Title: Can I sue my father for causing my anxiety disorder?

Question:
This is not an ordinary or simple case. I am 21 years old and have lived between parents for the past 10 years. During this time I’ve come to live with my father for a majority of the time. While living with my father I’ve had to deal with his drug induced emotional episodes, verbal abuse, and manipulation. I would have to see psychiatrist to say for sure but I believe my anxiety disorder directly stems from this behavior. I saw a psychiatrist during a period of time living with him who I would have no doubt in my mind would agree to the emotional and mental stress my father put onto me. Having to wake up everyday wondering if I can say hello to my father or if he would flip out has made me feel anxiety just being in the same house as well as anxiety attacks that I had never had till I living with him. I no longer want to continue in this situation and want to sue for the emotional stress, anxiety and anguish he has caused me. I understand how complicated situations of emotional damage can be and hard to win. This is why I am reaching out to see what you think of this situation and if its worth going to court as he also has the money to pay for very good lawyers against me if I brought it to court. Another to note to make is me and my two other siblings have sat and tried talking him to get help at an in/out-patient program and he refused to go for emotional help or drug usage help. This discussion happened about 2 years ago at this point.

Thank you very much for all your time today reading this you guys. Look forward to hearing the responses.

Answer: You will not win a lawsuit against your father for causing your anxiety disorder.Answer #2: No. You should move out and distance yourself from him.Answer #3: No, this is not an actionable cause.Answer #4: No you can't but the good news is you're 21 so you can move out and end your relationship with him.


Title: Slip and fall at a family wedding resulting in significant damage to an expensive camera - venue didn't have any rugs down despite heavy rain fall

Question:
My husband is an **amateur** photographer and agreed to take photos at his sister's wedding in NY state since his sister was too poor to hire a professional photog.
Unfortunately, it was an outdoor wedding and some dark clouds moved in as the wedding started. During the ceremony,  a heavy rainfall started. The venue DID NOT make any attempt to move the wedding indoors even though there was in fact an indoor building available (which was used for the reception).
As the ceremony was winding down, with rain pouring down, my husband rushed indoors in an attempt to protect his camera equipment from the rain and ended up slipping on the tile floor inside the building. No rugs were laid on the floor at this point.
In the fall, the two cameras he was carrying suffered significant damage which rendered them almost completely non-functional and severely impaired his ability to take photos.

He sent his camera to the manufacturer for repair and ended up having to pay over $500 for the repair.

He sent the invoice to the wedding venue asking them for some kind of assistance with the cost and they completely denied any responsibility for the event, saying that the contract his sister signed indicated as a vendor for the wedding he should have had insurance to cover this event. Apparently his sister did list him as a vendor for the event.  They referred further discussion to their lawyer.

Personally, I think they were negligent in this situation by not having a safe environment and that they are lucky that none of the elderly guests in the wedding ended up having a worse fall. They did bring out rugs AFTER his fall. Does anyone have any advice on whether it would be worth consulting a lawyer about this?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Photographer here. The bride signed a contract stating that she'd use licensed and insured professionals, she did not. The location made it very clear that vendors needed insurance for this very reason. The venue has no obligation to clean things up THAT fast. They'd have to be negligent for anything to happen. This most likely wouldn't fall under that definition.

Tell your husband to stop professionally shooting weddings (even for family) without going through the proper steps (business insurance!). Answer #2: so a known weather condition impacted a known flooring in a known and obvious way further exacerbated by a known dangerous method to cross said flooring in said condition?
Answer #3: Jesus Christ this is why insurance and lawyers are so expensive in America. Next time your dumbass husband needs to watch where he is walking. How old is he? Is this the first time in his life he has maneuvered on wet ground?

What the hell do you expect? The instant it starts raining an army of midgets supplied by the venue run out of the bushes carrying carpets to put down on all possible slippery surfaces?


Title: Moved out early, still have keys, landlord cleaned apartment before we were finished moving out [VA]

Question:
So we recently moved out of an apartment to a house, about a month before our lease ended. We thought everything was in good terms, but our landlord recently became a bit hostile towards us. He asked for our keys in the middle of the month, and we told him that we cannot give up our keys and we were still moving out and hadn't fully cleaned yet. We dropped by today to finish up cleaning and it turns out he had come in and fully cleaned the apartment.

I expect he will be trying to take that from the security deposit, so is there anything that we can do to get ahead of it? Or go to small claims when he tries to charge us?

Answer:
 When were you suppose to be out of the apartment by?  There isn't much you can do ahead of time, but if you end up having to sue him you can also sue for the return of part of your rent for the month.Answer #2: What a nice guy! This is perfect. Take pics of how the apartment is all clean on the last day of your lease, then when he attempts to take your deposit you have proof of how you "left it". And if he tries to contest it, you can bring up how he's admitting to entering without your permission. If this ends up going to small claims (hopefully not) you have everything you need.Answer #3: Sounds like he's trying to double dip by moving someone in early.Answer #4: I would expect him to inspect the apartment when you hand over the keys.  Since he already cleaned it for you for free, while it was still in your possession, I assume you don't have to.

Win, win.

Since you didn't ASK him for it, he shouldn't deduct cleaning from the security.  When you turned over the keys, the apartment was clean.  That's all there is to it.

Answer #5: Thank him for voluntarily donating his time to help you move out amd ask when you can expect your full security deposit back!


Title: Work forcing me to set up Christmas tree?

Question: Adamant that I dont even really celebrate Christmas and I am not religious at all. What actions could I take.

Answer:
 You don't have to believe in Santa to decorate a tree.

Do your job or accept that you may be fired for refusing. Answer #2: You should perform your assigned job duties or you can be fired.Answer #3: NALWhile Christmas trees are associate with a Christian holiday, they aren't a religious symbol according to the U.S. Supreme Court. Putting up a Christmas tree is not forcing you to practice a religion or participate in a religious tradition. If the tree features crosses, angels, or references to the nativity, those would be religious symbols but if it's just ribbons, stars, and coloured bulbs it is not.


Title: Family student housing is kicking us out even though they said we could live here till we graduated. We did not violate any terms

Question:
My wife and I chose to go to a state school and it is rapidly expanding. They gave decided to tear down family student housing and are forcing everyone to move out.

My issue with this is that we were told when moving in that we would have this until we graduated. Rent is extremely reasonable. We can walk to all of our classes. We don't pay utilities. Parking pass is really cheap. So we were financially planning on this being our apartment and obviously living anywhere else will be much more expensive. I understand that they will have to tear this down but can we have them buy our parking passes and/or provide us similar housing for the same price? I read through our handbook and there does not appear to be any catch all "we maintain the right to kick you out for any reason"

Edit: South Dakota btw

Thanks!

Answer: If you do not have a lease, and they are tearing it down, you are likely out of luck here.


Title: Detective trying to question me, how long can I put this off?

Question:
OH

A detective came to my house yesterday (I wasn't home) and left his card. He also left message on the home phone. I emailed him just letting him know I heard he came by and asked what he needed. He wants to question me about charges being pressed against me (nothing very serious, not sure what they are yet exactly). I will be contacting a lawyer, does anyone know how long I have to do this? I don't know if he's fishing for more evidence or already has enough. He came by Thursday. I am hoping to be in contact with an attorney by Sunday. Should I let him know that in an email or say nothing for now and just avoid anyone knocking on my door? Lol. Thank you!

Edit: location

Answer: You never have to talk to anyone. So tell him no. They may or may not arrest you


Title: Can a landlord search my property if he is allowed to enter?

Question: Missouri has no statute on landlord's access to rental property, so from my understanding they are allowed to enter without notice. Does that give them the right search through my property/ open dresser drawers and other furnishings that belong to me?

Answer: No. They can open doors to the property (closet, etc) but not your stuff. Unless there is an emergency or other reason and they need to move your stuff (dresser to get to a fuse box) they should not be touching your stuff.


Title: [California]I sent a video of my ex abusing me to his new employer and he was fired. Can I get in trouble for it?

Question: Long story short, I was in an abusive relationship that ended 1 year ago. 2 weeks ago I learned my ex got hired for his dream job, so I sent his employer a video where he's cursing, spitting on me and slapping me. He got fired yesterday. Can I get sued or in any kind of legal trouble for this?

Answer:
 Depending on the situation, you could be sued or charged for harassment.  Both are unlikely, but if you persist they become far more likely.

If you want to be done with him, be done with him; continuing to follow his movements and try to cause him harm makes you look bad, not him.


Title: Why do sleepwalkers who murder get off, but a mentally ill person doesn't?

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 > Why does a sleepwalker who murders get off, but someone with serious mental health problems isn't?

Your question is false on its face.  Not all sleepwalkers get off, and not all mentally ill people get convicted.

Most crimes require some sort of finding of intent or knowledge.  The person involved must reasonably know what they are doing.  Any defendant can provide evidence of their incapacitation on that point.  Some people make it.  The vast, vast majority do not.


Title: Medical clinic chain demands a refund due to their error to be returned 15 months later, and lies about having sent 17 statements to my current address! Help!

Question:
Topic:
Credit Debt Bankruptcy

Answer:
 > THIS IS COMPLETELY FALSE. We have never received a SINGLE statement for it! Ever!

Your not having received it doesn't mean they didn't send it.  Let this part go.

> What recourse/actions should I take here?

You should pay your bill, and then take it up with the insurance company.

> Can they really refund my card due to some error on their part and then come back 15+ months later and say, "Oops, that refund was a mistake--we'll need that money back now"?

Yep.  They have between three and ten years to recover that debt.  It sucks that they waited, but it doesn't change your liability to them.  You owe them the case, plan and simple.

