Title: My downstairs neighbor constantly complains about the noise from our apartment but the floors/ceilings aren't up to modern code.

Question:
My roommate and I just moved into our new apartment less than a month ago. Since moving in we have gotten multiple complaints from our downstairs neighbor about the noise level. He'll complain about hearing our footsteps, the cabinets closing, the stereo, the subwoofer, anything louder than a whisper practically. It's gotten ridiculous I feel.
We have laminate and tile floors. We've layed down several carpets to help absorb the sound. Our subwoofer is on 2 towels and a carpet and the complaints still abound. Our landlord said that the floors are not up to modern code but we're when the building was built in the late 70's as far as sound proofing goes.
We live in New Hampshire. What can or should I do about these constant complaints and does it pose an issue to our lease agreement or potential eviction?

Answer:
 Tell him to speak to the landlord. Complain yourself to the landlord about his constant complaints.

> the subwoofer,

That being said, you might want to get rid of this. Despite your "2 towels and a carpet", this may actually be 100% avoidable. Both your neighbor and your LL could point to this as something you should not have in a 2 floor apartment when you live on the upper floor. I'd be pissed off too, if I heard/felt the thump of a subwoofer all the time from my upstairs neighbor.


Title: (AZ) My child's therapist says I can't use their notes or them in testimony, but I need them.

Question:
My daughter has been talking very negatively about her dad. We have 50/50 custody, but he's never involved. As she got older she realized that he isn't the most stellar dad. It got to the point that she compared herself lower than his dogs and would randomly start crying because she was so sad about it. Stating that she feels "he cares more about his dogs than me.". I didn't want to interfere in their relationship, but at the same time I wasn't going to stand up for him. There are more things she's said about their relationship and I decided to start sending her to therapy since it was even interfering with her sleep. Her father consented to the therapy

Her therapist has said that there are emotional issues going on caused by him. He isn't neglecting her in the sense that he doesn't take care of her physical well-being. It's more that he isn't emotionally there for her, but it's definitely affecting her negatively. Now, we have had this 50/50 agreement for years, but I don't want her to keep suffering. He refuses to change even after the facts are there. I want to talk to a lawyer about re-doing our custody agreement, but I think the therapist's observations are important in helping come out with a different custody agreement. I don't want her to stop seeing her dad at all, but I also don't want her being there 50% of the time and hurting.

The issue here is that in the therapy agreement, there are 2 clauses that I'm concerned about. Those are:

&#x200B;

* If you ever become involved in a divorce or custody dispute, you agree that your therapist will

not provide evaluations or expert testimony in court. You should hire a different mental health

professional for any evaluations or testimony you require. This position is based on two

reasons: (1) Your therapist’s statements will be seen as biased in your favor because you have a

therapy relationship; and (2) the testimony might affect your therapy relationship with your

therapist.

* "If you and your partner have a custody dispute, your therapist will need to know about it. Our professional ethics prevents us from doing both therapy and custody evaluations. Your therapist will not serve as a witness or provide records for such matters, and we ask you that you accept this policy. If you go to court, you will have to ask another professional to do any evaluations of yourselves, your children, and your relationship. We ask you that said records will not be requested in court by either party. By signing this form you knowingly and freely waive your rights to request the release of information (beyond the attendance, dates, and length of treatment and your charges) to your attorney and any other officer of the court."

&#x200B;

Obviously, I can't use the therapist at all. Yet, how am I able to fight for custody if I can't even request the records for custody disputes? If I go to another therapist it'll be the same issue. They have to build a relationship for this particular situation. Especially since notes can't be shared for custody reasons. The therapist's own observation or notes can help me fight this or at least give me a hand in the matter.

What can I do?

Answer:
 If it's absolutely mandatory to your case that you have your kid's therapist's testimony, get a lawyer, and ask about a subpoena ordering them to give testimony. Your therapist knows full well that they can be forced to testify even if they have good professional reasons to avoid it if possible. A lawyer can tell you whether this is a good idea or not.

However, subpoenaing your child's therapist will almost certainly lead to the therapist refusing any further work with you or your child afterwards. Their wishes and their professional opinion are clear, and if you override that through the courts, they are more than free not to do business with you in the future.

Inadequate parental investment in having a relationship with a child may not be grounds to change custody in the first place, which is one of the reasons I'd recommend talking to a lawyer before dragging your kid's therapist into this. Depending on your child's age, her preferences may be enough to support an adjustment in parenting time, but being distant - even distressingly distant - isn't neglect or abuse.


Title: I am concerned about my child

Question:
I have caught my child  by searching history of our computer  that he typed in Google child pornography.
He says it's just a joke but I am concerned.
Isn't this illegal or something, could we get in trouble?

Answer:
 It is not illegal to google “child pornography”.  In fact, I do it regularly when looking up state penalties for crimes related to child pornography when people ask about it here.  Information is not illegal.

Talk to your child about this if you are concerned.  Be a parent.


Title: If a foreign tourist gets caught under age drinking in USA. What are the possible punishments for this?

Question:
[NO]

Edit: Thanks for all answers. I sincerely appreciate it. I asked because of the legal drinking age in Norway is 18 and we do enjoy a couple of beers. However, we are in no way traveling to the states to cause trouble. We will certainly think twice before consuming alcohol, thanks to your inputs.
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 I dont know if you're a tourist or not, but it's unlikely you'll be served at most bars/pubs/restaurants/stores without a valid an age appropriate ID. That's usually the difficult part, obtaining the alcohol. Usually places self regulate fairly well.

 If someone else is purchasing it for you and you're out in public at a concert or park you're likely just to face a citation and fine if caught. In my experience, unless you're doing something else, like being wild or openly being a nuisance, most cops aren't going to to stop you to ID and check it. Itd likely be a result of some other action.


Title: (USA) Employer over paid and is refusing to reissue a check with the correct (less money) amount.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Cash it and set aside the money until they get their shit together enough to accept a return of the overpaid money.


Title: [Switzerland] Got a bank statement of an account that I closed 2 years ago, 14000$ on it that I can't explain. Can I keep it?

Question: As explained in the title, I got a bank statement of a bank account that I closed 2 years ago, roughly 14000$ are on it that I don't know where it comes from. I don't dare to call the bank because I suspect they may have made a mistake, and as a poor student I'd really like to keep the money. What should I do now? If I take the money and put it on another account (at my new bank) and possibly use it, can my old bank still ask to get it back if they notice the mistake?

Answer:
 You can't keep money that isn't rightfully yours.  Yes, if they notice the mistake they will expect the money back.Answer #2: Ask them for the bank statements of the last two years so you can see when and where the money came from.

I also closed an account with a bank and then later got a statement for an account with 8000CHF on it that I didnt know where it came from. Turns out it was just my savings account that was opened at the same time as my normal account.


Title: Asking my student loan company to prove I owe them?

Question:
\(Ohio\) I have older student loans \(\>10 years\) that have switched companies rather frequently. I discovered something called Requesting Substantiation and I'd like to know if it applies to my current situation.

Am I able to draft a letter or have a lawyer draft a letter to request the loan company substantiate \(prove\) I owe the debt? Is there a scenario where I don't have to risk all of my credit to see if they have the actual promisary note. I'm in a situation where terms have been so unfavorable for so long I'm starting to doubt the company is acting fairly, or that they are the actual owners of my debt.

If a lawyer must draft a letter, how do I go about finding one?

Motivation:

I have two loans companies, the unfair one claims rates continuously go up because 'they don't set the rates'. meanwhile the other company has kept rates perfectly steady when they are both private/federal loans.

Thank you /r/legaladvice

Answer:
 You probably have a variable rate loan. You should have refinanced that to a fixed rate years ago. You can still refinance that to a fixed rate. That isn't them being unfair. That is you not knowing the terms of the loan you signed and not understanding how to lock in an interest rate.

As to your legal question, I have no idea, but I hope somebody says the answer is yes, so that I can see if I can magically get out of paying the debt I owe too. :)


Title: My wife wants me to move out of her condo...

Question:
My wife spoke to me about wanting a divorce last week. She packed her bags and left me Tuesday night.

Today is July 17th 2017, and I received an email from her asking me to move out  by Tuesday August 1, 2017 at 6pm.

What are my legal rights to stay in her condominium? (I live in British Columbia, Canada)  I have been sharing costs of the mortgage with her since we got married March 4th 2017.

Answer:
 I suggest you talk to an attorney. If the condo is a shared asset she may request that the condo be sold as part of the divorce.Answer #2: Here's an important note: are you on the lease, mortgage, title, or anything like that?

You've lived in the condo long enough to be considered a month-to-month tenant, even if you haven't signed a lease with her. She can ask you to leave but she would have to properly notify you to leave before evicting you and your belongings. It would be advisable you talk to your divorce attorney about this. Don't have one? Call the provincial bar association for a referral.


Title: Can A City Threaten You with Revocation of Fire Services?

Question:
This might be flared wrong, I’m not sure.

I live in a relatively rural area in Texas, just 5 minutes away from a rapidly growing suburban city and a “rustic” suburban city. We’re classified as Extraterrestrial land, and we’re not technically within any city limits.

