Title: I was hit and injured by the uninsured driver of a stolen vehicle during a police chase. (Tacoma, WA)

Question:
This happened back in February. I was on the clock (delivery driver) when I was T-boned at intersection by the uninsured driver of a stolen vehicle with the police in pursuit. The police report states he ran the stop sign traveling about 45 miles per hour, and eyewitnesses said the chase was pretty high speed. I sustained a knee injury and was taken to the hospital and I am currently awaiting surgery. As this happened in Washington state and I was on the clock, medical expenses are supposed to be covered under Labor and Industries (L&I).

 I obtained a lawyer who says neither the police or the insurance of the stolen car can be held liable, which limits me to the $10,000 of uninsured motorist coverage and $10,000 in PIP on my insurance policy. However, part of my initial hospital visit was paid for by my policy rather than L&I, which further limits my settlement to $10,000 minus legal fees- which I still have not received.

I missed a month of work from my injuries and not having a vehicle to drive, which caused me to dip into my savings and purchase a cheap beater to get me by. In the meantime however, my company has been protesting the L&I claim which has caused about $20k in medical bills to go unpaid and sent to collections which has ruined my credit.

So, to top things off, last week my vehicle was stolen and recovered inoperable and I am now out of work again with no savings to repair it or purchase another. Fantastic timing as it coincides with an increase in my montly rent. In the past week, I have applied to every job I could find within reasonable walking/bus distance as well as for an auto lease through Uber (which was denied due to previously mentioned delinquent credit) but it doesn't leave me with much time to rebuild my financial situation.

I've been struggling to get back on my feet for the past 8 months since this accident and now I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. If I can't make rent, I don't have any family to live with on this side of the country and if I leave Washington I won't be able to get my knee repaired. Literally nothing has been resolved yet- is it typical for insurance settlements and workers comp claims to take this long? Is my lawyer correct that there is no other recourse for me? I welcome any suggestions or advice for getting out of this mess.

Also, some further info- The driver who hit me was wanted for a number of other felonies and is now in prison. He doesn't have any assets, and restitution can't be ordered until I receive my insurance settlement.

Thanks!

Answer:
 Have you checked whether you are eligible for [crime victim's compensation](http://www.lni.wa.gov/ClaimsIns/CrimeVictims/FileCoverage/EligibilityRequirements/Default.asp)?Answer #2: Unfortunately, that doesn't sound unexpected.  At face value, the law sees suing the driver of the stolen car as your recourse.  The owner of the stolen car isn't liable (see below) and the police aren't liable (see below also).  I don't know enough about L&I or the other matters to comment.

The owner of the stolen car is not the cause of your injuries -- except in very extraordinary cases.  I assume your attorney has ruled out such exceptions applying in your case.  And you can't get to his insurance unless he's liable -- that's all the insurance is on the hook to cover.

And police have immunity from negligence suits, so even if the police were negligent in some way that could be causally linked to your injuries, there would be nowhere to go with that.  Exceptions exist, but again your lawyer probably has ruled them out.

I'm very sorry to hear about the mess you're in.  I wish there were better news.


Title: Brother being released from federal prison

Question:
   Sorry if this is the wrong subreddit to post in. My brother is set to be released leased from federal prison in July after serving his sentence. They are telling him that they won't release him without a valid social security card and state issued ID.  The social is something that we are able to get but without him being present we are having trouble getting the ID.

   Just some background. He's being released in Texas and it is also where we reside. He's been n prison for 7 years and he has lost track of his old ID. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer:
 This doesn't make any sense.

Contact your brother's lawyer and see what he or she can do.


Title: [TN] Speeding ticket for driving 102 in a 55 zone

Question:
It was 2:30 am on a Thursday night. I was coming from a bar and only had 2 drinks at 9 pm (so I was not drunk at all), but was in a rush to get home because I had to get up the next morning at 5:30 am. I was in the fast lane and thought I was driving 80, but lost track because I was in such a rush and pretty tired. I saw a police car behind me and panicked. I turned into the right late to let him pass but he kept following and turned his siren on. I guess I thought if I decided to slow down that he would let me go, so I slowed down. I eventually didn't see him anymore until I got to my apartment. He made me do a sobriety test and gave me a speeding ticket. It's $151. He told me it's against the law to not stop for a police officer and I told him sorry, I didn't know because I was new to driving (and I didn't know). It's noted in the report, but he decided to only give the speeding ticket.

I have a court date a week from now. I'm poor so I was going to ask if I could do community service or something. Considering the circumstances, I assume I cannot ask to have the price lowered. Yes, I messed up, but that time period was a low, low point for me. Any advice is appreciated.

EDIT: So I get it. I'm lucky it wasn't worse.
I realized I really messed up. I have the option of either paying the full amount of the fine before the court date, or showing up to court. If I try to plea my case (which I do in fact plead guilty), then I'm afraid of making it worse (since I wasn't charged for running from a cop for this ticket.)
Would it be better to just pay the ticket instead of going to court?

Answer:
 You didn't stop for a cop, you were driving 47 over the limit and you only got a ticket for $151? Count yourself lucky. I'm surprised that your license wasn't taken away.

Check your ticket. Do you have to mail in a "non-guilty" plea? Once at court, it probably won't hurt to ask for a reduced fine, but bring a copy of your driving record to show that you haven't had a ticket in recent years.

Good luck.


Title: [Vancouver, BC] Bride and groom threatening to sue my business (I'm a caterer) after they got Montezuma's revenge, now they're making spiteful reviews and remarks on social media about me. Am I screwed?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 If it's any help, people tend to ignore obviously crazy reviews...Answer #2: Start making screen ~~captions~~ captures
of the social media stuff.

Don't engage in a he-said/she-said (as appropriately pointed out by /u/lpmagic)

Contact a lawyer to discuss defamation.

As it stands, there are a couple of very recent cases dealing with online defamation. One of them deals with precisely an allegation that the plaintiff was a paedophile: http://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcsc/doc/2016/2016bcsc686/2016bcsc686.pdf

Answer #3: As r/legal often points out, the ratio of people threatening to sue to people who actually sue is pretty substantial.

*Do not* engage them via social media. You may want to print out or otherwise save whatever they post as evidence of harassment later.

*Do* consult an attorney as suggested by u/lpmagic.


Title: [CA] Are personal photos from a cell phone protected under DMCA?

Question:
A person was sent a photo I took of my newborn. We explicitly told the person that none of the photos were allowed to be posted online or forwarded to others. However, someone else wrote a blog post through Google posting my child's info and that picture.

I plan to submit a privacy complaint but am wondering if it would be considered legal to also submit a DMCA take down request on a personal photo.

Also, what info would I need to prove I took the picture. Would the picture's properties be enough to prove it was mine?

Answer: If you took the photo, yes you can issue a DMCA takedown notice. Answer #2: Have you asked the person who wrote the post to take it down?


Title: Lawsuit against UPS

Question:
I'm looking to open a class action lawsuit against UPS and need help figuring out where to start. Very long story short, and can elaborate more anywhere if anyone's interested.

I mailed out a bunch of brand new PC parts + some other things to my nephew through UPS store #2973. I insured the package for $3000, and paid for 3 day shipping.

The package arrived 6 days later (3 days late).

The package arrived with a big hole in the side, and over $2900 in items stolen out.

I've got photos of the package, still in UPS hands, ripped open and nearly empty. The receiver then opened the package with UPS there and took more photos. The delivery driver marked the box as heavely damaged on his mobile hand held.

I filed a claim with ups over 3 weeks ago. First they declined my claim, then I disputed it and they have not made progress since. I was told today it would take 4-6 months to complete.

I've everyday been attempting to make contact and check status of this claim. My local store does not answer calls, and the claims department refuses to talk to anyone but my store in regards to this claim.

A little backtrack real fast. My package was delayed delivery because it was held up by my local store. My local store has been refusing to cooperate and has been acting shady. I believe my agent I had that I dropped my package off to be shipped with stole the merchandise inside. They asked what I had in the box worth so much and stupid me told them.

I've since tried to get a refund for the "guarantee shipping" I was promised that was not delivered on time and they also refuse to refund me that aswell. This store is personally stealing from thier customers, this was the 3rd claim against them in 1 week and I'm not going to sit around and let them steal and menipulate the insurance claims like they have been doing. That's a whole other story I can get into aswell.

Anyways, anyone have any suggestions on how to find an attorney that will take this?

https://ibb.co/jwioS5

This is one of many photos.

Edit: some further information that's just good to have.

Item shipped from Colorado Springs, CO on 7.11.17

Damaged, empty box delivered to Center Conway, NH on 7.17.17

Claim reported same day, 7.17.17, but not "official received" by ups until 7.18.17 for some reason...???

Also the person who I dropped the package off with was supposedly the district manager, but when I try to reach out to any management at the store I am unable to get an answer, calls returned, or any kind of recognition of any kind. When I do get ahold of a manager every once and awhile it's because I'm told their hours are from 11:30am to 2:30pm, anytime before or after they will not take calls or return them.

It's not just money. This has been an emotional rollercoaster and beyond stressful experience. The almost $3,000 claimed is just what I've claimed in the box is missing; I had spent $700 in airline tickets to fly out and assemble this unit for my nephew, aswell as the receiver has now gotten shingles from all the stress and anxiety from this, currently in severe pain, and on prescription medication.

