Title: California - Found out my broker has been keeping my insurance premiums and I have no coverage.

Question:
I run a small manufacturing business in California and have always had insurance. I have used the same broker for 14 years. The business has Commercial General Liability Insurance, Business Property Insurance and Business Income Insurance. This year I decided to shop my insurance around because the $5880.00/yr premiums were getting too high.  I found an alternate insurance company and they asked me to contact my current insurer and request Loss Run Reports, detailing all the claims I have had.

I skipped my broker and contacted the insurance companies directly. To my surprise, both companies that were supposedly my insurance carriers as listed on my current Certificate of Liability Insurance said that I have not had insurance since April of 2014 due to nonpayment from the broker.

I immediately called my broker and he said he had no idea what happened. He did offer the explanation that they had a system data loss 8 months ago. I explained that this incident 8 months ago does not justify why I have been uninsured since 2014. My broker was very apologetic and offered a refund in full almost immediately. He explained that even if we had had a claim, they as a company have an errors and omissions insurance which would offer us coverage in case of a claim during this period in which we were not insured.

Here is my dilemma.  They are about to send me a check for premium refunds, but they want me to sign a release of liability when I accept the refund payment.  My concern is that if a claim arises for something my company did let’s say in 2015 like a trademark infringement, then I would not have a leg to stand on since I released them from any liability. Is what my broker doing wrong? Advice is greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 I don't know much about this type of insurance, but I assume it's a [claims made](https://www.irmi.com/online/insurance-glossary/terms/c/claims-made-policy.aspx) policy, that is retroactively dated as far back as you have had active insurance? So if you have a gap in your coverage, your exposure would increase significantly?

If that's accurate, your broker's failure increased your exposure significantly. So I would absolutely not sign the release he is describing. But it really depends on the specifics of your policy, insurance policies can vary dramatically (and like I said, I have no familiarity with your type of commercial general liability coverage).


Title: can I change the court location for a mandated court appearance for going 30 mph over?

Question:
I got a ticket and have to go to court, but I got the ticket two hours away from my home. Do I have to go to the original court location, or can this be changed?

Also, what does this court appearance look like? I most likely won’t hire a lawyer. I was going 33 over the speed limit, but I wasn’t doing it for longer than a few seconds. I had just passed a car whose brake lights were broken and I couldn’t get past for about 20 minutes. This is my second ticket within the last 6 months (and in all my 9 years of driving). The first was for going 10 mph over the speed limit and I paid the ticket within 30 days. Any advice?

Answer:
 Location is important, but no, generally, you cannot just change the court location to make it easier for you.

Impossible to answer your second paragraph without location.Answer #2: Did the policeman steal your pen?Answer #3: The jurisdiction where you were charged will be the jurisdiction where this is heard.  If you're arguing about two courthouses in the same jurisdiction, you may be able to get it moved.  If you're trying to change jurisdictions, you almost assuredly can't.


Title: Full physical custody and taxes

Question: My husband left me 9 weeks pregnant for multiple other women. I have full physical custody and joint legal. He gets to visit him 8hrs a week but says he's claiming him on his taxes. I met someone 2 months after he left and we have now been together for over a year. My boyfriend was there before the baby was born and still continues to be. I planned on moving in with my boyfriend in a month from now but my lawyer is very slow about doing anything and has not even filed my divorce. So since I wouldn't let my soon to be ex husband claim my son on his taxes he states he is taking me to court for moving in with my boyfriend before we are divorced although it was never an issue until now. Can he claim him? And should I worry about this ? Location in Virginia

Answer:
 No. Absent a court order saying otherwise he doesn't meet the requirements to claim the child.

Does your custody order say anything about taxes or living with other people?Answer #2: Do not move in with boyfriend without discussing with your attorney first.


Title: Renter is moving out in 5 days and won't let me show room - Oakland

Question:
There'was never a deposit paid and of course I need to keep it rented.

afraid he's going to skip on a lot of utilities too.

It's my house. I live there. He rents a room which he has locked.

Answer:
 Give him 24 hours notice that you'll be showing the unit in writing.  If you don't have a key to his room, get one made by a locksmith.  Same deal, 24 hours' notice.  You're entitled to have a key to the unit as landlord.Answer #2: In CA, a tenant may request another time/date if the initial time and date isn't convenient.

But they have to accommodate the landlord and provide a reasonable option.

They can't just tell the landlord to piss off.


Title: Is photoshopping a birth certificate legal?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: How would photoshopping a legal document be...legal?


Title: (CA) Startup falling-out, who owns the intellectual property?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 A lot of people are going to disagree with me here, but I personally find that source code for a software is a copyright, and ownership for a copyright work belongs to the author.  In order for a corporate entity to own the copyright, there has to be a written agreement to transfer the copyrighted work to the company.

Alternatively, some people are going to argue that the software is a patent.  In that case, there needs to be a determination if your soon to be former business partner is a "co-inventor" and whether there is a written agreement that states the patent is to be transferred to the corporate entity.

Regardless, in a dissolution of an LLC, the assets are split equally among the members.  I don't think the IP was transferred from you to the company, but it wouldn't hurt to include a clause in your buy out that states he can't sue you for any IP developed by you, including ownership.  Which in that case, you should find a lawyer.


Title: [NJ] Wife laid off after two years, rehired, then fired. Update: Unemployment appeal filed before she was fired

Question:
An update that does not bring good tidings to our household. We received a letter earlier this month about unemployment being appealed. We thought it was a repeat of the old appeal that had been settled. My wife goes in to unemployment today and is told that it's a new appeal which was apparently waiting until he actually fired her. So he's been planning this for over a month. I didn't even know it was possible to file an appeal well before firing someone.

She was an At-Will employee, so he could fire her at his whim. He was very vague in the reason behind the firing when he called on Sunday. I don't know what he's going to argue was the good cause for her unemployment to be denied. Any advice?

Answer: Definitely go get a lawyer, as appealing prior to firing seems pretty fucked up.


Title: WA state: Is it legal to smoke pot on someone's grave?

Question:
I lost a buddy a few years back. He was totally into weed, as am I.

Cannabis is legal for recreational use in WA state, so long as it is used on private property, out of sight of the public.

Can I go smoke a bowl 'with' my buddy who I lost if I am the only living person around at the time? If random cop happened by, would he have any legal justification to mess with me while I mourn?

Answer:
 Personally I feel it is kind of disrespectful to smoke a bowl at a cemetery. You may be the only person "alive" around you but still.

A cemetery is often well within public view, so no, you cannot smoke there. Really limited to private residential property. Answer #2: 1. Is the cemetery private property (most are, but not all)?

2. How secluded is the grave?


Title: Landlord no longer wants to rent to us and has other tenants moving in

Question:
We signed a lease in February 2018 for a lease beginning on September 1st 2018, fixed 12-month. The three of us (mid to late 20s) paid the first month's rent, alongside 3/4 month's rent as a deposit. She said that the reason for the first month's rent is because we are signing to early and she wanted extra security that we will not bail. This was strange, but we decided to go ahead with it because it's a beautiful spot and she is a friend of a friend, so why not?

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Last week, one of us received a job offer in another province, and he accepted it. We set up a meeting with her to let her know about this, also in hopes we could find a third tenant for the building or some other compromise. However, before we had our official meeting, I ran into her and told her about the job offer. I did express some stress about rent, but assured her that we will be making due regardless (the one moving said that he signed the lease, and so would pay rent if there was no way around it). She seemed very discomforted with this (as I would be too!) but I assured her we will be figuring it out, but I don't think I was very reassuring (I am in exams and very much sleep deprived, which she knew). That evening she texted us letting us know that she would either be willing to 1) let us find a third tenant after all with a slight rent increase, or 2) lowering the rent and just having the two of us stay there. We agreed to the lowered rent and just the two of us.

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For the past week, we have been trying to meet with her for the rent adjustment, key exchange and whatnot. We scheduled two dates (Saturday and Monday), but both she cancelled on the day of. Today, we received a text message letting us know that she will not be renting the place out to us and that she has found other tenants. She said she was discomforted about the interaction with me, and so has decided to find other tenants. She has sent part of the deposit/first month's rent today, and will be sending the other part tomorrow. The problem is that all of us will be homeless in a week and a half. We are currently looking for a new spot to rent, but it's slim pickings on such short notice.  Also, I have a dog which makes the search even more complicated.

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So far, it seems our best bet is to seek "compensation for inconvenience" when looking for a new place, and just document/save every receipt and claim it. We could push to live there, but considering the way she dealt with everything, we do not want to deal with her as our landlord even though its the most beautiful home I've ever seen.

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Have you ever encountered this? I'm not sure if our rights are the same because we haven't technically moved in yet. I am not vengeful, but do think I have the right to my wasted time, but am not sure what expenses I can truthfully justify.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If you have a signed lease that, importantly has not been broken yet, she cannot do this without your permission. I would remind her that you still have a valid, signed lease for that property and do not consent to breaking it.

You could offer to break the lease for $X but if you don't come to an agreement, it's really her problem to make sure you are made whole.

Also - thoroughly read your lease to make sure there is no clause covering this situation.


Title: NYC - Assaulted & Pepper Sprayed by Green Cab Driver for refusing to leave cab

Question:
Hey so just trying to get my bearings and figure out what next steps I should take or if I need to even take any more steps. Apologies for the wall of text.

