Title: When the defendant lies about what you did, isn't that slander?

Question:
We go to court next week for felony domestic battery with substantial bodily harm.  I know for a fact that he is going to say I attacked him, which I did not.  He was jealous that I talked to another guy.   I'm a wreck just thinking about what it's going to be like in that courtroom.
Edit: it could not have gone any worse today .  Now I just want to die.   No one in the justice system cares about battered women until they get beat to death.
Edit: I forgot to say I'm in Nevada.

Answer: It's perjury if you lie in court under oath.


Title: Recouping Child Support?

Question:
State is Ohio (kinda)

This is a situation for my stepfather- in-law.

A few years ago a young woman came forward stating that she was his daughter that he hadn't seen since she was 3, but had paid 18 years of child support for. I'm not sure why, but he was not given visitation rights, but it's not pertinent information.

Recently, suspicions have risen about paternity, especially after the history of the mothers sexual past has come to light.

The question is, if it can be established that he is not the biological father, would he be able to recoup child support paid to the state of Ohio?

Answer: I doubt the court will entertain any questions of paternity after the child is of age as a matter of equity. They'll like it view it that your stepfather-in-law should have requested a test years ago.


Title: My dog got attacked.

Question:
Let's start with a little bit of context. My Dad is injured, I was helping him in his garden, he can't take anymore, he leaves to go inside. As he's nearly stumbled his way through the door, my neighbours dog (something like a bull mastiff x staffy mutant thing) snatches my dog (a tiny little foxy terrier) by the neck through the fence. I did the only thing I knew I could do and that was tear down the fence, bat the dog as hard as I could, grab my dog and run. My neighbour is not allowed on that property and neither are her dogs (she lives two houses down). She has had several arguments with them about trespassing in the past. Something about it seems slightly off however because all of about two seconds later, she was out there taking photos of what happened. My neighbours are out on holiday at the moment so thats why they did nothing.
Topic:
Non-US

Answer: Please take your dog to a vet asap


Title: How legal is this idea for a website

Question:
Imagine I wanted to create a website with the domain

IMAMAZON.com

Then used it to sell products I had bought from the store myself, would there be anything wrong with it?

I wouldn't have the amazon logo or font but you could clearly see that Amazon is intended to be recognized within the title.

Thats all really.

Thanks in advance :)

Answer: This is a horrible idea. Amazon, once they discover this site, will drop the hammer on you.


Title: Child porn online????

Question:
Im only 16 and I was looking a bdsm porn on Tumblr and I found a blog which had kid porn (like an actual video and pics) and I'm really freaked out I want to report it but I don't know how I'm really worried I'm going to get in trouble I don't know what to do I'm freakong out I don't know if this is the right place but please help
Topic:
Searches and Seizures

Answer:
 calm down. report the blog. you won't get in trouble.Answer #2: reporting it would probably go to your defense that it was not intentional.  what they look for is saved images, really.  if it was an accident, report it online and be done with it.  if you think about it, everyone charged with CP has like 400 gigs of images between computers and thumb drives stored.

edit: 16 years old with the bdsm porn, eh? maybe slow it down a bit, kid.  all i had at your age was my mom's JC Penney catalog.Answer #3: I reported child porn to a sheriff, solely because I was able to trace the child (14y.o) to the particular town. The case was transferred to BCI (Bureau of Criminal Investigation) internet crimes division - you can look up your state (if you're American) online for more information - definitely report it though.


Title: Our neighbor running a business out of our driveway

Question: So we live in a strange situation we share a gravel driveway our neighbors. Our house is next to a intersection so we don't have a front driveway so we have to share with our neighbors behind us (n1). But the neighbor to the left of n1 (n2) has put up a shed behind his mothers house in the driveway. That didn't bother me because technically it's his property but for about the last year cars have been in and out of the drive way sometimes up to 5 cars and it's become a problem. I think he either repairs cars for people or buys broken cars then fixes him. I've also seen him remove licence plates but not put them on other cars. I don't wanna ruin this guys life but I want our driveway back we have two cars and sometimes people come over and its a bad situation when we have people either blocking us in or parking behind our house. We have contacted the city three times and my mom doesn't think we should contact the police because  we don't know if we have legs to stand on

Answer: Have you tried I dunno talking to him?


Title: Underage drinking at concert (PA)

Question: I was walking back to my seat with a beer in my hand and a security guard working the event pulled me aside and asked for an ID. I didn't have one, so they took me to the security room. I told them my name, age(minor), address, and father's phone number. They never breathalyzed or cuffed me, but there were real police officers in the room. When my dad got there they took a copy of his id and then we left. They never said anything about a fine or having to go to court. I'm wondering what is likely going to happen from here and what should I (my dad) be doing? This was in Philadelphia, PA.

Answer:
 1. don't talk about it.
2. whoever gave you the beer is most likely in way more trouble than you.
3. If you get stuff from the police later don't ignore it.


Title: Couple breaks up and now guy won't leave or let my sister leave lease... Any legal advice? Living in MN

Question:
My sister moved in with her boyfriend about 3 months ago.  After a few months of living together they broke up.  Now ex-boyfriend won't leave or let her out of the lease.  They pay 1200 (600 a piece).  She has offered 2 options
1. He takes over rent she moves out. (In 2 months)
2. She takes over rent he moves out ( in 2 months).
He seems to want to live in this toxic environment despite her desperation and at times fears of continuing to live with him.  They both work the same schedule (9-5) so when she is getting home after a long day of work BAM right back into a toxic environment.  She reached out to the landlord and he is willing to restructure the lease with one party taking over.  However the ex is demanding that if she leaves she must continue to pay her half of the lease. Ex is also is refusing to leave! Does she have Any legal recourse? She is still hoping they can solve this peacefully and without any legal action.  However IMO it's not going to happen.  Both can afford the olace by themselves but he seems set on making her miserable for as long as he can.  Any advice would be much apprecoated!

Answer: What does the lease say about allowing a sublease? She can rent out her space if she can find someone willing. She should make sure that she has an airtight sublease because ultimately she is in responsible for paying the lease.


Title: Hey im back and i need help

Question:
So i sold a vape to someone, they said they were almost 13 or something but they lied and they were really 11.

He got caught and got in trouble the next day. Today i get a text from his brother saying hes gonna fuck me up unless i give him 6 adderal. I think f u i dont owe you anything especially my meds.

Well today i got jumped by that prick. I got a black eye and im wondering if i can press charges or get the school involved.

Note it was on snapchat no messages were saved or screenshotted, the jumping occurred off school property but only about 4 mins from the school, and im 15 years old too. The big bro of that kid is 15 years old aswell

Answer: Get the school involved. Stop trying to sell stuff to kids who aren't supposed to have it. I can't imagine a 12 year old is supposed to a vape. They usually have nicotine in them, so even you shouldn't have it. Answer #2: Well, you sold a vape to a minor (even 13 isn’t ok) and that guy wanted to buy adderall. Technically you can both be charged legally. I think it would be obvious that you sold a vape to a middle/elementary schooler.


Title: Arkansas- Company calls off employee for x hours for scheduled shift, expects employee to be available all day to come back in with no on call pay.

Question: The hospital I work at will tell employees not to come in if the census is too low.   They do not offer on call pay,  but the employee will be given an absence or a no call no show leading to termination for not coming back in or answering the phone to return to work.  They can use PTO for the hours if it doesn't lead them into over time.   Does this violate any labor laws?

Answer:
 Probably not. What sort of constraints do they place on you when you are on call?

http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/whdfs22.htm

*On-Call Time: An employee who is required to remain on call on the employer's premises is working while "on call." An employee who is required to remain on call at home, or who is allowed to leave a message where he/she can be reached, is not working (in most cases) while on call. Additional constraints on the employee's freedom could require this time to be compensated*


Title: Horrendous treatment from MSG security. Harrassed/ejected me and defended wallet thief. Anything I can do?

Question:
I don't even know where to start with this one really.

My girlfriend and I went to a concert at Madison Square Garden tonight. It wasn't even close to sold out so there were tons of completely empty rows in the upper section of the arena. We picked two seats near the top and camped out for most of the night. No one within two rows of us. Near the end of the concert, a group of people (3 guys 3 girls) came up to our row and as they were passing by, one kid swiped my girlfriend's wallet from the armrest of her chair. We both saw it so I quickly confronted him. He said that I was crazy and to go back to my seat. My girlfriend waved down an MSG security officer who brought everyone down to the concourse to try to sort it out. This is where it gets really frustrating for me to relive.

The three kids all went into the men's room and I wanted to follow them in to see what they were up to. Security would not let me in. The kids come out 20 seconds later and I asked a security officer to look in the bathroom to see if he can find the wallet. Sure enough he found my girlfriend's now empty wallet in the trash.

At this point I decided I wanted to call the cops but the security literally would not let me. I just didn't want to let these kids out of my sight so I stood fairly far away and told the dispatcher where we were located. Security approached me and told me that "instigating fights" is not tolerated and if I did not hang up the phone then I would be ejected. I told them that I had every right to call the police at which point they told me I was trespassing and three of these officers literally pushed me down the concourse until the kids were out of my sight.

They took the next hour of my time filling out a bullshit "incident report" and then ejected me.

We went to the precinct and filed a police report but that won't be good for much. I asked the police officer if there was anything we could do about the horrendous treatment we received from security and he said that it didn't sound like they did anything illegal and we should take it up with their guest relations.

I'm feeling completely hopeless. We had these kids dead to rights. Not only did they get to party on my girlfriend's money but I ended up getting ejected only because I wanted to get the cops involved in a case of grand larceny.

So, what gives? Is there anything we can or should do?

