Title: (Michigan) Grandma changed will in hospital. Risks of a contested will?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 It's impossible to stop someone from contesting a will, no matter how well it's written. That being said, it sounds like all of the proper formalities were followed.

Her son may try to contest it based on incompetency from the pain medication, however, it seems that you will have sufficient witnesses to corroborate her capacity and donative intent.

He may also try to contest it on undue influence grounds. However, the fact that she consulted counsel alone and they were comfortable with her state of mind and that she was not being unduly influence should plays well in your favor.

tl;dr: He might contest the will, but based on the facts your provided the will is likely rock solid.


Title: [WI] Doctors refusing to see a patient

Question:
Hi, all. I am trying to get advice for a friend of mine who has had medical problems for years, but until recently has not wanted to see a doctor. From my understanding, he had gone years ago and gotten a few prescriptions. Also due to insurance problems and being out of the country, he hasn't been to a doctor in years. He attempted to see one a month ago but they refused service unless it was an emergency. They essentially told him that they would not indulge drug seeking behavior.

I know this man isn't a drug seeker. He is in a lot of pain daily. He is an alcoholic, and he says it is the only thing that helps with the pain. He is being refused service at all of the clinics in his area.

My question is, how do we convince a doctor to take him seriously? I suggested he come stay with me and attempt to see a doctor in a different county. He is currently squaring away insurance details, but thinks that due to medical records being easily shared, that he would just be rejected. I told him that he would have to be sober if he wanted to be taken seriously, but other than that I'm not entirely sure what to do.

I want to help him. How do I help him?
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 No doctor is obligated to see him. And if he has drug seeking behaviors then he won't be seen/given meds.

> I told him that he would have to be sober

So even you see the drug behaviors.

He needs a treatment program and no meds. Answer #2: Yeah, no doctor who values his DEA license is going to give your alcoholic friend a Rx for narcotics. Your friend needs to forget about the painkillers and check into rehab. You have no legal recourse here. Prescriptions are at the sole discretion of the medical provider.


Title: I want to run for Governor of Illinois

Question:
I want to run in 2022. I feel like both choices are not ideal, and don't see that changing without people trying something new.

The only glaring issue I see is I will be a few months shy of 25 when that election takes place.

From what I've seen, I'm not going to be running as a democrat or republican since I need the party's slot. So as an independent I would need a petition. Or I would need to be a write in candidate.

Also I'm broke as hell, so there is that.

So. I have a few questions:

1.  Is the age thing a 100% deal breaker? Or if I get the petition am I still allowed on the ballot?

2.  How would I go about making a petition? And how many names would need to be on it?

3.  Is there a fee for running? Or what kind of money would be needed? (Not ad money, just the sign up / debates / ect)

4.  Are there even debates? If so how would I get into one?

5.  Would trying to set up a campain be illegal? Or, what could get me in trouble if I attempt to pursue this?

6.  Are there resources / guidelines on how to try and do this? Googling "how to run for governor" is not exactly a full understanding of the rules and laws around it.

Tldr; I want to run for governor but don't want to break any rules or know how to go about it.

I think this is the place to ask something like this?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 A future politician asking for political advice on Reddit.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.


Title: My parents got rear-ended by a drunk driver (no license, and not his car) going 60mph while they were at a stop light in Sept. Now they got a letter about a jury trial they have to attend. Should they get a lawyer?

Question:
Alright, here are the details I have at this point. I can try get more info from my mom if needed.

This happened somewhere in Wisconsin in September, 2015. My parents live in MN.

Quotes from my mom's emails in September:

**Night of accident** - *"We are on a little vacation in WI, and last night (Sunday) we were Rear-ended at a stop light by a drunk driver, estimated doing about 60mph. Dad has some minor spinal fractures, and was transferred to Regions Hospital in St Paul, MN for MRI on his neck. Waiting to hear results. He's okay, but hurts to do much moving. I'm okay except for muscle stuff. I'm sure I'll feel more in a day or two. There's not much left of [the car](http://i.imgur.com/VPGSn2O.jpg)."*

**Next day** - *"The other car did have insurance, and we found out today that the company has accepted 100% liability. We're quite pleased about that."*

-----

The other facts I got over the phone:

- The driver did not have a driver's license.

- The car was not his car, but the car did have insurance.

- As mentioned above, the other insurance company accepted 100% liability supposedly.

-----

Fast forward to this morning, email from my mom:

*"Did you know that Dad and I have to go to court for the accident? It's a jury trial....July 1st.....in WI.*

*We aren't sure why exactly. Seems odd that there would need to be a jury. And the other insurance company said right away that they were accepting 100% liability.  Seems pretty clear.  Of course, it wasn't HIS car, and not HIS insurance company. He didn't even have a valid driver's license.  We just got a letter in the mail informing us that there was a jury trial, and that we need to be there. And that we should make sure to review our story so that it's fresh in our memories.*

*Dad talked to a lawyer a couple days ago. We need to decide if we're going to actually hire one or not. I think the way it works is that if you win, the lawyer gets like 30% of the settlement. Which could be significant....
In our case, it might be (should be, for that matter) such an easy win, that it would maybe not be necessary to have a lawyer. And if we don't have to pay a lawyer a bunch of our settlement, that would be good. But if not having one could mean we don't win....or would win less....then it would be good to have him."*

------

It should definitely be an easy win, but doesn't it seem odd that they would want a trial with a jury if they didn't think they'd have a chance to win?

What if they assume that my parents don't get a lawyer, since it 'should be easy', and then they try screw them over somehow?

Should they get a lawyer or not?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Edit: formatting

-----

**Update**

Alright, got a message that hopefully clears things up a bit more:

*"Okay...it says
'State of Wisconsin, plaintiff,
              vs.
Drunk Driving Douche, Defendant'*

*He's the drunk guy that hit us. And it says 'You are required to appear and give evidence.......on behalf of the State of Wisconsin.'  Just says 'Jury Trial'--nothing else about the kind, that I can see."*

That makes it seem like they are only involved as witnesses?

Answer:
 > Seems odd that there would need to be a jury.

A defendant can always request a jury trial, this isn't odd.  Since your parents didn't know anything about it I'm assuming this is a criminal matter.  So no, they do not need a lawyer, this isn't about monetary damages, it sounds like they are just being called as witnesses.

Edit:
> In our case, it might be (should be, for that matter) such an easy win...It should definitely be an easy win

Nope. Never ever assume this.


Title: apt complex refusing to accept rent payment

Question:
Okay so I am in Ohio and live in a fairly large apartment complex. They gave me an invoice last month to pay around $250 for October rent (full rent is $625), the invoice stated they gave me deductions for a deposit I gave them and another payment I made which reduced the total payment for October to around $250. So I physically go into the office, show them my statement, gave them a cashier's check for the amount they billed me for, and they wrote me a receipt and it was done.

So I go into the office on Thursday to pay my full rent amount which is $625 (i never even received an invoice for November rent so i assumed to pay the full amount). When I get there the lady claims I have some kind of balance from last month because I didn't pay "full rent". I explained to her the situation and told her I still had the statement to which I paid what they billed me for and I had a receipt. She is saying it was wrong and that she can't accept my rent payment for November because of the balance.

Now I'm irritated and concerned for two reasons:
ONE: if they continue to refuse payment... and then i become "late" I feel like that's not even my fault, because I am and have been attempting to pay them.

TWO: i have the invoice and statement for what they billed me, i paid what they billed me, and i have a receipt for it stating October Rent paid. Can they really just backbill or whatever because they made a mistake? I don't have hundreds of dollars laying around I can just throw at them because they screwed up... and who's to say they can't just make up reasons to create balances on my account in the future??

So I guess my question is, is it legal for them to refuse my rent payment because of a balance they never informed me of? And is it legal for them to create that balance on my account after i paid what they billed me and i have the receipt?

edit: for clarification, the ladies are claiming that the deductions on the statement they gave me weren't supposed to be deducted at all so they claim now that i was supposed to pay them $625 for October. instead of what they actually billed me for, which was the $250 so it created a balance on the account supposedly.

Answer:
 If you can't resolve this by escalating the issue with your landlord, then take the rent money to a bank and open up a separate account and deposit November and all future rent money into that account.

If you wind up in court over this, take a statement from that account into court with you.   This prevents them from presuming that you're a deadbeat just trying to skip out on rent.

Generally, if you have proof that part of the rent they're demanding has already been paid, the case should get dismissed and the court should allow you to pay the actual amount owed.


Title: [CA] worried that I'll be (falsely) seen as 'doctor shopping'

Question:
Hi,

I think I've made a really stupid mistake today, and Id really appreciate any advice. I’m prescribed Vyvanse (a controlled substance) for adhd, at quite a high dose which I’m kinda worried about because the tolerance builds up so fast. My brother has the same thing and is prescribed Wellbutrin, and convinced me that I should give that a go instead. Also, Ive recently moved to California, and the only doctor I could find who was covered by my insurance plan and was also taking new patients was in San Jose, which is really far from where I’m staying, but I went to see him anyway and continued my Vyvanse prescription three weeks ago.

I found a new doctor (doctor 2) now that I’ve been in the area a little while and I went to see him today to change prescription and try Wellbutrin, but I didnt mention the other doctor (I had another month left on my Vyvanse prescription). Doctor 2 suggested that I taper down the vyvanse as I start the wellbutrin, and I said sure. I then took the script he wrote me to a local pharmacy, and the pharmacist was like 'it says on our system that youve already got a prescription remaining for Vyvanse from Doctor 1', we need to call him before filling this.

