Title: [CA] Removing plants on my property that my neighbor maintains. Will I have to reimburse her if I remove them?

Question:
We moved in about 3 years ago and my neighbor informed us that she takes care of the rose bushes on the side of our house that faces their property (it's a small 4'x9' area that we never see). Apparently she and the old neighbor had this arrangement and she really likes the roses so we said to carry on. 3 years later, our neighbor has made numerous nuisance calls to the city over our yard, our dogs, parking, our grass, noise, etc. She had numerous complaints against multiple neighbors and she epitomizes pettiness. We want to put up a fence around our yard and pull out the roses. Is she entitled to any compensation for her time and care of them? I need to make doubly sure about this because she will pitch a holy fit about it and more retaliatory calls will be made, plus demands for compensation.

I just want to make sure I can tell her to pound sand.

Answer: She has no grounds. The roses are on your property and as long as you don't have a contract saying you owe her anything for maintaining them then you can proceed. If you are feeling neighborly you could offer her the roses after you dig them up but you're not obligated too. Answer #2: Practical advice - Get some inexpensive cameras to  monitor your outdoors.  Neighbor is likely to escalate to retaliate the *killing of the roses*.Answer #3: Tell her to stay off from your property, that it is yours to do what you wish within the law. Put a fence up and post no trespassing signs. if she even steps on to your yard inform her you will call the police to have her removed.Answer #4: Tell her to pound sand


Title: Possibly being subpoenaed to testify against gang member in murder case. Scared/need advice.

Question:
Long story short, two years ago I overheard a guy "joking" about killing someone and recorded it on my phone. He shot a guy that night, who survived, and he was shot as well and did die. My roommates knew about it and advised him and I have that on  recording as well. He is in a gang. I went to the police with the video, and they said that the case would probably never go to trial and if it did that I most likely would not be asked to testify.

Well now its two years later and I get a call  from a lawyer when I'm at school asking me to "just go over some things" in case there was anything I left out of the police report. I said yes but had personal stuff come up and ghosted on our planned phone interview, and kind of forgot about it because he made it sound so casual. Yesterday I received a missed call from the DA's office. I realized this might be more serious than I thought and am supposed to talk to the lawyer in a couple hours.

Questions:
 Is it likely I am being subpoenaed since the DA called me?

Am I in danger of retailation from his gang if I testify against his friends or him? I know he's dead but he had accomplices that know who I am.

Any advice at all really because I have 0 experience/knowledge of this and honestly I'm scared. I have social anxiety so I'm scared of this whole process and having to go to court, but I'm also worried about being in danger if I do.

Thank you!

Edit: located in U.S.

Answer: The guy you recorded (Guy) shot someone and then Guy was shot and killed the same night? Answer #2: Please remember this. You are not required to provide and interview with the police or anybody else unless you are subpoenaed. Do not assume that because YOU think you were not involved, you won't be dragged into a bad situation.


Title: I'm a defendant in a small claims court case. Plaintiff has dismissed, does this mean I won't be able to recover fees and lost wages?

Question: I'm in Marion county, Oregon. From the first day of mediation, I had proof (I was at work) that I didn't incur the debt. It's a long story but they assumed my room mate, who was in my car with my phone, was me. Ambulance took her in and when she woke and realized they were calling her by my name, corrected them. We called the ambulance service and hospital to give her insurance information and explain the problem. Fast forward to mediation where our mediator refers to the plaintiff as a "saint" and waxes all romantic about their 30 year working relationship. Essentially, this was their fault. Someone lazy didn't do their job and rather than admit that, they drag me through 3 mediation appointments that were all designed to bully me into paying for it or getting my friend to agree to pay it. We both agree that they didn't bill the insurance and that's their own fault. Regardless, court is Monday and yesterday I got a letter that they intend to dismiss. I'm obviously glad about that but can anyone tell me, will this keep me from recovering the fees and lost wages or will I have to file something against the plaintiff for that? Thanks!

Answer:
 You can petition the judge on Monday to reverse your court fees and mediation costs, and make them pay.  Given the facts as you state them, it sounds like a worthwhile argument.  But for Plaintiff's failure to correct an obvious mistake, this trial or hearing would have been completely unnecessary.

It's not a slam-dunk winner.  Absent a contractual agreement (like in many rental lease contracts), local court rules or statutory rules, in the US generally, each party pays their own fees/costs.

Lost wages or other incidental/consequential damages  you would have to file a lawsuit for.  That would probably require proof that the Plaintiff knew or should have known that their lawsuit had no basis in fact or law.  It might sound to you like that is what happened, but *proving* it isn't going to be easy.


Title: [WA] Someone else is paying my federal student loans. I would like it to stop!

Question:
Location: Washington State

As the title says, some is paying my loans. And that isn’t me or a family member (to my knowledge). I recognize this is an odd thing to complain about but hear me out.

Back in August I went to pay my Federal Student loans and my account said nothing was due. Hooray! But wait, why? I give FedLoan a call, while on hold I look at my payment history and there are two $500 payments that I didn’t make. I explain to the representative that those payments weren’t from me. She puts me on hold, comes back and says they can see the checks were applied to the wrong account. They said they’ll fix it. Great!
Six weeks go by, and two more payments are made. So I call FedLoan again. The first lady literally laughs at me for complaining about this. But I have two concerns, taxes and interest. Last year I itemized my taxes and claimed the student loan tax deduction. I don’t think it’s kosher to do so this year if some of the interest payments weren’t made by me. Next, how will they fix and recalculate interest with payments from me and removing these erroneous payments. I am transferred to another department, explain the situation again, and she says she will ask the finance team to review. And note in my account that I’m trying to get this fixed.
Six weeks go by and two more payments. It’s up to $3000 now!! So I call again. Explain the situation again. This time they say my account is in review and the payments are coming electronically, like online bill pay. But nothing has changed and it’s been a few weeks since the last call.
The payments usually hit my account around the first of the month. So there may be another one on my account on Monday.
I don’t believe FedLoan is taking this situation seriously. I do not want to end up in a financial mess. I would like to nudge them towards taking action. My thought is a cease and desist letter to demand the payments stop being applied to my account. I don’t know if that is even logical?
What kind of attorney should I talk to? I was thinking about a tax attorney since my concerns include impact on my taxes. I want some help to get this resolved and someone suggested getting an attorney, but what kind?
I know a C&D letter will cost me, but I’m willing to pay it to prevent any future trouble.
Any other advice on how to stop these payments is appreciated. I’m not looking to benefit from someone’s mistake.

Answer:
 Put everything down in writing. Don’t bother calling. Lawyer is probably not necessary at this stage., at least in respect of the cease and desist (no idea about the tax question though).

Write, keep records, follow up on previous correspondence. Keep pushing and escalating, if you can. One day, the phantom loan payer will realize what’s been going down,  the shit will hit the fan, and your letters will show you have acted in good faith in trying to sort out the issue.

Oh also, if you haven’t already started doing so, set aside the money you would have had to pay. Though your post suggests you probably are already. You’ll likely have to pay it at some point in the future..Answer #2: Seems to me the best way for this to resolve itself is to not complain.  Eventually the person making the payments will get demand notices and such for being in default.

It would be best for you to keep paying in as well so that when the charges eventually get reversed you won’t then be  in default.Answer #3: I would also recommend that you carefully document whatever YOU are paying in. Write checks if possible so those can serve as back up receipts.


Title: Boyfriend’s mom trying to press charges on him after he “pulled a gun” on her boyfriend. What should he do?

Question:
I’ll try my best to summarize this long story, so here it goes.

Mom’s bf is already a felon on parole, has a history of hitting her, and threatening to hit her. The other day, he had her by the arm and my bf heard them fighting in the room and heard him say something like “don’t yell in my face or I’m gonna hit the fuck out of you.” Knowing her bf’s history of slapping his mom around, he goes to the room with his legally carried gun on his side. To my knowledge, the gun was never aimed at ANYONE. (Mom is pregnant by the way.) Mom’s bf flips out, approaches and grabs my bf, my bf cocks the gun back, STILL never aimed the gun. My bf was hit over the head with some object, causing bleeding. Police were called, my bf told them the entire story, even about the gun, photos of my bf’s head were taken, NO written report because my bf just wanted everything to be done with, moms bf arrested and charged with assault causing bodily injury, but released the next day. Fast forward 2 days, moms bf is back in jail with parole revoked and no bond due to his parole officer finding out what happened. Mom is now threatening to press charges against my bf for something like endangerment to an unborn child for pulling the gun out, unless he signs an affidavit of no prosecution. Moms bf has also been living under a roof with 3 legal firearms (parole violation) And has also been selling large amounts of marijuana out of the house (also illegal, obviously). Mom has been lying to police saying her bf never hit her and that everything my bf did was an overreaction.

My question—can my boyfriend really be charged with something, even after the police that night didn’t arrest him, and should he sign the affidavit, which basically means he lied to the police that night?

Answer: It's unlikely he'll be charged. He shouldn't sign the affidavit.


Title: Substantial amounts of mold found in apartment, landlord still wants us to live there.

Question:
Tl;Dr There is a lot of mold discovered in the apartment. Landlord insists that it is still safe to stay in the apartment (with the mold) even though it isn't and refuses to provide a new apartment/location. They are bringing in maintenence to only clean the visible mold but Im worried they aren't going to fix the problem. What should I do?

