Title: My neighbor puts his trash outside his door, which is filled with meat and fish that smells really bad and brings flies, I want to leave him a note that might contain some strong language, can he sue me?

Question:
Hi everyone! I live in an apartment with 4 neighbors around me "which means 4 doors" one of them thinks that he can just put his trash outside and it smells awful... I want to leave him a note that might contain some strong language but I am afraid he might sue me if I did that, I contacted the person responsible for our apartments, the neighbor listened for a few days then went right back to doing it... What should I do?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You could just write a note without “strong language” like a level headed mature adult and then there’s no concern anyway :)Answer #2: Contact the person responsible for the apartments again.Answer #3: Anyway can sue anyone for anything. That said, how is a "strong language" note going to solve your problem? Talk to your neighbor and/or speak to your landlord again.Answer #4: Why would you be arrested or sued for strong language?


Title: Can my boss be employed by another company?

Question: Located in Connecticut. I work at a facility that is owned by a "society" but about half the employees are municipal workers. I am employed by the society, but my boss (as far as I know them to be) is a municipal employee.  Some top tier employees "double dip". Two that I know of. Meaning, they are municipal employees getting the max allowable pay there, but get an additional check from the society. Due to the society feeling they should be getting paid more. That said, my "boss" is not one of those double dippers, but I'm wondering if they actually have any governance over me. Is that heard of? In addition, there is hearsay that there is an actual society boss for me, but they have zero interaction with my department and hold a completely unrelated title. I doubt it's unlawful, but I don't think it's right.

Answer: Even if they weren't technically in direct charge of you its obvious that anyone else you would call "boss" in the society is allowing them to direct you and expecting you to follow those directions so it doesn't really matter


Title: Target Demanding Payment for Purchase That Was Not Made

Question: Hey there. Looking for some advice about what my husband and I can do about this situation. Basically, he was in Target trying to purchase an iPhone but there were serious delays with being able to activate it and eventually, enough time went by that he had to cancel the order because he had somewhere else he needed to be. He asked the manager of the department if he needed some sort of proof of cancellation for the order (since they had taken down his info, including credit card number) but was told that nothing was needed. They'd just cancel it in the system. Now we're being charged for a phone that he didn't purchase. We spoke to our credit card company and they opened a dispute. It was initially settled in our favor because Target never responded to the inquiry. Then, Target came back and said that they have video footage of my husband leaving with the phone (which isn't possible because 1 - THAT NEVER HAPPENED and 2 - pretty sure they don't even know what he looks like and many people were buying phones that day). So now we're being told that we need to pay for a phone we never purchased. What can we do? We will go to the store to talk to the store manager but what if they basically tell us to go f ourselves? Can we request to see this supposed footage? Edit: I'm in the US

Answer:
 So the dispute was reversed? I'm sure there's some sort of appeals process for disputes. You need to hound your credit card company about this.Answer #2: Stay on your credit card company. They will surely require some actual evidence from Target if you keep disputing this.

If Target continues to bother you about payment, tell them to get bent and file suit. If your husband didn't take the phone or sign a contract, he doesn't have to pay.Answer #3: Target Mobile employee here: Go after Market Source. The employee likely stole the phone.Answer #4: Shouldn't they be able to use the IMEI number to see if the phone is registered or not? In a similar way to when you lose your phone, you can call your phone provider and they can block the phone based on your IMEI.


Title: Going to court over non-payment of rent. What to expect?

Question:
Location: Massachusetts, USA

Just as the title says, I will have to go to court because of a failure to pay rent for my apartment.

I'm moving out in a couple days, and I can't afford to pay rent and leave. The money just isn't there, and doing so would leave me homeless at the end of this month.

I fully expect to lose, as my landlord is fully within her rights, but I would like to know what to expect when this happens. I had offered to work out a payment plan, but she was not receptive. I'm wondering if the judge would go for something like that.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: The court will enter judgment against you, then the landlord tries to collect.  If you don't pay, the landlord can try to garnish wages or bank accounts.


Title: Can my Teacher take my crap?

Question: Under what circumstances is a teacher allowed to seize my property? Also is there a difference between them taking an unimportant object like a hackysack, ball, etc and them taking my phone or something with importance and high value? I'm from Washington btw

Answer: As long as they give it back after class/at the end of the day, yes they can. Answer #2: Don't use your phone in class, and they won't have any reason to take it. Problem solved.


Title: Lawsuits Involving Damages with Drones

Question:
I have a theory that the biggest current obstacle to the use of drones isn't the FAA per se, but the potential for legal action should a drone cause injury or damages.  I wanted to pose a hypothetical situation and see what the legal view would be.

Let's say I'm an architecture firm that is using a drone to photograph a future downtown building site.  This is a clear commercial use and I have no exemption from the FAA.  During this process, my drone collides with a building, breaks a panel of glass.  It falls, damaging someone's BMW Z8 and then chops off the finger of an employee of this architecture firm.

Now, according to the FAA, the use of my drone in this manner was illegal.  Does the fact that this was illegal increase my risk and liability related to the damages I caused?

Assume this is in the US...  (Thanks, bot.)

Thanks in advance.

Answer: Even if it was legal you would be liable for the damage you cause to other people or their property.


Title: [AZ, US] HR failed to fire manager after he was sexually harassing an employee via text, he offered a raise and even a promotion for this person to sleep with him.

Question:
First, I want to make it clear I'm posting for a friend. The situation is getting bad, she recently came to me for help but I don't know what to do exactly so I'm hoping this sub can help.

To let you know, we work at a call center and this whole thing started in May, like the title says a Manager started offering an employee a raise and promotion for her to sleep with him. After she kept declining and ignoring both his texts and calls, he tried firing her a couple of times. The second time he attempted to fire her she confronted him in his office asking him what his deal was, why did he have something against her, his response was "If you feel I have something against you, you know how to fix it. Accept what I offered you."

My friend went to HR the following day, explained to the head of HR the situation and provided the text messages as proof. The head of HR ended up transferring the employee to different department and instructed the manager not to have any contact with the employee whatsoever. The department this employee was moved to was at a different part of the building where it was guaranteed that she would not have any contact with the manager. Now after the employee transferred, the department was suddenly moved to the part of the building where the manager works at and he sees her everyday. This past month the employee has noticed irregularities in her time card and paychecks.

She doesn't know if going to HR will be the smart thing to do since they failed to do something the first time, and we don't know where else to report this to exactly.

Answer:
 > She doesn't know if going to HR will be the smart thing to do since they failed to do something the first time,

they *did* do something the first time: they initiated a transfer and ended the situation.

a physical reorg doesn't change this; HR may not have been consulted, and they didn't cross-reference every personnel file to make sure everybody would be happy.

> and we don't know where else to report this to exactly.

back to HR.

when sexual harassment occurs in the workplace, management's responsibility is to *end the harassment.* that does *not* mean they must automatically fire the perpetrator. a lateral transfer of either party that causes the situation to diffuse satisfies management's responsibilities.

other examples of things that satisfies management's responsibilities can include counseling or disciplining the perpetrator short of termination, including written disciplinary notices or one-time warnings. *if the behavior then stops, again, management has complied with their obligations under the law.*

in addition, a victim of harassment does *not* have the right to dictate, review, approve, or even know what personnel action has been taken against a perpetrator. the guy may have a one-time warning in his file; he may get fired when you complain again. he may not.

again, management's responsibility is to make the harassment stop. how they do that is up to them.


Title: Ex-Girlfriend racked up a few thousand dollars of bills on my credit card. How can I get this money back?

Question:
A little background:
My (now ex) girlfriend is very disorganized and consistently lost her wallet. This meant that whenever we went anywhere she would ask to use my credit card to make purchases that she needed. She always told me that she would pay me for the purchases she made on my card. For a few months I would total her bill at the end of the month and she would always pay me via square cash, Venmo, or cash. One month she stopped paying me. I’m an idiot so I let his continue for a while. Eventually I told her she couldn’t use my card again until she paid me the over 5k she owed. We broke up because of her refusal to pay me. I totaled her expenses and gave her a detailed break down of everything she owed me when we broke up. I even typed it into a semi-formal contract which said “I, (ex-girlfriend) hereby agree to pay all fees, expenses, and charges incurred above as listed”. We looked over it together and made a few minor changes and then she signed this when we broke up. Now she is refusing to pay me.

What steps can I take to get the money back to pay the bills she incurred?

Location: UT, USA

Answer:
 Luckily for you the small claims limit in Utah is $10,000 so I would recommend filing on Monday. Don't even tell her you are doing it.

Document and make copies of that contract and any text's/emails/FB messages of her agreeing to pay you back. Also get your statements from Square and Venmo too.


Title: [probably US] With all the drama going on, what's the ACTUAL impact on spez's actions on the admissibility of Reddit posts as evidence?

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 Zero. In any case where a reddit post was crucial evidence the relevant database entries would be subpoenaed and experts would argue about the possibility of tampering.

It is normal for forum software to allow admins to edit users posts without the admins having to resort to direct database edits.


Title: Small update on the neighbors preventing home repair:

Question:
I'm updating in case there's any new readers or new advice that might help my situation. Thank you everyone who posted on the first one, I appreciate the support.

