Title: Doctor's office violating privacy policy

Question:
TLDR: the privacy policy states that the office must adhere to the policy; the policy directs patients to contact the Privacy Officer if they have any questions regarding the policy; the office does not have a Privacy Officer, which violates their policy.

&#x200B;

Yesterday I had a doctor's appointment, and the experience was unlike anything I've ever had happen to me before. I'm not entirely sure what information to include in this post, I am still reeling. I have not done anything yet other than talk with a couple family members and close friends about the situation. Please ask for clarification or more details about any part if you need to know more.

I had an "intake" type appointment at a new doctor's office - the practice was recommended to me by a friend of a friend who heard that I was looking for a new specialist because my previous doctor does not accept my insurance.

When I first arrived at the office, I was asked for my insurance card and photo ID and I was handed a stack of forms to fill out regarding the reason for my appointment, my personal and family medical history, my primary care doctor, my pharmacy, etc., standard "first appointment at this office" doctor's office forms. One form required my signature verifying that I had seen their privacy policy - in my prior experience this form is usually attached to said privacy policy - but I had not seen or been given a copy, so I asked for a copy and someone behind the front desk gave me one.

\[In hindsight, I reflect on how unprofessional some of these forms appeared; multiple questions were  ambiguous (not exclusively medical history questions or questions with potentially subjective answers, but contact information questions that, in order to properly answer, required me to write in the margin clarifying my interpretation of them, as well as add names and arrows to differentiate between my responses), questions that I believe contain pertinent information were omitted, and some of the formatting reminded me of a poorly organized Word document exported to a PDF without inspection, or a homework assignment from a high school peer-review editing session (inconsistent spacing and paragraphing, questions that began in the middle of the line provided to answer another question, the irrelevant list of details goes on...)\]

At the end of my appointment, the doctor said that due to the medical information I provided, she would need to check with the office manager to determine whether or not they would be able to accept me as a patient; she said that (although she personally would have no problem seeing me as her patient, ) my treatment would require services that their office does not provide. (Aside, I was surprised to hear this; I have been receiving treatment for over a decade and never before has my treatment required the services she claimed I would need. Regardless, ) I understand that there are any number of legitimate reasons for them to not accept me as a patient. The doctor checked with the office manager and told me that unfortunately they would not be able to accept me, but that there are many facilities in the area that should be able to meet my needs. (When I asked if she could please point me in the direction of one of these places, she said she did not know of any.)

When I went to leave the office, I asked for the return of my information; if I'm not going to be their patient then I see no reason for them to keep my pharmacy's phone number. (Please note - I am not asking about whether or not I have a legal right to this information, or the legality of what the office does with this information.) A woman sitting behind the front desk, who later referred to herself as the office manager, immediately said no problem, they would be shredding that information in just a moment. Although this wasn't what I asked, this works for me too, so I waited while she went to speak with my doctor and gather documents for shredding. She returned momentarily, saying that since my appointment was an intake session, there wasn't any information to shred; the office was required by law to keep the all information I had provided. This seems wrong to me, but I don't know enough about patient privacy to argue with her. Instead I said that if they needed to keep my information then I would please like a copy of my file so I would know what information they were keeping. She said that I would need to sign a release, and handed me a release of information form, which stated that not only are they allowed to release my information to whoever I was filling out the release for (myself), but that this form also allowed them to use my information in a legal context (to testify in a case) without seeking my explicit consent. I was taken aback and asked about this section, to which the manager replied, "then leave it blank and write not applicable." There was no option to leave it blank, so I made a note in the margin that I did not consent to that part of the form, before signing and returning it to the manager. She took the form to the doctor I had seen, and a few minutes later the doctor came out of her office to collect printed documents from behind the front desk. The doctor, standing with the office manager, signed the documents and handed them to me. She made a folder gesture with her hands and asked me if I needed one, I assume she meant a folder. I quickly flipped through what she handed me: her notes from our appointment. I said that I would like my entire patient folder please, I had given them more information than she had returned to me. I pointed out that as a Certified Physicians Assistant, she was currently violating the certification board's code of conduct. She stuttered a bit, and looked to the office manager who dismissed the doctor. I was confused, but still holding a copy of the privacy policy from earlier, so I start skimming it for help with my situation.

At some point in this conversation, the office manager stopped answering my questions, saying that I would need to please leave the office. The first time she said this I was floored, I was not yelling or screaming, I was calmly asking for my personal medical information or at the very least some information about my information. She told me that the conversation was over and said that if I did not leave the office she would call security and have the police escort me out. I was not fighting. I said that I would be happy to be escorted out. She returned to the front desk and called security; while on the phone she offered me an opportunity to leave on my own which I denied, instead (calmly) asking to please see the police. When she hung up, she said the police were on their way, and she went to her office and closed the door.

The privacy policy very clearly states that the office is required by law to follow the privacy policy. The policy also says that if you have any questions about your information or the policy, to please contact the Privacy Officer, and provides a phone number for the Officer.

I started to dial the number listed in the policy while standing at the front desk but realize before calling that the phone number for the Officer is the phone number for the front desk. While the manager is hiding in her office waiting for the police to arrive and escort me out, I asked one of the employees behind the front desk about the policy; could I please speak to the Privacy Officer? The man I spoke with didn't know who the Privacy Officer was. I pointed to the phone number in the policy and he confirmed that it was the number for the front desk and that if I dialed it he would be the one to answer my call, but he said again he didn't know anything about the policy or the Officer, and said he would need to consult the manager. He returned with the manager. I asked the manager if I could please speak to the Privacy Officer and she said they were unavailable. I asked for a name and phone number to contact the Officer directly and **she said they did not have a Privacy Officer** before quickly rephrasing, saying that she would have someone get in contact with me when they were available, "I have your phone number so we can contact you," stating again that our conversation was over.

This same basic interaction repeated a number of times. I explained my argument to the manager: your privacy policy says that you must abide by the policy, and the policy says that if I have questions to please contact the Officer, but you said you have no Officer, which violates the policy. Her responses included "this conversation is over," and "the police are on their way," and numerous reiterations.

The police never arrived, security never arrived. I waited for over an hour after she supposedly called them and no one showed up to escort me out. I asked the manager for her name and she gave me her first name; when I asked for her last name or some other piece of information to identify her, she would not tell me anything. I took pictures of her with my phone; when she realized, at first she hid, and then told me that I was not authorized to use those pictures for any reason. I said that I would only be using them to get her arrested as she herself had told me that she was breaking the law, to which she laughed and again disappeared into her office.

I believed (before the police never arrived) that she was actually going to have me escorted out by security; while in transit to the office, I happened to check out some of the reviews of the facility, and one reviewer said that the office said they would be unable to accept them as a patient and when they asked why, they were escorted out of the building by the police. I did not feel that I was violating any rules or laws by remaining in the office after she asked me to leave, so I was prepared to wait for security. However, when no one came to remove me, I began to think that she realized I found her breaking the law, and she didn't want the police involved.

&#x200B;

The order of events in my interaction with the office manager may be a little off - I was extremely upset while also doing my best to not show how extremely upset I was; I did not curse or yell or cry, although I surely wanted to - I don't remember exactly when in our conversation the manager first told me I would need to leave or that if I didn't leave she would call the police, or first told me that the conversation was over, or first walked away to hide behind closed doors, or opened the door to the room she was hiding in and saw me in the hallway and closed the door to remain hidden, or how many times she repeated these statements and actions in some combination.

&#x200B;

I have a voice recording of myself saying "this is the privacy policy, yes? and it says right here in the policy, that by law you have to abide by the policy, yes? and right here it says that if I have any questions that I should contact the Privacy Officer, right?" before I am cut off by the manger saying "ok this conversation is over."

&#x200B;

I left the office and within a few minutes I was in tears, and spent the rest of the day very upset. Multiple friends and family members pointed out that in addition to the office not having a Privacy Officer, there were other significant problems with my situation, including:

*  I left a doctor's office in a state of distress; I left more upset than when I arrived, and not because I had received an unpleasant diagnosis. I have never before sought help or medical attention only to leave the place that was supposed to help me traumatized by the people who were supposed to help.
* at least one person in their office violated their Hippocratic oath; I felt harmed by the situation, I left extremely upset.
* I was asked to leave a medical facility without being given a reason, and told I would be escorted out by police officers

I don't know what to do now. At the very least, I will be reviewing the office on as many platforms as I possibly can, including the information "DO NOT SIGN THE PRIVACY AGREEMENT UNTIL YOU ASK TO SPEAK TO THE PRIVACY OFFICER - they do not have a privacy officer IN DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE LAW" in as many places as possible. I am researching which medical boards and associations to file a claim with. However I don't know how successful or impactful these actions will be, and I feel like there should be some legal recourse, specifically in regards to the manager who would not give me a full name; that fact alone was enough for one of my family members to accuse her of being a crook, and I can't say I blame them, I don't think I have ever encounter someone in a medical office who would not reveal their identity. That fact heightens the sketchiness of the situation.

&#x200B;

I have left doctor's appointments upset before, walked two blocks away and burst into tears as the weight of some diagnosis sank in. I have called doctor's offices to set up an appointments or in search of information only to hang up the phone feeling like they didn't answer my questions or help me as much as they could have.  I have **never** before been asked to leave a doctor's office. I have never before had someone in a medical facility state "this conversation is over" and then physically hide from me. I have never before had a medical professional threaten me. I have never had a police or security officer escort me from an office or building or situation of any kind, I guess this was no exception to that. None of the family members or friends that I have spoken to about this encounter have ever had any of these negative experiences with medical professionals.