Afternoon everyone,

My sister and I recently discovered giant patches of mold in our apartment in her bedroom. It was under the bed growing on the ground and side of the wall completely unnoticed. We've had a lot of allergy symptoms over the year and now think it may be caused by mold. The landlord even claimed the apartment did not have mold issues when we moved in.

We contacted the landlord immediately and they brought in someone to test it and put us in a hotel for the time being. The landlord then claimed it was safe to stay there as long as we close the door to the bedroom. That doesn't work because then my sister has no room to stay in (plus who knows how much mold has gotten on her belongings).

We've asked the ladlndlord to transfer us to a new apartment but they are adamant about us staying in that apartment. It's in Santa Monica. They are having a maintenence worker clean it today but I've seen their work and don't trust that they will clean everything nor conduct proper remediation. Neither of us will be present during the cleaning too.

What are some of my options here? I'm thinking of hiring a different mold inspector with my own funds to test the mold after they "clean the walls". What if the results come back from my personal mold inspector and says the apartment still contains substantial amounts of mold?

 This is causing the two of us ton of stress and my sister has no place to stay. We both really don't since we suspect the apartment is making us sick. I want to know how to proceed.  Thank you all for your advice

Answer:
 Without a location, no one can say for sure. Generally speaking though, unless you have evidence that the mold is the result of an underlying problem, like a leak, you need to just keep the area clean and do proper maintenance.

My guess, however, is that you may have a leaky window or excessive condensation due to poor ventilation, which *might* need to be fixed by the landlord.


Title: Handgun found in dealership rental car.

Question: I brought my vehicle in to be service last Wed 4/21/16. The dealership provided one of their loaner cars while mine was in service. I've had the vehicle for over a week now, last night I stopped  to get gas. I dropped my card between the driver's seat and console as I began to fish I noticed there was a handgun. The gun was magazine up, barrel facing the rear of the vehicle. I drove to the police station reported the incident and the officer confirmed it was load with a round in the chamber. I took a picture of before he removed the pistol and he provided a police report. I returned home and informed my wife, who went ballistic so say the least. I pick up our two children every day, the gun was facing the car seat of our 1 year old this whole time I've had the vehicle. No damage was done as the gun was never fired, she however feels we need to sue the dealership for negligence. Do we have a case considering no damage was done, aside from my wife being extremely pissed? Virginia

Answer:
 Legally, you don't have any damages and therefore no case.

However, did you talk to the dealership yet? Tell them about this incident so it doesn't happen again, and if they brush you off, make your way up the ladder--I'm betting the owner of this dealership would be extremely interested about this.Answer #2: You have no damages, as others have said.

To put your mind at ease, modern handguns are extremely safe. They are designed with multiple safeties to prevent the gun from firing unless the trigger is pulled. A modern gun in good repair will not fire from being handled or bounced around in a car.Answer #3: > my wife, who went ballistic

Heh. *Ballistic.*Answer #4: >she however feels we need to sue the dealership

No damage was done. Move on with your life. If she's traumatized, then she need counseling, and it's probably only tenuously related to the gun incidentAnswer #5: You did the right thing, when in doubt, assume its a murder weapon.  You'll get arrested for illegal firearms and connection to murder less that way.  Answer #6: The dealership owner may not care, but the brand corporate office would.


Title: Buying a house with current tenants

Question:
We're looking to buy our primary house. We've put in a bid, and we're negotiating with the seller. The seller has tenants right now.

As an addendum, he wants the tenants to remain in the house a week after close. When we asked to push back the closing date, they said they didn't want to be left without tenants in case the sale falls through. We absolutely don't want tenants. But we do love this house and the price of the house.

We would get the deposit, and $40/day after we close. We smell something fishy, and we're looking for some advice

Edit: I'm in Utah

Answer:
 You need to review a copy of the lease. When you buy the house you will also be buying the lease. This includes all duties of the landlord and lasts full length of the current lease. It could be years depending on the lease.

All parties need to sign a new document that will outline a new end as being whenever you decide and voids the old lease's end date. The tenants do not have to sign this and can decide to live out their current lease.

Do NOT just move forward on the seller's word.


Title: Not legally liable for child?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: If she marries the guy then in a few years he can choose to adopt the child with your consent. Until that happens the child is yours and you have all of the rights and responsibilities associated with a child.


Title: Doctor prescribed me opiates even after I said I did not want them twice. Do I report this?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You don’t have to fill the prescription.

My doctor doesn’t always prescribe what I want. He sometimes likes to make those decisions on what to prescribe.


Title: This is an agreement I got from a lawyer. Does this look standard or like a bad deal?

Question:
[PA] This letter sets forth the understanding concerning my representation of you.

	1.	The cost of my representation in your case is $2,500. This is a flat fee for this case only. It includes my representation up to and including Sentencing and Post-Sentence Motions. This includes the Preliminary Hearing, Arraignment, Pre-Trial Conferences, Pre-Trial Motions and any hearings on these motions, review of discovery, Trial, Sentencing, and Post-Sentence Motions. It does not include any appeals, bail revocation/modification hearings, probation or parole violations, or expenses that may be incurred, such as filing fees, excessive photocopying, account and collections fees, if necessary, and related expenses. I will advise you before taking any action which would require an additional fee. The fee is non-refundable. I reserve the right to terminate our attorney-client relationship for non-payment of fees or costs, when due.

	2.	As stated above, the fee paid is non-refundable. Any fee paid will initially be placed in a client escrow account (IOLTA). Upon execution of this signed fee agreement, the money will immediately be transferred to the firm operating account and will not be held in escrow.

3.	You have a right to discontinue my legal representation at any time. Upon discontinuation of representation, a full accounting will be provided to you to indicate work performed on your case at a rate of $200.00 per hour. Fractions of hours are computed in periods of not less than .1 of an hour. Based on this accounting, a refund may be issued at the firm’s discretion.

4.	You knowingly and voluntarily waive any and all rights you may have to a trial by jury in any action, proceeding, counterclaim or any other litigation arising now or in the future out of, or in any way connected with my representation of you.

5.	I will keep you informed of the status of your case as much as possible. I will send you copies of all papers coming in and going out of my office, including correspondence and other documents that pertain to your legal matter. Please retain them. I will also keep the information in a file in my office, which will be my file. You will also be provided with originals or copies of other materials in your file as requested by you. If you call the office and I am unavailable, I will return your call with reasonable promptness. Please keep in mind that there will be times when I am in court, or at a meeting, or in conference, which will preclude me from responding to you as quickly as we would both like. However, I will do my best to return your telephone calls as soon as I can.

6. 	When I have completed all the legal work necessary for your case, I will close my file and return original documents to you. I will then store the file for approximately five (5) years. I will destroy the file after that period of time unless you instruct me in writing now to keep your file longer.

7.	You are required to take reasonable steps to preserve any documents, files, and/or other items that may be pertinent to your case or assist in your defense. This includes e-mails and paper records. Failure to do so could have an adverse impact on your case.

8.	By signing below, you are consenting to contact through e-mail and/or cellular phone, which may not always be confidential. If at any time you choose to withdraw this consent, please let me know immediately.

9.	Although I am primarily responsible for your case, there may be times where a conflict arises. Every effort will be made to resolve the conflict; however, it may be appropriate for another attorney to handle a portion of your case. I will make such determinations based upon my availability and the nature of your matter. You will be notified of any such situation in advance.

10.	I will make every reasonable effort to handle and conclude your case promptly and efficiently according to legal, ethical and local practice rules, standards and customs. Because the law is unpredictable and often changing, and because of other unknown or unanticipated factors, I cannot and do not warrant or guarantee any specific outcome in your matter.

11.	In addition to my right to withdraw for nonpayment, I have the right at my discretion to withdraw from the matter if you have misrepresented or failed to disclose material facts to me, if you fail to follow my advice or cooperate, or for any other valid reason.

I have included a copy of this letter for your review, signature, and return to me. If any of the information in this letter is not consistent with your understanding of our agreement, please contact me before signing the letter. Otherwise, please sign the enclosed copy of this letter and return it to me.

On behalf of the firm, I am happy to represent you in this matter. If you have any questions, please contact me at your convenience.

Very truly yours,

Answer: Only unusual things are the waiver of trial by jury (only unusual in that he wants to waive it before reviewing the case/your feelings on matter) and ~~file destruction in 5 days.~~ I misread, its 5 years, thats normal. See, thats why you need to read and reread, even lawyers make mistakes.


Title: Is my friend going to jail for Sexual Assault/Rape?

Question:
A friend of mine had a night out with some friends that involved drinking. My friend is male 18 ( I will call him Jon), and he came back to his apartment with his girlfriend 18 (Jane) and one of her friends 18 (Sue). They had been asleep for a few hours when everyone kind of woke up early morning, probably around 5 am. Jon, Jane, and Sue, were now all awake, and Jon says "3-way?".

Both the other women agreed, their sobriety still being subjective, and Jon proceeded to finger them both, asking for consent and receiving it various times from both Jane and Sue, Jane still remembers Sue giving consent all throughout the fingering session. Sue and Jane go back to the apartment they share and Sue confesses that she did not like what happened that early morning.

A month after Jon fingered Sue, Sue presses charges not for being fingered without consent, but for Jon groping her butt at some point that night. Is he going to jail?

Answer: Jon should get an attorney and listen to their advice.


Title: Do you have the right to demand to keep your chemo port after it's surgically removed?

