Title: New work shirts came in with an embarrassing quote on the back, is it legal to force us to wear it?

Question:
The quote is :  "If I did a good job, tell everyone, If I didn't, tell me".

I know its not THAT big of a deal. But i have worked in this warehouse for 5 years and have never been embarrassed to walk down the street to get lunch or even to just walk through the store in front of customers. Advice?

Sydney, Australia.

Answer:
 >Advice?

Sure! Bring a jacket with you to work and put it on when you go to lunch.


Title: Ex husband trying to get child support lowered because he’s incarcerated

Question:
Virginia

My ex has filed a motion to have his child support lowered due to being “indefinitely incarcerated”. He is awaiting trial for about 14 felonies and has no bond.

I see that Virginia considers jail to be voluntary unemployment and therefore you can’t get support lowered for the sole purpose of being incarcerated.

However I also see a recent federal law that says states can no longer take that position — has anyone gone through a proceeding like this?

I am not attending the hearing with an attorney and I imagine there will be contact between he and I - but I have a no contact protective order against him.

Ideally I’d ask for a continuance so I have time to save for an attorney but I’m afraid it’s too late to request that; the hearing is Monday afternoon.

Thank you in advance!
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Ensure you bring copies of the PO to court, and if you have a victim’s advocate, ask for them to join you too.

The courthouse may also have a VA program there, and when you arrive (do so early), ask the clerk for a safety plan or ask them what they can do to help keep you safe under the circumstances.


Title: Sister in law'a boyfriend of one month wrecked her rental car and fled the scene. Now she is about to lie to the police and say it was stolen. What can she be charged with if her lie is found out? Mississippi

Question:
After wrecking her car one week earlier my sister in law's boyfriend wrecked her rental car this morning. He fled the scene and has convinced my SIL to lie and say her car was stolen. She doesn't believe she can get arrested because she has an alaby that she was at work. We are trying to convince her to just tell the truth, but she is insisting she can't, "snitch because she loves him." The guy is a small time drug dealer and is currently on probation, she is a respiratory therapist and is in school. She's got a lot more to lose here. What can she be charged with if she is found out?

Edit:spelling

Answer:
 She could end up going to prison for a year for this. [source](http://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/2013/title-97/chapter-35/section-97-35-47)

Answer #2: Filing a false police report and Insurance Fraud.

Reporting a car stolen after it was in an accident tends to automatically flag it as potential fraud greatly increasing the likelihood it will be investigated more thoroughly by either the police or the insurance company.

If the investigation happens to stumble across what the boyfriend does for a living there is also always the risk she gets caught up in that


Title: [Hypothetical for a book I'm writing, US] Could an emancipated 16 year-old gain legal guardianship over their younger sibling?

Question: So the situation in question is the protagonist (11 at the time) and his older sister (16) lived with their abusive father until he dies. I had planned for the sister to emancipate herself and also take legal custody of her brother so he doesn't get sent away. Is there any basis for this to happen? The particular state this could happen in doesn't matter.

Answer: The state matters quite a bit in general, but this is so far fetched that it's nearly impossible in any state.  Getting emancipated is incredibly difficult on it's own.  Convincing a court that it's in an 11 year old's best interests to be raised by a 16 year old seems......far fetched.  Answer #2: I don't think that any of us is willing to look at the laws in all 50 states to give you an accurate assessment, but I'd doubt it. That said, it's fiction. Trust me, nobody will bat an eye at it.


Title: What should I do about damage caused by neighbours tree?

Question:
When we moved into our house 3 years ago, I spoke with the neighbour behind us about him cutting his tree down because it was swaying in the wind (the tree was like 100ft tall).

An hour or so ago we were hit with strong winds or maybe even a tornado, I looked out back and the top of the giant tree has come down and smashed our deck and gazebo, our swing, and we have a side deck/awning that has a giant hole in it now from a log falling through it. Any bigger of a piece of that tree and it would have smashed right into the house.

Is it possible to sue for damages caused by it, or is it more likely  that we have to repair/throw out everything?

[Video and images of damage caused by neighbours tree to our backyard.](https://youtu.be/-atUIj0iFgw)

Edit: This is in Angus, Ontario Canada.

Answer: IANAL, work in insurance.  Contact your homeowner's insurance.  You'll have to use your deductible at first, but your first party property insurance should cover immediate property damage less your deductible.  Tell your adjuster you put your neighbor on notice about the tree 3 years ago (if you have proof, apply it).  Your property adjuster can then attempt to have his company subrogate against your neighbor's insurance company.  At a minimum, you should be able to get your deductible back (over time).  It gets a little more difficult if you don't have proof you put your neighbor on notice, but at that point, once insurance gets involved, it's insurance company vs. insurance company and these people handle it everyday.


Title: [MA] Insurance sends reimbursements and medical details to my parents.

Question:
I'm between the ages of 18 and 26, and I'm on my parent's insurance plan, but living in a different state than them. When I file claims for out-of-network care (that I paid for out of pocket), they send my parent a check that includes the procedures.

My parents are helpful and supportive, and they forward the money to me, but I really don't want them seeing my medical care. And in the near future, I'm expecting to have more expensive and more private care that i definitely don't want them to know about.

I have requested multiple times that my insurance company sends the reimbursement directly to me, but they said it that's impossible, and it has to go to the primary account holder.

This seems like a hipaa violation to send my medical details to my parents without my permission. Do I have any leverage to make them send it directly to me?

Answer: You could stop using their insurance. Answer #2: The subscriber receives info on all charges submitted to their health insurance.  If you don't want mom & dad to know what you're up to, you need to get your own coverage or pay cash.


Title: Abandoned Car Scam, Advice?

Question:
I sold my car to a tow truck guy and now two months later it’s reported as abandoned and impounded at his company💀

All I have as proof of sale is a text of me saying I just sold him it and then him saying he’s picking it up later.

Any advice?

Answer: How did he pay for it?Answer #2: Location? Did you sign the title over?


Title: (georgia) Father of child ruining my life

Question:
I got pregnant at the age of 20 as a result of unprotected sex with a guy I was seeing at the time. The guy wanted absolutely nothing to do with me or my kid and ended up getting deployed. Since then, I've been dealing with this kid all by myself for the past 6 years with no contact or support from anyone. I've had to live with my mom to even be able to support my child but I've been doing it.

Apparently, the guy (I'm almost 100% he's the bio dad) got out of the army and now wants to "be in 'his' child's life". He's been threatening to take me to court and try to get custody/visitation/etc. This is totally ridiculous because he hasn't even paid child support and I've been raising my child completely alone for the last 6 years. My mom and I don't have enough money to hire an attorney for me, so I'm pretty much on my own here without a lawyer.

Can I just ignore him and tell him to get out of our life for good? I assume he won't be allowed custody/visitation without paying us a lot for the time he was gone, correct?

Answer:
 First he will need a DNA test.  If it is his, he will probably get some type of visitation.  It may start out limited and supervised.

Have you ever requested child support?  It would have been simple to collect when he was in the military.Answer #2: Child support and access (custody, visitation, parenting time, etc.) are separate issues.

OP, your attitude towards this man could very well result in YOU having to pay him child support, and having access to your child every other weekend when he drops them off for your visitation.

I understand the anger and the unfairness of it all. But the family courts do not give a fuck. Seriously. They will see him as a struggling dad who wants to be in his kid's life, and you as a bitter ex who can't get over the past and do what's right for the kid. Answer #3: If he follows through and goes to court, the state will probably go after him for child support anyway.

Visitation will happen even if the dad was out of the picture as you can't "revoke" a parent's rights without very specific things happening (like dad being in prison for the rest of his life, that kind of thing).

The courts will decide what's best for the child as that's their ultimate goal. Alienating the father won't be looked kindly on.


Title: USA / France - American citizen, living in France. I lost my passport whilst seeing family "abroad" in the US. How fucked am I?

Question:
I've lived in France for some time now, but I still only have US citizenship. I discovered this morning that my passport has been "misplaced" during my visit to see family. I'm flying home Wednesday, so this is a bit of a problem. My American birth certificate is in France, and I was born in California which is very far from Chicago where I fly out of. Am I really stuck in America during the length of time required to order a new birth certificate and expedite my passport? I'm enrolled in university. I have a job and my entire life in France.

My visa is attached to my passport. All I have is an Indiana driver's license, my European health insurance card (which proves that I have residency, includes my full name and DOB), and photocopies of my passport, my visa, and my social security card. I do not have the physical carte de séjour.

What do I do? Surely I'm not the first person this has happened to?

Answer:
 Call the US Passport Office right now and make an appointment to expedite a passport replacement.  There is one in Chicago.  Bring everything you have--including proof of your upcoming flight--and they'll tell you in person what you need to do and how long it might take.  They will move pretty quickly actually.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/requirements/where-to-apply/passport-agencies/chicago.html

Then separately you need to contact the nearest French embassy to get your visa replacement.


Title: [TX] the owner of the coffee shop I work at is illegally keeping all the employees tips. What recourse do I have?

Question: This has been happening for atleast a year. It was brought to his attention that it is illegal to take any of the employees tips. He threatened to pay us a tipped wage if we didn't drop it. We don't qualify for a tipped wage so I know he can't do that. But I don't know what to do with out getting fired, having my hours cut a huge amount or getting a pay cut. At this point it is well over $1000 per person worth of tips he has taken.

