Title: Wild Accusations by Crazy Old Neighbor Lead Entry into Apt Under False Pretenses by Maintenance Man

Question:
I need some legal advice or any sort of advice.  It's such a weird story and I'm personally offended and angry.  And a little worried about being accused of something so out of character.  I fear my career could be affected.

I'm a full-time student studying to be a teacher.  I have lived overseas for a long time and I'm new back to my home country again.  I have some friends in the city, but not many.  I work part-time in retail in the evenings.  I am not in a relationship and I live alone.  I have little money and I'm focused on school.   I rarely have visitors to my apartment.    I moved into the apartment about two years ago.   I signed a short lease and it's been month to month ever since.    After I moved in, I learned the next door neighbor was a little strange.  Just something a little off about him.  He's in his 50s, lives alone, smokes a lot, has a heart condition, has an older son that visits sometimes.  Our interactions were few and basically just hello and what not.

Then, an incident happened one day that shown me how strange he really was.  I was rushing to school and I dropped my phone in the driveway.  I thought I lost it forever and went to the nearest phone service provider outlet store to suspend my phone service and report it missing.  From there, we called my phone and my neighbor answered the phone.  I recognized his voice and yet he decided to pretend that he was someone else in another city and that this was his phone.  It was really weird.  I said to him that I was cancelling the service and reporting it stolen and then he hung up.  I called it back and it went to MY voicemail.  So, I decide to get a new phone anyway.  Then I go home.   Not one minute after I return, my neighbor knocks on my door and pretends like none of this happened and that he simply found my phone in the driveway and was now returning it with good faith.  I didn't know how to respond and think I just said okay, thanks and closed the door on him.  I decide to just let it go.  We rarely saw each other the next few months.  About 6 months ago, he says to me he lost his job (kitchen staff - he worked nights) and he's moving to a cheaper place down the road.   No love lost there.

And that's the last I thought of him.  Until tonight.   I get home from my part-time retail job at about 10 PM and not long after I enter my apartment, I hear a knock.  It's the maintenance guy.  He is also the landlord's brother.  He also lives down the road.  He tells me that he was waiting for me to come home because there is some flooding under the house or something?  I had a long day.  He asks if he can enter because it's really important because of plumbing damage.  I don't want him to enter because my place is pretty dirty, I do have a bong out, and I'm really tired.  But I let him enter.  He looks around, finds nothing, asks for my phone number to follow up, and then leaves.  10 minutes later he calls and says he wants to be honest with me...  there is no water problem... this has apparently been the culmination of a 6 month independent investigation being undertaken by HIM to determine IF I HAVE BEEN ENTERTAINING MEN ON A REGULAR BASIS?!!!   Basically, accusing me of being a MALE PROSTITUTE!!!

So, apparently, before he moved out, this crazy neighbor made this accusation about me to the maintenance guy.  I am still reeling!  I don't even have visitors to this apartment.  I'm in a very intensive undergraduate program right now.   It's been a while since I've even had sex.  And I'm heterosexual, not that that even matters.  I just don't understand where it came from.  One possibility might be that, on my phone that he stole, I had some BEFORE shots of me shirtless to track my weight loss progress.  And I have lost 50 pounds of fat in the last 2 years, thank you very much.   Perhaps he saw those if he went through my phone.     Perhaps he was scared I would still report him about the stolen phone.  In retrospect, I probably should not have ignored that.   But he had to know how serious of an accusation this is.

But I don't want to ignore this now!   Damn, I'm trying to be a teacher here.  To have that sort of accusation being thrown out there by some crazy person, even without a single shred of proof, could be damning to my career.   In addition to being really offended, that is what concerns me even more.

I need legal advice.  Or any advice, if I don't have a case against anyone.   All I do know is what the maintenance guy told me this evening.   He is in the wrong himself.  He lied about a plumbing emergency to enter my apartment under false pretenses.  He told me that the landlord (his brother) does NOT know anything about this and that he was doing an independent investigation into me.  He said he felt guilty and that's why he even told me the real reason why he was there.  And that he did not have to do that, so he hopes I won't pursue any further or tell the landlord, or a lawyer.   He's been calling back ever since.  He's scared and I've stopped answering.

I'd really appreciate any advice.  How would you feel?  What would you do?  Legally or otherwise?   Who do I contact?
Should I tell the landlord?   Do I have a case against the old neighbor?  Right now it's just hearsay from the maintenance guy (the landlord's brother).   What a story!  I still can't believe it's real!   Please, any advice, thank you very much.

Answer: You really don't have a case against anyone here.


Title: Computer broken

Question: A kid broke my computer and i reported him to the principal. There were people who saw it happen. All he got was a day of iss. Are there any legal actions i can take

Answer:
 Your parents can sue his parents for the replacement cost of the laptop in small claims court.

In most jurisdictions, parents are liable for the damage that their minor dependents cause.Answer #2: Sue him in small claims court. His parents are responsible for his destruction of property.


Title: Question on funerals

Question:
I'm not sure if this is the right place or not but I'm not sure where else to put it. In the united States, is it legal to have a funeral pyre for a friend/relative if that was their wish?

If the answer to the first question is no, is there a legal loophole around it such as having it in the deceased's will or some other method?

Answer:
 Depends on state, likely your state disallows it as an inappropiate disposal of a dead body, but this is one of those things where it could turn out Arizona or something is perfectly fine with it as long as you have a permit. Answer #2: I doubt it, but then I just found out that burying someone on your own property is still legal in PA.
 One reference

https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/3/backyard-burial-no-state-law-forbids-it/

I discovered this because I really have always hated the fact that most cemeteries require a concrete vault, a concrete coffin. Do you know what happens? Nothing good in that sealed up vault that nothing escapes from. Yuck. Let me feed the worms please. Answer #3: Perhaps have them legally cremated and putting the ashes in a bonfire would satisfy all parties and honor the wishes of the deceased. Answer #4: In Colorado it’s legal to have a funeral pyre. Of course, there are restrictions as to the where and how, but it’s legal.

But as others have said it’s going to vary from state to state.


Title: [FL] A week after closing on our new house, water is coming up through the floors

Question:
Hi all,

I'm on mobile so please excuse any formatting issues.

Approximately a week ago we closed on our new house.

There is laminate flooring throughout the entire house, and upon inspection, the inspector found that the floors were bubbling up in some areas. In the inspection addendum, the seller was to fix the floors, which they did (for the most part, one room still has a bubble that we didn't notice on our walk through).

This evening I found water seeping up between the floorboards in a hallway that sits between the AC and a bathroom. This was one of the areas that had a bubble that was fixed.

My questions are:

1. Would the seller still be responsible for this happening since there is obviously an underlying issue that they didn't address nor disclose?

2. If so, how would I go about trying to get them to pay for the repairs?

Thank you for your time.

Location: Florida

Answer: If you think the old owner knew about this issue and lied on the disclosures, call a real estate attorney.


Title: USA, sort of hypothetical: Can a US citizen be denied entry to the US? Do I need to answer the questions at customs and immigration?

Question:
This is now all moot (until my next trip) but I had an odd experience re-entering the US recently. Summary of questions at the bottom.

I'm an American citizen, no dual citizenship, and recently returned to the US after having been overseas for 22 months.

I flew from Tokyo to the US via Toronto, and pre-cleared customs and immigration in Toronto. The CBP officer reasonably asked how long I'd been abroad for and where and what I was doing. I told him, honestly: I was in Australia on a working holiday visa for a year, then New Zealand on a working holiday visa for about ten months, then traveling as a tourist in Japan for two weeks.

He apparently was very skeptical. He asked where I'd worked, and I told him that I'd been temping, so I'd technically had five different employers and worked about a dozen different jobs while in Australia and NZ, and the jobs varied but were mostly clerical type things. He asked how much it paid. I told him it varied by job, and because I'm kind of an asshole and was in a foul mood due to jet lag and such, I asked if I'm legally required to answer his questions about my salary.

He obviously said yes, and that he was trying to determine how I could afford to travel so much, and that if I didn't answer his questions I would be detained and denied entry to the US. I pointed out that I'm an American citizen and can't, as far as I know, be denied entry to my own country.

Anyway, I answered his further questions (salary, living situation overseas, etc), and he let me go without incident. What I'm still curious about, though:

1) Can an American citizen be denied entry to the US?

2) Can a US CBP officer detain someone (regardless of citizenship) in the countries where the CBP does pre-clearance? Might I have talked my way into a night in a detention facility?

3) Similarly, what if I'd simply presented my passport and declined to answer some or any of the officer's questions? Can you be denied entry for refusing to answer CBP's questions?

Answer:
 A US citizen cannot be denied entry to the country. However, your stuff can be. In theory you can be stripped naked.  This is one of those situations where discretion is the better part of valor.Answer #2: Here's a good thread from flyertalk about it. I put it on the 2nd page for you to see some responses. Basically, it looks like if you are sober without dual citizenship, you can't be denied. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/practical-travel-safety-security-issues/552319-can-us-citizen-denied-entry-back-into-usa-2.html

His questions sound more appropriate for the IRS to ask you regarding foreign income and length of time outside the country---not CBP.


Title: How to fight Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP)?

Question:
Location: Pennsylvania, US

WEP decreases SSA pension if person receives pension from income that was not covered by Social Security taxes.

I am 70 and immigrated to US 20 years ago from Ukraine. I've been working all that time and paying my taxes. I've been receiving US pension since 66. Now SSA sent me a letter claiming that I am receiving pension from Ukraine, and as such they are drastically reducing my US pension. They are asking me to prove that I am not receiving Ukraine pension.