**TLDR: Took a cab home, driver tried to kick me out in a different location, when i refused to get out of the cab he tried to pull me out, pepper sprayed me and tried to pull me out of the cab again. He was arrested and charged with assault.**

FYI: Young guy in his mid 20s

So Story time:

This happened this past weekend, I was leaving a bar in brooklyn and hailed down a **GREEN** nyc cab to take my home in queens. The cab driver did not know the location of my home but he did know of the major intersection by my house and agreed to take me there and after would follow my directions to my house. I kind of dozed off and my phone died but I was woken up by the driver about about 10min drive away from my house. Where he stopped an intersection leading into a road that runs between a graveyard. Albeit it may not be the most busy road but it is nonetheless a road in nyc with street signs, lines ect. He began telling me that the road ahead of us was not a highway and that he did not want to go down that road despite the fact that it was the way to get to the destination. He told me to get out and pay which of course i refused as my phone was dead and it would be about a 30min walk from that point to my house in the middle of the night. He pulled the car over and again told me to get out which i again refused. I told him to call the cops and we can have them sort it out from there. He than told me to get out and that he didnt need the money but i needed to get out. Again I refused and asked him to call 911. He jumped out of the car, opened my door and tried to pull me out.

My main objective was to remain in the car and either get him to call 911 or someone passing by. He began trying to pull me out on the driver side, (just fyi this would have ended me up in the middle of the street had he succeeded). When he failed to extract me out of the car he returned to the driver's seat and got "something" not sure how I knew what it was or if he said something but I instinctively brought my shirt over my head. He again tried to extract me but this time began spraying me with something that was immediately identifiable as pepper spray. Again he failed to extract me but this time he went to the passenger side and tried to pull me out from that side. Again he sprayed me and tried to pull me out and again I resisted.

At this point I am yelling for someone to call 911 and from what I could make out a young couple appeared and began asking what was going on. I asked them to call 911 and briefly described what happened. They gave me some water to wash my eyes which by this time were on fire. As i washed my eyes the burning only got worse and I the pain distracted me from what exactly was being said or what they were doing. At this point I was completely blind and a few seconds later the driver started again to try and forcibly remove me, this time actually getting his hands around me and drag me out. I was able to grip something in the car and eventually got myself back in at which point I just began repeating for someone to call 911. From what I could tell a few minutes passed and eventually 2 officers introduced themselves to me while i was sitting in the car. I explained what had happened and they called an ambulance to come and give me an eye wash. They then went to go and get the drivers statement and I could vaguely here him saying something along the lines of that i was robbing him. The cops asked me what i was sprayed with and began searching his car for the pepper spray. I was then taken by the EMTs to the eye wash where they took my statement and eventually found the pepper spray.

Apparently he was arrested for assault but that is all the info I got. Not to sure how this is handled and was told that a DA would be in touch, but in the mean time is there anything else I should be doing? I filed a complaint with the taxi & limo service dept and they are investigating as well.

Needless to say I will not be taking a green cab again.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Cheers

Answer:
 There's a police report, so the police will follow up with criminal charges.

Do you have any medical damages?  Did you have to go to the hospital?  If yes, you could sue for those damages.

Generally, though, that's it.  When you were asked the leave the cab, and you refused, you were in the wrong.  The police would either have removed you from the cab or arrested you depending on your conduct and sobriety at that point.

The cab driver using pepper spray was definitely in the wrong, and he'll get his punishment for that.Answer #2: IANAL

My advice would be get out of people's cars when they tell you to.


Title: Landlord Threw Away My Things Without Notice (NY)

Question:
Hi, I was renting a house with 7 other college students. Due to a business opportunity, I notified my landlord I would be terminating my lease early. The lease required 60 days notice, which I gave. That 60 day period ends September 14th. I gave one of the housemembers a call to let them know I would be driving up to gather my things. He informed me that they had someone else move in & the landlord “got rid” of my things. I asked him to clarify & he said that the landlord threw away all of my stuff due to a “mice problem.” He genuinely meant it too. The housemate also added “Well you did screw us over by terminating the lease early” My remaining property there is easily worth $2000+.

Can the landlord just throw away my things? Do I have a legal avenue to pursue any kind of lawsuit against the landlord? I’m completely shocked that he could just trash my things after I communicated with him that I would be moving out somewhere in those 60 days. Please help.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Yeah, you've been subject to an illegal eviction. Contact an attorney who does landlord tenant law.

You can sue for the full value of your possessions and possible more to cover your expenses as a result of this mess.Answer #2: I'm pretty sure as long as your lease is still in effect, he cant go into the house without prior notice at all, let alone throw your stuff away. Definitely contact a lawyerAnswer #3: This sounds like theft to me. LL stole your stuff. Even if he threw it away I'd assume this is still theft. Contact the police as well as a lawyer (as others have said).


Title: [Oregon] New neighbors are breaking multiple aspects of their lease and are now screwing with me for complaining.

Question:
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: If they violate the noise curfew, continue to call the non emergency line.


Title: (FL) I let a homeless woman stay in my house for a week, she still hasn't gotten her stuff out

Question:
Long story short, I let a random homeless lady live in the house my husband and I rent for a week. I know it was a dumb decision on my end, but I have a soft heart and an extra bedroom. She stayed with us 5/7 nights we allowed her to be here, leaving for 2 nights to stay elsewhere in the middle of the week. She was supposed to be out Monday, but never got her stuff. She said she had to go to the ER that night, and asked if she could pick it up Tuesday night. I said that was fine if she wanted to pick up 7-9pm. That was the last I heard of her. I cleared her stuff out of my bedroom and put it in a nice pile in a different room.

My question is, does she have any legal rights to our home if her stuff is stored here? I dont know where she went or why she doesn't want her stuff. I just want to make sure she doesn't try to claim residency if her stuff is here. I would hate to bag it up and put it outside in the rain, but I will if I have to.

We also rent our house if that matters. Our lease says guests cant stay more than 7 consecutive nights, which she didnt. So I feel we are safe there.

Answer:
 You've already gotten your answers, but I wanted to add: given your marijuana hobby, inviting a homeless person to live in your house is more than just dumb -- you've invited a police/emergency response summoning timebomb to hang out next to your stash.Answer #2: She has no rights to re-enter your home unilaterally, but you need to reasonably accommodate her when she comes asking for the property.
Answer #3: > She said she had to go to the ER that night,

Maybe you should try to find out what happened at the ER.  If she's still alive.


Title: I was served by JUUL.

Question:
I received a stack of paper and a summons that was directed at me and about 50 other defendants, who all seemed to be eBay sellers. Juul is apparently cracking down on counterfeits and I somehow matched their memo because I sold one item (a juul starter kit) that I bought locally and decided I no longer wanted so I sold it on eBay. I did not know of any pending lawsuits of the sort, at the time of selling it. The product I sold was not at a profit but apparently according to the complaint I “matched the similar pictures and description used as other known counterfeiters”. When I listed the item on eBay, I searched up the product and found a listing and used the “sell one like this” option since i was selling the same thing unaware that this would target me as a counterfeiter.
I have never been served before and I have no idea what to do about this, what would be my next course of action?
Case number: 1:19-cv-00575 Eastern District of Virginia
(Note: I did look up the case number and it seems that it is legitimate, although a stack of papers that look like they were freshly printed and wrapped in a rubber band seemed highly suspicious.)
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 Hire a lawyer to defend you and appear in court.

Dress nicely. Tuck your shirt in.Answer #2: You only resold  a single real JUUL starter kit, correct?

Already been said, but you will need to hire an attorney. Assuming you were not actually selling counterfeit products, your case should be dismissed relatively quickly. An attorney will make sure you don’t miss deadlines and don’t dig yourself deeper.

If you truly cannot afford one, check out legal aid, call the local bar association for recommendations, or get a free consultation by a lawyer to get a sense of costs.


Title: Emergency legal insurance question, would appreciate any advice

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You need to see a lawyer in person. This isn't the place to get this kind of question answered.Answer #2: Call the insurance company, explain the situation and ask if you can pay the back owed premiums to bring the policy to current. Some insurance companies will allow this, some make you appeal to a supervisor first, some won't at all, but it's a place to start. Whatever happens make sure you start the process now to get a power of attorney or guardianship established to avoid this kind of thing in the future. IANAL.


Title: Can my PO violate me for something unrelated to my original charge?

Question:
I was charged with felony battery of police and resisting arrest which got dropped to misdemeanors. The one time before I met with my PO, I told her I get suicidal ideations sometimes but not then. She told me to find a therapist but I already have one. I met her again recently, and she asked me if I was suicidal that day which I denied. Then she asked me to pull up my sleeves because I think she knew I was cutting because my parents probably told her. (Could I have refused to do that? I just feel like it's an invasion of privacy since I don't show my forearms to anyone.) Then she said that I can't be doing any of that (self harming), and that if she sees that again, I'll be arrested. Can she actually do that since it's not illegal for me to be suicidal or self harm? Also, I feel she's being really insensitive and rude to me but it's not like I can complain about that to anyone.

Wisconsin

Also, I'm a girl, and I never had legal problems except this.

Answer:
 >I never had legal problems except this.

>>I was charged with felony battery of police and resisting arrest

Well you decided to start out with a bang.

POs have a lot of latitude and you really don't want to push the boundaries of how she can violate you.


Title: A website is using my copyrighted material without my permission. How to proceed?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Speak to a french lawyer specializing in this field about sending the equivalent of a U.S. cease & desist.


Title: AK: Landlord withholding mail after eviction

Question:
Anchorage, AK

I was evicted from a rental a week ago and left homeless until I can get my official issued debit card in the mail to be able to rent a new place. The card was mailed to my old address shortly before I left, but didn't arrive before it was too late. Now the landlord has taken over the property and has been staying there, I guess to ensure that I make no attempt to take my belongings until he gets his back rent? In addition to that, he has also been taking my mail inside and refuses give me any of it until I pay the back rent. I offered to settle up when I got the card in the mail, so he knows it exists and seems to be doing his damnedest to keep me living in my truck with my pets.

