2: I made it a little shorter but important details are still there.
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 Nobody knows if the cops are going to come. These idiots are probably just trying to scare you, but if the police do call, DO NOT SPEAK WITH THEM. Do not try to "clear this up" with them. Can you clear it up? Yeah, probably. Your story sounds credible to me. But my job isn't to arrest people. Hire a criminal defense attorney if the police want to speak with you or come to your door. Do not say anything. [Watch this entire video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc).

And unfriend/block/ban/ignore these idiots, they are not your friends.


Title: [Update, need help]I drove my car into a road where pavement was still kind of fresh, but it was because the blockade was very bad.

Question:
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3e9g8z/i_drove_my_car_into_a_neighborhood_where_pavement/ - Previous link

So I am now down in college, and its been couple months since this had happened, so I assumed all things were fine, until my mom recently just called me infuriated because she received a letter, requesting for the 3 people who were in the car to each pay 2800$ in damages, which is around 8400, but thats ridiculous.

I was told from the previous posts that I was fine, so I was wondering if I should call them and threaten them that I will sue them if they do not cancel the charge? The only thing I have to me is the witnesses who were in the car at the time, and probably the other guy who drove his car into the neighborhood as well. Also, I find the charge to be absurd. I understand paving the road isnt that cheap, but the road I drove on was pretty close to being dry, and there really wasn't much of a "Mark" left behind when I went back to check on it. I will be uploading pictures of the so called "Letter" once my mom gets back to me, but in the mean time, I will appreciate any sort of advice.

Thank you in advanced!

**Edit 1**: So it seems like the company itself isn't really messaging me, but the community management is (Which I think is regarding to the community the neighborhood belongs in).

To quote an excerpt, it says "As we currently have photographic proof that your vehicle was driving on the roads during this time the Board of Directors for the ------ community is requesting reimbursement for the repairs. The total cost of the repairs made to the roads was in the amount of xxxx.

And surprisingly, apparently there was 2 other cars, not just me, which I think its another evidence for my side. Should I just ignore their request until they take it to the court?

Answer:
 They likely had to repave where you drove. Materials and man hours could easily amount to $8400.

I don't know what defense you have to their claim. You have zero evidence.Answer #2: Asphalt doesn't dry, it cools. If it was mostly cooled, that could mean more work to fix the damage.  It doesn't matter if you think there wasn't much of a "mark" because the contractor would have performance specifications that he has to meet, which would include surface smoothness. Is focus on whether you ought to have been aware of the work going on, not on what it cost to fix. Though ask for an itemized invoice anyway.


Title: Hurt myself outside of work and being fired because of it

Question: I have been out of work for about three months after herniating two discs in my back throwing out a bag of trash while at home. My job requires quite a bit of heavy lifting so I was put on FMLA while attending physical therapy in hopes that it would help but now it's looking like surgery is my last option. Today I received a call from my HR department telling me that they are "putting my insurance on hold" and indirectly notifying me that I was essentially being fired, but HR wouldn't directly answer me when I asked them if I was being terminated. I talked to my boss and he told me that I am not being fired, but that when I get a note from a doctor saying that I am able to work without any restrictions that they would "rehire" me. This whole situation seems suspicious and I really have no idea what rights I have, and also if it's possible that I have a legal case considering that every doctor that I've been to has told me that my injury was caused by what I do and that throwing out the bag of trash was just the straw that broke the camels back. To add, I live in North Carolina.

Answer: They are only required to hold your job open for 12 weeks. You write you have been out of work for 3 months, so I assume you have been out 12 weeks. Barring a contract or union agreement that states otherwise, you can be fired. As far as your insurance, they should offer you COBRA.


Title: CO. Guy backed into my car, $2500 in damage, his insurance (State Farm) denied responsibility on the claim.

Question:
It was a Saturday at 10am. I pulled up to a light behind a Nissan Armada in my Honda Accord. The guy started backing up awkwardly and really fast. Before I could back up myself or before I thought to honk he backed into my driver side headlight and bent the frame. I filed a claim through his insurance but they denied. I'm a broke college kid who can't afford $2500 in damage. The bank owns my car and I'm paying it off through a loan through them. I don't know what to do.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 You need to contact your insurance. They will pursue state farm on your behalf.Answer #2: This is why a dash cam is such a good idea.Answer #3: Crap like this is why I have a dash cam. Answer #4: You have only 2 options. Neither of which is likely to have a favorable outcome for you since his company already denied liability. 1. File a claim with your insurance and let them deal with it. You'll be out your collision deductible. 2. Sue in small claims court.
Source: insurance agent


Title: Quick question regarding a radiologist falsely telling me i had a fractured foot and subsequent loss of my job.

Question: So this past week motorcycle accident. When I went to the doctor they told me that I had a fractured foot and fractured wrist. My wrist is fractured, but my foot was only sprained there were no fractures and I only found that out after my company let me go. I'm a truck driver so obviously I would not be able to carry out my duties with a fractured foot. Is there any legal recourse I can take against the hospital that falsely diagnosed me to make up the money that I am losing. I've already lost out on about $2,400 in the last week and a half due to not being able to work. I don't do any loading or lifting so my fractured wrist would not have been a factor in whether I could work or not.

Answer: I seriously question whether you would have been able to drive a truck with a fractured wrist anyway, speaking as someone who has fractured both her wrists at different times. And insurance: would they cover you in these circumstances?Answer #2: You'd have to prove the doctor deliberately, maliciously, or incompetently misdiagnosed you, and that's a tough hurdle. Medicine isn't an exact science: for example, a doctor misreading an ambiguous X-ray is a judgment call, not incompetence. You can have a malpractice attorney review your case, but it is somewhat unlikely you'll have a winning case.


Title: I have ulcerative colitis and my health insurance company keeps denying any medications prescribed for it.

Question:
Okay so I’ll start from the beginning.

I am covered under Medicaid in Ohio. I used to have health insurance under my moms plan. My mom was a police officer but she was hit by a drunk driver at work and it hurt her back and is no longer able to work. I’m in college so I was able to be covered under Medicaid for the time being. I was very healthy and was using Medicaid as a “just in case” plan.

I was in ROTC, going to commission into the Air Force when I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. My doctor prescribed me 2 types of medications that failed for me. He wants to put me on an infusion.. we have been trying to get various medications covered since March and my insurance company has denied them all.

During the process my condition has got increasingly worse. My doctor wants to put me on remicade but my insurance company has denied it. The last denial after an appeal stated that I hadn’t tried and failed a similar medication inflectra.. I agreed to the inflectra, my doctor put in the order and they still denied it.

I’m getting increasingly sick and I don’t know what rights I have. Any ideas? I imagine that they are breaking some types of laws here...

Edit: so my first plan of action on Monday will be to first call my insurance company Monday morning and talk to them to get all the information I need and ask them why they haven’t made a decision over 30 days has pasted since the late appeal for remicade. Once I have all the information I’ll most likely make a call to Ohio’s insurance commissioner to try and file a complaint or get more general information.

Then I’ll call my doctor. I have already started to fill out some applications to get my medication covered through some of organizations like J&J. I’ll have to forward the applications to them to fill out some more details.

Thank you so much for all your help and support even if this wasn’t a legal issue :)

Answer:
 Physician here. Brand names can be misleading. Remicade and Inflectra are the same drug, [infliximab](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infliximab). Inflectra is a [biosimilar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infliximab) of remicade which was the first form of this drug to be marketed.

These drugs are called [biologics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biological_therapy_for_inflammatory_bowel_disease). The studies demonstrating the efficacy of infliximab are strongest for treatment of crohn's disease, but there was been some questions about infliximab's efficacy for ulcerative colitis [1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infliximab#Ulcerative_colitis),
 [2](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles\/PMC2721383\/).

As these medications are very costly your insurance company will want to be sure less costly remedies have failed to control your disease. From your post this appears to be the case. If infliximab treatment is denied there are other biologics ([adalimumab](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adalimumab), [golimumab](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golimumab)) approved by the FDA for treatment of UC with others showing promising results as well.

For you the bottom line (sorry, bad joke) is that there are effective treatments for this disabling disease. In the past 10 years biologics have been increasingly used for refractory disease, with promising results. Your physician, presumably a gastroenterologist, is the person who should thrash this out with your insurance. It can take weeks to months for the insurance company get off their asses (again, sorry) and quit stalling. Don't give up, and be sure to keep you doc informed about the status of your UC.


Title: Consensual torture in a public space

Question: I wanted to have my friend water board me in a public space. I would have my limbs restrained and have some stick or object that I could drop to signal him to stop. The location I had in mind was a park, but I could switch locations if need be, it just needs to be somewhere public because it is a protest and I need spectators. It would take place in Washington state

Answer:
 Normally this is the type of thread you would see late on a friday or saturday night, but we get a treat and get it a few hours early today.

Answer #2: Your friend could be arrested and charged with various assault related crimes.  Consenting to being assaulted generally doesn't immunize the assaulter.