Answer:
 Surprisingly, I actually read this wall of text, even though I promise that most people will not. You need to pare it down to the legal issue and take out all of the unnecessary details.

If they are violating their own policy, that's not a legal issue. Continue trying to find another doctor.


Title: [Extorsion] How can I get my watch back?

Question: Hi! I have a problem to ask about on this subreddit. These are the facts: I has this ad to sell a watch on ebay... At a certain point this guy writes me a message and we agree to use a site kinda like escrow.com or similar (to avoid paying the high fees of paypal) and he provides me with a site, so I follow his link and I open the transaction on the site... The problem was that I couldn't find the site anywhere on the web with a normal google search after that.... Anyway I stupidly sent the package and now the site disappeared. Am I fucked or can I still do something?  I am swiss and the guy is english, I have his adress and his email adress. I plan on going to London in december, what can I do? Thank you for your help...

Answer:
 It’s gone. Fake escrow scams aren’t uncommon.

Consider it a life lesson. You can sue the person, but you’ll never find them.


Title: Police gave me a ride home from bar after I got kicked out and argued with the bouncer. License gone.

Question: So I went to a bar and got too drunk and ended up getting kicked out. I dont rememeber much but I do know I got kicked out and a police officer gave me a ride home. I know I'm not allowed back cause the bar security said I signed a "no trespassing something" idk but I didnt have my license in the morning. I dont have a ticket or any paper work that i know of but I'm wondering if the cop took my ID or if I lost it. If he did take it what does this mean?

Answer: It means you can ask if they have it and maybe forgot to return it or you go to the DMV and get a replacement.


Title: High School Junior, Work Detail.

Question:
Hey,
I'm a highschool junior in upstate South Carolina, U.S.A At my school they have recently instituted a policy where if you are tardy to class five times, even if only for a minute, you have to participate in a two hour work detail session.

I believe this was added after the signing of the student code of conduct,  and I did not have the opportunity to review and decide if I agree with this term.

A few reasons that I disagree with this as well is, the school does not have a way to enter the interior of the building in a timely manner, and also as a minor (16 so I guess maybe not really) I have to attend the school I am zoned for, do not have the opportunity to be homeschooled due to my mothers job and the fact that my father has passed away. This might seem silly to get worked up about but I strongly believe that the school has purposely set up this work detail so as to not have as many janitors on staff. I have heard that the custodial staff has seen significant cutbacks recently.

If any potentially useful information is missing from this, please tell me. I am going to try to get my hands on the copy of the SCC I signed to see if I agreed to spending an unroportional amount of time cleaning up.

Also. The parking lots are very far away from the one entrance to the school I am allowed to use, but l, the athletes have an independent parking lot and entrance they are allowed to use that signicantly cuts down travel time to any class.

Finally, to hammer in the fact that they are not cracking down on lateness to class in the interest of ensuring maximum efficiency of student learning, if the tardy bell rings before you enter your class room, you have to walk to the front of the school (potentially up to a 6 minute walk just to the front) to wait for an administrator to print you a tardy pass, instead of allowing the teachers to allow students in and mark them tardy by themselves.

Answer:
 >Also. The parking lots are very far away from the one entrance to the school I am allowed to use

Has it occurred to you to leave your house a few minutes earlier?


Title: If the police demand you speak with them/come in and give a statement and you bring a lawyer and it turns out they just want your help, are you still on the hook for lawyer's fees? How to prevent this unavoidable expense?

Question:
Location: Anywhere, USA

Is there some insurance you can get for this possibility? This is all hypothetical; I just see a lot of lawyers being retained out of fear of the police and am wondering who would be responsible if they honestly just wanted your help convicting someone else.

Answer:
 Yes, you are on the hook for lawyers fees.

You can prevent this "unavoidable" expense because it is not "unavoidable".  You don't have to talk to the police.


Title: Have forced abortions ever happened in the US? Would it be legal for one to happen?

Answer:
 yes they've happened and yes they were legal at the time

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sterilization_law_in_the_United_States

basically it's always some form of the mother is mentally incapable of making choices and her guardians get a court order to force the procedure.


Title: Neighbors sprayed a chemical all over their yards which killed all of the wild rabbits and made pets sick.

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 NAL, but work in pest control.  The Texas Department of Agriculture regulates the application of restricted-use pesticides.  You should probably make a complaint to them as well.

&#x200B;

 [https://www.texasagriculture.gov/RegulatoryPrograms/Pesticides/AgriculturalApplicators/AgPesticideComplaintInvestigationProcedures.aspx](https://www.texasagriculture.gov/RegulatoryPrograms/Pesticides/AgriculturalApplicators/AgPesticideComplaintInvestigationProcedures.aspx)


Title: (NY) Ex-Girlfriend wont give me my stuff back unless I pay her $100?

Question:
Crazy psycho wont give me my bag of stuff I have at her house unless I pay her $100. Ready to call the police, it's my little sisters birthday and I just want to go home. She says I can go inside and take it but I'm not taking any chances, she'll say I broke in or something.

Call the police or what? This is bullshit.

Answer: Have police escort you as you get your stuff back and with her present. That way she can't accuse you of trespassing and theft.


Title: Dad Screwed Over at Job [California]

Question:
So my dad has worked at an IT department for some years now.

A while back, the department notified everyone that there was going to be a systems change (i.e. the main programming platform and language).

My dad worked in a two man team and the other team member found another job soon after the announcement. My dad was promised (at a meeting but with nothing written down) that when the system changed over, he would be guaranteed his seniority and salary and given time to brush up on the new language. Hence, he didn't leave and for many months basically did the work of two people.

Now, the system change is imminent and the firm is asking him to take a 1/3 salary cut. Is there any legal recourse for this?

Answer: Not if he doesn’t have a contract.


Title: How do I bring my sister to the United States from Canada?

Question:
I have a sister that lives in Canada and I live with my wife in the United States. I was born abroad in Canada and I have been a citizen of the USA since I was 2. I'm 25 now and I have an established life. She's 20 and needs help. She has no trouble with the law, she has been working steady for 5
 years and she is totally a good kid, but I'm worried I may be the only family that can help her. I just need some advice on how to get her here and then how I can get her legally working and in a place where she can establish a life here. Any and all advice appreciated.

Answer:
 > I'm 25 now and I have an established wife. She's 20 and needs help.

Wait your wife or your sister?

She will need to apply for a work visa if she wants to work in the US. I would consult with an immigration lawyer, as every scenario is different.


Title: [Ontario,Canada] Mother is lying to police to claim insurance on her apartment.

Question:
20 Year old man, working full time and going to school part time.

Here's what it looks like. My mother has claimed I stole a laundry list worth of items, totalling over 5000$. The police have video of me leaving the apartment with boxes full of my stuff.

I have emails from my mother, she left the door open for me and told me to get the last of my stuff that day or else she would throw it into the dumpster. She wasn't there when I got it and returned afterwards.

She calls me after I'm home with my clothes and computer, and says that she's calling the police unless I return her iPad, jewelry, rock collection yadda yadda. I don't have any of these things, and well they'd be pretty useless to pack for a student anyways.

But she filed a police report, claiming that the boxes I had taken were filled to the brim with a lot of stuff that didn't exist in the house originally, so there's really no way for me to return that kind of stuff.

I talked to her mother, my grandmother, and I believe she has an insurance policy she is likely to claim. I didn't do any breaking and entering because well, she told me to go and left it wide open for me.

But that's what I'll have to appear in court for, and the evidence against me is substantial. I have proof that everything in my possession currently is mine, including my pay stubs that prove that I paid for internet in the house and things like that.

A very hard part of the transition to being alone is now I'm paying more rent than before, but other than that I'm OK. I'm just worried about losing my job from being arrested again or convicted in some way.

I was called into the station, and respectfully asked to come into the station after class. I was arrested and printed and given a court date.

She has a series of false reports with the police, involving her stealing/selling prescription drugs and other false insurance claims she's made in the past.

I'm piss poor, and will have to use Legal Aid Ontario. I'm wondering if working full time will mean I don't have access to free counsel?

(I make less than 10k a year, but I do have large student loans and am currently loaning more money each year from school)

Honestly, any advice is helpful. I don't really know where to begin. I suspect my mother is selling the objects in the house that she's blamed me with taking to make additional income, in addition to the false insurance claim.

My hope is to travel in the future after school, so I want to do anything necessary to avoid being charged. Her story is full of holes, and I have proof that atleast two of the objects I "stole" are my own.

But it just looks terrible, I'm on camera packing boxes and walking out silently.

FML, but thanks for reading! My mind isn't very clear so I hope it's readable.

TL;DR I got set up to look like I broke and enter, but no such thing occured.

Answer:
 Set up an appointment with Legal Aid. Legal Aid is not free and you will need to repay them for your legal advice/representation, but it will be only as much as you can provide. I used Legal Aid in a different province many years ago, but I think they are pretty similar. I made payments of $20-50 a month until my bill was cleared.
They will take or reject cases based on your circumstances, legal assistance needed, and your income. If you've been charged with a crime, and need representation, it's a pretty good bet they can assist you.


Title: Employer is trying to give me a 1099, however I'm 100% a W-2 employee. They also have given me no paystubs, and apparently no deductions.

