Title: (NY) Can you unknowingly run from police stop?

Question:
Strange question, I know, but I'm bothered by what happened this evening and I want to figure out if this is even possible. I was driving to get on the Tappan Zee bridge and saw a police car with no lights on on the side of the road. I brake to the speed limit, but do not move over since I have no room or time to do so.

Few moments later I see flashing lights behind my car as I'm driving on the bridge on the far right side. Not entirely sure what to do since I'm on the bridge and there is no room to pull over, I started to slow down to below the speed limit. At this point I'm not even sure if this is about me. I still have an entire bridge to cross, don't have a place to safely stop. I continue driving while still slowing down for few more seconds and the vehicle with flashing lights slows down, then eventually comes to a stop as I continue driving. I checked back few times as I drove on, but the flashing lights were stopped on the bridge, and I drove home. As far as I could see, there was no external reason for the vehicle to stop.

I was just confused by the whole thing, and now I'm bit worried whether that was an attempt by a police vehicle to pull me over.

Answer:
 You're allowed to continue driving until you can stop where it is safe for you and other motorists.

Weird situation. But if they were after you, trust me, they would've gotten you.


Title: My cousin is actively accusing her neighbor of having a secret murder room

Question:
So this is not a very pressing issue because I have no doubt my cousin is just being paranoid. But lately she has been posting all over Facebook about her neighbor because of how much noise he makes.

Apparently the noises are very loud especially at night, so my cousin jumped to the conclusion that he is a murderous psychopath.

My question is: how easily could her ongoing comments be considered slanderous?

This is just for my own curiosity, I won't mention anything to her unless it ends up being serious

Edit: this is in Colorado. Sorry for the punted baby bunnies

Answer:
 From the non-legal perspective, you may want to find her mental health treatment. She seems to be displaying signs of delusion (based on your post), and might act on her delusions one day. Answer #2: > My question is: how easily could her ongoing comments be considered slanderous?

Depends.

1. "Murderous psychopath" is sufficiently open-ended to be reasonably portrayed as a statement of opinion since it lacks specificity. Contrast with: "I think A murdered B on the night of the 12th."

2. It is also based on disclosed information (the noise). People are allowed to make inferences. Contrast with: "I have information in my possession that leads me to believe that A is a murderer."

3. There has to be damages. Are people (other than your cousin) harassing your neighbor? Have the police been called? Is she losing income over this? Contrast with: "Oh, I heard you're a murderer. I'm not going to do business with you."

4. Is this typical behavior of your cousin? If your cousin constantly rants like this, then the courts will most likely consider this as relevant context.Answer #3: > My question is: how easily could her ongoing comments be considered slanderous?

It depends on what she's saying and what she knows.  Slander requires you to make "knowingly false" statements or statements with reckless disregard for the truth.  Accusing him of murder with absolutely no evidence other than loud noises at night is possibly actionable, but it's on the fence unless she knows more about what he's actually doing.


Title: Using a cane/walking stick as a self-defense weapon?

Question:
I   am a daily/nightly fitness walker.  Things are getting ever more  gritty  out on the street and I have thought about carrying a  cane/walking  stick for protection.  I like the option in terms of not  needing a  permit, etc.

Would I raise  suspicions  with law enforcement if I carried a cane even though I am 50, brawny and  athletic?  I understand the Americans with Disabilities Act of  1990  makes it difficult for law enforcement to question those carrying a   cane/walking stick?  If stopped (I wear jogging clothes when I walk  and I  am sweaty, etc.), could I simply say I am carrying the  cane/walking  stick in order to get home, should my knee lock-up or  otherwise begin  hurting again?

Thank you.

Answer:
 >Would I raise suspicions with law enforcement if I carried a cane even though I am 50, brawny and athletic?

Unless you are as good at acting as Hugh Laurie... yes, this will be no different that walking around carrying a baseball bat, just in case a spontaneous game of baseball breaks during your dog walks.

>could I simply say I am carrying the cane/walking stick in order to get home, should my knee lock-up or otherwise begin hurting again?

Do not talk to the police. And if you talk, do not lie to the police.


Title: So... everyone wants me to be the executor of their estate now.

Question:
So I had a lovely weekend with my Dad and step-mother. Funny thing they decided to tell me that they are going to keep separate estates till the day they die and both of them want me to be the executor of their wills. This is making me seriously wonder what vibe I give off to people because about 5 years ago my biological mother asked me to be the executor of her estate when she passes and I never told them. So at some point in my life I am going to execute a will at least 3 times.

I agreed on terms that included with the will is a sort of mission statement that just explains what is their goal with their estate after they have passed on.  I really just want something that generally tells me what they want their estate to accomplish and why they feel that way… something where if I am put in a bind we cannot foresee I can use it as guidance. (If I could actually get any of the three of them to write it… people over 50 are only willing to admit death exists for about 5 minutes at a time).
So my questions are

1) What is being the executor of an estate like? What do I have to do? Any sets of laws I should be roughly familiar with? Do I also take care of funeral arrangements? What sort of lawyer should I have on reserve for this? Will any lawyer who handles estates do or should I have one for where they expire? Where their estate resides? Where they want to be buried? Where I live?

2) My biological mother has visions of grandeur and wants to do something funky where she sets up a foundation for her descendants to go to college and do good in the world and so forth... she manages her finances like crap and will almost certainly not have money for setting up stuff like this, how on the hook am I if someone asks for the moon to be named after them, so to speak, in their will and you can’t deliver?

3) My step mother wants me to handle her will and estate... not her two adult children around my age... her step child (I was never even formally adopted this all happened after I was 18). In your experience what is the likelihood I am going to be drowning in lawsuits if those two hear something they do not want to hear?

4) The mission statements I am asking everyone to write out I want this to be separate from a will, but... is this a common thing? Is this legally binding? Should I get them via lawyers and get it all squared away or is this of no legal consequence and just fine as an email sent to me for my own guidance.

Thank you for dealing with my wall of text, feel free to answer ‘free style’ and not give me an itemized response. I just need to get a handle on this so I can feel confident that worst comes to worse I can handle this in a prepared respectful way.

Location edit:

I live in Oregon, one lives in Florida, the set lives in Washington, and they have another ~20-30 years to go, maybe, so let's say USA and possibly Spain.

Answer:
 1) You administer the estate to make sure all assets are properly disposed of.  You should find a trust and estates attorney to assist you if you need help, and yes, you'll want one who practices in the same state as they live.  You aren't necessarily responsible for the funeral arrangements, though it could fall to you because you're related.  The complexity depends on the complexity of the estate.

2) You're more like an administrator.  Your responsibility is to distribute the assets the way they're supposed to be distributed.  If she wants to set up a billion dollar scholarship fund, and dies with $12 to her name, you set up a $12 scholarship fund.  You don't have to add money into the estate or take responsibility for the failure of that estate to have sufficient funds to pay it's debts.

3) Impossible to guess.  But unless you do something wrong as an executor, they won't be suing you.  They'd sue the estate if they want to dispute who gets what.  They would only sue you if they thought you were self-dealing or mishandling the estate.

4) It's redundant.  A will *IS* a mission statement explaining what they want to happen to the estate when they die.  They should have an attorney help them draft the wills to make sure it accomplishes what they want it to, but if they don't do it properly, having some secondary document about their vague intentions isn't going to do much, legally speaking.  It *might* be useful evidence of the drafter's intent if that's ever in question, but that's about it.  They're better off just drawing up a very thorough will with the help of an attorney.


Title: PTSD, ADA, Attendance and Harassment in Virginia

Question:
I work for a large retailer as a floor manager and cash office specialist.  I have been working limited hours due to PTSD for almost as long as I've worked there (2 years) but there is nothing official about my disability on paper.  I just told them it was for a "disability benefit requirement" and that's it.  I'm "out" to a few supervisors and co-workers.  Generally, my disability is a non-issue.  It rarely interferes with my work, and when it does, I can "cover" with an excuse.

A few weeks ago we got into a scheduling crunch and I was asked (and felt pressured into) agreeing to work more than my usual hours.  I was scheduled to work 0700-1100, 1500-2345 and then 0700-1100 all in a row.  This would normally be too much for me (and I don't know if it's even legal?) but I tried.  However, a friend attempted suicide the night before that marathon was about to start.  I was up all night, had to call the police, and was severely re-traumatized.  I'm a survivor of suicidal intentions and helping my friend back from the brink made me relive my own experiences with suicide.  I went to the 0700-1100 shift and cried my way through it, but since I was in my office alone it was okay.  the 1500-2345 shift was to be a floor supervisor shift, and I couldn't do it.  I told the Leader on Duty that I would be out sick.  I explained what happened and told her that I needed to go home and take a medication that would make it unsafe for me to work in order to get well and recover.  She got another supervisor and they both took me into an office where I was pressured and bullied about how I was screwing over the store and would be punished, despite the store's policy that you can call in sick up to 3 hours before a shift with no repercussions (provided it doesn't happen often, and in my case it doesn't happen often.)  I was in obvious distress, I said several times that I had a disability, specifically PTSD that made working the shift in question impossible.  They kept saying "your health is the most important thing but..."  and "do what you have to except realize what you are doing to your coworkers by not showing up"  I felt attacked and unfairly victimized because they weren't able to find someone to cover my shift since we're short staffed.  I was told that I would be put on a final notice which means any infraction for any reason in 12 months means I'm terminated.  This is way against their stated attendance policy.

My next step is a meeting with the head of HR to clear up my status re: punitive action and to discuss the behavior of the two supervisors who took me into the office.

This situation makes me realize that I need to set up realistic boundaries and standards for me to continue to work at this place.  I'm going to enlist the help of the Job Accommodation Network to advocate for workplace accommodations for my mental illness.