Here's the [First post](http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/2lser9/my_neighbors_are_preventing_a_home_repair_that/)

Ok, so we have our house through a land contract with a family friend who flips houses. The neighbors apparently know this and the lady demanded that the guy who did the contract with us sign, too. Well, he did. The first day. We kind of needed him to in order to put down any kind of deposit and have the city look at the issue in the first place. We have a copy of the form, so we can show it to her, but I still say she doesn't have a right to see it. Whatever. My roommate who's handling her, since she's home at the same time roughly, even gave her the guy's number and the number and name of the guy we're working with to try to get these repairs done.

Apparently that wasn't good enough. She now demands to speak to him in person. He's a busy guy and lives a few hours away. Even if he agrees, it's going to take some time for  him to be able to, and I know he's not going to be all cheery and polite with her. (Might be fun to watch, actually, hehe)

I found the website www.indianalegalanswers.org and posted as much detail as I could think of there, but it might be a month before I get a response, if I get one at all. It's Friday again, so now we get another weeked without water. This started around the 7th, so we're now moving into week three.

Answer: Have you talked to your insurance company yet to see if they'll just indemnify the city?


Title: Please help, my co worker just found out his wife is cheating on him with their kids teacher. He wants to know if there’s something we can do, he wants to sue the school but I don’t think I he can

Answer: He can file for divorce. That’s about it. He certainly has no recourse against the school, though the school might have a policy against such relationships, it certainly wouldn’t give rise to any right of action by him.


Title: My gf pays $400/mo for child support for her two kids, if we get married, how does that affect the child support situation?

Question: I'm in Tennessee.

Answer:
 It shouldn't make a difference at all, unless you are providing her with material support that her ex's attorney could argue is "in kind renumeration".

Edit: [Here](http://www.state.tn.us/humanserv/is/isdocuments.html) are instructions for TN child support guidelines and a calculator.


Title: (Canada BC) Can I publicly post a screenshot of a private facebook video/comments?

Question:
Obviously with all personal information and identities covered.

I'd like to write a blog post about distracted driving and excuses peoole use for it. I'd like to use a few screen shots I have from Facebook of someone twerking while driving - on video - and the response of the person that posted it. This person deleted me from Facebook after I commented on the video about it being unsafe but I do still have her sister on facebook and I know she'd see the post at some point.

I also have a private message from her I'd like to share. If you're curious her excuse was that there were no cars on the residential street she was driving on.

I'd just like to make sure it's not illegal before I do it. Is this something that's basically up to the blog host (in this case tumblr) or are there any privacy laws I should be concerned about here? Can u ignore her when she inevitably messages me and yells?

Tldr; can I post private facebook screen shots on tumblr without worrying about legal junk?

Answer:
 if she put it on the internet its fair game, she posted it. I would remove any names thought.

however I would recommend you just let it go to avoid any issues, but if you must post it then have fun I guess


Title: Is it legal for a private Christian school to refuse to hire Catholics?

Question:
[NC]

A school I used to attend has made a recent change in policy. They've always required a faith statement and church membership, but this year they are changing it to be Protestant church membership (presumably to exclude Catholic/Orthodox applicants).

This feels really gross to me on a personal level, but is it actually legal?

Answer:
 Yes. [As long as the business's primary purpose and character is religious, it is allowed](https://www.eeoc.gov/policy/docs/threshold.html#2-III-B-4-b-i). Answer #2: Yes. They're not the first, as /u/Biondina can tell you. ;)

http://counsel.cua.edu/Religion/publications/legal-issues.cfm


Title: [MO] Misuse of Child Support, Kid Not Living with CP

Question:
My brother is 17. He primarily lives with me and sometimes stays with our grandparents. Our mother was unable to care for him, because of drug abuse & mental health issues. She rarely sees him.

She's still receiving child support payments every week and gives nothing towards the care of her son. The funds have gone to support her and oftentimes, her drug habit. She refuses to relinquish the CS debit card and says it's her income.

I'm not seeking benefits, though my brother is. He wants to take her to court for reimbursement after he's of age. I've never heard of this.. Is this a possibility?

Answer: Go to the State agency and let them know that he lives with you and not his mother and you'd like the child support redirected. Answer #2: Your brother cannot do anything as child support is not owed to him. His primary caregiver can file to have child support moved to them. I imagine this will result in your mother saying your brother has to go back home to her. Answer #3: Maybe also make the father paying support aware? They may get pissed and do something about it.


Title: Discovered sister's been stealing money from mother

Question:
Like the title says, recently discovered sister (33y/o) has been stealing money from my mom.

Mom recently retired in Feb. 2018, sister works full time job as dental receptionist. We all live at home with no mortgage on the house and small monthly expenses.

Sister has been withdrawing funds from mom's bank card with sums between ($140-200) multiple times per week, sometimes multiple times per day. Somehow this went unknown from mom until last Thursday.

In 2018 she's stolen just north of $7000 and in 2017, ~10,500. Haven't even begun to start digging through previous years.

My mom doesn't want to get the police involved and now we're trying to figure out the best way to proceed in dealing with this.

Trouble is, long been suspecting sister is BPD and dealing with this without police is actually terrifying. I have no idea how she'll react to the solutions we present and fear she'll begin to get violent (definitely verbally, very possibly physically)

That said, situation needs to be dealt with. I have a plan on how to go about this, hoping r/legaladvice can help me do this properly to ensure she has to follow through on these conditions with legal repercussions if she doesn't.

She's been boasting about how she's got "over $10,000 saved up" in the bank. First thing would be to allow us access to her bank account, verify that's true, and if it is, 90% of that money must be immediately transferred to my mom.

The rest of the money stolen would need to be paid back at an agreed monthly rate.

After that, she needs to seek professional help from a psychiatrist to deal with her mental issues.

If she doesn't agree to that, option 2 is she can keep the money she's stolen and must move out of the house immediately. Her suspected BPD has made the home a hostile environment and having her continue to live there without seeking help would make it an unsafe place for both my mother and myself.

Third option, if she doesn't agree to the other two, is getting the police involved.

What I'm hoping to understand is how to keep her accountable for whatever option she does choose. Can I have her sign a contract outlining the conditions that need to be met to rectify this situation with legal consequences if she doesn't follow through? Would those consequences even actually hold water?

How long would we have to get the police involved in this matter? Say if she pays back most of the money but refuses to seek professional help?

Also, I'm in the process of putting together a will with my mother. Definitely don't want sister having any power over financial decisions for mom. What would I need to do to protect my mom and myself when we put together her will?

Thanks r/legaladvice, know this is a long read. Frustrating, crazy situation that no mom should have to deal with and any insight you could provide would be hugely appreciated.

Answer:
 Here's the problem with what I'm reading:

> I have a plan on how to go about this

*You* can plan all you want to, but ultimately, your mom is victim here and it should be her decision on what to do. If she doesn't want to get police involved and you get police involved, you could very well be looking for another place to live.

> Also, I'm in the process of putting together a will with my mother. Definitely don't want sister having any power over financial decisions for mom.

Again, *you* shouldn't be getting your mom's will together. *Your mom* should be getting her will together. The easiest way to contest a will is that a sibling had undue influence over the parent during the drafting and execution of the will.


Title: Interviewed for an executive assistant job at fortune 500 company in California, was told that only women are being hired for the position.

Question:
The first interview was conducted by the VP's current assistant, who is being promoted. She told me the interview went really well and to expect a follow-up.

A few days later, i get an email from her personal account saying that I was extremely qualified, but her boss asked her to only interview female assistants. She was very apologetic, but not in a position to do anything about it.

Do I have a case, and what would I need to do to prove hiring discrimination? I would feel really awful asking her to testify against her boss and potentially jeopardize her job.

Answer:
 If the email reads as you say it does, you have an almost textbook case of gender discrimination. You can contact the EEOC to move forward with the case. You have to prove that the employer discriminated and screened out a certain protected class (gender) and that email is pretty damning. Answer #2: >A few days later, i get an email from her personal account saying that I was extremely qualified, but her boss asked her to only interview female assistants. She was very apologetic, but not in a position to do anything about it.

Yes. You can prove discrimination with that email.

>I would feel really awful asking her to testify against her boss and potentially jeopardize her job.

She did that on her own by sending that email.

You need to find a labor/employment attorney and bring in every communication you have. Make notes about conversations.


Title: consequences of threatening to kill someone while having a weapon [Ohio]

Question:
#1 11 min ago

I have a close friend who was in the Marine Corp. I met him on deployment in Afghanistan a few years ago. I was in the army but ended up doing some short-term work with the marines.

Fast forward to present day. "John the Marine" was worried about why his wife was always having to stay late at work recently and always needed to go into the office on the weekends. She has been at this job for a few years and it was never the case before.

Long story short, he went through her phone messages and found that a female named "Stephanie" was actually a man whom his wife was having a relationship with. He didn't tell his wife what he found on her phone, but instead tracked down where the man worked.

He went to the man's work with a hand gun strapped to his side (It was his personal gun and he has a carrier permit). He walked up to the man as he was leaving for lunch and asked if he was *****, the man said yes. John then took out his weapon, never pointing it at the other man, clicked the safety off then back on and returned it to his holster. He then told the man, "If you talk to or come near my wife again you're done". Man quickly waked back into building and john left.