Answer:
 Contact the dept of labor for your state, if Texas doesn't have one then you have to go to the federal dept of labor. There you can make a wage claim. They will investigate, if you are due the tips then the owner will be forced to pay back what Is owed. File the claim with the dept, and they will get back to you if you have a claim. Beaware that once the owner finds out they are investigating he will try to fire you in retaliation but that would be against the law, if he does that contact the dept of labor again and they will again investigate then give you a right to suit.Answer #2: You can file a wage claim with the Texas Workforce Commission.

https://twc.texas.gov/jobseekers/employee-rights-lawsAnswer #3: Under Texas state law, this is illegal; the employer cannot keep any portion of tips for itself.

The 10th Circuit, however, has ruled that an employer that pays nontipped minimum wage or better is allowed to redistribute tips as it sees fit, including 100% to itself. The 9th Circuit has ruled that the employer cannot do this. Circuit splits like this are eventually resolved by the Supreme Court, but that hasn't happened yet. In the meantime, you can file a wage complaint with the Texas Workforce Commission.


Title: [Iowa] Walmart employee just bashed my mom while stopped in an aisle on their motorized cart with an over-stacked pallet/rack...

Question:
Ya so, I wasn't there but was just talking with my mom telling me that she just had this incident at our local Walmart and that she is in all sorts of pain. The story she told me was that she was on one of their electronic cart things and stopped in an aisle to look at something and she got completely blindsided by this employee that was pushing one of their racks  full of products to restock. "Stacked too high to see over" was the excuse the employee gave while apologizing.

I'm asking here to see what the likelihood is of successfully obtaining a big payday for her. And what is even the course of action at this point to go about it?

We don't exactly have money to take on some Walmart lawyers and she has already been suffering from some previous injuries from a car accident awhile back. She didn't report it to anyone at the store. Though I'm sure it's on camera, how would we go about obtaining that footage from Walmart to use against Walmart?

It seems like a long-shot but shit, people have gotten millions for spilling coffee on themselves and this sounds to me like an incident that is truly deserving of some legal action because their employees shouldn't be pushing massive racks around fast enough that they plow into handicapped people they can't see which re-jank all their injuries and they are laid up in tears and suffering for the next how many weeks...

What to do?

Answer:
 > a big payday for her

Unlikely.

> shit, people have gotten millions for spilling coffee on themselves

Lots of people wouldn't choose to experience third-degree burns to the genitals even for a "big payday".


Title: I have a #metoo story and I want to NAME HIM. Will I get legal backlash?

Question:
This is the story. The reason I want to name him is because he's still a professor, and I'm sure this still goes on.  For the record this was ten years ago, in Los Angeles.

"I was 18 and a film professor saw me in one of his student's films. He liked me and told me about a feature film he was directing and wanted me to play the lead in. We became friends and I got to know his circle well. He liked to hang out with his film students on the weekends. I didn't see anything wrong with it.
I came over one night to talk about a project. He put on a movie. Then he invited over one of his film students, a female, my age. They started kissing, and tried to initiate a threesome.
It was planned.
I felt like something broke, I was trapped, and I wanted everything to go back to being semi-professional or whatever I thought was normal.
It was a long time ago, but I recall him coaxing her into pressuring me into it and the whole thing felt like it lasted hours of me trying to nicely say no without hurting either of their feelings.
I left, didn't talk to him for months. And regretted it, because I still wanted the part in that movie.
We made amends later. When it came to making the movie, he ended up casting that girl from that night at his house as the lead (she was now his girlfriend). He still asked me to be in the movie as a smaller role. I showed up, excited to work. After a few days on set, I realized he only intended to use me as an extra. Finally late at night on the third shoot day, between takes I  went up to the director and asked him:
Me: "Do you need me here?"
Mike: "yeah. I mean, if you want, we can try and shoot a scene with you later"
Me: "so do you need me or not?"
Mike: "well if you have to go home that's ok"
Me "I'd appreciate it if you had told me ahead of time I was just going to be an extra in your film"
Mike:" I can't deal with this diva behavior. I'm trying to make a movie here. "
I was asked to leave. And the story that went around was that I acted like a diva and interrupted the director while he was filming a scene. And that new group of film friends I made (aka his crew and entourage)? They all black listed me in their circle. "

Answer:
 The truth is absolute defense to defamation.

That said, anyone can sue anybody for anything, and sometimes even innocent people have to hire attorneys to defend themselves.


Title: Theft - texas

Question:
I am in a soon to be custody battle with my ex. We were common law married only and she has subsequently remarried. We have a child and are now starting to fight for custody of him. I have had possession of the child for several years now.

My ex's name was on my lease because she refused to sign herself off and I only recently was able to get her off completely. Right before this occurred she came into my house and tried to take items. The police were called and during the discussion with the police she was left alone with my bag and stole items from it. She has eluded that she has these items now via text would I be able to take criminal action against her for theft?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Hi buddy, think this one through. If you call the police and ask them to retrieve your illegally recorded tapes of her in compromising sexual scenes, you will be charged criminally. An event that would excite me greatly. Answer #2: A common law marriage requires a court ordered divorce.

You need to talk to an attorneyAnswer #3: You can go to the police and request to file a police report. Show them the evidence you have. They'll decide if they want to move forward with it.

You may have a better chance with suing her in small claims court for the value or return of your items.


Title: In Michigan - booked rental car online. I think the company is intentionally misleading in advertising. Class action material?

Question: Basically a company you book with online describes what a full size car is for example - but does not provide that car size.  Their advertised partners (who actually provide the car) do NOT list the same car class as the website does.  They list a smaller car.  The website must know that NONE of it's partners provide the size of car the website is advertising.  Can we make a case?

Answer: This sounds like a complaint to the FTC might be in order.  For a class action lawsuit, you'd have to have a plaintiff who has suffered damages because of this, and then find lots of other plantiffs and get the suit certified as a class action suit.


Title: Oakland County, MI mugshot taken off of the jail website and some nice guy from Florida is charging me to take it off his website just to put it back up...

Question:
Good morning! Here's the short of it: in the summer of 2017, I made a terrible decision and got a DUI in 48th District Court in Bloomfield Hills, MI (Oakland County), aka hell on earth; I did 93 days in the gray bar hotel and thought my debt to society was paid; while I was in there, somebody in Florida took my mugshot off of the OCJ website and posted it on his own site ([OaklandCountyMugshots.com](https://oaklandcountymugshots.com/)) and told me I had to pay $258 to get it taken down just to put it up on another site; I have a degree and a ton of relevant work experience and I am not a total loser so I'm pretty sure this is why nobody wanted to hire me until I literally had to bring my mugshot to an interview and say "take it or leave it." Four months later, I was embarrassed but finally (under)employed. Eight months later, I'm ready to drive down to Florida and punch the extortionist in the nuts. Oh, I also do SEO/marketing for a living and cannot bump the shit off the first page of Google no matter what I do. See below.

&#x200B;

FINDINGS WHILE I WAS UNEMPLOYED:

* The people who own [OaklandCountyMugshots.com](https://oaklandcountymugshots.com/)also own one for Broward County, FL; Maricopa County, AZ; Palm Beach County, FL; Wake County, NC; Orange County, FL; Knox County, TN; Shelby County, TN; Mecklenburg County, NC; Maricopa County, AZ; Pasco County, FL; Kenton County, KY....and GOD ONLY KNOWS WHERE ELSE. Logic told me that since most of these were in Florida, the fuck boy scam artist must be too. I was pleased to find out that Florida had a law effective 7/1/18 about extorting people to take mugshots down ([https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/118/BillText/er/PDF](https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2017/118/BillText/er/PDF)), so I emailed the Florida attorney general as well as the Michigan attorney general. I never received a reply.
* I also found out that his sites were hosted with GoDaddy (server is [132.148.100.152](https://132.148.100.152/)) and he used a private domain registration. I emailed GoDaddy the chain of emails where this person is literally extorting me in every sense of the definition and once again...no reply.
* This nice fellow graciously informed me that he accepts PayPal as a method of payment. I was fairly certain that PayPal had to have rules against using their services for evil, so I gave them a call. I told the guy on the phone a short version of what was going on and told him that I know he can't give me banking information but I have my suspicions that whatever bank account this PayPal account is being routed to is in Florida, where this very act is a crime. He checked the routing number and told me in an indirect way that I was correct and he was disabling their PayPal account due to a violation of terms (aka him using a fake name).
* I emailed Google. Once again, no reply.
* I even Facebook chatted the head honcho OC Sheriff (who shall not be named since they keep deleting my post) who I honestly hope gets crabs in an area his arms can't reach. I can't WAIT for him to be up for reelection because I will buy BILLBOARDS with these conversations on it.
   * Apparently I shouldn't have broken the law. Thank you very much for that great advice, Deputy Douche-ard. This must be why they pay you the big bucks. The main thing I was thinking about when I was pulled over 30 feet from my front door was having to hand out my mugshot as a business card. I most certainly did not learn my lesson by losing my job, my savings, and my good credit in the 65 days I had to sit and be the smartest person in the pod.
   * This prick is literally helping these douche bags extort me and telling me that because it's public record, he doesn't see anything wrong with it. Your address is public record too, you anal bead. Would your wife or kids appreciate it if I made a website with your address as the URL and pictures of your house and cars on it? Maybe it would spark a debate on how an ex-cop who somehow gets paid $154,000 a year to drunkenly answer Facebook chats from the people who pay his bullshit salary can afford a 1.3 million dollar house on the Birmingham/Bloomfield Hills border? If you didn't get off on ruining lives, these shit heads from out of state would at least have to put some effort into finding this information through a FOIA request....WHICH STILL DOES NOT INCLUDE MUGSHOTS. THEY EVEN REDACT ADDRESSES AND PHONE NUMBERS. AAAHHHH I AM SO FRUSTRATED

