Title: [WA] Moving out soon, can I ask my landlord to sign some kind of a "hand over" form that confirms the unit is in satisfactory condition when I leave?

Question:
I know the previous tenant and he told me that the landlord took advantage of that and made him pay for repairs after he had moved out.

I want to protect myself for the future by having him or the realtor who will be selling the unit (landlord is selling the place btw) sign some kind of document that confirms they received the unit in good condition without any flaws.

Initially my landlord said that wasn't necessary as the unit will most likely be sold by the time i move out and there will be a new owner.

Is there something like that our there that I can use as a template? Is this not the norm?

Any advice is highly appreciated.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 You can ask for anything you would like but the landlord is not required to comply with the request.

What you are asking for is a move out inspection that they sign acknowledging the current state of the unit however this is not legally required of the landlord in Washington.

Best advice is that you should walk around your unit once it is emptied and take a large amount of photos of the entire unit as well as a video of every spot imaginable, this will help if your landlord intends to take your damage deposit as it will give you evidence against (or possibly towards) their claims.


Title: My dog bit another dog at daycare.

Question:
My dog bit another dog at daycare. The daycare has a contract that all customers sign  that contradicts itself.
“The Pet Owner acknowledges and agrees that they are assuming all risks of illness, disease, harm or otherwise, to their Pet or themselves as a result of any stay at DAYCARE and hereby releases DAYCARE, its employees, members or other agents, from any and all losses, damages, costs and expenses arising out of or in connection with any injury, communicable disease, airborne virus, or other medical condition contracted by Owner’s pet at DAYCARE.” Then says “Pet Owner agrees to be held solely responsible for any and all acts and behavior by pet, while in the care of DAYCARE, including costs for injury to staff or other animals, or damage to facilities caused directly by the pet.”

Should I just pay or could I fight this?

Answer: How does that contradict itself? There's nothing for you to fight. You are responsible for your dog biting the other dog.


Title: [MI] Can you be fired for complying with a subpoena? [UPDATE]

Question:
Original post: http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/35vfvt/mi_can_you_be_fired_for_complying_with_a_subpoena/

A quick TL;DR: Family had a lawsuit four years in the making that was supposed to come to trial this summer, but the trial date kept changing and I wasn't sure if I could be fired from a new job if I had to take time off to comply with a subpoena for the suit.

UPDATE:

A strange coincidence occurred a few hours after I posted this: we settled.

It turns out that our attorney grossly miscalculated how much we were owed from the party we were suing (to the tune of $50k - we weren't suing for too much more than that in the first place) and all of the settlement offers they've been giving us over four years were actually pretty reasonable, while we were made to believe they were extremely low.

My mother ended up settling the suit yesterday for a fairly reasonable number. Definitely an anti-climactic end, but the settlement they offered was pretty reasonable and we didn't really have any faith left in our attorney to win at trial. My subpoena worries are now null and void.

Thank you to everyone who offered advice!

TL;DR Lawyer miscalculated how much we were owed, all of the settlement offers that had been given to us were actually fair while we were lead to believe they were extremely low, we settled.

Answer:
 We did it, /r/legaladvice!

Seriously, glad this worked out so painlessly.Answer #2: I hope you weren't paying the attorney by the hour for four years.


Title: News from Poop Island, Missouri.

Question:
Hey, folks.  This is a request for new advice with a little update.  (Mods, please don't lock this.  Pretty please?)  Last update here:

https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4v0rco/updateish_and_request_for_more_advice_to_backyard/

TL, dr: It is now two months since we notified our landlords that our backyard has been a fetid poo swamp.  The city has issued a citation that should be turning into a declaration of public nuisance today.

First off, thanks again to everyone for all their assistance.  The last we heard from them was that they would be willing to terminate the lease if we sign a document stating that this is a mutual decision.  After a couple of days, it sunk in that doing so would not be in our best interests as they have violated the lease through their inaction on a pretty big deal (per MO law and the lease).  This might leave us open to being sued for damages and what not.  So we have maintained radio silence.

Today, the landlord texted us, basically saying if they don't have payment for this month's rent and the lease termination agreement signed by 4PM, they will be submitting paperwork to their lawyer to sue us for the full amount of the remaining lease.  (Never mind that Missouri law doesn't allow for that.  It would hold us responsible for lost income if they make a reasonable attempt to re-rent the place, but since they violated the lease that doesn't even matter.)  We think this is just an intimidation tactic, as they can't really think they'd win, but I'd still rather not go to court.

Edit edit--Removed my response because of sub rules.  Sorry for my oopsie.  Now just deciding whether to tell them to go suck eggs before 4 or just ignore them.  All the commenters were very helpful, so thanks again.

Edit--Just spoke with Housing.  Our landlords have not responded to the notice of violation, and they are getting a ticket.  Don't know if it's relevant, but it makes me happy.

Answer: The internet should not be your lawyer for two months.  You've been sent a notice that you're going to being taken to court, it's way past time to escalate to a real lawyer.


Title: How illegal is doing drugs?

Question:
For a pretty long time, I thought that if you were found with drugs or something, you'd be arrested.

But how come people, specifically celebrities, like Demi Lovato or Naomi Campbell, not arrested for doing drugs, even though they themselves have confirmed and confessed to using drugs?

Some people in rehab for drugs have also never been in prison. Why is that?

Answer:
 First, it depends on what drugs you are talking about. Generally, possession of anything hard than marijuana is usually a felony, though generally a pretty low level felony as long as its small amounts.

Lots of people can say they've done drugs, but without proof beyond that, that's not really something a prosecutor can prove in court. "Beyond a reasonable doubt" is a pretty high standard. Even a video of someone doing "drugs" typically isn't enough because the prosecution can't prove what they are smoking, etc. Typically, to prove possession, someone has to actually be caught with the drugs on their person and the drugs have to be sent off to a laboratory for testing.

On top of all this, law enforcement efforts in recent years have increasingly been oriented away from users and more towards dealer/distributors because of all the bad press the war on drugs has gotten.


Title: If i take part in a police line-up and they identify me can i be arrested?

Question:
Lets say i volunteer to take part in a police line-up and the victim/witness identifies me as the criminal can i be arrested and charged? Would there have to be very specific info such as hidden tattoo information proving it was me or would they just arrest me based on the person identifying me?

I was going to take part in an ID parade when i was at school but i ended up not being selected to take part in it i still got paid though. Ever since then i've always wondered what would happen.

I'm from the UK btw but i'd be interested in knowing the answer in america too.

Answer: In the UK no you wouldn't, your selection to be in the ID parade is based on the fact that they know with 100% certainty that you did not commit the crime, all your selection proves is that the witness/victim isn't a reliable witness. ID parades are rarely used in the UK now because victims make poor witnesses in general and the amount of CCTV cameras everywhere means there is usually a far more reliable for of identification.


Title: Stalking situation - what else should we be doing? (Chicago, IL)

Question:
So I’m in a bit of a high-stress situation involving my father and I need to make sure I’m not missing something. You know how when you’re emotionally stressed you sometimes miss some obvious things? That’s this situation. Also I’m open to any and all camera recommendations, especially from any law enforcement redditors.

Also I’ve retained a lawyer. I meet with him Thursday. And for the location bot this is in Chicago Illinois.

My father is a minor political figure, think “elected head of a union.” About two years ago, my dad started getting death threats in the mail. They were around his political activities on Facebook and for his job (my dad shitposts political memes all day on his personal Facebook.) I hid him a long time ago and banned him (and the rest of my family who is in politics) from sharing pictures of my kids faces on their facebooks. This has not stopped him from sharing their names though.

My dad never reported the death threats. So the stalker then started sending white powder around 18 months ago in the death threats and used my daughters name in one of them (though that may be a coincidence, she has a generic name.)

My dad slips up and tells me about the letters and powder at this point, and I FLIP THE FUCK OUT and demand he go to the police. My dad refuses at first, saying the stalker is just doing this for attention and that’ll feed him. I refuse to allow him to see my children until I see a police report. So my dad reports it to the postmaster at his local post office. Nothing happens. He keeps reporting the letters he’s getting every four days to the post office and gets no response.

My mom asks me to come over with my kids, my dad isn’t there, and that the letters have stopped. So I agree, and I come over. We visit, and when we leave, I notice like 15 white dodge chargers on their block.

Turns out the stalker Swatted my dad. So we leave and 7 minutes later they raided my parents’ house. My mom showed the swat team all the letters, and they urged her to go to the police and make a paper trail so, you know, they don’t call the swat team on him again and raid the place looking for bombs.

So to fast forward this long ass post, the letters continued, the guy started describing the inside of the their house in the letters, and my dad made a police report and started reporting every letter. The Sargent at the desk didn’t take it too seriously (my dad and him have a history. Read: strike turned violent.) but the night Sargent took it very seriously so apparently there’s now a paper trail.

My dads union management has declined his re-election, and are trying to force him to retire over this.

So. Here’s my questions:
Are we missing anything? When does this become fbi territory/is that who handles political-based stalking? What sort of security cameras would you recommend?

I recognize that the police can’t act until they know about the crime and if they have enough evidence, but I’m feeling helpless and wondering if we’re covering all angles here.

Thanks.

Answer:
 Just some ideas—

Is there someone further up in union hierarchy that might take this seriously?

Are there other unions in the area?  Could they be experiencing similar retaliation towards their union reps?  The night sergeant may be able to tell you if others are being stalked in a similar way if it’s local, but swatting often is initiated from far away.

I am sorry your dad and your family are going through this. Answer #2: Just a thought... Is it possible that this is your dad's own doing?

