Title: How do I subpoena my former employer's accounting records?

Question:
Edit:  **Not one of you stupid jackasses can answer my question.**

This happened in Northeast Missouri.

I was fired from a job after I was injured.  I called my boss a dumbfuck, threatened to sue and, since I was on probation, I was arrested and jailed for a peace disturbance.

At the probation trial, the temp agency manager from Iowa and the manager of the plant from Missouri stated on the witness stand that I wasn't fired for my injury but I was fired because I refused to return to work.  However, they paid me for those days of work and I could have proved that then but I had been locked up for the last 45 days and I had zero help in my legal defense.

For the last three years I have sought legal help in Missouri but 95% of the lawyers do not respond and for those that do it's $10,000 up front just to talk to them.  Fuck them.

I am about to purchase the court transcripts from that trial and the last thing that I need to bring my case against my former employers are their accounting records that proves that they paid me for days of work that they testified that I had not worked.

That stupid fucking judge sent me to prison for fucking cussing.  After I got out of prison I routed that court of people who had held their jobs/positions for decades and it is now 80% staffed with new employees - from the prosecutor to the circuit clerk.

If, for some asshat reason, I can not sue my employers because of time limits or whatever it is called I still want this information so that I can take it to a news agency.  But no, I really really really want to sue them for the lies that they told on the witness stand that got me sent to prison for 7 months.

Edit:  Also, how is it legal for a former assistant circuit judge, who was forced to resign, able to get elected as a prosecutor?  I've dug up information on him, some type of conviction with a case number on it that I used to force him to resign as the prosecutor that I didn't look into because all I needed was the case number and a couple of emails to the right people, but.... isn't something like that against my constitutional right to a fare trial?  I can find the case number if necessary, but... I think that would be... against the rules?  Eh, anyway... thanks for the help

Answer:
 > That stupid fucking judge sent me to prison for fucking cussing.

So, you were arrested for criminal contempt?

Aside from that, I have no idea where you're going with this.

Were you injured *at* work, or injured off the clock and missed work? Was there a workmans comp claim?

Many places have laws about requiring access to employee files. Have you tried to get those records without swearing at those you need help from?

You want to sue them for the lies. That would normally fall under perjury. Get the court transcripts and get solid proof they lied under oath. It's a tough case to go through, but you may be able to get an attorney on board if you have irrefutable evidence.

You *really* need to get your temper under control though. If you approach an attorney or appear in court with all the rage that is showing through your post, nobody will want to help you out. Be calm, concise, and respectful towards those who can help you.

IANAL, and I know nothing about your state's laws.


Title: If the statute of limitations is up on a crime you commit, could you waltz into a police station with indisputable evidence you committed the crime, admit to it fully, and still not have any repercussions?

Question:
Just wondering exactly how bulletproof someone would be once the statute of limitations is up.
edit:In the United States

Answer:
 Charges can't be filed for that crime but it would be pretty dumb to put yourself on the radar like that. Answer #2: The police likely wouldn't believe you when you loudly exclaim "THE STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS IS UP, ALSO, AM I BEING DETAINED AM I BEING DETAINED AM I BEING DETAINED AM I BEING DETAINED?!"

So, you might be arrested.  The prosecutors would sort out the statute of limitations, as it is up to them to actually charge you.

But yeah, the SOL is pretty "bulletproof."  Some exceptions may apply.


Title: Just got a felony for wax, how am I looking?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I assume you mean you were charged with a felony, not convicted.  You need a lawyer. Based on [your posting history](https://np.reddit.com/user/daveo101/submitted/) you need to make some major lifestyle changes as well.  Stop doing LSD, pot, wax, clonozepam, MDMA, MAOI, benzos, adderall, resin, nitrous, kratom, DMT, and whatever the hell else you take for fun.

You will be drug tested while you are on pretrial release. If you test positive you can wait in jail until your case is disposed of.  If this is your first offense you might get lucky and go into some kind of pretrial diversion program or get a deferral. If you can't stop taking drugs then you probably shouldn't consider either of those options because testing positive while you are on one of those really screws you up.

Your best bet is to get serious about yourself before the court tells you too. That means checking into rehab or going to narcotics anonymous meetings and getting clean for real.Answer #2: The felony is punishable by a term of imprisonment no less than 2 years and no greater than 10 years and a fine no greater than $10,000.

The misdemeanor is punishable by up to 180 days imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $2,000.

You need a good lawyer.


Title: HELP: Evicted tenant returns after 6 years demanding money!

Question:
Hi, so I have a question, I had a tenant that was evicted 6 years ago because he had not payed rent for 6 months due to unemployment or no money, not entirely sure anymore, but today after 6 years, he comes in front of my house and drops off a letter with no return address or postal stickers. I did not want to open and so I called 311, which they told me to call 911 and had an police officer come and see whats up. Apparently he is threatening me and my family to take us into court again for money that we owe him? We had already been through the court process 6 years ago so I have no idea whats going on. What should I do? Thank you very much for any advice or things I should do.

I live in New York City, USA

P.S. is it ok for him to trespass onto my property and put random envelopes at my house, I am afraid that it could contain dangerous content in the envelopes, and the police were not too helpful on that matter.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Ignore it. Matter is settled. You don't get another bite at the apple.


Title: Co-worker threatened to be fired if he keeps having to miss work for doctor's appointments

Question: My wife's co-worker has had some potentially serious health problems come up and has had to miss a good amount of work over the last couple of weeks for doctor's appointments.  His managers called him in and told him he would be fired if he continued to call out of work for these appointments and had him choose to cancel his upcoming appointments or lose his job.  Are there any actions he could take in this situation? This is in Virginia if that helps.

Answer: Does he qualify for fmla? How long has he worked there? Answer #2: He needs to set up the appointments for outside of work hours or he risks losing his job, he is brand new there and not able to draw FMLA, probably not union so at will employment, they can let him go for anything, especially not being at work for appointments after just 3 months of employment.Answer #3: yeah it sucks, but what is a business supposed to do with an employee who cant come to work? try to schedule outside work hours or talk about working remotely those days if possible


Title: Neighbor going through mid-life crisis disturbing everyone else. Better to unify against the offender or have each neighbor deal with it individually?

Question: Without going into too much detail, a neighbor of mine is in a rough patch. Blasting music at weird times day and night, renting out the house/pool for parties, speeding through the neighborhood to name a few things that are law enforceable offenses. A few of his neighbors have tried talking to the person, to no avail, and seems to have only made the behavior worse. So, I want to start hitting the person in the wallet where it will hurt more. We all seem to have our own logs and police reports. Is it better for us neighbors to unify against the person or have each of us sue him individually in small claims court?

Answer:
 > each of us sue him individually in small claims court?

What exactly do you plan on suing him for?Answer #2: What damages do you have?

Because if you have no provable monetary damages, the odds that any of you would have a successful lawsuit are slim.


Title: Starting a Cryptocurrency fund

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > We have $60k committed for our seed capital.

Put some of that aside and get a real attorney. This isn't a DIY project.Answer #2: You lose all your money. You're not taking other peoples' money right?


Title: [TX] DWI, no blood test or breathalyzer

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Just because you are prescribed something doesn't mean you can drive on it.  If you were visibly impaired (slurring words, unsteady on feet, etc) and admitted using, then there is a strong likely hood of conviction.  However, many places will plea a DUI down to a reckless driving (or something like that) on a first offense.  Your attorney should know how your local court operates and what, if any pleas, might be available to you.  Answer #2: Eeeeassh.
Any downer, even if prescribed, and even if you've taken it for 10 years and your body is used to it, is still a gamble. There's a reason the warnings say not to operate heavy machinery while taking it. A car is heavy machinery.


Title: Forgoing right to seek child support?

Question: Asking for a friend; He told his girl he isn't ready for a child as he isn't currently financially capable of supporting a child. His girl says he doesn't have to worry about that as she has a good job and capable of supporting the child. She has been insisting on it for a while, but he doesn't believe her. He wants to test her by requiring they both sign a document stating that she won't ever seek for child support. Now the question is, would that document forever hold? Is there a situation where she could legally ever force him into paying child support?

Answer:
 No, the document won't hold, and yes, she could legally force him to pay child support.  In addition, even if she doesn't want him to pay it, if she accepts any state aid, the state will make him pay (because it's fairer for the kid's dad to pay for the kid to eat than the taxpayers).Answer #2: > Is there a situation where she could legally ever force him into paying child support?

Yes.

By going to court and asking him for child support.

That's really all it takes- the document is not worth the paper it's printed on.Answer #3: > Now the question is, would that document forever hold?

They cannot sign away child support obligations.  The document would be unenforceable before the ink dries.

> Is there a situation where she could legally ever force him into paying child support?

Absolutely.  Anytime between the birth of the child, and when the child reaches the age of 18, and in some jurisdictions it could be longer.Answer #4: You generally cannot waive or otherwise contract away the right to child support, it belongs to the child and not the parents. Obviously if it was possible to waive away the right to seek child support, parents everywhere would try to do it all the time. friend is now a father and will have to deal with that fact that he may be pursued for child support at any time for the next 18 years.Answer #5: That document would fornever hold.


Title: Can I refuse a cop justifying a vehicle search by lying about weed smell?

Question:
I have never smoked weed in my life (or anything else for that matter). I would never let anyone smoke or vape anything in my car, and to my knowledge nobody has ever brought weed into my vehicle. I would definitely notice the smell before a cop would. If they were to demand to search my vehicle, can I refuse? Obviously that is probably not the best course of action, but is it within my rights? And if not, would it be possible to prove a violation of the 4th amendment?

