Title: Brother in law got fired for discussing pay with a coworker

Question:
My BIL got fired today after he told his co-worker how much he makes and it's $3 dollars more than the guy he told. The guy got pissed and told the boss and the boss fired him. It's in Maryland and a manual labor job (trying not to give details.)

He did say the other guy is black (BIL is white) and they think that's what it is but I imagine there is no way to prove that.

Is there anything he can do or just apply for unemployment and move on?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 He can make a complaint to the [NLRB](https://www.nlrb.gov/) as discussing wages is specifically protected by federal law.Answer #2: If he can, get the reason in writing.

Or having the coworkers he talked with be willing to support your brother-in-law’s claim.

Hopefully the manager is foolish enough to admit the pay rate conversation was the reason for the firing.


Title: Responding to a NY 140.05 Trespass Violation Summons

Question: Today me and my friend went walking inside a nature park called the Barbersville falls located in Poestenkill, NY. We sat down on a rock overlooking the falls to talk for a while. The nature park/ walking trail is technically closed in the summer and is opening in two weeks. A nearby resident saw us enter and called a state trooper. He arrived and pulled us out of the park and explained that we were trespassing. I was given a appearance ticket for our small town court (in Poestenkill) for my alleged trespassing (140.05 of the penal law). The state trooper said it wouldn't be a huge deal and the judge may even dismiss it. What will I need to do when I get to court to try and have the ticket dismissed or dealt with. Will I need a lawyer ? Should I plead not guilty? Or will the process be dealt with for me? Even if the ticket is dismissed will I still need to pay surcharges for being in court? Advice would be highly appreciated. I am 19, a straight A student and have never have had legal trouble in the past.

Answer:
 >§ 140.05. Trespass.

>A person  is  guilty  of trespass when he knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in or upon premises. Trespass is a violation.

Sounds like you are guilty of this.  Were there visible signs posted that the park was closed?  Had you been warned previously not to trespass?


Title: My family has a trust (industrial property) and we believe the family member who is selling it is withholding money. What actions can other family members take to ensure fair and appropriate dispersal of funds.

Question:
My grandfather recently sold the family property, which is an inheritance, for what he says 1.2 million dollars. We don't believe this is the actual price which it is being sold for. What actions can we take to ensure a legal and fair distribution of finances. And should we look into involving a third party, as well how can we confront him.
Also the trust is also entitled to other grandparents and we wish to ensure them and their descendants are properly accounted for.

Location: USA, California

Answer:
 Location matters a great deal.

But generally purchases of property are public record, and you should be able to see the total price paid, without going through the audit route.


Title: Taxi driver terrified the life out of me?

Question:
Got a taxi from city centre to a friends last night.

I flagged down a taxi in the centre and I got in said hello where I wanted to go. Next thing the taxi driver locks the doors. I realize there are no details of the driver on the dashboard such as photo or driver number, nothing. There was only a metre. This freaked me out. When I said where I need to go he was asking we where that was. There was no map for him to check it. He was driving very slow and took a turn into an estate off the main road of where I was going. I was worried at this point. He said this is where he lives that his house is down there. I asked him to go back onto the main road and he did, but have no idea why he would take me off the main road and point in the direction where he lives? At this point I was very scared.  I knew if he didn't go back on the main road I was in serious danger. He slowly drove back onto the main road and my instinct was to tell this sob story about how terrible my life is hoping he would take pity on me and so nothing would happen.  That was my only defense. I had to direct him the whole way, when he stopped the taxi he told me to give him my number. I was there and locked in the back and did not trust this persons intentions so to get out in one piece and get out sooner I gave him my number hesitantly. He then calls me to make sure it is my real number. He presses the button to unlock the door. I try and open the door but it is still locked even though he unlocked it,  he must have had a child lock on which is extremely strange. I said do I need to climb out the front door at that point he ends up saying he will open it he gets out and opens it from the outside. As I was waiting a few minutes for someone to let me in the door of the apartment he stayed there staring at me with a creepy smile. I was relieved to be out of there. He then texted me telling me his name, I never responded and have no intention on it.

What on earth was this do you think?

I never had any experience like that in a taxi before and am also thinking if he was a fake taxi driver like he seemed and a rapist or something then why did he not try anything?  Is he just a very unusual person?  What do you think?

I only have his number he gave me and the name he gave me and know the huge estate he lives in,  but I think I should report it anyway even though I don't have any taxi details for him?

Answer: Former taxi driver here. That is not acceptable behavior. Call the taxi company and file a complaint. Give them the cab number and they'll know who was driving it. Your town should also have a taxi & limousine commission and/or a taxi cop. File a complaint with them as well.


Title: Pulled over by Cops, Arrested for DUI.

Question:
  Very recently I happened to be pulled over by the cops. Backstory to the incident - I drove with a very good girlfriend of mine out to a bar 25 minutes away. We met up with a bunch of guys there, the bars were a lot less exciting than we expected. I ended up buying a corona, drank it and then jack and coke, which I split with my friend. A few minutes after we finished these, the other guys we met up with wanted to leave. Looking back I shouldn't have driven them. However, I thought 165 lbs me shouldn't have an issue whatsoever physically driving my mothers vehicle. Legally, this was honestly a very risky move on my part, I didn't have much to eat besides earlier in the day around 1:00, and this was getting pretty late, almost 12:30 AM. Everything was fine for about 20 mins until a couple of guys in the back seat started to antagonize this random car next to us on the 2 lane road. Turns out, a cop thought we knew each other and followed behind us so we "weren't racing or whatever reason". Once we pulled to a stop light, the police officer immediately put on his lights and pulled me over. Turns out, my mothers car had expired plates since 07/14. For some reason she swears she never received any renewal and partly blames herself for this incident. But anyhow, the officer comes up, asks for license and registration, and then proceeds to ask if I had anything to drink. I told him no, because I was incredibly nervous of being questioned for a DUI, especially since I didn't eat much. The cop then asked me "if I knew the car next to us", which then some idiot in the back spontaneously lied and said, "oh yeah, we know them from the bar we just came from." Immediately the cop gave said, "So you were at a bar, and you were drinking. Could you please step out of the vehicle." The cop then proceeded to give me the physical DUI tests, and I swear I was absolutely having an anxiety attack in this duration. Any kind of charge like a DUI would certainly scar my relationship with my parents. I knew I wouldn't be able to deal with an actually guilty charge. I proceeded to do the whole DUI testing like:

stand on one foot while others above ground 6 inches counting up to 30 one thousand (i can barely do this sober)

 walk on a straight line 9 times heel to toe, spinning around going opposite way starting and holding on command.

 Count ABC's starting from D all the way to U.

  Apparently the officer told me I failed all the tests and told me to breathalyze. I knew my constitutional rights, and I ended up declining his breathalyzer, which then I was arrested immediately after. The officer told me my vehicle was going to be towed, and then took me to the county station, in which he went over the paperwork and procedures. He told me my rights, and went over the more in depth procedure for the breathalyzer test in the station. I agreed to using the breathalyzer since I felt pretty sober, (about an hour later) and I ended up blowing a .055%
I know this is under the legal alcohol limit, and the officer wrote this level down, however the officer still said he was charging me with a DUI. I ended up getting released that night about 45 minutes later, however now I'm stuck with a court day, and a potential charge for a DUI. I'm not really sure what happens in these situations, and I honestly cant have the possibility of getting a DUI. My court date is a month away, and I'm not really sure how I should tackle this issue. Am I going to need to pay for a lawyer to cover my ass? Will the charge be dropped to nothing, or will it drop to a lesser offense that I'll still ultimately be responsible to pay off. I am a full-time student and don't really have the money saved to handle this sort of situation, especially after the exorbitant tow prices. I was pulled over in a suburb of Chicago if that helps.

Answer:
 The funny part is if you had taken the roadside breathalyzer, it's very likely you wouldn't have been arrested. Answer #2: You can get a DUI if your BAC is ZERO- other substances than alcohol can impair you.  If I had been that officer, I would have gotten a blood draw too, so I could see what other substances might be on board.

The "legal limit" is the limit where they *presume* you are intoxicated.  You can be intoxicated at a lower limit than that if they have enough evidence.  So even absent other drugs you can be convicted of DWI at a 0.05% BAC.

You need a lawyer.  You HAVE a DUI already- it's not going away.


Title: Would there be a warrant if I ran from the cops?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 /u/locationbot recallAnswer #2: > We both sort of took hits at the cop but it was not anything serious.

Actually, that's SEVERAL different felonies right there. If you are think that it "was not anything serious" then your sense of what is serious is SORELY mistaken. You are in SERIOUS trouble here.

> they don't have my information and my friends wouldn't give up my name

Yeah, that simply isn't true. The police are perfectly capable of figuring out who is friends with the people they arrested. They are perfectly capable of identifying your face. Your friends WILL give up your name (again, the police are actually pretty good at their job). And no, if they decide to pursue this, the police won't stop at border of the county or even the border of the state -- and they're patient: hiding out for a week won't do it, and you aren't capable of hiding out for 10 years.

You're screwed.

Here's the best way to get partially unscrewed. Hire a lawyer. Have the lawyer BEFORE you get arrested. Take the lawyer's advice about what to say and who to say it to. Answer #3: What was the "something" that happened?


Title: [California] my brother in law has a firearm of mine and he's moved / gone dark

Question:
My wife's brother (my brother in law) was pretty good friends with us a few years ago. My wife and I moved to Canada for six months and I stored a bunch of stuff with that brother in law (and his wife). Clothes, paintings, and a hunting rifle. We moved back to the United States (California), and right around the same time the brother in law basically got into a big family argument (wife's side). He ended up moving (got evicted) and has blocked the family on facebook and his phone doesn't work anymore.

