Title: [OK] Unethical lawyer questions

Question:
Oklahoma City - My wife and I adopted our child a little over a year ago. We live in a different state, but the adoption took place in OK.

About a month after our son was born, his birth father decided to contest the adoption and a trial ensued. We won the trial, but are currently in an appeal process.

Since we had no connections in OK, we had to take the suggestion of a legal counsel from our adoption agent. She sent us to her law firm, which in turn suggested a different lawyer (a litigator) for the actual trial.

This litigator's office quoted us ~$7000 at the beginning of his work, with a $4500 retainer. Our first bill from him was $8000, followed the next month by a bill for $12000 dollars. During the process of the trial, we let our lawyer know that this was way over what we expected, but we would make payments regularly. He told us that would be fine.

To make a long story short, when our outstanding bill got to $25000 and our trial ended in a favorable outcome for us, the firm changed their tune drastically, telling us that we must pay in full or they will stop all work on our case, both for the inevitable appeal and any filing with the court that needed to happen. We asked to keep making large (>$3000 a month) payments, we were met with a resounding "no".

After pleading with them to make an exception, they called us back and told us if we made a lump payment of $16000 within 30 days they'll continue work. We scrambled and called in every favor we could and managed to make that and pay them.

During this entire process, we would never get regular bills or invoices. Just calls that said we owe however much and we need to pay it all now or they will drop the case. After our huge lump payment, we demanded itemized invoices. Our last two months, they actually did give us an invoice, but no itemization: just whatever services and a grand total only.

We are now completely caught up on payment save for our last bill (despite the final bill now being over 8x the amount originally quoted) with our last bill being given to us saying we have 10 days to pay or they will not finalize our final appeal paperwork and stop work on our case.

As far as I can tell, I feel we have been EXTREMELY patient and understanding, despite the dramatic increase in cost, and have been met with nothing but hostility and threats from our firm. I obviously feel this is unethical but does this warrant speaking negatively about them to the bar? This firm has made an already emotionally exhausting process worse with (what seem to be) irregular billing processes and unneeded hostility.

As a side note, when we reminded our firm about our original quote, they said we misheard them, but our adoption agent (who has no dog in this fight) was present and said she heard them quote us that as well.

This is a little bit of a vent, but I'd also like to know from someone with more experience in matters like this: is this supremely unethical or illegal? Enough to complain to a governing body?

Answer: Did you sign an engagement agreement with the firm that laid out the estimated costs?


Title: [CA] is waiting outside a girls workplace illegal? legal options for getting a girl to answer me?

Question: I am a 24 year old male and I have been trying to go out with a girl that I met at college 3 years ago. I havent been able to find out where she lives so i have to settle for the next best thing and wait outside her job to approach her.she has blocked me on social media without so much as a response and i feel like i am entitled to some answers. some of her friends contacted me and told me that she wanted me to leave her alone but i want to hear that from her because i think they could be making it up.i met her at college a few years ago. it was before a class test and we had a conversation about the test contents and i thought we hit it off so i found her facebook and looked through her photos and figured out where her dorm was and waited for her there after classes and tried to strike up a conversation again but she wasnt as nice as the first time we met and i wanted to know why so i kept doing that for a while until i was contacted by the college and asked to stop waiting for her (I was banned from even being near her building).after that i had to resort to waiting for her between the classes and our student dorms but i think she started taking cabs and buses home. I managed to find her on a bus once but she had a male friend shout at me which i think was really innapropriate.so basically ive had to go to great lenghts just to get an answer from this girl about why she stopped being nice to me ands why she wont talk to me anymore. i dont think what im doing is illegal or even unmoral.she works at an insurance company now and i managed to follow her home the first day i waited outside her job but unfortunately i lost her car but i roughly know where she lives so i was confident that id be able to track her house down. but i was impatient because i decided to go into her work posing as a customer so maybe i could get a chance to speak with her and i was removed from the building but i left before the police were called but i dont think what i was doing is illegali should also say that i have sent her letters at her work address and her parents address which i found online but i havent recieved a reply.i would appreciate any advice and maybe some advice about how i can legally force her to speak to me. thanks.i should also say that i am not interested in hearing anyone that calls me odd or any other names please stick to the topic at hand

Answer: You're stalking her. You don't have any legal right to force her to speak to you. If you keep it up you may end up being hit with a restraining order. Leave her alone.Answer #2: Is this a troll post?  Dude, leave that girl alone before you end up in jail.


Title: (MT) I was Double-Billed for an online payment to my electric company, and now they won't issue a refund until next month (after my rent is due). Do I have any recourse?

Question:
I live in Montana, and basically the only electric company option in the state has double-charged me for service. I called right after I saw the two charges (only got one confirmation e-mail) and they told me to call the next day. I did, and they person I talked to said that I must have entered it twice, and refused to connect me to a supervisor.

They said I would have to wait 2-3 days for the payment to process and after that would send me a check in 5-7 days. My rent is due on the first, and now I have to hope the check comes in time for me to pay my rent.

I waited on the phone for half an hour yesterday but that got me nowhere, so now I've filed a complaint against them via our government complaint source online. I'm not sure where to go from here. Do I have any recourse against them for this if I cannot pay rent, or does it just fall under bad luck?

Answer:
 Go to your bank and dispute the ACH transaction  for the reason "exceeded authorized amount"

There are only a few valid reasons to stop/reverse an ACH payment, this is one of them.


Title: My fiance OD'd while in rehab and now we're about to get slammed with medical bills.

Question:
I would like some legal advice because I am fairly young and don't know how to handle this on my own. Any help would be greatly appreciated. There is a lot to this story that I'm leaving out for reason of brevity but feel free to ask questions for more context if you want.
 My fiance was admitted to a 90 day rehab facility for opiate addiction around 5 weeks ago. When we talked to the people who run the place  told us that patients are checked routinely for contriban and that medications are under lock and key and only passed out twice a day. My fiancé decided she would take her prescription of tramadol with her to the facility just in case her fibromyalgia flared up. But when she got there apparently they never searched her things for any contriban even though they did for everyone else there. For some reason I guess they just forgot or overlooked it or something. Anyways a few days ago she ended up getting very depressed and took all 80 of the 50mg tramadol she had to try to kill herself and ended up having three seizures and had to be rushed to the hospital and has now been under supervision in the ICU for a few days.  Basically I just want to know if I should talk to a lawyer or even who I could talk to about this to see if there is any grounds for a suit against them to at the very least pay for her hospital stay. But they also want her to go to a psych Ward instead of being at their facility for the rest of her 90 days and we are already paying out of pocket and can't really afford much. I just don't see why I should be responsible for an action caused by mental illness while she was supposed to be looked after.

Edit: I understand she was an idiot for what she did.  She admitted herself for heroin addiction and she kept the tramadol a secret from them and from me but only kept it in her purse. I talked to a few of the people there and found out they only searched her drawers and not her purse (she even showed me the eyebrow trimmer/razor she had that they didn't confiscate).  I don't need life lessons about how she is clearly a liar and an addict all I want to know is if there are and grounds for me to make a negligence suit against them to just cover the medical bills she is accruing from this situation.

Answer: Just to clarify . . . You would like to sue the inpatient care facility because your girlfriend snuck in and hid contraband drugs, and then she tried to kill herself with the drugs she concealed from them?


Title: Gym lied about available services at sign up and now refuses to give a refund or void the contract.

Question:
I'm from Ontario Canada and my wife just signed up for a gym membership at World Gym. She already had a gym membership at a different gym that she really enjoyed attending. Unfortunately her old gym didn't have any child care services available so she looked for another option before summer holidays start. The only reason she decided on world gym was that it was the closest gym to us with child care. The only restriction for childcare was that they have a 12 child max. So if you show up and it's full you're out of luck. My wife told them that she typically goes to the gym around 1 or 2pm and asked if there's typically a lot of kids there at that time. She was told they're usually pretty slow at that time and evenings are really the only busy childcare time.  That's understandable so she signed up.

Today was her first day taking the kids with her to the gym. She arrived at the gym around 2ish and was told by the desk staff that the childcare room is closed everyday from 1-4pm. This is my wife's prime gym time and will be the time she's at the gym 5 days a week.

When she was told it was closed the girl at the desk said "the childcare hours should have been told to you at sign up. Also the hours are listed on you contact"

My wife still has her contact in her gym bag and asked to be shown where in the contract the hours were listed.

"It's supposed to be right here but it's not on your contact for some reason. But the hours are on the door to the childcare room" *walks to childcare door "oh it used to be up here I'm not sure where the sign went"

At this point I want her to get her money back and get out of the contract. The desk worker and manager have told her there's nothing they can do and if she wants out of her contact she has to pay a fee of over $100 for early cancellation.

I'm not really sure what to do at this point. I want to get her out of the contract but I'll be happy if they just give her the childcare she was told would be available. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer:
 [This](https://news.ontario.ca/mgs/en/2016/01/know-your-rights-before-joining-a-gym.html) website represents itself as the official Ontario government website and outlines a 10-day cooling off period for gym contracts.  Laws like that are common in the US because of rampant abuses by gyms and the need for elevated consumer protection.  Assuming you are within the 10 day period, I would send written, certified mail cancelling the contract and including a printout of that page.  Answer #2: Your wife could sue in small claims court for her money back instead of paying their $100+ fee, and take her chances with the court.  The cost of filing a small claims court complaint is around $100 so she would have to sue for her money back plus the filing fee and win to come out ahead.  I think she could win, but the evidence is thin, because it's just her word against theirs.