Any US jurisdiction where cops are allowed to search if they smell weed is fine, but if necessary, I live in Michigan.

Answer:
 If he’s asking for your consent (permission) to search, you can say no without needing a reason.

If he’s not asking for your consent then you don’t get to say no.Answer #2: >  If they were to demand to search my vehicle, can I refuse?

Yes. "Officer, I do not consent to any searches" should be sufficient. If they tell you to get out of the car and proceed with a search, you cannot physically intervene (you can try closing the door on your way out before the officer grabs it).

> Obviously that is probably not the best course of action, but is it within my rights?

Yes.

> And if not, would it be possible to prove a violation of the 4th amendment?

If you do not approve of the search and the search happens anyway and you are arrested, you can challenge the legality of the search. If the search is ruled illegal, the evidence will be thrown out.Answer #3: https://apnews.com/article/0ba2cf617a414174b566af68262ef937

Unless I'm mistaken,  Marijuana is legal both medically and recreationally in Michigan, so why would an officer want to search for it?


Title: Legal steps to take against fraudulent Copyright claim/Amazon

Question:
I sell books via Amazon KDP which is like a POD situation. One person claimed copyright infringement against me and Amazon suspended sales of those titles and then immediately terminated my account.

I have appealed to AMZ numerous times, remaining polite and calm. I have reached out to the claimant who has not responded. By book inner/manuscript is a blank form template which is not protected under the Copyright Act. The original claimant does not have original expression in her inner and my manuscript in literally a generic blank form situation.

I've spoke with a couple lawyers who have stated there is no way this is a CR issue and that it would not hold up in court. However, I cannot really afford a lawyer, because retaining one will run me 2500-15k.

Looking for some free legal advice, what could my next steps be? The claimant isn't responding and AMZ isn't following their normal protocols (how it typically works is they get a CR notification from third party, they suspend sale of book, author responds that they have the right to publish the material, AMZ contacts original claimant and tells them to take author to court, then they wash their hands of it.)

The main thing I don't get is when I sent my counter-claim, this is what they sent back: "Thank you for your e-mail. The counter-notice procedure only pertains to notices of copyright infringement submitted pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). As Amazon is the seller of record of these items they are not subject to the DMCA."

I don't know what to do at this point.

Answer: Unfortunately, in most cases a compamy (Amazon in this case) is under no legal obligation to do business with anyone, including you. Your best bet is probably to escalate as much as you can through any and all support channels.


Title: Accidentally opened jury summons for someone no longer living at my place. Should I contact anyone? [MS]

Question: Howdy. I live in Mississippi and I was opening all the mail in my box today without really paying attention to the recipient. One of the letters was a jury summons for someone whom I can only assume lived in my apartment before I did. Should I call someone and let them know the person no longer lives there or just throw it away and forget about it?

Answer: Tape it up, write "doesn't live here",  and put it back in your mailbox.


Title: [NY] I was just fired from my new job after 3 days because someone had claimed I made a "snide comment". I was told they are an at will employer and handed a termination letter. I was not given any opportunity to explain myself and was told to leave the building.

Question:
I started a new job on Tuesday, and today on Thursday close to the end of the day I was called into the director's office. There they told me that I had made a snide comment and handed me a termination letter. I tried to ask for more details, and they claimed it happened the previous day and that the complaint was from more than one person. I was never told what the supposed comment was. I denied making any comment that could be interpreted as snide, and explained to them how unexpected this was to me since I had been there for such a short time and felt that I was getting along with everyone. They were not interested in hearing anything from me and simply told me I need to leave. The only incident I can think of was in passing, one employee told me in an annoyed tone that I was doing a minor task wrong which I then corrected. I didn't speak with that individual outside of that, and she was walking past me as she said it so I don't even remember her face and was never introduced to her. Outside of that, all of my interactions at the job in the past few days had been pleasant and the other employees had seemed very friendly.

&#x200B;

I'm wondering now if this qualifies as wrongful termination, as there was nothing I could have said to anyone that could be interpreted as a snide comment. Since the reason for my firing is completely false, what steps can take if any to do something about this? I'm assuming there must be a different reason for firing me which they don't want to say for some reason, as even if someone does make a "snide comment" it seems extremely excessive to immediately fire them over it with no opportunity to explain themselves. Is this really allowed because of at will employment and do I need to just accept that I've been fired after 3 days because someone arbitrarily decided they have it out for me?

Answer:
 You're in an at will state. They fired you for a reason other than your membership in a protected class (edit: or participation in protected activities: ops-name-checks-out explains better than I can). Therefore, this doesn't sound like a wrongful termination. Absent an employment contract that restricts why they can fire you, they can fire you for this, or for wearing purple, or for just about anything you do or say.

File for unemployment and look for a new job. Make sure they pay you for the few days you did work. And consider that you may have dodged a bullet.


Title: NY My co-worker retired and has 13K in unused sick time he saved. Contract says it is paid out June 30th, still hasn't been paid and the job is now saying it can only be put in a specific investment company with high fees instead of just cash.

Question:
Co-worker works 15 years in state job.

Contract says you get 65$ per unused sick day and you can "bank" days. He banked the max amount and his payout is around 13K.

Contract does NOT say it will be paid out any specific way, just that he would be paid the amount June 30th the year he retires. (but they still haven't paid out yet)

He filled all papers correctly, and timely. Job is now saying they can only release the money to a specific investment company that has ridiculous fees and he has to make a new account with them... because "that is just how they do it!".

He already has investments, retirement and deferred comp accounts on his own (all auto deducted from paychecks) but they are REFUSING to allow him to take the money and put it where he wants. The company they're forcing him to use charges hundreds of dollars in fees for "early withdrawals" and regular "service fees" that pretty much would eat up most interest earned.

Should he hire a lawyer look into this? Would it be a contract lawyer? He is worried an attorney would cost him more than just eating the early withdrawal fees. Since it did NOT specifically say in the contract the money had to go to "XYZ company" is it illegal for them to do that? Can he just demand the payment as a check?

He is mostly upset he has accounts already in banks with the lowest fees and he is being forced to use a shit invest bank/company he hates.... especially when the contract never specified how it had to be paid out.
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: NY State job and you have a contract, so I assume you are in a union. Has your co-worker spoken to his union rep yet? If not in a union, are you otherwise covered under the civil service law?


Title: Soon to be Ex-husband is withholding stimulus funds

Question: Hello, my soon to be ex and I filed our taxes together last year and our stimulus package was deposited into his account. He was at first willing to give me my half but has since changed his tune. We have been separated for awhile now and I am wondering if I have any recourse. Thanks for any help. [CA]

Answer: Point out to him that such shenanigans are frowned upon by judges in divorce cases and he has a lot more than $1200 to lose in the long run.


Title: Windy day caused garbage can to hit our neighbors car and he wants to sue.

Question: My company shares a trash area and a small parking lot with about six other businesses. We rent out four large bins; two compost, one garbage, one recycling. Recently, we had a pretty strong wind storm causing one of our bins to crash into our adjacent business owner's car, which was parked maybe 2-3 feet away from our bins, and cause a dent. He is trying to sue us for damages but, as far as we know, we can claim it as an "act of god", as we had no direct responsibility and were never told by anyone that we had to lock or tie the bins down. Is this even worth taking seriously or is he totally out of bounds here?

Answer: He could sue you and claim a reasonable person should have known to  better secure the garbage especially if the weather was calling for high winds. It would be up to the Judge. If you are actually sued you need to show up otherwise who knows what he will claim happened and he will probably get a default judgement.Answer #2: Don't know what state you're in, but in California, there is a policy by the garbage company that all vehicles must keep a distance of 5 feet from any garbage can. You should look into your garbage company's policies and try to use them to your defense. Good luck! Keep us updated! Answer #3: You don't own the bins, don't know why he would be suing you. Tell your landlord.Answer #4: Swalsh411 is correct. The judge will consider whether a reasonable person would have arranged the cans differently and whether this type of damage of reasonably foreseeable. A big consideration will likely be how other people in the area secure their garbage cans. If the other 5 businesses all tie down their cans, you were probably negligent. If only 20% of people secure their cans in your town, you probably weren't negligent. You'll probably want to look into that if you get sued.


Title: Stolen mower recovered, but completely trashed. Where do I go from here?

Question:
Two months ago I had my mower stolen from in front of my house. I filed a report and gave the police the model and serial numbers, but I assumed it was likely gone.

Last Thursday I saw my mower being used to mow my neighbor's grass. Called the cops and they arrested the guy, but not before I heard my mower stall. Guy actually started pushing the mower down the street because he couldn't get it running again.

My mower was held in police lock up until today when they released it to me. I got it home, and it's completely locked up. At this point I assume the mower is a paper weight, but I wanted to know what my options are from here?

The mower was only $200ish brand new, and even though it's not even a year old, I realize it's not really worth much. However, this mower made mower number three that I've had stolen in the last year so, as petty as it may be, I really would like to do something about this, if I can.

Answer: If they are pursuing the theft charge, ask for restitution. It's easier than dealing with small claims court because it will be added to the defendant's sentence. It will take longer but it's more of a sure bet.


Title: My husband says it's illegal to put a GPS tracker on my friends husbands car without his knowledge? Is that really illegal? And how illegal is it?

Question: Southern California!

Answer: I'm guessing that your friend thinks her husband is doing something iffy hence the GPS tracker. Does she jointly own the car?


Title: Car Accident 6 Months Ago...What Can I Do To Get My Money Back?

