Title: Brother in law was put in the hospital

Question: Ill sum it up best as i can. I live in california. My brother in law was talking to a "new" girl. He went to her house one early this sunday morning. About 4am the ex boyfriend showed up. My brother in law gets assaulted by him. My wife doesnt find out until tuesday. Apparently ever since the assault by the ex boyfriend my brother in law had difficulty walking, talking, and stayed in his room. My mother in law tried many times to get him to the ER many times and he refused. On Wednesday he finally agrees to go to the ER. They find out his skull is fractured and has bleeding in his brain and a piece of his skull is lodged in his brain. The part that controls speech. They perform surgery and remove the piece of skull and replace it with a "metal plate". This whole time my wifes family is trying to press charges on the person who assaulted him. We know his name, address, and phone number. And also the ex gfs information. The problem were having is my brother in law, due to the brain injury, is not aware of what happened to him. And the hospital social worker said unless he agrees to press charges they cant without his consent. Mind you this is a guy who was always joking and talking. Now hes reduced to mumbling and hand signs because he cant speak. Like his brain cant process what he wants to say to words. The whole time at the hospital he thought he was there for a broken arm. Which was fine. He was surprised when he saw the scar on his head left by the brain surgery. Should we hire an attorney? How can we go on pressing charges and having the guy arrested who did this? My brother in law seems that at the moment he cant make decisions on his own. My mother in law had to sign off on his brain surgery. Thanks. If more info is needed please ask. Thank you

Answer: Honestly I'd go a step further a report the social worker to the hospital for giving advice beyond her scope of practice. Who knows how many people she has given bad advice to and they've acted on it. But that's a small thing and that's just me. I wouldn't want someone in a similar position taking bad advice and not seeking the full range of treatment or help available to them based on the words of someone who doesn't know what they're talking about.Answer #2: Hi, I am British and I have several years experience in law enforcement (over here, UK).  If somebody had ever reported this incident to me, I would've recorded it as an attempted murder.  This situation is extremely serious.  Visit the police department and tell an officer that you want to report an attempted murder.  If they don't cooperate ask to speak to the lieutenant.  What the hell's going on in this case?  Where's the victim's clothes?  Have they been seized by police?  If not, why not?  etc.......


Title: Have a leaners permit and hit a parked car and drove away

Question: I have a learners permit and was learning how to drive in my parents car with one of my parents in the car with me. While learning how to park, I hit a parked car and it left some minor scratches and possibly a small dent. This was my first time involved in any car accident, and I ended up driving away. What will happen? This happened in NYC.

Answer: That’s a hit and run, and I can’t believe your parents didn’t have you stop and at least leave a note? If the driver of the other car figured out who you are (using parking lot cameras, witnesses, etc) it’s possible that you or your parents can be charged with hit and run.


Title: Fired today because of a situation due to Jury Duty Summons where I had to take off from work. Need advice if I should pursue legal action or not.

Question:
I've been at this job for a year now in Ohio. And honestly ever since my interview I had bad vibes from the direct supervisor aka Team Lead.

Anyways been after about 8 months of working the Team Lead has been coming down hard on me hard. I will admit I made three mistakes in my working task (not major at all), but so have plenty of other members on the team (way bigger mistakes) and he said nothing to them about it (least to my knowledge)
After these three mistakes, the Team Lead placed me on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP).
Now I had three incidents (two while being on PIP).

The first incident came before PIP and its kind of what lead to it. I worked 45hrs which is the recommended max allowed for Overtime. But, they made me stay an extra 12hrs on a Friday because it was our End of Month Period. So I worked those 12+hrs while NOT clocked in.

The Team Lead got mad at me for that even though I was trying to show that I didn't mind working that time off.
So a month later I was again scheduled to process End of Month work. This time I did not clock out and stayed clocked in while working the extra 12hrs. That means on my time card it showed that I worked like 57hrs.
The Team Lead got mad at me again this time because he told me I should have let him know that I was going to be over 45hrs. Even though he KNEW that I was going to be working that many hours because I was scheduled to work end of month processes. Anyone that works end of month is going to work a ton of hours. When I said that to him, he responded that I still should have told him either by email or text or something.

Now this leads to today. Last Weds I notified my teamlead and HR that I will be on Jury Duty for this week. I even scanned my jury duty summons and sent it to HR. In the email to both the Team Lead and HR, I told them that I had to go in for Monday, but every day after that is up in the air because I'm not sure if they would select me to come back.
So Monday evening I found out that I did not have to come in for Tuesday for Jury duty. I told my Team Lead and told him that I could come in if he needed me. He responded "alright, thanks for the heads up." After I got off the phone with him I checked my hours and HR scheduled me the whole week off for Jury Duty.
So because they did that, I was hesitant to go in because had I clocked in, I would be over my 40hrs (at least that was my understanding). So I figured why should I go in when HR already had me scheduled off knowing that I'm on Jury Duty? I could just work from home, which is what I ended up doing. On Tuesday the team lead called asking where I was at. I told him the courthouse (which was true) to make sure I wasn’t scheduled in today and if I would be for tomorrow. He said he thought I was coming in. I told him I was but I was already scheduled off so I can just work from home or if he needs me there I could still come in (it was 11am at this time). He said “no that’s ok.”

I go in today, and the Team Lead went to HR and complained I did a no show at work on Tues (yesterday).
HR fired me ASAP. No waning or anything. They grabbed my stuff and gave it to me and told me that I was being terminated.

I'm trying to be objective about this as I can, but I totally felt like I got screwed over on trying to do right thing. I worked from home when I didn't come in. I got my work done and they still fired me. I even asked the team lead if he wanted me in Tuesday and I could just stay until 10pm to make up the time I missed. He said he didn't need me too. I can understand that I said I would be in Tuesday and didn’t show could be a problem, but again HR still had me scheduled off. I don’ know, I felt like firing me over this is a little overboard, but if I’m really looking at it, I believe they were trying to get rid of me for a while and I gave them a good excuse too.

So yes, now I'm fired. I'm wondering if this is worth pursuing legal action over, or did they have every right to do this? This sucks, I did apply for unemployment, but this was a very good company.

TLDR: Got fired because I notified teamlead and HR that I would have Jury Duty. HR scheduled me the whole week off. I told my teamlead that I could work on Tues if he needed, but decided to work from home. Got fired for a no show despite HR giving me the entire week off (showed on my time sheet). Was told that I had other time issues in the past which lead to the decision.

Answer:
 So, you found out Monday night that you didn't need to be at the court house Tuesday, and told your employer that.

Then, on Tuesday, you decide to go to the courthouse anyways, just in case you're actually needed? And your employer contacts you and asks where you are and you say "at the courthouse" even though you told your employer the night before that you wouldn't be at the courthouse?

And to top it all off, you don't go in to work even though you are no longer serving jury duty?Answer #2: That doesn't sound like you were fired for jury duty issues, that sounds like you were fired for a host of other ongoing issues.

You should file for unemployment and look for another job.


Title: People in cemetery harassing my dog

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >Do I have any way to hold them legally responsible for the actions of people on their property?

Your beef isn't with the cemetery, it's with the people doing these things.  The "no dogs in the cemetery" rule is the church's rule.  They can enforce it, or choose not to, it has nothing to do with you.  If you see people throwing shit at or kicking your dog, bring your dog in the house and call the police. Answer #2: I would recommend a proper fence instead of an electric one. If you won't go outside with your dog when these things are happening then your dog will not be protected from these people.Answer #3: Try putting up a wooden privacy fence in your back yard to protect your dog.  Should you have to do this?  No, people SHOULD follow the rules and be nice to your dog, but people are assholes and you need to protect your dog from them.

Answer #4: Call the cops every time you see it.

When you say electric fence, I assume it's an invisible fence.  Try putting up signs announcing the electric fence.

You can also try building a proper fence.Answer #5: Can you put up security cameras to catch the people doing these things?


Title: Denied housing because of a fraud alert I created

Question:
[US / California]

A few years ago, while making an account at Bank, it was discovered that some guy named José had made an account using my SSN. We got Bank to recognize the error, and placed a fraud alert on my credit report, just in case.

Yesterday, some friends and I applied for an apartment. The apartment ran credit scores on all of us, and mine came back with an error indicating the fraud alert.

Shouldn't the apartment complex simply be checking my identity more closely? Is it legal for me to be denied housing for this?

Now, I could try to remove the fraud alert from my credit report, but I'd rather like to keep the extra protections in place. I'm concerned about whether I'll be able to find an apartment at all, or whether this will happen everywhere I apply.

Answer: Are you sure that you *only* placed a fraud alert? This sounds more like the apartment hit a security freeze, which means they can't get a copy of your credit report at all unless you pre-authorize it. I'd check with the credit bureau they used to see if you have a security freeze.


Title: New car wash in town just snapped the windshield wiper arm of my new car and cracked the windshield in four places. Any suggestions?

Question: The manager signed a damage report and said his boy at his shop was going to take care of it. I don't want to go to his shop. Should I call insurance?

Answer: You aren't obligated to use his shop. Either ask for his insurance info or file with yours,  assuming damage is over your deductible, and let them handle it


Title: Letter from Hertz saying I didn't return their car; states they will report it stolen

Question:
I rented a car on 12/14 for a one-way to another city/state and returned it there per the agreement the same day.  Their letter states I have not returned their car (to the pickup location) and they are threatening legal action including reporting the car stolen.  I double checked my Expedia reservation and it clearly shows a one way rental to another city/state.  I have called the number on letter numerous times but their voicemail is full.

Too early to "lawyer up" if they could be reporting it stolen?  The pickup state is Texas and the drop off is Arkansas.

[Update Edit]:  I called drop off location, they sent proof of check in to me within minutes and I used that to resolve matter with Vehicle Control Dept. that sent me the letter.  Thanks to all.