We received a letter today stating that if we didn’t opt in to the city limits, they’d revoke police and fire services. Police is not a big deal, the county sheriff still patrols the area and the other cities still provide police, and the county has an ambulance, but can a city revoke fire services? We want to opt out so we can continue doing things we wouldn’t be able to within city limits (shoot, avoid noise restrictions, etc); but I’m concerned about this Fire threat.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: It’ll ultimately depend on how the city’s incorporating legislation is structured, but it’s very likely their obligation to provide fire service does end at the city limits. Your county may have its own rural fire service you can call on.


Title: Going to court for a restraining order in NJ, do i need a lawyer?

Question:
As I said I live in New Jersey and am trying to obtain a restraining order against someone I previously dated.  It's been 3 years since broke and about 2 1/2 that I've been blocking and ignoring him.  Over the course of the 3 years he has kicked a dent into my car, threatened to hurt my fiance, told me to die in a fire, and continues to make new profiles to harass me via social media (Facebook and Instagram).

He has not approached me in person it's more of being harassed online, except for last week I haven't responded to anything he's sent me.  He has sent me emails saying he misses me, sending my photos of my high school graduation that he found online, pictures from when we did date.  Most recently he's been messaging me on Instagram, first on a made up account and then on his personal.  The first messaged was about my fiance and him trying to rev me up to say something back which I did not.  Then he messaged me from his personal account about wanting to be friends he included his phone number of which I replied and cursed him out.

So we had court and he asked to post pone so he could obtain a lawyer which I thought was ridiculous how can he possibly think he can fight me on this when I have so much evidence, BUT I think the real reason he's fighting it is so he is able to keep his gun.  In NJ if you have a restraining order against you, you can not own a weapon.

So TL;DR trying to get restraining order on ex bf, he is obtaining a lawyer to fight back even though I have a lot of evidence.  Do I need to waste money and also get a lawyer.

Answer: Trust your instincts go for the restraining order immediately, and cite the fact he owns a firearm in your concerns, Screen shot and save every harassment online and if i were you change your FB settings so only friends can send you messages and report any account you do not know that sends you a request as spam (I don't use instagram but assume there is a similar facility there for  messages from unknown users, just undo it if you like people messaging you after the RO is granted, it may be a good idea to see if you can get a social media ban as part of the RO too, to prevent him creating ghost to harass you


Title: The City of Philadelphia keeps coming after me for business taxes I don't have to pay

Question:
About 10 years ago, I was doing some work as a sole proprietor and registered in the City of Philadelphia. I did my taxes as a 1099 and the appropriate city filings for a couple of years, then I started working full time and put an end to that.

A few years later, I received a letter saying that I owed back taxes. What my accountant helped me figure out was that I should have submitted paperwork to close the business, otherwise they would assume that it was still open and require all the business license fees to be paid. No problem, however, it could be done retroactively.

We filed the necessary paperwork, closed the business, and I received paperwork saying that all was good.

A couple of years later, I received the same notice (two of them, actually, with different case numbers but identical amounts) as before, saying that I owed about $5K in taxes, and spent a few hours on the phone straighten it out. Again, I was told that everything is good and I don't have to worry about it anymore.

The same thing happened again a couple more years down the road, and I went down to city hall and again, got paperwork saying that it was a mistake and I don't have to worry about it anymore.

I've now received another notice, this time from a collection agency, for the same amount.

How do I keep this from happening? I feel like every now and again someone goes through "old cases" and reopens mine again and then I have to spend hours of my time fixing it again.

Needless to say, I'm never going to do business in Philadelphia again, but this case keeps popping up over and over and it's really not helping my life.

Any advice? Have you seen something like this happen before? How did you resolve it for good?

Answer:
 (I am not a lawyer)

Write a letter explaining it, submit all documentation you have, make a copy for your records, and send it registered mail to not only the clerk's office but also the collections agency.

Make sure you include the phrase "I dispute the validity of this debt."

The collection agency has the responsibility to ensure that a debt is valid, if you dispute it.

Otherwise, you will need to file suit in a Pennsylvania court with jurisdiction over Philadelphia.  You will definitely want to hire an attorney for this.


Title: My male friend was arrested for domestic abuse, is there anything he can do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >I was there, it was self defense.

Do you know the legal requirements for self defense?  Even if it was, he has prove it was self defense.


Title: My parents revived a suspicious package in the mail. What kind of legal trouble are they in?

Question:
Today my mother texted me a photo of a USPS package addressed to my younger brother. Currently my brother doesn’t live with us, so this was a little odd. He is legally an Adult.

Inside the package was a hefty amount of cannabis vaporizer pens in original packaging. The return address was from a legal state. Zero tolerance drug policy at the home because this is where my family is safe from his lifestyle. What kind of legal trouble are they in? Any advice for what they should do?

Thanks

Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 IANAL, but why are your parents opening packages that aren't addressed to them?Answer #2: It got to the house, and they signed nothing? They're fine. Tell them to either dispose of them, or calling the police.  (I actually wouldn't recommend throwing them away. Smell might cause problems.)

Honestly, handing them off to your brother and saying of it happens again the police will be called is the only way this won't turn into a large ordeal with years of federal jail time for your brother.

IANAL but I know plenty about dark net drug purchasing. I'm very sorry that this happened, hopefully you can all work this out.


Title: I knocked my neighbor's kid down my stairs by accident. What should I be doing right now?

Question:
My back door opens to the right.  The doorway to the basement is to the right.

Today I went out to my garage for a few minutes.  I left my back door unlocked.

Apparently while I was in the garage my neighbor's kid went into my house through the back door. She was standing in the entryway.  She had opened the door to the basement (I assume looking for me?).

When I came was going back inside (completely unaware that she had entered my house) I swung the door open.  It knocked her off her balance and she fell down the stairs because she had opened the door.

She has some minor injuries.  Her wrist is sprained and she has a lot of bruising and a cut that required a couple of stitches.

Her mother is furious at me for leaving my door unlocked when I was not inside the house and for not being careful when I opened the door (no people or pets were supposed to be my house so I had no reason to be).

I had yelled for her out the door while calling an ambulance because  I had no idea if the girl was badly hurt.  The mom came over and told me we do not need an ambulance and she would drive her to their primary doctor.

Since then she texted me telling me:

"We are at the doctor's right now.  [Explanation of injuries]  I hope you know that you will be responsible for [kid's name] medical costs and any costs to me unable to work to care for her.  For your negligence."

Have I been negligent?  Should I call my homeowner's insurance?  Should I file a police report so there is a legal record of what happened?  Should I be calling lawyers?

I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing here.  I will appreciate any advice.  Thank you.

Edit:  I live in Phoenix, Arizona, USA.

Answer:
 Like everyone else said, call your insurance company. They got your back on this.

I hope you don't feel guilty about the child's injuries. She definitely should not have been in your house, and it is her mother's fault for not supervising her, not your fault for leaving your door briefly unlocked. Good luck!Answer #2: i think the fact that you called 911 and she refused kinda tips it in your favor.Answer #3: How old is this kid?

Did you allow the child to come to your home often without invite?


Title: Brother Arrested in HK for Cannabis: Need Advice

Question:
Hey everyone

My brothers just been arrested in Hong Kong for smoking or possessing cannabis.  His girlfriend texted me an hour ago.  They are holding him in jail until Monday, when we possibly might find out more from the judge.

Fact 1: He is both a Canadian and Hong Kong citizen.

Fact 2: He works and lives in Canada.

Fact 3: He didn’t bring it from Canada.

Assumption: My assumption (as I have not spoken to him) is that he went to a local spot in HK and bought a small quantity.  He was only supposed to be in HK for 4 days total.  So Im assuming he didn’t have more than 4-7 grams total.

Does anyone have any information they can shed on this topic??

Gov HK website says citizens can be penalized up to 1 million HKD and 7 years imprisonment.  Other sources say for tourists they will likely just arrest, fine and deport youx

What kind of repercussions is my brother looking at??  Anyone know?  Appreciate any info thanks!!

*** if this isnt the right subreddit for this topic, can anyone suggest where to go?  Thanks!

**** PS I know... he’s such an idiot for doing this...

Answer: Get the Canadian embassy in HK involved. Also inform his employer as they may get involved.


Title: Do you have to do everything a cop tells you to do?

Question: I just saw the video of Philip Brailsford killing Daniel Shaver. The cop is telling him a bunch of contradictory things and I'm thinking that I would definitely be killed if this cop was around me. My thought is that I would just lay there like a starfish on the floor and ignore everything he says. It would be obvious that I'm not a threat. If he has to call backup to secure the perimeter around the immobile starfish then that's not really my problem. I'm wondering though, would he be allowed to just shoot me for laying there like an immobile starfish and not following his orders? I live in California, if that makes a difference.

Answer:
 >would he be allowed to just shoot me for laying there like an immobile starfish and not following his orders?

No, but he also wasn't "allowed" to shoot Daniel Shaver for disobeying his contradictory orders. But he did anyway, now Shaver is dead and Brailsford faced no legal consequences.

I'm not trying to scaremonger, the average American is significantly more likely to die in a car accident or from a previously unknown unaddressed medical problem than they are to be shot and killed by a trigger-happy officer, but in a tense encounter with police there is no 100% effective method to ensure your survival unless you can control minds.Answer #2: They may not shoot you but they may charge you with resisting or obstructing arrest.


Title: [PA] Victim of Predatory Towing??