A month past and nothing happened. He noticed his wife stopped having to stay late and go in on the weekend, but never told her he knew what happened or what he had done. He just found out the man is pressing assault charges. It's because John took the weapon out of the holster. He might also be in trouble for using a govt. computer to find the man. His wife also found out what John did and that he knew of her affair (which is a whole other can of worms).

I know I can't ask for legal advice. That's what John's lawyer is for anyway. I'm just trying to see if anybody here has known or been through a similar situation and what was the outcome.

Answer: Your friend is an idiot and i hope his permit to have  that gun gets taken away.  Clearly he's not a responsible gun owner.


Title: [OH] What is the threshold for claiming emotional distress that came from having a really, really bad boss?

Question:
I started a job a few years ago. I am no longer there, and I’m very happy about that. My assumption has always been that I resigned and am in a much better position now. However, I have thought about suing my former boss for emotional distress (or whatever is applicable in my situation). Here are some key details:

1. My blood pressure steadily raised 30 points higher while working there. Once I stopped, within three months it had dropped 30 points back to normal. I had to take BP medicine for it, and now I no longer have to.

I was also prescribed antidepressants, which I took for a year. Frankly, they gave me clarity to see how messed up this job was and how much I hated it. It took me around 6 months to get off of them, and I’m certain that it will be at least a year before I lose the added weight and all other side effects.

2. My boss was really into psychological testing. I was sent to a psychologist (I could have said no, but there is something about saying no to your boss that you sort of want to avoid). These meetings were often uncomfortable for me, and the doctor asked about things way outside the scope of business (my relationship with my parents, my wife, etc.) The psychologist died while I was employed, and I was sent to a new one. My boss would say things like “call him. He’s good for you” and shit like that.

3. He was moody, ineffective, and would often make me feel extremely anxious and inadequate. He never laid a hand on me or yelled. But man he was intimidating.

4. Here are some quotes from him: “if you were black, I would have won the lottery.” (I’m white, and he was desperate to show inclusion efforts. “You need to become a totally different person to do this job,” and “get rid of your empathy. It makes you weak.”

Again, I never really thought that any of this amounted to a legal case, but I’ve always been curious to check.

Just a shitty boss? Probably. But I’m wondering because I had medicine prescribed, maybe there is some kind of damages there.

Thanks for your advice!

Answer: Considering you could have quit anytime you wanted to, you would not win such a lawsuit.


Title: Strange men keep attempting to open my apartment door while my wife and baby are home alone.

Question:
I'm not sure if this falls under legal advice but my next move would be to call the police as I'm unsure of what if anything my apartment leasing office could do.

The rundown:
I live in a large corporate apartment complex in the Bay Area in California. Over the last few months, strange men (so far it has only been men) have attempted to open my locked door, without knocking first. Now, the first few times this happened, I blew it off and didn't think too much about it. However, my wife and 4 month old daughter are at home throughout the day and my wife states that multiple times throughout the day we get strangers attempting to open the door and come on inside. At one point I caught one of them in the act and he immediately stated he was at the wrong address and hurried away. Last night it came to a head when my wife opened the door on one of these guys and he attempted to step inside. Luckily I was home at the time but she was the one who opened the door. (Wife opened the door because at the moment I have a broken leg and am unable to get up in a hurry and beat her to the door)

Now here's the thing: In my mind, if these guys are comfortable enough to open the door to someone's apartment, then they must think they are at the right address. Whatever address they are looking for must have informed these guys NOT to knock first for whatever reason unknown to me. I have a good idea of the address they are looking for but I can never get them to tell me as they leave in a hurry.

As a new father, I do not appreciate someone trying to enter my home uninvited, especially with my young daughter and wife at home alone. I also own firearms (I grew up in the south and pretty much everyone has one or several) and have on occasion thought to answer my door with one at the ready. Not necessarily in hand, but within reach incase someone tries to push the door open on me.

The question I'm asking is: What do I do here? I feel like having these strangers is violating my privacy as well as making me pretty uncomfortable in my own home both for my wife and daughters sake, but also mine. I also don't want to do something stupid if this continues to occur on a daily basis. Do I contact authorities? Is there really anything my leasing office can do? Short of putting a note on the door that states "Please make sure you're at the right address before attempting to open this door." I'm not sure what my move is here.

Answer:
 You call the police!

Each and every time!


Title: Kangaroo court judgement, any way to vacate?

Question:
In the fall of 2014 my wife and I were subpoenaed to civil court (county in WV). A guy down the road from us claimed that my son had entered his horse barn, damaging locks and doors in the process, and stolen property. The responding officer was the guy's nephew.

He stated that he had video evidence that my son was on his property and the police claim to have photographic evidence of shoe prints that matched a pair of his boots. However, when we tried to obtain the evidence for use in court, it couldn't be found.

The police never pressed charges. The guy, wanting compensation, filed against us in civil court.

Then, the judge who we appeared in front of was also a relation to the guy suing us. She made a decision within minutes despite our questioning where the proof against our son was. When we asked about how to appeal the decision she threatened to have my wife thrown in jail.

Now we have a judgement showing on our credit saying that we owe $1500 to this guy. Because we were fearful for our safety (late night drive bys, hangups, friends of the guy tailing us when we were out), we moved out of the state.

Is there any way to have this taken off our credit without having to contact the guy or the kangaroo court?

Answer:
 No.  You were required to appeal within the statutory time.  You didn't, so the judgment is final.

The only way to get it off your credit is to pay it.Answer #2: Um, that's not what "kangaroo court" means.

It's extremely unlikely that you're going to be able to get the judgement tossed at this point. You should have fought this when it was happening, not 2 years later.


Title: Girlfriend injured herself at a store, but we cannot afford a lawyer. What are our options?

Question:
Late last night we were leaving a furniture store and instead of going out the front doors (it was closing and they were already locked), we were instructed to go out a fire exit. This exit was at some sort of loading dock with NO lighting whatsoever (almost entirely pitch black) and no sign warning of the ledge in the doorway, so my girlfriend sprained her ankle really badly. Rushed her to the emergency room for x-rays, and the doctor said she came really close to tearing her ligament. She's been give medication, a brace, and told to stay in bed for ~5 days, so she might well have to miss work this week.

I took pictures of the ledge and loading dock, got the manager's number, and got all the paperwork I could from the hospital. But for all the documentation I keep, we don't have the money to hire a lawyer. What are our options here?

We also live in Maryland, if it makes a difference. Thank you for any help!

Answer:
 This kind of case is typically taken on a contingency basis - the lawyer only takes a percentage of the settlement/judgment if you are successful, nothing required up front. Issue here is you don't have a huge amount of damages, but you'll probably find someone willing to take it.Answer #2: Did you tell them what happened at the time? Have you called them since then and asked how to file a claim with their insurnace?Answer #3: There's something called no-win-no-fee lawyers.

They turn down a lot of cases where someone injured themselves through their own stupidity.

This, on the other hand, looks like a slam dunk case they should jump on. You were prevented from going out the main entrance and were directed to go somewhere dangerous and not adequately secured, where the safety feature to prevent it (e.g. a light to show the ledge) would have had a minimal cost.

Send the description in the post to a couple, or call and give that info.


Title: Uncle is getting sued $400k for getting into an accident. (California) Can post a picture if that helps let me know.

Question:
He got into a accident a couple months ago and was served the papers today, I was at the door and was requested to hand it to him it's crazy how 2 people hand deliver it. I read through it and he's being sued for $400,000 if you can believe it.

He is completely broke and has no money, he has terrible credit and even owes 10ks to banks. He was using his fathers car when he got into the accident. Will they come after my grandfather (his dad) if my uncle can't pay the bill? Another thing to mention my grandfather is in the hospital with Zika virus if that's anything.

It would probably bankrupt the family if they come after my grandfathers money, can they legally do this?

Answer: He needs to call his insurance provider immediately. They will defend him in court.


Title: Doctor sent me for a blood test. Didn't tell me it was $5,000.

Question:
Here are the bullet points: I went to see an immunologist because I get sick multiple times a year. At my initial visit. She sent me to get some blood work done. This blood work had tests that I usually don't get at a simple physical or blood panel but I thought nothing of it because I have decent insurance.

Then I get my insurance statement. They paid roughly half of the $5,000 bill. Then I get a bill from the hospital for the other half. I was floored. I called the doctor and they said they have no idea what labs cost for patients because everyone's insurance is different. Fair enough I guess. Am I wrong to think they should have at least warned me about abnormal costing tests?

I guess my lesson here is to always call and verify medical costs before you partake in them. Is there anything I can do to recoup this loss legally? Did anyone screw up or was it just me?

Answer: Yes you are wrong. You are responsible to know what your insurance will cover and costs. Not the Dr. Your should call your insurance before getting work done and you can ask at the places you are getting work done how much things cost


Title: After declining/refusing to clean myself with cleaning spray or bleach wipes, management put cleaning chemicals in the hand sanitizer container without our knowledge, resulting in us using it without being aware it contained toxic chemicals.

Question:
A few days ago I posted here regarding the order to “bathe ourselves” with chemical cleaning spray or bleach wipes. I spoke with my boss regarding the order, who said that he was unaware the client gave us the order. I requested a substitute like washing hands with soap or using hand sanitizer, and he said he would get back to me. He didn’t. That’s typical.

Today, I went to use the hand sanitizer and it wasn’t sanitizer. It caused a burning sensation immediately, and made my hands very sticky. I immediately went downstairs to wash them, and soap and water did nothing, it couldn’t wash the liquid off. My skin is peeling and in serious pain.