I know he can keep my belongings until he gets his back rent (I think, at least), but can he keep my mail too?

Answer: Call the postal inspector (postmaster?) or go to the post office and ask to speak to one. This is not allowed. He can recover his rent by suing you, he can't do it by holding your mail hostage.


Title: Every time since I have been arrested, and the charges dropped, the police has been much worse.

Question:
EDIT: The police have not has

I was arrested about 6 months ago in Indiana for public intoxication when I was heading home on the bus after a party. I was very drunk but doing the responsible thing. It turns out that while drunk I was hard to deal with and the cops said I was resisting arrest. The whole thing was a mess and was dropped.

At the same time I have a sports car and my work truck is pretty beat up so although I don't drive like a jackass I do get pulled over for minor things all the time. For most of my life this has never been a problem. However I have noticed that when I do get pulled over the cops are much harder to deal with. They usually call for backup' take forever in their car both before and after getting my licence, and approach the car from the blind spot with their hand near their gun. I have been arrested a second time now because apparently they can do that for expired tags. I am very upset about all this because I don't need to be treated like a dangerous criminal and I don't need someone with the minimal training of a cop approaching me with their hand on their gun.

I know the police have plate scanners. When they scan my plate what does it tell them? Will this stop and is there anything I can do with the court to help clear this up?

Answer:
 You've proven yourself capable of resisting arrest. The police are likely to be extra cautious with you from now on. Though many police execute all stops from a safe position with their hand near their gun.

As to the "minimal training" crap, get over yourself.


Title: [AZ] Received an email about illegal uploading of copyrighted music and they are asking for a settlement.

Question: So I, 19 and still living with my parents, downloaded a decent amount of music yesterday(via frostwire). This morning my mom received an email saying that one of the artists noticed and wants to take legal action for illegal uploading of their copyrighted music, which doesn't make sense because I have seeding deactivated on frostwire. They are requesting a settlement otherwise they can press charges of up to $150,000. What would be the best course of action we can take?

Answer:
 > This morning my mom received an email

How would they get your mom's email address in a day? And what kind of lawyer emails about copyright infringement? None of this makes any sense.Answer #2: Who sent it? Are you sure it's legit and not a scam? Answer #3: IP address isn't a person. Just ignore the letter.

Who uses frostwire nowadays? Torrents over a cheap VPN service is the way to go nowadays.Answer #4: IANAL but it sounds like a scam to me.  If you were (really) being pursued legally you would get real mail (aka snail mail) and it would be certified or delivered by means of a trusted agent to the target of the legal action.  Does this email even have the real name of anyone in it?Answer #5: An email from who?  Might help if you posted the text without identifying information (or any tracking numbers they might include.)


Title: Military divorce question

Question:
I'm in the military, going through a divorce. When the divorce is finalized I will have been in for 10+ years.
Here's my question. She is going after my pension. She cheated, so I'm not inclined to offer any handouts. She's going after my pension when I retire. This isn't something required federally; it's dependent on a decree in the state the divorce is filed in.
From what I can tell from USFSPA, if I don't agree that the state has jurisdiction, by not responding to the court at all or signing a separation agreement, in the end she has no grounds to claim any part of my retirement at all. This is really the only part of the divorce in contention. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Answer: Your pension is going to be a very significant sum of money.  Are you willing to risk half of it on the advice of some folks on the internet rather than speaking with an actual licensed attorney?  You likely have legal resources for free or at low cost through the military and you should really, really, really be speaking with an attorney about this (and your whole divorce).


Title: [NC] Girlfriends dad let me leave some tires at his house and he gave them away. Can I pursue legal action?

Question: I bought a truck and my dad game me new tired for it that were bigger and had better looking rims and I changed them and my girlfriends dad said I could leave them behind his building. I left them there and literally had it set up the sell them the next day when my girlfriend informs me he gave them away that morning. I asked that he pay me for them or atleast admit that he's was in the wrong to not ask me about them first. He won't do either and I would rather not pursue but wanted to know if it was atleast an option.

Answer: I dunno how much do you like the girl


Title: Step-mom stealing money from my savings account (OH)

Question: I'm 16 and I've recently discovered my step-mom is stealing money from my savings account. The account is under her name and I have no access to it, neither does my dad. $500 was missing and it wasn't written down anywhere for what the money went to and I know I haven't spent $500 over the span of 4 months (last time I checked the account) because I have no access to it and I haven't asked for any money. I sat down with both of them and confronted my step mom, and she said she made me pay for my school trip when they agreed to pay for half, and she made me pay for my whole phone without telling me. Is there anything I could do?

Answer:
 So it is her account. Not yours.

You can talk to your dad about it.

Stop putting money in someone elses account.Answer #2: > The account is under her name and I have no access to it

If the account is in her name (or even on the account jointly with you), she has legal right to the funds in the account (this is aside from you being a minor). She hasn't been stealing anything, although being very sucky.

I would suggest opening your own account and keeping your money in there. If you can't open an account yet, don't put any more of your money into your step-mom's account and wait until you can.


Title: What could happen?

Question: So ive been using my mom's credit card without her permission. I changed the statements to be delivered to an email I choose instead of being mailed to our house. Ive been doing it for about 2 months now. Last time there was a hold on her account. Because she doesn't really use the credit card. So i called and pretended to be her and had the hold removed. But now theres a hold again and this time they want her to go inside the bank with 2 forms of id to prove its her on the phone. Oh yeah I also tries to send some money to my bank account from her checkings how possible is it for them to catch me? What awaits me? Oh she still has her card with her would it be better if I take it sonshe can report it stolen? Please help I know I did wrong! N im serious ashamed!!

Answer:
 You have committed several different crimes.  Theft, potentially wire fraud and others.

You need to get over yourself, admit to what you did and figure out how to pay your mother back.

I don't think anyone here is going to help you figure out how to get away with this.Answer #2: You could be arrested for fraud and theft and possibly other crimes.


Title: [East Europe] Stupid me walked inside a grocery store with a soda, can they tell I did that?

Question:
This is in Poland. So I walked inside a big grocery chain store inside of a mall with a soda I bought elsewhere. Can they see on the cameras that I walked in with it?

I didn't realize my mistake until later and left through the main entrance. It's pretty obvious I walked in with it nor at any point did I grab any soda from their shelves.

I was waiting back in the mall and in front of the store while waiting for the person I was with to check out. A security officer did walk by but he didn't even look at me.
Am I just being paranoid? I don't know this place well so I don't know if they check their cameras that well.

I am visiting here and I don't know the language, so I couldn't say anything if I could.

Answer: You are being paranoid and insane. Move on


Title: [CAN] Condo Board Trying to prevent cannabis growing and consumption AFTER Oct 17?

Question:
My condo board is going to vote in new rules (not bylaws) that will prevent anyone from consuming or growing cannabis in any form, according to the document.

These rules are going to be voted on in a Nov board meeting, but my spouse and I will have already begun consuming and growing legally by that time, and I am an owner, not a renter.

Someone mentioned something called "grandfathering" at the last meeting and I am wondering if this would apply here. We will have already begun doing it legally by the time they ban it, so can they even ban it for me? We usually vape and want to grow our own.

Answer:
 I’m not a Canadian lawyer but in general entities such as condo boards can enact restrictions on activities that would otherwise be legal. Unless there is a specific provision in the law that prohibits this restriction it will probably be legal.

Edit. At least as to growing weed. Use of weed is much more likely to be unenforcible.(although I bet a blanket ban on smoking would be enforceable). Answer #2: Having a dog is legal. Condo boards can adopt rules which prevent owners from having dogs on the premises, or pooping on the lawns.

Grandfathering is tricky. It may be that if you had a dog before the rule was passed you will be allowed to keep the dog.  However, just because your dog pooped on the lawn before a contrary rule was passed does not mean your dog can continue to poop on the lawn after the rule was passed.

You will need to check your condo association bylaws with respect to the effect of a new rule.  There is an argument that may be made that "growing" or "consuming" do not continue passively (in the same way that paint-color continues passively), and that while the rule does not apply to any growing or consuming that occurred before the rule was passed, it does apply to any growing or consuming that occurs after the rule was passed.

[Edit: it is not clear to me how a prohibition against consuming could possibly be enforced]


Title: (US) Landlord voided a new lease we signed and served me with 20 day move out notice.

Question: My fiance and I decided to move in together as her lease had expired and she had moved to a month to month. We met with her landlady (who until recently had previously lived upstairs) and signed a new 9 month lease (07/05/17). She made some revisions in pen and told us she would scan it and e-mail us a copy. The next day we were having an issue with the new upstairs neighbor and had to talk to them about space and noise. We messaged the landlady to let her know what happened on (07/08/17) and she told us we could talk about it on 07/13/17. Instead she stopped by the house when I was not home and served my finance with a 20 day end of rental notice. (which in Washington is all they need to end a month to month.) I asked her what happened to our lease and she said because we were unhappy she voided it and no longer wants us to rent there. Neither myself or my finance agreed to voiding the lease but she says she did and that her lawyer destroyed it. I am scrambling to put finances together so that we have a place moving forward, but this whole this is putting my finance and her 2 kids in immediate jeopardy. What should I do here?

Answer:
 You signed a contract. She cannot unilaterally void a lease without cause. You need to let her know she can't do this.Answer #2: If you can get her mentioning in text or e-mail that she "voided the lease and she destroyed it" she can't claim in court that there "was never a lease".

Then she gets to explain to the judge her legal theory on why she can simply, "void" the lease.  My fear is that when you go to court she will disclaim the existence of the lease.