Question:
I'm not really sure where to start, I've been working here for over 8 months now, and I've been getting checks this entire time. No pay stubs with them, just checks. I thought this was odd but I know federally, they aren't required to give me one. Well I asked about getting my W-2 and my boss told me that I would be getting a 1099, we then had a discussion about why I would have to file as independent because they didn't have my information to file properly. The issue with that is, when I initially started here, I filled out a W4 and gave it to them, nothing heard about it since. December comes around, me and some fellow co-workers are complaining about unpaid overtime (we get a solid pay per day, there is no timeclock, so if you stay over or come late, you get the same pay.) and it was brought up that they LOST my original W4, and needed me to fill out another. I filled this one out and turned it into my boss. Today when the discussion was brought up, my boss told me she didn't have my information to file my taxes properly. After some back and forth, they placed the blame on a former employee who "didn't do his job and correctly enter your information", while this isn't true, as that was never that person's job, it is what I was told.

So overall I'm pretty lost in this whole situation, I will be fighting for the unpaid taxes but I'm just not sure what to do and how to progress. I was under the assumption that this whole time, my paychecks we're after they deducted their required amounts, since I never got paystubs, I never had a way to verify. Other employees have gotten W2's who have been in my same position. I'm unsure if I'm legally allowed to keep working, but I also don't want to hurt my case legally. I'm not sure the exact course of action to take, and would really appreciate someone guiding me in the right direction. I know there are forms with the IRS you file if your employer doesn't file your properly or give you a W-2 but I want to make sure I do this properly.

Answer:
 You need to report them to the wage board. What they are doing is wrong, and costing you benefits (unemployment) and taxes.

So definitely persue this.


Title: Employer accusing me of theft, threatening mass lie detector tests.

Answer:
 Document **everything**. Refuse to take the test - polygraph tests are unscientific and basically random. If you are retaliated against, take the evidence to a lawyer. In Ohio, you can legally record conversations you're taking part in, so record your interactions with your boss.Answer #2: >They looked at me like I was crazy and stated "we don't have cameras because we hire people we can trust."

I'd focus on this.  Sounds to me like an inside job, such as shift supervisor staying late without anyone else there.


Title: Landlord is selling a condo I'm renting and now it is booked for viewings all day every day

Question:
I'm renting a condo in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Paying $1850 a month for rent and in a 1 year lease. Lease started in October of 2014.

As of June 1st, my landlord has put the condo up for sale. Ever since there have been people coming in for viewing throughout the day. I can only deny people if I haven't received 24 hours notice for their viewing.

This is doing a major toll on me, I can't really live my life given the current circumstances. My place is almost always occupied by a real estate agent showing potential buyers.

I work from home, run a small business online. I have staff and customers all over the world so sometimes I need to be up all night in order to speak with clients/staff on the other side of the world.

I am unable to run my business from my place of residence, I literally have to leave my house and run it off of a laptop and free wifi.

Do I have any rights in this situation? I know that the landlord is well within her rights to sell the place, but it is seriously deteriorating my quality of life.

I had to find a new place and am set to move in early July. My landlord still expects me to pay rent in this condo I can't even live in for the months of July and August.

What can I do?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 That is unreasonable. Tell your landlord he can show it two or three days a week on established days you agree upon.
If anyone comes outside of that you will refuse entry. If he tries to evict you, show you were trying to be reasonable. That's the nuclear option at least. Answer #2: Don't withhold rent. You can apply to the Ontario Landlord Tenant Board for a rent abatement and potentially get a good chunk of your rent back. You just need to fill out this simple form: [Form T2](http://www.ltb.gov.on.ca/stdprodconsume/groups/csc/_ltb/_forms/documents/form/stel02_111589.pdf)

What percentage of the hours between 8am-8pm would you say there are people viewing the condo, on average? I would ask for that much rent abatement. E.g if 6 hours, ask for 50% of rent back

Although the landlord does have the right to show the unit and enter the unit with notice, it needs to be a reasonable amount and it can't interfere with your enjoyment of the unit.

You can also call the LTB hotline and ask for help on the situation. I think they don't give legal advice but they will inform you of your rights and legal methods of remedy.

And **make sure you ask for written notice**, so it's easier to prove later.Answer #3: In BC you can't sell your house with tenants inside it and not give them 60 days notice and one month free of rent. Also you can say no even if they give 24 hours notice... Sounds like they are taking advantage of you.

(BC landlord)


Title: What does a person need to do to get charged for hate speech in Sweden?

Question:
What im most curious about is how this law applies to the internet.
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 "Sweden prohibits hate speech, and defines it as publicly making statements that threaten or express disrespect for an ethnic group or similar group regarding their race, skin colour, national or ethnic origin, faith or sexual orientation.[11][12] The crime does not prohibit a pertinent and responsible debate (en saklig och vederhäftig diskussion), nor statements made in a completely private sphere.[13] There are constitutional restrictions pertaining to which acts are criminalized, as well limits set by the European Convention on Human Rights.[14]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Censorship_in_Sweden#Hate_speech


Title: [ON/Canada] Weed Dispensary Customer - Am I in trouble?

Question:
Hey guys!

I would love some advice on this. I'm 21 years old and an occasional smoker. I was in toronto last weekend and went to a dispensary with a couple of friends. It was the one around Kensington market. As we entered the place we noticed security cameras everywhere. I bought around 30$ of weed and the transaction was definitely recorded. After the whole thing, I realized that raids would happen at this stores and people are arrested. My question is, if this dispensary gets raided, will the cops come after me for buying some weed due to the security tapes.

Answer: You should probably lay off the weed, it's making you paranoid.


Title: found a tracking device in my car...

Question:
Hi, I live in Georgia, and a few months ago I was given a vehicle by a family member- I legally own the car outright- no money is owed, my name is on the title which I have in my possession (transferred in the state of kentucky where the car was picked up). I was told that the thing plugged into the diagnostics port was for an insurance discount and brushed my inner "yeah-right" off as me being paranoid (long history of deception and abuse of trust in my family) as I'd had one when I was insured through progressive, however grandmother very "thoughtfully" took care of my first 6 months of insurance thus me not being completely hands-on in the situation and wanting to trust- it's mamaw, ffs!)
Fast-forward to me downloading a State Farm app so I could monitor what information was being sent to supposedly them, after removing the device and comparing it to pics online I quickly discovered that this was _not_ a State Farm device but one typically used to track fleet vehicles issued by Verizon.
Where do I go from here? I'd like to pursue legal action, if possible, as I'm certain this is my mother's doing- I am almost 36 years old, have not spoken to her in years (for good reason) and this stuff needs to stop. Thank you for reading.

Answer:
 >  I'd like to pursue legal action, if possible

You have no damages.  Simply unplug it and move on with your life.


Title: [Oregon] My roommate stole my voter's ballot. Is there anything I can do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Your friend is in big trouble. This, of all years, is NOT the year to engage in election fraud.Answer #2: Reporting the crime is generally a good first step to resolving the issue.

More likely you are trolling though.


Title: I'm owed my last month's rent back, as my current place was sold... my landlord won't give it to me. In BC Canada

Question:
My landlord recently sold my apartment. I knew it was for sale when I moved in.  It recently sold and he didn't give me the full 60 days notice to end tenancy, nor did he serve me the signed document (60 day notice to end tenancy).  I am owed my last months rent back as per the Residential Tenancy Act of BC.  He refuses to pay it and even called my new landlord to confirm that I'm still moving out as planned... I refuse to simply let him keep money that is legally owed to me. what can I do?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/residential-tenancies/ending-a-tenancy/landlord-notice/two-month-notice

When a landlord sells a rental property, a tenancy persists under the terms of the rental agreement entered into. However, if the purchasers of the property intend to move in, or have a close family member move in, then they can evict the tenant, but have to do so pursuant to the rules, which is by serving the two-month notice. This is true even if the purchaser wasn't made aware of the existence or circumstances of the tenancy; that's a problem between seller and purchaser and not the tenant's problem.

If you are served with a notice to end tenancy or if the landlord (old or new) interferes with your tenancy, you can file for dispute resolution with the RTB using the forms on the site linked above. No need for a lawyer if you don't want one; the process is intended for laypeople.

Less sure on this last bit, but I'm fairly sure an old landlord is required to transfer a security deposit to the purchasers of a rental property. When your tenancy DOES end, whoever is your landlord at the time the tenancy ends is on the hook to you for the damage deposit you paid at the start of your tenancy, even if the old landlord didn't transfer it to the new landlord. Again, that's a problem between seller and purchaser. If your deposit is not returned to you as required under the act (make sure you've done what YOU need to as well), dispute resolution is again the way to proceed.