I put gloves on and the gloves are being discolored from the chemicals on my skin. I’m not sure what the chemicals are. It’s orange liquid in the container, it fizzes out white, and returns to liquid as clear. It burns my skin after application. After smelling, the fumes went into my eyes and caused my eyes to start tearing and burning. I put some into a bag to bring to a doctor.

I work in law enforcement, I cannot leave the sight until someone is here to relieve me. I’ve texted my boss and am waiting to hear back but it’s currently almost 2am. I’m waiting on hold with poison control, I was on hold for 20 minutes and they hung up, now I’m on hold a second time.

What do I do now?
Topic:
Personal Injury

Answer: File a worker's comp claim with your actual employer.


Title: Juror on a longish, serious case and I regret my verdict

Question:
I just finished serving as a juror on a longish, serious case, and I'm having serious regrets about the verdict I delivered. I feel like there was incredible pressure and some unintentional bullying on the part of the other jurors for me to change my mind. I caved, and I regret it.

I'm terrified of going back into deliberations and a little scared of being the reason for a mistrial too.

Answer:
 I'm confused.

> the verdict I delivered

Once the verdict is delivered, you don't need to deliberate anything else, unless you're in one of those states that lets a jury choose the death penalty.

If you feel you were bullied into a verdict, you should contact the judge. Be prepared for some very direct questions from the judge, with both the prosecutor and defense attorney present.

Don't be scared of being the cause for a mistrial. If the prosecution didn't prove their case, it's on them, not you. I'd be more worried about someone going to prison when they shouldn't than being the cause of a mistrial.


Title: Apartment Complex Management Company Cut Bike Lock Without Warning

Question:
Hey all, I'm looking for some advice based in Dublin, Ireland.

The apartment complex where I am renting has two bike racks that are generally full, and only allow you to lock your front wheel. The house rules state "Bikes must be locked to a rack" and there is a sign on the door that says "Bikes Are Not Allowed To Be Kept Indoors".
As the rack was full, I had locked my bike to a lamppost. The following afternoon, the lock (a kryptonite) had been cut and my bike was left unlocked (and we live in a high-crime area where bike theft is common).

This is the second time this happened, and the last time I contacted our landlord to check if it was the management company as I hadn't received a warning and he assured me it wasn't them. I thought it must be another tenant, and so this time rang the management company to ask for access to the CCTV facing my bike. He said the management company can cut locks, and that I should have "used my common sense" not to lock it there.

If I had known we weren't allowed to use those poles, been giving warning, ANYTHING, then I wouldn't have locked my bike there. I was wondering if this counts as damaging personal property, or is there's anything I can do next other than stew about this? Thanks a million, and also, fuck you Martin you rude jerk.

Answer: If the parking lot was full and you parked your car on the lawn at the parking complex, they could tow your car even through there probably aren’t signs prohibiting lawn parking. This is like that.


Title: Question on whether this contract is null and void because of misquote of paragraph

Question:
This is in the United states. My wife quit her job, but there was a non compete in her contract. However, the last paragraph states:

26: Survival upon termination. All provisions contained in this paragraph 25 and in paragraphs 16, 17, 19, and 23 of this agreement shall survive the termination of the agreement and the termination of employee's employment with employer, except as provided in paragraph 13 above.

The issue is that this is paragraph 26 and not 25 as stated above. Is this a loophole to get out of her non compete?

Answer:
 > Is this a loophole to get out of her non compete?

No, it's a typo. A court would likely look to the context and find that "this paragraph" means literally, "this paragraph."


Title: [CO] Was forced to resign in lieu of being fired...chances at unemployment?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: File for unemployment immediately and state you were told to quit or be fired. Those emails can be evidence. You should have filed as soon as you were out of work.


Title: [SC] School won't send transcript because of money owed to them

Question:
My wife is transferring to a new college and the new college is requiring her to submit all of her previous transcripts from other schools before they give her financial aid. She briefly attended a school several years ago but didn't complete the semester. She owes that school around $1000, and they're refusing to send her transcript until her balance is at $0. I figure there's a good chance they're completely within their rights to do this, but I have nothing to lose by asking. Is there anything we can do to get this piece of paper without spending all that money? The other two schools she has enrolled in haven't needed to see that transcript.

I saw this:

>Page 1-69: "A school can withhold academic transcripts from students who are in default or owe an overpayment if it wishes, but it must release financial aid transcripts or financial aid history information at the request of the student or another school."

>Page 1-74: "A school can't withhold FAT information for a student who owes a debt to the school (such as unpaid tuition and fees, or a library fine or parking fine). However, the Department doesn't discourage the withholding of official academic transcripts in compliance with applicable state laws."

>This guidance was omitted from subsequent editions of the Federal Student Aid Handbook, presumably because paper financial aid transcripts were eliminated.

http://www.finaid.org/educators/withholdingtranscripts.phtml

But I guess that's not applicable anymore, and if the school also requires an academic transcript then it wouldn't do us any good.

Answer:
 >I figure there's a good chance they're completely within their rights to do this, but I have nothing to lose by asking

You would be correct; they are completely within their rights to do this.


Title: [CA] My landlord has been staying in the house for the last 2 weeks

Question: I rent a room in a 3 bedroom house from a woman who used to live here with her son. Current tenants are myself another guy in his mid 30's the landlord's son and his girlfriend. His Mom came to stay a bit before Christmas and I thought she would be gone by now but she still is here every day and uses up the entire kitchen for her laptop space. In my leasing agreement it says there are no stays past 48 hours without written consent from the Landlord, does this mean she can just approve herself staying for an extended time? Is there anything I can do other than move out?

Answer: If she's the landlord it seems that it's legal for her to consent to herself being a guest of a tenant. Sorry. Answer #2: You rent a room, not the house. You have no say over who else stays there.


Title: I am a new mother who is pumping at work and it's causing some problems. What are my rights?

Question:
Just typed a whole long post and then the app crashed.

Here's the summary:

Location: Phoenix, AZ
I work for a pretty well-known company that is all about minimal staff on duty and working their employees to the bone. My shift starts at 9am and I usually don't get a chance to pump until around 1:30pm-3pm. I am usually on shift with just one other person.
When I do finally tell my manager "I have to pump now" her response is usually "Well I have to send _____ to lunch" or "We are really busy right now." (We are always busy)
What are my rights? If I start just pumping as needed can they fire me?

For those of you not familiar with pumping, imagine that my breasts and balloons and from the time that my daughter stops eating, to the point where she starts again or I pump, they are slowly filling up. It gets painful and sometimes it causes leaks which is just gross and makes my skin raw.

Answer: You have the right to pump as often as needed for a reasonable amount of time. The company does not have to pay you for these breaks generally speaking. This only applies if the company has 50+ employees overall. If it has that many employees, you probably have a corporate HR department who would love to hear about your manager.


Title: Got a court date in a different state 3 1/2 hours away

Question:
I got pulled over today while in Ohio and got caught with the weed I had. (I was not driving I was the passenger) I live in southwest Michigan almost 4 hours away so I am pretty worried about being put on probation first and secondly I am worried Ill have to drive there and back Im pretty broke right now and I just got paid this last friday so I wont be paid for another 12 days. My court date is at 9 am on Wednesday so I would have to leave at ~ 5:30 am.
How worried should I be about being put on probation? The officer wrote in the report that I was polite and cooperative so Im hoping that helps I know Ohio is more strick than Michigan but i dont know what to expect being in front of a judge?
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: I would leave earlier than 5:30am.


Title: [FL] My aunt has suggested I get a lawyer to look into a trust my dad had 15 years ago when he died. We think stepmom took it all.

Question:
My dad died 15 years ago, he killed himself. At the time, my brother & I were living with our mom, my parents got divorced when I was 5 years old. My dad & I didn't have much of a relationship at the time, but my brother was still visiting him & staying over every other weekend.

Right after he died, my stepmom gave us a couple of family items & a check for $10k each. My dad didn't have a will, he had a family trust of some sort. We have no idea what the trust said or if it mentioned us at all. My stepmom was the trustee & was in control of everything. Shortly after my dad died, my stepmom took everything, left town & got remarried.

This has always felt suspicious to me, but I had no way of looking into things. My mom was very hands-off, because she & dad had a horrible relationship, especially near the end. She was always mad that stepmom took off & didn't give us kids certain family items that mom felt we should have. But once stepmom moved town & got remarried, we just brushed it off.

Now today, I was given some extra details from my aunt, dad's sister. Before he died, my dad got super paranoid & suspicious of everybody. At some point, he sued his sister over some stuff to do with their dad. My aunt was so upset that she settled by sending him a check for $5k. The settlement was made while he was alive, but the check wasn't sent until after he died. So the check was written to his estate.

My aunt thinks that because there was no will, the check itself should have been probated. However, I know (after dealing with more recent deaths in the family) that Florida law won't probate unless the assets are over $100k & that doesn't include the Homesteaded property. My dad had a ton of acres, a big house, a couple of business buildings & lots of high end farm equipment, cars, motorcycles, etc. I would think that it would be over $100k, but it if was all in the trust, a probate wouldn't have happened anyway.

