Title: New York City - Carrying prescribed but controlled substance in pocket pill case, is this illegal?

Question:
I apologize if this kind of "is *x* legal?" post is frowned upon, but after a search of the subreddit I found that it is illegal in some places but perhaps not others. I can't seem to find out definitively via google if it is legal in NYC or if I have to take certain measures (such as having a copy of the prescription on my person)

To be clear, I only need to carry a single dose of amphetamine daily to take mid-afternoon. While I'm certain that even if it were illegal I could probably get away with it forever, I'd like to know for sure.

Do any of you know for certain or know how I could find out for certain?

Thanks!

**Edit** Thanks for all the replies, guys. It looks like having a legit prescription bottle at all times is the only guarantee for schedule II substances. It's unfortunate they are so bulky and they don't have pocket versions!
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: Especially since it's a common drug for people to use recreationally, I'd be sure to carry a copy of the prescription. I *think* that this is illegal under federal drug control laws, not just state or local laws. Prescription drugs are supposed to be only in the containers they were given in.Answer #2: Carrying a controlled substance in anything other than the original bottle with the prescription information and prescribing pharmacists name intact is illegal. Answer #3: IANAL, but if you're carrying a controlled substance you'll want to have your bottle with the prescription on it with you. You're just asking for trouble.


Title: [AB Canada] Ex is erratic need to know how to divorce asap

Question: I'm 23 years old and recently my wife decided to leave me. We split the money and belongings without much fuss. But recently she has been displaying concerning behaviour were I feel she will try to claim my car or some of my money. Need help knowing how to get a divorce as soon as possible! No children and no shared property.

Answer:
 You can only be divorced in Alberta after one of the following has occurred: you've lived apart for one year, your spouse has had intercourse with someone else, or your spouse has been mentally or physically cruel to you.

If none of these has happened, you can move out and start the one year separation timer running.

If the main issue here is how to split your money or your car, I might suggest a divorce mediator, whose job is to find a fair division for both parties.


Title: [NY, Nassau]Lawyer took money that was for a "legal fund" and kept it for "consultation fees" that were never disclosed

Question:
Okay, so here is the short version of the story. The house my STBX (Soon-To-Be-eXwife) and I own (we are separated and in the process of getting a divorce) was foreclosed on by the bank in December. After trying to figure out what to do on our own, we consulted with a lawyer in late January that she had found. We met with the lawyer and his assistant, explained our situation, and were told that the fee to file just the initial answer was $2,700, and that there would be additional fees as things progressed. After disusing this we decided that we could not afford to go that route and would try to find help via the local Bar Association.

About two weeks later (mid February?) the assistant contacts me to tell me that he had reached out to local rabbis about our plight (he is an religious Jew and since my STBX is Jewish, so are our 2 kids) and was able to get some donations to help pay our legal fees. Once I got over the shock of his initiative and kindness I thanked him profusely and asked why he was doing this. He went on to explain about a key principle in Judaism where rabbis are expected to use a certain amount of the funds that the temple has for community service type things and helping Jewish families in need. I was awed by this and thanked him again. He then asked if there was any amount I could chip in, I told him that I would, but had to check my budget. A week later I dropped of a check for $500. He was then going to contact my STBX to see what she could chip in.

Over the next several months, and a few court dates that I went to with the help of the bar association regarding a loan modification, we determined that we would not be able to raise enough money and that the assistant would be sending the checks back to the people who donated. This was late June/early July. I didn't give it much thought until I noticed that the check I sent him was deposited in August. So today I sent him an email asking what was going on, did he get more donations?

I received a response from the actual lawyer that my $500 was kept as a consultation fee to cover the time and effort spent by his assistant. I pointed out that at no point in the process was any fee ever discussed and that I was under the assumption that ALL the money donated would be returned, including my check. I even checked with my STBX if they ever mentioned a fee, and she confirmed that no, they did not. So I respectfully asked, after pointing all this out, that he refund my $500.

His reply to that was, well, insulting. He made assumptions and statements that I didn't care about my children, that I was never serious about retaining the house because I would benefit my STBX, that I ignored his advise, and so on. I replied asking that he refrain from making assumptions and statements that are based on incomplete data, that I was insulted by what he said, and repeated that he respectfully refund my $500.

At no point did either my STBX or I sign anything with them or were we advised in writing or verbally that there was any fee associated with the initial consultation. Nor did they ever send me an actual bill, they just kept the $500.

Assuming that he continues to hold his ground and not refund my money, what should I do next? I assume I could file a complaint with the local bar association and even sue them in small claims court. But do I inform them them I am going to do that to give them one more chance, or just go ahead and do it?

Thanks!

**Update #1:** Thank you everyone for the feedback. As of right now his last communication requested that I ask my ex-wife to contact him since she is the one who originally requested the consultation, which I have done. Hopefully she will get in touch with him by the end of the day tomorrow. Once all avenues of communication have been exhausted I have decided that I *WILL* file a complaint with the Nassau County Bar Association no matter what the outcome because nobody should have to deal with this additional stress on top of what is already going on.

Answer: You can inform them that you're going to sue if they don't return the money (tell them once, then sue if they don't respond), but don't "threaten" them with the complaint to the bar - either report them or don't.


Title: [USA] Fighting the TPP: Can we sue?

Question:
I saw [this article](https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20150515/07555231015/over-1000-japanese-citizens-band-together-to-sue-their-government-over-participation-tpp.shtml) about a large legal force fighting the TPP in Japan.  I was wondering if there is any legal ground for suing the US government over the proposal.

I'm not well-versed on the proposal, I'm aware that time is running out, and I don't pretend to know international business or law.  But I do know that the TPP will be bad for all of us.  We shouldn't go down without a fight.

I've left messages with all my state representatives' office interns, but I know that doesn't make a difference. Is there any more action we can take against this?

Answer:
 You need to seriously take some classes at a JC so you understand basic civics and how our government works. Under our republican system of government the chief executive, ie the President conducts affairs with foreign countries. The President proposes treaties. Once the President negotiates the treaties, the legislative branch, ie congress ratifies them or not. If they do they become law. Where does the third branch of government come in concerning a treaty? Virtually nowhere. A treaty is usually treated as a political question and it will itself dictate what entity will interpret its terms. And it usually isn't our courts. So try and relax and get down wit TPP. Are you down wit TPP? Ya you know me!Answer #2: >I've left messages with all my state representatives' office interns, but I know that doesn't make a difference.

You're correct, because your state legislature has no control over whether *Congress* ratifies a treaty. You should contact your congressman, your senators, and President Obama.

The federal judiciary cannot prevent the president from signing, or Congress from ratifying, a treaty (that would violate the Actual Case or Controversy Clause), nor invalidate it after the fact. It may be a bad deal (by the way, it's not), it may be a dumb law (it isn't), but the only way a court can invalidate a federal law (and this hasn't even been passed yet) is on the basis that it is unconstitutional (plus, the Political Question Doctrine would apply here).


Title: House sitter had unauthorized guests

Question: I hired my sons friend to pet sit while we were on vacation. I told him that he could not have anyone at my house but also said if he wanted someone over to ask me and I would say if it was okay. There are certain people that I definitely dont want at my house because they are drug users and thieves. Well turns out he had a bunch of people over including the ones that he knows I dont approve of. He also had drugs delivered to my house. What recourse do I have as regards to payment? Can I deduct for having unauthorized people at my house? Our contract was verbal. I do have text messages from him naming people and saying he had stuff delivered.

Answer:
>What recourse do I have as regards to payment? Can I deduct for having unauthorized people at my house?

Do you really want to get into an argument over  money with a teenager? He took care of your pets no? Pay him and move on, dont let him over to your house anymore and call his parents.Answer #2: Move on with your life


Title: [IL] Can my boss fire me for not showing up to work in bad weather?

Question:
I live in the midwest and pretty much everything will be closed tomorrow (courts, all schools, all public buildings). The **high** temperature tomorrow will be -17 °F, low will be -28 ° F, and the windchill will be -50 °F during my 7am commute to work.

I work in an office that services hospitals, but my position in the company is not essential (more clerical stuff). My commute to work takes 1.5 hours, while most other people in the office live 15-20 minutes away. I asked my boss if I could not come in tomorrow and instead make up the hours on Saturday because my car had a trouble starting today (0°F weather) and I'm it won't start at all tomorrow. She said no then sent out an email to all staff saying anyone who does not show up to work tomorrow will be fired. I'm really paranoid my car won't start tomorrow and I'll have no way to get to work. I have no one who is able to drive me to work if it doesn't start.

&#x200B;

Is it legal for her to do that?

Answer:
 IANAL, but Illinois is an at-will state. Yes. She can fire you. Answer #2: Yes, you can be fired - Illinois is an at will state. I know it's stupid, I'm in Iowa and I hear you, my car struggled to start (with a brand new battery) after work at -2F today, tomorrow is going to be worse. If you are fired, file for unemployment.

Non-legal advice would be to try to get there if you can - at least try to go out and start your car, maybe even take a video as evidence that you did try if your employer tries to fight unemployment. Answer #3: Sorry bud. At will employment is a bitch. Although  if you aren't getting paid and work will most likely won't falter without you, i dont see what the issue is. Answer #4: Yes, she can fire you for pretty much any reason as long as it's not discriminatory.Answer #5: Either buy a jump box or a battery charger and wake up early to make sure it starts. Answer #6: It is legal for her to fire you for not showing up.

It is also legal for her to fire you for showing up.

It is also legal for her to fire you for having whatever color eyes you have.