If you and your friend were to attempt to get some kind of permit for this from the police, then not only could you maybe get special permission, but you would entertain a bunch of cops with your request.
Answer #3: It's not consensual if witnesses don't also agree.Answer #4: This sounds like a highway to two charges of disturbing the peace.


Title: Getting fired because of my mental health

Question: Recently went through a severe depressive episode during which I was unable to take time off of work and my performance suffered, after getting my mental state back together and putting 100% back into work they are now asking me to resign or be fired, I don’t know what to do, they’re basically holding my past six years of exemplary service hostage for three weeks to cover for them while they get a replacement in place, what should I do?

Answer:
 Don't resign.  If you resign, you lose the ability to claim unemployment.

They can fire you for this in most states and it would be without cause making you eligible for unemployment.


Title: Discrepancy in lot size of newly bought property

Question:
Hi there,
         I am a first time home buyer. We recently closed on our first house in the bay area, california. After closing I see that the public records (MLS listings) list the lot size as 7000 sq ft, whereas the lot size advertised to us on redfin and the brochure given to us initially was 8688 sq ft. The appraisal done for the loan indicated a lot size of 8288 sq ft. We were willing to live with the appraised amount at the time, but now we are trying to understand which one is right and if we have been misled into this purchase.  I called the city for the public records and they indicate 7288 sq ft. A surprising thing to note after the purchase was that the lot size has been amended to 7000 sq ft on redfin as well, I am guessing by the owner (However, as i am the new owner of the property, I was able to change it to the apprised amount). Does anyone know what can be done at the moment to amend this situation? Couple of questions:
1) Does the appraiser actually measure the lot size? I have done some background check on the appraising company and they have good reviews. Could the appraiser actually have been working with the owners somehow? (Seems unlikely as it is my understanding that the loan provider requests the appraisal)
2) Should I get a second appraisal done? I heard that if the second appraisal is done on the property and it comes out as lesser than the original, then the newer appraisal takes precedence.
3) Can I go to the county with the appraisal report and get the public record amended?
4) Can I do anything regarding the sale at this point? I feel misled into this sale. The lot size of the property played an important role in our offer on the property. Now that it has decreased significantly, we wonder if there anything we can do at this point.

Answer:
 MLS and Redfin are not official records of anything. You would review your deed and survey to determine your lot area.Answer #2: I don't think you will have much recourse here. I assume based on your post you did not have a survey performed on the land. If you had then you would have the exact lot lines and measurements to calculate the square footage of the lot and this would have been caught before the sale was finalized.

As the other poster mentioned, MLS, Redfin etc are not legal or official and often times their lot sizes are estimates at best. Unless you have a closing document that says you own 8,000 sq feet but the deed/survey say 7000 then not much can be done.

I doubt the appraiser was working with anyone, and they generally just look at 'comparable' lots / houses and many factors go into play, but I doubt they used the sq footage number to match things.


Title: (North Carolina) Can my employer ask me to work for free?

Question:
I currently work for an international IT consulting/contracting company based out of Europe that over the past couple of years purchased some North American companies to establish a presence.  I've had trying times but over the past few months my workload has been good and I have a good work/life balance.  So I'm not approaching this as a scorn employee or anything.

Today we had a very abrupt company-wide call for the North America branch exclusively with the North America CEO.  On the call he said the finances has sucked over the past few months have sucked due to the some bad financial decisions they're wanting us to 'chip in' somehow.  They explained a bunch of different scenarios but on the call the North America CEO asked us to furlough two days between now and the end of the year.

If someone is using PTO/vacation days during this timeframe he is asking them to deduct two of those days and take them as unpaid.

If someone is working Christmas Eve or New Years Eve they're asking us to work without pay. If someone isn't working those days he asked us to work two days without pay.

We just received communication from the CEO that polished things up and asked us to do this voluntarily.  If the company is wanting us to furlough the days then it's whatever - I won't answer any phonecalls/emails/texts during those two days.  It'll hurt me to furlough two days because it's the holidays and I've had some unexpected expenses to show up but it's whatever - I'll be damned if I'll work for any for-profit company for free.  However, him asking us to work two days for free just seems a tad illegal but I'm not exactly sure.  The only part that probably covers his butt is the use of the word "volunteer," which still seems very shady.

So how illegal/barely legal is this?

Answer:
 Working without being paid is illegal and his asking people to do it, even voluntarily is a labor violation if someone wanted to take it to the Dept of Labor

And the voluntary thing is a joke because a) you can't work for your employer for free voluntarily, even if you absolutely 100% really truly want to, it's still illegal and b) your boss asking you to do it even voluntarily carries a lot of implied "we really need you to do this" Lumbergh-style pressure to comply.


Title: Employer Telling me to do Something Illegal (AZ & CA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Isn't it funny how he wants you to put your name all over it and keep his own hands off of it?
Being that it's interstate trade, the issue becomes a federal matter.
The FTC governs matters of fraud, and honestly it sounds fraudulent.Answer #2: This sounds like a very very bad idea.

If the certificates are in any way connected to the FTC or other federal agency, using them this way is a federal felony.  Were it to come out that the plants were infected, and the certificates then questioned (or they get questioned for any number of other reasons), federal prison time is a real possibility.  For *you*.

Of course, your employer will hang you out to dry if that happens.

Nope this shit right now.  Jobs in the can pay like $2/day (I have no idea, I just made that number up, but it ain't $15/hr).  You can't afford to keep working here if the boss won't compromise is the point.


Title: [GA,USA] My father may be stealing $1000 from me

Question:
Long story short, my dad receives social security benefits and I just recently turned 18, which means I'm entitled to those social security benefits till I'm out of school or a month before I'm 19. Basically social security made an oopsie and sent my dad a direct express card in his name with my first month of social security benefits. Once they realized the mistake, they sent him a letter telling him not to use the funds and my dad shredded the card. Because the card had his name on it, and the funds are still in an account, social security will not send me a replacement card until my father calls Direct Express telling them he no longer has the card and to send a replacement in my name. Once I told my dad this simple solution, he refused because he doesn't want me to have the money. We're struggling and he keeps saying he's not stealing because hes not using the funds, only keeping me from obtaining them. He has openly asked me to sue him several times, so he knows what he is doing isn't right but is he breaking the law? Can I sue him? The amount of money is slightly over $1000 and we really need the money. Help?

I'm really unsure where to start in a situation like this.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Before suing him, start by reporting him to the Social Security Administration. They will be able to trace when the card was used, and if the money was deposited into his bank account. If that money belongs to you, the SSA will be able to force him to repay it.

You can visit your local SSA office in person, or [contact the SSA by phone](https://faq.ssa.gov/link/portal/34011/34019/Article/3823/How-do-I-report-a-missing-payment) to file a report. If the agent dismisses your claim and tells you to work it out with your father, keep calling back until you reach someone who is willing to help, or go to your local office -- it's harder to ignore someone in person. They may suggest you file a police report if he refuses to cooperate, but hopefully, he'll turn the money over once the SSA gets involved.


Title: [US/PA] First time offender, just got caught running a red light and the officer told me to plead not guilty. What's my next step and what should I expect?

Question:
So for some more context I'm a 21/M and just ran a steady red light. After I got pulled over and he took down my information he said that I had a citation and that I will have to show up in court to dispute it a month from now. He also said that I should plead not guilty to the charge because I could lose points on my license for this offense. What should I do next? Should I follow what he said and mail in the fine and plead not guilty? What should I say in court to defend myself if so?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Get a lawyer, there’s plenty in every city that do traffic tickets.

Don’t take legal advice from the opposition.


Title: [North Carolina] What qualifies as proof of lineage?

Question:
Hi,

I recently received a letter from an attorney that says:

> Dear Mr. Notaverygoodredditor:

> I represent (name of great uncle) as executor of the estate of (name of great aunt) and as trustee of the (great aunt) trust.

> It has been brought to our attention that you could be a potential heir of (great aunt). Let me first say that you should hire an attorney of your choosing to represent your potential interests.

> Because (great uncle) questions whether you are the biological grandchild of his brother, (my grandfather), you need advice from an attorney in order to consider what rights you may assert, if any. There are many steps that you must take to prove your paternity to the trustee.

This great uncle is also contesting the rights of my aunt who is helping me in this matter. My father, mother, and grandfather are deceased.

My question is: What rights do I have? And what would count as proof of my parentage?

My father is not on my birth certificate and I was born out of wedlock, but my father's family (barring this great uncle) have always acknowledged me as a blood relative. I have tons of photos of myself as a child with my father and mother, and four with my grandfather (we were an estranged family) with writing on them indicating me as his grandson. I also have my father's cremains and the paperwork I signed to have his body released to our funeral home from the hospital. I see there are places to test the DNA of ashes, but I question how well these tests would hold up in court.

My grandfather is buried and his body is intact, but his 3rd wife is a cuntfaced bitch who refused to cooperative with anyone from his family on any matters, so exhumation of my grandfather would likely be out of the question.

The inheritance is the millions. Help!

Disclaimer: I am not an idiot; I have appointments to meet with attorneys on Monday for proper legal advice, I was just hoping to get an idea of my chances and a heads up of what's to come.

