Title: USA/Pa Driving under suspension/6th or more time but had a lawyer fight all other times and got dropped.

Question: OK, to make a very long story short I had the Delaware court suspend my license for FTA. Got pulled over a couple times after then finally grew up and took care of the Delaware issue (continuing as of now) Pa DMV paperwork shows I am eligible the 21st of this month for reinstatement and all my restitution is paid and ready. Problem is I got pulled over in April (I know I did it to myself). He did a general DMV check on my plate that's how he knew to pull my over. I explained to him everything and he said to bring my paperwork with me to show him and he would "help me out". Problem is the state is saying it is 6th or more offense when it is not being that I had the other driving under suspensions expunged due to a technicality that the state screwed up on . I paid a lot of money to this license lawyer guy to take care of it all. I don't have anymore extra money to give him again to get this straightened out. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank You.

Answer:
 Whatever technicality your last attorney helped you take advantage of, I doubt anyone here would be able to help you with without knowing the full details of your case.  Your best (and probably only) option is hiring an attorney again.

Oh, and **stop driving until your license is reinstated!**. 6 offenses?!  Come on, man.  You're past the point of "oops, sorry" and well into willful disregard of the law.


Title: Kicking out unwanted apartment guests without roommate's consent [USA]

Question:
As I understand it, if someone is staying at your residence - without having fulfilled the requirements to be legally considered a tenant - and you ask them to leave, they are considered trespassing if they refuse to do so and can be removed by the police (at least in theory). What if you and your roommate both have your names on the lease, and you want them to leave while your roommate says they can stay? Do both parties have to agree before the guest(s) can be kicked out?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 >  without having fulfilled the requirements to be legally considered a tenant

That is generally true but I suspect you don't understand how easy it can be to become a tenant in many cases. A true visitor is one thing. Somebody you let crash on your couch for a while between apartments? They could quickly become a tenant.


Title: Any idea why a Judge would be frantically typing during testimony?

Question:
My SO was testifying and believes she saw judge writing an email. But throughout the testimony I saw the judge frantically typing. Obviously I know that nobody could be sure as to exactly why but I was hoping someone would have had an experience like this and maybe see it as indicative of x, y or z. This was a child custody case and the judge did not appear to be happy with the petitioner's (ex-wife) testimony. She was caught in several lies and overall provided frivolous allegations.

I've worked in courts a lot and have never seen a judge do this before. I researched and this is a competent judge who has heard some very big cases in our state.

TL;DR Judge was typing like crazy while actively listening to testimony. Why?

Answer:
 >Why?

Maybe taking notes.  Maybe in a gchat convo with some colleagues. Maybe answering some posts in /r/legaladvice.  Who knows? (In all likelihood it was taking notes).  Answer #2: I clerked for a former family court judge that moved up to our circuit bench. The judge was either taking notes, or could have actually been sending an email to his/her secretary to do something that pertained to the case (or if your state allows it, clerk). Answer #3: Especially in a non-jury proceeding, taking notes.  S/he has to issue a ruling based on the evidence, so s/he's making sure to be able to point to specifics when the time comes. Answer #4: Some judges like to take extensive notes.

That's at least a plausible explanation.

Who knows what the judge was actually doing?


Title: Employment Law and pregnant. Please help!

Question: My co worker told my supervisor as well as their supervisors that I would be leaving on maternity leave early because either I was going to claim health issues or because I had actual health issues. None of which are true. I emailed my supervisor and explained that I never stated any of that. I was told it would be looked into and I have not heard anything. I would like to know if I have any legal standing towards taking action against him or my HR department. Edit: I live in California.

Answer: So has anything actually happened to you? Been fired? Demoted? Anything? If nothing has actually happened, what are you getting so upset about?


Title: Contempt of court order with false accusations from mentally unstable Ex husband. Help!

Question: So basically my ex husband met a lady on the internet, married her a month later without meeting in person(she has never met my child) and now he “Bob”and her “Susan” are trying to take my child “Ann” and Bob’s other child “meg” from his first ex “Janice”. I am currently dating “Jake”. Bob also doesn’t like jake and says he’s going to make sure jake will never be around my daughter Ann. (This will be long I’m sorry).  Bob was an awful husband abusive physically (only a few times over years of marriage), but verbally abusive daily. He once punched a hole in the wall and convinced me it was my fault he did it and that I should be sorry. That was how years of my life were daily until I had courage to leave. Because of this Bob has always had a hold over me with intimidation and scare tactics. Our parenting plan states that Ann lives with me yearly but Bob gets her alternating holidays (which he has chosen not to see her) and 30 days in summer. Bob wanted Ann longer this summer. So I agreed to 2 and a half months. Bob is also court ordered to pay all of Anns daycare expense solely by himself in lieu of child support. He has been doing this. Parenting plan also states “both parties get reasonable phone time daily, within the child’s normal waking hours”. Bob and I used to communicate well enough until he started dating Susan. Then things changed. Susan thinks she had parental rights as his girlfriend, but now they are married it’s worse. Ann and Bob would video chat several times a week from 5:45p to 6p or sometimes 6:30-7p and Ann would immediately go to bed at 7 after they hung up. Sometimes they’d talk during the weekend days if I had time in my and Ann’s schedule. Once he married Susan, he demanded they talk later because it worked best with Susans schedule. I didn’t like this at 1st and argued it but he gave me no choice threatening to take away Ann. I didn’t have money for a lawyer but he made 5 times what I made at that point and he did. So I gave in. It ended working out because I got a better job with longer hours and they talked after I got off work. But then my schedule changed again and my hours got longer. Susan and Bob demanded they speak with Ann every day 45 min to an hour. Ann is 2 and a half so that is not ok! She can’t even focus that long. So I stood my ground and we got it down to 30 minutes. But it was taking over our life, it’s like I had a daily curfew and had to be home so they could video chat. I couldn’t take Ann to do anything fun because if they missed their video chat time Bob and Susan would send threatening messages calling me awful names and throwing that they can get a lawyer in my face and that they will take Ann. Then something happened that I am ashamed of. Ann would use my phone to video chat them. They would freak out if I came in Anns room at all interrupting their talk time so I stayed out but stayed within an ears reach Incase Ann needed me or something. I had a video of Jake that I took one night on my phone of jake touching himself. It was something I would never want anyone to see. Well on the video chat app they used there is a button to attach and automatically send the last video or text you have in your phone. Ann hit the wrong button and it sent in Bobs group text (Susan was not a part of this video chat at that night) so only Bob saw (he lied, and sent it to Susan to keep as black mail which comes later). Bob was very mad but I apologized profusely. I told Bob that from now on Ann would never talk on my phone. Instead I would set a laptop (which won’t be close enough for her to even touch) in front of her while she sits in her high chair so they can talk without her pushing buttons. That was my attempt to correct this issue which I am so embarrassed even happened. Ann did not see the video, but Bob told me I was an awful parent and made me feel horrible like I ruined my child’s life. Some people walk in on their parents having sex, and that doesn’t run them. This was awful but it didn’t ruin her, and she did not watch it only sent it. Anyway Bob and Susan freaked out that I was going to put Ann in a high chair, they said it was abuse and that she should run free. They also were paranoid I would some now record them on a laptop and refused to talk to her until I allow them to send a phone that she can video chat on, using the same app they used before. They went days without talking to her even though every day I told them I had a laptop on and ready with Skype up and asked them to download Skype so they could talk to her at their usual time. After days of this and then threatening to take her because I was “keeping her from them and violating the parenting plan” (which states nothing about what device or app used to talk. It only says “phone time”, I finally gave in because I was afraid of court costs and tired of his harassing messages. They bought a phone and sent it. They now use that to video chat. Then Jake and I started taking Ann to do fun things outdoors and we joined a kid group where Ann plays with at parks and they do arts and crafts. Bob and Susan wouldn’t budge on their talk time and told us to get not miss a day of talking or be late or else they’d take us to court. I finally put my foot down and negotiated where 2 days a week (tues) and (Friday) we get to take Ann to fun things without them talking. On some nights if we stay home I’d still allow the 3 of them to talk. Well the other day we asked if they would mind letting us take Ann to a movie and missing a day. Bob said it would be fine but Susan chimes in and said no and then Bob agreed. We stayed home. It’s ruining our lives. So then Bob was supposed to get Ann in a month for the 2.5 months of summer (although I only legally have to give 30 days per the parenting plan). Bob’s Ex and I Janice are close and she called me to warn me that multiple people have told her Bob is saying he is going to take her daughter Meg and my daughter Ann because he and Susan think both daughters should live with them so they can grow up with Susan’s 3 kids. She told me to not let Ann go unless it’s in writing that I get her back after 2.5 months.  Bob is also a jerk to Janice, and told her he is also taking her back to court for Meg who is now a teenager and has always lived with Meg and not Bob. So I politely texted Bob saying I want it in writing and notarized that he can have Ann for 2.5 months but that I get her back after because we only agreed on that. He refused, sending harassing messages calling me very name in the book. Then Susan started texting me awful things. They think I am keeping Ann and violating their rights by asking it to be in writing so that no one gets screwed. I told him that I have reason to believe he wasn’t going to give Ann back to me and that unless I get it in writing he can only have her the allotted 30 days since I no longer agree or feel comfortable with more. The parenting plan strictly states 30 days unless both parties mutually agree on more time. After that the hateful messages wouldn’t stop coming. THEN he black mailed me by sending that video from MONTHS ago of Jake (that was only accidentally sent to Bob) in a group text between Jake, Bob, Susan, and myself threatening to make sure Ann will never be around Jake again. Ann absolutely loves Jake and he is basically her step dad. Been together a year and live together now. Even have a dog. And Ann is thriving and happy in this home. So I finally stood up for us! I told Jake to go ahead and take ya back to court. Our papers say we must do mediation 1st. I also told Bob he will no longer bully us into making us have Ann talk 5 times a week at a time that is no longer convenient for us; because I get off work and get no time with Ann. I have 30 minutes with her then she talks to her dad and his wife and then goes to bed. Ann loves dance and have asked to be in dance class. She’s now 3 and wants to do that or play outside. She doesn’t always want to talk to them. So I have told Bob that since Jake picks Ann up from daycare and gets home way before I do, Jake can turn on Aurora’s phone for video chatting between a 45 minute window where they can choose to talk for 25 minutes, that way when I get home I still can take Ann to play outside and enjoy my time with her and she also will have time with Bob. Bob said that he will continue to call her at the same time but now every night and that if I don’t answer I am “in contempt of the court”. (Our parenting plan doesn’t have a scheduled time where they even have to talk). So I told Bob no and that we will turn the phone on in that 45 minute window and that he can either call her then or negotiate a time that works for BOTH of our schedules. Bob refused. So he calls her daily now at the old time that doesn’t work for us and refuses to negotiate. So he says that he is no longer paying her daycare which is court ordered that he pays. He says that he is serving me for being in contempt of the court. He says he doesn’t care about the parenting plan or what I say and that if he has her he is keeping her because I “can no longer keep her from him”. He also says a court will think I’m unstable for asking that the 2.5 month agreement be in writing. So what do I do? What do I do if he serves me? Our papers say we have to go to mediation first. What if I follow the parenting plan and give her 30 days with him and Bob kid naps her and doesn’t return her?