&#x200B;

So, with that being said, I am finally in a position where I really want to help other people who are going through the same thing. **Is there anything I can do? How is this legal? Are there any steps I can take? What about this is NOT extortion? What kind of lawyer do I even search for?**I met a girl who was in jail for a "computer crime" (I can't remember the exact charge but if I remember correctly, it had something to do with using a computer to fight with her ex or something...slow crime week, I suppose)....**how on earth is extorting somebody through a website that you access with a computer not a computer crime?**If you bring drugs or stolen merchandise across state lines, that's an interstate crime....**so why isn't extorting somebody from a state where there is a law SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITING WHAT THEY ARE DOING not an interstate crime**? I have made dozens of FOIA requests for work and never once have I received a mugshot, **so why are they volunteering that information for the world to see? Does the IRS know about this career this nice guy has going on here? WHY CAN'T ANYBODY DO ANYTHING?**

&#x200B;

...also, do not tell me "THEN DONT BREAK THE LAW." No shit, Sherlock. I'm not sure about other places, but in Oakland County, THIS CAN HAPPEN TO ANYBODY -- EVEN YOU OR SOMEBODY CLOSE TO YOU -- FOR SOMETHING SO STUPID IT MAKES YOUR HEAD SPIN. I met one lady in jail who was in there for 93 days for domestic violence for pouring shampoo on her husband and dozens of others in there for driving on a suspended license for unpaid traffic tickets. AKA debtors prison. Do you mean to tell me that everybody who is in this greedy ass county jail deserves to be treated like a sex offender because of a fucking misdemeanor? I mean, literally. I searched sex offenders near me + the city that I live in and pretty much all of them that I searched have multiple listings that rank higher than the sex offender extortion sites (which they actually deserve). Granted, my last name is unique, but HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE THEIR OWN PERSONAL WEBSITE AND HUNDREDS OF BLOG POSTS ON MULTIPLE WEBSITES AND CAN'T EVEN PAY TO BUMP THE MUGSHOT SITE DOWN? I DO SEO AND MARKETING FOR A LIVING. I'm so frustrated, point me in the right direction and I'll send you an oil painting of both of my mugshots....at least they aren't ugly.

Answer: You have far too much emotion and hyperbole in your post. Stick to the facts. This isn't /r/rant


Title: (Florida) retirement community requesting my parents to do maintenance

Question: My parents live in a mobile home retirement community in Florida. Yesterday the community management company went around their home and pointed out things that had to fixed or repaired. Okay no problem. But then they requested that my parents sand blast and re paint the driveway. My parents own the mobile home but not the property it sits on. And to make things worse, this entire mobile home park floods very badly each and every year around August or September. So bad to the point of evacuating the residents and shutting off power to the entire community for almost a week each time it happens. So it seems like a massive waste of money to basically do anything to the small lots of property as far as improvements go. This park had been through about 3 management companies since my parents have lived there. Now my question is, do they really need to have the driveway repainted and pay for it themselves or any other property maintenance? Oh and the park itself maintains the lots as far as cutting the grass and repaving the streets and whatnot. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I'm trying to de-stress my father. He's at his with end with this stuff.

Answer:
 Do they have a lease for the land the mobile home sits on? What does the lease say about their obligations to do maintenance or repairs?Answer #2: They would need to check their lease to determine what responsibilities are theirs, in regard to the maintenance of the lots themselves.

On another note, why are they staying in a place that annually floods and requires evacuation?  That seems to be a bigger issue.


Title: No Policy on Customer Sexual Harrassment

Question:
Edit: Location: Ohio, USA

Hello, I've been considering making a throwaway account and see what advice I can get about a situation at my current company for months now.

I work at the call center for one of the biggest lingerie companies. I've been there for nearly 2 years. Currently I am considering going to a different company because I'm sick of what's been going on and how nothing is being done about it. Since our company deals with sales and customer service, we get a lot of prank callers. Some of them are the typical little girls calling us and pretending to order bras and then they laugh and hang up.

A majority of our prank callers are perverts. They like to call us and have us describe under wear or try to get us to describe what we like or what we are wearing, and they are usually jerking off as well.

I've had a guy call in multiple times saying that he wants to lick our panties or lick our pussy. I've had a guy call in saying he wants to buy lingerie for his little sister and his little niece. The most recent one I can remember is that he said he wanted to get panties for his mom, because she wears sheer nightgowns and likes to tease him. He's called multiple times that day. A lot of times they call using a private number, but it's still shows up on our system. The guy shopping for his mother had dozens of accounts attached to his number, some as old as 2011. All of the people I've mentioned do this repeatedly to the point that I'm able to recognize their voice.

The most violent one I can remember was from last year was when a guy told me to get on my fucking knees and that he wanted to cum on my face. I reported his phone number directly to our security team and told them what happened. I had the number he called in from, and an address he gave which was probably fake. I wanted to press charges but I wasn't sure what I could do except report to our security. Nothing ever came out of that.

The thing that bothers me most about my company is that there is no training or written information on how to handle these situations. We do have a method that we can report harassing calls and they say they use that to block these callers. But I've had people call in that I recognize their voice that have been calling there before I even started working there.

I mostly just want a training or written information on how to handle these callers. We have temporary associates every year and there's never any training about these situations, and so many people that have been on the phones for only days or weeks will get these callers and not know what to do. My first couple months I struggled so much with these calls. One supervisor would say one thing on how to handle it, and someone would say something else.

My various supervisors have repeatedly said that we have to be polite and treat them like regular customers. If all were hearing is noises in the background we have to ignore it. We can not hang up until they say something offensive, and then we can say "due to inappropriate conversation I am disconnecting the call" but that took me months to figure it out and be informed of this method. I've gotten better over time from experience, but I'm a visual person. Having a written policy or a training would've been a great help. I've explained this to previous supervisors and they say they would look into it but it wasn't done. We also have year end surveys to provide feedback. I know another associate and I both mentioned how we don't have any training for this situation and how we want it to be provided. I even said I would like feedback about these situations, like knowing when an individual is actually blocked. It's been months since we did the surveys and there hasn't been any feedback about that specifically, but they have taken care of other complaints that other associates wrote in there survey.

What options do I have? I haven't contacted HR, only supervisors, but that will probably be my next step. Should I contact my lawyer? I don't want a law suit, I just want changes to be made. I want a written policy on how to handle pervert and prank calls. I want a training class on how to handle these calls. I want a better method of reporting these calls, and a way to know when the situation is being handled and when someone is actually blocked.

If I wanted to work somewhere where guys jerked off in my ear, I would've worked for a phone sex hotline. I love my job and being able to help customers, but I'm so tired of the perverts and the companies lack of a policy on prank callers. I don't want to change jobs, but more then likely I will. But before I leave I want changes to be done. Dealing with these kinds of people has caused me a lot of stress, and I just want to know what options I have.

Answer: Doesn't sound like this is the right job for you. You can't force them to make any changes. So either put up with it or find a new job. You simply have no legal basis to make them comply with any of the demands you are making.


Title: Parking ticket terminology - what exactly is "opposite of" a *corner* building?

Question:
Situation: NYC fire hydrant ticket issued with "Place of Occurrence" described as "Opposite of 123 Side Street", which is a corner building (let's say the corner of hypothetical Main Street and Side Street). There is a fire hydrant on the Side Street, but no fire hydrant on Main Street.

&#x200B;

Question 1: Since it's a corner building, can I argue that "opposite" could mean EITHER direction, i.e. across Main Street or across Side Street? Or is the wording "opposite of 123 Side Street" referring specifically and unequivocally to the Side Street side of the building, in legal terms?

Question 2: why not describe the "Place of Occurrence" as "In Front Of 135 Side Street", which is the closest building? Why refer to a building on the other side of the street? Are there any grounds to dismiss the ticket based on this ambiguous description?

Answer: Were you illegally parked? Because that's all that matters here.


Title: Could i have sued my school

Question:
It's the past, so i doubt  i can now since it's two years later. But when i was in school my teacher told me in front of the class about 8 times that i should go home and kill my self for my physical features.

I just read about a school paying 75k for failing to deal with a student's bullying issue.

Im being super vague and inarticulate because i doubt it matters at this point, i was too embarrassed to speak up or say anything and shocked.  I'm simply curious at this point.

Answer: Yes, and the statute of limitations might not have run. In many states it's three years for that sort of thing. Answer #2: Were you under 18 at the time? It's common for the statute of limitations to either be longer for minors or to not start until you reach 18.  What state was this?


Title: Friend sent me a Cease and Desist for an app.

Question:
A friend of mine recently sent me a Cease & Decist letter claiming that I stole his app idea.
He claims that he told me about this idea, but I don't have any recollection of it.
He also expects me to pay for damages done.
On speaking to him, he said it's fine if I do it for educational purposes.
He does not currently have an app and I'm on the verge of publishing.
I don't know how to respond to this. I have worked for days on this app and have not found any patents of it.
Please help as to what steps I should take.

Edit :- The app was made in Seattle where I am a student.