Where do I stand legally?  And with regard to the ADA?  Can a company's own attendance policy be legally binding or are they legally entitled to do whatever the heck they want with regard to firing someone in an At-Will state?  I don't want to sue anybody, but this was a clear-cut case of me being unable to work temporarily due to a diagnosed, established disability.  Are they allowed to do this?

My company has an integrity hotline which I will call if my meeting with the head of HR does not go well.  But it is a company known for protecting their own and calls to the hotline generally result in the termination of the person who made the complaint.

What are my rights?
Topic:
Disability Issues

Answer:
 The ADA requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation so you can perform your job. I'm not sure what you mean by "realistic boundaries and standards". That sounds wishy washy. They certainly don't need to relax their performance standards.

What reasonable accommodation would allow you to perform your job?  That's what you need to formally request. I am very skeptical that being allowed to call out at the last minute would be viewed as a reasonable accommodation.  That's overly burdensome on the legitimate needs of the employer to have reliable employees and keep a schedule.


Title: Type one diabetic in need of legal advice.

Question:
I am 17 years old in Wilmington, North Carolina. This past weekend was the weekend of prom for my local high school.  While I was inside of prom, some of my friends that were on the same "party bus" as me were outside smoking cigarettes which got the attention of police and prompted them to start searching every bag and every personal item on our tour bus (the legality of the search is already under question).  Many of my friends had alcohol and other various banned substances on the bus but I did not.  I came out of prom as the bus was being searched with police officers and school administrators searching the bus but i felt at the time that i needed to check my blood sugar.  I had to bang on the window to get someone's attention after waiting politely for a few minutes.  I told them that I needed to get my bag because I was diabetic and needed to check my blood sugar.  After being hesitant to believe me, my principal and vice principal asked me to show me where my bag was on the bus.  After first searching my bag, my principal and vice principal insisted on searching the contents of my blood glucose meter before allowing me to use it after i had clearly stated that I needed to use it.  They then humiliated me by making me let them watch as i checked and gave an insulin injection.
What kind of action should I or my parents take against the school besides just complaining and leaving the office with an apology?

Answer: Humiliated by pricking your finger, putting a drop of blood on a glucose monitor, and giving yourself a shot?  How is any of that humiliating?


Title: Accused of Harrasment / Sexual Harassment at work in Michigan.

Question:
I was accused of sexual Harrasment at work.

That day I remembered that I had brought fish and chips for lunch, and remembered to myself out loud "oh yeah I brought fish for lunch today." A fenale coworker replied with "Oh, so that's why it smells like fish in the kitchen." I replied with I don't know, you'd have to see for yourself. I was joking, and I know that I shouldn't have said that (hindsight is 20/20)
I've since been written up for harassment and sexual harassment.
This girl complained to my boss which caused them to comb through the past few months of emails.
   One email from a coworker was "round of applause" to which i replied with Waka Flaka's safe for work lyrics "Baby make that ..... clap." It was received with laughter. HR called this offensive.
They also claim that I've openly discussed opening a strip club and asked coworkers to dance. This must've been months ago if it did happen because I do not remember this conversation.
I really don't know what to do at this point. I've already stupidly signed the "Corrective Action Notice" that they presented me with even though I don't agree with any of it.
They say that I've openly discussed my drug of choice at work  (I've been sober sine 2/5/16) and that they could drug test me at any time. I replied that I would pass any drug test.
I'm one of 3x males in this call center. I've heard these girls tslking about disgusting things. It's normally a very friendly happy go lucky atmosphere but this has me losing sleep and I just don't know what to do.
The HR woman and president of the company are good friends and are the ones who had me sign the document.
I'm afraid of being labeled some type of sexual predator over an off colored joke.

Please, any advise would be appreciated.

Sincerely,

Anonymous

Answer: You are fortunate they didn't pull the trigger on firing you. Here's some advice: refrain from making off-color jokes and sex related comments/jokes to anyone at work in general. Answer #2: My advice: Act like a goddamn professional and stop making inappropriate comments. It's called work; not sexy, flirty fun time.


Title: [Florida] My dog bites a resident in my neighborhood and now she threatens to sue.

Question:
**I strongly encourage you to read the full story, because the TLDR does leave out a big chunk of details**

**TLDR;** My foster dog of 5 years has gotten out of my fenced in and electric fenced backyard and bit my neighbor. No witnesses besides the neighbor. Animal control came and gave us a fine of $118. The neighbor has two puncture wounds (not bad) with $150 of medical bills. She is threatening to sue.

**Here is where I need your advice at the bottom.**

**Long Story:**

**Background about Cody and my Dog history:**

My dog, Cody was a foster rescue dog that we picked up from a local adoption shelter. We got him about 5-6 years ago. Cody is closet attached to me. We bond well together and I take care of him when I’m home.  Before I continue about Cody, I want you to know my family and I have worked with lots of rescue dogs in the past. We were part of an association called Lab Rescue where we would house dogs until they were adopted. We’ve worked with crazy, psycho, abused dogs; but also had the sweetest, loving caring dogs (some we adopted as our own). We have two other dogs apart of our family, both Labs. With all the knowledge and experience I have with dogs, I could say Cody is the friendliest, most relaxed dog I have ever been with. He could sleep in with me until 11 am and never wake me up and then lay around the house all day with me. But there is something about Cody that makes him nervous and hostile around other dogs (mainly smaller than him). When we would take him on walks or to the beach, we need to keep him far away from other unknown dogs because he does try to attack them. I have taken him to training before, and he is very smart when it comes to commands, but he just does not like being around other unknown dogs. I feel this must be part genetic, because he is a Lab Mix (maybe basenji, which are varmint hunting dogs. Cody hunts lizards and rabbits in our backyard) and part that he was abused as a puppy before we adopted him. We know this because he has scars on his face and back legs. Now Cody has never been a problem with our own dogs. Even when we brought in our youngest at 2 months old, Cody was never hostile to him. When he gets to know other animals, he can trust them and be fine with them.

**The Incident:**

**August 1, 8:20am:** I was vacationing with my dad up north and my Mother (divorced) went to let our dogs outside like every other morning. She then proceeded inside to continue getting ready for work. We have a backyard fence fully enclosed and an electric fence in the backyard and front yard, but are NOT connected. Only way the dogs could get to the front yard would be through the house. We got the electric fence because Cody has gotten under the fence before and has had an altercation with our next door neighbor’s dog and our next door neighbor stepped between the dogs to protect them from Cody and Cody ending up biting our next door neighbor. No blood was drawn, just a bruise on her leg. They were understanding and know how Cody could act. She knows that if Cody really wanted to bite her she would have had blood and it would have been much worse. So we installed an electric fence about a year ago; never had an incident of him escaping.

**8:40am:** My Mom let’s all three dogs back into the house; puts Cody and Jake (our youngest) into a gated off section to our house and leaves for work.

**9:00am** she gets a call from animal control to come home, because they expected our dog attacked a lady (a resident in our neighborhood). Mother drives home.

She talks to animal control and the neighbor confirms that Cody was the one that bit her. My mother claims that she let the dogs out at 8:20 and back in at 8:40 and they were all inside that gate and doesn’t believe that Cody was the dog that bit the neighbor. No witnesses. My mother could have forgotten to put Cody’s electric fence collar on him (since she has forgotten to put the collar on him before but has been better with it since I do stress to her that Cody needs the collar on him) and Cody could have gotten under the fence, attacked the lady and then got back under the fence. Animal control puts Cody on an 11-day quarantine at our house (because Cody seemed friendly and non-hostile) and wrote us a ticket for $118 for not properly confining our Dog, first offense. Animal control also tells us to get our dogs registered through the county, which we now have done.

Next day I get home from vacation and learn about the situation.

We’ve talked with the neighbor about the situation. My step dad went over to their house to check up with her and her family. We find out she had two puncher wounds on her arm, Not deep for stitches. She has $150 of medical bills. A couple days go by and we hear rumors from other neighbors that she was asking around to see if Cody had ever been a problem with them. She claims she was confronted by Cody before a year ago and thinks Cody is not safe in our neighborhood since kids do live in our neighborhood. The neighbor also has had this happen to her with another dog years ago in our neighborhood, and had that dog put down. We do not know the situation between Cody and the neighbor since my family did not see it happen. We don’t know if she provoked Cody or came onto our property. But we do know lots of people walk around our neighborhood and Cody has not gone out of the fence to attack them so we seem to think it was provoked.

A couple weeks go by, Cody is off his quarantine, we have not really heard from the neighbor until now. She requests to meet with my Step Dad (this was august 21, 2016). My Step Dad meets with the neighbor and the talk didn’t seem to go well. They come to 3 conclusions: One is that she sues us. Two is that we find a home for the dog elsewhere with family. Three is we put the dog down. I was definitely not pleased to hear this information (I am off at college, left August 20th).

**Here is where I need your advice.**

What can the neighbor sue us for? Only for medical bills? I do not know much about the specifics but I know home insurance could play a part in this, and we have an HOA (Home owner’s association) which the neighbor states that two dogs are the limit in our neighborhood (We do not know if this is true, but we know other families with more than two dogs in our neighborhood). We are looking to find a place for Cody with my brother or my Step Dad’s Grandpa, but the most ideal situation for me would be to keep Cody. Could suing us cause a problem with our insurance, making it higher? I do not want to put my parents in a situation where their insurance is higher just because of Cody. They also plan to live in this neighborhood for at least 7 more years. Is there a way to defend ourselves by saying she provoked the attack?

The problem is that I am emotionally attached to Cody. He has been with me through my move to Florida. He was there for me when I had no friends to be around. He truly is my best friend. That’s why I need an outside opinion on this matter, since I know what I want to do but I need to know the best thing to do, for my family’s sake.