Believe it or not it didn't occur to me till that moment that I could be doing something illegal, because my goal till that point had been to change medication, not to get extra Vyvanse, but suddenly I realised that I could land into enormous trouble. So obviously I just said 'actually that’s ok do you mind if I hold on to the prescription for the time being', and she said 'umm… ok sure'. It was definitely awkward.
But I also realise that Doctor 2 took down my name and address and contact info. If everything is kept on a central database, and he enters that he prescribed me vyvanse onto it, it’ll say that this person was prescribed it elsewhere within the 30 day period.
Suddenly I’ll be unable to be treated for adhd and in all honesty I don’t know how I’ll even complete my degree. Should I contact the Doctor 1 and explain? Would that just put him in awkward situation where he had to flag my name on a list? Is it something he’s going to check or is this only checked at the pharmacy level? Does anyone know how much trouble I’m in?

There are tonnes of posts online about people being prosecuted for 'doctor shopping' and Im really pretty scared - would really appreciate any help or advice.

Answer: You're fine. Tons of patients switch doctors/prescriptions occasionally.


Title: [California] If I wanted to make a secret recording of a phone call I make, can I just drive to Oregon and make the call?

Question: California is a two-party consent state for recording phone calls, but Oregon is only a one-party consent state.  If I live near the border to Oregon, could I legally just drive into Oregon and then make a recorded phone call without informing the other party that I was recording the call?

Answer:
 It depends on where the person you're calling lives. Usually it's safer to follow the law of the state with the strictest recording laws when calling someone in a different state.

If you go to Oregon to call someone living in California, you should make sure both parties are aware of the recording.


Title: USPS lost my insured package and won't pay out

Question:
Tldr; I was mailed a phone via USPS priority mail that never arrived. I have followed the claims process to a T and have provided them exactly what they told me they wanted. They won't pay out and they won't let me appeal the claim anymore.

I was mailed a phone from Minnesota to Manhattan (if location matters) via priority mail, which should have arrived late March, but I still haven't received it. The phone was bought by a friend who had a discount in May, 2018, then I paid them back. The phone has been my personal cellphone since then. The package was insured, and the tracking link still says "awaiting delivery scan."

I filed an online claim which was denied. I called their claims office and was told it was because I only uploaded a proof of insurance and I needed to upload a proof of value, for example, an email receipt of the original transaction. They then sent me an email after the call stating what they needed. I then appealed the claim and uploaded exactly what they requested as a proof of value only for it to be denied again. I then called them again and was told they needed a copy of the check that I used to pay my friend back. They also sent me a follow-up email after the phone call requesting the check. I uploaded a copy of the check that I got from the back, and USPS once again denied my request and will not allow me to make any further appeals.

My biggest issue with this is that 1), they lost my fucking phone, 2), they requested additional information each time that they didn't previously request (for example, if they wanted the check I paid to my friend, they should have told me the first time I called) and I feel like they're purposely trying to make it harder for me to get my money's worth for a new phone, and 3), requesting the check I sent to my friend is unnecessary. What if the phone was a gift?

Anyway, I'm planning to call them tomorrow to ask about the second denial of my claim. Is there anything I can do about this? Can I take them to small claims court? Additionally, are there any questions/things I can say to get more info? What are some good things to ask?

Answer: Your friend never completed the sale as your phone wasn’t delivered. Sue them for the value of the phone, let them fight it out with the USPS.


Title: Help needed bringing a teacher sexually preying on a student to justice (CA)

Question:
A friend (well, not anymore) of mine is a high school teacher. It has recently come to light that he is dating a former student who turned 18 and graduated last year. It is believed that they have been romantically involved since she was 14 or 15 years old.

This guy was married when this started, and is now going through a divorce. His wife is trying to get sole custody of their two daughters. The wife knows that he has been seeing this girl sexually since she was a minor. She once discovered them together  alone at their home and he later admitted to his wife that they were planning to sleep together. He also verbally admitted to his wife that he was in a relationship with this girl (when she was under 18). Unfortunately she has no hard evidence of this, except a photo that shows them holding hands while she was a minor.

However it appears he was recently fired from his job as a teacher, and lately several posts (e.g. on Rate My Teacher and YouTube) have been popping up saying that he's been dating a student since she was 14, and posting video of them together (but it's not clear that any of that video was taken when she was a minor).

The wife is also aware that this guy was accused of something by a student in a different school district he taught at over a decade ago, but nobody believed the girl and nothing happened. And this guy has a history of engaging with students on social media, or even inviting them to his home (including one time he I witnesses him inviting a couple of high school girls to his child's birthday party).

The wife has gone to the police but unfortunately they said they don't have enough evidence to investigate further at this time.

What (if anything) can we do to protect this man's daughters, and to bring justice to this predator? I am ashamed to have called this man a friend for so long, and having been a victim of childhood sexual abuse myself want to see this stopped.

Answer:
 If you can't prove they had a sexual relation while she was under the age of consent (18), then nothing illegal happened.  If you can prove it, go to the police.  Key word is proof; you need evidence, which you already said you don't have.

He's already been removed from his teaching position, so not sure what else you want to do.


Title: I might go to court help?

Question:
I'm 15 years old and I live in Montgomery county Indiana  and a couple of days ago at school a friend of mine pulled a prank on me wich I took as a joke and pranked him back. Then he decided to prank someone else and ended up getting in a fight with someone wich made him get an in school suspension. I went on with my day because I knew that I wasnt part of the fight so I was not really caring at the time. Well the next day I get called down to the office and there is a police officer in there. The principal tells me that I should not prank other students and not make any physical contact with any one. They ended up telling me that I'm going to need to file some paper work and the police officer said that I got my self into some trouble outside the school administration. I also got in a fight a long time ago in the same school but never got arrested because I never hurt any one in the fight.

I'm paranoid as hell right now because I dont know if im going to court or getting probation (or possibly jail time?) And ive never been in trouble with the law before and only got in one fight in my life so I dont know how to deal with this. This also started out as a joke so I dont know how this escalated so fast.

Long story short: Friend pranked me so I prank him back, get in trouble by police for making physical contact with him, possibly going to court.

Answer:
 First off: **tell your parents**.
Second: do not talk to the police without your parents presents.
This does not seem like an issue that is going to result in probation nor jail time.
This is really something you should be asking your parents for help with.


Title: My friend isn’t sure if the baby is his since he claims it doesn’t look like him, wants to find out since he pays child support. Next step?

Question:
My coworkers girlfriend became pregnant while they were together, obviously since at the time he thought it could only be him, he assumed he was the father. He later found out she was cheating on him while she was pregnant. He broke up with her but now pays child support and has been paying child support for a long time. He almost never gets to see his kid because she doesn’t want him too, but he wants to be a part of his child’s life.

Just recently, and not sure why, he asked to see his child’s birth certificate. She refuses to show him and after pressing her about it (all in person) she finally tells him that the baby does not have his last name, and that if he saw it he would be upset and “take her to court”. Now he is starting to think he should. He wants to make sure the child is his, and wants to see the birth certificate of the child. Now that the child is older he claims that the child does not look like him. If the child isn’t his, then he would like to sue her for all of the child support he has been paying his ex.

What are the next steps for him to take? Can he take legal action and request that the baby perform a DNA test to find out? Can he legally request the birth certificate to see if the child bares the last name of his ex’s new partner? Is there anything else he should do in order to protect himself or that may prove he is not the father?

Thank you for any and all help!

Answer: He can go to court and request a court ordered paternity test.


Title: 75$ for a key

Question: I was using the gym in my condo complex one night when I got up to use the restroom, leaving my "Amenity" key on the shelf, not realizing the door locked behind me meaning I could not retrieve my key.  There was no one else in the gym and it was late on a Sunday night and I didn't want to hunt down the security guard.  The next morning I went to the gym and my key was gone and had not been returned.  Since I often have guests and would like to use the pool i asked for a replacement key and I was told it would cost 75 dollars.  FOR A KEY THAT WOULD COST ME ABOUT THREE DOLLARS TO DUPLICATE. But I can't do that because they have DO NOT DUPLICATE stamped on the key, which means they can charge whatever they want.  I can't get anyone on the staff to tell me why my replacement key costs 75 dollars.  The office staff told me in the last month FIVE keys have been stolen.  And I believe the security person took the key and didn't return it, because it was very late and night, and I have never seen anyone but me in the gym that late, and I was at the office as soon as they opened in the morning.  I live in California.  Are they allowed to do this?  Isn't there some kind of protection from this kind of usury.  The turnover for office staff is very high as well and the manager seems to be clueless. Do I have any recourse?

Answer:
 It's legal and I'd bet it's in your lease.Answer #2: > I can't get anyone on the staff to tell me why my replacement key costs 75 dollars.

I will do so for free:  it's an incentive for residents to take more care not to lose them.

&#x200B;

I know that the San Francisco rent control ordinance specifically requires a landlord to only charge the actual cost of a replacement key for the resident's own unit.   I don't know of any statewide statute that would apply, or if there is a difference between an amenity key and the key to your own unit.

Your suspicions about the security guard's probable carelessness and the turnover and competence of the office staff are not relevant.


Title: How can i varafy if is she really in court hearings?

Question:
Real quick one... I know a girl who can't move out of state to live with me because she is tied up in court because of damage to an old apartment.
Every time the final court date comes there is another date made a few more months down the road.... im starting to wonder if im being jerked around... this has been going on for 2-3 years...

Is there a way to varafy that she really is caught up in court? I'm a trucker and travel nonstop so i can't exactly drive my semi truck to the court house and see for myself...

Answer: This sounds like a scam or a catfishing situation.Answer #2: 2-3 years for a destruction of property/vandalism charge would be highly unusual. If its a civil suit, nothing would prevent the individual from moving. I can tell you right now you're being lied to.


