Title: Grandmother passed away, one week away from closing the sale of her house, a 30k debt appears, potentially leaving us with nothing left over

Question:
Location: San Antonio, TX
Names changed

Half a year ago, my grandmother passed away due to cancer. Four months later, after settling a change of executor ship and estate sales/cleaning the estate, the house (worth 100k, with 40k of mortgage) was put on the market where a buyer was quickly found.

Fast forward to a week away from the closing date (last week), the title company alerts us of a debt. The debt says it started out as a 7k loan (2004 or before), and due to an 18% interest rate post judgement, rose up to 25k~. I look at the judgement paperwork and notice that the last in the title is not my grandmothers last name (Collection agency vs. Barbara Pilliams) when her last name is Pillows. In the judgement, the correct name is listed later with my grandmothers correct address. After doing some research in public records, it seems that this debt has changed hands at least twice to two different debt collection companies, with my grandmothers correct name and the incorrect name being interchanged in many of the listings. Nothing about this debt makes sense, we lived right next to her at that time, so we knew her finances, plus she was closing on a big settlement during that time, so it doesn’t make sense that she would take out a loan.

Now my grandmothers mortgage company has given us two weeks to get this sorted out and close the sale before her house goes into foreclosure. Our current plan of action was to: 1) Get a lawyer and go in front of a judge to get it thrown out or reduced 2) Get a lawyer and negotiate with the collection company for a lower rate.

However after speaking with a couple of attorneys, they state that the debt wouldn’t be able to be thrown out and that we should just pay it. Is there any way out of this? We only have a week and a half to do anything before the house starts foreclosure.

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 >However after speaking with a couple of attorneys, they state that the debt wouldn’t be able to be thrown out and that we should just pay it.

If multiple lawyers told you this, it is highly likely you have no other course of action.


Title: Can employer search my vehicle with threat of termination if they believe I have a legally stored firearm?

Question:
This is in Wisconsin. Under the Firearms and Weapons section of my employee handbook it states the following:

"To ensure a safe workplace, *StoreName* reserves the right to conduct reasonable searches,
including searching lockers, desks, purses, briefcases, toolboxes, **personal or company vehicles**,
jackets and apparel, or other items or areas in which a weapon may be hidden. Searches may
be conducted by *StoreName* leadership team or local authorities. To the extent
*StoreName* leadership team requests the search and the associate is present, the
associate may refuse the search; however, such refusal can result in termination of
employment for refusal to cooperate.

Now my employer doesn't allow weapons on company property, but in Wisconsin you are allowed to store your firearm in your personal vehicle. Can I be fired for not allowing them to search my vehicle if they suspect I have a legally stored gun, and want to search my car? It almost seems like they are targeting individuals who regularly carry a gun.

**Edit: Here is the policy section about storing it:**

As required by law, associates with a license to lawfully carry a weapon may have weapons in
their personal vehicle, whether in the company parking lot or while engaging in work-related
travel off premises. However, associates lawfully carrying a weapon in their personal vehicle
must ensure the weapon is stored safely and securely and is completely hidden from view at all
times, and they must keep the vehicle locked and secure at all times, in addition to complying
with all applicable laws. Associates will be required to present proof of a valid license when
requested by Human Resources or other members of store leadership.

Answer:
 Under Wisconsin’s 2011 law allowing licensees to carry concealed weapons, an employer may not prohibit a licensee, as a condition of employment, from carrying or storing a concealed weapon, a particular type of concealed weapon, or ammunition in the licensee’s own motor vehicle, regardless of whether the motor vehicle is used in the course of employment or whether the motor vehicle is driven or parked on property used by the employer.

So basically dont tell anyone you own guns. If it ever comes up bring up the state law and make a stand. Do understand you will be fired for the tineist thing after that. 5 minutes late? Fired. Missed a deadline? Fired. Get the picture?


Title: Sold my car, a month later it was towed with my license plates still on it and they want $4,000 from me. How screwed am I?

Question:
I sold my car via Craigslist. I had it registered in Montana. Sale was made to a California resident in California. We both signed the title and a Montana DMV "Bill of Sale" form and I have copies of both. She has the originals.

I didn't know until after she left with the car that you're supposed to take your license plates off of the car when you sell it \(by Montana practices at least, it was a footnote in the bill of sale\). A month later, I notice a charge on my Fastrak account \(toll account\) for my car with those plates. I sent her a text asking about whether she got the plates changed. No answer. Then today I got some mail sent to me from my permanent address in Montana and it includes both a tow notice from the highway patrol and, separately, a notice of intent to sell the car from the tow and storage company.

The letter from the tow company has a bill for the tow charge \($250\) and the daily storage charge \($70\) and says that if I don't own the car anymore, to send a notice to the DMV and that should be the end of it. But I'm wary. The next line says that "if you are last owner of the vehicle, you may still be liable for the costs..." Technically, she's the last owner, right? Or will they try to drop this on me if she's non\-responsive?

Do I have anything to worry about? Or can I just send in the notice to the DMV with my copies of the sale materials and forget about it?

Answer: Go to the DMV in person, preferably in the morning, bring all paperwork you have. They will probably have your sign a title transfer affidavit; I had to do one for a Jeep I sold that ended up in a salvage yard for parts; but I'm in Colorado....Answer #2: She is the last owner since you sold it. I'm pretty sure they are referring to the auction of the car.Answer #3: I had a similar thing happen in IL. I had taken the plates off, but the car was parked illegally and I was tracked down using the VIN number. I copied the paperwork for the sale and sent it to the police station (different town).  They said thank you and cleared my name.


Title: PragerU and Youtube.

Question:
So, a week back Prager [sued](https://www.prageru.com/press-release-prager-university-prageru-takes-legal-action-against-google-and-youtube-discrimination) YouTube.  They contend that YouTube is illegally censoring them by putting the videos into restricted mode, where they are unavailable in places like libraries and schools.

Of the videos listed [here](https://www.prageru.com/youtube-continues-restrict-many-prageru-videos-fight-back), I've watched about a third, and while some I disagree with, I fail to find any obscene, illegal, or  excessively controversial.  Many, however, are though provoking.

I first came across this [here](https://youtu.be/xqmeZiqwFuM), and the subject of Google/YouTube being a private company comes up, and PragerU CEO Marissa Streit points out that yes, they are, but Google themselves claim to be a public forum.  She compares it to a mall, which I find interesting in light of [Pruneyard Shopping Ctr. v. Robins](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/447/74/case.html).  Pruneyard upheld a California law, so it wouldn't apply, for instance, here in Washington state.  But, I think an important factor here is "Where is Google?".  Are they in California, where their headquarters are?  Wherever the end user access them?  Where the content in question was created?  some mysterious space known as "the Internet"?

AFAIK, there is no direct case law on this.  The closest I can think of is that (again, AFAIK, since IANAL), generally as you go down the chain federal, state, county and local laws can be more restrictive, but not less.  Again, in general, sometimes the higher level of law forbids lower groups from changing said law.  In the same vein, I believe that when restrictions are placed upon the common citizen by two or more legislative entities, the courts will usually side with the least restrictive.

Since Youtube has been restricting Prager's videos, but not those of re-uploaded content, I think there is an obvious intent to discriminate against them.  While it doesn't apply to Non-profits, like PragerU, youtubes rules for when they will [review](http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2017/08/robert-farago/breaking-youtube-demonetizing-gun-channels/) a video basically takes form of "hide it until its no longer news, then let it out".

This isn't a case, IMO, of "no <pejorative> allowed", but one of "no <pejorative> allowed between eight and seventeen o'clock".  The latter might be ok if the pejorative in question is pornographic or excessively violent.  For instance, I doubt you'd see Game of Thrones adapted to a play, performed in your neighborhood park tomorrow at noon.

Controversial...  As is often mis-attributed to Holmes, "your rights end where my nose begins".  We allow controversial activities, such as Antifa and Alt-right marches, as long as there is no violence.  Even if YouTube is upheld to be a private entity, cases like the gay wedding cake are arguing that you can't discriminate against groups you disagree with.  (on a side note, I think because of Snyder v. Phelps, the case will be overturned next month).

Answer:
 YouTube is a private entity with many competitors.  I doubt any court is going to adopt the California mall theory to restrict Google's ability to filter its own service.

PragerU should start its own video-hosting website or switch to Vimeo or another YouTube competitor if it's unhappy.


Title: [CA] I just got a ticket for turning right on red.

Question: So today I was going down the road and I approach the intersection to make a right. As I got closer to it, the light turned yellow and right before I was about to turn, it turns red. I knew I couldn't turn on red but I wasn't going to stop because I already made my decision to turn. After I turn, I see the cop on my right-hand side pulling out of a restaurant and he turns on his lights. I believe there was no way he could have seen me with his own eyes because he was on the other side of the restaurant. [Pic](http://imgur.com/a/mmZ8N) Is there any chance I can fight this? Edit: I was turning right onto Pioneer Blvd.

Answer:
 >I knew I couldn't turn on red but I wasn't going to stop because I already made my decision to turn

So your defense to fighting it is...what?Answer #2: I turned right on red, but the cop couldn't possibly have seen it is not  a defense.  And is contradicted by the fact that apparently he saw it since he knew to stop you for it.

Do you have some other form of defense you hope to raise?  Because the truth does not appear to be in your favor.


Title: Pulled over for speeding , clocked at 62 given at ticket for 65 in a 45, used my brothers ID

Question: So I was driving down a 45 mph street about a week ago and I got pulled over, I got a ticket for 65 in a 45 which is a 281$ ticket, but on my ticket it says that i was clocked by a radar gun at 62 which would’ve been a 250$ ticket, but I kinda messed up and gave them my twin brothers drivers license instead of mine(I have a current legal license) my questions is , should I attempt to lower my ticket in traffic court to a 62 in a 45 and save myself money? Or is that even possible in this scenario?

