Title: Refusing to take the car I just bought....

Question:
Well kinda....purchased a car, signed the documents and was told I could bring in  down payment the next morning by salesman.

Finance guy asked about down payment and again I was told bringing in next morning was fine......

As I’m about to get in car and drive away my salesman gets phone call on cell.

Sure enough someone is demanding the check before I leave with car.

I complete understand they need the money first but I’m upset because it was embarrassing and unprofessional.

Am I obligated to purchase car so as I signed all the papers?

Thank you

Answer: You just signed about an hour's worth of paperwork stating your intent to purchase a car. You have effectively purchased the car, and are only missing the down payment. Go give them the down payment and finish the transaction. Get the car tomorrow when you complete said transaction.


Title: Filed Custody papers, ex trying to negotiate outside of court.

Question:
I filed for full custody. No hearing date set yet. I simultaneously filed a status quo order as well because ex began behaving bizzarly and took my child without any notice for 3 nights(posted here about it, was resolved and documented by local authorities). Ex has only had child for one overnight per week for the last few years, basically for childs entire life. No child support ever paid.

After I filed full custody, which also mentions child support, ex sent me an email threatening to "spend thousands on a lawyer against you" unless we work something out outside of court, among other things. I didnt plan on replying to this email. Im mostly concerned that I will look uncooperative to a judge and unwilling to work with him by not replying. Should I respond and state that I'd like to meet in court or am I better off working with him outside of court and coming to the hearing with our problems figured out?
In Oregon

I am certain I have a strong case and I am really just concerned about having full custody and stopping the overnight visits (based on two episodes where ex took child for few nights and never contacted or told me where or if they were safe). Can i rely on my case?

Answer:
 OP, I always suggest going to court. The fact that he threatened you with that means he's scared he's going to "lose".

When a kid is involved, it is almost always better to go to court and get everything written out. Kids need stability, not "dad took me for three nights without consent from mom". Take him to court and present your case. If he doesn't pay child support, take him back. Working outside of court leaves so many possibilities of a bad situation in which the police can't step in if he decides to just *keep your kid* indefinitely.

If he did that, you'd most likely have to grit your teeth until the court date because he has a right to take his kid, depending on location


Title: I have two letters signed by a famous hitman from a well known documentary about the cocaine wars in Miami, FL during the 1980s. I have heard of items from famous criminals being sold for money. Can I sell them without legal repercussions? They are addressed and written to me. He is still alive too.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer: I'm 90% certain that letters are considered the property of the person who receives them so sure. Knock yourself out. Unless they're extra juicy and reveal shocking new details I doubt they'd be worth much unless you manage to find a collector. And even then said person could theoretically write the guy if they really wanted a letter. If he's really that famous holding the letters until after he's dead would theoretically make them worth more. A letter from Manson is probably worth more now then it would have been a month ago.


Title: (Toronto) Threatened to legal action if I do not cease communication

Question:
Hello,

I'm an adult who's in a sexual relationship with 16F. Her parents are extremely controlling are emotionally isolating her from whoever they deem as unsafe. Due to my age and snapchat screenshots they found on her phone they do not want me contacting her daughter.

I am unsure of what snaps they have. The snaps I know they do have mention sexual content, but they do not have any nude images of her or me because we have not done that. However, they do know I have smoked weed previously before. They are threatening legal action.

Here's the twist. Their daughter has a history of cutting herself because of her mom. I have evidence of screenshots that have her saying this. She also mentions the fact that I know she cuts and she keeps in contact with me prevents her from cutting. She does not want to tell her closest friends about her cutting and her parents already know.

I am in a position that requires me to have a clean record to pursue my future career. However, I do not want to turn a blind eye to this. I have attempted to make contact with her parents to discuss this in person because they communicated through they giving me an ultimatum not to talk to her or they will take legal action.

Please help.

How can I prepare myself legally for this? I do not want to back down and I want to help her. I fear she may begin cutting again or worse as she has suicidal friends who contact her and might give her idealizations of doing it.

Regards

Answer:
 If a minor's parents want you to stop talking to that minor, you stop talking to that minor.  It's really that simple.

Realistically, if *anyone* tells you to stop contacting them, you comply.

If you think the child's in danger, you can report that to the police or a social services agency.Answer #2: If they don't want you contacting their daughter, then don't contact their daughter. Answer #3: >How can I prepare myself legally for this? I do not want to back down and I want to help her.

If she is cutting herself and in a sexual relationship with an adult, do you really think it is your help she needs?  Or maybe she needs professional help.


Title: Windows 10 Home edition provides no way to opt out of updates. I do not consent to this.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 My guess is you agree to this in the TOSAnswer #2: You consented by downloading it to begin with.  It's in the EULA.

On the other hand from a technical standpoint stopping it is trivial.Answer #3: It is clearly spelled out in the EULA. Why did you continue with the installation if you did not agree?


Title: My Manager told me not to talk about my compensation

Question:
Hello,

&#x200B;

I work at a fitness facility. At work today I was caught off guard by a sudden meeting I had with my department manager (DM) and the general manager(GM) of the club. They said the meeting was to essentially touch base and connect because the department manager was newly hired to their position.

&#x200B;

During this discussion, the general manager wanted to offer me feedback, and the first piece of feedback was regarding my discussion of compensation with a fellow employee. I tend to be fairly talkative and don't mind honestly answering those types of questions, so I don't know which of my coworkers I told this information to or when. The conversation went basically as follows (I was very nervous during the meeting so unfortunately I don't remember the exact conversation):

&#x200B;

GM: One of your coworkers, who's name I won't mention, came to me saying "ProductionPractice said they make $X," and gave me an accurate number, in regards to them trying to negotiate their own compensation, how do you feel about that?

&#x200B;

Me: Well I feel comfortable sharing how much I make so my coworkers can know their value in relation to their position.

&#x200B;

GM: You absolutely cannot do that, that is confidential. When you sign the \[job\] offer letter you sign to keep that information confidential. If you talk about how much you make that can breed resentment and we don't want that type of negativity here.

&#x200B;

The GM's tone and demeanor made it clear he was unhappy with this situation, and unfortunately he made me very nervous during this discussion so I didn't know how to respond other than just agreeing with him. I asked if this is a legal confidentiality but his response was very similar to the one above. He also told me not to go asking around about who the coworker was who brought this up, so I feel powerless to even get an opinion about this 'feedback.'

&#x200B;

My questions are:

&#x200B;

1) Was I in the wrong to be discussing how much I make? Can they tell me not to talk about it? I don't remember what the offer letter for the position said when I signed it.

2) Was there anything I could/should have responded with in the moment? (In case this comes up again here or at another workplace)

3) What can I do from this point on? Should I be worried about this? I want to be able to talk about this type of stuff with coworkers because I truly believe it's important for us to know our value for our positions (so people know if they want to pursue promotion or even want to negotiate better for themselves), but I don't want to be thrown under the bus again, nor do I want to make my bosses unhappy and potentially undermine my career here.

Answer:
 It is completely legal on a federal level to discus pay.  You can do it...but be aware that your employers will not like it and will possibly make your employment very uncomfortable.Answer #2: Provided you're not in a management position, it's illegal for your employer to prohibit discussion of salary.

The conversation you had with your manager is EXACTLY the kind of thing that is illegal.  They're trying to intimidate you into being quiet so they don't have to deal with a united front during salary negotiations.

National Labor Relations act.


Title: There is a memorial on my property and I want to take it down

Question:
Hello to all.

Location:  Indiana, United States of America

I recently took over my grandfathers estate.  There is a 5 foot tall cross made with 2x4 wood on one of the properties and I want to take it down.  While my Grandfather was still able to communicate, I asked him if he gave permission to erect the cross, but he was not asked.  It has been up for 9 years.

Should I put a notice on the cross that I will be removing it, or am I able to take it down?

Thank you

Answer:
 May want to check your deed or survey to make sure the memorial is actually on your property. Many places the city/state owns the land close to the road and you want to make sure the memorial is not on Uncle Sam's land before taking it down.

Might just be better off asking the family to take it.Answer #2: Who put it there? And who owns it?


Title: Restraining order advice

Question: Ok before I do anything I want to see what reddit has to say about my situation. So last night me and 2 of my roommates with a roommates friend were chilling watching a movie. We were drinking (I was pretty sober at the time) and One of my roommates got very drunk and although he didn't touch me he tipped my chair over and said "you want to fight"? When he started to tip my chair over I stood up so I wouldn't have been tipped over with the chair. The other roommate that was present was drinking but he saw the entire thing also and he is a witness to what happened. I want to get a restraining order against the violent/drunk roommate but I'm new to the process and I don't know if there is enough evidence to get one. can I get a restraining order

Answer: That is a bit of a leap for a restraining order.  One small incident while you were both drinking does not equal in immediate danger.  Try to work it out or move.  I cannot see a judge granting this.


Title: CT - Gentleman deeply scratched my eyeglasses while tightening a simple screw. Offered me new lenses at half-price. I will NOT pay to fix HIS mistake. How can I get full compensation?