Title: EX WIFE SCREWED ME OUT OF 14 YEARS OF CHILD SUPPORT [TX]

Question:
so mad right now. i just typed this all out and pressed something wrong and it all disappeared so here i am going through the whole thing again. i'll try to be shorter this time.

my ex wife and i divorced 14 years ago when our son was 3. we had been trying for a few years and had a lot of trouble so i was to the moon when i found out she was pregnant, but after he was born our relationship went downhill really fast and she seemed distant and depressed. i read all about PDD and knew she might be going through that so i went to a psychitraist for myself to help come up with coping strategies and learn how to support her. she filed for divorce a couple years later.

she wanted full custody and to move with our son back to Midland to be with her family. she was really nice to my face during the whole process and wanted me to come visit any time but her lawyer was ruthless and used the fact that i was seeing a psychiatrist to say i was unstable, even though i never so much as raised my voice at her.

well guess what? today the light bulb went off. my best friend made a crack to me about "the thing with [exwife]" and i realized it wasn't the first time he said something weird about my ex so i pressed him on what he meant. then he went silent and wouldn't say anything but finally i dragged this out of him.

it turns out he and my wife had sex one night when we were all drinking over at he and his wife's place about 18 years ago. once was enough i guess because she found out she was pregnant a few weeks later and called him in a panic saying she thought it was his. there was no reason for me to question anything since we were also trying.

after he was born they had a paternity test done and confirmed that he was the father. she told him that she would talk to me about it and decide how to handle the situation. she never said a word to me but went back and told him i was pissed off but for the sake of our family was going to deal with it. she told him i never wanted to hear about it again and was just going to pretend it didn't happen so he wouldn't say anything. i think that's about the time our relationship started to suck and in retrospect i think it's because she felt guilty and knew our "marriage" was over even if it was going to drag on a little while longer.

he has made little comments here and there that i never understood like telling me how much he respects me for how i handle things with our son, how maturely i handle things with my wife, etc. i always just thought he was being a little overly emotional or something and talking about me being a good parent, and if felt weird hearing that stuff from him so i always just kind of said thanks and changed the subject, which he always took to mean i just didn't want to discuss it.

anyway all of this just now came out when i started pushing him for more information on what he was talking about with the "thing with her" and of course i had no idea about any of it.

i dont have much of a relationship with my "son" anymore and haven't seen him in years since they live an 8 hour drive from me. don't talk to her anymore either. but now I've spent almost $200,000 on child support for a kid that isn't even mine.

i am pissed and don't even know where to begin. does she owe me that money back or am i out of luck? it makes me sick to think that she conned us all like this and now 18 years later my relationship with my best friend is completely fucked (which probably isn't fair to him because i think he's a victim here too in some ways), the son i thought i had i don't really have, and i've been forking over cash every month to pay for it all.

Answer:
 1. Did you sign the birth certificate as the father?

2. Did the court order the support?

If the answer to both of the above is YES, then you paid what you were legally obligated to. You are not getting that money back.Answer #2: If you have a relationship with your son, don't let this damage it. He is still your son if you helped raise him. He is not at fault.


Title: Update 3: (Miami,Florida) My husbands former employee is harassing me on Facebook and Instagram.

Question: She posted my full address and pictures of my house on her blog, the pictures were clearly taken this morning. The blog post was about her "teaching me a lesson" and encouraging people to harass me. I've called the police and my lawyer, it looks like I shouldn't have any trouble getting a restraining order.

Answer:
 Have you ever wanted a big dog?

Because now would be a good time to get a big dog.Answer #2: HAVE YOU GIVEN THE POLICE THE VIDEO OF HER STEALING YET?  !!!!!!!!!

That's all I want to know.
>My husband has video footage of her stealing from the safe, would I be allowed to post that online?
>The safe is in his office, she picked the lock to get into his office. It was 6 months ago, when she realized that we knew it was her she returned the money and begged us not report it.Answer #3: To save someone else a search:

[Original](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3ttfqb/miami_florida_my_husbands_former_employee_is/)

[Update 1]
(https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3u2jnj/update_miami_florida_my_husbands_former_employee/)

[Update 2](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3uvxnr/update_2_miamiflorida_my_husbands_former_employee/)


Title: Legal recourse regarding scheduling during Halloween event at a major theme park

Question:
I work at a major California theme park, during a discussion with one of my coworkers who worked as a monster before; I was informed that while the Halloween event is taking place, nobody except security is off limits. I have a low tolerance for horror in general, it gives me anxiety to think about and jump scares give me flashbacks for days on end.

Is my employer required to accommodate for this, and if not in the event it causes me emotional trauma are they liable in this situation? If so, what kind of accommodations would the law hold them to?

Answer:
 > Is my employer required to accommodate for this

Is it a legitimate disability?

> if not in the event it causes me emotional trauma are they liable in this situation?

No.


Title: [NYC] Pipe banging in apartment for past month. No action by building management.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: Welcome to steam heat.  Assuming the pipe is a riser that just passes through your unit without any valves at either end, there is approximately zero things you can do about the noise.  Withholding your rent because of it is a near sure fire way to not only get evicted, but also end up on the Tenant Blacklist.


Title: Our landlord lied to us about a court date being cancelled; now we are being evicted.

Question:
In August we were a couple weeks late on rent. I recently went back to work from medical leave and we are struggling hard from where I wasn't being paid.

So they started the eviction process in August right before we paid in full. Once we got the notice we called the office and they said the court date was cancelled and not to worry about it. I also emailed them while at work one day to get confirmation it was cancelled so I have written proof they lied to me.

After September 17th obviously we didn't show up to court so they got possession of the property and we are waiting any day now for the sheriff to pin the eviction notice on our door. We were trying to work it out with the office (they said they responded to my email but I never got it) but it didn't dawn on me to call a lawyer until today when they told me there's nothing they can do, sorry about the miscommunication, and to move out asap.

I have a consultation w a lawyer tomorrow who seems to think they're in trouble esp w written proof.

TL;DR I'm here because I want to know what to expect. What would hiring a lawyer even do? Will they rescind the eviction? Will it be taken off our records? Will we still be evicted in the meantime?

I'm a mess so I apologize if some of this doesn't make sense. TIA.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If you’re getting a lawyer you should listen to that lawyer, not come preloaded with a bunch of BS from someone online.

If landlord demonstrably lies about canceling the proceeding it may be possible to vacate the order and restart the eviction process. This may buy you more time (at the cost of the lawyer). But if you’re behind on rent it may not change the ultimate outcome.

In your consultation you might focus on outcomes, costs, and the big picture. Answer #2: Don't take legal advice from your opponent. Call the courts to find out if a date is cancelled or postponed.

Listen to your lawyer.


Title: Is there a legal obligation for me to see my half brothers if we have custody with different parents?

Question:
I’m 15 years old and live in NM. I have custody with my mom so I live with my mom and step dad except for every two weeks when I visit my dad for four hours. I think this is below what is court ordered but I’m fine with that since I am not very fond of him. The problem is, my dad has two other kids with my step mom. And she’s been a problem ever since right after my parents broke up (not divorced, they weren’t married if that’s relevant) when I was born. I’ve had custody with my mom and my time per visit with my dad has slowly gone down more and more because of problems I have with my step mom. She has always favored my brothers and puts me down any chance she gets. She called me a bastard over text with my mom once. Things like that. The point is, she has been so stressful to me that my visits have gone down from friday night-sunday morning to just friday night. This was fine with me until recently. Now that I’m old enough to understand the complexities of most of this stuff, she now just takes off with my brothers during visits, not letting me see them. My dad doesn’t do anything, he’s just a puppet. And it bothered me but I didn’t care too much until recently. I have gone 2 months without seeing them and I didn’t see them until last night’s visit, when she showed with them up 15 minutes before I left. I got into an argument with her and she said if she has stuff to do, she’s gonna do it with them regardless of me. This really pissed me off and it hurt. And being 15, I don’t have long to see them before I go off to college. My brothers are around 9 or 10, I wouldn’t know since I never see them. Is there anything I can do at all legally, even to just threaten my step mom, to have them bring my brothers for all my visits? I know I’m still a minor, but in that case, could my mom do anything? Really, the only thing I want here is to see them. Thanks
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Siblings generally don't have any legal rights to contact with each other, as minors or otherwise. You have a biological relationship and some potential legal rights (like successorship, depending on your state), but for things like visitation, you're a legal stranger to them. Your father presumably has the right to see his own sons, and your mother has no rights to unrelated children, so it would be up to your father to handle the matter.

It's hard for me to imagine that the custody order between your mother and father could include a mandate for you to have contact with someone your mother isn't related to; she could potentially have people *barred* from contact with you, but that's not what you're looking for.

I don't see any legal route for you to follow here. Sorry about that.


Title: Drunk driver totaled my parked car

Question:
So my legally parked car was totaled by a drunk driver. He slammed into my car so hard that my car launched into the car in front it and totaling that one as well. My car was taken away in a flatbed while the other two were towed. Basically my car was totaled.

The insurance I have is liability with uninsured motorist damage, but without rental insurance.

I spoke with my adjuster and she basically said since I only have liability I would need to handle most of this myself. So I called the insurance of the drunk driver (lets call him D) and everything seems to be in limbo, since no one has been able to get in contact with him. I did manage to get a bit of information out of D's adjuster, but all of it just seems unreasonable. His insurance is Mercury by the way.

He said they will only cover a week's worth of rental which is $15/day. First off I am under 25, so $15/day is just unrealistic. My Uber to work itself is already $12. To get my payout for my totaled vehicle will more than likely take more than a week. Should or even can I argue for more? I want **ALL** my Ubers and rental fees between the time of my car was totaled to the time I get my payout covered.

Also I made a recent upgrade to my car a few months back totaling to $300 (new spark plugs and gas casket cover), can I include that into my claim?

&#x200B;

**To summarize:**

What I believe D's insurance should pay me out on

* FMV (Fair Market Value) of my vehicle + recent upgrades + DMW registrations fees + sales tax
* All Ubers
* Full duration of my Rental + underage rental fee
* Police report that I have to obtain and send to D's adjuster
* Any fees my car incurred from being taken away in a flatbed
* Any fees my car is incurring at the collision center
* Any fees my car should incur if I decide to take it to a junk yard to salvage it

I feel like what I am asking is incredibly reasonable, but what if D's adjuster denies my claim? What should be my next steps? Suing is such a hassle when my total claim for everything is probably under $5k (my vehicle is worth $2k tops), so it is not an option I want to go after.