Title: Is there anyway to find out the results of a trial by jury that recently happened?

Question: Long story short, on Tuesday there was a jury trial that the result of will ultimately have a huge impact on my family. We haven't heard anything yet about it, but is there any way to find out the results online anywhere? Especially this soon after? State is Missouri, court was held in a fairly small county in the middle of nowhere, if that makes a difference

Answer: Are you sure the jury already reached a verdict?


Title: [PA] Gave a guy mouth-to-mouth, now I'm being subpoenaed.

Question:
First of all I apologize for any formatting issues and typos, I'm posting from my phone.

A couple of months ago I was on my way to work. I had stopped at the local gas station for coffee, and was walking in when I saw something that looked like a CPR dummy flop out of the back seat of a car. I continued walking toward the gas station when the driver of the car started waving her arms and calling out to me to come over(I am an RN and was in my nursing scrubs with my identification displayed on my lanyard, it's why I'm assuming she waved me over). I went over and the thing I thought was a CPR dummy turned out to be her friend, he was unresponsive and not breathing, lips were turning blue. I ran back to my car to grab my first aid kit and proceeded to give him CPR and mouth to mouth, while having his friend call 911. The guy ended up recovering a bit and was trying to get on his feet before the paramedics arrived, and when they and the police got there he was attempting to refuse treatment. He had told me when I was trying to get some information out of him and find out why he had become unresponsive that he had taken some drugs, but wasn't forthcoming with what exactly he had taken. There's a heroin epidemic in my county(Armstrong county) so I assumed that's what he had taken. Anyway, I spoke to the police and told them what I had witnessed, gave them my contact information and left, half an hour late to work, and didn't think anything else of it.
Well yesterday, I was served with a subpoena to testify against this person. I am covered by Good Samaritan laws and the like, so I know that's nothing to concern myself with...I'm just wondering if I should consult a lawyer or if I should just show up and not worry.

Thank you in advance for any responds! Long time lurker, first time poster in this particular subreddit :)

Answer: There's no need for you to hire an attorney if you're being subpoenaed as a witness in a situation where you are not under any suspicion. If you work for a hospital or other large-scale healthcare provider your employer has a company counsel who I'm sure will be happy to answer your questions and make you aware of any policies relevant to your situation.Answer #2: I would be willing to bet they found either drugs or paraphernalia in the vehicle or on his person and he has some sort of drug charge pending. Your testimony saying he appeared to be dosed on heroin and him saying he had taken some drugs could help ensure the charge sticks to him if it was just found somewhere in the vehicle, would be my guess.Answer #3: I feel your pain about Armstrong,Butler, and Allegheny counties have a HUGE issue right now.  But are you in a union maybe talk to your union head or if your work has a call in hotline for legal advice.  I would also maybe contact the police and maybe do a written statement as you do not want to testify in court due to your job.Answer #4: You should consult an attorney to make sure you're not violating some sort of professional confidentiality law by testifying against a "patient". You should also make sure there are actually good samaritan laws and what they exactly mean in your state. Not all states have them, and not all good samaritan laws are actually good for the samaritan.


Title: New landlord refusing to remove snow/ice from sidewalk/steps and refusing to replace light bulbs in laundry room (USA/Michigan)

Question:
Hi all,

In December, our old landlord decided to sell the property I currently rent with roommates to a 19 year old girl whose parents purchased the house for her. She told us back in December when she first bought the house that she was going to hire a company to handle snow removal. It has since snowed twice, and the first time, we got a good foot or two. She did not have anyone come out to shovel that time, despite my questioning her. She said that the company she had tried to hire were too busy to take on our house as well, so the sidewalk was never cleared. We have since accumulated more snow. I texted her and my roommates, asking her when she would get this done. The snow happened a few days ago, and since then, our sidewalk and steps leading up to our house are extremely icy and snowy.

I ended up texting her three times since the snow fell and she just now responded with this:

>"When I first inherited the lease, I had originally thought that snow removal was included in the lease as my responsibility, however after review the attorneys have notified me that there isn't any clause in the lease requiring me to pay for or be responsible for snow/ice removal. Also, the lease specifically mentions that tenants are responsible for replacing light bulbs, and that they should have Been provided at the beginning of the lease. Since I wasn't here, I don't know if [original landlord's name] provided those Lightbulbs to you or not, but if not, I'd be willing to take  20 dollars or however much a pack of lightbulbs would cost out of your next month's rent to compensate if you had to go to the store and buy some. But again, [original landlord's name] should've provided them to you at the beginning of the term and tenants are responsible for their replacement as explained by the lease."

In regard to the snow removal, our lease does not say whether or not this responsibility falls on us as tenants or her as the owner. I looked up our local tenant rights, and it states this:

>"Except for sidewalks defined by section 4:51(1)(b) and (c), all snow and ice which has accumulated prior to 6:00 a.m. on a sidewalk adjacent to property not zoned residential shall be removed by the owner or occupant by noon. The owner or occupant of the property shall also remove snow and ice from walks and ramps that are at bus stops or that lead to a marked or unmarked crosswalk. Provided that when ice has so formed upon any sidewalk, walk or ramp that it cannot be removed, then the owner or occupant shall keep the same effectively sprinkled with sand, salt or other suitable substance in such manner as to prevent the ice from being dangerous, until such time as it can be removed, and then it shall be promptly removed."

They go on to define the owner:
>""Owner," for purposes of this section and section 4:61, means the owner as shown in the records of the City Assessor."

I am extremely frustrated by her behavior and would like some advice on how to proceed with the snow issue.

Regarding the light bulb issue, our lease states this:
* "Light bulbs will be provided by the Landlord at the beginning of the Lease term. Tenants are responsible for replacing light bulbs throughout the Lease term as necessary so that upon surrendering to the Landlord, all fixtures are properly equipped."

However, our original landlord never gave us these light bulbs. I should mention here that I am subleasing from another girl who was on the original lease. I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Any advice on this would be extremely helpful. I am not entirely sure who the snow removal issue falls on, us as tenants or her as the owner of the house, since it says "owner or occupant" on our city's website. I would also like to know whether or not we should take her up on her offer of reduced rent for light bulb purchase, as our laundry room is a shared space among myself, my roommates, and the apartment below us.

Thanks, yo!

Answer: If your lease does not include snow removal you should be doing it. Your lease states that you are responsible for light bulbs so I would take the deal and just replace the bulbs. She is essentially saying that she will compensate you for the bulbs so I don't know what the downfall to that plan would be.


Title: Trust fund chaos due to children and grandchildren of fellow beneficiary. Please Help!

Question:
There is a ton of information, I'm going to try to cut out as much as I can to get some basic questions answered, and I can elaborate further if asked.  This is all happening in New Mexico.  My maternal grandfather was a businessman with a goodly sum of money he set up to go to his children in a living trust upon his death.  My maternal Grandmother died in 1999 of cancer, he married her cousin in 2001.  There was nothing going on prior with them, but none of us were thrilled with the arrangement, we dealt with it because I don't really believe it was a decision fueled solely by financial gain.

My mother was sick with kidney problems my entire life and had died in 1992, so my sister and I are now included in the trust instead - we split what her portion would have been.  At the moment, we are the only grandchildren set to receive anything directly. The beneficiaries of the trust are an aunt (my mother's sister), an uncle (mother's brother who lives in Canada), my sister, myself and step-grandmother who is still living, but ill and in a nursing home in town.

Step-grandmother lived in house until she became too ill to take care of herself (this stipulation is in the trust, she was to live there until her death or until she became unable to to take care of herself, and all contents of the house belong to her) Before they moved her into nursing home, her daughter sent her son (step-grandmother's grandson) to stay with her because she was falling frequently and to keep an eye on her.  But, I'm sure it was also because he needed a place to stay because his own house was unlivable due to being a hoarder and auctioneer so it was completely filled to the ceiling with crap he drug home from his sales and was never cleaned.  My Aunt was also staying in the house, she had been taking care of my Grandfather - after he had broken his hip and then contracted Mersa - up until his death in December 2012. While my aunt was staying there and step-grandmother, hoarder grandson couldn't really let things get messy because even though step-grandmother was ill, she and my grandfather both loved and took impeccable care of the house, and her mind is still pretty sharp, and she knows (everyone does) what a disaster her grandson can and will quickly make things.  It just took a couple of sentences pointing out some mess or a pile of junk accumulating and she would call out the grandson and have him clean it up.  The auction company that hoarder grandson works for is owned by his father, my step-grandmother's daughter's husband.

Once step-grandmother moved out of the house, her stake in it was finished.  The property and the house itself belongs to the trust and is to be sold and dispersed among my aunt, uncle, sister and myself.  Something else I had always found interesting regarding the trust, it was done through a small, local bank my Grandfather never had an account or any sort of dealings with.  It's the bank you go to and open your second chance checking account and there were a lot of discussions about why he had picked it.  Other friends and family members often asked, "Why the heck did he go through XXX bank for this?"  He was VERY thrifty and I always laughed and said there was probably a coupon in the newspaper for trust funds.  Head of the trust department there is rather inept and you can tell this trust is a very low priority but I have had very few dealings with her up until recently.  But things like calling and changing my address on file took AT LEAST 3-5 phone calls to get correct (a couple before anything was actually done, and when it was done the address was wrong) and usually I had to get in touch with the trustee's secretary in order for it to be right.