My aunt said that we should find a lawyer to look into the wording of the trust, to see if my brother & I are mentioned at all. I don't know what it says or what would happen after the stepmom dies (she has kids from before marrying my dad).

Per the legal records online, it is hard to tell if the trust still owns the land or other things. Would this make sense to look into, even after 15 years?

Answer: Depends on how much you really want this and what your portion would be worth, because this could get very expensive very quicklyAnswer #2: Not a lawyer but does she still have money? If it's been 15 years and she has potentially spent it all, assuming you win and a court can order her to pay it but you cannot get blood from a turnip


Title: Pregnancies from Adult entertainment

Question: I'm really curious, where does the law stand on child support of pregnancies as a result of a paid porn actor and actress.

Answer:
 It would stand in the same place as children born to parents of any other profession.Answer #2: it's no different than any other unplanned pregnancy. you can't really contract away obligations (rights sure), so I'm not sure why you think they'd be different. Answer #3: Given the mandatory condom provision in LA, and the fact that these performers are probably more knowledgeable about sex and sexual health screening than the average person, I'd be surprised if the performers didn't have alternative methods of contraception, and easy access to other reproductive services, including abortion, if they wanted. Their health certificates require a STD test before each shoot, which presumably includes a pregnancy test. I'd imagine unintended pregnancies are extremely rare.

If it happened though, legally it makes no difference. It doesn't make a difference even if the sexual activity was illegal, like prostitution. The John would be responsible for child support.


Title: If i'm a minor, can my parent not allow me to work if I am already employed? (further explanation in description)

Question: I'm a minor, (17, MA) and I'm employed at a college dining commons. My parent is threatening to contact my manager and inform him that I am not allowed to hold this job, because she does not wish me to be out on any night past 9:00. Massachusetts requires a work permit for minors to work, which she signed several month prior to this dispute, and my employer is not in violation of any child labor laws on the federal or state level. This job is incredibly important to me, as my parents do not lend me money or give me an allowance. I've put about 50% of my earnings into savings from day one. But, while this feels unfair to me, I'm afraid that I don't have any legal ground to stand on... can she forbid me from working? Do I have any right to work if my parent refuses to support it?

Answer: Your parents can decide to revoke your ability to be employed at any time and your employer must let you go. Your only option is to persuade your parents not to revoke your permission to be employed.


Title: An acquaintance left a motorcycle on my property, but now they won't respond to my calls. Can I sell or discard the motorcycle?

Question:
More details: I agreed to let him store it temporarily on my propery, but it has now been more than a year since, and he does not respond to my calls. I assume since he's the legal owner, I can't legally remove it from my property. Location is Sweden, but i'm just looking for general advice. I appreciate any help on this matter.

What can I do? :P

Answer:
 Normally you'd look into abandonment laws in your area. A year is over the reasonable  "store temporarily" time.

But I'm not sure if things work the same in Sweden.


Title: Can i break my lease to relocate for a job?

Question:
I was offered to move to another store in another city in the same company. I spoke to my landlord and she said i have to give one months notice and pay rent for every month until the unit is rented. I spoke to the store who offered me to re locate and spoke to the manager explaining i cant afford to break my lease and get a new place but she told me if im relocating for work my landlord cant hold me to the lease. I am at work and tried googling it but cant find anything on it. So i was just wondering if under the circumstances of relocating to a new job can i brrak my lease without paying anything?

 I am in Alberta Canada and there isnt anything about it in my lease aside from what i have to pay upon breaking the lease

Answer:
 Sure you can break your lease to relocate.   But you may still owe the landlord a lot of money.  Though, depending on the location and term of the lease, you probably don't owe them for EVERY month until the end of the lease.

Landlords have a duty to mitigate damages in these situations - meaning they can't sit there and cash your checks for doing nothing - they have to go ahead and, in a fairly timely fashion, clean and renovate and relist the home, and if they can find a qualified tenant for the place, they can't keep billing you once they're collecting someone else's rent for the unit.  So it's more likely that you'll owe closer to 3 or 4 months rent, not an entire year.

Does your lease allow you to sublet?  That comes with it's own mess of legal worries, but depending on how much money we're talking, that may be preferable to breaking the lease...


Title: I'm being accused of sexual misconduct with a minor.

Question: My (31 M) wife's cousin (17 F) called my father-in-law asking him for advice. She told him that we had sex and she already talked to the police. I don't know the full content of that conversation but afterward he called my wife with a heads up. There is no truth to the allegations. I'm dumbfounded and can't think straight. My only guess is that she told a lie to the wrong person and is now caught up in it. This could ruin my life. Who has the burden of proof? What do I do?

Answer: You shut your mouth and spend the weekend choosing which lawyer you intend to be dialing at 9:01 AM on Monday morning.


Title: Changed my name due to transition, want to go back

Question: California. I changed my name to a feminine one as well as gender marker 6 months ago. I was impulsive about it and shouldn't have. Can I petition for a new one this year?

Answer: Yes, if you are willing to spend the time and money.


Title: Guy I know using financial aid money on a lot of non school related things.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If this is money given (or loaned) directly to him for living expenses, he can spend it on whatever he wants.


Title: Driver ahead of me stopped and got out of his car, claiming he has me on camera texting and driving.

Question:
This happened in Ontario. I was driving along when the person ahead of me stopped abruptly, got out and began screaming that he saw me on my phone twice, and that I was captured along with my license plate on a camera that he has in his back window. I was mostly feeling around in the center console for a tissue, but honestly I may have skipped the next song playing on my phone which took a split second. He says he's going to submit it to his insurance company and basically that I'm screwed. Say he did actually have a video of me looking down for 2 seconds, is this something I should be worried about? Thanks

Edit: Thanks everyone. We will see what is what soon enough...

Answer: Nobody's going to care. Don't sweat it.Answer #2: Unless you damaged his car, his insurance company is going to be confused as to why he is sending them that video...Answer #3: Did you two get into an accident? Or he just is going to submit you to insurance for possibly using the phone?


Title: [Georgia] was evaluated for mental health services at a no cost clinic and was ordered inpatient facility care within 15 minutes of talking to counselor. Counselor was unreasonable during the evaluation, so I ran and have been laying low since.

Question:
Hello everyone, this is my first throwaway account! I am seeking help with a problem I encountered today. I am not sure if I broke the law. I have tried googling my situation but nothing similar has appeared especially not for my state. Thank you for reading, sorry that it's a bit long!

I decided to seek counseling at a local no cost clinic which I was unaware was a place that typically treated court ordered offenders. The place was kind of rough but I thought any kind of counseling would help so I went. I met with the counselor about 1 hour after I registered and within 15 minutes they were telling me that inpatient facility care was what they would recommend for me effective immediately.

I was very surprised and did not feel they had an appropriate reaction to my short 10 minute introduction especially since I hadn't even talked about the reason I went there in the first place. I was seeking counseling or group therapy and possibly some type mood stabilizing medicine or anti depressant medication.

The counselor became hostile with me and I was on the verge of having a panic attack since this person I just met was telling me I was going to be institutionalized and that I was not going home. So I asked to step outside and they agreed. As soon as they looked away I booked it.

Later that night the police came to look for me in my home (I was not present, I decided to take a pamper day) and they told my roommates that if they saw me to take me to any hospital as long as I got help but if they found me instead that they would take me to the clinic that the same company manages...so pretty much a crazy house full of criminals.

I decided to lay low and I have plans to make an appointment with a near by sliding scale therapy location that does cognitive therapy which is what I was hoping to try. I am planning to call the original location as soon as I have verified my appointment with the new place to let them know that I am indeed getting help. Is this a good idea? There is no way I am going to the other place. I realize that what I needed was a real professional.
With that said

Tl;dr: went seeking therapy at free clinic, was quickly assigned impatient, decided to run instead, police came to my house.

Answer:
 IANAL but that sounds like an insurance scam. Certain mental health companies (particularly [UHS](https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosalindadams/intake?utm_term=.hiBwVd1Qlx#.rw3EDbqlmr), which is currently [under investigation for fraud](https://www.buzzfeed.com/rosalindadams/largest-us-psychiatric-chain-faces-widening-investigation?utm_term=.lbN2j8Gakq#.liNYqJ4rp5)) will forcibly admit people on the pretext of them being suicidal, for the sole purpose of billing their insurance company to the maximum amount. If you do not have an active plan to commit suicide, you should not be inpatient. This is going beyond even the usual "trick someone into admitting suicidal ideation" into "trying to section someone for walking into a clinic."

So two questions: do you have health insurance, and did you at any time say anything that could be remotely construed as suicidal ideation (even jokes or saying you'd felt so in the past)?


Title: (NJ) Car Repairs More Expensive than discussed

Question: I took my car into the dealership to get fixed. I was told I'd get an itemized bill and that no repairs would be done before I signed off, and that everything would be $1050 including tax. I was sent the bill today only to find tax isn't included and they have already done the repairs, the guy I talked to said he "misheard" me when I repeatedly clarified over the phone that the 1050 included tax and was the final price. it's now about 1200, and they've also tacked on an oil change they said would be free. is there any way to get them to honor the initial quote? the invoice states 1050 and then it's padded with taxes and bullshit fees for another 150, conveniently taking the final price to the original cost I was quoted.

Answer: Did you receive a written estimate before getting the work completed? If so, it's usually stated, "Price does not include tax and other surcharges and fees." If anything, the only charge you can take action on would be the oil change, but unless you have paperwork showing a free oil change, you likely have no recourse there, either.