Question: Mini Cooper left behind until we could pick it up after move out of our old home but moved it from driveway to public street, off to side of home, passed right of property line of home roughly 60 days ago.  Not parked in fire zone, no will tow signs anywhere, thought was public space to park a car.  Out of spite old rental agency called to have it towed because we left after they said they were going to up our rent.  No one told us it was towed Friday, now towing company wants us to pay $400 to get it.  Police also have no towing log of the tow.  The police were also not involved in the tow.  We are meeting with the police tomorrow morning. What should be done?

Answer: You left a car parked in the same spot for 60 days?!Answer #2: You're not getting your car back without paying the $400 but then you can sue them if you can show it should not have been towed. But there is a very good chance there is a local ordinance about how long a car can be parked on the street.Answer #3: It was likely considered abandoned if it was sitting there for 60 days.  Check if there is a local ordinance on this.  Regardless, you need to pay to get the car out ASAP.  You have a duty to mitigate your damages, meaning you need to stop the car from incurring additional storage fees while you figure this out.


Title: i talked to cops after getting stopped

Question: I talked to cops after being pulled over, I gave a different explanation of what happened then what I told my lawyer (I was scared of going to jail at the time and was unable to think straight). Obviously this can be used in court, will the body cam over turn what I told my lawyer?

Answer: You'll need to speak to your attorney. The better move would have been to refuse to make any statement. You may be stuck with what you told the police, as a substantial difference in story may trigger liability for making false official statements. Again, this is something you'll need to (immediately) tell your attorney.


Title: Rent issues [BC, Canada]

Question:
A few months ago, ~~some complete cunt~~ mom and I started discussing rent. She said that from June through August, rent will be $300 and from September until I ~~get out of that hellhole~~ move out (whenever that will be), it will be increased to $400. She said that I agreed to it and seeing as I didn't explicitly agree in writing and that we are disputing it, there is no agreement. According to dad and the BC tenancy laws, rent can only be increased by a maximum of 2.5%, which going from $300 to $400 is way more than 2.5%.

Since I am going to have extra expenses due to me going to Australia to attend my sisters wedding, moving out isn't a practical option.

So, my question is, what should I do regarding this? Are there any laws that will help me in this situation?

Answer:
 I'm a bot, *bleep*, *bloop*. Someone has linked to this thread from another place on reddit:

- [/r/pussified] [My mother has the audacity to charge me, an adult, a few hundred bucks in rent. Besides calling her names, what can I do?](https://np.reddit.com/r/Pussified/comments/38x0g5/my_mother_has_the_audacity_to_charge_me_an_adult/)

[](#footer)*^(If you follow any of the above links, please respect the rules of reddit and don't vote in the other threads.) ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger/wiki/) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose/?to=\/r\/TotesMessenger))*

[](#bot)Answer #2: The funniest part of this post is that you have the audacity to give advice in this sub on other people's posts. I always knew you were a spoiled loser, but thanks for confirming it.Answer #3: Oh to be 19 and still think I'm right about everything.


Title: I'm Dreamer who accidentally hit and run-ed a car. If I get caught, will I get deported?

Question:
I was on the freeway when I very lightly bumped the car in front of me. I didn't pull over and the car followed me for a few minutes, and they probably have my licence plate number. I didn't do any significant damage. How long does it usually take for a person to be notified if a insurance claim is filed? Will I get deported/arrested?

More info: I'm in California

Answer:
 Hit and run is a serious offense, and there most likely will be serious consequences. Why didn't you stop? You might have been able to settle it then and there, Too late now.Answer #2: In California hit and run is a criminal offence
>These California hit and run laws apply to every car accident, regardless of:

Who was at fault,3
**The amount of damage inflicted**, or
The seriousness of the injury/injuries.

You may be arrested or fined, I cant really say anything about deportation thoughAnswer #3: Hit and run is a criminal offence.

It will almost certainly impact your residency, but in the end that will be up to the courts.Answer #4: How does one "accidentally" hit-and-run?


Title: Landlord won't protect our backyard parking

Question:
I am currently renting a single-family house in Iowa with several roommates.  It is owned by a local university, who contracts the management out.  This house faces a street and has parking in the rear, on gravel.  The university owns all the houses on the block, and has poured a ton of gravel into the whole interior of the lot, with no separation between houses.  The lease only states that we have to park in compliance with local ordinances.

However, a vehicle shows up one day, parked behind our house.  It's left there for a few days, and we ask our landlord about it.  We learn that it belongs to a neighbor, who is also renting from the university.  Our property manager says they'll remind the tenant not to park behind our house.

A few days go by, vehicle doesn't move.  So I leave a polite note asking them to move it.  The owner then shows up and *explodes* at me - very aggressive, huge douche, "how dare I touch their vehicle".

A long, angry email later shows up, asking the landlord why I would dare to leave a note on someone's car.  I think that's pretty normal thing to do, especially if it's parked on land that I'm pretty sure I have some say over, as it's a part of the property that I'm renting, right?

Several emails back and forth with the property management, where I cite the local ordinances saying that, specifically, lessees of a property decide who is parking legally and illegally on non-owner-occuped residential property.  The property manager says that the university owns the property and that the "parking lot" is designated for all their tenants' use.

My lease only says that parking has to be done legally, as far as local ordinances go.  The property I'm renting (property-line wise) contains the area where we usually park our cars.  If I'm renting a house from someone, is the backyard included? Can a landlord impose rules that aren't on the lease? Should I just contact our local parking law department and ask them to sort it out? I can't help but feel like I'm missing something.

Answer: We're gonna need an MS paint drawing hereAnswer #2: How does the lease describe the property you're renting? Is it just the house or the lot or something else?


Title: nsfw ask?

Question: would it be legal to hold a eyes wide shut esque part if i had a mansion in Maine California Michigan or Illinois?

Answer: Just for the good of the order...are you high right now?


Title: [AL] My great-aunt is physically abusing my critically ill great-uncle. What are our next steps?

Question:
My great-uncle is being abused badly by his wife. She's his caregiver, because he is generally bed-bound and very bad off health-wise. Tonight, we had to rush him to the hospital. His head was split open and requires staples, and he also has a black eye.

He's admitted that she hurts him to my mother, but refuses to say the same to anyone outside of the family. He tells them he "fell". He has a history of "falls".

On a particularly horrifying note, my great-aunt took out an expensive life insurance policy on him. If he dies by accident  (such as "falling", as she's stated before), she gets $250,000. They live on his social security checks.

We're already planning to report this to Adult Protective Services  (or whatever the equivalent is in Alabama) in the morning, as well as trying the police. We're putting him a nursing home ASAP, and will try to get power of attorney transferred from her to someone else. But he's safe for now..

I guess my question is multi-part. Is there anything we can do if he won't speak up? And are we missing any major steps?

Sorry if this is incoherent, this just happened a few hours ago.

Answer:
 [Elder Abuse Hotline in Alabama](http://www.alabamaageline.gov/elder-abuse.html)

You can report it anonymously.


Title: Two Seizures Due to Medicine Withheld (US, MS)

Question:
I was recently hospitalized due to seizures that were triggered by panic attacks. It was in the mental health side since I mentioned it was so bad I wanted to die. While in there care, I informed them anxiety attacks triggered my seizures. I also inform them multiple times that I needed to take my seizure medicine at 5 since I took it at 5 am that day. They refused, stating they have to follow doctors orders. Around 8, I had two seizures back to back due to not taking my seizure medicine on time. Usually when you have seizures back to back, you’re supposed to go to ER. They moved me to my room and couldn’t get ahold of the doctor to get his permission to give me Ativan. Even the nurse mentioned she had left 6 voicemails. They also stated that they were waiting for the doctor to approve my anxiety medication. The next morning I had a panic attack that turned into a seizure. I had asked for something and they stated the doctor hadn’t approved it yet and would contact him. He never approved my medication but placed me on a beta blocker without telling me what the medication was. Is there any course of action I could take or am I out of luck? The doctor was rude and diagnosed me with PTSD after a two minute evaluation. Another psychiatrist diagnosed me with GAD and panic disorder after an hour meeting with me and felt I wasn’t a danger to myself. I was released but the whole experience has left me traumatized.
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 A seizure is a genuine medical emergency, it’s typical to call a code or slightly lower acuity response team.

Did your doctor agree that you had seizures?Answer #2: NAL. Do you have a diagnosed seizure disorder? I ask because my boyfriend used to have seizures triggered by anxiety, one day we were at a hospital being seen for one of his psychiatric issues and he had one of his seizures. It turns out, he wasn't having actual seizures and that severe panic attacks can present themselves as seizures. He does have a panic disorder and since being put on a medication for his anxiety he no longer has seizures. Something you may want to consider. Answer #3: If you are having seizures three hours after your medication is due, then your seizure medication probably isn’t at the right level. Is the a case of non epileptic seizures?  Answer #4: It sounds as if they don’t feel you’re having seizures.  Are you asking to be given Ativan every day?

The trend is to get away from daily admin of benzodiazepines.  Also, most anticonvulsants take days to get to a therapeutic level, a few hours should make no difference at all.Answer #5: Ativan is normally given emergently to stop seizures.


Title: Child support & terminate parental rights

Question:
In 2005, I started receiving paperwork for child support case that may have been the result of a drunk, beach one-night stand 4 years prior. I went down to the little county in Texas several times to appear and submit to a paternity test but never went in front of the judge because the mother never showed. I started being charged monthly child support. I just found out that the county ended up putting a non support warrant out for me 8 years ago. I have been getting payments taken out weekly from my check. Now the mother is in a different state and has had her parental rights terminated. Where does that leave me paying child support for a child that may not be mine to a mother who has lost custody of her child, all with a warrant hanging over my head?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: There is at least a step missing in your story here if not several. Was paternity ever formally established?  Who has custody now? And why do you have a warrant if your child support is now being paid via a garnishment?