I am not receiving any pension from Ukraine. How can I prove that which doesn't exist? U tried to contact various offices in Ukraine but nobody can help. I have appealed with SSA and they send me a letter that my appeal is denied, and now I owe them money because of "overpayment". SSA is not providing any proof on their side either.

How can I fight this? I don't have money for lawyer and I need my pension. I also cannot loose my pension even for a month.

Answer:
 The way to prove a negative is to turn it into a positive.

Apply for your pension from Ukraine.

One of two things will happen:

- The Ukraine pension authority will deny your pension claim. You then send a copy of this denial to SSA. You might have to get it translated by a paid service.

- The Ukraine pension authority accepts your pension claim and starts paying you. You share this information with SSA, which will then adjust your SS pension accordingly.


Title: Friend refuses to return apartment key (TX)

Question: One of my friends recently had a number of issues with their apartment and needed somewhere to crash for a while, so I invited them to stay with me and crash on the couch until it was sorted out. I got them a copy of my apartment key, since I was usually out for classes and couldn’t let them in and out. Now, their apartment situation has been sorted out by they still want access to my place because it’s easier for them. I’ve told them I’m not comfortable with this, and have asked for the key back, but they keep refusing. I’m not sure what my recourse is in this situation, since it’s not like it’s stolen and I have it to then freely. What are my options?

Answer: Pay maintenance to switch the locks.


Title: Landlord charging $400 for "security deposit transfer"

Question: My girlfriend and I have lived at this apartment in Utah for two years now, a one bedroom. We decided to move into a two bedroom in the same building and the manager said that was fine and we weren't allowed to transfer our lease so we have to wait till the end of the month. Now we're getting told that instead of letting our lease run out on the one bedroom and paying a new security deposit for the two bedroom that we have to pay a non refundable $400 security deposit transfer fee. Everyone I've talked to has said this is obviously a scam and it sure seems that way. It's too late for us to move out of the building and the manager told us that they don't have to give a reason for why this fee is so high. Then the manager (who is birthed the landlord or this outside financial party who is apparently bringing this fee on) told us they've been holding it for us two weeks after we said we wanted to move. We have in texts all this conversation where the fee and or holding the new apartment was stated. Can anyone please help my girlfriend and I both start school soon and we don't have the resources to leave.

Answer: Please clarify. Have you taken occupancy of the 2 bedroom apartment?


Title: Hey guy's the term head of household only refers to a tax filing status and grants no authority over roomates within the household if they're all on the lease correct? If one of the roomates claims ultimate authority over what goes on in the house, do the others have to comply?

Answer:
 Um....could you provide some context here, champ?

Who all is on the lease? What's the "ultimate authority" power in reference to?Answer #2: What "authority" is this roommate claiming?  If it's just that they think they can set all the house rules or something, that's a roommate relationship issue, not a legal issue.

If they think they have the authority to kick other roommates out or something, then that would be a legal issue.

Only the landlord has certain legal authority over tenants.  Roommates generally do not, no matter how much rent they pay or what they contribute to the household.Answer #3: Ignoring whether or not your roommate is properly filing his taxes as head of household... His tax filings have zero to do with any "ultimate authority" in the house.


Title: How much is enough for a harassment/slander suit?

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
Custody Divorce and Family

Answer:
 Go consult with a divorce attorney tomorrow.

> she's one of those women you read about that systematically ruin men's lives until they're just an empty child support paying husk.

The good news is that the *courts* decide on child support if you can't agree, not your wife.

On the non-legal side, you're not being "nice" - you're clearly past the point of resentment and grinding an axe so obviously here that you need to seek serious counseling.


Title: Led on by girl, now She claims sexual assault

Question:
UK here

Back and forth flirting with a female work colleague over the course of 2 months. She was in a relationship but flirted relentlessly, excessive touching etc.

Finally went in for a kiss. She could have kicked me in the balls but instead she chose to wrap her legs around me and kiss me back. She told me to stop as we would get caught so we did. Continued working and she even asked me to stay after I had finished my shift.

I have messages from her saying she liked it with kisses etc. Then she randomly freaks out about what she's going to say to her boyfriend and starts accusing me of sexual assault.

In the texts, I simply apologised. Said it was my mistake and it won't happen again. I didn't mention the various signs of interest she was giving me, up to the point of the kiss.

In my reality we flirted, kissed and she grew a guilty conscience about cheating on her boyfriend so she screamed sexual assault.

I think the situation will be dropped and forgotten but in the event that she attempts to file charges...

What do I do?

Does messages admitted she enjoyed it contradict and cancel out any allegations?

Answer: Has she accused you to someone? To whom? And what has become of it?


Title: [PA]Landlord stole my license plate as collateral for rent my roomies owe, cleaned out our house before we got a chance to finish, kept security deposit

Question:
Hello! Sorry if this seems jumbled, trying to get all the details in there.

Our lease ended in august, but we found out that the house was getting foreclosed and was to be sold by august 15. He was really shady in trying to convince us to stay and basically came off like he needed our down payments, etc for taxes so we moved. However, I was out of town when this all happened, so only got a chance to get my essentials out, with my friends and girlfriend's help. Now he has my license plate to my car, and says something about junking it. I owe 180 technically since we stayed all of august, but i paid 220 of it when he woke me up one morning. This was a college house so I was the only one there for the summer. They all managed to avoid him and not pay august and since I was the only one there i paid the 220 to fend him off in august and now have my car mixed up in it. We didn't get a chance to clean the house yet, as my car is outta commision and we needed a truck. Basically as this was all happening it was our first week of class, and we figured since he had used our security deposit for august we would have until then to clean out the place but he completely cleaned out my desk and my important stuff in the garage..

Also I dont know if he has the title to the subaru now, it might have been in my desk and I can't find it.

Just looking for a little advice on how to proceed here. I don't know what the laws are in this situation, but I really doubt any court would rule that he can just confiscate my property.

Thanks for reading

Answer:
 Report the theft of the plate to the police, I'm pretty sure he can't do that. As for the rest, the "I assumed he used the down payment for August" is troublesome.Answer #2: Do you have a lease?  it probably says that each of you is individually obligated to pay the full amount of the rent.

other than that, he can keep your deposit to cover actual damages done by anyone on the lease. you can sue him in small claims if he does otherwise.

he can't steal your stuff or immediately dispose of it. you can sue him in small claims for the value of your damages.

holding your license plate or title might be enough to get the police interested. but they may also demure that it is a civil matter, not a crime. Answer #3: Multiple crimes being committed here by your LL

First the theft of the license plate, second the theft of your stuff, third the illegal eviction, and fourth the theft of your security deposit, did he not give you the itemized bill for it?Answer #4: He can't take the license plate. That's theft. You should report that to the police.


Title: Wife charged with Felony for growing weed

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 Get ready to deal with a visit from CPS as well. Answer #2: The only advice here is "hire an attorney".  You may qualify for a public defender, if she's charged with a felony.  Answer #3: 24 plants is not personal. Someone snitched or they wouldn't have been there.Answer #4: > She took all the blame and said I had nothing to do with it, attempting to compartmentalize the damage. She also told them she was growing for someone else, so now they're pressuring her to flip on someone. Problem is, that's a lie.

This is a big part of why the standing advice is not to speak to the police without a lawyer present. You may be arrested, but at least you won't talk yourself into additional charges. When it comes out that your wife lied to investigators, they may pile on additional charges related to obstructing an investigation _even if they weren't meaningfully obstructed by the lies_. Her confession is likely admissible, too.

You both need lawyers, at this point. Contact the PA Bar Association and ask for a referral to a criminal defence attorney, then follow your attorney's instructions.Answer #5: There's a lot that you need to be concerned about, including civil forfeiture, which in some cases can be done without due process.

You need lawyers yesterday.Answer #6: >I need to get her a lawyer

You should probably get yourself a lawyer as well.

>Who do I contact, what do I do?

Start with the [PA Bar Association](http://www.pabar.org/site/Public/lrsblurb)


Title: San Diego, CA I was served a 30 day eviction notice on March 1 and will be leaving on March 30. Am I liable to pay rent for those 30 days while I'm being evicted?

Question: I don't think I should have to pay. The lease addresses "Tenant," as John Doe and the landlord as "Landlord," (privacy's sake) and they are the only two with signatures on the document. However, the lease states that the property is for the sole purpose of John Doe, Jane Doe, and kk666, while me and Jane never initialed or signed it we both verbally agreed to it. I got served an eviction notice on March 1 and I am leaving on March 30 and I don't want to pay rent for that time because I don't feel that I'm legally obligated to. I got served the eviction because I wanted my boyfriend to move in and the other two tenants didn't want him there but since he kind of has been crashing there for a month he says he has squatters rights and refused to leave. So John and Jane told the landlord and moved out because they're afraid of him and then the landlord gave me the eviction notice and now it's just me and my boyfriend (who's not mentioned anywhere on the lease) living there from 3/1 to 3/30 and I don't feel like I should have to pay rent if I'm being evicted and my signature isn't even on the document, just my name. When I moved in we agreed to split the rent evenly three ways and there is text and email documentation of this discussion between me and the landlord and the other two tenants. Those are pretty much the facts. Thank you all in advance for the advice on this.

Answer: Yes.  You lived there. You pay.


Title: Federal Background Check

Question:
Sorry if this is the wrong place to post, I am new to Reddit. I am a contractor with a company who bid on a job at a U.S. mint. The mint is requiring a background check. I am technically still on probation for a D.U.I. from last year. I'm wondering if they will flat out reject me or if they are more concerned about things like theft or violence. I want to hear what you guys have to say first as I would rather my employer did not know about my D.U.I. Not that they would care, it would just be embarrassing for me. If I have no chance at passing the background check I will decline the job but I could really use it. Let me know what you guys think and again, if this is the wrong place to post I apologize and will go where directed.

