Title: [KY] Ex fiancé tried to steal and destroyed my property

Question:
My ex fiancé showed up at my apartment last night and demanded my engagement ring back. I had previously told him not to come because he was acting crazy so I called the cops, but after an hour of him not showing up, I thought he was just trying to get a rise. He later called and was more civil and said he wanted to "drop off stuff I left at his mom's" and I told him as long as he was civil and didn't try to steal/destroy property or attack me, he could drop my things on the front porch and leave, and I would stay inside with my door locked.

When I wouldn't give him the ring, because it was a gift and because he's the one who decided to sleep with other people, he tried to steal my property. I opened the door to get evidence of him stealing and call the cops, and he wrestled my phone out of my hand and broke it, destroying my property and preventing me from calling 911.

The police who showed up said it was only criminal mischief and that they can't arrest him until I press charges at the courthouse after the holiday. I'm just wondering if I have a case other than just criminal mischief. My phone is the newer iPhone 6s, and cost around $650. He also prevented me from calling 911 and I don't know if I could possibly get an EPO or something like that because he is continuing to attack me after our breakup and showing up at my apartment when I repeatedly ask him not to.

EDIT: Lots of people are talking about the ring instead of focusing on what happened. The ring is not the issue here. If he took me to court and the judge ordered it back, I'd return it of course, even though I believe the ring is a gift and he's the one who broke the conditions of it, not me. But instead of going the legal route, he tried to steal and destroy my stuff and attacked me.

EDIT: People CONTINUE to focus on something that is a non-issue here. I have text messages where he said he handed it to me and I could keep it. It amazes me that people justify violently attacking someone when he could have gone the legal route months ago.

EDIT 2: Attorney actually told me that I can legally keep the ring, for the people who were obsessing over that instead of the actual question. EPO has been filed and charges have been pressed. Ex fiancé is now begging me to drop charges because with his drug charges it "won't look good."

Answer:
 Regarding your edit, things get a little crazy here on the weekends when the actual lawyers aren't spending a lot of time on Reddit. IANAL, but from what I've seen the real lawyers say in the past, if he told you you could keep it and confirmed that via text, you're probably set on that front.

You're also absolutely correct that a dispute over the ownership of the ring in no way justifies violence, theft, or destruction of property. I'm frankly disgusted that so many people are implying otherwise.Answer #2: Have you tried filing a restraining order?  Call the police non emergency line now and enquire about that. You fit the general requirements, which are violence and repeated unwanted contact.

While on the phone, ask about the interfering with emergency services charge. Answer #3: Just ignore the posts that don't answer your questions and go on about the ring.  He can use the courts if it's important to him.

You should go and seek a restraining order based on his harassment, attack, and damaging your property.  It doesn't matter if he is right about the ring in the long run, because his behavior is NOT a legal way to interact with you about it.    Answer #4: Why did they lock your update?


Title: Landlord moved somebody into my bedroom while I was away [DC]

Question:
So, I had a month-to-month lease in DC. I had to leave on pretty short notice for a new job several states away, so I gave my landlord six weeks notice. He told me that I would have to pay rent for the month of September, which I accepted, even though I wouldn't be living in DC for most of that

The landlord wanted to know when he could move somebody new into the room, but I figured that since I paid the entire month's rent, I would keep the room for the entire month. Although I moved my stuff out early in September, I told him that I'd stay on the books as a tenant, and if he wanted to pay me back a pro-rated rate for the new tenant to move in, that was fine. I also told him that I would probably be coming back to the city sometime in September, and was going to stay at the house because, again, I had already paid for it.

I was planning to go back to DC this weekend, but thankfully I'm still friendly with some of my old roommates. When I mentioned that I would be staying at the house, he told me that the landlord had moved a new tenant into my bedroom.

What can I do about this? I didn't mind giving the room up early had the landlord refunded the rent that I wouldn't be able to use, but he didn't pay for anything. Would this count as an illegal eviction? I still have keys and he didn't change the locks to my knowledge, but there's somebody living in my bedroom. I also don't want to cause any trouble for the new tenant because he didn't have anything to do with it, all I really want is my money back

Answer: You can send a demand letter for the September rent to be refunded. If you paid for the room, it can't be rented to someone else. That's double dipping, and a major no-no.


Title: I want my name off my brothers house

Question:
Hi, so originally my brother and my sister had both their names on the house next door and would rent out rooms. A few years ago, my sister brought her own house but inorder for that to happen she would have to take her name off the one next door. Because of my brother's income they wouldn't allow her to take it off unless they found someone else to replace her. That would be me. At that time I was only working 20 hours a week. I wouldn't pay anything towards the house, my brother said he can take care of payments, he just needs my name basically.
Well now he keeps missing mortgage payments. I get letters every few months saying we're in arrears and I'm worried this will ruin my credit rating and any chances of me getting my own mortgage sometime in the near future. Although the payments come out of his bank account, I'm very stressed about the impact this will have on me in the future.

Should I be worried at all? And what is the best course of action to take?

PS I live in the UK

Answer: You should try r/LegalAdviceUK but I would recommend talking to an attorney, your name "being on the house" sounds suspiciously like you are a co-signer on a loan making you responsible if he defaults.


Title: (KS) My mother is still receiving child support after I have graduated high school.

Question:
Small preface: My mother is very trustworthy and would not misuse money or steal.

I am 19 and ready to start my freshman year at college. My mother is still receiving child support from my father. She is saving it instead of putting it into my savings in case she can get into trouble. We have not talked to my father about it yet in case it will cause a stir and give him an out.

My question is: is her receiving it past the date we thought illegal? If so, should we just transfer it back to my dad?

Thanks everyone :)

Answer: What does the court order say?Answer #2: Generally speaking, the divorce settlement may have a clause allowing for post-secondary support (especially pertaining to college expenses). Check the language of the support order to confirm.


Title: Mom's employer wants her to forge customs forms. Yachts are involved. Maritime law?

Question:
Hi all, my mother (USA, Wisconsin) is a buyer for a large yacht manufacturer. This means that she is responsible for purchasing all of the fancy-pants products millionaires want in their yachts. This can be anything from stereos to granite countertops.

A current client is insistent on a very particular color for their upholstery in a yacht that is being built. The makeup of this material is approved in Europe, but is banned in the US due to some sort of safety regulation. Despite being offered alternatives, the client is insistent on her company importing the fabric he wants. My mother's boss wants her to lie on the customs forms about the type of fabric being shipped. She does not feel comfortable doing this, and has made this known. She has emails with her boss documenting this. Now there are hints my mom is going to be fired because the company is "downsizing", but this comes at a time that the company is doing very well and only a few days after she refused to alter the customs forms.

Does she have any legal recourse if she ends up being fired, even if the employer says it is for "downsizing"?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 >Now there are hints my mom is going to be fired because the company is "downsizing", but this comes at a time that the company is doing very well and only a few days after she refused to alter the customs forms.

She should get the EEOC and/or the police involved so she has protections against retaliation.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/13/305

>Any person who knowingly fails to file or knowingly submits false or misleading export information through the Shippers Export Declaration (SED) (or any successor document) or the Automated Export System (AES) shall be subject to a fine not to exceed $10,000 per violation or imprisonment for not more than 5 years, or both.


Title: Friend's roommates want to invite "professional fire twirlers" to preform in their old, Victorian house this weekend, but don't feel they need to notify the landlord. What can my friend do to protect herself in the event that damage is done?

Question:
My good friend, Sam, rents with three other girls in an old, Victorian style house (lots of wood). They are throwing a party this weekend and one of the girls told them she was going to invite her people she knew who are "professional fire twirlers" to preform. Sam, being sane, thought the idea was a joke, but the other girls all agreed it was a great idea. Sam pointed out that they should ask the landlord first (assuming he'd shut it down), but the roommates all told her they "didn't think it was necessary". Sam basically let it go after that.

&#x200B;

Is there anything she can do legally protect herself in the event something goes wrong and damage is done to the property? Should she report this to her landlord or just let them go through with it? I would hate to see her end up liable when this was not her idea and she was very much against it.

Answer:
 I rarely suggest diming people out but in this case, yeah, call the landlord and snitchAnswer #2: Contact LL.

Call renters insurance policy provider and request an event rider. Answer #3: Call the landlord now lest they accidentally (negligently) burn the place down with Sam's belongings (and possibly Sam) inside.Answer #4: Please call the landlord. She may not end up with legal culpability, but it's not worth losing her possessions and maybe life over something this dumb


Title: Scrapped a car with a lien, how screwed am I?

Question: So I had a title loan on my car, and it stopped working beyond repair. I got a new car. Without thinking about it, I scrapped the car (the state I'm in doesn't require you to have to title to scrap cars over 6 years old) because I had no space for it, but I continued paying the loan. Fast forward a few months, I have an emergency and miss a payment on the loan. It defaults, and today, and repo man shows up to my job asks around until he finds me. Not knowing what I had done was a crime, I tell him the truth. He said I was going to jail over this, and left. My girlfriend says it's just a scare tactic, but I think it's more serious. What should I do? (I'm in TN, USA, and the loan had $200 bucks left when it defaulted, if that information helps.)

Answer: It's a scare tactic.  Don't worry about it.  Call up the bank that made the loan and pay it off, and you'll be fine.  Answer #2: i wouldn't worry about it too much. $200 is not worth anyone's time, especially if you pay it off promptly.  i'd borrow $200 from a payday loan place or somewhere similar.


Title: Mother-in-law selling my belongings

Question:
Last summer I had to go to inpatient treatment. While I was gone, my mother-in-law came to town and helped my husband with the kids for a couple of days. My mother-in-law left with numerous, expensive belongings of mine that she is now selling in consignment shops in her home town.