Question: Simply put, I was having a screw on my eyeglasses tightened at a local place that I go to for simple tightening and adjusting often. The gentleman who was tightening the screw was using a LOT of force to tighten, his force slipped (TWICE) and the tip of the screwdriver deeply scratched the lense, scratched the plastic near the lense, and dinged the metal piece that connects the temple to the front (his hand basically hit my glasses twice, with the screwdriver's tip hitting various parts). He then tells me, "You have a lot of scratches on these lenses". To which I replied, thinking they were microscopic, wouldn't hurt my vision, and were not his fault, "That's fine." He returned the glasses to me, I said thank you, then proceeded to look at new frames on an unrelated thought. I noticed the scratch swapping my lenses for the stores various ones, didn't know what the hell to do, left because I had a medical appointment and I was angry and very upset (I have issues with anxiety and stress), went to my therapy appointment, went back to the store and talked with the same gentleman. I told him that he scratched them while tightening a screw. He motioned for me to sit at a consultation desk. He tried to clean the glasses over and over to see if it was a smudge... He then repeats the earlier remark, saying, "There are a lot of scratches on here". He asks where I purchased the glasses (Warby Parker), how old my prescription was (less than a year), if I purchased them from their store (no) and proceeded to offer me half-price on lenses to replace them (the same price as my frames AND lenses from WP). I will not PAY to fix HIS mistake. All I want is complete compensation for his mistake and for his superiors to discipline him. What can I do, Reddit?

Answer: You are free to sue him or his employer in small claims court.  You might talk to his employer first, however.


Title: My work sent me a direct deposit AND check home for my paycheck. Can i cash both or will i get fired?

Question:
So, just started working at this company in California for my internship and got my first paycheck. I signed up for direct deposit, but i recieved a direct deposit and also a check to my house. Should I tell my work i got a double payment for my paycheck? WIll i get fired if i cash the check in? This is an internship so i do not want to be fired and i am in California

Thanks

Answer:
 Are you sure it's an actual check and not a paystub reflecting the direct deposit?Answer #2: Do you think you are justified in cashing a physical check where the employer already direct deposited the same amount in your bank account?

Does that sound honest to you?

If you cash that check, do you think an employer will be happy to discover double payment?

If you voluntarily notify your employer of the mistake, do you think you employer will consider you a trustworthy person who deserves a recommendation?

These are questions you should asks yourself.Answer #3: Does the check say **non-negotiable** on it? It probably does, and that’s just a copy for your records not something you could actually cash even if you wanted to try


Title: Homeland security agents questioned my brother this morning what to expect?

Question: Pretty much I'll make it short so I dont ramble. I was awoken by 3 homeland security officers as was my brother(were both 19) and pretty much the first thing they asked me was if I was let's say John or Chris. I said chris and they didn't ask me a single further question. They were definitely there for my brother. It was about him using the dark web to buy drugs and sell bitcoin for cash. He lied multiple times throughout the questioning and they seemed to get mad with this. He more or less admitted to having purchased drugs and selling bitcoin.(they had all his computer logs and even his usernames so they were definitely there to find something they didn't know). They said they're going to follow up on his case and hes part of the ongoing investigation. Is he going to he arrested?

Answer: We can’t predict the future and the story, as you tell it, is somewhat odd, but they weren’t there because they weren’t interested in taking action against him. Your brother needs a lawyer now. Neither of you should interact with the police without consulting that lawyer first.Answer #2: Don't say another word to anyone besides a lawyer.  Lying to a federal investigator is a crime itself.


Title: Trying to get a PS4 back from my abusive ex boyfriend, wondering what my legal rights are

Question: [deleted]

Answer: You bought the PS4, wrapped it and gave it to him as a Christmas present? It was legally a gift, that you are not entitled to demand back.


Title: Help my car was accidentally sold

Answer:
 You don’t mention which insurance company.

Call your state’s division of consumer protection. You shouldn’t have to fight this on your own or pay for an attorney. Either your insurance company is not doing their job, or you are being scammed by a fake insurance company. The division of consumer protection is designed to handle those.

If you can’t find division of consumer protection, call your state attorney general’s office.Answer #2: You very likely have a legal claim against your insurance, but you’re going to get better help over at /r/insurance


Title: US (California); a friend has a very sickly grandfather in Mexico and wants to visit. She’s a daca recipient, can she go for a few days?

Question:
Posting here Bc she doesn’t have reddit.

As title says, she’s in California. Parents brought her here as a kid. Her grandfather raised her and now has kidney failure. Any way she could go visit. She says the advance parole form (not very familiar w it) isn’t valid after Trump admin.

Any way she can petition to go for a few days to see him and come back here legally? Her job/relationships/nonprofit work/loans/life is pretty much here...

Answer:
 Theres no more advance parole.Answer #2: Definitely see an immigration attorney.

But probably no. She’s right about the Advance Parole thing - it’s basically the gov’s permission for her to leave and return. She needs that to be allowed to re-enter the US. And unfortunately the current administration has stopped issuing that since 2017.Answer #3: She needs an immigration attorney. Until she gets the all clear I wouldn't go


Title: Set up by a minor

Question:
I'm 25 and was having a vanilla conversation on snapchat with a minor asking how each others' days went and whatnot. She asked me if I wanted to hang out, and I asked why, and she said to do 'everything. When I asked what that entailed, she said an hj. I responded 'hj? lol' and saw she highlighted that part of the convo. Every now and then she would screenshot my snapchats of me saying 'hey' and stuff like that. I never sent her anything sexual in any way.

Few days later, she messaged me today saying her mother is reporting me to the police and turning me in. She took bits and pieces of our snapchat text conversation to make it look like I was soliciting sex from her.

She said they know where I live and were eventually coming to get me. I'm beyond freaked out and I am curious if the police would take it seriously or if she's just flat out bluffing to scare me, which worked.

Snapchat only keeps the parts of a conversation you highlight yourself and only have a little bit of the conversation myself.

I live in Illinois.

So anyways, should I take this threat seriously or is there anything I can do other than hope the police dont come knocking on my door?

EDIT: I'm getting a lot of flack for using the term minor, and I assume people think I was talking to like a 13 year old or something. She's 17, almost an adult but still considered a minor.
Topic:
Criminal Law

Answer:
 Just go no contact. Talk about this to nobody. Not your parents, not your friends, nobody.

I'm guessing this is some sort of scam. If the police come knocking, remain silent and request an attorney.Answer #2: Go no contact.

If the police show up, do not speak with them without an attorney present.

Stop chatting with minors when the conversation turns sexual, idiot.Answer #3: Stop talking to her, and make better snapchatting decisions.


Title: TX School allowing child to sleep multiple hours a day.

Question:
This is on mobile so I'm sorry if there are any formatting issues.

Location: DFW Texas

I'll try to make this as short and to the point as possible. I can't seem to find anything online in regards to this specific situation so hopefully someone here can point me in the right direction.

First a quick backstory. My son is a 1st grader with high functioning autism (think aspbergers) he is extremely intelligent. He has hyperlexia as well and tests into the 99th percentile in math of US 1st grade students. On the other hand, he has severe ADHD, his attention span is minutes if he's not interested in a subject, and behavioral issues that stem from that.

The school he is at feels like they're at the end of their rope with him. They remove him from class *constantly* to the point we had to have a specific ARD meeting regarding the time he was out of class. His teacher continues to send him out of class for hours at a time where he is going to the office and sleeping.  Anywhere from 1 to 4 hours my child is **sleeping** instead of learning. (He's in bed by 8 every night so he's not sleeping from lack of rest, I assume it's out of boredom)

At the most recent ard meeting I was informed how intelligent he is but that he is now beginning to fall behind his classmates on random subjects. The only thing I can equate this to is the fact they're letting him sleep most his school day away.

I have contacted the district administration's office about transferring schools next year and was told that the principal has to instigate an in district transfer. I contacted the principal to get a transfer going and she told me she's never had to do it before, it's normally the parents.  I feel like I'm getting a run around and it's my son who is suffering. I've watched him go from an intelligent, confident student to one who looks emotionally defeated and drained when he gets home.

My question I guess would be, is there any recourse I can take at the school for them allowing him to sleep practically all day every day? Are there any Texas education laws that are being violated? He does have an IEP in place, how might one go about a possible IEP violation? I've already had an ARD regarding it not being followed this year.

Thank you for taking the time to read this any advice or pointing in the direction to start looking is beyond appreciated.
Topic:
School Related Issues

Answer:
  First point: I would want a medical workup to make sure your child does not have a sleep disorder. Boredom does not make a healthy well rested child sleep for 1-4 hours a day in school, presumably in bright lighting, a loud environment, and without a bed.

Second point: You can definitely make the case that the school is not providing a minimally adequate education if the child is spending hours a day not in class and not receiving instruction. You should file a complaint with the school, demand another IEP meeting, and look at the TEA website for more information on how to complain further if the school is not responding to your concerns.Answer #2: Special Educator here, though not in your state.

1. Bring a special education advocate to each IEP meeting. Nothing scares a district more than when a parent brings an advocate. And you don't even have to tell the school you're bringing them! Where I live advocates are free, I'm not sure how it is in Texas.
2. Without knowing how your child's IEP is written, it sounds like the school is probably in violation of not meeting the IEP minutes (aka services being provided). Ask them for documentation these minutes are being met, including what the services looked like (lesson plans, activities, etc.)
3. Lodge a complaint with the Texas Department of Education if they can't prove how services are being provided. They love to investigate stuff like this.

Also check out the Special Education Texas Parent to Parent website.  Looks like they had some good resources on there.


Title: [CA] New primary care doctor was very insistent on genetic testing that can cost $1500+ out of pocket. Is it too late to cancel?

Question:
I recently moved to the state of California. I went out to find a new primary care provider, found one, and made an appointment. Before the appointment I signed the routine documents and if I remember correctly I did sign an arbitration agreement (I should have taken a picture) prior to my appointment that says I can't sue them.