I don't really care about losing my property, I don't plan on needing the hunting rifle anytime soon. But I'm worried that it's my weapon and if he uses it I'll somehow be at fault. Also, I have no idea if he's ever been arrested or is even allowed to own a firearm, so I'd like to get it out of his hands. I'm pretty sure I know the city he's in and I know his name, but otherwise not much. I don't think he's an active threat in anyway and he very well could be a legal firearm owner otherwise, I just don't know.

Any advice on where I go from here?

Cliffs: my shady relative has my firearm and I don't know where he moved

Answer: I think if your firearm is stolen or lost you are legally required to report it to police. Since you don't know where exactly it is.... it's by definition lost...


Title: [IN] I'm being harassed, need legal advice to stop it

Question: For the past few weeks, I have been attacked viciously on my social media accounts and various online forums for some reason, and it's getting to the point where I can't ignore it any longer and want to take legal action. I have received many hateful messages via twitter :WARNING: explicit ([example](http://i.imgur.com/N0BzEEm.jpg)) and my youtube videos have been getting brigaded with dislikes and hateful comments ([example](http://i.imgur.com/p8sbgA3.jpg)). What can I do about this?

Answer: If you get legitimate threats of violence, you can report them to the police. Otherwise, you are best off learning to ignore people who talk shit. Answer #2: I dont know about the youtube thing being part of harassment. You have a video stating that 9/11 was perpetrated by Jewish people. Thats going to garner some hatred right there.


Title: Mom came in like a slithering snake....

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 15 k is well past small claims court in most jurisdictions.

Your sister is going to need to consult with a lawyer.  She can look for low cost or free legal help [here](http://www.lawhelp.org/)


Title: Funds Garnished w/o Order

Question:
Hello Reddit,

I have an issue I need some advice with. I am located in Maine, and I used to have a child support order back in 2014 for the temp agency I started with. The support order was stopped/canceled in 2015 and I moved up from the temp agency to a full time employee for my company. Fast forward to 2017. For family medical reasons I had to go on FMLA and ate up all that time, so I was let go. I was given the opportunity to return after my family medical issues were cleared up, and have sense come back but through the same temp agency again until I'm rehired as a perm hire. Well, for the past 3 weeks some of my funds have been garnished, without an order in place to do so, due to some mixup with the previous order in 2014. I've been in touch with the child support service as well as my temp agency each week, and they assure me it's taken care of but my funds keep getting garnished. A supervisor for the child support service contacted my temp agency themselves early this week and made sure going forward this won't happen again.

This is getting long, but here's my problem. I have received only 1 check refund so far out of the 4 that I'm owed. The last one was around the 11th or 12th, the next was the 18th, and the most recent was the 25th. I have not received these refund checks, and all I get when I ask about it is assurance that they will be on the way. Well, for me, it feels like I'm working for free for these past few weeks because it's over 300 dollars that has been wrongfully garnished and withheld from me. Due to the family medical issues, the remaining amount I received in my checks has gone to bills and paying back what I owe to friends and family. I was expecting a check this week, but have yet to get one, and thus have no money for gas to get to work. I reached out to the temp agency and let them know, and they tried to make me feel guilty and stated I should not punish them for this and that I need to either walk or bike to get here, whatever it takes. They were pretty rude about it, which is understandable as "I have no gas" is not really a viable excuse, however this isn't a normal situation as if I had gotten the money that I should have and that I worked for I wouldn't be in this position. So here I am, sitting at work at 8am when I don't start until 11AM, because I had to get a ride from a coworker who starts at 8. What, if anything, can I do? Do I just continue to work and wait for my refund checks, hoping they get here soon, and hoping that this week they don't garnish my funds AGAIN without cause?

Answer:
 Has your child ever received public benefits?

Why was the child support order "canceled", and do you have a copy of that order?


Title: Can my mortgage company do this legally?

Question:
I HATE Wells Fargo. I've had nothing but issues with them. I should have refinanced long ago but I'm moving next year so there is that.

Anyways I've been paying my own property taxes and insurance because I did the math over the years Wells Fargo was taking a percentage out of escrow and pocketing money then would always say my taxes or insurance went up and my mortgage would go up so I decided to cancel my escrow.

Went good for 2 years and got a credit union to pay for the taxes and insurance. Then I get a nasty letter from Wells Fargo that my insurance lapsed and they need a copy of my insurance or they would purchase it for me and it's expensive. I don't remember getting a renewal notice from my insurance company so I forgot about it.  I had gone almost 3 months without it. So that night I got insurance.

The insurance company even sent via email the policy for me, thank you Geico! Then Wells Fargo sends me another god damn letter saying they need "proof of insurance" for the time I did not have it otherwise would charge me 300 something dollars. Is that even legal?  How in the hell are you going to charge me for something I never had during that period?

Answer: Yes. Having homeowners insurance is a requirement of your mortgage, and the penalties for not having it would be laid out in your mortgage agreement. You violated that requirement and they are allowed to penalize you for that as outlined in the agreement


Title: Does this count as unlawful search and seizure?

Question:
Last night I was pulled over because I had a cracked break light. I gave the cop my license and registration and another cop came up and started shining a flashlight in my windows. They told me to get out of the car and questioned me about the broken light and I told them how it happened and that I just couldnt afford to get it fixed yet. Then they asked me if I had anything in my car the a narcotics dog would detect. At first I said no and the cop said he his dog was 99% accurate and if I told them the truth it would be better for me. I asked why they were searching my car and the cop said I seemed nervous. I told them I had klonopin in my car that was perscribed to me, they said if they found anything else I would go to jail. So I told them what I had, a hit of weed, a tiny bowl and about .5g of coke in the klonpin bottle. They arrested me and the cop took his dog and tore apart my car and found everything. I was charged with possesion of everything and ticketed for the break light.
This is my first time offense of anything, like ive never even had a speeding ticket before.
I was wondering if it was possible to get the charges thrown out because the cops didnt have a warrent to search my car, they didnt smell anything they searched me because I seemed nervous and I never gave consent either they didnt ask it seemed like I had no choice in the matter. However this happened in NJ were cops don't legally need a permit if they have probable cause. But I also admitted to having the shit in my car. I dont know if that helps me or screws me.
I have court tomorrow morning.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: Yeah, what this comes down to is the fact that you *told* the police you had illegal stuff. I don't see any violations of your rights here. Plea not guilty at the court date and either hire a lawyer or see if you qualify for a public defender. Answer #2: You admitted you had drugs. That's more than enough to search your car. You don't need a warrant for that.


Title: Medically refused from spending 24 hours in jail because of asthma

Question: So I was supposed to spend 24 hours in jail in Tempe, AZ as part of a plea deal, and when I went in they medically refused me because I have asthma. Now I have ANOTHER court date where I am supposed to reschedule my time in jail but wtf am I supposed to do now that I have a health issue that apparently won't let me in??

Answer: Show up with lawyer and explain the situation to the lawyer; they'll handle the rest.Answer #2: 99% likely they'll offer diversion, take it and move on


Title: My friend caught her older brother filming her while she was changing and it's not the only thing he's done - Semi NSFW

Question:
First off, sorry for formatting - I'm on mobile. Also TLDR at the end.

Yesterday, a close friend of mine (17F) caught her older half-brother (20sM) filming her while she was changing. Although her parents temporarily kicked him out, they were reluctant to do so and are trying to convince her that she shouldn't sue for so much as a restraining order.

In the past he has also attempted to push her swimsuit down and groped her chest. When that happened, all her dad did to punish him was make him do 50 push-ups. When she was around 11 he would coerce her to take her clothes off almost every time they were home alone together. When she told her parents about it a year or so ago they did nothing about it.

He originally denied filming her but then admitted to it in front of her parents, their pastor, and a counselor. She texted him asking how many times he's done it before and he said it was "at least 20".

Her parents are not being supportive in the slightest. They even told her brother that they would find him a good defense attorney. Her dad thinks nothing needs to be done and told her she should let it go and move on. Her mom is a narcissist and is attempting to make the whole situation into a pity party for herself.

What legal options does she have? Is it feasible to get a restraining order, have him registered as a sex offender, and possibly send him to jail?

TLDR: Close friend caught her older brother filming her while she changed. Not the first pervy thing he's done. Her parents aren't being supportive of her and she isn't sure what she can do.

Answer: She needs to go to the police with this ASAP. It is definitely feasible for him to be held accountable for this with the law, and don’t let her parents make her believe otherwise


Title: Could a teenager whose parents die and who has no living relatives to move in with live with a friend informally, as in without adoption documentation?

Question:
If a teenager’s parents pass away, and they have no living relatives, could the teen move in with a friend without needing to file any paperwork with CPS or law enforcement?

Can they just let CPS know that they’ve moved in with another family, or would the friend and their family have to apply to be a foster home?

Answer: Foster parent here. The answer will vary by location. At least there I live (and I think most other places), this would generally go through CPS. The friends or family may have to be licensed as foster parents, dependent on location and specific circumstances. In a lot of ways, this is probably best. Foster care comes with some money to cover the child’s cost of living, medical insurance, and access to therapy. For older teens, there may be solutions with more autonomy (similar to emancipation), but I don’t have direct experience on that so I can’t comment in detail.


Title: [WI] Probation/Court Order Lead to Health Scare

Question:
My partner was on probation for drug related offenses and is also a T1 diabetic. One of his conditions was to maintain a certain level of Vivitrol in his system for the span of probation. This level was maintained for several months. This past month he started the process of graduating from probation, but was ordered to maintain the same level for 4 months after probation. He received one shot and this dose didn't get him passed the threshold. He was ordered to get another shot to up the level, which he did. In order to satisfy the 4 month order, he then was told to get a third dose within a month's time, which he did.