How should I proceed?

Edit: clarification

Answer:
 You don't mention what the MIL said when you asked for the items back.  What did she say?

Did she have your husband's permission to take them?  If so, your complaint is with your husband.

Did she not have anyone's permission to take them?  Call the police.
Answer #2: How about asking your husband to grow a pair and tell--not ask--TELL his mother to return those things. This is absurd.


Title: Can my husband's boss do this?

Question:
My husband recently transferred to another location in his company, he's worked there for nearly two years. He had very good insurance with them. PTO, sick leave 401k etc. But they didn't tell him until he moved two states away, he would be required to work 7 days a week until October. Due to the move, we had to change healthcare providers and in the mix he switched medications. The combination of working 70+ hours a week plus 2 hours of commute time started to take a toll, esp with him changing medications. He got really sick and called in sick, he wasnt getting better and with his medication change affects, he didnt feel he could safely work until he recovered. In the meantime i had appointments, went to the dentist,etc. He had scheduled time off to attend his grandmother's funeral over the weekend, when he returned, he talked to his boss and decided to quit on 4/26. His boss later informed my husband that he backdated his quit date to 4/15 the last day of the last pay period. That pre dates any of my medical appointments that would have been covered by insurance as well as the vacation pay he used to attend the funeral. Is any of this legal? Can his boss backdate his quit date that far? This is Washington state BTW.

TL:DR I went to the doctor while husband was sick. He ended up quitting his job. His boss backdated his quit date. Are we screwed?

Answer:
 He should contact HR at his company to correct this issue.  If they don't budge, contact your local labor board.Answer #2: As far as insurance is concerned, /u/s-dubya is correct, the coverage should extend until the end of the month. The employer cannot backdate insurance cancellation, only end the coverage as-of the current date. They're also legally required to offer you COBRA as a method of extending your current coverage.

Unfortunately, the rest of your narrative is legal.

Answer #3: Even so his benefits will extend to the end of the month.


Title: College gave me a 'corporate' g-mail account with unlimited g-drive storage space - does what I store there stay mine?

Question: The college I went to, Kent State University, gave me a free 'corporate' g-mail account that came with unlimited google-drive space. The account is mine to keep for life and use as I see fit. I'm currently involved with a small volunteer game-dev project and, since our budget is $0, would like to use this google-drive space as a space to store assets for team-members to access. Would the college have any legal claim on what I put in that drive?

Answer: They would not have "claim" over copyrights and things of that nature, but your school can revoke that access at nearly any time and deny you access to the contents so it's not that smart. Answer #2: I wouldn’t rely on storing the data in there. Besides, if you’re working on a game dev project, you should be using some sort of source control. Get a private repo on Github, Gitlab, or Bitbucket. It’ll be reliable, easier to collaborate with others, and we actually use this type of technology in the industry so it’s good experience. Answer #3: Do not use this storage for anything you don’t want to lose access to at a later date.  I’m not sure what they meant by “for life” but I wouldn’t take that as a guarantee. Answer #4: Not to mention that they likely would also have access to what is on the drive and theoretically it could be used without permission depending on the agreement you give when using the account.


Title: Someone steps out in front of my car, who's in the wrong?

Question:
Last night I was driving home and a group of teenagers were walking along the road walking in my direction.

As I approached at the speed limit, one of the teens, a tall white male deliberately started walking across from the other side of the road into my lane, looking at me and basically daring me to swerve.

What are my legal obligations here? if someone steps out in front of me while i'm driving and I don't have time to stop am I at fault what if I had hit him? Who would have been in the wrong?

(this happened in Australia if anyone asks)

Answer:
 If you can avoid hitting someone, you need to avoid hitting someone. Regardless of how stupid they are. That's basic common law. You have a reasonable duty to avoid hitting someone if you can. And him being white or not wouldn't make a difference now (might've pre-1967).

As for Australian specifics, you'd need someone more familiar with specific local laws.


Title: Could a mother fight for custody over a 17 year old that's graduating next year?

Question:
Sorry if this is the wrong place to ask. My friend is freaking out a bit because his mother (who used to beat him) wants to fight for custody over him, his father was in the hospital quite a bit recently and had a painkiller addiction (he's gotten over it). His mother has had a clean record for the past few years and is financially stable. My friend is 17 and we graduate from high school next year. His grades are okay (C's  mostly) but the main concern is his fathers health. Neither he nor I are real experts on the US custody system. We live in california if that changes anything.

Edit: thanks for the replies everyone, really easing a lot of stress.

Answer: Sure, she could fight for custody. At 17 though, the court system will take his preferences into account though. In addition, there is a decent chance of him turning 18 before it is resolved.


Title: [SD] I'm someone's throwaway phone number

Question: I've gotten phone calls for another lady since the summer of 2014 and I've had this phone number since March 2013. It's getting really annoying. I know this person's first and last name and have some guesses as to what states she frequents and even what kind of car she drives from the information given to me by the people calling for her. I've gotten phone calls from gentlemen that she clearly doesn't want to contact again and all kinds of various businesses soliciting their goods. In fact, I get more calls for her than for me. Is this harassment? Should I contact the police and have them file a report? I'd be happy if I could just contact this person and convince her to stop, but obviously, I don't know her phone number since she says her number is mine.

Answer: You may be better off getting a new phone number. For harassing calls over a prolonged period of time, your carrier might be willing to do this for free. Answer #2: If you have her first and last name could you try and look her up on facebook? This is likely not harassment because the person may not know the phone number she is giving out is yours.


Title: [AZ] We just renewed our lease for 12 months, but we may have to relocate for employment. Are there any ways to break our lease without having to pay a ton of money?

Question: We signed in April for 12 more months, but my fiance just lost his job and received an offer in a place 2 hours away. Closer work is available, but the offer is guaranteed. I currently am unemployed so aside from our lease there's nothing keeping us here and it would be much better for us.

Answer: Have you just tried speaking to the landlord and explaining the situation?  While rare, they might made an exception and let you out of it with a reduced penalty.


Title: Can my mom call the police and have me arrested for trespassing if I go to my house (where I grew up) to collect my belongings so I can have clean clothing while I am staying at my boyfriend's house?

Question:
I hurt my mom's feelings and now she is threatening to call the police if I come home and arrest me for trespassing. I just want to grab some clean clothes because I have no idea how long my mom will want me to not come home. But she will not even let me do that. She is calling it tough love.

Do I have rights to my own belongings that are in that house that I grew up in? Does she have the right to deny me entry and access to my own personal items?

Answer:
 You live at the boyfriend's house and are an adult? Then you can't go in the house where you grew up without her permission as you are not a tenant. If you need to retrieve some property, you can call the police non-emergency line and an officer can escort you to retrieve the property. You should get everything you want or need at that time. If your mother disputes your ownership of any of the items, then the police will not let you take it.Answer #2: You can ask the police to escort you to her home.
That said, she needs to evict you before it could ever be trespassing.Answer #3: How old are you? How long have you not been living at your mother's home? How did you come to not live there?


Title: will I be denied from pursuing law school because I was trafficked?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Not necessarily, you have to explain this in the character and fitness portion of the application in detail. Let the admissions office decide.


Title: [Advice] Police performing a welfare check...

Question:
I live in Maryland. My STBXH moved to West Virginia where he moved in with his gf who I recently found out is a heroin addict. He also has a past history with this particular drug and other family members (on his side) believe he is now regularly using heroin. We have children together and he never makes an attempt to see them and onlybonce every several months will text me and ask to speak to them. He even ignores their birthdays. We do not have any court ordered custody arrangements at the moment, but upon finding out this disturbing information (along with his own mother finding a used needle in his laundry) I would like to file for sole custody as I don't believe it is safe for them to be around their father or his gf. (Who has stolen $100 of their child support before it was court ordered)

I was told that I could have the police in his town do a welfare check. Upon looking into it the only reasons I've seen for those is if you haven't been able to get in touch with the person for awhile and are concerned for them. I didn't see anything about me being able to call and have them do one for suspicion of drug use. I would like to know 100% though and if he is I'd like to have that proof going into a custody hearing.

He also has a warrant for skipping a court date after he was arrested for a DUI over a year ago in which he totalled his car. If they go check on him are they going to run his name through their system and arrest him for his warrent?

Answer:
 There's no reason you can't give the cops an early Christmas gift and let them know there is a person with active warrants at xyz address and whom is also possibly engaging in illegal substance use.

You don't need a welfare check to turn in a fugitive from justice.  You're doing society a favor here and probably him by helping him address his problems. Answer #2: Get an attorney.

Your attorney will advise you what you should (and more importantly) what you should not do in order to position yourself for full custody.

Often, attempts to malign the non-custodial parent will back fire.

In my state (which is not your state), a GAL would be appointed, who would make the appropriate interviews, and investigations and make recommendations to the courts, which would be weighed heavily.


Title: Infection After Apendectomy

Question: I woke up from anesthesia with a drain tube in my belly and a pouch attached to it. The doctor suggested that the drain is needed to prevent the infection and allow for the drainage of the "bad fluids". Also, the surgery was done on Friday, but I was not released until Sunday night (during Saturday and Sunday no special care was administered except antibiotics through an IV). Got checked out from the hospital with a prescription of amoxicillin blend for a 5 day supply (seemed suspiciously trivial choice of an antibiotic and such a short course considering I have an alien object sticking out of me). The week went by pretty okay, however, two days later after finishing my last antibiotic pill (Friday night), which is today I discovered the redness around the wound, and it was not there prior. Also, the area feels warm and sensitive to the touch. My fiancee is a medical professional (sports medicine) and said those are the symptoms of an infection. Shortly after brainstorming this situation we have looked up the surgeon and the guy has 1.8-star rating and multiple patient complaints. I did not get to choose since it was an emergency surgery and the surgeon said he will be on vacation for 11 days after I saw him last on the day of being discharged. I asked what if I want the drain out earlier and he claimed that I must wait on him to return and walk with this thing in me until then. Now, it is Sunday night and he won't be back for another 4 days. I really do not want to go back to his office especially considering this infection situation (and we did follow all of the recovery assignments to the point), but I owe him money for the surgery since he was an on-call doctor for the hospital. Will another doctor take me for an independent opinion and take over the care? Is this considered a case of malpractice? How to treat the 1.8-star rating and patient's complaints on the wounds not healing properly (relative to my case )? Any advice from the medical and legal professionals and from the people who have been in similar situations is very much appreciated.

