Title: Tenant went awol, what are my options to pursue money owed?

Question: I own a house in nc, and I rent out the bedrooms. Recently one of the tenants just disappeared, his valuable items(tv and ps4 etc) are gone but he left hundreds of clothing items and other random belongings in the room. I have a lease that states they need to give me a two month written notice to vacate, and he obviously has not done this. I have his Facebook but he’s obviously not answering that or his phone, so what do? Am I just sol and out 2 grand?

Answer:
 Keep contacting him on FB. Even if he doesn't respond to your inquiries, they will help you in court if you pursue an eviction on grounds of abandonment of the apartment.

When you say "I'm out 2 grand", do you mean the tenant was behind on the rent or missed a payment? If so, I'd proceed with eviction on grounds of nonpayment. If he gave you a security deposit, you may be able to keep it if he doesn't pay the rent he owes.

If you think this guy isn't coming back, I would start thinking about how to get this room back on the market as quickly as possible. That will mitigate your continuing losses because of this tenant.Answer #2: Be careful that you still properly handle the eviction.  He could come back and claim he just went to a buddy's house for a LAN party, brought his TV and PS4, and was going to come back in a week, or something.  Dot all the I's and cross all the T's, then try to find him and sue him in small claims court.


Title: OK/AR- Younger sister bought a used car with our abusive parents cosigning. The car lot hasn't given her the car yet, is there anything we can do to rescind?

Question:
Long story short, against my advice (went through this exact scenario myself years ago) my younger (18) sister co-signed on a used mini cooper with our parents. They were expecting the car lot to call them this Friday (25th) when they got the title for the vehicle so my sister doesn't have the car yet. The financing was signed in Oklahoma.

Last night our mom attacked my sister and our dad with a hammer and she moved in with me in Arkansas. To my knowledge she doesn't intend to go meet my parents and pick the car up on Friday. Is there any way that we could cancel the car purchase before then? I know it's a long shot but the payments are $170 every two weeks....$340 a month. She starts college this fall and I personally know how difficult trying to make these payments will be.

I know it's probably not possible, I just wanted to ask because I spent 5 years paying off an inflated car loan under the exact same situation and I'm trying to keep my sister from having to go through that.

**TL;DR- Sister bought a car with violent parents, car hasn't been delivered yet. Is there any way we can cancel the contract so she doesn't have to see my parents again and live under the crushing debt?**

Thank you for reading.

Answer:
 She should call the dealership and ask this question.

For the worst case scenario (they say no and won't work with her) she can just sell the car to get out from under the debt.  If mom and dad are on the title, they'll have to sign too- if they won't she can sue them.


Title: [California] Question about Copyright

Question:
United States. California.

A little back story to frame my question properly and I'm also not being very specific to save e-space and I'll clarify where needed but you're mostly smart people so I'll rely on your ability to read between the lines to fill in the spaces where needed.

My wife was watching Project Runway and I noticed that most of the models show had their faces blurred out. I was thinking about why that would be the case as modeling seems to be about getting the most people to look at you and why would you turn down 'free' advertising?

My guess, and part of the question, is that models are paid for their image and somewhere along the line one of them realized that they were not getting paid for the use of their image then made a complaint and/or sued the television network. The path of least resistance for the networks was to not use the image by blurring the image rather than paying or getting a release from everyone that was shown on air.

~~This made me think about myself and how I do not want to be famous in any way, on television or even on the interment, like facebook or via google search should I inadvertently be photographed by mistake.~~

For a company like facebook any dispute could easily be deflected to the user by putting an asterisk in the disclaimer stating that any photo being uploaded has the 'Any other use, including for any commercial purposes, is strictly prohibited without our express prior written consent.' of all imaged individuals. I am not well versed in interpreting dense legalese so it probably already exists but if the company was regularly found to be facilitating 'illegal' photos I would think it would also be pretty easy to prove conspiracy(?). Once a company was notified it would be their responsibility to remove content and could be liable for damages if they did not.

Questions

Is there somewhere that I can find if the blurring of models is actually caused by copyright in Project Runway? (DMCA request possibly somewhere?)

How far can this be taken? For example, the models faces were blurred by which I'm assuming to be due to copyright. So could I then copyright say the exact color of my hair, my exact height, width and weight so that I would effectively need to be photoshopped out of any commercial or otherwise use of 'my' image?

I'm not sure if precedent is the right word but I know it's essence is important in law so would I be able to 'sell' an image as a one time use for a ridiculous amount but only charge a dollar so that it works out to be like 100 billion dollars per hour per pixel meaning I could expect to be compensated by suit at established rate?

This is question is NOT for personal legal advice rather about existing law.

I originally posted this to /r/law but it was not well received. I suspect that it is because it is using the law against itself and therefore against power and influence.

The original username is /u/know_thy_enemy

I'm not sure if my small post history is able to be seen but I'll link/add it if necessary as it adds context even if I was an asshole, which I am sorry for and didn't intend. I don't want to disparage any opinion I get here, however I posted it to /r/law first because I didn't want posts starting with 'IANAL, but...' and wanted the opinion of people who had real world knowledge, or even access to Lexis Nexus which would help tremendously.

Never the less, it's honestly a question and would appreciate any feedback. Even if you're not sure but have an idea of what sub I might get some informed opinion please post. I am really curious so I am also going to post this to /r/privacy but I don't want to spam.

*This post is edited slightly but the original remains intact and I'll post it if anyone is curious and my history is not available.

Thank you in advance for your time.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: The faces are blurred because the producers didn't get signed release forms and took a 'better safe than sorry' approach, even if not necessary. It has nothing to do with copyright in the way you're thinking.


Title: Is there a common protocol for the pedestrian "white-man-walk/red-man-halt" lights at crosswalks, with respect to jaywalking violations?

Question:
Here in Hawaii we looked forward to arrival of this signage.  It helps inform people, especially seniors, of how much time they have to cross the street.

Unfortunate their arrival came with sometimes-rigorous jaywalking ticketing.

The lights typically show *white-man-walk* for 3 seconds and  *red-man continue walking if you are in the intersection but halt if you at the curb*  for 12 seconds. Total elapse time to cross intersection: 15 seconds, ample time for seniors.  Fast walkers typically transit the crosswalk in 7-8 seconds.

Then the regular traffic light turns red and cars proceed.

 In many cases now people who started crossing after the *red light don't proceed* light came on and rapidly walk through the intersection, passing seniors still in  the intersection and reaching the other side 4-5 second before the elapsed time *are being ticket for jaywalking.*

If you miss the initial 3 second window, you need to wait a cycle.  Are most communities in the U.S. enforcing these lights this way??

Answer:
 That's how a lot of state laws were originally written before countdown timers on lights existed, but jaywalking tickets are fairly uncommon in many parts of the country unless you're actively doing something dangerous.

California [changed the law starting in 2018](https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-countdown-clock-bill-20171005-story.html) to make it legal to start to cross during the flashing red hand phase just as long as you're out of the intersection before the light changes. Which is what everyone was doing anyway before they changed the law.


Title: Girlfriend wasn’t allowed to goto the bathroom and put a pad on

Question: Takes place in Michigan. She was working today, Christmas Eve, at a local Meijer. She ended up bleeding down her leg and in her pants. How should she go about handling this? Is there any legal action?

Answer: Try to file a complaint with [MIOSHA](http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-11407-93835--,00.html), [OSHA](https://www.osha.gov/workers/file_complaint.html), and [EEOC](https://www.eeoc.gov/federal/fed_employees/filing_complaint.cfm)Answer #2: Working for Meijer, she should have signed up for the union upon beginning her job there (in Seattle where I'm from it is the UCFW). Your girlfriend should be entitled to reasonable access to bathroom breaks, per union contract. In addition to contacting OSHA and other related companies, tell your girlfriend to contact her local union.


Title: Job offer rescinded after resigning from current position, promissory estoppel applicable? Colorado

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If you are still working at your old job, rescind your resignation. If they don't accept it and fire you anyway, file for unemployment.


Title: [NC] Questions about temporary custody and involuntary commitment

Question:
Hello everyone. My SO and I are in our 20s and have a 2 year old. My MIL has a daughter (SO's half sister) that is almost 12. MIL is mentally unstable and has bipolar disorder (which she doesn't believe) and is a narcissist and manipulator.

 She is currently being evicted from her apartment with her daughter (she has full custody). On the last day she had to clean out the apartment she had to go to the hospital and said she had a stroke and 2 aneurysms (which we don't know if we believe or not). We went to help clean out her place and get out what we could since she was in the hospital. I cannot describe to you how disgusting that apartment was. There was piss and shit on everything and just nasty trash everywhere. You could barely walk and wanted to gag on the smell. SO's sister was recently in the hospital for a respiratory infection and I'd imagine it's due to the living conditions she was in. And this isn't the first apartment that has turned to shit like this that they've lived in.

 SO and I cant stand to see his sister continue living like this. MIL said they were going to live in a car and we offered to take in sister. She stayed with us Christmas night and told us she was mad at her mother and didn't want to live in a car and would be okay staying with us for a while.

 Well last night MIL tried to guilt SO because she wasnt offered to come live with us. She said she talked to sister and she doesn't want to stay where MIL is not welcome. CPS won't remove the child as long as she has running water, electricity and food. The tricky part is that MIL has been in a custody battle the girls whole life with her father. MIL said that her father molested the girl when she was about 2. SO doesn't believe that and we know MIL is a pathological liar.

