Title: My ex charged hundreds of dollars to my debit card from an app

Question: I got several emails on my Google account, receipts from purchases I had not made. Altogether, it added up to $300 for Pokemon Go. When I was still with my girlfriend, I let her add my card to her Google play account when she was short on money. I texted her about it and she says it was a mistake, she didn't check which card she was using and she would pay me back on Friday. I am skeptical, to put it lightly. How should I handle this? We live in Alabama.

Answer: Promissary note. And if you texted her and she promised to pay you back via text, I think that shows intent to repay, so you may not even need the note


Title: Got billed $22K for a treatment I probably didn't need

Question:
This was a while ago, but I never investigated this, and I'm still paying the bill so I thought it was still worth asking at least.

So Feb 26 2017, I was walking around a park the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco when I got bit by a squirrel on my hand. I had minor scratches, but a passerby told me I should visit ER anyway so I did. They gave me tetanus shots and rabies shots. A few weeks later, I got a bill from UCSF that was $22K. My employer's insurance started Mar 1, (2 days after the incident) and they told me they would not retroactively cover it, despite the fact my employment started Feb 6.

In the end, I argued with the hospital for months to get the bill down to $5.5K, and pay $20/month, which means this is going to go on until I'm in my 50s. Financial aid isn't something I'm qualified for income-wise. I would think that's a satisfactory resolution, which I guess is why I have never asked this on the forum, but I know there's never been a documented case of rabies spreading through squirrels. My new doctor even mentioned that in his 10 years of practice, he would not advise a patient to get rabies shot because of a squirrel.

Is this something I have any legal grounds to sue for malpractice? Any avenues for me to get the rest of my remaining debt forgiven?

Answer:
 Rabies should be considered in any animal acting out of character for the species. Squirrels don't generally bite humans, so any biting squirrel likely has something wrong with it.

They may also have suspected that you dont know a squirrel from a groundhog, that do carry rabies.

One way or another they were cautious but not ridiculous, and you consented to the treatment.Answer #2: This isn't malpractice.Answer #3: Any malpractice case requires there to have been a breach of the standard of care. I've never heard of a med-mal case arising out of a belt-and-suspenders treatment plan, but that's a specialized practice area (and not one of mine), so I could just be uninformed.

In any event, only a CA med-mal lawyer can tell you whether you have a viable case, and that will require a consultation with a doctor, so there might be a large up-front cost (either to you or to the lawyer). But call around. You never know.

Good luck.


Title: [CAN] item broke at a party, who is liable?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > They said they needed to rip up carpet, redo walls, and a ton of excess that I don't think needed to be done

First, unless you're a contractor who has inspected the site, you have no ability to say this.

Second, if it flooded, then replacing the carpet and repairing the walls is minimally necessary.  There are lots of other potential issues.

>  Is it possible to get out of this since it wasn't attached to the room?

You mean, can you get away with destroying someone else's property because you feel like it?  No, you can't.  You did the damage, right?  Then it's on you and/or her, as the party owner.


Title: HOV Ticket while Defensively Driving

Question:
I'm located in Southern California and I received an HOV ticket in March of 2017. I was coming home down from the 805 south and the freeways was extremely congested because there was construction on the 52 freeway for the 'MoveSanDiegoFoward" construction project. This freeway has 6 lanes - 5 standards lanes and 1 HOV. With the construction in place there was only 3 lanes open (2 standard and 1 HOV). I was in the first lane for about 3 minutes and got the chance to merge to the second so I took the opportunity as it was safe for me to merge, but as I was pulling forward, the car in front of me stop faster than I was expecting so I moved to the HOV lane inadvertently to avoid a collision/breaking too hard. I was going to merge back into the lanes, but it was never safe for me to do so since it was extremely congested like I stated previously. I saw sign that said the HOV lane was ending in less than 1/2 a mile, so I proceeded on less than 15 mph. I see a left turn signal on in the second lane to merge in the HOV, I was slowing down to let them in, but unbenounced to me it was a courteous highway patrol officer who turn pulled me over. I merged over to the left shoulder safely to receive my violation.

I've had my license for almost a year and half. After completed a teen smart driving course to help me become a safer driver and that definitely came into play with this incident. I don't break traffic laws like excessively speeding or running lights/stop signs. This is my first ever traffic violation. Also, this ticket is stopping my Army enlistment, I have a hearing this Friday and wanted to know some advice to either reduce my ticket down $480 (min is $410) or have it dismissed as I am a good Samaritan, I was the Key Club president as my school last year for crying out loud. I know that has no legal premise but I feel justified in getting this case dismissed.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 >  I know that has no legal premise but I feel justified in getting this case dismissed.

Neat, but no.  You violated the HOV rules by driving poorly.  You nearly caused a collision by following too closely, and you're trying to use that screwup to excuse your subsequent behavior.  This entire chain of incidents is your fault, and compounding one screwup with others doesn't make a defense.

You can certainly ask for leniency, but you have **zero** justification for getting your case dismissed.  Rather, your story just adds to your guilt.


Title: My dad hit my mom? (SEATTLE, WASHINGTON)

Question:
My mom is an verbally abusive woman who always yells at everybody. Whenevrr she opens her mouth, she finds a problem with something.

So today my Dad is watching TV as I do dishes. My mom comes downstairs for no reason and sees a clean knife. Instantly, she says that I need to wash the handle off. I start argueing with her and tell her to leave me alone.

I go outside to empty out the trash as my mom starts yelling at my dad to do something. My dad would normally take her side but he was particularly bipolar (not tested but assumed) today. (He had already yelled at me once.

When I walk outside, I here yelling and a smack. When I come back, my mother is lying in the floor. My dad is taking a guitl shower. I have video proof. Eventually I help to bed as she's yelling that she wants a divorce. She doesn't say what happened.

All I know is that she was injured (no physical damage as far as I can tell)I AM ASSUMING my dad hit her. I don't like either of my parents justice needs to be served.

All I know is I don't know what parent to choose in the divorce.

Answer: If there is domestic violence going on you can call the police, but realistically if they both refuse to talk to the police it may not go far.


Title: (Update) In an alcohol treatment program. Tested positive for drugs I've never taken. Probation violation court date imminent.

Question:
Original Post:

http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/39ld7z/in_an_alcohol_treatment_program_tested_positive/

/u/OscarZAcosta was right. I was freaking out like crazy. Got to my court date. Got called up, judge looked at me for a half second, said "stay out of trouble," and I left.

Answer: Glad it worked out okay in the end! :D And thank you for updating; always nice to see some resolutions to things. Answer #2: Very glad to hear it!  Thanks for the update!


Title: [WV] Probate. Admin denying access to person paying bills.

Question:
I lived with my grandmother and took care of her while she was sick. She died without a legal will and told her 5 kids that I was to get her house. The bills are in my name, I’ve been the only one maintaining it for the 5 months she’s been dead but the admin before he was even admin told me(came over and screamed at me) to get out. The 4 other kids besides the admin are gifting me their shares because of their mother’s wishes and wanted me to be living there. Today without notice there is now papers on every door saying “no more open access to the house if you want in you have to contact the admin”. Do I have any rights? I still have property in the house. I don’t know for sure but he may have even changed the locks.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer:
 If you were living there, you are entitled to continue living there as a tenant for 30 days, but the administrator is entitled to terminate your tenancy after that until all of the estate proceedings are complete. The administrator locking you out without prior notice is called a 'self-help eviction' and it's illegal.

You, of course, are not obligated to continue paying any bills after leaving the place.


Title: Someone fell while drunk. Who is liable?

Question:
So I had a open house at my workplace. Family and friends some wine and cheese. There is a staircase in back that is not well lit and no gate. Person fell and had to stay at the hospital overnight for head injury. The person we over the limit when tested and may have started drinking before party.

There was no reason to be in the back of the building.

So who is at fault? Owner of the building for lighting, me for having alcohol or person for being drunk and wandering?

No one has fallen down the stairs in the 40+ years the building has been here.

Thank you for your help

Edit: OH

Answer:
 Liability isn't an either/or thing.  The liability could rest with one person, or shared among all three.

If they choose to make a claim, talk to your insurance company.


Title: What can I legally do to stop someone from shop lifting?

Question:
Hello, I am a cashier at a pharmacy in a not so good area in Ohio. We get a lot shop lifters but the company I work for does not really give any clear guidelines to what you can and can not do to stop them. I was wonder what is in the law to stop them from leaving the store or even if I am allowed to ask them to open their purse or jacket if the alarm goes off at the doors? Thanks for the help in advance.

Edit: Yes I know I shouldn't do anything to get me hurt or do something that the company wouldn't even care about I was just wondering.
 r/legaladvice not r/advice

Answer:
 You're making minimum wage, and the products are insured (or should be). Don't play hero: you could be badly injured, or even killed, if the shoplifter is armed, and if you fuck up, you may face assault charges yourself.

You can, in principle, [detain someone until police arrive](http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/2935.041) if you have probable cause to believe that they have stolen merchandise. However, it's generally not worth it.


Title: [IL/MN] Employer changed what they consider the "work week" and now is not paying overtime since the week was shorter.

Question:
I work in IL, my employer is based in MN. I'm an hourly employee that works an odd schedule with long shifts, and my paychecks regularly have ~10 hours of overtime simply due to my schedule. This is normal for all of the coworkers that share my shift.

Employer just recently changed from a Mon-Sun pay period to a Sun-Sat pay period, which resulted in the last pay period being only 13 days instead of 14. My schedule and worked hours did not change in any way, just the way they account for my time. The shortened pay period is Dec 11th to Dec 23rd (13 days) when normally it would have ended on the 24th.