During the appointment, the doctor resolved all my needs. Per the family history questionnaire, I checked that my aunt died of breast cancer. So the doctor told me that it would be in my best interest to get genetically tested for breast cancer and other types of cancer. The doctor explained *all* the benefits especially since I could be predisposed to getting breast cancer. The doctor said something along the lines of "insurance may not cover it" and after hearing that, I asked how much it would be without insurance. After hearing the possible $1,500 cost, I politely declined. The doctor then proceeded to ramp up and say that if insurance doesn't pay for the genetic testing, the office understands that it does cost a lot of money and that they won't make me pay for it. So after a bit of back and forth, I ended up getting my DNA collected and signed a few papers for the test. I was pretty stressed out at that point and didn't bother to look at the company my DNA was going to be sent out for or what I was even signing. The doctor also explained that I had about a month to call and say no because it'll take a while to get my specimen out to the lab.

After I went home, I logged into my insurance account (Blue Cross Blue Shield) and looked at my Explanation of Benefits and I'm *pretty* sure the genetic testing won't be covered. They won't cover genetic testing that is **investigational** or **not medically necessary**. Also, I would not qualify under family history criteria as my aunt is not a direct first degree relative (requires two first-degree female relatives diagnosed with breast cancer, one of whom was diagnosed at age 50 or younger, a combination of three or more first- or second degree relative... etc). Otherwise, I am a healthy female who doesn't have any other health concerns related to cancer.

I called the office and requested I speak to the doctor and/or their assistants but no one picked up so I left a message and they said they would call me back. At this point, I'm getting pretty leery about the entire situation. I printed and signed a letter saying that I want to decline the genetic testing, when the doctor saw me, and other identifiers to help them look me up as a patient. I went to the U.S. post office, copied the letter, had it sent under certified mail, and requested confirmation of receipt. Later that day, I got a call from the doctor's assistant and I told them that I did not want to do the genetic testing because after looking at my insurances' EOB, I won't qualify for my insurance to cover the tests. The assistant proceeded to say that they will get authorization first before they send out my DNA for testing. The assistant also said that they won't make me pay if it is not covered. I still declined. The assistant didn't give me any confirmation that they were going to cancel the test-- and instead said that they would forward my number to the front office assistant where he could further explain the process. They have not called back so far. However, it's only been about a day.

At this point, I don't want to end up having a collections bill since I do not have an extra $1,500 lying around anywhere. I don't want my credit to take a hit if I'm sent to collections as a result either. I don't believe what they're saying when they tell me they won't charge me-- that seems pretty ludicrous. If they keep insisting on the fact that I won't have to pay if my insurance doesn't cover it-- do I request a notarized letter in writing that they won't charge me? Otherwise, is sending a certified letter and calling them to say I do not want to do the test enough? I am planning to call multiple times until I can get confirmation that they'll cancel the test but if they end up not returning my calls-- what do I do? I can't record my phone conversations since California is a two party consent state. Do I chalk up my losses and am screwed out of $1,500?

TLDR; New patient and I signed an arbitration agreement before I went in the office. New doctor insisted I take a test that *may* cost $1,500 out of pocket but they *"won't make me pay it"* if insurance doesn't cover it. Initially said no. However, because I can easily be persuaded, I ended up saying OK. They told me I can cancel within a month before it goes out. Looked at my Explanation of Benefits and I'm pretty sure insurance won't cover said test. I called them back within a day to cancel. They aren't giving me confirmation that they'll cancel the test reiterated the "we won't make you pay" and said they'll call me back. So, I sent a certified letter with receipt of delivery writing that I want to cancel said test. I'm planning on calling them back again-- if not multiple times until I can get confirmation. But just in case, do I need to do anything else, can I still get out of this, or am I screwed?

Thank you!

Answer:
 Call the office first thing. Ask to cancel. Demand that you won't take it, and if you have to, try to get hold of the billing manager.

Go in person, if you can. That's even better.


Title: My ex girlfriend is threatening to report me to the cops for hitting her when I never did. [MN]

Question: Void

Answer:
 *Stop acting crazy*.  If the police come and talk to you, do *not* speak to them. Say you will not make a statement without a lawyer.  This:

> I punched the bed

Is possibly assault and this:

>squeezed her arm in anger

Absolutely is.  You *did* commit an act of domestic violence, so the notion that you "never would" is obviously false.Answer #2: > I'm really scared, I'm 18, about to go to college and I'm terrified my life could get fucked over for something I never did.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, even if she told the truth and just said you punched the bed and squeezed her arm, you could still be arrested, go to jail, be charged, be prosecuted, and get convicted of DV. Answer #3: It looks like you used your public Reddit account to admit to DV.


Title: Housemates dog escaped, he's asking me to pay the pound fees

Question:
This happened in Victoria, Australia.
My housemate left his dog at home inside while he went out for an hour, leaving the dog with me. He didn't ask me to take care of the dog or anything like that. The dog was irritating me so I put him outside, not realizing another housemate (not the dogs owner) had left the gate open and the dog escaped. Thankfully the dog was picked up by the council and my housemate was able to get him the next day. I felt really bad and offered to pay some of the fees but after seeing how much my housemate wanted me to pay, told him I wouldn't. Now he's harassing me about paying him back the pound release fee ($218) even though I've told him I don't feel like it's fair I should have to pay. The dog wasn't injured
My question is, do I have any legal obligation to pay my housemate the money for getting the dog back from the pound?

Answer: You should definitely pay those fees. Had you been more careful and checked outside before letting the dog out, the dog wouldn’t have gotten away. He left the dog safely inside, That’s on you. No legal obligation though, a person with sense would.


Title: Why won’t they take my money?

Question:
Hi. I’ve got a judgment against me, I’ve periodically contacted the creditor, a former landlord, several times, offering payment. They refuse to call or text back, there’s no other phone number I can reach them at, and I even called their lawyer and.... he told me to call the landlord to pay it off.

WTF? Why don’t they want my money? Is there a long con I’m unaware of?

I have contacted legal counsel for advice and am awaiting a reply. Figured I’d ask if anyone else has ever had this happen? I’ve gotten no letters, no calls, no texts, no emails asking for the money, it’s not on my credit report, and it hasn’t, to my knowledge, gone to any collections agencies either. So what the hell?

Answer:
 Any number of reasons, social anxiety, laziness, death, pending divorce etc.

Document your attempts to pay. Put the money in a separate savings account. Wait. Maybe they'll never make contact. If they fail to do so within the statute of limitations pull the money back out and buy something nice.

You didn't give a location but the statute of limitations on judgements can be quite long like 10 years with the option to refresh for another 10 years.


Title: Rural Alabama. Parking lot hit and run

Question: I am a floating pharmacist. My vehicle was backed into by a pick up truck while I was working in a rural area of north Alabama. The pick up smashed the grill and hood of my car. The total cost of parts, labor, and rental car for a week come to around $4,000. I filed a police report. The accident was caught on the stores surveillance but unfortunately the license plate is not visible. I did show others the footage and the driver was immediately recognized. I have her phone number, address, and name. My insurance company has not been able to reach her. They advised that if she ignores their calls my only option would be to file suite in small claims court (I have not attempted to call her myself..I don't want it misconstrued as harassment). The officer who took the accident report has not responded to any of my calls following up on the police report (5 days now). When I searched the drivers name on google to see if I could find a little more about her I noticed she has family members who are in the county's sheriff dept. My car is still drivable and it would only be a couple hundred to file under my own insurance but I don't want to be on their bad graces. Plus the situation makes my blood boil. You can see her get out of the car and look at the massive eye sore she caused then go on her merry way. I want to hold her accountable. Should I lawyer up?

Answer: The small claims limit in Alabama is $3000. One call does not constitute harassment, especially if you are polite. Alabama is also a one party consent state so if you want to record said call you do not need to tell her or get her permission.


Title: Someone Misgendered Me On Purpose

Question:
So for some context, I am an 16 year old person who identifies as agender. This pretty much means I don't have a gender. I live in a fairly liberal county of New York - however the conservative/Republican pricks seem to have the loudest voices in my school. This proved true as I was at lunch when I overheard these idiots spewing hate speech and other microaggressions. Talking about the recent happenings at the border with teargassing those innocent people. Then they start talking about multiple genders and how people must be retarded to think there are more than two. After two minutes of mocking us (LGBT+) I got so fucking mad that I spoke up and said, "so, when are you going to talk about your male privilege?"

They stopped talking, looked at each other and started laughing even harder. I decided to be the mature one and leave the situation, but before I left I heard one them say, "what the hell was ***his*** problem?" That was the final straw, I went back to them and responded, "if you're gonna talk behind my back, at least use my pronouns; they and them." One of the other assholes goes, "but that grammatically makes no sense." I looked them all dead in the eyes and went straight to the principal's office as it was just in the same suite as the lunch room, next day he takes my report and all three of those idiots come walking into the room.

Long story short the principal says that people can think/believe what they want as this apart of living in a free country. BULLSHIT! FUCKING BULLSHIT! I let this be known to the principal that he is supporting bigotry and is discriminating against me. He sent me to ISD for the rest of the day. Is there anyway that I can sue the school and my fellow peers for not only hurting my feelings and but for attacking my personal liberty?

Answer:
 >Long story short the principal says that people can think/believe what they want as this apart of living in a free country.

That would be correct. You can't force them to believe that you are agender or use the pronouns you want. Your parents can talk to the school if they feel bullying is an issue here.

Edit: Also, before you start bitching about the language other people are using you may want to reign in your own. Calling someone a "trumptard" or "rapepublican" is not any better than what you're complaining about just like calling all white people racist is in itself racist. You have a lot of complaints about other people that seem to mirror a lot of yoru own behaviour.


