Title: Ten friends buying a castle in the US. Who should be the original care taker of the lease and mortgage? Can we split the ownership if we were to establish a secondary company? Is it possible to have 10 or so individuals on one mortgage? If so how?

Question:
 TLDR at the bottom.

Hi guys! Forgive me if this isn't the right sub to ask, but as the title reads, we are ten  friends who have a long history of friendship and camaraderie . A large  sum of money has fallen to one of the members of the group and the  opportunity to fulfill a long dream of buying a castle has presented  itself upon which we can live. We have found a castle that is PERFECT  for us. We have developed a contract for financial reasons. The contract  was developed before the member of the group fell into the sum of money  protecting each and every member. As it states in the aforementioned  contract, we are all bound to living in the same space if suitable to  not only one's practical wealth for purchasing such a residence, but  also, the affordability of the rest of the members living there. If any  one of us were to back out, they would forfeit the right to be included  in this endeavor.

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Upkeep:  Many of us for the last several years have spent time learning and  training in the skills necessary for providing upkeep and maintenance of  a home that regularly has 8-12 members. Our understating is ownership  of a castle is not so different than that of a large estate. We figure  in regards to those skills, a castle or something so grand as that, can  be sustained for at least 32 months without the aid of supplementary  income. Additionally, we are going to supplement the income particularly  to provide upkeep with AirBnB rentals when parts of the property are  not in use.

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Sustainable  Living: We are attempting to create a 100% sustainable, local, and  family-oriented business involving THC, CBD, and welfare. With the  upcoming legislature that allows cultivation as well as retail  distribution of cannabis, we wish to open a coffee shop that is both a  medicinal place as well as a gathering place for customers. What we lack  right now is the ability to get through the right channels to discuss  the possibility of this endeavor with investors. In regards to the 10 of  us, 6 have the actual obligation to fund the business side of things  (due to the contact, 40% of funds go to upkeep, 60% go to the dream), so  what we are asking is help to push us into the right network to figure  the rest of this out.

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Supposing  everything goes well, this could be quite a fantastic adventure.  However, if things were to go south, who should be the original care  taker of the lease and mortgage? Can we split the ownership if we were  to establish a secondary company? Is it possible to have 10 or so  individuals on one mortgage? If so how?

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We look forward to your input.

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 LDR; Ten very good friends formed a contract awhile ago to buy, live and  maintain a castle in the US. One came into a lot of money, now we are  acting on behalf of the contract.

Answer:
 If he has a lot of money then he should use some of it to hire a lawyer.

I would suggest setting up a company or trust to actually own the property.


Title: What is the proper way to leak a story to the press without bringing repercussions on your self and the people you are trying to protect? [Ohio]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's not really newsworthy, that's why there hasn't been coverage.

And you weren't there, you don't know what happened. Maybe they were shit hammered, but that doesn't mean your friend's wife didn't actually cause the accident. Answer #2: You can send a copy of the police report to anyone you want, post stuff on facebook, twitter, whatever the kids are using, etc


Title: EMT charged for using blue light (NJ)

Question:
I hope somebody can help me. This is a complicated situation. I'm a volunteer EMT in my town. There are two people signed on to each shift, one to drive the ambulance and one to tech in the back.

This past Saturday, I was on duty at 1 am.  I got off of my other job at 12 am, which is a couple towns away.  I hit traffic on the highway coming home due to an accident. Once I got to the next exit, I jumped off the highway and took backroads home.  There are three towns, I live in town A, town B is a bordering town, and town C is on the other side of town B.

I made it through several towns until I got to town C.  Town C was doing a DUI check on a main road.  So it's 12:45 and I'm sitting in a huge line of cars being checked by officers.  I pulled out my cellphone, called the town dispatch center (which is actually county dispatch at that time of night) and had the following conversation:

Dispatcher: Town C police, dispatcher X speaking.
Me: Hi, this is NJEMTThrowaway from Town A first aid. I'm sitting in the line for the DUI checkpoint. I have no problem being checked out, but I'm the EMT on duty for my town, so if something goes off, I have to go, can you please let the officer on scene know?
Dispatcher: We don't do that. You still have to go through the checkpoint. Being an EMT doesn't give you immunity from that.
Me: You misunderstand. I'm simply asking you to let them know that if there's an emergency in my town, I cannot wait in line and I need to be allowed to leave.
Dispatcher: You have to be checked like everyone else. Goodbye. *click*

Well fuck, but oh well.  Still had about fifteen minutes to get through the checkpoint without having anything to worry about.  Of course, my pager starts beeping at 1:10 am for a chest pain call in town A.  I, seeing an officer not too far ahead, roll down my window and called to him.

Officer: Stay in line, you'll be checked in time.
Me: I have to go! I have a call!
Officer: Roll your window up and wait your turn!
Me: I have an emergency, I'm an EMT!
Officer: Roll your window up and wait your turn.

At this point, I threw my blue light on, pulled out of the line and started riding up the shoulder.  The officer threw himself in front of my car, putting his hands up and screaming.

Officer: Pull the fuck over now!
Me: There is a chest pain call in my town! I have to go!
Officer: Bullshit! There is no call for chest pain in Town C! I would have heard it.  License and registration, now!
Me: I'm from town A! I can show you my ID.
Officer: Oh really? Well you're not supposed to be using that light anywhere except Town A! (not true) Give me your license!

In the end he made me get out and blow into the breathalyzer (0.00) I missed my call and the ambulance was delayed until they could find someone else, the officer took my blue light out of my car as "evidence" and told me he'd be contacting my chief.  I was written several tickets for driving on the shoulder, improper use of emergency light, reckless driving, and failing to observe a police officer's directions.

The officer went to my chief and told him to, "get his cowboys under control". He claims that I used my light to try to avoid the DUI checkpoint and then tried to use my status as an EMT to get out of trouble. It was also strongly implied by him that it would be a bad idea for me to contest this and that I should pay my ticket and take my lumps for my "screw-up" rather than damage the relationship between my squad and the police.

County dispatch will not turn over the recordings from the call I made without a subpoena. I'm upset, obviously, but I don't know what to do. I don't feel I did anything wrong and now I'm facing all this. I don't have a lot of money for an attorney, but likewise I don't have money for tickets that I don't deserve.

Answer:
 So you wanted to use your status as a volunteer EMT to bypass a DUI check despite the fact that you had been told not to?

edited to add: you should get a lawyer. Like, today.Answer #2: This right here is why they are starting to ban blue lights. You were in the wrong here and any member of your service would probably agree. Volunteer. You weren't the only EMT that runs with that service. Why would you call the 911 center to even ask that? You sound like a young, inexperienced "wacker." Just calm down. Pay your fines that you're going to receive and move on. Don't run that light unless you're in your coverage area and responding to a call. Your chief will likely tell you the same thing. Answer #3: > reckless driving

That carries jail time. You need to find a lawyer to discuss these tickets.Answer #4: What you do is call someone on your crew to back you up until you can get there. I'd have to look up Jersey specifically but the few states I know of you cannot run your lights outside of your service area unless you are in the ambulance.

Save yourself further embarrassment and just pay what you owe.


Title: First car buying fuck up - help me

Question:
I posted this elsewhere and got told to come here. I understand there may be nothing to do that can save me, I'm pretty sure I'm just a complete fuck up, but here we go:

Last week I bought my first car. A 2007 Ford Focus from a private seller. The woman was very nice, we talked on the phone many times and she was so friendly when we finally met up. Everything was in order. Then when we were signing the lease I realized the odometer was 146,000 miles, not 46,000 like I had believed for about two months. She was genuinely shocked and apologized a million times - she showed me the ad on all the other sites she posted. They really did say 146k and she must have just missed a number for the ad I saw. I felt like it was too late to turn back. I was stranded an hour away from home with just her in a parking lot, papers in front of us, insurance all set... I was stupid and said okay.

One week later I get it inspected. It fails miserably. Super unsafe. Falling apart. The guy touches a rusty spot and it literally crumbles to the ground. It's a piece of trash, falling apart. It's WAY too dangerous to drive.

Now I don't know what to do. I'm trying to contact the woman I bought it from but she is too busy moving to Florida, and doesn't believe there could possibly be anything wrong with the car because she drove it up to the day she sold it and never had issues - it's clear that's because she had a thief mechanic who didn't tell her it was crumbling when he put on new tires and she never saw the bottom of it. That or she really is a con artist and I got beyond played.

I took out a $3k personal loan to get this car because no dealers would finance to me - I have great credit but no full time job. The car was sold $1k in cash and $2k in a check. It's been only 8 days since I bought it but the period is 3 days when you can do anything I think. I live in NY. Is there ANYTHING I can do? I feel so stupid and this effects everything I have so much... I'm completely devestated.

Answer:
 >Is there ANYTHING I can do?

Unfortunately, no, this is going to be a $3000 lesson learned.


Title: Am I allowed to post a dead rabbit through my arch nemisis' letterbox?

Question:
Hello, contrary to the title of this piece I dont think I am actually insane, i'm also not sure where i should actually be posting this so if you can think of any subreddits that are better please say, cos i've searched around but to no avail.

Manchester, UK

I work at a relatively well known food establishment and the building we are in is underneath a block of flats and our only neighbours are a set of estate agents (who are also the landlords) to all the people in the flat above us.
We've always had a pretty decent relationship with the estate agents/landlords and no real issue with the people in the flats above, they've got discount and had birthdays and christmas partys with us and stuff.

anyway one day the landlords decided to lock the gate to the car park and refuse any of us to park there, thus has ensued a parking war. we contacted our head office who explained part of the lease said we were allowed access into the car park around the back and that locking the gates was unnecessary.

over the next few weeks we've been blocked in, people have had cars scratched, locks have been cut off and thrown away and everyone has been giving each other lots of dirty looks. their discount has been revoked.

