Title: Restaurant withholding last paycheck if no notice was given

Question:
So I work for a restaurant as a line cook while I take a break from school .

The restaurants owner who is the head chef has on several occasions denied an employee's last check when that employee gave less than two weeks notice. One employee even called the police on one occasion, but they wouldn't do anything.

Not that I wouldn't give notice, but who's side is the law on here? Can my employer withhold pay for hours work because I utilized a funtion of at will employment?

Edit: in Virginia
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Not a job for police. Contact Virginia Department of Labor and Industry to make a claim for unpaid wages. Legally you must always be paid for the time you have worked, you cannot be penalized for quitting.

http://www.doli.virginia.gov/laborlaw/laborlaw_forms_p1.html
Answer #2: Absolutely not. File a wage claim with the department of labor if they do this. Even if it's in the employment contract, contracts cannot supersede state or federal law.

Even better if you have it in writing or a recording somewhere that the owner does this.Answer #3: No he can't do that.  Contact the VA DOL.  if you can get in touch with any of the past employees who weren't paid, you should pass this info along to them.  Answer #4: Absolutely not legal. Restaurants like to take advantage of their staff. The law is entirely on your side: You are entitled to be paid for hours you worked.


Title: Do bars and restaurants or other venues mute their TVs for legal reasons?

Question: USA - Utah: I am wondering if anyone can tell me if bars, restaurants, concerts, conferences, or other public venues mute their TVs that are streaming normal TV shows and/or sports because of legal permission rights. Or is it simply to keep the noise down so people can talk?

Answer: I work at a cable company, and it would be the second one.  You need a business licences to play TV in a public place muted or not.  This is why you rarely see PPVs at bars or places because the bar has to pay per head on people who watched it.  And yes they do have "secret shoppers" that go around to places to catch them for showing it without the correct licence.


Title: Do victims ever win domestic abuse cases?

Question:
Maryland

My ex boyfriend who’s in the military recently beat me, the police were called but no arrest were made. He has hit me before and I’m willing to come forward about it now. But I’m reading so many cases of women having tons of evidence against their abusers and nothing happening from it.

I have a few pictures of bruising, and a text of me stating what happened last time he hit me and him not denying it. He also admitted to what happened to our roommates and said it was true. But the more cases I’m looking at the more I feel like there’s no point.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: If you have bruising, take pictures of it, document the dates and times of the pictures, and go to the police immediately after an incident, that’s generally enough to at least get an OOP and force him into a plea agreement. But your communication with the police needs to be immediate and committed, and your evidence needs to be documented.


Title: Exgirlfriend is claiming she owns my cat and will take me to court?

Question:
This has all occurred in Buffalo, NY. Recently, my ex and I went through a rocky breakup. I told her on 6/30/2019 that I was planning on moving out and would be looking for a place. I officially moved out on 7/13/2019, after she told me if I did not find a place, that I should find an air bnb as I was "not welcome" in the apartment anymore, despite having paid more than half of the July rent. There is no actual lease for this apartment that either of us signed, only a verbal contract.

&#x200B;

Before moving out, we had a discussion about who would take the cat. We came to a compromise, that I would let her keep the cat and would not argue with her about ownership if she would agree to pay me back my half of the security deposit from the apartment as soon as she was able, and that I would take her T.V. as collateral until then. We both agreed this was fair. This was a verbal only arrangement that took place on 7/10/2019.

&#x200B;

I moved out on 7/13/2019 to my new place. On 7/14 she texted me out of the blue and told me she thinks its unreasonable for her to pay me back for my half of the deposit and that she would not pay me a dime until she moved out. She also has no plans to move out. She ended by saying she is keeping her T.V., and that I can get my deposit back from her when she moves out. I argued that our agreement was only fair, but she declined to change her mind.

&#x200B;

On 7/16/2019, I went back to the old apartment for the last time to take the last of my things. While I was there taking the last of my things, I also took my cat. This cat was purchased 3 months ago, while we were still together. I told her the cat is mine, and I want her, and that because she broke our verbal compromise, I do not owe her the cat. She argued, saying she "deserves" the cat. The night of 7/16 she called the local law enforcement and said that I had "broken in" and  "stolen" her cat out of her home. I informed the officer I spoke to over the phone that I have the contract that we signed from the adoption shelter with ONLY my name on it (she is not old enough, even now, to have signed the contract) and I'd be happy to send it to him. The officer informed me that he cannot and will not do anything, and this is a matter for small claims court.

&#x200B;

Today, 7/19, I received a voicemail from her saying that the cat is hers, and that she has 2 vet bills to prove it, and that she is seeking legal action against me. I have not responded.

&#x200B;

So who, for legal purposes, owns this cat? I have the contract from the adoption shelter, still ONLY in my name, but she has vet bills that were paid by her credit card (I paid half, but only in cash and have no receipts).

&#x200B;

Thank you for any advice. If you need anymore info, please let me know.

Answer: If she’s not old enough to have adopted a cat then is she even over 18?


Title: Girlfriends roommate is deploying and refusing to pay rent when she's gone (MN)

Question: My girlfriend and her roommate recently moved into a townhome and are renting (1 year lease, both signed) from the owners. The roommate was informed ***well before the lease was signed*** that she would be deploying in October, but still signed into the lease saying she would pay her share of the rent when she is gone using her housing pay. Not only was my girlfriend told this, but she directly informed the landlords of this as well. Now after getting into some kind of a disagreement, the roommate says she will refuse to pay rent when she is deployed and also get out of the lease contract through the SCRA. This will leave her with $1,200/month to pay alone. Is there any way to hold the roommate accountable since she knew about deployment in advance? Any help is much appreciated

Answer:
 She better find a new room mate. A military member can get out of leases when they are deployed overseas or have a PCS. Answer #2: Military here.  She probably signed the lease in order to collect BAH.  Not paying your rent is technically a form of BAH fraud.

So, tell her if she misses one rent payment you'll report her to her chain of command for BAH fraud.  If she's not a complete idiot, she'll make every single rent payment on time.

If she does, follow through - just call or write a letter to her unit commander, detailing exactly what happened.  If you don't know her unit, call everyone on the base directory (chaplain, IG, JA) until you get put into contact with the right people.

Seriously, 99% of the time these problems are an easy fix through military channels.

VERY IMPORTANT EDIT: I completely missed that little blurb about the roommate getting out of the lease d/t the deployment.  As long as she doesn't miss a rent payment before then, there's not much you can do. Your gf needs to start looking for a new roommate.Answer #3: It's going to depend on the date her official orders were issued. She may have had knowledge that she was going to deploy, but until she was in receipt of orders anything could have changed. If she signed her lease after she got her orders, that could be an issue, but typically written orders aren't issued that far in advance.

Your girlfriend should find another person to sublet the roommates room.

Of course, if the roommate is breaking the lease, then she doesn't have the right to leave her things in the apartment for the entire time she is deployed.


Title: Help please, I think I can sue my work for back pay/discrimination

Question:
I work at a Pizza Franchise, two and a half months ago three of the crew members (including myself) were promoted to be shift lead managers. They told us that we all would be payed $13/hour, after we complete a 400 page booklet to be officially certified as a shift lead manager. I come to find out that there are about 4 other shift leads getting that paid that were recently promoted and were given their raise without having to complete the workbook. Can I sue for discrimination of pay?
Im going to talk to the district managers (the ones in charge of raises) after I finish the book and ask them for a check for back pay, but if they refuse should I sue them for back pay?

Answer:
 No, you don't have any case for discrimination here. Answer #2: Private companies are allowed to be discriminatory in their hiring and promoting practices, as long as they aren't discriminating against a protected class because they are a member of that class.

No, you cannot sue for money for a promotion you haven't earned yet, just because other people already have that promotion.


Title: Parents cat goes to neighbors house through cat door.

Question:
My parents live in upstate New York. As far as we know there are no laws on letting your cats roam we even called the local SPCA to verify.

My parents have outdoor/indoor cats because they live in the country so they don’t worry about cars hitting the cats.   Anyways one of the cats keeps going over to there neighbors and gets inside through her cat door. They get in fights and my parents cat has bit the neighbor because she chased him around.  She keeps threatening to send him to a shelter.  We’ve talked to the local animal control and they said it’s on her for leaving the door open and not our fault.

This cat has been able to got out doors for over 12 years and we don’t think it’s right to force him to stay inside because a person wants to leave a cat door open.

I’m mostly just wondering what options my parents have.  I don’t want to see this cat disappear either. This has been an issue for the last few months.

I’m currently watching the cats while my parents are out of town and got a letter from the most recent incident.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Even if you're legally in the right (and I think you are) there's sadly nothing you can do about the cat potentially disappearing. Even a tracker won't bring your cat back from death.


Title: [CA] Workplace was broken into, I think the police suspect I did it, getting pressured by boss. Help?

Question:
So a couple weeks ago my workplace was broken into.

We're a small organization that helps find jobs for adults with special needs. We're pretty well known in the area because the people that come to our program interact with the community a lot and a lot of people who live around here know us.

At first, the police told us they picked or bumped(?) the lock on our front door and got in that way but now they said someone might have just scratched up the lock to make it look like that's what had happened and used a key. The only people with keys are staff and there's only about eight of us.

They didn't get away with much, we didn't really have anything of value. $2,500 cash and a couple of computer monitors. Our computers are these ancient machines that you'd probably have to pay someone to take.

The police have been asking certain members of the staff, myself in particular, very pointed questions about where we were, what we were doing, how much did we know about the money, do we have any money problems, etc.

Our boss is pressuring people to answer all the police's questions but I really don't feel comfortable with the questions being asked. I realize a certain amount of this is routine but they seem to be focusing very intensely on this being "an inside job." I have an alibi for the night it happened.