Title: My apartment manager attempted to come into my unit after I specifically asked him to come later. I let him in (but I left for work) and he left my bathroom door locked, left my closet door open, and left food trash in my kitchen. Not a big deal or...?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You don't have to be home for a maintenance request. You can ask, but if you ask for something to be fixed, and if it might be urgent like a leak causing ceiling discoloration, it's kinda unreasonable to expect they let a possible leak go longer because the time they come to look at it isn't convenient for you, unless you prefer having the ceiling collapse and ruin your belongings and making your bedroom uninhabitable instead.

They might have gone into your bathroom to temporarily shut off the water and then the closets to check if they could hear running water.

As for the trash, you might get an apology, but really IMO you're making a bigger deal out of this than necessary.


Title: How can church's donate so much money against ballot initiatives? Where does separation of Church and State come in?

Question:
Boston MA. [Bishop O’Malley](http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/jessica_heslam/2016/11/cardinal_sean_omalley_s_fight_against_pot_is_personal) in his very public battle against Question 4. He has appeared in a series of web videos speaking out against it. He’s also put the archdiocese’s money where his mouth is, donating $850,000 to a group campaigning against legal pot.

This makes him/church one of the larger contributors in this ballot question.

Answer: Separation of church and state means that the church doesn't run the country. That doesn't mean they cannot have a political opinion.


Title: Mom being charged for deceased ex-spouse's medical expenses

Question:
In New York.

My father passed away in October of 2016 after a month in a rehab, all while we were working out his Medicaid coverage to pay for his stay.  I was the one predominately handling this, but once he passed away I stopped answering their calls.

Today, almost a year later, my mom, who has been divorced from my father since 2004, received a bill for $6,500.  She's freaking out because she thinks this is going to ruin her credit.

Do they have a right to charge her? What kind of lawyer would I get involved with this?

Answer: I would have your mom contact the hospital's financial department (it should be somewhere on that bill) and explain that she divorced your father quite some years ago and has no responsibility for his bills.  She may have to provide a copy of the divorce decree.


Title: Policing in my backyard... Threatening to fine over a TV...

Question:
My mother in law has a television in her backyard by her garbage cans. You can't see it from the street. It's supposed to be going out with the spring clean up at the end of the month.

The local police came into her backyard and threatened to fine her for it.
Can they really do that? Is it really their business to be in her backyard without permission? And can they fine her for that?
The neighbors house is 100 times worse than a silly little TV with junk all over the yard. Never any notices or fines for them...

What should I do, reddit?

Edit: I am in Kentucky just outside of lexington. There is no homeowners association in her neighborhood.

Answer:
 >Can they really do that?

Come into her yard?  Yes, if they are there for law enforcement purposes.  Fine her?  Probably - most cities have ordinances against enumeration (junk piling up in your yard) as well as illegal sound amplification (if she has the TV on loud enough that it disturbs the neighbors).  You didn't clarify what violation they are alleging she is committing.

 >The neighbors house is 100 times worse than a silly little TV with junk all over the yard. Never any notices or fines for them...

Really?  You watch their home 24/7 or regularly check police records to verify they never get tickets for anything?  Doubtful.  What you mean is that you've never seen them get a ticket.  And regardless, someone else committing some other violation does not have any bearing on what your mom is doing.


Title: Banned from a Starbucks location for hitting on women

Question:
So I was asked to leave and not return to a Starbucks location for sitting outside (on their patio) and approaching attractive female patrons. Can they do that? I just moved to a city and don't know anyone. I work from home and online dating is a joke. What am I supposed to do? Note: I look normal and was always very respectful to the women.

Edit: Location - Dallas, TX

Answer:
 >Can they do that?

Yes.  You can be banned for any reason other than being a member of a protected class (religion, ethnicity, etc.).  Creeping on patrons is a perfectly legitimate reason to ask you to leave.

>What am I supposed to do?

Find another place to get your coffee.Answer #2: Google "singles events [your town name here]" and go to them and stop bothering women at Starbucks, that is what you do.  That way you can meet women who are actively trying to meet men as opposed to women actively trying to buy coffee, upping your odds of success.Answer #3: Let me guess--you negged them?  If course they can tell creepers to leave.


Title: Ut My brother shot himself, is his gun a part of evidence? Do police ever release the gun back to the family/spouse?

Question:
What the title says.

Basically is my brother's pistol forever gone because it was used to shoot somebody, or is it just considered property and part of his estate now that their investigation is done?

I want to know if I can legally get it back from the police.

Answer: Yes you can get the gun back. My uncle did the same thing, and I have the firearm he used. Just follow up with the sheriffs department, and let them know you would like it returned. Once their investigation is finished it can be released. If you don’t follow up it will sit in evidence until it is destroyed.


Title: My wife just had an appendectomy and we have no medical coverage.

Question:
My wife and I live in California. I left my job in October and will start my next one in December. Like an idiot I didn’t get health coverage for us for the gap month. Yesterday my wife had stomach pain and had to go to the ER. Turns out she has acute appendicitis and she’s getting an appendectomy as we speak.

I’m not looking forward for the hospital bill, which will probably be in the upper 5 figures. Is there anything I can do now to get any retroactive coverage?

She doesn’t work or have savings herself but I do. Probably enough to cover it but we won’t have much left. If we can’t afford to pay the bill would debt collectors come after me as well as her?

Is there anything I can do to not lose all our savings? I don’t really see many options here but I thought I might as well ask.

Answer: Look into COBRA, it can be retroactive for up to 60 days.


Title: Filing a police report against verbally abusive father

Question:
For some background, my father is very verbally abusive and my mother has been strongly considering a divorce for a few years now. I'm away at college so I don't live near home.

Today, my sister \[17\]  was driving with my parents in the car. My father and sister got into an argument and he threw a pastry at her while she was driving. Mom told her to turn the car around and go home. When they got home a few minutes later, my sister hid in my room and called the suicide prevention hotline while my parents argued outside the house. On the phone, they offered to help my sister contact the police. She said no initially because she thinks that would only make him more angry towards her. My mom and my sister took the one car we have to my grandparents house and left dad at home for the rest of today. They will have to return home later tonight. They are planning on buying a doorknob that locks for my sister (current one does not lock) so that she has a place to hide from him in the future.

**tldr;** father verbally harassed my sister and my mother and sister feel unsafe at home.

My question is, if my sister were to file a police report against my father, would he know? She doesn't want to press charges against him, and she doesn't want him to find out about the report, she just wants there to be a record of his abuse. Would this help my mother's case for divorce?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 She can't control whether or not the police charge him with a crime once she reports something to them. They will decide whether or not to investigate, and whether or not to arrest him and/or charge him.

Verbal abuse is not illegal. Throwing a pastry at someone is, though not exactly a huge priority.


Title: Alienation of affection, is legal action possible (or was it about 20 years ago) against a child after divorce?

Question:
Growing up my parents went though a tumultuous divorce.  Relationships were completely damaged with my father, communication stopped completely.  My mom would always tell us these horrible things about our dad and so we as young teens ended our relationships with our dad.

My mom informed my sister (about 20 years have passed) that several years after the divorce my dad tried to sue my sister for alienation of affection once she turned 18 or 19.

Thinking back we always believed everything she told us. (Not really actually seeing it but it being an over and over thing).

Is it possible to sue your child for alienation if affection or is that something that is geared towards the parental side of things only? It happened in PA at the time.

I'm trying to understand some of the pieces of my childhood that make no sense. (A whole other post in itself).

I absolutely can't talk to my mom about it and I haven't talked to my dad in probably about a 20 year period.  There is so much to this but really I just want to find out at this point if suing your child is a legal possibility for alienation of affection.

I think it will help things make sense if I know this could be a real thing or not.  My sister never saw any paperwork on this, just what my mom told her.  (Unless there was some idle threat made at some point).

Thank you for any feedback.

Answer:
 She may be thinking of parental alienation?  When one parent manipulates the children into fearing etc the other?  Custody agreements often include non-disparagement clauses to prevent this.

Any lawsuit would be against the other parent though, not against the child.Answer #2: I would think the operative word here would be "tried"--your mom isn't saying he was successful. He could have told her he was going to sue your sister for alienation of affection and then gotten laughed at by every lawyer he called. Conversely, the other commenter could be correct and he could have attempted to sue your mother for parental alienation and your mother is just confused.

So no, the exact story your mother is telling you doesn't really pan out. But I wouldn't say that's slam-dunk proof of your mother being manipulative or purposefully lying. If that's your concern, I'm not sure you'll get the kind of proof you're looking for from any one event or statement.

You might consider posting on another forum for more relationship-oriented advice. What you're going through isn't uncommon for people with your background.