Obviously we have been purposely antagonizing them because we're petty and they're petty too. Consequently every sunday i have been cracking a singular egg outside their front door, in the lead up to easter where i intend to post a dead rabbit through their letter box as a little easter surprise. i like my annoyances to have a theme to go with them.

basically what are the legal implications if i was to do this? there would be no threats with it, just a card saying happy easter?
any better plans for revenge would equally be appreciated. thank you for reading this

TLDR: legal implications of posting a dead rabbit through the office next door's letter box on easter morn?

Answer:
 It would be considered harassment, you'd get an official warning which meant that if you did any further harassment you'd get nicked. "Causing alarm and distress"

Source : ex uk police officer. It's people like you that I had to deal with on a daily basis that made me quit that God forsaken job. Don't be a petty loser, get a life and stop wasting everyone's time


Title: Is my boss allowed to keep switching me between hourly and salary every week?

Question: (NYC) Whenever I work over a certain number of hours, my employer puts my pay on salary and when it's less than some number of hours, he pays me the hourly rate for that week. This occurs very frequently, so it's kind of annoying to keep track of for me. But in general, is this allowed?

Answer:
 Does it happen retroactively, meaning the boss changes it after the fact?

Also, what type of profession are you in?Answer #2: I would start looking for a new job.Answer #3: Do you have records of time worked? If so, take them straight to the Department of Labor and file an unpaid wage complaint. And start looking for a new place to work.Answer #4: That sound very convenient for your boss.

* Collect any evidence of the hours you actually worked
* Secure a new job
* File a claim with the labor departmentAnswer #5: The company I worked for a while back used to pay everyone on salary not to screw field workers, but because it leveled out the paychecks and kept benefits when the employees would otherwise be furloughed and lose them.  They fired an employee for drinking on the job WHILE driving heavy equipment.  That dude sued the company and won with damages.  The company hmwent and paid all the overtime for all employees for two years.  Then moved all employees to hourly and dropped their pay amount.

Your employer can pay you however he wants, but it is unlawful and he will get screwed if you call a lawyer, even if he gets you to agree to it at the time. Especially if overtime is at play.


Title: Friend is being thrown out of house with only a days notice

Question:
A friend of mine is being kicked out of her house by her sister(who is the owner). She pays rent every month and gets mail delivered there.

Is this at all legal? Her sister is in the process of putting her stuff on the curb, should she call the police?

This is in Franklin County Ohio

Answer:
 Yes, call the police.  This is an illegal evictionAnswer #2: Remember.

1. Call the police non-emergency line.
2. Mention "illegal eviction" and keep asking for a supervisor if they don't want to help.
3. Ohio rules prohibiting self-help evictions at Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5321.15


Title: I was hit by an uninsured driver in a parking lot in Texas. Insurance says I'm at fault. What can I do?

Question:
I have my insurance through State Farm- I've been with them for years, even though I just recently opened my own policy off of my parents when I moved for work.

I work at a high school, and was backing out of my parking spot at work. My car was completely out of the spot and I was about to shift into drive and pull away when a student rear ended me.

State Farm determined that I was responsible, even though I have two witnesses who say that the other driver was at fault. The other driver even admitted to me and to a witness that he was at fault!

This boy is eighteen and a student at the school. He is uninsured and did not have a driver's license at the time of the accident. Photos were taken by one of my witnesses (who is the assistant principal at the school).

State Farm called me this morning to tell me that I was being held responsible for the accident. Can I appeal, and is it even worth it? The damage to my car was >$1000, and I don't know about the damage to his. He claimed at the scene that there were no damages, but claimed afterwards that his car was "undriveable."

Answer: are there any cameras covering a the parking lot?


Title: if you commit a crime when you are 12, and are now 21, can you still get in trouble? (Canada, Ontario)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 For minor things, there's a six month limitation period - if you aren't charged within six months, you can't be.

For major crimes, there is no limitation period.  You can be charged 100 years later.  But the Crown has to consider the memories of the people involved, etc.

Children under 12 cannot be charged with crimes, so if you killed someone at age 11, there's no crime.Answer #2: It depends on what crime. The statute of limitations for murder is longer than the statute of limitations for shoplifting.


Title: Tampa, FL - Soon to be landlord requires cash only payments for rent

Question:
I am signing a lease today on an apartment in the Tampa area.  The landlord (whom I've never met) is asking for only cash payments for rent.  Legally, can this landlord make that a requirement?  I feel uneasy about the whole situation.  Am I overreacting?  Or are there red flags that I'm totally missing?

Thank you

Answer:
 Have you been inside the apartment? Have you verified his identity and ownership? Because this is looking like a potential scamAnswer #2: I would first of all make absolutely sure that the "landlord" has the legal authority to actually rent out the premises.

Rental scams are legion.

If you feel at all uneasy, run.

NALAnswer #3: > Legally, can this landlord make that a requirement?

Sure.  There's no issue with that.  You can(and should) give the cash over hand-to-hand, and insist upon a receipt.

Separately, have you actually toured and visited this apartment?  Is this part of a larger building, a smaller building, or a single unit?  There are quite a few scams where people pretend to be landlords of places they aren't in order to take money.  Answer #4: 1- Never met them
2- They're insisting on cash

This reeks of a scam.


Title: Am I legally my son's father? Fl

Question:
Hello,

I have a 3yr old child born in FL, but his mother and I were never married, and now are seperated. I was looking into this on my own and I couldn't get any help online or thru my local court system with this.

Per the department of revenue website, even though I'm on the birth certificate it says I have no legal rights as his father unless I signed and she consented to another form which would have been filed out at birth.

Can anyone help me with where to look or who to call without needing a lawyer?

Answer: You are on the birth certificate you are the child’s father.  There is nothing more to do unless you and the mother have a disputed about custody in which case you need to file a custody case.


Title: Hypothetically speaking, what is the least a landlord could provide in terms of rental space?

Question: In other words, could I start up my own capsule hotels in America? Guests would sleep in a tube slightly larger than they are, and use shared bathroom facilities.

Answer: This is highly variable by locality due to building codes and zoning restrictions (assuming this is in the US). Also note that "hotel" and "rental space" in residential context aren't necessarily the same thing. But, if you want a example starting point, look at the "Single Room Occupany" (SROs) of San Francisco or "Apodments" in Seattle.


Title: My Friend Was Raped in a Foreign Country

Question:
Both the rapist and the victim are American citizens. Both knew each other prior to the rape. The rape occurred earlier this year in an Asian country. The victim is female and the rapist is male.

My friend was force-fed drugs and then raped repeatedly. Afterwards she fled the country and returned to the US. She is currently in the US, and the rapist is still in Asia.

Two weeks ago she messaged me on Facebook and told me what happened. I have screen shots of my conversation with her. The rapist recorded himself committing the act, and before leaving the country she discreetly made a copy of the video.

So we have evidence of her accusation and a video that matches her description of what happened. I don't know if she will go to the police or cooperate with them. She is terrified of this person.

Who do I report this crime to? The US authorities? The authorities in the country where the crime occurred? Both?

What other US agencies should know about this? Immigration? The FBI?

I want to do everything I can to help her and also prevent this from happening to other women.

Answer:
 The sexual assault will have to be investigated and criminally prosecuted in the country in which it occurred.

The best thing you can do to help her is encourage her to get counseling and support.Answer #2: What Asian country?Answer #3: Here is some info that may help. It suggests contacting the US Embassy where the crime occurred.
https://archives.fbi.gov/archives/news/stories/2008/june/international_060308


Title: Can I use a restrictive covenant to prevent my house from being voluntarily sold to the federal government?

Question: I live in an isolated small community inside a national park that is gradually being bought up by the National Park Service (or by charities that donate land to the NPS).  While I love the National Park Service in general, over time these sales are removing enough property from private ownership that our community is struggling to provide adequate housing for residents or property for necessary service businesses to function.  While most residents are aware of these concerns and try to sell property to private buyers , either through necessity or through the actions of their heirs upon their death, properties continue to be sold to the NPS.  To avoid that outcome for my property I am curious if it possible for me to place a restrictive covenant upon the deed for my property that says it cannot be sold or donated to the National Park Service (or perhaps to any entity of the US federal government).  I've done a bit of reading, and while there are lot of properties out there with restrictions on who can buy them,  most of these covenants are illegal as they were racist and the Fair Housing Act prevents their application.  However, the federal government isn't protected by the FHA, and it seems like there is wide latitude in the definition and use of restrictive covenants on deeds of trust.  I certainly don't think such a restriction would prevent the government from seizing my property through eminent domain, and it's also possible the covenant  could be declared unenforceable if a suit were brought to overturn it.  However, my primary purpose would be to try and make sure my heirs or any subsequent seller is at least aware of my desire to try and identify a private buyer for the property rather than selling it to the NPS.  Alternatively, I am curious if it is possible to use a covenant on a deed of trust specify that a particular buyer must be given right of first refusal to buy the property if it is ever sold.  In the event I can't restrict the sale to the NPS, there are charitable entities that I would prefer be given the opportunity to buy the property before it is offered to the NPS.

Answer: You probably cannot restrict it in perpetuity.  Speak to a lawyer if you want to pursue this.


Title: What would happen if you tried at land your hobby remote control airplane at your local air base? or area 51? (MA)

Answer: [Anything from confiscation of the plane to death.](https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2438/5730792058_29ae191819_b.jpg)


Title: Can my work place ban smoking tobacco on breaks?

