Title: Can a 17 year old be denied medical care by their parents?

Question:
I posted this on /r/assistance not too long ago and I was recommended to ask this question here.

Link: http://www.reddit.com/r/Assistance/comments/3374o5/17_parents_refusing_to_provide_medical_care_what/

Basically, I am a 17 year old, I graduated high school, and I still live in my parents and will be living with them until August when I turn 18 at which point they would be starting the process of kicking me out (legally, if I don't move out myself, which I will).

Just recently, I've had a pretty big tooth ache around my wisdom tooth and the gum is growing over it and I feel like it might get infected if nothing is done about it. I've mentioned it to my mom several times and several days ago she told me to just rinse it with salt and water, I did but it did not help. I mentioned that I might need to go to the dentist and get it taken care of and she flat out told me she won't pay for me and I have to deal with it on my own. I have a primary dentist that I visit a couple times a year, but my mom is telling me that removing the wisdom tooth is too expensive and she doesn't want to do it even though we have insurance. I don't get along with my step dad at all, but with her it's mostly a roller coaster of emotions. She's told me that at the very least I would need to find a free dental facility. I've looked those up but they are mostly for low income families, and my family is not low-income, however I personally don't have a job or money to be able to pay $400 for one procedure.

So, my question is - is my mom legally allowed to refuse dental care at the age of 17 in St. Louis, MO? What do I do in my case?

Thanks in advance.

Update 1, 4/20 morning:
I went to the childs division social services building which is surprisingly less than 3 miles away and they got me a phone number (hot line) to call, I don't have service and I can't really ask some one because I don't want close friends trying to offer me help in this or ask me about it. I'll update this once I call the hotline, meanwhile the pain got worse but only when I try to chew on that side.

Update 2 4/21 evening:
I went to my dentist and made an appointment. When I asked if I would need parent's consent to pull out the tooth, they said yes and I explained my situation and said that parents are refusing to provide for my dental care. They made the appointment, but called my parents and my parents cancelled the appointment..
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 The state can override the parents with regard to medical care.  I would find a private place, where your parents can't overhear and call the [Missouri Child Abuse Hotline](http://dss.mo.gov/cd/can.htm) as this sounds like possible neglect.  It's a 24/7 service and they should be able to get you moving in the direction of a social worker.

Alternatively they have an office locator and you could walk in.

e:
You might want to double check on /r/AskDocs, but I think that while an emergency room would not really be the place for dental pain, if the issue becomes severe or you worry there is infection, go there.  Some kind of treatment will be provided, it may speed up the process of the state intervening and as a minor your parents insurance would be billed for the service.  Answer #2: Best of luck on the dental thing.  You've gotten good advice so far.

On an unrelated note, if you've already graduated high school and are planning on moving out in a few months, you need to get a job ASAP and start saving up.  It's not cheap moving out on your own.  You're going to want to have a steady source of income and some money set aside for things that will pop up.


Title: My daughters daycare terminated her 2 week notice when I argued that she wasnt purposely breaking her children's toys because she's 2.

Question: My 2 year old daughter has been in this in home daycare in this women's 3 bedroom apartment for about a month. The other day, I was given a 2 weeks notice saying that she couldnt handle her anymore with her purposefully destructive behavior. She claims that my daughter took her sons (she has 5 kids of her own) favorite book/coloring pad and purposely spilled water on it to ruin it then days later her daughters favorite coloring book and purposely wripped it all up to destroy it. When I dropped her off the next day at daycare she rudely stated to me, "you're going to need to pay for my daughters book." I agreed but said "please remember that she is 2 years old. She does not understand what she is doing and not trying to destroy things on purpose." After I said that she got all defensive stating that the other children dont do these things so I told her I was finding new care and that she will be out when the 2 weeks are up. I walked out the door as she was trying to yell at me to take my daughter and leave even though I had to go to work. I got a message minutes later stating that I needed to find someone to pick her up and that she was done. In doing this, she had broken her contract that I signed stating she had to give me a 2 weeks notice. She also broke this contract with my 1 year old son who she terminated care for because he cried too much. I now have had to pay emergency $670 for new care for my son and will be paying a new fee for my daughter as well. She is stating that I have to pay for her care and trying to put extra $ in saying that I have to pay double for her last day in care as well as the costs to replace the toys that shouldve been kept out of reach of daycare children in the first place if they were so precious to her own children. She stated she will take legal measures if not paid in a timely manner but to my understanding, since she broke the contract, she has no legal rights. Am I correct on this? I could really use some insight on how to deal with this.

Answer: You can sue her for the $670 minus what you would have paid the woman in daycare. Do this in small claims on the claim that she broke your contract. You've got a pretty good case


Title: Can we get in trouble for reporting lots of (legitimate) violations in effort to get neighbor to move out? [MI]

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 If anyone is wondering, the horrible injustice perpetrated against OP is...

his disabled neighbor purchased an RV that he finds ugly.

Yes, this--in his mind--warrants launching a campaign of harassment against a family that is trying to mind its own business.Answer #2: Is the code violation parking an RV in their driveway - which may be protected under the ADA?

>First, let me just remind everyone this is the legal advice sub, not the moral advice sub. If you disagree with the ethics of our actions, don't bother saying so. I'm seeking legal advice only.

You don't get to dictate what kind of advice you receive here. But this statement makes you sound like an ass. Answer #3: You seriously think a coordinated surveillance schedule and township spamming plan is a good idea? Heres some legal advice for you: If someone gets arrested or they file a harassment suit against you and all of the other people involved, all of that bullshit is going to be very easy to use against you. Also, if code enforcement is coming by enough(and getting annoyed by all of the incessant bullshit you intend to fling at them), maybe they'll start noticing little violations by you and other neighbors that have been overlooked or not seen before. Answer #4: This could work, yes. But it also could not work. Code enforcement people are not stupid and they deal with anal dickheads everyday. So what will more than likely happen is they will come out a couple of times, maybe give them a warning, or a fine, then they will altogether stop coming out to the house because they are not morons and can see what is going on. At the same time the neighbor will be building their harassment case against you.


Title: DC Resident Receives Parking Ticket for "No Valid VA Inspection" in Arlington, VA

Question: I recently moved from Arlington to DC, and had Virginia plates still, with an expired VA Inspection sticker, but a new Valid DC inspection sticker on the windshield. In DC you must pass DC inspection before registering your car or getting new plates -- so I was in between steps -- I had the inspection done, but had not made it to the DMV yet for the next set of steps. Unfortunately I can't appeal the ticket online and would have to go to court to fight it, and if I lose, I believe I owe double. Does anyone know if this is an invalid ticket? Really doesn't seem to make any sense that I would receive it.

Answer: Seems pretty cut and dry - you have va plates and no va inspection. Pay the fine, move on.


Title: Me and my friends crashed reversing but we snuck someone out of school

Question: Me and my friends were driving to a highschool to pick up my friend. Once we picked him up, we backed out but this Tahoe came in through the curb and drove fast as soon as we reversed. The school police came and took the report, they don't know about the kid that was in the trunk. My friend that was driving didn't have a license and the school said they were going to look at the cameras on Friday. What can possibly happen once they look at the camera and notice the kid in the trunk?

Answer:
 Depending on your location, you could face criminal charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.  Your friend can face academic punishment for ditching school, as well as a charge for truancy depending on his record.  If you are also a student, your school can also punish you.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.


Title: [Tennessee] My landlord will not fix the AC.

Question:
We have lived in a bunch of old houses in Memphis for years, so we are quite comfortable with things just being weird sometimes.  So when we moved into our new place and the AC wasn't able to keep the place entirely cool in the summer, we chalked it up to quirks of a Midtown home.

Except that it wasn't, apparently.  The landlord came out last Tuesday to service the AC units, and his tech found that ours was leaking freon.  He quickly discovered that it was not able to be fixed, so he recommended that the landlord replace it.  The landlord agreed.  Except, the unit didn't get replaced on Tuesday, and no one told us.  We just kept running the (non-functional) AC, wondering why it was getting warmer in the house.

It wasn't a big deal, though, because the weather here has been relatively cool for the last few days.

They installed a new unit on Wednesday.  But for some reason, the unit is freezing over both downstairs and in the attic.  I got ahold of the technician via text message, and he said that it needed more freon.  I offered to pay for said freon.  He said that he was working with the landlord.

It is now Saturday, and it is no longer cool in my house.  I have text messaged the landlord and the technician multiple times, and now no one is returning my correspondence.

What do I do?  It is sweltering in here.

Answer:
 Does your lease mention anything about A/C?  I am doing to double check, but I do not think TN requires landlords to provide A/C.

Edit: Good thing I double checked.

>If your rental home needs an emergency repair to keep it healthy, such as a repair of the heat, gas, lights, water, sewage, plumbing or **air conditioning**, you should alert your landlord.  In some counties you can use some of your rent money to make these immediate repairs.  If the problem was your fault, you may have to help pay for the repairs.

[Source](https://www.tn.gov/health/article/renters).


Title: [MD] I had earwax removed at an urgent care clinic 2 months ago and since then I feel “off”

Question:
I went to an urgent care place about 2 months ago because I couldn’t hear due to earwax buildup in my right ear. The procedure typically used to treat this involves putting drops in the ear that loosen the wax, waiting several minutes, followed by spraying water in the ear to flush it out. I’ve had this procedure done multiple times before this incident without issue. I’ve even had had it done at the same clinic .