Answer:
 He sent you a C&D, or his lawyer did? Either way this sounds frivolous. Answer #2: Ideas are worthless. They are costly to implement and it is the particular implementation of the idea that is protected by the copyright/patent law. If you did not steal his design / code / prototype you should just ignore the crazy.Answer #3: Ideas aren't the thing that has tangible value.  It's putting the idea into motion that does.

You don't have to do anything in response to the letter.  If you get a court summons handed to you, then you'd need to take it seriously.

Otherwise, talk it out. You don't owe him for an idea you're not even sure was his idea to begin with.  Generally, the kind of protection he seems to think his idea has requires an NDA.  Something formal that a person wouldn't be likely to forget having agreed to.Answer #4: This sounds like a ploy to delay you in releasing your app. You said it only took you days to make it, if he is a programmer too it stands to reason it only will take him a couple of days. Answer #5: So what I hear from people here is that I as an app developer can hear from a fellow app developer about their idea for an app that does X, Y and Z.  If I turn around and actually implement that idea, they have essentially no case?

What about the whole "online shopping cart" idea and the patent trolls that followed?

Edit: words.


Title: I was told my real id was a fake and that the cops would be called when i just turned 21

Question: So it was my birthday yesterday and i went in to finally buy alcohol in minnesota. when i went in the first time everything was fine but the next day i was told my id was a fake and that the police would be called. the teller said would you like to wait for the police, i responded with yeah i'll wait could you tell me why he would not tell me why but he said to his friend that my id was a fake in ear shot of me i responded with no its not its a legal id and its still valid and i would like it back. i had to explain to them that the id would expires in December as it said on it then it went from its expired to it has the under 21 on it so get a new id and come back i ended up going to another store and everything worked out but i called back and said could i speak to the manager he ended up doing a lot of blaming me and questioning me saying its no ones fault at the end said he saw me enter a car full of minors. i said what are you insinuating sir and he said that's just what i saw. i promptly said i would be in tomorrow with every id i had to show this man i was 21. should i go or should i just never go back there. i'm just worried they called the police and filed a report under my name/ are calling around saying i have a fake when i have a legal id or worse due to the managers response

Answer: Let it go it would be like proving to reddit you are 21.  If he really called the cops they could verify your age in 10 seconds.


Title: Eugene, OR - Second MIP violation within a 4 month period

Question:
So last night I got my second MIP. The first one was in late November and I pleaded guilty and they gave me the option to do the diversion class. Overall I just had to pay for the class and the court fees. The class is scheduled for a couple weeks from now but now I'm wondering if it's even worth it.

The court said I was not to get another alcohol violation within a four month period, but last night it happened. I just want to know what my best course of action is. Will I still need to go to the diversion class? What fines am I expecting to pay? What is the consequences of getting caught within the 4 month period?
Thanks for any and all help, I really need it.
Topic:
Alcohol Related Other than DUI

Answer:
 > I just want to know what my best course of action is.

A lawyer. Always a lawyer.

> Will I still need to go to the diversion class?

You should. It'll look a bit better than not doing it.

> Thanks for any and all help, I really need it.

A bottle of water and an AA Meeting perhaps.


Title: [IL] Filed the divorce myself 7 years ago. Forgot to mail a copy of the final judgment to my ex but I did notify her via Facebook. Did I mess up? How badly?

Question:
It was a very simple uncontested divorce several years ago. She signed the waiver that allowed us to proceed without being separated for the required period of time and signed the (I think it was called) petition for dissolution of marriage which was basically what we agreed about how everything would be divided up. The judge read it over and signed it and said we were divorced. She didn't come to the hearing. I swear I read something at the time about how I was required to send a copy of the final judgment to her through certified mail, but I never did and I can't find rule that now.

She was notified that we were divorced (I left her a voice message and also told her it was done on Facebook) but I never sent her a copy of the signed/stamped judgment.

Did I screw up? How badly? Do I need to do anything now?

Answer:
 It seems odd that you’d be required to notify a defendant of a final judgment. I divorced under similar uncontested circumstances, and the court mailed him a copy of the final judgment. I imagine they did the same for your ex.

Regardless, I can’t imagine it being an issue 7 years later. Would they expect you to keep a return receipt from the post office for that long?


Title: Let go from job not even a week after hire date due to disability

Question:
Hello Reddit,

I'm basically posting this because I need to know if I actually have a case before I go and throw money into building a lawsuit. For reference this happened in minnesota. So on Monday I was invited to an interview to a local car dealership for a cashier job opportunity.

And after a couple of days on Friday I found out that I had been hired, and my orientation would be Monday. Now I am excited cause up until this point I have been between restaurant and standard retail services but due to my disability ( severe epilepsy ) it made it hard for me to stand on my feet too long without anything to drink otherwise I would get light headed.

So I was looking forward to a job that would afford me the privilege to sit. Well Monday rolls around, I come in and the orientation is just two videos and a couple forms of paperwork, then the following Tuesday they already have me on the floor.

I don't exactly remember how the conversation started, but my direct supervisor and me were talking about disability, and I told her that it's really hard being on disability cause your not allowed to make a certain amount or they cut you off. Well she says if I'm on
Disability she will need to cut back my hours.

I told her I wasn't to worried about it because 8-4 Monday through Friday wouldn't damage me to much but I also told her if she thought that was best then I would agree. So she cut me back to 8-12 pm.

Wednesday comes  and everything is fine. Mind you I haven't been staying for the full shift anyway since there isn't that much to do when your cashiering. And they usually had to people there anyway. So since I was the newest person they sent me home early.

Well Thursday as soon as i get there I was told that they were letting me go, due to my supervisor cutting my hours. They said since my disability prevents me from working the shift they needed covered then they were going to let me go. I was actually surprised cause they didn't ask me if I was willing the full 8 hours, which I definitely was, but they also didn't give me any levitate reason to let me go, no paperwork, no closing interview. All they said was that they would pay me for the rest of the day.

Now here's the kicker. I sent them a letter saying I was going to pursue legal action against them for discrimination, since the specific reason they gave Is cause my disability got in the way. Well they sent me a response saying they never had any knowledge of the disability when they let me go, which contradicts what they told me when they initially let me go.

So I ask you reddit, do you think I have an actual case

* just to clarify, I always make sure to check the mark in the part of the application where they ask you to identify if you have a disability since I've been burned their before. So all the judge would need to do Is pull up my application and unless the company just ignored that question they would have had to know I had a disability

Answer: You need to post this in the actual sub Reddit. This off topic sub is just for random hypotheticals


Title: I was assaulted by my alcoholic ex roommate. I do not want to continue pressing charges or participate in the trial. Massachusetts.

Question:
My ex alcoholic roommate assaulted me in our apartment and was arrested for assault and battery (domestic) 6 months ago. Frankly, I do not care if she is punished or not for her attack on me, but I would really prefer to avoid the stress of appearing in court, and I do not want to testify, as she is now out of my life and not causing me any further problems nor do I specifically want to see any charges brought.

My victim's witness advocate told me that I was legally obligated to show up at this trial, despite my pleading not to. He told me that I could be arrested if I do not show.

The trial is tomorrow, and just today, her lawyer called me and told me that I did not need to show up, and that the state was lying to me. I feel as though this was an attempt at foul play, or a desperate attempt to save his client at my expense.

Am I being lied to? If I don't show up, am I really going to be arrested? If the lawyer is lying, is there a way to bring this up as foul play?

EDIT: I suppose I'm going to go. Thank you all for the advice.

Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 You should go. People who assault others need to be punished.

You shouldn't be talking to her attorney outside the courtroom without your own lawyer present.  If some random stranger told you that you didn't have to go, would you listen to them?

> My victim's witness advocate told me that I was legally obligated to show up at this trial, despite my pleading not to. He told me that I could be arrested if I do not show.

You should listen to this person. If you ignore this person any negative consequences are entirely your fault.Answer #2: If you have been subpoenaed you are required to attend.  If called to testify you are required to honestly answer questions asked of you.Answer #3: Were you subpoenaed to show up at trial? Because if you were, then you must. And I'm assuming you were.

This is not a case of you versus the ex roomie. This is the STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS versus EX ROOMIE. If the state says show up, you show up. I would also report what her lawyer told you (and that the lawyer even spoke to you) to both the DA and to the state bar.Answer #4: > Am I being lied to?

If you received a subpoena to appear in court, then, yes, her lawyer is lying to you, and you should report to the state bar what he told you.  Advising you to disobey a court order is not ethical.


Title: [UPDATE] My iPhone was stolen by a Home Depot employee. She's now wanted for theft.

Question:
[Link to previous post](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4y7qjf/repostupdate_my_iphone_was_taken_by_a_home_depot/)
&nbsp;

Today, I received a follow up call from the officer that conducted the preliminary investigation of my stolen iPhone 6s Plus last Wednesday on August 17. She informed me of her second failed attempt in contacting the thief and finished gathering details from me to file the police report. She told me that the girl is now wanted for theft and that I should expect a follow up call from a detective within the next few days (this case probably isn't of the highest priority on their list so I understand that I should expect a delay).

I was told by her that I should no longer pursue small claims as things are now headed towards the direction of criminal court. Should the detective submit the case to the DA, is there a possibility that they would opt **not** to file charges because the losses are not that great? I paid $949.00 retail before tax for my iPhone and from my research, current fair market value for the device in mint condition is arguably $850. I am unaware if a $39.00 case, $20 sim card from T-Mobile, time missed off work, loss of personal data, and my troubles would be factored into this. I also understand the possibility of the DA's office being backlogged with other cases. Is it possible to know approximately how long am I looking at before I receive an update from them? I am in Los Angeles County.