Edit: Woops, location: Northern California, United States

Answer:
 You need to be 100% truthful. Not declaring it will definitely throw a flag -- I see people get hired (on the federal level at least with secret clearances) with stuff like this. They will find out.

I currently work in federal hr; used to work for a federal contractor.


Title: Got accused of breaking and entering and breaking things.

Question: [deleted]

Answer:
 In my experience, do you know who offers to pay for damages that they didn't cause?

No one.


Title: Kicked out of class for being late

Question: I go to a junior college and I have chemistry lab every Wednesday morning at 10. Unfortunately, this morning I spent about 20 minutes driving around the parking lot looking for a spot and ended up being about 15 minutes late. As I entered the classroom my teacher told me I had to leave because I was too late to join. (It's a 3 hour lab, and the actual experiment doesn't start until an hour into the period) I'm wondering, as I pay a fee for enrollment and a fee for the class, can a teacher legally disqualify me for participating if I'm late?

Answer: I'm speechless.


Title: Can’t show up to jury duty tomorrow

Question:
Tomorrow at 8am my girlfriend has jury duty but we now live in a different county and won’t be able to show up, what should we do?
We’ve been trying to get in contact with the court for the past couple hours but they’re closed and as far as we’ve found there’s no way to tell the courts this through the automated stuff.
We’re in Florida btw

Answer:
 If she received a summons to appear then she must appear.  If there is any procedure for transferring jury duty service by phone to a different county, the time to do that has likely passed.  I can tell you that where I practice law, you cannot transfer your jury duty service to a different county by telephone.  You must appear and explain to the judge that  you now live in a different county, and he can then dismiss you from service.  Bottom line, she will have to show up tomorrow morning.Answer #2: She only found out about jury duty this weekend?  I find that rather difficult to believe.  When she received the summons she should have contacted the court in the other county to get a waiver.  Sadly, it seems she waited entirely too long.

She'll need to be there tomorrow or face the possibility of an arrest warrant for contempt of court.Answer #3: She needs to change her address, such as through her voter registration, state ID, or driver's license. If she doesn't have any of these, you're probably going to need to bring some new proof of address to the courthouse, and explain the situation. This is a good reason for her to at least have a state ID card: so the state can keep an accurate address on file.

In my experience, they'll update the info, tell you to go home, and they in about a week she'll get a summons from her updated county.


Title: [CALIFORNIA] Landlord wants to evict my brother. Says he has to be out by 5/31

Question:
My brother just told me he and his 6(?) roommates are getting evicted from their house because the owner wants to refurbish it all (and eventually sell it) and they have to be out by May 31. He is under the impression that because they are month-to-month the landlord has no legal requirement to let them stay any longer.

I am not sure if there are other factors at play such as lack of rent (doubtful) or severe damage(very possible). They are early twenties party people living together and there have been problems in the past, but as far as I know the owner has never mentioned it being an issue.

[Here](http://imgur.com/G0g46Wx) is the notice they received.

Please help me. My brother is a good kid who has done everything he can to stay afloat. He can't afford to be kicked out.

Answer:
 This notice complies with CA law. Your brother, and his roommates, need to move out by May 31st or face eviction (which will make it difficult to ever rent another home again). There's nothing illegal or unfair here.

> He is under the impression that because they are month-to-month the landlord has no legal requirement to let them stay any longer.

He is correct, unless they have lived there for more than a year - in which case 60 days notice is required.


Title: Restaurant owner forcing employees to pay for errors? How do I approach the owner and remind them that this is illegal?

Question:
Hello!

I am a waitress and have always just dealt with the fact that restaurant owners often charge waitstaff for broken glasses/plates and some errors that occur with clients tickets.  I have always understood this to be illegal and it is simply the cost of doing business for the owners.

OK, so recently, I had a 26 top dine for a wedding rehearsal dinner at my restaurant and I mistakenly forgot to tally the appetizers that were purchased.  The owner of the company says I have to pay for it (total of over $250...Ill get to this in a second). Needless to say, I cant afford to have my wages docked for this (Im a freaking waitress after all).  I want to keep my job but how do you suggest I go about telling the owner that it is illegal to charge me for it, without going through a whole law-suit?

The total charge is over $250 which is the gross value of the appetizers plus tax and gratuity (for the other waiter that helped with the table).  I even had a manager on duty look over the check before I presented it to the table!  I just cant imagine that I am liable for this, and I want to educate my bosses on workplace law.  Any help would be soooo much appreciated!

Location is New Hampshire USA

Answer:
 Here's the [NH law](http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XXIII/275/275-48.htm).  It doesn't look like they can deduct for this, certainly not without your permission.

The problem is, they can fire you for the mistake itself.Answer #2: Location is not optional for this question.


Title: Roommate dilemma

Question:
Location is Nebraska.

I own my house, but after my divorce I couldn't afford to live there alone, so I've had roommates. After my best friend moved out earlier this year, an acquaintance of mine moved in.

Around August she flipped out on me over some dishes in the sink because the sink was clogged.  I was struggling with trying to find a plumber I could afford to deal with it, but she wasn't hearing me. She didn't care what I had to do to get it fixed, it wasn't her problem because she paid to live there and deserved not to live in filth (her words). I have screenshots of that conversation. She told me she was moving out as soon as she could find a place, and threatened to withhold the remaining rent for August.  I told her she was welcome to seek new housing, but as long as she was going to live in my house, she would be paying her bills.

She did pay the remainder of August. As well as September. I didn't receive October's money until the very end of the month, along with a note that she was planning to vacate end of November. That was fine with me because we never recovered from the August issue, although I did get the sink fixed ($800 that I'll be making payments on for a very long time).

So the end of November was approaching and I hadn't gotten any money from her. I texted her about it 11/23, she said she was working on it.

I texted her again 11/29 and got no answer.

12/1 she said she didn't have my money yet, but she would get paid on Friday (12/7). I said fine.

12/8 she came to retrieve the last of her belongings, but left without paying me. I texted her to ask about it and got no reply. I texted her again yesterday, no reply. I'm worried she's going to ghost me and not pay the $734 she owes me.

I didn't have her sign a roommate agreement when she moved in, but I have screenshots of the texts where she said she would pay me. If I take her to small claims court, do I have a shot of getting my money?

Thanks.

Answer: Keep all evidence you have of her committing to paying.  And if she had items there on 12/8, she could still be considered a tenant any may owe money for December also.


Title: [Canada/US] Is my girlfriend allowed to enter the US?

Question:
Im not going on this trip but my girlfriend (she’s 16 and yes I’m 16 too) wants to go the US this weekend with her best friend and her family. We all live in canada (Winnipeg to be exact). She does not have a passport. I know she can’t enter with a birth certificate anymore because she’s 16, but her best friend + best friend’s family all have passports. Is it possible she could enter the US since she is part of a group?

Apologies for the stupid question and thanks in advance for all your help!

Answer: Nope. Needs to get a passport. The boarder will not let her through without a passport. It’s not as easy to cross the boarder as it once was.  Answer #2: Highly unlikely


Title: So..legally-speaking, where does Facebook counter-fraud sit, judicially-wise?

Question: I've got some little nincompoop from the Ivory Coast on the hook haha, I think this was their first attempt, with nothing more than Netstat commands and whatnot I just terrified one, told him from now on I own his stupid ass and 60% of any revenue he makes doing this is goes to my paypal or I'm dumping his entire world into the laps of the RCMP cybercrime division and Interpol. ;)

Answer: So... you're committing extortion and calling it "counter-fraud?"  Have I got that right?


Title: Dentist did not do preventative work and now my kid needs braces. Can I go after the dentist for the cost of the braces?

Question:
Michigan (Ottawa county)

About 2 years ago my oldest child went to the dentist and had some decay in both of her child molars. The dentist pulled them. I was not at this appointment and was not aware that any teeth would be pulled. My husband was there and was not told about the plan to pull the teeth. She was 5/6 ish when this happened. They did give her a local anesthetic but she said she still felt pain. I know she felt pain. Everyone in the entire building knew. Because she flipped out. Crying, screaming, yet they kept pulling. My husband was scared. He didn't know what to do. He let them continue to pull the teeth. The whole ordeal really only took about 5 minutes. But my daughter was traumatized.

That was when we first moved to this area. I have since taken her to a wonderful dentistry who has almost completely changed her view by giving her positive experiences.

However, yesterday we found out that where the molars were pulled, there is not enough room for her adult molars to come in. The new dentist said that the dentist who pulled the teeth should have put in spacers. Now she needs braces.

Here's my dilemma. Her current dental plan doesn't cover braces. At all. We would have to pay out of pocket. If I could find a way to get her on my plan (open enrollment literally just ended last week) we would still have an $1800 copay, but at least wouldn't be out of pocket 3-5 grand.

I feel like I should be able to go after that first dentist for this cost. What should I do?

My husband did sign a consent for treatment form, so I do not expect to be able to do anything about him just being an asshole.

Edit to add: I think I may have left out the important fact that braces are looking to be about 2-3 years down the road.

Answer: You can consult with a medical malpractice attorney about whether or not you have a case. These consultations are typically free. If you do, and you sue and win, you can use that money to help pay for her braces.


Title: I KEEP GETTING parking tickets for expired tabs. Parked on a city street.

Question:
Live in Washington, Seattle to be exact.

I have expired tabs on my car, which is parked on the city street. I have not been driving it.

I tried getting my tabs renewed, but could not, because there was a hold on my account for unpaid toll fees. I paid the fees. Was told it would take up to 3 days for my fees to process before I could renew my tabs. Fine.

