Title: Landlord giving "promotion" to next tenant taken from my security deposit- OH

Question:
I moved out of my apartment in Ohio on April 25, provided 30 days written notice of my lease breaking, and even found the landlord a new tenant who accepted the apartment as-is, with no breaks in occupancy. The landlord deducted over $400 from my $1000 security deposit for a "promotion" for the next tenant to rent the apartment. From what I have turned up, this is not legal.

I have done all communication by email and the landlord has said, "Our current rental program includes a ½ month rent promotion that has to be given consistently to all new renters regardless of circumstances". This feels incredibly shady. He has offered me half of the $400 back, but I think I am owed the full deposit. Is it legal for the landlord to take a "promotion" for the next tenant out of my security deposit?

Answer:
 Send a certified letter demanding the full deposit back or you will peruse small claims court.Answer #2: [Ohio law](https://statelaws.findlaw.com/ohio-law/ohio-security-deposit-laws.html) is reasonably clear on this; security deposits can only be deducted for past rent, damages, noncompliance with the rental agreement, or cleaning fees. Promotions the landlord decides to offer other tenants would not seem to fall under that (IANAL).

It's also worth pointing out that if your security deposit was more than one month's rent (or $50, whichever is greater) your landlord owes you 5% annual interest on the amount it exceeds ($50 or one month's rent).Answer #3: NAL. He wants to use your security deposit to pay for his promotion? That seems quite illegal, but you'll have to look in detail at your contract. The security deposit is intended for any damages, unpaid rent, unpaid utilities, and cleaning to the property. It cannot be repurposed/stolen from you to pay for a future tenant's rent. Were you month-to-month at the time of lease-breaking, and/or at the natural end of the lease? Because if you were, then there are no lease-breaking penalties and you are entitled to full return of your security deposit minus costs of damages. The other thing is that landlords are legally required to return your security deposit minus damages (with damages listed and receipts certifying the repair costs) to you within 30 days. Failing to do so can lead to you getting more money than the deposit in small claims-punitive damages. Sending a demand letter via certified mail stating the amount, the relevant Ohio statute, and any other relevant info will hopefully solve this. If he continues to withhold your deposit, that is when you would proceed to file in small claims court. There are a lot of websites dedicated to this particular problem for further help.


Title: Dropping out from (grad) school

Question:
I recently got my MS and decided not to continue with my PhD. I spoke to my adviser about my decision and he keeps telling me to "think about it" and keep working on my papers. He won't respect my decision. I haven't done anything academically related for four months now.

I looked in the schools bulliten regarding how to drop out and they claim that to drop out in good standing, I have to speak to the graduate director (and get his signature on the drop out form). I'd really rather not do this because I have a feeling the conversation will go similarly to how it has with my adviser. I simply want to drop out and not be on the hook for anything financially.

Can I just not register for classes and not be held financially responsible? I don't care whether or not I drop out "on good standing". I simply want to the school to respect my decision and I no longer wish to be charged for attendance.

Answer:
 > Can I just not register for classes and not be held financially responsible?

No.  You must get the grad director's signature.


Title: Scammed

Question:
I'm not sure if this is allowed, but I am posting this for a friend who refuses to get help.

My friend has been giving money to a guy to help him get his trust fund. He has known this guy for 6 years. He has given the guy around 20k to help him pay for lawyer expenses in the exchange that when the trust fund is made available he would be rewarded for his help. I looked up the name of the guy who he has been giving money to and it appears that he is living large. Extravagant vacations, dance watches and clothes, expensive bottles of alcohol, etc. His posts on Facebook talk about "making money and being blessed". My friend has very little money now so there is no hope for him to get a lawyer. He started talking about committing suicide now and I'm scared he might actually do it. What can he do?

We are located in Virginia

Answer: If your friend is the victim of a crime, he should go to the police.  He should seek out a professional to help sort through his emotional trauma.


Title: [US] Want to trademark name of a game we're working on. Seems like a chicken and egg problem. Can someone help clarify a few things around trademark protection?

Question:
Location: US

We're working on developing a game that's still a ways out from release, but would like to trademark the name. The name is the same as the main characters in the game, and is very important to us to have the rights to.

From reading about trademark application, and when they actually take affect - it seems that even if we pre-register for a trademark, it doesn't actually take affect until the game is in market and actively being sold.  Doesn't this create a chicken-and-egg sort of problem? For example, how can we advertise our game, and at the same time protect it from some unscrupulous individual or group swooping in at the 11th hour, pushing shovelware out to Steam using the name we've chosen, and then claiming they own the rights to the title since they were "first to market" with it?

&#x200B;

I'm hoping I'm misunderstanding a key detail in trademark protection, but as it stands right now, it seems like once the game is far enough to start advertising, its title is also at risk for being stolen.

&#x200B;

To give a more concrete example of my concern:  Let's say Small Studio Games is working on a game called Foobar.  A few months out from release, they've pre-registered the trademark with the USPTO and have started advertising.  But since they are not yet "in market", they technically don't own the trademark.  A week before release, Scummy Fellow Games releases they're own game called Foobar, that they "built" in an afternoon. They bought a pre-fabricated game from an online site, asset flipped it, and released it under the title Foobar on Steam with a price of $1.00. A few curious, and probably soon to be disappointed, individuals buy Scummy's Foobar game. Now they are considered "in market".  Is Small Studio's only recourse at this point to rename to a less-fitting title?

&#x200B;

Thanks for your time.
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 Advertising is already a commercial activity that counts as "being in the market."   In general, your trademark starts building up value as soon as you start using it (and advertising counts as using).

Think of it this way: if your mark is not well known, then others are less likely to copy it (they are even less likely to know about it).  But if your mark is already strong enough that others may want to emulate/copy, then you likely already have enough legal protection to stop them from doing so.

&#x200B;Answer #2: Honestly, IP law is fairly complex and if you want to have a good chance at enforcement you really should use an IP Attorney to file. Granted a trademark is not as bad as a patent.

But to answer your question, trademarks must be used in commerce to be a trademark that is the nature of a trademark. What you have done is filed an intent to use your title in commerce and that it is your title. Because it's not yet used in commerce it can't be a full-blown trademark, but your intent to use tells the patent office, "Hey this is my mark that I came up with and I'm first in line to get the trademark."

At least that's what I hope you mean by preregistered.

Please note: An intent to use application confers no right to enforcement and you can not take action for trademark infringement during that time.

Also note: The concept of a trademark is separate from the registration process. Any distinct mark used in commerce becomes a trademark providing it meets all the criteria. Registering with the patent office just makes it easier to enforce because it is presumed to be valid if it's registered.


Title: Friend Threatened to Kill His Dad, Talked Him Down, Afraid He Might Do it Later

Question:
I don't know what flair to put this under.

My friend made a threat tonight he was gonna kill his dad. I managed to talk him down from it, but I can't handle this. He's done so much to make me uncomfortable and try to manipulate me (even going so far as to try and commit suicide to "hammer in" his apology). I don't know where he lives in his state or his real last name. He lives in PA.

We are long distance. If I dropped him and he tried to do this at a later date, would the police in my state, NC, take interest in questioning me and pulling me into the case?

I have parents, a baby brother, I'm getting ready for college, I'm dealing with my own mental health issues and this is tearing me to shreds.

Answer: You're not responsible for what some guy who's identity you don't know does.


Title: Is it illegal to..

Question: Joke about robbing a gas station to the cashier that I always joke back and forth with? Because even after explaining I was joking they have banned me and said it’s illegal to joke about robbery

Answer:
 It’s not necessarily illegal but they can ban you from the store for it regardless. Answer #2: I wish it was illegal to use ellipses in titles. Answer #3: They can ban you for whatever reason they want.

Whether or not it could be legally considered a threat depends on the extent to which it could reasonably be taken seriously. It seems like that's in dispute and it's probably not worthwhile to try to assess it given that we only are hearing your side of it.Answer #4: Doesn't matter, it's legal for them to ban you from the store and it's legal to have you arrested for trespassing if you come back.


Title: Is "I don't consent to searches" something that has ever worked for anyone?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Realistically, the cops are going to get in there within 10 minutes anyway, right?

Depends on the situation.  It's not quite that easy in all places.  Our local court doesn't allow for phone warrants except for extreme emergencies.

The primary difference is that the warrant requires the police to have probable cause.  The police can ask anyone, anytime, for permission to search anything, even if they have absolutely no cause.  They can't get a warrant in the same circumstances.Answer #2: I'm a police officer and it works all the time. I'm constantly amazed that people with dope in their cars give me consent.


Title: Can/Should I Threaten To Sue My Gas Company For Shutting Off Gas With No Warning After November 15th?

Question:
Background: We just moved into a new house, thought we had until the end of the month to transfer our utilities from our old apartment (where the lease ends Nov 30th, and which we are still moving out of, so we needed gas there too.) However, our gas company came out and turned off the gas yesterday.

We had no warning. Someone is home literally 24 hours a day here, and their serviceman never knocked on the door. We've received nothing in the mail or on the door. We didn't even know it had been turned off until we tried to take showers this morning. We are in Ohio and [Ohio Codes](http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4933.12) say that:

>(C) The company shall not, for any reason, unless required by the consumer for safety reasons, or unless tampering with utility company equipment or theft of gas or utility company equipment has occurred, stop gas from entering the premises of any residential consumer for the period beginning on the fifteenth day of November and ending on the fifteenth day of the following April, unless both of the following apply:

>(1) The account of the consumer is in arrears thirty days or more.