I think you would do better escalating the complaint beyond the manager of the local gym.  Contact corporate and see if you can get them to do the right thing.


Title: Fired for asking about the payment

Question: Good evening, I would really appreciate some advice about my former employer. I started working full-time for a very small company about three weeks ago. Their payroll is scheduled monthly and this past Friday was the payday. I was supposed to receive the money by direct deposit, but I saw nothing on my account on Friday. When I asked my manager about the money, they said that the direct deposit “bounced back”.  I asked for an e-transfer instead, but she flat out refused to do it. On top of that, I got a stomach virus and had to go home that day (I have a sick note). Over Friday and Saturday, she kept refusing to sent me an email transfer and said that I have to come in to work on Saturday and after I work more for her she’ll pay me by cheque. I refused to do more work until she e-transfers me the money that she already owes me. At this point she said that I am fired, and that since I did not finish the work, she would pay me nothing in total.  At this point, I worked for three weeks full-time and I will be receiving zero money in compensation... any advice would be highly appreciate!

Answer:
 The employer owes you for time worked.  You cannot dictate what form they pay you in.  There are very good reasons for an employer to want to only issue payment through their own direct deposit or paper negotiable instrument systems.

Inform them that they need to pay you for hours worked or you will file a ~~state~~ provincial wage complaint.  This not a threat or extortion.  Hopefully they pay up and you don't have to go through the often long and arduous process.  If they don't pay, file the claim.

Edit:

Information Here: [Ontario Employment Standards](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act/filing-employment-standards-claim)


Title: Gym membership terminated on false accusations.

Question:
Ok this just happened today. I was a personal trainer at a chain gym in central New Jersey since last July. I had a number of clients that loved working with me, but in December I got a full time position at a really great company in my field so I had to slow down my hours at the gym. One of the trainers had to leave so the new training manager asked me if I could at least do 2 hours a day every week (not a policy). I politely declined as I already had a hectic schedule, so they decided to let me go that week.

I asked if I could remain a member and just work out and they said sure as long as I don't cause trouble (I guess with my ex clients?). I should mention this new training manager is power happy and is not very good at his job so far.

So while that is going on, my ex clients are livid and sending emails and writing reviews and asking me to train them on the side (to which I said I would consider but have never acted on it, this is important later). They caused so much trouble that today the training manager told me I am not allowed to come back to the gym and that it was coming from the owner (I doubt that). When I asked why he said because I'm training clients outside of the gym (which I explained I am 100% not doing). My coworkers also let me know that the training manager thinks I have been egging on my ex clients to post the facebook reviews and write the emails (also haven't been doing).

The ONLY thing I've been doing since becoming a regular member a few weeks ago is work out. I love the gym, it's close to my house, and I know everyone there.

Should I seek any kind of legal help for doing this to me when it was out of my control what my ex clients did and since there are false accusations buzzing around?

Answer: You have no claim. They're a private business and can choose not to do business with whomever they want.


Title: I'm a busser at a busy restaurant - although there are women with the same job title as me, I'm always made to do the heaviest lifting because I'm a man - is this sexist discrimination?

Question:
Although we're getting the same pay, & splitting the same tips, I'm made to carry all of the 70lb+ bus bins all night, & haul 100+lb tables & chairs on my back, while the women pretty much get a free pass from anything strenuous. When I've brought this up, they just say they're too heavy for the girls to carry.  When I complain to management that I should be paid more since I'm doing more work, they refuse & say all bussers get paid the same. Is this a case of sexist discrimination? What can I do about it?

State Pennsylvania

Answer:
 Is it based on their gender, or the ability to lift heavy things? For an extreme example, would a female weightlifter also be asked to help lift things? If so, it probably isn't illegal discrimination.

It still probably isn't illegal discrimination, because if there was a male there who also couldn't easily lift the bins, they would also might say that its just to heavy for him to carry. The point that I'm trying to make is that yes, they are discriminating, but they are discriminating against your ability to lift things, not based solely on the fact of your gender. Answer #2: This is not discrimination.


Title: Got fired from community mental health agency. Is it illegal for me to call my clients to say goodbye?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: I don't know if it is illegal,  but from an ethics standpoint once you stop working in an organization or they stop being your patients it is a big no no.


Title: [Serious] Weird Things have happened around my house, what should i do. (Vandalism...etc)

Question:
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong subreddit, i wasn't sure where else i should put it.

So two times out of the last two weeks, my car has been broken into, no physical damage, nothing stolen, the person that did it just pulled everything out of my glove compartment, my side storage, center console storage, looked through everything, in one case, he left his drink in my car, basically my car was ransacked.

Fast forward to last night, we went out at 10 pm for a Halloween party, when we came home around 230am, our power was out, we didn't think much of it, just thought it was a possible mistake from the power company, we would call in the morning.

In the morning, we called the power company, and they said they didn't turn it off, check our breaker box. We went to our breaker box, and there was a lock on it, (we never had a lock on it) the lock had a broken key in the slot, and super glue/hot glue over the key hole, which was an attempt at keeping us from unlocking it. We bought bolt cutters, and cut it off, placed a new lock that we only have the key for, on.

Later this afternoon, my roommate was about to do his laundry, (we have a outside washer/dryer) he opened the washer door, and someone put a 5 pound boulder in our washer, and ran it through a cycle, completely destroying it.

What should we do now, we live in AZ, we all spoke, we don't have any "enemies" or anyone that would want revenge for anything, this is really weird and creepy. We are planning on filing a police report, but what other steps of things can we do, other than waiting to see if the police will do anything. What is the best plan of action from here on out, any suggestions?

Thanks

EDIT: Added Picture damage
Here is a picture of the damage.

[Imgur](http://i.imgur.com/wLovcLd.jpg)

Answer:
 File a police report ASAP. And each time something new happens, call the police and file another police report. Photograph everything, and make the cops come out each time to investigate. Doing so will help you prosecute the vandal down the road should the situation continue to escalate (and based on experience, it sounds like it will). Filing police reports will also increase police patrols in your neighborhood.

I'd go door-to-door and chat with all of your neighbors and ask the following:
-Have they had any similar acts of vandalism?
-Noticed anyone suspicious?
-Noticed anything strange?
-Also work in that you've filed police reports and plan on pressing charges once the vandal is caught.

If you have pets, I'd be very careful with them. Keep them indoors unless supervised and monitor what they eat very carefully.Answer #2: In addition to calling police, get a security system and/or security cameras.


Title: [NYC] Working at startup that isn't doing well. Worked for equity under the condition I be there a whole year. What's the legality of no compensation for work provided?

Question:
I'm working for a 6 employee startup in NYC that frankly isn't really looking like it has the potential to take off.  I am a young adult who didn't mind working for free because I wanted to get my foot in the door with some experience working startups, and also to build a resumé.

The contract entails that I am to receive x amount of shares in the company over the course of 4 years, with the first 25% being vested after 12 months of working.  After that 12 month period, I am to receive shares on a weekly basis proportional to time.  I would receive a salary if we were to get seed/series a funding, but there is literally barely any money to cover business expenses so we all work for free. On a few occasions, our ceo has rewarded 2 of my colleages So what this means is that if I quit or get fired, I will receive nothing for compensation. To be clear, I fully understood and read the contract and agreed to the terms at hand.

I also came up with a pretty good idea completely on my own that was integrated into the company's software suite.  It's a very unique feature that was unlike what others were doing, and I'm sure even my coworkers would agree that it was completely formulated by me.

I obviously hoped that we would have gotten funding by now when I first joined 6 months ago, and it would have been worth it if it did take off.  But after most of our big chances went down the drain, I'm getting less and less willing to work for free (Meaning depleting my savings on rent). I am also having some differences in opinion where I believe they are not doing the right thing for the company, but I have little say in it. I have a skillset that will allow me to get a job at other companies in the same industry with more credentials backing them, and that job will pay. (Very very few programmers with this particular skillset, very in demand)

I have a couple questions:

**What is the legality of a contract structured like the one I described?  Is it really possible to get people to work for 100% free as long as they end up quitting/getting fired before the first vesting date**

**Does the company still own 100% writes to the code that I have written solely by myself?**

**If I were to implement a very similar feature into the software suite of my new company, could I get in trouble?**

The feature isn't anything that no one else could think up on their own, but I'm pretty certain no other companies in the industry are doing what I did.  I do believe that eventually every company in the industry will adopt the feature once they see it in use, as it isn't too hard to implement and it just makes sense to have it.

------

I am NOT trying to screw anyone over, but I have felt taken advantage of by my coworkers and could see them possibly getting bitter over leaving them to work at a company in the same industry.

I am wary that if I were to go to this other company and implement the feature I created myself (and never received a dime for), my coworkers would threaten me legally.

Keep in mind that the company I'm working at is very bare bones at this point.  We have 0 clients, a few potential (kinda not really) investors, and so little money that they chose to stop renting out an office and work from home.

Pretty much what I'm wondering is what are the laws relating to a situation where someone is not paid for work they do. I believe I read somewhere that you still can use the code you wrote elsewhere.  Obviously I will not use a lick of code from any other projects not done entirely by me.

Thank you, and bitcoin tips to the most helpful people

Answer:
 First up, there will be some question as to whether you are regarded as an employee or a contractor. This will be spelled out in your contract - however, that is almost entirely worthless. Whether or not you are an employee depends on the way you are treated.