Answer:
 > Is there anything we can or should do?

Not legally, no.  Security may have been douchey, but they've done nothing legally wrong.

You can talk to their management, especially about a refund and the conduct.  But there's no legal issue here.Answer #2: The most you could do is complain to management and anyone who will listen about their treatment. Maybe sharing how they tried to prevent you from involving the police (in a truthful manner) on social media will get their attention


Title: Theft of electricity for wiretaps

Question:
I will start off that this is completely hypothetical but I would like to hear some serious opinions from lawyers on this matter.

This all stems from a post in r/technology involving Edward Snowden, that you can read [here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/technology/comments/3nn6uv/edward_snowden_smartphones_can_be_hacked_into/)  To give the a short rundown it's about the government being able to access your microphone or video camera even when the phone is off.

I understand that wiretap warrants are legal, but what about the electricity that is being used by a cell phone?  The government isn't paying for it, so aren't they stealing from you by using your electricity that you used to charge the phone.

When i was a kid I remember a news story about a landlord that installed camera's to spy on a couple of college girls he rented the house to. Because he owned the house and the way the laws were worded at the time he didn't get convicted of being a peeping tom.  What he did get convicted for was theft, the camera's used power and he didn't pay the electic bill.

So couldn't you use this same logic to argue that the government is stealing from you by using your power to tap your cell phone?  Wouldn't that constitute theft?  I know it wont save you from any charges resulting in what they heard, but couldn't it be used to argue that turning on a cell phones mic or camera is theft and therefore the government shouldn't be able to do it in the first place?

Thank you for any replies and entertaining my crazy late night thoughts.

Edit: Because the bot bugged me I'm in Washington state USA.  But I think this is more of a federal question rather than regional.

Answer: This reminds me of when pagers first came out. Our maintenance guys filed a grievance arguing that the county was stealing electricity because they were required to keep them charged all the time and that included at home. We had an entire fucking hearing on it. The arbitrator was incredulous the whole time. Finally after one of our electrical engineers testified the maximum electricity costs would be like 35 cents a year per year for each of the ten men in the unit, the arbitrator pulled $20 from her purse, slammed it on the conference table and said here, the first goddamn five years are on me, after that the county and union can figure something else out. True story! :)


Title: Utah: Let my 17yr old sister live with us but can't get custody via her mom. Now her medication is being denied via medicaid and we can't find out why...best approach going forward?

Question:
My 17 yr old sis in law asked if she could live with us when we moved to Utah some months back.  She lived with her alcoholic and insane mother and was not doing very well.  Anyway she's on medicaid and taking medication for various issues she has (anxiety, borderline personality disorder, depression...) as she's had a rough childhood and is dealing with the effects of that.  Her father has never been in her life.

We don't have a way to get in contact with her mom, she doesn't have a phone and we don't know where she's living.  When we did have a way to contact her she didn't have any form of ID so we couldn't get anything notarized...we we're able to get her in school via a form filled out by her Grandpa but that doesn't do us any good outside of school.

Now her meds need to be refilled and we're told her medicaid is denied.  They won't give us any info as to why or what we can do since we're not her legal guardians.  We're guessing her mother hasn't renewed some paperwork or something...

She turns 18 in January.  Looking for advice on what our options are here for her to be insured and be able to receive the  help she needs (she's also in therapy session paid for by Medicaid).

Do I try to adopt her and then put her on my insurance?  Can we acquire custody in a short period?  Should we? What happens when she turns 18?  Are there ways for me to get Medicaid to continue covering her?

The meds and treatment have helped her tremendously (as well as living with us I like to think) and I'll pay for them out of my pocket if I have to but ideally she'd stay covered on Medicaid for as long as possible...

Thanks for any advice.

Answer: If mom has vanished, she's effectively abandoned her child, which is a big no-no. Calling your state's version of CPS seems like a good place to start.


Title: How should I proceed?

Question:
Location: West Virginia
I can't get into a lot of the details due to a pending criminal case, but to make a long story short an emt broke the code of ethics and did something to my mother, the emt in question had done the same thing before in the past. Is the ambulance authority liable for negligence in this case? She was in a vulnerable state when the event happened what do I tell her?

Answer:
 Generally, employers can be held responsible for the negligence of their employees (but not independent contractors). But there are exceptions such as intentional torts (say, randomly punching a guy), which 'pending criminal case' makes me think may apply. There's also a wrinkle here in that it was an EMT, which may make this medical malpractice, which makes it harder to sue (have to show a different kind of fault than ordinary negligence).

So, your chances are somewhere between 0% and 100%. You should talk to an attorney who's handled this kind of case in the past (and I'm not really sure what kind of case this is).


Title: A portrait of me is being used in an ad without my knowledge. Am I possibly entitled to royalties?

Question: [U.S.] Seven years ago, I had a professional portrait taken of me for private home use. I was underage, but neither I nor my parents recall signing any kind of waiver regarding the above uses of the picture. The photographer has won some awards with the photo, and I recently stumbled onto a Kodak ad using it. Is this legal or could I sue for royalties?

Answer: Are the image being used to promote a new Kodak cameras? Because I've recently had my images stolen and then used to advertise for a line of Kodak's cameras. Thing to know here is that Kodak doesn't make most of their consumer products anymore. They license their brand to a supplier from China who manufactures for them. This same company also is now doing advertising and running their social media campaigns. When I asked for compensation or have the images taken down they were both confused and upset - but they did take them down almost immediately. They couldn't believe that someone wouldn't want to "donate" images to them, and they couldn't provide anything in return. I'm a professional photographer (It's how I earn my living), and told them that they'd have to provide something in return... anything. But they wouldn't budge and still email me about once a month requesting images for donations. I've responded saying "It's really sad to see what was once such a great leader in the photographic industry stoop to stealing peoples images, ect, ect" - But they did't seem to care at all. Answer #2: it will depend on the contract but I'm betting one existed for a minor to be used as a model. it wild entail the copyright release.


Title: Haven't heard from lawyer in 6 months. Won't return my calls.

Question:
This is my second post, I deleted my first post because I realized it didn't have enough information.
Two years ago I hired a military discharge attorney to help me upgrade my discharge from the Armed Forces. we have made progress since the beginning, having already appealed to 1 review board, and we are in the process of an appeal to the higher review board.
The last time I heard from my lawyer was before Christmas. It's been about 6 months and I haven't heard from him for an update or anything else like that. In the meantime, I've called him several times and left a voicemail every time. Neither he nor his assistants have gotten back to me.
In my first post, people said to report him to the bar for not contacting me. I'm not sure if that advice would still apply given the whole picture. At first I didn't mean to Omit information, but after the advice I got I can understand how the lack of information painted a poor picture of my situation.

I'm in FL, he works out of VA.
I hired him because my friend recommended him to me. It wasn't until a little while ago that I looked him up and saw a lot of reviews from other people stating he did the same thing to them. I have thought about getting another lawyer, but we're already so far in my case that I don't want to have to start over with another lawyer.

Answer:
 Call again, and in your voicemail say that if you do not hear from him within X amount of time (make it reasonable - a couple days at least) you will have to choice but to contact the bar association he is licensed through. Then if you still don’t hear back, call the bar.

Edit: Remember that you’re paying him. He works for you. If you didn’t respond to your boss’ calls for six months, would you expect to have a job? It’s your money. Don’t be afraid to hire someone else.


Title: [Michigan] What happens when the state dissolved an HOA almost 20 years ago?

Question:
A little background. I'm currently living in a very small HOA in Michigan. We're new to the HOA and we've been butting heads a bit with a board that seems to have issues with us breaking some very vague rules that they won't define. We aren't trying to cause issues or be difficult, but we are paying dues and want to make sure everything is square. but all of that is another issue.

We heard and then verified that the state of Michigan automatically dissolved our HOA almost 20 years ago. They were registered as a non-profit business which from my research seems to be the typical flow for things. So this leads me to having two questions:

- If the state of Michigan says they were automatically dissolved almost 20 years ago, can they legally enforce any bylaws anyways?

- Second, if they're still operating under the name of the HOA, can that put them in any legal trouble? They're an HOA, but they're also a non-profit. I ask this because any legal troubles they may run into, will likely effect me as a member who pays dues.

I've learned that HOAs seem like a terrible idea now. I think it caused a bunch of people to start writing very legal documents that probably shouldn't have been writing very legal documents. Larger HOAs are probably better off because they can establish larger budgets, but the little ones like I'm in just don't have the finances available to do anything beyond continueing to exist. That's my two cents atleast.

Answer: It's possible the state administratively dissolved the corporation (probably for non-payment of the annual administrative fees) but the HOA lives on.  Depends if the HOA needs to operate as an incorporated non-profit under state law.  Others may know, but my guess would be they don't, or they never would have stopped paying the fees.


Title: Forcibly moving a car blocking an emergency vehicle

Question:
A few years ago my family was stuck in a traffic jam when a fire truck started making it’s way through the traffic to the wreck ahead. Everybody was moving out of the way except for the asshole directly in front of us. We were stuck between him and the fire truck with nowhere to move, about two minutes later he opens his windows and sticks his phone out of the window to record himself blocking the fire truck, then he finally moved out of the way. As you can imagine as soon as the fire truck passed him he pulled out and tail gated it all the way out of the traffic jam.

Let’s say i had a truck with a nice aftermarket bumper on the front, what kind of legal trouble would i be in if I pushed him off the road with my truck?

Answer:
 You are not traffic Batman.

You would be legally and civilly liable for causing an accident.Answer #2: Fire trucks have radios and in most cases they connect to the same dispatchers as police. They're also quite capable of [dealing with traffic violators](https://boston.cbslocal.com/2014/04/10/illegally-parked-bmw-smashed-by-firefighters-was-brand-new/). Fire trucks have pretty substantial bumpers as well. Let them handle it.