Answer:
 Are you planning on impersonating your brother in court too? Don't.

Frankly, you should get an attorney ASAP as providing the wrong ID is  likely a more serious crime.Answer #2: You done messed up, A-a-ron. You provided false information to law enforcement, and now your brother is going to get the points on his license.

Get an attorney.Answer #3: If it was me I would just pony up the $281. $30 isn’t much in the grand scheme of things and it’s a lot cheaper than the court questioning why you gave them your bros Id. They might even be able to add some sort of obstructing charge or false statements to authorities those are going to carry a much bigger fine.


Title: [Alabama] Buying a house next to my smart, supper vindictive narcissistic soon to be ex-wive. How can she hurt me?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 This is sort of all over the map, but one issue at a time

Can your crazy wife make stuff up or call the cops? or get a restraining order.  Yes, of course.  The law doesn't prevent anything from happening ahead of time, just punishes wrongdoing after the fact.

Can your kid visit you sooner?  You can petition for a custody modification.  The wishes of teenage children are typically a factor during these proceedings, but it's only one factor.  Alternatively, your kid could come hang out during the afternoon if you live next door as long as the custody order doesn't prevent it (which would be very unusual).

Also, if your wife is that volatile, maybe living next door to her isn't the best option.Answer #2: I don't really feel bad for people who invite drama into their lives. Answer #3: Dude, there are so many red flags about buying this house. Don't.  Have you read ANY of the questions on here about bad neighbors.  I don't care if that's the only other house in the county. DON'T DO IT.Answer #4: courts know when they are being lied to, as do most of us reading this.


Title: Stalking no contact order

Question:
Received an emergency stalking no contact for repeatedly texting former boss trying to get job back. None were threatening. Just saying boss should have been on my side and that I didn’t deserve to be fired. And that I hope they eventually tries to help me get my job back. And that I can’t believe they fired me and that it was excessive.

Was getting ghosted so I texted too many times trying to give reasons why I should be given another chance and then former boss had emergency stalking no contact order set up against me. Court date in two weeks. Do I need to get a lawyer for this? What should I be worried about?

Answer: NAL: Yes you need to get a lawyer, you should be worried about being charged criminally. At this point you should only be discussing this with a lawyer and cease all contact with your former boss per the order you received.


Title: Abby Soviet-, dog married to gay man, has an update on her foreclosure.

Question:
Original story [here.](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2rsusr/my_dog_has_been_named_a_codefendant_in/)

I am Abby Soviet-. I am a big ass doberman, mistakenly identified as the spouse of my gay owner, Soviet-, in foreclosure documents. A few of you have asked for an update.

First of all, the original story is slightly misleading. Some people got the idea that we were losing our home due to financial trouble. In reality, the foreclosure was initiated by the local government in an effort to coerce my owner into paying some illegal fines they had levied on his property. He knew they would be unsuccessful in collecting the illegitimate fines, just as they knew that paying the fines would be cheaper than fighting them.

Unfortunately, they were not dealing with a rational person with limited resources. They were, in fact, dealing with an irrational person who is willing to spend money just to make a point. And spend they have, all for naught.

In an effort to make the city waste as much time and resources as possible, Soviet- directed his lawyer to file separate motions for each point of contention and make as many court dates as possible. My good name wasn't cleared until halfway through the process. Imagine, me being married to a human. If I had my own money I would sue the city for slander.

Anyway, it's mostly over; the serious part anyway. Nothing is going to happen and the city isn't getting their money. This is a thing the city does to generate revenue, and in fact, they are generally successful. Did I mention our mayor is a convicted felon? I probably didn't, but he is.

Answer:
 I'm going to attempt to recreate my thought process:

*WTF is the crazy shit?*

>  they were not dealing with a rational person

*Obviously.*

(clicks and reads linked original post)

*What the hell?!?  That's both hilarious and disturbing.*

Good on ya, Soviet.  Glad it's working out in the end.  And thank you for including the original post.  I enjoyed reading it with my morning coffee.  Truth really can be stranger than fiction.
Answer #2: Someone get this dog a blog. Book deal to follow.Answer #3: quick question: Did your owner also demand that the city would pay for all legal costs?
Answer #4: Good Abby. Good girl.Answer #5: Dude . . . we know your dog didn't write this . . . it's definitely OPAnswer #6: I guess you can say the city barked up the wrong tree

*puts on sunglasses*

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaAnswer #7: Thank you, Abby for your wonderful update. This is awesome! Tell your owner to give you all the bacon and perhaps post a photo of you.Answer #8: God bless you Soviet. Did you ever have to appear in court?


Title: (PA) Doctor's notes/excuse and HIPAA

Question:
Some background: I am a college student majoring in music performance, we have rehearsal/performances as part of our curriculum. On Friday night, I was supposed to perform a concert but I fell ill with the stomach flu starting Thursday. I was too sick and weak to even get up and see a doctor on Friday so I went on Saturday after regaining enough strength to walk and got a doctors note. I explained to the Dr. that I would need something that told my professor that I was actually sick, but Dr. said that they are legally not allowed to do that because of HIPAA laws and the maximum they could do is write that I was there and *maybe* the date.

Commence disaster. My professor said that my doctor's note had to have an excuse saying I was actually sick on Friday and couldn't perform in the concert. I am risking failing the course and I feel like there's nothing I can do. My question is, could the doctor really have written any more on my note? Is my professor really allowed to ask for anything more from me?
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer: Your doctor seems a bit confused.  HIPAA states information can't be released without permission.... you are standing there giving him permission.  Call (you may have to go in) and ask to speak to the HIPAA coordinator for the practice or hospital or wherever you saw the doctor.  Tell them you will sign any necessary release so the doctor can confirm you were actually ill and with what.  They should be able to set the doctor straight.


Title: [NJ] Someone gave me herpes

Question:
Hello everyone. I'm a little frazzled right now. If anyone could offer some guidance I'd really appreciate it.

About a week and a half ago, I slept with someone. We were friends for a month or two before this and she happened to be coming to my area from out of state.

Before we slept together, I specifically asked her if she had any STDs. She said that she didn't. I believed her.

Right after we slept together--like, within the hour--she admitted that no, she actually has genital herpes. And now so do I. The test is positive and I'm on medication for it.

I spoke to the police about this, because knowingly lying about having an STD and spreading it has got to be a crime, right? I was told by the officer that I could sign a complaint, but that *I* would have to tell *them* which charges I'm signing for. (I lurk here. I know that's not me "pressing charges.")

Does that sound right? If so... which charges would I sign for here? They didn't give me a list of options. They did tell me that I should consult with an attorney, but I'm not trying to seek damages from her (yet; that might change if my medical bills are high), I just want her to not be able to do this. Beyond telling the other few people that I *know* for a fact she's attempting to sleep with, what can I do to make sure she can't do this to anyone else?

Thank you for your ~~help~~ hostility, if the downvotes are any measure. Fuck me for thinking that maybe the police would be interested in stopping a sexual predator, right?

Answer: Wait, wait, wait, you got tested for herpes less than a week after contact? Incubation period is usually like 4 weeks. It's quite possible that the herpes you have you got from someone else. A huge number of people have it ("more than one out of every six people aged 14 to 49 years have genital herpes" according to the CDC) and many are asymptomatic.


Title: Hired an intern. Fired the intern. Contacted his college and found out he's not a student.

Question:
In IA.

I hired a summer intern, who lasted just about a week. Poor attitude and poor work quality, and lied to me on several occasions.

I contacted his college (my alma mater) to find out what the process is to end an internship early, only to be told that he isn't a student there, never has been a student there and the program advisor for his major had never even heard of him.

I'm not sure what to do with this information, but I'd like to create some sort of small consequence for him. He's a 22-year-old kid and needs to learn NOW that integrity is a real thing.

I'm planning to prorate his paycheck (it was a salaried position) already. But what are the implications of lying about your education on your resume? I do know it is fraud in some states.

Answer:
 You get to fire him, but you don't get to punish him. Learn NOW that checking references is a real thing. Answer #2: > I'm planning to prorate his paycheck

How? You can't reduce his rate of pay retroactively. You CAN prorate it by hours actually worked for the last WEEK of employment.

> He's a 22-year-old kid and needs to learn NOW that integrity is a real thing.

Oh get off it. You aren't his parent, teacher, mentor, or role model. Just move on. Someday lying will bite him in the ass on its own.

> I do know it is fraud in some states.

People lie on their resume all the time and nobody goes to jail for it.

P.S. Checking references is a real thing to.Answer #3: You can give him a bad reference.

Firing him is about the most severe immediate penalty you can impose. You could speak to the police or to a prosecutor about fraud, but the reality is that after a week in an entry-level position, there's very little chance that they'd pursue criminal consequences. Had this been a job with serious qualifications, or one where something more valuable than an intern's wages were at stake, it might be worth following up on, but personally I think you've done what you can.

The school may well want to know more about this person who is putting themselves forwards as a student, though.


Title: (Kansas) Going through a mutual divorce and ex hired a new attorney a week before our deposition

Question:
My wife and I decided not to fight and have a mutual divorce. We went to a single lawyer who drew up our divorce decree and we agreed on all but two items, we did agree on the parenting plan.
We have a deposition scheduled for July 29th to sort out our disagreements.