Yesterday, he had a routine doctor/Endocrinologist appointment, where his doctors freaked out because the Vivitrol had suppressed and taken a huge tole on his endocrine and immune systems. They wanted to flush it all out of his system immediately, which was very expensive and caused a lot of pain/discomfort and took two days to complete.

His health records and conditions would have been available to both probation employees and the doctors administering the Vivitrol shots. He was given no warnings or precautions that indicated an issue with that much Vivitrol in such a short span of time, but the responding doctors said it never would have been advised in his condition. He was following court orders in order to avoid repercussions.

Is there any claim or insurance compensation or other action he could possibly take? This could have been avoided, but the ball was dropped by several individuals involved who had authority in this situation.

Answer: Compensation for what though ?


Title: Can I sue someone if they they don’t give me the weed I paid them for?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Small Claims Procedure

Answer:
 >Can I legally file something against him, as he didn’t provide the good that I paid him for?

Sure, you could.

But in doing so, you would also be admitting to illegal act(s) yourself. That will open yourself up to legal repercussions.


Title: I lied on my American tax returns because I thought I would go to jail if I didn’t pay all of the taxes by April 15th (the day I filed them). I want to come clean now that I know that’s not how that works.

Question:
Disclaimer: I’m sorry my Grammar/spelling is terrible right now it’s 3:54am right now and I can’t sleep because of this

I was an independent contractor for most of 2018 up until the last 2 months where a law passed making me an employee. Anyways I put deductions that I don’t have receipts for. I still ended up owing and paid what I could but I think I overdid it with the deductions and I’m having a mental breakdown. I filed this super last minute as in yesterday April 15th. I make less than 25,000 but the expenses I put down altogether made up close to 18,000. I’d much rather pay the full amount of what I owe (it was around 4-5 thousand) than be audited. I’m so scared right now I think I might kill myself. I’m not even making that same amount anymore because the company I work for engages in wage theft and takes a big chunk of my paycheck. I live in California. I want to make this right but I also don’t want to go jail, If I had the money of course I would’ve paid it. But I don’t because I’m poor and have never had a savings of more than 3000 in my life and don’t receive help from anybody. I’m so fucking stupid I should’ve looked it up before I did something so disappointing. Advice please? Can I make an amend return  and explain that I’m coming clean? Will they accept that or just take me to jail?
Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 Why are you "explaining that you're coming clean?"

File an amended return, file a request for a payment extension, and move on.

What is your general job description? It's entirely possible that you were always misclassifiedAnswer #2: Ok, calm down. You're going into panic mode.

If the discrepancy is not huge you probably won't have to pay penalties. But even if you do, it's not the end of the world.
Figure out what the correct amounts are and file an amended return within a month and it will be ok.

Report your employer to the department of labor for wage theft.


Title: I accepted a job and then found out my boss will be paying me under the table, will this get me in trouble with the law?

Question:
Hi, I'm a 23 year old guy in Ontario, Canada. I'm in the middle of my undergraduate degree and I've been searching for a job since I moved away from home with no luck, so I was super excited when I got an interview. The interview went great, and I got a call from my potential employer saying he would hire me, and he just wanted to meet with me to discuss hours. At the meeting is where things went awry, he said that he would be paying me off the books and made it sound like it was for my benefit. I am very new to this and felt overwhelmed so I just said okay and went home. I know this is illegal for him, but I couldn't find any information online about whether this is illegal for me and what repercussions I could face if I continue at this job. I'm too young to go to jail...

So what are the legal repercussions for me? Is there a way for me to (legally!) avoid said repercussions while still keeping this job? What should I do from here if not? Just call him and say I can no longer work for him? Thank you for your help.
Topic:
Labor Law

Answer: If you file and pay your taxes on the money you make, you should be fine.


Title: If Grandma remarries, who gets the money?

Question:
I am asking this on behalf of my mother. We live in Michigan.

My Grandparents were fairly well off when my grandfather passed away a few years ago.  My grandmother was the beneficiary of their investments, property, and cash.  My grandmother is currently dating a man who is pressuring her into marriage.  My mother is concerned about what will happen to my grandmother's money if they get married.  Her and her brothers were always led to believe that there was money "designated"  for them, but that seems to be in question now that they don't trust this new suitor.

Is there anything my grandmother can do now that will protect this money for her children after her death? What kind of a lawyer could my mom consult for advice?

Thank you for reading.

Answer:
 > Is there anything my grandmother can do now that will protect this money for her children after her death?

Yea. Your **Grandmother** can get an attorney to draw up a will to do so.

> What kind of a lawyer could my mom consult for advice?

None. Your mother has no say so in this. If your grandmas wants to leave the money to her new boo, or just doesn't care enough to will it to her kids, thats your grandmother's business.


Title: Employer's treatment of autistic/aspberger employee, cutting pay trying to force quit etc.

Question:
[MI-USA]
I have a girlfriend with aspbergers going through this problem and don't know how I can help.  She loves what she does and gets paid little for it.  Her boss and some coworkers have made for a very poor work environment for her.  The owner is generally inept at modern business management and has made no accommodations for her.  She is able to do her job but sometimes is slower than demanded.  Speed/stress is part of any workplace but especially in bakery /pastry/kitchen environments.  Her coworkers give her a hard time about being slow or forgetful, fewer are nice than they are insulting.  The owner only drives home his crappy management style of negative reinforcement and punishing tactics.

An example is how he writes up on the board for all to see everytime someone makes a mistake and how much it costed him. (Shaming/embarrassing employees rather than ever offering positive feedback.)
Small business owner is good at what he does but is just terrible at managing people (less than 30 employees).  She recently had a sick day and was given hell for it, owner was doubting her sincerity and was likely going to fire her.  Made her come in with a doctors note the next day (what is this highschool?) She did and had her day off but the following day she was scheduled again.  She was told her pay is being cut down further.  They want her quit but I advised her not to as there could be alot of legal red flags here that may need to be reported or investigated.  She has trouble finding new jobs and it is not an immediate solution but a long term one.  Not sure what advice I should really be offering but your help and input is appreciated.

Answer:
 Nothing you've mentioned breaks any laws. If she has a disability she can request an accommodation but the employer doesn't have to accept lower performance standards.

> She was told her pay is being cut down further

As long as she is paid at least minimum wage and the pay cut is not retroactive then it's legal.


Title: Just finished a bathroom renovation, and apparently there's water leaking into the apartment below us. We didn't do anything with the plumbing other than change the fixtures. What are we responsible for in regards to damages for the unit below us?

Question:
We live in a 3 story condo building, about 8 years old.  My boyfriend and I just finished redoing our bathroom, and have been used the shower twice.  We did not move any of the plumbing in the bathroom, only changed the fixtures, so I don't know how we could have caused a leak.

But, today when I was in the shower, the doorbell rang.  Obviously I didn't answer, but when I got out I could hear the woman from the apartment below us saying that her ceiling was nearly coming down.  This definitely isn't a small leak.

I'm concerned about our legal responsibility here.  Do we need to pay her for the damages?  Should her/our insurance cover this?  I still haven't spoken to her or my husband about this, so I have no idea what we're going to do.

If it makes a difference, we're in Ontario, Canada.

Thabks!

Answer: You are almost surely responsible. Why would you think otherwise? Was this work that required a permit? You should contact your insurance company immediately, and turn water off to those fixtures as well. They will probably tell you to get a plumber in there ASAP.


Title: Why are juries necessary

Question:
So my thinking is, if a person committed a crime, and there is evidence, then the person should just do whatever punishment (fine/jail time/community service/whatever).

I don’t understand why a jury is necessary. Why do you need to convince anyone that something happened or didn’t? If a law is written in exact wording and the person broke it, wouldn’t there just be enough evidence to convict or not? And the amount if evidence required would be written next to the law they broke?

Basically I’m just not sure why the whole show of a trial is necessary when a couple of boxes could be checked and the person would do the punishment.

For example, if a person broke in to a convenience store and robbed it, that is breaking the law. They were caught on camera, that footage was shown to the police, and the person goes to jail for however much time is necessary for that particular crime.

Why would the trial be necessary in this case? It seems open and shut, and just a waste of time.

The only thing I can thing of is having the very public trial prevents the police from doing whatever they want (not saying they don’t already do that, or don’t do that, that’s not what I would like this discussion to be about. I’m just saying that making things public and viewable prevents certain corruption from occurring where no one can see it, if that makes sense).

Please help me understand why a trial would be necessary in the case provided above, or any other example you could provide.

Thanks!

Answer:
 > For example, if a person broke in to a convenience store and robbed it, that is breaking the law. They were caught on camera, that footage was shown to the police, and the person goes to jail for however much time is necessary for that particular crime.

And what if that person has other evidence showing that he was somewhere else at the time? Who decides how much weight to give the evidence presented by each side? Who decides who to believe?Answer #2: The jury decides what the facts are based on the evidence presented. If the prosecution proved their case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Even without a jury, with just a judge, or some other system like a panel of professional jurors you still need a trial, witnesses to testify, etc.


Title: I work in a group home, and my boss told all of my coworkers and I to rewrite all of our progress notes for the past couple of months.

Question: I just moved from Alaska to California, and I know that back home it's something like a $5000 fine to whoever modifies them after a set time period (less than a day, i think). I brought it up to my boss, who essentially accused us of not being nice to her and how she would never do anything unethical. None of my coworkers feel comfortable doing this. I'm trying to find the law or rules or what have you regarding this, and I have tried contacting the compliance and main office for the main company, but have had no luck. Would any one know what I could look for to find this info?

Answer:
 Not a lawyer, but a health care worker. Don’t do it. Those are legal documents. You can lose your license, and big fines. That company/manager is obviously trying to sacrifice you and coworkers to save the bottom line. Find a new place to work and report them to the state board and federal accreditation body.

Edit: clarity of boss/manager


Title: Plead not Guilty to DA, how do I get it reversed?

