Title: I Moved Here to be a Dad

Question:
TLDR: My ex-wife is accusing me (for the second time) of sexually abusing our son. I was exonerated in Family Court (she of course had no evidence to take to the police) the first time and I need major legal help now. Can you help?

Our marriage began it's rocky descent in spring of 2015. By August, she had convinced herself that I was having an affair, doing drugs and tracking all of her electronic devices. Love and trust had vacated the relationship. She had her parents fly to our home from Minnesota to pack everything she deemed worthy to take; including our, then, 18 month old son. I stupidly allowed her to go, believing that our son would be better off closer to extended family and that she and I would be able to co-parent effectively once my transition to Minnesota was complete.

Once I obtained employment and became settled in Minnesota, our divorce was finalized in spring of 2017. We had an escalating parenting time schedule laid out. I was able to exercise that time for three weeks. She then had the courts suspend all parenting time due to her belief that our son was being sexually abused in my home.

Given our slow moving family court system, I did not receive my parenting time back until May of this year. During this time without him, I underwent psychological evaluation, he participated in play therapy as well as a psychological evaluation and we both met with the court appointed guardian ad litem. The whole time, with no visitation. All of the allegations were proven unfounded. There is even documentation stating that she does not have the ability to accurately interpret our son's behavioral changes or meanings.

Yet, here I sit again. Tuesday was the day it happened. I was told she needed to pick him up that day, even though it was supposed to be my last night of the week with him. I didn't hear from CPS until this morning. They'd like to meet with me tomorrow with a police officer present.

My lawyer (who I can no longer afford) advised that I not speak with the officer, just to CPS. Even then, if I don't like CPS' line of questioning I'm free to decline. Then what? Even once I'm proven innocent again, what's to stop this from happening for the third time? Or the fourth?

If you have any advice, any connections, any help to give...... I need it, especially considering she works in Child Protection.

Answer:
 First of all, you need to make it clear in the interview that she's already baselessly accused you once, and provide the original court records for them to review. Bring a copy (and make sure it's a copy) of the existing records to give them.

Your lawyer forgot to tell you that anything you tell CPS can just get handed over to the cops. You may want to clarify with them why it's advantageous to only talk to one.

If you do retain a lawyer, consider going after her for filing false reports and attorney's fees. You should also consider filing for joint or full custody, and primary physical custody. Ask if her continued use of CPS to attack you can be considered parental alienation (using it to deny you parenting time). Essentially, at this point, you need to go nuclear and lay serious smack down.Answer #2: You said she falsely believed you were doing drugs, having affairs and tracking her electronic devices, correct?

I work with a lot of people suffering from mental illness and that immediately raised a red flag for me as potentially indicating that she is or has been suffering from delusions and/or paranoia.  Religion and technology are two common themes involved in persecutory delusions.

I don’t think it would be unreasonable to ask her to undergo a psychiatric evaluation.

IANAL.


Title: Landlord is trying to make us move out early (MA)

Question: I am a college student in the Boston area and am moving to a different apartment a couple blocks away from my current. My scheduled move in day for the new apartment is 8/26, and the ending day on my current lease is 8/31. So u thought great, I can leave all my stuff at my apartment until the 26th until I can from there move it a couple blocks away to the new apartment. However, my landlord is insisting that he has cleaners coming on Saturday 8/25 to then make way for allowing his new tenants to move in early. (Which would be fine with us if we were out by then) So suppose on Saturday the new tenants move in and he has hired a cleaning company to come start that process on Saturday. Do my roommates and I have any sort of legal recourse against our landlord? Thanks!

Answer:
 Absolutely,  if your ending date on your lease is 8/31.  He cannot take possession of the property before then.

If it were me, I would offer to be out early IF he prorates the rent, agrees to return the security deposit in full (he's limiting your ability to clean and fix problems), and pays for or provides storage for your stuff until you can move into your new apartment on the 26th.


Title: Property management company right to show property anytime?

Question: So I live in California, and we are moving at the end of the month. The property management people are being very aggressive in wanting to show the property. I work nights two nights a week, so I sleep during the day Friday and Saturday, the dude called me today and said I'm being "highly inconvient" because I won't let him show during the day when I'm sleeping. How often do I have to let these people show my place? Property management guy says "whenever someone wants to see it." I've already let them in twice this week, am I screwed for the rest of the month, and what exactly is my obligation?

Answer: IIRC from my rental days when I was living in California, your landlord has to give you at least 24 hours written notice before entering your property. Also I believe that he can only enter between 8 am and 5 pm, and he has to give you an aproximate window of time for when he's entering.


Title: Who gets the dog during divorce.

Question: I’m sure this has been asked before, but I feel like I need to give the specifics of my own situation to get real clarity on the subject. My ex-spouse and I have recently separated - when she left, she took the adoption papers for both of our dogs, which I believe are both in her name. However, she only actually took one of the dogs when she left; the other was left behind with me and I would like to keep him if I can. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t have the ability to properly care for him since he’s a larger dog and requires a fair bit of space and is considered an aggressive breed by most insurance companies. I have been able to provide the living standards he’s accustomed to since I kept the house we were living in and she’s been living with friends or wherever she can in the meantime. As far as the legality of it goes though, I feel like it’s going to be considered a matter of property when she comes back in several months asking for him back. Are there any steps I can take in this situation to get his papers in my name or would it require a mutual agreement between her and I in the form of a contract?

Answer: Dogs are property and you can ask a judge during the divorce to give you the one since she took the other, and have her sign the papers over to you. That is if she doesn't agree to do this of her own free will.


Title: [Colorado] Trying to avoid a process server my petty ex-roommate is trying to serve me papers through.

Question:
I had a sublease that ended on February 1st. It was 2 pages printed off the internet by my roommate, who is not the landlord but the primary tenant. I paid rent every month to him. I told him prior to February 1st that I could no longer afford rent because due to issues I could no longer work. It wasn't 30 days notice but 2 weeks. Now I realize this isn't really cool... but nowhere on the lease did it say I needed to give 30 days notice before leaving (I was not breaking the lease-- it ended February 1st) so I didn't feel obligated to owe him rent for February . I paid rent EVERY month August-January.

He is now being very petty and trying to serve me papers. I obviously won't give him my new address. It has since been 2 months since I've moved out. I now have a new job. I make minimum wage. He said he will hire a process server if I don't give him my new address. How do I avoid being found? It's not that I am hiding because I think I am wrong. I don't want the hassle of going to court, missing work, etc. Plus I hate him for going out of his way to do this.

I know people may have opinions about me giving him only 2 weeks notice. But what I really need is advice to avoid being served. Do I need to change my phone number? I have not changed my address on anything besides my health insurance account. I do not have Facebook/LinkedIN. He does not have a copy of my license or my SSN. He does not know my DOB. He has my first and last name and my bank account number from previous rent checks.

HELP.

Answer:
 Nothing you can do will absolutely forestall service, if your roommate decides to sue you. You're generally better off responding and working with the court to try to schedule your hearings for times that work for you.

Intentionally frustrating service will _not_ make the judge happy, if you do end up in the courtroom.


Title: Manager at my job calls me racial slurs. Need advice

Question: So I work for a big box retailer. One of the higher ups at my store has called me several very offensive things over the past year with last week being the most recent incident. My job has a corporate hotline we can use to report things but I have heard horror stories. Sometimes it works out for people sometimes they eventually get forced into quitting. There is a zero acceptance for retaliation (supposedly). Was wondering if there's any legal action I could take?

Answer:
 Ugh. You absolutely have the right to a workplace free from that shit. Write down what he's been saying and when, report him to corporate, and if you get any pushback, go straight to the EEOC. Don't threaten, just do.Answer #2: NC is a single party consent state so if you have the opportunity to start a recording when this may happen again, you're free to do so without telling them.

A recording would go a long way in making sure you aren't brushed off by corporate.


Title: Uncle stole my SSN when I was a child. Parents didn't  know. How do I get him to stop?

Question: I live in California and I'm 19. In 2010 I was receiving Social Security from my deceased father. I got a letter in the mail stating that because I made more than $20,000 last year I owe Social Security $2,000. I went to Social Security Administration and told them they made a mistake. I don't even have a job, I'm a full-time student. They told me that there was someone using my SSN. They waived the money I owed them but I still want my uncle to stop using it. Then, the same thing happened again and they seized $2000 from my mother's tax return. Now I received a letter from GM stating that I owe payments on my truck? The fuck I don't have a truck. I called IRS and told them about my situation but they keep me on hold and transferring me. What should I do? Who should I contact?

Answer: At this point I would call Social Security and ask to have a new # issued.  Either that or have your uncle arrested for Identity theft (or both).


Question:
*Beep Boop Beep Beep Boop*

---

[Report Inaccuracies Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/LocationBot/) | Data Sourced From [GitHub] (https://github.com/ianpugh/LocationBot2.0) | [Author](https://reddit.com/u/ianp)

---

Original Post:

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5fcvjp/final_update_superintendent_of_new_apartment_said/

Author: /u/Shittysuperintendent

#**Final Update: Superintendent of new apartment said we are not allowed to walk on floors after midnight (Quebec)**

> It's resolved. Fucking finally.
>
> We finally managed to set up a meeting with the property manager and her father, the owner of the building.
>
> After much bargaining and some yelling where they accused us of having abnormally heavy footsteps (!) and I said their employee had harassed us from pretty much the day we moved in, we reached an agreement. We will pay them the rent for December and drop our Regie complaint and they will tear up our lease. We'll be moving into our new apartment on Dec. 5 - my fiancee has already asked our new, extremely nice and competent superintendent what kind of muffins he prefers as she'll be making him a batch after we're settled.
>
> As the manager was leaving, I told her that I bet this will happen again with the next tenants. I gather the janitor is on extremely thin ice as she said, "I'm not doing this a third time." So Douchebag Fuckface better be watching his back, I guess.
>
> Then, we can forget about this place and get on with the ever increasingly stressful task of organising a wedding.
>
> Thanks for all your advice and help - you guys helped keep me sane while this shitshow was ongoing.