> Is it really possible to get people to work for 100% free as long as they end up quitting/getting fired before the first vesting date

As an employee: I'm not a NY labor expert, but I expect you would be owed minimum wage for all time worked, even if you quit.

As a contractor: Yes*. See next point.

> Does the company still own 100% writes to the code that I have written solely by myself?

As an employee: Yes.

As a contractor: If they haven't paid you anything, then no.

> If I were to implement a very similar feature into the software suite of my new company, could I get in trouble?

Not likely, unless they obtain a software patent and you successfully assigned them patent rights.

Usually these early stage employee deals aren't worth the paper they're printed on. This typically goes unnoticed and unlitigated because the company ends up being not worth the paper they're printed on, either.


Title: Legality of police ticketing parked cars for out of date registration [WI]

Question:
I live in Wisconsin and a few of my friends had their parked cars ticketed for out of date registration.

Cars were parked in apartment complex lots or University lots.

Is this legal?
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: Yes, this is legal.  The easiest way to avoid running afoul of the law is to avoid breaking it.


Title: [VA] Friend died from OD, cops have the phone, with very incriminating messages from me, cops called and want to meet.

Question:
I'm not sure how much of his texts he deleted before he tragically passed.  I didn't provide him with the substance that killed him, but we had talked about obtaining lots of other things in our text exchanges.  Me and one other person have been called in for questioning.

I'm trying to get in contact with a lawyer but he hasn't returned my call.  I should definitely take a lawyer with me, right?  Should I just not meet with the police?  What's the worst they can do with text messages assuming nothing else was found on me/my property?

Answer:
 > Should I just not meet with the police?

Don't go without a lawyer. Or don't go at all. You can't help yourself by going, you can only hurt your situation.Answer #2: As others have said, don't go meet with the police.  Do go get a lawyer.

That aside, what is up with people discussing drugs via text messages?  Are people honestly that dumb?   That's probably the stupidest way to go about it.

In a former life, I was around people who sold drugs.  They were paranoid enough that they would attempt to communicate in code if they were on the telephone.  (This was occasionally hilarious to overhear, since it was usually very obvious what they were talking about, it made the dialog awkward, and they were small-time enough that the risk of a wiretap was vanishingly small).

But seriously, from reading this sub, it seems like all the kids today just discuss drugs will-nilly via unencrypted text messages.

The irony is that compared to my old friends, today's chemical enthusiasts have a range of high-tech options for secure communications.

EDIT:  I did mean this as a question for OP.  WTF are you kids thinking?
Answer #3: "Deleted" does not mean *deleted*.

They could be recovered.

You're under no obligation to go.  That may not stop the investigation.

Lawyer.

Soon.


Title: North Carolina. Doctor was performing surgery to remove girlfriend's pollups/cysts and minor amount of endometriosis. Nicked her bladder, sending us bills.

Question:
Title says most of it. Two weeks ago, she went in to have some cysts/pollups removed off her ovaries and some endometriosis she didn't know she had removed. A few years ago, she started having issues with her period being really bad and lasting for weeks. She went to this same doctor (gyno) to see what was going on. Doctor performed no xrays or tests to determine what it was, simply assumed it was a hormone imbalance and gave her birth control.

Temporarily fixed the issue, came back two years later. Had pains the entire time, though. That never stopped and sex was always uncomfortable for her. The advice of the doctor was that she was fine and life got in the way so we didn't pursue the problem further til recently. The same doctor she saw way back the first time during a recent return visit determined about two weeks ago that she had pollups on her ovaries, removed them and found endometriosis (some, not much) and removed that. During the procedure, that doctor nicked her bladder and it became necessary for her to have a Foley catheter placed in her bladder that she had to carry it around and maintain it for a week after that to allow the bladder to heal. GF ended up with far more issues than she had before that made the healing process from the initial procedure that she went in there for more difficult due to the doctor nicking her bladder.

I realize that this kind of stuff happens but I don't believe it's right for the hospital or that doctor to bill us for ANYTHING that happened after the initial procedure. GF went in for one issue, doctor caused another and for over a week, we've been going through dealing with her catheter and all these issues we had no experience with such as red, bloody urine and chunks of tissue as well as constant discomfort from having a balloon in her bladder. Walking was painful, even. Had that doctor performed more tests, been more thorough the first time my GF went to see her years ago, she'd have found the endomitriosis and cysts/pollups way before they got to the point they were recently. The pain was unbearable, the bleeding nonstop. It got worse because that doctor did not do anything to find out if that could be what was happening years ago and that necessitated all the insanity that followed this month.

What do I do? Do we have any legal recourse to avoid the MASSIVE bills we're sure to accumulate from the bladder surgery that she didn't go in there for? The catheter? The follow up procedures? She just got a cast removed off her right leg after 4 weeks, and a cast removed off her left after 4 weeks before that from an injury she sustained in one heel then the other. Then we have to deal with the endomitriosis and cyst issue, then the bladder/catheter issue! All of that back to back. That hospital put her through a third, unnecessary series of BS and it is my opinion that they pay for it.

Thoughts? Appreciate your time.

Answer:
 It sounds like what you want to do is file a medical malpractice claim. You're going to need a lawyer. Medical malpractice is WAY outside the scope of what we can tell you on Reddit.
Look for a medical malpractice lawyer who will take the case for a contingency fee. You end up with less of the money you won (if you win) but you don't pay the lawyer anything up front for services or if you lose.Answer #2: Med mal is extremely fact specific. Hard to give advice on that. In the subject of bills have you tried talking to the hospitals patient advocate?


Title: Accosted by convenience store staff

Question:
Throwaway for obvious reasons.

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So this convenience store I frequent has started to mistreat me. From what I gather they think Im a shoplifter. I've since talked to a staff member about it and contacted HR but after I dotted my Is and crossed my Ts the mistreatment by this establishment has become a bit more brazen. Staff openly talk about me when Im there in an indirect manner, loudly whispering to each other and openly referring to me as a shoplifter as examples.

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Id like to turn this inconvenience into opportunity. What can I do to best exploit this situation to my advantage? How and what can I do to gather evidence in a way that the employees and employer cannot talk their way out of this situation?

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If it makes a difference, Im canadian.

Answer: You can shop somewhere else. Stores are not required to be nice to you.


Title: Unknowingly spend counterfeit bill, let go. Worried!

Question:
I should preface by saying I knew nothing about counterfeit laws before this incident, so I make many dumbass choices.

A few nights ago I (22M) made a purchase at a Taco Bell drive through. I gave the cashier a $10 bill I had received as change from a purchase a week prior. The bill was marked as being from 1977, and featured unique artwork. While I was mildy suspicious of the bill, I assumed it was just older. Anyhow, the cashier called the police and I was questioned. I told them I was unaware that the bill was fake, though suspicious. I provided a timeline for the bill and its origins They took my information, scolded me, and sent me on my way saying I was "lucky".

Should I be worried that police will follow up and press charges, or did I dodge a bullet? I cannot find the receipt from my purchase at the gas station, but I do have the item I purchased.

Answer: I wouldn’t worry.Answer #2: No one is going to care about something who had a single fake bill.  They get mixed in with real money all the time.


Title: Band exploited underage fans 4-5 years ago (including myself), is there potentially a case?

Question:
Hello, throwaway account because of how sensitive this subject is right now. I'll be as vague as possible, and if you're aware of the specific situation, I ask that you please try to do the same in responses.

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Around 2014-2015, when I was 15 and 16, I started an online correspondence with a member of a band that I liked. He is 4 years older than me, so we talked when he was around 19-21.

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He never explicitly asked for my age, but did say one time "are you old enough for me?" Which I, a starstuck 15-year-old, said yes to. We talked for a few weeks before we began to trade explicit photos. I considered it consensual at the time, but I was maximum 16 and he was an adult (in the state I live, age of consent is 17 but there are exceptions if the two parties are within 3 years apart, he was 4 years older). I no longer have any of the messages that we exchanged, so no actual proof of this in my possession (other than the phone number he used at the time, no idea if he still uses it). I haven't spoken to him in at least 3 years.

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About a year ago, someone released a compilation of accounts very similar to mine from dozens of girls. Some were also underage and some were not. Some contained physical sexual violence and others were harassment. Many were even about other members of the same band engaging in the same sorts of behavior. I sent my account to the group putting together the compilation, which is still online, but my specific story is not on the document. I asked the group for anonymity, and they respected that. No one pursued any sort of legal action from what I have gathered, and I'm curious if that is still an option, and if so, if it is a practical one.

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He lives in a different state, it was minimum four years ago, so I have a few questions:

Are there any solid options for legal recourse? What is the statute of limitations in this sort of scenario? Am I just as much at fault for this as he is? Honestly, is it even worth pursuing? I'm sure I could find answers to most of these questions through some research, but I really want honest human opinions on the emotional burden/public shame that I could potentially be facing should I pursue.

Answer:
 Jurisdiction matters a lot for this, but if you're anywhere in the United States, then your consent is irrelevant: sexually-explicit photos of someone under the age of 18 are child pornography, and he can be prosecuted for soliciting its production. If you want to pursue this, talk to your police department's victim's advocate service, if they have one.

Odds are good that if he was soliciting child porn from a large number of girls over a long period of time, he still has some in his possession, and a police report may result in an investigation that would uncover it. If he's charged, and it goes to trial, you'd likely also have to testify against him - something I'd strongly suggest you get an attorney to help with, because you were involved in the production of the material in question as well. It would be an extremely callous prosecutor to go after you for it, and it is very unlikely that that happen, but the consequences are bad enough that a legal professional is good risk management. Your state bar can refer you.