Edit: I may not be an idiot (it's too early to determine) but my mother certainly was. Because she never married my father and waived her rights for child support, there is no legal proof of my parentage and I have been successfully blocked from my inheritance.

Thanks to everyone who posted, I sincerely appreciate your time.

Answer: I think that when you retain one of those attorneys you're meeting with, the one you pick should contact great-uncle's attorney and ask him exactly what kind of evidence they'd accept. A simple DNA test with the uncle is probably all they want.


Title: So, I’m going to acknowledge what a First World Problem this is... [CA]

Question: So, my family has a collective wealth of millions, (thanks Big Oil, but go green,) and Grandma is dying. Like, weeks at the most from dying. We have POA over her - I’m her medical POA because I’m a physician, and my dad is the financial POA. She’s been making a whooooooooole lot of catalog purchases lately that she never even opens the boxes of - I suspect it’s her coping with her mortality not being permanent, but she’s also on a shit ton of drugs: can we RTS the packages and explain the situation to Visa? My husband is an attorney, but a medical malpractice attorney, so he really doesn’t know about this. Our financial attorney’s currently abroad, and I’m just getting voicemail when I call his offices, (understandably.)

Answer:
 If you have millions I would suggest your grandma's final days are a bigger concern than her estate having to pay a few hundred bucks for some QVC stuff.

Hell, in your shoes I'd let her go nuts if it made her happy. Giver her a prepaid card with a couple grand and call it a day.

You can return the stuff per policy or just donate it all to a thrift shop and call it a day. Answer #2: You can return the packages only through the company's return policy. You cannot simply RTS the packages and dispute the charges or claim that the items were not ordered.

If your grandma is incompetent, you may have additional options. However, if she is incompetent, I'm not sure why you allow her to have a credit card.


Title: Can I be fired from call center job by management listening in to my headset when I am just talking to my desk mates?

Question: Recently found out management has been listening to our headsets when we are not on phone calls. When we are talking to our neighbors or just sitting at our desk without a live call. Can they rightfully fire us for what we say to our neighbors? It is not common knowledge that they are listening in when we are off calls, but it is common knowledge that listen on calls for ‘quality assurance’.

Answer:
 They can fire you at any time for no reason at all, or for any reason other than belonging to a protected class under federal or state legislation.

You have no expectation of privacy at work, either (unless you are using a restroom/changing room, etc.).


Title: I was the victim of a burglary committed by minors

Question:
There was a string of burglaries at the apartments in my area and they caught a few minors who were breaking into people's cars and stealing stuff. I was one of the victims. It took me forever to get any information about the case since the local PD refused to contact me about the case in any capacity. After about one year, 8 visits to the PD, and 25 phone calls, I found out that the perpetrators were minors. I have a few redacted pages from the report (from a Freedom of Information Act request) but I will not receive full reimbursement from my insurance.

I can't sue the parents because I don't know who they are. I can't find out who they are because I can't find out about the court date, since all of the information is protected. Do I have any sort of legal recourse or are minors essentially allowed to commit any non-serious crime they want without consequence? (A local cop told me that is the case, verbatim)

Answer: In Georgia, at least, minors can be ordered to pay restitution for items stolen or damages done to other people’s property. I have a hard time believing it would be that different elsewhere. You might try contacting your local District Attorney or Juvenile Court office. Provide them with the information the PD gave you so they can look up the case(s). They may be able to tell you if you have any recourse.Answer #2: Were they charged with breaking into your car?


Title: Determining changed value of antique items?

Question:
I know when someone has property damaged and they take another to court, they are entitled to the current value of the item, not what they paid for. So if my buddy busts my laptop, I'm entitled to the depreciated value of the laptop, not what I originally paid for it when it was new.

How would this work for items that gain value over age though? Say some antique furniture, original printing of old comic books, etc.? Are you entitled to the appreciated value of the item in this case or only what you paid for it?

Answer:
 Yes, (generally speaking) the same rule applies - you are entitled to sue for the current value of the item.

It can be extremely difficult to determine what that value is sometimes though because the value can be incredibly subjective and for rare or unique items there's nothing else to compare them to.

This is (one of) the reasons why insurance companies require you to have expensive items like this valued before they issue you with a policy for them.


Title: I want to leave my abusive relationship but we have three very young kids together. We are not married and I want to leave the state to go with family as I have no one where I live. Can he come after me because I took the kids? Really need advice and help.

Question:
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Do you have an existing custody order from a court? Are there any legal arrangements regarding the children already in place?

Also, which state you live in is important.


Title: My sister is 'fostering' her nephew, birth mother is threatening her if she doesn't comply with unreasonable demands. She doesn't know what her options are.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Ok. I feel like you are using a lot of wrong terms.

Mom asked your sister to care for her kid because of her drug problems. Sister said yes. Two months later kid is still there and mom is being a pain.

Foster care is not a status. It is when the state takes the kid. Not when a family member does.

So sister can file for custody/guardianship. She can talk to an attorney.  Until there are court orders, mom can take the kid anytime she wants


Title: The State (OH) says my mother owes me money. Please Help.

Question: Let's start with some context. I'm a 21 year old male who was under my grandparents "temporary" custody since 1998 for 90 days. However, I've lived with my grandparents since that time. I still see my mom almost everyday and we're on great terms. Around a month ago our old child support enforcer person (I don't know their actual title) that the state assigned us called me for the first time in years. She asked us if we wanted to persue charges against my mother. I said no. My grandmother said no. Every time the state called us we said no. Well today the police came to my mom's door and handed her papers saying she was summoned to court and faced penalties if she did not pay the $6,000 she owed me. I know a certain percentage must go to our state but is there any way I can deny the rest? My mom is not in a place where she can be paying this. She takes care of all of my other brothers and sisters and I really don't want her to break the bank or have anything to worry about. We understand she owes to the state as well but I really want to know if there anything I can do to help her out. It's breaking my heart.

Answer: There's nothing to say you can't turn around and give it right back to her. (the portion owed to you)


Title: Want to get my enrollment charges refunded, didn't attend a class...btw my parents forced me to....

Question: A semester has gone by. The MAIN thing I'm concerned about what they say on the prospectus that its "non refundable" . My parents are fine with me switcing institutions probably one of their own branches thats nearer to my home. I'm hesitant to go for it. Any ideas u guys have. First of all you can totally judge my pov.

Answer:
 If it's non-refundable, then generally, it's non-refundable.

Your location is not optional.


Title: [CO] Coworker has been openly racist since yesterday -- but since I'm white, HR won't take my complaints seriously.

Question:
Colorado.

I work at a large company in a large city. I was bummed about the outcome of the election and this coworker in question was happy. We work in the same group and are friendly towards each other, but yesterday she has been nonstop going on rants about people of color and using some not-okay language towards them (as well as other groups of religions and sexualities).

I've been stewing about it all night, but when I went to HR this morning I was told they aren't going to do anything about it because I am white and it doesn't affect me. I don't want to come across as an overly sensitive, overly PC person here but she majorly is crossing the line and I'm being brushed off because of my race.

Question: Can HR allow someone to be openly racist/etc towards minorities and not do anything because I (the complainer) am white?

I'm not even sure if this is a legal question or just a company policy one... I swear I wish I was making this up.

Answer:
 >  Can HR allow someone to be openly racist/etc towards minorities and not do anything because I (the complainer) am white?

Short answer is yes.  HR's legal mandate is to prevent/remedy any illegally discriminatory behavior towards it's employees to prevent lawsuits.  If you aren't being targeted because of your race/religion/sex, then you don't have a discrimination claim against the company.

Now, a good HR team will address that sort of behavior anyway because it's disruptive.  But it's not a legal issueAnswer #2: OP, you might want to find a better company to work for. It is one thing to have racist co-workers. It is another to have management that is willing to turn a blind eye to this sort of behaviour.

Don't worry about what they should and shouldn't do. Instead contemplate if you are giving your services to a company you want to be with over the long-term.Answer #3: Doe about employee handbook cover anything about appropriate language? Even if you can't file a discrimination style complaint, I find it hard to imagine that offensive racial slurs and sexual identity slurs wouldn't be included in any company policy related to using appropriate language at work. Answer #4: I'm not buying their response, but even if it's true, you've done what you can and how you feel about their approach/response as it applies to you is irrelevant. Answer #5: You pass for white. That doesn't mean that you completely lack ancestors of color.

My sister-in-law discovered a couple of years ago that her grandfather was in fact black. No one would ever suspect that her kids were in fact 1/8 black, which would legally have classified them as slaves antebellum or colored in the Jim Crow era.


Title: Is this enough information for an IRS whistleblower form? (New York)

Question: My employer has been underpaying employees for years and years as well as using a rounding practice that heavily favors them (time only rounds up to 15 minutes in the final 5 minutes of a 15 minute period.) They also recently began to round all timecards that go over 40 hours to 40 hours or less they even posted a sign that says straight out "you will not be paid if you work over 40 hours" ( can provide a picture but not sure if that's against the rules here or not. I have about 40 paychecks bewteen 3 employees this year alone that have over 40 hours on them but not being paid overtime. This is just a regular retail business so there shouldn't be anything that would exclude them from the FLSA rules.

