Title: USA- Ohio - Hired as a civilian employee for police department, one week in they tell me I have to shave my beard

Question:
Yes, I know this is ridiculous as I type it, but hear me out.

I got a job dispatching for a police department on a lateral basis meaning I carry my previous experience in with me (and I start at a higher pay rate).  I met with them several times prior to orientation and starting the training and ALWAYS had a beard (I have not NOT had a beard in over a decade).

I am on the last day of the first week of training when my trainer asks me if anyone had talked to me about the beard.  I said no, and she advised me "They aren't real big on beards here."  I asked if I had to shave it and she said yes.

During none of our interviews or meetings prior to this did they tell me that was a condition of employment that I couldn't have a beard.  I read the SOPs and nowhere in there is a beard specifically prohibited for civilian employees, just officers.

I didn't make a stink, I just asked the trainer to get confirmation from the commander (I am still waiting to hear back, probably Monday morning).

Again, I know how ridiculous this sounds and I will comply if I absolutely have to.  It's just that my kids have literally never seen me without a beard and to be completely frank I am about a 6 with a beard and a 3 without one.  And I am newly single.  I need all the help i can get.

Is this something I need to get with my union about or should I suck it up and not risk what is a great opportunity for me?

Thanks for reading.
Topic:
Labor Law (Unions)

Answer:
 You can shave your beard or not. They can continue to employ you or not. Answer #2: I think maybe your trainer is simply mistaken about the requirements.  As someone who probably doesn't face the public in the course of your duties I don't see a reason why they would care as long as you keep your beard maintained properly and don't look like a hobo.

If I was you and they come back saying that you need to shave I would just express that you are a little confused why it didn't come up sooner and ask if there is a written policy for you to reference.  As long as you are respectful I doubt it would be a problem.

You could ask your union rep but I wouldn't do that unless it is absolutely necessary.Answer #3: Has your dermatologist ever noticed that shaving may irritate your skin and this your beard is actually a medical necessity. Might want to consider that path.

I have never seen my husbands naked face. I’m curious, but omg what if it freaks me out! Ha. so I totally get what you are saying.


Title: VA; boss emailed upper management due to rumor

Question:
My boss emailed corporate that someone notified her I was going above her head. I have and am not going above her head. Both of us put in for the same promotion (she is the interim supervisor) and with interviews being scheduled this month I feel that once the liar is put into their place, the email to corporate damages my chances for a promotion. I want to file charges for defamation against her because she won't say who actually is spreading the rumors. I feel as if I'm being targeted. Do I file slander charges against her (she sent the email) or against the unknown coworker (unknown coworker verbally spread lies about me).

These rumors are gross misconduct that couldn't just cost me a promotion but even my job. Please help.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Do you still want the job? Because this is a fantastic way to make sure you never get it.


Title: Discriminated against by Fannie Mae.

Question:
I am in the process of home buying right now. I put in an offer on a Foreclosure that Fannie Mae has and was denied the right to buy the house because they do not believe I will be living in the home.

I have provided every piece of evidence that they wanted and I am still not allowed to buy this property. Their reason is that I have other houses in the area (true i am an investor).

Do I have any case?

Answer: You don't have a right to buy a home, even under the FHA and HUD mortgage programs. How on earth do you believe you were discriminated against?


Title: PayPal Chargeback

Question:
Purchased a jacket from a British website. It comes in many colours, but the one I like best is hard to find. Finally found it on this w white, purchased it, received a different colour. Contacted the website's support and they're not responding. I live in Australia, the website is UK based. Can I chargeback through PayPal? If so, im assuming I have to ship the item back. If I ship it back, do I have to pay for it or does the seller?

EDIT

Thanks everyone, I've decided I'll continue to try and get them to respond as some of you suggested, give them a week, then chargeback on PayPal if they still haven't responded.

EDIT 2

After 6 days I emailed them again, mentioning a chargeback, they responded within an hour and attached a shipping label to the email.

Answer: Paypal is extremely on the buyer's side. To a scary degree. They will help you out.Answer #2: Which website? Read their return policy.


Title: MAJOR work dilemma

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Stop dealing drugs would be a good start.Answer #2: What do you mean, what can you do?  Report her immediately.

As an aside, it is a felony to sell your prescription medication to anyone else.  That's known in the biz as "dealing drugs."Answer #3: You were dealing drugs. What do you expect?   I would suggest you quit and put the whole thing behind you. Literally never step foot in that office or speak to anybody who worked there ever again. And say nothing to the police if they want to talk to you.Answer #4: Legal advice:  Don't sell prescription drugs ever again, and never speak of this to anyone other than a lawyer you've hired because you committed a felony.

General Advice:  Keep your Adderall at home, never discuss this with anyone, and hope you don't get caught.  I can say with 99% certainty you'll get fired if they find out you were dealing drugs at work.  I'd put it at 50/50 that they call the cops to report it to make sure you can't try to claim discrimination later either.  Stealing your meds is bad, selling them is worse.  If I'm forced to only fire one of you two, it's going to be you.


Title: My heroin addict brother has been getting citations in my name, using my info. Started with fare evasion but now felony possession charge (SF)

Question:
A little backstory, I’m the eldest and he was born a few years after me. We don’t look alike, he’s taller and bigger in general, lighter hair etc. he’s been in a lot of trouble, been to jail a bunch and is on probation.

He must have an old ID of mine or something. He takes the BART train but doesn’t pay, and gets caught giving them my info and I get tickets in the mail. My poor mom has been paying these off unknown to me but I have recently received a citation for felony possession charge on which I have to appear in court in a couple weeks.

What do I do?

Answer: You need an attorney!


Title: Jury duty with a judge making a political statement (Ohio)

Question:
I am "on call" for jury duty this month and next in my smallish Ohio town for municipal court. I haven't been called yet but I almost certainly will be at some point. I've been through voir dire once before when I lived in another state and I've been trying to remember the types of questions we got asked but I don't remember anything about the judge in particular (except maybe if we knew him personally?).

The two municipal court judges in my town were recently in the (local) news because they have stopped performing marriages of any kind. It is clearly a political issue for them as one was quoted as saying that same sex marriage is "a complex issue" and that they have ceased performing any marriages until they figure out whether they can just perform just some (i.e. straight) marriages or whether they would have to perform all marriages. The news article stated that both judges were in agreement on this, though only one was quoted.

I think this is bullshit but I have to assume what they're doing is legal. My question is, does this make me a bad juror to serve in a case in one of their courtrooms? Do the judge's very public political views have any effect on how the courtroom is run? Or does it make no difference?

I am not trying to get out of my civic duty, this is not about that. I am just wondering if I can serve effectively as a juror with a judge I don't trust to be unbiased. Or am I just overthinking it?

Answer:
 How would (or should) your opinion of the *judge* affect your ability to weigh evidence and consider a verdict?

I'll bet at least one NFL referee beats his wife, from a statistical standpoint.  It doesn't invalidate his treatment of the game.

And it's a risky move to bring this up during voir dire...  It could get the judge pissed off at you, which is not a good thing.  If it came up in questioning by the attorneys, I'd still consider soft-peddling it, myself.


Title: [Daly City, CA] Parents gave the vacancy notice to our landlord. Landlord says that our lease terminates on December 1st, 2017. Contract says December 1st, 2016. Calls it a typo.

Question:
Landlord says that he will take us to court because we are violating our contract. Seeking advice for my parents since they aren't the smartest bunch...
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: So when did they originally sign the contract? Because if it was November 2015, then the contract probably has the correct date and they are currently month to month tenants. But if it was November 2016 then your landlord is right.


Title: I have 10 days to join the family business or give up my rights to the Intellectual Property Rights of my deceased grandmother's books.

Question:
Perfunctory throw-away account. My grandmother passed away and left a Will and Trust, where each of her children receive equal portions of her remaining cash assets and a stake in the IP of her still-published books. Because my mother passed away, my siblings and I each split her portion.

We received a letter from the lawyer in March and again in July, stating that we had to opt in or out "to the formation of a business that would attempt to market and/or publish her books and artwork" by casting a "vote". If I vote yes, I will have to make an upfront investment and "there may be additional out of pocket expenses incurred that I would be personally responsible for." If I vote no, then I give up my inherited rights to her IP and any future money from ongoing sales of her books. The letter states that I HAVE TO choose, sign, and return this document by July 15th. I will not receive my portion of the cash inheritance until signing this document.

So here's the problem: No one (my siblings or other aunts/uncles) WANTS to start a family business to market her books EXCEPT my Uncle, who is the sole executor of my grandmother's estate. We are at the final stage of dealing with her estate. All material assets have been sold. All that remains should be the dissemination of the cash. But her IP is important. Even though the Will states we are all entitled to inherit IP rights and cash assets, the Trust states my Uncle has sole discretion on how to manage everything. There is nothing in writing about starting a new business.

This entire process is very messy. Everyone is triggered by the fact that my Uncle is keeping this going. Important fact: he has earned tens of thousands of dollars (as has the lawyer) from the estate for managing it. He wants to start the business and is requiring seed money, so he can continue paying himself and the lawyer to manage my grandmother's affairs. He could choose to make the final payment and keep her IP in the trust, but there is no ongoing profit in managing that.

When we asked the lawyer to answer specific questions about the business, he said he didn't have any answers and was simply told what to write (my Uncle has been paying him to do everything an executor should do, because he "doesn't like doing it"). When we asked my Uncle, he pretended that he had no idea where the idea for a business came from. His siblings hadn't heard anything about starting a family business until the first letter from the lawyer arrived and are pissssed. My Uncle now refuses to take anyone's phone calls and says we have to talk directly to the lawyer.