I received a letter in the mail today from my wife's new attorney telling me that anything involving our case should be sent to them. Is she allowed to get a new attorney since we are doing this divorce mutually? Should I lawyer up for the hearing on the 29th? I feel like if I go in unrepresented then I might be blindsided by her. I'm truly confused as I was under the impression that we would go to this hearing and the judge would make a decision on our case and that would be it. Why would she hire another attorney?

Answer: Yes. As a matter of fact the attorney that made your divorce agreement can't represent two parties in a legal dispute.


Title: Apartment Neighbor Has aggressive Pitbull that is a "Emotional support animal Service Dog"

Question:
I live in an apartment complex where my neighbor has an aggressive pit bull. The pit is on a leash when they walk their pit, but when I'm out in the court yard playing with my son and the neighbor walks by on the sidewalk the pit often growls and barks and tugs on the owners leash at my son playing in the grass.

This happened to my niece as another dog in a different complex broke free from the owners leash and attacked my niece and I'm afraid something like this might happen to my son as well.

I'm 100% convinced that if the pit were to break free he would maul my son as he is showing proper signs of aggression.

However, when talking to my apartment complex they said there is nothing they can do about it because it's registered as an "emotional support service dog"

What steps can I take here besides moving?

Answer:
 There are none.  You have no control over your neighbors or your apartment complex.  Answer #2: > I'm 100% convinced that if the pit were to break free he would maul my son as he is showing proper signs of aggression.

Then, should the animal break free and maul your son, sue the owner.

You can't have someone's dog taken away because you don't like it.  Keep your son away from it.


Title: Is my job violating the "Americans With Disabilities Act?"

Question: I work in a call center for a certain cable company that everyone despises in Alabama. I found out in October 2014 that I was a Type 2 Diabetic. I spent 4 days in the hospital and came back to work the following week with a blood sugar around 300. My supervisor kept telling me I shouldn't be there but couldn't actually say it on the record because of company policy. Since coming back, they give me mountains of paperwork to do and for my doctor to do to get any accommodation. If I need time to check my blood sugar, I had to tough it out for 3 weeks while they drew up paper work and they put such a strict time frame on getting it filled out that I missed my window. I still get reprimanded for having to check my blood sugar or if I need to get a snack. I've also dealt with infections, tiredness, and a difficult time getting used to Metformin. I was told that if I want those absences excused I have to go through FMLA which won't backdate as far as I need it and also stated that they won't cover anything before meeting with an endocrinologist. From what I understand, my employer should accommodate these absences. I bring in an ER note from the visits but they say it isn't enough. I have spent ridiculous amounts on copayments for doctors along with fees to get paperwork filled out and I still get hounded for checking blood sugar, getting a snack, bathroom visits, and absences. Is my job really giving me a reasonable accommodation under the AWDA? I'm currently on short term leave right now because trying to balance diabetes along with being passive-aggressively threatened with the loss of my job over paperwork has caused me untold stress. Any info would be helpful.

Answer:
 I am not an expert in this area by any stretch of the imagination.

But I know several diabetic persons.

It takes 30 seconds or so to check your blood sugar.  You could literally do it while you are on the phone if you have to.  Same with eating a snack.  Two bites of an apple between calls and you've managed your condition without interrupting your work at all...

How often are you checking your sugar?  How long are you away for each check?  How many extra snacks do you need per shift?  How long do those take?

If you're taking 15-20 minutes per hour to do all of that (for example) I'd say it's not reasonable.  One extra 10 minute break for a check/snack per 8 hour shift?  Maybe.

But the devil is in the details here.


Title: [US/ME] We received a mass email with all the recipients visible. Can we use these emails for marketing/sales?

Question:
An employee from my company received a mass email about a piece of software we do consulting work for. This email, however, was not sent through a mass email service or BCC'd so all of the recipients - all of which are customers of this software - were visible. Before being let in on this, I was asked to add this list of contacts into our marketing/sales contact database.

My question is - does this count as email harvesting? And can we use these emails for our marketing/sales efforts? I'm finding a lot of conflicting/unclear information for B2B cold emails.

(I'm personally on the side that I don't think we should even have these contacts in our database, but I am new to working with email marketing/sales so I could be wrong)

Answer:
 Practical advice, not legal advice: if I ever found out about my email being used in such a way, I would not only never purchase from you or do business with you, OP, I would do everything in my power to make sure others did not as well.  Legally, you're probably in the clear.  As a matter of etiquette, this is a gross violation.
Answer #2: There's no law on cold emailing a company, so you could use those as in your marketing/sales.  If found out how you got those, you can expect the company that sent it to not respect your company professionally anymore.


Title: If someone kills themself after being critically injured in an attack, is the attacker guilty of murder or attempted murder?

Question:
Suppose a person is shot multiple times in the chest and they are certain to die, but before they actually do die they throw themselves off a cliff, or take a shotgun and vaporize their head.

Since the person technically committed suicide and didn't die from the wounds sustained in the attack, is the attacker guilty of murder or attempted murder?

Answer:
 This is an interesting question that we often answer in health care. Recently took a brain injury patient into hospice care years after the gunshot wound that paralyzed him.  There was a direct link between those gunshot wounds and his brain injury, chronic aspiration pneumonia and weight loss.   They took the now 50 year old shooter into custody before word of his demise could leak.

 The other variation we see of this is a parent fighting to stop their child from being taken off life support after they were abused to the point of being placed on life support. That's a serious upgrade in charges when a 5 year old dies.

 In all of the situations I have seen there is a clear cause-and-effect that leads to the upgraded charges.Answer #2: The prosecution would have to argue that the attack led to the mental health crisis that led to the person taking their own life. Probably not "murder", though.


Title: Cutting Hours so Employees Quit

Question: I work at a car wash in a employment-at-will State. I have worked there for a year and been there through 4 general managers and now 2 regional managers. The new general manager at my location is now cutting people’s hours that he doesn’t like. He has openly talked about cutting their hours and how he wants to get them to quit that way because he has no reason to actually fire them. He has gone as far as saying he’s fired these people but he has not. He has also edged around saying that he knows it’s wrong. I noticed today that I was scheduled for a total of 3 hours next week and am now worried he is trying to pull the same thing on me. I am not in a position where I can get a new job quickly and rely on this one to pay for college and insurance so I cannot quit. Is what he’s doing illegal? Is there anything I can do?

Answer: There's nothing illegal about it, but an employee who has their hours cut significantly like that can generally file for unemployment.


Title: [CA] Landlord withheld my entire deposit 39 days past our move out date and even then still withheld $600 of my security deposit for unreasonable items.

Question:
I moved out of a condo I was renting and during the move-out walk-through the landlord said I should receive my entire deposit back and tells me he will send it in 10 days.  I return the front door key but I cannot find the mail key, parking pass, or storage closet key to return (dumb mistake by me).  I figure its probably packed up and he says I can just mail it when I get to my out-of-state destination and unload in 5 days.

I find it in 6 days and mail it to my landlord and let him know (he says thanks).  15 days later I still haven't receive my refund check and so I text him.  He then sends me an email that he hasn't sent it yet and also includes a break-down of all the fees he is with-holding which adds up to $600: Maybe $150 of which I could see he had an argument for (but still a weak one).  The other $350 I think is absurd - things like:

- $20 for new smoke detector batteries (isn't this just his maintenance cost? It seems like we are paying for this for his new tenants)

- $30 for replacing furnace filter (isn't this just his maintenance cost? It seems like we are paying for this for his new tenants)

- $100 for patching nail and pin holes for pictures

- $200 for existing damage we had previously documented at move in with pictures.

I tell him this is ridiculous considering the conversation we had at move out and ask what happened to him sending it within 10 days.  He says he can take his time sending it and has 21 days from the time he received the storage unit key back from me in the mail.  We argue for a few days about charges without coming to agreement and I finally get the partial refund 39 days after I had moved out.

I think I will take him to small claims just because it really irks me that he waited until I was out of state to try to pull all this and plus I will be traveling back to CA a bit anyways.   But I want to see how strong my case is.  I think the fact that he withheld the deposit past the 21 days California law allows is enough to help me win but he seems to think that won't apply because he is going from the time he received the storage key in the mail not when I physically moved out and returned the front door key.  Who is right - do I have a good case to pursue this?

Answer:
 So, the thing with the X# of days to send a refund/itemize deductions is that not doing so in the appropriate time forfeits his right to withhold *any* of the deposit.  Arguing that the return of the storage key resets the clock is actually pretty smart on his part.  He can say that they aren't able to finalize deductions until they were certain that the key was returned.  Assuming that the deduction/refund falls within the time frame based on the return of the storage key, then this looks reasonable to me.  I don't know if that flies in court, but it might.

In either case, you can still argue the merits of the individual deductions.  Frankly, they all seem ridiculous.

* Nail and pin holes from hanging pictures is normal wear and tear (unless it was excessive).

* Previous damage with documentation and pictures should be easy to argue against.

* The furnace filter and smoke detector batteries...Are you effing kidding me?  Would he like to tack on the cost of some light bulbs while he is at it?

I think you have a good case here.  If it isn't an undue hardship to pursue, I would strongly consider it.  Send a demand letter first detailing why he needs to return all of the money (normal wear and tear, previously documented existing damage, and his maintenance costs) before filing suit.  Give him time to respond, and then proceed.  Good Luck!


Title: [US:CA] Wrongfully terminated from retail, HR claimed it was rightful because I was sitting. Should I give up?

Question:
I was terminated for 'negligence' for sitting for a moment to reset my hit, should I give up? Or is there concern valid to consult a lawyer? I am struggling to get rehired because of the broad terminology of 'negligence' and am at my wits end.