Answer:
 This is way too long. Cut it way down.

That said, he can't just decide to not go by the court order. He can ask to modify it, though. From what little I skimmed, he is also in contempt if he refuses to pay daycare as ordered and refuses to return the child when the order says he must.


Title: Wife walked out leaving me with a maxed out line of credit. TIL she will receive many tens of thousands of dollars from a car accident. Can I recover my debt?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Are you divorced? Did you use an attorney for the divorce proceedings? Regardless of your response to this, get a lawyer and discuss it with them. We're clearly not getting the full picture.Answer #2: >stuck me with a bill to pay off half her old students loans(incurred before marriage)

How? More information is needed...


Title: Is the USDA Extorted Me? CA/NY

Question:
I went to Russia in 2018 and I took my pet parrot with me. In May of this year, I returned to California and my parrot is currently in quarantine in New York. Since Russia is considered a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza affected country, I was required to enter through the New York port at JFK. I was told at the airport that I had provided all the necessary information. About a week later, I received an email for Dr. P at the USDA quarantine facility telling me that the information on the Russian Veterinary Health certificate was insufficient and that my parrot’s travel carrier was improperly sealed. I told Dr. P that my parrot’s carrier was sealed according to Russian protocol, but she said that didn’t matter; I would have to pay a non-compliance fee ($111) and to have the Russians filled out another Veterinary form provided by the USDA. I called the Russian Veterinarians and ask them to fill out the PDF by hand and send it back to me. Once I receive the PDF back from the Russians, I sent it via email to the Dr. P. She said the information was sufficient and that I needed to send the original. Well, before I left Russia, I needed to apply for a Veterinary Services Permit from the USDA. They sent this permit to me as a PDF, with an email stating that I needed to bring the original when I imported my bird to the USA. I printed out the Veterinary Services Permit and they accepted it at the airport. By this logic, I believed that they would also accept the printed out PDF that the Russians sent me. Unfortunately, this was not the case and she stated that I would not be able to pick up my parrot until they received the original. I had already called the Russian and ask if they could send the original, but they refused stating that they had already done enough and that the USDA should accepted their Russian Health Certificate.

&#x200B;

Since I couldn’t force Russia to give me the document, I contact my Congressman and State Representatives for help. They are currently talking with their liaison to the USDA, but they don’t expect anything for 2-6 weeks.

&#x200B;

With not much luck there, I contact the USDA’s Maryland office, who had issued the Veterinary Services Permit. I was told to speak with Dr. H. She told me not to worry about this and that she’d inquire about the problem. I called her today to ask for an update and she asked me to forward her the email that the Russians sent with the PDF. I did so, but she wasn’t satisfied with the way email looked. The Russians just attached the documents. She asked where I emailed them to fill out the document. I told her that I asked over the phone. About an hour later I receive another email from Dr. H saying that after reviewing everything she’s found more missing information and that my bird will have to undergo more testing with a lab in Iowa and that there would be more non-compliance fees, testing fees, and $15 per day housing fees. She told me to call Dr. B for more information. I called him and he gave me more run around and always had a convenient, double-standard response for every discrepancy I brought up with him. I also asked when I could pick up my parrot, and he said he couldn’t tell me that information. Unfortunately, by this point I lost my cool and end that conversation a bad note.

&#x200B;

I should also state that while in Russia I had a conversation with a USDA worker who told me failure to comply will result in euthanasia of my bird. After my congressman office mentioned this, the USDA has since retracted that statement. Also, my parrot was quarantined for 30 days in Russia and he was also tested negative for diseases there. On the USDA’s website it states: “All pet birds are eligible for release from quarantine 30 days after arrival, assuming the birds are healthy and both sets of samples collected by VS tested negative.” I was supposed to pick up my parrot on the 20th of June, but I won’t be able to and therefore lost money on my airline ticket.

&#x200B;

It seems like I made the USDA angry by going to their superiors and also my congressman and state representatives, and now they are attempting to extort me in retaliation.

&#x200B;

So my question is, would reasonable for me to sue the USDA?

&#x200B;

&#x200B;

Here are the USDA’s requirements: [https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/bring-pet-into-the-united-states/pet-birds/pet-birds-returning-us](https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/pet-travel/bring-pet-into-the-united-states/pet-birds/pet-birds-returning-us)

It might clear up any possible confusion.

Answer: Sue for what, exactly?  The USDA page you linked states in no uncertain terms that you have to provide an *original* health form from the foreign country.  You haven't done that.


Title: (Utah) Tore ACL, surgery needed, living on 4th floor of building without elevators - any legal recourse to break contract?

Question:
I twisted my knee three weeks ago and was recently diagnosed with a torn ACL and consequently will need surgery. I live on the 4th floor of the only building in our apartment complex that has no elevators, with our contract ending in December 2018. We obviously agreed to this lease; however, we **were not communicated** that the building had no elevators. There's no mention of it in our lease agreement. In fact, their website lists elevators in buildings with no exceptions listed (screenshots of their website attached--non-identifiable), so we only learned that our building didn't have elevators when we were moving in. We figured we would just suck it up, but because of this injury we can't do that any longer.

We communicated to management our situation asking for their help in annulling our lease (to move either to another apartment in the complex or outside of it). Management told us that our only options are a) pay an early termination fee or b) sell our contract. The fees for option "a" are high (60 days notice--meaning 2 months' rent--and 2x our monthly rate) and by the time we can exercise it, our contract will almost be up anyway. Selling our contract can work, but is an unreliable option since we depend on someone else to buy our lease from us.

An issue is that my surgery, although recommended by my doctor to be done asap, is not absolutely necessary. With that being said, I plan on following my doctor's recommendation. We're looking to leave here as soon as possible since I fear that I'll be at a high risk of injuring myself going up 8 flights of stairs (2 for each floor) during recovery.

So, do we have any legal recourse that would help us exit our contract early?

TL;DR: Tore ACL, need surgery, live on 4th floor w/o elevator, want to (not necessarily have to) get surgery asap, landlord says there's nothing they can do

[Link to website screenshots found here](https://imgur.com/a/9S3I4UB)

Answer: Not legal advice, but practical advice:  Talk to your surgeon and let him know your situation, and see if you can go to a rehab center until you're able to navigate the stairs.


Title: My friend comissioned an artpiece 6 years ago...

Question:
Long story short, since my friend placed a deposit for a specific artwork, the artist has completed several other simiar artworks and sold them for far more than the price my friend negotiated. The artist's work has become much more valuable. (used to be around $1,500 a piece. Now the same pieces might cost $10,000)

My friend has asked for his artwork to be completed several times. The artist is now saying "I don't want to do the piece any more. I'll return your deposit."

I'd say at the least, my friend should ask for the equivalent difference in value on his deposit. Time to lawyer up, or cut one's losses and just take the deposit back?

Artist is in the US, but my friend is in Canada

Answer:
 There is more to this story than you're sharing.  Mainly, you need to let us know more specific contract terms.  At the top of my mind, I would ask when delivery was due, if time was of the essence, if specific performance or other equitable remedies were pre-agreed, if there any provisions explicitly applying to the return of the deposit, and what damages provisions exist generally.

Based upon what you've posted, it sounds like if there is a contract, the artist might be committing an efficient breach, which certainly is not illegal (but in the mind of some, but not all, scholars, is not morally sound).

But regardless, in contract cases, equitable remedies are rare (legal damages are by far the majority).  Recission is the most frequent equitable remedy awarded in my experience, which is exactly what your artist is offering--return the deposit, and the contract goes away.


Title: Bailsbond traffic ticket?

Question:
I have a ticket for the amount 930 dollars. I can't afford to pay it in next 6 days, I am given. Can a bails bondman help pay for this? I know I have to put 10% down which I can do.
I made a throwaway because i am very ashamed of how this turned out.
This is Los Angeles superior court.

Answer: Not to my knowledge. But you may be able to call the court house and talk to someone about a payment plan.


Title: Doctor Sexually Abused My Wife?

Question:
Sorry this became so long but I feel it is pertinent to my suspicions and I do not feel this is a light accusation to make so I feel the need to justify it.