>(2) If the occupant of residential premises is a tenant whose landlord is responsible for payment for the service provided by the company, the company has, five days previously, notified the occupant of its intent to discontinue service to the occupant.

>(D) No company shall stop the gas from entering any residential premises between the fifteenth day of November and the fifteenth day of April because of a failure to pay the amount due for the gas unless the company, at the time it sends or delivers to the premises notices of termination, informs the occupant of the premises where to obtain state and federal aid for payment of utility bills and for home weatherization and information on local government aid for payment of utility bills and for home weatherization.

Ours got shut off on 11/17/17. The problem is, they claim that the earliest they can come out to turn it back on is *November 27th.* That's nine days without heat or hot water. We have a pet bird who cannot endure the cold that long, and I am currently pregnant and desperately need hot showers to keep my body aches at bay. The cold will only make them worse. As far as I can tell, what the company did was straight up illegal. Can/should we threaten to sue? Would such a threat force them to send someone sooner? I don't want money/damages, I just want heat. We can easily pay for it. There's no way the account was in arrears for more than thirty days. We only bought the house November 1st.

Edit: We have looked for another gas company, this is literally the only one in our area.

EDIT 2: To people saying we were stealing the gas, I am trying to find the exact Ohio statute and wording, but so far:

>[Theft of Services Law and Legal Definition](https://definitions.uslegal.com/t/theft-of-services/)

>"(a) A person commits theft of services if

>the person obtains services, known by that person to be available only for compensation, by deception, force, threat, or other means to avoid payment for the services;

>having control over the disposition of services of others to which the person is not entitled, the person knowingly diverts those services to the person's own benefit or to the benefit of another not entitled to them;

We have not used deception, force, threat, or any attempt to avoid payment, and we have not diverted services (changed the source of our gas to take from someone else's pipes, for instance). From everything I can find, our gas use does not fall under the definition of 'theft'.

Answer:
 So you moved somewhere new and never turned on gas? Answer #2: It seems like you didn't open up an account at your new residence. You have referred to your gas but it's really the old tenants gas and they could have it shut off when they want.

This isn't really a legal issue.


Title: My partner and I need your help regarding [a quite unfair] an apartment situation we've been caught in.

Question:
So we just renewed a 13 month lease on our apartment in Texas and come to find out (a couple of days before this went into effect) that a university is buying out the owners of our apartment complex to turn it into student housing in the Fall of this year.

As for now we're being told that they are going to honor our lease, however we want out! For one, we don't want to be living with a bunch of college students come fall (no offense) and secondly, we think it's quite unfair that we resigned the lease under certain conditions and come to find out a couple of days later that this was the situation.

We are being told that if we break the lease we'll have to pay a substantial amount of money unless we find someone else to rent it (which is impossible since they're no longer leasing the apartments since it'll be student housing). Is there anyway of going around paying a large fee considering the situation at hand?

Answer:
 If your lease has an early termination clause, you're welcome to exercise it to get out of your lease. If not, your new landlord can legally hold you to the lease. A change in landlord does not vacate a lease.

That being said, if they're hoping to turn it into student housing (and I'm assuming you're not a student) they may be amenable to terminating your lease so they can offer your unit to actual students. You should ask the university if this is the case.Answer #2: Your old property managers have little to no incentive to care right now.

Your NEW property managers might not want adult/mature tenants that understand the local code and are willing to contact police about noise, alcohol, drugs, parties, and all the other random stuff students might be up to.   Additionally, student rental companies have a predatory reputation because students often don't know better.   Showing you know what rights your lease contains may open a negotiation point to get the new management company to let you out prior to student move-in.

Legally?   Not much you can do.   But try to get a contact for the new property managers and see if you can work out a deal.


Title: I witnessed an employee being mistreated at Starbucks

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Not really a legal issue in any way, you can talk to the District manager if you'd like. Being an asshole of a boss is not illegal but corporate may certainly frown upon it.

The whole "it's none of your business" is more of a moral question.Answer #2: You're correct in saying that this isn't a legal issue, but I can promise you that Starbucks corporate will be happy to take your complaint.  Corporate doesn't take it lightly when a customer complains that they heard a manager cursing at an employee within earshot of the lobby.  I would definitely do that.Answer #3: You witnessed what happens in a huge number of food service establishments daily. Completely legal. Now maybe the company doesn't want it's managers acting in this was so maybe it'll be acted upon, but it's not a legal issue. And you are free to complain to corporate about a bad experience you had.


Title: Employer installed a camera in our employee office, seemingly not adding to the security of our facility, anything I can do?

Question:
So I work at a hotel and they have cameras all around the facility in places where people traffic is high, but they recently just installed one watching right over our back in the private office. It makes me feel slightly uncomfortable even though I know I don’t do anything on shift to garner that response, I’m just wondering if it’s allowed to install a camera basically watching 1 person for 8 hours without any security reasoning(that I can see). I live in Oklahoma if that means anything.
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Not illegal.  Employers install cameras to monitor their employees all the time.


Title: Co-worker ordering me around?

Question: Officially she is neither a manager or a supervisor but has the backing of the management. I have no autonomy at work now. Am I legally required to obey her?

Answer: IANAL. This isn't really a legal issue. It's more an issue to be addressed with the upper management at your job. But assuming you are in the US (with the possible exception of Montana), they can fire you for any reason, including your conflict with this co-worker.


Title: [CA] Brother in-law arrested for F-Child Abuse

Question:
I won't get into the specifics on the situation, but my bother in law was charged with three felonies:

PC273A(A)-F
PC245(A)(1)-F (times two)

He's in custody and went through the pre-prelim, with no result, then a preliminary hearing that was supposed to happen today, but was cancelled due to "off calendar." There is a dispo/reset dated March 9th and I'm not sure what to expect.

My main question is what could be expected from something like this? A disposition is sentencing, right? I'm confused.

Answer:
 So, first, understand that family courts are understaffed and thus there are always delays.

Disposition is used to determine what will happen to the child(ren) until the state deems it safe for them to return home **or** the state determines another permanency arrangement (such as adoption). This includes foster care, therapy for the child(ren), requirements for the parents, etc.

PC245(A)(1)-F is assault with a deadly weapon, and PC273A(A)-F is child abuse resulting in injury to a child, so expect that unless there is clear proof that the parent is not responsible or that the charges are unwarranted, the disposition hearing will essentially prevent/limit contact between BIL and his child(ren) (or possibly *any* children).

In theory, the public defender should be able to explain these things, but in reality, they tend to be rushed and not have time to fully explain things. Expect things to take time, and the state will always err on the side of caution once a child is removed from the home.Answer #2: >  A disposition is sentencing, right?

In a criminal case, yes.  But in family court cases it's a hearing to determine what will happen to the kids.  My guess is that's what this is.  The disposition of the children who are alleged to have been abused.

And I just scrolled down and read your response and......ooof.  You're doing the right thing here.  They're probably doing something to deal with the kids on March 9th, from the sound of it.  Probably related to prohibiting him from contact.  His criminal stuff will be rescheduled.  From what you described, he's looking at some fairly serious time.  Assault with a deadly weapon and felony child endangerment are both felonies that carry 2-4 years apiece.


Title: Signed lease for 1bdr, 1ba apartment. Complex is giving us a small 2br, 2ba but locking the second rooms. [NY]

Question:
My boyfriend and I are renting at a student apartment complex in upstate NY. We signed the lease for a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment. When we got there to move our stuff in, we were told that they oversold the one bedroom one bath apartments, and would instead be giving us a two bedroom, two bathroom apartment, but would be locking the doors of the second bedroom and second bathroom.

The living area and kitchen area are much smaller than the one that we were showed in the one bedroom, one bathroom apartment. In the two bedroom, there isn't even room for a desk in the living area which is really important to me.

It doesn't seem right to be that they are locking the second bedroom when they can't make revenue from it anyway. Especially when the living space is so much smaller than what we thought it would be when we originally signed for it.

Is there anything we can do? Or do you have any recommendations of what we can say to possibly convince them to allow us access to the second bedroom? Thanks for your help!

Answer:
 Is there square footage listed on your lease?  If they deny you access to a bedroom and bathroom I'd have to imagine that there's a possibility the square footage in your new apartment is lower now than the original floorplan you were shown

Also, is your new unit number listed on the lease?   If the new unit number is listed on the lease I can't imagine why they'd be legally allowed to deny you access to rooms within that agreed upon unit in the contract they signed off on. Answer #2: What does the lease say? Usually leases are for a specific property, and they specify the exact address and unit. If the landlord is switching you to a different unit, it cannot be materially inferior to the one you signed for. This is likely grounds to break the lease.

As the other poster notes, if they changed the address on the lease to the one they gave you, and did not specify anything about locking rooms, then you have a right to the entire apartment. Answer #3: Not a lawyer or necessarily legal advice, but the landlord has to be insane for wanting to have any portion or their property lock off from people being able to inspect it on a regular basis.  What happens if there is a plumbing leak in the locked bathroom?  Nobbody will notice it until some rather severe damage is done to the unit.


Title: Friend poked someone who he thought was a male acquaintance in the chest because they looked different. Turns out they're a transitioning woman and he poked her in the breast. She's pressing sexual assault charges. Thoughts?

Question:
He didn't know she was a woman, and having associated previously they had previous physical contact. This incident took place in a crowed store, where multiple people could have seen this split second passing thought decision take place.

Upon being informed by the victim that she was a woman, my friend immediately apologized, thoroughly and profusely. The woman then continued to try and converse with my friend about what she'd come to speak with him about before he took it upon himself to poke her apparently growing chest.