Answer:
 Congrats on the positive resolution, OP!

I see you referenced the person as the 'janitor' though in previous posts you called them the superintendent. Is this the same person?Answer #2: Third time?


Title: [ca] Guest refuses to leave

Question:
I was helping a friend trying to get his life back in shape.  He's been sleeping on my couch in my apartment and paying no rent (nor did I expect any) since June, 2014.  I never guaranteed anything to him and no paperwork was ever signed.

I've asked him to go more than once and he refuses to leave - talking about "establishing residency".

I want this guy gone ASAP.  I don't feel comfortable here (he isn't violent - he's just a lazy filthy drunken chain-smoking mess who is grossly negligent with my property) and I'm actively looking for another place (and not telling him the address) ... but if I could get him out today, I would in a heartbeat.  He is not harboring drugs or doing illegal activity inside the apartment.

I know he has nowhere to go, but I've tried enough I no longer wish to be engaged in his personal problems and would be positively elated to never hear from him again.

What are my actionable options here?

Answer:
 > talking about "establishing residency".

He's right.

You need to give notice then go to court to evict he doesn't leave. At no point can you take matters into your own hands.Answer #2: You can either go the legal court eviction route or the give him a few hundred to move out. It will cost you the same, but paying him to move will be faster. Don't give him a dime until all his stuff is out and he has established a new place to crash in. Answer #3: I'm not going to give you legal advice, because you've gotten good advice in this thread.

If he won't take money to leave, just throw the couch out.  You're going to have to buy a new one anyways, throwing it out might give him enough incentive to move on to somebody else's couch


Title: X-post: I entered my hotel room at 10pm and found a stranger pooping in my bathroom...after a very awkward confrontation (who are you and wtf are you doing in my bathroom?!), he left and I complained to management. They suggested a partial refund if I promised not to post a review on Expedia.

Question:
So a lot of people from /r/TalesFromTheCustomer have suggested that I cross post this here.

The original post can be found here: [https://www.reddit.com/r/TalesFromTheCustomer/comments/a8nzq7/i\_entered\_my\_hotel\_room\_at\_10pm\_and\_found\_a/](https://www.reddit.com/r/TalesFromTheCustomer/comments/a8nzq7/i_entered_my_hotel_room_at_10pm_and_found_a/)

&#x200B;

**I think the legal question they are most concerned with is this:**

The hotel manager sent me a text asking me to agree not to post a review on Expedia in exchange for a refund via paypal. I replied 'agreed' and they sent me the money.  Is that text message legally binding?

My assumption (NAL) is the text on its own is not, but since it's directly related to a paypal transaction that followed minutes later, that could actually have some merit and be considered a contract.

&#x200B;

Answer:
 The text message was a contract, to which you agreed. They then fulfilled their side of the terms. You are bound to fulfill your side.Answer #2: \> The hotel manager sent me a text asking me to agree not to post a review on Expedia in exchange for a refund via paypal. I replied 'agreed' and they sent me the money. Is that text message legally binding?

&#x200B;

Yes it is binding.Answer #3: Of course it's legally binding. If you make a review, they'll sue you for the money back. Answer #4: >The hotel manager sent me a text asking me to agree not to post a review on Expedia in exchange for a refund via paypal. I replied 'agreed'

Well dang. They made an offer which you accepted, and accepted the payment for. You could have made a counter offer.


Title: Can Amtrak tell me I can't disembark?

Question:
the train is broken, we are stopped in an empty field with no legitimate safety concerns. Can I ask them to let me off? I am in California.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 I don't think there's ever 'no legitimate safety concerns' in that situation. Answer #2: You can ask anything. But seriously? No legitimate concerns with you frolicking in an unknown field as they work on moving a stopped train? Answer #3: They're not just going to let you off anytime you want.

For safety reasons. They don't want you to disappear, get lost, eaten by a wild animal, fall off the train trying to get off, interrupt what may be "Train fixed, let's go!" and you fall off because the train started moving right while you were starting your jump.


Title: I cannot attend uni next year, but I already signed an off-campus apt. I want to break the lease...

Question:
Moving starts early August.
This is in Iowa.
I have 3 months.

I called them and they said that I should look for tenant to replace me. Already posted an ad in craiglist. But it's May already so I'm worried that no one will even see my ad.

I just looked up this issue and it seems that the landlord is legally required to look for a tenant to replace me instead of me doing the work.

The apartment or landlord I am talking about is like a multiple apt within a building. Not a private landlord. Sorry I dont know the right terms. Basically they have a enough space to be able to make tenants just lease a room. Meaning you dont lease a specific building, apt number, and room.

**what should i do? call them again saying what? Send a written notice?**
My actual landlord probably dont even know my intent as I talked to their secretaries or something on phone.
I dont have my lease right now but in a week.

Answer: You are bound by the lease that you signed. The landlord should mitigate damages by putting up an ad and so should you. As long as the apartment (or room or whatever you rented) is vacant you will have to pay the rent. If you live in a high vacancy area it could take a lot longer than three months to rent it.


Title: [New Haven, CT] Was just let go from my job, but they forced me to sign a paper saying I quit.

Question:
I am 23 years old, and a college student living with my parents. For the past two years I have worked part-time in a small games store to help pay for school. Today I and several other members of the staff were let go in individual meetings. My manager wanted me to sign a form saying that I quit of my own volition, which I can only assume was a way to deny possible unemployment benefits or some other matter. They told me that if I signed the form I could get a good letter of recommendation for my next job, but if I didn't they would say they would not hire me again in a reference call. I wanted to have a night to think this over, but they told me that if I didn't make a decision right then I would be terminated. I signed the form because I figured that a good reference would make it easier to find a new job, and I trust that that would give it, as he was against firing me in the first place. (This was a decision made by the district manager specifically, before this manager was even hired.) He also said I could work two weeks left, with a few extra hours to pad me.
I've talked it over with my parents, and they're wanting me to storm down there and get the form back because what they did was "harassment". I'm just fine finding a new job, as I didn't particularly like working there to begin with. I am, however, feeling like I've been cheated, and I'm not really sure if I have a legal course of action, or even if there's anything to think about.
If anybody has any advice for me, please I would very much appreciate it; even if that advice is just to move on with my wounded pride.

Answer:
 File for unemployment, tell UI exactly what you said here.  Appeal if denied.

Even if you lose, they will have to explain it to many people, under penalty of perjury.  My guess is, they won't contest it when it gets to that point.


Title: [mo, USA] Trust fund managed by uncle until I’m 30. Married and getting divorced. How is this asset affected by divorce?

Answer: You've included zero information about the trust and gave almost no detail in your post. How do you think that anyone here could remotely hazard a guess? Go to a family practice lawyer.


Title: [GA] my former landlord is demanding that I pay for damages my crazy neighbor did to his own apartment

Question:
Okay, so there’s kind of a back story here that I’m not going to go into a lot of detail for privacy reasons as you’ll understand below.

I’m a young woman who moved into an apartment about a year ago. My upstairs neighbor was a man in his early 30s who had lived there for a while and had some pretty serious mental health issues. Long story short, my neighbor developed an obsession, there were some very scary incidents including one involving a weapon where I really thought my life was in danger, lots of police involvement, involuntary psych hold (him, not me), and some other insanity before I broke my lease and jumped at the chance to move out of state when my company offered the opportunity. It was a nightmare. I paid all required penalties for early termination and confirmed that my account was settled. I’m not currently worried about my safety, but I am staying vigilant and doing what I can to maintain my privacy, so I’m really only asking for advice on the following situation.

I just got a letter in the mail from my landlord demanding that I pay for several thousand dollars in damages. Not to my old apartment, but to my crazy former neighbor’s apartment. I thought it had to be a mistake, and I left on good terms, so I called the landlord to see what was up. The landlord’s logic is that even though crazy neighbor caused the damages in his own apartment, I provoked him to, and since he isn’t competent to handle finances, I’m responsible for paying.

I’m 100% aware that this is complete balderdash. But is it enforceable? And is it lawyer time or can I just tell them to pound sand and cackle at them from a few states away? Thanks!

Answer:
 No.
 Ignore him unless served, if served respond.Answer #2: Even Stretch Armstrong couldn't reach that far.  Yeah,  tell him to pound sandAnswer #3: I can't think of any possible reason you would in any way be responsible for his damages; there's no tort for "Look what you made me do!"

Ignore the demand letter.Answer #4: Go to a lawyer to ask them to write your former LL a letter disputing the debt. If you ignore this then it can be put on your credit reports as a collection debt for 7.5 years. A lawyer can explain the law to the LL and that you will sue the LL if if false monetary claims are made against you. Answer #5: Ridiculous reasoning. You have no obligation, and if he comes after you, go after him for all expenses. But by all means don't ignore any service, if he does bring action to small claims. If he has a lawyer write you, report them to the Bar Association.Answer #6: [This](https://imgur.com/a/4mXcc) is a signature you can use on the return letter if he decides to send you any invoices. Answer #7: The correct legal response to that is "lol no".Answer #8: If served with papers for a law suit, then respond.  If not, laugh at your landlord because sand can be pounded in significant quantities.Answer #9: Your ex landlord knows he can't squeeze cash from your ex neighbor. He doesn't wanna pay so he's coming to you hoping you'll just roll over.

Ignore him unril you get served, if you're served you get a lawyer.