A vehicle has been found by courts to be a deadly weapon when used to deliberately cause a collision. Unless you want a felony assault with a deadly weapon charge, don't even think about playing hero.  Answer #3: You would face some sort of criminal charges and your insurance will deny payment for intentional acts so you will pay out of pocket to fix the other car.


Title: [BC, Canada] Spouse divorced me without my knowledge. Is she entitled to anything I own? she hasn't gone after me.

Question:
Toxic relationship. She moved out. we lived apart for 1+ years. Technically, I didn't get served. I just want her out of my life.

My only question is, is she entitled to anything I own? We don't have kids.

[Photo](https://imgur.com/a/7RJz8eh) of Paper.

EDIT: added link to photo.

Answer: Filed for divorce? Or is the divorce somehow complete?


Title: Transferred $19,400 to a flight school, I can't go and so I asked for a refund, they're now telling me they'll refund me the money minus their 25% cut ($4,300) as a refund fee?!

Question:
I transferred $19,400 two weeks ago to a flight school in Florida for a course I'm going. I can't go now and I'm canceling it and so I speak with the accountant and she tells me if she wires the money back to my account they will take %25 refund fee ($4,850) and transfer me the rest which is ridiculous. The course was taking place after a couple of months and so there's nothing they needed to prepare and pay money for, which would justify taking 25% fee. They just said that what they do when they refund money back.

Can they do that to me?
Is this even legal?

Answer:
 Was this in the agreement when you signed up? Most (if not all) educational institutions dock a certain flat fee or percentage if you sign up and then withdraw. You could have taken a spot from someone else that did not intend to withdraw, and thus, cost them money.Answer #2: Here's the problem: You won't be able to sue in small claims court for $4850 successfully.  That's within the Florida limit of $5000, but if you take the 75% they're offering, you're agreeing to back out of the contract with those terms, and you won't win.  You would have to take NONE of the money back and sue them for the entire amount, and that's way beyond the small claims limit.  That's a full civil trial over your lawsuit.  You might not win, and even if you do you might not get attorney's fees, which you'd have to do to come out better than this 75% settlement they're offering you.

And on top of that, they *do* have some damages here... maybe not 25% of your tuition, but they probably did make some non-refundable expenditures.  Wire transfer fees, for instance.  Contracting for that accountant.  Not to mention if they started doing necessary paperwork or reserved runway access or something.  So you aren't even really fighting over 25%, you're fighting over the difference between their actual damages and 25%.


Title: (NC) Boss is stealing tips and demands religious compliance.

Question:
I have been working at a pet resort/spa/camp for about 4 months. The place has been a perfect day job while I go to night school, however, for the first time in my life I'm pay check to pay check, and given the needs of my schooling, finding another job is borderline impossible.

First issue: I was under the illusion we never got tips until someone mentioned how the 2 dollars in the jar at the front desk are to intice people to tip, and the owner immediately takes the money. Upon further questioning of other employees, I found out that we get hundreds of dollars sometimes, (We board dogs for months at a time.) That money could help me tremendously with bills until my schooling is over and I get a job in my field. (About 6 months)

Second: We have these mandatory meeting between shifts once a month. It's not too terrible. We meet at a restaurant, we are allowed to order about $10 worth of food (there are 5 employees total,) and we take 2 hours to go over things that could be in a 2 paragraph email. (Typical lol.)
I wouldn't have much of a problem with it, hell I'm getting paid to be there and free food is free food. But we are DEMANDED to hold hands and say grace. On one occasion everyone forgot to before we ate, and she (the owner) chastised us for it. It makes me seriously uncomfortable.

What can I do? What should I do? Is it even worth it?

Answer:
 I'll answer the second one, but with more questions.   Can I assume the boss is at the mandatory restaurant meetings, and not just people of equal stature to you?  Did the chastising comments occur in the workplace, in the restaurant, or both?  How was it demanded that you say grace?  Was the "grace" simple thanks, or did it mention God/a theistic entity/a religious statement/doctrine?Answer #2: Tips have to go to the employees.  The business is not allowed to keep them.  This is federal law.

The part about saying grace is a bit murkier.  You could claim that being forced to say grace violates your religious beliefs, and your boss would have to provide you with suitable accommodation, such  as staying silent or getting up from the table while it is being said. But I wouldn't recommend pursuing this one.  Pursue the tip issue.  If your boss refuses to give you the money, file a wage claim with your state labor agency.


Title: Is it credit card theft if you memorize the numbers but didn't actually steal them?

Question: If you're good at memorizing, and you managed to memorize a bunch of credit card numbers and names, is it credit card fraud? Because you can easily say that you entered random numbers and got lucky.

Answer:
 Credit card fraud requires simply "using the credit card of another, without authorization."

There is no specificity for how you obtained the number, or anything else.  Punching in random numbers & getting lucky is JUST AS FRAUDULENT as stealing someone's card and using their number.

What the fuck is wrong with kids today.Answer #2: If you're not smart enough to realise that using someone's credit card (regardless of how you obtained the information) is credit card fraud, then I highly doubt that you are smart enough to remember one credit card number (let along a "bunch") so this whole question is null and void anyway.


Title: In Canada N.S. Is my neighbour responsible for having their sump pump drain into their own yard instead of mine?

Question:
Me and my SO just bought our first home this winter. Was lots of snow on the ground, so we really didn't see the drain for the sump pump of our neighbours until the snow started melting.

The actual drain is on their property. Their yard is sloped so that the water is draining into my back yard. With The snow melting, this thing has been going off every few mins. We have a fairly large back yard and half of it is like a swamp now.

What could legally be done about this? Where the drain is on their property, would that mean the water on my property will be my problem? Or is there something I can get them to do about it?

Answer:
 It is not ok where I live.

But this is something covered by local zoning. So look up zoning rules for your town or visit the office that does building permits.

Or talk to your neighbor about a solution.


Title: Seller purposefully held back HOA violations prior to home sale

Question:
I recently purchased a home "as-is" that is in need of work. Prior to the sale, I requested an HOA letter of compliance so that if there were violations, I could begin working with the HOA in order to establish a timeline for correcting these issues. After about a week, the seller comes back and says that they were quoted 3-6 weeks for the letter and that we wouldn't receive it until after closing. Fine, I said, we will move forward without it.

Fast-forward to today. I am at the HOA architectural review committee trying to get a replacement fence approved. I mention that I've only lived at the house a couple of weeks and they say "did you get our letter of compliance?" Of course, I say "no, they said I would not receive it until after closing."

They basically said that it was BS and gave me the letter detailing the violations. The date on the letter is the exact same date as the email I received from their realtor stating that the letter wouldn't be coming for 3-6 weeks.

I know this seems like a pretty obvious fraud case, but my question is whether or not it's worth pursuing in terms of a lawsuit. The items called out in the letter were all in the home inspection report, however our timeline for fixing some of these major items will likely need to be accelerated. Things like replacing my driveway and the walkway to my house were things we were going to look at taking care of a few years down the road - now it looks like we need to fix these things this year. I'm not looking to back out of the sale - I'm mainly wondering if we'd be able to get cash to fix some of these items.

Any thoughts on this?

Edit - I am in Maryland.

Answer: One thing to check would be whether the real estate agent knew about the issues with the HOA but didn't disclose them. If so, that could be a serious issue and they could lose their license. I would immediately go talk to a lawyer specializing in real estate, and pay them to write a letter on your behalf.


Title: [Alabama] Public school drills in which students are searched and given pat-downs. Any way to force an opt out for my son?

Question:
Last week my son's high school performed a drill in which the students were searched. They had their lockers and book bags searched as well as received pat down searches. This was given to everyone without any probable cause and I feel that it is a violation of my son's rights. I contacted my son's school and explained to them that I didn't want him to be part of these drills and that unless they had probable cause to search him, this was a violation of his rights. They responded by stating that as long as he was in their school, their policy dictated they could search him anytime they wanted. Is there anything that I can do to make this stop? Who can I contact?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 In order to search a student, the school must have a *reasonable suspicion* (less than the standard required for police) that the search will yield evidence of wrongdoing.  [New Jersey v. T.L.O.](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/469/325/case.html) *see also* [Safford Unified School District v. Redding](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/557/08-479/).

When a search is random or a blanket search, the school requires that the school has a compelling interest in performing the search.  That search may be drug abuse, but requires some reason to suspect drug use, such as a history of drug use in the school.  A generalized suspicion is insufficient.  [Vernonia School Dist. 47J v. Acton](https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/515/646/case.html) *see also* [Tannahill v. Lockney](http://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/FSupp2/133/919/2293222/).

Assuming neither of those standards is met, your best option is to get a lawyer involved.


Title: [NY] The homeowners association where I'm employed wants me to sign paperwork to tow guests and residents. I am against this and think it's illegal. Is it illegal, and does this leave me liable in the event of a (certain) lawsuit?

Question:
Long story short, there are residents who live in the gated community where I'm employed who do not pay their common fees. As a result, they've put a new rule in place that if residents and the guests of those who do not pay common fees park anywhere other than the residents driveway (such as the street or in the parking lot), will be towed.

When the tow truck arrives, I am to sign to have the car towed. I really disagree with this tactic that the HOA is trying to pull. I also do not want to get involved with towing guests of these residents, as the guests have nothing to do with the HOA fees other than just visiting the guest they are visiting. Is this legal? Does this give me liability? I have no doubt that once someone's car gets towed, I can tell you already that someone will sue...I do not have time for court.