&#x200B;

Thank you Redditors!

Answer:
 > what if D's adjuster denies my claim?

Then you sue D for the amount you're claiming.


Title: City put a $3600 lien on my house for cutting the grass once.

Question: I moved out of state from Georgia (US) and let my grass get too long. After a couple notifications from the code enforcement lady I tried to get a contractor to clean up the yard. I had two different guys flake on me and I went past the Final notice date. Now I just got a notice that the city has placed a 3600 dollar lien for the clean up. The itemized bill has two people for 12 hours with a riding lawn mower.  They listed the two workers, the lawn mower, truck, and hand tools all at 60$ an hour for 12 Hours.  My yard is maybe 2/3 of an acre, when I bought it it was completely overgrown and I paid around $200 for the clean up. Do I have any way of challenging the bill or lien?

Answer: You can but you'll likely lose.


Title: While working as a pool cleaner, I was attacked and bitten in the genitals by a customer’s dog (chow). One visit to the emergency room and 5 stitches in my scrotum later, I’m wondering if I should sue.

Question: This happened in Texas. The owners were unaware that I was there (I had just pulled up and was taking my equipment out of the truck in the driveway). When they let the dog out in the backyard, it ran up and bit me directly on the scrotum leaving 2 lacerations requiring stitches.  They have no fence separating the back yard from the front so this was an accident waiting to happen. The owners paid for the emergency room visit ($899), but have not paid for the follow up visit to the Urologist ($350). They are both military doctors so I’m sure they have the money but when I brought up reimbursement for the Urologist I got no response. I also missed a week of work ($700 missed wages). I have been told that I can send a request for all expenses (minus what they paid) multiplied by 6 for pain and suffering. I was wondering if someone could clarify. My mom has a lawyer friend that told us he could help draft the document requesting compensation for the incident. Also, my boss pays me cash under the table each week and I’m worried if I sue I could get he or I into tax trouble. Is there any way to avoid this? I’ve been working for him for 5 months.

Answer:
 IANAL

> My mom has a lawyer friend that told us he could help draft the document requesting compensation for the incident.

Start with that and see what the lawyer friend suggests.  But be warned that pursuing this may lead to no longer working there. Answer #2: Gather up all of your medical bills associated with this and sue in small claims.


Title: What happens if the draft ends while you're in training?

Question: Just curious, if the US were to issue a draft requiring one to go to training and then join the military, and while this trainee was in training the draft ended, would they just get to quit and go home? Does entering the draft mean you "sign up" for a certain number of years of service regardless of whether or not the draft ends?

Answer:
 a) Nobody has been drafted since 1973.  There hasn't been a need to conscript because of voluntary service since then.

b) You used to be conscripted for a set period of time, as set by the conscription order authorizing the draft.  If the war itself ended, the government would have the option of releasing you.  But it wasn't automatic.  WW2 Draftees didn't just go home when the Treaties were signed.


Title: My nephew is being accused of Aggravated Sexual Assault Of A Child

Question:
So, my nephew (18) is being accused of forcing himself on a 14 yo girl. He claims he did not, that the sex was consensual. He also said that he didn’t know how old she was, he met her while hanging out with his friends from college and she told him she was a junior. She did not mention she was a junior in high school. The detectives that came to visit him (he didn’t think to ask for his lawyer) said that her story wasn’t very consistent and his was consistent. We have a lawyer on retainer, we are in Texas. What’s our next step? What should we expect? I’m worried for him, he’s a good kid that made a REAL stupid decision, but I don’t want to see him in jail.

Any advice is appreciated, thanks.

Answer: I am not a lawyer - but he needs one ASAP. Answer #2: The next step is he shuts up. He says not one word to anyone, especially the police, unless his lawyer tells him to say it. Beyond that, it's anyone's guess. The lawyer is the only one who can accurately predict anything.


Title: Being sued $500,000 after a car accident

Question:
Not sure if it's ok to post here. I was in an accident in September. I hit a parked vehicle, the driver had minor injuries (a few sutures). He sued my insurance and my insurance paid. I was just called by my husband saying I was being sued for $500,000. Can I be sued even after the insurance has already paid out.
Edit: I live in georgia

Edit: thanks so much for the replies. Back story is I was on my way to work and the sun was shining so brightly even with my sunglasses and visor I couldn't see. The parked truck was actually parked in the street (pest control worker) he was standing beside the passenger side of the vehicle and he got knocked/thrown into the lawn of the house he was spraying. He got a few sutures in the head. Luckily we were both alive. I even kept in touch with him after because no one in his family has anything to do with him (I know his family). He took his vehicle to a repair place he knew and they totaled his vehicle. My insurance paid him $5080 for the vehicle and I'm not sure of the exact amount for bodily injury.

Answer:
 Generally, if they accepted the insurance settlement, they agreed to have no further claims from the incident.

Contact your insurance and give them the info and see what they say.Answer #2: > Can I be sued even after the insurance has already paid out.

You can, yes (in the sense that technically, you can sue for anything).  What probably happened is that the other party caught wind of the high liability limits on your insurance plan, and is digging for gold.  Your insurance company is obligated to represent you, so let them know and relax.

(But do please give us your location, as it matters.)Answer #3: Contact your insurance agency ASAP.Answer #4: That is a good question to ask your insurance company. Possibly they only settled a portion of the damages (as in settled for property but not injury).


Title: Is there no way to have the trial in this situation?

Answer:
 Cant they do that change of venue thing where they move the trial somewhere with a jury? It's usually used to get an impartial jury but in that case it would be to just get a jury Answer #2: https://digitalcommons.law.msu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.co.uk/&httpsredir=1&article=1020&context=facpubs

that's the law review article that brought it up.  I only skimmed the beginning, but it seems close enough to the Oklahoma one... it's a good argument based on jx, but I don't think it'd win... I'm surprised 'law and order' never made an episode about thisAnswer #3: The courts won’t interpret the Constitution or statutes to have an absurd result.   So the court won’t actually allow a lawless zone, because it is uninhabited.  Answer #4: I speculate that there'd be some other charge they'd be able to get you on. Conspiracy, weapons transporting, etc. Might have to get creative. But yeah, technically the crime committed there wouldn't be possible to take to trial.


Title: [CT] My father passed away last week. He left a good fortune for posterity. A lady is suing the estate now. Help please.

Question:
I'll keep this short and to the point. Last week my father who was 68 years old was driving his car alone. He suddenly had heart attack while driving. So, he passed out from cardiac arrest and as he was fainted he had no control over his car. His car hit the front car and the lady in front car was severely injured.  She had multiple fractures.

My father passed away next day in hospital. Now, after a week we received latter from the attorney of lady that demands $100k from estate as medical expenses.

We're already in search of good lawyer, meanwhile can you guys shed some light on my case.

Would we have to pay the lady ?

Answer:
 Your father had auto insurance for exactly this purpose.  Report it to the insurer, and let it handle things.  Any liability above the policy limit would be the responsibility of the estate.Answer #2: Assuming he had auto insurance, this is what insurance is for. If he didn't, or his limits are too low, then absolutely the estate is probably going to be liable. But hand it over to his auto insurance company first.

I'm sorry about your father.


Title: [Ohio] How to go about ending my lease early?

Question:
My lease ends in December of this year, the problem is I hate it at my apartment and want to move out now without having to pay the rest of the rent. The problem is I don't know how to list my issues/report them in such a way as too allow for early termination with out fees.

The issues are:

* heating/cooling units outside of my window are extremely loud making it hard to sleep and concentrate
* The piping in the walls makes loud popping noises during the early morning which wakes me up and makes it impossible to go back to sleep
* My roommates are total slobs and have turned the common area into a pigsty
* During the early spring/summer (I've been told) people in the hot tubs get extremely loud and stay out their till 2am
* The internet is so slow its impossible to use.

So, basically how do I use these issues to break my lease without having to pay the remaining rent?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: I don't think any of those things will allow you to break the lease. Can you find somebody to replace you? Maybe another total slob?


Title: Lawyer being unethical, possibly breaking law in child custody case

Question:
Hoping someone could give me advice on what I can do about a situation.
Location is Pennsylvania

I am a foster parent of children that were physically abused by their mother.  The County is attempting to terminate parental rights of mother and father for the boy, not the girl at this time(different dads).  During the first hearing it is discovered that the mom's lawyer is in a romantic relationship with mom's sister, so he is forced to recuse himself.  (he did not volunteer this information).

Next in an attempt to allow mom's sister (his girlfriend) to gain custody of the kids he somehow had the sisters court records deleted from the family courts system.  He asked why she couldn't get custody, and was told by the county that it was due to her record.  He then said "what record?"  The County Children and Youth had paper copies, and her records were then reinstated  into the system.

Finally, he was able to get some judge to sign a court order granting mom custody of the girl. so she just picked her up from school one day without telling anyone.  The county caught wind of this and did an emergency removal of the child and she is back with us now.

So I don't know what he did that was illegal, but this is certainly unethical and immoral.  Is there anything I can do about this?

Answer:
 Unless you have some type of proof of the allegations, there is little to nothing the bar association will be able to do.
That being said, if he has been removed from the case, how was he able to get a judge to sign a court order?  Is there a guardian ad litem for the child?  If so, the guardian ad litem needs to address these issues to the court.  When a case is still pending before the court, the court has ultimate jurisdiction over the matter.Answer #2: oh, this, if true, is a doozy for the attorney. are you involved in the court cAse, if so have your attorney make the court aware of these specific instance. also report it to the state bar ethics committee, they will investigate and nail his ass if true.