May - June 2017, I was living in the Los Angeles area and I started getting phone calls from my aunt to "come see and visit her".  This town in New Mexico is one of my least favorite places in the universe, it's ugly and dirty, very small and gossipy, there's nothing to do there so everyone is monitoring everyone else and I am very much a city dweller.  But aunt was pivotal in my upbringing and dear to my heart since I had lost my parents so young. I start hearing her get tears in her voice and I agree to come.  I had surgery in February 2016, a gastric bypass and had lost a tremendous amount of weight.  In fact, I needed to stop losing weight and was having a hard time keeping anything on.  Step-grandmother and eye had never exactly been on great terms with each other and I also didn't want to come there and have her opposed to the idea and us not getting along the whole time.  My aunt assured me that she had even asked that I come because she had wanted to talk to me about some things.  I arrive and see that 99.9% of step-grandmother's care has fallen upon my aunt, when she needs something, hoarder grandson is nowhere to be found. In fact, he complains loudly whenever he's asked to do anything, that he's too busy with this or that.  It's a tremendous task for my aunt who is also not well, but she and my step-grandmother love each other and my aunt would never let step-grandmother think of herself as a burden.  Step-grandmother's daughter comes once a day to check on her mother, at dinnertime with her family to eat a big meal my aunt cooks for everyone.  I blame my aunt a lot for this too, she should have set boundaries way earlier and never let herself assume these roles.  She is tied to the house 24 hours a day because step-grandmother always decides to walk around and subsequently falls whenever left alone, eventually daughter gets a nurse to come 4 hours a day. Aunt is also paying for the food for this crew, about $50 a day and my aunt is NOT a rich woman.  Once a month or so daughter leaves my aunt $200-$250 for food, but unfortunately that hardly scratches the surface. When I arrive, I am there and help my aunt with the care of step-grandmother and take over all the cooking duties (and cut down on doing it, there's no more 7 nights a week of meals).  The time is actually one I'm grateful for with step-grandmother, she apologizes to me and I to her, and even though I AM NOT a great caretaker of people, we grow rather close while I help my aunt.  I love to bake and step-grandmother loves to eat the sweet treats, the house needs some deep cleaning and I take care of that and the large yard.  Everyone (including daughter and her family) compliment me on how great the house looks and the yard, and step-grandmother asks me every day "what kind of cake or cookie are we having?" I don't have any real problems with daughter or grandson, I let my aunt know that I think it's rather crappy of them to put the care on her and for them to think nothing of it, but I get along to keep the peace.  I should probably mention that when I arrived there, everyone was shocked at how thin I was, definitely pushing anorexia, but they started to see that I couldn't keep any weight on, I just kept losing and getting sicker.  By the end of September 2017, I was so sick I could barely get out of bed, but I still did.  The hospital system in that town is abysmally bad, I started to be in tremendous pain and they refused to give me any pain medication, that there wasn't anything wrong, their tests indicated that and I just wanted pills.  I started vomiting blood a few days later and my aunt loaded me in the car and took me to Lubbock, Texas, somewhere with real doctors and hospitals and away from that whole system.  After my gastric bypass, my intestines had become wrapped around my stomach, cutting off the blood supply to my stomach and effectively killing most of it.  When it died, it turned gangrenous and the gangrene spread to my intestines, and they were also perforated, I was very, very sick, my surgeons there said I was less than 24 hours from dying.  I spent a month in intensive care there trying to get well enough to come home, I finally pretty much demanded my release, and I went back but had my own nurses because I wanted to put as little as possible on my poor aunt.  I haven't been well ever since and I'm relatively sure I won't ever be again, but I deal with the circumstances and learning a new normal.  Doctors think I should get on disability, and I know this is stupid, but I am having a hard time accepting that my career is over.

Once step-grandmother is moved into nursing home, suddenly selling the house is a huge priority to daughter and grandson, they have no stake in it beyond, of course, what the auction company is set to get.  When I hear about their auction company managing the sale, I inquire about conflict of interest, etc.  We are all given notice to be out of the house by January 1, 2019 and I am reminded of this every, single day.  Aunt is also getting sicker and we move her to her son in Utah.  In October, an old supervisor of mine calls me out of the blue and wants me to work on a project for him.  I left there after he had been somewhat of a tyrant and I poked around with my former colleagues before I agreed to make the move back to Oregon, they all told me that he had changed and thought that he was very sorry I left.  I hadn't worked at all the previous year and I was in a terrible state financially myself because of the illness I had. I had finally agreed that disability was probably the best option because we weren't sure I could handle full time employment anyways, and while I wasn't paying housing costs it was the best time to apply because you can't have any income on disability.  I had done all the paperwork and met with social security, gotten all the medical records, etc and started that waiting game.  Daughter and grandson were very insistent on me accepting this job, because we couldn't stay at the house.  At this point, I don't want to leave the house, because I know that grandson will be there alone and it will turn all bad.  They, along with the trustee, pretty much demanded I take the job and vacate the property. In a meeting we had with the bank and trustee, I had asked to be caretaker of the property if they thought we needed one (and all the beneficiaries of the trust agreed to me being that person), I certainly thought the house did, but in the event it couldn't be me, that the house wouldn't be left under grandson's care due to his negligence of his own property.  I had to borrow money against the payment I received from the trust fund in January, my last payment until the house is sold, to make the move from New Mexico to Oregon.  I left the property on Thanksgiving Day, 2018. House was supposed to be on market or auctioned or whatever by March-April.  Of course, I hear nothing, no one hears anything.  I call the trustee last week and ask about it, "oh, there were some repairs that needed to be done to the roof and the floor and we're waiting for those to be accomplished.  I'm glad you called, that reminds me,  I need to check on that".  And I ask, "and there's no one living at the house, correct?" "Oh, no.  Well, no one is supposed to be".  My own people there driving by tell me it sure as hell looks like there is.  Hoarder grandson is living there, he of course, never left.  I say I'm coming out there to check on the house, and he says he is living there, and I am not allowed to stay there or see the house.  I know it's destroyed.  He claims he had a verbal agreement with the trustee to arrange for the repairs and oversee everything.  Having him oversee the care of anything is probably criminal negligence in itself, it's very well known about the state of this man's property, and hiring him for that kind of job is hysterically absurd.  It's like hiring Cookie Monster to keep an eye on your Mrs. Field's franchise.  I call the trustee back today and she claims that "the house repairs had to have someone staying there to oversee" and I ask her point blank then why did she tell me a few days ago there was no one living there?  Had she just not checked in 6 months, once I was gone?  And why had she put GRANDSON there, the ONE person who we, the trust beneficiaries asked TO NOT be there. Lots of non-answers, and side stepping, she gets pretty indignant and says she's doing a walk through of the property to check on it the end of the week. I tell her we want pictures, but I'm sure we won't get them.  It's become very clear where exactly my Grandfather got the idea of whom he should run the trust through, this lady is not our trustee, she's the trustee for daughter's family. We have literally had to fight for EVERYTHING or anything to be done, and our wishes are rarely complied with, but these guys?  Anything they want, she either grants it, or turns a deaf ear to what's going on and acts like she doesn't know.

I know this is long, and God help me, there's so many quirks and turns in this and a ton more information.  My basic, first questions... #1, can I call conflict of interest on the BS of their auction company handling the sale of the house?  It's working out like this, Grandson lives there, has been wrecking the place, the trust pays for the repairs then they manage the sale and take a chunk of the profit. I'm sorry, but I have a really big problem with this.  I love step-grandmother dearly, but she has been very well taken care of too in this trust, better then all of the rest of us to be honest, and I think them getting their hands in this pot is just ridiculous.  I'm done with this terrible trustee and I'm ready for us to get one that's out for the interests of the trust, if there's anything left. We, the beneficiaries, never received any kind of notice of the repair work, or that anyone was living there, and especially that grandson was living there.  Isn't that trespassing?  He received the same notice I did to be out by January.  These jerks pretty much threw me out, when I was sick and probably had more right to be there than anyone.

I do not have much money, but I am willing to forfeit my entire stake in the trust, as much as it kills me, to stop this madness and get these people out of everything.  It's not millions of dollars or anything, but it's a respectable chunk of change.  Do you think I can get a lawyer under those terms?  My sister will be retaining her own lawyer, she's very well off financially and we aren't on the greatest of terms with each other.  We are in agreement of the disarray of property here but I would feel better having my own attorney protecting my own interests.  Aunt is currently dying of throat cancer in hospital in Utah, Uncle in Canada is also not well, and in Canada but fed up with their crap.  Most of the fighting will be done by my sister and I, and if the trust can be dissolved, we would still see that step-grandmother's terms were the same, although beyond a monthly check she is pretty much done.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated and mostly, the conflict of interest thing I'm curious about.  And if I yell conflict of interest, can that stop them?

Another point, I am looking at lawyers quite a distance from the town, as I'm afraid they have most of the lawyers there in their hip pocket.  They have spent their entire lives there, are well known in the community and step-grandmother's brother was also a magistrate judge.

Answer: No one is reading all of that


Title: Me and 4 other guys signed a lease for this coming May to rent out a house. Our landlord emailed us and said she might sell.

Question:
Living in Indiana FYI.

She says that she will only sell subject to the lease, however this assurance is really just a "gentlemen's agreement" if you will, there is nothing in our lease that says they can or cannot sell the house.

Does anyone know how this work? Is the lease void if the home is sold? Is the new owner legally obligated to honor whether he or she wants to or not?

Answer:
 Generally speaking, the lease is a cloud on title.  This means the new owner will be subject to the terms of the lease.

It is possible that there is language in your lease that might let your landlord out of the lease in the event of a sale, but that not normal.

The lease is contract between you and the seller.  The seller cannot enter into a new contract with a buyer that violates the terms of the first contract... the lease.  The language of your lease being the critical piece here.

