Title: Defamation of character?

Question:
Throwaway, on mobile and extremely livid and hysterical, please excuse typos. I'm basically shaking right now.

I'll try to keep this short. A little over a year ago I left an abusive marriage. Trying to put everything behind me I decided to move to a new state. I have 2 kids. They are not from my abusive marriage, they were from a past relationship. The kids father, who is a part of our lives, knowing what I went through said he would take care of our kids while I got myself settled. He was very excited to be A more hands on father and he AND the kids were happy in this arrangement.  A couple months later, I find out their father was not holding up his end of the bargain. I didn't know at the time but he had a mental breakdown and was incapable of taking care of the kids.

Now, in steps mom of my youngest's best friend. She said the girls were more than welcome to stay with them until I got settled. They have plenty of money, plenty of rooms in the house, a block from the school. It seemed like a great arrangement. Kids missed me, sure, but we've talked and I've flown back to visit several times. Kids were content because they didn't want to leave friends. And my marriage fell apart so I didn't want to add to their stress by moving them away from everything they knew.

 I gave the parents guardianship so they could take care of school stuff and put them on their insurance. The "guardianship" was a text from me to the parents giving permission. So they could show the judge. Why just a text, you ask? Well, the mom is an attorney and overall a very high powered individual. I had had lengthy discussions with the parents, I checked in with them, they "understood my plight" and said I had nothing to worry about, they loved my kids, it was all good. And I believed and trusted them.

Enter, today. My friend gets a call from his sister regarding an article she read in a major city magazine. It was an interview with the mom/attorney stating that the kids were dropped off at her house for a birthday party and after 2 days no one came to get them. That I just took off and left them. No mention of the arrangement WE had but did mention a co-parenting agreement with the biological dad, which I knew nothing about. To read the paragraph, it was negative and put me in a bad light. There's pictures of my kids too. So anyone who knows me knows who she's talking about.

Now here's the kicker. This high-profile individual is in hot water in the press and since I know the truth I KNOW the story is spun to make it look like she's some savior. Rescuing my abandoned children.

Immediately, I wanted to call the press. But I'm trying to calm down and get my wits about me so I don't do anything stupid. I read this sub all the time and am hoping for some advice.

I don't know if I should call her and confront. I don't feel I can trust her and I'm afraid I've already been too passive.

Do I have a case?

*please don't judge me on leaving and tryimg to make a better life for my kids. I'm up for a promotion with my job, and the plan was to move them when that goes through. I'm in a 4 bedroom house with room for them. Super stable environment. But pls don't judge, it's been hard enough being without them. I am devastated.*

Answer:
 >Do I have a case?

Maybe.

But consider how this looks to a judge and jury.  Instead of spending your time getting your life together so you can reunite with your kids, you're suing the person who stepped in to help you so you can get some money from them.Answer #2: Did you divorce the person you left a year ago or just leave?

Regardless you would need to have some evidence that what she said was actually wrong and that it financially harmed you. I don't see your state but location does matter.

A guardianship isn't typically established by text. That may show that the woman uad your permission to care for them but certainly doesn't arrange full legal guardianship.


Title: Ex Boyfriends owes me a bit over 2 grand. Been 5 months. Writing a letter - Australia

Question:
"To (his name),

I am writing as a final request of payment of the outstanding $2,159.98 loaned to you by myself, (My Name). On May 3rd 2015, I deposited $1000 into your account with the description “car loan”. This amount was loaned to you so you could purchase racing tyres for your Nissan and I said that I would require the money back by August at the latest. On May 12th 2015, as requested by you, I deposited $990 into your account with the description “Business loan.” This money was discussed as a loan so you could purchase materials for your new business that would give you a return of at least $2000 in two months, and therefore I would be paid back within two months.

The remaining $169.98 is money owed for the internet bills for your residence that were being direct debited from my account. $93 is for the final month of internet which was direct debited from my account on the 16th June 2015 and $76.98 for the cancellation fee which was directed debited on the 16th July 2015. Our arrangement after I moved out of your residence in mid 2014 was that the bills would continue to be direct debited from my account and you would pay me the billed amount. After we broke up, I cancelled the internet, giving you 2 months to arrange a new Service Provider under the agreement that you continue to pay for the internet for the rest of the contract.

On October 7th, I messaged you to enquire as to the state of your finances and whether you were able to pay back the outstanding amount and you did not respond. As such, I am writing this letter as a formal request for payment and correspondence regarding an expected date of payment.

If payment of these loans are not received by November 12th 2015 – after the second bank transfer - I will be forced to get the necessary authorities involved.

Kind Regards,

(My name)"

Notes? Advice? Will this help as evidence should I take the matter to small claims court?

EDIT: Line breaks
EDIT: Updated letter based on suggested changes

UPDATE: He is in Thailand with his girlfriend after having told me he couldn't afford to pay me back because he was struggling with money. I am ready to take him to court.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: I'm not sure it's necessary to mention his growing attraction to another female.  Its more helpful to have proof of what you are saying, not just a letter of you saying it.


Title: Was trying to watch porn, got a pop up with my exact gps location saying I was being accused of watching child porn. Should I be concerned?

Question:
I was trying to watch porn on my phone. It was a particular scene between two adult actors. There was an ad in the way that I tried to close before I got this massive polio accusing me of zoophilia and child porn. I didn't watch anything like that, and the rational side of me is saying that posting this is foolish and that I will be alright. My irrational side is taking over and I am wonder what I should do/ if I should be worried about anything. Thanks in advance.

Location is the US.

Answer:
 IANAL

no this is a common scam most likely nothing happend to your pc but i would do a virus check if i were youAnswer #2: The police don't do browser pop-ups to accuse you of a crime. If they've got you for C.P., they'll come to your door with a warrant and you'll have zero doubts it's real.

Scammers. Just ignore/close the window.


Title: [WA] Weed and pre-employment drug screens?

Question: I was talking to someone I know about about how I had to find a job and had to quit smoking and he brought up a court ruling by the Washington superior court that said businesses could no longer discriminate for having thc in your urine but I took this with grain of salt. I did a little peeking around and couldn't find anything that said this, is there any merit to what he said?

Answer:
 Your associate's understanding is incorrect.   Courts in both Washington and Colorado have held that employers may continue to make employment decisions based on drug tests for marijuana.

Your associate is probably thinking of cases like [Roe v Teletech](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=12690262585353123592&q=Roe+v.+TeleTech+Customer+Care+Management,&hl=en&as_sdt=2006) in Washington or [Coats v. Dish Network](https://localtvkwgn.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/state-supreme-court-ruling-in-coats-vs-dish-network.pdf) in Colorado.   *Coats* was decided just this summer by the Colorado Supreme Court, and the plaintiff lost at the trial, appellate, and Supreme Court levels.

In practice, many private employers have loosened their policies.   Even the police academy has had to consider not disqualifying cadets for marijuana use.

But plenty of large employers (Boeing is notable) and pretty much any employer who gets Federal funding continues to test for marijuana in pre-employment screening and injury incident testing.   Some also continue to use random screens, largely because it helps reduce their insurance premiums.Answer #2: It's still federally illegal and companies have the right to decline you employment for having it in your system.

Why not just take a break until after you find a job? Better chance of getting hired AND your tolerance will be much lower when you start back up.


Title: PA: If someone's son passed away and the son was receiving food stamps, and got them 5 days after he passed away, could the mother use the food stamps to buy food? They have separate caseworkers. What would happen if she does spend the money on the card?

Answer: That would be welfare fraud. And it would be easy to catch considering she is using the card of someone who is dead.


Title: roommate illegally breaking a lease in MD

Question:
my roommate raped me in december, upon confronting him about it he fled the area, lost his job, and cut contact with family and friends.

i paid my portion of the rent ($915) from january-march. upon my landlords insistence and being able to return to work,  i began paying the full amount ($1,415) in april.

my landlord is understanding of the situation but is now asking that i pay my rapist/ex roommates missed share of the rent from january-march ($1,500)

both of our names are on the lease and it is my understanding that in order to break a lease legally all parties (landlord, me and him) need to agree/sign a new lease. this did not happen, he just texted the landlord that he doesn’t live there anymore while he was in the wind. since both our names are on the lease, from what i understand both of us can be held liable for the full amount.

rapist/ex roommate showed up to court 2 weeks ago for a final protective order, so he’s in the area. i understand if he’s in the wind the landlord needs his money and how i’d be the one he would be pursuing this from, but now that i know rapist ex roommate isn’t in mexico and gone for good, do i have a right to refuse to pay and insist my landlord reach out to him?

what else can i do?

Answer: You and your roommmate both have "joint and several liability".  That means you are both responsible for all the rent to the landlord and you can both be sued/evicted if it's not paid. You need to pay all the rent that's due or you can be evicted. You can, in turn, sue your roommate, but your landlord has every right to expect all of it from you.


Title: Boss wants me to pick up clients with my own vehicle.

Question:
Hi all. First off, I am a 20y female living in Eastern Washington. So about 5 months ago, I started working for an IT-related job firm. This is my first job. Frankly, pay is not much but location is really great (10 minutes by car). A month ago, my boss announced to all of us that in order to cut "unnecessary" expenses, one of the new rules they've decided on was to cease contracts with third-party transportation services they've been using for years and instead required us, the employees, to provide transportation for our clients. We were told mileage will be reimbursed as long as proper documentations were submitted and this new policy will be in effect starting July (this month).

I am a little freaked out about this new rule. I personally am not confident with my driving and feel extremely uncomfortable about transporting clients to different places (ex. airport, offices). I, and a few others, expressed our concerns as soon as the annoucement was made. We also questioned should anything happens (i.e. accidents), will the company cover all responsibility.

