Title: [Clark County, WA] Drunk driver who killed friend in 2010 arrested for another DUI on 7/29/17

Question:
http://imgur.com/tYdmkAV

This person had a previous DUI charge in 2008 that was reduced to “reckless driving”. On July 3rd, 2010 he killed my best friend’s sister and her long time boyfriend. He was sentenced to 4.5 years and released sometime around 2014. On July 29th, 2017 he was arrested AGAIN on DUI charges.

Please tell me what can I do? This person has destroyed so many lives and it looks like he is on track to destroy more. If he kills another person and I didn’t try to do something, it would not be right.

Can I find out who the judge is a write him/her?

He was arrested for this DUI in Clark County, WA. 2010 vehicular manslaughter was in Clark County, WA. I live in Texas as does the sister of the girl he killed in 2010.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Answer: You may be able to contact the DA in that area.  They might be able to point you in the right direction.


Title: A man secretly filmed us having sex many times. please help.

Question: I live in California. I was seeing a man non-exclusively for 14 months. Last March/April he sent me texts and videos, which I still have all of saved on my phone, of him masturbating to videos of having sex with me that I didn't know existed. The saved texts include him saying he knows I didn't have knowledge of being filmed. We'd made videos together that I did know about, but there were at least four that he had filmed without my consent. One was potentially even of our first time having sex. I have not seen him since I discovered this and have cut him out of my life because obviously there's something wrong and potentially very dangerous about him. I don't want to press formal charges because I'm happy to have him as far away from me as possible, and maybe he's even forgotten that I exist by now, tho I doubt it with the amount of masturbatory material I've provided him, but I'd like to at least have it on an official police record. I know that he must be hurting other women now. If any of those women ever go to press charges, I would love for there to be a police report to help their case against him. But I don't want to press charges - only create a record of his behavior toward women. Is this something that I could do? Would it be a simple process or would it be long, demeaning and potentially fruitless? Would he find out that I'd done it? I just want to help whoever is next if i can...

Answer:
 I know it's an uncomfortable position to be in but you don't get to have it both ways. If you report him to the police then you don't get to decide if he is charged or not, they (and the DA) decide.

This is a serious crime so if you report this to the police and give them enough information for them to take you seriously then there is a good chance that they will investigate and probably press charges

But, if you don't report him to the police then he gets away with it.

Your main concern is obviously that you don't want anything more to do with him (completely understandable). It's important to realise that the police investigation will keep the two of you separate. The only time you could potentially have to even look at him would be at his trial, but given the amount of incriminating evidence it looks like there is in existence even this is unlikely. If it is the courts have people available to support you through the process  Answer #2: Considering the lack of respect he seems to have for you, these could easily end up on the internet.  A police report is in your best interest.  IANAL though.


Title: Bus Stop on a Private Lane (UT)

Question:
My son is 6 and takes the bus to school. The bus stop is not close and many mornings I drive him because my toddler hates shoes and pants. The bus stops on the corner of a 5 lane main road and a private lane with a dozen or so houses on it. I park on the lane about 2 car lengths back from the corner. I'm hardly the only parent who parks on the lane for the bus in the morning or at pick up on days it rains or snows.

I've been told by the occasional homeowner that the road is private and I have to park somewhere else to which I've said 'this is the bus stop and I'm just here to drop off my kid.' Today a man threatened to call the cops because I'm "going to kill a kid" by parking on the lane. (Never mind the fact that he was going 40mph.)

My question is am I likely to get a ticket for parking on the lane or at the cops going to tell him to call a to company? I'm fairly certain I can talk my way out a a ticket but I'm hoping I don't have to worry about that hassle.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: You may get a ticket. It would depend on the parking/stopping ordinances and how where you're parking is marked. Maybe it's best to just have him call a cop so it can be settled.


Title: Potential buyer of my company is intentionally lowering the value of my business

Question:
Hi Everyone,

I own an online business that revolves around internet advertising. Early this year I was the victim of "cyber terrorism" - a freelance developer that I hired to do about a week of work proceeded to use a Skype vulnerability to provide remote access to my computers and accounts to a group that funds terrorism. It took me until July to correct all the instant lines of credit that had been opened, business & personal accounts that had been drained and most importantly restore my websites to their original form.

It cost me about $40,000 to have all the code developed again (thanks to a virus being inserted onto my remote hard drive that was laced into a server backup along with my 2 cloud backup services being social engineered & hacked into). I am young but live in chronic pain thanks to a plethora of spinal issues. I refuse to go on disability pay since my business is the only thing that distracts me from the intense pain.

The business was easily earning $55,000 per month (after expenses) until I woke up one day to an email stating that all my website files had been taken ransom, bank accounts had been entirely drained (business and personal) and unless I pay $150,000, I would be kissing my entire business goodbye.

After my websites were deleted entirely and I refused to pay the $150k ransom (I don't have that money, nor do my "rich american parents" as they described them), I lost everything. It has been the most challenging, stressful and trying year of my life.

I am physically disabled from degenerative disc disease, 3 ruptured discs in the lower spine accompanied by 2 herniated, 1 bulging discs in my neck. I no longer have insurance after Jan 1st, so this is a major concern of mine. How will I get health insurance, what will I do the rest of my life and other worries are always flashing through my mind.

I don't accept defeat since I am stubborn and have been starting businesses since I was 11 and launched my first site. I managed to use remaining funds that came in from delayed advertising payments to rebuild all the backend code for my site (around $40k) and rebuilt all my websites, along with their incomes for the most part.

After one of my advertising networks witnessed my huge rebound, they made an initial offer to acquire my business which I rejected, then a second which I am entertaining. As part of the deal, they want a 90 day sample of my earnings and traffic so they can use that to offer me 3 years net income. As part of the 90 day oversight, I was requested that I give them oversight into the various income sources (dashboards for advertising networks) and one of these allows for you to manipulate what advertisements have priority. In the last 10 days, I have changed the lineup of ads 3 times since they continue to put their own ads before networks that are paying 8x as much. Additionally, they offer me no insight into how they get the numbers that are presented to me as my earnings.

As a result, a major direct brand deal advertising campaign was deleted from my inventory (costing me a LOT of money) and the potential buyer replaced these with their own ads which barely pay anything. It will end in him significantly undervaluing my company, discrediting my name/reputation and allow him to retain his position (even though I have done nothing to threaten it, I've been massaging his ego and saying things like "under xyz's leadership, I think this could be highly successful".

Is there any sort of law that prevents businesses that are in the process of acquiring another business which they've conducted business with for 3 years and as a result are capable of manipulating the payouts and removing high paying advertising campaigns to replace with their own (which literally make 1/8th if even) of the profits that I'd normally make?

In the initial contract, I included that there is no exclusivity to my advertising inventory and if they cannot provide ads that pay more than other advertisers then I will be running the higher paying campaign instead.

I caught this same CEO skimming profits off of me two years ago and after discussing this with a member of their board of directors, they paid me what I should have earned since I have several forms of checks and balances.

I know exactly what is happening. It is an attempt to show terrible performance during my appraisal period so that he can either get the business for next to nothing (I'd never sell for less than half a mil, which has been stated numerous times) or his job can be retained since the new route that the board wants to take will have been discredited by poor earnings and deceptive business practices.

I blocked the individual from being able to change / manipulate any of my revenue sources but I know this isn't the end of it. I've caught something else that was highly unethical being carried out under his orders by an employee.

Is there any law protecting a company from doing this, especially if they are directly involved in the potential company to be acquired? I am so offput by this that I no longer want to move forward at all. Sorry if my thoughts are scattered... I am in a lot of back pain today and the stress is eating me alive.

Answer:
 I am fascinated by the fact I have no idea what you do for a living or what happened to you. Good luck.Answer #2: >I was requested that I give them oversight into the various income sources (dashboards for advertising networks) and one of these allows for you to manipulate what advertisements have priority.

It sounds like, as /u/amarkov mentioned, that you willingly gave them access to the dashboard and may have authorised them to change the priorities of the ads. If you didn't, you may be able to sue them for damages - go talk to an attorney but I'm thinking tortious interference amongs other things.


Title: My employer is forcing me to have FMLA run concurrent to a vacation I am taking simply because i'm pregnant.

Question: I am due May 24th. I have saved up 3 weeks of paid vacation. I am leaving for Vacation May 1st-May 22nd. My employer if trying to make force me to take FMLA leave concurrent with my vacation starting May 1st due to "a serious health condition" because they know i'm pregnant. I have refused this since i'm completely fine (not on bed rest or anything). This is screwing me out of 3 weeks of being off. I should get my 3 weeks of vacation, return to work until the birth of my son, then get 12 weeks off for FMLA (15 weeks off total). FMLA should start when he is born, right? If they get their way, I only get 12 weeks off total. I'm in Indiana.

Answer: They're allowed to deny vacation requests, especially under these circumstances. Legally, they must go without you for 12 weeks, but not 15.