Title: (FL) landlord is denying my friend to have her registered emotional support animal in her apartment. What are the legalities surrounding landlords and emotional support animals?

Question: My friend has lived in this apartment for three years and recently registered her dog as an emotional support animal due to PTSD from domestic violence. Her landlord has told her that she cannot have her in the apartment. There are other tenants in this complex that have emotional support animals but they have different landlords. Is it up to the landlord to decide or is it illegal for them to deny her?

Answer:
 If she "registered it" on a website, it's a scam, and her landlord doesn't have to allow it.

If she has a letter from her therapist, they may not be able to deny her. How many apartments are there, and does the landlord live on site?Answer #2: If the owner lives on site, and owns 3 or fewer homes, they are likely not subject o the Fair Housing Act and may be exempt from it.Answer #3: Registering an animal as an emotional support animal means nothing. A letter from a therapist or psychologist who is treating her for mental health issues can write a letter stating her need for an emotional support animal.


Title: Offer rescinded because of Tweet from 2015

Question: I’m not totally sure if this belongs in this sub but as the title says my offer for an upcoming Summer Student Program was rescinded because of a tweet (or possibly tweets) that I made when I was 16 in 2015. Is there anything I can do to appeal this?

Answer:
 You can contact the program and ask them.

You can't MAKE them give you the offer.Answer #2: You can write a letter explaining your immaturity and regret. In that same letter also explained that you’ve recognized your poor words and have since deleted your tweet.

Needless to say, step 2, delete all your public posts on all platforms.


Title: Started a new job today and need to sign a 1 year non compete, not to work with any competitor anywhere. This would mean 1 year of unemployment.

Question: With my major and experience on my resume, I can only get one job in one career field.  In the event that I leave this company I will effectively not be able to work for any company in this career field for one year, and it's my only option to work in it.  I would go homeless. I also was unemployed before I accepted the job, from a layoff.  So I need to sign it because it is mandatory for employment.  I live in a state where it is enforceable.  Is there any way out?  Is this legal considering I would be unemployable for a year and am desperate enough to sign?

Answer:
 You should put in your state. Generally these aren't enforceable on a nationwide or even statewide scale.  The region has to be local enough that it is relevant. So you could be barred within NYC for example, but an employer in Philadelphia wouldn't be a problem. Answer #2: You're in luck. Non-competes are all but completely unenforceable in California. There's no way your employer can come after you for this.

You are in California, right?


Title: Renting in California & co-tenant wants to charge me for sq footage of my furniture

Question:
I have been renting an apartment for 7 years on a month-to-month lease.  It is not rent controlled, I am on great terms with my landlord and neighbors.

When my last roommate left I moved into the smaller bedroom and posted an ad for a room sublet to Craigslist for $725 (not including utilities).  When I met my current roommate, I explained that school & work were so hectic that I didn't finalize the paperwork for a sublet/get my landlord's permission, so it would be a co-tenant situation where we'd both be on the landlord's lease.  I also explained that I moved into the smaller bedroom to save money on rent.  My current roommate liked the place, he seemed like a reasonable guy, and we signed the lease (which of course showed the total amount of rent on the top front page).

The landlord raised the rent once to a total of $1350.  I split the rent according to private space square footage, and since the master bedroom with attached bath and walk-in closet is 57.5% of the private sq footage, my roommate is paying 57.5% of the rent.  He pays $775 and I pay $575.

His private sq footage includes a very large master bedroom, private attached bathroom, and large walk-in closet

My private sq footage includes an average sized bedroom, a smaller walk-in closet, and half the sq footage of a detached hallway bathroom

\-

He moved in with only bedroom furniture, no common area stuff, and very little kitchenware.  As this has been my home for some time, the common areas are nicely furnished and he has access to my kitchenware/appliances/tools/furniture.  He works from home everyday and hosts work meetings there, at which people always compliment how comfortable/attractively furnished the apartment is.

\-

My roommate and I have been on friendly terms for 1.5 years, despite a few disputes:

One is that he would go 3-4 months at a time without paying his part of the utilities and would ignore my reminders.  He did eventually pay.

Second is that we made a deal with our landlord to expedite a floor upgrade, the cost of which I provided detailed research and my roommate sent excited/approving text messages about.  My roommate suddenly backed out of the deal by email, claiming I pushed him into it without offering detail (I had emailed details to him).  Although I readily accepted his withdrawal from the floor deal, my roommate has leveraged this supposed instance of "lying" and "coercion" on my part to negotiate for cheaper rent.

Third is that he regularly left the front door wide open all night, despite my requests that he shut and lock it.  We live near downtown, he knows my neighbors' place was burgled once, and as a woman I am most likely to suffer physical harm in a robbery

\-

My roommate has recently lost his main source of income and now claims his mother, who is a lawyer, supports his belief that I have split the rent unfairly.  He argues that certain deductions should be taken from his part of the rent:

\- deduct the square footage of the desk and shelf unit I placed in the living room before he moved in because he does not have "equal access" to use them (I have seen him use my desk multiple times, he has a larger desk in his room, and while the shelf unit is filled with my stuff he has a large shelf in his room that is half unfilled)

\- deduct the full sq footage of the hall bathroom instead of half because he doesn't use that bathroom and his friends usually use his bathroom

\- deduct some other percentage from the common area sq footage because he didn't get to contribute to the decor choices (this has never come up before, there is plenty of wall space, and the aesthetics have benefited his work meetings)

\- potential damages because I never explicitly did the math for him to show how much I pay after subtracting the amount he pays from the total rent, I did not show him the detailed sq footage basis of the rent split until he asked for it, and perhaps he wouldn't have taken the room if he had all those details laid out

&#x200B;

I argue that, while it would have been better to sign a notarized renter's agreement with all these details, I am not obligated to do subtraction for him; that he is still paying the amount asked and knew the total; and that even if he no longer uses my desk/shelf there is aesthetic value added; rental values increase 15-30% for furnished rooms; and that I should have charged him interest for fronting months of utility bills, and for spending disproportionate time doing accounting and all of the communal area cleaning.

My roommate and I have agreed to sit down and negotiate about the rent, but I doubt we will agree on any of it.  What can I do if my roommate suddenly decides to pay less rent as a way to force me to pay more?

&#x200B;

\*\*tl;dr\*\* If my co-tenant files a small claims suit against me, how strong is my defense?  We both signed the lease, but did not sign a separate agreement outlining how to split the rent, divide chores, divide time at home or share the common areas.  Would I have to retropay him pro-rated rent for the square footage taken by my furniture and the full sq footage of the hall bathroom?\*\*

Answer:
 Time for a new room mate, let him finish his lease and kick him out Answer #2: Short version:  Just tell him no.  Don't argue.  Don't engage.  Don't discuss.  Don't negotiate.  Why?  Because you don't have to if you don't want to.

&#x200B;

He's making up crap to get out of paying *what he agreed to pay.*  It doesn't matter if he doesn't like it now.  "Fair" doesn't count for squat.  Square footage doesn't count for squat.  It's what he agreed to and changing the arrangement after the fact doesn't count for squat in court.

If he doesn't like it then you can tell him that you will take HIM to court for failing to meet his obligations.Answer #3: How you and a co-tenant split up rent post rent increase is a relationship issue. Whatever deal you made about splitting it at 1350 (which isn't clear in your post) is the deal everyone is stuck with.


Title: Selling a motorcycle, buyer asked to make payments

Question:
Texas. I've been trying to sell a motorcycle I own for a while now, haven't received too many replies on it. I owe about 6k on it and need the payments gone. I finally have someone that looks like an interested buyer, but he's asking if I would make payment arrangements with him.

While I know it's risky in that if he takes possession and stops making payments or wrecks it, I could be in for a lot of hassle. I am not fully ready to decline taking payments just yet since I really need to get rid of the debt.

Is there any reasonable way I can consider taking payments from a buyer? I would obviously draw up a sales contract outlining the payment plan/agreement. But what if he stops paying or worse, wrecks the motorcycle before he's paid it off? Is there any type of insurance I can purchase in case a 3rd party wrecks it?

Answer:
 The short answer is no, don't do this. Ask him to go to a bank or credit union instead. If they refuse to give him a loan, then there's probably a good reason why you shouldn't either. You do not want this kind of risk.

If you absolutely insist on going forward, you'll want a formal loan agreement. You'll also give the title to him at the time of sale, and place a lien on it until the loan is satisfied. You'll also want to read up on how to repossess it if the deal inevitably goes south.

Again, don't do it.


Title: [California] My sister got caught shoplifting with a friend at walmart back in 2015, a few weeks ago a letter showed up from an attorneys office demanding payment. Should we be concerned?

Question:
I'm posting this on behalf of my mother who is slightly concerned about it. So back in 2015 my younger sister (who at the time was 15) and a friend got caught shoplifting from a Walmart.

I heard about all this second hand but apparently they had grabbed lipsticks and tampons and were caught by a Walmart security guard before they left the store. They were taken into the security office where the apparently gave their info and my mom and the friend's dad came down to get them. They said the security guard laughed when he found out what they were trying to steal and when the parents showed up they were released and that was the end of it. No charges, no nothing except humiliation and punishment at home. Never heard a word about it for the past four years.

Fast forward to today I learned that a letter shower up from some attorneys office threatening my mom that Walmart "might" press charges if she doesn't give the attorneys office $500. My sister is now 19, a legal adult, so I don't see why the letter is addressed to our mom. Also if walmart was going to do something shouldn't they have done so earlier?

Is this an actual this to be concerned about or is this some shady attorney trying to make a quick buck? (shouldn't the statute of limitations have run out by now?)