Question: I currently work at a corporate owned  restaurant located in north Las Vegas. They recently brought up that starting next month, employees will no longer have the right to smoke tobacco on there breaks. I understand smoking next the establishment can be banned. But can they really legally tell me I cannot walk to my car on a break and have a smoke?

Answer:
 They can tell you that you cannot smoke tobacco on break.

You can ABSOLUTELY refuse to follow this.

They then can fire you for said reason.Answer #2: Yes, that's totally legal.


Title: Backed into vehicle in parking lot, other driver "doesn't want to get insurance involved."

Question:
Congested parking lot, backed into other driver as I was reversing and turning into spot. Hit the back end of his vehicle. He could have also been reversing. No honks were heard.

Took a picture of his car with license plate. I told him I'd give him $100 to settle it and I didnt have the cash, so I let him take a picture of my ID and we agreed to meet later. He said he didn't want to get insurance involved and $100 was fine.

He just texted me some info from a body shop that it will be nearly $1,400.

What should I do?

Answer: Get your insurance involved


Title: Service dog fraud – (maybe) trained but not used by someone with a disability? (OR)

Question:
(Oregon) Hello Legal Advice!  I have a “friend” (I use that term somewhat loosely) who posted some pictures on social media today of her out shopping with her dog.  The dog was wearing a service dog vest.  She does not need a service dog.

Some background: about a year ago, she bought this dog as a puppy from what she insists was a very credible breeder (I have reason to think they were pretty shady).  Now, I know she’s been doing a lot of training with him, and I can’t really remember but I think she may have participated in some service dog training.  I honestly have no idea how that whole process works though, or if she got any sort of certification for it or anything.

I know she doesn’t need it for a disability because 1. She bought this dog before he had any sort of training, 2. She completely overshares about everything, so if she did have some sort of disability I can guarantee she would be posting about it constantly, 3. It’s not a dog in service training to go to someone with a disability (there is no way she is giving this dog up), 4. She is absolutely the type of person to lie so she can take this dog places he normally wouldn’t be allowed, and on that note, 5. She’s posted a lot of pictures of him without the vest in a ton of settings where a non-service dog would be allowed, but these pictures were in a place that dogs normally wouldn’t be allowed.  Again, my memory is hazy as to whether she actually did do any service training, but if she did, it’s because she’s just obsessed with this dog and making him be perfect or… something… I don’t know.  But she does go to a ton of training classes and dog events and such.  Even if he had *some* training, however, I was under the impression that it takes more than a year to train a service dog (and she wouldn’t have been doing the specific service training the whole year anyways).

I know this may all sound like I want to mess with someone I don’t like, but it’s because people with fake service dogs are the reason people don’t take real service dogs seriously, and that’s flat-out disgusting.  Even if it was someone I didn’t dislike (or even liked), I would still be extremely angry about it.

Tl;dr: If someone doesn’t have a disability, but does have a dog that (maybe) has a certification, are they allowed to be in public with the dog in a service dog vest?  And if not, is there a way to report it?

Edit: I have several invisible disabilities. I'm lucky that they're not bad enough that I need a service dog, but I'm disabled nonetheless. Even though it's not *that* bad, I do take it personally. If someone that didn't have a disability parked in a handicapped spot, you would be rightfully angry at that person, right? It's the same principle.

No, I'm not saying that someone owes an explanation to me that she needs a service dog. But perhaps I should have lead with the fact that she posted multiple pictures leading up to today of her dog without the service vest. Suddenly, he has a vest while antique shopping -- as in, the second she wanted to take him somewhere not canine friendly, "He's totally a service dog!". It's the broader context that upsets me.

Answer:
 There is no federally recognized service dog certification. Those vests are just that; vests, and nothing more.

Essentially, those certifications you hear about are scams.Answer #2: Many disabilities are invisible, and often people like to keep them private. It is also possible to train your own service dog, if you know what you are doing. The fact that she is attending a lot of training classes could be relevant in this. The vest isn't anything official, it's just helpful when in public.

It just reminds me of people getting harassed when using disabled parking spots because they don't look "disabled enough." Service dogs can be trained to do anything from alerting someone prior to a seizure or blood sugar crisis, to assisting with mobility, to helping those who are deaf or blind, or even assisting with certain psychiatric disorders. It's really not your place to decide whether or not someone else needs a service dog, it's up to that person and their doctors.

I'm not saying everyone tells the truth, but it's not uncommon for people to keep chronic medical conditions private, even when they overshare about other things, because there can be a definite fear of it being used against them, or maybe they just believe it's not something anyone else has a right to know. Answer #3: If it's not hurting you, you have no reason to get involved. Stay out of it.


Title: Police came to my work

Question: I don't ever go into the office but apparently two police officers showed up to my work looking for me and didn't leave a card or anything. I tried to call but they didn't really tell me anything other than call the officer if he left a card. What is my best course of action to handle this situation? I don't have any warrants that I know of

Answer: Check in on your loved onesAnswer #2: You are not required to talk to the police without the presence of an attorney.


Title: Unfortunate Kayak Mishap...need advice ASAP

Question:
Ok...so this may seem like a really silly post, but I am really worried with my current situation.

The story: Me, and 3 other friends had an urge to go kayaking. We called one kayak rental business in our area, but they claimed the water was too high &amp; dangerous to participate that day. However, we called another business in our area that day, and they said we could kayak that day. So me and my friends show up to this place and they drive us out to our destination and dropped us off (they didn't even stick around to make sure we entered the water alright). Also, keep in mind we did not sign any waivers or anything before participating.

One of my friends flips the kayak at the very beginning and ends up dragging the kayak to land and quitting. Eventually towards the end of the trip, the three of us still kayaking hit some Rapids and we all flip the kayaks. The water was so strong that I could hardly keep my head above water, so me and one of my other friends had to ditch the kayaks.

We call the business owners and let them know that it got wild on the water and 2 of the kayaks were now lost. They did not seem too worried about it at all, because they refused to come back and check for them.

Fast forward a week or 2, and I got a call from the local police department. They requested that we fill out a police statement, so we all went there and told the truth. That we lost control of 2 kayaks, and could not recover them. The police department acted sympathetic towards us, because they know how crazy the water gets sometimes.

About a month and a half later. One of my friends received a text from the business owners claiming they talked to the law department of the police department, and they wanted to know if they wanted to pursue criminal and civil charges. They said they were willing to work it out with us and said they would not pursue charges if we paid them $450. They even said in the text that they knew we did not do it maliciously.

I need some advice on what to do in this situation, because I don't believe it is fair for us to pay for the kayaks when we were sent out into the water like this. Plus, we never signed any waivers. What should I do? And do they have a chance at winning a civil/criminal suit?

Edit:forgot location....Ohio

Answer:
 >I don't believe it is fair for us to pay for the kayaks when we were sent out into the water like this.

You weren't sent, you went of your own volition.

You left with boats that belonged to someone else. You came back without the boats. The person who used to have boats is now in a bad mood about it because they like having boats. They could accuse you of theft, or sue you, or shake hands and accept the value of the boats as payment. Of the options, the third one sounds like the least painful for both of you.

In your position I'd pay the man. I've seen a lot of ballsy moves, but trying to start a legal fight when you're in the wrong like this would

( •_•)

( •_•)>⌐■-■

(⌐■_■)

really take the kayak
Answer #2: OP- Not certain what you're looking for here. You were loaned the kayaks and failed to return them. The person who's credit card paid for the rental needs to re-pay the kayaks owners and then be reimbursed by the folks that were using them.Answer #3: > I don't believe it is fair for us to pay for the kayaks when we were sent out into the water like this

I missed where you were sent, did someone force you?  When I read it, it seemed like you already knew conditions were bad when the other place refused, but you looked for another place anyway, and CHOSE to go out into the water.


Title: Killing someone with their own gun?

Question: I live in an interesting location where gun threat is extremely prominent. I was curious if taking an attackers gun then killing them with it would raise legal issue. I'm under 18 btw if that affects this.

Answer:
 I mean... you could face a murder charge.

"Self defense" is a legal defense, which means that you can still get charged with a crime and then you use that line of reasoning to explain your actions in court.


Title: [WI] Customer refuses to pay bills and wants to sue us for not delivering product.

Question:
I have a customer from [NV] that was placed on net 30 terms and he signed a credit application with the following statement.

> *"Applicant’s signature attests to financial responsibility, ability and willingness to pay our invoices in accordance with
our credit terms and guarantees payment of all charges. Applicant is subject to a service charge on any check(s)
returned from our bank unpaid, for any reason. Applicant will be responsible for all attorney fees and costs for
collection."*

We make custom products and sometimes require our customers to purchase tooling we need for our machinery in order to make their products.  The customer refuses to pay us, unless we "send him the tooling he paid for".

The thing is, the "tooling he paid for" was never actually paid for.  He emailed his lawyer and me today saying he is suing us for the following reasons...

> 1- requests  to return  to  our property was refused.

>2- Your companies' actions  are stopping  us from conducting  business.

He owes our company around 12K.

We told him we could not ship any more product to him unless his account was up to date.  We compromised as he really needed some product to continue business under the agreement that he would send us a few checks to clear out his past due invoices.  We received the checks yesterday and he asked to place another order, but we haven't had a chance to clear the checks.  We told him we need to clear the checks before we send him more product.  He freaked out and put a stop on the checks and they will most likely bounce.

Does this guy have any legal grounds to stand on?

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

We recently discovered he also stiffed a competitor of ours for about 5K pretty much doing the same thing.  We also did a little digging on this customer and found out he did time in federal prison for defrauding consumers by mislabeling some of his products.