Thanks for the help.

Answer: This is odd, wouldn't the normal approach here for the HOA to start applying lien's to the homeowner's property in the case where their fees aren't being paid?Answer #2: Keeping in mind, property lines are typically drawn to the center of the roadway, with an easement for the road, not the other way around. What I'm saying is there's a good chance the homeowners own the land on the road you would be towing from. Now, maybe HOA covenants allow for this, but I doubt it.


Title: Defense of another person

Question:
A friend called me asking for help so I rushed over and looked for her. Found her with a guy on top of her in a public parking lot and pulled the guy off her. He started swinging and his two friends jumped in. I was left with multiple injuries \(cuts, broken nose, busted lip.\) The main guy was arrested but the two got away. No injuries on the guy from what others can tell. Friend didn't confirm if it was rape \(when asked about penetration\) but she was in distress from the moment she called. I decided to press charges but would they be able to say I started it or it was consensual \(even if it was in a public lot\)?

• There are multiple witnesses including some friends who helped me look for her.

• The stranger who called the cops knew I was helping her out and explained that to the cops as well.

• This was in Huntsville, Alabama

Answer:
 They can say anything they want, but they are very unlikely to be believed given the set of facts you've provided.

Good on you for coming to your friend's rescue.


Title: [MI] Issues with Psychologist/Patient Confidentiality as a Minor

Question:
Hello -

Basically, I'm a 17-year-old from Michigan and I have been seeing a therapist for nearly 2 years.  My mother recently informed me that my father meets with my therapist without me to discuss my treatment and that she disclosed information to him that I am not comfortable with her disclosing.

I do understand that the general consensus is that if the patient or somebody else is in imminent danger, that the confidentiality agreement can be overlooked, but the information that was shared between my therapist and my father was certainly not a threat to mine or somebody else's well-being.

Essentially, my question is whether or not there is an expectation of confidentiality when it comes to minors seeking psychological help.  I would also like to file a complaint about this particular therapist, but I do not know if I have the ability to do so or how exactly to go about this.

Please let me know if you have any advice.

Answer:
 NAL

According the [Michigan Network for Public Health Law](https://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdch/Michigan_Minor_Consent_Laws_for_Sexual_Health_292774_7.pdf)

"Information may be given to parent, guardian or person in loco parentis for a compelling reason based on a substantial probability of harm to the minor or to another individual; mental health professional must notify minor of his/her intent to inform parent.'

However the law allows parents or legal guardians to examine a minors clinical records, and the clinician may provide general information about the progress of a child’s services.

You should speak with your psychologist to clarify their position, and be explicit about what type of information you don't want him/her sharing.

If you believe your psychologist has betrayed confidentiality you can report them to a professional licensing organisation like [LARA](http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-154-72600_73836---,00.html) or the [APA](http://www.apa.org/ethics/complaint/index.aspx)


Title: Are there any laws that say a company that handles your money is responsible if it's lost to fraud?

Question: Company A is a talent agency that acts as a broker.  Company A finds me freelance workers.  They found me a freelance worker in Asia for some programming work.  Company A charged my credit card for $6300 and paid freelance programmer in Asia (company A was the middle man handling the money). Said freelancer took money and ran without delivering any work.  I reversed the charges through my credit card company due to the fraud.  Now Company A is disputing the chargebacks, claiming they are not responsible and I owe them the money even though the worker they found me and paid scammed me.  They said even the chargebacks are successful, they will still send me to collections. I was hoping there's some sort of federal law or Statue that says as company A is the money handler, they should be liable for the fraud. Or at least some guideline that says as they are the ones that charged my credit card, my chargebacks have merit. Thank you all in advance. Reddit gold to anyone that finds and points me to any law or guideline. Location: News York,  usa

Answer:
 >  They said even the chargebacks are successful, they will still send me to collections.

They can say that water runs uphill.

If it goes to collections you ask for proof of debt.  This is where ALL of the communications between you and Company A come in.Answer #2: What does your contract say? Are they a company that delivers you referrals? Or labor?Answer #3: IANAL:

They have to give you what you paid for.

I assume you paid them to find you a worker since you didn't have time to vet candidates yourself. I can't think of any other reason to give them money. If you wanted a scammer, you wouldn't need their help with that. You paid them, not the scammer. Their entire job was to make sure you had someone do work for you. They did not hold up their end of the agreement.Answer #4: Sue them


Title: Private parking lot stop

Question:
I was pulled over in a private parking lot today for rolling through a stop sign. I was given a verbal warning. I asked the officer if he could even stop me legally. He said he could. My question is could he?  He was very rude after I asked. The fact that he didn't give me a ticket makes me think he had no right to stop me. This is in Oklahoma.
It was a stop sign in the parking lot not one that exits to a public street.

Answer:
 Of course he can.

Why would the officer being on private property somehow negate his ability to enforce the law? Think of it another way. Can a cop write a ticket to someone parking in a fire lane of a shopping center? What about if they're parked in a handicapped spot? Why on earth would running a stop sign be any different?

Also as a general rule of thumb, you shouldn't argue these things with the cop on the street. That's not the place and you'll be treated rudely if you try. The place to argue these things is in court. And in this case, you would have lost.


Title: How do I get rid of the drug dealer on my street?

Question:
 xpost from /r/NoStupidQuestions

[https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/aa3l0n/how\_do\_i\_get\_rid\_of\_the\_drug\_dealer\_on\_my\_street/](https://www.reddit.com/r/NoStupidQuestions/comments/aa3l0n/how_do_i_get_rid_of_the_drug_dealer_on_my_street/)

&#x200B;

My wife and I purchased a house as newlyweds two years ago in a well-regarded neighborhood. The first year we lived here, we has issues with our garage door. It had issues with closing (essentially, direct sunlight would sometimes trip the garage door safety sensor). One day, garage door was left open while my wife was at work (I was out of town). We had a tool box and tools stolen (about $500 in value). That was a dumb thing on our part. We replaced the garage door safety sensors and moved on with our lives.

About 8 months later, I ran an errand early one morning. I stopped home for about 90 seconds (just long enough to run inside to grab the puppy) and left the garage door open. When I came back out, there was someone in my garage, rummaging through my car. I chased the guy off, but it was a scary thing to have happen. We reported both incidents to the police.

I was talking with some neighbors about what had happened to us; they mentioned that we do have some fairly shady people driving down our street because of a drug dealer who lives about 6 houses down from mine. Talking with other neighbors, this seems to be a well-known fact around here. I purchased a 4k security camera system, which does not cover the direction of the drug dealers house (it's blocked by trees), but I do get full-length view of the street in the other direction. (Note: I also work from home when I'm not traveling, so I make mental notes about things that happen.)

There have been a number of thefts on our small section of the street which is not directly connected to main road and does not appear to affect people outside of a direct path of the drug dealers house. We have people who are on the same street, but on the other side of a 4-way stop without any issues. There seems to be two specific paths that people take to the dealers house. This is based on how our road eventually connects to main roads in correlation with areas where we have issues with crimes of opportunity.

Some additional notes:

\- The first theft and second attempt were by two different people. The two guys stole the tool box, I know what they looked like and the description of the car they drove. My neighbor had outdoor 1080p cameras (the neighbor has moved recently and the cameras went with him). The second guy I know what not with the first two, because I saw him and chased him off my self.

\- The dealer has high traffic time between at lunch time on weekdays and late nigh hours up until about 3am. There seems to always be a steady steam of cars. Some times the people that pickup the drugs park down the street and wait for a bit before driving to the dealers house.

\- Talked with most of my neighbors around the neighborhood while out walking my dog.

\- I submitted a tip on the DEA's website

\- I informed the HoA

\- The drug dealer owns the house. The house is not registered as a rental and the owner lists that location as their primary mailing address. The license plate of car that is at the normally at the house is the same name on the deed of the home.

\- The neighbors had informed the police and try to report suspicious activity, nothing has come from it. Two police cars have driven down our street at 3am for 9 minutes on Christmas day. I dont know what happened but showed up on my cameras.

\- In a 6 month period of time, we had 4 accidents on our street, can confirm with pictures.

Honestly, there are times I do not feel safe in my own home. Moving can be an option, but other than the drug dealer it is a really nice neighborhood. I want the drug dealer gone.

Answer:
 This isn’t really advice, but I feel like it should be said. I think you’re making a bit of a leap blaming one person on your street  for ALL of these problems you’ve had with break ins.

Although it’s going to sound like I’m trying to take the drug dealers side, do you even have proof that he is in fact selling drugs?  Sorry to be a contrarian, but this seems a bit witch-huntey to me.Answer #2: Have you considered calling the police?Answer #3: Talk with your subdivision crime watch people, talk with the police sergeant in charge of your neighborhood's beat.  Go with other neighbors.  Explain your situation.  They will listen.  I have found the police to be very helpful (Houston, Texas)  In my case, the officers decided to do their paper work everyday in front of the house of the perps.  Oddly enough, the perps moved very quickly as this ruined their activities.


Title: [Arizona] What chores can your parents force you to do without paying you?

Question:
My dad wants my brother and I to remove all gravel from a roughly 10ft x 7ft area. We are 15 and 3 months / 13 and 4 months respectively. Is this in compliance with the various child labor laws? If it's relevant, it is expected to be around 90 degrees Fahrenheit, from 9am-11am (while he is at work, so no supervision).

EDIT: I think this part of [this](http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?rgn=div5;node=29%3A3.1.1.1.31#se29.3.570_12) is probably the most relevant:
> (h) Clean up work, including the use of vacuum cleaners and floor waxers, and the maintenance of grounds, but not including the use of power-driven mowers, cutters, trimmers, edgers, or similar equipment.