Title: Charged with 21 counts of Theft By Deception

Question: I owned a trailer dealership in early 2014. We sold trailers online, over the phone and in person. After having a few bad months we decided to sell off assets and close. We continued to take orders but only small ones that could be filled quickly with local manufacturers. Due to cash flow issues we advised our current customers that if they wanted refunds it would take a week longer. One customer was unhappy with this and decided to involve his brother who was a detective. I was questioned and arrested and booked into jail. I was given no bond for 3 weeks then given a high bond of $50,000. I sat in jail for 75 days. During this time the detectives contacted all my customers and any that hadn't received their money back were added as additional charges. All told it was 22 Felony counts of theft by deception. When I was finally able to post bond I contacted my payment processor and approved all charge backs and all customer were refunded their deposits. Excluding two customers that placed large orders and changed them multiple times. Due to the manufacturer policy they could no longer get refunds due to the materials already used. Its has been 2 1/2 years and I have had ZERO contact. I am applying for a GA Insurance Agent license and had to call 5 times just to speak with someone. They had lost the file and it took me driving there to have it located. Now all of a sudden they are putting it to a Grand Jury in 2 weeks. What do I do? I didn't steal anyones money nor did I deceive anyone. I sold trailers. I had multiple manufacturers and filled tons of previous orders.

Answer:
 >What do I do?

Get a lawyer.


Title: I was impregnated by a foreign tourist. Is there a chance of getting child support?

Question:
I'm 4 months pregnant and I plan to keep my baby. The father is from Turkey who was here as a tourist. When I told him about the pregnancy he got on a plane and went back to Turkey. I'm sure he is the father as he's the only person I've had sex with in the past 6 months.

I know that if he was the father and lived here he'd be required to pay child support even if he wouldn't want to be a father to our child however does him going abroad make it impossible for me to do anything in this case? I appreciate if you know anything about this.

I'm in Chicago, IL.

Answer:
 [According to this](http://www.acf.hhs.gov/css/partners/international);

Turkey is not a country the USA has an agreement with for collection of child support.Answer #2: There's the legal answer, and the practical answer.

Legally, although Turkey isn't a reciprocal child support country, that doesn't mean it's impossible. It just means there isn't a formalized agreement in place. You'd have to get a US court to find parentity ad get a support order; then go to the Turkish court where he lives and try and get them to recognize and enforce the US order. While extremely difficult, it's not legally impossible.

The real answer is that it's incredibly difficult, and if you aren't interested in raising the child alone; then you should look into other options, including adoption or abortion, if that's what you want.   Answer #3: Pretty much "no" unless he comes back to the US.


Title: Landlord denying security deposit over water use

Question: Yesterday there was a guy power washing our neighbor's house.  The neighbor's landlord told the power washing man to use our spigot.  This was without our knowledge.  When we noticed, we told him that we pay for water, and he should stop.  He paid us $50 for the water already used and told us he would charge his client.  Now our landlord is arguing that we "sublet" the apartment and has grounds to evict us and deny us our security deposit.  Is there anything we can do?  This is in Minnesota.

Answer: What? No, that is not the case.  If he refuses to give back the security deposit make sure to sue him for it and if he tries to evict make sure to show up to court.  Subletting is allowing them to use the property, your landlord doesn't own the water so he has zero claim to what he is saying.Answer #2: $50 of water is A LOT of water


Title: family court visitation

Question: I was granted a temporary order of visitation where the father of our newborn is supposed to drop off our daughter at my moms house on sundays between the hours of 10am and 3pm. The problem is, my mom has a job at a church and isn't home at that time. We've reached out to the father to ask if he could meet us at her church for the drop-off, but he is refusing to allow any visitation because the order says drop off is at the home. Is he allowed to do that? Could i fight this in that we've tried to make other arrangements with him but he is refusing to budge on something that could work for both parties?

Answer: Is he allowed to follow the order to the letter? Of course. It is a court order. And meant to be followed to the letter


Title: [VA] - Friends car was repossessed last year. She is now receiving calls and letters saying it was sold and she owes the remaining balance. Is this a debt collection scam or does she legally owe the remainder?

Question:
The amount still owed is $2,200.  I thought if a home is foreclosed on and the bank takes possession and sells the home the previous owner is no longer responsible for the previous debt.  For instance house with a mortgage balance of $200,000 repossessed by bank and then sold for $150,000.  I don’t think the person who was foreclosed on now owes the bank the remainder ($50,000).  I may be wrong.

Anyway I thought car loans may work in a similar fashion.

This is NOT my area of expertise and I’ll go ahead and profess my ignorance now.

My question is this.  Is there any legal way out of this debt?  The vehicle was voluntarily handed over when the debt became delinquent.

Thank you.
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 Yes, deficiency judgements are legal in VA, for both home foreclosures as well as vehicle repossessions. Your friend owes the money.Answer #2: Of course she owes the money. Why would she not owe the money? You think someone esle would be responsible for eating a $2200 loss cause the car got repo'd?

> For instance house with a mortgage balance of $200,000 repossessed by bank and then sold for $150,000. I don’t think the person who was foreclosed on now owes the bank the remainder ($50,000). I may be wrong.

Yes, you are wrong. You would absolutely be on the hook for the balance. You think the bank is going to eat 50k?


Title: If I have sex with someone who was recently discharged from a mental hospital, can I legally get in trouble? [USA - PA]

Question:
So there’s this girl I’ve been seeing for a few weeks. We’ve messed around before but (tmi) we don’t get very far because she breaks down crying (turns out she’s a virgin and hasn’t given a blowjob etc). She does this thing where sometimes she’s hypersexual and sometimes she breaks down crying, panic attacks, etc. She said before that she wants to wait a few months to have sex but then she’ll go and do other things...

So anyway, about a week ago she attempted suicide and yesterday she was discharged from the mental hospital. She also lost her housing last week so I agreed to take her in since she doesn’t have family she can go to. I feel like it would be better if she just got the virginity thing over with since it seems to be stressing her out a lot. My question is can I legally get in trouble if we have sex?

Answer: How many red flags do you need to see before you figure out how bad of an idea this is?Answer #2: If you both are consenting, no. But your comment “I feel like it would be better if she just got the virginity thing over with” is kind of alarming. Don’t coerce her into sex, especially in her mental state.


Title: Middle name misspelled on copy of birth certificate

Question:
Hi, r/legaladvice.

I've got a bit of a problem here, and I hope I'm posting in the right place for this.

Four years ago, my mother went back to my home country (Trinidad and Tobago) to get a new copy of my birth certificate because she'd lost the original. When she got the new copy, she misspelled my middle name (correct spelling is Shaun, on the birth cert. it's "Shawn"). When she came back to America with the new copy, I didn't think much of it when I saw it.

Fast forward to present day, I am now trying to join the military. The Air Force, specifically. My recruiter tells me that he can't move forward because my ID, birth certificate, social security card, and perm. resident card names aren't exact matches.

They look like this (trying to avoid posting PII, so hopefully you guys can understand this):
ID/Driver's License [first name, middle name, last name]
Social Security [first name, last name]
Perm. resident card [last name, first name, middle initial]
Birth cert. [last name, first name, misspelled middle name]

As far as I can tell, the easiest way to get this rectified is to update my birth certificate to show my middle name properly spelled. However, I haven't been out of the country in like 12 years, and a trip back to sunny T&T isn't exactly in my budget at the moment. Is there anything I can do about this from here in the states? Or am I just screwed all around? Literally all of my other documentation has "Shaun" on it (where applicable).

Any help would be greatly appreciated, and sorry if I may have posted this in the wrong place.

Answer:
 [Why don't you just apply for a new birth certificate, to be sent to you by mail?](http://www.ttcgmiami.com/uploads/APPLICATION%20FOR%20PAID%20BITH%20CERTIFICATE.pdf)Answer #2: Hmm, whats your state? Maybe it would be easier to just legally change your name.

Hold on, the only thing with the wrong name is your ID right? Why not go get a new ID and show them your correct BC? Are you really attached to Shaun?


Title: 867-5309/Jenny?: Similar number to online business, unwanted phone calls

Question: I receive dozen of daily phone calls for an online business that has a similar phone number.  Our numbers differ by only one digit.  These phone calls have gotten more frequent these last months.  I have had this number for over a decade and would very much like to keep it.  I haven't approached the business yet, as I assume they will most likely do nothing.  They are a rather large well known online business and I'm shocked they do not have a 1-800 number.  Am I doomed to loose my number, or is there any legal recourse I can take?  I live in California.

Answer:
 This happened to my grandmother. A very popular pizza shop in town had a very similar number to her landline, one digit off. She started telling every customer that called that their pizza sucked and to go to it's competitor. Word got around. They changed their number.

Not saying to do this..Answer #2: There is nothing you can to do force the other party to change their number, nor is there anything you can do about a large volume of people misdialing the phone.

Answer #3: Once when I was college me and another guy were drunk and started dialing all of the 867-5309's that we could and asking for Jenny.  I remember that in the 516 area code it is for the Red Cross in Long Island, NY.

In any event, at some other number I asked for "Jennifer" and was actually passed through to a Jennifer's voice mail and left a message that I got her number and was going to make her mine.

Most people swore and/or hung up.

/That is all.


Title: [California] Landlord here. At what point can I evict a tenant after 18 noise complaints in 1 month for the tenant in a unit?

Question:
California, non rent controlled, tenant lived in the unit for ~2 months.

I have received 18 noise complaints from other tenants and the private security company I hired for group of units.

Lease is 1 year signed in May.  Lease clearly states;

>In consideration of and cooperation of others in the Community, Resident agrees to keep the volume of any radio, stereo, television or musical instrument at such a level which will not disturb the other residents at any time. Any noise, disturbance, or activity which would, in the sole and absolute discretion of Landlord, be reasonably likely to annoy or disturb other residents is strictly prohibited. Resident agrees not to interfere with the safe and quiet enjoyment or comfort of others.