The owner can negotiate an offer with you to get out of the lease, but you're not obligated to accept the offer.  You can insist on staying until the lease expires, or until the land lord offers something to make the move worthwhile.  The longer your lease term, the more leverage you have to negotiate.  If you only have months left, the owner might be better waiting you out than to offer anything.  If you have closer to a year left, the owner might have to offer you more to get you out.... it's really up to you and how much it's worth to you.  If you want too much, he'll probably just wait, or sell it subject to your rights under the lease.


Title: Work overpaid me and wants me to give it back- Major Boston Hospital

Question:
Hi all, I've never posted here so I apologize in advance if I do this wrong.

I am a researcher in a major hospital in Boston. I was offered a promotion, which would move me from hourly pay with OT pay above 40hrs, to a larger salary with no OT eligibility- same pay every week no matter what.

I waited 4 months for the promotion to take effect, during which time I continued at the hourly rate with OT pay.

To make up for the time it took, they back-paid me for the 4 months with the increased pay they offered me with the promotion. However, they paid me the increase PLUS the OT. They only meant to pay me the difference as if I'd been at the larger salary, without the OT. So essentially they paid me an overage of whatever the cumulative OT pay I'd worked over those 4 months (total weekly hours never amounted to more than 50hrs/wk).

Today- It has been THREE months since the promotion went through and I received the back-pay. Now, three months later, they are trying to ask me to write them a check for the money they overpaid me. I find this to be completely absurd. Lawyers, hit me with your lawying. Thank you in advance, I look forward to your words.

Answer:
 >I find this to be completely absurd.

It isn't.

>Lawyers, hit me with your lawying.

[You can't keep things you are not entitled to.  Give the money back.](http://sarahsaysreadbooks.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/lawyered.jpg)


Title: [OR] are fish considered pets when renting?

Question: I want to move and I have a large saltwater aquarium.  Do I have to find a pet friendly place? How are "pets" defined is lease agreements?

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, but from my personal experience as a renter with an aquarium - I've never lived anywhere that considered fish as a pet, but *everywhere* I've lived has insisted on proof that my tenant insurance covers damage from a ruptured tank, before they'd sign the lease.

Ask the landlord. Answer #2: Why don't you just ask the people you're inquiring for rentals from?Answer #3: If the lease says no waterbeds, they probably won't allow a large aquarium either.Answer #4: Yes, fish are pets


Title: [Alberta, Canada] Neighbor took down shared fence without asking

Question:
Hey, throwaway account here.

My neighbor and I have fences surrounding both our backyards with a shared fence between the houses. Our driveways connect as they are one big piece of cement. My driveway is longer and the shared fence runs from the back of the lots to our gates, though his gate is closer to front of the lot. The fence started a meter from the sidewalk along the property line all the way to the back of the properties (Diagram: http://imgur.com/a/Go7Xa)

I came home from work two weeks ago and the section of the fence between the driveways was removed up to where his gate starts.

I went over and politely asked him why he took the fence down and he was defensive. He said the fence was his and he built it before we moved in two years ago. He said he built it on his side of the property line because the previous owners used to shovel snow onto his driveway (it's a long driveway). He said he took it down because he wants more space to park his RV in the driveway (which already fit fine).

I told him that the fence was actually built on the property line and that it wasn't polite to remove it without discussing it with us first. I said that based on our survey report, the fence is shared and technically is half ours. He denied it and told me to hire a surveyor to prove that. I told him I have a survey from when I moved in two years ago that shows pictures of the fence and a map indicating the property line and the fence directly on top of it.

I asked him to put the fence back up and he agreed after making a fuss, then asked for half the money (edit: for the material when he bought it - he still has the fence pieces) for the cost of the fence. I agreed and asked how much and he said he would let me know.

It's been two weeks since that conversation and his RV is currently parked on the property line. I have a feeling he went inside, talked to his wife, and decided he didn't have to put it up. I haven't heard from him since, nor has he shown any sign of starting.

I really liked the fence because I could shovel the snow against it. Now I don't have much room to shovel the snow and I have to see the ugly RV he parks in his driveway.

Before I go and ask him about it again, I was hoping to get some advice from you guys.

What are my rights in Alberta? If he refuses, should I contact bylaw? Should I contact a lawyer? Should I build my own fence along the property line? I tried contacting the city and they suggested having a conversation (which I did) and then contact bylaw if it got out of control (which it didn't).

Thanks for your time!

edit: Added shitty paint sketch: http://imgur.com/a/Go7Xa
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 The rule in Alberta is that neighbours pay equal costs to build/maintain a fence that they each benefit from. In this case the neighbour thinks he doesn't benefit from a fence and you feel that you do. You certainly have the right to build your own fence as per the municipal guidelines in your city, but if the neighbour thinks this has no benefit to him, you may have to bear the costs.

The courts, as a rule, try hard not to get involved with fence disputes. If they did, that would be all they ever did, so they make it complicated and expensive enough that it's preferable 99% of the time to work out an amicable solution with the neighbour or just eat the costs yourself. If you can't then there is an arbitration process you can initiate, but it's probably more hassle and expense than it's worth. (IANAL, just in neighbour who has had his own fence dispute in Ontario)

Here's the [Alberta Line Fence act](http://www.qp.alberta.ca/documents/Acts/L13.pdf)


Title: [Illinois] Doctor performed a procedure I specifically asked her not to.

Question:
I was going in for surgery. The surgery had three possible treatments depending on what the doctor found. I explained to the surgeons assistant in the pre-surgery interview that I did not want one of the options. I told him if it came down to it, and that was the only option left, I was refusing it. I woke up from the surgery to find they did it anyway. The surgeon even got annoyed when I was upset about what happened and made me feel like I was out of line and ungrateful. What options do I have?
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer: Get an attorney.


Title: My wife's ex is still extremely verbally abusive to her via text. What legal action can we take?

Question:
Edit: in ID
A child is the reason why they still communicate.

Answer: If she has no reason to speak with her ex (no children, etc.), she should block him. If she is being threatened, she should report him and seek a restraining order.


Title: [IL] I have joint custody of a 6 year old. Spiteful Ex is trying to dictate who child can be around while in my care

Question:
Hello all,

I have a 6 year old son with my ex wife. We have been seperated/divorced for almost 4 years. I have dealt with the typical ongoing issues of spiteful, hateful, disruptive behavior as is seen in many of these situations.

My ex is the custodial parent, however, we have joint custody of the child per court order. I get visitation with my son three weekends/month, one month per summer, and we alternate all major holidays.

I have been engaged to a new partner for over two years now. My current partner has accepted my son as her own. They both like each other and get along well. My fiance cooks for my son, washes his clothes, trims his nails etc. She truly takes great care of my son and over time they have bonded and have a loving relationship. This can be corroborated by any of our friends or family. There has been absolutely no instances of abuse or mistreatment when the child has been at my house by either myself or my current partner. The child even tells us he does not want to return to his mother and would rather stay with us.

My ex is now trying to tell me that, because she does not know or trust my fiance, (they have never met) I am not allowed to leave my child in her care unless myself or my parents are in the room.

My ex is by and large psychotic, self righteous, and immature. Introducing the ex and fiance is out of the question. It is my belief that the only reason she is saying this is as a way to try to control what is going on with my visitation time as there is nothing but love between the child and my fiance.

My question is, if there is no abuse or any conduct detrimental to the child going on, does the ex have any legal right to tell me who I can and can't leave the child with, where they can go, and for what length of time while he is visiting my house?

Example being: Last weekend I had a home improvement project going on in my basement that took about half of a day to complete. My fiance watched my son upstairs and then took him to see Santa while I completed the project. According to my ex this situation is unacceptable even though the child enjoyed his time spent with her.

Thank you so much for any advice you can offer.

Sincerely,

A Confused Dad

Tl;dr: Spiteful ex wife/custodial parent is saying I cannot leave my 6 year old child alone with my fiance of 2 years. We have joint custody, child enjoys spending time with fiance.

Answer:
 If she wants to tell you who you can and can't have your child around, it has to be in the custody decree. If she doesn't like her, tell her she's welcome to not have your son around your fiancée on her own time. Answer #2: Absent any clauses (usually called paramour clauses) in your custody agreement, tell your ex wife that SHE gets to decide who your son is around on HER time, and YOU will decide who your son is around on YOUR time.  If she has any issues with that, she can discuss those with a judge in court.

At the same time, I would tell her that she should make it easier on herself by completely butting out and realizing that on YOUR time, YOU are the parent.  She doesn't get to make parental decisions during YOUR time.  You do.  She doesn't get to overrule those.  She doesn't get to question those.  Just as YOU don't overrule and question HER parenting choices.

You want to take a firm line on this, because it is only going to get worse.  You do not want her thinking she can dictate your custody.

No child has ever been harmed by having more than two loving and supportive parental figures in their life.  Common wisdom is that the more adults a child can get to invest in them, the better off they are.  This is especially true as you may have other children with your fiance someday, and it is going to be in your child's best interest to feel fully apart of that family unit.

Your ex is just jealous because your son is bonding with your fiance.


Title: Could Section 230 be revised to only protect social media from liability if they prohibit 'anonymous' users?

Question:
I was wondering how different the world might be if every Facebook/Twitter/IG user had to be an identifiable 'real' person.  So if you spewed pure lies/hate or defamation, you could be easily found and held liable.

That lead me to think that perhaps the Section 230 liability protections could be altered to only apply to content providers who make good-faith/best practice efforts to verify the identity of people who post content.

I don't think that violates the First Amendment.  It is a a completely content and viewpoint neutral law, and it doesn't restrict speech in anyway.

Answer: This doesn't really make any sense as a policy, since spreading hate and misinformation are both legal and do not typically come with any liability.


Title: Apartment complex wants to raise my rent.