Answer:
 Did you get any paperwork when you turned the car in? Call the number on the letter and state you had a one way rental and the date, time and location of the Hertz location where you returned it. No need for a lawyer unless they do report it stolen. Answer #2: Not a lawyer, but I do have a relevant story.  I rented a Uhaul trailer for a one way move about 15 years ago.  I returned it after hours at a Uhaul dealer dropping it at a lot.

5 years later I was driving through Yellowstone park and was pulled over for speeding.  After the officer took my license he was in his car for what seemed a long time.  Another vehicle pulls up and suddenly I have three rifles pointed at me.

Long story short I spent three nights in jail for a 5 year warrant for felony thief I knew nothing about to that point.  It cost me thousands to clear up without a record.

Take it seriously and handle it.


Title: Can a job dock your pay from $15/hour to $8/hour to force you into quitting instead of firing you?

Answer: most (maybe all) states recognize a drastic pay cut as good cause to quit and still get unemployment, or to get partial unemployment to make up some of the difference.


Title: (UK) Driver hit my car, tells his insurance it was 50/50

Question:
Hi guys, I was driving a friend home in the early hours of the morning. As I approached a bend, a car coming the opposite direction was driving too fast, and partially into my lane. He swerved, but clipped my driver's side door, bashed the back door panel, and wheel arch panel. Nobody was hurt in either car, and we exchanged details. I got his plates, name, phone number and insurance. He admitted liability at the scene ("Sorry mate, I was going too fast.") and I figured his insurance would cover it. I took a picture of my car's damage, and my friend sat in the passenger side, took a photo of his plates. The photo isn't the best quality, what with it being dark, but it shows his car at a stop pretty much in the middle of the narrow road.

His insurance called me today, and the driver isn't claiming liability, saying we both hit each other. This isn't true. I know the roads pretty well, and was safely driving at the right speed, totally in my own lane. It's essentially my word against his, without any independent witnesses. I'm worried that I'll end out of pocket for an accident that wasn't my fault. Is there anything I can do?

Answer:
 Contact your insurance company and let them fight it out?

Sue the driver in court for the full amount of the damages?

Hire an attorney to try to negotiate a better settlement from them, or try to do it yourself?

Those are pretty much your options if you don't want to accept their settlement offer.


Title: Is it discrimination if a landlord refuses to rent to someone because they can't come physically see the unit due to physical disability?

Question:
Context: I'm trying to help my dad find an apartment near me. He doesn't move around very well (alternates between a cane/scooter) and currently lives 6 hours away. We both have great credit and $$.

I've been visiting various apartment complexes (some that are specifically for seniors) and am currently 'first in line' for a great place near me that was built for senior citizens. I walked around the apartment Facetiming my dad so he got to see it and approve, etc. However, the landlady says she has to meet my dad in person (no phone call, etc.) or she won't rent to us. He physically is incapable of making that kind of trip, especially for an apartment that is guaranteed. She won't accept a phone call or facetime etc., he has to come see it and meet her in person or else there's no deal.

I already submitted a $100 nonrefundable deposit which she initially said locked in the place. Do I have any recourse here? Is this potentially discrimination? I have texts with her regarding all of the above. Should I at least pursue the $100 if she refuses to rent to us? The way she pulled out this requirement at the last hour feels suspicious to me.

**UPDATE:** fortunately, we got a call back and he got the apartment - the landlady spoke to my dad on the phone and decided to move forward in sending him the lease to sign. This means my request for specific advice is at an end. Feel free to discuss what my options would have been if they had denied us as I'm curious what the advice in that situation would be.

Answer: By "built for senior citizens", do you mean that the complex is age-restricted to senior citizens?  Answer #2: I might be wrong, but this seems to me like a you are asking for advice about a real situation so it would be better fit for the main sub, /r/legaladvice,  not just off /r/legaladviceofftopic  .


Title: Police allowed to search my bag?

Question: So i was a little bit drunk a few nights ago, and i was stopped by police who saw me taking a piss behind a tree. they gave me a bit of a hard time, and told me to give them my backpack. i asked if they were sure they were allowed to do that, and they said yes. i gave them my bag, and they took my 40 of rum, poured it out, and then wrote me a $125 ticket for being a person under the age of 19 in possession of alcohol (Canada). my question is, does that constitute unreasonable search and seizure? they didn't see any alcohol on me before looking in my bag. im just wondering if i should bother fighting the ticket at this point. Thanks :)

Answer:
 They saw you committing a crime.....a crime done by people who are generally under the influence of alcohol.....a crime committed by someone under legal drinking age.....yes they can search your bag! I highly recommend not going to court...you'll just be wasting time and embarrassing yourself.

Never commit two crimes at once. If you're gonna pee in public don't have alcohol or any illicit substance on your person.Answer #2: You consented.


Title: Can I "pressure" my landlord into returning my security deposit with a recorded racist statement? (Indiana)

Question:
First let me begin by providing some background information on the situation:

My lease was coming to an end on April 30th, and after a dispute regarding the next year's lease terms, I decided that I had had enough with the property owner.  My landlord and I discussed the situation, and he ultimately agreed to let me move out of my apartment without the full 60 days notice as required by the contract, and I did. However, he did so over the telephone... After receiving my deposit refund notification, he is withholding $885 (month of may) from my security deposit due to premature termination of lease.

I would like to take him to small claims court, but he will likely claim he never agreed to let me leave without 60 days notice. Although, being aware of the 60 day notice requirement, I obviously would have never moved out. Why would anyone pay double rent by choice? This is essentially my only argument, lacking firm evidence...

However, I had a friend call him to test him as a reference after I moved out. My friend used a fake name, and pretended to be a property manager at my new residence. During the call my landlord made the following statement. "I was desperate for a tenant, and they were white, so I moved them in." To my amusement, my friend was recording the call... one party consent  law in Indiana...

In order to avoid small claims court, I am considering using the statement to entice him and his wife, who is a realtor at a large firm, to return my deposit. Essentially letting them know that I have evidence that he uses discriminatory practice in his business.

Is this legal? Is there a certain way that I need to go about this? And can my friend get in trouble for recording under a false identity?

Thanks for the help...

Answer:
 That phone call is hardly "evidence that he uses discriminatory practice."

If you do this, he can report you for blackmail or sue you for extortion.  Or both.  Depends on exactly what you do and how you say it, but it is foreseeable.


Title: FLORIDA JUDICIAL BYPASS

Question: I live near the Tampa, FL area. It seems like none of the courthouses I’ve been to even know what a judicial bypass is. What courthouses in Florida deal with judicial bypasses? I will gather all of the ones I’m told and go to the nearest one. I’m desperate.

Answer:
 I really don’t know the answer but Planned  Parenthood May have information on the process in your area.

Edit: here’s a link
https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-south-east-north-florida/for-patients/teens-seeking-abortion-services


Title: Statute of limitations on ancient medical debt and how to respond to collectors? Utah

Question:
Howdy,
   My husband just recieved a letter from a collection agency for a debt to a hospital.  Neither he nor I recognized the hospital, so thinking it might be a scam, called the hospital instead of the debt collector.  Turns out it was for an ER visit from 1993. He thinks it seems possible  that it was him,  but that he was on his parents insurance at that time, and nobody really remembers the injury the hospital described.  The hospital started asking for current billing info,  so  I said I'd call back and disconnected the call.   From what I can tell the statute of limitations on debt collection in Utah is 4 to 6 years, and this is the first anyone has heard of the debt (and we went looking for debts about 7 years ago to clean up his credit ).  It is a very large sum of money, and there is no way we could afford it and we have no real way to look up insurance information from that long ago to show if it was paid or even if it is legitimate.  If we are outside the statute of limitations is there anything we should or should not do in order to prevent re-uping the counter or any other issues?  Thanks in advance for any advice!

Answer:
 You could send a Fair Debt Collection Practices Act letter. That letter says "stop contacting me unless you sue me to collect." Then any subsequent attempts to collect on the debt outside of a lawsuit violate federal law and you get some nice damages out of it. You could mention the statute of limitations having run in the letter, I suppose.

Of course sending a letter telling the creditor to sue you might not be a great idea if you could lose the statute of limitations issue.


Title: Channels being taken off the package...

Question:
I am a customer of a well known DTH service. For long time, they have been removing the channels from the package that I am subscribed to and then either make them available as add-on channels at extra cost or make them available in higher packages(which off course costs more).

Since most of the channels that have been moved are the ones I want (sports channels mostly) I have upgraded several times to a point that it's ridiculous. Most of the time the explanation is the channels becoming expensive, but then again when removing the channels, shouldn't they reduce the cost of package since they have lower number of channels now. This never happens. So say the cost is $25 per month, they remove the channels it's still the same $25.

Like say 3 channels costs $1 out of the $25 total. New higher cost price is $2 dollars for those channels. Fair enough they remove it, but shouldn't customers be getting the reduction of $1 dollar from their package? If that is the case I am ready to pay 26 Dollars. But now it's 27. Can this be challenged in consumer Court?

Note: I am not sure if I have conveyed the matter properly. Basically I am paying the same amount after channels are being removed.

They said I can't have a refund for 6-7 months of subscription I already have. So only option is to add those channels at their full price. Which seems unfair since there was no reduction whatsoever in package price.

Edit: I am from India...

Answer:
 Take into consideration that all the channels are becoming more expensive.

Take this wild example. You have 5 channels that you pay $5 for. One channel goes up by a dollar so they remove it. The other four channels go up 25 cents so the cost remains $5 for 4 channels.

That and the fine print in your contract that says channel availability and lineup subject to change at their discretion.

Have no idea about the laws in India, but pretty sure their contracts are going to have similar working.