 We talked to her father and he wants custody and is going to talk to his lawyers. However, sister is terrified of her father and said she would kill herself if she had to live with him. She barely knows her dad so this fear all comes from MIL. So do we stand any chance of getting temporary custody of sister until she sees her father isn't a bad guy? Or is there anything we can do to get this child out. We can't just sit by while no one does anything. We took pictures of the apartment and everything already and they're bad but they don't do the smell justice.

Also, while we are mad at MIL for this, she really needs mental help. Anytime a psychiatrist has told her she's bipolar she leaves and refuses to go back. She's paranoid, and can't hold down a job or do much of anything. We just want her to get the help she needs so hopefully she can care for her daughter properly one day.

So pretty much if anyone has any idea what we can do please let me know. We can take custody of sister for the time being or we can help the fathers lawyers. And while I know MIL needs help, I don't know if it's enough to get her involuntarily commited.

Tl;dr- SO's sister (11) is in disgusting living conditions and her mother is bipolar and refuses to get help. Sister is scared of her dad due to allegations from her mom. We want to get sister out of the living conditions and possibly have the mother involuntarily commited.

Answer:
 Call CPS and let them know you're willing to take on your sister. Answer #2: I dare say with her refusing a diagnosis and no job, she relies on her daughter for child support and that's probably her main income.

Call CPS, but get her on video talking about the deplorable conditions and why she doesn't want to live with her mother. I dare say once she the mother gets hold of the kid, the emotional thumbscrews will come out and suddenly the kid will want to live with her.

Let them know you're willing to take the kid in, if the mother gets visitation make sure it's supervised and get the kid into therapy/counselling.

The girl has been told since she was 2 what a monster her dad is and probably been told all sorts of horrendous things he'll do to her if he gets her. You want to get this documented and get someone with training to talk her through this stuff before thinking of reuniting them.

The dad obviously knows what the mother is like so hasn't stopped fighting for her. But there always is the chance that it wasn't a lie, so you may want to be careful about it. Answer #3: You might want to put some paragraph breaks in your post.  Very difficult to read without them.

If they are living in the car then they don't have running water or electricity.


Title: (California) Male age 22 DUI blew 0.06

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > He proceeds to give me 3 field sobriety tests to which I know I aced all of them.

Can you list the clues the officers are trained to look for?  If not, you have literally no idea how you did.

> (I feel pretty confident representing myself)

You should not.

Unless the government is going to also use someone who's primary legal resource is reddit on their side to try to convict you of a crime.

Which they aren't.  They're going to use a professional.

It doesn't matter how confident you are, it matters how knowledgeable and experienced you are.Answer #2: Get a lawyer. If you have no previous law experience, really get a lawyer. Especially with a dui. Sorry, that is the only advice I have to offer I think


Title: I own a work of art, which is now being mass distributed on clothing. Am I entitled to a portion of profit?

Question: I bought an original piece of art directly from an artist. Three years later, I discover that the exact design is being used on clothing from a retailer, that seems to have an agreement with the artist to replicate his work on apparel. My question is, as the current owner of the original piece of art, should I be entitled to a portion of profit that is generated from these clothing sales?

Answer:
 Owning the original doesn't automatically grant you all rights to the painting, in perpetuity.  Did your agreement with the artist disallow them from licensing the work?Answer #2: No. You only own the actual physical piece of art. Not the copyright. Now if you had commissioned it and demanded that all ownership be transferred to you, then you'd have a leg to stand on. It doesn't seem like you do.

However, without knowing your location, this may be incorrect. Different places have different jurisdictions. Answer #3: Not legal but a practical suggestion: this may actually increase the value of the original artwork you own on the open market.


Title: Should I sign for certified mail from someone I have a restraining order against?

Question: I have a restraining order against my ex-wife.  The order covers all forms of communication including mail.  A notice for a certified letter from her to our son who I have full custody of and who is included and protected from her in the restraining order.  I have already contacted the police about this.  She emailed me a month ago and tried calling me shortly after the restraining order was ordered. This is the third attempt at communication since the restraining order was placed and the police are saying this is grounds for an arrest warrant.  If I sign for the certified letter, would that send the message that I am open to communication (I'm not)?  Would it strengthen or weaken my case?  I'm in California if that helps.

Answer: No. It's a trap.


Title: Should I sign a confession of judgment?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: What could you possibly sue the car owner for?


Title: Was in a car wreck (not my fault) and their insurance won't cover the cost of the car. [Oklahoma]

Question: So basically I was in an accident and the car I was driving is totaled. I had only had the car for a month and I paid right around 70000. The max their insurance covers is 15000. What are my option? The person who hit me would not have the money if I took them to small claims and the best I could hope for is a garnishment that would result in me getting my money back in 30 years. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 You already listed your options. Use your own insurance or sue them. Those are the options. Answer #2: Your option is to go after them personally for the gap in their insurance coverage.

You may also want to file with your insurance and see if they'll cover the difference and go after the individual.

Given the amount, you might be outside of small claims court limits as well.


Title: (PA) Can a landlord still evict you after a slip and fall on his property?

Question:
My sister is behind in rent, which is nothing new, and her LL is/was threatening to take her to court to start the eviction process.

She had a slip and fall accident in her apartment complex and, according to her lawyer, they will not be able to evict her as long as she has a claim against the apartments insurance company.

My sister knows how to "work/use" the system, as well as other people, yeah that includes me..

Anyway I was just wondering if what she claims is true or just another one of her lies.

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 A landlord can't evict her *because* of her injury/claim.

But if the landlord already had cause to evict her, he can still do it.

Some might not, because it will complicate things, and they might be called on to prove in court that they already had cause to evict.

This is a good example of why a landlord should treat every person the same, issue the notices at the right times, etc.  If you can show a history of always issuing the three-day notice to quit when someone is behind on rent, then it's a much simpler argument to claim "the eviction had nothing to do with her alleged accident".


Title: [US] A legal defense where someone claims to break the law as a way to get the attention of law enforcement in self defense.

Question: I was listening to a podcast a long time ago where someone talked about A legal defense where someone claims to break the law as a way to get the attention of law enforcement in self defense. Essentially saying their life was in danger and needed to break the law to get the attention of law enforcement as a form of self defense. What are peoples thoughts on this?

Answer:
 Oh yes, absolutely.  That's the law of necessity.  http://www.duhaime.org/LegalDictionary/N/Necessity.aspx

So for example, if you're being abducted and you break the city's noise ordinance to attract attention of law enforcement.  I think that would be a great defense against a citation against breaking the city's noise ordinance.

Is that what you mean?


Title: Bought a dog from a breeder. Dog has genetic health problem that appeared several months later. Breeder won’t reimburse all of the vet bills. [CA]

Question:
TL,DR: My dog was diagnosed with hip dysplasia. I want to keep the dog. The Pet Breeder Warranty Act seems to indicate that ~all~ vet bills need to be paid within 10 days of receiving the veterinarian’s statement. My question is this: does a surgery that will occur 1-5 years from now counts as a reimbursable cost, even if the vet provided me with an estimate? If yes, what can I do to convince the breeder to reimburse me the surgery cost?

----

This is a throwaway account. I am changing some of the names for obvious reasons.

Back in August of 2019 my wife and I bought an 8-week old corgi puppy from a breeder down in San Diego (we live in Orange County). We’ve rescued several stray cats before, and some of them had significant health challenges, but we never had a dog. We wanted to have at least one pet without health issues, and who could be a loving member of our family. We named the dog Melvin.

In early March, 2020, we started noticing something odd about Melvin. When he walks around, it sounded like someone was cracking their knuckles – a weird, clunky popping sound. When we put our hands on his rear hips, we could feel the joints move around with the popping sound.

I immediately took him to the vet. They kept him for an examination and x-rays. At the end of the day I got the call to come back and pick him up, and I spoke to the vet over the phone. Both of Melvin’s rear legs were experiencing “subluxation,” which is an early sign of hip dysplasia in young dogs. Essentially, Melvin’s hips were not the ideal “ball-and-socket” joint, but rather a “ball-and-saucer”-like joint. The head of the femur on both legs has much more freedom to wiggle around than normal.

There are three ways of treating hip dysplasia. First, I have to manage Melvin’s weight and activity level to avoid excessively stressing his hip. Keeping him light on his toes will go a long way toward maintaining a long and healthy lifestyle.

Second is that I can bring Melvin in to the vet to get joint fluid shots. My vet suggested an initial course of shots once a week for a month, then a shot given monthly for the rest of Melvin’s life. This treatment can be easily adjusted based on how bad or good Melvin is doing.

The last treatment option is surgery. My vet would basically rebuild Melvin’s hips and pull the joints closer together. This is obviously much more invasive, and should only be done when Melvin’s condition is drastically worst. This can occur in as little as 18 months from now, but some dogs could live long and happy lives without ever getting this surgery.

I trust my vet completely, as he has 30+ years of experience and helped me out with all of my cats. He advised me to look into the Polanco-Lockyer Pet Breeder Warranty Act (also known as the Puppy Lemon Law) which gives me a couple of options on what to do:

-	Return the dog for a full refund

-	Exchange the dog for another dog

-	Retain the dog, and receive up to 150% reimbursement for reasonable vet bills

The law had a requirement to notify the breeder within 5 days of the diagnosis, so I reached out the breeder and told her that Melvin had hip dysplasia. I provided her with a copy of Melvin’s medical records that stated that he has hip dysplasia in that initial message.

The breeder offered me the options to return or exchange Melvin. I responded to her that I believed that I had the option to keep him, and be reimbursed for the vet bills up to 150%.