Question:
6 months ago I was driving through a green light, around 7pm on a busy road. A car in the opposite direction, who had been waiting at a Yield decided to make his left turn and smashed into the side of my car. I had to pay almost $900 for a rental car while my car was being repaired. I also had to pay the $500 deductible (which makes sense, seeing as it's a deductible and all).
To date I've received $420 in total- a percentage of the deductible. The other insurance company is accepting only 90% of the liability, and sent me a check for an additional $423 (what they calculated as 90% of $900). I can't get ahold of anyone helpful at my agency or his.
I live in PA, the accident happened in PA, the other party lives and is insured in Delaware.
What can I do to get my money back? Surely, I'm not at the mercy of a woman in Wilmington with a bad attitude?
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: Sue the woman in small claims court.


Title: Is it legal to build a sandcastle around a pile of bricks on a beach and wait for somebody to kick it?

Question:
Pretty much like the title says, if you bring some bricks or cinder blocks to the beach and build a sandcastle around them, are you criminally responsible if somebody comes along and breaks their toes trying to kick over your sandcastle? It seems like the only thing I could be guilty of is 'dumping' for leaving the bricks on the beach. But if the cops want to be jerks they might try to pin some kind of 'reckless endangerment', or 'criminal mischief' charge on me.

I'm wondering about the laws in California, but if you know any coastal cities where this would be legal, I'd love to know.

Answer:
 This is literally the same as boobytrapping. Because it is a boobytrap.

You boob.Answer #2: No. That would likely end in criminal and civil charges. You intentionally harmed someoneAnswer #3: I have a better question, do you have the money to pay for reconstructive surgery for somebody's foot?Answer #4: I don't think the cops are the "jerks" in this scenario.Answer #5: I have a different question that is the same.

I want to build a cool sandcastle, but it requires a brick structure in the center to hold it up. If I were to walk away and someone injured themselves on it, would I be liable in some way? Secondly, is it legal on California beaches to build reinforced sandcastles? Answer #6: No.


Title: Caught doing ‘it’ in public

Question: Hey everyone! Was recently caught in a situation where the police stopped me and my partner from doing ‘it’ in the car. The cops asked me to step out and asked for my information and wrote it all down. Now as they told us to leave, I wasn’t given any written notice, warning, or ticket. I even asked the cop if anything was going to happen and they responded “only if we want to,” so of course I got out of there ASAP. I was wondering if I’m in the clear because the cop told me there was no ticket and that they were letting us go or if I have to worry because they have all our written info? Thanks guys

Answer:
 >I even asked the cop if anything was going to happen and they responded “only if we want to,”

This is the cop telling you "we know who you are, and you'll get arrested if we catch you doing this again."

Don't have sex in public in their jurisdiction (or, at all) again, and move on.Answer #2: No one has a crystal ball to tell you if something is going to happen, but usually if they tell you to get lost, they don't follow up. But they can, and all you can do now is hope they don't, and retain a lawyer if they do.


Title: Casino winning

Question: If I win at a casino underage can I wait til I’m 21 to collect my winnings?

Answer:
 In Nevada, you are not entitled to collect any winnings from any gambling done while underage nor are casinos required to reimburse any losses.  Of course, that's on top of the fact that it's a crime.  Hell, it's a crime merely to loiter on as casino floor if you're not 21.Answer #2: Tons of articles on this subject

Depends on state, tho

You will lose your winnings

You can be fined

You can be thrown in jail

You can be banned from the casino

In NJ, your parents can be the one fined or charged with a crime…even the casino employee who allowed it can be charged

You could also face other criminal charges if you used a fake ID.Answer #3: Here in the UK, if you replace 21 with 18 which is the legal gambling age here, then no. If you gamble underage you are not entitled to your winnings, only to your initial stake whether you win or loose. Even then, this doesn't apply to all circumstances e.g. if you use your parents bookmaker's account to place bets then you are not legally entitled to a refund at all, nor to any winnings. However I believe that they are entitled to keep the winnings.Answer #4: And even if you did the "my older sibling won, not me!" defense, they have camera footage.  It is crazy how much surveillance they have on the floor.


Title: Someone I know got into a car accident and is exaggerating his condition for bigger compensation. Is it worth reporting to Blue Cross (his insurance) or the other person involved in the accident?

Question:
He was t boned by another person about four months ago. The accident gave little fractures and pain on his neck which limits movements. He and his mother have been talking about financially profiting off the accident from the moment they left ER. They either have already or are looking to sue the person at fault.

He has postponed the expected recovery dates three times so far. He went ball room dancing and clubbing several times so far. He even sells some painkiller pills to acquaintances.

As for why I consider actively reporting, let's say I do not mind reporting them at all.

EDIT: I cannot put location on the title now. It is in US
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer: if you want to, sure. when they ask you what your reasons are for getting involved, just try your best not to say "revenge".


Title: Collections is coming after me for a missed doctor's appointment fee that I was not notified of.

Question: I went to the doctor a few months back and was given a take home test to send to a lab, which would send me results directly. The doctor said he would want to see me after the results came in, but said I could simply call to schedule that appointment at a later date. I had no intention of going back because my father is a physician and could go over the lab results with me, saving me a few hundred dollars. Yesterday I got a call from a collections agency saying I owed the doctors office $250 for a missed appointment fee $(25) plus interest. I never received any notification of a scheduled appointment and when I called the doctor's office they confirmed they made the appointment but sent the check in to the wrong email address. However, they said I still had to pay! How in the world do I owe them anything, especially since I was told I would be the one to make the appointment, not the doctor's office. Now I have a collections agency on my ass. What do I do?

Answer: They admit they made an appointment without checking with you and also that they sent it to the wrong address? That is absurd. Write them a certified letter stating the facts and that since you did not make the appointment, nor did they properly inform you of it that you dispute the bill. Send it to their collections folk. Answer #2: Sorry - the missed appointment fee was $25 and the interest is $225?


Title: Acting as your own attorney

Question: Now, I'm not sure how accurate the "acting as your own attorney" trope is, but I'm curious. If you do act as your own attorney, and you are called up to the witness stand, can you object to a line of questioning that is asked of you? (If it were appropriate for an attorney to do so in the same circumstances?)

Answer: Yes, but as you pointed out, only if it were appropriate. Self-represented litigants are held to the same standard as attorneys. In other words, you’re not going to get a pass and make unfounded objections just because you don’t know better. If you’re self-represented and you make an objection, you should know what your legal grounds for that objection is.


Title: No such thing as a free house? [NY]

Question:
My husband and I (both in our mid-30s) and my inlaws all live in NY State. Recently, my inlaws have been getting their affairs in order (although I don't believe anything is imminent, they're just being smart) and it came up that my MIL would like to sign their house over to my husband.

I'm really skeptical about this. They do not have a mortgage, but there is equity in the home as they've lived there at least 25 years and possibly more. My MIL made some kind of comment about how she wants to do this because if they were to have to go into assisted living, after some amount of time, their home would be taken away from them? That doesn't sound right to me though.

My questions are:

1) Can he take ownership of the house without me knowing or also signing off on this?

2) What are the consequences of receiving a house as a gift?

3) If we want to explore this option seriously, is this best handled through a tax attorney? Family attorney? I'm assuming most of the liability here is with our taxes, but not totally sure.

4) Any idea what my MIL could be thinking of regarding the house being taken away if they're no longer living there?

Answer:
 Parents could sign the home over to their son, your husband without 'you' knowing. But the county property tax public listing would have his name as owner. He would be responsible for property tax payments.

A "real estate Attorney" could help you with this process.Answer #2: >4) Any idea what my MIL could be thinking of regarding the house being taken away if they're no longer living there?

She's potentially correct. Assisted living facilities, when there isn't a 401K/IRA/investments to draw from, will put a lien on the house and start dwindling its equity. This is assuming you can't cover the cost of the facility. Once that's tapped, they can sell the house to cover the facility's charges. This very much depends on the individual facility and its practices. But with only commenting on this aspect of it, it's a fairly common practice. Someone with more expertise will need to weigh in here on the more particular questions, but an estates attorney can guide you through the legalities of receiving a house as a gift, tax liabilities, etc.


Title: Being blackmailed from a Nigerian Scammer

Question: So I’ve had Nigerian scammers get a copy of explicit videos and photos of myself. They found my Instagram and my followers and took screenshots before I knew about it. I made my account private when they messaged me on Instagram and they threatened to send it to my friends if I don’t send them $2000. They have posted the video online. I’ve reported it. They’ve started sending the video to my friends and posting on some work Instagram photos and I’m unsure what I can do, especially if I block them and they make a new account. I’ve made a post alerting my friends of the issue and so far they’re all being really supportive. I live in Australia and I don’t believe the police can help me in this situation. Even if it isn’t specifically legal advice, any advise on this situation would be helpful. I wasn’t sure where else to post this. Thanks so much in advance. All I have on them is the account names of 2 dummy Instagram accounts.

Answer:
 Don't pay anything, cut all contact, block, ignore, and maybe deal with any fallout.

If you pay them money, then you've demonstrated that you're a good source of money, and that all they have to do, at any point in time when they want some money, is threaten to send the pictures and video and you'll pay up.

The scammer's ultimate goal is your money, not embarrassing you -- that's just the method they use to shake you down.  If you demonstrate that there's no money, they won't spend too much time on the matter as they'll lose interest and move on to shaking down someone else that is willing to fork over money.


Title: Legality of red light cameras and speed cameras in IL (Illinois)

Question: I have read conflicting information on whether red light cameras are legal or not in Illinois. Something something right to cross-examine the witnesses? Can I plead not guilty and make an argument that this is unconstitutional? And does the same apply for speed cameras as well? Note that this is hypothetical for me but I know a few people currently facing tickets from these things. And most people don't want to pay a lawyer to get out of a traffic violation, especially if it's going to have to go to trial.