Background:

• Suffer from a Doctor diagnosed disease that inhibits my ability to stand for long periods of time, and sometimes my hip will just give out.

• I do not have to sit for hours, I just have to rest for a reasonable few minutes to reset my hip.

• Have no buildup of written or verbals that initiated a suspension into termination.

• Final termination paper just says "Negligence", no description.

• Manager states it was due to negligent guest service, but termination paper does not say that.

• But his supporting evidence for my termination was a video of me sitting down-no context.

• Again, no statements, written, or verbal that there was some type of problem.

• My record of guest service, provided by my manger, states I have the most successful guest service in the district And overall performance-but then I was suspended and terminated with no record as to why.

• HR closed the case saying it was rightful termination, that I did not disclose the disability to my manager-I did. But, my management never educated or trained me on the process to disclose or inform the proper channels of my disability. I even came into work on a cane one day due to an extreme case one day, and my manager witnessed this.

• According to how the conversation with HR ended, I am being fired for sitting down when I could have been doing other things. What are others things, they will not specify, but they have no cited cases, and according to a case of an Employee vs CVS, and many others, my sitting did not inhibit my ability to perform my job in anyway-thus my belief of wrongful termination.

Edited/Added 05/16:

• Defending for my disability seems to already be in the gray. But, my previous superiors were interviewed by HR and did state that they were aware of the disability and what it entailed, but they also did not have the necessary training to report to the right channels.

• The superior who terminated me, said they were unaware of my disability to HR-thus their decision of 'rightful termination'. But again, my superior was witness to me on a cane and I informed them of why I was on a cane due to my disability. This was a scenario, of many, where I had to reiterate to him about my but was not informed by the companies process in reporting disabilities to the proper channels.

• According to HR I am being terminated for sitting, but is this not contradictory to a case in 2016 where it was deemed by 9th circuit court that if work can be performed at the same level as standing-then sitting is permitted. There are also other borderline laws and regulations of employer provided seating and accommodation.

• And according to the only incident that my superior showed me on DVR, but did not cite in his termination, I sat for only a few minutes before returning to work-not hours.

• According to my records of verbal and written statements from my superior, there is no indication my performance was a problem or effected due to sitting or otherwise.
I am at my wits end, and this has been going on for a month, soon to be two. Should I give up and move on, or is there still valid concern for my struggles?

---------------------------------------------------------

TL;DR: I was fired from retail for sitting down. I have a disease that causes my hip to fall out of place, and this was disclosed to all my managers. My managers deny the disclosure, even though I am on film falling from my hip, and talking to them on a cane. And HR deemed the case rightful termination, because I was sitting and should have been "...doing my job."

Answer:
 The biggie: if you never made your request for an accommodation in writing, you're going to have a very hard time showing that the company was aware of the need to accommodate you. If the policy is "no sitting" and the company isn't reasonably aware of your (good) reasons to need an exception, then they can fire you for breaking the policy, consequence free.

You should speak to an employment lawyer. It's _possible_ that this is a bona fide wrongful termination. However, your narrative doesn't give me a lot of hope, so keep your expectations reasonable.


Title: Question on claiming an abandoned vehicle? [Portland, OR]

Question:
There is a motorcycle in my University parking garage that has been left for well over a year. The University has put numerous tickets under the windshield, a boot on the wheel, and tried to contact the owner with no avail. The motorcycle has a Washington license plate on it, and the tags expired in 2014.

I understand that if I were to try and claim this property as abandoned, that there would be some due process involved. Oregon DMV website says that there are no specific laws regarding claiming abandoned property, but that also tells me that there are no specific laws preventing claiming abandoned property. The parking garage staff say that the university is planning to tow it soon, where it will most likely sit in a lot, still abandoned, and then be crushed for scrap.

Any ideas on what I could do to claim it?

Answer:
 > Oregon DMV website says that there are no specific laws regarding claiming abandoned property

That's not exactly what it says.  What the DMV site says is:

> "There are no provisions in the law that allow you to claim ownership of an abandoned vehicle on your property, even if you have no knowledge of who owns the vehicle or why it was left there."

That doesn't mean that the law is a vacuum. That means that there is no legal way for you to get title to an abandoned vehicle, even if it is on your property.  This means that trying to get title without contacting the owner and purchasing the vehicle or having it transferred is illegal.

Generally, to dispose of abandoned vehicles on the street, you'd call the city's [abandoned auto reporting line](https://www.portlandoregon.gov/transportation/article/300466).  But if this is private property, then the proper office to call is the city's [Bureau of Development Services](https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bds/34179).


Title: Can a hotel refuse to allow guests under 30 to book rooms?

Question:
29 year old here.  Turn 30 next spring.  I have to travel to a pretty remote area and there is really only one hotel option within 30 minutes.  The hotel states minimum age to book is 30 which I think is a horrible business policy being in such an area but to each their own.  I called and kindly explained my situation but they said no exceptions.

Upstate NY

Answer:
 Legal.Answer #2: This is legal.

Your employer should be able to reach out and try to get this straightened out. Explain to your employer that you tried, but were not allowed because of your age.

It may also be of interest to call the hotel and explain that this is a business trip and will be covered by your employer. Ask for what steps they would need to accommodate a 29 year old professional through the business. If they still refuse, I'd say that is a pretty horrible customer experience for both you and your employer, and they should reconsider doing deals with them in the future. Additionally, if they are corporate, you can try to reach out to them to explain your case.Answer #3: So long as they are broadly applying this policy to anyone who asks, this is legal.


Title: Ex girlfriend wants the motorcycle back. But I already promised it for a friend.

Question:
Need a little reassurance here...

So my ex cheated on me... twice... the first time I forgave her because we have a life together and I was happy living with her. I was hoping it was a one time mistake. After we reconciled, I think she tried to buy me over with gifts. One of those gifts was a motorcycle. It was a sweet gesture, but during that time, we were tight on money and having to take care of another vehicle was just not ideal. For the rest of the time I was with her, I parked the motorcycle at my mother's house, because I didn't have the money for gear, parking or for insurance.

After I found out she cheated again, 7 month later, I broke it off with her. I wanted to be civil and divided everything, including the motorcycle. I told myself to be calm and these are thing I need to get through in order to have closure. I was texting her about what she want to do with the motorcycle, and at the time she was very emotional. She straight up told me to keep it. I didn't want the bike, but my friend wanted to learn. So I decided to give it to him. He already brought gear, sign up for classes, and took the bike for maintenance. The motorcycle is still under my name and I have the pink slip and everything, but I plan to transfer it to my friend soon.

Its been almost 3 month since I broke up with my ex. She just asked for the motorcycle back because she is having money issues. I told her about how I plan on giving it to my friend, and she threatens to sue me because she still has the receipt/bank statements.

What do you guys think will happen if I don't give the bike back? I mean, my friend already paid for the classes, gear, and maintenance for the motorcycle. He is so excited to ride.

&#x200B;

TL:DR Ex-girlfriend brought a motorcycle for me when we were together. We broke up and she told me to keep the motorcycle. Now as I am about to give it to my friend, she is asking it back. Does she have any ground to demand it back?

Answer: If your name is on the title, and it was a gift, you have no obligation to give it to her.


Title: If my whole property was under surveillance, and I let everyone know they were being recorded while on my property and gave them an option to leave, could the footage be used legally?

Answer:
 You'd likely have no issues with common spaces like your backyard, living room, and kitchen.

You would likely still have problems in places where people can reasonably expect privacy - like say the bathroom.


Title: Did The North Face violate the Federal Trade Commission's rules against deceptive advertising when they covertly edited Wikipedia to promote their products?

Answer:
 For those who, like me, didn’t know what this was about:

https://www.outsideonline.com/2397539/north-face-wikipedia-violation

TL;DR: North Face Brazil took photos of people wearing North Face products in well-known locations and put the photos in those locations’ Wikipedia pages as a sort of covert adAnswer #2: What exactly was deceptive about it?Answer #3: Deceptive advertising would be if you're promising something you don't deliver.  This wasn't that.

Plus, this wasn't US-based, it was Brazil-based international advertising.Answer #4: There’s nothing deceptive about this, it’s just a good marketing tactic IMO. But I suspect it may violate Wikipedia’s TOS.


Title: [USA-PA] Boss is demanding mandatory overtime without pay (offering comp time). Says labor laws don’t apply to me because I’m salary.

Question:
Long story short, My boss is threatening mandatory overtime because one of our workers moved on to a new job, and there is an access workload presently. Every time he has mentioned overtime in the past, we bring up time and a half pay, but he says we are not entitled to it since we work for a salary, and are not hourly employees. He also states that I have no rights to deny this overtime, and that I can take the comp time offered.

Are there laws that protect me as a worker who makes a salary and does not hourly? Am I required to work one 2nd over 40 hours a week? If I do work more than 40 hours, am I not entitled to time and a half pay?

Answer: You're salary making above the minimum. You're not entitled to OT and can be required to work more than 40 hours/week.


Title: [FL] Someone kicked in the door of my car, caught on camera. Will police respond?

Question:
Background story: I live in a small condo building. A few months ago, I come downstairs one night to find that someone has parked his truck behind my car, blocking me into the spot so I can't get out. I call the towing company and have them come and move the truck a few feet. As I am about to leave, the owner of the truck comes down and starts to scream about the fact that I touched his car. I explain that he's not allowed to block people in. He continues to scream and calls the tow company to scream at them. They apparently tell him to go fly a kite. He hangs up the phone, still visibly enraged, gets into his car and waits until I pull out to follow me aggressively as leave the parking lot. I manage to lose him only when I get onto the highway.