Question:
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer: That could depend on your contract with your doctor.  Also, if your doctor doesn't want to give it to you, your only remedy would be to sue your doctor for the value of a used chemo port, which is about $0, maybe less.Answer #2: That will likely depend on the policy of the pathology department where you have the port removed. Talk to your surgeon and let them know that’s what you would like to do and then call the pathology department to find out what they require. Some hospitals require that you sign a release and they’ll hand it over and others will require that you obtain a court order before they will give it back.


Title: [USA CA] Can an employer legally bar a former employee from speaking to current employees?

Question: A good friend and engineering coworker recently got a better opportunity somewhere else.  My friend told me that during the exit interview, HR asked her to sign a document that basically stated she cannot contact any current employee in hopes to recruit them.  Out of curiosity, how well does this document hold up in court if someone else leaves and follows my friend?

Answer:
 > HR asked her to sign a document that basically stated she cannot contact any current employee in hopes to recruit them.

In return for..?

A unilateral promise like that would be largely worthless, but if she received a severance package or any other benefit in return for signing a non-solicitation agreement, then the contract is likely binding, and she may be required to return the severance package or pay the cost of whatever benefit she received if she breaks the agreement.Answer #2: Unless she got something in return it's almost certainly not a binding contract because there was no consideration. The pay check and leave payout she was owed doesn't count as consideration because she was owed that anyway.


Title: Found a payroll check from last year I forgot to deposit and it is now invalid. Can my employer refuse to send me a new check?

Question: (New York)

Answer: Have you offered to pay whatever cost is incurred by them resending and reissuing the check?


Title: About to free-foster a boy's friend of my son. Need advice.

Question:
Update: (I'm friends with their case worker) a year ago he was living in a house that was lice-infested with no running water or electricity. Goverment stepped in and gave them temporary housing. His mother has a personality disorder and beats him black and blue.

For the last three months he's been at my house on weekends from Friday around 3pm until Sunday around 10pm. This boy is so quiet and sweet and polite.

Cassie (his case worker) says he is constantly abused at his house.

This year for Christmas he's coming to my house and we bought all the kids the exact same equal amount of gifts so he would not feel left out. Like 6 a piece.

My story - we live in a single wide trailer, three bedrooms two baths. My husband is working TWO full time jobs, I work from home as a graphic designer and read tarot on the side. We have food stamps because we are still in poverty level.

If we are not legally adopting him (my husband has a felon, he liked to smoke pot in his younger years, got caught three times) - so we can't adopt him. Is there ANY federal aid for us to help out with him as well to? I'm not being money hungry, but the struggle is real. I can't allow a child to be mistreated that I know about first hand. He and my two boys get along as best friends and never fight.

Do I have an extra resources to my husband doesn't feel even any extra burden for taking on another pre-teen? It's a big deal! But I feel in my heart it is right. Especially after her only response was "What ever you want to do." Um hello? If someone asked to take my child I'd beat their ass. I said that to prove a point, I'm not really violent.

Any help at all? I'm in Louisiana. Other than divorcing my husband on paper and filing foster on my own (if she would even let that happen) - Can I add a kid to food stamp even if I'm not his legal guardian? Although I might would have to be to take him to the dr and stuff. Sorry - this all came about today and my head is spinning.

*edit - he is 12 by the way
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 No there is no federal aid for people helping other people.

It sounds like your are not fostering, you are not guardianship, you are just having one of your kids friends live with you. That is really nice but the feds won't pay for that. You have no legal relationship with this child.

I don't know why the child has a case worker and why the case worker thinks it is fine too let a kid get beat black and blue but whatever the reason they might care that the child is living outside the home

Also since there is nothing legal the mother can require you to return him home at any time.


Title: My married coworker came onto me

Question: Last job I had sexual harassment allegations against me (which turned out to be false) but rightfully so, my current boss is cautious. My married coworker came onto me last night. I'm about to quit this job anyways, how do I quit this and tell my boss this without him thinking I came onto her? There is a bias in our office and our management team are complete white knights. No I didn't sleep with her or take her bait.

Answer: If you're leaving the job soon anyways, it's a non-issue. If you feel you should inform your boss, be honest and direct.


Title: [WI] Bought a rental property instead of a wedding, now separating.

Question:
My fiance decided that married life was not what she wanted right now and did not want to be with me anymore.  Two years ago when we got engaged she suggested we buy a house first, and I went along with it.  It is a 3 unit rental property that we have been owner-occupying.  For the last two years I have put a lot of time, money, heart, and soul into this place.

As an investment it has been doing great, but co-owning is not an option for her.  The most likely scenario now is that she will buy me out(with her parents help), but I am unsure what is owed to me.  It is the largest shared asset we have and I don't want to get shafted because I did not do enough research.

We had been together almost five years, engaged for three, and owned the home for two.

Answer:
 Is there any documentation about who paid what in terms of down payment and mortgage? Has there been any profit?

Sorry to hear about your situation. That must be rough.


Title: Brutally assaulted by police while unconscious. What should I do?

Question: I am a Swedish citizen just passing thorough Vienna. After the plane broke down I got unconscious and got assaulted by police. I do not know my rights here and asked to be read my rights which was denied. and I don’t now the language. All help appreciated.

Answer: Take this to r/legaladvice or r/legaladviceEU . This is out of the scope of this subAnswer #2: If you’re in an immediately pressing legal situation, you need to contact a lawyer. This is not the right place to receive time sensitive legal advice (nor is it even really a place for legal advice, generally). If you’re adamant about using reddit for legal advice, r/legaladvice is a better place for that. Good luck.


Title: I have a political refugee friend from US in Finland currently in dire situation.

Question:
Disclaimer #1: I trust this guy.
Disclaimer #2: I'm stupid. I have very limited knowledge in laws and law jargons. I could be saying shit that doesn't make sense.
Disclaimer #3: I don't matter.
Disclaimer #4: This is a throwaway account, because I don’t matter.

Hello r/Finland,

I just received some bad news from my friend currently staying in Helsinki while applying asylum status from the Finnish government. He was asked to surrender himself to the police station before next Thursday (September 18th, 2014) and he sees himself being sent back to USA in the incoming weeks. The foreseeable consequence for him would be AT LEAST 20 years of jail time or worse an assassination.

Here's his story, as far as I am aware. This friend (let's call him Susan for security reasons) came from USA to Finland as a refugee on the grounds of being criminalized politically within USA. He was working as a general attorney until he was put in charge of a human trafficking case involving very high ranking officials in Washington but was asked to dismiss the case without justifiable reasons. Being smart he decided to dismiss the case but he apparently knew too much and got himself in a very serious political mess. Within US he has been chased and attempted murder. This became his reason to seek Finland as a political asylum where he wished to stay and live out the rest of his life in peace.

However, because there is a treaty between Finland and USA which specifies that either country will overlook any human right issues on the basis of maintaining a strong economic and political tie ([Safe countries of Origin](http://www.asylumineurope.org/reports/country/germany/asylum-procedure/safe-country-concepts)), Susan was not granted a chance to be heard his case on his application for asylum. He has prepared numerous documents with the intention to convince the Finnish government to accept him as a refugee and grant him citizenship to stay in Finland. Now he's just heard that he's summoned to the police station - which in this case, is basically surrendering himself for arrest. He speculates that this is largely due to pressure from the US government and he would be facing at least 20 years of jail time. Keep in mind during the entire asylum process he had never broken a law or violated any regulations in either USA or Finland.

As for his case, he was made aware that a large number of very high ranking officials in Washington were involved in illegal human trafficking activities. The extent of this case was so ridiculous that it could easily become a national security situation and Susan's political identity, with the right amount of media exposure, could be as large as Edward Snowden's. The difference is that him being a law abiding citizen, followed every rule in the book and didn't raise this case with the media. Consequently he was put in a very difficult situation throughout the ordeal and was offered little to no help. This very passive circumstance has taken everything out of him and as of right now he's left with no other options than to surrender himself to the Finnish authority.

Now here comes the question, what choice does Susan have? He has till next Thursday to do something, otherwise he'll be in jail and possibly sent back to US within days. His passport is with the Finnish authority so he has no way of traveling. He is planning to appeal the decision to put him in jail but given the implied situation he doesn't think it'll do anything, probably not even giving him a few extra days to prepare a contingency plan. His primary concern right now is to prepare his documents so that once he's put in jail, his friends could spread the information (all of which are public information available online, he's just connecting the dots. No one would be in danger) and possibly gain media attention. This might give him a chance of maneuvering himself out of a bad situation but in reality…. nobody knows.

Anyway I was just wondering if anybody could be offering any kind of advice for him. He’s a good person and has a good cause. He doesn’t deserve this.

Any help is appreciated.

To NSA: I’m just a friend helping out a friend. I have absolutely no political affiliations and hold absolutely no judgment against what US government does and does not do. Please don’t come after me.

edit: just got info on the treaty between finland and USA

Answer:
 I mean I want to believe this is real.  I really do.  But I'm either calling troll, or some type of mental incapacity on the part of OP or "Susan" (and I don't mean that in a disrespectful manner at all).

You had me right up until the very end when you ended with this:

>To NSA:
>...
>Please don't come after me.

Come onnnnnn.


Title: [PA] A grade dispute turned into the professor claiming I threatened her. Help!

Question:
I go to college at a private school in Pennsylvania.

I was in the process of disputing a grade that I believe was given unfairly. I emailed the professor over the summer and was given unclear explanations or ignored, so I emailed one of the associate deans and asked her judgement. She sided with the professor, and said to contact the Dept. dean if I wish to formally appeal.