Answer:
 In the US, these automated enforcement systems are never implemented as law violations where such arguments would hold some weight.

The way these systems are organized is much closer to a tax, or an administrative fee that they charge when your car gets caught.  There is no accusation, just a bill for doing something that the municipality has a set fee for.  It's no different in their eyes than billing you for renting the meeting room at city hall.Answer #2: Yes, they are legal. No, they're not unconstitutional. If you believe you were ticketed incorrectly, you can argue that at trial. Otherwise, stop speeding and stop running red lights.


Title: Client has gone dark, ~$10k in unpaid invoices (TN)

Question:
Y'all need some backstory. Bear with me.

&#x200B;

I own a video marketing company (VM), and we have a corporate client (CC) that we've been steadily working with for over three years. My company has produced at least 1k videos, both for internal and promotional uses. To say that the content we make has driven their revenue in a positive direction is an understatement, but I digress.

&#x200B;

CC has had a history of not paying us in a timely manner. VM sends invoices (for production, post production, and upload/delivery of defined work), generally in two half payments (production in the first half, post production and upload/delivery in the second). A typical first invoice is sent before the shoot date, and is paid 15-20 days after the shoot. In some instances, my company has already completed all of our edits, uploaded them, and have done revisions, all without being paid even the first half. VM has continued to work hard and be professional with this client because 1) we have been working together for years, and 2) they pay well.

&#x200B;

The most recent lack of payment comes from what I like to call a "footage grab", or realistically, CC is now going completely internal with their video content and cutting us out (which is fine, they're a bad client and I'm happy to not be working with them anymore). CC requested that we give them all of the footage we have. VM said sure, that is not a service we offer, but here is an invoice for all of the footage (5TB worth). The price was severely discounted, and CC complained. VM explained exactly what the price was for: 30+ hours of transfer time (which I did personally and took a lot of time away from other clients), storage fee, and compensation for the fact that they would have access to all the raw files and would be able to use them at their will, which essentially eliminates the need for our editing services.

&#x200B;

The invoice for the footage was approved, and I personally dropped off the drive at the CC office. As of today, the invoice is 47 days overdue, and the only communication we have received is a long list of missing footage that was "supposed" to be on the drive. In a draft email I have written up to our CC contact, I state (written from my business partner's point of view - he is the official account manager):

&#x200B;

>Moving on to payment. I received an email from you saying that the quote for the hard drive was approved. After such confirmation my business partner delivered the drive to your office. As of this date (May 20, 2019), the invoice is 47 days overdue. (I will go into the history of late payments from Southwestern Consulting in a moment.) Instead of a paid invoice, I received an email from you with a long list of missing footage - footage that we may or may not have, because as I’ve said previously, we were not hired to back up and store Southwestern’s footage for 3+ years. Also, some of the footage that you requested is part of an ongoing invoice (see image x) that has yet to be resolved.

&#x200B;

Here's where it gets tricky. This account was grandfathered to my company via the passing of CC's previous videographer. We never set up an official contract. However, every invoice I have ever sent them has the clear scope of work and payment listed out - not once was footage ever offered as a service, because as I said, it's not a service we offer. I have saved every email, every invoice, every form of communication between VM and CC for the past 3 years. Legally, what can I do?

&#x200B;

Drafted email in full (in case it helps):

>\[CC Contact\],
>
>
>
>I would like to be upfront with you in this email - it is concerning that I have not received neither communication nor payment from you or \[CC\]. I understand that you believe the hard drive is missing certain files. I would like to clarify that when asking for the hard drive of raw footage, it was unclear what exactly you wanted the drive to include. We delivered what we had. It was never our obligation to backup and store anything we shot, nor should it have been an expectation on your end. If you go back through every invoice from \[VM\] or \[Business Partner\], you will see that delivery of raw footage has never been included, because it is not a service we offer. Because of the relationship between \[VM\] and \[CC\], we agreed to this backup project in hopes that it would strengthen the relationship between our companies and solidify a strong working bond.
>
>
>
>Moving on to payment. I received an email from you saying that the quote for the hard drive was approved. After such confirmation my business partner delivered the drive to your office. As of this date (May 20, 2019), the invoice is 47 days overdue. (I will go into the history of late payments from \[CC\] in a moment.) Instead of a paid invoice, I received an email from you with a long list of missing footage - footage that we may or may not have, because as I’ve said previously, we were not hired to back up and store \[CC's\] footage for 3+ years. Also, some of the footage that you requested is part of an ongoing invoice (see image x) that has yet to be resolved.
>
>
>
>The history of late payments. As you know, I own my own business which has employees and hires contractors for larger projects. For many of \[CC's\] shoots, I have done such hiring. Ideally I strive to pay my contractors before they film, however in most cases I wait until after \[VM\] has been paid. Due to a history of late payments from \[CC\] - in some cases extremely late - I have had to pay out of pocket for a majority of the shoots. This puts my business at risk, and in some cases has completely disrupted my cash flow. I noticed a major slow down in payment time after communication switched from \[Previous CC Contact\] to you. Examples below.
>
>
>
>I have enjoyed working with \[CC\] to create dynamic and engaging content for your coaches, employees, and clients. The relationships made have been inspiring, and overall the experience working with \[CC\] has been a good one. We have grown together as companies over the past three years, and I can say that working with your company has changed mine for the better. That being said, for the good of \[VM\], if we can not come to a reasonable conclusion to whatever this relationship has turned into, I will be taking legal action against \[CC\]. Please be aware of the outstanding invoices and unfinished projects as listed below.
>
>
>
>\[Business Partner\]

&#x200B;

Tl;dr

Corporate client has gone dark. Owed 2k for footage, plus \~8k for completed work. Don't know where to go from here. Located in Tennessee.

Answer: The next step would be a demand letter and then your recourse would be a lawsuit. Does your contract say you can include legal costs if you have to sue for non-payment? If it doesn't it should.


Title: University revoked scholarships while in good standing. Do they have a case?

Question:
All of this occurred in Indiana

A family member is attending a private brick and mortar university on 50% scholarships. This semester their scholarships were revoked despite being in good standing.

The reasoning behind this was that a major benefactor ceased all monetary funding to the school.  So far the school has continued to twist the knife deeper and provide as little help as possible. Their financial counselors have more or less given us a polite "so sorry. We can't or won't help. Fuck off"

What can we do?  Sue? Call the local news?

Answer:
 What are you going to sue for? If the scholarship money has run dry, it's run dry. They have no legal obligation to continue providing you with free scholarship money.

You can start applying for other scholarships, take out loans, seek other federal financial aid, etc.Answer #2: > What can we do?

Nothing. They have no obligation to continue to give you money if the source of that money has gone away.

> Sue?

Sure. Knock yourself out. Good luck trying to find a lawyer to take an unwinnable case.

> Call the local news?

Sure. Why not? Though I cannot imagine any local news reporter being interested in this story, and whatever pity the school has for your situation will evaporate instantly a news truck shows up on campus.


Title: My abuser is buying me a round-trip ticket from Kansas to Hawaii. How do I prevent them from cancelling, and what recourse do I have if they do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Legally you can do nothing to force him to buy you a return ticket. You are depending on an abusive controlling person. Continuing to let him abuse and control you is totally up to you. But you cannot force him to fly you home. Answer #2:
>Note: I'd rather not have any non-legally relevant details of my abuse picked apart. Sufficient to say that it doesn't fit the standard abuse image and I've had difficulty convincing laypeople (police and untrained counselors included) of what happened.

Then why even include the information? It's wholly irrelevant.  If he pays for the tickets then he can cancel them.


Title: Bank won't cash 1 Year old check. Auto dealership won't wright new check. Utah

Question:
1 Year ago I bought a truck from a dealership(Denny Menholt Chevrolet) in Utah. I overpaid one of the fees and the dealership sent me a check for 140.00 dollars. I forgot about the check until just recently and decided to cash it 1 year later. The bank said they will not cash it because its out of date. Right after I purchased the truck the from the dealership(Denny Menholt Chevrolet) the dealership was bought out by (Doug Smith Chevorlet) I went back to the dealership which is now Doug Smith Chevorlet and asked them to write a new check and they said there's nothing they can do because they don't have those accounts anymore. The check that was issued to me does not say VOID on it.
Is there anything I can do or should I cut my losses?
How long do you have to cash a check that that does not say VOID?
Any information would be helpful

Answer: It might be worthwhile to take the check to the bank on which it is drawn.  Ask that bank if the check is still good, if the account is still open, and if there are still funds available.  Then, perhaps that bank could cash it for you, or at least issue you a bank cashier's check in exchange.


Title: Trying to translate for a friend, but I only speak enough legalese to ask for the bathroom.

Question:
Located in not-so-sunny-today Maine.

So, he got a letter that says:

On November 18, 2015 due to administrative error, the Court entered an Order to Comply and Notice to Dismiss Case [DE 9]. On the Court's own Motion it is hereby ORDERED that the Order to Comply and Notice to Dismiss Case, be and hereby is VACATED.

...

Up until now I always thought I was a smart man...

Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer: We've un-dismissed the case because the Clerk fucked up on November 18.  It was a bad day.Answer #2: it means that they screwed up, and your case isn't dismissed.Answer #3: Now that that's been answered, I would love to know how one goes about asking for the bathroom in legalese.


Title: I received an unaddressed letter in my mailbox from a social worker, saying that I need to call her to schedule a home visit.

Question:
The letter does not have a recipients name on it, but it does have my state’s (CT) seal on it. The envelope was also unsealed.