I know it sounds like I must have alot of money but this whole thing has beyond strapped us financially. I was not expecting this problem and was expecting to get paid by the customer for the computer I shipped and flew out to set up. The customer is my nephew in this case. Regardless, he is 13 and can't afford to pay for something he didn't receive and I can't afford to take this financial hit because of UPS's theifing employees.

Sorry for rambling, if anyone can point me in the right direction I'd grately appreciate it. Thanks again in advance.

Answer:
 I don't see why you think this is class action-worthy. Regardless, you need to read the terms of the insurance you signed up for. So long as UPS is following the terms, you need to wait it out. If they are violating the terms, or otherwise refuse to pay for what you lost, your recourse is to sue them and/or the agent you used to ship this item.

You're not going to get any compensation for emotional distress though, so no point in throwing that stuff out there. Answer #2: > Anyways, anyone have any suggestions on how to find an attorney that will take this?

For $3,000. No.

Sue them in small claims, unless you somehow agreed to binding arbitration.


Title: Can an underaged kid buy an amazon gift card?

Question: Sorry if this is a stupid question but I’m 16 and I want to buy an amazon gift card, dad is stressed out and I don’t want to make him drive me to the store which is two blocks away. I can walk there but idk if it’s legal to buy the gift card.

Answer: Your legal question has already been answered, but can I ask for what purpose you want to buy the gift card? There are some commons scams involving Amazon gift cards, and I hope you aren't getting caught up in one of those. Are you purchasing something online from someone who asked you to pay in Amazon gift cards? That could be bad news.


Title: Facebook friend recommendation cause for concern

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 None at all.

Move on and be more careful in the future.


Title: [USA-CA]Used personal car for work for a few months and ~10k miles they only payed for gas and oil changes am I owed $.54/Mile?

Question:
TL;DR: I used personal car for work and they only payed for gas and oil changes. The car is now dead and I sold it to a junk yard for $100. Is it unreasonable to ask for the compensation I should have gotten per mile since it is now a year later?

So when I started there they told me I would be driving a company car but a couple weeks later they told me insurance would be expensive (because I was 18 and had 1 accident on record) and asked me to drive my personal car. I had already quit my previous job and needed this job so I agreed to drive my personal car but they didn't mention compensation, they just gave me a gas card and told me to take it to jiffy lube for oil changes and they would pay for them. I purchased the car for $2500 2 weeks before getting this job offer and after using it almost exclusively for work (maybe 200-300 miles of personal use) for 5 months and putting ~$1500 into it for repairs and such it crapped out and I didn't want to put anymore money into it. I went to the owner and told him about the situation and he told me he would buy a truck for me to use for work (to and from work and for work duties).

I have been without a personal car for around a year now and I just take an uber when I need to go somewhere not worked related but I am going back to school in about a month and I am going to need to buy a beater that just gets me from home to school and back.
I was not compensated the $.55/mile which it looks like I was entitled to for using my personal car when I used it for work is it unreasonable to ask for some kind of compensation for that car that completely crapped out or back pay of $.54/mile?

Answer:
 CA employers are required to pay you for use of your personal car for work-related needs, but it doesn't have to be at the IRS's mileage reimbursement rate.

What makes you think you're entitled to the $.54/mile?


Title: Small family business needs to get rid of lawsuit prone employee

Question:
I work for a small family owned business in Texas.

We have an employee that has been causing problems, working inconsistent hours and is known to be spiteful when she doesn't get her way.

I've been witness to her lying about work being done, I have recorded evidence of her misappropriating hours worked and have evidence of an unprofessional manner.

Downside, the owners son is a smartass in the office and often banters and has history with the in question employee. She has no outward problem with this until it becomes convenient to her to hold over his head so she can get her way.

She does not respond to reprimand or requests to stay off her phone while in the work place and gets caught daily browsing reddit. She may even see this post.

What actions should I as the supervisor take so that I can separate her from this company?

Answer: Document what she does wrong, you trying to correct her, her refusal to change, and fire her. Or just fire her and be done with itAnswer #2: Just fire her and say it's for misconduct. You have evidence, so why worry? If she wants to sue, you can't stop her, but it's unlikely she will win a dime.


Title: (Minneapolis, MN) Dog sat for a couple weeks, landlord billing me for full tenancy's worth

Question:
Last November (11th month in year long lease), I dog sat for a friend for two weeks. I then received a bill for $900 and a letter saying we need to get the dog out and pay up. It was odd because my lease states $100 for each month but they only billed me $75/mo. They threatened to evict within the week if not paid. I spoke to a couple attorneys from a local tenant advocacy organization and they advised I send in a check for $100 for rounding up to one month's rent of a pet and memo the check with "Settlement for Unauthorized Dog Fee". I did that. Thing is, they're still pursuing it. I've given my notice and will be moving at the end of the month. I spoke to the attorneys and they advised I write a letter saying they've accepted my settlement check and basically will take it small claims court should they take it from my deposit. Obviously, that seems like my best option. I can't just pay the fee either. I moved into the apartment with a roommate but she left midway through and I have been paying twice what I started with a year ago until I can now find a more affordable option.; so obviously I haven't been equipped to deal with fees like that. I was hoping for some critique or assurance that going forward I'm taking the right steps.

Thanks a ton in advance.

Answer: Do you distrust your attorney's advice or something here?  Reddit's not a very reliable second opinion.


Title: [USA] What are the potential legal issues relating to not being involved in child’s life?

Question:
I discovered it’s likely I fathered a child with someone I barely knew. She took the child to another state before I knew the child was likely mine and as of now we haven’t gone to court for paternity. She has said I don’t have to be involved but I’m not sure how long that will last. At first I wanted to be involved but when I decided to go to court she was angry I’d be on the birth certificate and have rights so I put it on hold.

I’m trying to decide what the right decision will be considering I may never have much involvement. I’m worried that I’ll lose out ok involvement only to be hit up later for child support and that the court will use my lack of involvement against me.

Can anyone give some insight as to how I can make the right choice? Morality aside, because I know it’d be ideal to be involved and I’m not against it, I’m just not able to move or even travel at the moment which is why I don’t know what to do.

Thanks for any help
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: Your involvement or lack of involvement will have no effect on if child support is instituted.  If she wants it, she will get it.  If she applies for and receives gov't benefits, the state will come after you independently.


Title: Boyfriend tearfully admitted to raping a 12 year old when he was 18.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Rape of a child would without any question provoke investigation assuming the information was in anyway credible. There are plenty of examples in the media where crimes against children occurring many years ago have been investigated and the claims found plausible. In my opinion, knowledge of a heinous crime against a minor morally obligates you to report it to the police department, who can follow this information back to the locality and facility where this crime may have occurred. Legally speaking, although laws on this subject vary by state, in general, unless you are in certain professions and acting in certain professional capacities (say for example an emergency room doctor treating a child who you believe has been abused), you are not required by law to report a crime against a minor to authorities.Answer #2: I'm not sure that the local PD can or would do something, but you can at least make it their decision. At worst, it's a note somewhere in their system that they can follow up on if he's suspected of other crimes.


Title: Why can state gun laws exist if the Second Amendment gives us the right to bear arms?

Question: From my understanding, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land and cannot be trumped by state laws.  How come certain states can ban the ownership or concealed carry of a constitutional right?  For that matter, how can stop and frisk be allowed if the Fourth Amendment prohibits arbitrary search and seizure?  Thank you in advance, and apologies for my legal ignorance.

Answer:
 Because courts have decided exceptions exist. Sometimes they rule a particular exception is constitutional; other times they have ruled it is not.

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

This is true about every right guaranteed in the Constitution.


Title: What rights do I have if I’ve got kicked out of the club wrongfully?

Question:
So on Saturday, we went to a club to listen to a singer. We went there early so we can be in front of the stage. We stood there for a few hours till the singer came out. There was a lot of people pushing and shoving trying to squeeze their way into our spot and up in front. We stood our ground not letting anyone taking our stage spot. Halfway through the show, someone tapped on my shoulder from behind asked whether she can get in front of me. I replied,”no, sorry I can’t”. Odd question because I was with my gf and there’s no space unless I literally swap spot with this girl. I thought that was the end of it, but 15 minutes later that girl came and shoved my friend, who was literally in front of the stage, taking her front stage spot. My friend was shocked at what just happened, so she tried to get her spot back while asking what the heck that girl is doing. There was a bit push and shove for about 30 seconds, and that girl raised her hand and called the security who obviously wasn’t paying attention to what was happening, but he heed her call. She screamed out,”this girl (my friend) cut in line and kept pushing me”. So, the security guy and his friend came over and dragged my friend out. I tried to stop them and explained that my friend is not at fault here and it’s the other girl who took her spot by force and screamed wolf. These security guys are numb and does not listen to reasoning, instead they threatened me by saying,”you want to get kick out to?”, in which I responded with,”yes, I don’t care, because u guys got the wrong person”. Our whole group went outside with the security and spent 30 minutes explaining the situation. They got the guard who initiated this out to explain why he kicked us out and he lied through his teeth, saying that he saw my friend “trying to jump on stage a few times”. We told him to check security footage, but he said he won’t do it and MAYBE at the end of the show. It’s so obvious that they play favoritisms here, because there were a bunch of people jumping on stage and nothing happens to them before us. They offered to let us back in by saying “you want to go back in or no?” In a very disrespectful way. Kind of like we are begging to get in to a show that we paid for. We tried to say that unless they get that other girl out and sort this situation out, we see no benefits of getting back inside, as we’ve already lost the spot we worked so hard to keep.

We ended up leaving by 12am, and the show didn’t end till 2am. A total waste of money and night ruined.

