Title: “Least Stressful” Legal Career?

Question:
Good afternoon!

I know this is a stupid question, but hear me out.

I’m currently a 2L exploring different areas of law, and I wish to seek a career that will let me “live my life” instead of “live my career”. I have ADHD along with anxiety/depression (working on it), and want to find a career that (1) will provide adequate money and (2) will not consume my joy. Because of this, I’ve ruled out any public/criminal work.

So far, I’ve looked into:

-Commercial real estate law (my father practices this, so I may be at a client advantage in the future)

-Sports law (I’m personable, and would enjoy capitalizing on the new NCAA athlete decision….although I’m not familiar with everyday duties of sports lawyers)

-Corporate law (again, not really sure of everyday duties)

-Litigation (eh, maybe)

Any advice from folks familiar with these areas of law or the work/life balance that entails from them is welcomed. I know practicing the law is inherently stressful/busy, but I am hoping to minimize stress and maximize my time and happiness to focus on family. As they say though, “If it were easy, everyone would do it.”
Topic:
Update

Answer: Have you looked at government jobs? Pay is usually much lower, but benefits and flexibility are way higher, which you might be into. My buddy and his wife are govvie lawyers and love it.


Title: Comeuppance from ex fiance

Question:
Here goes....

I broke up with my narcissistic ex a little over a year ago, and I want to know of any ways I can seek retribution for any of the various ways in which I was screwed over.  If there are no ways, that's cool, but if there are I'd like to pursue them.

1.  We found ourselves in  need of a car and I cashed my $5000 tax return and he rode with a neighbor and bought the car and put it in his name.  He drove off in it when I broke up with him and uses it as his "company" car.  Am I entitled to part of it, or hell, part of his profits, in this case?  Car is in his name so I couldn't report it stolen...but we were engaged and living together so am I entitled to anything?

2.  We were both on a lease together that we broke.  I, only, am being garnished by former landlord for the months we didn't live there.  Am I entitled to half the money I'm losing since we both were on the lease?  He couldn't be garnished because he's a self employed DJ (lol) but if I'm being garnished for over 4 grand could I sue him for 2 grand and win?

3.  Stole my dog that my parents gave me and my daughter.  He is a $2000 white English lab.  Former owners are stepdads niece....can I have the dog returned or receive money for the dog?

Glad to be rid of his lazy, controlling ass and am in great relationship now, so not trying to be petty, but I financially supported this fucker for almost 3 years and it's been tough dealing with the lost wages from this garnishment and If I can get back any of the 10 grand or so that I'm out from that and the car alone, I'd like to know.

Ps. I'm in Alabama

Answer:
 Item 1 - you would have to have some type of proof that this was not a gift. You were in a long-term relationship and sharing finances so unless you have a text or something where you agree that you are just lending him the money it would be a long hall.

Item 2 - Yes, you can sue him for your damages for his unpaid share of the rents. The landlord went after you because you were the easier one to collect from, you will find the same problem once you win in that you have to hunt down any money he may have to collect it.

Item 3 - As property you can sue for the value of the dog, but again you would have to collect it from him too.


Title: Attractive nuisance clarification. Virginia.

Question:
Hello.  I read through a post here a while back where I was first introduced to the attractive nuisance laws.  It dawned on me some time after that My parents may have an issue.

My parents have a farm in Virginia with a pond.  The pond is about 60 meters from the road, and although it is partially concealed by trees, it is still visible to anyone driving by.  Additionally, there is a tractor access gate right at the point where the pond can be seem from the road.  In the past, we've seen clear evidence of people illegally fishing at our pond, as well as some possible evidence that people have in fact gone swimming (barefoot footprints).

Up till now my dad has seen this as a disrespectful irritation, but I'm wondering if they could get in trouble if a kid were to drown in the pond.  What sorts of conditions would need to be met for that to happen?  The road is not safe to walk along, and the neighbors can not see the pond from their property, and I was under the impression that attractive nuisance applies when it can be reasonably believed that the children passed by a pool (or pond?) on their way somewhere.  I was also under the impression that attractive nuisance only applies to children, as adults should know better.

Perhaps of importance: there is an old barbed wire fence along our property, along with a gate near the pond.  Both of which clearly indicate that they mark off our private property, but which are easily overcome (as many clearly already have).

I really appreciate anyone taking the time to assistance me with this.

Answer:
 I may be wrong, but in Texas dangers that are analogous to natural dangers that a child can/should appreciate (such as a pond) do no qualify as attractive nuisances. It could be different in Virginia - may be worth some research.Answer #2: You have to know or should know that kids are likely to trespass on your property. You know that someone has trespassed, are they kid sized footprints? If so, you might have an issue. If they are not kid sized prints you likely have no liability as the only duty you have to trespassers is to not trap your property. If you put a tiger pit in front of the pond, you will be liable for anyone who falls in.

The other things that you have added lean the other way. It is not near an area where children congregate. The road is not walked on and the neighbors can't see the pond. Unless those barefoot prints are the little feet of kids, you likely don't have much to worry about.


Title: Landlord starting to do monthly inspections. Being very difficult on giving 2 day notice.

Question:
Hey there reddit.

So my landlord is now starting to do monthly inspections of equipment and air filters in the complex I'm living in. He notified all tenants on October 7th that he would be doing so in a vaguely worded letter he placed in our mailboxes. The letter stated the inspections would take place "starting October 12th, or the second or third week each month." As vague as this is, I went to research the requirements a landlord must meet before entering a tenant's apartment. I live in Kentucky, and found this statute:
http://lrc.ky.gov/statutes/statute.aspx?id=35740

October 12th comes around and we take out our air filter so they can inspect it easily (and to have a way to see if anyone actually would come in that day). I get back from work late at night and see that nothing has been touched, the air filter is still out, and the landlord had not done inspections. I do this same routine for two more days and nothing has been inspected.

Seeing that I have a pretty unpredictable work schedule and college classes and don't know when I'll be home each day, I would like to know what day exactly my landlord would be coming ahead of time instead of just waiting around and not knowing. I don't want to come into my apartment one day and unexpectedly have someone in my apartment when I get there.

I text my landlord on Thursday, Oct. 13th if he will will be giving us any kind of notice before he comes in our apartment. He specifically says "No. Not gonna text everyone, but gonna try to do them all on Monday." Frustrated, I send him a link to the statute I found earlier and tell him he is legally obligated to give all tenants a 2 day notice before entering apartments and it would be nice to know exactly when he would be coming. He replies, saying "Ok, then I'll text you on Saturday."

Saturday comes, no text from my landlord.

Yesterday (Sunday) my landlord texts me and says "Sorry, I forgot to text yesterday, but re-read the statute you sent and it says at least 2 days notice. Se me telling you Thursday, we'd be there on Monday, covered that. Anyway, as a courtesy I'm reminding you we'll be doing the inspection tomorrow. Thanks." As a reminder, I had to ask my landlord when they would be doing inspections. He did not inform me on his own, and he said he's "not gonna text everyone."

Another tenant has contacted my landlord concerned about when exactly they would be doing the inspections. The landlord texts him this morning (Monday) and says they will be doing the inspections today. My friend is not pleased and tells the landlord that it's very short notice. My landlord says "technically we gave notice when we gave you the letter." The letter we all received did not specify the exact date ("starting the 12th or second or third week each month"), so I don't see how this can be enough to fulfill the 2 days notice requirement. It's so vague.

I do not want to get on bad terms with my landlord, but I don't think this is acceptable. What action am I able to take? I would like to able to know two days ahead of time when my landlord will be entering my apartment, but my landlord is being difficult about it. I'm really in need of advice.

Answer:
 I had a similar situation with my landlord in California, and I wrote a letter to the property management company saying that if they didn't agree not to enter my unit for their improper "maintenance inspection" then I'd bring them to either the rent board or local courthouse to put a stop to it.  I referenced some websites I found that say California prohibits maintenance inspections.  I'm guessing they don't have rent boards in Kentucky, but the property management company did agree not to enter my unit.  You could try something similar.

The problem is that if you annoy your landlord too much they'll just throw you out when your lease is up..... a problem I didn't have to worry about because my place is rent-controlled.  But I think that if you write a nice-ish threatening letter you might end up in the clear.


Title: [WI] Landlord Limiting Heat (Harassment?) - Looking for Insight, Details, Suggestions

Question:
I fell for the buddy-buddy relationship with my landlord when I first signed the lease for an apartment that to this day, I really like. He promised to "never raise rent" and provided an example of a tenant that lived in my apartment building for 10 years without an increase.  He said he wants to maintain long-term tenants.

I haven't had a single issue with him aside from heat, and indeed, he's kept true to his word; I've paid $775 per month (heat/water included) for 2.5 years. At this point, I think the market value of the apartment is probably at least $850-900, especially given the included heat. I should note that given his carefree nature, the lack of issues I've had with him (aside from heat) and his appearance of caring and being a friend, I forgot/didn't concern myself with resigning a lease for this year, so technically I'm living under a lapsed lease.

However, both last year and this year the apartment very often averages 64-67 degrees, which is just cold enough to be pretty uncomfortable. I've notified him often, and he blames it on a faulty boiler and issues with heat getting all the way to the top floor. Indeed, twice the boiler broke down in the middle of winter. As he seems down to earth and extremely nice, laid back and friendly, I've always "worked with him" to get the heat fixed. Last year, he took me for a ride in his prop plane as sort of an apology for the heat issues. On the trip, I remember him noting that apartments in the area rent for $850 per month. He said a new boiler would be installed this year.