Question:
Edit: I live in Northern Nevada

Last December I signed a 13 month lease for $965/month. Coming up on month 12, I received a notice explaining lease renewal options and prices. While I expected this, it also lists that a month to month lease would increase my rent to $1,198/month. I was under the impression that if I went month to month I would pay the same rent as I do now.

Taking a second look at my lease I see this:
"The initial term of the Lease Contract begins on the 5th day of December 2014 and ends at midnight the 4th day of January 2016. This Lease Contract will automatically renew month-to-month unless either party gives at least 30 days written notice of termination or intent to move out..."

Now the way I read this is unless they are kicking me out or I decide to move out, the lease I signed, saying my rent is $965/month, is renewed month to month. Is this incorrect? Can they raise my rent even though the lease says it stays the same?

Answer: What they are telling you is that they are terminating your current lease and you have 3 options: renew for a year, renew month to month, or move out. Answer #2: They had to give you at least 30 days notice of the increase, which they did. Answer #3: OP this is completely standard stuff, happens at the end of every apartment lease contract. Don't think of it as your rent going up, think of it as the huge discount you are getting for committing to a specific number of months.


Title: Is a place of business legally allowed to demand cash only and have an ATM that charges a fee that is paid to the very same business? [Minnesota]

Question:
I went to pick up a cake from a place in Minneapolis. I presented my card and the woman said cash or check only. Then she pointed to an ATM just outside the door that was in the breezeway for a private bank. Of course the ATM charged me a $2.00 fee and I took my receipt, walked through a door back into their bakery and handed her cash. I asked why they don't accept cards and she could only come up with something about card swipe fees. I told her I just paid $2.00 to give her cash and that it says on the receipt that the fee was paid to their business, not the bank. She blew me off and another customer butted in to say they've always been cash only. Ok, fine. Is that setup legal in MN?

Edit: Thanks for your answers, everyone!

Looks like it's legal

Answer:
 Yes, this is legal.

Look into the Visa / MC racket to understand why. Merchants get charged 1-3% by credit card companies. On every. Single. Penny. For a small company, that can be huge. Hell, even your grocery store makes 1% margins. Plus, you can't chargeback cash. I know a professional wedding photographer who has been charged back. Answer #2: Short answer:  Yes, it's legal.

They are not required to take cards.

As long as they follow the appropriate regulations, they can set up an ATM.


Title: (California) my immigrant husband has run off with a new woman, gotten her pregnant, and stollen all of MY money from our joint account. What do I do?

Question:
My husband is from England. I sponsored his green card. We got married in 2014 and shortly after our marriage he started cheating on me. I caught him and wanted to leave him then but decided to try to forgive him and move on. The next 3 years were spent in hell as he decided drugs and alcohol and working in night life was more important than coming home to his wife.

Durringn this time I was in nursing school which he was supposed to support us through. After all I supported him fully when he first moved here and couldn’t work.
Well, he decided he didn’t want to do that and I was forced to start working again. But it was all under the assumption I would go back to school at any moment. So I only worked part time. Time was getting away from me and he still wasn’t making enough money to support us both and then I had an injury which put me out of work.
For several months after I was healed our relationship degraded to the point of violent out bursts from him and I decided to move on. I served him divorce papers 6-7 months ago (I don’t really remember) and was trying to get back into the beauty industry as I’m a licensed esthetician. I’m over qualified for a lot of the jobs being offered so it took a long time to find one that paid me half way decently. I have been working now for a month. He moved out about 2 months ago as he decided to get into a full blown relationship with the first girl he took on a date.

Today he confessed he’s gotten her pregnant and is going to keep the baby. And has stollen all of my money from my direct deposit out of our joint account. I told him I’ll give him till tonight to come to his senses and put it back. But I’ll be filing a police report tomorrow morning. I have several texts back and forth of him promising me he won’t just bail on his financial responsibilities before I’m on my feet properly. And have all the texts he sent about stealing my money. I’m trying to see if a mutual friends husband (a divorce attorney) will help me out for little to no money with everything.

What should I be doing to protect myself and is he in the wrong? I’m definitely the one getting screwed over here and I want to know if his green card can be revoked because of the decisions he’s making?

Any advice is much appreciated.

Answer:
 If he took the money out of a joint account, it's his and the police won't do anything. You need to open a separate checking account and change your direct deposit to it.

What effect a divorce will have on his immigration status depends on a lot of facts, but it usually has no effect at all.


Title: Missed filing my taxes by due date, now what?

Question: I'm dumb, I know, but I just found all my tax sheets for 2014. How badly am I gonna get fined? Am I going to jail? How do I do my taxes now that the 15th has passed?

Answer:
 It depends. If you owe the IRS money, you will be charged a penalty and interest on what you owe. You should file and pay as soon as possible.

If the IRS owes you a refund, you won't get your refund until you file (and there is a 3 year limitation, I believe), but that's about the worst of it.

In the future, you should file an extension. It's free and you automatically get six extra months to file. If you owe money, you still have to pay it on time, but it helps.


Title: Wrongful termination?

Question: I was recently fired from my job for "making terroristic threats". Last week before my shift at work a police officer and the head of our security showed up at my house. They came to ask if I said I was going to blow up the building. I was completely at a loss and had no clue as to what they were even talking about. I answered all their questions honestly and politely, they took my number and told me they had to investigate and from there I was suspended. Not to go on property or talk to any employees. The next week I am told I'm fired, not only that but they are seeking a tpo and my family and I are evicted from our apartment. (They own that too) today I was served the tpo and it says the incident occurred when I wasn't even at work! It also says I'm believed to be mentally ill and not taking meds.. Wth please help any advice helps I am in Nevada.

Answer:
 Is there more to the story? How long have you worked there, and have there been previous incidents that led to this accusation?

I'm afraid they don't need a good (or true) reason to terminate you, unless you had an employment contract that says otherwise (or are covered by union rules).

As to your living situation, if your lease there relies on your continued employment, then this is also something they can terminate, though your lease should still have outlined the conditions under which they can evict you. In particular I would check if there is a requirement for advance notice.


Title: (Illinois) Writing a letter (not relating to a case) to a judge?

Question:
Im currently a college student and am looking for summer internship opportunities, and someone I know mentioned that one of their close family members is a judge, and told me to reach out to them for a summer internship.  AFAIK the person and the judge have a good relationship, so i dont think it would be too much of a stretch to do this.

I want to write a brief, somewhat formal letter to the judge introducing myself, giving a little bit of background about myself, academic interests (law school being my dream), and that i would be more than willing to do unpaid work; clerical stuff, flipping copies, gofer work, etc. and mentioning my relationship with their family member that gave me the advice.

Is this the proper way to go about this? how would i even format the letter, like i would if i was writing a letter to them regarding a case? I want to deliver the letter in person, but im sure the judge is very busy with other affairs, so i would probably leave it with an assistant or security, but i also want to make sure the judge gets the letter.

Answer:
 Write the letter as if you were writing to any other prospective employer, not as if it pertained to a case.  DO NOT try to make it sound legal.

The exception to this is in the address and salutation.  If the judge was named John Doe then the envelope and address of the letter would be addressed to:  "The Honorable John Doe" and the salutation would read:  "Dear Judge Doe:"

Personally I'd format the letter so that the first paragraph is very short and tells the judge the whole story less the details.  Something like:
*I am a student at XYZ Community College seeking a summer intern position.  My good friend, Beth Doe, suggested that you might be able to help me find an internship position with the court or a related department.*

Then go onto all of the other details you mentioned. But you should keep the letter short and not a wall of text.  One page including address to signature, is preferable, or two pages max.  If you need to include a lot of personal details make a short resume and attach it.


Title: [ON] friend is demanding money back after saying that he was going to help, did not ask for an IOU. [x-post from r/relationships]

Question:
Was told to post this here for legal advice:

If you look through my post history, you can get a little bit more information about what all has happened with him financially. I'll give you the quick run down of our "relationship" thus far.

At the end of July 2016 I ordered a pizza and he was my delivery guy. The next day I received an add on snapchat from a name I did not recognize. After messaging this person, he admits that he was the delivery guy (we'll call him Singh) and that he looked up my phone number, which was only given to him to let me know when he arrived at my apartment with my pizza, and saw that I had snapchat. He said I was cute. Then he started texting me. He asked me on a date and I said no. He continued to message me until I finally got creeped out when he said he was coming to my house (uninvited). I told him not to and that I would call the police. He did end up coming down my street, but turned around soon after. I ignored his frantic calls for the next three days.

There was another guy that I had been interested in but found out he was lying to me, so I was really upset about him and ended up getting ridiculously drunk. Later that night I received another message from Singh, asking to talk because he didn't want me to get him in trouble with his pizza company. I answer his call, we ended up talking for about an hour, where he apologized for coming off too strong. I let it go and we kinda chatted back and forth for the weekend, nothing serious.

Another bad thing happened and I ended up feeling desperate for affection, so I contacted Singh and said I wanted to have casual sex with him. He agreed and we went to his friends place to have sex. We did the deed, I told him to drive me home, and I didn't think we would ever speak again. I went away for about three weeks to visit family, and the whole time we remained in contact. It was fun to talk to him and it didn't seem serious, as we both had said we didn't want a relationship. When I got back from being away, we ended up having sex again. This continued on for awhile, then he started just wanting to see me so he would drive over to my apartment and we would sit in his car and talk. I never allowed him in my apartment.

In November, my birthday came around and I was upset about my dad not calling me to send his wishes, so Singh came over and we sat in his car, and he made me feel better.

I found out that I was accepted for a campus apartment and would be moving into it in January, which just so happened to be closer to him. He told me that he would be "over at my place all the time" so I "better get used to him being around."

He did as he said and was over almost every weekend and sometimes through the week. I kept making excuses for him not to come over because he could never take no as an answer. The sex was good, but I didn't like him for anything more.