This weekend, he left a huge dent in my door.

I contacted the HOA who provided camera footage, but the footage is shoddy and doesn't capture the entire thing. The frame only gets the back end of my car and shows the guy getting out of his truck (parked next to mine), going back around to my car, then my car slightly move (as I assume he kicks/ knees the door), making the dent I later found.

I live in this building and own my unit. This person doesn't live in our building. Once a week he visits a woman who rents here. The HOA has told me to go to the police and there is nothing else they can do, but they did give me the contact information of the woman he visits and the contact of the owners of the unit.

My concerns are: 1) If I call the police they won't give a shit, especially given the current health crisis, and 2) Even if they come and give the guy a warning it will only unhinge him more and he might do something worse. If I contact the woman or the owners, I don't know if they would be able or willing to do anything, and again, might only exacerbate things.

If I do nothing, I am still worried he will continue to cause damage to my car and/ or physically assault me. I am upset about my car, but more than that I am angry that I have to feel afraid at the place where I live because of a deranged asshole.

Advice or thoughts appreciated.

Answer:
 First, I am not a lawyer.
I would take several approaches.
Go to the police department to file a report, and request a restraining order. He yelled at you, followed you, and very likely damaged your property.
Report the damages to your insurer, and give your suspicions as well as copies of your evidence. They may seek damages against him.
Finally review the HOA agreement, word for word. There may be a clause about responsibility for guests. Don't trust your HOA to give you the information you need.Answer #2: You can sue him in small claims court for the damages.  Of course, a police report would help -- especially if his behavior continues, since you could show a history


Title: Living in Nebraska, background checks killing me

Question:
I was charged with shoplifting in 2014, for accompanying an acquaintance to walmart and she shoplifted under 200 dollars worth of merchandise. We both got tickets, with matching court dates, and I showed up and she didn't. This resulted in the judge laying all the charges on me, and I had a breakdown, because I actually didnt do anything. He told me to go see a counselor for 5 sessions and then he would drop the charges, He seemes to believe me. I thought this was gone.

I just got a call from a job I was hired onto recently and they told me they cannot move forward with my employment because of charges on my record from 2014. I didn't mention the charges on my app questions because the charges were dropped and I was specifically told that it would not show up on my record.

What do I do? Is there a way to find out what is on my record? I can't keep applying blind. If I had known this was on my record, I would have mentioned it, and I'd still have that job. I'm very upset.

Thank you in advance for reading, guys!

EDIT: I looked into my states expungement eligibility and since I had to complete some form of diversion program I can get it expunged. Only trick now is having to drive to that courthouse inparticular and take care of this. Thank you.

Answer: The arrest still happened. Unless you went to court and petitioned for the records to be sealed/expunged, they are still there. Contact a lawyer about getting this expunged.


Title: Help! Employer is postponing paychecks and I have bills due. What should I Do? (Alaska)

Question: My employers are based on the East coast, and employ us to run a contract on a military base in Alaska. We are part of a union, and I tried calling my rep, but nobody is answering. We are scheduled to get paid every other friday (today being that day). Yesterday, they told us that those of us with direct deposit would not be getting it put into our accounts, instead they would be mailing the checks, and we would be getting them between 1 and 3pm today (Friday the 20th). At 2pm, I received a call from the manager saying that our checks were delayed on the East Coast because of weather, and we will not be receiving them until Monday. I have $600+ worth of bills I have scheduled to pay today, and will now be unable to pay, and likely receiving late fees. Does anyone know any laws or rules about pay or anything with unions that might be able to help me out? I'm so frustrated I'm about to lose it. Any help would be amazing.

Answer:
 I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but from a legal standpoint, there is literally nothing you can do between now and Monday that will get your paycheck to you any quicker.

 The law works slow to begin with and even slower on weekends.


Title: Manager told us we shouldn't discuss wages because it creates issues, what should we do?

Question:
Some background information. I work at a retail location that has a base hourly pay upon hire regardless of previous work experience. In the offer letter to each employee, it states that upon completion of training and obtaining a Notary Public certification we are given a raise of about a dollar more (less for another coworker).

After typing this out, I realized there may be confusion as to who I'm referencing to. To save time, I'll make a cast with fake names to hold to rules and privacy safety.

New hire 1: Cassie
New hire 2: Jackie
Manager: Amy
Coworker: Beth

So, Beth and I were hired several months apart. I started at $11.50 an hour and once I received my Notary, I was raised to $12.50. Beth was hired at $12 and is now being paid $12.50 for her notary. Cassie and Jackie were hired a week apart within the last month. They were hired at $12 and both offer letters state that, upon certification, they will earn $13.

This made Beth extremely upset. We all earn the same training and certifications, yet these new hires will be eventually earning more than she does. Cassie comes from a background of management, and Jackie has NO experience in retail or customer service.

Beth goes to Amy, asking why theres a discrepancy in wages, and if current employees will be offered matching rates. This process has been going back and forth for days, with anger and tension rising between all of us.

Today, Amy tells me that we shouldnt be discussing our wages because it causes problems like this. Telling us that the owner of the franchise will not match our wages, and will explain further on Monday.

I know that it's illegal to prohibit employees from discussing wages, but is it illegal to tell us that we shouldn't? It feels like a weird gray area to me, and I want to make sure that we have an equal, happy workplace.

Thanks for reading, and sorry for the long post!

Answer:
 It is, in fact, illegal for employers to forbid employees to discuss their pay amongst themselves as per the  1935 National Labor Relations Act. As for what actions you can take, I leave that to cooler heads to recommend.Answer #2: I used to be an assistant store manager, it is grossly apparent the only reason higher ups discourage the employees from discussing wages is simply because they dont want people to start asking for more money.

Example; Jessica has a terrible work ethic and constantly slacks off, however she was hired during a period where the store was short-staffed so they offered her $12 an hour in desperation. You were hired a year prior not due to desperation, so you started at $10 an hour and after a few raises due to excellent work, you now make $10.75.

If you were to talk to jessica and find out she makes more than you even though you have seniority and work circles around her, you'd be pissed. This is what they try to avoid.

I always encourage people to talk about it. If the company wants to keep you they'll pay up. If not, you can start to look for a more mindful company.


Title: My dad is retiring from his own business he started up, as a felon with a financial crime in my history, how can he pass the business to me? (x-post from /r/personalfinance)

Question: Bit of a story but I will try to keep it on point. I went to federal prison for a non violent money offense (bank fraud/ID theft) and have been home for nearly 5 years now. I work with my dad and help with all the paper work as is it now but my dad will be turning 63 and wants to do his social security and slow down some, since I am maintaining a good portion of the business as it is now. I owe back roughly $25,000 right now for my crimes but am in good standing with all of my probation. I made mistakes but have been working very hard to correct them and its come the time for me to be the "boss" and he wants to just sit back and verify things to help me do it the right way. The hold up is with him doing social security he can not work but for so much,but I am still going to be working and he is just going to help me. He will not be getting paid, so its about how is the best way for me to get the company into my name, allow him to draw his social security and allow me to be the boss without having it ALL taken. Thanks in advance for any replies/questions you have for me. I am in Virginia

Answer: You're looking for advice on how to avoid paying court mandated fines on money you earn?Answer #2: Quick business tip. The "$" goes *on the other side of the numbers*. Although it seems to be going the way of the word "literally", it's important. With the proper decimal, it acts like a bookend. It prevents people from fraudulently adding digits to a dollar figure.


Title: I'm scared my parents are going to pocket my savings account. What do I do?

Question: I'm 16 and currently have $20k saved in a joint account between me and my parents. My parents are both extreme alcoholics and have started the process of maxing out all their credit cards buying a lot luxury items. They're very aware of how much I make, and obviously have access to my accounts. Is there any way to protect myself?

Answer:
 Some banks allow minors to have accounts without an adult's name on it.  You can open an account at one of those banks and keep your money safe.

If one of those is not available in your area, you can spend a portion of that money to purchase a safe and keep your cash there.

In most locations, however, your money isn't considered your own money until you're the age of majority. This ranges from 16-21 between the US and Canada, and is state/province specific.Answer #2: One problem you have is it’s a joint account, they can drain it without your knowledge. Quit putting money into it is step one in protecting yourself


Title: PA - Asked For Reasonable Accommodation From Employer, Was Denied Then Fired

Question: I  have disability diagnoses of major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorder, I had taken time of from work following our Leave of absence policy, I was pulled into a meeting by my manager and was told that I was being fired for "absences that do not line up with company policy" I explained that my absences where covered under our LOA policy, and weeks prior asked my Dr to request an accommodation to allow me to work, manager claims they never got said email or call, I asked could she double check her records , she declined, and i was then terminated, days later i get an email from of Leave request center saying my absences were approved... and my accommodation request is pending  any recourse?

Answer:
 Did you post this under another name yesterday? You work at a very large retail store that does not have a union, right?

If so then no, this was not illegal discrimination. Forgiving absences are not a reasonable accommodation. Those are only covered by FMLA or state sick leave laws, which PA does not have. IIRC you did not qualify for FMLA at the time of the absence.

A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment to your environment or schedule that permits you to complete your job tasks and duties, not pardon you from doing your assigned work.

If you believe you have been illegally discriminated against, contact the EEOC. They will investigate and provide you with a Right to Sue letter if they establish that you were unfairly terminated due to a disability or refusal to process FMLA request. If you were terminated for absences, even if the absence was due to an ADA protected disability, it is still legal. Answer #2: You need to contact an employment lawyer. It's a very complicated area of law - too complicated to answer in Reddit comments.


