Title: Suspicious landlord is attempting to cancel my lease and committing fraud

Question:
Hi Reddit, heres an explanation of my landlord that is breeching his contract and possibly commiting fraud

Couldn't really explain it in the title, but I will be up in the Phoenix area for an internship in a week. After searching for a few months on a place that was close to my office, I finally found a place that seemed perfect and was at a good price in which I could sublet for only 2 months.

I found the place through a craigslist ad, and was a little suspicious at first by the way the landlord spoke  through email, but eventually signed an official lease and everything seemed fine. I paid for the first month and the security deposit and had everything written out and signed, then after a week the landlord's "boss" contacted me and stated that the landlord messed up and was supposed to collect the first AND last months rent, as the "normally do" because they don't do background checks. I was very iffy about sending it, but thought it could have been possible and paid him for what would be the full (2 month) stay, paying him through my bank.

So everything seems fine, and I am expecting to move in in what was roughly 6 days when I get a poorly worded text this morning stating that the landlords boss and him got in an "argument" and that the boss wanted me to stay a minimum of 3 months (though in my contract I have a signed 2 month agreement). His speech seems off, and then he rambles about how I need to make a better counter offer and that he's on my side and he found someone that would take over that third month, but asked if I could "send the money for that month now, and get reimbursed in a few weeks once that tenant gets his rent check."

So clearly this has fraud written all over it to a degree that is laughable. And additionally the landlord refuses to answer my or my parents calls and only texts us. So I write long messages back stating that he is breeching his contract, and that we will not pay for a third month. I told him that I had a contract for 2 months and intent to move in on that date in a week. While I would normally just cancel with a guy like this, nearly every other place in my budget is a very far commute, and I don't think I will be able to get another place before my start in such a short span. The guy then tells me that this is the only way I will be able to live there, and refuses to allow me to stay if i don't pay for the extra month.

I then told him that if he does not allow to me to stay during these dates, that i will prosecute him in small claims court for a failure to deliver possession, and he just replied with "Okay!". So I'm wondering what my next step is. Its very possible that this guy could just be completely scamming me and I might not get my money refunded at all. I have receipts from when I sent him the rent money originally and have his number. I really need to stay at this place, but am not familiar with the cost or amount of effort taking this to court would be. Should I just try and get my money back and get out? Thanks for reading

Answer: Have you seen the apartment? Have you met this landlord? This screams rental scam.


Title: Cancelled Gym Membership

Question: Hey guys I need some serious help here. Sorry in advance if this is poorly formatted, I'm using my phone. So I cancelled a gym membership in December and was told it would be cancelled as long as it was done before January 14th (so that it didn't renew a yearly membership) And money is still coming out of my account; 98 dollars biweekly. I have been going in and complaining and every time the sales rep says it is taken care of nothing changes. I have made a stop payment request through my bank and it is still being withdrawn every other week. I don't know what to do someone please give me some advice. I live in Ontario, Canada, if that information changes anything.

Answer:
 If you have proof that you cancelled the membership then demand a refund, in writing, sent certified. Answer #2: The sales rep can say whatever he/she wants. Until you get it in writing nothing will change. If you have a copy of the cancellation bring it with you to the gym and the bank.

File a complaint with the Better Business Bureau, call the gym's corporate office (If they have one), and file a complaint with the bank branch manager about the stop payment


Title: Is marijuana in an empty pill bottle paraphernalia?

Question:
Getting charged with paraphernalia in Ohio for having marijuana in an empty pill bottle. I guess the pill bottle is being put forward as paraphernalia. This doesn't seem right to me. Is this legit?

Reading [this](http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2925.14) it says "(10) A capsule, balloon, envelope, or container for packaging small quantities of a controlled substance;" and I mean.. I guess it is that but it's the same thing as a baggie. But people don't get charged with paraphernalia for a baggie.

Answer:
 > But people don't get charged with paraphernalia for a baggie.

The fact that they *don't* doesn't mean that they *can't*.  Based upon that statute, they could.

Even if they don't, however, that's not a defense for you.Answer #2: >  container for packaging small quantities of a controlled substance

Otherwise known as a "pill bottle".Answer #3: OP, knock it off with this bullshit about baggies. It's not a legal argument and all you're doing is pissing people off.

You know what would matter? If you had case law where someone was acquitted of possessing paraphernalia because the judge made a finding of law that a baggie isn't paraphernalia. Then you'd at least have an analogous case and something to argue.

But that almost certainly has never happened, and "but lots of other people could have been charged in similar circumstances and weren't" *isn't* a legal argument and is not the basis of a defence. Answer #4: This thread has been linked to from another place on reddit.

- [/r/bestoflegaladvice] [Baggies: Paraphernalia or Convenient Sandwich Carrying Case?](http://np.reddit.com/r/bestoflegaladvice/comments/2yh8j6/baggies_paraphernalia_or_convenient_sandwich/)

[](#footer)*^If ^you ^follow ^any ^of ^the ^above ^links, ^respect ^the ^rules ^of ^reddit ^and ^don't ^vote. ^\([Info](/r/TotesMessenger/wiki/) ^/ ^[Contact](/message/compose/?to=\/r\/TotesMessenger))* [](#bot)


Title: Shoplifting, additional planted evidence [NJ]

Question:
I was recently arrested for shoplifting at a place I worked (supermarket), and plead guilty, because my public defender said there was not much I could fight. Now though, I'm finding out that they kept the CCTV footage of that day, which would potentially help my case. The incident happened as follows:

- I took 3 items off of the shelves, and proceeded to walk to the exit of the store. The items were not concealed, just held in my hands.
- Before I exited the store, the store manager stopped me and asked me if I had paid for the items yet, I replied no, and he told me to put the items back.
- I took the items and put them back.
- I go back up front, and the assistant store manager tells me to go get the items.
- He walks with me to where I left the items, I get them, and go back up front with him.
- The store manager is adamant that I had more items than what I brought up, but brings me into his office anyway.
- The assistant store manager leaves the office, goes to the shelves, and takes two more items off of the shelves. I didn't witness this but it would be shown by their security footage.
- The assistant store manager then takes all of the items (the 3 items I had, plus the two he took of the shelves), and rings them up, and on the charges and evidence it's those items listed.

Long story short, additional evidence was added to items I had in my possession, and used in the criminal charge set against me. I'm not concerned by a he-said she-said because their security footage would show him going to the shelves and taking them off, and those items being on a sheet listing the items stolen.

Is this something in which I could use to appeal my case? I understand that appealing a case in which you plead guilty would be very hard, but I feel as if I have additional evidence for my case.
Is this something that could affect the outcome of my case? Is there a difference, as far as prosecution is concerned, in which additional planted evidence helps my case?

Thanks again for any help, I know it's a long read. Just don't know where to go from here.

Answer: The number of items doesn't really matter, unless the price raised the amount to felony shoplifting level. It sounds like you got caught shoplifting 3 items, and your attorney was right. There is almost no defense with the video and you were better off not fighting it and taking jail time. The extra two items wouldn't make any real difference


Title: (CO/FL) Airlines refusing to accept cash for fees at the airport

Question: So, you go to the airport to check in for your flight and check your luggage. There is a $25 fee to check a bag, and you hand the airline representative cash and they refuse it, saying they only accept credit cards. Is it legal to refuse to take US dollars for payment? Does it depend on the state?

Answer: Yes it is legal. The "legal tender" bit some people try to use is only for debts. This is not a debt so they cannot be forced to accept cash.


Title: My GF's ex has stopped paying child support for their daughter and his lawyer agrees. How is this possible?

Question:
First the facts. We live in Alberta, Canada. He makes over $60,000 a year and is remarried. They have been divorced for over two years.

So here is what I know. He has suddenly sent notice that he will only pay $50 a month (previous amount unknown right now but it was far more) per month as he has found a way to cheat his income statement as showing he is self employed (?) and doesn't need to pay anything anymore. This does not make sense to me.

This throws everything upside down for the mother's financial statements and now disqualifies her for a pre-approved mortgage to finally get a larger home closer to her work.

Her lawyer does not seem to help in answering questions and going to bat for her and as she was assigned with Legal Aid, I am hoping we can request a new lawyer.

Is there anything I can look up, ask her lawyer about and basically put us on the right track to put things back in the legal manner that is suppose to support single parents?

(I think the fathers employer has helped to let the father get away with this, personal opinion)

Answer:
 OP- *If* the ex's child support was based on a percentage of his income, and *if* the ex was converted from being an employee to a 1099 contractor (or the equivalent in Canada), it's not inconceivable that what you're describing could be happening. I obviously have no idea if either of those two items are true, but it's the most obvious way that could make what's happening legal per your narrative.

Your GF clearly needs to go back to court, asking for specific proof of income, and to make sure the ex has to pay a flat rate (not a percentage) for child support.


Title: Can I pursue legal action if I left me keys in my car

Question:
North Carolina
I was going to a restaurant tonight and as per usual I left my keys in my car. I know this is a large liability, but I am okay with that. The problem arises that while I was dining a person came and locked my car with the keys inside. I realize that they might have been trying to be a Good Samaritan, but my keys were in the seat so I  am thinking it might be malicious.

Is there a legal recourse for getting a reimbursement for the cost of a locksmith or am I SOL?

Answer: No. And that's a fantastic way to get your car stolen.Answer #2: No. You are SOL. Just be thankful you aren't SOACar. Don't be stupid. Lock your car and put your keys in your pocket. I honestly can't tell if this is a troll post.


Title: Employer threatening termination due to calling out for special needs child

Question:
Hi everyone,

We are in California and in a public school district. Some details have been changed to protect privacy. My knowledge of this situation does not breach any privacy laws.

