Title: Off-duty police officer hit my car, refusing to pay

Question:
Hey guys,

I'm writing this on a throwaway since I'm honestly scared for my safety from this police officer. For context, the incident occurred in NSW, Australia.

I was driving three friends home from a dinner party I did at my place. The streets were almost deserted, as they usually are at night.

Driving in the left lane, there was a car driving about 100m in front of me in the middle lane. The car braked and swerved into my lane, hitting my right side door, activating my ABS and pushing me into a tiny bus lane that popped up on the left (thank god, or would surely be dead).

After getting out of the car and asking what the guy was doing, he said he received a call and wanted to answer it, so he was pulling over and didn't really look to check for other cars.

We smelled some alcohol, so we assume he had been drinking so I got a friend to call the police while I got the driver's details. Upon finding out we had called the police, he flipped out and said 'look at my outfit!'. To me, it looked like a mechanic's outfit, but apparently he was a police officer who had just finished work.

He makes a call and says in an extremely mate-y way '(nickname)-ey mate! Can you cancel the callout that was made to (location)?' Apparently it's policy that once a callout is made, the police have to come.

Fast forward 15 minutes and three police officers arrive. They work at the same police station as the guy who hit me. They have some chummy chat time and write down (what I was hoping) to be a fair report about the situation (silly me). One of my passengers was also a bit hurt and asked for an apology from the driver, only to be laughed at by the driver's friends.

Fast forward again and the driver has denied it happened and is refusing to pay for my repairs. The police report said a 'minor scratch' had occurred, but there's a huge dent in the side of my car and a big scratch to my side mirror.

I want to report the guy and his friends for police misconduct and/or get my money back for repairs.

What to do?

TL;DR - Off duty police officer hits my car, denied it happened, refuses to pay for my repairs. What to do?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 You will want to file a claim with your insurance company. It is doubtful that he will cooperate with you. If you have comprehensive insurance, you can get the repairs to your car done immediately and allow the insurance company to subrogate.

Battling a few chums in a police department is a lot easier for a giant insurance company than an average driver. Police reports are not all what insurance companies use to determine fault and liability. It won't be as easy as it should be, but this is exactly what you're paying them for.


Title: Under what circumstances can a landlord say no to an emotional support animal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > First of all, no I'm not trying to claim a mental disability so I can have a dog in my apartment so don't ask!

> I just moved into a new apartment closer to home *only to discover at the last minute I can't have pets*.

> So Thursday I'm going to ask my psychiatrist for a written note saying I need an emotional support animal.

You are what's wrong with the ESA system.


Title: Landlord behaviour outed. Courses of action available in CA.

Question:
In February, my wife and I rented a two bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, CA. We signed our lease on the clear understanding that the landlords, who had then recently acquired the property, were renovating a downstairs apartment and that this work would be completed within two weeks of our moving in. This timeline proved to be a fiction as the renovation work took over two months to complete.

With the adjacent property newly occupied, but before we had a chance to meet our new neighbours, our landlords wrote - two weeks ago - to say that their new tenants needed shared access to the laundry facilities in our garage. This matter was presented as an accidental oversight for which they needed our help. However, in doing so, their proposal was presented to us as a fait accompli: the landlords stated that any decision about this matter was in their gift. So much so, they'd already discussed with their contractor about building an interior garage wall, so as to isolate a shared “laundry room."

This email was followed swiftly by another, giving less than 24 hours notice, setting out that replacement laundry facilities had been acquired to support both apartments and were scheduled for installation in our private garage on the following day. A hastily convened meeting with the landlords, that evening, saw my wife and I reason out a course of action that allowed the installation to take place, solely on the basis that we would reach and agree terms with the landlords before their new tenants would be granted access.

Since then, it has become clear to us that we've been misled. We have discovered that our neighbours already had access to our garage, to do their laundry and store belongings. Acting under the belief that we could "smell a rat," and a feeling that our new neighbours may be unaware of events, we met with them (and, of course, they are great). They brought to our attention that not only had they been promised direct access to our garage for their use of our laundry facilities, upon viewing the property some months ago, but that they would not have signed a lease were this not the case. Further, they confirmed that our landlords had previously given them a key to access our garage, which was done without our knowledge or consent (to date, the landlords have avoided answering any questions about whether a key has been given to our neighbours).

Having challenged our landlords about the above in writing, they have deflected and attempted to refute any claims we may have as baseless. We have called them out on this, politely and firmly, once more in writing. At this stage, we don't want to be in conflict with them, and would prefer to renew our lease, but we simply don't know how all of this is going to play out. At the end of the day, we've been lied to and feel that we have been forced to share a private space that we pay for. By wanting to have a good relationship with our new neighbours (we don't want to displace them from laundry or appear hostile), we feel that it's too late to undo what's already been done and deny them access to the garage. This has a opened a can of worms whose lid can't be put back. And, of course, we are not are sure that the actions taken by the landlords are lawful (certainly, they are acting with impunity).

Any suggestions as to what we can do from here - in terms of what our legal recourse is in California, how to pursue some reasonable form of compensation (that makes us feel better about the situation) without escalating matters further or whether we should just let this go - would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all.

Answer: What does your lease agreement say about the garage?Answer #2: Very specifically, what does your lease state about your use of the garage?     Does it say its yours to use as you like?  Does it say only that you can use it for laundry?   Does it imply that its shared?


Title: Was told flight was cancelled but was not

Question:
Hello, so I am in vacation for a big family reunion and Cebu Airlines ruines our Christmas because they prevented almost a third of us from reaching our destination. So there were two flights designated for the day; one in 8:30am and 12:50pm. First flight was cancelled for unknown reasons (they said weather but accounts in weather apps and ppl from both sides of the airport showed reasonable weather with sunshine.)

Long story I’m sorry...., while some of us were scheduled for the morning flight; we received refunds. All good. But this is where it turns to crap, the agent then tells the rest of us that the 12:50 flight is cancelled as well (we were already checked in); and so issued a refund: occurred around 11:30am. We were mad but what could we do. So we ate. Then I looked at the flight statuses and it turned out that 12:50 had actually departed as planned. We looked at the flight statuses when she told us it was cancelled (and it was showing flight is still scheduled)but we thought it had not been updated: especially since we were at the main office of Cebu Airlines in the airport, so we believed them. So we went back and sought an explanation. We spoke to the same agent and she denied she said that it was cancelled!

We had asked her multiple times from multiple different people asking the same question if the 12:50 flight had been cancelled before so she is a LIAR. She refused to accept wrongdoing.... oh that turned out wrong for her because as bad as it sounds, we were frustrated and were shouting at her in front of strangers. Our blood was boiling. She eventually admitted to saying that it was cancelled and all of us (12 people) immediately pointed fingers at her and called her a big liar. She cried at that point. I feel really bad but she lied to our faces multiple times so I really don’t care at the same time.

Now my cousin spoke to a “higher management” person and she agreed what she did was really wrong (apparently cancelling a checked in person esp. when flight was not cancelled is illegal and a fireable offense).

Unfortunately they haven’t really offered a compensation even though we got refunds. We are still kind of waiting. They offered us to go back tomorrow to take any available seats for no shows (which they should have done originally!!!!) but I doubt that will work for all of us.

I’m frustrated at that agent for what she did and lied. I feel like I should threaten to sue but I want to know your opinions please.

Am I whining at this point for wanting compensation? I want that agent to be held liable as well for her actions and threatening to sue will probably show some serious face but I don’t know if that’s a good thing to do.

Thank you guys.

TLDR; agent cancelled some checked in seats by lying to customers the flight had been cancelled when the flight was actually not. No compensation other than a full refund was given. No apparent liability to said agent for her actions as of yet.

Answer:
 You can threaten all you want but they've refunded you. You're not getting anymore compensation.

Lying in this case isn't illegal. Crappy business practices for sure.

Could also be that she was relayed the incorrect information and thought it was canceled. Making mistakes isn't illegal. I'm not sure what motivation she would have to just lie to customers about a flight. Answer #2: Seeing as you failed to provide a location, no one here can tell you. Thankfully you were not arrested for causing a scene in the airport.


Title: Considering taking in a 16 year old in need of place to stay

Question: [deleted]

Answer: With the _permission_ of her parents, perfectly legal, provided you're not violating your lease by having a subletter. Without the permission of her parents, not legal at all, not even if mom knows where her child is.


Title: I work for a dinosaur attorney. He doesn’t use a shredder and his email has been breached at least once. Advice?

Question:
Location: OR

Long time lurker, first time poster. I work for an attorney whose online and physical security systems are, to put it mildly, atrocious. All paper goes into the trash unshredded, including copies of every email the attorney receives. I’ve worked at a couple of law firms and they all used shredders or shredding services.

In addition, someone hacked into the attorney’s email a few months ago and threatened extortion if they didn’t transfer the scammers money. They knew the office password (there’s only one for everything) and could easily gain access to client files stored on the server using this email.

I’m contemplating filing a complaint with the Oregon State Bar but they only have one section regarding data breaches due to negligence that states: “a lawyer shall make reasonable efforts to prevent the inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to information relating to the representation of a client.”

Would the data breach and lack of a shredder qualify as the attorney not making reasonable efforts to protect their clients’ privacy?

Answer:
 I don't care if this comment gets removed.  I just want to express my profound disappointment when I realized your boss was not, in fact, an attorney specializing in dinosaur law.

Anyone could be hacked, but he should definitely be shredding.


Title: Discriminate against tobacco users ok?