She offered to pay me for the vet bills I had already incurred, which includes the initial diagnosis and the first round of shots to boost Melvin’s joint fluids.

However, she is resisting reimbursing me for the cost of the surgery because it hadn’t occurred yet. Instead, she wants me to send her a bill every time I take my dog to the vet for his hip dysplasia. I find this to be both highly onerous, as I would have to reach out to her on a potentially weekly or monthly basis for the joint fluid shots, and inconsistent with the law. The law states that I have to be reimbursed within 10 days of providing the veterinarian’s statement to the breeder, including a breakdown of all of the costs.

My vet tells me that this is highly unusual, and that she is trying to get out of the full cost. She could simply disappear and ignore all of my emails, and skip town with her breeding dogs to start up a new business.

I emailed her the veterinarian’s statement on April 7th, 2020. It includes a full breakdown of the vet bills I’ve already paid plus an estimate of the surgery cost. For context, I’ve already paid about $500 out of pocket on the diagnosis and initial treatment, but the surgery would be about $2,500. I paid $2,500 for Melvin, so the total cost is less than the 150% threshold.

So here are my questions:

-	Is a future surgery a reimbursable cost? My vet told me it is, but the breeder is saying no.

-	If yes, what evidence can I cite that would sway the breeder? My vet told me that she’ll try to bully me into a smaller settlement or avoid all responsibility for future bills.

-	Lastly, is the “reimbursement plan” that the breeder proposed even consistent with the law?

I know that I have the option to sue the breeder in court. However, I want the money to go to the dog’s vet bills, not to an attorney. I am also concern that I may be dealing with someone a few steps above a puppy mill or "Tiger King" personality. Do I have any recourse available to me at this point?
Topic:
Small Claims Procedure

Answer:
 If the option is to be reimbursed then it would make sense that she is requiring you to send her the bill after the surgery before she’ll give you a cent. Sounds like she’s keeping up with her end, you just want the money before rather than after.

An estimate is not a bill.


Title: Neighbor build lakeside retaining wall two feet onto our lake property, won’t come out of house to talk to us

Question:
Long time lurker, first time poster.
Greensboro, GA

Posting on behalf of my parents. We have had our lake house for over 10 years now and have a neighbor that we will call Bob. Bob has caused us some trouble in the past including trying to make his own boat ramp next to our property illegally. We called the authorities and they immmediately put a stop to it.

This week was the first time we went to the lake in a month and noticed Bob has built a cement retaining wall. Not only is it ugly but it is two feet into our property. We still have the stakes from previous surveyors but the stakes are so far apart it’s hard to line them up from the front to the back of the house. We tried to talk to Bob but he refuses to come out of his house.

Mom is going to hire another surveyor to come out just to make sure we are correct but what else do we need to do?
Thanks for your time!

Answer:
 >what else do we need to do?

Hire a lawyer and sue him. (seriously this is likely a civil issue if he has the propper permits (if he needs a permit), so you could sue him over it in civil court).Answer #2: You mention Greensboro, are you in Reynolds, or any of the big neighborhoods? If so contact the planning committee, probably a ARB board, and get with them on the issue. They’ll help you settle it, and force him to fix it if he bypassed then. Answer #3: Keep receipts for everything, including the new survey. These are costs that he needs to pay - not you.Answer #4: Call the county inspectors, and say there is a violation. Lake front violations are very serious and sometimes a federal issue in GA ( if the lake is managed by the ACE).


Title: I've been misnamed in a case where the plaintiffs are using shotgun lawsuit tactics; been 2 years now and no progress; Is there anything I can do to move things along and get dismissed?

Question:
Hello from [CA],

Someone in my family is getting sued (civil) for a contract dispute, and the plaintiff is suing everyone they can get their hands on that has anything to do with her. Somehow they got my information and put me down for some insane claim (along the lines of I went to their house and 'removed' money; I've never met these people before in my life).

This was two years ago, and the lawyer representing us seems to be dragging his feet; it's been case management conference after case management conference to no end, and there is no settlement in sight. I realize that my mistake was that I did not immediately get my own lawyer; I was just shocked that I may have to shell out so much money for legal fees just because some random nutjobs decided to sue me for no reason besides spite.

I'm planning on contacting some local general litigation law firms to see if I can get some good representation to:

1. contact the other side for me and see if they'll settle with me; I'd gladly pay them off if it means getting closure on this matter.
2. Filing a motion to dismiss with the court, as I'm afraid the judge will look at me as another person legitimately involved in the contract dispute.

I understand that criminal trials involve the right to a speedy trial; does anything like this apply for civil cases?

Would hiring a more competent lawyer just for myself actually improve my chances of getting out of this lawsuit?

Thanks for any advice, I really appreciate it.

Answer: Get your own lawyer now. You and your relative have divergent Goals. You want to get out now because there's no valid claim against you, whereas there may be against your relative.


Title: Can an underaged sting operator lie when asked if they are 21 in the state of Florida?

Answer:
 Not if they follow the [model guidance](https://www.cml.org/Issues/Beer-and-Liquor/Licensing/Model-Guidelines-for-Compliance-Checks-and-Penalties/) used by [other states](https://www.tabc.state.tx.us/publications/brochures/Minor_Sting_Guidelines.pdf).

>V. General Procedures for the Underage Purchaser

>A. If identification is used, the underage purchaser should present valid ID upon request to the seller.

>B. If identification is used, the underage purchaser should state his or her actual age if asked.

Or:

>The minor is instructed not to lie about his/ her age or coerce the sales clerk in any way. If the sales clerk asks any questions, the minor is to be polite and truthful.

There probably isn't anything per se illegal about them lying; police officers (and their agents, in this case) are permitted to lie to you. It just weakens their case against you. Probably not insurmountably; you still should have checked the ID. But it could create reasonable doubt, especially if the minor was recorded lying about their age as part of the sting.


Title: Floyd Mayweather used one of my songs during/before fights for awhile with no license. Worth pursuing?

Question:
So about a year and a half ago, one of the small record labels some of my music is on contacted me about Mayweather having interest in licensing said song. As far as I know nothing really ever happened with it (there is a small part of me that thinks the label owner could have followed through with something without my knowledge). Anyways, I have a youtube video showing a fight with the song in the background and reason to believe there's more. I just want to know if it's worth looking into or just a waste of time and headache.

Here's the video: https://youtu.be/pKEoJXKspx4?t=4m25s

Here's the original: https://soundcloud.com/tagrm/chumps-out-now-on-gold-velour

Answer:
 Mayweather never used your song.  During the Maidana fight, Lil Wayne accompanied him to the ring while performing one of his songs.

The people that put that video together are the ones who used your song.

http://imgur.com/filTACB

They even gave you credit.Answer #2: Best course of action would be to contact someone who specializes in music law. You said you had this created under a record label correct? Are you sure you own 100% of the rights to your song including licensing right? Have you filed your copyright before the infringement took place? Are you registered with ASCAP or BMI to get money when your song is publically played? It sounds like your right to display your work got violated. If someone infringed on your 5 rights (distribute, display, derive, perform, and reproduce), then you definitely have a case. I would carefully look over your contract with your label and your copyright paperwork. Answer #3: Floyd Mayweather did not use your song. Not sure why you think this. Read the description of the YouTube video you yourself linked to.Answer #4: Looks like you should contact Chauvet about it since they made the video where your track is used. This is not proof at all that it was used during or before the fights, or even involved with the actual event at all other than used in the Chauvet promo video for their youtube channel. Answer #5: Contact an attorney who does copyright infringement work. For something like this, he/she may do it without any money up-front if it's a clear violation.


Title: Friend of mine might have a police report filed on him by an untrustworthy friend... need help ASAP (Nashville, TN)

Question: One of my really good friends is in quite a bit of a predicament. Yesterday, I hung out with my friends Connor and John at John's house when his parents weren't home and smoked and drank a little bit.  Connor accidentally left a bag full of all his weed and paraphernalia worth quite a bit of money over at John's after he left that night. This morning I went back over to john's and he has all of connor's stuff, but he has smoked a lot of the weed and even sold a little bit of it. Connor called and texted john asking if he left all of his stuff over there and if it's still there, but john lied to him and told him he's looked "all over the place" for it but that he cannot find it and thinks "his mom found it and got rid of it". I knew this wasn't true, and now I'm really pissed at john for lying to Connor and trying to fuck him over like that. Connor asked me if I had it or knew where it was and I told him the truth; that John had it this morning and that most of the weed was all gone. John stupidly told connor how to sneak into his house yesterday while we were hanging out there, so this afternoon connor snuck up onto the roof through a window into his empty house and stole john's xbox 360, including the controllers, games, and cables. Connor told me he wanted to possibly trade them in to gamestop to try and get some money back for what was stolen from him or get john to confess and trade back the xbox for everything he left, but needed to do a little research before going to sell a stolen xbox as he didn't want to run into any trouble. Later this afternoon john got home and saw his xbox was missing. He asked me about it, and came to the conclusion that connor stole it from him. They both texted me as they were texting each other about the stolen xbox, and now basically connor has kind of admitted to taking the xbox, but wants john to pay back for what he stole. John is still pretending he doesn't have it, and since he screenshotted snapchat messages from connor, he is threatening to file a police report with his name and information (he doesn't know connor's address though). However, john has had issues with police in the past a couple years ago in high school, and went off to a rehabilitation-like facility for an entire year before moving back recently so that might affect his credibility. Connor has been taken advantage of before, and now that he has finally done something about it I would hate to see him arrested, and I'm honestly on Connor's side over john's. John was retarded under the influence of xanax, and I believe that partially lead to his complete lack of caring about friend's property. How might connor be able to avoid having a visit from the police without returning the xbox "on the front porch right now" as john demands he does? I'm on connor's side and don't want him getting into legal trouble. What could I tell him to do in this situation???