Answer:
 Sounds like your appendix burst during surgery.. this happened to me as well..

It was a long time ago for me.. and I had to stay in the hospital for a week.  But I had the hole in my stomach and had to let stuff drain out for about a week.. if your infection gets bad you should go back to the hospital for sure.

As far as malpractice.. I doubt it.. this all sounds pretty standard to me. You should still talk to a lawyer if things get bad tho.Answer #2: Both drains and a five day course of antibiotics are standard care after abdominal surgery. Drains can stay in for weeks to allow fluids to drain rather than becoming trapped and infected. The redness around the drain may not be anything serious, but you should follow up, even on vacation doctors have some sort of phone in coverage for questions or post op issues.

The low star rating may or may not mean anything, a couple of bad reviews over bedside manner or office wait times can bring an average down.

You need to see if you are having any complications with recovery, but unless they are serious and as a result of a doctor deviating from the standard or care, these are just normal healing issues.


Title: My wife's grandmother is holding her annuity and demanding a payment from it. What do we do?

Question:
Hey guys, my wife(f28) and I (m26) live in Chattanooga, TN. We are in kind of a pickle here. We have been staying with my wife's grandmother paying a small amount of rent so we can tackle student loans. We got rid of them (yay) just in time for my wife's annuity to kick in. It was an annuity set up by her late grandfather for 30k. My wife's grandmother is stating she is going to keep 5k of it because it was meant "for a down payment on a house". We aren't buying a house and don't plan on buying a house because we are always moving around due to work.

I told her grandmother she can keep the interest but not 5k because that's ridiculous. And that all the money needs to be in my wife's account before we move out (June 1st) or at least transferred over. I explained that she cannot dictate what that money is used for nor can she demand it for any reason, especially if it is my wife's property.

I want to cover our asses here, what kind of legal grounds would we have  to go after this money if it wasn't released to us? Is there a better way to go about this?

Thanks for the help.

Answer:
 Was the annuity bought in your wife's name, for her as annuitant?  Call the annuity issuer and set up direct deposit with them.  If the check previously sent to the grandmother has not been cashed, they may be able to put a stop payment on it and re-issue.Answer #2: How is granny going to keep an annuity that is in your wife's name? The checks coming from it will be issued to your wife. If granny deposits the checks, it is theft.

Why is granny involved at all?

Your wife should contact the institute that holds the annuity and change the address of the beneficiary to hers.


Title: Arizona. Cousin got rearended when he was doing a u-turn and in the aftermath the cops found weed (approx. 4.5 lbs) in his truck. He had diversion for a single joint 2 years ago, can he get diversion again? And whats the penalty for an illegal u-turn?

Answer:
 4.5 lbs, that isn't just for personal use and likely to be a felony, he needs a lawyer ASAP.Answer #2: Congratulations on getting caught with a felony amount of pot in the worst state in the nation to get caught in.

If convicted he will most likely serve jail time in addition to a fine that will break him economically for the rest of his life.


Title: My gf's iPhone 6 from Verizon was taken from our doorstep after she signed the door tag allowing FedEx to leave the package without a signature. In retrospect, this was a terrible idea. What's her recourse? [CA]

Answer: File a police report.  I would call Verizon and see if they will cover it, but probably not, since she signed saying to leave it.  I have never had anything disappear.


Title: [Iowa] How can I get a gag order for my brother?

Question:
He lives with me, and he is extremely annoying. He sits on his laptop and slowly reads gay erotic material out loud because he thinks it is super hilarious to do so.

He messages guys on Okcupid to solicit dirty talk, and then he reads it all off when I can hear it and am screaming at him to shut up.

I've shut off the electricity and stuff, and he just pulls out a porno book that he wrote and reads it with a flashlight or something. He locks the door so I can't get in. I've stolen his stories and computer while he was in the bathroom, and he just lays on his bed moaning and making stuff up.

His name is on the lease, so I can't kick him out, but can I sue him for emotional distress and get a gag order against him? Alternatively, could I get him locked up for mental health?

Answer: Finally! A decent, but not great troll.


Title: Mom being sued, yet I was called about her summons?

Question:
I did some digging around reddit and decided this was the best place for this question. If its not, let me know where I can go for an answer. I'm hoping this is straight forward.

I received a call today from someone (not sure who as a VM was left for me) and found out that my mom was apparently being sued. I called the number that they left and, sure enough, she was. But here is my question.

Why was I called? How did they get my number? Does this happen often? Is this a "normal" process for trying to tell someone they are being sued?

Turns out she had just (for whatever reason) stopped paying on a bill that she had and said company was now going to sue her but I'm still curious to know how I got involved?

Any input on this would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 They are likely just trying to track her down or find someone willing to pay her debt for her. Google a little and the info (your number and relationship) are easily found.

Just stop answering unknown numbers or tell them not to contact you anymore.

Also, in general, lawsuits are public info anyway so telling someone is not a big deal.


Title: If you manufacture a product for a customer and then they don't pay, can you legally sell the branded goods to someone else to recoup your loss?

Question: The customer is based in the USA.

Answer:
 It would be a trademark infringement because reasonable customers (like, all of them) would be confused into thinking that they came from the customer, whereas they actually came from you.  [Lanham Act link.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lanham_Act)

Really your recourse is to sue the customer for breaching the contract in which they agreed to pay you for manufacturing the goods.


Title: Some random guy texted my daughter (16) asking her to send "Booty pics" Can I go to the police to press charges?

Question: So today my daughter told me there was some guy texting and calling her and asking for "booty pics" She said she's been getting text messages from a bunch of different numbers. I'm thinking that the guy may be using like a vpn or something to hide his number. What can I do?

Answer: You can call the non emergency local police number to ask for advice, most likley they will tell you to block that number and contact them if things start to go sour, but it wouldn't hurt to call and ask for some advice.


Title: Caught with small amounts of many illegal items in San Jose, CA. (Or: "Once you get locked into a serious drug collection...")

Question:
Long story shorter: I was caught riding shotgun in my own car with my personal stash. It was a decent assortment of mostly small amounts of MDMA, LSD, a 2Cx member, possibly a quarter gram of cocaine (really not sure if they found it it I lost it), a gram of technically-illegal cannabis concentrate, and a dozen whippets (just generally druggy to have). Also, I had an unopened container of a benzodiazepine in its pure(ish) form so although it was less than a half gram, it was enough for hundreds of doses. I had a used meth pipe on my person, though no ice was in the car. Driving wife (who was pulled over for an insufficiently-illuminated license plate) and I were both charged under [CHSC 11377](http://www.shouselaw.com/hs-11377.html) (possession of a controlled substance {specifically MDMA}) and [CHSC 11364](http://www.shouselaw.com/drug-paraphernalia.html) (possession of drug paraphernalia {specifically the meth pipe}). I had a .01g CD scale for which they haven't charged me (yet?) as intent to sell charges have different code numbers and I didn't have baggies or cash.

Didn't talk to the cops. Went to jail, out now. Court in two months. Don't know whether to face misdemeanor or felony charges. I'm not poor but I have a huge rent due each month for a house 150 miles away that I sleep in two nights a month. I sleep in my car. Had to pay $800, but it's out of impound and I have my home again (slept in a storage containers last night--wife sleeps at mother's). I will get a second job ASAP because I cut it pretty close by the end if the month as it is and will need legal counsel.

So far I've yet to consult a lawyer. I've looked at the diversionary option and I would love to be eligible for that. I'm 28 and have a 5-year-old reckless driving conviction pleaded down from DUI from another state. If you tell me there's a lawyer out there who might get me community service and rehab for this, I would happily go into debt for their help. I have good credit and several thousand available to me currently though no savings. I could feasibly get a loan for a few thousand more. I make $1000/$800 a week before/after taxes. Half of that goes towards fruitless rent. I don't expect any judge to grant me a public defender unless I catch one with a heart of gold on a good day. Too old for leniency I think. There's a somewhat crazy look about me though I'm fortunate to be tall and traditionally attractive (every little bit helps). I have a tendency to ramble.

I think she'll get off since they're obviously mine. Wondering if I have a chance.
Topic:
Drug Possession

Answer: Get an attorney yesterday. I'm fairly certain you'll start to see additional charges once the lab results on the rest of your goodies come back.


Title: Teenage friend being blackmailed for nudes

Question:
Okay sorry if this is the wrong subreddit but here it goes

My friend (14 f) sent nudes to her boyfriend you know how it goes. Then she gets a random message from kik by a name she doesn’t recognize sending her said pictures saying if you don’t send me more I’ll send them to everyone etc. she doesn’t believe her boyfriend shared them but honestly I don’t see any other way he’d get them.

Is there anything we can do? Obviously he is in possession of child porn and is actively blackmailing a child and we have a first and last name but nobody around here fits the last name. She’s willing to get police involved and her parents are already away of the situation. Sorry if I’m not giving enough info ask for anything else I’m just typing this in a rush because I am at a loss about what to do short of texting the guy myself which I guarantee won’t do anything.