There is no business plan. They don't have any financial information (example: past profit from the sales of her books). There is no communication at all, with the exception of the lawyer, who says he doesn't have any of the answers regarding the new family business. My Uncle is the only one who has signed the document "voting" yes on the new business. Everyone else has refused to sign. We don't know what will happen if we don't sign.

I don't want to lose my IP rights. I've already talked with a Business Consultant who says there isn't enough information presently to make an informed decision as an investor.

Fuck, I feel so lost.

Answer: You and the rest of the family can all pitch in to hire your own attorney. An executor doesn't get to make up conditions like that, unless there is something strange in the will.


Title: Frontier Airlines Not Offering a Single Flight at Advertised Price

Question:
Frontier Airlines is currently advertising a sale of deeply discounted prices. They're actually really good prices, and if you're considering traveling, I'd suggest checking them out. But on their site [here](https://www.flyfrontier.com/deals/flight-sales/), they're advertising flights from Chicago to Denver for $39. The terms are:

> "$39-Purchase by 09/17/2018. Valid for nonstop domestic travel on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. 7 day advance purchase applies. The following blackout dates apply: Nov. 16-26, 2018; Dec. 20, 2018 – Jan. 6, 20
Fares are one way and do not require roundtrip purchase.

Fare(s) shown includes all transportation fees, surcharges and taxes, and are subject to change without notice.  Seats are limited at these fares and certain flights and/or days of travel may be unavailable.

Depending on the fare type purchased, nonrefundable tickets may be transferred for a fee of up to $75, or reissued for alternate flights for a fee of up to $99, as well as a possible fare increase. The name change fee and itinerary change fee are not exclusive of each other. Previously purchased tickets may not be exchanged for these special fare tickets. Flight segment(s) must be cancelled prior to scheduled departure time or the ticket(s) and all monies will be forfeited.

Tickets purchased at FlyFrontier.com or by calling Frontier’s reservations centers must be paid for at the time the reservation is made, you may request a full refund up to 24 hours after the time of purchase, if the purchase is made 7 days (168 hours) or more prior to your flight's departure. This ticket may be canceled and refunded at the My Trips section on FlyFrontier.com.  Additional travel services, such as baggage and advance seat assignments are available for purchase separately at an additional charge. Fares include all transportation fees, surcharges and taxes, and are subject to change without notice. Some markets do not offer daily service. Schedules are subject to change without notice. Flights are operated by Frontier Airlines. Other restrictions may apply.

So I checked on their site for flights from Chi Town to the Mile High City, on Tuesday and Wednesdays, on non-blacked-out days, and there was nothing. The cheapest flight was $69.

I called into Frontier support and the guy offered me a fare of $43 for a single day in October, I think the 4th. He said there was no fares for $39 available. When I asked him why the ad was still up, he said because seats are limited and they sold out. When I asked him why the ads weren't updated after seats sold up, he paused for a long time and just said that the sale is subject to terms and conditions. I thanked him and hung up.

Spirit runs sales like these too, but the second that the seats sell out, the ads on their website are automatically updated. It actually just happened to me as I was trying to book another flight - the ad changed a flight from $24 to $56 while I was in the middle of trying to book it. It was frustrating but I appreciate their honesty.

Is this false advertising? Can they say they have a sale going for $39 seats on a flight when there's literally none available?

Answer:
 No. A company doesn’t have to pull down their ads when the advertised price sells out.

If they didn’t sell any seats at $39 that could be problematic. If the best prices are sold out but the sale continues there likely isn’t a problem.


Title: Appeal termination

Question: I was a Genius Bar technician and was recently terminated from Apple. I was in a Genius Bar appointment with a customer, I had her phone she was right in front of me and texts kept coming through and it was getting in the way of me running diagnostics. I sent a text saying “bro she’s getting her phone fixed at the Apple store, chill.” About a week later the customer came back into the Apple store and complained it was invasion of privacy. The customer knew all the messages were coming in, but I’m not sure she knew I replied. Shortly after the managers called me in and talked to me about it. Two weeks later I was terminated. Is there any way I can appeal this? It was the only offense I had in the 10 months I worked there, I would have thought they would at least put me on probation, or documented coaching before termination. Any advice would helpful. Thanks!

Answer:
 You should have handed the phone back to the customer and explained that it was distracting you from what you needed to do and to please ask this person to stop texting you. It was poor judgement to send a text yourself. Even in Montana it's legal to fire somebody for showing poor judgement. File for unemployment and look for a new job.Answer #2: Assuming you are in any of 49 US states, you can be terminated for no reason at all. However, sending a text from a customer's phone could be considered a good reason for termination. Answer #3: > Any advice would helpful.

File for unemployment, look for a new job, and don't text from customer's phones.Answer #4: There is no requirement that an employer put you on probation or coach you prior to terminating you.

What you did shows such a fundamental lack of character and sense that your management probably decided it wasn't even worth bothering to try and save you.


Title: Apparently in 09 I sold LSD to a police informant...

Question:
I got a call from my mom last night. A detective came in and searched the house. My mom put him on the phone. He claimed that in early 2009 (or possibly 2011, they told me '09 and my mom '11). I supposedly sold LSD to someone working for them. He did not specify if it was an undercover or just an informant. He told me there is a warrant for my arrest in that county. I'm away at college right now, I'm planning on turning myself in next week (during the study period before exams). He said that I should have a bondsman lined up, turn myself in, get out and call him. It seems super sketchy. He implied that he wanted me to work for them.

The thing is, I have not sold LSD to anyone, ever.
This is all I know of the situation. What should/can I do? I'm low income and cannot afford a good lawyer.

edit: I'm in TN. Warrant is in middle TN. I'm in East TN.

Edit 2: If its 09, I haven't a goddamn clue. I just remembered, if its in 2011, I was with a buddy who may have or not sold something to a person. That's all I can come up with. I haven't heard from or have been able to talk to said buddy. Maybe what happened to me happened to him and he turned himself in? But that's as close to selling LSD as I've ever come.

Sorry for typos, I'm on my phone and train of thought whatnots.

edit 3: Mom called the bondsman, he said it's a sealed indictment. Apparently in my hometown, they've issued over 60 at that time. He also hinted that the detective guy was probably bullshitting. I'll just have to see when I get there.

Answer:
 To add on to what's already been said, don't you dare answer a single question beyond confirming your identification without an attorney present. Period. This is a serious charge, and because the date was so long ago, there are plenty of fuzzy memories to screw things up even more. It is VITALLY important that you do not speak without an attorney present. I can't stress that enough.

You also need to be aware that you have a warrant out for your arrest, and if you are pulled over while driving, you will be arrested and held for at least a few days, without bond, until the jurisdiction that has the warrant comes and gets you. You shouldn't drive. Roadblocks can be a problem too. Have someone come and pick you up from school.


Title: HOA False Claims

Question: I live in a home with a Homeowners Association in IL and just received a letter claiming that I have outstanding assessment late fees and other violations on my account. This is the first time that I have been made aware of this and it is completely false. I've never received any violations or letters in the mail until today. So, I called the management company and they were of no help. They were acting dumb, as usual. I have a neighbor that is on the board and he is a real pain in the butt. He has a vendetta against me for no apparent reason. And I have had problems with him in the past. I'm not sure if the letter has anything to do with him but what can I do to fight back?

Answer:
 First, write a letter stating that you dispute the alleged debt and ask for an itemized accounting of what they allege you owe.

If you are current on your payments and aren't violating any of the CC&Rs, you shouldn't have a problem.


Title: Neighbor claims my home sits over the property line into their land.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If the house has been sitting over the property line for that long, it's pretty much a certainty that what's called "Adverse possession" would apply. This means that the property has been utilized openly and notoriously for a long enough period of time that the title can be changed to the possessor rather than the original title holder. The neighbor who owned the "invaded" land knew about it and failed to take action to remedy it, which is the requirement for a viable possession claim.

It's also entirely possible your neighbor is full of crap. For some reason, people make claims like this all the time without it being factually true. By the '80s and '90s the human species had developed pretty dang accurate surveying ability, and there are codes that determine how much of an offset an addition would need to be from a property line. It's unlikely that an addition was just slapped on and intruded into another property without anyone noticing or caring.


Title: My superior told me somebody made a complaint about me and HR will be conducting an investigation. What are my options?

Question:
I am a manager and apparently one of my direct reports stated I asked questions that made her feel uncomfortable. About 9 years ago when I was promoted to a manager one of my teammates was very upset I was promoted over her. She was insubordinate and very difficult to work with since she had to report to me. Eventually she made a false sexual harassment claim against me and the trauma it caused me is something I will never forget. I took a class and was warned that "behavior" was not tolerated, even though the HR investigator said I had done nothing wrong.

I am scared and heart-broken about having to go through what I went through before. I am completely innocent and the person making this claim had an emotional outburst earlier today that I think lead her to make this false claim. I did nothing 9 years ago because I had never been in a situation like that before and I was pretty much in shock for a few weeks. This time I want to fight this and not let HR make me feel like a criminal. I fully understand support the need to prevent sexual harassment, but I feel like as the accused I am completely helpless with no options at all to defend myself.

Is there anything I can do at all?

I am in Texas.