Absent a contract that states for what you can and can't be fired, in Illinois you can be fired for anything that is not a protected reason.


Title: Cited for going wrong way on a bicycle. Can I fight this?

Question:
I was pulled over today on my daily commute via bicycle in Redding, California under code 21650.1.  The route I've been taking for years takes me across one block of one-way traffic.  No issues until now.

Now, a few details give me hope that maybe I can fight the ticket.  First, California state law seems to leave whether or not riding on the sidewalk is legal up to the individual city.  Redding has no such city ordinance, and even seems to include bicycles along with pedestrians in it's muni code when describing sidewalk maintenance.  I could only find laws for riding bikes over certain bridges (Where posted.), and riding bikes through pedestrian malls.

21650.1 forbids riding the wrong way **on the roadway**.  I was on the sidewalk during the short one-way stretch, and after crossing I was back on the road on the correct side.  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the sidewalk constitutes the roadway.

If you want to check out a Google Map of the scene, here.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Eureka+Way,+Redding,+CA+96001/@40.5875556,-122.3918082,216m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x54d2f143c3ecced9:0xe1abc4fb3294542f

It's Eureka Way, between Market and Pine.  I was heading East at the time.  I stick to the sidewalk as it's one-way traffic there, but only for that block.

So do I have a chance here if I fight it, or should I just pay it and be done with it?  If I pay, how much am I looking at?  I don't make much money, and Christmas has made things a little tight.

Answer:
 It appears other people [have had this happen](http://forum.freeadvice.com/speeding-other-moving-violations-13/ca-vc-21650-1-riding-bicycle-wrong-way-580234.html) (in other places) before. The general consensus then, also, was that as a sidewalk is obviously not a roadway. CVC 530 defines the "roadway" as "that portion of a highway improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel," and unless you have a lot of homicidal maniacs behind the wheel it's not doing much of that.

And the fine, according to my Google-Fu, would probably be about $163. What's interesting is that cars failing to follow the "three feet of safety" law giving cyclists a small "safe zone" around them are only charged $35 for endangering a life. $220 if they actually cause harm.


Title: Selling my home morning, purchase new home afternoon of same day. Renting back from buyer for a weekend but my realtor pushing back on this idea.

Question:
I live in SC and am selling the first home I've ever owned, and purchasing my next the afternoon of my sell date. When I first bought my current home 8 years ago, I rented it back to the sellers for half a month, no issues.

But now when I broach the idea with my realtor for renting it back from the buyers for a mere weekend, she pushes back and vaguely reference "liability" and how liabilities have changed over  he past 8 years.

What's the deal? I'm thinking of asking my realtor for more specifics regarding those liabilities that would prevent her simply asking the buyer's realtor (which she has not). After all- the buyers originally wanted to close the last day of the month, until we pointed out that was a Sunday...

Everyone I've talked to acts like doing this was common, so why would my realtor now acts like its a challenge that cannot be overcome?

Answer: Sounds to me like your realtor just doesn't want to do any work, but rather wants the fat commission for the easy part without any complications.


Title: Two nearly identical speeding tickets in 4 months, do I fight?

Question:
So a few months ago, after dropping my gf off at the University, I was heading to work heading North on Campbell Ave here in Tucson. As I'm driving, I notice a motorcycle cop parked in a neighborhood, & as I pass him I see him pull out. I look at my speed & it goes 46-47 & comes back down before hitting 48. (The speed limit is 35) I'm matching speeds, if not going slower than cars in other lanes ahead of me. Long story short, cop gets behind me, pulls me over & writes me a ticket. Claiming I was doing OVER 51 MPH (16 over), & that he got me with a speed gun. He even makes a comment "I would've let you off if you kept it under 50" & that comment just REALLY irked me.
I wanted to fight it, knowing I had not gone over 50, but I had no evidence, & fighting it meant not being able to clear it off my record if I lost. So I simply took the safety course online.

FAAASSSST forward to today, I'm picking up my gf from the University, heading West on Speedway, about to get to Campbell (where I had been pulled over the first time)(speed limit still 35). There's a decent amount of traffic, so I couldn't go fast even if I wanted to. As I'm driving I see a motorcycle cop heading East, but gets into the left turn lane (for what I assume is a U Turn) & I carry on driving. Not looking at my speed (no way I was going over 45) because we're coming up to a light & cars in front of me are slowing down so I do as well. I finally hear it, the siren sound. There were cars in front of me, to the left & to the right, at first I thought he was trying to get through & asking us to move over, so I started moving right & he followed so I pull into a parking lot.

I'm very VERY nice to the officer as he walks up, & he begins chatting with me. "I pulled you over for speeding, I caught you doing 51 in a 35" he says. "Looks like you're late, are you in a rush or something?"

I let him know multiple times I'm not in a rush & that I did not think I had hit speeds that high, still very very well mannered, then apologized if anything did happen. He grabs my papers & goes back to his cycle. The more & more I think about it, the less it makes sense. Various cars blocking any path I had at speeding, a red light, (perhaps I hit higher speeds earlier, but the cop had JUST done the U turn, so that didn't make sense either)

He comes back up & even asks about a joke I have on my bumper sticker & we share a laugh. Super nice officer. That is until, I started asking questions. He tells me the information about the ticket & asks if I have questions.

I asked him how he got that speed & he very shakily says "lidar, it's a kind of laser thing" or something along those lines & I brought up how other cars were in front of me, clearly not going over 50 mph. He then brings up the whole "well people like you who are in a rush... Blah blah about switching lanes constantly & hitting the accelerator" & at this point I got kind of stern, I only had switched over one lane, which was still full of cars, & I let the officer know FOR LIKE THE THIRD TIME that I was NOT in a rush. This is when he starts to get very short & just kinda spews some more ticket info & goes about his way.

It's just very absurd to me that my speed was the same in both cases, both officers being University of Arizona cops, motorcycle cops, almost exactly the same corner, etc...

My buddies think that because I have a nice big (new looking) red car, officers are more likely to pull me over thinking I'm some old rich fart who won't argue with them. In both cases, I believe I was matching traffic flow or going slower than other cars on the road, & I don't get why I was singled out, & especially why I was given a ticket instead of a warning.

Anybody have experience fighting tickets? Any tips? Is it a waste if time since I don't have a dash cam or any evidence? Any info would be greatly appreciated!

P.S. I understand that speeding is against the law, & even 1 mph over deserves a ticket (as far as the law is concerned). I am not arguing whether I was speeding or not, but rather what speed I was going, what speed traffic flow was going (I believe this is the safest speed to travel), & why I was the one pulled over. Thanks!
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Many speeders are, like you, indignant at the officer’s claimed reading, acknowledging going fast but not that fast.

I have a theory.

The moment you see the officer, you life your foot off the gas and check your speed as you hit the brake. The small deceleration that comes from lifting your foot from the gas drops your speed almost instantly a couple/three mph, and so what you see as you check the speed is slightly less than what the officer measured— because he saw you before you saw him.

Just a thought.


Title: Bought my first car and was duped

Question:
Hello, as the standard I'm on mobile so sorry about formatting. Anyways, to give context, I'm 18 and I just bought my first car. A 2004 Honda CRV for 5k. It was listed as a 2005 Honda CRV, with 125k miles. Now this may be my fault, which it is, but we didn't look too closely at the title and only found out after the exchange it's a year older and the mileage is incorrect. It turns out that the odometer had 80k miles docked sometime during the second owners possession which is who we bought it from. We only figured this out with car fax. Additionally they never registered the car and we think the title has been tampered with, and the bill of sale has the first owners name on it not the second. So we think they signed as someone else and that they knew the mileage was tampered with but never informed us, also it's had a few accidents that they also never informed us of which was in total 1,5k in damages.

So my question is, should I give then the option of returning my money and I return the car, or we reconcile the difference (probably around 3k back to me). It's out of the question that we will have to do a small claims court. My worry is if get to keep the car and receive the 3k back that it may break down in the future since it's way older than we thought, or should just demand we do a full return? Which would make the better financial sense?

(Sorry if it's the incorrect thread, I wasn't sure where to post this.)

Answer:
 I'll be shocked if you get any money back from this guy ever.  You could try suing him in small claims court for the difference between what you paid and what the car is actually worth.  You can also report odometer and title fraud to local law enforcement, your state DMV, and the NHTSA Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation.

I'd be more worried about whether the car is safe and legal to drive.  Have you been able to transfer the title and register it?  If so, have a mechanic look at it before you drive it.


Title: Dating Websites and Age

Question: So, I used a dating/hookup app that obviously requires you to be 18 or older, and started talking to someone on there. There was no hooking up or anything, but he asked for my number, and some "adult" pictures where sent via text. I later get a call from his father telling me he's underage, and his father is reasonably angry and upset, but by the end of the call he says he's not gonna call the cops or anything, and let me off the hook. But if he where to call the cops, would the fact that I met him on a 18+ app and presumed he was of age, offer me any legal protection? I'm sick and shaking from the event so any positive information would be nice.

Answer:
 It's a scam.  Block the number and delete any photos.  The next thing that will happen is that the son will "wind up in a hospital" somehow and they'll demand money "or else".

And no - you would still be in possession of illegal child pornography, if any actual children had ever been involved.  They weren't - you were never talking to a kid and there is no dad.Answer #2: It's a common scam, ignore and block.


Title: [Texas] ICE and Border Patrol agents conducting random raids with no leads at homes and public places. What's the legality of it?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 A couple of notes:

1.) You have literally NO IDEA what information ICE does or does not have regarding their raids unless you have attended briefings or seen documents supporting the raids.