Sometime after that incident in the store, my friend was contacted by the county police and asked to provide his side of the story. He is expecting to hear back from them Friday 2/10, if the victim is going to follow through with the charges or not.

Just asking around here if my friend has anything to worry about, now that I'm done chewing him out about this poor decision. Thank you for your time and effort.

EDIT: This took place in the United States.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Don't talk to the police any more and get an attorneyAnswer #2: > She's pressing sexual assault charges. Thoughts?

Thinking she cannot press charges. Only the DA can.

> my friend was contacted by the county police and asked to provide his side of the story

Which hopefully he did not give, because "your side of the story" is a euphemism for "tell us something that can allow us to arrest you."

> He is expecting to hear back from them Friday 2/10

He should let voicemail get the call and if they want anything further from him, he needs a criminal defense attorney.

> if the victim is going to follow through with the charges or not.

Not her choice.
Answer #3: He should not speak to the police without an attorney present, period. Those are my thoughts.


Title: Arm broken by MMA expert

Question:
Hi r/legaladvice, I have a question regarding a recent unfortunate situation in Chicago, IL

While drinking at my friend "Timmy" 's house, my other friend, "Jim", who trains regularly at a MMA gym, put me in a kimura lock while we were horsing around. This caused my arm to break in three places. This was not a sanctioned fight by any means. Do I, as someone with 0 mma experience, have any grounds to recoup my medical costs? I had to get surgery and might suffer permanent nerve damage. Thanks!

Answer:
 You could sue him for whatever out of pocket expenses you incur. However, it's possible that you won't be able to recover 100% because getting drunk and horsing around is not a very safe idea and the court may decide he's not entirely at fault for the incident.Answer #2: > put me in a kimura lock **while we were horsing around.**

> Do I, as someone with 0 mma experience, have any grounds to recoup my medical costs?

Your legal problem is in bold above. What you have here is a consensual strength contest. As with participating in organized sports, you might be deemed to have assumed the risk of injury by voluntarily participating. But you should contact a local personal injury attorney for specific advice about your chances of recovering money.


Title: Grandparents agreed to sell a generator at $3,500 over email. Several hours later, another buyer offered $5,500. Grandfather thinks emails are a contract of sale. True?

Question:
Pretty much as above.

My grandparents are closing a small business that has been slowly failing for the last 10 years. One of the assets they're selling off was a 100kw standby generator worth approximately $10k. Unfortunately, the lease on the sales space is up at the end of this month... so feeling pressured, my grandfather agreed on selling the generator at $3,500 to an out-of-state company over emails. I'm not yet aware, but doubtful, that the company has begun preparations to pick up the generator. We'll be contacting them ASAP to see if it's too late to back out.

Assuming this new buyer is serious and able to uninstall/pick up the generator. Are we obligated to follow through with the $3,500 sale? I've always heard that a sale is never final or legally binding unless a contract was signed or money has exchanged hands. I'm not sure how much staying power these e-mails have.

Edit: We're in Texas, USA.

Answer:
 If he's got written confirmation of the agreement to sell him the generator, then yes he could likely prove a contract for sale and sue if they refused.  Answer #2: Your grandfather is pretty much right, a contract doesn't have to be on a piece of paper with a signature to be a contract. I'm assuming that the emails contained a firm agreement, rather than something vague like "OK, we'll come take a look at the generator."

That said, sometimes breaking a contract is the rational choice. It's rather unlikely that a company would file a lawsuit in another state over such a small transaction. And they probably wouldn't have much in the way of damages to sue for anyway. Answer #3: Your grandfather can probably pull out of the deal without any serious exposure.  Deals like the one this company is getting fall through all the time.

Arguably, if the company has damages, they might be able to sue your grandfather for those damages.  But not getting the generator for the price isn't damages, that's just the deal falling through.  An example of damages might be if the company rented a truck and can't get the deposit back.  So if he accepts the new offer right away, the damages would be very minimal, probably zero.


Title: Consequences of not paying rent AFTER lease ended and I moved out?

Question:
I moved out of my apartment on May 24th and my lease ended on May 31. The management company is telling me that I owe rent for June and July ($2,500) because I did not give 60 days written notice that I was going to vacate when my lease expired. I did tell them via email many months prior that I was graduating and would be moving to a different city, and they worked with me to align the lease’s end date with my graduation date. They are saying that this email correspondence did not “count” as notification that I would vacate. I have lived at this complex for 4 years, and each Spring they sent an inquiry about lease renewal with updated pricing for the upcoming year— this year they did not send me this form, so I assumed they had logged in their system that I was graduating and moving.

I am moving across the country and truly do not have $2500 to spare. They are completely unwilling to budge on the matter and insist that I pay. What happens if I just fall off the grid, stop responding to emails, and ignore the situation? I realize that they would keep my deposit ($600), but I would rather lose that than pay two months of rent.

Thank you in advance!!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 >They are saying that this email correspondence did not “count” as notification that I would vacate. I have lived at this complex for 4 years, and each Spring they sent an inquiry about lease renewal with updated pricing for the upcoming year— this year they did not send me this form, so I assumed they had logged in their system that I was graduating and moving.

Save the emails, pull up the old forms for pricing and lease renewal inquiry, ask why you never received that inquiry and send them the entire email chain of the changing of the terms.

>What happens if I just fall off the grid, stop responding to emails, and ignore the situation?

Bad things happen to your credit. DO. NOT. DO. THIS.

Basically you can do your best to negotiate it away and use as much documentation that they provdied to you as possible.

IANAL TINLA


Title: University Suspension from Intramural Basketball League

Question:
Backstory: My friends and I are part of an intramural basketball league at our university. Last week we were involved in a fight during one of our games. A player from our opponents team initiated the "fight" and threw the first, and only, punch. There was no further physical contact on either sides other than breaking up the fight. The game was stopped and both teams were forced to forfeit. Campus PD showed up and got both sides of the story.

Both teams met with the coordinator of intramural posts and we were both suspended. My team was suspended, according to the coordinator, because we have a history of playing aggressively and sometimes obnoxiously. I do not think that this is a justified means for suspension as we did not start the fight nor have we ever broken any rules. I am planning on meeting with her tomorrow to appeal this decision but I wanted some insight on what you guys think I should/shouldn't/could/couldn't do.

Sorry if this I sound like an amateur, I've never posted here before; just looking for some of your guys' opinions. Thank you and please let me know if you ned some clarification on something as I have most likely looked past something.

Answer:
 It's just a ban from IM? I think you take sports way too seriously.

It's a private league. They can ban you for whatever reason they want.

If you want to appeal, do the usual thing human beings do when they've been caught being rude/offensive - apologize and appear to mean it. That's it.


Title: Small eBay Seller from Hong Kong, Suddenly got limited in PayPal account and receive a lawsuit about trademark violation

Question:
Hi, I am just a very small seller on eBay located in Hong Kong. Recently I am selling a few bracelets and necklaces, just making very tiny profit. Suddenly one day my PayPal got limited and I receive an email from an attorney represented Richemont International SA said I violate their trademark. However I didn't know it before and if I have knew it in the first hand I don't even sell those items.

Here is one of the sentence in the email: The Court has issued an injunction permitting our client to freeze funds in any related financial accounts. Our client is seeking over $2 million in damages per defendant as authorized by 15 U.S.C. Section 1117 as well as attorney fees.

My PayPal just has small amount of money, so I don't mind if they take them. But PayPal has linked to my bank account, will they have the right of freeze my Hong Kong bank account? How do I prevent that?

For those items they said violated their trademark, I just made around US$20 out of them. May I know normally what will happen in these case? Will I really be fined for US$2million? Or how much will be the fine if not US$2million?

I don't have much money and I am scared what will happen?

Thanks,
Vian

Answer:
 This sounds like a scam email.

1. Notice of lawsuits don't happen by email as far as I know.  That is why process server's exist.
2. The company that is supposedly suing you is Swiss based. If they were going to sue it would probably go through the EU
3. Injunctions don't give give a company the power to seize assets. They can allow the JUDGE to freeze assets till a trial.
4. It doesn't talk about you specifically. 'Per defendant' instead of naming you directly.
4. A US court can't demand a bank in Hong Kong to do anything.

Are they demanding money upfront? If they are that is a big red flag. My guess if you contact them they will offer to 'settle' it for far less than 2 million.

I would maybe check with PayPal if they have recieved legal docs to seize assets or if they froze it due to a complaint from another seller.


Title: NC - What happens to child support after death of parent?

Question:
My partner's father just recently passed, leaving behind no will. When he died he was unmarried so my partner, as next-of-kin, is unsure of how the child support handlings of the underage child will go once she is legally the administer of the estate.

Do these payments get taken as a lump sum from the estate? Do they remain a monthly payment? What if there isn't enough in the estate to cover remaining payments?

Answer: So your question is: if a father dies with a minor child that they paid support for: does the support continue? No. The estate gets divided per will/laws. Then that is it.


Title: Accepting a summer job without a contract

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Most employees don't have a contract.  Do you have this offer in writing at least?