I don’t know why a social worker would need to meet with me in my home. I share an apartment with my brother, but neither of us have any clue what it’s about.

What is my legal obligation to call this person back? I’ll admit, I am a little worried about this, but ultimately my name isn’t on it so I don’t think I should be too concerned.

Answer:
 NAL. So, you got a letter in your mailbox that isn't addressed to you, and that wasn't sealed, from someone who you've never met and an organization that you don't have any dealings with.

Frankly, this sounds like a scam to get into your house.  I'd go to the police. I wouldn't, under any circumstances, contact this person.


Title: TX - Wife's Ex took out student loan in her name

Question: My wife's ex-husband took out a $20k student loan in her name back when they were married. It was a physically and verbally abusive relationship so she did nothing about it at the time or during the divorce and since the loans were under her name he said he was not responsible for any of them. Fast forward to current time, I'm helping her pay them off but sick of it and wondering if there's any legal ground for us to sue to make him pay it. He opened them up under her name but they were married at the time so in my mind should both be responsible, at worst case for half of it. Any advice you guys can give would be super helpful, or just let me know if I'm boned here and can't do anything about it.

Answer: Did he open them up by forging her name, or did she sign them and knew about the loan the whole time? It's a crappy situation, but it's going to be hard to prove that he forced her to do something years after the fact. Student loans aren't gotten rid of easily. Additionally, the divorce proceedings were probably final on the distribution of debts and assets so it's not likely you can bring him back to court over that.  Like I said, it sucks but she had two chances to address the issue, the first in not signing the loan documents and the second when she got the divorce.


Title: Bought business, old owner refuses to give up or change (sold) business themed social media (Instagram)

Question: So three years ago I bought a five year old food truck business. Included in the sale (contract) was a trailer fully loaded (equipment) a fully loaded (equipment) commissary, contacts for festivals/events, recipes, a website and a Facebook page and a gmail account. When I purchased the business (about 38k) I was not aware of a Twitter or Instagram page. My second year of ownership a customer asked me if they could tag me on Instagram so I checked it out and the old owner had a account. The handle matched my website name, the description was about the business, and the profile picture was the business logo. Some older posts were about the business but recent posts were about his horse training career. The reason he sold the food business. Come to find out the Twitter account was in the same situation. So I contacted the old owner to find out his intentions. He gave me the impression that he didn’t use the Instagram often and I could take it over when he figured out the password. But the Twitter he used regularly, and he had personal friends following him on there. He also made it seem like he was still attached to the logo. Because he built the business from the ground up, designed the logo and he was still attached to it and wanted to still use it. I know, I was confused too but I was trying to be nice and understanding. Also I was still making final payments from a owner finance agreement. So I let the issue go. Although it could be a free advertising avenue, I was well set up with plenty of business that I could handle considering I had a one year old baby at home. After I paid off the balance of the purchase price I tried to resolve the social media issue once again. I received the same excuses and I could tell that this was irritating him and he would make no changes. So I gave it like 6 more months before I asked him about it again. This time he is mad and goes with it’s not in the contract so he would not be changing or handing it over. I didn’t push back and  at this point is only text messages. A few months went by and I asked other food truck owners their opinion and everyone I talk to thinks it’s ridiculous. Plus someone pointed out if the old owner put something damaging on the accounts that people would think it’s coming from my business. So tried to reach out again asking him to reconsider, that I wanted to work something out amicably. Then he started completely ignoring my texts and phone calls. Another month goes by and he finally answers a phone call. I ask nicely again for him to reconsider. He claims he is locked out of Instagram and can’t recover it. Refuses to change the Twitter because it’s not in the contract. He is still angry about the situation so I couldn’t talk to him anymore and I told him I would have to take upon myself to resolve the situation without his help (legally or otherwise). I didn’t really want his accounts I just wanted him to change them so that my customers would not be confused and not that he would but he would not have the ability of putting something damaging on there. So I reported his Twitter as impersonating my business. They had me verify that it matched my website and email for my business. Then Twitter took down the page and has offered it to me. Which I have not taken. But the Instagram report option has a lot more legal terms when reporting. Such as asking if I have copyrights or a trademark. I don’t think I have a copyright or trademark. I did buy the business with the logo but I was asked to make my own LLC and the name of the business name is kinda generic “Sweet N’ Savory”. The contract does say the sale only includes the website and Facebook page. It also says that he cannot use the Sweet N Savory name. So now I don’t know what my legal options are for reporting on Instagram. Any advise would be greatly appreciated. I live in Crestwood Kentucky USA. Here is link to the Instagram report page: https://help.instagram.com/535503073130320

Answer: The logo itself if it contains design elements not just words/fonts had the copyright transferred to you upon purchase as the contract revoked his rights to use it. Trademark would be for the name of the truck and it could be done as a character mark with specific conditions on approval. I’d consult a business lawyer with social media experience since this most likely take more than a cease and desist from use of the logo he no longer has rights to use.


Title: [CA] Installing street legal seats in the bed of a truck.

Question:
TL;DR: Need to install truck bed seats and don't know what I need to do to make them street legal.

Hello, /r/legaladvice, I am a first time poster and I do apologize if this is in the incorrect subreddit, but I am in need of legal advice so I figured this would be the place. I would appreciate some assistance in installing seats in the bed of a truck and am struggling to comprehend the legal jargon of official laws. I plan to take the truck all over the country so many state laws would come into play, but I am really only concerned with California state law at the present. Specifically, §23116 of the vehicle code, [cited](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=VEH&sectionNum=23116) , that references subsections of the Code of Federal Regulations, [cited](https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=59bc9c6c728efafde072e1334aacd159&mc=true&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title49/49cfr571_main_02.tpl) , sections 207, 209, and 210 (the formatting of these laws is partially to blame for my struggling to comprehend them). These laws require a restraint system meeting the published federal standards and I do not know what that means exactly. I have already acquired the seat I'd like to install and I believe it meets the federal standard (because it used to be in the cab of a different truck), but I am unclear on the requirements for the seatbelts. The CFR defines both Type 1 and Type 2 seatbelts but I'm unsure as to whether either type is legal in this situation or just one (Type 2, probably). I would much prefer to use Type 1 for ease of use and installment, but I will make Type 2 work if need be. I would very much appreciate any help regarding this matter from anyone more capable of understanding the nuances of legal-ese.

Answer: This isn't exactly legal advice, but I read at some point that seatbelts are safe because they are connected in such a way that they are attached directly to the frame of the vehicle. Which may be common sense, but it might be a starting point.


Title: Wanting to start a non-profit in Arkansas. How can Girl Scouts of America sell cookies for a profit? My org is similar, and I can't understand how this is legal.

Question: I haven't started anything yet. When I said "my org" what i meant was my idea.

Answer:
 The organization is nonprofit.  That doesn't mean they can't do anything that is profitable.  Ask every nonprofit hospital.

Maybe read up a bit on the purpose and permitted activities of nonprofits. Answer #2: You don't understand the difference between "making money" and "making a profit."  The proceeds of those cookies are spent within the organization, and there is no "profit" from them.

[Here](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/nonprofit-fundraising) is a nice primer on how non-profit fundraising works.

Also, if you have a non-profit organization, I really hope you worked with competent counsel setting it up, because you clearly don't understand the basics.


Title: I have suffered emotional and physical pain from fraternity hazing (TX)

Question:
Hello all, I am writing this just minutes after being cut from my fraternity so please excuse grammar and punctuation issues.

I have been a pledge for 3 weeks. On "bid day" we thought the fraternity was throwing a party for its newly elected pledges and were told to meet at our pledge trainer's house. This was not the case however. Upon arriving the committee (elected officials chosen to guide the fraternity) threw us white t shirts we were supposed to change into. This struck me as odd because they asked us to dress nice. We were all yanked outside and forced to drink multiple bottles of hard liquor. They told us "I want to you see you puke." we were also split into two teams where we had to do a "Case race" where each team (7 pledges on each side) had to finish a case of beer as fast as possible. I couldnt even count the number of times that I vomited. The losing team was forced to get on an 8 person beer bong and drink concoctions of liquor, urine, dip, dirt, hot sauce among other things. This went on for about an hour and a half. I was forced to wear a certain type of shirt (not saying what kind so I dont self identify) every single day. we were required to carry dip, cigs, condoms, lighters, coozies, and a porn card.

now this is where it actually gets bad.

I was told that I needed to be at a house actives were throwing a party. as soon as I got there I was given a cigarette burn on my chest. they forced me to drink a fifth of cheap whiskey as well as 10-15 mixed drinks. They then made 5 concoctions and put them in a line and made me drink them. This is the point in the night that Im rethinking my decision to rush a fraternity. I asked an active who was doing the hazing "why are you doing this? I thought we were friends" he did not like this. I was then stood up and punched in the face 5 times, each of which knocked me to the ground. Each time they would stand me up and Id get another. they stole my phone (which I got back a week later) my keys, wallet, and my cary-ons (the things I was required to have) and wouldnt let me back in the house. The next day when I came to I had the worst headache of my life and felt confused and dizzy, I told my pledge trainer and he said a pledge bro would take me to the hospital. I was diagnosed with a concussion.

Last monday after chapter they made us put an entire can of dip in and do wall sits and pushups while drinking orange juice.

The only evidence I have is a cracked molar (from the punches), the medical records (which say that I fell down the stairs), and screenshots of our group message with threats from the trainer and them forcing us to pick them up or buy them things. I also have a visible cigarette burn.

I am considering dropping out and going back home to continue my education. there is no way id be able to show my face on campus ever again.

what I want to know is can I sue the fraternity? would I have a leg to stand on?