This year's cold season rolls around and again, and once again, heat is only at a maximum of 67, and usually closer to 64/65. This time after contacting him, he's been saying things like "65 isn't that bad" (over text) and "hope you're locking your windows". It was now that I finally came to, realized that it's likely not a mechanical issue, realized that if he can maintain heat in the dead of winter but not in October that he's limiting heat, and realized your landlord is under no circumstances a friend. I've lived in far crappier apartments paying far less than $775, and never had issues with heat.

As I didn't re-sign a lease, I figured going the route of housing inspector may cause him to lash out, try to get me evicted in 28 days (lapsed lease tenant) or a host of other issues I don't want to deal with. To just get the issue fixed, I told him I know he's in a tight spot between rapidly rising rental rates in the area (higher assessments/taxes), heating an old building and keeping his word about not increasing rent. I told him I'd pay an extra $25 year round and an extra $75 Nov. thru Feb. if he can raise the temperature a few degrees. Perhaps not surprisingly, his exact response was "I just got on a plane and will be home tomorrow! I'll take a look at it :)".

I guess I'm torn between being feeling happy that the issue will be fixed and I'm still paying below market rents even with the increase, and feeling enraged that he's limiting heat purposefully, basically using harassment as a form of turnover and doesn't have the balls to just level with me about rental rates.

I have a couple of questions:

1) Is this fairly typical?

2: How strict are the laws regarding harassment?

3) Any thoughts/recommendations about how to handle this going forward? I guess I don't think he will bother me with heat this year and possibly the next, but I obviously can't know for sure.

4) Does anyone have knowledge about how multi-family boilers work (possibly a dated setup)? I know one other tenant has mentioned the cold as well. I'm not sure if he is limiting heat to only my apartment or the complex as a whole. I mentioned in my message that I can't speak for the other tenants but I'm sure they'd be more open to a rental increase than he might think if he can level with them, despite any promises of no rental increases. Seems to me he runs his business in a very short-sighted way.

Thank you very much if you read through all of this, I really appreciate it.

EDIT: I believe minimum legal temperatures for Wisconsin are 67 degrees, and it is regularly under 67. Not low enough to uninhabitable, but it's pretty uncomfortable.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 This isn't harassment.  His oral "promise" not to raise the rent is unenforceable (and should have been a red flag) and you have no lease.  If he wanted to get rid of you or raise the rent, he could do so just by giving you proper notice.  He's just cheap.

If you report him, eventually, when enough time has passed for it not to be seen as retaliatory, he will either raise the rent or evict you.  So your options are moving, or working with him as you have proposed.  Answer #2: Check your city ordinances for minimum temperatures. For example, from [Hudson](https://ecode360.com/9773143#9773192)'s municipal code:

> Heating facilities. Every dwelling shall have heating facilities which are properly installed, are maintained in safe and good working condition and are capable of safely and adequately heating all habitable rooms, bathrooms and water closet compartments in every dwelling unit located therein to a temperature of at least 70° F. at a distance of 30 inches above floor level under ordinary minimum winter conditions.

If your unit isn't up to code, you can call your city's code enforcement office to have a look at it, or send a demand letter to your landlord citing the specific code being violated and demanding a resolution. However, this is dicey: if the unit is not legally habitable, and your landlord doesn't address it, you may be forced out - either by the city, or by your landlord refusing to renew your tenancy. Your approach of negotiating is a lot less likely to lead to the end of your tenancy, but I would be very tempted to make sure the specific temperature you're seeking and the rate you're paying are in writing, at minimum.


Title: Ohio - Mandatory to pay employee vacation time after they are no longer employed?

Question:
I have over 50 vacation hours that I've earned and saved up at my current job. However, I will most likely be looking for new employment in the next few months. Is it required for the employer to payout the earned vacation hours to an employee if they quit/get fired?

Thanks!

Answer: In Ohio the law is that the employer must have a clear policy that vacation will be forfeited otherwise it must be paid. If the policy says it must be paid or there is no policy, then it must be paid.


Title: Dad died and I got the house, sort of. Now I need to get out fast. Can I just leave the house?

Question:
I'm in NC. My dad died a few years ago and I (the only child) came out to take care of everything. I was completely naive and thought I would fix up his house "for" him, in his memory, and moved in with that intent, making payments on his mortgage while leaving it in his name. Now I've sunk money into the house but due to a car accident leaving me sans transportation, a speedy exit is my only real option.

I got an offer of 53k on the house. Believing 40-45k was left on the mortgage, I went to double check with the bank that holds it. Nope! 51k, which will turn into a 53k bill. The offer I got was a wash.

Now, here is the option I am considering out of desperation: I have bought a lot of nice things for the house - new appliances, supplies for remodeling, a new heat pump even - I was thinking of selling them, to make what I can back, and abandoning the property/letting the bank take it back. Would I get in trouble for doing this, or is this a viable option for me since the house is still in his name?

Answer:
 If the house isn't in your name then how do you intend to sell it, forgery?

INAL but you should probably be talking to one about this. It doesn't sound like you properly took care of his estate.


Title: Whooping cough miss information - children exposed to illness that could have been prevented by clinic. Oregon

Question:
**TLDR Clinic never informed the mother that handles all the medical information of the house about the grandmothers whooping cough. Now kid has it and is very ill, second kid (younger sibling) is at risk as well.**

My SO's ex's parents (the grandparents) live across the street from her, they don't speak english and can barely communicate in their own language. My SO has been handling their medical records and information because like many other reasons the ex is an ex for a reason and doesn't even take care of his own parents.

They're constantly just walking into her place and using her stuff, during the day only though because they don't have a key. She was okay with them being around for a while because it kept the ex somewhat level headed and hands free.

The clinic knew a week ago that the grand mother has whooping cough and didn't inform my SO. Even though she's the one responsible for their medical records. Now her daughter has it and is severely ill.

Is there someone that we should talk to? IDK where to go with this, but I feel like something was done wrong here. Now she has to pay 400$ per kid for an extremely painful medical procedure and we don't have that kind of money to throw around. It's been paid for but that's going to hold back the move that we were planning for this summer to get her out of the hell-hole she lives in.

Edit: for the people asking about POA, she has a hippa contract with the clinic that states she's to be informed and handle all the stuff for them as they're not capable themselves. (thought it was understood above with the whole, "She handles their medical, because they can't type deal" but details are details)

Answer:
 > The clinic knew a week ago that the grand mother has whooping cough and didn't inform my SO. Even though she's the one responsible for their medical records.

I'm not sure of the actual arrangement here but it's probably more of the responsibility of the grand mother to inform your SO she had whooping cough, not necessarily the clinic.

Also you get a Tdap immunization.  That covers whooping cough.Answer #2: Here's the thing with whooping cough, the grandmother was contagious 24-48 hours before she even showed a single symptom. Chances are good the children were infected before she had a diagnosis. Sorry about the kids, though. My daughter had it when she was tiny and I've never seen a more miserable baby.Answer #3: So you feel the clinic has a legal obligation to tell a non-relative about the grandparents' health? Does your SO have medical power of attorney over these people? Answer #4: > The clinic knew a week ago that the grand mother has whooping cough and didn't inform my SO. Even though she's the one responsible for their medical records.

How is she "responsible" for their medical records? Does she have medical POA over them? Why wasn't she there at clinic/doctors office when the diagnosis was made? Are you saying they never told anyone, including the patient, they were infected?


Title: A prospective tenant is threatening to sue me and report me because I won't let have ESA cats in the townhouse I'm renting. (Washington)

Question:
I apologize for the length. Please bear with me. I have a triplex - 3 townhouses. I live in one and rent out the other 2. I don't allow pets at all in the rental units. After the application and background check I accepted one tenant and when she came to sign the lease she mentioned that she had an ESA cat. I told her that I don't allow pets, even if they have ESA certification. I told her that I don't need to comply with FHA because there are only 3 units and I live in one. She said that I was lying and that she was going to sue me and report me and force me out of business. She accused me of being a hypocrite because I own a cat, and because of that I had to allow pets in the rest of the building otherwise it is discriminatory. I had to threaten to call the police before she would leave. I know her father is an attorney as the check she was going to give me was from her father and it had JD after his name. Do I have to worry about getting successfully sued or fines from the FHA?

Before I get brigaded by pet lovers, let me say that I love my cat. But I have learned to hate every pet owner I've let rent my rental units. I've had to completely redo the interiors on both units multiple times due to pet damage and smells after tenants leave, and I've had to fight to keep the security deposits even though I often spend more repairing than what I get from the deposits. It's just not worth it to me anymore to have pet-friendly rental units. I'm sorry.

Answer:
 If you did have to comply with FHA, she would have to [document her disability request under that law](http://www.tenantsunion.org/pdf/Assistance_and_Service_Animals_for_Tenants_Who_are_Persons_with_Disabilities.pdf), and you would have to allow her cat.

But Federal laws aren't the only ones that can apply.  The City of Seattle and City of Tacoma have their own, as do several other cities and counties.   You're going to have to [figure out which agency might have jurisdiction](http://kingcounty.gov/~/media/exec/civilrights/documents/100Qs.pdf) and find out if they also require you to follow a similar disability accommodation statute.Answer #2: Check the clerk of court for her name as a plaintiff to see if she has done this before.Answer #3: Question for the lawyers. Can he accept the cat but charge an enormous security deposit? Like 7000


Title: Friend bought land, can't build house until he raises the property by 6ft.

Question: [removed]

Answer: Okay. Sounds like he can either pay someone to bring in enough dirt to raise it 6 feet or try to fight the regulations. Guess which one will probably be cheaper?


Title: Dear God help me; I witnessed child porn on Omegle, stupidly recorded it for evidence. What do i do?

Question: I was tolling pedos on omegle and someone popped up molesting their child. I recorded on my sell to report as omegle has no data inventories. I just realized I caused an issue for my self with possessing it. Please help.