Hear me out. While I can't speak to motivation, we have these four things to consider:

1. Dad dragged his feet in escalating the situation (refused to make reports, and then only reported to the post master - not the police)

2. Stalker knows what the *inside* of the home looks like.

3. Swatting happened at a ~~tone~~ time dad knew you would be there.

4. The letters magically stopped after you gave your folks an ultimatum over access to the grandkids.

It just seems a little fishy. Plus your dad is the only one being targeted (although, I get it - inflammatory political facebook posts can make this happen. So maybe that's not relevant.).


Title: Can anybody help?

Question: I am a 18 year old girl who wants nothing more than to save my own mothers life... Now I don't mean to sound over dramatic but this is a matter of life or death. My mother was diagnosed with lupus a decade ago, she went through many different treatments in the attempt to save her kidneys, treatments as scary as chemo, and not any of them were able to spare her kidneys. Now shes into a year of hemodialysis and is ESRD... as time goes by I can see the toll that this treatment has taken on her body and her spirit. Now don't get me wrong my mother is the strongest woman I will ever know but not even she can fight off the inevitable forever... I want to give her a chance, I want to find it first... My mother is originally from Mexico, she's been here in the united states for 2 decades now and has raised me and my 2 younger beautiful sisters in that time. she ran away from a truly scary world 2 decades ago and hasn't looked back. but one must acknowledge this country has laws, she broke laws in order to survive and although one can argue justification for those acts... I cant change that that's the way this great nation is run. What I do want are answers to how I can get around my mothers legal status to obtain the help she needs. If there are any organizations that may be willing to lend a helping hand and make a kidney transplant a possibility... we have family that are willing to help with costs but it's not nearly enough to cover this expensive procedure. Im tired of sitting around and waiting for things to happen, I want to take matters into my own hands.  If anybody could put themselves in my shoes and tell me how they would navigate through this it would mean the world to me. I want ideas and advice to help me find a road towards securing my mom's presence for years to come because my sisters, as well as I, still have so much to learn from this great woman. Any advice any suggestions, phone numbers, any information will be truly appreciated.

Answer: You need to find a local immigration attorney. That's the ONLY way you have a chance in hell of navigating this.


Title: [US - KY] My 38 year old sister steals from my elderly grandmother on a fixed income. She won't do anything about it because my sister threatens to kill herself...is there anything I can do to put an end to this?

Question:
For years, my sister has stolen various credit cards that my grandmother has, and used them to buy herself clothes and shoes on-line. My grandmother has had to cancel around 7 cards within the past 5 years because once my sister knows the card information, she will keep using it until the bill comes in and my grandmother finds out about it.

I don't have the exact amount that she's spent on her cards, but I'd say with confidence it's at least $10,000.  My grandmother used to have a decent job, but had to quit due to an injury, so she's relying on savings and social security.  She can't continue to pay these bills my sister has racked up, but she also won't press charges when the credit card companies have asked her if she wanted to involve the police.  My sister will threaten suicide if she thinks she might get the police involved...so my grandmother just pays the bill, and my sister has keeps the clothes and not had any sort of repercussions for her actions.  She's also stolen money out of her purse, and stolen her pain medication to where now my grandmother has to keep everything in a safe.  She has no job herself and refuses to get one, so she cannot pay my grandmother back.

I'm just wondering if there's anything I can do, to alert the authorities this is going on, and if they can take action even if my grandmother doesn't want them to?

Answer: It's elder abuse. Like domestic abuse, this is one of the crimes which the police are likely to investigate even if the victim doesn't want anything done. My county in California even has a special prosecutor and there's a special protocol in place for the police.  Check to see if your county has something similar. You can also call the police directly and ask.Answer #2: Threaten to suicide? God I hate leeches like that, scum of the earth. You have to involve the police, if she does try anything, it is not on you it is on her. Dont ask your grandmother, just call the police.


Title: I unknowingly was looking at illegal and explicit content for around a month... what are the chances I’m logged or the SWAT team will come? Anything I can do to avoid this?

Question:
Okay this is going to sound really stupid and weird but I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. I guess I’ll start by saying I’ve never been on the deep or dark web, never had an attraction to children and never sought out this content before - I think it goes without saying, I’m 18.

So, I was on Twitch a gaming platform and was watching a streamer, I noticed someone spamming ‘google ***************’ usually when people spam that it’s a troll and my curiosity took over, the name wasn’t explicit nor did it ever imply that it could’ve been a minor or illegal (it was literally the name of a country and an animal mixed together) so when I googled it I seen... porn, it was of a girl giving head, she had boobs and it was on google so I never once expected or have it pop up in my mind that it was illegal, not once.

Then after about the 7th time I went down the google gif rabbit hole, that’s when alarm bells started ringing, it was the same girl but she looked A LOT younger in this gif and was making out with someone that looked even younger, obvious children, my heart sunk and I started to get really scared so I looked into it, it turns out this was a pretty big case, the gifs I was looking at the girl was 14 years old and was national news in the country it happened in (something sad about how she was abused and voluntarily went to this ‘modelling’ shoot and then the videos were leaked) and the other videos which had me worried and prompted to investigate she was even younger... yikes; thankfully everyone involved was arrested. But now I’m fucked and scared, I never would’ve imagined CP to be so available off a google search, the guys face was visible and I’ve honestly seen younger legal looking people in porn so I never once suspected CP at the time, but it all started to make sense as I searched and tried making out what was happening all the google links that were showing the biggest porn sites as I actually clicked them they were all banned. Then I got worried.

What’s your guys take on this? I’m super fucking concerned - all the gifs I looked at, images and sites have prompted me to be on a list or get my house raided, I genuinely never thought anything was illegal content until I seen the gif of a much younger girl to which I knew and was so disgusted by, now the whole thing seems disturbing to me. Now when I think about it the younger looking girls who were on related search at the time before I knew it was super illegal weren’t just innocent pictures, they were probably fap material for pedos. This is so fucked, what do I do?

Answer:
 Delete all your history so you can’t let auto fill accedently bring you back.
Both your browser history and your google search history.

Delete all browsing data so you arnt storing anything in your cache you shouldn’t.

Don’t tell people this story. Best case they think it’s weird worse case they stir up trouble.

In the case you are contacted by law enforcement answer no questions other than basic identification, and get a lawyer.


Title: Is it legal in California to have a minimum at a restaurant or to charge more because you didn't bring any girls with you?

Question:
So there's this racist restaurant. They tell people it's $100 minimum a person if they don't like your religion and I've read yelp reviews that they told guys who didn't come with girls that it's $100 minimum. They claim they are packed and every table is reserved even though the tables are empty for hours.

Who can this be reported to?

They will also charge you a ridiculous amount for random things without telling you if they don't like you. Like $90 for a sauce. People have even posted receipts on yelp about it showing it.

Answer:
 lots of stuff here. discriminating against customers based on religion is probably illegal under state law. you could report that to the attorney general.

other refusal of service (no babes, claiming they're sold out when they're not) is totally fine.

there could be a state law against attempting to charge unlisted fees. if there wasn't it's more like a 'did you contract for that good/service' question. like if you attempt to pay your bill, and they say 'oh and an extra $90 for fun', you don't have any liability for that $90. nor any culpability for theft of service charges if you walk out.


Title: Emergency Help!

Question:
My daughter was has having suicidal thoughts, and because of this we had her go to the hospital were she was being taken care of. Insurance covered most of this and we had no problems. Recently my parents her grandparents thought she could use a new change of pace and let her stay with them across the country for the next school semester. Unfortunately she had another episode and had to go to the hospital in virginia, but insurance says they cant cover the costs this time for some reason and the hospital is saying that my parents are liable for payment. I am meeting my lawyer tomorrow to talk about the situation, but I have no idea what i should do any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Sorry I was kind of in a rush when I typed it just worried. I believe the reason the insurance says they wont cover it is because I was not the person who checked her in. I was reading online about patient advocacy is there anything that exist that will allow me to pay the bill which I will cover if insurance doesn't pay but still allow my parents the right to decide when my daughter can leave the hospital.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 First, I hope that your daughter is okay.

Second, you will really need to know what the reason for "cant cover the costs this time for some reason" is. No one here, including me, will ever advise you *not* to speak with your lawyer, but the more information you have, the more productive the billable meeting will be, so if you can get those documents before the meeting, that would be very helpful.


Title: A girl (17yo) wants to start a sexual relationship with me (20yo). The age of consent in my state is 16, is there any possibility of legal trouble by engaging in sexual activities with said female. Thanks in advance for any responses.

Question:
Location North Carolina, USA

Edit 2: no nude pictures have been exchanged by either of us and I do know her in person

Answer:
 Nope, that's what age of consent means.

Bang away.


Title: Which airline is responsible when a shared flight is canceled? [EU/US]

Question:
As some of you may know, the baggage handlers at the Brussels airport have been on strike for the last five days.

I sadly didn’t know this until I flew into Brussels, only to find my outgoing flight canceled (and flights for the next few days similarly.)

My flights were purchased on American Airlines but the canceled flight was operated by British Airways. I spent literally five hours on the phone between the two companies, with each saying the other one was responsible for rebooking me. They say this publicly as well in this Twitter exchange: http://i.imgur.com/8g0kQbw.jpg

And to be honest, I can see both of their sides.

But legally, who is responsible to rebook? And who is responsible for the additional costs incurred (had to get a hotel room since neither was willing to provide it, and am now on a train to Amsterdam because that’s where I was rebooked out of).

Answer:
 EU Regulation 261/2004 should cover all of this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flight_Compensation_Regulation_261/2004. Make sure you save all of your receipts to file a claim! The airline the flight is on is responsible (Not a lawyer, this has happened to me a couple times), but I'm not certain what type of incident they deem the strike so I'm not 100% sure if it's a covered event or not.