2.) Someone being here illegally **is** a reason to target people for deportation.

(I disagree with unilateral deportations of all undocumented immigrants, but it is unquestionably legal to seek out and deport persons here illegally.)


Title: [FL] My abusive mother is refusing to allow my grandmother (who lives with her) to use her own cell phone to contact me. I sent a phone to Grandma and my mother threw it in the garbage. Is this elder abuse?

Question:
My grandma is 90 and we're very close. However she lives with my mother, who abused me my entire life. I'm no-contact with my mother and have been for several years. Grandma calls me in the middle of the night to talk to me.

My mother started sending me text messages (which I am saving) from Grandma's cell phone telling me that she "owns this number" and that it's a "gift" that Grandma can contact me at all, and told me "it's almost Easter, it's time to let go of your bitterness towards me." I blocked the number and sent Grandma a phone. I have not heard anything back from her, so I reached out to my sister and asked if Grandma got the phone. My mother threw it in the garbage.

Is refusing to allow a 90-year-old woman to use a cell phone to contact her grandchild elder abuse? Is there anything I can do about this?

Answer: Adult Protective Services would be a good resource to start with.Answer #2: You may want to contact a social worker to ask if you can have supervised visitation with your grandmother. You will have to pay the social worker but they can diffuse the situation with your mother. Don’t give up - your grandmother needs you.Answer #3: Depending on the current living situation for your grandma, APS (Adult Protective Services) can be involved, but if you're just going to tell them that a phone got thrown out, I doubt they will do anything about it sadly. I do know in some cases if that phone is used for calling in emergencies like the police and the phone was taken away, that can land your mother into a lot of trouble


Title: Dealer convinced me to lie on credit application.

Question:
As the title states, I bought a new car and was approved for credit, however the salesman told me to lie about my monthly income.
Now, I can barely afford my payments, I mean I can, however I have almost no money after payments and insurance.
Do I have any traction if I were to want to get out of the loan? Should I tell the credit company that I/the dealer reported my income falsely? If so, what would happen if I did? I know this is fraud, but how punishable is it?
Technically I wasn't alone in this as the dealer told me "Do not write down your actual income, put that you make $xxxx per month."
The amount that was written down is about 4x as much that I actually make. Is there anything I can do about it now?
Also, it's been about a month that I've had the car. I've only made 1.5 payments on the loan.
Any suggestions? Should I just deal with it? Should I tell the finance company? What are any repercussions of doing so?
Thanks.
Also, I live in the United States.
I live in SC, however the dealer is located in NC.
(Edited to include location.)

Answer:
 Ianal.

You're stuck.  No one made you do that.  When the dealer told you to lie, your answer should have been: "I'm not lying about that, it's fraud."
End of story.  You have no legal recourse that I can think of.Answer #2: The most likely outcome here if you don't get help paying the loan or increase your income is that the car will be repossessed and they will get a judgement for the difference. You may be able to mitigate this somewhat with a voluntary repo. At least with those you can sometimes save on tow charges and repo fees.


Title: I'm 15, and I want to make some money fixing phones (in CA).

Question:
As the title states, I am I minor and I want to start a "mini business" at my school fixing people's phones, although I don't know what kinds of labor laws could apply to this and if there is anything I should avoid doing. I live in the Contra Costa County in California, and any responses would be much appreciated :)

Also if there is another subreddit I should be requesting help from, I would greatly appreciate that.

Answer: Do you have the economy to buy a new phone, should you accidentally "un-fix" one?


Title: I want to buy my business partner out, and he is refusing

Question:
While I was in college, I worked at a franchise that I wanted to open upon graduating. My boss (the franchisee of the one I worked at) offered to go in on it with me and front most of the money. The agreement was that I would run the business and the day to day operations and her and her husband would handle the money and accounting. I was so excited for this opportunity and I was young so stupidly, I did not have a lawyer look over our contract. There were a lot of things that we disagreed on after opening and I got to a point where I regretted partnering with them. I was willing to pay back what they put in and more to buy them out, but they were in complete disagreement.

Some information on the contract: it was originally a 10 year contract until I spoke with them about wanting out and they reduced it to 5 years, however, they said that even after 5 years they still may not agree to me buying them out. There is talk in the contract about if one party wants out completely, but there is no talk about if one party wants to be the sole owner of the business. On our corporation, I am 51% owner, since the franchise requires at least 51% ownership from the partner that runs the business.

I’m sure that you need more information and that I need to meet with a lawyer, but that’s not right of them to just completely refuse to let me buy them out, right? They won’t even consider naming a price. I would rather handle things without a lawyer so there’s no bad blood especially since I see them every month at monthly franchisee meetings, but I understand that I may have to use a lawyer. I’m also nervous that I still won’t get what I want. I just want to handle things amicably and for us to find a solution where both of us are happy. Do I have recourse?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: No one is obligated to sell something they’re not interested in selling.


Title: [NJ/VT] Asked to donate sperm, have legal questions

Question:
Good morning,

I apologise for some of the vagueness in my story but I'm afraid if I get more specific with the background details I'll be identifiable and would prefer to remain anonymous.  Also, I don't want this post attached to my main account hence the throwaway.

A married couple I know in VT cannot have children with each other and have asked me, living in NJ, to donate sperm so they will have a baby.  I do have non-legal questions about this arrangement that I will have to work through with them but my question for you is could I potentially be responsible for child support and is it possible to protect myself from that?

My assumption would be that after the baby is born the non-birth parent would sign adoption papers making them the legal parent/guardian and should leave me in the clear.  What if they divorce or go on public assistance sometime over the next 18 years; could I potentially have to pay child support since I would be the biological father?  I don't believe this would happen but what if the non-birth parent does not sign adoption papers?  Would I have any leg to stand on?

Also, as a longtime lurker of both LA and BOLA I feel the need to point out I'm not some MRA asking about a "financial abortion".

Thank you for your help.

Answer:
 You are going through a licensed medical facility right? Answer #2: >My assumption would be that after the baby is born the non-birth parent would sign adoption papers making them the legal parent/guardian and should leave me in the clear.

No, that's not how it works. It's not an adoption. You give up your rights before the insemination happens, much less before the birth. And when the baby is born, if the couple is legally married at that time, it is legally his. (There are ways around that legal presumption when the people involved want to get around it, but it requires a lawyer and a lot of hassle, and in any case that's not the situation here.)

Go through a licensed clinic and make sure proper consent forms and so forth are drawn up by a licensed attorney who works in the area of family law. The clinic may have such a lawyer. You need to be talking to YOUR OWN lawyer, paid for by them ideally, since they're the ones asking you to help them have a child.Answer #3: Be aware that in some places how 'donors' are registered is changed, it used to be much more anonymous but now children have more options to track down their biological parents.


Title: [AR,US] Can my boyfriend's probation officer drug test me?

Question: My boyfriend is on probation until 2020 for multiple things, including a drug charge. He takes a drug test once a month. Today his PO came on a house visit, searched, and found out our roommate had multiple guns, meth, and a meth pipe. We had no knowledge of this. My concern is that my boyfriend and I have a little baby and I sometimes take pills not prescribed to me for social events. I will obviously discontinue that, because they're opening an investigation over my roommate, but I want to know if his PO can legally require me to take a drug test, or if it would have to be court ordered. I'm just anxious, I did not anticipate my roommate having all that and I'm worried they'll assume if they were doing all that without our knowledge that I'm also worth investigating.  Can he drug test me, or take my urine sample? And if they can court order it, how long would it take for them to get that? I can probably get clean in 3-4 days.

Answer:
 Is your child living with you? If so, his PO can (and should) make child services aware the baby is living in a home where drugs are being kept and used, and in turn you may be required to be drug tested.

You need to find another place to live, clean roommates, and you need to be clean yourself given that you have an infant in the home and a partner on probation for drug use.


Title: How will my recent name and gender change in California affect me getting a marriage certificate in Nevada?

Question:
I am female to male transgender and living in California. Last week I went to court and got the decree and several certified copies showing my legal name and gender change. Now I just need to get my documentation sorted through. I don't have a passport, so that's one less thing to worry about. I'm going to the DMV next week (7/11) to get my new ID and I'm headed to the social security office as soon as I can for the change in my card. I'm mailing my stuff for my birth certificate (I was born in California). At some point I'm getting my bank information sorted through. I have everything I need to get things changed, but it's gonna take time.

My concern is that my wedding is on August 16th. We're going to Las Vegas to get married (family lives there). Will I be able to get my marriage certificate under my new legal name and gender? Do I need to take one of the certified copies of the decree showing the change? What do I absolutely need changed so I can get my marriage certificate? We really don't want to move the date if it can be avoided since the day has a lot of meaning to us and I need to get on my soon to be husband's health insurance ASAP. I'm also not willing to put my old name and gender on our marriage certificate.

I'd ask this on one of the trans related subreddits, but I think this sub is where I'm going to get the best answers for this particular concern. Thank you.

Answer: You really would be better served calling the county where you intend on applying for your marriage license. They're the ones who are going to be dealing with your paperwork.


Title: UPS destroyed my laptop. What are my options?

Question:
Shipped my computer for repairs via a prepaid label provided by computer company. The company stated they had insurance through UPS. Once the company received my laptop it was destroyed, they sent me pictures of all the damage. Apparently when the UPS store packed my laptop they used a box too big and only bubble wrapped it.

The computer company filed a claim with UPS, in which they denied. They stated that the laptop was "improperly packed". I'm thinking, no shit, you guys packed it. The computer company has been great with customer service, but they basically said I can have the laptop shipped back to me and I can take it up with UPS myself. Or, I can buy a new laptop, or they'll help me out with repairing it.