What can I do here?  My grandpa owns the units but he is too old to deal with this and gave me the responsibility a year ago.

Answer: [This page from the Department of Consumer Affairs](http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/evictions.shtml) documents the eviction process.  It is [from this book](http://www.dca.ca.gov/publications/landlordbook/index.shtml) which provides a lot of useful information for landlords in California.  After you read it, you should consult with an attorney who specializes in landlord-tennat law..


Title: High school checking account opened by mother is in collections

Question:
Hi,

I recently opened a college checking account with Chase. I primarily bank with NFCU, but I decided to open this account up as well. I primarily use this Chase account to deposit money earned from my credit card's cash back rewards as sort of freebie spending money.

-
Today I went to pay something with my debit card and my card was declined. I checked my account and saw that my balance was $0.00 due to an ambiguous pending transaction "W/D TO ANOTHER ACCT". I called up Chase to ask them about it. The representative stated that I had another account open (my high school checking account that my mom opened for me when I was 15 that I'd since forgotten about) that was recently closed due to insufficient funds. The account has a negative balance of around $800. They said that this account is in their collections department now and that they would continue to remove funds from my account in order to pay off that balance.

-
I was very surprised by this because I have had a credit card through Chase for about two years now that I have always paid off in full, and I have never once heard about this. Even when I went in to open the new account, this was never mentioned at all.

-
I've already texted my mom and am waiting to hear back from her about this, but honestly, I am not surprised. My mom used this account as her primary checking account, and at the time she was not very financially sound or responsible. I do not believe that she did this maliciously, or that she has stolen my identity as the account was opened with my knowledge with both of us as co-owners.

-
I informed the representative that I was a minor at the time that this account was created, but she said I am still liable to pay because I am a joint owner of the (now closed) account. I asked them to send me a letter with all of the information in it, but I guess my main question is am I liable to pay this balance? I was a minor when this account was opened, and I do not have the contract details as this was opened years ago. My school has a free legal counseling service that I could look into. Should I speak to a lawyer about this, or this is a cut and dry situation where I just have to pay? Thank you.

-
TLDR: Mom opened high school checking account with me as a co-owner when I was 15. The account recently closed because it was overdrawn by $800, and now Chase has begun to remove funds from my new checking account. What steps do I take?

Answer: I came here through your update post.  If your mom had money troubles in the past and overdrew your joint account, you might want to check your credit records to see if there are any other accounts that you're unaware of or have forgotten about.


Title: Can I videotape my roommate at home without her permission? (California)

Question:
Due to a complicated series of circumstances (I sublet an apartment from a nice guy who also sublets to the roommate in question) I'm stuck living with someone who can only be described as an 'unstable verbally-abusive drug-addict" for the next six weeks in San Francisco, California.

My roommate has demonstrated a tendency to get extremely aggressive (yelling, swearing, breaking a plate) when she feels frustrated about roommate issues (she didn't like me using the dishwasher to wash dishes, she wanted to use it only as a drying rack, and she was upset I used my own paper towel to dry my hands rather than a regular towel).

In event event, my question is very simple: in order to dissuade my roommate from further crazy outbursts, I want to e-mail her to say "For my own protection and peace-of-mind, any and all abusive or menacing behavior towards me (yelling, swearing, breaking plates) in shared spaces will be video-and-audio recorded.". In the State of California, do I have the right to do this in a private dwelling?

I understand California is a two-party concent state, but I also read that "If the person sees the recorder and is aware that they are being recorded, they are presumed to have given consent." according to [NewMediaRights.org](http://www.newmediarights.org/page/field_guide_audio_and_video_recordings)

Answer: Yes, that is legal, but you don't have to tell them why.  Just say, "Hey, there has been a lot of crime around here recently, I'm going to get a security camera for the living room."


Title: My landlord blocked my fire exit from the outside.

Question:
Hey everyone,

So I moved in to this apartment at the beginning of September. My landlord lives above me, and pays the utilities. I have a gas fireplace to heat my section of the house, so she asked me to keep the back door closed when the fire was on to not waste money on heat, which I was happy to do for her. Occasionally however, I enjoy a bit of fresh air, especially when I'm cooking since I don't have a vent hood and don't want cooking fumes in here. I also don't have a CO monitor or fire detector which she legally should have provided me, and I'm in the basement near the furnace room so I like to air it out just in case, you know?

Anyways, I open the sliding glass back door occasionally but make sure the fire is off when I do so. Most days if I've had the door open, I lock the innermost glass door when I go out, but neglect to close the outermost glass door. The past few weeks I've come home and noticed that she had come around back and closed the outer door while I was out. Ok, weird, but not too big of a deal. But yesterday I came home and went to open the back door while cooking dinner, only to find that she had wedged a piece of wood along the base of the outer door so that I am unable to open it from inside. I was annoyed, so went to go remove it, only to find that she had installed a padlock on the backyard gate so that I can't get back there to remove the wood blocking the door. Let's just say I was...angry. She didn't tell me she was planning on doing this, and made sure I was out of the house when she did. I don't think it's ok for her to be skulking around my door or altering it in any way without my permission. It's also a safety hazard - she just blocked off my fire exit and the only window I have to ventilate my kitchen.

Too bad for her, I'm much smarter than she is. I promptly climbed out my bedroom window - which thankfully she hadn't blocked - into the backyard and removed the piece of wood blocking the door. I don't think she realizes that I foiled her brilliant plan so easily, but I'm worried than when she finds out she's going to be upset. I haven't confronted her about this problem yet, since I'm not too sure how to approach it. I'd love some advice on how to deal with her. I pay for this space, so she has no control over whether the door is open or not, correct? Do I need to involve the tenant board or fire department? I don't know how seriously I should be taking this. I'm worried she's only going to get more controlling over time and want to settle this before it goes too far.

Thanks for reading!

TL;DR - Landlord blocked off my fire exit from the outside so I can't open the door. Foiled her plan, but don't know how to confront her. Advice?

Answer: locationbot thinks you're in Colorado. which you might be. but wherever you are, you can probably call the buildings inspector or Fire Marshall. they'll have a talk with LL.


Title: Paid off my mortgage, now what?

Question:
I'm in Georgia, and two months ago I paid off my mortgage. I got a letter from Chase saying they released my lien,  and another legal notice saying that if they didn't do such and such within 60 days they were in violation of Federal law and I could nick them for $500.

I don't really care about the $$$, but assumed that  two months after paying off my note I'd have a deed or some such in my hand stating that I now own my condo.

I've been on the State court website several times and it's a pretty hostile site for someone who knows nothing about how to look up a property. Can anyone give me a quick "Dummies for Mortgages" tutorial on how I can find out if Chase has done what it was supposed to do and cleared it's loan off my deed? TIA

Answer:
 The lien is registered with the county assessor.  (You can find yours here:  http://gaassessors.com)

You need to go down to their location and look up your property information to find out whether they released the lien (some are online.).  There is no "deed" that you'd be getting, since you already got that when you purchased the house.

They file a paper with the assessor that they no longer have an interest in your house.

[They should also send you the "no balance, all done" statement.](http://www.thinkglink.com/2013/04/26/documents-paying-mortgage/).


Title: I called out my neighbor for being a bad driver and now they are falsely accusing me

Question:
A few days ago I came home to see that my neighbor's car was parked ridiculously close to the left side of my car (driver's side). They even pushed my side mirrors in. Towards the left rear tire, her car is less than a few centimeters away and I noticed a small scratch that was definitely not there before (I took my car to a body shop recently). Anyways, I was a little buzzed at the moment and wrote an angry letter saying that I was fed up with their crappy parking. I left it on her windshield and immediately went to bed.
The next morning as I went to my car I saw her waiting in the garage. She instantly starts going off on me accusing me of writing the letter and keying her car. I admit to her that the letter was mine and I wrote it when I was not sober. She won't listen to anything I am saying and kept on accusing me of the damages to her car. She walks away and I thought that was the end of that. A few minutes later, she brings her boyfriend over to my apartment. The boyfriend is not any more reasonable than her. He starts threatening me saying if I dont confess that he will call the cops.
A few hours later, the cops came and asked me if I did it. I explained to him that I was angry when I wrote the note but the scratches on her car was not my doing. Her car is pathfinder type of car, fairly big and full of bumps and rips on all side and she is trying to accuse me of 3 random scratches on the other side of her car. The police wrote my name down saying it was just for records that they me with me and that I was not in any trouble.
Although I did not get into any legal trouble, this whole experience has left me pretty scarred. I have dealt with difficult people in the past but never have had them come to my house, falsely accuse and threaten me for something I did not even do.

Today I noticed a small scratch on the right rear of my car. There is no way that scratch could have been there as I had just gotten a new back bumper recently.
Is this enough to file a report on them? I am constantly afraid that they will come and key my car again.

Answer:
 > Is this enough to file a report on them? I am constantly afraid that they will come and key my car again.

Well, your neighbor called the cops on you based on just a few scratches.

Real talk here. Yeah, you can call the cops for whatever you want. But I imagine they aren't going to be too happy being used as tools by two neighbors trying to bully each other.