Is there any legal action we can take against the club?

Answer: None


Title: I don’t know if this belongs here but someone found my Facebook and threatened to dox and swat me

Question: He went to my steam profile and found my real name and location. Then he used my name to find my Facebook. He said he was going to swat me and also to lock my doors tonight. Should I be worried? Is there anything I can do?

Answer: Call the non emergency police and report the threat. The police may not not do anything about it, but you will at least put the police on notice in case the guy tries to swat you.


Title: I had to quit my job because hr drop the ball on basically everything I've brought up on sexual harassment and basic safety.

Question:
Unless a few weeks ago I worked at wayfair LLC in Hebron ky. Over the past 2 years or so I noticed bad behavior of the sexual type coming from higher ups. The amount of situations I can talk about would make this a long post. However i will name a few.

A women known for falling asleep at her desk while shopping for Victoria secret stuff got a promotion over a gay man who worked for the company basically since it came around. This women may have worked here a few years or so. The gay man in question was just told he wasnt ready to move up in the company but the women know for being a ditz and falling asleep at her desk while panty shopping was ready for I high up salary job?

Then there was my supervisor who would talk about banging chicks from the company page who had their picture posted for a commendation. The same supervisor who was rumored to have touched a women.. they just moved him to a male dominated department.

In another situation I was helping the plant manager assemble racking. They guy wouldnt listen to me when I told him the racks where clearly labeled left and right, but as soon as 2 younger women walked by and asked for him to give them a safety stamp so the could get free company swag he told them to meet him in his office. Not only was I ignored about the task at hand that was rather simple but the offices are locked by a badge system and associates badges will not allow them past those doors.

During out peak season 2 years or so ago a we had to work all of December without missing a day to get a bonus. A man's wife died during this time. He took one day off to bury her, was told he was going to get his bonus and didnt.

And once I brought up a sexual harassment class I had to take by the company back in 2013 or so they drop a sexual harassment class and say they do it every year. That is a straight lie. I've worked for the company for about 6 years and have only taken the one class. Hr stressed that it is mandatory every year and that just is not true.

How do I handle this because its left me really depressed and it hurt me so much I had to quit to get away from it. How do I handle this .

Answer: If you report sexual harassment that happens to you directly, the company is obligated to take steps to stop it. They do not need to act on any complaints you have about any of these other observations.Answer #2: Therapy and a new job would be the most effective way to handle.


Title: Husband got stuck 60 feet in the air

Question: My Husband works at a Dairy in the Central Valley California and was asked to use a lift to trim some trees. My Husband told them that the lift has an issue of shutting off but the manager said to use it and see what happens. As he was trying to come down for his morning brake the lift would repeatedly shut off and he was trapped up there for over an hour. Did the dairy brake the law by having him use a piece of equipment they knew was faulty?

Answer: You can file a complaint with OSHA if you want. Since there were no injuries not much will come out of this. Answer #2: NAL, but that may be an OSHA violation (?).


Title: A company keeps calling our number and wont stop

Question: [Florida] We have any employee that was fired previously and left his office line as his main point of contact. He hasn't worked here in a year. Now a bank has been calling his old line about 2 time a day demanding to talk to him. We have called the bank multiple times and requested they remove us from the list. They have said this was done yet we continue to get the calls from the same number, this is cutting into our business as we are an out bound sales company, business to business only. Do we have any legal recourse to get these people to stop? We our losing business the more they call since it is using up the phone line. I have call records and even recordings of use telling them to stop calling and that the person doesn't work here.

Answer: Block the number


Title: 16 year old boy had me touch his penis when I was 8

Question:
I’ve been too scared to tell anyone my story for years but here is exactly what happened. When I was 8 years old I became friends with an older boy that lived right next to where I lived, one night my parents decided it was okay to let me sleep over his house. In the morning he had me to put my hand under his boxers and “massage” his penis. This had happened on a few occasions, I looked up to him as a role model and i didn’t want to disappoint him because I was terrified of losing a friend, I was only 8 so I hadn’t realized that he was taking advantage of me. I am 15 years old as of now. Sorry guys I’m not even sure if that’s the right flair  and I’m really bad at writing but please help me I want nothing more to see this guy behind bars. If you have any questions I’ll answer them to the best of my ability. Thank you.
Topic:
Juvenile and Youth Law

Answer: Find someone you can talk to to get help. Parents, teacher, counselor. Reach out OP. The important thing is for you to get professional help. They can help you decide if and how to report this.


Title: Paternity leave with sexy start up

Question:
So I work for one of those sexy start ups that everyone wants to work for. Free beer, snacks, and oh UNLIMITED vacation. Sorry for posting with a throwaway but I work for small company and I’ve posted pictures on my regular account that would easily point to me.

Anyways, I work for a start up company and my family is expecting a baby next month! There isn’t any information in the employee handbook about paternity leave. There has only been one male that has taken paternity leave in our company and he took 2 weeks off. I use to work for a large company when my first child was born and I got 6 weeks full pay. I’m not expecting that but I’m having a hard time what to ask for.

Facts:

The position I’m in does require a far amount of travel.

I haven’t been traveling because I’ve been on jury duty. In my county it’s a 3 week panel - I have to call every night to see if I need to report. I’ve been called once already. I feel like I’m already being pressured that I’m not doing my job because if jury duty.

There has been some massive layoffs lately. With a new addition to the family I really can’t afford to lose my job. I feel like I’m already on ice with jury duty and the baby on the way.

My question is how do I protect myself and family? How does FMLA come into this? How does FMLA work with unlimited vacation? I would obviously like to take some time off to spend with my family.

Before anyone says talk to HR or my manager it’s really not that easy in the position I’m in. And yes I’m going to look for a new job when my family is stable.

Answer:
 More important fact: what state are you in?

(FMLA doesn't really have anything to do with how much paid vacation you have.  It just protects your job while you're out; the pay question is a separate question.)


Title: Company flew me out of state, I don’t get paid when the customer doesn’t work Sundays

Question: So my company flew me out to North Dakota 1500 miles from home for a job. The client only works Monday through Saturday. Unless I do something pertaining to my job I don’t get paid on Sunday. I went and picked up tools and I have some online training that I’ll be able to rack in some hours. But otherwise I’m just sitting a day and not getting paid. This seems borderline illegal to me?

Answer:
 >	This seems borderline illegal to me?

It’s not, it’s not even close.  You get paid for time you are actually working, that’s it.  Spend the day taking in the sights of wherever you are.  But it’s not in any way shape or form illegal nor is it even close to illegal.  You are not entitled to be paid for time which you are not required to work, it doesn’t matter where you are.


Title: Can my ex, who lives in Hong Kong, sue me, a US citizen, in small claims court?

Question:
Things didn't work between us and now she wants me to reimburse for her two flights when she visited america back in October and December of 2015. Like an idiot, I agreed to pay for them after we broke up because she convinced me it was my fault that we broke up and she fells I owe it to her. Now, I disagree and I'm just wondering if that's allowed. **I know her well and she'll do everything she can to get the money.**

Edit: I live in Kansas City, Missouri.
Edit2: Added important details.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Yes, she can sue you in small claims court.  But she would either have to hire a lawyer (in states where that's allowed) or come here herself to appear in court.


Title: Mother is being evicted from her house that was foreclosed on, new owner let themselves in and changed the locks before her eviction time is up. Happened in the state of New York

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >This cannot be legal, correct?

Correct. That'd be a violation of a court order, and arguably an unlawful eviction if she leaves and can't get back in, or cannot leave at all if she can't get back in.

Does she have any documentation showing the court order? Answer #2: You should call the cops and make them let your mother in her house if you have the documents to prove she is stills allowed to stay there.Answer #3: It gives your mother a little leverage too.  They can sue her for the damages related to the eviction and report it to credit agencies.  She might be able to get a mutual waiver or some compensation for the attempted unlawful eviction.


Title: Was put in a situation where I had to blow the whistle on my boss's drug addict son who also works with me, now myself and another employee who caught him are being interrogated and accused of plotting against him with implied threats to our jobs.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 There's an awful lot in here, and it sounds like a terrible place to work, but I don't see anything illegal here on the part of your employer. If you can't get them to act your best bet is to simply seek another job.

You could call the police on the guy, but I'd bet quite a lot that you'll be fired if you do so.


Title: Can I sue my ex-girlfriend for slander/defamation?

Question:
Hello, I'm a 23 yo male living in north central Florida looking for some legal advice.

  I've had a very tough time dealing with the girl I broke up with about 3 weeks ago. She refuses to accept it, and started harassing me and begging me to get back together with her. I've done my best to avoid her. The events are as follows:

I dump her because I start to see signs of mental instability. We were living together at the time. I get my essential belongings (leaving behind non-essentials) and move back into my own apartment.

She begins blowing up my phone. I receive text messages, phone calls, Facebook messages, and emails constantly. I read them but do not respond unless completely necessary (like planning to return for the rest of my things). She's going back and forth between verbally attacking me ("I can't believe you dumped me, you're such an asshole") and begging me to give her another chance and apologizing for her behavior.

I return to her apartment to get some more of my things, she's very sad and again, begging me to reconsider my ending of the relationship. I refuse, tell her I just need my things, and leave. About an hour after I get to my own apartment, I hear a knock on my bedroom window (opposite side of the apartment from the front door) as I'm getting ready to leave for the store. I ignore the window knock and open my front door to leave and she's standing there, hysterical. I say nothing, ignore her until she leaves.