Title: Question on use of a K-9 during a traffic stop [KY]

Question:
I was pulled over the other night for my license plate bulb being out. While I was pulled over the officer asked me if he could search my car to which I replied no it is 2:40 am I had just picked up White Castle and wanted to go home to eat and go to bed. He told me this looks suspicious to him that I am denying the search. He then went back to his vehicle to where I thought he was going to give me my citation for my light being out let me go. What happened was I ended up sitting there for about 10 minutes waiting for 2 other police officers to arrive one brining in a K-9 to search my car. He came back over to me and told me to step out and talk to his partner around back to which I replied I have no reason to step out you can talk to me right here this went into a little back and forth which ended in him telling me he dosent need a reason for me to step out in Kentucky which I did not want to argue so I got out. The K-9 proceeded to sniff around and alert the officer where the proceeded to search my car to find nothing then came to search me where I handed over about an eighth I had in my pocket (have a more detailed post about this just wanted to give a quick summary for the purpose of my question) this is what leads me to my question which is was this a lawful search? It was to my understanding that the police officer cannot make you wait for the K-9 to arrive where it would take longer than it would take to write the citation for the original reading for being pulled over. He had adequate time to run my plates take my license and write my citation before the K-9 arrived I know this because I waited about 10 minutes after our first interaction. I do not believe he had reasonable suspicion that I had marijuana on me (look at my other post to see the more detailed explanation) so know I am wondering where I go from here. Do I hire a lawyer and try to fight this?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer:
 This is probably a lawful search.

Police who have suspicion of a crime can call in a K-9 unit to investigate, but only if it does not "unreasonably extend" the duration of the stop.   The definition of a reasonable delay is purposely left vague, but ten minutes would almost certainly not be excessive.   The [Rodriguez](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/22/us/supreme-court-limits-drug-sniffing-dog-use-in-traffic-stops.html) case that gave rise to that 2015 Supreme Court decision had just eight minutes elapse.

&#x200B;

A stronger argument is that the original suspicion from the police officer did not justify the investigation.   "You won't consent to a search and therefore I suspect a crime" is a glaring, red-strobe, hair-on-fire 4th Amendment violation if have evidence of it.


Title: I was let go from my dream job because there was "too much estrogen in the office" (feat. racism, prostitutes, and a no good, very bad Boss)

Question:
I tried posting this earlier but it got way too long. I am looking for advice as to whether I have legal recourse here which is financially worth pursuing. Full disclosure: I am a newbie attorney in my home country with zero experience in employment law; I recently moved to New York and am working as a Legal Assistant while studying for the Bar.

I am desperate to be an immigration attorney and we specifically moved to City because it has more options in this industry than in my home country. I spent around a month looking for jobs in immigration services before landing my dream job in a law firm of 5 employees (two named partners, one attorney, receptionist, and paralegal (me)).

I started (Nov. 13) with a three-month probation. No contract was provided. After a while I stopped asking for one. I immediately loved the work and consistently had positive feedback from my coworkers. I was so happy to go to work each morning. They vowed to train me to be a great immigration attorney and offered me my own office to move into that summer. The only problem was Boss.

Boss (the named partner) constantly made racist comments disguised as jokes, using accents and advancing stereotypes. He was disparaging of Hispanics in front of our Colombian receptionist, A.

A came to me halfway through my probation period with some concerning incidents that had occurred prior to my joining the firm. The former paralegal had filed several lawsuits against the firm and Boss, for sexual harassment, unfair dismissal, and breach of human rights. These lawsuits were ongoing.

A also told me that one morning she began receiving hateful phone calls to the office from women asking her how she could work there, for him. Turns out Boss had made his way to some feminist blogs and, using his real name (which is also the name of the firm) made slut-shaming and able-bodied comments.

Why did I keep working there? I was getting more experience than I could expect to receive anywhere else. All I want is to be a damn good immigration attorney, and here I was interviewing clients, writing motions, progressing my own cases and working ferociously hard for our clients, some of whom were teenagers or parents to young children.

Around a week before the end of my probation, Boss calls me into his office to discuss my progress. He says I am doing great, has no constructive criticism and tells me to keep doing what I’m doing. For the next week, it is clear that something is going on (lots of closed door meetings between the partners). A tells me they “lost part of the lawsuit” that the former paralegal had filed. I don’t have any more information about that.

On the last day of my probation (Feb 12.) I celebrate steady employment by investing in my future – I pay for a Bar review course and buy a new laptop (several thousand dollars, almost all of my savings). The next day (Feb. 13) I am told by the partner (not Boss) that “the position of the firm has changed and they can no longer employ me” and I am let go. They refuse to give me any other information or feedback as to why. The female attorney contacts me to say she is surprised by the decision, suspects it is financially motivated, praises my work and offers to provide me with a reference as needed.

I found a new job almost immediately which paid slightly more and included benefits. Great! Except it isn’t in immigration law and my job is administrative – no attorney experience provided, or anything even close to it. Although my career has now been set back several years, I didn’t pursue the matter because I assumed the firm was struggling financially and honestly felt kind of bad for them.

However, I recently reconnected with A (she left the firm shortly after me) and the things she told me have me shook. She confirmed that her and Boss were having an affair. I did actually suspect this at the time, and while it’s super gross (he is married with two young kids) it was none of my business. During this affair, he gave her money, paid her rent, told her he was obsessed with prostitutes and almost gave her chlamydia. She ended things because of his sexual preferences (pegging).

But before it ended, he told her the real reason he let me go. Because there was “too much estrogen in the office” and he “didn’t want the eye candy around anymore”.

I am furious. I spent all of my savings and have ended up in a job far removed from what I want to be doing because he couldn’t trust himself around me? A is on board with helping me in any way she can but I am concerned about my case relying on her because she is currently on a 5-year probation for check fraud (not exactly ideal). She says she has nothing to hide and has kept her nose clean. I also think the female attorney would speak on my behalf as to my work ethic and standard.

So, do I have a case here that is worth pursuing? Husband and I don’t have much money right now for attorney’s fees but I feel like I could represent myself pro se to an extent. Any advice is much appreciated, and if you have read this far, thank you so much for your time.

Answer:
 You can look into filing with the EEOC or state agency, but you have a couple of problems here. First, you only have 300 days from the date of illegal discrimination to file a claim. My math has that having your time to file having run out about 5 days ago on Dec 9. You should immediately file to see if you can salvage something, but that alone is likely to be an issue.

Your second issue is that you have a very very very unreliable source here. You have a bitter ex mistress as your witness. I’m not saying such people cannot be reliable, I’m just saying that its going to be suspect, and she may not even be willing to cooperate with an official investigation.

Finally, you won’t get the full compensation you are seeking. That you had to find another job that “set you back years” isn’t going to be particularly relevant. That you took less pay is, but projecting your career out is going to be hard to do.

You should file with the EEOC quickly and seek a consult with an employment law attorney, many will do free consults.

Edit - I would also note that here in the US employment contracts are essentially non-existent. You are an at will employee which means you can be fired at any time, for any reason, so long as the reason isn’t membership in a protected class or as retaliation for taking a protected action. If the story you have told is true you were discriminated against for membership in a protected class (being a woman) but its going to be damn hard to prove and as I already noted, you have an issue with being to late.


Title: (canada, B,C) Neighbors are consistently making noise at 2-5am

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Your note suggests that you have the authority to evict the entire family. If you are not the landlord, you cannot evict tenants. Your note was overly aggressive and insulted the son which was not needed. You are speaking as though you are an authority, to which you are not. If anything, the family can now contact the police and present them with your note which is rather aggressive and threatening. If I received a note like this, I would call the police.


Title: (GA) Can coworkers discuss their pay with each other?

Question:
So I'm a back office manager at a medical office.  We have at least 45 employees and I have about 12 on my team that report to me.

I'm doing employee performance reviews which I really feel like I have not been giving adequate guidance about the reviews especially since I don't have the authority to give raises,  which is what everyone wants to know.

employee A reported discontent with pay because another employee B told her she recieved a raise.  Which is true.  Employee B is kind of lazy and even I'm not sure why she recieved a raise,  she is my employee and I was not consulted.  Whatever I don't care.  What I do care is that when I discussed this with the owners,  trying to get employee A a raise too,  they told me is was a fireable offense to discuss pay with a coworker.  In other words employee B could be fired for discussing pay with employee A.  They also said it was in the handbook which I didnt know.

Isn't there a federal law that prohibits them from firing someone for discussing pay?  Or am I imagining that?  And can they supercede that law by putting the rule in the handbook? There are no employee contracts and I know GA is an at will state.  I have employee B review in about an hour and I was told to discuss this with her  so thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Discussion of benefits which include pay is a protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act. An employer would be very exposed to a lawsuit if they fired somebody for discussing their pay. It doesn't matter what the handbook says on this point.Answer #2: No, there 100% are protections on a federal levels to allow/protect the employees right to talk about salary and working conditions. This rule was made to avoid employers having a bargaining edge, and protect the worker's right to unionize.

They legally can't fire or even punish someone for that. It's honestly illegal for them to even have that policy.

(This was made illegal in the 1935 ["National Labor Relations Act"](https://www.nlrb.gov/resources/national-labor-relations-act))


Title: Florida. Did i commit a crime against this woman in the parking lot?

Question:
So earlier today i went to a dollar store. I sat in my car for a couple minutes and occassionally looked at this pretty middle aged woman next to me. We were both parked on the side of the store and no one was really there. One couple parked by me and i was in between them and the lady. After a couple minutes i walk up to the lady. I have all black on (probably not smart) and a mask on (covid safety) and i say in a nice tone " hey! how are yo..(cut off) " the lady turns around...

"Get away from me." Me - "... what?" Her- "Get away from me, i don't know you." Me- "Okay i mean, i'm not near you. i'm standing like 8 feet away. are you worried im gunna like hurt you or something? (i wanted to keep talking but she cut me off.) "I've been raped before" "I'm gunna call the cops."