Once you've all signed the lease then the lease is "Final".  So text messages or e-mails where she acknowledges the existence of the lease and even better that it was signed by all parties is vital.  E-mail her text her asking about it and why she took the actions she did.  Your goal is to get her to admit back to you that it existed and was signed.

Recording of conversations would be good too, unfortunately you live in an all party consent state.  So if you tell her that she is being recorded, she might twinge to what you are trying to do and might not admit to anything.

Edit: GrammarAnswer #3: In the future, when you sign something important, take a picture of each page with your phone.


Title: My boyfriend choked me in my apartment. Police are threatening that I will get in trouble for it.

Question:
I woke up to my boyfriend washing my dishes on friday morning in my apartment. I am the only one on the lease. He was staying the night. I never asked him to do the dishes. I slept in and woke up feeling sick. I've been sick for a couple of weeks.

He started to call me a bitch. And I told him to stop cussing me. He wouldnt so I stood up. Not defensive at all and said "would you walk into work and tell your boss 'bitch why dont you find me something to do?' no you wouldnt. Its disrespectful."

He then stood up out of the chair he was sitting in and pushed me backwards on the bed. I shoved him backwards to get him off of me and pointed to the door telling him to leave. He stumble against the chair and rose up automatically with his hand up and grabbed my throat pushing me on the bed and into the floor.

I started screaming for help hoping one of the neighbors would hear me. He stood up and picked up the chair and threw it in the floor. tried to hit me in the head but I dodged it. I jumped up and as he went back for my bed to get my phone. I slapped him lightly in defense, as I was scared he was going to hit me. He started screaming he was going to pres charges on me for hitting him.

I repeatedly kept telling me he needed to leave. He opened the door and I saw one of my neighbors standing a couple doors down watching my apartment. I was completely naked. I tried to run to her but I got a signal to get dressed and come to her. So I did.

She called the cops and he told them a completely different story than what actually happened saying that I started the whole thing. Aparently the policemen told him that if we got the cops called again. I would get in trouble.

I just found this out not too long ago. I had came to my parents an hour away because I did not want to stay there because I did not feel safe. I still do not.

I have never been in trouble with the policeman with anything in regards to me. I'm not a fighter and would never swing at someone if I did not feel threatened. I have been abused my while life. They said there was nothing they could do because he was not living with me  but now they are saying I can get in trouble for it.

Can anyone help me???

I'm a torn up wreck scared that when I return home I'm going to end up being arrested.

Virginia, USA

Answer:
 Your story doesn't make a ton of sense and seems to be skipping some steps but bottom line is that if you get arrested then you need to get a lawyer. Do not talk to the police without one.

You said he stayed the night. Does he live with you?Answer #2: Why on earth would the neighbour tell a different story?

Without knowing what she said it’s hard to give advice.

Is this the whole story?


Title: Woman is claiming I almost hit her kids in the parking a lot

Question:
So this happened about a couple of nights ago.

So I was driving around in target parking lot with a 2 friends. It was 10 pmish on a school night so practically nobody was out. The parking lot was practically empty exactly for maybe a couple of cars.

So instead of following the up and down rules i went through the parking spots. There’s a pretty big curb/sidewalk between target and a dentist office. A woman, and a couple of kids (which I didn’t see one of them was standing behind a light post), were just chilling there.

I was going pretty fast, maybe 15-20 when I passed them. Before I passed them I saw the woman and slowed down but she was just standing there on her phone. So I got back up to 15-20.

So we go and park and are about to walk back in to target. Then a girl comes and knocks on my window asking me what I was doing because there were kids down there. She wasn’t the woman with kids but if she saw it happen. I told them I didn’t see the kids and I just saw the woman. They were making a huge deal of it and I apologized several times. She said she did call the cops but told me I needed to leave and that I guess she was cool but not cool, if you know what I mean.

I also don’t think she got my license plate number because the plastic on it is kinda foggy and it was night.

I left and made it home without getting pulled over. Since she called the cops, is there anything that she might have said or done to where this could be taken somewhere.

Answer: Very unlikely anything will come of this. Drive carefully.


Title: Wife cashed an insurance check when we want through divorce! Concealed it!

Question:
My ex made a claim against my (our) insurance that is highly questionable.. that she flew out of state, rented a car, and left a 3 karat ring under the seat. She claims the car was stolen and got cashed out for the ring.

My question.. she didn't bring this up during court proceedings and we are now divorced. I learned about this after the fact. My insurance says she routed the check to a separate address even though it was in both of our names.

The payout is in the thousands of dollars, but if I go back to my attorney and sure that she will find a way to charge me more than it's worth.

Advice anyone? I will guarantee it's a false claim as why would anyone take one ring out of state in a backpack and leave the others at home.

Answer:
 How many times are you going to post this?  Can you actually prove it was a false claim? Was the jewelry awarded to her in the divorce? Answer #2: The divorce is finalized, and she wasn't awarded her jewelry in the separation of assets?

If she was, how would this impact you assuming your premiums don't go up?

Edit: to be blunt, you probably signed a waiver of claims between each other.  Would you like half the value of the claim knowing it was fraudulent and opened you up to liability?  Otherwise, let karma deal with her (or help your insurance company deal with the fraud).Answer #3: You didn't file a fraudulent claim, and you didn't have an insurable loss. Have you been impacted by this in any way?


Title: SC--The owner of land I am purchasing died the day we were scheduled to close the sale. Is the contract still good? What happens now?

Question:
Hello everyone, I have encountered a situation that I hope someone could guide me though.

I recently found some land to purchase in South Carolina. I put down a deposit, then paid for the survey, forty year title search, and various lawyer fees. When my wife and I went to sign for the sale on Monday morning, we learned the seller had died that morning. The seller's daughter was power of attorney, but as I learned that day, POA ends after the appointee dies.

I know the family is going trough a difficult time, and I know when I lose my mother I won't be interested in hearing from anyone outside the family.

I am still very interested in the land. I want the land but I'm afraid that somehow the contract is void and the new owner or court will sell it for a higher price to someone else, or use it to settle a debt.

Any thoughts? Can anyone point me in the right direction for how to begin researching this kind of thing?

Thanks a lot,
SS

Answer:
 What does your contract say? Typically in South Carolina, a contract is binding upon the heirs, which means you still have a valid and enforceable contract, but probably are going to have to wait until an executor/administrator is appointed with authority to continue the sale. However, your contract may say something different.Answer #2: Holy shit it's a bar question in the real world.  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I only know what the answer would be on the Multistate Bar Exam, but not specifically what it would be under SC law or your contract.
 You mentioned you already paid for lawyer fees.  Contact your lawyer.Answer #3: My office is in a similar situation but in Ohio. In our state and our case, we're going to pay the executor of the estate. Where things get tricky is if the estate isn't probated, in which case you'd have to hire a lawyer to petition the probate court to open a case for the estate so you can pay it. But that's usually if there are no heirs, and your case has heirs.

What'll probably happen is the money you pay for the land will be used to settle any debts. Because if you have an estate with debts against it, and it had land and other assets, they'd have to auction those off to pay the debts. But this estate doesn't need an auction for the land, it's already got a buyer!


Title: NZ- is my mother stealing from my autistic brother???

Question:
So my younger brother is 15, close to 16, and he also has aspergers. He is high functioning but get stressed easily. When he get stressed he swears and yells in his frustration. Mother yells a bit at him, and doesn't handle his outbursts well. She has a "swear jar" for his language but it also includes his tone of voice, swearing, talking back, being rude, not doing all his jobs (which is the whole house pretty much)  and if he doesn't use his manners. Each time does one of these he has to put anywhere between $2-$5 in it. But the issue lies in the fact that mother will make him put money in there for the smallest thing. And in one we out burst can end up having him put $20. Mother told me one day  when i visited that he ended up putting $350 in it by the end of the month before. She then goes and spends the money on herself on things like a new phone (and not a cheap one either) and gloats about how my brother paid for it and laughs.  I have personally witnessed her winding him up when he's getting frustrated and then gloat about how much he has to put in and what she's going to buy herself next. This very much upsets my brother as he has a job and works very hard to earn the small amount of money he gets (he does a paper run 2/3 times a week. He's estimated she's taken at leat 70% of his earnings which he's wanting to save for uni. Is this stealing and if so what can I do legally for my brother?
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 Yes this is stealing and I think in fact you should report it to the police if he is 16 and earns his own money then your mother does not have the legal right to exploit his money and this is exploitation which is a crime I think I have said enough.

Edit: £350 a month?! I would understand if it was little amounts like £3-£4 but that is a wage and 70% is also unacceptable seriously report it to the police.Answer #2: Isn't he getting money from the government for his support? If she's already getting this money, she's really taking advantage of him.


Title: Can I have my developmentally disabled brother involuntarily committed? Long-term? (North Carolina)

Question:
My 30 year old brother has intellectual and developmental disabilities. I do not know the exact diagnosis, but he is on disability. He is not currently under the legal guardianship of anyone else and is legally free to make his own decisions.

My other brother and I are concerned that he is a danger to himself and others. He has substance abuse problems. Other than excessive alcohol consumption, his drug of choice is crack cocaine. He has no sense of self control and will use drugs in extreme excess. He has spent entire paychecks in one day on crack and has accumulated high debts with dealers resulting in threats. He has just been kicked out of a voluntary rehab program for this addiction and is now living on the streets of an unfamiliar city doing drugs. A random person has his cellphone.