I've made some calls about a lawyer. I'm not sure what else I can/should do.

Answer: Your boss can fire you for being a suspect in a criminal investigation, so there's not much else _to_ do. Don't answer police questions as a potential suspect without your lawyer present to advise you. If you get fired, apply for unemployment and look for another job.


Title: Bad landlord situation in NYC turned into an assault - NYPD violates my rights and I’m being charged with felony assault.

Question:
(Am posting for a friend but she also has this account so she may respond in comments)

My friend was on a month to month lease in NYC since January. In March, her landlord asked her out. She said no.

April- there were bedbugs, he refused to do anything, blames her, screams at her because he wants her to hang out with him instead of dealing with the situation.

Late April- She asks him to give her a copy of the lease/rental reciepts so that she can prove how much she’s paying in rent and he refuses. As a result she loses her food stamps and is denied for insurance.

May- He starts admitting to going through her room. She has fallen behind because of losing aforementioned aid.

June- They start arguing constantly and he starts getting more aggressive, most of these arguments are about how he doesn't like how distant she is. She also gets legal aid to help write a letter demanding rental receipts, he refuses to give them to her.

July- A male friend visits. Landlord flips and threatens both of them.

August- He terminates her lease and takes her to court to evict her. Judge gives her 3 weeks to find a place, and she is told to come back if she can’t find anything. She chose that over going to trial because she didn't know what to do and she really didn't want to be there any longer. His behavior was escalating and it was to the point where he was harassing her whenever they were alone.

She called the cops on September 8th to file a report for harassment. She has on video the cops visiting as well as her landlord’s actions (him screaming and verbally abusing her). They talked to him and he screamed at them too. She told them that he was escalating and she wanted to file a report. They told her that, they could,"file a complaint but it would go into a file and basically not be looked at".She asked them if there were any other legal ways she could push to prevent this and they basically told her that they couldn't help unless he put his hands on her. Landlord claimed she threatened to kill him, but refused to explain how she threatened him, even when the cops asked him, and in fact, the cops *do* ask him in that video and he refuses to explain how she "threatened" him. Cops told her that they could give her the complaint number via email.

They go to housing court again. Judge gives her two more weeks- so out by the 15th. Landlord refuses to let her into the kitchen so all of her money goes to Metro cards and food. He threatens her any time she goes in the kitchen.

On the 15th she and a friend move all of her stuff out- she even has the moving truck receipt. The landlord is not there all day. Part of the housing court stipulation was that she was supposed to give back the keys and he was supposed to give her a receipt.

On the 16th she returns to leave her keys and get the last of her stuff. Locks have changed so she knocks on the door. Explains that she’s there to get the last of her stuff and leave the keys. He lets her in but starts yelling at her. He hits her. She hits back, pushes her up against a wall, and starts choking her. She gets away, locks herself in her old room, and calls the cops.

Cops arrive and she tells them that she was there to leave her keys and get her stuff. They ask if she wants to press charges, she says all she wants to do is leave and never see him again. They ask if she’s injured, she says she doesn’t know.

They arrest her. She is not read her rights. She is not told what she is being arrested for. She tells them repeatedly that she called them. They say that he is more injured than she is. She cries And Is told to shut up. She didn't know until she got the little receipt for her phone and keys that she was being charged for felony assault.

So the arresting officer comes by and asks if she wants water. She tells him she wants the complaint she filed in September. He goes and does not come back, and she is taken to central booking. She gives them her aunt’s phone number and asks to call her family. She is stuck in central booking for hours. Finally gets to see her public defender. DA tries to set her bail at 5k. She gets out.

Police wrote she attacked her landlord with a weapon. She had no weapon. She is not allowed to press charges against her landlord because she was arrested.

Is she SOL? What does she do from here?

TL;DR- Landlord with history of asshole behavior, who my friend told the police was going to attack her, attacks her. She calls the cops. She is arrested and charged with felony assault.

Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 This is far too nuanced for the internet and this sounds like way too one-sided of a story.

>She is not allowed to press charges against my landlord because she was arrested.

That's not a thing.


Title: My boyfriend was sentenced to prison for 1 yr. and 45 days for a DUI.

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
DUI

Answer:
 Whatever actually happened, it's not what you think happened. There's simply no way that police injected him with Ativan.Answer #2: Where you in the courtroom?

That doesn’t sound like any standard DUI arrest. Why would the police carry Ativan...Answer #3: The police don't carry Ativan on them to inject suspects with and don't make first contact by smashing car windows. You are being lied to.Answer #4: A lot of this story doesn't make sense.

Regardless, this is a matter for his lawyer who is already well informed on the situation.


Title: pest control

Question: I live in California, so a coyote killed my cat, and lets say I happen to cross said coyote in my neighborhood, is there anything legally stopping me from killing it

Answer:
 Coyotes aren't protected in California, so you can kill them.  http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74135.html

The problem is: how?  In your neighborhood, you can't fire guns, it is illegal to poison them and animal traps that maim are illegal.  So, I guess if you want to take down a coyote with your bare hands, the government won't stop you.


Title: Back Up Alarm (Public Nusiance) ~ Arrest / Lawsuit

Question:
My  neighbour is trying to sue us for compensation money over hearing our vechile'so back up alarm that activate when it is in reverse. We installed it for safety purposes but they would someme park in a way that would block us from reversing out of our driveway while their kids running wild all over the place.

They treaten that they are able to sue to get us fined and arrested. My relative doesn't believe it's possible or isn't doing something that's against the law to worry about since they sell backup alarm in stores and Online on eBay or Amazon. Need advice. Am I worrying too much over this matter? We never got any warning from the police or letter to get summon to court yet. But, I've noticed a strange vehicle with tinted windows parked outside for months sitting in the car at night with flashing lights. They would sit inside the car for hours.

My relative likes unqiue sound. His backup alarm sounds like an ice cream truck when reversing. There's even unique back up alarm such as BA-64 (Bird Chirping Sound) or Talking Back Up Alarm sold online.

People can sue over almost anything know a days no matter how ridiculous it is...~

Answer: Just because you can buy something doesn't make it legal or a good idea. A backup alarm that sounds like an ice cream truck may be legal but sounds inherently unsafe. You're asking for a kid to get hit by a car. IANAL


Title: Why does everyone bring up Ellen Pao's Husband's debt and legal problems, what does that have to do with her?

Question:
So aparently Ellen Paos Husband scammed a lot of people and owes millions to the IRS, and law firms over the years.

But my question is what does that debt have to do with Ellen, it's HIS debt not hers. I mean if she doesn't want to have to deal with it then she can just divorce him and never worry about it again.

Answer:
 >it's HIS debt not hers

Actually California is a community property state so legally speaking it's her debt too.


Title: i'm a cocktail waitress, casino makes me pay for a mistake

Question:
hi legal advice,

I'm a cocktail waitress at a casino. I accidentally  gave change back for $100 to the wrong guest. Change was $85. He left  the machine, and I did not know, so I gave one drink to the lady he  ordered it for, and the other one to the dude, along with $85 of change in his same slot machine.  Turns out, this is the WRONG DUDE. The original guy left his slot  machine. No one stopped me, the other guy conned me and took the money  and the drink.

The managers find out later and make me pay the  guy $100. I get mad and I'm like why do I have to pay? And they're like, cuz we have to pay the guest back. And I'm like ok fine here is the  money but I need it back tonight or tomorrow. I am leaving with nothing.  This is all I made tonight.

And they're like, okay.

This is totally illegal in the state I live in, which is California.

I told them to look at the surveillance and they said they will.

I'm going to work tomorrow early to speak with the head manager. What should I expect?

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer, but I have a CA lawyer on retainer and we often speak at length about topics like this.

Here is what I have ascertained. Under Californian law, it is *illegal* to force an employee to pay for a business loss that they incurred. Even if you gave the money to the wrong person, they simply can't make you pay for it - that would be breaking the law, and you can in fact sue them.

There is one caveat to this law. If the casino can prove that you *kept the money for yourself* or *intentionally engaged in misconduct* in order to cause damages to the casino, or if they can prove that the man you gave the money to was your accomplice, then you owe them the money.

So, assuming what you're saying is true, you don't owe them shit, and if they force you to pay, just pay them and sue them. You might end up making more anyway. Just make sure you have CCTV footage of that day, and make sure you have no idea who that person is, since if you're caught together later, it's game over for you. Good luck!


Title: [Texas] I adopted a dog I thought was stray. Now the alleged owners are coming forward. What can I do to keep the dog without any legal ramifications?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If the dog belongs to someone else, you can't keep it just because you found it.


Title: [WA] Our cleaners closed the door of the cat litter room during cleaning while we were away. Cats pooped everywhere. Who pays for damages?

Question:
State of Washington, USA.

Our cleaners came to clean our home on Tuesday of last week, while we were out of town and closed the doors to my office and to the bedroom where the cat litter resides while doing so. My husband came back home Thursday evening to find our cats had urinated and defecated in several areas in our home, including right on our bed. Unfortunately, the stains and smells were so bad, we had to replace several items such as pillows, a comforter and curtains. The rest, we were able to clean ourselves.

The cleaning company is saying that this is something that was out of their control, and that they have no liability to help pay for damages. Is this true? We've been using them for over 6 months, and have never had this issue before.

As is customary, I'm also submitting my dues for cat tax: https://imgur.com/a/L13q5cp

Answer: Was there a contract stating those doors were to remain open? Your cats really aren't their responsibility.


Title: I over drafted my College issued higherOne debit card accidently and I got slammed with a $38 dollar overdraft fee from the $2.50 overdraft. They have been sued numerous times for overdraft fees and predatory policies...what can I do since I really don't have $38.