This time, however, the person who administered the flushing did it very forcefully. They were using a hand instrument and they were pumping it very rapidly. I had to yell at her to stop at least twice due to the pain. She waited momentarily after both times but then started pumping rapidly again. She said she was trying to flush until only clear water was observed leaving the ear. Anyway procedure was done and I could hear again. I was temporarily dizzy as was expected with this procedure.

Since that time, I’ve felt “off”. I can’t quite describe the sensation but it’s a bit like a subtle headache in my ear or right side of the head or right eye that comes or goes. It’s not pain per se,  but it is irritating.

I know the person who administered the treatment was not a doctor, and I’m pretty sure not a nurse either.

If I take legal action against the clinic and/or this individual, do I have a case or would I just be wasting my time and money?

Answer:
 Feeling “off” is not something you can pursue legally. Your first step is seeing a medical *professional* about your issues, and having them examine your ear. If the doctor/nurse reports that you do indeed have damage consistent with a botched procedure, you *may* have something to pursue but that is a huge maybe.Answer #2: Why haven’t you gone back to the doctor for this sensation?

You would need to be able to prove injury caused by negligence. The force used during ear wax removal is a subjective opinion. Speaking from experience, they definitely didn’t rupture or damage your eardrum or you would’ve been in excruciating pain and partially or entirely deaf in that ear until it healed up.Answer #3: You're off because Ears have to do with balance. I grew up with ear infections and had to get my ears flushed a lot growing up. What you feel is probably just bruising because of the wax build up and the strain on your ear drum. Continue to use ear drops. If it still hurts there is a prescription for ear drops that have some steroids in them.Answer #4: Have you seen another doctor since? If you feel off, go to an E.N.T. and have them check you out. If there's actually some sort of damage to your ear, then you can start considering legal options, but at the moment you have nothing for a case.


Title: My husband just missed his beloved grandfather's funeral because of a flight delay/missed connection (non-weather related). Does he have any legal / financial recourse aside from a ticket refund? (NY, USA)

Question:
As noted in the title, my husband recently missed his beloved grandfather's funeral because of an unexplained, non-weather related flight delay and subsequent missed connection on US Airways.  (As a note, the flights were all in the U.S.)  He filed a complaint but all they did was offer him a $100 voucher off his next flight on their airline, which he understandably views as a smack in the face.

Does he have any legal / financial recourse aside from the ticket refund they are giving him?  Does the airline owe him anything by law, or are there any "trip in vain" or "pain and suffering" laws related to missed funerals that apply to US Airways?

Answer: No.  Carriers are not responsible for all of the things we may miss in life as a result of delays.  If they were I think every single airline would be operating in the red today.


Title: (Michigan) My mom died April 26 while on hospice in nursing home. Social Security sent me a letter stating that her estate must re pay her April payment.

Question: My mom has been in a Nursing home since October of 2016, in January she was finally approved for Medicaid which paid all bills retroactively back to October.  My mom's full SSI check  (less approx. 30 dollars) has since been taken  by the nursing home to pay for her care , depleting her account every month.  My mom died on April 26th, her SSI check hit her account May 3 and today I received a letter stating that  the payment had to be returned to the government.  It was my understanding that SSI pays for the month prior, meaning the check in her account was for April, which she was alive for most of.  The nursing home is now stating there is an outstanding bill due but her account will be empty after paying back the SSI and paying for her cremation and services.  Do I have any recourse here with SSI, should I file an appeal?  I never signed any financial agreement with the nursing home that would hold me liable, but  I do feel that they should be paid considering she was there the entire month less 5 days and received excellent care.

Answer: There should be a telephone number on the demand letter, you should call it and ask all of your questions and explain the situation.


Title: [IL] Is my health insurance company required under HIPAA to provide names/credentials of those involved in denial decision?

Question:
There's a meme going around asserting that if your health insurance denies a pre-authorization, you can call and demand to speak with a "HIPAA Compliance/Privacy Officer." It goes on to say that they're required to provide names and credentials of all those who accessed your record to make the denial decision. Supposedly you have the right to this information under HIPAA.

Is there any truth to this?

I'm in Illinois.
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer nor an expert on HIPAA but I don't see how it would matter at all. According to [Snopes](https://www.snopes.com/hipaa-medical-hack-insurance-claim-denials/) that part of the claim is false though.

>Insurers are not required to designate a "HIPAA Compliance Officer," nor are they obligated to provide the names and credentials of everyone involved in a coverage decision.


Title: City's water department being shady & very obviously overcharging

Question:
Mandatory sorry for the formatting because on mobile & throwaway.
This is in the US.

The water department in the city I work in is so shady and I don't know what to do at this point.

Last month, we were billed over double the amount (normally we pay around $200) at ~$460, but again, they're shady and once a year they spike the bill out of nowhere so we paid it without fuss. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD BROWN WATER FOR 2 WEEKS FOR THAT MONTH forcing us to use bottled water to mix the dough.

Then comes the bill for this month, and it's a whopping $640. Apparently, we used ~41,000 GALLONS that month. Now about the business I work at - it's a small bakery and we only use the water for the dough & icing, wash the trays, to mop a few times a week, and of course use the toilet & wash our hands. We're only open for 8-9 hours but our water is never consistently running or anything to warrant a bill for 41k gallons. Nothing has changed in the things we use our water for.

For the past year, we used an average of 7,000 gallons of water per month.

Of course, the water department is brushing me off & when I asked to speak to the manager, she was so unwilling to come talk to me, a different lady came out saying she was the manager (I've seen the manager before), I'll call her FM for fake manager.

Here are a few things she said:
FM: she can't do anything about your bill and isn't going to take any part of it off.

FM: she says that someone from the maintenance crew will come look at your water meter.

FM: she said that your water meter isn't electrical so someone has to go out there to manually measure it.

when I requested the data logs (as per the front desk guy's suggestion to see when the water use spiked) she said that it wasn't possible with our water meter.

lol....... when i called her out on her constant use of "she" she was like oh, no i'm the real manager. yeah right. I feigned ignorance though & will keep that in my back pocket.

I apologize this has gotten so long & is probably all disorganized but I'm so frustrated at this point of just being sent to voicemail when I call the office & for being cheated like this.

There also was a leak in a school across the street from us which affected our water pressure & resulted in 2 weeks of brown water. 2 fire hydrants near us were flushed & water quality was improved but has become brown again today.

Do I need to find a lawyer to be taken seriously by these people? Why do they always pull this crap once a year (now TWICE)?

Answer:
 The most likely explanation for your water bill spiking is a leak. You should ask for quotes from plumbers to have the leak investigated. The plumber can also advise you on the brown water which may or may not be related to your potential leak.

You have to check out your plumbing on your side of the water meter before accusing the water company of anything. That plumbing is your responsibility (or your landlord's/owner's, if you rent). Going straight to accusing your water company of being shady is counterproductive. They're not out to get you and can help figure out what's going on if you work with them.Answer #2: You have a leak between the meter and your business, almost for sure. Many water utilities will waive an unusually large bill for a month if you present proof you’ve fixed the leak. Call a plumber before you call a lawyer, then call two more plumbers to also bid so you don’t get charged like you had called a lawyer.


Title: (TN) separated from husband for over a year, now pregnant from boyfriend.

Question:
My husband and I have been separated for over a year and living in different states. All finances are separate and neither relies on the other for any assistance. We have not even been in contact for over 6 months. I recently became pregnant from my boyfriend. I know my husband is the assumed father and I should put him on the birth certificate.

I have tried several times to get in contact with the husband to try and proceed with a divorce but he hasn't returned any texts or phone calls. I also know that he has moved at some point and I don't know his address or if he still works at the same job.

Could I just say that I am separated on any paper work and list my boyfriend as the father? I just want to do this with the smallest amount of stress and financial burden on myself and worried about legal fees adding up with having to try and track the husband down and having to do paternity tests.

Answer:
 No. If you refuse to list your husband on the birth certificate, the hospital is required in Tennessee to list the father's name as "Mother Refused Information." You legally cannot put your boyfriend as the father without a court order and the hospital will most likely refuse to let you try. ([See here](https://www.tn.gov/assets/entities/humanservices/attachments/Paternity_Guide_for_Moms.pdf) )

Also, lying to the hospital that you are not legally married has a high potential to cause more stress and financial burden down the road, so please don't go that route. Answer #2: Your state requires your husband to be on the birth certificate. So you should call him and tell him he is a father.

[Link](https://www.tn.gov/humanservices/article/child-support-establishing-paternity)


Title: [CA] Arson on apartment above mine - massive water damage on my apartment. What to look for when resolving this issue?

Question:
So there was a fire on the apartment above mine tonight. We evacuated for a while and upon return our apartment was completely under water. Our fire sprinklers did not go off, but the ones from the apartment that caught fire did go off, and leaked through all our ceiling and light fixtures, its a mess.

First of all, we live in a community where all apartments are leased, and we do have renters insurance.

So I guess my question really is, when dealing with the leasing office and the insurance, what should I look out for? and how should proceed with them?

when getting covered for damages, who dictates what is damages versus what is just wet? for example, most of our closet got wet with dirty water, are those clothes claimable to the insurance as damage, or they are considered fine?

Also, should we take legal action against the leasing company since it was arson? I chatted with the police on site and got information that the suspect was already apprehended.

Extra info - when we left (to stay over at relatives) the clean up crew for the leasing company was already there removing the carpet of the whole apartment and removing the water.

We will be going to the leasing office first thing in the morning to start dealing with this.

I will try to provide any extra information if needed, I took a video tour of our apartment and the apartment that got on fire.

I'm sorry if I left anything out, we've been dealing with this for the past 3 hours, and I'm exhausted.