Title: Trustee has not prudently invested funds for 20 years.

Question:
Massachusetts - My grandfather made a trust upon his death (20 years ago) for my mother. The trustee of the trust was his best friend (lawyer) while he was alive. Over the past 20 years, all of the trust funds have remained in a savings account and have not accumulated much in terms of earnings.

The trust is for my mother and, in the past, it has been very difficult for her to receive funds from the account. She has also asked the trustee to invest the funds, but he has not.

As a reasonable person who unfortunately doesn't know anything about the law, I feel as though the trustee has not invested prudently because it does not seem as though he used modern portfolio theory at all in his decision-making.

My mother has spent much of the trust money on my education, which I am both grateful for but also feel bad about. If the funds were invested prudently from the beginning, she should have 2-4 times as much money to use.

If anyone can tell me if we have any recourse against the trustee or any suggested course of action, that would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you

Answer:
 It's going to be hard to make an argument about maximizing the fund. You can't really hold the trustee responsible for making the "best" decisions but rather decisions consistent with the purpose of the trust. If he does that, then there's nothing that can be done in regards to his duty. Having said that, there's probably a way to name a new trustee, which is what you and your mother should pursue if you're not happy with the current trustee. Answer #2: It is very difficult to say anything without knowing the terms of the trust deed. The trustee has placed the funds in an interest-bearing account and done nothing else with them. Is that a breach of trust? It depends on what the trustee is obliged to do, which depends on the terms of the trust. I wouldn't be optimistic.

There may also be a problem of limitation periods given the amount of time that has passed.

Talk to a lawyer.

Note: I'm not qualified in your jurisdiction and I am not your lawyer.


Title: Wife lost $500 work bonus because the department of education (Wisconsin) lost her licensing information. Now they won’t return our calls or emails.

Question:
My wife is a teacher and we recently moved to Wisconsin. She got a job at a private school, and because it is a private school, it is not required that teacher’s have a Wisconsin teacher’s license. However the school gives a $500 bonus to any teacher who completes the licensing process. My wife is a licensed teacher in a different state and began the process of obtaining her WI license shortly after getting the job.

At least 2 months before the start of this school year she had completed all the required paperwork, got fingerprinted and background checked, and paid the $175 application fee to the WI department of public instruction (DPI). About 2 weeks before the start of school she tried contacting the DPI because she hadn’t received her license nor had she received any contact from them. Her calls and emails weren’t returned. Then comes the start of the school year and the deadline for being licensed and receiving the bonus.

About a week into teaching she finally heard from the DPI saying they could not complete her application because they never received her fingerprints and background check which were handled by a third party contracted by the DPI. She checked her records and found the confirmation number given to her by the 3rd party fingerprinting and background company indicating that all of the required information had been completed and sent to, and received by, the DPI. She sent this confirmation number to the DPI which indicated they had indeed received her information months ago, along with a request for a refund of the $175 licensing fee and a reimbursement for the $500 bonus she lost due to their error and mismanagement of her application information.

Since this happened she has called the DPI five times, left three voice mails, and sent 2 emails in the span of a week and has not received a single response other than a general auto-generated email saying all of her required information had been received and they would start processing her teacher’s license. We tried looking online for any listing of names or contact info for managers in the responsible department and have been unable to find anything, and we’re both getting very frustrated.

So, my questions are these:
1.	 Does anyone have any experiencing working with their local department of education and have any tips on finding, contacting, and receiving a response from someone who can help us resolve this?
2.	Is there any legal grounds to hold the DPI responsible for the lost $500 bonus since it was their error which made her ineligible to receive it?
3.	Would there be any merit in talking to a lawyer (there are a couple in the family that would help) and pursuing the $500 in small claims court?
4.	Do we have any grounds to ask for the original $175 licensing fee to be reimbursed because of the mishandling of the licensing process?

TLDR; Wisconsin department of education misplaces my wife’s information delaying her receiving her teacher’s license and causing her to lose a $500 bonus from her school, and we have proof that they did receive all information on time. Now they are not returning her calls, voicemails, or emails and we don’t know how to proceed.

Answer: I always give this advice to folks in California, but this may work for you in Wisconsin. Contact the Governor's office, specifically a constituent affairs type person if available. They oversee your state Department of Education and can escalate/expedite a response. Otherwise try your state legislators' offices. They typically do constituent casework to help people like you hoping you'll vote for them when they run for re-election. Shouldn't hurt to give it a try. Answer #2: Contact your state representative's office. They live for this stuff. They have contacts that can put pressure where needed.


Title: (CA) Property management company charging me to replace a key they didn't have

Question: I rent an apartment with a two car garage. The garage does not have direct access so I need to use my garage door opener to get in. There is a button in the garage to close it on your way out. I accidentally left my garage door opener in my car (totally my fault I admit). However, my garage door has a lock where you can pull it out to manually open the door in case of a power outage or you accidentally leave your opener in your car like an idiot. So I called my management company and the property manager did not have the key. They called a garage door company to come and replace they lock and give me new keys. Now they just sent me a bill for $226 the cost to replace the lock. I know its my fault for locking my opener in the garage. But should they also have the responsibility of providing me with keys in the first place?

Answer:
 So they never gave you the key to this lock?

If that is the case they should not be charging you. I would maybe go and have a conversation with them. It sounds like they thought you lost the key and wanted to rekey the lock. If you NEVER had a key and they couldn't provide you with one, that's their problem.

Cheers!


Title: Locked up in a mental hospital without a mental disorder and became homeless because of it

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > There’s little doubt in my mind malpractice

Thats your first mistake. You are not qualified to determine malpractice. If you have your records go to another doctor you trust and ask them or to an attorney. You don't know what the practice is for this, how can you know when its malpractice?

> Contact the attorney general and hit the doctor with kidnapping and false imprisonment charges?

Thats a big no.

> I was considering calling up my hometown’s police department and having an officer accompany me to my old house so I can get my things

If you have proof your things are there thats a valid idea.

> My siblings know my mom is in the wrong and will open the door, but is there any legal action she could take against me like trespassing or theft?

If they are residents and they grant you access you are not trespassing.


Title: IF IM UNDER 18, CAN I GET IN TROUBLE FOR BEING IN A CLUB IF I WAS LET IN WITHOUT BEING ASKED FOR ID? (SYDNEY, NSW, AUSTRALIA)

Question:
I have been working as a photographer at various clubs and bars around Sydney NSW and because i have my camera gear ive never been stopped by security and asked for ID. They just assume im over 18.
I am under 18 and want to know if i can get into any trouble with the police if i was found inside the venue?
Keep in mind i never have to sneak in or use any form of fake ID, i simply walk in through the main entrance and tell the security i am working and they let me straight in. I am under the impression i am not breaking any laws, and it is only the club who can be charged for not ID'ing me.

Answer:
 http://www.liquorandgaming.nsw.gov.au/Pages/liquor/underage-drinking/underage-drinking-fines.aspx

Yes. That link lists a series of fines. For your particular offences it's a $2,200 fine.

It's worth noting though that the venue would be fined at least $5,500 as well.

Edit: Note, these are if you get arrested and charged, you could be issued with an on the spot fine for less if it's your first offence AND liquor licensing are in a good mood.


Title: Is it illegal to have others pay to access part of my website, to view content which is freely available on the internet?

Question:
I'm creating a website and I want to create a 'library' section, where people can pay $10 for a one time access. But the things in the library are stuff like youtube videos, PDFs that one can obtain freely from other websites, PDFs with expired copyright and links to amazon (with referral links).

Is that ok? Thank you

P.S. I'm from the UK

Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 You can certainly charge people for accessing a store of data that you maintain.

You cannot prevent them from getting that data other places, or from offering a similiar service.

You may have copyright issues with the data itself.  You may not be legally allowed to distribute it, regardless of how you do it.


Title: Employer is forcing wife to take PTO when the office is closed [NJ]

Question:
hi LA,

My wife is a salaried employee at a company of less than 50 people in NJ and her office is closed the day after an upcoming holiday. They are trying to make her take some of her precious vacation time to make up for the office being closed that day. They sent her an email stating as much, asking how she would like to charge this time. I was wondering if this is any specific violation and if she had any grounds to make a complaint somewhere. My sense from reading things is if she refused they probably couldn't dock her pay since salaried employees are paid by the week, but they probably could fire her, which is not what we want either. Rather than forcing the issue, I was wondering if this was a specific violation that could be safely reported anonymously (since it applies to everyone in the company).

Thanks!

Answer: OP- Employers can generally dictate to their employees when/how vacation time can be used.


Title: Twitter account posting nude photos of underage boys. What can be done?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: report it. <duh>


Title: Employer wants me to pay back vacation time

Question:
Hello Reddit.

Hoping someone here may be able to help me figure out my situation..

I gave my two weeks notice at my Job yesterday, and upon giving it my boss was a bit upset. They ended up coming back to me and saying since I am leaving half way through the year I need to pay back my vacation time I used, I did use all of my vacation time for the year. I used 15/15 days, they want me to pay them back for 25 hours, not sure how that math worked out.

I've read online about vacation time accruing vs lump sum award and am not really sure what means what... My contract says nothing about vacation time, but the employee handbook states

"Full Time Staff will be given a lump sum of 15 Days (120 Hours) of paid time off at the beginning of each calendar year."