Question:
So a few months ago I was pulled over for driving over the line, and ticketed. The ticket is 3 points on your license and a misdamenor. However, I didnt know this until I spoke with a fellow cop this morning, and I told the DA yesterday when I went in for court that I wanted to plead not guilty.

She told me to get a trial, and I didnt know what she meant. I thought she was mad or something because she had a tone with it. I thought trials were for hardcore crimes, not a simple traffic ticket. Anyways they gave me a trial date, and later that night someone explained everything to me.

So I went into panic mode, and got no sleep thinking I know I'll lose because a judge will take a police officers word over mine, and I will have a criminal record. I've never had a criminal record and this is my first ticket and run in with the law, and I dont want it for just crossing a damn line.

So, is there anyway I can revert my plea, and get another regular court date to plea guilty to a lesser charge, or is my fate drawn now? I live in NY, Livingston county.

Answer: There's no criminal record for a traffic infraction. What did you think would happen when you pled not guilty?  A trial is where they have to prove you committed the infraction. That's all


Title: How are you supposed to prove your employer fired you for discriminatory reasons?

Question:
Today my friend got let go and told him its because he just doesn't fit in with the crowd and he said he doesn't know how to explain but he just doesn't fit in. He is the only white person at his job out of like 50 others so he thinks they fired him because he is white.
This got me thinking how can anyone prove their employer fired them for such reasons? It seems practically impossible to enforce this law.

Answer:
 It can be difficult to prove, yes.  Most employers aren't stupid enough to put "I fired you because you are [race]" as the reason a person is being fired, so you'd need secondary evidence.    Usually, this is either discriminatory statements made by someone, or a pattern of discriminatory behavior.

For example, if in the last year, a number people have been fired and it is always the only white person in the office, that could be used as evidence that the boss is discriminating based on race.  If your friend is the only person fired, but up until that point the boss made a lot of discriminatory statements/jokes/comments, etc, that could also be used as evidence.  (It's not guaranteed proof, but something like that may be enough for the EEOC to investigate).

But "Sorry, you're just not fitting in", when not motivated by a person's protected characteristics, *is* a valid reason to fire someone.  And you're right that, especially in this case, it would be very hard to show that it's *because* he's a different race than his coworkers.

If he wanted to, he could file with the EEOC:  https://www.eeoc.gov/filing-charge-discrimination.  It's up to him, really.


Title: [Pennsylvania] Is there a way for me to get access to view my traffic stop footage?

Question: Yesterday I had a horrible experience during a traffic stop for coming to a rolling stop. The first thing the officer told me was that everything was being recorded. I can elaborate on what happened a little more if it matters. I live in/this occurred in a small town in Pennsylvania. I absolutely intend to pay my $129 ticket, but the cop was WAY out of line. I left the stop shaken and extremely upset continued to be very shaken and upset all day. Luckily I texted exactly what happened while it was fresh in my mind. Today, for some reason, I can't remember it clearly at all. This is why I'd like to see the footage. I wish I would have recorded the interaction myself or at least me explaining what happened right after it did. At the time I put my cell phone very far away from me so that the officer wouldn't think it was anything threatening. He also would not let me retrieve my registration or retrieve it himself (it was in a folder on the back seat because the title of the car had just been transferred to me and I got new insurance and had all my papers in that folder). I got a warning for that.

Answer: You're welcome to file an open records request with your local PD.


Title: [NY] Groom is dying, time is of the essence. Getting married via Skype "in" another state?

Question:
A friend of mine knows a couple in NYC that wants to get married.  COVID-19 has obviously put any plans on hold, especially since they still need to get the license.

The problem is the groom is in hospice, and has maybe a few weeks left to live.  He desperately wants to marry his fiancee before he passes.

They've heard about some states performing weddings via Skype, and some (like TN, and I think VT) let you apply for a license online.  Would they be able to apply for a TN (or other state) marriage license, and then be married by a TN (or whatever) official via Skype?

Is there any other recourse they might have to get married in NYC during all of this?  Would it be possible to do an otherwise legal ceremony sans license, and have it validated after the fact?  (I know that's been done in the past, under special circumstances.)

Thanks, guys.

Answer:
 The term you are looking for is a proxy marriage. Four states allow them, CA CO TX, and Montana allows double proxy marriages. But only for military members. You would need to appear in person to be marriedAnswer #2: \> He desperately wants to marry his fiancee before he passes.

It would be useful to know why.

Just for the sake of being married?  In which case maybe a religious or other private ceremony?

Or is there some legal angle, like allowing his fiancee to receiving certain benefits?  If so, that's going to be harder to accomplish.Answer #3: NAL FYI if they get married the spouse will be liable for all medical expenses at the passing of him.
My cousin and his partner chose to have a spiritual wedding instead because his partner was in hospice and didn’t want my cousin liable for the mountain of additional expenses. His partner still put him as the beneficiary in the will but he wasn’t charged the monstrous insurance fees etc.


Title: Can you pepper spray someone for knocking too much?

Question:
My neighbor has rang the doorbell 4 mornings in a row after being asked not to on the first day. My boyfriend and I work 3rd shift and it’s driving me absolutely mad. What can I do about this?
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer: No you cannot pepper spray someone for knocking on your door.  You can do so in self defense or defense of another.  You can tell him to leave and if he refuses call the police.  You can then issue him a notice informing him that entering your property is trespassing and then call the police every time he comes to your property.  At the end of the road you can get a restraining order... but at no point can you assault someone with a weapon for ringing your doorbell.


Title: [FL, Verizon] On a shared plan, but I can't afford to pay for the rest of the phone?

Question:
The phone plan is completely in his name. He game me an iPhone 7 for my birthday but hasn't kept up with the payments. He is going to disconnect my service (which I'm ok with) but I still have the physical phone. The phone has $546 remaining to be paid on it but the phone simply isn't worth that anymore.

If I keep the phone and don't make payments OR switch it to my name what happens to him? Will the phone be reported as stolen?

Answer: They will send him to collections and damage his credit. Whether you return this phone is up to you.


Title: Confess Or Deny Cannabis Possession?

Question:
So I live in a dorm on a college campus (in Michigan) and last week some police were called to my hall for marijuana smell. The people in the dorm two doors down were smoking but the k9 hit on my door instead. They knocked but I didn't answer the door. They came back at 3am and knocked again and I answered, but didn't confess to anything and didn't let them in the room. Now my complex director is heckling me about the incident. He says if I deny possession I'll have to go to an appeals court where the cops and I will both tell our stories. Apparently they use preponderance of evidence. If I confess to him for possession I'll be put on academic probation. I'm kind of a medical marijuana patient, I've submitted my application to the state but have yet to recieve my card. He also said that I could get in trouble for not answering the door. That's pretty much it, I'd appreciate any feedback on if I should confess or deny possession.
Thanks

Answer: Did you have weed or not?  You never have to make any statements to the police.  Your school can take disciplinary action of course.


Title: Bullied at work - quit - now asked to come back

Question:
Location: Ireland

I was being being bullied at work and decided to reign last Friday. Long story short, there was a transfer of engagements and the CEO of that company is an absolute tyrant who has gotten 80% of original staff to take redundancy - but also sign a NDA so they cannot do anything about the harassment she inflicted on us over 6 months.

I didn't take the redundancy and she's made my life a living hell. I couldn't take anymore and resigned after false allegations were made against me and I faced a disciplinary that had no grounding. I resigned before the hired 'HR company' completed the investigation - it was too much stress and the HR company and 'investigation' was run by the CEO's personal friend, who accused me of all sorts of allegations not pertaining to the original complaint, as the complaint (made by the CEO) did not refer to any policy. My lawyer told me that I have a case for constructive dismissal, but I have a new job (!) so I don't intend to pursue it further - I just want my hands clean.

Here's the catch - I haven't signed a NDA and I've been invited back to work as I'm an 'invaluable member of the team' (which goes completely against my treatment over the past 6 months). My solicitor thinks they want to offer me a settlement and going back on my resignation means that the disciplinary could be quashed, so I could either take a possible settlement or leave after all is settled in a couple of weeks (don't start new job for 6 weeks) with clean hands.

I don't know what I should do - any advice would be greatly appreciated!

*The disciplinary: I bought flowers out of my own pocket for a staff member on her last day ay work, but the CEO always had an extra grudge with her and I, so when I went outside the office to sign for the delivery I got notice for disciplinary. As my actions did not actually breach any policy (and to be clear - was only used as an intimidation tactic), the resolution manager was going to quash it. But I realised that this was only the start of a long road that I wasn't willing to go down so I quit before the disciplinary was resolved, which I'm afraid will hinder employment opportunities in the future.*

**My new employer has informed me that they have to contact my previous companies HR team after I start as I will be working with high-profile cases! The CEO could ruin my new career whether I go back on resignation temporarily or leave everything as is. The stress has lead to me having several panic attacks**

Topic:
Contracts

Answer:
 > My new employer has informed me that they have to contact my previous companies HR team after I start as I will be working with high-profile cases!

Keep in mind that most businesses - especially if HR is the one handling things - will generally refrain from speaking negatively about past employees. It opens them up to legal liabilities and they have to be very careful in their verbiage.

> My solicitor thinks they want to offer me a settlement and going back on my resignation means that the disciplinary could be quashed, so I could either take a possible settlement or leave after all is settled in a couple of weeks (don't start new job for 6 weeks) with clean hands.

Without knowing that a settlement is on the table for a fact, I wouldn't count on one.


Title: Is it illegal to jump handcuffs in Texas?

Question:
Just curious, a while ago I got picked up on some nonsense that got dropped, but I spent forever in the back of a squad car. I asked the arresting officer if it would be possible to cuff me in the front because I have prior shoulder injuries that make sitting cuffed in a squad car painful. He declined, as you would imagine.