PS: Also note, if this is a flight back to the US (and a covered event) then they would owe you 600 euro on top of your expenses. However, you must request this payment, it is not automatic.


Title: Mother-in-law died and sister won’t produce the will (NC)

Question:
North Carolina

My mother in law died in February.  She owned 50% of a house in Harnett Co., without survivorship, with her daughter.  Her daughter has sole possession of the house.  The house is owned free and clear and is worth $59,000 according to property tax records.  My husband is the only other child.  There is no spouse or parents or interested parties.

In all likelihood, my mother in law died intestate.  It fits with what I know about mother and daughter.  If there’s a will, it’s holographic.  We asked the daughter to see the will.  She says she has it but won’t show it to us.  When asked if she filed it with the court, she assumed we were “suing her in probate court,” and told us to have our lawyer contact her.  She’s diagnosed mentally retarded and she has an IQ of 70, so that does play into what’s happening here.

I want to discharge our interest in the property, in a every scenario other than her selling the house right away (which she says she’s doing), and then I want our share of the cash from the sale.

I think she thinks that if she just lies to us and says there’s a will, that when she sells the house, she’ll just keep all the money because we won’t know or something.  She doesn’t think the state or county have any part in this.

Should I talk to a lawyer?  I worked in property tax and I know that if the mother’s 50% is listed on the deed as “heir of mother,” then the sister or brother are jointly and severally liable for the property tax until proven otherwise.  And that the county will just collect from the person most able to pay, which is us.  She’s not paid her property tax in the past, so this is a pretty real concern.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 How is the house titled?

Your husband can file to be executor of the estate if he believes there's no will, following the rules of intestate succession. If the sister has a will that favors her, she'll produce it thenAnswer #2: Is your sister in law capable of handling her own affairs? At an IQ of 70, it doesnt seem like a good idea for her to be set at large with 45,000 dollars.

You should definitely talk to a lawyer about probate, guardianship of your sister-in-law, and the possibility of creating a special needs trust for her.


Title: extradition laws

Question: I was wounder are there any states that won't or less likely to extradite a peraon back to Pennsylvania asking for a friend

Answer:
 > A person charged in any state with treason, felony, or other crime, who shall flee from justice, and be found in another state, shall on demand of the executive authority of the state from which he fled, be delivered up, to be removed to the state having jurisdiction of the crime.

US Constitution. So no.


Title: Found out my boss was calling me “Tits Mcgee,” to my coworkers, Also follows coworkers around with Stungun, caused our host to cry and quit.

Question:
I’ve worked at this restaurant since December and found out yesterday he’s been calling me “Tits Mcgee” basically ever since i started there. I found out by another waitress telling me he was calling me, and she told me right in front of him and other servers. I immediately got embarrassed and didn’t know how to react and kind of just laughed it off and asked why he’d even call me that. He made a motion towards his chest and mocked me. I asked him what he meant and he said my breasts our always showing. I said they weren’t and looked down at the shirt i normally wear (all black attire) and no cleavage was showing. The waitress that brought it up also disagreed and said they weren’t showing and you can’t see my cleavage unless i completely bent over.

Later that evening he came up behind me with the stungun and turned it on but didn’t touch me with it and i didn’t react, (second time this exact incident has happened.) He made a remark about how i never react and went up to the host standing right behind me (17f) and did the same to her. She’s had a very rough life and lives with one of the other servers and is really emotionally sensitive. She starts crying and tells him to fucking stop and runs to the bathroom. She spends the entire rest of her shift crying and he talks about how she must be on her period. They get into some kind of confrontation and she says maybe she just quit. He says ok and she clocks out and leaves. Later that night another server calls her and talks to her trying to see if she really wanted to quit or not, and said the manager was sorry and felt bad. He interrupted her and said “I don’t feel bad and i’m not sorry. In order to be sorry you have to admit you did something wrong and i didn’t.” And went on to say he thought there was something wrong with her.

The only person above him is the korean boss and he speaks very little english and i’m not sure if he would translate what i’m saying to him 100%. Is there anything i can do to change this work environment or should i just find another job? It’s a completely independently owned business.

Answer:
 So the comments he made to you are certainly sexual harassment, and him activating a stun gun is enough to constitute intimidation at the very least. If there is not a mechanism to report in your business, go to the police and file a report. Urge your coworkers to do the same. Just leaving is how these behaviors continue.Answer #2: I would start by calling these guys about making a sexual harassment report:

https://labor.mo.gov/mohumanrights/Discrimination/sex#harassment

You could call the police about the incident with the stun gun, it sounds like it would qualify as fourth degree assault in Missouri:

https://www.lawserver.com/law/state/missouri/mo-laws/missouri_laws_565-056

The police may not really pursue this is nobody was hurt, you are more likely to have luck with the Labor department.


Title: [AZ] How do you prove rape years after it happened?

Question:
Hi legaladvice. I was violently raped when I was fifteen by the father of a child I was babysitting. This was ten years ago in Arizona. I was intimidated at the time, and didn't report. However, I was just told that the statute of limitations in Arizona on rape is basically infinite (i.e. there is no statute of limitations).

I googled around and it turns out the guy has adopted several children since the fact (in addition to his two original children) and is now a corrections officer. Very disturbing.

Anyway, how on earth could I ever prove that this happened after the fact? If it's possible, where would I even start?

Answer: You don't have to prove anything. You file a police report and the DA decides what they can or cannot prove. They build the case. All you have to do is follow what they say


Title: Can I legally be banned from a restaurant?

Question:
I was fired from my job for not showing up for a shift.  After they let me go the manager said I was banned from the property.

Can they legally do this? I have a lot of friends there and the family loves the place.

I am in Canada Ontario.

Answer:
 >Huh. That seems crazy.

I am absolutely floored by someone thinking that it's "crazy" that a property owner can ban a person from their property. It's not just that the ability to choose who can and who cannot enter is perhaps the single most important feature of the bundle of rights that comprises private property, it's also that the protection of private property rights is the most fundamental principle of the entire system of English common law.

Thinking this is "crazy" is like thinking it's "crazy" that only the legislature can write laws. I want to line up OP's history, social studies, etc. teachers and slap them for their grotesque failure.


Title: TRESSPASSING QUESTION [PLZ REPLY]

Question: So i'm 13 and my friend is 12. We were at our "gated community". Its like a big property with a lot of houses.We got bored, so we decided to go to the neighboring community. For no particular reason, except for fun. So we were sneaking ariund, and we got seen by an old man. He was carrying a big ol' two by four. So we instantly started running. So I jumped the fence and ran to get help. I tripped on a root and fell. I turn around to see my friend being hit by that old man. Twice in the head. So are we in any place to call the police, or are we just foolish children. Please reply, to give us advice for our course of action. This happened half an hour ago. Thanks.

Answer: If true, yes you should call the police. Your friend also needs to be seen by a doctor immediately. Answer #2: Yes, call the police. Hitting a kid with a 2x4 while he is running away is not a great plan to deal with trespassing.


Title: [CA] Pled No Contest to 20 Felony Sex Charges. Was this the best option under my circumstances?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 >For example somebody with a no contest conviction on there record must be looked upon better than someone with a guilty conviction?

nope.  it will show you found guilty of 20 felony sex charges.

>I'm getting sentenced soon and wondering what to expect

talk to your attorneyAnswer #2: "No contest" is generally functionally the same as "guilty" without the explicit admission of guilt.  Both generally result in identical convictions.Answer #3: >For example somebody with a no contest conviction on there record must be looked upon better than someone with a guilty conviction?

A conviction is a conviction. It doesn't matter how it happened. Who told you that pleading no contest was better for you? The judge isn't going to give you a lighter sentence because you plead no contest... not on 20 felonies.


Title: [FL] Government job won't even consider hiring "family member"

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Nepotism is very frowned upon, especially in government related jobs. This sometimes leads to all sorts of efforts being made so that, as the person doing the hiring, you can't be accused of it.

My department, for example, has a well-known but unofficial policy that family members of current employees will only be hired if they're already holding a job with a different law enforcement agency.

You can try to play dumb, but I'm not sure that would work out well for you two. You could also just try applying, but that won't necessarily get you anywhere either.


Title: (Kentucky) Drove past a schoolbus with its stopsign out by mistake

Question:
It was a genuine mistake and a first time offense (noted on the ticket I received). I looked up the statute online (189.370) and from what I understand the penalty is a fine or jailtime. Although I'm guessing jailtime is unlikely, I have serious anxiety trouble and I'm panicking right now over the prospect. If someone could give me an idea of what to expect I would seriously appreciate it right now. The truth is a hard bullet to bite but I'm not going to sleep if I don't.
Please forgive me in advance if this isn't the correct kind of question for this subreddit, I assumed this would be a good place to ask but it's always possible I missed something in the guidelines.

Edit: Thanks to everyone who replied. I figured out where I went wrong and what I need to do differently on that road the moment I saw the lights, I was legitimately having a panic attack this morning when investigating the ticket. As long as I improve my driving and vigilance, I think everything will be right in the world.

Answer:
 Looks like it's a fine between $100 and $200, with possible jail time not to exceed 30 days for a first offense.

I'd retain a traffic attorney and let them take care of it.Answer #2: Likely fine. Hire an attorney to mitigate your damages here since it sounds like this is a crime, not an infraction. So it will effect you long in to the future


Title: What language should I include in a doctor's note to get ADA protection? About to get fired for being "too slow" due to medical issues!