[Here is a picture of the letter with all identifying info removed](https://i.imgur.com/AMXHfTO.jpg)

Answer:
 Don’t pay anything until you have documentation from a court telling you to do so AFTER a hearing. Walmart is unlikely to take you to court for $580 as the attorney will cost vastly more.

Given all that, that looks like a fake letter.Answer #2: The reason they sent this to your mother is because since your sister was a minor at the time your mother is liable for her actions.

my reading of the statute is that the maximum they could sue you for is $580, the maximum that they would actually be able to get is the value of the merchandise or $50 whichever is greater plus court filing cost which appear to be about $80.

So I certainly wouldn't pay their ridiculous ask.

In addition the longest statute of limitations in civil court that I could find in California was four years, so based on the date they presented you're in the clear.Answer #3: Google search "Walmart, Other Retailers Face Class Action From Accused Shoplifters."

There is a class action against Walmart and several other retailers for this practice.

Consult an attorney.


Title: How to start an online-based church

Question: So, me and my friend offer Spiritual consul, including readings, healing sessions, and other services. We are trying to figure out how to start a church, online based (since we offer our services remotely, and we have no address to use for the place of worship). She is from North Carolina. I understand she should get ordained as a Minister first and foremost, I would just like to know from anyone who might know, how we can make sure our bases are covered so that we don't have to pay taxes on the money receive for our Spiritual services. Any insight would be appreciated :)

Answer: It seems like you're seeking advice on how to commit tax fraud...


Title: [California] My brother [31] has full custody but he won't the seek child support he clearly needs.

Question:
Hey all!

I'm hoping to get a bit of advice. My brother has two kids [6,8] and he lives at home with my parents because he doesn't make near enough to live on his own. He does what he can but my parents obviously contribute their time/money to help him because he has full custody. Their mother is like textbook crazy and she has had CPS called on her, does drugs, and rarely sees the girls (she's kind of [read: COMPLETELY] the worst).

My problem is he thinks it's a waste of time to fill out the paperwork for child support since he's a dude. Plus, the legal fees for hiring his lawyer and the paperwork she'll have to complete.

Is there some substance to this? From what I understand she's unemployed but her husband works and is the breadwinner for her and her other two kids. Would he still not receive payments and they'll come after her for the money later? Mostly, I just think it's crap that my parents are footing the bill for the kids and he's deadest against taking money from the baby mama.

I'm aware it's not really *my* problem but the sooner he can get on his feet the better. He's been back home for 6 years, now...
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 He's wrong that he won't get child support because he's a man.

He's possibly right that it would be a losing game because of her destitute state.  If she doesn't have money, she has nothing to pay with.

Personally, I'd still pursue it and try to get what I can.  But that's his choice.Answer #2: If he has full custody like you say he should have no problems. I had a friend in the same situation, and we live in California too. He was able to get assistance with no problems. He was eligible for cash aid, house assistance, SNAP, healthcare, and ACCESS. There are plenty of programs in California that will help if he just fills out the paperwork. His gender does not make a difference. It's really who has custody. He is a single parent with full custody of two kids. As long as he is not making a great amount of money he will qualify for some assistance.


Title: Found out daughter's friend [13/F] is sexting and sending sexual photos to boys--am I obligated to tell someone like her parents, school or police? PA

Question: I would want to know if it my kid, but I don't want to be involved or associated with the issue. I also don't want to ruin any kid's lives, but would like the girl to stop before anything worse happens to any of them. Should I just mind my own business or somehow tell the parents, school or police? I would want to do it anonymously because it's a small community, but not sure how I can do that. Advice please?

Answer: If it was your daughter sending the photos, would you want your daughter's friend's mother to tell you?  And don't involve the police


Title: Car insurance bankrupt, how do they keep customers insured?

Question:
Fort Worth, TX

So this past monday my car got hit while parked. I didn't even know it happened and gratefully the offender (neighbor) knocked on my door and provided insurance information and told me what happened.

So today, I called their insurance company and spoke to the adjuster handling the claim. He didn't have any of my information so I gave it to him. After all this he said he needed to read me something... and basically it said that they aren't held liable because they are going bankrupt.

How is this even a thing? so the offenders are still insured or are they not?? How is the company (affirmative insurance) even  keeping their customers insured?

So I had to file a claim with my insurance... which leaves me with a $1000 deductible and they'll pay for my rental car. I'm hoping my insurance (allstate) will at least speak with the adjuster? To see what's going on? I mean... I wasn't even in my car, it was parked... why am I paying anything?

Answer: You can still recover from the person who caused the damage...Answer #2: Basically all auto insurance carriers (and most but not all others) pay into a state fund set up specifically for this scenario.  If they are in bankruptcy, then the state will administer claims that come in during their runoff period, using whatever assets are left plus the state funds to pay claims.  Likely you aren't completely screwed here, but the best case is that Allstate gets paid back pennies on the dollar for paying your claim.


Title: [VA] Service Dog Unreasonable Request?

Question:
First time posting here so I will try and keep it as short as possible. I looked through many of the previous posts related to service dog in the workplace-related issues and didn’t see anything that fit my bill. If anything, I saw a lot of frustrated business owners battling against fake or badly trained “service dogs”, and those were a bummer to read through.

**I am going to pose the question first: What could be a reason in my situation for a place of employment to rule that having a service dog accompany me to work is an unreasonable accommodation?**

**Context:** I am 26 years old. I work in the human resources department for a religious university who receives federal funding (has to abide by ADA). Students have service dogs and ESAs, and there is an employee on campus with a service dog currently. I have my own office in an enclosed space.

**Background:**
I am under the care of professional mental health professionals and, due to the severity of my symptoms, qualify as disabled falling under the ADA. This has been an emotional journey and a battle since childhood, and one I have kept separate from my workplace until it started affecting my work. About two months ago, I asked for an accommodation for reduced hours (from 40 to 30 hours) and had my therapist and psychiatrist fill out the medical inquiry form with specific ADA qualifiers and my diagnosis. Within these letters, there is verbiage of: “She is also exploring care options such as medication management and getting a service animal own the road if appropriate.” In addition, directly on the medical inquiry ADA form states “possibility of service animal”.

They granted the work hours and said that they were accepting of the service dog in the future, but will have future talks. Within the past month, I have been qualified for a local, bonafide, for-profit program that is assisting me with training a service dog for my disabilities. The whole program, at the cheapest, is going to run me $6,000 or so, but I and my mental health professionals think it is worth it. On our current track, we might be ready for public access testing by October 2017. Might. I chose this program for its professionalism and expertise as well as the benefit of extensive documentation of my service dog’s training when completed. When my direct supervisor found out I was starting this program, they became very anxious and pulled me aside to tell me that they do not want me spending money on something they probably won’t approve.

Their reasons for possible non-approval has shifted over the days, prompting me to write a memo up of each conversation as the reasoning’s were changing and at times, frankly, inappropriate and hurtful. I went over this record of conversation with my immediate supervisor who agreed and signed off on the conversation. Here are the reasons straight from the recorded memo:

* Potential allergens of service animal to employees in the office.
* My job function requires me to meet with new employees who might have dog allergies or fear of dogs.
* The validity of needing a service dog to perform the functions listed above to mitigate symptoms. There is confusion about the severity of my physical and psychological symptoms.
* The concerns over the nature and structure of the business operation and potential implications that might occur should other employees assume the service dog's primary function is psychological and therefore employees might: (a) lose confidence in HR or (b) suggest their own need for a service dog accommodation

All of the above reasons are written up in a memo and signed by my supervisor, even the “how does it look to have someone with a mental disorder in HR” part. My disorders do not interfere with my respect for HIPPA and our confidentiality, and had I never sought help for my issues, my workplace would never know. My supervisor – off the record – has told me that the VP of HR (who is in her 70’s) is of the mindset that the young generation (I am 26) cannot cope like older generations, and should “get over it”, citing her husband’s service in the military as proof that people can get over trauma.  We are a very military-friendly campus near several bases and I am a spouse of an active duty member of the military, and I wonder if she would tell one of our employed veterans struggling with mental health issues to “get over it”? I am not trying to be a difficult employee, as I enjoy my job and have worked her over a year. I am, however, extremely surprised at this type of pushback.  They are truly concerned with opening pandora’s box where everyone gets a service dog because a representative of the university – me –has one.

 The service dog program has written me a letter and attached ADA laws and extended a hand out to meet with HR and walk through what my service dog would do for me, where he would be during work, and also go over any concerns to make sure that this accommodation is a non-hardship (such as weekly baths with anti-allergen shampoo, and accommodating employees scared of dogs by meeting in a room sans dog). They have refused a meeting that was supposed to be today, May 23rd, due to unforeseen circumstances. Not a big deal, except the president of the program is coming down from another state and looking at potential sponsorship of a SD team, so that’s a missed opportunity.

As of right now, I am being asked to submit ANOTHER letter of medical necessity by my providers that go into more detail of my condition and use more definitive terms. Because I work in HR, it is my supervisor’s business (where in other departments, direct supervisors would not know the extent of the reasons behind accommodations), so it is EXTREMELY awkward and uncomfortable for me to have my private, mental-health business out there.

I am trying to go above and beyond in compliance and will be providing the additional documentation, but I am bracing myself for the denial of accommodation based on intuition and recent behavior. I just honestly don’t see what could be an unreasonable accommodation reason in this case: it costs the company $0, I do not have to adjust my work schedule, and I offered to provide air purifiers and invoices of weekly professional grooming. If this happens – what are my options?