Question: MD.

Answer:
 You can call them and see if they will make an exeption and waive the fee this time.

Or you can come up with the money and pay it.

In the long run, a crash course in personal finance and accounting for $38 is pretty cheap.  Some people pay much much more than that because they don't learn their lesson.


Title: I just purchased a foreclosure property. I’ve come to find out that the old tenants are still living there and don’t look like they have any plans on moving out anytime soon. What can I do to get them out?

Question:
I wasn’t planning on having to evict anyone from their home especially during these hard times but then again I invested a lot of money in this place. When I decided to purchase I didn’t know there were still people living there.

This property is in Texas
Topic:
Real Estate law

Answer: You may have an issue with covid and evictions being put on hold most places. If you want you can offer cash for keys but if get a lawyer to draft it all up so you are covered.Answer #2: Speak with your tenants about their lease agreement.  Offer a penalty free option for them to break the agreement, and maybe they’ll respond favorably.  If not, inform them that they won’t be eligible to resign at this particular property.  In either of these scenarios, you’ll be waiting on the tenant.  The quickest way to remove them, and you’ve already alluded to this, is to evict, although that might not even be possible right now with C19 out there.Answer #3: If they are actually tenants of the previous owner, then I believe you have inherited any rental agreement that existed.  Your purchase doesn't immediately give you the right to evict them. *Caveat emptor*.


Title: My wife’s President of the company is giving her personal assistant/“Sales” woman extravagant money, while cutting corners on other financial expenses needed for the office.

Question:
My wife has recently gotten a new job at a scrap yard in Ohio, working in the office dispatching truck drivers in and out.  She has been here for three months now and soon to be hired in.  However, it has been a dramatic roller coaster with this company because of the things she has been finding out, both on her own and through the confidant of her supervisor, who has also come to realize the bad practices of the President.

There is a woman who works with my wife in a different department.  She does “Sales,” although my wife says this woman doesn’t really do that.  I’ll call her Jessica.  Jessica is more or less the assistant to the President of the company, who has an office on site and is there everyday.  Jessica handles various tasks, not related to sales, like accounting, accounts payable, expense reports and so on.

One day, Jessica accidentally sent an expense report to my wife’s supervisor.  Ted, the supervisor, opens the email.  He discovered that the President of the company is giving this woman $9000+ quarterly as a “bonus,” plus expenses to lavish lunches, dinners, another $10,000 to spend on her office, which wasn’t offered to anyone else in the office at all, and this is really just the tip of iceberg.  Jessica is being paid more than Ted, by a lot, and in a lot of ways.

It’s not conclusive that Jessica and the President have a relationship, but it’s pretty obvious, even though both are married.  Jessica realized her mistake and confronted Ted, but Ted said he hadn’t even opened it yet.  She was apparently quite frantic about having accidentally sent it to him.

But that’s not even the major issue.  The President is now trying to cut expenses in the office, without cutting expenses to Jessica.  He provides paid lunch to the several people in this office, every single day, which is beyond generous.   But now he’s taken that away for Ted and another male who works in the office, above my wife, but all the women still get lunches.

There is supposed to be a cleaning company that comes in twice a week to clean the office.  The President has now cut the cleaning company, and asked that women clean the office after themselves.  This includes cleaning their desk, which is whatever; but taking out their own trash?  Okay...never heard of that before.  But the real kicker is this.  There are customers who come and drop off their steel goods and wait in the lobby to be paid.  These people are usually not the cleanest people.  The President has said that women must now take turns cleaning the lobby for the customers.  Not a spot cleaning either.  Like, mopping a dirt soaked floor, and right now it’s just slush from the snowy weather.

This is supposed to be an office setting.  Nothing in my wife’s duties says she is to do these things.  She’s told Ted she isn’t doing them, and Ted doesn’t have the biggest backbone, so he’s basically just said okay and whatever and brushed it aside.

TL;DR

My wife’s company President is giving his personal assistant extravagant bonuses and paid expenses not related to work, while underpaying all other employees and cutting other, more essential expenses in the office, without cutting back from what he gives his personal assistant.

My wife’s supervisor sent the expense report to Corporate, who said they would handle it.  This was about 6 weeks ago and he hasn’t heard anything since.  I guess that might not be long considering how serious I believe this to be.  The CEO is the President’s friend, so Corporate said they would have to find a way around that...

There’s more to this, but I was trying to keep it short the best I could.  My wife wants to leave, but we also can’t help but feel like this isn’t something that should be turned a blind eye to...

Is there anything my wife and I can do legally?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer: It’s not illegal to play favorites at work and be reckless with money. It might be against corporate policy but that’s up to the owners and shareholders and your wife wouldn’t be involved.


Title: Would me and an old friend get in trouble for a stupid conversation we had as minors a few years ago?

Question:
Me and my friend used to have rude and mean conversations with ourselves for fun a couple of years ago. He was 15 and i was 17. We eventually messaged, joking about each other's looks, and each other's junks, and used google images of micro-penises and exaggerations of our appearances and stuff to reinforce the jokes.

Looking back with hindsight on laws, i would have never done that if i realized how serious it could be, so i am wondering how much trouble this could possibly put me in.

Answer: I don't understand what you think you might get in trouble for. If anyone was going report your indecent conversations, it would have happened already. If you think you will get in trouble for viewing the penis pictures, i encourage you to open any high school level health sciences textbook, you will see pictures of both the penis and vagina.


Title: My boss has hacked my smartphone, emails, and has hired PI's to follow me

Question: I work in Southern California.  My boss has hacked my smartphone and has hired a PI team to follow me.  Is this legal?  My is boss is now trying to cut my salary while increasing the workload.  Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 Did you used to be on some medication you forgot to take for a while?

It’s possible that your boss hired a PI to follow you. It’s very improbable though. Very improbable.

Answer #2: What proof do you have about the phone hacking and PI? Answer #3: Take your meds or go to a doctor and get some.


Title: How high is the success rate of representing yourself in court?

Question:
[This was my initial post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/8t5yko/21_year_old_with_upcoming_hearing_for_restraining/)

It’s not appearing to be very likely that I’ll be able to afford a lawyer in time for the hearing, but I don’t want to just not show up because I know I’m innocent & I won’t be able to make it a whole year without my son. Are there any more affordable alternatives? I live in smalltown South Dakota so lawyers are very limited & they all want basically the same amount, $1200 give or take a hundred. Between tuition, bills, etc I can’t scrap up the money by mid July.

Do I have ANY chance at fighting a restraining order by myself, versus her, her family, & her lawyer? Like I said in my first post, I can’t really present anything to prove that I’m not psychotic or worthy of a restraining order. At the same time, her evidence is pretty weak, sighting just a few of the text messages when we’d argue & some of my consecutive phone calls when she’d leave with the baby unannounced.

Is it likely for the judge to actually hear me out, or will I basically be dismissed automatically when I show up without a lawyer. This is my first time in court so I’m not familiar with much of anything. Anything helps. Thanks.

Answer: The advice hasn't changed since you first posted this. Nobody can give you any odds. There are too many factors.  They mere fact you are asking this suggests you lack experience to do this on your own.


Title: I've sent my laptop in for repair for the same issue 4 times since October through my warranty, they are saying it all counts as one claim and therefore It doesn't count towards my 3 claims for a replacement limit

Question:
California

So I have a laptop that started having a bad charging issue. I went through my warranty which I bought from amazon after sending the computer through my warranty company to 2 different repair centers 4 times (each time the computer coming back more damaged and with new issues but never the original issue solved). I found this language in my warranty

"Within any twelve (12) month period of Your Term, if the same Product has three (3) service repair claims paid by Us for the same problem; which first began after the manufacturer’s warranty period had expired (“Qualifying Service Repairs”), and a fourth (4th) repair is required for the same fault, We will replace that Product one of like kind and quality, but not necessarily same brand (if unavailable),or issue a voucher for the Original Purchase Price of the Product, at Our sole discretion."

So I contacted my warranty company to ask if my laptop was going to be replaced and the customer service rep I spoke with said because all the repairs were for the same issue it only counts as one because they happened within 30/60/90(??) days of each other.

When I pressed him for where in my contract that is he directed me to their LIMIT OF LIABILITY paragraph. When I went to look at the LIMIT OF LIABILITY paragraph it said

"In accordance with Your Term, the total amount that We will pay for services in connection with all claims pursuant to this Service Contract will not exceed the Original Purchase Price of Your Product. In the event We make payments for repairs; which in the aggregate are equal to the Original Purchase Price of Your Product, or We replace the Product for any reason, Our obligation under this Service Contract for the Product will beconsidered fulfilled and coverage ends."

Nothing in there about a 30/60/90 day limit.

When I pressed on to why he told me that language was in a place that it wasn't he told me that language is in the outsourced companies service agreement; which AFAIK should have no bearing on whether or not I had to have 3 repairs made for the same problem. At this point the service rep said that they needed to have a manager review my case and that they'll be calling me in 3-5 business days.

Is there anything open to me legally? My computer hasn't been working since october and I just want it to work (its a 3k laptop so I'm keen on having it repaired because I can't really replace it) I'm not really looking to sue but I just want to know what the best arguement (if necessary) I should present to this manager when I get into contact with them

The warranty I purchased is the warranty that amazon offers when you check out

Answer: NAL but I would wait until you've spoke to a manager. Heck I would even call again to get another customer service rep and you could be told something different. Have you tried speaking to Amazon, since you bought the warranty through them?


Title: An online bike store offered a bike for free. I made the 'purchase'. I have a receipt and an order confirmation. Now the merchant doesn't want to give me the bike. What can I do? (Indiana)

Answer: They will probably refund your payment of 0 dollars


Title: [IN] Employer relocating ~50 miles away and it isn't feasible financially to continue working for them. What are my options?