What are my chances with getting reimbursed? What can I do to help my chances?

Answer:
 So here's the thing, UPS didn't pack it. That UPS store did. Because they're individual franchises separated from UPS by...reasons. And that store did so improperly. You need to go to that specific UPS store for your reimbursement. Answer #2: Your problem is UPS didn't make a contract (insurance) with you. They made it with the company. So your beef is with them. Their beef is with UPS.

This might be a time to pay a lawyer to shoot off a letter (assuming the laptop is worth it)


Title: [FL] Law firm calling about law suit over line of credit from when I was a minor

Question:
I was born in 1990, the account in question is from 2005 making me 14/15 at the time. Obviously it's not mine and when I turned 18 I had to remove alot of things from my credit report. I think this was part of that (not sure though), I've gotten calls about this account a few times over the last couple of years. Once they see the age thing they would leave me alone, but then there would be a similar call a few years later. This time seems different, they basically game me an ultimatum to pay a settlement or go to court. When I brought up the fact I was a minor and don't acknowledge the account as legitimate they cut their settlement by 5/6, ciiting something about shenanigans? The account has payments made on it and they accuse my parents saying I should pay. My dad and I had the same name so not impossible he used my SS but he's also deceased.

Do they have a legal leg to stand on? I was under the impression that a minor can't enter into a legally binding contract period, and that it should have been the responsibility of the original creditor to verify that. I don't know that my father had anything to do with it but since he's been dead for a decade if I point the finger at him what happens then? Can they go after next of kin or do they have to pound sand?

Answer:
 Tell them to pound sand and wait to see if they actually try to take your to court. You were an identity theft victim AND a minor when this bill was rung up. If this ends up in court I would file a motion for summary judgment and attach a copy of your birth certificate. I doubt a court will let them pursue this.

 Even if your dad was the one who did it they can't hold next of kin responsible for a debt just by virtue of being next of kin. Also, pretty sure the statute of limitations on going after your deceased father's estate has passed as well. That said, if you don't know who did it don't point any fingers. Just repeat that you were a minor when this debt was incurred by someone using your information and you are not legally responsible for the debt. Maybe also mention that, pursuant to your rights under the [Fair Debt Collection Practices Act](https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/rules/rulemaking-regulatory-reform-proceedings/fair-debt-collection-practices-act-text) you require a written verification of the debt in the mail and, right this second, information on where to send a written notice to the debt collector about ceasing communications.


Title: Lawyer paid $800 and he missed two court appearances. Illinois,Chicago area

Question:
My Mom is having some child support issues and divorce settlement issues with her ex-husband. The divorce was over and done with several years ago(2007ish), and the ex never paid his maintenance and settlement from the divorce. No child support was awarded.

He was awarded custody of two children, one of which he took my Mom back to court for child support in 2014. My Mom hired an attorney for 800 dollars who said he would work on the case. He missed two court appearances and never informed my Mom. Today, my Mom who is out of money went to court without a lawyer and got a lien against her remaining property. Basically getting her ass handed to her in court. She couldn't even get a word in without an attorney.

I don't have much money, but I figure I could give my Mom some money for a new lawyer to help with both of these issues. But I don't really know where to start. She is currently living with me, and has no income and no job. She has an attorney working her social security disability case.

I guess this is a lot to go over, but 1. I am super pissed at attorney that didn't show and fucked this.
2. How has the ex-husband not been forced to pay?
3. Is there a decent attorney in Joliet area that could help her?

Answer:
 The sidebar gives links to how to get referrals. You may wish to report your previous attorney to the state bar for censure.Answer #2: Not my jurisdiction, but here is some general information and two cents-

Where I practice, failing to show up to court twice and failing to communicate with your client about that would almost certainly be malpractice.  Also, that lawyer took $800 dollars on a promise to do work.  Sounds fraudulent, or at least possibly negligent misrepresentation.
Translation- You probably have grounds for a lawsuit on many different theories.

Practical Issues- General options are:

1. Contact your state bar.  http://www.illinoislawyerfinder.com/
http://www.isba.org/public

2. Local law schools have clinics where students can help people in your situation.  Check that out. There should be plenty of options in Chicago.  DePaul, University of Chicago, Northwestern off the top of my head.  Simple search shows that DePaul has a family law legal clinic.  These are pro bono.

You should jump on this rather quickly because there could be procedural time limits in your state for asking the court to do something about the lien.

Probably just as or more important than money is supporting your mom and helping her navigate all the paperwork, communicating, and legwork to help sort this out.  The time and energy spent to deal with this can cost more in stress than dollars.


Title: I think my sister is being illegally discriminated because of her boyfriend's skin

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I think she is going to have nothing but problems with that landlady and should move. If it's not the boyfriend it will be something else. Answer #2: She moved into the trailer already but hasn't signed the lease yet? Why? If she hasn't signed a lease, she's a month to month tenant and unless, she signed something saying she can't have guests, the landlord cannot tell her who she can have over and when. But she can give her 30-days notice. And your sister may have a case against her for racial discrimination.


Title: Through reading the legal advice subreddit habitually I have noticed that alot of the insane lawsuits and frivolous attempts to sue others are based out of Florida. What is up with Florida?

Question: I live outside of the US so I don't have a grasp on what goes on in Florida

Answer:
 The sunshine laws thing really only helps with the crazy news stories, not with Crazy stories in Legal Advice.

Other contributing factors include sheer population, Florida is the third most popular state after all, so even assuming a normal distribution of crazy people you are more likely to run into a crazy Floridian than a crazy New Yorker. Also they have a pretty unique population mix that includes refugees from the Caribbean and nouveau riche from other states as well as old people looking to retire. Then there is the weather. It's hot and humid for 9 months out the of year. Finally the existing stereotype that Florida is crazier makes people highlight and remember crazy things that happen in Florida more than crazy things that happen in other states.Answer #2: Florida has really strong "sunshine laws". Essentially, it is extremely easy to get court records and police records in Florida for journalistic purposes. Therefore, you see all the crazy shit that other states have, but the information is not as readily available. Answer #3: As I understand it, it's not that it's actually crazier, it's that the state has much looser "public information" laws, so local news has easier access to the stories you just don't hear about from other places.


Title: [OH] Private photos found on an anonymous image board

Question:
hey there reddit. well, this is the second time this has happened to me. theres some site that looks like a fake 4chan called anonib where people are posting and trading naked photographs of me. none of them actually show any privates as i usually cover them, but some of them were from before i was 18. i immediately know which ones were underage because i got a large tattoo on my 18th birthday.

i tried to email the site but they obviously don't care since thats what their entire website is about. is there anything else i can do? im very distraught and upset because my mother actually found it before me last time and that made my life a living hell. i deal with major depression and this happening to me is something i dont know if i can handle again.

also, bonus question. one of the photographs i dont even think i sent, or if i did send it, it was only to my boyfriend.. is there another way they can get these photographs? could it be through icloud or something? should i take other precautions? the threads usually consists of the same photos over and over again, but this time there were like 2 very recent ones that werent even sent or were sent to one person.

thanks.

Answer:
 A few steps you could take:

* Call the police or the FBI and report that this site is hosting nude photographs of you from when you were a minor.  If you get no traction then find out who their supervisors are and keep trying to get traction.  It should be taken seriously; cops in the US typically attack this kind of thing immediately.  I would do this first, actually, out of anger.
* If you took the photos, then you own the copyright.  You can file a DMCA takedown notice with the website and possibly with whoever the web host is for this website.  See [this general article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notice_and_take_down) for general information.
* Whether you use a DMCA takedown notice or not, you can register the copyright to the photos - not the underage ones, I assume - and sue the website in federal court for copyright infringement.  Unless you registered the photos recently, you would only really get to sue them for all the profits they made (which is probably "none").  You'd need a lawyer for this.  This is not something I would ever imagine you would do, but you could.  You could also take a step toward this and scare them by consulting with an attorney and have them write a cease and desist letter to the website threatening them with this lawsuit.

Probably your boyfriend forwarded the photos.  Less likely, your phone has a keylogger or virus that someone installed, or someone has your iCloud password and is grabbing photos.  Change all your passwords, and for safety factory-reset your phone after backing up all the non-nude photos (yes it's a pain).  Also, stop taking nude photos of yourself and forwarding them to people.


Title: Got a speeding ticket for going 102 mph when I was really only doing 85?

Question: I was driving home from work last night and I normally go around 80 mph on this highway at night, speed limit is 65. Last night I was trying to pass a truck that was in front of me, because I have had a rock fall from a truck in front of me in the past that shattered my windshield, so I try to never get stuck behind trucks now. When I was passing the truck, I sped up to somewhere in the high 80's, couldn't have been more than 90, and next thing I know I get pulled over and this jackass cop asks me if I'm on drugs and I said no, I'm heading home from work. He was like "Well did you know you were going 102 mph?" I told him that there was no way, because I was literally watching the spedometer as I passed the truck and it couldn't have been more than 90. He still claimed that I was going 102 and I didn't want to argue or cause any problems so I took the ticket and went home. Is there any way I can plead innocent or at least lower the penalty, preferrably without a lawyer because I don't have all that much money, but if that helps to reduce the blow then I'm all for it.

Answer: Unfortunately, their radar is more accurate than your speedometer.Answer #2: You're looking at a 30 day license suspension. Can you afford not to drive for a month? Getting an attorney is your best hope.


Title: Roommate rent trouble. I did everything wrong.

Question:
Before I start, I know I made some huge mistakes.