Answer:
 Honestly....

I just read that entire wall of text...

And I don't even...

> in the past a couple years ago in high school

Does this mean you are all 18 and legally adults?  The rest of the story had me thinking more low-teens...

Either way...Yeah there is no good answer here...

I guess...the legal, law abiding answer here would be....uh....

Go ahead and let John file the police report about how Connor stole his Xbox as revenge for John stealing/smoking/dealing Connor's weed because he was high on xanax at the time and it sounded like a good idea...

The jail time/etc. *might* do them some good?


Title: 3 days ago my dad went to the doctor complaining of chest and back pain and feeling weak,

Question: they sent him home with a prescription for blood pressure and told him to fast for blood work the next morning, he took 1 pill that evening, the next day he got his blood drawn and took another pill then he had a massive heart attack and died.  Im so angry i feel like he was already having a heart attack when he went they could have saved him. I know everyone has to go but not like this... Im thinking of getting a lawyer once i finish with probate and suing the doctor that let him die for no reason.

Answer:
 Not really sure what your question is

Medical malpractice is highly fact specific and outside the scope of this sub. talk to an attorney sooner rather than later about this issue.


Title: [Virginia] Roomates keep raising my rent

Question: So two friends of mine, a couple, desperately needed someone to move in with them on one weeks notice, all the rent they said they needed was $300 a month, and that they would handle the utilities. Then a few weeks later they had money troubles and needed more help so i started paying the utilities for them. A few weeks after that they decided we're doing them in thirds and now tonight they changed the password to the internet and told me to get my own. I feel betrayed and i dont know if i can afford to live here anymore but i co-signed the lease with them. What kind of problems should i expect to run in to if i move out and break the lease?

Answer:
 Did you sign a lease with them? If so, the rent amount and the coverage of utilities should have been in the lease. That's what you owe. If you didn't sign a lease, there is no lease to break and you can leave at any time, legally speaking. You might be burning that friendship, but they sound shitty anyways. Answer #2: >, a couple, desperately needed someone to move in with them on one weeks notice

I bet you a months' rent I know why the last person left....Answer #3: When you say you signed the lease with them do you mean you are all  on the lease together? If so then you all owe the full amount of rent to the landlord and how you divide it up between you is not a legal matter.Answer #4: One more point. If you agreed with your friends that your share of the lease would be $300 a month, they can't raise that during the term. You'd be within your rights to keep paying what you agreed on-$300 a month.Answer #5: So you're paying 100% of the utilities for 3 people and they won't let you use the internet?


Title: [MD] Just bought a home; NO HOA; It is legal for neighbors to "publicly shame" homes in the community that have unkempt yards?

Question:
My husband and I recently purchased a home in a Single Family home community that has no HOA. Our yard is pretty clean and we constantly work on it. Recently we received an anonymous "Community Newsletter" that basically was and 8 page pamphlet with some advertising and mostly shaming homes in the community for their unkempt yards.

The newsletter does not really list addresses. It is more like "There is a home in block XXX of street XXX that has a lot of parked cars in front and some garbage trash cans too. The owner needs to fix it soon."

I do not know if there is an ordinance on the amount of vehicles you can park on the street; if so it isn't the county in charge to enforce such laws?. The Newsletter lists 3 homes (none of those is ours) and their words are pretty strong.

Is this legal? I find it in very poor taste specially since there is not one name of the people writing the pamphlet on it.

Answer:
 Freedom of speech usually extends to anonymous mailers, yeah. Sounds less like "Community newsletter" and more like "Local busybody yells at cloud"Answer #2: >I find it in very poor taste specially since there is not one name of the people writing the pamphlet on it.

There is advertising in it? I'd send a copy to the businesses who are advertising and let them know that this does not reflect well on their business. Answer #3: > Is this legal? I find it in very poor taste

Totally legal. A slam dunk. The First Amendment protects speech that's in poor taste.Answer #4: Maybe it's my age or me being that smartass but I would find all flaws in the mailers and then send out to everyone "look at this flyer and all the awful Grammer and spelling mistakes in XYZ neighbor Hood."

I have lived in a hoa and have a rasist neighbor now so have had to learn to fight stupid with stupider.Answer #5: A newsletter? Man, people in my neighborhood do all their passive-aggressive sniping and public shaming through the neighborhood Facebook group. We had a 150+ comment thread about a dude who let his dog pee on other people's lawns.Answer #6: >Recently we received an anonymous "Community Newsletter" that basically was and 8 page pamphlet

*How* did you receive it?

(Because if they put it in your mailbox without going through the US postal system, *that* is illegal. Otherwise, this is almost certainly legal.)Answer #7: Release your own mailer pointing out inaccuracies,misspellings, also noting that businesses typically don't like advertising themselves in hate mail. Answer #8: This is perfectly legal, albeit more annoying than the pizza/Chinese food menus that you'll find littering your porch.

I suggest you treat Ned Flander's Newsletter in the same way.


Title: r/legaladvice bingo

Question:
In [this comment](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/5dgl0s/seattle_wa_boss_is_requiring_i_work_on_christmas/da4f37c/), u/Selkie_Love started working on a list of ideas for an r/legaladvice bingo card. I thought the idea was worthwhile, so I have a few more.

From u/Selkie_Love:

* OP didn't include location (Free space)
* OP has no damages
* OP has a lawyer, wants a second opinion

Some more:

* Call the police
* At-will employment
* Louisiana is weird
* Verbal contracts are enforceable
* Pay your rent on time
* You can be photographed from public places
* Setting traps is against the law
* Those are criminal charges, get a lawyer
* You can't live with your parents forever
* If you have to ask, it's fraud
* File a wage claim
* This is why you have insurance
* Your lease goes to the new owners
* Don't drive like an idiot
* Top reply is completely wrong

Add your own! If there are enough ideas, I might whip up a little generator app.

Answer:
 Emotional support animal (bonus points if they are Emotional support cockroaches...)Answer #2: Neighbor cuts down mature trees.Answer #3: I can't afford a lawyer./You can't afford NOT to have a lawyer.

Answer #4: MS Paint drawing/diagramAnswer #5: If you have a restraining order, then *stop talking to them*.Answer #6: MJ may be legal in your home state but it isn't legal where you were arrestedAnswer #7: My lawyer said no, but I thought I'd check with you guys to see if you have an answer I like betterAnswer #8: You do have renters insurance, right?Answer #9: There's no way the police smelled weed. Answer #10: No it's not entrapment.


Title: Hunter harrasment and hit and run

Question: So today i was hunting for coyote, crow, and woodchuck when a lady came running out of the woods screaming GET OUT OF HERE YOU CAN'T HUNT HERE (my land). She scared off a piebaled crow which I had my gun aimed at along with causing me to drop my phone on hard dirt cracking it. She than ran off when I started yelling at her. When i was bringing every thing back I discovered her car in front of mine with her inside. I took a picture of her license plate  but it was super blurry when she rammed into my hummer ripping the fender off. I know who she is and plan to sue her. Is there anything that can go against me in this situation like counter sue for emotional trauma when i yelled at her?

Answer: Calling the police about a hit and run would probably be a good first step...Answer #2: What damages are you suing for?Answer #3: She came on your land where you were hunting? That’s trespassing. Have you notified the sheriffs office? Yelling at someone does not constitute any form of mental abuse in this instance.


Title: Are tasers a legal part of the eviction process?

Question:
I don’t know how much I’m allowed to say on this forum, so I’ll keep it brief.

Several weeks ago, the homeowner of the place I’d had a room for over 2.5 years attacked and tased me. This was after \~5 days of escalating harassment and threats the homeowner was using as the eviction process, however, I’m the one with an assault/DV charge. I absolutely did not act in a physically aggressive or intimidating way during any of this. This happened in Oregon. Prior to this event, I had no arrest or criminal record. I have no idea what to do and need help with both the assault/DV charge and the tenant/landlord aspect of this mess.  I've called a couple legal aid places with no luck.  The only org that answered the phone was all into my case until I said there was a DV charge.

I can expand on details but don’t know what is allowed (or legally prudent). Also, I’m about to run out of time on a library computer, so responses might not be prompt.

&#x200B;

Thanks for your time, tt

Answer: You’re leaving something out here. Why were you specifically charged with domestic violence? What is the nature of your relationship to the landlord?Answer #2: Landlords are not permitted to use force to evict tenants. However, there is clearly more going on here. You need a criminal defense attorney.


Title: [AZ] If I'm hit by a visually impaired driver, could I sue for more than the cost of car repairs?

Question:
Hopefully that title is accurate enough. Here's the story:

My wife was rear-ended this morning on the interstate by a ~70 year old on his way to have cataract surgery. His (assumedly not visually impaired) wife was in the car with him.

The wife is fine, thankfully, but there is major damage to our 2016 HRV. We bought it a little over 2 years ago brand new (~$25,000 total, have about $10K paid off). We bought new in order to have a vehicle that we *knew* had a clean history. We planned to drive it into its grave, expecting it would last us a while (~15 years) in order for the purchase to be cost effective.