TL;DR - I was forced to drink, vomit, do wall sits, eat dip, was given a concussion, broke a tooth, was given a cigarette burn, and forced to spend money on actives. Can I sue the fraternity?

all answers help

Answer: Some of this is hazing, some of it is not. The assault you take up with the police, the dental bill you sue for, the hazing you report to your university.


Title: [MD] My friend hasn't been able to pay child support consistently in ~3 years, just received a court summons, what to expect?

Question:
Baltimore County, if it needs to be more specific.

He's made a few isolated/partial payments here and there, when he's been in work (temp jobs, sporadic day labor). I gave him money for a payment last year, but overall it's been about 3 years since he lost his full-time job and he's basically been between couchsurfing and homeless while he does odd jobs and temp work since he can't pay rent anywhere. Right now he's getting room and board as a 24/7 caretaker for an elderly woman (literally just a room in her house and use of her facilities, no payment - he's on foodstamps that he uses for groceries), which has inhibited his ability to take paying jobs on short notice or do any short-term temps or labor.

He's joined a local workforce development program to help him with his resume, and he had been working toward entering a certification program through DEWD so he could get licensed in HVAC. He wants to get out of the hole, he's just struggling to get there (prison record, fired from last job after severe illness, no college degree or certifications).

I guess his ex finally had enough (and I don't blame her) but she put in a request and a court summons was issued. He's definitely going to go (inb4 "don't ignore it"), but he wants to know what to expect. He's worried they're just going to chuck him in jail for contempt. I'd like to think the system is a bit more understanding, but I've never been on the wrong side of it to know.

What's the likely outcome, given that there is no way to set up a payment plan with no money to pay it? Will he be held in contempt of the support order? I read online that they sometimes put you in a work program first, but I'm not sure if that's legit or how often that's the case.

Edit: Will be adding additional info from the comments for easier access/reading:

* He did not apply for modification following job loss. He says he wasn't aware it was an option.
* Current arrearage is approx. 12k-14k, child support payments are $396/mo
* He does not have any savings beyond the money in his pocket
* He has no bank accounts, no credit accounts, no credit debt
* He has no collateral to put up for a loan - no car, property, etc
* Any conversations with his ex about nonpayment were on his old phone, so he does not have access to them for documentation. None of it was done through email. I'm having him check facebook whenever he makes it to the library to see if maybe it was discussed on there.

---

**Update**: Thank you to everyone who responded and clarified things. I know he's in a rough spot right now. We looked over this thread together and (with the help of some better specifics thanks to everyone) we were able to look up a few more resources in-depth.

The plan right now is:

* He's doubling down his efforts to find employment. MD has a Non-Custodial Parent Employment Program that we found out about in our searches through the DHR site. He's supposed to call the child support office today and see if he can be referred into it to (at the very least) better demonstrate good-faith efforts to find employment.
* He's going to file a petition of modification - even if it only affects things moving forward, if he *does* end up in jail there will be less accruing on the account
* He's thinking about hiring a Public Defender rather than going through the hearing alone. I'm going to front him the $50 for that if he decides to do it, since I can't be in court on his date to support him. Any thoughts on whether that would be a good move? His hesitation is that he doesn't want it to seem to the judge like he has money or resources that he doesn't actually have. I'm the closest thing he's got to family, and I'm trying to start a family of my own right now so I can't keep digging in my pockets for him.

Is there anything else we can do in preparation/moving forward? (Aside from planning for the worst case scenario)

Answer:
 It is too late for your friend to do this properly - but for anyone who reads this going forward:  THE MOMENT YOUR INCOME DROPS, PETITION THE COURT TO REDUCE YOUR CHILD SUPPORT PAYMENTS.  They can do it very quickly, but only prospectively - under federal law they cannot retroactively go back and reduce what is already in arrears. Answer #2: So he's looking at arrears of $14k+?

I don't practice in Maryland, but in PA that level of arrears is the sort that can get you jailed unless you can come up with a good faith payment right then and there.  If your friend has any savings I'd advise him to show up to court with a checkbook and the expectation that he's going to want to be able to write a check for at least $2500.  He will also want to show up with any documentation -- emails, texts, that he has printed out that show that his child's mother may have said it was ok if he missed payments.

And, yes, he will likely be offered a payment plan but, again, he needs to make a showing of good faith when he appears.


Title: I committed marriage fraud (x-post from /r/immigration)

Question:
Thought I'd post this here and see what reactions/input I get. X-post link: https://np.reddit.com/r/immigration/comments/4ej93i/i_committed_marriage_fraud/
California

Summary: I committed marriage fraud. I married one of my close friends during college for the sole purpose of staying in the US and applying to graduate programs with greater ease. That was ~2 years ago, and I am now preparing to petition for the removal of the conditional status on my green card, however significant difficulties have cropped up. I will be hiring a lawyer in the coming weeks, but I wanted to see if you guys had any initial insight.

Now that that's on the table, here is more detail.
I married one of my close friends in college-he was aware that it was just for the green card (I was an international student) and did it on the basis of helping me out. We had a tongue-in-cheek wedding in a friends backyard, dressed nicely, had a friend ordained as a minister, the whole nine yards. We did a good job of making the whole thing seem legit-moved in together, shared bills, bank accounts, wedding album, a letter or two from his family, visited my home country and his state, etc. At some point, this evolves into a real relationship. We go to the initial USCIS interview for my temporary green card and get issued in a matter of minutes (kind of funny considering we had spent weeks prepping, making up details about our shared life, forging a romantic history, etc). This continues for a few months-things are great, and then everything rapidly goes to shit. Our relationship and friendship deteriorates (lots of arguments, things that shouldn't have been said, in no small part my fault, you know the drill), culminating with him abruptly moving out and canceling all our shared aspects-removing his name from bills, closing joint accounts, off the lease, etc. However, he did not file for divorce. For reference, this is after ~12 months of living together and ~4 months after my temporary green card was issued. We have no contact for the next 6 months.

Very recently, we have been in touch-discussed taxes, had some drinks as friends in recognizance of our second anniversary, etc. The general feel is still very negative, and he has expressed extreme resentment and an unwillingness to help me further in any way. As part of this sentiment, he does not want to file taxes with me (though he has said he will reconsider it and give me a definite answer in a day or two). Since everything that would suggest a marriage essentially fell away when he moved out, I have decided to file for divorce and petition for the removal of the conditions on my green card without him. There is some worry considering we only lived together for a few months after the temporary green card was issued, but I plan on relying on our excellent documentation of the marriage and some time after to (sufficiently) prove it was bona fide. Obviously, there are parts of the sham that will not stand up to intense inspection, such as if someone were to question my husband, friends, coworkers, marriage certificate signees, possibly neighbors, other people I have dated in the meantime or in the period that we were still 'friends' (I have generally kept it fairly secretive), but I believe there is sufficient evidence to demonstrate that it started as bona fide without it coming to that.

So that's it, feel free to give insight into how screwed I am, what a POS I am for cheating the system, likelihood of my case being further examined/rejected, threats of deportation/jail time, additional evidence I should gather, etc. I guess I just wanted to get it out there and see what you guys thought-I could have just made a different post getting at the same substance but omitting my crime, but I figured this would be more interesting. I've navigated the whole process alone thus far, but I'll be hiring a lawyer for the next application-I'll post what they say here if you guys are interested (I'm really not concerned with the whole 'admitting to guilt on an anonymous internet site' thing).

Thanks for the time you took reading this, and for anything you'd like to leave. Specific legal questions for this sub:
*What is your outlook on my chances of successfully petitioning for an exemption to having my husbands signature on the I-75? (via proving entering marriage in good faith)
*What is your outlook on my chances of having my I-75 approved and the conditions on my residency removed?

Answer: You are committing fraud and want advice to continue so. We can not advise you on how to commit fraud. You are advised to delete this post and speak only with an attorney you hire.


Title: [FL] Involved in Car accident, other party admitted fault, Custom vehicle is total loss.

Question:
I was involved in a car accident last week. The other party admitted fault.

Their insurance is only offering me about $5k for my 88 with 30,000 miles, while i have about $20k worth of modifications to the vehicle. Is there anything i can do in this situation to get the value of my damaged property back?

I'm looking into a 3rd party appraiser today possibly, but I don't know if that will do me any good.

The vehicle was showroom condition and came back on the report as being mostly dealer quality from the insurance appraiser. Its purpose wasn't so much a daily driver as it was a show vehicle brought to car meets and car shows.

I honestly feel $10k to $12k would satisfy my loss as i can at least get something started as a replacement, but the total loss representative already told me i'm delusional for expecting that and it's "not their responsibility to replace anything beyond the base value of the vehicle." when asking who's responsibility it was, he informed me that no one is required to compensate the loss of my property beyond the base vehicle.

The other party had $100k property damage coverage according to my insurance company.

The state is Florida.

Answer: The are responsible for the value of the vehicle, meaning the amount that you could sell the car for just prior to the accident.


Title: Petition for tougher sentencing???

Question:
This past weekend i lost a family member to a drunk driver.

1- driver was under the influence
2- was going 100+ mph in a 40
3- rear ended and killed my family member
4- fled the scene of the accident

Right now he is out on bond.

Some of the victims old friends are trying to start a petition for tougher sentencing. Will this work?

I know last year one of my friends dads lost his life to a drunk driver and the guy walked free.

Basically I want to make sure he gets jail time. Any advice?
Topic:
DUI

Answer:
 There is really very little you can do.  There's a reason we don't give victims or their families decision-making power in criminal prosecutions.  It's the justice system, not the vengeance system.