I had someone move into my apartment, the plan was to sublease, I had a sub lease written up but it had not been notarized or signed yet. The roommate offered to put the rent on his bank account and I was going to pay him my half of the rent. I paid him my half, but he never paid the rent. This all happened two days ago, the only evidence I can think of would be the money I withdrew from my account and he instantaneously deposited into his account, as well as the automatic payment form he filled out and signed with the wrong account number.

Could I take this to small claims court?

Edit: I am in Ohio.

Answer: Yes. Take him to court and make smarter choices in the future. That was a bone head move


Title: Selling a deceased person's car in Texas.

Question: Hi all.  Short version of my question-my sister died and didn't leave a will.  Her two daughters want to sell her car as easy as possible.  What would happen if we just signed her name to the title?  They are her only heirs, so the money would go where its supposed to go.

Answer: You can commit an easily-discovered felony or you can take a death certificate, the title, and spend an hour or two at the DMV retitling the car properly and selling it.


Title: (NJ) Attorney didn't get seller concessions signed, didn't include cash concession in closing docs, and left closing early

Question:
We bought a house in January and in our part of the state hiring attorneys for real estate transactions is the norm.

From the start, the attorney was difficult to contact but we never felt it necessary to make a change. Then the Friday before our scheduled Wednesday closing he informed us that he would not be able to close the next week. It became apparent that he also hadn't done any of the work necessary to close and he scrambled to get that done for a closing date two weeks later than scheduled. Thankfully we were able to extend our lease.

During our negotiations with the sellers we agreed that they would repair a couple items and then provide us with cash (low single digit thousands) for a couple more items that we would take on. When it came to closing, we didn't notice the absence of the cash transfer or credit in the documents and apparently neither did our attorney. Our attorney left shortly after closing began.

Later that day or in the days following closing we inquired about that cash for repairs. As it would turn out, our attorney does have a copy of the email from the seller agreeing to the concessions, including the cash, but never got that document signed.

This happened months ago and he has been dragging his feet with everything, doesn't respond to emails or voicemails, and doesn't seem to have presented the sellers with any of this.

What options do we have? Should an emailed document (unsigned) be enough to get the cash due for repairs? In the rare cases we get in contact with him our attorney seems skeptical about this. Or is that likely a lost cause and maybe our attorney should be the focus?

Answer: File state bar complaint


Title: COLORADO - My new car that's ordinarily garaged hit by distracted driver and sent to shop where it's totalled by massive hailstorm. "Act of God" defense by insurance & shop being used despite the fact that my car would never be there if it weren't for being hit in the first place

Question:
Hey Reddit, I need your help because I don't know who else to turn to. I just bought a car in January that I worked very hard for. On friday i got hit ($6,000 in damages) waiting at a stop light by some guy that wasn't paying attention to the road. His insurance company immediately claimed responsibility and the next day told me i could drop my car off at a body repair shop to get it repaired. They then called enterprise to pick me up since my car was noy deemed drivable due to the trunk not being able to close. So I've had a rental car since Saturday. On Monday when we got the horrible hail, my rental car was in the parking garage that i always park in at work. Unfortunately, the shop did not have my car in their garage and made no attempt to protect it from the hail and my car is now essentially totalled due to the immense hail damage. The shop refuses liability due to hail being an act of God and the insurance company refuses liability for the same reason. They also claim that it's not their insured's responsibility since he was only responsible for the rear end damage despite the fact that my car would have been garaged at work like it always is had he not hit me in the first place. They refuse to pay since i supposedly was able to take my car into any shop and chose that one (despite the fact that they told me to go to that one to get it fixed that day). Do i have any recourse in this matter or do i just accept the fact that I'm out several thousand dollars due to something that was completely out of my control?

I saved for a really long time to replace the 1998 honda accord I've driven for 10 years and this is the first nice car I've owned. I'm extremely depressed and stressed and I'm preparing for a small claims suit that I'm not optimistic about. Any help anybody could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Why is the auto shop not responsible for the damage which happened while the car was in their possession? Why can't OP sue them on the basis that they failed to deliver his car in the same condition he left it in?  Answer #2: Time to get your insurance involved.

The hail could have happened when you were driving home... Or shopping...Answer #3: What about your comprehensive coverage?


Title: Divorce case between CA and TX

Question: I have a friend going through divorce. She's a resident of TX but moved to CA and before fully becoming resident of CA (was living in CA for 1.5 months) she filed a separation case in CA court. Before her filing the husband filed a divorce case in TX. Now she has been served to appear in TX court end of this month. What's the best way to move the case to CA. Marriage took place in CA. Both parties parents, family, friends are in CA. Child was born in CA. And lets just be honest CA is way better state than TX.

Answer: There's no way to move the case to California. She hasn't been there long enough. You can't file for divorce in California unless you've been a state resident for 6 months and a resident of the county you file in for 3.


Title: I (20m) obeyed command hallucinations while psychotic and am worried I'll get charged

Question:
A while ago I started hearing voices telling me I was god's truest creation and to kill myself cause doing so would give me the best reality possible.

Problem is I broke into two houses (one I think ripping their door down) looking for a gun to end my life.

I don't want to get legal help as I can't afford it (jobless and a pending dui charge, lost my license. It was bs I quit weed for a week and was going psychotic).

The date is in two weeks and I'm getting more and more anxious as I did intend to steal and the maximum penalties are pretty harsh. Any advice?

Location: Brisbane, Australia

TLDR: lost my shit and have pending break and enter charges as a result

Answer: You may want to post this in the Australia legal advice subreddit. Because in the US, I would suggest getting a mental evaluation and talk to anyone with knowledge of any similar episodes that have happened to you in the past to build up a defense. One time psychotic episodes are unlikely to convince a jury to acquit.


Title: Credit Card opened under Uncle's SSN in 2012 and he wasn't aware of this. Getting sued now. Does he need a lawyer?

Question:
Here's the events as I understand them (I'll attempt to get clarification from my uncle):

Uncle Bob and his boss Mike both co-signed for a home loan a while back.  This required Bob to use his SSN.

A Bank of America credit card was opened up using Bob's SSN, and Mike's mailing address in 2012.  ~$4000 worth of charges were made with this card.  It is unclear who opened this card.  Bob and Mike both claim they never received any bills for this card.

In 2015, a collection bill was sent to Mike for the unpaid charges.  He was also sued and now this is a civil case.  (I am assuming Bob is being sued since it's his name on the card, and that it's not BofA that's suing him, but the collection agency).

Bob wants to know if he needs to hire an attorney at this point, or if this can be settled without hiring one.

Answer: It could conceivably be settled without hiring one.  It's unlikely it would be settled in Bob's favor without hiring one.


Title: Starbucks legal employee is threatening our coffee shop because of a pillow.

Question:
I work for a small independent coffee shop in the Seattle, WA area.

&#x200B;

Yesterday a long time (10+/- years) customer saw a pillow we have in our cafe.  The pillow used to be a T shirt that a friend of the owner converted into a pillow and gave the owner 10+ years ago.  The friend has since passed away so it is sentimental to the owner and the pillow has been around the shop all these years.

\[The pillow in question\]([https://i.imgur.com/khEICzW.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/khEICzW.jpg))

Turns out the customer was offended by the pillow because they work at Starbucks corporate and from what it sounds like works in the Starbucks branding / legal area of the company.  The customer said if the owner did not get rid of the pillow she would be sending a threatening Email.

The owner is planning on talking with a few of her lawyer friends IF this person follows though with the "threatening letter"  but I want to prepare my co-workers to act accordingly depending on what information I gather here if this customer comes back in and causes a scene / threatens the co-workers.

&#x200B;

Is there any actual legal issue here?  Or is this just some Starbucks scumbag trying to use threats to get what they want?  Naturally we do not want to get rid of the pillow  or let Starbucks have any say in what we do in our shop.

Answer:
 There is absolutely nothing legally actionable here.  This is what is known as "fair use," a parody of Starbucks' logo.  As long as your coffee shop isn't using this parody logo to try to confuse potential customers as to their association with Starbucks, there's no trademark issue either.

I would suggest that you ban that person from the shop, though.  You wouldn't want her to come back just to steal the pillow or something.


Title: [CA] Restaurant rejects payment method it previously claimed to accept

Question:
Situation occurred in a restaurant in San Francisco, California.

We had made a reservation with this restaurant in the morning and emphatically asked whether they accepted our foreign debit card as payment, even showing it, because we needed to save our credit cards for motel payments. Person who took our reservation assured us they did.

After dinner that night, however, it turns out that they couldn't accept our debit card. They treated the situation as if it were our problem, not theirs. In the end we paid with a credit card and had to make a call to our bank to increase credit limits so we could afford our rooms.

I can imagine a restaurant not accepting our preferred method of payment is not a reason to not pay. However, if they had not assured us they'd accept it, we would not have been there in the first place. I feel that their response of "it's not our problem, pay up" was quite unreasonable, because it was their mistake that put us in this position.

What were our obligations here? And what were theirs?

I ask out of curiosity, because obviously the situation is resolved (although not much to my satisfaction) without damage to us except perhaps the costs of an international telephone call (and of course $200,000 in emotional damages).

Thanks for any replies.

Answer:
 What were your obligations?  To pay your tab.

What were their obligations?  Legally, nothing.  Customer-service-wise, to apologize that the person taking the reservations misunderstood you and didn't realize that your debit card was not part of the network of debit cards accepted in the US.  To be honest, I wouldn't expect a person taking reservations at a restaurant to know anything about foreign debit card networks.  So unless they specifically told you that they took this particular brand of debit card, I think the miscommunication is on you.  In the US "debit cards" are generally part of a very large consortium which is accepted pretty much universally.