We are currently pregnant with our second child. We are almost due and so excited. However, as this pregnancy has progressed and we have almost completed all of our visits, we can only naturally compare it to our first experience.

This doctor has barely touched my wife and has not done half of the questionable things our first doctor did and it really has me wondering. I’ll give you the background as I feel it supports my gut instinct our first doctor was a pervert.

My wife at the time had been living in the USA for less than a year. As a native Spanish speaker (I’m fully bilingual) we attended a Spanish speaking church. My wife quickly made friends with a woman who worked at a Doctors office. This doctor was part of the congregation along with his wife and, as you could imagine, he spoke Spanish.

I never really liked him as he seemed so odd and was very hard to talk to. His wife was a doll and became a good friend of ours.

When my wife became pregnant, she asked if she could go see this doctor and confirm she was actually pregnant. I agreed and thought it was a great idea as her friend worked there and there would not be a language barrier. She went and he confirmed she was in fact pregnant.

He began to insist that he could be her primary care doctor and deliver the baby. We thanked him but didn’t really consider it as he was a “family practice” doctor and not an OBGYN. As we continued to see him at church and activities, he really pressured us and was annoyingly “willing to help.” That was my first red flag.

Only because I feel it is pertinent, my wife is extremely attractive and I got the vibe he was into her.

On our first visit he had my wife remove all her clothing and he touched her breasts (he explained he was checking something to do with breastfeeding/development). That was my red flag number two. He ALWAYS had a nurse in the room with him so that was the only thing that made me rationalize this was “normal” behavior as surely she would not allow him to do anything abnormal.

During almost all of our subsequent visits, he would glove up and digitally penetrate her...at almost every visit. As I got suspicious I asked my wife’s friend how many babies he delivers and if she ever got a weird vibe from him. She said he had delivered a number of babies and had never heard any complaints.

Now, we moved to a large city and my wife has become excellent at speaking English and we have an ONGYN with 20+ years experience and he has only swabbed her once and never checked her breasts.

I keep getting this OVERWHELMING feeling our first doctor had sexual motivations as does my wife and we are just sick about it. If it comes up my wife usually begs me to stop talking about it due to how it makes her feel. She’s convinced he’s a perv and is the one who got me wondering and reflecting on all the questionable things he did.

Someone please help me answer the following questions:

1.) Is this normal behavior?
2.) how could I prove what he did was unnecessary? (Assuming it was)
3.) what paths of action can I take if this was indeed sexual abuse?

Answer: Her experience aligns with mine and I don't think what happened (with me) crossed the line of what's considered appropriate.


Title: [NYC] Employer forcing everyone to sign health insurance waiver

Question:
I work as a CDPAP personal assistant in New York. My employer said that they do not offer health insurance for non-employees. I receive a W2 and work for them full time, they want me to sign a health insurance waiver form stating that I was offered insurance but decline.

They claim that the person I assist is actually my employer and they are just a 3rd party allocator. Company definitely has over 50 employees and never offered me health insurance. Seems iffy, where can I verify this or report something like this?

Thanks
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: A lot of CDPAP and similar assistants really do work for the person being assisted, not the company handling payroll, so that part may or may not be sketchy. The part about signing the waiver asserting you were declining something that you were never offered is the part that sets off major red flags. Call the Dept of Labor. Answer #2: Try /r/insurance


Title: If a minor records video of me inside my home, can I press charges against his parents?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Almost certainly not, but a little context would help.  And a location is mandatory.


Title: (Queensland, Australia) Work making me disclose the nature of my illness after sick leave

Question:
I have taken sick leave 3 times this year. Every time I am able to accompany my sick leave with a medical certificate. When I return to work I have been taken into a room for a 'catch up' with my manager. During the catch up, my manager asks why I was sick, and whether I'm still able to perform my duties. I have never been asked to get a second opinion, and so far all of my sick leave has been approved.

A few friends have told me that this information is private, but I am afraid there might be consequences if I don't comply. There's nothing wrong with me, medically. I just don't want to give up that information and, more importantly, I'm worried that the information will be used against me in the future. If I don't get a promotion, I'll always wonder if it was because of what I have disclosed in those catch up meetings. I sent an email to my regional manager, asking about the policy. She said that the policy was in my best interest, and perfectly reasonable. I think the only person qualified to look out for my best interests medically is a doctor, but I haven't told anyone that.

What, if any, are my options? Can I refuse, and if I do, can the company retaliate or otherwise punish me? Is there anything in the privacy act regarding this?

Thanks guys

Answer:
 You might want to cross post this over in /r/Auslegal as well

What do you do for work? How long have these 3 periods of sick leave been (i.e. a couple of days or a week or more)

Your employer is allowed to ask for sufficient information to make sure you are medically fit to perform your normal duties. Usually just a straight forward medical clearance saying your healthy is ok and you aren't required to disclose anything else.

But you may need to provide some further information. For example: If you work in food services you need to disclose any sort of bacterial or viral infection.

If you take excessive sick leave (i.e. more than your annual allotment) you employer can also arrange for a medical assessment (that they pay for) to determine if you are going to be medically fit to continue working long term.

They can also arrange for a job capacity assessment (a lot of places do this as a pre-employment medical now, because it gets iffy if they try it on for a job you are already doing), which is linked to the requirements of your actual position. Anything that can impact on your duties is relevant, everything else isn't and doesn't need to be disclosed.

Practically though - it's often easier to just let them know what was going on but don't go into all the gritty details. Although they can't technically force this information out of you - clamming up can cause the rumour mill to go into overdrive.

Are you a member of your union? They should be your first port of call if you have any issues. If you aren't you can contact fairwork yourself if you have any ongoing concerns.


Title: Will I get a ticket for having my front blinker light broken and covered in tape? [CA, USA]

Question: My front blinker light broke on my car because I scraped it on a pole trying to back out of a parking space, and so I had to tape it to keep it from falling. The light still works but it's mostly covered in tape but there is a small space where you can see the light come out. I don't have the money to repair it right now because it will cost $500. Should I be worried about getting a ticket for having it like that?

Answer:
 Call junkyards in your area and see if they have any similar model cars on their lots. They will often remove the part off the junk car for you (although I've had to do it myself before too). The used part will be much cheaper and if you can figure out how to do it yourself you will save the labor cost as well.

Haynes repair manuals are available for lots of cars, and someone somewhere has probably made a YouTube video on how to do it.Answer #2: Yep.

Why not use clear tape so the light can shine through more?


Title: [FL] Am I actually a 1099 Contractor?

Question:
This is something I've needed to write for a while now, and I appreciate your time. Chalk it up to complacency, procrastination, the fear of change, etc. I'm not sure exactly - but this post is long past due. There is a TL:DR at the bottom.

About a year and a half ago I took on a new role for a small local real estate firm here in FL. It's a third generation family business. There are only seven of us who work for the company. Not knowing much about the industry, the job responsibilities etc., I basically went in blind and was happy for the opportunity away from the grocery store shelves I had been stocking to make ends meet. When I was first told I would be a 1099 Contract Worker I wasn't sure what that legally meant. I got a brief explanation that basically amounted to, "You'll just need to pay your own taxes".

Well things moved pretty fast. I was learning a lot, and day after day I was taking on more office responsibilities. I work 9-5 Monday through Friday, at the office, and have my own desk. I clock in and out via a time-clock and I'm paid weekly on Friday's. I also have to clock out for lunches. I handle customer phone calls, emails, chats, and tickets. I input and manage real estate listings. I aid in the creation of work orders for rental properties that we manage. I record bills, make bank deposits, help develop and manage our websites, and social media accounts. I've aided in property showings and stagings.  I prospect for new leads calling expired listings and FSBOs. You get the picture, I'm basically the swiss army knife of the office. I have daily responsibilities that have to be met, but when there's down time, there's always something else for me to do.

Maybe I'm naive, willfully ignorant, or something else, but it took me a while to really understand how badly I was being taken advantage of. It all stemmed from a reunion with my father about a year ago. We hadn't been on speaking terms for years, but during the reunion we were sharing where our lives had gone. I explained the role I had taken and when I told him I was making $10.50 an hour and was a 1099 worker, his expression said everything. Since that conversation I've researched what a 1099 contractor truly is.  I brought up the fact I'm 1099 at work once to my boss, the broker. It was quickly shut down. I was told everyone in the office is 1099 and that that's fair, that nobody will ever be W2 as we are too small an office. There are two elderly women in the office who have been with the company for 12+ years and have never seen a raise or evaluation. I know that they make less than me, and it saddens me.

As time has gone on I've grown to resent where I work more and more. While I actually enjoy the work I do, I feel I am being under appreciated and under valued. My first year came and went with no talk of an evaluation or raise. I'm not sure what to do Reddit. I have started looking for a new job and applying to places regularly. I applied for a tax extension this year which the deadline is approaching in October that I feel severely unprepared for. I am not sure what my options are. Am I potentially entitled to back taxes from the last year and a half from this office? Do I just cut my losses and run? Googling what defines a 1099 worker I am pretty confident I am not one, or that I'm at least being illegally classified as one. The dynamic of where I work is nothing like what I've been used to in the past. There's no HR, it's as far away from "corporate" as you can imagine. Any sort of guidance or advice will be greatly appreciated. I just want to make the right decisions to better my life moving forward and to get out of the cycle I have been in.

TLDR: 9-5 office worker being paid $10.50 an hour while being classified as a 1099 Contractor. Tax extension ending, unhappy in my work environment, not sure the best way to move forward.

Answer:
 From your description it does indeed sound like you have been improperly classified. And they are spouting bull. Unfortunately, Florida has no department of labor but fortunately, the IRS absolutely loves to knock companies who do this, which also helps you with your taxes. You can submit a [form SS-8](https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss8.pdf) [PDF] to the IRS.Answer #2: SS-8 with the IRS.