Question: Location: Indiana I am asking for a family member. They are an hourly employee and in good standing with the company. What are the options before/once they relocate? Obviously find a new job would be on the top of the list, but would my family member be entitled to anything from the company as far as unemployment/severance package due to them moving that far away? I read this forum daily and I wanted to make sure I am covering all of the bases before the relocation happens. I'll be happy to provide any further information as needed.

Answer: He should continue working as long as possible. Obviously if a new job comes along take it, but once he can no longer work at his current location he should file for unemployment.  Don't quit until that day happens.


Title: Girlfriend was caught shoplifting from the local supermarket, under $40 in makeup. First time offense, need advice MI

Question: As the title says, my girlfriend made a huge error in judgement the  other day and tried to  only pay for some of the makeup she had gotten off the shelf. She has a spotless record and is even hoping to  work for a very well known animation company and park. She immediately knew she'd made an awful and idiotic mistake and is completely remorseful. I'm trying my best  to help her through this with as little damage as possible to her employ-ability and record. What steps should I take, should I be out looking for an attorney? Any questions  I should know to ask? Any help is appreciated, thank you all for your time.

Answer: Are they going to prosecute, and was she given any paperwork such as a civil demand or a no tresspass notice from the store?


Title: What is the Legality of Dash Cams/submitting Dash Cam Footage in a two party consent state?

Question: I was driving behind a police car earlier today and I found myself wondering what the legality of dashboard cameras is, specially in states that require two or all party consent for recordings? Would you be able (in a state that requires all parties to consent to recording) to submit footage from a dash cam, in the event that something about a traffic stop was disputed by the officer, if the officer did not give consent to record the interaction? I'm curious!

Answer: The laws you're talking about pertain to conversations and audio. Silent video isn't governed by them. Further, most versions of those laws don't  apply when subject of recording has no expectation of privacy, which someone driving doesn't have.


Title: [USA General]If you are being blackmailed/extorted for doing something illegal, is there a way to press charges against the blackmailer/extortionist without getting in trouble?

Question:
This question comes about because I just watched Clue and I got curious. So, let's say I murdered my husband/am a serial killer and somebody has proof. They say I have to pay them $100 a week or they will report me to the police/papers. Can I report them to the police and get them convicted without getting myself in trouble? Could the evidence gathered convicting the blackmailer/extortionist be used in a trial against me? Or would the police be forced to ignore that evidence in a trial against me?

Thanks.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Yes, they can use it against you.

This exact reason is what keeps prostitutes (as a random but distressingly common example) from being able to report being raped, beaten or robbed: because they fear going to jail themselves.


Title: In war, if a medic is fired upon, are they allowed by the Geneva conventions to fire back at the aggressor

Answer:
 They can protect themselves or their patients.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combat_medic#Geneva_Convention_protectionAnswer #2: my medic had a side arm the Pastor did not.Answer #3: Since you don't win wars by dying for your country, you win wars by making some other poor bastard die for theirs, our volunteer military has a vested interest in minimizing casualties. So it's not like it's in the movies where some guy runs out in the middle of a hail of bullets, with total disregard for his own safety, carrying stretchers and gauze and all that, and rescues the dude, no-  *first* you're going to have to get a clean way there TO the injured person AND a clean way *back*. You don't want to injure a person to get to an injured person. Generally, if a medic is going into the open to tend to a soldier, it will (at minimum) be under the protection of suppression fire.

That said, yes the medic can definitely return fire, if fired upon. If you're talking about the United states, the medic will have the requisite insignias, uniform and clothing standards, and if carrying weaponry, in line with the Geneva code.


Title: [DC/OH/PA] Can my mother's trust be caught up in my brother's divorce?

Question:
State explanation:

* My brother "Rob" lives and is getting divorced in DC
* I live in PA
* My mom lives in OH

About 20 years ago my mom and dad put all their assets (incl. their house) in a trust when they made their will with the two of them as sole beneficiaries. After my dad passed away ~8 yrs ago, my mom had trouble making ends meet so my brother and I set up another trust. My mom is still the sole beneficiary of the trust but my brother and I are listed on the trust as...Trusters? Granters? I don't remember the term. But from what I understand we can put money in without triggering gift taxes. I could be wrong on that as well. I'm an architect, not a finance person.

Anyway my brother got married 5 years ago and is now getting divorced. She wants us to buy her out of the trust using my mom's home value because she says it's a marital asset because my brother used commingled money. My brother told me not to worry and that she's full of shit. They both have divorce lawyers and they are much more versed in this stuff so the fact that they are arguing about it is making me (and my mom) nervous. It's also not an amicable divorce, it's a heated, hate-filled, insult-laden thing so I think she's willing to go to whatever lengths to hurt him and our family.

Should I worry? Should I hire a lawyer for the trust? Can I even do that? Does she have a claim to the value of the trust/house? Also what law presides over this? DC? OH?

Answer:
 > my brother and I are listed on the trust as...Trusters? Granters? I don't remember the term

There are three parties to a trust: the Grantor (person who puts money into the trust), the Trustee (person who administers the trust), and the Beneficiary (person who receives the benefit of the trust).

> She wants us to buy her out of the trust using my mom's home value because she says it's a marital asset because my brother used commingled money

It looks like any money put into the trust was a gift to the trust/your mother.  There might be some issue if your brother is listed as a beneficiary of the trust when Mom dies, or if Mom's house is owned by the trust and your brother would inherit some of the property.

I'd suggest hiring a lawyer to represent the trust.  This has the potential to get complex and expensive.


Title: Apartment not ready on time and can't afford to break lease. I can't move in for 1.5 months so they're putting me in a hotel room with another person. What are my options?

Question:
I don't necessarily want to take legal action, but I'm not sure where else to ask this.
I signed a 5 month lease (basically subleasing because another girl I know will be moving into my room in January) that was supposed to begin August 1st and end December 31st. I had to pay 3 months worth of rent as a deposit that I will get back after I move out. I live in South Carolina.

About a month ago I received an email saying that three of their buildings wouldn't be ready in time. I'm in one of those buildings. They said they should be ready for move in on September 1st.

They gave us several options: 1. Terminate the lease, all money refunded. 2. They would reduce September and October rent to $1 and give us $500 Deferred Payment upon move-in. 3. They would set  us up in a dual occupancy room in a local hotel from August 15th-September 1st and give us a storage unit August 1st until September 30th.

I had a hard enough time finding a place to stay for the semester, that I didn't have the time to find another. Plus, the girl I'm subleasing from is letting me rent her furniture for $25 a month. Also, I researched prices of hotels/storage units in the area and found the total to be WAY more than what they would be giving us. Plus, the hassle of trying to figure that out myself wasn't worth it. I chose the 3rd option.

Well just yesterday they emailed us again and told us that the buildings wouldn't be ready until October 3rd!! They said we could terminate our lease with all money back, or continue with the hotel option and they would also reduce September's rent to $1. (They got rid of August's rent already I discovered.)

Now, I found out the hotel was pretty close to campus, but 1. Not on the bus route and 2. Not close enough to walk. So now I had to pay for a parking sticker for campus. Also, there isn't a kitchen in the rooms, only a microwave and mini fridge.

I still want to stay with my lease. I'm out of town and have no time to find another place before I move in on the 15th (Classes begin the 20th but my current living arrangements end the 15th).

I emailed them and asked how I was supposed to be able to live without a kitchen for a whole 1.5 months. I could manage two weeks, but this is way too long. Another thing: since I'm renting the furniture from the girl, she has to move the stuff into the storage and then I will have to figure out how to get it into the apartment October 3rd. She has access to a truck which I don't.

All that stuff I can deal with. The problem is, in the apartment I signed the lease for, I would get my own bathroom/bedroomwith a lock and access key. I don't know anyone I'm rooming with or anyone else in the apartment complex. I specifically signed up for this apartment because I need my own room/bathroom. I study in there, eat in there, sleep, everything. I’m an extreme introvert and cannot stand rooming with other people. It makes me anxious that anyone has access to my things and can watch me sleep.

I’ve sent another email asking if I they can put me in a room by myself. They responded saying they need to be able to put everyone in a quality hotel near campus so they had to put two people to a room. I responded back with my concerns, stating I signed up for my own room and I couldn’t live with others. I told them I can’t terminate the lease because it’s such short notice. I mentioned that there’s a 50% chance that someone is rooming by themselves and that I know a bunch more people will be finding other options now that it’s 1.5 months. I offered to pay an extra month’s rent. I’m still waiting for a response.

Sorry for the long post. I feel all this information is necessary and I’m trying to figure out my rights and their responsibilities. I’ll also note that I’ve already paid the 3 months deposit and September’s rent. Does anyone know what I can do or say to them? I’m not worried about how I come off because I’ll only live here until mid-December.

TL/DR: Apartment not ready for move in. Pushed back 2 weeks, then 1.5 months. They are paying for me to share a room in a hotel with someone when I signed the lease and paid to have my own room/bathroom with a key. Need help.

*edit: formatting/location added

Answer:
 They've already offered you several alternatives and I see no reason why they'd have to go beyond because you're uncomfortable sharing a room for a few months.

Introversion so far as I know is not considered any time of illness or disability that would require any special accommodations.  If you had a diagnosed mental illness that would require a single room maybe you'd have an argument.  If you're an introvert and just don't like being around other people you'll just need to deal until you get the apartment.


Title: Subpoena to produce vehicle for local auto shop in PA who had their license revoked because of me

Question:
To make a long story short: I bought a vehicle that the dealer had inspected at a local shop. Turns out the local shop passed it despite having a rotten frame and I later had a secondary inspection done that ended with the sticker being peeled off on the spot.