**TL;DR:** Put an accommodation for service dog with medical documentation. Being asked to provide additional documentation after talks about concerns that it was for psychological reasons, since I work in Human Resources. Not sure why it would be legally denied, but if it is, what could they reasonably deny it for and what are my options?

*Disclaimer:* I know the differences between ESA/Therapy/Service Dog, and I know ADA law. I am asking for an accommodation to bring a task-trained service dog to help mitigate symptoms of my disability while I am at work so that I may perform my job duties, not an emotional support animal at work.

Answer:
 This is going to boil down to what tasks the animal will perform that you are unable to perform on your own. If you have been and are currently performing your job responsibilities, you'll have a hard time convincing anyone that you're unable to perform whatever necessary task the animal will be trained to do. Answer #2: > Not sure why it would be legally denied, but if it is, what could they reasonably deny it for and what are my options?

They could reasonably deny it for:

 * Legitimate safety concerns relating to an animal being present (e.g. you can't have a dog on a factory floor)

 * Good faith belief that the symptoms you're describing don't need to be alleviated or accommodated in order for your to perform the full scope of your job responsibilities i.e. you can still do your job fully even without this, and without risk to your health

 * Lack of appropriate documentation

 * Lack of proof of training w/r/t the specific task-training for the dog

 * Undue burden on the employer e.g. current employee with severe allergies would be unable to work in the presence of animals


Title: Parents gave money to SO, they don't like how she spent it

Question:
Long story short, my girlfriend's parents invested money in a TFSA for her. The account is only under my SO's name.

My SO used this money with me to purchase a house, a decision which her parents do not approve of. They are now threatening her with legal recourse for "stealing" this money if they don't get it back immediately.

Is there any merit to the threats? I'm in Canada.

Thanks

Answer:
 Gifts are gifts. The giver can't attach conditions after the fact.

Your girlfriend's parents can sue, of course, but they're unlikely to win unless they can show that there were conditions in place _when they gave your girlfriend the money_. Unless they have that in writing, they're likely out of luck.

The police will not get involved in this; it's purely a civil dispute.


Title: Texas abortion law: Could I get my friend to sue me and privately return me the money afterwards?

Question: Basically like the title says. Suppose X got an illegal abortion. She gets her friend Y to sue her for it. They both appear in court *pro se* to avoid attorney's fees. X acknowledges the abortion in court, thereby surrendering the case to Y, who prevails and collects $10,000 from X. Then, Y privately returns the $10,000 to X. Would this be a valid course of action?

Answer:
 The person getting the abortion can't be sued. Only people who aided in her getting the abortion can be sued.

But your friend may be able to get an abortion and then you could sue the abortion provider for $10k and split it with your friend.Answer #2: Sounds like feature to me


Title: Do college professors have the authority to confirm a doctor's note?

Question: Long story short, I skipped a class and now I have to have a doctor's note. I managed to fake one and I put the real address, phone/fax number, and all of the doctor's names on it. But I don't know if he's allowed to call and verify I was there. Would that fall under doctor-patient confidentiality laws in the state of Texas?

Answer:
 {Carnac the Magnificent holds the envelope to his head}

"Your next post"

{Carnac rips open the envelope, reads it aloud}

"My school is charging me with academic dishonesty for faking a doctor's note and trying to expel me.  Can they do that???"
Answer #2: Your question isn't quite right. Your professor can do whatever he/she wants to.

The question you really want an answer to is 'Can my doctor let my professor know if I was sick or not?'

The answer to the question I've proposed is 'no'. Your doctor can't release information about you being sick to your professor. They can however verify if a note written by them is genuine or not.


Title: Is it illegal to lie about who the father is?

Question:
Long story short... My ex and I broke up when I was 8 weeks pregnant. My daughter is now 3 months old. He isn’t a healthy enough individual to be around. I told him if he can be 6 months sober I will open communication.
He is now questioning if the child is even his.

Just out of curiosity, would it be illegal to lie to him and say she is not his?
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 >would it be illegal to lie to him and say she is not his?

There is nothing inherently *illegal* about it.  But it will bite you in the ass if he petitions the court for a paternity test and the test shows it is his and then the court starts determining things like custody, visitation and child support.


Title: [IN] Could anything happen if I violate HOA grievance procedures?

Question:
So we live in a nice (houses start at $200,000) neighborhood that is still being built up. There is mandatory membership to the HOA when you buy the house. The HOA is run by the an outside agency, so it's not like the president or something lives here.

Anyways, someone has just bought an already built house, but I assume they would have been informed of the HOA. Within a week of moving in they have duct taped a piece of cardboard to the driveway which they allow oil to leak on from their truck. It's pretty unsightly. I hate to sound like a busy-body but I'd like to report it to the HOA so they send an enforcement letter. The grievance procedure outlined in the HOA document states:

* Basically, try to work it out yourself.

* If unresolved, "provide written notice of the alleged violation to the Offending Party and to the Association, which notice shall include: **1) Name, address, phone number, and email address of the Aggrieved Party".**

The part that I'm asking about is in bold--frankly, I don't want to knock on the Offending Party's door telling them to fix their shit, and I don't want to include all my contact information in a letter to them either. Would it cause issues or would the HOA come after me for not following the provision of giving the offending party a CC?

Thanks for any info.

Answer: They can do all kinds of things, starting with refusing to act on the complaint and ending with fining you somehow for failure to follow the rules.


Title: Please help

Question:
So my drivers license is on suspension until February 2021 . I have worked hard to pay off all
My fines and called to see if I was eligible for my license to get reinstated and they stated I have to wait until February 2021 and I cannot get a probationary license either ,  also in 2011 I picked up a DUI and did it he alchohol classes and this offense was picked up when I was a minor and now they are pushing the interlock on me but regardless they still won’t let me get my license until 2021 please help any advice I needed
I
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: You simply don't get your license back until February 2021. You can go back to your attorney and ask for an explanation of your sentencing and consequences, but they won't change.


Title: Lawyer kept the retainer and left the state.

Question: Florida: My cousin hired a lawyer and has since left the state withouth fulfilling any services and has kept the $4,000 retainer........is that legal?

Answer: No, not if he does not intend to return and do the work.  Contact your local bar association and the police.


Title: Best way to find cheaper, less experienced lawyers? Need to file a Motion to Dismiss based on Anticipatory Suit exception.

Question:
Hi.

I'm a contractor from PA who did some work for a client in NY. Short story told, I had to send a demand of payment letter through an attorney. The attorney made it clear that there was an intent to file a lawsuit, and a deadline was given.

Unfortunately, the client filed a summons with notice, and recently a Complaint against me afterwards in NY. My current attorney cannot defend me in NY due to not having a license there.

A few questions:

1) In order to make use of the Anticipatory Filing/Suit exception to the First to File rule, I do need to respond to the New York courts with a Motion to Dismiss or invoke 28 U.S.C. § 1404(a) (https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/28/1404)

2) Is there any good place where I can find attorneys that may be cheaper? My current PA attorney believes this to be Anticipatory, and in addition to my research, I do as well. So I am comfortable using an inexperienced lawyer who might of just passed the bar recently. Most of my searches have led me to firms that look expensive.

Answer: Cheaper, less experienced lawyers? Let me see if the guy passed out next to me in this bar is a lawyer. I think that's what he said, he's pretty young too so maybe he fits the bill.


Title: I was charged with traffic offenses related to a car that was unknowingly under my name. Default judgement was against me and I owe the State money.

Question:
Not sure what my next step would be.

I live on Oahu in the state of Hawai'i. I just received papers from the Third Circuit Court Puna Division located on the Big Island of Hawai'i stating default judgement was entered against me.

It waa due to a car that was abandoned in the Pahoa area and I had no knowledge of the car being under my name. I have not lived on the Big Island since 2005 and I was 16 at the time with no license of any sort.

I owe Puna for multiple offenses related to this car and I never knew about it! What should I do next? Any help is appreciated

Answer:
 You might need a lawyer on the big island to appeal this for you unless your willing to travel to the other island but a competent lawyer should be able to prove you are innocent fairly easily I would imagine.Answer #2: First, contact the DMV or go on the website for any records on the vehicle to find out when it was registered under your name and by who. All records at the DMV are public. If the photo ID listed with the vehicle registration information doesn't match yours you may have a case for ID theft but it'll be very hard to contest this if the person who registered the vehicle isn't on the islands anymore. Or it could be a case of mistaken identity.

Second, take the info from the DMV and go to an attorney experienced in traffic laws for advice on how to get this record removed.Answer #3: Make it clear you have no knowledge of it and that it would have been impossible for you to be the owner. Possibly a family member had bought it under your name.

Be careful


Title: [TX] Father arrested

Question: he got pulled over and arrested because his friend had illegal credit cards on him and my father didn't know anything about that, all he was doing was driving him some place. According to the cop that pulled him over, my father didn't stop his car on time when police asked him to, and my father said its a lie, I believe him. My father is a hardworking man and has never and would never associate himself with any of that stuff. This is the first time he has ever been arrested or questioned about anything. My question is, where exactly does he stand in this situation, what exactly can i do to help, i have no idea how to ask about any of this because it has never happened to anyone in my family. His bail was also set to $50k

Answer: He needs a criminal defense attorney and to only speak to this attorney. Bluntly, there is zero chance you're getting the whole story here. You don't get $50,000 bail over nothing.Answer #2: 50k bail?!?!?   Yeah.  I’m thinking there is a lot more going on here than a passenger with stolen credit cards.   That’s “trunk full of drugs” sized bail.


Title: How do I get the process started in suing Child Protective Services?