Title: [OH] I was forced to take a drug test during my shift, and my employer refuses to pay me for that time. What should I do?

Question: I work for a direct support company. I go into a clients home and assist them with day-to-day activities. I showed up for my shift and my boss was there when I arrived. He told me I was being drug tested. We drove 45 minutes away to the facility. Took the test. Drove back. Approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes. When I received my pay check I was short two hours. When I asked the company about it, they said they don’t pay for the time during the test. I’m positive that’s illegal, right?

Answer: That is entirely illegal. Atleast in Can/most of US. They took two hours of your time, they need to pay for that time


Title: My 17yr old brother may be coming up to Ohio to live with me so he can be in a better living situation to graduate next year... Need advice!

Question:
Hello all.

My little brother lives in Florida. He is currently staying with his grandma because my mom and his dad split up and everything went down hill. My mom is in and out of my life, into some bad stuff and can't get her head out of her ass. His dad has been in and out of some bad shit as well. Neither of them were able to house and take care of my brother so he stays with his dads mother.

The grandma hasn't been the most nurturing person, always obviously favoring other grandchildren for quite a while now.

This tiny town they live in is in the middle of nowhere and not a good place for teens. The only thing they have to do is get into trouble.

My brother has gotten into a little bit and missed some school. He was recently suspended for sticking up for himself (so he says) for a few days.

He's in a bad sitauation and all he wants to do is graduate and join the military after school. I feel so bad for him having to go through so much shit.

He told me he wants to come stay with me and graduate in Ohio. He wants to get away from all the bullshit. I talked to his dad and he is okay with it and thinks it might be good for him.

I would love to have him here with me, but I need to know how to legally have him stay with me. Do I have to have custody of him? His dad was thinking he could have a Power of Attorney written up to allow me to put him into school and sign for anything that he would need. Is that possible?

Also, his dad has told me that he and his mother will be sending me money to cover expenses for my brother at least until my brother gets a job. Could I draw up a contract for something like that?

I want this to be 100% legal and I don't want to get screened somehow. I know I will most likely need to see a lawyer, but it will be nice to kind of have a heads up on what I will need or how to go about doing this.

I really appreciate any advice. Thank you.

**TL;DR: Do I need custody of my brother for him to come live with me until he is 18 in 6 months? Or can his father give me a POA to put him in school and anything else he would need? Can I draw up a contract with his father agreeing to send me money on a monthly basis for my brothers expenses?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Typically youre going to want a temporary legal guardianship, not a PoA (although Florida calls it "[temporary custody](http://floridalawhelp.org/resource/form-temporary-custody-by-extended-family-mem)"). Your parents will want to file in family court where they live now; but the judge will want to talk with you too.


Title: My boyfriend was almost hit in the head with an axe at his place of work and he would have died. Help?

Question: My boyfriend works at an indoor mini golf facility that also has an axe throwing room. The door to the storage room for axes and other supplies is in the direct line of path as one of the targets, and last night as my boyfriend was leaving the storage room, he was met with an axe being hurdled at his face and he had to drop to the ground to barely miss being hit. The axe bounced off the target board and luckily landed beside him instead of going into his back. The person who threw the axe was a new employee in training, and he was not being supervised at that moment. The employee training him was helping customers. At first I thought it was the employee who was supposed to be supervising the new employee who was at fault, but my boyfriend says that even when new employees are being trained with axes there isn’t someone who supervises everything they do; they mill around and help customers as they’re “supervising”. I think it’s absurd to not have a new employee be properly supervised when they’re training with a goddamn axe, and even more absurd that there aren’t rules or a system in place for when it is okay to throw axes when employees may be leaving the storage room. On top of that, why would the storage room door be in direct path of the fucking target? This could easily happen to someone else since there isn’t a system in place to protect employees or some sort of safety training. What should my boyfriend do? Contact the Better Business Bureau? Is there anything that can even happen??

Answer:
 >  Is there anything that can even happen??

Not much.  Your boyfriend has no available lawsuit - there are no lawsuits for stuff that mighta happened maybe.

He can report the matter to his company, and to OSHA and/or your state's version of OSHA(you didn't tell us where he was located).  That's the extent of your abilities here.


Title: [MO] Can my friends Mom kick my friends significant other out?

Question:
Sorry if the flair isn’t correct; first time posting here. My best friend (let’s call her A) has been with this girl (B) for over ten years at this point, and they live together. They bought a house together a few years ago, kind of. B’s name is on the deed, but A’s isn’t. B’s mom co-signed for this house, meaning her name is on the deed as well although B’s Mom doesn’t live there. B’s Mom has never approved of A & B’s relationship, and because A & B are behind on the payments, B’s Mom is threatening to kick A out and move into the house. Is this legal at all? Do my friends have anything to worry about? If A & B were married, would it change anything? This is in Saint Charles County, Missouri. Thanks!

EDIT: I don’t know if it makes a difference to note this, but the reason that B’s Mom disapproves of the relationship is that A & B are gay.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: The home owner can evict a tenant for non-payment of rent. She can also retake possession of the house for her own use as long as she gives the tenants proper notice required by law.


Title: Grievance against company that doesn't provide full time hours even though I'm a FT employee. GA

Question:
For the past 6 months my company has been giving me less than 30 hours per week even though I'm listed as FT and the company handbook says that those employees must be given 40 hours. If I'm not mistaken, GA law states it's 34 or more hours per week.

I approached my manager when I had an especially lean week (15 hours) and asked if there was anything I could do for more hours and he said no.

Do I have a leg to stand on? How would I proceed?
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer: IANAL, but it seems like constructive dismissal. File for unemployment and look for greener pastures.


Title: Are you required to pay included gratuity on a bill?

Question:
Sometimes a restaurant (or similar business) automatically adds 18% gratuity onto the final bill when it's presented. Tipping is normally optional and at the discretion of the customer - does that change when it's added to the bill? Like if service was particularly bad, would I be within my rights to refuse to pay the added gratuity? What is the legal status for this sort of debt?

This is just a hypothetical I have wondered about, not related to any specific events. I don't plan on stiffing anyone on a tip. Let's say this is California to make the bot happy.

Answer: If it's printed on the menu, posted conspicuously in the restaurant, or you are otherwise informed that the fixed gratuity will be charged prior to placing your order, then yes it is binding.  At that point, it ceases to be a gratuity in the traditional sense and becomes a part of price.


Title: (California) Someone abandoned a car in our parking lot, I was wondering if I can claim it and if so what I have to do

Question:
Basically what the titles says, I found the guy on social media and have messaged him asking if he wants his car back but assuming he doesn't respond or says no I wanted to know what to do to claim it. I looked into it on the DMV site but it wasn't 100% clear. If there's a better subreddit for me to post let me know.

Edit: the guy called and it turns out it was stolen and he just didn't report it, he's coming to get it, thanks for the help!
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Do you own the car? Did the legal owner transfer ownership to you?

If the answers to these questions are *NO*, then you cannot just "claim" something. If you do, it is theft. Answer #2: You can buy it from the impound lot after it's towed and abandoned. That's about it, if the owner won't sell it to you (and sign over the title).Answer #3: Are you anywhere near a military base?  Sometimes people getting deployed will just park their car somewhere and hope it's there when they get back.  It's dumb, but it happens.


Title: What happens if you confess to a crime RIGHT before the jury reads their verdict?

Question:
Like they all walk out and are about to read it when you're like "ahh whatever I did it".

The verdict was already rendered but nobody has read it yet.

Answer:
 I worked on a case years ago in which a jury announced that they had reached a verdict at about 4 p.m. It was too late to assemble everyone to hear the verdict, so the judge ordered everyone to reconvene in the morning. The next morning, the jury announced that they had changed their mind, and wanted the verdict forms back.  There was case law (in CA) which said that they were perfectly free to change their minds. So, in your hypothetical, the jury might well decide to change their minds.Answer #2: I am 90% sure that you'll be told to shut up and then the verdict gets read.

I'm not sure if you can even have a mistrial at that stage.

If they were finding you guilty, then your statement can be used against you at sentencing.

And either way, your statement could be used against you in a civil trial arising from the same events.Answer #3: In civil cases, it happens quite often that the parties agree to settle right to the last minute while the jury is deliberating. In that case they go see the judge who tells the jurors their verdict is no longer needed.

I've never heard of this happening in a criminal cases, but I guess it could. You say "ahh whatever I did it". The judges could decide to interrupt the reading of the verdict and ask you if it means that you have decided to plead guilty. If you then say yes, the judge could very well decide that the verdict is no longer needed.


Title: overstayed as a Minor

Question:
I'm currently planning on traveling to the U.S this summer for about 10 days to see family relatives but I have a few issues.

I overstayed in the U.S for over 180 days however, I was underage at the time. I moved back to S.Korea when I was 13\~ 14 and I've been living here ever since (it's been about 6 years). I'm now 18 and I'm wondering if I still get the penalty for overstaying in the U.S for over 180 days even if I was a minor. If not am I eligible to apply for an ESTA? or is there a chance I get declined because I overstayed? Should I say I didn't overstay or is that considered lying? If I did put it as No and i get an ESTA would i be deported back when I fly over?

Answer: Generally if you were a minor, it doesn't count for the purposes of a visa or entry ban. That said, DHS and immigration has wide latitude to reject entrants so its not uncommon for people to be refused entry even if they tick all the boxes. Your best bet is to apply for a visa through the US embassy and inquire as to your status.