When this semester started, I spoke with the Dept. dean and he suggested an informal meeting with the professor in person. I extremely wary about meeting with the professor and TA alone, so I requested him or another advisor be in attendance. He declined.

I asked [r/legaladvice 2 weeks ago](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3mnzuy/pa_how_do_i_protect_myself_in_a_private/) for advice on how to protect myself, and I was able to find a friend to just sit in, uninvolved, and act as a witness.

At the end of the meeting, the professor asked "Are you going to continue to pursue this (grade appeal)?"

I responded "I'll take a look over it one more time, and see if I want to continue." At that point, I was considering filing a formal appeal through the Dean who suggested the meeting.

Although, I still didn't agree with it, I let it go. I knew I wasn't going to win and it wasn't worth the fight. So I totally let it go. (this was a week and a half ago)

Two days ago, she finds out I live in her on-campus apartment building. Yesterday, I get a call from a school counselor who wanted to meet with me to "talk about your experience in last spring's class."

I met with the counselor, who asked what my concern with the grade was, why I was persistent in my appeal, why I put so much effort into this, why I felt I needed to bring a witness, why my witness seemed "extremely uncomfortable and coerced/there against her will." (I kind of think it would be awkward for anyone to sit in on that.)

Additionally, the professor recalled that I said "I'm going to do one more thing" in response to her question. Which she took as a threat, apparently reporting me to this counselor.

The meeting ended with her telling me to act amicably with concise "hellos" when I see her around and that there wouldn't be any other meetings between us "unless I did something."

This is insane! I was annoyed about a grade and wanted to follow up on bullshit answers I was given, which I did properly according to the dean's suggestion. I would NEVER in my life threaten somebody or act in any aggressive way!

I was concerned about this even going into the meeting (hence the r/legaladvice post and my desire to bring a friend). But I can't believe my words were misconstrued to this extent.

Do I do anything at this point? Should I expect someone to follow up? I'm obviously going to stay away from this professor, but I'll occasionally see her in passing in my building. Should I tell my friend (the witness) about this and ask for her interpretation?

I can't believe they think I threatened her, and I swear I did not, but what do I do?

Help, please.

Answer:
 Don't do anything.  I'd probably avoid even saying hello to that professor, who might misconstrue future scenarios.  Tell your friend if you like.Answer #2: >The meeting ended with her telling me to act amicably with concise "hellos" when I see her around and that there wouldn't be any other meetings between us "unless I did something."

There's not much more you can do.Answer #3: are you being formally disciplined?


Title: Hired an independent videography company to film a music video for my band. We have tried contacting them to pay them for their services, but they will not reach us back.

Question:
Location: Florida

Please let me start this off by saying we are not trying to dodge paying these people for their work. In fact it's the opposite. A few months back we hired an independent videography company to film and edit a music video for my band. We had a few red flags at the beginning of hiring them (i.e. not getting back to us in a timely manner), but we loved their price and abilities so we went with them. Honestly, we loved everything about working with them. They hired actors, made props, the whole nine. The experience was incredible and they were great people. Once we finished filming we tried to stay in communication with the main person who we've been talking to throughout this whole process. He didn't fully dissapear, but there were weeks at a time where we didn't hear anything. We were promised updates, teasers of the video to promote and post, and the BTS (behind the scenes) footage that we paid for. We didn't get much back at all. At first we understood, but then it was getting frustrating. We stayed civil and positive, not trying to upset them if their multiple excuses are indeed true. At this point we just wanted the video. Long story short, we got the video back and loved it! We put it up online and the release went well. The problem now: We want to pay them but they won't send over the invoice. We signed a contract with them and it's been a little over a month now that we've recieved the video. We are worried they're trying to pull something. On top of this, we spent roughly $200 on a BTS person. The person did come and he took pictures/videos but we have not recieved them yet. We just want to be done with this mess and pay them. We have proof of contact. We have asked to pay on multiple occasions and through multiple platforms (text, chats, calls, etc.) The last time we were in communication they messaged us first. This was the only time we expressed how frustrating this was. They actually responded again and apologized. They said they would get us the footage and send the payment information, but of course we got nothing. We don't think they'll get a lawyer, but if they do, could they do anything to us even though we ARE trying to pay them and they didn't hold up their complete part of the contract? As time passes, I'm thinking "well if they want their money, they'll come and contact us!" But there's a little demon in the back of my mind saying "if I stop messaging them periodically, they'll try to get us for failing to pay them." We just want to pay them what we owe. Do they have a case? Should we continue to just message them for the invoice? At this point I don't even care about not getting the BTS footage, I just want to be done. Any advice is helpful. Thank you for your time.

Answer: There isn't anything you can do except to be prepared to pay them once they send an invoice. It sounds like they are just bad at communicating with clients and it takes them longer than promised to get anything done, including sending an invoice. In the extremely unlikely event that they opted to sue you, the first thing the lawyer would do is send a demand letter, which would give you an opportunity to pay before it goes to court. They'd have to be very dumb to do this because it would cost them money. It would be cheaper for them to just respond to your requests for your invoice so you can pay them.


Title: Opened up to employer about sexual harassment from two separate customers. My hours were slashed and I was told I was being very "combative"

Question:
Please bare with me, I need to explain.

A couple months ago I was sexually harassed physically by one older, female customer. A week or two later there was a verbal sexual harassment from another older, female customer. I am a man.

It took some time to build up my courage but it did happen and I was able to go to management about what happened. They instructed me to call their third-party help system and schedule some time with psychologists. I am still in the midst of calling as it has been a holiday and difficult to get a hold of the therapists. I'm not getting much help, as they all seem extremely busy.

A month or so later one of the bosses calls me into the office and tells me about how my work ethic is slipping, this was not true, work was actually helping me take my mind off the harassment very well. He then said "You know, I hired you as a temporary holiday season employee." This was also news to me, I had always believed I had been signing on as a part-timer. I wanted to ask him why he was making things so difficult for me in light of the harassment I faced but I couldn't bring myself to do so because there was a separate manager in the office with him who had not been involved in the harassment case. He told me I was being "combative" and I told him "What you believe to be combativeness may be me trying to explain myself. You won't let me get a word in edgewise." I made a mistake and didn't stand up for myself but that was because another manager was in the office with him that I didn't want to talk to about the harassment.

The harassment in question for the first lady was obvious, she got really close to me, took one of her fingers and ran it up my leg then pinched an asscheek. The second lady may not even be a legal matter at all, since it was just her saying "I'm gonna wreck you." but it made me feel uncomfortable since it was just on the heels of the previous event. She backpedaled when she saw I was upset by it.

Work has seemed increasingly hostile whenever that specific manager is present, I am feeling excrutiatingly depressed, forgotten, and stomped on by management.

My hours have been slashed as of this week, I work four instead of eight hours. There is a history of them slashing hours with no explanation as to why. It is only happening to me.

Is there any retribution for me, is there anyone who can stand up and fight for this? Legally, is this something I can sue for?

The place is Los Angeles, CA.

Answer: Something I don't see asked is if you would give a brief description of what behavior these women displayed that you're calling sexual harassment? This is difficult to phrase well, but "sexual harassment" is a finding rather than an accusation,  and  your employer's duty to you with regards to two different customers doing <something(s)> that upset you is rather fact-specific. I'm not saying at all that you didn't have cause to report this nor suggesting this isn't prohibited retaliation, but it is actually relevant to understand better what exactly has happened.


Title: Is it illegal to leave a note on someone's car in PA?

Question:
I live in an area with very limited parking and have two reserved parking spaces as part of my lease. There's a sign in front of both the spaces that indicates it's a private space and that violators will be ticketed and towed. I've frequently come home to find that both my spots are taken and there's nowhere else to park in the lot.

The landlord has informed me that I should just call the police to have them ticketed, but this seems to be fairly ineffective so far. I believe this is partly because my apartment was unoccupied for a large amount of time, which lead people to believe the spots were unused. I felt bad about having people get slapped with a $20 ticket for parking in a spot that was, for all they knew, unused and unmonitored. I decided to print out notes explaining that the spots were in fact being paid for and that I would start having cars left there ticketed to give my neighbors advanced warning.

I left one of these notes on a car parked in one of my spaces toady and I returned to find a note saying "For your information I was at [local buisness] on buisness. NEVER leave a note on my vehicle again OR ELSE." I understand this is probably just someone being hyperbolic, but it did lead me to consider if there could be any legal reprecussions for leaving a note on someone's car.

Any advice on this would be greatly appriciated.

Answer: Next time, just have him towed. There is your or else. No, it isn’t illegal to leave a note as long as you don’t damage the car. Answer #2: Assuming that you aren't damaging the car in leaving the note, or stalking the owner of the car, or otherwise committing a crime, leaving a note on a car is not a crime.


Title: got into an accident because a tree branch was blocking my view of the stop sign

Question:
it was around 10:30 pm I was driving east around 30 mph I didn't even notice the stop sign until I was right up on it because of a tree. I saw headlights coming from my right and hit the brakes but it was too late and I ended up hitting the back of their car, they spun around and hit a second car parked on the side of the road. every one is fine other than the cars but my insurance is taking care of that so that should be ok as well.

my question is what do I do with this? something really needs to be done about that tree so this doesn't happen to anyone else, who do I take this to or how do I proceed?