Answer: You can cooperate with the investigation, tell the truth/your side of the story, and get it over with. It happens


Title: Signed a years lease. Landlord wants to move back into condo because he broke up with partner. What are my rights? [USA/GEORGIA]

Question: I signed a years lease in October with a mutual friend. It's a furnished condo owned by him. He moved in with his partner and now they broke up and he wants me to move out. I haven't violated any lease terms & there is nothing in the lease we signed about 'One day I may want to move back in.' We are going to have a talk about it Monday & I kind of want to be aware of my rights before we have the conversation and if he proceeds to illegally what I can do.

Answer: Sounds like a nice opportunity to ask for him to pay for your moving expenses plus some cash to leave.Answer #2: As long as your lease specifies that you rent the entire unit and not just a room then you can tell him where to stuff it.


Title: Lawyers of Reddit... Interviewer potentially asked illegal question. What do I do?

Question:
This had already happened and I answered the question not knowing at the time that it was illegal, although I felt uncomfortable and I think it may have affected the decision. Here's the scoop:

This was the third interview with this company. Previous two went well. This third one was with the CEO of the company, who asked me if I had any health conditions. After hesitating a moment I thought honesty to be best and I informed him that, while adequately maintaining with medication, I have panic disorder. He asked a bit more about it (like, is it triggered by anything? ) and I explained what it is a little more and reiterated again that I'm well medicated and I have never missed work.

I could very well be wrong, but I thought the interview was going well up until that point and the whole thing ended with a very ambiguous, "thanks for talking to me, have a good weekend." I've had their HR manager call me after the second interview and tell me this last one was basically just to have the CEO sign off on me and that they'd likely offer me the job.

I'm not sure what to do.

FYI this was about 2 hours ago at this point.  Do I have anything to worry about?

Edit: I am in Virginia

Edit 2: typo

Answer:
 Well, you don't know whether you got the job, for starters.  So there is nothing to do right now.

Second, no question is "illegal."  Discriminating on the basis of a legally-recognized disability is illegal.  A panic disorder may or may not qualify.

Third, it's exceedingly difficult to prove that if you don't get hired, this is why.  But by all means, you can go see an employment lawyer if you wish if you don't get the job.


Title: 3 children are in a grandfather's will to receive a house that 1 of the children built for them. Is there hope to keep the house in the family instead of selling it off?

Question:
WA, USA here. My mother is one of 3 children, and functions as sort of the hub mom: she is the most successful of the 3, and takes care of the other 2 constantly (both siblings work(ed) at my mother's company) with nothing in return. They both have pretty pathetic financial situations save for one who is married to a VERY selfish rich woman who bosses him around constantly.

There is a house that my mother and father built for AND gave to my elderly grandparents, one of which as passed already. The other is approaching 96 and is barely conscious. The grandparents insisted on putting all 3 children into the will to receive the house after they pass away, which would normally be ok, except that the house they built for said grandparents is actually about 10 feet away from my parent's home. They  proximity was so that my mother and father could help my grandparents in their old age, and they have every single day of their late lives, while the other sibling insisted on living as far away from them as possible.

The 2 siblings are pressuring my mother to sell, and my father has stage 4 cancer that will claim his life in the next 6 months or less. I can't bear to think of some random stranger sharing the same lawn and driveway just because of my selfish Aunt and Uncle. What recourse does my mother have, if any? Thanks!

Answer:
 NAL, mortgage specialist.

It sounds like your parents have a quantity of land, built a 2nd house on said land and ???

How did they give them the house?  This is an important detail.  Who is on title?Answer #2: Your mom could buy her siblings out. Have the house appraised, and offer each one 1/3. She would then be free to do with the house as she wishes.Answer #3: >There is a house that my mother and father built for AND gave to my elderly grandparents....

>...the house they built for said grandparents is actually about 10 feet away from my parent's home.

As TheLZ said, there are some questions here.  You say your mom and dad built a house for your grandparents, then gave it to them.  Does that mean that your grandparents were put on the title as owners of the house?  Or did your parents give it to them in the sense that your grandparents live in it rent free but your parents are on the title?


Title: [NSW, Australia]. My bf out of the blue took my beloved old dog to a vet to be put to sleep secretly. Is what he did likely to be massively illegal? What steps can I take to protect myself before he returns tomorrow.

Question:
I have a dog, Sticksy, who's 11. Yesterday morning my bf left to go up the coast to see family. He doesn't return until sunday night.

By sheer luck and nothing else, an ex flatmate of mine working at a vet clinic 80km from me called me while I was at work and asked if a dog someone had brought in to be put to sleep was my Sticksy. It was. I had him hold Sticksy and I collected him friday. My flatmate showed me a recording he made of security video at the vet clinic and it's definitely my ex dropping sticksy off.

How illegal is this? I currently live in a flat that I rent, and my bf pays half but I'm the only one on the lease. I want him out asap, or I want to be out of this situation as soon as possible. What options do I *not* have? A friend of mine once tried to have a violent ex removed and it took months. I want to be out of this immediately. Are my only options to move? How do I protect myself from what my bf (ex to me now though he doesn't know it yet) may do to the place I rent when I return. I presume my landlord couldn't kick him out if I leave right away. He's never shown any weird tendencies before so maybe I'm overthinking this. My bf doesn't know I know what he did nor that I have sticksy back.

Sorry for the scattergun of questions. I'm scatterbrained at the moment and he only returns in 20 hours or so and I don't ever want to see so much as a hair on his head again.

**Edit and a quick update**. A night's sleep with good people around me helped. I phoned a workmate to see if I could go stay there with sticksy, and she came over here for the night instead. We spoke, and we have a plan. Thank you for the links to NSW laws, it looks like I might be in the clear with forcing my ex out. I am the renter, I am the only name on the lease, and we had no written agreement. From my understanding he is a boarder or lodger and can be removed quickly. I'll have to clarify of course but that gives me confidence. I was freaking out because I didn't know where to start last night.

My ex will be confronted with more people I know in the house backing me up.

Sticksy is also in good health. He's eleven and a bit too fat and slower than he used to be but he's fine. These photos are from early november when we visited a property out of town. He started life as a farm dog and going back made his day. http://imgur.com/a/7WaG5

He's not microchipped. I'm taking a personal leave day Monday and getting him chipped first thing.

**update2**

He came back. He lied. I was upset and looked it. we gave him enough rope to make excuse after changing excuse. First he was shocked sticksy was gone, and would help look for him. Then he was shocked someone took him to a vet to be put down. Then when confronted with proof it was him, he claimed sticksy was hit by a car and he had to end his suffering. When confronted with a live happy sticksy he turned it around and it ended with him telling me he should have had me put down.

My coworker and her partner and I told him he was not welcome in the house any more and that they were moving in with me, and everyone in the house (and the neighbour we both get on well with who saw him return on Friday to take sticksy) now knows what kind of person he was. He left of his own accord and took some of his stuff. I'm no closer to knowing for sure why he tried what he did. Sorry for jamming up legaladvice with this one, it wasn't much of a legal ending.

Answer:
 OP, I would be reluctant to listen to anyone here because this sub is  primarily geared towards the US and US law. Also anyone here professing to be a solicitor from Australia/NSW isn't likely to be, due to the ethical implications attached to giving out legal advice and it's impact on their practicing certificate.

Please contact your local community legal Centre. ( http://www.clcnsw.org.au ) Provided you meet their eligibility criteria they will be able to provide you with free legal advice.

Another option is for you to call law access (http://www.lawaccess.nsw.gov.au) on 1300 888 529.


Title: Thinking of taking dealership to court over misleading pricing

Question:
I live in Massachusetts and bought a car about a year ago from a larger dealership.
The price online was advertised online with a "Quirk Price" of 14,300 with no fine print about trade or deposit to get the price in the advertisment. I went in to test drive the vehicle, fell in love with it.

When we get to the paper work, the price is now 16,300. I asked and mentioned the ad online said it was 2k less and they said that was with cash or trade equity and said it was in the ad. I argue with them a bit and made the mistake of not sleeping on it and financed the car that day. I was tired, really like the car and really had my ego blown because of this.

After getting home, I looked online again and long story short, there is no fine print in the advertisment that says 2k cash or equity is required to get the price. I call and mention that try to get out of the contract etc. There is no cool down law in Mass so I am SOL.

I am now thinking this would fall under bait and switch, and a few other federal laws that would have been broken. I have screenshots of the advertisment and about 15 other cars that were for sale up until the day I purchased. I also have about 15 screenshots of ads on cars they were selling after the day I bought it with the fine print that requires down payment/trade equity.

Do I have any recourse on this? Should I send a demand letter to them to state they made illegal advertisments to get me into a car without being able to sell at the price advertised?

Answer: Advertisements are not legal offers, and do not create a legal contract.


Title: [NY] Should I appeal for my denied unemployment?

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice

I was "let go" before Thanksgiving because the head of the company said I was always taking Mondays off(Which I did not) after I had some car problems and had to fix it on a Monday.

I called in first thing in the morning saying that I will try to make it to work. Since I went to multiple shops that monday morning, it took me some time to leave my car at the shop and walk home.

So I did not go to work that day.

Next morning I went in and was told I was "let go".

I applied for unemployment immediately and kept claiming and recording my work search records.

Until 12/18 NYS department of labor mailed me stating that I was denied and say I have been warned in September. (discharged for misconduct, car repairs is not compelling as this is within your control)

-----------------------------
Back in said September (08/31 actually) I had to call in in the morning because something serious came up and I had to deal with it.