Question:
[Des Moines, IA] I'm filling out job applications and for the first time a company made a statement that was
"To protect our culture of health and well-being, our company doesn't hire tobacco users.  A tobacco user is defined as a user of any tobacco product on a regular, reoccurring basis, or at the minimum of once per month." And then asks yes or no if you use tobacco.  Is this legal for them to ask this?

Answer: Yes, that is legal.Answer #2: While some state do have smoker protection laws, IA is not one of them, so this is legal.


Title: (Louisiana) A cop hit my car today, and the Sheriff's Deputy that took the case report claims "Nobody was at fault."

Question: What should I do? He turned right into my car, and I am 100% certain that if this had been between civilians, he would have been issued a ticket. Should I pursue legal action, or do I not have a legitimate case?

Answer: Let your insurance handle it. Refer any witnesses you have to them. Give them any dash cam footage that you have. If you don't have a dash cam, get one.


Title: Judge Judy You Really Messed Up This Time, How About Accepting Responsibility For Your Actions?

Answer:
 Good God. Nobody is going to read all of that. I tried, until at the hyperlink I saw how long this thing was. Edit out the unneeded detail (about 98% of it) and leave *ONLY* the salient facts and a succinct legal question.

I tried. I honestly did.Answer #2: Well, I read the first 1/3 of that mess.  Have you ever seen Judge Judy?  You really thought you were going to be given a serious trial,  even after signing the mountain of releases they gave you that clearly explained that this was entertainment?

If you cared about the case, you wouldn't have taken it to a tabloid.  You have no recourse against her.  She is an entertainer, not a judge.  You went to a TV set, not a court.


Title: Wife kicked me out of shared lease apartment, expects me to continue paying for everything

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You have just as might right to live there as she does if you're on the lease. It's highly unlikely they would agree to take you off since that's one less person responsible for rent. You would both get evicted if the rent wasn't paid.


Title: landlord started construction in our unit while we lived there, exposed us to asbestos and lead

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 You need a lawyer. Also, the pipes wouldn't be lead,  you're in California not ancient Rome. If the pipes were welded they'd be steel, also somewhat unlikely for residential plumbing unless they are for fire suppression...

All that to say you may also need a contractor who can serve as an expert for the lawyer to identify what was done, but your lawyer will be able to determine that.


Title: I was just harassed by some cops. I want to know if it was unnecessary.

Question: I live in a small town. I went to my car to pick up some small wine bottles what officers call "roadies", and I decided to smoke a cigarette. It was 1:30 in the morning. I saw a cop roll by and went on his way down the street. I thought nothing of it. Next thing I know after 2 minutes, I see a light flickering in my view and it turned out to be a police officer walking through my yard. He asked me for my ID but I didn't have it on me, so I told him my info from memory.  He said that there have been a lot of burglaries in the neighborhood and that is why he was checking. I didn't believe him and told him so. I, also, voiced my displeasure with what he was doing, when I was in my driveway smoking a cigarette minding my own business and he had apparently called for backup, because not two minutes after he approached me, two more officers arrived at the scene. I was very vocal about my consternation with this whole matter, and they were very vocal about how they were just doing their jobs. They talked about how it is illegal to drink in a parked car in Texas, (I would like to know if that is true), I wasn't drinking, I had 4 cabernet sauvignon in my pockets that I put in my pockets from my car. I only took them out because I was intimidated by the officer who was asking me questions like why was I there and shit like that. I asked them why they were doing this, and if it was because they were really bored..probably shouldn't have done that. But, Jesus Christ, it was 1:30am, I was in the same position as when they passed me the first time on the residential street, what the fuck did they want?  How can I check to find out if there were actual burglaries in my neighborhood?

Answer: You were not harassed in the slightest.


Title: My boyfriend quit his job and has not been paid for 5 weeks (California)

Question:
Hi! Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this. I appreciate it.

My boyfriend got a job in October 2015 with an independent contractor who has 3 other employees only, they deliver packages for other companies.

A little bit of background, the Friday that he was to receive his first paycheck his boss texted him saying that someone was to meet them at the warehouse at around 9pm (when they got back from the route) 9 p.m comes and my boyfriend along with his co-worker are waiting there for about an hour. At this point they are calling and texting their boss but he doesn't answer or message them back. They go home after 2 hours with no paycheck. The boss finally texts them both that Monday, "Hey Guys, the check is in the office just stop by and pick it up" (The boss lives about 2 hours away from the warehouse so they don't see him).

Every paycheck after that was about 3 days late (he gets paid bi-weekly) he always eventually received it but he didn't always get the pay stubs even though he asked for them repeatedly.

The job was steady they worked around 12 hours everyday, then in January it was super slow, they would work 2 hours out of the whole week. He would contact the boss asking him if there was going to be work but the boss never answered their calls or responded to their texts messages.

He found another job so he put in his two weeks on January 25, 2016 he sent a text message and email but has not heard back. He is still owed a paycheck for the December 28, 2015 - January 8,2016 pay period. He was supposed to receive the paycheck on January 15, 2016.

Since then he has repeatedly tried to get in contact with his Boss. He has called about 15 times and sent text messages with no answer and no call backs. The only text message he has received was 2 weeks ago saying "Oh I didn't know there was something wrong with the paycheck, I'm sending it in the mail tomorrow." He still hasn't received anything.

My boyfriend has sent a letter yesterday to two of his boss's known addresses, just basically saying " Hi, You still haven't paid me and its been about 5 weeks, if you don't pay immediately I will file a wage claim."

He also went to do his taxes and they told him that the tax form he received from that company is invalid because they need a California Employee I.D.

What should we do from here? We are just worried that he will disappear and he wont receive the money. We are also worried about the fact that he does not have a California Employee I.D, we are not sure what that means. Are there other steps we should take?

Thank you for reading!

Answer: I think you're dragging things out way, way too long.  I also think that the more time you allow them, the high the odds are that you'll find that you're going after an empty pot.  I'd stop playing around with this now, would bring copies of the letter and text messages to a labor attorney, and pursue your backed pay and penalties ASAP.  If he doesn't want to do that, file the wage claim.  Saber rattling doesn't get anyone anywhere.


Title: I was given a pre-trial diversion for an mip charge. I failed to complete the requirements in the allotted time and now have a scheduled hearing.

Question:
-In august 2015 my friends an I were having a party at my lake house in northern Indiana. Long story short someone called the police on us and we were all cited and received an MIP (minor-in-possession) for underage drinking. I did not have to attend court as long as I agreed to the pre-trial diversion, which was to pay $350, complete 36 hours community service, and have a drug/alcohol evaluation within 1 year.

-I payed the $350, but when the 1 year mark rolled around I had not done the service hours or taken the drug evaluation. I received a letter in the mail saying that they wanted to revoke my pretrial diversion and that there is a hearing for the matter scheduled in November that I must attend.

So I have never dealt with anything like this before and do not know what to expect. My plan is to complete the hours and the drug eval so that when I go to the hearing I at least have proof that i've done it now. Any advice on what may happen or what i should o to prepare would be great.

Other details:
-I am currently a college student
-I am trying too get into the air force
-i am 21 now, but was only 20 at the time of the citation.
-no other legal trouble on my record, with the exception of 1 speeding and 2 seatbelt tickets.
-I live in Kentucky, but this happened at Indiana at my lie house

Answer:
 >My plan is to complete the hours and the drug eval so that when I go to the hearing I at least have proof that i've done it now. Any advice on what may happen or what i should o to prepare would be great.

That would be what I would advise.

That said, Come on dude. You had an entire year to get this done.  Doing what a court says is covered on the second or third day of adulting 101, right after checking your mail at least 2x a week. Answer #2: You need to hire an attorney. You had an easy out and decided to fuck it up, so you're now going to have to deal with an angry court system coming down on you. The military isn't giving nearly as many waivers as they used to, though I'm not sure if your mistake will bar you from entry.


Title: Weird attempted crimes

Question: Essentially, if someone believes that by doing something they are going to like...maybe send someone into a parallel universe? What would be the legal position?

Answer: Impossibility is a complete legal defense. If it's impossible for my action to achieve it's desired effect, I'm not liable if the effect happens to occur.


Title: Fighting a Traffic Ticket

Question:
I recently got pulled over for an improper right hand turn in Colorado. The statute I broke is as follows: "Right turns. Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway."

I feel like the statute allows for some judgment with the use of the word practicable. I made a turn with my signal on in a right turn lane but turned right to left instead of right to right. I did this because the officer was on a parallel road 50 or less yards away from the street I was turning from and thought it wise to yield the lane closest to him. Also this particular road has had construction on it for weeks closing one lane or the other. While the lane wasn't closed today, it was closed the following day and had been closed the week before.

I think it is important to note that there was no other traffic on the road at this time so I was not posing a threat or even inconveniencing other cars in any way.

Does any of those sound like a reasonable argument to present during arraignment or before a judge?

Answer: No, it does not sound like a reasonable defense. By your own admission, you broke the traffic code. The lack of traffic on the road is irrelevant and not important at all. If you want to fight it, hire a traffic ticket attorney.


Title: Louisiana flood victim here, and a renter

Question: I have/had renter's insurance.  The insurance company told me that nothing is covered because I didn't have flood insurance.  However the house was not in a flood plane and I didn't own it, I just rented.  Is this a legitimate denial?

Answer:
 I'm sorry you're going through this. I too was "not in a flood zone" for Sandy in 2012, but still had six feet of water in the house. My mom owns the house and I rent the ground floor apartment. FEMA helped my mother, but didn't do much. It's worth it to make the call. I know people who got a few thousand as renters, but they don't give out nearly enough to cover your actual losses.