Title: Emancipation

Question: Hi I'm 16 I'm about to turn 17 I. Febuary I really can't stand living with my grandma she's not my legal guardian my mom is.my mom is totally on board with it.So is my dad. I wanted know if there's a legal way to avoid going to court to just get some papers notarized or something. I really need help honestly I feel like I live in the 1960's she think because I'm a boy in suppose to be strong and do all this stuff but honestly I feel like a fricken slave she makes me stay up to 1-2am cleaning the house and I have school or even work the next morning I have a job I pay my on phone bill student fees and buy all of my clothes and my grandma has gotten to the point where she about to start charging me for rent. I'm gay which DOES NOT AT ALL MAKE IT BETTER. She tells me I'm sick and and need to be healed and honesty if there no way for me out this house then why even live please help me.(I live in Milwaukee,Wi)(USA)

Answer: Why don't you live with your mom. You don't need to be emancipated for that


Title: Today my Father put $1,800 down on two ATVs. Once we got them home and tested them, they are WORTHLESS. Can we return them and get the down payment back?

Question:
As the title states:

My dad is 69, in rather good health, and has always wanted an ATV to enjoy the mountains down here in New Mexico. So he found a local place here and ended up putting $1,800 down on two ATVs. He wasn't able to test drive them because of the location of the dealership. They seemed fine.

So we get them home and wow. Just wow. They are 197CC pieces of junk. They both got stuck going over a bush. They wouldn't climb a very easy hill. One of them wouldn't stay idled despite playing with the choke/fuel mixture.

So long story short, they just aren't what we want or need.
He plans on going in first thing in the morning to return them
and request a refund. It would have been less than 24 hours and we put no more than 2-3 miles on each one.

I'm sure the law isn't on our side. My heart is crushed for my dad.
He was -so- excited. Ugh. What can we do? How should we best approach this?

Thanks guys!!!

And we should have done more research on these, we know.
We expected issues with them, but nothing like this.

Answer: Couldn't test drive? Like, on a busy street? No parking lot? They said no test drives? Bought from a pawn shop, or a dealer? I am worried for you. I do think you have time on your side. Depends what the contract states I suppose..


Title: CA Minor trampled at concert while performing "security/crowd pumper"

Question:
While at a school field trip to an event called WE day, my 13 year old family member was asked to perform "crowd pumping" while various teen celebrities gave speeches and performed. She was also given the responsibility of crowd control. She was told that the crowd could not rush the stage while performers were speaking but the crowd was encouraged to rush the stage during performances. While Joe Jonas was speaking the crowd rushed the stage area and trampled her. She suffered a bruised knee, hit her head and her phone was destroyed. Myself and other family members have reached out to the organizers of WE day and have basically been told "That's unfortunate". We are looking to get her phone replaced and to prevent  something like this from ever happening again. I know I've been brief so I'll do my best to answer all questions as best as possible.

Edit. This occurred during a speech, not a musical performance. This occurred on Feb 25th at the SAP center in San Jose.

Here's a link to the form she filled out online.

https://forms.freethechildren.com/?module=weday2014/volunteer&cmd=&lang

I also just found out there was no school permission slip filled out, just the above application for crowd pumper.

Answer:
 >She was also given the responsibility of crowd control

How does a 13 year old girl get put in charge of crowd control?


Title: Police Seized my Phone on one person's account

Question:
Hello Legal Advice. My phone was taken by police after an ex of mine reported to them that I had child pornography on my phone. This isn't true of course, but they came up to me and took my phone. I live in Alberta, Canada. They took my phone when they took me to a hospital when I was feeling suicidal.

Do they have a right to do this?
Topic:
Other Civil Matters

Answer:
 Yes, they can seize your phone if they have reason to believe that there is evidence of a crime on it.

Yes, they can take you to the hospital if they have reason to believe you're a threat to yourself or others.Answer #2: Probably. Search incident to arrest is a commonlaw power of police, and if they believed your phone had evidence of an offense on it, they could either search it in the moment or get a warrant, depending on which side of the coin the SCC's opinion on that has come to rest most recently.


Title: Military Personnel goes to massage parlor, used debit card.

Question: I am very scared.. scared to the point of no sleep. I am afraid, that I will go to jail and lose my job. I went to the Massage parlor to destress myself. Ended up getting more than a "Massage" and used a debit card! Still pending on my account...

Answer: Do you think the military tracks every one of your purchases? Or that GIs all over the world don't frequent whore houses?


Title: Legal zoom question

Question: I am interested in forming an LLC for real estate investing in my state ( Missouri ). Do you think  the Legal Zoom website  is generally considered to be a reliable means of creating and filing the paperwork for an LLC in the state of Missouri?

Answer: Do you remember those colour by numbers pages you would do as a kid? That's legal zoom. No lawyer is going to suggest you use a paint by numbers legal website to form your business. Speak with a lawyer that deals exclusively in business and contract law.


Title: Housing religious discrimination

Question: Hey guys, I live in Texas. Me and my girl got pregnant and her folks are really religious. They obviously can't legally kick her out of the house but they have taken her phones, TV, computer, etc and basically only give her the minimum amount of food needed for a pregnant woman and have told her they'll "take her down to military rations," after the babies are born. They also say the babies can not come home and that she better talk to my parents. My parents said she can stay with us no problem, on the condition that my girlfriend attends church twice a week. My girlfriend is devoutly atheist. Is this legal??

Answer:
 Yes, your parents are not required to house your girlfriend.

If she is underage, and she isnt getting enough nutrition, then you can call CPS, however military rations are 1,250 calories per meal, thats 3700 calories a day. That is a lot.Answer #2: Your parents can put whatever conditions on her staying with them that they want. They have no duty to take her in.

How old is your gf?  How old will she be when the babies are born (I can't tell if it's twins or typo)?


Title: Wife left me and my two girls. OHIO

Question:
About two months ago my wife (still legally married) had moved out and left me with our daughters. I've since acquired a job to afford rent and utilities, assistance with daycare (with zero co-pay), and EBT, through Job and Family Services.

I guess I'd like to know how I can best equip myself to prepare for a dissolution/divorce and what other programs are offered by the government to possibly help me with the children.

Current situation with children is I have them at all times, I am the primary guardian and she takes them on the weekends, some times.  (I'd also like to keep it this way if possible)
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Speak to a divorce lawyer.  If you need public assistance and you get custody, the courts might order your soon-to-be ex to pay for your support.

It is a difficult and complex situation, and a lawyer can help you best.

If you need to be put in contact with a divorce lawyer, call your state's bar association and ask for a referral.


Title: My son was suspended and if facing being expelled for creating a Reddit

Question:
  My son goes to a Florida high school and recently created a Reddit about the quirks of teacher.  Nothing negative about the teacher, just being odd.  So then a friend of his printed a ton of flyers and posted them throughout the school advertising this Reddit.  So the principal was notified and (obviously) had all the flyers removed and decided to suspend him until they figure out what to do.  The principal kept saying that the whole thing was "weird".  Anyway, flash forward a few days, now the principal wants my son to reassigned to a different school.  This is a charter school with a lottery process to get in so he said that he can apply for the lottery next year or the other option which is to have a hearing where he can be expelled from the school and not welcome back.
Sorry for the long story but I am curious what the rights may be for my son?  I know my son did something dumb, but to no longer be allowed at the school?  My thing is, my son does have Aspergers so this school which is STEM focused is perfect for him and am kind of afraid for him in a regular high school.  Any help would be much appreciated and thank you for reading!

Answer: it is up to the school to determine the appropriate disciplinary actions to take. talk to an attorney if he has an expulsion hearing.


Title: How to move forward with a huge medical bill? I barely make money and am a full time student

Question:
I was recently billed $6,000 for a trip to the ER. I'm a full time independent student on Medicaid and only make about $10,000 a year from my part time job. Had I known it would cost me $1,000 per hour to sit and wait for a doctor to talk to me, I would not have waited three minutes.

A woman came up to me and asked for my insurance information and information on where I worked, I gave her my cards and she left. She came back with a few forms and before I signed anything I asked her how much this will cost me and she said "this will cost you nothing" so I skimmed the pages and signed.

What grounds do I have with this? Is this a problem I need to take to my insurance provider (as they are only covering $360) or is this something I need to take to the hospital? I cannot afford another monthly payment.

Edit. I live in New York State, specifically NYC

Answer:
 Why is your insurance company covering so little? Did you have an actual medical emergency or a reasonable belief you were having a medical emergency?

You may be able to get the bill reduced if you are low income, contact the hospital's billing office to see if there is a process for that. You can also likely work out a payment plan. But you are going to have to pay something.Answer #2: If you are on medicaid then you likely cannot be billed for these services (although i am unfamiliar with NY laws/regs.) Are you on regular medicaid or a managed care plan like UnitedHealthcare? You need to call customer service and tell them you got a bill. They should help you from thereAnswer #3: This might be a question better suited for r/personalfinance or r/insurance. Your insurance company only covering 5% of what sounds like a legitimate ER visit is not something you should accept quietly.


Title: Organization forcing me to add them on Snapchat

Question:
An organization I am part of (do not wish to disclose) is starting a policy where all of its members must add a certain account on snapchat that will check everyone’s snapchat stories to make sure nothing “bad” is posted. (drugs, etc)

This organization is not related to probation or any group that would nescessarily have a problem with posting bad snapchats.
I don’t post anything bad but the principle seems wrong to me.