Title: Trespassing recourse

Question: Hello all. I am in Texas and my residence (as well as my LLC) is located outside the city limits and sits on a rural 10 acres. Early this morning (1:30 am) a repo agent disassembled my electric gate unit (gate was closed and secured at the time), ignored my No Trespassing sign, and drive his tow truck up our long driveway to my parking area by my vehicles. He was looking to repo a vehicle that was owned by the previous owners of my house - more than 2 years ago! He had no official business at my address and had faulty information that the vehicle's owner still lived there. I was awoken by scared family members who said people were in the dark out by our cars. I confronted the guy as he was down at the gate messing with the gate arms again. We got into a heating yelling match and it quickly became obvious he had faulty data. What is my recourse for this trespass, as he had no legitimate license to be on my property? Sheriff's were out and did not feel inclined to act but it's really bugging me and I am looking for some other resolution. Thanks.

Answer: Sue his business for the cost of repairing/replacing the gate.Answer #2: Was your gate damaged?


Title: Let’s just say my grandson owns a chocolate factory, but he’s not 18 yet. Is there anyway I could take it from him and be the sole owner?

Question:
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: Get back in bed Grandpa Joe


Title: Male coworker harassing myself and other female coworkers to the point that we don’t feel safe. Boss not doing anything besides invalidating our feelings and safety needs.

Question:
Hi all! If this isn’t the right place to post this or there’s a better place please let me know. X-posted on r/advice.

Throw away for privacy reasons.

I work at a small restaurant in Oregon with around 20 employees in total. I have become good friends with a few of my coworkers and we are dealing with the same issue. We have a coworker who we will call Tim. Tim is volatile, manipulative, and mean.

Tim was harassing a coworker while we were shutting the shop down the other night. I stepped in because he was preying on a new, defenseless worker. I’m not one to keep my head down when I see something wrong happening. Long story short, he backed me into a corner, was screaming at me, pointing his finger in my face, and saying horrible things. I felt extremely unsafe.

I told the owner about the incident the next morning but admittedly I didn’t give enough detail and I could have made it seem like it wasn’t a big deal due to just being in shock over the entire incident. I can not confront Tim or even ask him to do his job because every time I or another worker does, it turns into a huge issue and usually a fight.

Fast forward to last night. Tim wasn’t doing much and complaining like usual. One of my friends, who we will call Amber, and coworker politely asked him if he could do a few things before heading out and he lost his mind. He started screaming and cussing at her. In front of a manager that did nothing but tell him to calm down which set him off even more.

He has snapped on my coworker Amber and a few months back had a very similar incident with another female coworker who I will call Debbie.

The bosses tolerate this even though we tell them we feel unsafe. We all need this job to survive and it’s very difficult to find jobs where we live in the middle of summer. Amber and I work with him tonight and we are both scared to.

Debbie informed a manager this morning that Amber and I are feeling unsafe working around Tim and he said, “Tell Amber and throwaway83702045201 to just keep their heads down tonight.”

There are three owners in total. The one that has been informed of this is there on a consistent basis. The other two are rarely there but really play by the book. I am speaking with the owner that is there on a consistent basis tomorrow morning about this but am very nervous. I am thinking about calling the other owners as well.

I’m not sure what to do. I need a job and this reference since I have been there for almost a year and a year gap is way too big on a resume. There is a part of me that does want to go to a lawyer but I don’t have a lot of money. If I were to go to a lawyer I am not sure what kind of lawyer to speak to. I have no physical proof of this besides my coworkers being able to confirm the multiple incidents.

Any and all advice is welcome.

TLDR; male coworker harassing and making female workers feel unsafe. Boss sweeping under the rug and making female workers feel irrational. Need to decide if it’s best to go to a lawyer and if so, what kind of lawyer.

Answer: My advice is for this subreddit to include something in the sidebar or post page that specifies that "it is not against the law to be mean"


Title: Took car to get fixed, came out worse than before.

Question:
Sorry for the long post.

This is in Arizona.

I went to a dealership and paid them $150 to diagnose why our AC didn’t work in my Saab. Through them, they estimated it would cost ~$2,200.

Here’s the story.
Near me is a Pep Boys that has always treated me fairly. I call them, tell them exactly what the dealership said and gave them the part numbers. They said ~$1300 AND they have a Pep Boys credit card that will allow us to do a payment plan with no interest for 6 months. “Hell yeah!” I said. The Manager A assured us that they could literally say we make more than $10,000 a month so we would get approved, no matter what.

Fast forward to us dropping the car last Friday around 3. They close at 8 and by 7:30 I have heard nothing back. I give them a call and they say it’s going to take well into tomorrow as well. No problem. It’s now Saturday and I receive a phone call. “Hey, the AC works, and everything is good, BUT when we took it for a test drive anytime we come to a stop the car stalls then dies.” Hmmm… This never happened before.

Basically, this is where I need the legal advice. I believe they screwed something up and I have proof that I did not sign an acknowledgement of new problems occurring. Also, we were denied the Pep Boys credit card. So, guess what they did? Long story short, Manager A said we paid them ~$1,300. He put $1,300 on gift cards and put them in the back office so he can cash them out anytime we make a payment. I feel something sketchy is happening. I have recording of Manager A making this arrangement with us and they will not rectify what they did wrong with the car. While we were in there last Saturday Manager A assured us that he would have his diagnostic guy look and he would take care of this.

We received a call from Manager B this morning for the diagnostic as to why it is stalling, said the part will take two months to get here (from Sweden not unreasonable) and gave me the name of a licensed Saab repair center. The name he gave me was the same dealership we went to earlier on to diagnose the problem. The dealership assured me that these were the only things wrong with the car (they spent 5 hours looking at it). Pep Boys know they did something and I feel they are trying to wash their hands of us. Manager B kept pressing me for the payment plan we made with Manager A and from what I gathered he threatened to put a lien on my vehicle. We have recordings, like I said, of “The Gift Card” agreement with the Manager A and I refused to mention this to Manager B. I checked the DMV and there is no lien, but I will keep looking just in case.

What action do I take?

TLDR: Took car to get fixed, came out worse than before and are making payments in gift cards.

Answer:
 I also live in Arizona and had an issue with a local Pep Boys, went in for a routine oil change on my BMW and they ended up doing close to $2,000 worth of damage.  I was able to fairly quickly remedy the situation by contacting their corporate offices and providing them with information and the store number.

Luckily the independent repair shop I took the car to after this incident took incredibly well documented pictures and notes on the car and even offered to step up to the plate to discuss the issues with Pep Boys.  PB insisted that I allow them to repair the vehicle at their facility but I refused stating that they could hardly handle an oil change.

I was able to receive my check in around 2-3 weeks to cover the costs.  Since you also seem to have documentation supporting your concerns, I would recommend contacting corporate.


Title: [PA] Is there anything illegal about working at AT&T and buying used phones from customers for my personal use?

Question:
Customers come in to trade in their used phones. AT&T lowballs them. If the phone is worth $100, AT&T will offer $30. Most customers choose to keep it and sell it privately.

Is there anything wrong with me stepping in and offering them $50? It’s a win-win. Customer can get more money for their phone and I can turn around and sell it for $100 and make money on it too. AT&T wouldn’t have gotten the trade in anyway so they don’t get effected.

Follow up question: can I get in trouble for being on the clock and making personal purchases?

Answer:
 >t’s a win-win.

Somehow, I don't think your employer would see it that way.

You could ask your boss if it's okay to do what you're doing on company time. If you're not willing to ask, that tells me you already know the answer.  Answer #2: Illegal--no.  Almost certainly violates some company policy, and in lieu of an outright policy is still plenty cause to be fired.


Title: Can I/should I sue my HOA.

Question:
(Utah)
I currently reside in an HOA, part of their duty is to maintain the landscaping of each unit. There are drainage issues, such as soggy grass ALL of the time as well as standing water in my flower beds. This same time last year, my basement flooded. Based on what our foundation/waterproofing guy said,  it's most certainly a drainage issue and the water found a very small place to start seeping in to. We called the hoa and told us that since the issue was in the unit, there is nothing they can do. We had a waterproofing guy come out and take care of the area in which the water seeped through, we replaced the drywall, baseboards, carpet padding etc ourselves. We were warned that the water may find other spots to come through should we see heavy rain and if the drainage issues are not fixed.

Fast forward to today, it has been raining quite a bit in our area and my basement started flooding AGAIN. I've sent multiple emails with pictures to the hoa this past year telling them to figure out the drainage issues but nothing has been done.

I've spent close to $20,000 finishing the basement, $2,000 in repairs last year and hooray, I get to do it all over again. Given that they have not done anything to fix the cause of the issue, what legal avenues can I take? Suggestions?

Answer:
 Have you approached the HOA insurance or spoken to the HOA board as a whole yet?  As a practical matter, in response to the should, I would advise you to speak the board first and politely regarding this.  We've had similar issues at my HOA and if you'd spoken to one of our two asshole board members they'd have told you the same thing you heard from your guy, but the board would have voted 5-2 in your favor.  Speaking to the entire board or any kind of professional management company the board has might be worthwhile.

I'd also make sure you're in compliance with the CCRs, since HoAs can be vindictive little shits.

Ultimately you to have some significant damages.  This would be worth sitting down with an attorney and you likely can do something.  Sue them, file a claim with some of the master insurance the HOA holds, etc.  The sidebar has a link to the legal advice wiki which includes a section on how to get referrals.  Many lawyers will do a free initial consult.  Definitely sit down with one of them, lay it out, and see what he or she has to say.

Also just be aware you have a duty to mitigate, so you need to fix this promptly.  You can them attempt to recover from the HOA, but you need to do your best to mitigate the damages.


Question: Is it legal to have a forum about games in the United States since you don't own those games? I mean just for walkthroughs out discussions about games.