I texted the company HR saying that I could not come in today, this is the text I got back:

**"Ok no problem i will let (my manager name) know. In the future, please let us know in advance. Thanks so much. Happy tasking lol"**

Maybe to me this does not sound like a warning but more like a friendly reminder. This is the only record of a "warning" I got.

My question is,

- Should I appeal stating that I did not receive a warning? Do I stand a chance winning the appeal?

(I still have 3 hours of sick/personal time that I could use but I don't think that matters anymore.)

Thank you all very much.

Answer: My general advice in these situations is *always* to appeal. Your odds are always much better on appeal.


Title: As far as I know, in the USA you can't hire an attorney to prosecute someone for a crime committed against you, but you can hire an attorney to defend you. Why is this the case?

Answer:
 This really belongs in /r/legaladviceofftopic

But the answer is because private attorneys don't prosecute crimes, prosecuting attorneys (who work for the state) do.


Title: Got served invalid parking ticket, appeal process to have ticket revoked requires disclosing personally identifying information. Class action lawsuit?

Question:
Location: Vancouver, BC

I got served a parking ticket in a Safeway parking lot operated by [Diamond Parking](https://www.diamondparking.ca) in Vancouver last week. The ticket states that I was ticketed for walking off the parking lot. This ticket is bullshit in the first place, restricting a person's movements to a specific location just because their vehicle is located in that location seems so wrong. Yes, I realize laws do not always "seem" right, but if enough of a population disagrees with a law, it should be changed, yes?

Anyway, as signage on the parking lot indicates, parking is for Safeway customers only. Fair enough. However, it does not say that you're not allowed to leave the lot. I left the lot to go deposit cash at a nearby ATM so that I could shop at Safeway with my debit card (weird, I know, it was a complicated financial day okay). I do my shopping and come back to find a ticket. I kept my Safeway receipt so I knew I could get it cancelled. I emailed their support email and got told that all "all notice disputes must be made through our [customer portal](https://diamondparking-ca.nupark.com/v2/Portal/Login?ReturnUrl=%2Fv2%2Fportal)". Disregarding their misuse of the word "customer" (which I am not), here's where I'm starting to get seriously pissed:

Using the portal requires an account, which I do not want. Making an account requires providing a ton of personally identifying information, including address, phone number, and full  name. It is against the law to force me to pay an unjust citation, which means my only option, short of electing to pay, is to provide this information. **Isn't forcing me to provide my full name, address, phone number, and create an account that I don't want to have against some sort of law?**
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 You really can’t understand why, when parking is a limited resource, a business that has invested in that resource wouldn’t want customers of other companies to use it up?

How are you supposed to fight the ticket if you don’t want to give up your identifying information? Any sensitive information is necessary to prove your identity. I’m guessing the rest is just contact info.


Title: [OK] - My high school did not give the PSAT my Junior year or inform anyone about it.

Question: My high school completely screwed over many students in my class, including myself. It did not offer the PSAT and neglected to tell us anything about it. My high school also failed to give any students the AP testing deadlines and their requirements. Is there anything I can do about this?

Answer:
 You mean, like, sue them?  No.  High schools are not legally required to have AP classes at all, and the PSAT is an independently administered test.Answer #2: This isn't legal advice, but might still be helpful.

If you took this issue to your local school board and agitated to create a positive change (i.e., more AP classes, more PSAT tests) in your local community, college admissions officers are likely to think way better of that than a high score on the PSAT.


Title: [CA] Possibly being forced to take medical leave by employer.

Question:
Hello,

I am having a pretty bad 2018 so far. I have been experiencing health issues that have caused me to take sick days from work. I have also been taking a couple hours here and there to go to doctors appointments. I am quickly getting close to my company's maximum sick days.

I communicated my absences to my direct bosses each day that I was out; nothing much, just that I was sick. After a few days, they were concerned and asked for more information. I gave them the information I had at the time (which is still relevant now, but it had evolved since then).

My direct bosses pulled me aside and essentially forced me to talk with my senior manager about my situation. I felt extremely vulnerable having to explain why I was taking so many sick days in the first month of the year. My senior manager seemed like he was compassionate and said to "take care of myself... and go to doctor appointments." This conversation took place last week Tuesday.

I am still in the middle of whatever I am dealing with (my doctors don't exactly know and I am reaching out to another doctor now) and I just got back into the office after missing three days of work; all of which was communicated daily to my direct bosses and my senior manager.

My senior manager sent me an email asking me to talk with HR about my leave options and set up an appointment with him included in it.

What are my options here? Can my work technically force me to take medical leave by encouraging me to do it? If I decide to tough it out until I am know for certain that I need to take time off, will I have that right?

I am still in the preliminary stages of figuring out what is wrong with me and a meeting with HR doesn't seem like it would help.

Anything is appreciated.

P.S. I am at work and on mobile, so my responses will not be very fast.

Answer: This is perfectly normal. They're determining whether you qualify for FMLA.


Title: My Father Was Just Arrested for Trespass on Separated Wife's Porch [NY]

Question:
First the backstory.

My parents are separated. My mother had an order of protection against my father for a time, which I believe was either dismissed or expired after a period of time.  What I do know is that there is no order of protection currently in effect.

I have two younger sisters, (15 and 12). While my dad is allowed to see them, it's really at their choice, and currently they do not want to visit him.

My dad, being not that smart a person, decided to pick up some of my sisters' favorite foods (doughnuts, apple cider, hot sauce), and drop it off as a gift. He says that he went up on the porch, opened the screen door, hung the bag on the handle of the door, rang the doorbell and left.  I think he said he'd done something similar yesterday.

My mother has now called the police, who called my dad to come down and turn himself in. They said they'll print him and he'll be out in an hour.

I told him 1. he needs to stop trying to drop gifts off, and 2. to not admit anything to the police.

A quick IANAL googling seems like [Article 140](http://ypdcrime.com/penal.law/article140.htm#p140.05) is controlling.

[Shitty MSPaint Diagram of the crime](http://imgur.com/z2RuSyO)

~~From my (minimal) experience, I was under the possibly mistaken impression that you need to be served some kind of warning before being arrested for trespass, at least when you're outdoors.~~ thanks to /u/thepatman I now know I was in fact mistaken.

Is this likely to stand up in court, will it just be a violation, what are the chances of jail time, and if it is only a violation, will he need a lawyer?

I will update when he calls me back once he's been booked and released with any more details I have.

**EDIT:** He was charged with trespassing as a violation only. If he is convicted, what sentence would he be looking at? A fine?

I in no way defend what he did, it's just not smart. Just looking for some advice. Thank you all for you time.

Answer:
 > I was under the possibly mistaken impression that you need to be served some kind of warning before being arrested for trespass

Not generally.  The state would need to prove that your father knew, or should have known, that he was unwelcome.  A specific "don't trespass" warning in proximity to the violation isn't usually required.

In this case, given that all of the people in the house had previously stated he was not welcome, then it's reasonable to believe that your father knew he was not welcome.  Especially when he shows up with bribes(showing that he knows he's not normally welcome).


Title: Turning 19 this year, Dad never paid child support, Can I collect?

Question: Long story short I'm the product of adultery. I live in Tennessee and will be going to college in the fall. My mother did file for child support, but never received payments. I can easily get any information needed on my father. What can I do to collect the money that was never paid? if anyone needs more information on my situation to help please feel free to ask

Answer: The money was never owed to you.Answer #2: You can't. It's your mom's money and it's up to her whether or not she wants to pursue it.


Title: (MA) Got incorrectly towed. Landlord is having me get refund from Tow company. Tow company won't give me refund. Who is responsible?

Question:
Hi Everyone -

I love in Brookline, MA. Right outside of Boston.

We park in an outdoor lot, and have a lease for a single parking spot. This is a specific parking spot in the lot we have the lease for. We have a sticker with the address of the lot and our space number.

At 1:30am we were towed from our spot. I noticed at 8am that day. They read the sticker wrong and said it was a different number than where we were supposed to be parked. We had parked there for over a year with no issues so I don't really understand this but sure.

I showed the tow company my lease, and they did not care. They had me pay the $160 to get my car back and so I did.

I reached out to my landlord. She has informed me that I was towed by mistake (obviously) and to pursue a refund from the Tow company. She said she had called and authorized the refund.

I reached out to the tow company and they said they have no idea what I am talking about.

My landlord says to continue pursuing it with said tow company.

I am trying to figure out if it is worth my time to continue reaching out to the tow company, or if it is my landlords responsibility to secure my refund as I have the lease with her and it was a company she employees who made the mistake.

Looking for any advice!

Thanks

Answer:
 You could sue both in small claims, but if your parking lease is with your landlord, you don’t really have a contract for reimbursement with the tow company.

Your landlord would seek reimbursement from the tow company under the terms of their contract. You aren’t a party to that contract.

Edit: to clear it up, your landlord owes the money to you. They may be able to get reimbursement from the tow yard, but that’s irrelevant to you.


Title: [New Jersey] A friend is being evicted, only found out today when he came home to find the notice and door padlocked, more details inside.

Question:
I'm not involved with this process beyond being the person's friend and trying to help however I can. IANAL, so I'm not sure what I can do to help him out.

The situation is, my friend would hand his wife cash to get a money order which she would use to pay the rent. He found out today (via the eviction notice and subsequent phone call to the landlord) that the last three months of rent have been unpaid. They (my friend and his wife) were issued a summons to appear in court about which he was never informed (she told him today that she signed for the summons but never told him), and as a result he missed the court date. Now the judge in their case is refusing to hear anything from them until the outstanding rent is paid.