Answer:
 Report it, now.Answer #2: > I was tolling pedos on omegle

&#x200B;

Stop doing this.  You're not law enforcement and you're just putting yourself in unnecessary danger.Answer #3: So two options:

*You report it immediately.  You may still be in trouble.  I suspect the sooner is better on showing that you are innocent.

*You don't report it.  You will definitely be in trouble if it is somehow found.

If you report it, maybe go through a lawyer to file the report.

I'm sorry you saw that and even sorrier that some kid had to experience it.


Title: I’m a child, and my parents are getting a divorce. Is there any way I can choose who I want to go with?

Question:
I’m a child (12) and my parents have been talking about divorce for a while. I want to live with my dad. He has a stable job, while my mother is a stay at home mom. My dad is my favorite parent. If I’m put with my mother I am thinking of suicide. She can not provide a loving home, and will probably make me live with my grandmother. Is there any way my wishes will affect the decision of the judge? I live in California, by the way.

Thanks, and I hope somebody can answer.

Answer:
 Don't threaten suicide if you're just being dramatic. It's not going to help you at all and could result in you being placed in the hospital. If you *are* having suicidal thoughts, you should tell your dad immediately so he can take you to a doctor.

With that being said, the judge may wish to speak to you if both parents are requesting custody. You should tell your dad how you're feeling.


Title: Can I be required to give 60 day notice or pay 2 months rent if I am month to month?

Question:
Hi, quick question for you all regarding ending tenancy in an apartment in TX:

I had a 12 month lease which ended ~2 months ago. Now I am trying to leave and move into a house.

Initially I spoke to the apartment management and they  assured me it would not be an issue to leave, although if I gave less than a month of notice I could be subjected to a nominal fee (~300). Now after a bunch of house showings, they are saying not only that my verbal notice the month before did not count, but that if I leave within 60 days from then I would be subjected to over 2 months rent in fees.

 I am confused because since the lease is already completed, how can I be subjected to penalties associated with "breaking/not fulfilling the lease"? The lease does stipulate these conditions, but they refer to leaving in the middle of the lease, not after the fact month to month. This is very problematic for me as the houses I am trying to lease will not be available in 2 months, and none of them I have asked are willing to let me pay to reserve it for that long either.

Any guidance is appreciated, thanks!

Answer: When a lease converts to a month to month tenancy the same notice periods generally carry over with it. Check your lease to see what it says about this though.


Title: [MI, US] Employer offered raise, with a catch

Question:
Hello,

I work as a web developer and like many others, frequently receive recruiting messages via LinkedIn. I happened to respond to one of them, and went through the interview process to the point of getting a job offer. Taking this job would be a ~30% pay raise. I told my boss that I had received the offer, and was very clear that I enjoyed my job here at the company, but 30% is a big jump. He was clearly upset about it. He said that he could not match the raise, but that he thought I'd regret leaving (of course.)

The next day, I had a meeting with him after initially deciding that I would stay at the current job. He said that he was willing to match the offer to keep me, but with the catch that if I left for a different job within the year, I'd have to pay back that extra money to him at a pro-rated schedule of sorts.

I signed the paperwork agreeing to that because I really was happy with the work I was doing, and who doesn't like to get more money for the same amount of work?

Is the agreement legal? More importantly, is it enforceable?

Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 Not legal advice, but take the new job.  It's common for employers to match the offer to keep you around while they search for your replacement, then dump you when they do.

Answer #2: Your wages are due to you at the rate in force when you perform the work. An agreement purporting to allow your boss to reduce your wages after the fact, in any form, _needs_ to be reviewed by a lawyer, as it may well be unenforceable.

Separately, do you want to work for your boss knowing he believes he can hold your raise over your head for a year? This relationship is over. Accept the offer, which doesn't come with this dumb condition, thank your boss for the wonderful time you've had working with him (whether it's true or not - it pays to be kind, mostly), and move on.Answer #3: People who "job hop" usually make significant ly more money over their working life.


Title: What happens if I sell oregano to someone, and tell them it's marijuana? Am I committing a crime?

Question:
This could be a repost, but I want to know. Can I be arrested? Can I be fined? Any help is appreciated. Assume that the person I am selling the oregano to has never come into contact with marijuana.

Location: Chicago, IL

Answer:
 You will get your ass whupped, no one else will find it nearly as funny as you did, and you won't be invited to any of the fun parties.

Source: Freshman Year of High SchoolAnswer #2: Yes, you can be arrested.  It's theft/fraud at a minimum.  It's potentially attempted sale of a controlled substance.  And in some states there are laws against the sale of counterfeit contraband too, so selling something you claim is illegal is also illegal.  Don't do it.  Answer #3: IANAL, but...

[\(b\) It is unlawful for any person knowingly to manufacture, distribute, advertise, or possess with intent to manufacture or distribute a look-alike substance. Any person who violates this subsection (b) shall be guilty of a Class 3 felony, the fine for which shall not exceed $150,000.](http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/methnet/laws_legislation/contsub_04.html)

[Sec. 407. \(a\) (1)(A) Any person 18 years of age or over who violates any subsection of Section 401 or subsection (b) of Section 404 by delivering a controlled, counterfeit or look-alike substance to a person under 18 years of age may be sentenced to imprisonment for a term up to twice the maximum term and fined an amount up to twice that amount otherwise authorized by the pertinent subsection of Section 401 and Subsection (b) of Section 404.](http://www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/methnet/laws_legislation/contsub_09.html)


Title: In States Where The Speed Minimum On Highways Is 65, What About Cars That Cannot Reach 65mph?

Question:
There are older vehicles that can be registered that don't have the ability to reach 65mph. Can drivers of said vehicles get ticketed on those highways for going too slow if their vehicle cannot reach the minimum speed required? For example, I believe this is from Texas http://www.autospies.com/images/users/Agent009/main/Speed_limit_85.jpg

If it is ticketable, could it be circumvented by placing a slow moving vehicle sign on the back of the car?

Answer:
 Of course.
They shouldn't be driving on the highway if they can't reach 65mph.

That's just dangerous .


Title: [MD] Rental is not suitable for children. How can I refuse renters with kids?

Question: Good morning, and thanks in advance for advice. I have a room in a house I want to rent out. I also board dogs there, and we are a very established business. This is absolutely not a suitable environment for kids. I don’t even have my own kid there. How do I avoid getting into the tricky situation of refusing a potential renter with kids?

Answer: I would say something like, “Open to all applicants; however, since dogs are boarded at this residency, it may not a safe environment for children.” This way you aren’t discriminating but you’re also letting parents know that it’s probably not worth their time to apply.


Title: "If you have a green card, your worldwide income must be reported"

Question:
> If you have a green card, your worldwide income must be reported to the U.S. government, even if you remain outside the U.S. for an entire year. Filing a tax return does not necessarily mean that the U.S. government will tax all of your worldwide income. International treaties often regulate whether or not you must pay U.S. taxes on income earned in other countries. There’s a good chance that you’ll get a tax credit against your U.S. taxes for any income tax you pay in another country. Nevertheless, green card holders have to at least report all income they have earned worldwide.

How can I learn if I will not be subject to double taxation? I'm a Turkish citizen and I hold a US green card.

I found this document but I'm not well with legal jargon: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-trty/turkey.pdf

Also, I'm curious, why US government want to know all of your assets outside of US? If you fail to report it, they can fine you up to $50,000 or put you in jail. How is this their business?

Answer:
 If you are a "U.S. person" (which citizens and Green Card holders are) under federal tax law, you may *potentially* have to pay tax on income you earned in foreign countries. However, there is a big exemption (c. $90,000 off the top of my head), and tax treaties as well as credits mean that very few people are subject to double taxation.

You need to report the income on your return, though, to determine if in fact you need to pay U.S. taxes. The U.S. government could hardly know that you owe taxes if you don't report your income! It is most likely that, when reporting all of your income, you will determine that in fact you *don't* owe U.S. taxes on that money.

When completing your return, follow the instructions provided by the IRS for disclosing foreign income and assets. In particular, read through Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, as a starting point. If completing your return becomes too complicated, you will want to seek help from a tax preparer.

> Also, I'm curious, why US government want to know all of your assets outside of US? If you fail to report it, they can fine you up to $50,000 or put you in jail. How is this their business?

You are subject to tax by the United States, since you want the privilege of residing permanently in America. Since you must report your income, you're not allowed to hide it in foreign bank accounts--otherwise the law would be unenforceable.


Title: Moving into a dorm at school, should I take renters insurance out?

Question: I have a lot of assistive tech due to a disability, is it worth it to take out renters insurance? If I don't can I hold the school relibale if someone steals my stuff?

Answer:
 1) This isn't a legal question

2) Renters insurance is always a good idea. It's usually dirt cheap too (like, 10 bucks a month for 25k)

3) The school can't be held liable, usually. It's in their housing contracts usually.


Title: Dog attacked another dog, neither had leashes (California)

Question:
My friend had a dog (small dog) who got attacked by another dog (pitbull) and her dog required medical attention. The owner refuses to pay medical fees for the dog and my friend wants to take them to small claims court.

She lives on an apartment complex and was walking around it with her dog

She lives in Placentia, California

The owner of the pitbull was not present

My friend was present and her younger brother

My friend has voice control of her dog although dog has not attended obedience school

Pitbull is therapy dog for owner

In her area they are not allowed to have American pitbulls

Would greatly appreciate specific ordinances on the case and probability of winning. Thank you so much!

Answer: Ordinance is not an issue here so no one needs to look into that. Your friend sues the owner for the cost of the vet bills in small claims court. It's a pretty straightforward process and she can get the paperwork started today at her local courthouse.


Title: [CA, US] Money was seized in a federal investigation. What options are there?