She continues blowing up my phone for the following week or so. One day at work, she messages me about some money that I technically owe her and me returning to get my things from her apartment. I tell her I will bring the money and get my things at 7:30, she asks why I have ignored her so much, I tell her it's because "she's fucking insane". This is the first and last time I've said anything that could be considered a personal attack. In response, she tells me to forget about the money and just to come to get my things. I tell her that I do not want to communicate with her, so I'd prefer if she left my things outside of her apartment door so I can just pick them up. She agrees.

I get to the apartment at around 7:15, my personal belongings are not outside of the door. I text her asking her where they are, she walks out of her door with my belongings in her hands, and asks me where her money is. I tell her that she told me to forget about the money. She goes back inside with my things.

I immediately leave her apartment to go to an ATM and got $100 in cash (the amount we agreed upon), and returned to the apartment. I knock on the door, she does not open it but begins to yell at me through the door. I tell her I have her money and just want my things. I never raised my voice. She begins to scream at me to "go away", in order to avoid any further issues I tell her that I am placing her $100 under her "welcome" mat and leaving, and will return at a later date for my things. She's still screaming at me, seemingly out of control.

When I get to my apartment, I have a text message from her saying "I can't believe you just tried to break into my apartment". Something that never happened.

She then makes a post on Facebook, saying my full name and saying that I tried to break into her apartment and that I abused her during the relationship. Neither of these things are remotely true. She's been very active on the subject, it's gotten lots of attention (hundreds of mutual friends, and even some people I have a professional relationship with). She is continuing to bash me, make false accusations, spread hate and play a victim in a crime that never even happened.

I went to the civil courthouse today to file an injunction. It will probably get denied because there was never any threat to physical violence. They referred me to the state attorney, who also said they could not help me. The state attorney referred me to the local PD, who told me I should just try to sue her. What steps should I take regarding this situation?

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Answer:
 You could potentially sue for defamation, but you'll need some kind of evidence that what she said was untrue to have a realistic chance of winning.  Beyond that, defamation lawsuit can't really prevent her from saying anything in the future, they'd just allow you to claim monetary damages (which will likely be low, and/or more than she could afford to pay).

My honest advice is to stop engaging with this person at all.  Block her phone number and block her on every piece of social media you can.  Give up your personal items.  Tell whoever you know that you've had to cut this person out of your life entirely and are not going to talk about her or your relationship any more.


Title: Bank wants to force me close a home equity loan ASAP.

Question:
About ten years ago I owned a house in Iowa. I took out a home equity line of credit for $60,000 and I was given a credit card to use. Within a couple of years, I paid off that loan, but the line of credit remained. A few years later I sold that house. Since I maintained an account with that bank, the line of credit remained, and the annual fee was charged to my savings account every year.

A couple of years ago, I used the line of credit and put about $50,000 on it. I have been making the monthly payments on time without issue.

Apparently though, that line of credit remained "connected" to the house I sold in Iowa. And now the owner of that house wants to sell that house and is threatening to sue me for using his house for a loan. The bank is not being helpful, just saying that it isn't their fault and I "should have known better". So no I am being forced to go to my savings account and close out a loan way earlier than comfortable for me.

Do I have any recourse here or is it really a matter of I "should have known better"? The bank kept taking an annual maintenance fee for the line of credit. Isn't it their fault that they kept the account open?

Answer:
 You sold the asset that secured a loan you voluntarily took out. Other than the minor issue of the buyer's title insurance missing the lien, this is all you. If you don't deal with this and settle, resecure, or refinance that line of credit somehow, the bank may try to foreclose on the house.

Then the buyer or their title company will sue you. Expensively.


Title: Dad cheated on mom, mutual divorce. Ways to ensure we are supported?

Question:
Alabama.

 This story is long as hell, I'm supposed to be studying right now but I can't get it out of my mind. So, this post is half vent half wanting advice.

Indian family living in America. My parent's oldest child (who is severely disabled, mentally and physically), my sister, lives in India with my aunt and uncle. This is because the medical expenses are cheaper there and because my aunt and uncle do not have children of their own.

Growing up, my dad was always kind of distant while my mom was closer. Despite him not really being a big part of our lives in terms of our childhood development, I knew he was always there for us and we were a generally happy family that was middle to upper middle class in a suburban area.

When I turned 11, shit hit the fan. My older sister, who was and is still living in India, got very sick. From 11-16, I basically grew up with my mom. Those entire 5 years, where he was constantly going back and forth between India and here, we thought he was sacrificing his time and energy for the sake of my older sister. We lost a lot of money on airfare, my mom had to work full time, night shifts to make ends meet. We were struggling with medical expenses, both my grandparents (India) had got and died of cancer during this time, my sister was in and out of the hospital, etc.

Now, at the time I thought I understood the sacrifices being made by both of my parents but recently information has come up that has been affecting the minds of my mom, me, and my younger sister.
During the times my dad was in India, he grew very distant to my mom. He had to start several businesses there to make ends meet, and while he did have stress he put an extraordinary amount of stress for my mom to handle. Now, on phone calls to my mom, my grandma (Dad's mom) would mention asking why my dad was in India. She would say that he was not really contributing to help my sister and that she'd rather have us over there for moral support with my Dad here making more money than he was in India.
At the time, mom didn't really question it. It was the ramblings of an old lady. She trusted in my dad that he was doing the right thing for our family.

Queue back 40 something years. My dad had this Ex growing up in India. She was attractive, but her family was also manipulative. Her mom didn't want my dad to get married to her because my dad was poor growing up. This Ex girlfriend stays in India when my dad leaves and meets my mom in America.

So, my dad ends up reconnecting with this Ex while in India. He met her once before, with my mom's permission, when I was around 2 or 3 to get a sense of closure. This time, though, when he went when my sister was sick he got very close with her. In his business, he let her build a small store in his complex. When my younger sister visited when my older disabled sister was sick, he took her out to the movies with his ex's daughter (She didn't remember this until recently, she was very young). All of this was without telling my mom. He hid that he was communicating with his ex, all while my mom was going through essentially hell here working long hours in the hospital trying to make ends meet. He also cheated on mom sexually with her 10+ times (private conversation between me and him).

When he came back to America for good, 2ish years ago, he seemed distant. He wasn't like he used to be before all the India shit and just wasn't the dad I had vague memories of. This is probably due to him losing emotional attachment with my mom, because I honestly thing he loves this ex of his more now (I am siderailing a little bit here). Also, this Ex is married and has a daughter which will be important in a second.

So 2 years go by, and my younger sister started finding these texts on his phone (she learned his password one day, and he was bad at covering his tracks). One of these convos was to his ex's daughter and the other was to his mom. She kept it in her head for a few months and wanted to ignore them, but during one fight (fights became more frequent because my mom felt emotionally disconnected from my dad.) she spilled the texts to mom. Facts began to surface. My dad had brought this Ex and her daughter, away from her husband, here to America. Within 30 minutes of us. He had been supporting them financially at the start and was doing things like giving them food and spending time with the lady. Probably sleeping with her during this time, but that is not known for 100% (only time it is known for sure was the 5 year span in India). More shit surfaces like him facetiming her for several hours during the week, meeting with her and talking with her at her job for several hours a week after his job is done. This is the root for my mom's angst with him and her lack of emotional support from him after the hell she had gone through.

My mom is looking into divorce now. She gave him several chances the last month for forgiveness if he was willing to move past his ex and apologize and rebuild their relationship (key: he acted like he would around us or sometimes shifted the blame to her for nagging etc, but whenever it came to talk to mom he would either start blaming her or be quiet. This whore of an ex along with my dad's terrible decisions has ruined my mom's life. This stress is getting to my younger sister and our close family. I am about to go to college so this situation does not affect me as much as them but still has been impacting me emotionally and educationally.
There is a lot more stuff, and I can update or edit this post later but this is just what I wanted to rant for now. I know it is long and has some unnecessary information and a lot of typos but It was just me venting my thoughts. I really just think this whole situation is crazy and is playing out like some stupid TV soap opera.

Also dad said he was ready for a mutual divorce and has a lawyer lined up. I felt like mom needed to find a family lawyer of her own and make dad come to that lawyer instead of the one he has (who he has worked with several times).

Also, financially we are relatively secure for the time being but want a back up plan in case he does not help us pay for our college and my sister's expenses in India. They want a quiet divorce but I feel like my mom still needs to be supported. Can there be repercussions in court for him cheating?

tl;dr: Dad cheated on mom in India. Bought the same girl to America within a 20 minutes drive and may or may not be cheating on mom with them still.

Currently they are looking at a mutual divorce. He has a lawyer lined up and I want to trust him, but I am not sure what he can get away with because my mom may not understand what will happen. Should she consult with a lawyer of her own? Thanks!

Answer:
 Yes she should consult with a lawyer of her own.Answer #2: This is neither here nor there, and is more "meta" than maybe it should be, but as a divorced parent, I am always so surprised at how involved some of the posters are with the details of their parents' divorces.

OP, you don't really give a lot of detail of your parents' finances, which is fine. But that's what the judge and the lawyers will look at and not so much whether your father's girlfriend is a "whore." Your mother will be entitled to a fair division of assets and probably some spousal support. With assets and earnings in two countries, this will be complex and costly and she will need an attorney with experience in these areas. Your disabled sister will likely be entitled to support from both parents. The court may or may not order your father to help pay your tuition; child support typically ends at age 18 and it was decided in 2013 (edit for clarity: Alabama Supreme Court) that parents do not have an obligation to pay for college.