In addition to the drug use, he has exhibited various destructive, dangerous, and criminal behaviors. He has been kicked out of every place he has lived, ranging from group homes for the disabled to privately rented rooms, for these behaviors. Most recently, he physically assaulted his roommate and stole his truck, but, other than a short stint in county jail, managed to avoid any serious legal consequences. He has engaged in physical violence, destruction of property, and self harm. He has also been showing signs of pyromania, which seem to be increasing.

My brother and I are afraid that he will either end up dead soon or will hurt someone else if he continues to be left to his own devices. Our mother seems to be exhausted and just wants to wash her hands of him, but we are worried about him and want to help. We want to know if we would be able to have him involuntarily committed and, if so, what steps we’d need to take. We’d also like to know how to ensure that it is a long-term arrangement because a few days would not help in his case. We really don’t think he is capable of responsibly caring for himself ever. His problems have been present his entire life.

Thank you in advance  for any advice you can provide.

Answer:
 Consult the community mental health authority in your area, or where he lives. They can direct you to information on the law in the state where he lives.   It might be possible, but it is not a usual practice in most states.Answer #2: NAL   Was a social worker working with this population.

This is most unfortunate - 100 years ago, certainly he would have been committed.  Today that depends on the mental health laws of the state he is in and the diagnosed extent of his disability.

  In general the "right to self determination" has become prevalent.  It may be a pendulum swing too far from the 100 years or less ago when a man could fairly easily have a 'troubled' wife locked up in a mental hospital - and the result is the state prisons are full of people like your brother.  That's the only place where we "throw away the key".

Danger to self and others is a very high bar most places  - literally on a bridge ready to jump or armed and actively threatening - not addiction - even though it could easily lead to death...

If you have the means, very significant means, there are private psychiatric facilities that might take him, but even then he would have the right to a lawyer and once off drugs and stabilized on the right meds he'd likely be judged competent enough to be freed.


Title: [NJ] Girlfriend Being Emotionally Abused(?)

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If I'm being 100% honest the chances of her being placed in foster care or a group home over verbal abuse and one slap are incredibly low. That doesn't mean that CPS shouldn't be involved. Your girlfriend should speak to a school counselor who will help her contact them.


Title: Yes I am seeking legal advice, but this forum helps with perspective. Startup company is at 6 month review period, and one ‘founder’ has only done 4% of necessary work to get us here. He wants equal shares.....

Question:
Timeline:

October 8th: inception of idea between three people. P1-P2-P3.

October 8-Nov 3: P1-P2 develop product design to functional

Nov3: P3 brought on board because he had a connection for an engineer P1 and P2 required for CAD drawings and prototyping.

Nov 9: share structure is discussed by all parties that it will be based on IP, contributions, ideas, and capital spent. And evaluated at a later date.

March 23: P3 went to a competitor without a legally enforceable NDA (had only his signature on it, 1/3). Had an unapproved power point presentation and Disclosed company secrets without patent protection (we are now filed for patent),  says he did this to gain information for our company and is defending his actions.

March 24: P2 discovers a lawsuit against competitor in 2015 awarded against him for copyright and trademark infringement. P2 has explicitly, in writing and acknowledged by all parties, expressed not to disclose company secrets or IP or business operations. Particularly to a competitor.

March 24-today; P2 has made P3 aware this is a breach of confidentiality and violation of his NDA and grounds for termination. P3 says he was taking initiative and defended his actions.

Today: evaluation of contributions, as discussed Nov9, took place between all parties. P3 has contributed $327 out of $8500 spent (3.84%). P3 has contributed 1 of 30 necessary ideas/tasks to get this to market (3.33%). No IP has been designed nor refined by P3.

Today: after this review. P3 is seeking legal counsel against P1 and P2 saying he is an equal founder and should have equal 33.33% share in company.

P2 wants to Terminate him. P1 Wants to compromise.

I don’t know if this is relevant but P3 is a cocaine user which he has used with company associates on ‘business trips’ representing our company. I don’t care what associates do, but the coke problem has caused issues internally between P1/P2 and P3.

Edit: in Canada. I can prove everything I’m saying with screenshots of conversations. I have caught him lying now several times today, and that is what prompts him to respond with him seeking legal counsel.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: We couldn't possibly give insight on what solutions might exist. What a founder is entitled to is defined in the incorporation documents, but most often, the actual result comes from settlement negotiations.


Title: (Louisiana) I'm not sure what I did wrong concerning unemployment.

Question:
I recieved unemployment after being wrongfully terminated. I found another job about a month later and held it for five months. It was always supposed to be a temp job.
  I didn't apply or recieve unemployment until after I was released from my job. When I was released and unable to find another job, I returned to unemployment under my original claim.
 I have had trouble before with investigations because I have been "employed" by temp agencies even though there's no earned income. I'm not sure if I'm filing incorrectly, the unemployment website is difficult to navigate. Recieved this email today, how screwed am I? Can it be fixed?

Edit: Thought I uploaded my picture and clearly didn't. The law (?) I (allegedly)broke was R.S.23:1600(2)

Answer:
 So you had a job, was wrongfully terminated (job A). Found job B about a month later that you worked for 5 months. Was released from job B and filed unemployment on job A?

Sounds to me that because you were employed since being terminated from job A that you can't go back and collect unemployment from them. But I could be misunderstanding the situation.

Also, how can you be employed by the temp agency (job B) without earning money?


Title: Texas - Can our landlord deduct from our security deposit for damage they didn't actually fix?

Question:
Hi LegalAdvice and thanks in advance for the help.

Here's the scenario: We were renting a house in Texas and at one point our cleaners used something on our stove that damaged the finish on the panel where the knobs are.

We moved out of our house so our landlords could redo the house and sell it. In the security deposit report, they decided to charge us for this damage, which makes total sense.

Here's the rub: We saw the pictures of the house after they redid it, and they completely replaced that gas range. That makes sense because they modernized the whole kitchen and replaced the obviously old range. The question is are they in the right to charge us for that damage even though they didn't spend that money fixing it, and rather replaced it? It's obvious to me they would have replaced it along with the the other work they did in the kitchen, so wondering what our rights are here.

Thanks!

Answer:
 My understanding is you pay for the damage you caused, not the cost of the repair; even though they're obviously related.Answer #2: NAL but imagine you’re in a minor car accident. Your insurance gives you a $2,000 check to repair the damage.

You can use it to fix the damage.  You can use it as a deposit on a new car instead. You may even decide you don’t mind the dents and want to use the $2,000 to pay down your student loan or credit card bill instead.

The insurance company made you whole after the accident, but what you do with the money is up to you.


Title: Most of my school haven’t had there vaccines.

Question:
Wisconsin

I live in a pretty rich public school district and has lots of rich kids. At the school you have to have all your vaccines up to date. Problem is almost everybody doesn’t even have their vaccines. Is it legal for the school to turn a blind eye to the unvaccinated?
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
 In the state of Wisconsin\*[1], parents can sign a waiver for their kids to skip vaccinations based on medical, religious, or "personal convictions".  Unfortunately, that means that its really easy for unvaccinated kids to legally attend school.

Wisconsin school districts *are* required to get either proof of vaccination or the waiver from the parents, and they're required to submit statistics on unvaccinated kids to the state; if your school district isn't doing either or both, that might something you could leverage them on.  If your school district is gathering and submitting the correct paperwork, however, the only thing you can do is to keep your own vaccinations up to date, try to raise awareness in your area, and pressure your state legislature to change the law.

\* [1] I know nothing about reservation law.  If your school is located on a Native American reservation, the laws concerning vaccination may be different.  If the unvaccinated kids are Native, its possible they're subject to different regulations as well.  Given you said that its a rich district with lots of rich kids, I'm assuming your school is mostly Anglo, but I figured I should include the possibilities of Native exceptions if you have a local casino tribe or something similar.


Title: Can you sue an employer for blatant lies about position potential? (Texas)

Question:
So I am in sales and I am very good in sales. I recently took a position that is 1099 dialing for dollars. The advertisement clearly stated that an average closed deal is 4-6k and there are "Agents here making 10k and sometimes even more a month"

Here's where things get weird, when asked how our commission is figured, both the VP and CEO state "don't worry about the break down, it's complicated, lots of moving parts, don't worry about it"

This should have been red flag one, after working in other commission based sales such as insurance and med gap, everyone tells you, "while challenging, if you do X and Y you will get Z" If you set this monthly premium on this product you will get paid this. Essentially.

Now... I have closed many deals, and my biggest check was roughly 1600 dollars. So.. Hey maybe I had a bad month...but asking around it seems to be unlivable wages..... I spoke to a newer guy who is straight fire on the phone with 20+ years in over the phone sales.... he closed 7 deals in his second month... And he didn't even clear 4000k in his TOTAL check! Now wait a minute, this is a 4k average position with the potential to make 10k a month??? oh and those "agents" making 10 K a month?? ITS ONE GUY!!! And he doesn't even call the provided database he freestyles searching for other industries.

Now don't get me wrong, sales has a high turnover, but I am the last of a training class of 6 or 7 people. and I have seen them do nothing but interview, higher, and either let people leave, or fire them for a lack of productivity. From a business standpoint it's brilliant...but even sales positions at AFLAC and other insurance companies yield careers and livable incomes. This is straight lying, churn and burn hiring, and a CEO who sees nothing but dollars and number signs in people.

ALSO one last thing in this wall of text. After a person left who felt the same. And after speaking with him (also extremely good at sales) he figured we were getting paid 11% when the contract signed says we will get paid 33%.

I don't want the CEO to go broke (he makes all the slimy moves, the VP is a decent guy) I just want my 4 months back along with the 40K I frantically worked for.

Answer:
 Welcome to a shitty job. No, you don't have a legal case. Polish off your resume.

