Title: [Ontario, Canada] Am I in a legal position to file a restraining order against my roommate to have him removed?

Question:
I apologize for wall of text, I promise it's relevant. Names have been changed to protect identities.

My roommate "Tina" and I currently live with "Tom". We all moved in together and signed a one-year lease as of April 1st. All of our names are on the lease.

Tom has always been a bit of a drinker, and when he drinks, he becomes very verbally abusive. We didn't know he was in any way an alcoholic until we moved in with him. We've always just chosen to stay away from Tom/ignore him when he drinks and becomes mean.

Last month, the 3 of us plus Toms girlfriend were all hanging out and having (what I thought was supposed to be) some very casual drinks and chitchat. Fast forward a couple hours, and Tom is drunk. He proceeds to get angry about something I said in regards to housebreaking his puppy, and responded by punching the wall multiple times and calling me a fucking idiot. He then went outside and smashed a lawn chair to pieces. Tina and I retreated to our rooms for the night, and Tom didn't get THAT drunk again for a few weeks.

The Sunday night that just passed (July 24th) Tom gave us a heads up that he was going to have some friends over and have some "casual" drinks for an hour or two. Tina and I went to the movies at 10pm and got home at about 12:30. When we got home, Tom was blasting music (on MY ipod dock) so loud you could hear it down the street. We politely said to him and the guests that we were going to bed as we had to work early in the morning. Tom responded with "it's only 12:30 on a Sunday we don't have to do shit" then went outside for a smoke with his girlfriend. This didn't sit well with me, so I went an simply TURNED DOWN THE VOLUME on MY ipod dock. He responded by screaming how "fucking disrespectful" that was and punched the screen out of the open livingroom window. So I completely removed the ipod dock and told him to no longer touch my possessions. Fast forward a few hours, Tom gets mad because he thought we took his vodka (he put it in the freezer and fucking forgot it was there) and proceeded to scream in our faces. Tina got nervous and retreated to her room. I stood my ground and told Tom to basically fuck off and leave. He responded by RAISING HIS HAND and started to bring it down to hit me, but stopped himself last second.

At that point I'd had enough. It was almost 3am. I called the police and told them what happened. They came and talked to Tom and said if they got another call "they would PERSONALLY deal with him".

At this point, Tina and I are terrified for not only our safety, but the safety of our animals, possessions, and the state of the house we rent. I sleep at night now with my bedroom door locked. Do I have any legal ground to stand on in regards to getting a restraining order against him to have him kicked out of here?

I spoke to my landlord who then contacted the landlord/tenant board and they basically said he can't "cherry pick" tenants, and he'd either have to evict all of us, or none of us at all as the board considered it a "room mate issue".

I've tried looking online and all I'm able to find out about restraining orders here is telling me about "spouses/ex-spouses" and Tom is neither. If I can obtain a restraining order for fear of violence, how long does that usually take?

What can I do?

**EDIT
I forgot to mention in the original post that Tom, Tina and I all work together, so I'd need a conditional restraining order that wouldn't interfere with work. I'm not worried about him there, as we usually work opposite shifts and it's always full of people and we have security cameras.

Answer:
 You are looking for a peace bond not a restraining order. As you found, restraining orders are only available for partners/former partners.

>I forgot to mention in the original post that Tom, Tina and I all work together, so I'd need a conditional restraining order that wouldn't interfere with work. I'm not worried about him there, as we usually work opposite shifts and it's always full of people and we have security cameras.

I sincerely doubt that will be possible.


Title: If my landlord was to find out i was in breach of the terms and conditions , but only found this out by himself breaching these terms and conditions , what would happen? Ireland (northern)

Question: For example, in my tenancy agreement it states that i must be given 48 hour notice if my landlord is going to enter my room ( except in case of serious emergency). Also in my tenancy agreement it tells me that im not allowed any animals. I have a snake, if the landlord entered my room without giving me notice ( in a non-emergency) and found out i was keeping a snake, what would be the legal ramifications. would it be along the lines of a mutual promise not to pursue either breach and continue as normal or could it result in a legal situation for both

Answer: You could use the St. Patrick defense. There are no snakes in Ireland, therefore you have no snake, therefore you would not be in breach of the lease.


Title: Employer of my significant other is threatening to fire her if she takes time off for my father's cancer surgery

Question:
First time posting on reddit...

&#x200B;

Back story: We live in Ohio, but she works in Kentucky for a car dealership (the auto group is based in Ohio I believe). My father was just diagnosed with cancer in his bladder so they scheduled him for surgery on 4/3...he lives in Arizona with my mom (both in their late 60's) and my mom doesn't drive.  My girlfriend (of 11 years, we've talked about marriage but it's never really been that important to either of us) and I are planning on flying out there to help my parents (they live about 2 hours from the hospital where he's getting the surgery).

&#x200B;

My girlfriend does not have PTO yet (it kicks in in a few weeks for the year) so they told her she would have to ask the GM today (Sunday 4/1) if she can take unpaid time off to be there for me and my dad and mom.  The GM told her today, no and she'll get fired if she goes anyway.

&#x200B;

I know it makes it more complicated that it is my father and we aren't married...but can they do that? I can't find anything helpful about Kentucky FLMA...She has worked there for well over 2 years. Any advice would be very helpful.

&#x200B;

Thank you.

Answer:
 FMLA protects leave to care for a spouse, parent, or child. It does not extend to in-laws, much less the parent of a boyfriend.

 [https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28f.pdf](https://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs28f.pdf) Answer #2: Does she actually need to care for him or just be there for his surgery?

This is the family member certification form

https://www.dol.gov/whd/forms/wh-380-f.pdf


Title: [OH] I was just caught shoplifting some food from Walmart. I'm already on probation and now I have to go to court again Thursday

Question:
I lost my wallet, I have no money, no food at home. I was just so hungry I couldn't stand it. Long story short, they caught me. I'm already on a diversion program for possession of marijuana, and have a felony hanging over my head if I don't pass the program. I called the public defender office and they won't even give me a consultation until my arraignment. I'm so scared I'm freaking out now. I feel like I just truly ruined my life, all because I was hungry and stole some food. I already have severe depression and anxiety, and now I just feel like I'm done for. This is it for me. Please, any advice?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 You may be right that by stealing you will end up doing time for the previous possession of marijuana charge.  But even if you do, your life isn't over.  In prison you will get food and shelter and when you get out you can work and try to get your life back together.

If the system ends up being merciful to you, please realize that there are other ways of getting food when you're broke and hungry.  There are soup kitchens.  There are government programs to help you afford to buy your own food.  Shoplifting is not the best solution.  Answer #2: Check out local food banks?Answer #3: Stop breaking the law, and follow any advice your attorney gives you. Your public defender will be the best person to ask specific questions to.

There is not likely to be a silver bullet here. You may want to seek out counseling/mentoring to help you with life skills/critical thinking if you feel you are "trapped" in a cycle of poor decisions and the consequences they bring about.

In many cases the difference between making a strong and weak choice in situations like this is taking a few minutes to think through a situation before it comes to a head. Both a good mentor or a counselor can help you work on that as a skill.Answer #4: Well... good news is that you get fed while in custody.

In the mean time, go find a homeless shelter or a food bank to get situated until Thursday.


Title: I think my landlord broke my lease agreement [California]

Answer:
 > Isn’t the apartment still technically ours until the end of the month?

Turning in your keys end your tenancy.

> Assuming my friend is correct about the new tenants, did my landlord break the lease by moving them in during what was still our lease period?

Break the lease? Likely not. Do they owe you your two weeks of rent? Possibly.

Contact your local housing authority and ask.


Title: Is it legal to use another companies product for a “fake” advertisement?

Question:
I am trying to test the marketability of a product idea before I invest in a prototype. My plan is to make a website that appears complete but when visitors click the “order now” button it takes the customer to a screen that says “sorry we are out of stock!”. In reality there is no product yet but based off the number of visits to the Order Now page I can decide if it is worth it to invest.

The problem is I cannot make a website without pictures of a product. I found a similar product geared towards a different market that would suffice for pictures. Is it legal to use their product if I am not actually selling anything yet?

Answer: No


Title: Can the Kyle Rittenhouse prosecution attempt to prove that Kyle could not legally claim self defense due to various alleged illegalities that Kyle was engaged in?

Question:
It is often claimed in discussions that Kyle was acting in various illegal manners, and that prevents him from claiming self defense.  A common comparison is that someone who robs a store cannot claim self defense if the clerk attempts to shoot him.  It's not the same, but they say the same principle applies.

Does the prosecution have the ability to attempt this as an argument before the jury? That Kyle cannot claim self defense because he is not legally able to claim it due to various illegal activities? Or would that be something decided with the judge before the case? In other words, is the following statement true?

> If the prosecution can prove to the jury, beyond a reasonable doubt, that Rittenhouse cannot claim self defense because he was acting in an illegal manner due to various illegalities, such as allegedly illegally carrying a weapon, allegedly being an armed vigilante, etc., and that such a person cannot claim self defense under any circumstance whatsoever, then the jury will have no choice but to find Rittenhouse guilty of murder.

Answer:
 > then the jury will have no choice but to find Rittenhouse guilty of murder.

Juries always have a choice.