Thank you for taking your time to read this and to give your legal advice. Apologies for my poor formatting and sentencing, I’m in a rush to my first classes of College.

Answer:
 Your dog has broken out of the fence TWICE and bit two TWO people TWICE. Your dog, and your inability to see his wrongs, are the problem. Answer #2: The neighbor can sue for any damages - medical bills, lost wages, et cetera - that she can prove.  We can't guess what the judge or jury will actually give her.

> Could suing us cause a problem with our insurance, making it higher?

Yes.  In fact, if you're sued, you should bring your insurance company into the situation, as there's a good chance they'll cover you.

> Is there a way to defend ourselves by saying she provoked the attack?

Do you have any evidence of this, or are you just trying to weasel your way out of paying for your dog's shitty behavior?


Title: Indiana, USA: How can I get a racist forum shut down?

Question: This may or may not be for this subreddit, but here goes nothing. I have recently found a horrid cesspool of a forum that's been around for a while that is filled with nothing but horrible posts referring to black people.. I found a loophole in their agreement for signing up. It reads, "By agreeing to these rules, you warrant that you will not post any messages that are obscene, vulgar, sexually-oriented, hateful, threatening, or otherwise violative of any laws." Every message posted to this site is hateful and vulgar, and many posts (from what I can see) are threatening towards black people, and a portion of the users fantasize about killing black people. Hell, the whole basis of the forum is to be hateful towards black people. Therefore, they are breaking their own rules. I might seem a little naive coming here for this, but I need to know: is this enough to get this shithole shut down? Further info: A website IP and Host search tells me it's set in Chicago, USA, but the times in the site are set automatically to GMT+1.

Answer:
 Short version is, you can't.

First amendment protections extend even to speech you find distasteful. That's why it's important.


Title: Got into car accident, insurance company removed my collision coverage, never notified my bank or myself. What do I do?

Question:
So basically got into a car accident, and totaled my vehicle. 2 years ago I changed my auto insurance state from FL -> NC

&nbsp;

I called them and asked if there was some changes I could make for a lower premium, they said a lot cause FL has all these extra fees.

&nbsp;

Turns out they removed my COLLISION and MEDICAL coverage. I currently have an open loan on my vehicle, so this shouldn't have been allowed. I have been going back and forth speaking to the insurance company and my bank. Insurance company looked over their history and saw that I had logged into my online account, and had added Road side assistance to my plan(roughly a year and a half ago) and that I am held responsible because I should have NOTICED that they removed the collision and medical coverage.

&nbsp;

They said that they require some sort of "case law" from my lienholder to show that they are not allowed to decline coverage for me because I have an open loan.

&nbsp;

My bank sent me my promissary note which states that I have to have full coverage.

&nbsp;

Sent that to the insurance company

&nbsp;

They call and say that the bank should be covering my loan because they notified them and in the promissary note it says something along the line of, "If coverage is declined then the interest rate will be increased and we will force auto insurance for the vehicle, but not for personal belongings"
&nbsp;

They insist they notified the bank 2 times that the coverage was declined.

&nbsp;

Call the bank, they have no records stating that they were ever notified about any changes in the auto insurance, so thats why they didnt force auto insurance and increase my interest.

&nbsp;

The bank tells me to call the auto insurance company and ask them for proof that they ever notified the bank.

&nbsp;

Insurance company is currently out to lunch. I am kinda freaking out, I still owe 19,000 and it would absolutely suck to pay that much of a vehicle that is totaled, and I wouldnt be able to afford another reliable vehicle to use for working purposes. Should I get a lawyer? What can I do? The bank said that finding a case law would require them to look through so many cases finding one that this exact thing happened... Im lost

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Bank: Navy Federal. Insurance: USAA
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 My office handled a similar issue about 5 years ago. You need a lawyer that specializes in insurance bad faith to represent you in this case.

We were able to recover the full amount for our client based on the fact that their bill was not easy to understand what was covered and they had no idea their full coverage had been reduced.


Title: I am pitching a business idea to my boss, do I have to do something to prevent the possibility that he'll cut me out and do it anyway once I've told him?

Question: I'm in Queensland, Australia.

Answer: You should read your employment agreement before you have any ideas while working for someone else. It's possible that your idea is already owned by the company that you work for.


Title: My uncle-in-law claims my wife owes him 30k for "college tuition."

Question:
My wife's family is from Louisiana. As a high school graduation present, my wife's grandmother helped her pay for a new car. Following high school, her grandmother would occasionally assist with various college costs (tuition, books, etc.) This was not in the form of one large loan. It was a general "you may pay me back later" arrangement by word-of-mouth only. No papers were signed. No running tally was actively kept. My mother-in-law is a witness to the agreement. After my wife finished her bachelor's degree, but before completing her master's degree, her grandmother's health declined. On her deathbed, her grandmother forgave her the money owed saying not to worry about any of it, again by word-of-mouth.

When her grandmother passed away, I believe there were 4 surviving children (including my wife's mother, uncle, and two uninvolved uncles.) The estate was fully settled without any mention of my wife owing money to the deceased nor any agreement to pay back the deceased's estate. (No reference to a debt in the will.)

Over a year after the estate was closed, my wife's uncle came forward with the claim that it was time for her to repay what he was now calling "her student loans" totalling roughly $30,000. He has stated it is to be repaid to him as he was the one who oversaw the settling of the estate. He has so far shown no paperwork or receipts. He does not yet have the support of his siblings. He has not mentioned re-opening the grandmother's estate.

It seems a little fishy as his own children are now of college age. He claims that my wife needs to make good on her promise to pay back the grandmother (who is in fact deceased), but it smells eerily like a money-grab. The only credible justification I can think of is that he would have inherited a little bit more money at the time of the grandmother's passing, but even that sum of money would have been split at least 4 ways.

Answer:
 The estate has been settled. Until she is served with any legal paperwork, she can ignore her uncle.

If she gets sued, she has a great defense. If she is served, come back and ask for more advice. But for right now, tell the uncle to pound sand.Answer #2: An oral promise to repay won’t be enforceable, and that is notwithstanding the fact that it was later forgiven. Your wife’s uncle has no claim - this is just a cash grab on his part hoping he can prey on someone unfamiliar with the law.Answer #3: has he picked up a drug habit? gambling habit?

&#x200B;

sudden unfounded demands for money don't usually occur in a vacuumAnswer #4: Just a side note, don’t pay him a single cent, or make any type of offer to settle with him. It could be looked at as you agreeing you owe him money, which you don’t.


Title: Pennsylvania: Mother of victim lies and has 20 year old child put into a mental hospital, continues to use their social security checks

Question:
So this one is a bit of a two-parter. A little bit of background information. My significant other has had an abusive relationship with their mother since a young age. I've been a part of the victims life for the past three years, and have witnessed verbal, physical, and mental abuse from the mother.

On Wednesday, February 24th, victims mother files claim for victim to be taken away to a mental hospital. The mother falsely claims that the victim is suicidal, and then continues to list exaggerated and untrue claims on the incident report.

All cries for help against her mothers abusive nature go unnoticed during the hearing, and the victim is issued to stay ten more days.

As of just now, I have received a phone call from the victim. They are facing 90 days in a lock down facility, for false claims against.

Reddit, I don't know what to do. The call was dropped as they started to have a panic attack. I feel like their rights are being violated, and that this is not fair treatment. I'm asking you for any type of help you can give me.

Answer:
 This doesn't smell right to me. They would have had a hearing already.  In that hearing the doctors who evaluated your SO after the initial hold would have provided evidence and/or testimony.  If the only evidence supporting allegations of suicidal behavior came from your SO's mom, your SO would probably be out. See the [PA mental health code](http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/055/chapter5100/chap5100toc.html) in particular [§ 5100.86](http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/055/chapter5100/s5100.86.html).

Edit: Fixed some speech to text garbling. Answer #2: If you can afford to, you could usefully hire a lawyer in anticipation that your friend may want one, to find out what they're charged with and whether there will be an opportunity to defend, and how to effectively make that case.

I say this because the "false claims" thing sounds like they're being actually charged with a crime, perhaps for saying their mother is lying, which is completely separate from a mental-health assessment. A lawyer is very unlikely to be able to help if they're being held by the hospital because a doctor decided they should be, but that doesn't sound like what this is.


Title: How To Divide Rent Fairly When Staying in Air B&B at Coachella [California]

Question:
Here's the situation. About 50 friends altogether stayed in an Air B&B last weekend. The rental was from Thursday-Monday (4 nights) at about $7000 total. Some friends are staying all 4 nights, while others are only staying a few nights, or just one night.

&#x200B;

In terms of splitting the rent, a friend is arguing that it should be a weighted cost because of the burden it places on the house for the people who committed to the whole weekend. He further adds that the initial costs had people staying 4 days paying a significant amount more than people staying 3 or 2 days, which he thinks is pretty unfair for Coachella because the house NEEDS to be booked the entire weekend. He then concludes with stating "Why should some people just get to come in and go without sharing some of the responsibility?"

Their weighted costs come out to:

$110 / night

$135 / 2 nights

$160 / 3 nights

$206 / 4 nights

There were about 20-30 people on a given night.

&#x200B;

I stayed only one night in the living room. I already paid a $50 deposit, and now they are asking for $60 more. I initially thought it would be split evenly (which I thought was fair since the people who stayed 4 days had their own bedrooms) but now they are telling me that the pricing is not fixed per night. No one informed me this in advance. I was only informed in the beginning to pay a $50 deposit. I could have gotten a camping spot with my girlfriend for $100 had they informed me in the beginning that pricing would be weighted like this. What do you guys think is fair, splitting evenly or weighted? Are there laws regarding this matter?