My boss pretty much explained since the company is already paying mileages, they are not legally responsible for anything should the worst happens. He told us that we, the employees, are responsible to add or have insurance that should be able to cover anything. I feel this is a bit unfair. I'm already paying close to $250/month for my insurance and although not too sure how much extra it will cost, I will certainly be financially strained to my already tight budget.

So my questions are 1) is it true as my boss says that the company cannot be held responsible? 2) a big -IF- I do get into an accident while transporting clients, will it be covered under workers' comp since I assume technically I am still on the clock?, and 3) am I legally able to request the company to cover the additional insurance costs?

**Edit post:** Hi All. Thank you again for the thoughtful advice and comments. Being the driver, I am aware that if anything were to happen, I will mainly be responsible. But because I would be driving clients around, I thought there might be some way for my boss and the company to hold at least *some* form of responsibility but I guess that won't be the case. My co-workers and I are planning on a meeting later today with my boss to discuss more on this new policy. As most suggested, I will consider to look for another job but it took me almost six months for me to get this current job so I won't be optimistic about finding a new one soon.

**Edit post #2:** Hi All. Thanks again for the additional comment. I (and a few of my co-workers) had a meeting earlier with my boss. I won't go into full details in fear of being pin-pointed but pretty much my boss laid it out as: 1) Company will not be responsible for *any* incidents caused by the driver during transportation of clients 2) Since it will officially be part of the job description now, anyone who opposes or does not wish to do so have an option of leaving (quitting) since we will be considered "not doing our job". (Saying, "don't have a car", "taking the bus/riding the bike to work" will not be an alternate option since technically having a car is mandatory for working in this company).

So I guess I will have to find a new job lol But since I don't have anything lined up yet I guess I will have to suck it up for now until I do.

Answer:
 Oooh, it's like half IT, half Uber, and all the disadvantages of both!

1.) Companies can handwave away responsibility all they want, doesn't protect them from being sued by you and/or your clients.

3.) If your out of pocket costs for work drop you below minimum wage, then they have violated the law. So, for example, if your job paid minimum wage and you had to get a rider, then that would probably be considered a violation of minimum wage law.Answer #2: As it hasn't been really said anywhere else in the thread, start job hunting again.

If your company is willing to do this to you, it'll only escalate. Get yourself a good offer somewhere else ASAP.Answer #3: As a temporary solution, consider getting an Uber with the client and just submitting the mileage to your company as if you drove yourself. I may not cover everything, but it'll be cheaper than additional insurance and might be worth it to not have to deal with the stress of driving until you find a better job.

Alternatively, start riding/driving something else to work that won't accommodate a passenger and tell your boss you just sold your car (or that it broke down and you can't afford to fix it).


Title: How much space am I allowed to have? [Irvine, California]

Question:
My place of work which is a manufacturing company has decided that instead of moving my department of 8 to a bigger office, they wanted to give us each smaller desks and squeeze us in here so we can fit. They admit that the person situated at the door (Who we are hiring now) would have to scoot in every time a person would need to enter the room (which is all the time) so if the person was on the bigger side, it would be difficult to maneuver.  I am unsure if this is a fire hazard and do not want to involve a person unless I know for sure. Everything I googled talks about a door, but to alleviate this they took the door away completely. It's just a door frame.

Shitty MSpaint below

https://imgur.com/a/nqsH8

Please note that each desk is actually the same size, i'm just very bad at drawing. If the person on the bottom right scoots back too much she hits the desk behind her. The red circles are boxes that we need for work.

Answer: I'm not certain this violates a fire code, but if you are really worried, you could make an anonymous call to the local fire department to inform them of the situation and see if they will make a surprise inspection.


Title: [NY] Sold house, took my Nest with me, buyers threaten to sue

Question:
So I sold my house in New York.  I had a first generation Nest that I had no intention of leaving, and removed it prior to the final walk through and closing.  The buyers (1 day after closing) want $250 (3rd generation price) or the thermostat back, should I be concerned? I mean they can do small claims, but come on ...

Apparently it can be considered a fixture, at least according to their attorney? I did replace it with a $90 programmable thermostat.  I moved several states away, and I'm not even sure where the thing is at in my house hold goods.

I've bent over backwards, and they've been nightmare buyers.  I'm inclined to just tell them to have at it, but I don't really know.

*Edit - copied From my comment down below:
Just wanted to thank you for the replies! I wasn't expecting so many people to chime in, I do appreciate it. It was an interesting scenario, and really I didn't give it a second thought when I replaced the nest, linked to my account and personal information, with an alternative programmable thermostat. I thought of it as a personal electronic, something like the cable modem/router I purchased and also took with me. It's clear to me now, that it's considered more of a fixture ...
The way they reacted totally took me completely by surprise. I told my closing attorney (required in NY) that I would look for it, but I honestly haven't even the slightest where it is in my household goods, as I have two storage rooms, a trailer and a shed full of my stuff.
Either way, I appreciate the feedback you've guys given!*

Answer: No, you haven't bent over backwards. You made a material alteration to the property right before the final walkthrough, which is a really shitty thing to do. You should pay them, and count yourself lucky that they're not asking you to pay for someone to reinstall it too.


Title: My apartment has been without power for over 7 days now, I have a 5 month old baby, and our stove is electric. Contacted management and they gave me a run around. Please help.

Question:
I live in Rowland heights, Ca. I live in a giant complex with over 200 units. The people effected by this are 4 other units.  Last Monday night on 11/19/18 there was a fire and the meters behind the apartment building I'm renting caught fire, causing the power to go out, and Edison to turn off the power. Edison was at the scene fast, turned off the power, and said that we couldn't have temporary power.

Ok no big deal I thought that the next day we would have power, that's how I've normally experienced power outages growing up in California.

Well, not so fast. Next day rolls around and nobody is here to fix the power. I'm clueless as to what my managers are trying to do about it, and I gave it more time.

Wednesday rolls around an it appears an electrician is here and installing another metal box that houses all the wiring for the meters that was on fire Monday night.
I'm thinking the power will be on by that night on 11/21/18, awesome just before Thanksgiving thank God and my food is now going to be saved because it's been on ice this whole time.

That night falls quickly and no answer. So before the leasing office closes I walked and asked when I power will be on. The lady in the office said that it won't be until the Monday of 11/26/18 that my power will be back on, and that it's Edison's fault for not sending someone out right away to inspect the new meter housing for our electricity, and pass it so we can have power again.
 I believe them and wait patiently and painfully til that Monday. That Monday has now painfully passed and I type this now on another long, dark night using my phone's Data, and it's 1:23am.

At around 12pm this Monday 11/26/18 I was in the leasing office and they gave me the same run around. When I asked about compensation they pointed the finger to Edison and told me to request it from them. All this sounds super sketchy and like my managers are trying to buy time before I find out what's going on and exercise my rights as a tenant.

I'm not sure who or what to believe. All I know is that I'm without power, all my food is bad, my stove is electric and I can't cook even if I bought fresh food for the day, and my 5 month old son needs electricity for his warm milk.

Please help me, please. I don't know what to do. I contacted corporate and got the run around. I contacted the housing authority and no answer.

I really need help right now. I'm essentially living paycheck to paycheck and I can't break the lease even if I wanted to because I don't have enough to move out and put a deposit down.

My wife and baby are left using flashlights until I get home from work at 1am every day.

Please help. I'm desperate.

Answer:
 In addition to what else is listed, you can make a call to your city's health department and let them know you have been without power for 7 days. Answer #2: OP this may be an issue with your city inspectors and not necessarily an issue with either the power company or the landlord. I've run into a similar issue like this before where power closely to adjacent buildings and the power company was required to cut power to those buildings and could not return power until those lines were inspected and given the go ahead. This was my town's downtown business district and the businesses had to contact our local state house representative to get the inspectors to move faster. They first had to wait until they were absolutely sure the fire was out. If this is the case for you, you may need someone higher up to apply some pressure to the inspectors to not be overly cautious in their waiting period.

Also, if you have renter's insurance, it may cover the cost of the lost food. Answer #3: Call the power company directly. Answer #4: I would contact family services or some other governmental aid office.


Title: [MO] Landlord wants higher security deposit because we are men.

Question:
I'm subleasing an apartment over the summer from female friends who already have a year-long lease for their apartment. She told me to reach out to the landlord to find out when I can move an (as I wanted to move-in slightly early).

I called the landlord and he told me that he does not trust men because of past bad experiences leasing to men and because we are all male he would not approve the apartment for subleasing unless he got an extra $1000 security deposit.

To me this felt like discrimination on the basis of gender, is it?

Answer: Yes. That is housing discrimination, and a violation of your civil rights. You can file a complaint with HUD online [here](http://portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/topics/housing_discrimination).


Title: Custody case. The mother and her lawyer agreed to joint custody but when we were in the room with the mediator the mother changed her mind. What can be done?

Question:
There is no custody order in place and I filed for joint custody since the mother is making it hard for me to see my daughter.

She has a public defender, but i make too much to qualify so I am consulting with a lawyer friend.  However, he doesn’t have much time since he has paying clients.

In the first appearance I stated that I wanted joint custody and the mother and her lawyer agreed. They sent us to mediate immediately. In meditation she changed her mind and now wants sole custody. She claims that my mental health is the biggest factor, stating that if I want any kind of custody that I should “prepare for war.”

About my mental health, I have clinical depression and took a leave of absence from work for 30 days back in August. I am currently on a low-dose antidepressant and am overall in a better place than in August. I had moved out of state last year for my current job and life just hit me. I know this will play a factor in my case.

My biggest questions are: How much will my mental health play a factor? Will this stop me from getting joint custody? What can I do to show my mental fitness to be a parent?

Also, does the fact that her lawyer agreed to joint custody in front of the referee also affect the outcome that the referee will come to if this goes all the way to trial? And is it better for me to try to work it out before trial?