We didn't have flood insurance (which is always separate) and it sucked. My mom's homeowner insurance covered wind damage on the roof, but no internal damage.

My best suggestion is to ask *every* retailer when you replace your items if they're offering a discount to flood victims. Shop around. I guarantee you will find at least a few retailers willing to work with you. Answer #2: Yes, typically flood insurance is a separate policy


Title: [Virginia] Stay at home mom with multiple theft related charges, have questions

Question:
Hello all, long time lurker but first time posting in this sub(i guess that could be considered a good thing?), throwaway just because my main account has quite a bit of information that would make me and my family easily identifiable. I am here today on behalf of my fiancee who was looking for some advice regarding her situation(s). Any and all help or advice you all could give would be much appreciated, and please don't be too harsh with the judgements.

First off, a little background on her and our family; We have been together about 4 years and are currently engaged. She has one son from another relationship, and we also have a toddler together of our own. We are both in our late 20's. She has been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder as well as anxiety. Both of us also had a drug addiction at the time of this incident, however, we are both now sober since the incident and are happy with the results. Things financially are practically nonexistent right now, as I just was terminated from my job for an unrelated reason, and family support is nonexistent due to the previously mentioned drug addiction.

Roughly one month ago, she was arrested at a large retail store while shoplifting with some other people and had our toddler with her. She has done this before and normally our son is not involved, and before anyone pulls out pitchforks, this was not the original plan for the night, the individuals with her had come up with the idea in the middle of the night out together. I realize there are probably already some readers with objections due to the child involvement, but please understand, our child is normally very well taken care of and never involved in any of the negative actions in either her or my life. She very much regrets the incident itself as well as the involvement of the child. This was not the first time she had done this with this group of people, and as it turns out, the store had been watching her for some time and built a case on her before she was detained on this day.

She is currently facing:
* 3 counts of Grand Larceny >= $200 Not from a person
* 2 counts of Conspiracy - Grand Larceny >= $200 Not from a person
* 2 counts of Possession of burglary tools  (razor blades used to slice packages, were found in her purse but technically belonged to another girl, though there's no way in hell shes gonna come forward. 2 counts because one at time of arrest, and was witnessed on camera another time)
* 1 Count Contributing to delinquency of a minor (through juvenile court, built as separate case, was charged with because of having son with during the crime)

Soo..needless to say shes got a long road ahead of her and with very limited funding for things like hiring better lawyers, I've come to reddit for ideas on courses of attack.

Some random tidbits:
* She admitted to everything to both officers and loss prevention at arrest times
* Her and I both are completely sober and will be attending Narcotics Anonymous meetings from this week on.
*The other individuals involved received less charges due to there being different people on different visits, etc. She also received the 2 for tools and the 1 delinquency as well which made her case the worst. All others were released on own recognizance, she was held for a total of 3k bond.
* She is currently out on bond
* She has not had any contact with the other offenders
* She has followed all terms of bond & laws since then. This was a giant wake up call to her to get her life together.
* She has attended arraignment for both courts
* We currently are waiting on social services to schedule a visit with us regarding our son :/
* She does see a psychiatrist for treatment on her mental issues, and is heavily medicated for them.
* She has been appointed public defenders for both cases, but we are having issues getting either one of them to return phone calls.

Please understand that she is well aware the severity and stupidness of her actions and has had a very hard time processing the guilt from the situation. We're not asking for someone to find us a magic get out of jail card, we just want some ideas on how to get something better than what shes facing, if not for her own sake, but for the sake of the kids having a proper mother figure.
Also, we know she needs to lawyer up, we are trying to get together with a public defender, but lack of communication as well as poor past experiences by many friends of ours from the local public defenders has us concerned and we'd like to hear other points of view.
Now then, we have a few questions which hopefully you all can provide some insight:
1. What is the best course of action for her own defense? She is the mother to our kids and we are a single income family. Traditionally, my line of work has hours that mean her incarceration would be a nightmare just from child care aspect of things, let alone everything else.
2. The court date for the delinquency is set before the date of the other charges. Is it possible for her to be sentenced for that when the others are still in limbo? Wouldn't it be dependent on the status of the others?
3. A family member had suggested using the addiction as a factor for mercy by showing her rehabilitation. Since she is now clean, we'd like to avoid an inpatient facility if at all possible, does anyone have any ideas on whether this is a route worth pursuing or what would be the best way of getting this documented if so?
4. On that same note, would it be worth getting any sort of documentation regarding her mental conditions?

To anyone who made it through the wall of text, we truly appreciate your time to hear her story and are thankful for any feedback you guys can provide.

Thanks In Advance,
VALegalQuestions

EDIT 1: Added some tidbits.

Answer:
 You need to get her a lawyer. If you're truly indigent, call the courts and ask for a public defender (if she didn't at her arraignment). Otherwise, start selling stuff, get two or three jobs, whatever it takes to pay for a lawyer.

Addiction might be a mitigating factor, but untreated mental illness probably won't be. I hope she's in treatment now. Get a lawyer. Make this your priority in life. Whatever it takes.


Title: Employer terminating insurance following resigning

Question:
Okay, so this is my first post here but I just needed to ask about this situation I'm having with my past employer. I will try to include as much pertinent information as possible. I am in Indiana in the US.

I worked for the hospital here in my town as a front desk for one of their offices. I put in two weeks notice in mid July and my last day of work was Monday, August 3rd 2015. I carried all benefits with said hospital (medical, dental, vision). On the day following my last day (August 4th) I took my 4 year old son to the pediatrician for his 4 year well child check for preschool.

I received the EOB from insurance in the mail yesterday that 0 was covered because my insurance was terminated on 8/3/15 by the hospital. The problem that I have with this is that they still withdrew a full amount for benefits on my last check dated 8/13/15. My insurance told me to call HR and just have them fix it.

So I called the HR department and the rep told me "It is our policy to terminate all benefits on midnight on the employees last day of work. We have no way of putting in a partial amount for benefits, so that's why it came out of your check." My response was "So, you took money from my check for benefits that I wasn't receiving? For nothing?" Rep said "That's not what I said, but that's our policy. It was in one of the (7000) pages you received in your new hire paperwork."

My question is what is the legal stance of this issue? I should've checked when it would terminate, I understand that. But, it was the next day and I assumed I was AT LEAST covered until the end of the pay period, because I paid for that coverage. I mean, if I'm on the hook for the doctor visit than fine, I'll pay it. But I shouldn't (in my opinion) have had $160 withdrawn from my check for coverage I didn't receive AND be on the hook for the bill(s)...

Answer: As someone who handles payroll at my work I can shed some light on this. The company pays the insurance premiums monthly so the deductions that are taken out of your pay this month might be for last month's premiums.Answer #2: It's lousy but not illegal. Pro-rating benefit deductions for terms is a PITA for payroll. They really should extend it through the end of the pay period since you are paying the full employee deduction from your check but if it's in the policy that insurance ends on your last day there isn't anything you can do except complaint.


Title: Age Discrimination in College Financial Aid?

Question: So a financial aid officer told our family that they cannot give more aid due to budget restrictions. We had appealed the financial aid award because our expected family contribution on the FAFSA fell dramatically and family debt was increasing making it impossible to pay out of pocket, causing us to seek private loans. The officer told us that Freshmen (first-years) are awarded a 4-year aid package that meets their needs as described by information in the FAFSA, and that upperclassmen can appeal their 4-year aid package, but the award would not be able to cover financial need because of budget restrictions at the financial aid office. Essentially, the officer said that freshmen and upperclassmen are treated differently in their financial aid applications. Can someone advise me on whether this is age discrimination, and if so, what would be next steps?

Answer:
 Well it is certaibnly not age discrmination since freshman and upperclassmen are not ages.Answer #2: This is not age discrimination.

The legal protections against age discrimination pretty much solely apply to employment. And then, you are only protected if you are over the age of 40.


Title: (Ohio) My 11 year old daughter wants to start selling slime. Do I need to do anything to protect her and my family?

Question:
I am not sure if this is going to take off or if she is going to make money or what. In short, my daughter has been making slime for friends and family for about a year. Last spring she made about $20 selling the stuff to classmates. Now she wants to start a website and is serious about taking her old profits to buy more supplies. For her birthday she is asking for Amazon gift cards to help get a better start.

For legal advice: If we really do start a website for her, should we start a LLC? Do we have to put warning labels on this stuff?  Anything else I should be worrying about?

Answer:
 You should definitely put a warning on it that states "Not for Human or Animal Consumption".

If any of the supplies are known allergens, such as peanut oil, you need to put a warning on the product.

You should probably start a formal company, though I'm not sure what type would be best. You might actually want to talk to an accountant about that as each has advantages and disadvantages.

The other thing you might want to think about is products insurance. If someone is harmed as a result of the product, whether it's the fault of the product or not, the company can be sued. An insurance policy would pick up the cost of defense and pay out damages.


Title: My work is trying to pin months worth of register shortages on me

Question:
Basically, for a few months we've had x amount of small register shortages. The total amount is less than $100. They have decided to write me up for this since I was the only person on the register every day it happened. I however was not the only person on the registers. I am refusing to take all the blame. One manager is going to look through the transaction logs and verify that I even took cash transactions those days.

It's clear to me that some members of management believe this was theft on my part. When they initially spoke with me they  threatened me with L.P. (not outright, just saying what L.P. could do) and said that by writing me up for this they were protecting me. They did not have any paperwork with them for the write up, and told me it would be ready a different day. I suspect that they were trying to get me to confess to things I haven't done and fire me that day.