I waited 3 days, went to renew again, and due to a clerical error on the part of the toll fee company, the hold is STILL on my account. So now I have to wait another three days to renew my tabs (business days, so at this point, probably not till next Tuesday)

This is all fine but I KEEP GETTING PARKING TICKETS for expired tabs. Literally, every single day, EVEN TWICE IN ONE DAY.

I have not moved my car. It's just sitting there. Is this legal?? Is there not some limit to the amount of tickets you can be given for one single thing?? What's to keep them from just sitting there all day, writing me an infinite amount of tickets??

Basically, do I have any recourse here, to protect myself from further tickets while I wait to be able to renew my tabs? Or is there any way to retroactively fight the numerous duplicate tickets I've been given? Thanks in advance for the help.

Answer:
 Yes, this is legal. Your issues with the fines are your own fault. Park the car somewhere private in the meantime, if possible. Answer #2: Some places require CURRENT registration to be used/parked on a public road. It sounds like you are on a public street. Sucks but it's legal. See if you have a family member or friend where you can park your car on their private property.

I feel your pain, my tags are about to expire and the DMV will not renew my plates until my license plate transfer is complete (traded in my car a few weeks ago) and the DMV can take up to a month to finish the process.  So I'll have a brand new car that I shouldn't be driving for a few weeks until the DMV hurries the hell up.


Title: Kids have been taken by CPS on neglect accusations. Hearing on day after Christmas.

Question:
[deleted]
Topic:
CPS and Dependency Law

Answer:
 I'm not a lawyer, but here are my thoughts.

Let's assume your parents are kind and wonderful people who are doing the best they can by some very troubled young boys.

It is still really easy to see how bad this could look to an outsider. I can't see being forced to sleep in a bathroom looking reasonable to anyone, but maybe that's me not having parented an adolescent.

The part about stealing food also doesn't look great. Someone else could question whether they are hungry or not. And the fact that there was an alarm to prevent them from getting extra food could, again, sound problematic to an outsider.

As far as character witnesses go, I'm sure there are lots of abusive people who could produce wonderful references because they are able to behave differently in public from how they do in private. I'd also say that there are plenty of extreme disciplinary methods that have many devoted adherents and yet are still considered abusive by the law.

I'm not saying that any of this is true about your parents. But you should be aware of how it may look to others (which it sounds like you are).

It also sounds from your post like you are a) older and b) do not live with your parents and their adopted children. Do consider that you may not have all of the information needed to judge whether there is a problem.


Title: Inspector lied and signed off

Question: So my husband  and I are first time home owners, and we’ve only been in this house 8mo. Well two days ago we had a massive flood and got a foot of water in the house. Well, we started tearing out the carpet and noticed all the huge cracks in the foundation. Now, we were told that it was fixed and we paid for someone else to inspect it to double check. They said it was fine and signed off that it was fixed. I’m no expert, but water was coming from these cracks and you can clearly see the bubbles coming up from them. I even have a video of it, so what steps can I take? Is there anything I can do about this? I think it’s fraudulent but I honestly don’t know what I’m dealing with here. The foundation is definitely cracked in multiple spots and we just lost almost everything we own because of this. So, what legal steps..if any..can we take to get something done about this?

Answer:
 You can contact the inspector who signed off as well as the contractor that performed the work.

You can also file a claim with your home insurance company.


Title: Neighbor attempted to break into my apt and threatened my roommate and my lives

Question:
Me and my friend rent an apartment that is part of a larger house that is broken into 3 apartments. We have a neighbor living in the apt below us who to me seemed a bit off but we didn't ever interact with him unless he was around when we leave or arrive at the apartment. Hes always up at odd hours and I can hear him yelling all kinds of nasty things on his phone conversations, drops the N word a lot, leaves his apt door wide open all night, and all around is a weird person.

So this past weekend he had some sort of episode where he believed that I stole from him and was determined to break into my apt. Friday night leading into early Saturday morning around 3am he started going on a rampage. He destroyed two doors in the hallway and almost forced his way into my apt by repeatedly trying to break the door. He was walking up and down the street knocking on other neighbors door yelling things like "the end is near". This is all coming from my roommate as i was out of town all weekend.

My roommate called the landlord as well as the cops and he was taken in for a psychiatric evaluation and the landlord told us he is going to file for eviction. The neighbor was released after 24 hrs and is now back at the apartment. Me and my roommate do not feel safe and im also curious why he was released after trying to break into our apartment and also threatening us. The other neighbors mentioned that he may have a gun as well. Our landord has offered to give us our rent back and even break the lease. We are going to think about that option but I would like to know what legal options we have or what steps should we take to keep tgis guy away from us. I just got back from my trip and dont have anywhere to go but as I dont feel safe at my apartment. We love our apartment and the rent is significantly less expensive than any other place in the area so we would rather not have to move out.

This happened in Atlanta, GA

Answer: Your landlord is being very nice. He has no obligation to let you break your lease.


Title: Landlord held showing with no prior notice

Question:
The title gives the gist of it, really. I rent a place with some friends in NJ, for background info.

Landlords have always been shitty but today was the worst. I woke up to hear voices coming from our kitchen, the landlord’s and an unknown woman’s. I hear them approaching my room, and I was undressed. I quickly put on some clothes and as soon as I hear my doorknob jingling I shout “NO!” And then he has the gall to tell me to come out so he can introduce me to the woman, while I look like I just rolled out of bed, because I did.

I immediately let my other roommate know (the 3rd moved out on Monday), and he was also pissed. He did some quick research and came to the conclusion that they can do a showing without our consent but they still need to give prior notice regardless, which they did not do. We both agree we do want to take some sort of action because of all the other shit they’ve put us through, but we don’t want to go to court if there’s really nothing to gain. Our lease ends at the end of this month.
Topic:
Landlord Tenant Housing

Answer:
 If the landlord called that 3rd roommate, and that roommate never told you guys he was coming, it's a legal notice of entry and there isn't anything you can do about it except ask him to call a different number in the future.

Or, go talk to a tenant resource center near you.Answer #2: Don't you have a deadbolt, door chain, or other "lock from the inside only" type of device that you would use when you are home? If so, start using it...

It seems like you're aware that the landlord needs to provide proper notice to show the apartment, so that's good. You likely don't have any real recourse over one instance of this, but I would contact the landlord and express your displeasure with the situation and tell them it's not acceptable going forward. If they continue to show up unannounced, you are within your rights to deny them entry. Further, you are not legally required to clean the apartment nor to leave for showings. You could potentially make these showings very uncomfortable for everyone involved (sit in the living room naked, leave porn laying around, etc) if they continue to be a pain in your ass.


Title: My dad died & wife is screwing me & sister, anything to be done?

Question:
I know description for this community says simple legal questions. I'll try to make this as simple as possible. My dad died very suddenly in September. His will dictated that 50% goes to me and my sister, 50% his evil, abusive wife. But he also made her executrix (executor, whatever) of the estate. (Under duress, I am sure, as a different will naming someone else mysteriously went missing..) His colleague has been settling his open cases (dad was a lawyer), and sending the proceeds to the estate..which of course means his wife, who's kept every cent. She for some reason paid a PA attorney thousands, when this is a Delaware estate.. So basically dad's friend sends checks to this PA lawyer who is paid simply to pass them in to dad's wife. So meeting w PA lawyer was useless. He said he's never even seen a funeral bill, that the wire is just using the money "as she sees fit", she doesn't intend to ever pay the outstanding debts my father had. She's just paying all her personal bills and expenses with it.
And I am aware of some facts that prove she is not legally competent to be an executor of any sort of estate.
But apparently, it's impossible to petition to have someone removed pro se in DE. No one will tell me what forms I need, as it's "giving legal advice".
I can't afford a lawyer. And all the free legal services I'm eligible for, are in my state of residence, which is not the state the estate is in.
Is there anything I can do? Contacting the Register of Wills did nothing, because dad's wife has lied and told them the estate is "pending litigation", so she's exempt from having to account for anything, show receipts, inventory, etc so long as this bs litigation is going on. I even asked the PA atty she listed as representing the estate for this fictional litigation, he said he's not representing the estate for any litigation.
So, if you have any advice, I'd be very grateful.

Sorry if this is too long, if there's a way to put the story behind a cut tag or something, let me know and I'll do it.

Answer: You'll need an estate attorney to sort through all of this, it's very doubtful you'll be able to fight this alone.


Title: My teacher limits us to twice a week for leaving the classroom for water or using the bathroom.

Question: I was wondering if this violated any US laws, because it is getting annoying.

Answer:
 If someone has a qualified disability (IBS, Crohn's, endometriosis, for examples), then they would probably be able to get more breaks written into a plan.

Otherwise, it would depend on facts, district policies, state policies, whether a judge cared, who wants to spend money to argue it in court, etc.

The simplest manner would be to complain up: Principal -> District administration -> School Board. Answer #2: Just from my perspective, I have students constantly out in the halls 'going to the bathroom'. No one has to pee that much unless they have a medical issue. I have also caught kids vaping or smoking joints in the bathroom, or on one occasion halfway to doin' it. It's the ones that take advantage that ruin it. So what would you have us do? I am legally responsible for my students while they are in my class. I mean, I get it, you have to go when you have to go- and I don't get unreasonable about it- but how should I solve my problem?Answer #3: sidenote if you have ibs, endometriosis, bladder problems or anything that would make the 2x/week situation grueling, try to get an IEP*

edit: 504*


Title: Can I get in any legal trouble for leaving when my parents say not too?

Question: I am currently 18 years old and a senior in HS. Every year the senior class goes to a big trip to the beach after prom where everyone parties, and my parents are saying I can't go cause they don't want to risk my scholarship. could they call the cops on me or something if I went anyway? Living in the tristate area of NY NJ and PA

Answer:
 Legally speaking, they can't physically stop you from going to the party. As an adult, you are responsible for your comings and goings.