Question:
They have mishandled a report,  had stated it was done for several months, although it was not done,  pressured me into removing visitation or I would be considered neglectful,  never finished the report,  never returned my phone calls,  never returned my emails,  and I even drove to their offices multiple times.  They were called by a school counselor originally.   My child is now stuck going to visitation where she has been subjected to physical abuse,  extreme emotional and psychological abuse and they just sent a closure letter stating that they could not get a hold of me.

Please help.

This is in california

Answer: Government agencies are immune from most types of lawsuits. You will find that it would be tremendously difficult, and probably impossible, to sue CPS because you had an unfavorable experience with them.To have the slightest snowball's chance in hell, you would absolutely need an attorney. Feel free to contact a few, but I suspect most will politely explain to you why such a lawsuit cannot proceed. Hopefully one will be able to get you into a better situation regarding your kid through some other legal route.


Title: Is there a limit on overtime a salaried employee can work? [Minnesota]

Question:
My coworker consistently works 65 hour weeks. Management just keeps piling more work on her and won't authorize her staff the overtime to help her. She's doing two job positions because management won't hire someone else to do the hourly job.

They can't just abuse her salaried status, right? Isn't there a limit?

When I worked a salaried job in California, I wasn't allowed to work more than 10 hours overtime a week and even then I'd get told to work less. What gives?

Answer: The maximum number of hours one can work in a week is 168 except once every couple of years they have to add a second to the clock because the rotation of the earth is slowing down or something so in the week that happened it would be 168 hours and 1 second.


Title: Passed out at work from heat exhaustion. Manager won't fix exhaust fans in warehouse. Details inside.

Question:
[Georgia] I have a medical condition that the company was made aware of from day 1 so they're well aware of my inability to tolerate high temperatures, but my store is the only one in town without an air conditioned warehouse. Upper management at the district level refuses to air condition the warehouse and my manager won't fix the fans. It gets around 25 degrees hotter than the outside temperature daily. I had to go to the emergency room a few days ago for heat exhaustion and I'd prefer not to have to do that again. What are my options?

Also, I'm being told that I can't transfer to the other store either, which I think is bullshit.

Answer:
 To the extent that your medical condition is a disability, the ADA would require your employer to make a reasonable accommodation for you.  However, requiring an entire warehouse to be air conditioned is probably not a reasonable accommodation because it would be an undue hardship on the company due to the expense. Under some conditions having you work in another warehouse might be a reasonable accommodation - but not if you were hired to work in this specific warehouse.

The ADA applies to "otherwise qualified" individuals whose ability to perform the job can either be mitigated by a reasonable accommodation, or whose disability does not interfere with their core job responsibilities, but only to incidental responsibilities. It is possible that your disability means that you are not "qualified" to work in a warehouse in Georgia in the summer.

Having said that, your best approach - and probably the only realistic approach - would be to try to get transferred to another facility.  If you want to pursue the ADA approach, there should be a local EEOC office that you can talk to about this.  I.e. [EEOC](http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/disability.cfm)Answer #2: So... what is your question?

Are you trying to sue? Go for workers comp? Quit and get unemployment? make your employer put in A/C?


Title: I feel like I'm never going to have my son back in my life. I don't think I have any legal recourse.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Legal advice: Contact an attorney who specializes in family law. There's a chance you and your son's grandparents could work out a mutually-beneficial agreement in mediation, instead of having to fight over your son.

Life advice: You don't have the right to talk poorly about your son's father because he isn't involved enough. You left to take care of yourself for his formative years, and now you want to have him back because it's convenient. I don't want to shit on everything you've accomplished, but it doesn't sound like you're only thinking about your son here.


Title: Is there an "opposite good-samaritan" law?

Question:
Like if someone sees someone choking and atleast doesn't try to help them out, can they be prosecuted?

(Fl, USA)

Answer: No.  There's no legal requirement for a regular person to give aid.


Title: Involved in civil litigation/inheritance. Sibling emptied mom's account where I was sole beneficiary. Settlement discussions. What do I do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I don't see a question in any of this, but your lawyer, who is familiar with the facts, is certainly the person to talk to.


Title: Reported negligence and verbal abuse of adults with developmental disabilities, among other things, to my job, and they seem to be doing nothing. Please help, these people deserve better.

Question:
I am in New Jersey. I work at a company as a residential aide that runs group homes for adults with DD (developmental disabilities). Just for some background on group homes for those that don't know what they are, it's a normal home where the adults with DD live. There is a staff that is there to help them with normal everyday things, laundry, clean, prepare meals, get them their meds, help them shower, take them out places, etc..

Some background on the staff, my manager has her best friend and her best friends mom working under her (both residential aides like me).

So, I'm not really sure where to start. I guess I'll start with how my manager has said that she is trying to get one of the guys out of the house. She wants him out of the house because his mom can be a headache, he can be difficult sometimes, and she just doesn't like him.  That doesn't seem too bad, but, manager, her best friend, and best friends mom all seem to push him to the point of him having an outburst or lashing out, he actually punched best friends mom one day. Now, there are VERY clear signs of when you are pushing him to far, ESPECIALLY if you are pushing him far enough to punch you.  I believe they do this on purpose for a reason to kick him out of the house, because each outburst has to be documented. (which almost all come from the same three people, manager, managers best friend, and best friends mom.) I have never been scared of him, ever, at all, not even a little, because if I am asking him to do something and I can see it's bothering him I will back off and try again later, not a big deal. But, my manager told us no one is to go in his room alone. Again, I have never felt any danger when around him. He is a sweetheart.

Neglect.  I was documenting something about a resident for over a month before my manager made an appointment for him to see a doctor, he had to be treated.  A (good) staff noticed something wrong with the same resident and my manager just chalked it up to a UTI and said it's fine, wasn't even going to make an appointment (she is not a doctor and has no job giving such a diagnosis) so my asst. manager said fuck that and took him to the hospital. Same resident didn't get a follow up with a doctor for week after going to the hospital, the issue persisted that whole time. (Sorry I am being so vague about the diagnoses, not sure how much information I can give out.) The same resident had an accident one day and my manager decided to shower him (only because a caseworker was in the house and she was trying to look good, she NEVER does stuff like that) and she didn't wash him properly and he still had feces on him and I had to shower him again, properly. Something similar also happened with best friends mom. When I first started working there the same residents (male) nails were longer than my (female) nails have ever been. Not sure if this is considered neglect, but, the assistant manager at another group home I would work out was giving meds one day and one of the residents came up and took someone else's meds because she was not paying attention, she then preceded to get about 10 med errors, she was later promoted to manager.

I've seen managers best friend force the residents to stay in their rooms so she can watch TV. I was taught this is THEIR home, THEIR TV, we have no right to force them to stay in their rooms and no right to force them to watch what we want to watch, which she had done both. I've seen her make the residents do things she should be doing because she is beyond lazy. An example is, she had to clock out so she made one of the residents get her the phone, even though she had to get up to leave the house.

There was a young man coming to visit the house to see if it would be a good fit for him. He kept smiling at me and waving, which is fine. But, my manager and her best friend starting referring to me as his girlfriend the whole time he was there and it was very uncomfortable. Managers best friend then ask him if he watched porn...And that was INCREDIBLY uncomfortable.

I've witnessed manager call the residents names. One of the guys were upset one day and went into his room and she said he was a baby, and calling this resident any name is a bad idea. An example, when I first started working there he said something funny so I told him I thought he was funny, he took it the wrong way and started cursing at me. It's fine though, I learned my lesson, now I know I shouldn't do that. So, the point is that she should absolutely know not to call him a baby when he is ALREADY upset.

Something a bit unrelated. I was working one night and went to take something out to the trash and noticed boxes full of documents out by the curb for trash pickup the next morning.  It included medication administration records with past residents names and medications, staffs drivers license numbers and socials, and just a bunch of stuff like that. It was all pretty old, 90's-2005 I think was the latest one I saw. I'm just wondering if this is legal? Do they have to be shredded or if they're that old it's fine?

I have reported this all to the upper management at my job and they seem to have done nothing. They said they conducted an "investigation" but, I find it hard to believe they conducted a proper investigation because if they did, something would have changed, someone would have been fired. They seem like the type that is all about out of sight, out of mind, and would rather not know about something so they don't have to deal with it. So, I guess I'm just wondering what I can do or should do or if these things aren't big deals or what.  I just want the residents to be treated like people and get the proper care they deserve. I'm sure there is more but that is all I can think of right now.

Answer:
 Adult Protective Services. [Here](http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/doas/services/aps/) you go. Thanks being a kind person in a difficult field. APS is big organization and can take time to and patience.  But I think this is your best bet. I work in behavioral health and have some high needs patients who have been neglected and abused and APS has always been able to help me.Answer #2: I work in your field, right next door (in PA).  You've been given excellent advice already: call your state DHS office, and Adult Protective Services. Report your concerns.  They are required by law to investigate.

Meanwhile, make sure you document every single instance of abuse, neglect, etc. Write Incident Reports, keep your own set of notes, call your agency's main office, etc. Take pictures, if that is applicable (for example, the boxes of documents).  If other good staff are amenable, have them document their experiences as well.

The behavior of your manager and her friends is appalling, but unfortunately it happens a lot.  As far as your upper management and their apparent inaction, I will say that going over their heads may be your only option as far as demanding accountability.  When the county or the state swoops in to conduct their own investigation, the shit will hit the fan.  Thus the importance of your continued documentation.  You are to be commended for watching out for the well being of your clients. Good luck.


Title: [NY] Rear ended someone, very minor incident. Guy is (falsely) claiming injury.