Title: Selective service?

Question: Hi, I’m a dual Canadian and is citizen, I’ve been living In Canada most of my life, I’m 19 right now and just found out there’s something called selective service, am I required to sign up? And what happens if I don’t? Is it mandatory?

Answer:
 it's mandatory for male US citizens to register, although the likelihood of a draft ever occurring again are incredibly small.

If you fail to register you are ineligible for certain government benefits (like US federal student loans) and you'd never be eligible for a federal job. Theoretically there is the potential for a large fine and jail time, but it's almost never actually enforced.

You're supposed to register at age 18; but they allow you to register up to age 26 with no penalty.


Title: Neighbour is taping notes to our windshields saying we can't park in front of her house. What can we do?

Question:
Living in Winnipeg, MB, Canada

We are renting a side by side. The landlord lives in the other side, he knows whats happening and I'm just wondering what could happen.

Our neighbours are elderly, but they are rude. They complain about everything and are bitter. They recently walked into our fenced back yard and snooped around for god knows what. Anyhow, they don't like when we park in front of their house cause it blocks their path. They have never talked to us, just leave notes on our windows, guests windows, anyone who parks there for longer than 5 minutes gets a note. *note that we told them we're going to try not to park there but if that's the only spot close to our house, we're going to park there.

They taped a note to our trucks windshield and the tape won't come off. We went to talk to them politely to say what we're doing is not illegal but they could get in trouble for taping notes to windshields. They immediately started yelling at us. Saying that it's illegal, that our driveway is 1 inch on their property line (no idea if this is true, we just rent). They also said that they are going to get handicapped parking in front of their house (they aren't handicapped and have a full drive way on the side of their house). They are the worlds worst neighbours, when a ball from our yard goes over the fence, they keep the ball and never give it back. they complain if people are "too loud" outside after 9.

What could they do? They said they will be contacting the police and all.

Answer: Get some Goo-Gone or any other solvent cleaner, and a razor blade, and scrape the goop off. If they keep doing it, let the police know someone's vandalizing cars with strong adhesives, but don't expect too much to come of it.


Title: Could I get in trouble

Question:
This is in Massachusetts.

My sister died a few weeks ago without a will or anything .  we have no other family, she  did however have a wife that she was estranged from who lived in another state that does not recognize gay marriage.  She was very ill and on disability so all her money came from the government. In addition to her owing me money I cleaned out my savings account to pay for her funeral.

If I were to discover she had money in her bank account and took it out with her ATM card that I have the PIN for could I be in trouble.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Yes, that would be theft. You have no legal authority to access her bank account and withdraw funds. Answer #2: >  who lived in another state that does not recognize gay marriage.

[Yeah, about that...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obergefell_v._Hodges)


Title: Is my landlord obligated to fix the disappearing water pressure in my apartment?

Question:
Often the running water in my new apartment will disappear completely for 5+ minutes.

When checking out the unit apartment, I turned on some faucets which seemed to have good water pressure. I asked the landlord if there were any issues with water pressure and he said no. First week of renting I went to turn on the kitchen faucet and no water came out. Thought maybe there was a burst pipe in the neighborhood or maintenance being conducted. I asked the landlord and he informed me that if someone else in the 5 unit building is showering or using a lot of water, the rest of the units can have really low pressure. Sometimes it still trickles out, but often it will stop completely for 5–10+ minutes.

My landlord told me I "needed to get a feel for the other tenant's schedules". Impossible.

This can be a real inconvenience when trying to wash dishes, shower before work, flush a toilet, etc.

My question is: since the water isn't out 100% of the time, do me and the other tenants have any leverage to get the landlord to fix this problem? I'd think reliable running water is obligated by the landlord, but maybe not. I live in Cleveland, Ohio.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Answer:
 A shower in Ohio is required to have a flow rate of 3 gallons per minute (gpm) and 8 pounds per square inch (psi) as seen [here](http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4101%3A3-6), and your sink should have a flow of 2.5 gpm at the same 8 psi.

Ohio law states that :The water distribution system shall be designed, and pipe sizes shall be selected such that under conditions of peak demand, the capacities at the fixture supply pipe outlets shall not be less than shown in Table 604.3.

Cleveland Building and Housing is the housing authority you fall under and can be reached at (216) 664-2282, and I think they might be interested in the fact that your landlord is failing to supply potable water to his tenants.


Title: florida, do i have to give my fingerprints when i get arrested?

Question: do i have to consent to give my fingerprints if i get arrested, can i refuse? what happens if i refuse? what kind of trouble will it get me in and will they take them anyway?

Answer:
 > do i have to give my fingerprints when i get arrested?

Yes.

> do i have to consent to give my fingerprints if i get arrested

Yes, but they will take your fingerprints anyway.

> can i refuse?

Yes, but they will take your fingerprints anyway.

> what happens if i refuse?

They will take your fingerprints anyway.

> and will they take them anyway?

Yes.


Title: Please help. No power of attorney; boyf blackmailing me

Question: I am in desperate need of advice. I have been with my boyfriend for over a year. My dad got dementia and we didn't get any power of attorney set up on time. By the time we enquired about it, it was too late, and my brother who is a qualified accountant took over the accounts to make sure dads bills were paid esp as we needed to pay for 24 hour care. Dad's dementia advanced and we had to move him to a home. It was a difficult time. I have had to trust my brother as he has control of my dad's money. Sadly I have a much bigger problem. My boyfriend threatens to call bank or tell authorities that we don't have power of attorney whenever we argue so much that I say I want to leave our relationship. What can I do? I can't live like this any longer. I'm in the UK.

Answer:
 If your father is mentally incompetent then someone should be appointed as his guardian, probably your brother by the sound of it.  Find a local lawyer. I wouldn't think it would be that expensive unless someone is going to argue he's competent or fight about who should be guardian.

Then you should find a new boyfriend.

I'm not a lawyer. Sorry your dad is doing poorly. Answer #2: >It was a difficult time. I have had to trust my brother as he has control of my dad's money.

If no one has went through the proper legal channel, your brother and/or you need to consult an attorney and walk through the process of having someone legally established as his guardian.

This happens all the time, and it is not the end of the world.

>My boyfriend threatens to call bank or tell authorities that we don't have power of attorney whenever we argue so much that I say I want to leave our relationship

Y'all aren't enriching yourselves from his funds correct? You have simply been paying his bills from his funds? What are you worried about?

Regardless, you have been doing this for awhile. You can't unwrite the past.

You need to break up with the boyfriend and not date people with so little integrity in the future. If he calls the cops and something comes of it, get an attorney.


Title: Apartment parking lot harassment

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Yes file a police report and get your own camera. And take the issue up with the office. Personally I would hide some where and catch them in the act with video.Don't confront them but follow and call the cops.


Title: I work at a privately owned Mcdonalds in California. I broke the the creamer machine while I was cleaning on accident. Cool manager told me the higher up boss was pissed and wanted to charge me. How legal is this?

Question:
And What should i tell them if they mention it.

It was purely accidental. Pushed ice cream machine in back in its place after cleaning it, causing it to knock down the creamer machine.

Answer:
 [It's not at all legal unless the employer can demonstrate the breakage was the result of gross negligence, dishonesty, or an intentional act](http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_deductions.htm). (Scroll down to 2A).

If the employer tries to charge you via payroll deduction, you can complain.  It is illegal to retaliate against you for such a complaint, but it is very hard to prove.  So proceed carefully if you want to keep the job.


Title: Spouse's co-worker killed by Navajo Nation police in motor vehicle accident on Navajo Nation. He was T-boned by the police officer and died on scene. Police are not releasing information on the matter, so we're concerned with cover up. What other avenues can we pursue to retrieve information?

Question:
The occupant that was a killed was a white male (non-native).
The accident occurred on the Navajo Nation reservation.  The co-worker was proceeding to turn left onto a highway but was t-boned by the police officer.  This intersection is equipped with red-green light signals.  What we don't know is if the co-worker was proceeding on a green light or a red light.  We also don't know if the officer had his lights on or if he proceeded through the intersection with caution.
We've contacted the local newspapers to retrieve information, but they've contacted the police department and they aren't releasing any information.  We're concerned that the officer may be at fault and that the Navajo Nation police department is trying to cover up.

Is this a matter where other resources could be involved where it was the person killed was non-native?  I've heard of the FBI getting involved with homicides and other crimes on the rez if it involves a non-native.

Accident occurred 12/31/17

Thank you for your help.

Answer:
 In my jurisdiction, it would not be unusual for an accident report in a fatality to be six to ten weeks in preparation: witness statements, checking over each vehicle, checking the lights for proper operation, autopsy and toxicology review, etc. Expecting results in two or three days, particularly over a holiday, is simply unrealistic.

Wait until the actual report comes out, and then if you are still concerned take that report to an attorney specializing in accident litigation. It is possible that the FBI or other agencies may get involved, yes; it would not be terribly unusual for the FBI to be involved in the accident investigation itself, since local law enforcement was party to the accident.


Title: If I’m correct, there would be no crime committed if a 20 year old had sex with a 17 year old consensually, in a state with an age of consent of 16?

Answer: Correct, though some states impose a higher age in certain contexts. Like teachers or people in positions of authority. There are also other laws that can criminalize conduct with people under 18 related to sex. Like laws around child porn.


Title: My private information is listed on a site without my consent what to do?

Question:
Hey,

&#x200B;

A site somehow collected my information and is now displaying my personal address, phone number and email on their site. I've tried contact both the host and the domain registrar and neither of them are willing to assist in taking it down.