Are they legally allowed to view my snapchat stories without my consent?

Answer:
 And what if you don't have a Snapchat account?Answer #2: > An organization I am part of

Voluntarily or involuntarily?Answer #3: Why don’t you just create a new account with a different email address and give them that one?Answer #4: Is this organization your employer? Are you in the US (except Montana)? If yes to both, you can choose not to add them. They can choose not to employ you.


Title: MI. Boyfriend moved out of his mother's house and owes her money.

Question:
My boyfriend moved out of his mother's house Friday night to live with me on the other side of the state. While he was living there, there was a period of time when he was unemployed, and he accumulated a small amount of debt towards her. She now wants him to have a notarized agreement for payments by October 31, 2014 or else she will take him to small claims court.

The thing is, is that his name is nowhere on the lease, nor is there any type of written agreement that he was to pay her anything.

I guess my question is what would be the best way to move forward with all of this?

Any information at all will be helpful. Thank you!

Answer: If he borrowed money from her with the understanding that he would pay her back then he owes the money. Verbal agreements are legally enforceable. The best way to move forward is to pay her back.


Title: Can you get a DUI on a Knee Scooter [NV]

Question:
This is a completely dumb question, but I've heard of people getting DUI's on bikes and even motorized wheelchairs so I figured I'd ask.

 I will be taking a couple night trip to Laughlin, Nevada to do the normal thing gamble, drink and enjoy myself. I have a broken leg and will not be full weight bearing before my trip. I mostly use crutches right now, but I get worn out with them after about 50-100 feet of travel.

On Google street view it looks like a lot of the casinos are pretty well spaced so I'll be bringing my knee scooter to get around easier, as it will be August and hot out. If I get intoxicated while I'm out and getting around could a cop stop me and give me a DUI for using my scooter?

Answer:
 No, but you could get public intoxication charges.
You aren’t operating a vehicle of transportation such as a car or a bike. You are using medical assistance more similar to a wheelchair or crutches. Answer #2: Manual knee scooter? Like the Drive ones? No. Not dui. Maybe public intoxication. Answer #3: Nevada is one state where you really don't have to worry about Public Intoxication charges much.  Yes, they exist, yes, it can happen, but it's pretty rare. You'd have to make a scene or endanger someone/thing for that to happen, generally.  They never want to harass a tourist.

If you are coming to drink/gamble, it's pretty easy to just stay in your resort/casino and do everything you want to do without ever going outside.Answer #4: It's been years since I have been to Laughlin but the casinos are REALLY spaced out. They have a shuttle bus that just cost a couple bucks that runs up and down the strip. Do that instead. It's way too hot to even walk to the casino next door


Title: GF decided to get a foster child, now bio mom is having issues and not quite sure how the whole legal process for child custody goes.

Question:
I (22 M) am in a long distance relationship with my GF (22 F) who is in Texas. She runs a home day care and through a long chain of family/friends she ended up watching a child (15month M) who was then taken by CPS from his bio-mom. The fucked up thing is that bio-mom was also taken by CPS from bio-grandma. Bio-mom is only 17 at this time. the only thing we know as to why they were both taken is that it was drug related. Bio-mom has spent the last few months in the state hospital, but has recently come back to a local rehab center. At the time of her return CPS granted her two, two hour visitations weekly. To say the least the visitations have been horrible for every one. the child will now no longer sleep through the night, does nothing but scream during the visitations, and has started exhibiting unusual behaviors IE: pulling hair, hitting, biting, etc. The last visit he had with bio-mom was about a week ago and was cut short by an hour. were not sure if it was because he, the child, couldn't handle it or bio-mom couldnt handle it. Bio-mom had till april to "get her shit together" or the court would take her parental rights. In order for her to have her "shit together" she would have to be 1) Sober 2) have a job that could sustain both her and the child 3) have a place to live where every one could pass a drug test. 4) have her GED. There is probably more things but that is the list I can come up with for now. To reiterate she had until April to get all of this done. However things have now changed quite drastically as not only have the visitations stopped but, as we have learned from reliable but not official sources, is because she has attempted to commit suicide and has been moved to a behavioral health hospital. My GF and I are planing on getting married sooner than later however this has thrown a wrench into plans. She wants to adopt him and so do I however I plan on joining the military and will be stationed anywhere in the world when she cant leave her current county with out permission. I know i'm going to have to wait to marry her till after she adopts him or has to give him back to the state. Given that we hope it WILL happen. How long till it COULD happen? Also what are the chances of everything going according to the way we want it to?
I apologize that this was a long and probably confusing post, if you have any further questions, i'm more than willing to answer them.
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 There's no way to know.  As a foster mom, she is at the mercy of the system.  If she can't handle it, she can relinquish the child for another placement.

If rights haven't been terminated at this point, it could easily be another year or more before the court acts, all appeals are final and the kid is free for adoption.


Title: Property Flippers conned my dad (60+) into signing a unfair contract. He lives in Portland. Any recourse?

Answer:
 You need some more context here.

I assume your dad is a competent adult, so why should he not be held to what he signed?


Title: [CA, USA] Facing 8 Felonies, I'm not even 20...

Question: [removed]

Answer:
 If you can't afford a lawyer, apply for a public defender.  You've been charged with serious crimes.  You need a lawyer.Answer #2: If you can't afford an attorney, you'll get a public defender.

We can't help you- clearly the prosecution has some evidence to support the alleged charge.Answer #3: Get a public defender. You need an attorneyAnswer #4: Get a public defense attorney, if you're low income you should qualify.


Title: Job is telling us we cant smoke or vap

Question: I work at a retail/donation store and there telling us we are not allowed to smoke or vape outside in front of the store. There are only a few of us who do so. There are no sines saying we cant smoke. We also make sure we are off the clock and not in uniform. Is there anything they can actually do to us and if there is what can I do about it.

Answer:
 Yes, they can fire you.Answer #2: Georgia is an at-will jurisdiction, and smokers are not a protected class. Unless you're in a union, or covered by some other contract that overrides at-will employment, your job can fire you on the spot for it if they feel like, without any obligation to warn you or set policy first. If you disagree, you're also free to quit without notice.Answer #3: > Is there anything they can actually do to us

They can fire you.

> and if there is what can I do about it.

Smoke somewhere else.


Title: My roommate can't find her laptop and called the cops on me

Question:
I live with this crazy girl. She's 22, I am a 25 year old male. This woman is always off her bonkers and I just deal with it. Yesterday, she couldn't find her laptop and blamed me and accused me of stealing it. I just called her out on her delusions but then she called the police and accused me of stealing the laptop. The cops came over and I let them take a look in my room - I had nothing to hide, nothing even illegal - and they took a police report and then told me to stay away from her like I was the one who did something wrong.

The best solution is to get away from her as quick as possible but what should I do to protect myself so my name, reputation, and life won't be smeared.

Answer:
 >then told me to stay away from her like I was the one who did something wrong.

No, the cops were telling you to stay away from her because she's a crazy person and is likely to bring more drama into your life the more contact you have with her. They see this stuff every day.

They took the report because the woman accused you of a crime. There's a pretty big gap between a simple report and a criminal charge.

Take their advice and GTFO as soon as possible.Answer #2: > what should I do to protect myself so my name, reputation, and life won't be smeared.

Get away from her as quickly as possible.  That's about it.  In the meantime, don't speak to her unless absolutely necessary.Answer #3: >  told me to stay away from her

That is spot on advice.

>  so my name, reputation, and life won't be smeared.

Nothing you have posted indicates any of those things have happened or will happen.


Title: hair salon chain suing haircolorist 1,000,000 for breaking no-compete contract

Question:
My friend has to pay close to 100,000 for legal fees.She has also been told she must delete anyone she has ever serviced from her phone and refrain from any contact no matter their prior relationship, she must quit working at the salon she has been working at since leaving and must not announce where she is going to work in the future. There is no appealing this decision due to binding arbitration. There is a trial later this year in which she may have to pay 1,000,000 for breaking a no-compete contract.

After ten plus years at the salon, she decided to leave the chain salon company . She was a top producer for the company which is the only reason I can think of why she would be the only one they are targeting.

I guess she thought that because the company did not go after anyone else they would let her work at another salon without incident. I cannot believe that a fiveish paragraph contract would hold up in court.

Answer:
 I think there's confusion here.  Why is there going to be a trial if there was already an arbitration?  And no salon is going to get a $1 million judgment against a hairstylist on a noncompete.

Also, you didn't ask a question.


Title: (Oregon) Forum user threatened suicide, is upset that police were notified.

Question:
I'll try to keep this brief. There's an unofficial community forum for an MMO that I help with from time to time. This past week, one user went on for several hours about how depressed she was after something that happened in game. She was asked to stop, as some users were uncomfortable and it got to the point where she was being picked on for it, and we wanted to put a stop to that. When she didn't, she was temporarily muted in the chat box.

She sent the main admin the following PM:

>"I knew you'd punish me further. It's just what I get. I deserve it. Let me slit my wrists and wipe the blood on my laptop screen too. Perhaps my neck so I don't have to wake up tomorrow."