Title: (FL) My city's four main local news stations always air their weather segments at the exact same time, suggesting coordination amongst them. Is this behavior anticompetitive and subject to FCC fines?

Answer: That's the very definition of competitive...


Title: My mother takes photos of me and posts them to social media. Can I take down those posts?

Question:
I do not approve of my mother posting photos of me on the internet. Am I allowed to take down those posts? (I am a minor) My brothers have conflicting opinions about this.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: No.  You have no inherent right to take down mom's posts solely because you are in them.


Title: "Beware of Dog" and similar signs [CA]

Question:
I recently moved, and while it's not a bad neighborhood, it's very close to the local college. I have a dog who believes everyone is his friend, but I was wondering if I should get "beware of dog" signs as a possible deterrent to dumb college students. Would this actually be a deterrent and/or would it expose me to liability if my bit someone? I don't think that would ever happen, but he is a dog, and all dogs are capable of biting.

And this post reminds me I need to update my renter's insurance, which I will do tomorrow. :)

Thank you!

Answer:
 Dog Law specialist here.

Replace it with two signs, "Be Aware of Dog" and "No Trespassing." All of the benefits, none of the drawbacks.


Title: Can I deny meetings with my employer if they deny being recorded?

Question:
Hi everyone, I've been reading up on a few things and I'm a little stuck. My second in command boss is kind of a bully to me and I've had enough. I've been thinking on typing an email to her and my actual boss that from now on I'll be recording meetings and if they decline I don't want the meetings. Here's the thing though, can I even deny the meetings?

 The whole reason why I wanted to record was because second in command likes to make comments that I find unprofessional. And maybe the recordings will make her act more professional. I don't plan nor do I want to record secretly. I also don't plan nor do I want to publish these recordings. I want to do this legally. I plan to ask if its alright to record but I'm more concerned if I'm able to deny a meeting if im unable to record.

If I'm unable to deny them, then could I suggest to my senior rep to be there with me when we have these meetings?

Answer: Sure. And they can terminate you for it.Answer #2: Yes you can. And unless you’re in Montana they can fire you.


Title: Caught stealing $6 in value, what are long term consequences? (WA)

Question:
I stole from a store today, caught with $6 of merch. I was cooperative and gave them documentation, returned the item and received some paperwork about being banned. They they said that the Seattle PD would likely reach out to me in a letter about a $206 restitution charge, which I'm okay with paying.

What are the long term consequencesof my actions today? Yes I was a degenerate and I feel bad, it was a mistake that I will never make again. I just don't want anything on my record, I figured for $6 I'd be fine with simply paying whatever I legally owe them but I'd hate to get a blemish on my record.

Thanks guys.

Answer:
 If you're talking about a civil demand, that's from the merchant not the police. The police would issue you a ticket with a court date if you were charged with somebody.

> but I'd hate to get a blemish on my record.

If this resolves itself without you being charged with something, consider this a warning and never steal anything ever again. That's the best way to avoid a criminal record as opposed to dealing with it after getting caught.


Title: Need explanation. Help please!

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It means exactly that. They withdrew its MSJ.

If you're asking what an MSJ is, it's a motion asking for the judge to immediately rule in favor of one side or another because the other side has no legal basis for a case, or has not met legal requirements to bring a case forward.


Title: Disclosed pet in application, wasn't charged Pet Deposit or Fee at lease signing, now being asked for both. (Maryland)

Question:
My fiancee and I moved after getting our dog.  We disclosed that we had a pet on the application (checking a box) as well as in numerous discussions with the management company.  Upon signing of the lease, they didn't include a cost for pet deposit or pet fee.  We signed the lease and moved in.  This month we had an inspection and they indicated that we had to pay the pet fee and deposit because we had a dog.

Considering we disclosed the animal on the application and they didn't include it in the costs on the lease, are we required to pay?  The lease does contain a section about having an animal requiring a pet deposit and fee.

Thank you for the help, let me know if you have any questions.

Answer:
 If the lease you signed says you owe a deposit and a fee, then you owe a deposit and fee.

It'll all come down to what's in the lease and what was agreed to between tenant and landlord.Answer #2: Just because they forgot to collect a fee you owed them does not mean you're off the hook automatically.  If it took them five years to notice, yes, you'd probably be off the hook.  But a few months would not be long enough.  While their mistake means you're likely not liable for penalties or late fees on the pet deposit/pet rent from the original due date, you still owe them the original amounts and if you don't pay now that you've been billed late fees can start accruing from here forwards.

Now, if the lease says nothing about pet fees or deposits, that's different, but if they simply forgot to bill you, you still owe them.


Title: Wife got an allergy test at a convention that was "covered by insurance" and we're probably going to be billed instead.

Question:
My wife went to a bridal expo in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania a couple weeks ago. While there her and friends stopped by a booth offering allergy tests. My wife is allergic to a couple things and we had suspected she was allergic to more. After being assured that her insurance would cover it, she got the testing done. When she told me this I was already a little skeptical but...well...too late, right?

So yesterday we get a letter in the mail from the booth people saying there's probably a problem with her insurance and they need a response within 5 days or they're going to bill us the full cost. They want more info about her and her insurance info, including photos of her card and drivers license. We are not sending them anything.

So freaking out a bit, I looked them up on Google....and of course I see [this review](https://i.imgur.com/2PySn15.png) which pretty much details my worst fear about it.

My wife is calling her insurance company today about the test and the letter to see if it is indeed a scam.

What recourses (if any) will I have here assuming they try to get nearly $1200 from us?

Answer:
 Ultimately, it's your responsibility to know what is and isn't covered by your insurance. You picked the plan, after all. Very often even doctor's offices and hospitals have no idea what your insurance covers until after they submit the paperwork.

To further make things sucky they did deliver on what they said they would, so they are entitled to some sort of payment.

Talk to the insurance, talk to the scummy allergy test people, see how you can cut the payment but you'll be on the hook for something.


Title: Someone used my card twice at Starbucks...

Question:
Hey Folks! I need some advice...maybe in the legal department. I live in California...specifically the Bay Area.

I forgot my card at a Starbucks drive through a couple of weeks ago. I thought I lost it in between my car seats so I never reported it to my back and then I realized later that the woman must have not given back to me because I checked my bank statement and noticed there were 2 charges from Starbucks in the amount of $50 each and they are a week apart. I have no other charges since the day I lost it and I have already canceled the card.

My understanding is that my card was put in the lost and found and one of the employees picked it up and swiped it to buy a gift card, TWICE. I contacted Starbucks Corporate and the woman was not very empathetic and simply stated she will email the district Manager. I was able to dispute the charges with my bank but I do NOT want that Starbucks employee to get away with this...However, I have no proof that an employee did it versus anyone else.

Can I take legal action? How should I proceed?

PS...I have not gone to the store yet to see if my card is there. I am waiting for the manager to be there, which is tomorrow morning.

Answer:
 >My understanding is that my card was put in the lost and found and one of the employees picked it up and swiped it to buy a gift card, TWICE.

Don't assume this.  You are going about this the wrong way, first off call the police and make a report.  Ask them if it is alright if you take your bank statement into star bucks and demand to speak to the manager and explain the situation - calmly and politely - to them, to see if the card is there.  If not, then let the police do the work since star bucks has cameras, and you have times of transactions, it won't be hard to see what is really going on.  Answer #2: Why on earth haven't you cancelled your card or picked it up by now?

If you've disputed the charges and have been compensated, there are no other actions to take. Especially  since you have no idea what occurred other than that someone used your card. That you haven't cancelled. Or picked up.


Title: Local police are harassing my friend, what are her options?

Question:
California, Yolo County. I'm sorry about the length of this msg; not sure what details are impt so I tried to be thorough.

My friend, "Tiffani", is being harassed by her local (town) police. Tiffani is in her late 30s and a single mother of 3. She has no felony convictions although she is a recovering drug addict (clean for close to 20yrs).

A week ago, Tiffani met an old acquaintance to give her some clothes (fall cleaning). A couple days later, the acquaintance reported her cell phone stolen & accused Tiffani.

The police showed up at Tiffani's apartment accusing her of stealing the phone and entered without permission. The police threatened to call CPS, threatened to return with a search warrant, threatened to arrest her on felony charges, etc. The police were there giving her & her children a hard time for about one hour and wouldn't leave her apt.

Within the last few days, the police have pulled Tiffani over *twice in one day*.

The first time, she was pulled over for speeding (she had just exited a parking lot and had not even picked up speed yet). They asked for license/registration; when she reached for her purse, the officer *pulled his gun* and ordered her out of the car. She was handcuffed while the police thoroughly searched her car for 30min. They claimed they smell marijuana (she does not smoke pot).

The second time *in the same day*, she was pulling out of a park when she was pulled over again, this time for failure to signal. She took her kids to the park to play with their nerf guns. The cops ordered everyone out of the car and separated her from her children. She was again cuffed. The cops told the children that playing with nerf guns is stupid, guns are dangerous, and *having nerf guns is unsafe b/c a police officer might shoot you.* The cops claimed she was drunk and administered a field sobriety test (which she passed, of course).

Threatening to shoot children, ordering you out of your car & cuffing you, etc. FOR MINOR TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS (questionable ones at that) is ridiculous. As is an hour-long interrogation for a misdemeanor theft for which the cops have no evidence.

I'm trying to get Tiffani to speak to a lawyer and learn her options. She's unwilling for now b/c of something that happened a decade ago. In short, she was wrongfully accused and suffered at the hands of the police. She sued in civil court and won. For a while thereafter, she suffered nonstop harassment, for example cops with guns drawn pinning her down and searching her purse while she walked to the corner store. "Don't shit where you eat," she says.