Since his apartment has been padlocked, he is unable to get in to retrieve any of his belongings. He's afraid the landlord is going to seize them as either collateral or to reduce their outstanding dept. I recommended my friend speak to the local police department about the legality of this, and whether or not he would be allowed to enter the premises with the police and landlord present to collect some of his essentials (clothes, work related equipment etc).

I've already contacted the county and state bar for referrals to attorneys specializing in landlord-tenant relations, but since it's after 5PM on a Friday, I'm not expecting to hear back before Monday. Again, IANAL, but I recommended that my friend gather any documentation he can about previous rent payments, either through the money order service used or from the landlord himself (who is being rather uncooperative). Is there any advice anyone can give on how to further assist my friend with this incredibly crappy situation?

EDIT: I spoke to my friend this morning, and he was able to get into his apartment by speaking with the building manager and explaining the situation. The manager was nice enough to walk through with my friend, his wife and a LEO to collect his essentials. The couple are speaking civilly for the moment, and my friend is trying to find out where the money he gave her for the past three months went. It's also beginning to look like the wife may have a mental health issue, since she's been having wild mood swings throughout this entire ordeal, so he's also looking into getting her to see a counselor or therapist of some kind. The landlord has made it clear that they will not be able to continue renting this apartment at all, regardless of paying rent due, so the new challenge is finding a new place for himself and his children (he's still not sure about his wife, I think that's dependent on her seeing someone about her mood swings and duplicitous behavior). Thanks to everyone who replied, there's been some great practical advice here. If any lawyers from the NJ area happen to read this and would like to help, please PM me and I'll give county and town information. I'm not looking for any handouts here, I just don't know what attorney's in this area are good and reputable, and wouldn't know how to begin to find that sort of info out.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Stop trusting the wife, pay the landlord the back rent. You're pretty far along in the process at this point.


Title: Is attorney-client information leak inadmissible in court?

Question:
1. If you consulted a lawyer (for free), and they somehow happened to share that information or know the person you're talking about, would such information be inadmissible in court (as I've been told apparently and that they would be fired or jeopardize their career?)

2. Also, what if someone records you (in private, a room/intimate with only you 2 and privacy is 100% expected) saying something and they present that information? Isn't that also inadmissible since it's illegal for them to record or take a photo of you without your knowledge/consent?

Answer:
 1. Possibly. You are correct that lawyer could face serious consequences by sharing confidential information like that.
2. Depends on the State.


Title: A Falling Out

Question:
Sorry in advance for anything wrong with this, I’m on mobile. So me and this girl had a falling out and things got heated. I texted her a while later and said even though we had an argument we should remain on neutral terms with each other. A few weeks after that text she talked trash about me online (called me an ugly rat), so I posted something about her calling her a pathetic excuse for a human. She got her grandma involved and now she’s threatening to press charges for cyber bullying. I know me and her are both in the wrong but idk what to do and I just needed to vent. Any advice?
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: Ignore her. Stop talking about her.


Title: Guy lied to me and his friends about my PS4.

Question:
I posted this story on r/iamatotalpieceofshit about this story and the some users have urged me to post it here. They told me to ask here and see about inay loopholes. This comes from Kansas.

This is a story about a 19 year old guy. It goes as follows. I felt bad for his situation as he was poor, had nothing and had shitty parents who would constantly fight. I wanted to be nice and  I made a mistake by letting him borrow my PS4. Something I do regret. One day he moves and takes the PS4 with him. I try to ask him if I can come get it and he says if it can wait. This is where the story takes a turn. He blocks me on all social media and says it's a glitch. I had a friend of his try to help me get in touch with him. He tells me his man child dad destroyed my PS4 and he would pay me back. I was mad about this situation but said okay. Later on I learned from the friend that the guy claimed to get a new PS4 the month after which seemed fishy. I asked his friend and learned the guy told everyone about his "new" PS4. But now a week later he admits to his two friends that he intentionally took the PS4 and waited until the law couldn't intervene by statue of limitations. Now I legally cannot do anything (that I know of) about it and he basically got away with it. I'm doubtful anything can be done but I had to try and ask here.

Answer:
 You can visit the police station and open a report.  It's possible that the officers may be willing to place a call on your behalf to have the property returned to you at the station.  It is very unlikely they will pursue this directly as it's a civil matter.

If the police will not assist you, you can sue this person in small claims court for the replacement value of a PS4.Answer #2: He’s not as smart as he thinks.

I don’t even have to get into the statue of limitations mumbo jumbo. He agreed to pay you the value of the PS4. That means he entered into a contract with you. Haul him to small claims court to collect on that. Bring any record of that conversation you can.


Title: Full mailbox leading to papers littered on the ground

Question:
Manitoba, Canada.

&#x200B;

I own a personal mailbox attached to my house and also an official multi-mailbox unit set up in the middle of our block that serves our block that has since replaced my personal one for all official mail. My province has moved onto using these "community mailboxes" now as they are less labor intensive.

&#x200B;

My personal one does not receive any real mail, just ads and flyers. I started getting a large hunk of fliers that filled my personal mailbox every day. I would empty it every day, then it transitioned to multiple times a day. I put up a sign that says no fliers please and I still get them. If I don't empty my mailbox, they then get thrown on the ground in front of my house. Papers end up everywhere especially on a windy day. Is this not littering? Is the only way to stop this to make a police report, get security cameras, the entire ordeal? Would I get in trouble for "littering" even though these people throwing garbage on my property?

&#x200B;

Thanks,

Answer: Is there a reason you haven't just removed the box?


Title: Editing lease for puppy adoption

Question:
I'm trying to adopt a puppy and all my local rescues require me to jump through hoops like I'm a circus animal. I found one that will accept a copy of my lease, instead of talking with the condo management over the phone.

The problem? According to my condo lease, I'm not supposed to have a puppy under 1 year old. This rule is in place because of the fear of accidents in the unit.. As if older dogs don't have accidents, too.

Could there be any repercussions with my condo management if I remove the part of the sentence in my lease stating I can have a dog as long as it is over 1 year old? I am not worried about them finding out that I have the puppy, as there are several others in my complex that are out walking dogs under 1 year old and management hasn't evicted them.

Answer: For starters, if they find out you have a dog under a year old, they can either require you to get rid of the dog or evict you.  If the rescue organization follows up with your landlord or otherwise finds out, they can take the dog back.


Title: Driver Hit Mom’s Car, Blaming it on Her Saying She Was Illegally Changing Lanes (CA)

Question:
Hi everybody! This is my first time on this thread, but hopefully I can get some advice here for my mom.

My mom was driving home from work when a driver drifted into her lane and scraped the side of her car.  Thankfully, he pulled over but his English or the person he was with wasn’t great and his passenger had to be a translator.  My mom tried to ask for their insurance, they pretended they didn’t know what she was asking about and said they would help repair her car if she followed them. She politely declined, and it wasn’t until the highway patrol pulled up they got out an insurance card.

Originally, it was fine and an agent came by her house to check the damages- but now the driver is claiming she tried to merge into a different lane and bumped into him. She just got a letter in the mail saying her rates will be going up since she was at fault for the accident.

A friend of my dad’s who’s a mechanic offered that he can have both of the cars come in, look at the damage, and say who hit who by how the damage is done. However, she’s scared the man who hit her won’t show.

So I’m just wondering if there’s anything that we can do to counter the claim right now, and if anyone knows what would happen if the other driver didn’t come in for the inspection. Does it make him look guilty at all, or does it not matter? But, that’s all I have for this so far.

TLDR; guy drifted and hit my mom’s car, is blaming her saying she was trying to illegally merge and hit him instead and now her insurance rates are going up.

Answer:
 > A friend of my dad’s who’s a mechanic offered that he can have both of the cars come in, look at the damage, and say who hit who by how the damage is done.

Lol. "A friend of your dad"? Not exactly an impartial judge. If I were the other driver I would neither agree to this nor show up if I stupidly said I would.

Regardless, it is the insurance company who parses out blame. If your mother doesn't agree with the other driver's insurance, assuming she has collision coverage, file on her policy and have the two insurance companies fight it out. That is why you have insurance.

Another good resource to ask your question is /r/Insurance.


Title: [IL] Diabetic stepdad in hospital for 2 weeks, they keep giving him meals with sugar. Can we do anything?

Question:
He's been in the hospital for 2 weeks with pancreatitis. They know he's diabetic, it's on his info and it was one of the first things we told them, both in the ER and then in the hospital room where he's staying. He has to have sugar-free meals in there. 3 or 4 times in the first week, he got meals with sugar. At some point he switched to getting nutrition from an NG tube, but they took him off today. First meal they gave him had sugar. Until today he's been telling my mom and I that it's not a big deal and we need to relax about it, but after today's meal his blood sugar went up to above 300 and he's upset about it now to.

Nothing serious has happened, but the hospital has to be at fault here, right? For all we know this could have contributed to some of his setbacks that have kept him in there for longer than they initially told us. I could see it happening one time as an accident, but for them to be told repeatedly NO SUGAR and it still keeps happening? What the hell, that's negligent.

Answer:
 You need to escalate this with the hospital administration and the doctor caring for him. Depending on the size of the facility there may be a patient advocate.

You could also file a complaint with the [IDPH](http://www.dph.illinois.gov/topics-services/health-care-regulation/complaints) over this fuckery. And I'd suggest you should.


Title: Cops repeatedly leaving messages for me asking to help with a homicide investigation. I don't want to be involved. Can I get a restraining order against them?