It would really suck if she was chosen *not* to be held accountable being that I have a confession and security footage of her with my device. Given the resources currently available to the police and DA, what is the likelihood of this happening? Worst case scenario, if it reaches this point, do I have the option of appealing the DA's decision? If the appeal fails, is my final recourse going to be taking her to small claims? Finally, if she does receive a judgment against her in small claims, what means do I have in collecting my restitution?

Answer:
 If the DA doesn't prosecute, then yes. Your recourse is small claims.

As far as collecting on the judgment... Well, all I can really say is "Good luck, have fun." It's pretty hard to collect judgments against people who don't want to pay. Depending on the state you might be able to garnish wages, but getting that set up requires a TON of footwork. The simplest way to collect would be to sell the debt to a collection company and let them deal with it, but you wouldn't get the full value of the judgment that way (in fact, you most likely will get significantly less).

Before you ask no, you won't get compensation for time off work, either from suing her in small claims or collecting the judgment.

Ultimately though, you can't get blood from a stone. If she straight up doesn't have the money to pay for your iPhone, then there's not much you can do about it. It sucks.Answer #2: I didn't know iPhones cost that much.

In any event, even if she was once able to work, I doubt she's going to be employable after getting fired for theft.  You'll probably never see any of that money again.


Title: Ex in a different state does not abide by the parenting plan when I send my son to visit for summer.

Question: I live in Arizona, and my ex lives in Kansas. She rarely pays her child support, never visits our son where we live, and only has contact with him 3 times a week through Facetime (her choice). I adhere to the parenting plan and do everything that's required of me, and am being as patient as possible with keeping her in my sons life. I do have concern with her living situation. She doesn't have a job, was recently evicted from her home and had to move into her husbands moms house. Well I find out that they are no longer living there, but moved into a smaller house with her husbands sister. After speaking with her husbands mom, she informed me that the "apartment" they live in is actually just a finished basement in the sisters house, devoid of any room for my son. As it states in our parenting plan, my son is to have his own room and bed at any place he stays while in her care. Without me being there, theres no way for me to confirm any of this, let alone if she'll actually be staying in one place for any amount of time. It's making me nervous, and I really don't want to send my son in these conditions. Should CPS be involved to check the housing situation and make sure all requirements are being followed? I have sole legal decision making, but I'm not sure if me keeping him from going this summer would fall under a safety concern or just make me look vindictive. I just really don't want to send him if I can't even be sure he'll be in one spot and not essentially couch surfing like his mother.

Answer:
 CPS likely isn’t going to be the right avenue as it’s not their job to enforce or monitor for a parenting plan.

Is contacting the attorney you used to draw up the parenting plan not an option?Answer #2: What state has jurisdiction?  You may file for contempt in the state that she has jurisdiction in.

Do NOT withhold visitation, unless your attorney explicitly tells you to.  And if your attorney explicitly tells you to say:  "Huh?  What?  Really?  Are you sure?"

CPS will not check to see if "all requirements [of the parenting plan] are being followed".  But, they can check to see if the child is in danger, or being neglected.  As you describe it, he is not.

You should speak to an attorney before doing anything.  The purpose of contempt in Family Law is to compel performance.  And, if the mother is truly unable to comply with the terms of the Parenting Plan, they may not do much, though, they can certainly restrict visitation if it is in the best interest of the child.

But honestly, you might end up just pissing in the wind on this one.

Again:  Check with an attorney.


Title: Trespassers will be prosecuted for turning around in my driveway

Question: Not sure if this is allowed as this is kind of a hypothetical. I had turned onto a busy 4 lane road when I realized I was heading in the wrong direction. Despite this being a fairly busy road, there were residential houses lining the street. In order to turn around i quickly pulled into a driveway. Now I hadn't seen them at all until I was fully pulled into this driveway, but there were at least 4 signs saying something along the lines of 'No Turnarounds, No Trespassing, Violators will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law'. I also had noticed a mounted camera by these signs facing the entrance of the driveway which was, for what I assume, an attempt to monitor cars turning around in the driveway and to collect license plate numbers. I say this is slightly a hypothetical as I haven't had an issue after doing the turn around but my question was this: Is this enforceable? Could I actually be prosecuted for doing a turn around in someone's driveway? And if so, what would the charge be? This is in Upstate New York.

Answer:
 > Could I actually be prosecuted for doing a turn around in someone's driveway?

Sure.  You can always be prosecuted for trespassing on someone's property.  And given that you entered someone's property after being warned not to, there's a pretty easy case to be made.

It's unlikely that a prosecutor would pursue the case, but it's a viable one.Answer #2: It does depend on the state, however more likely then not you’d win a criminal since mens rea, reasonable doubt, etc. Civil you might lose, but no real damage was done so if you did lose the worst thing probably would be the court fee.Answer #3: You will absolutely not be prosecuted.

An individual doesn’t decide if someone is prosecuted, a gov attorney does. If you’re a gov attorney do you think you give a shit if some cranky old man wants people to stop pulling into his driveway???

It is accepted practice that people pull into driveways to turnaround. Do yourself a favor and stop thinking about this.

Answer #4: As usual, this will depend on your state.

Due notice of trespass must be given, but I'm sure in some states, signs count. However, in my state, that's not good enough.

As with most criminal charges, they would have to prove you willingly broke the law. If they have your face driving, and your plate, yeah, probably could.

I doubt there would be much chance of prosecution, though. This is just too much trouble for no real payout.

You're fine. Answer #5: My question would be, where does the driveway start?  At the edge of the road or the right-of-way line. Depending on the road, etc.  there can be 20-30' of public ROW.


Title: I witnessed a neighbor being burglarized, am I obligated to speak to police?

Question:
So I live in Brooklyn and last week I happened to be in my hallway talking to the mailman as a strange man slunk out of the apartment directly above me. I knew that apartment was recently rented out to someone January 1st, so I just chalked it up to just being a new neighbor. But later that night my roommate texted me saying that those people had been burglarized and had come down to ask us if we had seen anything. It immediately clicked that I had and I spoke to the new neighbors and told them everything I saw, which wasn't much.

Now I have a detective contacting me wanting me to go down to the precinct for whatever reason. Part of me feels like it's not worth it because realistically all I can say is that I saw a man leaving their apartment with bags, but I wouldn't realistically be able to truly pick him out if I saw pictures of him since it was so quick. Plus, I have an unpaid ticket that I'm sure is a bench warrant which is giving me even less incentive to head down to the precinct just in case I'm somehow suspected or just in case they randomly look me up before I have a chance to pay it.

So I got to thinking, if it's just a waste of time, and I really don't want to put myself in that position...do I have to? Can I just not go and not answer the detectives calls without any repercussions? I want to know the legalities of just not helping out a police investigation on account of not wanting to waste my time.

Thanks

Answer:
 You are never required to speak to the police unless you are summoned. At this point you are the only person who was there when their apartment was burglarized so you may very well be a suspect. Answer #2: First take care of your ticket. I do not care if you do not have the money right now. Beg your family, borrow from friends, or open a credit card. (No payday loans. No. Bad. No.)

If you think you do not have the money now... hooo boy you will get effed later. Take care of your ticket first. By that I mean before you even go to work today. That needs to be taken care of yesterday.

But no you are not obligated to ever speak to the police in the US. You are obligated to testify if it comes up in court. And yes if you are subpoenaed to testify they do have the authority to arrest you at any time during your testimony.

So if I were you I would take care of that ticket. If its a traffic ticket then go see a traffic lawyer right now. Like the instant you read my post.Answer #3:  You don't have to, but Jesus why wouldn't you? If you were burglarized wouldn't you want help getting your stuff back?


Title: [MA] If the majority of people on a lease do not want a particular guest, can one roommate overrule them?

Question:
I live in a house with multiple people on the lease. One of the roommates has been having a friend over who on more than one occasion has drank enough mixed with prescription drugs to violently puke all over common areas such as the living room and bathroom, and has even defecated in the living room and hallway.

The second to last time it happened, one of the roommates told the girl who keeps inviting this friend over that they're not welcome in the house, but she insisted she could have whoever she wanted over. And so it happened again. And once again, there is human feces in my hallway.

Are we allowed to have this person kicked out for trespassing if the majority of the people on the lease agree, but one person disagrees? Is there anything I can do to keep this person out of my house? It's been reaching 100 the past couple days here in Mass, and fecal remnants in the furniture do not do well in the heat...

Answer: Any legal resident can invite guests over. You cannot bar them by majority vote, as much as it seems to be needed here.


Title: {PA} Work w/husbands family, BiL tried to assault me Friday and fire me, afraid of retaliation at work, can I protect myself?

Question:
Let me start by saying Im aware that PA is a at will state, I want to know if there is anything I can do to protect myself in case of assault or divorce if it comes to that.

My BiL(brother in law) on Friday screamed at me for being firm with a vendor of ours, I never swore, I never raised my voice but my BiL went off the handle at me for "talking down" to the vendor. We were the only ones in the office at the time. When I asked him to calm down and use a respectful tone (because he was in my face screaming and swearing so much spittle was flying) he slammed his fist into the wall a inch from my face breaking apart one of those hanging file things.