Practically speaking they can legally give you a lot of trouble. Because you are an adult, they could start charging you rent. They could, with proper notice, kick you out of the house. If they own your car, they could take it back. If they were planning to help you pay for college, they don't have to. If they pay your cell phone bill, they could cut off service to it. They could even go so far as to tip off the cops about the party, which is almost guaranteed to have alcohol at it.

Really, you need to decide for yourself if this party is worth going to.Answer #2: Your parents are worried that you will get into trouble and lose your scholarship, which can affect you and your family for the rest of your life. You want to do what you want to do that affects you for one night.

College is expensive. Repaying student loans for YEARS after college sucks. Scholarships are hard to come by and unless your family is well off, you need to do whatever you can to ke
ep your scholarship. It will help you and your family financially for YEARS to come.
Don't be selfish. Avoid the beach and the party and go with your friends another day. Maintain the family peace and respect your parents wishes.
Answer #3: They can't call he cops and make you come home. They can call the cops and bust the party. They could also kick you out and not pay for your college. Is it worth it? Next year there are so many parties.


Title: Can a father of record block a paternity test he does not want?

Question:
(USA MAINE)

A friend of mine is currently in a legal battle to establish primary physical custody of his two sons, both of whom have lived ONLY with him since April. Their mother has declined to see them more than once a month for several hours... now that he is trying to establish their residence with him so that he can stop paying support for them to her, she is fighting it and brought up getting a paternity test on the younger of the two during mediation... my friend knows there is a very strong possibility that the younger child is NOT biologically his, but would prefer that the child didn't know this as he is the only father the child has ever known. He believes this is a tactic on her part to get him to drop his case. Can he block this maneuver somehow?

Answer:
 He can try. But an attorney is really needed hereAnswer #2: >He believes this is a tactic on her part to get him to drop his case.

He needs to get an attorney but it's likely this "tactic" will have zero effect.  The courts almost always rule what's in the best interest of the child (in their eyes) and who the biological father is probably has no impact on the situation.  If they find out that he's not the father, what happens then?  Nothing, unless the biological father is showing up and is affluent, caring, and demonstrably interested in raising his child.Answer #3: My experience is in IN, so your state may be different but the courts do not like to leave children without a father. If they were married when the child was born he is legally dad. Add to that the continued relationship with the child, they have developed a bond.

The only thing that would convince the court otherwise (in my jurisdiction) would be if someone came along claiming *he* was the father, contested the paternity, and demanded a test.

But even then the court can be hesitant to move forward given there is already a legal father out of concern for the best interests of the child. When I encountered this situation, it was only taken seriously when there was an actual contesting potential biological father.

*IANAL but worked in and around the family court system


Title: FMLA denied, now I'm facing termination. Fertility treatment is supposed to be covered by FMLA.

Question:
[Washington state] Last minute I had to ditch work because my wife can't self-inject her daily meds without fainting.   I needed 8 days off to complete our treatment.  Our fertility clinic was out of state.

I initially tried for just LOA because I am somewhat infertile myself and had to have some intervention.  The instant I mentioned fertility my employer wouldn't process it as LOA.

 I gave as much notice as I could (2 days).  Now I'm facing termination. Please help!

Answer:
 How large is the company and how long have you been there?   If it's under 50 within a 75 mile radius, they don't have to offer FMLA.   And you have to work there for a year to qualify, as well.

Also, giving your wife injections may not meet the standard.   You aren't caring for her because she is seriously ill.   Where does it say fertility treatments for another person are covered?

How often does she need the injections that you have to take entire days off of work?   Could you ask a family member to help?


Title: Being sued for a car accident two weeks before statue of limitations is up... RI

Question:
Hey everyone...
So, as the title says here I am being sued by a banker who I was involved in an accident with. This happened almost three years ago. I was making a left (not a protected turn) and this guy comes barreling down, very obviously going faster than the speed limit for what was just a school zone. I’d almost cleared the intersection when he hit me on my rear quarter panel and wheel. We never spoke to each other, the cops came and took our information and that was that.

I started receiving letters stating that he was suing my insurance and that my presence was requested. Due to school and illness (I’m a disabled college student), i did not make the hearing.

Now, i fly across the country to visit my family a couple of weeks ago and the mailman comes to my parents door and says he has something my dad needs to sign for. This slime ball had this sent to my parents house probably in the hopes that I wouldn’t get it in time and judgment would be rendered (I was given 20 days, 2 have passed.) I just got home at 3 am after flying all day so I’m barely able to get on top of this now.

So, not only is he suing me, he is also suing the owner of the car. I was insured to drive this vehicle at the time. Now they’re worried that they could go after their house.

So, I’m calling my insurance and faxing paperwork in. I’m waiting to hear back from them as I don’t know what even ended up happening with the lawsuit against them. He is alleging negligence on my behalf (the liability was split, he was found 25% liable and I was found 75% liable... which is BS if you ask me but whatever) and owner liability for the owner of the car.

He had only been requesting about $15,000 in lost wages from my insurance and he was not severely injured. These are lost wages FOR A WEEK. I’m impoverished and chronically ill and trying to make it through school. The paperwork sent to me doesn’t state how much he is trying to get from me. I really can’t afford a lawyer, my only possession is a car right now. Could he garnish my wages? What should I do? I called free legal aid and they said they don’t do lawsuits.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Answer: Your insurance should defend you and will pay up to the maximum limit of your policy if they have to.


Title: [NV] My girlfriend got into a car accident. No license

Question:
Nevada.

&#x200B;

My girlfriend used my car to drive to school because she was late. She isn't on my insurance nor has a license or learner's permit. She got into an accident when she was heading back home. I offered to pay out of pocket to repair the other person's car. He initially agreed but today he called me saying that he went ahead and called the insurance company. What can I do do minimize expenses on my end? I don't want her to get in trouble. My friend told me that the penalty for driving with no license is $10,000. I cannot afford that.
Topic:
Traffic and Parking

Answer: It's a fine up to $1,000 and up to 6 months in jail if she gets charged. That's for the state of Nevada.


Title: Gun Ownership Michigan

Question: I live in Michigan. My apartment will not allow for Dogs. I would have to register it as an emotional support dog in order to have one. In order to have an emotional support dog, I would need to get a Doctors note for some kind of small mental disorder, anxiety/sleep disorder etc. However I own guns, and I'm worried it would affect gun ownership? Ive been trying to research and have not been able to figure out how a small diagnosis might affect gun laws and how so in Michigan?

Answer: Don't commit fraud by lying to a doctor to get a note for your dog. Answer #2: You're exactly the type of asshole who ruins it for people who really need an ESA and makes everybody else instantly skeptical of ESAs.  You made a choice to sign a lease that said no pet dogs. So you get to live with your choice. You can move out at the end of your lease to a place that does allow pet dogs.  Do you even understand one tiny bit how much of a dick move it is to lie to get a "ESA" you don't really need?


Title: Is misgendering a transperson a crime?

Question:
Specifically in Canada but i am interested in knowing about the law in other places 2
Edit: yes all crimes vary by location. Thanks.

Edit:details: deliberately refusing to use the preferred gender pronouns of a transgender classmate or coworker

Answer:
 A quick search shows that Ontario Human Rights Code grants protection for gender expression/identity.  That being said, misgendering someone is not in itself a crime. Misgendering someone as part of a series of transphobic behaviour could be an actionable offense. Answer #2: Of course it varies by location.

It's not a crime in the US


Title: UPDATE: [MA] Unemployment - harassed by former employer?

Question:
First post here: http://www.reddit.com/r/legaladvice/comments/3b40z9/massachusetts_unemployment_harassment_from_former/

So, there's been an uh... new development that I'm pretty upset about. For the purposes of this story, I'm going to use fake names for my former employers for the sake of privacy. I'm a nanny, and was caring for two young children. I'll refer to their parents as Bob and Wendy.

I didn't end up responding to Bob when he called the 25th. His voicemail just basically said to give him a call back with no details as to what it was in regards too.

Nothing from them until today. I got a text early this afternoon from Wendy (whom I did most of my communicating with when I worked for them) which just said hey could you give Bob or I a call when you have a minute? I was out with my fiancee at a doctors appointment but called as soon as I got home. As my fiancee predicted... the call was in regards to my unemployment status. I'm upset and hurt by some of the things said in the call... but am unsure of what I should/could do about this.

The circumstances surrounding my employment with them are this: Their nanny was pregnant. I started working for them the 2nd week of January. I had interviewed in November. When I was hired we talked about my wage and all that and I asked how I'd be paid (on or off the books) they said they had done both ways before and I could pick. I chose to do it on the books just to keep things legit and for there to be like an established work history, and I like getting my taxes back & direct deposit. All but one of my previous jobs have been on the books so I just like that. Their accountant told them they could put me on their company's payroll (this company is not a nanny related company the couple I work for just happens to run a business) which they did. Nanny had her baby in February and came back to work on June 10th. I had been told by the agency that placed me with them finding a job would be no problem in June but lo and behold it's June. I have no job, and lots of bills. I applied for unemployment, and was approved.

I called Wendy, no answer. Called Bob the call went something like this:

Bob: Hey fightmyfeelings, how's it going?

Me: Hey! Things are alright, how are you guys?

Bob: Oh we're good just getting things ready for the 4th of July, they're still working on the yard.

Me: Sounds fun bet the kids are excited. So, I got the text from Wendy....

Bob: Yes right, thanks for calling me. So... I noticed you filed for unemployment. Was that an accident?

Me: Uh, no... it wasn't.

Bob: Oh... I'm not really sure why you filed since that's really only for people who are laid off you know.