I had a mental breakdown in February and realized I needed to move back home to my family two hours away and out of the city. He lent me money in order to help me out with some bills, and told me "not to worry about it" and that he was "helping" me. He knew I wouldn't be able to pay him back because I wasn't coming into any extra money.

I moved back home, got a job, spent time with family and friends, and started online courses. Throughout this time, I still texted him when I could but it was definitely infrequent. He started getting angry because I wasn't spending every second talking to him and I hadn't driven two hours to see him. I knew I didn't want that, but finally gave in around April-ish (the 20th, I believe) and we went on a mini-vacation together --- that HE had planned, not me. It was nice but I still didn't want anything from him.

Then he wanted me to come up at least once a week, despite me working all the time and taking online courses, and I was feeling smothered. I finally told him that I didn't want anything serious and I definitely didn't like the direction we were heading, that I just wanted to be friends. That wasn't good enough so I said we should go separate ways. He told me he loved me, and I told him I didn't. He got even more upset and told me that I "owed him money" and wanted it immediately. Things got even worse and I got really upset at him.

He has now been threatening me and saying that he wants his money by this weekend otherwise he won't leave me alone. I don't know how to get him to go away, and he's claiming that I owe him 4,650 dollars. What do I do? Do I seek a lawyer? Do I get police involved?

I haven't spoken to him since Sunday but he keeps texting me and calling me. He knows my exact address and where I work. I really need to know what to do.

*update:* He has been messaging me nonstop, calling me, and harassing me for the money. One minute he is "affection" and the next he's angry. I'm afraid for my safety and would like to know how to properly proceed. Should I go to the police and speak to them about this issue? What order should I take this?

----

**TL;DR** met a guy that I initially didn't like but ended up having casual sex with since last July. He gave me money to help me with bills. I told him that I don't want a relationship and now he's upset at me and wants all of his money that he supposedly gave to me free of charge, and has been sending idle threats my way. Unsure of how to proceed.
Topic:
Canada

Answer:
 Just based off tl;dr (cause I couldn't scale the Great Wall of Text), without an agreement ahead of time to pay him back you don't have to pay him back.

Regarding the update: hell yes call the police if you genuinely fear for your safety!


Title: Standard Oil guy accidentally knocked a log off the base of my basketball hoop with his hose. My hoop shortly after fell onto my car causing damage. Their insurance company is refusing to take blame. What can I do?

Question:
They're saying that a log on the basketball hoop is not a tested and proven way to hold up a basketball hoop, so they don't feel at fault despite the fact that we've had the hoop up with a log on the base for years without issue.  I even checked the weather the week it happened and the windy conditions were much worse the days before the log was knocked off than after.

I even have video evidence of the oil guy accidentally knocking the log off the hoop with his hose.

Please help.

There are about $1,800 in damage.  They made me go get a quote for it which was annoying in itself because it took 2 hours and time from work to do it.

I live in Connecticut
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 You can sue the guy personally, as well as the company for your damages.

Have you notified your insurance company?Answer #2: I kinda feel they are right on this one, at the very least there is split liability. If your set up is so precarious he can knock it over by running a hose you need to reevaluate it. Answer #3: Couldn't you just have put the log back where it was on the hoop and avoided the damage?


Title: Is this fraud...can I demand a refund?

Question:
I bought a print at an antique art store today, advertised as “vintage” and the owner of the store presented herself as a professional, telling me that the piece appears to be “very old”. I decided to reframe it and upon removing it from it’s cheap frame I discovered a brand new bar code tag on the print, advertising a price of $10. I paid $75 for the print and feel completely ripped off. This is basically some junk that you would pay $5 for at a garage sale and she ridiculously up charged the price, presenting it as a high quality, rare print. I kept my receipt and am going to kindly ask for a refund tomorrow (receipt says “all sales final”) and I’d really like to know if I have some legal grounds if she refuses to refund me. I checked her online reviews and noticed a significant number of people reporting that the owner of the store is “untrustworthy” and has a history of questionable business practices. Her questionable actions range from misrepresenting the authenticity of vintage pieces to more absurd tricks such as faking a British accent (yes, she really did this. I thought I was going crazy when she changed the accent when I checked out but other people online noted this as well).

TLDR; questionable “antique art” store misrepresents authenticity of artwork for ridiculous up charged prices, is this legally fraud? Fine print on receipt says “all sales final”...

Answer:
 Vintage does not have a set legal definition. She did not necessarily defraud you.

You may ask for a refund. She has the right to refuse.

If you do feel wronged, you can sue her in court which costs time and money and let a judge decide.


Title: Neighbor installed road over my property.

Question:
Short update: I spoke to a lawyer who is helping take care of time sensitive issues, and will help me through this. As I feared for my safety, I will not be visiting the home until this is resolved.

Location = Nebraska.

Hello, guys.

I have a in Nebraska on a decent piece of property that I sometimes go a year without visiting.

Anyway, my property is 160 acres total, and I have 4 40 acre lots that line up, most of it is heavily wooded, except a small clearing close to one of the roads that boarders it, where the cain it. I have two neighbors to my east, one of which had the same set up as me, and the next has, I don't know how much, but the north/south line is the same as mine and my immediate neighbor.

For the sake of visualization I'lets number the lots 1 through 4 going north to south. My cabin is in number 4, and my neighbor had a cabin in his number 4 as well.

He recently sold his 1, 3, and 4. 3 and 4 to the same person, and 1 to someone different that built a house there as well. Well, he kept 2, and he built a house on 2. Since he didn't have any access, and the people that bought his land didn't want to let him go through their land, he decided to install a road through my woods. He cut a J shaped road through my 1, along side his former 1, that hooked in to his 2, and also went in to my 2.

In order to do this he cut down a few dozen trees, filled in a pond, and built a bridge over a small stream. The path is about 9 feet wide give or take, and has a thick coating of gravel on it. The bridge he built seems to be up to spec, at least it doesn't look like it's about to fall down.

When I confronted him about this, he told me that since it had been there for more then 60 days, I have no rights to tell him to stop using the road he built, nor can I block him from using it. I tried putting a fence up across it, I don't have tools / machinery so I just sank some poles in to the ground and weaved some rope back and forth between it, and hung a ply wood board saying "DO NOT ENTER" on it, and he just ran through it with his truck.

I've heard pf people gaining ownership of land after using it freely for a period of time, but I have no idea how long that is. Furthermore, he's a bit old fashioned, or I should say a pig headed sexist, and I'd be afraid to get in to a conflict with him out here.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thank you.

[REVISED DRAWING](http://imgur.com/a/nn9QF)

Answer:
 As other people said, get a lawyer.

I'm just going to rephrase their advice slightly differently:

Don't ever talk to your neighbor again. Ever.

All communication goes through your lawyer.  If he tries to talk to you, tell him to visit your lawyer.

Your lawyer will scare him with a huge lawsuit.  If you want to avoid court and settle, your lawyer will negotiate that.  If you want to make him penniless in court, your lawyer will handle that.  Just because you file a lawsuit doesn't mean you will go to court.

Your lawyer will also work with the sheriffs office, or whatever you have in nebraska.

Your neighbor can't do what he did.  He's liable for the damages (your cost to get everything put back in shape by a reasonable vendor), your legal costs, and probably damages.

If he sold off 3 lots, he has some money.
Answer #2: You've gotten a lot of good advice in this thread. I'm surprised nobody linked you to the previous saga of self land-locking that was chronicled in this subreddit. Here is the [initial post](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2o3g9g/neighbors_stupidly_caused_themselves_to_be/), here is the [mid-course update](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2ooy1x/update_my_neighbors_caused_themselves_to_be/), and here is the [final update](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4dci57/update_my_neighbors_caused_themselves_to_be/).  You may find some insightful information in the comment sections there as well.

One other issue of note is that the filling in of the pond turned this into a whole weird other thing. Essentially that's messing with a wetlands, so even if you would be otherwise inclined not to fight hard on this issue – you have to because otherwise the state might screw you - you need to establish affirmatively and early on that you in no way explicitly or implicitly authorized the un-permitted destruction of a wetlands.


Title: My paper towels caused a pipe to burst and I destroyed my old apartment. HELP.

Question:
My lease was almost up and I just moved into a new place. I went back to my old place and as I was cleaning up my bathroom I used some paper towels to clean the counter and floor. Since everything was gone from my old room, I threw the paper towels in the toilet and flushed it. It clogged for a second, but I thought it had flushed fine.

Today, I got a phone call from my roommate saying something from my bathroom was leaking and she sent me pictures of essentially our entire living room ceiling having caved in from water damage. Our entire house is a mess. A pipe burst. She later told me that a plumber came by and found the paper towels inside the pipe or something, so it is indeed my fault. The house is unlivable now and she's pissed.

I feel fucking awful. Im dreading the call from my landlord tomorrow, because obviously im going to have to take responsibility. I'm assuming homeowner's insurance will cover most of it, but I'm so fucking terrified. I'm only 22. I've never dealt with this before and I caused my fucking house to cave in. It was an honest mistake.

Also, I housed a cat there for a few months and now even though I'm out I'm scared that my old roommate will tell on me just to get revenge

I'm so fucking scared.

What the hell do I do?

Answer:
 > I'm assuming homeowner's insurance will cover most of it

Yes, they will. Then they will come after you to cover what they paid out.Answer #2: You have insurance so that’s good. You’ll have a deductible but that’s manageable.