I know of a man who has to call out of work often due to his special needs daughter’s behavior at school. The student has an Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

This Dad has to call out of work 1-2 times a month in order to pick his child up, attend meetings with the principal, etc. Sometimes he is able to go back to work but sometimes he has to call out the rest of the day.

The issue is that he has recieved multiple warnings at his job about calling out so much. Apparently his employer has threatened firing him if it continues. I do not know what he does or where he works.

The school does not excessively call him to come to school. Certain circumstances require a parent to be present ASAP. They try as much as possible to speak over the phone rather than bringing him to campus.

I imagine that the issue is that when he has to come to campus it is often last minute. He pretty much has to leave work immediately when he gets that phone call to go to the school. He is now worried about even scheduling a meeting with weeks in advance because he fears losing his job.

Is there anything that he can do to protect his employment? As I stated before, the school wants to support him and his child as much as they can. They are very compassionate and I would be able to pass on advice.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Any advice would be appreciated!

Answer:
 No, regularly leaving work without notice because of school behaviors is not protected by any medical leave.

He needs to find someone else to help with the child or find a job that can accommodate his childs needs. Or a school that can accommodate the child better


Title: [NS, Canada] Airbnb host trying to charge me a $150 cleaning fee for dog hair and "illegal drugs".

Question:
**tl;dr:** The host of my Airbnb is asking me to pay an additional $150 cleaning fee, citing dog hair and illegal drugs left over on the premises, and I need to know what my recourse is/options are. Here is the full story:

Over the weekend, I booked an Airbnb for my friend's bachelorette party. There were 7 of us in attendance, and three dogs.

When I booked the Airbnb, I asked about dog-friendliness in a message to the host. He called me directly and we spoke on the phone. He said it was fine to have the dogs there as long as I cleaned up any hair, which I verbally agreed to.

We arrived at the Airbnb on Friday at 3:00 p.m. and left on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. We had every single window open in that house all weekend, because the weather was good. The three dogs spent 80% of their time outside playing in the yard, not even in the house.

On Saturday, we needed to use the compost bin underneath the sink. When we opened it we discovered human fecal matter inside the compost (we assumed it was baby poop, but honestly, we don't know.) The smell was gag-inducing and permeated the entire kitchen. We took the compost outside and one of us removed the fecal matter and disposed of it in the larger compost. The next morning we hosed the entire bin, soaped it up, and left it to soak on the back deck so the next guests would not have to deal with the smell. My friends advised me to tell the host about this so that if there was any residual smell, we would not be blamed for it.

On Sunday morning, we cleaned from 6:30 a.m. until the time we left. We did the following to clean:

\-removed all decorations

\-rinsed and bagged cans

\-did all of the dishes

\-disposed of all garbage as per the house rules

\-packed our personal items

\-followed house directions re: leaving sheets on the bed and putting used towels in the bathtub

\-tidied, generally

\-swept the floor surfaces both upstairs and downstairs (multiple people did this)

Don't know if this is relevant, but we also replenished their sugar and tea and left condiments in the fridge for the next guest. My point is, I feel we were doing our best to be respectful, conscientious guests.

I sent the host a message when we left saying we had put the key in its intended spot and gave him a head's up about the poop in the compost bin. He apologized for that.

A few hours later, he sent me a second email saying he was "not overly pleased" at reports of "a lot of dog hair" and weed and hash left over at the house. He said he would notify me if an additional cleaning fee would be charged.

It turns out our group mistakenly (obviously mistakenly!) left behind one sealed, airtight jar of weed (maybe 4 grams?) and one sealed, airtight jar of hash (I don't even know how much. Not a lot. We didn't even use any of it, it was given as a gift and it was brought 'just in case' and never got around to using it. None of us are hash smokers.)

When I read this email, I replied immediately because I was embarrassed about the drugs. I apologized profusely and said that it was an obvious error, and assured him nothing was smoked inside. I asked him where the dog hair was, and reiterated that we had swept the floors multiple times.

The host took pictures of the jars of weed and hash. He also took one picture of a few tufts of dog hair on the floor (which he must have swept for twenty minutes to accumulate. It's obviously not a great deal of hair, even in the picture.)

He sent a request on Airbnb for $150. He said the stay cost him $200 in cleaning, two cleaners on site for 5 hours at $20/hr. He said he had to wash the master bed sheets "three times" because dogs were in the bed (I didn't even stay in that bed, my friend did, and she said she wiped hair off the duvet before she left and that the dogs weren't in the sheets). He said the house was "covered in dog hair" and they had to "air the house out for 4 hours because of the smell" (We had every window in that house open. All. Weekend.) He finally said that this along with cleaning "numerous examples of illegal drugs" makes him think it's "more than fair" for him to charge me for the direct costs for the cleaning.

What should I do here? I did not (but wish I had) take pictures of the empty, clean house before we left. He has pictures of weed, hash, and a tuft of dog hair.

On Airbnb, I have the option to pay him, refuse to pay him (which I believe puts me through to a mediation person from Airbnb), or offer him a different amount of money. I haven't selected anything yet and I have until the 16th to decide what to do. Please help me figure out what the correct course of action is here, this has never happened to me before and I am out of my depth.

Answer:
 Lmao, accidentally left a ton of weed and you didn't vacuum up your dog hair.

Yeah pay the man. Answer #2: I believe I’d shut up and pay vs possibly him going to the cops for the illegal drugs.  Dogs do shed everywhere, and they do smell quite a bit to those who aren’t used to them.  $150 is not unusual for a pet cleaning fee for three dogs, so it doesn’t sound as if he’s trying to extort or rip you off.


Title: Neighbor won't leave me alone (Illinois)

Question:
Hello,

So a few months ago I met my downstairs apartment neighbor who was going through many hellish problems and I grew close to her. Eventually I grew close to her and things got fairly sexual. There were many reasons that this was inappropriate, and I tried to tell her that I could not continue to hang out with her in fear of this happening again. However, I began to realize that her mental health situation was worse than I had previously been willing to admit. For about a week and a half I tried to move myself out of her life, but this was a very weak attempt. She was able to convince me to attempt to try to stay her friend without things getting sexual.

Finally one day I was trying to convince her to go to her church and make friends there. She said she didn't want to because they were all actors. Later that night I tried to hang out with my friends and then got a few disturbing phone calls from her, and rushed back to her place to ensure that she was ok. She wanted a hug and to cuddle and again this turned sexual.

After that day I had a friend talk me through my situation and convince me that I needed to completely cut off contact with her. In a very dramatic day I told her that I was able to contact her again.

For the next two weeks--apart from a few small things like me sending her documents of hers on my computer--she was fairly good about not contacting me.

However, last night she began knocking at my door. I answered it and she asked if I had broken into her house and marked up a book. I told her I had not. She later brought her cat up and told me that her cat told her I was lying. I once again told her that I have never been to her apartment without her inviting me in. She came again when a friend was over. I asked her to please leave. She continued knocking, and began to suggest I had sexually assaulted her (I think she realized there was someone else there).

Eventually me and a friend had to go through the backdoor, which she realized and came outside and we ran off.

She has continued to email me, telling me how evil I am and asking if we can be friends.

At this point I would like to know what I am able to do when/if she comes knocking at my door again. I don't want to call the cops, because she's not necessarily doing any harm. But I can't study (full time grad student) and apparently now I cannot have friends over without her hurdling sexual assault accusations through my door.

I also want to know if there is anything I can do about the emails.

Answer: Tell her to leave and call the cops if she doesn't. You can also inform the landlord, he may try to talk to her on your behalf. You can send her a letter via certified mail expressing that she's not to contact you again. Keep any subsequent communications she sends you, but don't respond. Eventually you may be able to get a no contact order of some sort.Answer #2: Why did you even "get sexual" with a crazy person...


Title: Texas dad beating/stabbing/killing his kid was shot in the leg by a neighbor.

Question:
As it is the neighbor shot three times and hit the man once. The child died as a result of the father-inflicted stabbing.

- What are the legal ramifications of the "good guy with a gun" in this case?

- What (if anything) would be different if the neighbor hit the kid also/instead?

Answer:
 >What are the legal ramifications of the "good guy with a gun" in this case?

Deadly force, by way of self-defense, is permitted in the defense of others where it is reasonably calculated to protect the other person from an unlawful act of deadly force. He will almost assuredly face no charges.

>What (if anything) would be different if the neighbor hit the kid also/instead?

Usually no because you can reasonably defend others, but it's possible to get charged with voluntary manslaughter. In this case it would usually be felony murder by the original attacker and nothing for the intervenor as long as his actions remained reasonable.


Title: (NSFW) a 54 yo man in Georgia made a YouTube video claiming to engage in adult activities with a 16 and 17 yo with the mother’s consent. Can he face legal penalties?

Question:
I’m going to put it out there, because he did. His name is Glendon Cameron, the name of his YouTube channel is “The Lost Kings” and the name of the video is “i could have been a predator| that r kelly energy is different and all consuming”

So basically what the title says. He says the mother invited him over to engage in adult activities with her, and she included her daughters, 16 and 17 at the time. I’m sure there are some kind of status of limitation, but this was probably 10 years ago I’m assuming, but not for sure. He also says he knowingly accepted pictures of an underage girl, but he didn’t sleep with her.

He sounds very confident that what he did was perfectly legal, because according to him the age of consent is 16 in Georgia. He also says 16 is a grown woman. (Lol I have to laugh at this being this man has a daughter older than that) I mean he sounds very confident, even proud. Is he well within his rights or another stupid criminal?