Title: Crossing into Canada By Land with Baby

Question: My baby is 1.5 years old and I don't want to pay $105 for her passport.  We'd like to visit Niagra falls and would be driving from Buffalo New York.  Both my wife and I have passports.  Can I cross into Canada and back without a passport for my baby, with just her official birth certificate?

Answer: From what I can find, the baby may only require proof of citizenship. You can call 1-800-O-CANADA and they will tell you everything you need to know.


Title: Friend [20M] (CA) was assaulted, carjacked, then almost murdered. After the assailant has been convicted, what are suing options?

Question:
Hey all,

My friend was recently in one of the craziest situations I've ever heard and was curious to find out how much he should sue for. The attacker has been convicted of GTA, assault, attempted murder with a deadly weapon, and possibly some other charges. I'm not sure. My friend was at a light and was approached by this middle-aged male on a bike. My friend hopped out of the car to exchange words, was beaten to the ground and the attacker jumped in the car. My friend latched on to the door before he could take off, but was dragged at 30 mph before the attacker swerved him into a stationary car. The cops later apprehended the attacker. Anyway, he's suing for $150k and I wanted to know what you all thought. Thanks!

Answer:
 The suit is definitely possible.  He may also be able to get some of his costs taken care of by the California Victim Compensation Program:  http://vcgcb.ca.gov/victims/

The problem isn't winning the suit, it's about collecting an award.  Unless the perp is wealthy or has significant assets, this may be impossible.  Even after the perp is released odds that he will be making enough money to pay back your friends are pretty slim.


Title: What would prison time be like for me? [x-post]

Question:
I posted this elsewhere, and just trying to get the most accurate answer no matter how unpleasant.

-------------

I was in the military and had some injuries when I got out.  I have been out for a number of years, but have been drawing increasing levels of disability payments due to conditions getting worse.  My concern is that you see Social Security investigators go and arrest people because they were doing something that wasn't congruent with the level of disability they're supposed to be at.  My disabilities were recently proposed to be reduced and I'm not sure if maybe they put an investigator on my case (not sure even how to find out whether they did or didn't but my guess is I wouldn't know until it's too late).  Anyhow, I have had worsening health due to a combination of these conditions and I'm just at the lower end of normal weight, sometimes under-weight.  But definitely not in any condition to physically defend myself on a regular basis.  One of the conditions I have from service is anxiety, and the stress from thinking about this is making it worse.

So, realistically, what would I expect from being prosecuted for this (i.e. I'm caught walking without a cane when I'm supposed to have one, or caught out at a restaurant when I have problems socializing now, etc)?  What would my prison time be like for me?  Due to psychological issues I've had a lot isolation, and I don't think I'd be able to make friends easily.  Would that pretty much kill any chance I have of making it through prison?

Answer:
 Have you been knowingly defrauding the government (don't answer that if this isn't a throwaway)?  Otherwise it seems like a large leap in logic to go from 'walking without a cane' to being thrown in jail.  You sound a tad paranoid.  Wait, is this an attempt to get even more payments?Answer #2: So are you saying that you're currently committing disability fraud, or are you worried that you'll be accused of it wrongfully?  Because it's pretty unlikely they'd devote the time and resources to prosecute you if the only issue is that you're disabled but getting slightly more benefits than you're entitled.  But if you're actively engaged in defrauding them, you can face up to 5 years in prison plus fines.

As for how prison goes....I don't know, I've never been to federal prison.  But it's a financial crime, so you're looking at a minimum security facility, not getting locked up with drug cartel hitmen and serial rapists.


Title: My wife slipped and fell on melted gelato at a major shopping mall in Las Vegas

Question:
Yesterday, my wife slipped and fell on some melted gelato at a major shopping mall on the Las Vegas strip. She fell very hard and was crying. Security had her fill out a report and asked if she would like to see a medic. She said she was so embarrassed to be crying that she said no so that they would leave her alone.

Today she woke up and is still in significant pain mostly in her arm and back. She has been hurting her all day and thinks she needs to see a doctor. Since she declined the medic at the mall, does she still have any legal recourse if her injuries are severe? Should she wait till she returns home from vacation to see a doctor? We are on a limited income and have a high deductible on our insurance. I'm hoping that it isn't going to cost us too much money.

Any advice?

Answer: If she needs a doctor then go see one. But just because she slipped does not make the mall liable. If they were not on notice about the melted ice cream they are most likely not liable. Also, if it was obviously there they may not be liable.


Title: [UT] Was beaten up and had my phone broken at a movie theater, can I sue the theater or the person who beat me up?

Question:
Okay so I went to see hateful eight today, it was decent but I got a little bored around the start of chapter four so decided that when the next person walked in, I was gonna make my own fun, so someone eventually left for the restroom or wherever and when they came back in I shouted "HE'S GOT A GUN", lots of people screamed and tried to get out of their seats but they realized a couple seconds later that nobody had a gun and they started booing me, I thought it would have got a laugh so was kinda mad so went to the restroom to sort of relieve tension or whatever, but then when I was in a stall I heard some people come in and starting saying "where are you", I said "wheres who" and came out  of the stall. at this point, they started ragging on me and even tho i fell to the floor they kept hitting me and they went on to take the iphone out of my pocket and smash it against the floor, breaking it. they eventually left after said some more rude things.

i didn't get seriously beat up, i just had a bit of a scratch on my cheek and a sore rib, but my phone is smashed, and I need to know if I can get compensation and damages for the assault and breaking my phone or whatever it might be from the theater owner or maybe I can get the surveillance cameras looked to find who these people were and then sue them?

Answer:
 This is not a real post.

If this is a real post, you can file a police report and sue the person who broke your phone, but you can get in trouble as well for what you did.


Title: Girlfriend's dad is offering $20k from settlement, but owes $70k+ in child support

Question:
My girlfriend's dad (let's call him Bill) hasn't been around most of her life and owes $70k+ in child support. She's 20 now. Bill was injured in a work accident a few years back, and is now receiving $120k from the settlement. He said he'd write her a check for $20k. She desparately needs money right now for school and bills, so she's eager to accept it.

Her mom has been around most of her life, and her stepdad (Ted) has been in and out, but imo he's just as bad as her father. He is very greedy and has substance abuse problems, and hasn't provided much support (both emotionally and financially).

Today, Ted called her and told her that she should turn down the
check, and do it through child support. He claims to know that Bill's attorney told him if he gave her $20k from the settlement, the child support would be cleared. We don't know if this is true or not, or if Ted's just talking out of his ass to somehow get some of the child support.

So my question is this - should she accept the $20k check, have him do the $20k through child support, or fight for the $70k+ he owes in child support? And if any money is put through child support, is she entitled to everything, or could Ted get some?

I can provide additional info as needed.

Thanks!

Edit: Live in Ohio, USA

Answer:
 Ted is talking out of his ass. If Bill pays the money as child support, then it is your girlfriend's mom who will receive it -- she is entitled to the money as reimbursement for the child support Bill did not pay while she was still a minor.

If Bill chooses to give your girlfriend $20k from his settlement, it will have absolutely no effect on his outstanding child support debt. Nothing Bill gives to your girlfriend will go against his support obligation, because your girlfriend is not entitled to the child support, even though she is now an adult. Answer #2: Dad owes 70K to the Mom. Daughter accepts the 20K and Dad still owes Mom 70K. Answer #3: Child support is owed to a *parent*, not a child, it is just supposed to be earmarked for the benefit of the children. If this goes through child support, the money would ultimately go to her custodial parent(s), even if she's a legal adult.

I'm not aware of any state where this is different, but you should provide your state as well just to confirm.


Title: Landlord says he's moving back in on Sunday. What do I do?

Question:
We've been renting from my mother's boyfriend since October. We pay for two bedrooms and exclusive use of the living room. His son, who rents a basement room, has also been pushing for us to leave because he has a pregnant girlfriend and is trying to get custody of his son. We were informed a few weeks ago that we would have to leave in the near future and requested 60 days notice. This was agreed to.

We still  have not been given notice. My mother denied her boyfriend sex last night and he became angry. He told her that he's moving back into the house we live in on Sunday. He also claims to have pictures of diapers and wipes covered in poop left out in the open and that we generally keep the house in a disgusting state. He says his son is unable to bring his child here because the house is filthy. The house is messy, but not to an unreasonable degree. Poop diapers are always put in the diaper pail immediately. I admit to leaving wet diapers out of reach, especially if I'm rushing out for the day. They certainly do not pile up. He seems to be implying that he's going to report us to child services, but did not do so openly. He has previously threatened to turn utilities off, too.

What are our rights and options? What do I do if he shows up with his stuff on Sunday? My SO just wants to leave, but I think what he's doing is illegal and would entitle us to compensation so I'm reluctant to just leave.

Answer: If you're only renting bedrooms, you do not have the right to block him from entering the house and he has the right to move into any other room there.


Title: [WI] Fire alarm was pulled in my building, manager is trying to give me the $1000 fine.

Question:
Last Friday night I threw a small party. There were under 20 people over. The party was going great until the security guard came banging on my door saying that everyone who isn't a resident needs to leave. I thought it was a noise complaint but later found out that someone had pulled the alarm in the elevator. The manager assumes it was someone from my room, but it is a pretty big building full of college students so it really could have been anyone. I genuinely don't think anyone from my party did it. There are a few cameras in the building but none near my room or in my hallway.
What should I do exactly to fight this fine? I am speaking with the manager of the building once I get off of work at 5pm today.