Question:
Hello, I'm asking this on the behalf of a friend. They are a documented immigrant living in the US, and were sending money from their home country to the US through a bank which had been handling multiple people's money in this way.

It seems that before the money became available to them, it was part of a fraud operation (potentially laundering) and was seized by the federal government in an investigation into the fraud scheme.

My friend has attempted to contact both the FBI and the bank that handled the transfer but was not given any useful information.

If anyone can provide some insight into or resources for how to best handle this situation so that they can be made whole again, that would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks much.

Answer:
 He's not going to get laundered money, period. No way. If this is dirty money he can forget about it.Answer #2: He can hire a lawyer to help navigate things, but he pretty much has to wait until the investigation clears.

Its shady to transfer several times. They are going to want to know where hes getting the money.


Title: [VA] What to do about a lawyer who is ignoring me. Again.

Question:
In January of 2011, my husband was killed in a car accident. He drove into the back of a semi trailer that was stopped (due to mechanical failure) in the road (an interstate). We have a lawyer who took the case, and filed suit on the last day it was possible to file (in 2013). He then did absolutely nothing with it. I was finishing graduate school and didn't keep after him to keep me updated and the case moving.

After I graduated last year (2014) I started asking about the case again. After repeated phone calls and emails, I finally left a message that said that my next call would be to the state bar. That lit a fire under him, and he ended up removing and refiling the case. He is again ignoring me.

What are my options here? I know I can complain to the bar, but I'm not sure what the effect of that would be. I know it is not an easy case, and by now if we did finally get it to court, the people involved will have forgotten some of the key details and who knows where the truck driver is by now. What should I do?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: Get a new lawyer.


Title: [NYC] helping a friend out. She pressed charges on her ex for domestic abuse, and even though he's not supposed to contact her, he did and he manipulated her into sleeping with him again. Will it affect the charges?

Question: After the night that it happened, he left her a voicemail confessing that he lied just to use her. She wants to report the fact that he's been contacting her, but she's afraid that what happened will affect the charges she already has on him. Will it? She wants to get rid of him completely.

Answer:
 If she wants to get rid of him completely, she should stop communicating with him.

Their prohibited contact may affect the charges against him to the degree that the court might question her credibility regarding what domestic violence occurred. Answer #2: Yes. A good defense lawyer will use that at trial or in negotiations with the district attorney to raise questions about whether the domestic abuse occurred.

She needs to stop contacting him.


Title: [WA State] Is my university breaking the law?

Question:
I'm a disabled student and covered under ADA. I went into the hospital while working on a group project back in November. When I was in the hospital, the group emailed the professor and said they didn't want me in their group anymore since I was ill. The professor obliged, and told me not to show up for the final presentation. The students ended up turning in work that was partly theirs but also partly mine, but didn't credit me for it. Now, months later I cannot walk at graduation because I "didn't do the work" in this class. My GPA is 3.85, so otherwise I'm a great student. The administration refuses to investigate my claim of plagiarism, even though 2 of the original 4 other students in the group sent letters of support affirming that I did do the project work.

At one point, the program manager promised (in front of my mother and another administrator) that I would complete my final exam (which I missed because I was told not to come in, remember) and they would waive everything else. Then later he went back on our accommodations agreement. Can he do that? The provost has gotten involved, and I'm being told I must complete an entire project report (the same length/ content as 5 people were originally supposed to do) even though I already did that back in November as part of the group. According to them, my group members witnessing my work is not sufficient because my name is not on the final that was turned in. They have so far refused to investigate the cheating allegations. And if I turn all of this in, I'm still being told I probably won't be allowed to walk at graduation, because it's only a few weeks away now.

Is this legal?

Answer: Just to play devil's advocate, the group members may have felt that they were not going to meet the deadlines if you were hospitalized, and thus requested that they be permitted to move ahead without you. That is definitely not your fault, but they aren't covered under your accommodations, so it does make sense why they might request your removal. Now, as to how you then should be able to fulfill the requirements of the course, they possibly can't just say "take the final and skip the project" because you have to complete the requirements the rest of the class completes. ADA accommodations addresses the ways in which those requirements be met (additional test time, excused absences, etc.) but the requirements have to be met nonetheless. If I were your instructor, I would probably cut the length requirement for an individual project to 1/5th of what the groups had to do. Perhaps they might be willing to make that concession?


Title: (Ohio) Is it legal for the gas company to shut off gas at the main for a whole multi-unit building if one tenant doesn't pay?

Question:
I live in a small multi-unit building, and this has happened multiple times. One neighbor "forgets" to pay his bill, and the gas company shuts the gas off at the main. Our landlord has called the gas company and asked them to call him when this happens so he can let them into the basement where the individual meters are located, but they never do.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 File a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission. In many northern states there are rules against turning off heat/gas in the winter without proper notice let alone if you are paying.

http://www.puco.ohio.gov/puco/index.cfm/consumer-information/consumer-topics/get-help-with-a-complaint/#sthash.XZARNnEk.dpbs

Be short and sweet in the complaint. Something like "I have been paying my bills on time but my gas keeps getting turned off. In my complex each apartment has its own meter. When my gas is turned off my apartment gets to cold to live in safely..." Answer #2: The issue inst really with your neighbor, its with the gas company. If you are paying your bill then they should provide service. File a complain with the agency noted in the other posts.


Title: Is it illegal to sell fake acid without the intent of fraud?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You're going to get murdered for $1,000. Legal issues aside nobody but dealers buy that much and dealers get violent when defrauded.

Source: I am a narcotics officer.


Title: Ex-gf of a tenant threatened to burn down my (landlord) house - how do I keep her away from my property?

Question:
Hi there,

An ex-girlfriend of one of my tenants (multi-bedroom house, renting out each room) had threatened to break several of our house windows, as well as said she would burn down our house. There were several witnesses to this threat.

I don't know how serious she is, so I am taking this seriously.

What legal options do I have to keep her away from my house and make sure she is notified that she is no longer allowed here? E.g. can I get a restraining order (I sometimes live at this house but usually am in another state)?

Answer: Step 1 is call the police and make a report with those witnesses giving statements.  Have you done that?


Title: [USA, GA] Used electronics company sent my phone to an old address. I managed to pick it up, but there were two packages..

Question:
I ordered a used phone from a distributor on Swappa. During the purchase the website pulled outdated shipping information that led to the phone being shipped to an address I don't live at anymore.

I drove all the way to my old address (roughly 200 miles) and was able to pick up the phone, but there were actually two packages there that were addressed to me from the same sender. The second package contained a lot of other phones I didn't order. I checked the shipping label to be sure, but they were definitely addressed to me.

I wasn't sure what to do with them since the company had pretty much ignored all communication with me over the wrong address. I decided I would sell them online to Gazelle, but today I received an email from them asking if I had received an additional package. They went on to say that they want me to send it back to them if I had.

Am I under legal obligation to send them back? Would I be liable for anything if I sold them? I would normally send them back, but I'm at least a little bit annoyed that they ignored me until they realized they needed me to send back their phones and that I had to drive so far to pick up the phone I originally ordered.

Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer:
 > Am I under legal obligation to send them back?

Yes, absolutely. Packages sent to you mistakenly are not your property, unless you want to pay for them.

And before anyone cites that FTC rule, that’s for unsolicited merchandise for which someone is expected to pay. Not mistakenly sent merchandise.


Title: Invested $10,000 in friend's business and now he can't pay back

Question:
I invested $10,000 in a friend's business for a monthly return but now he can't make any monthly return payments or the principle amount. He has shutdown the business but hasn't filed for a bankruptcy. He resides in Maryland and I'm located in a different state. I paid with a check. What are my options ? If I hire an attorney can I recoup attorney fees ? I'm only looking to get back my principal amount at this time. Below is an excerpt from the email he sent out as part of our agreement.
1) Investment amount=$10K
2) Return on investment 10% almost guaranteed and could go as high as 12% depending on monthly sales.
3) Your investment is secure and personally guaranteed by me.

Answer:
 >If I hire an attorney can I recoup attorney fees ?

You can ask an attorney about that, but it would probably be highly unlikely at best.

>Below is an excerpt from the email he sent out as part of our agreement.

Generally you can't recover an investment that is "almost guaranteed", but we can't see the original agreement, nor any supporting documents.  You need an attorney to review the documents to determine if you have any case against your friend's company or your friend personally (and also to determine if you have jurisdiction in your state or if you would have to file in his state).  It is possible that #3 MAY allow you to hold him personally liable for your "investment".  But it is possible that his e-mails do not supersede what the actual investment contract says - and like I said, we can't see that document.


Title: Do I have a legal case against my university [NY]?

Question:
I recently graduated with my Masters degree in a field that requires certification for employment. The assistant dean of my department has really, really fucked me over: 1) She failed to submit paperwork to the office of grad studies, resulting in the school informing me that I didn't graduate because I was "missing credits" (I wasn't, but because she didn't submit the paperwork, they weren't able to clear my degree). Despite numerous emails and phone calls, after three weeks, I had to physically go to the university to get it straightened out. I ended up not getting my degree awarded until a month after graduation. This put a delay on my certification application.

2) The same assistant dean did a degree audit with me to make sure I had fulfilled all the requirements for certification. I asked her, specifically, if classes I took during undergrad would satisfy requirements. I have two emails from her (one from Feb 15 and one from Nov 15) saying that my undergrad credits would satisfy. Guess what-- they don't. So, now I can't get my certification until I get this taken care of. I've been offered a job and am a finalist for another, but I can't be hired because I don't have the certification. The employer that offered me the job told me that if I can't get this straightened up within a week, they're going with another candidate.