Answer:
 There are no laws outlining how you split the cost of a vacation house with your friends.

If you don’t like the price, forfeit your deposit and go camping.


Title: [NYC] Landlord won't give possession of apartment until 2 weeks after lease start

Question:
Hi legaladvice peeps,

A few weeks ago, my partner and I signed for a new apartment beginning August 1. We(and our guarantors) signed the lease and paid for the security deposit, first month's rent, and broker's fee(about $7500 in total), and proceeded to start changing utilities and scheduling movers and days off from work (all with a promised August 1 move date in mind).

Our broker informs us that we won't be able to move in August 1 and that it would be safe to say we could move in August 15, because the current tenant's new apartment won't be ready. Essentially, these tenants are waiting for the tenants in their new apartment to move out(which may not be until July 31) because their management won't draft up a lease or give them a move in date until they receive keys. The turnaround will take about 2 weeks according to this management company hence the August 15 move-in date. They are currently hoping that these other tenants will move out a week early, moving their move-in date to August 7 which is still terrible imo. They refuse to find themselves a hotel and storage space for the interim period. Their rationale is "One of us is pregnant, and it's very stressful for us, so we aren't going to move until we are ready." They refused to renew the lease and as far we know had never asked for a month to month lease. The tenants were informed with proper amount of notice that their lease was expiring 7/31 and that the landlord already had new tenants ready to move in.

We have informed the broker + landlord that moving in after August 1 is pretty unacceptable -- we will lose over a thousand dollars because my partner will have to cancel her sublet arrangement at her current apartment (which she was set to move from on 8/1), and I will have to move in with her for some undefined amount of time (from 1 to 15 days, approximately). I will have to pay moving fees twice, take days off from work, and I've already had to cancel professional trips between the dates of 8/1-8/15.

We have informed the landlord of all of this, and they basically said they would try their best to motivate the tenants to leave on time. I suggested that they could try reimbursing our expenses via the current tenants' security deposit, or notify them that even one day stayed past 7/31 will lead LL to proceed against them. The broker has been stressing to this couple how bad this could be for them monetarily– a lot of people's money is on the linen including ours, the broker, and the landlord although we don't know if that's getting through to them.

We signed a Blumberg A101 Condo Leasing form (https://www.blumberglegalforms.com/Forms/101.pdf) which includes a clause saying that the landlord isn't liable for failure to give tenant possession of the unit at the beginning of term - basically, it says LL's only obligation in this scenario is to prorate rent for each day they can't give possession, which they have already offered to do. As explained above, however, this situation will cause us to pay rent twice in August.

NYC housing-educated people, what are our options in this case? We still would like to move into this apartment, but it would also be useful to know if this can be used as leverage to cancel a lease, in a worst-case scenario where tenants squat for more than 2 weeks. Also, I'm curious about precedent for this scenario, and what landlords are typically liable for in a case of holdover tenants + signing a lease on property that they can't actually give possession for
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Unfortunately for you this lease is binding and you can't break it unless the landlord also agrees to that. Its very typical to have a lease with a clause like yours and because of this they do only owe you prorated rent. They cannot kick out the people who live there now as they are already tennants. The landlord would have to go through the eviction process if these people refuse to move out all together, which is a very time consuming process.

   Essentially you are bound to this lease and all they have to do is prorate the rent for whatever time you dont get to occupy the unit. This scenario ia not uncommon


Title: My mother sent photographs of my daughters to her husband who is incarcerated without my consent. Is there anything I can do?

Question:
I live in Pennsylvania.

Basically, my mom decided to print off and send pictures of my daughters, ages 3 years and 8 weeks, to her husband, who is incarcerated. She did not ask my permission and she only told me about it afterwards when it was already too late. I do not want to file charges or anything but I *do* want those pictures taken from him. Is there anything I can do? Call the prison and explain? Advice is greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Nope. She did nothing illegal (unless there's a no contact order between you/your kids and the inmate). Answer #2: > my mom decided to print off and send pictures of my daughters . . . to her husband . . . . She did not ask my permission

So what? There's no law against that.

> I do not want to file charges

That's good. Because I don't see a crime here.

> I *do* want those pictures taken from him.

Why? What's the problem?


Title: My Mom cosigned my now Ex's college loan (40K) now isn't paying or replying.

Question:
Illinois resident.

As stated, when I was younger and stupider I asked my Mom to cosign for my then girlfriends college tuition (I wouldn't have done it if I didn't expect to marry her before she graduated). It's with Sallie Mae and has about an 11% interest rate. Well she left me a little over a year after that and we have been separate for about 5 or 6 years now. She promised that she'd find a way to make sure that it stayed paid but her degree was in art and work has been slow. I know she probably doesn't have too much money, and lately she hasn't been making payments at all and even more recently has stopped responding to any messages, I'm worried that she's trying to dump it and walk away. I really don't know what to do or if there's any legal action to take, or if because of the cosign we're just screwed. Any advice would be appreciated. (sorry if this should be in r/personalfinance)

Answer:
 Your mom owes the money if the ex stops paying.  Once your mom pays, she can sue your ex for the money.

Answer #2: If the payments have been made on time thus far and for several years, you may want to see if your ex is at least willing to ask for the cosigner to be released.  Many private loans allow that after a few years of on time payment.  You mention she hasn't been making the payments lately but don't way whether you guys have made them.  If you haven't and the loan is past due at this point this option will be a non-starter and your Mom will need to pay to avoid hurting her credit.


Title: Posession of Heroin with intent to sell

Question: So, my gf ordered heroin online. Shes in detox. While shes in detox, someone comes to me sitting outside and proceeded to tell me how hes looking for my gf because he has her mail. I tell him shes in detox but ill take it. He says “i do a little bit of powder every now and then but whats this?” I was desperate and withdrawing and trusted this guy so i told him its heroin. I told him its mine. He asked me for a finders fee and i told him i could try to sell some or just give him some. LONG story short, he was an undercover fed. So now they are trying to charge me with posession and intent to sell. I told him its my mail, so this is my charge now, im fine with taking the blame. I have no previous charges and am clean now. This is Florida btw. Whatre your thoughts of what could happen? I never pyschically had the mail in my hands. I only said that i know what it is. Is there a chance this could be dropped?

Answer: You need a criminal defense attorney immediately. You also shouldn't be posting about this on the internet or having any communication about the facts of your case, outside of communicating with your attorney.  These are very serious charges.


Title: Can police/the courts get into my medical files?

Question:
Or tis this a HIPPA violation?  Typically it **is** a HIPPA violation but let me give you some background.

I got a DUI in Alabala back in April.  I was really sloshed and got a "do not drink" order placed on me for one year.  Everything was going fine and I relapsed and am in the hospital now going through alcohol detox.  However, I have to attend a meeting tomorrow with the court system drug and alcohol abuse counselor and there is ZERO way I can go there.  Cancelling a meeting is not unheard of, I can reschedule and pay an additional fee.

So what do I do?
* Call the person and just say "I am in the hospital" and reschedule?
* Call and ask to reschedule and pay my additional fee?
* Any ideas from any of you out there?

Answer:
 The courts and police can access your medical records with a court order (subpoena or warrant) or with your permission.

I don't know if giving permission can be or is a condition of your probation, or if they can get a subpoena if they suspect something is up when you cancel.


Title: Friend was arrested for underage drinking. Served community service and record was expunged. Any legal standing to request local newspaper to remove arrest story w/ name?

Answer: No, there is not.  If the story is accurate, there's no issue.


Title: My dad's will

Question: My dad passed away on 2/26/16. :( My step mom is in charge of everything. I asked her the other day if I was in my dad's will and she said no which doesn't sound right to me, we had a good relationship. Unfortunately, I don't trust her 100%, is there some way to check without asking her to see it? I'm in NJ, They are in South Carolina.

Answer: SC attorney here. You need to get on top of this quick. If she is probating the estate, you only have a short amount of time to make a claim.


Title: Mailing a controlled substance, penalties if caught?

Question: Asking for a friend, for real. My friend makes a lot of bad choices. She’s been mailing (USPS) some of her prescribed benzodiazepines to another person who may be selling them, or maybe just takes them herself. If it matters, I believe the amount of pills mailed each time is less than 30. Friend’s location is Oregon, the pills go to New York. What kind of charges/penalties would my friend likely be facing if caught? I’m hoping to convince her to change her foolish ways.

Answer: Potentially?  Life in prison and an eight million dollar fine.Answer #2: The federal government takes drug trafficking pretty seriously, possibilities include spending a long time in jail with no possibility of parole.


Title: 2nd Degree Manslaughter grand jury hearing coming up what should i expect?

Question:
Hi guys,
This summer I witnessed a 18 year old girl get hit by a boat while she was on a Jetski incidentally, killing her. It was a high velocity impact.
I'm the main witness, I witnessed the whole event and was the person to attempt to revive her on a another boat. Today I received a call from the DA out if the blue asking if I could come in and talk to the grand jury. I'm nervous, because this is a difficult topic to talk about.
What kind of questions should I expect?
Who will be there?
Really just what should I expect. I understand it could be the beginning to a long process of court but that's about it.

Also, would I be able to get a copy of the police report I submitted? Is this not a good thing to do before the grand jury hearing?
Thanks all
This happened in Nassau County, New York
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: NAL, you should expect to describe what you saw and the series of events. If you don't know, say you don't know. Don't make guesses. Tell the truth, and be honest.


Title: My exgirlfriend stole my samsung tablet and is claiming it was a gift. I have proof that it wasn't, but is it enough bring to court?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Hey OP not legal advice but on the topic of moving on, most here seem to mean well and are just pointing out how it's not worth it. This is an entirely logical point of view that internet strangers can take because they have no emotional involvement and really they just want whats best for you.