Answer:
 These don't seem like IRS issues whatsoever.

You can make a complaint with your states Department of labor.

If you are not approved for overtime and will not be paid over 40 clock out and stop working.

If the overtime is unapproved they must pay you for it but can fire you.

Answer #2: This sounds like something you'd take to the NYS Dept. of Labor, not the IRS.  IRS is interested in people/companies that are not paying their federal taxes.  Your issue seems to be you employer isn't paying your wages.


Title: [Michigan] I want to buy/rent a small factory space for a larger scale medical marijuana grow. Is this legal if I am state licensed to grow 72 plants?

Question:
I have been growing marijuana legally in my basement for over a year now. I purposely purchased a house with a large basement but It is starting to get crowded down there. I also do not want to invest into a 6000$+ air conditioner systems that I need for my grow at my place of residency.

If I can legally grow 72 plants at home could i legally grow those 72 plants in a factory setting instead?

edit: spelling
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: As soon as this sub hears legally growing/selling marijuana the common reply is: Talk to an attorney even though it might be legal at state level it is still illegal at federal level and you really don't want to be going of information of strangers from the internet when you take the risk of going to jail for a long time if you don't have all your ducks in a legal row.


Title: Boss donated all our gloves to frontline workers, I needed them because a chemical I have to use can burn my skin. Ontario

Question:
I'm going to be vague because it's a niche industry but we are essential and several times a day I have to use a chemical that even when diluted can cause minor burns to the skin. My boss decided to make a big announcement on our Facebook page saying that he was donating all the gloves we had to frontline workers.

I came in this morning and asked how I was supposed to use that chemical and he just said to rinse my hands every few minutes. I've been sent home because I refused to use it without gloves. He said if I don't come in tomorrow and do the stuff that uses that chemical I'm fired.

I don't think he'll be able to find more gloved now and I refuse to use that chemical without gloves.

What are my options?
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 NAL. But as an engineering student, in Ontario. I literally just wrote the exam on Law and Ethics, and it covered material relevant to your situation. Under Ontario law you have the right to refuse unsafe work without fear of losing your job.
 https://www.ontario.ca/document/guide-occupational-health-and-safety-act/part-v-right-refuse-or-stop-work-where-health-and-safety-danger#section-1
In the table of contents go to step 2: procedure. In the step 3, of step 2, there are multiple options for who must be with the supervisor when she or he does their inspection. You will need to read deeper into the page to find out who qualifies. In all cases, it is someone who represents you, the employee, and not the employer.Answer #2: Pull out the SDS sheet for that chemical.  Section 6 (sometimes it's 8) shows the PPE you are expected to wear when using it.  If you don't use it, you are violating OHS policies.  As an employer, he needs to ensure you have the PPE on the SDS sheet.Answer #3: also go here

 [https://www.ontario.ca/document/guide-occupational-health-and-safety-act/part-v-right-refuse-or-stop-work-where-health-and-safety-danger](https://www.ontario.ca/document/guide-occupational-health-and-safety-act/part-v-right-refuse-or-stop-work-where-health-and-safety-danger)Answer #4: Dont hurt yourself for a paycheck. People died to write the green book of workplace safety. Refuse and call the ministry of labor if they argue.  With that being said, afterwards I would find a new job soonish because as good as the laws are to protect you, but there are other ways to get rid of employees (ie, not being considered for advancement, no raises, stuff like that)Answer #5: [File a complaint here.](https://www.ontario.ca/page/filing-workplace-health-and-safety-complaint) Not providing proper PPE is against the law and will be taken quite seriously.Answer #6: File a compliant with your equivalent of OSHA.


Title: TEXAS LAW - divorce case.

Question: My father is in the middle of a divorce, and temporary orders were made for him to see my sister(10) and my brother(14) on assigned weekends until the next court date (which is soon). However, about three weeks ago my mother got a DNA test done that shows that my brother is my dads, and my sister is another mans. When my dad went to get the kids on our prior assigned weekend my mother only gave up my brother, claiming that she doesn't have to because she's not his daughter. (The weekend assign before that she let us have our sister, knowing the results of the DNA). The day got pretty messy.. My father signed the birth certificate, he's raised her, and loves her... My question is.. What can be done, and how will this most likely affect the result of the divorce?

Answer: If it's ordered, she has to comply.  He can talk to his lawyer and let him/her know.


Title: Fired from a new job. I was taking medication for gout (prednisone) and on my first day the boss pulled me aside...

Question:
After orientation, before we went out into the field, my boss's boss pulled me aside into an empty room and asked me what was going on. That he had "seen things like this before", and he showed me a video of me in the meeting.  I was sweating,  I was pounding water, and in a point of nausea I put my hands over my face,  which he accused of "nodding off". He then told me how he grew up in the 60s and 70s or some stuff, and he knew drug use when he saw it.

I told him that I was taking prednisone, and that the thirst and sweat were side effects,  and I agreed to take a drug test right then and there (I thought there would be a drug test going into the job anyway,  so I was clean as a whistle). He said that he was hesitant to put me out in the field, and I assured him that I was NOT on drugs other than what I said.

Not a great first impression or first day.

Second day was training in the field,  seemed pretty normal as I started getting the hang of it.

Flash forward to today,  after the daily stand up meeting I get pulled aside by my boss saying that the boss from the first day "wants to go in a different direction" and I was fired.

I don't have the accusation in writing or recorded, and we never did the drug test.  I have to go back in to return my uniform,  what are some questions I should ask when I go in? Should I buy an at home drug test today? Is there anything I can do since I was either fired on a false drug accusation or fired for taking a non narcotic medication that was prescribed to me?

I feel like there are steps I should take to determine if there's been a law broken.  It's a small company in the US and it was never discussed that there was a probationary "try out" period. Help me determine what my options are. Thank you.

Edit:  just to clarify,  the medication I take is only for when flare ups happen,  and this was the 3rd time ive have to take it.  It's a 7-10 day "cycle" that you take,  it's not something that I take every day. Like once or twice a year I get flare ups.

Edit edit:  ok let's ignore the gout all together.  Trying to focus on if it's legal to aggressively and falsely accuse someone of being drunk or high on the job and then firing them, dispite it being completely untrue.  Looking for answers that might include getting proof of a successful drug test or getting something in writing.  At will employment,  probationary periods and things like that are my question.  Thank you for the medical help though (some of you).

Answer: You didn't provide a location but in the US employers have to consider reasonable accommodations for employees with a disability which in some cases can include side effects of medication to treat a disability. However tolerating a sweaty, sick, nodding off employee is not a reasonable accommodation.  What you should do now is talk to your doctor about if there is any way to mitigate this.


Title: My Aunt and her two girlfriends of 10+ years are being harassed by code enforcement.

Question: My Aunt and her girlfriends have been in a committed relationship for 10 + years. My Aunt purchased a house from my mother in a short sale 12 years ago and owns the house. Recently code enforcement has been trying to change the status of my aunts property to a rental. because my aunt has her girlfriends who live with her. It is an unconventional relationship but none the less not a rental property. Is there something they can do to contest the harassment of the code enforcement officers and the legal case the village they reside in is putting against them.  Any information would help thanks.

Answer:
 A neighbor or other person has reported you to the city and they are attempting to create compliance with the Villages' [rental inspection program](https://www.romeoville.org/DocumentCenter/View/3749/Crime-Free-Housing-Brochure?bidId=) and licensure.

Trust me when I say IL villages are a special kind stupid when it comes to the local code and fee for existing enforcement.  You are squarely in the "need a lawyer" realm to adequately quash the code enforcement activity if for nothing more that they will NOT grow bored of you and leave you alone.  You have to positively assert your position as either co-owners or other designation carefully so as not to be listed as a rental property, because then you will need to comply with all those regulations going forward. Answer #2: This is terrible. I have a lot of sympathy for your aunt and her partners. I would call Lambda Legal in your area. They deal with a lot of LGBTQ rights and protection laws. They will help. Answer #3: Ianal. Does your aunt live in this house? Is her name on the deed?Answer #4: What do you mean by being harassed?

And what legal case did they bring against them?

I understand you have an aunt that lives with two girlfriends. I understand the Village is doing something that is making them unhappy. But you gave virtually no specifics. I don't know what the Village is going after them for and I don't know what code enforcement is doing.


Title: Red Light Camera Ticket, My GF in my car

Question:
State - CA

I lent my car to my GF and she got a red light ticket by a camera at an intersection. 2 weeks later the mail came with clear photos of her (asian girl) in my car and the photo evidence does show that she was in the intersection after the light was red. I'm pretty sure that technically she's guilty, even though from what I can tell from the video evidence (your ticket comes with info to see the video online) she cut it pretty close and perhaps could have a shot in court.

The notice orders me to appear in court and lists my information (I'm a 6'1'' male, dark skinned face, etc, very clearly NOT the person in the surprisingly clear picture). But the letter sent gives two clear options, either show up and plead your case, or fill out a Affidavid of Non-Liability. When I look at that form, it is basically just personal info on the person who was driving, included driver's license, address, etc.