Title: (CA) Special Ed class/students being treated differently

Question:
(on mobile, sorry)

My friend works at a public school in a special ed class. The new principal there told the special ed teacher in my friend's class they were going to be fired at the end of the year, in the middle of the year, and made them and the other special ed teachers change their curriculum halfway through the year, disregarding all the work they had done already and basing their performance off of the new stuff that they didn't even give them all the resources they need to do it as they wanted. Since then the teacher and the principal have had problems (like always finding something wrong with what the teachers are doing even though they have no experience with special ed kids, singling the class out during assemblies (i.e. "I hope everyone is doing good, *special ed teacher*'s class I hope you're behaving :) ", stuff like that), and though it might not be related to the actions mentioned below, I hope it can help paint a picture of the situation at hand before these most recent events.

Just a while ago, the school arranged for an entire grade of students to go on a field trip. But the special ed teacher was told that, unfortunately, there just wasn't enough room on the busses for the kids in their class that were supposed to go (4 kids btw). It doesn't matter that this has never been a problem before or that they've supposedly been planning this trip for a long while now and knew that there are students in the special ed class that are supposed to go (they gave the kids permission slips and everything), they just... Didn't have enough room. They also gave no apology, no alternative to the teachers, no offer for something for the kids to do, they just took every single student in that grade except for the 4 special ed kids. Not only was this a bit degrading to the students, but my friend found out by talking to some of the parents that there were open seats on the busses. More than 4 open seats.

The next field trip there isn't a problem with them "forgetting" specific students, but the special ed teacher noticed that there's one nice bus, and the rest of the busses are crap. They line up for one of the crap ones because the nice one was already filled, okay whatever. It's bad luck. So this most recent field trip, they get to the busses early. And like before, there's one really nice charter bus, and then the rest were not too great. They line up in front of the nice bus, no problems, everyone else is going up to the other busses as well, when a staff member comes up to the special ed teacher and tells them that this isn't their bus, and makes them move to one of the other busses. Now, they were never told that there was a specific order to who got to go on, and all the other classes are just lining up at whatever bus, but the classes and staff that were on the nice bus last time once again get to load up on the nice bus, while they're moved to one of the clunkers.

Is the school allowed to do stuff like this to this class? Is there anything legally that can be done to prevent these kids from being treated this way?

Answer:
 If this is a public school, they are violating federal law if the students have IEPs in place.  Contact the State department of education.Answer #2: All students have to be given equal opportunities.

The principal is singling them out. Contact the school board. Ask the parents to voice their concerns - you don’t fuck with SPED parents, they tend to be pretty protective.

Their IEPs should protect them from the academic issues.


Title: Can my parents kick me out if I offer to pay rent? Will I at least have 30 days notice?

Question:
Hey guys, I will try to summarize the whole situation as briefly as I can. Any/all feedback is appreciated. Financial part is in the last paragraph, but the background info is important. Repost from r/personalfinace

I'm 20 years old and I attend a local community college. I pursued a program there that requires you to have prerequisites and be accepted to a program. I got into my program and I realized I hate it and don't want to go through 3 more semesters of it. This summer, I blew most of my savings on textbooks for school and brakes for my vehicle. I'm only working about 10 hours a week now since school is really challenging and I decided I will finish out the semester and not drop the classes since I already paid for them.

During school, I applied to my dream job at a police department and I am pretty sure I will make it to the end of the process since I passed the psychological exam (one of the last parts of the process). If you guys aren't familiar with the police process, if you pass all the steps and get a final offer of employment, you are sent to an academy (this one is 6 months) and you are paid like a normal job. The academy starts January 3rd of next year.

My parents want me to continue the college program and not do the police due to the pay gap in the two professions. They are not supportive of this career change at all. They said they don't want me living at home if I go to the academy (this academy is not a live-on academy). I offered to pay rent and they still said no. It's a tricky situation because you don't get paid until you start the academy and I would need at least a month to save up a decent amount of money to move out on my own. Quitting school and starting to save now is not an option because the police career is not set in stone until a final offer of employment is given. I can only work about 10 hours a week max and most of that income is going towards my car insurance payment to my parents, so there is not much I can save up now. I'm not trying to leech off my parents and I'm trying to do something that I've always dreamed of doing as a career. How do I talk to my parents about possibly letting me stay in the house for a month so I can save a reasonable amount for a security deposit and first month's rent for an apartment? Has anyone been in a similar situation? I have no other friends or family that will let me stay with them. Thanks everyone.

Answer: Yes, they can kick you out. If they do so without giving proper notice, you would need to sue them for unlawful eviction.


Title: My mom took my pain medication

Question:
I'm not sure if this is the right place and I've never really even posted on Reddit before.. But I don't know where else to turn. My location is Colorado, this is what happened...
I got all 4 of my wisdom teeth removed on Friday. I was prescribed 30 oxycodone to manage pain. My mom went and picked them up for me from the pharmacy. Later on, since I know she's an opioid addict, I realized I needed to count the pills. So I did and there were 8 missing.
I confronted her on Friday and she said she'd give them to me on Monday when I saw her again. I went to her house Monday (today) and she did not give me any of the pills back.
Now she said to wait until Wednesday. Well, I only have 6 pills left and I've been taking about 4 a day which is what I need to not be in agony from my teeth (I don't handle mouth pain well).
So what I'm asking is, legally what can I do? I
If I call police, can they help me? Is there any way I can get the pills back?

Tl;dr: My mom took 8 of my oxycodone after my dental surgery, said she'd give them back when I saw her again today and didn't. Am I screwed?

Edit: did not know what to flair it with if anyone can help me with that if be greatly appreciative.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: You can call the police to report the theft. That doesn't necessarily mean you will get them back though, since she probably already ate/smoked/snorted/shot them.


Title: A full days worth of Tree Law (and mock trial!) at the conference I’m attending this week. Who’s in?

Answer:
 Make sure they discuss the usefullness of MS Paint diagrams.Answer #2: You need a "tree law certified" sub-reddit flair!Answer #3: There's such a subject as "Advanced Tree Law". I think my life is completeAnswer #4: Well I'm well versed in bird law.  But this tree law is new to me.

edit:phrasingAnswer #5: Who’s the judge for the Mock Trial? Is it perhaps [J. Reinhold](https://youtu.be/CaK_FgrIlYY)?!Answer #6: Will the cover the legal ramifications of stapling bread to trees?


Title: Grandmother verbally/financially abused by caregiver

Question:
Hey guys. I just really need some help here from people more knowledgeable about legal action than I.

My grandmother is a great woman, who unfortunately is pretty disabled. She's on her 23rd heart based surgery. She has a rod in her left arm and leg, and multiple other things wrong with her (COPD, congestive heart failure, bad swelling issues).

Now, allow me to introduce my mother and stepfather, the shadiest assholes I know. They are my grandmother's 'caregivers', if that's even applicable to what they do. My grandmother has to babysit 3 kids that do not listen (raising her stress levels, and making her exert her body more than she should), constantly be maid to the house, and is the victim of many verbal lashings from these caregivers ("you're a bitch, you're stupid, they must've scooped out your brains when they operated on your head"). She's always told how inconvenient her doctor appointments are, or that she needs hospitalization. She sleeps in one of two places: a couch in a shed out back, or the living room couch. The temperature outside decides where she sleeps. While she is on a low sodium diet, her caregivers could not care; she is left to either eat cereal or starve as they chow down on fried chicken or McDonald's.

My grandmother receives SSI, Disability, and if I'm not mistaken, a payout from a work injury 6 years ago -- and doesn't see a damn dime of it. My mom is in charge of her finances, and refuses her any of the physical money. Why would she need it when she isn't allowed to leave the house? Cpmpletely ignoring the fact that she has no bed, or clothes that aren't two sizes too big (coincidentally, my old clothes that I left behind when I ran away). My Nanny has no idea where the money goes.

She wants to leave. Can you blame her? She has a sister in Florida who is willing to house her, to take control of the doctor visits. My Nanny wants to see the beaches, go to church, window shop, and she brought this all up to my mom. Who said no. She has refused to allow my grandmother to leave, stating since she has power of attorney over her, she's stuck. Tough shit.

I want to free her. I was the it child, and this was my life before I ran away, but I was able bodied enough to run away. My grandmother isn't. I don't know the first step I should make to free her. Hell, we don't even know if my mom does have power of attorney over my grandmother, since she doesn't recall signing a single document for it. I'm barely 20, and to be honest, I'm absolutely ignorant on what moves to make other than get a consultation with a lawyer. My grandmother asked to give her until Monday, as she's going to hide her important documents and try to snoop in my mother's things for these power of attorney documents.

What the hell do I do? Does it matter if I pursue this being in a different state than them? Do we have to get attorneys involved at all? Do I get her to a safe place before pursuing this?

My grandmother is a great woman. She's eccentric, funny, kind. She has a great-grandson she'd love to meet, but isn't allowed to.

She just wants to be free. Please help me free her

Answer: You can contact adult pertective services


Title: Mother dies, with me(21) as the sole heir. Aunt locks me out of Mother's home and has taken documents and keys.