Answer: For the love of god please hospitalize yourself in a mental hospital. You are clearly not getting the help you need. Answer #2: Of course. There are numerous forums of this type out there already. If you are worried about using copyrighted materials as part of those forums, the protections of intellectual property in the US include the “fair use” doctrine which expressly protects commentary about the copyrighted materials. A forum is designed for commentary about the game, which brings it into the fair use realm. Answer #3: Is it legal to talk about games on the internet? Yes.


Title: New job, I am supposed to train and they refuse to pay me if I end up staying later for work. PLEASE READ WHOLE STORY - PLEASE

Question:
For instance, today, I arrived at work at 8:30am, I worked in the office until almost 11am. I didn't leave, I didn't eat, I was there the whole time working. I was told that my time sheet had to say I came in at 8:30am and that I left at 10:00am, even though I was there almost 30 minutes later.

I had co-workers trying to get me to walk out early with them, "oh we can talk about this question outside" etc etc, I guess trying to get me out the door for payroll reasons?

This particular company stresses "hard work" and "networking" and how it's great if you show initiative, especially during your free time. Oh, and the networking and meetings with co-workers happen on your own free time, unpaid, and on your own dime.

For instance today, my "boss" made us listen to a 40 minute conference call that he recorded, with someone in the company who happened to be very successful. I get the feeling that she is maybe 1 out of 10,000. It almost feels like a pyramid scheme except I'm getting paid minimum wage. It's one of these, we train you, you train others and on and on down the line, and then you get a percentage of everyone's profits!

This cannot be legit right? It cannot be legal to refuse to pay someone for working the extra 30 minutes they put in for the job, on the job. Even in a right to hire state?

And what about my whole perception of this business?! It's fucking weird, right?

Answer: If they don't pay you for hours worked you can file a wage complaint through the state.


Title: Moved to an apartment that looked different from informed

Question: So, I just moved to Seattle and rented out a place in an apartment complex. I toured around the building and was shown different apartments. Eventually, I settled on choosing an apartment based on how it looked, its size and its price. A room with a better view was available at a cheaper price and I went for that after asking for pictures of the view. Some tenants lived there, so I couldn't get the tour. Later, when I moved in, the apartment had an entirely different color scheme. And I feel like I've been tricked. Can I file some sort of legal case? This is annoying.

Answer:
 Did they provide the apartment you agreed to?  As in, you signed a lease for X apartment, and they are providing that apartment?

As is, in any situation, a different 'color scheme' isn't going to be a material change in the unit.


Title: Do you need to pay an adjusted bill based on a contract from 9 years ago?

Question:
Our complex signed a management contract with a company to manage our HOA in 2008 (before I got there). In the original contract it stated that the fee would be raised by 10% annually and there was an additional storage fee of $55/month.

Once I joined the board I started requesting documentation from the company, and they were so used to not doing anything that they thankfully terminated the contract. They refused to send anything to us until the last day of the existing term and then left a box of the papers and a check for the remainder of our operating account at a mail hub for us to pick up.

The disbursement check they included with our funds included a deduction of about half the amount (6k). They explained this by saying they were charging us 50% of all past storage fees since 2008, and 30% of the potential higher management fee that they had never billed. Is this legal?

I know that technically we should have been billed even more in the past, but maybe the past board would have fired them earlier if they had seen the higher fees. Since they were in charge of managing our bill pay, I don't think they really have an excuse on delayed invoicing to themselves.

The new management company is consulting an HOA lawyer, but I wanted to hear more opinions. We are in Southern California.

tldr: management company in charge of billing wants to readjust our bill for the past 9 years to the contracted price and make us pay portion of past payments.
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 One of two things is true:

* The management company was upholding their side of the contract, despite the lack of ongoing contact from the HOA.
* The management company was not doing a damn thing and breached their contract at an indeterminate time in the past.

The Statute of Limitations does not help you here, since _they_ had _your_ money - so any debt vacated by the SoL would vacate their debt to you, I suspect. How the SoL applies for an ongoing contract with an ambiguous date of breach could be an interesting argument in court that a team of expensive lawyers would probably have a lot of fun with.

The disbursement may be either a concession or a settlement offer. Are they giving you money that they consider not to be in dispute (but they may go after you later for more fees), or are they offering to close out the account if you take only this amount of money?

You have a choice: sue for a better refund because they breached, or take the settlement and move on. Your HOA lawyer can advise you, but if they are billing you half what the contract says they could bill you, you are _probably_ not going to be better off for suing them, unless there is an additional factor that would allow you to recover a lot more money; the lawyer will probably cost more if this goes to court. That said, strongly-worded letters (written by your attorney) are cheaper and occasionally effective.

Your lawyer is going to be the only real source of answers here, but I suspect you'll be best off accepting the discount as given and moving on.


Title: What is the age of consent in Washington state and what are the stipulations for 16-17 year olds with someone 21+? (WA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Not legal advice but I suggest you verify her age if you already haven't.  Teenage girls lie about their age. Also have you met her parents because they certainly can say she can't see you. If that happens and you continued to try and be with her you could get a restraining order.


Title: Is my mother keeping my possessions post-move-out illegal?

Question:
Edit: Since the bot yelled at me for not doing this, she (and I, until recently) lived in South Carolina. I now live in Ohio.
(Side note: Moving on a Greyhound bus *sucks.*)

I moved out of my mother's house a few months ago (shortly after turning 18) in the middle of a fairly large family fiasco. I moved fairly quickly and quietly in order to prevent her from knowing about it; I packed three bags (valuables, clothes, documents) and skedaddled. I left a great deal of books, clothing, and computer peripherals at her house, and I've been trying to get them back. She's constantly refusing to send them to me (despite my offer to fully reimburse her for all related costs), constantly refusing to bring them to me (despite another offer to fully reimburse her), or allow me/a friend/a relative to come get them. I moved in late January (Jan 26th, I think), and have been corresponding with her on a weekly basis since Feb 2nd in an attempt to negotiate.

All of these things are items that I had before turning 18, but were generally considered by both of us to be "my stuff," especially since I bought most of it (all of the computer peripherals and about three quarters of the books I absolutely know I paid for).

Do I have any kind of case? I don't want to start some huge legal battle and take her for all she's worth (which is virtually nothing, she's been coasting off alimony for about 20 years and lives in a shithole). I'd just like my shit back.

(She's one of the nutjobs that's convinced that 20 minutes of Wikipedia research makes her a legal expert, so she's likely to march into battle pro se, if that makes any difference.)

Additional details available on request, I guess.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 You can go back to the house, get a police escort and get your stuff. If your mom is claiming it is her stuff then you can sue her in small claims for the value of the items.

She has no obligation to pack your stuff, send you your items, or allow one of your friends to pick it up.


Title: [CA]Wife got into a minor accident. Thought there was no damage so both parties left. Now, I find out there is significant damage, but they never exchanged information.

Question:
My wife was driving straight when someone made a right turn and bumped into her car.  They both stopped and checked their cars.  Because my wife parked near a building, there was a shadow cast on her car and she didn't see any damage.  The other person had minimal damage as well so they both left.

Today, I was looking at her car and I noticed severe denting (honestly I don't know how she missed it).  I want to file a claim against the other person, but I have no information.  Am I SOL?

Answer: Clearly your sol... you don’t need legal advise to guide your way through this situation.


Title: Is there any hope for me fighting this speeding ticket [serious]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Time for a lawyer, buddy. More than double the speed limit isn't exactly going to end well for you. What's your location and what exactly were you charged with?


Title: My apartment complex "accidentally" disposed of my belongings

Question: I have a space within my complex with storage/office space. I walked in recently to find all of my belongings gone and another individual moving theirs in. Upon further investigation, my belongings were accidentally disposed of by maintenance. Any advice? Thanks

Answer: Make a list of the stuff that was thrown out, figure out their current value and then see if you can negotiate a settlement with the company.


Title: My charge nurse pinched my butt what should i do?

Question: Ill start by telling some background. I am a late 20's male in USA. Ive held my current job as a CNA in my towns major hospital for over 5 years. I have a wife and a 2 yo daughter. I am the bread winner. Tonight at work my immediate supervisor (charge nurse) pinched my butt. There was no warning and no reason for it. Ive been workimg with this woman since i started. I dont know if i should reprot it or not. I want to be able to tell my daugher to stand up for herself and to say something if this were to ever happen to her. But if i dont report this how can i expect my daughter to when the time comes. This happened a few years ago but i never said anything because i thought it would never happen again. What should i do?What can i do? I dont want to lose my job. And i dont want to piss off my supervisor who i work with all the tine.. any advise legal or otherwise is what im seeking. Thanks

Answer: You can report it to HR. Answer #2: You have a right to a workplace free of sexual harassment. However, your employer can do nothing about it unless you report it. Your employer has a responsibility to prevent it from happening in the future (which does NOT necessarily mean firing her; so long as the harassment stops, their responsibility is over). If the harassment does not stop or if you feel you are targeted afterwards as a result of reporting it, you can and should speak with an employment attorney about additional options. Answer #3: I think you should talk to her about the incident and see how it goes. If she's being a jerk about it then report her.


Title: Landlord does not allow tennants to touch mailbox/check for their own mail. Gets mad when any of us do.

Question: I just got a text from my new landlord (Rent a room in his house - have a signed lease) asking if I touched the mailbox (I did not, there are two other people living in the house) and told me I am not allowed to touch the mailbox AT ALL. This strikes me as odd, mostly because due to his work he goes out of town 5 out of seven days and if I am expecting any mail, I have to wait for him to check it himself... Like, is it legal to hold my mail hostage? Nothing in the lease mentions this at all.

Answer:
 >Nothing in the lease mentions this at all.

Tell him to suck it.

Or you can avoid confrontation and get a post office box.


Title: I found coins and turned them into the police. Now (15 months later) they are giving me the run around without any specifics or plan.