Title: [NJ] Girlfriend was rear ended while waiting for the cash toll

Question:
Hi all - first time posting here so please let me know if I break a rule or formality. My girlfriend lives alone, works full time (bartender) and is about to begin the semester at a local university.

Two nights ago, she left my town to head home, about 20 minutes away. One of the two cash lanes was closed, so the line for the cash/tickets lane was extra long. She was the last person in line, at a full stop, and was rear ended by a car going very fast. It totaled her Civic, wedging it under the car ahead of her (which then hit the car ahead of it as well). All survived, and she is just sore and stiff, thankfully.

She leased her Civic, putting about half of it on a down payment to reduce her monthly payments. She does not believe she has gap insurance, but I will update this post if that turns out to be untrue. What is she entitled to, be it by the person who hit her's insurance company, or her own? Is there any legal avenue to pursue with whoever manages the tolls (the state, perhaps)?

If she is forced to "start fresh" on a new lease with none of her down payment back, the monthly payment will be so high that she will likely have to leave school for the semester to work more.  Is there a possibility of an emergency change in her financial assistance with the Gov't or the school?

I'm sorry, I'm rambling, it is a very emotional time and I just want to help my girlfriend every way I can. Please advise on other places I could crosspost this, if possible.

EDIT girlfriend just got off the phone with her claim rep - they are looking into getting the toll plaza footage, if possible. Not sure if that helps.

Answer:
 First, she needs to go see a doctor, make sure she's truely okay, then she needs to chat with her insurance and see what's covered. Hopefully it works out, if not she should find an attorney to try and make herself whole. Keep in mind, if any of the other cars sue her, she need her insurance, or that attorney, to reply and defend.

If the accident causer has insurance, it's likely this will work out in the end. There's no avenue against the state here. She can likely refile FADFA in an emergency, /u/i_work_in_hied/ may know more.Answer #2: Why would the state or toll company be responsible for someone hitting her?

She is owed the value of the car at the time it was hit.

She should buy a cheaper car if she cannot afford the new payments, not leave school. Let's make good choices here.


Title: Roommate Dispute

Question:
So to get right to the chase, I live in a house with 7 people, most of which are in their early 20’s. 2 of these roommates are in just about the worst, most unhealthy relationship I’ve ever seen. In August, she learned he’d been cheating, they trashed the house fighting (we have photo evidence) and she moved out. A couple weeks later, they are dating again. Ever since then, the rest of the house basically just tolerates and ignores them. They fight all the time, often in the middle of the night, but on top of it all they are already the least considerate roommates I’ve ever lived with. That’s the back story, now to the kicker:

This morning at 4am they got into another fight. I woke up, because it was obviously very loud. After the sound of glass breaking and sudden silence, I went downstairs to find blood and glass EVERYWHERE. Apparently during a fight she threw a wine glass at him and then tried to clean up maybe 3% of it before rushing him to the ER.

My question for you: everyone else in the house has been looking for an excuse to ask them to leave, and we believe this is the last straw. We plan on asking them to move out, but if they fight us on it, what sort of action can we take? If it goes into some sort of legal battle, what is the next move? I know nothing about this stuff and would love any advice you can offer

Answer: You should call the police and report a violent domestic disturbance when one wakes you up


Title: Landlords removed fire alarms, legal? (Maryland)

Question:
Long story short I thought I was renting a room but I turned out to be subletting, because the people did not own the home (they tried to cover that up) they were only renting it.

However I noticed they had taken down all of the fire alarms including the one outside of my bedroom door. Is this legal?

Answer:
 Nearly every US state has a requirement have working smoke detectors in rental units. [This](http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/MCFRS/Resources/Files/misc/Smoke_Alarm_Law_101.pdf) PDF seems to confirm that's the case in Maryland.

OP- I would speak to the person you subleased the space from. If they're not willing to do anything about it, then you should contact your local fire marshal. Answer #2: This is most definitely illegal! My wife and I rented our house for a couple years when we moved out of state and we had to do all sorts of things to be able to rent it out, but one of the things we had to do was put a smoke detector on each floor in a common area as well as in each bedroom. The house in question was in Montgomery County MD. I would try to find out who the real landlord is and reach out to them about the fire alarms, because they would possibly be interested in learning that their tenants are in an unsafe environment (though that might result in your sublease being terminated).


Title: Can I record my landlord during a move-out inspection?

Question: I'm in California. My landlord has a habit of changing the facts of what was and wasn't said in verbal conversations, so much so that we request every interaction be in writing. We're moving out but have possession until the end of the month, but by California law we're entitled to a pre-move-out inspection during which our Landlord will enter our unit and assess any deductions he feels will be necessary from our deposit. I would like to bring a video camera and inform him that I will be recording. I believe this is legal if he agrees, but what if he objects? Am I within my rights since it's in my own home? Can my landlord refuse the inspection I'm entitled to and what would the recourse be?

Answer:
 > I believe this is legal if he agrees, but what if he objects?

Then you cannot record.  California is an all-party consent state.  If you continue to record, it's a crime **and** it's inadmissible in any hearings.


Title: My partner might get arrested for having a shy bladder. How can we prevent this?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 >He's being bullied by his PO.

No, the PO has a job to do and is doing it.  There are very good reasons for these rules, and the PO is just following them.
Your BF being free on probation is a privilege, not a right.  He should keep that in mind.Answer #2: Here's what I tell the shy pissers in my platoon. Drop pants to ankles, tuck your shirt under your chin. Making the ball gazer as uncomfortable as you alleviates the shyness 99% of the time.Answer #3: The PO has been informed by the court to perform UA tests. Your best bet would be to have his attorney ask for a hearing with the judge and present all medical evidence stating that he is medically unable to provide a sample while being observed. The PO doesn't have the authority to refuse a court order because the court is his boss. This should have been addressed when the defendant received probation.


Title: I went through special ed on a misdiagnosis. So I can't get into any post secondary education without essentially redoing my schooling from middleschool onward. Do I have any legal options that may make this a bit easier? [Alberta, Canada]

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Do you have a high school diploma? If not, get a GED - if you're mostly up to date on your high school curriculum, a GED is relatively easy to get, and fulfils the same requirements as far as most higher education admissions go.


Title: Is it illegal to make dirty jokes with a minor?

Question: So I Male(21) would occasionally make dirty jokes with my younger brother (15) or his friend Male(16), there was no sexual intentions and it was all for a laugh. California

Answer:
 Nothing you've described is illegal.

God, they'd have to arrest every older sibling in existance if that were illegal...


Title: My employer said that the sign on bonus that I was supposed to receive was a mistake, after I started working and left my other job.

Question:
So this is in GA, USA. I accepted a job offer as a corrections officer and on the website job description, it listed a sign on bonus if you had a graduate degree. After getting my first check and not having my bonus on there, I called the main Hr department to ask when I will be getting the bonus.

The person I spoke to at HR had to ask a higher up but then said I was mistaken. I directed her (the hr rep) to look at the site and she saw that it listed the sign on bonus. I have a screen shot of the listing, when I got off of work I was discussing this issue with my SO, I pulled up the same job description page but now the salary information has been removed.

Is there anything I can do because now I have left my other job which I would not have if the sign on was not there, and I am pretty sure they are not going to pay the bonus since they deleted it from the listing.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Tl;dr company deleted the sign on bonus info from their website after saying it was a mistake to have it listed, but this was after I started working for them.

Answer: Do you have an offer letter or other paperwork explaining your compensation?Answer #2: If there’s no written contract, there’s not much you can do. They pulled a sneaky on you, I would find another job, you don’t know what else they could do.


Title: Is a tank a handgun per US law?

Question:
Is a tank (let's say a Sherman M4) a handgun per US law?
Per 27 CFR § 478.11:
> *Handgun.*
>
> (a) Any firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand; and
>
> (b) Any combination of parts from which a firearm described in paragraph (a) can be assembled.

A tank doesn't really have a  stock, which I interpret as fulfilling the "a short stock" requirement.

The gun/tank kinda holds itself, so there's no need for more than one hand to hold it.

For gunlaying, it's perfectly capable of being operated with one hand, assuming you do the horizontal and the vertical axes one at a time.

The actual firing is done hands-free, with a foot trigger.

Answer:
 > The gun/tank kinda holds itself, so there's no need for more than one hand to hold it.

It’s too heavy to hold at all. It certainly isn’t designed to be held by one hand. A pintle-mounted machine gun is also not held at all, but that doesn’t make it a handgun. You’re confusing “designed to be held by the use of a single hand” with “not designed to be held with two hands.”


Title: Can someone violate their own restraining order against you?

Question: So there was a super messy situation a while back, with my boyfriend's ex and resulted in her putting a restraining order on me. Which is ironic since all I ever wanted her to do was to leave me alone. Anyways, she's friends with my boyfriend's sister who lives with my boyfriend, his mom, and I. My boyfriend's sister wants to invite her over to our house for a birthday party, and is not open to the option of uninviting her. If she were to come to my house, wouldn't she be violating the restraining order she put on me? And what should I do in order to prevent her from coming to the party? My boyfriend and I are also looking into putting a restraining order on her, which we should have done earlier but we thought she would leave us alone after the whole situation a while back. I live in California btw.

Answer:
 I just called my local police department to ask for advice. They notified me that if she did come to my house that she would be in violation of court order and she would be escorted off the premises. Thanks to everyone for the helpful advice, glad to have got this sorted out. Answer #2: IANAL. I'm not wrapping my head around either; OP.  But, whatever you do, you need these people out of your life.  If your future family members want to do this to you now, wait until they're actually family.  They'll run you over faster than you read this sentence.