After my father in law, who is the owner came back, he yelled at me for making BiL angry, but there is no apology from anyone and I was told it was my fault and to just shut up.

I already get base pay because FiL is trying to control us, we live in a area where full time work is extremely hard to come by, as are jobs at all. We are very rural. Im worried now that I will be fired and they will lie to keep me from unemployment (its happened once before). And Im worried that they are going to retaliate in other ways in the office.

Is there anything I can do, any way to protect myself at all in this situation? I cant just quit as our family needs the money to live. Help.

Answer:
 You should call the police if you feel threatened, particularly if fists are being thrown an inch from your face.Answer #2: The best way to protect yourself for unemployment is to document what happened so that if they lie you have some proof. Documentation can include:
1) Writing down everything that happened with time and dates
2) Police report
3) Email to your BIL where you restate what happened that day
4) Recording a conversation between yourself and BIL where he admits to the yelling and violence, if your state is a one party consent state

Also, if he gets angry like that again, just leave. Don't try to talk to him. Go into another room. Answer #3: File a police report regardless, and let them do their work. Your safety comes first. The police will investigate accordingly.

I'd advise looking for work quietly on the side, though I understand the challenge of finding employment. However, your BIL made this an unpleasant place to work for you. It's probably not going to get much better, and therefore is probably wiser to look for another role.

Edit: Clarification


Title: [NYC, NY] No gas in rent-controlled apartment. MS PAINT INCLUDED!

Question:
The day before Thanksgiving the gas was shut off to (my) half of the rent-controlled building where I live in Brooklyn.  A college kid put off calling in the problem until the day they left to go home for the holiday. Thanks, buddy! At first GF and I were told by the landlord that it would take a couple days to get the gas back on because National Grid would need to inspect after the work was done.

The Friday after Thanksgiving the lines were fixed. Monday, National Grid came to inspect the work. We received no word on the return of gas. Yesterday, I come home to discover that National Grid has dug a hole in front of the building. There is a sign with a work permit/order that also says "Estimated complete date: January 2018"

We have heat and hot water. But have no functioning stove or oven. Cooking is now limited to what we can do with a toaster oven and a two burner hot plate. The hot plate was purchased when we realised the gas wasn't coming back within a day or two. We're not completely fucked but it is extremely inconvenient and limits what we can cook.

Are we entitled to any recompense for this matter? I'm not trying to make money off or take advantage of this situation, but if we are losing the use of a major appliance for a sizable portion of the lease I feel that we are entitled to some form of compensation.

I hear you people like diagrams: [MS Paint drawing here](https://imgur.com/a/oHKFh)

**tl;dr** - No gas in apartment. Still have heat and hot water but can't use stove or oven. Are we entitled to any compensation?

Answer:
 I think that is the most joyfully crappy MS paint we've had in a while.Answer #2: http://www.nyshcr.org/Forms/Rent/ra81.pdfAnswer #3: >A college kid put off calling in the problem until the day they left to go home for the holiday.

Er, what's a college kid have to do with anything here?


Title: [Ontario] someone stole two pairs of yeezys from my friend (they add up to $2000) what can we do with a phone number, is there a way to trace it?

Question: Idk if this belongs in this sub but I don't know where else to put it, help would be appreciated.

Answer: You can call the police.


Title: [WA] Understanding contempt

Question:
I'm the middle of a terrible custody battle for my 6 month old son.  His mother had issued an ultimatum, "Withdraw your parenting plan or I am returning to my home state."  I took this threat to a commissioner and asked for a restraining order to prevent this.  The restraining order was granted.  The day after I requested the restraining order, my son's mother consulted an attorney who told her of the restraining order and the court date set up for temporary custody.  She was told that if she is not served, the restraining order does not apply.  Service was refused and she left in the middle of the night.  I received a selfie of her giving me a middle finger in front of a sign reading "Welcome to Idaho".  I filed a motion for contempt, hearing is set for tomorrow, but my attorney may request a continuance.  Since I knew she was going to her sister's, I waited for confirmation my son had safely arrived, then contacted the local sheriff's office to serve her.  A deputy made a couple visits to serve her, but she was not present.  My son's mother then fled her sister's place and is hiding in a hotel somewhere nearby.  Deputies have made multiple attempts to contact her and located the hotel she is staying at.  She would not answer the door or phone calls and continues to refuse service.

If you had asked before this week, I would have said that this is the very definition of contempt.  I have since learned that it is not because she was not served.  I don't understand and my attorney is too busy to explain it to me.  Could you folks help me understand contempt better?

\(FYI, I have not asked my attorney.  Not only will it cost me money, he is busting his ass for me and I don't want to waste their time to satisfy my curiosity\)

Answer:
 Whatever attorney your wife consulted should be reported to the state bar. Advising a client to flee the jurisdiction and hide to avoid being served is completely unethical.

Now, what I would do is hire a professional process serving company/skip tracer to serve mom. Once they find her and serve her (and they will), if she refuses to bring the child back to the state, then she is committing parental kidnapping and custodial interference. Both of which are crimes worse than contempt of court. Also, make sure that your lawyer brings all of this up in the custody hearing when it does take place. Judges do not look kindly on this kind of behavior at all. Have that picture admitted at trial... looks really bad for mom.

BTW, once she is served if the sister harbors her or help her in any way, that could be aiding and abetting depending on the local laws. Most people won't do that one they figure out they can go to jail to. :)

I wish you good luck!


Title: (OR) Should I sell a car for one dollar or give it away?

Question:
I have a car I'm going to sell. It has been well-maintained, but it was a Salt Lake City car and has rusted pretty heavily, so even though it runs well, and probably would for a long time, it leaks and isn't worth a dime -- especially here in Oregon where it rains all the time.

I want to give it to someone who just needs simple transportation for a few months, since that's all it's likely to be good for. Assuming that I'm completely honest about the condition of the car, which exposes me to the least liability:

1. Give it away for free
2. Sell for $1
3. ???

Answer: [Donate it for a tax deduction.](http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/DMV/pages/dealers/nonprofit_vehicledonation.aspx)


Title: Child in the care of his babysitter broke a lamp. Is the parent obligated to pay for the lamp? (Florida)

Question:
One on my employees has an interesting question.  Her four year old son has attended the same day care since he was one. It is in a private home by a licensed provider.  Friday, when she went to pick him up, the day care provider said the child was throwing a nerf ball around and it hit a lamp shade toppling a lamp and breaking it.  The day care provider wants $75 to replace the lamp.
I would think it was the babysitters negligence for not watching the child carefully enough that caused the damage but IANAL.  She will probably pay to keep the peace but is she legally obligated to?

Answer:
 Ha. So, basically, "I run a daycare center and wasn't paying enough attention to what your kid was doing and, as a result, a lamp broke.  I want you to pay for it."

Parents are not automatically liable for damages caused by their children.  Florida has two statutory exceptions to that,one related to car drivers and the other related to vandalism.  And this was neither.   Otherwise, parental liablity is based on negligent supervision -- the idea "You weren't paying enough attention to your kid and he broke something."

In this case, though, the daycare provider was in charge.  So, they're responsible for their own damages.

It may be that you have a contract agreeing to pay for that sort of damage.  Otherwise, you may decide that it's a good idea to pay for the lamp just to keep up a good relationship.  But, you have no obligation to pay.Answer #2: The child caused damage to personal property. Billing the parent would only get sticky if there was no written contract stating the parent would pay. If anything the person running the business should have commercial insurance for the property inside the home.


Title: [Arizona] My(16m) ex-girlfriends(15f) mom is threatening to press charges against me even though we never had sex.

Question:
I recently broke up with my girlfriend of about 3 months and towards the end we started getting a bit more flirtatious and she blew once and I finergered her a few times but we never has PIV sex or anything of the sort.

Her mother has always been pretty controlling over her and even used parental control apps on her phone so after the break-up she forced her (my ex) to tell her (mom) everything.

 I have no idea what was said but her mom called me and told me to stay away from her daughter and to never speak to her again and that she was thinking about pressing charges.

 So I guess my question is: is there anything I should be worried about legally as long as my ex tells the truth that we never had sex (She wouldn't lie about something like that)?

**TL;DR After break-up my ex girlfriends mother is threatening to press charges even though we never had sex and there's no proof we did.**

Answer:
 >F. It is a defense to a prosecution pursuant to sections 13-1405 and 13-3560 if the victim is fifteen, sixteen or seventeen years of age, the defendant is under nineteen years of age or attending high school and is no more than twenty-four months older than the victim and the conduct is consensual.

As a 16 year old engaging in sexual activity with a 15 year old (and yes, digital penetration is a sex act), you have the above defense available to you.

The relevant laws are in Chapter 14: http://www.azleg.gov/ArizonaRevisedStatutes.asp?Title=13Answer #2: You've broken up with your ex right? Then stay away from her. Not because her mom asked, but because even though the mom is blowing hot air, it's never fun to have the police even *want* to question you.

Nothing legal to really worry about, and nothing you need to do except remember - don't talk to cops without a lawyer. Still the most important thing is to try to prevent it from getting to that stage at all.Answer #3: Disappear from her life so to speak. Block her daughter on Facebook, change your number. She'll get bored and give up.Answer #4: The charges likely aren't going to stick, but if this girl's mother tells you to stay away, then that's what you gotta do. No recourse there.