Answer:
 Sounds like the kind of people you don't want to do business with. If you want to get a jump on them, you can take them directly to court for the money they owe you. The fact that they won't pay for your stuff, but you won't give it to them free, does not make you liable for their business slowing down.

They are not going to pay you through normal channels. Take 'em to court. Even a nice letter from a lawyer saying "Pay up in accordance with your contract"Answer #2: If you're doing tooling for a customer, generally you still own it unless specified by the agreement.  You should add to your credit application and your confirming PO that you retain the ownership of the tooling unless they pay more to retain it.


Title: Hit a bald eagle with my car SD

Question: Driving down windy ass I-90 and a bald flew over and then next to my car. I think it clipped it's wing on my roof because it fell (only like 3ft, it was eye level with me sitting in my car). I saw it on the road in my rear view. Kept driving because it's insanely cold (6 degrees F) and I don't think it's dead. I'm a small woman, so dealing with a giant pissed off eagle isn't a priority. I know there are federal laws against a slew of bald eagle related things. I'm just wondering if I'm actually liable for dumb eagles.

Answer:
 It was an accident. You aren't going to be in trouble because the bird flew in front of you while you were driving at highway speeds down an interstate.

You *should* have reported it to your wildlife agency, but what's done is done.Answer #2: It's just an accident but you should really have called your state wildlife agency if you thought you injured it. They might have been able to help it. Answer #3: Just for piece of mind Bald Eagles are off the endangered species list. They are still Federally protected so you can't hunt them. Accidentally killing one doesn't get you in trouble.Answer #4: Accidents happen. Even with eagles. The only time I've ever seen people get in trouble for hitting animals with their vehicles was a couple boys who thought hitting deer with their trucks was an okay way to get around it not being hunting season.Answer #5: Accidents are accidents, they only prosecute you for intentionally killing one. Nobody will ever know what happened so I'd just leave it be.


Title: My (21) sisters friend stole a lot of money from me

Question:
Hello guys,

to keep the story short; I had some in my room and then my sisters friend came over one day. The next day, when I wanted to count the money again, 2300€ disappeared. That’s a lot of money for me, that I saved up over the years.Now I had it in the same hiding  place for years and nothing happened before this particular friend came and I asked everyone else and I‘m fairly certain it was her.

Just before the money went missing this particular friend also went prom dress shopping with my sister and complained that the most beautiful ones are too expensive so she couldn‘t buy them (which is fair) but the day after my money went missing she magically bought herself the prom dress, a new pair of shoes etc. y

Now this happened a while back, but the story just makes sense now, since money has been missing again and her friend is suspected again.

i don‘t have any proof of anything but logically I‘m pretty damn sure.

I talked to my sister and she believes it, but isn‘t sure if she wants to confront her cause the friend will probably just deny it anyway.

Do you guys have any advice on what to do?

I feel like I’m out of luck since I don’t have any hard evidence :(

Answer:
 >Do you guys have any advice on what to do?

You can still go to the police and report the theft.

They may choose to investigate or not, but that is the one thing you should have done as soon as the money went missing.Answer #2: you can contact the police and file a police report. it's usually up to them to investigate and find evidence. you just tell them what you know and what happened and they'll take it from thereAnswer #3: You should stop storing cash, I’d recommend putting it into your savings/bank account or in a safety deposit box. It’ll see be at hand if you need it and it’s safer/insured.Answer #4: Why do you just have cash laying around?

This is exactly why banks exist.Answer #5: unless you have security footage, you're probably going to be out of luck. Absent a confession, there's really no way to successfully prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt. You need more evidence before going down the legal route. Have your sister confront her, it blows me away how neutral your sister is being with her after this.


Title: I think my PhD advisor is discriminating against me.

Question:
Background: there is a lot to the story, but basically she is the head of my program, and I am forced to have her on my committee as at least a co-chair and she has been ruining my life. She is a hardcore feminist, and at the beginning of my program I spoke my mind about many issues, including feminism, in her qualitative research courses, and from then on she has treated me with deference. She refuses to communicate with me and has put delays in my dissertation progress without any explanation other than basically because she feels like it’s not best for me.

Recently, her and my other co-chair made a plan for me about deadlines for certain milestones on my dissertation. Early September (4th) I was supposed to submit to them a draft, receive feedback, and then submit them a revised draft on oct 7th. I have yet to receive any feedback from my first submission, and have received no communication whatsoever about the status of it. This will push me even further behind than her shit has already put me, and it’s costing me time and money. I have spoken to the dean multiple times about putting her off of my committee as a co-chair member, and she agrees I am being treated unfairly, and but keeps telling me to just go along with her. There is a lot more to this, but I know that I am not being treated fairly, and I want to know what viable options I have that won’t ruin me academically but make sure I finish my PhD and that I’m not forced to continually delay my progress and PAY for it because my committee chair will not cooperate, even though I do everything that is required of me.

Answer:
 I don’t think deference means what you think it means.

(Or discrimination, either, since you don’t mention being a member of a protected class.)Answer #2: I'm confused.  You are forced to have her on your committee, but you have other professors on that committee as well, correct?

Have you communicated with the other members of your committee or the other co-chair/s (not the dean) about getting your feedback?


Title: Mother was confronted and followed at my apartment complex. Would this be enough for me to get out of the lease?

Question:
I have an apartment that has me as the primary resident and my two brothers, 9 year old and 5 year old, as occupants. The other day my mother was called to make an estimate for the renovation of a house. It was a fake call made from my downstairs neighbor from the apartment complex. He lured her to an abandoned house to confront her about missing money. This was a by product of dealings with my father that she knew nothing about. She did not get out of the car, but instead left. She received texts by the neighbor threating her and our family. Stating, "I'll do whatever needs to be done." He later sent her texts of every place she had visited. He had been following her. She finally called the police when she went to go pick up my girlfriend. She has a report from the police of the incident.

Is this legal grounds to ask for termination of my apartment lease? The man lives on the floor below me. I have not been back to the apartment since the incident. The main reason I want to leave is to move in with my mother to help her out with her business and my brothers and to remove the burden of having to pay the rent at the other place. Money that could be used to help my mother out.

I tried to keep this brief, but let me know if more information is needed. Anything helps.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 I’m afraid not. What your mother went through was scary and horrible, but not the responsibility of your property management. You can ask but they can say no.

Your mother should speak to the police and consider a restraining order. Answer #2: No. The criminal activities of other people do not invalidate a contract you made with an uninvolved party.


Title: What actions can I take against someone who purchased a guitar with a skin I designed but didn't authorise ? (NC, USA)

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Not against the people who bought the guitars. They're bona fide purchasers. How the hell were they supposed to know?


Title: [OK] Required to recite pledge to the flag

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 That bill specifically states that students are not required to recite the pledge.

ETA:

>Each student shall be informed by posting a notice in a conspicuous
place that students not wishing to participate in the pledge shall
not be required to do so.Answer #2: Edit: This bill doesn't *require* students to say the pledge. It requires that schools present a time to say the pledge, while individual students can opt out.

The Supreme Court has [already ruled](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_State_Board_of_Education_v._Barnette) that you can't be required to recite a pledge. The law would likely be shot down by a federal court if challenged.

> Just wondering what this bill will mean for students in Oklahoma public schools.

It means they are going to get hassled by teachers and administrators for not saying the pledge. They'll probably need a lawyer and/or help from an [advocacy organization](http://www.dontsaythepledge.com/) to opt out.


Title: I need help wording why the police didn't have probable cause for my DUI.

Question:
In Nebraska if that matters.

Long story short, a few weeks ago I was driving home after a couple of drinks. Made an illegal right-on-red, saw a cool drive by on the other side of the road as I did it. Knowing he saw me (but never did his lights come on), I made a couple of quick turns into a residential area and pulled over. I got out of my car and started walking up to a house, and the cop drives by. He stops at my car (the lights inside were still on), so I get out of sight. 15 minutes or so later, he finds me behind a fence in a nearby yard, and I get a DUI.

I have a hearing  over the phone with the DMV in which I am appealing the revocation of my licence, as I need it for work. I have to prove that the cop didn't have probable cause, and that I wasn't operating the vehicle while over the legal limit. I was not administered a field test, and my argument (while not perfect) against the breathalyzer is that my diet is high protein/low carb/no sugar, which has been proven to throw those things off. Its a shot in the dark, but one I need to take. I need help establishing that the cop didn't have probable cause.

Answer:
 A simple urine test can show whether you're ketonic.  I wouldn't bet on it as a defense.  And for most people on protein-balanced diets, the objective is to *not* become ketonic.

The DMV hearing is an administrative action.  The standard of proof is preponderance, not reasonable doubt.  "By the time I got to the car, I found it with the dome light on.  Brief investigation turned up the owner of the car hiding in the bushes with obvious signs of intoxication.  Arrested on suspicion of DUI." is not only likely probable cause, but likely enough for an administrative suspension.

If you can't afford to lose your job, then you can't afford *not* to hire an attorney.Answer #2: > I need help establishing that the cop didn't have probable cause.

That's going to be difficult, because he very much had probable cause.

You have a potential **defense** in your keto argument.  A shitty one, but a defense nonetheless.  The existence of a defense doesn't generally alter the original probable cause.  He had lots and lots of cause for the stop, for the investigation, and very likely for your DUI charge, as well, given that you've admitted to drinking.

You can certainly present your argument to the DMV, but unless you can prove that he didn't have PC **at the time of the arrest** you'll likely have no luck.Answer #3: You took yourself to the second level of doom by trying to evade him and then hiding from him.


Title: [Pa] Signing over house deed while still on the mortgage?