&#x200B;

As to your question likely no, Michigan's felony murder law that would cover killings while in commission of another felony does not include anything that would relate to Kyle Rittenhouse.


Title: Do I have the right to refuse a request at work if it's not in my job description?

Question:
EDIT: I live in California

I do A LOT for my company and do not get paid NOT EVEN CLOSE to nearly enough for it. Yesterday I was told that if my corporate office didn't have a demand for my position that I wouldn't be here just to save money. That being said, do I have the right to refuse any request that is not in my job description without having to worry about backlash? I have my job description hanging on my desk so I know what it entitles. I do far too much for my paygrade and position.

Answer: sure, you can refuse, but your employer still has the right to fire you for not complying with their request.


Title: [Iowa] A search warrant was executed at my residence recently. Police found marijuana and a scale

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Should I forgo the public defender and seek out legal advice myself?

If you can afford a private attorney then you do not have a choice.  Public defenders are only for people who are indigent.


Title: Called off the wedding - help me cancel the venue contract (New Jersey)

Question:
Hello Reddit,

My ex-fiance and I called off our wedding this past weekend and I'm going over the wedding venue cancellation policy and it basically says that if we cancel within 12 months of the wedding date, we owe the total amount on the contract (minimum # of people x cost per head). We have already paid them out $8,000, and would owe them another 10,000...

It says we can cancel and they will make an effort to resell it. But if not, I'm basically screwed. The date is in November, so a little more than five months.

I believe this is related to the "liquidation clause." I am no expert, but I'm wondering what options I have here.

Answer:
 None, really. The contract heavily favors the venue but you signed it and agreed to the terms.

It appears that the best you can hope for is that they resell it after you cancel.


Title: Single mom work availability and reasonable schedule accommodation

Question: So I got a new job while I was on maternity leave I had to have a job before I could apply for DHS child care now mind you I’m a first time mom and I don’t have very much support where I am living my mother is 75 and not able to help much. That being said I don’t really know how things work and I don’t have many people to turn to for advice. When I got the job the father had already stepped out of our lives and is currently not paying support. In my interview I stated that I would have to go and get childcare set up but that tentatively I was available seven days a week provided I have childcare. Well little did I know it would be very hard to find childcare for a newborn but I did, and he is now enrolled at KinderCare. However they only operate Monday through Friday 6 AM to 6 PM. I work at residential facility that operates 24 hours a day seven days a week, dayshift is 6 AM to 2 PM so I’m easily able to do this Monday through Friday. My company is stating that company policy is that I am required to work at least one weekend shift every week.  I have been doing this for two months now however I believe I have proven undue hardship in having to find childcare as I simply do not have anybody that is available to watch my child on Sundays or Saturdays.  One of my coworkers, a lady that I barely know has taken to watching him on Sundays as I haven’t even been able to find a person that I can pay to watch him. So this leaves me with having to leave my child with a practical stranger every week if she’s available. Lately she’s only been available about once every other week or so and I’ve been losing hours that I need to pay rent so I have requested from my company to make a reasonable accommodation to schedule me only Monday through Friday. They are saying that I could possibly be put on call on Sunday to get around this silly policy of having to work at least one weekend shift every week. My company then went on to say that if I were to miss three of these shifts though that I could be subjected to being fired.  Isn’t it against the law to punish a single parent for missing work due to parental obligations? If I am not able to find appropriate child care can they really punish me and are they required to contemplate my reasonable accommodation request to be scheduled Monday through Friday despite their company policy of having to work one weekend a week?

Answer:
 Unfortunately, this not against the law, and "reasonable accommodations" do not apply to child care.

Do any of your coworkers have children? Could you trade off child care with them?Answer #2: Location is not optional. In the US, your employer is under no obligation to schedule you around when you can get childcare.  Reasonable accommodation is when somebody has a disability.


Title: My car was rear-ended, and other party's insurance is refusing to pay the deductible.

Question:
Edit: Location: San Jose, CA

I am from SF Bay Area. Back in Nov 2016, I was involved in a 3 car accident with mine being the front most car. My insurance paid for the repairs on my car, which came to about $6,000. I had to pay the deductible, $750. I was told that it will be reimbursed when the guilty party's insurance pays my insurance company. Last week I received a document saying they won't pay it, as their liability was only $10,000, and that amount was already crossed by paying for repairs for two cars (mine and the one behind me). I was further asked to sign a document saying I consider this fair and indemnify them of all responsibilities. Needless to say, I have not signed it. I have asked my insurance if I have any options, and they are yet to respond. What are my options?

Further details:

I had stopped at a traffic light, with several cars stopped in front of me. There was one car stopped behind me. A third car came from behind. failed to brake, and collided with the car behind me, pushing it into my car. I did not collide with the car in front of me. Both my car and the one behind me had considerable damage. The police came, but made no report. They gave an incident number though. They also made sure that I had the name, address, driving license copies, insurance copies, and vehicle registration copies of all parties. My insurance was helpful, and I got my car out in 2 weeks. As stated earlier, I paid the deductible, hoping I would get it back. And now it has come to this. Any advice would be much appreciated.

Answer: Your options are either the insurance sues the driver, or you sue the driver. This is par for the course in cases where people carry low liability coverage.


Title: Child support question (Colorado)

Question:
So last time you all were very helpful and informed me that my social security disability checks DO count towards my child support. Thank you for that.

So, I’m leaving the country, can’t take the stress of my life here in America anymore. To Ecuador. My baby’s mother does not want to make the move, which I respect. But I told her that I would buy her own house to live in and give her 1000 a month total which is a shitload in Ecuador. Anyways. She declined. So right now she gets 575 from my social security and I pay her an extra 425. For a total of 1000 a month.

I have never been ordered to pay any kind of child support, I just do it. But after I move to Ecuador... I feel like I shouldn’t have to keep paying her this extra money that I was not ordered to pay of 425 per month. She says she will take me to court over this because I’m “being abusive by manipulating her financially” is this a thing? I mean even the social security check alone is more than she would get if she took me to court on day one of our split up.

I’m hoping that eventually she will decide on her own to come rock Ecuador and retire early and let my daughter be near me. But my question is... I don’t legally have to support her with this extra money on top of the social security check moving forward just because I have been for 4 months out of the kindness of my heart?

Answer:
 She can come after you for child support if she wants to, you owe support to your child.

It is completely unreasonable for you to think she should move to Ecuador and you threatning to stop supporting your chil if she doesn't move doesn't make you look great.


Title: FL Real Estate Law: HELP! My parents were duped into buying a trailer that seems to be partially in the neighbors yard. We may lose our home!!

Question:
The land in question was once a large, outside corner lot. It was subsequently subdivided into 3 smaller plots. My parents bought the biggest one that is in the middle. The original survey shows the property lines all in their proper place, with all 3 lots having the necessary space. Now, out neighbor has showed up with a newer survey, which is the one the county has on file, showing our lot as much smaller and the trailer that has been here for 20 years, is over his property line.
 At first, he was nice about it. He asked us to split the difference between the two surveys and just move out fence back, giving him a somewhat larger backyard. We did this without question, just to keep everything civil.
Now, the neighbor has bought the lot on the other side of us, and is forcing the issue about the property line and has demanded we tear down the trailer. The survey clearly shows that the property lines are out of whack. Our lot encroached on the northernmost lot and the southernmost lot encroaches on our lot. The northernmost lot is bordered by county property and the southernmost is bordered by another family. We are in the middle of these two lots and the neighbor is pressuring us to sell it to him for peanuts, using the property line dispute as leverage. Now, we've gone to the county to try to find the original survey that we were shown and they don't have it. Any small detail of help you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: [MS Paint map]( http://imgur.com/h1QakV8)

Edit: The two lines next to my trailer are my driveway

Answer:
 First off draw us a crappy MS Paint Diagram. It will summon the best minds we have.

Second, they bought the land with the trailer already on and the trailer, the trailer has been there 20 years, your parents have a survey that says it there land.

By gawd this may be the only actual case of adverse possession to occur in the nation in a 2 score years.Answer #2: To be clear, the survey was drawn up 20 years ago and your neighbor just now started complaining -- right?

20 years is an awfully long time to start complaining about real estate divisions. I would think laches would come into play here in defense of the existing arrangements, especially because it's fairly easy to move a brand new trailer and almost impossible to move a 20-year-old one.Answer #3: ...where is the ms paint diagram?

ETA: This sounds like you need a lawyer.  Your neighbor wants the 3 lots, and he's going to keep pushing even if you solve this.  If your parents are willing, your best bet may be to get the land correctly surveyed and appraised, make that asshole pay over market value, and find somewhere else to live.


Title: [NV] How much, and to whom are we allowed to share my friend’s rape story?

Question:
My friend was lured into a hotel room by four men in Las Vegas. When she arrived, thinking she was about to go on a date with a friend of the men, they took her phone and forcibly raped her. Immediately after the incident, she got her friend to call the police and did a rape kit for an investigation which is “still ongoing.” She knew all the names of all the men, and reported them, but somehow the investigation seems to have come to a complete halt.