So how do I prove it's not me and get the citation dropped without entering her information, either on the form or in court? Am I committing a crime if I say "I cannot identify that driver"? Is there some way they can refuse to dismiss the ticket until they have ID'd the driver?

In CA is there any clause that holds me responsible if the driver cannot be ID'd, then maybe as the owner I'm next in line?

Thanks

Edit: I saw on my letter it also included an option to settle by written declaration. Send in a letter and all the evidence you have. This seems like it might be the best option, they send you forms to make your statement. Surely I can just explain that the person in the picture is clearly not me (my DL photo and the person in the car during RL photo are glaringly different, different gender, ethnicity, etc) and then say I do not know the identity of this individual. I can offer something like my workplace's logs for the day of the event to prove I was in a different city, and surely they would just dismiss the case right then and there?

Answer: Are you committing a crime if you perjure yourself?  Yes.


Title: Advice on possible lawsuit in Los Angeles, CA.

Question: My 98 year old grandma fell and broke her hip at a major retailer in a mall about 2 and a half months ago.  She slipped on a hot dog wrapped in a pretzel bun, presumably left on their floor for a while. That hip injury lead to hip surgery, which lead to complications, which eventually led to her death in the hospital. Our family has gone through the ups and downs of the sudden mourning this has left us with. And now some people are talking about a lawsuit in order to get compensation because they believe the retailer is responsible. Some people do not want to sue at all. Is this something worth while to pursue? Or should I advise against it? Any advice? Of course no sum brings any loved one back, I already know the emotional side of this. I'd like to know what kind of real monetary compensation could be acquired to help pay for her grandchildren's high school and possibly college.

Answer:
 I'm sorry for your family's loss.   I hope I'm cruising around the food court at 98.

>real monetary compensation could be acquired to help pay for her grandchildren's high school and possibly college.

You're going to run into the stark reality that compensation for loss of life in negligence cases is often based on the earning capacity and predicted lifetime of the individual.

Los Angeles is filled with personal injury attorneys who are qualified to evaluate a slip-and-fall case;  one of the popular [attorney referral services](http://www.calbar.ca.gov/Public/LawyerReferralServicesLRS.aspx#losangeles) is literally called "1000 Attorneys".


Title: Charged over $1000 at a gas station for a purchase I didn't make

Question:
Hey guys,

So last week I went on a trip to Vermont and we stopped at a gas station (7/11) on the way. I went inside and made a small purchase, realized I forgot something and then made another small purchase at a different register. Both purchases were on the same credit card.

About a week later I checked my account and noticed that there were 3 transactions at the 7/11: my first two small purchases, and then over $1000 that I didn't spend. I still have my card and didn't leave it there. I called the credit card company and filed a claim for fraud yesterday.

First, can anyone explain how someone can even spend that much money at a 7/11, especially without raising suspicion from the cashiers? Gift cards maybe? Second, what should I expect from my credit card company? They issued me a temporary refund, but I'm not sure what else to expect from this process.

Thanks

Answer:
 It's possible someone cloned your card and used it to buy $1000 worth of gift cards/gas/whatever. It's also possible (and I think more likely) that it's simply an error. Someone goofed or some computer program had an oopsie.

I'd expect your card issuer to simply issue a chargeback and let you keep the refund. If they don't you shouldn't take no for an answer. This is clearly either fraud or an error. You should report this to the local police and get a police report to support your claim.Answer #2: NAL, this is practical advice. Notifying your credit card company of the fraud is/was the correct thing to do first. It's overwhelmingly likely they'll just issue you a credit for the fraudulent charge and that will be the end of it.

Being as it's 7/11, I might also consider getting in touch with their corporate office and let them know what happened. It is entirely possible there is a card skimmer on one of their point of sale systems and corporate will want to know about that so they can investigate.Answer #3: > especially without raising suspicion from the cashiers?

probably be being the cashier or being friends with the cashier. Can't get suspicious if you're complicit!Answer #4: There are too many different reasons for how your card could have been recreated or how those charges went through. If you don't have any luck though and it comes down to it:

If your card issuer didn't issue you an EMV chip card they are liable.

If the 7/11's card reader wasn't chip enabled they are liable.


Title: Condo Renter: Air Conditioner keeps me up all night. Vibrates my bed. Landlord won't/can't do anything about it.

Question:
**[CA, Santa Ana]** So I rent a condo in a a complex of mostly privately owned condos. I'm on the second floor and the setup of the place is that almost all the air conditioners are setup on top of both mine and my neighbors roof. Now normal air conditioner noise is liveable, and I have now problem with it. However, one of the A/C units when it turns on for about 1-2 minutes (and this goes on and off all night) is so loud it literally vibrates my entire bed. A sound meter I got on my phone puts it at one point all the way up to **71 decibels**. Keep in mind this goes on all day and all night! I've been sleeping in my living room because it's situated right above my bedroom. My neighbor has done the same (she owns her place). She is also looking into what she can do.

I called my landlord to let him know. He basically said that because it's not "his unit" it's not "his problem" and there's nothing he can do. Essentially saying that it must be some other owner's unit, and he's not paying for some other owner's unit. I called the HOA who said they'd "bring it up at  their next board meeting." Santa Ana law states (at least from what I've read) that after 10pm inside a person is expected to maintain a 45 decibel level. Like I said, it ranges anywhere from 61-71 decibels. If I place a glass of water on my night stand you can see the ripples.

I'm kind of at a loss. I love where I live but I can't sleep! Even heavy duty ear plugs don't block out enough of the vibration. I'm at my wits end.

Answer:
 > He basically said that because it's not "his unit" it's not "his problem" and there's nothing he can do.

He's correct on this.  Unless it's **his** AC unit, he has no authority.

Locate the offending AC, figure out what unit it belongs to, and talk to that person.  If such a noise law exists, you can report them for violating.


Title: Am I going to get busted?

Question: Okay, so I created a throwaway just for this because this situation is quite serious and embarrassing. So I responded to an escort ad on Backpage by sending one text that read "How much for incalls?". I immediately got a reply back saying that my phone number has been recorded and made available to the police to follow-up. It also said that there has been arrests and that cooperation will be noted. I got another text asking if I was aware that some of these girls are minors. I didn't reply. What can come of this? Are they going to put a warrant out for my arrest for one text? Will they try to find out who I am and where I live and come to my house? Thanks for any info or advice. This is in Michigan by the way.

Answer: This sounds like a scam. Block the number and move on.  On the off chance that the police show up at your door, don't talk to them.  If you are arrested, get an attorney.  Also, stop soliciting prostitutes.


Title: I'm going to have to drive 200 miles high on marijuana. Any advice on how to not get caught?

Question:
I live in California.

I am going on a road trip tomorrow. It will, obviously, involve getting high. At the end of the road trip, I will have to drive 200 miles home... high.

Any advice on how to not get a DUI???

Answer: Don't drive high. Simple.


Title: RI - Not allowed to work on Sunday?

Question:
Hi all,
I typically don't post too much but I've googled my question and looked at /r/legaladvice FAQ and am still stumped.

I am a Merchandiser for a retailer. I travel throughout the state of Rhode Island and service retail stores (i.e. Rite Aid, Dollar Tree, Ocean State Job Lot) and stock the store with product/make sure the product looks presentable.

I have been informed by my employer that  I cannot work on Sunday. Specifically I was told, "Please do not record any time on Sundays as per state law & company policy this is not considered a scheduled day of work for us". I do not want to ask my employer about this just in case it comes off poorly so I thought I would try to determine the state law being referred to, on my own; hence why I am here now.

Any help would be appreciated and if any other info is needed I will try my best to accommodate.

Answer:
 In RI if you work in retail you need to be paid time and a half on Sundays.  He probably doesn't want you working on Sundays because he doesn't want to pay you time and a half.

Edit: Actually, it's not just retail...it's ALL employers unless specifically exempted.


Title: What is the best way to document the state of the apartment in an irrefutable way?

Question:
I'm moving into my first apartment soon and as it gets closer to move-in more information that makes my LL seem scummy keeps coming out of the woodwork.  The properties I'm moving in to are owned by a large company that runs community-oriented student housing and the on-site management recently changed.  Following the change the new manager has nickled and dimed most students who have moved out and many of the complaints are that students were dinged for damage that was present when they moved in.  I have already had multiple issues with the LL this summer over their records not reflecting signing fees I had paid, so I don't have much faith in their own record keeping in regards to the sheet they have said they have everyone fill out regarding the state of the apartment.

What is the best way to clearly document the state of the apartment when I move in?  If I take pictures/video, how can I make sure the LL can't claim I took them upon moving out?
Iowa

Answer:
 You could go facebook live to do the video, and point everything out. That would show a very clear timestamp, and could potentially give you witnesses who watched the video.Answer #2: Get the keys. Walk in. Take pictures of everything that is damaged. That same day, send an email to the landlord documenting the damage. State that you found this damage and ask if any of it will be repaired. LL might ignore you or state that the damage will not be repaired.Answer #3: Pictures and videos have timestamps, or just send them to your email which will also be documented. Your landlord may have you fill out a paper with any problems the apartment has upon move in, be thorough. If he tries to charge for damage that was already there on such a flimsy basis as "he took those photos after he moved out" you'll take him to small claims court.Answer #4: When you take the photos/video, grab a newspaper with the date you're documenting the condition of the unit and include it in the pictures.