Question:
I bought a house 2 years ago with my now ex boyfriend. We broke up and he has been paying for the mortgage/ all expenses for most of that time. I want to sign the deed over to him but my name is still on the mortgage. He proposed signing a indemnification agreement which states

1. [I] shall sign a deed transferring the property to [ex].
2. The parties waive and release their claims, actual, potential or otherwise
against the other for reimbursement, credit, or any and all other claims
concerning the property.
3. [Ex] hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless [me] for any
and all debts related to the Property including but not limited to the
Mortgage owed to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems.
4. [Ex] shall continue to be responsible for all expenses related to the
Property.

So in theory this is saying that I'll sign the house over to him, still have my name on the mortgage, but have no liability when it comes to payment? He also said "[His lawyer] seemed confident you could present it if you need to have your credit run and the lender would basically just ignore that portion of your debt."

I just don't see how my contract with the mortgage company would be overlooked by them and default to only him. Is this actually a thing?

I want him to get the mortgage in just his name but I doubt that would be feasible with his income unless he goes in with his parents. Any suggestions with what can be done for me to get my name off the mortgage? I won't be doing anything without a lawyer of my own but would rather not spend the money having one look over things that I shouldn't even consider.

Answer: It doesn't matter whether he holds you harmless for the mortgage. It's whether or not the bank does. If they aren't a party to that, it's not going to affect your obligation under the mortgage.


Title: Items seized, judge orders return, what now?

Question: Approximately a year ago three items were seized and after all the court proceedings the judge orders for the items returned to the rightful owners. I end up calling several numbers to figure out how to get my items back including the property manager officer at the station where the items supposedly are. He tells me they're at another location, so I call them. No answer and no way to leave voicemail. Multiple calls later and I feel like I'm running in circles, what do I do? Should I show up to the location that the property officer referred to me? It's a while a way so I don't want to waste time being sent back and forth. Call a civil suit lawyer? Contact the district attorney? I'm stumped. I'm located in US Connectciut

Answer:
 You might start with a politely worded letter to whomever the current custodian is along with a copy of the court's order, asking when and how they will do what they've been ordered to do.

>Call a civil suit lawyer?

You are unlikely to recover your attorney's fees in these circumstances, so I might exhaust all other options first.

>Contact the district attorney?

That's probably reasonable, though to some extent you need to decide if the department is unwilling to or unaware that they should return the property, or if you're just lost in the bureaucracy.


Title: Denied emergency medical care because I'm transgender. MA

Question:
I am a trans man who underwent a double mastectomy one month ago. My surgeon is in PA and I currently reside in MA for college. The surgery went fine, but one side got infected while recovering. I had a fever of 103+, part of my chest was filling with infected blood, and I ended up going to the ER because I could barely stay conscious.

I was denied care in the ER as soon as they realized I was trans. I was given a bed and assigned a doctor, but the doctor refused to treat me. I put her on the phone with my surgeon. The surgeon told the doctor that all she needed to do was drain the blood from the wound and give me antibiotics and I'd be fine - it was just a basic infection. This infection is apparently quite common after certain kinds of surgeries and also general injuries.

The doctor refused, looked at my wound for less than 10 seconds total, and said I would have to take the 8 hr trip back to the surgeon to do it. She also would not listen to anything I said and in general was very rude to me. I was extremely delirious due to the fever and could not advocate for myself. In total, I was in the ER for several hours and given nothing.

I ended up spending over $150 total on bus/cab fare to rush down to PA at 2 in the morning, where I met with my surgeon. The surgeon stuck a needle in me, drained the blood, and sent me home - a total of about 5 minutes. I immediately felt better and the infection/fever went away.

The doctor's refusal to treat me cost me over $150 in total travel fare, 16+ hours of physically painful travel time, a missed day of classes, and prolonged a serious injury and infection for over a full day, when the treatment was extremely simple and took less than 5 minutes.

I spoke to HR at the hospital but it was like talking to a wall.

I know I'll get the auto mod telling me medical malpractice is specific, etc, but is there any advice you all can give before I do? Was this illegal? What can I do? Thanks.

**edit**: I am not trying to go after the hospital. This was a large hospital with plenty of doctors and surgeons and I'm sure 99% of them are fantastic. However, this particular incident was absolutely not okay, and I would like to know my options.

Answer:
 Do as the bot suggests. Answer #2: Medical malpractice is very fact specific and it is unfortunately beyond the scope of this subreddit. It is highly recommended to speak with a medical malpractice attorney; your state's bar may be able to refer you to one. They typically work on contingency, meaning there is little up front cost to you. Similarly, consultations are typically free. It wouldn't hurt to meet with one, have them look over your info, and go from there.

*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/legaladvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*Answer #3: For everyone doubting OP's story about being treated poorly due to transgender status: uh have you been living under a rock for the past five years? This happens constantly. It's a national crisis. http://www.thetaskforce.org/new-report-reveals-rampant-discrimination-against-transgender-people-by-health-providers-high-hiv-rates-and-widespread-lack-of-access-to-necessary-care-2/


Title: [Massachusetts] Boss wants everyone in office to submit an 'updated medical history'... to him

Question:
So first of all, a bit misleading title as the person in this situation is not me but my friend. Second -- this is going to be fairly long and perhaps unnecessary-context-heavy... it's not an urgent request for answers and I hope this will be more interesting than boring even if it is longwinded. :)

I will include a tl;dr at the bottom.

To get to the main issue, though: one of my friend's coworkers passed away while at work last month -- it was apparently a massive heart attack. He was under 50 so it shocked everyone; more so that it happened literally at his desk in the middle of a shared open plan office.

While at the wake, my friend's (and the deceased's) direct boss was talking to some family members and he informally learned that the worker who died had some existing high blood pressure/other health problems that he had been neglecting to treat. Relatives apparently think he would not have died had he been more vigilant with his health. (A moot point and certainly none of his boss or coworkers' business.)

Boss has taken this situation pretty hard (I gather he was extremely freaked out on the day of the incident) and the information that the worker had a preexisting medical condition that could have potentially "predicted" what would happen seems to have sparked an idea in his head.

On Friday he announced to the office as a whole (all 20ish of his direct reports, part of a larger company of 250-300 people) that he is giving them until May 1st (specificially 'after tax season' because he thinks he is being nice and 'unnecessarily accommodating' of people's time) to provide him personally (not HR, not higher execs, just him) an "updated copy of your full medical history".

According to him this means a visit with a PCP/GP 'no less than six months prior to the due date' and "fully accounting by the doctor for all at-risk health factors"and a "full further accounting of all risk factors in your full medical history". These are direct quotes -- he gave everyone a memo. The wording in the memo is pretty basic directions in poorly thought out legalese, some of it almost stream-of-consciousness in style. (He is in the habit of dictating to his assistant and gets pretty uptight about her recording exactly what he said and not rewording things to make more sense when he is vague or grammatically confusing, even with his important correspondence.)

He is claiming this policy will allow him to prevent further "trauma-inducing incidents" (you know, like a coworker dying very suddenly at his desk a few feet away from you) and honestly seems to be of the opinion that this will *protect* the company from legal harassment in case anyone wants to sue for the trauma of witnessing a death in the workplace.

I guess the idea is that if he knows a coworker is likely to die suddenly he can fire them first to prevent anything falling back on him/the company? It doesn't seem to make much sense on the surface and I can't guess if this is truly his real motivation. (Also, as if a medical history works in a way as to accurately predict sudden deaths of that type... he is clearly not rational on this plan.)

Honestly to me it sounds like he was freaked out by witnessing the incident himself, and when the thought crossed his mind to sue the company for his own trauma, it eventually turned into an idea to play it as if he is a good policymaker trying to protect the company from legal trouble (from people like himself). Apparently he's been angling for a promotion for years and has in the past already come up with some pretty harebrained schemes to suck up to his own bosses.

Anyway, my friend is pretty levelheaded and her immediate instinct is to go to HR on Monday and let them know what's going on, but the way she presented the story to me gave me pause.

She described it (casually, over drinks last night) in a manner like "listen to this completely illegal thing my boss is trying to do!" It does seem to me like he's crossing some dubious legal lines but I've been lurking here long enough to see a lot of people come in with workplace issues they are sure are 100% against the law and it often turns out the answer to "can they do this?" is "yup, totally."

I think the question of "is this stupid for my boss to do and should I bring it to HR/higher ups" is a pretty clear yes, since it doesn't have to be illegal for HR to have other reasons to want to shut this down immediately. Still, I'm curious on the actual legality of what this blowhard is planning. I could speculate that at the very least it seems like it could easily run afoul of the ADA? Thanks in advance for any input!

tl;dr
Boss wants all 20 of his direct reports to hand in their "full medial history" to him personally so he can make sure to fire them if they are likely to have a heart attack and die on the job, before they can "traumatize" their coworkers.

Answer:
 Yeah, that's absolutely not going to fly. The only medical history he's allowed to know for certain is that you were born.Answer #2: I'll just assume your boss isn't a doctor or have any medical education at all. That being said, how the hell is he supposed to look at the results of a medical history and determine whether or not you're going to drop dead at work? Doctors can't even make a prediction like that. This boss is an ass, it sounds like he wants to use the info in these records to weed out sick people which is very much against the law.Answer #3: Just a thought, but the man who died, if anyone at that office at just tried to do cpr on him, he might have lived. The man in charge might be better off giving everyone training in cpr because that will help/prevent someone from dying. Answer #4: HAHAHAHAAAAAAHHH.... No.