Title: Should I Allow Myself to be Evicted?

Question: I am currently trapped in a lease until July 2017. I've been living at this apartment since January 2015, but due to recent life events I can no longer afford the rent. I have tried twice to explain my situation to my landlord, but they keep giving me the same copy/paste response: if you want to leave early, pay the termination fee, which is twice the monthly rent. Right off the bat, there is no way I can pay the termination fee. I'm living paycheck-to-paycheck with $0 in savings. Subletting is also not allowed, as the landlord explained. I feel like my only option left is to stop paying my rent and let the landlord evict me, and I'd be more than happy to leave! But I don't know how severely an eviction would affect my credit score, or my ability to find another apartment. The apartment in question is in Longmont, Colorado.

Answer:
 >I am currently trapped in a lease until July 2017

You mean that you voluntarily entered into a rental agreement that ends in July 2017

If you are evicted virtually no reputable landlord will rent to you, and it will also not get you out of paying. Your current landlord will just get a court judgment against you and collect that way.


Title: Hospital privacy concern

Question:
I checked myself into the hospital for severe depression and I went to a hospital that I thought nobody would know me out of shame. Well my ex girlfriend's roommate happen to be called to the hospital that I was at and treated a patient where I was at. She told my ex and my ex brought it up to me. Knowing my ex she will tell anyone that listens that I was in the nut ward for a couple days. I'm not proud of the fact I had to admit myself, but I'm wondering of there was any law broken? I never told my ex so it would of been her roommate. Any advice would be appreciated.

Is this even something covered under hippa laws?

Any advice is appreciated.

Edit: This took place in the U. S.

Answer: what is your ex-girlfriend's roommate's profession?


Title: Psychiatric commitment for irrational young mother in New Jersey?

Question:
I have a cousin with whom I am close. She is in her 30s and has a husband, house, and several children. Her husband is employed and she was until recently.

No one knows for sure what triggered it, but she has become irrational and delusional. She says she is involved in international politics. She is neglecting her children, so childcare falls on her husband, who is now the only earner. She has not shown any signs of violence. She is increasingly unreliable to care for her young children.

Family members have attempted to intervene, but she refuses to acknowledge that her behavior is irregular.

What can be done here? Can she be forcibly committed to a psychiatric facility? If yes, what is the protocol? Does one call for an appointment and bring her there?

What are the best such facilities in the tristate area?

Answer:
 She can't be forcibly committed unless:

1.) There is reason to believe that she is an immediate danger to herself or others.

or

2.) There is a court hearing where a judge rules her to be incompetent.


Title: [AL] AT&T installed fiber internet in my home and left a six foot hole in my ceiling. They're not responding to me when asking for how this will be fixed. What can / should I do?

Question:
A few days ago, an AT&T technician came to my house to install a fiber internet line.  While working in my attic, he took a wrong step and put a boot through the ceiling in my bedroom.  It went through the insulation and drywall and left a six foot hole right near my bed.

He was a really nice guy and I understand it was a genuine accident.  Stuff happens, nobody's perfect.  He patched it up the best he could, but unfortunately the insulation is compromised and we're still getting chilly nights in my area of the country, so it's probably costing me quite a bit in energy to keep the house warm.

He filed a claim number with AT&T and their insurance contractor and told me I'd hear back within a day from someone.  I haven't.  I've tried contacting AT&T in every way that I can, but I've received no response whatsoever from them.

What are my options here?  Any suggestions?

Answer: Have you contacted your homeowner's insurance company?  They're paid to assist with things like this.Answer #2: A day or two to get back isn't unreasonable. Is there a storefront you can go into and speak to someone directly? Did you get the insurance contractor's contact info? Answer #3: Call AT&T and ask for their legal department. Then tell  their legal department about the dangers or concern of the hole. Also ask about their liability in the situation.


Title: [TX] Supposed child support

Question:
So my wife received a letter from the State of Texas stating that they are opening a child support case on her behalf.

Against me.

For my kids that live with us.

I am the sole provider. I pay for private health insurance for the entire family.

My wife is going to call them tomorrow, but I'm concerned a phone call won't cut it. The paperwork basically states that I'm guilty of being a deadbeat dad and my wife has no option but to cooperate with them.

Anyone seen anything similar?

Answer:
 That's kind of hilarious, in a way. I wonder if your wife accidentally ticked the wrong box on some paperwork she filled out. Has she applied for benefits (food stamps, WIC, social security) recently?Answer #2: Live in Texas and have dealt with Attorney Generals office in my area several times.

They have been really nice and helpful to me and gone above what their job has required, call them and explain the situation and go from there.


Title: Someone is trying to serve me papers, I want to pay off the debt, but I don't want this third party company knowing my address.

Question:
Hello,

So I just found out yesterday that someone is trying to serve me papers. I believe it's for a debt. They have come to my moms house three days in a row and they're very pushy and my mom has told them numerous times I don't live there. I was provided a phone number to call, but it's a personal phone for the person who will be serving papers. I looked up the company name and it's a third party company that provides cash incentive for people to go out and serve papers. I'm not comfortable giving out my address to this company to come and serve me papers. I'm very pregnant with a toddler and I have neighbors whose door is RIGHT next to mine. I don't want word getting back to my private landlord that I'm being served.

My question is, can I ask to meet them somewhere neutral to receive the papers? I'm not exactly sure who is serving me. I don't want to call the number until I have an idea of how this could work for me because I know they're just going to push me for my home address.

I live in Washington State

Thanks

Answer:
 Then call from a pay phone and offer to meet at a starbucks. They just want to serve you. They don't care where. Answer #2: Call the number you have, say that you want to meet at a public location. The third party company's only job is to give you the papers and prove that they did it. You'd be making it real easy for them, so I don't see how it'd be a problem.

Say "Hey, I want to get this over with. I'll be at XXXX at Y:YY." They'll work with you, because every day that you aren't served is money that they aren't getting paid to serve someone else.


Title: Ten years ago I cosigned for a friend so he could get a federal education loan. Recently he has started becoming delinquent with payments, is there anything I can do?

Question:
Like it says on the tin. It hasn't reached a point where anything has been forced on me (yet), but I got a letter saying he was 15 days late, then a couple of weeks after that the federal loan service called me, and this is the first time they've done that.

The guy in question won't answer my texts anymore. Probably because I've made it clear he's not my friend anymore and I'm pissed. Is there any point at which I can take legal action against him? He's probably "only" 30 days late at this point, but I guess I'm actually worrying more about the future. I know he has a job (he's a Nurse), so if they needed to garnish someone's wages I *assume* it would be his... but is it possible I could be garnished as well? Also since we aren't really in contact anymore, I have no idea if he still does have a job, though I assume he would be getting unemployment if he lost his job, and that at least could be garnished, right?

Answer:
 It is not only his loan.  By cosigning it, it is your loan as well.  YOU are 30 days late on a loan. YOU are past due on the loan.  YOUR credit will suffer if YOU do not pay the loan off. YOUR wages can be garnished. This is what cosigning a loan means.

You CAN pay the loan payments and then sue him in small-claims court (if there was some kind of agreement that he was going to take care of the loan). Simply not paying the loan because "he said he would" is not an option, and will cause you to default.


Title: Internal possession question

Question:
If a person swallows an extended-release pill for a controlled substance and ends up in the ER, possibly with police present.  The hospital has to purge the pill out of your body somehow, so it comes out and there's still some of it in there. Can you be arrested for possession of that controlled substance?
Colorado.

Answer:
 Yes, but it's bad public policy to penalize people for trying to get the help they need to not die, so it wouldn't win the DA any popularity contests.

e: i langwidge good


Title: Employer Asking Employees to Pay Back Company during COVID Shutdown

Question:
Hi all, so I was recently laid off from my job in Pennsylvania which has a total of about 15 employees. Before this, my employer sent out a mass email to all of the staff about doing a soft reopen of our stores and other general information. One thing they mentioned was how they expect all the staff members to repay the company for the tax-deducted paychecks we received while the business was shut down... money that the company received through the Paycheck Protection Program. They are planning on deducting $70 from each paycheck when people go back to work starting on May 11th.

Even though I am now laid off and don't have to repay the company, I worry for the other employees who are largely non-native English speakers and a few of them most likely undocumented. I feel that they are largely being taken advantage of and think that this is a highly illegal practice. I'm aware that the courts are pretty much closed right now but is there anything I can do on behalf of these people? I know $70 per paycheck isn't a vast sum of money but it seems very wrong to me to ask your already underpaid employees to pay back a company money that wasn't theirs to begin with.

Answer:
 Sounds like wage theft and/or your employer is trying to unethically qualify for additional bailout funds

Start by calling the PA Bureau of Labor, you may want to file a complaint, but you should first make sure it won’t come back on you.

Here’s a resource for filing a complaint, the phone numbers for your region are at the bottom.

https://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Labor-Management-Relations/llc/Pages/Wage-Complaint-Form.aspx


Title: Drunk driver totaled my car

Question: Drunk driver drove the wrong way on a one way and smashed the front end of my car, completely totaling it. I don't know how to deal with my insurance,from what they're saying I think I'm not going to be reimbursed fully and will have to pay some of my money out of pocket for this inconvenience. Please help, I can't afford this. Massachusetts

Answer: What do you mean "fully"? They should give you the replacement value of the car. This could be less than what you owe on it, depending on how upside down you were.Answer #2: I'm not a lawyer, but may I suggest x-posting to /r/insurance? Very helpful community who might have more experience regarding claims per se. I'm sorry this happened, hope you'll be able to work things out soon.