Answer: If the age of consent in GA is 16 he could legally have consensual sex with the person. “Pictures of an underage girl” is not clear. If they were sexual in nature it’s CP and illegal. As far as the statute of limitations I’m not sure in this case, but the SOL is a thing. So the SOL might have passed and there’s nothing authorities could do.


Title: Removing unauthorized residents from a property via writ of possession? (Florida)

Question:
I am about to sign a lease, one that specifically prohibits unauthorized residents, to a house and the property management is unwilling to remove the Unauthorized Residents that are currently living there. If I sign the lease and thus become their landlord, is having that clause in the lease enough grounds to obtain a writ of possession and have them removed?

Thanks in advance.

Answer: Absolutely do not sign the lease with people still living there. You would have to give them notice to vacate and then evict them if they didn't leave. And paying rent the whole time. Walk away if the unit isn't vacant.


Title: Health insurance provider refuses to pay ER visit saying it wasn’t an emergency (it was). Policy does not list this exception in ER.

Question:
Location: USA.
Insurance: Employer provided Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO

Backstory: Over the Easter weekend, I took a flight and felt sharp ringing in my ears to the point where I wanted to hurt myself. I visited ER of an in-network insurance recommend hospital and they diagnosed it to be excess earwax. The ER nurse tried to clean it, but failed and asked me to visit an ENT doctor. Later they billed me $1800 which my insurance refuses to pay saying it wasn’t an emergency.

The insurance policy summary clearly states that ER visits are covered at 80% after deductible with no limitations or exceptions. Policy photo: https://imgur.com/a/H6ZUF35

What can I do here? What should I say to the insurance provider? I can’t afford this bill right now.

Answer: Speak with the hospital billing and ask them to resubmit with the proper documentation that shows your chief complaint.


Title: [AL] Breaker box was declared a fire hazard, and landlord will not pay to get it fixed.

Question:
So our A/C went out on Saturday, and we figured it was low on freon because this has happened before.  The maintenance worker for our complex cannot access the freon on weekends as it is locked in the leasing office, so we waited till Monday to call about a repair.

When the maintenance worker arrived on Monday he determined that it was actually a damaged breaker with melted connection.  Because our breaker box is so old it took till Tuesday to find a replacement.  The A/C started working again Tuesday afternoon, but died again Tuesday evening.

I called again early today, and again it appeared another breaker needed to be replaced, but this time they noticed the bars in the box had been melted as well as wires that we melted.

Maintenance decided to call an electrician to replace the entire breaker box.  They came early afternoon to assess, and confirmed that we were lucky our apartment had not burned down.  I was told that they would have the parts and be back shortly to fix it and that it shouldn't take more than two hours to repair.

This is where things go a bit off the rails.  The electricians never came back, and one of the maintenance people informed me that the property manager wanted them to do it for $150 which is apparently about 1/8 of what it would normally cost.  Obviously the electricians said no and now I concerned that she will try to find someone without a license to do the repair.  So I am now left with a property manager I can't really trust, a fire hazard of an apartment, and still not A/C.

Do I have any legal standing to make them fix this quickly?  They seem to be fine taking their time, but I am scared to sleep in my own apartment.

Answer: A call to the fire inspector might help your landlord develop a sense of urgency about this problem.


Title: My ex landlord hadn't returned my security deposit for the past eight months, we are having a hearing on the 22nd today she dropped a money order off with a note that now I have to drop the case. Help! AB, Canada

Question: Basically what the title says. Need advice! Thanks!

Answer: In his jurisdiction could he get more money because of the landlord's failure to pay? Something like treble damages? That's the only reason I can see to pursue it further besides maybe including the cost of filing.


Title: Best Buy (Geek Squad) refused to warranty Macbook Pro because of supposed water damage and disposed of computer while I was recovering from injury in hospital

Question: The computer was only a month old when I brought it in and had overheating and fan issues since its initial purchase. I received a letter and a VM saying that the computer wouldn't be covered under warranty because there was water damage in the interior (this is highly unlikely in my estimation - as I was extremely careful with the computer and never spilled anything on it). I wasn't able to retrieve the computer right away and by the time I did, I was informed that it had been disposed of due to time constraints on holding property. Is there any recourse for me here? Am I able to take them to small claims court or anything like that? Again, I know that the computer was not water damaged when I dropped it off and I didn't receive pictures of anything from them to indicate that it was. The computer was bought in NY and dropped off for service in MA. Thanks!

Answer: We need some dates here.  What day did you drop the computer off, what days did they contact you, what day did they dispose of it, and what day did you reach out to them?  And lastly, did you sign any service agreement or agree to anything when you dropped it off?  You need to read that front to back and see what it says.


Title: I was denied a bed and blanket in jail. What can I do? (KY)

Question:
I was in there for about 24 hours for a misdemeanor. I haven't gone to court yet. Forcing an inmate to sleep on wet, cold concrete is clearly cruel and unusual punishment, especially for someone who hasn't even been declared guilty... Could a good lawyer get my charges dropped due to negligence by the facility? Compensation? What actions could I take?

edit: I became sick about a day or 2 afterwards and have a doctors note to prove it, if that makes any difference.

Answer:
 >Could a good lawyer get my charges dropped due to negligence by the facility?

A good lawyer can do many things.  But any alleged negligence by the jail doesn't change the circumstances behind the initial arrest.  They are two separate matters.

Though, being denied a bed and blanket after being in jail for less than a day is not negligent or cruel and unusual.

The jail likely only beds those who are going to be lodged at the jail for an extended period of time (like more than 24 hours).


Title: Downstairs neighbor got a DUI (second), and is going to be on house arrest. Do I have to sign the "cohabitant agreement permission to search"?

Question:
It's basically a duplex situation. We live in a two story family house, and we rent the downstairs out as an apartment. We're in California.

The only shared interior space is the garage which houses the entrances to the two sections of the house. The original stairway is semi-permanently blocked off.

Do we count as cohabitants? We do share a mailing address. Still, I doubt, if he lived in an apartment, he'd have to get all the other tenants to sign in.

Do I have to sign this thing? We don't break a lot of laws, but the agreement says we can't have any alcohol, and that we can be searched without warning, so I'd really rather not volunteer for that.

Answer:
 I'd check to see how the taxes are credited on your county's assessor's treasurers' website. If it is listed as single-family, and you are paying taxes as single-family, but actually there are two separate dwelling units, you may have some explaining to do to your county/city planning/building department. Some municipalities have issues with Accessory Dwelling Units; some do not. But I agree with previous poster that on your facts, you do not reside with this person. You don't share a kitchen or a bathroom. So you are not a co-resident and have to give permission to search if you don't want to. Answer #2: Are there locks on all the doors leading to your living space? If so, you (or your neighbor, actually) might not be considered cohabitants. I'd ask about that. You may want to give your neighbor the option of paying for locks to be installed. (Hell, I'd make sure I had locks if I was in your situation.)

I would NOT sign that document if I were in your position.


Title: Employer telling me what time to cash check on payday? (MI)

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice!

Today my coworkers and I received an email from our accountant saying that from now on we cannot cash our paychecks until 3 pm on payday, which is Friday. (our pay periods are bi-monthly, on Fridays)
We think that she doesn't want the checks to clear until the next business day (which would be Monday).
Its not ok with us because several of us work in the evening, and we like to grocery shop or whatnot in the morning.
Is our employer allowed to do this? It doesn't seem right because the check is valid starting at 12 AM on that date right?

Thanks a lot guys.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: I'd look for a new job if she's worried about them bouncing


Title: Quick Question about Undercover Cops

Question:
I saw a post on r/AITA where a guy informed his friend that their group was being infiltrated by an undercover cop. The guy who was informed is engaged in criminal activities. The OP of the post is a law abiding citizen.

If anything happens to the cop or the police finds out OP helped his friend, is it possible that OP may be charged with crimes too?

I’m assuming this is in the USA.

Answer: Knowingly helping someone commit crimes means you are not a law abiding citizen, it means at best you are an accomplice.  It might be even worse, you might be a co-conspirator who is liable the same as the principle actor for all crimes committed in furtherance of the conspiracy.


Title: Help trying to get my cat back from his foster mom?

Question:
Louisiana

This is an update on my last post that didn't really get far the first time but now I definitely need advice because the foster mom is now actually fighting me for ownership.

Original post[ here](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/96slzm/getting_back_custody_of_my_cat_louisiana/)

TLDR I had to quickly find arrangements for my cat when I went back to college because my dad has cat allergies. I found a foster mom for him who said she'd watch him for my first year of college. I'm now moving into an apartment that I'm paying for solely so I can bring my cat. She has been ignoring me when I tried to make arrangements to pick him up.

\~\~

I texted the foster mom again and said I was concerned that she hasn't responded. She then responded to say that he was part of her family now and she was surprised that I wanted him back. It's been approximately the amount of time that we agreed she would take care of him for: one year. She is claiming that she thought it was only supposed to be for a couple months. I have screenshots of us saying it would be for a year and nowhere does it say a couple of months. She also claimed that I had only contacted her twice. I did cut back on contacting her significantly overtime because I felt that she was annoyed by it, but I had asked about him way more than twice which is also evident in our texts. Every time I asked about him I referred to him as "my baby" "my sweet kitty" etc. so I don't know why she thought I was giving him up.

I'm upset that she's lying to try to make her argument to keep my cat. I'm upset because she hasn't responded to me in two days after I replied to call out the inconsistencies in her messages. I want to work with her to see what is best with for the cat but she isn't cooperating.