This whole thing has me completely stressed out to the point where I can't sleep and have been having chest pains and panic attacks. People keep telling me to get a lawyer but is this something that's even lawsuit-worthy? As far as I'm concerned, there's no excuse for her incompetence, and I will be filing a formal complaint against her with the university, but is it reasonable to try to hold the school, and the assistant dean, as their agent, accountable? Any advice would be most welcome.

Thanks!

Answer: Have you escalated this to the (full) dean yet?


Title: [Colorado] Fired, explicitly stated due to disability

Question:
I will try to keep this succinct.  I was hired by a non-profit organization and then fired on the first day.  They cited my disability and concern that I would not perform at 100% at all times as the reason for my termination.

This was a salaried position and was asked today what my ideal schedule would be.  I stated that I had fibromyalgia and a regular schedule would be necessary; where possible if I could split my time between office and home office that would be the ideal situation.  I stated that I could do my job in a 40 hour a week office environment, but that if I could do it partially at home and partially at the office that would produce the best possible results - for both my health and their needs.

I was terminated later in the day and told it was because they would not allow a schedule where I would be able to work from home at all and due to that they did not feel I was a good fit because I would not be able to perform at my best at all times.  I was not offered an opportunity to find a good middle ground or continue my employment solely in the office environment.

Prior to realizing they were firing me, I stated that I would just make the 40 hours in the office work and that it would not be a problem (side note: I really needed this job, because we cannot pay our bills, so I would basically do anything no matter how ill it made me).

My question is, do non-profits (501 (c)(3)) have to abide by the ADA and do I have an action that can be taken (in terms of reporting them for noncompliance, or anything really).  I have found conflicting information online.  Any pertinent resources or advice would be much appreciated.  If more information is needed please ask and I will respond promptly.  Thank you very much.

*edit:  The job was as a grant writer and communications assistant.  This position was almost fully web and phone based.  The parts that required me in the office, were very minor filing duties (they had filing from the last few months that needed to be done, and I would have completed it in under 2 hours), team meetings, and minor travel to recruit new donors (they stated this may be once a month).

Answer:
 the ADA does apply to non-profits.

If you believe you were illegally discriminated against you [file a complaint with the EEOC](http://www.eeoc.gov/employees/index.cfm)

it certainly appears to me based on your description that they violated the law, even if your requested accommodations were not possible they cannot fire you for asking, their recourse would have been to deny the accommodation and offer an alternative accommodation if applicable.


Title: Want a career with my local police dept but nepotism law prevents it.

Question:
I will soon graduate with my degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology and want to work for my city's police department but my father is a Lieutenant for the fire department. I have an opportunity to petition the alderman and mayor for a repeal of the nepotism laws in place but I have no idea where to start or what cases I should make. This is the city I grew up in. I'm familiar with it and would like to give back to my community by serving it. I don't want to have to leave for another city when this is my home. My father has no power over the police department in any way and if I qualify for the job and can get hired, why should I not be allowed?
*Edit: This is in Tennessee
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 That's pretty restrictive.

I'd ask if they would consider changing it to nepotism within department's that may supervise each other.

For example: family member couldn't work in records because other family member in police department could potentially be their supervisor if no other administration were present.


Title: Can landlord show apartment 7 months in advance?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: it depends.  if you're in say a college town or high demand area, it's not uncommon for leases to be signed well in advance.  i assume there's a provision in the lease that allows the landlord to show to potential tenants?  and unless landlord is abusing it, you don't really have much.


Title: Help for a friend in jail with no probable cause- Georgia. Urgent!

Question:
Hello all,

This might be a long post.. I will start my story with a quick tl;dr with how we got to where we are. Basically, I worked for VV. I had relations with a manager and then I stopped dating her. She fired me and then charged me with terroristic acts. I went to court for the terrorism charge and immediately was acquitted.

Now that I got that out of the way, I thought everything was good, so I went to Vinyard Vines, the store that I worked at, and they yelled at me and verbally banned me from the Lenox Mall. There was no paperwork given to me. No pictures or anything taken stating that I was banned. So I left the store.

Here's where the fucked up shit happens. I get an email to meet with HR at the Vinyard Vines store, so I take my friend with me to go the next day. I get to the store and they have a security guy point a tazer at me (which I have on video). They called the police, and they wouldn't allow me to show them the email HR sent me to come in.They proceed to arrest me and my friend without telling us why we were being arrested.

They just told us to shut up. They brought us to the station and we were put in a cell where we had to sleep on the floor. I got my one phone call and luckily my sister answered and bailed me out. My friend's dad didn't answer to bail him out. And the police will not allow me to bail him out. They are ignoring all of my calls, and they are holding him with no probable cause.

I don't have money for a lawyer and they are holding my friend without allowing him contact with anyone from the outside, so he can't get a lawyer. We both asked if we had the right to have an attorny assigned to us for free and they laughed at our face.

Please legaladvice, what do I do. This is fucked up and I want to get my friend out of there.

Answer:
 Just because you don't know what the probable cause is does not mean that there is none.

The only recommendation we can give you is to get an attorney for your friend.


Title: Neighbors have a very low fence and just got a large aggressive dog. St. Louis area, Mo.

Question:
I have been living in the house for two years, neighbors moved in last year. No problems, we are not close but are polite and friendly.  Two months ago they got a second dog. The first is a nice heeler mix, doesn't bark much and never was a problem.

This new dog is a terror. It is some kind of bulldog mastiff mix. It weighs at least 100lb, and since the fence is low, the dog can stand up and put its paws on the fence and be shoulders and head above the fence.

Even that wouldn't bother me,but the dog flips out and goes into a frenzy wheniI take my two small dogs out ( my property is not fenced so they are always on a leash). This dog is literally tearing at the chain link with its teeth trying to get through the fence.

I also have two girls ages ten and four. The dog doesn't go as crazy, but still runs back and forth barking and snarling. It even barks at me alone, but much less since I ignore it. My dogs don't even look in this dogs direction, but my kids want to scream and run in the yard since it is warm now. I onlynlets them play outside once, and the dog flipped out so bad I was afraid he would jump the fence and come after us. I can't let my kids play in the yard, I can't take my dogs out unless it is through the garage to a very tiny patch of grass next to my driveway that isn't visible from the neighbors yard.

There are no restrictions on minimum fence height here, but I have talked to the neighbors. They seemed concerned but really haven't done anything at all. I cannot afford to put up a taller fence on my side, and need a costly permit and an evaluation before I could even be approved.

I am scared this dog is going to hurt one of us. Is there anything I can do before it jumps the fence?

For reference, the fence is only about three feet high between the yards.

Answer:
 One bit of advice I'd give you is to film the dog in a frenzy.  put the camera in a ground level window so it can't be claimed that the dog was going crazy due to the camera and take your dogs out.  You need to have some evidence that the dog goes ballistic without provocation in the event of a bite.

If the dog does get out of the yard, unapologetically call the police and file a criminal complaint.Answer #2: Probably the safest (and most expensive) option is to put a taller fence up around your own yard.

I completely understand your concern, but until the dog actually escapes or attacks there isn't much police can do. You could try calling to report the barking and express your concerns. The police might ticket the owners, and start a paper trail if they think the animal may become a problem.

Don't let your kids or dogs outside without supervision. Consider purchasing bear mace, which is typically sold at sporting good stores.Answer #3: What did neighbors say during/after your discussion? Are you ok with them hating you?


Title: Is it trespassing (or anything else) to use a porta-potty on the shoulder of the road?

Question: I was driving today and and really needed to go, and I saw a porta-potty on the side of the road, about 200 feet from a construction site. There were no signs saying "no trespassing" or "For workers only" or anything else. The Porta-Potty was on the gravel on the edge of the shoulder of the road, I did not have to go beyond the area that would be reasonable to call the road's shoulder. (There was a paved shoulder, then a gravel extension of the shoulder, the Porta-Potty was on the gravel.) While I do not think that the people who paid for the PortaPotty expected to make it a public service, there had been no other opportunities for miles, and I figured using it was the better option than going into the woods. If someone had been there to file a complaint, would I have been legally in the wrong for using the toilet on the side of the road?

Answer:
 Can't imagine it's worth anything more to anyone than a stern talking to. Unless you cut a fence or broke an expensive lock to get in.Answer #2: I use construction porta johns all the time at UPS, just not when workers are present. They can always put a padlock on them if they don't want delivery drivers using them.Answer #3: I wouldn't think the police give 2 shits enough to write up a reportAnswer #4: It would probably be using a service you had not paid for or had an agreement with the owner, so a roundabout way of theft? But they would have to prove it in small claims and probably wouldn’t get much if they couldn’t prove damages. In this case it would probably be having to have the portapotty cleaned out sooner?Answer #5: If it was on the side of the road you're fine under Tennessee criminal trespass law. There's a pedestrian right of way alongside roads. It sounds like they plopped their portapotty in public domain.

Trespass laws vary by state but they follow a common theme. Typically you have to knowingly enter property where you should reasonably believe you aren't permitted or refuse to leave when asked by the owner or custodian. Sometimes there are exceptions for certain types of property like farms that provide greater protections for property owners. Also, some states have regulations regarding what constitutes being clearly marked as "No Trespassing". These regulations can include details like minimum fence enclosure, characteristics and distribution of signage, and even the color of paint on trees.Answer #6: If it isn’t your porta potty, it could fall under your jurisdiction’s defecation of property laws.


Title: Ex-boyfriend has been cyberstalking me and has sent nudes to people

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: How old are you now?  How old are you when the nudes were taken?


Title: HOA will not allow me to cut down trees on my property, what are my options?