Title: Another (possibly) Delusional person on the internet

Question:
on a (somewhat popular) you tube video, a person i wont disclose the link unless actually requested, suggests mixing bleach and ammonia as a (indeed potent) bedbug killer, and think he can threaten people posting facts about the chemical reaction with lawsuits.

i posted one such comment explaining the in depth details of the dangers of mixing household chemicals, and he has the basic same formula of response

quite sure he is full of bull$hit last i checked you cant sue someone for stating facts.

but would it be considered (criminally) negligent to suggest mixing chemicals which produce toxic compounds without acknowleing the dangers and warning people about it or suggesting proper handling.

very curious.

im no legal expert i just know my chemistry well and kinda got peeved with this guy threatening litigation seemingly frivolously.

Answer:
 Why not report it to YouTube how a jackass has a video on their service that essentially instructs people to make a chemical weapon. This may even be a law enforcement issue. Answer #2: I once accidentally made mustard gas.

I had moved into a new house and the toilet bowl was disgusting.

So I dropped a bomb on it...and as soon as I did I knew it! It was actually yellow gas rising from the bowl...

I ran around opening windows and grabbed the dog and ran to the yard. Thankfully it was fine.


Title: I got rear ended by another driver two days ago and have done everything wrong since. I'm in desperate need of help.

Question:
I'm 25 and this all happened in NY. This story is hard for me to tell because of how incompetent I have proven myself to be. I was driving from work to my girlfriends house to pick her up. Pulled up behind a car who was turning left and waiting for oncoming traffic to pass. I slowed to a stop behind them waited for him to turn.  I glanced in my review and saw jeep lights approaching far too fast and too close. I looked down and I remember hoping I wasn't about to be hit.  Then, the cab of my truck seemed to explode as I was hit. My hat flew off, glove box opened, loose change everywhere etc.

My first reaction was anger because my truck is very important to me.  My parents helped me buy it after college and it's the only vehicle I've owned that I've 'loved', as bizarre as it may sound. This is where the mistakes begin. I whipped my truck out of the road onto the corner so I wouldn't be blocking traffic. He pulled his wrangler down a side street almost out of my line of site.  I angrily jumped out and yelled a pathetic sounding 'fuck you' at him as he ran over.

Next part happened very quickly - he said he was an EMT and couldn't have anything on his record so let's just avoid insurance and after I went go a garage to figure out the damage he would pay me.  He gave me his name, plate # and phone number on a sheet of paper and jumped in his jeep and sped off. I felt hazy and slow and that I had not acted fast enough. I cleaned up my truck and drove to my girlfriends. It never even occurred to me to call the police.

I inspect my truck and see that beside my bumper being damaged, the whole truck sits funny. A very sick feeling starts creeping in my stomach. I call him and tell him I'm worried about the damage and he again assures me that he can take care of it.

The next day I drop the truck at a garage near my shop and wait for them to call. A few hours later I get a call saying my frame is bent and that insurance will most likely total it. I call the guy again and tell him the news, and he says he wants to get a second opinion and will call me later. At this point I'm upset about the truck but assuming everything will work out. I get out of work and begin calling him hourly but he doesn't answer.

I speak with a cop friend who gives me a few options but this is when it really sinks in how badly I've fucked myself. I have collision, but I really don't want to use it.  Somebody else has broken my only important belonging, and because of my failure to act it looks like I will be driving a bent up truck. The accident happened Friday night. It's now Monday morning.

I'm wondering if there is anything at all I can do. Thanks for reading.

Update: Got a call from an unknown number and he told me he gave me a fake name and plate, and that the jeep wasn't his either. Then said that he felt I was overstating damage and trying to take advantage of him. At this point, do I still create a police report? Still call my insurance?

Answer:
 Call your insurance company. report the accident and let them take care of it. Answer #2: I'm an agent. Calm down. It's not s bad as you think. Call your insurance. Explain what happened. You can open a claim under your collision which will get the payout done much much quicker. They will surrogate against his insurance. Since you have a bit of paper trail that's going to help. You will be out your collision deductible until liability is accepted by the other party's insurance. Answer #3: OP how can you be so worked up over this, yet say that you have collision insurance but 'don't want to use it'?

You pay for insurance for a reason. Call your insurer and file a claim. Pay your deductive and have your truck repaired/replaced. Let your insurance deal with the guy that hit you.

Most of all, clam down. Only 3 days have passed. That's practically nothing - the timeframe to deal with these things is usually measured in weeks or months. Answer #4: As long as you have his information (name, license plate, +/- insurance), you're fine. Call your agent and let them deal with it. You should also fill out an accident report with your local DMV.


Title: Bank of America Stole My Settlement Payment - What Do I Do?

Question:
United States - California

So for the last 6 months I have been trying to do a credit settlement of one of my overdue credit accounts with Bank of America. Month after month I made various phone calls to Bank of America in an attempt to lower their settlement offer as it was out of my reach. One month left until charge off I decided to take the advice of one of the phone agents and that was to make a counter offer over the mail as I was getting nowhere over the phone. The agent provided me with an address that was a p.o box. I decided to draw out a contract that included the terms of the offer and the terms of agreement. I also included a check made out to Bank of America that included a clause on top of it that stated "upon acceptance of the check the account I've been trying to settle would be satisfied in full". I signed the contract, stapled the check to it and sent it off via certified mail. Two weeks later Bank of America cashes the check and does not fulfill the conditions of the contract. I call them up to ask them what's going on and they say it's not a legal contract. I called them out on their bull and told them my attorney would be contacting them soon.

So they've completely turned the tables around and are now trying to screw me out of the conditional settlement payment that was only to be accepted if the contract was accepted. They took the settlement payment and applied it to the over due account as if it was a payment to bring the account up to date. In the contract I included the following clause: "The acceptance of the payment will serve as a complete discharge of all financial obligations due to the creditor by the debtor.". It was made clear on the contract that the check is for settlement of the debt.

I have documented the issue. I have my certified mail receipt and pictures of all the items that were included in the letter.

It has been ridiculous trying to settle my credit account with Bank of America. They have sent me no letters even when I have requested for them to send me mail. And these numbers I have to keep calling are terrible as the phone agents are able to speak very little English.

My question to you guys is what do I do at this point? Am I completely screwed for some reason or are they just being asses and trying to give me as much of a hard as a time possible? My understanding is that this contract would hold up in court as it would be considered legally binding.

So at this point should I get legal representation? And if so what kind of legal representation should I be seeking? Should I try to do a charge back with the check? It has been more than 30 days since the check was issued.

Thanks everyone for any of the assistance you are able to provide me with.

Answer:
 You tried to trick BoA using a play that nearly every scammer has thought of (and failed), and contract law has covered for decades.

You are going to learn a hard lesson from this move. Good luck trying to get them to settle at a reasonable amount anymore. You may have just shot yourself in the foot.


Title: NYC: Can Landlord make you pay for rent if the apartment is not rented after move out?

Question:
My roommate and I are not renewing our lease. The management company stated that if the apartment is not rented out for June that we are responsible for that month's rent since we did not give them notice 60 days ahead of time.

I double checked the lease and it actually states 30 days, so they are inaccurate on the front to begin with. They did, however, only send us the lease renewal paper work after May began. Admittedly this was not top of mind for my roommate and I since this is our first apartment.

Does our land lord have recourse here? Also they said they are hiring a broker to show the apt. Can the broker just show the apt at any time? That seems highly intrusive and like it would violate some sort of renters rights, but you never know because the system is really contructed in favor of property owners.

I appreciate the feedback and advice!

Answer: What date did you tell them you weren't renewing? After May 1 (since the lease says 30 days) and you have an apartment for June unless they can rent it out.


Title: What legal options do we have to plan a pregnancy and birth for a three or more parent household with equal or near equal guardianship and custody rights? - Washington State - USA

Question:
We are having a serious discussion about trying to start a family in a few years.

One cismasc, one cisfem, one nb afab with tied tubes.

The nb afab is a fantastic coparent from what we have seen in the past, and we would like to plan a family with the three of us as parents, but the only way we would do that is if we can provide for legal protections for all involved parties. Anyone know where to start with this?

Answer: That isn't really a thing.


Title: School principal is tweeting pushing a Liberal agenda and speaking out against Trump for his political views. Who do I contact to report this?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >I'm pretty sure educators are not allowed to promote their political views so who do I go to to report this?

Are you required to follow this individual on Twitter?  Is he doing anything during school hours, requiring the involvement of students, or with school money that you think is inappropriate?


Title: [California] Employee quits with 72 hour notice, what next?

Question:
Hi all. I had an employee that quit and gave me 72 hour notice. I'm trying to research what all I need to give him. Most of what I'm googling pops up lists for employees being terminated.

  So far I have:

  * Last paycheck
  * Health Insurance Premium Payment (HIPP) Program - the pdf file  says "NOTICE TO TERMINATING EMPLOYEES" on top, is this correct?
  * Change in relationship - I read this is for when firing someone but shouldn't hurt to have this still?
  * Copies of the non-disclosure agreement and non-compete he signed when hired

Do I need anything else? Thank you!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: This is less about the law and more about your internal policies. Don't you have an HR provider?Answer #2: You need to review it with an attorney. There are also actions to be taken in regards to COBRA, retirement plans, payment (or deductions) in the event of a contract, etc. Without knowing everything you (as an employer) offered to the employee, it's really hard to just.give a checklist of what you need to provide.


Title: Texas: Is a defendant in a criminal case legally required to appear in court when the lawyer moves to withdraw?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 The defendant should show for **every** appearance, unless specifically exempted by the court.