But, my question is \[how\] can I take my cat back if either she doesn't cooperate with finding a solution for him or if I determine that he would be better off with me, which I have reason to believe, and she disagrees. Would he still be considered legally my cat based on our agreement which is documented by texts? Could I get the police to help me reclaim him if she is really uncooperative in returning him to me? I really really don't want to go to court because I have no money and no free time as a college student with 1 job and 1 internship.

Answer:
 The foster home is also in Louisiana right?

The police most likely won't help you here but you're free to call the non emergency line and see what they say.

I believe in Louisiana you can sue for the return of personal property in small claims so you may have to take thar route.Answer #2: IANAL

Do you have any proof that the cat was yours, for example record of purchase or adoption, vet bills, chipping? Do you have a written contract? (The texts between the two of you could be used as evidence of a contract, but a formal one is better.)

Have you provided her any money during this time for the care of your cat? (You really should have. If you'd boarded the cat while you went out of town for a week, you would have paid for that. Also, when shelters arrange for the actual fostering of kittens, to socialize them and get them used to being indoor cats, they generally provide the supplies.)

Have you physically gone to her home to demand the cat back? Louisiana is a one-party state in terms of recording, so you could record yourself asking for the cat back and her response. That it's grown comfortable with her family is not a denial that this was not the agreement.

Ultimately, you may have to sue her.


Title: Houston. Speeding ticket. 89 in 65.

Question: I've never been to court for a ticket before. I have no idea what to do or say other dressing in my best and saying yes/no your honor. Is there any way out of it? I've heard  rescheduling the court dat might get it thrown out. If there's no way out of it what do I do? The cop put 89 and said I put 89 so you could to defensive driving.  I was going faster..

Answer:
 >I've heard rescheduling the court dat might get it thrown out

Rare.

Sounds like you got a nice cop and that you drive too fast. What magic do you think will get you out of this? Go to court and ask for defensive driving. Or hire an attorney.


Title: Brother has been taken by CPS and is not being properly cared for concerning his major medical condition

Question:
This is a very long one, I will try to provide a TLDR, but I suggest you read the whole post to really see the situation I'm in.

---------------
TLDR which is also long itself:

Brother has seizures. He has always had them and has them every day. CPS took him due to my mom being sleep deprived on assumptions that she was abusing substances. She has since passed multiple intensive drug tests and complied with everything CPS wants. They told her she just needed a plan for 24/7 additional childcare since she's a single mother. She provided the plan and now they're sending us through hoops. The CPS caretakers are not noticing my brothers very subtle forms of seizures, he's going under treated for them. Every seizure he has could kill or disable or permanently regress his development. He has already regressed major from the point of running and screaming to not being able to stand on his own. My mom already has a court-appointed attorney but she is really terrible and won't even make rebuttals, even tells my mom to remain silent in the courtroom. I believe CPS has violsted her parental rights by telling her she is not allowed to come to a medical appointment. We have next to no money, every resource must be free or very very cheap. I need to understand my rights as a brother, hers as a parent, and what we can do.

--------------------
Actual post:

My brother has a major medical condition, of which seizures are a huge symptom. He is a toddler.

This child, his care, and specifically ensuring proper care for his medical condition has been the focal point of my mother's life since his birth. She has taken measures for him to the point that I would confidently say she has given up everything for him.

Of course, this medical care comes with multiple hardships. Dealing with the seizures is the worst part. A single seizure could be deadly. A single seizure could disable him. A single seizure being improperly handled could be the end for this child.

There's an entire history regarding his seizures, the types he has, which medication fixes it. The pattern is usually that she has seizures, the specialists work to and do analysis, figure out the part of his brain that's causing them, the type of seizures they are, and they prescribe appropriate medication sometimes a "course" of medication that spans weeks with changing doses. The doctors have been great at finding the right medicine for him and his seizures will lessen. Then either the medicine stops working or a new type of seizure starts or different part of the brain starts seizing and the pattern repeats.

This is very stressful for a single mother, obviously.

She has so much anxiety over making sure that ever seizure is recorded and that he's cared for that she barely sleeps. Sometimes my brother won't fall asleep, sometimes seizures wake him up throughout the night and so my mother gets such broken sleep that it might as well be considered no sleep.

With that in mind, what happened recently was that a child development specialist (he has many which work with him weekly, monthly, etc. to make sure that he progresses and develops properly, another thing that my mom has been great at,) was working with my brother on a day that my mom had gone 3 consecutive days without sleep. My mom understandably was sleep deprived and falling in and out of a conscious state. The specialist took this as a terrible sign and immediately called CPS to report that my mother was incapable of caring for my brother. I'll assume that they assumed substance abuse.

Thus the downward spiral begun. An intensive drug test was ordered. Mother tested negative. There was a court hearing. CPS and the Judge decided that in order to get my brother back there needed to be an additional caretaker present 24/7 to make sure he got the right care. My mother quickly found friends/family willing to sign up and submitted the plan. Then CPS decided they needed other things from my mom, evaluations, more tests, etc. Essentially CPS has decided they do not want to give my brother back and is sending my mom through hoops to delay/prevent the process.

That alone sucks, but what makes this a major issue is what happened on the first of my mother's allowed weekly visits.

In the face of everything that's against my brother, he has developed great. He started walking, running, picking things up, communicating through body languages, and much more. Things that seem small but are huge leaps in child development for someone who it is very possible to never even begin walking.

However on the first visit my mom noticed he has tremendously regressed. He's not walking, if he tries he falls down. No attempts are speaking, no body language, just clutching to my mom and not wanting to go.

The CPS workers also said, "he's doing great, he hasn't had any seizures." Immediate major red flag. There is absolutely no way that he went from multiple seizures a day to none. What this means is that the caretakers are not familiar with seizures at all. In their mind, a seizure means being unconscious, shaking, etc. But that's not the case. My brother has partial (sometimes called focal) seizures, where nothing really happens to catch anyone's eye that he's having a seizure, but if you pay attention you'll notice he will not respond to anything, even shining a light in his eyes will not make him blink.

Then on the second visit he actually had a partial seizure in front of my mom (after they again reported he had been seizure free.) She counted the minutes. 5 minutes went by so she administered his medicine which is specifically to stop seizures that last 5 minutes or longer. Then followed up with his daily medicine.

CPS took him to the hospital where an ER doctor said, "Yeah, doesn't seem like a seizure to me." Unfortunately he isn't a trained epidemiologist, so he as well is not familiar with these types of seizures.

So now on top of everything else CPS claims that my mom is overmedicating my brother.

He really really needs to come back home. Each seizure he has which is obviously going untreated could do permanent damage, permanently regress his development or kill him. CPS is not taking adequate care of my brother and it's harming him. What course do I have?

Not to mention that this is killing my mother emotionally. She is so scared that he will die or be permanently damaged in their care because they have proven to not know what they're doing.

My mother has an attorney. Court-appointed. And she is terrible. When the judge asks for rebuttals the attorney always says no and tells my mom that she is not to speak at all. This is ridiculous. CPS told the judge that my brother was not having seizures and that he was being overmedicated by my mom when in reality he's having a very subtle type of seizure and my mom is following proper medication procedures. That's what the attorney should have brought up, but instead elected to remain silent.

The most recent advancement is that CPS has told my mother she is not allowed to come to his next medical appointment (which was set before this started). Which I believe is an entire violation of her parental rights which have not been revoked. Unfortunately this was not said in a written record. The appointment is tomorrow, 5 hours away. There's no way she could make it now. So CPS could just say "oh yeah she was allowed, we never said she couldn't" Which would protect them legally but still my mom couldn't go.

We don't have much money, like at all.

I want to call CPS myself and figure out why they're not handling things properly but I'm not even sure of my rights as a brother. I also don't know her rights as a parent.

I need advice.

Answer:
 I'm sorry that your family is in this tough situation.

My guess is that you calling CPS would not do anything positive.  What I would recommend is to get your brother's doctors to call the social worker in charge of your brother's case.  That needs to happen immediately and often.

As to the legal aspect, check and see if your mom can ask a different attorney to be appointed.

For tomorrow's appointment, could your mom be there via conference call?

Best of luck.Answer #2: As your brother is seeing specialists that information and the care instructions your mother was following need to be presented to the court. If there is a guardian ad litem they should also be being kept in the loop about making sure your brother is being cared for appropriately and not regressing. If CPS is taking the child to a specialist that is appropriate. They want to make sure that an accurate diagnoses and treatment plan are being followed and that existing doctors aren't using out of date or self reported behavior if there is concern about the treatment being given. Not having your mother present to weigh in makes sense from that standpoint. The best and only thing you can do is help your mother comply with the CPS order, listen to her lawyer who knows that emotion and arguing isn't going to improve the situation and talk to his existing doctors and specialists to get information proving his previous level of care was appropriate and can be maintained.


Title: [WA] I applied for expedited passport, but my trip can been cancelled. Will I get in trouble?

Question:
Hi All,

This is probably a dumb question, but here goes. I applied for an expedited passport at the passport agency in Seattle yesterday. The agency will only accept the expedite request if you have a trip coming up in less than 2 weeks. I had booked a sudden cheap flight deal to Paris the same day to leave 1.5 weeks from today. So it worked out fine. I was told that my passport would be ready for pick up on Tuesday.

After I returned from the agency, something came up and I cancelled my tickets the same day.

Should I inform the agency about this on Monday before I pick up the passport? Even though my trip was cancelled, I wouldn't mind getting the passport soon, but I am not sure if it's illegal to not disclose this.

Answer: No, you don't need to inform them. It's not illegal.


Title: Previous employer gave negavitve remarks about work ethic to new job

Question:
Florida teacher here. First time poster with reddit, but needed to find some worldly advice. Haha

I recently applied (and was accepted) for a new teaching job and they had to verify my last 3 schools to make sure I really worked there.