Thanks

Edit - http://imgur.com/a/w7jHR

Answer:
 Hooray! You're smarter than 97% of people who post here. You have renter's insurance. Contact them. Also, check out /r/insurance as your situation seems better suited for them.

As far as the leasing agent, why would you think you think they've done anything actionable?


Title: NC, purchased a car from dealer Dec 15, sold as clean title. Paper title shows clean. When attempting to trade now, June 19, electronic records it was stolen/total loss June 2015.

Question: Bought a used car from a large, semi luxury dealership where I was living (NC) in December 2015. It was a 2013 with low miles advertised at $32,xxx, a nice deal, but in no way "too good to be true." Nothing reported wrong with the vehicle. Come about March 2019 I am now living in Pennsylvania, pay off this car and get the title mailed to me. Nothing noted on the physical paper title provided at payoff. Now its June 2019. Looking to buy a new car. Current reccomended trade in value from kbb is averaged at $14,491. When getting car assessed for trade in, dealer will only give $4,xxx due to it have been reported as a stolen/ total loss/salvage in June 2015! We research and, it's TRUE, it was stolen, and marked a total loss 6ish months before we bought it. Just obtained a police report showing so. We have paperwork from the dealership we bought it from stating it is not a salvage or recovered theft total loss vehicle. Called the dealership we bought from, and they basically said they didn't know about it, so too bad. Help, please!

Answer:
 I have seen this scam before, someone buys a salvage fixes it and instead of registering it and then selling it they wait till somebuys it and then register the title under rebuilt/salvage. Im sure you could go after the dealership if you could prove their role in the scam which incan assure you they knew.Answer #2: Was it stolen AND total loss AND salvage? Maybe it was stolen, unrecovered and settled and then recovered after settlement, which now it would have a total loss title because of the settlement,but maybe it was recovered and not damaged? I'd be curious whether it was actually damaged or not at a good shop should be able to tell you... Can't you get a title reissued after you repair a total loss? Or in this case recover one that turned out not to be damaged? I'm just throwing things out there to consider, have no idea what happened in your case.Answer #3: It’s probably a washed title. It was a salvage title in another state and someone retitled it in North Carolina which for some reason didn’t transfer the brand of salvage title.

You could gather all the paperwork you have from when you purchased with the dealership guaranteeing it’s a clean title and file a lawsuit in small claims. The limit is 10k in North Carolina. It shouldn’t cost very much to file. Run an Autocheck to see if it was the dealer that last retitled before selling to you.


Title: Girlfriend is being framed sending abusive and illegal (death threat) messages to people on discord using a proxy IP

Question:
The proxy IP is from the city we live in (in future she will not disclose any information like this) and apparently the moderator of the discord has called the police (in the USA) and they think it is my girlfriend (this and the proxy IP are what worry me, not the emotional damage of losing friends and being framed).

We know for a fact it is the head of the discord server framing my girlfriend but there is no way for us to prove this so what I'm asking is how do we prove that she is innocent? The server moderators will not show any claimed information that it was my girlfriend (exact ip adress, and police paperwork) which shows it is complete bs and that they are framing her

Answer: This is probably just stupid internet drama. If the police actually want to talk to her she should decline to answer any questions without an attorney. Nobody have any further contact with these people.


Title: [Canada][Ontario] Renting to own our own home. 'Landlord', aka. 'Seller', has now expressed that he does not 'want' foster children in the home.

Question:
My husband and I have been trying for 6 years to have a child of our own. I have one child (10) from a previous marriage that lives with us, and my mother (61) who moved in with us after my Father passed in 2017.

We recently found a beautiful home with extra space and in a nice location in town that had a rent to own option. It's pricey, but we can do it. We're carrying tenants insurance, paying the utilities and accepted responsibility for any capital repairs/replacements on appliances while in the home until we complete our obligations for the down payment (roughly 16 months).

We expressed our excited nature of the possibility of exploring Foster Parenting and possibly adoption through a local agency when the 'seller', aka. 'landlord', refused to accept provisions in the agreement that would allow us to foster. (Agreement states single family home - only myself, spouse, child and mother in law to reside at the home.

Is he allowed to do that? Seeing as we would be foster parenting a young child - how would that be any different than if I were to have become pregnant in that term and birthed a child?

Answer:
 The intersection of rent-to-own contracts and the _Residential Tenancies Act_ is so complex that I wouldn't expect to get competent advice from anyone but local attorney, unfortunately. If you're not willing or able to involve an attorney, first, an RTO arrangement may be an unwise risk, and second, even if you move forwards, it may be better to abide by the agreement until you complete the purchase and obtain title to the property.

Under the RTA, you can't be evicted for additional occupants without some other good cause - interference with other residents, overcrowding as defined by bylaws and building codes, criminal activity, and so on - but that only protects your tenancy, not your rent-to-own agreement. Breaches of that agreement may mean you lose the option of owning the property in the future, and that you end up in a dispute over the payments and deposits made to date.


Title: What legal recourse, if any, would a spouse have if I chose to surprise them with evidence of their infidelity at their birthday party this weekend in front of all their family?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 As long as you are sure it is true then she won't have anything to sue you for. However, I will just add that seeming like a calm, reasonable and rational person in a divorce has never hurt anyone.Answer #2: Directly very little.

Indirectly it may make you look less sympathetic in the divorce if it comes up, certainly will not help in any custody determinations if the judge becomes aware, and may make your wife substantially more angry/bitter/difficult throughout the entire process. It could turn a simple uncontested divorce into months/years of hell in court.

So, I would not do it. You have very little to gain other than spiteful revenge.

You have been mistreated. If you permit me some life advice, I would advise you to spend some time with friends with good judgment talking about how pissed you are/this idea. This is the sort of thing you will probably regret and may move past if you blow off some steam.Answer #3: Nothing preventing you from doing this but I can guarantee she isn't the only one who will come out looking like a "piece of shit" from your scenario. I don't care how justified you feel in this situation, but if someone in my family or peer group did this, it would be the last time you saw my face. It's poor taste, petty and vindictive but hey, maybe that's who you are. Tell her in private, and then cancel the party. Answer #4: You haven't stated where you're from, OP, so who knows. That said, some states recognize a tort called "public disclosure of private facts." [Here](http://www.dmlp.org/legal-guide/publication-private-facts) is a general write-up. Truth is not a defense to this tort.

What you plan to do seems like it falls within the tort. I wouldn't recommend doing it.


Title: Was fined for driving uninsured, but now after court I spoke to my dad(His car) and apparently the car has always been insure.(US)

Question:
So do i have any option after I plead guilty to being uninsured and driving without a license? I spoke to my dad after court and he told me that the car was insured when i got pull over a year ago. I had no knowledge of this. The day that i was pull over I didn't have the insurance card so I couldn't prove it. It would be nice if I could avoid paying $500. Illinois.
Topic:
Insurance

Answer:
 Maybe, maybe not.

In many states, the actual charge is driving without *proof* of insurance.

So even if you had insurance but did not have proof, you could still be guilty depending on your state's specific laws.

I'll let one of our attorneys address the possibility of vacating your plea.


Title: [CO] Ex's mother asking me to drop protection order.

Question:
I was in a violent relationship. The cops came, I was hospitalized, he was arrested. This was a year and a bit ago. I had no input other than a statement. I did not file a protection order. I'm glad it exists, but charges and stuff were out of my hands.

I kept contact with my ex's mother to arrange his stuff and some money he owes me. She contacted me recently to ask if I could drop the order so he could get a job near where I just moved.

1. I can't drop something I didn't set up right? (Nor would I want to. I don't want him near me.)

2. Can't I just ask her to quit talking to me and block her? If she continues to contact me after blocking, can I do anything?

3. Am I going to be in trouble for being in touch with her? I don't really want any contact with my ex's family, but I don't want to cause waves as he owes me quite a bit of money that is going to my account monthly, but I don't want that to stop and I have to sue him.

Answer:
 1. You could request to drop it if you wanted to, but that isn't necessarily a 100% guarantee the courts would drop it. But you say you don't want to, so it's moot.

2. Yes, you absolutely may tell her to quit talking to you and block her. If she continues to contact her, you may report her to police for harassing you.

3. No, you will not be in any trouble over this. It's possible that *he* could be found in violation of the no-contact order if he asked his mother to contact you on his behalf. But you have done absolutely nothing wrong here.Answer #2: You have no obligation whatsoever to drop the protection order. It would not be in your best interests to do so.

If you refuse her request and she begins to harass you, file a police report.

You won't be in any trouble for speaking with her.


Title: [CA] My leg fell through a gap between a trailer and dock door in my workplace this Monday. The agency I’ve been hired through say I am not entitled to workers compensation and the medical clinic I was referred to claimed I am capable of returning to work. Am I entitled to workers comp?

Question: I had a work related injury caused by the company not having Safety procedures for offloading cargo. The cargo obstructed my line of sight, causing me to misstep into the gap. I received an abbrasion/contusion.The only witness was a new hire, he was fired yesterday. The medical center referred by the agency said I was still fit for duty. Am I entitled to compensation?

Answer: Depends on what you're expecting compensation for. Do you have a medical bill from the clinic you were referred to?


Title: My daughter is blackmailing me. (Nevada)

Question: Last Wednesday night my 17 year old daughter told me she was moving out. All her stuff was packed and someone was coming to get her in half an hour, she was going to live with her friend’s family until she graduated. She demanded I wire her all the money I have put away for her education and that I not shut her cell service (which her grandfather actually pays for but has cut at my request in the past). She said she has photographic proof that my husband, who is a felon, is in possession of multiple firearms. All the guns in the house are under my name, but they aren’t locked up and he has full access to them as well as keeping one in his car. I haven’t heard from her since but she’s been at school as expected every day. Is there anything I can do to fight this? I haven’t signed any paperwork but she is not the type to make empty threats and I can’t have him reincarcerated.