Thanks for any help ~

Wisconsin, USA

Answer:
 don't speak with the building manager either. they're just going to bully you. ignore LL or refuse him. he can sue if he thinks he's got proof. Answer #2: UPDATE: Thank you for all of the advice. I ended up going to talk with the community manager of our building. I requested video evidence of the suspect pulling the alarm, video evidence of the suspect leaving my apartment, a list of the guests I had checked in (I already know there was just 1 I actually checked it).

She went from savage mode to calm really quickly after I stated my case. Every time she asked me for information I told her I did not want to incriminate myself and allow her to extract information from me.

She requested that I meet with her tomorrow and she will show me the video evidence.... Apparently she just wants to find out who it was and is requesting my help.

Also, she said that they haven't received a fine from the police yet, but that they still might (usually it is $1000 according to her).

Does it sound like a trap or do you think I am in the clear?Answer #3: Since you're a tenant in Wisconsin, you have the option of contacting the Wisconsin Tenant Resource Center.  They've been pretty underfunded in recent years, but still a great source of information for tenants in that state.

www.tenantresourcecenter.orgAnswer #4: be honest, you don't know who pulled the fire alarm and your landlord probably doesn't either. he can sue you but he's not winning without proof


Title: Party

Question: I'm underage and throwing a new years party. If cops show up to shit down the party do I have to show them my ID? Also, do they have the right to enter my home if I say no? Any advice on me throwing a party with people who aren't 21 would also help.

Answer: If they have probable cause of underage drinking they can enter the home, you will need to show ID if they ask for it.


Title: PA. Ex fiance from 8 years ago keeps using me as references on defaulted loans

Question:
My ex from 8 years ago continuously is using me as reference for loans. I am constantly getting calls from debt collectors looking for him. I have not been connected in any way to this man for 8+ years.

I know the easy option would be "change your number" I cannot change my business number. It's just not an option for me. Is there anything legally I can do to stop him from doing this? It's getting very annoying considering these collectors do not stop even when I say "I do not have any association to that person"

These loans are current to this year.

Answer:
 If they are still calling after you ask then to stop then they are breaking the law.

You can contact the ftc and complain.

https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/fair-debt-collection-practices-act-text


Title: Student housing drama, please help

Question:
Hi all, this is my first Reddit post so bare with me. I moved into a student housing apartment with a few friends under a year lease. My lease runs out in August, I haven’t really lived there since January when I moved in with my boyfriend, I continued paying rent because it was easier than trying to find someone to take it over.

I didn’t research the apartment complex prior to moving in because my friends asked them to join them last minute and I simply hadn’t made other arrangements due to Covid. It was a four bedroom apartment and by bedroom. I had my dog on the lease and another roommate did as well. As time went by the four person apartment became a seven person apartment with two additional dogs not on the lease.

As I said I haven’t really been there much since January, two of my roommates who were actually on the lease had a shorter lease as they were initially planning on returning home for the summer. Last month four of them and two of the dogs moved out. Days later I get an email (and several missed calls) from the apartment complex while I was at work, I called back when I got off and they informed me that the apartment was “dirty and had an odor so the new tenant did not want to move in.” I informed them that I didn’t have anything in the apartment, my room was empty and I hadn’t been there since January, they informed me they put it in my file.

Immediately after I got off the phone I noticed a text from one of my roommates telling me that he had been lying the the complex saying his dog (that wasn’t on the lease) was actually my dog (that was). (Not to mention I already have to deep clean my carpets because my roommates allowed their dogs to use my room as a bathroom after I had left). I called back and informed them that this wasn’t the case as I simply can’t afford damages not caused by myself or my dog. They then informed me that any damages to common areas will only fall on me and roommate D since “roommates A and B’s lease ended last month and they didn’t do a walk through so they can’t charge roommates A and B now anyway.” I’m not sure how the walk through right after they moved out to check for the new roommate to move in doesn’t count.

Sorry for the long post but is there anything I can do? I’m also not certain as the state of the apartment as I haven’t really been there but am traveling into town tomorrow to try to deep clean my carpets and turn my keys in. I’m just confused how damages to the common spaces only fall onto half of the people simply because of a two month difference in the duration of our leases.

Answer:
 It depends on what your lease says.  I don't claim to be a specialist in your jurisdiction, but generally it will hold everyone on the lease liable for all damages, as it can be hard to collect from every person on the lease.

That does not mean you're responsible for the whole amount; it means the lessor can collect the whole amount from you and it's your responsibility to collect what the other lessees owe, not theirs.  In other words, you don't have a landlord problem, you have a (former) roommate problem.

As said at the beginning, this depends on what your lease says and the laws in your local jurisdiction, so consult those before making any decision.  And, if this progresses beyond phone calls to legal demands, get a lawyer.  Good luck.


Title: Help me! Family trying to manipulate court and have me sectioned. (Massachusetts)

Question: Long story short - I live at home with my mother. I am currently disabled / unable to work due to a myriad of mental health issues. I don't have a car right now (another long story) and I live in the suburbs so, I unfortunately don't go all that far from home and have been a bit reclusive as a result. I don't drink or use drugs. I have battled with SI (suicidal ideation) in the past and have always been honest about it and sought out professional care. I've had myself sectioned a few times now and have no regrets about it. I saved my own life and that is something I'm proud of myself for doing. The issue this time around however does not have to do with me being a threat to myself or anyone else -- nor have I made any such statements. Unfortunately, my brother (who is also a lawyer) decided to get involved in a disagreement that my mother and I were having. Things ended with him threatening to go to the court and have me sectioned against my will should I display any behavior he finds "unacceptable". When I asked him to elaborate re the "unacceptable" he said it could be as small and stupid as getting angry. These types of control and threats have been increasing in number recently so I decided to start recording audio of these interactions to protect myself. Thankfully I was recording this time so I have some proof. I have other recordings as proof of their gas lighting attempts as well. Please please please help. How do I protect myself further and what in the hell do I do next?

Answer:
 Massachusetts is a two party consent state for recording conversations.  If you didn't inform him that you were recording him those recordings are illegal and inadmissible and you could find yourself in trouble.

[https://recordinglaw.com/party-two-party-consent-states/massachusetts-recording-laws/](https://recordinglaw.com/party-two-party-consent-states/massachusetts-recording-laws/)

Continue with your therapy and see if the doctor will write you a note that says they don't see a need for inpatient treatment.  Massachusetts also has *very* strict criteria for you to be admitted against your will.  The biggest being a danger to yourself or others.  You getting angry doesn't meet that criteria, if it did then everyone would have to be committed against their will.  The law also says that you are eligible for involuntary commitment if you can't or won't seek help on your own.  You've already done that.  If they go through with the threat then you have to be examined by a mental health professional.  If that professional disagrees with your family then they are SOL.

File a police report about the threats and attempted blackmail.  Don't mention the recordings unless your brother knew about them in advance.

Your brother is full of it.  The next time you have a conversation inform him you are recording it.  If he continues to talk to you, then you are good because by not leaving the conversation he consented to being recorded.

[https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/massachusetts](https://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/massachusetts)

[https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVII/Chapter123/Section12](https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXVII/Chapter123/Section12)


Title: (Utah) Mother on disability due to terminal illness having potential problems after being asked on a date by person who worked at the disability office.

Question:
We are in Utah. Asking for someone else--obvious from the title. I am hoping someone can offer me some advice to pass onto my aging mother. She is very stressed because of this whole situation and losing her disability, which took years and thousands of dollars to begin receiving, would destroy her life as well as my little sister's (who still lives at home and is a minor) life.
This all started about a month ago when she went into the disability office to potentially try to receive food stamps due to very limited income and having a teenage daughter at home. She sat down in an office and talked to a government employee for about an hour and he said everything seemed to look good.
Immediately after leaving the office she started receiving strange texts which ended up being that employee who had been working with her. Evidently he wanted to go on a date with her. I don't know how all of this went exactly but apparently she turned him down and was thoroughly creeped out.
Fast forward to her receiving a ton of information that she needs to refill out or she will lose her disability as well as medicare/money she gets for my sister. This process is extremely lengthy and tons of backup info is needed. Apparently she is currently not going to receive her check in July.
She is really afraid because the last time she did this paperwork on her own she was rejected. She used a lawyer (expensive) and was then accepted. She does not have the money on hand to use a lawyer again and if she does not receive the expected money this month she won't make her bills which could lead to losing her house/going hungry.
Any and all advice is welcome. I love to browse this sub and I'm hoping you can offer some advice. I personally could probably front the money for a lawyer visit if it is worthwhile but otherwise she is planning on skipping a week of her easy, part time job in order to try to get this massive amount of paperwork submitted before July.
Thanks r/legaladvice!

Answer:
 This person is violating Utah law. I would contact the police and/or the  State's Attorney General's office

http://www.rules.utah.gov/publicat/code/r156/r156-60a.htm

R156-60a-502. Unprofessional Conduct.

(9) failing to establish and maintain professional boundaries with a client or former client;


Title: [ON, Canada] Is my new landlord breaking the law?

Question:
I live in a 3 unit building, a few months ago the building was sold to another rental company. a few days after it sold, a manager came to the building and offered me and the other 2 tenants an option to renovate the unit in exchange for market rent, they both agreed but I denied since my rent would go from $825 to $1400.

Their units were completely renovated in under 2 weeks. A month later, I get a notice that my unit is going to be renovated and I would have to vacate while this is happening. I went to the LTB and they sided with the landlord. I packed my stuff and moved out into a friends house. Its been a 1 and a half months, the landlord/manager almost never answers his phone and when he does he says its "taking some time to order the materials". I went to the unit to check what has been done, and nearly nothing has been changed. All the counters and floors were removed and thats it.