I am fighting this within the company now, but if things do escalate further is there a legal way to fight this? As for the paper they want me to sign for the write up what should I look out for? I will not sign anything taking responsibility for these incidents. The state I'm in is Georgia. So I already doubt there is much I can do with labor laws, but possibly something civil.

Answer: Dont sign anything you dont want to. But they can certainly fire you if they suspect you are stealing or not able to run a register correctly. Nothing you can do about that (absent a union or employment saying differently)Answer #2: You can refuse to sign. They can fire you for refusing. Answer #3: If you are arrested, don't speak and get an attorney. That's really all there is to it.Answer #4: Another thing to be concerned about is unemployment. Your company will dispute your unemployment if you file, claiming it was for cause. Appeal, and tell the investigator that the short drawers were shared. You should be found eligible for unemployment.


Title: Is it legal for a company to force you to work for another company?

Question:
Back story

A year and half ago, a competitor (Company A) purchased our company (Company B). At the beginning of the month, they've informed everyone at both companies that they will be downsizing and everyone will be receiving a minimal $40,000 severance package depending on how long we've been employed. However, the details of those package are not available including the exact dollar figure for each employee, the terms and condition, or even our last day.

Our department received notification from them that we were getting outsourced. The outsourcing company (Company C) is involved with the process, they've stated that there is 10 position available (there's 25 of us) and we have until May 15th to apply for those position.

May 15th came and gone, not one person applied for those position for various reasons. One of the biggest reason was the lack of details pertaining to the severance package. Several question was asked to the higher ups in both Company A and Company C that were left unanswered or vaguely answered. Some questions includes

1. If we apply and are successful in getting a position at Company C, do we still get a severance package, if anything? Answer: They're don't know.

2. Same question as #1, however if we are hired by Company C prior to our official termination date, do we still get a severance package? Answer: They don't know.

Another part of the reason is that some of the more senior employee will take a big pay hit if they go and work at Company C. For the younger employee, there was no guarantee that Company C was going to keep us for long. If we go and work at Company C, we can lose our severance package and lose our job in couple of months.

Yesterday, the Company A held a conference call with our department specifically to discuss the layoffs. The topic was mainly around why people within our department were not applying for those position at Company C. This time, HR reps from Company A was at the call. Again, the same question was asked.

1. If we apply and are successful in getting a position at Company C, do we still get a severance package, if anything? Answer: We get *some* severance package

2. Same question as #1, however if we are hired by Company C prior to our official termination date, do we still get a severance package? Answer: We get *some* severance package

3. If we refuse to apply for a position at Company C, does that impact our severance package? Answer: Potentially.

The third question was asked several times and we got a long winded corporate bullshit answer that didn't make any sense, we even reworded it and asked for a Yes or No response.

So essentially we are being forced to apply for a position at Company C. We have several scneario that can play out

1. We apply, we are successful in getting a job, we don't get a severance package.

2. We apply, we are not successful, we don't get a severance package because we tried to find a job outside of Company A before our official termination date which we don't even have. We're assuming in this scenario that we're not getting a severance based on hearing about several employee in other departments thinking about retirement and shortly afterward, received notification that they were disqualified from severance package.

3. We don't apply, we don't get a severance package.

Is that even legal? We spoke with HR in Company B and they're not even sure if that is legal but understandably, they got their hands tied by HR in Company A. We can't even figure out why Company A is being incredibly vague in this situation and the only reason we can think of is that they're trying to get out of paying us severance packages.

We're in Canada.

Answer:
 Company A and you have a contract. If you hold your ground, don't apply for positions in Company C, you effectively are putting the ball in Company A's hands. They can
A) Fire you now for insubordination or whatever reason they think of due to you not applying to Company C. In this case, wrongful termination suit may be in order.
B) Keep you around till the merger is finalized and balk on the severance payment. In this case, you would sue for severance package (if its in your contract / on paper that you are entitled).
C) Pay you severance and end your relationship

If you have a contract with your employer, it should be spelled out.  I'd talk to an attorney sooner rather than later considering its $40k . Once the merger is complete, Company B is effectively responsible for your disputed severance I'd imagine, so you could go after them if necessary.


Title: (CA) Signing of updated lease

Question:
I am in California and have a question regarding the signing of an updated lease.

We have 4 housemates in the original lease. 3 have signed the updated lease to replace one of the original housemates. However, the last person refuses to sign. Would the new lease be effective if the last person refuses to sign?

Answer:
 > Would the new lease be effective if the last person refuses to sign?

No.  All parties to a contract have to agree to the contract change.  Absent a court order otherwise.


Title: Can my employer do this? (Ontario)

Question: SO I work for a local store, I am a tech, heres my issue, my operations manager (the secretary) sent me home multiple times to shave my face, heres the kicker he has a full grown beard. and so does one other employee, I seem to be the only one getting sent home for this. If theres nothing in my rights that help ill say screw it and shave, im just wondering do i give in an shave or am i allowed to say no.

Answer: Not legal advice, but was your beard fully grown in, and is theirs? I used to work for a company whose dress code allowed you to be clean shaven, or have a fully grown in beard within certain guidelines, but you couldn’t have stubble or otherwise be in between the two extremes.


Title: My parents want to put their house/vehicles to my name to avoid last will & testament issues. is it a smart move?

Question:
Hello fellow redditors, the title says it all really, my parents told me they want to put their vehicles and house to my name to avoid any last will & testament issues: Apparently, they are afraid that if they pass away I'll have to fight against banks or whomever benefits from people without last will and testament deaths benefit from, they got it in their minds that testaments and wills are not 100% guaranteed and heard horror stories of how the inheritors have to fight to get what was rightfully inherited to them...

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I'm not entirely sure that's a great idea as it seems there could be problems, i.e.

* if I divorce (not that I'm planning to), I'm sure that could be seen as hoarding stuff behind my SO's back
* if I try and get a loan, could those vehicles/house come up as something that I own and affect the loan in any way?
   * clarification on this point: Their house and vehicles have been paid for
* Could this affect my income tax as it may flag me as having 2 houses? (thought I'm sure my parents would be paying for the property tax)

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On that last point, I'll make this clear though, my parents are the most honest people I know, they wouldn't e.g. change their house's deed ownership to me and then not pay the property tax, they are truly just trying to make a (hopefully long in the) future transition easier for their children.

Answer:
 No, it's not a smart move.

Your parents need to sit down with an estate attorney and make a plan that meets their specific needs. DIY estate plans, like moving their property into your name early, can easily complicate the situation without accomplishing the goals they want.

As a simple example of how this can go wrong, if your parents do owe substantial amount of money and give away their property for the specific purpose of avoiding paying those debts, the creditors could sue the recipients - that is, you - to recover those assets under a theory of fraudulent conveyance.

Some legal vehicles can help insulate assets from their creditors up to a point, but at the end of the day they owe what they owe. The biggest reason people lose out on inheritances is because the decedent died in debt, and the law generally does not exist to let people off the hook for legitimate debts.

Your concerns about your involvement are also pretty reasonable. If your parents give you property, _it's your property_, and because you're married, it may well be marital property. Additionally, your parents would be your tenants, and their rent payments would be whatever they're paying towards the property taxes: you'll likely need to include that as taxable income every year.


Title: Can't take name off of lease, not sure what to do.

Question:
I want to move out. I live with my boyfriend. It's not really a good situation and I'd like to leave. I talked with my landlord and he told me that I could just take my name off the lease early (we did a one year lease and are a few months in). The problem is my boyfriend went bankrupt a while ago, so the landlord doesn't trust him. He told me he won't let me take my name off. He said I would have to wait until next year when the lease is up. Once again screwed over by my boyfriend.

We don't pay that much in rent and utilities (probably 550 altogether). He can easily afford that and his bills on his own. But I'm afraid if I leave he will be petty enough to stick me with the rent (even though I'm not living there). Which I do understand, my name would still be on the lease, but he makes too good of money to be petty.

My question is if I were to leave and rent an apartment elsewhere and keep my name on this current lease until next year when its up, what is the worst thing that can happen to me?

I know it sounds bad that I want to up and leave, but there are certain circumstances that I don't want to disclose here.

I live in Minnesota, by the way.

Answer: He stops paying and you both get evicted. Then you get sued for any money/damages he does.


Title: Deceased grandmother who had custody of my children.

Question: My mother in law passed away two weeks ago. She had custody of my two boys for the last 8 years. Their father is also deceased he passed away 2 years ago. I filed for an amended custody petition and received in the mail yesterday that the petition was dismissed without prejudice. Does that mean I now have all legal rights to my children?

Answer:
 Since this is about custody of your children, I would consult a lawyer. This doesn’t mean you automatically get your children, it means what you filed was dismissed- they didn’t accept it. Answer #2: Location isn't optional.

Dismissed without prejudice means that your petition was kicked out of court and you can refile. Answer #3: Like others have said your petition was kicked out of court, aka denied, but you're free to refile. You need an attorney. There's not enough information from this post to go on, but there's a chance that your parental rights may have been terminated which means that legally the boys are not yours and taking them could be considered kidnapping. An attorney will help you figure all of this out.


Title: An apartment complex is trying to collect $1000 from me after denying me the ability to move in

Question:
This happened OVER A YEAR AGO and they just sent it to collections.