You *might* have an argument against fees or interest, if such things were charged.Answer #2: So the TLDR is that you said you would pay if the procedure wasn't covered by insurance, it's not covered by insurance, and now the clinic wants their money. You are pissed because it's been a year and now you believe they are lying to you.

Just pay the bill and move on


Title: In a lease with my ex-boyfriend who I discovered had a wife and kids. Is there any way to throw out the remainder of the lease, make him solely responsible for it, or get a court order him to pay his half with no further contact?

Question:
Hi Reddit. The details are in my other post that’s under relationships but the basics are:

1. We are NYC
2. My ex and I signed a lease together 6 months ago for 18 months, both legally in the lease as tenants and equally responsible for rent.
3. After I discovered the affair/double life he has going on (details in post history but he has two phones; two apartments, booked real flights and never got on them, etc) I’m obviously cutting contact however the rent is about double my budget since we split it (I pay $2,000 out of $4,000)

I’m afraid of him now, because of his natural and extreme lying and manipulation and do not want to continue contact to get rent money. He’s moved out, locks have been changed, and doorman knows not to allow him in (this happened this week). I’m also considering having an attorney contacting him regarding the rent but is that legally feasible? Are there any ways to:
1.) Throw away the lease remainder (12 months)
2.) Make him solely responsible for the lease so I can move and find an apartment I can afford
3.) Preemptively mandate him to pay his half with no contact with me in case he gives me a hard time regarding? I know the lease essentially does that but can I get an actual order saying he must pay his 2k specifically with zero context with me to not have issues? He would just pay his half directly to landlord?

Thank you

Answer:
 Your landlord is not responsible for your relationship issues. You and him are both responsible for 100% of rent and can be sued and evicted if it's not paid.  this isn't grounds to break the lease. If he has moved out you should consider getting a roommate if your lease allows that.Answer #2: >He’s moved out, locks have been changed, and doorman knows not to allow him in (this happened this week)

You cannot lock him out and force him to pay rent. If he is paying he has a right of possession.

The answer to question 1, 2 and 3 are all no.

Also,

>I know the lease essentially does that but can I get an actual order saying he must pay his 2k specifically with zero context with me to not have issues? He would just pay his half directly to landlord?

Your lease more than likely makes you jointly liable so if he stops paying your landlord can come after you, and you alone, and evict you if you fail to pay. You could then later sue him but I don't know how successful you would be in arguing that he needs to continue paying half the rent while you refuse to let him live there. You should look into breaking the lease. Answer #3: You cannot "throw him out" or change the locks on him. The doorman cannot keep him out, barring a restraining order or the like. This is not grounds to break the lease (the landlord had nothing to do with it). You and he are, unless a court orders otherwise, both responsible for the rent and both entitled to the use of the apartment.


Title: The FTC accidentally sent me a check from the Herbalife settlement... if I cash it, can this backfire?

Question:
I received a letter in the mail from the FTC and opened it to find a $2,000 refund from the Herbalife settlement. I've never bought or sold Herbalife products. I realized the name it is addressed to is actually a one letter difference from my full name. A very common, one letter misspelling of my first name, with the same exact last name.

If I were to attempt to cash this check, could it backfire for me?

Answer:
 > If I were to attempt to cash this check, could it backfire for me?

Yes, of course.  Why would you think stealing money that belongs to someone else *wouldn't* be a problem?Answer #2: you mean if you steal money can it backfire?  yes, it can.Answer #3: To clarify, are you asking that if you take money that you are not entitled to are potential negative repercussions for you?Answer #4: There's some chance that you'd cash that check and get contacted shortly thereafter by someone claiming to be with the FTC who will tell you that you must wire the money back or else. This would be a scam,  that check will not have been real. You will lose money.


Title: Why isn't an emailed agreement not enforceable in court?

Question:
Sorry for coming here for free legal advice, I'm broke and can't afford an explanation from anyone I've spoken to.

I ended up giving an old employer a referral that my recommendation alone got them the contract.

When I had the opportunity to refer them I told them about it and asked if they were interested and their immediate response was to bribe me into making the introduction and recommending them.

The initial discussion I wanted 50% of the project, knowing they'd try to talk me down, and we ended up settling on 30% of the NET with the agreement that the books would be open on this project for review.

The company looking to hire was in a real rush so I wasn't able to get a lawyer to draft anything up and instead I just got the owner of the company that was being hired to email me from his company email that read:

>  As discussed over the phone, I agree on 30% net profit sharing for {CLIENT-NAME} that you will be referring to {VENDOR-NAME}. This would include Project work and referral for full time hire. Details will be put into writing once we formalize an agreement and upon meeting.

Issue is they never formalized it "upon meeting", they got the job.  I ended up having to do a lot of work to help them and I was paid for it but I was never given 30% of the profit.  Instead I only got a $3500 check for the work I did.

About 6 months later a friend told me how much they made and I reached out telling them I know they were paid a lot more and I wanted my 30%.  I never got a reply to that email but they mailed a check out, postmarked an hour after I emailed them, with about $7500.

The issue I have is they grossed over $200k and the bill 35x higher than the rate they paid their employees to do the work so I know there's a LOT more profit than they're clearly willing to admit.

I've spoken to a couple lawyers but they don't even seem interested once they find out there's only that email and they're just not interested in explaining why that's not enough.

This is in NYC and thanks for reading

Answer:
 >Why isn't an emailed agreement not enforceable in court?

Who says that it isn't?  You have a valid and enforceable verbal agreement with confirmation of the essential details in an e-mail.  You have everything you need to pursue a case.


Title: Why would being a foster parent make someone a protected voter?

Question:
I'm replacing my drivers license and part of the process is an offer to update your voter registration information. I'm going through the steps for that and one of the things it asks is "Do you qualify as a protected voter?" The description of this is as follows:

> A protected voter must be or share a household with a judge; law enforcement official; person with a protective order; person in fear for personal safety from being threatened or stalked by another person; or approved to be a foster parent.

The others are all understandable, but why would being approved to be a foster parent qualify you for protected voter status?

Answer: A lot of foster kids don’t leave their parents custody voluntarily.Answer #2: It’s a safety thing. If they can tell what voting district you are in, they can probably figure out your address. There is the potential a bio parent could try to take their kids back.Answer #3: Some foster kids may be essentially in hiding. The bio parents may try to kidnap them.Answer #4: Maybe a stupid question: what do you mean by “protected voter” status?Answer #5: Aren't foster parents technically working for the state?


Title: I messed up, and got scammed, may or may not be f'ed

Question:
TL;DR at bottom

Ok so i was planing on going to colombia, get my teeth fixed and all because it is very cheap over here, and i was desperate for money. Mainly because i wanted to go party i won't lie, and that was when i saw someone i used to know on instagram and he is always posting money and big checks so i asked him what he did.

Now before you keep reading, just know, i know 100% i fucked up, im a retard, stupid, desperate, and hearing that from others is fine, but what i really need is advice. He told me he "clears checks" so i looked up what that was and had a small gist of what that meant. He told me he deposits checks for companies, they file for something im not sure what, so they get their money back, and then whatever he made we split 50/50. thing was he needed my card (yea i know, retarded right), so he asked when we could meet after explaining to me (again im going along, extra retarded right?)

We meet up about a week ago, i give him my card, my pin, my account and password (at this point my somethings up here alarm went off, it was obvious but i was desperate) and he had told me to clear my account so i wouldnt be "worried of him taking any of mine". he deposits a few checks of 2.5k (3 to be exact) and the first 2 go without a hitch, im keeping an eye on my account but im not exactly sure whats happening. He tells me to snapcash a few times to some people and im going along, untill yesterday when i see the account go in the red (about 2.7k) and im getting worried now. he wont answer or call me anymore, untill about midnight and says "ill call you later" and we leave it at that untill this morning.

I wake up, check the account, execpt i can't, theres limited access, heres when i know its super fucked. he calls and asks for some other info (like mothers maiden, birthdate and last 4 of ssn) so that he could "get the account unlocked and continue all transactions" i give the first 2 (probably in my last desperateness hoping he wasnt about to F me up big time) but at the last one, i say let me do it, ill get it unlocked, how is he trying to do it. Will it be ok? can this get fixed? am i fucked? he replies vaguely with "dont worry" and never gives me a clear answer nor will he call me. So at this point i guess retard block finally activated again in my brain so i decide to call the bank, and they want me to go to the bank so i can discuss why my account is in limited access.

anyone who knows about this, it is probably (or rather, most likely is fraud), i got scammed big time, i know the dude, i have a few texts between us i doubt its his real number though, but i do have Instagram messages. Last i saw i was only in the red by 2.7k so how F'd am i? what can i do?

TL;DR I got scammed by someone familiar, not really friend. i went along like a dumbass and gave sensitive info (bank info) and now im in the red with 2.7k owed and i need to go to the bank to speak with them. need advice

Answer:
 You owe the negative balance on the bank account. The bank will come after you for it.

I’m not sure if you can reasonably claim identity theft when you willingly gave all your vital info to someone, but at the very least you need to freeze your credit. You also need to watch your credit reports carefully for new fraudulent accounts (you can dispute any new accounts that appear). Probably for the rest of your life.

The bank is probably used to these scam stories.


Title: Boss and work is disgusting

Question:
So I currently work for a company as a contractor (not a construction worker). My employment is technically "at will" and my supervisor is always holding this over all of our heads. There is a lot of shadiness going on at my company and it always seems to trickle down to my level. I have a few other coworkers at my exact same level.

First our supervisor likes to use something called the time bank. He allows us to go home a little early every once in a while because of whatever reason. In the back end he says that it is expected of us to stay late or come in early to complete whatever reason, without pay. Is that even allowed? I have since stopped leaving early and I get in trouble by the super. He tells me that he is leaving and locking everything up so I have to go.