Question:
Idaho

My mother, yesterday, committed suicide. She had had mental problems long before I was born, which all of my family knew of, but didn't quite understand. She had been committed multiple times, and was prone to destructive behavior. I grew up with her as a only child to a single parent. It was just her and I.
As I aged this destructive behavior became violent towards me, so I had to make the decision to go No Contact, in order to avoid any further conflict. This rubbed my family the wrong way, and blamed me for her behaviors.
Cut to yesterday I get the news that she had taken her own life, with my Aunt to be the one who discovered her body.
During this time she took it upon herself to lock up the home completely, and force it to where I cannot enter the home to retrieve my mother's bank information, and other very important documents that was needed for my estate lawyer.
How do I persue this? Not only have I dealt with the loss of my mother, but the ignorance of my aunt all in one day. I wont stand to be pushed around in this situation. I may be young but I'm not naive.
What rights do I have here?
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer: You imply you already have a lawyer as you said you need the documents for them. This is the kind of nonsense you’re paying then to handle. Tell them and they’ll issue all the right paperwork to get the house opened up to you.Answer #2: If you have an estate attorney ask them to handle it.Answer #3: I would suggest getting the police involved as soon as you can. Squatters in Idaho ( https://ipropertymanagement.com/laws/idaho-squatters-rights )  have many rights but given your situation your aunt does not seem to have claim to any of those rights. Hopefully a talking to from some police will get your aunt to at least hand over the documents you need. You can also try to get your aunt arrested for trespassing if you feel there is significant documentation on the house ownership being passed to you with your mothers death.


Title: Juror Questionnaire while illegal status in the USA?

Question: My friend just recently got a questionnaire to server as a juror but he just recently lost his legal status and is a bit nervous about this letter. I heard you're not supposed to ignore them but is it possible for him to get deported or get in trouble with Homeland Security if he answers and returns the questionnaire?

Answer: He just needs to answer "no" to the question "are you a US citizen."


Title: [NC] I (23) just received an eviction notice, no money, nowhere to live and have a previous eviction from less than a year ago.

Question:
Two years ago I moved to another state to stay with my brother who was supposed to be helping me get on my feet. I got a job making 10.75 an hour and we decided to get a place where he, his wife and two kids and myself could stay. Not too long after he and his wife had a falling out and she stopped paying the rent and eventually left, leaving us with a place we couldn't afford, and me being the naive fool that I am listened to my brother and we stopped paying the rent entirely leading to the eviction. We moved again and now we share a relatively cheap apartment that we split down the middle. We're coming up on the end of our lease and he told me that he wanted to move and I told him that we should go our separate ways. He's already staying somewhere else and I'm here by myself now. Today I receive an eviction notice and find out that he hasn't been paying the rent for the past 5 months while I've been giving him rent money directly to give to our landlord. I'm at a loss for words, dumbfounded even. I have nothing and no way to pay back what we owe. And knowing him he wont show up to court. I don't know how to properly handle this situation and I'm dreading the day that I get forced to leave. How should I approach this?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You are fucked.  Bottom line.  Are you listed on the eviction notice?

You need r/personalfinance more than r/legaladvice.  You could possibly sue your brother for the unpaid rent you gave him.


Title: An affair and divorce... what can I do.

Question: I'm married with a 3 year old son. I discovered my husband is having an affair and wants a divorce to be with her. This is news to me. I have no money saved and no car as we only have one and it's in his name. He was my daycare when I worked as I work days and him evenings. So now overnight I have no money, no car, and no daycare. What can I do?

Answer:
 Call a divorce attorney immediately. Explain your situation, and ask if there's anything they can recommend for you. When you say you have no money, do you mean he cleaned out your joint accounts, or that you have none of your own?Answer #2: You didn't list a location as was requested. You should contact a divorce attorney.

Also, if you live in Hawaii, Illinois, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Dakota, or Utah you can also ask the attorney about suing the other woman for [alienation of affection](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alienation_of_affections).


Title: Help, I’m crying.

Question:
This is kind of a long one. My questions are in bold. TLDR at the end.

March 13th I was written a reckless driving ticket. The officer told me “just go pay it, don’t try and fight it.” I live in a small town in Colorado, and was driving in the country when I ended up in a ditch (sorry mom).

Every few days I would use the court’s website to find my ticket online and pay it, but it continued to say “Balance cannot be found. Contact the court.” Late April, I called our courthouse to pay the ticket over the phone. I was informed that my case wasn’t in their system yet, and to call back in a couple weeks. Okay. So today I call and speak with the clerk, I ask if I can pay my ticket. She searches for my case number and says “Oh, this is why you couldn’t find your balance online. You have a court hearing tomorrow.”

And then I died.

I have no idea what to expect, she gave me basic instructions of how to call the judge’s number and enter the meeting# she gave me - everything’s over the phone now due to COVID. She said there will be 4 cases before mine, and explained the judge can’t give me legal advice but will give me different options based on how I plea (like I said, I’m going to plead guilty).

**Am I looking at jail time or just a fine? Both?** I’m obviously willing to pay the ticket, but now I’m all shaking in a corner thinking I’m going to jail, I don’t know why I was so naive about this situation, thinking I could just pay the ticket online. **Does every ticket go to court like this?**  **What should I expect with all of this being over the phone? If I plea guilty would they send an officer to my house to take me to the jail?**

For reference I’m 23F, from a small town in Colorado (2,000), I’ve never been arrested, I also have a clean driving record (or did, rip).

TLDR: Clean record, pleading guilty to a reckless driving ticket over the phone tomorrow, will the judge order me jail time or just a fine or both? I’m shaking like a chihuahua.

Answer:
 Don’t worry, you won’t be going to jail. The hearing tomorrow will be pretty quick. Most times the DA meets with you first and you agree to pay the fine and court costs and you go on your way.

The judge may ask you for a plea but otherwise it’s more of a formality. Many tickets have court dates of the fine isn’t paid by a specific date.


Title: My child support is ridiculously high.

Question:
I started paying child support two years ago at $500 a month for my one child. At the time I didn't think it was that high of an amount because I was making 46k a year. I lost my job last year and now am making 30k a year but I'm still getting the same amount in child support taken out of my paycheck every month. I called the state department to try and get it changed and they had me fill out a form and said it could take up to 6 months to get approved, and that's if it gets approved. Is there anything i can do to speed up this process? $500 a month on my low salary is going to be crippling to my life.

Edit: sorry I'm in Georgia, US

Also I'm not a deadbeat dad or anything, I am very active in my child's life and get her every weekend.

Answer:
 As soon as you lost your job last year is when you should have informed them.

When your "X" income changes you should let them know.


Title: Divorced my Wife and she still wants money

Question:
Hi. I live in Canada and my wife of 8 years decided to leave me last year. When she moved out, she transferred the title of the home to me and I paid her out her half of the appraised value of the home.

We drafted a separation agreement together stating that if I sold the home before we were divorced, I would pay her half the profits of the sale of the home after what is owed to me.

We finalized our divorce and now I'm looking to down size and sell my house. She now wants what was agreed to in the separation agreement, however we both agreed that after divorced, she isn't entitled to anything.

Do I have anything to worry about here? She is threatening to take me to court.

Answer:
 Did you have a lawyer for a divorce? If so, it's worth consulting them. It doesn't _sound_ like she has a case but you need to do more to protect yourself.Answer #2: By "threatening" to take you to court, I think you mean:  "Offering to utilize the services of the courts to mediate our disagreement."

The word "threat" implies that she is planning to do something which would somehow be undesirable to you.

If she does take you to court, then consult with an attorney.

The attorney fees would certainly be less than the amount she is seeking.  And, if things are as you say they are it should be fairly trivial to defend you.

If the courts find the matter to be frivolous, it's possible they could award you attorney fees (but unlikely).


Title: I got naturalized as a military member, but I was overseas when I took the oath, and U.S. Embassy in Seoul did not have the authority to change my name.

Question: I had been living in California since the age of 6 for 18 years, and I joined the military as a permanent resident. I expedited my naturalization process by serving for 2 years and while I was on tour in Korea, I got naturalized. However, I was told that the Embassy in Korea did not have authority to change my name as requested on my naturalization papers. I want to change my legal name to the English name I had been going by since Elementary school. My home of residence is in California.

Answer: You can [file a petition to have a California court order to change your name](http://www.courts.ca.gov/1051.htm) and then use that court order to change the name on your [US passport](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/apply-renew-passport/change-correct.html) and [Social Security card](https://faq.ssa.gov/en-us/Topic/article/KA-01981).


Title: Can I get my hours cut or be fired for calling in sick? In Arizona

Question:
So I work in Arizona for a franchise restaurant and I called off yesterday for my today shift, the shift leader was rude and told me it was my responsibility to find coverage when i don’t know any of my co workers phone numbers to ask if they can cover for me I told him that I wasn’t going to be calling other people for coverage when I was off the clock but I was just mad cause he had hung up on me before that. We are both shift leaders and he said I needed a doctors note when he’s not the store manager to be asking for anything. Anyways i was just wondering if i could be fired or have my hours cut for calling in sick? All they have told me is that I need to call at least 4 hours in advance to call out and I called a day in advance
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Yes, you can have both things happen to you.


Title: I Broke Up With My Ex and He Has Our Dog

Question:
Hello, I live in the state of North Dakota.
I've been reading up on "Google" on issues of break ups and who gets to keep the "pet" (she is much more than a pet to me) in said break up.
The lady who gave us her has the rescue papers, but I have gotten all her vaccines considering the lady was too lazy to vaccinate her before we heard she needed someone to take the dog.
Now they're saying that the dog was a gift to my ex and that they want to go to small claims... I personally would rather not go, but if anyone could give me any advice on the matter and my chances of winning the case?
He currently has the dog.

Answer:
 Animals are considered property in the legal system.