Before you get into lawyer territory, I would suggest seeing where your boyfriend sides with the situation.  If he's ok with you being kicked out of YOUR home so his ex be there.  This can be messy legally and emotionally, you need to talk with all parties involved.  Whoever does not care about you staying out of jail is someone you should not care about as well.
Answer #3: depends what the order says. I have seen them written as "except in the respondents own residence or place of employment"  when they do not live with or work with the petitioner.

but there is no universal principal that automatically includes such language.


Title: 501(c)(3) Board members voting to pay themselves as private contractors...

Question:
Oklahoma:

I am a member on the BOD of a not for profit 501(c)(3) community theatre. Coming in to the board we have 6 out of 10 BOD members that regularly  contract out to the same organization as directors (for the productions) for a large compensation.

I have brought up the fact that this just doesnt seem right and that I believe we are paying the show directors way too much money. We usually end up LOSING money on productions due to the high amount directors are getting paid.

The concerns of mine have been met with extreme pushback.  We are supposed to have a board meeting Wednesday to discuss production director compensation. A discussion that 6 of 10 board members have a financial interest in.

I've looked a lot of stuff up on line but I still find it kind of murky. I saw a lot about "disqualified persons" but it seemed not to relate to 501c3.

So...

1) Is it against 501c3 regulations for voting members to get paid to contract themselves out?

2) If not, is it against regulations for them to VOTE on their contracted compensation?

3) Should this activity worry me in any regards to our 501c3 status or possible IRS backlash for this practice?

Thanks all.

Answer:
 There are no hard and fast rules for this, but generally a non-profit should avoid even the suggestion of private benefit, private inurement or self-dealing. Board members contracting with the organization they oversee for gigs with large fees just seems like asking for trouble.

Many years ago I was doing some freelance work for a local ad agency. The president of the company was on the board of a local arts organization.

He wanted me to do some work for this organization. Normally I would invoice the agency and they would mark up the bill and invoice the client. But he told me that he could not do that in this case because he was on the board and did not want to have even the appearance of private benefit, so I would work for an invoice the arts organization directly.


Title: [OK] Former apartment complex is claiming 400 dollars in damages and it makes no sense.

Question:
Oklahoman here. I finished a year-long lease with my my apartment last month. Before I left I made sure to clean and inspect the place so I could expect a return on my deposit.
I was in disbelief when I called today and was told that I owe my deposit plus damages, around 400 dollars.
I was sure they had the wrong account at first, but now it just looks like they're trying to extort renovation fees from me.
What I know so far:
- I expected to be charged for the carpet cleaning and one of the little plastic panels on the window blinds was bent, so I can understand paying for a new set. They are claiming that I need to replace two sets.
-They're charging me for stove pans. They didn't say why.
-They are charging me for the cost of repainting the whole apartment, but outside of holes where nails and tacs were placed to hold picture frames, I left the walls in good condition.

They did a breif inspection the day before I moved out and didn't mention anything out of the ordinary then. Of course, I'll ask for a copy of the report.

The person I spoke to said he had pictures, but couldn't access them when I asked for copies. I was told that I would have to wait for the company in charge to contact me, but when that would be is unknown.

This was a shock to me because I had a good relationship with the complex and even recommended them to a friend.

I'm not sure if this is a mistake of incompetence or if I'm actually being scammed, but I don't have any experience in small claims court or any other type of legal dispute. What should I be doing? What questions should I have? This is kind of freaking me out.

Answer:
 First questions:

1) Do you have photos of when you moved out? Please tell me you have photos.

2) Have you been sent a written, itemized list of the damages they're claiming?

3) How long has it been since you moved out?

It sounds like they're trying to charge you for normal wear-and-tear, which is absolutely not legal, but something that most places do because they get away with it often enough to be profitable. Depending on the answers to the above, I expect you'll be able to take them to small claims and recover your full deposit. (And possibly up to triple it, depending on Illinois law; I'm not familiar with it.)


Title: Business partner pulling funds to pay employees of his other company

Question:
Greetings,

I am a 50% shareholder in an S-Corp (Business X) in Tennessee.  We are a services business.  I also have another smaller company which I own outright.  My partner in Business X, who owns 50% as well, also has another smaller company that he owns (Business Y), which is listed as a sole proprietorship.

Five years ago, when we started Business X, the first person on the payroll was my partner's lead engineer from Business Y.  Business X was now paying the entire salary of this engineer, but about 30% of the work he was doing was for Business Y, and Business Y was not compensating Business X for it.  I was uneasy with this but continued forward in good faith.

Two years ago, another engineer from Business Y quit.  He hired a replacement, but began paying them out of Business X.  Effectively, Business Y has had now no payroll expense for two years because Business X covers it all.

My partner justifies all this by stating that "this is the only benefit" he gets out of being a part of Business X.  He states that if he were not a part of Business X, he could grow Business Y.  He has also stated that he must "maintain his lifestyle."

Business X has no margins and is suffering.  If not for paying the payroll of Business Y, we would have plenty of cushion, a marketing budget, etc.

I am responsible for 90% of the revenue of Business X.  I have personally brought home a total of $2,000 over the last five years from my work with Business X.

I have seen two lawyers in the last month about this.  I have spoken with business mentors and coaches who I have worked with in the past.  Among the things that are stated are:

"Get away from your partner; the money doesn't matter"

"You are entitled to every bit of money your partner pulled to cover his payroll as you are a 50% shareholder"

"It's wrong but no one would ever prosecute"

"You could sue him but it would be so expensive...request a buyout"

"You should take over the company"

I cannot seem to get anyone to tell me the following:  1.  Is what is happening against the law or just unethical, and 2.  has he forfeited his right to his shares?  I have some ideas for a path forward in mind, but I am getting mostly expensive opinions and no facts.

All input is very, very welcomed.  Thanks in advance!

Answer:
 The reason you're not getting what you think of as a straight answer is that there are no straight answers. What's happening _could_ be a breach of your fellow stakeholder's fiduciary duty to you, _could_ be against your operating agreement, or _could_ just be gross and unethical. Ultimately, the answer will somewhat depend on how you approach it: if you can resolve it interpersonally, then it's whatever you agree to, while if you sue, it's whatever you can convince the court it is.

Lawsuits over partnerships are expensive and tedious, so at least that part is true and accurate. How much is this worth to you to pursue? What does an ideal resolution look like?


Title: I quit my job abrubtly, but 6 weeks later am still receiving my directly deposited checks from the company. If they paid me too much accidentally, can they force me to give it back?

Answer: Think of it this way: if they accidentally underpaid you, how would the outcome be?


Title: Just got pulled over going "87 in a 65"

Question:
So I just got pulled over in Ohio for speeding and the officer claimed I was going 87 in a 65. When I saw the laser I looked at my speedometer and I was only going 70 MPH. I'm not the kind to fight the system when I truly am wrong but I know for a fact I wasn't going 87. They got me with the laser apparently and they were also stationary. When I came around the corner that they supposedly clocked me there were 3 police cruisers parked and 4 officers standing there talking to one another. One officer pulled out a laser and then they pulled me over and another car behind me. The officer that actually wrote the ticket I'm pretty sure is a new guy because he needed help from two other officers.

Any advice or feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Answer:
 Plead* not guilty and go to the hearing. First, I don't know about your local court, but in many places you can be offered a reduction just because no one wants to do a hearing. Second, you'll have the opportunity to make them prove it by a preponderance. Now sure, traffic court isn't exactly a paragon of jurism, but if they don't have any radar or laser proof and you testify that they were all standing around talking at the time, you might have a shot of getting a not responsible. That said, if they don't have the radar or laser they will definitely testify that they have all this extensive training and experience and magic psychic cop powers that grant them the ability to judge how fast people are going, and some judges buy that, but it's still worth a shot.

Edit: autocorrectAnswer #2: I'm a lawyer. I never handle my own speeding tickets. I always hire and pay, a defense attorney who only does speeding tickets.

Edit: I don't want to give the impression that I get lots of speed tickets, LOL. The point remains.Answer #3: You were not going 87 when the clocked you? Or you were never going 87 at all?Answer #4: LIDAR has a relatively long range, and it's possible they saw you before you saw them.Answer #5: Is your speedo calibrated?


Title: Can I sue my mom for the child support my dad paid her?

Question:
I am 15 and I live in Colorado. My mom and dad have been divorced since I was 5 and they do not get along. My dad always tried not to say bad things about my mom but sometimes they slipped out and he told us the truth about her.

We visit my dad every other weekend in Montana. This weekend he told me that he pays my mom $700 a month in child support! We never see any of that money. My mom refuses to splurge or spend a lot on us. We only get anything other than the bare essentials on birthdays and special occasions. My mom does not spend the $700 on stuff for us, she spends it on herself.

I am wondering, can my siblings and me sue our mom for the $700 per month for the last 10 years? That money is supposed to be for us, not her, so I don't see why we shouldn't be entitled to it. Thank you.

Answer:
 No.

That money is not for presents or fun stuff for you.

It is to help pay for the roof over your head, and food, and other expenses that your mom incurs in raising you.


Title: Legal ramifications of having a firearm when apartment lease prohibits them? [USA/IN]

Question:
**Location: IN**

Hi /r/legaladvice,

Throwaway like usual.

So after some consideration, I have came to the conclusion that owning a small firearm or handgun in my apartment would provide me good protection with the area that I am residing in.

My apartment lease states that firearms (pistols, rifles, shot guns, etc) are prohibited as they are a potential danger or others.

Does what my apartment lease state supersede anything law-wise on a federal or state level? If I were to have a firearm in my apartment, would there be any legal ramifications if it was discovered by my landlord?

**EDIT: As /u/doublenut said, this is probably a better way to put it: "Are you asking if it is a crime in Indiana to carry a firearm where it's prohibited by the property owner?"**

Answer: You would be in violation of your lease. You can be evicted for it.