The supervisor advertised this job as traveling two weeks every 3 months or so. Now I am traveling two weeks every months. Sometimes three weeks. And because of this "time bank" mentioned above travel time is not allowed to be charged to the company. Now this is really hurting my home life. With my wife going to school and me working there is a lot of issues coming towards child care. The one time I asked for help with this my super said that if I can't keep up with the work I can get out.

My supervisor is constantly pushing all of his work onto the lower workers and expecting it done otherwise we can not leave. Again because of the time bank.

The main issue that I have been facing is that we train people to use some pretty expensive drones. Lately all of us have been noticing that upon landing these things have been breaking. Mostly wings, the cameras won't work, controls are not working, the aircraft sometimes flies like a dolphin in the air, etc. Every time something goes wrong the instructors are blamed and demonized. Like we can stop a plane from doing any of these things. Keep in mind we are just instructors, we are not engineers of any sort. We can do quick simple repairs to keep these things flying. I am talking splinting wings with popsicle sticks and tape. Recently it has come down that our company's engineers have been making modifications on these aircraft since like June. They did not tell any of us that modifications were made! These things are modded so much that the wings are 200 grams heavier each. Some mods did allow the rudders to have full extension. There is like carbon fiber or something inside the air frame instead of the material that is actually supposed to be used.

&#x200B;

Any advice on what I can do so I don't lose my job? I enjoy working with my students a lot. But this work environment is insane. Constantly worried that we will lose our jobs, having our family time ripped away, super calls employees "motherfucker," stuff like that.

Answer:
 NAL.

Here's a couple of links that may gave you some help with the "paid to travel or not" question.

[Link one](https://www.employmentlawhandbook.com/flsa/when-an-employer-must-pay-for-travel-time-under-the-flsa/)

[Link two](https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/paying-employees-business-travel-on-call-30074.html)

Time banks are a thing.  You leave an hour early and are still paid for that hour, then you put in an hour of work later.  It's not unpaid; it's prepaid.  If you don't want to use the time bank and just stick to "pay me for the time I'm here," talk to someone in HR.  If your boss is kicking you out so *he* can go early, well, talk to HR.

The issue of the drone mods is a corporate issue, unless the mods are breaking a law or presenting a public hazard.

Quite honestly, it's not legal advice, but you might want to look for a job where they're not engaging in this sort of thing.  If that's how they openly treat things, I'd be worried about what they do out of sight.


Title: [Jasper, TN] How would I find out if there is land in my name?

Question:
**TL;DR**: 20 years ago a guy said he put some land in my name (in Jasper, TN). I didn't believe him and ignored it. Is it possible to do that without the person's consent? If it is, how do I find out if he was serious?

The long version

I was telling my kids about crazy life stories and as we drove past an area, it reminded me of a time that I was looking for land to buy about 20 years ago.

 I saw an ad for land in Jasper, TN that was a little out of the way but not too far out... so I called and agreed to meet the guy to look at it. It sounded good but I wasn't sure about it because of the location.

When I got there, there was a man that seemed really nice. He showed me the land borders and I said I would talk to my husband about it. Then he tells me that once I live there we could get together in the woods to fool around and no one had to know.

I tried to leave but he had my car blocked in and so I couldn't leave. (No cell phones then either) I ended up meeting his wife and kids. It got really uncomfortable for me because he wanted his wife to watch my son so we could go "look at the woods". I refused to leave my son and eventually he let me leave.

I never went back. I told my husband about it and we decided not to move to a piece of land near a perv.

Later, the guy called the number I called him from and asked when we were moving to the land. I told him we found another piece of land closer to where my husband works so we wouldn't be buying.

He got irritated with me and said he already put the land in my name and was like, "what am I supposed to do with it now?" I told him "not my problem. Not my issue." And hung up. I figured he was lying.

He tried calling again but I didn't answer and not long after, I changed my phone number.

My kids and I were laughing about it but then my youngest said, "Wouldn't it be hilarious if he really did and you have about an acre of land somewhere around here?"

Which made us wonder

* Can someone put a piece of land in my name without me knowing?

* Pretend they did... how would I be able to find out if he did? Do I search public records for my name in the area?

* What would I do if he really did put it in my name?

Answer:
 A+ for getting yourself out of that awful situation.

Yes, he could, in principle, deed land over to you without your presence or knowledge. It's unusual, but it's possible.

You know where this parcel of land is. Get in touch with the county land registry office and pull the records: if he did deed the land over to you, the deed should be in the county records. However, given the time period, that land will almost certainly have been either reclaimed by the government for back taxes, or occupied by someone else through adverse possession - if he deeded it to you at all.

If he really did, it's yours - go out, inspect it to see if anyone's occupying it, make sure the taxes are paid up, and then do what you want with it. Sell it, if you want.


Title: Siding repair - they want to cut all the cable/internet/phone wires and make all the tenants pay to have them replaced without dmaging new siding!

Question:
So my building is an old Victorian apartment house in the Diamond District of Lynn, Mass. Recently the owner/landlord and the company he has managing the building have started much-needed repairs to the roof and eaves, and are now in the window/siding replacement stage.

They have given us two days notice(for tomorrow, delivered just after 5PM yesterday) to move any furniture away from older windows to measure them from inside the apartment.
In the same notice they have given us warning that every wire entering the building through the siding will be cut, as in forcibly removed by severing with a sharp cutting implement, as well as any wire attached to the siding. I know the cable company did a hack job installing the wires, but this is ridiculous. Every apartments wiring for phone, Internet and TV service enters the building through the wood-shingle siding after wrapping around the building, supported by external attachments.
They have also mandated removal of the satellite dish mounted outside the corner of my bedroom, between two sets of windows on two walls, stating that I will have to pay for removal and for a way to reattach without damaging the new, molded-plastic siding. I am not the "owner" of the dish. It just happened to be the best place to put it on the building. The actual person who owns/leases the dish has talked to them, but apparently since it is on the outside of my apartment it is my responsibility, and will be added to my rent when the time comes to remove it.
Also, the electrical wiring from the meters downstairs to the outside post goes through the siding and it is confirmed that too will be cut, as it is going through the siding.

Attached will be a link to the notice given all tenants last night at about 5 PM, dropped in front of doors by management.

Now for the question: is this at all legal?

EDIT:
I'm going into the office today to talk directly about the wiring issue. I'll edit this with an update when I get home.

Answer:
 The service wiring is way above my pay grade, but…

> The actual person who owns/leases the dish has talked to them, but apparently since it is on the outside of my apartment it is my responsibility, and will be added to my rent when the time comes to remove it.

Is this responsibility spelled out in your lease, or in some agreement you made with the landlord? Who is the "actual person" and why is their dish outside your unit? Who did they make an agreement with regarding maintenance?

> Also, the electrical wiring from the meters downstairs to the outside post goes through the siding and it is confirmed that too will be cut, as it is going through the siding.

Are they planning on restoring service within a reasonable time? Cutting off the power for an extended period of time is a form of illegal self-help eviction.Answer #2: You may want to contact the various utility companies as the wiring may be their property. If they just go about cutting utility cables then they may wind up getting into problems with them.

Also, you mention that they are cutting off your power. That may be seen as a constructive eviction. Have they given you any estimate for how long power will be out? In my state power is a requirement for habitability.


Title: [IN] custodial parent refuses to work

Question:
Asking for a friend. My personal situation is the opposite and the NCP refuses to work.

Anyway in Indiana my friend has a support case on a child. The custodial parent refuses to work since the child was born (unsure of age of child ) she's gone on to have another kid as well and lives off new boyfriend.

She is being assessed at minimum wage for potential earnings which results in my friend having to pay 40% of his gross earnings, which turns out to be near 60% of his net earnings and results in not enough income to live even meagerly. (Netted close to 600$ this month. Worked 94 hours this pay period and netted $450ish)

Now she used to be a CNA. Can she be assessed at a median CNA salary for potential earnings since she refuses to work? She is an educated woman, not minimum wage earner.

Answer: Is the average wage for a CNA in IN much more than minimum wage? Especially if you're in a smaller town?


Title: Dealership is trying to get me to come in to refinance with another bank!

Question:
I live in DC but I purchased my car in MD from one of those small car dealerships. I purchased my first car in late June. The car salesman was very nice and found a nice affordable car insurance down payment for me through Progressive and I was able to drive off the lot. Well a couple weeks later, Progressive reached out and asked me to submit documentation of previous insurance, I explained to them that this was my first time owning a car and having insurance and I was told the salesman basically lied and told them I had previous insurance to get my rate $308 (month) and since I didn't have any, I should've put down a higher down payment (I put down $512 initially) and my rate would go up by $130.

Sure enough, not only my rate did go up but Progressive took an extra $569 out of my account that should've been paid at the time I drove off the lot (so I should've paid $1081 down payment). I called them heated because I wasn't expecting them to take out that much (the amount wasn't explained prior) and out of that payment was my car note money which caused me to be late my first payment and the finance company "dropped" me because I missed ONE payment.

I contacted the finance company who told me my contract was void and that I needed to contact the dealership and return the car. I contact the manager at the dealership who was aware of the missed payment and explained that they could do that because the first payment is important and some other crap so I explained to him that it was his car salesman fault that I missed payment and he basically told me that I needed to come in to try to refinance with another bank because the loan company was trying to charge them for the car. I wasn't even able to set up a payment arrangement. He's was persuading me stating he could find me a lower rate, to bring in pay stubs and blah blah. My paper tags had also expired and they are holding my hard tags hostage so I can come in to sign more paperwork. I basically told him I would return the car (because this is nonsense and I've already spent a total of $1300 on car insurance for a car that I've had for a couple months and missed payment because of their lie/mistake) and I'm just over it.