If you fear they're going to key your car again, set up a surveillance system and catch them in the act, *then* call the cops.Answer #2: In this situation, two things are immensely useful:

1. Motion trail cam
2. Dash cam

They're both inexpensive. Get one today for your property and lime up the trail cam to your car. Make sure it's unobstructed and use it religiously for the next while. Police like proof and evidence. A recording of your neighbour messing with your car is going to go over better than hearsay.


Title: Former member trying to take band name (UPDATE)

Question:
A weeks ago I post about my band's former member being replaced, I was afraid of his connected/ruthless dad taking legal action against us for using the name once the singer got out of rehab. We got this message from him today.

From His dad, he mad:

"Good morning. Can you please provide me with (drummer)'s cell number and his email as well as your email address.

Also, I just checked, and I see new activity on the "(Band Name)" Facebook page. Maybe I was not clear, so I will be contacting my attorney first thing Monday to formally put everyone on notice that (former member) has creative ownership of the name "(Band Name)", and there is to be no use of the name "(band name)" in ANY way including future use of the name in performing, promoting, marketing, or the use of the name "(band name)" in ANY social media sites, etc.

I will also be monitoring any and ALL activities including any performances that would use the name or likeness of the name "(band name)". I will put any/and all venues/festivals/events on notice of the legal consequences of having anyone promote themselves as "(band name)".

Additionally, and equally as important,  there is to be no use of any songs (either lyrics, melodies and/or cord progressions) written by (former member).

As I stated to you last night, it's very unfortunate that we are to this point. I wish you and the others the best as you pursue your music careers. You have every right to perform as a group and/or individual artists. You just can NOT as "(band name)" nor use ANY of (former member's) music in ANY way.

Please forward this to other members of the original band members and include me.
Thank you.

-(former member's dad)"

Well? What do Yall make of this? Anything we can do?

It is also legal in my state to record a conversation with only one persons consent as long as it isn't a phone call, so I did that at our meeting last Monday and am going to listen to it to see if we have anything going for us.

Any advice?

Edit: we are in the United States

Edit 2: previous post

http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/34vpg8/replacing_my_bands_singer_need_advice/

Edit 3: looks like after reviewing the recordings, the singer stated "(song name) belongs to (guitarist still in the band)"

And "if you guys want to bring in another singer, you can do that, (band name) is you guys and I won't take that away from you"

I'll keep updating you all as developments unfold. At this point we are planning on using LegalZoom to trademark the name for ourselves before his dad can get to it monday.

Answer:
 contact a lawyer in your state for some real advice.

things that will be relevant:  Who created the band name? are there any contracts?  who wrote the bands songs (and what can you prove)?

Oh, please add a link to your previous postAnswer #2: So the guy is more worried about some band name that they may not have any claim to instead of his parenting failure that allowed the kid to end up in rehab.

Get a lawyer and defend yourself.


Title: I gave an officer my real name and fake dob

Question: Me and my friends snuck into a hotel pool. Someone called the police and a cop showed up. He asked if any of us were over 18 (I am). I told him I was 17. He asked for our names and DOB, I panicked and gave him my real name but my birthday a year later than my real birthday. He said he was gonna issue us a year long trespassing warning. I realize that had I given my real birthday, not much would happen. However I’m pretty scared that since I gave him a false year, and he runs my name, he will see that I gave false information and I will be much more seriously charged. He didn’t ask for any identification. I think that I will be fine that since I didn’t give him any ID that in any case nobody could prove it was me, but I’m still scared since I have a unique name and maybe if I ever get pulled over then I will be charged with providing false information. Could anyone tell me what might happen in this case?

Answer: The officer has likely moved on and dealt with far more important problems than two kids seeking into a hotel pool. Nothing further will come of the incident if you don't repeat that behavior.


Title: My school leaves the boy’s bathroom door open; is this legal?

Question:
Hello,

Edit: I am in the state of NY

Ever since JUUL and E-Pen became the choice of drugs for many high schoolers, my school decided to place precautionary measures— which include leaving the door open to the boy’s bathroom.

In my opinion, this is an invasion of privacy.  I do not understand why the school authorities believe that opening doors would hinder JUUL users from doing what they do on a daily basis.  If they really wanted to preclude students from using JUULs in campus ground, they should have a teacher walk in periodically instead of leaving the door open.

Leaving the door open seriously enrages me, because there is no more privacy.  The sounds from peeing in the urinal and taking a dump will be audible from the hallway, which makes me, and probably many other students, very uncomfortable.

So here is the question: is this legal?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 Location matters. Some places have weird bathroom laws now. Typically, as long as there are stall doors and no one can see anything from the hall, it's legal. Airports, stadiums, stores, lots of places don't have doors.Answer #2: Parental complaints, possibly accompanied by a letter from a lawyer, would go a long ways towards resolving this in your favor.

Even if the law is on your side the school is not going to listen to a student.


Title: 7 months pregnant and fired from my job...

Question:
I was recently fired from my job. Things had gotten pretty bad. I would be subjected to insults like being called a whore or a bitch. I would get my head bit off or reprimanded for small insignificant things. I started getting really bad anxiety and I would sometimes have to go to the bathroom to cry. I had been there almost 2 years and never took any vacation time or days off so I figured maybe I was due some vacation time so I could maybe relax and decompress because I was so stressed out. I am also pregnant with my second child. I took my week off and when I came back, things were even worse. my desk had been emptied out and I had had all of my duties taken away from me. The second day back, I was called into the office and I was fired. I was shocked and panicked because I needed my benefits and I needed to work to afford my mortgage and baby expenses.

I received a phone call from the president the next day, telling me they would pay for my cobra benefits for the next two months to cover the birth of my baby. He told me that the controller (who also handles HR) would be calling me. I got the call from the controller and he told me that I needed to come in and sign some papers and to also give them a letter of resignation. I refused to give them a letter of resignation because then I wouldnt be able to receive unemployment. He was angry and kept pushing it. I kept refusing. He told me he would speak to the president and then call me back. He called me the next day and told me that I had to come in to sign the papers and they had taken out the resignation part. I went in, and he wanted me to sign a 9 page legal contract. I am not a lawyer and told him that I would take it home and review it before signing it. He wasn't pleased.

In the meantime, I have been denied my unemployment. So now Im in a bad position because I have no income and I have no benefits. I dont know what my options are. the reasons for firing me were total crap but I dont know what to do about it because i live in ohio and its at will employment. Do I have any options???
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 How many employees work for the company?

Edit: Also, what were the reason(s) you were fired? Answer #2: Appeal unemployment and apply for TANF/Medicaid/SNAP


Title: [Ohio] Amazon sent me a package worth more than what I ordered, do I have to return it or can I resell it?

Question:
I ordered one book for ~$10 but Amazon sent me a four volume hardcover set worth $72. The website shows that I ordered and paid for the $10 book, I haven't told them they sent me the wrong order. Am I obligated to return the more expensive books or am I free to sell them since Amazon messed up?

Thanks!

Answer: You need to at least notify them of the mistake. Knowing Amazon, there's a good chance they will just let you keep it though.


Title: Fine volunteers for canceling / not showing up?

Question:
Location: DC

My university recently sent out a request for volunteers to help with move-in. One stipulation caught my eye though - if you volunteer and then have to cancel/can't make it the University will add a $400 fine to your housing bill ($200 more than if you had simply purchased early arrival housing and did not volunteer for anything). I know it is illegal to do something like this to Employees at Will (you can fire someone if they fail to do their job but you cannot force someone into laboring against their will with fines). Does the fact that this case involves a not for profit and volunteers change anything?

EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm not so much trying to decide if I should sue my university as just wondering if this kind of strategy is a legal way to extort 'volunteers' (who have the advantages of not needing ACA benefits, proof of citizenship and so on).

It's essentially a way to turn volunteers into contracted laborers without paying them anything which strikes me as exactly the sort of problem that most labor rights laws try to combat. Offer people something of trivial value for volunteering (say, free meals and housing), then set an early termination fee so absurdly high that no one would drop out. Suddenly you can abuse your volunteers, have them work 60 hour weeks, etc. Free, legal, slave labor in the 21st century. I'm sure there are people in the united states who struggle to get legal jobs because of immigration laws for example, who would happily 'volunteer' for a reward (read - sub-minimum wage pay), and employers who would happily abuse them accordingly.

So long as you can sucker someone into volunteering, there's none of the obligations of a hospitable workplace that real employers have to provide to keep their employees from quitting.
Obviously my university isn't doing this – but is there any legal reason they couldn't do this if they so chose?

Answer: I think they're just not wording it right. If you move in early but don't follow through with your volunteer obligation, you pay a special penalty rate for early move in. Answer #2: Seems reasonable to me. If you want to move in early and not help, just pay the $200. They're trying to stop people from getting in early,  not showing up, and being left with no help.


Title: Reddit Direct Liability

Question:
[This picture](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CyAvs7MVIAAuVXp.jpg) showing an excerpt from [this article](https://lawreview.uchicago.edu/page/who-should-be-liable-online-anonymous-defamation) has started to make the rounds on twitter.

Does the latest Spez fuckup actually open Reddit to defamation claims? Or is this just armchair lawyers using this to misinterpret nuanced caselaw?
Topic:
Megathread

Answer: I'm wondering if Spez and the other admins could sue Reddit users for slander. If you take a look at that sub, they keep calling spez (for example) a pedophile and other things. Couldn't he sue them for defamation?


Title: dentist messed up my teeth while removing wisdom teeth.