So there are two possibilities depending on whether the car is totaled:

1. If the car *is* totaled, then we paid ten thousand dollars for 2 years worth of car, which is not the cost effectivity we wanted (I expect we'll get the remaining $15K from insurance).
2. If the car is *not* totaled and is repaired, then we no longer have a car with a spotless history.

I'm very unhappy with both possibilities.  Normally, I would accept this as the risks inherent in buying a new car. However, it's very likely that this person chose to drive while visually impaired and put people in danger. He made a bad decision that arguably caused this collision.

**Could we sue for the extra costs necessary to purchase a new car?** I wouldn't want anything more than that and would of course take off the costs of about 2 years' worth of driving that we got out of it (at our expected "were keeping this car for 15 years" rate, not the ~$437/mo we're paying).

What I had yesterday was a car with a perfect history that would last us long enough to be cheap in the long run. I do not have that now because some guy made a very reckless decision.

I know I can get a free consultation somewhere in town, but do y'all think it's worth spending the time to do so or is this a stupid idea and I'll just have to get over it?

Thanks!

Answer: No, you're entitled to replacement value or repairs for the vehicle. As well as possibly diminished value if you do keep the car.Answer #2: No you aren't going to get a dime more than you're entitled to regardless of why they hit you. Insurance isn't punitive. You're entitled to financial compensation for what you lost. Whatever the value of your vehicle at the time of loss is all you're entitled to,  And that's what you'll get. What you paid,  what you owe, is totally irrelevant


Title: Need help, court date tomorrow

Question: OK so without going into much detail I'm 16 years old and tomorrow is my court date for 2nd degree burglary and minor possession. I have two real questions, the first being, what do I do since tomorrow is my court date? I've never been in this situation before, so do I just show up to the court house? Secondly, I'm wondering if anyone has any idea what my punishment may be. I haven't had any trouble with the law before and my attorney thinks the charges (in a best case scenario) could be dropped. Just really need help here, very very nervous, thank you for any help Reddit

Answer:
 Dress like you want success, be calm, rational, and polite. Be punctual. Be early by 15-30 minutes before the time you agreed to be there to account for unseen occurrences. Listen to your lawyer.

I am not your (or a) lawyer, have gone to court before.


Title: Rear Ended by a Police Officer - City Won't Pay (South Bend, IN)

Question:
Two weeks ago, I was rear ended by a police officer while traveling through South Bend, Indiana. (I'm a college student from Alabama). The officer did not have her lights on and was not heading to a call, and admitted fault, as is stated in the police report.

At the scene, I was given information on how to access the police report, and told that I would be able to easily file with their insurance. I was unsure of how to do so, and handed the information over to my insurance agent. After a week of trying to contact the city, my insurance agent was told by city officials that I would have to file a tort against the city if I wanted to have my damages covered.

Is this true? It feels to me like the city is trying to make it so much of a hassle that I just drop it and cover the repairs myself. Do I really need to involve a lawyer or is this how accidents where police are at fault are normally handled?

Answer: You have full coverage on your insurance? If so they should handle this for you.


Title: Child Custody and Religion (Nebraska)

Question:
My Ex wife and I have been split for 5 years now, She is Catholic and  I am christian.

She is threatening to take me to court because I take my son to church with me during my time with him, which is a different church from hers. She wants to only raise him as Catholic, I just want to be able to have our son go to my church and not worry about being taken to court because of it.

Our Divorce Decree states that she has legal and physical custody. It also says she must inform the Defendant(me) consult with the defendant, and seek the advice of the defendant regarding matters related to the parties minor child's (a) education, (b) medical, dental, optical, orthodontic, and counseling, and (c) religion.

What should I do?

Answer:
 You mean you're Protestant and she's Catholic?

I found this: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/child-custody-religion-29887.html You might also find it interesting.Answer #2: Call a lawyer, definitely. She might get the "official" choice of religion but what you do on your time with your kid isn't up to her. Taking your kid to your church is on your time and unless specified in the visitation decree, she can't tell you what to do or not do. Biggest issue is if she's vindictive, she'll start using the kid to tell you what to do on your time. For example, she'll convince your kid they're going to hell because Dad refuses to take you to Mass. Lawyer up ASAP for advice, and start putting up boundaries with ex-wife.


Title: Sign on bonus interpretation

Question:
how would reddit interpret this:

The [job] will pay [employee] a signing bonus of $100,000 payable within thirty (30) days of [employee's] hire date. This payment will be subject to the applicable federal and state taxes. If [employee] voluntarily resigns employment effective within two (2) years of date of hire, [employee] will be required to refund a prorated amount for the period short of a year (i.e. refunding the money [employee] actually receives net of payroll taxes/withholdings) to [the job], to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law.

this employee is leaving after a year and one day. the contract does say "period short of a year" which leads me to believe the employee should keep the full signon. Is this worth going to court to fight?

Answer: NAL, period short of year is regarding the pro-rata amount. The employee will have to pay half the amount of the bonus minus one day.


Title: Roommate can't pay rent

Question:
Myself and two friends signed a lease on a four person apartment with the intentions of finding another roommate. We found one on Kijiji and he signed the lease in August.

He wasn't able to pay December's rent, I paid it for him because he said his dad was going to send him money, which never happened. He has now yet to pay for January's rent, won't answer any e-mails, and just keeps telling me that he should have the money in a week/his dad will send some when I confront him personally.

What is the best way to go about:
a) getting the rent money that he owes ($500)
b) Getting him to either pay the rent or leave. We are all on the lease, but I am the "primary tenant".

Thanks in advance for the help, I couldn't find any posts similar to this once but I apologise if this has been asked before.

Answer: You have to pay the rent or you will all get evicted. You can sue him for unpaid rent. You can't make him leave if he's on the lease. This guy is completely screwing you and I bet it was his plan since all along.


Title: [FLORIDA] Can I keep convicted felons from my kids?

Question:
Please tell me if this is possible, and how.
My ex is dating a girl who has been arrested about 20 times.  She's been convicted for several of them.  I don't want my very impressionable daughter around her.  Oue son is still a baby, but our daughter is almost five.

I would like to have it put in the order that they may not be in the home of any convicted felons, nor can they be in his home when they are there.  They don't currently live together.

He's had her around them before.  A few times.  He's also knowingly had my children around another convicted felon, this one a sex offender, who happens to be the grandfather.  He molested his other granddaughter.  (hearing soon for the grandfather because my ex had the kids there in violation of gramps probation.)

I don't trust his judgment with who he has the kids around, but I don't have enough yet to block him from seeing the kids, and that would seriously wound my daughter emotionally anyway.  I just want him to be required to keep the kids from these criminals.

Can this happen? How do I ask for it.  Mediation Friday, then to magistrate or judge after than.

Answer:
 You can ask him, but you're not likely to be able for force him, unless the people who he brings around your children are a direct threat to their safety or wellbeing.

Simply being a "convicted felon" and/or a "bad influence" would likely not meet that criteria.  Being a convicted sex offender (for molesting a young child) probably would-- but that would likely already be covered by grandfather's postrelease terms.

In short-- you might be able to prevent him from having your daughter around the grandfather, but not his girlfriend.   Bring up your concerns to the mediator, but I wouldn't focus on the girlfriend's criminal activity unless they make her a direct threat to your daughter-- it just comes across as slightly bitter and controlling.


Title: My roommate just got a drug charge, should I be worried?

Question:
I live in a college four bedroom off-campus apartment in Virginia, and we all have our own interests in drugs.  Each of us has our own individual lease with the property manager. One of my roommates recently got charged with an intent to distribute marijuana and turned himself in today.  We currently have removed all illegal drugs from the apartment to be cautious, but I am very worried about the police's ability to search the entire place.

Edit:
Do the police have the ability to search **my** apartment room because of my roommates mistake?

Answer: The correct legal advice is to not have illegal drugs in your home. Answer #2: No one can answer as to when it is safe to continue illegal activities.


Title: Can I be sued for my camera setup?

Question:
So I have a camera set up facing out of my bedroom to capture the sun and any birds that come into my yard so I can document and kill time during quarantine.

This camera is facing neighbors and there are times I do capture some of them doing "embarrassing" things but I don't usually look at that stuff much.

One of them seemed to notice my camera and has been kinda hostile towards me recently but he has a drinking problem and his wife is distant from him based on my camera footage.

Should I be concerned they can sue me?

Answer:
 How do you expect this to play out when they call the police? It is unlawful to photograph/film them where they have an expectation of privacy, which applies to their bedroom.

You get charged, but you seem to plan to use "I'm filming birds that might come past, and any nudity I capture through their window is purely incidental" was a defense. If now a half-dozen people who read your post have all immediately reached the same conclusion you are intentionally peeping on them, how do you think a judge or jury will see it your way? Here, we only got the story as you tell it. In court, the other side gets to explain how your bird photography is purely incidental to taking photos of your neighbors naked.

As an aside, you really should speak candidly with a psychiatrist about why you are doing this.Answer #2: Is your camera facing an area that your neighbors would expect privacy, like a bedroom or fenced in backyard?Answer #3: You should move your "bird camera" away from your window and stop taking pictures of your neighbors.Answer #4: Why not just stop pervin' on your neighbors?