And while FL has no Dept of Labor they *DO* have the FL Department of Revenue, which also takes interest in this and specifically collaborates with the federal DOL on these matters.Answer #3: Here is a guide the IRS determines if someone is an employee or a contractor: [https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/understanding-employee-vs-contractor-designation](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/understanding-employee-vs-contractor-designation)

Fwiw, this is like one of the oldest scams in the book employers perform.  Another poster has recommended Form SS-8 to you.  Unfortunately, I would add that it comes with the caveat that if you do report your company for this business practice, you will likely be fired.  It's not a fair choice to make, but often times that's how life works.  Either way, I would prepare my resume and keep an ear to the ground for other employment opportunities.  If these guys are going to pull this scam, they'll do other things to short you in the future as well, I promise you that.


Title: Grandfathers secret stash

Question:
Not sure if this is the right sub to ask this. I'm in the US.

My grandfather is in the hospital and not doing so good. Doctor says he only has a couple of days to live. So my mom is looking into his final arrangements and found out that my grandfather had a secret stash of money for just such an occasion. He has about $10k in cash in a safe. We're not sure where this money came from, I'm guessing he's been stashing it away for a while.

Our concern is that both my grandparents are on welfare. So I think  he might have been keeping this money off the books for a reason.

If we use this money to pay for his funeral arrangements, would this put my grandmother, parents, or myself in a bad situation?

Answer:
 Sorry to hear about your grandfathers condition.

Depending on your state and if you grandfather has a will, most likely that money will be your grandmother's upon his passing.  How she spends that money is her business.

This assumes the money is not marked bills from a bank robbery ;-)Answer #2: Lots of poor people have a "pass around the hat" style informal fundraiser for funerals, so it's not unusual for a few thousand dollars in cash to be used to pay funeral arrangements.

I'm not telling anyone to *lie* about where the money came from, I'm just saying the funeral home will probably accept cash without questions. Keep the funeral fairly modest.

Yes, your grandfather probably committed benefits fraud by having $10k in undeclared cash while being on welfare. But he's dead now, so whatever. Don't lie, but I wouldn't *proactively* alert the authorities. Answer #3: Having undeclared assets may be a problem for Medicaid or other public assistance. Having this money surface in an account with either grandparent's name on it would be risky. Without specifics - like what kind of benefits they receive and the state the reside in, no one can say.

I withhold comment on the ethics of this.


Title: Why do I have to pay for a psychiatrist visit where I was not treated?

Question: I was seeing a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with ADHD. My father was dubious about the diagnosis and had me set up a visit with my psychiatrist. The two got into a yelling argument and within five minutes, we were both asked to leave. I was not given a prescription nor was I able to have a session with the psychiatrist, yet I was billed for the full visit for $948. My student insurance had run out without my knowing so I was stuck with the bill. The psychiatrist hired a collection agency and it has been adversely affecting my credit for years. Is it legal for them to have billed me for five minutes?

Answer: You were slotted for the entire hour, regardless of how much time you were there.Answer #2: It dosent matter if you only were there for 5 minutes. They gave you an hour when they could of given someone else the hour, if you didn't have to pay they would be out that money


Title: FL- Not sure who to ask...

Question:
My therapist and I were talking about how I qualify for medical cannabis... I know the card is $300 but the prices are double the street prices and insurance doesn't cover it (understandably)...

So my question is...

If you qualify for medical cannabis, would they know if you got it off the street? It really does help me and my problems but I can't afford those prices...

PS I'm not worried about asking this because my system is clean and I haven't smoked in a while now, it's just something my therapist and I would like to know...

Answer: If you get caught with marijuana that wasn't properly labeled as medicinal, it would still be illegal. You could still get arrested for buying it off the street.


Title: Own a retro game retail store in massachusetts, been dealing with a bad situation for years. Backed into a corner, what is the best course of action?

Question:
So, very long story short, I started my business 4 years ago by renting out a bookshelf's worth of space in a comic store. At the time the comic store owner was caretaker of the building.

After a few years, I convinced my then caretaker to allow me to clean out the abandoned bakery next to his store (attached, same building) and rent it for my own business. I spent thousands over 3 months on supplies cleaning the mouse poop and disgusting interior from top to bottom, all the while continuing to pay rent to clean the space out. (The bakery was quite literally abandoned. Bags of flour and old food still left out for 5-7 years.)

The building is decrepit and certainly is not up to code in a lot of ways.

Fast forward 3 years later, I'm still running the store, with a new landlord (previous caretakers close friend) who increased the rent and gave me a half assed contract for a year lease.

The building has had many flooding issues in the past years, but just the other day, a large section of my store started to become flooded, and every time I mop it up, the flooding returns only a few hours after. This has been going on for days, ruining my flooring and blocking a section of my store off to customers.

I requested that the landlord come and look, so he did yesterday, and mostly brushed it off. I'm concerned he will not take care of this, and I'll be forced to pay full rent yet again with even more problems and expensive sales space being occupied by flooding.

In the contract he agreed to do periodical maintenance. What are my rights? I don't want to tarnish our already delicate relationship (he's a dick and I'm exceedingly nice to try to foster a positive relationship) but I am tired of being stepped on, it's harder for me to make the money to pay him the rent when he is neglecting basic things that could escalate into even worse and more costly circumstances.

I'm worried about getting mold now, and this has already been a costly enough event as it is.

Am I entitled to a rent reduction equal to the cost of damages? And is it not fair that I suffer the costs of the buildings structural problems while paying rent to rent it out?

Thank you kindly in advance!

P.s. It's extremely frustrating that he treats it as if he has leverage simply by being a landlord now to me. If I left it would be disasterous for his investment as in the highest paying tenant (even though his friend who owns the comic store is paying nearly half of my square footage rate!)

Answer: The shortest possible answer is to find a new place for your store. I'd also keep your landlord informed every time it floods.Answer #2: This is likely going to come down to whatever your lease agreement says and/or whatever you can negotiate with him. Commercial tenants typically don't have the same protections as residential tenants.


Title: Can the manager of a restaurant kick someone out for any reason?

Question:
Couple clarifications: We're talking about manager on duty, when the general manager isn't around. This is Colorado. And I know there are racial and similar discriminations it's not okay to make when asking someone to leave.

Long story short, an ex-employee comes in sometimes to visit other employees (thus distracting them from working) but has been very rude to me, the manager on duty. (Swearing at me etc.) if I ask them to leave am I within my rights? I just want to be confident in that before i do it.

Answer: Yes. But you probably want the OK from the GM and or owner before doing so to avoid getting in work trouble.


Title: Lost 401K Due to Age

Question:
Context: I work for a company in Utah

When I started at my current company I was eighteen years old. Apparently, there is no legal requirement to have a 401K plan for full time employees under the age of 21 (for context, I turned 21 a few weeks ago)

My HR rep brought me into a room and told me that they didn't realize it, but they had a 401K plan for employees 21+, and they discovered that all of my contributions and their match contributions were void in their last audit. They've refunded me all of my contributions, but told me there was nothing they could about refunding me the match contributions.

Is that legal? I think they had a financial responsibility to do what was in my best interest, and they didn't do so, or they at least should've told me about not being eligible for the 401K.

Answer:
 401k is an investment plan, so when you say they gave you back all of your contributions, I'm curious what they actually did. Did they refund what you actually contributed to the account, with no interest? Did they sell the investments that were presumably bought by your contributions and give you the proceeds?

Both you and the company should have been paying closer attention, but the company seems more at fault, and there is an opportunity cost to their mistake. A lawyer may be able to put some pressure on them to make things up to you in a way that is truly fair.


Title: Renters Rights in Columbus, Ohio

Question:
We had a fire in our apartment in Columbus, Ohio. Not much has been revealed in way of the fire, the investigator has only said that it was an accidental fire and we are not sure what is happening as far as liability or if it was negligence or what. The fire happened while I was at work, and while my boyfriend was inside our apartment (the fire happened at a shared fence with a neighbor outside of our apartment).
The apartment complex quoted us with about two weeks to get the apartment fixed, we are coming up on a week and a half with nothing done to the apartment, and a notice has been posted on our door from the city saying that entry is unlawful as our apartment has been deemed unsafe to enter.

We have been looking at (Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 5321.07), where it looks like we can break the lease if the landlord fails to provide us with a place to stay within 30 days of being given a notice.

Would I have to hire a lawyer to write this notice? What exactly does this kind of notice entail?
Part of our lease also says we cannot break the lease until we live there for 6 months (we have been there for five) and have to give 60 days notice, as well as pay a $2000 fee for breaking our lease. Does this ohio code mean that these previous clauses in the lease are void if they dont provide us a place to stay?

Answer:
 OP- If your landlord isn't providing you a temporary place to live or covering your expenses for wherever you're living now, *they* are in breach of your rental agreement and I would argue they've voided it.

Is this the case in your situation?


Title: [New York] I'm paying the utilities for the other apartment in my building

Question:
I live in Upstate New York in an apartment. It was a single family home that was converted into two apartments. The bottom floor was an "in-law's apartment" where a wall was put up to block off a studio, so there's the upstairs apartment I live in with a room downstairs as part of my apartment, and then a separate studio apartment connected that someone else lived in (they recently moved out).

&#x200B;

Today I found out that the gas and electric is all one bill for both apartments. The prior tenant of the studio was not charged anything for these utilities, and it turns out my family and I are responsible for the bill for the entire house. I brought this to the attention of the landlord, saying this wasn't fair, who just said some BS about how they had the building inspected and it passed code.