Now, my advice to this admin was to immediately call the non-emergency number in her area (based on her IP address) so they could check up on her. When someone makes a suicide threat like that, especially if they actually detail how they plan to do it, you should take it seriously (or so I've always been told). I helped him find the number and we made the call. We got the city wrong. The woman we spoke to initially seemed unconcerned with the whole thing until the admin read off the message he had received. She said she would try to get in touch with the ISP the next day.

She actually did so, and from what I understand police visited this user's house (or the house where she's staying) to check up on her. She's furious. She claims that she was 'just angry' and that she didn't mean the threat.

Here's a snippet of the angry message she sent the admin:

"User: You sent... fucking POLICE...

User: to my door

User: FOR NOTHING

User: I am getting the Incident Report # from my local police department. And I am going to charge you for Swatting.

User: I should charge you with moral damage along with your Swatting charge I'm going to hit you with.

User: You caused great emotional distress to me, to my Fiance, and to my household.

User: And no one attacks me in real life, nor threatens my household and gets away with it."

There's more. Mostly angry ranting about how he invaded her privacy and personally attacked her.

How likely is it that she'll be able to follow through on this? Unfortunately the admin did provide her with a name and address. I don't believe she would have been able to get it otherwise.

She says she's actually Canadian, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this user is a compulsive, manipulative liar. I don't know what province she's from. The address the police ended up going to is in West Virginia, while the admin who made the call is in Oregon.

Did we do anything wrong here? And what steps should we take if she does try to sue or something? We already have extensive logs of everything she's said related to this incident. Does her suicide threat - particularly in the context of talking about how depressed she was for *hours* - sound like a credible threat?

Edit: I don't really know what flair this falls under, sorry.

Answer: What you did was not swatting.  Nobody is going to press charges against you, since any prosecutor, one he sees the evidence, would know that you were reporting a legitimate concern.


Title: Eviction due to dog? What are my options

Question:
Shelby Twp Michigan - I have a 10 month old German Shepherd. Landlord originally approved me to have the dog with an extra charge. I got new elderly neighbors this week who complained to our landlord about the dog. (They are just uncomfortable with the breed. He does not bark and has not done anything to upset them) The property management team is now telling me that I have 72 hours to move out. Do I have any protections that would allow me to stay longer and spend a reasonable amount of time finding a new place to live?
Thanks

Answer:
 How did the LL approve your dog. Was there an addendum added to your lease? Do you have any of the communication about the dog with the LL in writing? Was there a pet deposit?

As long as you can establish that the LL gave you explicit permission to have the dog, you should be good for the length of your lease. Ideally, you would have added an addedum to your lease to make it air-tight. But in these situations, as long as you were justified in getting the animal, you should be fine.

I would contact the LL and let them know that you were under the impression that you had permission to get a dog.

Next continue to pay rent on time. If your LL attempts the eviction process, there will be instructions on how to fight the eviction on the notice. If you think your LL is attempting to do a "self-help" or illegal eviction, contact the police.


Title: Unleashed dog ran in front of my car and owner wants me to pay for any possible medical bills to the dog

Question:
Hi all,
So this morning for me was frustrating and made me feel like shit. I’m driving in my neighborhood which I have lived at for the last 26 years, thinking the day is going to be like any other day. While driving out of no where a dog jumps from behind a car and I slam on my breaks. I was going very slow around 10-15 mph so fortunately I was able to hit the breaks in time avoiding running over the dog. The dog however hit its head I believe on my car and ran back to the owner. Fortunately the dog seems fine and nothing to bad had happened to him because it could have been much much worse. The owner, who is a gardener for my neighbor proceeds by getting in front of my car and yelling at me. He claims I was speeding and not paying attention which is so far from the truth. The road is a very tiny road and the possibility of speeding if you wanted to is fairly impossible. I have a dog and love dogs with a passion, I am very aware of them in my neighborhood and have even grabbed some off the road and returned them to the neighbors house so they won’t get hit by anyone. It is common knowledge to have your dog leashed by any road that has car traffic but sometimes people can get careless or the dog just decides to do what dogs do (so not the owners fault for the dog being unleashed). Regardless, I apologized (for the dog) but the asshole proceeds on yelling at me then taking a picture of my license saying if anything happened to the dog I will be paying for it. I laughed at that and told him 1. You don’t live here and if you did you would know to leash your dog due to blind corners and it being a very small road 2. I was going very slow, slow enough where I was able to avoid running over your dog 3. Your pets responsibility and well being is yours not mine, if I’m ever by a road the dog is leashed or I’m make sure it’s not in a position to run at a car. Nothing went through to the guy, I got back in my car and left for work. Is there anything I should do as precaution, I am a 27 year old who does not have money to go be paying for medical expenses of another dog. I know I am in the right and he is the wrong but I want to make sure I’m protected if he decides to proceed with any actions against myself. Any advice would be appreciated

Answer:
 You're in the clear. It would have been ideal if you had a dash cam, but it's basically your word against his. As long as he doesn't lie when/if he testifies you'll be fine.Answer #2: I've been in your position.

Here's the reality, if you had received any damage to your car through their negligence of letting the dog free, you/your insurance company would sue them for the cost.

This is 100% their fault.  You could have been speeding, and it would still be their fault.Answer #3: I would have called the cops and filed a report and asked them to sight him for animal negligence. Anyways nothing to be done for that now, for now dont talk to this person again without a lawyer present dont respond to any communication if a letter from his lawyer comes find a lawyer and give it to them. Basically dont worry about anything until you get a court summons.Answer #4: You do not say where.  In general, to prevail against you, the owner would have to show your negligence.  You must have a duty to him, breach that duty, and that breach must be the source of damage both physically and legally.  I see no duty to him under these circumstances.  You were behaving legally, according to you, and he was likely not, assuming a leash law.

Generally, engaging with nuts doesn't go well.  Answer #5: In Pennsylvania it is illegal to have your dog off the leash (unless in a fenced in yard or at a fenced in dog park). If you’re in PA, there’s your answer. If not, see if your state has a similar law.


Title: Can an apartment complex completely ban smoking (as in no designated areas within the entire complex)? TN

Question: This is just a question out of curiosity...we just moved into a complex that no longer allows smoking at all. Not inside, on balconies, or anywhere else on the premises (it's a large complex). Just wondering if they still have to provide some type of a common area (I am assuming that the answer is no, and that it's totally legal but was just curious).  We've never lived somewhere that was 100% smoke free. Do people have to literally get in their cars and drive out of the complex to smoke?

Answer:
 This is legal.  Answer #2: It's private property.  They can ban smoking if they wish.Answer #3: > Do people have to literally get in their cars and drive out of the complex to smoke?

Where I live, yes. Actually they just walk down the street, but smoking outside is banned in my city within XX feet of any building. Or they break the rules and sometimes get evicted.

Answer #4: Absent some TN state law that says otherwise, I'm going to go with "yes". In some states, smoking within x feet of a window, door, or air intake is prohibited, so this may simply be the complex's most sane way of dealing with a similar restriction. Or they may simply not want smoking anywhere on the premises.


Title: Hypothetical

Question:
 Litigation as a form of protest.
Question:Let's say that Net Neutrality didn't pass. What would be the potential fall-out if a large portion of Comcast's customers decided to simultaneously sue the company for a various assortment of reasons.  Could this be an effective form of protest?

I'm imaging something like Anonymous posting "How to file a lawsuit against Comcast in your state" and setting a date for everyone to begin lodging their suits. Nobody would need to hire a lawyer since the goal isn't so much to win their respective suits as much as it is to voice dissent.  The suits themselves could be over anything, and varied to help resist against any auto-filters.

Just a fun thought I wanted to hear some expert opinions on.  I couldn't find anything on Google

Answer: If you knowingly file a frivolous lawsuit, you open yourself up to sanctions.


Title: My neighbor/landlord is filing noise complaints and says the next one filed will begin the termination of my lease.

Question:
Hello, I am in Chicago and am having a seriously hard time understanding what is happening right now.  I have lived in this building since August of 2013.  The building has 5 units, and the first floor front unit is the realty company office that owns the building as well as many other properties.

When my roommate at the time and I moved in in 2013, we lived on the first floor for a little over a year.  When the man on the third floor (top floor) moved out, the realty company informed us that they would be renovating the third floor and offered to let us move in.  It was great!  We moved to the third floor, our rent remained the same, and the apartment was a bit nicer.  Clearly, we had a good relationship with the company that they would even offer for us to move upstairs.  We have always paid our rent on time and in full.  We have had no issues with noise, damage, cleanliness, or unpaid bills.  Everything was peachy keen...until about three weeks ago.

I had my TV on playing music loudly in the middle of the night on a Monday.  This was a stupid mistake, but I did it, and I accepted responsibility.  I received a formal noise complaint despite it being the first offense.  I received a "Second and Final Notice" yesterday stating that if there was another complaint, my lease would be terminated.  I am just astounded.

The letter claimed that on September 29th, there were loud banging noises throughout the evening up until 2:30am.  I have text messages that say I went to bed at 10pm that evening, because I was working a double the following day and was at work by 8am.  I was also living alone at that point, as my current roommate did not move in until the 30th.  I was definitely sleeping, no way I was up making noise.  The notice cites that on the evening of October 5th into the morning of the 6th, there was loud banging noise from 11pm-3:30am.  I was not home for over an hour of that time (I went to a local bar and could easily verify this) and my roommate was definitely asleep.  he was asleep when I returned after 1am as well.  The person I was with that evening was sick and we laid in bed, because moving was not really going to happen for him.  We ate some food when he felt a bit better, and then went to bed.  No sex, no banging, no slamming.