The issue now is that I worked 48 hours from Dec 18th to Dec 24th (7 days) but since the 24th is on the next pay period, those hours are not being counted towards overtime pay for that 7 day span. I asked our payroll dept if the overtime would appear on my next paycheck, and she informed me that since the pay period split the hours, I would not be receiving overtime pay for that time.

From what I can find on dol.gov, overtime pay is calculated as "more than 40 hours in a 7-day period" regardless of what 'pay period' the employer has set up. Payroll seems to be of the opinion that the shortened pay period means no overtime. Due to the specific circumstances of changing the pay period like they did, I can't find any direct info on how that affects the requirements for overtime pay.

Am I right in thinking that I'm still owed 8 hours of overtime?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 For the week in which there was a change they have to pay you using whatever work week results in the most pay.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/29/778.302


Title: In the international legal order, is a state really sovereign and independent?

Question: Los Angeles, California

Answer: If you mean a state of the US, no.  US states are subnational entities and are not sovereign or independent.


Title: Emergency Broadcast: Populous is too liberal

Question:
Tonight I had horror movies playing on the TV in the background.  The emergency broadcast system test broke in, but instead of the usual voice-over it was an ad that talked about Republicans being the "smart choice for the City" and that the "populous is too liberal." It's my best guess that there was a timing issue with the local talk radio station that usually does the voice-over.

Could this be construed as government interference in elections or other illegal activity? After all, they just commandeered the airwaves to support their candidate. While the particular candidate wasn't clear, the message sure was.  If this is an illegal activity, what would the remedy be?

[Maryland] [MD]

Answer: What makes you think this was the emergency broadcast system and not, say, a paid commercial designed to *look* like the emergency broadcast system?


Title: [US, California] Me and ex-wife want to retain some important rights in each other's lives

Question:
We got divorced some time ago, however, we are on really good terms, care a lot about each other, and would like to be able to retain some of the rights that, I think, are usually reserved for people who are legally married/relatives - for example, if one of us dies or suffers a life-threatening injury and is unconscious, then the other one should:

* Be notified by the authorities
* Be allowed in the hospital/ICU
* Be able to make critical medical and financial decisions

(of course, with caveats that if one of us gets married again, then the new spouse takes priority in these decisions, etc.)

I am not sure how to go about coming up with a full list of rights like this, or how to go about getting them. But this seems like something that shouldn't necessarily require hiring a lawyer. Could people give me some pointers here?

Thanks.

Answer: I am not a lawyer, but for medical decisions you can fill out a health care proxy form.  [Some info here](https://www.legalnature.com/lp/hcpoa-4053/healthcare-proxy?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_term=+healthcare%20+proxy&utm_campaign=Power+of+Attorney_Search_LN&fid=19532929&revamp=true)


Title: I got a gui in hawaii in 2006 i live in ohio the case was dismissed 2015 due to civil so called civil side they still have a lock on my drivers license. the case was dismissed so how is this possible what can i do ?

Answer: Nobody reading that has the slightest idea what you are asking.


Title: Going out of my way to get dealers selling lethal drugs arrested

Question:
So I posted a comment on someone who was talking about how someone sold their friend NBOME and it killed them saying "If people are selling NBOME as L I won't hesitate to call the cops. This got me thinking. I hate ratting to save my own ass but if it's to save lives it's almost another story. I am even considering a project of finding these shitty dealers and reporting them.

The question is, where do you draw the line? Most bunk MDMA isn't lethal substances. It is well known that most coke is cut. But the NBOME and the fentanyl needs to be reported to potentially save lives IMO.

And is this a fucking stupid idea? I am a little barred out so yeah. I know the idea of Ratting is hated on here so I expect these posts to get downvoted. But this isn't to save my own ass, this is to potentially save lives.

Certain drugs can be useful in the right circumstances but when they are sold as something they are not is when I think something should be done.

Is this realistic?

Answer:
 You're not batman.

If you have information, give it to the police.

Don't go looking for new information you don't have on your own.


Title: [PA] Employer refuses to pay me my last paycheck after I resigned without notice.

Question:
Hello all!

I recently quit a job with no notice in Pennsylvania and haven't gotten my last paycheck yet.

From what I can tell for PA, my final check is due by what would have been my standard pay day. However, my employer is refusing to give it to me and has said the reason is based on me violating my contract by quitting without notice. It has only been a few days since it should have been given to me, but wanted to get the ball rolling fighting this. I don't believe a clause stating that I had to provide a notice was anywhere in the contract and am going to double check, just need to find the contract in my house.

I have already submitted the Wage Complaint Form located [Here](http://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Labor-Management-Relations/llc/Pages/Wage-Complaint-Form.aspx).

First question is, can this PA state law stating that I should have been provided my last paycheck on my standard payday be overridden due to a clause in an employment contract I have signed?

Second question, anything else I can do to help speed up the process of getting paid what I am owed?

edit: Found my handbook I signed. There is a clause stating that they have the right to deduct one week of pay if I do not provide at least 30 days of notice. Pretty sure that is unenforceable.

Answer:
 Yes, he has to pay you. Even if you violated the employment contract. If that contract had a clause in which you waived your rights to get your final paycheck, the PA Wage Payment and Collection Act would hold it unenforceable.

*Section 7. Provisions of Law May Not Be Waived by Agreement. ... No provision of this act shall in any way be contravened or set aside by a private agreement.*

The Department of Labor and Industry works by attrition. Expect a lot of mandatory 8 AM meetings, because they really want to make sure they fully understand the position of both you and the employer. However, expect it to take several months.

You can also sue your employer in small claims, which will be considerably quicker. See Section 10:

*Section 10. Liquidated Damages.--Where wages remain unpaid for thirty days beyond the regularly scheduled payday ... and no good faith contest or dispute of any wage claim including the good faith assertion of a right of set-off or counter-claim exists accounting for such non-payment, the employe shall be entitled to claim, in addition, as liquidated damages an amount equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the total amount of wages due, or five hundred dollars ($500), whichever is greater.*

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/LI/LI/US/PDF/1961/0/0329..PDF

I would recommend sending a certified letter with a signature receipt to your employer's HR department, or owner if there is no HR department. Keep it short. No more than 3-5 sentences. State exactly what you want and give them a firm deadline (as in "November 5 2018", not "30 days from now"). Give them at least 10 business days, but no more than 30 calendar days. Mention that as per Section 7 of the Pennsylvania Wage Payment and Collection Act, your rights remain in effect.


Title: I screwed up, got arrested a month before graduation, 2 months before employment. What do I do?

Question:
So I am a college kid, graduating in a month, and at the last football game of my college career I got drunk and arrested.

I honestly don't remember getting arrested. Report said I was slumped over on a bench at the train station, and when the officer came over I kept getting up and stumbling, instead of sitting waiting for medical attention. Even when the medics got there, I kept trying to get up. Eventually I was arrested for public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and also resisting arrest. The report claims that I needed to be tackled to be arrested (honestly, not sure why if I was stumbling and falling over).

I know I screwed up. But now I have 2 misdemeanors on my record. My future employer today sent me a request for a background check, my first court appearance is next Wednesday. It doesn't sound like I will be able to have anything off my record even after the case next week. And I'm just not sure what to do. Should I be delaying the background check to at least get the resisting arrest off my record? Or should I be upfront with HR. It's a large company, and I'll be working as an engineer.

I'm stressed out and I just don't know what to do. I don't want to lose my job over this, it's kind of my dream job...

Answer:
 These are all fantastic questions for the criminal defense attorney you definitely need to hire.
Answer #2: The best way to handle background checks is to disclose to the potential employer that the check will yield results that you are happy to discuss with them. When you are upfront and honest about it, you look a lot better than if you try to dodge, avoid or downplay it.


Title: Jeweller replaced wedding band without asking us. Florida

Question:
My wedding band was showing signs of cracking so we sent it in for repairs. We have extended warranty which gives us an option on free repairs.

After contacting them several times what was taking so long, they finally told us the ring was ready for pickup.
Except it wasn't my ring, it wasn't even the original design, different thickness, and it did not have the original engraving.
It felt like they just randomly picked a ring that sort of looked like mine and gave it back to us.

They said they couldn't repair the ring and therefor replaced it, without once contacting us if we were ok with this.
Now this is a wedding band with a lot of sentimental value to us.
If they had contacted us about this, we would have taken the ring back and simply bought a new one. This way we would have a story to tell our kids and possibly grandkids in the future. Except now it's gone.

The lady at the store said they couldn't give us back our original ring for some strange odd reason. Obviously we were not ok with this and she said she would have the store manager contact us in the morning.

Now, if the manager proceeds to tell us the original ring can not be retrieved, are there any legal actions we can seek?

Answer:
 Yes, you're probably entitled to more than this, but you're jumping the gun here.  See what the manager offers you.

Bottom line, if they take back the ring and give you cash sufficient to replace the original ring, that's probably as good as you could hope for in court.Answer #2: They probably destroyed it during repairs, and melted it down to reuse on other ringsAnswer #3: What does the contract say?


Title: Leaving one’s car in a parking lot for days— squatting? Legality?

Question:
Somewhat boring question here. Looking for parking in VA, our destination is in Washington, DC.

Parking is crazy expensive in DC so I’m thinking of parking somewhere and taking an Uber to my hotel in DC. I would be leaving the car for about 5 days, 4 nights. I was wondering if it’s legal to leave my car on a property, whether it be a business like a restaurant or shop or public facility like library. I’d try to find a spot without any reserved signs way in the back out of the way somewhere.