&#x200B;

This can't be legal, right? The other tenant uses electricity/gas and my family pays for it. Basically I want to know if this is illegal, what laws they are breaking, so I can bring the specifics to the landlord in an attempt to reason. Any information on what laws I should be looking into regarding this is greatly appreciated.

Answer: In NY shared meters are illegal under most circumstances. You should report this directly to your power company. Here's more info from ConEd about it (the general info is relevant even if you're serviced by a different power company): [https://www.coned.com/en/accounts-billing/how-to-read-your-meter/shared-meters](https://www.coned.com/en/accounts-billing/how-to-read-your-meter/shared-meters) .


Title: Minor strangled by a coworker

Question:
Hello. I work at a chain auto parts store in Wyoming. Today, I was wrestled to the ground and put in a chokehold for several seconds over nothing. I am 16 years of age. I am not one to go running off to the cops, but I want to know what position I am in legally. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: If only there was a government agency to report crimes to......!


Title: [MO] Someone took a picture of me at a red light from behind my car.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What are your rights if the lady who was using her phone while driving tries to report you for using your phone while driving?


Title: [NYC] Booked an appointment for a thyroid ultrasound, paid up front, the doc gave me a consultation instead and told me I had to book a separate appt for the ultrasound itself

Question:
Sorry if this is the wrong place to post!

A few weeks ago I booked an appointment for an ultrasound on my thyroid. On the day of the appointment, they had me pay up front ($800 since I don't have insurance), and then fill out all the forms, etc.

Once I went in to see the doctor, I explained the background (large thyroid, no symptoms, just want to make sure it's not cancer or something to be concerned about), and without examining me at all she spent about 45 minutes listing off all the lifestyle changes I would need to make. Finally, at the end of the appointment, she said "have you gotten an ultrasound yet?"

I was SUPER confused, and said "no...that's why I made an appointment to get one done here."

She said that no, this was a consultation, and I'd need to make a separate appointment for the ultrasound itself.

I showed her the email confirmation of my appointment, which showed that I had booked an appointment for an ultrasound on my thyroid. She basically said "no, that's a mistake, this is a consultation," and then wrote me a prescription for the ultrasound and told me to make another appointment.

So my question is: should I file a chargeback? Luckily I paid with a credit card - I would NOT have paid if I knew that I wasn't going to be getting the service I paid for, but I paid up front. I just don't understand why I made an appointment specifically for an ultrasound and instead...did not receive an ultrasound.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Did you talk to the 'they' who made you pay up front? Answer #2: Have you ever seen a doctor and had a script for a thyroid ultrasound? They can't just do one without an examination or a working relationship.


Title: Legality of city police using LiDAR speed cameras on state interstates?

Question:
I am from a small town in Ohio which has recently approved the use of LiDAR speed cameras. Basically, they are an "upgrade" to the traditional speed radars that police use in that they also can take pictures of up to 4 cars per second that are speeding, at which point the lucky speeders will be mailed a ticket. It's $100 or $150 for construction zones.

I drove a family member's car to travel to Georgia over the 4th of July holiday and returned the day after, at which point I was picked up for speeding - 70 in a 55, a construction zone. Problem is, while yes, I was speeding, I wasn't speeding *on purpose*. I had my cruise control set to the previous speed limit of 70 before it dropped into a construction zone and wasn't paying attention. Nowhere were there signs posted saying I was entering a construction zone, and I simply missed the signs stating the new speed limit. By that point it was too late. 3 weeks later, I received a ticket in the mail for the violation.

There are a couple problems here - the ticket was mailed to my family member, since obviously they are the one responsible for the car. However, why is it they can be held liable when it was not them driving?

I am also curious to learn of the legality of city police of a SMALL TOWN using these LIDAR cameras on state interstates, which should be patrolled by the state highway patrol? It seems to me as though this specific use falls outside their jurisdiction?

I have no problem paying this fine, since I was indeed in violation here, but I am curious...

Answer:
 > Problem is, while yes, I was speeding, I wasn't speeding on purpose.

Intent is not required.

> I had my cruise control set to the previous speed limit of 70 before it dropped into a construction zone and wasn't paying attention.

That is not a defense.

Answer #2: > However, why is it they can be held liable when it was not them driving?

Because it was their car, and not stolen, they presumably know the identity of the driver. They have the option of identifying the driver or paying the fine themselves.

> It seems to me as though this specific use falls outside their jurisdiction?

That's entirely up to state law, and state law often grants local police, at a minimum, the power to police all traffic inside their borders.


Title: Can I be arrested for filling out a form on an escort agency website?

Question:
Location: Georgia

I was curious about an agency a year ago, so I filled out the information on their website.  Name, contact info, place of employment.  Thats all I filled out.  If that agency has now been busted, can I be arrested for that?  I never discussed payment or sexual acts, I have never seen an escort in my life.  But at that time I really was curious about it. So I filled out a form on 2-3 websites.  Can I get in trouble for just filling out forms and calling them?  I just asked about the process of how things work.

Answer:
 Why would they need your place of employment?

I'd be more concerned about identity theft than the police TBH...


Title: I suspect my father (83m) is abusing my mother (65f). My mother has Alzheimer's. Is it illegal to record them (USA, Missouri)? How can I get evidence? What can I do?

Question:
My mom has the mental capacity of a 5 year old and desperately needs in home care, she isn't bathing regularly, she isn't getting good nutrition, she wears the same clothes for weeks at a time, it’s getting bad.

My father is an incredibly angry, manipulative, and abusive bully. He was physically abusive to all of his kids, but it was nothing compared to the emotional abuse. We were basically trapped on a farm, we had very limited outside friends, we were homeschooled, and rarely left except to go to church. He would routinely go into fits of rage and scream at us, then beat us, then kick us out of the house for a couple days. This meant walking a few miles to the nearest friend’s house, but if we did that we’d be punished again for playing with our friends while we were in trouble… Anyway, this post isn’t about that.

All of the kids are grown and have fled. If it wasn’t for our mom we would never speak to him again. Unfortunately, as he has gotten older he has gotten worse.
He has always enjoyed kicking people out of his house and this hasn’t stopped with my mom. On multiple occasions he has kicked her out because she denied him sex, though he’s kicked her out for a hundred other reasons too. We believe this happened last night.

The first few times this happened she was lucid enough to call one of us and we would go pick her up and she’d stay with one of us for a few days then go back. However, last night she got in a car and drove off.  She has not been able to drive in a few years and does not have a license. Fortunately, someone saw her just a few minutes after she left and after a quick search she was found. This obviously can’t happen again as it put her as well as other people in danger. She doesn’t have a car, and in theory doesn’t have easy access to the keys, but none of us can get a clear answer out of either of them as to how she got them last night.

He claims she just suddenly freaked out for no reason and left. We know this is a lie because he didn’t call anyone, he just sat down and ate dinner then watched TV. But it is basically his word against hers, and she doesn’t have the mental capacity to clearly recall what happened. She just shakes her head and says “He’s just so angry angry angry angry I don’t know.”

We have told her a million times that she can move in with one of the kids and her sister has offered to take her in but she is terrified to leave him.
I’m aware of the hotlines to report elderly abuse but as far as I can tell these always begin with someone going out and investigating the situation. I am genuinely concerned he would do something terrible to her the moment the investigator left.

Is there anything we can do? Thank you very much.

Answer:
 You call [Missouri DHSS](http://health.mo.gov/safety/abuse/).  Do not try to record them.  DHSS will take care of everything and do it in a manner that will have the best chance of success.

EDIT: It's Missouri, damnit.


Title: Company wrongfully terminated me, need advice on how I should proceed.

Question:
Throwaway account because people I know use Reddit. Sorry for formatting, I'm on mobile.

I was working for one of the major transportation companies in my city and they consistently sent me notifications that there are "safety issues" because I have a dashcam, even though it is allowed in the company and in my state.

The company utilizes a rating system, so you can rate the driver, etc. I was at a 4.9/5.0, so I know it had nothing to do with ratings. When I called customer service, the representative informed me that there was no reason my account should have been deactivated. He stated that they "don't deactivate accounts when you have high ratings in the same day."

This just happened yesterday, so I'm still reeling. If you need any additional details, let me know. How can I pursue this legally?

Answer: Assuming you mean Uber or Lyft, you can't pursue this legally, because you are not an employee.   You had a contractual arrangement that they terminated under its terms -- which include that they can terminate you for no reason.


Title: Can Islamic law affect inheritance in the United States?

Question:
My fiancee is reasonably certain that her father is either going to not include her in his will, or is going to give her a very small amount. Her father is Muslim. She thinks that she will be able to get a lawyer, petition the will, and end up potentially receiving  one of the houses by citing Islamic Law(since her dad will be Muslim when he dies) which states that as a daughter she is entitled to half of what her brother receives. Is this possible?
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer: No, a US court will not enforce religious laws. It is governed by the law of the state of his residence.


Title: [TX] A friend asked me to be a straw buyer for a new vehicle from a dealership, is it illegal?

Question:
A close friend of mine asked me yesterday if I could go to a dealership and purchase a vehicle for him, he said he'd give me cash up front all I had to is deliver the vehicle and title to him. He said he'd pay me $3000 bucks for 2 simple visits to the dealership and probably has to sign a non-export policy on the vehicle.
I was intrigued but something didn't smell right, so I researched up on it, all I could find on the internet was some article saying a couple was arrested by federal agents because they were organizing straw buyers. But then there's one recent article that says federal agents lost a case against a car export company and they stopped all further investigations.
My friend's argument for trying to convince me to do this is something like this. "The car-makers intentionally jacked up price in the middle east and asia area, creating a big profit margin. But since exporting cars are not illegal (according to him), they can't do anything to prevent other players profiting from it. Free market at its best."
When I asked about the non-export policy that I'll be signing, he said he could sign a contract with me that says any fines resulting from this transaction would be paid by him thus covering me from any potential penalty.
So now I'm confused, is this legal or not? Should I take his money or punch him in the face for trying to land me in jail?