We live in Ohio for reference
Topic:
Computer and Internet

Answer:
 Computer Crimes Investigator on a Federal Task Force here.

She needs to go to her parents or another trusted adult and get this reported ASAP.Answer #2: Do NOT get the police involved without a lawyer. She can very easily be charged with production of child pornography.Answer #3: > she doesn’t believe her boyfriend shared them but honestly I don’t see any other way he’d get them.

It's not unheard of for a person to access a friend's phone and then sends themselves media in order to share.  Answer #4: She should not talk to the police about this directly.  They need to hire a criminal defense lawyer to represent her since she sent the pics to her bf, which would put her in legal jeopardy.  Do not speak again with the bf until consulting with the attorney.


Title: Brother hits and runs in my car - what do i do?

Question:
My little college brother was driving one of my cars, helping my wife do some chores while i was at work before xmas day. I get a letter in the mail today from a columbus ohio detective saying my car was in an accident and please call her back.

If i wasnt driving, am i responsible? Is my little brother at risk of going to jail? Im guessing the stupid little fucker backed up into something at a gas station, shrugged his stupid little shoulders and drove off.

Say this is what happened, what should i expect i terms of legal process from here? Is this a case of say nothing, lawyer up immediately? Is this something where we BOTH have to lawyer up?

Thanks,

Answer:
 If he was driving your car and he left the scene of an accident, he has *criminal* liability for that act (he can be charged with a crime) in addition to the *civil* liability for the damage he caused.

There are *some* states where you (as the owner of the car) could have  also have *civil* liability for the event (you could be responsible for the cost of the damages he caused).  I don't know if Ohio is one of those states or not.

Regardless of this, you could be a suspect in the crime since your car was used.

If this was me, I would tell my little brother he needs a lawyer, and I would tell the police that my little brother borrowed the car during the time in question.

Other posters here may disagree with that, under the blanket advice of "never ever talk to the police."

That is certainly an option.  But if you look kind of like your brother, and witnesses put a guy who looks kind of like you behind the wheel of your car and leaving the scene of an accident, then not telling the police your side here could end with YOU being charged with a crime.  Then you'll probably have to tell your side in court anyway.

If you're worried about it, talk to an attorney before you talk to the police.


Title: Dad trying to quit awful job after 10 days, they're telling him he needs to have given 30 days notice! HELP!

Question: My dad started an awful janitorial job recently that's extremely back breaking and hard on his health. They also make him pay out of pocket for cleaning supplies and extra things. He decided to quit and tried telling his boss, but the boss told him according to the contract he would have to have given 30 days notice. My dad doesn't remember the contract, and the boss said my dad would have to go back tonight to get the contract and would also have to pay additional fees. Is any of this legal?

Answer: Your dad doesn't have a contract, tell him to just not show up and find a new job.


Title: I think my husband is secrectly retired to get out of paying me alimony

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If he's not paying alimony, you can file for contempt. At that time, he can ask to have his alimony modified to reflect his new income. Then you can argue that he is willfully underemployed. You will need a lawyer for this. Many take payment plans. Also if the lawyer sees you're about to get a large chunk of money in the form of back alimony, he or she may be more willing to take a smaller retainer up front. Answer #2: I don't think that him not working or being "retired", even if true, necessarily affects his obligations to pay child support.

How did you get him to pay alimony in the first place?  Is there a court order?  Were you represented by an attorney then?

>I can't really even afford a lawyer.

I don't think you can afford not to...Answer #3: IamaL
He and you are both bound by whatever is in the  final court order /settlement signed by the judge. If he wants to change that he has to go to court.

You go back your divorce lawyer in the state where the divorce took place and start there.

He wouldn't be the first  person to try voluntary impoverization to get out of marital obligations.

That said, unless your kids are little, like under school age,  or you are old and were married a long time, most courts order rehabilitative maintenance for a set period of time  with the expectation that the receiving spouse will go back to work .

Call your old divorce lawyer. He/she will tell you what the deal is in your state.


Title: My birth Mother is Canadian, I'm adopted. I'd like my citizenship. How do I get my sealed birth certificate?

Question:
Ok some background that complicates things.
My mother isn't allowed into America due to criminal conviction.
I'm not allowed into Canada due to criminal conviction.

I was born while she was a candian immigrant in America, I was adopted at a young age and my birth certificate revised and her name removed. My adoptive parent has passed away, and the county I was adopted in is across the country.

I'd just like to be able to visit Canada.

Edit: Mostly interested in retreving my original birth certificate.

Answer: You'll have to talk to a Canadian lawyer. In America at least, my understanding is that adoption negates your original citizenship, so if an American child is adopted by a foreign couple (which sometimes happens), that child is no longer American. Don't know how it works in Canada, but a Canadian lawyer would. Google "Canada adoption lawyer," or replace "Canada" with the name of the Canadian province your birth mother was from.


Title: My teacher abused me ?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Honey, you need to go back to your eye doctor and tell him/her that you are still in pain.

Answer #2: There is literally no way a ph buffer is burning your eyes after a year.  No way.

Also, if she had doctored it, it should have shown a change in ph on your indicators or changed colors.  You SHOULD have followed best lab practices but buffers won't damage your eyes.  You need to see a doctor.


Title: I was laid off today and essentially told that I'm not going to be receiving my owed back-pay because through overtime I achieved my financial goal set that calendar year. However, I was being paid at a lower rate than agreed to. Do I have a case for a wrongful termination suit?

Question:
I'm a "technical employee," I was an Associate at a small architecture firm doing construction admin, project management, design, and drafting, etc.

EDIT: I live in New Jersey. The office is incorporated in New Jersey.

During my 2015-2016 annual review, I was supposed to receive a 10% bump that would put me over the figure that I had wanted to achieve per annum. This summer, 2017, I realized that the rate never changed at that time. This amounts to several thousand dollars of back pay. My boss agreed to cut a check for that pay. At this time, if you calculate back my hours worked (overtime) even though it was at the previous rate, I actually make my figure per annum that I wanted to achieve. In the conversation where I was laid off, my boss essentially said that since we got to that point, he wasn't planning to issue me back pay because we managed to achieve my per annum goal regardless. I don't feel this is right because I worked my ass off, 50+ hours per week on the regular, and if I didn't work that much I wouldn't have made my target, although if I was working only 40 I would have cleared my target with the correct rate of pay.
His basis for termination is that essentially I've progressed past the point at which a 5-7 year architect can be paid within the firm without being able to deliver on some of the project management follow up and follow through goals required for my role. This is understandable and even agreeable for me because it is simply not a role that I am suited for; I belong in a more technical role. There's a couple other incidental and small things that he's used as by-way justification for the layoff, but regardless, I feel as though I'm being let go because he doesn't want to pay me for shit he owes me.
I've scrubbed this sub and a couple others for wrongful termination stuff, but I can't find anything specific enough to figure out my next step. Does anyone have any experience with this? TY in advance.

By recommendation, I'm reposting this over from r/personalfinance.

Answer: I would first file a wage claim with the state for the past OT and salary he rightfully owes you.  The state has teeth and lawyers on staff who will force him to produce documentation.  If you don't get satisfaction from the wage claim then call your local bar and ask for a referral.


Title: Boyfriend just found out that the bedroom he will be renting doesn’t have a window and only one exit.

Question:
This takes place in Michigan. My boyfriend signed a lease to sublet an apartment from a friend who can no longer stay there due to coming down with a serious illness he needs to be hospitalized long term for.

He just found out from his other friend/roommate he will be living with that the room he’ll be getting doesn’t have a window.

I know this can’t be legal and isn’t up to fire code for a bedroom. What are his options here? He doesn’t want to leave his other friend with the other half of the rent he can’t afford by trying to drop out of the lease right away.

But they obviously wouldn’t be able to rent that bedroom out to someone else if we call the Fire Marshall on them. So maybe they could remove the cost of the other bedroom from the rent?

What if he stayed there anyway and then tried to recoup the cost of living in an illegal bedroom after the fact? I’m trying to convince him not to do that for safety reasons, but he is worried about finding other housing in the very small town he will be in. Would that even be a possibility?

Thanks!
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 He definitely shouldn’t stay there. He could die in a fire.

Maybe talk to the landlord and see if they could rent it as a one bedroom (with him finding somewhere else to live) as a first step.

If that doesn’t work, call the fire Marshall.


Title: Trying to sale mobile home that is fully owned by me but park where i rent a lot says i cant

Question: The mobile home park i live in says i have to show them 3 yrs of paid property tax before i can sale my mobile home which i own right out.  Paid full in cash when i got it. I have the title. I only pay lot rent. I live in PA. I dont know what property taxes they are talking about.  Can they really do this?

Answer:
 It sounds like you haven't been paying property tax on your home. Even though you rent the land, I believe PA also collects property tax on the mobile home itself.

Contact the PA department of revenue and ask them: http://www.revenue.pa.gov/GetAssistance/ContactUsbyPhone/Pages/default.aspx#.VeDF2LdCao8


Title: "It is a violation of Federal Law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its' labeling," as seen on many commercial products. What law is that, and how much teeth does this law have?

Question:
Many drain cleaners, heavy duty cleaners/solvents, pest control products, compressed air, etc., have this warning label.

Ostensibly this law is to be used against huffing, which I'd never do.  However, every time I use a commercial product and see that warning label, I've wondered what law exactly that is that one could violate, as well as what the penalties are.

Further, if I find an off-label use for that product, like oven cleaner is a good degreaser even though the label does not call for that, am I in violation of the law?

Thanks for any info.