What are my options? What should I do? Am I still liable for the car? Should I go in to sign more paperwork?

Answer:
 You should definitely see if the dealership can get you into another loan that has acceptable terms. The biggest question in my mind is what could happen if you tried to walk away.

As a complete guess based in property/contract law, I'd guess you're probably liable for the car, or at the very least I could see you being responsible for any depreciation on the vehicle. There's likely something in the paperwork you signed when you got the vehicle about what could happen in a situation where funding for the vehicle falls through, and while you may get lucky and have it count as 'spot funding' and let you off relatively cheap, I could see the other scenarios being very possible as well.


Title: Is employer abusing employees by doing this?

Question:
Basically the plumbing in the store I work at is not working. The fire marshal ordered the store to close down but we are still open. We still have customers coming through the back entrance. Lastly, I have severe Ibs and the bathroom seems to be blocked off at the moment. What do I do? Should I contact fire marshals?

[location] : okc

Answer: Yes, call the fire marshal. They will be very interested to learn that your store is being kept open after it was closed for safety reasons.


Title: Dog after a separation (Ontario)

Question: My brother in law got a dog about three years ago.  He and the dog lived with his grandmother and then he moved in to his girlfriends house with the dog.  All of the dogs papers, tags, shots, etc. are in my brother in laws name.  The ex girlfriend has nothing in her name with the dog.  When they separated my brother in law thought he would be the bigger person and still let her see the dog. Kind of a dog custody agreement.  Everything was going smoothly until the last visit she had, she informed him that she would not be returning the dog to him.  He contacted the police and brought all his paperwork to them. They then informed him they cannot take the dog they can simply ask her to give the dog to him.  She refused and now he is at a standstill.  What can he do? He is on a fixed income (disability) and I don't think he can afford a lawyer.

Answer:
 Paging dog law experts here...

As far as I know, Ontario treats dog ownership like any other property. Your brother in law probably will need to sue her in small claims court to get custody of the dog again. Make sure that he's got all the vet records, licensing, etc.

It shouldn't be terribly expensive and it is fairly cut and dry who owns the dog.


Title: Gutter drain pipe for my house buried ubder someone elses property, given two days to move it

Question:
Sorry for the long title, but thats what my mom is dealing with her house at the moment.  The house is in middlesex county New Jersey

Her house is up hill and behind is a small man made pond.  Below us, past our back someone owns the land and is building a house for his kid.

Apparently my mom has a drainage pipe that im pretty sure is for the gutters and it is buried under the guys property where he wants to build the house.  We knew they were building down there but never knew about pipe (we didnt build our house).

So someone came to my mom's house while no one but my younger brother was home and told him she had to move it in two days or he is gonna cap it (the guy doesnt live near us and they never left a number that we can reach them with).

I have no problems doing that but im going to need more then two days to do it (i work and its currently snowing and probably rain for the next few days)  is there any legal ways to make him give me more time?

Can i just dig out tge pipe and just lay it out on the ground so it just drains out on the ground? (Where her property ends, its down hill and far way from the house that im sure it wont damage anything)

My mom tried calling the town but they said they couldn't do anything but she has a tendancy to ask wrong questions and not fight about stuff.

Answer:
 Could we please get a shitty MS Paint drawing?

What makes you think the drain is only for the gutter?  If it is just for the gutter, there may be some other practical solutions.

Thanks


Title: Hit a car that was stopped/parked in the lane.

Question:
Here in Georgia I clipped a car that was part of a procession of cars in line to pick up kids after school/day care. The road is 1-lane each direction and cars going in a the direction that these cars line up in have to get in into oncoming traffic to continue down the road. There is no police directing traffic, there is no shoulder, and these cars block the lane for the entire stretch of the road between a stop light and a stop sign (about 500 ft).

As I, and everyone else not in line, do just about every day, I went around the line. I got into the oncoming traffic lane and made to go around them. 1 car was over more than the others in line and I clipped her side mirror, knocking it off but doing little damage to my car.

Who is at fault here? Is there a way to challenge this if she expects me/my insurance to pay for damage?

Answer:
 You hit a stopped object.

You are at fault.


Title: Friend accused of Sexual Assult 6 months after consentual relations, now getting death threats

Question:
Posting this for a friend (T) because he's a wreck.

&#x200B;

T lives in S. Carolina was visiting his friend, W, in Virginia for a short trip end of last year. He stayed with W, her husband and her boyfriend/roommate. (poly relationship)

&#x200B;

Her husband/roommate where going to bed. W was being affectionate and touchy with T as she said before she was curious about him. Husband/roommate were aware of this as she asked their permission to fool around with T as they were in a poly relationship. They were cool with this and left T and W on the couch.

&#x200B;

In his words, things got hot and heavy. kissing and cuddling. He admits he got carried away by putting his hand between her legs.

T says she didn't say no or reject him and he even asked her if it was okay. W says its fine and they continue. T proceeds to bring her to orgasm with his hand.

Afterwards she tells him "I have to go to bed, my ambien is kicking in". This was first time she mentioned she had taken anything and T is freaking out because he now knew she was under the influence during the deed and wasn't comfortable with that fact.

&#x200B;

T was leaving for home the next day, W hadn't changed the way she talked to him or treated him the next morning. T wanted to talk to her about the previous night. W said things got out of hand and T agrees and apologises and raises the issue of the ambien. W didn't seem to care about the deed but mentions her boyfriend (husband didn't seem to care) wasn't comfortable. T hung out with the three of them for a while before he went home, nothing seemed wrong.

&#x200B;

T and W talked online as usual for about a month. W mentions that she has a new boyfriend and that he didn't like T "because of what he did". Tony didn't ask about what it was he supposedly did because he assumed it was the same as the last boyfriend not being comfortable with them fooling around.

&#x200B;

T shrugs it off because W still talks to him as normal with both parties starting conversations at times.

&#x200B;

Eventfully, 6 months after the event W is now stating publicly that T sexually assaulted her and was talking shit about her behind her back on social media. (He has a third party witness that can vouch that he didn't say anything like that on his SM) It seems she has been saying things like this for a while and the way he found out was in a matter of fact Facebook message from her saying:

&#x200B;

T - \*after discussing a mutual friend met through her that had been posting a lot of confederate stuff.\* "I don't really like your friend...

&#x200B;

W - "You've said and done some things that have made my friends not like you either. Like sexually assaulting me in December, so blame can go both ways."

&#x200B;

T - "Wait... What!?"

&#x200B;

W then goes on to justify this as the reason that her new boyfriend doesn't like him. Not a reason she doesn't like him, The Boyfriend! She never stated that she had issues with T before this in the six months they had been talking. Then she immediately blocks him and goes public with the accusation.

&#x200B;

Tony was confronted by a few mutual friends about it and he told his side of the story and denied doing anything against her consent. Mutual friends were split on what to think. W stopped mentioning after a few days and things went quiet.

&#x200B;

Now though, another 4 months later, she is bringing back the accusations and spreading them far and wide on social media and just 30 minutes ago he started to receive death threats from her followers.

&#x200B;

T is terrified. He doesn't know what to do. Honestly, the guy is a big teddy bear and he asks "are you sure this is okay" about 4 times before he'll even change the music.

&#x200B;

T can't afford a lawyer and is freaking out about the death threat to the point he's having near panic attacks. He has the screenshot of the conversation where she first told him (again, after months of chatting to him like normal)

&#x200B;

So He needs advice. I'm not in the States, so I don't know the laws.

&#x200B;

I want him to go to the police about the threats but he is scared about this accusation.

&#x200B;

Any advice would help.

Answer:
 Tony needs to *stop talking about this.* He will not be justifying and defending himself to others, he will be *radio silent* and not speak to the person accusing him ever again.

He really needs to go to the police about the death threats. If he doesn't he very well may end up hurt, and accusations are going to be the least of his worries then.


Title: Damaged pepsi cans

Question: I recently bought a 36 case of Pepsi cans products and the cans had been chipped and has sharp edges. Luckily, it caused some minor cuts to my family. I reached out to the company and they offer only a reimbursement for the purchase!

Answer:
 >Luckily, it caused some minor cuts to my family

I am hoping there is an error in that sentence.

Does someone have medical bills? Otherwise a refund for the product seems fair.


Title: Mother constantly breaking laws and ignoring medical issues.

Question:
I turned 18 and finally came to live with my dad last year after living with my mother. During the time I lived with her, I had experienced multiple seizures. I was always told by her and her bf that it was nothing to worry about and that I was fine. After about a month after moving in with my father I had two seizure events, during both of which my father called 911 and I was rushed to the hospital. The first time I was brought in, they discovered that I had a heart arrhythmia and had to preform surgery to fix. (Which I also told her that I felt something was wrong with my pulse repeatedly and she now calls my surgery "minor surgery") The second time they prescribed anti-convulsion medication. I later found out from another family member that I had been having seizures since I was an infant and that my mother had almost died from a seizure herself. (Which she conveiently never told me about) In addition to this, while I was under her custody she constantly broke the court order. (I.e. Using a different last name to pick up child support checks, moving outside of the area without alerting the court including moving over 1000 miles away, conditioning my response to the CPS agent that came to talk to me, changing visitation plans once they had been set, being unreachable and unreliable in emergency situations, constantly lying about my father and limiting my contact with him)
Now I wonder if there's anything that I can do about this, and if I have a case against her. I don't want the same thing to happen to my sister. She is an adult with special needs and I feel that the way they treat her exacerbates her issues to the point that she is not able to cope properly. I'm currently working a minimum wage job and I'm not sure about whether or not I have a case against her and I'm not sure if I would be able to afford the legal fees given that she lives out of state. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Answer:
 1) How old is your sister?