Answer:
 If there is no problem doing this and it's on the up and up why doesn't he do it himself and save the $3000?

I would want no part of this transaction and I would not consider that person a friend anymore if it was me.Answer #2: oddly your the second person in 2 days coming here with almost the exact same story.

The reason it sounds too good to be true is because its a scam


Title: [27/F/TX], Former landlord suing, please HELP!

Question:
Long time lurker, first time poster… but I’ve been doing so hard to get my credit right after providing for myself and my ex, and now after breaking it off, I may still owe money that he should have paid, and could really use some help. Here’s the back story:

My long time ex-boyfriend (8yrs) and I leased a house for rent in the central Texas area. We both signed the lease. At the time, I owned a small business and he was working a coding job. I had mostly monetarily supported us throughout the whole relationship. I eventually had to sell my business and started working for another local business owner which meant a huge pay cut. Therefore, we were unable to make rent and we decided to go our own ways. I recently opened a new small business in my home town trying to catch up on about $20K of debt I took with me in the breakup and repair my credit.

Instead of getting an eviction, we opted to break the lease instead. We paid $1450 per month and were charged a month’s rent for breaking the lease, plus the full amount of rent for each month that the lease would have been relevant or until it was leased out. We left the house in November 2016 and the lease would have been up this April 2017. I recently received a letter from them to my address (forwarding address given) addressed to my ex. I knew it was the letter about us owing the landlord money because it was sent to me.

The letter is from a collection agency, which means they sent the balance straight to collection without attempting to contact me by phone or mail.

Are they allowed to do this?!?!

The letter from the collection agency does not include my name and I have yet to receive one addressed to me personally. It lists the full balance owed, just over 10K. I know my name is on the lease so this being sent to collection should affect me as well but my question is:

How do I go about finding out if I am on the account as well?

I feel the balance should be split half and half but I don’t know how they go about something like that. If it is left to us both paying, I know I will end up paying the full balance, as I don’t believe he will have any means to.

I have not contacted the ex yet, nor the collectors. I did find out that the house did stay empty for the 6 months so the amount does seem to fit but again, I never received a breakdown of the charges I owe.

I am seeking any advice on how to proceed in finding out about the debt affecting myself and on how to deal with the creditor and/or landlord.

Thanks for taking the time to read about my situation! Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I don’t want to leap before I look, and something about the way this has been handled feels off...

Signed, in a hole of debt and trying to climb out.

Answer:
 You need an attorney to help you sort this out.  The dollar value is significant and it's not clear that the landlord acted to fill the house which they are required to do.   In Texas landlords have a duty to migitate when you leave mid lease.  If the home was rented day 1 of month 7 I'd be hard pressed to believe that was a coincidence.

You need to evaluate the lease. What was the penalty for breaking it?  Was the month written in?  Did you renegotiate it to cause yourself economic harm?   Where did the one month penalty come from?   Did you pay the full value of your lease plus one month?

A lawyer can look at the lease, help you determine if the landlord acted legally and help you in court should you need to go there and dispute the amounts.

 The first meeting is free and you really can use the help.  Trying to do the right thing is important but making sure no one is taking advantage of you is most important.  Answer #2: > The letter is from a collection agency, which means they sent the balance straight to collection without attempting to contact me by phone or mail.  Are they allowed to do this?!?!

Yes.

> I feel the balance should be split half and half

If you both signed the same lease, you're very likely "joint and severally liable".  In layman's terms, this means that **either** of you can be held responsible for the entirety of the lease.  In other words, they can sue you for 100% and win.  You could then go after your ex for his share.


Title: Nearly three years to the day I'm being falsely accused of rape online

Question: I had drunken sex with a mutual friend three years ago and her friends got it in their heads I raped her. What followed was a public humiliation, lost my apartment and the majority of my friends. The police exonerated me due to texts I had kept between myself and the friend. I still stayed in DC. Was having drinks with friends and went to bar where I was accosted outside by one of those friends. I immediately left but she took pictures and has started this again on Facebook, and from what I have just heard had police somehow looking for me last night outside of same bar. I'm not scared like I was three years ago, I'm just pissed. What are my options in this situation.

Answer:
 You can simply ignore these people, and explain what happened previously (just like you did before and here) to any police who come asking about their complaints .

Or you can retain an attorney to send any of these people a cease and desist letter explaining that you will file a civil lawsuit against them for any damages they have caused to you by their slander and libel (and possibly filing a police report of your own against them for their filing of false police reports).


Title: 15 yr/o brother drove his friends car without permit in Arizona, crashed and left

Question:
 So my little brother convinced a friend of his to drive her car from school to a nearby McDonalds, where he ran into another car in the parking lot. He proceeded to leave the scene. With the help of McDonald’s security footage, the owner and police were able to track him down and he received a ticket for leaving scene of accident, duty to give information, and driving without license.

This is the first time he has done anything like this and feels responsible for his actions. His court date is in 2 weeks and any legal advice to minimize the fallout would be appreciated.

Answer: He needs a criminal defense attorney *today* and to understand he will likely not be driving until after his 18th birthday.


Title: Government doesn't believe child exists- going after mother for $30k they paid her throughout child's life (Ontario, Canada)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: This same thing has happened to me two years in a row - it should be a fairly easy fix. One of the letters she received should tell her exactly what documentation is required to appeal the decision. Once this info is sent it, it takes 6-8 weeks for them to receive and review it. If she no longer has the letters, she can call CRA and have them resend the letters and tell her the info. Answer #2: What's the Canadian equivalent of "write your congressman"?


Title: USA GA Update: Background Check Says I'm a Sex Offender

Question:
Original Post:  https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3sa5up/usaga_background_check_shows_crime_i_didnt_commit/

So today has been fun.  Started out asking the complex what verification they would want to prove I'm not a sex offender.  They said a police background check and processing by the Georgia bureau of investigation.  That said, they've filled the apartment.

Anyway so I headed to the police station and got my background checked.  Nothing.  Got fingerprinted and processed by the GBI to prove I'm not the other guy.  Called leasing office, asked for copy of background check they did run.  They said ok.  Drove over there, manager says he can't provide a copy of that.  I tell him he's legally obligated to.  Provides me with contact info for a company who does their processing (AppFolio).  I requested a call from his supervisor, who I've tried calling out to at least 15 times in the last 36 hours.  They agree to give back my $55 app fee.

I get home, decide to call the only lawyer I know.  He advises me to keep calling and that I don't need legal advising yet.  So I call AppFolio.  First number he gives me isn't a real number.  This is about what I expected.  Second number got me to a system but it was impossible to actually talk to someone.  Left a message to be called back.

I get a call from the managers supervisor.  Woman was so rude, would not give me any information other than "you didn't fit our rental requirements".  I'm just asking where she found the information so I can prevent this from happening again.  She continued to be rude, so I let her know she was a horrible customer servant and I'm very glad to not be stuck paying her company $10,000+ over the next year.

What a horrible experience, glad I got my app fee back but now what do I do about clearing my name on this sex offender thing that I can't even prove is actually on a background check?  Are they now liable for this until they provide accurate information?
Topic:
Background Checks and Expungements

Answer:
 Honest to gosh, it sounds like they may have just planned to pocket your $55, did a quick google search, found the other guy, and rejected from that.

Have you considered ordering a background check through them directly?Answer #2: I'm guessing they didn't actually use a company to do the background check if they won't tell you who they used and just gave your $55 back.

They probably did a credit check then looked your name up on the sex offender registry and pocketed the $55.Answer #3: Step 1: Request $55 on premise of Background Check through legit service.

Step 2: GOOGLE instead of doing a real background check

Step 3: Reject applicant and keep $55Answer #4: Sounds like they just wanted to scam you out of $55. How many thousands have they made doing this? Answer #5: Did three seconds of GoogleFu, AppFolio is a company management software, designed to manage who works for you, gets paid when, and what information you have on record for who, it doesn't do background checks, so they either lied to you and are being dicks about it or they never did a real background check.


Title: [Riverside Traffic/Appeals] Can a judge prevent you from speaking whilst presenting evidence?

Question:
I'm in  the process of filing an appeal on a traffic court ruling of a speeding ticket and have a few questions about what a judge is legally allowed to do.
During the court session, the judge, in my cross-examination, rendered an objection as to why a question I was asking the citing officer was relevant to my case. Are judges allowed to render objections such as this or does this action show them acting as the prosecution?
exact quote, as per transcript:
"MR. [KEWLIO250]: Did your [Officer XXXXXX] radar show 85 miles per hour before merging onto the freeway?
THE COURT: I'm going to sustain my own objection. Why is that relevant?"
This was before I had started my testimony
Further on in the trial during my testimony, when presenting audio/video evidence in the form of dash cam footage, upon starting to present my view of the events, the judge abruptly stopped me, "THE COURT: Okay. I don't want to hear anything from you right now. Let me just review it. Okay?".
Did this violate my right to present my case/evidence?

This is the first time I am dealing with appeals court and am a bit confused about what I can do to substantiate these claims. If anyone knows of any California appellate or supreme court rulings that may be applicable to this case please let me know

TL;DR:
Can a judge render an objection on the prosecution's behalf? Can a judge prevent you from explaining evidence you have brought forth.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 The judge has very wide latitude to run the case as he sees fit.  Preventing irrelevant testimony is a large part of his job.

If you plan to file an appeal on his actions, you really, really need an attorney.