Then she repeats" get away from me and leave me alone" a couple times and i argue with her about this and say it's rude to assume i'm some criminal. I was going to leave after she said the second time go away leave me alone, but not long after she called me "weird".I got insulted because it seemed as if she was antagonizing me with this statement, and i responded back with her and argued.I said what would she call the cops for and she said "you're stalking me."

Now, i know she or a cop/attorney could argue she kept saying to leave her alone or go away,and i didn't so its stalking or some form of harassment. But idon't see a florida legal statute for harassment that applies to in person harassment.

Also for stalking i was under the impression it's meant to be for numerous days or weeks. I know the geeks on here will say the statute says "any course of conduct" but's only strictly prosecuted under over a period of days at least or weeks/months.

Did i realistically cvommit any crimes? If she lies and tries to say i threatened her, wouldn't she need witnesses and independant evidence for me to be arrested?

Answer:
 If someone tells you to leave, don't stand there and argue that you have the right to talk to them dude, that's what creepy asshole stalkers do. And don't approach women in parking lots insisting you're not creepy, because that's also something only creepy people do. They're not assuming you're a criminal, they're scared because you're acting exactly like someone who is about to attack them.Answer #2: OP seems to [have some issues](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/mtoces/is_calling_someone_names_moronas_well_as_other/) with [being told "no"](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/mvvtws/if_someone_blocks_me_for_sure_but_doesnt/).

OP, you really need to get into a therapist or something before you *do* commit a crime. You genuinely seem to have some sort of problem with not understanding personal boundaries.Answer #3: You might not have broken a law, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a creepy, entitled, asshole. You need to seriously reevaluate your life choices, and learn to not be a creep.

Also, if you think your actions were not threatening you’re delusional.Answer #4: YTA.

Wrong sub, but appropriate.

I cannot tell you how wrong you are for harassing this person after she's said to get away from her. You need to learn some basic skills, one of them being that you forfeit any moral high ground you might have once you stand around and argue with someone who is obviously uncomfortable and has told you to leave.

I'm highly doubtful you only glanced at her before engaging, if only because of the way you acted afterwards. This is some incel level thinking, dude, that a woman owes you any sort of interaction or that you need to justify how not a threat you are.

I wish I had something more helpful to say but all I can manage is grow up.


Title: Texas. john agreed to sell Frank an rv, but reneged. What now?

Question:
John agreed in phone text to hold and sell his travel trailer to Frank, but then sold it to Alice on the day before Frank said he was going to come and buy it.  The agreement in phone text is unambiguous (from a layperson's point of view).  John's asking price, Frank's acceptance to pay it, John's agreement to hold and sell it to Frank, all in texts on the phone.  Frank even asked John to text a picture of registration and title to him, and John did.  There was nothing on paper though, and John never asked for or received any deposit from Frank.

But John sold the travel trailer to Alice on Wednesday, instead of holding it until Thursday for Frank as agreed.  Now Frank is angry and texting John that he is getting his lawyer involved.  John is a Texas resident and the travel trailer was registered in Texas, Frank is a Louisiana resident.  John is a private party, this was his personal property, he is not a business person, he is a disabled college student.  What specific legal actions can Frank bring against John, is he likely to win a judgment against John, and should John lawyer up?

Answer: Frank "can" sue John for breach of contract.  Frank has no damages.  Courts will not force John to sell the trailer.  Frank is an idiot.  Don't be like Frank.


Title: {AL} Questions about 50/50 child custody if my job requires that I relocate

Question:
I share 50/50 custody of my son with my ex. I'm the custodial parent but we share time and expenses. My ex pays for half the medical insurance and we rotate custody every two weeks. It works well right now because we live 20 minutes from each other. Our son has two of everything.

Recently, my boss spoke to me about an opportunity to advance with my company. The only issue is that the promotion would require me to move out of state. I'm concerned that my ex will try to get full custody. How much of a possibility would this be since we both share custody now? I don't want child support or anything like that. If I take the promotion I will make significantly more money and wouldn't want to take from him. I'm just concerned that if I took the job I would lose custody of my son.

Also, any suggestions as to how I can move out of state and still allow my ex to be in my son's life are appreciated. I was thinking maybe he could get him summers and school holidays. It is just a lot to take in. I want to be excited but this issue is really weighing on me.

Answer:
 Pro tip here: I moved for a better job and I pretty much immediately lost my 50/50 custody and had to pay child support.

Don't do this without a divorce lawyer even if your ex seems to be cooperating.


Title: Police report filed against me today, what usually follows?

Question:
Today I took my daughter to get her tonsils removed. During the surgery I went to smoke outside and was speaking to a friend. Mainly being nervous and having my friend comfort me.

When I left, after the surgery was through, my husband called me and said a police officer needed to speak to me regarding an “incident in the parking lot”. I thought perhaps I had not thrown my butt in the trash, though I believed I had.

A woman had been near me, and overheard my conversation with my friend. She thought I said something of the effect “you just thought you were going to leave”.  While looking at her and appearing threatening. This lady took a picture of me walking back inside to identify me.

I don’t even recall seeing a person near me during this time, probably because I was upset about the surgery happening.

She then told the office I vandalized her vehicle after making this “threat”. My husband asked the officer what was said to have happened. The officer showed him a picture of the under-cab that had a wire hanging down. He said I would have had to crawl on the ground, under the vehicle to do this. Plus the vehicle was old and not kept up with, he said. It was not a new model.

The police officer quizzed me for maybe two minutes. I answered all of his questions with the appropriate amount of disbelief. In my head I’m thinking someone forgot their meds, but I wanted to see rational.

I was informed a police report was being filed against me. I’m honestly not worried, there is probably a camera outside of a major hospital.

But what can I expect to happen next?

Answer:
 Honestly probably nothing. Police reports are probably filed by crazy people on a daily basis. Decline to speak to the police if anyone follows up, and show up to court with a lawyer if you get summoned.Answer #2: A police report is just that, a report, and is pretty meaningless by itself. But I'd add on: stop talking to the police without an attorney present. If the police try to question you again, decline to answer their questions without an attorney present.

If you're arrested, hire an attorney immediately and don't answer questions unless directed to do so by your attorney. If for some weird reason, the woman gets a restraining order against you, even a temporary one, hire an attorney immediately, and fight the order in court.

You've got a witness to the events. About the only thing I'd add is that you ask them to write down for themselves everything they remember about what happened: What you two spoke about, why you were there, what interactions (if any) either of you had with the woman in question, etc. This way, if they do have to testify as to what actually happened, they've got a clear recollection they can refer to later on. Obviously, don't coach them on what it says, just ask that they write it down for their own memory.

Do the same thing for yourself. Reliable witness testimony will help here, as would security footage showing you not going near the car, etc, but let an attorney worry about that.Answer #3: wait... so you were smoking a cigarette, on the phone outside and this person takes a picture of you and calls the police? huh?


Title: The 2009 CARD act requires gift cards to be valid for at least 5 years, but a lot of merchants are still issuing expires-after-one-year gift certificates. If they don't budge on honoring my gift certificate, what recourse do I have?

Question:
For reference, these links cover the gift card provisions of the 2009 CARD act pretty thoroughly:

-https://consumercomplianceoutlook.org/2013/first-quarter/credit-card-act-requirements-gift-certicicates-gift-cards-prepaid-cards/

-https://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/press/bcreg/bcreg20100323a2.pdf

The specific merchant I'm having a problem with right now is Microsoft. I live in DC.

Answer:
 There are a few exceptions to the CARD Act (in a lot of cases, especially with small businesses the paper form exception applies).

Your recourse would be either to allege a violation of the Electronic Fund Transfer Act (as that is where the gift card regulations are) and/or to use a state consumer protection law and allege an unfair business practice.


Title: In the United States, what is the worst crime a first offender could commit without going to jail?

Question:
The hypothetical criminal is a model citizen with no history of criminal activity of any kind and all kinds of volunteer work in the community.

If this person committed a crime and pleads guilty to this crime, what is the worst one he or she could commit that they would probably not go to jail for? (due to judicial leniency, etc)

Answer:
 Second degree Zapopary.
Answer #2: It really depends on the state and the judge. There's no solid line in the sand like you're thinking.


Title: Hired Under False Pretenses? (Florida, USA)

Question:
I started a new job about a month ago. Pay is hourly, company is open 24/7. I am a full-time student and this place is right next to where I take most of my classes so I planned to work here full-time on a combination of nights and weekends. During the interview process, I was told that if I were offered the job, there would be a 4 week training period where I would only work 30 hours per week, and after that my permanent schedule would begin. They asked me twice, once on the phone and once in person, how many hours per week I wanted to work. Both times I specified that I wanted between 32 to 40 hours, which is what they consider full-time and what I would need to qualify for benefits. The interviewer instructed me to write that on the official application form, which was emailed to me. I only checked the box for Full Time, leaving the boxes for Part Time and Either unchecked.

I was offered the job and accepted the offer, then went into training. On the second day of training, they gave us our permanent post-training schedules with a start date 4 weeks out. My schedule only had 20 hours on it, making me part time. I pointed this out to the trainers, they said to bring it up with the Scheduling department when they met with us next week. I waited a week and mentioned it at that meeting, the scheduler said to meet with him privately after work that night. He looked at my employee profile and said there was **nothing he could do** because the 20 hours "came straight from HR" and that my only other option would be to put in a schedule change request for the 40 hours I wanted. I filled out a new availability form, requesting 40 hours and giving them 50 hours of availability to work with. 2 weeks later, right before training ends and that permanent schedule is set to begin, I received an updated permanent schedule with 27.5 hours on it, with notes that it was "all that was available" and that I would not be able to change my schedule again for 60 working days.