2) What kind of documentation and testimony can you gather about your seizures? Medical records, affidavits from family, that kind of thing.

3) What was the reason for the neglect, and what states did you live in growing up? Six states (Iowa, Arkansas, Louisiana, Ohio and West Virginia) have "child protective" laws that prevent parents from being criminally charged for neglect due to faith-based healing.

If you can gather enough evidence, *AND* have significant damages (medical bills, particularly that will now be more expensive or last your whole life because of their neglect) than a personal injury lawyer might be interested in your case. Don't be discouraged if the first one isn't, try until you find one who's interested and you feel you can trust.


Title: Have people screwed themselves over by posting on LA?

Question: People seem to post a lot of details abut some of these cases, sometimes involving criminal activity. The questions about insurance fraud and OP's PS4 are recent examples. Commenters can encourage posters to delete, but the Internet is forever. Have these reddit threads ever been used in court?

Answer:
 This guy kind of fits, but he got the idea from /r/exmormon not LA.

http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/this-is-what-happens-when-you-ask-reddit-for-legal-advi-1619404235Answer #2: The only time I've ever heard of it was a different sub altogether. Defendants who had settled a civil suit were trying to introduce a thread from the other sub to show that plaintiffs had breached the non-disclosure agreement. Judge wouldn't approve the subpoena and without it there was no way to identify the poster and so it didn't come in. Reddit posts certainly aren't privileged in any way, though.

That said, there'd be no way to know if prosecutors or other litigants were using information about cases gleaned off the sub for whatever out of court purposes. Perhaps they see someone say something and they send an investigator to independently confirm the information, then their source is the investigator and not Reddit. Who knows where investigators get their leads from.


Title: I’m a 16 year old with a felony

Question: Last month I got an intentional damage to property charge. Since I’m a minor how does the felony work. Can employers see it? Am I able to leave the country after I turn 18? How does all that stuff work

Answer: Have you been convicted?  Or only charged?


Title: "Private Road- No Trespassing" Sign Blocking Acess to Lake/Forest BLM and National Forest Land (Idaho)

Question:
 Hello! I tried posting it to LegalAdvice but it was deleted, so their loss!

The title pretty much states it, but I'll set a backstory here. We are fairly new to Idaho and we went out last weekend (after a ton of research) to go camping on some National Forest land. We were dead set on going to a lake well off the highway. After turning onto the said road, we were shocked when we ran into a sign about a mile in asking us to park and WALK the entire rest of the way to the lake because it was a "private road" from here on. There is not a gate blocking it and you can tell there is a large farm on the road. However, this is legitimately a road. I have referenced over 5 maps including a brand new Idaho Atlas, Brand new road atlas, Forest service maps online, Idaho Fishing online maps, etc. They all say the same thing- IT'S A ROAD? This is the only road back to the lake and the maintained National Forest roads, I spent a ton of time on Google EARTH checking today after unsuccessfully trying to find one after seeing the sign in question.

Should I just keep driving past these signs and "through" the farm (this is a well-maintained road including all the way up to the lake but they have buildings on all sides of this tiny part of the road)?

Would PRIVATE roads be listed in multiple brand new Atlas'?

Could I be putting myself in danger of legal issues ignoring the signs and just continuing on this road?

The road in reference -

**42°36'22.9"N 111°29'20.3"W**

Thank you!

Answer:
 There are a lot of instances of public land that's difficult to access because of private land holdings in the way. This might well be one of them, and sure, atlases don't rigorously research the legal status of every bit of property they map. It's also possible some jerk put up signs to try to keep people off a road they don't own.

Probably best to contact the local forest service (or BLM, whoever runs it) office and ask them what's up. Best case, they ensure that public land stays public, and worst case, you can't go there, but you avoid trespassing charges.


Title: My apartment complex has left my apartment open and exposed twice in the last few months. Don’t feel safe living here.

Question:
Hi, looking for some advice about what steps we can take to work out this situation.

My fiancé and I rent an apartment in FL. It is part of a large complex. We are in our second year of living here.

We had some issues when we first moved in where there was lots of communication problems and we weren’t being given important info by the management. Mostly small issues but we got the impression they don’t care about the renters and aren’t willing to work with us.

Fast forward to February and they are doing their routine bug spray/maintenance check. They do this every 3 months. When I came home that day I found they left their key to my apartment in the door. It was exposed all day and anyone could have come in. They apologized and changed our locks (after we asked them to). Said they would make sure policies would be updated so this didn’t happen.

Fast forward again to yesterday. They did the bug checks again. This time I got home and the door was just wide open. I thought my pets had escaped but luckily my fiancé had locked them away knowing something like this might happen.

They apologized again and said this shouldn’t have happened because after the last incident they had maintenance double checking doors were locked. I don’t believe they locked the door because if they had it wouldn’t have been open like that. They changed the locks again and I haven’t heard anything since yesterday.

Obviously we are pissed. I don’t feel comfortable having them enter the apartment when we are not home. I’m worried about my animals getting out. I feel like this is negligent but I really don’t know. My fiancé says we should ask to be compensated for utilities because our AC was on and that probably is going to make our bill go up this month.

We are going to file an email complaint with the owner, but last time I called to discus the issue I never got a call back.

I’m not sure what to do or what rights we have. I just want them to take us seriously and I want to make sure we are safe.

Could anyone offer some insight?

Thank you.

TLDR: apartment complex has left my door visibly unlocked/open twice.  Don’t feel safe here and don’t think apartment management will do anything to change or fix mistakes. Looking for advice.

Answer: Now would also be a great time to make sure your renters insurance premiums have been paid on time.


Title: US postal office lost a very important document that was sent from Europe. The total cost to replace it exceeds $450.

Question:
Is there any way after almost one year to still get compensated for my loss? They told me that it got destroyed at customs but did not tell me how I can make up for the loss...It took us months to find the right attorney to help us fix this issue and it almost put my status in jeopardy. How can I proceed?
Topic:
Intellectual Property

Answer: Was it insured for a value of $450?


Title: Employment Law, need help

Question:
Hi Lawyers of Reddit!
Before I even decide if it's worth to pursue something and also make an appointment with a lawyer I need to know if I even have a case.
I am from FL
So I started working for this company in Aug 2013. Since working there I noticed something fishy about my manager, he was putting sales on his name, making his wife purchase products from the store (just so he could make his goal) and he was also misusing the products to make returns under the store. I found receipts and prove of all of this, I brought this issue to my bosses boss and he told me that I would have to file an HR complain and to send it to him all the info I had. All of this info was sent to him o Jan 1st.
Sales weren't good and I haven't made my goal since my first month, if it helps no one in the store was making the goal but my manager - of course.
So I decided to leave the job on Feb. 28th due to lack of integrity of the company, seeing that my manager was practicality stealing from them and nothing, I mean nothing was done. And truly I did not want to get fired over sales when there was a much bigger issue behind.

Do I have a case? Can I at least try and file for unemployment? Its been tough to find a job.

Thank you!!

Answer: A case for what? You weren't fired. You weren't injured. A lack of integrity is not against the law. You quit. You get no unemployment. Move on.


Title: NEED HELP PARENTS TRYING TO CONTROL MY MONEY

Question: I had my bar mitzvah in 7th grade. I got a total amount of about $5000 from relatives for my achievement. Since I was 13 my parents put my money in a 529 account for education without my consent. This is bullshit because they just assumed the money would go towards my education. This was not their money to put in a 529, and now I'm the one that's going to be penalized with the income tax plus the 10 percent fee that will be taken out if I don't use the money for education. My dad's the primary name on the 529 which means he could take my money from me at any time if he wanted to. I'm 18 years old now and my parents are controlling this money, I need access to it for simple things like gas, I don't mind helping my mom with chores, but every time I leave and ask for some money she makes me do a shit ton of chores, even if I already have plans. I feel like the fact that they put my money in a 529 and not a normal savings is illegal and now that I'm 18 they're still using it as leverage against me. It's bs and I'm not going to take it anymore. I plan on joining the army so who knows I could be dead in a few years and it pisses me off that they're so short sighted with this one. Everything with my mom is tit for tat so if I ask for 20 she"ll make me do an hours worth of chores. Not bad but the fact how she uses it as leverage is fucked up when in reality I have my own money that they're withholding from me. I'm not going to be treated like dirt even if it's from my own mother. What can I do to get my money, plus all that's going to be taken out in taxes and fees. The fact is, that money shouldn't have gone into a 529 and it should have been a regular savings.  Please help btw I'm in New Jersey. All the checks I got for my bar mitzvah were addressed to me and not my parents.

Answer:
 Listen son, unless you received that money in a UTMA custodial account, it was your parents to do with as they pleased. They, being good parents, opened a 529 to help you pay for your education and to grow the money with awesome tax benefits. This was all to help you.

Stop thinking of it as your money, because it's not. It's money for your benefit. If you don't want to "take it anymore" walk away from the free housing, food, clothes etc. your parents are giving you, and join the military like you want to. Provide for yourself. Or suck it up, get an education, and enjoy tax free withdrawals.Answer #2: This post is adorable.Answer #3: Wow are you a whiny piece of shit. Doing chores for money is being treated like dirt?  What about food, clothing, shelter?  As you said you are 18 so your parents have no legal obligation to provide any of that.

You won't make it through basic training with your attitude, so take your parents advice and use the money for education.


Title: 17 year old going out of the country with 1 parent refusal.