The reason I have those injuries is because I have a joint condition that basically makes me one step down from Gumby. So after dealing with it for about 20 minutes I jumped the cuffs (bringing them under your feet and in front of your body.) I stayed in the car, didn't try to escape, etc. They finally wrapped up and deigned to take me to jail, and the officer saw me scratching my nose in the rear view. Pulled over, bawled me out, and threatened an additional charge for jumping the cuffs.

Obviously it's well in the past, and I don't intend on getting hooked up again, but I'm just idly curious if there is an actual charge that would have stuck, or if my arresting officer was just full of shit.

Answer:
 I can't help but feel that there's no law to cover this exact specific thing - that they'd all be around attempting to escape, resisting (somehow), etc.

So he could have probably charged you with it, but I imagine the DA would decline to prosecute, and they'd have difficulty providing sufficient evidence to convict you. If you were attempting to escape, why were you just sitting there?

It's Texas, however, and the courts seem to be very friendly to the argument of "well they *could* have been wanting to do it and just didn't get a chance yet, therefore we should convict them", so... there's no guarantee you wouldn't have been (unfairly) screwed by it.Answer #2: In Florida we have an absolutely bogus law called “resisting without violence.” It is so incredibly broad that the police can use it to arrest basically anyone, guilty or not and charge them with a crime. Jumping cuffs, not sitting down, not leaving an area, giving “false or misleading” information while only detained, observing law enforcement activity, not turning in your cell phone video, etc…Answer #3: EDS?

From my EDS experience with handcuffs, the only way to get one of us to stay cuffed is with our cooperation. I knew a guy bragging about his new inescapable handcuffs and, well, little stands up to a dislocated thumb or two.Answer #4: Maybe at that point you could have asked if he & the department were ok being sued due to lack of care while you were under arrest?


Title: [NV] My daughters elementary school's parking lot is not painted and is a danger to kids.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: If there's no crosswalk painted - there's no crosswalk. Contact your local city hall about it if it is on a public road, contact the school board and principal if it is not.


Title: [Fl] House broken in to, dogs stolen.

Question:
My home was broken in to and my dogs were stolen yesterday. My dogs are at the end of their lives (14 & 15 years old, golden retriever and bulldog, respectively) and are ill looking but not being neglected.

 I have been having people harrass me recently, calling animal control multiple times. I have had many dealings with animal control, they agree that there is no need to intervene.

 I recently found a facebook group calling for people to attack my family, steal my dogs, kill me. They have doxxed my address. The post on FB has been since deleted. I have a few screen caps but the worst is missing. Police are dragging their feet without the other screen caps. Can i get FB to restore the post?

Need help, need advice. Thanks.

Answer:
 You should contact local vets/shelters in search of people trying to acquire treatment for/rehome your hopefully chipped pets.

>Police are dragging their feet without the other screen caps

  You suffered a break in. Someone stole your property. *Yesterday.* What about that suggests to you that the police must be dragging their feet? They don't need those FB posts to pursue the burglary. Answer #2: > Can i get FB to restore the post?

Maybe with a court order - which means a lawyer and lots of money.

Might try to dig through your internet cache and try to find it there.Answer #3: Why is there a FB group calling for people to steal your dogs and attack your family?  Do you know who did it and did you tell the police who did it?


Title: [NYC] Tried to change my first and last name, judge denied my petition

Question:
Hello,

I spent half of my day today at the Kings Country Civil court to file an adult name change petition for myself. I had all the correct paperwork and documentation needed.

When I was called before the judge, she asked me the reason for wanting to change my name. I told her I preferred the alternative spelling on my first name (same name, just different spelling) and I wanted to change my last name because it was hard to pronounce and spell-- which is true. The personal reason I wanted the name change is because I am estranged from my family and having their last name is a constant reminder of something I don't want to be reminded about. I didn't think I needed to provide this personal baggage to the court so I didn't put it in my paperwork or mention it to the judge.

The judge denied my petition with leave to renew on the grounds that I had "No legal basis provided to change name
". I didn't think I needed a legal basis based on everything I read.

Can someone tell me what I could fill in the petition/tell the judge as a reason for my name change that would be granted? Thanks!
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 As a matter of law, the judge is wrong. The court must grant the petition unless there is a reasonable objection; you don't have to have a good reason for it. For example, see *[Matter of Halligan](https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=7040586257872348904)*. Like most states, New York also maintains the common law procedure by which you can change your name simply though using a new one, so it would make no sense to have a judicial procedure with a very different standard.

You can appeal the denial of the petition. Keep in mind there's a rather strict time limit for appeals; someone more familiar with procedure in New York might be able to guide you.Answer #2: [From the NY Name Change FAQ:](https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp/Namechange/basics.shtml)
"If the Judge believes that you are changing your name to commit fraud or to hide from the law or the police, or to avoid paying child support or debts, or for some other illegal reason, the Judge may deny your request to change your name. "

The judge may have found your reason unconvincing. Explaining your reasoning about your family probably would have been sufficient. As others noted though, it sounds like the Judge was being an ass.Answer #3: The only way to make sense of that decision is if the judge believed or suspected that the primary reason for the name change is to attempt to avoid a criminal record, bad credit history, or to disappear from/evade some kind of lawful obligation.

It’s generally not allowed to change your name as a means of hiding from people who have a legal entitlement to keep track of you.


Title: What rites do I have if I think a bad Chyropractor messed up my neck

Question:
Last year I saw a bad chyro that 'cracked' my neck when I wasn't ready.  I now have constant pain and stiffness at the very base of my skull,  it also clicks constantly when I move my neck.  Any sort of consistent cardio causes discomfort.  I plan on seeing physiotherapist soon.

&#x200B;

I posted before in another group but got no responses, heres the link to that post:

[https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/comments/b9j35z/i\_think\_a\_bad\_chyropractor\_tweaked\_my\_neck\_dont/](https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/comments/b9j35z/i_think_a_bad_chyropractor_tweaked_my_neck_dont/)
Topic:
Medicine and Malpractice

Answer: start off by going to a damn doctor to figure out what's wrong first. Do not go to a chiropractor again.


Title: [USA/IN] One time encounter resulted in pregnancy and she wants to keep it.

Question: As the potential father, is it possible for me to just not have parental rights at all?

Answer:
 If another father adopts the child, yes it's possible.

Congrats, dad.


Title: General question about the supremacy clause.

Question:
Does the Federal speed limit take precedence over the state speed limit? What about the age of consent?
I'm from London England so that's why I'm confused about American law

Answer: Both of your examples are things that federal law would not govern.  States may set their own speed limits on state highways and same with age of consent laws (state laws). However, generally speaking, when there are two conflicting laws, one state, and one federal, on the same subject matter, federal law will prevail.  Marijuana laws are a good example.  There are many local and state laws permitting marijuana use in some parts of the U.S., but federal law still bans marijuana.  This is why you will see the federal authorities sometimes raiding otherwise legal marijuana growing operations in certain states.


Title: [TX] Is it Landlord's right to have the keys from the tenant to make a copy?

Question: TX: The situation is that the landlord gave all his sets of keys to the tenant through a property management company, and left the city. So the landlord doesn't have any key to the property. Two years later, the landlord needs to go into the property to check the plumbing system. Can the landlord ask his property manager to get the keys (apartment and garage) from the tenant and make a copy? The landlord will go to make the copy of the keys and will give back the keys to the property manager or leave the keys in the apartment. Is it Landlord's right to have the keys from the tenant to make a copy? Thank you for your input.

Answer:
 There's no law that explicitly says a tenant must provide their keys back to the landlord to have them duplicated.

That being said, this request is more than reasonable and the tenant should help accommodate it. If handing the keys over is burdensome to the tenant, then the tenant should ask if it's acceptable for the tenant to make a copy of the key on \[the tenant's\] time and then asked to be reimbursed for making the copy.


Title: I'm subleasing an apartment from someone off of craigslist. All went well for the first two weeks until I received a suspicious letter. Now I'm unsure how to proceed.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Is this guy getting evicted?

Sounds accurate.

> How does that affect me?

He goes, you go.

> All my things are in the apartment and I've paid the tenant enough to cover up until the end of July. Will he likely be evicted before that time?

Scheduled dates of evictions can be found at the Landlord & Tenant court clerk's office.

> What recourse should I take to get the remainder of my money back if that happens?

Find him, sue him.

> What happens to my things if this happens?

Everything will be removed from the apartment and disposed of. At the discretion of the eviction crew, certain things may be held if they are obviously of value.

> I was thinking of holding some of his possessions to ensure that he gives me back the money. Is that a bad idea?

That is a bad idea and an unlawful act if the items aren't yours.


Title: daughter rear ended car parked ON HIGHWAY in Texas. What are chances of fighting this?

Question:
I'm still getting the details on the exact location, but as I understand it was two highways merging. Daughter was moving from one highway to the other. As she entered the second highway she saw the following... car off road in ditch (rainy weather)... a pickup had stopped to help, but was parked IN THE ROADWAY (they did not pull ahead of accident and OFF THE ROAD). They did have hazards on. Traffic in other lanes prevented daughter from switching lanes to the right. She braked, but hydroplanned and slid into the truck. Her only options were off-road head on with car that slid off road / rear end pickup in her lane / switch right and hit traffic in that lane.

So, she has liability only and we will have to file against the insurance of the pickup she hit. Any advice on how to proceed or if we even have a chance?

I know anytime someone gets hit from behind it is 99% of the time going to be the person who HIT the other at fault - however, that cannot always be the case. I would never dream of just parking my car on a highway and HOPING no one hits me... I would know that it would just be a matter of time before my car would be smashed.