Title: I'm salary but my company deducts pay when you're late a few minutes, but refuses to pay when we stay later.

Question:
(Transportation industry-aviation) So I was late 10min one day and I noticed they deducting 15min pay from my pay check. Though on days when we have to stay later (are volun-told) say 4hrs, we only get 2hrs pay because the company says "the first two hours belong to the company because of your managerial obligation".  So basically as salary management, we're hourly when it's convenient to the companybut salary when it's not?

Is this legal?

(Switched accounts bc other account name could possibly ID me....if it even matters asking about this here)

Edit: I'm in Illinois*

Answer: If you are salary and meet the requirements for being exempt (if they don't pay you overtime you should be) than they shouldn't deduct partial days. [From the Dept of Labor ](http://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/whd/flsa/Overtime/cr4.htm) Answer #2: In Zambia that's probably legal. There's a reason you're asked to provide your location.


Title: (AZ) Ex-Mother In Law To Be kicking me out. With nowhere to go longer than a couple days.

Question: Just as the title says. Caveats are that its super short notice (I'm crashed at my moms right this moment), I have a son with her daughter, and I called the police the night I was kicked out and was told I have a right to be there. They suggested I leave for a couple days, its been a couple days and Im being kept out of the house now.

Answer: An illegal eviction is a civil issue, so you will need to pursue this in a civil court suit.


Title: Can my roommate call the police on my guest if she says he makes her feel "unsafe"? He stays in my room for most of his visits.

Question: My roommate and I are currently having a rental dispute. We have failed to pay rent for the past two months, and my apartment complex has filed a writ for our eviction. She wants to write a 30 day notice, while I have decided to allow the eviction the happen because I simply do not have the money required for a 30 day notice. Of course my decision made her upset, and she has created a hostile environment in the apartment. The night that I told her I would not be signing the notice she moved the sofa that we both leased. She began moving the sofa at 2AM, and we got into a verbal argument due to the noise that she was making.  I had a guest over that and he heard everything. While arguing she referenced him, and made him uncomfortable. After that night we did not speak. 4 days later my guest came over again and said hello to her when she entered the common area that we were in. My roommate is claiming that my overnight guest made her feel unsafe simply by telling her hello. She has stated that she will call the police on him if he spends the night again because she feels unsafe. I am vacating the property on Wednesday, but my guest was going to spend the night on Tuesday in order to bring me to the airport in the morning. If the police are called what will likely happen in this situation? What are my rights? Because I know she does not feel unsafe and is only using that as a tactic.

Answer: She can call the police all she wants. That doesn't mean they will do anything. You're allowed to have guests. Answer #2: She can call the police for whatever she wants. They may or may not respond, and if they do they are unlikely to care how "unsafe" she feels if nothing illegal is going on.


Title: (ME) Being sued in small claims for $1.5k by debt collector.

Question:
I'm being sued in Maine for $1.5k of credit card debt by the collection agency the debt was sold to. I'm disabled and on SSDI with no assets - I would've done a bankruptcy (have other cards in collections from when I was trying to go to school and live on my own) but couldn't afford to.

I did a consolidation with a non-profit and made monthly payments on my cards for a year, but it was leaving me with no money for living expenses so I dropped it.

I won't be at the court date due to PTSD that includes agoraphobia.  I have a few other cards that were around 2k and I'm expecting to get served again now after getting a letter this week stating that another card was sold to the same collection agency.

Any insight as to what will happen is much appreciated.

Answer:
 > I won't be at the court date

Skipping court dates is a bad, bad bad idea.  You run the risk of a default judgment against you, which likely means that they'll get everything(or nearly everything) that they're asking for.

You should make every effort to be at this hearing.


Title: Traffic Ticket question (Cellphone Ticket)

Question: I am going to write a written declaration to fight a cellphone ticket. Would anyone know what documents can I ask from the police officer to slow the process down? My goal is for the police officer to not get back to me on time so the ticket can be dismissed.

Answer:
 What documents do you believe you need for a cellphone ticket?   The officer saw you holding the phone, correct?

>My goal is for the police officer to not get back to me on time so the ticket can be dismissed.

That's really not how this works.


Title: Mom's apartment uninhabitable because of her landlord's illegal renovations.

Question:
My mother lives in Philadelphia. Her landlord decided give the apartment below her a more "open concept" by smashing down the structural support below her bedroom. Her apartment filled with dust, so she was initially terrified of asbestos. Then she noticed her floors were raised, her doors no longer lined up to the frames, and she was worried the apartment was going to collapse.

She has texts from the super that say the inspector they brought in checked but didn't actually test for asbestos. She knows the renovations weren't legit. So the landlord starting offering her things like a new kitchen if she kept the lease for another year. He agreed to reinforce the ceiling below her and he brought in another inspector who said it was fine.

Now she thinks that inspector wasn't real, because today she was told she had to leave the apartment immediately, that it is dangerous and uninhabitable. I'm a little unclear on the details because but it sounds like when the landlord brought in someone else to work on the apartment after the demolition, they refused and said no one can live in the building right now.

I told my mom to screenshot texts, photograph everything, and record all of her expenses. The landlord is being vague about whether he will help her with expenses. He said he doesn't have money.

I know she has a case, but she has $4k to her name and that is about to get blown on movers and storage while she stays with a friend, then movers again and a new apartment. What resources are there for her in Philadelphia for a situation like this so that she doesn't end up broke? What else can she be doing right now to make sure this landlord doesn't get away with it?

Answer:
 Your mom should start by getting in touch with a building inspector herself.

https://www.phila.gov/li/Pages/BuildingInspections.aspx


Title: I have a DUI in Ireland. Was asked on a job application for an American company if I have any felony's and I'm not sure what to say.

Question:
Apologies if this is the wrong sub, if so please point me in the right direction.

So these are details:

*I am Irish living in Ireland and recently received a drink driving conviction just before my graduation.
*I just applied for a position in for an American company that operates in Ireland.
*I did three interviews and think I may have a good chance of getting the job because the most recent interview just consisted of them explaining to me how great the company was.
*The sent me an application which including asking do I have any felonies.
*After some googling it seems a DUI can sometimes be a felony but in most cases, it's not.
*I'm not really sure what to do?
*The job does involve me having to travel to the states for a month-long period, so it may come up anyway.

This is my first job hunt since college so I'm a bit lost and confused and not sure where to go for information.

Answer: You tell the truth-you received a DUI in Ireland. Answer #2: Is the maximum punishment one year or more in prison?Answer #3: The American advice is inappropriate. Bluntly, unless your job is one where you need a Garda check or you are driving, it isn't necessary for you to volunteer this. They may ask you, but it is arguable that they have no legitimate business interest in your driving convictions. Answer #4: Find out if the DUI is a felony in Ireland then answer truthfully.  Answer #5: No, you dont have any felonies. A DUI in Ireland is not a felony.


Title: Online Gambling Site - Canada

Question:
Hello,

I am 22, and currently reside in Canada. I am almost finished building an online poker platform. I believe to have some features in-which other mainstream poker sites do not have, as-well as a pretty unique marketing plan.

However, I will be using cryptocurrencies (ie. Bitcoin) as the only source of payments. This is not just in-hopes to mitigate all legalities behind gaming licenses; but because I completely support bank decentralization. There would be no fees other than the transaction fee in-which is less than a penny, and no limits.

I will likely be hosting this website in another country. I have been advised by friends to incorporate. However, I will likely be denied with reason "online gambling" (even though Bitcoin is not a declared currency in Canada).

Would anybody have any advice on the best approach to this? Will I need a gambling license? Will I need to incorporate? Can I incorporate offshore? Can I get a license offshore, and incorporate in Canada?

I have had a bunch of people also tell me, "Just go ahead! Other sites are doing it without regulation!"

However, I plan on launching this website under *my* name - which makes it very easy for government to come after me *if* there was any small implication. I wish to launch this under my name, as there's been far too many ponzi schemes and other such scams running in the cryptocurrency community the past few years. My main focus on this platform was security and functionality. I want people to have a figurehead they can trust - one that can't just run off with their money without any repercussions.

Any advice would be highly appreciated.

Thank you.

Answer: If you're going to be doing a project like this, a lawyer should probably be your *main* expense. You're both playing with fire (online gambling) and in uncharted territory (cryptocurrency). A lot of the way these things get handled is by trial and error, and you're the one whose ass is on the line. Like, they will attempt to take you down in any number of ways and let the courts figure it out. So yeah, definitely get a real, good lawyer.


Title: Legal question about drunk guy being dumb in front of my car

Question:
To save you some trouble of understanding, I have a video of what happened:

https://youtu.be/MDq2AxvwU6s

So my question would be, if I ran him over with my car because I got scared the moment he sat on my car, can I claim self defense? I wasn't sure what kind of damage or action he wanted to do......

Answer:
 In order to use deadly force to defend yourself, you must be **reasonably** scared for your life or the life of someone else.

It is not reasonable to be scared for your life because a drunk guy is sitting on your hood.Answer #2: In my city in central Brazil, if someone steps in front of a car to stop you, it's a carjacking, we just run them over. It used to happen all the time. A couple of guys tried civil suits and lost. It doesn't even make the news anymore.

So, unless your my neighbor, what's your jurisdiction?


Title: Suspended from work US/CA

Question:
Supervisor said i was suspended and sent me home.  When I asked for the reason of suspension he said " to be decided. "
He had spoken to me earlier  because I had made an inappropriate comment about a decision he made (which impacted product quality)
I made this comment to several peers and pointed out the decision was wrong and disciplinary action should be taken.
He didn't like it and took it as insubordination and said that I was creating a hostile atmosphere towards him.
Now I work in manufacturing  regulated by the FDA, meaning that we have a process that we follow, the decision he made broke protocol and I was merely voicing practices that should be avoided.
Before I took off I asked to reaffirm if the suspension was due to the comment.  He said "no, to be decided").  I went on my way as he seemed flustered.