I was living in Texas at the time and made a move to the Dallas area. Me and a friend were going to get an apartment together and do the same jobs we had been doing but in Dallas. He was getting transferred to a correctional officer position in Dallas and I was joining Dallas fire as an EMT. We find an apartment complex, tell them the what’s going on, and they agree to let us move in there. I sign the rental agreement to move in but his work decided to go back on his transfer last minute so he wasn’t able to move

This meant he never signed the contract to move in so my name was the only one on it. I told the apartment complex what happened and said I’d still take the apartment for myself and they agreed. A few weeks later and it’s move in date and they flat out refuse to let me move In but still want me to pay them money.

We were arguing back and forth for a few weeks when I get called by a recruiter to find out my waiver had processed and I could leave for basic military training at the end of the month (had been waiting on this waiver for roughly 2 years) so I said screw it and agreed to join the military.

A year later and here we are I’m stationed in Japan and active duty. My mother just received a letter saying the apartment complex is trying to collect $1000 from me.

Does the apartment complex even have a leg to stand on here? Do I really owe them $1000 after being told I wasn’t allowed to move in? Does the fact that I left for the military a month later give me any leverage for just getting any kind of rental agreement shut down? I feel like I’m the victim of some kind of super scummy rental practice and just want to know the right move here.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Go to your base legal services office and lay this out for them.  Have all the information in hand, including a timeline of events as they occurred.  This will save them time.  They can employ the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to delay any action on this, potentially for years.


Title: [WA] How do you go about getting a no contact order rescinded in Washington State?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 OP, when your girlfriend goes to jail for parole violation, please, please please get some help: https://wscadv.org/get-help-now/

Men can be victims of domestic violence, and women can be aggressors. This isn't about physical dominance, it's about control.

When your relationship involves multiple court hearings; it's over.Answer #2: You need a lawyer.  If you try to fight this on your own, you will likely end up incriminating your gf, and regardless of whether the judge strikes down the order, she may end up with additional consequences for her persistent violations.  If possible at all (which it honestly may not be), this is something that needs to be done delicately.

Edit: If you are looking to get this done by July 21st as per your recent post, that is not happening.  I actually chuckled at the thought.  Make alternate arrangements.


Title: When is someone subject to UCMJ?

Question:
If a crime was committed before entrance into the military, can someone be prosecuted under the UCMJ for it?

I'm thinking no, similar to if you committed a crime in State A and then moved to State B, you wouldn't be under the jurisdiction of State B for the crime.

Thanks for the help!

[USA]

Answer:
 No; jurisdiction under the UCMJ only attaches when you’re actually in the military (in in certain limited cases for civilians assigned to combat areas with the military.) It also ceases when you leave the military entirely. So if you performed a criminal act while in the military, and were then separated, you couldn’t be court martialed. Although if you were transferred to the reserves (even the IRR), you could be recalled to active duty and court martialed. You have to be totally discharged and not have any military Service obligation left. But there are federal extraterritorial jurisdiction statutes which cover that situation that can be charged by the US Attorney.

You can still be charged by the original state or federal prosecutors, even if you’re in the military. And the crime of false enlistment occurs  both before you swear in, and when you accept your first paycheck; and can be prosecuted in either system.


Title: Water is leaking down into my kitchen from the apartment above -- for the third time:

Question:
So this is the third time I've had to deal with water issues coming from my upstairs neighbor (UN). First it was a bathroom leak, and water filled up my bathroom ceiling. Apparently the UN isn't good with baths and water leaked out, through the floor and made my ceiling droop like a fat belly on a pig. Maintenance came and fixed that issue.

About a week ago, I wake up at 7 am to find my kitchen being flooded from above. I was able to get all of our small appliances out of the kitchen and into the living room so we only lost a microwave which renter's insurance will cover. It took a few days but maintenance cleaned up the water and carpet and painted over some spots in the apartment where water stained the walls. There is now mold in our hallway closet where water was and noone caught it. I only discovered the mold this weekend so I haven't been able to tell maintenance about it. The story behind this flood was that UN's washing machine was broken and wouldn't stop filling with water once he started a load of laundry. They fixed it and all was ok.

Until this morning, I'm waking up at 5:30 am to my kitchen flooding again, albeit not as bad as the first time, but I still had to move all the small appliances, including the new microwave and there is a very steady stream of water pouring from the light fixture in the kitchen. I went upstairs to the UN apartment to try and wake him (i can hear the water coming from the source onto his floor through the front door of his apartment) but I can't get anyone to answer the door/no one is home, but it is 5:30 in the morning. I called emergency maintenance and am awaiting their rescue but shit if I am not tired of having my apartment filled with the UN's water.

In any case, my apartment has been damaged by water 3 seperate occasions and now mold is growing because we can't catch all the spots where water is dripping in from above. Is there a way to use this as a way to get out of the lease? We were already planning on moving when the lease was up but would jump at the chance to leave now, especially after the house being flooded again.

I'm in Alabama if that helps

Answer:
 IANAL (former property manager), but it seems like your landlord and/or property manager are doing a good job of fixing the damages and cleaning up afterwords so I'm not sure about getting out of your lease. The type and amount of mold could constitute making your place inhabitable, but even then they would likely only be required to pay for you to live off site while repairs are made.  But if I were the landlord it  may  be beneficial to let you out of your lease over paying for a long term hotel.

My question would be if the person upstairs can be held accountable for your appliance replacement.  I'd imagine your renters insurance would go after that if the damage was great enough.


Title: My husband refuses to make a will.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If you both died, then every effort would be made to place your children with family members, as long as there are competent, capable, family members, before foster care is even considered.  The bigger risk, IMO, is feuding grandparents or aunts and uncles who don't agree who should have the kids.  This could make the worst time of your kids' lives even worse for them.

IMO, you are right.  Your husband is being immature and selfish.  If it was me, I would make an appointment with a lawyer to do this and simply inform him that he needs to be there, whether he wants to or not.   It's something that *must* be done for your family's security, and probably more to the point, your peace of mind.  If that means anything to him, he will show up and participate.


Title: [Louisiana, US] Roach infestation in new apartment, landlord told me to "live with it or move out" and is trying to keep my deposit. Do I have legal right to my deposit back?

Question:
I signed a lease for an apartment about a month ago. The day of signing, I went back to look at the place (I had checked it out beforehand and it looked fine) to find roaches crawling around the floor. I immediately let management know and they said they would spray before I moved in. I delayed move in by a week to let it settle.

A week goes by, and I still can't move in due to the roaches in the place. I have intense anxiety about roaches due to previous trauma. It's literally the one thing I can't live with. Just a few would be livable, but they were crawling on my counters, laying eggs in my cabinets, and watching me from my bedroom walls. I called again  and they sprayed and fogged. This is week 3, I still haven't moved in. I give it a few more days, but roaches are still all over the place. I buy my own traps and insect dust to deter them, but it has no effect whatsoever. They fog again. I try to move in, but two roaches were laying eggs sacks in the carpet next to my bed. Noooope.

I've had enough by this point. The only thing they do is "spray", and it does nothing. The exterminator keeps telling me he "only saw one" and that I should just deal with it, because "you're gonna find roaches in any apartment complex".

 By this point I have had it. I call the landlord to meet with him to discuss breaking the lease. He refuses to meet with me and instead tellse over the phone that "I don't know what your problem is, there aren't any roaches in there. We already did everything we had to do in the lease by spraying.". I told him living with roaches were not included in the lease, and he raised his voice at me, yelling me to "move out then, I don't care. But your not getting your deposit back".

I have no experience with legal disputes like this and don't know if I have a right to my deposit. I can't stay in that apartment for my own mental and physical health. Do I have any ground here? I'm a college student and cannot afford to move without that deposit back, but having a disgusting apartment and hostile landlord is not something I'm ok with.

- I've taken pictures of all the roaches I've seen and scheduled an appointment with a third party exterminator to get a professional opinion on the state of the infestation

- I wrote a written letter describing the problem and the steps taken so far and delivered it to management. I don't think the landlord ever read it, I can only ever talk to his secretary.

My city is Ruston, Louisiana.

Answer:
 I don't know of any reasonable exterminator that would be okay with leaving pests behind after completing a treatment. Are you sure you're telling the story correctly?

Regardless, you can't force him to give your money back. You'll have to sue him, so either way, you'll need to move without the deposit.


Title: Won suit vs contractor. Collecting is a problem

Question: So, as noted, we won a lawsuit against our contractor for around 50k, default judgement. I know that he was also sued previously, brought into court and said he had no assets, no job, etc so he was judgement-proof. I have reason to believe that he is working under the table for his brother, another contractor. Is there a way to collect in here? subpoena his biz records to look for payments to principals of the business prior to bankruptcy? Subpoena the bro for business records for proof of payments? Is this a lost cause?

Answer:
 > Is this a lost cause?

It's close to a lost cause of the contractor truly is indigent and judgment proof.  An investigation into your suspicion of under the table payments might be helpful though.


Title: PA- My manager illegally takes a portion of our serving tips at the end of every shift- help!

Question:
Hello! Thanks in advance for reading and reacting to my post, any insight is extremely helpful, I’m stuck and don’t know what to do.

I work in a restaurant that pools tips- the tip pool is split up based on each persons role- for example, front-servers make a slightly higher portion of tips than back-servers, bussers make less than them, etc.

My manager who ALSO gets paid a salary, is taking a significant amount of the portion of the tip pool- he gets paid better than / equal to the front-servers.

He also gets percentages from all the parties booked, even when he isn’t working. Lol. Literally Hundreds of dollars taken from the workers.