Feel free to ask questions

Answer: You need to seek counsel past a favor from a friend who doesn't have enough time to handle your case.  I don't know enough about custody laws to make predictions, but you seriously cannot afford to not have an attorney on your side if you want joint custody.


Title: I [26M] have been providing informal kinship care, parenting, housing, and tutoring for my brother [17M]. I'm now $6K in debt over him and our mom can't afford to help. Am I entitled to any financial assistance? [GA]

Question:
My brother got expelled from high school for selling drugs a year ago. He was doing a LOT worse than that, so he is lucky that's all he got caught with.
My mom has 2 little girls at home, but just wasn't equipped emotionally or mentally to deal with him. Moreover, her lack of parenting and borderline mental illness is what enabled/pushed him as a 14 year old to get involved in really dangerous things.
When he got expelled my mom threatened to send him away to some boarding school. In reality she didn't have the money for that. He would've ended up at home being "homeschooled" but just spend all of time as a delinquent. Even if she was able to send him somewhere he would've just run away and ended up dead somewhere.

So, I told him he was coming with me, and mom agreed. My Fiancee agreed as well. He lost his mind and tried to run, but I'm pretty good at reading him and knowing what's going on - there's a lot of pain there.
The short of it is, he moved in with me and has spent the last year in an online accelerated high school program. He is doing great - he's a different person now. I wouldn't take back what I did for anything.
He's been here for a year and I have spent $$ I didn't have on clothes, food, a laptop, and some other things he needed. I am $6K in debt and my mom hasn't been able to pay me back a CENT. Am I entitled to any money? Can I get ANY assistance? I'm not technically his legal guardian, and my mom has two younger girls at home, so I don't think she would be considered "unfit to parent". Is my only resource to sue her?
  ---
  **tl;dr**: I've taken care of my brother for a year, and I have a year to go. I'm in debt for $6K. Even though it's my decision and responsibility to take care of him, is there any financial recourse to lighten the load?

Answer: You may be able to deduct him from your taxes. Answer #2: Is there a dad  that could be paying support?


Title: [CA] HOA is sending me to collections after I tried to make a payment plan with them.

Question:
I've been at my complex in the Bay Area for less than a year and have a debt with the HOA for elevator maintenance that was done before I moved in (a deal was struck with the previous owners that I would make the payment for a credit towards the purchase of the unit). I've been having trouble coming across money after dumping my life savings in the unit and have asked for a payment plan since I can't pay the $2,400 all at once. My mortgage and bills already take over 3/4 of my take home pay so I was trying to find a way where I wouldn't have to scrape by for a few months until I have some saved up again money.

Well, I got an email saying they rejected my request for a payment plan and they will be sending my debt to collections. I have great credit (over 720) and would hate to have my credit score screwed up for something like this. Besides paying it outright and being broke for a while, are there any other actions I can take? Shouldn't the HOA try to help their owners?

Thanks for any help.

Answer:
 >Besides paying it outright and being broke for a while, are there any other actions I can take?

They are not giving you a payment plan because A) They do not have to and B) they know you will pay if they threaten you with collections so you protect your credit score.

Also, you have no argument since you bought the property knowing you owed this money - if you did not have it, you should have not purchased the property.

Pay up or watch your credit get killed.

>Shouldn't the HOA try to help their owners?

This is your first HOA experience, I take it.

>My mortgage and bills already take over 3/4 of my take home pay

May want to consider selling the property since you clearly cannot afford it and will likely lose it sooner or later.Answer #2: This would have been a great thing to handle as part of the purchase. It could have been wrapped into your mortgage.

You can see if you qualify for a separate loan, although it sounds like you are way overextended financially already. This is a consequence of buying more than you can afford.

But no, the HOA needn't accommodate your payment plan request. Answer #3: They are not obligated to provide you with a payment plan. Consider taking out a loan to be able to pay them now and prevent this being sent to collections.


Title: Employer says I owe a “debt” of hours as a salaried, exempt employee?

Question:
I am located in Wisconsin. I already posted about this but didn’t receive much of a response.

I am a salaried exempt employee at a mental health agency. I am required to work 28 “billable” hours, which is mainly direct contact with clients that I can bill to insurance.

I was told when I started in my offer letter that my salary would be $——-,( assuming 1— billable hours per year ).

THere was no mention in my letter, in my orientation, or any of my training, that I would be penalized for not meeting the monthly billable hour target.

During my first 3 months as an employee, i did not meet my billable hour target each month. This wasn’t because I wasn’t working - I was working full time. This was because I was training, I was getting referrals, building my case load, etc. I couldn’t have billed hours even if I wanted to, because I did not yet have the clients. Now, at the 3 month mark I am at a full case load and meet the productivity target and beyond.

Numerous times I asked during those three months about not being at my billable hour goal, and repeatedly was told, it’s ok... it takes time to get there, you are training still. I was told that I had a 3 month period to “ramp up” my billable hours.

3 months later, I am told that i now owe those 3 months of billable hours. In order to pay them off , I will have to work extra hours each week (which is not easy to do. I would have to work waaay over 40 hours a week at a very challenging job with very high stress)

Until I pay off the 3 months worth of hours, I am ineligible for any bonus pay or raise, and also I technically won’t get paid for the extra hours I work.

I asked for something in writing that stated this policy clearly and was sent my offer letter. The offer letter says nothing about having to pay back hours , it just says : this is your salary, assuming this many billable hours per year.
I am an at will, exempt, salaried employee. No contract.

Is this something they can do ? It just seems wrong .

Answer:
 The use of the term “pay off” the billable hours sort of inflames and makes this seem worse than it really is.

Billable hours are a performance target (with which people in the legal world are intimately familiar). Yes. It’s legal to say you aren’t eligible for bonus or promotion while below your performance target.


Title: [Iowa, USA] Is it legal for an employer to dock a person a days pay for a hourly paid worker?

Question:
I am a part time employee at a local gaming store in my hometown. This past Friday the owner asked me to set up the schedule (just a sales clerk), and when I couldn't find anybody to work the 5-8 shift becuase the three employees that work here (Myself +2) had other jobs that they had to work at. The owner then said "this is unexceptable. You can close the business now, but your getting docked a day's pay. If it happens again I will have to hire employees I can rely on."

Is this a legitimate threat? Or is there some recourse?

Answer:
 You cannot retroactively dock a worker a day's pay for hours already worked.  Contact the Labor Board if this occurs.  (Likely consequence is that he gets fined, you get the day's pay, and he finds a pretext to fire you; so I'd start looking for a new job.)

It would be legal for him to tell you that he's "docking" you a day's pay over the next, say, 5 days, by reducing your pay by 1/5th of a day's pay for each of those five days.  This is legal because it's not retroactive.  It's only legal if you're still earning at least minimum wage despite the "docking".


Title: [USA-LA] Brother-in-laws place of employment is reporting him as making much more than they actually pay him.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Slow your roll there.  It's way too early to be talking about fraud, or tax evasion, or anything like that.

First, she should talk to her husband and figure out if he's actually making that salary.  A take-home pay of around 40K on 80K of income isn't an impossibility.  If he's truly not making that, then she should get with the company to find out what the issue is.  It could be that they're counting more forms of compensation than just straight cash


Title: My dad raped me in Texas and now I'm in New York. I want to hire a lawyer but do not know where to begin. Please help

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 http://centers.rainn.org/

You can start by talking to someone at a local RAINN center.  They will know the procedure for a court order of no contact and should help you file.  They can also provide other support.Answer #2: If the case was thrown out for lack of evidence, what did he get 10 months in jail for? What was he charged with and what was he convicted of? Answer #3: In addition to contacting RAINN, I strongly recommend getting an order of protection so he can't legally come near you or contact you. If your building has a doorman or anything, show them a photo of him so they know not to let him up.Answer #4: You should first write down what exactly he did and possible time frames. This will make it easier for you to communicate with the police and allow you to convey everything properly.

Also look into getting a restraining order against your dad.Answer #5: It depends on how the charges were dismissed. He may not be able to be charged again. You can call the DA in Texas that brought the charges and ask if anything can be done. Answer #6: You do not need a private lawyer. You need to call victim assistance at the district attorney's office having jurisdiction over your case.Answer #7: I'm really sorry this happened to you. As a victim of abuse and now a volunteer at a shelter, I know how confused and sad you must be. I'm in Texas. If I can help you, provide a referral to you or you just need a female to talk to, I'm here. Please surround yourself with a support system of people who love and nurture you.


Title: Cousin from fifteen years ago has falsely accused me of molestation to my family

Question:
I don't know where to begin, except this morning i received a text from an aunt saying her daughter has accused me of molesting her some fifteen years ago. All I know:

- my cousin's roommate suggested me as the molester after my cousin said she was molested in the past and roommate said she "looked uncomfortable" around me and my wife at a super bowl viewing 1.5 years ago
- cousin now tells her parents it's true after roommate told them it was me
- this supposedly took place 15-18 years ago, details unknown, but apparently happened when my sister and i both babysat their at the time five kids
- cousin is now going to therapist to deal with depression
-rarely saw them, last interactions with cousin was two years ago, when she stayed with wife and i to watch our newborn
- they're a religious family, all seem to have an average of ten kids, rural areas
- apparently informing other family

This all is reported as happening 15+ years ago, no idea why they would do this.

I'm thirty now, with two children of my own.

Do I need to call someone, or the police, or anything? We don't have much money and in Michigan, i can't tell if they can even make trouble so far from an accused date, except alienating the family, who are awful anyway.

I'm terrified, I'm a good person who loves my children - why is this happening and what can i do?

Answer:
 Despite the other posters saying otherwise, you do not need to hire a lawyer... yet. If the police come to ask you questions, politely decline to answer any questions until you have retained a lawyer. Then, get a lawyer. If you are worried, you can do some prep work by meeting with a few lawyers (most have free consultations) so as to be ready with a name if the police do contact you.