Title: Wedding shoot blues

Question:
The whole story started of July this year. I photographed a co-workers wedding as a favor to him. Photography is my hobby, and I have pretty good equipment. I had over 400 photos and probably around 10 hours of work into their photos. He kept asking me how much he should pay me, and I asked for $200 after he saw the photos. Photos were put on a google drive and I gave them access to it, and cash was exchanged. I told them that if anything is wrong, please let me know and I can attempt to fix it. That was beginning of August.

His wife texted me yesterday, telling me that she’s highly displeased with my photos. Said that if I’m going to charge someone the money for photos, they should be worth it. She elaborated that they are blurry after trying to print them. She belittled me in saying that her camera on her phone can do better than my Nikon DSLR, and that I need to use this as a “learning lesson”.

I am no professional by any means and I told her husband this. I know what she’s doing to make the photos blurry, but here’s where my legal question(s) come into it.  If I do nothing to help, can they take legal action against me? And if they ask for their money back, is it okay if I either tell them no or ask for the photos back?

Answer:
 > He kept asking me how much he should pay me, and I asked for $200 after he saw the photos.

First off, $200 for wedding pictures is a steal! We had a friend do ours and charged $400 and it was still $600 cheaper than the cheapest option we found. Aside from that, if you gave him a price after he saw the photos, then he clearly was fine with them. They can sue you, but I don't think they would win. If the picture quality is fine, that's what they paid for. It's not your fault (or responsibility) that they don't know how to print them properly.


Title: A search engine that scours other search engines [Connecticut, US]

Question:
I am in the midst of developing a search engine that scours many different auto listings across AutoTrader, Cars.com, etc. and compiles them into one place.

Are there any legal issues with what I'm doing? I do intend to credit the source of the listing and link back to the permalink for each listing found in the results.

Answer:
 You need to be very careful not to violate copyright law. Just had a client sued for something similar.  If you copy descriptions that were written by other companies, they could claim a copyright in them if they are original and creative writings. You should consult a copyright lawyer to review what your software does and how the end result compares to the other sites.

Also, you need to be careful if your software is bypassing technical barriers. [See here for more info.](https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2010/07/court-violating-terms-service-not-crime-bypassing)


Title: Cops won't give me my stuff back.

Question:
I'm living in Tulare country in California and I was arrested about 8 months ago and got out of jail about 2 months ago. When they got me I was living in an apartment with a few friends and the cops took all the electronics in the house (Ps4, laptops, terabytes, 3ds, my cellphone,etc.) Literally none of that except my cellphone was used in the case and now the case is over. I keep trying to call the department to get it back and they either never answer the phone or they keep saying that their working on it. Is there any way I can get my stuff and my roommates stuff back faster?
EDIT: [New update here] (https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/498imt/cops_wont_give_me_my_stuff_back_update/)

Answer:
 You can have your lawyer file a motion for return of property.Answer #2: > terabytes

What is that?  I mean, I know it's a unit of measure, but is this a specific object?  Do you mean hard drive?


Title: I'm thinking my dad is committing some kind of tax fraud, and has me tied in along with him.

Question:
Hello, people of Reddit!

So, my dad bought a home about 20 years ago, and when I was 17 (now 28), he decided to buy a house down south and allow my bother and myself to live in the house up north. He was the sole name on the deed, until he worked up a little deal with my brother to put all three of our names on the deed so, as he says, if he died, the house would be split between my brother and I and we would have 50% claim over the house.

He says that I signed something agreeing to putting my name on the deed, but I have no recollection of this. I asked him to produce the paperwork, but he says he can't find it, even though he has a record of everything.

The only reason I found out that my name was on the house was that my cousin checked online to see if my brother actually solely owned the house as he was claiming, and saw that my name was listed on the deed. He told me to get my name off of it as fast as I could, since my dad and brother are lost in a web of loans and debts, and I should make sure I'm cut free of everything associated with them.

Now, my dad has presented a quit-claim deed that he wants me to sign to get my name off the house, but it's written up using my maiden name and states that I'm single (I've been married for almost 3 years, changed my name right after marriage), and that I still reside at the house's address (I moved out in 2011). He's pressuring me to sign it as soon as I can and doesn't want me to question it, but I definitely am.

Today, he called me and urged me again to sign it, but emphasized to sign it with my maiden name and not my married name because the state will reject it and he "doesn't have the means to re-write it."

I have reason to believe that he and my brother kept me on the deed as a tenant for four years after I moved out to acquire some kind of tax break, or used me for some other financial gain. I'd love to get my name off this house completely, but I'm worried that if I sign this document and by this agree that I, in fact, do live there as a co-tenant, am single, and still retain my old last name, that this is fraud and if they're caught in their scheme, I'm going down with them.

Is this a possibility if I do sign this document? I'm very disappointed and hurt that my father, who I love very much, would drag me into some kind of fraudulent situation. I'm not very well-versed in these types of situations, so can anyone give me a low-down on what's going on here?

Thanks!

EDIT: The house in question is in Michigan; my dad's real primary residence is in South Carolina.

Answer:
 Don't sign that!!!  Answer #2: > I have reason to believe that he and my brother kept me on the deed as a tenant for four years after I moved out to acquire some kind of tax break, or used me for some other financial gain.

What reason is that? I'm not aware of any tax break or other financial gain that would flow to an owner of a house simply by virtue of the fact that there are co-owners.

> I'm worried that if I sign this document and by this agree that I, in fact, do live there as a co-tenant, am single, and still retain my old last name, that this is fraud and if they're caught in their scheme, I'm going down with them.

> Is this a possibility if I do sign this document?

Nobody on Reddit can possibly answer that question. In fact, nobody *anywhere* can answer that question without seeing the document.

> I'm very disappointed and hurt that my father, who I love very much, would drag me into some kind of fraudulent situation.

You're making a big assumption here. There is at least one perfectly legitimate and logical explanation for you being named on the deed. It's a common estate planning technique.


Title: Copywritten Music on non profit answer machine

Question: Am I allowed to play a song while I place someone on hold via answer machine? If so what do I need to do this legally for my nonprofit organization? What's the procedure for something like that? Thanks so much!

Answer:
 To do this legally in the vast majority of cases, you need to pay a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) for a license for "music on hold." There are three major PROs in the US: BMI, ASCAP and SESAC, ordered according to size from biggest to smallest. Each has a different catalog and you need to pay separate fees to each if your music choices come from different PRO catalogs. You may have to pay the license fee to one, two or all three, depending on the artists you play.

Alternatively, if the recording is very old and in the public domain, then you can play it without a license.


Title: My ex-girlfriend (38F) asked me (42M) to have a child with her.

Question:
A woman who I love very much but cannot be with because of geographical reasons has asked me to have a child with her. We broke up ~9 years ago when she moved out of [MA] to [Ontario], but we’ve been seeing each other intermittently. She hasn’t found anyone who she wants to spend the rest of her life with but she wants a family, and her biological clock is ticking, and so she asked me to be a donor.

Her rationale for asking me instead of getting an anonymous sperm donor: I’d be able to provide family history/personal details for the child should they ever be interested, I don’t have any family history of disease, and she likes the idea of knowing who the donor is.

She doesn’t want/need any financial support. She’s willing to cut off our relationship/contact entirely once the child is in the picture, if that makes me more comfortable.  I’m not in a relationship right now. Is this a good decision? What steps do I need to take to protect myself?

I’ve x-posted in /r/relationships and /r/relationship_advice if you want more personal details of the situation, but i’ve tried to keep the /r/legaladvice post short/relevant.

Answer: Go through a clinic.Answer #2: You will potentially be on the hook for child support if she ever changes her mind unless you go through a clinic.


Title: Pennsylvania: Live-in landlord wants to restrict/charge for overnight guests. Am I a tenant or a lodger?

Question:
Signed a one-year lease with my live-in landlord in September when I first moved in. It is a 4br/3ba house with a flat monthly rent covering all utilities. I'm a 21yo gay woman in a relationship and in college and he's a single 34yo and working. When I moved in, a friend helped me move and stayed with me for a couple of days before the semester started. After she left and before we finalized the lease, he wanted me to pay an additional 10$ for every night over two nights. After negotiations, we took that out, but the new terms were that he required 7 days notice for written approval before someone stays for more than 2 days. I didn't really take notice of that because it didn't seem he would be strict on that, and I've had my sister and my best friend over, each two nights, and my girlfriend periodically stays over, about once a week.

Things blew up when I got very upset at him one night. Monday 11pm he brings over a male friend who was going to stay in the guest room, without letting me know beforehand. But, after my housemate/landlord goes to sleep, this male friend (34yo) invites a girl (21yo) from Tinder over and they proceed to have very loud sex in the upstairs bedroom. My landlord knew about this because he remarked to him when he brought the friend upstairs to the guest room "condoms are in this drawer".

I bring this up to him the next day and ask if he could refrain from letting strangers have sex in my house. He blows up in my face about the guest policy in the lease. He said he wants to revisit it and change the lease terms. He claims that because utilities are covered, I am taking advantage of him by letting guests stay for free. He said that my girlfriend has stayed way over two nights in total, i.e. he is arguing that it doesn't matter if she stays Monday+Tuesday consecutively. If she stays over this Monday and then again next Monday, that still counts. So he wants to charge me the market price as determined from AirBnB per night for a guest.

In any case, I think it's ridiculous. Limiting the amount of guests I have is a courtesy I pay to him as a roommate, but I don't think he has the right to limit me to only having guests over for two nights in total for the entire year...? I've read PA state landlord-tenant law and I know the landlord isn't allowed to put such harsh restrictions on guests, but I have also been reading up on exceptions for lodgers who only occupy one room in the owner's house. I have one br/ba to myself and get use of the common areas and I'm listed on the lease as a tenant. What are my options? Much help appreciated and happy turkey day y'all!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 First off, you're a tenant with a lease and paying rent, not a lodger.