After reading your posts I can honestly say if this was me and the tablet was worth a fiver I'd still go out of my way to get it back. Given what happened and how screwed over you might feel right now not letting your ex steal one more thing from you can be pretty therapeutic. It's not about money, it's about keeping your dignity or pride or however you may see it. So my point is that if there is a deeper emotion at play here and you feel this will help you move past her, follow up with the cops and sue her in small claims. Fuck being the bigger person. Best of luck.


Title: [WI] Friend woke up the neighbors, he got a ticket..

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The cops would have to prove you were drunk, were you? Even so the cops would've had to be on scene with a breathalyzer to charge you with anything


Title: Someone put urine in my tea last night.

Question: Got fast food last night and ordered large tea. Drank it some and it was terrible.  Asked a friend to try it. Terrible.  Smelled it... Smelled like rotten piss. I do toxicology as a lab assistant and I know what piss smells like. I guess now I know what it tastes like too. I brought it back and said there is something wrong here and she asked if I wanted something else. More tea? Soda? But I cant have anymore of what was in the cup because they already through it out... Should I call the cops? Is there anything I can do about it? Do fast-food chains keep cameras in their kitchens? I feel sick and embarrassed still.

Answer:
 Did you keep the tea?Answer #2:  Is it possible that it wasn’t urine, but rather a cleaning product that was improperly rinsed from equipment? Sounds more likely unless your sworn enemy works there.

Deployment of cameras through a restaurant is going to vary, but typically there would be cameras in front counter and drive thru booths, which is typically the general area where drinks are prepared.

Source: I work for a clown.Answer #3: Thats called assault with bodily fluids you can call the cops to report it.Answer #4: Definitely report to corporate and file a police report.  It's possible that the person urinated in the whole container of tea and not just in your cup.  If that's the case, you will not be the only person affected.  Hopefully other victims will step forward.Answer #5: Look, man, I sympathize with you, cause that's fucking gross, but without the tea, you've got no options besides a corporate complaint. And at that point, it's your word vs theirs.

The police aren't going to do anything. You're not sick, you didn't have to go to the hospital, and you don't have any visible reaction to it.

You gave the restaurant the evidence man...That's like the prosecution giving OJ the glove.


Title: Tree Hater

Question:
I recently bought a house in Washington state. The first interaction with my new neighbor consisted of him suggesting that we cut down a tree that is on my property because it blows leaves into his yard. I respectfully let him know I had no interest in cutting down the tree. My husband later let him know we will cut the branches closest to his house when the tree goes dormant to help keep the leaves at bay as much as possible. He has since mentioned that the roots are going to tear up my driveway. I believe this to be a scare tactic to get us to remove it as we are a seemingly naive young couple.

Last week he let me know that he has tried to take legal action in requesting a different neighbor cut down their dead tree because it is a hazard. I understand this concern, but the tree he is speaking to me about is healthy.

Recently we have noticed oddities when it comes to this neighbor and the tree. He has been dumping some sort of liquid around the base of the tree. He uses a big gulp cup which looks innocent enough, but I have a sneaking suspicion it's something hazardous. We also found two burnt logs at the base of the tree today. I am going to place cameras on the property line, but don't know if anything can reasonably be done as he is only pouring "soda" into our yard. Any advice would be helpful. Legally what are the next steps I should take to protect my beautiful tree?

Answer: DEFINITELY try to get a soil sample where you see him pouring liquid. The county should be able to test it for you, or direct you to an agency that will test it for you. You may have to pay a small charge for testing, but it shouldn't be much. If he's deliberately contaminating your property, that's an issue all by itself. Answer #2: I'd like to suggest something like a garden liner and a truck bed of fresh topsoil. Line the space around the tree, topsoil over that, and something delicate like Johnny-jump-ups in that topsoil. The pansies could be your canary in the coal mine. And if it is poison, the liner will help make the top layer of soil easy to remove. And you'd be able to have a for-sure before and after comparison, for sampling/testing purposes.


Title: This lady totaled my car, while I was parked. Her insurance denied my claim. (Oregon)

Question:
Hey all,

&#x200B;

So I am posting here because I really don't know what to do and don't have anyone to turn to for advice. My 2002 Honda Civic was parked in a state park parking lot, with me in the drivers seat and my friend in the passengers seat. My friend exclaims "holy shit" and I look up and this truck is backing up towards me at full speed. Her truck ends up running over the hood of my car. I got out, pretty pissed, and her husband/baby daddy/whatever he was got kind of confrontational and in my face. He told me, no lie, "well we are all white here so you don't have to worry about us fucking over you" (I did start to get worried at this point). She put her truck and drive and got off the hood of my car before I could get a picture of that, but I have pictures of pretty much everything else including the damage to both of our cars and I also have  witness who saw it go down.

&#x200B;

Now, my own stupidity comes into play here. My insurance had lapsed the week before because I told them I had moved. I know I shouldn't have been driving, the only reason I was was that my friend was in town visiting for two days and I wanted to take him on a hike.

&#x200B;

I tried to call the police, but they wouldn't come since no one was injured. At this point I started documenting everything, taking as many photos and candid videos as I could. They must have realized I was filming because they would no longer talk to me about the accident. The best I got was her husband saying "we didn't mean to hit you by all means, and I should look into suing the company that makes the floor mats because those got stuck". I filed a claim with her insurance but they denied me because they said the video was inconclusive. They actually came to tell me that this truck wasn't insured by the woman who hit me, so I don't know if they even have insurance on that vehicle.

&#x200B;

My car was not a valuable one, probably in the neighborhood of 12-1500$. What is my best course of action here? Small claims court? Suing her? Should I talk to a lawyer? My car is still at the auto body shop, and it's been probably 45 days since this happened. ALL I am trying to do here is not get fucked over by this lady. I wish she would have just contacted her insurance and told them what happened, but they could not get a hold of her despite trying over the course of a month.

&#x200B;

THANK YOU all for taking the time to read.

Answer:
 Sue her in small claims court for the cost to repair your car, the cost of a rental car, and the filing fees. Bring copies of the video to court (and a method to play it easily and clearly).

Unfortunately, this will not be a quick process.


Title: car destroyed by car parked next to it was attacked and set on fire, need advice

Question:
I have a jeep I use for recreational purposes(read uninsured) and that I owe a very small amount of money on, at 530 am this morning I woke to find my jeep and three other vehicles engulfed in flame. After the fire was put out and the arson investigator came, the owner of the vehicle that was attacked disappeared. Before this they claimed a scorned lover committed the attack and knew the vehicle that caused it. The overnight security guard who should have been on site for a full hour after the event was nowhere to be found. After speaking with the landlord who was pretty tight lipped immediately put the idea of their responsibility out of the question.. So here I am, down a car, with no answers and a scrap heap i have to haul off...Is ther anything I can do here to wind up not in the hole so to speak?

Edit: I am in Louisville KY, if that helps any

Answer:
 You can contact the guy who's car was sat on fire; he isn't liable but you need to be in the know.  If he can prove who did it then you can go after that party.

Also you can report the security guards negligence to his company they wouldn't have a responsibly to compensate.Answer #2: Correct me if I'm wrong: Someone set fire to a car parked adjacent to yours, and your car was destroyed as a result?

Your recourse is to sue the person who committed the arson, if/when they are identified.Answer #3: This is not exactly related to your question, but you need to take a look at your loan paperwork on the Jeep. It almost certainly requires you to keep the vehicle insured. The fact that you did not may allow the creditor to accelerate the debt. That means they may have a right to require you to pay the entire outstanding amount upon demand in one lump sum. Answer #4: Claims adjuster here. Also note that Kentucky requires an adjusters license, which I Dont have. The only person who you can pursue is the one who caused the fire. The landlord does not have any liability since as he did not set your vehicle on fire. For vehicles like these some insurance companies will sell comprehensive coverage stand alone (no liability) since they aren't going to be driven on roads but are still susceptible to weather theft and arson.


Title: [Texas] Mentally-ill neighbor being loud, erratic, and trespassing.

Question:
I don't really know if this is the right place but me and my neighbor, Karen, don't know what to do.

We live in Texas in a small condo development. They are more like houses, none share walls and we are all owners.

There are two set up in front, and 3 in a row in the back. Karen and I are in the row in the back along with a man named Anthony.

He is unstable. He is in his 30s or 40s but his dad purchased the condo for him and a ridiculously expensive porsche. He was fine for the first couple months here (quiet, never left the house.) But now he is off his fucking rocker and it's scaring everyone.

I will lay out the behaviors:
1. Screaming, I mean the loudest, angriest screaming you could ever imagine coming from a human. He has episodes where he screams constantly and intermittently in the middle of the night. He screams things like "YOU DID THIS TO ME!!! WHY ARE YOU ALWAYS DOING THIS!" He is not on the phone, and no one is around.

2. Screaming as above or talking to himself, while standing in his underwear, on his porch or front lawn, in 20 degree weather. This has happened 4 or 5 times now.

3. Getting in his car to leave down our driveway but stopping in the middle or it for 15 minutes and up. He just sits there, blocking people, won't drive. Me and Karen (as well as my dad) have also been behind him on the street before where he drives erratically and like a bat out of hell (60-70 in a 35.)

4. He will drive across Karen's lawn and park across his concrete entryway instead of in his driveway. I know it's hard to imagine but just imagine him parking in lawns and the grass and across the threshold to his front door instead of a parking spot. He always leaves on short trips in the middle of the night and will come back in a rage.

5. He has started his screaming fits and ended up knocking on Karen's side door almost nightly now. They both have a side and a back balcony/patio. The doors to their side patios are a few feet away and he will be knocking on her door while/after screaming in the middle of the night. She is terrified and has stopped sleeping at home.