Question:
I have chronic neuropathic pain which gives me tendonitis, severe muscle spasms, and generally slows me down after excessive computer usage - and my work is all on the computer (whose isn't these days?) and measured not just in quality but billable hours.

Boss just had "the talk" with me and it seems that speed/making tight deadlines is the main driver of my imminent termination. I need to get medical documentation on file ASAP to prevent them from firing me for this reason and request reasonable accommodations going forward. No one has questioned my intelligence, talent, or the quality of my work; this seems to be entirely related to my medical issues. I actually took a month of FMLA leave in May, and this came almost immediately after my return in June.

What specifically do I need to ask my doctor for? Should buzzwords like "reasonable accommodation" and "can still perform essential functions" be in his letter, or in my cover letter sending it to the head of HR? Who do I even send it for, and what's the protocol for protecting myself generally before the next month is over (boss has given me a month to prove I can turn things around)?

Thanks for any advice. My doctor will probably be willing to use whatever language I ask for in the letter as long as it's consistent with my diagnosis and past treatment from him, and I've been seeing him for about 2 years.

Answer:
 If you can't do your job fast enough, you aren't performing the essential functions of your job.  They are under no legal requirement to accommodate someone who works slower because of a disability.  Speed and making deadlines are part of your job.

Edited to add: There are of course OTHER accommodations they may be able to make.  Are there other jobs that you can do at that workplace?  Are their accommodations they can make to allow you to do your job fast enough?


Title: Any recourse for custody change due to a smoking adult moving in to live with my ex? [WI]

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 You have no legal recourse. It's not illegal to be a smoker, and up until recently, it wasn't even illegal to smoke with your kid in the car with the windows up. Sorry. Answer #2: This is not going to get you a custody change.

There are literally millions of people walking around now who grew up with their parents smoking in front of them, in the car with them, and in the home where they lived.  Most of them are just fine.   This is two steps removed from that.

If the smoker has agreed to smoke outside and only outside the presence of the children, you don't have evidence of imminent harm, or high probability of long-term harm, sufficient to prove a danger justifying a custody change.  Honestly, it feels like you are grasping at straws.


Title: City revoked Permit for New Septic System rendering my Property unsellable. They want $160,000 for an adjoining lot...

Question:
I purchased a house march of 2016, in MN in the north east suburbs of St. Paul. Part of the sale was an escrow amount to replace the septic system in the spring so it would be up to code. A design was approved and a permit was issued in the fall of 2015 but they didn't get the system in the ground before winter hit. Sale closes in March. In May when the contractor went to renew the permit the city said no and asked for another survey to be done. We did another survey and the new surveyor moved the water line for the pond enough that the design that was permitted could no longer be done with out a variance that the city didn't want to grant.

They asked us to find another location for the system and said that putting the new one where the old one was is a good place to start. The old one is partially on city land right now. They told us they would work out an easement or a sale of the land.

Escrow has now paid for a second design putting it where the city planner recommend we put it. The city council hired an appraiser to appraise the land. I need half of 2 parcels to put in the septic system but would pay for the full 2 parcels if they didn't want to break the parcels. The city council decided they wanted the 4 parcels making up the lot drawn 100 years ago to stay together and appraised the lot at $160,000 for about half an acre.

Some info on the lot. It is land locked by already owned properties. It has the same waterfront issues I do for septic systems. There is an unbuilt road on the city plans from the 1930s that could access the 3 landlocked lots if they built a road. The 3 lots are not large enough to have a 3 bedroom house and a septic system that meets current codes.

The appraisal price assumes the lot could be built on today when clearly it could not. If the city brought sewer to these 3 lots I too would have sewer but they just voted down funding for bringing water and sewer to this part of town because it would be $120,000 per house serviced to get it installed. They said they will revisit in 25 years when the road needs to be replaced again.

So now I have a house that has no where to put a septic system that meets code meaning I couldn't sell it if I wanted to and a city council basically extorting me for $160,000.

I've called the county septic planner and he reviewed the file and recommended a private sewer system using horizontal boring that would cost about $60,000 as the next best option.

So a few questions.

Is this something covered by title insurance? I don't really want to go down that route quite yet but it seems like something that should be covered.

Do I have any recourse to reverse the sale? Not that I really want to move out, I've spent about $40,000 fixing the place up since moving in but having a $400,000+ asset you can't sell is not comforting. I'd rather be out that $40,000 then on the hook for another $160,000.

Clearly I could negotiate but even if we met half way (I was thinking $40,000) $100,000 is still way more than I can afford (or would really be willing to spend).

My realtor talked to the sellers realtor and he is going to talk to the city but I don't know that that will help anything.

I'm going to a city council meeting on Tuesday to try and get more details and it would be nice if I had some legal ground to stand on rather than the "this just doesn't sound right" that everyone who hears the story says.

TLDR: County changes rules so septic system has to be upsized before a sale can go through. There is no where on the property far enough from the water that is big enough to install the new system. City suggests buying adjoining city land. Won't split the lot wants me to buy the whole thing for way more than I can afford ($160,000). HALP! :)
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: You really need a zoning attorney-really. Not an attorney who handles real estate casings but someone who represents people, or preferably businesses, who are trying to get zoning variances-even though that is not your precise issue the attorney will be very familiar with he way the city works and will have an eye for this kind of case.Answer #2: Need a variance? Get a zoning attorney. This is too complex and hyper local for reddit. Seriously.


Title: Order of Protection: courts say one thing, police say another in Arizona.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You can go to gymnastics if the mother is not there.  If the mother is there, I wouldn't risk it.


Title: Friend arrested for child molestation

Question:
My friend was arrested for child molestation and is currently being held in Clark County Nevada. What can He do in order to not be charged he does not have any money. He was in the military and relapsed into drug abuse ( the folks he was getting drugs from brought these charges)in Clark County Nevada where he was stationed. He was discharged dishonorably and moved back to Florida. He was working in his store that was robbed. he gave the statement to the police and they ran his information and they saw he had a warrant.

Summary. Friend arrested for child molestation and brought back to clark county Nevada.

Answer:
 There is nothing he can do to "avoid being charged."

He can get an attorney.  If he can't afford one he can ask for a public defender when he goes to court.

And that's about it.


Title: Seriously need to get out of my house, could potentially live with a grandmother but need to know my rights first

Question: I won't go into why I can't be in my house. I'm 18 and going to college at the end of this year, so I only have to make it until then. As far as I understand, since I am 18, as long as my grandmother and I consent to me living with her, there's nothing my parents can do about that. Is that correct? Or am I missing something? Once this does happen, my parents will likely call the cops and have an investigation started or something, and I do not want them terrorizing my grandmother over this. I would like to know my rights so when they do show up, I can be on equal footing with them and can't be intimidated.

Answer:
 You are 18, you are allowed to leave. You don't have to tell them where you are going, but I would let them know you are leaving.

If you are afraid they will do something rash, bring a friend with you. Leave your grandmother out of it if you wish.


Title: [NY/NYC] Is it legal to wear a ski mask in public?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Legal?

Possibly.

Likely to get you repeatedly lawfully detained by the police?

Probably.


Title: Eye doctor refusing to give me my contact lense prescription (NJ)

Question:
Okay, so two weeks ago I had a scheduled eye doctor appointment. It was a routine exam to check my vision/eye health, which I scheduled as it was required for the doctor to issue a new prescription for my contact lenses.

I go to my appointment, get blinded by the dilating eye drops, all is well. At the end of the appointment, I paid my co-pay and asked the receptionist to order contacts for me. She says that the new office policy is that we must pay for contact when ordering them instead of when picking them up, which was fine with me. She then tells me that there is an unpaid bill on my account from September 2014.

I responded by explaining that I remembered I had been in for an eye infection in September, but as far as I knew, the bill was submitted/handled through insurance (I am 25, still covered under my father's healthcare plan until I turn 26) like normal (I had paid my co-pay that day). She says that insurance denied the $65 bill because my father had not returned some paperwork they needed to process the claim (not surprising).

 I shrugged and offered to pay the bill in full. She replied that if I am insured, the bill should be covered, so I shouldn't have to fight with them over it, she was going to handle it. I thanked her, paid my co-pay and contacts charges, and went on my way (actually, my Mom had to drive me home because I couldn't see worth a damn). Fast forward two weeks. I realized they haven't called me about my contacts yet, and I'm down to no spare pairs (and going away for the holiday weekend on Thursday). I called the office and ask if my contacts are in. The bitchy receptionist says "Yes, I see that you ordered contacts. Problem is, you have an unpaid bill and you need to pay it before you receive anything from our office." I explained the unpaid bill related to a September visit, that to my knowledge it was being handled by insurance, etc. She keeps cutting me off and being generally very rude, saying that I can't "freeload" off the doctor and his services, and I need to pay for this bill and fight off insurance on my own, it's not their problem, etc.

 At this point, I was in the mood to just pay the stupid bill and write it off, it was only $65 bucks, whatever. But then she wouldn't even tell me if they actually ORDERED the contacts, which I need to, like, SEE (even though I paid for them), or if they are at the office for pickup. So then, I asked for a copy of the prescription for the contacts.

At this point, I was thinking I would take the prescription to WalMart (they fill contact orders within 2 days usually) and try to get it filled in the meantime while I dealt with my father/the insurance company to get this bill straightened out and then I could get the two boxes I ordered/paid for from this doctor. She point blank refuses to give me the prescription, says that it's the doctor's policy to refuse to give out prescriptions and/or equipment until all bills are paid.

Seething,  I hang up and call my dad, and asked him to call the insurance company ASAP. Dad agrees. Meanwhile, I'm still pretty pissed off. I did some handy Google work. Based on what I found, I think that it is illegal for the doctor to withhold my prescriptions for contact lenses.