Question:
A while ago I was a homeless vagrant and I witnessed part of what police apparently believe was a homicide. I did see a figure (I didn't see any crime committed however) and  I do remember their face but my recollection might be faulty. It was a very unpleasant incident in a very unpleasant point of my life.

Anyhow, I don't know how but the police have somehow traced me and have repeatedly tried to get in touch with me (I stay on the move quite a bit). They have said that I might have useful information on someone who has killed possibly more than once (I think this is fanciful and I don't believe I witnessed anything important). I think the cops are clutching at straws.

I am concerned that I would identify an innocent person and I think it might be good to get a restraining order against the cops can I do this?  I am not breaking the law I don't believe by not coming forward.

Answer: Uh no. You can’t get a restraining order against the police.Answer #2: You should answer their questions to the best of your ability and be done with it. No, you're not obligated to, but it's the right thing to do.Answer #3: You don't have to speak with the police unless you receive a subpoena (court order), and you can ignore their calls if you choose to, but you can't get a restraining order to prevent the police from trying to contact you in the course of doing their job.


Title: My friend has finally decided to leave her husband, but he won't leave their shared apartment. What are her options?

Question:
Edit: California

My friend and her husband have been married for a while and have an 8 month old. Things are bad and she has decided to leave. They live in an apartment which she pays for, but both names are on the lease. She is currently staying in an airbnb nearby, but would like to keep the apartment particularly as they do a nanny share with someone else in the building. Also, if she were to move her rent would dramatically increase.

Is there anyway that she can get him out of the apartment? He's not reasonable, and thus cannot be talked into leaving on his own.

Answer:
 If they are both on the lease, they both have an equal right to be there. They need to work this out together. Answer #2: Why on earth would she expect him to leave the apartment ? It's legally a terrible idea as it is a good basis for  abandonment of parental responsibilities.
Her lawyer would love it.
Unfortunately, she is going to have to be a grown up and find a way to cohabitate  (why does spellcheck hate this word) until a divorce can be reached.
That is unless she doesn't do the classic smear and defamation thing a lot of unsavory women do
with false abuse allegations. I'm sure her lawyer will lean her this way though...


Title: [CA, USA] Drug rehab center opened up on street, neighbors did not know until months after

Question:
Location: Orange County, California;
I am unsure about the laws regulating this, but after our previous neighbors moved out someone new had moved in and did not tell the surrounding neighbors (we are two houses down) that this was to be a drug rehab house. We only recently found out after one of the people on our street asked one of the residents who was leaving. This brings light to the smells of pot crossing over the fence. The main concern is that I am highly sensitive to smells and the first time we opened up our back door when this was happening I had to go throw up.
My question is, what are the laws regulating these types of houses? And if this continues and I can't go outside because of the constant smell of pot, what could I do?

Answer:
 It's late so maybe I'm confused.

Why would a drug *rehab* center cause pot smells?


Title: Can a defense lawyer or prosecutor lie in court while examining a witness?

Question:
For example, let's say a lawyer believes a witness is lying about what s/he witnessed.

Can the lawyer ask "What hand was Person X holding the briefcase in?" if no briefcase ever existed?

The logic being if the witness says "it was in his right hand" instead of "he didn't have a briefcase" then the lawyer knows he is lying.

Answer:
 >Can the lawyer ask "What hand was Person X holding the briefcase in?" if no briefcase ever existed?

You could try, but assuming the other attorney is paying attention at all. That's going to raise an objection for assuming facts not in evidence or insufficient foundation.

You don't just get to ask random questions of witnesses. You actually have to have a basis for questions being asked. If you want to ask "what hand was he holding the briefcase in" you need a predicate question of "was he holding a briefcase"


Title: How long to keep deceased (attorney) father's paperwork on his clients?

Question:
My father was a probate/tax attorney in CT who passed away in April of 2015.  For the last 10 years or so of his life, he had a small handful of long-term clients.  All those clients have copies (or the originals as applies) of all their documents, and I posses all my dad's paperwork and computer files.

I am wondering how long is standard to hold on to these files?  All of his clients are aware of his passing, and have made arrangements with other attorneys to take over their matters as appropriate.  Immediately following his passing in 2015 they were given copies of everything they needed.  I'm just wondering if there are any legal standards to how long I must hold on to these files.

Thank you.

Answer: Thank you for wanting to do the right thing and not just toss them. Contact the CT Bar and ask them what you should do.


Title: Can I get taken to court for 'damages to business' AFTER my notice period?

Question:
I've been in a job two months and am leaving as it's nothing like advertised. I have to give a weeks notice and am handing in my notice tomorrow.

I work in a small store and someone else has just left. This means I am the only full time, fully trained employee.

This would mean I can, according to contract, finish work next Sunday.

However work have said I can't hand in my notice as they don't have time to find an employee, and that if I leave after a week they'll take the money to get agency staff out of my pay check.

I've said this is illegal, they said it's not.

I am leaving after a week, as my period says.

Last week they got wind of the fact I was unhappy and released a new contract with four weeks notice. I have not signed it, but they said the fact I came into work after they gave me the new contract means I've agreed to it.

Thank you.

I'm in the Uk.

Answer: The new contract is an offer and not valid until acceptance (signature). The old contract is in effect until a new one takes its place. Coming into work under the old contract does not in any way imply acceptance of new one.


Title: Someone stole a check I wrote and cashed it in - bank refuses to refund money

Question:
So what happened was I wrote 3 checks in total and dropped all of them into the same mailbox. I wrote one check for Kohls, one for Honda, and one for my credit card bill. I have a credit card at Bank of America and a checking account in TD Bank. So I wrote a TD Bank check and mailed it to Bank of America to pay off my credit card bill. It was $990. I'm not sure how but someone got their hands on my check to Bank of America and cashed it into some other bank and got cash for it.

I want to know how is this possible, I had it clearly written to pay to Bank of America and I wrote the account number and everything. So how is it possible that any other bank can take this check and give the person cash for it?

I went to TD Bank to find out how it was possible for them to allow the check to be cashed into some random place. TD Bank basically told me they are not responsible for anything but based on what happened it is their fault for allowing the check the be cashed. I see the money taken from my account so this means they approved this correct? I went to bank of america and they said they didnt get any checks. I called up Honda and Kohls and both the checks were received. So I'm sure it wasn't postal fraud.

What steps am I legally allowed to take here? Whose fault would this be? Shouldn't it be TD Bank's liability for not checking the check details before sending out the money? Sorry for so many questions but I am really scared on what to do since I live pay check to pay check and $990 is a huge amount for me. I am about to head to the police station to file a report. Is it possible I can sue TD Bank for this since they refuse to give me a refund?

Thank you for your time in reading this, I appreciate any and all feedback.

Answer:
 The bank that cashed the check will ultimately eat the $990.   File police report and tell TD bank that the check wasn't authorized and fraud.     They'll claw the money bank from the whatever bank that cashed it.  Time is limited so make sure you do this soon.

And it was probably postal fraud.   Crooks are putting sticky substances on the inside lid to postal boxes to steal people's mail.  Mail sticks to lid and doesn't fall in.    Its gotten so bad that some postal offices are recommending you go inside and hand your mail to a postal employee.
Answer #2: Do you have easy access to the internet? Once you get this sorted out it might be a good idea to start paying these bills electronically.


Title: [Quebec] Asking to be laid off to collect Employment Insurance

Question: Is it legal to ask your employer to lay you off and to start collecting employment insurance? This is assuming that there is no shortage of work or restructuring that would necessitate laying off the employee. Is this some type of fraud or is it perfectly legal in Quebec/Canada?

Answer: It's not fraud to ask to be laid off. What's fraud would be if you lied on the application about the reason you were out of work.


Title: Is it illegal to text someone and call them a pussy out of the blue?

Question: I got fired and my manager told me I wouldn't amount to anything in life. I texted him afterwards anyway and said thank you for the oppurtunity and sorry it didn't work out. His response, "your welcome" . I gave this company my all mind you. I'm talking 80 hr work weeks and being there holidays, after hrs etc. 2 months later I am making more than him. I am not a humble person and would really like to stick it to him and call me a pussy and a few other choice words. I'm not going to tell him to kill himself or anything like that but, I really do wanna let him have it. So I ask redditors, is it illegal for me to tell him he's a pussy via text messages out of the blue?

Answer:
 Grow up.Answer #2: It is not illegal.

But it would be professionally stupid, serve no purpose, and garners no positive result whatsoever.


Title: Sexting Blackmail

Question: Throwaway for obvious reasons. So I live in Massachusetts and I met this girl online that ended up being 17. Now out of desperation and stupidity I still pursued, I am currently 21 years old. Only 4 years older, I figured this wouldn't really be that big of a deal since my parents are more than a decade apart but in reality it depends more on the age of each person. Anyway we sexted each other, with one another's consent and now her parents are trying to get me to pay $500 to cancel her Verizon phone plan in return for not contacting the authorities. The problem I have here is that I am not sure if this whole situation is legit and I am suspecting major catfishing. I don't know what I should do here, this sounds alot like blackmail to me, $500 is alot of money. I know what I did was stupid and I never should have done it, but this seems really fishy to me. Girls are not usually interested in me and this girl was extremely attractive and looked much older than 17. Please help. If it helps at all, she lives in Rhode Island.

Answer:
 This is a scam, a very, very, common one. There's no girl, no parents, etc. Hit up the sticky thread at the top of /r/scams and you'll find it listed there.