Out of curiosity, what dollar amount would you sue for? (You don't have a contract that guarantees you any set amount of money, just a lot of fluff talk.)


Title: I fired a warning shot at a woman who assaulted my teen son, need advice - FL

Question:
This just happened and I am badly shaken. I am the mother of two boys - 12 and 14. I was in the kitchen preparing supper when my youngest ran in the house saying a woman was beating on my teenage son. Instinctively, I grabbed my .22 revolver and ran out to confront her.

When I got outside, just as my youngest said, there was a grown ass woman on top of my 14 year old wailing on him with another boy from the neighborhood standing nearby. I screamed at her and she stopped. She got off my son and started approaching me, screaming and gesturing at the other boy, accusing my son of bullying him. I was very worked up, I think she was the boy's sister, or aunt, I don't know, but she kept coming at me aggressively, gesturing wildly and her voice kept rising, she sounded absolutely hysterical and possibly intoxicated. I tried to gain control of the situation, I ordered my boys into the home. Honestly, I should have just called the police, but when I rushed outside I didn't grab my phone and I didn't want to turn my back on this nutter.

I tried to talk to her, but everything I said charged her up even more and she started jumping up and down like in a Looney Tunes cartoon and bowing up at me, so I shot into the ground in front of her to warn her to knock her shit off. It stunned her long enough for me to get into my house and lock the door. The first thing I did was call my husband and tell him everything and he told me I f-ed up more than she did by assaulting a minor and if I call the cops, I would be the one going to jail, is this true?

Answer:
 There was a woman in FL not long after the Trayvon Martin case who went to jail for firing a gun into the ceiling of her house to warn her SO not to come closer during an argument. She was convicted and was sentenced to 20 years.

[Marissa Alexander Case] (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marissa_Alexander_case)

She was eventually released after serving 3 years. This is attorney time like NOW and also **edit your post to say deleted time**... Answer #2: You should never fire a warning shot.   It can be used against you to show the threat wasn't immediate and that you were needlessly/recklessly discharging a firearm.Answer #3: I don't know if you were *trying to hit her but your aim was compromised by fear and panic,* but don't fire warning shots. Ever. They're illegal af.

She assaulted your son; she was advancing on you; you were likely justified in shooting her in my state because you have a resonable fear of being attacked on your own property and any fight can be fatal depending on what you knock your head on if you should fall.


Title: First time homeowners and within 3 days of moving in, the roof fails. Should we look into legal action against the sellers?

Question:
(PA) As the title states, we made an offer on a home and negotiated mostly "minor" repairs from the inspection. During the negotiation and over the course of approx. 2 months, there was no water damage during storms. While the roof was brand new, we asked the sellers to fix flashing around a back corner of the townhome. The sellers agreed to the repair, signed off and said it was fixed, keys are ours, and we moved in a week ago.

Well three days later, a storm hit and that same back corner totally failed. Water came pouring in through the roof, damaging drywall, paint, and soaking carpet and wood. It went through two floors all the way to the basement. We called insurance, they assessed the damage, and determined they need to rip open walls, dehumidify, and fix all the damaged interior. We've been referred to the subrogation department for insurance but the plot thickened.

Our roof specialist came, took photos, and showed us that no evidence of recent work existed (beyond the first roof installation). Basically, the sellers said they did repairs but didn't. We have a $1000 insurance deductible and have already pumped $400 into fixing the flashing before it rains/snows again. We are documenting everything with pics and phone calls/emails to the professionals.

Do we need to do anything else legally speaking? Want to make sure we're capturing everything in case the damage is greater than anticipated or insurance says it was an "existing problem" and won't pay. Aside from being exceptionally pissed off, our furniture was luckily not unpacked or set up in the water damaged areas.

Thanks in advance for help!

TL;DR: Bought home, sellers agreed to repairs in the contract, didn't do it, roof failed and damaged 2.5 floors.

Answer:
 Did the seller provide any tickets or receipts from any of the repairs being done?  If they insist the work was done, find out what company did it. If they say it was some guy they know, contact real estate agent, that work may have been required to have been done by a licensed contractor.

Too late now, but in the future, if a home inspector finds a list of work that needs to be done, pay him to reinspect after the seller claims the work has been done.


Title: Am I facing jail if someone orders illegal substance using my contacts.

Question:
Guys, it happened. I stepped into the bucket.

I let a "friend" of mine order half a KG of something what is like bath salts and mdma, but it has its own name and is not quite it.

Basically, I need help.

I didn't order it myself, he just used or let someone use my name and contacts. I had to go to the post office and collect it, I didn't even look inside, I just tossed it into his yard.

Guess what, tax and customs board raided my home, didn't find any illegal substances. I went on negotiation, spoke everything related to it honestly and got home the same day.

What charges I face? I have no criminal record. I live in Europe.

If you have any questions I will answer.

Thank you, sorry if my english is not perfect.

Answer:
 You need a lawyer ASAP.

Your problem isn't so much that the person "used your contacts" but rather that you picked it up from the post office and delivered it to him, ie you trafficked it.


Title: Requirement to return employee discount items? (Florida)

Question:
So my buddy is in a different state than me and has caused an uproar after leaving his job. It was a retail clothing store.

When he quit he was told he was required to return all the free items he received as an employee as well as items he bought with his employee discount. Is this legal?

I was more curious as a hypothetical but it's based on what happened with my buddy.

Answer:
 Stuff he was given: His employer could certainly expect the return of things like his keys, ID badge, and maybe any uniform items or tools he was given for work.

Discount stuff he bought: LOL nope. Unless he agreed to some kind deal like, for example, if his employer bought him expensive tools at a discount with the understanding that he would repay them if he left before a certain time. If it's just normal merch he bought with his employee discount that stuff is his and they can pound sand.


Title: My cousin got jumped, he's in the hospital, does the dttp thing or whatever law work here in California? Like the bills super expensive, is there anyway to avoid it ??

Question:
Any advice would help, he's doing fine, but there's no way they can afford the bills now.
Edit: He was just skating and some kids came and beat him up and took his stuff, he's also only 17, I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Answer:
 Advise your friend to check the Calif Victims of Violent crimes website to see if he or she is eligible for assistanceAnswer #2: Your cousin is responsible for the medical bills.

If the suspect is identified, your cousin can sue the suspect(s) to recover the expenses.


Title: Support animal prescribed by licensed psychiatrist (i.e. not an online "ESA registration" scam), landlord demands immediate removal

Question:
Specific legal question (So you don't have to dig for it): Are there any specific laws or previous court cases regarding similar situations that will provide useful information to us in moving forward in this dispute with our landlords?

My wife has a number of disabilities and mental conditions which have been diagnosed over years of work with various health and mental health providers.

These issues include, but are not limited to:
* PTSD
* Borderline Personality Disorder
* Codependency disorder
* Depression
* Anxiety

This situation revolves around my wife's psychiatrist prescribing her an emotional support animal due to her issues becoming unmanageable with medication. She reached the point that if I did not come home from work to get her out of bed she would stay there until I got home.

Since obtaining the animal just one week ago, my wife's condition has improved drastically.

Our landlords are demanding that we remove the animal. I've provided a dated timeline, and I would like to request any advice or specific laws/regulations pertaining to our situation. We reside in Indiana. We live in the country in an area with farms, but our mailing address is out of a nearby large city.

I have reached out to an attorney and I am awaiting an initial consultation so I can begin directing communication to my attorney, but I thought I would see how /r/legaladvice feels about the situation. Thank you for reading - I'll be skipping a tl;dr as I'm not sure how to condense this with enough details for solid advice.

-----

**June 27, 2017** - My wife was prescribed emotional support animal by Bloomington Meadows Hospital.

“The above requires an emotional support animal - This is a medical requirement for her health”.

Due to the nature of ESAs, we delayed speaking to our landlord as our hope was to find an animal that would require no accommodations. We already had pets allowed in our lease, on a per-pet monthly fee of $25/month.

**July 13th**, approximately two weeks after the initial prescription, we made the decision to purchase a Kunekune pig. The reason for this decision are:

* Comparatively long life - 10-15 years, comparable to a dog or cat.
* Small stature (100-200 lbs, 2’ tall, fully grown after three years, likely well after our lease terminates with the church)
* Cost of veterinary services - Pig vaccines are widely available at feed stores, and even having them applied by a veterinarian is under $40 every six months. Apart from vaccinations, watching their food, and hoof trimming, they require no additional special medical care.
* Intelligence - They are just as intelligent and capable as dogs, and are easy to train.
* Wife’s personal needs - As this is for emotional support, we wanted an animal that would be both bonded with her and independent enough to not need constant attention. Pigs can be as independent as cats, but love human attention as much as dogs. This was an acceptable in-between.
* Allergy Concerns - While ESA’s aren’t provided the same rights as service dogs with regards to public access, we wanted an animal not likely to raise allergy concerns in the event we recieved written permission to bring him into public areas such as the mall. Cat and dog allergies are common, mostly due to their saliva and fur. Kunekune and pig allergies are much less rare, and typically only involve being allergic to ingestion of the meat.

2:00 p.m. - Sent our landlords (Who happen to be a church), an email regarding my wife’s prescription, explaining some of the situation, and stating that we are understanding that we are responsible for certain liabilities with the animal. I also provided a copy of the prescription along with an offer to sign any additional legal documents requested by the church.

**July 16th, 2017** - We went to Ohio and obtained the emotional support animal.

**July 17th, 2017**
10:00 a.m. - Landlord secretary replied as she was out of the office the previous week. She said she would contact the board for us and asked for information on the animal.

2:00 p.m. - I responded with the requested information.

3:00 p.m. - Landlord secretary asked if we had any certifications from any organizations (CertaPet, etc) regarding the animal.