First, I think that it breaks federal law under the FTC, specifically cited as 16 CFR 315, known as the "Contact Lens Rule" in that the doctor is withholding my prescriptions until I pay a past due balance. From what I can garner from reading the regulation, the doctor can only require I pay for the examination needed to get my contacts (which I did) in order to receive the prescription, not past due balances. Also, he was required to give me a copy of the prescription at the visit, whether I asked for it or not. I also looked up the State of New Jersey's information (less clear) on the Consumer Affairs site, but from what I can tell, their rules are in line with the Feds.

So, I guess my question is, did I interpret the federal statute (law, rule, not sure what the phrasing is) correctly, and what do I do now? I know it's only $65 and in the grand scheme of things, very unimportant, but I feel like a doctor holding your prescriptions hostage to collect a debt is messed up? Insurance won't cover another visit to another optometrist to get the contacts, and I'm waiting to hear back from my dad about the insurance claim for the past due bill.

The FTC has a complaints process, but I'm skeptical of it's potential to do anything. I'm curious if anyone has dealt with anything similar, and what the outcome was. Thanks in advance!

Answer: The receptionist is overstepping her bounds but before you turn this into a legal matter it might be worthwhile to take your dad and have a pleasant conversation with the doctor directly. Explain what's happened and look for an equitable solution.


Title: TX - Neighborhood HOA and NDAs

Question:
Typically I stay out of neighborhood politics but I came across something that peaked my interest.  Recently the neighborhood Nextdoor group has started to turn against the HOA board president, especially after finding out his sons Boy Scout troop is directly benefitting from our HOA dues in the form of large mulch fundraiser purchases.

After locking threads and deleting comments and posts he finally just invited everyone to come to his house and ask questions, which apparently some people did. However, once there in order to have your questions answered he’s apparently making neighbors sign an NDA first.  I hear NDAs are hard to enforce in Texas, also beyond being insane is this legal?

Answer: The homeowners have a right to regular accounting of the HOA's finances through the HOA process. The HOA cannot impose unreasonable requirements on it - such as signing an HOA - and then argue that they don't have to comply with the law when the homeowners rightly refuse those additional steps. If the board is unwilling to produce statements showing where the HOA's money is going and you suspect self-dealing by the HOA board, contact a local attorney familiar with HOA litigation, or gather your fellow owners, state your case, and vote out the board.


Title: Extortion with parental make up days.

Question:
Ok so we are in Arkansas and my ex wife has primary physical custody and I have joint legal with liberal visitation. She has been planning to go out of town for Halloween, out of state, and had asked if I could look after our son. I initially said yes but I had some stuff come up at work in the last day and I can't.  She said she would just take him along with her because she already paid for the flight and hotel but one of the days she would be gone is one of my parenting days (saturday). She said that it was unreasonable for me to suddenly pull out once she had arranged everything and paid all that money so she said I could just make the day up the week before on saturday (which is not my weekend) or the weekend after (not my weekend either). So I wouldn't lose any days. She doesn't need my permission to visit out of state for anything under a week, just to move.

We had also arranged me getting more sundays (which are traditionally not my days) but she stated that if I didn't take him so she could go on her trip then she would no longer be open to me getting sundays and that we'd just follow the decree here on out completely with no extra days for me from her time. This is not in the decree. The decree doesn't have me having any sundays.

I am pissed. I had a couple of things on sunday planned that I now just have to cancel because she is throwing a hissy fit over my schedule at work changing. She said if I take him during her 3 day halloween vacation that she paid for then I could have sundays.

How is that not extortion which is illegal right? Also, can she just take my day like that? I am suppose to have him saturday 10am to 4pm and she said I could but that I would also have to keep him while she was gone since she leaves satuday morning and gets back tuesday morning. I can't do that because I have to work now. I know I originally agreed but stuff comes up. I just can't now. She just keeps saying that I can just make up my day then but she can't get her money back for the trip so she is going with or without him. I asked her what the trip was. Was it work related and she said she wasn't required to tell me.

I don't have money for  a lawyer because she gets a crazy amount of child support (and goes on a ridiculous amount of trips with it).

Am I really not going to get to see my son on saturday? And can she promise something in writing(text) like giving me some sundays and just take it away like that because she has to take him with her on her trip? Is it extortion?

Answer:
 She's not being unreasonable at all.  Once she doesn't let you have him that Saturday, you can take her to court for contempt.  Expect the judge to roll his eyes at you.

She's completely within her rights to keep her Sunday's too.  Answer #2: You have a court order. She made an offer to go outside that court order. You declined the terms. She reverted back to the court order and original agreement.

You can tell her you want to follow the court order to the letter if you like and that you except your Saturday visitation. Don't expect her to ever help you out.


Title: I reported a public masturbator, and am told that I need to testify against him

Question:
Throwaway because my normal account has personally identifying information.

This is in Massachusetts.  Yesterday morning I was walking towards the subway on a fairly busy road on my way to work.  There were numerous other commuters walking in front of and behind me.  I noticed a man sitting in a parked car.  The passenger side of his car was closest to the sidewalk where we were walking, and his passenger side window was rolled all the way down.  There were two women walking in front of me (about 15 to 20 feet ahead) and I noticed the man's gaze follow them as they walked by.  As I walked by and glanced over into his car, there was a sweatshirt on his lap, his hand was under the sweatshirt, and his hand was bobbing up and down.  It was very clear that he was masturbating.  I did a double take because I couldn't believe that someone could be so brazen, but I am sure of what I saw.

I noted his license plate and kept walking, and called the police non-emergency line and explained the situation.  They asked me for the location of the car, make and model, license plate, and a description of the man.  I gave them the information and my first name, and they said they would send someone to check it out.

About 30 minutes later, my phone rang and it was a police officer.  He said that they found the man in question and spoke to him for a while, and by the officer's intonation and word choice, I could tell that he was implying that they were sure of what I saw as well.  He explained to me that the way MA law works is that they couldn't charge him with anything because they didn't actually see this happening, and that the only way they could charge him was if I agreed that I would testify against him in court.

I agreed because this guy was a creep and was leering at women, so the officer asked for my last name and date of birth, and said to expect something in the mail about it.

My questions are:
1.) Does the police officer's analysis of the situation sound correct?
2.) What can I expect to happen when I have to go to court?
3.) Should I make a post online (Craigslist missed connections?) to see if anyone else saw this happening and just neglected to report it?
4.) Is this likely to even go to trial, or is it more likely this guy would make a plea deal?

Thanks legal advice!

Answer:
 1. Yep

2. You'll have to explain what.you saw, and answer questions.

3. Nope, not your job.

4. Who cares?Answer #2: >1.) Does the police officer's analysis of the situation sound correct?

Well, yes. Unless they found another witness or he confessed, the state would have literally *no evidence* unless you come to court and testified.

>2.) What can I expect to happen when I have to go to court?

The prosecutor will ask you to tell the court what you saw. The defendant's lawyer may ask questions to try to identify any inconsistencies in your story or undermine your credibility as a witness.

>3.) Should I make a post online (Craigslist missed connections?) to see if anyone else saw this happening and just neglected to report it?

No.

>4.) Is this likely to even go to trial, or is it more likely this guy would make a plea deal?

Something on the order of 90% of all criminal cases result in a guilty plea and no trial. It occurred to me that the defence might argue that clothed masturbation doesn't meet the legal standard for the offence, [but that argument has been rejected by the Appellate Court](http://masscases.com/cases/app/77/77massappct474.html).


Title: I stole $600 from my ex girlfriend's bank account two and a half years after we broke up. I'm a joint owner of the account. Can i be criminally prosecuted? (Pennsylvania)

Question: Some strange extenuating circumstances have come up that has brought my ex back into my radar. When we broke up 2 and half years ago, she stole a tablet from me and lots of smaller things, about $1000 worth of stuff. I let it go at the time, but recently, she is causing me a lot of distress, and in an act of petty vengeance i took $600, the value of the tablet she stole, from our joint account that she still uses, even after i asked her long ago to take my name off of it. It's been weeks, and she hasn't noticed the money is missing. If she does, and calls the police, can i be criminally prosecuted, or would it be a civil matter since i also own that bank account? I'm getting conflicting information from google.

Answer:
 Yes, it's possible to be prosecuted for theft from a joint account. Different states may handle it differently.  For Pennsylvania:

> "A joint account belongs, during the lifetime of all parties, to the parties in proportion to the net contributions by each to the sum on deposit, unless there is clear and convincing evidence of a different intent. "

So, if SHE put all the money in there, and she had no intention of gifting it to you, then it's HER money, not the plural YOUR money, and you can indeed steal it from her.  On the other hand, if you had put money in there and withdrew it, that would not be theft, or if she intended to gift it to you, that would also not be theft.

She could also win a civil suit against you to get the money back, if indeed she put the money in the account.

I don't know how this account was set up, who put the money in, etc.  So I don't know if what you did fits being a crime or not.  But I would advise against it.  Your proper remedy would be to sue her in small claims for the tablet or whatever.


Title: I got caught with weed in school and now have a possession charge but my dad sent me out of the country

Question:
Apparently after talking to the resource officer in my school it all would have been erased after a couple drug tests under a “restorative justice” program, but my dad sent me off to another country in asia and now i have a meeting with an intake officer in a couple weeks and i won’t be there, what do i do.

https://imgur.com/a/gBCAAKl
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: I would call that phone number there and explain the situation.  They will want to know what "sent me off" means - is this a holiday / vacation he put you on and you're coming back, or is this a permanent move?  Who is taking care of you while you are there?  Things like that


Title: Can I get in trouble if I have my kids vaccinated against my wife's wishes?