Me and a friend have spoken to the victim, and all of us feel a great deal of rage towards the men who raped her. She was interested in sharing the details of her rape with the men’s wives, friends, and possibly female coworkers. However, we aren’t sure if they could have ground to stand on with a defamation or libel suit. I’m not asking about the morality of sharing this story, but the legality. Can we tell those close to these men what they did? We’re pretty sure the criminal case isn’t doing anything, so I think the victim just wants some sort of justice. Frankly, I do too.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: Iirc defamation is only an issue if it’s false and needs to be proven to not be the case. You should be able to spread this information to the partners of the offenders without worrying about defamation


Title: Fired soon after getting a disability accommodation

Question: A couple weeks ago my employer and I agreed to a reduced schedule to meet my disability accommodation request. Today I was fired for not meeting productivity goals. I was on an 8 hour day schedule and was expected to do as much work as someone on regular 10 hour schedule and when they call overtime as much as 11 or 12 hour schedule. Is it right to be fired for not meeting the productivity goals as my peers when I work 2 to 4 hours less?

Answer: Generally speaking, an ADA accommodation is designed to allow a person to perform the basic functions of the job. If that person cannot perform the basic functions of the job even with an accommodation, that person can be terminated just as any other person who cannot perform the basic functions of the job. You have actually given very little information about your job duties and expectations so it is difficult to answer your question.


Title: Dog Attack, police won’t do anything. Oregon.

Question:
My SO was playing with our dog (8 year old corgi) without a leash in a field behind our house (that doesn’t belong to our apartment complex). A guy was walking his German Shepherd and it broke its leash and charged to our dog and attacked her. She has lacerations on her back and side and was bleeding and missing chunks of fur. She’s currently at the emergency vet and her injuries are being assessed. The vet said they will be providing us with pictures of her injuries and I am going to ask if we can have a copy of her medical write-up from the visit today.

The man was very uncooperative and took his dog back to his apartment and hid in there. He wouldn’t talk to us but when he finally came out my SO was livid and yelling at him saying he will be paying for all her medical bills. The man (doesn’t speak great English) said he doesn’t have any money and tried to blame it on my SO and then stormed off down the street yelling about how my SO needs to calm down and that he will be back later and he just walked down the street and left.

We called the police who said even though our pup is legally registered as an emotional support animal, they can’t do anything. They said the only thing that could be done in a situation like this would be if we had proof that he had sicced his dog on our dog. That didn’t happen so they said there’s nothing they can do.

We have contacted our apartment complex and they said this is the last straw with that dog and that the tenant will be evicted, so obviously this dog has done something before.

What do we do now?

Answer:
 The police aren't doing anything because no crime was committed. As previously stated you can call animal control to see if they will do anything about the dog. You can sue for the cost of your vet bills, likely in small claims court.

You might also warn your SO that getting livid and yelling at people is a good way to escalate a situation so that the police *will* become involved, but not the way you had hoped.


Title: Got caught stealing from Khol's, will they sue if civil demand is not paid?

Question: This is an update to my last post, where I along with some friends got caught stealing from Khol's. We are all minors and it won't go on our record. Soon after, we all received a civil demand of $275. Now I know what we were doing was wrong, I won't ever do it again and was planning to take up a job so I can pay the fine. But a friend recently told me that they can't force you unless they decide to sue but it's unlikely they will as it costs more money for them. Should I just pay the fine? Is it likely they will sue if all three of us don't pay? Btw, I live in California.

Answer: Just pay the fine, its a lot easier.Answer #2: Yeah you should pay the fine you're lucky your ass isn't being pursued criminally is this a joke?


Title: Can I collect unemployment if I’m home caring for my disabled child?

Question:
Here’s the scoop. I’m a stay at home mom of two toddlers, 3 & 1.5yrs old.
In May of 2017 I had to quit my job to care for my, at the time, newborn (the youngest one). Due to severe food allergies and feeding issues, no one could get her to drink out of a bottle while I was at work. She would only drink from me. She would starve herself for 6-8 hours (plus an hour commute) every time I worked. I had to quit. She didn’t start drinking out of a bottle until she was 10 months old.
At the same time we were going through those struggles I was battling severe postpartum depression, I was also diagnosed with skin cancer on my 30th birthday which did not at all help my depression and then the icing on the cake came to our family...
In August of 2017 my oldest, then 2yrs) was diagnosed with autism & had severe struggles with sensory processing. She was doing 6 days a week of aggressive therapy at home with birth-three up until her 3rd birthday in July of 2018. She is now going to school mon-Friday where she receives a few hours of therapy a week but we have been urged by all of her specialists, therapists, psychiatrists, and doctors at Yale to restart at home therapy for a total of 30-40 hours of therapy per week. How am I going to be able to return to work with these responsibilities?
Their father and I are not married. We all live under the same roof (not sure if unemployment takes household income into consideration?) we were doing okay keeping our heads above water but lately we can’t catch up to our cost of living.
Because of his income and assets, even though she is disabled, we’re not married and I do not work she does not qualify for SSI. We also do not qualify for food stamps or any other type of cash assistance.
Does anyone know if I would qualify for unemployment since I cannot return to work because I need to be at home for my daughter’s therapy?
Can anyone help with tips of any programs for assistance in Connecticut or through federal?

Answer: Generally if you quit you aren't eligible for unemployment.Answer #2: you must be unemployed due to no fault of your own. and you must currently be able and willing to accept full time employment. your situation doesnt seem to fit those requirements.


Title: friend is being conned out of tens of thousands of dollars by a stripper. checked arrest records- she is a fugitive on the run. do i report this, and if so, how?

Question:
My friend has been "in a relationship" with a stripper for about a year. Relationship meaning, he says "i love you" and she says "can I have x amount of dollars? I love you too" and he says "Sure thing."

He is 18k in the hole from her now. Every few days she has a new excuse for needing money. Most recently, she has been claiming she is terminally ill and needs money for medications- pills that she can only buy one at a time and that cost about 100 bucks a pop. Her lies don't add up and everything seemed super fishy. Despite pointing all of this out to my friend, he continued to give her money.

&#x200B;

Backstory on the friend: he's handicapped. He's in a wheelchair, is chronically ill and terribly lonely. He is also extremely dense when it comes to this stripper. He refuses to believe that she doesn't love her and is conning him, and listens to her lies over any attempt at logic. His dad, who he was living with, found out about his debt and kicked him out, leaving him temporarily homeless. He is really losing EVERYthing to this woman.

&#x200B;

At some point, he gave her his card to use to withdraw money. I believe he asked her to contact him before withdrawing money. She does not. She has withdrawn $1000 without asking this week.

&#x200B;

I finally found her real name and arrest records and discovered she is absconded and facing 3 years in prison for various charges including heroin possession, cocaine possession, and theft. I sent him links to all of these arrest records and mugshots. It still did not get through and he is still defending her, saying "well that happened a year ago, before I even met her".

&#x200B;

At this point I really just want this to end for his sake. I feel like I have a duty to report this, but I'm unsure what the best way is to go about this. Will they look into my friend for giving her all this money while she was on the run? Do I call the police? Do I tip off his bank? Do I stay out of it? I have truly no idea what to do.

&#x200B;

tl;dr: my handicapped friend is has lost 18k to a stripper he thinks he is dating. I found her real name and arrest records today and found out she's on the run and facing jail time. Don't know how to proceed

Answer:
 > tl;dr: my handicapped friend is has lost 18k to a stripper he thinks he is dating. I found her real name and arrest records today and found out she's on the run and facing jail time. Don't know how to proceed

Call the police.


Title: Landlord violating our rights

Question:
Beloit, Wi
 My boyfriend and I rent a house on a 12.5 acre lot. Owned by landlord rented out through a property management company. Last fall men came to bow hunt per owners say so. Nothing in our lease says this is allowed. The landlord and management company say we just rent the home not the land. Even though it was advertised as having a huge back yard, which we have proof of. Last weekend a random couple tried to go on the land to hunt for mushrooms, claiming she knew the owner. The lady was drunk.My boyfriend told them to leave she got belligerent. An altercation took place my boyfriend hit her with a stick in self defense after she had hit him and tried to attack him. They left and called the cops my boyfriend was charged. The landlord was notified and told the management company that she wanted to deny us access to the land but she will allow us to peacefully be back there, but she put a lock on the gate that leads to the back yard. Cutting off our access. Can she do this?

Answer:
 > The landlord and management company say we just rent the home not the land.

What does your lease say?


Title: Florida, nonmarried couple dealing with child custody.

Question:
Title might be misleading, sorry.
I'm in Florida. This is my first kid, his 3rd. He doesn't see his other two. Just recently started writting them letters (they are 4 and 6).

We have a son who is 3months. Things were great until the last month of pregnancy. He started talking to an ex along with lots of other things. I guess none of that is important.

Well today he told me to get out. Bill are all in my name but he has been paying them the last three months. I do not 100% trust him with the baby. I know he doesn't know the daily routine, but I don't think he'd actually intentionally hurt our son.

I want to leave tomorrow while he is at work with the baby. I don't intend to keep the kid from him but I do want majority custody.
Can I just leave to my parents with the baby?

He's threatened to take my son away from me many times which is why I'm finally calling it quits. His ex did that to him so he should know how shitty it is. Whats my chances of getting majority custody? I would rather the father sign off on custody than me recieve and child support but I imagine he'll want to stay in his sons life. Not sure.
Thank you for any advice and support.
Any questions I'll be happy to answer!