Any chance this could work or would it fall under trespassing or something? Maybe if I bought something from a business and left the receipt on my dashboard to make me a paying customer? Would the car get towed? Just rattling off some thoughts here.

Answer: If you're looking for a legal way to do that look into spot hero or something like that. I do it when I fly out of Regan and can usually find stuff for like 10 bucks a day. Answer #2: There is a decent chance your car would get towed.


Title: (US-General Question) Supposing you have no one to bail you out at all (you are in a random city far away from your home town), what can you do?

Question:
Suppose you are hundreds, thousands of miles away from your friends family, and for some reason you get pulled over and get say a DUI, or arrested for whatever reason.

You are taken to jail, car impounded, etc.  What can you do.  Can you call to ask to hire a lawyer and pay them afterwards?  Would you just be sitting in your jail cell until it's finally time for your court date (which theoretically could be miles from the police station you are held at)?

Just curious.

Would it be in a person's advantage to have a lawyer on retainer (or at the very least consulted in the event of a situation like this)?

(United states)

Answer:
 You call a bail bonds company.  This is their business.  They come around, ask for 10% of the bail money and then bail you out.

It's a good idea to know a couple of good lawyers, actually.  As a general rule.  I think it was one of my professors who said that everyone should know a good criminal lawyer in their jurisdiction.  He also recommended knowing a politician and a judge, but you know.


Title: [DK -> US] US citizen may be moving back to US after living in EU. What about taxes?

Question:
Hello All,

this is the situation:

* An american citizen (US passport) who left the US (1992) to live and work in Denmark immediately after university. Person has never held a full-time professional job after university in the US (a couple of summer jobs while in school though).
* Person has "permanent resident" status in Denmark, but retains US citizenship. Now that it is possible, person will be applying for dual DK/US citizenship in Sept 2015.
* Person has never paid US taxes, nor reported income from DK salary in all the years they have lived abroad. Never had any US income, only DK/EU income.
* Person is now being considered for a position where they may need to move back to the US for the first time in 20+ years of living abroad.

is there any trouble ahead tax-wise for this person? or in any other aspect of moving back?

thank you all for your attention and help!

Answer:
 The bad news:  He should have been filing.

The good news:  He almost certainly doesn't actually owe anything.

The resolution:  Hire a tax attorney or accountant who is familiar with this sort of thing and the end result will be a bit of a hassled and some expenses with the accountant to fix the problem.


Title: [Texas] My cousin is having issues with harassment from her ex. They are seperated, not yet divorced and have two children. How can she make it stop?

Question:
Ideally, she would like to be able to continue to coparent with him peacefully. He is a "good" father (certainly not the best) but she would like to go about this without harming his relationship with 4 y/o girl and 1 y/o boy. They have been together for 8 years, married for one. She is staying at her father's house... Next door to her/ex's house. As of right now, they are rotating custody of the children. One week with her, one with him, and accommodating eachother when needed.

The issue lies with his pleas for her to come back to him. This includes using the children as a guilt trip. Example: 2 weeks ago during a quiet celebration she and I were having for my birthday, he sent photos of the children in front of the fireplace captioned "[Kids] and I built a fire for Daddy and Mommy, won't you come enjoy it and stay the night with us?" I am almost certain he told the children that he was asking. I have countless other examples just from being around her when the texts come in.

Manipulating her using the children/manipulating the children is bad enough, but he is incessantly sexually harassing her. There's many reasons that contributed to her leaving (cheating, emotional affair, withholding sex when she wanted it only to find him outside at 2 am watching porn, verbal abuse when she didn't want to give him oral in the middle of the day on the interstate, etc.), but the final straw was when he "accidentally" showed her sister a photo of his penis. This is two years after he "accidentally" showed her OTHER, underage at the time, sister a photo of his penis. Both times he begged them to keep it a secret. He also "accidentally" showed a nude photo of my cousin to his boss. I can think of probably 10 more times an unsolocited photo of his penis has somehow been "a situation."

Understandably, she finds nude photos of him repulsive. He sent one just today, no context or warning, captioned "Sure would be nice if you'd come home and enjoy this." Last week, he sent one and invited her over, after she declined, he literally began to beg and offered to PAY HER to come over and have sex with him.

She is in the process of choosing a lawyer and getting things situated to file for divorce, but I am looking for something like a script that she can reply to him with through text, that she can save and use for any unsolocited communication after the fact. She only wants to communicate about the children. Thank you in advance.

Apologies for length/formatting. On mobile, and wanted to ensure there was enough context.

Answer:
 She can likely get it included in the divorce that he's required to communicate only through a site like talkingparents or ourfamilywizard. This way there is always a record of his communication in case she needs to do further litigation with him and will dissuade him from attempting to harass or manipulate her. Make sure she saves any and all communication from him till then. Once she has a lawyer they can explore this option.

If they can show enough of a pattern to get a court ordered use of one of those sites, she can then change any numbers or email addresses he knows to keep him from going around it.


Title: My mom’s dead, can and should I find a lawyer? She used talcum powder and died of uterean cancer.

Question: She died 13 years ago. She used baby powder on her genitals every day. What should I do? Have these sort of lawsuits already played out? My brother messaged me an article about it around a year ago. Now today, 2 more of my friends have mentioned it to me. Is this a feasible lawsuit and where would I get started? I’m in Utah.

Answer: Try googling "Class action lawsuit Johnson and Johnson". There should be a lawyer who you can contact.


Title: Out on bail and go into arraignment tomorrow for driving under suspension, need advice ASAP

Question: Hi all. I am in the state of Ohio and was arrested for driving under suspension this weekend. I was under suspension from two tickets, and in the last case when I went to the judge he suspended a 60 day jail sentence from those tickets if I didn't get in trouble for the next year. I got pulled over and arrested two days ago (two weeks or so after my last court date), then sat in jail for a day before I was bonded out. I am set for arraignment on Monday and am trying to figure out what's happening right now. I want to make sure I won't be going to jail Monday once I plead not guilty. If I get a legal advisor or lawyer will I be able to work out a probation deal or something to avoid any jail time? What can I do? I go to school and work, and want to avoid everything I can to going back to that fucking place. Please if you have any advice let me know

Answer:
 > I go to school and work, and want to avoid everything I can to going back to that fucking place

Would you consider following the law?  That'd help.  It's difficult for you to continue to argue that you need *another* break when you are caught red-handed violating the law.

You should get an attorney first thing Monday.  I'm not sure if you're afforded a public defender here; if you are, that'd be a good place to start.  Bring a buddy with money to the courthouse - even if you are jailed, he can likely bail you out.


Title: Car dealership won’t honor agreement after old financial manager left.

Question:
Legal advice, my husband and I need your help!

When we purchased a vehicle last year we were talked into buying a $4000 warranty. We immediately regretted it. So we went back the next day and told them we wanted to cancel it. They convinced us to keep the warranty and if we didn’t use it within a year, we would get a full refund. They typed up a document and we all signed: https://imgur.com/gallery/ftVkpkr

We’ve been counting down the months to cancel the warranty since.

We finally made it to the one year mark and went in to get our refund.

We went in to the dealership and found that they have all new management. The finance manager who signed our agreement doesn’t work there anymore. They said there was nothing they could do since the paper we signed wasn’t a legal binding contract, and the warranty we signed was. They pointed out that the warranty says it’s nonrefundable. They ushered us out and told us which dealership the old finance manager works at now and said to go talk to him.

We were clearly misled by the previous finance manager, but he was a representative of the dealership we purchased the car from.

Do we have any ground here? Who should honor the agreement? The dealership or the finance company? Where do we go from here?

Answer: If it's signed by someone who represented the company then you have a case. File in small claims.


Title: My identitiy was stolen, and i now have multiple felony charges on my record after running a background check. (CO/TX/WA)

Question: OK, so i recently decided to get my drivers license in Washington State. I had a license in Colorado from 2006. I moved to Washington in 2008 to a major city, where a DL isn't really necessary, so i never bothered to transfer it over. When applying for one today, i was told i have a suspended license in Colorado. I knew i had a Minor in Possession ticket from 2007, but did everything i needed to do (Court, Community Service, fines, etc) and checked with the state and county I lived in before i moved to make sure i was in the clear. Was told i had no more obligations and was clear. So thought maybe i missed a step, or was given the wrong information, so i paid for a background check. What came up was all my info about past addresses, past roommates, leases, email addresses, etc. It was all correct. I check the "Charges" section, and saw multiple theft, possession of a controlled substance, failure to comply with probation and many more all in Texas. I have never stepped foot in Texas. I have a VERY common name, so i thought maybe it was a glitch in the site.  My birthdate and ssn are attached to all those charges. I checked some friends of mine, all their info was correct on the site, so it seems like the site has all its info correct. I racked my brain to think of ways they could of gotten my info. Well, when i moved to Washington in 2008, i got a job, and they needed a copy of my license and Social Security Card. I went to a copy center and got copies made, but left both in the machine. Being a naive 20y/o, i noticed hours later, but waited til the next day to see if they were still there. The people working didn't have it, so someone took them. I'm guessing they made their way to Texas, and committed crimes with my info. I know i'm definitely am going to need a lawyer, but do i hire one in Washington or Texas? What should i expect after i speak with a lawyer? Thanks for reading and wish me luck

Answer:
 A lawyer familiar with the jurisdiction where the charges were filed.