Answer:
 > All the guns in the house are under my name, but they aren’t locked up and he has full access to them as well as keeping one in his car.

First and foremost, this entire situation needs to be remedied TODAY.


Title: DUI attorney worth it?

Question: A family member recently got a DUI, their first. They are now navigating the process and considering going with a lawyer to help. A lawyer is going to be 5k+, is it worth it? I don't know much about the rules here, but it seemed like a stiff fee for a couple court appearances and helping with paperwork.

Answer:
 Assuming you live in the USA, yes.  A lawyer can provide the best opportunity to deflect as much damage as possible.

I have seen DUIs get reduced to a slap on the wrist.


Title: TX. Local taxi company won't hire anyone under 40 'due to insurance requirements'

Question:
I'm not affected by this and I'm not looking to do anything about it.  I'm just curious if this local company could get in legal trouble.

I pulled up the FB page of a local taxi company to get their number, and the top post by them was an announcement they are looking to hire several new drivers that "must be motivated and dependable! Also over 40 due to insurance requirements."  In the comments of the of the post, several people inquire about more details but are told 'you must be 40 or older'.

Can insurance require employees to be a certain age, or is this company just trying to qualify for better rates?   Age is a protected class correct?  Is this company opening themselves up to lawsuits from the people they are telling aren't old enough to apply for employment?

Like I said, I have no personal involvement and am not looking to action anything.  Just something I'm curious about.

Thanks!

Answer: 40 Seems a bit high to me but when drivers are hired for commercial/public auto (Semi, limo, taxi) insurance companies charge a premium for anyone under the age of 29 and under 21 is basically just not ever going to happen. The premiums for the under 29 crowd can be quite large so companies tend to not hire those people. It's not discriminatory at all under the law.  (Source: I work in the commercial/public insurance industry)


Title: Intoxicated friend hit and run, left me in the car

Question:
This was a month ago, in Texas. I went out with friends, had way too much to drink and wanted to Uber home and leave my car. My friends acting in good faith didn’t want for me to leave my car so far from home, since I had to work the next day. I don’t even remember getting into my car, my friend says he had to help me. I was in the passenger seat, he was driving, he was intoxicated but not as bad as I was. I never said you could drive me, this was his decision. Two other cars with friends were following behind. At some point he veered into the next lane and struck a car. No one was injured in either car. He pulled over and spoke with the other driver. I was passed out in the passenger seat. The other friends stopped their cars, to check on us. He was afraid he would be arrested for DUI, so he got into another car and left.

His girlfriend was not intoxicated, she was in the car he drove off in and she stayed with me and waited for the police to arrive, then told the police that she was driving my car. The driver of the other vehicle in the accident told the police that she was not the driver, that I was also not the driver, but that another guy was and he left in another car. The police officers questioned me, I was too drunk to give an answer the police determined. The girlfriend stuck to her story after being questioned. The police didn’t believe her. He drove us both to my house and didn’t arrest anyone and didn’t charge me or give me any citation. He gave her a case number and said there will be an investigation, he told her there are witnesses. The other driver gave a description

The next day I woke up, didn’t have a good recollection of the previous night’s events. I remembered being way drunk, being put into my car, then nothing, then police questioning me, and not knowing what was going on. The girlfriend of the hit and run guy drove me to the impound lot and paid the fee to take my car out. She filled me in on some details but I’m sure she’s not telling me everything.

I do not want to get into legal trouble. I was an idiot for drinking too much that night. I am responsible for my own actions, for drinking too much and putting myself in this situation. I wanted to Uber home, but was lead into their plans. Is it illegal to be a drunk passenger in my own car? Can I be sued by the other party? Now that I know a crime was committed, do I have an legal obligation to turn him into the police? If questioned I will not lie, I will tell the police what I know, rather what I’ve been told happened that night since I have no good recollection. Part of me wants to contact the police and tell them the whole story, part of me wonders if the investigation will never take off since I have not been questioned or contacted maybe I should leave it alone, let the chips fall where they may, as long as I am not in legal trouble or civil liability. What it comes down to for me is that I am not held responsible legally or financially for his hit and run or her false statement to the police.

Answer:
 If your car was in an accident while you were a passenger your insurance is likely to pay that claim. There could conceivably be involvement if the driver’s liability insurance if he has it and that driver is identified.

You are not legally obligated to identify the driver or report his crimes. You may have an obligation under your insurance policy to tell what you know  of the event. And are a witness and likely a defendant in any civil litigation arising from these events.

If the damages exceed your policy or if you’re accused of a crime you may need a lawyer.


Title: Mom got a dui need help

Question: Last week my dad was sent to the post office. He drove over the white line and got arrested. They called my mom to come get him and she got arrested with dui.  She said that they smelled alcohol on her breath and gave her a breathalyzer.  She blew a .12. She was later bailed out by her sister in laws.   She is fighting me on any advise I give her.  I told her she needs a lawyer and she is refusing to get one.  She thinks all she will do is pay a fine since she is a first time offender.  I don't know if its that simple.

Answer:
 She faces a fine, vastly increased insurance costs, a license suspension, and possible jail time.

She needs a lawyer but you can't make her get one.


Title: Firestone can burn in hell

Question: So my girlfriend yesterday went to get an alignment at Firestone in her 1995 Geo Tracker. As she was going to work getting on to the freeway the hood comes crashing into her windshield. Firestone had for some reason forgot to close the hood and did not tell my gf. Im not even sure you need to open the hood for an alignment.The impact of the hood was so strong it broke off from the hinge and smashed her windshield to pieces.  Is there anything we can do to get Firestone to pay for damages? Would I have to take it to a small court claims. This was not okay we put our trust into some shitty company. I have all the paperwork and names of the employees who worked on my girlfriend's car. I just dont know what to tell the people at Firestone. I dont want to get there and be brushed off. I'm extremely angry and I want to keep a calm head before I lose it on them.

Answer:
 A 1995 Geo is still on the road?Answer #2: > Firestone had for some reason forgot to close the hood and did not tell my gf.

What evidence do you have of that? You're making a huge leap here.


Title: Left a job in NY to move to CA with my spouse. It’s been 4 months and still no job. Can I get unemployment? If so, where?

Question:
First, I should say that I’m a lawyer, but this is not my area of expertise, so I wanted some input especially because it involves two states.

I was in a time-limited fellowship in NY that I left a month early to join my spouse in CA for her PhD program. However, I am not yet a member of the CA bar and I work in civil rights, which means jobs are already few and far between, but nearly nonexistent until you’re barred. I am barred in NY and NJ and I am taking the California bar in February.

It’s getting hard to live without an income and I have been trying nonstop to find a position, so I was wondering if I qualify for unemployment in either NY or CA. I have worked for several years in each state (I lived in CA before NY), so I have paid into unemployment, I’m just not sure how to go about collecting it given my cross-country move.

Any advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Answer: No. You willfully left employment.


Title: Sex parties (Serious)

Question:
I have 3 seperate questions for this thread!

My wife and i want to start hosting sex parties in Virginia, Fredrick county. Parties we have attended before usually have a cover charge of some sort. how would this be legal?

If there were parties to be held, and i would be the only one getting paid for it (cover charges only) would there be any legal ramifications?

and finally, my wife wants to be the center of attention for a few parties, but still have a cover charge for it (Gangbang). would this be legal?

Cross posting in legal advice and BDSM Community

Thank you guys for all your input!

Answer: If the cover charge is simply to cover the buffet (and other costs to throw the party), and the party is private, wouldn't this just be considered a private party between consenting adults?


Title: Need legal advice for my 16 year old sister who needs to move in with me

Question: Hi I have a little sister who just turned 16 , and I want her to move in with me because our mother is abusive and it’s not the ideal situation for her to grow up in that household. I know I can admit her to a high school here in LA ( she will be moving from NYC). But can she still uses our dad’s health insurance and show our dad’s income when applying for college application /FAFSA when she goes to college? I guess what I am trying to say is, can my dad still be the legal guardian(in terms of financial matters) while I become the primary caretaker.

Answer:
 Huh?

No, you literally can do none of what you're suggesting without your parent's permission.


Title: Foreign girlfriend and I, want to get married and have her become a resident of the United States.

Question:
We've got information scattered about but we're a bit confused on how to go about putting it together. So I figured this would be the right sub for this kind of advice. We're already freaking out a bit over it so we hoped you guys could help.

So my girlfriend lives in Australia and, well, we are trying to get her to the U.S. to live here. We want to get married. All that. How do we go about this? She's visiting in July and we were going to sit down and look at visas and stuff, but I figured I would get a head start here. Neither of us have been married before or anything.

Thanks in advance. It's some really freaky shit.

Answer: You really need to sit down and talk to an immigration attorney for this. It's not something I'd recommend trying to do without one.


Title: Anyone schooled in Ohio State Law. I need an urgent question answered.

Question:
My half brother died last week in Ohio. Apparently, he described himself as being estranged. His associates and colleagues are basically treating him as such. They filed and were granted administrative rights over all his affairs except what to do with his body. They've now filed a petition that would grant them the right to also deal with his body. We found out about this through the mortuary whenever we began filing the necessary paperwork dealing with his body. A court date has been set for Sep. 19. Here's the thing, I'm not sure if the people doing all this even realize he has 4 living brothers. Here's my question(s): Now that we're in the picture, is that petition still legally binding? If so, how can we fight it?