Answer: Get out.   There are also women's shelters you can go to, so he doesn't chase you down.  IANAL but I'd advise you to maybe get a restraining order, and make sure to include all the shitty things he's done, you'll need that at custody hearings, I believe.


Title: What is a potential employer legally allowed to ask a previous employer about a potential candidate?

Question: So I'm in the US state of Ohio, and after a conversation with my wife, I'm skeptical as to what the legal ramifications are for a potential employer contacting a candidate's previous employer(s) and asking about stuff like job performance. What are they allowed (or not allowed) to ask?

Answer:
 They can ask whatever they want.

The old employer can communicate nearly any truthful information they want.


Title: Microsoft Sells Defective Products, Acknowledges It, Refuses To Fix (SoCal)

Question:
I feel a little silly posting about this because Xbox One controllers don't really stack up in comparison to some of the things I've seen in this thread, but this is really eating at me.

I've had an Xbox One since 2014. Since then I've bought 3 controllers because over time all three begin to drift (left analog stick pulls to the top of the screen). Upon further research, this appears to be a KNOWN issue for Microsoft and goes back almost 3 years.

Last night I spent almost an hour online chatting with a representative who helped me with several troubleshooting options but none resolved the issue, they then admitted that this is something that is under investigation, but would not replace the controller as it was out of warranty. It appears their best solution is for people to invest another $60 in a controller that will probably break (my most recent one didn't even last four months, conveniently getting JUST past the 90 day warranty).

Is there legal action that can be taken here? I currently have $120 worth of controllers that are broken. If I buy another Xbox controller that's $60 more, or I can buy an "Elite" controller for double that, or a third-party controller. I just feel like this is unacceptable behavior. I'm probably out on a limb here, so I apologize if I'm wasting anybodies time, just putting out feelers.

TL;DR - Xbox One controllers have been known to become defective for a few years but Microsoft refuses to address the issue and instead make you buy more faulty products.

EDIT: Including link to show that Microsoft has been told about the issue but provided no real solutions.

https://forums.xbox.com/en-US/thread/999D72D5-E8E8-48B8-8458-6A5FAAD378A3

Answer:
 Huh, so THATS why my controller gets whacky when navigating Netflix.
Anyway, there's a potential class action lawsuit case if Microsoft knowingly is selling controllers that are defective. But there's nothing inherently illegal about selling crappy hardware.


Title: Washington state What grounds would CPS require supervised visits?

Question:
I'm not sure if this is the right sub to ask, also, I'm on mobile.

We took in my daughter's best friend and her little sister when they (along with their other siblings) were removed from their familial home in December 2016.

 Originally we thought the kids were removed because their house was really messy. We helped them clean it up. They thought they would get their kids back in a week,  a month tops.

But their CPS case worker has said "in cases like these a year or two is not uncommon". And she also pointed out that their family is only allowed *supervised* (like that's important?) visits and she said there is stuff going on that we don't know about.

We're happy to keep the girls for as long as need be. This is our first interaction with CPS.  Court is happening in February.  I guess that's when all will be revealed? 'Cuz I am completely in the dark right now.

That said, I'm just curious about what circumstances require supervised visits? Are supervised visits common or unusual?

Answer:
 Drugs. Almost always stood

Go to that court hearing.

And can I add: tell that worker that she is not acting in the best interest of the kids. If YOU are supervising then you need to know what the concerns are so YOU can protect these kids.


Title: [PA] Friend under impression his ex can revoke custody at any time.

Question:
Hello, I am posting this on behalf of a friend because he is too scared to rock the boat. Just a quick background before I dive into the questions.

Friend married a girl, had a daughter, and shortly after found out she was sleeping with his best friend. Child is proven to be his, so this isn't an issue. Over the past few years (child is \~5 years old), she has had his balls in a vice grip. The only thing is, the vice grip doesn't exist, he just thinks it does. She makes rules and he follows because he believes she has the power to make his life hell and revoke custody. He is finally warming up to the idea that this is not the case, as he is not a criminal, he isn't a drunk, and it takes a lot more than disagreeing parents to revoke custody. In fact, he is a great father.

She is the typical spiteful ex, despite the fact that she is the one who screwed him over. Anyway, here are my questions, and I will give as much background information as I can. If you need more information, just ask and I will update as needed. Also, he cannot afford a lawyer. I have been looking into finding him one who can either work pro-bono as he is lower income, or one who can work at a decently hourly rate without retainer. He intends to call the state/county bar association to ask for any lawyers who may be able to help.

The straw that broke the camels back was this - his ex is now engaged to his ex-best friend (the one she cheated with). They have been talking about ex-best friend adopting his daughter and having her last name changed to ex-best friend's last name. He refuses to consent, but she is under the belief that she doesn't need his consent. By the way, this is an uneducated Pennsyltucky redneck who somehow believes that being the mother of a child means she holds **ALL** of the cards. The logical part in me thinks there is no way she could do this without his consent, but again, IANAL. Can she do this? Is there anything he should do preemptively to nip this in the bud?

Another question is, when they first split, he agreed to not allow his daughter to see his parents. He only did this because he believed that if she didn't play ball she would revoke his custody too. Thing is, he is close with his parents. They are great people, and very sad that they cannot see their granddaughter. I don't know if this was a verbal agreement or a written agreement. I don't believe this was ever hashed out in front of a judge, but just in case it was, is there any way he can fight this after the fact? Would a written contract barring his parents from seeing his daughter based on the reasoning that "ex doesn't want them to" stand up in court?

The current custody arrangement (which I believe is by agreement, not court order), is he has her for 24 hours every other weekend, and the other weekend he has her for the entire weekend. This is only because he works out of town and isn't always home during the week. The issue is, his parents would love to have her once a week, but the current "agreement" doesn't allow this.

Thank you for any advice, and if you have any tips on how to get him representation at an affordable rate, it would be appreciated. Help me help my friend take his life (and daughter) back.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: He needs to figure out how to hire an attorney somehow. Her new stud can't adopt the child unless your friend's parental rights are terminated by the court. His ex can't do that all by herself just because she wants to. Answer #2: Absent a court order yes, she can deny him access to the child. He needs to file for custody


Title: Friend's wife had Etsy store shut down because she is Iranian-American. Living in America. Etsy claims they don't do business with Iran.

Question:
The full text can be seen here.  This is outrageous.  Etsy does not even feel like they want to help.  Does my friend have a discrimination case?

> Right now I'm just mad/disappointed at Etsy. They shut down my wife's account(and refusing her to open a new one) because she is Iranian. I tried to reach out to support and all they say is that they can't sell or buy to Iran. We aren't selling or buying to Iran. We are selling to America and haven't done anything wrong according to their rules as they stated here: https://www.etsy.com/legal/prohibited#Q6
> And what's worse is they won't talk to us. We explain our situation and they just respond with a can response saying they can't sell in our region. We live in the United States! They refuse to see that, they only see Iran and ignore us because it's a legal thing.
> Then they matters worse (which I can't forgive them at all for saying) by claiming my wife's items aren't homemade and that she is reselling the items and breaking those rules. Everyday I see Fattaneh working hard on making hand stitches or purses and them claiming that she didn't make them is really inexcusable and I have no idea where that idea even came from.
> They won't talk to us directly. I asked for a phone call and they refuse to give us one. Instead they told us to go to the contact page, where there is not an option to call them or them to call you despite it says "You can select the option to have us call you". Seriously, go to the contact page right now https://www.etsy.com/help/contact and tell me where I can get them to give us a phone call, cause I can't find it. They won't give us direct communication or hear us out. For those of you that read all of this, thank you for listening to me rant.

EDIT: Didn't include actual text. Oops!

EDIT 2:  /u/JasonSohiel is the original poster on Facebook.  His wife is the one with the account.

Answer:
 I disagre with the others here, I think this arguably is national orgin discrimination and should be looked into. if it is indeed a stringent flagging system that's one thing, but if it's ghosting for discrimination that's not permitted. Answer #2: Etsy is taking overcautious steps to ensure they are following all US laws and regulations. She has no right to use this private service to sell anything. If Etsy does not want her business, they do not have to allow her to use the site. Answer #3: Etsy seems to be under the impression that she is importing or obtaining the goods or materials from Iran.

Have her start a new sales account with Etsy, but avoid having her put any sort of wording on the items which might indicate they are of Iranian origin. This seems to be the root cause of the issue. Don't indicate in any way that the seller is Iranian or that the goods are from that region.Answer #4: You didn't post the text. Keep identifying info (names) out


Title: promised bonus next week, fired today

Question:
Indiana, USA. So I was fired this morning with no reason given, never been written up or reprimanded. The company I work for probably has less than 50 employees total, but it is probably pretty close. My site has 2 fulltime employees (including myself), 1 part time, and 2 illegally classified as 1099 subcontractors. I have worked there for several years.

Next week we were due to have a huge inspection that has been scheduled for some time. Back in May, I was promised a bonus of $3200 if we passed this inspection with more than 90%, or $2000 if we scored more than 85%. We have been working for months to prepare the site to pass this inspection.

The inspection is in less than a week. My husband thinks that they have broken some sort of labor law by firing me right before I should earn this bonus. I'm not so sure that there is any sort of case regarding this issue. Do you think it is worth looking into?