4:00 p.m. - Landlord secretary stated that she believed that we required the landlord’s permission for any emotional support animal due to insurance, etc.

4:00 p.m. - I replied to the 3:00 p.m. email stating that online certification programs were primarily scams, as only a medical professional can prescribe an emotional support animal. I then sent a second email letting the landlord secretary know to alert me to any insurance issues. It was my hope that with us already paying the $150/month additional pet fees that there would be enough available to cover any insurance cost adjustments, considering we would be responsible for any damaged caused by the emotional support animal. I also sent a third email to elaborate on the nondestructive nature of the Kunekune, and to express hope that their insurance would only have dog breed restrictions.

9:00 p.m. - I sent an email with a photo of my wife and the pig to demonstrate the emotional support animal’s small size.

**July 18th, 2017** -
9:30 a.m. - Landlord secretary responded stating that the animal’s current size is irrelevant to their concerns.

**July 20th, 2017** -
5:30 p.m. - I sent an email asking about the inspection date under our current pet policy, and gave details on the upcoming rent payments.

8:15 p.m. - Landlord secretary sent an email stating that local code prevented us from having the animal, and demanding the eviction of the prescribed emotional support animal.

Landlord secretary also stated that they had made several consultations, including an attorney, and informed us incorrectly that we would be responsible for any legal fees as per item number 23 in our lease. Item 23 specifically states that the party that loses the legal dispute would make those payments.

9:00 p.m. - I responded by attempting to explain and educate regarding the law and emotional support animals. I also researched the city’s ordinances, and noted that the line regarding pigs specifically named a specific species. I made several other attempts to dissuade the church from what would be a waste of church funds. I also alerted the church that I would be seeking an attorney and could provide contact information in the future if this course was unavoidable.

**July 21, 2017**
2:45 p.m. - Landlord secretary emailed me and provided multiple counter points to my previous response. I was also informed there will be an inspection on Monday, July 23rd, in order to ensure we have removed the animal. I was also instructed to keep all communication with the church written. Landlord secretary also attached the zoning ordinance regarding pigs in non farm zoned areas. However, this ordinance was from a small town nearby that is not the city which is the home's address.

5:00 p.m. - I responded stating that we would not be removing the pig, due to it being a legally prescribed animal protected by law. I also stated that due to their pursuit of the situation we would be providing contact information for our attorney.

I also informed the landlord secretary that as per previous situations involving my wife’s mental state, I would be forced to take off work on Monday, July 23rd, if they insisted upon attempting to inspect the house on a day I worked. I offered to schedule for July 29th instead. I also stated that I would reach out to the small town as I was confused as to which ordinances affect our home. Our home has a mailing address in a major city, and is also in an area with several farms as it is outside the main city limits and therefore there are already farm animals in the area.

I also apologized for any legal misinterpretations or misrepresentations I offered, and explained that I would be providing our attorney’s contact information after an initial consultation and filing some paperwork as I did not wish to further discuss items which are not my place of expertise.

I also provided another reminder in regards to rent for August, and asked if due to their previous statement on documentation if they would prefer I mailed the checks. If that is the case, I can not guarantee they will arrive by the 10th. If this is the method they would prefer, then I believe that would be permission to be late with checks (Within reason) without incurring the $65 late fee.

6:15 p.m. - I submitted a complaint to HUD for discrimination.

**tl;dr** Wife prescribed an emotional support animal by an actual mental health organization and her psychiatrist after several years of treatments. Already have pets on the lease, and the house is located in an area with farms outside city ordinance. Wife chose a small breed of pig (Kunekune). Wife has dramatically improved since getting the emotional support animal. Informed landlord prior to obtaining animal, provided prescription copy and details on animal. Animal requires no accomodations as we already have pets and we require no additional items from landlord. Only possible consideration is insurance cost, and I let the landlord know to keep me posted on that. Landlord instead demands immediate removal of animal.

Edit: Some formatting.

Edit #2, tl;dr

Edit #3/4, in response to a question (So you don't have to check the comments):

My wife is disabled, and has been deemed disabled by several doctors for both physical and mental issues.

We did give the landlord notice prior to obtaining the animal. It was only 72 hours' notice, but all three of those days were business days for the church's office.

Answer:
 I stopped reading when OP said a 100-200lb pig is smaller than a cat or a dog. Answer #2: "Support" animal isn't a proper term and just confuses the issue. Either this a service animal, which has been trained to perform a specific task, or this is an emotional support animal which do not have the same rights. So which is it?  I'm thinking the second one.Answer #3: You should obviously listen to your attorney, but neither the ADA nor Indiana law requires the landlord to allow an ESA. Answer #4: No one is likely to read that.

What's the short version?Answer #5: Why can't any of your six other pets serve as her ESA?
This has got to be a troll.Answer #6: Okay: So I have to ask for a clarification here, because it will invalidate one of your counter points to the church if true: You are paying 150/month for pets, 25 bucks a pop, meaning you have 6 already? And are any of these animals dogs or cats? Because if so, I would drop the whole 'allergenic' line if so, because its a complete non-point.Answer #7: Can you provide a TL;DR?

Editing to add the Fair Housing Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act are both great places to start. FHA requires landlords to provide reasonable accommodations, including allowing service animals despite "no pet" language in the lease.


Title: [Ohio] My grandma asked me about someone hacking into her phone. Turns out someone probably did, and we know who it is. What do I do?

Question:
Edit: I should note that the phone is android and my fun as a kid came from tinkering with 2.3 and 3.0 android. I have the OS memorized like the back of my hand, and cracking the lock screen will be a piece of cake. I don't need advice on fixing the phone I need to know what to do to press charges on the creep that tried to mess with my grandma.

My grandma contacted me earlier today about someone hacking into her phone. I was pretty sure she was just losing it, but she told me the details, which are as follows:

* Her employer (the person she thinks hacked her phone), who is a retired doctor or something, hired her to clean his house, and when she was cleaning his house she put her phone down and it went missing for the better part of a day, only to immediately resurface when he offered to help look for it.

* Ever since then, when he texts her, it seems like he knows... more than he should. He only texts her when she is texting other people and it's usually directly related to what she's talking about (one of her friends works for him too, and she was texting my grandma about a bath they accidentally spilled bleach in. Two minutes after sending that text, the employer texted asking about the bathtub. This is not the only coincidental text she has gotten.)

Now, that alone is creepy and all, but it could still be coincidental, right? Well, normally, being a tech savvy person, I'd say "you're probably just being skeptical, but I can take a look" or something, but she was adamant she needed proof, so I told her to put [this](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.greyshirts.sslcapture) on her phone. (It's a packet sniffer which traces all incoming and outgoing traffic on the phone.) (I should also note the phone is a stock s4 mini and was not locked prior to these events.) Because a packet sniffer would at least show any outgoing traffic on the phone so we would see something suspicious. Well, long story short, we did.

Not even 5 minutes after running the packet sniffer, I got a call from my grandfather's phone. My grandma, extremely panicked, explained the phone locked itself with a password she did not know and said it was going to wipe after 10 false attempts. She does not know what the password is and has already tried 5 passwords to see if it's something she would know. It's not.

What do I do from this point? I would like to note the password is child's play to me and getting past a locked Kitkat phone is possible, but before I mess with the phone I would like to know what my best move is. My grandparents ARE interested in pursuing legal action and want to use the phone as proof.

Answer:
 Since this is a legal advice forum and you seem smart and tech savvy, I dunno why you arent being given legal advice but you are being given tech advice.

Also the people saying not to go to the police are being stupid. Go to the police, if they do brush you off or dont understand the problem you have not really lost much. If they help out, then the problem
is solved.

Also, talk to a lawyer to see if you can do a civil suit (I dunno I think youd need to give them more facts) and talk to an employment lawyer cause yor grandma might get fired (I dunno what her job situation is, but I imagine she works for a cleaning agency or something?) in retaliation for this.  Answer #2: You should make a disk image of phone if possible. This will allow you to explore what is installed on the phone without having to check the phone itselfAnswer #3: (Not a lawyer. I'm a software guy who likes to lurk here. Limited experience with Ethereal/Wireshark. My advice may be bad.)

You can prove it's hacked, but can you prove it's hacked my him? Do you know his IP and can see traffic to it? Is it sending stuff to an online account in plain text to a URL containing an obvious username? Do you have the logs from Packet Capture?

----

If it were me, I'd talk to the cops about sending her back over there with a ~~bait~~ new replacement phone ~~that you have setup in advance to capture malicious use~~ since she lost her other one.

Should not fall under entrapment since no one is coercing him into doing anything with that phone.


Title: What happens if I want to quit a job I just started?

Question: I posted in legal advice because I'm concerned with how it would look on my employment background check. They never clarified that I would be paid 8.50 an hour, and I honestly forgot to ask until I filled out the entire new hire paperwork. My current pay at the job and that is 12.12 an hour. What should I do?

Answer: Assuming you're in the US, slavery has been illegal for over a century. You can quit. I wouldn't even put it on an application in the future, you shouldn't have any problems.


Title: US Post Office lost my certified mail that had Passport in it. (Virginia)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Report the old one lost, order a new one on expedited processing, and call your congressperson. His/her office staff can help you get the passport processing speeded up. Answer #2: This exact thing happened to me, but it was the government sending me my passport. I went and paid for expedited processing to get a new passport and they printed it on-site. Weeks later, well after my trip was over, the USPS finally delivered my original passport.Answer #3: If your trip is less than two weeks out, you'll need to go to a [passport agency](http://www.travel.state.gov/content/passports/en/passports/information/where-to-apply/agencies.html) and apply in person. Odds are, for you, the closest one will be in DC. The extra cost (beyond regular costs for replacement) is $60. Appointments are mandatory and you'll need to bring all documents - **including proof of travel** - with you to the appointment. Processing time is same day.