You should also check your credit report. I doubt they stopped with theft and drugs. Ironically, if they also used your identity to commit fraud as well I suspect it will make it easier for the bureaucrats to believe in Texas.Answer #2: >I know i'm definitely am going to need a lawyer, but do i hire one in Washington or Texas?

Texas, that's where the charges are. You need a criminal defense attorney to represent you and explain the situation, and tell them you never set foot in Texas.

>What should i expect after i speak with a lawyer?

To pay a retainer, and you may have to travel there once or twice.


Title: [NJ, USA] Employer just increased work week from 40 hours to 44. Is this legal?

Question: Employee handbook states that full time salaried employees are to work at least 40 hours per week. But we were just informed that we will now be required to work 44 hours per week with no increase in pay. What just happened? Is it even legal?

Answer: Are you salary overtime exempt or non-exempt?


Title: Can my employer hold my CASH tips until pay day?

Question:
My employer has a policy that we are only allowed to collect our cash tips on Fridays when we get our paychecks. 100% of our tips are cash, there are no credit card tips, and our employer does not track nor consider our tips in payroll, so there's absolutely no reason for them to keep the tips from us. The federal law describes tips as the employees property, not to be used by the employer. As employees we are arguing that it is our money, we should be allowed to take it home with us every night. Our employer is stating that because they keep it locked away and unused, it is okay that they wait until payday to give it to us. I know that, were tips to be processed through payroll, they could wait until payday to give it to us, however our tips have absolutely nothing to do with payroll and I've worked tipped jobs my entire life and never had tips withheld from me except for in the case of an automatic gratuity which is put through payroll.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 >and our employer does not track nor consider our tips in payroll.

Do you make less than min. wage? If so i believe he has to be able to prove your tips plus wage is more than min. wage. Sounds like shenanigans i would contact the local DOL.


Title: [usa + europe] i have been made aware (through reddit) of a minor in danger. what do?

Question:
throwaway for security reasons. i live in europe, the minor in question **somewhere** in the usa. i believe in the south but am not sure.

the situation involves physical/bodily harm and potentially sexual assault. one person near the kid owns a firearm and has pulled it on a third party previously.

cps may or may not be aware of the situation. i have this kids reddit username but the accout is [deleted]. the account was a regular poster. recently a series of posts and comments implies that the accounts been taken over. any advice is appreciated.

Answer: You have literally zero info on who or where this person is and zero knowledge as to whether anything is true or just reddit trolling. There is nothing you can do.


Title: New attorney here doing an unconventional job search and would love advice (X-post from r/lawschool)

Question:
I'm about to be admitted to practice in Washington State and do not yet have a job. The Bar has done some research on its current membership demographics and apparently there are many older rural and semi-rural solo practitioners who are planning on retiring soon and may not have anyone to take over their practices.

The Bar's website has a place to post for people looking to sell or buy a law practice, but it's pretty dead. So I'm thinking of sending a targeted letter (it'll have their name and some info unique to them on it) to all the solo practitioners in the geographic area I'm looking for.

Below is what I've drafted so far but I'm sure it could be far better; I'm trying to tow that line between giving them what they need to know but being brief enough that people will actually read it. It will of course be in a business letter format with letterhead and my resume enclosed and stuff.

Dear Mr. Smith:

I am a recent law school graduate about to be admitted to practice and am searching for employment that would lead to a practice transition. I am contacting solo practitioners in King County practicing real estate, one of my desired concentrations.

It is my dream to ultimately own my own firm and I am very much a “do it yourself” type person. I self-studied for the bar exam and worked part and sometimes full time both in college and law school to support myself. I have lived in Washington almost my entire life but went to school out of state and have few legal contacts here.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you or an attorney you know may be interested. Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, John Smith

Answer: I don't think you are quite articulating your request.  Are you asking for a job or are you asking to be a partner or are you asking for something else?


Title: My son got insurance for his uninsured car to pay a ticket after he got in an accident; today he got a phone call from his insurance company about a claim put by the other party. What advice can I give him?

Question:
I got a phone call an hour ago from my son, who is 26, which left me feeling very worried. If the fine folks of /r/legaladvice could advise me on the following dilemma my son has moronically gotten himself into, it would be greatly appreciated.

 Because of my son's mental problems, he neglected to get insurance for his car for a whole month. He told me on the phone that he had been in a car crash a few months ago (on a car he had just bought) without having insurance. He received a ticket for failure to yield (resulting in the accident; according to him, he had just gotten off a 12 hour shift, he hadn't slept well in days due to his anxiety caused insomnia) and he had thought he had the right of way when a car slammed into him. Afraid of the financial difficulties of paying a fine for both things, (he makes about $1,400 a month, pay's for his credit card, phone bill, rent, and groceries) he consulted his best friend, who happens to be a cop, and his friend advised him to get insurance for the car involved in the accident that same day, so he could present proof of insurance to court in front of the judge and have the fine removed.

It appeared to have worked. He dropped the insurance for the same car after paying his failure to yield fine. However, today (months after the car crash in question) he began to receive phone calls from his car insurance company about a claim placed on behalf of the other party involved. My son's car wasn't covered by his insurance at the time.

How can I best advise my son? Should he confess to the insurance company that he did not have insurance at the time of the crash? Would that make him liable to be sued? What are some repercussions he could face? He pays for his credit card, phone bill, car, rent, and groceries, so despite his gross negligence he tries to be good. He has fucked up enormously, but he is my son.

Please. I am desperate.

-concernedfatherofmoron

EDIT: edited for clarity

Answer:
 He should tell the truth. Not to is considered insurance fraud which is a crime

He pays for damages out of pocket.


Title: Dumbass/Petty Neighbor is parking his 4 cars in front of my mailbox and the post office has threatened to fine me for obstruction of mail delivery. What can I do?

Question:
This has been happening for 2 years. I have already left him over 10 notes asking him **nicely** to move his shitty cars from in front of my mailbox, yet his dumb/petty ass always forgets/doesn't comprehend. What is worse is that he is a POLICE OFFICER. (Somehow the PD let's him keep his police car at his house too)

I have explained to the post office that those are NOT my FUCKING vehicles. They do not give a shit.

The post office said that there will be a fine against ME the next time it happens.

Please help me.

I live in Florida, USA.

EDIT: Oh yeah, post office also added, if they do fine me, if I do not pay the fine or until I do, they will cease delivering mail to me for that period of time.

EDIT 2: I used an insult I shouldn't have, so I removed from the post. Thank you for letting me know, /u/Mr_Fishy_.

As of now, there has been no reply from either the PD or the post office, and the issue still remains. Will update after getting back from work.

Answer:
 Call his police department, speak to one of his higher upsAnswer #2: You might be in luck depending on where you live. Florida appears to have a law which prohibits parking near mailboxes that are on state highways during mail delivery hours.

https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2011/316.1965

Also check your local city code. Some cities also ban parking near mailboxes.Answer #3: Did you talk to the postmaster when you contacted them or when they contacted you? I don't see how they can fine you for this. Answer #4: If you do get fined, pay the fine and file a small claim against the neighbor.  Take pictures of him parking in front of the mailbox as your evidence.Answer #5: I would appreciate if you didn't use autism as an insultAnswer #6: You should move out of Florida Answer #7: Are they legal parking spaces?


Title: I may be getting remarried to my my ex-wife, legal question here.

Question:
My wife cheated on me, we got divorce and although I have the kids everyday all day, I pay her child support. We have been working things out and may be getting married again.  Will marrying her stop the child support order automatically?  I have concerns about asking her to stop it and have concerns about the order remaining there. I continue giving her money and keeping record but don't want this to hinder what we are planning.

I am in Lake County, Illinois.

Answer:
 > Will marrying her stop the child support order automatically?

If you're being garnished, that won't stop automatically, but if you are living int he same house, raising the kids together, child support is no longer owed.

All you have to do is file to modify the child support order for the reason that you are remarried and the children are being raised by each of you in the marital home. Answer #2: "I have concerns about asking her to stop it"

Do you really think you're ready to remarry if you aren't comfortable talking to her about this?


Title: Can Trump pardon Maria Butina?

Question: Since she is Russian not American, is that something he is able to do?

Answer: There are only 3 limits on the President’s pardon power: the pardon must be for a crime that was *committed* in the past, the pardon must be for a federal crime, and the person who receives the pardon must accept it. There’s no restriction to US citizens.


Title: Found thousands of abandoned film negatives. Can I sell prints?

Question: When walking around, I stumbled upon nearly 10,000 film negatives and slides. Apparently they belonged to a woman in one of the neighboring buildings who passed away and has no family to keep them. Many of the photos are really good and I would like to publish them on Instagram and maybe cover the cost of scanning them by selling prints. Is this legal? What are some legal issues that I might face of they become popular. Thanks for advice!

Answer: Where did you find them? Were you trespassing?


Title: If a mechanic lost my key fob am I still responsible for paying to get it replaced or can I get them to?

Question:
I took my car to a local mechanic, in Tennessee, to get an oil change and during the process they managed to lose the only key fob that I have for the car. They had a locksmith make a new key, but it was a regular key with no electronic functions. To get a new fob that works electronically with both the doors and ignition seems to be at minimum in the $100-200 range. Am i responsible for covering the cost of a replacement, or is that something the mechanic should be responsible for paying?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: If they lost it, they should replace it.