Answer:
 If it isn't child abuse, your parents can assign you pretty much any chores they see fit.  They do not have to pay you.

You are lucky you weren't born in a time and place where children routinely worked full time hours on family farms.  Their pay was getting food to eat.Answer #2: Wow. One summer my parents made me reblacktop our very large driveway in 90+ degree heat. And I did it. I can only imagine the laughter if I pulled out the relevant statute like that and presented it to my dad, a self made man who worked on the assembly line at day and went to college at night.


Title: My fiancee [26F] and I [26F] have been planning to have a long engagement due to finances - would there be any benefit to being legally married ASAP in the event of a future ruling against gay marriage in the US?

Question:
Title says most of it. We are currently located in Boston, MA but will likely move to Northern California within the next 25 years... I'm scared that if we wait to be married there will be negative repercussions. I guess I see us going to city hall and having a quick, cheap, and legal marriage (as recognized by the state and federal government). Then a few years from now we have the whole ceremony and big whooplah that we both want with the fancy dresses and expensive cake. I should say that neither of us have an issue with getting married today beyond the emotional impact of not signing the marriage documents on our wedding day. And our parents might pull their financial assistance for our wedding if they knew we were already married, but that's a bridge we will cross later.

**Would there be some legal benefit to having a marriage that was recognized by the federal government (for however long) if the ruling in Obergfell is eventually overturned? Primary power of attorney, health insurance, taxes, etc.**

Answer:
 Gay marriage is here to stay.Answer #2: Gay marriage isn't going anywhere because the extra time that passes provides even more evidence that the pseudo-science and nonsense claims of those arguing against it were filled with hot air and little else.

There may be a tax advantage to a faster legal marriage.  Google your state's and the federal marginal tax brackets.  If your incomes aren't that close, it may behoove you to file jointly or with one as head of household.Answer #3: The Supreme Court will virtually never overturn its own ruling. By "its own ruling," I mean a ruling handed down by largely the same justices. It is one thing for a Supreme Court decision to be reversed after decades of social change and several iterations of the court, but after changing only a justice or two, it would be nearly impossible for a case that raises the possibility of reversing *Obergfell* to get anywhere near the Supreme Court in the next several decades.Answer #4: Jesus this looks like my Facebook feed.  Nothing is happening to gay marriage.  It might be beneficial to you for other reasons...taxes, insurance, etc.


Title: (North Dakota, Michigan) Kid sister wants to be emancipated, run off with older man. Is this legal?

Question:
My family has never been what you'd call fully functional. I'm away from it now in college, but my sister is about to be 16 in a few months and is still in the thick of it. I had a long talk with her the other night over the phone. Things between her and our parents have hit a new low and it sounds like this is her plan.

Drop out of school, get her GED, move in with a family friend, pay rent, and do everything she needs to do to be legally emancipated. She's done her research and I believe she's motivated, and what's more our parents have expressed willingness to sign off on this plan. I hate to say it but it doesn't surprise me that they're willing to just let her get out of their hair.

Now our family lives in North Dakota, where the age of consent is 18. However, once emancipated, she tells me she plans on moving to Michigan where the age of consent is 16, to be with some older guy. I don't exactly know how old, but old enough given that she feels compelled to be coy about it and look up consent laws.

I would really like to be able to tell her, aha, sure 16 might be technically legal there normally, but because of her crossing state lines, or their communicating on the internet or something, it's still illegal to be with him. I don't know, all the resources I've found on this are super vague.

Is this plan of hers just teenage BS that's hilariously illegal and will never come off no matter how motivated she may be or how derelict our parents are when it comes to caring? Or is this a real thing I need to be thinking about. Because she sounds really serious in a way that isn't going to blow over in a week.

Answer: The likelihood that your sister will be emancipated is very low. She has to show that there is some reason why she should be emancipated and how she can financially support herself (meaning that she already makes enough money to do it and not just what she plans on doing). Wanting to run away with her boyfriend is not a good enough reason for the court. Even the willingness of your parents to let her do that may not sway the court in her favor.


Title: [WA] Cousin, grandfather, lung cancer, cigarettes, prison

Question:
Hey all, I really need some help here.

A couple of years ago, my grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer. Long story short, he's "healthy" now but decided to quit smoking cold-turkey. He used to buy cigarettes in bulk down in AZ (he has a house there) because they were cheaper, but at this point he just wanted them out of his house.

My cousin offered to store the cigarettes at his place, and stupidly/ignorantly came up with the idea to post them on Craigslist and make my grandfather his money back. The first sale was an ATF sting and he was arrested.

Here's the deal, he's looking at a year in prison and this guy has a spotless record besides a couple of traffic infractions. He has a jury trial tomorrow and a state-appointed lawyer.

I know next to nothing about the court system so any advice is appreciated. Just hate seeing bad things happen to good people. Thanks for your time.

=====

Update 4/17: Just realized that I never finished this up. My cousin was fined with one year probation and no jail time. Thanks again for everyone's feedback.

Answer:
 > I know next to nothing about the court system so any advice is appreciated.

He has an attorney. Nothing for it but to see how the trial goes at this point.


Title: Is it legal for Sales to deliberately "forget" to adjust the clients quote hoping they will accidentally overpay?

Question:
The Sales manager for the branch of the company I work for likes to put out an initial quote for the general idea of the project with as much on it as he believes he can on it without scaring the client off, then, after getting more details about budget and requirements, will trim down the fat so to speak. All of which is fair play as far as I'm concerned.

What worries me is many times he will try and leave things in, sometimes small, sometimes entire sections, of services/products he know we won't be providing but will still try and charge them for. If they do notice it's just "oops, sorry! Thanks for catching that, my bad" and nothing ever comes of it. If it was the odd honest mistake then whatever, it's an honest mistake, but its almost exclusively deliberate. When I've asked about the additional items (since it's my job to look at the orders and carry them out) I've always gotten back "ya, you can ignore that part, I've just left it in to see if they'll pay for it" or some close variation of that.

The clients do technically sign off agreeing to everything listed in the quote, but these can be pages long, listing dozens if not hundreds of items in technical terms that they likely don't fully understand. Knowingly charging for things the client didn't ask for or asked to be removed by burying them in the noise, with no intention of ever actually providing those things is certainly shady, but I'm not certain of the actual legality and if there is anything I can or should do about it.

Thoughts?

P.S. Oh ya, this is Canada if that changes things. I've tried to be vague to CYA but I'll try and provide additional detail of necessary

Answer:
 I think I see 2 separate issues at hand here.  First is the issue of charging for services not provided, and the second is including unwanted or unneeded services.

&#x200B;

For the second one, since the client has signed off on the quote, which contains the items, if they didn't read the fine print, it would be on them.  Shady practice, but if they sign the contract without fully reading or understanding it, that is on them.

&#x200B;

For not providing services agreed to, while it isn't illegal from the standpoint that the police would intervene, it does open the company up in the event that someone follows up about missing items from the contract.  Those things would either need to be refunded, or provided, and if it is not done, they can be sued for non performance.

If your company is on the larger side, and has an ethics line, it might be worth making the call there, as those types of practices can get you blacklisted from clients if word about those practices gets out.


Title: The bank took 300 dollars from my account without notifying me. I have bills to pay that I can't. [FL]

Question:
I've had to file two claims in two days for about 170 dollars each. I'll elaborate:

Charge One: I tried to order something online, me and my friends pooled money for it, I only expected to pay 20 dollars, as I collected the money for the other 65. Unfortunately, I got charged twice from the merchant; and they don't have confirmations from either time I tried to order. I trust this store, I've ordered from them before, no issues. I sent them an email, they confirmed everything I said, but essentially told me to take it up with the bank. I did, I have an email proving that no orders were placed, and filed a claim, got a claim number. That's going to take "10 business days," but who knows how long that's actually going to take. The banker said it was probably an open and shut case. I can deal with that, it was a lot of money, but I could manage for 10 days.

Charge Two: This happened about an hour ago. I woke up, realized I had an email from Wells Fargo saying there was a negative balance in my account. Interesting, as I had just deposited a check and expected a higher balance that -32 dollars. I go online to find out what happened. Turns out, I apparently deposited a check two months ago twice. I didn't deposit it twice, I think I would remember having a sudden extra 171 dollars in my account. I called the bank (again) went through the same process, the bankers and claims department also didn't see any check deposited twice. Same shit, got a case number. This time I asked if there was anything I could do to speed this process, as I have bills due, and 300+ dollars is a lot of money that I need to have to live. The phone rep put in a note that they need to expidite it, and it should be resolved by the end of the week. I don't have until the end of the fucking week. I politely ask her if she can do anything else; I do need the money for rent and groceries, and I'd rather not have to pick one over the other. She says that's all she can do.

So, meanwhile, I have a negative balance in my account and no way to fix that for at least 5 days. I can't pay my bills and I honestly don't know what to do. Is there any legal recourse I have? I'm just genuinely desperate and know nothing about law.

What can I do?

Answer: Future tip:  get a credit card.  You'll have much more protection and timely reversal of charges than you get with bank account/debit card charges.Answer #2: If/when you get your money back, you can close your accounts and switch banks.


Title: [GA,USA] Can someone explain the sixth amendment to me?

Question:
Specifically the part about the right to a speedy trial.  For a speeding ticket, my arraignment is  scheduled 67 days post the day of the traffic stop.  Would this make me eligible to ask for dismissal?

Edit: I just read with another source that the 45 days is between araignment and trail.  Am I correct?