(I have no Idea how I hit the back of their bumper from the pictures it looks like I rear ended them, only thing I can think of is that they swerved right and my drivers side front end clipped them.)

images link: [https://imgur.com/a/o9Uk5Cv](https://imgur.com/a/o9Uk5Cv)

Answer:
 Make sure you have photos of the tree covering the sign and send to your insurance.

The council is most likely responsible for cutting down the trees. Visit one of the houses on the road and see if they know


Title: Is it legally possible for you [CA] to reject money that someone [NV] wills to you?

Question:
I'm fudging the details for anonymity, but the locations are correct.

Say I've got a total douche for a grandfather. Drunk, racist, hit my grandma, took cruises with his kids' college funds. I haven't seen this asshole in 10 years and it's been the best ten years of my life.

Suddenly he dies, and it's found in his will that he's given every grandkid 10k. I want nothing to do with him, and taking his money will make me feel tainted. Is there a way for me to turn down the money, or am I legally obligated to take it?

Answer: Take it and donate it to the charity of your choice.


Title: [La] Child Endangerment OWI

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Yes, child endangerment charges are a reason to request a change of custody. Yes you want an attorney in order to get the best outcome


Title: Can I deny visitation based on Mental Health issues?

Question: I share joint custody of a 9yr old boy with an extremely narcissistic and mysogonistic man. My son recently commented to an older man in our doctors office that if his wife didn't want to go to the doctor he should just "Be a man, put your foot down and force her." Over the summer my son was dismissed from his summer camp for choking a  girl two years his junior. My son thinks that the way his father sees women is "nornal" and the way my husband and I think is not. He has said to me that he admires how "powerful" is dad is and that "daddy thinks boys are better than girls" he's allowed to play games rated for teens and some mature games when he is at his dad's and has had a history of violent behavior. His father is an alcoholic and has asked our son to keep it secret and to keep "other stuff" secret. He has mocked our child's "shrink" and per my son has told him not to trust her.  I am extremely worried about his mental health and fear that he will be unable to develop into a health young person. He is currently in therapy. I am considering refusing to allow my child to go to visitation for fear of his mental health, but have been through the family court system before spending a small fortune for little benefit. I worry that if I move forward with family court my son will inevitably find out that I've broken his trust in me, as he swore me to secrecy in telling me these things, and it will all be for nothing. Is there any hope that a judge would see this as abusive? How can I prove it if my child is too afraid to tell someone else? What can I do to help my son get out from under his toxic father?

Answer:
 >I am considering refusing to allow my child to go to visitation for fear of his mental health. . .

Unless specified in the court order, then you don't have the authority to deny visitation. The trust of a nine year old should come second to his physical and emotion well-being.Answer #2: You cannot and should not deny visitation based on a court order on your own. If you feel your child is in danger, then report that to the police. Get a family law attorney to amend your custody arrangements in the court.


Title: Is it illegal to go to college as your twin brother if you are a twin? [NY]

Question: Just wondering.

Answer: Is fraud illegal? Yes. Yes it is.


Title: [United State, California] Got a ticket for using little brother's metro bus pass. Can I fight this?

Question:
On April 22nd I (age:19) was going to school and the sheriff's were checking the metro bus/tap cards. This isn't new to me as I have done it so many times already. The sheriff pulled out his phone and I tapped and then he asked me "Who is (little brother's name)". Well I told the truth that it was my little brother. He asked for my I.D and wrote me a ticket. He put onto the ticket " No fare" which means that I didn't pay to ride the train. However I did and do pay monthly for the bus pass as my little brother (age: 15) does not use it. I use it to save money from a community college bus pass, and this is the first ever that I have been given a ticket. He said usually he would take away the bus pass but because we have the same last names he wouldn't. I checked with "Metro's Customer Code of Conduct" (6-05-230-A is the code used for the violation) and it doesn't say anywhere specifically that I must use a tap card under my name. It only says that I must pay my fare, which I did.
If any other information is needed please let me know and I will gladly give it. Thank you very much.
Link to Metro's Customer Code of Conduct: http://media.metro.net/about_us/ethics/images/codeofconduct_customer.pdf

Answer: You pay for a pass for someone else not for yourself.  I think you're better off paying your fine and buying a pass.  These courts hear excuses all day long and they don't care about your reasons.


Title: Before I Sign This Lease... (no notification upon entry)

Question:
I am renting in Ohio for the first time from a private owner. (Used to renting from apartment complexes) There is nothing in the lease that states that the owner must provide notification or warning upon entry. This, to me, is a big red flag. Am I missing something? Should I ask her to add something in?

This is the only section that mentions entry.

http://imgur.com/a/Jp588

Answer:
 In Ohio, regardless of lease terminology, landlords must give tenants 24-hour notice unless it's an emergency(i.e. pipe burst and it's flooding the unit, something caught fire etc.) Just because the contract states they can do it doesn't mean they can. It means they want to and hope you won't fight it. Answer #2: I know in PA, the law requires 24-hour notice unless specified otherwise in a lease.  My lease specifically states a 1-hour notice. Check out Ohio's tenant/landlord laws, and go off of that.

Say "I noticed that in OH, you're technically supposed to give x amount of notice before entering a tenant's dwelling.  I don't necessarily need x amount, but if you could give me y amount, that would be great, especially for showings. I want to make sure that the place is presentable.  Obviously, emergency cases would be treated as such."

Also ask for clarification of "reasonable hours" and write that down.  Most states declare reasonable hours to be between 6a-10p.

Any hand-written addendum need to be initialed and dated by both parties - this will help if there is ever a dispute, especially the time stamp.Answer #3: Your landlord also probably doesn't have a clause in the lease stating that he will not try to murder you in your driveway.  That doesn't mean he is planning it.  The law takes precedence, and a thing does not need to be present in a contract for it to be illegal.


Title: Was charged with drinking on beach last year. $300 ticket.. paid. Just received a letter stating I didn't respond to a complaint and now have a warrant with a bail I can't afford?

Question: Random $183.. I'm pretty tight with money and am paying bills and trying to survive as is. How could I be hit with a complaint when I was charged and paid already?

Answer: Are you sure the letter is legit? Is it from the right county and does it reference the incident? Because there are scams out there where people contact strangers randomly and try to get them to pay for non-existent fines.


Title: Went to ER after an accident and hospital dismissed me a few hours later. Hospital trip the next week due to pain and found I have a punctured spleen and spent the better part of 4 days in the hospital.

Question:
Is this lack of a diagnosis considered malpractice? I clearly expressed pain in my stomach/rib area and they took an x-ray and said it came back normal and told me I probably had bruised ribs.
The 4 day hospital stay was enormously expensive and would have been avoided had I been properly diagnosed from the outset.
Happened in January '17

Answer:
 You would have to prove damages as a result of the event. Recovery time following an open spleenectomy is typically 2-6 days. It's not entirely clear that your hospital stay would have been any different had the spleen lac been diagnosed up front.

Speak with a med mal attorney for a legal view of your case.


Title: [IA] landlord requires me to pay $5 for every night a guest stays at my place.

Question: My landlord requires me to inform them of any guest that will be staying at my place and also requires me to pay $5 per night per guest. The contract says that I need to give them a notice whenever someone stays at my place (which I am fine with) but there is nothing about paying $5/night for guests staying over. Is this grounds for breaking my lease?

Answer: If it's not in the lease, it's grounds for not paying.  This isn't a material breach of the lease at this point.  Answer #2: I can't imagine it's grounds to break the lease, but it is grounds to tell the landlord you won't pay anything you haven't agreed to in writing.


Title: Assault & Battery on family member (VA)

Question: So i pushed my sister and she called the cops and they arrested me and took me to an ADC. fingerprinted and took photos. What should I plead at court? I have never been convicted before.

Answer: You should plead not guilty and get a lawyer. You committed assault and you need a lawyer to get the best possible result.


Title: (Canada) Employer tried to house me with someone who has hep c without even telling me about it

Question:
I'll add more info if needed the just of it is my employer provides housing and lost the apartment I was in.They told me I would be living with another person and that was it, I was told by another person that the guy has hep c and when I called my employer to voice my concern they acted like it was nothing.

The person with hep c openly tells people and the employer didn't act like it was news to them when I told them.

Do I have any legal repercussions here or should I just be glad they put me somewhere else?

Answer: You should not let them bleed on your or have sex with them... that's the only difference between you two.Answer #2: Do you know how you get Hep C? Are you going to be doing any of those things with this person?  You don't get it from sharing a refrigerator or a couch or a tv remote or pots and pans with somebody.


Title: [USA] If a police uses a taser gun on Bob, and Bob suffers functional problems, then the next day or so Bob drives and causes an accident killing Joe due to him having brain functioning problems from the taser shock, is the police liable for Joe's death due to causation?

Question: After reading this report saying taser causes [brain functioning problems](http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2016/02/04/Tasers-effect-on-cognition-may-undermine-police-questioning/1751454607351/?spt=sec&or=sn).

Answer:
 Likely not, for multiple reasons.

First, the heavier liability rests with the driver, for driving while impaired.  This is generally true, in all circumstances.

Second, as you've guessed, it would be difficult to prove causation, in such a circumstance.

Third, even in the study you cite, the effects of Taser exposure are gone within an hour.  So, a day later, you'd be hard-pressed to argue that the Taser is still affecting you.


Title: I was beaten.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You can report it to the police in the country or locality where the abuse occurred. There's no guarantee they'll be able to successfully prosecute though. There's probably not a lot of evidence after that long. I can't tell you anything Europe-specific.