I don't know what to do here.  How can someone just write a formal noise complaint that could lead to my eviction with no proof that I was making any noise?  How is his word final and mine means nothing?  To add another level of complete fuckery to this situation, the person who lives below me and is filing these complaints works at the real estate company that owns the building.  Think that's bad?  His father OWNS the company.  I feel like this power dynamic is insanely unbalanced and is being abused.  Weirdest part of all of this is that I have NEVER had any issues with the guy below me during the 2+ years I've lived here.  There have never been any problems, he is always very nice to me, even addresses me by name instead of the usual "hey."  I have no idea what is happening here.  Some have suggested that he just wants the 3rd floor apartment, but that really makes no sense.  He lived on the second floor when the third became available.  He works at the company and could have easily gotten that apartment before it would ever have been offered to me.

I really need some help.  I feel like this man could make me homeless at any time he chooses.  Not just homeless, but that eviction would then follow me everywhere and destroy my ability to find more housing.  Any ideas?  Thank you.

Answer:
 Not legal advice.

Often in old buildings, pluming can cause loud banging noises.  I would talk to your landlord about the type of noises, and why he/she believes they are coming from your apartment.


Title: Wife of 5 yrs wants divorce, bought a house but in her mothers name, anything worth fighting for here?

Question:
When we got married the MIL bought us a house which we paid the mortgage to her on. Its been five years, now the wife wants a divorce and to keep her house. Ive put a lot into working on the house in time and money thinking it was an investment in my future. Am I just out of luck here? Otherwise we the divorce would be simple, no kids or significant assest to argue over.
Thanks for your thougths.

Edit: Location USA

Answer:
 Was there a written agreement about the house?  Anything in writing?

Suppose 20 years from now the mortgage was paid off and the house was then owned free and clear by the MIL.  Was she then going to gift the house to you two?  Or suppose you needed to move and sell the house.  Were you going to be entitled to any profits from the sale of the house?

You have a sort of complicated argument here - a verbal or written contract with the MIL about the disposition of the house, and then a divorce disposition of property that is going to depend on who owns the house in the first place.  There are three separate parties here, each with their own interests.

You're going to need a lawyer.Answer #2: You might want to see how much equity is actually in the house and what the current market is like in your area. Be realistic, even your home improvements aren't likely to add much actual market value. 5 years of paying for a mortgage isn't that long to get substantial equity.

I suspect that the amount might not be worth fighting for. It might be better to use this as leverage to negotiate some other concession, like you getting to keep the car, or the living/dining room furniture. Answer #3: Is this house in your wife's name or your MIL's name?

If it's in your MIL's name, in what sense do either of you "own" this house?  It's your MIL's house, and you are basically renting it from her.


Title: PA: Got stabbed with ice pick; punctured lung, filed a police report and going to make a criminal complaint to take them to court. What can happen?

Question: I am currently hospitalized after I got into a fight and got stabbed with an ice pick. I made a police report and I'm going to make a criminal complaint in Philadelphia, PA. If I go to court, what could be the outcomes? The police did not arrest anyone since I did not know I was stabbed until after they had left. I have a punctured lung and have been in the hospital for 3 days so far receiving treatment.

Answer:
 [Was this in relation to the mutual combat post you made a few days ago?](https://np.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3v3uv0/when_a_criminal_complaint_is_made_by_someone_who/)Answer #2: That's not a lot of detail to go on. The possible outcomes range from nothing happening to everybody involved being charged with a crime.

You can also sue the person or persons who assaulted you in civil court for your medical bills.Answer #3: This is probably one of those, don't-post-on-the-internet-about-it-until-you've-talked-to-a-lawyer type situations. We need details that you probably shouldn't provide.

But do that, if you can afford one.Answer #4: >I got into a fight

this not being formulated as 'I got attacked' or 'I got assaulted' suggests to me self-defense might be a successful legal defense for the other guy Answer #5: How do you not immediately realize you got stabbed with an ice pick?


Title: Florida, No Contact order, how can I find out if this person left the house

Question:
I have a no contact order with my wife. I still need to have my chance to get my stuff under police supervision. I am not sure if this person left the house/state which would mean they cant unlock the door and be present when I gather my belongings.

Would I be okay to ask my wife's dad if he "can confirm the residence has no person in it and/or no person will be available to answer an officer's knock?" I really need my work computer so I dont lose my job.

Answer:
 have you asked the police about this?

you can ask him, i doubt he will answer you tho.


Title: HIPAA breach at my job

Question:
I work as an assistant manager at a chain pharmacy/convenience store. I do not work in the pharmacy.

I found out today that my HIPAA information was leaked to a cashier (who works under me). He learned that I have a very stigmatized condition. He then spread it around the store.

My manager learned about it yesterday and reported it to HR. The HR director is going to be interviewing people in the store over the next few days.

I just learned about it a few hours ago from an LP officer who had heard it from the cashier and thought that I should know.

I am furious. I spoke to the pharmacist and we are reasonably sure where the leak came from (a pharmacy tech).

I live in the neighborhood. The cashier who spread my information knows a lot of people in the neighborhood. I have no idea who he has told. I don't know if my manager has told him to stop telling people (it sounds like he hasn't).

What should I expect to come from a HIPAA investigation? Is there anything I should look out for? Is there anything I should be doing?

Answer: Document everyone you hear from. Its not just the initial leaker that is in trouble, it is likely everyone that is under the HIPAA boundaries. That isn't going to help much with your rumors, but if your manager is smart they will remind everyone of that quickly and that should shut up most second-hand rumor mongers.Answer #2: HIPAA is not necessarily going to do much about this, a slap on the wrist is somewhat common. Depends on your state laws. [this article](https://www.propublica.org/article/small-scale-violations-of-medical-privacy-often-cause-the-most-harm) gives a decent rundown of how these types of medical privacy cases can be handled.


Title: My son's mother's boyfriend was caught with drugs -- i'm curious how serious this is. help appreciated

Question:
My son's mother (Let's call him John) -- Was pulled over for speeding on Monday. He was caught with Marijuana and Cocaine in the car.. Here are the charges: (This is in Florida by the way) -- His bond is $41,000

POSS OF CANNABIS W INTENT TO SELL OR DELIVER	FELONY	THIRD DEGREE

POSS OF COCAINE WITH INTENT TO SELL OR DELIVER	FELONY	SECOND DEGREE

POSS OF CANNABIS W INTENT TO SELL OR DELIVER	FELONY	THIRD DEGREE

USE OR POSSESSION OF DRUG PARAPHERNALIA	MISDEMEANOR	FIRST DEGREE

DRIVING W LICENSE SUSP REV CANC W KNOWLED 2ND CONV	MISDEMEANOR	FIRST DEGREE

SPEED POSTED MUNICIPALITY SPEEDING 10 TO 14 MPH	INFRACTION	NOT APPLICABLE

Obviously i'm pretty upset that the mother of my son has put my kid around someone like this, with drugs in the house, etc etc.. But i'm posting here because i'm wondering how serious these charges are and if he's going to be doing any time for this or not.

Answer: they are fairly serious and he's gonna be doing time most likely. get the order changed to prevent this and protect your son.


Title: Dog fight

Question: My next door neighbor went out of town for the day and left his and his girlfriends dogs in the garage with access to the backyard. As I was grilling they got into it pretty bad, I called him and he said separate them and clean them up the best I can. I did getting bit three times in the process. I got them cleaned up and called him back asking who hi is vet was because one looked like she needed stiches in two spots. He said he didn't have one and do the best I can. Is there anyway he could hold me liable for this if something happens to his dogs? I did go into his yard and garage to take care of the dogs.

Answer: Since nobody with legal qualifications has answered, I'm going to chime in and say that you need to make a report to Animal Control in your jurisdiction so that these dogs can be quarantined for rabies since you were bitten, or seek treatment for rabies exposure. This is especially important because your neighbor does not seem to have a veterinarian, so they may not be vaccinated for rabies. If the dogs are in the custody of the authorities, this may also get the ball rolling to get their injuries from the fight treated, though this would vary greatly depending on jurisdiction and the resources Animal Control has available in your area.


Title: Legal implications of Being Married in Multiple States

Question:
In general, I'm bad at being a romantic person. My wife and I were married in Florida last year, and as a romantic gesture I am considering asking my wife to marry me in a different state every year. This will obviously be more and more difficult as we acquire children, but that is part of the romance thing.

What are the legal implications of being married to the same person in more than one state? If we get divorced, will we have to do it in each state we were married in?

If there is a legitimate legal issue, I am considering just getting married in each state but never actually submitting the marriage licenses to the clerk/recorder. However, please comment on the idea of an actual, official marriage in multiple (up to 50) states.

Answer: You cannot get married then married again. You would be falsifying government documentation if you tried. You can go to a church and have a ceremony or go wherever. But you cannot get a new marriage license.


Title: If a gas station has the wrong gas in their tanks and my engine is damaged because of it, who is liable?

Question: Suppose a gas truck is resupplying a gas station and they accidentally put 87 octane gas in the 93 tank. I fill up my motorcycle which requires 93+, and after riding a bit the gas causes damage to my engine which costs several thousand dollars to fix. Assuming there is no dispute as to what happened (no one claiming that I filled up at the 87 pump for instance), is either the gas station or the supplier on the hook for damages?

Answer:
 The station has some liability.

Although 87 isn't going to damage a stock street bike. It will just be unhappy. Source: Have run a tank of every grade thru every bike to see which it likes best.