When there is a dispute about who owns property, the place to resolve that is in court.


Title: [BC] Prof took my work and distributed amongst peers as "potential essay ideas"

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You turned in classwork or homework, and he shared it with the rest of the class?  Yeah, he gets to do that.


Title: Report someone for driving illegally in KY

Question: Someone I know is driving with a suspended license (from a DUI), and regularly drives while under the influence of alcohol. It's wrong and she could really hurt someone. She's irresponsible and drives recklessly, even when sober. I don't want anyone to get hurt because of her. What can I do to get her off the streets?

Answer: you can call the non-emergency line and report it. You can take a video and submit it as well.Answer #2: You can report your suspicions to the police. That's it.


Title: Is my husbands job violating the law? North Florida

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Paging /u/I_work_in_HIED

This sounds like administrative issue rather than legal one, but I'll leave that to others. How many weeks did he take off in total, and do you have paperwork that all that time was pre-approved? (Regardless of policy, this is regarding what was processed.) If he was absent without approval then that's that's about it, he was absent.

> I am in the midst of writing the email to main HR and I am still livid.

I'd be wary of inserting yourself into this directly (let him discuss it as was recommended) unless you have tenure or you or he has a CBO/bona fide employment contract. Edit: And remember that HR is there to protect the interests of the university, not its employees.


Title: I want to make it where they can't perform an autopsy on my body when I die.

Question:
How can I legally prevent them from performing an autopsy on my body when I die?

I reside in Washington state.

Answer:
 you can't.

The coronor can require one under certain circumstances : [RCW 68.50.010](http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=68.50.010)

As can DOLI:  [RCW 68.50.103](http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=68.50.103)

else family members can authorize one: [RCW 68.50.101](http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=68.50.101)


Title: I reported a nurse for treating me while she was under the influence and they gave her my name. Is this allowed?(NJ)

Question:
I was a patient in the hospital and noticed one of my nurses was acting like she was under the influence of drugs, probably opioids (likely painkillers). She almost gave me the wrong medicine (shows lack of judgement) and she was falling asleep while talking to me, amongst other red flag behavior signs. Being a social worker I recognized the red flags, however, she could have been tired and having a bad day. Given the above, I filled out a comment card so the nursing management could investigate the incident. Although it was optional, I chose to write my name and number. I did this because it was a serious allegation and I wanted to talk to someone to answer their questions. I got a call from head nurse, after a professional discussion, I was told they would give the nurse my name. I fear retaliation from the nurse who can easily look me up. Is there a law which protects my anonymity, so this head nurse does not give my name to the nurse? Is there only a case if I get a threat?
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer: Even if you hadn't put your name down, if you were specific in your complaint, the nurse would likely have figured out your identity. Answer #2: If she contacts you in any other form than phone number (provided on the card) that's a violation of HIPAA (seeing as she would have to pull your medical file to find anything further) and she's in even bigger trouble than being under the influence. I'd say you're safe.Answer #3: Did you ask the head nurse to please withhold your identity?  They might if you ask.


Title: Used bail bonds man in New York to get a friend out.Defendant was picked up on warrant for failure to appear. The bonds man stated that her court date is tomorrow @ 1pm, not even 36 hours from when she was originally arrested.

Question: She was arrested 6/4 @ 3pm.  I went to a bonds man today and she was released at 3:50.  Bonds man says her court is tomorrow @ 1pm.(she isn't aware of this) Shouldn't she receive a letter in the mail with a future court date?  I'm thinking the bonds man has something screwed up here.  What's the point of getting out to just go back to court the next day?  Please help?!  I'm going to be out 15 grand.

Answer: She probably has an arraignment. You can call the court clerk in your area and ask.


Title: [CO] Can I be investigated by the authorities for something that I already had expunged from my record?

Question:
I am currently in my senior year of High School, during my freshman year we were given a small laptop to be taken home so that we would be able to work from home, since this is a school in a low income area. My freshman year, I left some evidence of crimes that I had committed, which were found by the school eventually when I lost the laptop, which they went through to find who it belonged to. In their search for the owner, they discovered a few things that left them concerned enough that they felt the need to contact the police. I was talked to by the police at the school, and then sent in to talk to someone else for a second interview so that they could establish what their best course of action was.

It was decided that I would not be convicted of anything, but that I would need to go through a Juvenile Diversion Program to have the crime (which I was not ever sent to court for) expunged from my record. I went through all of this extremely grateful that I was given this opportunity and since then have completely changed who I am. However, the laptop was to remain with me until my senior year, which it has. I am required to return it to the school, or pay fines that I don't have the money for. In the four years that have passed, there have been drastic changes in staff, so much so that none of the people who were aware of what happened are even within the district to my knowledge. Everything that was on the laptop which incriminated me, was deleted off, but not wiped, just put into the recycling bin on the computer, which was then emptied. However, I am very aware that this alone is not enough to delete the files.

My fear is, that when the laptop is returned, the files will have been found and I will be brought into questioning once again. I really don't want to have to bring up past mistakes that I made when I was only fourteen years old, and have to bring up the issue with my family once again, which stressed them out enough the first time. So, if I were to return the laptop, how likely is it that I will be investigated? Does this fall under double jeopardy?

Answer:
 It won't fall under double jeopardy, since you were never tried for the crimes. However, I believe you're being overly paranoid here. At what point did you delete the files? The longer they have been gone and the more you've used the laptop since then the harder it will be to recover anything that's been deleted.

Source: I work in IT.


Title: [NY] Can an employer force me to take an unpaid 45 minute break at the end of my shift

Question:
In New York state, employers are required to give employees who work a shift longer than 6 hours starting between 1pm and 6am a 45 minute meal period.

I'm a part time worker and typically my shift lasts less than 6 hours so I don't usually get a meal break; however, some days my shift goes longer than expected.

At the end of my shift after I have worked more than 6 hours without a break, can my employer require me to take an unpaid 45 minute break and punch back in and out to avoid violating NY labor laws?

I told my boss no -- my shift was over and I wasn't going to stay for an extra 45 minutes without pay. Was I within my rights to do this?

Answer:
 This may help you.

https://www.labor.ny.gov/legal/counsel/pdf/meal-and-rest-periods-frequently-asked-questions.pdf


Title: [KY,USA] Employer is saying it's mandatory we attend an anniversary celebration but we have to clock out and use our lunch period to do so.

Question:
Title kind of sums it up...

Employer is having an anniversary celebration and has said it's mandatory that we attend it but has made it a point to say we must clock out for it, that it's unpaid and we have to use our lunch period to attend.

Answer:
 Your employer can't have it both ways. If they are requiring you to be present, it doesn't really matter what you're doing - you need to be clocked in. If it's a voluntary event, then they can require you to clock out before going.

Still, why turn down free food and make a fuss. If it was a voluntary event, would you still refuse to go?Answer #2: If its unpaid, you are obviously not legally obligated to go (unless you have signed some contract to the contrary).  However, your employer is also not legally obligated to keep you employed either.

The fact that it is taking place during your lunch period may get your employer into a bit of trouble, as forcing employees to work through their legally-mandated break periods is a big no-no, and this could be considered work, based on the context.Answer #3: Can you print out a copy of the law that prohibits this (not on a work computer) and anonymously post it in your office?

If your boss doesn't know who did it he can't fire you. He's not going to fire the entire office. If you have a good poker face and can get away with doing it without anyone knowing it was you, I'd do that.


Title: What home improvements can you legally take with you when you move out?

Question: I saw a post on Legal Advice a while back about a girl who rented a home for a few years and refurbished the backyard with a small shed, garden etc, all things she purchased and owned but made the property look nice. Upon moving out she took all those things including her garden with her, which she had the right to do. Landlords were pissed. Anyways, I was wondering what home improvements can be removed without legal issues upon moving? I assume if you paint the walls, you’re not entitled to remove that paint upon leaving, what things fall into this grey area?

Answer: This of course varies by state and country, but generally, unless your contract specifically states otherwise, you cannot take "fixtures" -- that is, anything nailed down, dug into the earth, or otherwise more difficult to move than just picking it up and walking away. I would question the validity of taking away a shed, but it's possible under some circumstances.


Title: [FL] Officer has been handing out citations at a stop sign in my neighborhood, I was handed one

Question:
So a policeman has been parked near an intersection in my neighborhood today. I was coming home from a session with my therapist and I didn't make a complete stop at the stop sign, and BAM before I knew it he pulled me over right in front of my house and handed me my first ever citation, for statute 316.123-2A. I'll never forget what he whispered when he walked over to me:
"Everyone's angry at that stop sign today, eh"

I've been told that paying the penalty is a dumb idea, but I'm also weary of the fees that the traffic law companies take to fight citations in court. I'd really appreciate any advice as to which course of action I should take.

Some info:
This happened in Broward County, in a gated community.
I slowed way down before the turn, but didn't *stop*. The intersection was empty and not a single pedestrian was in sight.
The officer has been ticketing people all of today; that's quite a few people (does this affect the probability that he'd appear in court?

Any advice is appreciated, thanks!