6. His Dad was visiting him everyday even though he's in his 80s (another tip off to the mental illness.) But has stopped recently. He has no job.

Karen and I contacted the builders of the development to get the dad's phone number. One of the builders called him himself telling his dad of the complaints about him. He only said "He's not dangerous. He won't hurt anyone." And hung up. The police have been called and they have either not come out at all, come out hours later when he had calmed down, or most recently come and said that they can't do anything and for a restraining order he has to have hurt someone physically.

This behavior is extremely disturbing and terrifying for Karen especially when his nightly knocks on her side door come. We strongly suspect he is schizophrenic. He needs serious mental help and I have no idea what is possible for us to do. I understand police can't just show up and arrest him for being loud, but all the behavior is extremely concerning and erratic. He is terrifying when he gets in these rages. Is there anything at all we could or should do? We have already been recording every single incident in detail with timestamps and witnesses just in case.

Answer:
 I would video tape him doing anything illegal or harassing like driving across lawns and then call the police. Call EVERYTIME he does something. Tell the police you are worried about your safety. They will step up eventually.

And not sure about Texas but Karen should be able to get a restraining order based on the door knocking and lawn issues. Tell her to go the sheriff/court and request one.


Title: Roommate I sublease to (with no written agreement) mad I am two weeks behind on rent, changed locks, giving me two days to give him courtesy money and pick up things before he "donates" them.

Question:
Chicago, Illinois.

I have never met my landlord, he is elderly and give cash every month to my roommate who rents from the landlord. I was two weeks late on rent and did not respond to my roommates text asking me to let him know when I can pay. The last text he sent said he has changed the locks and his brother has moved into my room and my things are in the garage to be picked up. He also asked for $150 in a money order and $50 for the garage door opener he gave me which I lost.

I have somewhere to stay but (as shitty a roommate I am for not paying the rent) I was not given even a 7 day notice about this.

I plan to get my things with a police officer and to not pay old roommate money. He has done things in the past such as raising my rent suddenly and brought up how I have been late on rent before, but not for a few months and was eventually paid. I say this because I think I should be entitled to at least 7 if not 30 days notice of eviction? Really appreciate advice.

Answer:
 >I plan to get my things with a police officer and to not pay old roommate money.

Planning to get things with an officer is good.

Not paying what you owe is not.

Why haven't you been paying rent anyway? "I didn't feel like it" isn't a valid reason btw.


Title: I was held in county jail for 50 days and the case was dropped, do I have a wrongfull incarceration case?

Question:
*Final edit, called a few attorneys after we posted this.
You guys at /r/Legaladvice were right he does not have a case
I would like to thank every one for there responses especially /r/grasshoppa1, have a good one everybody!

On august 14th of this year, I was taken into dupage county jail for domestic battery. I was held for 50 days before receiving a recognizance bond, and yesterday the case was dropped/dismissed. Do I have a case for wrongfull incarceration? If so, what steps would I have to take in order to start persuing a lawsuit. This happened in dupage county IL.

*Edit: He went to the court once and they orverviewed the case but there was no verdict. This continued a few times without a verdict, until he eventually went to court for a bond reduction. He then returned once to court for that. After around 50 days of being incarcerated he received a recognizance bond and was released. Yesterday he went to court and the case was dismissed.

*Edit: What he actually did was he punched a family member in the back.

*Sorry I reposted noticed I messed up the title, and forgot to post my location.

*Edit: This is a friends case. Ill answer questions to the best of my ability but, Im just trying to see if theres anything we could do about the almost 2 months he spent in jail. I will edit in the future and post how this turns out.

Answer:
 You most probably don't. If the arrest was good, the incarceration was as well. Answer #2: What was wrongful about your arrest?Answer #3: Just because the case was dropped doesn't make it a wrongful arrest. And even if it were, these kinds of lawsuits are difficult to win under the best of circumstances. You could talk to a lawyer, but it would almost certainly cost you more money to pursue than you're interested in spending.Answer #4: IANAL.

>I was taken into dupage county jail for domestic battery. I was held for 50 days before receiving a recognizance bond, and yesterday the case was dropped/dismissed. Do I have a case for wrongfull incarceration?

Your friend wasn't in jail for 50 days before he got in front of a judge, though. There was a bail hearing *at most* a couple of days after he was arrested, and evidently bail was denied or set at an amount your friend would not or could not pay. His continuing incarceration was therefore judicially authorized and cannot be wrongful. The only way he would have a good claim is if the original arrest was illegal. Answer #5: Just because a case is dropped does not mean the arrest or subsequent incarceration was wrong. In fact, that is rarely what it means. Domestic battery charges are dropped all the time due to uncooperative witnesses.


Title: [USA NYC] If Mr Smith’s peacock lays an egg in Mr Jones’ yard, who owns the egg?

Answer: Mr. Smith. I mean, if I have a baby on your lawn how do you think that's going to work out? Answer #2: No one because peacocks don't lay eggs. Peacocks are male. Peahens lay eggs. Answer #3: So if this [peahen](http://i.imgur.com/eiP6IN5.png) that periodically roams my property lays eggs what do I do?  I have no idea who owns her as none of my neighbors have claimed her.  Is there such a thing as free roaming peahen egg ownership?Answer #4: To answer your question neglecting the peacock/hen debate, the egg belongs to Mr. Smith.  However, Mr. Smith is trespassing on Mr. Jones' yard, and is responsible for any damages incurred by Mr. Jones as a result.Answer #5: Peahens nest in trees, so if the egg was on the lawn, I'd be more concerned with who is responsible for cleanup.Answer #6: How many peacocks and peahens are there wandering around NYC?


Title: Fraud/Malpractice in probate case - Any suggestions?

Question:
This is the story about how my parents lost a $500,000 inheritance through no fault of their own.  If anyone has any applicable advice.   I'm sorry, my opinion of attorneys isn't very high this morning, but hopefully you all can change that.

My grandmother (RIP) had a boyfriend of over 20 years. They'd have been married but for the impact on social security and all that. My grandmother died in 2010, and her boyfriend lived on. For the last 4 years my parents took care of him as blood after Grandma died. They shuttled him to the VA for all his appointments, cooked for him, did anything that was needed. In 2012 his health deteriorated and he went into the hospital and it looked grim. The tough SOB gutted it out and pulled through. At that time it was determined that he could no longer live alone in rural Douglas County, so my parents spend a good sum of money and turned part of their basement into an apartment for him. He thrived and his health improved.

He had been a bachelor and had no children, only distant cousins and nephews who ignored him and did nothing to aid. He told my parents numerous times that he was so blessed to have them to take care of him. For the last 2 years he lived in their home, rent free, and they fed him, provided for him. All along he made it known that his entire estate would be theirs, including several valuable antique autos and tons of other assets.

Sadly in August of last year, he passed away in my mothers arms after having a stroke. My parents were executors and sole heirs to his estate. They entrusted the small town attorney that had drafted his will to handle the probate. Over the ensuing months my family and parents (who are in their 70s themselves) have worked hundreds of hours to clean and organize his home as he was a hoarder. We hauled off over 20 tons of trash from the home, tirelessly combing the contents for anything of value to put in an auction. We didn't get to the numerous outbuildings before winter, which are chock full of antique autos and parts.

Early estimates from trusted experts and auctioneer placed the conservative value at $400-500k at auction, which was to be held this spring.

Over the past 6 months my parents have contact the attorney numerous times and were assured everything was being handled. They took a month long vacation to Florida in February to get some relaxation time before my wife and I's second child arrives tomorrow.  Before they left my mother called to remind the attorney that they would be out of town and to let them know ASAP the court date and that it needed to be in March.    At this point, the attorney STILL had time to make the filing, but didn't.   And didn't confess that she had not.

They hadn't heard from the attorney all month long, and the estimated 6 months of probate was up. Finally after not getting any kind of response again, my mother became concerned. She contacted the county clerk and inquired as to when the date was set for the execution of the probate and was told nothing had been filed.

For 6 months the attorney assured my trusting parents that it was being handled. She strung them along, ultimately lying to them on Wednesday about being in court all day and unavailable. My parents drove to the small town on a whim and stopped at her office. No answer to the knocking. They left and drove around the block, and the attorney came out to leave. My parents confronted her and she confessed that in 6 months she had neglected to file the will with the county. Something that takes a matter of a few hours work. There is a 6 month limit to do so after death. The will is invalid, and the estate will revert to the same distant heirs which ignored this man his entire 90 years of life.

A second attorney consulted yesterday believes my parents can get reimbursed by the estate for any expenses they incurred while acting in good faith as executors. They have paid out thousands in utility bills and maintenance on the property, in cleaning it up for sale, in travel expenses.

The attorney is a one-person office. No malpractice insurance. Probably not a dime to their name.

My stomach is in knots. I feel badly for my parents. They have pensions and live comfortably, but this could have provided them with added security. They had also indicated of course that my sister and I would receive a substantial amount of this as inheritance, which was going to essentially pay for my childrens education. Now, that is not going to happen.

We live in Kansas, and that is the location of the estate.

Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 Under the facts of this case, a beneficiary who sought the timely admission of a will to probate but whose attorney failed to act in this manner despite false assurances to the contrary is an innocent beneficiary for purposes of K.S.A. 59-618 and may petition for belated admission of the will to probate within 90 days of regaining access to the will from the attorney.

http://www.kscourts.org/cases-and-opinions/opinions/ctapp/2008/20081121/99245.htm


Title: Telling employer about court date

Question: I am starting a new job, I'm from Illinois.  My court date is about a week and a half after I start for a criminal charge.  Now, what is the best way to go about getting time off for that day?  I only need half a day or so.  I am afraid if I tell them I'm going to court they could fire me.  I really need this job, it's high pay, and I need the best course of action.  Thank you.