Question:
hey, I am a 20 year old taking my 17 year old girlfriend to paris for valentines day. we are both British. her parents are split up and her mum has custody of her. her mum loves me and agrees her to go, however, her dad, who us a drunk, decides to say she can't go 2 days before we should depart. can i still take her to paris without him calling the police or some bs?

thanks for the advice i really need it

Answer:
 https://www.gov.uk/permission-take-child-abroad

My layman's opinion: Go next year. At a glance, it looks like her mother couldn't legally take her out of the country without the father's permission, unless losing custody is sufficient to count as not having parental responsibility.


Title: Im being sued 2.5 years after an auto accident, what happens next?

Question:
This happened in Michigan.

Back in mid 2017 I was involved in an accident, after stopping at a busy 4 way intersection (blinking red light) I proceeded through when it was my turn. A runner who had cut in behind the vehicles on the opposite side from me emerged as I was crossing and I hit him. This was in a somewhat remote location with no sidewalks or crossing points specifically for foot traffic. He was shaken but overall ok aside from cuts he received when he jumped up and hit my windshield. Police arrived, wrote a report, took my info, and informed me that I was not at fault and that the report would reflect that. I called my insurance on the way home and reported it and was told that no further action would occur until they made a claim or legal action was taken. That was the end of it and all seemed settled.

Fast forward to today, I received a letter telling me that a law office had been retained "for the purpose of recovering damages incurred as a result of accident occuring on above indicated date. Our investigation into the matter has revealed that your negligence was the cause of this accident." I called and verified that this is a real letter from an actual law office but nothing further, I then contacted my insurance and since there was no claim they have no record of it so they started one now. Since it was so late when I called I couldnt speak to an adjuster nor get anymore info, Im a bit worried about the whole thing and had a few questions.

I live in a no fault state but the letter says my negligence was the cause? The officer said I was not at fault, no ticket was written, how am I responsible?

My wife recently stopped working to take care of our newborn and our finances are tight, can I be sued for damages beyond my insurance coverage? The other individual is not permanently injured in any way (from what I can tell) and continued running weeks after the incident.  I found this information after googling his name and finding a facebook page matching his info, initially I didnt have a clue as to what this was all about since it happened so long ago. I looked back to the date of the incident and found a post about it, he lives a normal life now and I made zero attempt to contact him in any way.

Is there any particular reason for someone to wait years before taking action? I dont even have the contact info for the officer anymore, my account of the event is not as clear as before and Im concerned that it may somehow impact me negatively (I had one too many concussions as a kid and have some small memory issues).

Thanks for any help in advance

Answer:
 Contact your car insurer.  It's their responsibility to deal with this.

And, the guys lawyer doesn't get to decide if you were negligent or not.


Title: WA state Is it illegal to have a bedroom with no windows?

Question: We are wanting to convert our unused wine cellar into a bedroom for our 10 year old son. There is no way to put windows in if we do this, and my sister says it's illegal to have a bedroom without windows. So before we go any farther in our planned renovation we need to know the legality of it. I've tried looking online for statutes but the only one I found specifically stated that it is about pre-HUD mobile homes.

Answer:
 "Illegal" in the sense that it violates building/fire codes? Yes, most likely.

"Illegal" in the sense that you'll go to jail or have CPS take custody of your child over it? No.


Title: [PA] Girlfriend's landlord being difficult about emotional support animals. Does she have grounds for action?

Question:
So my girlfriend lives in an apartment complex.  She has made a request for emotional support animals (albeit,  after already having them against the lease and having them discovered)  and has a signed letter from her physician stating her need for them.  The management company is not accepting that as proof and is requesting her physician fill out their specific form which is sent directly to the physicians office. Is this legal? My non-lawer interpretation of the law is that only sufficient proof (which a letter from a physician is,  am I wrong?) of a need for the animal is required for a reasonable accommodation request.

This has been going on for 3 weeks now and my girlfriend doesn't know what to do.

EDIT: It's been fun here on /r/LegalAdvice, thanks for the helpful suggestions such as breaking up to solve my legal question.

Answer:
 I'll tell you, whichever presidential candidate comes out against emotional support animals is going to get my vote.

>This has been going on for 3 weeks now and my girlfriend doesn't know what to do.

Have the physician fill it out, unless of course your girlfriend doesn't have a real need and she is just bullshitting because she wants to break the rules the rest of us have to live by.Answer #2: So, a lot of people think emotional support animals are bs. Anyone can take the computer and make a convincing looking doctor's note. Sounds to me like these guys are actually being reasonable, but they don't want a snow job from your girlfriend. Let them contact the doctor directly – no big deal. Unless, that is, it's a bogus emotional support animal letter that she's been trying to pass off as the genuine article. This would seem to fall under the "trust but verify" method of practicing business. Answer #3: Emotional support Ferrets? For gods sake. Answer #4: You posted this same question 3 days ago and my question to you remains the same:-

If you girlfriend is legit why isn't her "doctor" prepared to sign off that they are willing to testify to this fact?

https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/49mclb/please_help_me_fight_my_apartment_complex_pet/


Title: WA State 17yo M - Parents Want to Force Me to Work 40hrs/wk

Question: Although it sounds incredibly privileged, I only want to work part-time, and they don't financially need any of my money. They charged me about $840 over a 4 month period shortly after I turned 17 for what my mother called "rent". Yes, I know she can't do that. I live in WA state. The reason why they want me to work full time is because my mother wants me out of the house. There are many other reasons contributing to me wanting to say I won't work full time over the Summer, but they don't matter legally. Are they legally allowed to force me to work? I'm moving out early September to my college dorm (Note: none of the debt is in my parents' name). I'm not enrolled in any classes over the Summer.

Answer: no, they cannot force you to work.  but they can restrict certain things at the household if you don't follow their "rules".  and the second you turn 18, they can kick you out. *edit- after the proper legal eviction process*


Title: Possession of fake ID/Sovereignty of State

Question:
Hello. I have just been issued a misdemeanor in Ann Arbor Michigan for possession of a fake id. The main statute regarding state personal identification card is [MCL 28.295](http://www.legislature.mi.gov/\(S\(qsbgzq3dos2ydgmha2j0qp1b\)\)/mileg.aspx?page=GetObject&objectname=mcl-28-295). In it states that:
> A person who intentionally reproduces, alters, counterfeits, forges, or duplicates an official state personal identification card photograph, the negative of the photograph, an official state personal identification card image, an official state personal identification card, or the electronic data contained on an official state personal identification card or a part of an official state personal identification card or who uses an official state personal identification card, image, or photograph that has been reproduced, altered, counterfeited, forged, or duplicated is subject to 1 of the following:

Since I am a resident of Puerto Riico and utilized a Puertorrican identification, can I argue that Puerto Rico is not an official state according to the Insular Cases???

Any help would be amazing.

Answer:
 Hey, if you have a problem with how state is defined in the law, then go get a lawyer and go crazy.

But if you're here, the advice you're going to get is the advice you get. It doesn't matter if it's a fake ID from Russia, Afghanistan, Puerto Rico, or Cuba. A fake ID is a fake ID.

Make of that what you will and do what you want. Just don't be offended if your lawyer, the prosecutor, and judge don't buy your argument and convict you anyway.


Title: I [26M] have been receiving mail and phone calls for over a year regarding collection of a loan I never took out.

Question:
This is the third instance of it after contacting the companies and "clearing it up" with them. Apparently someone with my name took out a student loan and didn't pay it back. I live in Utah and the loan was taken out in Alabama or some other southern state. (Can't remember because I stopped reading the mail.) Somehow my address was tagged on the account and I've received mail and calls almost monthly for over a year.

Every time I call, I verify the last 4 numbers of my social security number does NOT match what they have on the account and they tell me they'll take me off of their mailing and phone lists. It still happens. I'm not worried about having to pay the loan, but it's getting to the point where the hassle is annoying.

Do I have any options as far as harassment goes? I've been told multiple times it's been taken care of and I've even taken the court a declaration over it because early this year I received a summons.

I mostly just want it to stop.

Answer:
 Link included for you with a lot more information.

When Can Debt Collectors Call

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) is the Federal law that says what debt collectors can and can't do. For starters, they aren't to call you about a debt that you don't owe.

When a debt collector first contacts you about a debt, you have the right to request them to verify the debt is yours. If the debt collector can't come back with proof that you owe the debt, they're not allowed to contact you anymore. Make Debt Collectors Prove You Owe

Even without sending a validation request, debt collectors have certain rules they must follow when it comes to contacting you over the phone. For example, they can't call you before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. your local time. They can't call you repeatedly, and they can't call you at anytime you've previously stated is inconvenient. For specific situations timing of debt collector calls check out When Can Debt Collectors Call.

http://credit.about.com/od/debtcollection/a/stopcollectors.htm


Title: (FL) Age of consent laws

Question:
My youngest brother is 20 years old. Recently he has begun dating a girl who is 17. My entire family is going bonkers over this and I have a strong feeling that they are misinterpreting the age of consent laws in FL. I've looked this up several times and every time I try to tell them that he isn't doing anything illegal they refuse to listen to me. They claim they spoke to a lawyer and they told them it's illegal, my brother claims he called a police officer and the cop told him it's fine. All of my personal research says it's fine but now I'm starting to think I have no idea. Can someone help me? Are there any resources I can send to my parents to get them to chill out?

P.S. For what it's worth, nobody is HAPPY that he's dating someone so young but, look, I can't tell them what to do. All I can do is give them (my brother and his gf) facts and hope that they figure themselves out.

Answer: He's fine, as long as he's under 24. It's not even creepy by the "half age plus 7 rule". He better not be sexting or sending (or especially receiving) naked pictures though.