Answer:
 Your options are to either:

1. Pay the fine, and take the points.
2. Go to court and try to get the ticket reduced to a non-moving violation.

I recommend #2. Give your local traffic law firm a call and see what they'll charge you and if they think they can get you off without points. It's almost certainly worth it to pay the court and lawyer fees.Answer #2: I **guarantee** you someone complained that lives on that cornerAnswer #3: Your only out is on how private the road is.  Was the Officer trespassing in the HOA?  Was the sign compliant to federal law?  Does the HOA have a signed agreement allowing police to enforce on HOA property?

In sum:

A municipal police department may enforce state traffic laws, including speed limits prescribed in sections 316.183 and 316.189, Florida Statutes, on private roads within a gated community when the private community has entered into a traffic control agreement with the municipality pursuant to section 316.006(2), Florida Statutes.

http://www.myfloridalegal.com/ago.nsf/Opinions/7E879BE492A5DD30852575A2004D95B1Answer #4: > but I'm also weary of the fees that the traffic law companies take to fight citations in court.

Just how many traffic citations have you had to take to court here?...


Title: Deposit on new apartment, now landlord is changing her story two weeks before move-in.

Question:
I am moving out of state (to Maryland) for a new job. My house is packed, my life is a mess of suitcases and missing things right now and I am currently driving three hours each way, twice a week, for orientation and training. I was relieved recently then to find a cool, affordable, furnished apartment in my new city.
Threw away a ton of old stuff. Stored some other stuff.
We discussed AT LENGTH that I have a dog and a tiny foster dog who MIGHT come with (my other dog can go with my boyfriend until I find a permanent house) — she said “OK”. No problem if it’s temporary.
She asked for a deposit. I drove it there today. Got a receipt. Then got a text just now.
Now she wants a 350-dollar dog deposit (never mentioned before in text, emails or lease) and is insisting she never said I can have two dogs (she did, I have the texts).
If she insists on the extra deposit, I will not have it and will need to find another place.
I dropped the deposit off today (cash; got a receipt), with a signed lease —
What do I do if she refuses to refund my deposit??
And it will HAVE to be done immediately as I need it to find another place?
I start my job full-time in ten days! I do not have time for this.

Answer: What does your lease say about pets?


Title: [Virginia] Pulled over for DUI. Tested 0.086 on the street, 0.070 at the station. Need advice on what to do next!

Question: Hi all, I did a STUPID thing and was pulled over the other night after having had a couple drinks. At the scene, I blew a 0.086 (the legal limit in VA is 0.08). They took me to the station and towed my car.  At the station I blew (officially) a 0.07, which is below the legal limit. I have a court summons from the magistrate for Sept 11. Any advice on what to do next is much appreciated. Thanks in advance...

Answer: Get a lawyer.


Title: Chicago, Illinois bank manager puts money in friends account and now the bank expects my friend to pay it back

Question: So my friends friend is a bank manager at a pretty big global bank, and about 2 weeks ago she tells me that he has been putting money in her account for no apparent reason and asking for half back in cash, this has been goin on for about 3 months. I told her to stop because the guy will get caught and she would probably have to testify against him, well it all came raining down yesterday at the bank, the fraud department contacted my friend saying she has 9 months to pay back the 9 grand in total she got sent, I said, quit talking to the bank and contact a lawyer, in my opinion I do t think she should have to pay it back it should be all on the manager because she has texts saying he would just keep doing promotion money in there, what are her options any advice is helpful and thank you to the subreddit for hopefully helping me out.

Answer:
 Of course she has to pay it back. Just because he started the fraud doesn’t mean she isn’t responsible as well.Answer #2: Yea, she's almost certainly going to need to pay that money back and should be super happy that they are giving her 9 months to do so.Answer #3: > he would just keep doing promotion money in there

What is "promotion money"? That sounds like a fancy way of saying "embezzlement" or "theft" ...have you ever known a bank to say "we're so good at keeping your money we're giving it away to other people"?Answer #4: She's going to have to pay it back, and she's lucky she isn't being prosecuted for conspiracy.


Title: Tow lot crushed my car without notice

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Well, the finance company will be going after SOMEONE for their money.

There are not enough facts to ascertain who the target will be: The towing company, you, the insurance company or a combination thereof.Answer #2: It's time to find yourself an attorney. At least have a consultation and see what your options are.Answer #3: You need to provide a timeline. When did everything happen? Answer #4: How long did it sit at the tow yard?  When did you notify your insurance of the accident?


Title: Didn't get paid at all for overtime hours. Not sure whether this is okay

Question:
Hi all,

This is my first time posting here. I'm in my 20s, and I work part-time as an operations assistant at a small nonprofit in Michigan (making $12/hour). Even though my job is only part-time, I sometimes end up working full-time hours depending on the week and how busy we are.

I get paid every two weeks. My most recent pay period just ended - I worked an unusually high amount, 87 hours - and I checked online to make sure I got paid the correct amoount. Instead of being paid for 87 hours of work, I was only paid for 80. I'm not sure why, and I want to try to figure the situation out for myself before I try to talk to my boss about it (if there's some reason why it would be okay to do this, I wouldn't want to go into the meeting not knowing about it). Maybe he didn't want to pay me overtime, so he's going to count those 7 hours in the next pay period instead (assuming I don't work as many hours as I did over the last two weeks - which I probably won't)? Would that be legal?

My boss is a very busy guy and I want to impress him as much as I can, so I don't want to bother him with these questions. I really love my job and I don't want to rock the boat. Any advice you guys can provide would be helpful! Thanks!!

Update: as you guys suggested, I talked to my boss about it, and he apologized and said he'd fix it (I'm not sure yet whether he will count those 7 hours as regular or overtime; I'll wait until the end of this coming pay period to see). Thanks very much!!
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: Rolling hours over to a new pay period to dodge overtime regulations is most assuredly not legal.Answer #2: This is either a clerical error or highly illegal. He must pay you overtime.


Title: Scared to live in my apartment complex

Question:
I live in a decent sized city in the midwest. I moved into this apartment complex and initially loved it. It was cheap, the management was nice, and it was very close to work and to the community college I go to. Overall just a very convenient location for me. Over the past few months the crime has gone up exponentially. I've seen people get their doors kicked down and dragged out by police. My next door neighbor had someone steal her keys out of her hand in the parking lot and they stole her car. I personally had someone corner me the stairwell and try to steal my purse. There are cars being smashed into, fights happening, and the police are always being called. However, a few nights ago there was an active shooter in the parking lot right underneath my balcony and I watched a man get shot in the stomach. I've been on edge since. I am honestly terrified to live here. I changed my schedule at work a few months ago so I come home during daylight hours. I don't let people come over. Just leaving my apartment to go to the store is a big deal because I'm terrified of something happening. Should also mention I read into my lease and there is a section mentioning the security at our apartment which doesn't exist. There isn't any here. I'm a broke college student and I can't buy out this lease. Is there anything that can be done?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 I'm sorry to hear about this, I would be stressed too.

Ask management about security. If they aren't providing services promised in your lease, there may be recourse, such as asking to break the lease with lessened penalties or reduction in rent.

Also consider cameras, in your apartment and in your car if you have one.


Title: Do I have any options when my manager is overworking me?

Question:
The facts: It takes a minimum of 3 people to work the night shift at my job, which requires above average physical labor for a min. wage job. Last night 2 were scheduled. Only 2 are scheduled for tonight. I have medical evidence that I have a rash from the soap there but I'm still expected to be subject to it. My hands are constantly bandaged from cuts and burns. When I started this job a year ago they had 5 people doing our 2 jobs (me and the other shift person, a junior manager)

My feelings: Everything hurts. I've gone up a shoe size from swelling that I get regularly. Currently on antiboitics for this super itchy rash. Outside of work I'm basically slathered in lotion and sit still and distract myself online to keep myself from getting it infected. 2 weeks ago I had a face to face with my manager and he said I would go down to 4 days a week. That did not last and this week I'm at 5 days (8 hours, half hour lunch IF i have time) with 6 days in a row counting next week's schedule. I have a sense of dread and sleep more than I should to avoid being anxious about work the next night.

Am I going insane? Is this normal? What can I do about it before I'm permanently disabled?

Answer:
 Your recourse is to find a different job.

If you're already at minimum wage, that should not be too difficult to do.


Title: [CA] My GM told me he was going to “put the fear of God” in me. What can I do about this?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 That's a pretty common phrase, I doubt it had anything to do with your religious beliefs (my mom said it to me regularly growing up as a God fearing woman)

If you don't like the work environment, you're free to find employment elsewhere.


Title: Apartment put a notice on my apartment door that I need to vacate

Question:
A new company recently bought my apartment complex. With this new company, tenants would not be allowed to go month to month anymore and leases would be terminated at expiration. This notice was given June 28th. I was planning on going month to month once my lease ends on July 31st. Today,July 13th, I received a notice on my door (dated July 12th) that I needed to vacate my apartment on July 12th due to renovations that need to be made. I'm in St Louis Missouri with no where else to stay. I've been looking for new places to live put I dont have to ability to move at such a moments notice. Please help if you can

TL;DR: New owners of apartment building terminating my lease early for renovations

Answer:
 And then you said to them, "No. I'll leave when my lease concludes." Right?

 Also, "new owners" + "we need to reno" is the formula for "pay me to leave, then. Here's my offer."


Title: (NJ) I'm a green card holder and I want to marry my girlfriend who's here on a student visa. I just need general advice on what steps to take.