Title: Email sent pretending to be my organization, to hurt us

Question:
In Florida, USA. An email was recently sent out to who knows how many people via Constant Contact. They used my (non-profit corporation) logo on it to make it seem like it was official. It was basically used to tell lies about positions the organization has, by picking the most unpopular thing locally to support and say we were the reason it happened. It is categorically untrue and local media is starting to question/write about it.

We're a small organization unaffiliated with anything larger. We've had the logo for over 10 years. We have some people who don't like us and we're pretty sure it is them.

Can we contact Constant Contact and ask them for account information? Is there anything we can do legally? Did the writer incur any liability when there was a deliberate impersonation of my organization? Is it a criminal offense?
Topic:
Business Law

Answer:
 Most providers are unwilling to give out account info without a subpoena or other order of a court. You could file a John Doe lawsuit and use that to get subpoena powers to discover the identities of those responsible. Be prepared for the people responsible to have used fake info when signing up with Constant Contact, forcing you to try to unmask their identities - which is obnoxiously hard to do and not at all guaranteed to work.

Personally I think it would be easier just to disavow the communication publicly. Defamation lawsuits over online communications are just very difficult. And I imagine it will be hard for you to quantify your org's damages.

But see /u/BlindLawyer's post below for another possible cause of action - trademark is not my area.


Title: about to start law school in august. am i screwed now?

Question:
i'm in ohio and As the title says, i was arrested Monday, (well technically i was never told i was under arrest even while being transferred and booked) and wasn't told what i was charged with until they handed me a paper while sitting in the cell.

my brother is dropping all the charges, since there was nothing there anyways since a neighbor said he saw something and my brother just said we were fighting, and me being the older one they chose me.

my question is how will this affect me starting school in august? when i had to meet with the counselor or whatever they told me nothing was charged yet, everything was still pending.   i know this stays on my record as an arrest and being a DV i know its very much looked down upon until i can get it expunge.   do i need to tell my school?

Answer: So you were arrested for domestic battery?Answer #2: you are not permanently screwed.  Just get a criminal defense attorney.  Many places have diversion or it will get pled down (most prosecutors don't really care about two grown men getting into a fight if neither party want to pursue it).  Once the case is taken care of you can get it sealed (as long as you aren't convicted of DV) one year after everything is finished.  You will still have to disclose it to your law school and on your bar application.


Title: My father (64) is no longer making good decisions about his life and agrees I should take over his affairs. Where do I start?

Question:
I'm 27, out of school, and not well versed in this type of stuff. I do have a fiancé and my mom (my dads ex-wife/friend) that can give me support mentally thankfully. I do have power of attorney for if he is incapacitated. He needs someone to pay his bills on time, keep track of doctors appointments, and paperwork. He currently lives with me, but is on a waiting list for a senior living place nearby.

I just found out today his license was canceled on July 5th, due to not reporting any updates on his vision. He used to have cataracts but had surgery for them in June. They gave him 30 days to reply to the letter but he forgot about it. It says he could have filed a petition to get it back with an eye exam, but he didn't. He did not show me the letter until today, more than 30 days later. It says his license is canceled indefinitely and the letter says if he doesn't give his new eye exam he has to surrender his license. This was sort of the catalyst for this discussion. Also, what do I do if he tries to drive? Can I just hide his keys? I wasn't keen on him driving in the first place cuz he is really frail anyway.

We live in Glendale, WI.

Answer:
 Do you have a "springing" power of attorney (which becomes effective only if he is incapacitated) or a power of attorney that is effective right now and will continue to be if he becomes incapacitated? If you have the former, you probably need the latter, unless his doctor is willing to assert he is already too far gone.

With an effective power of attorney granting you the appropriate powers, you already have the tools: you can take that document to his bank and other financial providers, the electric and gas company, etc., and get yourself added as a contact person, and/or have the statements and bills sent directly to you. The bank can add you as an authorized signer on his bank account. With an additional "health care power of attorney" or with a consent form from him, you can also talk to his doctors.

You can report him to the [Wisconsin DOT](http://wisconsindot.gov/Pages/dmv/license-drvs/mdcl-cncrns/citizens.aspx) as a potentially unsafe driver; will he consent to you taking away his keys now that he doesn't have a license, or is this going to be an ongoing battle?

Good luck! This is a tough road to negotiate.


Title: Pulled over for not having plate on my car last night. Cop gave citation but apparently forgot to get my ss# and is now calling/harrasing me at 1am trying to get me to give it to him.

Question:
Last night I was pulled over in Southeastern CT, for not having the plate on my Jeep. It is mainly a trail rig and the holes for the plate bolts are pretty stripped so I take the plate off while trailing so it doesn’t fall off. I forgot to put it back on before heading out for a late night errand last night around 11:30pm.

I was pulled over almost immediately for not having a plate. I told the officer that I forgot I had no plate on, and explained to him why it wasn’t on in the first place. He went back to his car after taking my license, reg, insurance before shortly returning.

When he came back he said my license was apparently suspended. I had a court case that was postponed due to the courts being closed but was never informed that my license was suspended. Either way, I told him I didn’t know that it was suspended and he let my girlfriend drive the Jeep back to our house after giving me a ticket for driving without a plate.

Fast forward to 10 minutes ago. The officer calls me on my cellphone and tells me he forgot to take my social security number down. I tell him I’m kind of sketched about just giving out my social on the phone especially when it could be anyone . There is no way to confirm he is the officer from the night before. He starts getting mad and demanding my social so I hung up. Now he keeps calling me back nonstop. Mind you, it is 1:30am right now and the calls have been coming in for the past half hour.

Is this harassment? Do I have to give him any info? I feel like he should have gotten that info at the scene and since he is calling me at crazy hours of the night and trying to force me to give him information , I don’t have to oblige. Is ignoring him illegal in any way? Can I get in more trouble by not answering him? I wouldn’t have minded giving him my info if he called at normal hours or was more civil but it’s the principle of the matter that he should be respectful. Any info would be great.

Tl;Dr - got ticket last night for no plates on car. Officer is now calling me nonstop at 1:30am because he forgot to get my social security number and is becoming increasingly threatening. Do I have to give him any info? Do I have grounds for a harassment case? Located in CT.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer:
 Turn your phone off, call the station in the morning and see if they need your SS# for some reason.

It is very strange that he would need your SS#.


Title: How is this legal? I actually want to know, not looking to stir up political debate.

Answer:
 I can't really speak to the legality of it, but all I could think while reading that article was "Wow, someone has waaaay more funding than they need.".Answer #2: >Pasco’s drop in property crimes was similar to the decline in the seven largest nearby police jurisdictions. Over the same time period, violent crime increased only in Pasco.

It also doesn't work, shockingly.Answer #3: Admin: if not allowed,  please remove.

As someone who used to live there, Nocco is a completely racist nutbag who gives less than two craps about the legality of the things he does.Answer #4: It may not be legal, but rather simply may be unchallenged. Eventually the ACLU is going to go after this, because something this close to a Chinese government "Social Score" kind of system is sure to run afoul of certain liberties afforded to Americans.

From the article, it appears two of the departments that tried to implement this system ended up scrapping it, and this is the first department to double down. I can't imagine a scenario where this doesn't end up ultimately getting decided in the courts; we just haven't seen someone get that ball rolling yet.


Title: Neighbor claims the fence between our houses is on his property and he is going to hire someone to clean it and repaint. Since he thinks the fence is on his property he thinks him and the people he hire can enter our property.

Question:
This is the paper he left us today.

https://imgur.com/a/ftHPXnV

He didn't show the blueprint showing where the property lines are, but he came into our yard today when my mom and little brother were home. He said the guy he is going to hire is going to come into our yard and if any of our dogs get out it isn't his problem. We have 5 dogs including 2 pit bulls and live across the street from a elementary school, how do I get the blueprint lines for our houses and what can I do legally about this guy? This is in San Diego, CA.

Answer: Okay, I can understand your dispute as to property lines, but if this guy is willing to paint your side of the fence for free - could you not house your dogs for the perhaps 2 hours it would take to complete that?  It is only beneficial is it not?  Or, you can go the long voluminous route of establishing property lines through a surveyor and court stuff.  Just my two cents, but if this neighbor simply wants to paint both sides of the fence - a boundary to be more established at a later date - then why not let him and keep the peace.  You know, just try to keep the peace just in case one of those five dogs (including two pitbulls) ever find a way into his backyard.  Karma my friend.


Title: My job requires me to be on site before my scheduled start time but doesn't pay me for this time

Question:
This post relates to Pennsylvania, USA.

I'll try to be as detailed as possible: my current job requires me to check-in through security then walk approximately 10 minutes outdoors to another building in order to get to my assigned work station, during this time I am on company property under company rules (no phones, food [clarified:must be in clear or sealed packaging], electronic devices, etc).

During this time I am not allowed to clock in until I get to the main building. I was told during orientation for this job that I will have to get to work at least 10 minutes early each day in order to avoid being late for work. This is a major US logistics corporation with very stingy management.

According to the Department of Labor website, "In general, "hours worked" includes all time an employee must be on duty, or on the employer's premises or at any other prescribed place of work."

Should I be getting paid for this extra 20 minutes of time I spend each day at work?
Topic:
Employment Law

Answer:
 Sadly, no. The Supreme Court says it's fine to make you do stuff without paying you.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-court-amazon-com-idUSKBN1WM1FI