Title: What are the repercussions for taking someones final exam for them?

Question:
I live in Illinois(IL)......as title states,I currently am not in school(finished last year) and i tutor on the side. Recently one of my students told me explicitly to take her take home final for her. I did so because she offered me to pay me a large amount(which is wrong but I needed money). She has yet to pay me and is actually ignoring my texts. If i report her to the university,what will happen?

Does anything "bad" happen to me? Is it smart to report her if she doesn't pay. Normally i wouldnt care but her final was fairly long and I took a lot of my time to make sure she did well to pass the class.

Obviously this is a throwaway account for personal reasons. Any advice is appreciated.

Answer: You can report her, yeah. But you're admitting that you defrauded the school. That's kind of like calling the cops on your drug dealer for screwing you over. I'd suggest you just let it pass and don't do finals for anyone you tutor in the future. That's just not smart.


Title: Speeding ticket concerns

Question: About a month back my wife was pulled over by an officer that was in the lane next to us, but about ten feet in front of us. Strange right? He just turned on his lights and we had no idea why until he slowed down and got behind us. He said we were going 70 in a 55, but I know for a fact we were barely going 60. We were so confused that we didn't ask for proof or anything. We got a ticket, but in curious about how it should be handled. Is it even possible for an officer, who was by himself, to radar someone while he is driving in front of you?

Answer:
 'Pacing' is a common way to judge speed. If you were going 70 and he was beside you or even in front and you weren't gaining or losing distance, all he has to do is look at his speedo.

If you don't believe you were speeding, you can challenge the ticket. For the record, going 60 in a 55 is still speeding. Answer #2: He probably paced your wife going 70. Radar is not the only way for cops ascertain speed as a basis for giving tickets. Another possibility is that there might have been another officer that you had passed that was operating the radar and then calling ahead on the radio.


Title: We are (innocently) getting high speed internet through Comcast, but we are receiving no bills from them - should I report what's happening to avoid being accused of theft, or wait until they notice?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 I'm on mobile and the top line of this post read "We are (innocently) getting high"

This is much less exciting :(

It absolutely won't hurt to contact them and you may end up avoiding potential issues with interest charges later on. Give them a call! Answer #2: This doesn't make any sense. Comcast is a cable internet provider, and requires a cable modem be installed and authenticated with them to work. You can't just hook it up and expect it to work, unless you had pre-existing equipment somewhere.

Something is missing, I'm not saying you're intentionally leaving out information, but some important information is missing. Regardless, legally, you could actually be violating the law if you're using a connection you aren't authorized to, for example, you are actually using your neighbors connection (this could be that missing information).Answer #3: Did the dish guy install a cable router? That seems a little odd, because the router's MAC address needs to be registered with comcast before it will work.

Regardless if that's who it's from, you're receiving a service without paying for it. Call them up (I know this is a horrible thing that I wouldn't wish to inflict on my worst enemies), but you need to get it settled before they start coming after you for a huge sum down the road.


Title: Can I be held responsible for something an unwelcomed guest brings into my dorm? [Maryland]

Question:
Okay so here's the situation:

A few weeks ago, I had some people over my dorm, but I had to leave so everyone else left as well. I left my door unlocked on my way out. Then, a few hours later, my friend realized he left his backpack in my room and he along with a few of my other friends went to get it.

 I wouldn't have ever had a problem with him stopping by to grab his stuff, but I never expressed any kind of permission for him to enter my dorm.

Then, someone knocks on the door and he answers. It's a k9 unit police officer that stated the room smelled like marijuana. The cop comes into the room and finds a grinder sitting out.

Now, I've been charged and found guilty by my university with possession of marijuana paraphernalia without ever having been present during any part of the encounter. Their basis for me being guilty is that the grinder was found in my room and I'm responsible for anything brought into my room.

It's perfectly plausible that any one of the 5 people that came into my room without permission could have brought the grinder with them.

I understand that the University's legal system is very different than that of the United States, but I'm sure if a criminal broke into your house and did a line of coke on your microwave, you could never be held responsible for drugs being found in your house. Does the same logic not apply here? Is there any law or case that I could reference in my appeal to make my point?

Answer: You realize we can all see your post history, right? Do you really want to try to claim the grinder wasn't yours?


Title: Recruiting company did not withhold taxes although I was a W-2 employee.

Question:
As stated in title, I was a W-2 employee for a certain IT staffing firm.

I left them earlier in the year, I recently got my W-2 and I discovered they withheld zero federal or state taxes.

Question is, am I now on the hook for this although my employer is responsible? Is there any recourse? I am unemployed and cannot pay these taxes.

This was in Oklahoma City, I am now in Grand Rapids MI.

Answer:
 >am I now on the hook for this although my employer is responsible?

Your employer is responsible for withholding taxes pursuant to the W4 you give them.  But you are responsible for paying them, whether they are correctly withheld or not.

You were always responsible for paying them and you likely have no recourse against your employer.  You have no loss.  An inconvenience to be certain, but not a loss.


Title: [TX] Boke lease early on apartment since it was slated to be demolished, faced with collections.

Question:
Back in 2015, I had signed year-long lease with an apartment complex, with no incident. My lease was set to run out in June of 2016, so I re-signed for 6 months in May, to end this past December. Right on the 1st of June, all the tenants are given a letter stating that the apartment was ceasing operations on September 30th, and that all tenants needed to be gone by October 1st. Naturally, I started looking for another complex, and found one.

However, in August, we received a second notice stating that operations had extended into November 30th, and that we needed to vacate the premises by December 1st. Despite the apartment manager telling me to not be concerned and that, "for all you know, the demolition date can get postponed again", I did not feel comfortable waiting to see whether or not the apartment demolition date was still set to go on  December 1st. This is due to the fact that I had my last two weeks of school from December 1st - 14th, and the possibility of living in my car did not appeal to me.

So that being said, I submitted my 60-day notice in August and left in October. I did check with the apartment manager, and while initially she said I was going to be charged with additional rent, it had only applied to the month of October, which I paid prior to leaving. I also made sure to pay my month's utility bill prior to vacating.

Fast forward to last week. I am called by the collections agency, which informs me that I owe my old apartment around $1400, which is a little less than two months' rent. Based on the prior notices the apartment issued to me, several people have informed me that the apartment broke the leasing agreement, that I should not pay the $1400, and take them to small claims court. However, I thought it'd be best to ask here for advice at least.

If I do have a leg to stand on in small claims court, I also need to know if I could file it in Austin, seeing as how I'm living in Austin now, while the apartment is located in Houston.

Answer:
 A couple of things...

* The apartment complex broke the lease with the first notice.  The second notice should not really matter.

* Despite having the lease broken, you fulfilled your part with the 60 day notice.  You additionally paid through the end of October.

I would look up some local attorneys that do landlord tenant disputes and see the ones that offer 30 minute free consultations, in order to gather some additional legal information.

Yes, I would also sue.  The main question that comes to mind, is on what grounds is the apartment complex suing you.  Your 60 day notice covered everything.

* https://www.google.com/search?q=houston+texas+tenant+landlord+free+attorney&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

* https://www.google.com/search?q=university+of+houston+law+clinic&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

I would even consider speaking with the Houston district attorney's office, as it appears the apartment complex is trying to extort you - and that is criminal, not civil.  But that is a question for an attorney.

________________________________

I would also band together with the other tenants, to possibly use the same attorney.

Answer #2: Did you keep any of the vacate notices? Was any communication with your apartment manager in email? Ask the debt collector for proof of debt and dispute it.

If you're going to fight this, you would probably have to go back to Houston.Answer #3: Have you disputed the charges? If they demolished the complex, they may not have records that can be properly validated...


Title: Passerby's are terrorising my cat, who likes to sit in my window. What can I do about it?

Question:
So I've been living in a Major city somewhere in the Europe for quite a while. I really don't feel inclined to tell where.
I have a rather small apt. with a massive window facing a street at ground level. My cat adores this particular window and spends some time throughout the day to look at whatever is outside.

Lately, especially at night on Fridays/Saturdays people have been smacking their hands on the window in an attempt to scare my cat. Each time I've noticed I've sprung up to the window to take a look at the people doing this. Usually witnessing them laughing.

Is there something I can do in order to make people stop being asshats to my cat? As it's starting to stress him out, the poor thing.

Am I in a position where I should install cameras or something?
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 There's no legal way to physically stop random people from tapping on your window.

You can put a sign up saying to please not touch the window.


Title: [TX] Dog evicted after discovering her breed

Question:
I recently ( a few days ago ) was found in violation of my lease at my apartment complex for not having my dog registered with the leasing office.  I was charged a fee which I am going to pay and complied with their requests.  After an exchange I was told I could either remove my dog or register her with the front office.

They have a pet friendly policy, so long as you pay:

* Pet fee (non-refundable) 300 dollars
* Pet deposit (refundable on move out) 250 dollars
* $15 per month rent upcharge

I was fully willing to go along with this, but when I submit her vaccination record, *they told me I had to remove her in 24 hours because they have a breed restriction against pit bulls/terriers.*  I got my dog from a shelter in January; she is an American Pit Bull/Terrier mix according to her information.

A friend suggested that I get her registered as an emotional support dog.  I have been under the care of a psychiatrist since early last year for severe anxiety and depression, and qualify under the ADA for an emotional service animal (ESA).  I have almost acquired the necessary letter to bring to my office saying my need is legitimate and the dog helps my disability.