Question:
i went to the dentist and had them look over my teeth, after speaking with them, they wanted me to remove my bridge because the tooth holding it in has some cavity but it does not wiggle or move out of place and never gave me problems. i denied removing the tooth holding the bridge and asked them to get my 2 bottom wisdom teeth removed (next to one of my wisdom tooth is the bridge).

when i woke up after they removed the wisdom teeth(i was under anesthesia) as i was leaving they give my brother my bridge and told him it fell off by itself, i returned next week and asked them what exactly happened and why the bridge came off, they told me there was inflammation under the bridge and thats why it popped off, i argued with them and had them try to put it back in, the dentist tried to put it in with no success, the filling they used to try to hold it was weak and the fitment was messed up(they even tried to charge me for trying to put it back, which i denied). Eitherway i dont buy that shit, something happened when i was asleep while they were removing my wisdom teeth. i had NO problems or issues with my bridge and its already super expensive to go to the dentist in the US. im not able to eat on my left side of the mouth cause of the empty gap from the bridge and i already heard horror stories dealing with american dentists, this was my first and last time dealing with them, i should have just fixed it back home for a professional dentist for cheap and go on with my life. i just want my bridge back in, at the moment the only way(according to the dentist that fucked up) to have it properly in is to remove the tooth that was holding the bridge and put a new crown and new bridge, it will cost around thousands of dollars(i think they told me 4-6k) and i dont know what to do.

if i do it my way im gonna go in the dentist and flip shit and fight with them but that wont get my bridge fixed, so i rather do it legally. i need help, what can i do now ? this is in texas.

Answer:
 Dentist here, if there is a cavity under a bridge that bridge is weakened. I would usually advise patient that forces to extract a tooth put pressure on adjacent teeth which could result in the bridge popping out.

It looks like the dentist advised you to get the bridge replaced before the wisdom tooth extraction.

Not sure you have a leg to stand on here, now if the dentist did not inform you about the cavity and the compromised bridge I feel like you would have a better case.


Title: Escort scam

Question: I want to make a complaint to the police that someone is threatening me and called me to tell me to wire money as part of a fine that I have to pay, my problem is that I never solicited anyone I asked if they were available at a certain time and after sobering up from a night of drinking I knew that what I had done was pointless and didn’t proceed with anything it’s been a couple days and they keep calling and threatening me should I go ahead and file a report just to be on the safe side

Answer: You should block and ignore them.


Title: [Missouri] Is it illegal for an officer who didn't directly radar you to issue you a ticket?

Question: I was recently pulled over by a police officer, but she wasn't the one who shot me with the radar. I heard somewhere this was illegal.

Answer: No, it is not illegal. If you take it to court however, both officers would have to testify against you.Answer #2: Sure, I run the radar/lidar and radio to someone else to pull them over.  File an affidavit in support.


Title: [NYC] Neighboring developers are building too close to my property

Question:
I'm having issues with the developers next door. Sorry this is going to be a long post.

A little background info: My property is a two- story building. There used to be a three-story building next to mine, and about 2 feet separation between us. Developers have bought this property, tore it down, are in the process of constructing an 8 story building, and have already built the first floor.

Ok, so the problem is they are trying to build without leaving any space between the buildings, like literally the two buildings are touching. I have two windows on the 2nd floor, and if they were to build this way, the windows would be covered. Is this allowed?

Now, my building is very old, and today the developer came to tell me that the second floor of my building is leaning into theirs. And that they cannot continue building the second floor. They asked if they could straighten my wall by removing layers then replacing it after they finish building.

So my question is: Is it against the law to deny their request, and have them build around my building?

Also, I've noticed that they have already chipped parts of my wall away without my permission. Should I take legal action?

So basically, I have 3 questions that need answered. Thank you in advance!!

Answer:
 >I have two windows on the 2nd floor, and if they were to build this way, the windows would be covered. Is this allowed?

I don't know the direct answer, but their are literally thousands of buildings in NYC this has happened to.  In short, you need to hire a construction/zoning lawyer asap.

As to the second question, if your building is leaning into their property they would almost certainly have a remedy, the chances of which would not be as favorable as them fixing it for you on their own dime.

As a side note, be sure to go on your roof and take pictures because as they build up their will be things falling on your roof and causing damage.Answer #2: I would get an unbiased opinion on what he says.  legally i doubt you have to let them.

I would also advise hiring a lawyer nowAnswer #3: Building to the property line is very common in NYC. If the buildings are touching either you are built to the property line or they are building on your property. If your wall is leaning onto their property you need to fix it.Answer #4: While you're waiting for that lawyer you called to get back to you, look up the zoning for your address online.  Zero lot line buildings are permitted in R3A, R4-1, R4B, R5B and R5D districts.  (Zoning also dictates how tall your neighbor's building is allowed to be, so make note whether his 8-stories is compliant.)


Title: Getting records of the murder trial for my great grandfather's killer

Question:
Hi all,

My great grandfather was a policeman shot and killed in the line of duty in 1946. I've recently been researching his life, the event and trying to learn more about the killers.

I'd like to get what court records/transcripts are available. I have dates for the trial from newspapers during the time, but I'm not sure where to call about getting records that are so old.

Any advice from this helpful sub?

Answer:
 > I'm not sure where to call about getting records that are so old.

Call the court that prosecuted him.  If they still have the records they can tell you how to get them.

You might also contact the [Officer Down Memorial Page](http://www.odmp.org) as they do a lot of research into officer losses.  They may have records or may be able to help you find some.


Title: Mother in law bought 3 new cars and a week later the dealer wants $500 more or they will turn it over to collections.

Question:
My mother in law purchased 3 new cars from her local Honda dealer. She purchased a Honda Fit and 2 Honda CRV's. From the get go she let salesperson know she doesn't have any money to put down and wanted their help to make the sale happen. During the first part of the negotiation the salesperson started talking to the son about putting $500 down to make the sale. The son told him that he would not be able to do that right now, but might be able to in a few weeks. No contract on that was signed or promissory note was written. At no point did my mother in law say she would pay that amount and was very clear from the start. After 3 trips to the dealer to sign and resign and resign some more of the paperwork she thought the deal was done and everyone was happy. (You would think if they owed the $500 the dealer would have caught it by now) Fast forward a week and she receives a call from the salesperson asking how everything is and if they were happy....and by the way you owe us $500. At that point she says she doesn't have a clue what he is talking about. The salesperson states that her son is the one who promised to pay the $500. She let the salesperson know that this is the first she has heard of this and will call her son. Her son said at the very beginning of negotiations they asked if he could pay and he told them no. She contacted the salesperson and explained what was said and how she had told him from the start they didn't have any money to put down. At that point he tells her if she doesn't pay they will force him to pay and will turn her over to collections. While he is on the phone she reviews her paperwork/contract which does show they charged the $500, but it also reflects they received the $500 as a payment and nothing is due.

At this point she feels they are trying to pull a fast one to get her to pay more after the fact. On top of that both the salesperson and the finance person have become rude on the phone with threats of collections and using profanity with her.

Can someone please help me point them in the right direction to resolve this?

Answer:
 So the contract says that $500 should be paid, no one paid it, but the contract indicates it was paid?

And I'm just a bit OMG - 3 new cars with no money down? I think she really needs to consider her choices.Answer #2: If you agreed to put down $500 then you have to pay $500.  You know you didn't do that.


Title: My friend gave her mom permission to use her credit card and it went too far

Question:
EDIT: Location: Illinois, USA

So my friend's mom asked her if she could use her credit card to buy Lularoe merchandise that she planned to sell. She asked to buy $600 worth of merchandise and my friend agreed and gave her the information.

2 hours later her mom got back to her saying that she spent "a little more than she expected." She had spent $1700.

This was October 24. The bill is due November 20th. No progress has been made on paying off the debt and my friend is not capable of paying it off herself.

What should she do? Is there anything she can do?

Answer:
 She can sue her mom for repayment of the debt... But I'm guessing she doesn't want to do that.

This is the problem with lending money to family or friends. Answer #2: IANAL

Make sure your friend ensures mom can’t use the card anymore. AFAIK lularoe pushes merchandise on their sellers. And you have to buy X amount in a certain period. Whether you sell or not. I fear mom will try to charge the credit card for that again. Especially if they saved the info.

Expect not to see the money again and to have to pay for it or sue in small claims court.

And $600 sounds like a lowball for buying LLR inventory. I’ve checked it out a couple months ago bc I was curious and IIRC the start up costs run around $1000+

LLR is a bad idea to sell. I get the appeal but 90% of the clothes aren’t even pretty. Just comfy. But that’s not legal advice just my personal opinion. Oh and as a professional (I work in the fashion field) the material is crap and cheap and prone to tear leading to people doing charge backs and LLR not buying back faulty merchandise from their vendors so they have to eat the cost.

Tell your friends mom to get out of LLR ASAP.


Title: [NYC] What is the law regarding having a hidden camera in my own bedroom for security purposes when I have roommates?

Question:
As the title says, is it legal for me to have a hidden camera (without audio) in my own bedroom without asking for consent from my roommate? I am only recording my bedroom to make sure that my roommate isn't accessing my bedroom without my consent and see if he is stealing my things.

&#x200B;

Both my roommate and I are on the lease. I can't seem to find answers online for this situation.

&#x200B;

Thank you!

Answer: It's perfectly legal. Go for it. It's in your room and not filming any public areas and not anyone else's private areas.