Edit: I'm in California, if that matters.

Answer: Contact a probate lawyer in Ohio, if that's where your brother was a resident, and have them look into your brother's estate.


Title: [GA] I am a defendant charged with battery. I overheard the arresting officer using my now ex-boyfriends SIL's name. I found out he is her sister's husband.

Question:
I am 23 years old and have never gotten into trouble before this. I was arrested for battery in a fight with my boyfriend. I admit I gave him a busted lip and possibly a broken nose in a heated argument that led to a fight inside his house and there was blood everywhere.

 I was charged with battery and was arrested. For more clarification of the incident, I left his house with some of my things after we had an argument. I said I was leaving and took what I had. I forgot to grab my laptop so I went back to his house.

 He had locked the doors except the back door, since I usually was free to come and go, I went through the backdoor since he must have forgot to lock it. He was taking a shower and I knocked on the door telling him to come out.

I admit I was still heated about the argument and I wanted to talk to him to try and work things out. He told me to leave the premises and to arrange a date for me to come get my stuff but I wanted to get my laptop and some more of my stuff that I needed.

He kept telling me to leave the house and got into an argument and it led to shoving and we ended up getting into a fight. We eventually ended up on his bed fighting, with me on top of him and we were both still fighting and I punched him in his face a couple of times. I am physically stronger than him and may have used excessive force on him during the fight.

 I feel as though he was trying to push me over the edge by saying cruel and hateful things to me to get me to fight him. I left after the altercation. I know it shouldn't have gone that far.

I ended up going back home and thought that we would both cool off and talk about what happened as I feel as though he was pressuring me to fight him. I know it all looks bad.

The day after it happened, an officer came to my house.

The problem is, the arresting officer cut me off when I was giving him a statement about my side of the story and he said he is going to side with my now ex boyfriend.

The police report looks very bad and I feel as though the police statement reflected more of his side of the story and mostly mimicked what his statement was and what he said happened.

I overheard a name during the process of being booked and processed into jail. It was his sister in laws name. After I was bailed out the next day after my arrest, I did some digging on facebook(no contact with my ex boyfriend of course) and found that the arresting officer is my ex boyfriends SIL's sister's husband.

I feel as though I was treated harsher than other inmates  during the booking and processing. Everyone else who was there was treated with more respect by the officers but when it came to me, it was like they had something against me.

I know this all looks bad especially since he went to the ER and had a busted lip and nasal contusion according to the police report.

I am wondering, even if all this looks bad, I didn't get to tell my side of the story and was treated unfairly. The arresting officer is a family friend of my ex boyfriend. Is there anything I can do about this because I feel as though I didn't have any say in my statement to the police. I do know that I injured him. I just wish I could tell more of my side of the story. I had no injuries and it looks very bad, I know all of this.

Is there anything I can do to get my statement heard? Or should I just let whats already been set in motion, happen. I have an arraignment in a couple months and seeing if I can qualify for first offender status and hopefully end up with probation. But I also feel my side of the story wasn't recorded properly since the arresting officer was a family friend of my ex.

Even though I did cause injury to my ex boyfriend, he was also hitting me too although I had no marks on me except a couple of scratches. Should I even go down that route of trying to file charges back and should I leave well enough alone with the family friend officer? I don't want to make things worse for me or him. I really don't. I just want to hear from others if this whole thing should just be left alone as there evidence against me and accept the verdict, which is most likely probation or should I continue further and go to court against him to get my side of the story heard and to tell the court about the officer being a family friend of my ex.

Answer:
 Your "ex-boyfriend's SIL's sister's husband?" That's too distant a relationship to mean anything.  Throw in there "former roommate's yoga instructor's third grade teacher's gardner" and you might have something.

If you've been charged with a crime you need to discuss this with your attorney. You want to avoid a criminal record if at all possible.


Title: My landlord had someone move into my room on my lease...

Question:
Hey /r/legaladvice,

so about 3 months ago I moved out of my apartment as my roommates mental health unraveled to the point where she made it unsafe for me to be there. At the time I let my landlord know that I wouldn’t be living there but I would continue paying rent.

Today I went there to grab some of my stuff to find that there was somebody living in my room. I talked to her and she said that she got permission from my landlord to live there for free. Instantly I was furious and contacted my landlord to ask her if she knew about it. Her response was “Yes I did thanks”.

I feel pretty disgusted that my landlord had this person living in my home without telling me and even more disgusted that my landlord would have me continue paying rent with a stranger living in my apartment.

Now I’m just confused as to what to do next. I want to try to get the money back that she charged me or I want to overall stop paying rent for this apartment. Are there any legal steps that I should be making or have I dug myself in a hole?

Thanks

Answer:
 NAL
Screenshot and save the texts with the landlord for evidence later. See if you can get rent back for the time the person has been in your space, and if not, contact a lawyer.Answer #2: Am a lawyer but not your lawyer.  Save the texts, take pictures, get statements that show the landlord has been cashing the checks, copies of your lease, etc.  This is a lot more than just rent.  The landlord is potentially responsible for the trespassing, conversion, fraud, unjust enrichment (if he received anything of value from the tenant).  This is going to infuriate the judge when he sees what the landlord is doing and he might throw the book at him.  Get a property lawyer in your jurisdiction.  Or if your rent is really small per month and the landlord seems poor, you might just want to go to small claims court instead.

Big exception to all of this would be if this is a friend of your other roommate and you guys signed the lease together.Answer #3: Read your lease, find the part where it describes what you are entitled to and show it to your landlord. Read the to see if there are any fees to breaking the lease early. Contact local Tennant rights organizations. Unless your lease is worded very abnormally your landlord broke the contract and probably owes you some money.


Title: Is it illegal for me to paint a Ford Focus black/yellow and put the words "School Bus" on it?

Question: I live in Michigan and I asked a cop the same question and they didn't have any ideas, so I wanted to see if Reddit could provide me with some more insight. Don't want to use the Ford Focus for any actual commercial purpose, obviously.

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer, but I guess "impersonation of a short bus" isn't an actual crime...Answer #2: Mmm as a former school bus driver, I'd be willing to bet you'd have a hard time attaining paint in "national school bus yellow." So as long as you're not trying to pick up kids, I'd imagine you'd be ok. Answer #3: Do you intend to drive around picking up strangers' kids in this vehicle with the promise of delivering them to school?Answer #4: Here is a reference to a Michigan law that says you can not paint a BUS in traditional school bus colors unless it is used as a school bus.  The PDF only refers to buses, not other types of vehicles. You can check out the legal citation in the document to make sure the actual law doesn't mention other types of vehicles.

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Private_Buses_71826_7.pdf


Title: Why do i have to report to a p.o. if I haven't been convicted?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Did you take a plea that involved probation in exchange for a  discharge or something? They don't just pick people up off the street and force them to report to a PO.


Title: [NM] My landlords decided to surprise me with the gift of roofers.

Question:
New Mexico, USA:

Hello legalists. Sorry in advance for any spelling errors/if I sound like a jackass. It's 1 am here, and I was recently sleeping. I need some guidance on whether I should seek a lawyer, or failing that, what I should be prepared to discuss with my landlords tomorrow morning.

Our story begins yesterday (Thursday), when at promptly 9 am, with no prior warning, a roofing crew showed up to the small, 4 unit building my rented apartment is in. I was leaving for work, but didn't think much of it. At the time, I assumed they were patching a leak.

The following (Friday) morning, I was in the bathroom at 8 am, about to shower for the day, when I hear it again. The unmistakable clatter of ladders. So I sprang from my shower to see what was the matter. The roofing crew was back. Which was more of an issue today with my bathroom skylight. And my pudgy ass showering. So I duct taped a trash bag over it so I could get my shower. As soon as my rental company's office opened at 9, I called them. At that time, the crew had removed my skylight, leaving a hole in my bathroom ceiling, and were hammering things. Power tools were involved.

I iterated to my landlord that I had received no notice of any of this, and their response was essentially a non-apology. According to them, the roofers had rescheduled last minute to put an entirely new roof on the building, as my neighbors' unit had a leak. And hadn't informed us because, somehow, they hadn't really been aware either. I do have a recording of this phone conversation (NM is one-party consent). Once I got off the phone, angrier than before, I realized that the hammering was so hard and so loud, that it had literally shattered a glass sconce on the ceiling in my bedroom.

So, to recap, I had a bedroom of broken glass, a hole in my bathroom ceiling, a noise level rivaling a jet take-off, and no prior warning whatsoever.

For what it's worth, on the phone, I also brought up the fact that they had failed to provide notice prior to entering my apartment when, earlier in the month, they sent in a maintenance man to turn my AC on for the summer. They insisted notices had been taped to residents doors, however, I never received one. They ventured that perhaps the notices had blown away in the wind, and it wasn't their responsibility.

When I returned from work this evening, I found a half-assed notice taped to my door, stating that work had begun today (it began yesterday), and would be continuing until Tuesday.

So, on to now. New Mexico doesn't get much rain. It rained tonight. Apparently. And the roofing crew came back. At 1 am, with hammers and a tarp to nail (I assume) to the roof. At 1 am. Inches above my bedroom. Now I'm awake. And pissed. I think they're gone now, but for how long? Will they be back tomorrow? Who knows?

So. Is this illegal? Can they just send a roofing crew to knock holes in an occupied unit with no warning? With warning, can they send people to hammer things at 1 am? Does a note taped to my door constitute adequate notice? What if it blows away? When I go talk to them tomorrow, what should I be looking for? I'd rather not break my lease and move, but do I have other options?