Me: Well when I filed there were lots of options to file under I picked the one that fit the situation best and then used their form to further explain.

Bob: Well, I was hoping you'd reconsider, since you aren't actually entitled to it. This will effect our company for years down the line even if you're only on employment for a month. Our rates will go up for years.

Me: I'm sorry you feel that way. I certainly didn't file unemployment out of spite.

Bob: Well we feel we fulfilled our side of the arrangement (**NOTE- we had no written contract so there was no like... contract or arrangement or anything to actually fulfill they never said I couldn't file for unemployment and I def didn't plan to be unemployed.**) Both sides knew this was a temp arrangement, what you did was an underhanded thing.

Me: I didn't not get a job on purpose I was told by the agency they'd help me line something up and there just hasn't been anything yet. Like I said I didn't go out of my way to hurt you or your business.

Bob: We'd like to give you a good reference but we put you on payroll as a kind gesture, so we'd kind of expect the same from you. We never would have put you on the payroll if we knew you'd take advantage of us like this.

Me: I'm not sure what to say, I didn't take advantage of anything. From what I understand you guys aren't the only ones paying into it either. I was paid on payroll by my former employer who isn't texting or calling me about this.

Bob: Well, technically you aren't really entitled what reason did you give? Wendy reviewed it, but you shouldn't have gotten it.

Me: Well I filled out all their forms very carefully. I gave all the details about this job and my previous one and they approved me so clearly they thought I was entitled? I'm sorry you feel otherwise.

Bob: Well will you reconsider?

Me: Uh I'll think about it but I also need to think about my own financial situation.

Bob: Okay well I wish you luck in the future then.

Me: Okay, buh bye.

Is it just me or...
what the hell?

Am I wrong here? Honestly?

Topic:
Tax Law

Answer:
 "We put you on payroll as a kind gesture", hahaha, what an asshole. You hired someone because your nanny was out and you needed someone to watch your kids.

"Bob: Well, technically you aren't really entitled what reason did you give?"

END OF CONVERSATION. He's trying to dispute your claim and looking for dirt. Don't take their calls anymore. Looks like your fiance had a good read on the situation.Answer #2: General question: can you get unemployment if you had a job set for a certain amount of time already and it ended?


Title: Can his work keep using our personal bank account?

Question:
My husbands job (UK based) requires him to travel a few times a week resulting in work expenses. He has had a work bank card for the past 12 months (which worked from time to time) but it ran out in April (2018).

He has asked his boss and other people higher up in the company (there is only about 10 people who work there in total) to re-new his work bank card but after nearly 9 months they have made no effort to sort it out.

As he has to travel any expenses have been coming out of our personal joint bank account (computer parts, parking, petrol, food etc). His boss asked a few months back if he could go and buy 8 mice (costing around £80 in total), when he said no, I can't afford to keep using my personal bank they pretty much threatened to sack him by saying "So are you telling me you are refusing to work?".

Now his expenses DO get paid back to us every month but some months they can run up to nearly £200 out of our personal bank which with 3 kids isn't something we can always afford. Just today he has had to pay £80 for parking at the airport which we won't now get back until the 15th of Dec. He is also one of the lower paid employees at the company and isn't in any kind of managerial position.

Does he have any rights to say no and can they sack him for him refusing to use his personal bank account for expenses?

Answer:
 Not legal advice on this topic, but just general advice.

Could he get a credit card for these work expenses? Especially if its a points card, this might end up resulting in free money for having to pay for work stuff.


Title: This is so messed up...I just wanted a nice pool..(Florida)

Question:
I got a few quotes to redo my pool two months ago, went with a company that I liked because of the main guy I spoke to. They started the work, and this other guy shows up and is apparently responsible forthe tile and actual resurface, while the main guy is to do the pump and water balance.

The quote I got was everything listed to the final thing being that the water would be balanced (sallt system). I paid about half upfront, work naturally started a week after they said. Upon completion of the resurface, this second guy starts blowing up my phone for payment on the final half. I called the main guy and told him about this and he said they would be balancing it still and had to wait a month to put the salt in.

Apparently there's no communication between them because the second guy keeps calling. I call him back and say to talk to the main guy, I don't feel like dealing with two people that obviously should be talking to each other about this. ( He googled me and where I work and started calling there as well.)

I talk with the main guy because I was concerned about some green spots on the side of the pool that is not from algae. He says that they will go away once the water is balanced. I then proceeded to write a check for the other half and give to him. The weekend passes and the green spots are still on the wall. I cancel the check because I didn't want to have full payment when there's still issues with the water balance. They have been coming out about 3 times since that cancelled check. This has been in a span of about a week. I get a call today from the second guy saying that he will call his lawyer to put a lien on my house if I don't call him back by 5 p.m. tomorrow. I also got a call from the main guy saying he's coming out tomorrow to do some more balancing of the water.

I have the quote and the signed contract for the work to be done. I feel it is not done yet as the water is not balanced yet. I'm also concerned about these green spots which sounds like they are going to try to blame me for. I don't want to deal with a possible lien on the house but it seems that this is kind of ridiculous. My question is should I even call back the second guy or keep dealing with the main guy? I have come to find out that the main guy is in the process or already has bought out this whole business from the second guy. I think that's why there is some disconnect. I don't feel that it's my job to be solving their business model for selling and who gets paid for what after I cut a check to the general company. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Answer:
 This is sort of a side note, but I have a salt pool system and the whole green spots that are not algae and "balancing" the water sounds like BS to me.

Do the green spots rub off?  anyway,

That being said, there are great, great people on /r/pools who can tell you about that and have given be excellent detailed pool advice and info more than once.Answer #2: Whose name is on the contract?  That's the person you have a legal relationship with.  Agency law can get tricky, but since you (apparently) had nothing to do with this other contractor, it's safe to assume that guy's working for the primary.

If I were in your shoes, I would contact the primary contractor and ask for a quick *in person* meeting between the three of you.  Tell him you're confused, and you just want a quick project meeting to make sure everything is still on schedule.  Don't call the second contractor directly, tell the primary that if he needs a sub that's fine, but there are some communication issues and you want to work them out.  That's all, nothing overly formal, and nothing threatening, just a fifteen minute talk.

See what he says and go from there.


Title: Apartment Not In Agreed Upon Condition - Should I Try to Break Lease?

Question:
Two months ago we signed a 12 month lease at a unit after a showing while the previous inhabitants were still in the unit. We also paid a deposit and the first month's rent to the landlord. On may 30th, the landlord left the unit unlocked and we went to check out the unit, only to find that the plaster on the ceiling and paint on two exterior walls was severely damaged due to water getting into the wall and ceiling. We contacted the landlord immediately via email with images and voiced our mold concerns. He called us and assured us the roof and walls would be repaired and checked for mold. He also assured us the work would be done by Monday the 6th and gave us two days off rent. The work involved removing ceiling plaster and dry wall, then painting roughly half the walls, so we informed the landlord we wouldn't be moving in until it was completed.

We went to check out the unit on June 4th (after the roofing was done which we have in writing; we moved in a few boxes of our belongings as well). It had rained that day and we saw clear signs of new water along on the fresh drywall and paint (dark brown discolorations and the ceiling was dripping).

We sent a similar email to the first (again voicing mold concerns). He assured us that his workers had checked for mold and this was just risidual mositure. I disagreed via email but eventually let it slide and figured we would keep an eye on it.

The painting work still wasn't done the night of the seventh, so we called and he sent painters up the next evening. The paint was still wet on the 9th, and we left on the tenth to go out of town. We returned yesterday, and the paint is bubbling severely, new damage had occurred to the ceiling plaster, and we see visible mold growth in two rooms. We again sent an email with images, and he said he would send someone out to look at it.

His contractor now says that he is going to completely redo the walls in the unit and thinks it will be done by Monday. At this point, we just want out of the lease and I am curious if we could have a viable claim in court if it comes to that. The lease does say that we are to sign a "preoccupancy report" acknowledging our acceptance of the unit which we were never presented with. I did bring this up with the landlord on the phone, but neglected to get it in writing.

Edit: We are in Omaha, Nebraska.

Any advice would be appreciated and I would love to clarify anything or provide more info where needed. Thanks for reading!

Answer: Apt Mgr here, just go talk to him, ask for him to let you out of the lease and return your deposit (be nice),  more than likely he will let you out.  Some times things get screwed up and it's better not to start a lease this way.


Title: [California] House's previous owner had incompetent roofing work done. Do we have any legal options?

Question:
We bought this house in September 2012 from a "flipper" who had remodeled the entire house, including the roof.   The permit for his roofing work is dated May 1st 2012, and it lists the name of the contractor who performed the work;  however we don't have a copy of the contract, the exact date of the work, or any other information about how the work was done.

The disclosures from the previous owner stated that he knew of "no significant defects/malfunctions in the roof".

Our home inspection stated that no adverse conditions were noted in the roof, but added a disclaimer that stated: *[t]he foregoing is an opinion of the general quality and condition of the roofing material. The inspector cannot and does not offer an opinion or warranty as to whether the roof leaks or may be subjected to future leakage. This report is issued in consideration of the foregoing disclaimer. The only way to determine whether a roof is absolutely water tight is to observe it during a prolonged rainfall. Many times, this situation is not present during the inspection.*

Fast forward to today:  starting two or three months ago, we have noticed water leaking into the ceiling.  We've had two contractors inspect the roof, and both agree that the roofing material was laid in an completely incompetent manner (they basically put layers of material down in the wrong order).  We've had two quotes, both around $7000, to fix it.  One of the contractors we spoke to recommended that we explore the possibility of legal action.

Do we have a legal claim against any of:

* the previous owner
* the incompetent roofing contractor
* the inspectors

Bonus question (for my curiosity) -- if the previous owner had never sold the house, would he have a claim against the contractors?