Everybody we work with is under the impression that it’s illegal for him to be taking our tips. Is this true?

Is there anything I can do to fix this issue legally? Talking to him and the owner both did nothing, the owner has complete knowledge of what goes on but “let’s him keep running things his way”

- in addition to this, management is now trying to get certain employees (ones who have been sitting by and dealing with this for years) to sign non disclosures, giving up any right to pursue legal action against them.

The fucked up part about this, is that everybody working there has been just dealing with this for years and doesn’t seem to mind. They are all hopeless thinking nothing can be done.

Is there any way to pursue the money that was taken from us legally???

HELPPPP

Answer:
 Yeah, he's not supposed to do that. Report him to corporateAnswer #2: This is illegal. File a wage claim with the state.

What is your location?


Title: My family bought a newly renovated house about a month ago, and we found buried construction materials in our front and back yard. State: Tennessee

Question:
Background: So my family had bought a house at the end of May. Been in it for a little over a month and we have found all sorts of problems. The list includes plumbing issues, concrete issues, crawl space issues, gutter and roofing issues. We have handled most of them and it's left a burning hole in our pocket. We did get most of the plumbing issues resolved (it was actually more of a plumbing ventilation issue, and by that I mean a lack thereof any ventilation) by means of talking to the city inspector and our own inspector (as it should've never passed inspection) and they have paid for some repairs. You may be wondering why we ever bought the house with all these problems. We knew of one and the others have just come fooding in. The work was done by a first time contractor, and we got wind from the plumbers (they were one of the companies that he used) that he actually hired them after, because he had hired unlicensed plumbers to do certain work. And It's left the thought in the back of my mind that maybe other stuff was done by unlicensed workers too.

Okay, so today has been a rough day (we're finally getting to the question). We had a company come to do an encapsulation and we found some more problems (electrical problems with the breaker box). But we today have found construction debris buried all in our backyard. I'm talking large chunks of concrete, pieces of timber, etc.

My question is: Is there any legal recourse we can take against the builder/contractor and that company due to the materials being buried on top of all the other problems we are having with the house? And is it even legal to bury construction materials like that in someone's yard and then sell the house? Location: Tennessee, I'll suply the county if needed.

Answer:
 You actually have multiple issues you listed there that you can get restitution for.  If he legitimately used unlicensed plumbers and it caused problems, you may be able to get money back for that, same thing with your electrical problems. On top of that, burying materials in the back yard is a HUGE no-no, and he'll most likely have to cover the cost of clean-up.

This is real estate lawyer territory, though, because of how fact-dependent everything is, the scope of the problems, and the sheer number of variables involved.  You should be able to get a free or very low cost consultation.


Title: MI - Question on Child Abandonment

Question:
Hello /r/legaladvice,

This might not be the best sub for my question, but hopefully you can give me a start. I know a woman who has a 15 year old daughter. The woman routinely leaves her daughter with some friends for months at a time while she goes out of state to see her boyfriend. The daughter isn't well taken care of, doesn't have a bedroom, and is only going to school some of the time. The mother also lies to the daughter about when she'll return from out of state, and has missed the daughters birthday and other holidays.

Is this enough reason to call Child Protective Services? I don't know if they'll tell me it's a waste of time because the 15 year old still has adults in the house she's staying in, and a roof over her head. Are parents allowed to just leave their children for months at a time in the care of adults who are not their legal guardians?

Thanks for your time.

Edit: Thanks everyone who responded. I did call CPS and spoke with a very nice gentleman for quite a while regarding the issues with the mother and her child. They will have someone contact the child in the next 72 hours and will provide me with a follow up letter. I really appreciate the push to call CPS and hopefully this results in a better life for the daughter.

Answer:
 Great job calling CPS!  That's exactly what they're there for.  Thank god for citizens like you.  I used to work for CPS, and the non-calls were almost always worse than the "Seriously?" calls.  Think of it like catching an infection early versus too late.

Your actions may have saved that child and possibly helped that mother get her shit together, which is what's best for everyone.

Not sure about Michigan specifically, but each state has laws regarding how old a child must be to either be left alone for (generally:

1)  Any time (sometimes at least eight years old)
2)  "Long periods of time" (hard to define; sometimes 12 years old)
3)  To care for another child (babysit; usually 12 years as well)

Unless that child is asked to provide for themselves/others beyond their means (example: a physically or mentally disabled 15-year-old can't be expected to have the same capacities as someone without a disability), the laws (if present) can vary.

Leaving a child in the care of other adults is, while the choice of adults can be questionable, rarely a CPS issue if the adults are not safety risks and are reasonably capable of caring for the child.  Hell, in some states you can hand over custody to anyone (not parental rights, those are different) by writing it on a bar napkin.  Yes, I've seen that.

Again, thank god for you and those like you. :)Answer #2: I entered foster care when I was fifteen years old. There are no foster homes for teenagers. I ended up living in youth shelters.

Is she being seriously abused? If not, then her current situation is likely far better than the life she will live in foster care.


Title: [IL] Is this true about self defense?

Question:
This hasn't happened but I'm just entirely curious if it is in fact true, I can't entirely find something to answer my question so.

My uncle is a cop and he owns many guns, when we stay at his place he always tells us "If someone breaks in and you shoot them, shoot to kill, not to harm because they can sue you for inguries."

Is this true or is my uncle just as crazy as we think he is?

It's something he's always told us but that's coming from the guy who stockpiled for the zombie apocalypse and left a barrel of rice and a note for my dad saying, "If shit hits the fan grab the kids and come down to the lake house." So...

Answer:
 You never shoot to kill or shoot to wound or use a warning shot.

You shoot to stop. You shoot until the threat is no longer a threat. That can mean death, incapacitation, laying prone on the ground yelling "no more," or turning tail and running. Once the threat is no longer a threat, you stop.

If you shoot to wound, the threat was not enough of a threat to use deadly force (a gun is always considered deadly force even if you don't mean to kill). Same thing with a warning shot. If you shoot someone more "just to make sure," then you have assaulted with intent to kill or committed murder. A pharmacist in Oklahoma is sitting jail after he lawfully defended himself by shooting a perpetrator, only to then be convicted of murder when he shot the guy again, just to be sure.

Many states have laws that protect individuals from civil suits in lawful self defense shootings.


Title: Neighbor has a gate that opens into my yard, can I block it? - Saginaw, MI

Question:
The neighbor who lives behind us has a chain link fence behind their house.  This fence has a gate that opens into my yard.  I came home from being out of town over night, and this gate was open.  This leads me to believe they were doing something on my property.

Now, for whatever reason, the previous owners of the house didn't take our fence all the way back, and there is about a 20 ft section of our back yard that isn't fenced in on one side.  The neighbors on one side of our property have it fenced back there.  I don't usually go back there, unless I am mowing or something.

Am I allowed to block the gate?  And if not, would I be covered if I put up a private property sign facing her fence?

Answer: It's very easy to be mistaken about property lines and rights. I recommend you **not** do anything to interfere with your neighbor's gate or fence unless you have a current survey of the properties that shows exactly where the lines are, and whether there are any easements of record, and you carefully abide by those lines and rights.


Title: Can I legally sell t-shirts with a logo that is designed and used by my state(Oregon)?

Question:
So there's this cool logo that my state(Oregon) uses and I would like to put them on t-shirts and sell them. My question is how legal is this? If it's not legal, then would changing the logo be protected under 'parody' laws? Thanks.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 If the copyright is owned by the state then no, you cannot sell the items for your personal gain.

You can change the logo but if it is similar enough to be confused with the original they can still send you a cease & desist. Either get the permissions or make an original work.


Title: [TX] Found a cat, took it to the vet, cared for it for 1 month before owner was found. Is it possible to make them pay the vet bill?

Question:
We found a cat about a month ago. Took it to the vet to test for Feline Leukemia Virus and Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, as well as get flea & tick treatment because he was infested. While the bill is not *huge* and we are animal lovers, it would be nice to be compensated, seeing as it's been a whole month.

If they refuse, can we legally withhold the animal?

Edit: Turns out they don't want the cat after all.

Answer:
 Be nice.
Ask them for reimbursement, but don't hold the animal hostage.

If one of yours was lost you would want it back.
No one forced you to pay the money.
Ask nicely but if they refuse just know that you did a good thing, give them their cat, feel joy at the happy reunion, and try to let it go.


Title: How does a layman put together a Power of Attorney for negotiations? Is there a good source of templates?

Question:
Hello!

I've been asked me to put together a Power of Attorney document for someone to handle negotiations for their company because I speak English and they don't. I've seen a few options online, but they differ from the ones I've seen in Russian, which were a lot more elaborate and contained more personal information (such as passport numbers, etc.).

What makes a document legal? Is a signature all that counts? Do I really need to put together something wordy, or is that simply done for the purposes of making sure that the person with the PoA doesn't do anything shady?

Would appreciate advice, thank you very much!

EDIT: I've asked for more information from my family regarding what they want, and told them that this isn't something to mess with.

I wanted to say thanks again, you guys here at /r/legaladvice are angels for taking the time to help strangers on the internet. Hope you all have a great day!

Answer:
 Please don't do this without a lawyer looking at it.

Please.

The formalities which make a POA legal vary from state to state. Some require notarization and witnesses, others don't.

The terms of the POA are extremely important because potentially anything you do binds the other guy. Have you defined the scope of the agency agreement?

It looks simple now, but if anything, ANYTHING, goes  wrong or your friend is in any way dissatisfied, the legal headaches are massive. And expensive.