Title: Brother wants me to change account ownership of my mobile phone provider over to him so he can get veteran discount for the entire account, but I'm not sure if I should

Question:
If I change over account ownership to him, what does that mean legally? I don't really understand the legal implications. Does this affect my credit since I will no longer be the account holder? Anything legally I should know that means I shouldn't change ownership?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: That wound mean he owns the account. It shouldn't impact your credit but your brother would be able to cancel your phone if he wanted,  since he would be the account holder.


Title: Someone is showing movies in the park, I want to show more badass movies. Is this legal?

Question: I live near a park, and they show all sorts of dumb movies for people to just come watch. Thing is, they only show like one movie a month or so. I want to hang a sheet and show better movies with my projector. I've got a copy of Road House and I think it would be cool to show that this weekend. Will I get in toruble?

Answer: Maybe, depends on local regulations. It would also be a violation of copyright to show the movie in public without proper permission (and probably you'll have to pay a fee to get this).


Title: My work makes me drive trucks, trailers, and tractors with expired tags and I'm nervous about what might happen if I get pulled over while driving them.

Question: I work in CO and my job entails driving trucks, trailers, tractors, and power equipment around town. Many of these have tags that are expired from a few years up to 12 years. No one seems interested in getting these tags up to date and we HAVE to drive them. I'm Really Nervous about getting pulled over while driving/operating the trucks, trailers, and equipment and what it will do to my driving record. I'm unsure if there's anything I can do to protect myself

Answer:
 You would get a ticket and a fine and whatever other penalty is associated with doing that. "my work made me do it" would not work as an excuse. The driver is still responsible. You should refuse to operate vehicles in an illegal manner. If you're fired, apply for unemployment and go talk to an attorney to see if you have a case for public policy wrongful termination.

> I'm unsure if there's anything I can do to protect myself

Yes, you can stop breaking the law.Answer #2: You are responsible for the equipment you drive. The only way to protect yourself is to find a different job.


Title: Parent getting remarried. Question about inheritance and ownership. Florida

Question:
My mother is getting remarried. Her new man has two children of his own. The man is moving into my moms house that she paid off. His kids and myself are independent. My concern is this.

Should they get a divorce won't he get half her house?

If my mom dies first he will get the house and then when he dies won't his kids get the whole house or like 2/3 of the house?

What steps does my mom need to take to ensure I obtain everything upon her death instead of his kids?

They are considering selling my moms house and buying a smaller one since all the kids are gone. Even though it's all my moms money he will own 50% and then won't his kids inherit it aka the above questions again for new house?

Please help me reddit I'm not greedy but his children are losers and he is a very nice man but I still don't want my moms life work to end up in the hands of these two kids.

Answer:
 It is *very* common in second marriages with adult children for there to be a prenup that lays everything out for the anxious children.

This all needs to be discussed beforehand, both with your mother and with her intended.

Who owns the house, an individual, married couple or a trust? Who gets to live in the house, where the estate goes afterwards if he outlives her, can he continue to live in the house and pay the estate rent, etc.

You really need to let your mother know your concerns and have an attorney draw up paperwork.  Be forewarned that *your* idea of fairness my not be hers.Answer #2: Absent a will, everything typically goes to the surviving spouse. If she died without a will, all of her money and posessions would go to the new husband. If he died afterwards, without a will, everything would go to his next of kin (his children), and you would very likely get nothing.

To avoid this, if that is what your mother wishes, she would need to prepare a will. I recommend getting an attorney to do this to make sure it's not challengable - that's really not a nightmare you want to deal with at the same time as coping with the death of your mother.


Title: How binding are "private drive" signs? MA if that matters.

Question: There is an access road I take frequently, and now residents of the road have put up a "private drive no trespassing" sign up, and roped the road off. If I continued on, who is liable for damages to both my vehicle and the roped off area?

Answer:
 Depends on who owns the road imho. If they are roping off a public street you might be justified in removing the ropes, but intentionally damaging your car on the ropes is a terrible idea.Answer #2: If you hit a stationary object with your car you will be liable for both damages to your car and any damages to property.

If it is private property and posted as such you can be arrested for trespassing if you enter the property.


Title: Business law questions. My dad's business partner claims the company is operating at a loss but personal records state otherwise.

Question:
Hello, Reddit! This is my first post so please excuse any formalities I may have disregarded.

In 2013, my dad joined a partnership with a few other investors to open 4 restaurants around Southern California. There is one managing partner who is primary shareholder, holds the money, and retains an third party accountant. No documents, such as contracts, were formally signed so mostly everything was done verbally. The only documentation I'm aware of is a handwritten piece of paper which states the ownership allocation between all the partners per each restaurant location.

A few weeks ago, the managing partner tells all the investors that the restaurants have been operating at a loss and they will all have to contribute additional money to cover the losses. My dad, however, has been keeping a daily record of all the money that comes in and out of a particular location that he manages daily. According to my dad's records, the restaurant has at least been breaking even. When confronted about this, the managing partner told my dad, "Restaurants have many expenses you are unaware of." My dad, who has been in the business for over 20 years, asked him what kind of expenses he was referring to. The managing partner could not give him a straight answer and stormed out of the meeting. My dad has since decided to leave the partnership.

Now, I realize there is risk to every investment so I understand my dad may not be able to get his money back. However, my parents have come to me asking for help since they have lost a material amount of money. I am a CPA but I am not fluent in business law, so my questions are as follows:

1) As a partner, does my dad have a legal right to see the books and records that the managing partner is keeping? If the managing partner refuses, what steps do we need to take to see them?

2) Is it illegal for the managing partner to use the money from the investments for something other than its intended use (which was solely to open and develop the restaurants)?

3) If we find that the money was used incorrectly by the managing partner, could we sue for the return of at least part of the investment?

Thank you in advance!

Answer:
 Not a Lawyer or a CPA

1) Yes, you are dissoluting the partnership and you have the right to view the books.

http://smallbusiness.findlaw.com/incorporation-and-legal-structures/partnership-rules-and-faqs.html

> The only requirement is that in the absence of a written agreement, partners don't draw a salary and share profits and losses equally. Partners have a duty of loyalty to the other partners and must not enrich themselves at the expense of the partnership. Partners also have a duty to provide financial accounting to the other partners.

You would likely have to make a demand letter (probably some other word but once again not a lawyer) to review the financials as a pre-dissolution transaction.

2) In general yes, but it depends on what kind of agreements have been made and what kind of expenses were made.
If Major Partner went off and bought a BMW for personal use with the investment, there is a problem. If Major Partner went off and bought inventory at a 5% markup and 10% of it went bad, you might not be able to get him. If Major Partner bought inventory at a 5% markup and got a 4% kickback, you can sue the fuck out of him.

http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Partnership+Accounting

3) It depends on 2) If it's something blantant, you and other partners would have the right to sue them.

Separate note:
I do hope that they are getting tax documentation so that they can write off the loss on their tax returns. Schedule K-1 (I don't actually know partnership terminology) but they should be getting K-1 or a variant of this.


Title: California: my parents have been the victims of fraud.

Question:
To begin with I need to give a little backstory. My mother was a CASA (court apointed special advocate) for a 10 year old girl (in this story she will be referred to as J) in 2007. A CASA is a trained volunter who helps orphaned children by being a supportive adult in their lives. She had been seeing J weekly from 2007 till 2015 when J turned 18. After that my mother continued to see J on an unofficial basis as they had developed a very deep relationship during their 8 years together. My mother had continued to see her up untill last week.

Here is where the scam part of the story begins. J told my mother she was working for a company that wanted to send her to Mexico for a business trip. J said she needed money from my mother and plane tickets to go on this trip and that my mother would be reimbursed by the company she was working for on her return. This is a very large reputable company so my mother believed this story. My mother sent J 700 dollars for business expenses and paid 762 dollars in air fares. While J is on this trip my mother recieves an email from a yahoo account from someone identifying herself as J's boss (who will will refer to as P) saying that the 700 dollars sent was frozen and that J needed her to send another 900 dollars. My mother again sent J the money. J gets back from the trip and my mother begins asking her when she will get her reimbursment. The girl says that her boss (P) that had emailed asking for the 900 bucks from Mexico is no longer in charge of handling the reimbursments and that my mom now needs to deal with P's boss (who we will refer to as V). 7 weeks go by as my mother is emailing back and forth with V  (also had a yahoo account) who says 3 seperate times that the check has been sent, twice through UPS and once through Fedex and yet no check ever arrives. V gives fake tracking numbers and when my mother eventually demands that V give her a phone number V has a family emergency and disapears. Now the first boss P is back on the case. I look through some of these emails and notice a disturbing trend. Both P and V make the same grammatical and spelling mistakes in their emails. J also makes the same grammatical and spelling mistakes. My mom decides enough is enough and calls the place where J supposedly works only to find that she never worked there, P and V do not exist and that this company does not use yahoo email accounts. J had been pretending to be working at this job with these 2 people the entire time to scam my mother out of money. My mother confronts her on this and J just sends a short text apologizing and saying have a good life, God bless. Needless to say my entire family is furious that this girl who we welcomed into our lives would throw a 10 year relationship away for a few thousand bucks and that she had been lying to my mother for nearly 2 months by impersonating two seperate people.