Thank you!

Answer: How are people just saying "no" to this? Plenty of roofers provide a transferable warranty that would cover you in this case. If they are reputable, you could very likely contact them and work it out. If they aren't, you'd need a copy of the agreement, maybe available from the sellers. At the very least, try contacting the roofers in good faith.


Title: My brother the Lawyer

Question:
Tennessee. I have attempted to use my brother as my attorney before. He is an excellent attorney. I attempted to hire him once for a small but important job. He refused payment and said he would handle it with the family discount. I refused because it had a time line and I was worried he would not get it done as he has a history of this when it comes to family. He insisted,  and of course did not come through on the deadline and I lost an important contract because of it. Even as the deadline approached he stated he had it under control and still missed it. I have not asked him to do any work since then.

My mother is getting on in years and is having trouble with decision making and memory. The three brothers decided to have a conservator ship drawn up for her. Brother the lawyers says he would do it. My other brother and I then said that no we could hire it out and he would not hear of it. We reminded him how he gives excellent service to non family but had issues with getting things done for family. He would not hear of it. So in the middle of March he took the job and every two months my non attorney brother or myself remind him and he gets mad and says he will get on it. Now 9 months have passed and no job has been done.

Is there a way to turn him in to the state for malpractice. This is a time sensitive matter as one of the things demented people do is suddenly insist that there is nothing wrong and  they need help.

Is he sueable if she decides to "take care of her self"?

Thank you.

Answer:
 Hire an attorney, ignore your lazy lawyer brother.

If you're really pissed file a bar complaint against him and have a really awkward Christmas dinner.Answer #2: Yes, you can file a complaint with whichever agency in Tennessee is in charge of attorney licensing and discipline.

Note however that it isn't clear to me who the client is in this situation. It may be the case that the client needs to file such a complaint for it to carry any weight.

Also, it is a very, very, very bad idea for an attorney to draft these kinds of documents where the attorney will be personally involved in the facts. This leads to charges of undue influence and conflicts of interest and can really, really mess things up if the estate proceedings get sideways.


Title: Do the employment pregnancy discrimination laws cover the spouse of a pregnant woman in any way?

Question: I'm in Tennessee. I'll spare the story and just ask; can my employer fire me because they found out my wife is pregnant? I'm fully aware of the at-will nature of my employment, so I'm assuming it's legal and I'll just have to apply for unemployment while I seek a new job. But I figured I'd ask anyway. Thanks all.

Answer:
 >I'll spare the story and just ask; can my employer fire me because they found out my wife is pregnant?

No, no. I need to hear this one.


Title: Gfs mom get 1200 tmobile loan for phone and tablet. Shes not even am authorized user

Question:
New York---Gfs mother who we have on our account was able to get a new galaxy s8 and tablet with all the expensive in store accesories. $1200 dollars later we find out what she did. Somehow was able to become an authorized user and just went completely behind our backs. She hasnt even paid for her line in 3 months. I gave her the ultimatum to get her own account amd move the equipment to it or we will drop her by tomorrow evening. Ive got the feeling she isn't going to. I'm wondering what happens after we drop her line with that loan on it. Any info would be great, thanks reddit...

Edit: r/titlegore

Answer:
 The key issue is how she managed to get added as an authorized user. If she "social engineered" the T-Mobile rep, it should be t-mobile's problem (but they'll spout BS in order to try to con you into paying the bill. If she forged the signature of the account holder, she committed a crime - account holder (didn't specify if that's you, gf, or someone else) needs to either file a police report or suck it up and pay the charges (there is no option 3 in family identity theft cases).

Gf needs to check her credit report to see if her mom is applying for other credit in her name.

If you're the account holder, it's "line in the sand" time. Gf needs to decide which is more important to her - keeping mom from sticking you with bills, or keeping mom out of jail despite her crimes. If she chooses the latter, remember that YOU are well within your rights to file a police report which can land EX-gf's mother in jail.


Title: Assaulted by coworker. What do?

Question: [deleted]

Answer: Call the police.


Title: Best friend was raped on campus

Question:
I'm in Texas

So my best friend was raped one night a little over a month ago. She was blackout drunk and vomiting. A guy took her back to her dorm from the club. She only remembers throwing up and telling him no to sex. The next morning she woke up in pain and was bleeding, and her purse and phone were gone. I went with her to have a rape kit done and file the police report.  Since then the police found the guy but won't charge him because they said that can't prove he actually stole her stuff or that they had sex since there were no signs of trauma. During her rape kit the nurse told her that her cervix was torn from trauma, and she was a virgin so it wasn't from any other recent sexual encounter. The police are refusing to prosecute him for anything, either theft or assault. What can we do? I know title 9 is involved because it's on a campus but they're being absolutely useless too.

Edit: forgot to mention that the guy even admitted to the cops that she was vomiting and too drunk. Which under Texas law makes her unable to consent.

Answer:
 > the police found the guy but won't charge him because they said that can't prove he actually stole her stuff or that they had sex since there were no signs of trauma.

I think you misunderstood what the police said. The issue isn't trauma; the issue is whether they had sex. It sounds like the guy didn't admit that. And your friend can't remember whether it happened.

And even if the guy *did* admit they had sex, that might not be enough to make a case. When the only witness who can establish that a criminal act *occurred* is the defendant, it's difficult-to-impossible to convict him. [Corpus delicti](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_delicti) rule.

I actually got a charge dismissed one time using that rule. Probably the only time I'll ever have invoked it in my whole career.Answer #2: I don't understand how they found the guy or how they or she even know it's the guy.


Title: Possession of nude selfie considered child porn (CA)?

Question:
Throwaway account for obvious reasons...

Here it goes:  last night my wife accidentially walked in on our daughter (15) in the bathroom, where she (our daughter) was taking nude pictures of herself.  I mean not like pictures for documentation of, let's say weight loss/gain or "development" of her body, nor just out of curiosity what she looked like "down there" or anything else in that area, but clearly pictures that an objective bystander would consider "of a sexual nature" (I'd rather not go into details, I feel awkward enough, as it is - please just take my word for it, were not just talking about full frontal nudity or so).

Obviously my wife was very scared that she'd want to send them to friends or her boyfriend (or worse: put them on some social media plattform), which of course could cause major trouble.  She claims that that wasn't the case and she took those pictures for her personal use (whatever that means) and hadn't sent it to anybody.  I do believe the last part but I'm calling bs on the first (not that it matters).

We had her delete the explicit pictures and begged her never ever to send anything like that to anybody.  I told her I wasn't mad about her taking pictures of herself or anything else, just that I was worried that somebody could accuse her of possession and/or distribution of child pornography (which, I believe, those pictures could really be considered) - and, of course, get her into all sorts of other trouble.

So here's my question:  even if she were telling the truth and she really was only taking those pictures for herself and if somebody would discover said pictures on her phone, could she be in danger of being accused of possession of child pornography?  She is underage, the pictures do fit the description but they are pictures of HERSELF.  Would that make any difference?

Answer: Yes, she could be charged with possession of child pornography for having sexualized nude photos of herself. Answer #2: A few things, you need to explain to your daughter the serious nature of nude photos and the fact that she can be charged even if it was just for her "personal reasons". Also know that this is probably very embarrassing for your daughter. She has probably already sent photos to others. You will also want to make sure she is not being "groomed" by an older person. The fact that she is reticent to tell you where these are going may indicate that someone is grooming her for sexual activity and told her to "keep it a secret". Answer #3: Even if she were only taking those photos for herself...if a "friend" were get ahold of the phone and send the pictures out to others that would be distribution.


Title: Mandatory 4month Notice of Non-renewal or else your lease automatically renews? (VA)

Question: The title pretty much says it all- they're requiring a specific form 120 days ahead to notify them that we're done at the end of the lease? Is this legal, and if so who do I complain to in order to make it not legal?

Answer:
 Some states explicitly prohibit a 1-year lease from automatically renewing for a full year unless a specific action is taken.

Virginia does not.    [VA Code § 55-248.7](https://law.justia.com/codes/virginia/2017/title-55/chapter-13.2/section-55-248.7/) specifically says that automatic renewal clauses are allowed to be written into a lease agreement.


Title: Is it at all possible to charge someone with animal cruelty to a fish commonly used as food ?

Question:
Like salmon or cod

What do you need to do to be charged with animal cruelty towards it ?

Answer: What are they doing that’s cruel to the fish?


Title: I think my sons dad (male35) hurt my sons (male 4) foot and I want soul custody

Question:
So me and my sons dad have a long history of a bad relationship. I’ve had to call the police on him several times because of his drug issues and violent behavior. I am trying to get soul custody of our kid so that he doesn’t get him but it’s been hard to in court in the past and he’s always won. I can’t pay for a lawyer as good as his and have to have my parents help.

So 2 weeks ago his dad had me pick up our son early for a night (I wasn’t supposed to have him for several more days). His dad told me that he hurt his foot. so I met him to pick him up and all night my son kept telling me weird stuff. That there were monsters that tried to get him at his dads. That his dad kept going ‘rawr’ and was mad. And stuff like that. His foot looked bad and he was crying about it. His dad told me that he fell walking into a store but my son is insisting that he got hurt at the library and that his dad and his dads girlfriend hurt him. I don’t speak with her because of bad stuff from the past I don’t like to. The next morning I took him to the ER and his dad came they said my son has a fracture and they put a cast on him. When his dad showed up to the ER I could tell he was either high or coming off of something bad. I didn’t say anything to him because my dad said the more he messes up with My son around the better for me during court. So I have been making claims with DFS and with the police station to help build my case up but they said they need something like a witness because my son is only 4 and doesn’t talk very good. His dad has a history of being mean and fighting with everyone he’s with so I know that their house isn’t safe. They have another baby together that they have to focus on because he has problems. So I’m sure my son is ignored the whole time he’s there and not taken care of. I ask my son if he likes going to dads and he says no there are monsters there. He never wants to go and always says that he doesn’t want to go when you ask.