The first 2 said I did for the years I wrote and the third said I did and then some. The employer at this school made false accusations. They said I was never on time, don't work well with others, and did minimal work. This is the farthest from the truth.

My new principal said the district flagged my application because of this and he needed answers. I told him that school was rough because I was being harassed and bullied by other teachers in my department. This went on for about a year and no one helped me. I sought help though my principal and the APs, but they did nothing. I put in for transfer because it was starting to impact my health.

I was never written up for anything, was always punctual, have proof of all the work I did there, and have all my evaluations/observations that show me as a high effective teacher. I even have 7 people I worked with willing to give statements about my work ethic and the harassment I endured, one of which being a previous AP.

I am in the process of getting my record to see who wrote this nonsense and trying to talk to the union about getting it taken off my record (it was written last week).

Is there more I can do? Can the person who wrote these false claims be written up? Is this considered defamation of character? Can a lawyer help more than the union?

TIA

Edit: I forgot to include that my new principal has to sign off to say he still wants to hire me since this was flagged by the district. He did after we spoke, but this almost cost me my new job and I had already resigned from my previous so the district could start the paperwork.

Answer:
 Bad work ethic is an opinion. People are permitted to have unfavorable opinions of you and share them with others. If they said you came to class drunk or had sex with your students, that would be actionable. Answer #2: You can dispute the claims to your new employer, but it's not defamatory.  They can have the opinion that you weren't punctual, weren't efficient, and didn't get along.  It's not illegal for them to have a negative view of your work performance, nor to say so when asked.  The only prevention would be a non disclosure contract with the former employer.

Otherwise, my personal advice would have been to get some references from former coworkers you are on good terms with, so they can dispute the remarks--if they're willing to go on the record at the risk of offending their own boss.

The best thing you can do here is dismiss it and prove them wrong.  You got the job so that's a reason to celebrate, not dwell over a bitter former employer.  Ever hear of 'living well is the best revenge'?


Title: Lease agreement wants service dog DNA

Question:
I’m moving into a new apartment complex and recently got a service dog a few months prior. The manager wants everyone to be signed up with “poo prints” a dog DNA testing to prevent dog waste. I’m guessing they are going to do a cheek swab or something at move in. My question is if it’s legal to require a service dog to take a DNA test to move into a complex? Does my dog being a service dog give us any rights to turn down the DNA swab? Or could they turn down a service dog for not giving a sample? Hoping I’m in line with all the sub Reddit rules. Thanks guys!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Being a service dog doesn’t mean you don’t have to clean her poop.


Title: My father wants to leave money to his granddaughter but wants it to be protected from her mother using it. What is the best way to go about this - lawyer, bank, accountant..?

Question:
For some background info: my half-brother has a daughter and is separated from her mother. Three years ago his mother passed away and left money to his daughter.  The money was supposed to be payable directly to colleges when she turned 18 OR any unused money could be paid out to her in full at 21.  A few months afterward, her mother received permission from a judge to use the money immediately for the costs of taking care of her, and the money was gone within 11 months.

Now, our father is in poor health and would also like to leave money to her, but is leery of the money being accessed in the same way.  He wants to ensure that the money is protected and will genuinely not be accessible until she is older (unless of course there's something catastrophic).

I want to make it clear that our father isn't a bad guy for wanting this, he just believes that her mother will use the money irresponsibly (which is possibly true based on  how the past money was spent).

Who would he consult to go about this?  We are not sure if this is more of a legal issue or a financial one (so lawyer vs. accountant) or if he just needs to know what to request at a bank, or similar.

Thank you for any advice you might have.

We are Delaware.

Answer: It'd be a good idea to consult a probate attorney who can help your dad draft a provision in his will that leaves the money to his granddaughter in a trust.


Title: Would getting arrested get one out of jury duty?

Question: Like not day-of but like a few days before.

Answer: You really don't want to do jury duty huh?Answer #2: Get a felony, won't have to worry about jury duty ever again.Answer #3: If you are in jail then yeah, obviously you will have to postpone. But it isn't going to get you out. They can postpone until you are out of jail.


Title: problems with neighbors NYC

Question:
My neighbors have been harassing me and my two kids about regular family noise we make in our living room. (Son lives in living room, I believe the Mom owns the apartment. Apartment may be section 8).
He will ring my bell for a full minutes straight (sometimes in the middle of the night if we go to the bathroom too loud.) Sometimes he rings the bell multiple times for a full 3 minutes. Sometimes he comes to my door and slams his full body wait against it.
It gives me extreme anxiety. I can't move because of the excellent rent rate I have, the neighboring rentals are about $800 dollars more. I'm a single mom and I'm scared the neighbor will get violent.
I'm tired of telling my kids not to play or walk around and do normal kids things. I'm tired of allowing my kids watch so much tv because it's quieter. I'm tired of leaving the house with the kids on weekends so I won't get harassed.
I haven't hosted a dinner or lunch or a play date in years because I'm scared at the harassment that might ensue as a result.  I'm scared of what they might do as revenge (call child services on me for no reason).
I've installed a carpet which I hated provided they don't bother me again, but they have, and its disgusting so I removed it.
Is there anything I can do? I believe there are family members living in the moms section 8 apartment illegally .  I pray for them to win the lottery and move, or for the son to find a girlfriend and move in with her.
What can I do? This is going on 6 years and I'm scared. I've called the police but nothing ever results from this.

Answer:
 Generally the solution involves calling the police each and every time the situation demands it; and then each time they are there asking the officer “this is a continued problem, I’ve had to call you X times before about this.  Do I need to continue calling every time I’m harassed or is there anything else you can do to help?  What would it take for me to get a restraining order or similar to end this continued harassment?”

Without you calling the police multiple, multiple times they don’t really have records or know about just how bad this is.

A recording of your door (or through the peephole) (and as state law allows) might not be a bad idea either just to have record of him doing these things.


Title: Pulled over and issued a ticket for driving while using my phone. What do I do next?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 I assume since you haven’t denied it you were in fact on your phone, which means the officer did see it.

So despite this your plan is to say, “your honor there is no way he could have seen what I was doing and I wouldn’t have had a motive to do that?” Then when questioned under oath you plan to commit perjury and say you were not doing it?

That’s a terrible plan.Answer #2: Pay the ticket and move on. Your story isn't credible.


Title: Domestic abuse legal question... male victim

Question: know a man who is in a relationship with a woman who is abusing him. She has isolated his from his family and friends, controls who he talks to, controls where he goes and when, throws things when they argue, has a drinking problem, and recently sexually assaulted him. He said no, repeatedly, and she kepy going. He wants to leave but they have a child who is being tested for being special needs (also wondering if it is fetal alcohol syndrome or autism). He doesnt want to leave their child with her, because she has made statements that she wishes she wasnt a mother, doesnt want a retard, etc. What are my friends options realistically? I know the courts and the cops generally believe the woman, and theres no injuries to show physical abuse. And if he takes his child and leaves he can be charged with kidnapping. Help! In ohio, usa

Answer: Next time she is drunk and violent he should record her and then call the cops.


Title: Apple Offered Free Beats Then Said It Was a mistake

Question:
 Hi everyone, I was chatting with a sales rep from apple, inquiring about the new iPhones.

She said that if I bought an iPhone xs Max I'd get a pair of free beats. I made the purchase but then was told it was a mistake and there were no free beats. What should I do ? should apple own the mistake ?

Answer: Apple should own the mistake, it is misrepresentation and you are protected under consumer law from that.


Title: [AL] I am my brother's home plan for parole. I have a lot of questions about how to prepare and what this means.

Question:
My brother has a parole hearing in June. He and my mother feel it's almost guaranteed, as long as his home plan is a family member. So I've agreed to let him live with me, at some personal risk. (He is not a violent offender, but having him in my apartment without passing the background check could terminate my lease.) Please forgive my silly questions.

1. I'd like to write a letter to the parole board, just introducing myself as his home plan and basically stating my support for my brother's rehabilitation. Is this a normal thing to do? Do I just call my state's parole board and get the address? What should the letter say? Do they read it in front of him?

2. My brother insists that he will only need to stay with me for about a month, then he can move to a friend's house who is willing to house him and help him out. This doesn't seem right to me legally (since going home to a family member is evidently so important), and even if out were ok, I'm not sure it's best for keeping him out of trouble. Are there standard rules for changing living arrangements on parole, or is this decided on each case? Is there a way for me to find out the conditions of his parole, either before or after he is released?

4. My ex husband is sort of an ass, and hates my brother. Our divorce says nothing about whom I can bring into my home, but I worry if he finds out my brother has been released to here, he will make a stink and demand custody. My brother's convictions were for breaking into cars, so nothing violent or sexual. Can a judge still punish me for housing a recently released felon with my kids?

5. My dad says my brother's license is suspended (revoked?) and he owes a bunch of fines. He also says he has community service left to do, but I'm not sure if that's for the license or the criminal case. If I settle his fines for him before he gets out, are there usually other hopes a felon has to jump though to get his license back? Can work release count as community service? Will the Department of Public Safety have all this information?

6. Finally, if my brother commits a crime or violates his parole (by moving, or staying out too late or not being somewhere he's supposed to?... I don't really know how this works), am I legally responsible?

Thanks for your time! My mom says his lawyer is an idiot and never returns her calls (he's free), so I'm kind of on my own!

Answer:
 2- you would need to talk to his PO

3- yes, living with a known felon could easily effect custody. Answer #2: 1) Yes, you can. The letter will most likely be put in his file for the parole board to review during their deliberation. It's doubtful they'll read it to him.