Question:
Hello Reddit. As the title says, I'm currently a permanent resident and soon to be a citizen(just waiting for interview date now) and I want to marry my girlfriend who's here on a student visa.

Can we just get married right now and file the necessary forms or should I just wait until I'm a citizen already? Her studies/student visa will end on May/June 2017. I just don't want to be put in a scenario where she might have to go home to her country. I know we could have planned all this earlier but much to my regret we didn't and here we are now. Would I need a lawyer for this? Thanks in advance.

Side Note:

* Don't know if this will matter but she's been here since she was 9 years old. She was allowed to come here with her mother who was on a working visa(iirc)at the time. Her mum was supposed to be petitioned by her employers but something went wrong with that so she applied for a student visa.

Answer:
 You can, but the problem is that spouses of US citizens are considered "immediate relatives" of a USC. That immigration category is important, because there are no quotas or annual limits,meaning the time for them to get a green card is only limited by the processing time. Spouses of Permenant Residents are permitted to get a green card, but there *is* a quota; meaning there can be a multi-year wait before it's even processed, because they go in order from when the applications are received and are still processing the people that didint get them a few years ago. It looks like the wait isn't too bad at the moment: [they're on the](https://travel.state.gov/content/visas/en/law-and-policy/bulletin/2017/visa-bulletin-for-november-2016.html) people who filed in January 2015.

Edit: It's also vital that she doesn't lose status. The spouse of a USC can adjust status even if it has lapsed. However, the spouse of a PRA cannot.


Title: Airbnb host evicted while I was out for the day, location of possessions unknown.

Question:
Hi guys, I'm in a bit of an odd situation and was hoping someone could provide some help/advice. I was staying at an Airbnb in Anaheim, California for 14-16th September while I went to Disneyland. I went to Disneyland on the 15th in the morning, when I came back home at around 9:30pm, the door was locked and the tenants had been evicted. Apparently the managers of the apartment block aren't allowed to let me in to get my stuff, the only people that can get entry are the lawyers handling the eviction court case or the previous tenants if they wanted to get something. As you can expect, the tenants are not contactable (probably done a runner to avoid paying). The lawyers have refused me entry. I was stupid enough to leave my passport in there. Does anyone know anyway I can get my stuff back? I should also add that I am a foreigner and my flight home is booked for Tuesday night (in 4 days time).

Edit:
Sheriff department (who did the eviction) also claim only the previous tenants or lawyers can get in the apartment.

I have spoken with the NZ consulate and although I don't recall the entire conversation, I remember they said that it was a weird situation and I think the verdict was to just get an emergency passport and get home.

Airbnb has offered to reimburse the second night of my stay and the motel/inn I had to stay in as a result of the eviction.

Edit 2:
I went to the police to get a lost property report and they managed to actually help me get my stuff back (most importantly my passport), some things are a bit damaged but I'm happy to have a way home! Will provide one final update when I get back to LA!

Edit 3:
Ok, this will probably be the last update. So I went to get the lost property police report at Anaheim PD which is required for an emergency passport for a New Zealander and then the police cadets at the service counter said that they would talk to the sergeant to see if he could do anything to get me my stuff back. The sergeant called around and managed to convince the apartment manager (this was a different one to the one on the first day which refused me entry) to let her go into the apartment to retrieve my things. There were some things damaged (my laptop and the lock on my suitcase, although they didn't manage to get into my suitcase in the end) but as long as my passport was there I was happy. The only thing the evicted tenants took seemed to be around 80 USD of cash in my backpack (they left the NZD I had in there though!). So now I have my belongings minus a few small things (ear plugs, my US to NZ power converter, etc.) and am safely at my friends place trying to enjoy my time until I head home on Tuesday (he promises me that he won't get evicted).

I have a few people to thank in all this I guess; the young couple at the apartments that explained the situation to me and translated what the apartment worker knew, the Uber driver that helped me out for the entire day on the 16th and took me to LA when we thought all was lost, my friend for taking me in when I had nothing left, my sister for helping, giving advice and comforting me all the way from NZ, my supervisor and his wife who were always there when I needed them and handled a lot of the admin work, the Uber driver that gave me a hug, and the police cadets, sergeant and officer who helped me retrieve my belongings. I will never forget all your kindness.

P.S. Also thanks /r/legaladvice, it feels good to know there are strangers out there willing to help.

Answer:
 >I was stupid enough to leave my passport in there. Does anyone know anyway I can get my stuff back?

Honestly I don't find it that stupid.

Now that being said you will have a difficult time getting items that cannot be easily identifiable for obvious reasons. A passport is a different issue. Inform the lawyer and sheriff that they have your passport and you want it back. If they refuse to provide you it or allow you get it then push this up the ladder in the Sheriff. Answer #2: Contact your embassy. Depending on your country of orgin, you might have a consulate in Sacramento you can contact.

This situation is *exactly* what embassies and consulates are for.


Title: ex-husband who currently with no-contact restraining order asking for occupation rent

Question:
Hope someone can help me out! This is happening in Canada.

My ex-husband has been emotional abused me for about a year, gotten worse after our son was born, about 10 months ago he gone crazy and got himself arrested, charged with domestic assault and mischief (he broke my phone into pieces). So now he has a restraining order that he couldn't contact me at all, and if he wish to see our son he has to go through mutually agreed third party.

He cannot access to the matrimonial home due to the restraining order, his parents talked to me about a month after the incident said they wanted to sell the house asap (the house is under both ex and my name), they said they will get a sales rep, I agreed however I never hear from anyone since, nor anyone from this family.

Now after 10 months he wants to collect occupation rent from me (through lawyer).

We share the expenses of the matrimonial home (Mortgage, property tax, utilities). We have a 1 year old son, who is under my custody and living in this home. ex never give him any support.

I think it is totally unfair to me, I pay half of my pay cheque just to the mortgage, plus other expenses (car lease, daycare, food, etc.) I barely have any extra for saving, and the main problem is, he refuse to sell the house, delay talking about this month by month and now asking me for the rent! Will I have the right NOT to pay anything to him because it's not my fault to keep this home here, I wanted to sell this house as well since I cannot afford it anymore! Also he cannot go back to that home because of the restraining order, not I kicked him out or anything...

There are alot of problems beside this (he wants to get the custody of the son), however this is the most unfair thing among those, and my lawyer told me to "sell the house first then talk about this after" made me feel very uncomfortable...I wanted to ask if I really have to pay him occupation rent??

Hope someone can help me... :(

Answer: You need to hire a divorce attorney. Unless you have signed a contract agreeing to pay rent then ignore his lawyers letter.Answer #2: Was paying rent part of the divorce agreement? If not, then fuck him. If you are in compliance with whatever you agreed to, then you are fine.  I'm definitely curious about the divorce agreement though. It sounds like you did not split up your joint assets, but rather retained joint ownership of them, with him continuing to live in the same house as you. That seems weird to me.


Title: Apartment Complex Bought Out. Wants residents to move out early to demolish building [ohio]

Question:
My apartment complex (mostly students) was bought out. The new owner wants to demolish the buildings and build newer student apartments that have more amenities. Most leases go until August, but the new owners want everyone to move out at the end of May. They have offered everyone early termination of their lease and nobody pays anyone anything. This works great for most students who want to head back home over break instead of paying for rent a whole summer. They have given a deadline of March 3 to sign the early termination agreement. It started out as a *please do it*, but I recently got an email trying to tell me I **have to do it**.

I'm in a different situation than most students. I'm graduating and my company is paying:

1. Any fees associated with ending my lease early
2. For movers to come, pack up my belongings, and move them to my new apartment

I don't start until mid-June, which means I would have to move twice and the first time would be on my dime. Also, if I move anything on my own, I lose my right to #2 on the list above.

This means it actually costs me more money to terminate my lease early, whereas most people would save money.

I'm nearly positive the company wants to demo the building asap so they can start leasing for whatever school year they want to be done by. If the demo is delayed, they would miss a full school year (and a full year of rent from students).

1. Am I correct that I don't have to sign the early termination agreement?
2. Should I offer to sign it if they pay for the money I would miss out on (moving expenses, the beginning of the lease I have to start early without starting my job)?
3. Anything else I should know?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You do NOT have to terminate early, they bought out your lease. This puts you in a VERY beneficial position as they can cash you out if you wish. If you want you can offer cash for keys.


Title: Possession of THC (2nd+ Offense) Felony 1

Question: I just found out that a family member has a pending case of Possession of THC (2nd offense), Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Operating with Restricted Controlled Substance (1st). The drug laws in WI state that a second offense is a Class I felony and is punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment for up to 3.5 years. I'm curious what the likelihood is of him having to serve jail time and the felony actually going on his record vs. a fine and probation. The only other incidence was possession of THC 13 years ago that was dismissed. He's using a public defender also - would you suggest him to hire his own attorney instead? Thank you.

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer.

Most definitely pay for an attorney. I was charged with a marijuana possession felony (first offense) that carried a 15 year max sentence and I got 6 months in county jail with 5 years probation. That was after a year of deliberation with a famed attorney who cost me $16,000. You can most likely find one for much cheaper.

Obviously every case is different. But from what I can see, that is the lowest level of felony in WI. I AM NOT A LAWYER It will most likely be settled through a plea bargain, which means the court may settle for a misdemeanor and possibly a few months in county. Do not put much stock into what I'm saying, as I am not a lawyer, and I do not want to give anyone false hope. I am not from WI. Every county, as well as every judge, treats every case differently. It depends on what the past offense was (felony or not), the time it's been since an arrest, what his family and work life is, etc.