Question:
September of 2017 I found coins in Connecticut.

They were clearly a collection, but also very obviously not put there by a collector. This led me to believe they were stolen so the same day I found them I dropped them off at the police station. The woman at the desk told me an officer would be down soon to ask some questions. After about 30 minutes she said I could just go and he would call me. This was my first issue with communication and the first sign that this would be more difficult than it needed to be.

Hours later, almost 10 pm, I get a call from the officer asking for the specifics of where did I find it, what time, etc. I gave him all of the info and he said they’d be checking out the area soon.

I never received another call after that. After 90 days I called because I had originally thought that unclaimed property would be returned to the finder after 90 days. I called the cop and he informed me it was actually 6 months and from there I would have 60 days to pick it up. So finally I’m 6 months from the original turn in date and the cop stops answering my calls. I left voicemails and messages with the receptionists, I even emailed him. After a month of this, he finally answers one day and says that because of the nature of the item (appearing to be stolen) they were extending the search an additional 6 months. I did not like the sound of this but didn’t want to fight it.

This would make the next check-in time Nov 1st 2018. I called and called and left voicemails and messages and it took 2 weeks for the cop to answer. He said everything was looking good and he was just waiting on the chief to sign off on it, and I should call after the weekend to check up on it. I did, and no answer. 3 more weeks of calling and the cop finally tells me the chief is refusing to sign off on it. He says because it seems stolen they need to keep looking. I said isn’t that why we extended it 6 months ago? The cop seems like he was on my side. He was very understanding and was explaining it to the best of his ability, it seemed. The cop asked the chief “well, how long does this go on?” To which the chief replied “ I don’t know.”

The cop told me to call the chief and speak to him directly to plead my case. I’ve been trying to compile a list of questions for the chief to establish a plan from here on out. It seems like they keep pushing the timeframe back to get me to forget about it.

Here are some of my questions, but I’m having trouble finding “finders rights” online and would like to talk specifics with the chief about my rights.

-What measures have been taken to locate the owner in the past 15 months the item has been in your possession?

-If nobody in the state has reported something stolen that even remotely matches the description, how long would a person have to report an item stolen and what kind of proof would they need for said police report?

-I was under the impression that items turned in needed to be publicly advertised. Has this happened? In the past 15 months I have seen found item reports on a specific local news website but never saw anything matching the description of the item I turned in.

Where should I go from here? I’m not interested in giving this up.

Answer:
 From the Connecticut statute for Lost and Unclaimed Property:
"Sec. 50-13. Procedure if unclaimed. If no owner claims such article within six months from the receipt thereof by the police department, the police department shall, within two weeks thereafter, notify the finder of such fact by registered or certified mail at his last-known address, and the article or the proceeds thereof shall be turned over to the finder, upon demand by him within thirty days from the expiration of the six months' period and upon payment or deduction of all proper charges; but, if such finder fails to demand such article or the proceeds thereof or refuses to pay such charges within thirty days from the expiration of the six months' period, such article or proceeds shall belong to such municipality. The requirement of notification may be omitted when the value or estimated value of the article is less than five dollars."

You could ask the chief under which statute he is retaining the property longer than six months.  Then, you would be able to determine when you can claim the property.


Title: Child support???? Jackson,Missippi

Question:
Long story short: signed birth cert of a kid that Im not sure is mine, 5yrs ago. Currently in navy with a new wife. Kids mom wants formal child support. I have no prob with paying. I just want DNA. Ive been told , statute of limitations has run out in order to challenge paternity.
Any suggestions???
Thanks in advance

Answer: Why did you sign then and why do you question it now? Sol for challenging your confirmation may passed.


Title: Need help in Maryland - locked up for 6 days due to clerical error

Question:
I was supposed to appear in court as a witness to 2nd degree assault on 1/11/16.  I did not have a subpoena in hand, therefore I could not miss work.  I was alerted on Wednesday evening that I had a body attachment.  I went to the Circuit Court on Thursday to remedy the issue and was issued a body attachment and locked up in Balto City jail for women- hell on earth.  I appeared before judge on Friday where I received a scolding and promised to appear on February 26.  I was then released on MY OWN RECON...well the jail misread the paperwork from the jail and told me I was being held without bail.  I begged and cried to speak to a lieutenant for 4 days until I had a complete nervous breakdown on Tuesday and higher ups intervened.  Just as an FYI, the GTL phone system that the jail uses was not accepting my SID # to create a phone account, therefore I could not call anyone and I begged other cellmates to help me and begged the CO's.  Everyone just assumed I was acting like a baby and needed to accept the fact I was being help until 2/26 to appear as a witness.
Once I had the breakdown, a case manager finally called the prosecutor who agreed I was supposed to be released on Friday.  It took another 24 hours for the jail to process my release.
I am still traumatized.  I am a teacher and never have been in any legal trouble except for traffic issues.  While I was in that jail, I did not receive medications, I was physically assaulted and bullied continuously.  It was the most horrific time of my life.  I have been out for 4 days and I can't sleep or function normally.
My question is, do I have a lawsuit?  I am  not trying to get rich or scam anyone, but I sincerely feel that incompetence and lack of attention to detail by the jail staff caused my extended stay.  It was NOT a busy weekend because I was peppering the 2 kind CO's I encountered just to keep my facts straight.  I appreciate any advice or recommendations.  I am seeking counseling when the blizzard is over.

Answer: A clerical error is normally not grounds for a lawsuit.  You would have to show that the staff acted maliciously or discriminated against you in some way.  However, a good lawyer might be able to get you something, perhaps some therapy sessions and compensation for time missed from work and stress.


Title: Can my dash cam be used against me?

Question:
I drive a truck for a living. I see the billboards all over. Some lawyers it seems are out to get truckers.

If I had an incident, and had a dash cam, would/could that video be used against me?

Plainly I'm not speaking of a specific accident. I'm just looking for a general overview. Would I be safer with or without one? I've not had any experience dealing with the law or courts. When I see these billboards, it makes me curious. I hear stories about how in an accident, the truck driver is the default suspect.

Thank you in advance.

Answer:
 Your dash cam can certainly be used to establish what happened in an accident. Either the criminal or civil justice systems can force you to give up the footage.

Whether that is good or bad for you depends on what happened.Answer #2: Yes, your cam could be used against you.  However, with you being a professional commercial driver (and I hope a safe one) that your dash cam will almost always clear you.

As an accident investigator I know people do really stupid crap around trucks and cause accidents.  Having impartial evidence makes things easy.

It's up to you.  You know how you drive.Answer #3: Since it a hasn't been mentioned already - the fifth amendment protection against self incrimination only applies to testimonial evidence. Your right against self incrimination doesn't extend to relevant video evidence stored within the camera. It can absolutely be used against you. But as a commercial driver, you're held to a higher standard anyway; so you already start off with a deficit. The footage is more likely to help you than it is to harm you; unless you're a bad driver.


Title: But he’s 30!!!

Question: Just got sued by my ex-wife for college expenses for our son. I said I’d pay in the divorce, but he’s now 30 and I’m 72! Give me a iffing break! My Virginia lawyer says I gotta pay up!

Answer:
 You have a lawyer on the case and you’re asking strangers on the internet for help?

If you don’t like his advice get a different lawyer.

Does your divorce decree specify that you pay college expenses only incurred before age X?

Not a lawyer


Title: I’m starting probation on a misdemeanor drug offense soon and I want to see how I can shorten it if at all possible

Question:
Basically I was caught with ash and less than a gram of marijuana while away at college and was arrested. My sentence is a year deferred adjudication with probation, 20 hours community service, 924 dollars in fees and fines, and a drug and alcohol course I need to take. I’m more than happy to serve this but I just recently got an opportunity out of the country. Basically, I got offered a job working under a family friend in Amsterdam that pays well and would allow me to live there. I’ve dreamed of moving for years now. This opportunity may not be on the table forever. What can I do to potentially shorten this or convince them to let me leave? Is it at all possible? Or should I just give up this job and serve my sentence? My lawyer’s no help. He keeps changing the facts as to whether or not I can get my probation shortened. So I turn to the internet for help like I always do. Thank you in advance.

Edit: I live in Texas. Near Austin specifically.

Answer: If you don't like your lawyer or the answers they are giving your best option is to get a second opinion from another lawyer in your area.


Title: Should I sign? (TESLA separation package) Was part of recent 700+ mass firing

Question:
(LONG time lurker, made my first account to post this)I have worked for solar city (Tesla acquired) for the past year as a warehouse stock clerk, and honestly I thought I had gotten in with an amazing company and thought that I may have finally found a career path I could enjoy and make a living at(especially after we were bought by tesla). This past week I was called in on my day off and told that I was being let go for "Not meeting performance expectations". I know it sounds cliche but I have NEVER had any issues at this company, the first 8 months my manager and I were honestly good friends, he unfortunately was replaced, but my new manager and I never had any issues. Never talked to or had any reason to believe anything needed to be changed. We consistently had all the jobs pulled that were going out in the next TWO WEEKS, the warehouse was in better shape than it had ever been, and I had an amazing relationship with all of my coworkers. How is it that all of a sudden Im not meeting expectations and thrown on the street. I have not used a SINGLE vacation hour since I have started, and even have a good relationship with the ROM (regional office manager). I have a feeling I was part of a mass layoff covered up as a performance review. I want to see if anyone else has had the same experience before I sign my severance agreement which basically says they fired me for being a shitty worker when I gave them my all day in and day out and always did everything they asked even using my personal vehicle to do company business AND switching to 2nd shift permanently even though they knew I really couldnt do the shift. Please help, I dont know what I should do, or can do.

tldr: Should I sign my severance package? 2 weeks pay and all my vacation hours awarded as pay + possibly a huge blemish on my professional resume

Answer:
 As opposed to getting fired with no severance package?Answer #2: You can sign it or not sign it, but the firing is legitimate either way, absent a contract saying you can only be fired for cause (which you don't have) or a union agreement.