Answer:
 Did you have an employment contract that they somehow invalidated? If not, they can fire you for whatever reason they want (or no reason) except for specific discriminatory reasons.

A looming potential of a bonus is not a contract that promises you your job.Answer #2: They haven't broken any law by firing you but there is a chance that they do still owe you the money.

You'll need to contact an IN employment lawyer to write them a strongly worded letter. If any more action is needed, it will likely cost you more than $2000-3200.Answer #3: So you'll get unemployment, yes? You've already filed I hope.

If they fired you with no reason, no reprimands.. then you should get it, yes?


Title: [Texas] Free Legal Advice From A Redneck (Part II - In Song Form). Don't Eat Your Weed ... (Song in comments)

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 I want to work at that firm.  I can't play guitar or sing, but I can hold my lighter up and sway slowly like the best of them.

Damn, I need to add that to my resume.  As a 3L, I need all the resume boosting I can get.Answer #2: We need to give this guy a star and invite him to the private party.Answer #3: That is magical.

"Please Shut Up!" ain't half bad either!


Title: Hypothetical: Could you fire a worker for belonging to the KKK in [South Carolina]

Question:
With the recent events going on there I was just curious if this was legal.

EDIT:  And if so, why.  Could you fire someone for belonging to any sort of organization that you didn't agree with?
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: Yes.Answer #2: You can't fire someone for being a member of a protected class. While association is a protected freedom, being in an association is not a protected class. Just like you have the right to free speech, but your boss can fire you if you say something racist. Answer #3: If you're their boss.


Title: missed appeal deadline 10mph speeding ticket- had mono &graduation

Question:
Got speeding ticket for going 65 in a 55 in Massachusetts... I have never got a speeding ticket or even a warning before, and was flat out shocked when the officer handed me a ticket. I had 20 days to appeal, but I just realized I missed the deadline last week. The past few weeks have been insanely stressful and flat out awful... I got mononucleosis just while I was wrapping up my last month ever of college & dealing with graduation, and grandmother (last grandparent) got sick... needless to say have been exhausted beyond measure & highly distracted. I also have a disability causing me to be scatter-brained and forgetful.. which is honestly kinda big albeit always a thing for me... this in combo w/ my issues recently = bleh

 It sucks because I know I had a good chance of winning the appeal due to only 10mph over and my clean record... but now that it is past the due date, idk. I hate myself

Given my circumstances (and that I detail them & provide my Drs note of mononucleosis & whatever else is needed), is it at all likely I can still appeal? anyone have tips? SOS

Answer:
 > I know I had a good chance of winning the appeal due to only 10mph over and my clean record

Do you realize that neither of those is a defense to speeding? It doesn't sound like you have any basis to appeal.


Title: So today I got an email from Chuck Berry's attorney saying that I committed copyright infringement. Can anyone help? (GA)

Question:
First, lets get two things out of the way. 1. I am still considered a juvenile in court. 2. This email came to my mom through our internet provider.

Ok, so a while back I torrented a Chuck Berry Greatest Hits album through pirate bay. I have torrented a ton of music since then. Yesterday my mom showed me an email she got from one of Chuck Berry's attorneys. It said I was caught doing a copyright infringement. We could make a settlement for $20 for the song. The thing is, they only said i needed to pay for one song, although the album came with around 50. The attorney gave his address, and it came from our internet provider. Since then, my mom has gotten another email from the same guy, but for a Rolling Stones song.

What should I do? Will there be more emails coming? Is there a way to get out of it? Is it safe to keep torrenting? And is it a scam? If not will I have to go to court? Please reply I am very scared.

Answer:
 You have admittedly committed repeated acts of copyright infringement, including not one, but two separate acts with respect to the Chuck Berry work (making an unauthorized copy, and engaging in an unauthorized distribution).  The firm allegedly representing Chuck Berry has sufficient evidence to identify and link you to this activity such that they were able to obtain your subscriber information from your ISP.  At this stage, they conceivably have everything they need to make a prima facie case for copyright infringement.

If they were to take it to court, they would be entitled to ask for statutory damages in the amount of $750 to $150,000 per work infringed.  And the fact that you're a juvenile does not immunize you from copyright infringement liability.

>What should I do?

Nobody can tell you without seeing the terms of the settlement.  You can pay it, retain a lawyer to assist you, or ignore it at your peril.

>Will there be more emails coming?

You already received two.  And you admit to continuing your illegal behavior despite repeated warnings.  In other words, yes there could me more coming.

>Is there a way to get out of it?

You can retain an attorney to assist you with that question, or you can agree to the settlement terms and pay up.

>Is it safe to keep torrenting?

Clearly not.

>And is it a scam?

Nobody can assist you with this question because you haven't provided sufficient detail.

>If not will I have to go to court?

When you commit copyright infringement, you should do so knowing that you could end up in federal district court at any time.


Title: What can a child of divorce do to change who has primary custody of them (Tx)

Question: Before I get into my question allow me to give you some background information. I'm a fourteen year old, male, child of divorce. Currently I live with my father (Whom I hate with a burning passion) most of the time and with my mother on every other weekend. If it's not obvious from my previous sentence, I dont want to live with my father at all. I've talked to various teachers and my school counselors, all of them- excuse my language, haven't done jack shit. So, here I am on reddit asking what legal things I can do to make it so that I only live with my mom.

Answer:
 You need to talk to your mother. And your mother needs to apply for primary or sole custody - preferably with the assistance of a lawyer.

As a 14 year old in Texas your wishes will be taken into consideration, but it is still ultimately up to a judge to decide what happens. Courts are very hesitant to completely cut a parent out of their child's life so, from both a legal and life advice perspective, you should also try to work on your relationship with your father.

tl;dr - your mum needs to do it, not you.


Title: FOUR Red light violations (ALL dated September 14th) arrived in the mail today(September 17th) spanning from July 4th to August 3rd. [Illinois]

Question:
Hi all,

Recently moved. My Wife's old route to work had a Red light camera at a Single-Right-Turn-Lane T-intersection. We got matching mail today with four separate citations on the car (see title).

I know we're on the hook for at least the first one, but I'm fairly certain it wouldn't have happened again if she had received any notice in a timely manner that she was in violation of the traffic laws.

Instead they seem to have let them rack up and sent them all to us at once, which is pretty low.

Also, In two of the ticket videos(July 20th and August 2nd), the car comes to a complete stop at the line while there was still a car in front of us waiting to turn right (because there was room for a full car in front of the white line), at which point both cars turned right. This point is tertiary, though, as any notice from the first ticket would have changed future driving habits.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. $400 is a hefty surprise.

Answer:
 >This point is tertiary, though, as any notice from the first ticket would have changed future driving habits.

Your entire point is tertiary. It is irrelevant when they sent you the notices, you broke the law, you have no recourse here. Their delayed notice and your subsequent change of a driving habit doesn't negate that you broke the law in the first place. Answer #2: >Also, In two of the ticket videos(July 20th and August 2nd), the car comes to a complete stop at the line while there was still a car in front of us waiting to turn right (because there was room for a full car in front of the white line), at which point both cars turned right.

 You must know that stopping because there is a car stopped in front of you is not the same as stopping at the light because you're obeying a traffic symbol...


Title: Landlord wants to evict after lease expired

Question:
Apologies in advance if this is off topic but here is my situation.

My rental lease is expiring next month. The lease is a 12 month term. In the lease agreement that I signed, it clearly states, "After the expiration of the minimum lease term, Residents have the option of renewing the lease term OR continuing the lease on a month to month basis for an additional $50 per month." (I can post more context directly from the lease agreement if needed). Today I received an email from the landlord stating that I have two options. Option A is to renew the lease for another 12 months with the amount being increased an additional $100. Or Option B is  to vacate the property and consider this my 45 day notice.

When I initially signed this lease, I was expecting to be able to continue on a month to month basis as the lease states but now they seem to be forcing me to renew for another 12 months. Do I have an legal options to continuing on a month to month basis as the lease states, or can they legally force me to vacate within 45 days if I do not sign the renewal for another year?

Thanks very much.

If it helps, this is in Idaho.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: It is flipping to a month to month lease, and they are choosing not to renew it. That is how month to month leases work, you take the risk of the landlord giving you a notice to terminate at any point.


Title: (Houston, TX) If we have no official uniform for our retail store, can our managers force us to wear a gay pride shirt on our city parade day? Is it legal for them to fire me for "discrimination"?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 there's no federal law against firing someone for their political views. and naturally Texas doesn't have one.

they can fire you for not wearing the shirt. Answer #2: Yes, you can be fired for being a bigot.


Title: (California) Should I take this car accident to court?

Question: M23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcUe4U15xcWIaPNsR9xarM23Fyl6nK1TKbRc0npwtgahshdTypJOSfORMoiwEiWcU

Answer:
 You don't have standing to sue for damage to a car you don't own.

Your gf presumably is not a doctor. If she is in pain she needs to go see one.


Title: Pulled over for a u-turn, charged with DUII for marijuana in Oregon. Help.

Question:
About a week ago my brother was pulled over for making an illegal u-turn (we live in Oregon). When he was pulled over, the cop said his car smelt like burnt marijuana. He said there was marijuana in the car, so it would smell like marijuana. The cop then asked my brother (which is where he messed up) if he had smoked today, and my brother replied he had about four hours before he had been pulled over.