Answer: I employ a bunch of people and deal with this more often than you'd think.  I suggest a very bland, direct approach "I have a legal obligation I have to fulfill on MM/DD.  I expect it to take about half the day."


Title: [NC, USA] My employers do not provide breaks for shifts 9+ hours long, and did not background check or drug test for a job requiring child care. This is bothersome, and I'm curious if it's even legal.

Answer:
 Not sure about the BG checks. As for breaks:

>Does your North Carolina employer provide meal or rest breaks? Then consider yourself lucky: Neither federal nor state law requires them. You might be surprised to learn that the law doesn’t give employees the right to time off to eat lunch (or another meal) or the right to take short breaks during the work day. Employees must be paid for shorter breaks they are allowed to take during the day. However, employers are not required to provide these breaks in the first place.


Title: My neighbors abandoned their dog and we want to adopt it.

Question:
Context: A couple weeks ago a ambulance took one of my neighbors to the hospital (They are a couple and the wife has diabetes I think. Not sure what happened because I live in a rural suburban area where people don’t really interact with neighbors). They have a Alaskan malamute which they keep fenced in their backyard. A couple days ago we started to hear whining but weren’t sure what to do as their car was still in the driveway. Fast forward to today and the dog broke out and broke through one of the other neighbors fences and started knocking on their kitchen door. They tried to get into the owners house and asked around but no one knows anything so because they already have a god they are taking care of it and going to ask at the vets around us if anyone knows anything about the dog. Right now it seems like the owners  are just gone (answering machine full, still have a note on their door from when  the electricity meters got switched two weeks ago) so if no one shows up soon we might take the dog in because I’m not so sure about giving it to protective services. We have never owned a dog and don’t have a fence but we have a large backyard so we could keep it on our porch till we can build one. Any advice on what to do and on how to proceed would be appreciated.
UPDATE: We went over to the owners house and there’s a empty dog bowl which looks like it’s been empty for a couple days.

Answer:
 You need to be clear here: are you looking to take care of the dog in the absence of your neighbours (ie, you are willing to return the dog if the owners return and want him back) **or** do you want to legally adopt the dog?

If the latter, you need to discuss this with your local animal shelter. Quite often, they need to hold the dog for X days waiting for an owner to claim it, and then the dog is available for adoption. Answer #2: >the dog broke out and broke through one of the other neighbors fences and started knocking on their kitchen door.

That's a very polite dog.Answer #3: I would call your local animal control or shelter and ask them. Some states/cities have a minimum hold time before the shelter can assume ownership of the dog. After that time has gone by they can adopt the dog out and then you’ll have paperwork from the shelter. (Not a lawyer)Answer #4: Has anyone called the police to do a wellness check on your neighbors? Called around to any hospitals, filed a missing person's report, etc.?Answer #5: In our state (AZ) it is best to take the dog to animal control and tell them you intend to adopt the dog if owners do not respond.  They will hold the dog and then you can legally adopt it if owners do not come and claim.


Title: [NY] Advice for an old speeding ticket

Question:
Two years ago I received a speeding ticket for 22mph over the limit. I was speeding, but upon receiving the ticket, the officer told me to plea not guilty and that if I kept my record clean between then and the court date he would dismiss the ticket. So, I plead not guilty and sent the ticket in within the next few days.

About a month ago, I received a letter in the mail from the courthouse saying that I had a court appearance date for November 2017. At this point, I had forgotten about the ticket because it had been so long since receiving it. Also, I currently reside in Chicago and no longer live in the state of New York. I sent a letter in the mail requesting that my appearance date be changed to when I would be in New York again, and specifically stated from 12/26 to 12/29. They rescheduled my appearance date to Mid January of 2018, and I will not be able to appear on that date.

Can you please answer a few questions for me?

* If I do not appear in court and my NY license is suspended, what are the repercussions?
* Do the circumstances change if I now have an Illinois license?
* Would it be wise to call the courthouse to try to explain my situation and get the date changed again?
* Would it be wise to call the officer and explain my situation and ask him what I should do?
* What are the costs involved with hiring a lawyer from your firm?
* Generally, what are the costs involved with this kind of a situation?
* Why are they processing this ticket 2 years from the occurrence. If I had received points they would be null by now. Is there some kind of statute of limitations?

Thank you for taking time to read this post!

**Edit: Formatting**

Answer:
 1. You can get a bench warrant for your arrest.
2. No, they do not change.
3. You can try.  Likely, the courts are closed on the dates you'll be in town due to the holidays.
4. No, the officer has no control over the court date.
5. Varies from state to state.  Contact New York's bar association and ask for a referral and get some prices.
6. You pay the fines, get points on your license, and move on.  Your insurance premiums might also go up.
7. Who knows?  You might have violations you're unaware of.


Title: Have a signed agreement with private party that has been fulfilled as stated yet they're trying to sue me again.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: No, you just file as your defense that a new agreement was made to settle the old and you are in compliance with the new agreement.


Title: [NC, Mecklenburg County] Received speeding ticket for the first time, 23 over 70

Question:
Hello, r/legaladvice! Completely clean record and no previous PJCs. I was traveling at I-485 early morning with basically no traffic around. As I was heading down a downhill section, a state trooper chased me and pulls me over to the side. He just asked to see my license, and ran a check to the license. He comes back with the ticket with a mandatory court appearance date. Did some research on my ticket and my speed was **measured by Lidar**.

It turns out that my violation is a Class 3 misdemeanor and that I have to appear in court and my license might be revoked if convicted.

Do I go to court myself or do I need an attorney to get a lesser fine? Can the case be possibly dismissed (if at all)? Do I go with a PJC to avoid insurance points? This is a first time for me so I am completely lost. Thanks to those who will help me out!

(edited for better detail of the event and clarity)
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Yes you want an attorney if you are facing a misdemeanor charge that will leave you with a criminal record.

>  Can I have the case dismissed?

On what possible grounds do you think it would be dismissed?

> This is a first time for me so I am completely lost.

It's not complicated. You were driving dangerously fast and got caught and now you face these consequences. You may or may not get to keep your license.Answer #2: So, you were going 93 in a 70?

Call an attorney in Mecklenberg County that does a lot of traffic cases.  First offense, they'll likely be able to get it reduced substantially.

Yes, it's possible to do yourself.  But, you don't want to F' around with a misdemeanor on your record.

How to find an attorney?  Google "Mecklenburg NC traffic attorney," find somebody who does traffic plus other stuff, and who's been doing it for at least a few years.  That last part is important -- they'll have relationships with the DA's office and will be able to give you the benefit of experience.

A benefit of Mecklenburg is that there's a lot of competition among attorneys there, so you probably won't pay more than a few hundred dollars for attorney's fees.


Title: Taxes for online camgirl. Please help.

Question: I worked on a porn site and got payed for it and my parents still do my taxes and I know I'll have to pay taxes on my porn money. How do I take care of this without my parents knowing! I'm really worried and I've never done taxes before. Please help.

Answer:
 > How do I take care of this without my parents knowing!

File your own taxes.Answer #2: If you're in the US, buy a copy of H&R Block's tax prep software.  Or just go down and talk to them.  Tell your parents you want to do your own taxes this year with help from a pro so you can be more responsible.Answer #3: If all you have is earned income (money you got from a job) and you don't own any real estate or investments (stocks, mutual funds, etc.), then doing your taxes is easy. I did all of mine by myself from the time I was 16 until I was 24. In fact, you probably qualify to use the [1040EZ](http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040ez.pdf), which is called that because it's easy to use. It's only one page (plus one page of instructions) and you have from now until April 15 to figure out what all the different boxes are for.

You can do it. If you're old enough to do sex work, you're old enough to not have your parents doing your taxes for you.Answer #4: Another place where you could ask is be /r/taxes.


Title: If ex-roommate gives me power of attny to pick up her guns from law enforcement (they removed them when she was arrested), can I keep them? (more details inside).

Question:
[had a few to drinks tonight, so mind the errors, rants]

Preface: SO... A friend mine was stalking her ex-bf for a half year...  calling and harassing him 100's a times a day.  Eventually she ends up in jail for 45 days because she ignored the Protective order.

While she was in jail, her apartment was evicting her and I solely moved all her stuff into my house, saving her entire stuff/ life.  Anyone else close to her is in NY, so it was me or nothing.  I gave her my guest bedroom for as long as she needed... with her dog. While she was living here for a few months (not charging her anything at all, but supplied her food, utilities, etc..... - not that this matters...).

My problem is that the entire time she was here, she knowingly let her dog pee and poop inside the house.   She would open her door, dog would run out unattended, pee or poop somewhere inside the house, dog would go back in and she would shut her door.

   After she moved out, I went upstairs with a black-light (it shows protein in dog urine as a yellow spot on the carpet) and the entire upstairs carpet, especially in her room, was covered with her dogs urine. I had to buy a lot of enzyme cleaners, and still I have the smell of dog pee on hot days.  One time I asked her, "You don't have to be succesfull at it, but can you at least 'attempt' to potty train your dog?".  She refused!

 One thing I want to rant about, is that I made a turkey sandwhich from the fridge one night....  next day she complained that I was eating her turkey, which I actually wasn't (I later found out it was turkey I bought). But instead of saying anything, I bought 3 HUGE packages of turkey (passive aggressive?), thinking she would apologize about getting onto me - but instead she took that turkey and hid it in her room, without refrigeration, for 2 days before she left.   It was a LOT of turkey.   Yeah, wtf indeed.