Do not, do not, *DO NOT* discuss this matter with anyone in your family, even if they bring it up. There is no reason whatsoever for you to call the police. If she calls the police, they will contact you if they find her complaint credible.

At this point, there is nothing to do, except possibly interviewing some attorneys (if you want). Otherwise, do nothing. I cannot stress enough... *do nothing*! Do not talk to anyone about this. Do not try to contact your cousin. Do not call the police. Do nothing. Answer #2: Wait... you said you're 30, but this is all being claimed to have been done 15 years ago ? so she's claiming you molested her when you were 5 ?...

what ?

edit: lawyer the hell up quick, even if these charges are false you want a lawyer on your side to help you wade through this.

edit 2: .... math fail.. big big major math fail. Answer #3: Yes, you need to hire a lawyer.


Title: [NYC] My roommates said the landlord will bring a letter of eviction to evict me because I’m healthcare worker and pose a danger to all tenants. Is this legal?

Question:
My roommates, who have threatened to evict me because I’m a healthcare worker, said that because I’m not quarantining with them, they have asked the landlord to evict me because I pose a danger to everyone. They said the landlord has told them he will bring a letter of eviction from the real estate office. I have offered many ways to compromise such as living in cheap hotels (but still too expensive for my current salary) if they help me with some of the costs. They flat out refused. Is this legal? My name is on the lease, and it expires in August.
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: No. And even if he wanted to the courts that would enforce that in New York State are not hearing evection cases for 45 days.


Title: Company threatening legal action against me for stolen package

Question: Hello, thanks for any advice. My coworker and I were logged into my hospital store account looking at apparel with our hospital’s logo. After I got off work, she placed an order still logged into my account. She paid with her credit card and had it sent to her name and address (she also ordered the items to have her name on them). Weeks go by, and she asks me to check on when it’s going to be delivered. Tracking info says it was delivered the week before on doorstep. We both live in sketchy neighborhoods in Baltimore city, with just front steps no porch. Delivery drivers normally know better than to leave packages unattended, they might as well just hand it to a thief. So my friend calls the company and explains she never got the package. They refuse to resend items or refund. She also calls fedex and they offer no solution. So she calls her credit card company and explains the situation, they suggest she dispute the charge, which she did. She got her money back. Now someone from the company is calling me multiple times a day and sending emails to my work email saying that the order is no longer paid for. They are threatening legal action against me for “theft by deception” and are strongly implying that they think the order was received by the recipient and not stolen. From what I understand my contract is with them and they are obligated to make sure customer receives package? And fed ex’s contract is with the company so if it’s their fault the company needs to deal with it? Am I correct on this or could the company really do something to me? Thanks!

Answer: Block their email and don't talk to them. If they actually want to take legal action, they'll sue you. In which case you have to show up to court and defend yourself.


Title: My son was molested by a foster child with behavioral issues...

Question: Last night my son, 9, admitted to his mom (legally step mom, his bio mom is in prison. I have sole full custody) that a foster child at his grandparents (bio moms parents foster house) house had been giving him toys to go under the blanket with him where the other child would expose himself. as stated the family does foster care and has 4 foster children along with bio moms other two children. One of my sons sisters accused one of the foster girls of doing secual things to her but later said she was lieing. They didnt report it. Bio mom had been molested by her grandfater as a child. They didnt report it. One of their foster girls claimed sexual abuse by one of the previous foster boys. They didnt report it. That one did go on record, becasuse she (the abused) mentioned it to her case worker. Before bio mom went to prison i had stopped letting my son visit their house on and off while his druggy mother lived with them. He would visit when she was back in jail. Of course they played it as i was keeping him from them and his sisters. Theirs bad blood in this already. I dont know what to do, im at a loss. Cps is in order i think, but im affraid of what his grandparents will do to us. Being in the foster care system in oregon for the last 30+ years they are very good friends with everyone in the system and have been previously tipped off by someone in the know about a cps complaint on her daughter (bio mom who is now locked up) i know thats illegal but what can you do???  im scared, im hurt, im crying and need to go to work. What do i do? How do i protect my child and still let him see his sisters? The grandparents have threatened a court ordered grandparents rights before. I dont want to keep him from his family but i dont want him exposed to this child anymore. Im so lost..

Answer:
 Custody requires providing a safe environment before anything else. The grandparents are not doing their diligence in providing said safe environment.

Contact CPS, get the report filed, and protect the child. Deal with the other stuff later. Yes, it's going to be messy and I expect there will be significant fallout from this - but first and foremost, make sure the child is safe.Answer #2: I'm no expert but from the picture you've painted it looks like there's a history of abuse within the family. If bio mom hasn't reported what happened to her, she is complicit and enabling that abuse, which is now continuing to her own son.

Who is to say that the older boy isn't learning that behavior from the grandparents or other kids? It just sounds like a messed up environment and it feels like you should protect your own son from it at any cost.


Title: Separated from wife with a protection order in place for me and our child after assault charges were filed- what resources are available for emergency childcare?

Question:
Me and my daughter were assaulted by my wife and she was charged with assault in the 4th degree and domestic mischief in the 3rd. She was a stay-at-home mother of our 1yr old daughter, but with the protection order I put in place for her own safety, her mother isn't allowed to see her.

I live in Bellevue, WA, and was already living pretty modestly, but it's damn expensive here and considering the immediate legal fees I'm going to have filing for divorce and full custody, I barely had enough to get by BEFORE all this happened.

Daycare centers are $2000/mo, and I already checked don't have any immediate openings, and I haven't been able to find a nanny on care.com for less than $15/hr.

I had a nanny, but it was a friend of my wife was was being paid with the meager income my wife had. She quit abruptly and I can't use my wife's income to pay for another.

I'm trying not to panic, but what can I do? It's going to take me some time to scale back my modest expenses (moving, primarily). I just moved here, so I don't have any friends who could help, and my family is too otherwise obligated and far away to help more than a week or so.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Answer:
 Talk to a domestic abuse shelter! Even if you don't move into a shelter, they often have connections with local resources you can use, both legally and for day-to-day life while you get back on your feet.Answer #2: Washington has a few domestic abuse shelters and resources for men.  Check out [this](http://www.batteredmen.com/bathelpwa.htm) site.  There's a center in Bellevue, contact information for others in surrounding cities, and general support information.Answer #3: You may want to check with employment centers at local colleges (or with local high schools or churches) to see if anyone there knows a teenager who would be willing to help out, at least in the short term.  I babysat over the summer for $25/kid/day during high school and through some college, so you could check and see if anyone is willing to help out for those sort of rates. Check if your friends have kids/family who are responsible teens and would like a solid gig.  (I'd offer but I'm in Michigan :/)

Best of luck to you!Answer #4: In addition to the domestic abuse resources M2MK posted, you may want to check into something like TANF or whatever the new equivalent is.  You would have to make a CRAPTON not to qualify in Puget Sound and as a single parent they have daycare subsidies you probably qualify for.  I had a female employee in a similar bind qualify once despite me paying her $25./hr 40 hours a week at the time.  That was back in 2006, though, so I can't say what's currently available but it can't hurt to check.

Also, make sure your family law attorney gets an order of support for the STB ex to cover her share.  Sounds as though she's voluntarily unemployed at the moment.


Title: Attorney Not Allowed to Share Evidence?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 What kind of evidence is it? It's not uncommon for judges to order that sensitive items remain in the possession of the attorneys and not be given to the defendant personally.

If you were representing yourself then they would of course have to make some sort of alternate arrangement.


Title: Probation for a 14 year old.

Question:
I live in Texas. Long story short, my 14 year old brother is being charged for a felony on drug related charges, but the worst sentence he could get is a year on probation. What would he even do on probation? It’s not like he can drive anywhere.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: If I remmember correctly he will be drug tested and he will have a curfew(I think 8pm maybe earlier...)


Title: Very easy "Domestic Violence case" that I need help with. Any lawyers please help.

Question:
For the location bot, I'm from NJ and she's in NY. I was in an NY cell for 20 hours.

**edit: What would your opinion be on a public defender for this case?**

For the sake of you reading this I will write this as concisely as possible. I'm going to be calling a lawyer in a few days but I also wanted to have 1-2 days of seeing what reddit can do to teach/inform me.

My gf is an idiot and called the cops on me when she was drunk because I accidentally put a 3inchx3inch dent in her hollow, interior, $30-50 door. I was also drunk and she was saying a lot of fucked up things to me, so while I was leaving quickly to get my stuff, I stiff-armed the open door, but I was walking too quickly and it dented. I immediately apologized and said I'd fix it, but she was in full freak out mode and called anyway even though I begged and pleaded that she had NO IDEA what she was doing calling the cops.

Fast forward a few days, I ended up in jail 4/30-5/1 after turning myself in to "just do paperwork because it was an easy case that the DA was going to throw out" according to the detective. This is because I have 0 record, neither does my gf, and we've been together for over 4 years.

My gf was begging the DA to throw out the case, blamed herself, said she was drunk and it was all her fault, on 4/30-5/1 but the DA said they want her to come in to make sure she wasnt all banged up. WELL Today 5/5/15 she went to the DA and the DA still didn't care, and wants us to go to court late june. They also put a mandatory order of protection.

TL;DR I accidently put a 3inch x3inch dent in my gf's door, she called the cops to "get it on record so that i'd be forced to pay for it" because she was drunk and shes generally really stupid. And I ended up in jail for 20 hours, with an order or protection. And now against BOTH OF OUR WISHES, I can't contact her in any way for 2 months. I was charged with misconduct in the 4th degree. Even though shes begging for everything to be thrown out.