NINJEDIT: I have renters insurance. The crew replaced my skylight at some point during the day (dumping roof crud all over my bathroom in the process)

Answer:
 > Is this illegal?

No.  Maintenance needs to be done sometimes, and your landlord isn't required to provide you with 100% silent service at all time.  They don't even need to provide you notice, at all, unless they plan to enter your unit, and even then maybe not.

You're inconvenienced for a few days.  This isn't a major issue.  You aren't going to break your lease over this.  If the glass item was your personal property, you can talk to them about a reimbursement.


Title: Time Warner Cable won't resolve a billing error for six months and have started sending collection agencies after me.

Question:
Hi, I am part of a group that runs a conference out of NYC and I am a resident of NY State. We needed a temporary internet connection and used Time Warner Cable for two business class lines. I cancelled the lines as soon as we were done with them but TWC took months to actually turn them off and now they are trying to bill me for months of service after I returned their routers and called to disconnect service. I have been dealing with this for six months and recently they've gotten a collection agnecy to start calling me. I'm trying to just get them to bill me for what I actually owe them but I can't seem to get it done and wondering if some sort of legal action would help resolve the situation quickly. Do I have any standing to claim damages here? I have phone logs but (stupidly) have not recorded any of my conversations.
Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 Don't give up!! I had a 2 year fight with time warner over a credit on my account. I.e they kept billing me (yes billing ) for a credit.
  Don't talk to the collection agency at all, and call TWC every day until they esculate it to someone who has a brain.  Then don't stop harassing them until they Really look into it.
Good luck
  Answer #2: I had a similar situation where AT&T failed to turn off a phone line for 3 months after I asked to cancel it.

They'll have records of your usage (or lack of usage).  I had to call and escalate several times, but every time they claimed that I didn't cancel it, I just pointed out the total lack of usage on the line for the period after I asked to have it disconnected, and the reference numbers from the calls.  They eventually reversed the charges, but it was like pulling teeth.  They bank on making it more trouble than it is worth to sever your relationship with them.  Just stay persistent, ask for names and employee numbers, and mention FCC complaints and corporate escalations.  Eventually you'll spook a rep enough to overcome their apathy and get it sorted.

Personally, I think the retention specialist "forgot" to process the disconnect.  I have a feeling this happens a lot.Answer #3: File a complaint with the Public Service Commission

http://www3.dps.ny.gov/W/PSCWeb.nsf/All/B40C096675BE10C085257687006F39E7?OpenDocumentAnswer #4: Did you get a receipt or confirmation for returning the modems?

My thought is that you might be able to argue that you cancelled service at that time at the latest, as no other equipment was on the account.

Also check your invoice/bills/contract for an ecf of some form.


Title: Cop threatened to arrest me.. a witness

Question:
This incident occurred in Idaho.

I was walking back to my car after eating at a restaurant when a car accident occurred in front of me. An individual rear ended another car at I'd say ~25 miles per hour. I called 911 and then went to check on both vehicles.

When police and medics arrived (3-5 minutes later) they took over and a bunch of us citizens got out of the way. Some larger cop, who I'm guessing was a supervisor since he had three stripes on his sleeve said that all of us witnesses needed to "get the fuck out of the road" and that we "needed to sit on the curb and shut the fuck up." I felt as if I was detained and unable to go.

One of the witnesses said he was a criminal defense attorney and said we did not have to stay. This same attorney video recorded the encounter from the moment the first officer arrived until we sat in the curb (which was roughly 3 minutes).

At that point, the attorney and I get up and begin walking away and the cop shouts at us saying that if "you guys try to leave and I'll arrest your asses for obstruction" which further made me feel like I was not free to go. The attorney gave me his business card, identified who he was and that he recorded the encounter. Cop said "whatever" and then we left.

Lawyer emailed me a copy of the video and said he can't give me any counseling or advice.

Do I actually have any recourse?

Answer: No. You can file a complaint if you feel the officer acted unprofessionally but that's about it.


Title: [Va] My employer posted a printed out note saying this is coming from hr, we are no longer allowed to leave for lunch, yet we still have to clock out for lunch.

Question: Let me elaborate further,  i work on a turkey farm,   and they say its a bio security concern.  Yet we can come and go only at the beginning and end of our shift. Showering in and out. If my employer  forbids me from clocking out and leaving for my lunch,  do they have to pay me for telling me what i can do on my lunch?

Answer:
 I'm not sure why everyone is talking about Wisconsin when you're from Virginia, but it does not appear to change much. Yes, they do have to pay you if they don't let you leave the work site, but they don't have to let you take a break.

[Source](https://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/wage-and-hour-laws/state-wage-and-hour-laws/virginia/#3)


Title: [MO] Employer told me I can't park on a perfectly legal street because, " There are million dollar homes here"

Question:
Hi there, long time listener, first time caller!

I am working in the city of Clayton, MO on a very large construction site. In fact, it is so large that our parking lot is now a storage area for the next phase of the construction. This has lead to a scramble for a lot of the guys to try to find parking. I am a union Ironworker working for a sub-contractor and it isn't in our contract that the sub-contractor has to provide parking for their employees. In other trades for example: Bricklayers, Electricians, Pipefitters they have parking in their contract. Ironworkers basically have to go kick rocks.

So today after a wonderful day of manual labor, I walk the few blocks to one of the two free non permit required streets where my legally parked car was, and found a project manager from the general contractor tell me that I can't park on that street anymore. I asked why and he said that it was a residential street and there were " million dollar homes back here" and we needed to find somewhere else to park.

Now I could understand this if we were breaking any laws, but we aren't. In fact, on another construction project down the street, all of their scary gross construction workers were parking on the same street with no problems.

I argued all of my points about how it was a legal spot and then I told him if he was serious, he should get it to me on paper. Now I know that was kinda of an asshole move, but honestly I just want to see if he's really that serious and it would be easier for me to bring it up with my hall if it was on the general contractors letterhead.

There are parking garages in the area, but I could easily mod over at /r/frugal_jerk and I really don't want to pay $150 a month for a parking pass that I could get laid off at any time, especially now.......

Which leads me to my question: Can this general contractor tell me where I can and can't park on a legal street that doesn't require any permits? It isn't related to the construction site at all, it is just a free parking street in a sea of permit and meter parking.

I have called the City of Clayton and their parking department had already gone home. I will try again tomorrow morning.

I tried get into the city ordinances and couldn't really find much, but I am also not a freaking lawyer or government employee who knows the laws well.

I know that if I really fight this, I will probably get laid off for being a trouble maker, but it really just struck nerve today. Also bonus information, the same contractor told us we weren't allowed to patronize any of the businesses in the area as well. So it's been boiling up and I would like some help in finding out if it's legal to do these kinds of things.

Thanks!

Answer:
 In most cases a boss can fire someone for almost any reason.

But since you're a union member, it may not be kosher. I would email my union rep and ask them about this. It's the sort of thing the union exists for.


Title: Sister's husband is slime ball trying to get out taking responsibility for his daughter

Question:
Edit: Long Island, New York (updating the post with location as overlord bot wants it done)

Posting for my sister, she is overwhelmed & is lost.  I am on West Coast and she is on Long Island. I have been helping her but I think now she needs some solid legal advice.

Her husband cheated multiple times & they have a 9 month old daughter together. He never helps out with their daughter; has not even changed a single diaper till now. My sister has copies of his emails, txt etc proving that he was in a extra marital relationship. When caught he admitted to her and their common friends.He even paid for the other woman's gold club membership & listed her as his wife on the membership form. Right now he is off to Dominican Republic to play golf.

Anyway he is essentially refusing to come to a mutual agreement about financial aspects of providing for her daughter. Today I found out that he transferred the title of his house to someone else under the pretext of short sale. He is very slimy and is known to hide his assets, income not only from his wife but from IRS etc.

Are there any legal aid organizations (if you know of any in Long Island area)that don't charge arm and leg for providing legal counsel and even lawyers to represent. Also where and how to start this process?

Answer: If you call the local bar association they can give you referrals to lawyers who can help.  Just google her county and bar association and you will get the number.  You can try looking for legal aid but chances are she won't qualify because if they are still married/living together and he has have money to travel outside of the country for vacation they will count his income.


Title: Fired from job for absence due to medical condition?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Are you saying that you have exceeded the leave allotted to you by FMLA? If so, then yes, they can fire you.


Title: MI: My SIL was in a crash and went off the road. The other driver took her cell and left. He lied about being hijacked to the police, the ER and his insurance. She was found the next day and almost died. What kind of charges/time could he face? (No previous record)

Answer:
 I wouldn't be surprised if the DA bumped this up to attempted murder, because that's basically what it was. Not only did he abandon your SIL to die, he specifically stole her cell phone so she could not call for help, and then attempted to cover everything up. Answer #2: The term "Megafucked" from this sub will easily apply to the other driver. There is no other way to describe what will happen to him.Answer #3: She needs a personal injury attorney to make sure she is first in line to get everything she needs out of his assets, and insurance (hers too). Before he starts paying for his criminal defense, goes to jail and his creditors close in.

If what you say is true, he's fucked criminally and you don't have to worry about that right now.  In fact, I would not be sharing information here or talking to anyone without your lawyer's advice first.


Title: My girlfriend and I recently had a son and a photographer came into our hospital room to take pictures.

Question:
We've had people come into our room all day; checking on the health of her and our baby, dropping off food, or cleaning. I didn't find it that strange to see a photographer in our room. She was apart of an affiliate program with the hospital. The gist is that the photographers would come to rooms like ours and offer to take professional pictures. She knocked and let herself in and asked if we'd like a few photos done. My girlfriend said "Sure." Then she had her sign a form. She didn't explain the purpose of the form. I'm guessing my girlfriend thought it was a disclosure form. After which we posed with our son for a round of photographs. She then left and came back with a presentation of edited photos and a menu of prices for packages of our pictures.