I need legal advice on what are the next steps to take. I have already saved and printed out all the emails between my mom, the 2 fake bosses and J. I have screenshotted J's apology text and a text where she states that the company will be reimbursing my mother and an account number to send the money to. I have the bank statements showing the money was transfered. What do I need to do to report and sue J for fraud and if I do, do I have enough proof to be able to win the case? Thanks in advance for any and all advice.

Update: Today my mother went to file a police report. First she went to the city where J lives to file the report. The people at that station told her she had to go to her own city to file the report. Her city is not covered by its own police so she had to go to the county police. She went to the county police station and they said that she had to file a report with one of their officers and none were available. So she had to call the station and have one of their officers sent out to see her. That officer told her that this isnt really a crime and she would have to file a civil suit. I dont really understand why stealing money from someone wouldn't be a crime but thats where the situation is at this moment.

Answer:
 Your mother can file a police report.  The police may or may not actively investigate the report depending on their policies with respect to this sort of crime.

Your mother can file a lawsuit against J in small claims court if she is willing to do so.  It sounds as though she has pretty good evidence as to what went down.  Just guessing based on the circumstances, it will probably be hard to recover money from this person even with a judgment.


Title: Question about married gay couples and their children. (SC/NC)

Question:
If this does turn out to be the darkest timeline and the next administration tries to rescind/revoke the parental rights of married gay couples (I'm not saying this is likely), would you recommend that these couples adopt their own children just to be safe?

Case in point--married couple who live in SC, but whose child was born in NC and both of his parents are, therefore, on his birth certificate?  Would having his non-birth mother adopt him be a recommended way to make sure that he stays with her in the case that something happens to his birth mother?

Or would this adoption just be a nice thing to do and completely unnecessary legally no matter what?

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 Gay marriage is one thing, legally recognized parents of a child is another.

If a child was born, the mother names the father and the child now has two parents.  If a same-sex couple (which may or may not include the biological mother or father) wants to both be parents of the child, any parties not currently recognized as a parent needs to adopt the child which also involves the currently recognized parent(s) revoking their parental rights.

If the child was not adopted, then the party not recognized as the parent would have trouble if challenged making decisions for the child.


Title: (FL) Car insurance for person who hit me has paid for repairs. Body shop took over a month to finish repair while I had rental car. Car insurance says they may not cover whole rental. What do I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What took them a month to fix?    I don't understand how the car wasn't totaled if it took them a month to fix it.


Title: Police showed up at my house and commit me to a mental hospital for 12 days [NJ]

Question:
The police showed up at my house and told me that my co-worker had told them that I sent her a text message saying I was going to buy a gun and kill myself. I did not send such a text message, and they were unable to produce the evidence upon request. I also do not own a gun or have a gun license. Then they assaulted me, handcuffed me, put me in their car, and drove me to the hospital. I suffered several severe injuries from the assault, including nerve damage that still hasn't healed a month later.

&#x200B;

At the hospital, I requested to see the evidence but they told me the police didn't give them a copy of it. 3 days later, I was transferred to a hospital on the other side of the state. At the new hospital, I asked to see the evidence. They were again unable to produce it, but a social worker there said in the notes the text said, "Death is my dream," which was completely different from what I was originally told. A week later, I asked a nurse to check my file and tell me what it says. She said in my file it says I am a high school student (I am 27 and I don't go to school) who wants to shoot up the school, but later it turned out my file got mixed up with someone else's.

&#x200B;

I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder and put on antidepressants. 9 days later, I was discharged from the hospital. My work was also notified about the incident, because when I called and asked if they know what happened, my boss said, "Part of it." I then called again and they refused to pick up the phone. I was less than a month from getting health insurance from my job. After I was discharged from the hospital, I received a letter from my work telling me to not contact any employees (this was after I called) or visit any work locations. So evidently I have not only been fired but also ghosted, banned from work, banned from contacting any employees.

&#x200B;

My plan now is to get another job so I can afford a lawyer, and then sue the township that sent the police. Does this sound like a solid plan?
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer:
 Yea sorry but this seems very very fake, or something big is being left out. As someone has been through the 72 hour hold several times, both voluntarily and involuntarily committed, this whole thing just isn't right and the fact that op hasn't responded to any answers to clarify anything, really suggests this may be a karma farm or a post for attention. Answer #2: I've heard of police doing a wellness check, but never an arrest/ committal based on loose evidence.

Is there something you're not including in this post, OP? No offense, but this story seems far fetched on its own.Answer #3: something doesn’t add up here. i think we are missing details to your story


Title: (MN) Friend's brother tried to kill me today

Question:
My friend's brother is very hostile and has a real mental disorder, and he hates everything and everyone.

We had a snow day today, and I rode with them to the store, and he was flying off the handle about something. I ignored him and just talked over him, and then suddenly he was like, "(Driver), unlock the door". And then he reached over and opened my door while we were driving down the road, and I fell out... And they just kept going and didn't even come back for me.

I landed in snow and wasn't injured but I'm wondering if I can file assault/attempted murder against him and if the police would believe me.

There were no witnesses, and I had to walk 2 miles to get home.

My phone is in the car and they stole it I guess.

Answer:
 Also, I would start wearing a seatbelt.Answer #2: Contact the police. Don't subject yourself to being around people who treat you like that. Answer #3: You can file a report if you want to.

No one here can say if they will believe you or what the outcome will be.  Some of that will come down to what your friend says happened.

How fast was the car going?Answer #4: Yes, you could report that as an assault to the police.  Same with your phone being taken.  Answer #5: Do you have any injuries or damaged clothing? That's evidence.Answer #6: Legal advice: call the police, you are the victim of an assault

Life advice: never speak to these people again. This guy is not your friend, his brother is a psychopath. Whatever benefit you see to hanging out with them is not worth the downside. Answer #7: IANAL, but this sounds just so plainly ridiculous, I have no advice for you. Get new friends.


Title: My SO and I are not getting married but we want to have as much of the things protections that married people have as possible. What should we look at doing?

Question:
Including health, wills, assets after one of us passes etc.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Get married.Answer #2: There are more than 1,000 laws that benefit only married people. (This was one of the many arguments in favor of same-sex marriage, that it was discriminatory against same-sex coupled to deny them the rights and privileges conveyed by these 1,000+ laws.)

A few of the more general ones you can recreate (for example by writing a will and establishing medical power of attorney) but most of them (such as access to a partner's Social Security benefits, tax breaks on estate taxes, tax breaks on inheritance, exemptions from IRA penalties, worker's comp benefits, adopting children jointly, survivors' rights and benefits, criminal privilege, etc., you cannot recreate on your own. They are only available to married people. That list goes on and on until it's over 1,000 but those are some of the more obvious ones.

It would be far more expensive (and needlessly complicated) to try to recreate the few protections of marriage that you can recreate than you just get married and get divorced. But if you want to try, go and see a family law attorney to start the process.


Title: In school drug testing

Question: I am a senior in high school with a 3.8 GPA. I am also 18 and the school has no reason to drug test me. Can I legally deny a drug test?

Answer:
 most of these answers are assuming that you are correct that the school doesn't have a 'reason' to test you. ie that this is a true suspicionless search.

but public schools can drug test with reasonable suspicion.  and RS isn't a very high bar. Answer #2: Your name suggests that you smoke and you frequent /r/fakeid.

I am positive that they have reasonable suspicion. No one is ever as good at hiding things as they think that they are. Answer #3: The school may drug test you without reason in certain circumstances.  The Courts have previously upheld mandatory drug testing for all athletes, regardless of whether or not there is suspicion of drug use.  This is because the school's need to ensure student safety outweighs the diminished privacy right of a student on school property.

That being said, a school may not arbitrary require that you submit to a drug test.  The Courts have held that schools may only require mass drug testing of students if there is a systematic plan and a reason why a certain body of students should be subjected to those tests.  Furthermore, the requirement to drug test must not unduly burden a student's accessibility to education.


Title: Abusive girlfriend's father wont let her go to school.

Question:
   Okay I'm trying to keep this short and I'm ttping on mobile so please forgive spelling errors.

  My girlfriend's father has always been an abusive fuck, and it's to the point where he will just scream at her randomly until he cries and then scream at her more for crying. I've seen him even cuss out his 3 year old son for asking for milk. Anyway, he was screaming at my girlfriend last night, and he knows that she likes school, because when she's at school she isn't around him. But he told her that she isnt allowed to go to school tomorrow and he has made her stay home before, sometimes as a punishment. And sometimes he makes her stay home to watch her 5 siblings becaus this guy is too much of a lazy fuck to do it himself. Is it legal for him to keep her from going to public school? This is in Michigan btw.

There are so many laws he breaks, from growing pot, to throwing things at his wife. He also hasnt had a real job in years and doesnt pay taxes. My girlfriend wont let me tell the police about that. But I'm hoping that i can talk to the school about him making her stay hom. Please help me idk what to do and im very angry and frustrated.

Answer: Go to a guidance counselor or a trusted teacher and tell them your suspicions.you can also call CPS.


Title: Warrant for arrest in a city I've never been to.

Question: I attempted to obtain my CCW permit today, and during the initial check I was informed that I was wanted for theft in a city in my state [OHIO] that I've not been to.  The warrant was issued over a year ago.  I'm unsure how to proceed.  Do I need to contact a lawyer in that city to resolve this?  Do I need to hire a lawyer in my city?  Can I do it without physically going to this city?  It's 5 hours away from my city.

Answer:
 You should get an attorney local to the warrant who can look into the situation for you.