&#x200B;

The cop then asked for my brother license and registration, then the cop walked away and processed his information (my brother had an Arizona license as he had just moved back to Oregon from Arizona, which complicated the process). My brother then had to urinate, had his hand in his pants, caused the officer to freak out and wouldn't let him urinate. The officer then had my brother take a sobriety test (after making him urinate in his pants), and apparently didn't like some of his responses like being cold and shaking, dilated pupils (due to an adderall prescription) and questioning minor instructions. Then my brother was arrested, processed and let go.

&#x200B;

In two days he has a court date for the DUI and illegal U-Turn. Marijuana is legal in Oregon, I'm sure it can be shown that basically whatever was worrying the cop had a reasonable explanation aside from being high on marijuana, but neither of us really knows how to go about this situation. By admitting to having smoked is he guilty automatically? Honestly, he has enough going on between having surgeries and other general life problems that he shouldn't have to deal with the long term consequences of this (not that that is necessarily relevant).

&#x200B;

What do we need to know? What questions is he going to have to answer? How can he actually represent himself in a way that is going to be effective in court?

&#x200B;

Thanks so much for reading, I'll be here to answer and questions and hopefully you guys and gals can help me figure out the best course of action.

Answer:
 > Marijuana is legal in Oregon, I'm sure it can be shown that basically whatever was worrying the cop had a reasonable explanation aside from being high on marijuana

Alcohol is legal too, but you're not allowed to drive drunk either.

> How can he actually represent himself in a way that is going to be effective in court?

I would be willing to bet all the money in my pocket, for all the money in your pocket, that he won't be able to do that.

Your brother needs an attorney. He's looking at license suspension and possible jail time.Answer #2: If he wants to have any hope of beating this in court, he needs an attorney.


Title: New upstairs neighbor is obese and causes mini earth-quakes whenever he walks around his apartment

Question: I was fine with my previous neighbors but noticed a problem when they apparently moved out.  He will just walk around normally and it sounds like he's banging a bag of cement down when he walks.  I originally went up to ask him to keep it down but he just expressed confusion and said he wasn't doing anything loud.  He's easily 300+ pounds.  Do I have any recourse?  He is up at random hours too.

Answer: As an apartment dweller, it is expected of you to cope with the normal everyday activity noise of upstairs tenants . Answer #2: If you don't want noise from upstairs neighbors, get a top floor apartment.Answer #3: Not really. He has the right to walk around his apartment. Answer #4: Is he supposed to not walk around his apartment because he's obese?


Title: [florida] girlfriend was served with a parenting plan by her baby daddy. What should our first step be?

Question:
He served her with a notice saying he wants 50-50 no child support. In this notice he falsely accounted for $400 towards the baby a month claiming he has only $150 at the end of every month. He lives in a two bed apartment with 4 others; His mother(who has been in and out of mental institutions),the step father(who is an alcoholic), his new girlfriend, and 8 year old brother. He lied to my girlfriend about getting his tax return, in which he claimed the child, after agreeing to give some to us to help with the child's needs. My girlfriend and I have been raising the child for 5 months with only have revived one box of diapers as help from the father.

My girlfriend, the child, and I live in a 3 bedroom home with the child having a play room and a bedroom, a backyard with swing set and all. I alone make more than the father but we both work and bring in around 3500$ a month together. We are not married. He claimed he only makes 1900$ a month.

My girlfriend doesn't know where to go from here, money is extremely tight so a lawyer is hard to think about. She wants to deny his request for 50-50 (Sunday to Sunday - alternating weeks) and instead ask for child support and Thursday - Sunday alternating weeks for the father and she keep majority custody.

We have 18 days left to respond.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer: An attorney pays for itself within the first year. Use your brain and hire one.


Title: Help! I am being blackmailed (adult related stuff)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Well, first of all, he's never going to fix the PayPal claim. You need to consider that money gone and bring your PayPal account back to 0.00. Ignore this guy too, and/or report him to the police.

Secondly, now that PayPal has seen what you're using your account for, your account is probably going to be locked and closed.


Title: Gypped out of stimulus check. Help!

Question: I'm (53f) disabled, so I have not had an income for many years and therefore have not filed taxes. My sister called the other day to "ask" if she could claim me as a dependent to lower own her hefty tax bill. I thought I was not eligible for the stimulus payment, and she persuaded me to let her. Come to find out she had filed her taxes weeks ago, long before she asked me, and gotten money back. I found out also I am eligible for the stimulus money, but because my sister already filed I can't get it. My question is can I file an appeal to get my stimulus money? And if so where would I do that? If it matters, I live in Ohio.

Answer:
 You can file your taxes.

Side note the term "Gypped" can be seen as a derogatory term.


Title: Police want to talk to me and I don't know what to do.

Question:
I'm a college student at a university in Virginia. About a week ago I drank with a few friends at their house, I was pretty buzzed but not drunk and fully aware. Anyways me and two friends left to go two blocks down to a 7/11. On the way, my two friends who were a bit more inebriated than I was started jumping from roof to roof on a few cars, my first mistake was not leaving them and just waiting about 50 feet away where I wasn't visible. Anyways a guy comes out and confronts my two friends, who quickly apologize and run away. I meet up with them a minute later and we continue to 7/11 where we walk in together. A few minutes later as we are standing outside two police cars pull in quickly and start approaching us. My one friend immediately takes off and both police officers chase him leaving me and my friend alone, we immediately walk away and returned home without incident.

However, the one who ran ended up getting caught, arrested, and charged with underage drinking. A group of people had apparently followed us and called the police, they are actually the ones who caught him and waited for the police. They also apparently heard my first name and told the police.

The police have come to my apartment twice and have called me once looking to "talk" about what happened that night. I'm guessing they found who I was using my first name and the 7/11 footage that shows us going in together. I haven't talked to them as I wasn't home both times but they seem persistent. I don't know if I should try to ignore them and hope this all goes away or to preemptively seek legal council. I believe they are concerned about possible car damage, and i'm afraid i'm going to be charged with something due to the circumstantial evidence. Please help, i desperately need some sound advice.

Answer:
 Tell the police you will not answer any questions without an attorney present. If they come arrest you, say the same thing.Answer #2: Do not talk to the police.

If they call you or come to your door say you don't want to talk.  If they arrest you say you want to speak to an attorney before answering questions.  If you get a summons to come in for arraignment, hire a criminal defense attorney.

They may pressure you and argue with you and try to trick you.  Just say you don't want to talk and that you won't say anything without first talking to a lawyer.

Do _not_ talk to the police.


Title: Jailed in a public psychiatric hospital for ‘speaking against tyranny and organized religion’ in my home country.

Question:
Hello,

I have no mental health problems that require hospitalization, but I was locked up in a public psychiatric hospital in my home country for seven weeks ( late May to just now ) because I have spoken against the State’s affairs ( its absolute monarch, its government, and its sponsored religion. )

I was discharged today and had to sign an agreement ( a parole? ) at the police station ( the HQ of States’s police ) not to post any negative remarks about the State’s affairs again.

I am for democracy, respecting human rights, and science ( against tyranny, organized religion, and superstition ) in my home country.

What can I do?
Topic:
Non-US

Answer:
 If that is the law then you cannot change it, unfortunately. I would be cautious about what you say until you are able to move to another country because if you could face worse punishment and it goes on your personal record it may me more difficult to apply for citizenship elsewhere.

If that really if your belief, then you probably should not live out the rest of your days in a place like that where you cannot freely speak. Pursue a career and try to get hired in that field somewhere else. Best of luck, OP.


Title: Let's say I want to sell a book on my own.

Question:
I live in Alabama, USA. Right now, this is in the "flight-of-fancy idea" phase for me.

Let's say I have a book I wrote. I set up a blog, tumblr, twitter, whatever, with a link that says "Buy my book!" This link goes to a page with the title, cover artwork, and a synopsis of my book, sorta like amazon. There is a price for this book, let's say $3.99 USD. The book isn't a physical copy, just a pdf with all the contents of an actual book- cover, dedication, etc.

The actual file is behind a paywall that goes to a donate page (or the fixed price equivalent) of paypal. Once you pay, you get the file and can begin reading.

Doing this, I don't have to go though a publisher and the book doesn't have an ISBN or anything. All I have to worry about is creating this work of literature, giving it to a couple of proofreaders to finalize it, and putting it behind a paywall to sell. Like I said, this is a flight-of-fancy right now, just something I am curious about.

This is kinda like the equivalent of selling melons out the back of your truck- give me the money, and I'll give you the product.

I know this isn't a serious or pertinent as the other posts here, but is this legal? (I also understand that if someone wants a refund, I'll have to give it to them.) I ask because some indie music artist have to jump through hoops to get themselves out there.

Also, I am aware of self-publishing services like CreateSpace, Amazon Self-Publishing, and I believe Barnes & Noble offers one. I just want all the profits to go to me, not a middleman.
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Legal? Sure. But there's a reason people go with the established self publishers. Ebook marketing, distribution, DRM, copyright protection, payment processing, technical support, legitimacy, etc.etc.etc.

Realistically most self publishers even at the legitimate sites don't make any money off of it.