&#x200B;

Is there any legal channels I can do to take the information down?

&#x200B;

Thanks!

Answer: All of those things are public information. So no.


Title: [Texas] Keyed someone's car. Resolved without charges being filed. Being asked to move out by apartment complex due to "criminal conduct". Legal?

Question:
The title explains the big points. Now, obviously, keying someone's car is a criminal act (the value in this case is under 500, so misdemeanor B vandalism) but if no charges are filed, is the apartment management still able to kick me out with cause? The clause in the lease that they're citing reads as follows:

> PROHIBITED CONDUCT. You and your occupants or guests may not engage in the following activities: criminal conduct; behaving in a loud or obnoxious manner; disturbing or threatening the rights, comfort, health, safety, or convenience of others (including our agents and employees) in or near the apartment community; [insert ~5 other things that can't possibly relate]; or injuring our reputation by making bad faith allegations against us to others.

Now, there are two things that I see that could possibly apply, but I see possible ways to avoid both of them.
1) the "criminal conduct" part is the obvious one. But, what is the legal definition of criminal conduct? does it require charges to be filed, or can it simply occur with nobody reporting it? and if the latter, then what prevents a landlord or property manager from attempting to evict a tenant due to jaywalking?
2) the reference to "disturbing or threatening the rights, comfort, health, safety, or convenience of others" could apply, but it seems like far too broad of a definition to carry any weight in this case, no? again, this seems like something that could allow the landlord to evict a tenant for something as simple as forgetting once to turn down their radio while driving through the community.

At this point, I plan on moving out anyway, so this isn't about fighting to stay, but I don't want to have the black mark of being told to move out on my rental history, as I know the kind of effect that can have.

Any help/advice, folks?

Answer:
 You DID engage in criminal conduct.

The fact that no charges were pressed does not reduce the criminality of the conduct.


Title: Scammed when I signed a gym membership please help! (Michigan)

Question:
Here's the story:  When I was at the bar one day I filled out a random raffle ticket for a motorcycle.  I've never actually done it before but I figured it couldn't hurt.  A week or two later I got a call saying that I was a second place winner. The lady on the phone told me I won a weekend stay at a hotel for free and 2 years free membership at a gym.  She told me the only day I could redeem these prizes was that day and I would need to go to the gym to redeem them.  So I asked my boss if I could come into work 30 mins late so that I could stop by the gym and collect my prizes.
When I got to the gym called Family Fitness, they had me sign in and write my promo code the lady gave me on the phone.  I noticed about 15 other names above mine that wrote the same thing with different codes.  Once in her office she proceeded to go on and on about membership.  I toured the place and thought it was nice.  She explained that in order to get the weekend free I would need to sign up.  She then told me it wasn't completely free because I needed to pay a service fee of 8 dollars per person and the prize was for 2 people.  I understood that it was just a way to get me in the door but I was already looking for a local gym so I figured it would be a good idea to sign up.  Before signing however she hustled me into 24 a month so that I could have a guest pass that could go there anytime even without me.  The 24 was a premium membership with a bunch of perks I honestly didn't need.  She also told me she would give me a month free.  But we agreed on it because I was going to be late for work and I stupidly signed the contract she presented and put my credit card on there for automatic payments.  She then wrote something in there after, gave me my copy, and I left feeling actually good.
Once I got home however I noticed that she wrote in 3 years instead of 2 and also I did not receive a free month.  I then looked them up online only to find that there are many others who have the same situation.  The BBB gave them an F and they had 34 complaints last year about them.
Here are some of the terms found on the back of the contract:

-Buyer shall not be relieved of his or her obligations to make payment herein agreed to, and no deduction or allowance from any said payments shall be made, by reason of the absence or withdrawal of Member from the fitness center or by reason of Member's failure to attend or use the fitness center.
-No contract can be cancelled at club of enrollment, club personnel have no authority to cancel contracts
-This contract is executed in the State of Michigan and shall be interpreted in accordance with the Statutes of the State of Michigan and to extent preempted, by the federal law of the United States.  If any particular provision of this contract shall be deemed invalid, the balance of this Contract will remain in full force.
-This Covers the entire agreement between you and Seller.  No prior discussion, agreements, and understandings are of any effect.  This contract can only be modified by an instrument in writing signed by both parties.  The Seller can waive or delay enforcing its rights under the Contract without losing them.
-Member's right to cancel:  If by reason of death or permanent disability, the buyer is unable to continue the membership, buyer or buyer's estate shall be relieved from the obligations of this contract, and if buyer has prepaid any sum for training, that amount shall be promptly refunded.  Should members) permanently move their residence more than 35 miles from an affiliated area, payment on this agreement will be SUSPENDED upon payment of an appropriate cancellation fee of $75.00 and legitimate verification of the move with 30 days written notice.  Activation fees are still due for medical and relocation cancellation.  Member agrees to follow club rules as promulgated from time to time.  Violation of the rules may be the cause for suspension or cancellation of membership.

(for the last section it has a tiny check box and an area for initials but I was never asked to initial or check there)

My parents live on the other side of the state so I can say that I'm moving in with them.  But I don't know if I can fight this contract in court or not and if I do cancel, I don't know if suspended means it's actually over.  Could I say that I was under duress because I was late for work?  Please help me

Answer:
 1. Under Michigan law you may have a 3-day right to cancellation. Invoke it ASAP, especially if you're within 3 days.

http://www.michigan.gov/ag/0,4534,7-164-17337_20942-44718--,00.html

2. What is the name of this bait and switch gym? You should cancel your contract in writing immediately and tell your credit card to stop payment on the gym and they are NOT authorized to make ANY future payments. If your credit card will not honor that, terminate that card ASAP and get a new one.

3. Talk to an attorney. Consider suing them for consumer fraud and anything else the attorney can think of. If there's a violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, attorneys will take those cases on a contingency basis (free to you).

4. Contact the Michigan AG: it's possible they have a lawsuit against these guys and you could be a part of it.

5. Lastly, I have found using social media can be helpful. Post to the FB site: I seem to have some trouble cancelling my gym membership, can you folks help me out? Don't lie or defame them but nicely ask for help in ending your contract. There seems to be a mistake over the years...I didn't get my free month....etc.

6. This contract drips of fraud so just to say "it's valid and you're stuck" is bullshit. Nothing is that simple. You can even sue them in small claims to get out of it.


Title: Bought a new construction house that was misrepresented to me

Question:
So I recently made a deal to purchase two townhouses in Orlando in a resort community that were in the process of being built by DR Horton.

I purchased one in February of 2016 while the second was being built.

I was assured the townhouses were identical and the one being built was going to be the exact same.

Both before and after this contract was signed, I was assured by the sales manager from the builder that the townhouses were going to be exactly the same.

I purchased the first one no problem and no issues. The second one I just closed on yesterday and found out they had swapped the stainless steel appliances for black appliances, downgraded a bunch of the lighting fixtures, and installed a mini pool rather than a spa in the backyard (Missing whirlpool jets). These are only the differences I have noticed.

Turns out, in the contract, they snuck in some language regarding the appliances were to be black in the second house and SS in the first house but was unable to find anything related to the lighting fixtures, pool, or any other potential downgrades.

Turns out, the sales manager who was my only contact from the builder didn't even know these downgrades were happening until a few weeks before our closing yesterday. He maintains he is very sorry and his hands are tied and the builder was not wiling to compensate us for this lack of communication and bait and switch sales tactic.

As they had a $50k deposit, the builder threatened to keep if we didn't close yesterday, we were backed into a corner and closed on the second townhouse with the downgrades.

The sales manager claimed ignorance, my agent claimed ignorance, and now we are left with a townhouse lacking several of the features we thought we were paying for and feel like we severely overpaid for the house.

What recourse, if any, do you think we would have? I am thinking there is between $5k-$15k worth of downgrades in the house and it seems as though the builder, DR Horton, had a lack of communication from the higher up decision makers to the sales manager who was assuring me everything would be the exact same.

Answer: You said yourself that the contract mentioned black appliances, so that's likely the end of that. What did the contract say about the other items, such as fixtures and the pool? Did the contract guarantee you a hot tub with jets?


Title: Squatters living in pestilence, does the neighborhood have any recourse?

Question:
Location: Missouri, USA. Kansas City specifically.

I am absolutely at my wit’s end so excuse me if this is rushed. Obviously really upset.

My parents live in the inner city, and our next door neighbor growing up passed away before he sold us/gave us his worthless property. He meant to, but passed unexpectedly.

So, 2 relatives of the deceased moved into the already-collapsing house. They don’t work, so they were using a generator for heat, which ended up burning a hole in the roof and rendering the inside of the house completely unlivable.

Not that that’s stopped them! They live in the backyard. The male spends his wealth of free time screaming at the female, who is elderly. Ever since they’ve infested the backyard, rodents have spread to the neighboring homes. It’s filthy, obviously.

I’ve reported it and reported ad nauseum to the city. They give the squatters court date after court date, and nothing happens.

Final straw today was an image my mom texted me. Another vagrant has joined the party, and brought his RV and massive pile of garbage to the mix.

I need them out. Why does the neighborhood have to be infested with filth and rodents because the city’s too lazy to do anything?

We’ve been dealing with this for literal years. What can I do? I appreciate you reading this and sorry for being hysterical.

Answer: Set up an appointment with your city councillor. Bring photos. Bring a couple of examples of code enforcement's non-response. Ask them for help getting city agencies to do their jobs.