Answer: They're all hazardous materials, so if you're not using them for their intended purpose, you're improperly disposing of HazMat.  The law is the Resource Conservation & Recovery Act


Title: She is on HUD housing for herself in a one bedroom apartment, now there are 5 living in it and one that comes and goes.

Question:
She got a voucher from HUD for a one year lease in a one bedroom apartment. It is now her, two kids, one is mine, her friends kid, and her friend. There is a guy who regularly stays there too who is a registered sex offender. I want to report her to HUD, can I do this?
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If the sex offender is restricted from being near children, report him, too. Answer #2: Yup, abusing it takes away from those who need it.

Report here: https://www.hudoig.gov/report-fraudAnswer #3: Is there anyway you can get custody of your kid, so you know they don't have to live with a sex offender in a one bedroom apartment?


Title: [FL] How to get dad on child support when not paying anymore.

Question:
I’m currently 21 years old and my dad never sent money when I was a child and anytime I ask for money now he doesn’t send me anything. From childhood he owes over 15k dollars and still refuses to pay anything. I only ask because I can’t work right now because I have issues that I’m sorting out with anxiety and depression and panic attacks and am currently going to see a psychologist and therapist to try and resolve it, but it’s expensive and I feel like my dad should chip in a little bit. Is there anything I can do? Cause I still live with my parents and they could use the money also.
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 That money is owed to your mom, not you. If she wants it she could take him to court over it, but if she doesn't you can't force it. Answer #2: It's your mother's money, not yours. You have no claim to it. It'd be up to your mother to pursue thisAnswer #3: Good evening

Child support does not go directly to the child.  It goes to the other parent.  The person who needs to take action would be your other parent.  Was there an official court order for child support?


Title: Does the stop and frisk program apply to upstate NY as well? (Outside of NYC)

Answer:
 In short, yes.

"Stop and frisk", as applied in NYC, is NYPD's interpretation of [New York State 140.50](http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/nycode/CPL/TWO/H/140/140.50).  Any law enforcement officer in New York State can stop persons as described in that section.

Your local law enforcement agency will determine how their office abides by that law.  They can do what NYPD does, or something else.


Title: Can I sue a supermarket for false advertising?

Question:
I bought a pack of 6 at $21 meaning $3.5 / item but separately it cost $2.95.
Topic:
Consumer Law

Answer: That's not false advertising. You simply chose to pay more for a 6 pack. Answer #2: You want to sue them because you didn’t do the math?


Title: [Idaho] - Fiancee's lawyer avoids her, doesn't return calls or emails for six months at a time, and has basically told his whole office to ignore her. She wants to settle and he doesn't seem to like the idea. This has been going on for over a full year.

Question:
Help me /r/LegalAdvice, you're my only hope.

My fiancee has been entangled in a frustrating and emotionally-taxing worker's compensation / negligence lawsuit for close to two years now. She had to get major surgery, and has been unable to get another job in her industry due to permanent lifting restrictions.

She ended up changing attorneys because the first one had a sudden onset of brain cancer, so her current attorney basically got this case handed to him with a bow on it. From the moment he got it, the only thing left to do was negotiate the details of the settlement. That was over a year ago.

This lawyer absolutely refuses to answer her calls or communicate with her in any reasonable manner. If she calls the office and asks if he's in, the receptionist will say "yes" but when my fiancee identifies herself, he's suddenly unavailable. She's been told by the reception staff that all of his assistants "are not allowed to talk to [my fiancee]" and that only the attorney can give her an update on the case - yet this attorney avoids her at all costs. He's taken four vacations in the past year.

The last time they talked, she told him she wanted to be done with the case ASAP so she could move on with her life, and the attorney essentially told her that he "wanted to cut the other side some slack" because "it's good to make connections, because it might benefit [him] in the future," essentially saying he cared more about establishing some sort of quid-pro-quo relationship with the other attorney versus seeing to the needs of his client.

This has been going on for over a full year. When she switched attorneys, essentially everything was done except for the settlement negotiation. The last time he called her was about six months ago, and that only happened after I met his boss (the firm's senior partner) at a social event and asked him to have a word with this attorney.

She receives absolutely no communication as to the status of her case, and when she's approached other attorneys she's been told that her current attorney would likely put a lien on her settlement and they wouldn't be interested (or something to that effect). I've emphasized that she needs to set a date and time for a face-to-face meeting, but she's gotten to the point where she's intimidated to be in the same room as him because everybody at his office treats her like persona non grata. The moment she identifies herself to anybody in that office, he suddenly becomes unavailable.

When she called his office on Monday and basically begged to speak to the attorney, she was told by the assistant that "he's writing an email to you right now about the case." It's been four days and no email has been received, nor has any other communication been established. He's apparently out of town until next Tuesday now.

/r/LegalAdvice, my fiancee is at the end of her rope with this, and I'm tired of seeing her unable to move toward the future because of this neverending battle against her own lawyer. What do you recommend? I've suggested filing a Bar complaint, but I'm not sure if this would make things worse or if it could move it along a little better. What else do you suggest?

What can be done? I can't imagine this is normal treatment.

Thank you very much.

Answer:
 If she doesn't like her attorney, and/or believe the attorney is being unethical, she can:

1) Terminate her relationship with the attorney, and find a new attorney.

2) File a complaint with the bar.

In this order, because if the lawyer is an actual scumbag, you don't want them jeopardizing her case in retaliation.

Whether or not she should terminate her relationship with this attorney is completely up to her. On the one hand, it's tedious to make the switch, but on the other hand, beware of sunk cost fallacy decision-making.


Title: Got bit by a homeless persons dog

Question:
Hello,

So I was walking at a remote beach in Davenport,California and when I went to the parking lot to leave there was a homeless person who was living in his car (could easily tell he hadn't taken bath in months).  When I was about to leave I had a flat tire so even though I was hesitant I went towards this guy to ask which direction the nearest mechanic could be and out of no where his huge dog jumped on me and bites me really hard. My hand starts bleeding. I get scared and forget to note down his number plate or take contact information and just go to the hospital. Is there anything that can be done to avoid the huge hospital bill I might get.

&#x200B;

Sorry for bad english, not my first language.

Answer:
 Not really. You didnt get their info nor file a police report. So there is no one else to cover this bill for you.

Not that a homeless person has money to pay for it.


Title: Can a potential employer profit from a writing test without paying me?

Question:
[New York]

As an creative strategist, employers often ask me to produce new writing samples and creative concepts as part of the job application. Is it legal for them to use these writing samples (i.e. publish them, use them as the basis of other projects) without compensating me?

I've tried to look this up on my own, and so far I haven't had much luck. The closest was copyright law, but I don't think they apply here since the writing samples here fall under "Ideas, procedures, methods, systems, processes, concepts, principles, discoveries, or devices, as distinguished from a description, explanation, or illustration."

Would love to know if anyone has insights into this!

Answer: In the absence of a contract, you own the copyright on your writings and you could sue them if they made commercial use of your work.


Title: [TX] My (37M) mother cracked the family safe while I was living and working out of state and sold my entire firearms, comic book, and baseball card collections for nothing

Question:
I was living out of state, working, doing my own thing. I came back to my family home to find that my mother had completely lost it. There was mold in the house, no food, she had been urinating and defaulting herself for who knows how long. I got her into a hospital and started the process of selling my entire life back home to move closer to her.

A few weeks later (this past New Years), I found my family safe absolutely gutted. She stole an entire irreplaceable collection of antique and rare firearms and sold everything in three or four trips to a local gun dealer without them even questioning her. My fathers retirement pistol, gone, my childhood rifles, gone, my grandfathers war pistols, gone, my custom leather goods and holsters, gone. She even took my entire stack of childhood books, comics, and baseball cards from when my father was still here and sold them all for a measley $90.00

She has been fighting everything the doctors have tried to do for her, she ran off her home care people, and she has pretty much just given up on getting better, and I want nothing more but to leave and never see her again, but my own financial situation prohibits me from just leaving.

I have tried talking to these companies to get my property back, and I am not getting anywhere. I declined to press charges against my mother, but there is a detective working the case, but the communication has not been the best. The comic book store she sold my things to told me that since it was so long ago (around June of last year) that they weren’t going to help me, and now not even the gun shop will return my calls or emails.

I simply don’t know what to do. She’s my mother, but she absolutely robbed a huge part of my life when she stole those things from me, which were locked up, and NOT any single bit her property, and she just sold it away for nothing. My childhood memories, everything just gone, and I don’t know what to do.

I’m just so incredibly sad and I don’t know if I want to even try going on. I had to file bankruptcy last year after being rear ended by an underinsured driver, and now this little nest egg I had at my home is gone, stolen by my own mother.

I don’t know where to go, what to do.

Answer: Have you reported those guns as stolen? or filed a police report of any kind? That'd be my first step.Answer #2: I would rethink pressing charges against your mother.  If your property is reported as stolen the receivers need to return it or be charged themselves with receiving stolen property.  I understand why you would be hesitant given its your mother, but in her mental state it is highly unlikely that she will be judged competent to be tried.  Instead it may be enough to force her into treatment.


Title: How can I get an attorney for a divorce when my spouse controls all the money? (VA)

Question:
This one is actually for my mother, and not me personally.

My mother is an amazing woman, dedicated, loving, caring, and has been a military wife for about 30 years. My father has left the house about 2 years ago (I suspect he was cheating), he still pays some bills, the house is in both of their names. The issue is that my mother is unemployed, and spends her time caring for her grandchildren when I or my sibling cannot.

My father controls all the money she would have access to and has choked her out of all the accounts, he will on occasion give her a small amount of money, the amount I'm unsure of, but typically it's enough for groceries. She cannot support herself at all. He keeps trying to get her to sign a stipulation agreement and agree to his demands. This involves him getting the house, everything really, pawning off his debt onto her, and giving her a pitance of money every month (like $150).