Title: Dad wants me to lie and not pay for an accident I caused

Question:
Newest UPDATE:
View images
[accident](https://imgur.com/gallery/PkjiAMX)

UPDATE:
Last Friday I paid the girl the total of $463 but she now texted me the receipt of additional costs and it’s an additional $985. I’m breaking down because I have absolutely no idea what to do. If you read my posts, I am now out of my parents house. I only have $281 to my name and am working a not so good paying job. I don’t know what to do

Hi everyone, I could really use some advice right now.
I’m (21F) and I’ve been in an accident on April 14th. Story short... I was at a stop sign in a shopping center area (not street property), my foot was bothering me because my toe nail was stuck on my sock, I checked my surroundings and parked quickly at the stop sign and fixed the problem. I had a brain fart and well put the stick shift on reverse by mistake and backed up, I quickly noticed but I had already backed up into a car that was very close behind. The other people (both 24M and 24F) and I got out of our cars and we looked at our cars. Mine was completely fine and the girls car had an inch scratch on the bumper. Seriously nothing bad. She was fine with it but her boyfriend was a douche and spoke for her, he said the whole situation was not fine. He told me to pull over so they can my insurance. We pull over and I don’t have my insurance, (I still share a car with my parents). He’s now frustrated with me and am saying I am breaking the law and that if I don’t get my parents to at least send me a copy of our insurance he will call the police. Now my dad owns a limousine business and owns many vehicles, I am under all but my name is not on all papers of insurance but you can call insurance and they will confirm I am. I get a photo of insurance and show the boyfriend and he is now trying to scare me saying it’s going to be ugly for me on my end because my name is not on the papers. He calls the cops, they now arrive and look at their vehicle and he laughs because of how minor it is. The cop walks over and tells me this will be no more than $500 and reminds me that it was okay that I didn’t have my insurance on me because he could just pull it up. He takes mine and the girls license and runs it. The couple now starts looking at their wined shield and wipers looking for more damage- I overheard the boyfriend telling his girlfriend to look for more damage. The cop comes back hands the policy number to the boyfriend and talked to the both of us saying I could honestly just pay this out of pocket and I contact them and the couple send a photo of the bill of the damage, because the accident was not on street property he could not make an accident report.
I told my dad what happened and he told me once their insurance calls me to lie and say I was at the stop sign, that I was about to turn but I saw a car come so I stopped and that’s how the car behind me hit me. Not sure what to do because my dad is very controlling and doesn’t want me to pay out of pocket. Today I got a photo of the bill and it’s $463.48 and the girl told me it could be more but she doesn’t think so. I don’t know what to do, I’m kind of scared of my dad.

Answer:
 IANAL, but why is this girl texting you for money and not going through YOUR insurance?

If that’s the case, that she’s saying you owe more, then she should be going through the insurance. Call them and explain what’s going on.

Also, if she asks for more money, explain to her that she needs to file a claim through the insurance.

Next time, never pay someone out of pocket and let the insurance handle it. Answer #2: Lying to your insurance on a claim is insurance fraud.  It sounds like there will be multiple witnesses that disagree with your story... if you get caught out here and the opposing insurance makes an issue of it you can be charged with a crime.


Title: [Texas] I'm being forced to pay the difference in an apartment relet when the complex is charging the new tenant less than I am.

Question:
Hello everyone,

I have an apartment lease that I signed for June 2018 to August 2019; it's in my old college town, College Station, but due to financial reasons I wasn't able to keep going there because of out of state tuition costs being too high. The apartment forced me to relet and pay them a relet fee, as they refused to allow me to just buy out of it all together.

The apartment has managed to relet the unit, but they are doing so at a cheaper price. My lease says I have to pay $585 per month, whereas the guy they got to take over my lease is paying $499. I paid June's rent, and still owe the full $585 for July. Now the apartment complex expects me to pay the difference of the rent from August 2018 to August 2019 plus thr full $585 for July, which equates to over $1,600. They have claimed that "market rate" is reason they've had to lower the price on the unit, in order to remain competitive as a business. However, I have gone over my lease again and again trying to find any sort of notice about having to pay the difference, but I haven't found anything on it about that; only that I am responsible for charges to my account. I was told by the office workers that they were specifically transferring my lease contract, but now the corporate office is saying they can offer him a different contract for the same lease period, and I am required to pay any left over dues.

Answer:
 Unfortunately, this is totally legal.

Texas landlords have a duty to mitigate - that is, find a new tenant - and to subtract the amount of rent that the tenant is paying from the amount you owe (which is the remainder of the rent you owed on your lease).

Unfortunately, there is not a rule about them having to charge the new tenants the same amount of rent that you paid.  And you are still on the hook for the difference.

Honestly, $1600 isn't a bad rate for being allowed to break your lease.  Consider this a lesson learned about binding legal contracts.


Title: Landlord didn't change locks before we moved in, old tenants may have made several copies of keys. What options do we have?

Question:
There was no change in locks between us and the old tenants. We were told we could copy the keys as many times as we wanted, what is the guarantee the old tenant doesn't currently hold an extra key to our house?

Worried about safety etc

What options do we have?

(house is rented through letting agent in the UK)

Answer: If this is in the UK, you might get better advice from /r/legaladviceUK. If what the landlord is doing is legal where you are, you could offer to pay to have the locks changed.


Title: [FL] Do I have a case in Small Claims? Bad faith Vehicle Lien.

Question:
Hi guys! So, the situation is that around April 22nd 2018 around Midnight, my old beater (99 Honda Civic) finally died on me as I was driving home. I called my insurance company who then set me up with a tow, let's call them company P. While towing, an employee of company P and I started talking. He offered to work on/take a look at my car as he is an amateur mechanic and may also have a friend who would be interested in buying it. I agreed, exchanged contact info. He verbally told me there would be no fees associated with holding on to it, just for the tow, which I paid.

Some background, I suffer from severe depression and anxiety as well as a list of other mental illnesses, which make me quite prone to putting things off. The employee found someone who wanted to buy my car - however, after being out of town and having an extremely stressful trip, I did not facilitate the sale until June 13th, at which point I met with the buyer at the lot the car was located at. I had also checked with the employee several days before confirming that the car was OK where it was for now, to which he said it was.

During the process of removing the tags from the car, the other employees of company P seemed confused by my presence and put me on the phone with a rather angry man with a thick accent demanding $800, saying he had a lien on my car. I had no idea about any of this prior, had never received any notification by mail or otherwise (though my address may be outdated on my registration, I moved a few months ago). I somewhat disregarded the phone call but left the lot (car wasn't running, couldn't drive it out) and the employees then placed a large truck in front of my car rendering me unable to access it.

I just now spoke with one of his employees, and now he is asking for $1275 just to relinquish the car to me. This after never signing any paperwork acknowledging debt or anything. Is this a bad faith lien? The employee mentioned that his boss had never said anything about a lien or any issues with the car being where it was. I have text messages affirming this. Is it worth it to go to small claims to contest this? The car is only worth about $600, and I am disabled and unemployed so I would like to know before I spend money on filing fees, etc. Thank you so much!

Answer:
 Your mental issues don't excuse you abandoning your vehicle on someone else's property for months.Answer #2: >  Is this a bad faith lien?

No, not at all.  You abandoned your car for two months; charging a fee for storage is extremely reasonable.

You can negotiate that fee but you're not getting away with two months of free storage.


Title: Single dad considering Child abuse charges

Question: Our daughter was definitely a child of love. But over time it soured. We split up when she was 9 months old. And I have exceeded my limits to be fair to her. She is now 11 y/o and her mom has rung me out in several legal battles. Last several the judge has asked me if I wish to be equitable in custody. And i have agreed. Never wanted a fight to begin with. But recently she has had her attention with she is teaching her flat earther theory. O dont want to debate flat earth theory Reddit. Is this an issue for child abuse. I dont want my child to be ignorized. :j

Answer: This isn't child abuse but it might be relevant to custody. You should tell your lawyer and see what they say.


Title: Police want to search my computer... (FL)

Question:
Police officers knocked on my door and I allowed them in. They told me they wanted to talk to me about something, I figured they wanted to talk to me about my neighbor who's involved herself recently in a series of domestic incidents/disputes with her husband or the burglary that occurred a few doors down from mine not too long ago. They sat me down and told me that child pornography was being sent/received from my home. \*\*\*I DO NOT WATCH CHILD PORNOGRAPHY\*\*\*, period. I've never shared such material nor have I ever asked for it.  The police told me they wanted to check my computer and phone to see whether or not I had anything inappropriate. I told them that I did not give them permission and that they needed a warrant. They kept questioning why I was so nervous (I was not; just somewhat bothered that they had woke me up in my sleep and kept bothering me after I had told them that I was not involved in any of this) and that they just wanted to check my computer and go. I still refused. I don't want two random, warrantless police officers looking through what is essentially my life, and possibly other \*legal\* appropriate material that I might have on my computer (pornhub links or whatever else, lol).

The officers left and later came back, without a warrant it seems as they did not present it, and they showed me an image and asked if that was my young sibling in the photo (my young siblings came up during the initial visit as they asked me if I had any). It was an image of someone holding up what seemed like an infants private parts to a camera. I told them that it most certainly was not my young sister, who's a young woman/tween. They even asked my step father, who randomly came home from his job a bit early, if the person in the image was his daughter and of course he said \*\*no\*\*. They left and went to speak to my mom, who also, of course, denied that it was her daughter in that image and that the photos were clearly not from our house as the background of said pictures contained stuff that was not from our home.

The police officers mentioned that the photos were taken by Omegle from my IP address. Now, I've been on Omegle before, but not anytime recently (probably well over a year ago). The pictures supposedly were  taken in March of this year, but I have not been on the website, again, anytime recently. There are no babies in my house.

Was I correct to deny them access to my electronics? Is there anything else I should do to protect myself from police pressure? Any suggestions regarding my situation? Any would be appreciated, thanks. This is all very overwhelming.