Title: My church is forcing people to sing against their will

Question: At my church the youth group (6th grade - 12th grade) is forced to sing.Some of the group enjoys singing but i don't. They have gone to extreme measures to force me to sing. the youth director is my principal at my school.He has threaten to change all my grades if i don't get up and sing. He has gone as far as to threaten to take away my scholar ship for 20k if i don't sing.They have draged a 6th grader up there who has autism while he kicked and screamed.The latest thing they have done is bring all the kids who don't sing together and scream at them that they will go to hell if they don't sing.They lied to the parents about what happened  every time.The autistic kid broke a leg because they dragged him up the stairs and about why the kids were crying about no wanting to go to hell. Please help.

Answer:
 If they are hurting kids, you can make an anonymous report to CPS

Edit to ask what do your parents have to say about this?Answer #2: A school principal cannot change your grades for out of school activities. And cannot affect a scholarship issued by another body.

If you believe children are mistreated contact CPS. If your school staff are attempting to fraudulently alter your grades escalate with the district.

You could also stop attending this group. Answer #3: Georgia is a one party consent state for audio recordings. This means that if you are part of a conversation, you can record it without telling the other person. One way to do this would be on your cell phone if you have one, or you can buy a small audio recorder at most large electronics stores. You would legally be able to record the principal threatening you and then later you could share that recording with your parents to prove to them what's happening. Answer #4: Is this an independent church (many Baptist churches), or part of an organized denomination, like Presbyterian, Methodist, or Nazarene? If the latter, then there is almost certainly a district or diocese leader who oversees multiple churches. This is something I'd take to a district leader. There's no excuse for this kind of behavior. It's not even biblical.

I'd also consider talking to the school board, although it sounds like this might be a church or denomination-run school.Answer #5: If you or others are being assaulted (physically dragged may count), you can call the police or, as someone else suggested, CPS.

Edit: could you discretely take video while any of this is happening?Answer #6: call the police immediately, end of story.


Title: Landlord forcing roomate of opposite gender

Question:
Ok guys so I was wondering if there's any argument here. My girlfriend is in college in Connecticut. She lives in a 4 story house right off the edge of campus. Not owned by the school. Forst two floors are boys from college. Third floor is girls from college. Top floor is just her. The landlord has informed her that a random male may be moving in her floor. It's making her very uncomfortable. He is around twice her age and would be living there with just her and nobody else on the floor. Floor is an open layout with small rooms for beds. They would share all open common kitchen space and even a single bathroom. Basically she is super uncomfortable which is pretty justified in my opinion. We both assumed that the landlord would keep it to students of the same sex. Or worst case a male of similar age that also attende the college. Clearly assuming before signing a lease wasn't the smartest. Is there any laws regarding her consent that apply here or is she screwed? Landlord has no affiliation to the school as far as I know.

Thanks -Mitch.

Answer:
 > We both assumed that the landlord would keep it to students of the same sex.

Don't assume. If you have specific requirements, make sure they are included in the language of the lease. Answer #2: So, you're wanting the landlord to discriminate against a prospective tenant because of gender...... Put the shoe on the other foot. How would you feel if she was told she couldn't rent an affordable, convenient place because she was female?


Title: Being asked to testify against my sister. SC

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer:
 So by wiping and destroying the hard drives, you've committed a serious crime. How could you possibly think that was a good idea?!

If you are simply asked to testify against your sister, you can say no. If you are subpoenaed to testify against your sister, you HAVE to. If you're subpoenaed and refuse to testify, you will be held in contempt.

She broke the law. There is nothing you can do, other than pay for a damn good lawyer, to help your sister at this point. And wiping and destroying the hard drives actually did MUCH more harm than good for her and yourself, so you're already off to a terrible start.

Be sure to hire your own lawyer as well for when you're charged with destruction of evidence.Answer #2: >  Today I wiped and physically destroyed the hard drives from her and my computers to secure them

You'll be charged with a felony for that.  Your first step now is hiring your own criminal defense attorney.  It's also possible that they'll think you were colluding with your sister, so you could potentially be facing all of the same charges she does now.

> I'm thinking of not even going

Refusing to report under subpoena is contempt of court, they'll throw you in jail for that too

> but if I do what should I say to keep her out of jail? Just give good character statements?

You must answer all questions asked truthfully.  You cannot refuse to answer (unless it would incriminate you personally), and failing to do that is *also* a crime.  Are you noticing a pattern here?


Title: UPDATE: (Florida) Can a third party get a restraining order on someone's behalf?

Question:
https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/43b8j3/florida_can_a_third_party_get_a_restraining_order/

His girlfriend has started to harass me. On my birthday I was grocery shopping and I happened to see him so I waved at him and he waved back. She saw and freaked out.

Since then she's been messaging me on Facebook and sending me hate mail. She's also threatening to find out what company I work for and have me fired.

I have to keep following him on Facebook and Twitter it's the only thing that helps my anxiety(yes I'm medicated but it's a fine balance).

Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 Block him, block her, ignore both of them, go to a counselor, and move on with your life. Watching him from afar isn't good for you, it's only causing you more trouble. Answer #2: > a lot my anxiety is related to him being ok.

This is toxic and you need to find a way to end it. What you don't need is a way to keep doing it but have the girlfriend leave you alone. It's no surprise she's gone crazy on you.


Title: (NE) Is it legal to pump breastmilk in public/semi-public (like in a car)?

Question:
Okay, so this is a weird question, but it's been bugging me.

I exclusively pump breastmilk for my baby.  Since I can't actually 'nurse', feeding her in public is easy.  I just give her a bottle of pumped milk.

There have been quite a few times where we've been out during my normal pumping schedule, and I need to find somewhere to pump.  These are times when going home is *not* an option, by the way.

I have a car adapter thing so that I can pump in my car, but it really sucks because I'm paranoid the entire time that someone is going to send the police knocking on my window, and I'll get a ticket.  I try to cover up as much as I can, and would continue to do so even if it is totally legal- so I'm not trying to make a statement or anything like that.  Just need to empty my boobs!

Pumping in the car sucks, but really there isn't much of an alternative besides sitting in a public bathroom stall.

Anyways, I tried googling and couldn't find anything that specifically addressed pumping in public or in a car.  Is it legal?  A grey area?  Could I get a ticket or be arrested for some sort of indecent exposure if I came across an officer who was for some reason opposed to it?

Thanks!

Answer:
 Yes, it's legal. If you're employed at a place with at least 50 employees, they have to provide a private space (besides a bathroom) to pump ([29 USC 207(r)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/29/207)).

Honestly though, if you're nearby a ToysRUs or BabysRUs they have dedicated lactation rooms that are nice, clean, and have a comfortable chair. You don't even need to shop there; just pop in and do your business and get out. There was one in the shopping center we went to every other week, so my wife liked feeding our twins there when we were out, even when we weren't getting baby stuff.


Title: my cousin assaulted me and broke my phone. What do I do now that he is arrested?

Question: Hello. I'm a 17 year old girl in Louisiana. Yesterday my cousin and me got in a verbal fight and then he pushed me, took my phone, and slammed it on the ground. The back of it is coming off and the top doesnt work (front camera, where you hear people when you're calling) and im not sure if anything else is broke or is going to break yet because the back is still coming apart. I called the police and told them what happened and they took him to jail for assault and because he destroyed my property. He has been arrested for domestic violence before too. He had initially left and then came back ( idk if it was because he saw the police cars or he was coming back to do something else) What should I do? Will I have to go to court? Do I need to go to the police station? I have video of him throwing my phone and harassing me. I want him to go to jail because im tired of him taking advantage of my grandma and harassing my family. He said to me he has friends in high places and he will have me arrested for taking video of him.

Answer:
 >He said to me he has friends in high places and he will have me arrested for taking video of him.

Yeah don't worry about that. Louisiana is a single party consent state (this means that you can legally record a conversation you are a part of without the other person's consent) so you should be safe if you were there for the recording and consented to it. (obviously this is the case if you took the recording yourself)

If you can't get him to agree to fix it for you then you will have to fix it or replace it yourself and sue him in small claims court for the cost.

If he was arrested for it and it mentions him breaking your phone on the police report it should be a pretty open and shut case. Judge will award you the value of replacing the phone.


Title: I signed a contract for a gig paying $25/hr. A week into the job, employer says it was a mistake and will be paying $20/hr instead. I remind him of the contract, and he says fine, but if you cash this check, I'm never hiring you again.

Question: It's hard to get hired outside of this agency in my field of work, so he has the upper hand. But this seems just wrong and I want justice. What legal cases/claims I can make against the agency?

Answer:
 Assuming you live in an " at will" state, they don't have to hire you again once your contract ends. Answer #2: Justice because they won't hire you again? Do you think you have some right to work for this person or they are somehow obligated to hire you again?
Answer #3: Would you feel better if he said "Hey, I know your contract is 25/hr but I'm not comfortable with that. How about you amend that to 20/hr. If you do, I will consider you for other work in the future."?

Its shitty either way for you, but thats essentially whats happening. The clear issue? This employer is a douche who is trying to use the "promise" of future unguaranteed work to underpay you now.

Your call.

I would seize control of the means of production if I were you. Answer #4: The second you argued with him about the contract your decision is made. Start looking for other work and cash the checkAnswer #5: Cash the check and move on? What would even you hope to get out of this? Answer #6: You're not entitled to another contract.

This absolutely legal.

You can accept the renegotiation or you can just start looking for a new contract after this one.Answer #7: In the contract, is there a term or length of employment? If not...you’re screwed, either take the $20 and keep your job or cash the check and hope for the best.