Edit* for clarification, I responded to someone else here.
"I get what you're saying but I'm a pretty strong dude and it was a flimsy interior door, there isn't even a hole, it just dented inwards and it's just the size of my palm. You wouldn't notice it from 15 feet away. There's a reason she's been begging to have everything dropped. **I have 40 texts from her on my phone of her saying how sorry she is and she can't wait till everything is fixed. For example. I'm gonna have to wait to break up with her because she's unstable and I can't trust her to not take her anger out on me in court so I'm walking on eggshells. It's one of those relationships where everyone's been telling me to get out of it because shes so reckless when she drinks but only now has it finally been enough. She was hitting me too at the club and I still went home in the cab with her, and she started again at her place."**

*edit 2*
When I went to court the first time, when I first got out of jail, the prosecutor said **they didn't want to press any charges on me and they let me out with no bail. The only thing we're dealing with now is this order or protection we can't get rid of till june 24th apparently.**

**EDIT 3, MOST IMPORTANT**
**Alright 1 hour after the nice 10pm text, at 11pm she just texted me flipping out saying things that didn't make any sense. I've literally had 0 contact with her for over a week, this is just her sitting in her room losing it. All bets are off I've definitely missed some major issues with this girl. I'm taking all precautions possible.**

Answer:
 >What the fuck is wrong with the system?

Plenty of things. This isn't one of them.

A protection order seems good here, and there's definitely cause for charges against you. Whether or not she likes the charges is largely irrelevant, because the DA still has a duty to prosecute crimes.Answer #2: The "system" is working just fine. You allegedly broke the law and have been charged accordingly. Your girlfriend doesn't have the power to make it go away. You shouldn't have confessed to the police. You need an attorney. If you cannot afford one, you should plead guilty and request a public defender. Don't make any more statements to the police.


Title: Can I tell the Police to F*ck off my property, if they dont have a search warrant?

Question:
Ok first off I understand that some countries may have different laws regarding this.

I live in Finland so the law may say otherwise compared to for example the US

But I remember hearing from someone that the police cannot enter your house unless they have a search warrant or suspect you as a terrorist.

Answer:
 In the US you can, but it's generally not helpful.  That type of behavior can escalate a situation and draw more attention to yourself when it's in your best interest to difuse it and have the police paying as little attention to you as possible.Answer #2: In the US it's very context dependant. If they are chasing a suspect or think someone is in danger then police can go pretty much anywhere.

Here is a flow chart that talks about the US 4th amendment

http://lawcomic.net/guide/?p=2256
 Answer #3: Yes, if a cop asks you a yes or no question, you can say no. Those as previously mentioned it doesn’t always help.

An example would be being a suspect in a crime. If you say no, you’re gonna look guilty and chances are they’ll be trying to get a warrant next.


Title: University HR is demanding a green card and refusing to accept List B & C documents for I-9

Question:
Hello
I am a permanent resident who is currently doing paper works to work as a lecturer for a University.

The problem is, this University HR is requiring me to provide a Green Card specifically and refusing my driver's license and Social security card.

Answer: Generally it’s illegal to specify which documents will be accepted.  That said, does your social security card say not valid for employment?


Title: [PA] I'm an uber driver, got pulled over by the cops driving 34 in a 30MPH zone w/ a passenger, cops now claim I am a drug dealer

Question:
So late last night I picked up a fare in Philadelphia, PA as an uber driver. The passenger wanted to make a few stops and then be let off (eventually) back at his place (where I picked him up). He told me this upfront, and I was fine with it because each stop would count as one fare and he promised the stops would each be like 5 minutes.

After the second stop I was driving on a busy road going around 34MPH when a cop puled me over. He claimed the car smelled like weed (I think he just wanted to search it as I am a black man and so was the passenger).

In the search the cop found that the passenger was carrying around 15 dimebags of weed on his person and approximately two pounds in a backpack he had in the trunk of a car, which is apparently a felony possession with intent to distribute charge around here.

The passenger was very upfront with the officer, telling them that it was his weed and that I had nothing to do with it. However, now the cops are trying to charge me with selling as well and I've pretty much been up all last night and this morning trying to deal with this shit.

For the record, had I known the passenger was selling shit I wouldn't have driven him at all, as I know driving while black is essentially a crime as it is right now, but I don't see how the cops can charge me with selling weed when I had no part in the act and had no clue it was even going on.

My question is whether there is anything I can do to defend myself. The cops said I was facing possibly over a year in prison plus a hefty fine and I can't do either. Anyway, any help is appreciated.

Answer:
 Hire a defense attorney and quit talking to the cops. Answer #2: The car reeked of weed if more than 2 lbs were in it.

Answer #3: >After the second stop I was driving on a busy road going around 34MPH when a cop puled me over. He claimed the car smelled like weed (I think he just wanted to search it as I am a black man and so was the passenger).

>In the search the cop found that the passenger was carrying around 15 dimebags of weed on his person and approximately two pounds in a backpack he had in the trunk of a car, which is apparently a felony possession with intent to distribute charge around here.

FYI: playing the race card when he obviously smelled the two pounds of reefer in your trunk just makes you look like an idiot, don't do that in court.Answer #4: Uber has an excellent driver support. Recommend contacting them.Answer #5: >My question is whether there is anything I can do to defend myself.

Hire a defense attorney.  Open up another tab and google "Philadelphia criminal defense attorney" and look for one that appeals to you; reach out tomorrow morning and see if you can get a consultation tomorrow.


Title: Employer Requesting for me to sign a Separation Agreement in order for me to get my final paycheck. (California)

Question:
I recently left my company (more than 72 hours ago) without a 3 days notice.

They sent me an email with a "Separation Agreement" in the form PDF document and told me I have to sign it in order for them to give me my final paycheck.

I know that is illegal and I wanted to ask what my steps should be in order to take legal action against my employer.

Edit: In the document, there was the amount owed to me but it was labeled as "severance". But its not a severance package. They owe me that money.

Edit #2: Thank you everyone that took their time to reply. I am grateful for your responses.

Answer:
 If they legitimately owe you the money (past wages and accrued time off) then send them a letter demanding it.  If they are offering you an additional severance above and beyond your past wages and accrued time off, they could place conditions upon your receipt of that (the money would be consideration for your signing the separation agreement).

Holding legitimately owed wages or accrued time off hostage unless you sign a "separation agreement" could indicate to the [Division of Labor Standards](http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/dlseWagesAndHours.html), that your (former) employer is acting in bad faith... which might mean treble damages.

Answer #2: I'm not a lawyer but same thing happened to me.

I filed A complaint with the labor boartd.He had to give me A days wage for every day he did not pay me as A penalty(up to 30 days)

He tried making me sign A paper,i refused,so he refused to pay me.I filed with Department of Labor and got a judgment for over $3000.00 in penalty's alone.


Title: [AZ] Signed a lease and moved into the apartment and the place is infested with cockroaches and maybe bed bugs, looking for advice on what to do

Question: Just moving in tonight and when we walked in there are cockroaches all over and bugs that look just like bed bugs. They weren't there when I looked around when I checked the place out and they should have been spraying the place. Looking for advice on how to proceed since I still have my other apartment until the end of this month so it gives me a little time

Answer:
 Here's the law in regards to landlord responsibility to a tenant in Arizona (Taken from: Arizona HB 2210, passed March 2010)

> 24 33-1319. Pest control; landlord and tenant obligations;definitions
>
> A. THE LANDLORD AND TENANT MAY AGREE IN WRITING THAT IT MAY BE IMPRACTICAL OR IMPOSSIBLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF A HOUSEHOLD PEST INFESTATION OF THE PREMISES AND THAT, EXCEPT FOR A MATERIAL MISREPRESENTATION BY EITHER THE LANDLORD OR THE TENANT, THE PARTIES AGREE TO CONDUCT MUTUAL ACTIONS TO ADDRESS ANY HOUSEHOLD PEST INFESTATION WITHOUT REGARD TO THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF THE INFESTATION.
>
>
> B. THE LANDLORD HAS THE FOLLOWING OBLIGATIONS WITH RESPECT TO A HOUSEHOLD PEST INFESTATION:

> 1. THE LANDLORD SHALL MAINTAIN THE DWELLING UNIT FREE OF AN INFESTATION OF HOUSEHOLD PESTS AND SHALL MAINTAIN THE DWELLING UNIT AS PRESCRIBED IN SECTION 33-1324.

> 2. **THE LANDLORD SHALL NOT ENTER INTO ANY LEASE AGREEMENT WITH A TENANT FOR A DWELLING UNIT THAT THE LANDLORD KNOWS TO BE INFESTED.**

> 3. ON WRITTEN NOTICE FROM THE TENANT, WITHIN FIVE DAYS THE LANDLORD OR THE LANDLORD'S LICENSED PEST CONTROL PROVIDER SHALL VISUALLY INSPECT THE DWELLING UNIT FOR HOUSEHOLD PESTS. ON EVIDENCE THAT AN INFESTATION EXISTS IN THE DWELLING UNIT, WITHIN FIVE DAYS THE LANDLORD SHALL START THE PROCESS OF MITIGATION OF THE HOUSEHOLD PESTS IN THE DWELLING UNIT.

So unless any new law in the past five years supersedes the above, what your landlord did was illegal. Consult a real estate lawyer to determine your damages. You have a case, it seems.


Title: IL - Employer Paid For Training, I'm quitting. They want to be reimbursed.

Question:
Preface this with I did sign a paper when being hired about Company paid training and reimbursement shall I leave the company within a year after receiving said training.

I understand I am probably out of luck,  but here are the facts.

Company wants to send me and another employee to get advanced training on a product we offer.    I'm told I am going.   I go,  funny enough we get to the training and the company there has no idea we were coming.   Owner never finalized the dates with them,  even though accommodations were all bought.   That being said,  this company is pretty professional and accommodates us as best as possible.   This isn't a continuing education type thing,  this isnt education that benefits me in anyway unless I'm with this company.