This is simply my experience from the 100 people I've met in jail and the dozens of times people have discussed their cases with me. It is simply my best guess that he will end up with a misdemeanor and possibly a half to full year in jail, with probation. AGAIN, this is based on a totally different state's norm.

You really need to pay for a lawyer, right now.


Title: Bank screwed up.

Question: My gf cashed her check at her Credit Union yesterday and her payroll is always the same. $367.02 or something very close to that. When we deposited it yesterday the teller that deposited it mistyped or something equivalent and put $637.02 . I know you aren’t supposed to use money that you didn’t deposit in your account as a rule. But in this case we did deposit it technically it just wasn’t the right amount. Would it be legal for us to spend this money or no?

Answer: The bank will figure out the mistake and take the money back. It will do this even if it makes you overdrawn. It is not your money to spend.Answer #2: You could, you know, tell the bank... It's not your money, the teller/bank didn't mean for you to get extra money. Just do the right thing and notify them.


Title: My mother signed a contract 2 months ago but passed away 1 month later. Is the contract still valid?

Question:
My mother signed a telephone and internet contract with a local "middle-man" company 2 months ago for service at her and my dads business.  The services are not installed yet so we have not been billed.  Their representative knew the situation so he delayed the installation a month later (the end of this week) to give my dad some time to handle other things.  I did not find out about the contract and service provider change until last week.  Their representative met with me today and was not giving me a clear answere as to wether the contract was still valid given that my mother passed away and we don't want the service.  After a few times of asking he finally gave a quick "yes, we should be installing on friday or monday which ever you choose."  It was pretty clear to me that he did not know 100% if the contract was still valid and was just trying to push the installation date for this week.  I told him I needed to look at the contract and then let him know.  I looked over the terms and conditions but I could not find anything relating to our situation.  Any help is greatly appreciated.  Thank you.
the terms and conditions  http://insidetelepacific.com/terms/pdf/telepacific-terms-and-conditions-082313.pdf

EDIT:Location California

Answer: If you are a company and the contract was signed by your mother on behalf of the company then you are still bound by the contract. If your mother signed it personally then only she is liable and you don't have any obligation.


Title: [VA] Need advice --- landlord didn't disclose information that mold was present, is this enough to void lease?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You didn't find black mold. You found regular mold and mildew like every bathroom has because of the moisture in it. Toxic black mold is rare. 9 times out of 10 it's harmless.


Title: A neighbor injured himself using a tool he borrowed form me. What is my liability?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Yes, of course you should let your insurance know.  You probably won't have a problem, BUT you should notify your insurance in case, because failure to notify can be an excuse to deny coverage.Answer #2: This may depend on if you modified the tool in a manner that is contrary to the manufacturer's instructions, such as removing a guard or safety device.


Title: Can Cenex withhold my paycheck if I’ve lost a sweatshirt they gave me for a uniform?

Question: The cenex I worked at gave me a Montana Lottery sweatshirt to wear at work. After I quit I lost it in the move back home. I drove 3 hours to pick up my last paycheck a couple weeks later, but when I got there they informed me they couldn’t give me my paycheck because of Corporate rules. They wouldn’t even allow me to just pay for the lost property. I called the owner and she told me the same thing. It’s been almost two months and I can’t even find another Montana lottery sweatshirt to buy to give them. Are they allowed to withhold my paycheck?

Answer:
 No. To the best of my knowledge they can't even deduct the shirt from the paycheck.

https://leg.mt.gov/bills/mca/39/3/39-3-205.htm

Less definitive but simpler:

https://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/wage-payment-laws/state-wage-payment-laws/montana/

>An employer may not deduct or withhold any part of an employee’s wages for the following reasons:

>Cash shortages,

>Lost or stolen property,

>Ddamage to property,

> any other claimed indebtedness running from employee to employer.


Title: In chronological order: 1)DUI in FL, 2)hired lawyer, 3)lost job, 4)moved in with family in Alabama, 5)got AL license, 6)signed please FL court 7) met with FL probation officer 8)mailed in vehicle tag and registration for impounding of vehicle. What next?

Question:
Helping an older family member. He had a great lawyer in FL. But when we ask them what to do next they say to hire an AL lawyer. We are asking around and the most recommended lawyer wants $1800. This situation and lack of a job in the meantime has totally drained his support system financially, so we are hoping to get by without another lawyer.

Our biggest question is wrt NDR. We know he can't drive in FL. We know his drivers license isn't suspended in AL. But we assume it will be at some point. And presumably AL DPS should inform him at that point.

Now in the meantime we just worry about a routine traffic stop. If a police officer pulls him over for a simple stop, and they see that he is suspended in FL based on their review of the NDR, could they arrest him? Even though we just called AL DPS and they confirmed his license isn't suspended, we're worried because it seems there's some room for interpretation by a police officer.

I know to get real legal advice we need a lawyer. But this is a situation where money is tight and it seems like the answer might be simple. Such as, "drive in AL until notified of suspension, and then apply for a hardship license."

Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 I would think it's at least wise to get an initial consultation from a lawyer to see if it makes sense to hire them. It wouldn't surprise me if the state had a law that automatically suspends a license for a DUI even if it was in another state, and the penalties where I'm from for driving with license suspended from a DUI charge include mandatory jail time.

I'm not a lawyer and know nothing about Alabama law, but am suggesting that the consequences could be very severe. You could probably get a free consultation where they talk about the potential consequences and the services they could offer should one choose to hire them.


Title: [OR]Abusive 'friend' refuses to leave, plotting to take over and have me jailed.

Question:
Oregon here, basically like it sounds, this ragebro moved in, generally didn't fit, tons of arguing, screaming up in my face.  Really just an unbalanced and unwell individual.  He's let his fears and anxiety pile up and decided I'm the source of all evil in his life.  He's refusing to move to "teach me a lesson," typically the stance abusive assholes take.  He has a kid as well, and he originally moved here because we would let him in without him being on the lease while he solves some custody shit in another county.  He's stewing on a plan to just be a huge dick, in the hopes that I'll lose my cool and attack him.  Not a safe or chill situation for anyone in the house but somehow he doesn't get how living situations work.

He's paid 2 months rent, now coming up on a 3rd month but I cannot accept money from him again. We have no formal agreement, he is NOT on the lease, which requires a signature from the myself and the other guy (0% chance).  The landlord is aware of the necessity to get him out and I'd like to know my legal options.  Any advice here, trying to avoid strong arming him or needing leverage, just want him out. Advice is greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 If he's not on the lease, then without the landlord's help, he's not taking over the lease. In order for him to get there, he'd need the landlord to agree to terminate your collective tenancies, and to rent to him afterwards - and I can't see most landlords going for that unless he's willing to pay _considerably_ more rent.

Since he's subletting from at least some and possibly all of the actual leaseholders, get the leaseholders to give him [written notice that you are ending his tenancy](https://www.oregonlaws.org/ors/90.427), as a group. That means a single notice, tomorrow morning, signed by all of you, stating bluntly that you are ending his tenancy at (YOUR ADDRESS) and that he must vacate no later than December 31st. If you can deliver the notice to him before midnight, you can set the date at November 30th, instead, but time's a-wasting.

After that, if he refuses to vacate, you can file in your county court to evict him. Evicting a tenant for holding over is fairly straightforward, but keep documentation of the date and time you served his notice of termination and communicate in writing from that point onwards. If he comes to talk to you in person, walk away; if he insists, send him a follow-up email immediately afterwards summarizing what you discussed, and keep a copy.

If he screams in your face, breaks things, threatens you, or escalates to more serious violence, call the police.


Title: I just got an e-mail about 'sharing copyrighted material', has anyone else got more info about how this happened and how to prevent it in the future?

Question: [This](http://imgur.com/a/hh8f3) is the email I got, I've gone through an FAQ on sky's website and they say that 'publicly available information was used'. I live in the UK and an using sky broadband by the way.

Answer:
 When they say "Publicly available information was used," I believe they mean that they're monitoring your unencrypted internet traffic like anyone else on the internet can. The not-as-public part is that they're cross referencing your ip address with their database on accounts to write you that letter.

As u/thepatman points out, the easiest way is to not share copyrighted stuff. Assuming you actually did share the content, there are certainly ways to continue doing the sharing without allowing your traffic to be linked to your address, but that's probably off topic even for this off topic sub. Wild guess here, but something like r/torrenting is worth a visit.

If you legitimately do not know why you received the letter, one or more of the devices on your home network is likely a participant in a botnet of some sort. As a local computer repairman to find and remove the unwelcome programs, and re-secure your network.


Title: Received citation for underage poss of alcohol after going to hospital

Question:
I'm currently living in North Carolina, which I understand has a good samaritan law. I found this on UNC's website https://campushealth.unc.edu/health-topics/alcohol-and-other-drugs/good-samaritan-law
To ensure you receive amnesty, you must do 2 things:
(1) Provide your name when calling 911
(2) Stay with the victim until help arrives.