Question:
I live in Texas and my wife is one of those rabid anti-vaccinaters. I, on the other hand, am not a fucktard. I have tried to reason with her, every way I can think of. I've tried to get her to agree to it if the shots are spread out, if we leave some out, if we wait until they are older, etc etc etc, all answers are NO!

So, I've decided that I'm just going to take the kids to the movies one day and make a pit stop at the clinic along the way. She will be furious afterwards, but can I get into any LEGAL trouble over this? Seems to me that I should have equal say in the matter and the public health should tip the scales in my favor. Maybe I'm wrong though....

Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 Vaccinate them.  Then divorce your wife.  Willingness to allow your children to die a horrible, easily preventable death is one of the most obvious grounds to end a marriage I can think of.Answer #2: As long as you aren't divorced, both of you have full custody of your kids and can make medical decisions independently.  You can go ahead and get them vaccinated without her permission.

Maybe you could make up some other excuse to go to the doctor and then say that the doctor recommended the vaccine immediately.


Title: [US] My green card expired a month ago. What do I do?

Question:
I just realized that my green card has expired and I'm not sure what to do.  I want to apply for my citizenship, but what do I do right now?  Am I allowed to be here?  Am I allowed to leave the country?  Am I allowed to work?

Thanks in advance for any help.

Answer:
 The actual card serves as an ID and proof of status. Although the law has a small fine for failing to update your card before it expires, your status as a permanent resident still remains. Are you a conditional resident? If so then your situation is a bit different and you should talk to an attorney since late filing a removal of conditions has special requirements.

You can file an I-90 late to renew your greencard. If you are eligible for naturalization you can still apply now, but you will not be able to to travel or get a temporary I-551 stamp unless you file the I-90.


Title: [CT] Were any laws broken here?

Question:
I don't believe the state is relevant here, as I believe this pertains only to federal laws.

I saw a presentation last night at a non-profit space, about the mid-20th Century. The presentation included pieces of music videos and one or two documentaries, played directly from YouTube. None of them were played in whole or for than a few minutes.

At the end, however, the speaker passed out CD-R's he'd made of music (mostly) from the period. There are 39 tracks on the disc, all complete. No one was asked to pay anything for them. No donations were solicited, either by the speaker or by the hosting NPO.

The speaker has not and will not receive any consideration, and the host NPO is charged no cover. However, the event was open to the public, and there have been announcement inviting the public.

The same speaker is making two more presentations about the period soon, though I don't believe there will be music at either of them.

**1) Were any laws broken? If so, which?
2) If so, where does liability fall? On the presenter alone? Or does the hosting NPO carry any?
3) What are the potential penalties?**

Thank you.

Answer: Why do you care?  You don't like the guy and want to sabotage him?


Title: Neighbor taking pictures of my balcony (GA)

Question:
My neighbor has been seen by myself and guests reaching his hand into my balcony a couple of times (didn't realize what it was at first) with a camera to take photos. I know about how since it's an apartment complex, the balcony has no expectation of privacy as you could see to it, but what about someone manuvering themselves to take photos? It is definitely creepy and unsettling, not to mention makes me feel unsafe. I have already alerted management but wanted to be as informed as I could be about the situation.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Call the police. Not only is he trespassing, this may be voyeurism.


Title: Can I get in trouble for a Viral Video?

Question:
So I was eating at a fast food place and noticed a driver making a bad judgement call, and long story short he made a huge scene and really messed up his car and the restaurant property. I got it all on tape and posted it on Facebook, where it went viral overnight. I’m talking about  1000 shares and 140000 views and counting. The driver was a minor and most likely drunk and/or high.

Are there any legal ramifications I need to worry about? I didn’t slander anyone, all I posted were the videos. I have been contacted by two people who said “the videos were embarrassing to the said party”, but nothing threatening legal action.

I’m in Louisiana
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 You? Na

The driver? Yup


Title: Landlord increased rent without notifying me

Question:
I moved into to new apartment that had the same landlord as my mother. Because He knew me already and the previous tenants left the apartment a trash heap, he knocked 100 dollars off the rent (from 450 to 350) if we would clean it out. We discussed that after our lease was up (12 months), we would be going back up to 450. A year was up this month.

Since then, his son has taken over his properties and has been using an automated system for paying rent. We pay our rent approx. 15 days early every month. My girlfriend paid it last month, and it charged her $350 and it said it was a full payment.When we go to pay this months rent, it says we owe $550. $100 from the last month, and $450 for this month.

In my lease, it states that once my lease has ended, it continues on a month to month: "This Agreement shall extend month-to-month after the original term is not provided for signature."

I am not sure how to proceed. $550 is a lot to drop on me on my income all at once. Does my landlord have a right to charge me for this without notifying me and having me sign a new lease.

Answer: Location is important here. However, most states stipulate that you must be given advance notice for a rent increase.Answer #2: Just to be clear, you had an agreement that the rent was supposed to increase after a year, which it has.  Was the last $350 month the last month of the previous year or the first of the next year (now that you're month to month)?  Because if you were erroneously charged $350, then you would owe that extra $100.  Otherwise, you would need to make up for that month you were charged too little.


Title: Wrecked car stored on my property, I want to have it removed

Question:
Hello,

**The short version**:

I have a totalled car on my property (Suffolk County, New York) that belongs to a co-worker and I want to know what legal rights I have to have it removed.

**The long version:**

* My coworker drove into a parked car & totaled her vehicle.
* The vehicle has a lean on it from Chase of approximately $15,000
* My coworker did not have collision insurance (somehow) so the insurer will not be paying her for the vehicle.
* After the accident the vehicle was in an impound yard costing $35/day, she asked me if she could store the car at my house for 1 month. That was 52 days ago.
* We have nothing in writing about her storing it here
* My coworker does not live at my residence and we have no and have had no relationship aside from working at the same company.

If there are any questions or any particulars require further explanation please feel free to ask. Thanks for taking the time to read and comment on this.

Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 You can ask her to move it somewhere else, and give her reasonable time to move it (a week should be sufficient). If she does not do so, start calling wreckers to see if one of them will take it away. If one does, and charges you for it, you can seek to recoup that money from her.

Alternate approach: if you know who has the lien on the car, you could call them and see if they want to repo it.Answer #2: Can you move it to the street and let the city deal with it?


Title: Is my employer wrong in how they are implementing breaks or in how they treated my friend?

Question:
Hi! Throwaway for reasons.

I currently work at a Water Park in Texas as a seasonal employee.

We receive 30 minute lunch breaks regardless of how long our shift is but we are only allowed to take those breaks at the Employee Café which, depending on where in the park we are working that day, is anywhere between a 4 minute to 12 minute walk away. Additionally, on our way to the Café we are required to help any guests we come across whether that be answering questions or getting things for them. This means that on some days we have a 20 min lunch break and on others it is closer to a 7 min lunch break because we have to be back at our working locations on time. Regardless of whether or not we take a break the 30 min. break time is deducted from our pay.

I read the FLSA which says "[*"Lunch breaks"*](http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/d_breaks.html) are unpaid - defined as 30 minutes or longer for the purpose of eating a meal - employee must be "fully relieved of duties" during the meal break - if employee is answering phones, filing, or otherwise working while eating, the "break" is counted as regular work time"

and "[*"Coffee breaks"*](http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/d_breaks.html) (rest breaks) are paid, since they are regarded as promoting productivity and efficiency on the part of employees and thus benefit the employer - 20 minutes or less in duration."

I am unclear on which would apply in this situation. Our breaks are never really 30 minutes because of the walking to and from the Café where we are still required to assist guests but we are not paid for the time as a "coffee break"  and essentially required to take them or those 30 min will be deducted from our pay without any way to get the 30 minutes back on our pay check if we decide to not take a break.

My friend went to HR to ask about this and they wouldn't talk to him so he decided to call an "anonymous" hotline the park has to report theft and anything else. Yesterday, he was questioned (and insulted) by security for 2 hours while HR watched. I don't have all the details but he said it seemed like they were trying to get him to "confess" to trying to sue them because of the break thing. Apparently, today, security was also asking around to find out if anyone was trying to sue them. All of this was done by our manager's bosses, HR and Security.

Is my employer wrong in how they're implementing breaks and in how they treated my friend if so, what can I do ?

Source: [http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/flsa\_does\_and\_doesnt\_do.html](http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/flsa_does_and_doesnt_do.html)

Answer:
 They could just take away the break altogether since neither US nor TX law require breaks.

But if they are not paying you for 30 minutes, and those 30 minutes are spent with you walking and helping customers, then they are breaking the law and you can report it to the Texas Workforce Commission. Your friend was... ugh... he really called the *park hotline?* What did he expect was going to happen? You call the authorities when laws are being broken, you don't call the lawbreakers. Anyway, call the TWC and see if they want you to file a wage claim for every "break" you never really got. Good luck.Answer #2: If you are required to work while you commute to your break area, your 30 minute unpaid break should start when you are in the building and relieved of duty.

After 30 minutes, you leave the break area, prepared to work the second you step out the door.

Otherwise you are working for free.


Title: Predatory towing out of apartment building parking lot [Massachusetts]

Question:
My fiance just discovered her car was towed out of our apartment building's parking lot.  She has a parking pass and it was properly displayed.  The lot fills up to capacity every single day and it is difficult to find spots at night.  Parking actually spills over onto the street because there aren't enough spots.

The apartment building has a relationship with a towing company where they allow the company to patrol the lot and tow cars at will.  They are unreasonable people and have attempted to tow us before while we were unloading groceries.