If you're a student, many universities have a community housing office (or something similar) that will do a move-in video for you for a small fee. They take the video, keep a copy/give you a copy and certify its authenticity.


Title: (NC) upstairs neighbor incredibly noisy

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is just something you deal with living in an apartment.

Do you have neighbors underneath you? If so, I guarantee that they can hear you walk around too. Does your upstairs neighbor complain about hearing your TV or music?

People walk around. People drop things. People sometimes run the dishwasher late or shower very early in the morning. People will have social gatherings.

If you want a perfectly quiet space with no one else around then go buy/rent a house. Otherwise stop harassing your upstairs neighbor for "walking too loud."


Title: Cops ride around my neighborhood at night with no headlights....

Question: This is a regular thing; I have seen 4 occurrences in the past month. I once approached one and asked, " how come you have you lights off back there, your kinda hard to see," he responded , "ohh I just creep around the neighborhood at night." Awkward silence........."Ok well have a good night officer." Another time I was coming home late about to turn on the street I live on when I see a cop pass the 4 way stop sign and continue straight. I noticed that he hit his breaks and tremendously slowed down instead of accelerating after the sign. I'm thinking to myself that as I turn left he's gonna pop around and follow me. Well I turned left on my street towards home, get home, and walk to my door... And sure enough there he is. I eyeballed his ass hard as I was unlocking my door too. Funny thing is, the way my neighborhood streets are set up the cop would have to have pulled a 180 in the middle of 4 way to come the way he did. If I would have thought of that on the spot and not when I got all the way to my room, I so would have approached him and said something. But anyway is is legal for cops to ride with their lights off and creep around neighborhoods. I understand that it's a great thing for safety, but can be annoying. Literally feels like I'm getting spied when the instance occurs. Hope this is the correct place to post this. I live in the USA

Answer:
 Get the car number, if it's visible, or ask the driver for his name and badge number, and call the police non-emergency line to speak to file a complaint.

Consider speaking to your city councillor or alderman about it.

Beyond that, though, there's not much to do.Answer #2: Are you certain they are real law enforcement. Seems to me you may need to call the police emergency number and report a suspicious car that looks like a police car driving without its headlights on. Until you know for certain that it's police you may have to do this several times.
Answer #3: I think you mean 180, as in a U-turn, which is typically legal at a 4 way intersection.


Title: Dad's ex-wife leaves 3 little girls alone on the beach in Puerto Rico for hours. Please Help!

Question:
So to start off... Thanks in advance for all your advice, anything is greatly appreciated. Also, I'm typing on my phone, so excuse formatting, etc.

Background: My dad's second wife (now his ex wife) "suffers" from NPD (Narcissistic Personality Disorder). It's never been officially diagnosed... But the woman is satan on earth, and I suffered through 9 years of psychological abuse from her. She and my dad have 2 little girls together (my half sisters, ages 9 and 5) that live with her 60% of the time, per the custody decree. She does not follow the guidelines of good co-parenting in any way.

Issue:
This last week, she took my two sisters and her two older daughters (from a previous marriage, ages 15 and 17) to San Juan, Puerto Rico for vacation.

Well, today my little sisters came over to the house and went to change out of their school uniforms. As my sister was changing, I noticed that she was peeling and blistering all over her back from a terrible sunburn. I immediately asked her what happened and she said "My mom left me, (5 year old), and (15 year old) on the beach while she and (17 year old) ran to the airport for a few hours, and she accidentally took the sunscreen with her"

3 underage girls were left unattended on the beach in Puerto Rico for a few hours?! A million things could have gone wrong (kidnapping, drowning, etc.)... And luckily all they got was a sunburn. BUT, the sunburn is due to neglect from their "mother".

This also isn't the first time she has put them in harms way while traveling.

So here are my questions:
-do you think that there is any chance of us filing a court order to prevent her from traveling with the kids?

-how would we go about claiming neglect/abuse for leaving them/allowing them to get burned?

Is there anything else you'd recommend? (We've already taken pictures of the burns)

I'm happy to answer any questions about anything that is not clear.

Answer:
 A 15 year old is not a "little girl".Answer #2: Honestly I think you need to relax a little bit.  It's just a sunburn and that could very well have happened even she did have sunscreen and step-mom was there.

Calling being left at a beach for a little bit and getting a sunburn "neglect and abuse" is offensive to children that are actually neglected and abused. Answer #3: I'm sorry, but a 15 year old is not a "little girl" and you are telling the world that you raised (sorry, you aren't her mother, she's your sister?) a 15 year old that cannot figure out how to apply sunscreen or move out of the sun .........

It's clear you dislike your ex-step-mother and you may have good reason, but none of this is her fault or "abuse".

I opened this thread expecting to hear about babies in diapers who were being watched by a toddler and a near-drowning or choking on sand at the very least.Answer #4: The 15 year old didn't have any money with which to buy sunscreen?

A 15 year old who is babysitting should have the good sense to get out of the sun if there is no sunscreen available.

>So here are my questions: -do you think that there is any chance of us filing a court order to prevent her from traveling with the kids?

No, but your father could speak with an attorney.

Also:https://www.reddit.com/r/RBNLegalAdvice


Title: I was just fired because my employer (an ESL school) found a letter I had written to ACCET (an accrediting agency that gives schools the power to grant F-1 visas) alleging that the administration of my school is complicit in immigration fraud. What should I do?

Question: Location: Massachusetts (bots are awesome and helpful)

Answer:
 The Massachusetts whistleblower law applies only to public employees.  From the context of your post, my guess is you are not a public employee?

It may be worth a conversation with an attorney, but it is likely there is little for you to do but to look for a new job.


Title: "Accidentally" fired on maternity leave (AL, USA)

Question:
I am in Alabama, USA. But I work for a Federal agency. The issue is rather complicated, if it were as simple as “I was fired on maternity leave” then I’d have an employment lawyer yesterday. But the facts here make me wonder if it is worthwhile.

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So, I left for maternity leave in the late summer. (I have a happy and adorable baby now, so that was wonderful!) Prior to leaving, I spent about 3 months fighting to get my maternity leave/FMLA approved because no one in HR would answer the phone/email or get the documents passed along for required signatures. But it finally got done and I was granted my time. I have the signed documents from my supervisor approving this time.

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To understand the next part, we have to jump back to my hiring. I was hired in a special status as a time-limited employee pending completion of certifications. I completed those about 10-months into my job, more than a year before the deadline. Apparently this was never updated in the HR system, though I passed along the information to relevant parties and had other parts of my job updated. Initially, HR told me someone had seen the temporary date on there, saw it had been reached, and just terminated me in the system. But paperwork I have received lists my termination date as the start of maternity leave. What I later discovered is I was not terminated on my deadline date or the start of maternity leave, though I don’t know my actual termination date right now. Normally with the temporary date, someone would have contacted my supervisor, who would have cleared it up quickly. But that did not happen, and the correct HR paperwork was not completed. I was just terminated.

&#x200B;

So, a little bit ago I received a letter from our retirement service stating I had been “separated from Federal service” with a separation date that corresponds to the start of maternity leave. I immediately contacted HR and was told they had not processed any terminations recently. According to them, it was probably just an issue with payments not going to the retirement program while I was out. I was told to just talk with them when I came back to ensure all my deductions were started back correctly.

&#x200B;

You read the title, so you know where we’re headed. I returned to work recently and went to speak to HR. I was, in fact, terminated. All of my vacation/sick time was zeroed out, I was refunded for my vacation and other deductions, etc. I had assumed while out that everything was fine because I received paychecks. When they stopped, I assumed it was because my PTO had run out (it was approximately the right time frame). I received pay for about 6 weeks after starting maternity leave. The day I started back to work, I received a letter in the mail demanding I pay back the salary I received (less paid out time, refund in benefits, etc.) from the start of maternity leave through the last check I received.

&#x200B;

According to HR, they are working to get my status corrected and will then work to correct all my benefits, PTO accrual, etc.  Right now, I have no access to any work systems or computers. So I cannot do anything. I am being told to come to work each day and work my shift, but I literally cannot do any aspect of my job. I have done this for one week so far and have up to two more weeks before it will be fixed. Hopefully. In the meantime, I am not receiving pay, though I will be paid for this time when it’s all over.

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In general, I am wondering if there is any point contacting a lawyer. Since it’s federal employment and they are currently working to restore everything, would it be worth it?