Answer: Although the car was dead stopped, she still has the reponsibility of driving at a speed that prevents her from hitting fixed objects. There's probably shared liability here. Answer #2: IT's the driver's responsibility to avoid road hazards. The fact that she was unable to safely stop means that she was likely going to fast for the conditions. I don't really see an avenue to avoid itAnswer #3: Other commenters aren't thinking critically enough. Texas is a modified comparative negligence state. There are laws about not parking on the highway. If it is the case that the car was in violation of said law, and the intent of that law is to prevent the hazard of hitting parked cars, that driver was negligent per se, which can very easily put them over the 51% threshold to bar them from recovering anything.


Title: At fault divorce

Question: [VA] I am separated from my husband for over 12 months now. We signed a PSA but neither of us has filed for divorce yet. I just found out his girlfriend is pregnant. Can I file an at fault divorce without a lawyer? Not like I need to find proof of the adultery. It’s in her belly.

Answer: No, the adultery has to be what led to the divorce.  As you've been separated for over a year, that clearly does not seem to be the case.


Title: [NYC] My in-laws are selling their property, but the buyer wants to keep $200k "hidden" and pay it to my husband and me

Question:
I posted this in personalfinance, but got a message that this may be more of a legal question.

My in-laws are selling their property for $1.2 million. The buyer agreed to the price, but because he wants to avoid paying a "mansion tax" he wants to pay $200k separately, but it can't go to my in-laws. So they've asked if they could have the buyer pay that $200k to my husband and me via certified check. And for tax purposes my in-laws could claim that as a personal loan to us, that we can pay back over time via moving expenses or things they need for the new house.

All of this is going through the realtor - so I'm assuming it's legal, and ok. But I guess it might not be?

Answer:
 Sounds like tax evasion to me...  possibly loophole legal, but I sure wouldn’t want to be a part of any audit, and you likely would be, in this scenario.Answer #2: What the realtor is recommending is criminal tax fraud. There is a 1% tax on real estate transfers beyond the first million, so the whole scheme would save $2000. Don’t do it. If you blow in this realtor to the authorities, he or she is likely to lose his or her real estate license.Answer #3: So your in law's would also be lying and say they sold their home for $1M to avoid tax on the other $200k?

I wouldn't want involvement in this.  The buyer, seller, and agent could all face serious fines, license revocation, and jail time (unlikely).  Do you want to get pulled into that situation?  Not saying you'd get in trouble but the IRS might start selecting you for audit in the future


Title: paid dentist for a root canal, only to find out later that the root canal was never done

Question:
i have never had a root canal done, so i honestly had no idea how involved or long they take.

so about a month ago i goto my general dentist for some tooth pain i had. they take xrays and recommend that i get a root canal , since the metal filling i had put in as a wee lad started going bad.

so i make some calls and find a dentist that says theyll do the root canal for me since i was in absolute terrible pain. i walk in they say its $700, i ask if they can take payments and dentist says that hell take have now and half on the 2nd visit.

dentist numbs me up and drills into my tooth with some sort of hand held drill for about 5-10 min. he then packs my tooth with something and sends me on way after i pay the 350. get set an appointment for the next week.

go back and tell the dentist that im still having some pain when i chew on stuff that is super soft. he drill in my tooth again without numbing me and all of a sudden massive amounts of pain. told me some of the nerve is still alive and that hes gonna put some medicine in my tooth and that it should kill what ever is left of the nerve.

fast forward to the week of thanksgiving.

Monday i start to feel some mild discomfort in the tooth
Tuesday and Wednesday go the same
Thursday i am in unbearable pain.
Friday i goto the emergency dentist office close to my parents house, they xray me and tell me that no root canal had been done to my tooth.

friday i go back to the original dentist and tell him what happened, he offered me a refund by check via the mail for the full amount and gives me a referral for an actual root canal.

goto an endodontist (dentist that specalises in root canals) and 1300 dollars later im pain fucking free.

it is no over a week since the original dentist said i would have had my refund and still no refund.

i know i can call my bank and have them reverse the chrages but fuck man im pissed i was taken advantage of and i dont want it to happen to anyone else.

what can i do?

Answer:
 Your dentist performed what is called a pulpectomy. Due to the advanced stage of disease and infection in your tooth the root canal could not be completed in a single visit.

After your complaints from the 2nd visit it looks like he didn’t want to continue treatment and referred you to a specialist. By standard of care he did nothing wrong and it is nice of him to not charge for the pulpectomy if he is infact refunding you the total you paid.

It can take more than a week for a small business to issue a refund. I would give a follow up call in the morning and 1 more week to receive the funds.


Title: Can she be held liable for rent?

Question: A friend and I got an apartment back in October. Her name isn't on the lease because it's one of those salary cap places, but the management knew she was living there. She texted me yesterday saying she had moved out Friday and would not be paying rent, and I am panicking. Can she be held liable for rent? In Houston, TX

Answer:
 Possibly, but it's going to be damn hard to prove without paperwork. And you might just wind up admitting to committing government benefits fraud along the way, if you were living in an income-capped apartment and not reporting income.

This is one of those cases where you work outside the law and forfeit it's protection.Answer #2: > one of those salary cap places

Does that mean low income housing?


Title: My car had the catalytic convertor stolen from it while it was at the autoshop, and they didnt fix the problem that I brought it in for. Is this the shops responsibility to pay for?

Question: So i dropped my car off tuesday night to have the spark plugs and wires changed, and it was scheduled 2 weeks ago to be done on wednesday. Well when i went to pick it up wednesday i saw the car was in the same spot that i parked it originally, and they said they hadnt even touched it yet. So i lwft it there for another night and they did the work today but when I fired it up it sounded like a train and lo and behold, some tweaker stole the catalytic convertor. I filed a police report and they have cameras pointing to where my car was all over the place, but i think the shop should take responsibility since I put it in their care and this happened after that. They have a locked lot they couldve moved it into with a fence and barbed wire around it, but they didnt move it in there. Do I have a case?

Answer: As far as I'm aware, since it was in their possession, any damage is their problem.


Title: In NC USA. Pipe busted in wall and we are renters. The downstairs landlord is coming after us for damages.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Do you have something in writing from the plumber with his assessment of what caused the damage? Or maybe just documentation of the specific work he did would help to absolve you.


Title: [FL] Wife Seeking Alimony Instead of a Simplified Divorce. She thinks she can get $10k. Can she?

Question:
My soon to be ex-wife and I have been together since high school ('04), and got married in November of '09. Since we've been married, she basically "won" at life and was content to just stop with any sort of self-improvement and let me take care of everything. She never held a job the entirety of our marriage and only went looking for a job for maybe about 3 or 4 hours in that entire period. She "looked" online at schools which meant she basically googled them, and she lived each day basically watching NCIS, playing Pokémon, occasionally making dinner and cleaning out the litterbox.

Eventually I got tired of this arrangement (I was looking for a partner, not a dependent) and she moved back into her mom's house in the beginning of January. Since she moved out, I continued to pay her cell phone bill up to last month, I still pay her car insurance payment, and she's withdrawn over $3000 from the bank account over the course of the year so far. I also gave her my paid off '04 Saturn Ion so she could get around.

I was good with all of this because despite her laziness I didn't hate her, and did want to make her transition to single life as smooth as possible. The plan was to wait until the end of this year before cutting everything off and signing the Florida Form 12.901(a), Petition for Simplified Dissolution of Marriage.

This month she said she had been speaking to a lawyer, and she told me he said that because we've been together for over ten years and married for over 5, she would be able to get $10,000 dollars in alimony from me and she's resisting signing the simple form. We have no children and I currently make over $60k a year.

My question is, is that a realistic figure? If so, would it be cheaper to accept that number or to get my own lawyer and fight it?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 It would be cheaper to consult with your own attorney than to just give her $10k.

Answer #2: If she was asking for a lump sum of 10k, just for simplicity, do it.  If she wants 10k a year, get a lawyer.Answer #3: Your situation sounds almost exactly like mine was with the genders reversed, down to alimony request.  You should definitely get a lawyer.  Try to get things sorted in mediation, but a lawyer will help you avoid any missteps.


Title: Friend going through a messy divorce, her husband stole her dog. What do? (GA)

Question:
My friend is in the beginnings of a messy divorce.

Her husband dropped by her apartment (She still has no idea how he found the new place), and wanted the dog for the weekend because he "missed" it.

He proceeded to take it out of state, and has had it for a couple weeks now. He refuses to return the dog, for which my friend has the purchase receipt, vet records in her name, etc. She also acquired the dog before they were married.

What are her options? She's going to have to get a divorce lawyer, although she had hoped to do a non-contested thing.

The husband frequently lets the dog out to use the bathroom, and the house does not have a fence. If my friend was sitting in her car  in the road, and called the dog, and it ran to her, is that dognapping?

Edit: More info

-She is still on the deed to the house, but the locks have been changed.

-The dog was acquired before the marriage.

-The husband is kind of a violent little shit.

Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Dogs are, legally speaking, property.  If acquired during the marriage, it's very likely marital property, which means that it isn't his **or** hers.

She should settle this as part of the divorce proceedings.


Title: (TX) Relatives used an affidavit of heirship to exclude beneficiaries. Just found the "lost" will but the estate has already been improperly divided.

Question:
TLDR:  Family used affidavit to bypass relative's  last will and testament. I don't know if any of this legal

(This whole year has been a messy, heartbreaking catastrophe sorry in advance for any confusion)

My husband's aunt passed away in early this year leaving behind a 10 old will. Her estate included a few thousand dollars in savings and a CD, a house, a vehicle, interest in multiple properties, and equity in a home she was buying.
A cousin and another relative went to her office, retrieved, and privately reviewed her will. Later they insisted the document was lost. I'm not aware of any other relatives having access to her will. Moving forward, the eldest sibling of the deceased, assumed the responsibility of handling the estate.