> He said he wants to revisit it and change the lease terms

He can't just do that on his own. Changes to a lease require agreement of all parties on the lease.

What is the exact language of the lease in regards to guests?
Answer #2: Unless something is in your lease, I really doubt he has to clear his guests (those having sex or those who aren't) with you.

Also, as /u/swalsh411 says, your lease and what it says about guests is going to determine your rights in regards to this matter. And the landlord can't just change things mid-lease unless you agree. Answer #3: Do you imagine this situation getting better? Are you willing to move? It's almost the end of the month, and I can promise you that he's only going to get worse. Can you deal with this, and probably other issues/demands for the next 9 months? Do you think he'll pay you to go?

If you want to leave, your landlord has given you a get-out-of-lease card. Tell him you'll consider his demands if he voids the current lease with no penalty and when he does, refuse to resign. You'll be month to month. Give notice and leave Dec 31. Or sooner. He's probably not going to get "better".

But you don't have to do anything at all. He can't make you sign a new lease unless you want to. Maybe, if you think you can put up with him, you can add your own demands since you know what he's like. Nothing like negotiating from a position of power.

Still, Get. Out. Now.


Title: Fender Bender trying to make a claim, does he have a leg to stand on? NY

Question:
I backed into someone's car in a parking lot on September 21st 2014 and we agreed to settle off the books, but he still hasn't gotten his car fixed and now he wants the cash ($190) or he says he will go through my insurance. I will not just pay him as we agreed I would only pay if I was paying the bill directly. I want to know if he can still make a claim or has it been to long. I've been nothing but patient with him but this has gone on far too long. The damage was a very minor scratch if that helps, nothing but paint.

Edit: thanks for the advice all

Edit2: I like that someone took the time to go through and downvote all of my comments, you're very mature
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 He can still make a claim. If they do say it has been to long, he can sue you on small claims.

Did he show you a quote for the damages?


Title: [AZ] My stepdaughter rented a room to her younger sister. She found her sister smoking pot. She gave her a warning and the second time her sister did it she called the police on her sister and started eviction proceedings. 2 ounces, second offense. How do we help?

Answer: Help with what?  The eviction, or the possession charge?


Title: Fired for Un-diagnosed Medical condition (Virginia, USA)

Question: A friend of mine has a fairly severe case of sleep apnea that has so far been un-diagnosed because he has no health insurance.  He got a new job about three months ago and has been eagerly awaiting his insurance to kick in but now his employer is firing him for "sleeping on the job".  His co-workers and his manager will vouch that this is a gross mis-characterization of the few times he would rest his eyes for a few moments.  His quality of work never suffered as a result nor did his attendance.  Is there any recourse for him?

Answer: Yes you can be fired for sleeping on the job. He can file for unemployment and look for a new job.


Title: Friend was punched in the face by nightclub manager, can he sue the club for damages?

Question: My friends and I were out at a big nightclub in NYC (Keeping which one secret for obvious reasons). At the end of the night, I was conversing with the manager, and my friend walks over and says "I don't like that bitch over there" to the manager, pointing at one of his bottle girls. The manager proceeded to punch him in the punch him in the mouth and say "back the fuck up before I beat the fuck out of you". My friend did not threaten anyone, or make contact with anyone other than being punched. He was escorted out by the bouncers, and filed a police report with nearby NYPD cops. I am a witness, and I'm sure they have it on camera, as the club was not full due to it being the end of the night. Can he sue for damages? Would the club likely settle to avoid bad publicity?

Answer:
 Absent something more than hurt feelings, no one would take this case.

And even if he ends up with, say, a broken jaw, it would be pretty easy to get the club dismissed from any suit^* (since punching patrons in the face is clearly outside the scope of every manager's duties).  That means unless the manager is independently wealthy, you'll likely end up with an uncollectable judgment.

*The exception to the above is if this manager has a prior predilection of previously punching people in the puss unprovoked.  In that case, if you can prove the club knew he was doing this and kept him on as an employee, you may be able to get them on a negligent hiring/supervision claim.Answer #2: Wait people can punch people no without any actions?Answer #3: Did he actually sustain "damages"? E.g. Hospital bills?


Title: [Connecitcut] My job is telling me I have to pay for a TB test to work there?

Question: I'm almost positive that in connecitcut, employers are *required* to pay for any test that is needed to be done by the employee to work. I am currently in a daycare/preschool, and was handed a paper that had TB test, tine test and chest xray required. As far as I know, employers are supposed to send you to a clinic to get it done and pay for it. They did not send me to a clinic, and I have been told by my immediate supervisor that the facility owner will not pay for it. I plan to confront him about it, but can't find anywhere in writing where it says employers are required to pay for this. Could someone help me find it, or have some advice about how to approach the facility owner? (The daycare is part of a tennis/pool club)

Answer:
 > I'm almost positive that in connecitcut, employers are required to pay for any test that is needed to be done by the employee to work.

I am curious how you come to believe this. I am not familiar with Connecticut's labor laws so it certainly *could* be true, but in most other US states there is no such requirement.Answer #2: You should not need a chest x-ray, unless you have had a positive reaction to a TB test before.

http://www.ct.gov/oec/lib/oec/licensing/childcare/final_child_day_care_center_and_group_day_care_home_regulations.pdf

Depending on your town, many public health departments offer free or low cost testing.
Answer #3: I've taught in IL, and I always had to pay for my own TB test.


Title: May have gotten someone pregnant [PA]

Question:
Title pretty much says it. Going to keep this brief and skip all the relationship stuff.

Basically got a text saying she is 13-16 weeks pregnant and doesn’t care if I’m at all involved just asked if I wanted to do a dna test to know if it’s mine in June.

Apparently has a boyfriend and it could be his if she is really <13 weeks but if not it is mine.

Allegedly, the boyfriend is willing to sign the birth certificate.

I am not ready to be a father and abortion is out of the question.

I realize if she changes her mind and wants the courts to force me to be dna tested I’d have to comply and pay support I’m fine with that.

Basically I guess I’m asking what the long term ramifications are if I really just stay out of the whole situation like it’s seeming she is asking me to do?

If her BF signs a quick google makes me think he is then legally the father until proven otherwise?

Listen, I don’t know how I feel about any of this as I was just informed the other day.

Answer: You're correct. If you don't do anything then without a court order you wouldn't be obligated to do anything.


Title: Man court ordered to pay me found and sentenced to prison time. Steps to get payment?

Question: A little over a year ago someone was court ordered to pay me over $3000 after he was evicted from a home I own. He vanished, never payed, and I just assumed it was a loss. Just a few days ago I was informed that he was found and sentenced to a couple years in prison and owes the federal government about $75,000. Now that he's on the radar again and can't run, what are my chances of getting paid? How would I go about it?

Answer:
 Chances of getting paid?  Sorry to say it, but slim to none, especially knowing he owes uncle sam $75k.  If you can locate him you need to basically locate assets, bank accounts, wages, etc. and attach your judgment to them.

But he's in the clink so he doesn't have a job at the moment.  Probably doesn't have a dollar to his name.  Most likely he's judgment proof.


Title: Took grandpas prescription hydrocodone for my dislocated knee

Question: So I am headed to my local urgent care because I subluxed my knee yesterday. When I woke up the pain was excruciating, so my grandpa gave me 2 hydrocodone pills. My pain went from a 10 to a 2. Will I or my grandpa get in trouble if I tell the doctor I took them for the pain, as it is a controlled and prescribed opiate. Last thing I want to do is lie to the doctor.

Answer:
 Generally not. Your doctor has no interest in turning you in to the police over an issue that doesn't endanger anyone around you or yourself. You might, however, have a harder time getting a prescription of your own, depending on the doctor's perspective on things.

In general, your doctor wants you to be honest with them, because it helps you treat them. Punishing you for that honesty is counterproductive, and turning you over to law enforcement generally means either you're breaking the law quite badly at that moment (getting violent with hospital staff, for example), or that you're an imminent danger to others, or that you have admitted to abusing children.


Title: [WA] Humane society told my friend she would "never get her dog back" after she surrendered it because she couldn't afford a $6000 surgery on the spot, and wouldn't let her pay for it afterwards.

Question:
The pup belonging to a friend and her fiance got sick and required surgery. They took her to emergency services at the Humane society over the weekend. From what she's said, "An x-ray revealed a possible gastric outlet obstruction. The surgery recommended would cost $6000 because it was the weekend. During the weekday the surgery costs $2000", and they were told their only option besides paying on the spot, was to surrender the dog. They are currently buying a house and all their money was tied up in that, and couldn't do the "care credit" that was offered. They decided to take their dog home. The humane society called them three times after telling them they needed to bring the dog back for care. They eventually did. The pup survived surgery. After talking to family/friends they were able to raise the money. In fact, the mother of the friend offered to pay the entire cost of the surgery in order to get their dog back. They were told no. They were actually told quite harshly they'd never get her back. Is there anything they can do? I understand if a surrender makes the dog humane society property. However, they were also told that it would be illegal for them to ever have the dog again because of said surrender. Does this hold any merit?

Or are they just so set on trying to prove a point that they don't care what the story is? I feel like they could easily have worked on a payment plan with them, or offered options, and instead they're trying to use fine print to fuck over a family that really does care about their animal.

This has happened within the last few days. Sorry if this isn't as coherant as I hoped. I, and the rest of her family are out of state so I'm trying to help however I can.

Answer: Since she surrendered the dog it is humane society property and they can choose to adopt it out to whoever they want. They don't have a claim to the dog anymore.