She parked in a spot next to a dumpster because it was the only one available.  The spot is the exact size of a normal parking spot, and doesn't have any signs or road paint that indicate that you shouldn't park there.  We have seen people park there before.  It was towed at 1:30 AM, so it is clear that she wasn't towed because she was impeding access to the dumpster.

When we asked the leasing office about why she was towed out of this spot, they referred us to a paragraph in an email they sent several weeks ago that said:

"your vehicle must be parked in a clearly marked parking space. A space will have lines on both sides. If a space looks questionable, it is likely not a space, and you will be towed."

So the only indication that this area is not a valid parking spot would be that there is no second painted line.  However there is a concrete pad for the dumpster which defines the space and makes it look exactly like a parking spot.  By a strict interpretation of these rules, there are other spots that are clearly OK but do not meet the criteria (for example spots, next to a grassy median).  Clearly the leasing office has worked out which spots are OK and which spots are not with the towing company, so it is not clear to me why they have to send such an ambiguous message.  My lease simply states that the leasing office reserves the right to tow vehicles "parked in an unauthorized spot or manner."

In my opinion, the building is aware that people were getting towed out of this spot and has chosen not to mark the space with a "no parking" sign or by another means.  They sent out that cryptic email to cover their asses by the minimum amount possible.  It would not surprise me if they were getting a kickback from the towing company, but I don't have evidence of that.  At best, this behavior is predatory and unethical.

Is this relationship between the towing company and leasing office legal?  Does the leasing office have a responsibility to post signs?  Do I have any recourse, short of complaining and writing a shitty yelp review?

Answer:
 Sounds like she knowingly parked in a spot that violates the rules and was properly warned she would be towed.

All leading offices have a relationship with a tow company. That is normal.


Title: [Ontario, Canada] Can landlord refuse a sublet based on gender if it specifies female-only sublets in lease agreement?

Question:
The lease is signed, but not sure if it's enforceable. The landlord also verbally indicated that he intended on selling the house before the lease was up (which we know was grounds to cancel the lease), but he recently changed his mind so now we only have a couple weeks to find a sublet before we move back. We've found a male sublet but the landlord has refused based on the terms of the lease.

Is this worth fighting? Should we go to the Tenant's board?

Thanks!

Answer:
 A sale is not grounds to cancel a lease unless the lease says it is.

Unless your landlord lives with you, your landlord is not permitted to discriminate based on gender. If your landlord's only rationale for refusing a sublet is that your subtenant is the wrong gender, and you have this in writing, you can [go before the Board](http://www.sjto.gov.on.ca/documents/ltb/Landlord%20Applications%20&%20Instructions/A2.pdf). If you are instead looking to assign your lease (have someone else take over the lease entirely, and release you from it), you can also give 30 days' notice to terminate the lease if your landlord unreasonably refuses to assign or fails to respond.


Title: I walked out of work today due to a racist comment from my manager. How do I report her?

Question: I was at fault because I meal violated and was 25 minutes past my meal. She asked me when I clocked in and I out of instinct replied," a las once" due to it being my first language. She snarkly says, "Uhh this is America you don't speak Spanish here you have to speak English in this store. Do I look like a Spanish speaker? Does it say I speak Spanish on my name tag like it does yours? I didn't know what to say so I just left and clocked out for lunch. I told my coworker why I was leaving because I didn't want to leave them stranded without a back up at the register. I just got home and am wondering how to report it.

Answer: Is she correct that there is a rule at work to speak English while on the clock?  Who do you think you can report this to? The US Dept of Hurt Feelings?  At best, you can tell HR if you have one.  They may ask her to not be so mean.Answer #2: Hate to inform you but language isn't a race. Get the chip off your shoulder. Boss might have not handled it well, but it's not the end of the world.


Title: Is it legal for a public place to not have handicap bathrooms?

Question: I live in ohio, we have a drive in that's been here forever.  There are 2 tiny bathrooms, 2 stalls in the ladies room, 2 urinals n 2 toilets in the men's.  There is no handicapped accessible or family bathrooms.  Needless to say the wait to get into the bathroom takes forever.  I thought all businesses had to have happened accessible bathrooms?

Answer: Sort of. Restaurants *are* considered public accommodations [subject to the ADA](https://www.cga.ct.gov/2006/rpt/2006-R-0335.), but there are a lot of exemptions.


Title: We need out but I don't know what to do.

Question:
So I have a 4 year old daughter and her father and I live together (unmarried) with her. We live in New York. He's always been more of the disciplinarian but recently something happened and I think it's time to get out. Our daughter wouldn't eat her dinner for whatever reason she didn't want it. He started screaming at er and he spanked her. She still didn't want to eat and she was crying. He smacked her in the face and then he screamed at her so much she she got hives on her face and arms. I think it was from emotional stress. It scared the crap out of me. The hives went away in like 1-2 hours.
I talked to him. I told him this wasn't ok. He kinda blew me off and I think he'll do it again or something worse.

The issue I have is I've been a stay at home mom for a very long tome. I don't work so I have almost no money. We have about $140 in our bank account I can take but that's about it. I don't have any family within 1000 miles. I don't really have any friends. We have a car but it's in his name only. I don't want to take it and have him say I stole it. What do I do? We live in a very rural area and there aren't any buses or anything or anything within walking distance. He smokes weed a lot but NOT in the house. I'm afraid I'll lose her because I let him do that and be high around her. We rent a house from his parents. I'm scared for my daughter. I love her so much and I feel like I failed her. I feel like such a bad mom.

Do we leave? Can I take her? I don't even know where to go. I just want her to be safe.

Edit: I did threaten to leave him a few months ago about something else and he said if I left he would kill my dog.

Answer:
 There are people who can help you with this.

- New York State Domestic Violence 24 Hour Hotline (English & español/Multi-language accessibility): 1-800-942-6906 or 711 for Deaf or Hard of Hearing

- National Domestic Violence 24 Hour Hotline 1-800-799-7233 or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY)

- National Deaf Hotline Videophone 9am-5pm M-F 1-855-812-1001 or deafhelp@thehotline.org

Answer #2: OK. step 1) breathe. You can work through this.

2) take your daughter and go to a [domestic violence shelter](http://www.safehorizon.org/page/domestic-violence--abuse-what-we-do-50.html) if you feel unsafe around your SO.  Call their hotline, they will talk you through it. Once you reach a shelter, they will provide you with housing, job and mental assistance. Do it for you. Do it for your daughter. If you need transportation assistance, call first. There are numerous groups in NY state that provide transportation as needed. Call as soon as you can.


Title: [OK] My girlfriend (who is a minor) is being stalked/harassed by a guy at her work. He has made threats.

Question:
My girlfriend is 16 and she works at a restaurant. About a week ago she began receiving several weird texts from one of her coworkers, some 45ish year old dude. He had apparently gotten her number through a work group chat, and he texted her something about her not replying to him because she didn't like him. She messaged him that just because she didn't respond to his message didn't mean she had a problem with him. AFAIK, that was one of the last texts she sent to him, and after that he kept messaging her repeatedly, even when she did not reply. He started asking her if she wanted him to change his work schedule to be seperate from hers because she was "mad at him" or something, and once she didn't respond, turned into him delivering this whole shpiel about him being in love with her and how rejection hurts so much when it's someone you love, and ended by saying he was growing numb all over again and that he had text the manager saying he'd quit. Well, he didn't quit, and the next day he was back at work he was talking to a coworker (one that my girlfriend is friends with) saying things like "I've got a lot of built up aggression I need to let out and I don't care who she has with her." Apparently he's angry now because she didn't come into work on a morning that she was scheduled to (because she was concerned for her safety) and now he's basically making threats. Also, my girlfriend told me she found out that this guy is the owners cousin, so that's just a cherry on top of the whole situation.

Even just today when I dropped her off at work, she stayed in the car for a minute before getting out because the dude was standing outside the apartments he lives in just staring at us and my car (there is an apartment complex directly behind the resturaunt, so close that they basically share a parking lot.) He continued staring even after I walked her to the door and went back to the car for a good 10 minutes.

What is the best course of action for my girlfriend, myself, and her family to take? Obviously I am very worried because who knows what this weirdo dude is capable of. My girlfriend is phsyically shaking every time she has to go into work. My girlfriend is a minor, and this dude has a good 30-year age difference from her. Thanks for any and all advice.

Answer: Call the police and report the harassment. Report the co-worker to HR. Do so in writing to have a paper trail and/or insist on a written report of her complaint and a copy of the report. Answer #2: She needs to talk to her boss and let him know what is going on. She can also contact the police to report the harassment and the threats. Answer #3: If he is making threats, she should report it to the police. She should probably also look for a new job if she is no longer comfortable there. Answer #4: Seriously, take that phone with the texts to the police. This guy is following the path of pedophile 101 and is dangerous to your girlfriend, and possibly other girls her age (or worse, younger). Please do not try to take matters into your own hands or rely on anyone else to stop this. Even if he hypothetically gets fired, or if you or a family member confronts him, that may only make matters worse for her and nobody wants that. You have the evidence you need that this man has illegal intentions and that's all you need.


Title: Why is an “offer letter” from your dream employer unlikely to be a promise of employment enforced by the state?

Question: Why aren't offer letters considered contracts?

Answer:
 Your offer letter can't be enforced as a promise of employment because it doesn't guarantee your employment for any specific length of time.  Your employer can fire you without notice at any time, even before you start.

If you do start working and your employer retroactively tries to change the conditions of your employment, you could use the employment offer as evidence of the agreement you had with the employer.  But, just like firing you, the employer can legally change the conditions of your employment at any time and your only legal options are to accept it or quit.  The only thing they can't do is let you work and then try to change your pay or benefits for work you've already done.