Other than it not being others business, this is why I don't bring up my health issues at work. I blew out my back at work that required surgery, brought it up to my boss. No fault, not high, just an accident.  Fired before I got to the hospital.


Title: [Vegas] Random drug testing at Electric Daisy Carnival

Question: I just saw [this article](http://examiner.com.co/clark-county-sheriffs-office-announces-random-drug-testing-at-electric-daisy-carnival-2015/) and am curious about the legality.  I'm not going to the festival nor do I do drugs, but this bothers me.  Seems like a huge 4th amendment violation.  Just wanted to get a second opinion.

Answer:
 This website is a fake news sourceAnswer #2: Wow. Here's the rub.  If you want to make sure you gain entrance, and you're not going to be kicked out, don't do drugs.

Article says this:

>Carlson said, “Our number one priority is the safety of the festival goers, yes, those test positive for illegal substances will face consequences as determined by the law, but that’s not what this is all about, it’s about public safety and saving lives.”

Based on what the article says, yes, this is a 4th Amendment violation.  Though all that means is that if the police drug test someone, that someone tests positive and is arrested, then the results of teh drug test can't be used as evidence.

Another twist though!  If a person consents to the drug test, then there is no 4th Amendment violation.  And if that person doesn't consent, they will be turned away from the carnival.  That's pretty much how it's going to go down.


Title: Oral surgeon is suing me for missed payments I did not know about. 19 year old from New Jersey.

Question: When I was 15 I had 2 root canals done, and at that age was not even thinking about payment. I get summoned to a small claims court, after which my mother tells me she's been ignoring the payments. I had no idea they still existed. Am I screwed?

Answer: Before anyone bashes my mother, I should say that my father got in a car accident and suffered from a TBI and many more injuries. She did not neglect to pay these because she didn't want to, we were literally hit with thousands and thousands of dollars in medical bills, and I totally agree with this bill not being a priority. Answer #2: Explain to the judge that you were a minor at the time and it was not your responsibility. Likely the judge will dismiss the case and force the dentist to go after your mom. Answer #3: I do IT work for a collections agency, we take it incredibly seriously if we receive a collection account on a minor. I don't think the FDCPA applies if it's the dentists office still trying to collect, but if they sold the debt to a collections agency and they're the ones coming after you, then they are breaking the law trying to collect from someone who was a minor at time of service.


Title: Divorce with infant. Who would get custody?

Question:
My husband and I just celebrated our first anniversary, and we also have a 3 month old. I am about 80% sure we will be getting divorced at this point. Husband doesn't take care of nor know how to take care of our son. He said he's been in contact with a lawyer for a while now and the lawyer told him he'd get full custody because I've been a stay at home mom, therefore I have no money or job to support our son. I have been itching to get back to work and he knows this. I am just wondering if that's true. I take care of our son literally 24/7. Husband doesn't know how to care for him. Will I lose my baby? If more info is needed on our situation please look at my previous posts.

Edit: I am in the US in the Mid West region.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Don't take legal advice from the other side. He doesn't have your best interest at heart.

Courts don't penalize parents for staying at home with their kids. Your husband is likely lying to you.

You will need to get a job and a way to support yourself, but the fact you've been at home up to now won't make you automatically lose custody. Answer #2: *edited to add, I'm not a lawyer, just talking from experience *

Most often the mother gets primary custody before 6 months. After that equal division, or the mother gets primary. Income is not the deciding factor. The mother generally gets preference unless she's unfit.


Title: Corrupt court system & dcf

Question: Went out of state to get certification to provide for my daughter better. While I was gone daughter became ill she is type 1 diabetic. Left her in neighbors care with instructions and medical consent. Child was placed in DCF custody. Had emergency hearing without me. What can I do?

Answer:
 Go back, get an attorney, fight to get your daughter.

You left her with someone who was, in some way, unfit to care for her. So now go back and fix this.


Title: State law conflicts with itself?

Question: There are many states that allow nurse practitioners to practice independently; however what they do is substantially similar if not the same as practicing medicine. If the business and professions codes of each state establish the requirements to practice medicine, how is this “short cut” to practice medicine allowed for nurse practitioners? Does state law effectively conflict with itself?

Answer: "Conflict of laws" issues are well trod ground, and the courts do not construe the legislature as restricting itself unless there is a clear intention to do so. Where two laws conflict, and one is more specific than the other, generally the more specific applies.


Title: Can my S.O. ask why a coworker is getting paid more than them?

Question:
Me and my partner live in Riverside, California and they just found out that a coworker(who we're very close friends with) is getting paid more an hour for the exact same job. My partner(who is female) has more experience, more time working there and does just as much work, if not more, than he does. Can they ask the company why they are getting paid less and/or make a fuss about the fact that it's probably because of gender discrimination?

For clarification, they are getting paid 11.25 an hour and he is getting paid 11.35 an hour.

Answer:
 A difference of $0.10/hr is really unlikely to be significant evidence of sex discrimination.

Your partner should ask for a raise before claiming that her employer is engaging in illegal discrimination.Answer #2: Yes. It's legal to ask questions. They don't have to answer either and if they don't like it they can terminate her employment.


Title: (Ky) Received itemized bill after 30 days (amount of time specified in lease)

Question: Hello, today I received a letter from my former landlord notifying me of an itemized bill that my security deposit didn't cover. I didn't expect to get my security deposit back but my lease ended on 5-31-18 and I received the letter today, more than two months after my lease had ended. In the lease it states "We’ll mail to you at your last known address your security-deposit refund (less lawful deductions) and an itemized accounting of any deductions no later than 30 (thirty) days after the Lease Contract termination and delivery of possession to us.  See attached addendum." The letter was late partially due to me accidentally giving the wrong street number on the forwarding address when I moved out. However I was texted by my former landlord, asking for the correct street number as the letter had been returned, last Wednesday (8-8-18). I replied with my correct address that same day. And on the envelope I received the date had been stamped on there twice, once on 07-23-18 and again on 8-9-2018. Both of which are well beyond the 30 day period. Can I dispute the itemized bill? Sorry if the post is wordy or not enough info.

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer.

It would appear that Statute 383.580 is the relevant Kentucky law (there may be something else in Kentucky Chapter 383 though, or perhaps something else). Unfortunately for you, it does not mention anything about late withholding of a security deposit.

Perhaps a small ray of hope though: Kentucky law requires a landlord to keep your security deposit in an account solely for that purpose and for the landlord to inform you of where it is being held. If the landlord did not, then they are not entitled to keep your security deposit.


Title: my brother died and im estranged from my sister, how do i avoid her getting his inheritance?

Question: my brother died early april, and my wife and i are dealing with everything. my brother lived in NV and we are in NY. we went to NV to clean out his condo and to find any paperwork he had (no will). we have a lawyer, but is not well versed in inheritance without a will or NY law (as he is in NV). I haven't talked to my sister in nearly 15 years, and neither had my brother. I know that anything left would be inherited by his siblings since both my parents are gone and he was unmarried without children. we have sent a letter to her about his death and heard nothing back. is there any way to avoid her getting any inheritance/profit? we are renovating the condo to be put up for sale and we want to avoid her getting her hands on anything, as she has a history of stealing estate/property after family death. there a statute of limitation on inheritance between siblings? and under which state would these laws be under?

Answer:
 With no will stating something to the contrary, she's entitled to half.Answer #2: If your brother had no will, Nevada law determines his heirs. As you said, his siblings are the heirs. You cannot deny her the share of the inheritance.

Nevada law has provisions for heirs of “unknown whereabouts.” As executor, you have to do “due diligence” in finding her. That’s going to be more than just sending her a letter.

Once the court agrees that you have done everything possible and cannot find her, the court will determine next steps. The inheritance will be placed in the custody of the court, and probate can proceed on the rest of the state. The court will set a time limit for finding the heir, and if the heir still cannot be found, the inheritance will go to the state.

However, the other heirs can petition to have the inheritance distributed in accordance with the wishes of the deceased, instead of going to the state. Usually, a court will grant that.

You may need to consult with an NV attorney who specializes in probate to get details on how to try to contact her and what to do if you cannot find her. If your current NV attorney doesn’t know the process, you may need a different attorney.


Title: Employee with body odor problem [PA]

Question:
I own and manage a business with 11 full time employees, all office workers in a single location. One of my employees, a man in his late twenties who joined the company two months ago, has a severe body odor problem. He consistently has a strong, pungent smell that is noticeable from around 8-10 feet away and overwhelming within arm's length of him. It's not urine or feces or even a regular sweaty smell ... just really pungent and sharp.

I serve as CEO and HR for the team. We work in an open-plan space with cubicles (it's well-ventilated and air-conditioned). About half of my staff members (those who sit nearest to his cube) have approached me privately to complain about his odor. I initially addressed this with him in a performance review almost a month ago. We had a respectful, productive conversation. He said he was unaware of the problem but would visit his doctor to see if it was a medical issue.

We met again two weeks later, and he'd been given a clean bill of health.  I assured him that I wanted to work with him on a solution, and we reviewed personal hygiene and grooming expectations on the job. Fortunately the handbook does include language about this, so I could refer to a specific company policy. I explained that our minimum expectations were showering or bathing daily and wearing clean clothing and antiperspirant/deodorant. I acknowledged that it has been very hot/humid outside, and sometimes more effort is necessary this time of year. I asked if he felt he could make improvements. He said he already did these things, but that he'd try showering even more frequently, using different soap, deodorant, detergent, etc. We are meeting again next week.