&#x200B;

I talked to the other tenants and they said there hasn't been anyone here since 3 weeks ago. I was told this was going to be temporary and I cant stay at my friends house for much longer. My only other option is to get a new apartment but they dont allow month to month so I would have to sign a lease and pay market rate which I cant afford right now. What can I do about this, legally?

Answer:
 Not a lawyer. The application to go after the landlord for bad faith is [a T5](http://www.sjto.gov.on.ca/documents/ltb/Tenant%20Applications%20&%20Instructions/T5_Instructions_20180101.pdf), but it requires that the landlord gave the notice in bad faith, and never intended to repair the unit. Given that the floors are out already, it seems like it would be a difficult case to make, but if you exercised your right of first refusal, you might be able to make the argument that the landlord gave up on the repairs because they don't want to continue your lease, which they would be required to do under the Act, but I don't know if that would succeed. You may find [these cases](https://www.canlii.org/en/#search/type=decision&text=bad%20faith&origin1=%2Fen%2Fon%2Flaws%2Fstat%2Fso-2006-c-17%2Flatest%2Fso-2006-c-17.html&nquery1=residential%20&section1=50) helpful.

If you did give notice of the right of first refusal, you should also look and try to see if the unit has been advertised for rent already, as that would indicate a violation of your right. The same form is used for an application about that. Especially if this is the case, you may reasonably be able to request that the Board order that the landlord complete the renovations and offer you the opportunity to re-lease it.


Title: Is it possible to make a DNA request for a baby that i know is mine?

Question:
I broke up with my baby’s mom. When the baby was born I was there for birth but did not get to sign the paper the next day. The other day she threatened to take me to court for custody but she changed her mind. Chances are she will say this again some day soon and I would like to request a DNA test before we go to court. I would like to have a DNA test through law without going to court. How can I request one?
(Illinois)

Answer:
 > I would like to have a DNA test through law without going to court.

That's not a thing, in any jurisdiction I'm aware of. If the mother's uncooperative and you have reason to believe you are the father, you'll have to petition the courts for a paternity test order.Answer #2: You can request one all day long, and mom can tell you to get lost. You didn't state your location, but generally, you will need to get a court order, through family court, to get a paternity test.Answer #3: You can hire a lawyer and file for custody.Answer #4: What is your ultimate end goal here? You establish paternity or not, and then what?Answer #5: Outside of court, you have no way whatsoever to force the mother to agree to a paternity test. You can ask her and she is free to tell you no. If you want one done, you will have to get it done through the courts.


Title: [Nebraska]School told me I need a letter from a Rabbi to wear headcovering.

Question:
[Background] So, I'm a Jewish woman. I got married in October, and many Jewish women chose to cover their hair after marriage. I did. I started a 2 year BSN program last year, and started covering after Thanksgiving break. During the Spring semester, I had ankle surgery, and school allowed me to make up clinical hours over the summer. I just finished up on Monday, and had my clinical eval with two professors today.

[Problem] At the end of my eval, one of the professors, C, told me that they had recently changed their dress code policy to include head coverings, and that I would need a letter from my Rabbi in order to continue to wear one. If a Rabbi was not available, a personal statement may be acceptable. I asked for some clarification, and I was told that this was to protect me, so that I don't feel ostracized, and so that when I go over to the hospital for clinical, that people don't wonder why I'm wearing it, or if I have cancer or something. They stated that they did not know why I covered, or why I started when I did, and when I explained it a bit, they still insisted that I would need a letter. C told me that this would also be the policy for a student who wore a *hand motions to mean hijab*.

 Yes. Cancer. What if I did have cancer? These people are supposed to be nurses. We had a whole unit on respecting diversity and religions.

So, since then, I have asked for the policy and received it. It does not even mention the word headcovering. When I asked for clarification on the policy, I was told that it was not directly mentioned, but that it would fall under "professionalism". I've contacted the compliance officer who is escalating the whole issue to a higher up. Since it's Friday afternoon, that may have to wait until Monday, which is when classes start.

What do I do? What can I do? Obviously, they lied about the policy, but is this also illegal?

Answer:
 Not to be too blunt, but this is straight up anti-semitism/anti-islam.

Professionalism, my ass.

They probably think that your tichel is similar to a Hijab.  What they are doing is unequivocally intolerance related and bears no relationship to professional attire.


Title: Ex Husband Primary on joint bank account

Question: My ex husband is the primary on our old joint bank account. He has refused to close it and the account has now been overdrawn about $300. The bank sent several letters over the last 30 days and I’ve texted him each time and says he’ll “take care of it”. Yesterday another letter came saying it may be sent to collections. Is there anything that I can do short of paying it? The bank said I cannot close the account since I’m not the primary.

Answer:
 That may not be a joint account. As far as I'm aware, joint accounts tend to have equal control/ownership. Anyone named on them can deposit, withdraw, and/or close the account without even letting the other owners know, let alone even getting permission. There are exceptions that are for specific purposes and others that require sigs from all owners on all transactions. Doesn't sound like you have any of those.

Source: Worked in bank a little over 10 years ago. Caveat: It was over 10 years ago.

TLDR; find out the EXACT type of account that is. It doesn't sound like a traditional joint account.


Title: My family member's house was shot at after they won a court case over a traffic accident [IL]

Question:
Location: Cook County, Illinois, US

A few months ago I had a family member who was rear ended by someone. My family member took this person to court, and won. I'm not sure on the details of this case, but the person who lost was obviously visibly unhappy about the entire situation, and verbally aggressive towards my family member. They did not make any direct threats.

Shortly after this incident, my family found two bullet holes in two different cars in their driveway. One bullet was easily recovered because it was lodged in the windshield. We called the police immediately. The police took reports, and the bullet we recovered, and briefly looked around the area for more damage. No other damage was found.

We are obviously very shaken by this because the cars are parked directly in front of their house, and there were children sleeping in the house the night this shooting occured. We are nearly certain that this shooting was a result of the traffic accident/court case my family member was invovled in. My family has no other enemies (they are not very social) and this sort of thing (driveby shootings) are unheard of in the neighborhood this took place in. It's a very nice neighborhood, its extremely unlikely this was random.

We have not heard anything from the police since we initially called them. Is there any further action we can take?

I realize it's probably best to let this situation rest, rather than kicking the hornets nest. But I at least wanted to poke around here and see what our options are. **It just feels wrong that someone can shoot at someone else's house after a court case and get away with it**, especially when its so obvious who it was.

Thank you for your time.

Answer:
 > especially when its so obvious who it was.

The problem is that it's not at all "obvious" to an impartial observer.  There needs to be *evidence*.

You can push the police to follow up.  Call them every week and ask for updates.  And talk to your neighbors yourself and make sure if you learn anything you provide that information to the police.  Ask about security cameras.  Ask if anyone remembers hearing gunshots.

Also, the guy has constitutional rights.  So the police can't (say) search his home or car for a gun, or search his cell phone for GPS records to prove he committed this crime, without a warrant, which requires probable cause, which requires *some* basis greater than your suspicions.  Like, even if the guy had threatened your family that would be something: right now there is *nothing*.

Ultimately the police may decide it's not worth investigating any further at some point because they feel it's unlikely to lead to anything.

I would suggest your family get some security cameras to cover their driveway and the street in front of their house.  At least that way if he comes back you can prove *that*.


Title: Evicting my mother in law

Question: My mother in law has lived with us since June. She picked up on some old habits, and has become mentally and emotionally abusive to my wife, and us doing it around my young children. We need her out. I live in Pennsylvania. There seems to be some confusion on my next steps. She does not have a lease, nor any term limit. If I understand correctly, in PA, that makes it a month to month lease. Which, after I write an order to quit,  gives her 15 days to be out. Am I correct in that? If I understand past that, if she doesn't leave, I have to file an order to evict at the expiration of 15 days. Is there anything else I can/should do? Getting her out as quickly as possible is imperative for the health of my wife and kids. I'm in new territory here.

Answer:
 It sounds like she is escalating, so keep in mind: if your wife's mother commits a crime, call the police. That includes property destruction, throwing things at a person, physical assault, threats, etc. Don't engage, just remove yourself and your children from immediate harm, and call the police. If she's in jail, you'll still have to follow proper procedures for evicting, but... she'll be in jail, not your house. Answer #2: Well I believe in PA you can do a notice for 10 days if she hasn't paid rent and their was an agreement to. But with this if she does pay then that notice no longer applies.

Give her the 15 days and if she is not out then as you put file for eviction. This is going to be the fastest way possible. If you let her stay for longer than a year it would then you would then require a 30 day notice. But what you have above is the best way to go about this


Title: I used my dads credit card and I think I'm gonna get caught...

Question: I had ordered some items on amazon with my dads credit card , a weed grinder and a pipe, and my dad asked me if I ha bought stuff off his credit card and I said no so he ended up filing a fraud report and he asked me again if I did it and I replied again with no. Keep in mind I made a new amazon account with none of my personal info on it . Im 13 and i know its bad that I'm buying that type of stuff but I'm scared that I'm gonna get caught. So under the circumstances I'm in will I get caught, and what will happen if I get caught? Also all of the items have already been delivered so will I have to give them back?