So now I'm stuck in a part-time, no benefits job that really won't be able to pay my bills by itself, since I'm missing out on 25-ish anticipated paid hours from every check. Do I have any recourse I could take here? I really don't want to have to look for a new job in the same field and leave this one so quickly

Answer: They suckered you, but sadly, what they did isn't illegal. I'm sure they do this a lot to avoid paying benefits. I know you don't want to, but it's time to look for another job.


Title: I filmed a track meet in PA and got flagged for copyright infringement.

Question:
My dad and I have a small YouTube channel that we use to upload videos of races that we film ourselves. We posted three videos from a meet last week and one of the videos was flagged for copyright infringement by a company that live streamed the meet. We initially appealed because we filmed the meet ourselves with our own camera. The company denied our claim. I did some research and from my understanding sporting events are not copyrightable in the US. An event can ask you to not film if it takes place on private property but this took place at a public high school. The meet director was aware that we were filming and that we were going to upload the meet. Only the first lap of the race was listed in the claim even through there are no cuts during the race.

I am right in appealing again? Also is there anything stopping me from filming/live streaming races in the future?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer:
 You are more/less correct.  There is no copyright in the event itself. If you had copied the videos from the company that streamed the meet, then you might have a problem.  But, if you captured it with your own camera, then there's no copyright issue at all.

You might submit the counter-notification through youtube (don't just reach out to the party that took it down.  I'm talking about the formal "No, this is a mistake and is not infringing" route.)

Frequently, takedowns happen not because of the video, but because of audio in the background.Answer #2: Youtube's copyright enforcement process is not a legal issue, so much as a corporate policy one. If they decide you present too much of a risk, even for bad reasons, they can ban you.

You can appeal. Youtube doesn't have to hear you out.


Title: (Colorado) Neighbors won't stop harassing me about my service animal.

Question:
I'm in Denver, Colorado. My wife and I moved into a great condo building that we fell in love with. We had been warned that some of the residents were cranky or gossipy but we figured it couldn't be that bad.

The building was built in the late '70s and something like 40% of the peeps still there are original owners. Slowly it's changing over to young families and younger people overall but there seem to be a lot that hate to see anything change. Some families have been hassled since "kids shouldn't be here", things like that. Dogs as pets are not allowed in the building.

I have an emotional support dog. I submitted my doctor's note to the office, he's got his vest and everything and the HOA even gave us a little official tag to clip to his collar that shows our documentation was provided and he's allowed to be there. The HOA has been great. Told us to tell them if anyone was being a jerk and even put an article in the monthly newsletter reminding residents that there are service animals in the building, that they are allowed, and showing their pictures and names so people would know.

Despite this, there are several people who have become very verbally aggressive. Shouting at us that he doesn't belong here and calling the office to say he (and us) need to be kicked out. The office shuts it down but my wife and I are tired of being stressed every time we have to go out. Thank goodness for the dog because our anxiety levels are off the charts right now.

My wife wants to sue some of these people for harassment but I'm wondering if having a lawyer draw up a Cease and Desist letter might do the trick? If one gets it they'll all hear about it and my hope is that people will stop shouting at us. I'm nervous that someone is going to try to injure or poison my dog. I know CO is a one-party consent state, should I just start recording people? I have no clue what the best course of action is in a situation like this.

Thanks in advance and please let me know if more details are needed.

Answer:
 Just as a side note, that company that you bought your vest from is a scam.  There is no such thing as an emotional support dog or service dog registry.  All animal registry sites are for-profit scam sites that sell certificates and vests with zero legal meaning.  What you need for housing purposes is a prescriptive letter from a doctor or other person familiar with your disability that says 1) you are disabled and that 2) the animal is necessary to alleviate a symptom of your disability.  Anything beyond that is an online company with an official-sounding name taking your $70 and shipping you a $5 vest with no additional power over that doctor letter you can get for the cost of your copay.

I'm telling you this in the hope you will stop giving that scam site money to buy any more various paraphernalia that they sell for animals.


Title: Is my ex legally required to pay half of daycare expenses I incur for work during my parent-time?

Question:
The wordage of our court papers regarding this is:
" Each party shall share equally all work related to daycare expense if neither party is available to care for the children."

I have to use daycare, because I am a single mother, and have no other connects to watch my kids while I am working, because everybody I know is working.

My ex however, is married and have an adult stepchild in the house that will watch our children. He is claiming that he does not owe for daycare expenses while the children are in my parent time, because he figured out a free way for children to be washed on his parent time. He contends that the word is that we have on our papers enforces this, and refuses to pay a portion of my daycare expenses. He works during the day and is not available for care.

So I am hoping for some experienced insight on whether that sentence means that we share all of the expenses, between the both of us and each pay half... Or, if I am liable to pay for it in full because he has found daycare. We have a week-on-week off schedule, so only in my weeks do the girls go to daycare .

Answer:
 Is your ex willing to make the stepchild available to watch the child during your parenting time?

You should talk to your lawyer about this.  But in most cases, finding a way to get care for free during *your* parenting time only reduces the total cost that the two parents split.  The verbiage you cite, consistent with the majority of parenting plans I've seen, leaves you *splitting the total cost*, not bearing your own share or time.


Title: Fire extinguisher at work causing negative health effects. What can I do?

Question: Last night at work, a small oil fire broke out in the kitchen of my workplace. My manager used the fire extinguisher they had had on hand, and as soon as it was used, I could tell something wasn't right. The powder in the extinguisher was a dull yellow colour, and smelled very bitter and foul. It caused my eyes, lungs, and skin to burn when I was in the cloud of dust, and afterwards I thought I could feel heart palpitations. I'm not the healthiest person, I'm not in excellent shape, so my instinct was to call Poison Control, who essentially told me to get out and go to the hospital. An EKG confirmed I wasn't dying, but I still feel shitty today. My skin was burned in some spots, my throat still hurts, and I feel drowsier than I reasonably should. What can I do from here? I'm really not getting paid enough for my skin to burn for 24 hours after a shift.

Answer:
 > powder in the extinguisher was a dull yellow colour, and smelled very bitter and foul

That's exactly what the powder should look and smell like.

I'm sorry you are experiencing a negative reaction but it sounds like the hospital checked you out and you are fine. To have a medical case here, you'd need a doctor to say that the fire extinguisher is specifically causing these issues and you have a medically valid reason to miss work. If you can get that, you might be able to claim medical EI or workers comp while you are off. I don't think this is likely. Fire extinguishers have been tested extensively to ensure that they aren't toxic to people if used correctly.

It should go without saying, but your employer wouldn't have any liability in this situation, as it sounds like they needed to use the fire extinguisher and they used it properly. Answer #2: The powder used in an extinguisher can be a mild skin, eye and lung irritant. After a good shower and fresh air the reaction will stop and quickly disappear. Congrats on being the small minority that have more serious reactions. Not much you can do about it, it's not life threatening and will pass.
As for not being paid enough to suffer for 24hrs after work, I'd be more grateful that the quick thinking manager prevented a more serious fire, preventing worse injuries including death and ensure your place of employment is still standing today.


Title: [NC] Wrote a check for a friend and cancelled it after his refusal to pay back. Collector threatening civil action against me.

Question:
A "friend" of mine had some work on his car done. The dealership gave him a loaner vehicle and he needed to turn it because they were threatening to report it stolen if he did not come in and pay. I helped him out and wrote a check for him for about $800.

I have text message logs and he gave me his social security card and permanent residence card as collateral. I have nothing in writing and witnessed by a third party (very stuipid I know).

After, the day he verbally agreed to pay me back passed. I put a stop order on the check. Now the collections agency for the dealership is calling me and threatening to pursue civil legal action against me if I do not pay it by Friday. Can they legally do this if the work was not performed for me or on my vehicle.

The so-called friend is not responding to my text messages and phone calls. What is my course of action here?

Answer:
 Of course they can. You wrote them a bad check. They are not a party to your arrangement with your "friend". What you should do is honor the check you wrote and sue your friend. The could also file a police report because canceling a check the way you did is illegal. (Sounds like they are just interested in their money at this point, but you could face criminal charges)

I'm honestly curious to know why you think it would be legal to stop payment on this check to the dealership.


Title: Legality of exercising on public (playground) equipment [CT]

Question:
I've been shooed off of private property (like a university stadium) for exercising, but yesterday while doing chin-ups on a swing set in a public playground a cop car parked in the lot while I was exercising and didn't leave.  I left shortly after, and want to know if I have a leg to stand on should they accost me.

* The playground has signs denoting it to be for children ages 6-12 (which I am not).
* Typically I only use it when there are no kids around, as yesterday.  If there are kids I will use the equipment furthest from to exercise, while keeping an eye on them so as to see if they're going to run underneath me, etc.
* I am not damaging the equipment in any way.
* I am not of a weight that I risk collapsing the equipment.
* I have no weapons or anything that could be construed as dangerous on my person.

--Probably covered elsewhere on this board, but should they approach me could I ask for a badge number / reason before vacating the premises?

Answer:
 If there are kids present, I don't think you are allowed to use the equipment.  You are not using the swing set for it's intended purpose, you are not within the age range for the swing set, and the kids can't use it when you are doing chin-ups.  It's not enough that you don't injure the kids.  The township obviously intended for kids ages 6 to 12 to have priority to use the equipment.