Title: I was served with papers to appear in court tomorrow, today. Is this legal? (NC)

Question: I got a summons to appear at a hearing for a protection order. I got the summons today just after lunch at work. The hearing is tomorrow at 9:30am. This isn’t enough time for me to prepare for this. Can I get this postpone so that I might have time to prepare my argument?

Answer: You have to show.  When you do you tell the judge “I was just served this yesterday and would like a continuance to talk to a lawyer”.


Title: Getting out of lease and getting money back after discovering landlord is a felon (TN)

Question:
Hello legal eagles.

My girlfriend signed a lease (TN) with a private landlord a few days ago and paid 6 months of rent ahead of time. The landlord has already cashed the check. After signing the lease, he sent her an email indicating a romantic interest in her, to which she replied she was in a happily committed relationship. This gave her a very uneasy feeling.

After doing a little research, we discovered the landlord was convicted of a violent crime (attempted/voluntary manslaughter) in another state and sentenced to 4 years. Further investigating revealed he sexually assault his wife using an ether-laced rag. When she escaped in a car, he ran her off the road and fired shots at her.

Needless to say, my girlfriend will not be moving to this residence. Obviously, our first steps are talking to a lawyer asap, and perhaps talking to the police. Can you fine folks give us an idea of what we are up against? Can she easily get out of the lease and will she be able to get her money back?

TLDR: GF unknowingly signed a lease with a landlord convicted of a violent crime and he hit on her. Can she get her money back and break the lease without too much trouble.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Unless there's something specific in your state's laws that forbid him from being a landlord, she's likely SOL here.

She could immediately serve him notice of her intent to vacate and terminate her tenancy, then he'd need to try to find a new tenant. If a new one is found before the lease is up, he would need to refund her the money for the time the new tenant is living there.


Title: Employer Forcing Us to Buy Prepaid Debit Cards in Our Own Name and Then Make Purchases?

Question: This is in the US across multiple states, so I didn't list a specific state. What they're pushing now is for store managers to buy a prepaid debit card in their own name, SSN, date of birth, etc. Then, they want the card number, security code, etc. and then to review the purchases somehow. They want us to deposit actual cash customers give us to this account to then make needed purchases. I wouldn't mind using a business issued card, but I don't like it linked to me. I've already expressed my concern but got nothing other than it's "safe." Is this OK? Should I worry about anything?

Answer:
 IANAL, but I do know this is 100% tax evasion. That income needs to be taxed. This has to cycle through the corporate account before it can be respent. This allows the IRS to audit their account if they believe they're not truthful about their books. Spreadsheets don't count.

In this case, you're setting up a private account to cycle money through. That money has to be reported as income, in this case by you. They're counting on you not reporting it as income; who would want to pay taxes on income that the company forces you to put back into the company? I see that they don't want to pay taxes on money that will funnel through back to the suppliers, which they're going to get taxed on again, but to make their employees an accomplice to tax fraud/evasion is a very bold move.

1. Report it to the IRS. They're actually pretty friendly, especially when you're the victim. They can help you through it, you might even get a small reward.

2. Start looking for another job. Any company that's willing for their employees to take a tax evasion audit over themselves is not a company you want to work for. Answer #2: [The IRS pays rewards for information about tax fraud.](https://www.irs.gov/uac/Whistleblower-Informant-Award/) Answer #3: Tax evasion is not taken lightly.

Just a forewarning.


Title: Weird thought and question. I know its illegal to open someone else's mail. But if someone opens the mail addressed to them and discards it could you keep it?

Answer: It is generally legal to keep trash you find, yes.


Title: Hypothetical: Leasing a trailer that tenants is forbidden to make improvements on

Question:
A little context.  My sister-in-law convinced my brother to lease a trailer from her father a couple of years ago.  Part of the terms on the lease, allegedly, is that it had to appear that the landlord was still living there, even though he had moved out when they moved in.  That means that some if not all of his mail is being routed to the trailer and this is most critical part of it all my brother is not allowed to make improvements without the landlord's approval, even for the most basic things that would bring the trailer up to basic code.

If I were in my brother's situation, I would tell the landlord to stuff it and make the improvements anyways, but what possible reason does the landlord have in not allowing any improvements on the trailer and what sound advice can I give him to move forward?

All parties involved are in TX.

Answer:
 > it had to appear that the landlord was still living there

> all of his mail is being routed to the trailer

This to me smells strongly of fraud. There aren't many valid reasons to need your mail routed to somewhere you are not living and the "appearance" part makes this sounds extremely dodgy.

The "no improvement" can easily be explained by wanting the property to remain free of shitty DIY failures. I'm not saying it would be your specific case, but it makes a lot more sense than the "make it seems like I live here" part.


Title: 4 months pregnant, babys daddy drugs/sexual addiction

Question:
I'm four months pregnant, Oklahoma-baby's father has eight year old daughter. I have found drugs in his house and have documentation where he has been on craigslist website seeking casual sexual encounters. His eight year old lives with him, he has full custody. Due to being concerned for her welfare and safety, and the welfare and safety of our unborn child, I need advice.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 If you think he's such a bad parent that you are legitimately concerned for the welfare and safety of his daughter, you call CPS.

Him smoking some pot and having sex with people not you is not something that is going to help you that much in a custody case involving your own child.


Title: Natural Sperm Donation to a Friend that wants no legal attachments.

Question:
I have a friend that is a lesbian. Due to Possible health issues down the road she want's to have a child now, and asked me to be the donor. I am 28 and single so i have no reason to say no. we have had sex before but just as drunken friends. I need to know what I can do to protect myself against her coming after me for child support later on. or if she dies or something i do not want that kid. help! Thank you for reading my post.
Edit: am in California

Answer:
 Nothing if not done through a legitimate doctor or medical facility.  You cannot have sex and label it a natural sperm donation.Answer #2: You need to do everything through an attorney and a Dr office. No "let's do this the old fashion way."Answer #3: Do not do this. There have been cases of guys acting as unofficial sperm donors for lesbian couples and then getting nailed for child support. This is the sort of thing you dont want to touch with a ten foot pole. Answer #4: Even if she never comes after you for child support, you will still have a chance of being liable. For example, if she applies for welfare benefits, the state will require her to give up your name and will then come after you for child support.

Sperm clinic is the way to go.


Title: [FL] HOA enforcing seemingly unwritten rule regarding the size of pets allowed

Question:
My husband and I have recently moved due to him being hired for a new job. We had a place to rent lined up, but it fell through practically last second. Luckily, we found another place to rent and the owner and realtor were extremely generous in helping us expedite the application process. We ended up signing the lease the day we viewing the property as it allowed the lease application to be processed even quicker. The only thing we were waiting on was the go-ahead from the HOA.

We received a call from the owner yesterday that the HOA was claiming that our dog would not be allowed because she weighs 70lbs. They are claiming there is a weight limit of 35lbs.

When filling out the HOA's pet application, there was absolutely no mention of a weight restriction nor was the realtor aware of any restrictions. I double checked the HOA's website and all I found was the same application we had submitted and a "pet policy" which, again, made absolutely no mention of weight restrictions.

We've signed the lease, but without our dog being approved, we have no interest in moving into the property. Is the HOA legally allowed to deny our application based on a seemingly unwritten rule? If it is written, it's nowhere that myself, the owner, or the realtor could find.

Do we have any rights as *potential* tenants or can the HOA turn us away for any reason they'd like?

EDIT: Also, the day we viewed the property, my husband and I saw someone exit their neighboring property to walk their large dog about the size of our own. It's obvious that there are other people living in the community with dogs over 35lbs.

EDIT 2: The following is the amended, up-to-date pet policy as of "2015" (whenever the heck that is; their document has no specific date on it):

> Section 12.  Pets, Livestock and Poultry.

> No animals, livestock, or poultry of any kind shall be raised, bred,  or  kept  within  the  Property,  other  than  household  pets  provided  they  are  not  kept,  bred,  or maintained for any commercial purpose, and provided that they do not become a nuisance or annoyance to any other Owner.  No pet shall be allowed outside a Lot except on a leash.  No pets shall be permitted to place or have excretions on any portion of the Property unless the owner of the pet physically removes any such excretions from that portion of the Property.  For purposes hereof, “household pets” shall mean dogs,  cats,  domestic  birds,  and  fish.    Commercial  activities  involving  pets  shall  not  be  allowed.    The Association  or  Declarant  may  establish  limits  on  the  number  and  kind  of  pets  that  may  be  kept  or permitted to be kept on any Lot. Any dog that is to reside upon any Lot shall be registered, within ten (10) days of the dog being upon the Property, with the Association on a form adopted by the Board
from time to time that contains such information deemed relevant by the Board, including, but not limited to, a photo of the animal, the type, size, weight, breed and coloring thereof.  In addition, an Owner shall submit a saliva/DNA test for any dog to reside within the Property, to enable the DNA of the animal to be registered with a vendor of the Association’s choosing for purposes of enforcing the Association’s restrictions regarding clean-up  of  animal  excrement.    Additionally,  owners  of dogs shall be required to pay a fee of $35 registration fee for each dog to reside upon the Property, or such higher amount as may be necessary as determined by the Board from time to time, to pay for the dog DNA registration process. Failure to immediately pick up any animal excrement shall subject the Owner and resident to all available remedies, including, but not limited to, a fine.