Question:
I live in a large, 20-30 year old neighborhood in Virginia. The previous owners let the trees grow out of control in my backyard, leaving me with a pit of leaves every fall and no sun in the summer. I back up to common area woods, so these trees do not provide any additional privacy between me and my next door neighbors (no one behind me at all). I want to remove them, so I submitted my request to the "architectural review board", which is comprised of two retired people with nothing better to do. One of them came and I walked her around showing which trees I want to remove. She rejected all but one...

So now, I'm trying to consider my options. My first thought is to just cut them all down anyways, but I don't know what sort of legal ramifications I might run into.

Can anyone provide some advice?

Answer:
 > So now, I'm trying to consider my options. My first thought is to just cut them all down anyways, but I don't know what sort of legal ramifications I might run into.

This would be an exceptionally poor plan. One of the possible outcomes is that the HOA will replace the trees, and then assess the costs (think five to low six digits) against you.

If you want to keep the property and avoid some _extremely_ expensive litigation, get your ducks in a row before you touch those trees. Get an attorney to review the CC&Rs and HOA rules, and to help you negotiate with the HOA.


Title: I poisoned my neighbors dog, now I feel guilty and want to confess. What is the best possible way for me to confess without getting the authorities involved?

Question:
So, my neighbor had a pet Labrador that would bark all night. Our backyards were attached and the dog would sleep outside and as a person who can not sleep with any sort of noise it drove me crazy. I talked to the owner and told him to keep his dog quiet but he was rude to me and told me that nobody else in the neighborhood complained to him. I tried to explain to him that I was his closest neighbor and that I had a hard time falling asleep. The dog kept on barking so I finally decided that I had to get rid of it. I thought of several ways like feeding it chocolate etc, but from my research I found that rat poison stuffed in sausages would be the easiest and least traceable way. My neighbor was a mail carrier so he was gone most mornings. So one morning when he was gone I went up to the fence, got the dogs attention and fed it about 3 sausages filled with rat poison. I kind of started to feel bad for it because I could hear it welping that whole night. The next night I didn't hear it, so my guess is it died. To my surprise my neighbor never called the cops or anything. Maybe the dog already had some kind of condition I don't know. The poor dogs welping gives me nightmares, I kind of wish I could hear that mutt barking at night. The thing that made me feel like a true piece of shit is the fact that the guy was a old bachelor and I feel like I probably took away his only friend.

Tl;dr-I poisoned my neighbors dog with poisoned sausages, now feel like shit because I took away my neighbors only friend. I want to confess but I'm afraid he'll call the cops.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: You are a POS. I wish nothing but guilt filled days and nights to you. Call the police and confess. Your neighbor may react with violence as I would.   Best place may be in a jail cell for your own protection. Answer #2: You should probably seek out a therapist, this is not normal behavior.


Title: Not sure if this is a hostile work environment

Question: I've (37F) worked at the same company (Ohio) for over 18 years. I'm a line leader in a manufacturing plant. I've been on this particular line for about 4 years now and have never had a problem with my supervisor until recently.  About 2 months ago, something changed. We have a new supervisor that came from another shift. This new supervisor is my dept supervisor but not my line supervisor.  I have no need to see him unless there's a change to my job.                     My line supervisor has always kept some distance from me and just let me do my job, which has worked out well for him too.  He has always spent a good part of his time, instead of supervising me, chatting up his girlfriends in other parts of the plant. (he has 3, one I speak to often)     This new dept supervisor that came is more than annoying. When he sees me, he goes out of his way to speak to me, including walking way out of his place to where I am. On a few occasions, he's grabbed me by arm, so hard, I'm surprised he hasn't left a bruise. Then he'll ask stupid questions, anything to get some kind of response.  The last time, a couple weeks ago, I left work early. He was going to pass me in the hall, but instead, grabbed me by my shoulder, to which I told him hurt and he can't be grabbing me like that. He immediately apologized, then told me he didn't charge me time for leaving and that I can pay him back in his office later under his terms.  I hate going to work anymore. (I've been there about 1/2 the time the past couple months) This guy is buddies with my line supervisor and the LS is spending more time nitpicking.  I can't go to the hr dept, they're not personable at all.  Not sure if I'm blowing things out of proportion, just hating it.

Answer:
 You have every right to tell him not to touch you, and go up the management chain if he continues.

>  I can't go to the hr dept, they're not personable at all.

They don't have to be personable, they just have to do their job.

> didn't charge me time for leaving and that I can pay him back in his office later under his terms

What do you mean by this? Are you saying you are being paid for time you didn't work and he expects you to repay him somehow? Is this a sexual suggestion?


Title: They can make adult movies of superheroes like Avengers without the copyright holders permission because it is considered parody. Would there be any issue using characters held by two different companies, DC and Marvel, to produce an adult movie of Avengers vs Justice League

Answer:
 It's not really different if you are 'parodying' copyrighted works held by multiple parties or by one party - if fair use applies, it's irrespective of how many right holders there are.

Well - it does increase two things.  1) more properties means more chances that what you are doing would *not* fall under fair use,  and 2) more rights holders means more people that might sue.

Remember that fair use is a defense to being sued.    If the rights holder sues you but you feel that your work was "fair use", that is the defense you use in court.  It does not *prevent* a lawsuit, it is an *answer* to a lawsuit.

Also, "adult movie" does not automatically equal parody.  Some are parodies, but some adult movies have actually changed enough detail that they are no longer infringing on the copyrighted work, some actually obtained permission from the rightsholders to make their work, and some... simply haven't been sued yet for whatever reason.

So if you're planning to make this your porn debut... be careful, you may not be as protected as you think (and avoid 'parodying' the Disney-owned versions of the avengers, even if you think you'd be in the clear...)


Title: Hacker keeps trying to buy stuff online, but I have her name.

Question:
I believe that someone has been hacking into my accounts due to poor password management on my part (believe me, I've been updating everything since this happened!!), but this person keeps trying to order things online. I have her first and last name, and a local target she may shop at since she tried to pick up a $200 item at a target near me. Can I use this information to report to the police in am effort to catch her? She's already spent my money in a few spots, and I've opened disputes.
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer: Report it to the police for identity theft.


Title: Company forcing husband/wife to "share" FMLA after birth of child

Question:
Okay so I know 2 people who work for the same company and their spouses also work for that company. (I'm posting for them because they are not Redditors). Both sets of spouses were informed that they had to share their 90 days maternity/paternity FMLA time after the birth of their children. So in practice, every day the father took off was deducted from the wife's 90 days.

I told them this does not sound legal, and they agree it's shit but have no idea if it's legal or not. This is in USA and don't think state is relevant since FMLA is federal law.

So is this illegal?

And if so, how do they fight it? One couple had their baby a year ago and the other is due in another month and change.

Answer:
 Eligible spouses who work for the same company get a combined 12 weeks.  It's legal.Answer #2: > This is in USA and don't think state is relevant since FMLA is federal law.

Two quick points. First, while there is room for improvement, it's better than nothing--when my kids were born was pre-1993 (so pre-FMLA) neither father nor mother got any days off at all. We both worked at the same company when our 2nd was born and I would have leapt for joy if either one of us had been given 45 days. But, zero.

And second, **state DOES matter**, as some states not only remove the restriction about "same company" (California, Connecticut, D.C., Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin) but sometimes the leave is paid (CA, NJ, RI).Answer #3: Given the unanimous answer, can I ask a follow-up?

Can the husband and wife both take 12 weeks off at the same time? Can they both take off for the first three months of the kid's life?


Title: Sketchy landlord (VA)

Question:
I just go my 'security deposit' back from my landlord a month after moving out. It contained a list of absurd charges (i.e. $1940 for 'abandoning' the apartment when we moved out a couple weeks early, $1,200 for painting over holes where we hung pictures in a one bedroom apartment).

I've given up on trying to get anything back; it's just not worth the time and effort. His letter was a list of expenses he paid for work on the apartment (though he included no receipts from the work he claims was done) that totalled ~4k, more than our ~1.5k security deposit.

The letter never sums up the total spent or demands payment for the difference. Does this implicitly mean he's asking for us to pay the difference? Or, is he just trying to scare us away from hiring a lawyer and taking him to court (again, it just isn't worth the time/effort to do this)? If I just don't respond, is there any way this could come back to bite me?

Thanks!

Answer:
 Ah, Cousin Sketchy, he'll never learn.

A bill or invoice for more than your security deposit would represent your landlord's belief that you owe him the additional money. Failing to contest his statement now could potentially be seen in the future as you agreeing to its truthfulness.

 Guide yourself accordingly.


Title: (Florida) I'm a non-american minor guest visiting a host family in US and next-door neighbour is sex offender

Question:
Hello

I'm sorry for my bad english. If something is not clear good enough, i will try explain, but i will appreciate if someone understands Russian and helps translate.

I am a foster child of 15 and going to visit a family in us for summer. They are good people, i been there before in last summer. They have a pool behind the house but very low fence.

So this creepy old guy neighbour was often looking at me. Unfortunatly i am well grown in the boob area so i caught him staring four times or something. One time i asked if he needs something, politely as can with my language and he just said "are your parents home" i said yes, my (host dad) Carlos is home. The creepy granpa just nodded "okay" and went away very fast. I was confused and suspicius. I told Carlos and Gina (the cleaning lady) and they became worried. At night I heard Carlos talk to sheriff or officer. I heard "sex offender" and something "order" and "warning". So i google what sex offender is. I worried a lot.

But the old guy didnt stop staring at me from his window behind curtains. I stop wearing my swimsuit and go swim in shirt and shorts but he still looked. It was very hot, 40C and i was no comfortable.

This summer Carlos and family invited me again. We facebooked all year and first thing i did ask was "is the nasty old man still there". He said yes and that he was not bothering anyone anymore. That Carlos had a girl from diffrent orphan home come to them at christmas and she didnt say anything about creepy old neighbour.