Answer: Better own up... better to be In  trouble w dad than the police...Answer #2: A little young to already be ruining your life with fraud don’t you think? Weed really isn’t that important.Answer #3: You're gonna get caught. It's best if you tell your dad what happened and have him stop the fraud claim


Title: How to find out where Airbnb banks in Arizona

Question:
It's a long story, but the short version is that I won a small claims case against Airbnb (Airbnb - Payments Corporation Service Company to be more specific) here in Tucson (Pima County). Although I won, they don't want to pay! So, I have to figure out where the do their banking here in AZ so that I can file the paperwork to garnish their bank account. Does anyone know what steps I'd need to figure out what bank they use?

Thanks to anybody who can help me out with this!

[EDIT]
I've heard a number of people mentioning that I may of named the defendant incorrectly. As far as I can tell, I did name them properly, here's the link to them in the Arizona Corporation Commission http://ecorp.azcc.gov/Details/Corp?corpId=F20282200 . Now that I'm looking closer at the documents they filed, I feel pretty fairly confident I have the right entity http://corporations.images.azcc.gov/05205711.pdf .

It goes without saying that Airbnb is a fraudulent corporation that nobody should ever use, and I'll be filing a debtor's exam very soon! Wish me luck, and thanks so much for all the help!

Answer: Write them a small check and see which bank cashes it.Answer #2: Alternatively you can hire a collections agency to collect for you if you cannot do it yourself, but they will charge a fee over the amount to collect.


Title: [Michigan] The owner where I work has been deducting money from everyone's pay for health insurance but he never actually enrolled us in it.

Question:
My location is Michigan and I'm really hoping someone here can help me with this. I don't even know where to start or anything.

When Obamacare got made law the owner of the place where I work said he would give us all benefits through work. We all had to sign papers and we got a letter from the insurance company that we were all enrolled. Now the company is small and besides the owner only 24 people work here. I got in a bad car accident with a drunk driver and I was in the hospital. But they still sent me a bill and when I showed them the letter from the insurance company they took it but then they told me the insurance company said I was never enrolled with them even though me and the other people at work had money taken from our pay.

I told my friend from work. She called the insurance company and they said the same thing to her. Now everyone at my work has called and they were all told the same thing. A few people have had their or their kids teeth cleaned or needed the odd prescription but the owner just told them to submit the claims to him and then they got the money paid to them by a check from an LLC. The amounts were not that much and someone looked into it and the owner owns the LLC and one of the manager says the owner probably kept all the money and paid the small amounts so no one would notice. No one ever claimed a big amount like me and now I am screwed because I never bought other insurance because I thought I had it at work and my bill is more then what I make in a year. The owner wasn't at work last week and he won't answer his phone. I called the police and they told me someone will come talk to me but it hasn't happened yet and in the meantime I have no way to pay the hospital and they keep asking for money.

Answer: If you can't afford a lawyer, or even if you can, you should talk to the MI department of labor.  They can help you determine the best course of action and won't cost you anything.  [Link](http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-11407_59886-39617--,00.html)


Title: Company I work for is removing far too much from commissions check.

Question: There isn't much to this, I work for a telecommunications company that's pretty large (USA) and we get a commission based off of how much we sell. There is a system in place that takes a small percentage out if the sales don't meet the goals required for the month. The major issue I'm having is that I made well over $300 in commission, and only received $90 from the company. My last check was $135 from a commission base of $255. What should I do in this situation?

Answer:
 No one is going to be able to help without knowing the specific terms of the commission agreement and the breakdowns of what sales were made and what targets were missed. You'll need to bring it before a local contract or employment law attorney; but for such a small amount, you'll have difficulty finding one to work on contingency or cheap enough to be worthwhile.

Why are they withholding? Are they saying it's because you missed targets, taxes, or both?


Title: Quit my job and still getting paid.

Question: Hello guys, I resigned from my employer on August 15th and should have received my final paycheck on 8/21. I hadn't really been checking my bank account because I knew I wouldn't have any more deposits for awhile. After looking today I noticed I had actually received two additional full checks. Now let me say this,  I HAVE NO INTENTION IN KEEPING THE MONEY.  It is not mine, as I did not earn it. However, I have several deductions that were typically taken out such as, taxes, 401k plan, health insurance, life insurance, and a 401k loan repayment. I am worried that they will try to make me pay back all these deductions, as a consequence for THEIR mistake.  What should I say or do to ensure this doesn't happen?  Also, what steps do I take to ensure my W2 is corrected once the funds are reversed? I live in Florida if that has any bearing in the matter. Thank you for your time.

Answer: It shouldn't be complicated at all for them to reverse those transfers and take back the deductions. The sooner you let them know about the error, the more likely it is that it can be solved with minimal headache. However, there will be no grounds for them to hold you accountable for those deductions.


Title: [Colorado] Apartment complex has new owners, now I'm seeing a bunch of new charges on my rent bill?

Question:
Hello everyone.  I'll try to keep everything concise and to the point.

My girlfriend and I moved into an apartment in August, and signed a lease that's good until May.  We have water and electricity to our apartment set up through the local utility provider.  Our rent, as per the lease, is $1260/month + $60 pet rent, and that is what we have been paying since August.

The complex was sold to a new owner in, IIRC, November.  We paid our December rent of $1320 as usual.  I went to go pay rent today, and I am seeing a bunch of charges that have never shown up before.  These include things like "Gas $ 0.98, Sewer $1.14, Admin $5.03, Water $24.32" etc, for a total of around $55.75.

When I get home, I am going to review my lease to see if it says I am responsible for any of these costs.  Given that in our previous 4 rent payments none of these charges existed, I'm not expecting to find anything saying that we are responsible for these charges.

So, onto questions:

1) Is there anything in particular I should be looking for as I review my lease?  Anything in particular that would authorize these charges?

2) Assuming I don't find anything in the lease authorizing these charges, should I be looking for anything that explicitly excludes these charges?

3) Assuming that these charges are not legitimate, what is the best course of action?  I intend to contact the leasing office via email and ask what the hell is up.  SHould I pay only what I owe (rent + pet rent), or pay what the property management company says I owe (rent + pet rent + tons of associated small fees)?

ANy other advice/comments?

Thanks for your time

EDIT:  Found an addendum to my lease.  It states that some of the things I'm now being charged for are billed to the property and then rebilled to me (like sewer), so those I will pay for.  However, it expressly says that I will be billed directly for electricity, which is in conflict with the property management trying to bill me extra for that.

Answer: Your first step is to ask the new owners what the charges are.  It could very well be an error on their part.


Title: CT: 16yo cashier having sex with assistant manager

Question:
TL;DR at the bottom because I'm not sure how long this will be.

In January of this year, my younger sister (17 at the time) confided in me that she's been in a 'relationship' with one of her bosses (7+ years older) for several months. At the time it started, she was 16 years old and he was the assistant manager where she worked as a cashier. I knew him because I worked at the same place at one point in the past. There are many reasons that I don't like him as a person, one of which is that he is very manipulative.
He gave her different types of marijuana products (a weed vape thing, lollipops, cookies, etc). She had never even seen any sort of drug until she started hanging out with him. He encouraged her to get high at work, have sex in her car before/after work, lie to our parents and sneak out, etc.
I had concerns also because he was living in his girlfriend's parents' basement at the time. He was cheating on his girlfriend with my 16-year-old sister. He told my sister he loves her, that they're perfect together, but for months, went home to be with his girlfriend. Turns out, he also cheated on his previous girlfriend with his current girlfriend, and is now cheating on that girlfriend with my sister.
Anyway, I told my parents because I was concerned about her and have no influence over her actions; I could only give her advice. My parents were obviously upset, had her under house arrest for a few months; my dad even bought cameras to put around the house because she had also been sneaking him to her room while nobody was home (can't exactly sneak your 16yo side piece into your girlfriend's parents' house I guess). My dad wanted to take legal action, but my sister got very upset and promised to break up with him. She texted him and sent us screenshots of the conversation, so we assumed it was over.
Flash forward to the current month:
She just turned 18 this past week. I downloaded Venmo to send my friend some money, and I see that this man sent her some money. I called her and tell her what I saw, and she told me that now that she's 18, she was planning on telling me and hoping that I would support her. They've been having *relations* the whole time, he orchestrated the lie to tell my parents. She no longer works with him, and apparently he has no job and broke up with his girlfriend and now lives with his mom. Sounds like a great dude. He keeps asking me and my boyfriend, through my sister, to meet with him and he’ll be able to “change [our] perspective”. I don’t want to see him in person ever again.
My parents were thinking of taking some sort of legal action when they first heard about it, but like I said before, she begged them not to. Is it possible to do something about it now, in regard to what has already happened? I googled and found out the age of consent in CT is 16, UNLESS the older party is an authority figure (which he was), and that raises the age of consent to 18.

TL;DR: At age 16 my sister began having sex with the assistant manager where she worked as a cashier. He gave her tons of marijuana & edibles, helped her lie to our parents, snuck into my parents’ house when they weren’t around, etc. He cheated on his first girlfriend with his second girlfriend, and then was cheating on his second girlfriend with my 16-year-old sister. Parents forced her to break up with him, and now she’s 18 and revealed to me she’s continued to sneak out and meet with him the whole time. What can we do?

Answer:
 The age of consent in CT is 16, so this is more of a /r/relationships question than a legal advice question. The "position of authority" argument is quite weak and combined with her likely refusal to cooperate with an investigation, it will likely not go anywhere legally.

I would stick to giving your sister advice and support - she will need it.

> I downloaded Venmo to send my friend some money, and I see that this man sent her some money.

How exactly did you see that the man sent your sister money?