So in lieu of that, I'm wondering if reddit has any advice/ideas. This is absolute bullshit.

Answer:
 How much of this did you personally witness and how much is second hand information?

If this is all 100% true it's inexcusable on the part of the police, and she should file a complaint or talk to a lawyer.

But if you didn't see it, then there is another side to this story that you haven't heard yet, and it's possible that you(and we) don't have all the relevant information.


Title: Were the police wrong at all??

Question: My daughter was throwing a college party last night. The police came to the door and she opened it and stepped outside to talk to them. They told her to go back inside and get her id along with everyone out of the house. When she went back inside the cop put her foot in the door. My daughter assured them that she would like to close the door and she continued to close the door. They busted into the door and ran through the house arresting people. They also arrested her but did not read her Miranda rights. I know my daughter was very wrong in this, but were the cops wrong in this situation at all?

Answer:
 Miranda is only required if they were going to question her. Just arresting her and taking her in to be processed does not require Miranda.Answer #2: Depends a bit on your local laws, but assuming there was either an open house party law or underage drinking (possibly something that could be challenged) law, the cops could probably articulate probable cause for warrantless entry into the premises. Answer #3: Can someone explain to me why it is that she had no legal right to close her door and exclude the police from her house while she went inside to follow their instructions?Answer #4: no, they likely had a valid complaint and reaosnable suspicion to I'd everybody. her attempt not only obstructed justice, but was an assault on an officer. plus, unless interrogated, no Miranda is required.

basically, sounds like they did it all right, and she did everything wrong. get her an attorney. Answer #5: Is she being charged with assaulting a police officer? That's what it sounds like she might've done, at least from your narrative.


Title: Chicago, IL landlord issues

Question:
Hi LegalAdvice,

I am a resident of Chicago (IL). We have been having several issues with our landlords and we are at our wits end. I apologize for the length!

These issues are:

Holes in our floors. They removed the radiators after we signed our lease and before we moved in without our knowledge, and left 3 inch in diameter holes in the floor of every room. They told us they would be fixed immediately, this was in August. On December 16, they told us someone would be out that day or the next to repair them. It is now December 31st and no one has come. Our puppy's paws get caught in them, things fall down them, air comes through them, and bugs crawl out of them.

The next issue is our laundry arraignment. As of now, we have to walk all the way around the building and down an alley to get to our laundry room. At lease signing, we were told that the front entrance would be ready for use within the month. Nothing has been done to repair this.

Our heat frequently goes out and they tell us to go flip the fuse (which is in the same building as our on-site maintenance man and in the same area as the laundry, our understanding is this is not our responsibility). We once went three days without heat because they didn't go flip the switch in the middle of the day while we were at work, and by the time we got home and discovered the heat still wasn't working it was too late to send anyone out. This was December 1st-4th, and one of those days was easily in the 20s.

The last issue is our back stairs. We had a snow storm on Monday. We returned from a trip on Tuesday and noticed that the stairs hadn't been cleared of ice and snow. We texted the on-site maintenance, who said it was "Too late at night and to use the front stairs for our dog" (requiring us to go all the way around the building to get to the garbage and the laundry). It snowed again yesterday, and as of this morning the stairs were still not cleared of ice and snow. We wouldn't have a major issue with this, except his stairs have been cleared of ice and snow since Tuesday. I fell down the stairs, and luckily I don't think I sustained any injury (although my side is starting to hurt). There are also children upstairs who use the back entrance. It is just significantly more convenient than the front stairs, especially after spending three months training our dog to scratch the back door when he has to go outside. The city said they have 3 hours from the most recent snowfall to remove snow and ice, is this a law or is it an ordinance?

We filed two complaints with the city, as did the people above us about the stairs. I spoke with the renters-rights group about all of these issues and they advised us to fill out a 14 day repair or withhold letter. We have documentation of all issues, including emails and pictures (of the stairs), as well as a text message asking him to clear the stairs. EDIT: I forgot to mention that we also filed a complaint about being without heat for 3 days.

What else can we do? What are our rights?

Our rent is due tomorrow, and all the law offices in the city are closed.  After all this time, we aren't sure how much is an appropriate amount to withhold. For reference, our rent is $1500 and our building is one of the ones that's U-Shaped with a courtyard in the middle, and about 8 units to each front entrance, 16 to each back entrance.

I've started drafting this letter but it doesn't seem to be coming together properly. My fiance and I are looking into breaking our lease, do we have enough to break it without penalty?

Thank you in advance for all of your help!

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 IANAL

>they advised us to fill out a 14 day repair or withhold letter.

I believe you have to file this out and submit it before withholding payment.  In other words, you need to pay your rent tomorrow, but along with the rent, you then give them the withhold letter.  after that, you can legally withhold payment until the changes are made.  Make sure that the stuff you need repaired is covered by the ordnance, because there are things that are not covered.  The renter's advocacy group can help you with that.

Also, pictures and document everything.  If conversations are held verbally, write them down with time and date immediately after they occur.

Good luck.


Title: Paid a lawyer to start my divorce through PayPal, he died three months before I made payment, PayPal is saying there is no way i can get my money back even though it went to a dead person. Help!!

Question: In April I contacted a lawyer about handling my divorce. He told me it would be 3,000 and he would need 1850 to start the process. He said they take credit cards but i really didn’t want to charge it as debt was part of the reason my marriage failed. We were not in constant communication but would touch base every now and then. Last i heard from him was the end of June. I sent him a message telling him I would I send him the 1,850 as soon as I had it as I had just started working a part-time job in addition to my full-time job. Mid October I sent him $1000 through PayPal when i saved ip enough. I didn’t hear anything from him And i thought maybe he needed the full 1850 to get started. I sent him another 850 and got no response. Come to find out he died in July. Obviously I was unaware and this is a huge amount of money that i worked REALLY hard for. His office probably didn’t contact me because technically he hadn’t started my case. I contacted PayPal to see about getting my money back since the receiver is dead and his office is no longer in business. They told me there was nothing I could do. I don’t see how they can’t make this right. No services were rendered and the receiver of the money is dead. Isn’t there someway I can recover this?

Answer:
 Your claim is against his estate (or his firm), not PayPal.

It’s the same as writing a check to someone, then they die. It’s not the bank’s job to get that money back for you.Answer #2: Your claim is against the firm. Contact the Pennsylvania Bar Association and tell them that your  lawyer died and the firm closed down while you still had money in your retainer account. They shoukd be able to guide you from there.


Title: Employer is Asking Me to Pay For a Mistake

Question:
Long story short, I discovered this week that I mistakenly forgot to invoice a client last year for an expense they were supposed to reimburse (about $500). I've admitted to the mistake and completely owned it. At this point, going back to the client and submitting the invoice is not an option, so my boss has asked that I personally pay the amount. It was an honest human mistake, nothing illegal or unethical, it just got missed in the craziness of the workplace.

Now, I'm already reading the writing on the wall that this is not the place for me long term and I'm looking for a new job ASAP. In the mean time, can the employer do this? Any advice on how to react?

BTW this is Ohio

Answer: You can decline. They can fire you. You would probably get employment.


Title: Boss hasn’t paid full salary in months, but scared to leave due to non-compete. (PA)

Question:
I am in a highly competitive field and have worked for the same company since 2011.

In October 2014, I signed a one year employment agreement.  My original role was to provide office support and to help identify and prepare presentations for high potential clients. I was given a monthly salary + a bonus for the work I did prior to 2014.

The agreement contained a 2 year non-compete and that any clients brought to the company during my employment would remain with the company if I left.

The contract was suppose to be renewed or terminated in September 2015. No new agreement was drafted, but I have continued working doing all the previous job duties plus with expanded job duties. My salary was paid consistently until December 2017 with the exception of the original bonus.

Since December 2017, payments have stopped coming through payroll and in inconsistent amounts. There has not been a single month where I’ve been paid my full salary and I still have not been paid the full bonus from 2014.

In October 2018, I met with my boss and another employee who has a lower role in the company. I was told I would need to switch to a lower base salary with a commission structure. To date I haven’t been given any information about the new salary or commission structure.

The total amount owed is over $40,000 and my boss has stopped responding to texts and emails related to meeting.

My questions:
1. If I continue working am I entitled to my original agreed upon salary until presented with a new offer?

2. If I were to terminate, would the non-compete be enforceable even though my boss hasn’t been able to pay as promised? Will I be able to take clients I service with me?

3. What other steps should I take to protect myself?

4. Since I will be 1099’d for whatever I receive this year should I report that I am an employee to the IRS?

Answer: A 2-year non-compete is likely to be viewed as excessive and not enforceable.


Title: My SO was arrest today at the Ft. Lauderdale airport coming from Colombia for trafficking/manufacturing mdma.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Hire a lawyer, there is nothing you can personally do. I'm sorry, man, but it is likely a felony charge. Tell her not to talk to anyone unless she can get a lesser sentence by ratting someone out. Answer #2: Hire a really good lawyer.


Title: Car dealership lied about my credit

Question:
So I was thinking about getting a car and went to see if I would lease to own one at one of the dealerships near me, when the owner went to check my credit which I knew was good he lied and said it was bad and gave me a credit number of 350, so I left. After that he calls me saying hes sorry and I told him I’m going somewhere else. Is this a normal thing? Can I report them?
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: Where's the illegality? Salesmen lie all the time.


Title: (Ontario, Canada) Transit cop gave me a ticket for not paying the fare my morning commute. It was the afternoon and I was on my way home. I didn't take the train that morning

Question:
Basically what the title says. I'm hoping someone here can offer me advice because I have no clue, I have never gotten a ticket for anything before.