Title: [CO] Process server leaving me voicemails

Question:
I do have some debt, but I've signed some police witness statements at work and one from where I live. Is this legit or should I just blow it off. Seems shady that dude is leaving me voicemails.
Thanks in advance for any help.

Answer: Ignoring a subpoena doesn't make it go away. Answer #2: Why is it shady? He's just trying to get you served. Ignoring him won't help you.


Title: Harassment from my husband's ex

Question: My husband's ex, also mother of his son, has harassed my husband and myself since before we were married (almost 5 years). She has hacked into our emails, filed false CPS reports, harassed his employers, harassed me on social media, took out an unfounded order that I am not allowed to be around her son during court ordered visitations, etc. She most incredibly found the family of my daughter whom I had adopted and has been in contact with them. She has contacted my own son's father to spread false rumors as well. I need to know what my rights are and what options I have, please. Location: North Texas, USA.

Answer: Block her on social media. Cooperate with CPS when they come to call. If she has actually hacked into your email, that may be a crime, but we don't know where you are. She can talk to the adoptive family if she wants. It's weird but not illegal. Fight the RO in court. Make sure your son's father knows she is bananas. If she's not threatening you, there's not much you can do. If she's repeatedly filing frivolous pleadings your husband mat be able to ask that she be declared a vexatious litigant.


Title: My dad wants me to register a car in my name and insure it as well, I think this is a terrible idea and need help explaining why [NY]

Question:
His license was suspended for child support issues, but he resolved them last year. When he went to get his license back, the DMV told him that would not be possible to his numerous DWIs (3~?). His last one occurred 10 years ago (so he claims, but he could be lying!), but I guess NYS looks back 25 years when making the decision to reinstate a license.

Now he needs a car for his job. I and someone else have been providing him with rides for the past year, but the other driver quit after constant mistreatment. I myself am close to that point but I know he will lose his job if I don't help.

His solution? He wants to buy a car and put the registration ans insurance in my name, and probably the title too. Am I correct in saying I would be legally liable even if my dad were driving this car? If he hits and injures (or possibly kills) someone, couldn't they sue me? I am 99% sure the insurance would not even cover an accident when the driver has a suspended license. Can I even insure someone with a suspended license?

Please help, my dad is treating me terribly, and if I don't do this or drive him around every day he justs makes me feel like crap. I just need a solid, logical argument as to why this is all a terrible idea so he will leave me alone about it.

Answer:
 Stay far away. This is insurance fraud at the very, very least.

> I just need a solid, logical argument as to why this is all a terrible idea so he will leave me alone about it.

No you don't. You don't owe him any of that. This is not a negotiation. I'd go with something like this:

"No."


Title: Car was torched, apartment complex suing me for damage to car port. California.

Question:
In September someone attempted to steal my car and when the car battery died they torched it. My car was parked under a carport which was damaged by the flames from my car.

My apartment complex filed a claim with my insurance company demanding payment for the carport. My insurance company denied since they could not prove negligence on my behalf, obviously.

Now, my apartment complex is suing me for the amount of $5000 for the damage to the carport.

What should I do, reddit? I was parked in the spot they designated for me. I did nothing wrong. It was a crime against me that caused me a loss, as well as them. I feel helpless.

Answer:
 Call your car insurance and notify them you are being sued over this claim.Answer #2: Completely not your fault. I agree with other posters to countersue for the damage to your car under whatever legal theory they are claiming supports civil damages between co-victims of a crime.

Though a minor technicality... if the carport never caught fire, I think that's Malicious Mischief/Vandalism to the carport, but still Arson to your car.


Title: Sortedbyname.com is this site legally allowed to post your name,phone number, and address?(USA)

Question: I just googled my own phone number and this site was one of the first sites. Everything from my phone number to my date of birth, name, address, and voting status was posted. Is there any way to get any of this off of there? On the site the owner makes it seem like there is no way of legally removing my info or anyone else's info, Should I contact my state rep?

Answer: What you've described is just a phone book with the public information from the state voter roll tacked on. Both themselves are perfectly legal, so why wouldn't a combined list be?


Title: [UT] Employer changed vacation policies. Days off are now approved based upon work performance regardless of paid or unpaid leave? Is this legal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Paid Time off is not a right in the US unfortunately. Your recourse is to improve performance or find a new job.


Title: [Texas] Can an expert witness serve on a jury for a case similar to their expertise?

Question: If somebody is an expert witness and they are summoned for jury duty to a case that is within their expertise, should they disclose that during voir dire? Would they be allowed to serve on the jury?

Answer:
 They answer questions honestly. They have no obligation (nor opportunity really) to scream out "I am an expert"

It is up to the judge and attorneys if they can be on the jury


Title: (Florida) My friend convinced me to move in with him. Turns out he's in debt.

Question:
This is my first time posting here, and I appreciate you guys for taking the time to read this and give me your thoughts.

A few months ago, a friend of mine who lives in Florida (we will call him C), tells me he needs a roommate soon and it would be awesome if he and I roomed together. It sounded great, except I knew he wasn't doing well financially. I told him the only way I would is if he promised to have a full time job. He promised he did, and told me he was working 40 hours a week.

On my end, I left my old place of employment, putting my transfer request in just 2 days after being promoted into a training program for the next stem in management. I also gave up a huge business opportunity that would have had me owning a store valued at around $35,000. This wasn't 100% secured yet, but the old owner developed cancer and I was offered by their corporate, to simply take over and they would "hand me the keys". I delayed responses to them because of my plans to move. C knew about both of these opporotunities I had, and became a source of negativity and talked me out of taking them.

Fast forward, myself, C, and another friend of ours, Z, move in to C's old apartment. He tells us we will be there for one month, quotes us a number for rent, and tells us of the new place he's been working on the application for. Skipping all the minor details, we end up staying there for 3 months, C never finished the other application, he was only working 15-20 hours a week and our internet is cut off until I reactive it. He then moves home back to his parents house.

I lost out on two huge chances here, and Z quit his job to move in the process as well. Currently, C's father and I have been emailing back and forth over financial disputes to be taken care of still. I'm just wondering, do I have any legal claim to C's wrongdoing? It was a verbal agreement, and he was well aware of my situation, and he lied about his.

tl;dr - Friend convinced me to move down. I gave up huge opportunities to do so. He lied and left 3 months later. Do I have any options?

Answer:
 You made these decisions.  Other people telling you what decisions they would like you to make are not relevant.

You can go back to your job & see if the opportunity is still there.

Otherwise, you don't have any options.


Title: Can my manager discuss my salary band widely with people around?

Question:
My current manager is a real bitch.  She must have recently realized what my pay band is, as she continually keeps bringing it up in conversation even with other people around.  It makes me really uncomfortable, and I'm not sure what to do.

I'm in Ontario, Canada.  Is there any legal requirement for her to just stop?

Answer: There is no legal requirement to keep your salary range confidential.


Title: i own shares in a non-public technology company that is incorporated in delaware, and i have had no update on the company's progress in 4 years - what right do i have to demand information?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Shareholders in Delaware can demand to inspect the books and records of the corporation.  The demand has to specify the purpose behind the request.  You can ask to see the stock ledger and financial records.  See Section 220(b) of the Delaware General Corporation Law.

Before you do that, though, you might just ask them for an update.  Normally, that would be provided at an annual meeting (which you should have received notice about).  If they haven't had an annual meeting, then there are processes for forcing the issue.


Title: How is it legal for the government to completely restrict and control protests given the wording in the First Amendment's assembly clause?

Question:
>"Congress shall make no law...abridging...the right of the people peaceably to assemble  and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances"

To me, a layman, that seems clear-cut. Yet, SCOTUS seems to have granted the government rights totally counter to this by allowing them to control the time, place, and manner of protests.

I guess I just don't understand how we can have a right to assembly peaceably but the government can totally control that right for their own advantage. How does that no abridge our right? According to Google the legal definition of "abridge" is "to curtail (rights or privileges), this seems like *exactly* what the government is doing by totally controlling peaceful assembly for their own advantage.

Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask as this is more of an abstract than a personal legal trouble, of which I have none.

Edit: sorry if I offended anyone by daring to ask this question. I'm just genuinely curious. There's no need to be condescending or hostile.

Answer: Public safety trumps right to protest.


Title: New landlord hasn't given me lease/move-in date

Question:
I found a studio apartment for rent (California) and gave my new landlord the security deposit a couple weeks ago. She told me the move in date would be March 2nd at the latest, or February 29th if the tenant moves out early. She told me she would let me know, however tomorrow is the 29th and I still haven't heard from her. Furthermore, my calls and messages have gone unreturned. In addition, she still has not provided the lease.

Strangely enough, she still hasn't cashed my security deposit ($1000). I'm wondering what my options are. I'm going to be living with friends between apartments, but I need to move this week. I've already found a different place I could move in to, and since she hasn't cashed the check for some reason, I could still cancel it. I'm wondering, is there any legal action she could take to demand all or part of that deposit if I decide not to move in? Her failure to return my calls is a serious concern to me, so I'm not sure I feel comfortable entering into a lease agreement with her. In addition, I find it very strange that only a couple days before move in, she still hasn't sent a lease.

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer

But I would image that if you haven't signed anything, you have no contract. I don't think you should've given her the deposit without signing a lease, however. If you have other options, I'd say take them. Cancel the check and move on. If she's this hard to get ahold of before you move in, what will it be like once you're there?

Also, this seems fishy. At best, she's a bad landlord and doesn't know what she's doing. At worst, she's trying to steal $1000 from you.

And the check my have been CASHED but not cleared yet. The sooner you cancel the better.