There has been no change, and the odor problem is lowering the productivity and morale of my other employees. Several have been trying to work from the conference room, so they miss calls on their desk phones and I constantly have to shoo people out and clear the table before meetings. One of my employees is pregnant and hypersensitive to smells, to the point of vomiting. The whole team has been supportive, avoided bringing certain foods to work, stopped wearing perfume, answered her phone when she leaves to throw up, etc., but even after shuffling cubes, his odor still drifts to her cube and makes her ill. As a general rule we don't allow telecommuting (some job functions can't be handled remotely), but I made an exception and reassigned some responsibilities so she could work from home until her maternity leave. People who've taken on the extra work blame him for making the environment intolerable, but AFAIK nobody has directly confronted him about this.

People are frustrated with me, avoiding him, and doing everything they can to mask the odor. Now that our pregnant employee is offsite, they're soaking the place in Febreeze, smearing Vaporub under their noses, putting potpourri on their desks, positioning fans to blow air away from their cubes. He's been a good employee in every other respect, but if he can't fix this issue, I need to let him go.

Assuming he's been truthful about his personal hygiene, I suspect his diet is contributing to the problem. He often brings very strong smelling Indian food in from home, and I've read that this can affect body odor even when a person is diligent about showering and laundry. We are a diverse group, but he is currently the only Indian-American employee. I'm aware that this is a common stereotype that many people unfairly assume is true of Indian people, but we have a real, objective, well-documented problem here. I don't know whether to bring up the possibility that his food is the issue - I don't want him to feel targeted because of his culture or national origin, but I also want to give him every opportunity to correct the problem and continue working here. If I have to terminate him, I don't want to do so in a way that could lead to a lawsuit.

Could a legitimate claim of workplace discrimination could be made if a person is fired because of body odor caused by food that's part of their cultural identity? Do I need to consult with a lawyer before our next meeting? Have I already screwed up here? I've been thoroughly documenting the complaints I receive, my meetings with this employee, and the goals and potential solutions we discuss. Any advice is welcome.

EDIT TO ADD: I have no reason to believe he's not taking proper care of himself because of a personal problem or circumstances beyond his control. If you ignore the smell, he appears well-groomed. Neatly combed hair, appropriate clothes that aren't stained or wrinkled, clean-shaven face, nails trimmed, designer wristwatch and glasses. He looks as though he puts more effort into his looks than some of other male employees. It's a casual office, so the bar isn't super-high. As long as there's nothing offensive going on, you're fine.

ANOTHER EDIT: Since many of you have suggested that his doctor may have missed something - if the problem is medical in nature, what are my obligations to him as an employer? I'm not sure how treatable the various odor-causing conditions are. If a doctor can't fix it, I've got the same problem I have now.

Answer:
 Hey OP. Throwaway account here for obvious reasons. I too have a similar condition, although mine is worse than what you've described. I've been told my odor is fecal in nature and it is totally dependent on what I eat.

I've been fired from jobs because of it and ostracized socially. I've seen many doctors and specialists regarding the problem. As has been suggested by others, these doctors are at a loss. What I do know is that I have a bacterial dysbiosis and there is anecdotal evidence to suggest this could be the root cause.

I wouldn't wish this condition on my worst enemies - it has definitely ruined my life. However, you cannot let your employees suffer for the sake of compassion. Answer #2: I used to work for a recruiting firm specifically dealing with recruiting indians for tech positions.

When they would cone to the US, we had a specific class to teach them about the different expectations for cleanliness and hygiene here in the US.

Some of them had odor issues we could not solve and we eventually figured out that it was their homes. Most of them were used to multiple maids cleaning up after them (everyone has a maid in india) and the way they kept their home was deplorable. You can shower 10x a day if you sleep in a nasty bed, or don't wash your clothes and you will still stink.

It's a lost cause at this point. Just let go of the guy already.


Title: A Friend Asked Me to Be Legal Guardian....Help! (MO)

Question:
In Missouri - A close friend asked my partner and I ( we have no children) to be legal guardian of her only child. The friend has a large life insurance policy that comes with child in case of death to cover expenses, education, etc.
My main concern is the child's father. The father does not live with the child, does not have a custody arrangement, but does have a strong relationship with the child so is very much in the picture of the child's daily routine.
You may ask - Why is dad not named as legal guardian? The mother does not trust dad to be responsible to raise him upon her death. Nor does the mother believe he will handle the money correctly. She does not want her bio family to be involved either with the estate or guardianship.
We are concerned about dealing with the Father and what rights he has upon her death.  ( he is not listed on birth cert).  Would we assume a custody arrangement like a mother would? Should that be outlined in advance on the estate plan?   Or if we move out of state and take the child away from dad (who will prob never move and already has a few other children)?
My Question: are there any other major issues (besides Dad) that are red flags we need to ask questions about? We are still processing if this is even something we want to consider. Of course, we feel flattered and honored. ....

Answer: Dad could likely file for recognition of paternity and custody at any time. If he did it before her death and a court recognized his legal right to the child, then no legal guardianship would be possible - he would likely automatically get full custody upon mom's death. If he filed after her death, any guardianship would probably be dissolved upon the legal recognition of his parental rights. There are a lot of things that could go wrong with this plan. She should seek the advice of a local estate planning attorney and a local family attorney. There is probably a way to set up a trust for the child that would limit who can touch the money inside if money is the big issue.


Title: Contacted by a fishy lawyer from MA claiming to represent my ex-landlord in OR. How do I know they're real?

Question:
I contacted my ex-landlord about some wrongly withheld money from our security deposit in order to try to resolve the problem outside of litigation.

They didn't respond, but I got an email from a generic AOL email from someone claiming to be my landlord's legal representation. She doesn't respond to my requests for her contact information or credentials, and seems to mainly exist to intimidate me and thwart any legal action.

Part of me is guessing that this might just be a relative or friend of my landlord, and that they might not actually be a lawyer at all. But I'm attempting to be courteous just in case.

The name they gave me doesn't have a google presence except two vague LinkedIn accounts, both for a self-employed lawyer in Boston, MA.

 I accidentally clicked "reply all" to an email and ended up cc'ing my landlord. I got a threatening letter from the "lawyer" saying I must "NEVER" contact her client. But if she refused to send me her contact or credential info, I have to put my ex-landlord as the contact person for mediation. Am I putting myself in a bad situation by doing so?

If this person has passed the bar and is certified (?) to practice law in MA, can she legally represent someone in an OR case (or court-annexed mediation, which is the next step)?

Is she obliged to provide me with contact info and credentials?

Update: I was able to confirm that the name she gave me is my landlord's sister, who is a retired member of the MA (her home state) bar. She is not a member of the OR bar. Does that mean she officially practiced law without a license in OR? She presented herself as my landlord's "legal representation."

Answer:
 Tell her to fuck off. Parties can contact other parties all they want. It's *lawyers* who can't contact other represented parties.Answer #2: Does the states bar have a searchable registry?

Either way it may be worth a complaint

Obligatory IANAL.


Title: Voice teacher in college wants me to sing and come to class in spite of doctor telling me not to do either. Are professors legally required to follow doctor's orders?

Question:
So I'm a vocal performance major at Tulsa Community College in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Last month I injured my voice, but not so badly that I couldn't perform. I just got in to see the doctor today, and the doctor told me I had swelling on and near my vocal cords and that I needed to be as near to silent as  possible in order to prevent the problem getting worse. He specifically said that it would be seriously unwise to sing at a recital tomorrow, which counts as my final exam. He gave me a doctor's note saying that I was told to rest for 30 days. It has his signature on it. I was also given a document with a record of my appointment. That document mentions that I shouldn't sing in the recital.

I went to the school, but my teacher was out so I left a copy of the doctor's note and the page from the medical records mentioning the recital on my teacher's office door.

I then called my teacher explaining all if this, and she told me not to "put the decision on her" and explained that I had a choice: I could sing, or I could not sing at the recital and get a poor grade in the class.  I told her, "fine, if that is how you say it must be, I'll attend" she told me again not to blame her. Well, I'm mad as hell, and I am blaming her.

I'm literally in tears right now. Health is supposed to come first. Why can't she understand that?  Is it possible that some law or some school policy would force her hand to where she has to pass me, or at least withdraw me without it going on my transcript? I just can't believe anyone could be this stubborn and heartless. And I didn't even mention that this thirty days of voice rest would extend into the first week of the fall semester and require that I miss a voice lesson in the fall. I might just drop out, as stupid as it sounds to have to drop out over one missed week of lessons. She is a stickler for attendance
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 They cannot legally force you to sing against medical advice EVER - that's just not going to happen.

But depending on the school's rules they may or may not be required to accommodate your medical condition with respect to assessment and grades.

I would escalate this further up the chain to either her supervisor and / or the dean of the school to see what they say.

Look up wherever it is written your school's policies regarding illness / injury and assessments


Title: [meta discussion] Downvotes and why they should not apply to OP's responses.

Question:
People come here looking for guidance when they have a legal issue, or what they think is a legal issue, and most people have impressions about the law that frankly are downright wrong.

I have seen, time and time again, OPs making responses to suggestions and advice with further mistaken impressions, and readers in this sub end up downvoting the OP's mistaken impressions.

I can certainly understand downvoting bad advice. But it can be *incredibly useful* for people to read the mistaken impressions of the individuals going through this in order to correct their own assumptions about circumstances in the law.

Please refrain from downvoting responses from the OP in order to increase visibility, discussion and correction of mistaken impressions about the law.

Thank you for your time.

Edit:  A lot of you made some very cogent suggestions as to when downvoting may be appropriate. I believe we might consider a rule of avoiding downvoting an OP's *initial* response.

I agree with downvoting OPs who are being insulting or inflammatory.