Title: Suspecting my ex purposely got me pregnant, now our families are preparing to fight in court over the baby [long] not sure of what to do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Well I don't know Australian law at all but here's some general advice. Document everything, so you have a copy of the lab results for the sugar pills. See if you can talk to an attorney, and don't talk to your ex, but save anything he sends you.Answer #2: For users below "fall pregnant" is a common term in Australia, I travel to America from Australia and though we both speak English they claim we either use old terms or act like I'm talking in tougues. Examples we still use the word 'queer' meaning strange/unusual or fortnightly which I was also told was odd.Answer #3: If you are adopting your child the Department of Family and Community Services will allocate a registered counsellor to your case.

These counsellors are not only trained to provide you with the support you need but are familiar with the laws (and able to access other services with an even greater level of familiarity)

Address all your concerns to your counsellor - not to random strangers on the internet

http://www.community.nsw.gov.au/parents,-carers-and-families/fostering,-guardianship-and-adoption/adoption/are-you-a-birth-parent/considering-adoption-for-your-childAnswer #4: Also, just to put it out there, for those who don't know. Tampering with contraceptives is part of a method of abuse called reproductive coercion. It's a massive, massive red flag.


Title: Gun ownership and legal weed in CA?

Question:
My father in WY wants to gift my husband and I in CA a shotgun. It's registered and legal in WY. While the gun is old it is still fully functional (double-barrel side-by-side, if you're wondering - as my dad says, gentlemen only shoot side-by-sides). My dad wants to transfer ownership to us during our next visit to WY and have us bring the gun back to CA.

My husband has a medical marijuana card in CA and keeps marijuana in the house. CA recently legalized MJ for recreational use but I don't use it nor have I ever had a medical card.

1. Can my husband legally own a gun in CA while also having a medical MJ card?
2. If not, can I legally own a gun in CA?
3. What's the legality of having a legal shotgun and legal marijuana under the same roof in CA?
4. Does the fact that we don't intend to keep ammunition in the house at all effect the legality of the situation?

Thanks for any insight you all can give me. I want to make sure we won't end up as felons before agreeing to take this shotgun.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 9th circuit has said no pot and guns.

Important question, how old is the shotgun we're talking about here? Like 1960s old or 1800s old?

Edit: I ask because your end-run around this is the shotgun being a pre-1899 weapon, which falls outside of ATF unless it's a coach gun with a sub-18" barrel. That'll require some model/serial # research potentially. Answer #2: CA requires all gun transfers to go through a ffl.  Atf asks if you are a user or addicted to marijuana.


Title: Traveling with prescription meds out of the bottle-ok or not?

Question:
No exciting easement questions here, but I appreciate anyone taking the time to read and comment.

I am in the US (IL) and will soon be traveling abroad.  It's the kind of trip where I need to pack light and efficiently, so I'm trying to de-bulk my bags by putting my daily meds into a compact travel pill case rather than bringing 5 full-size Rx bottles.

Most of the daily meds I take are boring old allergy meds, but I am bringing Ambien (I need it the first few days to get over the jet lag hump).  Could I circumvent any trouble/suspicion by having photos in my phone of the bottles, with my name and current dates on the labels, rather than the bottles themselves?

EDIT: thanks Legal Eagles, looks like I'll be changing my plans and bringing the whole bottle. That or just play the sovereign citizen card...

Answer:
 Your doctor and/or pharmacist may work with you to give you single-dose packets with the prescription label affixed to them.  They are used to these types of requests from travelers who carry scheduled drugs like Ambien or Adderall.  It might cost a few dollars more, but you will have greatly enhanced peace of mind.Answer #2: Also make sure that your medications are legal in the country you are taking them to. There was a recent case on here about a guy who got busted importing illegal drugs because while they were OTC in the UK they were controlled in the US. Answer #3: I really hope you see this - I have never posted before, but the information is so important and everyone seems to have skipped over the Dubai bit. UAE is one of the most highly regulated countries in regards to medications. Zolpidem (ambien) is a controlled medication (schedule IV psychotropic). It goes beyond just bringing the medications. You need certified letters and prior approval from the embassy. Even for transit. Please see this http://www.cpd-pharma.ae/phocadownload/MOH-Policies-Circulars/MoH_Guidelines_2012_for_Carrying_of_Personal_Medicines_With_Travelers_in_to_the_United_Arab_Emirates.pdf
And this is from the Australian based embassy - please find this info from the US's equivalent: http://uae-embassy.ae/Embassies/au/Content/1803


Title: Home builder wants to revise our contract mid build. How to proceed?

Question:
My wife and I bought a new build home this year. Everything was going smoothly throughout the build process until the realized they goofed and accidentally sold us a plot that was 3 feet too wide. Our neighbor ordered a 3 car garage but the builder only sized their plot as a 2 car garage. They didn’t realize their mistake until this week, after our neighbors home has been completed and our foundation has been dug, so they are stuck and need to change our contract.

When they told us about the goof, the offered to buy us a fridge and put in blinds throughout the home rather than renegotiate the price of the land which is about 300sq feet.

I  feel shorted by this offer and feel like they are trying to sweep this thing under the rug quickly. What are our options with the builder? Is there any time frame in which we have to decide? Does the change in plot size at all void our contract?

Thanks for any advice Reddit!
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer:
 I would not accept anything other than a credit towards the price of the project, exact number can be negotiated, this is where you will get the best value. Shades and a fridge are like giving you a water bottle and a kuzi at the gym when you complain and they want to shut you up. Answer #2:
A contract is a contract. Dont give in at all.  You own what they sold you.  Dont give your land away.
I would rather have the extra 3 feet on the side of my house.


Title: My Friend is Getting Deported Without Her Baby! (VA)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 She needs an immigration attorney, now.  If she overstays, there are long-reaching consequences.  She needs to consult with an immigration attorney.  They may also practice family law, which would help.  At the very least they can refer her to a family law attorney for those issues.Answer #2: She should immediately contact the Japanese Consulate and see what help if any they can offer.  I am betting that in their eyes the Child is a Japanese citizen also.

She desperately needs to get an immigration lawyer one that has practiced in family law in that state also preferably.  Most importantly she needs to get the immigration side fixed so she doesn't get deported until she has the chance to regain custody of the kid.

My bet it that this sounds like a planned/contrived event to get custody of the kid by his family and get her removed from the country.

She may also try to convince the nutjob that she is going to go along with what they say and so she can get back close enough to grab the kid and call the cops and immediately leave the country.


Title: After watching some videos at justiceporn, I wondered: What are the legal and illegal things about self defence?

Question:
No camera's, you've got a loaded gun and someone tries do rob you/stab you/kill you/punch you etc. Or he/she does this to someone else.
I'm the type of guy to straight up sucker punch that motherfucker or if I really must; shoot that guy ( in the legs), but the problem is if I miss the shot and it ends op in his head and he dies, do I go to jail?
Note; No cameras, so you can't prove it, except if there is someone else with you who's an eye witness.
And how about no gun? If I punch him so hard he actually dies, or goes unconscious, do I get problems too?
I just want to know how far I am allowed to go in scenario's like these.

Edit: Sorry first time here: Location: The Netherlands
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: Maybe you better go watch some videos of tulips and sober up a bit.


Title: [QC] How to get married?

Question:
I was born and live in Quebec. She was born in China and became a Canadian permanent resident recently. We are going to China in January because her father organized a big wedding over there. Expecting over 400 people.

We are under the impression that we can have a wedding ceremony anywhere in the world, as long as we sign a couple of papers here in Quebec afterwards to formalize our marriage. Is this assumption correct? Basically, we can sign a paper any time we want? We don't even need a ceremony, do we?

Sorry, just a bit confused as to the proper procedure. Thank you so much!

Answer:
 Quebec is weird, and still requires that your officiant publish notice of your marriage at least 20 days in advance. However, yes, you can get married at nearly any time: you can have a civil wedding without a big ceremony, at which you sign the declaration of marriage, and then have a wedding ceremony afterwards (or before, even). The party isn't legally meaningful on its own.

If you do plan on dealing with the paperwork separately from your ceremony, talk to your fiancée's father, so that he's in the loop. Otherwise, you may get to the big day only to discover that everyone's expecting you to sign the declaration during your ceremony.

Further reading: [Wedding Wire](https://www.weddingwire.ca/wedding-ideas/how-to-get-a-married-in-quebec--c121), [Provincial Government](http://www.etatcivil.gouv.qc.ca/en/marriage-civil-union.html).


Title: [PA] Member of frat P.A. called a brother's parents at 7:30 tonight and said he's being evicted, and he has until midnight to leave. Also said police are coming at that time to make sure he's gone. Is this legal? This is happening after a few weeks of threats.

Question:
Main question is the midnight one. Because the person who called is a member (possibly president, don't remember) of the frat Property Association, can he have someone evicted in a number of hours? We all signed and submitted leases and he said he is reimbursing the rent. His reason for this is because the brother was seen on camera bringing in alcohol to the house after signs prohibiting alcohol inside had been posted for ~3 weeks. Is this legal, and what can the brother do?

Will edit, as time is of the essence.

There is a portion of the lease that says that all the student's property shall be removed at the termination of the agreement.

I was also wondering if there is a harassment factor here. The same P.A. member sent an email to the undergraduate president on saturday saying that another member was to be evicted. Some exact quotes from the email: "Please forward this email to all undergrads...[Person] has been evicted from the house, I just verbally told him. We will be notifying his parents shortly."
Another email said "I have instructed the [city] police to arrest anyone found partying in the house as trespassers. You will be thrown in jail."

Answer:
 Unless a court has issued an eviction notice a tenant cannot be evicted.