Yes you made a stupid mistake. But that’s why you have insurance. Take a deep breath and calm down,


Title: Restaurant I work at loaned a thermos coffee pot to a customer for a large take out order. Not returned, can we bill for it? (CA)

Question:
Hi guys,

Restaurant I work at loaned a coffee pot (one of those large ones with a pump) to a customer for a large take out order. It has been two weeks and he hasn't returned it (was supposed to same day) and has not answered any phone calls. Can I threaten to charge it to his credit card or actually do that? Unfortunately, we did not take a deposit or make him sign any sort of rental contract. Thanks.

Answer: You absolutely cannot charge his credit card without authorization. You can send him a paper bill in the mail asking for payment.


Title: Friend got sued for having sex with a minor.

Question:
I'm from Norway.
My friend got sued for having sex with a minor, and I have been called by the police as a witness as I was hanging out with said friend on that night. This is my first hearing and I have no idea what to expect, and I am really nervous. I am really scared of messing up for my friend or for me.

Long story short, my friend and I were hanging out late at his place. Underage girl sent snaps of herself crying, cutting her arm, begging him to pick her up. He drives over, brings her back to his place and we watched movies together. I left after a while and I know nothing else.

What are the do's and don'ts in this situation?

Answer: Don't lie, but don't volunteer any more information than you're asked.


Title: (FL) Advice on kicking someone out.

Question:
Hi, everyone. I'm using a throwaway and posting on behalf of my elderly grandfather (60's M) who's having trouble kicking his son (40's M) out of the house my grandfather owns. He's not sure what to do legally and I'm hoping Reddit can shed some light on this.

&#x200B;

Basically, a few years back my Uncle got caught with drugs and grand theft and was sentenced to 5 years in prison. He left behind two daughters (currently 15F & 13F) who my grandparents took custody of. Since coming home from prison, he's gone back to jail twice (both for drug related charges), plus numerous traffic infractions, and is currently out on bond waiting his court date on the 5th of this month.

&#x200B;

Since coming back home, he's not been a nice person. Constantly screaming with my grandfather, telling him that he's home and those are "his kids" and "he will raise them the right way," that he's a "changed man." My grandfather has set rules for the kids that his son does not agree with, and is constantly telling his kids not to listen to him and do what they want because "your real dad is home." It's causing a lot of friction, particularly because one daughter isn't very fond of him and still listens to her grandfather instead. He calls that daughter a "piece of sh\*t" and insists he "only has one real daughter."

His son is constantly putting locks on his door and his daughter's doors (locks with keypads to get in, not regular key locks) and my grandfather doesn't want those doors installed in his house, he's removed them twice already and they're back again. His son has bought a washer, a dryer, and a full size fridge to keep in his room and it's affecting my grandfather's power bill. He works on his cars outside all hours of the night and keeps everyone up. He lets his one daughter have 3-5 friends over every day, all night long and my grandfather doesn't want that many loud kids at his house all of the time. He also tore up the grass in the front yard promising to "replace" it, but hasn't. He doesn't want to sue him for any of the damages done to his house, he just wants him out.

He's been telling him every day that he wants him to pack his stuff up and move out, to which his son says "no, I'm not going anywhere without my kid."

&#x200B;

When he called the local police they weren't very helpful. What can he do to kick his son out? My grandfather feels as if he's given him enough chances and is tired of him messing with his house.

TLDR: Grandfather (60's) wants to kick his son (40's) out of the house he owns. Son won't leave because his kids (13F & 15F) live there, but he does not have custody of them. Police haven't been helpful.

Answer: He can give him 15 days written notice terminating his tenancy then file for an eviction in court if he refuses to leave after that period is up.Answer #2: Police won't help with an illegal eviction. He needs to follow the process.


Title: [MA] Are my parents allowed to make doctors appointments for me (20 y/o) when I haven't given consent?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 She can make appointments for you.

You don't have to go.Answer #2: >And would I be billed if I showed up at the office and stated non-consent?

If you go to the appointment then yes, I assume you will be billed. But, you don't have to go. That's the great part of being a grown up. Answer #3: You can inform your doctors' offices that you do not give them consent to speak with your mother regarding your medical information or future appointments.  Let them know that these appointments are being made without you being informed.

You're over 18, you don't have to do what your mother tells you.  Tell her to stop.  If she doesn't, don't go to the appointments.  Easy.Answer #4: I make doctor appointments for my husband all the time and he's never given any of them permission or talked to them about it. They don't give me any information, I'm the one providing them with everything (name/birthdate/reason for appointment). I'm sure it's the same with your mother.

There's nothing illegal about that, but you could always call your dr. offices and ask them not to speak with anyone but you.


Title: Ex is trying to move out of state with our children 14 and 12

Question: Went to go see lawyer of the day yesterday. I wasn't below the poverty line so I couldn't. I just would like to get an idea of some of my basic rights in this situation any help please. The mother's boyfriend has gotten a job they already put their house on the market for sale.

Answer: absent a custody agreement stating otherwise she can move wherever she likes.


Title: Law

Question:
 19 being held back by my father who threatens to drain my money
Question:I'm a 19 year old female in Cincinnati Ohio, i go to college, but i still live at home. I don't have a drivers license but have voted. I pay for my own tuition and can afford housing and food on my own with the funds from my savings account. However my father has his name on the account as well and threatens to take all my money away if i were to leave. He uses this to keep me stuck at home. He says that i should quit college and break up with my boyfriend and stay at home. I want to move out.

I posted this on another subreddit earlier today and they suggested i come here as well as seeing if i can speak to a lawyer pro bono and they also recommended i withdraw all my money, open a different bank account and deposit into that account. I could use some advice on the matter please and thank you for helping.

Answer:
 Withdraw all the money out of the bank, go to a different bank and open a new account without his name on it, then move outAnswer #2: I'm going to add in a few very important steps.

Ideally you would do this all at one time.  Secure you're important documents.  ID birth certificate ,passports , titles , insurance policy.  Secure valuable and irreplaceable property ..IE computers, phones  , flash drives (you don't want to lose all your work for a project) copies of passwords type stuff.  Secure a few changes of clothes. Change any password to personal accounts your father may have.   Empty the bank account , close it and open an account in your own name preferably at a different bank.   Answer #3: I also recommend opening a different bank account in your name only.

However, keep in mind that doing so may anger your father to the point where he evicts you from his home. Do you have somewhere else to go? Do you have enough money to rent a room somewhere? Answer #4: >However my father has his name on the account as well and threatens to take all my money away if i were to leave

Go to a diverent bank open up an account solely in your name move your money to said account.

Then start searching for a new place to live (one you can afford) and move out.
Answer #5: Everyone here has given you the basic correct information.

One more thing:  your father sounds like the kind of man who may call the police and give them an irate story.  You may want to head this off by notifying your local dept. on the day you leave.


Title: [AR] Grandmother passed, had credit card debt in her name only. Lawyer advising grandfather to pay certain cards but not others.

Question: Title is pretty self explanatory. My grandmother managed all the finances and had some secrets...she left my grandfather in a bit of a hole that he's now having to dig out of. She had upwards of a dozen cards with amounts from $1k-$15k. None of the cards were in my grandfather's name. He talked to a lawyer who advised him to ignore most of them, but to pay off the highest card because they could go after his land and "hold up probate." How is this a thing? We're not in a community property state, and the debt was unsecured.

Answer:
 Creditors have legitimate claims against the estate.  Money your grandma owed can be held against any assets your grandpa can inherit.

That's not the same thing as saying he's inherited her debt, which may be what you're thinking.  If she left nothing to pay the debts from, it wouldn't turn into his problem to pay.  But if she left assets from which the debts she owed would be discharged, her creditors are going to want their money.

States have their own individual rules about how this works within a marriage, what makes an asset marital vs. individual, etc., and I definitely don't know the nuances of AR law on this--your grandfather's lawyer presumably does and is making recommendations based on that information.


Title: How can I get out of the car loan contact?

Question:
I bought a 2018 Fiat 500x a little over a week ago. I was super happy. I'm a petite woman but I have two growing boys and I needed something bigger than my chevy spark.  I didn't need a new car right now but eventually it was a plunge I was going to have to take. I purchased a new car for selfish reason. I wanted new. I wanted my grown up mommy car. Well I feel like the universe slapped me in the face and is telling me I didn't deserve this indulge like I told myself I did. 3 days into this new ownership the cars dashboard lights up. The ABS, power steering, brake, traction control on, traction control off and airbag light all came on.  This wasn't al the lights like you would see in a battery issue.  I was afraid to drive it because of the fact both brake lights were on. We towed it, they said it's probably just a bad battery. Nope. Engine wouldn't turn off even though it physically was off the car was still stating it was running.  They called me next day to explain it was the BCM module that had to be replaced. "The main computer". It's what caused all
The other lights to also turn on. I asked I they were sure nothing was wrong with my brakes, they said no it's just the BCM module.  I should have my car back in a few days.  Well a week went by and no calls and no information. I called and the service center states they replaced the BCM module and they found out the ABS model also had to be replaced but that it's backordered. Which could mean another week or longer.  I'm at a lost guys. Inasked to meet with the managers Monday to discuss options.  I've lost faith that I've made a good purchase.  Now I'm reading ball the horror stories Fiat related and I just want out of the contract.  I'm scared that something else will go wrong or that my brakes are defective.  I don't feel safe putting my kids in this car. Of course they don't have a 30 day back guarantee or anything like that. I've looked into Lemon laws and that's something that might be plausible in the future but I don't want to have to wait to see if it might be back in for repairs. I want a new car. I want security.  This is bullshit. Any advice?!

Answer: You've had *one* malfunction that the manufacturer is dealing with. You haven't given any reason for it to be returned to a dealership. The "I want a new car. I want security." is just an emotional response with no real basis in reality. Cars run off of computers, they can have problems, and it is reasonable to allow manufacturers to fix them.