Im scared and im worried. I dont think that they can even invite kids over with that creep creeping and being gross on kids.

This summer they wanted my half sister who is 12, to come with me and they already paid 3000$ for every people of us to fly from my country. My social worker here did not take me seriously and im really scared!!! Big time. But not going is not possible for us.

I dont know who to contact or ask for help. My older friend said that she can give me old smartphone with camera so i take pics and can show police if he looks from behind fence and curtains again. Or talks to me and my sister. Friend did agree that she worries too and the family is not being serios about this and i should call police (???).

Im sorry if i posted in wrong place and thank you for any advices.

Answer:
 As Carlos if you can hang up a "clothesline" on the old mans side, hang up some bedsheets when y'all want to go swim. Answer #2: Is Carlos married? Why did you tell Carlos and Gina the cleaning lady, and not Carlos and his wife?

Why is Carlos (or Carlos and his wife) paying $3000 to fly 12-15 year old Russian girls to stay with him? This arrangement seems unusual. What sort of visa do you travel on?Answer #3: This sounds very creepy. What kind of activities does this Carlos make you and your sister do? Why is he flying you and your sister all the way to the US? Who is authorizing you and your sister to fly out from Russia? Answer #4: This doesn't read like Russian to English syntax mistakes.  More like Spanish.Answer #5: You can confirm this person is a registered sex offender and what he did to get on the registry at this link. You will need to know your hosts address or general area:

http://offender.fdle.state.fl.us/offender/searchNeighborhood.do?actionPerformed=neighborhoodSearchMainAnswer #6: I'm confused why do you HAVE to go?


Title: [Florida] my friend is 17 and just had a baby, she reached an agreement with the father who is also 17 and now his mother is involved. She has questions.

Question: If the father doesn't want involvement and the mother agrees to let him off easy because it's easier on her can his mother force a paternity test? He is not on the birth certificate and my friend told her the baby isn't his to get her to back off. Can the father's mother force him to take a paternity test?

Answer:
 The only person who can force her to get a paternity test is a judge.

Your friend cannot agree to never pursue child support. She is not allowed to do that; the support is for her child, not her. If she ever needs any kind of government assistance, THEY may get an order for paternity testing and THEY may go after the father for support.


Title: Husband's company is ever-changing payroll cutoff to manipulate OT. Is this legal?

Question:
We are located in Georgia, US.  Some background: My husband works for a large manufacturing operation as a maintenance tech.  He has no set schedule and is basically on-call 24-7.  Many times he goes in to work on Sundays as they don't run production on the weekends and he can work on preventative maintenance on machines when they are not running.

He keeps careful track of his hours and the payroll period is supposed to run from Monday through Sunday.  However, they are ever-changing the payroll cutoff time on Sundays.  Sometimes it's in the morning, sometimes it's in the evening.  There is ZERO transparency as to what time cut-off is supposed to happen (according to handbook, at midnight on Sundays), so if he goes into work at 8am on a Sunday and it's technically overtime, it might get put on next week's paycheck and he does not find out until he is paid.

The handbook also states that any hours worked over 60 hours are supposed to be paid at double-time, but that hasn't happened yet and there have been a few weeks when he's worked 70+ hours.  I don't believe that's a law, just a company policy (that gets ignored).

Is the constantly changing payroll cutoff legal?  To me, it looks like they're massaging time cards to manipulate hours worked and minimize overtime as much as possible.  This happens to all employees working OT there from what he was able to gather and apparently everyone just puts up with it.  He does get paid for all the hours he works but whether or not it's overtime, is our issue.

Thanks in advance :)

Answer: If his company is manipulating like that, have him file a wage claim. What they are doing is illegal.


Title: What legal standing does my sister’s ex boyfriend have on demanding that she pay him 60k because “she owes him for everything that he’s done in the relationship” (California)

Question:
My sister and this D-Bag has been together for less than 10 years (8-9?) total. In 2012 my sister bought a house, put a down payment, pays mortgage, utilities, taxes all on her own (everything is in her name). He has been living with her “rent free” this whole time. He doesn’t help pay for anything. Maybe the occasional groceries (She has even paid for vacations for them).

She was a single mother and this guy has “helped” raise her son over the years. He claims that because he has helped (not financially, but helped to parent in a sense) and because he also helped with about 40k of his own money in renovating the house (she never asked for his help he offered it since they were in a relationship-no verbal or contract to agree to pay him back), and because he never beat her, or abuse her he feels he has the right to demand for 60k in order to help him as he will be kicked out of her home.

He claims that if she seeks an attorney he will be fighting her for more (like half of everything). Again nothing is in his name, she never viewed their relationship as a marriage. It has alway been every man for himself when it came to finances in their relationship. If anything she has helped him out more by letting him live with her for free.

Does he have any grounds for this claim? Can he take her to court for half of everything?
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 I mean he can try and sue her for whatever he wants.

Sounds like he doesn’t have a leg to stand on.

But if she gets sued she needs to hire a lawyer and fight it.Answer #2: CA does not recognize common law marriage so their breakup does not warrant the splitting of assets. He can claim all he wants, but you cannot sue for what you put into a relationship once it's ended. If he takes her to court she should get a lawyer as the amount is too large for small claims, however I doubt she will be served with anything.


Title: (Ohio) Would it be a bad idea to write a letter saying that I know about jury nullification attached to my summons response form in order to get out of jury duty?

Question: I can probably already get out because I wouldn't be getting paid for the days I'm missing work as I get paid hourly, plus I'm technically self employed as I'm a contractor. But just to be sure I thought I might mention jury nullification - would that be my ticket or would it just get me in trouble?  Maybe I should also check the box that says "the interests of the public will be materially injured by your service"? Or would checking that box land me in jail?

Answer:
 Just do your civic duty. You can really affect the life of a fellow citizen. If you enjoy your rights as an American citizen then stop devoting time and energy to "getting out" of literally doing your job.

I've served on 3. If you ever need a jury you'll appreciate the people trying to be impartial, not the ones trying to enjoy the fruits of citizenship without participating.

Good luck.


Title: [Utah] Advice Regarding CPS, Homeless Parents and Premature Infant

Question:
My sister and her husband are currently homeless (living in a shitty motel) in Utah.  She gave birth three weeks ago and the baby is still in the NICU and expected to go home in another 2-3 weeks.

I am concerned about whether the hospital will release the baby to my sister if they know she does not have a consistent place to live.  Well, I'm not so much afraid of *that* as I am of the possibility that the hospital will involve CPS and that they will take the baby.  While I imagine people are allowed to bring their babies "home" to a motel, my sister also has a dog and a cat in the little room with her and I really don't know what the conditions are like.  I'm also afraid that my sister's inconsistency in going to the hospital to spend time with the baby will be a problem; she was claiming to be there every day but she slipped the last time we talked and admitted to not making it even every other day.  I live in another state so there's no real way for me to know.  Are these concerns valid?

If CPS does take the baby do they have to reach out and inform me or more importantly my other sibling who lives close to her (they aren't currently on good terms)?

Answer:
 Somebody would have to contact CPS first of all. If one of the nurses in the hospital were concerned they'd have to contact them.

All that being said if she's a generally competent mother being in a hotel doesn't matter. Mothers go to shelters with their newborns. Being poor doesn't make you unfit.

If CPS did take the baby they'd ask mom if there's anyone she'd like to care for it. Otherwise it goes into foster care.


Title: Termination yeaaaars ago.

Question:
Hi reddit,

 I would appreciate it so much if someone could answer this question for me. Okay, so I'm applying for a new job and on the application it asks if I've ever been terminated from a job. The answer is yes, it was in 2011 (over five years ago) and I thought I was helping someone after witnessing abuse at the hospital I worked at. Long story short, I reported the incident, nothing happened. I got frustrated and asked for my moms advice, she called the hospital CEO, bam! Fired for inadvertantly violating hipaa. I currently work in the medical field and I know hipaa inside and out like a mofo now. But I was wondering is there like a time frame where that no longer matters and shouldn't really be mentioned? I hope so because I'm so tired of explaining myself to everyone lol! I sound like a broken record. Thanks in advance! ❤
-me

PS: I live in California.

Answer: If the job you are applying for is in the same field you were employed in when you were fired, it would generally behoove you to include that termination on your application. Especially if you know they will be contacting the former employer to verify your employment history.


Title: Being sued for torrenting in Germany

Question:
I am currently living in Germany for the summer for an internship and living with one of my dad's friends. One of my friends recommended that I use Popcorn Time to watch movies while abroad. I had no idea using this program was illegal because I believed it to be a streaming app. The charge is for close to 1000 Euros for seeding 5 or 6 episodes of Family Guy. I don't believe that I have any files on my computer of these episodes so I don't see how I could have been seeding them. What should I do?
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 You should hire a lawyer and specifically a lawyer for "Internetrecht" oder "Urheberrecht" if you can find any in your local area. The "Deutscher Anwaltsverein" or the local "Anwaltskammer" will help you find someone specializing in this area.

What you probably received is an "Abmahnung" basically a notice to cease violating the rights of the copyright owner. This notice usually includes penalties and costs for the lawyer sending the notice. What your lawyer is probably going to do is to either tell you to just ignore the notice if their case is not well founded or send them a letter promising you will not do it again while at the same time telling them you aren't paying anything either. This very much depends on the specifics of the case and the German "Urheberrecht".

Doing this is relatively time sensitive but not extremely so. You have to be on the lookout for a "Mahnbescheid" though. If you receive one of those you have to react in 2 weeks and dispute the amount and cause of the debt they claim you have to pay. Mahnbescheide are issued by the court without checking the veracity of the creditors claims and become binding if you have not responded in 2 weeks after receiving it. At that time you need to react immediately. Not even the best lawyer can get you out of a Mahnbescheid you have not responded to.