I'm very sorry for your loss.  Drunk drivers suck.Answer #2: Talk to the prosecutor and your state legislators


Title: Received an package addressed to me that I never ordered, what should I do?

Question:
Just for context, I live in the UK.

So, this place that I recently bought a tent from has sent me another package today, it contained a bamboo wine table and two self inflatable memory foam beds. I didn't order any of these items and signed for them under the assumption that my family ordered them (The guy asked for my surname). Nobody knew about these items or why they had been sent. The items are addressed to me, they have my address and I have an email telling me that the items have been sent, which I discovered after the package was received.

What are my options here? Do I have to pay for these, do I have to return them? Are they classed as unsolicited goods? The package is 100% from the same store that I recently bought a tent from, as it had their company name on the box.

Answer:
 Have you checked your credit cards to see if you were charged for the items?Answer #2: The unsolicited goods rule excludes companies you gave a relationship with (ie, recently bought a tent from). It also allows for errors. They cannot force you to return it at your expense.

Contact the company. Ask for a prepaid shipping label and for them to prearrange pickup. Answer #3: Contact the company, let them know about them, and ask for them to provide return materials if they want it back. Answer #4: Ask the company that sent it if they want it back.

If they do, get a prepaid shipping from them, they can't force you to pauly the shipping

If they say you can keep it, then it's yours. Often certain companies prefer to not get packages back, due to various factors, such as if the cost of shipping etc would make it more expensive to get the item back than just eating the loss


Title: (CA) I found a really ugly profile pic on FB and cant report it

Question: [removed]

Answer: What?  Move on


Title: Is it true a law cannot be struck down by a court unless it has harmed someone? (as posited in the /r/TIL comment linked here)

Answer:
 You can't bring a case in federal court unless you've suffered some harm. The harm has to be in some way particular to you, so you can't just say "as a citizen I want the government to follow the Constitution." However, the harm doesn't have to be *unique* to you. If the government is allowing too much pollution in the country, that's too general. If the government owns a power plant that's spewing pollution onto your block, that's specific enough.

While you have to show harm, you don't necessarily have to get arrested or anything like that. If you want to challenge a criminal law, it's enough to show that you have good reason to think you *will* be arrested. But you can't just say "I'm challenging this law because it's unconstitutional." You have to have a reason why *you* are affected by the law.


Title: Someone I don’t know online is threatening to expose sex workers on onlyfans to their friends, family,workplaces etc. and is posting about it. legally, what can be done about this? And is there anything I can do?

Question:
The title says it all. I came across an account on my feed who posted pictures of a twitter DM between him and (I’m assuming) a girl who has an onlyfans. In the DM, he’s revealing that he has personal information about this girl, and will show the pictures from her onlyfans account to her friends, family and church. He said that he won’t release those pictures if, in her next onlyfans video, she gets on her knees and begs him not to do it, then deletes her account and all of its content.

Apparently, this is the second girl he’s done this to. You can see how terrified the girl is in the pictures of the dms and she even says if he does release the photos, it could drive her to suicide. He says he’s doing the ‘Lord’s work’ and is trying to abolish sex work by targeting individual women and blackmailing them.

We can all agree that this is really fucked up. I know that blackmail is illegal, and that he can face serious charges for this, but I guess what I’m asking is what can I do about this legally if I don’t know who the attacker is OR who he’s attacking. I’m not even sure if the dm’s he posted are real. They look like it, but they could be edited or staged. I reported the account and the tweets, but that won’t stop him from threatening other women if it is real. So what can I do about it, if anything? What can I do to ensure an investigation into this account?

Answer: There is nothing you can do as someone who knows nothing about the actual identity of the victim or of the person doing the blackmail.


Title: Dealership wants me to sign something else [California]

Question:
I had a purchase from a dealership.  Very long story short, they took the car back for a complete unwind of the sale.  We got every dollar back and received a ~~waiver~~ release of liability.  I carefully read everything I signed.

Now we are getting notices from the DMV that the registration on that car is about to expire and got a letter from the dealership asking us to sign a transfer form for the DMV.

I am not sure what to be worried about in signing it.  One thing is that it has the mileage listed but I haven't seen the car since November so I have no idea if that's the right mileage.

Any risks to signing this or is it in my best interest to get this car completely off my name?

Edit: fixed terminology at the top.
I also pulled out my paperwork and see that I already signed a transfer form for the DMV and the mileage was lower.  How do I get this off my name without attesting to an odometer reading that I cannot verify?  (They are a two hour drive away and the deal got unwound because they falsified some paperwork related to condition of the car when we bought it.)

Answer: Since you signed a release of liability form already, you can send a copy of it to the DMV. The dealer should have done that before but obviously they didn't follow through. You can also submit the information online at https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/online/nrl.


Title: [TX] Can my new employer drug test me?

Question:
I have recently accepted a job offer; my start date is next month. The company is private if it makes any difference.

People have left interview reviews on Glassdoor that suggested a drug test was a part of the company’s hiring process. However, when I interviewed, the hiring manager made no mention of it.

There is also no mention of my offer being contingent upon a drug test in the offer letter that I have received and signed. As I understand it, the only mention of any contingency is related to the background check:

“The Company reserves the right to conduct background investigations and/or reference checks on all of its potential employees. Your job offer, therefore, is contingent upon a clearance of such a background investigation and/or reference check, if any.“

The employee handbook also makes no mention of drug testing policy within the section on drug & alcohol use:

“To help ensure a safe, healthy and productive work environment for our employees and others, to protect Company property, and to ensure efficient operations, the Company has adopted a policy of maintaining a workplace free of drugs and alcohol. This policy applies to all employees and other individuals who perform work for the Company.
The unlawful or unauthorized use, abuse, solicitation, theft, possession, transfer, purchase, sale or distribution of controlled substances, drug paraphernalia or alcohol by an individual anywhere on Company premises, while on Company business (whether or not on Company premises) or while representing the Company, is strictly prohibited. Employees and other individuals who work for the Company also are prohibited from reporting to work or working while they are using or under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substances, which may impact an employee's ability to perform his or her job or otherwise pose safety concerns, except when the use is pursuant to a licensed medical practitioner's instructions and the licensed medical practitioner authorized the employee or individual to report to work. However, this does not extend any right to report to work under the influence of medical marijuana or to use medical marijuana as a defense to a positive drug test, to the extent an employee is subject to any drug testing requirement, to the extent permitted by and in accordance with applicable law. This restriction does not apply to responsible drinking of alcohol at business meetings and related social outings.”

Without any written or verbal notice of a drug test, can this company drug test me? If so, could they revoke my (already accepted) job offer if I failed it?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Of course, they can drug test you. You can deny. They can tell you to pound sand.


Title: can i be sued for telling a college their accepted applicant is a rapist?

Question: A group of boys at my old high school raped another boy who tried to file a lawsuit after he told the deans and they did nothing. It’s a boarding school school and they threatened to kick him out if he didn’t drop the lawsuit. He dropped the lawsuit and they aren’t letting the boys walk at graduation but they’re still getting their diplomas and their colleges won’t be told. The boys threatened a civil lawsuit if anyone reached out to the colleges. Is there any grounds for getting sued if I send their schools emails asking them to look into why these boys weren’t allowed to walk at their high school graduation? The kids are going to Yale, Cornell, UChicago USC and UMich, really good schools, and that’s why my high school is protecting them. They all have a lot of money and I’m not trying to go to court.

Answer:
 If you cause them harm they will have standing to sue you.Answer #2: Having a viable lawsuit and being able to sue someone is two completely different things. People with money can afford to drag out unsuccessful lawsuits. Can you afford to defend one? Answer #3: I’m a little confused, where were the police in this?Answer #4: Well people can sue for anything really. So you really have to ask yourself if you can handle getting sued. That sounds like an awful situation. That being said since their families have money, if you do decide to do that there will likely be a lawsuit. You could try talking with a lawyer to see what your options are but if they weren’t convicted of anything and the school is protecting them it could be a sticky situation to say the least. Answer #5: \> Is there any grounds for getting sued if I send their schools emails asking them to look into why these boys weren’t allowed to walk at their high school graduation?

I don't really see any, but that doesn't mean they can't come up with a general lawsuit for something stupid like...tortious interference just to make life difficult for you.


Title: In the US, could Barack Obama and Joe Biden now get married?

Question:
Assuming they first divorced their wives.

What would happen if this occurred?

In the USA

Answer: The collective hysteria from the right wing would be hilarious and very enjoyable, but I don't think there would be any legal issue.


Title: CA. I think my ex and twin are scamming me for child support

Question:
I had a bad falling out with my identical twin several years ago and haven't talked to him since.

I've become pretty successful since and live comfortably. From what I've heard he's just dicking around and pretending to be an adult.

I was unexpectedly sued for child support. The mother is my ex-girlfriend, but it's mathematically impossible that I'm the father.

Here's the issue - I know my brother and ex know each other (he actually introduced us), and while I don't know for sure, I have a terrible feeling that he's actually the father.

I'm not a geneticist but I can Google and the results don't look promising. If I'm right, my understanding is that there will be no way to prove that the child isn't mine.

Is that true? If so, and it ends up being her word against mine, how can I avoid being held accountable?

Answer: There appears to be a (very expensive) DNA test that will determine paternity with identical twin fathers. [https://dnatesting.com/the-fascinating-trouble-with-twins-and-dna-paternity-tests/](https://dnatesting.com/the-fascinating-trouble-with-twins-and-dna-paternity-tests/)Answer #2: Perhaps you can prove that there is no way you were in the area at the time the child could have been conceived? Is it at all possible you can prove you were far away for a few months, discrediting that the child can be yours?Answer #3: Recently a judge in Brazil ordered child support from both twins when neither admitted paternity. So, there's that...Answer #4: How is it not possible? Are we talking weeks? Hopefully months?Answer #5: If they can't prove who the father is, how can they force anyone to pay child support?