My husband was well informed about the details of his inheritance prior to her passing. Like the others who asked, he wasn't given an opportunity to see the will.
So, they say "it's lost" and everyone is expected to play along ?
They were refused the privilege of seeing their loved one's final wishes, expressed in her own words, under the supervision of two trusted witnesses, printed and signed on notarized paper. I'm furious for having to watch my husband's panic take over while he tried to dredge up the distant memory of a conversation with his aunt. Hoping for a safe, concrete memory. One with an archived place and time. Or desperately digging for a memory with with someone who could corroborate his account .

An affidavit of heirship was used to distribute the estate as her sister saw fit. This was unchallenged because fell seriously ill, and loss of mobility requiring  home health care. 6 months later, she was diagnosed with late stage cancer resulting in her  placement in a nursing home, under the care of hospice.
 She lived in a shared a residence with the deceased but her declining health prevented her from renegotiating the terms of their mortgage and is facing foreclosure.

Cut to this week, my husband and I are packing up his aunt's house the find the last will and testament. Beneficiaries were omitted while others were granted far more than intended,, delays have caused fines and interest spikes in property taxes.....

Answer: Consult with a local attorney. There's a pretty good chance that there are causes for action that you can use to leverage something for.Answer #2: Get a probate attorney in the county where the deceased lived.  Anybody who signed that affidavit knowing that there was a will has likely committed fraud.  Don't be surprised if the attorney gets the police involved at some point.


Title: How do I get a divorce without my parents knowing (CA)

Question: I am 21 y/o and got married young at 18 without my parents knowledge.  They still don't know and I want to keep it that way for now.  It is what is is we were just young and dumb.  Basically, now I need a step by step on how to get a divorce?  I try to look it up online but it looks expensive and complicated.  We have no assets, are good friends and everything has been kept completely separate from the start.  What do I need to do? I saw online divorce applications for less than $100, are these the best? I am looking for the quickest, easiest and cheapest way to do it.  Any help much appreciated.

Answer:
 File a court date, show up, and agree to divorce.  If neither of you have significant assets, and neither of you dispute the terms of divorce, then it'd be granted.

Your parents wouldn't need to know unless you told them.


Title: WA: customers posting selfies to our business Facebook page. Who legally owns the picture? Can we use the photos in advertising?

Question: My company is looking to start a contest involving customers posting selfies related to our business on our Facebook page. However I want to know if we could use those photos for advertising legally. If so, what laws/regulations protect us and if there are any restrictions.

Answer: The person who took the picture owns it.  You'd need them to give you rights to the picture.


Title: Lady I rear ended 6 months ago calls me today demanding money by Friday otherwise she's threatening to take me to court.

Question:
Location of incident: North Riverside, IL

Important detail to include is I had actually not been driving with a license. I had no transportation to work that day so I had borrowed my father's car with only a permit. On my way back home is when I had rear ended this lady's car and she was god awful pissed. She was threatening to make sure I don't get my license until I'm 21, claiming she has family working in law enforcement or something. Officer didn't arrest me, police report says "failed to reduce speed."

Understandably, she was paying for consequences of my actions, I empathise with her emotions and of course I'm willing to cooperate, mainly because I'm concerned how far she'd be willing to escalate the situation to spite me.

So I'm shitting bricks, worried she actually does some shit to put me in a world of debt and hold me back from getting my license, I get a lawyer to go circuit court with me, maybe wasn't necessary but until then I had never had to deal with any sort of legal shit whatsoever. She doesn't show up, case is dismissed, but lawyer does mention something along the lines of her having 1-2 years to reopen the case out of nowhere.

Fast forward to today, she calls me while I'm at work, explains to me my father's insurance didn't cover anything on her end either, makes sense. But also, that her insurance wouldn't reimburse her any of her costs, her car was apparently totalled and she had to pay for a bunch of things including the rental car she had to take out. There was apparently also a Christmas gift in the car that had been ruined and she had to repurchase again. She claims to have receipts and invoices for all of these costs as evidence, and is requesting I pay for what totals to about $600-$1,000 ( I don't remember) by Friday, even if I have to do separate payments. Otherwise she'll be taking me to court where she claims I will also be paying for her lawyer.

I wasn't really wasn't paying the most attention in the phone because I was trying to slip in that I couldn't talk, being at work an all, in a way that wouldn't piss her off even more. So I told her I'd respond to her as soon as I could. Not sure what may have been the worst thing I could've said in that phone conversation had she recorded it to use against me. I mainly said things like I understand her situation, willing to cooperate, I didn't hide that I was driving without a license.

I'm looking into seeing a lawyer before then, but my financial situation sucks ass and not sure if I should be worried she's trying to blackmail me considering how vulnerable my position is.

Answer: Don't talk to her. Make her sue you and contact your insurance to give them a heads up


Title: Criminal Trespass state park?

Question:
I was fishing in a pond on an Oklahoma State Park. A park ranger told me the pond was for children only. I said ok and was heading to my car when he asked for my drivers license for a report.

I told him I did not want to give it because I did not break any laws. He told me I had to because
I did break a law by fishing in that pond and also it was a catch and release area.

By this time I was back to my car and told him to cite the law and I would give him i.d. He then asked for insurance as well. I said no to both.

He said I was criminal trespasses  and needed to give i.d. At this point I started to record with my phone.

I gave him my D.L. reluctantly and he went to his car. Shortly after the captain showed up and told me I did not break any laws I violated a park rule. (Fishing in the kid pond and not releasing my fish). That I was trespasses and had to leave.

Is this legal? Can I really be trespassed from a state park open to the public, when no laws were broken?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: You can be trespassed for breaking park rules.


Title: [NJ] Can I sue someone for getting food poison?

Question:
About a year ago, I accidentally ate a co-workers sandwich for lunch at work. For the past week, I haven't eaten anything new except for this sandwich, so I believe it was some ingredient in the sandwich that gave me food poisoning. I started experiencing terrible stomach pains and had to go to the emergency room the next day.

I had to be admitted to the hospital because there was an abnormal amount of bacteria in my stomach and I needed to be monitored. I had to have emergency surgery after my body went into some sort of shock. I had to leave work for about a month while I recovered.

I got a call from a collections agency the other day wanting nearly $20k for the hospital bill. It was at that moment that I realized that I never received a bill from the hospital. After contacting the hospital, I found out that they were sending mail to the wrong address.

How can I sue my co-worker for the $20k that I need to pay the bill? Would I do this in small claims? I would have never gotten the food poisoning if it wasn't for his sandwich. I was also out of work for a month, so is it possible to sue for lost wages too?

Answer:
 TrollAnswer #2: How could you possibly 'accidentally' eat someone else's sandwich? Did you assume that your tuna fish had magically transformed itself into roast beef in the employee refrigerator?

And how could you possibly prove that a year ago, this particular sandwich gave you food poisoning? And assuming that you could (you can't), why would your co-worker be liable? Answer #3: no, absolutely not... unless it was a trap Answer #4: Just because it was the only "new" thing you ate, it doesn't mean it caused your food poisoning.  You have no proof that it did.  Further, you would have to prove negligence, and the fact that you ate their food without invitation means it would be largely your fault even if you could prove it made you sick.


Title: My friend had his car repo’d after making a payment

Question: He made a 600 dollar payment a couple days prior before they took the car which was today. The money was taken from his account and it read pending. Hours after we figured out it was repo’d the 600 dollars went back into his account. We wanted to call tomorrow and get info but it’s a holiday. He moved from Illinois to Arizona mid October. He still has Illinois plates and Drivers License. He had 5 payments left on the car. Any ideas of what he should do??

Answer:
 >Hours after we figured out it was repo’d the 600 dollars went back into his account.

If the payment didn't go through then he didn't make the payment. He'll have to look at his loan documents and see what to do in the case of a default and repo.


Title: Illegally towed in Breckenridge. Dashcam video included. Need advice.

Question:
**Dash Cam video**

https://vimeo.com/151606371 - short version

https://vimeo.com/151680395 - long version, shows more of the parking lot setup at the time I parked.

PW: TowBreck

**Town Code**

9-3-10: MAINTENANCE OF OFF STREET PARKING FACILITIES

http://www.sterlingcodifiers.com/codebook/index.php?book_id=878

**Update - here is the officers diagram**

http://imgur.com/2XVSjGJ

So I'll try and make this as short and sweet as possible. I'm hoping the Reddit community can give some advice or point me in the right direction.

**Background**

I was towed from the F lot in Breckenridge on 01/10/2016 at roughly 11:30 am while I was skiing with my wife. I parked in said parking lot at roughly 9:30 am. The reason for being towed? Illegally parked/Impeding traffic. The officer said I double parked. I have a dash camera that shows where I parked and the configuration of the cars when I parked (video link below). Because of this, I knew I could show that 1) I was parked legally and 2) if there was a reason to have my vehicle towed, I should not be the one paying for it when the town failed to follow Breckenridge town code regarding off street parking (town code 9-3-10). So, I did some digging I found that I could request a tow hearing, ok, done. That tow hearing was today and despite my video evidence, and the conflicting information presented by the officer (incorrect orientation of the vehicle, no response to the description of the vehicle, etc.) , the tow was upheld and it was determined that he had reasonable grounds to tow me. The judge didn't even pay attention to what I was saying. He relied purely on the officers diagram (which I could not see since I called in for the hearing, I was in AZ at the time)  and made his decision. I feel robbed. The problem I am running into now is that the town code says that the outcome from the hearing is final. In other words, I can't appeal.

**My question to you:**

What are my options? Can I still file a claim, or try small claims court?

Couple thing to point out.

1. The parking lot does not have a lot attendant, visible parking lines, or signage to indicate parking spots.

2. The KIA in front of my truck (after parking) does not have a vehicle behind it. The snow piles behind the sedan are clearly visible in the rear window.