I doubt the company will provide any reason why you were fired to future employers.  Most do not.


Title: Asked to be a confidential informant, declined and now have to go to court for driving under suspension.

Question: Hello, I was wondering if I could fight it and get out of it. I was pulled over because the cop ran my license plate and it came up that I had a warrant in Georgia (which is bullshit because I've never been there) cop sat me down and told me I could be a ci to avoid my court date.. Gave him my number and was contacted by the agent, I told him I would think about it. Court date rolls around  and I decided I didn't want to do it so I didn't contact the guy and instead went to court. My name wasn't on the list so they sent me home.. 2 or so weeks roll by and the sheriff shows up at my house and gives me his card with a new court date on it... I already showed up for court when it told me to on my citation, is he able to just write a new court date on the back of a sheriff's card and give it to me?

Answer:
 Yes, they can reschedule your court date, it happens all the time. You should consult with an attorney to plan a defense to the charge.Answer #2: Call the court house and confirm he gave you the write time, and on the day of or the evening before call and confirm nothing has changed.

Yes you have to show up to court.


Title: I am a debtor in collections, who was just told unexpectedly my case has been dropped. (NH)

Question:
In 2014 I helped my wife (then girlfriend) finance something using my credit. We failed to pay that bill for several years, and it was sent to collections. about 2 months ago I received a summons for small claims court. After speaking with the bank's lawyer at the beginning of august, we came to an agreement, I paid $200 up front and agreed to pay the lawyer $50/month on a set date each month until the bill was paid off. Due to said agreement the small claims court hearing was cancelled.

&#x200B;

The date the payment was supposed to come out rolls around, and the money never came out of my account. I didn't want to wait to call them for fear of being held in contempt, but I gave it some time in case the bank was just slow processing the payment or whatever. 2 weeks went by and today I called them. They said that the bank we had financed through in 2014 had decided to drop the case and that the $200 I had paid was going to be refunded to me. The person I spoke to at the lawyer's office (I believe they were a paralegal, not a lawyer themselves) seemed confused as to why this would happen. They told me to expect more documentation in the mail, and a check for the $200 that I paid originally.

&#x200B;

I'm also really confused as to why they might have dropped the case. I'm wondering if anyone might have experienced something like this in a similar scenario, or if I should expect something else to come from this. Is there anything that I can do to be proactive about this?

&#x200B;

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, Thank you!

Answer: The statute of limitations on a debt of that nature in NH is 3 years. The collection agency might have reviewed the file and realized that something they did violated the FDCPA. My guess is that they decided to close the file in case you went to a lawyer and the lawyer discovered the FDCPA violation. If you have any collection letters from them in the past year that does not explicitly state that the collection of that debt is time-barred, you may have a claim against them.


Title: Injured by an inmate in county jail, Jail staff refused to allow medical treatment, Now responsible for a hefty mediacal bill, and nobody will represent me. What do I do?

Question:
Hey legal types:

I'm in Saline County, Kansas, with a legal problem.

I had to spend a few weekends in jail over a traffic violation, and while I was in there, I was attacked from behind by an inmate. The jail staff pulled me bleeding from the cell, and left me in the detox pod in booking for the remainder of my weekend with no medical attention.

Upon exit, I took it upon myself to have myself stitched up and checked out at the local hospital. In addition to a nearly severed eyelid, I suffered a pretty major concussion and had to miss some work.

After this, I made attempts to reach out to local legal representation in hopes of getting the county to cover my expenses, but was given the cold should by every lawyer in town, save for one: a dear lady who just recently began practice in this town but wouldn't take my case because the last time she went up against the county it was a not-quite-successful civil suit related to the rape of a female inmate by jail staff. She told me that in the end, her client was awarded less than a quarter of what her legal expenses ended up being, and that in all likelihood, I would end up in a similar position (if we even won the thing).

I feel as if I am without options as far as having someone local take my case, and fear that the expense of hiring an out of town lawyer may be cost prohibitive.

Any advice?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Did the inmate that attacked you make any threats prior to the incident and you reported that to the correction personnel? If not that is why no lawyer will take your case. They have to show liability by the State to collect damages beyond your medical costs. You can sue the other inmate for medical costs and damages, but most inmates don't have any assets.


Title: I have no idea how to understand this.

Question:
Orrville, Ohio, 44667

I'm seventeen, living in a large home with two families. My brother, his wife and his ex-wife's children who come on weekends live upstairs in the five bedroom separation. Me, My boyfriend, and my parents live downstairs. He recently moved in, as well as my brother, but something happened this weekend and I can't understand any of it. I apologize if it's long, but I can't hold it back anymore or It'll bottle up again.

recently, my mother and my sister in law both agreed that me and Ian, my boyfriend, didn't do anything in the house. Instead of talking like normal people, my step-sister first got angry, then blew up on my boyfriend when I wasn;t in the house. She broke down our door to our room and went on a frenzy, looking for her clothing she claimed was hers. She found a few pairs that were mixed in, and got even more upset, in which she suddenly contained until I got home from work.

She approached me, then started to scream at me, how I didn't do the dishes at home. I had a friend over the night before, and the last time that happened with his kids over for the weekend, my brother threw a fit, broke his phone, broke a door and screamed at the top of his lungs until he got his way, *understandably*.

I had to clean the kitchen, which they were supposed to help out on. I did the dishes, but to my father, I only did half and left the rest. he was no help in this matter, because he only cares for his addictions and his needs.

He heavily influenced them and picked their side, supporting their lie when she said I was hiding their clothing around the house and stealing their things, being disrepectful, slamming doors and throwing items around.

I haven't thrown stuff at them, but apparently having an attitude, like a normal teenager, is called being disrespectful at any time, especially when they scream at me to do stuff they should have.

She goes off on me, screamign and spitting in my face, and I didn't throw one remark, one wrong word, and all she did was get angrier and scream that I was being disrespectful. She broke down our door again, after the argument, and screamed more before mom got home. She was gone for a weekend.

She got my mom pissed off, yelled at her, then my mom comes in, screams, "Thanks, For nothing! Thanks for doing this to us!" The storms off.

me and Ian were trying to get out of the way, stay away as much as possibly, for good reasons. The fight grew worse. I'll name her Chastity, and my brother Christian.

Chastity kept yelling, and my brother and father backed her up for no reason, supporting her lies.

At one point in the night, it got physical between Chastity and my mother. Ian called the police, and they arrived within three minutes.

by that point, they were still screaming, and they asserted the situation. The police investigated everyone, Chastity being the most of it. They came and questioned us, but Ian never let me speak, and she left midway when we spoke.

The police didn't do anything to assert us, to assure everyhtin was fine. They gave me and Ian a...bad feeling, so to say. They didn't listen most of the time, they slacked off, dropping things and cursing under their breaths when they thought we didn't hear.

At pne point, the woman officer who investigated us even told us we had no rights as minors, that we had to listen to Chastity, not steal her stuff, obey what they say, and that they had the rights to punish us as they deemed fit.

Mom had a violent streak when i was younger, and she would often last out for no reason at me, striking me in the head, the face, anywhere. She got away with it because I was still a Minor. This woman often pulled us over when we would walk down the street at night, barely close to curfew, demand we get in their car and drive us home.

She finished off, saying we will never have rights as we lived under their roofs.

Ian rtold me they said, Chastity was a victim.

She told them lies, that we did horrible things to them both. We stole their stuff, which I mentioned before, vandalized their things and terrorized their children.

They believed her, and we were pushed under the bus for the blame. Now, the family is saying the same things, pushing us more to do more. They left, believing that Chastity was a victim and not the latter. She came close to hitting us both before lashing out, as they cause stress to my mother and cant control their temper.

I don't understand most of this, and I still don't. I don't know if it is my disabilities, but I can't understand what happened. Can someone please help me understand what happened?

Answer:
 It sounds like the police came to your house for a domestic disturbance, briefly investigated, and left after deciding there was no evidence of a crime.

The rest of your post deals with issues better addressed by r/relationships.


Title: [New York] My cousin got injured on his job, and they're trying to fire him. What lawyer does he need to get?

Question:
He got injured while at work. Worker's comp hasn't done much for him, and the person in charge of his case never answers her phone.

 The company he works for has been acquired by another company, and he just found out that they're letting go of people who've been on leave for long periods of time. And he's at risk of losing his job.

He lives in New York and works for a hotel in New Jersey, and is considering getting a lawyer.

Where do we find a lawyer? We've never really had the necessity, so I have no idea. Do I Google a lawyer??

Thanks for your advice!

Edit:

-He's been out a little over 3 months.
He was asked to see an orthopedic doctor, but they haven't send any of his information to the doctor.

-They company has already hired a replacement in his place. And they had him listed in a way that he would be automatically terminated after a year.

-He's only been getting 40% of his paycheck and is having a hard time paying his books. Him and his wife are expecting a baby at the end of this month, so things aren't about to get any easier for him.

Answer: Look for workers compensation lawyers. How long has he been out?


Title: Ready to sue this telemarketer - need advice

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 They have spoofed the phone number.

They are not in the US.

You won't be able to find them, much less sue them.

By answering their calls,  and especially by spending time talking to them,  you are rising up on their "call this person" lists.

Look at the numbers. Don't answer if you don't recognize them.  Eventually, the calls will slow and maybe even stop. That's about all you can do.Answer #2: 80% of my case load is suing companies under the TCPA.

The likely true advice you're getting: Company is spoofing, hard to find, very possibly overseas.