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TL;DR Was “accidentally” fired while on maternity due to what has been presented as an error on the part of an employee (who is unavailable to comment on what happened). They are trying to fix things and I’m wondering if there is any benefit to getting a lawyer on my side.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 I'd speak with a lawyer just in case. If it was a true mistake and it's corrected no harm, no faul. If not you are ready with councilAnswer #2: >I am being told to come to work each day and work my shift, but I literally cannot do any aspect of my job. I have done this for one week so far and have up to two more weeks before it will be fixed. Hopefully. In the meantime, I am not receiving pay, though I will be paid for this time when it’s all over.

If you are being told to report to work, that's working and you need to be paid for the time you are owed. I can't think of a reason why a federal agency wouldn't have to pay you for time worked like something commission based. Answer #3: As a Federal employee, you should have access to the Employee Assistance Program, which offers free consultation with a lawyer.  Maybe start there.Answer #4: NAL I would make documentation through email for everything and send it to yourself personally so you have a backup. Also any meeting with hr or manager should have a follow up email summarizing anything of importance for you. If you're locked out of employee email send it from your personal and they should be able to send a receive emails from there.


Title: Hypothetically: What could I do if a private school teacher was assigning masturbation as homework (WA)

Question:
I posted something similar on /r/legaladvice, but they didn't believe me. So now it is a hypothetical.
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/78zr1n/private_school_teacher_assigns_masturbation_as/

I originally said I was a parent, so that I would be treated more seriously, but here is the "real" (hypothetical) story:

I have a bunch of friends who used to go to this private school. They all recently left it, but we've stayed in contact with some of the people who are still going. One of our friends is taking a class called "Boy's Group" which is discount sex ed. We were chatting the other day when they brought up that their homework for one of their classes was to "try masturbation." We talked about it for a while, kind of horrified that this was actually happening. Some of the 'homework' we've heard about are things like masturbating with your left hand to 'better explore your body,' or 'make masturbating last as long as possible.' On a side note, one of the teachers of the class is a homosexual, and he has encouraged students in the past to 'try anal masturbation.'

Again, this is all a hypothetical, but I'm still curious if there is any legal action I could take.

Answer:
 Yes, you would contact a number of authorities, including the police.

That won't happen though, because this is not a thing. This is on par with the satanic panic "ritual sexual abuse" of the 80s/90s in its level of implausibility.


Title: Obtaining death cert. on behalf of a minor child.

Question:
Hi there, this situation is sort of unorthodox so I'm just looking for advice. My daughter is 9 and her biological father just passed away. We were estranged as he had very severe mental health issues and was transient/homeless. A mutual friend found him dead while he was staying at their home, which his the only reason why I know about it at all. A judge ruled 2 years ago that he was to have no contact with our daughter due to his mental illness/substance abuse.

I want to get as much information for her as I can when I have to sit down and talk to her about it, but it's hard to get more than just hearsay from the people I know that were around when he passed, so I felt the legal documentation would be a good place to start. Also, I thought that she might need it at some point in her life. Can I, as her parent, apply for a copy on her behalf? Her father and I never married and his name isn't on her birth certificate, although it was never disuputed she was his, he just wasn't around when she as born and we never got the record changed.  Sorry for the long story, but thanks for any advice you can give.

Answer:
 So I know that you're asking for legal advice here, but I have experienced some loss in my life so I hope you won't think I'm speaking out of turn.

If you pull out any papers or documentation during this conversation it will become very real and overwhelming to her all at once. Paperless and lots of hugs is the way to go. I know it sounds less messy to just have all of it logically laid out for her, but she's 9 and well, death just isn't something that can make logical sense to a 9 year old. If you're thinking of even giving her a cause of death using that information without her seeing the documentation, I would reconsider. If she asks, tell her the truth. "It's hard to know right now with all of this talk floating around but drugs were probably involved."


Title: I am a broke university student who is being sued for 6k. Advice needed!

Question:
I was a franchisee for a company who did residential services in the near Toronto area in Ontario. Doing so, I signed a contract that said if I quit after Feb 1, I would be fined 2k, plus additional charges. I had to quit because my mental health was deteriorating due to an incredibly high workload at school and other family things that I'm dealing with.

The 2k isn't something I can avoid, but the additional charges are all things that I feel are unfair as it includes such things like business cards, signs, binders and other materials that I have never even used, as well as a customer list that I will never use.

They argue it is because they already spent money on these items, but the thing is, these items will just be given to another franchisee if I leave. They don't suffer any actual damages because someone will still be using those items.

I think it is completely unethical for them to fine me an extra 4k on these items considering whichever new franchisee they bring on will inevitably use those exact same materials and they will be charged as well. The company sueing will essentially be making double since theyre trying to fine me and charge the new franchisee for the materials.

I'm currently a university student who has nearly no money as my tuition, rent, and food expenses amount to around $40,000 a year. My parents are retired and are currently using a line of credit to pay off our mortgage.

I'm going up against a multimillion dollar company. I wondering if you guys think that in a court case, I would be able to fight off the 4k additional charges theyre trying to put on me on the count that although it was on a contract, it is completely unethical. Thanks!

Answer:
 Caveat:  Don't know much about Canadian law.  Since we both come from the same mother country, it generally follows the same parameters as US law, but this analysis will be based on US law.  Also see http://www.lawsonlundell.com/media/news/323_ContractLawUpdate2012.pdf which discusses some of these issues from a Canadian perspective.

First of all, penalty clauses or "Fines" are generally unenforceable.  The basic idea is that judges got sick of contracts that said, basically, "If you don't do X Y and Z, then you owe us a million dollars," and said "You know, we're not going to enforce penalty clauses."

In contrast, however, the agreement can specify "liquidated damages," which is basically saying "We don't know exactly what the damages are going to be, and they may be hard to compute, but here's a good estimate.  So, we'll agree that you'll have to pay the estimate instead of actuals."  Liquidated damages provisions ARE enforceable as long as, at the time the contract was made, they were a reasonable approximation of the damages that are incurred.

So, in a nutshell, you have good counter-claims against these people.  You can take those to a lawyer, although it probably wouldn't be worth his/her time.

Alternatively, you might be able to sue them in small claims court, claiming that you don't owe them anything.  You technically don't need a lawyer for that.


Title: When do do you draw the line concerning rape in a situation like this?

Question:
https://np.reddit.com/r/AdviceAnimals/comments/5h017c/shes_a_bit_plain_and_is_chubby_but_she_has_big/?sort=controversial

This guy made a post confessing that he made a woman have sex with him instead of paying rent. How is this legal at all? If not rape, at the very least coercion?

Answer:
 I don't see that he "made" her do anything. She pays for rent with barter instead of cash, which could be illegal in some places I guess.

Makes me wonder now, if he masturbates would he have to note that on his tax return?Answer #2: >If not rape, at the very least coercion?

What makes you think this woman has so little agency?  If she's a competent adult who chooses to pay by barter, that's a decision she chose to make.  It may or may not be legal in her jurisdiction, but what makes you think it involves "coercion" or that it could be rape?


Title: Louisiana Family Law question

Question:
Overview: My fiance' and his ex (the mother of his child but never his wife) split up about 3.5 years ago. When they first split it was in his daughter's best interest to live with her mother as he simply couldn't afford the time or money it would have taken to raise her. Now, 3 years later, he and I both have steady, reliable incomes and are in a position to offer her a more safe, clean, stable, supervised environment with access to healthier foods, better education, and healthcare. We merely want her to live in our home, we are not interested in stripping her mother of custody.

Our reasoning for feeling this is in her best interest:
-At her mother's house she spends the majority of her time being supervised by a 15 year old boy (her mother's boyfriend's son.) At 8 years old, she is responsible for feeding herself, doing her homework, and putting herself to bed without an adult to help along the way. She spends the majority of that time unsupervised on the internet where she has watched videos that are inappropriate for an 8 year old and left her confused or scared.

-She is currently battling a second bout of Pinworms. The first infestation was acquired from a child she was living with at the time. She did not see a doctor and was only given 1 of the 2 doses of medicine she should have received. In addition, the sanitation required to kill the infestation was not done, resulting in a second and more serious case. This past Tuesday night we were forced to bring her to the ER. She was writhing in pain because the infestation has traveled and is causing pain and irritation that is not typically seen in cases of Pinworms. She was staying with us for the month of July and was supposed to stay until Friday. I am available to care for her constantly for the remainder of the week making sure she is living in a sanitized environment, including washing hands, changing clothes and sheets, etc. in order to rid her of the Pinworms for good. However, her mother insisted she go home, which I understand, but her mother is working for the rest of the week; which means for the remainder of the week this 8 year old girl with problems in her privates will be spending 6 hours a day with a 15 year old boy. She will have no adult present to ensure that she is properly taking care of herself to avoid re-infestation. When I dropped her off at her mother's house I did so with full instructions from the doctor on the course of her treatment and with products for disinfecting and proper care. I also washed/disinfected all of her clothing, toys, and belongings that she would be going home with. The house they live in is overly cluttered and dirty, there is very little room to move around and the idea of sanitizing it properly seems impossible to me, but that is neither here nor there.

-When she first arrives for a stay at our house she typically arrives not knowing when she last bathed, dirty fingernails, and terrible hygiene habits. We do our best to teach her proper hygiene, but it is not being reinforced in her primary household.