What should you do now? Ignore them beginning immediately. If the 'police' contact you, they will probably be fake police, so you should verify which department they are with and then call that department directly to verify.


Title: Can I notify the police of a potential workplace threat?

Question:
I've learned that an employee has been making threats against other employees (along the lines of "I have guns"). They were placed on leave but nothing is going to stop them from coming to the office. Can I ask the police if my employer has notified them, or make a third hand report myself? This does not feel like a safe situation.
Location is Colorado, where many people have guns.

Answer: If you ever feel unsafe, contacting the police is always an appropriate course of action.  You can contact them to make a report without needing your employer's consent.


Title: (FL-PBC) Some guy hit his car on a post. Afraid he will blame me.

Question:
I had literally woken up from a nap and was on my way to work. I decided to stop by for some Chinese food as I heard there was a pretty good restaurant in this nearby plaza. As I am about to leave this plaza without finding this Chinese place, I get stuck behind some guy spending like 15-20 minutes trying to park his freaking car. I mean it was ridiculous. I never honked or said anything to him but I did try to go around him once. I have no clue wtf this man was doing or attempting to do.

I am still stuck behind this car at least minutes later when I had tried to go around. At this point the man gets out of his car, my window is down as the weather was actually nice and starts berating me and telling me to stop talking on his phone and that he's backing his car up. I was talking to my brother. I tell him he needs to learn to drive as it's taking him forever to park and to just do it and go back to his car. He REACHES into my car to hit me or something, I don't know. I honestly have no idea.

I get out of my car and tell him he has no right to do that. A witness at this point walks to the scene (who saw him leave his car and all that). For whatever reason, no idea why, this guy literally HITS ME IN THE FACE. I wasn't in this guys face, I wasn't even one arms length. This man, he's 55-60 years old LUNGES and smacks me in the face. I don't take too kindly to this rabble-rousing so I square up immedietely and almost throw a punch but this aforementioned witness stops me ASAP and tells me to call the police instead. He states he will support me with whatever happens. While this is going on, the guy backs his car up into the spot he wanted but is too aggressive and actually damages his car lol.

Anyway the police show up and start questioning everybody. I will say I was impressed by the professionalism of the police. Regardless, they ask me if I damaged his car or how it happened. I tell them it's from him backing up and they ask "What, how?" to which I respond "I don't know. Adrenaline I guess." And they are like "Hm that makes sense." Problem is, in my sworn statement which I did in front of a camera on the scene, I forget to include this tidbit!! Seeing as how they take a statement from both parties, I'm not ridiculously paranoid that I'm going to get charged for this guy's car when I didn't even lay a finger on it.

He was driving a super super nice Mercedes Benz, it looked almost exactly like this https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/2014_Mercedes-Benz_S550_(US)_lwb.jpg .
The cops said nothing more will come of it and nobody took any insurance information from me.

tl;dr: Fuck Florida. Fuck old rich people.

Edit: Is there any chance this guy will sue me for damage to his car??

Answer: A driver is solely responsible when he collides with a visible, immovable object. Answer #2: You're not responsible for the damage to his car.  It's on him to driev and park properly.


Title: [California/Massachusetts] I think I'm about to be sued by my student loan co-signer, what can I expect?

Question:
My father co-signed my student loans for college. I won't get into the details unless you guys say it's important because I don't think a court of law will care; my father used my student loans in conjunction with threats of physical violence to control me and keep me under his thumb throughout adulthood. My loans were just about all signed while we both were living in Massachusetts, and some while I was a resident of Massachusetts and him a resident of Rhode Island where he resides today. There was no sort of agreement about who or when the loans would be paid between us outside of "figure it out or I'll drop your ass" and for the initial years of my paying my loans I struggled and went in and out of default as I did not make enough to pay my loans never mind keep my head above water.

Around two years ago while living in California where I now reside I told my father I did not want to have any sort of relationship or contact with him after I caught him gaslighting me in regards to a conversation we were having about my loans. I then immediately stopped paying all my student loans that he co-signed. Despite him trying to reach out sporadically over the past two years via phone at my place of work, email, family members, social media, and mail at home and work, I've completely ignored him these past two year. He will from time to time make loan payments.

Yesterday I received a certified letter from him at home which I refused. Today one showed up at work, which I refused. I decided that I was going to move forward with a no contact order on Monday. However, after I cooled down I thought about every time I've had to send a certified letter; I think he's about to bring me to court to pay my loans. And that I probably should NOT have refused those letters.

I understand that I still have a legal obligation to my loans. What can I expect and how fucked am I? Will I have to attend a trail in Massachusetts or Rhode Island if I'm served? Does my cosigner have a legal ground to stand on to demand that I also start playing my student loans?

&#x200B;

\*\* TL;DR: I think my student loan co-signer is about to bring me to court for non-payment. How fucked am I? \*\*

Answer:
 Not paying back your loans was really the wrong thing to do to keep someone who co-signed for those loans out of your life.  If anything, those should have been the ones you tried to pay off first or made sure they were current so he had no legitimate reason to contact you about them.

He can sue you for anything that he has paid out on those loans on your behalf.  He just has to show he made the payments and you didn't.

You will have to read the a court summons to find out where he filed the case.Answer #2: >I then immediately stopped paying all my student loans that he co-signed

that was a bad idea.

>Yesterday I received a certified letter from him at home which I refused. Today one showed up at work, which I refused. I decided that I was going to move forward with a no contact order on Monday. However, after I cooled down I thought about every time I've had to send a certified letter; I think he's about to bring me to court to pay my loans. And that I probably should NOT have refused those letters.

he has been paying the loan on your behalf (otherwise you would have heard about that most likely by now) and is probably suing you for however much he is out of pocket.

it might be a demand letter and not a lawsuit, but either way you need to deal with this.


Title: Age of Consent

Question: deleted

Answer:
 The age of consent in Idaho is 18.

>I have had a few people already make fun of me for being interested in her so please do not come here to make fun of the age gap.

Can we make fun of you for being a rapist?


Title: [Texas] Wrote university paper for friend for payment, friend now refuses to pay. Can I sue him in small claims court?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Is this breach of contract actionable?

Quite probably, yes.

> If I sue him in small claims court, are there any negative consequences I may face as a result?

Yes.  You could be expelled from your school with all credits forfeited.


Title: landlord's unhinged girlfriend is trying to take my cat, how do I protect myself?

Question:
My landlord's  FWB is trying to take my cat away from me to another home. I adopted him straight from his mother's owner, and don't have any documentation about doing so; how do I save myself from having him taken away from me?

&#x200B;

I'll add any info asked from questions to the body of this post.

Answer: I’d get the cat microchipped immediately. Then at least your name is attached to the animal if you have to fight for ownership


Title: Car was towed from Teain station. The cost to get it out of the tow lot is about what it's worth. Are there any legal ramifications for leaving it? (Southern California)

Question:
My car was towed from a local train station because of expired registration.  I took the train because the car was really acting up. It was running very rough and the check engine light was flashing. I was worried about it making across town, so it could literally break down any day. I think I would be LUCKY to get $1500 out of it.

The fees I have to pay to get it back are:
Tow fee = $300

Registration = almost $300

I'm assuming there will be a ticket from the city that towed it for no registration. Am I wrong? I assume that would be $200 or so. I've already read that there would be "storage fees" associated.  So all in all I'm estimating it would be about $1000 to get it out. If the car was still running fine, I wouldn't hesitate to go and get it, but since it's on its last breath, I can justify spending that money.

Are there any legal ramifications if I just leave the car? I've read mixed advice on rather or not I can get my personal possessions out of the car. Does anyone have any insight on this?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 You can't just let it go in storage for an extended period.  Because they will sell it, for less than the storage fees, and go after you for the difference.

Get it out of impound ASAP, and sell it.

Most tow lots will absolutely go after you for the difference in what you owe & what they sold the car for.Answer #2: I'd ask the towing company if they want to buy your car for the amount of the fees. If they could sell it for an amount that is better than the total fees, they may take you up on the offer. Worth trying.


Title: I sued the government and won money in a settlement. How much of that money do I have to pay back to....the government?

Question:
Location: US

I fought the county in a federal civil rights case and won a settlement. How much do I have to pay in taxes? Where I can find more information on this? All I see online from a quick Google relates to personal injury and such.
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 It depends on the structure of your settlement. Damages for physical injuries and pain are generally not taxable. Damages for emotional distress are sometimes not taxable. Punitive damages are taxable.

[This article]( http://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/personal-injury/settlement-tax-liability.html) provides a good summary with some examples. You should speak to the attorney that represented you in your law suit. He or she knows the specifics of your case and should be able to give you advice about precisely which portions of your settlement are taxable.


Title: Who Inherits Estate With No Will In Indiana

Question:
My brother passed recently of an aneurysm without leaving a will. He has two surviving siblings (myself and a brother) and eight nieces and nephews from his three deceased siblings. He has no children or spouse. Parents are deceased as well. Will his estate be split just amongst the two surviving siblings or do all of the nieces and nephews stand to inherit? Wondering since the nieces and nephews love to contest inheritances and we foresee another huge legal battle with them over this. Thank you for your time.

(This is Indiana, Location Bot.)

Answer:
 IANAL.

Per [Indiana Code s. 29-1-2-1 (d)](http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/incode/29/1/2/29-1-2-1)

>The share of the net estate not distributable to the surviving spouse, or the entire net estate if there is no surviving spouse, shall descend and be distributed as follows:
...
(3)Except as provided in subsection (e), if there is no surviving spouse or issue of the intestate, then to the surviving parents, brothers, and sisters, and the issue of deceased brothers and sisters of the intestate....Issue of deceased brothers and sisters shall take by representation.