The bad advice you're getting: "How were you harmed? Only the FTC can handle this!!!111"

What you should consider doing if you haven't: the company that's calling you is a lead generation company, not a solar company. Play along with their questions. Make up name, pick a random address, etc. When you get transferred to the local solar company, ask them which company transferred you over. If they won't reveal, at least you have a real company you could subpoena when you sue the Doe Corporation.

Also, to clarify what you've said about the law:

227(b) prohibits prerecords to cell phones and live calls to cell phones, but the live calls must be made using an autodialer to be actionable (joe schmo dialing from his cell, for example, would not be actionable).

227(c) provides the avenue for the private right of action under 47 cfr 1200(c)(2). This stacks with the damages under 227(b)(3) (meaning if both are proved, $1000-$3000 per call).

16 cfr 310 has no private right of action unless actual damages meet or exceed $50,000.


Title: Scammer has the first five of my social, drivers license number. should I be worried?

Question:
LOCATION: US (Thanks LocationBot!)

Hey all, applied recently for a rental apartment and it turned out that the entire application was a scam and that the "property manager" I was dealing with was trying to get me to send $4.5k to his bank account the entire time via wire transfer without even seeing the apartment.

Since we didn't meet in person and only over craigslist, I only partially filled out the application, but included by DOB, Drivers License number, current residence, and first five of my social (the form asked for the entire thing, but I was feeling skeptical, so I only gave him my first five instead of the entire thing).

Filed a police report soon after and the officer who deals in this said that Drivers License was not that big of a deal and partial SSN is not that damaging.

How worried should I be that someone has this information on me?  What damage can they do?

Thanks r/legaladvice!

Answer: You can't do much with a partial SSN. You can't do much with a driver's license number either. [Report](http://www.in.gov/dfi/2505.htm) it.


Title: Bad Neighbors

Question: Just going to summarize this a bit, Neighbors are a Mother and son, Mother being 60 some odd Son being 40 some odd (Pretty sure some incest is going on but I digress), They harass me rather frequently, the son has threatened to kill me with a machete before and have cameras pointed directly at my house, one of which is pointed at the bathroom and it can see through the window (There's other younger people here ((!)) that could likely be seen through it). I had brought the cameras up to the police before and they had said that "in public there is no expectation of privacy" But what of my own damn property?I can't go into my lawn without getting harassed, and what of the fact they have a camera pointed at basically every window, bedrooms, living room, Bathroom? Is there anything that can be done?

Answer: They are right. You have no expectation of privacy in that regard. Think about it. It's no different than what someone could see looking through your window. If you want privacy, put up some blinds and curtains. Answer #2: Curtains exist for the camera.  If they threaten you with violence, call the cops.


Title: Booted off health insurance while employed...now I have 9k bill...who do I sue?

Question:
Hi,

I live in PA and worked for a small ad agency last year. I left recently because every pay day was late and my new job is a better opportunity.

In addition to consistent late pay problems, I recently discovered I have a hospital bill for around 9k for a procedure I had last year while employed at this agency. I thought this was strange because I had even contacted my health insurance to confirm I had insurance before my procedure, which they said I did. I contacted my former employer immediately, and after some digging apparently I was kicked off my insurance  almost immediately right after I called to verify it, for a total of SEVEN MONTHS. I had no knowledge and was never informed I didn't have insurance.

My boss is claiming that it's an error on the health insurance end....something to the extent that when we adjusted our plan for our non-PA employees, it kicked me off. When I try to speak with the health insurance I had directly, they say I can't resolve it fully myself because my former employer is the account holder? But of course, I'm the one left with the bill. Given my former boss's shady history, I wouldn't be surprised if this error was on his end...but I'm not sure how to proceed or who I'd even sue at this point.

&#x200B;

Any advice would be much appreciated...my husband and I already have a considerable amount of medical debt on his side, and we really don't need another bill we can't pay.

Answer:
 Were you having the cost of your health insurance premium deducted from your paycheck during that period of 7 months?Answer #2: I have actually been through this!  Albeit with a cooperative employer....

Find out if the coverage was "retroactively reinstated."

The likelihood is that you did receive a letter from the insurer notifying you of termination, but you may have blown it off as junk mail.  In my situation, that letter came from the insurer directly not from my employer.


Title: [East Village, New York/Missoula, Montana] My dad arrested over theft of panties, he refused to answer police questions, is now asking his attorney if this will come to grand jury. What will happen next?

Question:
I'm 31/F and live in East Village, NY but my Dad is in Missoula, MT. I'm originally from Sun Valley, ID, lived in Woodlawn, then moved to East Village (Dad moved to Missoula when Kayla turned 22).

My Dad was arrested a week ago in Missoula for stealing panties from people's yards, and was questioned by police about it, they found panties in his home too. Dad lives alone (my Mom died when my sister Kayla was 18 months old) and hasn't been with anyone since.

He refused to answer police questions with a "no comment", and had got an attorney. He told me how he's on bail, but asked the attorney about if it would get to the stage where it's in front of a grand jury, but how possible is this?

I'm worried about this situation, is it likely to get to a grand jury stage or not, and where should he go next?

If my social status is of any importance, both me and dad are middle-class, we're not poor, but we ain't super-rich, either.

Not sure what to do, or what he should do (he phoned me at 4am this morning saying he had nightmares and the panty-theft was a fetish he'd had since childhood.... and I knew nothing about that). Need your help.

Answer: How many people have their panties in their yard?


Title: My mom is threatening to get rid of my cat

Question:
My mom is constantly threatening to kick me out. We live in Ohio and I am 21. It doesn't bother me and I am trying my best to appease her so I can get done with school.

Well last night that didn't go so well. She came home and I was taking a nap as I work really early and was tired. Before I napped I did the chores she asked of me (cat boxes and dishes) but didnt do the bunny cage. She was pissed and started berating me and threatening me again. This time she said her and her bf had decided they were getting rid of all our animals.

My cat is my life and I will not let her threaten me. I plan to move him to my grandmas today but what would I do if I come home and he is gone? Is there anything I can do?

Answer: I advise first getting your pets away and into your grandmas house ASAP (if they're still there).


Title: [CO] Can a judge order you to purchase something for someone else?

Question:
More specifically, I recently heard of a situation where a judge ordered a party to purchase a pre-paid phone card to supply to the other party (incarcerated ex-spouse) so that said ex could participate in a child custody hearing.

Is there any circumstance where a judge can legally do this?  Assume no prior agreement was made between the two parties pertaining to a pre-paid phone card or any other means to facilitate participation in a hearing.

Edit:  Chose most appropriate flair per sidebar instructions, though I believe this is more of a procedure question than being specific to Custody.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Family court judges have fairly wide latitude to make appropriate orders to implement visitation.  So, yes, there is a circumstance where a judge can do this -- this circumstance.


Title: Lost everything in a fire what are my options?

Question:
Hello, my name is James and last night my apartment burnt down. We were on the second floor and we are told the apartment will not reopen for a year. Everything is gone. The fire was started by an outside lamp because it had faulty wiring. I had renters insurance but when I called them they said they have no policy with me. I have a message from my insurance agent from when I signed up and sent them to him. Now he won't answer my calls. Please help. My family is lost. Is there any legal action I can take? If you have any suggestions let me know

EDIT: I live in Westmont Illinois. I'm waiting to speak to red cross as they are at the apartment complex. My insurance agent said I never asked for renters. I sent him a text conversation where he offered it to me and I agreed to sign up for it. He's saying that when he submitted the policy the first payment bounced and that caused my renters insurance to be canceled and I'm SOL

EDIT: here's a link if anyone is interested https://www.google.com/amp/wgntv.com/2018/01/31/apartment-fire-displaces-16-families-in-westmont/amp/

Answer:
 If you have renters insurance, then you have a history of making payments to said insurance company. Have you ever made payments? Answer #2: Contact your local American Red Cross. They will get you setup with the basics.

Do you have receipts that show you paid for renters insurance?

Contact a local attorney. Answer #3: Is there a chance that your renter's insurance lapsed? Go back into your emails and find the actual insurance policy #.Answer #4: Do you have an online account for your renter's insurance? Start there. For example, if it's State Farm, log into the site, find out your policy number and see if you have regular payments.

Barring that, check out your bank statements for regular withdrawals or a yearly payment. You should be able to phone the company customer service line and find out more. Escalate to a manager. Explain your local agent is not taking your calls.

For immediate help, check out United Way, the Red Cross, and other social agencies. Churches are another good bet. They can get your family immediately clothed and set up with the basics. If you use social media, you can also ask for donations and help.


Title: (NY) My grandmother was scammed out of $4,000 through a gift card scheme, is there any way to get any money back?

Question:
To summarize the scam, someone pretended to be my brother & tell my grandma that he was in jail & in order to post bail, he needed 2 $2000 target gift cards. Being on the verge of senility, she complies and of course afterwards she decides to call my mom & find out that no, this is not true. Since she had already given the scammers the gift card numbers, they already used the gift cards to buy other gift cards at Target, this was confirmed by Target.

I know the credit card company is not in any fault. However, I would like to know if there is any way that Target could be liable. My reasoning is that if there was a policy about handing out $2000 gift cards, they should check why or limit the amount you can do at one time. If this wasn't followed, could they be liable for some of the money owed back? Also, since this will be reported as stolen (or scammed? IDK what we should on a police report) would there be anything there as well?

I think I already know the answer to this one but maybe there is hope, who knows. If I get the answers I think I will, I told my mom the best thing to do (Aside from monitor my grandmother amongst other things) is to complain to Target about their procidures & lack of security about this & hope they do something in fear of public backlash or publicity. Thanks in advance

Answer: no, the money is gone