I have a great boyfriend and I would really like to have my him adopt my son later so that he has a good dad figure around. My son loves him and they are always doing stuff together. I don’t want to wait too long and have his dad mess him up when my boyfriend has been so good with him. I think that my son would be in a much more stable situation if his dad wasn’t in the picture.

Has anyone had this happen and what did you do? I don’t like sending my son there and I know him and his girlfriend aren’t good people. Is there anything I can do now that would keep his dad from getting him without me being held in contempt of court? You can’t talk to his dad because he just yells or does crazy stuff. Or even how do stay calm when they have him?

Tl;dr: my sons dad is a little crazy and said that my son hurt himself somewhere but my son says they hurt him somewhere else. And doesn’t want to go to his dads anymore. I want to get soul custody of my son.

Answer:
 >  Is there anything I can do now that would keep his dad from getting him without me being held in contempt of court?

No.  You have a court-ordered custody arrangement, and you follow it.

You can file a motion with the court to change that, but one injury and an unreliable witness is unlikely to see a major change in custody.Answer #2: If you want soul custody of your son, that’s between you and your god.

In order to get sole legal custody, you need objective evidence showing that your ex is a danger to the child. Documented cases of child abuse or neglect from the police and DFS are the only functional way to do it. It’s an extremely serious thing to strip parental rights away from a father, and not something the court does lightly, even if the guy is clearly a drug addict loser. Even drug addicts can care dearly for their children.

Accidents happen, so this single foot case isn’t enough to show he’s a danger. If there was a pattern of injuries in his care, that’s one thing  And you should certainly document this to help show a pattern. But this isn’t the smoking gun that will win your case.

If you marry your boyfriend, *and* the father consents, you may be eligible to pursue a stepparent adoption. This will terminate his rights (and the responsibility for child support). But the odds of getting approved against the fathers wishes are the same as gettIng sole custody.


Title: Can a Priest voluntarily testify in court and give information that was learned in a confession?

Question:
I'm aware that a Priest cannot be compelled to testify, but I was wondering if the Priest could decide on his own to testify, and if that testimony would be admissible? I'm not having legal issues, I'm just curious. (also I'm aware that child abuse cases have different rules about this so for convenience sake just ignore those types of cases.)

Edit: My Location is New York, New York, USA. Not that it matters but just to satisfy the bot.

Answer:
 Under Catholic doctrine any Priest who broke the seal of confession would automatically be excommunicated from the Catholic Church. This means he would be barred from receiving all Sacraments, excepting that of Penance (Confession, for the non Catholics!) He would be barred from performing Mass but could still administer last rites,confession or baptism if death were imminent (a given for the first example!) This might not seem like a big deal to a Non Catholic but to a Priest it would be. It's taken so seriously because the Priest is acting 'in persona Christi' that is he is acting in the place of God, so he's not breaking his own confidence he is breaking God's. A priest can be forgiven and return to the fold but only by a Bishop or in an extremely serious case by the Pope himself.

Just thought you might be interested in the Canon Law aspect of your question.Answer #2: Yes with a giant exception. This is governed by ER 506 discussed at length in this [wikipedia article](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priest%E2%80%93penitent_privilege) - in essence the right belongs to the person who would be prejudiced by the testimony, not the priest.  If the priest wanted to testify the person could stop them, but the priest can refuse to testify - but they are invoking the right not on their own behalf but on behalf of the person who confided in them.

So technically a priest could testify about information that they learned through the confessional privilege, but the person who confessed could stop it. Answer #3: If ever there'd be a reason for a voir dire, a priest voluntarily breaking the seal of confession (instantly excommunicating himself in the process) would be it.

I haven't found any Canadian case law on that topic.


Title: Can I go to prison for sleeping with girl who lied about her age?

Question:
This is my first time talking about this on an Internet forum. Almost five years ago I met a girl who said she was of age, we ended up hooking up for about a month. The only reason we stopped is because she told me she was pregnant, I freaked out, blocked her on all social media accounts, and 3 months later had her mom knocking on my dad’s door saying not only is she pregnant but that she was much younger than the age she claimed to be, so much younger that there is no statute of limitations. I knew the day would come that there would be a knock on the door, but Being 19 with very little life experience and never having any long term relationships, not once did I think she wasn’t the age she claimed to be. Now five years later it would’ve been blatantly obvious to me that she was young, just well physically developed for someone her age. From the very beginning before the baby was born I’d let her know I want absolutely nothing to do with this. I’d pay child support but as far as relationships with her or the baby, I did not want anything to do with it. Everything changed when I found out she was underage. Turns out her dad is a cop and was seriously considering pressing charges, the only thing stopping him was the girl’s mom who told him he wasn’t about to lock me up. It’s been blatantly obvious to all parties involved that from the beginning I wanted absolutely nothing to do with the baby or her mom, but because I am in fear of her or someone in her family pressing charges for a crime I didn’t knowingly commit, that up until about 6 months ago, I’ve had to put a fake face once a week when I spend time with the kiddo, who is now 4. She and her grandmother moved about 5 hours away and it’s been a lot less stress not having to go see her. I have a 2 year old daughter who I love more than anything, with a woman I was with for 3, technically 4 years and whom I am still very close to. I work and go to school full time and the last thing I want is to be locked up for decades for a crime that technically was not my fault. Since my first daughter has been born, I’ve never once told her mother that I didn’t want to be there, even though that’s always how I’ve truly felt. She has threatened numerous times to press charges if I didn’t comply with her demands such as needing money or needing to bring her over. I have thousands of texts between us backed up on my laptop where she threatens to “throw me under the bus”. Unfortunately I don’t have the text messages of when we first started talking of her telling me she was of age, but she has admitted to her parents that that’s what happened. There is so much more to this than I’m willing to put out there, but I am on my lunch break and wanted to finally get this off my chest. My question is what legal recourse do I have in case she ever presses charges on me? I’ve been thinking about telling her the truth about how I really feel because I got a text this morning that our daughter is visiting and she needs to come over on Christmas, and unfortunately I don’t think anyone got her any gifts this year. She was not supposed to be here during Christmas. I do not want her to feel left out when she doesn’t get anything. the last thing i want is her being there and seeing her sister getting gifts but not her, now I am scrambling to figure out what a 4 year old likes, and what I can afford with my limited paycheck. Also, due to complications getting our daughter insurance, her grandmother on her mom’s side is now legal guardian of our 4 year old, if that makes any difference in the legal aspect of all this. My parents and her parents both lawyered up after all this happened and apparently this situation happens a lot more often than one would expect, young men get locked up for years for a crime they didn’t knowingly commit, while the girl who lies to sleep with an older man, gets to sleep in bed comfortable at night with no repercussions. I am not a terrible person and I get so uncomfortable when both my daughters are here at the house because I feel like I have to limit how much attention I pay to my 2 year old. I have a feeling my 4 year old knows she is loved a little bit less than my 2 year old and it hurts me to know that, but I can not control my natural emotions. I can’t just wake up one day and somehow feel love for someone if that’s just not how I feel or what I want, regardless if it’s my own kiddo or not. I do not want anyone to think I’m a piece of shit. I’ve tried for several years to spend time with her hoping I might feel paternal love towards her but I just never have, so when I see her I have to put on a fake smile and just pretend, and it feels like shit. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? Surely the passage of time and the cooperation between us as parents and the fact that she’s threatened in text message to report me for police, which is essentially blackmail, could have a positive effect if this situation were to ever escalate and the police get involved. I live in Texas by the way.

Tl;dr girl lied about her age, got her pregnant like 4-5 years ago and am scared of going to prison

Answer:
 In the future, could you please try breaking things into paragraphs?
Anyway, yeah, you possibly could but if she's willing to admit she lied in court or if you could somehow back that up, then they'd probably slap you on the wrist.


Title: Value of cat

Question:
Location South Carolina.

This morning my roommates cat woke me up again with its meowing. I've talked to my roommate about this before but apparently he doesn't care. I decided to leave instead of starting a fight and went for a jog and left the front door open.

His cat walked out and hasn't been seen since. My roommate now wants to sue me for his animal deciding to leave (it was adopted and couldn't have cost him more than $20-40).

I've already explained to him that this isn't my fault and it isn't as if I placed his cat outside, the animal walked out on his own.

I know you can be sued for pretty much anything, but is there any chance he'd actually be successful? If I give him $20 to shut him up, is he legally considered to be "made whole"?

Answer:
 >I've already explained to him that this isn't my fault and it isn't as if I placed his cat outside, the animal walked out on his own.

nice contradiction by stating that you left the front door open allowing the cat to run away.

Answer #2: > I know you can be sued for pretty much anything, but is there any chance he'd actually be successful?

Roughly 100% by my calculations.  Your action of leaving the door open was negligent.  A reasonable person would not have done that knowing there was an animal inside.

As to the value of the cat, you don't owe him what he paid for it, you owe him the replacement value, which could be more than $20.


Title: In the USA: would it be technically illegal to allow a speeder to pass you?

Question:
Suppose I'm going exactly the speed limit on the highway and some douchebag behind me keeps trying go around me. If I allow him to just pass me like that, wouldn't I be guilty of accessory to speeding?

And if the driver is under 18, am I not also contributing to the delinquency of a minor if I make it easier for him to pass me?

Answer:
 No, you are not legally obligated to prevent them from committing a crime.

Just like you're not guilty of everyone speeding right now because you aren't out there stopping them.