Alternatively, you could go to the cops in that city and explain the situation to them and ask for information about the warrant. It's most likely that you're dealing with a identity theft situation. Be aware that handling it like this might end up with you getting arrested.Answer #2: > Do I need to contact a lawyer in that city to resolve this?

You need an attorney admitted to the bar to practice in that city.  Likely, any lawyer barred in Ohio can handle this, so an attorney in your city **or** that city.

Practically speaking, you would likely have to pay your lawyer for travel costs, **and** the lawyer will be more effective working in a court he knows.  So you'd be better off hiring someone near the court where the warrant is issued.Answer #3: The other possibility that I haven't seen mentioned yet is that this was a mistake in the *background check*, not a mistake in the arrest warrant. We've certainly seen plenty of posts like that here, where background checks pick up things for different people with similar names.

I'm not sure that changes the advice all that much, you still need to figure out where the mix up took place. Before going to the expense of hiring an attorney, I would see how much you can find out via the web or over the phone.

If it becomes clear that the warrant is not for you, then you'll have to appeal the background check, via whatever process they require for doing that.


Title: [NY] Partially Blocked Driveway (Diagram Included!)

Question:
Parking in the past year has gotten pretty crazy in my neighborhood (Just outside NYC) and recently people have been attempting to park two cars in what is really a 1 car spot and usually ends up with both cars literally being ontop of each other, or a car being anywhere from 6" to 1 foot passing my driveway.

This can cause a car shuffle for me since It's a two car driveway and requires me to take one car out to get the other car out. My question being is 6" to a 1 foot enough for a non emergency call to start cracking down on this, There is no snow or anything that would cause a issue with parking in the area.

Graphic if you want one: http://i.imgur.com/A3xOmGK.png

Thanks,

*Edit: Just in-case anyone asks, These aren't my neighbors and my neighbors are unsure of who's cars these are as well since they are always out of state plates.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 >My question being is 6" to a 1 foot enough for a non emergency call to start cracking down on this,

Yes. If those inches are preventing you from using the entirety of your driveway, report them. Also, the last thing you want to do is to actually hit one of the cars. Because while you wouldn't necessarily be fully at fault, the whole accident process is a pain in the ass.


Title: Followup on wanting to sue McDonald’s

Question:
California

I felt I was being mistreated by a couple of managers at my job (McDonald’s). Although this may be typical, it created a hostile work environment for myself due to diagnosed anxiety.
I brought it to the attention of my supervisor. I was denied access to filing a report. I was told that I was the source of the problems and that managers could treat me however they wanted to as long as it were related to work, especially if I was being defiant towards them. After talking about feeling mistreated and uncomfortable, I was ultimately shut down and blamed, told that “this job may not be for me” and was sent home.

I’ve filed for unemployment and anticipate them to deny firing me because he did not directly state that. I’ve still been placed on the work schedule**

I’ve consistently been denied access to file legitimate reports on paper. Not only mistreatment and hostile environments, I’ve also brought up sexual harassment claims. Denied access to file report.

I’m waiting to hear back from Unemployment.
Am I being ridiculous with my reactions? I just feel really uncomfortable and think it’s crazy that I’m being punished for bringing attention to it... idk if that just makes me a crybaby or what.

** I was given an option of a new schedule to avoid contact with the managers I “didn’t get along with”. However, my schedule was never changed for approx. 3 more weeks resulting in further discomfort and having to call out.

Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: You're going to get fired and denied unemployment for job abandonment. This isn't the job for you.


Title: [WA state] I own a home and my friend is getting out of jail on probation. Do I have to allow my home to be searched on a regular basis for him to live here?

Question:
My friend is released later next week. The original plan was for him to stay here since I have an extra room and he would have no one else to turn to. However, today I just learned that as part of his probation I need to allow my house to be searched, without a warrant in all rooms that he may have "access" to.

Do I have any rights in this matter? I don't want to have to turn a friend away in need, but I'm not comfortable with the idea of my home being open to search at any given time.

What legal options are available to me as the legal home owner?

Answer: You have to read whatever documents and rules that apply to his probation and determine exactly what they say about searches. No one can make that determination until you read what the documents say.


Title: [Calgary Alberta Canada]Neighbor's cat killing stuff in my yard

Question:
I like to feed the animals around here but there is a cat who keeps hunting the squirrels and birds in my yard. I am not sure who he belongs to, but he is fat and well groomed and is definitely not a stray, nor does he even eat what he kills.

I tried googling this but I keep finding stuff about cougars and bobcats, I already know that the city will deal with THOSE, what I don't know is if there's anything (legal) to be done about this cat.

EDIT: Thanks to a post here I had enough ammunition to act, if I had to. And knowing that, I went to my neighbors and talked to them through their kids and it never even got to me having to invoke by-laws; the cat is inside now or whatever, I have not seen it in a week.

They're actually new to...cats....somehow...they were not even aware that it ever left their property. They were concerned about it being hit by a car or freezing.

Answer: stop luring in the cats dinner.  when it realizes it doesn't have an easy meal anymore it will hunt someplace else.


Title: Father is about to pass away and has not created a will yet. Also, his girlfriend of 5 years wants to get married before he passes away (CA)

Question:
My father has cancer and is about to pass away. He is reaching the limits of his life expectation. He hasn't created a will yet and doesn't seem like he wants to despite me bringing it up twice (I think it is because the will represents his acceptance of his death). I don't know much about inheritance laws, but I'm planning on seeing him and creating the will with him. How do I make a legally binding will for my father? Do I need to have a lawyer or some kind of expert? If he passes before creating the will, how does my family determine who gets what? Bit of background info: my mother passed away a few years back and I have no siblings.

Also, his girlfriend wants to get married before my father passes away. This came out of nowhere and my uncle suspects that it is because she wants to claim his social security benefits (he is 62 and is still working, but I am not sure if he receives any social security payments). Will she be entitled to my father's social security benefits if she is going to be married for a such a brief period of time? My family is against this, but I don't really see any negative side to his girlfriend getting his social security benefits. If she doesn't get them, nobody does, right?

Finally, I was wondering if you guys could give me any advice on what to do when he passes. I am fairly young (23 years old) and I don't know anyone who I can ask about these sort of issues. I just don't want to be blindsided by anything after his death. Everyone in my family (including myself) doesn't trust his girlfriend and we fear that she might try to keep a majority of his assets for herself. Any bit of advice will help. Thanks!

Answer:
 Get a lawyer.  ASAP.

BUT it's your father's decision what he wants to do with himself & with his money.

Without a will [the property passes by intestate rules](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/intestate-succession-california.html).  If he got married his new wife would get 1/2 of everything, without a will.


Title: Advice on Emancipation in WA State for 16 year old

Question:
Age: 16.

I am helping a family friend fill out emancipation paperwork tomorrow night. Her name starts with A so we will call her A. She lived on and off again with her mom, often sleeping outside or at friends' house. Her mom has been in and out of jail and has custody again of all 6+ of her kids in a 2 bedroom apartment. She is currently unemployed and I am not sure how she affords to support the kids. She does collect state/government money to take care of the kids and A never gets to see a single penny. She has tried to show up and pick up A from school early and has even sent threatening texts to her that she will rip her out of school and run with the kids if she has to. These texts are all saved.

The daughter has been living with her boyfriend for almost 2 years now. (and his parents of course). He is 1 year younger than her. She holds down two jobs while going to high school and taking college classes. She pays for 95% of her own things including drivers ed, school supplies, clothes, etc.

We are going to do the paperwork tomorrow, but A is worried about what will happen in the mean time. Once her mom has been served will she be able to go pick up A and legally take her from where she is staying? Will she be able to file a restraining order? The mother knows where she goes to school at, works at, and where she is staying.

&#x200B;

Answer:
 Is your friend currently making enough money with her to jobs to pay rent and for health insurance? What about transportation?

Living for free with a boyfriend would be unlikely to qualify as earning enough to manager her own affairs, at least in states where I've worked with minors who wanted to be emancipated. She will need to show her income on paper, and prove that she is able to support herself. She can't just say she will.


Title: [LA] Girlfriend has been hurt twice (and I have been once) in our apartment since we moved in two months ago. Is there any way we could get the landlord to pay for doctor fees or are we SOL?

Question:
I don't want anyone to get the impression that we're sue happy people (I like to stay as far away from legal stuff as possible, it's a costly hassle) but I'm trying to determine what our best course of action should be.

We moved into an apartment a little under two months ago, the landlord (landlady?) is a friendly middle aged woman who doesn't live anywhere near here. The house is a flimsy shotgun-style duplex, and the second week we lived here, one of my girlfriend's feet went through the floor. She was scratched up pretty bad but it didn't require medical attention. The next week, the same thing happened to me, I duct-taped the whole area and put furniture over it so nobody else would get hurt.

All was well until today, we were walking through our backyard to get to the driveway and she stepped on a rusty nail (like one of the large tacks used in house construction) that went through the bottom of her shoe and about a quarter inch into her foot. This one required a tetanus shot and antibiotics, totaling around $195.

Now, we're not exactly wealthy people. Shelling out $195 for an unexpected expense is a huge deal for us, almost a third of our monthly rent. What should our next course of action be?

Answer: Yeah I think your house might not be considered livable If your falling thru the floor .Answer #2: I'm curious to know what the landlord said about you two putting your feet through the floor not once but twice.  This house sounds like it should be condemned...