Answer:
 To everyone telling OP to start investigating his network and computers STOP IT.

OP **must** talk to a criminal defence lawyer who understands computer crime and pornography and follow their advice

OP **should** back up important personal documents and files to the cloud, or email to friends

OP **should not** delete any files, change any configuration, or remove any devices.  OP is not a forensic computer tech and anything he does even changes in the act of investigating his own network could be perceived as obstruction. If there is anything to find, the police will find it.

OP **should** turn off and unplug from the network all the devices with storage and simply leave them be. Any device you have, memory stick, etc may be subject to a warrant, so prepare for that. You can leave on the router for your WIFI and TV, they are likely not yours anyway, but your cable provider.

If there are other people in the residence with their own devices, leave them to handle their own situations. If you are factually innocent and the police are correct,  they may be your alibi because they may be the guilty party.


Title: [California] I found out my coworker is having frequently fainting episodes. Despite this she commutes to work 45 minutes each way. Do I hold any liability knowing this?

Question:
My coworker came in today and told me that if she goes white and collapses not to worry because she occasionally goes through periods where she faints.  I know she commutes to and from work via her car everyday.  I pointed out to her that she really shouldn't be driving and she dismissed my concern since "she has to work".

Edit: is there someone I can report this to so she can have her license taken away?

Answer:
 You hold no liability.

You can report her to the state licensing people, if you'd like.Answer #2: Please report her to DMV and follow through.  At minimum she should have a conditional license pending annual doctor evaluation and release.  In my city 2 children were recently killed by a driver with medical episodes.  A 2 and 4 yr old were in their own home when a driver with a medical history plowed into their house killing them


Title: Legal for pain doctor to "change policy" and stop prescribing handicap passes for anyone not in a wheelchair 100% of the time?

Question:
I have a degenerative disease which means I get worse as the day goes on. I can walk in the morning but by nighttime use a chair or limp pretty slowly. Yesterday my doctor told me that she would not renew my temp handicap tag for my car (which she's done three times before) because their "new office policy" is to not prescribe them for anybody who is at all ambulatory. She said it was because people were having trouble finding parking at the doctor's office.

I'm already 80% housebound and this is going to ruin most chances I have to get out of the house. Is this legal, saying some disabilities "count" more than others? I certainly fit the legal definition for a person who should receive a red handicap tag. (I am in Texas, btw.)

If this is not the right place for this, please tell me. Or tell me where to look. I'm at a loss here.

Answer:
 I'm sorry you're having a hard time with this, and it seems like you should certainly be able to get a handicap tag from your description. Still, doctors absolutely have the right (and responsibility) to refuse giving prescriptions if they don't agree with the reason for giving them out. Your best bet is probably to find a new doctor.Answer #2: >She said it was because people were having trouble finding parking at the doctor's office.

So she's denying giving you a handicap pass at *all*, because there isn't enough handicap parking in *her* parking lot? Did you inform her that you go places other than her office?

I'd be looking for a new doctor. Not just because of the handicap pass, but because she seems like an idiot.


Title: Around 23 years ago my mother was almost killed by a drunk-driving MP (military police). Nothing ever came out of it.

Question:
...and since then, her life has been nothing but constant pain, inside and out.

[this happened in Panama, Central America, but Tampa, FL is another hometown]

I think the main problem is that this happened near a military base in Panama.  My mother at the time was working as a building inspector for the bases while her and my father were separated (pending divorce).  He was working in another country at the time as well, so my mother, as a military spouse, found this job to keep her busy.

Fast forward, one morning she was hit on the driver door.  By the quick thinking emergency services, she was taken to Gorgas Army hospital (at the time).  She underwent extensive surgeries to safe her life, but she lost her spleen because of rupture.  On top of that, many broken bones and had her forehead skin sown back together (back then, many cars didn't have air bags, like the Chevy Celebrity).  She's done "OK" since, but has permanent back injuries and can't stand up for long periods of time.

Here are some pictures from after the accident:
http://imgur.com/a/kt185

So after that, still in trauma, she had no legal counsel or guide to pursue damages from the accident.  The only thing she's ever gotten was the run-around, even 'till this day.  One thing that may be holding her back is that she is ESL (English as Second Language) and hard-headedly tells me that everyone understands her english fine.  But when I read what she writes, it is almost unbearable.  I think this is why she never hears back from lawyers, as recently as a federal law firm representing Senitor Rubio in Orlando, FL.

She's lost steam and any kind of hope anything can be done now as she is now 64.  Even the lady that hit her never, ever apologized to her or made any contact.  She constantly gets denied for disability as well.

Would something like this have a statute of time limitation?  Anything else she can try?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 There are certainly statutes of limitations involved; although a lot depends on the actions which were taken after the event.

Typically, the federal government has sovereign immunity and can't be sued. The government has waived that right in certain circumstances via the Federal Tort Claims Act. However, before being able to file suit against the government, the injured party is required to submit a claim to the agency responsible. Only if that claim is denied are they able to sue. The normal statute of limitations for bringing a FTCA lawsuit is two years, although it can be extended.

If she submitted a claim to the Army at the time of the accident and was paid, it's likely that amount was considered a final settlement which should have included costs for her pain and suffering now. If they already paid out, they wouldn't be expected to pay again for the same event.

That's not to say that she's not entitled to disability or other payments; but those determinations will have to be made by the SSA or her workplace disability insurance working on determinations made by her doctors. It's a separate issue from her crash compensation, even if the crash was the cause.


Title: Feeling unsettled about my unborn baby's wellbeing under the care of his father

Question:
Hello all. Mobile, so apologies for the format.

I have had ongoing issues with the father of my child since the beginning of my pregnancy. When I was about 3 months pregnant, I decided to move in with my family as the baby's father decided it was okay to keep smoking in the house that we both lived in. He thought I was leaving the relationship as well, and had a complete mental breakdown. He kept on for days obsessively calling and texting me, and stated how he was going to kill himself, multiple times, and even told me how he was going to do it. During this time he offered me money for an abortion, stating if we couldn't be together as a family he didn't want the baby at all.

I am now 7 months pregnant with a healthy and beautiful baby boy. I have stressed to the father that co-parenting would be best and nothing more. During this whole time, the father has continued to be obsessive about is being together, and constantly texts me even when I ask him multiple times to stop. He claims he was only depressed for a day and has since gotten better, and that he doesn't need mental help because he is "more than fine". I feel unsafe and uncomfortable around him, and feel as though he might try to use the baby as a tactic to get me back, or do something worse to try to get back at me. He apologizes for "ever wanting to hurt the baby". I do want my son to grow up with his father in his life, but his obsessive and mentally unstable behavior has me concerned that he might hurt him. How can I legally protect my child to be sure nothing happens to him in the arms of his father?

Thank you for any and all advice.

Answer:
 You need to hire a lawyer, get all of this history documented, and follow the lawyer's advice about seeking the appropriate court orders, as well as child support.

You simply must do this.  Trying to proceed with some kind of co-parenting arrangement on your own with someone you know to be unstable could land *you* in hot water with CPS.


Title: Might get fired for wrongful termination please help.

Question: My manager said either me or her sold liquor to a minor a couple weeks ago.  If the store is getting ticketed for selling to a minor, how would she not know which one of us made the sale? My cousin worked for ABC and said they usually come back and ticket the store within a half an hour and I never had anyone come serve me a ticket.  I feel like my boss is trying to throw me under the bus for her fuck up and I am worried I am going to be wrongfully terminated for it.  I asked for advice on here the other day to no avail and was wondering if I could get some help.

Answer: If you get fired, file for unemployment


Title: [WI] Can I get out of a deposition?

Question:
I've been subpoenaed to be a witness in a lawsuit by a former coworker against a former employer. My problem:

- I don't want to take the time off work. I don't really have anything to add and I think this is a waste of my time.

- I barely remember the former coworker, again, don't know how helpful I'll be.

- I left the former employer on good terms, they're still in my industry and they rehired a lot of former employees in the past so I don't want to burn a bridge by testifying against them, even if I have nothing to say.

Can I call the judge and ask to be excluded or something? I've spoken the the attorney for the old co-worker multiple times. He's adamant I come in.

If I do go do I need a lawyer of my own?

Answer:
 You may have a lawyer of your own if you want.

You can try to get the court ordered appearance quashed if you want.

You'll be most successful with that if you have an attorney.  It's not guaranteed, but it's your best shot.Answer #2: None of those things are good reasons to get out of a deposition. Occasionally people not directly connected to a lawsuit are asked to give testimony to further the interest of justice. Someday you may need to file a lawsuit and you will want this available to you as well.


Title: I'm about to be forced to pay two months of rent that I have already payed. I have no intention of paying. Am I in the clear?

Question:
I'll try to keep this short.

Until last may, I was an international student studying in the US. During my second year of college I moved off campus and moved into a four bedroom apartment with some American friends. When I signed the housing contract, I was asked to enter in a guarantor, but since I was an international student, I didn't have anyone who could do that for me. I explained this to the people in the reception of the apartment complex, and they told me that I could pay two months worth of rent up front instead. This sum would then be deducted from the last two months of my contract. I got a receipt that showed that I had payed the two months worth of rent (2*570 = $1140).

In October 2016 I renewed my contract with the apartment complex so that I could continue living there until July 2018 (when I first signed I signed for the period August 2016 - July 2017, so by resigning I signed for an additional year). But just to be sure, I asked the people in the reception if my up front payment would be deducted for the last two months of my original contract. They told me that it would be deducted from the last two months of my new contract, i.e. I would not pay any rent for June and July 2018.