Title: Need advice on Labor laws and break laws (Texas, USA)

Question:
Hey, so I made a post on r/MaliciousCompliance that can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/MaliciousCompliance/comments/b78sj1/eat_and_come_back/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x). One of the comments suggested I look for advice here regarding my local labor laws. I've tried to look myself, but after a handful of google search results, I couldn't find a government site that clearly and concisely explained the labor laws.

&#x200B;

I work for a poultry-oriented fast food chain that has a bovine mascot. There are two types of meal breaks they provide, off-the-clock 21-minute breaks, or on-the-clock "eat and come back" breaks.

&#x200B;

I worked for 9.23 hours without a break on 3/28 and when I talked to my HR manager, she said that the state of Texas does not require that they provide me a break. Given how people have been scheduled horribly this past week, and how people have had their meal breaks

&#x200B;

My questions are:

1. How often and when am I required to take a break by the state of Texas?
2. How often and when am I required to take a break by Federal labor laws?
3. How long am I supposed to have between shifts to rest/sleep?
4. I worked on 3/26 from 5 PM - 1AM on 3/27 and then again on 3/27 from 7 AM - 4 PM. [My schedule](https://gyazo.com/96d1f83b8ff5cad518c17bb3078e758d) indicates otherwise, but the institution's policy is that if you're scheduled until 11:30 PM you will be closing and working until the restaurant is properly closed (meaning working until 12:15 AM to 1 AM, depending on how long it takes). This has been happening regularly for the last week to multiple people, and will happen to me again [this next week](https://gyazo.com/e51c7e1d564e3b78ba2bb98890d636a9). Is this acceptable under labor laws?

&#x200B;

Answer:
 Federal law doesn't require an employer to provide you with any sort of breaks either for rest or meals. The only thing I found is that under the FMLA is that breaks under 20 minutes must be paid.

Further, Texas does not have any laws requiring employers to provide breaks either from what I've read.

Additionally, there is nothing on the books about mandatory rest periods between shifts that I saw in a short google search.

All of the above is meant in the broadest sense of course, and there can be rules for specific industries such as transportation or medical. But all in all, labor laws are pretty lenient on employers in these regards.


Title: [NC] Am I really an independent contractor? How can I anonymously report my boss for misclassifying employees as contractors?

Question:
All of my co-workers are also classified as independent contractors but are treated the same as me. The boss is the only W2 employee, and we are all W9. I'm pretty young and haven't worked many places, so I'm not certain how things are supposed to work. I feel like something is wrong and potentially illegal here, and I want to know if I'm right and what my options might be.

Our boss doesn't seem to be actually treating us as independent contractors by north carolina law. I went through the NC department of labor website about classification of employees vs independent contractors, and have my notes about how we're treated beneath it:

*1) The extent to which the services rendered are an integral part of the principal's business.*

The entire business revolves around the boss finding clients and then giving us the work to do. He does little to no actual work himself.

*2) The permanency of the relationship.*

The boss wants commitments from workers for at least 2-3 years before he acts like he isn't going to fire you imminently. A couple people here have been around for 5+ years.

*3) The amount of the alleged contractor's investment in facilities and equipment.*

I use my personal laptop for some work (things involving microsoft word, etc.), but the vast majority of everyone's work requires equipment that the boss keeps in the office. I had to buy a dropbox account, but it's associated with my work-supplied email account and I only use it for work.

*4) The nature and degree of control by the principal.*

The boss controls what projects we work on, how much we get paid, negotiates contracts with clients without consulting us for estimates, wants regular progress updates, and has meetings where he will dictate the direction of projects and what we do next. We are to check in with him when we're "idle" about what to do.

*5) The alleged contractor's opportunities for profit and loss.*

We are all paid an hourly rate that the boss sets. Sometimes he gives out raises. I rarely communicate directly with the clients, I don't supply any of my own materials, and I don't get any kind of bonus if I finish quickly or do a particularly good job. I don't really understand what this point entails though.

*6) The amount of initiative, judgment, or foresight in open market competition with others required for the success of the claimed independent contractor.*

As I've said before, we have no control over what projects we get or when. We do not go out and solicit any clients, they are all found through the boss.

*7) The degree of independent business organization and operation.*

We do not get to set our own hours, rate, holidays, deadlines, or work places.

I really don't think we actually are independent contractors, but what can or should we do? I feel that it isn't fair that my boss is getting whatever benefits come from using contractors rather than employees, while we shoulder all the bad parts of being an employee and none of the benefits of being a contractor. We get no work insurance, we have to check in before we leave for the day, our lunch breaks are regulated, we have core hours, we have to ask for time off if we want to be out of office, we don't set our own rates, we can get fired if the boss decides he doesn't like us, and we have to pay taxes as if we're self-employed.

Am I just misunderstanding how the workplace is due to lack of experience? Or is something more shady going on here? If there is something illegal going on, is there a way I can anonymously report my boss? The office is pretty small and he's very childish, so I worry what his reaction would be if he found out it was me.

**tl;dr** Sorry for wall of text :( boss gives us a W9 but treats us like W2 employees. Can/should I anonymously report him?
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: Since nobody answered your question, the IRS classifies you as an IC or a W-2. You file form [SS-8](http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fss8.pdf) with the IRS and they will follow up with you. Instructions are [here](http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/iss8.pdf). Once they determine your status, you can file a claim with the NC dept of labor.


Title: [TX] How do I legally bust a bunker ?

Question:
So, I live in a rural area in southern Texas. There's a bunker in front of my house, which quite frankly ruins the ambiance of my house and the surrounding area. It's been abandoned for quite a long time.

So, my question is how do I legally bust that bunker, without getting into any sort of trouble with law?

Can I do it myself using a hammer or a baseball bat or something?

Answer:
 Spray paint Hillary Clinton 2016 on it and the problem should fix itself in Texas.Answer #2: What in the high hell are you talking about?

What kind of "bunker" can you destroy with a bat?

I'm going to assume that you have some kind of structure that you own on your property, that you want to remove it, and that it is not integral to some kind of legally protected purpose (ie. a water control plan). In that case my advice is that you go rent or purchase the appropriate tools and equipment and remove said structure and then proceed to removing it, hopefully without also removing any of your fingers or toes.

You may also consider hiring a demolition company to do the job.Answer #3: Maybe I'm just ignorant, but I have no idea what you mean.

edit - the bunker isn't the alamo, is it?Answer #4: OP- is the bunker/structure on *your* property?Answer #5: For reference:

> bun·ker
> [ˈbəNGkər]
> NOUN
>
 >   a large container or compartment for storing fuel:
 >  "a coal bunker"

The OP is referring to this, not a bomb shelter or military bunker.

I had no idea that could be called a bunker.Answer #6: OP: actual help.

Report it to the police or DMV as an abandoned vehicle. They will take it and scrap it. Answer #7: Have you considered calling the EPA? An abandoned tanker would definitely be in their wheelhouse. Start at the [Oil Information Center Hotline](http://www.epa.gov/home/epa-hotlines) and see where it leads you.


Title: [California] Spouse preparing for divorce has not paid a cent into household for months.

Question:
My husband who makes about 80% of what I make has not paid into the household for months. No mortgage, no car payments, no nothing. He pays for one electricity bill and buys groceries once in a while. I have to pay for everything or risk late payments. We have 3 kids that he has enrolled in sports ( he is big basketball fan) programs and he pays for them without including me in the decisions. (600-700 per month) 1. Should I still file joint taxes? 2. Anything I can do to make him pay his fair share? 3. Anything I can do to get myself included in the weekend schedule of kids?
Our communication had broken down. Anytime I try to talk he starts yelling and shouting his lungs out. He tells me he doesn't get my emails or texts because he has blocked me.  Thanks for reading this through.

Answer: Get a lawyer and file for divorce.  There isn't much else you can do legally.  Perhaps a marriage counselor might be able to help.


Title: Didn’t know I bought a stolen bike on Craigslist for $2700. Police just came by to pick it up.

Question:
I bought a bike from a guy on Craigslist and everything checked out. He had all the manuals guy knew everything I expected him to.  I paid cash and we went our separate ways. A week later the police called and asked if I had the bike because it was stolen. They confirmed the serial number and so I took the bike to the police station so they could return it to the owner. The cops arrested the guy who sold it to me but I’m not facing any charges.

Now I’m out $2700 and the seller is in jail. The cops said I’ll probably never see that money again. What are my options? Should I get a lawyer and sue the seller?

Answer:
 $2700 is small claims territory so you do not need a lawyer to sue the guy. However, since he appears to be a real winner, collecting may be difficult.Answer #2: A lawyer will cost you most if not all of the $2700.  Sue in small claims or even better talk to the prosecutor and try to get restitution.Answer #3: Your best bet is to talk to the prosecutor and attempt to obtain a restitution order against the seller if he is charged and convicted.

I'm not familiar with Georgia law, but in many places restitution orders are substantially more coercive than civil judgments because failure to satisfy a restitution order can result in additional jail time.Answer #4: You could, but you’re probably not going to get the money back. I’m sure he spent it. And a lawyer is going to cost more than $2700.

Next time check with the police before you buy to see if it’s stolen.Answer #5: Some cities also maintain serial numbers and registration logs that are/can be easily searched/shared with police. Portland, OR has a wonder bike registry.