-She currently sleeps on a couch and does not have a private space in her home, not even a bed. We have a room for her that is her own. She loves it.

-My fiance's step father is currently trying to open a college fund for his daughter but in order to do so her mother must sign the paperwork, which would be brought to her, and she refused to make time for one simple signature that would ensure that her daughter could go to any college she wanted without having to worry about any expenses. (Dad can't sign because he doesn't claim her on his taxes.)

Further details:
My fiance' and her mother share custody, he has never been required to pay child support but we help by buying their daughter clothes and supplies and allowing her to stay with us at any time. He has been required to provide her insurance, but since her mom is the one who claims her on her taxes, and in doing so qualifies for them for medicaid, we are unable to provide her with better insurance.

Is there a way to go about requesting a primary household change? We would be willing to allow her mother to visit at any time, we are not looking to take her away from anyone. We just want her to live a better life than what she is living now.

Thank you for reading all of this and I appreciate any help you can offer me.

Answer:
 Sure you can. First step is of course just asking the mom to guage her feelings about whole thing. If she disagrees, get an attorney and file a motion asking to modify the custodial arrangement.

Its shocking to me that he isn't paying any child support. If the mom isn't around to do all that stuff, you would think she was on gov't assistance and if so, the state would be enforcing child support. Something is screwy with the tale. Is your fiance on BC? Have they truly filed in court re custody?


Title: [AZ] What do to if a car shop stole my tires?

Question:
Hi all, first time posting here.
Yesterday I took my car to get an oil change/tire rotation at a local pep boys and I have different tires on my car.
Why do I think this?
Bought my car 5 month ago, it had 4 bridgestones on it with light wear. Two months ago had a flat and bought a Toyo tire to replace one bridgestone. This is the only shop I ever took my car to for service since I bought it.
As of last night I now have 4 bridgestones with terrible wear.
Lastly, I requested to see camera footage of my vehicle being services which I will be seeing tomorrow evening.

What else should or can i do if the camera footage is of poor quality and inconclusive?

Answer:
 That makes no sense.  A car shop isn't gonna go through the trouble of stealing tires off a car.  The odds of having another junky matching set, same size, is slim to none.  It would take a two man crew almost forty minutes to break the rims down and swap the tires, and SOMEone is gonna call them out, if for no other reason than to keep the peace.  It's just not worth the effort, and not a lot of quick lube shops even have the machines to do the swap to begin with.  If anything, a thief would steal stuff out of a glovebox (maybe) or just not change the oil filter and take the filter home (more likely).Answer #2: IANAL.  Did they put the spare on where the Toyo tire was for some reason.  Maybe a 4 tire plus the spare rotation?

Mismatched worn Bridgestone and a Toyo aren't high on the tires to steal list.  See what the video brings.


Title: (Victoria, Australia) Can we change our property manager (who also is our house inspector) to someone who isn't a bitch?

Question:
Hi guys,
Me and my friends have just started renting a house and we just had our first inspection. There was a minor bit of damage, such as where the dogs have scratched some paint on the outside door and have scratched some wood on the staircase. Our property manager sent us an email stating this, as well as telling us that we "need to make sure the floors are cleaned, that the oven is cleaned, and that we were aware the house was freshly painted so fingerprint marks could be seen" and that she is going to send photos of all of this to our landlord. She also told us we had to fix everything before the next inspection in six months, and ignored our maintenance request letter (some lights don't work, a PowerPoint doesn't work and doors don't close properly).

I've never had a property manager like this, I'm under the impression that they're there to look for damage, not to see how clean we are.

My housemate who owns the dog is pretty upset about this because she's never had a bad inspection, as had none of the other three people living there including me.

Is it unreasonable to ask for a different person to at least come and inspect? Will we be denied?

tldr: mean property manager/inspector came and looked, sent a rude email to us telling us to clean floor, oven and walls, ignored our maintenance request. can we request someone else?

Answer:
 I mean . . . if the dog's damaging the place, I don't see how you get around fixing that. You seem to have six months to fix many things, so I don't see the big problem here. Definitely put in your maintenance request again, focus on the houshold things: lights, and be specific about the problem with them. If the doors aren't latching, you could try bringing that up, but there also might be some things you can do yourselves. Some old doors don't always latch perfectly, and sometimes the fix is a bigger pain than it's really worth. I don't see how powerpoint is on the building in the slightest, sounds like a computer issue.

Also, framing your whole problem around someone being "mean" when there are legit issues she found makes you seem petty and entitled. When you use gender-based insults, it makes you sound kind of like an asshole in general.


Title: (CA, USA) Moved into an apartment underneath a crowded highway, signed lease, air quality is terrible. Can I break my lease?

Question:
More info:   I moved in May, signed a one year lease, told my landlady Aug.21st I want to leave (I said to stay with a friend instead, hoping to not stir up trouble), and they have been kind-of-trying to rent the apartment since then. It's hard due to the location. They are saying it's unlikely to be rented in the next month or so. Does this situation violate any health&safety laws? My car was also broken into in front of the house and someone jumped over the back fence to steal my bike. I have witnesses & a police file for both those incidents.

Redditors, if you can come through I'll love you forever.

Answer: None of those are valid reasons to break your lease without penalty.


Title: Can I get in trouble for using internet I'm not paying for? (Details in description)

Question: A few buddies and I moved into a house about a month ago, we called Charter to try to set up internet but we were told we couldn't because the previous tenant hadn't cancelled their service yet. I had a router so I plugged it in and lo and behold, free internet. So we have been using that ever since. So am I breaking the law? I mean all I did was plug in a router? Please help. I live in Wisconsin btw

Answer: The previous tenant could sue you.


Title: I knew a murderer 20 years ago and my estranged mother keeps using my name in public/giving my personal info regarding it (TV/Print)

Question:
California.
Exactly what the title says. I was close with a person who later murdered people. I was slightly involved during his trials (did not end up testifying). Recently (~ 1 year) I was contacted my media companies wanting interviews about this. I declined and requested they not use my likeness or name in their broadcasts or writings. My mother, who I have no contact with (for about 19 years now) has given information regarding me and this past situation publicly, and recently (as well as in the past, where they used my name).

This has caused me great distress.

Is it possible to have a cease and desist served to make her stop? Is it worth contacting a lawyer? I really had a difficult time putting this behind me (years of therapy) and I just want it to stop happening. It took me months to get the nerve to post this here.

Thanks.

Answer:
 If what she is saying is true, there isn't anything you can do about it, and you can't prevent the media from mentioning you. Sorry to say. Most murders are not that interesting after a while, I would ignore it.  It will fade out eventually. If coming up in internet searches about it bothers you, you can investigate reputation management to push down the undesirable results. Answer #2: A cease and desist really doesn't carry much legal weight but skillfully worded by a massive sounding team of lawyers it usually can scare most people into stopping.

&#x200B;

You may also consider simply denying to media companies that you're \*that\* dyankee, changing your phone number/moving/whatever.Answer #3: I have the same problem. I testified in a murder trial about four years ago, and I keep getting contacted by idiots making crime re-creation shows or magazine writers. I always shut them down immediately, and I notice the requests are getting fewer. I think the word is getting out that I'm not going to be helpful for their projects. There are others who were involved and are thrilled to be in print or on TV.


Title: Can my cities Park District only allow you to use the lakes if you rent equipment from a private company?

Question:
I recently got into paddleboarding and am discovering there's very few places around me that allow paddleboarding, the county forest preserves consider it swimming.

I found a quarry/pond locally where the city has a partnership with a private company who rents paddleboards for $25 per half hour. I called to inquire if I can bring my own board and was told for liability reasons I cannot.

It seems wierd to me that the city can force me to pay a private company to engage in an activity. If paddleboarding is safe to do in that area which it is since they are renting them, why can't I bring my own board?

To me this is akin to the city saying you can use the running and walking paths if you buy shoes from Dick Pond Athletics running store, but you can't just come and run here.

Is there anything wrong with this?

Answer:
 > .I called to inquire if I can bring my own board and was told for **liability reasons** I cannot.

> It seems wierd to me that the city can force me to pay a private company to engage in an activity.

It could be that this is purely a question of insurance. I would call back and ask for documentation on the policy/law/rule that requires this. It could be that you just need a certain type of insurance. Answer #2: You fail to mention your location, so I'm going to say that it is absolutely legal and also absolutely illegal.


Title: Neighbor's Mariachi band practices too loud for too long. Cops aren't enforcing the letter of the law. What are my chances for suing?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I used to play WoW with a guy in that situation. Every time he keyed the mic, all we heard was trumpets.

>I downloaded a dB app for my phone and measured it from my backyard boundary and from the sidewalk in front of their house.

Probably not worth much, evidence-wise. Even if you had credible audiometer readings, they'd only be useful as evidence if the police decided to charge them for it.

On a totally unrelated note, the Great Highland Bagpipe has only nine notes. How hard could it be to learn? Don't bother with the chanter, just go straight out and get the full sized version.

What damages have you suffered? Answer #2: You can't force the cops to enforce that regulation. And I don't know what damages you think you have to sue them for.