 I decided not to sue the seller because of PA's strange consumer laws but the inspecting auto shop suffered some consequences. They are fighting those consequences about a year later and a local law firm has asked me to "provide the vehicle".

My questions:

I still have the piece of shit but it's not drivable (no inspection, flat tire, battery dead). Do I have to pay for this to get towed for this scumbag? I feel like I can respond to his attorney and say "tell him to come get it when it pleases him provided he give me 3 days notice".

It doesn't seem right to make me pay for something he was found guilty of and is appealing but I would also believe it with how fucked our system is at times. I'd prefer not to retain counsel for something so simple so an internet strangers opinion is good enough for me.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Did you receive an actual subpoena?  An order issued by a court?  Or is this a request from the other attorney?Answer #2: I'm with you. Call the law firm and tell them to come get it.Answer #3: Can you have someone from the police or court be on hand to witness the pick-up of the vehicle?

It would be a shame (and advantageous to the other party) if the vehicle were somehow "lost" in transit.  Or somehow "not the same vehicle" . Or if other possessions of yours were "inspected" by the tow drivers, or somehow went missing or got accidentally damaged


Title: [UK] Been trying to sell my car before VW Emissions Scandal - VW now offering me less than their original offer and I feel stuck with the car on finance.

Question: Thanks for the help ! :)

Answer:
 I am not a lawyer so i don't know how accurate this article is that i googled but it can give you some insight

http://www.hg.org/article.asp?id=36692

it might be worth looking at the 34 separate class action lawsuits if one fits with you. google can help you a lot in this case probably.

what i gather from the article is that you likely won't get all your losses if you go with a class action lawsuit. and i won't be surprised it would take a while for you to get paid if you get paid. but that second thing is probably true for all lawsuits


Title: (FL) Some employees from a restaurant I used to work at have been collecting nudes from the lady employees and sharing them on groupMe, I don't know what to do, should I tell someone? Can I get in trouble?

Question:
Alright using a throwaway,

A restaurant whose front of house staff is hired partly because of their looks is bound to have some sort of creeps working in the kitchen.

I used to work in this restaurant, but have since found a better job. Two days ago I received an invitation to a groupme whose members were old and current employees, and like I said, they were sharing private nude pictures of other employees.

This makes me considerably uncomfortable, and I don't want to be in any sort of legal trouble by association, and I've since left the groupme, too. However, in it's members, I know are at least one manager and at least 15 other employees know this is happening?

Should I tell someone? Should I just not care and move on?

Answer:
 If I were you Id tell one of/all of the girls. They are in a better position to know if they want to do something about this and also they know whether or not its consensual. Also, they're the ones who decide if they wanna press charges.

You can contact them anonymously if you know their number and make a Google Hangouts account and text them from that, with a link to the groupme

The "mind your own business" people feel wrong to me, because this could be a case of quid pro quo sexual harassment (like if a girl didn't send nudes, she gets worse treatment at work or didn't get promoted or whatever).   What Im saying is I understand how this makes you feel uncomfortable, with the managers in the group especially.

What is probably a bad idea is contacting the police/lawyers/your company right off the bat, you don't know much about this situation.


Title: I'm 16 in Ohio and due to family circumstances I can't trust my parents to on paper, 'own' my car that I wish to buy in cash with no loan. Would I as a minor be able to buy a car and have it only in my name? What are my options if I don't feel comfortable with them technically owning my car?

Answer:
 1) Check on whether Ohio insurance companies will sell you a policy if you have it titled only in your name as a 16 year old.

2) Also, notice the price of the policy.  Many younger folks starting out don't budget for insurance and annual title/tag/tax fees and end up not being able to afford them.  They then get tickets for failure to have insurance or driving with an expired tag/inspection/whatever, and thus starts a shit-drizzle that intensifies into a shit-rain when they get failure to pay or failure to appear charges.  Those can metastasize into a bench warrant, and a few nights in custody, impound fees, at which point the shit-rain turns into a shit-storm.

Not trying to put you down; it's fabulous that you've been industrious and frugal enough to have earned and saved the purchase price of a car; just want to make sure you understand the next round of budget issues after you buy the car.


Title: My landlord wants to rent out our fenced in parking space and give yard access to a stranger. Can he do this without my or the other tenants' permission?

Question:
 This is in Washington D.C.

I've been living in this house for about three months, and I have a full year lease. There is no external (i.e. on the street or in a communal lot) parking spot, but our small backyard has a tight parking space which takes up about a third of the yard. The yard is fenced in, meaning that to access the parking space you would need at the very least a key into the backyard.

The rental company that handles the property recently informed us that they intend to rent out the parking space; my car is there, so I was told that if I won't pay rent I'll need to vacate it so they can move find somebody else. My roommates and I are uncomfortable with the notion of letting somebody we don't know have access to our property. Additionally, it's effectively a third of the backyard we're all already paying to access, so it feels wrong that we have to either pay to use it or forfeit it to a stranger. Most importantly, there's no mention of parking, vehicles, or any auxiliary charges at all in our lease. We've all checked it twice over, and none of us signed anything agreeing to this kind of arrangement.

So I guess my question is; can they force me to vacate my vehicle? And either way, can they subsequently rent the space (and access to our property/yard) to somebody who doesn't live there without our permission?

Thanks!

Answer:
 Check the lease. If it includes a line about "the property at [address]" and/or "land and appurtenances" the leasing company probably can't rent out the space.

Consult a landlord/tenant lawyer. This is definitely worth your and your roommates' time, especially if the landlord is not going to also fence off the space to protect your yard from people who rent only the parking space but not the rest of the property.

NALAnswer #2: DC is very tenant friendly. Contact the [Office of the Tenant Advocate (OTA)](https://ota.dc.gov/) and they will be able to answer your question!Answer #3: read your lease carefully and try and determine what it describes you are renting.

are you renting the house between the three of you.

do you and three others rent 3 rooms in the house and use of the common areas?

something along those lines.

that's the part where this will be determined.Answer #4: If your lease doesn’t provide a parking space, are you allowed to park there?


Title: Montana: Employer is starting random drug testing. Just some questions.

Question:
We just had our meeting discussing it. During the meeting we were told that we all have to submit any medications we are currently taking along with a doctor's note describing why. If they determine during a random test that the medication you are on is detrimental, then you may be asked to see their doctor for a recommendation on an alternative or be forced into their counseling program. This just doesn't sound right to me. Why would I listen to the advice of some person who sees me for five minutes over my doctor of twenty years? I take Buspar daily which can cause dizziness, but I've never had any side effects. I don't want to lose my job over something I need.

Also, they said if you drink too much water you may be flagged as diluting which is an automatic drug user designation and you get one chance at counseling and then are gone. They refused to answer me what counts as too much water. I drink half my body weight in ounces of water a day for my hypothyroidism, low blood pressure, and Buspar. I need to stay well hydrated and it's doctor recommended. They are telling me it doesn't matter if my doctor recommends more water that it is an automatic flag.

I'm really nervous about this all. I don't drink, smoke, take recreational drugs, or take any prescriptions I'm not prescribed by a physician, but the trainer basically side-eyed me and said I might be at risk for termination with my drug usage because "8 glasses of water is enough". My doctor says it's not. Do I need to start taking a picture every time I drink a bottle of water or something?

Answer:
 Your urine is light yellow/almost clear when you drink water in a healthy lifestyle. This *can't* be enforceable.Answer #2: If you are unionized, I would be proactive and talk to your union rep about the below.  If you are not unionized, I would not necessarily worry for now -- but I would probably screen some labor lawyers now "just in case".

Your company, public or private, can fire you for almost any reason -- and implement pretty much any drug testing policies they want.

What they can't do, however, is violate certain laws -- like the ADA.  Your description of what is going on, suggests the trainer is advocating (or your employer is implementing) this policy in ways that violate the ADA.

The red flags to me:

* There are Federal and State carve outs for valid prescriptions
* If your doctor prescribes you to drink X water, this policy is not a "reasonable accommodation" under the ADA.
* They're asking for private medical records.  This open a huge can of worms for HIPAA violations and potential labor issues over medical conditions.

It's possible everything is being done in a compliant way, but your description makes me think this is incredibly half-assed and creates a lot of legal issues.


Title: Revenge Porn is illegal in the state I live in, but not the state of my EX, where he uploaded it. Can I take legal action?

Question: The title pretty much says it all. My ex lives in a state where Revenge Porn isn't illegal and I do. He's uploaded nudes of me and I need to take legal action. What can I do?

Answer: Since it isn't illegal at the Federal level, and the crime took place in the state he lives in, there isn't much you can do. Did he take the picture, or did you? If you took the pictures and sent them to him, then you can try a DMCA. You can try a DMCA either way, but if you didn't take the pictures I don't think you can do much about it.Answer #2: Is there any more to the story? Often revenge porn goes hand in hand with extortion. It might be a good idea to call the police anyways.Answer #3: Have you confirmed that Ohio has no laws that he violated.  Seems like he violated 2907.32 Pandering obscenity. of the Ohio Revised Code, but the facts provided arent clear he is in violation of this law.


Title: My mom and I are kicking my dad out

Question: Its been almost 8 months that we have been putting up with his texting and data usage. We have traced the text to a girl an hour away and hes very angry about us doing it. Hes very defensive of his phone now. Before he wasn't. We figured out how much we can save with him gone and we dont need him. My mom pays power, phone, and insurance. I pay for TV and internet. (We have well water). Anything we should be careful of?