3 months later inform the company I am resigning.

Now its an hour before my day is over on my last day and Owner hands me paperwork about the money I owe.

Is this legal of them?   I understand in some areas if the Training is Job specific that it may not be enforceable but I was unable to locate anything on my own via google with Illinois specific laws.

Thanks for any input/advice.

Answer:
 >  I did sign a paper when being hired about Company paid training and reimbursement shall I leave the company within a year after receiving said training

> 3 months later inform the company I am resigning

They can reasonably expect you to reimburse them for your training costs.


Title: Is the school district legally obligated to provide the names of unvaccinated students? (WA)

Question: The current outbreak of Measles in western Washington has me concerned. If I request the names of the unvaccinated students is the school district legally required to provide them? My son's district has a 98% immunization rate but that still leaves about 90 kids attending school without being vaccinated. Thank you.

Answer: No.  There is no way any entity would give you a list of unvaccinated kids.Answer #2: The school cant just hand over medical records of their students to people. What would you even do with that information if you had it?


Title: Owe my roommate $1000 and making payments to her. Shes threatening to sell my stuff? What can I do?

Question:
Title is the gist of it. My old roommate moved out a year ago and I couldn't afford to be on my own at that time and my girlfriend offered to let me live with her and get back on my feet. I have found a job and am working on paying off all past debt. Girlfriend and I split but I still live in the house we rent. We had discussions about what I owe her and we agreed $1200 and for me to pay her back. I paid $150 in October, couldn't afford to last month, and this month I paid her $100 and am giving her another $150 in five days. She apparently missed 2 large car payments earlier in the year and got a repossession letter and owes them $1200. Now she is telling me I have to pay her the remaining $1000 by the end of the month or she will start selling my personal items (guitars, amplifier, etc) to make up for it.

What can I do to protect my items and is there any legal advice I can get?

Thanks.

Answer:
 You can secure or remove your items from the household to protect them.  She is not within her rights to take and sell your stuff (that'd be theft), but laws don't stop people from doing things any more than stop signs force cars to come to a stop.

If she takes your stuff, call the police and file a report.  But take steps to protect your stuff first and foremost.

When you're legally obligated to pay her the balance of the money you owe is going to come down to whatever agreements for repayment that you've made between each other.

If she were asking the question about how to get you to pay what you owe, the advice would be "sue him in small claims court," just FYI.  That's her recourse -- a lawsuit, not theft of your stuff.


Title: [Colorado] Former employer took almost $1000 out of my last paycheck for PTO they claim I took when I didn't have. The problem is that I did. They are disputing that.

Question:
The long version is this:

Our payroll department went through some transition, and by the end of it, it was a whole new department. This department continually would mess things up, leaving hours off of my paycheck or not counting my PTO correctly. Thankfully I've always kept meticulous track of it all and every dispute came back in my favor.

This final dispute is over PTO. Basically at a certain year our PTO increases. The policy itself is pretty clear, and the increase has always happened the same year for everyone to my knowledge. When the new people took over payroll, they didn't understand the policy correctly. When it came time for my PTO increase I checked with them, and they had not been counting my hours correctly with the new increase. I disputed it and received an email from them confirmed I was correct and they would resolve it. Months later a coworker asked the same question and received the same confirmation.

Fast forward to my last month, I submitted several PTO requests under the assumption that my PTO was accruing correctly. They were all approved and I took them, only to find out with my last paycheck that they claim I didn't have the pto (not only did I have it, I should have gotten paid out for a few hours leftover).

Initially payroll was willing to look into it. Now they refuse to answer my emails. One employee claimed it was her last day and stopped responding. Her boss won't respond at all. I found out from a friend that both employees still work there.

I'm not sure what I can do or what my legal rights are. They claim now that I'm interpreting the policy incorrectly. But I and another coworker have emails from them saying we interpreted correctly. Otherwise I wouldn't have taken that PTO! Any advice is appreciated, even if I'm totally out of luck here.

Answer: State department of labor will help you.  They take this type of thing very seriously From what I’ve seen. Answer #2: Have you tried going above the heads of the payroll department? They sound incompetent.


Title: (Virginia) Believed copy of contract I signed with employer was correct, followed rules outlined to quit job and look for new work, was notified copy of contract was incorrect. Employer refuses to review original contract.

Question:
3 years ago I signed & notarized a contract as a 1099 employee/independent contractor with my employeer (though I am 1099, we have an employment relationship as defined by the State of VA & IRS).  The contract included how I was to give notice and included a non-compete clause.  I was given a copy and was led to believe this was the contract I signed (copy was just printed and given to me from the boss himself and not a copy of signed original).  Upon following the rules to give notice and exploring my options for new employment within those rules of (incorrect) contract, I was then informed that the copy I received was indeed incorrect.  I have asked on 3 occasions for a copy or to just review the signed original, and was told each time that would happen, yet it still hasn't due to the employer rescheduling every time.  If employer refuses contract review, is my only option and next step to be to subpoena for the signed contract?

I don't want any trouble, I'm not even looking to get out of my contract, I'm just trying to do things correctly according to it.  I cannot move forward because my employer has stated he would seek all sorts of legal action should I not follow the rules in the signed contract, has explained to me verbally what those rules are, yet has not shown me the original and claims my copy, which he gave me, is wrong.

Answer:
 If the notice period you've given matches the only contract they have supplied and is 'reasonable' then perhaps a final letter along the lines of "I am confirming my intention to leave on <date> as per the notice requirements of the contract you supplied (see attached), communicated to you on <date>.

If this notice period is not acceptable, please respond including a copy of the signed contract which I requested on <dates> otherwise I shall assume acceptance of the given notice."


Title: Six days late paying January 1/17 rent in full? At risk of being evicted BC Tenancy Act?

Question:
Hi,

I live in British Columbia, Canada. I am going to be $200 short in paying my rent in full on January 1/17. I will though be able to pay the remaining amount on January 6/17 when I get paid.

Looking at the BC Tenancy Act, a landlord can give a 10 day notice to end tenancy if the rent is not paid in full by midnight on the day the rent is due. I do also see that the notice has to be canceled if rent is received in full within 5 days of receiving notice.

My understanding that the earliest my landlord would able to give me notice if he chose to do so would be January 2/17. Would I be safe from being evicted if I pay my rent in full on January 6/17 when I get paid?

Answer:
 Your landlord is not required to accept partial payment. If you know in advance that you're going to be late, you would be well advised to talk to your landlord and ask in advance what they'd like you to do, because if you just drop this on them with no notice, they're almost certainly going to begin the eviction process.

If you pay your rent during the first five days of your landlord's notice for nonpayment, then you will likely be fine. If your landlord's perfectly on the ball, then your notice will be delivered on the 2nd and you will have until the 6th to pay in full, or the end of the 11th to vacate. However, persistent late rent can be grounds for your landlord to ask the Residential Tenancy Branch for an eviction even if you pay in full, so don't make a habit of this.

Being late with your rent will strongly discourage your landlord from renewing your lease when it comes to its natural end.


Title: Abusive boyfriend moved out overnight and is on lease, refuses to pay rent. Am I able to sue for breaking contract + emotional damage costs? (CA, USA)

Question:
This story is rather nebulous so I will use bullets.

**The contract breaking:**

* My ex partner was emotionally abusive for several days, throwing objects in my face and lashing out in what appeared to be a several day episode of some sort of mental illness. In the past he had dragged me off a couch  by the wrist while angry. He had a history of threatening suicide. I have several witness accounts to him lashing out at me and inciting fights.
* He is on a lease with myself and two other tenants and covered 31% of rental responsibility, which is about $1k since I'm in southern CA.
* He refuses to pay for April or proceeding months because "We should have a replacement by now," however with COVID-19 bringing unemployment and distancing, finding someone financially eligible and unafraid to move into a home with strangers has been difficult.

**Emotional damages:**

* While on a weekend trip with family, he moved out without telling me, having his friend who has distinctively disliked me, come into my living space and move my things from the master bedroom into a smaller bedroom in the house.
* He discussed his plan for doing this with no tenants in the house.
* They moved highly personal items, such as a vaginal vibrator, my bed and furniture, etc. They went through the work to disassembled my bed and moved in my absence.
* That ex already has a new relationship- (thus I can only imagine the days of the lashing out were to be with that person.)
* A few weeks after his move out, her entered the home while the tenants were at work and went into my bedroom, leaving a box of photos of us and every gift I gave him
* My financial losses to the emotional anguished this caused has costed me approximately $1,200 in therapy and unpaid time-off work.
* I have a written diagnosis for major depression, panic-attack disorder and PTSD. I did not have these diagnoses prior and have been seeing the same psychologist for months leading up to this with regular touch-basis'.
* I lost approximately 18 lbs in the course of three weeks due to shock and inability to live normally.

Is there any legal option to recover these losses?

Do I have any options?
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: You need to pay the rent in full then sue him for whatever you paid on his behalf. You are not going to win any money for emotional nonsense here.


Title: Found out my company entered me incorrectly so they wouldn't have to pay me accordingly

Question: Hi, I've been with a company for nearly 3 years. I was hired as a Data Analyst (clearly says Data Analyst in the job description, I have the email and correspondence saying so). I have been a data analyst for 3 years and recently found out I was put into the system as an admin, am paid accordingly and can only get a raise based on their admin pay scale. Is this legal? Do I have any ground in a fight for better wages? Thank you.

Answer:
 Do you have an offer letter or something in writing with this pay you should have gotten? Do you not get pay stubs?

For a data analyst you're not that good at reading because you did not provide location.