Same day I went to HR to ask if this is standard procedure to suspend without cause.
After asking for my side of the story and reading my supervisors email HR said that the reason most likely was due to cursing. But it needed to be investigated.

I still don't know why I was suspended and my badge has been deactivated... What steps should I take?

Posting from phone hopefully format doesn't suck, thanks.

Answer: What's your legal question? You can be suspended for insubordination. You can be suspended for no reason at all.


Title: [NY] Got a ticket for cell phone usage while driving but I was using my electronic-cigarette instead

Question:
I got stopped by a traffic cop for cell phone usage while driving. I pulled over and he came and asked for my I.D. so I gave it to him. Then he said, "any reason you were on your phone?" and I just said no. He went to his car and came back with the ticket.

What I was doing was vaping my electronic-cigarette but at the time I didn't mention/show it because I thought it was irrelevant to the situation. Looking back now I realize how my e-cig looks like a phone if I hold it near my face. (the battery is a box shape rather than cylindrical. It's specifically an iStick 50w battery with a Kangertech Subtank Mini tank).

The ticket says I violated Law 1225C2A, [seen here](http://safeny.ny.gov/phon-vt.htm), but according to my understanding, an e-cig does not fall into that section. Nor does it fall into the category of "portable electronic device" as defined by 1225D. But I shouldn't even worry about 1225D since I got a ticket for 1225C2A. I believe I can generate the logs from T-Mobile for my call/texts if that would help with my case as well.

At first I was going to just pay the fine but upon research I found out that I would get 5 points on my license and a possible insurance increase. So then I'd take a PIRP as a way to reduce my points and lower back my insurance. But I would rather fight it because I wasn't even using my phone in the first place.

With that, what can I do?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 > With that, what can I do?

Go to court and plead your case. Show them your e-cig and explain what you were doing. Bring your T-Mobile records too. Hopefully the judge will accept your explanation, and throw the ticket out (or at least reduce it).

Don't be surprised though if a judge doesn't believe you and the ticket sticks. They're used to people making excuses to try to get out of tickets, and the cop will likely testify that he saw you on the phone. Call records only go so far nowadays, since there are many apps to make voice calls that won't show up in your records.

It sucks, but your best bet was showing the e-cig to the cop right then and there. Now it's really just your word against his.


Title: Is my ESA allowed into a dogs-only park?

Question:
My emotional support animal is a potbelly pig. She’s only 5 months old right now, so she is roughly the size of a pug. She’s been extremely helpful in making sure I go outside at least once a day and interact with people which really helps when I have my depressive episodes.

She’s very friendly since I’ve trained her to be that way and through exposure made her become like that. She’s unaffected by dogs as well. They can bark in her ear continuously and she won’t even flinch. Sometimes they’ve jumped on her and she doesn’t care. She will walk up to people looking for treats and accepts being pet by them. She’s a very good pig and has never been aggressive to people or dogs. She just loves to root around at the dog park.

Recently there’s been issues with some of the regulars. It’s a very small minority considering the amount of people that actually go, but they have been very vocal about not liking the fact that my pig is at the dog park on facebook. Nobody has come up to my face to confront me, and the only reason that I learned of their hatred towards my pig is because of some of the nicer people telling us what was said. I learned all of this today, and now I’m afraid to bringing my service animal.

Their argument is that the rules say it’s supposed to be dogs only, yet my argument back is that it is a public park. Also, they’ve never been picky about actual dogs breaking the rules (such as a dog not being fixed, running around without a collar and tag, or being aggressive) and have never confronted their owners. I feel that they’re picking on my animal purely because she’s a pig.

As far as I know legally, since she is an ESA she is able to bypass such rules. I’m afraid that some of these cranky older people (the only people that have issues are either retired people or over middle age folks, but even then it’s only a handful of individuals) might try to call the police on me.

I have had one instance where I was exiting the dog park and some police happened to be driving by. They stopped, got out of their car, and asked me if it was a pig. I said yes and they asked to take photos and to pet her. I even gave one of them a treat so he could feed her. They never mentioned the fact that I had just exited the dogs-only park and that it might be against the rules.

Some people’s arguments are that they’re afraid their dog might attack my pig. There has been an instance where someone’s dog got aggressive towards her, yet that dog had on a muzzle. That shows to me that that dog was already aggressive naturally which is also against the park rules. I’ll expand on this instance and the drama surrounding that later if you guys wish since I’m currently at an event and this post is long enough as it is.

Either way, I want to make sure that legally I’m in the right. Since that instance (which happened yesterday) and the hate towards my animal I’ve decided to only bring her to the small dog park where they don’t tend to be as aggressive, and if they are they can’t hurt her.

It should also be noted that my SO has a dog which is another reason why we go to the dog park. We want to socialize them both and expose them to animals and people. I’ve noticed a great improvement in my pig’s attitude towards people which is important since if a pig is afraid they can become aggressive when they get older (fight or fight instincts). It is also important that we go so my pig can have room to explore and root around. The backyard we have isn’t as large as the park and the park provides stimulation which is important to such intelligent animals.

Anyways, thank you for reading this far. I appreciate any input. I mainly just want to make sure legally I’m not in the wrong for bringing an ESA to a public dog park. If I am then I won’t continue to go, as saddening as that would be.

Answer:
 >since she is an ESA she is able to bypass such rules.

generally that is incorrect. Your ESA has special privileges in terms of housing but not public access.Answer #2: Practically speaking, what is your mental outlook going to be like if your pig gets hurt so bad it might have to be put down? I can see easily why other dog owners are protesting this.

While your SO dog might now be used to your pig, the dogs in a dog park won’t and some will naturally see it as prey or something they can treat roughly. And a dog that isn’t normally aggressive to other dogs and people could easily be towards the small pig.Answer #3: To my understanding, the only place that an "esa" means anything is in housing laws.

Outside of your apartment, it's just a pig.


Title: Hot Chocolate = bad time; why am I getting called by the amusement park?

Question:
My daughter and her grandparents went to an amusement park in MO and as they were leaving, decided for a cookie and hot chocolate. The worst case scenario occurred and my daughter ended up wearing her hot cocoa. The bad part was the hot cocoa was hot enough it caused her to get burned. The grandparents immediately took action, removed her boot and took her to the nurses station at the theme park. They bandaged my daughter, took pertinent information and said to take her to the ER. At the ER she is diagnosed with second degree burns on her foot.

I wasn’t with her during the escapade, as she’s staying with her grandparents for a week for Christmas, but drove four hours to be with her in the ER. Daughter decided she wanted to stay with grandparents and went home with them.

Although I wasn’t with her during the majority of the ordeal, I somehow was the person to receive a phone call from the amusement park shortly after 9pm to check on the status of my daughter.

My question - is the phone call a way to CYA for the amusement park? If so, by me saying that she seems ok but has to go back to her primary care physician in a different state make absolutely any difference? It just seemed odd to receive that kind of phone call so late.

Im not looking to sue anyone because I would think I would need to also sue her grandparents for their negligence (I, simply put, believe that this could have happened with anyone to my daughter, including myself and am not upset with them over the situation)

Answer: They are likely trying to be proactive in addressing any customer service or legal issues. You do not need to talk to them if you do not want to. They may be happy to pay any medical bills. If you do decide to bring this to court any information they gather certainly could come up.


Title: Officer told me I need to change my address. Any way around this?

Question:
State: Tennessee

So today I got pulled over for driving along the shoulder of a road. I was trying to go around traffic to make a right hand turn. Apparently there had been pedestrians who had been hit recently by drivers driving along the shoulder.  No problem, I can pay that fine. Completely understandable. He told me I could do some sort of online course, and it wouldn't go on my record...I don't remember exactly what he said.

Now the second part, which is where my question comes in to play.  I have an Ohio License and car with Ohio Plates. I moved to Tennessee in May. I know I'm outside the 30 day window. He told me I needed to get this information changed to Tennessee. And I could get ticketed in the future for having an incorrect address.  I wanted to avoid this, because I know there is a high chance I will be moving out of TN and back to OH in May or June. I'm working in TN on a 1 year contract. I had given him my local apartment address in TN, when I should have just given him the address I have in Ohio. The address in Ohio is my parents home. I've moved around a lot in the past years, so I use them as my permanent address. Can I still avoid changing my address, and just give them my ohio address if a future instance ever comes up, or do I really need to change it.

EDIT: Thanks everyone for the advice so far.

EDIT 2.0: So I've finally got a chance to look at my ticket after work. It does not state anywhere on the ticket that my address is incorrect. The only violation is about driving on the shoulder.

He put my local address, but only put the apartment #, street, and first 4 digits of the zipcode. The city, and state were not written down.

Answer:
 In the case of a temporary move, you are still supposed to notify Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles using this form: http://publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/bmv5756.pdf

As you can see, it allows you to say it's only during certain dates. Due to the fact that you are going to be gone a whole year, you will most likely be required to get a TN license. But the first step is to notify Ohio BMV.


Title: I really screwed up by cashing a check that turned out to be fraudulent on behalf of some dude I met on the street while I was really drunk. If I uncovered the individual's identity and address what steps can I take to 1. Recoup my losses, 2. Make sure he is punished.

Question:
Long story short I am a naive idiot. Boston, MA

 I was really drunk on my way to a show and agreed to help a friendly looking stranger who seemed down on his luck after the guy kept begging.

Basically the guy had a check from his job that he couldn't cash because he didn't have his id/bank account open. He gave me a big sob story and I bought it since I was really hammered at this point. I didn't even look at the amount unit I had put the check in my atm and then realized the amount.... $720

I cashed the Check and gave him the amount. As you might have guessed, It turns out that this guy wasn't the individual to whom the check was written out...  After 4 months I was informed by BOA that the check was listed as fraudulent and the amount was reversed from my account.