Answer:
 I'm not even sure a speeding ticket would get that protection, but no in any case because that's speedy. *Generally* a trial date within a year of the arrest is considered speedy.

http://criminal.lawyers.com/criminal-law-basics/defendants-right-to-a-speedy-trial.html


Title: Nearby construction site is kicking up dust making it hard for me to breath.

Question: I live in San Diego, CA and have a respirator that I use as needed to assist with breathing. There is a nearby construction site that is kicking up dust, which is making it hard for me to breath. I've contacted the city and they said they would send an inspector out but nothing seems to have changed.

Answer: Probably because no one is breaking any laws.


Title: Neighbors tree fell into my yard and is leaning against my tree, neighbor refuses to remove it. (Maine)

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 If the tree is in your yard now it's really your problem anyway. It doesn't sound like it fell due to the owners neglegence. That makes it an issue for you or your home owners policy. The nieghbor is only responsible for the section of the tree in his yard.Answer #2: The neighbor really has no obligation to remove the tree from your property. I know it seems as it should be that way,  but it's just not,  unless the tree was obviously diseased or in danger of falling,  which doesn't sound like the case per your own narrative. Answer #3: Take pictures and call your home owner's insurance. It sucks, but you will probably have to pay a deductible.
If you don't give them a heads up and the situation worsens, your home owners insurance probably won't pay for it as you knew the risks and waited. I know it sucks, but contact your insurance for assistance.


Title: Ex-girlfriend and family suing me for emotional damage

Question:
About a month ago I wrote an e-mail to my ex-girlfriend's ex-boyfriend entailing everything that has happened since she cheated on him last summer. Long story short, she cheated on him and continued to cheat on me with other guys. She planned on getting back with him and "confessing" everything she did to him but I didn't think it was fair to anyone. It wasn't fair to me and it definitely wasn't fair to her ex-boyfriend. She told me that if she wasn't going to tell him sooner she was going to confess everything the day before they got married. Good idea? I think not. After she found out I sent the e-mails, her life has been a mess. She claims she no longer has a purpose and her family is worried about her health. I have apparently caused her and her family so much grief that both my ex-girlfriend and her mother will most likely go to therapy.
In addition to the e-mails, I have also sued her because she also owes me money. She promised me the money but she provided no method of how and when she was going to pay it back. I tried talking about it with her prior to the lawsuit but her and her family refused to talk to me due to high stress. My friend served her the papers in between her classes so she is also blaming me for serving her at an inconvenient time.
Her entire family is basically going to sue me for the emotional damage I have caused to them and their daughter. In my defense, I didn't make their daughter a cheater. She did this to herself and the worse part about all this is that the mother also feels I'm somewhat accountable for all of this. I understand it's her mother and she has to be supportive but I just need to know if I'm not insane for not agreeing with them...

edit: This is in California

Answer:
 Recovering for emotional damage only, with no physical harm, is one of the toughest feats in California civil law.

If you are actually served with a lawsuit, consult a lawyer immediately.  I tend to doubt this will happen.  In the meantime, cut off all contact.Answer #2: Ignore them. If you get sued, consult with a lawyer... but I highly doubt it will happen.


Title: Annoyed Neighbor, Need Advice in TX!

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons, please bear with my post...

I live in a two bedroom apartment with my boyfriend & my two kids. We live on the bottom floor, and we've only just moved here November 1st. I love this apartment, it's spacey, has a gym & pool for the kids, close to school, it's wonderful.

However, from the day we moved in, our upstairs neighbor has been a loud one. She's up early & stays up late, not that I mind at all. Except that she's constantly dropping really heavy items, stomping really loudly. We're pretty passive and since we weren't sure she knew about us moving in, we let it go. Just dealt with it, because I feel ridiculous complaining about someone simply living their life.

On Thanksgiving, we were awoken to a panicked (different) neighbor knocking on our door explaining that there was a fire above us & to get out. Not knowing the severity of the fire, I of course got dressed, got my kids, a few diapers & got out, thinking the worst, that all was lost. We rushed out, the Fire Dept. was just arriving & were able to put out the fire quickly. When I asked where exactly the fire was, a fireman advised me that it was, of course, in the apartment right above me. I saw the woman come out, with an obvious pregnant belly holding her cat, letting everyone know that her son was still inside. She ran past me to put her cat in her car, and in passing I just told her to "Be careful." There was no anger in my voice, only concern for her & her children, however she took in with such anger that she lept on top of me, yelling out curse words, telling me to mind my business & go away. My brother who was just arriving & another neighbor pulled her off me. She was yelling & trying to get back to me. I saw she was pregnant & there was no way I was going to push a pregnant girl, I didn't want to hurt her. I was going to let her hurt me, so as to not have any fault. I meant no harm, but she didn't take it that way. I suppose my mistake was that I did not call the police, instead came back inside once we were given the okay, and proceeded with my Thanksgiving cooking.

Fast forward to last Saturday. Apparently, her husband is never home, and he came home last weekend for the birth of their child. He came knocking on our door, telling us to leave his wife alone and not to attack her. We told him she attacked me, (while she made a confused face) and we'd appreciate if they stopped all the loud noise, which has been constant since we moved in. He yelled at us quite a bit, at which point my boyfriend told him to stay out of our way & we'd do the same. Then she pointed at me & said "I'm going to catch you." I don't want her to attack me again. I'm alone with my baby during the day, if he got hurt at all, I'd be heartbroken.

They have been much louder ever since, dropping really heavy things on purpose, stomping even louder, and I can't help but think this is all done on purpose.

We went Monday morning to speak to Management. The manager was quite defensive when we tried to explain what was going on. Apparently my neighbor is her friend. She said she couldn't do anything because it's a he said/she said situation. She was quick to interrupt us and tell us to keep down our guitar playing. My boyfriend owns a guitar, but works so much he hardly uses it. If he does, it's during the day & it's only an acoustic. We explained that we don't feel safe, to which she simply shrugged & stated that we call the police. I don't feel safe, I'm losing tons of sleep & our neighbors are super loud. Is there anything at all that I can ask our management to do?

TL;DR: Super loud upstairs neighbor that has attacked me, threatened me again, Management won't help. Any suggestions?

Answer: You can make noise complaints to the manager. That's about it.Answer #2: Call the police if they ever threaten you again, hell call them right now and explain the situation. Report them to the management for noise every time it disturbs you during "quiet hours".Your best bet is to move out at the end of your lease. It sucks that this is happening though.Answer #3: I would check the lease to see if there is anything concerning noise. If not see if there are local regulations concerning noise. Your city Hall or local library can help you find info on that.


Title: I am not able to open my window because of a kid’s screaming everyday

Question:
I live in Germany, and I am looking for any advice, what I can do or even how I can talk to my neighbor regarding this issue.

There is one specific kid who lives in the next apartment and he is either on the balcony or in the garden and he screams all day. It is incredible, I am not able to leave the window open for 10 minutes or I start getting headaches. With the weather it is getting more and more warm, and I check want to have some fresh air.

I read the laws of the country and it says that children are free to do what they want, all day and all night with NO RESTRICTIONS. But this really not normal, this amount of screaming can be preventable. It is not a normal children’s play screaming, this kid screams like he is being eaten alive.

Right now, especially because of the pandemic everyone is at home and everyone is busy. Even if we are not able to do anything in the normal time, is there anything I can do with the current situation?

Answer:
 Blast music when he is out. The more grating or non child friendly the better. The parents might get a clue.Answer #2: I'm sorry OP, i'm in the same boat - and we're pretty much out of luck. children playing, laughing, yelling and crying is to be tolerated by law unless it's unreasonable. but the hurdles for it to be classified as unreasonable are so high that your chances are basically non-existent.

what you can do tho is to enforce the official "(nacht-) ruhezeit" which is from 10pm to 6 am. some states have a mandatory time window during noon, as well. Also: check the lease, quiet time may be part of it, as well.


Title: [SC] Police watching my house because of my kitchen light allegedly being a sunlamp for growing weed.

Question: A neighbor of mine stopped me as I was about to enter my home to let me know that the police are watching my house and my roommates. According to him, another neighbor of our’s, who is a retired cop, told him that our house is being watched right now because they think we are growing pot and possibly are cooking other drugs. This is due to the fact that we leave our kitchen light on a lot and it looks like a sunlamp because it’s the brightest light in the house, and we have people in and out a lot. Our kitchen light only seems so bright because it’s the only full four-bulb ceiling fan fixture we have in the house, and we do leave it on a lot, but it’s only because we’re forgetful. We have people in and out a lot because we’re college students with friends who come over, and we also hold band practices at the house (noise level isn’t an issue in this I don’t think). The problem is that we do smoke, but we don’t grow anything and never have anything worse than just weed. What do we do if someone does come and wants to ask questions? Is there even a real possibility they could get a warrant in the first place?

Answer:
 Nothing will probably come of it.  I'd really doubt they'd be able to find a judge that would sign a search warrant based on one report that something looks like a grow light.  Most cops are overworked as-is, I doubt they'd even waste the effort unless they had some kind of real proof you're growing and selling.

If they come asking questions, lawyer up.


Title: (Canada) Accidentally signed contract to do nude modeling

Question:
Toronto, Canada

20 F

Cosplayer and part\-time model. I recently signed with an agency since my friends said they help me find paid gigs easier. I signed a contract with one of them, and today I've been asked to model nude in two weeks for $200 half\-day. My fault for not reading the contract in detail, but there's a cancellation fee if they already arranged the studio and photographer \- which they did and I'd have to pay them $500 if I cancel. I don't want to go through with this, what are my options?

Answer:
 You should consult with a local lawyer. I'm not a lawyer, but I would hope that hiding something that big in the fine print and then springing on that on you for so little money sounds a bit predatory and might be in bad faith which could help invalidate the contract? Since something like "Nude modeling" I would assume is something that would usually be discussed.