Answer: Did you request a copy of this in writing, preferably dated and attached to a lease or application that may have accidentally been omitted?  I would start with that.Answer #2: Just because it wasn't in the paperwork you viewed and filled out does not mean it's not written in the HOA's Bylaws and Covenants. You will need to request a copy of these documents and read through them before you can plead your case. Word of advice for when and if you do plead your case: Do not use the "WELL THOSE PEOPLE ARE BREAKING THE RULES TOO!" defense. Just because their are owners that choose to disobey written rules doesn't make your argument any stronger. They are wrong and you wouldn't be any less wrong if you were to break the rules too.


Title: MN: Car dealer coming back after sale asking for more money after vehicle purchased

Question:
Essentially they are saying they made a mistake and that the price we agreed to was different. That they accidentally took another 1,000 of the price. I never signed any documents agreeing to price until I made the actual purchase. Do I have to go back to them or legally am I protected? Everything I have read on the documents have made it seem like the only way the could have changed the price is if I wasn't already in possession of the vehicle

Here are redacted photos of the documents I signed
https://imgur.com/a/cdiNY

Answer:
 I have heard of this often enough to make me think it is a common thing some dealers do to make extra money.

Tell them no and let them know you will be calling the Minnesota attorney generals office if your car sale doesn't go through at the original price.Answer #2: Called dealer. Basically once I asked for legal papers they said "we're not going to go through this process. We will take this hit and keep you as a customer" Answer #3: Did they make this request in writing? If not, tell them to make the request in writing. Once they do, take the written request to a lawyer and have the lawyer respond. It should be inexpensive, and the dealer will be more likely to back down if they're dealing with your lawyer.Answer #4: IANAL. I have a history of working for car dealers.

1. Once you signed the sales contract for the agreed upon price and have PAID THEM the price - ALL SALES FINAL.

2. If you signed the contract and it says you bought it for $12, but you only paid them $10, then you OWE them $2.

3. READ your sales paperwork. If you paid all it says you need to pay, they signed and YOU signed, then you tell them to find some sand and pound it.


Title: Insurance company revoking coverage after twin birth.

Question:
My wife and I, decided to have another child last year and because she turned 26 years old she was no longer covered under her moms insurance. As a full time online student and stay at home mom she decided to use United Health Care, which was partnered with Lamar Univeristy. Coverage started coverage in January of 2017. Every thing was fine and she had insurance until we got an email today in late October; a week after having twins.

In August my wife had to renew the insurance policy and underwent the same process she did back in January. However, we received an email today saying that she would not be covered under their insurance because she’s an “online student” instead of an “on-campus” student. Unfortunately, this is hidden somewhere in the policy and we didn’t notice it until now. Consequently, the insurance will not cover our claims/costs of the births and medical bills after August.

My question is can we do anything legally to fix this issue? The insurance company is perisitant in not covering my wife and all they say is sorry. I feel like they are partly responsible for letting my wife have insurance since January and conveniently noticing the issue a week after she gives birth to twins.

Thanks!

Answer:
 You can acquire your own insurance.

If part of your policy required you to be an on-campus student, then they can cancel your policy.  Whether or not they can retroactively deny something while you were covered by the policy is another issue.

You didn't provide your location, so Google your location plus "Insurance Commissioner" and file a complaint.  That's the government agency that regulates insurance providers, and they'll determine if you should have been covered for events that happened prior to being informed you were being dropped.


Title: OH - Exgirlfriend had me charged with telephone harassment. (Juvenile)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You've actually been charged with a crime?  Then you need an attorney.

The deputy who warned you was doing you a favor and it sounds like you completely blew it.


Title: Me and two of my roommates left a place we were renting with no notice. No written contract is involved. They want to take us to civil court.

Question:
The situation:

The property is a townhome owned by one of the tenants' father (roommate A). Myself and another couple moved into the house and have stayed there for a year and a half. There was no written lease or contract signed for us, simply a month to month verbal agreement. No security deposit.

3 weeks ago, roommate A's dog bit a child, and then its mother on the premises. At that point myself and the other couple (roommates B) decided to move. Based on an incident last October, when Roommate A's gf overheard us speaking about moving, we decided to leave without notice. We were able to find an apartment, sign the papers and start moving stuff out while the other two were not around. We were able to get most of the stuff out by November 3rd.

We came back on November 5th, to move out the final pieces of furniture. At this point, Roommate A had realized what was going on, and a late night verbally abusive phone call to roommate B happened on the night of the 4th. When we arrived on the 5th, the locks had been changed and Roommate A and his gf were refusing to allow us in the house. We contacted the local pd, and two officers were sent out. The result of this was we were allowed to enter the premise, remove our items, and leave.

Here is my question. I live in Virginia. Roommate A and his gf have promised to sue through civil court for rent for the entire month of November. We have offered 5 days of pro-rate rent, and this has been refused.

From my research, because there is no written lease, we have no obligation to provide any notice of leaving, and we are only liable for any rent for the days we were either living in the house, or had property in the house. There is some damage from Roommate B's cat, but they have also offered to pay any reasonable costs related to those repairs

Am I correct in assuming this? Assuming they can find our new address, I'm expecting a civil court summons for the three of us. I'd like to have an idea what we may be walking into, if anything.

Answer:
 > Am I correct in assuming this?

No.


Title: I am on probation and am required to pay for probation services, but my probation officer was not at the office, so I signed an attendance sheet and left. I received no actual probation services. Is this legal?

Question:
I was placed on probation by the court for an MIP. (Minor in Possession of alcohol) I have completed everything the court has ordered and have been attending my probation meetings. However at my meeting to today my PO was not present, she was at another office. She made no efforts to reschedule and 3 other people in the office also had appointments with her. The office had me sign a paper proving I showed up and still made me pay the 35 dollar a month probation service fee. I did not receive any probation services other then giving them my money and leaving. Is this legal? This feels like the epitome of a scam. I am forced to be on probation by the court but the company who provides the service, is failing to provide the service.

I am located in Utah currently.

Answer: Yes. You aren't paying for services. You are paying to fund the agency. Answer #2: Oh, you think that sheet of paper should be free? I mean, if you would prefer jail you can ask a judge. Answer #3: It's not a scam.


Title: My sister stole my iPhone after punching me in the head and is holding it as "collateral" unless I apologize to her. (Prairie Village, KS)

Question:
Against my better judgment, I agreed to help tutor my sister for an upcoming test. She and I have never gotten along and she regularly bullies me in various ways. Today as I was teaching her she got upset and claimed that I was "talking down to her" by teaching her about passive and active voice. She and I got into a fight during which she punched me twice in the head and stole my phone and work materials. Technically I am not supposed to tutor students outside of the company I work for and she is threatening to tell them and get me fired. She has done this kind of thing multiple times in the past and my family always protects her because she had a "traumatic" childhood experience. I am beyond angry and want to know what I should do to show her that this kind of behavior is not OK and to get my stuff back unharmed. This happened four hours ago. Last I heard she said she would not return my phone or work materials until I apologized to her.

She has not turned off my phone so I know where it is and can send that information to police if need be, and so far she has taken my phone across the state line to her home in Kansas City, MO.

Answer:
 Apologize to your sister. It costs you nothing and solves the whole situation. Then get away from her and keep her out of your life. The consequences for her can be that she no longer has a relationship with her brother.

The expensive and time consuming way to deal with this would be to take your sister to small claims for the return of your property, and to simultaneously file a police report about the assault, but the odds of the cops caring about a sibling spat where nobody was injured, after the fact, are nearly nil.

If you or she is a minor, ask your parents to intervene, instead.


Title: My brother is rentimg my house and insisting that his gf have her name on the tenancy agreement.

Question: So I am moving into a new house and having my brother come with, as he is having financial trouble and so with me he will have a very low rent so that he can save a bit. Anyways he has a gf, who I do not trust in any way at all, she has done some real shady shit in the past, and will be moving in as well. She is saying that she needs to have her name on the lease. Is there anything I should be aware of going into this situation?

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer.

You are trying to do your brother a favor in offering him a place to live at a discounted price.  And he is trying to get all of those benefits extended to his GF.

My recommendation would be that you consider making the lease a month-to-month lease.  Pay to have a local real estate attorney write upa lease that meets your local requirements.

In addition to having a month-to-month lease, it wouldn't be unreasonable of yu to tell your brother that you don't know his GF well and that your housing offer doesn't extend to her.  Your brother may choose to not live with you but at least you wouldn't have his shady GF loving n your home.


Title: Statue of Limitations on Debt

Question: In the early 2000's my uncle decided to open a business. My mom loaned him 50,000 dollars to open this business. We have fallen on very hard times and we desperately have needed this money the past 8 years or so. He decided to sell the business property and told my mom that he would pay her back after the property  sold. They held onto it and every time we contacted them they stated the land had not sold. We finally were able to access property sales records that stated it was sold in 2013. Which means for 5 years he has actively lied to us and admitted he was leading us on to run the statue of limitations out on the debt. Is he still liable for the debt? We have every conversation with him recorded. Is it worth it to get a lawyer?

Answer: It's certainly worth consulting with a lawyer, given the amount of money involved. Many lawyers offer free consultations.Answer #2: If you keep asking for your debt, the statute of limitations does not start ticking down. Therefore, it should not have started yet.