Answer: Classic example today: [this question](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2yp7w9/i_bought_a_car_advertised_as_needs_nothing_on/), where the poor OP got downvoted into the negatives for asking how he could possibly have a mechanic inspect a used car for sale by a private party before purchasing the car.  He simply didn't know, and got downvoted for what some redditors think is a dumb question.


Title: I inadvertently posted a counterfeit copy of Rosetta Stone software on eBay. A Rosetta Stone lawyer threatened me with fines. What should I do?

Question:
Back story: In August 2013 I purchased a used copy of Rosetta Stone language learning software program on eBay for $150. I never used or installed it as I had in the meantime also purchased a new copy of the latest version on Amazon.

A couple of months ago, I decided to sell the unused old version back on eBay, only to receive a notice from eBay the next day that my listing was pulled because the software was counterfeit.

Great, I though. I lost $150.

But it got worse.

A lawyer from Rosetta Stone called me and asked me to return the software and pay punitive damages of $800. He had gotten my info from eBay, a VeRO partner.

I argued that I had no idea that the software was counterfeit. He said it does not matter; selling counterfeit software, even unknowingly, is against the law.

How did he know the software was counterfeit? He said the logo was different from the authentic one, and there were spelling mistakes on the back of the box. Hadn't I noticed them? As if my life is devoted to analyzing the minutiae of the Rosetta Stone logo or reading the back copy of software boxes I purchase.

I understand the reasoning, but it seems harsh to punish this way a first-time offender with no malicious intent. I might have been naïve, but certainly not evil. Yet he would not let me off with a warning and pursued the punitive settlement.

I then received an email from their legal department, with a PDF copy of their proposed settlement agreement.

What should I do? A real estate attorney acquaintance of mine said he would not settle; according to him, I should send the counterfeit software back to the company with a note that I've already incurred a loss (the original purchase price), and tell them to have a nice day. Yet, he admitted he has no experience in copyright law.

Asking a copyright attorney for advice might cost me as much as settling with the software company, if not more.

On the other hand, it seems Rosetta Stone is an extremely litigious company, quite successful in their pursuit of sellers of counterfeit copies of their software
http://www.ipfrontline.com/depts/article.aspx?id=25267&deptid=4

What say ye?

Answer: On the whole, I would think it would be a very bad idea to send the software to Rosetta without any settlement agreement in place: you would in essence be giving them the evidence.


Title: (FL) got fired today. Company is only paying me 40 hrs of PTO, though I have 100+ accumulated.

Question: Worled there for 2 years and have accumulated 100+ hours of PTO. They said they started a new policy this year to only pay out 40 hrs PTO max (before that, it was the full amount). They claimed I took the mandatory training class and signed it, therefore acknowledging the new rules. But aren't I still "grandfathered" into the old payout rules?

Answer:
 Sorry, not Floridian, but your argument would be that if you had accumulated, say, 70 hours of PTO before they put that policy into effect, the company still owes you 70 hours of PTO in accordance with the accrual plan at the time.  You are probably out the hours you thought you had accrued after the policy changed and was communicated to you.  But they still owe you whatever was accrued beforehand.

Florida doesn't have a Department of Labor, so contact the US Department of Labor.


Title: Fingerprinting for a new job: What does it mean?

Question:
Hello all!

I live in Ohio, and I am being asked to be fingerprinted for a background check at a new job given I work with children.  I have never been previously fingerprinted and have no criminal record.  I was wondering if completing the fingerprint background check will mean the government/FBI will keep my prints on record permanently.  Just curious.  Thanks!

Answer: yes, your prints will be on record permanently.


Title: SO is having issues at work based on a text message that a manager stole from a co-workers phone

Question:
My SO works at a retail store in southern New Jersey and has been working there for about 1.75 years. She is very good at her job and basically carries the store by herself. She is technically hired as a sales supervisor, but receives assistant pay and does the work of an assistant as well if not the store manager, which she has acted as before.

Recently they got a new store manager after issues with the last one which in the mean time she was acting. The new manager believes that most day to day store duties are beneath here and "delegates" them to the other associates, such as receiving truck, putting out product and doing markdowns.

The new manager has started getting very bossy and demanding and is honestly creating a hostile work environment. My SO told one of her co-workers who was working to please give her the next time she works, because she couldn't get the information from the manager. The word she used to describe the manager though was less than professional, calling her a "bitch."

The manager just so happened to walk by at the exact moment as my SO sent the text and read the text enough to see the words, "she's being a bitch."

Since her co-worker didn't feel the need to have a lock on her phone the manager picked it up and started scrolling through all the other texts which did include some back and forth opinions of her between my SO and her co-worker friend. The manager than asked the co-worker to screen cap the messages to use as evidence  for disciplinary action. The co-worker denied this request and immediately put a lock on her phone and got into an argument with the manager, who was honestly being very rude to her as well for other unrelated issues (again hostile work environment comes to mind).

She has a meeting with the manager and possibly DSM about these texts and is refusing to go because she doesn't want to be possibly, and most likely will be, humiliated with them repeating the texts messages from memory or if she wrote them down. I don't blame her, but right now she is making more than me and we have a lot of expenses and are trying the best we can with making due.

I really don't like her being treated like this and I feel like this is not only a grievous breech of privacy on the co-worker, but on my SO as well because those texts were sent in private and did not really affect work life, opinions about bosses and co-workers happen and you have the freedom to express your feelings to people you trust, even if they are not the most professional.

Is there any legal action we can take without having her have to go to the meeting tomorrow? I can't really go there for her and express how I feel, because that is just weird, but I hate seeing her work so hard do so much for this company and them trying to screw her over at every turn. Any advice what-so-ever would be appreciated.

Tl;Dr SO called manager a bitch in text to co-worker manager saw, is calling for disciplinary action.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Are you serious? You think texting a coworker rude opinions about your boss is a private conversation that doesn't interfere with work life?

What legal action would you possibly think would be available to your girlfriend?

Also, a hostile work environment is a legally specific term that requires extenuating and unreasonable circumstances. "My boss asks me to do work tasks" does not create a hostile work environment. Answer #2: Tell your SO to work on her resume and stop calling people bitches at work.

There is nothing you can do to legally avoid her having to go in tomorrow. If she doesn't go in she is fired. If she does go in she's fired.

Avoiding this is not an option.

>Tl;Dr SO called manager a bitch in text to co-worker manager saw, is calling for disciplinary action.

That will happen.


Title: Which warranty would be enforceable here?

Answer: Looks like a 12 month retailer’s warranty and a 24 month manufacturer’s warranty. Within the first twelve months I would pursue the retailer. After that, the manufacturer.


Title: Police confiscated rent/bill money over a month ago and still will not return it

Question:
Okay so on September 13th the police came to my apartment because of a noise complaint, my 5 year old managed to wedge his toy box under his bed to make a slide and it fell over. My downstairs neighbor and me have had an ongoing issue over my paid for parking spot, long story short I got a better one than him and he was using it for free til I paid for it.

Anyways, it's 6:11PM when they show up. I have the report from that night. They want to come in because the report from a "concerned neighbor" is they heard a bang and then a child crying. My kid wasn't crying, he was laughing hysterically because he found it funny. Anyway once they come in and ask him what happened it all seems fine and they go to leave. Then the officer "Noticed a large pile of cash on the kitchen table that looked crumpled and being put into envelopes". Yes the cash was crumpled, I'm a waitress. Anyways they then ask me about it, I tell them it's collected tips from work and I'm just sorting out rent, bills, groceries etc.

They then run my name and see I have a possession of marijuana conviction from when I was 19, I am now 30 so 11 years ago and nothing except traffic stuff since then. They then call in a supervisor and unless I can show them a paycheck right now they are taking it on suspicion of proceeds from illegal activity (selling drugs). These are tips that I've been saving up since June for Christmas and pay a few months rent so I can be ahead going into the new year.

I've been trying to get my money back since the very next day (September 14th) and they refuse to give it back. I've barely been able to make bills now since they took it, and our Thanksgiving was microwaved. I'm a single parent with almost no time to do anything except work, take care of my son and sleep and now I'm working even more hours since I'm in the hole now.

How can I get my money back? I had work give me a printout of paid out tips that were debit/credit that more than cover the amount they took but they still keep doing nothing. I filed 3 complaints so far, one for each officer and the supervisor and it seems like the moment I did that they are totally ignoring me even more now. I can't pay for things in full and I'm now behind on bills and can't even get toys etc during the savings and sales right now. I'm in Texas, please help me
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer: So this is called civil forfeiture, and because you are in Texas you can basically kiss that money goodbye.  Texas has some of the worst CF laws in the country.  You really need a lawyer to help you through this, I'm sorry to say.Answer #2: You might want to reach out to The Institute for Justice, a non-profit that among other causes, fights civil forfeiture. I have a family member that works there and they do great work. Answer #3: You should consult with a local attorney ASAP. There are ways to challenge civil forfeiture in Texas, but it can be an uphill battle and may not be worth it if the amount of money wasn't all that much.


Title: A friend of mine who is over 18 had a video of himself doing sexual things recorded without his permission and was distributed to minors. The local police say they can't do anything about it.

Question:
A person that I know through band in high school who is over 18 was performing sexual acts while Skyping with a girl. The girl recorded him doing, made fake Facebook accounts, and sent the video to many kids that are still in high school because he apparently owes her money. He went to the local police, and they said that there's nothing that they can do about it. What steps should he take?

Location: TN

Answer:
 Yeah, it's a common scam.

Tell your friend to

1. Block all communication with the scammer. All they are after is money.

2. Probably explain to friends/family that they may see something, that paints them in a negative light.

3. Tell him to knock the shit off, and stop trying to masturbate on Skype to random people on the internet.