Answer: There's a good chance that your father has a right to occupy the marital home until he voluntarily leaves, or until their marriage is terminated by a formal separation or a divorce. Your mother really, _really_ needs to get a divorce attorney's opinion before kicking her husband out of the house, and should be prepared to follow through with divorce before doing anything other than speaking to an attorney.


Title: Strangled Pit bull, North Dakota

Question:
**This is not my dog but a friend of mine who is having this problem.**

She writes "Our beautiful pit, was in our backyard with another dog, a little boy stranger opened the gate after antagonizing the 2 dogs, and one of the dogs bit the child. The other dog has bit before, our dog witch is registered as a service animal, has never bit, growled, chased nor barked at a person, cops were called and just because our dog is a pit, witch we are allowed to have due to service animal, was blamed for the bite without any hesitation. The cops said they need to take our dog til the next day and we could call animal control to get him back, he has all his shot records and etc.. Less than 2 hours later cops came back and said our dog had strangled himself, but yet he was wearing a full body harness, we do not have the money to get a lawyer, can anybody with any info on how we could or if we can pursue this please message us with any advice, they didn't take just our dog. They took a family member from us."

Hopefully this is the right subreddit! If not please direct me to where I might be able to get some help for my friend. The family is devastated.

*EDIT* Re-read my post and decided to add some information. The owner does not believe the service dog bit the child. She believes her other dog was the dog who bit the child. The child opened the gate to the fence and let himself in without supervision. The owners also went and took pictures of the carcass and are trying to find the funds for an autopsy. Also they live in a town where there is a ban on pit bulls but because he was a service dog he was exempt from this. They got a clay mold for the dogs mouth to prove or disprove it wasn't the pit.

Answer:
 Did they contact their home owners or renter's insurance about the dog bite? They may be able to help with sorting things out.

Was the dog a trained support animal or just an emotional support animal?


Title: [USA-TX] Artwork on canvas (Copyright?)

Question: Say I wanted to save a high res picture of a Picasso painting online, then pay for that picture to be put on a canvas through a website, is this legal?

Answer: That's legal if both the original painting *and the photograph* are in the public domain, or if you've secured a license for them.  A photograph of a painting is usually considered a new derivative work, even if it's basically just a copy.  Most museums are careful about preserving the rights to reproductions of their collection, so if a painting is in a museum you're probably not going to get a copy for free, even if the original painting is not protected.


Title: Paycheck was short $260 for almost 4 years of work. Boss gives me check for $10,000 and calls it even. Now I feel I am being pushed out of the job. Do I have any options?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You worked for 4 years without a raise????

Consider yourself lucky they are being honest. You also could have noticed.

> I really could have used that extra $260 every month to make cell phone payments, car insurance, buy food

Yet somehow you managed to get by. Now you have a very nice rainy day fund!


Title: (Orlando , Florida) My wife’s Employer deducts pay hours when she leaves early from work, but she is a salary employee. Is that legal?

Question: So my wife and her coworkers that are salary do not get pay extra when they stay extra hours. The excuse is because they are salary. Yet they get hours deducted from their check when they leave early

Answer: Almost certainly not legal. A salaried exempt employee must be paid their full weekly salary in any week in which they perform work except for *whole day* absences for specific reasons and partial day absences if taking FMLA protected leave. Since Florida has no Dept of Labor she can either file a complaint with the US Dept of Labor or go talk to a local attorney.


Title: A child came to the door claiming my cat had scratched him.

Question:
He said that he had pet it, and the cat attacked his arm he said "they arent bleeding anymore but they sting". He had multiple scratches but nothing deep. I asked him if he had washed them out yet. He said he didn't, and I told him he should, immediately. So he said ok and left.

I'm worried about an angry parent coming back and demanding my cat be tested for rabies. What kind of responsibilities do I have in this situation? Am I liable for my cat scratching this boy? I live in washington state and there aren't any laws in my city about containing cats like there are for dogs.
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer:
 Is your cat an outdoor cat?
There’s a few things that you might have to be prepared for:
Have your cat’s veterinary records ready, especially vaccinations. Animal Control may request them if the child sees a doctor for the injuries.


Title: [Colorado] My father is an immigrant and lied on his papers to appear 6 years younger, he is now 67, but legally 61. He wants to retire but the age to receive retirement benefits is 65.

Question:
I just recently learned of this and had always wondered why my father has always seemed older than he actually is. For some background, my father has no educational history, he immigrated to the US and immediately began working 1970s\~ The only job offerings to him and his skills were simple restaurant stir-fry cook positions etc.

&#x200B;

For the past 7-10 years my father has started physically struggling at work. He often works 12 hour shifts 6 days a week and kept this up for almost 50 years now and has obviously grown tired. He wants to apply for retirement, however, if he did he would receive reduced benefits because he "isn't 65 years old yet." Taking care of three children, two of us being in college, has really financially strained him and relies on a lot of government aide to get by.

&#x200B;

Lying about his age in the beginning was not the correct way to go, and I don't know the reasons pertaining him doing so, but what's done is done and he is tired. Is there any solution other than waiting 4 years for retirement that would otherwise not compromise his way of living or aide he receives in any way?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 You and your father need to let this go. This is not a good time to contact the government and let them know you filed false immigration paperwork.

People are agitating to remove those who received citizenship under ‘false pretenses’, and this would likely  qualify. He made a bad decision. Reaching out to correct it could be a life-altering disaster.Answer #2: the US is currently putting people in camps for immigration, it's probably in his best interests to not admit to lying about anything in his applications.Answer #3: Would he even have a way of proving that he's his actual age?


Title: I was let free now I’m getting charged

Question: The cops rolled up and me and a two friends we had a total of .3 grams of marijuana in the car split into to pill bottle that was just left over and my other friends had a cartridge that he was arrested for on his own but anyway my friend in the backseat claimed the weed in the pill bottle under my seat and infront of him and the cop was completely okay with so they took me out of cuffs and let me walk from the scene while my other two friends got arrested and brought in for booking they wanted a name of a supplier from a friend and since he wouldn’t work with them one of my dads friends that’s a cop called him and told him that he saw they were charging me with a misdemeanor that would be coming in the mail a month later Is this aloud what should i do there was litteraly .2 grams of weed at most and no more than .4 all put together they let me go and agreed that he would take the charge so how can they now switch up everything. I’m 18 it’s such a little amount of weed they are purposely trying to fuck me bringing me back into this all I understand i shouldn’t have been in the car in the first place but it happened and I’m here now what should i do.

Answer: You get an attorney.  You didn’t give us the state but it’s clear that your state hasn’t decriminalized weed and so you broke both state and federal law, no matter that it was just a little.  Turns out “c’mon bro, it’s just a little weed” isn’t a valid legal defense.  Hire an attorney, if you cannot afford one ask for a public defender as your first hearing.


Title: Do I have a vested interest

Question: My boyfriend of two years we have been living together for over a year has evicted me. 90% of my income goes to the household and bills. He is stating I have no vested interest and no rights to the property we had together that he forced me to remember my name or he would sell it? I am located in Michigan

Answer:
 > that he forced me to remember my name

Wat?

You had a vested interest...in right of possession which ended via what I will assume was a legal eviction action. You don't have a interest in the real property no. Answer #2: > 90% of my income goes to the household and bills. He is stating I have no vested interest and no rights to the property we had together that he forced me to remember my name or he would sell it?

Please explain this in detail. What kind of property are you talking about, what does "remember my name" mean, and how much did your BF contribute in comparison to your contributions?


Title: PE teacher made me run in 90 degree weather with now water.

Question: Is this the right place to post this? Oh well. Yeah my pe sub made everyone run in 90 degree weather for 30 mins with no water.

Answer:
 Of course he is allowed to do that. People work and play sports for 30 minute intervals in the heat all the time. If you have a medical condition that makes that unwise or impossible, you should let your school know.

Drink water before and after class and you'll be just fine. Answer #2: So, it was gym class?

Thirty minutes without water, even running in the summer, isn't going to hurt you. Do hydrate after class, though - you'll sweat enough that you'll need to replenish liquids, even if you don't do so right that second.Answer #3: Schools have reasonably wide latitude on how to teach and discipline students, so barring you having some medically documented condition which prevents you from running for 30 minutes in 90 degree weather, your substitute teacher has done nothing worse than make you sweat a lot.Answer #4: Did you have access to water immediately before and/or after that half-hour?Answer #5: Did you die?Answer #6: I'm gonna go with "yes."


Title: [CA] Can I get into legal trouble for posting someone's masturbating videos on Kik and elsewhere?

Question: [removed]

Answer: Assuming your serious, do not do this. WTf is wrong with people?


Title: Amazon package to wrong address (Utah)

Question:
Someone ordered an Amazon package to my neighbor’s apartment. They don’t know who the addressee is and we suspect they used to live here and forgot to update the address.

It’s been sitting on top of our apartment mailbox for about two weeks now. Is there a point where we can legally keep it or throw it away? We don’t know what’s supposed to go on here.

Answer: No you cannot throw it away. Out a note on it saying that this person does not live here and to return to sender. The mailman should pick it up.


Title: [North Carolina] Two of my roommates are moving out in approximately one month. They packed their stuff and put all their boxes in the middle of the dinning room, invading the house shared space. They refuse to get a storage unit.

Question: Mentioned it to the landlord and he said that unfortunately there's nothing he can do about it as the house is rented as a whole and he doesn't have any say in how we split the space. Any advice?

Answer: That's not a legal issue.  Figure it out with your roommates


Title: [OR] Besides getting arrested, how so I determine if a new state law makes an action illegal when my attorney does not know? (about firearms)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 This is an interesting question, and I won't claim to have any kind of definitive answer.  However, your best bet may be with some kind of "declaratory judgment" type action.