I take the train to work. On our train system there is something called a 'Presto Card' which is a green card that is like a debit card. You load money on it and then tap the card on a machine at the station before you get on the train and then again at the arrival station after you get off the train. You can also set it up so you only have to tap on, not off, if you always travel between the same two stations. When you tap it deducts the money from your card.

I tap on every time. There is only an inspection 10 percent of the time so they rely a lot on the honour system. I was on my way home from work in the afternoon the transit cops came around to check if people paid. One of them checked my card. His hand held machine made the sound it is supposed to make when a card was tapped  so I thought everything was okay.

On the machine they can see the history of the last few trips. The transit cop asked me why I didn't tap on that morning. I told him that my girlfriend had given me a ride into work because that was the truth. The transit cop said he could see the history of my card and I always tap twice, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, on my way to and from work.

He asked me again why I didn't tap on that morning and I repeated that I had gotten a ride this morning. He called another transit cop over and when the train made it's next stop they told me to step off the train. I asked what was going on and if I was being detained and they said yes. I got off the train with them, the first transit cop gave me a ticket for not paying my fare in the morning and they told me to go home.

I don't know how in the hell they could give me a ticket for not paying a fare for a train that I was never on, never mind when they didn't catch me in the act. I tried calling customer service and their office but everyone just said for me to go to court. I looked at some lawyers but they want thousands of dollars and I can't afford that. It is not a criminal charge but it could get me banned from taking the train which I need to get to work. It's also the principle because I don't think I should have to pay hundreds of dollars in fines for something I didn't do. If anyone has an advice for what I should do now it would be great and appreciated.

Edit:

tl;dr: Train has debit card system where money is deducted from the card each time you tap the card on a machine. A transit cop checked my card on while I was on my way home in the afternoon and saw I didn't tap on that morning like I always do. I had gotten a ride to work. He gave me a ticket for hundreds of dollars for fare evasion for not paying the morning fare, even though it was the afternoon.

Answer:
 This sounds like something that could be resolved by yourself by protesting the ticket and then getting your girlfriend to come to the court with you.  You might be able to escalate it to a supervisor and get it taken care of before court, but it sounds like you've already tried that. Answer #2: You know... I'd also consider sending a few e-mails, both to upper management and reports who cover transit issues. The Presto card is fairly new, so there's probably still some training issues going on with it. But it should be pretty obvious to anyone that the enforcement officers shouldn't be able to ticket someone for something that they don't actually see happening.Answer #3: If you follow this advice I'd be super, super surprised if the ticket didn't get tossed. Answer #4: I take it you have called the number on the back of the ticket you were given?  I'm surprised they weren't more helpful.

I suggest heading into the customer service office at Union Station.  It's much easier to present your case in person.

If that doesn't work, perhaps reaching out to a local newspaper.  Or twitter (does GO do twitter?).  It's absurd that they think they can ticket you for this.Answer #5: Do you have an Android phone? If you have Google's location history feature enabled, you can see all the places you have been to in the past. I've used it multiple times to retrace my steps a few weeks later, when I needed to show where I was on a given day. This might help in your case


Title: Unmarried couple who bought a house together - splitting up – aftermath

Question:
I bought a house with an ex and its time we went our separate ways. Right now, things are amicable and her request is to be taken off the mortgage immediately and to be paid back her original down payment (just under $10,000). I'm quite fine with that.

What is the best and most proper way to remove her from the mortgage contract and come up with a contract for her to be paid back her original down payment?

I cannot refinance since we bought a distressed property and have a seller-financed loan with a 5 year term with three years left on it. We have joint tenancy. I imagine taking the girlfriend off of the loan with the owner of the mortgage won't be an issue.

I am probably two years away from fixing up the house to where I can get a traditional bank mortgage on this property. Also, I have sunk all of my savings into fixing and maintaining the property so I cannot come up with the money to buy her out.

If it makes any difference- we are located in Washington state.

Answer:
 > What is the best and most proper way to remove her from the mortgage contract

You need to ask the mortgage company this question. I can tell you that lenders are very reluctant to remove a borrower from a loan. You may have to re-finance to get her off of the debt.Answer #2: You need to either refi or get a loan assumption (a specialized refi that retains the original loan but changes borrowing parties). There's no other answer for that. Contact your lender for this part.

Regarding paying her back the 10k, come to agreeable terms, write them down, meet them.


Title: manager deleted worked hours, then fired me

Question:
hi! a few weeks ago I was termed by my manager for "confidential reasons."

I had an at-will employment contract, so I understand his actions may not be illegal. my concern is that my termination was retaliation for me reporting to the company that he deleted my worked hours. the company never addressed my complaint with me, or with him as far as I know.

I had never been written up during my career, so it was totally bizarre. a few things that had happened as of late that made it seem like he was "out to get me"

I emailed the company's head of HR and she told me she was prompting an investigation - but that was two weeks ago. anything I can do to speed up the process? do I have a  case if  I reach out to a a lawyer?

location: district of columbia

best,

Answer:
 If the company did not pay you for those hours, then you may have a case for a wage claim.

You do not likely have a case for any form of wrongful termination.Answer #2: Reach out to the Department of Labor. Inform them of what happened. They can help.


Title: In California I hit someones kid (with my arm) and they are threatening to take me to court over assault charges or something like that.

Question:
The situation: I'm having a good time with my friends at a public park, football ,talking, the normal teenager stuff. Now keep in mind that I'm standing totally still, this kid maybe 5 or 6 runs up to me and throws a punch right into my stomach, now I'm moderately built so i didn't fall over and crush the kid but instead my arm reflexively flew forward and hit him right in the face. Before I even look down at him this kid in on the concrete crying and him mom rushes over and starts yelling at me about taking me to court over hitting her kid.

How do I get myself out of this?

Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: did you give her any contact or personal info?


Title: Bank refusing to honor valid legal documents and release inheritance. International Issues

Question:
Location: Maryland, Pennsylvania, Germany.
US citizen family member died in Germany after living there 9 years. Will is invalid due to divorce. Jump through many hoops and get valid German Certificate Of Inheritance (with experiation date) in Germany at great expense. Bank in Germany refuses to honor document and tells to go through local courthouse. Local courthouse tells us they won't do it and to go through Germany because that's where she lived/died. Bank won't honor German documents and tells us to go to local court, who tells us to go to Germany. This is very expensive and is causing tremendous financial difficulties for our family. What can I do? Where do I start?

Answer:
 I'm sorry for your loss.

IANAL.  You may also need to post in r/LegalAdviceEU.

I don't think a divorce invalidates a Will, but the divorce decree may alter what's in the estate.  It'd probably be helpful to have a few more details on this.

You are probably going to need an estate attorney with experience in handling issues like this.  Maybe ask on an ex-pat forum?

I think what has to happen is that the German probate process is followed for the portion of her estate in Germany, and the Penn. probate process is followed for the portion (like the bank account) that's in the US.

Is there an executor of the will in the US?  If not, one needs to be appointed, and then they should be able to access the funds to settle the estate.

You'll almost certainly need several copies of the death certificate.  I have no idea what you need to do to get a German death certificate honored in the US.


Title: I'm 16, and I'm suffering tremendous bullshit. Please help.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Most sites require you to be 18 but there's nothing illegal about buying and selling when you're under 18. Just have your parent Google it.


Title: [CA] Overtime Hours/Pay Period

Question:
A quick question about what qualifies as overtime. Currently I'm scheduled to work 8 days in a row (Starting yesterday 11/28 all the way through 12/4). I asked if this qualified as overtime pay, since I would be working more than 40 hours across consecutive days. The supervisor told me that since those 8 days are split across two pay periods it wouldn't count as overtime pay. Is this true? Are they trying to shaft my coworkers and I out of OT?

EDIT: At this job, the workweek is Monday-Monday.

Answer: Looks like your employer is correct [link](http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_overtime.htm)


Title: [MI] Question about abandoment with children

Question:
Hey legaladvice,

My situation is as follows. December 2014 my ex left with our son and moved to California. She lied about living where she was supposed to and was living in a motel with our then two year old. Not a good living condition. Mid January she calls me asking to take our son because she can't find a baby sitter and needs to start her job and of course I accept. He's been with me almost a year now and I was wondering what the rules are on claiming abandonment. I wanna apply for full custody but my name isn't on his certificate and I know I can get that taken care of. Any advice is appreciated.

Answer:
 Do you have any contact with your sons' mother at all? A family law attorney can help you this this process.

Edit to add: You may want to take a look through [this](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/mcl/pdf/mcl-Act-91-of-1970.pdf) document. It explains the court determines that the best interests of the child are found by balancing a 12-point test. You'll find the details in the link.


Title: Dog escapes yard. Good Samaritans chase it to capture. It gets scared and runs across street, gets hit by car. Damage done to car. Who is liable?

Question:
Hello -

Who is liable for this scenario in California. Dog escapes yard.  Good Samaritans chase it to capture.  It gets scared and runs across street & gets hit by car.  Damage done to car.

Who is liable for the car repair?

Answer: The dog's owner.Answer #2: The dogs owner. LPT of a dog gets lose don't chase it, 99% of the time it will run. Get its attention and have it chase you.


Title: I have two birthdays and would like to have my real one on my birth certificate

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Before you do anything, contact your local immigrant legal services organization. I could see the government taking issue with your parents (and by extent, you) previously giving the US government documents with information they (or you) knew to be false (your birthdate). It could potentially affect your eligibility for citizenship. I am not certain, but I think it would be prudent to get professional advice on this.