Fast forward until the days before I graduated (May 2018). I explained my upfront payment to the people in the reception to make sure everything was in order (I of course showed them my receipt and I still have it), and they told me that since the ownership of the apartment complex had changed, they didn't have any records of my payment, so I would have to contact the "assistant general manager" about this so he can look it up. I did, and he said he would look into it, which brings us to today when I got this email:

"Good Afternoon theflyingfisherman,
I have talked with all of my managers and supervisors about your situation and unfortunately, there is nothing we can do. What you would need to do at this time is contact the old management company, The Preiss Company. The old management company charged you the deposit but never put the deposit on your ledger so, in theory, they kept the deposit you paid. If you have any issues please let me know. I would recommend trying to talk to Brian Dimmesdale or Chad West. I will help you as much as I can. I hope you have a great rest of your day!"

So it looks like I'm going to be forced to pay for those two last months of rent after all, despite having already payed for them. What's more is that I don't even live in that apartment anymore; I'm back in Europe. So here's my (perhaps somewhat immoral) plan: I'm simply not going to pay. I'm currently in Europe and have no intention of going back to the US anytime soon. I'm currently in the process of emptying and closing my US bank account. So I'm simply planning of ghosting them, because there is nothing they can do to get their money from me since I'm not in the US, I'm not a US citizen, and soon I won't have a US bank account.

Am I safe in doing this? Is there anything else I can do? Is there a risk I'll get into legal problems in Europe because I didn't make two months worth of rent payments in the US?

TL;DR: I'm being forced to pay for two months worth of rent despite having already payed. I'm planning on simply not paying, since I am no longer in the US and will be closing my US bank account soon.

Answer: In general, the new landlords acquire all of the debts and liabilities related to the tenants, including prepaid security deposits. If you have a receipt that you paid this rent in advance and it was not transmitted to the fire, that will be your defense if you are sued for non-payment of rent. Practically speaking, they have little reach to sue you from Europe over $1000.


Title: Can I form a Home Owner's Association, party of 1 househould, to preclude myself from ever being in another HOA?

Answer:
 In most jurisdictions,

1. you can't create a single-member association, and
2. you can't be forced into an HOA against your wishes, either.

I'm assuming you're asking because of that surreal Texas rule. Rest assured that that structure is bafflingly unique and flies in the face of most assumptions about property law and HOAs, or their equivalents. In most places, all you need to do to stay out of an HOA is not add your property to one.Answer #2: Too late, I just declared an HOA in your dining room. We go to war with the HOA in your kitchen at dawn!

Jokes aside, HOA rules are generally by state. My guess is the answer would be no.


Title: [CT] Do I have any recourse against a doctor who hasn't communicated with me?

Question:
Three weeks ago I visited a podiatrist for a sharp foot pain I was having. He took some x-rays and sent me out to have some blood tests done that same day, with the expectation that he'd have the results the next day.

Five days went by with no contact from the doctor, so I called the office for an update. The secretary said she would have the doctor call me when he gets a chance. Another 5 days go by with no update; I call the office again, secretary made another empty promise. It is now 3 weeks since the appointment and I have not heard anything regarding the results of my blood test.

What do I need to do to get my results? I was already billed from my insurance to pay for the tests, am I still liable to pay them?

Answer:
 Yes, you still have to pay.

Call again, and politely explain your experience so far, and ask for information about why you haven't gotten any info.


Title: What happens if I report my landlord for renting me a commercial zoned apartment to live in?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You might get out of your lease but you might still be liable for damages to him. Your hands aren't entirely clean with this if you knew he couldn't rent this place to you and you agreed to do it anyway.


Title: Niece is a lesbian, told she's not allowed to wear tuxedo jacket to prom

Question:
My niece is a student in Indiana and also a lesbian. In preparation for prom, she and her aunt and grandma bought all of her prom gear including a tuxedo she planned to wear. After buying it and getting special cuff links and other stuff, her school is telling her she can't wear the tux jacket. Not the whole tuxedo, just the jacket for whatever reason. This really stinks for her as they spend a lot of money on the whole getup. I guess I'm not really trying to take any sort of legal action against the school, but curious what I might be able to do to put pressure on them to allow this. Last year, a friend of hers was allowed to wear the whole tux after her parents called and flipped out on the whole establishment. We aren't really the type to do that, but my sister called and tried talking to them but nothing happen. They just kind of blew her off.

Any advice?

Answer:
 I would try contacting the [National Center for Lesbian Rights](http://www.nclrights.org/). They have previously assisted in cases like this.Answer #2: Become the type to flip out on them. Once you flip out on people once you realize how freeing it is.Answer #3: Talk to the ACLU. They might help. The DOJ has also recently stepped in to a Louisiana debate on the very same subject, telling the school such discrimination is illegal. ( http://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/davidbadash/louisiana_high_school_bans_lesbian_from_wearing_tuxedo_to_prom_doj_steps_in_says_they_can_t )

You could also try the school board and superintendent and try to get them on board. The superintendent in the link seems to be assisting the girl.


Title: CT: Can a cell phone company come after an adult child if their parent chooses not to pay the bill?

Question:
I have a very toxic family, and my parent has had me on their phone bill since I was a preteen so they can get a cheaper rate. I've had no contact with them for years until a couple months ago. They told me they were planning on switching phone companies and asked if I'd like to go to their company. I said no, and that I'd look at plans for myself. They agreed and heavily implied that They would cancel the account.

Now, the previous cell phone company, the one I technically still have, has been texting me to tell me to log in and pay the overdubill, which I obviously can't do, and I've gotten calls from a local number I just found out is their collections number. I intend to pick up the next time they call, but I don't know if I could cancel the account on my own since my information shouldn't be on the account at all, and I know my parent doesn't have their previous phone anymore, although they still live at the address that was on file the last I knew.

TL;DR: Parent implied they'd cancel the month to month contract our phones were on since the phones themselves were paid off, seem to not have done so, parent has a history of fraud, I am now getting collections calls. What do?

My questions:

- I never signed anything, so they (either the company or my parent) couldn't just swap it into my name, correct?

- Do I have any obligations here?

- Is talking to them a bad idea?

Answer: If you never agreed to be responsible for payment then no. Of course it's always possible your parents committed fraud and signed you on the account without your knowledge. That happens surprisingly often with these situations.


Title: I am U.S citizen (23M), never been there. I failed to file tax and register for military service.

Question:
I am U.S citizen (23M) but I have never been there. I live in Asia and both of my parents are not citizens of U.S. Recently I found out I had to file taxes and register for military service. I am afraid to contact any institutions because I don't know how serious my consequences are. I tried to look for similar situation but couldn't find clear answer. I have never worked in my life (still student) and live with my parents (it is common here). I am not sure about tax compliance but regarding military service registration (I read from other posts here) is that I will have to pay a fine of $250,000 and go to jail for 5 years.(I don't have nearly that much money thus I am afraid). What should I do?

P.S: I am sorry if I caused any misunderstanding, English is not my first language. Please be free to ask any questions.

Answer:
 That's the theoretical largest penalty possible. The real penalty, if your failure is not due to some specific and intentional act, is generally that you register for selective service late, or if you miss the cutoff, are ineligible for certain federal programs and jobs, and nothing else.

However, the deadline for Selective Service registration is when you turn 25, so you still have time. Just register.

As for taxes, a tax accountant might be in order. Your foreign income taxes may be deductible against your US income taxes, and if you've never earned an income you may not actually owe anything, in which case you're fine.Answer #2: > I am not sure about tax compliance

Do you earn in less than $10,400 a year? You are not required to file.

Do you earn less than $104,100 a year? If so you don't owe any taxes, its not worth the IRS' time to pursue people for a zero tax bill.


Title: [MI] Is it legal for religious protesters to hold graphic protest signs outside of campus cafeteria?

Question:
I go to a LARGE university in Michigan. There's always been religious protesters in certain areas of campus but they've always been nice and polite. Now, there is a religious group holding GRAPHIC signs of aborted foetuses outside of the windows of a cafeteria on campus. I was so disgusted I couldn't eat at all.

Is this something I could take up with the student life association? The campus police? I've gone to this school for 3 years and ive never seen this at all and it was very gross. If there's nothing I can do then I'll just eat lunch in a classroom from now on. Just wondering if it's constituted as harassment or indecency or something. Thanks!

Answer:
 If you are at a public university, perfectly legalAnswer #2: Nope, this has been going on for decades.  If it's a public university, they can't limit protests based on content.  Answer #3: Very dependent on how the university manages the space and what is/is not permitted there.

Talking to student services at your school isn't a terrible idea. Answer #4: Make a poster of similar offensiveness to put in the window.

My imagination can think of many such images, depending on the religion...Answer #5: At MSU we used to have to deal with the graphic signs driving up and down major roads (Farm Ln, etc) as well as the standard preacher or two telling everyone they were going to hell outside Wells Hall. This is unfortunately normal.Answer #6: Organize a counter protest to get back at them.


Title: [AB, Canada] Was gifted a box of pots (like cooking pots) and I found out that there have been incidents where they have exploded during use. If I give them away, or donate them, am I liable if anything goes wrong?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 (IANAL)  If you know they are going to explode, don't give them away or sell them.  That's just a dick move.  Look for a recall notice and take advantage of it, and if no such notice exists, return them to a story that carries them and be explicit as to why you are.

If none of those are an option, toss them.  Don't pass on the risk to someone else.