2) Changing residences= bad. Encourage him not to do that. It's not necessarily a violation, but it's not conducive to social stability, which he will need to be successful.

3) Not normally. Your ex would have to prove it created a negative environment for the kids.  If he tries, get a lawyer.

4) He will need to take care of any outstanding fines or fees. His PO can assist with this. Work release doesn't usually count as CSR, but I'm unfamiliar with AL practices, so IDK for sure.

5) No.


Title: [CA] A High School's (Which is situated upon a college campus) jurisdiction to activities that occur on the college campus.

Question:
Hello,

Got a real puzzling one today (at least to me). I, 17 M, and my GF, 16 F, both attend a high school which is situated upon a college campus. This allows the school itself to be rather small as the college campus has a cafeteria, a library, etc which the kids can use (To the same level that the outside public could use these facilities).

This all occurred yesterday after school hours. To cut to the chase, me and my GF were making out in a room commonly known as the "Piano Room" - It has two pianos, couches, tables, etc. No one else was in there. My friend walked in, didn't see us making out (but he obviously knew we were because that's just where you go.)He asked if we wanted privacy, we said yes, he left - no big deal. At the high school a group of students in my AP Stats test were looking for me for help, my friend told them where I was and what I was doing. 8 or so people decide it would be funny to pay me a visit. They did. I was thoroughly embarrassed but it was kind of funny so I got over it. However, since they returned to the high school they were joking about it quite loudly and were overheard. Today I got called into the office by the principal who found this to be a very serious deal that I went to a "private room" with my gf and that the schools relationship with the university could be jeopardized if we were found making out in there by a university staff member.

My research seems to indicate that a school doesn't have jurisdiction if it occurs off campus and outside of school hours (unless it's like cyberbullying or things related to it). Since it's not exactly illegal to go make out with someone I can not find anything which indicates that the school should have any jurisdiction over this. Can the college campus be considered an expansion of the campus instead of simply facilities that the kids could use?

Let me know your thoughts,

Thanks

Answer:
 > My research seems to indicate that a school doesn't have jurisdiction if it occurs off campus and outside of school hours

You are overthinking this. The issue is whether you broke a school rule. It doesn't matter *where* it happens. Jurisdiction is a court thing, not a school thing.Answer #2: So this isn't really a legal issue - or at least not one related to 'criminal' law.  In theory there could be a liability issue created by the contract between the high school and the college.

Either way the principal was saying 'don't make out with your girl on school property'  - I'd interpret that as meaning that you shouldn't make out with your girl on school property.


Title: A tow truck with shady insurance hit my parked car

Question: So my car was parked outside my house on February 11th and a tow truck lost control and totaled it, destroyed my mailbox, (and a few other nearby cars). Their insurance company is not a big name brand, based out of Maryland, and has been extremely slow and less than helpful. It took WEEKS for them to even get the car from the lot it was towed to. I cancelled my insurance around this time since it was clearly totaled and I was waiting to transfer them once I got a new car. They officially notified me it was totaled. So, they sent me papers for the car and I mailed it back. They delayed sending the checks (for the car and mailbox) then sent them to my old address on my license instead of the address they used to send the paperwork. I finally got the car check, not the mailbox yet. Haven't cashed it yet, but now I get a fine from the MVA.  They think I was using the tags/car in that period of time since they were never notified the car was totaled. I ask the company for a total loss letter and they tell me to call the lot, who told me to again ask the company. I am getting very tired of them dragging this out and over complicating things. I don't want to sue but maybe if I could get a lawyer to send them a letter they'd straighten up. Never done this before though, unsure how that works (do I pay the lawyer a flat fee or?). That's my story, what should I do?

Answer:
 So, to be clear, you had your own insurance at the time of the crash? If so, have them handle this for you. That's literally what you were paying them for.Answer #2: File with your insurance, car and house. Let them get your, and their, money back.

I don’t understand why so many people fail to use their insurance policies in these cases. That is exactly why you carry insurance.


Title: Help got caught with escort sting operation

Question: I got caught in a sting operation, was walking to the hotel room I knocked on the door. Few seconds later there were undercover cops behind me and arrested me. Ask me few questions and took me to the holding where they took my info and pics. They wanted a statement but I refused to talk. Then they took me to county jail and held me till I bailed myself out. They gave me a court date to show up to. This is my first time getting arrested in my life, first offense of anything. What should I do? Should I hire an attorney? Should I get a public defender? What are the outcomes? Will I go to prison? I regret this so much, lesson learned. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer:
 >Should I hire an attorney? Should I get a public defender?

You should get an attorney. If you qualify for a public defender, that's a good option.

>What are the outcomes?

Impossible to answer without knowing your location and what you were charged with. Answer #2: Can't tell you your odds of going to jail without knowing your location.  If you're in the US and this is your first run-in with the law, you probably won't go to jail.

But you've been with a (presumably.... again location) crime, and you absolutely will need a lawyer.  If you can afford a lawyer, you don't get a public defender.  The judge will ask for documentation like pay stubs and determine whether or not you can afford a private attorney.  But you absolutely need an attorney.Answer #3: Yes, you should get a lawyer. If can afford to, hire one. If you can't you will need to follow the procedure for requesting a public defender. Continue refusing to speak to police about it unless your lawyer advises you otherwise.


Title: TX mom seeking child support from NC military member

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The Marine owes child support. That's the bottom line. If mom decides not to pursue it, then that's great for the Marine who doesn't give a damn about the kid he made. If she does, Marine is going to be paying child support for a long time. You can dicker over those unpaid bills, but that pales in comparison to what the Marine is going to owe according to the law.


Title: I sold a stolen iPhone and now the buy is threatening to call the cops. What should I do?

Question:
**Location: Central California**

I gave a friend a mine a Cricket phone and he said he would pay me $100 when he got the chance. 2 months later he gives me an AT&T iPhone valued at $150 so I take it and sell it this morning. The buyer just called me and said that it's locked and reported stolen and that if I don't give him his money back he's gonna call the cops. What should I do?

P.S. I have a warrant so if he did call the cops and then I agree to meet him to give him his money back I'd be arrested. So I kind of just want to know realistically what can the cops do with just my phone number. Is this something I can just forget about. Does "sold as is" apply?

Answer: You should probably get in touch with a criminal defense attorney. Selling "as is" doesn't apply to selling stolen property or rid you from any criminal liability for your actions.


Title: So there's this girl....

Answer: The trolling is obvious.  Just finish writing your extortion fantasy story to its logical conclusion and post it to the relevant nsfw sub.


Title: How to handle my dad wanting to take my mom to court

Question:
I’m 13 and my parents have been divorced since I was 6. My mom has full custody of me and my siblings. I was seeing my dad every other weekend until a few months ago. He got engaged to his girlfriend even when me and my brother told him we were really not ok with it because she doesn’t care about us at all and only cares about my little sister. He said he doesn’t care what we think and he was going to do it anyway.  He got engaged the same day and didn’t even tell us we saw it on Facebook and still he never even said anything to us. So me and my brother stopped talking to him and refuse to see him. My sister still talks to him and sees him because she has always liked him more than me and my brother. He’s always been a jerk to us and only cared about our sister.

My mom respects our decision because she knows how hard he is on us. He abused her and that’s why they got divorced. I saw it when I was little. Since we stopped talking to him she made us go meet up with him a few times to work it out but he always pretends like everything is normal and there isn’t a problem. She also made us write him letters explaining why we were upset and all he did was write a letter back saying that he was a great dad and he doesn’t understand why we are mad at him. She also makes us all see counselors.

He has been telling my mom he is going to take her to court because he says this is her fault and she is keeping us from him. My mom didn’t do anything and if we go to court I’m scared he  will get more custody and I will be forced to see him. He abused me and my brother and my mom when they were married and I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to see his gf either. She doesn’t care about anyone but my sister.  What do I do? I don’t want him in my life anymore but I’m afraid a court will force it.

Answer:
 > He got engaged to his girlfriend even when me and my brother told him we were really not ok with it

You don't have to be ok with it. He's an adult and can re-marry if he wants to.

>  if we go to court I’m scared he will get more custody

The courts try to keep custody situations as the status quo (or how they have happened in the past). As a 13-year-old, you might have some say in the matter but your wishes are only part of the consideration when determining custody. Unless there are some serious issues with your father, I suspect that he will continue to get at least some visitation.

There is really nothing you can do in this situation. This is a situation between your parents.


Title: [LA] Emergency room is billing me even after they didn't provide service.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: They did provide service though. That's not free, and neither is morphine.


Title: Are employers allowed to discriminate dress codes based on gender?

Question: It has been an uncomfortably hot summer. I am not allowed to wear shorts at work. The employee handbook allows for pants or skirts. I am male, most of the girls have been wearing skirts at work while I am stuck wearing pants. If I start wearing skirts/kilts at work, can they tell me to stop because I am male? In WA state.

Answer:
 Not my area but my general understanding is that businesses can set dress codes to societal standards of dress and/or to fit the purpose of the business. So yes, they can make men wear pants.

The only real way to challenge dress codes that have different standards for different sexes is if it places a greater burden on one sex compared to the other (i.e. men may wear casual clothes but women must wear business wear).Answer #2: Not legal advice:

Have you tried talking to your boss about it? Ask and see if you can work out an alternative. It really depends on the work.


Title: [AL] Would this get my stepdad in trouble?