Now I love my father, despite his actions, but for the sake of my mother she deserves better. I can't afford to pay for any attorney fees for her, and she certainly can't either. That being said the only way (in my eyes) to end all the emotional pain and hurt he has caused my mother is to get divorced. But nobody can afford it and my father won't let up choking her out until she agrees with his terms.

Is there anything she can do? We've looked for lawyers but all of them want a retainer fee which I understand, it's just too much for any one of us to afford.

Answer: As an active duty service member your father is required to support his dependents.  Adultery is also against UCMJ, if he's been in for 30 years he is probably a member of senior leadership, and they will take this very seriously.  If she goes to his chain of command he will get a *very* stern talking to.  Answer #2: Ask a lawyer if it is possible for your father be ordered to pay her attorney fees, or if they will take a payment plan once she gets spousal support.


Title: Keyless Ignition and DUI [US]

Question:
As more and more cars have keyless ignitions, I was wondering if this had any impact on DUI laws. I know from time to time we hear about people who were not driving their car, but were still charged with DUI because their key was in the ignition. With a keyless ignition, even if you are in the back seat, you have "put the key in the ignition" from a mechanical standpoint. There are probably also systems where the vehicle is operated without even opening the door to the car, just by standing outside it.

I imagine this is an issue legislators and courts are currently dealing with, but wanted to hear some ideas/opinions.

Not asking about any particular case, just trying to be a more informed motorist.

Answer:
 This really depends on the way an individual state's law is written. As far as I know, there is no law that states the key must be in the ignition. A lot of statutes like to use "Actual physical control of the vehicle" which has typically been extended to include being anywhere in the car with the keys.

There have been instances where people sleeping in their car with the keys outside have still been charged with DUI, they can then fight that in court depending on how their state's law is written.

Moral of the story: Don't be in or around your vehicle while you're intoxicated.


Title: [Indiana] Landlord kept full of security deposit, any way to get it back without having to go small claims court?

Question:
Hi /r/legaladvice. I'm an avid follower of /r/legaladvice and generally know my rights in regards to rent/landlords, what to do, etc. I recently moved out of my apartment (in August) after I graduated from my university. However, the landlord kept the full security deposit (after sending an itemized list), and we owed them more money than the deposit. I contested this list, and they deducted it so they could keep the "exact security deposit."

The itemized charges were for "Full Cleaning - $205, Full Painting - $270, Carpet Cleaning - $130, Paint (2.5 gallons) - $57". When asked for another invoice, they condition was listed that "the Apartment was fairly dirty, and required all of those charges." However, I have a video walkthrough of the apartment before and after our lease was up, showing that the apartment condition was as good as (if not better) than when we first got it originally.

When I contested their case again, they stated "While you and others may feel that charges for cleaning and painting should be considered normal wear and tear, Indiana case law maintains that carpet cleaning, general cleaning, and painting costs are not necessarily covered by normal wear and tear. "

Now, the lease states that "Said deposit shall be used by Landlord to cover any damages, repairs, materials, cleaning costs, painting costs, unpaid rent, additional rent, late charges or other charges against the premises." However, Indiana state code  § 32-31-3-13 states that the security deposit may only be used  "To reimburse the landlord for actual damages to the rental unit or any ancillary facility that are not the result of ordinary wear and tear." In addition, § 32-31-3-17 states "A waiver of this chapter by a landlord or tenant is void." And finally, in 2011 (and updated in 2015), the Indiana Civil Rights Commission, in conjunction with the Indiana State Department of Health and Indiana Attorney General's office, published a Tenant's Right's sheet which states "It is illegal for a landlord to use a security deposit for the purpose of making repairs to the property as part of normal wear and tear, such as carpet cleaning or repainting walls". So they define both of those tasks as wear and tear that should happen before a tenant moves in anyways.

I was wondering that if these provisions provided any adequate defense for me to be able to contest this (at least out of small claims court). The only cases that I could find are somewhat relevant are Miller v. Geels (1994) and Castillo-Cullather v. Pollack (1997) - however, these cases were where the plantiffs did not properly clean the facility (and admitted to it - stating that cleaning was wear and tear), whereas I have video evidence of the apartment being in as good of (or better) condition. And in addition, this was before the ICRC, ISDH, and IAG published their fact sheet defining wear and tear.

I just really want to be able to get my security deposit back without going back to Indiana (no reason for me to right now). If not, I know the statute of limitations is 6 years, so I guess I'll go sometime before that then.

Sorta P.S. The Management company also stated that " There was some damage to the walls, such as the holes where curtains were hung in the living room, that required the walls to be painted. " However, all curtains were hung by maintenance (management), and I have photos of the holes there from when they installed the curtains. Would this be a case of the management company attempting to pass on an expense to us?

Answer:
 Because you have the pictures you have a strong case to take to the small claims court. I say this because It will probably be very hard to get your deposit back without going to small claims court. ;)Answer #2: The costs listed are for normal wear and tear. Who doesn't paint and clean between tenants? You shouldn't be on the hook for those charges.

You can try sending a letter stating your intent to pursue small claims & (if available) treble damages.


Title: I did tutoring in exchange for coupons at a business. Upon quitting the owner revoked all of these coupons, claiming that it was a volunteer position and the coupons were only a “thank you” for my services. Does it violate the FLSA either way?

Question:
I posted yesterday on this but was asking the wrong questions. Thank you those that commented before!

I started tutoring for a for-profit business and was told I would be given coupons after every session as compensation. The tutoring is considered “free”, as students don’t pay for the service. Note that it was the owner of the store who called it compensation, not me. I was never called an employee or volunteer and the owner does not keep any records of me or the hours I work.

After a dispute with the owner I told her I would not be tutoring anymore. She told me that in that case, my coupons would all be invalid at the store. I objected to her revoking my compensation for hours of labor, and she responded, “those vouchers are a thank you from us for your volunteer service, we offer them to you on a hourly bases as an incentive to help students”. Later in the conversation she called it an “unpaid volunteer position”.

I intend to file a wage claim, but I don’t know what my argument is. If the position was volunteering, then it violates the FLSA due to it being done for the benefit of a for-profit business. If it was not, then I feel she owes me wages for the hours I did in lieu of the coupons as compensation. I would not have offered my services if I was not compensated in some way.

Do I need to note both of these things when I file a wage claim? Or go with one?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer: Whether they offered to pay you in cash, coupons or magic beans, you deserve to be compensated for the hours you spent working.  Contact the Bureau of Wage and Hour Administration in Ohio.


Title: (WI) Sold car 4 months ago, forgot to take off plates. Buyer getting parking tickets with my plates and is refusing to register vehicle.

Question:
In January, I sold my car. I have a receipt of sale for it. However, I forgot to get the plates off. I realized 2 days later, and texted the guy asking him to send them to me. He told me he had already taken them off, snapped them in half and thrown them out. I let the matter drop.

I recently received a number of over due parking tickets for the car from a place about 150 miles from me. I texted the guy and demanded the plates from him, as well as paying the tickets. He's basically been jerking me around on it for the past week and a half. I'm going in today to the DMV to get the plates invalidated. Is there anything I can do to get the tickets off my record, and anything else I can do to protect myself in this? The car has tags valid for about 4 more months, so cops wouldn't notice anything off with them for a while yet.

I tried to go the police station in my town to report the plates stolen, and they said that because I didn't take them off, they weren't technically stolen. They also said this should be done in the town that the person lived. I have a copy of their license (Took a pic before they test drove it), but I have reasons to believe it's an old license.

I also looked the person up on the Wisconsin Circuit Court System. He currently has an arrest warrant out for skipping out on court for his 4th DUI.

Again, any advice on this would be appreciated.

Answer: You can pay the tickets and sue him. If you don't pay them you will be sent to collections and down the road may not be able to renew your license.


Title: Fired over text with no reason and haven't gotten last check (CA)

Question: So I got a text on the 2nd from my manager telling me that they won't need me to come in anymore and that I should expect my paycheck soon (through direct deposit) with my sick time and PTO paid out. Our pay period ended on the 31st of last month and our regular pay day was today on the 5th. I stopped by to see if the physical paycheck was in and there is nothing. I can't pay rent without the check and I haven't gotten any update from my manager about it. It is a franchise so I don't know who to talk to. I also read that after a certain time if I still have not received my check than I will be compensated for every day I don't receive it up to my average daily hours. I don't know when that starts or how it works. I'm just confused and don't know how to handle this. I just want my final paycheck soon and to be paid to me properly and fairly.

Answer: California employers are required to give a terminated employee their final paycheck immediately upon termination. File a complaint with the labor board.


Title: [MA] needle stick during clinical by professor, do i have to pay for BW?

Question:
OKAY
so I am a nursing student in my 4th year first semester. I am currently in a Maternity rotation. I was giving a 2 hour old baby a vaccine. I withdrew the needle and went to throw my needle in the sharps container. my professor told me to recap the needle and took the needle from my hand. for no apparent reason she took the syringe back and to show me that i can recap the needle with a small plastic piece on the side. she told me to grab the needle back so that i could recap the needle, as i was moving my hand to the syringe she moved the needle and stuck my finger. i was wearing gloves btw. i moved my hand away by reflex and she put my needle in sharps.
there is a policy in hospitals that if you choose to report this (which because i am a student i have to) you have to go to employee health and have blood drawn to HIV and hep b and c. the mother of the baby also had labs drawn (the baby is 2 hours old. anything the mother has the baby has, she isnt old enough to have contracted anything like that) all tests came back negative. the hospital originally requested that this go under my insurance. i explained that this was not my fault and the story above and the hospital did a favor to me and covered for the bloodwork, i now have 6 blood tests i need to have done over the next 6 months and my school is requiring it be under my insurance. i tried to explain to them that it was not my fault and they didnt give a shit. they are also requiring i go to needle safety class during finals week.

aintnobodygottimeforthat.gif

am i liable for this bloodwork/course ?
what should i do?