I am a big naive idiot. What can I do to 1.) get my money back 2.) make sure that he is punished for providing a fraudulent check

Through research I was able to able to find out his real name and his address. The ATM also had surveillance footage of both of us. Would this be usable?

Besides kicking myself in the ass, what are my options here?
I have never filed a police report or a small claim.

Thank you.

Answer:
 You're naive, but honestly, if you found his name and address, you're in real luck here.

You can sue him in civil court for the $720 and the bounced check fee. You can file a police report about this as well.


Title: [WA] My wife thinks she can get our cat listed as a service animal to get around the "no pets allowed" portion of our lease. Is this legal?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Your cat is not a support animal. Don't take advantage of things intended to help people who need it.


Title: So I received my SSN from the Dream Act and I need to buy a car.

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Of course you can buy a car. Save your money and go buy one. Getting a loan for a car? That's a different story. With no income I wouldn't expect to find a lender without a strong cosigner.


Title: Switching Tags at Goodwill

Question: Back in December I idiotically switched two price tags on two clothing items. I bought and paid the correct amount on quite a few items, but paid cheaper pricing for the two. As I was walking out I was stopped and brought into the back room. They are not pressing any criminal charges but are charging me a $323 restitution fee. I never actually left the premises on top of paying for the items, albeit the wrong prices. This is in Seattle. Is there anything I can do?

Answer: If you don't pay that $323 they could always file a police report and then you'd maybe have criminal charges of theft and more fines if the DA wanted to pursue it. That $323 is basically to make everything go away. I'd pay it.


Title: Can my company be held liable if I am injured trying to get into work tomorrow?

Question:
I live in NYC and my company has sent out an email that says everyone is expected to show up for work tomorrow (we are expecting 20-30 inches of snow). The mayor has asked that we stay inside and the public transportation will be down.

If we get hurt trying to come in (frostbite/ slip on ice etc) can the company be held liable?

Answer:
 Can you at least tell us what kind of work this is? I'm dying to know whether an insurance company or The Gap thinks staying open during this blizzard is imperative.Answer #2: Actually if your in a level 3 which it probably will be its illegal to be on the roads.Your employer could be in serious trouble if you get hurt print the email and put it in your glove box.  If you die on the way it could be a wrongful death lawsuit for your family.  Do what you think is best and stay safe  ( some work Fields are exempt and can drive on level 3 it depends on your job )  What do you do? Answer #3: I don't know about NY specifically but most states have a Comings and Goings rule that prevents employers from having any kind of liability for transportation to and from work.

That doesn't prevent it from being an incredibly shitty thing to do to your employees.  Wow.


Title: Friend (Female) was rejected for a job opening at a position, a few weeks later, a recruiter she was working with admitted they were looking for a male candidate for that opening. (NYC)

Question:
My friend was just catching up with the recruiter because she's still job searching and in passing told her how she was rejected from one of the companies she went in to interview for. The recruiter told her that that business is currently one of her candidates and wanted a male candidate. The recruiter was apparently embarrassed to say it because she was whispering it, so, at least to a certain level, understands that this is discriminatory.

&#x200B;

Clearly my friend is really bothered by this and is considering to pursue action because it's just downright discriminatory. Is there something to pursue here? She's bothered by the fact that she may have been rejected because she was a female and that it's unfair. Also, this job is in no possible way gender specific, even if it was a thing.

&#x200B;

She has every right to be upset, but is it worth finding justice? She was interviewed in person and even did some work. She even received a rejection letter explaining why they didn't choose her, which I think is really generous of the employer. It's not as if they didn't consider her seriously. By my definition, it wasn't straight out discrimination, but that is not to say that it's legal for the company to look for male candidates only.

&#x200B;

If chooses to act, what are her options, if she has any?

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Answer:
 new york is a one party consent state, so your friend could try to get that recruiter to talk about it again and get it on tape. otherwise it's a he said she said situation which probably won't come out to anythingAnswer #2: Your friend may want to consider if she ever wants to use this recruiter again or is friends with the recruiter--because catching them admitting this will probably end the recruiter's career.  Was this just a normal office-type job?Answer #3: Your friend should go talk to a lawyer and [also make sure she files a timely claim with the EEOC](https://www.eeoc.gov/field/newyork/charge.cfm) (I believe in NY she has 300 days).

An attorney should want to take this case if the employer is big enough to be covered by Title VII -- it is rare that you get direct evidence of discrimination (the statement to the recruiter) and the fee-shifting provision of Title VII incentivizes attorneys to take these cases.

The fact that the company submitted a letter giving their reasons, IMO, shows that they were trying to cover their asses with a legitimate, non-discriminatory reason, but a good attorney can tear through that if she can confirm the recruiter's statement and get a declaration or sworn statement, show that your friend was qualified, and also if they did indeed hire a male for the position.

 Just out of curiosity, you say, "By my definition, it wasn't straight out discrimination . . . ."  First, your definition is wrong, and second, what ***would*** be evidence of discrimination in your book???


Title: Fender bender that was my fault but person didn't want to exchange information. Am I being scammed? What should I do?

Question:
Florida

The other day, I was leaving Wal-Mart and as I was backing of my parking spot when I hit someone. She didn't want to get insurance involved even though I insisted on getting her info. She then asked me for my phone number and told me to pay for the damages when she gets an estimate. Fast forward to yesterday. I get a call from her husband from a number that I can't call back and I answer. He says that he's getting an estimate on Thursday. I felt bad about hitting them but since their being sketchy about it using a *69 number I'm beginning to think I'm getting scammed. What should I do? Should I answer them if they call me back? Can I still get my insurance involved? There was very minor damage done to both my car and their car.

Answer: Turn it over to your insurance company or settle it out of your own pocket.


Title: Abandoning your vehicle at a dui checkpoint while dui

Question: Hypothetically, you pull up to a dui checkpoint while drunk. While the officers are checking the vehicles in front of you, you abandon your vehicle. What's the worst that happens, they tow your car and you have to pick it up tomorrow? Wouldn't that be better than getting a dui? Saw it on workaholics lmao.

Answer: Well, I'd think it's more likely that they chase you down and arrest you.


Title: What should I do about this guy on reddit who claims to know me and sends me lists of people I know and threatens to send the nudes to people if I don’t send him pics of me?

Question:
He basically saw me post nudes on the same account where I verified a face pic of myself in another post on a selfie page. He recognized me from high school but refuses to tell me his name.

I thought he made it up but he told me my name and literally had been sending me lists of people who we know on Facebook and says he will send them the nudes and pics of crazy posts I have on reddit to my friends if I don’t send him nudes. He says he likes to blackmail me and wants to be my fucktoy and have me send him hate nudes.

I am so nervous I wanna throw up and I can’t focus at work. I dunno what I did to this person. He said I was rude to him in high school but I literally didn’t talk to people in high school. I was awkward as fuck.

Answer: You can go to the police. He can go to prison.Answer #2: If you actually believe his claims, I’d contact someone that can trace his ISP and figure out who is doing this. It’s highly illegal. I’d assume saying “Hi _______, I know who you are as well and will have my attorney contact you soon,” would be a sufficient move.


Title: The company I work for is getting audited for taking money out of employee's checks. What should I expect?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Contracts

Answer: If questioned you should answer honestly. If you're fired for your honest answers, you should absolutely file for unemployment, and consider speaking to an attorney familiar with employment law to discuss the reason for your termination.


Title: Do I have a legal obligation to bring ex's belongings back or can I make her come get them?

Question:
Hello all, caught my now-ex cheating via a snapchat story while I'm home sick. Anyway. I have a lot of her things at my place a few hours away from where she lives. I have no intention on bringing them back to her and am perfectly fine with her coming pick them up. Just to make sure, I can't get in any sort of legal trouble for doing this correct?

Thanks everyone and happy new year!

edit: Location is California

Answer: You have no legal obligation to bring her belongings to her.


Title: Why is the legal system so screwed up?

Question:
I am involved in my first legal dispute and it is ruining my life. Long story short, I have a crazy/creepy neighbor that has been harassing me for the last 5 years. Two years ago, I tried to sell my condo to get away from him and he made attempts to interfere with the sale. Because of this, I took my condo off the market for 6 months and then re-listed it for sale without a for sale sign in hopes that I could sell it without him finding out.  After a few weeks, I got an offer on my place and it went under contract. My crazy neighbor found out, quickly filed a frivolous lawsuit against my hoa, me, and my boyfriend; called my real estate agent (he is also a realtor), and told my agent that my hoa was being sued so they need to notify my buyer. Because of the frivolous suit, my buyers lender pulled out and my sale fell through again.

I ended up having to spend thousands of dollars hiring an attorney to defend both myself and my boyfriend- and ultimately get his BS claims against us dropped, and then I countersued him for intentionally interfering with my contract. My lawyer says that I basically have a great case and will likely win, but it is going to cost a fortune to go to trial.

I am only 27 years old and I don’t have a ton of money to see this through. My lawyer has been doing the best she can to save me money but the crazy neighbor’s lawyer is doing everything he can to rack up my bills in hopes that I will drop the case. He refuses to settle with me and keeps doing really ass-holey things like scheduling mediation and then saying he won’t mediate with me after I get there. He even got paid off by the hoa’s insurance company despite his case not having any merit so he is being rewarded for his shitty behavior.

I don’t understand why the legal system allows this type of behavior and also makes it so incredibly expensive to where normal people can never attain justice.

What would you do in this situation? I am afraid that even if I drop the suit, he will keep interfering in my sale and will never leave me alone. I am able and willing to deal with all aspects of the lawsuit stress-wise, I just don’t think I have the money for trial.