For a withdrawal motion?  Your friend absolutely, 100% needs to be there.  The court needs to hear from the defendant to ascertain issues with the withdrawal and a plan to move forward.


Title: Backed into cluster mailbox, what’s gonna happen?

Question: I backed into a cluster mailbox while backing out of a driveway, the actual cluster mailbox is I damaged but it broke off the base. I called the local police to see what to do and they told me to keep the mailbox in my garage and call USPS on Monday morning, which I plan to do. I was just wondering what the outcome of this could look like for me?

Answer: You'll be charged to repair/replace the mailbox. Your car insurance might cover this.


Title: Soo what's the deal with this woman/video (from the front page), does she have a case? What's "peeping tom"?

Question:
The [video](https://vid.me/Ah9y) makes it seem like she's from the state of Nebraska. Also [here's](http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/315nk5/crazy_neighbor_freaked_out_because_i_was_doing/) the reddit post.

What are the laws regarding unwanted recording of another individual? I think I've read that pictures taken of anyone in a public setting is not owned by the individual in the picture, because it is a public space and thus the person has no rights to recordings of his/her image.

The complex the video was shot in seems not to be public space, but a shared communal space for laundry, perhaps in an apartment? Filming someone in their own home/property is expressly illegal is that correct? Do they have to deny permission first or is that assumed to be the default state, that you cannot record someone unless they give permission first?

Finally, am I breaking any laws by posting a link to a video? Are there laws against disseminating unlawful recordings? Probably... but let's just be thorough here.

Answer: I watched this on r/publicfreakouts. the video is not illegal at all. He was standing in his apartment or in the hallway. he could film anything he wanted. he couldn't enter her apartment to film her or for any other reason, but just because she's standing in her door doesn't mean she has some special protection.Answer #2: Hahahahaha [this guy posted here](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/303ixz/i_recorded_my_neighbor_apartment_freaking_out/) asking if it was ok before he went through with it.


Title: Can I call the police on my adult sister if she enters my house without permission and won't leave?

Answer: If you are a legal resident of the house and she is not (and she does not have permission from another legal resident), then yes.Answer #2: "Unwelcome guest" is, by a substantial margin, the most common police call in my jurisdiction.


Title: Neighbor keeps calling the cops on me. No laws being broken.

Question:
In the past 2 years I have had the cops called 4 times on me by my next door neighbor. Once for having a legal cannabis garden, once for moving his basketball hoop to park on the street, once claiming that I sicced my little dogs on their kid. After that point I spoke with an investigator from the DA office who recommended that I just keep a camera on me at all times in public. The next morning I was on my front yard with my camera when he came out to take his kid (15) to school. No comment to me, but an hour later a cop is knocking on my door.  I call her back and she states that based on her training, that (taking pictures of minors) is what sexual offenders do.  Since I didn't come to the door (not that I would, but I was out of town) that she went and interviewed neighbors in the cul de sac.

At this point I am very concerned that they may SWAT my house.  What can I do to protect myself.  This guy is now challenging me to fight, trying to get me jammed up.

Answer: Install cameras around your house and keep contact with neighbor minimal. Record as much as you can on your personal camera. Eventually you will have enough proof for harassment. Answer #2: I forgot one thing, also try to document every negative encounter you have for your own records, (time, location, summary of what happened, whether police showed up.) It may help in the future.


Title: (IN) Woke up and my car is gone

Question:
Indianapolis, Indiana

It wasn't stolen, it was towed.

On Friday a man came to put stickers on my car saying if my license plate wasn't up to date in 72 hours it would be towed.
I had paid the renewal fee back in August, but for a few reasons, including mailing address fuck ups, I don't have the new physical plate yet.  I have the receipt for payment in my glove box in case I get pulled over and need proof.

Anyway so on Friday I told the guy putting on the sticker that, and he told me to just put the receipt in the window for proof and that'd be good enough.  I taped it to my back window, and made sure all the ice was scraped of so it'd be clearly visible.
Woke up this morning and the car is gone.  There was no information about who took it or where.
My neighbor across the street saw it happening and told me the name of the towing company.
I need help and advice.  I don't have the money to pay to get it back, but I don't feel that I should have to.  What do I do?

Edit: Ok, I got it.  Thanks for the info to those who replied.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 First, go pay your bill and get your car back.

Second, you're required to have your registration up to date.  Not six months late.  It's unlikely you have any recourse here.


Title: Friend got two charges for drinking in my yard

Question:
My friend left my house around 2am, said goodbye to another friend, then began to walk home. He noticed a cop and decided to stay put a second - he sat down on a couch we have outside. Eventually, the cop comes up and begins questioning him. The cop even went as far as saying “this isn’t you” when he showed him his ID and verbally harassing him. Two more cops come, they go back and forth, but they end up handcuffing him and booking him.

He got two charges, “disorderly prowling” and “open alcohol in public”. I’m helping him contest this because I think it’s bullshit that these cops harassed him like that, there was 0 disorderly prowling (unless that’s what you call a black man walking home) and this was all right outside of my house and in my yard, minutes after I went to bed.

Any and all advice will be appreciated, we’re college students in MI.

Answer:
 Ask for trial by jury. Easiest way. They will most likely drop the charges. Bc any idiot can see that a jury of people will absolutely rule in his favor. Not only that, but they probably won't want to waste money to pursue charges against something so small.Answer #2: i *love* casual racism from the cops, ugh. Sorry your friend went thru thatAnswer #3: Not a lawyer but do live in Michigan. I don’t believe there’s any law regarding open alcohol in a private setting.
You mentioned a black man walking home at night, my guess is the police officers were profiling and targeted your friend for “prowling”.


Title: [CA] Became a virtual intern at a small start up company where almost all of the "employees" appear to be interns.

Question:
I recently became an unpaid virtual intern for a small start up company. Not disclosing the name of the company, but it is a for-profit tutoring website, similar to SkimaTalk or iTalki. I have been a tutor on those websites in the past. This website's HQ is located in San Diego, California. There are only a handful of employees working in the office that I'm aware of, but I'm fairly certain that they are all interns. Everyone else not in the office is considered a Virtual Intern (like myself, since I don't work at the office).

I am in charge of: writing blog articles, contributing to social media content, uploading two short videos to my profile a week, being available *for free* as a tutor on the website for certain amounts of time (whereas tutors on the website who aren't interns can set their own rates) while the rest of my free time - e.g., not when I'm "working" - I can set my rates, Japanese translation, and, because the CEO likes me so much, I recently assumed the role as blog administrator that was previously his wife's job (which means I proofread, edit, and decide which articles get posted from the other interns).

Now, I understand from [this page](https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs71.htm) that there are certain rules about whether or not an intern can legally be unpaid. There are a few parts of the test on that page that concern me:

* *The internship, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to training which would be given in an educational environment;*

This bothers me because I am not exactly learning anything from the experience. I am actually overqualified for the role. I have 3 years of tutoring experience, I am highly competent with social media, I have translated before, and I have run a few of my own blogs in the past.

* *The intern does not displace regular employees, but works under close supervision of existing staff;*

The part about displacing regular employees is the big one for me. For example: the person who interviewed me was an intern, the person who did my onboard "orientation" was an intern, and the person who facilitated our weekly online meeting today and MANAGES THE VIRTUAL TEAM is also an intern who works physically in the office. Other interns share the same roles that I do. All of these interns are unpaid, and there are no actual employees who fill these roles.

Not to mention, the CEO does a lot of the website's work himself, although he does have some developer interns who work on the back end. I was particularly startled when he said he had logged into my account for me to check to see why my videos weren't getting uploaded correctly.

* *The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the intern; and on occasion its operations may actually be impeded;*

Since I am overqualified, the company receives an obvious benefit from my employment. If there are no actual employees, then I am providing them free labor.

* The internship should be of a fixed duration, established prior to the outset of the internship.

The duration was not explicitly stated, but rather loosely like "probably the end of August."

There have been remarks from the CEO who I have personally spoke with on Skype (which cued me into exactly how small the company is) that he did not have the venture funding to pay the interns until "hopefully after August", and that only some of them would become paid employees. The person who interviewed me made it clear that there was an opportunity for employment around then before I learned that from the CEO. This strikes me as BS because the website has been around since 2013 and there is no reason why they shouldn't have capital at this point.

As another note, when I joined the team, I did not have to fill out any paperwork. Beyond my e-mails, Skype call history, and blog posts, there is no definitive proof that I work for the website. I've checked http://sec.gov and they have not filed federally as business. I have no clue if they are even incorporated or not.

**My question is**: What are my rights in this situation? Who should I report this to? Could I be entitled to compensation for the amount of time I have currently worked?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Yeah, this sounds like the owner/founder is trying to skate labor laws and get free labor.  A sea of interns and no real employees is the most blatant violation of those rules I can think of.  You'd report this to the DLSE and make an unpaid wage claim.  You'd probably be entitled to compensation but there's a decent chance it would be calculated at or near minimum wage.  Still, money is money.

Also, and I hesitate to ask this but: why on earth did you agree to work for free at a start-up?Answer #2: Internships are supposed to be primarily an educational experience for the benefit of the intern, not free labor for the employer.  You're not an intern, you're an unpaid employee entitled to wages and stuff.Answer #3: You can report it to the DLSE.  They'll probably decide you and the other interns are entitled to minimum wage.  It sounds like the company has no money to pay this, so this may end up with the company going out of business.