Answer:
 IANAL, but I am a nurse.  The instructor needs to be reported to the school and [OSHA](https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/hospital/hazards/sharps/sharps.html) for unsafe practice.  This is irresponsible of the instructor.

If you choose to report... talk to the Dean and ask for a transfer to a different instructor for your own safety.  I have a feeling that instructor won't be there the second semester after this.

On the practical side... you need that instructor and the school to pass you. I would keep my head down until you graduate and lower the boom right after. Let your insurance pay for it and let them go after the school's liability insurance.Answer #2: I've been trying to think of a judicial way to handle this situation but I am not certain that there is one.

For the insurance issue:
The medical expenses will probably need to be covered by your insurance. The only way to really recover medical expenses is through litigation and I doubt you want to sue over some relatively small copays. I was once injured IN a hospital by a falling ceiling and they still billed my insurance.

The course issue:
This is an internal policy issue. I'm assuming that the school is mandating the course in order to continue with residency rotation? If the school refuses to consider your argument, maybe consider contacting the licensing board for your state and plead your case. They might have some influence over the process that students go through to become licensed and may be able to dissuade your school from making you take the course.

Edit: I actually am a lawyer so I'm sorry that my advice is so downvote-worthy.


Title: Falsely accused of crimes, Georgia USA.

Question:
In the last 6 months I have been falsely accused of rape by a female ex-coworker. We had no type of relations, i was a close friend while she was going through depression. I eventually did meet a girl and we started dating and the ex-coworker had threatened the other girl and after i told her to leave us alone she started telling people I raped her.

I don't want this to affect me in the future, and it has already made me lose what I thought were friends. Is this technically slander/illegal?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Get a lawyer and talk to him/her and listen to his/her advice. This will most probably spiral beyond your imagination very quickly.

Do NOT talk to ANYONE about this. Do NOT talk to the police or DA or a detective about this.

If the police invites you to talk about this to understand what is going on, do NOT go and talk to them. Answer #2: I’m going to be straight here, this is bad, you consult a lawyer and talk to the police WITH THE LAWYER PRESENT. If the police contact you first HAVE A LAWYER PRESENT, you should deal with the slander thing later after you clear this up.


Title: My boss is threatening to sue me for quitting without notice.

Question:
Hello there, this is a throwaway account that I am using to not be identified.

I am a college student from Dallas, Texas and I have been working for this guy for a couple of months now. Then one day, I just quit, telling him that I wanted to focus on school. He is now threatening to sue me, because I did not do what he had asked me in the prior weeks - he CLAIMS I didn't e-mail some people, which I clearly did, I am looking at the e-mail right now in the sent box. (Might I also add, that he is the dumbest person I know?)

However, I know for a fact that he grows and sells weed, and that is the true reason I quit on such short notice. I was tired of having to smell it every morning and I am not a weed-smoker myself at all, I merely told him I was, just so that he would keep me hired. The other problem with me turning him in for this is the fact that this will destroy what remnants of his family is left, their mother does not care about them a lot and the parents are divorced.

Therefore I ask, is it legal for him to sue me for leaving on a one day notice because I didn't want to be around marijuana anymore?

Answer:
 Anybody can sue anybody for anything. Unless you had a contract with him, you were an employee at will and could quit on the spot just like he could fire you on the spot. Don't threaten to turn him in, he knows you know about the weed and threatening people is generally a bad idea anyway. If he contacts you again tell him to leave you alone. If it rises to the level of harassment you can file a police report. Answer #2: I'm confused why the weed entered into the conversation at all.  You jumped from "he threated to sue me" straight to "I'm going to turn him in for his grow operation."  Then you say he'd be dangerous if you turn him in.

So don't turn him in . . .Answer #3: Texas is an at-will employment jurisdiction, meaning that you can quit at any time for any reason without notice, subject to certain exceptions (an employment agreement, working in healthcare and abandoning patients, etc.).


Title: [DC] Employer withheld pay for my 401k but nothing has been added to my 401k since 2017

Question:
I worked for my employer, based in GA, from 2012 until a couple weeks ago. I was regularly contributing 7% to my 401k (no employer match). The company has been having financial problems since the spring of this year and laid me off mid September. They currently owe me a number of paychecks, some reimbursements for travel expenses and I've come to discover that my 401k hasn't received any of my deductions from 2018.

I've filed a wage claim against the company for the missing paychecks but I'm uncertain what my best avenue is for the 401k  funds that are missing. The DC govt official who's handling my wage claim told me to contact the 401k and go to small claims for the travel expenses. The 401k told me to contact my employer. The employer is stonewalling me.

What's my best avenue to get this money into my 401k?

Thanks,

Answer: I would contact the [Employee Benefits Security Administration](https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ebsa/about-ebsa/ask-a-question/ask-ebsa); they oversee retirement plans.Answer #2: IANAL, but due to the length of time they failed to properly deposit your contributions into your account, you are probably also due any lost gains, so keep that in mind while attacking this issue.


Title: Arrested for Theft under $5000 and Mischief under $5000

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 You're facing possible (but unlikely) jail time. This is serious but can be mitigated by hiring a lawyer. Seriously, if you truly don't want this to alter your life anymore than it has, you'll borrow and scrape together the money necessary to pay for a criminal attorney. Otherwise, goodbye clean background check.Answer #2: Yup, that's theft and mischief.

An Indigenous Person in your situation might be eligible for diversion. You don't have to have status, just a bloodline.


Title: If I save screenshots of texts between my negligent landlord and I about serious damages, and repairs needed in my apartment, can they be used as official documentation in court?

Question:
Asking from NJ. This is a never ending saga with my landlords. I figured if everything is in writing between us via texts, along with me having photo/vidoe documentation of the negligence and damages that it would all be sufficient evidence in court, but would also like some feedback on this.

My stomach is also in knots since I told my Mom today for the first time that my landlord only gives me "receipts" via text messages, which I didn't think much about since I figured it's still proof of my on time payments. My Mother was fuming and told me to stop accepting text receipts and to demand paper ones with a signature on them. She feels that text receipts aren't sufficient evidence for proof of payment.

 I've lived in this building for about a year and a half now. They've had all of this time to make repairs. As of the last two months, I finally cracked the whip and got the town involved and plan on witholding rent starting on January 1st.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer: Text messages *can* be evidence in a legal proceeding.  Depending on the importance of those messages and the extent to which they may be in dispute, your attorney may have a more substantial way of collecting and entering those messages than taking screenshots.


Title: If someone purposely destroys your property, is that considered violence?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Douche

Answer:
 I believe you are allowed to use the minimum possible force to stop someone from stealing or destroying your property. This can sometimes include violence (but again, the minimum amount required). It'll be muddled, and if charges are pressed then you'd have to sort it out with the courts.

Repeatedly punching a women in the face in retaliation after the damage is done would not qualify, on any planet.


Title: Hydrochloric Acid

Question:
Virginia, 21F
I work in a facility that uses very high amounts of hydrochloric acid. Recently it was discovered that this facility is emitting (as a gas) at least .50 pounds per hour of hydrochloric acid. The standard (maximum) is .08. The facility is facing a hefty fine and has to solve the issue or face being shut down. With this information comes the realization that for at least a year employees have been breathing in at least .50pph of the acid if not more, as the air that was tested was filtered air; not the air in the facility. There are also numerous health issues I can personally attribute to this job site, that now make sense with this new information. My question is, is there anything I can do legally? Thanks in advance
Topic:
Healthcare Law including HIPAA

Answer:
 Nothing we can help you with.  You need to find a workplace safety attorney *immediately* so they can coordinate the collection of evidence and help you consider your options.

There's simply way too much data involved in this for us to help you remotely via the internet.Answer #2: Sounds like it would be worth giving OSHA a callAnswer #3: Calls to OSHA and your state's version of OSHA today.


Title: [TX] Getting married, any way to legally insulate myself during marriage or in case of divorce?

Question:
I want to be able to keep my financial assets exclusively under my own control during the marriage, not my future wife's. I also want to be able to keep possession of my estate in case of a future divorce.

I have made it clear that her full contracted cooperation is a required prerequisite of the marriage, and she has agreed. I just need to find the legal precedents and procedures, if they even exist.

Answer: You need a prenuptial agreement, and you can only get an enforceable one if BOTH you and your fiancée have legal representation while drafting and signing one.


Title: [TX]Is it legal for a non-insured driver to operate your vehicle if you are the passenger?

Question: My bf was driving my car last night (I was the passenger) and we were hit from behind in a minor accident. No injuries, but there is damage to my car that will require me to file a claim with the other driver's insurance. She has asked for my insurance information and I'm worried that it will be an issue, since I was not driving. Has anyone experienced this?

Answer: Is there any reason your insurance would not cover a licensed driver operating your vehicle with your consent? I think that most policies cover this situation.


Title: [PA] Mandated Reporter? How quickly?

Question:
Location: Pennsylvania

To keep a long story short, last night myself and a few friends were playing board games and there was a 14 year old girl with us who both lives next door and we all were close to after years of babysitting. She told us that her father has been touching her inappropriately and had started the grooming process at a young age. We all believe her 100% and called her mom over, who intends to start taking action on Monday. Her mom absolutely believes her and is determined to ensure that this is reported and he doesn't get to do this to anyone else. The 14 year old is working today and her mom wanted one day to spend with her to support her and calm her fears about the process of reporting this and having to tell the story to strangers. Her parents are separated. **She is safe and will not be in any contact with her father. She is not in any immediate danger.**

The issue is that I work in healthcare and another friend who was there is a substitute teacher. As such, we're both mandated reporters. I know penalties for reporting are serious and severe, but I don't know how soon I need to report it. I didn't call last night because it was 3am when I got home and now I'm working.