Answer: You have an HOA, have you tried to get it to push back on him?


Title: Rental comoany trying to take me for what I'm worth

Question: So I'm deployed and my wife was moving out of our house. She notified the rental company in the 3rd that we would want to go month to month of possible cause we didn't think we would want to stay there. They said they would check with the property owner and get back to us. Our lease ended the 31st of Dec. Well they didn't respond for weeks so my wife took that as a no. She moved out got a new house and turned the keys in early. They decided to email her back on the 30th 27days later avoided her when she went there to ask about it saying she couldn't be seen. They told her that she owes January's rent because we didn't give a 30 day notice. But it took them 27 days and us moving out to let us know what was going on? Are we in the wrong here what can we do I do not want to pay rent for a month that I don't live there this is in South Carolina.

Answer:
 You didn't give thirty days notice. You didn't even ask about going month to month within thirty days. You should have handled this long before 12/3.

You gave no notice. You owe for January.Answer #2: Your lease likely states you need to give 30 days notice of moving out. In order to be able to leave without penalty, you would have needed to give notice on or before November 30th.


Title: Should I be concerned about possibly serving jail time? (UT)

Question: I was pulled over last week for a "tag light" after taking a friend home. After the officers and their K-9 unit searched my vehicle (the initial officer said he smelled weed), I was cited in my vehicle for posession of less than 1g of weed/spice (which was more than likely an old roach that had been dropped; I was never shown what he found), expired registration, and driving without a DL, which was in my missing wallet. I should probably add that I've been pulled over for registration and DL before, along with a parapehnelia charge (all about four years ago). If I speak with the prosecutor or a defense att, does it seem likely I'll serve time?

Answer:
 It's certainly possible, as this is not your first drug charge.

You should retain a defense attorney to help you through this. Whatever you do, do not speak to the prosecutor yourself. You (presumably) have no legal training and you don't know what you can and cannot say to make your situation worse.


Title: How well can a crime victim hide?

Question: Suppose she was kidnapped, raped, and held captive for a long time.  And the perp is in prison.  But is getting out soon.  And she's terrified of him.  Can she hide?  What can she do to make sure he never finds her?  Court orders won't solve the problem, because he's likely to violate them in his obsession with her.

Answer: Well I’m in a situation like this. I’ve changed my full name, I keep my social media locked up tight and don’t use my real name on Facebook, I’ve moved away from the city and state where I was victimized, I constantly monitor my internet presence to remove any trace of myself from those people search sites, and I try to avoid doing anything that would lead to my name or photo ending up on the internet or in the news for any reason. Since my attacker has been in prison since 1995 I hope he has little or no internet knowledge so if/when he does get out hopefully he doesn’t even understand how to look for me. It still doesn’t feel like enough though. I wish I could move to another country.


Title: Non-Compete Question -- States that I agree it is reasonable and enforceable

Question:
Hello.  I am considering accepting a position at a medical device company in a Product Manager role (not what one would normally define as a senior position) in Virginia.  They are including a non-compete and I am concerned because the wording makes me agree that this document is enforceable and reasonable.  Can they do that?  The terms aren't completely unreasonable -- 1 yr term, defines a geographic location, defines Conflicting Services to be any product or service that directly competes with things I am working on at the company.

&nbsp;

However, they have this clause about Reasonableness of Restrictions:

7.1 I agree that I have read this entire Agreement and understand it. I agree that this Agreement does not prevent me from earning a living or pursuing my career. I agree that the restrictions contained in this Agreement are reasonable, proper, and necessitated by the Company’s legitimate business interests. I represent and agree that I am entering into this Agreement freely and with knowledge of its contents with the intent to be bound by the Agreement and the restrictions contained in it.

7.2 In the event that a court finds this Agreement, or any of its restrictions, to be ambiguous, unenforceable, or invalid, I and the Company agree that the court will read the Agreement as a whole and interpret the restriction(s) at issue to be enforceable and valid to the maximum extent allowed by law.

7.3 If the court declines to enforce this Agreement in the manner provided in subsection 7.2, I and the Company agree that this Agreement will be automatically modified to provide the Company with the maximum protection of its business interest allowed by law and I agree to be bound by this Agreement as modified.

7.4 Furthermore, the parties agree that the geographic market for the Company’s products for purposes of this Agreement is identified in Section 6 above. If, however, after applying the provisions of subsections 7.2 and 7.3, a court still decides that this Agreement or any of its restrictions is unenforceable for lack of reasonable geographic limitation and the Agreement or restriction(s) cannot otherwise be enforced, the parties hereby agree that the one hundred (100) mile radius from any location at which I worked for the Company on either a regular or occasional basis during the one (1) year immediately preceding termination of my employment with the Company will be the geographic limitation relevant to the contested restriction.

Answer:
 7.1 is a bad attempt at clever lawyering.  Whether the restrictions are reasonable, proper and/or necessitated by legitimate business interests is a matter of fact.  They either are or they're not.  This would not prevent a court from finding that they're not.  No court is going to read this and say "Didn't you already agree that these are reasonable?"  That would just give companies magic words that they could use to turn any unenforceable non-compete into one that is enforceable.

The rest of that is basically a "Ok, court, you don't think these are reasonable.  But, you can substitute boundaries that are reasonable."  That's already the law in some states.  Whether a court will actually do so, however, is another matter.


Title: Suppose someone were to have cyber-bullied Andreas Lubitz (plane-crasher). Could he/she be held liable? (San Diego, California)

Question:
Hi everyone,

Suppose someone from San Diego, California were to have relentlessly cyber-bullied Andreas Lubitz, the German pilot who crashed a plan into the alps. Suppose further this cyber-bullying took place in an online game AL was literally addicted to (CS:GO) Could that person be held liable?

Thanks
Topic:
Constitution

Answer:
 No.

And not that it's important, but how is someone "literally" addicted to a video game?


Title: [California] Did some research, and boss is breaking a crud load of laws. I have no idea what I should do about it.

Question:
Throwaway because coworkers know reddit username.

So I work for an educational day camp, and I believe my boss is doing a crud load of illegal things. Being a 19 year old whippersnapper with absolutely zero legal experience, I thought I'd ask for advice. I talked with my boss about it, and he said he'd take care of it. Its been several months, and he hasn't done anything whatsoever about the following:

1) When hired, all employees are required to go through a 10 hour unpaid "training period" where new hires work along more experienced employees. He claims that because the position is technically an internship, that he doesn't have to pay us for our time. I'm fairly certain that since the new hires are often expected to help teach kids and maintain the facilities (Thus supposedly doing work that profits the company), that this unpaid internship period is illegal.

2) My boss requires all employees arrive 15 minutes early to maintain the facility, yet does not pay us for these 15 minutes. He claims that he's allowed to round us off to the nearest hour, but I looked it up and the court case I found says that you're only allowed to round if it sometimes benefits the employer and other times benefits the employee.

3) This I'm extremely certain about, but employees do not have a set pay period, often getting paid anywhere from a week before the end date of each month to 10 days after the new month has started.

4) Employees have once in a while screwed up time cards, and have often had their paychecks delayed and combined with next month's due to the mistakes on the time card.

Am I complaining without knowing what the heck I'm talking about? What the hell should I do if I'm not talking out of my ass, and the company is screwing over me and my co-workers legally?

Answer:
 The DLSE is the proper State agency to take a complaint. California is very employee friendly and you all may be due waiting time penalties.

http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/


Title: Refused the Offer of a Housing Contract a.k.a. evicted with 2 days notice.

Question:
I am in Nebraska, USA.  I have lived in a fraternity for the entire last year (summer included).  I was planning on continuing to live there until the conclusion of the 2015 fall semester in December.  I had received information on what room and with who I would be living with no indication I would not be allowed to live there.  Yesterday, I was informed by the alumni (who technically own the house) that they were refusing to offer me a 2015-16 housing contract.  They informed me I need to move out by Wednesday, tomorrow.  The reason was reports of drug activity.  I asked what the report was, when, who... They refused to elaborate to any degree higher than, "We are refusing to offer you a housing contract for the 2015-16 school year."  I have no drug-related incidents on my record: public, private, sealed...  I did once fail a urine test for THC at a staffing agency in a different city, while I was not living in the fraternity.

Do I have any chance at some sort of inconvenience damages based on some sort of good faith? (I previously never actually signed housing contracts, maybe I signed 1 or 2 of the 4 semesters.)
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 Just to be clear, it appears that residents of frat houses are not covered by Nebraska's landlord/tenant statutes. The poster in this thread who suggest otherwise are likely wrong.

You need to speak with a Nebraska attorney, preferably one in your college town, who has experience in these matters.

Likely, whatever it says in the frat's rules about eviction controls, if you've never signed a lease. Answer #2: Check your lease (or last one you signed), most likely they need to give you a 30 day notice of non-renewal or just move.  Don’t see any legal recourse for you.
I’ve non-renewed tenants before and I don’t give any reason but “the owners have decided not to renew your lease” end of story.
Might later reflect on your situation and see if you did something for them to not wish you around. Might not be your fault or it might be.


Title: California: SF Bay area: Raccoons chasing wife and my small kids, landlord not doing anything about it :(

Question:
We are really scared of living in the apartment complex since raccoons are chasing my wife and kids in the evening and trying to bite them, According to landlord he will not let u move out without paying for 2 months rent even though he never told us of this issue when we moved in 2 months ago...

What are are our options ? We cannot afford to give 2 months rent as lease break fee since ours is a single earning family...

If anyone has experience in anything similar, PLEASE mail back

*EDIT: I can see that half you are just bat shit crazy *

Answer:
 You can call local animal control.

I'm really not sure what you expect your landlord to do about local wildlife?