Oregon [has them](http://www.oregonlaws.org/glossary/definition/declaratory_judgment), as does the federal government.

You might be able to get a federal declaratory judgment if you find someone who actually wants to buy from you, say you can't because of the law, and then have the person doing the buying argue that the federal license should preempt the Oregon law. (honestly, you might even be able to bring that as a straight case, seeking the laws invalidation, rather than just a statement of whether it actually does give you the right to sell).

Alternatively, you could do something similar in state court in Oregon, which would likely be faster and cheaper.  You might want to reach out to a civil attorney (or your local NRA chapter) to see if they can tell you whether such an action is feasible and if it would be likely to succeed.


Title: CPIC Scan Shows "Sovereign Ideologies" For Me When Cops Run My File. WTF? (Canada)

Question:
I went to court today for a moving violation while driving. When receiving my disclosure I noticed in the cops notes it said "Sovereign Ideologies." I asked him what that meant and he stated "bro I have no idea. That's just what shows up when I run your CPIC."

Before and even after googling it I strongly believe it refers to being a sovereign citizen or a Freeman. What the actual fuck? Because I'm not. Never have been. I'm totally aware of what it is and was very interested in it when I was like 14 but quickly realized it was bullshit when I couldn't find any case law of one of those but jobs winning.

Anyway my concern is, that I have a firearms license. I would he concerned if I didn't but since I do, if they pull me over they'll think I'm a whack job. A couple of Freeman's murdered a cop on the side of the highway in the states a long time ago. I do not want to be profiled like that. How do I get this removed?

Answer:
 You could try this https://stepstojustice.ca/steps/ask-police-correct-your-recordAnswer #2: Hey cop in California here.... I know I'm far from Canada, but let me offer some insight to what MIGHT be going on... When I run someone on my computer with basic information (just a name and birthday) I can sometimes get back upwards of 40 pages (for a common name) of return information on a person. 40 pages! It's insane. I have to then sift through all that information to make sure I'm not skimming over a warrant or hazard hit on a name.

Its *possible* that your name is common enough that one of the "close match returns" was for someone with sovereign ideology and the cop missed the spot where it wasn't specifically you.

This is just an idea. There are some holes in my theory (like, why would the cop even write it on the ticket? Does the Canadian system even work the same?) but I guess it's a jumping off point for you.Answer #3: Do you think somehow your past internet searches are being monitored and attached to you in law enforcement systems?  I know that sounds nuts, but how else unless you pulled the whole “I’m traveling not driving” sometime in the past?


Title: My mother passed away in September of 2018 and the only living member of my immediate family I have left is my Brother who won't respond to me. I believe I am entitled to an inheritance but I have no idea how to figure anything out. Help!

Question:
So my mom passed in September of 2018 after a long battle with cancer.  She was in Colorado at the time of her passing.  I currently live in the SF Bay area.  I just had a baby in August and got clean from drugs shortly before that.  My mom and I didn't all much, but she knew I was having a baby and I was doing well.  My brother, even though he lives in Colorado had even less communication with her, but when she died my brother was the one contacted, but I wasn't as nobody knew how to get a hold of me.  My mom worked for 25 years for a national unions rep office and never retired.  I have spoken to her boss who says that she definitely had a 401k and both my brother and I would have to sign for the money to be released to us.
So my issue is that I have no idea how to find out what my mom left behind when she died.  What do I have to do to find this out? My brother won't respond to me which makes me feel like something isn't right. I have no idea where to start.

Answer:
 Your mother may have had a will. Wills are a matter of public record so they will be searchable. Typically those are filed in the county where she last lived. You can call the court clerk there to get help checking the status of the probate (her estate). You might even check if they have online records. Requesting the probate file of the estate allows you to read the will and see the death certificate. It will also list who is the executor, the person responsible for dealing with the estate itself. If you find you were owed something you haven't received, for example, then you may want to talk to a probate attorney.

You can find probate attorneys through the bar association for your state. Ask for a referral for a probate attorney consultation, which can be inexpensive ($25-50) or free. You aren't any obligation to use them, but it might be well worth your while.


Title: Mother in hospital and unresponsive, her living will indicates she doesn't want to be kept alive in these circumstances, father the ignoring living will.

Question:
Location: North Carolina, United States

For the past 2 years, my mother has had a variety of health issues that have led her being bed bound and unable to care for herself. She is on a ventilator, cannot move, and is unable to make any decisions about her care due to a underlying neurological disorder. About 1.5 years ago she was admitted to the hospital and was there for 6 months. She was then hen released to a rehabilitation facility. After several months, the rehabilitation facility stated they could do nothing for her so she was sent home to be cared for by my father and a staff of 24/7 nurses. At home, insurance was paying for the 24/7 nursing care (because she can't do ANYTHING for herself - at all). Insurance would only pay for 24/7 nursing care for a year, after that they said she would need to to go a nursing home. The insurance payments for the nursing care ended April 1, 2017.

My mother was admitted to the hospital on March 31, 2017 due to a severe infection. She is still at the hospital. When visiting recently, I was pulled aside by an ICU nurse. The nurse expressed concerns that my father was no longer making rational decisions. A recent barrage of tests had shown that my mother was essentially "non-responsive"  and that she had no reasonable hope for recovery. The ICU staff has been unable to get my father to consider hospice, a nursing home, etc. My father would not even sign a do not resuscitate order in the event that my mother's heart stops (if that happens, they will have to break her ribs/do everything to bring her back). My father is planning to take my mother home once being released from the hospital and will be paying $8,000 ***a month*** for 24/7 nursing care because insurance will no longer pay for it.

My parents are not rich. At the rate of $8,000 a month, even if they spend all of their retirement assets and mortgage their house, they will spend all their money after a few years and be left without any assets. And I'm told my mother could live for 3+ years, because while shes essentially a vegetable her physical body is well cared for. I know that my mother does not want to be kept alive in these circumstances. I have seen a copy of her living will, although I do not have a copy of it. She also told me numerous times: If she was ever incapacitated, she should not be kept alive using extraordinary measures.

I am convinced my father is no longer able to make rational decisions for my mother's care. He admits to me that she doesn't want to be kept alive like this, but that he is doing it anyways because he won't "kill her" and this is what he wants. I've noticed, over the past 2 years, that he has started to talk to my mom as if she could talk back to him. He actually tries to pretend that she is talking to him whenever she makes random gurgling/moaning noises that are not speech (it is unclear whether he ***believes*** she is actually talking, or just wants everyone else to believe that). But only my father has a copy of her living will (he may have destroyed it), and he also has my mother's medical power of attorney.

Can I do anything to enforce the living will? Or at the very least prevent my father from spending $8,000 a month on 24/7 nursing care which my mother neither wants nor will help her recover (and bankrupt him)? I'm 99.99% sure the answer here is there is nothing I can do, but I'm desperate at this point and thought I'd ask /r/legaladvice.

Answer:
 There's a whole legal aspect thread here that plenty of people are tugging on. The legal system does have some pathways for this but I would suggest alternative options because they're more likely to work, faster and won't impede any legal action.

It's hard to tell, but it sounds like your mother is still in the ICU. This kind of talk is not a conversation to be had whispered by ICU nurses and case workers. What you need to setup is something called a 'family meeting'. At this meeting, there should be you, your father, whatever other family members can make it, a doctor taking care of your mother, and a social worker. Other people can join too such as nurses or whatever, but that's what absolutely should be there. Do not be afraid to ask for this kind of thing. It sounds funny, but it's a thing, and should be very common in the ICU.

These kind of situations are frequently caused by a mixture of denial, poor communication, and misunderstandings of what is going on with a loved ones condition. There needs to be an organized meeting where a physician will straight up tell your father those gurgle signs are not signs of talking, and she has no hope for recovery. If the physician gets all soft and mealy mouthed, call them out on it. Anyone running an ICU should be able to have this conversation, even if you hate it.Answer #2: What do you think hospice/nursing home will cost? Is your goal to have your mother taken off the ventilator? Answer #3: You're not going to get very far without a copy of the living will. Is there anybody else who might have it?


Title: [ US] Looking into creating an online gambling site. Don't know anything about the legalities of it.

Question:
Hi r/legaladvice, I'm looking into creating an online gambling site that involves a certain virtual currency known as CSGO skins.

I just don't know if there is any way to go about this legally. Players will deposit their skins into the site and it will turn into a currency that is only usable to the site to buy other skins through a market. They can obviously use the currency they receive for depositing skins to gamble on games that will be against another player.

I'm not sure where to look for all the legalities of this site. Based on everything I've researched so far, players from the United States will not be able to play, I will not be able to host the website in the US, and obviously you have to be 18. Can my company be created in the United States? Can I legally own a company in the US that hosts a gambling website somewhere overseas that conducts "illegal activity" according to my jurisdiction? Can I even go on my website if I'm in the US?

Just looking for some advice on what to do with all of this. Thanks if you got this far.

Answer: This isn't self help territory. If you are serious about this you should take your business plan to an attorney for review.


Title: My ex just said she was going to kill me thru text messages? Do I have any recourse?

Question: It's pretty simple and straight forward. I'm in Texas and have had a pretty rocky breakup. My ex just texted me saying "I will fucking kill you" through text messages. At this point, with that kinda text is there anything I can do? I know she probably won't be charged but I was wondering what I can do to officially document this in case any future incidents happen to me or my property.

Answer: Save the messages, on several devices, preferably printed as well, in several locations. Then, call the police.