This is in Massachusetts.

Thanks reddit for any advice you can give me, I am wondering if I should be considering trying to fight this or I just have to pay them back. If that's what I have to do then it is what I have to do...thanks!
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Most places let you borrow against the vacation time you’d be earning for the whole year. Meaning if you get 40 hours of vacation a year, and want to take all 40 in March, you can even tho you haven’t earned all 40 yet by working the entire year. But if you were to leave half way through, you’d have to pay back any used vacation time you did not earn by working. In the same respect, if you worked all year and left at Christmas, and didn’t use your vacation, your employer would have to pay you the vacation time you didn’t use.


Title: Wife had multiple affairs (1 with a convicted pedo) - Will I get to keep the kids?? Please help. Detroit, Mi.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You are not going to get custody automatically because of the criminal acts of someone she slept with once 5 years ago and has not had any contact with since.  You're also not going to get custody just because she's had affairs.  Those have nothing to do with her ability to parent safely and effectively from a legal perspective, your religious beliefs notwithstanding.

You need a lawyer, and to measure your expectations.  Courts prefer joint custody wherever possible.


Title: Virginia Reckless Driving: 88 in a 70

Question: This weekend I was driving through VA and got a reckless driving for going 88 in a 70 (don’t think I was going 88 but I was definitely over 80 so it’s still reckless driving). My issue is that I’m from PA and it’s a 5 hour drive to the county my trial is in. I’ve read in other posts from people with a similar issue that it helps to show up in court and you can probably get it lowered to a regular traffic ticket. Is it possible this could happen if I don’t show up? Can I write a letter to the judge? Or do I just need to suck it up and actually show up in court? Also if I decide to get a lawyer does anyone know about how much that will cost me? A few of them online said they’d “show up in court” so I don’t have to but I would like to know an average price for that before I agree to it. Thanks in advance for any and all help.

Answer: You need an attorney. This is not a speeding ticket but a criminal charge. You will have a criminal record if convicted.


Title: Found out I was sold a house where neighbor had developed backyard- MN

Question:
Good morning legaladvice,

I bought my first house spring of 2014, there was considerable snow coverage so we couldn't realistically walk the property, but it looked like we had from a fire hydrant to a power line as boundary markers, and it looked natural considering the landscape.  We had a survey done at the beginning of summer, and our property is shifted up and to the right from where I thought we were, so we have a lot more land than I thought, but that means that a lot of it is actually developed by the 'backdoor' neighbor (BN); my corner pin is actually hammered into his driveway in front of his house, and he has some gravel laid down too for trailers and whatnot.

I'd say at least .25 acres that is developed, and it would honestly just be easier to sell off the land, but I am hesitant to just sell and be over with it.  I'm a little disappointed that the sellers did not disclose any of this to us; BN even said he had tried to buy out the property before we even looked at the house, even if he was making that up, there's no way they did not know about this.  I want to maintain a decent relationship with BN, selling the land would be easier for both of us I think (scrapping up his driveway and gravel won't undo the damage to the landscape, and it would be cheaper for him as well to pay us for the land than to move his driveway).

My questions are three, and I thank you for considering them:

1) How does one actually get a lawyer?  There seems to be a couple issues that I'd like legal help with, so I'd prefer to have someone with only my best interests in mind.  I've tried a couple emails to test the waters, I'm working with no ability to make personal calls during normal business hours, and haven't gotten any replies.  Does it take a long time to reply, or do lawyers generally not do anything by email?
2) I bought title insurance when we closed, when does this come into play?  If/when we sell the portion and retitle, will this cover those costs?  Should I contact my realtor so long after we closed (suggested by a relative, I didn't know if it was appropriate)?
3) Do I have considerable claim to seek damages against the seller?  I'm not a lawsuit-happy kind of guy, but selling off the land will considerably lower the upper cap for reselling the house down the road to the point where we should have offered much less, and I'm actually kind of pissed that I was essentially sold someone else's problem.  I'm not looking for powerball money, just enough to reclaim how much value my property will lose after losing the land.

[Crappy illustration to give an idea; yellow was our mistaken initial impression, red is the real deal:](http://imgur.com/o805sF7)

Thanks all!

Answer:
 Did you have an atty handle your closing? if so use him. If not find an atty that handles real estate closings or a general real estate atty.  Most attys respond to email.  State your issues clearly, that you understand that they are busy  and ask for them to acknowledge receipt of the email with an estate of when they could respond to your concerns or meet with you.

if they don't respond in 48 hours you don't want them as your lawyer.Answer #2: I don't have any advice, but I'd like to thank you for the crappy MS Paint drawing. It seems to be a basic requirement for this sub.

On a serious note, the difference between what you thought was your property and what is actually yours looks to be pretty significant.  Is there really that much difference, or is that just a product of the crappy Paint illustration?


Title: How would I take ownership of a tool I built for work?

Question:
Hi guys

If i designed a process that was \(1\) outside the scope of my normal job, \(2\) for the purposes of improving the workplace, that \(3\) was ultimately not built out and implemented; what steps would I need to go through to take ownership of it?

I don't want to let this idea die without ever getting implemented. It's a large corporate environment so getting legal involved will result in a no. Is it my best bet to let them forget and move on with my life?

Answer:
 If you used workplace time and resources to create this tool, You would need the company to release it to you.

If you attempt to monetize something they paid you to create, you're going to have a bad time.


Title: Friend is a police officer, had a drunk driving accident.

Question:
Two friends of mine are police officers. They were involved in a car accident (4 people, 2 deceased) where they were going the wrong way and it turns out one of my friends may have been drunk at the time (1 previous) DUI. I want to be supportive to both of them through their recovery because they are getting character assassinated on social media and news outlets. Even though I don't agree with their actions, I still consider them friends and mentors. I just want to know what the criminal consequences of this would be. What is my friend (the intoxicated driver) looking at? Any chance he walks with no consequences, or is he looking at manslaughter or something along those lines? Thank you.

Edit: This would be Staten Island jurisdiction. Please try to keep comment civil, I just came here to find out for general advice, I'm not here to be a jerk and deny justice to anyone.

Answer: Their character is being assassinated?  Get real - the guy is a repeated drunk driver who just killed two people.  In a fair world, he'd be charged like anyone else with vehicular manslaughter,  and would be sued into the dust.


Title: I'm being murdered by the state of Texas cruelly and usually without trial, how can I get help?

Question: They are using RFID and other tech to destroy my vitial organs and torturing me in the process, I'm bisexual and they don't like it they feel its enough reason to murder me, I need help to either get to a blue state where I can get help, and they say the FBI cant help me, they whole state can hear my thoughts among other red states. Need help ASAP. Is this legal and how can I get help?

Answer: Have you spoken to a doctor about these issues? At a minimum, they'll be able to look at you and check your organs. At best, they will be able to give you some medication and make the pain go away. A primary care doctor will be able to give you a physical check, and a psychiatrist is your best bet to get the happy pills. Answer #2: If these are really your feelings, you need to talk to a therapist.


Title: Best/fastest way to register my dog as an emotional therapy dog? A letter from a doctor is need at the airport so they fly for free.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You are what is wrong with the world. Dogs are expensive. Pay for it to fly.

Do you have a legitimately diagnosed illness that is treatable with a therapy animal?


Title: if I set my steam name as "ajit pai gave me herp" am I likely to get sued for defamation?

Question: i'm in canada if it matters

Answer: Nope. In the USA if you are sued for defamation, Pai would need to prove what you said wasn’t true, but he probably wouldn’t since this is trivial and likely frivolous.


Title: Question about a restaurants tip payout

Question: My girlfriend works in an expensive restaurant in the state of PA, and most people pay by card. So most tips are left on the card. The restaurant pays out the tips from the card whenever they apparently have the cash in house, which can be a very long time sometimes, as in my girlfriend gets her paycheck (which shows her claimed tip amount) and pays taxes on that amount, which she has yet to receive. Is this legal? She gets her money but sometimes it's a month or so after the fact.

Answer:
 >[The Act provides that every employer shall pay all wages, other than fringe benefits and wage supplements, due his/her employees on regularly scheduled paydays designated in advance by the employer](http://www.dli.pa.gov/Individuals/Labor-Management-Relations/llc/Pages/Wage-Payment.aspx
).

If tips are considered a "fringe" benefit they do not need to be paid out on a regular basis.  But there must be some sort of reasonable deadline (they can't wait 200 years to pay your tips out to your great great grandchildren).

If tips are considered regular pay - they must be included in the regularly scheduled paycheck.

Give the Department of Labor a call or shoot them an email on Monday and see if you can't get an answer from them on what sort of deadlines exist for "fringe benefits" getting paid out and where tips fall.


Title: Blogging/Website - Freedom of Speech vs Practicing without a License

Question: if someone is blogging or has a website and is giving medical advice or psychotherapy type advice without any kind of license is that illegal?  Is there any kind of disclaimer that they should have on their website or would that not even cover them?  Just wondering how this works ... is there a better reddit subgroup for legal issues specifically related to web businesses?  thanks

Answer: Location isn't "online." It's the location of the speaker and the person getting the advice. Disclaimers typically don't waive liability for professional advice and people who typically get in serious trouble with this operate in the diet and financial advice realms. It's certainly conceivable that someone could cross the line and veer into unauthorized/unlicensed practice while operating a blog. It's incredibly fact specific, though.