3. By the time we suited up for a day of skiing, the open area next to our truck was utilized for parking indicating that any reasonable person would assume that parking where I parked is acceptable.

4. We (my wife and I) left the lot at roughly 9:45. The vehicle was towed at 11 according to the tow driver, the officer said he didn't even arrive until 11:30am and request the tow after he arrived.

5. I was not cited.

**Update**
So I understand that I can't sue for an having my truck towed. But can I sue the town for not following town code? The town did not follow town code which created an environment where a vehicle that paid and parked legally could be towed at the owners expense. I believe I can prove that with my video, the town code, and the officers statement, despite the outcome of the tow hearing.

Couple things to note: The officer stated he arrived to the lot late that day and that the parking lot was a mess and that a rope that is used to designate some of the parking was not up. It also stated that other vehicles parked next to me which is a clear indication that others had a reasonable assumption that where we parked was legal.

Answer:
 So I just requested a digital copy of the judges decision and this is what I received from the court clerk:

"That was done verbally by the Judge, so there is no physical record of that. Tow Hearings are informal hearings."

This confuses me even more. From my understanding, in a informal hearing attorneys are not present. In this case there was a prosecuting attorney and it was in front of Judge.


Title: Explanation of why Yahoo would transfer patents to another company before selling them.

Question:
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/16/06/08/2112206/yahoo-preps-auction-for-3000-patents-worth-1-billion

So I see this on Slashdot this morning, and I was left wondering why Yahoo would do this?  Wouldn't they want to be directly enriched by the sale of the assets?  Can anyone shed some light on this for me.  I'm a tech support person, not a business or MBA type person.

(Location: United States)

Answer:
 Moving patents to a holding company is pretty common. A holding company is a shell company wholly owned by the parent for holding the patents and other IP. Typically, patents just sit around until you decide to sue someone. So, you put them in a holding company to shield them from other liabilities (among other reasons). I'm guessing yahoo is just consolidating all these patents in one holding company. They may currently be spread across several shell companies, subsidiaries, and yahoo itself. Yahoo will still get the proceeds from the sale. Is that helpful?Answer #2: (1) the patents are likely spread across multiple yahoo entities. This puts them all in one place.

(2) this allows all of the patents to be sold together by just selling the LLC instead of assigning each individual patent.

(3) likely tax considerations.


Title: I work at a store part time. One of my friends worked there and a customer broke her wrist and she got fired for going to the hospital (I saw the firing letter and it says for leaving w/o permission while on the clock) In NY can she really get fired for that? The customer got charged if that helps

Answer:
 Sure she can get fired for it. She is an at will employee, they could fire her for wearing a green shirt. She can file for unemployment and find a less shitty employer.

She can sue the customer who injured her. Depending on the circumstances of the event she could sue the employer, but that's going to take an attorneyAnswer #2: Your friend needs to file a Workers compensation claim. If found compensable, it would cover the medical expenses,  lost wages from being unable to work and since there was a fracture usually a permanency award at 1 yr post break.


Title: Father, HS Teacher in Nevada (USA), is forced out of his job because of shady tactics by principal.

Question:
My father was a high school teacher in Nevada. He had been teaching a long time at the school, and therefore was highly ranked on the tenure totem pole.

From what I understand from my father, teachers are given tenure based on how long they have taught in a department, and only official departments are allowed to exist in schools.

A new principal comes in and doesn't get along with my dad, and it sounds like the principal created a new department (not official), assigns my dad to that department, and then fires him because he no longer has good tenure.

My father has gone to a lawyer for teachers, and the lawyer said something along the lines of "yeah, that is pretty shady" but other than that the lawyer has been really incompetent (such as missing court deadlines for paperwork, not being aware of what's going on with my father's case, etc) so my dad finally got rid of him and tried to continue on his own -- he can't afford to try and hire another lawyer.

Is there any guidance you can give me or help me out with?  It really has ruined my dad's life as he is super stressed and other things.

Thanks for any help you can offer.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer: Does your dad belong to a union or have an employment contract?


Title: First amendment and the free flow of information and ideas

Question: After hearing about the whole, 'Patreon blocking right wing personalities' debacle I was wondering.... I know that free speech laws only apply to the government, but I also know that they can prevent private interests from restricting the free flow of information and ideas. Could the government intervene in a private company like patreon blocking right wing ideologists?

Answer:
 >	but I also know that they can prevent private interests from restricting the free flow of information and ideas

You “know” wrong


Title: Scammers sent me a $9000 check that I know is phony. How can I help nab these guys?

Question: I have a wedding/events band in NYC.  We were contacted by someone about booking us at a wedding and it seemed scammy.  I called the venue who confirmed that there was no actual wedding taking place, and googled the name of the 'groom' to find that he/they had screwed a number of wedding bands and caterers out of money with the old bait and switch - 'I'll give you $9000, please keep $5000 for yourself and give my wedding planner $4000 in cash' (does anybody ever fall for this?) - anyway I forgot about it and moved on but these people actually sent me a $9000 check!  It's from BMO Harris (apparently a Chicago bank) - I'd really like to assist anyone I can in catching these people.  What should I do?  Would calling the bank help?  Or the police?

Answer: Call the police non-emergency line and see if anyone is interested in the check and/or your assistance regarding the matter.Answer #2: Dollars to donuts the scammers are overseas and there is nothing anyone can do to them.


Title: Texas - Code ADAM - At what point is it reasonable to prevent shoppers from leaving a store when a Code ADAM is announced? Store refused to let me leave, it was obvious I did not have a child with me. I was struck by the rent-a-cop guarding the exit.

Question:
Texas

After taking the week to think about it, I am still pretty pissed about what happened on Sunday.

Large, well known retailer had a kid go missing in its store. A Code ADAM was called out.

For some reason, an ambitious Mall Ninja blocked the main exit. I was at the front of the "line."

I inquired what was going on and why we were not allowed to leave, he told me to "step the hell back and wait for further instruction." Within a few seconds, others behind me started grumbling and the security guard said that a Code ADAM was issued in the store and no one can leave until the all clear was given.

I was shopping by myself and wearing shorts, flip flops, and a t-shirt...it was plainly obvious that I was not hiding a kid.

After patiently waiting for about 5 minutes, I simply walked around the guy to leave, and he struck me on my arm, grabbed it and said I have to stay. I told him to fuck off, I shook him off, he escalated and yelled telling me he was going to grab the security footage and not only ban me from the store, but would call the cops on me too.

I walked out without further incident.

Do you find it reasonable that he blocked dozens of customers from leaving, especially ones without children with them?

I do not have anything in the way of a mark or pain from him hitting me and grabbing my arm, but I am pretty pissed about it.

Aside from calling the GM of the store and complaining about the actions of his employee, is it worth calling up the police on the matter? I want to see this asshole punished, but I also do not want to get in trouble for possibly breaking a local law pertaining to a missing child.

Answer:
 AFAIK, Code Adam isn't a law, it is just a common practice implemented by many retail stores and such. Unless it is codified into some statute, it does not grant the store the right to detain you. For example [Kentucky](http://www.lrc.ky.gov/Statutes/statute.aspx?id=71040) has implemented this practice for state government buildings. I haven't seen anything about this regarding Texas.

If you want to report the guy for assault, go ahead. If you have medical bills from injuries as a result of this, you can try and sue him. Personally I don't think either of those are worth your time, especially if the motivation here is simply your anger.


Title: Landlord turned out not to be my landlord.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 So the lady is the owner of the property, she rents to X, you then sublet to you. There is nothing inherently wrong with that. If X's lease says he cannot sublet he may have issues between him and the owner, but it does not invalidate you lease. If X is evicted then you will be too.

A handwritten lease is a real lease. If you signed it then you are bound to it. If there were problems with the place then you need to notify the landlord (your landlord is X) and give him a chance to fix them.


Title: [MD] If my car is at a mechanic's when there's a hailstorm and it gets damaged, is the mechanic liable?

Question:
We just had a hailstorm. They were the size of small marbles. Now I know the likelihood of the next town over also having hail is small, but I'd like to make sure. The mechanic the car is at likes to keep the cars outdoors. If there's a hailstorm and the cars get damaged because they leave them outside, would they cover the cost of the body work needed to repair the car? Does their insurance cover it or does mine cover it? I have comprehensive coverage and I know that hail usually falls under "acts of God". So what happens if I come pick up my car and I find dents all over the body and cracks in the windshield?
Topic:
Insurance

Answer: You would contact your own insurance.


Title: Person sold me a stolen phone, what can I do?

Question:
I will make this as short as possible.

\-Saw an "unlocked" iPhone 8 plus on OfferUp for $350

\-Verified before meeting up with the person that is, in fact unlocked and will work on my network

\-Phone seemed to be fine when she showed us

\-SIM card came in mail 2 days later after purchasing and found out the phone is locked

\-Carrier is actually Sprint and they said they cannot release information on phone

\-Tried contacting seller who promised to meet me up and give me my money back

\-As day approached to meet up she ghosted me and either blocked me or changed her number, seems as though she blocked me

\-Filed a police report, we have her full name, DOB, address and I even have her LinkedIn

\-Police officer asks me to give them the phone as evidence

\-Weeks pass and I find the case has closed

\-An officer calls me and tells me the phone was actually stolen and they closed the case because they went to her house multiple times and she does not answer.

What can I do? I know I was stupid for using OfferUp, but I was thinking of getting the police report and filing a case in small claims. Please do not tell me it is not worth it and it is only $350 because $350 is a lot to some people.

&#x200B;

Thank you for understanding.

Answer: You can sue the seller for $350 in small claims.  And if you win, you need to try to collect.  It's a lot of work and time, so most people would write it off.  Good luck.