Title: HOA foreclosure due to working from home? [TN]

Question:
Good aftenoon,

Myself and about 25 of my neighbors received [this](https://imgur.com/a/fWwS94S) letter today. We live in a condo neighborhood with about 150 units. Some of us own our condo, and some rent it.

I'd like to know if this is legal?  If so, are they allowed to take my house and stick me with the remainder of the mortgage? What kind of lawyer do I need to fight this?

Answer:
 NAL. If this notice is actually from the HOA, you will need an attorney.

The HOA can't just initiate foreclosure proceedings unless you don't pay dues, fines, or assessments.

You need to get very familiar with the language of the HOA CC&Rs and the Bylaws.

Frankly, this is the kind of issue where you should get the support of your neighbors and replace the HOA president.


Title: Uber passenger, captured on viral video drunkenly slapping and hitting driver, sues driver for $5 million

Question:
Google for news story.....

Does he have a legitimate case? I would expect a dashboard cam in uber is no different than a security camera at the mall.
Topic:
Megathread

Answer: imo no, but possible. if the recording contained audio it would depend on if comsent was given, if it didn't there's no issue. that said, ca has an exception for collecting evidence, so it could be argued that was the intent of the camera, and thus it was allowed. Answer #2: Sidebar: I can't believe that man-child is 32-years-old.


Title: I was served yesterday by Portfolio Recovery Associates. Stressed, afraid, confused. Next steps? (xpost from personalfinance)

Question:
Some background:

* I live in Pennsylvania and all of this happened while living in this state.
* The original debt was through Synchrony Bank, thought it was picked up by PRA.
* The debt is for $4732.11. This original debt is mine.
* Account was opened 7/2013 and last payment was 11/2014.
* I'm deathly afraid of this whole process and showing up in court. I would much rather prefer to correct this as soon as possible, with monthly payments I can afford (PRA told me $210.32 would be my monthly payment should I agree...)

What are my next immediate steps? I realize my priority is to answer the court within the next 20 days, but what is the process in that?

I've read multiple sources that say to never give a CA your bank information. Should I open a new account at a different bank?
Or do I get a money order?

I called PRA yesterday to ascertain the situation and request written confirmation of a payment plan we had discussed, but was told that paperwork could not be sent until they had a debit card or bank routing number on file. I'm considering calling again and asking if they will accept a money order, before I try to open a new bank account somewhere. I just don't like them having my personal bank info on file after reading horror stories. But I feel like this is a nightmare right now!

Any help is greatly appreciated. If there's any info I may have left out, please do ask. I'm overwhelmed, anxious, and frustrated at myself for all of this...

Answer:
 Don't be stressed out over it just yet.

If you choose to pay them on their terms, get the agreement in writing and only send them money orders via certified mail. Insist on receiving the agreement first. Do not ever give them your bank info. They are lying to you in order to get their hands on your bank info because PRA is a huge sack of shit. They can absolutely send you an agreement first.

I had to deal with these guys recently. I had my lawyer file my answer, which was basically "Get bent, see you in 30 days." We settled later, and it was a token settlement they accepted fairly quickly. They, like other debt collectors do NOT want to spend money by actually going to court. That's expensive and requires work. They're hoping that you'll just pay them straight up. Make it hard for them. I strongly suggest you get a debt attorney, NOT a bankruptsy attorney (unless they do both).

You have more power and leverage in this than you think. As for your answer, check out your county's small claims website or get a lawyer. (I recommend the latter)

Edit: How were you served? Did a sheriff show up and hand you the papers?
Edit 2: I understand you're afriad and intimidated. Don't let them do that to you, please! They are depending on your (and, sadly, thousands of other people they go after) legal inaction. Small claims is far more Average-Joe friendly than other courts on purpose. You will be okay, really.


Title: Accidentally sold a blacklisted phone

Question:
So I bought a Samsung phone second had from a private seller and used it for about a month with nothing wrong with it. I switch phones often (a hobby of mine) so after using a different phone for about a week I sold the Samsung phone. I let the buyer check out the phone before he bought it. He seemed perfectly happy with it and we finished the transaction. About an hour later he messages me that the phone is blacklisted and that I had to refund him or he will talk to the police. I'm wondering what the police can do? Can I be charged with anything?

Edit: I'm in Ontario, Canada

Answer:
 If you used it with no issues, how is it blacklisted? From what I read, a blacklisted phone cannot be used on any Canadian carrier, but if you used it then it clearly wasn't?

This smells somewhat scam like to me


Title: 21 year old female in UK in possession of multiple penis pictures of mine I sent her. I am located in the US and am 17 years old. Is there anything i can do?

Question: Me and her were quite close and we shared personal photos with each other but now she turned her back on me and threatens to leak my pics. Is there anything i can do to get her in legal trouble?

Answer:
 She's threatening to disclose to the world that she's in possession of child pornography. It's not much of a threat, since following through would hurt her far more than it hurts you. Break contact and move on with your life.

If your photos are leaked, contact the police in her city and ask to make a report.


Title: Ex has full control over medical issues with our son. She has neglected those issues.

Question:
I just got out of the ER here in Dallas. At 4 am my son came to me complaining about his stomach hurting. I asked him how bad it was and he told me "worse than usual." I asked him what he meant and he explained how he was having lower stomach pain for the last week. He told his mom about it but she just kept giving him tylenol and ignored it.

From my own experience with lower abdominal pain, I know that any that lasts for a few days is always a serious medical issue. I took him to the hospital and they started running all kinds of tests on him.

Long story short is after a cat scan, on a 9 year old, they found that his colon was backed up with stool and he needed an enema. Immediately.

They said that normally they would prescribe a stool softener but this was beyond that point. So we took my son into the bathroom and did the deed. Ill skip the gory details but he needed an IV to combat dehydration .

They prescribed a stool softener as well and told me to increase his fiber significantly. All of this was paid for by his health insurance, since I provide it through my work, and we only had to pay the copays.

His mom is livid though. She is entirely too pissed that she was not involved in this process and that I would dare to make medical decisions about our son without her consent.

She is threatening to "use this" to get full custody of our son. We currently have joint custody with no child support.

What are my options here? Obviously I can use her neglecting our child to help my case but I honestly wonder what could be happening here. I am not stupid enough to think that taking my son to the ER during a legitimate medical emergency is a bad thing. I know that no Texas court will fault me for this. I just wonder if I can use this to get the medical decisions back in my hands?

Answer:
 >I just wonder if I can use this to get the medical decisions back in my hands?

Why aren't you currently a part of his medical decisions? If your custody/parenting plan has any specific requirements regarding his medical care, and you disregarded them, you defied a court order. So I wouldn't be so sure about whether a court wouldn't take issue with you're actions here. Answer #2: talk to your lawyer ASAP and preempt her filing anything by filing yourself citing her neglect.Answer #3: You need to have some kind of medical care provision in your custodial arrangement. We don't know the reasons why she has them.

Presumably you need to get back with a lawyer and request this ASAP.

I'm more concerned about the health component for this. It's not common for a healthy 9 year old to get so bad he has to go to the hospital with terrible constipation and not receiving immediate medical care while in mom's care. Did she not realise it was this serious? What the heck was going on? That's really worrying. You might ask her if this is a persistent issue or if there was something happening that caused the backup.

Get to the law office and consider your options. Answer #4: To be clear: the court ordered that she makes all medical decisions for your son, and you went ahead and made a medical decision for your son without consulting her?  Did you make any attempt to contact her?Answer #5: I am really dismayed that the mother, who evidently does not seriously believe in medical intervention, has authority over medical decisions. If her being an anti-vaxxer precipitated your divorce, I would not have imagined the settlement going that way.


Title: Is sueing still an option?

Question:
This is my first time posting and I am not sure if this is the appropriate thread but all inputs are appreciated.

I am from California, USA around the west coast area.

I was involved in a drive-by shooting at my house about 7 months ago where me and a victim was shot while i was still in my house. The curprits are ages 16, 17, and 18. During my hospital stay and after my discharge, my insurance, Medi-cal, Cal Optima paid for my entire medical bill. I also am getting another surgery because the bullet hit my sciatic nerve causing drop foot and numbness on my entire leg (now it is only numb on half of my leg) and nerve pain. I am about to get another surgery that involves nerve grafting at ucsd or ucla and I am sure that Cal-Optima won't pay for it. I have recently bought anthem blue cross gold membership EPO, in order to cover those bills.

TLDR; If you're injured and your medical insurance pays the hospital bills, can you still sue and recover money for the cost of your medical treatment? If I decide to sue and my insurance sees that I am getting an income from a 3rd party, (the person[s]), would they stop paying for my medical bills? Is sueing them an option? If the parents of the curprits don't have the money to pay for it, just a thought, should I just let go of the thought of sueing them and have my insurance pay for the medical bills?

Answer:
 You can definitely sue for your *out of pocket* costs, but not what your insurance has covered for you. Your insurance can choose to go after the person(s) causing you to need the surgeries.

As you noted, there's no getting blood from a stone. So suing someone who has no money may be pointless.


Title: Minor debt, < $100. How far will they go to collect?

Question:
I retired 1 February. I changed health insurance agencies. I had a sleep study done the previous June, got a CPAP. Apparently they "enrolled" me in some kind of automatic DME (Duable Medical Equipment) replacement program (mostly masks for the CPAP machine). The company is Lxxxxxxe Medical Group in Albuquerque. They have a reputation for being  very shoddy with their billing practices.

&#x200B;

I told them to stop sending me new masks as my new insurance wouldn't cover them. They kept sending them to me, billing me about $68.00  a pop. I sent TWO certified letters, and got delivery receipts for them, telling them to stop sending stuff to me. I sent the letters in March. Other than the delivery recipts, I have had nothing from the medical group.