Question: After my sister was born  (she's 6 now), my stepdad would hit my mom. It stopped around a year ago, at least around me. He hasn't hit me or my sister so the police said they couldn't do anything. Today he was "playing" with my sister, but in reality he was just making her cry. My mom was in bathroom and I was in my bedroom so we don't know what he did. My mom got pissed and started yelling at home. I didn't come out of my room until I heard her crying. He told me to stay out of it and that it wasn't any of my business. I didn't leave and he threatened to hit me several times. I told him,"Hit me. So I can finally get your ass in jail." He came into my room and grabbed my arm hard enough to leave a red mark (I took a picture of it), but my mom got in front of us. He pushed my mom to the ground, and then knocked everything off my side table. I'm only 16 so I don't really know the law and how much trouble he can get in. I just want to leave this damn house.

Answer:
> He came into my room and grabbed my arm hard enough to leave a red mark (I took a picture of it), but my mom got in front of us. He pushed my mom to the ground,

 Yes, he can get in trouble for assaulting you and your mother. Contact the police now, since there is no immediate threat to your safety, you can Google the non-emergency line for your area.

 Call 911 immediately if it happens again.

 Tell your teacher. Your teacher will probably call child protective services. My hope would be that they remove him from your home and order him to get counseling before he can return. This is not guaranteed. You can call CPS yourself, but I think you should seek the guidance of an adult who is not your mother.......Answer #2: I don't know the rest of your situation, but there could even be custody implications.

The bottom line is that this is domestic violence and is illegal. Report every incident of violence as soon as it is safe to do so. Neither you nor your sister should have to live in fear.


Title: (New York) My previous landlord only returned half of my security deposit. He did not know the apartment's original condition as he purchased the building recently.

Question: My previous landlord returned half of my security deposit, though I did not leave the apartment damaged. He did not know the original condition of the apartment since he purchased the building in July 2017, while I moved into it in January 2016. He began gutting each apartment and renovating the building soon after buying it. The building is old and the apartment was in poor condition when I moved in, though I settled due to the inexpensive rent. Upon moving out I emailed the landlord asking if I should do anything (i.e. spackle) and he told me that there was nothing for me to do. I assumed that this is becaused the apartment would be gutted and renovated anyway. It is worth noting that he was not compliant with calling pest control over a mouse infestation in the recent past; I have emails to prove this. Aside from contacting a lawyer, what should I do to try to obtain the rest of my deposit? Thanks for your insight.

Answer:
 Recently purchasing a building does not prevent a landlord from knowing the condition prior to you moving in.

Did the landlord provide an itemized list of deductions? Where they for damages you caused?

If no to both, you don't need a lawyer. A lawyer can help but it'll cost you.

Send a demand letter for the un-returned amount. If he doesn't pay up sue in small claims.


Title: (FL) We put in a drain to stop our backyard from becoming a swamp now neighbor is complaining that sludge is going into his driveway (his house is on a slope). Who's problem is it exactly? (sh*tty MS Paint diagram inside)

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 >Apparently though some of the water is flowing into our neighbors yard and making some mud (I guess from the dirt? idk).

Water and dirt, when combined, make mud.  Since you have directed water onto his dirt, it has made mud.

In any event, no, you can not alter the natural drainage to direct onto his land, which is what you have done.  So, first, you are wrong.  2nd, you are a selfish person.  I highly doubt that if your neighbor directed water onto your property that you would just shrug and think it's not his problem.Answer #2: Did you get a permit to make the drainage change? Not sure about Florida, but here I'm required to get any plans approved by the county that would change drainage like that.


Title: My neighbor wants me to cut down my tree (IA)

Question:
We have a tree in our back yard that  is taller than the house and shades our neighbors house quite a bit. While some branches do reach over the property line the majority of the tree does not.

Our neighbor has demanded that we cut the entire tree down and pay for it because it is "causing rain to drip on his house" as well as "scratching his shingles." ( I will say it is not actually touching his house, but in a big wind storm it might. )

My husband is of the opinion that our neighbor can pay to have the limbs reaching over the property line trimmed himself, and that there is no way we are cutting down the whole tree. We have before trimmed the majority of the lower limbs that were reaching over the property line at his request, but the ones he is talking about now would require a professional.

Am I right that while he can trim the limbs reaching over the property line, he cannot require us to pay for it? Also that he can't demand we cut the tree down just because he doesn't like his house shaded?

I haven't posted on Reddit before, but I wasn't sure where else to look for advice so please be kind.

Answer:
 Don't worry about it, assuming the tree is healthy and doesn't violate any city codes (probably doesn't) he can't do anything.  There's no one he can call to force you to pay for the removal of a tree on your propertyAnswer #2: Iowa follows the "Massachusetts rule" when it comes to trees:

" a landowner’s right to protect property from encroaching limbs and roots of an adjacent property owner’s trees is limited to self-help (i.e., cutting-off branches and roots at the point they cross the property line)."

He can cut the  encroaching limbs or pay to have it done, but that is it.  He can't ask you to cut the tree down if it is healthy.

[https://www.calt.iastate.edu/article/how-do-i-handle-my-neighbors-encroaching-tree-branches](https://www.calt.iastate.edu/article/how-do-i-handle-my-neighbors-encroaching-tree-branches)Answer #3: It wouldn’t be a bad idea to document the current state of the tree just in case your neighbor decides to do something stupid.


Title: [California] My neighbor uses her leafblower everyday and it triggers my allergies, forcing me to stay in for hours

Question:
My neighbor uses her leafblower for up to an hour each time everyday and it triggers my allergies every time if I go outside. I get severe allergies once it begins, so I have to stay inside the house for hours to let things settle outside. This is extremely inconvenient for me. I work late shifts so I have an irregular sleeping pattern, but I can sleep through the noise with earplugs. But I can't enjoy my hobbies (outdoor gardening, pond-keeping, etc.) anymore.

I've brought it up with my neighbor, but we do not have a good relationship at all. Just like other times when I brought things up to her, she just attacked me and my family and basically told me to deal with it. In fact, she upped the frequency of the leafblowing since I confronted her (I have an Excel sheet of all the times she started leafblowing & time stamped videos of the noise it makes).

She formerly worked in real estate & law so calling the cops just results in her listing off all the ordinances etc. that she's following. The cops are reluctant to help us in any issues with her. I'm not too sure of the laws here but I'm assuming she's still following them since she's apparently so well-versed in them.

What can I do?

Answer: This isn't a legal issue, this is a neighbor issue. You can't stop her unless she's breaking the law, which leaf blowing her yard is not.


Title: I may have just gotten a death threat. Did I? And what do I do?

Question: I just started a new job, and I made a big mistake that I chimed in a political discussion. I know I know big mistake. I didn't say anything disrespectful just that I like a certain sitting president and I live a state that lets just say he didn't win the popular vote. So this person that sits in my "pod" said "you're a (blank) I may just have to put two in the back of your head" . A couple of other details where I said blank he mentioned my nationality , I was born in a country in Middle East but am a citizen now. And secondly he is ex military. So my questions are is that a death threat? And what can or should I do about it? Mention it to supervisor?  I live in Arizona for the location bot.

Answer:
 File a police report and speak to your supervisor in that order.
Answer #2: I'm middle eastern too, if someone said that to me then i would absolutely tell HR. It wasnt funny 15 years ago, its not funny today. If its a small company, still tell HR or your supervisor just so its in writing. I know someone else mentioned theyd take the other persons side, and thats fine. It still needs to be in writing. If the guy persists with saying things like that, take it to the police, with proof of the first time it happened (the report you made to HR).

Ill never understand how people that think words like that are jokes.


Title: I let a friend move in and she won't pay rent.

Question: A close friend of mine was on hard times and needed to find a new place fast. I let her and her girlfriend move in with me temporarily while they get back on their feet provided they pay a portion of the bills. Its been a few months now and I've only seen 400 or so of the 1600 they owe me and I'm starting to worry I won't ever see that money. They aren't on the lease. What can I do?

Answer: If they're not paying the rent they agreed to pay, you can evict them. But you can't just toss them out or change the locks. They're tenants now, even without a written lease. You'll have to follow your state's guidelines on eviction, whatever they are. We could give you guidance if you'd given a location.


Title: Animal shelter dog almost killed me - county hiding behind sovereign immunity [Va]

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >How much is needed to have sovereign immunity defense waved?

That's not something any of us will really be able to tell you. You'll need an attorney with intimate knowledge of the court, and judge that you would be arguing this motion in front of.

You would be looking for an attorney that does civil litigation.Answer #2: Did you already sue the dog owner? Is there some amount of money that wasn't dealt with in that lawsuit?


Title: Is what my high school doing illegal?

Question: So I got word that my old high school installed new security measures, in which students are forced to scan their ID card and be scanned by facial recognition cameras before entering the building.    What sort of legal action can I take to have them removed?

Answer:
 Assuming US, nothing.

They are allowed to do that.Answer #2: None, it's a good and clever way of making sure students aren't ditching classes.

Why is this a problem for you, an unaffected party ?Answer #3: > What sort of legal action can I take to have them removed?

Nothing. But if you want to pay a lawyer hundreds of dollars to an hour to try, they'll do it. They know they won't succeed because there's 0 case but they need to make money.


Title: Can I put a hidden camera in my grandmas nursing home?

Question:
Minnesota.

My grandma is about to be put in a nursing home and we're curious if we can put a hidden camera in her room due to hearing some bad stories of the way elderly people are treated.

Answer: No. For a variety of reasons, likely including the terms of her admission and the likelihood she’ll be given the minimum notice to find somewhere else to live when discovered.Answer #2: If you think they’re being treated poorly, the appropriate (and legal) course of action is to call Adult Protective Services.