Subsection (e) is the Slayer Rule, and irrelevant here. Per [this](http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Representation,+Per+Stirpes,+Per+Capita) and [this](http://www.robertaufseeser.com/per%20stirpes%20vs%20per%20capita.pdf), "by representation" appears to mean, in the situation, the same as per stirpes.

There are two living siblings and three deceased siblings with issue. You and your other brother are entitled to 1/5 of the estate each. With respect to the nieces and nephews, the children of each deceased parent will share their parent's 1/5 share of the estate. Supposing, for instance, that sibling A had five children, sibling B had two children and sibling C one had one child, the five children of sibling A would share 1/5, getting 1/25 of the total estate each; the children of sibling B would share 1/5, getting 1/10 of the total estate each; and the child of sibling C would receive their parent's entire 1/5 share of the total estate.


Title: Tx found a starter interrupt device installed on my car. Removed it and now bank is threatening repossession.

Question:
Took my car into one of the dealer shops to have recall work done. Friend of mine who works there told me that I have a gps/interrupt device installed on my car.

He had to explain to me what that was. Basically a remote switch that can turn off your car anywhere. You know because no one ever died from having their car stop working before right?

Called my bank and asked them about this even gave them the serial number for the device. They told me that they do not install those devices on cars and it must be from the previous owner. My car is used obviously.

So me and a friend removed it today and not even 3 hours later I received a call from the bank. They told me that that device is the property of their bank and must remain installed for the duration of the loan. I told them what was said in the last conversation with the bank and he tells me that the person i talked to didnt know what they were talking about.

Now they are threatening to repo the car even though there are only 4 payments left.

Can they actually repo the car for this? My payments are not late and my car has 4 payments left and I'm gettting my tax check soon so I want to just pay it off, but I am worried about them reposessing it anyways.

Also checked the lease agreement and it has nothing there about the device and its requirement for the loan.

Answer:
 Check your paperwork on your car loan.  It probably states that it has to be installed.

Also, as I understand they don't just stop the car in the middle of the road.  Once it is turned on it just prevents it from starting again.Answer #2: I actually have no idea whether the install is legal or not, BUT read your loan docs.   Unless there is a covenant stating this device is required, then tell them to pound sand.  The bank does NOT own your car, they have a lien on it.  Unless you defaulted on the loan (via failure to pay or breaching a covenant), they have no right to repo.

To clarify:  is the entity a bank, a credit union, a federal savings association?  Different rules for different lenders.Answer #3: >Can they actually repo the car for this? My payments are not late and my car has 4 payments left and I'm gettting my tax check soon so I want to just pay it off, but I am worried about them reposessing it anyways.
Also checked the lease agreement and it has nothing there about the device and its requirement for the loan.

1. How long are they giving you to reinstall the device vs how long before you anticipate your refund (if you don't have a DD or check mailing date in the IRS Where's My Refund thingie:

https://sa.www4.irs.gov/irfof/lang/en/irfofgetstatus.jsp

2. I have never bought a car with a loan so please bear with me...I'm guessing there are two different agreements/documents, one for the purchase and another for the loan? So the mention of the device would be in the loan documents, not the purchase agreement?


Title: My Ex disappeared with my son and I have no idea where they are!

Question:
I am in Texas and we have court ordered standard visitation agreement, we were never married and I was looking to modify it to get 50/50 and I had a pretty good chance of getting because of her abusive history, but she skipped court and moved to another state. I was accused of sexually molesting my son in order to keep me away from him while she prepared for her escape, CPS and PD saw through her ruse and she was looking to get into more trouble with the court for using the system to help her case. Her lawyer says she lost contact with her and her family says they don't know where she is at. It has been 4 months since I've seen my son. I believe she may have moved to Delaware, because of her family ties.

To be honest I don't know if my lawyer is good enough for the situation that developed from all this. Is there any organization that can help?, can I approach the police?, Can CPS help me?.

I am so lost...
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: I'm not a lawyer but just as some guy out there, I'm sorry you're having such a tough time and I hope things come out ok for you.


Title: Told by cop I cannot have a lawyer

Question:
My friend was arrested for a DUI, he asked if he can get a lawyer, but the cops words were “who told you you can get a lawyer, you can’t get a lawyer” and repeated that he is unable to get a lawyer. This was in the car during transport to the police station. Is that legal?

There was also no Miranda rights were read at any point.
Topic:
DUI

Answer:
 He's not entitled to a lawyer until his first court appearance.  He also doesn't have to answer any questions except routine booking information.

Unless the police interrogated him, whether he was read Miranda advisements is irrelevant.Answer #2: Was your friend under the mistaken impression that they have to find him a lawyer immediately while being arrested and booked or something?


Title: South Dakota - my future roommate is my rapist

Question:
I recently signed lease beginning in a little under a week, have paid my security deposit, and am scheduled to move in Saturday. I got phone numbers for my new roommates and texted them to let them know when I planned to move in. One of their numbers came up in my contacts and after a brief conversation I realized this is the same person that raped me and a friend in my dorm last semester.
My friend and I were both assaulted at the same time, and I initially wasn't going to call UPD or anything but my friend did, which sparked an investigation in which they investigated my assault as well. They ended up deciding they didn't have enough evidence to do anything, so I never took legal action against her beyond that.
The university police report is still in her file, they said they'd keep it there in case someone else filed a case against her in the future. Beyond that, I have nothing besides my word to say what she did.
I still have nightmares about her and I don't think living with her is something I can handle, but we've both already signed our leases so I think either of us not keeping the lease is breaking it. Is there anything I can do to get out of this or a way to go about it with minimal damage?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You can try communicating this problem to your landlord. He may void your lease if possible, or tell you you can find a subletter, or find a sublet for you.Answer #2: Is this university housing? How did you end up being her roommate?Answer #3: I'm sorry that happened to you.

>Is there anything I can do to get out of this or a way to go about it with minimal damage?

There may be, but my immediate reaction is that you need to speak to someone at the university who can potentially help you with this situation - a counselor, a dean, even the campus PD.  If there is someone who worked with you during the investigation I would start there.  I think it would be very beneficial to have someone working with you on your behalf, and can help with any potential issues with the leasor.

It's possible the lease has some sort of exit provision which kicks in before you take possession (with some kind of damages specified).  It's possible that's the best option.  It's also possible that there is some relevant South Dakota or local law.  It's also possible neither of those exist, but the landlord will be willing to work with you, either volunarily or after some negotiation.  But I think getting some help is a no brainer if that's possible.


Title: [IA, US] Can a minor take legal action against their parent for theft?

Question:
So, backstory time (Just going to give a tl;dr version as I'm lazy)

Abusive brother

Neglectful and occasionally abusive mother

Practically non-existent step-father

Currently 17, 18 in roughly 6 months

Got kicked out due to me breaking down from all the abuse going on in the household, ended up in shouting matches

Currently living with grandmother, who is lacking in the financial department, only able to be here due to the promise of mother paying $300 for living expenses

Mother threatens to not pay, probably won't

Need money, have a job since two weeks ago, got first paycheck ($135!), but not enough for self-sufficiency

Now for the theft part:

Mother takes $1000 computer and $90 vape pen (Pretty sure it's legal for minor possession, just not sales to), paid for with my own money

Fast forward 2 months, mother throws away vape pen and threatens to throw computer away, probably will

What can I do, if anything, to get compensated for my possessions now, or when I'm 18?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Parents have care, custody, and control of minors and their stuff. Your mother is allowed to throw your stuff away. Sorry.


Title: [NYC] Basement room with no windows, didn't realize liability

Question:
Hello,

My roommate and I put down a $3500 deposit for an apartment a few days ago. As per the process, you pay a deposit equivalent to a month's rent so the apartment goes off-market while they review your application (income, credit). The deposit will be given back to us if they deny our application, but otherwise it will go towards rent.

It was advertised as a 2 bedroom, but room in the apartment it is in the basement. The basement has no windows. The tenant who showed it to us seemed to have no issues with it.

The realty company sent us a lease after we made the deposit, but I didn't read it till today. It says that using the basement space for sleeping is prohibited, and any breach of this and associated fines will be billed to/put on tenant. We didn't know this, but now we have made this deposit and will likely be approved on Tuesday. We can't get our money back, and we're not rolling in cash.

http://www1.nyc.gov/site/hpd/renters/important-safety-issues-illegal-basement-cellar-conversions.page

I found the above link, but it seems to just talk about full basement apartment not a partial one. It seems to be common in NYC to have basement rooms, but I'm concerned of what charges we are risking and can't really find anything online. Also, the people I know in NYC and ask for advice have shrugged off the problem given it's close to Union Square/East Village, roof space, and other amenities. "That's New York," they say.

I'm not sure what I'm asking, but what legal liabilities I would face as a renter that should worry me? Like if the NYC government charged the landlord, they would just bill me? What would the landlord be charged?

Answer:
 Basement bedrooms are not illegal simply because they're in the basement.  They're illegal if they don't have two methods of egress.  Typically, one of those two is a window but it doesn't have to be.  (For example, two doors would be fine.).

That said, basement conversions are exceedingly common and if the lack of a window is the only code violation, generally not a huge health and safety threat.

Anyway, bottom line is that any violations issued to the property for a CoO or Fire Code violation would go to the landlord, not you.