I think the police can reasonably tell you to get off the swing set at any time, although it's more of a stretch if kids are not present.  The age limits are posted for use of the playground, which a reasonable person would limit to use of the equipment.  The police do not have to make an independent inquiry as to whether you are heavy enough to break it.  It's an age limit, not a weight limit.

I don't think they can reasonably ask you to leave the park completely, but if they do, just leave politely.  It's definitely not worth the extreme hassle of resisting.Answer #2: Ever occur to you that the cops think you may be some kind of perv? Do you really want that profile? Go to Target or Walgreens. They sell these chin-up things you stick in a door. They cost 15 bucks. And if you are a troll, let me tell you I pronounce you king of the clever trolls for now. Answer #3: >The playground has signs denoting it to be for children ages 6-12 (which I am not).

Then you shouldn't be there. The police are allowed to ask you to leave, especially as you are not a 6-12 year old child.


Title: (UK) Can my manager force me to clean the fart room? (X-Post Legaladvice)

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons.

Hi, I'm looking for advice regarding the task that my manager has set me and everyone else in the office.

Currently I am working with a small telecommunications company in their call centre. In the past 6 months, 10% of the work force has been laid off due to cutbacks. This has left one of the rooms on our floor empty.

This empty room has turned into a bit of an office joke as people regularly use it to go into to fart and it has gained the nickname of the "fart room"

The cut backs also mean that the cleaners only hoover and dust used areas.

Our manager went in the other day and because of the smell has decided that it needs cleaned regularly and because the cleaners aren't able or do it he has rota'd one of us to do it every week.

Some people said that they didn't want to do it and were threatened with being disciplined. Where do I stand with refusing to do this?

Answer: I'm not from the UK, and although I am aware they have some very overly friendly workers laws, I don't think you can do something your boss asks you to do that isn't dangerous to your health, require long travel, or any other onerous situation.  If you're whole argument is that you just don't want to do it, I cannot fathom you have any ground to stand on.Answer #2: you do realize that this means said manager's office is the new Fart Room?Answer #3: I'm calling troll. On the UK side of Legaladvice, he was laughed out for [trying to claim that fart gas is a fluid and biological hazard.](https://np.reddit.com/r/LegalAdviceUK/comments/4gkrg6/can_my_manager_force_me_to_clean_the_fart_room/d2ig96h)Answer #4: Is that something that can really happen? What are you guys eating?


Title: I think my boyfriend's boss takes advantage of his and his co-workers' time by not paying them fairly. Is this illegal? What can be done?

Question:
My boyfriend works in Illinois, and there are two specific instances I am wondering about the legality of what his boss does. The first is a one time thing; the second is ONGOING.

He works for a very small office (~5 people) in an arts/entertainment industry. One person runs this show. No HR department, no accounting department, its just one boss.

1. He gets paid every 2 weeks. He gets paid today, and is supposed to get a paycheck on Dec 29. Because this is vacation time (unpaid) and his boss hands them personal checks (no pay stubs ever), his boss has said that they will not receive their paychecks until they get back to work on Jan 2. Is this fair? I have never heard of this, ever, but maybe because I've only ever gotten direct deposit. I thought that if you get paid every 2 weeks, then you get paid every 2 weeks. Period.

2. So this one happens between 1 to 6 times a month: he is REQUIRED to go to after-work arts events. This sometimes includes dinner with an artist/performer (which he 95% of the time has to pay his own meal), and then attend some kind of event. He finishes work at 7pm, will go straight to dinner, and then not be home from the event until around 11pm earliest, 2am latest. Again, I emphasize that he does NOT receive ANY sort of compensation for this after 7pm, and he is REQUIRED TO GO. NOT GOING IS NOT AN OPTION and would cause incredible strife and be grounds for firing (I have told him to test this, and then possibly sue her for wrongful termination, but he does not seem to want to test the waters).

3. Relatedly, sometimes he has to do other things after work hours -- drop off packages or meet with people, and never receives any compensation for this time.

Anyway, I'd love any input. I think it's really unfair that his boss demands so much extra out of work time. His coworkers are just all glad to have jobs and don't seem to care. In fact, when I suggested it to them that what the boss was doing might be illegal they seemed really weary. Like "yeah, we know, but we don't want to make the boss mad." Gr.

Answer:
 They have to pay him for time worked, and that included mandatory after hours events.

He's getting paid on personal checks? Does he get a W2/other tax forms, and are taxes deducted from each paycheck?


Title: Amazon said they lost my package and gave me a refund, but now it tells me the package is showing up today. What do?

Question:
The last time this happened, about 7 years ago, I bought a backpack for school (I was still in highschool). The backpack showed up six months after the refund was issued so I let go.

But I just yesterday got the refund and now it's saying it'll be here today. Do I just keep the money? Does this go against my account in the future?

Answer: When it arrives, contact customer service and ask them how they want to handle it. They will either tell you to keep it, or will email you a prepaid shipping label to send it back at their expense. The package was probably held up somewhere due to inclement weather.


Title: [IL] Moved into apartment last month, the AC unit included in my lease has been inoperable the whole time, owner was just very rude to me on the phone and escalated a maintenance issue into a personal conflict, can I sue in small claims court over lost value due to AC not working? Worth it?

Question:
I moved into a new apartment last month (a rented unit in a condo building). Even though most days have been wintery and cold, I noticed that the AC doesn't work. I can set the thermostat to whatever low temperature and the AC will never activate. I had been originally told that each unit in the building had independent AC and Heating units so that there is no central system that each unit's HVAC relies upon, and I have since confirmed that fact with the building manager. The building manager sent up the building maintenance guy who looked at the AC, confirmed that it wasn't working, but couldn't do anything more than that, and the building manager recommended that I ask the unit owner to send out an HVAC specialist. After experiencing the first unseasonably warm day where it was 75* outside and above that inside with the sun out in the unit, even with all the windows open, I started inquiring with the owner's office about making the AC operable. I had no idea what was wrong with it at the time.

So I called the owner's secretary, who works tuesday through thursday. I called and brought up the issue and she said that she would look into it. After a week of hearing nothing back, I called again, where she suggested that the AC required a central system from the building to work and that it wouldn't work until that central system was turned on. I confirmed again that that was not the case with the building manager, and then left a message for the owner's secretary. Again I hear nothing for another week. I call again and leave a message. I hear nothing for another week. I call again, the secretary says that they will send out a maintenance guy to look at the AC. They say he will be there on a tuesday, he doesn't show. He shows up wednesday morning, can't fix the AC. The secretary relates to me that the reason that the AC isn't working is because it automatically won't turn on when outside temperatures are below a certain temperature. This doesn't ring true to me at all (the day the maintenance guy came out it was 67* outside, and other days have been up to 75* outside, and the AC would never turn on), but I remain very polite and courteous on the phone and resolve to clarify that issue with the building manager the next day. Which I of course do and learn that that is not the case, that there is no automatic limit on when the AC will operate.

I call back again this morning to relate that the building manager had said about supposed "automatic temperature locks", again remaining very polite. I said, quoting myself verbatim, "[introductory pleasantries], so regarding the AC unit, I asked the building manager about automatic temperature locks on the AC, and the building manager confirmed that those are not installed. I have been spending a little too much time getting the AC working. I know you had said that you couldn't find an HVAC person who would come out, if you want I can find an HVAC person and have them bill you directly, or subtract the cost from my rent, or whatever method you prefer." The secretary responded, "one second" and put the unit owner on the phone, who I had never talked to or met at all before. He immediately started ripping into me, "You keep calling about this AC, I can't fix the AC until its warmer out, if you don't like the unit, you can go fuck off, I'll gladly tear up your lease." I was taken aback because (1) this was the first time I'd ever talked to the guy, (2) I had always been polite if persistent with the secretary, (3) this was the first time I had ever heard this explanation as to why the AC wasn't working, I had been given two previous explanations about why the AC wasn't working ("it is a central building system" and later "it automatically wont turn on when its too warm out"), so I related to the owner that I didn't appreciate his tone and that this was the first time I've ever heard of this. He said something close to, "thats the way I am, if you don't like it then you can leave, why do you think I sent out the maintenance guy, for fun? I can't charge the AC system until its warmer out. It won't charge correctly and it will be a waste of money. I'll send out an HVAC guy when its warmer out."

So my relationship with this guy is already destroyed. I don't even know when a lack of freon charge is the real reason the AC won't turn on, an AC guy has never been here so I don't even know that to be confirmed as the issue. In my experience, air conditioners that are low on charge will turn on just fine but they wont create much cold air, the system in my apartment wont even turn on at all (there could certainly be some sort of automatic system preventing it from turning on when freon is low but I have been given so much bad information already that I'm not inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt).

No point in being polite or courteous anymore. I am thinking that since my lease includes AC, I should be able to sue him for the loss of value in not having the AC operable. Whatever that will be worth, $40, $100, something small I am sure, but my rent it very high so it should be something. I am willing to spend my free time filling out small claims court paperwork in the hopes that the owner will hire a lawyer and waste money. I have a separate thermometer that I have been using to log internal temperatures in the unit, showing them getting up to 75* even with all the windows open. I have bad allergies to things like pollen and mold, I am currently taking allergy shots for example, so it would be completely legitimate to argue that I really shouldn't have to keep the windows open to maintain room temperature since I would benefit from the air having gone through a filter. I was a clerk for the local county district attorney in my younger years and I've never been convicted of any crime so I think that my word would hold up in court.