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Now I have a letter from a collection agency saying that the debt is going to collections.

&#x200B;

My income consists of Social Security and my former employer's retirement program. I also have a 20 year old truck and a 17 year old import sedan.

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How far are they likely to go to collect this debt?

Answer: Hard to say. It isn't worth taking you to court because that'll cost more than the $100. They might send you to collections which will go against your credit.


Title: Paid 50% deposit for a custom instrument to be built but builder passed before it could be completed.

Question: So about 4 years ago I paid down a deposit for a well known guitar builder to build me a custom instrument.  This process usually takes about a year so after putting down the deposit I never really talked to the luthier.  A year passes by and I learn that he passed away but I never got any email or notice from anyone else since he worked alone.  Is there a way to get my deposit back? quickly checked paypal but since the transaction was done years ago it seems they cant do anything about it.

Answer: So it's been 3 years since you found out the luthier passed? You most likely would have had to put in a debt claim with the estate. After three years though? It's not going to be easy if at all possible.


Title: Contracts, prostitution, and rape...

Question:
Purely for informational purposes guys, but can someone help me logic out of this?

* A prostitute agrees to have sex with Sven for money.
* The deed gets done.
* Prostitution is still illegal.
* Contracts cannot legally bind parties to perform illegal acts.
* occurred in California and Ohio

Was consent provided?

Answer: If the prostitute consented to the sex, it wasn't rape. However, there would still be the prostitution charges to worry about.


Title: wife wont let me sell house

Question: Me and my soon to be Ex-wife bought our first house together back in June 2017.  Fast forward to November, I found out she was cheating on me with a woman.  Our house is in Fort Lauderdale where she is from and I'm from CA.  The loan is completely in my name as we went completely off of my income but the title of the house is in both of our names.  I want to sell the house right now so that we have nothing to do with each other but she wants to stay and live in it and expects me to still pay for the mortgage and utilities.  She also took all the paperwork for the house and brought it with her to her parents house.  Basically she is telling me that she refuses to sell the house, she wants to live here by herself and expects me to still pay mortgage.  Any advice or am I pretty much screwed because her name is on the title it as well.

Answer:
 Talk to your lawyer. Her being on the deed gives her rights, you’re going to have to legally force a sale. Answer #2: Let your divorce attorney fight this fight for you. If your wife is on the title she may be entitled to half of the house and, if she wants, she can buy you out of the home when your divorce is finalized. Unless you paying the mortgage is part of your alimony then there's no reason for you to pay it for her. Tell your lawyer you do not accept that term and let him or her handle the matter for you.Answer #3: Because her name is on the title, you cannot force her to leave and you cannot force her to sell.  Because your name is on the mortgage/loan, if it's not paid then YOU will be liable for that.

You can live there, and just be a fucking pain in the ass to her, in the hopes that she will agree to sell the place.  But really, your best bet is to settle the issue via your divorce.  Just be aware that if you have a clause in your divorce agreement that says she must refinance the mortgage/loan to her name only within x days after the divorce, that you are going to have a VERY hard time enforcing that agreement (especially if she simply doesn't qualify on her own).  It's better to have the agreement state that the house MUST be sold by x date, and how any proceeds will be distributed.


Title: [CA] Is it illegal to place items in a reusable bag while shopping?

Question:
Location: California

Typically when I am grocery shopping, I will bring a reusable bag and place items in it to carry. I then unload everything at the register, pay and then place all of the items back in the bag. I have been doing this for years with no issue.

Today, as I entered my local grocery store a security guard stopped me, and told me that this was illegal. Is this true?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 I doubt that there's actually a specific law saying you can't do that, but the grocery store can choose not to allow it.Answer #2: No, it's not illegal.  But it may be against store rules (because it makes it easier to shoplift).Answer #3: Trader Joe's?  I've had that happen to me before.  Not illegal but against store policy.  You are technically correct, but does it really matter?Answer #4: There is no law against it.  But it can certainly be perceived as shoplifting.Answer #5: It could potentially be considered shoplifting, but you'd have a strong defense.

http://www.criminaldefenselawyer.com/can-i-be-convicted-shoplifting-when-i-never-left-store.htm

>A defendant can commit the crime of shoplifting without actually leaving the store. All he need to is to move the property and exercise control over it in a way that is inconsistent with the shop owner's reasonable expectations as to how shoppers will handle merchandise.

Usually they won't actually stop you until you get either outside or at least past the registers as it's more open-and-shut.

Putting groceries into your reusable bag isn't *illegal,* per se, but that doesn't mean you couldn't be potentially arrested and charged with shoplifting for doing it (even if the charge is later dismissed or you're found not guilty).  Especially since the store has already told you that it's unacceptable behavior.  They're probably looking at it like people who put stuff on the bottom part of the cart in the hopes that the cashier won't notice it and they can just walk out with it.


Title: NYC fell of my bike due to road neglect

Question: Fell off my bike in nyc due to road neglect. I'm honestly tired of there neglect. I ride my bike to work every night and im an experienced cyclist so I'm always dodging bad roads but this time it caught me. It was going down hill as well as being on a turn. My front tire popped instantly and whatever cracks I hit sent me flying and someone called an ambulance for me on the spot as I was disoriented. I have 12 stitches on my face around my eye as well as a bloody eye, at least 7 more stitches behind my ear, and numerous scrapes and burns on the side of my body. Sleeping is a struggle, i have to miss numerous days of work as my job requires me to watch cameras all night and deal with tenants but in the condition of my body and eye it would cause to much stress and pressure on my eye. Can I take legal action against the city? I'm gonna go back to the scene to record the road of where I fell. I possibly can have a witness as well if I find the lady who helped me. She does live around me so it's possible to find her. Also my 1,300 dollar bicycle is damaged in numerous spots and will need repairing. I want the city to pay for all of this and for my suffering so they can start taking better care of the roads. Sorry eye is makin it more difficult to type and concentrate. Thanks for any advice. I just want my pain and suffering ti be justified because this happened to me before but I didn't do anything about it as I'm a shy peaceful person and don't like creating drama but I feel like I have to do this in order to make a difference. Thanks for any advice and happy Easter. This happened Saturday night at 10:30pm and I got out of yhe hospital at 7am this Sunday morning if that matters

Answer: Speak to a personal injury attorney. I know from personal experience that NYC does pay out claims in cases like this, but you'll need a lawyer who is experienced in the field.


Title: forced entry due to medical emergency...eventually turns into possession charge

Question:
So last week my brother had a minor seizure at our parents home and his buddy called 911.  Ill refer to them as B and C, B being the one seized.  B locked out C due to previous arguments and would not let him in after he kept knocking.  Eventually EMTs arrive with police, since seizures require police to be present.

They start knocking loudly and B has another seizure upstairs  due to stress.  B doesnt answer doors for police without warrants, but they made a forced entry due to the medical situation with guns drawn by breaking the door down.  After vitals are taken and whatnot, C is being questioned outside as he made the call and as things are wrapping up a cop notices a small container with pot outside.  C denies it and so does B, due to their belongings being on the same table it cant be proven but probable cause is now given to search the house.

B tells police to get a warrant which irritates them, which they do while he waits with an officer inside for 3 hours.  A K9 is brought in and they find a container with a piece of pot that is maybe .2 grams.  B denies it is his, but gets charged with possession due to it being his residence but doesnt get arrested.  he mentions that C has been living in the room where it was found for the past 2 weeks and C had some items in the room belonging to him, so B is blaming him - C is also on probation for possession of pot.  B said that there were at least 6 or 7 policemen during the ordeal.

B is facing a subsequent possession in court and has a lawyer who believes the case will be easy due to B denying anything, nothing found on him and C's current probation.  B has copies of current drug screens from his doctor showing no pot in his system, as well as letters from said doctor and employer about his good character.  B is also a college student.

what do you all think are possible outcomes?  B is a clean cut guy with no felonies, just minor possesion and paraphanlia charges in the past of pot.  he was never read his miranda rights and the police who broke in guns drawn did not seem to care about the seizure and went to great lengths to find barely anything.  lawyer believes it was all illegal, especially given that B was in a post-seizure state and could barely remember his name for a while.  B was not disrespectful to the police, but tried to assert his rights.  he usually knows not to talk and ask for an attorney, but he was forced to talk to EMTs at first and the seizure distorted his thinking.  the whole ordeal lasted about 6 hours from what ive heard.

sorry for the long story, but its an intriguing case.  any input from those who know the law well?

this was in midwest usa - forgot to mention. i guess the key part of my brothers defense is that if the search was legal as it seems, nothing was on him and he denied it was his - it was his friends, who is currently on probation for possession of the same drug and was sitting right next to the initial container.

I believe this is constructive possession as he never admitted guilt and nothing was on his person

Answer: Sounds legal to me. The police officer had a valid and legal reason to be in the home. As long as the drugs were in plain sight, it's legit. Once he saw the first item, he had cause to call in the dogs. But hey, who knows. You could be located in Iran or Pakistan for all I know.


Title: Can I talk to my therapist about my shoplifting habit? [UK]

Question: I really think it would be helpful to talk to a professional about this but I'm slightly worried what the repercussions could be. If it matter, the items were all stolen in the last 3 weeks, total ~£1.5k, and I am 17. Any advice welcome.

Answer: Talk to a professional, they will not get you into legal trouble unless you indicate that you're planning to commit serious criminal offenses in the future. Past transgressions are not going to get you arrested and are covered under doctor-patient confidentiality. It's much better that you get help now before your habit evolves into something even worse, but £1.5k is no small number and something has to be done.