Any lawyers know if that's likely?


Title: Does my stepsister get everything?

Question: My mom passed away about two years ago, so all her assets defaulted to my step dad. Sadly, he passed away three months ago. My stepsister said that everything he owned is now hers, since there wasn't a will. I'm assuming she's right, but I thought to ask if anyone would happen to know if this is true. I live in California (btw), and appreciate any help on this.

Answer:
The mystery person here appears to be your stepfather. Were you ever adopted by him? If not, your stepsister appears to be correct.

Did your mother leave a will, or did you just give your stepfather your portion of the estate?


Title: [CA] Friday the 13th Tattoo Horror story

Question:
So my GF wanted a tattoo last night, & she signed documents stating no refunds on the tattoo deposit, which was the full $100 for the work to be done.  After waiting 6 hours, there was still 13 people ahead of us at 3am.  She decided halfway that she did not want the tattoo anymore, but the store clearly shows their no refund policy on deposits.  If no work has been done, is there any way of getting a refund?  I could've swore services to be done over $20 is refundable in law.

I appreciate the feedback, thank you!

Answer: You could always reschedule the appointment, I'm sure the shop would work with you.


Title: Asking my college to change my curriculum for a mental disability?

Question:
Hi everyone.  I feel kind of stuck here.

 I am a cello performance major at a college in Colorado.  I've also grown up with a number of mental problems including a diagnosis of Tourette Syndrome, which caused a few other problems like bullying and low self esteem indirectly.

Last year, I played an awesome Junior recital and now I have to play a Senior recital this year.

The problem is, the junior recital kind of killed my brain.  After it was all over and the stress was gone, my tourettes were permanently worse.  I also think I might have developed a mild case of insomnia since then, on top of being plagued by suicidal thoughts and depression leading up to the recital and after. I'm worried about what doing a Senior recital, (which is twice as long and grueling to prepare and play) will do to me mentally.  I've already started seeing long-term mental health effects that have yet to go away.  One of the worst tics I've developed is related to the muscles in my bowing arm.

Do I have anything to stand on if I want my college to forgo the Senior recital requirement? If I got a doctor's note, who should I bring it to to make this change?

 My alternate suggestions would be something like a Senior Youtube channel, or other work with the instrument that my cello professor would deem suitable, but would be more doable for someone in my position.

Regardless of how often I want to play in public after graduation, I would really like this degree without destroying what's left of my seemingly fragile mental state.

TL;DR-

Do I have grounds to ask for a curriculum change in the last semester of my senior year for my worsening mental disability?  If so, how would I go about it?

Thanks for any and all help.

Answer:
 I'm sorry you're going through this. I sympathize with your situation. Remember however, accommodations have to be *reasonable*. I would imagine that your senior recital for a *performance major* would be a fairly crucial portion of your degree. You're getting a degree that says you're educated enough to *perform* music as a professional, which would likely entail having to *perform* in public.

You're likely going to have to talk to someone with an ADA specialty.

>Regardless of how often I want to play in public after graduation, I would really like this degree without destroying what's left of my seemingly fragile mental state.

I don't mean to sound harsh here, but is it really worth it. If you're harming yourself mentally, what good is a degree that you're going to be seriously limited in what you can do with it? Do you plan on using this degree to procure a degree, or are you doing it because you love playing and it's not something you're going to pursue? If i's the latter, I would probably suggest that you consider switching majors. College isn't cheap and paying it back for years afterwards with a degree you can't use, might hurt you in the long run and cause you even more mental stress.

I hope you the best of luck in whatever decision you make.
Answer #2: So you are a performance major who wants to graduate without performing?


Title: Sister (35f) fired three days after telling her boss she’s pregnant.

Question:
My sister, who lives in California, works as a personal assistant. Last Tuesday she told her boss she’s four months pregnant and he then fired her that same Friday.

She’s worked for him for about four years and he’s only offering her one month severance.

Is there anything she can do about this?

Answer: How large is the business?


Title: UPS Package Signed and Delivered to Random Person

Question:
So yesterday I had a package "delivered" by UPS that required a signature and it was delivered to someone who signed "smiley." To be clear my name is not smiley. It's nothing like smiley. The name on the box is very clearly not smiley. Apparently this man was just standing outside and was allowed to sign and take my package worth ~$300. What can I do to get my money back? UPS said they would look into it but that's it. It seems very obvious that UPS is responsible for this. I'm also not the only one who was subject to this. A few people had their packages taken by "smiley" yesterday.

I've had similar issues with UPS as well in the past. In August I was halfway across the country when a package was delivered and supposedly signed by me. Thankfully my neighbors are all nice and the package was still there the next day that time.

Answer: UPS is trash.  That said, think your recourse is to tell shipper package not received, get refund and let them go after ups with a claim (they hired ups, not you)Answer #2: The thing to remember about UPS is they deliver to an address, not to a person.  UPS does not care who signs for the package as long as it's an adult.  The signed name and the name on the package do not have to match.  You can file a claim with UPS but you are much more likely to get a faster resolution by going directly through the merchant.


Title: Collecting evidence when attacked by crazy neighbor? Ohio

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Take it up with your HOA.  If you get assaulted, call the police.  If nothing is coming from the "false reports" just ignore them.  Answer #2: If it is shared land, then the HOA should be the one paying for the survey. It's in their best interests to know exactly where the line is and be sure the homeowners do as well.

If someone happens to be injured on the unknown land, the HOA would definitely want to know exactly who owns that land. If you can convince them that it's in their best interest to make that determination now before your crazy neighbors do something like booby-trap the land, then you're good.

The HOA may have already done a survey when the neighbors dug their trench to prove they couldn't do that. If they did, you may be able to just get a copy of that.


Title: [UTAH/AUSTRALIA] A former client is threatening to sue me for repossessing work from an unpaid invoice.

Question:
I have a former client in Australia that was sent an invoice in February. He stated he refused to pay the invoice because he believed my work was unsatisfactory. I disagree, but that's not the point.

Yesterday, I repossessed the work from the unpaid invoice. I notified him that I did that, letting him know if he would like it back all he has to do is pay the invoice, late fees, and pay for the time it will take to put everything back in place.

Now he is threatening to sue me for a number of things. Theft, damages, damages from "poor performance", etc.

I pulled up the contract we signed and it specifically states that unpaid invoices are subject to repossession of work. I gave him plenty of time to pay, as well he specifically told me he would not pay the invoice.

Does he have any legal standing? If he does, can he even do anything about it from Australia. The company has no presence in the US. And if it matters, the invoice is only $311 including the late fees.

Answer:
 You have a contract? Freaking awesome! You're iron clad here, don't worry about him until you get a paper in the mail he's suing. Maybe he'll pay up pretty quick.

You're already ahead of the game since you have a contract, but since you seem to be a freelancer, I'll post this great youtube video by Mike Monteiro

(you'll have to search yourself, no video links) Mike Monteiro - "Fuck you pay me"Answer #2: You guys signed a contract that stated you can repossess work. What's your lawyer say about this?


Title: Providing phone for stepdaughter

Question:
My husband's ex has custody of their 12-year-old daughter "Mandy". We find it difficult to get ahold of Mandy because her mom always takes her phone away or will pretend to be Mandy when we text her.. We were thinking about getting her one and paying for the monthly bill, but we are afraid that her mom will be either taking this phone away or pretending to be her again.. Is there any way she can be forced not to have any control over that phone?

Edit: we are in Texas. My husband does pay child support.

Answer:
 What does your custody agreement say about communication? If it's silent on the issue, you might have to go back to court and get a modification to address the issue.

If Mom is violating the existing order, file for contempt.Answer #2: The mother can take the phone away while the child is in her care.


Title: Did I accidentally commit extortion?

Question: I paid $159.00 to Americanonlinebankruptcycenter in order to receive their help in preparing bankruptcy paperwork. After I filled out all of my information and submitted it I received an alert that they had prepared my documents. When I opened the documents, I realized they had sent me the complete paperwork, including all information, of someone other than myself. I immediately contacted them demanding my money back because it was obvious to me that they could not be trusted with my information. They are now claiming that I hacked their system and because in my original email I stated that I was not going to delete the prepared documents they gave me (although I did specify I wouldn't use them for anything other than to prove what had happened) and I was going to seek legal help, that I am blackmailing/extorting them. Did I accidentally commit extortion/blackmail like they are accusing me of?

Answer:
 Telling someone to return your money under threat of exploring your legal options is not extortion.  That you got this sort of response indicates you're dealing with an amateurish outfit who shouldn't be trusted with either your money or your info.

If you're serious about pursuing bankruptcy, you need a reputable attorney, not some fly-by-night online document preparer.  If you don't dot your i's and cross your t's, you can give up very important bankruptcy protections.  It's not worth it to cheap out on this considering there's no do-overs.Answer #2: You did not extort them - unless you in fact "hacked their system" or the documents that they sent to you were in fact created using the information that you gave their system.

You should print out copies of the information that you put into their system.  Then you can delete your information from their system if that's they want you to do and/or if you don't trust them with your information.

If you paid with a credit card, then you have two billing cycles to dispute the charge with your credit card issuer.  Simply call your credit card issuer and tell them that you ordered something from the merchant but they didn't deliver what you ordered and they won't refund your money.


Title: Do you clock out when your leaving the construction site or when you get back to the shop?

Question:
This is my first time in this sub, so bear with me! Sorry if formatting is off, and thanks for any help :)

I work as the office manager for a construction company, and the owner and I are having a disagreement about when the crews should be clocking out. He says they should clock out when they leave the job site they are working on, not when they get back to the shop because it counts as commute.