The session was free and we have no intention of purchasing anything, but that's not the problem. The problem I have is that my girlfriend signed something she didn't read and may have given this company the ability to use our photographs for marketing purposes.

We don't want the photographs, but is there any way to have the photographer delete them? I really don't want my newborn to be part of some advertisement.

Answer: This all depends on what that form states. I’d contact the hospital and see if you can get a hold of the photographer and a copy of that form that was signed. Nothing much you can do otherwise if the form was signed which is why it’s important to read any documents thoroughly that require a signature.


Title: Unfair medical bill

Question:
My wife recently visited an urgent care center due to having been bit by a cat (she is a veterinarian). The major concern was that the bite was a penetrating wound near the thumb joint.
She received a physical exam, a pregnancy test (why on earth, I have no idea), and a radiograph of her hand. They wrote her a script for an antibiotic and she went on her way (in all the visit was less than 2 hours).
We received the bill today which requested payment of $2,940. The bill indicated that the insurance company agreed to pay $1,240 which leaves us with a bill of $1,700. Is this something that I can fight? I feel like I am being robbed.

Location - Port Saint Lucie, FL

Answer:
 Urgent care is expensive. Not as expensive as the ER but still expensive. However, if this was a workplace injury, that's what workers comp is for. Has she filed an injury report to open a claim?Answer #2: I dont really see where the bill was unfair, ridiculous sure, but unfortunately that is the state of healthcare in this country right now.

The pregnancy test was likely a standard procedure as a precaution before taking X-rays which can be harmful to a developing fetus.


Title: Are police officers allowed to question a minor(17yo. still a minor?) without parent's consent?

Question:
When a 17 year old had become a witness of manslaughter, would they need a parent present to give the account of what happened to the police? I live in Canada, Ontario. Hypothetical question.

I did find *some* information that said no, but I am just trying to double check.

Answer:
 Short answer: no, they do not have to get parental consent, or even notify the parents.

Longer answer: They have the right to the presence of an "appropriate adult" *if requested.*

See the Youth Criminal Justice Act - S.C. 2002, c. 1 (Section 146) for full details.


Title: Help me take revenge against laptop thief

Question:
Hey guys,

this may deviate from usual content a bit as I'm more looking for UNETHICAL ADVICE. But bear with me here, I have good reason to want to fuck this guy over. So about two weeks ago, I sold an old laptop to a guy we'll say lives in state A (I do not live in state A). This dude proceeded to freak out over minor cosmetic damages and request a refund. Ngl, buying a laptop on Ebay and not expecting a few scuffmarks is a bit unrealistic, but I granted the return as I'm GENERALLY an ethical and understanding person.

I was out of the country at the time for Christmas so the package bounced right back to him in State A as it required a signature and I wasn't home at my permanent address.

I notified him this is going to be the case, and he never responded. After I came back to the country a few days ago, I requested an update from him as I haven't received my return goods, and Ebay has refunded him already. He sent me something pretty dismissive like "check your local post office". Yesterday, I was looking for my phone and was using the Findmy App to find my airpods when I noticed a new macbook registered to my icloud that I do not recognize. It pinged the laptop's location to a name I don't recognize in State B (for Bew Bersey).

I had to read between the lines a bit, but it's really not that many dots to connect. He thought I wouldn't be able to track the laptop I'd sold him, but what I didn't know at the time and was a massive help is that unless you manually remove a device from icloud, it pairs with the physical device for life. I am still able to track my old laptop via icloud even after I'd factory reset the device. Because he thought he basically had a laptop now, he sold it himself to the guy in state B.

I put the mac on lost mode and sent the guy in state B a message from the mac telling him what had happened to the mac and asking he help me murk this thief in State A.

I have the thief's address and all the evidence to build a case against him. The value of the laptop exceeds the dollar amount needed for this theft to qualify as a Felony Grand Theft in the 3rd degree, which goes on record. Obviously a pretty bad punishment, so I was thinking of offering him the option to settle this out of court with no charges pressed, at a price of course. I'm thinking of setting the cost at double the cost of the laptop.

What are some other good ways for me to play this so this thief learns a lesson? Has anyone ever had any experience with this sort of legal extortion where you're threatening legal consequences?

Answer: You will not find unethical advice or extortion help in this sub.


Title: Father passes. Junkie girlfriend forces her way back in with p.o. box mail.

Question:
I live in Indiana.

My father passed away. He had a junkie girlfriend who was living with him, no rent paid, no lease, but mail to a p.o. box.

After his passing I went over and changed his locks.

Told girlfriend she would need to wait for me to get her shit.

I have the cops escort her in, she shows them some p.o. box mail and bam now I have junkie girl sitting on top of all of my fathers belongings... What can I do?

Answer:
 Congrats!  You have a tenant who you unlawfully evicted!  Regardless of the lack of paying rent or having a lease she was living there by the consent of the owner, which makes her a tenant.  Give her a written 30 day notice to quit and if she doesn’t leave file for eviction.Answer #2: She is a tenant. She was living there, with documentation when your father passed. File the 30 day notice (send it certified) or get a signature and be done with it.

You may need to take pictures to document if she takes any fixtures or breaks anything in the house.


Title: Termite inspection company lied on the mortgage report when buying the house. Suggestions on what to do?

Question:
State: Tennessee (TN)

Facts:

- Inspection report date for the mortgage: 7-26-2017

- Report: "No visible evidence of wood destroying insects was observed" & "No treatment recommended" in the booklet from the title company.

- Closing date: 8-15-2017

- Independent inspections (two separate companies and not from the mortgage report), February 2018, October 2018. Both reports of **past** termite activity.

- It should be noted that new(er) stakes were installed in the concrete prior to buying the house.

The 02/2018 inspection was prompted by a bathroom remodel, where there were dead termites in the wall. It was determined that it was based on past activity.

10/2018 was prompted because I'm paranoid; I was considering a company to maintain termite protection. It was determined here, also past activity, and how to look for the signs and damage.

We have a basement and everything is easily accessible. Everything is **very** viewable. After I learned the signs, it's absolutely clear that this could not have been missed.

Do I have any options here? Not sure what to do, if anything. Is there anything I can do? I'm not looking to get out of my mortgage or anything like that but they lied on the mortgage documents and I'm not sure if there is any recourse.

Answer:
 I can't say for certain what is in your contract, but it is common for inspectors to limit their liability to their fee. In other words, if you paid them $100 for the inspection, the most you could recover is $100. Check your contract to see if it has a provision like that.

Now there may be ways around that, but you would have to consult with a lawyer.

Inspectors like that typically don't have incentives to lie. If anything their incentive would be to say treatment is required, because then you might hire them for it.


Title: Is it Legal to stick your fingers/finger up at someone? Would it be seen as a provocation?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Flip someone off? Sure. That is legal.


Title: Is it legal to change the locks to an apartment after the lease expired?

Question:
The tenant refuses to move out and won't answer the phone/door.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Yea, thats an illegal lockout. Follow your normal eviction procedures. Answer #2: No, that would be an illegal lockout. You have to go through the courts.


Title: Does This Constitute a Hostile Work Environment? Or Am I Getting Worked Up Over Nothing? (MA)

Question:
\*deep breath\* I'm an AA woman in my early thirties, living in a very, very, very small town. I grew up here, but have only recently moved back a few years ago to be closer to my mother. After searching for what seemed like forever (jobs are scarce), I found work as an adjunct professor last August, and have been doing that ever since.
There is a correctional facility about 45 minutes from our campus, and they receive a grant allowing certain inmates to earn a degree. Those who teach there earn a bit more $$, so I figured why not? It has been... interesting. I don't have much trouble with the inmates, truth be told. It's the guards and their rowdy behavior that irks me. Still, I've never said anything. I'm painfully aware of the attention that I attract just by being 1) Black 2) Female and 3) Young. So I try my hardest to just... do my job and keep a low profile.

   The following week, I was ill one day with vertigo (something I experience somewhat regularly); naturally I cancelled my classes for the day. Two days later, I returned to the facility in the morning. My hand had a slight tremor. *I want to point out that this tremor has been going on for 3-4  months*. The guard at the check in desk noticed, and asked if I was okay. I responded I was, and that earlier in the week I had a vertigo spell, but that was two days ago and I was feeling okay. She nodded and stamped my hand, and I proceeded to the metal detector. At this point she said, "Just one second.", and disappeared for \~10 mins. She came back with her boss's boss. This person told me the officer had some "concerns." I repeated the same thing: I had vertigo two days ago, but was otherwise fine... and that I'd been experiencing a slight hand tremor for some months, and was still trying to determine the cause. She looked at me with suspicion and said "You seem nervous." I politely responded that no, I wasn't. She pointed out the hand tremor to which I said something along the lines of "As I said, it's been going on for a while now." Unsatisfied, she ***sent me home***, and told me to go "rest." I was furious, not to mention humiliated, but know well enough that responding when upset is never a good idea.  When I spoke to my supervisor the next day, she hesitantly mentioned that she (woman who sent me home) had told her she suspected I had been drinking. Alcohol. At seven a.m. HUH?! I thought I was upset and embarrassed before... imagine some crazed woman telling your bosses you're drunk before breakfast-time is over.
As luck would have it, all of us have a week off now, giving me a few days to ruminate on the past few days' events. I have zero intention of returning to that correctional facility. Zero. The obvious downside is I can say bye bye to the rest of my summer income, but I'm not willing to roll the dice with this institution. I am the only African American, period (that includes correctional facility as well as college staff), and one of maybe...four? female professors. I realize it may sound alarmist, but I have lost all faith in their staff and I wouldn't put anything past them. On top of that, in an area as big as a thimble, all anyone does is gossip. It was hard enough to find a job the first time. How can i expect to find work if she's telling people I show up  in the morning drunk/under the influence or whatever it's called?