Title: Friend's marriage in crisis, out of state trip with kid coming up

Question:
My friend in Virginia has reached a crisis in his marriage. He's done, and he was going to wait until after an upcoming family reunion to set things in motion. However, the shit hit the fan a little early, and she's no longer going to the family reunion. He and his son are still going.

She's shown herself to be rather controlling and vindictive, and I'm  wondering if it's a really bad idea for my friend to leave the state with his kid, without consulting a lawyer and/or filing some paperwork. I stated my concern and encouraged my friend to see a lawyer, but he doesn't think he has time to do it before he leaves early  next week. If this were your friend, what would you have him do?

Answer: Thanks, all. Sounds like it's not as urgent as I feared.


Title: [IL] If my landlord violates his own lease regarding security deposit, does he forfeit it?

Question:
History: (Look for long story short at the bottom for the gist of it)

My wife and I signed a 12-month lease on a house in July, 2012. I can't remember exactly when, but we got another lease sometime in 2014, after asking our landlord multiple times for an updated lease (to make sure that we wouldn't be surprised and have to move out on short notice or anything). We finally had an opportunity to buy a house this year, and gave him notice at the end of February that we would be vacating the premises by March 19th (though we paid through the end of the month).

It is important to note at this point that:

1. We were no longer on a lease, as the one signed in 2014 was only a 12-month lease and had expired, and
1. we didn't give him more notice because we weren't sure that we were going to have our offer accepted. We let him know as soon as we knew for sure that we'd be leaving. We weren't trying to screw him over or anything, we just didn't want to tell him we're leaving, and then have our offer fall through, and be wondering if he's going to give us notice to leave.

[edit] Actually, my wife pointed out that we notified him at the end of February that March 31st would be our last day of residency. He wanted to get to work on renovating the house ASAP, though, and asked if we could leave any earlier than the end of the month, so that he could start work on the house. So we agreed to be gone by the 19th, instead of the 31st. So technically, we gave him over a month's notice on a month-to-month lease, and left early, *at his request*.

We vacated the premises on March 19th, as promised.

We talked occasionally over the next few weeks, during which time he said that the house looks good, etc. etc.

By the end of April, I was starting to get concerned, as I hadn't heard from him about our security deposit. After four voicemails, he finally returned my call today, May 12th, 54 days after we vacated his house. He told me that we're going to be lucky to get any deposit back at all, because we left his house as a "shit hole."

*Side note: we did all the normal cleaning that one is expected to do when vacating a rental property. We washed the walls, patched holes, repainted, vacuumed and shampooed the carpets, washed the tile and wood floors, replaced the broken blinds, etc. We did everything we could to get the house back into the shape it was when we moved in.*

When I asked him what needed so much work, he started listing off a litany of things, some of which are basically my word versus his, and some of which I don't even feel like are my responsibility (like hiring someone to clean out the furnace). He started mentioning all these things that were supposedly in the lease, and I happened to have a scan of it on my PC, so I pulled it up and told him that I was looking at the lease, and that he was flat-out wrong. I pointed out that one thing that **IS** in his lease is the following bit:

> 6.1 [...] The deposit or balance thereof will be refunded to the Tenant when this Agreement expires and after inspection of the Premises but not later than thirty days after this Agreement expires. [...]

> 6.3 Timing of Return of Security Deposit. If Landlord withholds some or all of Tenant's Security Deposit, Landlord will notify Tenant within thirty (30) days after the end of the lease Term, and Landlord will include an itemized list of damages and the actual or estimated cost of repairs. Otherwise, if no part of the security deposit is withheld, Landlord will return Tenant's security
deposit to Tenant within forty-five (45) days after the end of Tenant's lease Term.

I pointed out that by his **own** lease, which he had signed, he was supposed to give me an itemized list of deductions (if any) by April 18th, and otherwise to return my full deposit to me by May 3rd, which is 9 days ago. He said "well, I'm holding your money, so I can do whatever the fuck I want."

I told him that this was ridiculous, and asked him if I needed to involve a lawyer. He responded with "You can hire a lawyer if you want, but you'd better bring your checkbook, then, too, because I'm going to take even more of your security deposit for being a dick about this."

Now, I'm sure that maybe he needed to do something to the house that we missed, or didn't do a good enough job with or something. We're not perfect. I never expected that we'd get 100% of the deposit back. I basically automatically assume that landlords will find reasons to take out at **least** 10% of it. But also, he just sunk a ton of money into the house after we left to basically overhaul the whole thing and put it on the market (he's selling it), so I get the distinct impression that he used my security deposit to contribute to this rehab fund, and that's not sitting right with me.

\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\* **LONG STORY SHORT** \*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*

Does my former landlord have to abide by the terms set forth in his lease, regarding the timing of the return of my security deposit? If so, what does that mean in this case? Does he forfeit the right to withhold any of it because he didn't get me an itemized list of deductions within the proscribed 30 day period? Do I have to sue him for breach of contract?

Regardless, if I want to pursue this, I'm pretty much looking at small claims court now, at the very least, if I want the deposit back, right? (The deposit is for $1,300)

Do I have any other recourse?

Answer:
 You sue him for the amount you are owed, plus court costs and any other damages you have, like the cost of getting him served.  In some places the tenant can apply a multiplier to the amount they can recover on wrongfully withheld security deposits, but that's not a statewide thing in Illinois.

[You'll want this link.](http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/security-deposit-lawsuit-illinois-small-claims-court.html)


Title: Can an employer send cops to your house for calling out??

Question:
Hello there reddit, just got a question because my gfs job is being ridiculous.

So she has been working for 14 days straight, and has only called out once during the entire tenure of her employment. Today she has been sick and called out whilst also contacting other employees to cover for her. So she was passed out and she asked if I could call her boss to let her know what is going on. Her boss then went on to call me a liar, threaten me and her employment there, and then acted as if some type of domestic violence situation was transpiring and a few hours later the cops were here. My gf answered the door and explained that she was sick and does this constitute some type of harassment, the cops say technically yes. The boss was saying I was lying but was also saying she knew my gf was not sick because she was talking to another employee... even though my gf was contacting said employee to cover her shift. So my gf's boss is acting as if she was fearing for her employees life while simultaneously accusing both me and my gf of trying to hide the fact that she is not sick.

 I am extremely aggravated that a job would go through such lengths to try and catch an employee in a lie out of some strange paranoia while also threatening to terminate her over her 2nd call out ever. Do I have any type of legal ground to stand on here? Seems crazy to me that an employer can do this.

Answer: The employer called a wellness check in for your girl friend's safety. They aren't required to believe you or even talk to you. Given how easily this seems to have angered you, maybe they had a reason. Assuming your girl friend is an adult, she should have called her employer.


Title: [New York] Landlord is letting me out of lease early, but refusing to say so in writing

Question:
I moved in with my girlfriend, but had a lease on my old apartment through July of this year. I spoke to the landlord and he agreed to let me out of the lease early, as soon as he finds a new tennant. Yesterday afternoon, he called me and stated that he's rented out the apartment and asked me to "do him a favor" and leave the keys to the apartment in his office mailbox. I called back and was told that the landlord had left the office early for the day. I requested a walk-through, as well as a written statement saying that he was letting me out of the lease early. He called back and left me a voicemail stating that he was letting me out of the lease early and that the apartment was in good condition without any issues and stated that I could keep the voicemail for my records. I called back and was able to speak to him over the phone. He stated that the voicemail was more than enough. When I asked if he would be reimbursing me for the rest of the month's rent since he was asking me to hand in the keys in the middle of the month, he stated that he would not be and asked me to "help him out" since he was letting me out of the lease early and return to the keys to him today. I really don't feel comfortable doing so with him refusing to give me any kind of proof in writing that I'm being let out of the lease and the apartment is in good condition. But I also just want to wash my hands with this guy, and have the situation be over with.

So what do you think? Is a voicemail stating I'm being let out of the lease early and that the apartment is in good condition legally binding? Or should I hold out for a written statement?

Answer: If he sues you for unpaid rent you can use the voicemail as evidence. Save it somewhere not on your phone.


Title: Neighbor's pitbull attacked my dog, wants to pay for vet bills on a payment plan

Question:
Hope this is the right place to post this. My dog was attacked by a neighbor's unleashed pitbull a couple weeks ago. The dog's owner admitted fault and was fined by the city and reported to Animal Control. We had $1200 in vet bills that day. The pitbull's owner offered to pay but says she doesn't have much money and wants to pay $100 per month. What should I do? Have her sign some kind of contract? My other option was to take her to Small Claims court. I'm open to this arrangement but what happens if she misses a payment or stops paying? Do I file then? Any advice welcome.

Edit: I'm located in WA State, King County
Edit2: LegagalAdvice delivers, thanks!

Answer:
 You don't need to have her sign a contract; she still owes you the money with or without a contract.

The thing about suing her is that even if you get a judgment, you have to collect, maybe by garnishing her wages or whatever, and it's difficult.  $100 per month might be OK.  If of course you have no money yourself and you went into credit card debt to pay for the vet bills, then you would have an incentive to take a lot of extra trouble to accelerate the payments a bit.
Answer #2: I am surprised so many people are advocating that you go to court when she is willing to pay and you don't need the money right away. That is more work for you and you might end up getting paid slower in the long run.

You do not need a written contract here, but I would definitely have one just so there is no question about the fact that she agreed to pay you.Answer #3: Save your small claim court fees and have her sign a contract. If she misses a payment she breaches the contract and then you can sue. You can probably find a free or very cheap simple payment plan contract online or go to your court's law library and copy a form from the appropriate book (there may also be a form on WA state's judiciary page). Just remember to be as precise as possible. Spend a few bucks for a notary.