Title: [NH] Can we sue/seek compensation from the alumi or national office of a now expelled fraternity that has been commiting progressively more violent actions on us?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I think first I would go to the School Administration that deals with Fraternities.  Then I would go to the police.  You need to report each and every incident when it happens.  These jokers are probably going to get expelled.  Think their parents might be the ones to go after financially


Title: An ex-friend of mine wants to give me their car... could this backfire in any way for me?

Question:
A friend I recently had a big and very nasty falling out with has come to me lately with the supposed intention of burying the hatchet. They have apologized relentlessly for their part in the breakdown of the friendship and insist all they want to do is make things right again. They've gotten a new job that will be seeing them leave the state and without the need of a car, and as a result as a parting gift have said they would like to give me their car. The vehicle is a very nice car and while I am tempted to accept their offer, this person has a terrible history of being vindictive and spiteful and this kind of behavior is wildly out of character for them.

As a result, I'm very suspicious that they of all people would be so willing to make such a grand gesture and give away such a big thing just in an attempt to reconcile. They have done many things like this in the past that have initially seemed like they've been done under the guise of kindness and have later been revealed to be a ruse all along to get back at someone. I don't trust this one bit, but at the same time I'd hate to think I gave up a beautiful new car when they were truly being genuine.

So my question is... how can something like this fuck me over? If at all? I've been trying to figure out for the life of me how such an arrangement could end up disadvantaging me but I can't figure it out, but I'm guessing I'm just being ignorant and maybe one of you people will be able to quickly point out how a situation like this could go bad from a legal perspective. And how can I protect myself from any negative, unforeseen consequences of accepting such a gift? I just can't shake the feeling I'd be accepting a Trojan horse of sorts. If someone could help me out I'd appreciate it, I live in Australia and I have no idea what the legality of such an arrangement involves and the possible fallout that can result if one goes into it blindly.

Answer:
 Granted, I live in US, YMMV.
You accept the car by going to the title office. Once the title is in your name, then you can't have a theft reported against you. And it  is okay to be gifted a car, but such a large gift generally has to be reported the next year.

If the friend will not release the title, and won't come with you to the titling office to pay for a new one if lost, then they may intend something nefarious.


Title: A Papa John's Driver rear ended one of my company vehicles and caused some serious damage. Here's the catch though, he was uninsured, unregistered, and fled the scene. Papa Johns won't pay up and won't acknowledge that it happened.

Question: So I've called them repeatedly and asked them to pay for the damage. I have a police report.  Shouldn't they be liable solely because they knowingly hired someone that wasn't insured or registered to drive? It's sort of ridiculous, I've submitted the case to my lawyer but I feel like it's going to be difficult to get them to pay up. Please help

Answer:
 Where is your own insurance in all this?Answer #2: Doesn't matter if Papa John's knew he was uninsured or even if he was uninsured.  If he was working for Papa John's at the time, then Respondeat Superior -- the Papa John's franchise is liable.   (Exact rules vary by state).

That said, contact your insurance.  They'll deal with Papa Johns and the Driver.


Title: [CA] Wife is being asked to get an EIN and start an LLC to manage someone else's LLC because their old LLC is getting sued...

Question:
First time posting here. I'm trying to tease out the details (they keep telling her *what* to do, and I keep asking *why* she needs to do it), so bear with me a bit. I might need to update this with details, but this is my understanding as of right now:

We have some friends that my wife has worked with before (they all work in entertainment), and they're in a legal situation at the moment. Long story short, they had an agreement with someone to fund their previous film, and that agreement went south and they're in a legal battle over that. Their old LLC is being sued, and they aren't going to use it for the next film. They're starting a new LLC for the new film, and don't want anything to do with the old LLC.

They're asking her to be listed as a manager on the new LLC, but as an extra layer of protection (I guess), they're asking her to start her *own* LLC, so she doesn't have to list all her financials on the film LLC, just her name and brief bio. My wife's LLC would be listed as the manager of their new LLC.

This sounds sketchy to me, like they're setting it up to protect her from something that *they're* causing her to be exposed to in the first place. If it was me, I know I'd need to trust someone very much to just do something like that without understanding what I'm doing, and I'd probably just say no. My wife knows them a lot better than I do, but she also can be a bit overly trusting sometimes. What can she expect by going through with it, or are there some red flags (like "previous LLC getting sued") that should make her run for the hills?

Answer:
 Someone asking to start an LLC in your name is sketchy as hell.Answer #2: (1) It's completely normal for each film to have its own LLC.

(2) Want to make sure that assets aren't transferred from the old LLC to a new one before all the lawsuits are played out.  That's just asking for a fraudulent conveyance claim.

(3) I'm not sure why she would have to "list her financials."  Who is requiring that?  Is it some sort of quirk of the movie industry?

(4) What is her role in the new LLC?  What are these friends' roles?  Setting up LLCs is really not something a layperson should be doing.


Title: Is it legal for me to own a human skull?

Question:
My grandma has been in possession of a real human skull for the better part of her life. I have no idea how she obtained it but she owns it and had it on display in her office (she was a delightfully morbid person).

I want to be a forensic pathologist and have for a few years, she knew and decided in her will to leave me the skull.

She passed away two weeks ago due to reasons my dad has not told me although the funeral was not open casket.

Am I allowed to own the skull? She left it to me in her will but there was no paperwork as far as I know. My dad only gave me the skull and did not say if it had paperwork or not.
Topic:
Wills Trusts and Estates

Answer: In california, you are allowed to own human bones, but if questioned why, you should have a good reason to how you got it. Im no lawyer, but i lived in california the better part of my life and get bored sometimes XDAnswer #2: Yes.


Title: Threw away my adult brother's anti-psychotic medication.

Question: I'm now being told that this a crime. How serious is it? I only did it because I was in denial about his condition. Oregon

Answer:
 It’s a sign that you need counseling yourself for stealing his medication on a goddamn holiday weekend.

Do you know the step-down procedures for his meds? Whether or not he’s going to risk serious, life-threatening problems from going cold turkey for your little stunt?

If approached by the police you should get counsel. You should also stop pretending to be your brother’s doctor. Answer #2: If you're lucky, it'll be treated as a civil matter, and you'll end up owing your brother (or his guardian, if he's under guardianship) the replacement cost of the meds you destroyed.

If you're not lucky, this can be charged as theft or criminal mischief, and if any of the medications are controlled substances, then also theft of a controlled substance (a separate and more serious crime than theft).

Have you been approached by the police?Answer #3: Theft over $100 can get you a year in jail.  Frankly you deserved to be punished for this. You're not a doctor and you can't go around taking medicine from people who need it.Answer #4: Doesn't matter what your reason was, you could really have harmed him. Please let his doctors decide the appropriate level of care. Is anyone reporting this to the police?


Title: If I got parking tickets, then got a new car with a new license plate -- do I still have to pay those tickets?

Question:
Didn't take down my driver's license or anything. Simple parking tickets for being parked too close to a curb/driveway.

Can these somehow make their way back to me? Will they be attached to the old car and no longer something I need to worry about?

Answer: Uh, of course they'd follow you. Answer #2: Oh absolutely. They'll get pinned to you as the owner of the car, and they'll get much larger by the time they're given to a collections agency that comes after you with additional fees, interests, and hits to your credit report.


Title: Should I bother to fight the traffic ticket?

Question:
Virginia

So I'm driving in a town about an hour from my house when my car starts to act really funky. A couple times I put my car in park while I'm waiting at a stop light because I'm afraid its going to crap out if I dont keep revving the engine. All I want to do is get on the interstate because I know I wont be doing stop and go traffic anymore. I get on the interstate and my car is still acting funky and then the check engine light goes on and then I start to really stress out. I dont want to get stuck on the interstate at night an hour away from home. I get off the interstate at my exit and run the stop sign because I didnt want to pause and I knew no one was around. About ten miles later I blow through a stoplight because I dont want to stop. And of course a cop see it and pulls me over. I tell the cop why I did it and he seems only mildly sympathetic and write me a massive fine for speeding through a light. So I want to know if theirs any chance a judge might be sympathetic if I actually went to court or should I just pay the fine? The fine comes to about $140.00 which is not cheap for me

Answer: There's always a chance.  But not a very good one.Answer #2: $140 is not a massive fine in Virginia. It is possible that the judge will keep the fine as is plus court costs. Going to court will be a gamble.


Question: Please settle  a theoretical argument... Can your emails be subpoenaed in a civil case? What if someone claimed to the court that no emails between two parties exist?Can your emails be obtained from Google in a civil case?

Answer: Theoretically yes, if you are a third party not actually named in a lawsuit, but your emails might have evidence for that lawsuit, you could be subpoenaed and forced to turn over emails.  I suppose if you denied they existed an argument could be made to try and get them directly from google, but odds of that working are slim, there would have to be a hell of a lot of evidence that you were lying about that because google would resist that order.


Title: The city trashmen have overtime destroyed my outdoor trashcan.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Small Claims Procedure

Answer: This isn't a legal issue. Contact the city and request a new garbage bin. Answer #2: Did you call the city and ask them? I've had to request bins in two cities and both times they just replaced them for free when I reported damage.