* Are we able to give the family a day or two to prepare themselves for the impending shitstorm and to tell their other kids (who are also safe from him) or do we need to call ASAP? I'm thinking it's a better safe than sorry situation but it's hard when you're so close with the family.
* If you previously worked at a job where you were a mandated reporter but no longer work there, do you still have to go through the mandated reporter line or is it just an anonymous tip line at that point?
* The mandated reporter form wants an organization listed to "send a report to". If this didn't happen at work and wasn't related, do we still have to list the organization?

Thanks!

Answer:
 You are mandated to report as soon as possible. If you wait and something happens to her then you are at fault. Also 'giving the family time to get ready to deal with the shitstorm" can also mean "time to cover it up, punish the victim, or for further abuse to happen"

Report. today


Title: NY/MD - Conference Call Recording

Question: We use a conference call service that allows the recording of conversations. Have an upcoming conference call where one of the participants is in MD. I know in NY it is a 1 party consent and MD is 2 party. Do we need to let the parties in MD know the conference call is being recorded?

Answer:
 > Do we need to let the parties in MD know the conference call is being recorded?

Yes.


Title: Help! My tenant's security deposit and first month's rent check just bounced!

Question:
What are my options? She moved in on the first and I just received notice her cashiers check bounced. I live across country so I had my father meet her to collect the lease and check. My father signed for me on the lease but the property is in my name, so her version of the lease is void (well that's how I see it).

Now assuming this does not get squared away, can I just call the police and kick her out? I don't see why I would need to go through the formal process of eviction when 1) she has given me no money as agreed to buy the lease, and 2) her copy of the lease doesn't even have my signature.

Answer:
 >My father signed for me on the lease but the property is in my name, so her version of the lease is void (well that's how I see it).

It's likely not.  Your father signed as your agent with express authority.  You're liable on authorized contracts signed by your agent.

>Now assuming this does not get squared away, can I just call the police and kick her out?

No.  You'll need to evict her.

Answer #2: As I understand it, there are only two ways that a cashiers check can "bounce". 1) when the check itself is a fake (which seems a pretty bizarre thing for a tenant to do, since you obviously know where they live) and 2) if the name or account given as the beneficiary is incorrect. Is it possible that it's the latter scenario?


Title: Crashed my parents car, am I off the hook? Michigan

Question: Today I was in an accident while driving my parents car. The car is in their name and I'm the one that uses it. After the accident my dad says now that he is going to cut me off and never talk to me again. He is insisting that I pay for the damages and then give the car back and leave the rest of the family alone. Because the car is in his name, am I legally obligated to pay off the damages?

Answer:
 If you are an adult who legally damaged your father's property through your negligence, your father could generally prevail against you in a law suit for his damages.

If there is a legitimate question as to the ownership of the car (you paid for it but it was titled in your father's name because he was an adult at the time, for example) that question may be more complicated.

You should work things out with your dad rather than litigating your dispute.


Title: If a company falsely claims the videos of a YouTuber and get money instead of them, can they be sued ?

Question:
(note : context below is real, but just used as an example)

Today, a company is claiming the rights for the musics of all videos (1800) from Mumbo Jumbo, a YouTuber who has contracts for them.

Because of YouTube's ~~shitty~~ inexistant claim verifications, he will stop earning money until they are revoked, but manually, it will be very hard to do.

And since this is his only source of revenue, and he recently moved out, he might get financial problems out of this.

So when it is fixed, could he sue the company ?

Answer:
 It depends on who owns the rights to the music.  If the YouTuber owned the rights, he can contact YouTube and exercise his rights by providing documentation that he owns the rights.  At that point, he can tell YouTube that he wants the other account closed.  He probably should involve a copyright attorney because there’s a lot of information that has to be passed on to YouTube.  Additionally, he needs to serve the company cease and desist letters.  If it’s music written and/or performed by others, he needs to make sure he has the rights and that the actual copyright owners didn’t give permission to the other company.Answer #2: Yes absolutely that is not only copyright infringement but also theft.Answer #3: A question about the music - is the music original musical compositions, something this person has a license to use (or using wihtin the limits of fair use) or is it music he/she just heard and wanted to add it into a video?

By having contracts, I'm assuming Mumbo Jumbo has licenses for the music, is there something in the contract the person might have violated?

IANAL, but I know music can complicate issues in YouTube productions.Answer #4: Yes this is something you can sue over, and it will ultimately be decided in front of a judge even if youtube or another third party found in favor of someone else.


Title: My Brother is evading the law can I ask the internet for help?

Question: [removed]

Answer: Are you asking *random strangers* to try to track down a *violent criminal?* How could this not blow up in the worst way?


Title: Got a car loan thru my stepdad, and now he's claiming the car is his

Question:
When I first got out of college, I needed a car for work and couldn't qualify for a car loan on my own. As a work around, my stepdad got a car loan thru his bank for the car and I made payments on the loan.

The car is about 4 months from being paid off, but during the last year, he and my mother got divorced and now, probably out of bitterness, he is trying to claim the car is his and wants me to "return" it to him.

What are my options? Am I out of a vehicle because the loan was in his name, or does the fact that the entirety of the loan was paid from my accounts give me a claim to the car?

Any advice is welcome, I haven't researched much yet as this just came to light today and I am at work. I'm in California by the way if that makes a difference.

Answer: Whose name is on the title?


Title: Employer requiring "homework" during training

Question:
My supervisor has sent all her trainees home with a practice worksheet as homework. Doesn't take long about 10-20 minutes but I'm worried about this being the norm. Supervisor specifically passed it out with only 3 minutes before we clock out and said to have it done before start of shift tomorrow. When I tried to stay at my desk and finish it she came up to me and told me to go home because it's HOMEwork. Isn't this a direct violation of the fair labor standards act?
Edit: I'm in Arizona

Answer: Could be. Is that really the sword you want to fall on as a trainee? You won’t end up getting much more than unemployed as a result.


Title: My guyfriend took pics of me as I slept.

Question:
Obviously this is a throw account but idk what to do.

I think this had happened like 7 years ago. Another friend brought this to my attention and I am just distrought.

The story:

I was asleep at my friends apartment and i guess he had taken pics of me when I was asleep on his couch and had pics of me at different angles. I was fully clothed).   Can I call the police and file a report even though it happened a long time ago? Im so angry and I feel violated that this happened.

If it matters it was in california

Answer: There's nothing legally actionable here. Move on with your life. Answer #2: If you were fully clothed, it's no more illegal to take your photo when asleep than it is with your back turned. Your friend is allowed to take photos in his own apartment, and you were out in the open.


Title: (Oklahoma) Opened neighbors mail by mistake. Now what?

Question:
I went to grab my mail today after not checking it for a few days. There was quite a bit of stuff in there; a few bills, credit card offers, ads, and a packet wrapped in dark green plastic with big bold words on the front that said "open immediately". I'm currently expecting some paperwork to be mailed to me, so without thinking I opened it.

Well it turns out it is actually my neighbors new checks.
I live at 12345 e 123rd ST and they live at 12345 e 124th ST.

Normally i'd just write a note and drop it by their house explaining. But since this is sensitive financial stuff I'm not really wanting to cause any trouble. I know it'd be worse to throw it away. But should I take it to the post office and explain or to my neighbors?

tl;dr
I opened my neighbors mail by mistake and it was their new checks. What do I do?

Answer: Drop by their house and deliver it to them in person.  Explain the mixup.  You're not going to get in trouble for accidentally opening someone's mail.


Title: My friend's ex-husband is threatening to sue me for breaking up their marriage

Question:
State is North Carolina. My good friend (Leah) recently filed to divorce her husband (Todd). Todd is saying that I am the cause of their marriage breaking up, because he thinks I helped convince Leah to divorce him. He is threatening to sue me for "alienation of affections".
I did a little bit of research, and it looks like alienation of affections is a legitimate thing in NC. But, all of the cases that I saw involved a husband/wife suing the person their spouse cheated with.
I am a woman, and Leah and I have never had anything other than a platonic friendship. Is there any chance he could still sue me for this?

Answer: Todd isn't going to sue you. If you are served papers, acquire a lawyer. Until then, ignore Todd.  Answer #2: Sure, he can try. And it's not going to go anywhere. He's just venting like an irrational moron because his life is falling apart.


Title: Signed the contract for the job, gave my 2 weeks at my previous job, now they are saying they hired more than they wanted

Question:
Not me but my friend (she doesn't have Reddit). So a staffing company was hired to find and hire people for a 12 month contract. This company (that she would be working for) is a fortune 100 company. My friend got the acceptance letter, signed the contract, did all the HR paperwork, passed the background test and the drug test.

&nbsp;

She had to take the drug test twice because the first time the sample had "too much water" and the second time they did the wrong test. She and the others hired were suppose to start this Monday. But since he drug test too longer than most they said all the spots were filled and that she would have to wait to see if any they have any other openings. Spoiler: They didn't. The reason the staffing company gave was that the fortune 100 company hired more than they should have because they thought some wouldn't pass the background check.

&nbsp;

So now she's unemployed. Is there anything she can do legally?

Answer: Did she sign an actual contract? An actual contract would lay out the conditions under which she can be terminated. If so, she should consult the contract. (She probably didn't sign an actual contract; signing an offer letter is not a contract.)