Title: A scammer in California sent me a video of him shooting someone dead with a gun on Snapchat

Question:
So a bit of background first. I play a phone game called Clash of Clans. He offered to sell me three of his accounts and scammed me out of $120 on PayPal. Which I'm most likely getting back because I disputed.

We were talking on Snapchat. Before he made it obvious it was a scam, he gave me a trashy account to make me feel like it's not a complete scam so I would send the rest of the money. The burner he gave me was his girlfriend's email address. I quickly changed all the information, got ahold of her Snapchat account, and did some digging. As of the moment, I have his phone number, his state, his girlfriend's (who's pregnant, so I assume they're living together), Snapchat username, full name, and email address.

Now onto the fun stuff. This guy is a drug dealer in California, sells weed and "keys" whatever that is. He openly posts that stuff on his story too. When I started yelling at him for scamming me, I said "you better give me my money back, I have your phone number". The scammer said something along the lines of "what you gonna do??" Then he snapped me a picture of him holding a gun to try and intimidate me. Then he said "I've killed people before" and sent me two videos of him shooting someone dead, blood was pouring out of the body, and I have the videos saved in the chat. When I looked closer at the video, the gun in his hand looks similar to the one he snapped me earlier. I can't be 100% sure if that video is something he found online or not. However it was two separate videos, which probably means he took it on Snapchat on his phone, posted it to his story, and saved it on his phone.

Now, I have evidence of him committing murder (probably), scamming me, and selling drugs. Also his gun is most likely unregistered so that's another crime.I have his phone number which I confirmed is his, because it has iMessage enabled, which means it's not a burner or a VOIP number. I have his girlfriend's first and last name, and she's most likely an accomplice to his crimes. I want to go to the police with all this evidence but I'm not sure how to do so. I'm pretty sure the police can track him down through his phone number or through his girlfriend, but then the guy's a low level scumbag drug dealer, so he probably knows how to stay low. I'm sure if the police can get a warrant to track his location with his phone number. However all this depends on if the video is real or not, and I'm still trying to figure out a way to reverse search it online. What should I do, should I email the California police department? Or should I go to my state's police department, I'm in Hawaii.

Answer:
 When someone threatens to murder you, you call the police. Answer #2: You physically go to the police department and tell them that you have potential evidence of a violent crime sent to you over the Internet, and that the perp is sending you death threats as well. You bring your phone. You fill out a report form. You write everything you wrote here. Then you follow their process for taking to an investigator and allow them to copy the video and pics you have. Answer #3: 99 chances out of 100 you're talking to a 13 year old Chinese kid.

You can tell  your local cops and let them handle it.Answer #4: Is selling accounts even allowed under the terms of service?


Title: Ex girlfriend threatening to sue for “past expenses”.

Question:
So I recently ended a relationship if 2.5 years and my ex wants me to pay her for $1,700 of previous expenses for vet bills and a plane ticket. We bought a dog one year ago from her friend and he is solely in her name both on the official paperwork and at the vet office. Her dad now has the good boy at his house and she will retain ownership of the dog moving forward. The plane ticket was part of a trip we took where I paid for all dinners and going out adventures but she asserts that I still need to reimburse her for the cost. We were never married and have moved out of our shared apartment. My question is: do I have any legal obligation to pay her? Does this threat of legal action have any weight to it?

Ps. I live in MN if that helps.

Thanks!

Answer:
 > wants me to pay her for $1,700 of previous expenses

When I dream I want a pony.

Block and ignore her. If sued respond. She cannot retroactively claim a gift was not. Nor are you magically responsible for her dog.

Edit: Since more info came to light ITT. **IF** you agreed to pay for things that can be enforced. It's going to depend on the conversation involved and what was said. I might suggest a vague "yes we should split everything as much as possible" wouldn't do that, whereas something like "Yeah I'll pay you back for those plane tickets this summer" quite possibly would.Answer #2: Did you tell her in any way that you would be reimbursing her for the ticket/dog costs?  If not, ignore it.Answer #3: >and blocking her sounds great, but we also work together, I really want one of those blocking devices in black mirror right now.

Ignore her at work. Be aware that HR usually doesn't like relationship drama/bullshit, so they may decide to release you both if you can't be professional at work. If this is the case, start looking for another job.

And non-legal advise, don't date people you work with.Answer #4: She can take you to court, but she's unlikely to win.  Tell her to move on and you do the same.  Answer #5: She doesn't want your money, she wants a reason to still see/talk to you. Block and move on. She will too.Answer #6: You owe her nothing.

Can she sue you? Sure! You can sue for pretty much anything. Is she going to win? I think not.


Title: [CA] My roommate audio recorded our conversation without my consent.

Question:
I have two roommates, E and C. We have had serious issues with each other, and it's all come to a head. We arranged to have a meeting to discuss possible recourse, resolutions and the like.

&#x200B;

Before the meeting began, I announced to both roommates that I intended to take down notes, in order to resolve any miscommunications down the road and to ensure everyone is on the same page going forward. E and C agreed, with C even thanking me for taking on this task. The meeting went on and it was a clusterfuck. Nothing was resolved, so I had no notes.

A few hours after the meeting, I receive a text from C, saying that I could send her the notes I had any time, and that she audio recorded the entire conversation earlier. This took me by surprise. I was completely unaware that she did this. I asked for a copy of the audio recording for my own protection, but I am still very upset at this violation of my knowledge and trust. E has learned the same, and is also very upset.

Now, while I do live in CA, I actually live on federal land (I don't want to out myself, but this is probably googleable). This excludes our property from the same rights as CA has. I was told that CA is an all-party consent state, but I am not sure if it holds true for me, being on federal property. That being said, do I have any legal recourse in this situation? Should I address C and let her know that I did not consent to being recorded last night? What can I do to protect myself? Thanks in advance.

Answer: This is a criminal matter.  You would call the police.  However, without actual injury, I am not sure you would get much interest.Answer #2: California state law does not apply on indian reservations, if that's your question.


Title: [MO] My sister's ex lied at ex parte hearing, says that our family is involved in a lot of illegal activities. Judge declines ex parte

Question:
This dude is not taking the break up well at all, he keeps trying to make our lives miserable.  He already tried to call my moms psychiatrist and told her that my mom has been selling her medication which is ridiculous because my mom needs all of her meds, she has OCD, BPD, general anxiety, Depression, Fibromyalgia, insomnia, this list goes on.  I also find this funny because the dude sells pot....He gets it in the mail.
   The judge told him that what he's doing is blackmail but declined the ex parte so this sort of harassment can continue.  Since he said the family I dont need that to effect me, I just enrolled in college in a nursing program and i'm working part time, I've finally made the decision to change my lot in life strive for an excellent future and now i don't want any of his allegations to effect my academic future.  What should I do to put an end to this so we can get on with our lives?

This is taking place in Missouri.

Answer:
 > What should I do to put an end to this

Stop talking or communicating in any way with your sister's ex.


Title: School policy change after the fact

Question:
First of all, I know this is solely my fault but I'll try and explain this as best I can - During my 2nd year of medical school  I failed two classes both with the score of 69% (passing is 70%). Both the classes had two separate grading aspects one part was the Lecture portion which I received 69% in both and the second part was the Team Based Learning (TBL) porition which I received an 86% and 91%. The TBL make up roughly 10-15% of the total course grade. The schools policy stated that the TBL can only help your grade if you have a passing score in course, meaning that class is not based off total points accumulated. If you don't have a 70% you don't get any points from the TBL (which would have been half a letter grade).  I had to repeat the two courses and take a semester off and repeat my 2nd year of medical school. This added a year to my education.

When I started the following semester, the school had changed it's policy stating that the TBL is now added into the grade and the course is based off total number of points. This means that if this policy had been in place when I had taken the classes I would have passed both courses and anyone who was in my  exact situation  this year would NOT have to repeat the course and in turn save a year of their life. I was pretty frustrated when I saw this policy change.

 I had to pay an extra year of tuition + housing + added a year to my education. It's a red flagduring residency  interviews -- potentially loss of future earnings. I'm not good with legal terminology so bear with me. I know it's a long shot -  would I have any ground in court if I were to try and get my tuition back?

Answer: No, the policy in effect when you took the courses was the only relevant policy. Subsequent changes do not make your prior failure any different.


Title: X-post r/disability: my disabled sister was convinced to drain her bank account. Is there anything I can do at all about this?

Question: My sister has severe ADHD and PDD along with processing issues. She was out one night and one of her "friends" apparently convinced her to go to the ATM and take out $800 for them which was all of her cash in her account. She doesn't have a job to support herself. I'm currently scraping by with three jobs as well as being a full time student so I'm unable to support her for the next month. We are both from New Jersey. How do I even resolve this? Is there anything I can do legally? Has anybody had any similar situations?

Answer: Your best bet might be contacting New Jersey's [Adult Protective Services](http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/doas/services/aps/). They deal with cases where disabled adults are exploited. This situation might fit within their purview and if not they might have some suggestions for you going forward.


Title: Working visa for minors?

Question: So I am the son of an immigrant father and am under 18. My father has a H1 working visa and is the reason my family is able to stay in the U.S. however, we’re having financial problems and I have been having a lot of free time. Am I legally allowed to work considering I, myself, do not have a working visa and am not a U.S citizen?

Answer:
 If you have an H4 visa, it looks like you can work (some visas only the spouse can work, some visas allow all dependents to work, some visas do not allow dependents to work). You can look up your particular visa to see what the restrictions are.

In order to work, you will need an EAD. When you apply, you will need to outline the legal reason you are allowed to work (it's covered in the instructions). USCIS says that it's currently taking 4 weeks to 5 months to process these.