Title: Apartment manager keeps raising our rent

Question:
[US, California]

This is the second month in a row that our apartment manager has raised our rent. They are providing 30 day notices of rent increases, but it seems as if this will continue for as long as we stay here. This occurred after the 6th month on the lease. We signed a one year lease at a price that seemed fair. The rent increase came as a surprise because we thought the terms of the lease would stay the same for the entire year. Now we fear the rent will become affordable if it continues in the same trend.

Is there anything I can legally do to uphold the terms of the lease? The rent increases do not come with papers to sign. They are simply notices that the apartment manager leaves at our door.

Edit: Thanks for the advice, I'm preparing a letter and making a photocopy of my lease.

Answer:
 Presuming the US: If you have a one-year lease and the rent is being raised, pay the amount in your lease. If they try to evict you, you'll have to go to court and if you have a copy of your lease, you'll presumably win.

But an easier approach is to get an attorney to write a letter to the landlord that you have a lease and it does not allow rent increases (the attorney will make sure it doesn't) and so you will be paying what you agreed to in the lease, and if they do not return rent you have paid beyond what the lease requires you will sue them for that money in small claims court.


Title: Why can't i find a truly free service to search for someone's criminal history?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Is your question really, "Why do I have to pay for services?"

Because people operate services for a living, and the payment is how people earn that living.


Title: Parental/Breastfeeding Discrimination?

Question:
First things first, this is in southern Oklahoma in case that affects answers. Also, I apologize if this is a formatting mess because I'm on mobile!

Since giving birth (Aug. 28 of last year) and coming back from leave, I've had nothing but problems with my district manager. I work retail, so there's no internal HR or anything like that to take the issue to. There was a switch in district managers over the course of my leave, which I think is why I didn't have any issues at all while pregnant.

Originally, I had okayed with my store manager and our (previous) district manager that I would bring the baby with me to work occasionally so that I wasn't having to work drastically different hours. I don't work a demanding job, no heavy lifting or dangerous conditions. My main responsibility is customer service. This worked out great for a little over a month. Customers love babies, got distracted and bought more, and I only had to break for 5-10 minutes to nurse rather than 30+ to pump. This was major because they didn't, and still haven't (2/3 months) provided a space for me to pump that isn't a bathroom.

That was red flag #1 for me.

After a while, I was told that bringing the baby to work was "illegal" and I couldn't do it anymore. It's not illegal, I've well looked into it as has my husband and store manager.

That was red flag #2.

I'm an adult, so instead of arguing I took the less hours and convoluted schedule that comes with having to always have a babysitter. A little pissed, seeing as they refused to address it further with me and made no efforts to accommodate pumping, but adult about it. I am the only employee, besides the store manager, who has been with the store since we opened (over a year now), so being completely disregarded was frustrating. Recently, the DM took a $200+ sale I had made, and fabricated a reason to write me up. Apparently, even though I convinced someone to buy $100 more in items than they originally intended, I was not assisting them at all and had poor customer service. The coworker on shift with me tried to argue for me, because I was solely responsible for a major sale, but I received a "final write up".

Red flag number #3.

Within the last week we had a freeze which made it impossible for my aunt, and only babysitter, to safely pickup the baby. After okaying it with my store manager, I brought the baby to work until we could find someone to cover the shift. Literally my only other option was to be a no show, and leave someone stuck in the store by themselves. This resulted in me finding out today, that the DM is demanding I be fired or put in my two weeks.

Finish line?

I'm at a complete loss here as I have no job lined up. I would rather quit than get fired for job finding reasons, but then I don't know that I can collect unemployment while searching for another job. I'm in the middle of moving, with my husband's grandmother in the hospital, and can't really afford to be out of work at all. I feel like I don't have a case for discrimination, because even though the dm is very loudly childfree and all issues seem to revolve around me being a new parent, I don't have any evidence.

I'm in serious need of advice, and even the littlest bit would be appreciated. I know I need to file a complaint over the lack of breastfeeding accommodation, but that's about all I know to do right now.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 > After a while, I was told that bringing the baby to work was "illegal" and I couldn't do it anymore. It's not illegal, I've well looked into it as has my husband and store manager.

You are correct that it is not "illegal," but it is very likely an insurance and liability concern. It is also not discrimination for you to be terminated when you bring the baby after being told not to.

How many employees does the business have? It appears that a pumping space that is not a bathroom must be provided by companies with 50 or more employees.Answer #2: As someone who has been in retail for a decade or so, I think it's completely unreasonable to bring your baby to work with you.  It's simply not possible to do your job completely and effectively while also caring for an infant.  What happens when he cries, or is sick?
  You have to abandon whatever customer you're helping. I'd be pretty pissed at my manager if he allowed a coworker to do that.Answer #3: I would definitely say it's getting to the point where you could justify having a consult with an attorney.

Everything you'd need to know about EEOC can be found here: https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/pregnancy_guidance.cfm


Title: Can transgender men not apply for the draft

Question: With the announcement of ban on all transgenders from the military does this mean males who identify as female be barred from applying and being part of the draft? Does this mean you can't be drafted or counted as registered without being kicked out of federal aid programs?

Answer:
 So far there has only been a tweet, so who knows.

If there is actually some rule change it will become more clear.Answer #2: Trans man here, and you mean trans women.

Trans women (Male to female) must sign up for the draft when they come of age unless they got their gender marker changed before that period of time. To get your gender marker change varies by state but does include at least starting your transition. When they get their marker changed for the most part it seems that the draft could not take them but I've never heard of anyone having to withdraw themselves.

As for trans men (female to male). You must register for the draft when you change your gender marker or get a waiver if you are older. Failure to do either of these can get you in trouble.


Title: Is it legal to breastfeed adult men in public?

Question: As always this is completely hypothetical, but hear me out.  There are lots of states that explicitly exempt breastfeeding moms from public indecency and nudity laws. Do said laws specify that the breastfeeding mother has to be breastfeeding her natural-born offspring or can any breastfeeding mother in these states breastfeed anyone in public.?

Answer: NAL but I went to spot check some state laws on the subject. Some states say things like “the mother’s own child”, some say “a child”, some “an infant” or “a baby”, etc. I don’t know whether “mother’s own” included adopted children or not. All of them that I’ve seen say “child” or “infant” or “baby”. I’m honestly a little surprised more don’t have upper age limits, given how controversial extended breastfeeding is. But I think it’s safe to assume a grown man isn’t described by that language.


Title: Is there any way to get records from "debt collection" that keeps calling and won't provide info?

Question:
In NY, for the bot.

Basically, the problem is I'm getting repeated debt collection calls, from various numbers, for another individual (a man).  They have refused to believe that I have no knowledge of this individual.  They have also said they will only talk to the individual named to provide the company's information.  So I cannot get any company name or address out of them, only demands that I "put Thomas on the phone."

I have some good reasons not to change my number right now.  I know normally the next step would be to send a letter but I have nowhere to send it to.  Any advice?

Answer:
 $20 for an Olympus TP8 in-ear telephone mic plugged into a digital recorder or your computer will give you good recording quality.  NY is one-party consent for recording, you don't even have to tell them.  Don't.  Keep them on the phone, reiterate that it's a wrong number and they continually harass you, get them to respond.  Keep notes and print phone records.

I am a debt collector.  I can't stand shady agencies.  Document, record, and hand it all over to an attorney.  They are breaking FDCPA and TCPA and you should get a nice check.


Title: Car accident, three car pile up. Person who caused the accident doesn't have enough coverage. CA

Question: I was rear ended a couple of months ago on the freeway. The car behind me was hit from behind, and pushed into me. The person at fault only has liability insurance and doesn't have enough coverage to repair both vehicles plus rental fees ect. The person's insurance company is only offering me $947, however my cheapest quote for just the damage is $2300. Should I get a lawyer, or file small claims myself? How much, or what can I sue him for? When I win, how fast do I receive the money?

Answer:
 > Should I get a lawyer, or file small claims myself?

Small claims.

> How much, or what can I sue him for?

Whatever your repair bill is minus the insurance payout.

> When I win, how fast do I receive the money?

Correction, If you win. When he can pay it. If he has no money, you can't pull it from the magical money tree.


Title: Scratched classmates bumper and offered to have dad/his shop fix it but she's asking for $1,000

Question:
(San Diego County, California)

On Wednesday morning, I was pulling into a parking space with my new (used) car and hit the right corner of my classmate's back bumper (black Chevy SUV). We inspected the damage and saw that it there were no dents - just some of the clear coat came off and some paint scratches below that. I actually had to point out the damage to her, lol. Anyway, she said six months ago, she got her car scratched and had to replace the whole bumper, which was a $1,000 deductible, supposedly. This seems odd since it is only a paint issue. My father and I offered to fix her car for her since he is a mechanic and also works at a body shop that is associated with AAA (my insurance as well as hers). She does not have my insurance info, just a pic of my license. I have in writing (email) that she has refused my dad's offer to fix her car. She thinks that they would cut corners and do a cheap job - I was told by other classmates that it's illegal for a body shop to cut corners or something. She asked for $1,000 in cash to cover her deductible. Today, she texted me that she sent pics of the damage to her insurance and they estimated it at over $1,000 in damages. Supposedly her insurance wants her to go to the Chevy dealership.

I have asked her for proof of deductible as well as proof of estimate including a description of the damage she told to her insurance.

My classmates saw pics of the scratches. One of them, who's been in small claims court before, said that I should let her eventually take me to small claims court because a judge would agree with me that my dad can fix the car and that she should accept that offer.

What do y'all think? I don't really have the money since I have had a lot of medical expenses this year. I'm also a broke college student on my dad's insurance plan. The classmate whose car I hit is pressuring me for an answer today. She said "It looks like the work is going to be well over $1,000. If you would like, you can pay my deductible which is $1,000 and we can be done with this. If not, I will have to report it to my insurance today. I hope understand.  I need to move as quickly as possible, as 2 days have already passed."