Is there a real reason that I shouldn't do this? If I do sue, should I wait until after the AC is fixed to maximize the amount of time that it was broken, or do I sue now to ask a court to make him fix it, or what?

Cliff Notes Edit:

* Moved in to apartment approx 1 month ago. Apartment is a rented unit in a condo building. I had been instructed to relate all service requests to the owner's secretary, who works limited hours tuesday through thursday.
* Noticed soon after moving in that the AC was inoperable for unknown reason. Does not activate at all. No matter how much lower you set the thermostat than the internal temperature, no pumps or fans activate.
* Unit has its own independent HVAC system NOT dependent on any central building system. By the description of the building manager, it should be able to heat or cool whenever any unit wants to heat or cool. Also confirmed by the building manager through the building maintenance engineer that the AC is not working properly, they recommended that I ask the owner to send an HVAC specialist.
* About one month ago I first called the Owner's Secretary (OS) regarding the AC. She related that she would look into it. I have since been calling once weekly after either receiving no response at all or getting a response that turned out to be erroneous. The first answer I was given was that the building had a central AC system so AC wouldnt work until building turned it on. Later I was given the answer that the AC wouldn't run on until the outside temperature reached a certain level. I confirmed that both of those answers were false with the building manager.
* This Tuesday, I reached the OS and she related that a maintenance person would be in my unit that afternoon or evening. Maintenance person did not come that day. The person came wednesday morning and after that is when I received that second piece of erroneous information about the AC not working because it was too cold out.
* I just called this morning (Thursday) to relate what I had learned from the building manager about the AC not requiring any minimum external temperate, and the OS handed me off to the owner who I had never called or met before. Owner was instantly very rude to me, both using obscenities and telling me that "if I didn't like the unit he would gladly tear up my contract".
* Owner related that he couldn't fix the system because the freon needs to be charged and you cannot charge the freon when external temperatures are below a certain level. From my online research that seems to be partly true, it can be done but requires more work, but regardless (1) it was the first time that they had provided this rationale and (2) I have no reason to believe that this rationale is any more accurate than the previous two that had been provided me, because they haven't sent an HVAC person out at all even to assess the system.
* Now that the owner has soured the relationship, I figure that it could make sense to make sure that I am using the legal tools available to me to advocate for the best possible conditions. I want to make sure that the AC is operable in a timely manner. The apartment is very expensive for me and it kills me that I'll be paying that much to be uncomfortably warm in an apartment after having politely inquired about the broken AC for a month and running. I also am not opposed to seeking compensation in small claims court over the lost value of not having the working AC unit that I am paying for.
* I have a documented history of acute allergies to pollen, mold, ragweed, etc, so it really does damage me to have to keep the windows open to maintain acceptable temperatures on warmer days. Even though its early in the year, there have already been days where it was 75* inside my unit even with all the windows open.
* I have never been convicted of any crime.

Answer: Please post cliff notes that summarize the important facts and pertinent details of your post.


Title: [FL] BF was moved to salary with a $.50 pay increase and new "title", but job is the same. He's now working 56 hours with no overtime pay. Is this legal?

Question:
My bf works for a security company in central Florida. A couple of weeks ago, he was moved to another property as "Site Supervisor", although he is the only one that works on that property. His former property (a small amusement park that's closed overnight) had practically no activity; he was basically there to prevent potential drunk kids from breaking in. So, he was given this "promotion" to a new property - an extended stay suite with A LOT of activity every night and definitely more danger, which as his girlfriend I'm not thrilled about, but he's excited to have the activity and to feel like he's making a change. They moved him to this property specifically because of his thorough documentation and how well he does his job. So you'd think they'd compensate him properly, to show him that he's valued, right?

Well, he was bumped from $9.75/hr to $10.25/hr. He is now working 56 hours (4 14-hour shifts) a week instead of his normal 40. The problem is, they also moved him to salary. So he's getting paid for 56 hours a week at a flat rate of $10.25 per hour. At the time, he was happy with that because it meant a lot more money per month that we desperately need right now. I agreed, but something about it didn't feel right. Since I'm fairly ignorant when it comes to this, I assumed that there's some kind of loophole that allows them to do this and was just grateful for the increase in income. However, a couple of knowledgeable people that I respect have both told me this is illegal. Since his job hasn't changed and he's not overseeing anyone, they can't keep him exempt from overtime.

I'm hoping that someone here can point me in the right direction of where to turn. I've done some quick google searches but haven't found much. I guess I just want to know if we even have a case before I talk to him and get him all worked up about nothing. During this transition, he ended up working 9 days straight for a cumulative total of 96 hours. I hate seeing him this exhausted and working so hard for this company, only to be under appreciated and cheated out of money that's rightfully his. If you need more information, I'll be happy to provide it. Thanks in advance to anyone that can provide any insight on this!

Edit: We have no idea what his exemption status is right now. As I said above, I'm ignorant when it comes to this so I didn't even know about exempt vs. non-exempt. Plus, they never mentioned exemption when they offered him salary. I apologize for not providing more information which may have led to some confusion. I appreciate you all providing this information so that I at least know what to look for. At the very least, I'm hoping he finds a better company sooner rather than later. Thank you guys!

Answer:
 I went through this recently in NJ. Figure out if he is overtime exempt or non-exempt. Job title has nothing to do with exemption status at all, you must classify under the work you perform. I was falsely classified for over a year. I notified the department of labor after the company refused to discuss it with me and ended up winning and collecting all the overtime back pay I was owed.

https://www.dol.gov/whd/overtime/fs17a_overview.htmAnswer #2: Thank you all very much for your input. There's obviously a lot more to this that I didn't recognize. Exemption status seems to be the main factor here, so we will need to find that out. Then we can determine if he is correctly classified. I appreciate you all!


Title: Refusal to show divorce papers in CA

Question: [deleted]

Answer: The court cannot render a judgment or make permanent orders until the party is successfully served.  Also, service is to be completed by a third party.


Title: Got pulled over with spouse and our children in the car. Police officer said, "I am officer *** of the *** Police Department. You are being recorded. Sorry, we are looking for a person driving a similar car. You are free to leave."

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Meeting the description of something like a stolen vehicle certainly constitutes probable cause to pull the car over. At which point the plain view doctrine rules on something like an open container.


Title: My mom had an affair with our neighbor for 6+ months. She moved out last month and won't talk to any of us after we caught her. Now she is coming into the house and stealing my dads things. What can we do?

Question:
My dad isn't the smartest guy, and it's kind of up to me to make sure this stuff stops happening. She moved out after getting caught in an affair with our neighbor. She feels no resentment for it and blames us for her choice.

Now she is coming to our home while my dad works and taking things (some were purchased together, like the TV/Couch). But today she took my dads leaf blower and a few other things that he bought with his money.

What legal grounds do we have for this, what action should he take and not take?

So far they are still married, she has not sent any divorce papers over. Can my dad change the locks? Should my dad give her papers?

We live in Ohio - I know it's a no fault state. My dad makes about half of what my mom makes (40k vs around 80k) and it hurts to see her take what little we have left. She also left my dad alone to take care of my 15 and 17 yo brothers. He's paying for all of their Dr. appts, phone bills, food, etc - while my mom pays him nothing.

Please give me some good news, I need it.

Answer:
 Your dad needs to immediately file for divorce. It is still her home, she can come and go as she pleases, and take property they purchased together. Answer #2: Install a video doorbell like the Ring Doorbell (Google it) so that you can monitor comings and goings from the house.  At least you'll have video evidence that this is happening.

Secondly, someone taking a leaf blower for an apartment sounds like they're short of quick cash.  Is your mom possibly selling household items for cash for her or her boyfriend, possibly for drugs or alcohol?


Title: [MN] I was charged with Careless Driving and the DMV says I need to pay the DUI reinstatement fee.

Question:
Hello reddit, In September I was pulled over for driving under the influence, however I got the DUI charges dropped and was convicted for careless driving instead. I have already paid the court fine of $585.00 and had to wait out my suspension. Today when I went to the DMV to get my license back they said I had to pay the DUI reinstatement, which is another $680, I don't understand this though, after I was convicted for the Careless driving (my court date was Oct 31st) shouldn't they have updated my file so I don't have to pay the DUI fee. The only thing the person at the DMV said was to call "St Paul" and gave me a number, I've been trying to call the number for a few hours now and every time I get a busy signal, and I'm assuming they won't be very helpful. So I would like to know what are my options.
Thanks in advance!

Answer: The DMV's rules and the court's rules are different.  You are getting the DUI reinstatement fee because you were arrested for DUI,


Title: What can I do about my management company locking me out of my home the night before a surgery?

Question:
I live in New Jersey and the locks on my duplex front door have been broken for 3 weeks. Tenants aren't allowed to fix the doors but no one from the management company came to fix them. Yesterday someone came to fix the locks but lost the new keys and refused to come back with them leaving me locked out of my home all night. As a result I had to sleep in my car and was denied the ability to have a surgery I was scheduled for because I had nowhere to be taken home to after. I ended up being charged a $300 cancelation fee because of it. My question is, do I have any legal action against my management company in this situation?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: You can sue the landlord for a night's worth of rent and additional costs incurred, like the cancellation fee. Figure the amount and send a demand letter. One must wonder, though, why didn't you call a locksmith and try to recover that cost instead?Answer #2: Lockouts are super, super illegal, and this is basically a lockout.  I imagine your area will have some kind of tenant's union or association you can work with who will provide legal aid.