Typically in PA a tenant must be first given a 10 day notice to cure for failure to pay rent and a 15 day (or 30 days if the lease is for more than a year) for a breach of other lease terms.  If there is not a court order the cops are not going to evict a person.

Assuming someone is illegally evicted that person should call the cops who will actually help the tenant, not the landlord, get back into the property.


Title: MA- Taxi cab hit my car and lied to his work now I'm being sued.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >My mom says the insurance company is hiring me a lawyer. Should I find one for myself?

 She's correct, let insurance handle it, it's what you pay them for


Title: El Paso, TX: Landlord Withheld Security Deposit, I filed a case against him, need help with his attorney's response.

Question:
Here is the situation:
I, along with three roommates, all of us in Active Duty service, rented a large house for 17 months out of an 18 month contract. The rent wasn't cheap, but with four of us there, it was within our budget. Two of my roommates got picked up to be deployed so we gave over 30 days notice using the Military Clause. Two of us couldn't hold the rent down. He wasn't happy about us leaving one month early, but he complied. I immediately start asking about the Security Deposit and he along with his prop. manager just kept saying they are working on it. About 40 days later, I realize he is just ignoring my requests for the Security Deposit, so I then send a Letter of Demand with my forwarding address. He took about another week and finally sent me a very vague list of deductions that were completely blown out of proportion. We took very good care of the house and returned it spotless (I didn't take pictures, I know, lesson learned) but he is claiming he had to do all kinds of repairs. Things like $400 to mow the lawn that we already mowed and taking out the trash being another $200 or $300 more, which there wasn't any, plus some more stuff that just didn't make sense.

I ask him to send me the photos and receipts he has on hand and when he finally does, they are rubbish. Some photos of a few small scratches on the wood floor, a dirty faceplate for a switch on the wall, and other normal wear and tear. He also sends me receipts for service that were dated past the 30 day mark and were also very vague and not really showing any services being done. Like a receipt for a bulk order of tiles. And then just another peel off work order receipt for lawn service with no company name or any business on it that anyone can write up.

After seeing his evidence, I filed for a case with the courthouse for three times the security deposit. His attorney's first response was to file for a Special Appearance and a motion saying that his property is not under the court's jurisdiction and should be dismissed or moved to another court. When I first filed, I went through the court system and had them look up which court his property would fall under so I'm not sure where he is getting that from. He also said the constable went outside his jurisdiction (same city) to serve the landlord at the address I gave him.

Now the attorney is making his case via the online efiletexas.gov website. Stating his rebuttals and trying to get the case dismissed. I have no idea how to respond properly on this website. Is he allowed to make all his arguments online like that? I thought it was just the plaintiff files, you get a court date, and then I could actually talk to a judge and present my evidence. Namely that he forfeited the Security Deposit after waiting 40 days to send me a list of deductions. Also, I cannot for the life of me get in contact with ANY attorneys in El Paso. I've left voicemails with about a dozen places over the past few weeks and no one is getting back to me. I figured I could just represent myself in court, but it looks like this is getting too complicated now and I would like to find an attorney or advice on how to respond to his online rebuttals.

Thoughts?

Edit: Clarification
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Have you contacted their attorney and tried to negotiate a settlement? From what you have written it seems like you should get the full deposit back since it took them 40 days to send their itemized statement. Their attorney knows that, and that's why they are trying to get the case dismissed.


Title: [PA] Just bought a car as is from reputable dealer and it died 3 minutes in to driving home

Question:
PA

I spent all day today looking for a good car and settled on a 2014 Kia Optima. Test drive was perfect so I bought the car, nothing seemed off. They detailed it and brought it back 40 minutes later.  I finally got in and started driving home and the Engine died.

The Oil light, check engine light, and battery light all came on. I am getting it towed to their service lot asap. Is there any lemon laws or anything that may help me, I don't know what to do.

Answer:
 You may have cause of action under Pennsylvania’s Unfair Trade Practices and Consumer Protection Law or Automotive Industry Trade Practices Regulations.

If they mislead you, misrepresented the condition of the car or failed to disclose major issues that make the car not "roadworthy", they are in violation.

If they don't make you whole, you can file a complaint with the Pennsylvania Attorney General. I would tell the dealership that this is what you intend to do unless they fix the car or unwind the deal.

https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/submit-a-complaint/consumer-complaint/


Title: [CO] I believe my landlady who I live with is evicting my daughter and I illegally, keeping our money too.

Question:
First off, thank you to anyone who can give us some solid advice here. I've been looking into a lot about our situation, and am having some difficulty finding anything too related about it. I also have not been able to seek low-income legal aid in my city due to my landlady having already been a client of the organization at one point.

My daughter and I rent a room and a RV space from a late sixty years old woman in an old house on a large property. Landlady lives in the same house. I am mid-thirties and my daughter is almost 6. It’s been a very hard situation to be living with the landlady to put it mildly, and I really just wanted to last until the end of the growing season for our garden’s sake. We must obviously now do something, and I don’t feel comfortable here and I would like to move. But I’m owed $750 in deposit and last month’s rent.

Landlady rents the house from another person, but sublets to me and we don’t have a written lease.
Landlady was paid first, last, and a deposit in cash and I retained an accurate receipt.
I have not missed one month’s payment by check, and I have all receipts.
Landlady has decided she doesn’t like me, and is now enacting policies to kick us out early, while our rent is already paid for the remainder of this month, and the entirety of next month. She wants to raise rent to $150 a day per her notes, and also charge us $50/day for the RV.
She has denied us the use of electricity and access to the kitchen, which I cover in my Notice and Demand letter.
Currently, she enters my room without permission to turn off fans and electronics in a very hot room (93 degrees) when I’m not home.

I think I can stop here for now. [I am going to include images she’s posted for me for you to review, and also my Notice and Demand letter](http://imgur.com/a/4DEyZ) which explains things a little more thoroughly. What I really need to know here is can we move out before the month to month agreement was naturally set to expire, and recover the last month rent and deposit from her? After all she’s demanding we leave, but she’s obviously not refunding my money either and I unfortunately think I will need to sue her in small claims.

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 > What I really need to know here is can I move out before the month to month agreement was naturally set to expire, and recover my last month rent and deposit from her?

Colorado law suggests that you only need 7 days of notice. If you give that notice today then you can move out on the 12th. Since you already paid the rent through the 12th, the last month's rent will go unused and you are due a refund on the last month's rent, and the security deposit.

ANd yeah, you'll probably have to sue her in small claims, but you've done absolutely right by having all your documentation lined up. Best of luck to you and your daughter!


Title: [TX] Went to hospital for feeling suicidal, could not get care that I needed.

Question:
Back at the start of June, I had a panic attack and felt incredibly suicidal. I called a crisis hotline and they advised me to go to a hospital.

One of the big problems I had with the whole experience was that I was constantly told "I don't see why you are here." I felt like was really being mocked when I was told this. I felt like I went to this hospital to get the care that I needed but it seemed like they were not able to provide it, and they openly admitted to such by telling me that. I really don't see how a doctor could say something like that, yet give a honest diagnosis.

I know I probably don't have a legal case at all, but I seriously felt that the whole experience was abusive, a scam to just rack up my bills as high as possible. I lost all my savings and I have no idea what to do.

Answer:
 The American healthcare system does just about nothing for people in crisis for mental illness.  I had a dear friend who went to the emergency room begging for help.  They gave him some xanax and released him home with an appointment with a psychiatrist in a week.

He killed himself that night.

If you need help immediately please find a friend or family member to be with you.  Have them be your advocate.  Or call a 24 hour line.  Anything.


Title: i could really use some help with my apartment now that my gf is leaving me

Question:
This will be a long post I'm sorry. I was in a really great relationship but we probably drank a little too much. didn't seem like any big deal at the time. anyway, my gf has met some new people and wants out of the relationship. She put the apartment in her name but we moved in at the same time and just a month after i was added to the lease.
Throughout the last couple weeks we both concedeeded the apartment to the other person at one time or another. Then i found out she cheated on me and she said i could have the apartment, up until friday (3 days ago) she said she was getting boxes and moving her stuff out over 4th of july weekend.

well i didn't hear from her at all during the weekend and then today she said she is going to fight me for the apartment.
there is 4 months including this one on the lease. At first she said she would pay her half of the rent every month and find a new spot but now she's not doing that. She didn't even pay me for rent this month, i had to pay it all this morning before we got a late fee.

during the times we were drinking i would get a little silly. one time we had a couple people over and i threw a shot glass at the wall. one time we got in a little argument and i accidently hurt her wrist in the doorjamb. with one or two more incidents like that… nothing on purpose, nothing i wish i couldn't take back. i would never ever mean to hurt anyone and I've never hurt anyone my whole life and I'm 30. I've never been in a fist fight or anything. she claims one time i punched her in the back while we were snuggling, and i have no idea where that came from, i apologized to her but i really don't think it happened. she would tell lies to get things sometimes. but i don't want her to sound bad either, she's a great person with a big heart, we just partied a little too much like 6 months ago. there haven't been any incidents since we decided to cut back drinking.
also though, when things were getting really tight around the house, she went thru my phone and Facebook and i went through hers on my computer. we had a toxic relationship i get that, since then we have almost talked everything out. we just couldn't quite get there. and out of nowhere things have gone really down hill.

please don't think I'm a shitty person, i have no violence in me at all. i got rowdy at a party once, wanted to work things out once and super accidentally hurt her wrist.

she's claiming now she felt unsafe at the apartment, but all I've tried to do is make it a loving home for both of us. especially with her leaving now because i want to work things out.
we have no police records because none of the incidents required one, we woke up next morning each time smiling and laughing. she lost her job and can't find a new place so i think she is trying to get the apartment and dragging my name in the mud acting like these incidents were a really big deal and i was physically abusive at the time, when for sure in no way they were. I just paid 1000 dollars for rent this month and she said i should be out in two weeks and contacted the apartment headquarters or whatever and wants to set up arbitration for the apartment. Just three days ago she was getting boxes to move out! and i just paid the rent in full. i wouldn't mind sharing the apartment at all its one bedroom, and i would feel fine not talking or touching, id sleep on the couch in the living room i just can't find a place either with how expensive things can be right now, we relied on both of our incomes plus a lot of mine comes from tips.

i know this makes the relationship sound gross, but it really wasn't, it was really good, we just had a couple bad days. were not even mad at each other right now we just are having a hard time figuring out a living situation for ourselves. am i going to have to give up the apt? i really enjoy it and its close to my work. she likes it cuz she can actually live here and has friends near by, and I'm definitely willing to work on it with both of us here for 4 months. she isn't bending at all though.