If you are in the US, contact the Bar Association of a larger nearby city in your state and ask for the Attorney Referral Service. They will give you a list of 2 or 3 attorney who they have vetted and know what  to do. Your request at this point is simple and probably won't cost more than a couple hundred dollars if that.

Please don't do this on your own


Title: [GA] Almost 10 year old DUI case

Question: Almost 10 years ago i got my third dui near Atlanta.   I never went to court.  Since then I've been able to clean up my act and get my license back.   A few weeks ago I was pulled over for a moving violation.  I was given two tickets.  I cannot pull up these tickets to pay online and I'm pretty sure when I go to court i'll be arrested.   I think  I can afford a lawyer (have about $15k to get started).   Do i get one, or just go to my court date for the two tickets?  For my first two DUI's the lawyers didnt do anything for me... granted i couldnt afford very good ones.   Thanks.

Answer:
 I'm not sure what the DUI laws are in GA at the time of the arrest, but its a felony in my state for a 3rd offence.  I would talk to a criminal attorney and get advice.Answer #2: OP - definitely see a lawyer; you MAY be protected by the GA statute of limitations here. For *misdemeanor* DUI, it's two years.

Your case, a 3rd DUI, may not be so simple.

PS: one day at a time.Answer #3: how did you get your license back without clearing up your 3rd dui?Answer #4: If you had a bench warrant out for your arrest, you would've been arrested by the ticketing officer.  That said, you may still face trouble in court and given the severity of the old charges I'd get a (good) DUI/traffic lawyer anyway.


Title: Am I in the wrong?

Question:
I live in a small town in central texas, I recently got into a domestic dispute with my father in law. And I'm supposed to be getting arrested tomorrow.

I used to live with my in laws but they are manually abusive and I took my daughter (age 2)  and got out of there after they blew up on me because we called them when they went on A leisure trip to Colorado because our power went out. I was told I was unwanted, useless and a manipulative bitch.

So

It all starts where my husband and I are arguing as hes taking me to my moms house since hes going to have our daughter for the night, but I have extremely bad anxiety and as we were fighting he just went back to his house and told me to walk home, I told him I was checking on our daughter, he thought I said I was taking her. She had just fallen asleep I wasnt about to do that. So hes running from door to door yelling at me how I'm not going to see her until I get inside and then and this point my husband is screaming at me in the kitchen, his dad ran in because he heard the drama and started to again tell me how worthless I am. And he brought a lit cigarette in the house so I broke it. He doesnt need to smoke around my baby. Then he tried to hit me, my husband stopped him and I said "no hes a little bitch let him hit me see where it gets him" I'm already in full mama bear mode and my FIL then tells me he was going to call CPS on me and get my daughter taken away because I'm crazy and manipulative and a bitch. And hes going to take my daughter from me But he literally has weed in the house nonstop and then I went around the kitchen to walk away from his bs to see my daughter and his father placed himself in the doorway and held on telling me I was never going to see her again because I'm useless and a fucking bitch and I told him to move several times and he went to lunge at me so I grabbed his robe and flipped him over my shoulder (I am 5' weighing right at 200 pounds and this man is well over 6 foot tall weighing almost 400pounds) and he pulled out a tuft of my hair, I have a bald spot. Hes trying to use his robe as evidence because it is ripped. And after that I was immediately thrown to the floor and pushed against a wall and told I was a fucking psychopath and I'd never see my daughter again. So I just left and had a mental break down they would not let me see her. Now hes claiming defense when he attacked me. Our small town police have been called up to their house several times because the FIL is dangerous. He will start a fight and press charges on his own kids I've seen him do it twice and then tell the kids their delusional. And today is Christmas. I have no idea what to do. Please help me.

Tldr;

My FIL is pressing charges on me because he was using himself as a human barricade to keep me from seeing my child, he lunged at me, I flipped him and he hurt his back. Hes significantly larger than me. His reasoning for keeping me from my daughter is because I'm a bitch in his eyes.

Answer:
 Yeah, they don't exactly schedule arrests due to holidays. Stop going near these people. If police charge you, don't answer questions without an attorney present. Don't express feelings to any of these people either. You'll make it worse.

Parts of my family have issues like this. Just stay away from each other, even if the town is small enough to throw a rock from one side to the other.
If you need to hire an attorney, my personal suggestion would be to seek one from a major city to avoid small town politics. Unfortunately that kind of thing is real and often difficult to avoid. An outsider usually prevents the good ol boys club from controlling the situation.

If you want to press charges, do so. Consider having an attorney present. State facts, not feelings. Don't over complicate it. Be professional. This isn't an episode of Jerry Springer.


Title: (Mayakka City, FL) Mortgage Company raising mortgage because of taxes

Question: So May 1st 2017 we closed on our house and moved in a month later after working on it, around January of 2018 our mortgage went up about $60 because of a tax raise, we thought that it made sense being tax season and what not. Just recently we were told (on the phone) that they would be raising it another 60 dollars, taking effect on July 1st, we haven’t received any paper work for it or anything for it, and think it’s weird that it would go up twice with us owning the house only a little over a year, legally how many times can a mortgage company raise the mortgage because of taxes?

Answer:
 Your mortgage isn't increasing by $60, your escrow payment which you pay at the same time as your mortgage is going up.

The mortgage company does these increases (and decreases when necessary) due to how much they expect your tax and home insurance payments to pay out over the year.  The first year or two, there's usually adjustments, because until your house sells, they estimate what the price might be.  But a house sale often triggers a re-evaluation of your property tax by the city/county.  So after about 2 years your mortgage+escrow payment should settle down from changes as often.


Title: [Kansas] I was pulled over because someone accused me of masturbating on the highway.

Question: Technically I was already pulled over, I was in a rest area, but in drive. Someone reported my car saying I was masturbating on the highway, wtf (who does that or can even manage!) and so I was questioned and told they wanted to press charges. They took my story of what I was doing and unfortunately I had two buttons of my six button pants unbuttoned so the cop felt I was being sketchy. I don't know. I wasn't masturbating. Do you think this will stand? It was super awkward talking to the cop. I was searched as well. EDIT: I should add it was a trucker presumably since the cop said it was a CB radio and that I have a gay co-equality sticker on my car which I feel was why the trucker was targeting me. Welcome to Kansas?

Answer:
 I've prosecuted people for that.

If charges are filed get an attorney. The good news for you is that there seems to be only one person who can ID you --- the truck driver. If he is not a local driver the DA is going to have a very hard time getting him to court. In my experience truckers will do anything to avoid court, since they lose out on so much money when they are not on the road. Answer #2: First, do not panic, get a hold of yourself.  Take your matters into your own hands.  You can beat this.Answer #3: The DA presses charges, not some truck driver.

The cop found your sitting in your car with your genitals in your pants. He didn't issue you a ticket, did he?

If the DA wants to charge you with something, you will get something in the mail. Otherwise, don't worry. Answer #4: If charges are filed and you are factually innocent, I'd tell my attorney that I'm *not* taking a plea. If you plead to this, it could land you on the sex offender registry, at which point your life becomes hell.

>If he is not a local driver the DA is going to have a very hard time getting him to court. In my experience truckers will do anything to avoid court, since they lose out on so much money when they are not on the road.

Yet another reason not to plead out, and take it to trial - again, provided you are factually innocent.


Title: Received a job offer from a place I've worked before, gave them my list of ADA accommodations to negotiate, offer rescinded.

Question:
Indiana, USA

For seven months ending January of 2017, I worked at a local shop. Times were hard, it was obvious, and I was laid off.

I was diagnosed since then

My current work environment is terrible, and I heard news that the old shop had positions open.

I reached out. They were ecstatic. I interviewed. I informed the VP of my diagnosis, and we had an excellent conversation about the ways I had been limited and didn't even know it, and how it felt now that "above and beyond effort" no longer meant only achieving exactly what was expected of me. I did not state that this issue qualifies me for ADA accommodations.

I received an offer for the position. I accepted.

I sent them a single page of Word document of ADA Accommodation requests, outlining and explaining 5 requests (that they can accept or deny) of things that will, on rare occasion, need addressed (I'm female, and every few months during Aunt Flo's visit my medication is rendered useless).

Nothing was obscenely unreasonable: a (to be determined after discussion) number of personal/vacation hours available immediately for an appointment each month, request to eat while working since my medication's biggest side effect is lack of appetite and I've always struggled to keep weight on, my perception of time is "generous" until the medication kicks in so 10 minutes of grace period for my morning clock in would be appreciated on occasion, asking that important and/or time sensitive information be communicated in written or typed form to ensure I don't mentally "set aside" the details, and a note that I keep a journal where I do most of the latter myself and sometimes my grocery list is scribbled in the margins since the medication wears off shortly after work.

In response to the Accommodations, which I made clear were suggestions that they can accept or deny... The offer was rescinded.

My final day at my current job is next Friday. My current employer took my two weeks notice personally and had an outburst, so I doubt I would get this job back. My position is hard to come by in this and surrounding areas, and the above offer plus one other interview were the only jobs available in the past three months doing what I do.

**Is this a case of discrimination that I could move on (or use as an argument for the job offer) in my state?** They were willing to hire me with all of the shortcomings they remembered me having, but now that those shortcomings have a single cause and name, which is being treated with resounding success, they refuse.

Answer:
 What kind of job is this?

I don’t think most of those are reasonable in general.Answer #2: Those would not be ADA accommodations.