Here are my questions:

* I read that under this requirement for accomodation, they cannot charge me for housing said animal.  Do I need to pay these extra fees? (an FAQ said since she is no longer my "pet" but rather my "service animal" the lease agreement cannot apply to her)
* Is there an official "registration" process, or do I only need the letter on my psychiatrists' letterhead? (most of the websites I found look sketchy and mostly to sell you equipment)
* How should I prepare to push back against any resistance the front office might try, especially if I legally don't need to pay their additional fees?
* If I present them with the letter and they do push back, can I house my dog in the interim?

&#x200B;

Thank you for any help.

Answer:
 > A friend suggested that I get her registered as an emotional support dog.

No such registry exists. If the medical professional you are seeing writes you a recommendation for an ESA you can present that, and a LL bound by the FHA must make reasonable accommodations to your ESA.

Your ESA would not be a pet, and no longer be subject to pet fees.


Title: Court tomorrow. They pulled something crazy. I need help ASAP. I'm a total amateur.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: They hired you and you worked there.  The fact that you were not licensed to do certain things (that you presumably didn't do) isn't relevant to anything - nor is your supposed title.


Title: [California] Dad wants to transfer small business to me because creditors are garnishing his bank accounts. Is this a fraudulent transfer?

Question:
My dad has been having a lot of financial problems and is in a lot of debt (mortgage, credit cards). I think in his desperation to keep his primary source of income, he wants to transfer his business to me (adult daughter). He and my mom own the business as a partnership, not an LLC. This would be considered a fraudulent transfer, right?

If that's the case, what are some alternatives for him? I've told him he should see a bankruptcy attorney several times, but he seems convinced that this is a legal way to deal with this situation. He said he would consider filing bankruptcy a year from now. :/

I feel very conflicted because I want to help my dad, but my gut tells me that this is not the right way to do that.

Answer:
 If the business owes money, and creditors are garnishing his personal accounts, and then you transfer the business into your name **what do you think is going to happen to your personal accounts after you do that?**Answer #2: Don't do this. Your father's problems will become your legal problems.Answer #3: Creditors hate this one trick.

But the trick they hate isn't fraudulent transfer. That one's easy. The trick they hate is a reorganization bankruptcy. Tell your dad to look into a business bankruptcy re-organization. It works for airlines. It's worked for our president repeatedly. It should work for him.Answer #4: Do you want to get sued? Because if being the recipient of a fraudulent transfer is a good way to get sued. It sounds like you already know this is a bad idea.

Your father needs a consult with a bankruptcy attorney yesterday. He may not like what he is told. But knowing is better than not knowing.


Title: Is “You break it, you buy it” a legally enforceable policy?

Question:
Sorry if this has been asked before. I work at a department store and throughout December a lot of people would break Christmas ornaments by accident. Although they are never forced to pay, I always think about this question every time it happens.

Edit: I live in the USA

Answer:
 I think this comes down to whether the store can establish that the "you break it, you buy it" policy represents a contract that you agree to as a condition of shopping there, and that question has too many fiddly contract law and factual details for me to feel brave enough to answer.

Tangentially related, though, is that someone who negligently or intentionally causes injury to your property is likely to be liable for damages in a civil suit even if you don't have a "you break it, you buy it" policy, and if you do have such a policy, your only recourse if the customer refuses to follow it is a civil suit, so in a way, it's kind of a moot point since you're going to court either way.Answer #2: It's not really a policy or a contract, it's a reminder.  When your negligence or willful acts cause damage, you're responsible for it.  In the case of a store losing inventory, the damage you cause is pretty much always equal to the retail cost of the item.

But if you break anything, anywhere, you buy it.  Hit a parking meter with your car?  You bought it.  Dropped a glass at a bar?  You bought it.


Title: Being sued for money I didn't spend

Question:
I am currently being sued by USBank.

Background:

I live in Tennessee. I opened a USBank account in 2006 to cash a check. I left a dollar in the account and never used it again. I never received a bank statement or any sort of correspondence from the bank afterwards. In 2008, I moved back home. In 2009, I received a call from a collection agency saying that I owed over $400 for a delinquent account at USBank. I called them, and after searching through their archives, they found that they had sent out a bank statement and it was returned. They charged a $5 return charge to the account, which over-drafted the account. Over-draft fees accrued over the course of two months, until it was close to $400. They never tried to contact me, just closed the account and sold the debt to a collection agency. I told the collection agency I would not pay that, as I never spent that money.

Today, I received a call from a lawyer saying that I was being sued for $1,200, which includes court costs and legal fees. They said I could settle. I told them I would pay them the $5 from the return fee.

My question is: what recourse do I have here? What are my options? I despise the thought of paying money that I never spent.

Answer: You presumably agreed to these fees when you signed up for the account and were likely provided with paperwork, pamphlets, etc. explaining them to you.


Title: [Indiana] Father not on the birth certificate, what are his parental rights?

Question:
I'm seeking advice for my friend Gabe. A year and a half ago, him and his girlfriend had a baby. Because they were not married, the hospital did not put him on the birth certificate. Now, his girlfriend has broken up with him and is keeping the child from him, stating that if he tries to contact her, go against her wishes, speak badly about her, try to see the toddler ect, she will "take (child) away forever."

Obviously this deeply upsets him, he understands if she doesn't want to be with him, but it tears him apart not being able to see his kid. What steps does he need to take to get this sorted out?

Answer:
 https://www.in.gov/dcs/2482.htm

In all other cases, legal paternity must be established in one of two ways;

Paternity Affidavit, or
Court Order
A paternity affidavit is a legal document that permits a man and a woman to declare, under penalty of perjury, that the man is the biological father of a child.  A properly executed paternity affidavit establishes legal paternity (fatherhood) and parental rights and responsibilities, without the necessity of obtaining a court order.  A paternity affidavit may be completed at the hospital within 72 hours of the child's birth or at your local health department any time before the child is emancipated.  If paternity is established by paternity affidavit, the Department of Health will add the father's name to the child's birth certificate.

The second way paternity can be established is by an order from the court.  Either parent may file an action in an appropriate Indiana court seeking determination of paternity.  The county prosecutor's office may also file an action if the case is a Title IV-D support case.  After the action is filed, the court will set a hearing date and notice will be provided to both parties.  At the hearing, the parties may agree to paternity without the benefit of genetic testing, request genetic testing to determine paternity, or the court may hear evidence and make a decision about whether or not paternity should be established.  If genetic testing is ordered by the court, the parties will be tested and the court will hold off on deciding the issue of paternity until the genetic testing results are available to the court.  Either parent or the county prosecutor's Title IV-D child support office may request genetic testing, commonly know as DNA testing.


Title: Doctor told my sister her insurance was accepted and that he’s in network, then the night before surgery he called her to say he made a mistake and now wants $25,000

Question:
My sister was vacationing in Miami when she slipped in a condo building and had a really bad break. The doc she went to there wasn’t in network so she waited a couple days till she got home to see a surgeon.

The surgeon she called said he is in network, did the initial exam and scheduled her for surgery three days late, all the while she was in terrible pain. Night before surgery his office called to say they made a mistake about the network. At that point the pain was agonizing and she couldn’t wait to see another surgeon so she opted for the surgery, and he made her pay half up front which she did with her savings.

Insurance denied her claim and told her to pay since he’s not in network. She never would have gone to him in the first place but she relied on his representation and now he wants another $12,500. Insurance is adamant they won’t pay anything.

What should she do?

Answer: The condo association should have a master policy that could pay for this. I would contact a personal injury attorney in Miami. Hopefully there was someone who saw it or an ambulance ride, etc


Title: Should passenger take lawyers advice?

Question:
In a car accident that was my fault, one of my passengers suffered injuries, nothing too serious but she has incurred medical and personal expenses, so she has been out of pocket for a while which I know she can hardily afford since she has not long since finished her studies, plus she has had quite a painful recovery.

She claimed on my insurance and I hoped they would make her a fair offer of compensation. However the insurance made her a low ball offer, after various counter offers, insurance still have not made her an offer of what she feels anywhere near fair.

She has spoken to a lawyer to see if there is anymore that can be done and the lawyer has advised her to consider suing me.

Should she be taking the lawyer’s advice?

Answer:
 If your insurance won't make a reasonable offer it's her only option.

She sues you, your insurance provides your defense and payout up to your policy maximum. Amounts beyond your maximum are out of pocket from you.


Title: Custody and Porn

Question:
A friend sent his daughter a link that had porn advertising on the second page. His ex wife is making a criminal case.It was completely unintentional.
He is worried about loosing custody.
Advice?

Answer: He needs to talk to his family law attorney and possible also a criminal defense attorney.


Title: (CA) Mother died before final divorce papers! evil step father wants her property now.

Question: My mother died last month. She was in the process of an amicable divorce. Property had been divided and filed with the court clerk. I don't know what stage was left in the divorce.   Now that she died the man wants to receive the life insurance from her work,(she did not name a beneficiary)  he wants some her property. My siblings and i are the ones with access to the her house bank accounts etc. What are my legal options.  Thank you in advance who ever takes the time to share some advice.

Answer:
 As part of the divorce, did she update her will with her attorney to disinherit the husband? That can likely take effect before the divorce would have (although some states have restrictions on disinheriting spouses).

I have a feeling the life insurance company is going to handle this through their internal rules, without going through probate: and without a final decree I'm assuming the husband is going to get it.  But please talk with a probate attorney *and* your moms divorce attorney.