Title: Does the threat of a no contact order when it's used as a scare or intimidation tactic ever become illegal, and does the person being threatened with one have any rights or tools to protect themselves? Quick story in comments. "Minneapolis,mn"

Question:
Long story short..Best friend of nearly 3 decades..Frequently cheats on boyfriend and lies to family. Uses my name "unknowingly" to get away with cheating. Tell's the bf she's with me and disappears for the weekend...Anyway, I confront her, tell her I don't agree with her ways and ask that she doesn't lie to me or use my name in getting away with distasteful actions. As it makes me look like I'm in agreement with her actions when I'm not. I told her if she lied to me again or used my name, that I would expose her...She lied, I exposed...No threats, no harsh words, no indication of violence of any kind in any way shape or form. I share my evidence with the boyfriend "who is a total gutless turd" But still doesn't deserve to be used and lied to taken advantage of by someone who doesn't care for or respect them...Everyone says their piece and we're all blocking each other online, offline..And that's that, right?...No, I get a call last night from an officer stating that on behalf of "Best friend" that a no contact order is being sought and that if I do anything to contact her "Which I haven't, nor have any desire to do" that I "Will" be arrested......So, when no ones life is in danger, no violence has been exchanged, no fear of harm in any sense of the word has been uttered by the one being threatened, and the "ONLY" goal is for the "best friend" to basically frighten and scare an individual into not sharing the truth with those who deserve to know..Isn't that in some way illegal? Does a cop telling me that I WILL be arrested when there is no actual order, when there is no reason for an order, when no evidence  of an order is present hold any weight? When someone threatens you for no good reason...What do you do?

Let me be clear here..I have NOT contacted this person. I have not attempted to contact this person. I have no desire to contact this person, and by all account have deleted this person entirely from my life.......And that's why a cop calling me, threatening arrest, threatening the no contact order for no reason is scary and why I'm asking if there's anything I can do to protect myself from someone I have had or will have zero contact with ever or in any way?..

Answer:
 I'm sorry, but you got a call from the officer?  How did this person prove they were a cop?  (Did you get his name and badge number?)

Generally when someone seeks a protective order you don't find out until it has been issued (and nothing you've said here would be grounds for one).  And when one is issued, you have it served on you, you don't get a phone call.

My guess is that this is one of her friends impersonating an officer to scare you.  You can always call the department's non-emergency number to confirm what you are being told, and I would do that.

Leave her alone, as you have been, but don't treat this as if it really came from the police until you call to ask.


Title: MiL is on government support in another state. Has started bouncing checks. What are my options?

Question:
Background: My 60 something mother-in-law has serious psychiatric problems that require medication. She was in section 8 housing until she caused a fire and lost her section 8 apartment. She's now in a group home with the help of a state subsidy and different medications. She's required to contribute most of her social security check to her housing, but she's been spending it instead. She's also been bouncing checks. Now she's $400 behind on her housing obligations. She only has $100 of discretionary income each month, so she's effectively months in the hole on her housing.

How can we help her without putting her at risk of losing her benefits, without making her total care our financial responsibility, without putting our own credit at risk?

Should we be investigating a trust? Power of attorney? Who should we be talking to? What questions should we be asking? What avenues should we be exploring. Or is she simply screwed?

Thank you

Answer:
 You may want to look into getting her a representative payer who will receive and disburse her SS on her behalf.

This may be the same as another comment as I see there is already one comment in the counter but it is not visible to me.


Title: [DC] Re-signing lease for 5 person house, found clause we disagreed with and landlord agreed to take out. However, landlord says we all need to sign the lease as-is before he can update it to remove the clause - he says this is how the electronic signature system works. Is it a bad idea to sign?

Question:
For a little more context - this is a year-long lease. Management of the house just switched hands, and a clause concerning a $350 fee for sub-leasing was introduced to the lease. The new management of the house agreed to take it out, since it hadn't been in there before.

The current landlord submitted the lease via DocuSign, and one of the five roommates signed it without realizing the clause was in there. When we asked him to update the lease to remove the clause, he responded (via email) that he couldn't make the change now, as "the lease is locked until [he gets] the other signatures," but that he would strike it for the next draft that he is sending out (we are planning on switching out some roommates before the lease begins).

Is he telling the truth about the lease being locked and us needing to sign as-is? Is it a bad idea for the rest of the roommates to sign something that we know is wrong? Are we safe if we have in writing (this email) where the landlord has promised to remove the clause?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Answer:
 I'm not sure how docuSign works, but I know for **damn sure** that I would never sign a legal document with a clause in it that I didn't agree to, on the "trust" that the LL would change it later. I'm sure he can set up another DocuSign lease. Answer #2: Docusign user here.   He's full of crap.

Yeah, he can't edit the version that's already been signed.  So, instead, he needs to take the lease, deletes that section, and send it back through docusign for signature by everybody.
Answer #3: I would contact DocuSign support, if anything to help the LL out if he simply doesn't know how to properly address this. They should be cancelling the existing document and drafting a new one, not modifying the existing one.

I wouldn't sign a lease that you don't agree with, even if the LL pinky swears they will offer a better lease afterwards.Answer #4: Do. Not. Sign. Until the lease has been properly fixed.Answer #5: > Is he telling the truth about the lease being locked and us needing to sign as-is?

He's telling the truth about it being locked. (I mean, what kind of document system would it be if it let you make changes to a document that's already been agreed to by someone?)

But I wouldn't sign it in the hopes of getting another one. He should be able to make a new document at anytime.Answer #6: We use DocuSign sometimes at work, and while I hate that software, this is *so* not how it works.


Title: Ontario Canada rent to own? squatters rights?

Question:
I have lived in my home for 8 years, there is no legal rental agreement or lease but I do pay my landlord month to month. He doesn't claim this money on his income taxes and there are no rental receipts.

After some research I know I'd still have to wait 2 years but if I do, can I claim adverse possession on my home?
My occupancy is open, notorious (he lives next door) and I maintain the property myself (recently had septic system drained which is normally a landlords responsibility — I have paperwork to prove this) there is a double fence surrounding my property separating it from his.

My occupancy has been peaceful entirely, my only concern is that 2 years ago my landlord sold his property as well the 2 neighboring (mine and another) (not entirely legally — I don't know specifics but I think he tried to scam the new landlord). When this happened my no-lease $1000 a month rent was not interrupted, in jeporady or changed in any other way, it was simply  transferred from one landlord to another.

I've never been at risk of eviction or had any disputes/issues other than my own disliking of the maintenance I've had to do (that ultimately should've been his responsibility.)

So will I be eligible to claim adverse possession in 2 years time?
What other options does my situation warrant?

Answer: So have you paid the taxes on the land and property? But, honestly, you are a RENTER, its not your business if he claims what you pay him anywhere as that is between him and the government. So you have septic drained that you have used for the last 8 years? Did he authorize this service to be performed or did you just elect to do it? I painted my apartment and upgraded the fixtures, it just makes my place nicer, it doesn't make it mine. These are all things you are going to have to ask yourself before you try any legal action that will most likely result in your eviction. Oh, and if you are a renter your residence should be entirely peaceful as that is how a tenant retains a place to live.


Title: [U.S California] If I let a friend use my name to get her electricity turned on at her new house, and she has since moved out and apparently never paid the bill. Am i responsible for this bill?

Question:
I'm assuming I definitely am. My credit is already shot, I can't believe they even approved anything under my name.

I more or less just want confirmation that I'm an idiot and this will fall on me.

It's between $8 and $9 hundred. I have contacted my friend, to which i got no response.

So what's the verdict? I'm screwed right?

Answer:
 Yes. That's what it means when you put a utility in your name.

You can sue the friend. If you're able to get them into court, I'm less skeptical about your chances than the other poster, but it'll be a hassle.


Title: SC Flood damage being blamed on my dog, being evicted.

Question:
There's currently a flood in SC which tore down part of a privacy fence at a resident where i'm renting couple of rooms with a few people. My dog's being blamed for it and the owner of the residence is demanding me to pay for it.

Does this sound legally right?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: How did a dog cause a flood? Is your landlord dyslexic?Answer #2: Unless your dog is Fenrir, the father of all wolves, you should probably hire a lawyer or challenge it and threaten to go to court about it.  Answer #3: Don't pay. If tries to evict you, fight it. If he withholds from your deposit, you may have to sue him.Answer #4: I mean... isn't it still flooding there? How fast does this crazy landlord work?Answer #5: Something tells me your landlord didn't have flood insurance.  take pictures of the damage.  Answer #6: Demand hard proof, ask for an itemized bill. If the flood obviously did the damage, take pictures now if you can.


Title: (MO) My fiance went into preterm labor and delivered at the hospital.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 To get a truly unbiased medical opinion (not the hospital's and not an attorney who may just want the money from your case) you could go for prenatal, pre-pregnancy counseling appointment with a board-certified perinatologist. They will be able to go over your entire medical record (pregancy and delivery record and notes) and advise you exactly what happened and work out a plan on how to prevent it moving forward. You may have to travel to find one, but they are a valuable, underused resource for a successful pregnancy after a second trimester loss. I used one...my subsequent successful pregnancy is now 14 years old.Answer #2: At 20 weeks there is nothing that could have stopped that miscarriage. The monitor doesn't do anything. No medication was going to fix this.Answer #3: This is going to sound callous af, but OP, I see you are also in MO; this came too late to benefit my family, but maybe it will be useful to yours.  There is a Stillborn Dependent Tax Credit here that you and fiancee will be able to avail yourselves of, to help with some of the baby expenses you have undoubtedly already incurred.  It's the same as claiming an extra dependent for the entire year.  Obviously, this does nothing to truly help with your loss, but it's available nonetheless.Answer #4: Nothing about your story suggests that any error happened, nor that if there was an error anything about the result was preventable.

Feel free to talk to a lawyer, but it's highly unlikely to result in anything.

I've had several patients of mine go through this, and it's some of the saddest cases I've been involved in. I'm sorry for your loss.