Answer: Sorry, I couldn't find it amongst all of the "this is how I domestically abused my girlfriend but it wasn't *really* abuse because..."-- is there an actual legal question?


Title: Osha and Guns

Question:
I work for a company who recently changed their Weapon Policy and cited in an email it was due to osha.

I’m not aware of any laws pertaining to weapons not being permitted by osha could someone please enlighten me? Below is the old regulation and new as well as the response from HR.

Old:
No person shall possess or have control of any firearm, deadly weapon, or prohibited knife, as legally defined, while on Company property or in a company vehicle, except as required in the lawful course of business or as authorized by state law.
- Use or possession of a weapon on the company’s premises managed by the company as permitted by state law.

Update: No person shall possess or have control of any firearm, deadly weapon, or prohibited knife, as legally defined, while on Company property, in a company vehicle, while conducting company business, on or offsite unless the team member is employed under the Wildlife Division. Anything other than a .22 Caliber Rimfire is strictly prohibited for the Wildlife Division and is considered an intolerable offense. The .22 Caliber is prohibited inside a company building and must be kept inside the vehicle out of sight, locked in a compartment, container, which may be securely affixed to the vehicle, when the vehicle is unattended or the weapon is not in use. Wildlife employees are mandated to attend and adhere to any and all Company required firearm safety training. If it is found that an employee is not in compliance with the company policy, training requirements or state law, the employee may be subject to immediate termination.

HR Director Response:
“As you know Safety is one of our top guiding principles/values and (Company) is being proactive about maintaining a safe work environment. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, employers must provide a workplace that does not pose a serious risk of harm. Weapons on property or in your company vehicle, may pose a serious risk of harm to yourself, another employee or customer. If you have a specific issue you need to address about concerns with your safety in the field, please get with your manager first and let HR know how we can be of further assistance. Your safety is our top priority and we take your concerns very seriously.”

Answer:
 There is no legal requirement for your employer to permit weapons on its property.

OSHA says they have to provide a safe workplace, but does not address guns specifically.

Florida does have a law stating that employers [may not prohibit a concealed carry permit holder from having a weapon in their locked car](http://www.fordharrison.com/legal-alert-florida-governor-signs-bring-your-guns-to-work-law) except in certain businesses.


Title: Pregnancy Discrimination at work

Question:
I live in the United States.

Was talking to my supervisor one day about my job performance. He/she mentioned a whole bunch of stuff that he/she thought I could improve upon, and the end of the convo - he/she mentioned my wife's pregnancy. My supervisor asked what we were planning to do about the baby, as my supervisor knows we don't have a nursery or a lot of room. I informed he/she that we would do whatever is necessary to accommodate a quiet and professional work environment. (I work from home)

Later that day, I got an email telling me that there are additional thing's I'm not doing that were not mentioned in the phone conversation. Added was the fact that I have 30 days to improve upon the listed items, or else I would be fired.

I contacted my supervisor after that email on another day to discuss what was said. Once again, my wife's pregnancy was brought up. This time, questioning if I would be capable of juggling work and a new baby at the same time. He/she made the statement "Going from not having a child, to having one is a whole lot of responsibility" He/she really made it seem like he/she was  implying I would be incapable of taking care of my kid, and keeping up my work performance.

My question is, is this pregnancy discrimination? I was told by a lawyer to write a report to HR. I have it all done, but I'm debating if sending it is a good idea or not. I have a few weeks until my review letting me know if I still have a job or not. Can anyone give me an opinion as to if you think these are appropriate questions for a supervisor to bring up during conversation regarding job performance and possible termination. Should I report to HR, or leave it alone. I've been working my butt off the past 30 days, and have more than improved on all items mentioned, but I'm still afraid I may loose my job.

Sorry for the bad writing, and vagueness...trying to be discreet.

Answer:
 Companies are cracking down on home-based employees, and for good reason. They don't want a baby crying and carrying on in your home "office" any more than if you were in a company office. They don't want to pay you to be taking care of your baby. That's reasonable.

Have you considered moving to a place that can have a dedicated work space? Is there going to be another caretaker with you during work hours? Is there some way you could close off space where you are to be strictly for business? Do you have to make business calls? If so, have you considered how to deal with a baby crying in the background? Answer #2: Straight from the [EEOC site](http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/pregnancy.cfm):
>Pregnancy discrimination involves treating a woman (an applicant or employee) unfavorably because of pregnancy, childbirth, or a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth.

You are the employee and you are not pregnant, so no, this does not qualify.


Title: Surgeon Performed Unneeded Surgery that Led to Cancer

Question: Five years ago a surgeon advised my mother have a cholecystectomy that he later learned she didn't need. Five years later my mother is diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and we believe it was the surgery that caused it. What legal options do have? Can we file a malpractice lawsuit? I am located in Virginia.

Answer:
 Just curious, why do you think the removal caused the cancer? Also, what made the surgery unnecessary? Answer #2: Medical malpractice is very fact specific and it is unfortunately beyond the scope of this subreddit. It is highly recommended to speak with a medical malpractice attorney; your state's bar may be able to refer you to one. They typically work on contingency, meaning there is little up front cost to you. Similarly, consultations are typically free. It wouldn't hurt to meet with one, have them look over your info, and go from there.

*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/legaladvice) if you have any questions or concerns.*


Title: A friend of mine found a child porn website on the surface web by accident. What's the best way of getting it reported?

Question: Hey there, hope you all are having a wonderful night. A friend of mine needs some help. He accidentally stumbled upon a unfiltered child porn webpage on the surface web, and it's actually pretty disturbing. I have no idea how to report it or get it taken down, and neither does he. Can you guys be of any help? I don't know if it's a good idea to post the link here.

Answer:
 To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt, or production of child pornography, file a report on the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC)'s website at www.cybertipline.com , or call 1-800-843-5678Answer #2: Just don't keep going back to make sure it's taken down.  Answer #3: Not posting the link here is a very wise decision. If you are in the US, start with https://www.ic3.gov/complaint/default.aspx

If you are not in the US, contact your local police at their non-emergency number and ask for guidance.


Title: Can I use a recording I took of my husband? [PA]

Question:
I apologize for any errors or spelling errors, im on mobile, and this is my first time posting here.

I’m 23, i live in Pennsylvania. My husband and I have been married for 6 years. We got married when I was 17. We have a 3 year old son together.

My husband is verbally abusive. He calls me names, says all kinds of hurtful stuff. He hasn’t hit me, but I’m afraid it may get to that point one day. A year ago, we had a really bad fight and l  had a gut feeling to start recording during the fight, and I did. I hid my phone & started recording. I caught him saying he wants to kill me, that he’ll beat me to death if I leave with our son, etc. we separated for a week a few months ago, however he tried to keep my son from me so I went back. He’s an ok dad; he’s patient with him and has never ever raised his voice at him. He’s just not a good husband.

I want a divorce, but I don’t know if I am able to use a recording I have against him in court? For the divorce?

I also know he will try to get full custody. I would want shared custody, but he will want full. He would do it to spite me. I don’t have a job right now, I’m currently in nursing school but I would live with my parents, who would fully support me. Would he most likely get full custody? He has a job, and the house is in his name.

Please, any advice would be great. Thank you.

Answer: Contact a domestic violence shelter for a referral to an attorney. If you have no income he may have to pay for your attorney.


Title: [NY] Couldn't Martha Stewart have just payed her way out of jail?

Question: Just wondering.

Answer: Why are you asking this question? What makes you think that people can "pay [their] way out of jail"?


Title: [LONG POST] Is it illegal for an employer to Say you Shouldn't marry at your age?

Question:
Is it illegal for an employer to Say you Shouldn't marry at your age?