Title: I wasn't put under for an endoscopy and it hurt

Question:
So I'm not sure if there's really anything that can be done but here it goes.. I just had an endoscopy done and was told I'd be put under for about 30 minutes. While they were setting up the iv and all, I was told they wouldn't do anything until I was asleep, then next thing I know a camera is being shoved down my throat. I start to gag and try to take it out but the lady grabs my arm and says "don't do that". I couldn't even ask why they didn't put me under like they said they would because I could barely breathe. Now I'm sitting here with the worst migraine I've had in a while, a really sore throat, and feel like I need to throw up.. The whole experience was kinda scary. Can anything be done about this? Would it fall under malpractice?
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer:
 Usually in the US, patients are given propofol, which is a wonderful sedative, and keeps you from remembering anything. Sometimes in places like the UK, they only administer numbing spray.

Did they actually administer propofol to you?


Title: (MA) Company charging 8 hours of PTO for 6 hour days

Question:
This company lets workers out at 3pm vs 5pm a handful of times a year. Examples of this would be the day before a long weekend or holiday. Probably happens 10 times a year. Employees only have to work 6 hours but get paid for 8.

Now if you happen to take that day off, you are required to use all 8 of your PTO hours for that day. Essentially you’re paying a 2 hour fine for not being at work that day, even though you have approved PTO.

The company says that letting employees out early is a benefit that they provide to the people who are IN the office. Some people can lose up to 20 hours of PTO a year to this policy.

Is this allowed? This policy is not stated in the company handbook.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Yes it is allowed. Many do this. It's a benefit, if you are not there you do not get the benefit.

Look at it this way. You are off on Friday. The company orders pizza for the employees on Friday for lunch. You don't get free pizza because you are not there.


Title: [WV] Adult entertainment lawyers: Am I being overcharged for 2257 paperwork?

Question: I've been quoted a price for a startup package from the only lawyer that replied to my requests for information.  He quoted me $3000 for a 2257 package that includes releases and detailed steps on how video interviews should be conducted before and after shooting.  Is this overpriced?  I'm of the opinion that legal protection is worth every penny, I just don't want to get robbed.

Answer: That really isn't over priced but call around and get more quotes.Answer #2: At $300 an hour that's 10 hours of work, which includes interviewing you and indivudially preparing whatever paperwork he has for you and any other time you spend on the phone him.  It's a set fee, so he may do more or less work than that in your individual case.  But $3,000 for something like that doesn't seem crazy.


Title: Copyright: coloring book page as stencil (USA)

Question: So, I have this coloring book, it says it's copyrighted on the cover, if I were to scan a page, create a computer file, and print it out as a stencil for say, glass etching or wood burning, is that cool in a legal sense?

Answer: That's cool copyright infringement.


Title: Simple question. Am I required to share detailed medical information when interviewed for Unemployment? [WA]

Question: I recently lost my job after being out for a short period due to a medical issue. I have applied for Unemployment. My application is being reviewed and it says they may call to speak with me if they need more information. Am I required to tell them what the medical issue was if they ask? If not, what should I say? I tend to appreciate my privacy. Thanks for your help.

Answer: To get unemployment you usually must be ready, available, and looking for work. Does the medical issue still impact your ability to work? If so, short term disability is usually the more appropriate route. They are permitted to ask about your medical condition if it impairs you from working.


Title: (CA) Wrongful Termination or over sight by recruiter?

Question:
HI /r/legaladvice! I looked throught the wiki/megathread briefly and didn's see anything that stood out with this scenario. Wondering if this has any grounds. Using a throwaway here as well

I was laid off from my company and the reason was : Reduction in work force.

Yesterday a recruiter from the same company emailed and called me to fill the position that i was laid off from. This recruiter doesnt know that i used to work for them.

Is this in anyway wrongful termination? Since they documented the reason for my lay off as a force reduction yet they are trying to fill the position? For what its work he told me the pay was lower than what i made.

Just curious!

Answer: They did reduce their workforce. And now they are trying to increase it.


Title: 19, might be disowned, need insurance help

Question:
This is my first time actually posting to reddit. Please be fragile.

I’m a 19 y/o guy who is lgbt, i don’t wanna disclose more than that. My mother knows this, BUT my dad doesn’t and I am petrified to tell him for fear of him disowning me. I have a lot of medical issues and i cant afford the costs that come with it just yet.

My father is a retired vet and I’m on his TRICARE insurance, he and my mom are divorced. My question is WILL i lose my health insurance if he decides to disown me? I don’t live with him or anything so thats not an issue. Any help is really appreciated!

Answer:
 "Disowning" a person is not a specific legal term or procedure.

Your dad can certainly kick you off his health insurance.


Title: Neighbor stole USPS Package

Question:
So, last week I had 2 packages stolen from my front door in Minnesota.  This week I set up a camera and ordered a new package & have video of my neighbor taking the package.  I also have video of the package being delivered.

Here's the complication.  For some reason the video cut off early and I don't have video of him actually holding the package.  I have video of the package going into the mailbox, him walking up and looking in my mailbox, reaching in, but you can't actually see what he took.

I immediately went home when the video was taken & confirmed the package was not in the mailbox.

How do i proceed?  My suspicion is I don't have enough evidence.  Do I file a police report & hope he just admits to it not knowing the full contents of the video?   Try and catch him again?

https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3o6itu/fedex_package_stolen_just_got_video_and_i_know/

I found this thread in the search, and the key difference being different states & being able to see him take the package.

EDIT:  After talking to a local lawyer his advice was to confront the neighbor due to the low value of the package & the likely reluctance to prosecute from local law enforcement.  I now have the package back.  Even though I didn't ultimately follow the advice here I appreciate it because it helped me understand the situation much better before talking to the lawyer.

Answer:
 You can file the police report.  They'll decide if they have enough to charge him.Answer #2: what did he say when you confronted him ?Answer #3: So you got your package back but I am not seeing good advice here.

When it comes to mail do not bother with anybody but the USPS. That is why they have postal inspectors.

It is also under federal Jurisdiction and a Federal crime to mess with the US mail system.

So I would still give what you have to a United States Postal Inspector and file a report with them.

https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/investigations/MailFraud/fraudschemes/mailtheft/MailTheft.aspx

https://postalinspectors.uspis.gov/Answer #4: Do you feel comfortable confronting the neighbor, letting him know that you have him on tape taking your package and asking him nicely to give it to you?


Title: Police confiscated cell phone (Ohio,USA)

Question:
Hi there, I ran into a friend in public who invited me to snag a ride home from the store since the weather is getting cold and grab a burger. Now I know this friend is a pretty big weed head but I myself quit smoking, selling and buying last December so I didn't even think of situations pertaining to it after almost a year of not partaking and flat out ignoring/blocking anyone asking, it was just no longer for me.. As we were pulling in to get food we were pulled over for illegal tint that was later deemed to actually be legal. Upon pulling us over he is asked about a search and knowing honesty is best he disclosed to the officer he has 200 grams of weed with him, while in Ohio we are only decriminalized under 100 grams. He had no scales or bags, Its his bi-annual personal smoke stash up, but at that point it does not matter of course for him due to how much he had. He explains to the officers he had just picked me up and had not disclosed it, I honestly did not know but I put myself in the situation so I understand I am now involved. We are searched and i have nothing on my person nor did i know of his stash. The sergeant takes him, his belongings and my Cell phone and pretty much tell me even tho I'm now in the next town over to beat it they can't help me with a phone call since I'm not arrested and am free to go, but they would be seeking a warrant to send my phone to the lab and download all data from the past however many months. Said he couldn't get me a number for me since he has no warrant for the phone, and that the other officers around were not to let me use a personal phone or station phone. I was upset but not rude or loud just asked him "really man?" to the sergeant that was called to assist the search who did not like that one bit. Sergeant then leaves  with my friend and forgets to give me my license back so the officer who pulled us over in the first place offers me a ride 2 blocks down to the station out of the cold to go get it and tells me since my friend was honest and he thinks I'm being honest he will see if his sergeant will at least let me copy a number or two of family members from the phone. The Sargent then comes out alone to tell me he will not be helping me out because of "suspicious texts that an expert will be testifying are drug code against me in a few months time" on my phone, he would wait for a warrant to send it to the lab. The whole time he was saying this he's holding the phone and pointed to the screen on with messages up. It's a folio case that covers the front and needs to be opened, have a button hit than a swipe than another touchscreen press to get to this point. It's worth noting not only was my friend let go after a few hours but was given his phone back despite getting a F3 violation.

What are the steps to get my phone back? I assume at this point (12 hours later as of posting) i will have to go through the court, and i work from my phone 70% of the week so its really going to hurt me and Its a thousand dollar phone I just got paid off last month.

Since he decided to check out my phone and found whatever he deemed "suspicious" before getting the warrant and without my permission can this be used to help? Or was the fact he was considering letting me use it under his supervision for a second give him reason to check it out first? My only proof would be the lobby camera of his station.

Answer:
 >Upon pulling us over he is asked about a search and knowing honesty is best he disclosed to the officer he has 200 grams of weed with him

Actually "honesty is best" is a really stupid philosophy here. Your friend shouldn't have consented to the search and he could have had a chance at getting anything that was found excluded in a trial. That got a lot harder because of his decision to consent. You should be less worried about the phone and more worried about the prospect of criminal charges. Get an attorney ASAP.


Title: (NY) Grandfather is a moron and is in the US without a green card.

Question: Grandfather is a moron and is in the US without a green card. He is 92 and we can't afford his care. Is there any nursing home that would take him.

Answer: If you can't afford his care, how can you afford a nursing home?