When she moved out, she didn't txt me or say thanks, or even a little note saying, "Thanks for saving my stuff, and for housing me and my dog".   Nope.  Just left, even leaving behind a fresh crap in the living room that was very visible.

Another quick rant...   two days before she left, she asked me if she could borrow 400 bucks.   I knew she was never going to pay me back, so I said I don't have it.   I completely believe she just tried to scam me.

So.....

Before she left, she asked me if after a year, she could give me power of attorney to pick up her two guns from the police that was taken when she was initially arrested, then ship them back to her.

My question is, if I go get them, can I tell her, "Nope, you're a  dangerous person, plus, my carpet i ruined.   I'm keeping them.
???

forgot to mention that her attny was able to get all charges dropped.

Answer:
 She's setting you up for a problem on the guns. She most likely knows she can't legally have them and she's trying to use you to get them back. Those subject to a restraining order of an intimate partner are forbidden transfer of a firearm under USC 18 922.

The only way I could possibly see your taking possession of the firearms would be if she 'sold' them to you with a bill of sale, and you somehow worked out the transfer with the police - But they're not FFLs and aren't in the business of transferring firearms afaik, so it's an odd deal. The police aren't just going to give you the guns. You need to fill out a 4473, pass a background check, have applicable permits, etc.

Your remedy here is probably to pursue her civilly. Take pictures of the damage, keep receipts, etc.


Title: [Update] Mother trying to use positive drug test for medical marijuana to take custody of my daughter

Question:
Previous post: https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3hfxd8/mother_trying_to_use_positive_drug_test_for/

She filed a child abuse claim and requested emergency custody. In order to make her claim sound better she said I locked my daughter in a closet at night and that she heard me in the background of phone calls talking about buying drugs. Apparently that was all it took because her request was granted. (No, none of that is true) We have a hearing next week. And she is using this time with her to tell her that her father is a bad person and she shouldn't love me or be around me. I don't know what to do. I am despondent.

Answer:
 Hire attorney

Find a counselor who has experience working with children involved in contentious custody battles. Get orders for child to attend counseling. Answer #2: Alienation of affections by one parent against the other is frowned on a lot in custody matters. Often custody is lost altogether by the accusing parent.

It is not uncommon BUT you need a family law specialist. If you can't afford one, check out legal aid and the local law schools. they have clinics which are supervised by professors that love to sink their teeth into this stuff.

Be prepared that whatever medical condition necessitates Medical Marijuana will be brought up


Title: IL here. My future father-in-law is cancelling the wedding and threatening us with a lawsuit. Help?

Question:
Like the title says. Father-in-law got mad at us and is canceling the wedding. They have signed every contract for the wedding (reception, photographer, DJ, etc.)

Can they sue us to for the money they have already spent on the wedding?

Answer: Sure they can sue you. Will they win? Unlikely unless they have something showing you agreed to reimburse them.


Title: Is this HR Legal for retail companies?

Question:
I work for a local popular retail electronics company. My department is getting split up into two groups. I was told about a potential job but no head count on what was going to be given as part-time and full-time. I want a full-time job in my company. They said they potentially could with this department but could not guarantee. I told them I was interested ONLY if I was full-time.

I hear from another associate that is moving into that department that I am going to be in that department too. This would be switching job titles. I never got a formal offer from either my department boss nor my store manager. I have always been given a formal offering in all the jobs that I have taken at any of the companies I have worked at. This does not make sense that they can just move me over into another department without fully giving me an interview about it. The interview would discuss numbers and how we would conduct things in that department.

I think this is real sketchy that my employer is doing this and hope some legal advice can be given.

Answer:
 Nothing about this is illegal, not remotely.Answer #2: In the US, unless you have an employment contract that specifies otherwise, an employer can change who your boss is, or change what your job is, or change what department you work in, or change your job title.

One of the few things they can't change is to change your pay downward such that you're making below minimum wage.

It's a bad idea in the long term if the company wants content employees who don't look for new jobs, but there's no law against bad ideas.  Yet.


Title: Got a parking ticket for overnight parking in an area with no signs warning against it, worth the fight? (NJ)

Question:
Writing for a friend, who parked overnight on a street with no signs indicating that overnight parking is prohibited.  She has pictures of the street that show this.   The ticket is only $20 but she is mad enough and has off work already to fight the ticket.  Would it even be worth the battle, or would they just laugh, and make her pay the ticket + court fees?

Additional info: I looked up the borough parking statuetes and it does mention parking is prohibitted in the whole town from 2am to 6 am. Without an insignia.  This is new to that town, her sister has lived on that street for a few years and only recently has the change been enacted. However, how is someone supposed to know without any signs or warnings in place?

Conclusion: just paid the ticket.  Seems really dishonest of the town of collingswood to enforce that without posting it anywhere physically.  Lesson learned.

Answer: Dollars to donuts there is a sign on the way into town warning of the overnight parking restrictions.


Title: I got my first DUI in California, Should I get a lawyer?

Question:
Here's the story:
Partying at friends house, got pretty drunk decided to drive home and ended up hitting the center divider curb making a left turn. My airbags deployed, front bumper hanging and two flat tires. I pulled into a very near by parking lot and parked my car in a parking spot. I got out to look at the damage. Minutes later a cops pulls into the parking lot. Shit. He starts asking me questions to which I don't all completely recall. I do remember asking if I was detained to which he replied yes. Other questions where asked which I may have admitted to driving and having a couple drinks. He does some sobriety tests. Ask to take a breathalyzer test to which I refuse and then am arrested, taken in to do a blood test and stay the night in jail.

SO based on me possibly admitting to drinking and driving stupidly  being drunk I don't think I have a chance of completely fighting it.

BUT what I want to know if its necessary I get a lawyer to minimize my charges and make sure I don't get any further jail time.
Topic:
DUI

Answer:
 >  I do remember asking if I was detained to which he replied yes.

LOL. Damn, all that Reddit legal training out the window!


Title: Help!!! I've been accused of groping girls by a classmate who is a guy.

Question: Hi. I've never posted just lurked here befoore, I know this community is great and supportive, so I need a little help. I am a sophmore guy in HS and a classmate who is a guy who I don't even know, is telling underclassmen, 14 year olds, that I grope girls at my high school, not even as a joke, and telling then tonreport me to the police and their parents. Now my school is pretty nice, suburban, well funded, etc. But I'm asian, a serious miniority. As a result everyone knows me, and Im a target. I've never touched anyone other than my close female friends in a hug or pat on the back. I have anxiety and Im.breaking down right now, if anyone has anything I can do to protect my friends and I l, please Im scared, home alone, and loosing my mind.

Answer:
 You need to nip this in the bud before it spreads.  Tell your parents to set up a meeting with the vice principal who is in charge of discipline.  This guy needs to be punished before too many people hear of it.Answer #2: Go to your school administration, ideally with your parents, and /or a trusted teacher. Explain the problem.

The magic words you should use are "I hope I don't have to get a lawyer involved," administrations are terrified of lawyers in any context.

If that does not work, actually get a lawyer.


Title: How illegal is this? Friend working for vector marketing.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Sounds like fraud to me, and he would definitely get fired.

That being said, Vector Marketing is a bullshit multi-level marketing company that takes advantage of people.  Your friend should find a legitimate job with legitimate, non-contingency pay.


Title: Car insurance company refuses to cancel policy. (AR)

Question:
Basically, I tried to cancel through my agent a few times but I couldn't get anyone to return my call. Called the 1800 number and they said I would get a cancellation email from my agent within a few days. I stopped paying the premium and just found a different insurer.

I never got that email from my agent but I stopped paying my policy so I thought that would send the message. I was fully covered by a completely different insurance company.

The old insurance company keeps demanding payment. After repeated calls and emails they finally cancel the policy but in order not to charge me for 5 months of policy and assorted late fees they want proof that I had insurance from another company.

I have no problem providing them with this information but when asked why I had to provide it they said it was legally required that they have proof I was insured by someone else. I also bought a new car during this time (which my new insurance new about and had a policy for that). My old insurance is  saying they need the information for the new vehicle as well.

Is that true? What if I cancelled my policy and stopped driving.

My old insurance agent said he needs to send my new agent a letter?

It is just a big hassle. Like why can't I just leave that insurance agency? I tried to cancel. I couldn't. I stopped paying. Paid someone else hoping they'd get the message.

They wouldn't have covered me if I had a wreck anyway. Their own policy states insurance is cancelled after 10 days of nonpayment.

It is a lot to go through for just $120 a month.

What am I legally required to give them?

Edit: I actually just checked with my new insurance agent  and he said my old agent is stupid and that I didn't need to send him anything because everything that needs to be sent to him or the state has been already. He told me keep the emails I sent trying to cancel and I should be good. But he has  seen the same bullshit from the same guy before and it is all false.

Answer:
 What insurance company do you use.. I use allstate and if payments stop going through, coverage stops. If I get into an accident when my payments have lapsed they won't cover me, therefore it would be unfair to say I owe them money for services I couldn't have rendered. They can try to get you to pay, but you have no requirement to and they can't go after you for unpaid fees.

It might vary state to state and I'm not a lawyer so you might want to check with one.


Title: My stepsons father keeps threatening to call the cops and child protective services on my wife and I for being parents to a teenager. We are not being abusive in any way. How do I stop this? What if he follows through with this threat?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > How do I stop these threats.

You don't. If the cops or CPS show up, you can refuse to talk to them without a lawyer if you don't want to, or you can explain the situation to them and let them do their job.Answer #2: > consequences will be if they are or are not followed

Well isn't that nice and vague.

If any of those "consequences" are physical, or may otherwise constitute abuse, you should stop.

Nothing you can do is going to make him stop threatening to call CPS. If he does make a report they will investigate. If the report is baseless they will see that.