My issue it, sometimes they will work an hour away, maybe more, and that's not a commute they signed up for. Also, they often have to unpack the vans or put things away when they get back.

When should they clock out then? We are in California, by the way.

Thank you!

Answer: If they are not free to go home after the job site then they must be paid. Are they going back to shop for debriefing or to putstuff awayAnswer #2: If they are still on company time, they should still be on the clock.  The fact that they are required to come back to the shop and take care of tools and equipment should tell you everything you need to know.Answer #3: Federal law requires that employees be paid for time spent traveling from one work site to another. See http://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/flsa/when-an-employer-must-pay-for-travel-time-under-the-flsa/


Title: My new step-mom might have burned down my dad's house. [UPDATE]

Question:
She confessed during the Fire Marshall investigation (3/25) and was arrested last night at 7:30PM. Charged as Class C felony for TN. Any guidance through this process would be helpful.
[Original post](https://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/4arh5r/my_new_stepmother_might_have_burned_my_dads_house/)

Answer:
 Your dad might want to consider divorce. Also, contact your homeowners insurance to see if they will cover the damages. Answer #2: Three to fifteen years and 10k in ~~damages~~fines plus whatever restitution.

Are you planning on getting her a lawyer? Is that was you mean by guidance?

Answer #3: Your dad might want to get a lawyer of his own. Who knows what this lady is capable of, and I'd be worried she could flip this around or say your father was complicit.

Has he been interviewed by the authorities to rule out any involvement of his own? Since her confession/arrest.

You mentioned in another post:

>I love my father, but he's not a smart man when he's in love. Today he googled a defense attorney, found one, and wrote a 5k retainer on her behalf. WTF?!? I really don't know how to intervene. She's calling the shots at this point and playing him like a puppet.

So, obviously this is very complicated to say the least. But you need to have a talk with pops, and hopefully get some sense into him to get away from this damn woman. The last thing he needs is to appear as if he had any part in the attempted insurance fraud. Her being *the* insurance agent muddies this up that much more.

What a mess. I'm sorry you have to see your dad go through this.


Title: Being extorted through photographer. Need legal advice.

Question:
Recently, I met a photographer in my local area who was a recent graduate from a photography school. I own a womens swimwear company, and began working with her. Our first test shoot was unpaid. She recently invited us all down to Palm Springs to stay at her families house and shoot over the weekend. There had been no mention on her behalf as to what her rates would be. My company covered all travel expenses, and food costs over the weekend (Thursday-Sunday) for everyone including the photographer. Upon returning home, she demanded that we had to purchase a minimum of 15 photos priced at $200 each. All photos taken that weekend were styled and supported by my company. I feel as if there was a bit of deceit in the fact that she began shooting without any notification of her rates. And after the weekend's expenses had been paid for, she demands that we spend $3,000 in order to receive even the minimum amount of photos.
Is there anyway that I can take this matter to small claims court to at least cover the amount of money we spent during the weekend?
Thank you

Answer:
 You don't know what "extort" means, and the (short) answer to your question is no.

The longer answer is it depends. Was there any agreement she would supply any photos at all? Did you make shooting photos and providing you with them a condition of paying for her part of the trip?

She took those photos, she owns the copyright to them, she can place any price on them. Depending on the particular subject matter of the photos (being people wearing your swimsuits)  she may not be able to use the photos either (arguable) but absent an agreement she certainly has no obligation to give them to you at all.

(edit: wait, you stayed at and used her family's house? Did she charge you anything for that?)


Title: Is this smug kid correct about the law?

Question:
[This post](https://np.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/3rzpyb/watch_this_entitled_teenage_driver_flip_the_story/) hit the front page linking to [this video of a kid being recorded and accused of dangerous driving](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT7LY5jEGTc). (Towards the end the kid accuses the person recording him of molestation.)

At one point he says it's illegal for the guy to be recording him. Since he's in California, ~~a one~~ an **all** party consent state, is he correct?

Answer:
 California is *not* a one-party consent state.  It's an all-party consent state.  So the kid's right about that part.

The bigger issue would be whether the driver had a reasonable expectation of privacy in this situation.Answer #2: No.  There is no expectation of privacy on a public street.  You can record anything on a pubic street, regardless of consent.


Title: [TX] Any legal rights when it comes to large a group of loud children playing outside my apartment?

Question: I moved into an apartment about 4 months ago and there is a huuuge population of children and no where for them to play except the grassy field behind my building. There must be 50+ of them on average. During daylight non school hours it sounds like im at six flags they are so loud. Ive complained twice to management and they say there is nothing they can do "kids will be kids" as they say...

Answer:
 Find all their parents and complain to each and every one.

You will not get far with this approach, as they are children who, by your own admission, have nowhere to play but outside in a grassy field.

Or you can, you know, let it go.  Because they are kids playing.Answer #2: You can:
--Find out who owns the grassy field and see if they are comfortable with children playing there.  If not, they may solve the issue for you.
--Find out your local noise ordinances and see if this violates any of them, and escalate accordingly if so (unlikely).
--Take your own steps to decrease the disruptive noise in your apartment using things like heavy curtains, rugs, and white noise machines.

But if they are children making legally permissible amounts of noise in a place where they are permitted to play, then there is nothing you can do as they are free to play there.


Title: Roommate may be hitting my cat- what can I do?

Question:
I'm in Illinois, in a student apartment, so I didn't choose my roommates. I have an ESA who is extremely friendly and never swats or hisses at people. One of the roommates was informed I have a cat, but said she never was and hates the cat. She constantly shoos her away when she is just standing near her in the kitchen. I have seen her lightly push the cat away with her foot, but my other roommate has seen her push her rather hard away. I know she won't do it in front of me (especially due to other issues with this roommate being an all around awful person), so I fear what she does when I'm not around. My cat has come running scared into my room countless times when the roommate is out in the kitchen, something she has only started doing with this new roommate.

What can I do legally if I witness her actually kick or hit my cat? I wasn't able to find if she could be charged with animal abuse. Sadly talking to her doesn't help, as she has refused to our faces to communicate about her numerous other issues. At this point it seems like only fines or something legal will get through to her.

Answer:
 You need to keep your cat away from her. It is your cat and you're reponsible to take care of her and keep her safe.

Hitting or kicking the animal may be abuse, but maybe not. You could report it as abuse to the police or animal control but really I am not sure how much they will do about someone hitting a cat. That solution also doesn't help prevent your cat from getting hurt.


Title: Employer told me he will only be paying me for the time I spend working with patients, not the time I am present in the clinic

Question:
Background: I am a physical therapist assistant (hourly position) in Maryland.

My physical therapy clinic recently lost a large referral source and as a result have had fewer patients. My boss recently decided to take me from a full time salaried position to part time (no new contract although original contract does not mention full-time hours, only my hourly rate). He called me late Sunday night, as he is known to do, to let me know that when I switch to part-time, I will not be compensated for any empty spots on my schedule that are 30 minutes or greater. Despite this, he wants to keep my schedule open for the entire day in case any patients want to schedule. Is this legal?

Answer:
 If he requires you to be at work, you need to be paid for your time.

You need to be looking for a new employer.Answer #2: 100% illegal. If you're at the clinic, you're working, and need to be paid as such.Answer #3: Call the labor board about wage theftAnswer #4: This is a common reimbursement model for healthcare providers who practice under their own license in a group practice. For instance, I know of physicians, mental health providers, and physical therapists who are all compensated this way. The way this type of employment contract is usually written, it specifies that the healthcare provider is paid based on the amount of revenue they generate from patient care (I.e reimbursement from insurance plus payment from patients). I’ve seen a flat fee model where the provider is simply paid $x for every patient appointment. I’ve also seen a percentage model where the practice keeps a percentage of insurance reimbursement and the provider gets the reminder. In that model, you don’t get paid for the time you aren’t doing patient care. My understanding is that this is legal as long as your pay averages out to greater than minimum wage for the total hours you are present in the clinic.

I’m not a lawyer but have worked in HR and as a healthcare provider.


Title: Legal repercussions for wife . Illinois

Question:
Husband has added me as an "officer" on his LLC without asking me first.

I am deeply concerned as he has a construction business, carries no insurance and has not filed taxes in 4 years.

What could the legal ramifications of this situation be for me? What can I do to extricate myself from possible future liability?

Answer:
 Given the additional information you responded to /u/swalsh411 with, your concern is almost certainly one for discussion with your divorce attorney.

There are possible ramifications for being an officer in an LLC engaged in tax fraud, and with significant uninsured liability concerns.  If you're not committed to a divorce attorney, you likely should consult *your own* business law attorney about the best way to undo your husband's apparent fraud on the business documents.


Title: So, I'm pretty sure I just helped two guys steal someone's identity. Should I go to the police?

Question: So, after my exam today two guys approached me and asked if I could buy them cigarettes, in exchange for a pack. I agreed, assuming they were underage, and they gave me the credit card to use. So I bought a pack for me and the both of them. When I left they asked me to go back in an buy a bong. I was like "why not" so then that's when things got weird. They offered me 20$ to go to this Asian market and buy a china set, using the credit card. Looking back I'm really suspicious that the credit card was not theirs. Because why the fuck wouldn't they go in themselves? Hence I definitely just committed a crime and don't know what to do.

Answer:
 You didn't steal someone's identity, what you are talking about here is credit car fraud, buying tobacco for a minor, and possible crime regarding the bong, etc.

The last thing you should do it go to the police and admit this.Answer #2: Don't go to the police, you committed several crimes. If the police call or visit, keep your mouth shut and don't answer anything or "help clear this up" unless your lawyer tells you to.