Answer:
 In CA she has the right to choose what body shop she goes to. She does not have to use your dad.

If you do not have the money to settle outside your insurance, then tell her to file against your insurance. That is what liability and property damage insurance is for. Your rates will likely increase.


Title: Is it legal, after a relative passes away, for a bank official to count what's in the safety deposit box before turning over it's contents to you? What's the point of a safety deposit box if this is legal?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 What does the rental agreement say?

 There is probably a clause that if the bank has to open the box, they must make an inventory of its contents. This would protect them from having someone come back later saying that something was missing.


Title: [California, US] Aunt trying to change granddad's will

Question:
My granddad has a will that has his current home split between his children when he dies, he's not dead yet but my aunt (who has power of attorney) seems like she's trying to get him to change it from being divided between my mom and her to solely her.

He has not been diagnosed with it but my granddad seems to be like early stage Alzheimer's and rarely talks or says what's on his mind if anything (we don't really know). He seems like he can be easily influenced at this state and it's kind of like taking advantage of the elderly to me. Any advice or steps I should take would be extremely helpful as I've heard of stories like this where it did not end well.

Answer:
 Contact Adult protective services. Explain your concerns and they will investigate.

If you think your GF cant care for himself you can also petition the court to be his guardian. Though this will require a Doctor declare him as such. If you have him diagnosed now too it would be easier to challenge any changes to the will later as you'd have proof of his diminished capacity.


Title: [ON] employer gave me a raise on condition that I stay at the company 2 more years. Is this enforceable?

Question:
My employer (Ontario, Canada) gave me a raise off-cycle and without me requesting the raise. The "catch" is that I commit to staying at the company for another 24 months, and don't get fired with cause. If I either quit or get fired with cause, I have to pay back the difference between my raise and my previous salary.

While I imagine I will stay for 24 months, and honestly am as certain as can be that I will not be fired, what happens if I do get another opportunity elsewhere? Is this clause actually enforceable, or just a "scare tactic"?

Answer:
 This sounds like a liquidated damages clause: if you quit, or if you get yourself fired for cause, then your employer asserts that they will suffer damages that are difficult or impossible to assess, and that the amount specified in the agreement will be presumed to adequately redress them.

There are a bunch of ways to challenge a liquidated damages clause, in any agreement: for example, if the clause is not a fair estimate of damages actually incurred, it may be unenforceable. _Separately_, a liquidated damages clause that's assessed based on an employee's accrued wages is probably unconscionable, and unenforceable as such: the Province tends to frown on employers attempting to subvert the Employment Standards Act. Your wages may not be reduced retroactively, no matter how your employer attempts to reword what they're doing.

Realistically, you should consult with an employment lawyer before you quit, or if you're fired. It'll cost a couple hundred bucks, but it'll give you a much, much more accurate picture of how enforceable that clause is, and of your options for challenging it. If your employer attempts to deduct that amount from your wages directly without your written consent, file a wage claim with the Ontario Ministry of Labour's Employment Standards department: employers may not deduct debts owed to the business from employees' wages.


Title: (ANNONYMOUS)My sister(F 21) and her boyfriend(M 28) won't care for their daughter(F 10MO), my niece. I'm younger than both, they're addicts. Help?

Question:
(this post is not mine. I offered this girl to post it here since she does not have a reddit accounr and this is my throwaway anyway. she posted it on facebook originally)

okay, so I am in a bit of a double whammy, as this is DOUBLE EXHAUSTING.

tl;dr at bottom.
(it's a long read I know, I apologize)

#1. My fiancee and I keep my sister's little girl ( 10 months old), 5 days a week. We literally moved states to "help with her". She lives at our house, her crib is here, all her things, her clothes, etc. We raise her, then two days a week, I drive 3 hours for her to see her parents. They aren't together and do not communicate, as my sister is in a new relationship and he wouldn't stop sending unsolicited dick pics to her. They do both have full time jobs, and do not pay us to watch her at all.

RECENTLY, the father had the AUDACITY to complain that we ask him for "so much". I asked him to buy her diapers and he said " If you guys really can't go get that for her, I guess I could try if I have time". HE LIVES W HIS MOM AND MAKES 80,000 a year.  We text him when she doesn't have diapers or formula SOMETIMES, and I  calculated it out, he buys around 25% of her stuff. If I ask either of them for anything, they get pissy. If I come across as rude to him, he says " well I can just get my parents to watch her then (THEY are 65 year olds with health problems). If I ask my sister, she does the same. I asked her for a little money once and she said " why pay you when I could find someone else to do it for free???" They both have addiction problems, her being that she's an alcoholic and his being that he is a gambling addict. She's 21 and he is 28. I am her LITTLE sister, ya'll.

They both get really shitty with me frequently, saying shitty things, and undermining my ability to care for their child. ( I cared for her from 0-2 months, then 4 months- 10 months now, so the majority of her life). THIS IS THE HAPPIEST, SWEETEST, MOST WELL CARED FOR BABY YOU HAVE EVEE SEEN, I PROMISE.

 He says he will be here at 11, and gets here at 2 or 3. He brings her back in the same clothes ( it KILLS me) and she always comes home with a rash. She doesn't even stay the night with my sister often, and when she does, I have to come pick her up.

I recently got papers signed and notorized saying I can get her medical care of any sort if necessary because she is 2 months behind on check ups.

My problem is, I love my niece more than life. More than anything in this world. We are her home, and she is practically our child at this point. It isn't about the money. Getting paid would be helpful and nice but isn't my main priority unfortunately.  I just want a way to feel respected and still get to keep and see my niece.

Neither of them will go to court for custody agreements, and neither is paying any kind of child support. I am living off of savings and odd jobs, as well as help from my mother.

I am stuck and while keeping the baby has lowered my depression significantly, her parents have spiked my anxiety through the roof. My self harm habits aren't back, but my trichotillomania and nail biting are out of control! 😔

(edit she added later in comments): update: I forgot to mention he can't keep her alone because he stopped taking his seizure medication consistently, and started drinking while taking it, and had a seizure while driving with her in the car. He has a down time of 10 hours after seizures.

There was a time period where he didn't see her, which was MY choice, because he was giving her adult melatonin so she would sleep more. She has a perfectly set sleeping pattern, and sleeps 9 hours a night, from 9 pm to 6 am. sometimes until 8.

We ended up having to take her to the ER, because she was sick. He was giving her sleeping medicine NOT RECOMMENDED for anyone under 6 (per the label), instead of caring for her when she was sick.

We just got back to where he sees her on Friday nights and, Saturday- but he will ignore my texts and not tell me when he plans on having her back, just shows up. Legal action is looking more and more like the right choice.

tl;dr I keep my niece because her parents won't act like grown ups. They provide for her minimally, but do not allow me to ask for any kind of help. How do I speak up, without losing my niece?

Answer:
 If the child is not being cared for your option is to call CPSAnswer #2: Colorado law allows for third party custody when the child is not living with the parents.  You need to retain a family law attorney and seek custody and child support for your niece.Answer #3: I am a CPS investigator.

Because you are aware the father has purposely overdosed the child with medications not suitable for infants and that *both* parents are not providing adequately for the child’s basic needs, your first step should be to contact child protective services. You can find your state on this list and call the appropriate number:

https://www.childwelfare.gov/organizations/?CWIGFunctionsaction=rols:main.dspList&rolType=Custom&RS_ID=%205

Your second step should be to file an emergency guardianship for the child. You could do this without an attorney, but I would recommend hiring one to best represent your interests. Start documenting everything you have done for the child now and continue to do so. Good luck.Answer #4: Talk to CPS.Answer #5: Contact a family law attorney as soon as possible to sue for custody.  In the meantime keep records of all conversations with the biological parents and keep receipts for everything you buy her.  That way you can prove you are the de facto parent.

Do you live with your mom, the child’s grandma?

And does your fiancé have a stable income and willingness to support you and your niece?  I know you said you work odd jobs, but you don’t want any judge worried about your ability to provide for the child.


Title: I found a grey hair in tim hortons bagel. Can I sue them?

Question:
I have the bagel and pictures as well.
Topic:
Canada

Answer: What color hair did you order?Answer #2: You can get a refund, that's it.


Title: (AZ) Doctor dropped me as a patient

Question:
Hey /r/legaladvice!

I’ve been dealing with a bad doctor mishandling a chronic illness. Due to the fact that I was out on short term disability and my case manager stated I had to stay with that doctor, I remained but filed a complaint with the medical board of Arizona, as he was continually subjecting me to medication he knew I was allergic to, giving me a diagnosis and then removing it from office visit notes and records and delaying my claim to the point that it caused financial hardship. (That’s improved since)

I recently got a letter stating they were dropping me as a patient due to the complaint (ok) and that my new doctor must be chosen by August 10th or they’re shipping me my records and will not respond to a request for records after that time. They’re also refusing to renew my prescriptions. My works insurance forces us to go through an online prescription service or pay out the ass for prescriptions in a pharmacy. The online service has been contacting their office for the prescriptions to be renewed and the office is refusing or will hang up the phone shortly after they say who they’re calling about. I have a supply of all medication except my rescue injections, which I have no more of. I need them in order to continue functioning normally at work.

My appointment at my new doctor isn’t for another month (earliest appointment for this specialty). What can be done here?

Location: Arizona

Answer:
 There is no legal solution to anything you’ve written about. Answer #2: > I recently got a letter stating they were dropping me as a patient due to the complaint

You have a letter which explicitly says that they are dropping you as a patient due to your complaint to the Medical Board?

I would send that letter to the medical board that you complained to.

There are many instances in which it is illegal to retaliate against a person for making an official complaint.

I'm just not sure if this is one of those cases.