So unfortunately, this is going to cost you a day off of work and some gas money, but otherwise, you'll be fine. Answer #4: The delivering it to your door may not matter, when I got certified mail once they just put a thing in my mail box saying go pick it up at the post office and sign for it. Keep checking with the post office, hopefully the mom didn't label it as a passport because they are sometimes stolen and right now the people smuggling trade seems at an all time high with the refugees and such


Title: Can I get in legal trouble for theft or fraud?

Question:
Tldr: A man's bank account is linked to my credit card for payments and a payment is processing (that he set) from his account but I no longer speak to him. Can I get in legal trouble if I let the payment clear before unlinking it if he willingly set the payment to happen?

Hi there, um I'm not really sure how to explain this really but I'm going to try my best and hope I make some sense.

Last night I was talking to a guy over the internet and eventually, we started chatting on google hangouts. Well as time passed we discussed him helping pay off a bit of my debts. I gave him my login info for my credit card (which has now since been changed no worries there) and he added his bank account and scheduled a payment of my entire balance to be paid.

Mind you I asked him what he wanted from me in return for this help before he did all of this and he told me he justed wanted me to talk to him and keep him company.

He later requested that I go to the store and pick up some gift cards for him because he needed them for his online crypto business and  the "exchange rate is quite high right now and the sooner I get the cards the better for both of us" I told him no and we kind of had a falling out and I blocked him for making me feel uncomfortable and anxious. If he saved any of the information he may have seen on my account he will know my first and last name, my school address, where I go to school, and possibly my phone number.

Can I get in legal trouble (or any trouble really) if I let the processing payment clear before I unlink his account since he willingly set it up?

Answer:
 This is a scam. Unlink anything you have done.

Any time a stranger mentions 'gift cards' and you benefiting its a scam, run away, screaming.


Title: Car Dealer sold my dad a $20,000 car even though he doesn’t have a license or social. So after trade in the total purchase price is $30,000

Question:
Not sure if this is the right subreddit for this

Pretty much my dad woke up this morning wanting a new car.  Which doesn’t make sense to me because he had a 2015 Sentra.

He goes to the dealer this morning while I’m at work.  Because He knows I would never recommend trading in his car for $8,000 in which he owed $13,000.

After everything is done he leaves the dealer with a $520 month payment at 8% interest for 6 years with a total loan of about $30,000

How can a dealer sell him a car if he doesn’t have a drivers license or social and had missed payments on his previous car loan?  Is he pretty much screwed?

And the trade in car was his car under his name which I don’t know how they let him drive away with that car either the first time.

We live in California.

Answer: As a general rule, adults have the capacity to enter into contracts and are bound by those contracts. Are you suggesting that he is mentally incapacitated?


Title: My neighbors are preventing a home repair that, without it, will force me to move.

Question:
I live in northern Indiana with three roommates in a house we purchased, not rent. A drainage pipe that leads out of our house collapsed. It's covered by insurance and the city will fix it, but where they need to dig falls directly under the property line.

Because of this, they said that we needed signed permission from the neighbors stating that if anything goes wrong, they'll blame us and not the city. They told us what needed to be in the note, but when we took it to the neighbors, they said they'd think about it. That was Friday.

Since they decided to make us wait, and the city doesn't do work on weekends, we've been without plumbing. Anytime we so much as brush our teeth, the basement floods because there's no where else for the water to go. My dad said we might be able to sue them if they refuse to sign. I don't want to take things that far, but as it is, my roommates are staying with their parents and I've been spending extra time at work just to have a useable bathroom. I just want to know what options we have other than moving if the neighbors won't sign.

Answer:
 It may be possible for your insurance company to indemnify the city against any damage claims by the neighbor.  That might satisfy the city.  Talk to your insurer -- maybe it's covered already, maybe you'd need to pay a higher premium for some period of time.  Maybe it won't work at all.

But it's worth asking your insurer.  Answer #2: Have you talked to your neighbors again?  Perhaps they don't grasp the full scope of the problem and don't realize how much trouble this is causing you?

If you already have then, well, nevermind.  Good luck with your plumbing!Answer #3: >It's covered by insurance and the city will fix it, but where they need to dig falls directly under the property line.

That sounds...weird. Are you sure there isn't an easement?

If the pipe has collapsed, can you just run a new one on your property and leave the old alone?


Title: Filmed having sex without my consent

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons. I'm located in Texas, if that helps.

I've been seeing a guy off and on for a year and we recently started having sex. The other night he told me that he wanted to have a three way with his best friend and like and idiot, I said yes.
What I didn't know was that when I wasn't paying attention one of them was filming. I found out and immediately made them give me their phones, I deleted 2 videos (from camera roll and from the trash bin)  and checked their texts to see if they sent them to anyone else and I know for a fact that they snap chatted it to at least 4 other people and I can't be 100% sure that they don't have any other copies.  Is this legal? Im not going to lie, I completely consented to the sex but I did not consent to being filmed. What is my legal course of action if they post the video in the internet? Can I press charges? The girl I talked to on the suicide hotline (it's been a dark couple of days) told me that I could press charges but she never cited any actual law. I'm embarrassed and disgusted with myself for letting it happen and I'm not sure what I can do at this point. Any advice is welcomed. Thank you.

Update: thank you all so so so much for your words of support and advice. I fully expected tons of comments calling me a whore and what not and I'm so happy to say that I only got one rude message. I'm pretty new to reddit and I'm really amazed at how many wonderful people are on here. I have made an appointment to talk to a counselor about my depression. I plan on telling these boys that what they did was a felony and thanks to y'all I now have actual laws I can cite to them. I spoke to some amazing police officers that took a statement but respect my wishes to wait to move forward with charges at this time. Thank y'all so much for all the support, I don't know if I would have had the courage to talk to the police without your encouragement.

Answer:
 File a police report.

There are probably at least two issues here: [invasive visual recording](http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-21-15.html) for the act of creating a recording, and [unlawful disclosure of intimate visual material ("revenge porn")](http://codes.findlaw.com/tx/penal-code/penal-sect-21-16-nr2.html) for the act of distributing it without your consent.

The police can investigate your complaint and file charges if appropriate. You cannot press charges yourself; that's not how criminal law works in the US.Answer #2: I would respectfully suggest that your health is what's most important in the near term. Please consider working with a mental health professional as your very highest priority. You were quite brave to call a hotline for help and please keep being brave and strong and don't hesitate to call an ambulance or drive to the emergency room. Depression and being in a dark place kill people-strong people like you; good people like you; brave people like you.

You also might consider posting in /r/twoxchromosomes. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people on that sub have had similar experiences.

Bless you. Stay strong.


Title: Bought a used car from a dealer, said title would come in 2 weeks now they are out of business

Question:
Hello all.  I hope I am in the right place.
 I bought a used 2001 year model car in Florida off eBay.  I live in Louisiana.  I thought I did my due diligence on the dealer.  They had a long history of reviews on eBay, Better Business Bureau, auto trader, etc.  i flew down to pay for car and drive home.  I payed for the car did all the paperwork, a Florida temp tag was put on the car in my name and at the end I asked where the title was.  I was told it would come in the mail.  I should have backed out right there but there was no flights out and I had already paid.   So I took the car and drove home.  I regret and think about this moment and decision everyday.  2 weeks later I ask where the title is and they say any day now.  Approximately one week later I get a letter saying the dealership is going out of business and contact the Florida dmv to get the title.  I emailed the Florida DMV and they said file for a duplicate title.  I did that and received a response stating the title was not in my name.  Which is about what I expected.  I am going to call the Florida DMV this week and to see what they say.  I’m guessing the dealer never registered the car in their name when they bought it?  Do I have any options?  I will be able to get my money back over time by parting the car out but this is a beautiful car and I would rather not do that if I have any other option.   This is a play car and not a daily driver.   It is my fault this happened. I broke my own personal rule when I bought a vehicle without getting the title the day of purchase.    Thank you in advance.  Happy holidays.

Answer: File for a bonded title which will cost you a little money and hope whoever was the previous owner doesn’t come claim it.


Title: Got a call about a USBank checking account that was closed in 2003 or 2004. They are threatening to sue me.

Question:
- I'm in Illinois USA.
- Account was closed in 2003 or 2004.
- Account was in collections deemed unrecoverable in 2015.

Got a call from Recovery & Resolution Firm Says they are a law firm not a debt collector, though they sound like one to me.  Says the Lawyer's name is Michael Rothwell. They said they are calling because of a bank account that was closed by USBank on a date that could not be given, but I remember the account was closed in 2003 or 2004.  Claims a lawsuit is being filed against me if I do not pay $1250 before tomorrow.  We are supposed to get a certified letter but she didn't say what would be in the certified letter.

If I don't comply they will issue liens on vehicles and property, issue a 30% garnishment on wages earned by myself and my wife.  because Illinois is a common law state (what is mine is hers, whats is hers is mine, including debt.).  I won't be able to get a bank account in my name for 10 years, any accounts I currently have will be closed. And I will be put into Chexsystems.  I will also be sued with criminal intent to defraud a banking organization.

According to her they could come after me even if the debt was 40 years old, it doesn't matter with bank accounts.

I live check to check, I have nothing extra.  My wife and I survive on $1600 per month with rent being $800 of that.  There's no way I can come up with $1250 in 24 hours.

Is this a scam, or am I really in trouble?

Answer: Looks like a scam to me https://800notes.com/Phone.aspx/1-844-335-0023