At the Undisclosed Grocery store, I Recently have been employed. The day after my Drug test came back i revived a call within the hours i requested off, which was generally mornings on Thursdays when i had class. My fiance answered the phone call and pulled me out of class to take the new job's phone-call.  I was told to meet up within 15 minutes of when she called which still was according to my availability I couldn't work for at-least 3 more hours, as well as it would take me over an hour to get back. After she was informed of this, she in an attitude told me to come in the next day and x:30 o'clock and that i better be punctual! I arived at X:15 to make sure i was there ahead of time and waited well over 1 hour for the lady who was late for work. After talking with the lady i realized that this was the same person i talked to on the phone. She also still had an attitude. In spite of everything this is still a job right?  i decided to continue since i couldn't afford the luxury of leaving a new job. So i went to fill out "additional Paperwork" for orientation. where the Customer Service Assistant Manager (A.K.A. Big long title for phone lady)was suppose to help me out, inform me of dress-code and tell me where to go. She told me that i needed non-slick shoes, and that i needed black pants and the assigned costume shirt.(she in no way informed me Of a belt, or any other Required uniform requirements) Because my Fiance answered the phone earlier I decided to apologize for her answering my phone. I was going to go on to inform her of my Availability and explain that i was in class. After this point She interrupted me and Asked where i met my fiance in a drilling form, like i did something terrible.   I responded with one or two word responses from here on out "onine" was my first response to her question. She then asked how long ive known her I responded "3 years". She then asked how old i was, I responded "21" She then said i was too young to get married and that I Shouldn't Marry anyone until my late 30s and I (phone lady) have been single my entire live and im 37. after this i completely was quiet, and she then proceeded to tell me that i was not going to get paid for orientation that it is 8 hours of volunteer work. I said ok and left the store as soon as possible not saying anything to anyone. The next day after that Saturday, i ended up going ot orientation with a lovely group and everythign was Great, and then the orientation lady who was teaching us, said we will be paid for our time at orientation and not to worry, because we were going to go over our 8 hour mark. Before i could say that i was told that i wasn't getting paid someone behind me from my same store was told the same thing and questioning the matter. after that was resolved i talked to the orientation manager, and she informed me that by store policy we would not be chastised or punished in any way for making a report on someone for a act or statement you felt was in appropriate. I had confided in the orientation manager informing her of the whole situation you are now aware of, and she called my store and made a report for me over the phone. The next day i went for my on the job taining which equates to sitting in a room for 8 hours on the computer listining to more safty videos. During this time i was pulled away by the management team, the Store manger, the store asistant manager and the 2nd costumer service manager (not phone lady) Was in the office and at first nothing was said and one of them was holding termination letters. (i was not terminated just observent) The Store manager as harsh as she could started yelling at me telling me that costumers always come first and that this is a right to work state (florida, Orlando) and that she could terminate me on the spot because she felt like it. She then asked what was my concerns with the phone lady and before i responded she told me to "choose my words carefully and that this conversation decides if she is going to fire me or if she is going to give me one more chance. My response was that she questioned my maturity level, and affection towards my fiance and told me i shouldn't get married to someone who has been there through very tough times for me. Her response was that i have only been working here for 2 days and she has never had to yell at someone this harshly this fast (meaning she apparently did it in the past to other employees) and that the job i applied for is a "professional job" and if i want to "spread drama" i should "find a desk job, or go flip burgers". And if she has to see me again for any reason that it will be immediate termination.

I am Going to find a new job soon as i can and report this to the CEO of company X but before i did this, i would like to know what legal rites am i entitled to as well as What Legal rights do i have if i choose to Stay with this company?

also what did the store do that was Illegal directly, and what is not Illegal/ is just bad manors i guess?,

Answer:
 TLDR: Fiance Answered the a call for a job offer, HR lady was rude.

HR lady was rude during initial paperwork and told OP he was to young to be married, also may have given incorrect information about orientation pay.

OP complained during corporate orientation about HR lady, and Local managment bitched him out about it.

Is that illegal or just rude.

(It's just rude)


Title: (MO) Terminating parental rights after conviction

Question:
Backstory:
After eight years of violent and non-violent habitual offenses, my child's biological father committed 1st degree murder. He was found guilty by a jury and his motion for a retrial has been denied. (There was an eye witness, video surveillance and text communication used to convict him, pretty cut and dry)

When my child was 3, bio-dad drove into our moving car (both of us inside on Christmas morning) with his car repeatedly down the highway and he fled when the cops arrived. I had an active restraining order at the time. (from a previous physical attack) I had it for the maximum amount of time.  I filed charges , he received a plea deal, spent 120 days in prison, got out and stabbed some one in his front yard a week later.

After this offense, bio-dad filed for full custody with the funding from his family to have access to my child who has not been in the same room with him since he was 6 months old. He received some sympathy from the court claiming he was not using IV drugs any longer and ready to change. We went through counseling, mediation ( that ended because he flipped a table over and the mediator no longer felt safe in her office), the whole works. I offered to forgive back child support, and restitution in exchange for him to sign his rights away. I spent close to 40k in two years and the case was not resolved because bio-dad went back to prison for lighting a stolen car on fire that ignited a home as well.

I have remained adamant that my son be no contact due to the volatile behavior and drug use. My son is very well adjusted, does not even know this happened and is completely unaware that this person exists, and has never asked.

While I have a great lawyer that I've used for this entire process I really want to have bio-dad's rights terminated as inexpensively as possible. Bio-dad received a sentence of life in prison without parole. I just want it done without the expense and time it took to go through custody hearing.

TLDR; Son's bio-dad is in prison for life without parole, I want his rights terminated in Missouri cost-effectively. (I do not qualify for legal aid)

Answer:
 An easier way to renew his passport would be to get an order from a judge allowing it without the other parent’s consent due to his incarceration.  In that same order, you would want sole legal and physical custody, including a specific statement allowing you to travel outside the US with the child.

For the name change, how old is the Child?  If old enough to understand, you might simply just ask him to use your preferred last name, and then when the child is 18 he can do a legal name change himself.  The sole legal and physical custody document would help with that for school as well.  Heck, many schools use whatever name you prefer on forms as an AKA.


Title: (CA) High school student (17F) applying to college. Complicated probably not legal situation. Not sure what to do about everything.

Question:
Hi guys. Previously I posted that I was not documented but I found out that was NOT true.

Here’s a rundown:
2007 moved to US

Abused physically by mom
Teacher reports me to CPS

Court removed me and to my aunt who lives a town 15 min away. 2011-2012?

HOWEVER, I had no idea this went on. My mom told me that I was just going to another district schools because the town I’m in have lots of competition.
I was NOT allowed to see my transcripts and I was told to forge my moms signature on registration/permission slips and put my aunt’s address and phone number. I did so.

Recently I realized that my aunt is my legal guardian but I live with my mom. She’s sometimes emotionally abusive but never beated me after I told my teacher that my arm was bruised.

I was drilled into my head that I have no SSN and is undocumented. Except I’m on a F2 (literally just found out today).

Here are my questions:

What would I need to do on my college apps? I’ve been here for a long time and attended CA schools. Placed top 8% in my class and was thought to be eligible for UC’s eligibility in the local context (top 9% guarantee admission).

Without ssn, am I still considered for ELC even as a int student?

What should I do about my college application? Do I apply as international? Or out of state for private universities?

How do I switch from F2 to F1?

Can I still work? I don’t think I can under F2.

What even is a F2? Is this visa legal for me to stay here?

I would like to consult an immigration lawyer except I don’t have the money.

Thank you everyone.
Topic:
Immigration

Answer:
 You should post on Visa journey forums, but I'll answer you briefly here.
F1 is a student Visa. F2 is for spouse and dependents/children of the F1 visa holder. So an F2 status is dependent on the F1. I didn't see your previous post. Who is the F1? Mom? Dad?
Are they currently in school? If they lose their F1 you lose the F2.

You can not work. You can not get a SSN. You can travel but you need your passport and various papers from the F1 as well as the schools international office.
You are allowed as F2 to go to elementary and secondary school but no college.


Title: Father posts properties up for pre-foreclosure

Question: My mother and father are going through a divorce and my father is doing a lot of questionable actions. From the beginning, my father and mother decided to go through a peaceful divorce, just split ways and the occasional custody. In court, my father falsely accuses my mom of child abuse and made a big deal saying he only wants the kids with this divorce. For a while, it begins with just a back and forth, kids go to the father and then to the mother, vice versa. After a month, he gives up and doesn't even bother with the kids anymore. He moves from caring about the kids to caring about the money, fluctuating between wanting half a mill to 200k, etc. He doesn't show up to the court days and leaves it to his lawyer to do the talking. My mother is always there to defend her stance and eventually, the court decides to have a mediation to end it all and both parties come to the agreement that the father gets 350k and my mother gets everything else; property and kids. My mother signed the papers and my father has to but hasn't in order to finalize the divorce. She hasn't been able to fully pay him since the bank requires the finalized divorce in order to loan her the rest of the money. In the agreement, my mother has to pay him by July 5th or else he gets everything instead. We recently found out that my father posted our properties up on Zillow a month before the final agreement and still hasn't signed the papers to finalize the divorce. It seems like he's purposefully not signing the papers in order to get the properties. Is this legal? What can we do about this?

Answer: If he is deliberately refusing to take the steps necessary to effectuate the divorce decree, in most jurisdictions she and her lawyer can take him back to court on a motion for contempt.


Title: Landlord had my bedroom windows bolted shut before I moved in and refuses to fix/replace them (MI)

Question:
Hello.

I live in a 4 bedroom house that some friends and I decided to rent beginning in August of last year. Everything has been pretty smooth with some minor fixes to the house here and there.

Obviously the weather is becoming increasingly warmer, so it's time to turn on the AC or open up some windows in the house to cool down. But when I went to open my windows in my room (located within the kitchen area) they are both bolted shut. I have put in maintenance requests to the landlord multiple times and more times than not, it just gets ignored.

This is a fire safety hazard, and the landlord refuses to get a fire inspection done on the house. I'm kind of at a loss, and feel personally like I may be in danger if the house were ever to catch on fire.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: call the fire inspector yourself. tell them that you think there is a code violation and ask if they can come do a check.