Question:
A few weeks ago, I rolled very, very slowly into someone's car while pulling out of a parking lot.  He was ahead of me and started to pull out, I began to let my foot off the brake and roll forward when he abruptly stopped.  I still had pressure on the brake, and rolled in to him at no more than 1-2 mph.  I realize I'm completely at fault, but the incident was very, very minor.

There was very little damage - about a nickel-sized dent in the plastic piece on his rear end.  Originally, he was just going to let it go, but then decided we should exchange info.

He decided to file a claim with my insurance company, even though I asked him if he would be willing for me to pay him directly for the damage and at the time he seemed agreeable to that.  But whatever, that's his right to do so - pain for my record, but whatever.  Total assessed damage was a few hundred dollars - almost all of which was painting and blending.  I can understand that - I've been hit before and I know how much that costs.

However, the guy is claiming to my insurance company that he was injured.  He was not.  No way, no how.  The bump was so minor, so slow, that it would be impossible.  Immediately after, he was friendly and didn't mention anything either.  It's impossible that he was even sore, it was that slow and that minor.  And he knows that.

My insurance company told him that because of no-fault, any injury claims have to go through his own insurance, and only pain and suffering can come back to me.  Which he has ZERO case for.

But he mentioned to the claims agent that he's "talking to a lawyer" and "has been through the process before."  Which sounds a lot like he's tried to collect fraudulent insurance money before.  The claims agent called him out on it - telling him they would go through his entire insurance claims history as well as medical conditions, and that the damage on the car shows that the accident was not severe enough to cause injury.

I have pictures of the damage and these are backed up by the damage assessment from my insurance company.

I'm doubtful the guy actually tries to sue me, but with what he's been pulling, I also wouldn't be surprised if he comes back 2 years from now trying to claim something.

My question: What should I be doing to prepare/protect myself if he decides to do this?  I have the pictures I took of his vehicle, which should be sufficient I'd think.  I've also kept records of every conversation I've had with the claims agent.  I've not had any communication with the guy I rear-ended since the incident itself.

I know that he has no case if it were to go to court, but that would be a huge pain to do, and I'd think I'd probably have to sue him for legal fees and damages, which is something I'd rather not have to deal with.

Any advice?  Or should I just wait and see?

Answer:
 Yeah, your insurance will handle it. That's why you pay them! It might take months or even years for all of this to come to fruition, so don't be too concerned right now.

Edit: he won't be suing you he will be suing your insurance. Answer #2: >  He was not. No way, no how.

If you're not a doctor who has examined him your opinion on his medical condition is completely irrelevant.

Let your insurance company handle it. This is why you have insurance.  If you are sued they will defend you.


Title: CA: Ticketed for littering, but it's not my trash

Question:
I drive a pickup and when I park it on the street people sometimes tend to use it as a trash can. When that happens I usually just throw that stuff out on the street because I'm not going to clean up after other people and it's disgusting to have that stuff in my car. Yesterday a cop watched me doing that and I got ticketed with littering.

&#x200B;

Two questions:

&#x200B;

I can proof that the trash isn't mine (I have front/back dashcams that are permanently recording). Is it illegal for me to throw the trash that someone else puts on my car back out on the street?

&#x200B;

I assume it makes sense to get a lawyer instead of handling this myself. Is that correct?

Answer:
 Dude. You littered. It doesn’t matter who’s trash it is, you picked it up and threw it somewhere that isn’t a trash can.

Answer #2: Why didn't you throw the trash into a garbage can? You littered. Answer #3: The thing you did is the definition of littering. Answer #4: You have no defense. You can consult s lawyer who will charge you money to tell you the same thing. Answer #5: You didn't state in your OP whether you were cited under state, county, or city law, but under California State law [CA Penal Code 374.4 a) and c)](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PEN&sectionNum=374.4) you definitely littered.

The people putting trash in your pickup are littering, but when you take it out of your truck and drop it on the street, so are you.  Nowhere in the statute does it say that you have to own the trash you're discarding in order to be guilty of littering.

To answer your questions:
1) Yes, it's illegal for you to take the trash from your car and throw it on the street.

2) If you were cited with an infraction, it's doubtful that a lawyer could reduce the fine by more than the lawyer's fee.

I'm not a lawyer.Answer #6: Install a tonneau cover and stop littering.Answer #7: Somebody else littered by throwing it in your truck, and you littered by throwing it on the ground. Not a super complex issue here. You're better off just paying the fine and moving on with life than getting a lawyer, wasting money, and dragging this out.


Title: A popular chain Video Game store sold me a hacked copy of a video game, resulting in a lifetime ban on Xbox Live. What can i do?

Question: About a week ago i bought a used game from gamestop, and it turned out it was a bit strange. I could do anything i wanted to online in multiplayer. Somewhere around 2 hours ago, i got a permanent ban on my Xbox live account. Is there anything i can do?

Answer:
 I want to believe you, but I don't. You don't just modify a game that allows you to do whatever you want online. One has to modify their console to do that.Answer #2: this is bs. you must have hacked your xbox (and deserve a ban). any game that runs on a non-hacked xbox must be signed by microsoft.Answer #3: I have never heard of non legitimate discs being able to be used on unmodified Xbox systems. It seems like it would have had significant security implications that would have made it big news. Can anyone provide evidence that this is possible because I can't find any.

So I doubt this is the full story. Any more information on this disc? Photos? I believe you may have been using a modified system and whatever modified software you were using loaded cheats.


Title: [Texas] NBA.com league pass scam?

Question:
I recently signed up on NBA.com League Pass to watch Los Spurs play but they are blacked out in my area.  No where in there advertising is it mentioned there might be a possibility it's blacked out :

http://imgur.com/5bFxkIy

However, in the terms of service, in which I didn't read, it does mention that blackouts can occur (who reads terms of agreements like that anyway?) Am I boned for not reading it or are they wrong for advertising the way they did?

Answer: Terms of service have an interesting purpose: They are the actual *terms of* the *service* you are signing up for.


Title: 23 and my parents wont let me out the house?

Question:
[removed]
Topic:
Troll Post

Answer:
 > ok so iv been watching theres odd satasfying videos on youtube,were theres people cut of thick infections on the skin,(seriously)how can i get an infection on my skin just so i can cut it off?

Honestly, I think you should encourage them to speed things along.


Title: Need legal advice to complain to the state of california about reddit pao and ohanian

Question: I was asked by a anti-trust lawyer on a [thread about discrimination by Reddit inc.](http://www.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/39krms/dear_department_of_fair_employment_and_housing_a/) if anyone was looking into pursuing a case against reddit. We are discussing the protections of the unruh act, fraud, deceptive practices and libel and defamation.

Answer:
 Hey endomorphosis.  How did making an argument to the Supreme Court in Elonis go?

http://www.reddit.com/r/KotakuInAction/comments/2qr3p1/gg_scotus_amicus_curiae_elonis_v_united_states/


Title: Insured motorist hits uninsured motorist. What happens?

Question:
Insured motorist ran a red light, clearly at fault, w/ video footage available.  Uninsured suffered moderate injuries with severe damage to car.  What happens here, generally?

Washington State

Answer: The at-fault driver pays for other driver's damages, bodily injury and property damage.


Title: [Texas] Separated but not divorced. Giving child support cash. No court order to temporary order. Whats the best way to prove that I am giving money for when/if we finally file for divorce?

Question: I give 20% of my net pay check to my separated spouse in cash for child support. I want to leave a paper trail to be able to prove that I'm meeting my obligations. What is the best way to do that?

Answer:
 Write checks?

Give money orders?

Have her sign receipts?


Title: VA - Home Purchased Under the Guise of New Roof; Roof is actually 10+ years old

Question:
I purchased my first home about 6 months ago. I was renting the place next door for a few years, and so I knew the neighbors very well. They left, and their mother/mother-in law was the true owner, and did a lot of work on the place - completely rennovated the insides, etc. She approached me to see if I was interested, and I was.

The seller is also a real estate agent for a large firm

The price was right and I already knew a lot about the neighborhood, etc. Everything had just been replaced, interior, all the appliances, HVAC system, and she told me the roof as well was new. So, considering everything was new, I was banking on no major expenses or issues for at least the first year or so.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago - I awoke after a good amount of rain to 5 different leaks with water pouring out of the ceiling. The next day, I gave the seller a call (the seller is also a real estate agent) to contact the people who did the roof. She gave me 2 numbers (neither of which worked), and she said again on the phone that the roof was new, though now she said instead of it being 1 year old, she said "maybe 2 or 3". She said many many times in front of me and other witnesses that the roof was new, during the buying process.

I had 3 different contractors come out, and a roofing company, and all said the same thing - the roof is over 10 years old, and it wasn't installed correctly to begin with. In addition, in the process of tearing out damaged drywall, we found evidence of black mold in many places, and evidence that areas were patched over where leaks would have occurred before.

What is my legal recourse here? It seems that I purchased the home under very false pretenses. A home inspection was done, but after reviewing the paperwork, he said the roof was in decent condition.

My thought was to call her again and record the call and go to an attorney. Any advice is appreciated! Thank you in advance for your replies!

Answer:
 Regardless what she says your disclosures are what you paid for so I doubt a phone call of her saying the roof is new will do you much and its more likely you record something that actually destorys your case. Did you have an agent or did you let her do everything?Answer #2: When a seller has knowledge of a defect and doesn't disclose, or materially misrepresents the product they are selling, generally they are liable.

Painting over black mold would definitely indicate knowledge.

Consult an attorney and go after her for the costs. And for a reimbursement for the home inspection fees.