Are supervisors allowed to do this? Am I overreacting in this case?

Answer:
 I think you may be overreacting a little.   The woman had some concerns and it sounds like she handled them discreetly enough.

This most definitely does not constitute a hostile work environment.Answer #2: The color of your skin and your sex have nothing to do with this.  You have a medical condition that shows itself though vertigo and neurological "ticks" (you'r shaking hand).  This is a medical condition and only medical professional would NOT confuse it with nervousness.  Law environment personnel are not doctors. They deal with people breaking the rules. They are trained to look for signs of nervousness.

Under the American with Disabilities act, you have to let your employer know of special accommodations for your disability.  Your accommodation in this situation would be that you still get to work while your hand is shaking.  You need to get a doctor's note explaining this and submit it to your HR and HR at the jail.

To walk away from income because someone did their job is VERY immature.  Yes it was inconvenient. But you didn't inform them of your needs of accommodation so it's your fault.  You should not be embarrassed or upset.


Title: (NYC) Job posting and interview/contract totally different

Question:
I'm a server earning minimum wage (with sporadic tips) in NYC. I've been looking around for a new job for a while and applied for a supervisory role in a small but relatively well known chain.

The posting said:

30-38hrs per week

3-4 fixed days mid-week

Competitive pay.

I applied and got an interview within 48hrs.  We go through all of the basic questions and role play questions which I'm comfortable with, and she seems happy to say that I'm a serious candidate for the job. When she asks if I have any questions, I ask which days midweek are being offered and how much the pay is.

She says that the days are completely flexible, and it could be any of the seven, not the fixed ones mentioned. Also, while I mentioned it, it was likely only going to be 25-28 hours until the busy season picked up. I was expected to be fully flexible for the whole week, and the rota would be sent out on Sunday for the week starting that following Monday morning. She did however assure me that they were fine with me having a second job, as long as their company was given priority. I'm not sure how I could manage that with full flexibility required and such short rota notice, but that's another matter.

Then there was the pay. They were offering 25c more an hour than my current job. As supervisors aren't allowed tips, I would almost always be making less money at this job, than I would in my serving position on my already terrible hours. That's when I decided to refuse any offer given.

We parted pleasantly, but I didn't expect an offer. A few days later, she emailed me a contract to look over with a job offer attached. Everything she said in the interview was in there, almost word for word. I called her and politely declined, explaining that they weren't offering what I was looking for. She got a bit huffy and asked why I had bothered applying, and I said that I applied for a totally different job that I was interviewed for. She huffed a bit more and said that no job posting tells the whole truth and that was that.

I still have the contract and job posting saved. The reference codes are the same, so it was the same position they were trying to fill. I there any body/agency to which I can file a complaint? All they wasted was my time, but I don't agree that this is totally legal, but IANAL.

I have no intention of filing a civil suit because even though IANAL, I could guess that I have zero grounds and I don't have the time, money or inclination anyway. I do want to follow this up though as it is unacceptable to me. Do I have any options?

Answer: Though it certainly wasn't being upfront with you none of it sounds illegal.


Title: We heavily edited a video uploaded to YouTube. The original video owner sold the rights, and Jukin Media went on to claim the rights on ours. Is our video fair use?

Question:
I mention it being prior to copyright because I'm not entirely sure if it makes a difference..

So a while ago, [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U353fi-RC-A) hit the front page of Reddit. Being as it's awesome, my brother and I on a whim created this [heavily edited version](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujsoEL4REJs) of the video. Then the original uploader must have sold the rights to Jukin, in which they went on to claim copyright over ours. Now I'm very nervous to dispute the claim because It puts a permanent strike on our channel, so we just had to let it go. This was a year ago, but with everything that's happened with the YouTube and copyrights I was wondering if there was a chance we could get the rights back. We put a lot of effort into the video and I would argue most if not all viewers got a completely different experience watching ours over the original.

Are we screwed here or is there a chance we could win the dispute if I went through with it? Location for us is Kansas but I don't think it's relevant here.

Answer: If you didn't have permission to use the content, you have no chance here.


Title: I put "quote" instead of "estimate" in the headline of an estimate for a building project. Did I screw myself?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > When I do my estimates I always put "This is an estimate only. Final bill may differ".

This is the part that matters.

From a good practice point of view (e.g. avoiding unhappy customers):

* Did you give them a heads up part way through that your estimate had to be revised upwards?

* Are you able to explain why your estimate differed from the actual?  Answer #2: No, "quote" doesn't mean anything different from "estimate", legally speaking. Assuming the work was completed correctly and to his satisfaction, and he was aware of the inflated costs ahead of time, you can sue him for the remainder of the unpaid bill.


Title: [Hawaii] 18 year old college freshman was drunk in public and had 2 fentanyl tablets and 3 oxycodone tablets without a prescription. Never been arrested before, jail for first offense?

Question: His arrest came about because he kept on chatting up a traffic cop and he threw up on her. The oxycodone and fentanyl were found during his arrest.

Answer: I dunno man, but rule one is don't barf on a cop.


Title: (New Jersey) Can I be charged with a hate crime?

Question:
I sent a package to my ex and addressed it as "Asshole Jewboy", his mom found it and is considering to charge me with a hate crime.

Is it even possible to? I did not assault or threaten him, just said what my opinion of him was (yes he's Jewish) which should fall under Freedom of Speech. But he's saying that because it went through the mail,it's considered a federal offense? Should I even be worried?

Answer: You should be worried about being a terrible, immature person and you should stop doing things like that. But you should not be worried about being charged with a hate crime.


Title: (CA) Friend skipped out on bail, what are my options?

Question:
I bailed her out in February.  The bondsman misrepresented, saying I would not be liable despite bailing her out--that it would first go to her family.

Got an e-mail saying she failed to appear and that she needs to be arrested or show up to reschedule and then they can get a letter from the court.

Spoke to her grandma, who said she had just recently got arrested again.  Bond company said I was still liable because they would have needed to get a letter that day she was in custody.  They "failed" to mention this when they contacted me.  Just called the bond company who told me if she gets arrested again and they get a letter from the court while she is in custody.

Getting letters saying I have to make payments on the 8% bail fee, now more.  How will this affect my credit?  Grandma is on fixed income, already worried sick.  Don't want to give an old lady debt problems.

I'm not going to get dog the bounty hunter to go after her. She is avoiding me, though I know where she is.  Without going into too much detail she was mistreated as a child, ran away, has trust issues.   I'm not going to let a corrupt system take away my compassion.

Another factor- she has a disability and a service dog.  My landlord kicked her out and gave us some threatening document.  They knew it was a service dog.  I haven't followed up on that with a lawyer, though I have been meaning to.  She was too intimidated and scared to come back in any case--she is homeless so  she effectively has no rights.  My landlord is a maniac and I have no idea what he might do to that dog.  Were she still crashing here from time to time we could have made her court date.  My brother has a severe disability.  They've intimidated us to the point where I'm worried about what they could potentially do to him.  We don't feel comfortable here.  Their parent company has a record of blatantly disregarding the law, and our contract is month to month.  We've been looking for a new place, but it's hard to find and it would be very expensive.  I want to sue the shit out of these assholes.  They could potentially try to get rid of us out of malice/revenge.  We are keeping documents and we will only communicate via signed written communication.

I'm sure I'm forgetting something, but that's the jist of it.  Don't be too hard on my friend.  I would be the same way if I had her childhood.

Answer: You turn her in or pay her bail in full. If she's willing to skip bail after a friend paid it for her, she wasn't much of a friend to begin with.


Title: [UK] Someone damages their car trying to avoid mine (while parked), now wants me to pay for it.

Question:
A few months ago my girlfriend and I visited a friend (who I will call Steve), parking on the space outside the building. Another resident of the building drove out of the parking area while we were there and, in doing so, damaged their car trying to get out (I have not seen the extent of the damage to their car). They claim that the reason they hit the wall was due to them needing to avoid our (mine and my gfs) car.

They have contacted Steve multiple times and requested he pay for damages. They have recently said that they are going to bring this to court, requesting insurance information.

It seems to me that legally they don't have a leg to stand on, the damage to their car was not being directly caused by anyone other than themselves.

Our next course of action is to contact our insurance company, to raise this and hopefully get some sort of response to give him.

If anyone has  any advice on any better ways to proceed that would be great, thanks.

Answer:
 They hit a stationary object, thats on them no matter what. Your car being there may or may not have made exiting harder but that isnt an excuse for hitting a wall.

I assume you were parked legally at the time not that that really means anything in this case.Answer #2: /r/legaladviceuk

but blaming a stationary object for an accident is pretty far out there, if it was that much in the way they could've asked you guys to move.

Answer #3: The reason they hit a wall is because they are a shitty driver.

Even if you were illegally parked, it was the driver that chose to proceed when there wasn't enough space.

Your best bet is to call your insurer and let them know what happened.  I don't know how things work in the UK, so your insurer might recommend you give the party your info, they might tell you to let them file a suit for the info.

I would love to see this idiot try and explain to a judge how him hitting a wall with his own car was the fault of the owner of a parked car.