I was outside of a concert venue, very intoxicated, and ended up running into someone, falling, and passed out. Police showed up and I was taken by an ambulance. I'm assuming I received the citation because I didn't call for help myself, but I was physically unable to. Do I have a legit shot at appealing for medical amnesty?
edit: Citation was from police off campus.

Answer: A good Samaritan law would apply to the person helping you, not you yourself.


Title: How likely will I go to jail for harassment?

Question:
I live in the state of TN. She's either in Oregon or California. She's currently transient

Anyway, I have a friend that I kinda dated for a bit and we had a falling out. Nothing serious, we just got mad at each other and cut contact.

Anyway, she went missing after taking a roadtrip with some friends. Turns out, she just misplaced her phone and got another one weeks later when she resurfaced.

Anyway, during the time that she was missing, I had a two of her family members and one of her friends message me asking if I've heard from her and if I know about her wareabouts. I unfortunately did not. Her dad filed a missing person report, the police contacted me asking me the same thing and I left it be.

I texted her phone saying that I hope she's okay and someone filed a missing person report on her. When she finally got another phone and saw those messages, she called me going OFF on me, not letting me talk. She even threatened to "beat my ass" when she sees me. Not wanting to engage her, I hung up and let her cool off for over a week.

The next week, which was today, I sent her a message saying that I didn't mean to cross any boundaries. And explained to her exactly what happened. She replied saying that she's calling the cops and will see me in court and was saying I was harassing her even though I just sent her ONE message pleading my case. I then sent back saying "Whatever, I didn't mean to piss you off." and left her be after that.

Answer:
 Nothing you described is a crime.

She is nuts, and you should probably just stop talking to her.


Title: Legal Black Hole. NEED HELP!!

Question:
So I have an unusual case. I was sentenced to a rather lengthy supervision term back in 2008 by a South Dakota Circuit Court. The end of sentence date is 2022.

In seeking a reasonable modification to one of my judgment's stipulations last week, my sentencing judge (in response to my Motion to Review Sentence) claimed there was nothing he could do according to SDCL 23A-31-1. Which states that their court loses jurisdiction over my case after a period of two years.

It is my understanding that the jurisdiction then passes to the South Dakota Board of Pardons and Paroles. Hilariously enough, the board of Pardons and Paroles say that they do not have the jurisdiction to modify any part of my sentence (with exception to the discretionary ability to release someone from supervision early).

So I would appear to be in a black hole here that prevents me from ever making any changers to my judgment...

Federally this seems illegal... but I cannot find any case law that would supersede the aforementioned SDCL 23A-31-1.

HELP ME PLEASE!!

Answer:
 Consult with a lawyer. Check your state's Bar Association's legal referral network.Answer #2:  Agree that this is a lawyer problem. Additionally, what federal or constitutional rule do you believe that an extended supervision according to the terms of your original sentence violates? There's no constitutional right to have your sentence modified. Answer #3: >So I would appear to be in a black hole here that prevents me from ever making any changers to my judgment...

Why do you think you're entitled to changes to your judgment?


Title: (New Orleans, LA) Friend's roommate went to jail, unsure about handling possessions.

Question:
The title pretty much explains it. My friend's roommate is in jail for quite some time. The house is still full of her stuff. It was a month to month lease (she wasn't on it, only my friend, but the LL was aware of her living there.)  Friend and his son are looking for a new place to live, but don't know what to do about all the stuff in the house, or her pet dog. They have their own things, and lack the means to transport/store hers.

They did manage to contact a couple of her family members, but they are all either unable or unwilling to help.

Could there be any repercussions if they abandon her things/rehome the dog? They plan on cleaning out the house personally, not just leaving it on the LL.

(I'm posting this on his behalf because their current internet situation is spotty at best, so apologies if I can't immediately answer any relevant questions)

Answer:
 Can you contact the roommate in jail. Either to ask if they want you to do it. Or if you don't like them the landlord will have to contact them to inform them that their things are considered abandoned and they must get them removed.

The risk you run is that if you just remove the stuff and the roommate did organise someone or wasn't notified that they needed to then you could be held responsible.

So either get consent to remove it or if they are not paying their share of rent then give them notice that they must remove/organise the removal or their property will be disposed of appropriately (you must give them reasonable time, say 30 days to do this)

NOTE: you can not just deal with it for them, just because they are in jail doesn't remove their rights to this property or their responsibility of say rent. So inform them or ask them what they want assuming you are on good terms.


Title: Brown dude tired of supermarket store clerks randomly asking him to show his receipt on the way out, am I obligated to stop and pull out my receipt? (Austin, TX)

Question: It's a hassle when I purchase items at certain stores and get stopped at "random".  A dozen or so people will walk out, yet I will be the only one in sight to get stopped.   Usually by some 60 year old lady that crawls out from under a stray cart to check my receipt when leaving a store.  Am i obligated to stop and show my receipt? (Texas)

Answer:
 No.

But they can ask you not to come back to the store for not complying.

If you have evidence that you are being singled out because of your race, you might have legal basis for a lawsuit.Answer #2: I'd stop giving that store your money.


Title: What recourse do you have if it turned out that your favorite restaurant has been serving human meat all along?

Question: Suppose you have a restaurant you eat at every day for lunch over a period of several years. One day it comes to light that they've been serving human meat instead of the beef they promised. There's no tangible damages, as you received food that you found acceptable and never got sick from it, and from reading this sub people make it sound like you can't someone unless you suffered financial damages. So does that mean you have no recourse against them besides leaving the restaurant a one star review on Yelp? Would you have a chance at suing for punitive damages just on the general principle that a restaurant shouldn't serve human?

Answer:
 Ok, so...

Ask the manager of the restaurant where they get their meat. I mean , is it 'wild caught' human, or is it farm-raised? Is it lab-grown or free range? Do they cater? Was it a canned hunt?  But, grab a menu, just in case.

If they can't answer satisfactorily, check their last Health Inspection certificate. Maybe find out if the signing inspector actually works for the department. Ask if he's been at work lately.

Check neighboring businesses. Do they seem well-staffed and generally unconcerned about *Texas BBQ Long-Pig*? Or are the servers short-staffed & seem jumpy?

Check your local health codes & see if there are specific codes prohibiting serving human meat to the public. Check their definitions of contamination, as well as the allowed percentages.

Then you would at least know what *type* of case to file against them. There could be numerous avenues to pursue in civil court.

Or, you could complain to the manager & get a gift certificate (or two).Answer #2: Muslims [have successfully won lawsuits](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/concerns-rise-over-halal-fraud/2013/06/27/a3030792-df6f-11e2-8cf3-35c1113cfcc5_story.html) regarding halal fraud.  This would be comparable.Answer #3: If you’ve been eating there for seven years it’s gotta be pretty good, why would you ruin a good thing?Answer #4: You might actually have an IIED claim in this case.

Under Texas law, for example, the elements are:

1. The defendant acted intentionally or recklessly, check.

2. The defendant's conduct was extreme and outrageous. I'd say so.

3. The defendant's conduct proximately caused the plaintiff's distress. Yep.

4. The emotional distress suffered by plaintiff was severe.

Depends on your reaction to learning you've been eating human meat. This is where you'd present evidence of your life being disrupted, therapy bills, etc.Answer #5: ... Teddy?
What I have actually learned from bob's burgers is that this is meat fraud.


Title: my mother adopted my children and now one wants to live with me..

Question: my mother adopted my children, one of which is disabled, one is not. i know she recieves money for my special needs girl, but not sure about my other child. this child wants to come live me. legally she is my sister now. can she come live me with me, at least half the year without my mother losing money, if she even gets it for her in the first place?

Answer: Why did your mother adopt the children?  Are you currently entitled to see the children with no restrictions of any kind placed by the court?


Title: Is abandonment of property a crime?

Question:
I live in illinois.

Please bypass any ridiculousness you feel from this post. Please just answer based upon what you know.

So this is regarding junk mail. Is it legal to leave your property on others property? To leave junk mail in someone's mail box? Can you list the laws you know of? If not, does that mean I have legal permission to put things on peoples property? If the law has to do with transferment of ownership, or something identified as waste, couldn't I just transfer the ownership and identify the thing I'm leaving on someone elses property as non-waste? What constitutes junk mail as non-waste?

I find junk mail to be a violation of personal freedoms. I care about that.

Answer:
 There are pretty much always laws about illegal dumping and littering, yes. Local ordinances are often involved, but in Illinois, ["No person shall: (a) Cause or allow the open dumping of any waste"](https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=041500050K21) and [the criminal code says](https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?DocName=072000050HArt%2E+47&ActID=1876&ChapterID=53&SeqStart=97500000&SeqEnd=98100000) "It is unlawful for a person to dump, deposit, or place garbage, rubbish, trash, or refuse upon real property not owned by that person without the consent of the owner or person in possession of the real property."

Separately, there are [laws about putting stuff in mailboxes](https://about.usps.com/news/state-releases/tx/2010/tx_2010_0909.htm): for the most part, you can't put stuff in people's mailboxes unless it's postage paid mail.

So to sum up, you can't dump rubbish on someone else's property and you can't (usually) put stuff that's not mail in someone else's mailbox. But you can certainly send people advertisements through the postal system; that's not littering.

If it's a handbill circulated by private delivery people rather than mail (think pizza delivery flyers and such), there may be local ordinances restricting those, and you could talk to your local government representatives if you think there should be such an ordinance when none exists.